Volume 38, Issue 6 - Sept. 17, 2015 by Met Media

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The Student Voice of MSU Denver

Volume 38, Issue 6 September 17, 2015

Tales from the road: Runners in Santa Fe Urban farm forced to close By Mary-Kate Newton mnewton5@msudenver.edu

When Santa Fe County forced Gaia Gardens to close, owners Poki Piottin and Dominique Pozo wanted their farm to die gracefully. The end of Poki and Pozo’s vision to teach holistic, self sustainable farming was punctuated by a liquidation sale September 12. “It’s time to put it to rest,” said Pozo. “We’re accepting the process of letting go of everything we’ve created.” Rather than abandoning their creation immediately, the owners and their intern Rachel Brylawksi will stay with the final harvest until their last corn stalk is cut. “The garden is a living thing. It would be like abandoning a child hungry in the desert,” Pozo said.

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<< Owner of Gaia Gardens, Poki Piottin, relaxes during his farm’s liquidation sale Sept. 12. Piottin started the farm in 2012 on a 3.5-acre lot in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Photo by Alyson McClaran • amcclara@msudenver.edu

Sports Lady Runners

Students march to increase minimum wage PAGE 3 >>

protect home field advantage PAGE 15>>

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Mile Spective Break High Events September 17, 2015 Met Sports Review Insight

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“I’m 26, and yet to own a car, We’re working our butts off 40-plus hours a week. I’m on Medicaid and food stamps.” - Andrew Olson @themetonline f: themetropolitan mymetmedia.com

September 17, 2015

Minimum wage workers Fight for $15 an hour

Denver minimum wage workers march past the Colorado State Capitol Building on their way to City Hall Sept. 10.

Story and photo by Deanna Hirsch dhirsch6@msudenver.edu Restaurant, retail and healthcare workers marched Sept. 10 from the McDonald’s on 505 E. Colfax Ave. to Denver City Hall with hopes of higher wages. The group, estimated by protester Rachelle Bainter to be around 25-30 people, was a local offshoot of the Fight for $15 movement that has been rallying nationwide to increase the minimum wage to $15 dollars an hour and to get a union. Local organizers approached workers at their jobs and mobilized others through Facebook. For people like Bainter, a full time employee at McDonald’s for 27 years making $8.50 an hour, the increase would be life-altering. “It’ll be awesome. I won’t have to be on food stamps or SSI [supplemental security income],”

Bainter said. “We have to fight for us to live. I live paycheck to paycheck.” So does Andrew Olson, who’s worked at McDonald’s close to six years and makes $9.49 an hour

in order for workers to meet livingwage standards. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology living-wage calculator finds that an adult with one child needs to make $20.95 an hour —

future,” Nicoll said. “You just can’t make it these days. Right now we’re living in a camper. Still can’t make it.” Melissa and Tesla went inside city hall with a handful of the oth-

“It’ll be awesome. I won’t have to be on food stamps or SSI. We have to fight for us to live. I live paycheck to paycheck.” — Rachelle Bainter after being promoted to maintenance. Despite that increase, Olson said it’s still not enough. “I’m 26, and yet to own a car,” Olson said. “We’re working our butts off 40-plus hours a week. I’m on Medicaid and food stamps.” Bainter and Olson’s struggle speaks to the disconnect between what is earned and what is needed

well above $15 — in order to meet living-wage standards in Denver County. For participant Alan Nicoll, the event was a necessary family affair. Nicoll, a six year Safeway worker, marched with his wife Melissa, a Dollar Tree employee, and their children, Tesla and Seth. “I’m looking out for their

ers hoping to speak with Denver City Councilman, Paul D. Lopez of District 3. Lopez, according to his website, is “regarded as Denver’s home-grown champion for working families.” While part of Nicoll’s family was inside the hall, he and the others waited outside, on the lawn and benches. Healthcare workers

Sernado Davis and Ethel Ayo held signs reading, “I Take Care of Your Loved One” and “I Take Care of Your Mom.” The two women, who each make $9 an hour providing care to patients in assisted living, said the $15 increase would be a living wage but still not enough. They reported having no benefits, no overtime, no holidays and no health insurance for their own care. Resigned to the status quo, Ayo, who relies on four roommates to subsidize her income, didn’t think it was important for her to participate in the protest until her daughter spoke up. “She said, ‘Mom, I think you should fight for $15,’” Ayo said. “[After that], I felt it.” Ayo stressed that it’s not just the workers who suffer from low wages but patients as well. “The consumers are not getting the care they deserve as a result,” Ayo said. “I’m hoping they can hear the voice of the need, not only for the caregivers but for the consumers.” When Bainter and the others emerged from city hall, they were emotional and hopeful. “It was the most awesome, amazing thing,” Bainter said. “I’m so grateful for what I have. I heard a mother of four in a trailer [speak]. I broke down.” While Councilman Lopez was not available to meet with the group, Bainter said they shared their stories with council aides, Jesus Orrantia and Adriana Magana. Bainter noted that both council aides seemed as moved by the stories as she was. “Unfortunately, the Councilman was at an all day commitment and was not able to meet with them,” Orrantia said. “It was heartbreaking to hear the different stories and backgrounds from these women on how they are barely [able] to make ends meet. At the same time, seeing how involved they are in raising the minimum wage was inspiring. We let them know that this is something that the Councilman supports and will be setting up a meeting in the near future for them to speak with him directly.” Workers like Andrew Olson plan on holding the Councilman to that. “I’m here ‘til the end, until this fight is done,” Olson said. “I’m not moving on in my life. ”

September 17, 2015

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News Briefs » Drunk Driving Technology Arrives on Auraria Campus The MSU Denver Student Government Assembly is giving students a chance to step into a high-tech drunk driving simulator on Tuesday, Sept. 22 on Auraria Campus. The simulator will be provided by UNITE, a health and wellness organization that visits schools as a part of the organization’s Arrive Alive Tour to educate students on the dangers and consequences of drunk driving. The Arrive Alive Tour comes with a high-tech simulator, impact video and other resources to educate the public about the dangers of drinking and/or texting while driving. Students will step into a car and start a driving simulation that allows them to experience the consequences of drunk and distracted driving through a controlled environment. Students will also be invited to take the pledge to not text and drive, and to not drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Their picture will be taken and put on a keychain to remind them of their pledge to arrive alive.

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SGA to tackle sexual assault By Gabriela Rodriguez

grodriq4@msudenver.edu Members of the MSU Denver Student Government Assembly participated in a two day bystander intervention training in preparation for It’s On Us, a campaign for sexual assault awareness. The training, held Sept. 11-12, was spearheaded by Student Body President Cristian Solano. Solano wanted to make

sure members of the SGA were equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills before moving on to host the It’s On Us campaign on campus. “If we want to tackle the issue we need to have an understanding of what the issue is,” Solano said. The Blue Bench is a selfsustaining non-profit organization that runs a comprehensive sexual assault prevention and support center in Denver. It is a community partner to the SGA

and the Phoenix Center at Auraria. They provided the training called Bringing in the Bystander, a workshop for establishing a community of responsibility. It illustrates the significant impact bystanders can have in situations of violence, sexual assault and even drunk driving. The workshop ultimately aims at advocating for students to assume the role of a pro-social bystander. A pro-social bystander is an individual whose behaviors intervene in ways that

impact the outcome of a situation positively. It’s On Us is a nationwide campaign that establishes ownership over the problem of sexual assault among everyone and provides tips and tools to empower individuals to make a difference. The SGA will launch the campaign in October with a lineup of events and workshops happening throughout the month.

