February 23, 2012
Volume 34, Issue 23
Serving the Auraria Campus for 33 Years
www.metnews.org
TheMetropolitan MetNews
New hotel learning center to open Aug. 1 3
MetroSpective Drag show raises bullying awareness 8
AudioFiles
Zola Jesus brings her divine vocal style to Denver 10
MetSports Tennis coach Beck Meares finds home away from home 12
New hotel reflects Metro’s future
The Hotel and Hospiltality Learning Center reflects the Denver skyline as the sun sets Feb. 21. The $45 million project is scheduled to open Aug. 1 as part of the expansion that is planned for Metro. Refer to Page 3 for the full story. Photo by Mike Fabricius • mfabrici@mscd.edu
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TheMetropolitan February 23, 2012
MetNews
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Building a brighter future for Colorado New learning center lifts Metro to ‘international level’ Nicholas M. Roper nroper@mscd.edu Andrea Heap aheap@mscd.edu Metro’s Hospitality, Tourism and Events program has high hopes for its new Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center. With the addition, Metro becomes one of only 15 institutions in the world where students can gain hands-on experience running a full-service hotel and restaurant. The 160,000 square foot complex, which is being built alongside Auraria Parkway, will be divided into two parts — the HLC, which will have more than 25,000 square feet of learning space for students, and a Marriott SpringHill Suites hotel. The facility is scheduled to open Aug. 1. Metro has been building toward a more reputable name and image, and the HLC is expected to enhance that identity. “This puts Metro on a national and international level,” professor Chad Gruhl, chair of the HLC task force said. “People outside of the metro area are unaware of what Metro is, and this facility will change that.” Sage Hospitality, which also runs the Curtis Hotel in Denver, funded the $45 million project and will run the day-to-day operations of the hotel. The learning center will be run by Metro, and was
Construction workers at the Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center retire for the day Feb. 21. Photo by Mike Fabricius • mfabrici@mscd.edu
funded by grants and a $1 million donation from the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation. The center will feature a fully functioning restaurant that will be partially run by students. The learning center will stand true to the HTE program’s philosophy of “learning through theory and experience.” John Dienhart, chair of the Hospitality, Tourism and Events department, has envisioned this addition to Metro since the late 1980s. “We have the students, the faculty, and now the facilities located in downtown Denver, a hospitality city located in a hospitality state that will truly carry HTE’s brand forward,” Dienhart said. “We
are service-oriented and carry a hospitality attitude through our teaching and learning.” Students will also be able to complete their sommelier certification through the International Sommelier Guild. Tasting tables, complete with sinks and an internal light source, will highlight the center’s ultramodern tasting and education rooms. The lighting helps students to distinguish wine color and clarity — a vital part of the learning process. The rooms will also have special ventilation systems that circulate and clean the air to enhance aroma detection. The department is also currently working on developing a winemaking class as well.
The facility is designed to have plenty of room to accommodate an increased number of students. In the past, students were turned away for lack of space, according to Cynthia Onken-Glimm, a wine instructor and certified sommelier. “Our department has grown so exponentially over the last five years that it is really astonishing,” she said. “We cap our classes about 20 to 22 students and so now it will be nice to be able to have more sections so we don’t have to turn people away for a while because we will have more room.” Hiring will begin in late May or early June and 60 to 80 jobs will be available, Gruhl said. Gruhl has been teaching hospitality courses at Metro for six years. Previously, he sent students to area hotels to gain real-world job experience, but he said there was always something lacking from those classes. “I couldn’t lend my knowledge to the students. I wasn’t able to pop in and help them,” Gruhl said. “With the complex on the campus, our teachers are right there. We can facilitate our students’ learning.” When he started at Metro, the HLC was a dream, but he said he worked to make it a reality. “It’s very exciting. I still pinch myself every single day,” Gruhl said. Faculty members aren’t the only ones excited.
Sam Bennani, a 31-year-old Metro senior, is hunting for a job at the HLC. “I’m hoping to get a management position with HLC. If I can’t get in as management, I will try and work from the bottom up,” Bennani said. Regardless of the position, it is an opportunity for the students at Metro. “The students get the benefit all around,” said David Kottenstette, member of the Board of Trustees and Metro faculty member. “I’ve been faculty here 20 years, and to see these two new buildings go forward, the hotel in particular, where the students get to extend their learning within the community, is amazing.” The HLC will also provide internships. “It is not just our institution that will benefit,” Gruhl said. “This learning laboratory is for the entire state of Colorado. This is not just about Metro. It is about all of us.” Dienhart said this facility is going to elevate Metro’s reputation in the hospitality world. “Not many other hospitality schools will have what Metro State will have — a combination of students who want to learn and experience, a hard working faculty that wants students to learn and experience, and a state-of-the-art facility for teaching and learning,” Dienhart said.
Honoring those who paved the way Event highlights women’s contributions to civil rights
Jessica Wacker jwacker1@mscd.edu The 29th annual Black World Conference evoked a powerful dialogue drawn from the experience of women who fought first hand for the abolition of Jim Crow Laws. “We really wanted to manifest a sankofic approach using the cultural technology of storytelling,” said Dr. Elle Marie Ray, associate professor at Metro and coordinator for the conference. The “technology” Ray is referring to is the ability to orally communicate one’s life experience and story.
