August 23, 2012
Volume 35, Issue 2
www.metnews.org
Serving the Auraria Campus
TheMetropolitan
Back to school events commence Fall semester launches with First Year program
MetNews MSU Denver opens doors with new tuition rate 4
InSight Baseball and beer from the Heartland 9
MetroSpective Monday Madness kicks off welcome back week 10
MetSports Roadrunners’ regain chemistry with preseason alumni game 17
At the New Student Convocation, which was held by the First Year Success program on Aug. 16, an MSU Denver newcomer enjoys the festivities that accompanied the academic presentation. Photo by Melanie J. Rice • mrice20@msudenver.edu
MetNews TheMetropolitan August 23, 2012
MSU Denver thinks smart card Rowdy Card system in the works for fall Kelli Heitstuman-Tomko ktomko@msudenver.edu
3
Light Rail to move westward
As Light Rail’s westbound line from Union Station to Golden sits unfinished, questions arise about when it will be completed. Robert Ryerson, senior service planner and scheduler for RTD, spoke to The Metropolitan about the new W-line that is scheduled to open this spring.
Kelli Heitstuman-Tomko ktomko@msudenver.edu
Students in the Tivoli pick up their student IDs and RTD bus stickers. MSU Denver is working to implement a new smart card system that would replace both the IDs and the stickers. Photo by Christopher Morgan • cmorga22@msudenver.edu
MSU Denver’s student identification cards may be getting smarter. According to Emilia Paul, Associate Vice-President of Student Wellness and Engagement, it’s about time. “We’re way behind the times,” Paul said. “This [smart card] has been on the table for 12 years. The technology has been out there for 20 years.” Plans for a proximity ID card — dubbed the “Rowdy Card” — fit in with the timing of MSU Denver’s name change and with the university’s new branding standards. That, combined with RTD’s changing bus fare system, the smart card system, an ID card with an information-filled microchip, seems like it should be a done deal. So what’s the hold-up? MSU Denver’s buildings and property are owned and maintained by the Auraria Higher Education Commission, which also owns and operates both CCD’s and UCD’s facilities. MSU Denver cannot change or adapt the locks or security measures without first receiving approval from AHEC. CCD already uses a smart card, and UCD is in the process of transitioning to smart-card technology. MSU Denver appears to be next in line. According to Paul, a few offices, including the Office of Student Wellness and Engagement, have already had their locks changed for proximity cards. AHEC could not be reached for comment. “[The process] been a great deal of frustration,” Paul said. In January, RTD will stop accepting student cards with stickers as fare for bus rides because they will be transitioning to a proximity card fare. The university administrators would like to see RTD’s information added to the chip in the Rowdy Card so students won’t have to carry both a bus card and a student ID. Paul said that the goal is
to have everything ready in October when orientations for spring students begin. The new cards will cost $15, and current students will be able to replace their student IDs with Rowdy Cards. Incoming student Sadie Connell said that she hopes that RTD will collaborate with MSU Denver. “It would be nice if the new card could be made to use on the Light Rail,” she said. Along with the new card would come a policy that students would always need to carry their Rowdy Card with them while on campus. Not only will it get them into events and the recreation facilities, it will identify them as current students on an open campus that sees visitors not associated with any of the three schools at Auraria. Student Chris McAdams said that the new Rowdy Card will be “nice if it works.” He hopes that it can be used to make the campus safer. “If it makes the campus more secure, I wouldn’t be against the random checking of IDs,” McAdams said.
Above and below: Construction continues on the westbound W-line of the Light Rail. It is expected to be completed in April of 2013. Photos by Melanie J. Rice • mrice20@msudenver.edu
KHT: According to your website, RTD is planning to have the W-line running in late April. How is that going? Are you still on schedule? RR: We are on schedule. We’ve been keeping in touch with our contractors and they tell us that it’s going well. We plan to have an opening ceremony on April 26, and then we plan to have the line open to the public on April 28. There is no reason right now to think that won’t happen. KHT: The W-line is going to run between Union Station and Golden. Will that affect any bus lines? RR: The 16L is going to be discontinued, and the 16 is going to be extended. Right now, the 16 turns around at the Federal Center. Once the W-line is running, every other 16 will go to the Golden stop at 13th and Oak. Those who ride the 16L now will be able to either take the 16, or they can ride the MallRide to Union Station and take the W-line into Golden. KHT: RTD is building a new light rail station at Federal and Decatur. Will you still be using the bus transfer station at Colfax and Federal? RR: I guess the answer here is yes and no. There will definitely be reduced activity there. We’ll mostly be using it for turning the buses that are going out of service and for those south-bound buses that end at Colfax. Once the Decatur station is finished, that will be the new transfer station. This should help speed up those Federal buses. And we’re putting in a underpass that will connect Colfax with Decatur so no one will have to try to cross Federal. KTH: Are there any ways that you can think of that the opening of the W-line might impact MSU Denver’s students? RR: Well, we’re going to be running an owl service on Fridays and Saturdays. Owl service is when a line runs after most other lines have stopped running. We’ll have Friday and Saturday runs until two in the morning. That means all of those students will be able to stay out and enjoy themselves ridiculously late.
4 August 23, 2012 MetNews TheMetropolitan
MSU Denver junior receives new lower tuition rate Maalikah Hartley mhartle8@msudenver.edu
For many undocumented students, the path to higher education is expensive and challenging. For Lilia Chavez, MSU Denver junior, the hardest part of growing up undocumented was finding her identity. “I was hidden, with my own fear of telling people, even though it wasn’t my fault,” Chavez, 20, said. “I wasn’t at liberty to [travel] with the school or with my friends. I couldn’t drive for the longest time, because I was scared. I can’t identify myself in the schools that I feel like I could [have.] I wanted to go to CU Boulder for the longest time. That was my dream and I can’t do that.” Chavez and her family moved to America when she was seven years old to escape the dangers of Mexico City. In elementary school, there was no bilingual program, her peers could not understand her, and her teachers were tough. “I remember staying up at night translating every single word in a sentence. I learned English within a year and because I was so good at math that kept me going,” said Chavez. I feel like it’s been somewhat of a challenge just because I have to find out who I am with this. I was being raised with Caucasian little kids and I was learning their heritage but I didn’t learn mine. My parents were trying to change that somehow so I knew where I came from.” In high school, Chavez came into her dual culture. As a straight-A student, she decided to apply to all of her top colleges.
