Volume 37, Issue 22 - Feb. 19, 2015 by Met Media

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Volume 37, Issue 22

February 19, 2015

Spring commencement splits, heads to Denver Coliseum

By Steve Musal smusal@msudenver.edu Spring 2015 MSU Denver graduates won’t sit on the field outside the Tivoli Student Union during commencement this year, and the ceremony will be split into two parts, according to MSU Denver President Stephen Jordan. The commencement ceremonies are scheduled for May 16, a Saturday — a departure from past years’ Sunday schedule, which was due to a need to share the campus facilities with UCD. Both ceremonies will take place at the Denver Coliseum. Graduates from the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the School of Education will begin their ceremony at 9 a.m., while graduates of the Colleges of Business and Professional Studies will begin at 2:30 p.m.

The changes are due to a commencement committee presentation, as well as a study done by Spector Brands. “We felt like (commencement) was a transactional experience, and we wanted it to be transformational,” said Cathy Lucas, an MSU Denver spokeswoman. Lucas said the change in location and the split in commencement ceremonies is due to the increasing size of graduating classes as well as a slight savings in cost, and will eliminate the cap on graduates’ guests. Additionally, the indoor venue should reduce the impact of Denver’s often-unpredictable weather. “The whole purpose of this review is to make commencement a more intimate and special experience for our students and their families,” Jordan said.

Seniors and Freshmen: Have a Voice. We are Listening. $2 will be donated to the MSU Denver Food Bank from the Office of the Provost for every NSSE survey completed by May 1.

Commencement: Dear President Jordan From Camrianne Totems ctotems@msudenver.edu Dear President Jordan, In industrial Denver, with Purina Puppy Chow-scented air, is an old, conventional and drab location. This is the Denver Coliseum: home of the National Western Stock Show. The Denver Coliseum: home of Monster Jam. The Denver Coliseum: home of MSU Denver’s 2015 commencement? I am a proud senior at MSU Denver. My school’s faculty has stayed up all hours to look after my every need. My school has the best men’s Division

II basketball team in the United States. My school has competitive men’s and women’s sports, which include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, track and field, tennis and volleyball. My school is located on a beautiful campus just off Larimer Square. My school has a parking garage off of 9th and Auraria with one of the best views of downtown Denver. My school is under the support of the Auraria Higher Education Center, which is phenomenal at ensuring that our triinstitutional campus runs properly.

Continued on PAGE 6 >>

2015 Invitation to Participate

Graduates and guests prepare for MSU Denver’s spring commencement outside the Tivoli Student Union in 2013. MSU Denver President Stephen Jordan split the commencement ceremony into two parts and changed the venue to the Denver Coliseum for 2015. Photo by M. J. Musal

“NSSE not only provides participating institutions a valid and reliable sense of how their students are learning through engagement with the institution but also how this compares to other institutions. That’s powerful information for a student-centered institution.” — David A. Longanecker, President, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Starting in mid-February, please check your MSU Denver email for more information or contact Lou Moss, lmoss3@msudenver.edu, 303-556-3457.

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February 19, 2015

Vigil held for college students shot in Chapel Hill By Josh Madsen jmadse18@msudenver.edu Approximately 80 Auraria students, alumni, community members and supporters braved snow and freezing temperatures Feb. 15 to attend an off-campus candlelight vigil for three Muslim college students killed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina Feb. 10. Craig Stephen Hicks, the victims’ neighbor, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23; Barakat’s wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21, and the latter’s sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19. All three were students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill police have indicated that the shootings appear to be related to a month-long dispute over parking spaces at the condominium complex the three shared with Hicks. But, noting the way the shooter had previously used social media to express scorn for religious people, family members of the victims have asked for an

investigation into the shooting as a possible hate crime, according to a Feb. 11 New York Times article. The article also stated that police are aware that the murders could have been hate-motivated and intend to exhaust all leads to determine if that is the case. Frustration about the response to the deaths has spread on Twitter, sometimes marked with the hashtag #MuslimLivesMatter, which mirrors the #BlackLives-

Matter hashtag created in response to recent slayings of black people by police. Sunday’s vigil, organized by the Muslim Student Association at Auraria, was held at Denver’s Civic Center Park. “We are here to bring awareness to this, because to me and I’m sure to many of you, this was a hate crime,” MSA President Nadeen Ibrahim told the crowd that gathered for the vigil.

Students and community members hold a candlelight vigil Feb. 15 for slain Muslim students Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha. Photo by Alaa Zeitawi

UCD sophomore Fartun Ahmed Hayir said that a segment of the population felt that “religion might have played a role” in the shooting. “Particularly due to the context of this event, and recent attacks on Islamic communities surrounding the release of ‘American Sniper,’” Hayir added. Ibrahim stated that students from MSU Denver, UCD, CCD, CU-Boulder and other schools were represented, as were community groups such as Friends of Sabeel, Coloradans for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. The event included a prayer and discussions about community safety. Attendees were offered the opportunity to approach the microphone and share their thoughts both on the events that occurred in Chapel Hill and about issues within their own communities. The news of the murders has unsettled the faith-based group created to promote friendly and unified relations between Muslims and non-Muslims. “This incident quite frankly shook all of us,” Ibrahim said. “I heard about it late at night and couldn’t even sleep that

night. Me, as a Muslim (and) a person who wears a hijab, I couldn’t even feel safe in my own apartment after hearing about this.” “This hits home for us, because we are Muslim students and similar in age. That could be us,” said MSU Denver sophomore Mariam Abdi, indicating her hijab, similar to that worn by the two female victims. “My parents do not feel comfortable about me traveling alone to campus now. My dad called me after the shooting and told me specifically to not stay late on campus any more.” Denver resident Trevor Leahy said that he wasn’t Muslim but was still sympathetic to the victims and their families. “It’s sad to see unnecessary brutality against religious minorities,” Leahy said. “I’m here to show the family and community my support.” The MSA at Auraria has scheduled a moment of silence for the Chapel Hill shooting victims to take place Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. outside of the Tivoli. Matthew Ciancio contributed additional reporting to this story.

Education, awareness and crafts at Cards & Condoms By Josh Madsen jmadsen18@msudenver.edu Feb. 9 marked the start of Sexual Responsibility Week at Auraria, held in conjunction with National Condom Week, which has a goal of raising awareness of sexual health among teens and young adults. The week of events was coordinated by the Health Center at Auraria, the Phoenix Center at Auraria and GLBT Student Services. National Condom Week started in 1978 at the University of California at Berkeley, piggy-backing on Valentine’s Day as a way of raising awareness that condom use could be effective in reducing the spread of sexually transmitted infections. Under the sponsorship of the American Sexual Health Association since 1990, advocates continue to emphasize the importance of humor in sex education. National Condom Week has grown into an educational event for colleges, high schools, family planning organizations, AIDS groups, STI awareness