» MSU Denver extends Food Bank hours of operation The MSU Denver Food Bank is open longer and offering more food per week to students. The Food Bank was once closed on Wednesdays. Now it will be open from 4 pm-7 pm. The hours were originally 9 am until 1 pm on Mondays, but now in addition to those hours, the Food Bank will reopen at 4 pm until 7 pm. The Food Bank was once only open two hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 pm-7 pm. Now it’s open from 10 am-7 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Food Bank will be open from 10 am-5 pm on Fridays. The Food Bank is open to all MSU Denver students. More food is delivered every week. The food is arranged on a point system with certain foods, such as macaroni being worth more than a box of raisins. Students used to only get eight points a week with points starting over every Monday. Now students are allowed up to 10 points a week. The Food Bank gets orders from the Food Bank of the Rockies and often from MSU Denver staff. Students who can donate are encouraged to. The MSU Denver Food Bank is located on the first floor of the Tivoli inside Sigi’s Pool Hall. Once inside Sigi’s, the Food Bank is up the stairs and to the left. The Food Bank also offers basic toiletry items such as shaving razors, deodorant, toilet paper, bars of soap, lotion, tooth brushes, diapers, feminine products among other things. These items are free to be taken and are not a part of the point system.

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September 17, 2015

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Students gather, discuss gender roles, media bias in society in second of Hot Topic series

The Hot Topic schedule for the remainder of the semester. Poster from of the office of Student Activities.

By Joella Bauman jbauman17@msudenver.edu Students gathered in the Roger Braun Multicultural Lounge Sept. 8 to discuss the second of nine hot topic forums sponsored by the Phoenix Center at Auraria: The Male Gaze. MSU Denver professor of women’s studies Katherine Martinez, outlined what the male gaze is: how women are depicted in the media, and in turn how we view females. This concept is one that was

coined by Laura Mulvey in 1975. Mulvey looked at who is represented in different careers or how people are depicted by the media. Men typically hold the roles of producers, performers and high-earning positions. While this terminology is over 30 years old, Martinez queried: who are people today? Mostly, still men. “In order to empower women [especially] and men, I believe it is important to encourage them to actively dismantle systems of oppression such as the male gaze through discourse and practice,”

Martinez said. Martinez also spoke in depth on objectification theory, which is the reduction of an individual to a body part or appearance. A slide full of photos projected vivid images of mostly women, but also men being objectified. An animal rug lay on the floor with the head of a woman attached and she is being stepped on by a man in a suit. Another woman lies underneath a man in bed but her face has been replaced with a car. A man on all fours with no shirt is replaced by a coffee table. This served as a

small example of the images we see in the media everyday. Body consciousness and shame are some of the effects that saturate the minds of many young people and college students because media outlets depict men and women as sexualized objects that are desired only in certain shapes and sizes. “I find it horrifying that our nation justifies such images in the name of commerce,” said MSU Denver junior Dara Jordan-Davies. “Would we allow demeaning images of black people carrying

sacks of cotton, or images of Latino people harvesting food? Would we find them amusing?” Martinez outlines the destructive repercussions of this mindset and use of ideas. Its impact becomes real. Rape culture, pornography, depression, suicide, gendered and sexed roles: all of these outlying issues are caused in part by this male gaze that is allowed to permeate our society. “The information presented at the seminar wasn’t new information to me in the slightest,” MSU Denver freshman Kate Lauer said. “I’ve always been aware of the gender biases and exploitation inherent in advertising.” Martinez conceded that an issue so large and permeating is daunting. How do we proactively address an issue that is so ingrained into our society as acceptable and the norm? Jasmine Chandler, the event programmer for MSU Denver Student Activities, helped to orchestrate this event, and believes that seminars like this are instrumental in breaking up the fi libuster of mistruth. “I want students to look at one another as humans, as minds needing connection from one another, not as bodies, objects or sex toys,” Chandler said. “I took away that I am more than my body. I have a mind worth seeing and a voice worth hearing. My body is my outer shell and the true me is inside of me.” Martinez teaches a Bodies and Empowerment course that takes a more in-depth look at this social issue.

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September 17, 2015 Met News

Student-run grill revamps brand, changes name, hires pro staff By Daniel Day dday16@msudenver.edu The Metropolitan Grill is extending its hours serving lunch, dinner and cocktails while changing its name and hiring a professional staff. The public-private partnership between Metropolitan State University of Denver and Sage Hospitality delights in expanding its integrations. Now employed professionals hired by Sage Hospitality will assist in refining students’ skills in Springhill Suites’ new full-service restaurant, Degree Metropolitan Food and Drink. MSU Denver students studying restaurant management will alternate between learning from culinary instructors like Chef Jeffrey Koch, who teaches Food Production and Service 1, and applying their skills in a genuine hotelrestaurant environment. “We’re excited to have a full dining room to give the students an opportunity to learn in a consistently busy restaurant,” Koch said. Koch is the instructor for Food Production and Service 1, the main course that will utilize the newly organized partnership. Degree Metropolitan will serve the public seven days a week for lunch, dinner,

New Degree Metropolitan restaraunt logo. Photo given courtesy of the marketing staff at Degree Metropolitan Food and Drink.

cocktails and to-go options starting Monday, Sept. 21, but the grand opening is expected sometime in late October. Auraria students and faculty will receive a discount rate for lunch. The partnership plans to stir up the local nightlife to attract locals and visitors in

the downtown area. “We’re hoping that people will come down and go to the restaurant before going to games and events at the Pepsi Center or before going out downtown,” said Anne Frye, director of sales and marketing at Springhill Suites. “We also want students to be able to come over here and get really good, well-priced food.” Until now, the restaurant was only open two hours a day, four days a week and 12 weeks or less per semester, making it a challenge to market and keep a steady flow of patrons. Students primarily ran the restaurant, but the practice was rather unrealistic. “One day it would be slammed with 50 or more people and other days we’d have maybe two guests,” Jimi Webb said. Webb is the operations manager for the Hotel, Tourism and Events Department at the Hospitality Learning Center. While working with the HTE department as the restaurant first opened exclusively as a college course, Webb witnessed students’ experience throughout the semesters. “Students were still getting the culinary experience, but they weren’t getting the experience of a consistent, fully operational restaurant,” he said.

Now the restaurant and bar is to be open year-round for lunch and dinner seven days a week. This will broaden the experience for customers, students, educators and the public-private partnership. It also provides convenience for guests at the hotel. The restaurant is hiring full-time staff and students are encouraged to apply. “It will really nurture the services we offer,” Frye said. “It allows for a more fullservice stay for hotel guests and more of a full-service hotel experience for students working at the hotel as well.” With professional staff running the restaurant, it will give instructors more time to focus on teaching. Chef David Beckwith, who teaches Food Production and Service 2, views Springhill Suites running the restaurant as an opportunity to better inform students on the points of service, service standards and the practicum of serving guests. “In a way, students are getting two for one,” Beckwith said. “They’re getting a qualified educator and a qualified real-life experience.” The inclusion of the restaurant qualifies Springhill Suites as a full-service hotel. If successful, proceeds will provide a substantial contribution to MSU Denver.

MSU Denver website redesigned to be simpler, more intuitive By Justin David Tate jtate15@msudenver.edu MSU Denver’s web interface for everything studentoriented has been revamped into the new Student Hub set to launch the week of Sept. 21. Student Hub will replace the current Interim ConnectU site for students and employees as an opaque blue modernized website redesigned to function on any mobile device, including tablets and smartphones, with a wall of buttons for everything users need. Nathan Solheim, MSU Denver web content manager,

said the point of the new design is to simplify students’ experience on campus. The functionality will not change, just the appearance and how sections of the website are accessed. “When the university purchased the technology that makes that happen, they had to have it show up on a website and that website is what you and I know as ConnectU,” Solheim said. “All ConnectU is, is a web page. It’s not a product. It’s not something you purchase. It’s something that back in the day, whoever was running the website at that time, came up with to house this portal or access a way to register online, doing all that stuff.” One major change that will be implemented is single sign-on technology. Students will be prompted to use their

Screenshot of the Student Hub website currently available during its soft launch. Screenshot from msudenver.edu/studenthub.