She was accepted to each one, but ended up going to Community College of Denver. “When I started I was only taking one class,” said Chavez “[It] was hard for me just knowing that I worked my butt off then having to come to community college. [It’s] not a bad thing, but I felt like I could have gotten a higher education.” Chavez earned an associate’s degree over three years, and knew her next move would be MSU Denver, where she could easily transfer her credits. She feared she would have to take time off because of the high outof-state tuition rate, and was elated to hear about MSU Denver’s reduced rate. “I’m pretty sure I cried. I’m paying just a little more than CCD, but I’m willing to pay that,” Chavez said. “I understand [out-ofstate student’s] frustration, but at the same time I’ve lived in Colorado my whole life, Colorado is my home so I’m really glad [the new rate] is somewhere in between.” Chavez disagrees with Attorney General’s John Suthers’ argument that the new rate is a public benefit because she says undocumented students are accounted for in high school, they earn good grades, and they’ve grown up here. “We’re still paying a lot of money,” she said. “We still have to work to pay that money. As long as we don’t have a criminal record and stay in school I don’t think it’s a benefit I think it’s something we deserve. It’s not affecting U.S. citizens, if anything it’s a benefit for the school, who will be able to get money from this. Bitterness is not the right way.”
Lilia Chavez, a junior at MSU Denver, is one of the first students to receive the Colorado High School/GED non-resident tuition rate. Photo by Mike Fabricius • mfabrici@msudenver.edu
Although Chavez cannot pursue her ultimate goal of nursing school due to her undocumented status, she is determined to get a bachelors degree in nutrition by 2014 and work toward nursing because she says she loves to help people. “I’m really excited to go to Metro,” Chavez said with a smile. “I’m proud to be a student at a school that’s doing this- no other school is really doing this in Colorado and I’m excited to be in school.” According to Judi Diaz Bonacquisti, associate vice president for enrollment management, 275 students have fi led the neces-
sary paperwork to apply for the new rate, but not all are enrolled in classes. “About 180 new students [applied for the rate,] but likely, a good chunk of them would have been here anyway,” said Diaz Bonacquisti. “We have always had our undocumented students coming to our institution, so now it’s just a matter of being able to see how many of them are applying for this particular rate.” Diaz Bonacquisti said that the university is on track in its goal to become a Hispanic Serving Institute, and is up 10 percent from last year in Hispanic enrollment.
TheMetropolitan
MetNews
August 23, 2012
Times a’changing, housing is not Graduating this semester? Kelli Heitstuman-Tomko ktomko@msudenver.edu New student housing will not be among the many changes at MSU Denver. According to the provost’s office, dormitories are not on the table, making the university one of the few in the state without its own dorms. Auraria does have a few options in student lodgings, though, including the Auraria Student Lofts, Campus Village and The Regency. Housing in the three locations offers students a wide array of amenities that range from bowling alleys to theaters to room service. The Auraria Student Lofts and Campus Village are within walking distance of the campus. Websites for all three housing complexes list cyber cafés, high speed Internet, fully furnished rooms and on-site laundry facilities among their conveniences. They all cite courtesy patrols and secure access as security measures. After these similarities, the amenities change and each complex becomes a little more individual, offering options that become tipping points for many students. Freshmen Cailee Van Norman and Krista Rivera chose to live at the Auraria Student Lofts. Located on 1501 14th St., two blocks from the campus, the building offers apartments for up to four students as opposed to the dorm room style of both the Regency and the Campus Village. “It feels more grown up,” Van Norman said. Both Rivera and Van Norman had a number of reasons that they preferred the Auraria Student Lofts over both the Regency
and Campus Village, mainly because of security. “We have a night guard on Thursday, Friday and Saturday,” Rivera said. “And there’s an off-duty cop who lives here, too.” Chris Barnes, who mans the front desk at the Auraria Student Lofts, said that the building has been getting a face lift from a new management company. He said that the company has also put more effort into advertising and making the lofts a better place to live. Among these measures is an agreement with the Curtis hotel, which backs against the building, to provide 24-hour room service to residents. “For the first time in the building’s history, we’re full,” Barnes said. UCD student Sarah Miller lives in a dorm at Campus Village. She says the safety is good, but that the residence is costly. “It’s expensive,” Miller said, “especially with someone living right there in the room with you.” The other dorm-style residence, the Regency broke ground last month for the Villas at Regency, a new complex being built just north of the original building at 3900 Elati St. According to a statement released by Camille Courtney, executive director of student housing for developer Central Street Capital, the Villas will offer students “a continuum of student living during their entire college career, from dorm style rooms to studios to traditional apartments.” The company plans to have the Villas ready for lease in the fall of 2013.
Here’s what you need to know: The deAdline To submiT The ApplicATion for grAduATion is 5 p.m., sepTember 14 in The regisTrAr's office, ssb 160. if mAiled They musT be posTmArked on or before sepTember 14. 1. All students wishing to graduate must apply for graduation. Applications are available in SSB 160 or online at www.msudenver.edu/ registrar/student/forms. 2. You must meet the following requirements by the end of the semester you apply for graduation: Minimum of 120 semester hours All requirements for your major and minor All General Studies requirements Minimum of 40 Upper Division credit hours Multi-cultural requirement Cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher
3. Walking in the commencement ceremony does not guarantee that you have graduated. 4. It is your responsibility to report any repeated courses to the Office of the Registrar. Failure to do so may negatively affect your ability to graduate as planned. 5. If you apply for graduation but end up not meeting all requirements, you must reapply for a subsequent graduation. 6. Diplomas are not provided at Commencement. You will be notified on how to obtain your diploma.
For additional information, visit:
www.msudenver.edu/registrar/student/ graduationevaluation and www.msudenver.edu/commencement.