Sankofa is a West African word from the Akan language that roughly translates to “go back and fetch it,” where the ‘it’ is one’s history and culture. The conference’s theme, “Black Women’s Contributions to the Civil Rights Movement,” showcased the often overlooked characters pivotal to the civil rights movement. It highlighted women freedom fighters Carlotta Walls LaNier of the Little Rock Nine, and Judy Richardson and Zoharah Simmons of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. This year’s conference gave attendees the opportunity to think
about the civil rights movement from the perspective of average people making extraordinary contributions, explained Ray. “Certain figures, particularly Dr. King, have come to dominate the narrative so much that when you make an effort to look at things from the ground up … you almost automatically have to deal with the work of women organizers,” said Dr. Winston Grady-Willis, chair of the department of African and African-American studies. >> Continued on page 5
Carlotta Walls LaNier and Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons talk about their contribution in the civil rights movement at the Black World Conference Feb. 16 in Tivoli Turnhalle. Photo by Jessica Cuneo • jcuneo2@mscd.edu
4 February 23, 2012 MetNews TheMetropolitan
New trustee aims for success Jack Pogge sets sights on aviation program Nicholas M. Roper nroper@mscd.edu Jessica Wacker jwacker1@mscd.edu Jack Pogge flies small single propeller planes, even though he has a fear of heights. That’s because he’s not afraid to tackle new challenges, like preparing students for jobs while he serves on Metro’s Board of Trustees. “I want to focus on how to not only turn out first-class students that are well versed, but also how we can get them jobs. It’s a changing world,” he said. Part of that will be focusing more attention on the aviation New board of trustee member Jack Pogge program. was sworn in Feb. 2 Photo by Kathleen “He seems to always be chalJewby • kjewby@mscd.edu lenging himself to try new things,” said his former coworker, Peter Kalan, CEO of CSG Systems Interfor advice, both as a friend and as a national, Inc, a global provider of coworker. software and services-based busi“I considered him somebody ness support solutions. who I could trust, who wanted to Pogge was president of the hear my opinions,” Kalan said. company when Kalan was the Pogge was appointed to the chief financial officer, and is also a board Jan. 30. He was sworn in former CEO. Feb. 2 during a public meeting for Kalan often turned to Pogge Metro’s name change resolution.
Shortly after being sworn in, Pogge voted “yes” in favor of the resolution for the name change. “It looked like the board had been discussing the name change for a long time and I felt like it was time to make a decision and move on. I was comfortable coming in and casting a vote to help that along,” Pogge said. Pogge first heard about the opening on Metro’s board of trustees from board member Bill Hanzlik. “He’s just got a unique batch of qualities,” Hanzlik said. “I’ve been in higher [education] for over 10 years now. I just felt that he would be a good fit: lawyer, philanthropic, cares about people, very knowledgeable. I knew he had a little bit of free time and he was deciding what to do and I said ‘Jack, you’d be perfect for this.’”
The opportunity to work with the community in this capacity was a way to use his life’s knowledge and experience to give back, Pogge explained. Pogge worked as the chief counsel of mergers and acquisitions at U.S. West and as the vice president of Applied Communications Inc. He currently serves on an advisory committee for the University of Notre Dame. He hopes his knowledge of that committee will also prove useful for Metro. “Hopefully I can bring some wisdom and business skills that are adaptable for the academic environment and hopefully some people skills so everyone can get along alright,” Pogge said. Gov. John Hickenlooper appointed Pogge and Walter Isenberg to the board on Jan. 30.
“I want to focus on how to not only turn out first-class students that are well versed, but also how we can get them jobs.” —Jack Pogge
MetSports Support the Roadrunners by attending these upcoming home games. MEN’S BASKETBALL 2/25 Regis @ 7 p.m. 2/28 RMAC playoffs (TBA) WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2/25 Regis @ 5 p.m. 2/28 RMAC playoffs (TBA) SOFTBALL 2/25 UCCS @ 12 p.m. 2/26 UCCS @ 11 a.m. BASEBALL 2/24 Regis @ 3 p.m. 2/25 Regis @ 11 a.m. 2/26 Regis @ 12 p.m. Basketball games are played in the Auraria Event Center. Softball and Baseball games are played at Auraria Field. All games are free to Metro students with valid I.D.
Now Hiring: Student Position WEB PRODUCTION ASSISTANT The Communications and Community Affairs office is hiring a web production assistant to work as part of the CCA web team in support of key projects and initiatives. Duties include:
Did you know... There are health care options students can afford! Kaiser Permanente’s low-cost KPStep Plan offers quick access to all the medical care you need, all in one place. Nothing is more important than your health. See if you qualify today.
Learn more at FindYourPlan.org
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Create websites using a Web content management system
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Update and maintain existing websites
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Provide prompt, professional and courteous customer service via phone, e-mail, or in person
The successful candidate will have strong customer service and communication skills and be able to work in a fast-paced environment. Must be detail-oriented, have a positive attitude, be a self-starter and be able to work under deadlines. Applicant must be a current Metro State student taking at least six credit hours. Pay will depend on experience. Desired: PC and Mac skills. Knowledge of MS Office. Basic website design experience. Experience updating and maintaining websites. Knowledge of Adobe DreamWeaver, Photoshop, Arcobat a plus. For more information contact Chris Mancuso, Director of web communications at 303-556-6477, mancuso@mscd.edu.