She was making a card with a message of “It will be sweeter if you wrap your peter” — one of the slogans of National Condom Week. groups, LGBT groups and even condom manufacturers. Several events took place as part of Auraria’s Sexual Responsibility week, including the Cards & Condoms campaign held Feb. 10 and 11. The activity presented an opportunity for students to make Valentines; get free condoms, and gain more information about sexual health, responsibility and relevant services offered by different organizations on campus. Hoping to spark candid discussions about sexual health, the organizers offered free STI screenings and free condoms. “We will help you prepare for Valentine’s Day this year by starting a conversation about condoms,

consent and your status,” read a statement issued by the Health Center’s staff. Candace Nunag-Hicks, a graduate research assistant at UCD’s Women’s Resource Center, explained that the event organizers were trying to disseminate knowledge about “sexual responsibility, consent, sexual health and really getting these conversations started for our students on campus.” She was closely mirrored by Brennalyn Flaherty, a UCD freshman and Phoenix Center violence prevention educator, who urged people to “always ask, and always know that alcohol impairs the ability to give consent. Ask people if they are OK, and alert an authority figure if necessary.” The Phoenix Center offers assistance to victims of interpersonal violence, sexual abuse and relationship abuse. Beth Sandlin, the health education outreach coordinator at the health center, put it more bluntly: The organizers’ goal was to “keep promoting safer sex, and letting the students know that STIs are still a real thing.” According to data from the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, nearly half of the 20 million new STIs diagnosed each year are among young people between 15 and 24 years old. Some students attending the event were a little less serious about the message, but ultimately took it in. MSU Denver junior Shauna Jeziorski said that the event “seemed fun and there’s candy.”

She said that she was making a fun card with a message of “It will be sweeter if you wrap your peter” — one of the slogans of National Condom Week. For more coverage of Sexual Responsibility Week events, see page 5, and the article on the campus-wide drag show on pages 10 and 11 of the Met Spective section.

Sarah Garrison, an MSU Denver junior, welcomes students to the Cards & Condoms event held by the Health Center at Auraria, Phoenix Center at Auraria, and GLBT Student Services. Photo by Sara Hertwig • shertwig@msudenver.edu

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February 19, 2015

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Activist Straight talk with queer people, sex educators, comedians and vulva puppets talks By Kate Rigot krigot@msudenver.edu Several campus organizations came together last week to talk condoms, queerness, anatomy, and orgasms — and as much in the name of education as of good fun. A coordinated effort by GLBT Student Services at Auraria, the Phoenix Center at Auraria, the MSU Denver Institute for Women’s Studies and Services and the UCD Women’s Resource Center, Sexual Responsibility Week took place over several days at various locations in the Tivoli. Monday saw a screening of the fi lm “Power or Pleasure: The Technology of the Orgasm,” a history of vibrator technology. On Tuesday, the GLBTSS office held a panel discussion called “Queer People Speak Out: Navigating Sexual Spaces.” The event was designed to demystify sexuality as it related to queer people, but also to educate about sex in general, particularly as it relates to other non-normative forms of sexuality. The panel, consisting of three GLBTSS staff members and one

community member, spoke frankly on a variety of topics given to them by audience members, including consent and boundaries, sex work and BDSM. But much of the discussion revolved around not sexual activity but matters of identity and politics. These ranged from non-binary and trans identities, transphobia and gender policing, asexuality, demisexuality and polyamory, and also included a discussion of ways in which queer theory and politics often differ from feminist politics. Audience member Tim Cole, an MSU Denver senior, said that he appreciated how an event that was billed to be about sex ended up including a large dose of politics and community as well. “I felt that it was great that people came for a discussion about sex, but then brought their questions that weren’t necessarily sexual,” Cole said. Wednesday’s event was a performance called “SexCom,” billed as a sex education-focused comedy act, and presented by Debbie Sheer, a Denver-based comedian, and Shanna Katz, a local board certified sexologist — or a “professional

pervert,” as she put it. “That’s an actual position,” Katz said. Katz and Sheer fielded anonymous questions from audience members, referring to the exercise as “stump the sexologist.” The two responded to every question humorously but sincerely — and often with a serious educational message at the core. Topics ranged from questions about sexual anatomy, orgasms, BDSM and sex toys to others about safer sex, HIV testing, stigma and communication. The two were assisted at times by a couple of puppets, one representing a vulva and the other a butt. Katz talked at length about the problems with many sex toys that are manufactured with what she described as toxic chemicals called phthalates. “If you wouldn’t put something in your mouth, don’t put it inside your vagina or anus,” she said, but added that some adult specialty stores, such as Fascinations, can help point sex toy shoppers to safer toys. “You can ask them, ‘I want a toy that’s not gonna pickle my vagina — what would you suggest?” “I’m in the industrial design

program at Metro State, and I didn’t realize that the FDA didn’t regulate those toys,” said MSU Denver junior Charlie Robbins. “Being that we study and we do a lot of stuff that’s materials, and a lot of industrial designers do end up going into the sex toy industry, that was really interesting.” Not all sex toys are problematic, however, and Katz and Sheer recommended ones made of silicone, wood or even glass — which Katz said was not as breakable as it sounded like it would be. But she cautioned that toys used anally must have a graspable base, because “the anus does not have an end technically — the end of the anus is your mouth. Every hospital has a ‘butt box’ in their ER — people shove all types of shit in their butt.” The event lasted only an hour, but Katz, who runs a private sex and relationship therapy practice, told audience members they could always come to her for more education. “If we didn’t talk enough about butt sex, all my workshops are on a sliding scale,” she said. “I will talk about how to perv shit up for an hour and a half.”

Ebola

Simon Tsike-Sossah was on campus Feb. 11 to give a talk entitled “Ebola = System Failure: Why a Grass Roots Response is Necessary.” According the event fl yer, Tsike-Sossah is a youth activist focused on peace and youth development. He is the founder and executive director of Amsterdam-based African Community Internship and Placement Programme West Africa, which does work around themes of capacity building, peace, conflict, human rights, and governance. Tsike-Sossah also founded the Ghana-based Abusua Foundation in 2002. Photo by Alyson McClaran • amcclara@msudenver.edu

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February 19, 2015

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Autism: Worse than measels?

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What we do 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 a 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 email to themetonline@gmail.com. The Metropolitan is produced by and for the students of Metropolitan State University 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 MSU Denver or its advertisers.

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By Cassie Reid creid13@msudenver.edu The media has blasphemed hundreds of noble parents as “selfish,” “moronic” and “proof of Darwinism” after these parents refused to vaccinate their children. Our government is shoving this poison into our children’s veins with little consideration for the consequences, namely the debilitating disability called “autism.” Ignore whatever medically-proven propaganda you may have heard time and time again, I say they are linked. I should know, as I personally am afflicted with the condition. For those of you whose primary experience with the autism

spectrum is the ghastly film “Rain Man,” let me assure you the breadth of the spectrum is far beyond counting toothpicks and obsessing over daytime television. My diagnosis was once known as Asperger’s, a syndrome indicated by social isolation, with a socially isolating name reminding one of a cow’s derriere. But, in 2013, the eggheads at the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lumped me in with Sheldon Cooper, Forrest Gump and Vladimir Putin. When I heard of the prominent movement among yuppie, far-left parents in California refusing to give in to the trend of vaccination, I was positively thrilled. Above all of my reasons for supporting this rebellion is the lesson taught to us on the autism spectrum: That we are a collective mistake. Forget those warm, fuzzy reports that claim autism could be a step forward in human evolution. Our differences show how we are inferior to mankind with no lessons to offer in the vein of acceptance. And those savant cases of exceptional ability and discovery serve nothing other than to make superior, standard-brained people feel bad about their satisfactory lives. So what if a diagnosis of autism