Office of the Registrar
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THE METROPOLITAN
5
6 August 23, 2012 MetNews TheMetropolitan
New students see playful side of Auraria Nikki Work nwork@msudenver.edu
Fall semester kicked off Aug. 16 for MSU Denver students at the new student convocation, put on by the First Year Success program. With around 450 in attendance, the program introduced first-year students, both freshman and transfer, to the FYS program and to what MSU Denver has to offer. The convocation began with a welcome from the provost, Dr. Vicki Golich, and an address from alum Dr. Zelda DeBoyes, the students recited the Roadrunner pledge and were given MSU Denver pins. After meeting with student ambassadors and participating in team-building activities, students were treated to a barbecue. “I enjoyed meeting new people,” said Priscilla Calderon, a freshman, “I was introduced to a lot of my learning community, and I was more comfortable being here after I met them.” This was the first event of the semester to help students transition into MSU Denver and to help them succeed. “We are a comprehensive first-year program,” said Cynthia Baron, associate director of learning communities and First Year Success. “We’re an academic program — we offer learning community courses so that we can instill the sense of community and student engagement for incoming first year students.” The learning community courses are pooled classes for the program’s participants. In addition, the FYS program offers peer support, student ambassadors, and resources to connect students to clubs and organizations. This year, about 1,000 new students are participating in the program. “Since 2009, as the program has been growing exponentially, [the program’s] retention rates are definitely higher than [those of] students who choose not to participate, and in addition to that, our students perform
better academically,” Baron said. According to Judi Diaz Bonacqusiti, associate vice president for enrollment management, there has been a 4 percent increase in new student enrollment since last year, though overall enrollment is down. “The admissions office was doing email campaign and phone calling,” said Bonacquisti. “This year, our Office of New Student Orientation did a great job.” Bonacquisti said that the new SOAR program — Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration — is more engaging, and helps students get acclimated.
“[The students] got a lot of excitement, tradition and what it means to be a roadrunner [in the program.] I think that had a lot to do with our new students coming in, getting excited, and wanting to be registered. And for our transfer students, we make it pretty easy for them,” Diaz Bonacquisti said. All of these programs for new students are instrumental in the university’s plan to increase retention rates. “We know, because research tells us, that if our students are engaged in their first year and get that support during their first year at MSU Denver they’re more likely to
stay,” Baron said. The University is also changing their focus on retention initiatives to target students before they fall at risk of dropping out. “Historically, we’ve had some programs where we focus on students a little bit too late. We do some marketing and targeting with them right as they fall under a 2.0.,” Diaz Bonacquisti said. “What we want to focus on this year is increasing the types of communication and outreach that we have to students before they get to that point. It’s trying to be more proactive. “
MSU Denver student slides down the bouncy castle at the New Student Convocation. Photo by Melanie J. Rice • mrice20@msudenver.edu
Word on the street Interviews by Maalikah Hartley mhartle8@msudenver.edu Photos by Melanie J. Rice mrice20@msudenver.edu
Was parking an issue during the first week?
“The parking is too expensive so I use the LightRail instead.
“I don’t really have too much of a problem with it. I don’t mind walking that far as long as they have an option and there’s parking spots available for $2.50. I’m only down here twice a week.”
“It’s a little expensive but it’s fine. I don’t always drive; I park here once in two months. I never could afford [driving to campus every day.]”
“It’s disorganized, it’s just a pain. People drive terribly in the parking garages. Prices are exorbitant, I mean, we’re college students. I’d put speed bumps in the parking garages. I’d try to make it where there’s more parking spots for cheaper.”
>Krisann Barksdale, MSU Denver junior
>Elliot Charles, MSU Denver sophomore
>Urna Bayar, MSU Denver junior
>Robert Bellamy, MSU Denver senior
8 August 23, 2012 MetNews TheMetropolitan
Campus resources assist students with various issues By Ariel DeGruy and Chigozie Regina Echeozo adegruy@msudenver.edu, cecheozo@msudenver.edu
Phoenix Center – Tivoli 227
Counseling Center - Tivoli 651
24/7 Help line at 303-556-2255 Appointments at 303-556-6011 The Phoenix Center at Auraria is a service that provides free educational resources and assistance to victims and survivors of interpersonal violence. They assist and support students through academic advocacy and safety planning. The PCA serves students, faculty, and staff for all Auraria students including CCD, CU, and MSU Denver. The center does not provide therapy or legal advice.
Tutoring Center – Student Success Building 230 M – Th - 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., F – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Tutoring Center offers help with preparation for the AccuPlacer Math, English, and Reading assessments, as well as one-on-one walk-in study sessions.The walk-in schedule will be posted beginning September 4, 2012.
Health Center at Auraria - Plaza 150
M-F — 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments at 303-556-3132 The counseling center offers a wide variety of ways for students to maintain their cool during the craziness of the semester. Students, staff, and faculty can use the center to get support, advice, stress management tips, and therapy. “I like how easy it is to make an appointment with anyone here at the counseling center, its very convenient,” said Travis Nicoletti, MSU Denver sophomore.
Career Services - Tivoli 215 M — 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., T — 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., W — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Th — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., F — 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Appointments at 303-556-3664 The Career Services Center offers help with a variety of student questions and issues, including choosing a major, planning a career, and finding opportunities for jobs during school and after graduation.
Internship Center - Historic house number 1045
Appointments at 303-556-2525
M-F — 8 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. Appointments at (303) 556-3290
The Health Center provides medical services to all students, faculty and staff of Auraria Campus. They provide coverage for illnesses, injuries, physicals, x-rays, immunizations, lab testing, birth control, HIV testing, and minor surgical operations. They also provide information on many health problems.
The Internship Program is a part of the Applied Learning Center and has been serving MSU Denver since 1974. They offer students assistance in finding paid and volunteer positions in their fields of study. Internship Center helps coordinate site visits, job development, referrals and placements, and recruitment.
Technology Support Services – Admin 480L, West 241 M-Th — 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., F-Sat — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Immediate assistance at 1-877-352-7548 Technology Support Services manages and maintains the many on-campus computer labs and the student online portals. For technological issues, the IT Technology Support Services Help Desk is available via phone or in person.
Offices of the Student Success Building The brand new Student Success Building has a wide assortment of offices, classrooms, and other Metro student resources, including Advising, Financial Aid, Human Resources, the Registar’s Office, Scholarship Center, Tutoring Center, Enrollment Services, Cashier’s Office, First Year Success center, Student Academic Success and Admissions, among others. It is a hub for students and faculty alike.