TheMetropolitan MetNews February 23, 2012
SGA aligns the compass
Senators reach out to extended campus Chris Swain cswain2@mscd.edu Metro’s Student Government Assembly is working to connect and build relationships with fellow students on the North and South campuses. The program is meant to familiarize students on the extended campus with SGA and promote events and happenings on Auraria. As part of the program, SGA held welcome back dinners and events Jan. 25 on the North campus, and Feb. 8 on the South campus. “We wanted to let students know that although [SGA is] on the Auraria campus, we are reaching out to them and keep them in mind when making decisions,” SGA President Jesse Altum said. Kate Albrecht, a Metro State student who attended the dinner, said she wasn’t aware of the SGA. “It’s good to know our representatives are out there trying to keep in touch,” Albrecht said. Altum said the outreach program was also a good way to pro-
mote SGA’s Runners Program. The Runners use student volunteers to update classmates about SGA and Metro events once a week in each of their classes, and occasionally administer surveys. Created last year, the Runners Program was originally designed for volunteers to go into the SGA office on Auraria to get assignments and report findings. This excluded students who only attended classes on the extended campuses or online from being ’runners The program has since been modified to allow all students to easily communicate with the SGA. “Instead of having the students come into the office for assignments, we communicate by email,” said Altum. “We’re trying to use technology to increase the efficiency of the program.” SGA is also considering holding “Spirit Thursdays,” which would consist of a luncheon and a meet and greet with student senators. Runners, as well as students, would be able to meet their student representatives and voice opinions.
MetOnline The Metropolitan is interested in what you have to say. That’s why we’re bringing you weekly editions of Man on the Street, exclusively online. The Metropolitan asks students on Auraria for their take on current issues, pressing topics and recent events. This week, find out what your fellow students are doing to prepare for a job after graduation. Go online, tell us your opinion about recent events and make your voice heard by commenting on articles. Check out the website at metnews.org.
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Women in civil rights >> Continued from page 3 The conference brought attention to the efforts of those who made substantial sacrifices. “We decided to look at women in the civil rights movement who were committed, who made sacrifices, for whom being in the movement cost them and their families a tremendous amount,” Ray said. The conference featured a Q&A and dialogue between LaNier, Richardson and Simmons. The event also featured a performance by National Poetry Slam champion Dominique Ashed. Ashed performed various spoken word and slam pieces. She wrote a piece specifically for the event. For Ashed, using slam poetry and spoken word is a powerful way convey the importance of celebrating the efforts of those who came before, as well as to draw the audience into the subject matter. “It’s not abstract, it’s not clinical. It’s not this far away and scholarly thing that people feel like they can’t touch or that is not relative to them. Every line is about the stuff between us as human beings,” Ashed said. “Slam facilitates the conversation in a way that makes it
easy for people to understand what the connective tissue [between us] is.” Students from Rangeview High School and Highline Academy Charter School also attended the event, bringing nearly 80 participants to the conference, according to Grady-Willis. “There was a moment in which I was almost moved to the point of tears during the (Q&A) session,” Grady-Willis said. “Here, you actually had this living moment where young people were really curious, were giving these women their due and thanking them, but also just asking really interesting questions that constructed a bridge between what was happening in the fifties and sixties to what’s happening now in 2012.”
National Poetry Slam champion, Dominique Ashed, performs a spoken word piece. • Photo courtesy of Dominique Ashed
6 February 23, 2012 InSight TheMetropolitan
InSight
Super Bowl mirrored life as we now know it This column would have been better served running two weeks ago, when first written. But more timely things came up — like the tempest over Metro’s name change and DU’s unseemly (perhaps paranoid) challenge to protect its supposed “brand” and imagined “trademark.” Both are contrived and, at bottom, bogus concerns. But money talks and, when it does, legislators listen. It now remains to be seen what sort of spine Metro officials and administration show by way of rebuttal. In any case, the biggest religious holiday in America — also known as Super Bowl Sunday — is now long buried “in the books,” as broadcast geeks are fond of saying. And, after two and a half weeks — an eternity in our 24/7 news cycles that encourage the attention span of a gnat, or 140 characters — does anybody remember the score? Or even who played? What more people probably remember are the ads — which hardly did themselves proud at $3.5 million per spot — Madonna at halft ime and rapper M.I.A.’s middle finger. But that’s how far we’ve come —with the Super Bowl game itself a mere sideline show to the hype of a mega-production where the ads and halftime extravaganza create more buzz — more electronic than face-to-face than the game itself. No matter how heartstopping the final-minute drama may have been — and this year’s Super Bowl XLVI had plenty of that — the game, the raison d’etre, gets lost in the hoopla competing for fractured attention. Pre-game “countdown” hype included experts’ appraisals of the ten best Super Bowls ever. The experts had short memories and only one cited — in 10th place on one scorecard — Super Bowl III in January, 1969. When other experts had Joe Namath’s New York Jets as much as 40-point underdogs to Johnny Unitas’ Baltimore Colts. Namath brashly guaranteed a win, and delivered. That SB III was one of the more memorable
Letter to the Editor The following is in response to “The Metropolitan’s response to DU’s letter,” StaffEditorial, Feb. 9, 2012. Contrary to your recent editorial, Metro State’s administration and trustees did not “cower” or bend to the will of the University of Denver regarding our proposed name change to Metropolitan State University of Denver. As appointed officials, the Board of Trustees was required to weigh many issues before making the only possible decision under the circumstances. It is a decision we did not make lightly, and now Metro State is well on its way to getting a name that better reflects what it is today — one of the largest urban four-year public universities in the
