August 16, 2012
Volume 35, Issue 1
www.metnews.org
Serving the Auraria Campus since 1979
TheMetropolitan MetNews
Auraria vigil remembers victims of Aurora theater shooting 3
RunnerSports
One-on-one with Olympian Mark Worthington 17
InSight
Football gods can be challenged, why not the NRA? 7
MetroSpective
Shepard leads new art to CVA•10
Shepard Fairey, Creator of the OBEY graphic and clothing brand, paints the mural that now adorns the side of the Center for Visual Arts building Aug 2. Photo by Seth Baca • sbaca22@msudenver.edu
MetNews TheMetropolitan
MSU Denver remembers Ghawi
August 16, 2012
3
Auraria holds vigil for victims Vina Sitthisay wsitthis@msudenver.edu
By Nikki Work nwork@msudenver.edu As the Colorado community attempts to recover from the impact of the Aurora shooting, MSU Denver has been working to cope with the loss of student Jessica Ghawi. On her blog, the 24-year-old aspiring sports broadcaster described herself as “not your typical sarcastic, feisty redhead attempting to perfect the trifecta of class, sass and crass. Yankee born, Texas raised, Colorado blooming.” Since the July 20 shooting, MSU Denver has begun the healing process with plans to honor and remember Ghawi. “Jessica was a bright and lively student who made the class better for everyone with her excellent questions and comments,” said Marilyn Starrett, assistant professor of journalism and public relations. “Her perspective was often a breath of fresh air and her candor bracing. She knew what she wanted to do and how to reach her goals.” MSU Denver now aims to grant Ghawi a posthumous degree in Communications Arts and Sciences to commend her efforts and bring her hard work into fruition. The Communication Arts and Sciences
Clockwise: Jessica Ghawi, an aspiring sports broadcaster, was among the 12 victims in the shooting at the Century 16 Theater in Aurora. • Photo courtesy of Facebook Above: A candle vigil held by the community lights the sidewalk across from the Aurora Town Center. Photo by Heather Newman • hnewman3@msudenver.edu
Department also plans take steps to honor Ghawi’s memory and help in the campus’ healing by creating a memory board. The board will be placed outside the department and will serve as a place where fellow students and faculty members may write thoughts and prayers to Ghawi. The board will then be packaged and sent to Ghawi’s family. “All of us in the department are greatly saddened by the news of the tragic death of our broadcasting and journalism student, aspiring NHL sports reporter, Jessica ‘Redfield’ Ghawi,” according to the CAS Department’s website. “We remember Jessica as an intelligent, funny, tenacious student who aspired to carve a path for herself and other women in the male-dominated field of sports reporting.” The department is also working to organize an event or dedicate a day to women in sports broadcasting. At the time of her
Above: Veronica Leger and Elle Harris, MSU Denver students, embrace and grieve at a vigil held in the Tivoli Commons on the Auraria Campus on July 26. Photo by Brian T. McGinn • bmcginn3@msudenver.edu
Right: Cynthia Kalan, a survivor of the Century 16 Theater shooting holds a friend July 22. Photo by Heather Newman • hnewman3@msudenver.edu
death, Ghawi was a sports intern at Fox 31 Denver. “Jessica was a wonderful woman with so much potential. She knew more about sports than most men,” said Simone VonRivenburgh, senior at MSU Denver. “She had a big, bubbly personality mixed with Southern charisma, and would have been a force in the broadcasting community. Her smile will be sorely missed around the Metro campus.” Though the loss of this promising student has left the MSU Denver community reeling, President Jordan encourages the student body to keep moving forward. “These events are the antithesis of why we are here, we should disagree not through violence, but through academic debate,” Jordan said. “Those (victims) lost would want us to continue to pursue our goals.” Additional reporting by Vina Sitthisay.
A large and somber crowd of people gathered around Tivoli Commons on July 26 to pay their respects and honor the memory of those lost in the July 20 shooting at the Century 16 Theater in Aurora. The vigil, organized for and by Auraria students, was held to honor all of the shooting victims, specifically those that were connected to the campus and the schools within. Photos of Alex Sullivan, a CCD graduate; Jessica Ghawi, a MSU Denver student; and Veronica Moser-Sullivan, a 6-year-old who attended an Auraria daycare were surrounded by candles and words of prayer. The event began with some opening words from MSU Denver President Stephen Jordan, who tried to console the participants. “It is our responsibility to [the victims] and ourselves to continue what we are here to do, which is change peoples lives for the better,” said Jordan, suggesting that while students should move on from the tragedy, they should still remember those who were lost. The president’s speech was followed by a the reading of a poem called “We Remember Them,” read by members of the CCD and MSU Denver student government assembly. Ruth Possehl, Clinical Supervisor of the UCD counseling center, spoke briefly on the impact of the losses that people have endured and the services that were available to students in need of counseling. “This experience is an ocean of grief” said Possehl, who explained that there are islands of respite, which the students form together in support of those affected by the shooting. As a stronger form of support for the students, the offices of counseling for all three schools had booths at the event. Afterward, Gordon Hamby, UCD student body president, played a moving song on the guitar, dedicated to the people lost in the shooting. Many people were moved to tears by the lyrics of the song. The event ended with the releasing of doves alongside bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace.”