Graphic Artists Wanted
Student Media at MSU Denver has a graphic artist position available. You would be designing with Mac workstations in our production room. If you are an MSU Denver student and available 15–25 hours each week with a set schedule, we’d like to meet with you. Must know InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Acrobat. Call 303-556-2507, or email Kathleen Jewby, kjewby@msudenver.edu, for more information. Pay is based on experience. Work-Study preferred. Apply at www.metrostudentmedia.com by Aug. 31 to be considered for current opening.
www.metrostudentmedia.com
TheMetropolitan
August 23, 2012
InSight
Old Style beer; old style baseball: A postcard from the Heartland “…decades after a person has stopped collecting bubble-gum baseball cards, he can still discover himself collecting ball parks. And not just the stadiums, but their surrounding neighborhoods, their smells, their special seasons and moods…” --Tom Boswell, from his “How Life Imitates the World Series” collection (1982) CHICAGO - The long drive late last June through the American Heartland was to simply get out to Louisville, Ky., on family business and back to Denver. But because I like to play Jack Kerouac on the road — with a credit card — the journey wound up taking in two art museums, in Kansas City and Chicago; three presidential libraries; Mark Twain’s Hannibal, Mo., on the Mississippi River; a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Springfield, Ill.; an architecture walking tour in Chicago’s Loop and two favorite steak houses. There were also ball games in three ballparks — in Kansas City and Chicago on the way out and in St. Louis on the way back. Of the three, the Royals’ park (now called Kauff man Stadium), with its waterfalls in center field, has weathered well since its 1973 debut. The Cardinals’ third incarnation of Busch Stadium (2006) in St. Louis is a big improvement over the last version. But the undisputed jewel remains the Cubs’ Wrigley Field on Chicago’s North Side. I’d been to Wrigley many times before, starting when I was 16 and had been selected for Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, in Evanston, to be part of its summer program for high school journalists. It was there that I decided what I wanted to do with my life. The rest isn’t history, but Chicago has ever since left an imprint of magic in my mind. This time, I had to drive several hundred miles out of my way, off Interstate 70, to get to Chicago. But to see Wrigley anew, and after a 13-year hiatus – not to mention Chicago’s great architecture and excellent art museum – was well worth the detour. If the American League Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park is, as John Updike put it, “a lyric little bandbox of a ballpark,” Wrigley is the National League’s grande dame dowager. The stadium opened in 1914, just two years after Fenway debuted a century ago. Chicago-based conservative columnist George Will, whose considerable body of baseball writing, for me, goes down far more smoothly than his political pieces, has called Wrigley a “Williamsburg of baseball,” harking to the Virginia touchstone of Colonial America in the 1600s. Wrigley’s human scale, celebrated as “cozy confines” with gracefully sloping stands and ivy-covered brick outfield walls, made it, like Fenway, a favorite for years on TV’s baseball “Game of the Week.” Batted balls have been lost in the thick ivy that was planted in 1938. Coincidentally, the Cubs went to the World Series that year and again in 1945. But the Cubbies have never been to the Series since and haven’t won a World Series since 1908. While the Cubs
J. SEBASTIAN SINISI sinisi2@msn.com
usually can be counted on to finish closer to last than first in their division, devoted fans still adore their loveable losers and have been fi ling into Wrigley in droves for decades. When I saw the Mets beat the Cubs by the football-like score of 17-1 on June 27, the announced attendance was 35,837. For a day game. If the team on the field is seldom stellar, the park is. Wrigley’s center field bleachers, backing up to Sheffield Avenue and its row of turn-of-last-century houses, are the inspiration for Coors Field’s “Rockpile” bleachers. Wrigley’s curves, nooks, crannies and ivy make it a classic ball park and not a stadium. It’s the difference between old-style downtown streets, once served by trolleys, and a suburban mall.
“Wrigley’s curves, nooks, crannies and ivy make it a classic ball park and not a stadium. It’s the difference between old-style downtown streets, once served by trolleys, and a suburban mall. Wrigley’s South Side counterpart, Comiskey Park (now U.S. Cellular Field) and home to the White Sox, doesn’t have that problem. As with Wrigley, Yankee Stadium, the N.Y. Mets’ Citi Field (opened 2009, along with Yankee Stadium III) and Boston’s Fenway Park, you can get there by subway. But, while the old Comiskey was a ballpark, Comiskey/U.S. Cellular is a vast and sterile stadium whose upper levels are much too steep. Although it works marginally better for night games, Comiskey II completely lacks the rich urban-neighborhood ambiance found around Wrigley Field. For decades, Wrigley had no night games and was the only ball park in the majors not to have lights. Lighting equipment was set for installation in 1941, but after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Cubs owner and chewing gum magnate Phil Wrigley donated the metal and wiring to the American war effort. Only midway into the 1988 season, after years of protests from neighbors who didn’t want night games, did Wrigley Field finally install lights. For the first-ever night game, it rained torrentially, prompting pundits to suggest the baseball gods of tradition must be angry. The game was rained out. While Wrigley’s cozy interior lends much to the park’s ambiance, the surrounding neighborhood also has its charms. But
as the gentrification of Denver’s former skid row LoDo and “Ballpark” neighborhoods got a big boost when Coors Field opened in 1995, the same process – not always an unalloyed blessing – took place in recent years in Wrigley’s adjacent neighborhood. Leafy streets, lined with old sycamores and pre-First World War homes of carved stone, offer pleasant strolls. But the transformation of the stretch of Sheffield Avenue right behind the curving-walled bleachers is a bit unsettling. The row of stone houses, once the unpretentious homes of ordinary folks, has taken on the air and airs of a mini-theme park with elaborate bleacher stands built onto roofs and buildings turned into offices and private clubs, with buzzergated apartments carrying cutesy names like “BrixenIvy” and “Behind the Ivy.” Gone is the neighborhood’s urban grit – just like LoDo’s – along with the multi-ethnic gumbo of residents that included whites from the American South who were called, locally, “Appalachians.” When Cubs fan Allen Rachels, who’d driven from Indianapolis, told me those profit-driven and yuppie-centric enterprises along Sheffield and Waveland Avenue, behind left field, were losing money, I wasn’t sorry. Rachels, who grew up in the Bronx not far from Yankee Stadium, is even older than I and related great stories about the Yankees of his youth in the 1940s. Although I was wearing a sweat-stained Mets cap during the lopsided Mets-Cubs game, Cubs fan Arnie Kuprec — a Chicago Bohemian Jew who went to school at CSU in Ft. Collins — bought some beer to share. Several of us in that row talked baseball and drank Old Style to make it a near-perfect afternoon in the upper deck above third base, under puff y white clouds in a sapphire sky over the thin blue line of Lake Michigan in the distance beyond right field. You can hardly do better – being in a setting like that and talking with fans who know the game. That’s much harder to find at Coors Field. Not far from Wrigley’s on the way home, I enjoyed the same Midwest friendly fan vibe in St. Louis — a good baseball town, where Busch Stadium’s scoreboard proclaimed 2012 to be the Cardinals’ 127th season. After that Saturday game, I took some pictures of the St. Louis’ famed Gateway Arch, but didn’t tarry and got back on I-70 West because I had miles to go before I slept that night, near Kansas City. When The Metropolitan staff puts this edition to bed Tuesday night, I’ll be in Boston’s Fenway Park. It won’t be as dramatic, with the same fan hostility, as when the hated Yankees come to town, but the L.A. Angels will do. As is true at Wrigle, at nearly a century old, the game on the field isn’t as important as savoring the setting. I’ve had religious experiences among the centuries-old soaring arches and stained glass of European cathedrals. America isn’t nearly that old, but its classic ballparks connote, for me, similar stirrings. Football fans, whose blood-lust screams echo in concreteoval stadiums, might not get it.