NetID, which consist of the part of their email that comes before the @ symbol. Then the password will be their same password used to login to school computers and student email. This eliminates the use of separate sign-ons for different websites. Solheim said that in the MSU Denver Marketing and Communications Department’s research by surveying students, they found that students didn’t want to keep track of separate logins. They also found out what was most important for students in order to decide the hierarchy of which sections should go where. Sections of highest importance went on top of the website in spaces that will be immediately visible upon loading. Sections of lesser importance occupy spaces below and offscreen where they can still be scrolled to. “The whole project got started basically because of a request by the Student Government Association,” Solheim said. “We started working on this website during the summer of 2014. We’re lucky the new SGA has been kept abreast of this. They’re supportive of this project. So it’s really a project that was originated by students and we want to make a website that makes it easier for students to do and find stuff online. There’s stuff that you can accomplish online now, but we wanted to make it better.” With that in mind, one immediate difference between the old site and the new one is that the Hub is compartmentalized into two distinct pages: one for students and one for faculty and staff. Solheim said this should be an efficient way to give students and staff everything they each need without having to sift through each other’s page of options designed specifically for them. The site is currently softlaunched and can be explored at msudenver.edu/studenthub. On Sept. 21, the website will be given a final lookover before going officially live for student use that week.

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September 17, 2015 Met News

Relationship violence raises red flags By Esteban Fernandez eferna14@msudenver.edu Students planted red flags symbolizing victims of relationship violence by the Plaza Building last Wednesday, Sept. 9. The event was attended by representatives from the Phoenix Center as well as student government representatives from all three schools

on campus.The Red Flag Campaign, created by the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, is intended to raise awareness among students of warning signs that indicate relationship violence. Overseeing the volunteers was Sarah Berg, Director of the Phoenix Center of Auraria, who explained that each flag represented one victim of relationship abuse. There were

UCD junior Anthony Cillman plants a red flag in front of the Plaza Building on Auraria Sept. 9. Photo by Abreham Gebreegziabher • agebreeg@msudenver.edu

8,600 flags planted that day, a number she explained is underreported. Berg explained that domestic violence is underreported due to shame and a fear of retaliation coupled with the fact that most incidents occur away from support structures. She Added that the portrayal of interpersonal relationships in media such as “Twilight” is problematic. The general inexperience in matters of love and sex among some students underlines the need to raise awareness of these issues. “When examples of romantic relationships seen in pop culture glorify stalking, jealousy, and obsessiveness,” she said, “it’s no wonder folks may not recognize these warning signs of relationship violence. It’s important for students — and everyone — to know that they don’t deserve to be hurt by their partner.” Among those planting the flags were Tim Wienecke and Anthony Tillman. Wienecke, a counseling grad student and veteran, spoke about the importance a place like The Phoenix Center plays in the lives of the students here. According to him, the Phoenix Center, which didn’t exist during his undergraduate career, provides much needed support and counseling for students who may not necessarily have such support structures out in the real world. Therefore, according to Wienecke, the center bestows real world skills that students can carry out with them when they graduate. For his part,

Tillman, a UCD student, said the visual impact of flags put things into stark perspective for him — an impression he hopes will carry over to the rest of the student population. As part of Student Safety Month on campus, the event will run through Sept. 18. Speaking as one of the Student Government Representatives, MSU Denver senior Aaron Futrell reiterated the Student Government Assembly’s dedication to student safety, adding there’s been a growing number of assaults on Campus. SGA is planning to hold a Take Back the Night event on Oct. 7, starting with a screening of “The Hunting Ground” followed by a march to raise awareness.

The Phoenix Center at Auraria If you or someone you know has experienced relationship violence the Pheonix Center at Auraria offers free and confedential advice. -For 24/7 Help call: 303-556-CALL (2255) -To Schedule an Appointment call: 303-556-6011 -Tivoli Student Center, Suite 259 Monday-Friday 8am-5pm

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No more mansplaining: women can speak for themselves

By Deanna Hirsch dhirsch6@msudenver.edu As an independent, only child, my mother delights in remembering that my first words were, “I do it myself.” I had leadership skills, as Sheryl Sandberg would say, especially when it came to my speech. Most women do. We’re capable, from kindergarten and beyond, of articulating it all from our dinner orders to our hearts’ desires. We can give simple directions and thoughtful TED

Talks. We are the eloquent Mayas and the inspiring Malalas. We are the tenacious Wendy Davises. We can filibuster for 11 hours straight, without an interpreter or a bathroom break. It’s because of all that we can do, and more importantly say for ourselves, that I’m still genuinely astonished by men who try to “mansplain” on our behalf. The Urban Dictionary defines mansplain as, “delighting in condescending, inaccurate explanations delivered with rock solid confidence of rightness and that slimy certainty that of course he is right, because he is the man in this conversation.” As in, “ Even though he knew she had an advanced degree in neuroscience, he felt the need to mansplain ‘there are molecules in the brain called neurotransmitters.’ Mansplain.” While the word itself seems as stupid as “selfie” and “fleak,” the meaning of mansplain still feels timelessly true. Not all mansplaining is in your face to The Donald degree. Mansplaining often masquerades itself like the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Its roots are historical. Its branches

pervasive. It’s the subtle stump of a time that’s passed but sticks around no matter how hard you try to unearth it. I’ve felt the weight of mansplaining myself over the years and seen it thrust upon others this semester. My photojournalism professor is a seasoned professional. She’s been photographing sports and school events for quite sometime. She knows more about the ins— and—outs of photography than all of us in class combined. Yet that doesn’t stop certain male students from mansplaining during her instruction. Even when told what they’ve added is incorrect, they can’t help but continue to interject. It’s as if they have a case of teaching Tourettes. Mansplaining is not just a young man’s game. It’s a tenured condescension that comes from the top down. I’ve heard male professors and advisors, those with

some authority, shushing females students simply because they can. The eight most insulting words I’ve ever heard are, “What I think She’s trying to say is,” and I’m from New York. I’ve been verbally violated on the subway and felt less offended than being told what I think she’s trying to say is. If you truly want to know what a woman is trying to say, then stop ‘splaining, Ricky. She’s got the chops to channel her own thoughts. She’s made it to college. She’s made it to MSU Denver and so did more than 53% of her sisters. One was even named U.S. Professor of the Year. She’s capable of a STEM career and stating her ideas. She doesn’t need your narration. Mansplaining isn’t wellmeaning. It’s demeaning and outdated. What I’m trying to say is I don’t need you to polish my words. I do it myself.