upsets ever and gave legitimacy to the fledgling American Football Conference never registered with the cult-of-contemporary boys. Being old enough to remember Namath’s Jets and chronically old-school by choice, I actually watched this year’s game with a bunch of friends — mostly women — and was somehow more wowed by Mario Manningham’s amazing sideline catch of an Eli Manning pass to set up the Giants’ winning drive in the final minute. For me, that catch was far more exciting than seductive sirens selling cars (Fiats) or soccer star David Beckham’s tattoos, which only shows how terminally out-of-touch I am. Some of the more explicit and sexually suggestive ads were decried by the Parents’ Television Council watchdog group — whose protests will have as much effect against the power of TV ad megabucks as gun control fares against the National Rifle Association. The most controversial spot turned out to be Clint Eastwood plugging Chrysler cars with a “It’s Halftime In America” spot. It generated 17 million YouTube hits, but not everyone was amused, and Republican strategist Karl Rove saw a dark plot to re-elect Barak Obama. Spinmeister Rove called the ad “a sign of what happens when you have Chicago-style politics, and the president of the United States and his political minions, in essence, using our tax dollars to buy corporate advertising and the best wishes of the management.” You can’t make up stuff like that if you tried. But despite all-important controversy, the main run of mega-ads on “TV’s biggest day of the year” was sophomoric, boring and, as Joanne Ostrow observed in The Denver Post, “… an uninspired slate … lacking new ideas …” In retreating to a retro time – supposedly safer, happier and less complex than our own — advertisers borrowed heavily from the movies to recycle the same
country. I know it is difficult for some students to accept, but it’s true: Metro State’s administration and trustees explored and exhausted all of the College’s options in this renaming process. I know because I was there as your student trustee. We were advised last year that many state lawmakers would not support our first choice of Denver State University, and that trying to force the issue through the legislature might have sunk our efforts to get “university” included in our new name at all. Finally, we knew it would have been fiscally irresponsible — especially at a time when public colleges are dealing with deep budget cuts — to invest funding on a potentially expensive court challenge by DU. We worked hard to put forth a name
MetStaff Editor-in-Chief Megan Mitchell: mmitch46@mscd.edu Managing Editor Daniel Laverty: dlaverty@mscd.edu News Editor Jessica Wacker: jwacker1@mscd.edu Assistant News Editor
Brad Roudebush: wroudebu@mscd.edu
J. SEBASTIAN SINISI sinisi2@msn.com sludge, in only slightly updated form, seen years ago. So we got Seinfeld. And Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller and other nods to happier days. I found the lineup as exciting as watching shag carpet grow. I’ve been demographically dead for years. But where does this pitch leave advertisers’ 18-to-34 demographic darlings? Time was when friends got together to watch the Super Bowl, drink too much beer and eat too much guacamole — all while talking to each other, face to face, in thousands of living-room mini-communities. Years ago, I’d go to gatherings where lots of participants didn’t know (or care) who was even playing. And that was part of the fun, because getting together with friends was the point. No more. Now, electronic-toy wizardry allows you to watch the TV game with one eye with an iPhone in one hand and an iPad on your lap. You can thus “interact” with other “fans” — never in the same room — and comment on the plays you all saw separately via Twitter and Facebook. Thumbs busy and eyes distracted, you may miss much of the game, but — as one ebullient fan crowed — “instead of talking to the guy next to me about a play, now I can tell 2,000 followers.” Hot stuff. But it meshes perfectly to what has happened to our notion of community. Even a community that lasts only for a long afternoon’s journey into night. Chopped up by commercials, of course.
that will recast the College’s image, dispel misperceptions that Metro State is a community college, and allow Metro State students to graduate from a university. Plus, while weighing our options, we took into consideration the wishes of many alumni who wanted to preserve “Metropolitan” in the name. It is my hope that the students will come together to support the name that has the best chance of making it through the legislative process: Metropolitan State University of Denver. If all goes according to plan, our c’ollege will roll out its new name next fall. After that, the sky is the limit for us university graduates — and we should make the most of that. -Jacob LaBure Student Trustee, Metro State Board of Trustees
MetroSpective Editor Nathalia Vélez: nvelez@mscd.edu Assistant MetroSpective Editor Steve Musal: smusal@mscd.edu AudioFiles Editor Wesley Reyna: wreyna1@mscd.edu Assistant AudioFiles Editor Ian Gassman: igassman@mscd.edu Sports Editor Ben Bruskin: bbruskin@mscd.edu Assistant Sports Editor Matt Hollinshead: mhollin5@mscd.edu Copy Editors J. Sebastian Sinisi Christin Mitchell
Kate Rigot Luke Powell
Photo Editor Steve Anderson: sande104@mscd.edu Assistant Photo Editors Brian McGinn Ryan Borthick Adviser Gary Massaro: gmassaro@mscd.edu Webmaster Drew Jaynes: ajaynes1@mscd.edu Director of Student Media Steve Haigh: shaigh@mscd.edu Assistant Director of Student Media Marlena Hartz: mhartz@mscd.edu Administrative Assistant of Student Media Elizabeth Norberg: enorbert@mscd.edu Production Manager of Student Media Kathleen Jewby: kjewby@mscd.edu The Metropolitan accepts submissions in the form of 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 e-mail to themetonline@gmail.com. The Metropolitan is produced by and for the students of Metropolitan State College of Denver and serves the Auraria Campus. The Metropolitan is supported by advertising revenue and student fees and is published every Thursday during the academic year and monthly during the summer semester. Opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of Metropolitan State College of Denver or its advertisers.