is more based on genetic material than on medical history? More elementary school children are being diagnosed than ever. While some may convince you this is due to a better understanding of the autistic spectrum and a pursuit to educate those diagnosed at a young age, I have noted based on the first result on Bing that diagnosis always occurs within a year or 10 of their first vaccination. Coincidence? I think not, and that’s with my infected, autistic brain. So, parents, learn from these martyrs who sacrifice public health more so than their own lives and refuse vaccination. We have lived hundreds of years without it and we will continue to beyond. You know what else we’ve gone years without? Diagnosing autism and pursuing inclusivity rather than ostracization. No person brave enough to take on parenthood should be burdened with a nonaverage, imperfect child. Editor’s note: This article is a condemnation of insensitivity shown to those on the autism spectrum, primarily that of parents so afraid of autism that they refuse vaccination and endanger the general public. It is satire and should be taken sarcastically.

Commencement << Continued from PAGE 1 My school’s teachers have inspired me to strive beyond my narrow scope of interest and explore more shades of variety from the beautiful and grand world we live in. My school’s student government works hard to represent the student voices and to take action for the good of the school as a whole, and not just for themselves as individuals. My school is the home of driven students with real jobs, real lives, real challenges and real hearts that push them to reach past the barriers set around them and thus achieve greatness. My school has taken action to be a competitive university in spite of being looked down on as “inferior” simply because they are housed next to a pushy and disparaging UCD. My school does not quit on its dreams. My school has taught me not to quit on mine. To house the ceremony that represents the climax of a student’s achievements at this university in the Denver Coliseum is a colossal misrepresentation to the world of what my MSU Denver really is. Many fellow graduates and I are highly disappointed and frustrated. The graduation ceremony on the Tivoli green is iconic and memorable. As students, we spend hundreds of hours on this campus. We are emotionally and physically invested in our education here and a graduation ceremony against the backdrop of the Tivoli is deeply meaningful. We are frustrated by the fact that you feel you can make a change like this without consulting the entire student body. This is our day. This is what we have been striving for. You took something from us that we have been working for and looking forward to for the past four years and you took it without consulting us. It was dismissive, rude, inattentive and unprofessional. I expect more from you and this institution. You have ripped the literal and figurative grass out from under my feet and destroyed a wonderful dream and opportunity for hundreds of 2015 graduates. It is my most sincere hope that this anticlimactic and disheartening decision will never again be imposed on another graduate from MSU Denver.

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February 19, 2015

The Phoenix Center fights for awareness By Cheyenne DeChristopher cdechris@msudenver.edu In the wake of Sexual Responsibility Week, The Phoenix Center at Auraria continues to educate the auraria campus about the reality of relationship violence, sexual assault and stalking. The Rape Abuse and Incest National Network released the statistic that every 107 seconds, another American is sexually assaulted. This was calculated after the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey 2009-2013 revealed there is an average of 293,066 victims, age 12 or older, of rape and sexual assault each year. With the prevalence of these crimes committed, Sexual Responsibility Week on Auraria Campus is more prevalent than ever. However, many of the students surveyed on campus were unaware of the importance of this week, as well as the work the Phoenix Center does to combat this horrifying reality. Students revealed their own ideas of what a healthy relationship looks like and what constitutes domestic abuse. Alexia Caplan, a UCD undergraduate, said her picture of a healthy relationship must be comprised of loyalty and trust. UCD freshman Vincent Roldan expanded on the typical statement

regarding domestic abuse by including non-intimate relationships in his answer. He said abuse is where a family member or boyfriend or girlfriend abuses someone physically or emotionally. Jennifer Doe, the Phoenix Center’s violence prevention education coordinator, said Sexual Responsibility Week is the busiest time for the center in terms of programming and raising awareness. Doe herself identifies as a domestic abuse survivor and said her experience shifted her consciousness and focus, and inspired her to work at the center. The Phoenix Center, located in the Tivoli Student Union 259, specifically works with relationship violence, sexual assault and stalking. Doe said they are able to help those struggling with these issues by giving them options. They can help victims file a police report or talk to a professor about missing assignments because of dealing with trauma. To utilize the center’s resources, all students have to do is make an appointment with an office advocate, or even use their 24-hour hotline. There are also resources for those who suspect their friend or loved one is currently in an abusive relationship. The Phoenix Center offers workshops like the upcoming “You Don’t Need A Cape To Be A Superhero,” which gives talking points for concerned friends.

Using the center’s services is confidential. In 2014, 93 people used the center and 175 calls were placed to their hotline. The Phoenix Center has adopted the mantra from the Affirmative Consent Model, which states “Yes means Yes.” Doe specified, “No isn’t always something people can say.” She explained that consent is an “active and ongoing process.” Doe said this goes farther than sexual contact to include any form of physical touching. For example, when hugging someone, Doe said you should check in to see if their body language matches what they’re saying. The Phoenix Center’s approach to combating sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking is to be proactive. The center chooses to use preventative education, like holding workshops that Auraria campus students can attend to learn more about these issues. As a safe-zone trained organization, the Phoenix Center also works with same sex couples and LGBT individuals. They also help victims of female-on-male violence and will provide services to all who need them. At the Phoenix Center, Doe reiterated that they help take the initial steps for those suffering with relationship violence. If additional resources are required, the center is able to provide them.

Jenn Doe is a survivor of domestic abuse and currently works at the Phoenix Center at Auraria as the Violence Prevention Education Coordinator. Photo by Michael Ortiz • mortiz26@msudenver.edu

Contact the Phoenix Center Tivoli 259

Monday — Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

For Appointments: 303.556.6011 Free 24/7 helpline: 303.556.2255 (Confidential) Email: pcauraria@gmail.com

The King Center glows with “Einstein’s Light” film screening By Robert Kemp rkemp9@msudenver.edu Auraria students were treated to a night of film, music and theater honoring the 100-year anniversary of the publication of Albert Einstein’s “Theory of General Relativity.” In Nov. 1915, Einstein finalized his “Theory of General Relativity,” a theory which led to ideas such as black holes and the “big bang.” The theory also makes modern-day technology such as global positioning satellites possible. In honor of this momentous event in physics, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has declared 2015 the “International Year of Light.” Auraria campus participated in this worldwide event Feb. 13. MSU Denver’s music event manager, Charla Bevan-Jones, described the weekend as a “unique

interdisciplinary event.” The main event of the weekend was a presentation of clips from the upcoming documentary, “Einstein’s Light: Illuminating Minds,” and a presentation on Einstein’s theory by MSU Denver professor James Dove. The director of the documentary, Nickolas Barris, offered commentary between clips, as did the film’s composer Bruce Adolphe. “Einstein’s Light” is a documentary that explores the role of imagination and innovation in advancing society,” Barris said. “It takes the life of Albert Einstein and Dutch Nobel laureate Hendrik Lorentz as models for this exploration of imagination and creativity.” The first clip of the documentary was a series of abstract visuals set to live violin and piano performed by Adolphe and MSU Denver professor Emily OndracekPeterson.