The Counseling Center at Auraria offers resources for those impacted by the tragedy in Aurora. The center is located on the sixth floor of the Tivoli and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
4 August 16, 2012 MetNews TheMetropolitan
Mass shootings trigger gun law debates Kelli Heitstuman-Tomko ktomko@msudenver.edu
After this summer’s mass shootings in Aurora and at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin killed a total of 18 people and wounded 63 others, the issue of gun control is at the forefront of public debate. With the election approaching, however, both presidential candidates have stepped away from the firearms discussion, as noted by Baltimore Sun blogger Stanley R. Baker, who is calling for a bipartisan gun control act. According to firearm statistics from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, there has been a 29 percent increase in approved firearm sales from July 2011 to July 2012. There has also been an almost 32 percent increase in concealed carry permits over the same time period. Richard Taylor, manager of The Firing Line, a shooting range and gun shop in Aurora, said that he has seen that increase firsthand. His store has experienced a nearly 30 percent increase in sales. The spike in business, though, didn’t come immediately after the shooting. “It wasn’t until the politicians got involved,” he said. “They started talking about tightening laws, and we got a little busier.” Taylor’s shop also offers classes for inexperienced shooters, those who want to refresh their skills, and those hoping to apply for a concealed carry permit. These permits allow bearers to carry concealed weapons on their persons to
File photo by Brian T. McGinn • bmcginn@msudenver.edu
almost any place in the state, including college campuses. This followed the ruling in March 2012’s Colorado Supreme Court case, Regents of the University of Colorado v. Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. The Colorado Concealed Carry Act states that a permit holder can “carry a concealed handgun in all areas of the state, except as specifically limited.” The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that college campuses are not listed as “specific limitations,” and that college boards do not have the ability or authority to go against the Concealed Carry Act. In an informal poll at Auraria, 150 students were asked what they thought about the state supreme court’s decision that concealed weapons should be allowed on college campuses. Nearly 52 percent of those polled said that they were unhappy with the decision and 35 percent said that they were happy with it. About 13 percent weren’t sure how they felt or said they hadn’t given the decision much thought. More than 87 percent of those polled
admitted that they didn’t know what Colorado’s gun laws were. Despite that lack of knowledge, students on both sides of the gun-control discussion had opinions on the gun laws, as well a few misconceptions. One of these misconceptions is the idea that Colorado has no ban on assault weapons. But according to Taylor, the federal government defines “assault weapons” as “fully automatic weapons.” By federal standards, assault weapons can only be owned by dealers with a Federal Firearms License, a permit that can cost up to $3,000 a year. A stipulation of the license is the facilities to display the collection of guns, which means that anyone without proof of these facilities would be denied a license. Taylor also said that the past ban on fully automatic weapons has driven the price of the weapons up into “the tens of thousands of dollars,” making it an unlikely weapon of choice. Another common belief is that Colorado’s relaxed laws allow anyone to purchase a firearm. While the recent shootings may make this statement seem true, Taylor says that it isn’t as easy as people think to purchase a weapon. Buyers must submit to both a state and federal background check, and nothing on a record is insignificant. “A search can give three results: approved, denied or hold,” Taylor said. “A hold can be for anything from name confusion to an unclear address. A denial can be made for something as insignificant as an unpaid parking ticket.” Taylor admits that some questionable buyers might slip through the cracks, but
that is becoming less and less common. “Holmes was allowed to buy a gun because his record was clean,” he said. Many people also believe that criminals can buy guns at gun shows, but that is not true in this state. Colorado law 12-26.1-101 demands that all vendors conduct a background check before selling a firearm. Gun show vendors are held to the same standard as gun shops. Another common misconception is that Colorado’s Castle Law protects concealed carriers. Colorado has both a Castle Doctrine for protecting the home and a Stand Your Ground law for self-defense. The laws, though, are two-sided. While a concealed weapon carrier is entitled to protect himself, he also has a responsibility to make sure he is acting at the right time. Paul Grossman is a former law enforcement officer and owner of PG Firearms Training. He warns his students during concealed weapons classes that there is a very fine line between self-defense and assault. “That gun should be your last line of defense,” he said. “The object is for both parties to walk away from an altercation. If a jury decides that you had reason not to be afraid for your life, then you become the criminal and your assailant becomes the victim.”
Colorado’s gun laws can be found at http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/colorado.
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TheMetropolitan
• Man on the street
“What do you think of the current gun control laws?”
“Guns can be used for the right purposes like intimidation [by] the cops to keep people safe, but there’s those few who use them wrongly and I think that’s just what’s scaring everybody.”
> Lincoln Jones, MSU Denver junior
> Meggan Greenwald, MSU Denver freshman
“You can order guns on the Internet and that scares me, honestly. So, I think [current gun laws] are a little too lax. I think assault weapons are pretty excessive.”
“The instant you start limiting [guns] people are still going to maintain them, they’re just going to do it in an illegal fashion.” > Christopher Fisher, MSU Denver senior
> Kamilah Jones, MSU Denver junior
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August 16, 2012
Hotel and Hospitality Center opens for business, classes
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artwork done by MSU Denver students, faculty and alumni. In an effort to teach students how to get by after graduation, some hospitality majors Spring Hill Suites Marriot, part of MSU are set with the daunting task of making the Denver’s Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center, officially opened its doors with a rib- hotel’s budget and ensuring that the company makes a profit. bon cutting ceremony These profits all go Aug. 8. back to the school. The 150-room “Denver is truly on hotel is fi lled with sleek the rise,” Jordan said. new furniture and is “This is a great day to be partially employed and a Roadrunner.” run by MSU Denver Some students in the students. The hotel is hospitality major are exowned and operated by cited about opportunities Sage Hospitality out of the new hotel brings. Denver. “It’s amazing to have “We’re going to a hotel that you can work bring the classroom with and is integrated,” into the hotel and the Krystal Groce a MSU hotel into the classDenver student said. room,” said Walter IsJordan expressed enberg, chief executive hopes that the hotel will officer of Sage Hospihelp grow the already tality. rising enrollment for the The facility is one Janice Sinden and Walter Isenberg slice hospitality major at MSU of 10 teaching hotels in the ribbon for Metro States new Hotel and the United States located Hospitality Learning Center. Photo by Ryan Denver. “I think the hotel will on a college campus, make more students want to come here,” MSU Denver President Stephen Jordan said said MSU Denver student and events major, at the ribbon cutting. Alexandria Giles. It features a 3,000-square-foot ballroom, After the ribbon cutting, all guests were a Red Robin restaurant and a mixology lab. invited in the hotel for lunch and to tour the The rooms and hallways are plastered with hotel.
Caitlin Sievers csiever6@msudenver.edu
“I think there needs to be better background checks and more restrictions on assault weapons. As far as pistols and maybe one shotgun, a hunting rifle — it’s your right.”
MetNews
6 August 16, 2012 MetNews TheMetropolitan
Obama talks women’s health at Auraria
Nikki Work nwork@msudenver.edu
President Barack Obama came to Auraria Aug. 8 to speak about women’s health issues and his plans for the economy. His speech at the Auraria Event Center was the first stop of four in his two-day stay in Colorado. “It is hard to grasp how much [Obama] has done for Colorado and our country,” said Sen. Michael Bennett, who was met by cheers from the crowd of 4,000 supporters. Both Bennett and State Sen. Morgan Carroll spoke at the event, followed by Annie Burky, summer organizer of Obama for America Colorado. The president was introduced by women’s rights advocate Sandra Fluke. “This is a choice that will affect every woman in America, and that is why it’s so personal for each of us. For me, it’s been intensely personal,” said Fluke, who made news in February when radio personality Rush Limbaugh called her a “slut” after she addressed members of the House of Representatives regarding contraceptives. As Obama took the stage, the crowd erupted into cheers of “four more years.” “If we win Colorado, we will get four more years,” Obama said over the applause. Obama addressed his campaign focus on healthcare, especially women’s preventative care, and how his new healthcare plan has already changed the way women receive treatment.
“The decisions that affect a woman’s health — they’re not up to politicians, they’re not up to insurance companies, they’re up to you,” Obama said. “We’re not going back to the days when women were charged more than men for healthcare.” The president also addressed the importance of voting in the upcoming election, and said that the decision between candidates is the decision between two very different ideas of economic and social progress. “We are not going backwards, Denver, we are moving forward,” Obama said. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was in Colorado on Aug. 3, with stops at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Basalt High School, and an exclusive fundraiser in Aspen. This was Romney’s first visit to Colorado in six months. Obama’s appearance on campus marks the 10th time the president has been to Colorado since he took office and the fift h time this year. He also appeared on campus to promote his student loan plan last October.
Correction In the July 19 issue, on P.4, “Upward Bound faces downward funding,” The Metropolitan misspelled Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s name. President Obama released student loan reform to a full crowd on the Auraria Campus Oct. 26. Photo by Brian T. McGinn • bmcginn3@mscd.edu
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TheMetropolitan
InSight
If football gods can be challenged, why not the gun lobby?