8 February 23, 2012 TheMetropolitan
MetroSpective
Equality reigns at ‘Love is a Drag’
Right: Jovan Bridges, known by his drag name Avon LaRouxx, applies makeup in preparation for his drag performance. Below: Adam Guerra, also known as Venus D Lite, poses for a picture with a guest during the annual drag show in Tivoli Turnhalle Feb. 15. Photos by Christopher Morgan • cmorga37@mscd.edu
Caitlin Sievers csievers2@mscd.edu Perfectly poised in a short blonde wig and black pumps, Adam Guerra shared his heartwrenching life story with the crowd gathered in Tivoli Turnhalle Feb. 15. Guerra, whose stage name is Venus D Lite, visited Auraria to take part in “Love is a Drag,” a show put on by UCD’s office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender student services. After a rough childhood — he grew up with a cocaine-addicted stepfather and was molested by a family friend — Guerra moved to a new school in Orange County, Calif., when he was 12. Soon after, he noticed that he was becoming preoccupied with boys his age rather than girls. Kids at school began to call him “girl” and “queer.” “I had no clue what the people were calling me,” Guerra said. At the beginning of high school, Guerra was bullied regularly by a group of skateboarders. “I remember the first time they beat me up,” Guerra said. “They stole my backpack. I tried to get
it back from them. They started to smash my face into the sidewalk, and they made me kiss the sidewalk.” Guerra soon joined a gang for protection, and to hide his true identity. “Deep down inside, I knew that I was gay, but I didn’t know how to accept it,” Guerra said. Guerra became suicidal after being verbally abused by his stepfather and spent two weeks in a mental hospital. It was a scary experience for him, he said. “It made me realize it’s hard for you, but there’s someone else who has it a lot harder,” he said. Guerra got through the rest of his teenage years living with various relatives and learning to accept himself. After the death of his grandmother, who was like a mother to him, Guerra felt that he needed an escape from his day-to-day life. He decided to try drag. Guerra dressed as Madonna for a look-alike contest — and won. Guerra soon had his own drag show that ran for six years and went on to compete in RuPaul’s Drag Race, a reality television drag
competition. Guerra now travels all over the U.S., performing as Venus D Lite. The performer said he wants his story to help raise awareness about bullying. Guerra wants GLBT teens to know that they’re not alone, and that things will get better. Jovan Bridges, a Metro student, performed in the show as Avon LaRouxx. He was able to avoid bullying for most of his teenage years. “I was lucky to go to an art school where it wasn’t an issue,” he said. Bridges added that the best way to fight bullying is to stand up for yourself. The show’s host, Ed Garton, whose stage name is Pansy Pedal, encouraged the audience to tip their performers. Garton is the assistant director of student life at UCD. All tips were donated to Rainbow Alley, a drop-in center for GLBT youth. The Alley, located on East Colfax, provides many free services to teens, including health care, counseling and a judgmentfree place to hang out.
TheMetropolitan MetroSpective February 23, 2012
Film Review: Tucker and Dale Versus Evil Steve Guntli sguntli@mscd.edu There is really only one joke at the center of “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil,” but it’s a pretty good joke. A group of vapid college kids — as familiar with the tropes of horror films as the protagonists of the “Scream” movies — believe scruffy hillbillies Tucker and Dale to be psychotic murderers. Tucker and Dale are total sweethearts, and while their decrepit cabin in the woods looks like it borrowed the floor plans from “The Evil Dead,” they wouldn’t hurt a fly. Through a series of elaborate misunderstandings, the college kids start accidentally killing themselves while attempting to escape perceived attacks. The bewildered hillbillies think they’ve
encountered a crazed suicide cult. This may seem like a quaint concept to build a 90-minute feature film on, and honestly, it is. What sustains it well past its expiration date is the considerable charm of its leads and an honest love for the horror genre it mocks. At its best moments, it’s almost cathartic. Anyone who’s ever slapped their forehead in disbelief at the on-screen actions of horror victims who wander, blindly and unmotivated, into imminent danger, will find something to smile about. Here’s a film where the killer isn’t a chainsaw-wielding lunatic or a fanged monstrosity, but stupidity itself. Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine play Tucker and Dale, respectively, and they are at the crux of what makes “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” so much fun.
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
They have an easy rapport together, and their characters, ostensibly just the setup for an elaborate punch line, have a depth and warmth that’s unexpected. Labine, in particular, transmutes Dale into a living teddy bear, all aw-shucks
smiles and gentle shyness. The brunt of this shyness is directed at Allison (Katrina Bowden), whose lack of superficiality spares her the fate of her less intelligent friends. Some of the jokes are inspired, particularly the scene where Allison, an archetypal psychology major, encourages the hillbillies and college kids to talk about their feelings over a cup of tea. It’s funny enough to make one wonder if all Jason Voorhees really needed was a hug. However, a suspension of disbelief is required to appreciate some of the film’s more shopworn sight gags (I mean, really, how many times can people trip and impale themselves on something?). When a clear-cut villain finally emerges through all the farce, it’s a bit disappointing to see the
film change from a light-hearted parody of slasher films into, well, a slasher film. I was reminded of the littleseen “Behind The Mask,” which was similarly sharp with horror movie clichés, and devolved in a similar manner. “Behind The Mask” had a little more meat on its bones, though, and it could handle abrupt tonal changes a little better than Tucker and Dale. Whatever its shortcomings, Tucker and Dale is good fun. It bears the simple, yet sweet, message of judging people by the content of their character rather than their dubious hygiene and Appalachian drawl. It’s not particularly deep or heavy, but neither is it stupid or needlessly cruel. Check it out on Netflix if you’re in the mood for a good joke.
Creating worlds, words at Metro English
Ryan Smith smitryan@mscd.edu
The first Metro Undergraduate English Conference was held in Tivoli Feb. 17. Students and professors from Metro, UCD, Regis University and the University of Colorado at Boulder presented original pieces in a variety of genres showcasing some of the schools’ English programs and work students have produced. The concept and creation of the event is the work of the Metro English department, led by Dr. Leslee Wright. She wanted to give students an opportunity to present their work in a professional setting while also making the public aware of how diverse the department has become.