The video began with planets floating in space and zoomed into streams of light speeding along the surface of the earth. The music was eerily slow before launching into a fast paced barrage of atonal notes. Pictures of Einstein dissolved into millions of particles and timelapsed images showed the movement of the sun. “The filmic concept is that you’re looking at energy and different manifestations of it,” Barris said. “So for the visualizations you would see this abstract shifting between very small particles into big constellations.” Adolphe went on to present various clips of Einstein playing his violin. Adolphe said, “Music clearly requires an abstract way of thinking. At one point Einstein said that he felt his instincts were musical.” The last video of the night included black-and-white footage from World War I alongside

more abstract visualizations and another musical composition by Adolphe. “As I thought about the mechanism responsible for his innovation, it became very clear from his own writings that music fueled his scientific imagination,” Barris said. “Einstein’s Light: Illuminating Minds” is an ongoing project. Filming will continue through June and the world premiere will be in September. Following the video presentation, Dove attempted to, as he put it, “Cram a semester’s worth of physics into about twenty minutes.” Dove explained the basic concepts behind general relativity and the innovation behind Einstein’s conclusions. He explained that scientists make a set of observations first, then develop a theory to explain those observations. Once a theory is developed,

more observations are made that either confirm or disprove that theory, and the process repeats. Dove explained that Einstein broke the rules of the scientific method with his work on general relativity. “General relativity was pretty much one of the very few main theories of physics that came about prior to any evidence,” Dove said. “It’s sort of this case of deductive reasoning and going off intuition.” He added it was refreshing to see MSU Denver encourage students to attend “Einstein’s Light.” As Einstein said, “knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world.” MSU Denver’s music department continues it’s unconventional programming all semester. “The music department has around 125 events this semester, from jazz concerts to African drum ensembles,” Bevan-Jones said.

February 19, 2015 Met Spective

Queen of the Springs: Life with drag Porsha DeMarco-Douglas puts on her makeup before perfoming in Love is a Drag Feb. 12 in the Tivoli Turnhalle.

By Cassie Reid creid13@msudenver.edu There was once an offended drag queen who responded to an insult with “I’m more of a man than you’ll ever be, and more of a woman than you’ll ever get.” While the queen in question is fictional, the statement is truly personified in Porsha DeMarco-Douglas DeMarco-Douglas is the entertainment coordinator for Club Q, a gay and lesbian nightclub in Colorado Springs, who drove up to Auraria Feb. 12 to perform in Love is a Drag, an annual benefit event for Rainbow Alley LGBT youth center held in the Tivoli Turnhalle Ballroom. At 27 years old as of Feb. 12, DeMarcoDouglas has freely expressed herself since high school. “When I was in high school, I was that socially awkward kid. I didn’t talk to anybody, I didn’t have very many friends, I was that kid who hid in the corner during gym class,” DeMarco-Douglas said. “But as the years went on, I joined JROTC, that helped me come out of my shell. During my junior and senior year, I became a cheerleader and I

became very popular.” DeMarco-Douglas’ initial reaction to drag was apprehensive at best, hateful at worst. “My first response to drag queens were that they were disgusting creatures. I mean, I had a very, very, very hard time looking at them. I thought they were subhuman. I thought they were lower than amoeba,” DeMarco-Douglas said. “But, thanks to the community that is in Colorado Springs, I’ve learned to love them. I’ve learned to appreciate what they do and, thanks to them, I am who I am.” Beginning performances as a drag queen seven years ago, DeMarco-Douglas credits her mother for her support and encouragement. “My honest idol is my mom,” DeMarcoDouglas said. “If I do my makeup just right, I look like a younger version of her.” The morning of the benefit, DeMarcoDouglas came in at 11 a.m. with a large makeup kit, her costumes safely bagged and her handler, Trae M. F. Phillips, in tow. After being escorted to a makeshift dressing room, plus a couple minutes of laughter amongst makeup artists, queens

and reporters alike, DeMarco-Douglas and Phillips each prepped and primed their faces. In an age of Internet trolls, those who express themselves fully are pushed more than ever. DeMarco-Douglas, however, knows better than to give in to their negative words.

“It takes a bigger person to be able to step on stage and perform because it’s not easy getting on stage and letting yourself be judged.” —Porsha DeMarco-Douglas

“How I deal with haters or hecklers or anyone like that is simple. I grab a microphone and I tell them it takes a lot to get on stage in pounds of makeup, hair, clothes,

heels, jewels — you name it,” DeMarcoDouglas said. “It takes a bigger person to be able to step on stage and perform because it’s not easy getting on stage and letting yourself be judged.” With face on, DeMarco-Douglas performed for a full house. An audience favorite, wallets flew open to try and catch her eye between high kicks and jumps into the splits. Eventually she would visit every donor, giving lap dances and shimmies to a lucky few. Her hope for the event was to spread awareness, to raise money for struggling LGBT youth and to give everyone a good time. “(The biggest misconception about drag queens is) that all drag queens want to be women. We like to be able to do all the glitz and glam and then go, ‘OK, bye bye,’” DeMarco-Douglas said. “There are some people who start in drag and then they do the whole transition process into who they want to be, and more power to them. But still the biggest misconception is that we all want to do the same.” DeMarco-Douglas hosts the Crush Show Sundays at 10 p.m. at Club Q in Colorado Springs.

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Campus drag show supports LGBT youth By Samantha Coulter scoulte3@msudenver.edu Cotton candy pink wig and matching poodle skirt bouncing, Pansy Petals strutted across the floor of the Tivoli Turnhalle announcing herself as the “hostess with the mostest” signaling the start of the Love is a Drag show. “Does anybody know what a benefit is?” Petals asked the crowd. “What benefits mean is you dip into your little pockets and give us stuff. Because, sweetie, I’m easy but I’m not cheap.” The full audience burst into laughter and the mood was set for the afternoon. Love is a Drag was the fifth annual drag show fundraiser put on by Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Services at Auraria, held Feb. 12. Steve Willich, GLBTSS director, explained that they began holding the shows in response to the widely publicized suicides of Tyler Clementi and other gay youth who were victims of bullying due to their sexual orientation. GLBTSS organized a rally on campus in 2010 they called “It gets better because I give a damn,” to show support for struggling gay youth. The statistics are alarming. According to a national school climate survey, 86 percent of LGBT students report being bullied. A Massachusetts youth risk behavior survey found that LGBT youth are up to four times more likely than their heterosexual peers to attempt suicide. There is an urgent need for education of and support from the community. “It was just trying to support these teens who were going through a really rough time in high school and the bullying that they were receiving,” Willich said. “And we didn’t’t want just this passive rally saying we support teens and we want you to make sure that it’s better. We

wanted to do something that’s active and that’s something that’s going to make a difference.” The idea of a fundraiser drag show was born. Performers — mainly students — wearing vividly colored wigs, shimmering glitter encrusted dresses and platform heals danced through the room, stopping along the way to pick up tips from audience members. Almost 200 campus and community members showed up to enjoy the event and support the cause. The tips collected will be donated to Rainbow Alley, the youth section of the LGBT Center of Colorado. Funds will help support programs providing adult-supervised activities and counseling by the center. Matthlen Lumley, a UCD student and staff member at GLBTSS, helped organize the event and performed in the show. Having benefited from the programs at the center, Lumley was happy to give back to the program. “Part of it is raising money for Rainbow Alley. It also brings more awareness to other forms of gender expression on campus. And then also it’s fun,” Lumley said. The audience cheered as performers lipsynced to Britney Spears, jumped into the splits and dramatically ripped off layered costumes to reveal other outfits hidden beneath. Through the laughter, they remained clear about the reason for the show and the difficulties facing LGBT youth. “A benefit that can help, a place that can give them a place to go let them be themselves and have fun — it’s great,” said Troy, an MSU Denver student who stopped by to watch. Love is a Drag raised $300 for Rainbow Alley, money that will help provide teens a safe place to be supported, hopefully preventing further tragedies like the suicides that motivated GLBTSS to organize the benefits.