MetStaff Editor-in-Chief Brian T. McGinn: bmcginn3@msudenver.edu Managing Editor Ian Gassman: igassman@msudenver.edu News Editor Nikki Work: nwork@msudenver.edu Assistant News Editor Maalikah Hartley mhartle8@msudenver.edu MetroSpective Editor Caitlin Sievers: 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: dbrouss2@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.
9
10 August 23, 2012 MetroSpective TheMetropolitan
MetroSpective
Students ring in school year with fun festivities Photos and captions by Melanie J. Rice • mrice20@msudenver.edu
Above: D.J. Staxx scratches at the Monday Madness back to school event in the Tivoli commons on Aug. 20. Left: D.J. Staxx at the Newegg booth set the mood with beats at Monday Madness which was sponsored by CCD student life, UCD student life, and MSU student activities. Below: Bijoux Barbosa played base in The Rob Drabkin Band at Monday Madness.
Above: Rob Drabkin of the Rob Drabkin Band livened up the crowd at the back to school event at Auraria on Aug. 20. Monday Madness also featured food trucks, games and booths from various campus clubs and organizations. Bottom right: Bijoux Barbosa played bass as The Rob Drabkin Band rocked the Tivoli commons.
Above: Aurae-Ann Reyes, a MSU sophomore majoring in secondary math education, spun the wheel to win a T-shirt at the Newegg booth during Monday Madness. Left: Joseph Trefry, a MSU junior in business marketing, hangs out on campus on Aug. 20. Trefry looks forward to meeting new people and learning new things this semester.
TheMetropolitan
MetroSpective
August 23, 2012
11
‘One Home’ entertains the local scene Local band Gun Street Ghost offer fresh folk to Denver
Kayla Whitney kwhitne2@msudenver.edu
“I guess what I like most about this music is that we’ve put our own little twist on a genre and style that we all really love Gun Street Ghost is an alternative folk but didn’t make it weird or unaccessible. It band with a country twist that’s fresh in wasn’t on purpose either. It’s just how these the Denver scene. Their new EP One Home, songs came out after what these wonderful which released Aug. 17, is a 5-track album people contributed to them. These songs that captures the group’s indie folk essence. come from the heart and they, for the most The band got its start Summers 2010 part, are about real events and real people. after vocalist and guitarist Mike Perfetti Songs about life.” began working on tunes in his bedroom Some tracks to pay close attention to are following the breakup of his band, Johnny “I Never Learned Karate,” which has some Knows Karate. humorous lyrics After a few and funky beats, shows, friendships, and the final, title and a “whole lot of track, where Gun Miller High Life,” Street Ghost get a Gun Street Ghost little personal and became what it is finish with a sound today. sample that allows “I guess what the listeners to hear sets us apart, if that’s the band laugh and even possible, is that -Mike Perfetti get a little goofy. we’d fit in with a few Gun Street different genre of music,” Perfetti said. Ghost are not show stoppers by any means, Gun Street Ghost has the perfect sound but they are a band that are clearly in tune for music lovers looking for something with the music they are creating and want groovy to play while studying, commuting fans to have a good listen. They are defior just kicking back. One Home is a short listen, clocking in at nitely worth checking out for anyone into alternative folk with an interesting country 24 minutes, but it’s totally worth the money feel. to have something local and refreshing “After [the Sept. 16 show] we plan on on your mp3 player, though you may have heading back to the studio this winter to trouble deciding what genre to categorize it record another EP or maybe a full length, under. but that’s up to the band to decide, after “What genre are we? I know it’s sort of all, it is a democracy,” Perfetti said. “Meanroots/country based, but there are elements while, we’re probably gonna drink and play of folk and rock in these songs,” Perfetti music!” said.
“These songs come from the heart and they, for the most part, are about real events and real people.”