The eight most insulting words I’ve ever heard are, “What I think she’s trying to say is,”

MetStaff Editor-in-Chief Mary-Kate Newton mnewton5@msudenver.edu Managing Editor Aaron R. Atencio • aatenc11@msudenver. edu Assistant to the Editor Michel Hansen • mevans41@msudenver. edu News Editor Justin David Tate • jtate15@msudenver.edu Assistant News Editor Deanna Hirsch • dhirsch6@msudenver.edu Features Editor Cassie Reid • creid13@msudenver.edu Assistant Features Editor Pacific Obadiah • pobadiah@msudenver.edu Assistant MetSpective Editor Joella Bauman • jbauma17@msudenver. edu Sports Editor Mike Tolbert • mtolber3@msudenver.edu Assistant Sports Editor Robert Kemp • rkemp9@msudenver.edu Web Editor Melanie J. Rice • mrice20@msudenver.edu Photo Editor Alyson McClaran • amcclara@msudenver. edu Assistant Photo Editor Michael Ortiz • mortiz26@msudenver.edu Page Design Sterling Stowe • slenways@msudenver.edu Copy Editor Brooke Wallinger • bwallin1@msudenver. edu Copy Editor Chris Bjork • cbjork1@msudenver.edu Copy Editor Daniel Day • dday16@msudenver.edu Director of Met Media Steve Haigh • shaigh@msudenver.edu Assistant Director of Met Media Jennifer Thomé • jthome1@msudenver. edu

Chicken soup for the basic bitch’s soul

By Cassie Reid creid13@msudenver.edu I am a pumpkin-flavored aficionado. I own more than one Bath and Body Works product. I bathe with scented candles and can listen to “Style” by T. Swizzle until my family’s ears bleed. Yet, I have avoided being identified as a “basic bitch.” Perhaps it is because I cannot fit into anything by H&M. Perhaps it is because I skipped the “Twilight” series craze. What specifically spared me, I may never know. All I know is that I am sick of

this phrase. For those of you who do not spend an embarrassing amount of time on the interwebs, allow me to define the basics of bitchcraft. The qualifications to be a “basic bitch” are both specific and open-ended. In essence, the self-identified female in question is fashionably, musically and diet-ly average for the expectations of their environment. Specifically, upper-middle class, suburban, white chicks obeying stereotypes. It is quite difficult to pinpoint the coining of the term, but definitions have been posted on urbandictionary.com since 2009. Facebooking teen boys and men in crusty pants frequently commenting on YouTube have since used the term to define the type of girl they are not “into.” Meanwhile, pop divas and female Twits (my term for half-hourly Twitter users) throw the term around as a way of defining what they, personally, are not.

Memes fill newsfeeds under the header “Basic bitches be like” with some first-world problem mixed in or a shot of leggings, NorthFace and Uggs as the standard uniform (plus the mandatory pumpkin spice latte). I can’t say I entirely disagree with part of the message to be gained in the term’s popularity: conformity is always in. Now, however, the unknown, hometown, organic shops are the ultimate “in” due to the paradoxical hipster trend. So joining in the herd just to say you are in a herd is more of a sin now than ever. Frankly, I’m a fan of this movement. Being able to say “I don’t like this” is not only a great method of finding one’s identity, but of establishing borders and of broadening minds. Unless it is handled by self-righteous snobs convinced they have the answer as opposed to an option. This is also where my issue with “basic bitch” comes in. It follows the same vengeful, juvenile rules siblings have in elementary

Allow me to define the basics of bitchcraft.

Administrative Assistant of Met Media Elizabeth Norberg • enorbert@msudenver. edu

school. I hit you, you get to hit me. People outside the mainstream were mocked and ostracized for ages and, now that they are hip, by the logic of the sibling rivalry, it is their turn. There is no way to see the term as positive...until you take a step back. In the end the term means a woman likes what at least two other women like. Or, perhaps, even a man may enjoy what is generally sorted into the chick category. The basic bitch community should not be gender exclusive. Instead of reacting to other people enjoying something you personally don’t like with anger or derision, just ask yourself, “What real difference does this make?” None to you most likely, so let me enjoy my specialized Starbucks drink in peace and you, your arthouse espresso masterpiece with beans from a family farm and we may caffeinate in peace. Basically.

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What we do The Metropolitan accepts submissions in the form of topic-driven columns and letters to the editor. Column article concepts must be submitted by 1 p.m. Thursdays and the deadline for columns is 9 p.m. Sundays. Columns range from 500 to 600 words. Letters to the editor must be submitted by 5 p.m. Mondays to be printed in that week’s edition. There is 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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MetFeatures

September 17, 2015

Runner onRoadthe Santa Fe, New Mexico Students in JRN 4890-01 arrived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Sept. 9. There, they had three days to arrange and conduct interviews, make photos and document the people of Santa Fe.

Santa Fe station remembers fallen firefighters

Firefighters look at pictures of their fallen comrades after a Sept. 11 ceremony at Fire Station No. 3 in Santa Fe, New Mexico Photo by Carl Payne • cpayne16@msudenver.edu

By Chris Bjork cbjork1@msudenver.edu The morning of 9/11 began quietly for the staff of Santa Fe Fire Station 3. As rows of uniformed firefighters filled the sun-baked driveway, they remembered the 343 members of duty who were killed during the 9/11 attacks. With solemn expressions and hands outreached, 30 deputies, captains and officers waited while our stars and stripes were raised high above the building. Between the honoring of former heroes, ceremonies of remembrance and dedications to departed comrades, Santa Fe’s fire department represents what camaraderie stands for within this line of duty. The commemoration began at 7:58 a.m., the time that the south tower collapsed 14 years ago. The men standing outside the station reflected on their personal experiences

the morning of the terrorist attacks. “I was at college at New Mexico State University. I was a student firefighter actually. In my dorm room we all turned on the TV and just sat there for three hours watching it. We didn’t say anything,” said Nathan Hill, engineer. The ceremony is part of a mission that Station 3 has upheld since 2006. Along with being an active department for over two centuries, the establishment has served as a firefighters’ museum and memorial for its fallen fighters. “This line of work is always changing. Every day is something entirely new,” Captain Jason Arwood said. “And the fact that we all show up here for one another makes it so we all look forward to coming to work every day.” Firefighting relics of the past make up the museum, which is situated inside the garage of the fire department. Rustic equipment, yellowed photographs, antique apparatuses and tributes to fallen firefighters line the walls and fill the buiding. One of the most important pieces of the museum is the gleaming black fire engine of Station 3. Hill peered out the

driver’s window and looked to his fellow firefighters staring back at him. “That truck was donated and a bunch of us worked weekends and nights and had it painted and put it all together. If you walk around the truck, there’s memorabilia all around it with initials, etc. for all the fallen firefighters of this department in Santa Fe,” Hill said. The focal point of Station 3 museum is to honor the hundreds of brave, fallen firefighters. Standing in the middle of the museum is a statue outfitted with the uniform fire equipment. Surrounding the statue lies pictures of Captain Wayne Mueller, the department’s former captain, who died from exposure to harmful chemicals from battling smoke within blazing buildings. As the 9/11 event drew to a close and the staff slowly retreated back into the building for a cup of coffee, a stillness surrounded the building. “There is a feeling of brotherhood here that you can’t find in any other line of work,” Arwood said. “We all value that a lot here.”