“The timing was good for having a conference like this because the English department has added these new things [like linguistics and film studies],” Wright said. Wright said that, in keeping with Metro’s focus of diversity in learning, special attention was made to make the conference as diverse as possible, both topically and culturally. Creative nonfiction, fiction and poetry readings led up to keynote speaker and documentary filmmaker Donna Dewey’s presentation. Dewey, a Colorado resident, won an Academy Award for the 1997 film, “A Story of Healing.” In the film, Dewey follows a team of physicians on a two-week humanitarian mission providing medical assistance to people living in the
Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Dewey, who self-admittedly is unable to operate a camera, spoke on the importance of the written word in film production and the crucial role it plays in creating quality movies. “Storytelling is something really, really special,” Dewey said. “Knowing what should be on the screen instead of how to put it there is what I think is most important.” Dr. Vincent Piturro, head of the cinema studies program at Metro, introduced Dewey. Though presently only offered as a minor studies program through the English department, Piturro hopes cinema studies will continue to grow and eventually be offered to students as a major concentration.
He sees the conference as a way to both create interest in the department and its product, and to give students experience presenting material in a formal setting. “Part of what we’re doing is certainly advertising to the larger community so they know what types of programs we have,” Piturro said. “But I think the primary objective is giving students a chance to show their work at a conference and to share it with their colleagues.” Two such presenters were Heather Newhouse and Ali Bossy. Newhouse, who graduated from Metro in December, said she viewed the conference as a learning experience. “I was glad to have the opportunity to share some creative
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writing in front of my peers and professors, something that I don’t get to do a lot outside of class,” Newhouse said. Bossy, a senior at UCD, said she thought of her presentation as somewhat of an initiation, admitting to being a little nervous before taking the podium. “It’s a great experience to be able to dialogue with the other writers, to see their processes, to find new ways to access a piece and to access an idea you’re trying to express, it’s incredibly helpful,” Bossy said. Both now feel empowered and more confident in themselves and their work, valuing the conference for the stage it offered them and the ideas they took away from it.
Denver gamer hordes descend on GenghisCon Wielding dice and a passion for fun, more than 300 gamers invaded the Red Lion Hotel on the Denver/Aurora border over the weekend for GenghisCon. Events included painting tutorials and other craft panels, competition in various board games, three days of traditional roleplaying games and two live-action games. The convention, in its 33rd year, is put on by the Denver Gamers’ Association. The non-profit group of gaming enthusiests donates all proceeds, after convention expenses, to charity organizations. A con attendee surveys an army of wargaming figurines Feb. 19 at the 33rd GenghisCon in Aurora. Photo by Seth Baca • sbaca22@mscd.edu
10 February 23, 2012 TheMetropolitan
AudioFiles
Sounding Off
Zola Jesus resurrects her image Just before taking the stage in Asheville, N.C., classically trained singer-songwriter, Nika Roza Danilova (a.k.a. Zola Jesus), spoke with The Metropolitan over the phone about her new image — one that coincided with the release of her latest album, Conatus. Although Danilova is goth at heart, she has started to embrace the bright, etheral side of her songwriting. She’s also gotten better at dealing with all of life’s little hiccups, including a crippling case of stage fright. Now on a worldwide tour, Danivola is looking forward to playing Feb. 25 at the Larimer Lounge. Interview by Wesley Reyna • wreyna1@mscd.edu WR: Did changing your hair and attire from black to white permeate into your music? ZJ: I’m always trying, in everything I do — in my music and in my life. What I think is ideal, I’m constantly trying to push what that is. So that [mentality] just kind of permeates into everything. Whether it’s the color of my hair or what I’m wearing or what I’m singing about, or what I am appreciating. It’s just all kind of connected like that. WR: You grew up in rural Wisconsin, do you prefer a “small-town” life? ZJ: I went from being someone that wanted to travel to being someone that traveled exclusively. You know, [someone that] does not spend time at home, ever. It has been this evolution, this change in my life. It just changes the way you see the world because you accrue so many experiences around the world. I always wanted this to be my career and now it is. WR: Is it hard traveling so much?
ZJ: I really, really enjoy it. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to make this my career. However, I’m kind of a loner and I don’t like to be around people all the time [but] that’s what touring is. So that is something I struggle with. You have to make compromises to do what you love, you know? WR: Being a young musician, do you feel any disconnect from your earlier material? ZJ: Because I have evolved so much and because I am just a different person now, the songs are still very much a part of me, and they’re part of my past, but it feels very strange. That’s why I don’t sing songs from before Stridulum; it is such a different time in my life. But songs on Stridulum feel very different and even songs on Conatus feel different. I’ve grown so much since making those [records] — everyday they feel more and more alien to me. WR: It looks like you wont be playing smaller
The frigid, rural winters of Zola Jesus’ childhood inspired her new, whitewashed image.