One Home track list
Photo courtesy of Gun Street Ghost
1. Fine 2. Block of Stone 3. I Never Learned Karate 4. Dead Pets 5. One Home
Top left: The members of Gun Street Ghost rock out at their “One Home” EP release show at the HiDive on Aug. 17. Above: Guiarist/vocalist Mike Perfetti jams out at the Gun Street Ghost EP release show. Photos by Ryan Borthick • rborthic@msudenver.edu
Band Members
Additional information
Mike Perfetti: Vocals/Guitar
Band page: www.facebook.com/gunstreetghost
Danny White: Guitar/Vocals
One Home streaming:
Tyler Campo: Bass/Vocals
www.gunstreetghost.bandcamp.com
Kim Baxter: Drums
Next Show:
Tiffany Meese: Keyboards/Vocals
Sept. 16th, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club BBQ show at the Larimer Lounge
12 August 23, 2012 MetroSpective TheMetropolitan
DAM goes green with community art Kailyn Lamb klamb6@msudenver.edu Colorado is a national leader in the trend of “going green,” and the Denver Art Museum is following suit with the new Open for Design exhibition. The idea of the exhibition was for members of the public to take an everyday object and change it into something that could better the community, a challenge from the museum to Coloradans everywhere. It was a feat that the community met with zeal. A total of 165 pieces are on display in the Anschutz gallery. “It has been great seeing people connect-
ing in the gallery over the ideas and projects on display,” said Jaime Kopke, adult and college program coordinator at the museum. “The exhibition has not only supported the creative energy of our community, it has become a platform for dialogue, which are both very important to the Denver Art Museum.” The museum wanted to create an exhibition that was community driven, according to Kopke, while still linking to the other shows that focus on the element of design. It was also important that the challenge had an impact. They wanted to get people thinking about how to change their communities. Entries included a free homemade library, a bird house made from a traffic cone, and a
lamp made with plastic spoons. The variety of submissions allowed the viewers relate to different pieces. The success of this community exhibition has prompted the DAM to evaluate this project and see if it’s possible to do more like it in the future. On Aug. 31, there will be activities in the Anschutz gallery, including short classes on how to re-create some of the projects in the show. Open for Design is running until Sept. 2. The Denver Art Museum is located at 100 W. Ave. Parkway in Denver. Adult general admission tickets are $10 for residents and $13 for non-residents.
Current and up-coming exhibitions Now Boarding July 15-Oct. 7 Design Lab: Three Studios July 27-Sept. 2 Open for Design: a DAM Challenge Aug. 4-Sept. 2 Demonstrations in the fashion studio every Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m.-3 p.m. until Sept. 1 El Anatsui Sept. 9-Dec. 30 Becoming Van Gogh Oct. 21-Jan. 20
Left: Free library in DAM’s Open for design exhibition. Open for design is a display of everyday objects by members of the public. Above: A lamp made of plastic spoons shows that plastic doesn’t have to go into a landfill. Photos courtesy of Denver Art Museum
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MetroSpective
August 23, 2012
Cheap eats for busy, broke students Kate Rigot krigot@msudenver.edu
13
Cut your grocery budget so you can spend it on textbooks
When you’re living the student lifestyle, whether you’re taking three credits or 18, you quickly realize that the costs add up – costs you can’t do anything about. In addition to costs like rent and utilities that plague pretty much everyone, you’ve also got tuition, student fees, textbooks, and any class equipment or extra required expenses — and there’s no negotiating your way out of any of that. Everyone needs to eat, but there are plenty of ways to cut costs without starving. The following are some general suggestions for cutting down on food and beverage costs. “Cheap eats” will be featured regularly throughout the school year. Check back for future recipes and tips.
1. Shop smarter
Many of you have been shopping on your own for years and already know all the tricks, but here are some tips just to make sure we have our bases covered. Use coupons or shop for groceries that are on sale, and stock up on non-perishable items that you use frequently — for example, peanut butter, grains, or canned or dry beans. Don’t forget that generic or store brands are often significantly cheaper than name brands. Buy stuff you use a lot of in bulk, or scoop the amount you want out of bulk bins, which is usually cheaper than getting pre-packaged groceries.
3. Many hands make light work
One of the most painless ways to cook your own food rather than eating out is by making it a social activity instead of a chore. The following are some variations of the time-honored tradition of the potluck. Basic version: Get together with a few friends, and have everyone bring their favorite dish to share. Pizza party: Instead of going out for pizza with friends, consider having a pizza potluck party. Have everyone bring a topping or sauce, and then make the dough for the crust together. Have a brunch potluck instead of going out for brunch. Birthday party potluck: Instead of going out somewhere fancy to celebrate, make a homemade cake and have guests show up with the birthday person’s favorite foods.
2. Do It Yourself
One of the quickest ways to pile up food costs is by getting into the habit of letting your student schedule get the better of you and eating out all the time. Even eating at fast food restaurants or the food court on campus can quickly add up. Try packing a lunch with non-refrigerated items, like sandwiches and fruit, instead. If you want to bring hot food, like soup or casseroles, to school with you, consider investing in a good thermal food jar, like the ones made by Nissan, Thermos, or Reduce. Cook food from scratch whenever you can. If you’re not in the habit of daily cooking already, you can check this column for ideas, or look for more inspiration on online recipe sites like allrecipes.com, recipesource.com, and foodnetwork.com. It also helps to own a basic all-around cookbook. Also, cooking double portions and eating the leftovers for dinner the next night cuts the cooking in half. If you’re a regular coffee or tea drinker, making your own coffee or tea and taking it to school with you in a thermal mug, instead of buying it at Starbucks or Einstein’s every day, can make a huge dent in your food/beverage budget. The same goes for smoothies.
4. You Can’t Beat Free
After textbook costs have cleaned you out, you might not even be left with enough for basic groceries. However, Metro has its own food bank, located off of Sigi’s pool hall in the Tivoli. All Metro students, regardless of income, are eligible for up to the equivalent of six standardsized cans of food per week. The food bank is open from 11am to 2pm Mondays and Wednesdays, 9am to noon Tuesdays, 11am to 2pm Wednesdays, and noon to 4pm Fridays. Check with the food bank for information on other local food assistance.
Quick and Easy Udon Soup Photos and recipe by Kayla Whitney kwhitne2@msudenver.edu
Want a delicious Japanese soup made at home with fresh ingredients? Here’s a quick and easy recipe that will fill your tummy with savory flavors. Ingredients:
2 packages of udon soup noodles 2 cups vegetable broth 2 cups water 2 tsp. sugar 1 package/block of tofu 2-3 cups of vegetables, to taste (mushrooms, bok choy, scallions and onions were used in soup photographed; spinach, leeks, shitake mushrooms, snow peas, cabbage and carrots are also popular udon soup veggies) *Additional ingredients that will spice up the dish, but aren’t essential: 4 tsp. sesame oil 2 tsp. crushed red pepper/red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp. ginger (Vegetable broth and tofu can be switched with chicken broth and chicken for the carnivorous).