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September 17, 2015

“Life is about finding a way to be of service in whatever you want to do. Whatever is next, I’ll do what I can to have an impact on the community, whatever that city is.” Poki Piottin

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Before farming, Piottin was a businessman in Seattle. He worked for building contractors, an internet company and owned his own dance and music club. “I quit,” Piottin said. “I got my eyes opened and became sensitised to corporate domination over government. I just decided to become an activist.” Piottin pursued various other projects including teaching sacred dance and an urban farm in Washington. In 2012, he decided to start a similar agricultural project in Santa Fe after a vision. “I had a vision of farming again and working with young people,” he said. Alongside Pozo, he rented property along Arroyo Chamiso and they began to teach Santa Fe about sustainable, biodynamic farming. “We wanted to do education of the ins-and-outs of community gardening,” Piottin said, “Bootstrapping a project, and just making something out of nothing. We wanted to expose them to the magic of nature and creating an ecosystem in your backyard.” Piottin said biodynamic farming is a holistic understanding of agriculture that relies on the energy rather than solely the chemistry of plants. “Plants, trees; they have properties that are beyond the chemistry. Even the soil,” he said. Gaia Gardens teaches seven preparations for manure that cater to energy and health of their plants which include adding materials like

chamomile and horse hair. Piottin’s business partner, Pozo, is a doula, body worker and art therapist. She works with people suffering from eating disorders, and the farm has become a rewarding part of teaching her clients. “It’s looking at food through a different lens, as a miracle and a way to nourish your body,” she said. Pozo brings to the garden her knowledge of plants’ holistic and healing properties and used it to teach and help others. “The farm has been a labor of love. It was short lived but worth it,” Pozo said. The bulk of the farm’s legal hurdles began two years ago when a neighbor of Gaia Gardens overwhelmed the city Attorney’s office with complaints about the farm. Piottin and Pozo have worked endlessly to appease zoning ordinances, water rights and licensing, but finally gave up warring with the city. “It’s just plain meanness,” Piottin said. “She knew the codes were on her side, and forced the city to force their codes. It was about winning a game.” In 2013, Gaia Gardens was denied a business license, making it impossible to operate as a business and school on residential property. In order to sustain, Gaia Gardens began selling their vegetables at the local Farmer’s Market. This business model proved too straining on Gaia Gardens’ 3.5 acres, volunteer operated farm, and so they stopped growing food for commercial use. “So that we’re not giving in to the commercial side, we give to four charities,” he said. “Right now [the complaining neighbors] are the most hated people in the neighborhood because we do so much for the community like this.” At the farm’s sale, Leonard Gomez, who lives around the corner from Gaia Gardens, expressed frustration at the closure of the beloved farm. “It’s bullshit, picking on someone that is trying to do so much good,” Gomez said. “If codes don’t work in favor of a place like this, then it’s time for the laws to change.” During the somber liquidation sale, Pozo, Piottin and Brylawski were gracious hosts. Pozo greeted visitors and gave away wildflower seeds. Piottin offered glasses of apple juice as people browsed the yard sale, and Brylawski offered some of the lunch she made from fresh garden veggies. “He’s generous to a fault,” Brylawski said about Piottin. “ He’s a businessman but he gives everything away.” At the sale, Piottin spoke with a family of five. The youngest boy picked out an old bike tire and Piottin offered him a free helmet, concerned he might be riding without one. He sold the family a few armfuls of trinkets for one quarter. Piottin said helping people is his primary motivation. “Life is about finding a way to be of service in whatever you want to do,” he said. “Whatever is next, I’ll do what I can to have an impact on the community, whatever that city is.” The Gaia Gardens trio will live on the property in foreclosure until their crops live out their natural life cycles, which could be until early December. Pozo will concentrate on her other jobs, Brylawski will move to a homestead in California and Piottin will keep looking for his next way to be of service. “Life is a complex tapestry,” Piottin said. “I don’t worry about what’s next. I’m a citizen of the world, and I will go where it takes me.”

One of several dogs, amongst other animals, dressed up during the annual pet parade held in the Plaza of downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico, Sept. 12. Photo by Michael Ortiz • mortiz26@msudenver.edu

Family fun, pampered pets By Cassie Reid creid13@msudenver.edu Screaming children, fried-food stands and dogs in dresses interrupt the quiet artistry of the Plaza. Just past the Plaza, white tents line the sidewalks offering eyecatching goodies from wands with flashing lights, to face painting, to kettle corn. The local gay bar, the Blue Rooster, has a crowd of kids waiting for their turn to smack a star shaped piñata. Desfi le de los Niños, the parade of children, provides families and

Poki Piottin presents red corn from Gaia Gardens, Sept. 12.

Poki Piottin carries vegetables from Gaia Gardens in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Sept. 12.

“It’s a great time and brings different energy to the place.” For 90 years families have joined the festivities, originally bringing donkeys, cattle and livestock to flaunt. Matching modern domesticated animal trends, dogs, lizards and even snakes all take part in the march. “I’ve seen the parade a lot,” Giovanna Chavez said, a young attendee in a sequined blue cape and cat ears. “I like to see the dancers, and the dogs are funny.” Chavez’s joy joined with that of a thousand other kids gives a light and loud energy to the artists’ haven.

One of the many groups of children, pets and adults, participates in the annual pet parade in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico, Sept. 12. Photo by Michael Ortiz • mortiz26@msudenver.edu

Photos by Alyson McClaran • amcclara@msudenver.edu

their four legged friends a stage to flaunt their creativity come fiesta time. In classic costumes like Batman and Robin or more current characters like Elsa from “Frozen,” cool cats and dapper dogs march along Cathedral Place. More than 8,000 people line the sides of the street, straining to see a familiar face. Fiesta council members Carlos Ortiz and Jim Wechsler attribute the massive turnout to the parade’s ability to bring the people of Santa Fe, New Mexico, together. “This is our chance to reach the families of Santa Fe,” Wechsler said.

Dominique Pozo, Poki Piottin and Rachel Brylawski (left to right) pose for a photo in front of Gaia Gardens, Sept. 12.

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September 17, 2015

American Indian potter hones in on family craft By Cassie Reid creid@msudenver.edu To identify 83-year-old José Alfred Aguilar as a professional potter is to neglect 72 years of his life. His main audience has shifted through the years from cattle, to kindergartners, to tourists with an eye for hand-crafted clay decorations. Aguilar’s sporadic residency of San Ildefonso Pueblo, 24 miles north of Santa Fe, N.M., has been repeatedly broken by gallery visits across the country and a three-year tour of western Europe. Still, Aguilar’s main sources of inspiration are the familiar faces of the Pueblo people and the culture of his tribe. “I always come back,” Aguilar says. “I travelled and I needed to, but this pueblo is where most of my family is.” Aguilar’s family has stretched beyond the village’s boundaries. His grandson, Cliff Kaniatobe, is an environmental science major at MSU Denver and employee at the Fitness Center. “I can’t really say how much he’s impacted me, but I know he has,” Kaniatobe says. While the depth of his grandfather’s impact is not apparent, Kaniatobe knows it will be in the future. Aguilar and many other members of the family came when Kaniatobe earned his associate degree from Westwood College as a sign of their care. “I take every chance to see family, especially for a celebration,” Aguilar says. When not travelling to see family, Aguilar’s schedule centers around collecting clay from a deposit in the pueblo, molding it into pots and figurines and placing his creations in an open air fire pit with horse manure to give the black, smooth look. His tools include brushes, feathers

“My dreams are here.” —José Alfred Aguilar

José Alfred Aguilar explains the meaning of symbols featured on his pots, Sept. 10. Aguilar has worked in his shop five days a week for 11 years. Photos by Michel Hansen • mevans41@msudenver.edu

from birds at nearby zoos and dental tools. Inside an adobe studio, Aguilar paints fine lines on a small pot, his focus tangible, his craft apparent. “When my dad owned this building, it was a grocery store. He taught me pottery when I was young, but I didn’t really love it. I preferred painting and still paint,” Aguilar says. He gestures towards a lower shelf lined with watercolor portraits and obscure art. Pots vary in size, design and texture, each process unique. Aguilar’s art can be found in Japan, Spain and China. In this dusty, blazing, isolated town, Aguilar is at home. “My dreams are here,” Aguilar says, looking over his workspace.

José Alfred Aguilar delicately outlines his next design on a clay pot in San Ildefonso Pueblo, N.M., Sept. 10.