Workshop displays

gender spectrum By Cassie Reid creid13@msudenver.edu

Porsha DeMarco-Douglas gives an energetic performance to a packed house in Tivoli’s Turnhalle for Love is a Drag, Feb. 12. Photos by Trevor L. Davis • tdavis84@msudenver.edu

The key to being a beautiful woman is not having a vagina, nor is a penis required to make a handsome gentleman. Before the performance section of Love is a Drag Feb. 12, an hour-long workshop was held, giving insight into the necessary preparation pre-performance. At 1 p.m. the workshop began, led by Peaches West, a local queen, and Gavin Derp, a resident king. Both had the intimate audience practice their feminine, masculine and unicorn-ine walks, driving home the point that all of us are in the middle. West and Deep proceeded to detail their process, featuring breast binding and tucking in one’s “manhood.” Throughout the description, however, both emphasized drag as an expression with many variances, so perfect eyebrows, facial hair crafted from bits of your own hair and body parts are not required. Volunteers had Derp give them goatees, sharpened jawlines and other traditionally masculine features. Once the workshop ended, a pizza lunch was served both to the original attendees along with the mob of incoming audience members ready to see the show at 2 p.m.

Met

Reviews

The Metropolitan review staff rates works on a standard “A to F” scale, similar to that used in MSU Denver classes. mymetmedia.com f: themetropolitan @themetonline

February 19, 2015

“Kingsman: The Secret Service” By Steve Musal smusal@msudenver.edu I set myself up to feel badly about “Kingsman: the Secret Service.” The trailers led me to believe this would be a serious action movie, and I could not have been less excited about another “white guy saves the world” action movie. I’m pleased to say I was mostly wrong. What “Kingsman” delivers is a comedy with dry, British

“Seventh Son” By Steve Musal smusal@msudenver.edu Spending a Valentine’s Day alone meant I wanted mostlymindless, violent entertainment. “Seventh Son” gave me exactly what I wanted. The film stars Jeff Bridges as Master Gregory, an old “spook,” or monster hunter. Gregory is the last of an order of knights, all of them seventh sons of seventh sons, dedicated to protecting the world from supernatural evil. When dragon-cum-superwitch Mother Malkin (Julianne

“The Last Five Years” By Cassie Reid creid13@msudenver.edu Doomed young love, separate time lines and singing galore, what could be better for a Valentine’s Day release? I feel it necessary to confess my love for the musical “The Last Five Years,” which chronicles a love story told in reverse by the woman and told chronologically by the man. Cathy Hiatt (Anna Kendrick), and Jamie Wellerstein, (Jeremy Jordan), are an actor and author respectively who meet, marry and separate over five years in New York (with side trips to Ohio).

humor and plenty of action. It’s a coming-of-age story disguised as a spy movie, and it’s definitely self-aware. It could have used fewer white dude protagonists, but it managed to be much better than I expected. Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton) is a low-income Londoner with a chip on his shoulder big enough to be served with fried haddock. Enter Harry Hart (Colin Firth), whose life Eggsy’s father saved. Hart is recruiting a replacement member of his secret intelligence agency, and, bucking a trend of private-school, upper-class elites which are the rest of the potential

recruits, asks Eggsy to join him. Meanwhile, Samuel L. Jackson plays an interesting, highlycomplex antagonist in Richmond Valentine. It’s Jackson who sells the movie for me, though Firth has aged well and plays an excellent surrogate father figure. Jackson’s Valentine doesn’t like violence, can’t stand the sight of blood, is fighting strongly for green causes and doesn’t have any desire for money or power — he has both already due to his near-monopoly of the cell phone industry. He’s just trying to wipe out most of humanity for a good cause, and, like the best villains, believes what he is

doing is right. It’s a lot more complexity than we used to find in comic book adaptations, but it seems slightly ho-hum in the wake of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the “Dark Knight” Trilogy. Still, fans of James Bond films and action comedies will probably enjoy this film, especially if they like their villains a little less moustache-twirling — or if, like me, they needed more violence to round out a Valentine’s Day alone.

Moore) escapes from confinement and kills Gregory’s last apprentice (Kit “You Know Nothing, Jon Snow” Harrington), Gregory has a week to train baby-faced Tom Ward (Ben Barnes) to replace him before Malkin can take over the world. Ward, of course, is much more complicated than he seems, falling for half-witch Alice (Alicia Vikander) and boasting a heritage that is somewhat more varied than the usual member of Gregory’s order. It’s not exactly an original plot, and Bridges is playing directly to type: Gregory is in the vein of “True Grit’s” Rooster

Cogburn and most of the similar roles Bridges has played this decade. The characters are all typical fantasy archetypes: the old mentor figure, the farmboy hero, the love interest with supernatural history, the evil sorceress. But despite being almost completely stock, “Seventh Son” still has an odd charm. The acting isn’t likely to win anyone any awards, but it isn’t likely to top anyone’s list of worst acting ever, either. More importantly, everyone seems to be having fun. The real positive is that the film manages pacing well: “Seventh Son” never felt

rushed or dragging. The action sequences are good, if violent, and the film goes well with dinner and a tall glass of whatever drink seems appropriate at the time (cider or ale seem best). I wasn’t expecting a great deal out of “Seventh Son,” just an action fantasy film that wasn’t a total waste of my time. In that, it absolutely met my expectations. It’s definitely something to eventually catch on Netflix, and you won’t waste matinee price if you go see it in theaters, but there’s no real rush.