Photo courtesy of Zola Jesus venues for much longer. Are you glad? ZJ: The things that I really want are to be able to have in-ear [monitors] so I can sing better when I’m performing live and things like that. That stuff comes with bigger venues and that’s why I look forward to playing bigger venues. I haven’t really thought about it though, I’m just kind of going day-by-day here. WR: Do you ever consider yourself a “pop” star? ZJ: I do have an interest in speaking to a lot of people, because I think I maybe have some ideas and I have questions too, just like everyone else, and I have several answers. They may not be right, but I feel like it would benefit for me to have a conversation with other people. I think right now, pop-stars
aren’t saying anything. I don’t think that I have anything really final to say, but it’s at least worth it for someone to be in that position to poke people a little bit and sort of wake them up. WR: Are you excited to play in Denver for the first time? ZJ: I’m really excited. The owner of the label that I’m on, Sacred Bones, he is from Denver, so he is going to come and we’re going to try and see [writer] Philip K. Dick’s grave, which is right near there.
Zola Jesus 8 p.m., Feb. 25 @ Larimer Lounge, $20
Mile High and rising
Rapping siblings start up Co-Op Josh Gaines • jgaines8@mscd.edu Every hip-hop crew thinks they are developing some breakthrough sound. They talk a big game, but when the dust finally settles, they are just another set of rappers. However, Denver’s own rap duo, Co-Op is representing something rather fresh. When listeners hear the soulful melodies of siblings Napolean and Victoria “Queen V” Price, it becomes clear they have chosen to take a sincere approach to making and distributing music. They are confident that their musical strategy will thrive. “We are from New York, so our mentality was ‘New York’ when we came to Colorado,” said Napolean, who moved during middle school. Now, he and his sister plan to represent their second home through music. “We felt like this is our spot and we are going to claim it. Our plan is, basically, to put Colorado on the map,” he said. Co-Op, which stands for “Colorado Operations,” wants to put money aside and create music that makes a difference. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call the duo musical activists; they consider Tupac and Lauryn Hill, to be among their biggest influences. The rappers proudly attend Occupy Den-
ver protests and, like most hip-hop icons, both want to express their political voice. “Being at the Occupy movement is [about] being aware of what is happening in our environment and our community,” Victoria said. “It is important to be aware. If you listen to our lyrics honestly, everything is conscious, everything is social.” This awareness of what’s going on in the world is what inspires the group’s deep lyricism, and Victoria’s awareness on stage is what sets them apart from the pack. She is one of the few notable frontwomen in Denver. Under the spotlight, she is one with the rhythm, and her commanding beauty seems to leave audiences captivated. As her older brother, Napolean has been Victoria’s strongest supporter and her biggest influence since day one. “She was always writing poetry and I was like ‘your poetry [would be] sick if you put it to a rap,” Napolean said. Napolean also designs Co-Op’s new line of merchandise, which the group debuted Feb. 13 at Cervantes Other Side. Fans can access Co-Op’s flashy merchandise via its
Napolean and Victoria Price push their sibling hip-hop duo, Co-Op, down the right track.
Photo courtesy of Co-Op Facebook page. Beyond merchandise, Co-Op is focusing on making music videos and have released two videos for their tracks “Zen” and “Can You Feel It?” Napolean is also planning on filming a video for Co-Op’s latest single “I’m Real,” off of their upcoming full-length, The Real. The single, which is just a preview before the LP drops this summer, is flush with unique beats and attitude.
Co-Op hopes that a track like “I’m Real” will catch listeners’ attention, helping to build a bigger fan base. Hip-hop scenes are filled with fierce competition but Co-Op’s music is filled with passion, love and real content. Now, it’s only a matter of time before the bigger operation begins, as the siblings’ voices begin to rise, along with the Denver’s hip-hop scene.
12 February 23, 2012 TheMetropolitan
MetSports
Tennis ace serves Metro State Nuggets are EDITORIAL:
Australian, former ’Runner Meares leads team
Angelita Foster amayer1@mscd.edu By the time Beck Meares was five, she had a tennis racket in her hand. Her skills on the court, as well as her passion for the game, continued to expand and help shape her life. It is that passion, and a second chance through Metro, that Meares gets to live every day loving what she does — coaching student athletes. Meares’ journey began on the tennis courts in Brisbane, Australia. After high school, she tried to balance work, college and tennis but found it difficult. To pursue her dream, Meares set aside college and focused on training: five days a week, eight hours a day, and as many tournaments as possible. Meares had racked up almost 830 points in three years on a tennis circuit in Australia, when she said it was time for a change. “I definitely had what it takes to get to a certain point in tennis, but if you can really look back and say that I have given it 100 percent, then that’s where you are going to be,” Meares said. “That’s what I did and definitely never had any regrets.” Meares decided to go back to college when she was recruited by fellow Australian, Brad Trost, then Metro tennis assistant coach. Trost was introduced to Meares through his niece, a friend of Meares’ youngest sister. Trost recruited both sisters. Jessica Meares was just out of high school and Beck said she was grateful for a second chance at school. “We had heard a lot about the American college system and we
Metro head tennis coach Beck Meares at Meadow Creek Tennis and Fitness Club for practice Feb. 17. Photo By Nathan Federico • nfederic@mscd.edu
thought if we could just get in the line-up, just the top six, we would be happy,” Meares said. During her four years as a Roadrunner, Meares achieved several Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honors, including 2004 RMAC Player of the Year. Meares led the Roadrunners
to RMAC championships in 2002, 2003, and 2004. “It’s funny — playing tennis as a profession, you’re a certain type of athlete and a certain type of person,” Meares said. “Then in my four years playing [at Metro], I had become a much better player, a much smarter player.”