Read more from Santa Fe at mymetmedia.com Matthew Smith continues work with the deaf after 18 years

Male nurse Matthew Smith stands next to his office at The New Mexico School for the Deaf In Santa Fe, N.M., Sept. 11. Photo by Michel Hansen • mevans41@msudenver.edu

De chiles y cultura; Viguildo Rojo

By Mary-Kate Newton

mnewton5@msudenver.edu

From diapers to diplomas, students at The New Mexico School for the Deaf have grown up with Registered Nurse Matthew Smith. Inspired by his work with a deaf girl, Smith began working on campus 18 years ago. Even to this day, American Sign Language is often a challenge for him. Through emotional connection however, Smith overcomes this occasional linguistic obstacle. “This barrier between us breaks down, and really it is quite moving,” Smith said.

Para no quemar sus dedos con la cuerda Viguildo Rojo se enrolla cinta eléctrica alrededor de sus nudillos. Trabaja de cinco a ocho horas diarias, atando chiles para preparar ristas tradicionales del suroeste. Para la gente de Nuevo México, los chiles no solamente son pimientos. Son elementos culinarios arraigados en su cultura, de herencia Española, Mexicana e Indígena. Para Rojo, también son su estilo de vida durante tres meses cada año. Additional reporting by Alyson McClaran.

» Story live on Auraria with KMetRadio @ mymetmedia.cc

Friday from 12-2 p.m. Also available for download and stream

Viguildo Rojo prepares a ristra in Santa Fe, N.M. Photo by Carl Payne • cpayne16@msudenver.edu

» Full story in English and Spanish online

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September 17, 2015

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INVITES YOU AND A GUEST TO A SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING OF

ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 AT 7:30PM STOP BY THE METROPOLITAN TIVOLI STUDENT UNION, SUITE 313 TODAY AFTER 10AM TO RECEIVE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY PASSES! STUDENT ID MUST BE PRESENTED AT TIME OF TICKET PICK UP

THIS FILM HAS BEEN RATED R FOR STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT, LANGUAGE INCLUDING SEXUAL REFERENCES, AND SOME DRUG USE. Please note: Passes received through this promotion do not guarantee you a seat at the theatre. Seating is on a first come, first served basis, except for members of the reviewing press. Theatre is overbooked to ensure a full house. No admittance once screening has begun. All federal, state and local regulations apply. A recipient of tickets assumes any and all risks related to use of ticket, and accepts any restrictions required by ticket provider. IFC Films, The Metropolitan, Allied-THA, and their affiliates accept no responsibility or liability in connection with any loss or accident incurred in connection with use of a prize. Tickets cannot be exchanged, transferred or redeemed for cash, in whole or in part. We are not responsible if, for any reason, recipient is unable to use his/her ticket in whole or in part. All federal and local taxes are the responsibility of the winner. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. Participating sponsors, their employees and family members and their agencies are not eligible. NO PHONE CALLS!

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the reconﬁguration of art and homosexuality around... individualistic expression represents a liberation from expectations

- RICHARD MYERS

o p e n ly

Student curated exhibition featuring work that responds to the LGBTQIA community

September 11 — OCTOBER 24, 2015 ARTIST PANEL & RECEPTION — OCTOBER 16

CALL FOR ENTRY | LGBTQIA

Center for Visual Art | 965 Santa Fe Drive | 303.294.5207 | msudenver.edu/cva

Center Center for for Visual Visual ArtArt | 965 | 965 Santa Santa Fe Drive Fe Drive | 303.294.5207 | 303.294.5207 | msudenver.edu/cva | msudenver.edu/cva I n co n j u n c t i o n w i t h Au ra r i a c a m p u s’ " Day of A r t i n

Deadline: Aug. 1, 2015

A c t i o n " a n d " N at i o n a l Co m i n g Out Day " , 9 6 5 G a l l e r y

This juried exhibition open to all Colorado

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Lissa Hicks, 48, and Arthur Ortega, 49, pose for a photo at the Interfaith Community Shelter, 2801 Cerrillos Rd., Sept. 10. Hicks has been using the shelter’s facilities intermittently for five years.

September 17, 2015

Hicks and Ortega hold hands outside the Interfaith Community Shelter, Sept. 10.

Hicks and Ortega share an intimate moment outside the Interfaith Community Shelter, Sept. 10.

For drunker or for poorer By Mia Szabo mszabo3@msudenver.edu Every morning, Lissa Hicks and Arthur Ortega leave their tent for the first vodka of the day; without it, the two begin to feel sick and jittery. If they don’t have money, a little hustling will see them through the day. For the last three years, the couple has wandered the streets of Santa Fe, New Mexico, teeth missing, scars showing, fighting, drinking and panhandling just to get by and stay drunk. During their time together, Hicks and Ortega’s relationship has been unsteady. “Once in awhile we break up,” Hicks says. A Thursday morning finds them recently showered and only a little tipsy. They sit on two lawn chairs outside the Interfaith Community Shelter relaxing in the sun. Hicks leans into Ortega when she talks about him or their love. Ortega, drunk and glassy-eyed, eases back in his chair, barely able to form full sentences. But, with each compliment Hicks pays him, a blissful smile lights up his face. They consider one another their only real family and claim a deep love, often kissing and holding hands. Ortega, a native of Santa Fe, comes from a successful family who will still give him a roofing job if he shows up. He hasn’t gone into work all week. Hicks has two sons: one is a business owner with a life far removed from her, the other is currently in rehab and expecting Hicks’ seventh grandchild. As for their housing situation, someone once told

Hicks, “You’ve never been homeless, you just keep leaving home.” Hicks agrees that no one on the streets is actually homeless. They are people who choose to live on the streets. Despite the tiring nature of being homeless and the longing to have stable lives, there are many reasons that keep drawing them back to the streets. “I keep leaving home. There’s a very strong enticement for that freebird energy,” Hicks says, “I’d rather hustle up for money and I’d rather do this than just be home.” Even with this attitude, neither Hicks nor Ortega can deny the struggle of homelessness. “I’m tired and I shouldn’t be,” Ortega says as they sit together relaxing in the sun outside the shelter, locally known as Pete’s Place. They have no plans for the day, except to drink the remainder of the half-full bottle of vodka tucked in the waistband of Hicks’ pants. A quick walk across the street and they drink the vodka like it’s water, draining it in moments. The merry mood leaves as quickly as it came. Hicks, who has bipolar disorder, is suddenly furious at Ortega and punches him in the face, expletives flying from her mouth. Suddenly, Hicks’ self-proclaimed status as a fighter becomes a reality. She seems like a different person than the cheery woman she was 30 seconds ago. Ortega barely seems fazed by her sudden violence. He’s been through this before, and he’ll go through it again. It’s just another moment in their day.

Hicks pulls out a pint of vodka from her pants while smoking a cigarette, Sept. 10. She prepares to leave the Interfaith Community Shelter just before noon to cross the street where she can drink.

Photos by Alyson McClaran • amcclara@msudenver.edu

Hicks swallows a mouthful of vodka while sitting on the sidewalk of Harrison Rd. across the street from the Interfaith Community Shelter, Sept. 10. Ortega rests his hand on Hicks’ knee as he waits for her to share the bottle.

Hicks, who has bipolar disorder, is furious at Ortega and slaps him in the face near the front door of the Interfaith Community Shelter on Cerrillos Rd., Sept. 10.

Hicks wipes away tears after talking about her family and being involved in fights with Ortega, Sept. 10.

Sports

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Sports Shorts » President Stephen Jordan earns award

Metro President Stephen Jordan won the Dr. Claire Van Ummersen Presidential Leadership award Sept. 15. The award was given by the National Association of Collegiate Women Atheltics Administrators for presidents who have demonstrated leadership and opportunities in women’s athletics. In 2014, Jordan added women’s golf to Metro athletics.