The show, composed by Jason Robert Brown, was released in 2003 Off-Broadway and it rapidly became an underground hit. Perhaps in honor of its release off of the Great White Way, the film is not playing in many theatres nationwide, certainly none in Colorado, but is available both on Amazon and iTunes to rent for less money than a movie ticket. So, what is the most annoying phrase in any adaptation review? “It was better on stage.” Because, duh. Nonetheless, it is important to note that the couple are truly the only roles in the stage musical. They sing alone on stage, only meeting in the middle of the show and of their crossing time lines for their wedding. Kendrick and Jordan are challenged to create as intimate of an experience while

surrounded by extras, some of who appear more than once and should be tracked. They mostly succeed, their chemistry is strong throughout and molds with their stories. The other impressive aspect of their performance was the embodiment of the oft forgotten secondary plot of the musical. That is of one person whose creative expression leads to massive fame and commercial success, while another’s is never recognized as much as they dreamed it would. It could even be argued that the cause of the couple’s failure is wounded career ego more than any traditional romantic scapegoat. With that said, this adaptation falls in line with several other musicals that insert dialogue in film adaptations in an attempt

to make the singing less strange. As in most other cases, this fails, if anything it breaks the flowing momentum present in the score and draws more attention to the sudden singing. The film is chock full of theatre references as well, though to their credit several were updated from the original script (Target replacing the long lost bookstore Borders). In the end, “The Last Five Years” has a gorgeous score, which delves into two deeply flawed characters. It is written so that there is virtually no way to truly fail at adapting it, and the crew involved is clearly more than capable for the task. I do seem to have entered a habit of reviewing films least-suited for dates.

B “Kingsman: The Secret Service” Movie poster from Wikipedia.org

C+

“Seventh Son” Movie poster from Wikipedia.org

“The Last Five Years” Movie poster from wikipedia.org

After Thoughts: ALBUM OF THE WEEK, “GLASS RIFER” by Dan Deacon Dan Deacon’s ninth studio album, “Glass Riffer” is a lighter shade of Deacon’s analog-midi-controlled brilliance. Compared to 2012’s “America,” the album features the same amount of intelligent sonic talent as each album before — but it seems as if Deacon took his time arranging his latest each and every sound, effect and vocal range that showcases a certain electro-swagger that goes unmatched. Reminiscent of his 2007 masterpiece “Spiderman of the Rings,” his new album will surely go down as one of his best. “Glass Riffer” comes out Feb. 23 on Domino Records. Album essentials: “Feel The Lightning,” “Meme Generator” and “Steely Blues.” WORDS: Tobias M. Krause ART from Big Hassle Publicity

“Glass Riffer”

— Metro head coach Tanya Haave

Sports

Met

“Regis lost only one game at home this year. I think we grew up a little bit tonight.”

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February 19, 2015

1213

Lady Runners unfazed by early struggles By Mike Tolbert mtolber3@msudenver.edu Metro women’s basketball slipped past Regis 83-75 at the Regis Fieldhouse to secure yet another win in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Feb. 14. Now 13-9 overall (10-8 RMAC), the Lady Runners extend their win streak to two games, pushing for a playoff position, which is just around the corner beginning March 3 with the conference tournament. In what was truly a hard fight, the Rangers came with their all, trying to avenge a 73-62 loss to the Runners at the Auraria Event Center Dec. 6. The Roadrunners struggled at the start of the game, largely due to sloppy play with 13 first half turnovers, leading to eight points scored for Regis — 13 total. “The biggest thing with our turnovers is we have to slow down,” head coach Tanya Haave said. “We see a little pressure and automatically want to speed up, dribble the ball without any purpose and cut without any purpose. We just talked about executing, slowing down and running our offense. Once they did that, we only had four second half turnovers.” Helping to execute the offense a bit more judiciously were freshman forward Emily Hartegan and freshman forward/center Hannah Stipanovich. Coming off the bench, their steady shooting allowed Metro to keep pace with Regis, shooting 48 percent from the field, while the Rangers shot 50 percent in the first half. The Lady Runners were down

by one going into halftime, 39-38. Hartegan led the charge going 7-for-15 from the field and 8-for10 at the line with 22 points, five rebounds and an assist to help drive the Roadrunners to victory. Stipanovich, meanwhile, put together her own impressive game, shooting 9-for-16 from the field scoring 20 points total and helping out defensively with two blocks and a steal. “Hannah and Emily were great, building on their performances from last weekend,” Haave said. “Emily is a really great shooter and a great competitor also. She was huge for us tonight.” Stipanovich and Hartegan alone, outscored the Rangers bench with 42 points to Regis’ 12. The Lady Runners chanted “together” in its team huddle and that’s precisely the style of play they used to jump ahead of Regis in the second half. Sophomore guard Kaysha Fox helped facilitate the backcourt with two assists distributed and scored on a 3-point shot to jump start the Runners as the second half began. Sophomore guard/forward Jenae Paine and senior center Deni Jacobs may have been the x-factors contributing double-digit points. Both went 5-for-6 at the free-throw line. Unlike the first half, where they gave up 17 points in free throws, the Roadrunners played with much more agility the remainder of the game. “We kept them off the line and wasn’t giving them points, you can’t spot them points,” Haave said. “We limited them to just seven free throws in the second

half.” With the crafty second-half play from Metro, Regis dropped its shooting percentage from 50 percent in the first to just 34 percent. This led to multiple opportunities for the Roadrunners in rebounds and second chance points. With 50 total rebounds, 27 defensively, the Lady Runners controlled the glass, scoring 31 second chance points and 38 points in the paint. Halfway through the second half, both teams traded off jump shots and layups, tying the game six times in the remaining nine minutes. After a series of scores from Jacobs and Hartegan, the Runners finished the game, continuing their mini win streak and beating a high-percentage shooting team. “Regis lost only one game at home this year. I think we grew up a little bit tonight,” Haave said. Currently sitting at eighth in the RMAC and Colorado Mesa and UC-Colorado Springs already clinching a postseaon spot in the conference tournament, the Lady Runners look to win the remaining four games of the regular season. Metro will travel to Fort Lewis and then to Alamosa for a matchup with the Adams State Grizzlies for its final roadtrip of the season. Home court advantage will be key for the Roadrunners as they boast a 6-3 record on their home court and a 5-6 record away from Denver. They will return to the Auraria Event Center Feb. 27 against CSUPueblo and Feb. 28 against UCCS to finish out the season before the RMAC tournament March 3.

Metro senior center Deni Jacobs, 5, attempts a jump ball to start the game against Regis Feb. 14 at Regis Fieldhouse. The Lady Roadrunners won the game 83-75 against the Rangers to improve to 13-9 on the season. Photo by Alyson McClaran • amcclara@msudenver.edu

The quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament begins March 13 with the national championship being held in Gannon, Pennsylvania March 27.

Look to see coach Haave to get every ounce of energy and hustle out of the ladies going into the final stretch of the season.