Meares was inducted to Metro’s Athletics Hall of Fame in February 2011. She holds the career singles matches win record at Metro with 60. Meares graduated in 2005 and made the natural transition from player to assistant coach. In 2009, Metro hired Meares as the new head coach for both the men’s and women’s tennis teams. “It felt like the natural step because they knew me as a player and as an assistant coach,” Meares said. Meares had quite a first year as head coach, leading both teams to the NCAA tournament. Though the men had been there four consecutive years, the women hadn’t been there since Meares was on the team. “The reality is that you are not going to become a professional tennis player from a Division II school,” Meares said. “So, it is my job to teach these players to be student-athletes.” Meares said what she is most proud of her first year is the accomplishments of the athletes that received Academic All-RMAC. Metro junior Samantha Schall, one of two Roadrunners recognized in 2011 as a first team Academic All-RMAC, appreciates her coach’s expectations. “I don’t think coach asks us to do any more than she did while she was a student-athlete,” Schall said. “She has a focus on good grades, hard work, and character.” Meares said that even though she is a competitive person, her best day as a coach is not a mark in the win column, but the realization that she is able to help studentathletes take advantage of the opportunities they have: to get an education and play tennis.
The Metro Roadrunner Roundup Men’s basketball The Roadrunners, now ranked No. 15 in D-II, won at Western New Mexico University 90-65 Feb. 17 and New Mexico Highlands University 75-71 Feb. 18. At Highlands, Metro overcame a 14-point deficit to win, while senior guard Reggie Evans scored 19 points and surpassed the 1,500 career point total.
Baseball Metro won three of their four games against Hastings College (Neb.) Feb. 18 and 19. Freshmen outfielder Mitch Gibbons had six hits over the weekend, including two doubles and three RBIs, on his way to becoming the first freshman in Metro history to earn Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Week.
Women’s basketball The ’Runners are ranked No. 7 in D-II after beating Western New Mexico University 77-42 Feb. 17 and New Mexico Highlands University 63-60 Feb. 18, on the road. Metro clinched their second straight RMAC season title, and will face Regis University Feb. 25 at home to end the regular season.
Softball Due to snowy field conditions, the alumni game scheduled for Feb. 18 was cancelled. Metro is 3-9 this season, posting a 1-4 record in two tournaments held out-of-state. Sophomore catcher Kelsey Tillery leads all ’Runners with 16 RBIs this season and junior pitcher Aubree Maul has recorded all three wins for the team.
better after Melo deal Nick Ohlig nohlig@mscd.edu
Happy anniversary, Danilo Gallinari trade — I mean, Carmelo Anthony trade. The one-year anniversary of the blockbuster trade that sent Anthony and four other Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks in exchange for Gallinari and three other players is here. And as an anniversary gift, I would like to thank the Knicks for making the Denver Nuggets better. When the Nuggets made the trade, they got young and talented players. Gallinari is showing that he has the talent to be a superstar. Wilson Chandler made an impact on this roster and Timofey Mozgov is showing his potential. Plus, Raymond Felton was given up to bring in Andre Miller on draft night. It looks like the Nuggets have the pieces in place to be a solid team moving forward. As for the Knicks, they got Anthony and that was it. The other players in that trade are gone. Although both teams made the playoffs and lost in the first round last year, the Nuggets showed more potential against a better team. The Nuggets lost in five games to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that was one bad quarter away from representing the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics swept the Knicks. Flash forward to this season. Although the Nuggets are an average 18-15 as of Feb. 21, they have been plagued by injuries. Gallinari has bone chips in his ankle and Mozgov is recovering from a sprained ankle. Although the Knicks have injuries, too, they lack depth off the bench. The Knicks record is a below average 16-17 as of Feb. 21, and the only reason why they are around the .500 mark is because of Jeremy Lin, who is making the word “Linsanity” sound catchy. Bottom line: The Nuggets got the better deal. They score more points than the Knicks, get more assists than the Knicks and play better defense than the Knicks.
14 February 23, 2012 TheMetropolitan
TimeOut
Across 1- About 5- Ballet step 8- Moon of Jupiter 12- Lasso 14- Beethoven’s birthplace 15- Billy ___ had a hit song with “White Wedding” 16- Circumference 17- Hawaiian outdoor feast 18- ___ kleine Nachtmusik 19- Devilment 21- Electrician on a movie set
23- Liturgical vestment 24- Cpl.’s superior 25- Are we there ___? 26- Not susceptible 30- Bothered 32- Article of food 33- Civil-rights leader 37- Among 38- Mimicry 39- Neighbor of Cambodia 40- Ribbon worm 42- Code name 43- Give guns again 44- It spreads aromatic smoke 45- Sighs of relief 48- Apr. addressee
49- Move about recklessly 50- Cavity 52- Rejoice 57- Astronaut Shepard 58- Capital of Shaanxi province, China 60- Cringe 61- Actress Garr 62- Signs 63- Milo of “The Verdict” 64- Formerly, formerly 65- Enzyme ending 66- Lays down the lawn Down 1- Composer Khachaturian 2- California’s ___ Valley 3- Bar bills 4- Auricular 5- High headdress 6- Actress Alicia 7- Cozy room 8- Willing 9- Enlighten 10- Recipient 11- Argus-eyed 13- Within reach
14- Air bubble 20- Land in la mer 22- ___ all-time high 24- Severe 26- Lendl of tennis 27- Jester 28- Disfigure 29- Below 30- At right angles to a ships length 31- Claw 33- Copycats 34- Sailors 35- Flexible tube 36- Belgian river 38- Tranquillity 41- Bridle strap 42- Physician 44- Taxi 45- Having wings 46- More healthy 47- Surgery souvenirs 49- They’re fired 51- Single entity 52- Fine 53- A pitcher may take one 54- Horton Hears ___ 55- Ticked (off) 56- Ages 59- Connections
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