» Women’s soccer ranked in top 25

For the first time this season, women’s soccer is ranked No. 22 in this week’s National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division II top-25 poll. They won both games during home opening weekened Sept. 11 and 13. The Runners will begin conference play Sept. 18 at Western State.

» Johnston and Cruz lead Runners in golf

Junior Allie Johnston shot a team-best +6 and senior Valerie Cruz had +7 to lead the Roadrunners to second place following the first day of RMAC Event No. 1 at Fox Hill G.C. Sept. 14. The Runners had a total team score of 322, six shots behind Colorado Mesa.

September 17, 2015

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Lady Runners win in home openers By Erik Kemp & Mike Tolbert ekemp5@msudenver.edu mtolber3@msudenver.edu Under the Friday night lights on Sept. 11, the stage was set for early season jitters in the home opener for women’s soccer. Nerves were quickly shaken off when freshman forward Reigna Banks scored her first goal of the season and of her college career in a win over the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos, 1-0. Five minutes into the game, Banks, unassisted on the play, scored the only goal of the match yielding the 1-0 victory for the Roadrunners. The goal was set up with Banks’ quick twitch dribbling that allowed her to pivot just inside the center of the opponent’s box and score the early goal. “It was important to set the tone, and set it early,” Banks said. “Our coach always tells us if we have the space that we need to attack quickly and break them down early. Set the tone early and let them know we mean business.” The Lady Runners played great defense, moving together as a unit and staying out of trouble. They committed only seven fouls to the Broncos 15, which included two yellow cards. Metro goalkeeper and 2014 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Honorable Mention Breanna Flores, had seven saves to notch her second shutout on the year, boosting her save percentage to .917 on the season.

Game 2, win 3-1 In the women’s second game of the weekend, the Lady Runners topped Cal State Dominguez Hills, 3-1 at The Regency Athletic Complex Sept. 13. It was a game of firsts as four Roadrunners made their collegiate debuts and seniors Lauren Kaufman and Josalyn Martin netted their first career goals for Metro. Kaufman was first on the board scoring in the 20th minute off a deflected corner kick from Martin, who won offensive player of the week. Although Metro jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, the Runners still missed key opportunities to add to their total. “Coach told us to just be calm, cool and collected,” senior midfielder Noemy Polanco said. “I put too much pressure on myself and I thought I had too many marks on me. I just had to settle down and focus.” Polanco had four shots, one on goal for the game but provided the much needed leadership for a team that has 10 freshman on its roster. “I’m confident in all our freshman,” Polanco said. “They came out fit, confident and so far, they have done an excellent job focusing during practices, lectures and during games.” All of that hard work showed when freshman midfielder Korena Perales blasted an unassisted 25yard shot off the left post in the 33rd minute. Perales has been a huge spark coming off the bench,

CSDH defender Lindsey Armstrong (right) dribbles down field while junior forward Shursteen Sharpe (left) attempts a steal at The Regency Athletic Complex Sept. 13. Photo By Abreham Gebreegziabher • agebreeg@msudenver.edu

making that her second goal of the season along with her energetic presence the starters like to play with. Five minutes before halftime, Dominguez Hills’ Louise Kallin dribbled down the right side of the box to score, cutting the Roadrunners lead down to 2-1 at the break. Martin would eventually net her first career goal off a penalty kick in the 80th minute. “I was super excited,” Martin said. “It has been a long time coming. I wish it was on a running play, but a P.K. is fine with me.” The Runners outshot the Toros 26-15 by the end of play. Sophomore goalkeeper Breanna Flores,

who won goalkeeper of the week, made eight saves in goal for the Roadrunners, playing the first 84 minutes. Sophomore Raeanna Rosales, stopped one final shot attempt from Dominquez Hills in the final six minutes. Metro’s 3-1 victory mirrors its record on the season thus far. With their next match away at Western State Sept. 18 in the season’s first conference play, the Lady Runners look to improve more by capitalizing on opportunities when they arise. “If we finish plays, we’ll be fine,” Polanco said. “Our team is really good this year, so I’m not too worried.”

Tennis begins season at Pueblo tourney By Nick Reilly

» Hangstefer featured on 7news Sports Xtra

Tennis head coach Daniel Hangstefer was recently featured on 7news for his participation in the World Deaf Championships where he and his sister won a gold medal in mixed doubles competition in July. Hangstefer is in his third season as head man for the Runners.

nreilly1@msudenver.edu Metro men’s and women’s tennis teams opened its 2015-16 season with two back-to-back tournaments in Pueblo and at Air Force Sept. 11 – 12. In Pueblo, both teams combined for three wins beginning with a men’s 5-4 win over UT Permian Basin but not before suffering a loss to Nebraska-Kearney, 6-3 in the first match. Freshman Joey Tscherne made an instant impact to the team as he went 2-0 on Sept. 11.

Freshman Marty Lukosiunas and senior Porter Emery, each won one match as well in singles. Tscherne and junior Josh Graetz, went 2-0 at No. 1 doubles, as well as Lukosiunas and freshman Keenan Kaltenbacher. As for the women, they dropped a pair of 6-3 decisions early to UNK and UTPB on Sept. 11. The Lady Runners responded in a hurry and rebounded with a 6-3 win over Central Oklahoma and an 8-1 win against Fort Hays State on Sept. 12. Sophomore Linying Xiao had a fantastic weekend as she went a

perfect 4-0 at No. 4 singles for the women. Sophomore Emily Kerr, and senior Kasey Love, both were able to win three matches and junior Ana-Jelena Vujosevic won twice. In doubles, Kerr and Love went 3-1 at No. 1 and Vujosevic and sophomore Courtney Wright, went 3-1 at No. 2. The Air Force Invitational singles championship took place on Sept. 13 and Tscherne was able to bring home the win for Metro. Tscherne went 2-1 in the competition and won another match

by default to steal the crown in the three-way individual tournament that took place with Air Force and Northern Colorado. Tscherne defeated UNC’s Mitchel Knight 6-2, 6-4 and Air Forces’ Nicholas Carpenter 7-5, 4-6 and 10-6. After opening weekend, the men’s team sits at a 1-1 record while the women’s are 2-2. Metro will host the Roadrunners Invitational next weekend at The Regency Athletic Complex Sept. 18.

September 17, 2015 Met Sports

Roadrunners tie in double OT thriller, win following match By James Hansen jhanse58@msudenver.edu In the 71st minute Newman defender, Kieran Laking was fouled on the touchline closest to the stands. Upon being fouled, Laking shoved the player responsible, prompting a fan in the crowd to yell, “Keep it classy, 18!” Laking simply responded, “Keep it classy? Shut your mouth!” That was one moment that truly represented the contentious atmosphere in the men’s soccer double overtime 1-1 draw against the Newman University Jets in the Roadrunners home opener Sept. 11 at The Regency Athletic Complex. Both teams came out in the first half full of energy. Metro and Newman were set up in traditional 4-4-2 formations, and they pressed high, leading to a frenetic and often chaotic first five minutes. After trading some hopeful shots from outside the penalty area, it was the Roadrunners who had the first real chance of the afternoon. A fortuitous bounce set up sophomore midfielder Ikaika Nichols for a half-volley, which whispered just outside the right post. The half soon devolved, and the tackles started flying in. After a clever turn, junior midfielder Dustin Berg was tackled from behind by a Newman player, and was left limping for several minutes. The tackle incensed the crowd,