Preparation:
1. Cut the tofu into small squares. 2. Chop vegetables to preferred size.
Cooking instructions:
1. Cook udon noodles according to their packaging (this usually means boil the noodles for a few minutes). If the package came with its own seasoning, set it aside or toss about half in with the veggies (step 2). Once the noodles are done, strain and place in a bowl and set off to the side with a paper towel over the top. 2. In larger pot, combine water, vegetable broth, sugar, and other spices you wish to add (red pepper, ginger, or others to taste). Bring this mixture to a boil and then add vegetables. Keep broth at a boil. 3. Once the veggies are cooked to your taste (about 5-10 minutes), add the chunks of tofu to the broth and turn the burner to the lowest setting. (*To give tofu a little more kick and flavor, add tofu to a splash of olive oil in a small frying pan on medium heat. Drizzle some teriyaki sauce and/or sriracha over the tofu and fry for about a minute or two.) 4. With the broth at a simmer, take out a few bowls and fill them nearly halfway with udon noodles. Then scoop a few ladles of broth over the noodles, give it a quick stir and enjoy!
TheMetropolitan
August 23, 2012
MetSports
15
Men’s soccer split two in exhibition play Men’s Soccer 2012 Schedule Aug. 25
Sat. Alumni Game!
31
Fri.
at Upper Iowa
3:00 p.m. 12:30 p.m.
Sept.
MSU Denver redshirt freshman Jacob Candelaria nutmegs a Northeastern Junior College defender. Roadrunners beat the Plainsmen 7-0, Aug. 18 at Auraria Fields. Photo by Cosme Lindstrom-Furutani • clindst1@msudenver.edu
Angelita Foster amayer1@msudenver.edu MSU Denver men’s soccer started its preseason at Auraria Fields with a 2-0 loss to Otero Junior College Aug. 17. The Roadrunners made some adjustments to their game and redeemed themselves the next day with a 7-0 win over Northeastern Junior College. “Preseason is not results oriented, it is about seeing what the players’ strengths and weaknesses are, and a chance to see what the chemistry of the team looks like,” MSU Denver head coach Ken Parsons said. Parsons is looking beyond the Jekyll and Hyde team he saw in the first two exhibition games – now he knows what he has to work with. Roadrunner team captain Andrew Majia agreed that preseason is the time for working out the kinks. “I think what happened Friday was that we haven’t had much time to work together as a team, and we didn’t show enough effort,” Majia said. “I think we have a good team with a lot of young talent and I think other teams are not going to know what to expect.” The ‘Runners had a successful 2011 season with a 14-7-1 record overall, and were 10-4-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, taking the team to its fift h NCAA tournament appearance. But, this is a new season with new players. “Our goal is to play well for 90 minutes week in, week out, which should put us in a good place in the conference and a good place in the NCAA,” Parsons said. Parsons’ 2012 team signed nine new players – seven of them freshman, all of whom are expected to contribute this season.
“When I bring these players in, they are ready to play, and don’t need a lot of development,” Parsons said. “They mostly need to adjust to coming from youth clubs or high school teams to a college level of play.” Freshman Danny Arrubla, Arizona Player of the Year, has high expectations for himself this season and is ready to meet the challenge of contributing to the team this year. “I know I need to come in and work hard and show the coaches that I can contribute to the team,” Arrubla said. “I came in with the attitude of a fresh start. Old accolades for high school don’t mean much now because everyone on the team has had those same
accolades.” In eight seasons as Roadrunners head coach, Parsons has led his team to four NCAA tournament berths and eight RMAC appearances. With a record 106-48-17, Parsons carries the highest winning percentage in MSU Denver history. So Parsons knows a thing or two about winning and has confidence that this team has what it takes. “With players like Mark Herschberger and Andrew Mejia, I think they carry on the culture of the program and they set a high standard for new players,” Parsons said. “We have 17 goals to make up this year, losing Scott Grode, and I think we can get those goals from a lot of different players.”
11:00 a.m.
2
Sun. University of Mary
7
Fri.
8
Sat. St. Martin’s (Wash.) 3:30 p.m.
14
Fri.
16
Sun. UC-Colorado Springs*
21
Fri.
23
Sun. Colorado StatePueblo*
28
Fri.
Fort Lewis*
3:30 p.m.
30
Sun. Colorado Mines*
2:30 p.m.
Texas A&M Intl.
Regis University*
Colorado Mines*
3:30 p.m.
3:30 p.m. 11:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m.
Oct. 3
Wed. Colorado Christian* 3:30 p.m.
5
Fri.
7
Sun. Regis Univeristy*
12
Fri.
Colorado Christian* 3:30 p.m.
19
Fri.
Colorado Mesa*
21
Sun. Adams State*
3:30 p.m.
23
Tues. Adams State*
1:00 p.m.
28
Sun. UC-Colorado Springs
2:30 p.m.
Colorado StatePueblo
7:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
* RMAC game ! Exhibition game Home matches are in BOLD
MetOnline Visit metnews.org/sports to keep up with the latest Roadrunner athletic news, including all playoff action as the spring season winds down and the championship races heat up.
Correction MSU Denver freshman Danny Arrubla moving the ball down field in exhibition game against Northeastern Aug. 18 at Auraria Fields. Photo by Cosme Lindstrom-Furutani • clindst1@msudenver.edu
In the Aug. 16 issue, on P.16, “Two-time Olympian Proving his ‘Worth,’ The Metropolitan misspelled Mark Worthington’s name.