At a time of 24/7 news cycles, along with communication toys that tend to promote the attention span of a gnat, the images are already beginning to fade. Flags at half-staff. Families torn apart. Twelve dead; including a six-year-old girl. Fift y-eight wounded and a nation again shocked – this time by the July 20th Aurora theater shootings and carnage. Ceremonies of grief. Deja-vu yet again. We’ve seen this bad movie too many times. Columbine… Virginia Tech… Platte Canyon High School… the New Life Church in Colorado Springs… Northern Illinois University… Fort Hood… Tucson and, now, Aurora. But since James Eagan Holmes “allegedly” opened fire in Aurora, other news has seized Page One of the mind . Olympic gold, Michael Phelps’ grit, Missy Franklin’s sunshine and Usain Bolt’s ego. Six Sikhs shot dead by a white supremacist at a Wisconsin Sikh temple, where the shooter killed himself. And, in Denver, the Peyton Manning Show – now showing at a pre-season theater near you. More on football gods later. When all the speeches are done this time, all the hand-wringing over and all the comments on “senseless tragedy” have been mouthed by all the talking heads, what will have changed ? If past is prologue, not a goddamn thing. This time, the discussion on gun control is scantier than ever. Now, you can’t even suggest strengthening gun laws for fear of the National Rifle Association marking you
had guns, runs that reasoning, they would have fired back at Holmes – who was wearing head-to-toe armor – and prevented the tragedy. Picture it. Scores of movie-goers packing concealed guns. Then firing at Holmes and, in a gas-fi lled theater, shooting at each other’s gun-flashes. I feel safer already. In the wake of the recent Penn State scandal that revealed years of sexual abuse of young boys covered up by the athletic department – handmaiden to the all-powerful football program – sanctified football coach Joe Paterno was forced to resign and former assistant coach and pedophile-in-chief Jerry Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of child abuse in June. Sandusky faces more years of jail time than he has left in life. Paterno, a football god with the most wins in major college football history, was disgraced and died shortly before his statue was quietly removed from its perch in front of the Nittany Lions’ Beaver Stadium. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) fined Penn State $60 million, banned it from post-season bowl play for four years and reduced its number of football scholarships. Paterno’s wins since 1998 were also nullified. Since the NCAA ranks right up there with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the hypocrisy scale, the sanctions surprised some observers. Others argued that the penalties didn’t go far enough – as in a “death penalty” banning football altogether for a year. That, said critics, would have dire recruiting and TV-money consequences and sent a warning to other institutions where the football gods have become too big to fail. It may not be much of stretch to suggest that fan bases for big-time football and for lax gun laws sometimes overlap and share the same tent. If one can be challenged, why not the other? But don’t expect any action on guns before the November election. Or, sadly, anytime soon after. Comic strip created by Jorge Perez-Garcia • jperezga@msudenver.edu
J. SEBASTIAN SINISI sinisi2@msn.com
a Liberal Left Socialist who wants to see Big Government take everyone’s guns away – an NRA tag-line often echoed by the Far Right fire-eaters. For candidates seeking office, or incumbents trying to keep them, it’s ticklish. Like the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s, the NRA’s reach can make and break candidates. When it sneezes, politicians catch pneumonia. Which may explain the tepid response by both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama to the Aurora shootings. Both issued perfunctory condolences and little more. Such is the NRA’s hold on the diluted discussion that, today, even a peep of protest or a call for tighter controls to make it tougher for a psychopath like Holmes to have three automatic weapons and 6,000 rounds of ammo, all bought LEGALLY, makes you an enemy of the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment as seen by the NRA. Despite decades of debate, what the Constitution’s framers meant by “a well-regulated militia” and “the right to bear arms” is still unclear. But we do know that “arms” for the Constitution framers were singleshot flintlock rifles that took time to reload, and not today’s lighting-fire automatic weapons that belong in no hands other than police or military. In the Aurora theater, one of the three weapons Holmes used was an AR-15 automatic rifle with a clip holding 100 rounds. Only because it jammed were more deaths likely prevented. A federal assault weapons ban, outlawing the sale of AR-15s, expired in 2004 due to NRA opposition and Congressional spinlessness. Which again begs the obvious question: what civilian needs 100-round clips of ammo and why are they still so easily available? The NRA argument is that if more people had guns – there are already more than 250 million guns in private American hands, according to the FBI – we’d all be safer. If movie-goers in the Aurora audience
August 16, 2012
MetStaff Editor-in-Chief Brian T. McGinn: bmcginn3@msudenver.edu Managing Editor Ian Gassman: igassman@msudenver.edu News Editor Nikki Work: nwirk@msudenver.edu Assistant News Editor Maalikah Hartley: mhartle8@msudenver.edu MetroSpective Editor Caitlin Seivers: csiever2@msudenver.edu Assistant MetroSpective Editor Kayla Whitney: kwhitne2@msudenver.edu Sports Editor Angelita Foster: amayer1@msudenver.edu Assistant Sports Editor Zilingo Nwuke: znuke@msudenver.edu Copy Editors J. Sebastian Sinisi Megan Mitchell
Kate Rigot
Photo Editor Ryan Borthick: rborthick@msudenver.edu Assistant Photo Editor Chris Morgan: cmorga37@msudenver.edu Mike Fabricius: mfabrici@msudenver.edu Web Editor Steve Anderson: sande104@msudenver.edu Multimedia Editor Derek Broussard: dbrouss@msudenver.edu Adviser Gary Massaro: gmassaro@msudenver.edu Webmaster Drew Jaynes: ajaynes1@msudenver.edu Director of Student Media Steve Haigh: shaigh@msudenver.edu Assistant Director of Student Media Marlena Hartz: mhartz@msudenver.edu Administrative Assistant of Student Media Elizabeth Norberg: enorbert@msudenver.edu Production Manager of Student Media Kathleen Jewby: kjewby@ msudenver.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.