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Julian Garcia is the whole package By Mario Sanelli msanelli@msudenver.edu Julian Garcia is a young gun but maturity followed him to the mound for his college debut. From playing on a 9-year-old traveling baseball team at age 7, to being a redshirt freshman pitcher on a Metro baseball team that includes 13 upperclassmen, Garcia’s youthful exuberance is reflected not only in his age, but also in his demeanor. “He’s a great kid, number one,” said head coach Jerrid Oates. “He’s always got a smile, very good personality, can hold a conversation and he’s just a really good enjoyment to be around.” Garcia, a 19-year-old from Fort Collins, rode a wave of adrenaline into his first collegiate start Jan. 31 against the University of NebraskaKearney at The Regency Athletic Complex. “He’s always got energy,” Oates said. “He’s always in a good mood and he brings that energy to practice, to weights in the morning, whatever we’re doing.” The 6’3” right-hander stood tall against a veteran Lopers lineup, and was buoyed by retiring the first 11 batters he faced. Garcia towed a no-hitter into the seventh inning before eventually earning the win in the Roadrunners’ 6-2 victory that day. “He commanded his pitches,” Oates said. “He kept the baseball down in the zone, threw strikes and that’s what carried him. We played good defense behind him and we scored some runs for him too, which always helps. It allows the pitcher to be more comfortable when pitching with a lead.” The narrative Garcia wrote that day penned Metro into the win column for a second time in three games. The night before he was handed the ball, however, his mind told a different story. “I was nervous,” Garcia said. “I’ve talked to guys, and they said their college debuts were home run after home run or they couldn’t get out of the first inning. But then in the bullpen, I felt good and my arm was feeling good. I felt like, ‘I can throw hard today.’” Sitting behind home plate for each of his 88 total pitches against Kearney was Garcia’s father, Joe, and his two uncles, Ralph and Jesse. “My uncles and my dad have always been there cheering me on,” Garcia said. “They’ve always been there supporting me.” Garcia’s road to the pitching mound began on the outfield grass

where he and his father once stood. “I always watched my dad play softball as I was growing up,” Garcia said. “He played outfield and that’s where I wanted to play.” As Garcia observed Joe play, he also witnessed the darker, more

gruesome side of life on the mound while he was an adolescent. “I never really wanted to pitch. I just didn’t like it because the one thing I was afraid of was a comebacker,” Garcia said. “When I was younger, playing travel ball,

a guy on my team hit one back up the middle and it got (the opposing pitcher) right in the jaw — broke his jaw. After that I thought, ‘Dang, I don’t know if I really want to pitch.’” Because Garcia didn’t pitch on

Julian Garcia poses for a portrait Feb. 9 at the Auraria Athletic Field. Garcia won his collegiate debut with the Roadrunners after carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning of a Jan. 31 home game against the University of Nebraska-Kearney. The 19-year-old sophomore from Fort Collins is currently Metro’s No. 3 pitcher in the starting rotation behind two seniors. Photo by Abreham Gebreegziabher • agebreeg@msudenver.edu

a regular basis until his later years in high school, his arm was saved from the physical demands of the position. Now, he is meeting those demands. But before he could enjoy high tides of prosperity on the elevated surface that is the pitcher’s mound, Garcia first had to endure his freshman season of redshirting at Metro — and the restrictions that accompanied it. “Honestly, (that year) was more about just being able to cope with everything,” Garcia said. “I didn’t have the ability to go in the dugout. I had to watch (the games) and take charts, and I couldn’t travel with the guys. That was tough.” While Garcia is a sophomore grade-wise, the redshirt year bought him another season of athletic eligibility. “The year of redshirting was humongous for him and you see (the benefits) a little bit now, but when you’re really going to see it is when he’s a junior and senior, and he’s had three to four years in the weight room: Conditioning wise, long toss wise, all those things,” Oates said. “Last year I know was hard for him because he wanted to be out on the field and playing with the guys. With all that being said, now that (the redshirt year) is over with, we’re already seeing the benefits. He’s going to throw more innings this year than he would have as a freshman, so it was a really good fit for him.” This season Garcia made two more starts since his stellar debut outing — his most recent was a victory over Sioux Falls Feb. 15 — and continues to be the No. 3 pitcher in the Roadrunners’ starting rotation. “If I didn’t have baseball, I really don’t know what I’d do. I don’t know if I would have been going to school or not,” Garcia said. “I probably would have been getting a job right out of college to help pay for all my stuff. Baseball gave me the opportunity that I don’t have to do that right now. I don’t know what I would do without it.” At the end of this season, Metro will lose senior starting pitchers Nick Hammett, Mike Thill and Kris Lalk to graduation. “Big picture, he’s probably going to end up being our number one guy down the road,” Oates said. “Ultimately, it’s going to kind of become his staff as the years move forward and (he’ll) become the young, experienced guy that’s going to lead our pitching staff.”

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February 19, 2015 Met Sports

Metro weekend wrap up

Clockwise from right: Men’s basketball wins against Regis, 70-56, and were recently moved up in the Division II coaches poll to No. 9 nationally. Bottom right: Women’s basketball goes on the road for their 13th win of the season, beating Regis University 83-75. Below: Baseball bounces back from string of losses with a sweep over the University of Sioux Falls Cougars 5-1, 5-4 and 9-0 respectively to move above .500 (5-4) on the year.

Photos by Abreham Gebreegziabher • agebreeg@msudenver.edu

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Hammett pitches seven strong innings in win By Scott Corbridge kcorbrid@msudenver.edu Coming off a rough outing in Kansas, the Roadrunners baseball team bounced back in stylish fashion to sweep the Sioux Falls Cougars starting with a 5-1 victory Feb. 14. Metro started the scoring first and didn’t relinquish the lead after redshirt freshman third baseman Trent Maloney scored on a passed ball in the second inning. The score remained close, up until the fift h inning when junior second baseman Nick Comito connected on a two-run homer to left field that brought in redshirt freshman shortstop Hunter Donaldson to increase the Runners’ lead to 3-0. “Right before I hit it, I was thinking of eating a banana,” senior first baseman Mitch Gibbons said. “I wasn’t even thinking about baseball. (I) saw the pitch and dropped the hands inside.” Gibbons went 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI and a strike out. Senior pitcher Nick Hammett’s bid for a shutout ended in the sixth inning after a wild pitch gave a run to Cougars second baseman Brent Jarvis. Hammett pitched seven

innings with one earned run, four walks, and seven strikeouts to earn his first win of the season (1-2). “Nick was throwing great out there,” Gibbons said. “He was right around the zone all day and keeping them off balance.” The Roadrunners’ bats continued to stay hot entering the bottom of the sixth when sophomore designated hitter Andrew Paust hit a line drive through the left side to bring home Gibbons, increaseing the Runners’ lead to 4-1. Gibbons would find home plate yet again after a solo shot to left field gave the Runners their final score of the game. Senior pitcher Kris Lalk earned his first save of the year as he gave up one hit while striking out four to improve Metro to 3-4 on the season. “It was a great team win,” Gibbons said. “Last weekend wasn’t our best, but we had to come out this weekend and do what we’ve been doing.” Metro edged out Sioux Falls in game two, coming from behind 3-0 to win 5-4 on a walk-off single by senior first baseman Danny Miller. The Cougars took advantage of quality pitches and made them

count, opening the game to a 3-0 lead before the Runners retaliated in the fift h with a three-run inning. Gibbons made an impact for the second straight game, putting Metro on the board with an RBI single on the right side that brought junior outfielder Jeff Levett home. Senior catcher Darryl Baca connected on a 2-1 pitch to go yard to left field and tie the game at three. Sioux Falls took the lead yet again, 4-3, off a single by Tony Stanich. Backed into a corner in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Cougars saw the opportunity for a double play with one out. USF walked Baca and hit junior left fielder Alex Walker before intentionally walking Maloney. Miller saw his pitch and connected on the first one thrown for a walk-off single to right center to bring home Baca and Walker and give the Runners the 5-4 final. The Roadrunners hit the road for a four-game series with the Colorado Mines Orediggers Feb. 27-29. Feb. 28 is a doubleheader.