who felt the tackle was worthy of a red card. The referee showed no such conviction, which only served to increase the tension as tempers rose into an altercation between several players. The halftime whistle could not have come soon enough to bring an end to what had become a testy first half. “Officials needed to do their job,” said Head Coach Jeremy Tittle. “Part of the job of refereeing is to manage the game which includes various styles of officiating.” The Roadrunners came out in the second half full of attacking purpose, and it paid off in the 64th minute. Berg whipped in a venomous corner, which was nodded back across goal by Brock Labertew, and headed in at the near post by junior forward Josh Belfrage. It was a deserved lead for the Runners, who had been the better team up to that point. As the game continued, the merciless rays of the sun seemed to take its toll on the players, prompting the Roadrunners to lose some of their impetus in the game. In particular, Newman forward, Gefte Blanc, got in behind the defense multiple times, forcing Roadrunner goalkeeper Hayden Rus into two saves. Rus was finally beaten in the 83rd minute as a failed Metro clearance found its way to Newman’s Luca Anell, who calmly slotted the ball into the left-hand corner from just outside

the box. The match, tied at 1-1, went to subsequent double overtime, but the game had devolved again into a series of late tackles and verbal abuse. Junior defender Nolan Barth, who had been booked earlier in the game, was sent off in the 115th minute for a shoulder barge. Despite this, Metro hung on for the draw, making their record 1-1-1 for the season. “I heard Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho say it best recently,” Tittle said. “We’re pleased with our recent performances in almost every aspect of our game. And yet, we are not pleased with our results.” There were eight total yellow cards thrown on the afternoon and one red. The Roadrunners outshot the Jets 23-15 in the game and had nine saves on the defensive end. Metro will open up its conference play at Westminster College Sept. 18 in Salt Lake City.

Game 2, win 2-1 Metro defeated the Northeastern State Riverhawks 2-1 at The Regency Athletic Complex on Sept. 13. Junior defensemen Brock Labertew scored first in the 51st minute off of a free kick. Junior midfielder Dustin Berg scored off a penalty kick in the 77th minute be-

Metro junior forward Jack Mayfield (left), heads the ball as a defender pushes from behind at The Regency Athletic Complex Sept. 13. The Roadrunners beat Northeastern State 2-1 after coming away with a draw Sept. 11 against Newman University.

Photos by Abreham Gebreegziabher • agebreeg@msudenver.edu

fore Northeastern would score on a penalty kick in the 88th minute after a foul and a yellow card in the

box. The Roadrunners out shot the Riverhawks a total of 24-12.

Volleyball beats Angelo State 3-1, struggles with top 25 opponents in Premier By Robert Kemp rkemp9@msudenver.edu

Metro junior outside hitter Michaela Smith (right) spikes ball while two Angelo State defenders prepare to block at the Auraria Event Center Sept. 11. Photo by Abreham Gebreegziabher • agebreeg@msudenver.edu

The Roadrunners began the Colorado Premier Challenge with a hard-fought win against Angelo State before losing three straight matches against top 25 competition Sept. 11. In the first set of the weekend, Metro trailed ASU 18-13 before scoring the final 12 points with senior outside hitter Summer Greager serving to win, 25-18. Five different players had a kill during the run and the Roadrunners combined for three blocks. During the second set, it was the Rambelle’s turn for a comeback with ASU pulling out a 33-31 win. ASU held set point five times and the Lady Runners held it three times before the Rambelles won the set. Metro then won the last two sets 25-20 and 25-18. The defense was a highlight with the Roadrunners holding ASU to a .144 hitting percentage and amassing 13 blocks. Head coach Debbie Hendricks said, “I

think they spent a lot of time frustrated by our defensive effort.” Senior outside hitter Kylie Haun had a career best 27 digs and was a perfect 21-for-21 in servereceive. Greager finished with 21 digs and sophomore defensive specialist Jackie Lopez had 12. “I thought Brandi Torr, our setter, just ran a great system, a great offense all day long,” Hendricks said. Junior Setter Brandi Torr helped the team hit .254 overall with 58 assists and 18 digs. Junior outside hitter Michaela Smith led the team with 19 kills and hit .241 in the match. Sophomore right side Ryan Hoerdemann and junior middle blocker Vasati Fiatoa each had 14 kills with Fiatoa hitting .462 and Hoerdemann hitting .400. In their final three matches of the weekend, the Lady Runners faced No. 4 Concordia-St. Paul, No. 7 Central Missouri and No. 25 West Florida with a result of three straight losses. “I think that to be the best, you have to beat the best,” Smith said. “So I think that we’re really lucky

that our coach put together such a strong schedule to prepare us for conference play. The Roadrunners will face the Colorado Mesa Mavericks at the Auraria Event Center in their first match against a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponent on Sept. 18. “Mesa is no slouch, Hedricks said. “They tied for conference champions last year and we know we’re going to have to play really well to beat them.” The Lady Runners are now 2-6 overall after the three consecutives losses but look to finish the Premier Challenge undeafeated in conference play with Westminster (Utah) and UCCS in their sites after the match against Mesa. “Obviously our record looks a little rough right now but there’s definitely a lot of positive highlights to take away from these first two tournaments,” Fiatoa said. “So it’s really exciting to get into conference play.”

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Denver Concert Calendar

Auraria Events 9.17: Fall Fest Time: 10 a.m. Location: Auraria’s Outdoor Areas 9.21: Mondays at MSU Denver: Student Recital Time: 2 p.m. Location: King Center Concert Hall 9.22: Richard T. Castro Distinguished Professorship Time: 9 a.m. Location: Tivoli Student Union, Denver CO 9. 23: Bi/Pan/Fluid Awareness Day Time: 10 a.m. Location: Tivoli Multicultural Lounge

9.19: Grace Potter Location: Red Rocks Amphitheatre Price: $42.50-$47.50 Time: 6:30 p.m.

9.17: Dave Chappelle

9.19: Skylab Location: 1STBANK Center Price: $60 Time: 7:00 p.m. Location: Red Rocks Amphitheatre Price: $60-$70 Time: 8:00 p.m.

9.24: 2015 Sankofa Lecture Series: Hip Hop: A Soundtrack for Social Change Location: St Cajetans Time: 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

9.20: Duran Duran

9:18: Brad Paisley

9.17: Cloudy

81º/48º

9.18: Cloudy

70º/40º

9.19: Sunny

77º/46º

9.20: Sunny

80º/50º

9.21: Sunny

83º/53º

9.22: Sunny

78º/49º

9.23: Cloudy

77º/54º

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Location: Bluebird Theater Price: $20-$25 Time: 8:00 p.m.

9.22: Papa Roach Location: Red Rocks Amphitheatr Price: $49.50-$125 Time: 6:30 p.m. 9.20: ZZ Top Location: Telluride Town Park Price: $65-$185 Time: 11:30 a.m.

Location: Pepsi Center Price: $19.80-$74.50 Time: 7:30 p.m. 9.18: Railroad Earth Location: Red Rocks Amphitheatre Price: $39.50-$45 Time: 6:30 p.m.

9.21: Kenner Loop Tour Location:The Roxy Theatre Price: $15-$20 Time: 6:30 p.m.

Top Five Weirdest Animals Seven-Day Forecast

9.21: Best Coast

9.22: Civic Center Walking Tour Location: MSU Denver booth at Civic Center EATS Price: $5 Time: 10:45 a.m.

9.17:Nick Jonas Location: Fillmore Auditorium Price: $27.50-$30 Time: 6:30 p.m.

9.23: Applied Learning Center’s Open House Time: 11 a.m. Location: Admin Building, Suite 325 9.23: ELEMENT Outdoor Activities Time: 2 p.m. Location: Lawrence Street Park

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September 17, 2015

1. Blob Fish 2. Goblin Shark 3. Star Nosed Mole 4. Proboscis Monkey 5. Donald Trump