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TheMetropolitan
MetroSpective August 16, 2012
MetroSpective
9
Fantasy comes alive for former student
Michael Varhola publishes first book in new fiction series Varhola’s other works • Six history books including “Everyday Life During the Civil War” • Seven gaming books including “Tests of Skill” • One non-fiction book called “Real Fantasy: A Writer’s Guide to Building Fantastic and Supernatural Worlds” • Founded and published three publications including “The Veteran,” a non profit news publication for student veterans • Has launched three websites including “Living History Online”
Kailyn Lamb klamb6@msudenver.edu Michael Varhola, a published author and former MSU Denver student, thinks that not everyone is cut out to be a writer, but if the passion is there one should follow it. Born in Erie, Pa., Varhola’s military family moved to Greece shortly after his birth. Moving around a lot gave Varhola a taste for travel. After finishing high school at Carson Long Military Institute in New Bloomfield, Pa., Varhola realized that he did not enjoy being in a classroom. He lived in Denver for a year working in the oil industry and then joined the Army. Varhola stayed in the service for eight years, two of which were spent in the former West Germany. When he returned to the states, he decided it was time to give college a try. At a friend’s recommendation, he started classes at MSU Denver. Although he only attended from 1987 to 1988, Varhola had good things to say about his time at MSU Denver. “I remember it as a positive experience, and I remember it as an experience that encouraged me to stay in college and end up getting a degree,” Varhola said. Varhola credits most of this encouragement to a professor in the English department named Larry Langton, saying that the nurturing environment of Langton’s classroom is a large part of the reason he decided to stay in college. Realizing that he could use his GI money
Former MSU Denver student Michael Varhola came out with the first book in a new fantasy fiction series. Photo courtesy of Michael Varhola
anywhere, Varhola transferred to the American University at Paris for three semesters as a European cultural studies major. “That meant that I got to take my art classes in the Louvre once in a while,” Varhola said. “That meant that I got to study the literature that was written at the bars that we were going to; just a really a cool immersive experience. Different from Denver, academically not better, but certainly different.” It was in Paris that Varhola says he was bitten by the writing bug. When he returned
to the states, he graduated in 1993 from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He has since authored and coauthored non-fiction, gaming, and travel books. Still the traveler, he frequently posts in his own travel blog. Varhola is now the writer of a new book called “Swords of Kos: Necropolis,” the first in his new fantasy fiction series. The series will be different because instead of having interwoven or chronological sagas, the characters of each book have their own independent stories, but they all live in the same world. Varhola considers the genre to be swords and sorcery, and says that unlike high fantasy stories where the characters are off to save the world, these characters are much more approachable because they’re just trying to pay the rent. Writing in all these different types of genres is not drastically different according to Varhola. A writer just needs to use their own writing tool box. For example, his characters are based on his own experiences as a soldier, a traveler and a writer. The scenes Varhola describes are often based on places from his home in Texas or in Europe. Varhola encourages those with writing talent to stop procrastinating and to pursue their dreams. “People who are inclined to be writers really just need to follow their passion and not make excuses for why they’re not doing it,” Varhola said.
Steam Greenlight makes independent game development a breeze Brent Zeimen bzeimen@msudenver.edu In the past, independent video game developers only had a few options for releasing their games. They could set up their own website and pay for their own advertising, or they could submit it to Microsoft or Sony and hope that it would get released in online stores for their consoles. Either way, it was hard for a game to get noticed without a big publisher, meaning the game would no longer be independent and the developers would have to answer to suits, trying to make as much money from the project as possible. Valve Soft ware, the driving force behind Steam, a PC and Mac-friendly gaming client and store, is trying to change all of that with the recently announced Steam Greenlight. Greenlight allows developers of independent games to release screenshots, trailers, and even demos of their developing games for the entire Steam community. If the game gets enough positive reviews in Greenlight, Valve will release it in the Steam store when
it is complete. “We hardly make anything anymore. Not that we’re lazy, There are people who are far better at working out what the engineer should have, what the demo-man should have,” said Jason Holtman, Valve’s director of business and management at the Develop game conference in Brighton, UK. Steam Workshop, where players can access content created by users, was the solution to Valve’s desire to involve the community and to continue to release content for Team Fortress 2, a free first-person shooter game. Valve has had a similar problem with Steam for some time. “We had a problem of how do we fi lter the large number of new indie games out there and put the best ones on Steam,” Holtman said. Valve aims to answer this question with Greenlight starting at the end of August. The system works much like the Steam Workshop does for Team Fortress 2. Users submit item ideas for the game, going as far as to create the assets that the game would use
for such items. Gamers then gets to vote on which items should make it into the game, and Valve adds the most popular items to future updates for Team Fortress 2. With Greenlight, developers for new independent games can submit trailers, screenshots, and other promotional material for a game. Other users will have the opportunity to view these materials and decide whether or not they’d like to buy or play such a game. If the project gets enough good feedback from users, it will release on Steam when finished. The requirements for a game to make its debut on Greenlight are at least one video, at least four screenshots, a square image to be used in lists, and a written description of the project including tentative recommended system specifications required to play the game. Developers can go over these initial guidelines and release early builds of the game, or a demo as well as continue to update the game’s entry in Greenlight as development progresses.
Gaming gets steamy with Greenlight.
Photo courtesy of steamcommunity.com The system is a good way for developers to gauge reactions to their games and have conversations with the community to get feedback while a game is still in development, which is something many developers don’t get because marketing an unreleased game is difficult.
10 August 16, 2012 MetroSpective TheMetropolitan
Fairey’s political mural lights up CVA wall Kailyn Lamb klamb6@msudenver.edu Well known street artist Shepard Fairey made his mark at MSU Denver’s own Center for Visual Art building on 965 Santa Fe by painting a politically charged mural Aug. 5. “Thematically, [the mural] was inspired by Occupy and our over consumption and reliance on fossil fuels,” Fairey said of the 14-by-30-foot mural near the entrance of the CVA. “It’s also formed by this — what I think is, the ‘empire mentality’: That we can exploit the resources of a lot of other places around the world because we have a financial and technical advantage,” Fairey said. The process that Fairey goes through to create a work of this scale is to first digitally create the composition of the image. Then, once he knows the size of the surface, he makes stencils with adhesive on the back. Fairey and his assistants then stick the stencils to the wall and paint over them, only to peel the stencils off and do touch up work. The colors in this piece (black, red, and cream) are the values that Fairey uses in most of his work. According to Fairey, he likes this palate because it was used in various propaganda posters. Fairey says the reason he likes to paint large, outdoor murals as a street artist is because he feels like the energy that goes into the piece transfers to the viewer and subsequently creates a “dialogue” amongst spectators. Fairey’s work did not always have a political angle. Born in 1970 in Charleston, S.C., his start in art came from drawing in kindergarten. He later went to the Idyllwild Arts Academy and graduated in 1992 from the Rhode Island School of Design with a bachelor degree in fine arts. “When I got into skateboarding and punk rock I really got into making stencils and home-made T-shirts and that eventually lead to screen printing,” Fairey said. “It really was one of those things that pushed my style in the direction that people know me for.” Some of Fairey’s first works revolved around posting up “Andre the Giant Has
a Posse” stickers while attending school in Rhode Island. According to Fairey, the reactions to the stickers were like a Rorschach test — everyone seemed to think something different about them, like reflections of their own personalities. After that, Fairey began to think about the control of public space and how people don’t really question what is there. In 1995 he gave the stickers a more “overtly political” message by adding the slogan, “Obey.” Aside from the “Obey” campaign, Fairey is known for doing the Obama “Hope” posters for the 2008 election. Today, Fairey has a lot of advice for aspiring artists about how to follow their dreams. “Any artist should make the art that they’re passionate about without worrying about what’s going on in art world trends or what anyone else says, but it’s also important to develop the skill set to be able to translate your vision the way you want it to translate.”
Shepard Fairey prefers to paint large, outdoor murals because they inspire necessary dialogue.
Photos by Seth Baca • sbaca22@msudenver.edu
Above: Shepard Fairey’s mural contains social commentary on the U. S.’s materialistic society. Below: Fairey works on his political mural on the wall of the CVA. Fairey mainly uses black, red, and cream in his paintings because they reflect various propaganda posters.
Photos by Seth Baca • sbaca22@msudenver.edu
TheMetropolitan
MetroSpective
August 16, 2012
11
Ways to save dough living the college life
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
Free Stuff
Kayla Whitney kwhitne2@msudenver.edu
We don’t need any more politicians, college presidents or financial gurus informing us that our wallets and bank accounts are suffering in this economy. As college students, we understand. Prices are rising, interest rates are climbing, and the odds of winning the lottery are still as dismal as they’ve always been. But all hope is not lost. Although it’s nearly impossible to avoid spending money altogether, there are many things you can do to save the greenbacks.