Metro junior shortstop Max Pavel gathers in a grounder against University of Sioux Falls Feb. 15 at The Regency Athletic Complex. Metro defeated the Cougars 9-0 in game three of the series to complete the sweep of USF. The Runners won the first two games, 5-1 and 5-4 respectively. Photo by Abreham Gebreegziabher • agebreeg@msudenver.edu

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Tale of two halves ends in victory for Runners By Mario Sanelli msanelli@msudenver.edu

Metro sophomore forward Obi Kyei, 33, drives through the Regis defense for a lay up Feb. 14 at the Regis Fieldhouse. The Runners pulled away in the second half to best the Rangers 70-56. Metro is 21-3 on the year and jumped to No. 9 nationally. Photo by Alyson McClaran • amcclara@msudenver.edu

A lethargic first half preceded the superior second in Metro’s 7056 win over Regis University. The Roadrunners’ nine-point lead over the Rangers (5-17 overall, 3-15 conference) midway through the first 20 minutes dwindled to just three by halftime (29-26) Feb. 14 at the Regis Fieldhouse. “It was a slow start. We were up by three at half, which isn’t really what we were expecting,” said junior forward DeShawn Phenix. “We didn’t really play our game in the first half, but we got the win and that’s what matters.” After shooting just over 60 percent in the first half compared to Metro’s 34.5, Regis was held to just under 53 percent in the second half as the Runners rolled to a ninthconsecutive victory. “I thought we came out a little sluggish and we were behind the play a lot in the first half,” said head coach Derrick Clark. “Give Regis credit, they made some shots. When we let a team shoot 61 percent in the first half, I’m not sure how well we’re working.”

Metro’s lack of defensive stops in the first half hindered its offensive transition game, scoring only two fast break points. Points off turnovers, however, kept Metro afloat as they cashed in 31 total points off 22 Ranger turnovers. Senior guard Mitch McCarron led all scorers at the break with 12 as the Runners’ other four starters combined for only nine points by halftime. “We had a couple of our main guys that weren’t quite ready to go out of the gates,” Clark said. “On the flipside of that, we finally woke up in the second half, got the tempo up and scored some points.” The Runners finished with four players scoring in double figures. “That was a really good sign because we haven’t had that a lot this year, where we’ve had four guys in double digits,” Clark said. “That means we got contributions from different guys, we were moving the ball around, and to shoot 60 percent in the second half, you got to take good shots. The unselfishness was really good tonight.” Phenix scored eight of his 12 points in the first half and provided a needed spark off the bench.

His dozen points accounted for nearly Metro’s entire bench total of 14. Phenix credited his production against Regis to a product of team play and a special someone in the stands. “It was my teammates. They found me in the right positions, and I got a couple easy baskets at the beginning so I was feeling good,” he said. “Plus, my mom was here — she’s my Valentine this weekend.” The Valentine’s night game showcased two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams whose seasons are trending in different directions. While the loss dropped Regis’ overall record to 5-17, Metro notched its 21st win of the season and its 16th in conference play. Currently sitting atop the RMAC, Metro travels to Durango Feb. 20 to face Fort Lewis College and plays Adams State the following night in Alamosa. Although both teams are coming off losses, each has already clinched a RMAC tournament spot — a tournament the Roadrunners can likely host if they win their remaining four regular season games.

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February 19, 2015

Men’s Basketball 2.20: @ Fort Lewis, 7:30 p.m. 2.21: @ Adams State, 7:30 p.m.

2.19: Jessica Lea Mayfield, Shibuya Terminal, Strawberry Runners Location: Larimer Lounge Price: $15 Time: 9 p.m.

Women’s Basketball 2.20: @ Fort Lewis, 5:30 p.m. 2.21: @ Adams State, 5:30 p.m.

2.19: Stelth Ulvang (the Lumineers), Land Lines, Miss America By Wheary Location: Bluebird Theater Price: $13 Time: 8 p.m.

Softball 2.20 (DH), 2.21 (DH) vs. Colorado Christian University, 11 a.m, 1 p.m. Women’s Golf 2.23-24 @ California Baptist University Men’s and Women’s Track and Field 2.20-2.21 Joe Davies Open Golden

Colorado Avalanche 2.20: @ Chicago Blackhawks United Center Time: 6:30 p.m 2.22: vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Pepsi Center Time: 5 p.m 2.24: @ Nashville Predators Bridgestone Arena Time: 6 p.m Denver Nuggets 2.20: @ Milwaukee Bucks BMO Harris Bradley Center Time: 6:30 p.m 2.22: @ Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena Time: 5 p.m 2.23: vs. Brooklyn Nets Pepsi Center Time: 7 p.m

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Douglas G. Benson leads Cash’d Out. The self-described “Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute Band” plays the Bluebird Theater Feb. 20. Photo by Dennis Andersen • dennisandersenphotography.com

Auraria Events 2.19: Symphonic Band II and Wind Ensemble 7:30 p.m. King Center Concert Hall

2.23: Visiting Artist Series: Santa Fe Desert Chorale 7:30 p.m. King Center Concert Hall

2.20: Fun Fit Friday: Total Fitness Noon SSB Second Floor Lounge

2.25: Grad School Prep Program 1:30 p.m. Tivoli 442

2.20, 2.21: The Vagina Monologues 7:30 p.m St. Cajetan’s

2.26: Distinguished Lecture Series: Rachel B. Noel 12:30 p.m. Tivoli Turnhalle

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2.21: Decadon, Xenology, Geodesic, ||R|M|M|| Location: Larimer Lounge Price: $15 Time: 9 p.m. 2.24: Kate Voegele, Leroy Sanchez Location: Larimer Lounge Price: $20 Time: 9 p.m.

2.19: An Evening with Dr. Dog Location: Ogden Theatre Price: $27 Time: 8 p.m.

2.25: Steve Aoki, Head Hunterz, Caked Up, Dirtyphonics, Reid Stefan Location: Ogden Theatre Price: $26-$150 Time: 8:30 p.m.

2.20: Cash’d Out (Johnny Cash Tribute), Brent Loveday & the Dirty Dollars Location: Bluebird Theater Price: $20 Time: 9 p.m.

2.25: Drinking With Charlie, All Dogs Invited, Paper Moonshine, Landlord Location: Larimer Lounge Price: $10 Time: 8 p.m.

2.20-2.21: Galactic, Kung Fu Location: Ogden Theatre Price: $35 Time: 9 p.m.

2.26: Theophilus London, Doja Cat, Father Location: Bluebird Theater Price: $25 Time: 9 p.m.

2.20: Signs and Signals, the Squid Kids, Fabled, the Lindsey Saunders Band Location: Larimer Lounge Price: $10 Time: 9 p.m. 2.21: Hundred Waters, Moses Sumney, Inner Oceans Location: Bluebird Theater Price: $15 Time: 9 p.m.

2.26: Soft Skulls, Salads and Sunbeams, the Lollygags Location: Larimer Lounge Price: $10 Time: 9 p.m. 2.27: Iration, Stick Figure, Hours Eastly Location: Ogden Theatre Price: $25 Time: 8 p.m.

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