Books
Craigslist:
Under the ‘For Sale’ tab on the Craigslist website is a beautiful category: free. Here you can find a vast arrangement of all sorts of junk people have and no longer want. From furniture to electronics, food or building materials, there is plenty of stuff and possibly, something you need.
Parks:
This may seem like an out-of-place money saver, but with all the craziness that comes with being in college, everyone needs some down time. Parks are a fun, free way to unwind and take a load off. You can toss a Frisbee, play some football or build a sand castle in the sand box. OK, maybe some of us are a little old for sand castles, but you could even find a nice tree with some shade to relax and study under.
Coupons:
Anyone who is a full-time student most likely doesn’t have the time to clip coupons like the people on TLCs “Extreme Couponing,” but coupons are a great way to save a little dough. It may not seem like a lot at the time, but clipping out a coupon from the local paper that saves you $1 on your next grocery trip keeps one more dollar in your pocket. Coupons are free and easy to get online through stores and websites like Groupon.
Rent:
Many stores, websites and even our own Auraria bookstore offer the option to rent your textbooks. This could help out a lot, especially if in the first week of class your professor hands out the semester calendar and you notice you’re only using the required text for one month. Not all the books at the Auraria bookstore are available for rent, but those that are rentable are MSU Denver freshman Genesis Nuñez saved money by renting her textbooks at one of the kiosks in the campus bookstore. specially marked. Photo by Melanie Rice • mrice20@msudenver.edu
Share:
If you’re taking a class with a friend, sharing books is a great way to cut the cost of textbooks. This way of saving may be difficult. For instance, using the book for in-class assignments could pose a few problems. And, figuring out a feasible schedule for who will have the book and when may be difficult. But if you can make it work, you will save some green.
Compare:
The library:
If you thought books and Wi-fi were the only perks of a public library, you’re wrong. Sure you can borrow all the literature you like, but most libraries also have tons of DVDs and movies (including recent releases) that you can borrow instead of buying a copy or renting it from RedBox. Libraries also offer magazines and music and are great places for individual studying or a group study session.
Comparing the prices of books online may take some time, but in the end you’re likely to save a pretty penny. Websites such as Chegg (chegg.com), Amazon (amazon.com), and eBay’s Half.com (half.ebay.com) will compare prices for you. Buying books from the same seller will also reduce the price of shipping in most cases, and you can use the same website to try and sell your books at the end of the semester.
General Tips
Pack your lunch:
Although Auraria and Tivoli offer many places to grab a bite to eat, eating out every day can add up by the end of the week and especially by the end of the month. Packing a lunch is a much cheaper (and healthier) alternative. Taking the leftovers from dinner the night before or throwing a ton of snacks in bag will give you lunch minus the fast food prices and calories.
Public transportation:
For a required fee students get an RTD pass each semester. This allows us to ride the buses and light rails around the town. It’s a good idea to utilize this pass to get to campus because it it saves you from paying for parking, gas, and other expenses. It’s also great to use for other activities like going to work, visiting the bars, or just getting around town. Also consider riding a bike.
Thrift Stores:
Savanna Hanson a junior MSU Denver student gets her new student ID and RTD Pass. Photo by Melanie Rice • mrice20@msudenver.edu
Thrift stores have a bit of everything. Although the stuff has already been owned, it’s still usable and has a price tag far less than what you’d find at Hollister or Ikea. You can buy new outfits, grab yourself a backpack, pick up some books— all for super cheap.
Free Apps For students with iPads and tablets, here are some money saving apps.
Pulse:
Pulse is a great app to have in order to stay up to date with current events and news. With this app you’re able to organize your news into categories of your choosing and pick which media outlets you want streaming on your news reader.
Pandora:
While using all your other free apps, Pandora will allow you to pop in your headphones and enjoy some good tunes while you study.
iStudiez Pro:
This app is fantastic for organizing class schedules, assignments, tests and so forth. You can view a detailed schedule of your day, receive reminders and alarms for classes and homework and manage the contact information for all your professors.
TheMetropolitan
MetroSpective
August 16, 2012
Blockbuster hits that started on bookshelves Kayla Whitney kwhitne2@msudenver.edu
The Dark Knight Rises
There is not one particular Batman comic that was used as the base for the third movie in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. Bane, the super villain in “The Dark Knight Rises”, is introduced in the 1993 19-part story line “Knightfall.” Inspiration was also taken from the 1986 run “The Dark Knight Return.” A great deal of the story line was inspired by the 1999 series “No Man’s Land” where Gotham City is cut off from the outside world and villains are left to run the city.
THE COMICS: Whether they’re the comics that inspired the movies or not, one thing is certain, Batman comics rule. With some of the cooler villains in the DC Universe (Joker, Bane, Ra’s al Ghul, Catwoman, the list goes on) Batman is always up to something awesome in Gotham City and beyond. Batman has also been blessed with amazing writers like Frank Miller and Dennis O’ Neil and has been painted (almost literally) in many different lights by so many artists. No matter the writer or the artist Batman will always remain an iconic hero. THE MOVIE: “The Dark Knight Rises” was nothing short of amazing. Nolan’s entire trilogy has surpassed expectations and given a very dark, yet artistic angle to Batman, thanks in part to Nolan’s genius directing and his brother Jonathan Nolan’s amazing screenplays. Christian Bale continues to capture the essence of Bruce Wayne, while newcomers Anne Hathaway (Selina Kyle), Tom Hardy (Bane), and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (John Blake) impress.
The Hunger Games THE BOOK: “The Hunger Games” is the first book in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins. The first book takes place in a nation called Panem. The nation of 12 districts is controlled by the Capitol and its president, Coriolanus Snow. The book is narrated by Katniss Everdeen who lives in the poor and hungry District 12 (the mining district). The book begins with Katniss and her friend Gale Hawthorne mocking the Hunger Games, which is an annual, televised game the Capitol hosts where one boy and one girl, ages 12 to 18, are selected to compete to the death with only one survivor. It is when Katniss’s sister Primrose’s name is drawn that Katniss offers herself in her sister’s place. Peeta Mellark is selected as the boy. The two are taken away from their home and as the book continues, Katniss and Peeta are introduced to the luxurious Capitol where people are obsessed with the demented games. Peeta confesses his love for Katniss during a TV interview and the Capitol begins to fall in love with the star-crossed couple from the hopeless district. The two begin their training and are continually showboated around the Capitol until they are forced into the arena to kill or be killed. Then the true craziness begins. Collins does a fantastic job of capturing the imagery and emotion of the world she has created. THE MOVIE: The movie follows the book almost completely. With only small changes,
hardcore fans of the book are not disappointed. Katniss Everdeen is perfectly portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence and her fellow tribute, Peeta, is depicted equally as well by Josh Hutcherson. The only big different between the book and film is the incorporation of the Capitol’s running of the game. Because the book is narrated by Katniss, the book doesn’t show how the Capitol controls and operates the games except for what Katniss knows and shares. But director and writer Gary Ross threw in scenes of the operations of the games, President Snow and the true intentions of the Capitol, to add to the story.
13
The Bourne Legacy
THE BOOK: “The Bourne Legacy” is the forth book in the Bourne series. The first three, “The Bourne Identity”, “The Bourne Supremacy” and “The Bourne Ultimatum” where written by Robert Ludlum before his death in 2001. After demands from fans Ludlum’s family allowed Eric Van Lustbader to continue the story. In “The Bourne Legacy” Jason Bourne returns to his other persona, David Webb, until he is attacked and forced back into the role of Bourne. Stepan Spalko hires an assassin by the name of Khan, who later in the book is revealed to be Joshua, Webb’s son who was thought to be dead. The book continues with Bourne’s mixed emotions on what to believe and who to kill. THE MOVIE: The movie can’t even be compared to the book. They’re two totally different stories. Instead of Jason Bourne (played by Matt Damon in the previous three films) the audience is introduced to Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), who is a member in a government black ops program known as Operation Outcome. The operation is put at risk when Jason Bourne decides to expose the Treadstone Project which puts the people in charge of the project under investigation. From there, Eric Byer (Edward Norton) is hired to take control of the situation and decides to eliminate the Outcome assets. Cross, who is thought to have been terminated, teams up with Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) to outrun the people trying to kill them. The film fits in with the other Bourne movies and includes explosions, chases and military conspiracies.
The Amazing Spider-Man Like “The Dark Knight Rises,” there is not one particular comic that led to this movie. “The Amazing Spider-Man” comics have been around since 1963 and since then, Spider-Man has had many different faces and stories. The super-villain in the newest movie, the Lizard, first appears in Issue Six of “The Amazing Spider-Man” in 1963. Peter Parker’s love interest in the movies is Gwen Stacy, who is noted as being Parker’s first true love (before Mary Jane) and initially appears in the comics in Issue 31 in 1965.
THE COMICS: The Lizard is an interesting and intense super-villain in the Marvel Comics Universe. Curtis “Curt” Connors is a simple surgeon who has his right arm blown off when he’s in the U.S. Army. From there, Connors becomes obsessed with limb regeneration similar to reptiles and develops a serum that he uses on himself. The serum succeeds in growing his arm back, but also transforms Connors into a reptilian monster known as the Lizard. When he transforms back into his human body, Connors does not have the superhuman strength and powers he has as the Lizard. THE MOVIE: The movie, unrelated to the previous three films starring Tobey Maguire, starts over the story of Peter Parker (now played by Andrew Garfield). When he is in high school, Parker finds some old notes from his father, who was involved with Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) who is currently working at Oscorp. When visiting Oscorp to give his father’s notes to Connors, a genetically modified spider bites Parker. He then becomes the infamous Spider-Man. One-armed Connors then works on finishing his limb regeneration serum while Parker begins to realize his spider-like abilities. Meanwhile, Connors transforms into the Lizard. The movie is a little darker and more accurate to the comics than the previous films. Overall, it is a fantastic film about the legendary Marvel superhero.
Broken Lizard comedy troupe delivers laughs with new movie Michael Ingersoll mingers2@msudenver.edu
Broken Lizard comedians, Steve Lemme (left) and Kevin Heffernan.
Photo by Melanie Rice • mrice20@ mudenver.edu
On the web Check out Michael Ingersoll’s interview with Kevin Heferrnen and Steve Lemme at KMetradio.org.
After being on a production hiatus for a few years, the guys from the Broken Lizard comedy group are at it again with their newest feature “The Babymakers.” You may remember the crew of Broken Lizard from such hilarious movies as “Super Troopers” and “Beerfest” and maybe a couple not-sohilarious films like “The Slammin’ Salmon” and “Club Dredd.” However, if you are a fan of raunchy, in-your-face, borderline controversial humor, then every movie Broken Lizard produces is a good time and “The Babymakers” is just as entertaining. In “The Babymakers,” writer/director Jay Chandrasekhar (Officer Ramathorn from “Super Troopers”) takes on the theme of infertility, a serious situation that many mar-
ried couples experience, and makes light of it. The movie shows both sides of a couple’s failing attempts to conceive a baby. But, the troubled couple consoles and massages each other’s egos when they are together, it is a different story when they are apart. While hanging out with their best friends, they both point the blame at the other’s inability to produce a child. It turns out that the problem stems from the husband’s low sperm count, but he argues and refuses to acknowledge the blow to his “manhood.” Not to fear, years previously he had secretly donated sperm to a bank in order to buy his wife her engagement ring. Knowing that the sperm bank would not have paid him good money for bunk juice, he hatches a plan to rob the facility that houses his last remaining sample of swimmers. Let the fun begin.
As Kevin Heffernan (Rod Farva of “Super Troopers”) described, “The Babymakers” is the “Ocean’s 11” of sperm banks. Every scene in this movie has you patiently awaiting some ridiculous but extremely realistic outcome that will have you laughing your hockey pucks off and saying to yourself, “Wow, I have been there.” Just like every Broken Lizard film, “The Babymakers” has a creative story line and is funny the whole way through. The movie also comes through by using the same hilarious characters from previous movies for quick cameos. We all love being the first to recognize a character and announcing to our friends what person he played in another movie. All in all, “The Babymakers” wasn’t a letdown and will keep fans of Broken Lizard’s unconventional humor laughing.
TheMetropolitan
August 16, 2012
MetSports
15
Hard work, passion fuels Metro club sports
Metro club baseball finished 12-6, ranking second in the Natoinal Club Baseball Association league Photo courtesy of Steele Sutton
Angelita Foster amayer1@msudenver.edu Instead of scholarships, a regularly paid coaching staff, and money to travel to games, Metro club sports success is fueled by the athletes’ sweat equity. It’s college sports without the fanfare and privilege that is commonly bestowed upon varsity sports. And that’s the way club athletes like it. These club sports are not intramural sports, which is a common misconception. Instead they are organized, skilled teams that usually belong to regional conferences with championship level games. Although club sports are overseen by the Director of Club Sports, and the Sports Club Advisory Board provides direction for club
athletes, all of the 16 Metro clubs are student initiated. Students make up the voting body with a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Metro club baseball president and MSU Denver senior Ryan Garbarino knows how hard it is to start a club and stay on top of the daily operations. “It took a few years to finally get the club started, and it is tough at times to run things but it really is worth it,” Garbarino said. “The biggest issue usually has to do with funding.” Garbarino and his team received $2,000 from the MSU Denver athletic department budget in 2012. The rest of the nearly $13,000 budget was subsidized through private sponsors and player dues.
“We are going to be pushing harder this season to get more sponsors so we can reduce the player dues,” Garbarino said. “We want to do everything we can to pay for uniforms and equipment and travel so the players don’t have to do it.” The athletes agree paying less to participate would be great, but everyone involved is there because they just want to play. “Even though we have player fees, I think the biggest draw is that you don’t have to give up your sport,” MSU Denver rightfielder Logan Bucker said. “You still get to play at a competitive level, go to school and work with less impact on your personal life compared to playing varsity sports.” Roadrunners club baseball ended its 2012 spring season with a 12-6 record, finishing second in the National Club Baseball Association league. Alan Van Brunt, president and team captain of the newly formed Roadrunners club football team knows first-hand how hard club sports can be to get established and to gain recognition in a new league. “It took me a few years to actually get this team established, but it’s all been worth it,” Van Brunt said. “I think we came together well and had a good season in a tough league, and we are really happy with our season.” The Roadrunner football team ended its season 3-4 in the American Professional Football League 2, which is a spinoff of the APFL of which many teams have semi-professional players on the roster. “We were really happy to be accepted into the APFL2 because it is made up of a lot
of good players and that will challenge us,” Van Brunt said. “Our final goal is to make this team a Division II in the RMAC, and playing in this league will prepare us for that.” It may be hard for some to understand playing on a team that doesn’t provide scholarships, uniforms, or recognition from their school, but Garbarino summed it up for himself. “None of us are in it for fame. Most of us love what we are doing and the opportunity to keep playing a sport you love at a competitive level makes any sacrifice worth it,” he said.
Club Sports Baseball Capoeira Cheer & Dance Cycling Football Hip-Hop Dance Ice Hockey Inline Hockey Lacrosse Ski & Ride Soccer Squash Swimming and Diving Taekwondo Men’s Volleyball Ultimate Frisbee
For more information about club sports go to www.msudenver.edu/campusrec/ programs/clubsports
Metro sports power to the second division Nick Ohlig nohlig@msudenver.edu We are the Roadrunners. We are a commuter school that does not have livecoverage of our sports events, and we do not fi ll capacity crowds. What we do have are athletes and coaches who have succeeded beyond Division II competition. Former Roadrunners David Barlow and Mark Worthington represented Australia in the London Olympics. Worthington attended Metro 2001-2005 and was part of the 2002 national championship team. Although Barlow played one season for Metro in 2002-03. That short stint helped him succeed in Australia. In 2004 he made his debut
with the Sydney Kings in Australia. However he saw limited action. In 2007 Barlow signed with Tigers and lead them to a championship. He also scored 37 points while going 14-14 from the field and 8-8 from the 3point line during a game vs. New Zealand. In 2006 he was selected to join the Australian National Team and the 2008 Olympic squad. Later in 2008 Basketball Victoria named Barlow the Alan Hughes Medal for Male Player of the Year who made the greatest contribution to basketball at the state, national and international levels. He is currently playing for a professional team in Spain. As the Olympics come to an end, Colorado’s Missy Franklin is capturing the hearts of fans. Franklin has won four gold medals and a bronze. But what a lot of people might not know is her success is linked to Metro. Franklin’s swim coach is Todd Schmitz, the CEO of the Colorado Stars swimming club. He is also an assistant coach for the 2012 U.S. Olympic swimming team. Besides helping Franklin, Schmitz was a swimmer for the
now-defunct Metro swim team 1998-2001. From 2007-10 Steven Emory dominated men’s soccer for the Roadrunners. He scored 38 goals and registered 23 assists while leading Metro to four winning seasons and two NCAA tournament appearances. After his college career ended he became the first Metro State student-athlete to sign a contract with a professional team in any sport. Before Emory, Metro had 17 baseball players go on to play in the minor leagues, but not reach the pros. Similarly, Metro has had 25 men’s basketball players play in professional leagues in the U.S. or overseas, but not in the NBA. Emory made his professional debut on March 30, 2011 as a member of the Colorado Rapids. A year later he was cut from the Rapids and is currently playing for a professional team in Finland. On the women’s side, Becca Mays, a four-year player at Metro from 2006-09 was a three time All-American. She is currently playing for the New England Mutiny of the Women’s Premier Soccer League.
By having a winning percentage of .106 the Charlotte Bobcats was the worst team in NBA history. So their owner, Michael Jordan decided to hire St. Johns assistant/ intern coach Mike Dunlap. From 1997- 2006 Dunlap was the head coach of Metro State’s basketball team. While a Roadrunner he had a record of 248-50 and lead Metro to nine NCAA tournament appearances during the nine years he coached here. Dunlap was also an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets from 2006-08. University of Colorado, Colorado State Unversity, University of Northern Colorado and the Air Force Academy; all of these schools are more famous than Metro. However, we have made a name for ourselves with the athletes and coaches who are making an impact on the sports world. When we play, there are no crowds over 55,000. No national television. Just Metropolitan State University of Denver.
16 August 16, 2012 MetSports TheMetropolitan
Two-time Olympian Proving his ‘Worth’
Exclusive one-on-one with Mark Worthing from London
Angelita Foster amayer1@msudenver.edu
From Metro’s red and blue to Boomer’s green and gold, alum Mark Worthington donned Australia’s colors and took to the basketball court in his second Olympic appearance. Worthington celebrated his 29th birthday during the London 2012 games, but he didn’t get his wish for a medal when Team USA blew out Worthington’s candles, wrapping up a 119-86 loss. Worthington shared his thoughts on his experiences as a Roadrunner, a pro basketball player overseas, and as an Olympian. AF: Why did you decide to attend college at Metro? MW: I feel like it was a real opportunity given to me. I wasn’t good enough to attend the Australian Institute of Sports for basketball and coach Dunlap contacted me and asked if I had any interest in going to college. I had never thought about it and looking back now it was probably one of the best decisions I made in my life. AF: Tell me about your first season at Metro
Metro Alum and Australian Olympic basketball player Mark Worthington congratulates LeBron James after the quarterfinal game when Team USA defeated the Boomers 119-86.
Photo courtesy of Reuters. and being a part of the team winning its second consecutive NCAA Division II championship. MW: As a freshman I was sort of overwhelmed with everything going on. I had no idea what it took to get to the top and win a national championship. I think maybe as a freshman I took it for granted, but looking
back now I understand what it takes to win a national championship. I would have to say that I was very fortunate and very blessed to play with such a fantastic team. AF: What was the best thing about being on that team with those players? MW: I had a great experience. I had a lot of fun and I made a lot of friends on that team.
Luke Kendall is still my best friend to this day, and he is actually the godfather to my oldest child. We still talk and keep in contact and he will be one of my best mates for life. AF: Tell me about your senior year and what it felt like to win the National Player of the Year award. MW: It was a pretty surreal experience to be named player of the year. In my four years at Metro, I was very fortunate, winning a national championship, going to the Sweet Sixteen, and then being named player of the year. It was a pretty big achievement. AF: You seemed to take that momentum into your first year with the Sydney Kings back in Australia. How did it feel to win rookie of the year your first year in the pros? MW: I was very fortunate going to a team that was coming off of three straight championships and to be able to start for that team. To go on to win rookie of the year was a huge honor. It was just that I was playing for a very, very good team and fortunately I was able to fit into a team that helped me a little bit. AF: What has it been like to be on Australia’s national team? BW: I have been playing on the Australian national team since I left college. I’ve Continued from page 17 >>
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TheMetropolitan MetSports August 16, 2012
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Former Roadrunner Worthington runs Olympic Games << Continued from page 16 been with this team for quite some time now. Honestly, to go to two Olympics and win two world championships is a huge honor. As anyone will tell you, whenever you get to represent your country at any level, at any time, is a huge honor. For me to be able to do this for the better part of a decade is really very special to me. AF: Did you always aspire to represent your country in the Olympics? MW: As a kid, you always want to go to the Olympics. It is one of those surreal moments in life and I still remember the Beijing opening ceremony. The biggest distraction during the Olympics is the Olympics itself. You walk around and you see athletes like Serena Williams, Usain Bolt, you see these people walking around as your peers and it’s quite mind-blowing. It’s definitely no different here in London. I still get a bit starstruck with some of the people I have met and have had photos with. You can’t help but get a little lost in the moment, where you are at, and know that you are there to represent your country and to be on the same court and play against some of the players I have been able to play against. AF: How was this Olympic experience different than in Beijing? MW: I wasn’t as much of a kid-in-a-candystore this time because I knew what to expect. I think I have been able to enjoy it a lot more this time and understand how great it is to be able to represent your country
at the Olympics. I am not as in awe with the people I am playing against now. Who would’ve thought, eight years ago, that a kid from Metro State would be guarding LeBron James or Kobe Bryant? It’s one of those things at first I was in awe about but this time I just love playing against these guys and I love the challenge. I hope that the people I know in Denver and went to school with get to enjoy it as well. AF: Can you compare your Olympic games against the U.S.? Your stats were better in Beijing than the game in London. Do you think the caliber of athletes you played was higher this time? MW: This U.S. team was very reliant on the three-point shot and they shot it very well. I think Kobe had been getting a lot of criticism in the media for how he has played here in London, so he came out and simply destroyed us with that shot in the second half. I think Kobe put on one of the great shooting displays of the Olympics. AF: What kind of strategy did you have for the game against the U.S.? MW: Don’t get dunked on by LeBron or Kobe. Don’t be a highlight for Sportscenter. Really, you just have to go in with the realization of who you are playing and treat them as humans. With LeBron you try and make him be more of a jump shooter rather than a driver. And with Kobe, you hope that he’s having an off night – neither one of those two had an off night against us. It was
a tough job to be able to defend them. AF: What is next for you since the Gold Coast Blaze team has disbanded? MW: I knew that was coming up so I signed
with Radnički and I will be moving to Serbia this year to play. I am ready for that challenge, and going to Europe to play is going to be exciting.
Worthington facts worth knowing Born: June 8, 1983 Nationality: Australian College Career 2001-2005 Metro State University Denver, BA Speech Communication Career Record Points, 1,413 (sixth), Free Throws Made, 362 (fourth), Rebounds, 529 (ninth) 2002 NCAA Division two championship 2005 National Player of the Year 2005 RMAC Player of the Year 2005 RMAC Shootout MVP Professional Career 2005-2008 Sydney Kings, Australia 2008-2009 South Dragons, Australia 2009-2010 Melbourne Tigers, Australia 2010 Brose Baskets, Germany 2010-2012 Gold Coast Blaze, Australia 2012-present Radnicki Kragujevac, Serbia
Career Highlights 2005-2006 National Basketball League Rookie of the Year 2006 and 2010 Competed in World Basketball Championships 2006 Gold medal Commonwealth Games 2008 Beijing Olympics, seventh place 2012 London Olympics, seventh place
Score experience covering sports for The Metropolitan What we’re looking for: Availability to cover MSU Denver games, including weekends Passionate sports enthusiast Knowledge of AP style Understanding of the SPJ Code of Ethics Journalism students preferred
18 August 16, 2012 MetroSpective TheMetropolitan
TimeOut This Week 8.16
Colorado Rockies vs. Miami Marlins Coors Field 6:40 p.m. Rock Pile seats $4
8.17
Hieroglyphics Across: 1- Anjou alternative 5- Deride 10- Rock clinging plant 14- Eastern nanny 15- Cartoon part 16- “Hard ___!” (sailor’s yell) 17- I did it! 18- Diciembre follower 19- Oscar winner Patricia 20- Rebirth of the soul in a new body 23- Rocket launcher 24- Up to, briefly 25- You ___ right! 28- Heston’s org. 31- Pool stroke 35- Generic 37- Hosp. section 39- Children’s game 40- In spite of 44- U of U athlete 45- Hunky-dory
46- Theater district 47- Song part 50- Monetary unit of Burma 52- Support tower 53- Kan. neighbor 55- Genuine 57- Act of nullifying 63- Japanese soup 64- Killer whales 65- Growl 67- Hgt. 68- Itty-bitty 69- French, e.g. 70- ___ majeste 71- Baffled 72- ___ Little Tenderness Down: 1- Cave dweller 2- Actor Epps 3- “Smooth Operator” singer 4- Portable power saw 5- Glasses, briefly
6- The land of promise 7- Doozy 8- Frond plant 9- Rest on the surface of a liquid 10- Capital of the Philippines 11- Bread spread 12- Actor Connery 13- Poivre’s partner 21- Mother-in-law of Ruth 22- Russert of “Meet the Press” 25- Invalidate 26- Like tubers 27- Computer key 29- Hazardous 30- Pretend 32- Motionless 33- ___ Domingo 34- Encourage 36- 7th letter of the Greek alphabet 38- Nasser’s org. 41- Short flight
42- Try to bite 43- Post-dawn luminescence 48- Smitten 49- Animation frame 51- Mysterious 54- Flora and fauna 56- Snap course 57- The world’s longest river 58- Employs, consumes 59- Worry 60- Frozen treats 61- ___ about (approximately) 62- ___ a soul 63- ___ Brooks, filmaker responsible for “Blazing Saddles” 66- Genetic messenger
Texts From Last Night When this bachelor party is over and your life is in ruins, you have my permission to die. Haha. I got you. I always pay you back somehow. Do you accept all major forms of payment: cash, taco bell, and patriotic underwear? Some guy just rode an office chair down my street, I hope he comes back so I can give him my number. You don’t have anything to lose--we’ve established that he’s not going to murder you and he smells good.
Featuring Pep Love, Casual, Opio, A-Plus, Tajai, Phesto-D with The ReMINDers, Proximity, and DJ Selko. Cervantes’ 9:00 p.m. $15-$25
8.17-18
Pretty Lights
Red Rocks Amphitheatre 7:30 p.m., Doors at 6 p.m. General Admission $42.50 in advance, $45 day of the show
Today in History 8.16 1812- War of 1812: American General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit to British Army without a fight. 1913 – Completion of the Royal Navy battle cruiser HMS “Queen Mary.” 1927 – The Dole Air Race begins from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, during which six out of the eight participating planes crash or disappear.
8.17
Remembering Mikey a Tribute to Michael Houser
Featuring Sam Holt, Tori Pater, Eric Martinez, Spanky, McCluer, and Andy Clapp Cervantes’ Other Side 9:00 p.m. $10-$15
8.21
Welcome Back Week -Monday Madness Games, food trucks, and special musical guest, Rob Drabkin Tivoli Commons, 10:00 a.m.
8.20
Welcome Back Week -Movie Night
Popcorn and a movie on campus; family and friends are welcome. Lawrence Mall, 8:00 p.m.
COLLEGE NIGHT $1 Drafts! $1 Games! $1 Shoes!
Wednesdays at 8pm ELITCH LANES
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