TheMetropolitan
MetSports
August 23, 2012
17
Women’s soccer alumni game New associate athletic director Zee Nwuke znwuke@msudenver.edu
MSU Denver forward Karisa Price, left, dribbles past alum Kristen Sonsma in the annual alumni game Aug. 19 at Auraria Fields. Price contributed one goal and one assist to the Roadrunners 8-2 win over the alumni team. Photo by Cosme Lindstrom-Furutani • clindst1@msudenver.edu
Angelita Foster amayer1@msudenver@edu MSU Denver women’s soccer beat a team of former players 8-2 in the annual alumni game at Auraria Fields Aug. 19. For the Roadrunners, the preseason game allows the team to find it’s chemistry. “We have a pretty young team so just trying to find ways to connect with everyone is important in the preseason,” sophomore Karisa Price said. For the coaching staff, it is an opportunity to evaluate players in different lineup combinations to determine the best way to win games. “Some players had a good game today but I think some players need to seperate themselves and prove they deserve to be there,” MSU Denver head coach Adrianne
Almaraz said. Alumni players look forward to this annual matchup becuase they get to see teammates they haven’t seen for a while and they get to size up the new ‘Runners and the coming season. “This game is always fun becuase it is a lot like a family reunionm,” former goalkeeper Mandy Allen-Nale said. Allen-Nale likes the chances of success for the 2012 team. “I think they move the ball really well and I think they have a good chance for a great season,” Allen-Nale said. The Roadrunners will play Northwestern (Iowa) Aug. 25, 7:30 a.m. at Auraria Fields.
MSU Denver has a new associate athletic director for compliance. After 24 years with the athletic department at Western State College, Scott Groom has decided to make a change and work at the university. Groom replaced Sandee Mott, who resigned to become the athletic director at Johnson and Wales University in Denver. “We are absolutely thrilled to have Scott Groom on our staff,” said Joan McDermott, director of athletics. “Our previous associate AD was really very good. Actually she had one time worked at Western State with Scott and she suggested that we hire him.” Groom is happy about his new position and will assist McDermott by overseeing the work of the coaches and staff involved in the athletic program. They will be responsible for ensuring that the athletic programs comply with NCAA conference regulations. “It’s a neat challenge after being at one school for 24 years,” Groom said. “Being able to take that experience that I gained there and bring it to Metropolitan State and be a positive addition to the athletic department is my goal.” A former track coach for Western State from 1991-2002, Groom has an extensive resume. His team won two indoor and three outdoor national championships along with two top five national indoor track finishes. Groom has also trained 85 All-Americans and 10 national champions, and has been awarded four Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors. Groom said he has taken many things from his experience as a coach that has helped him be successful as Western State’s
New Associate Athletic Director, Scott Groom. Photo courtesy of www.gometrostate.com
compliance coordinator and their assistant athletic director. He hopes to be as successful here. Groom said he left Western and accepted the job here because he was looking for a new challenge. He was impressed with what the university and its athletic staff have done building a great reputation. “That just shows a commitment to athletics and Division II athletics and that’s something that’s exciting to be a part of,” Groom said. Currently, Groom doesn’t have any big plans for the university. He said he wants to ease into the university’s program. “It’s about making a smooth transition. Taking my experiences and if there’s things that I have done in the past that can help the athletic department run potentially smoother then we’ll implement those,” Groom said, explaining that he has a lot to learn about the program, but is looking forward to the challenge. “I think it’s an exciting time in Division II athletics and Metropolitan State has a great reputation,” Groom said. “It’s a great staff, there’s a lot of cohesiveness and with that—the tendency is to have a lot of success.”
Mile high expectations unreachable? Nick Ohlig nohlig@msudenver@edu Although diehard Broncos fans are expecting their team to win a Super Bowl this season, all I have to say is: “Hold your horses,” because history isn’t on the Broncos’ side. I get it. Expectations are a mile high, as well they should be. The Broncos have Peyton Manning, the best regular season quarterback in NFL history. Manning should have a great career in Denver, but it takes more than just a great quarterback to win a Super Bowl. One area of concern is our defense. Particularly, the linebacker position, since D.J. Williams is going to be suspended for the first six games of the regular season due to a failed drug test. Williams could be subject to further punishment from the NFL because of a conviction for DWAI. So now the Broncos will be weak at the linebacker position for at least half the season or more.
That means the Broncos could start Wesley Woodyard or rookie Danny Trevathan. Woodyard brings more experience, but at only 6-feet, his size will be a problem, considering he has a history of fading toward the end of the season. Trevathan was a tackling machine at Kentucky, but he also has a small stature at 6-feet-1-inch. If his body cannot get used to the physical grind of 17 weeks in the NFL, he could fade as well. Another concern I have is the defensive line — pass-rushing won’t be a problem this season, it will be stopping the run. In the AFC West the Broncos have to deal with the Oakland Raiders’ Darren McFadden, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Jamaal Charles and the San Diego Chargers’ Ryan Mathews; these guys have a history of tearing up the Broncos defense. In the offseason the Broncos selected Derek Wolfe during the second round of the NFL draft hoping he will clog up the hole in the defensive line. The Broncos also have Jason Hunter but he might miss the entire season because of an injury. Ty Warren was a good defensive lineman for the New England Patriots, before signing with the Broncos in 2011 but he missed the entire season with torn triceps. Broncos’ fans are hoping Warren can return to his old form of stopping the run on a constant basis. Rookie Malik Jackson could be a comple-
mentary player to Elvis Dumervil, but he is more of a pass-rusher than run-stopper. Plus, Jackson could face the same problem of Trevahan — being an undersized player (270lbs) that might fade in the end of the season. However, Jackson might not play a lot this year because the depth at the defensive line is deeper than the linebacker core. On the offensive side I am a little worried about the wide receivers. Eric Decker is just an average wide-out at best. He drops a lot of easy passes and wouldn’t exactly put fear into my eyes if I was an opposing defense back. And don’t give me that garbage saying Decker was hampered by Broncos great, Tim Tebow. Decker struggles to get away from defensive backs and doesn’t exactly know how to catch passes in traffic either. The other wide-out is Demaryius Thomas. Who showed his potential last year (Look at the Pittsburgh playoff game). My concern with him, he drops passes. But unlike Decker, Thomas has shown the ability to be a number one option for Manning. The other wide-outs are Andre “Bubba” Caldwell, Matt Willis and former Bronco Brandon Stokley, who are average at best, however, their stats will be inflated because Manning is throwing the ball. Another question I have is: “Who is going to be the backup quarterback?” Former Colorado State Ram, Caleb Hanie, appears
to be the backup for Manning, but has struggled during preseason. And as a Chicago Bear, Hanie didn’t impress anybody stepping in for the injured Jay Cutler. If I had to pick a backup QB, I would go with Adam Weber. Weber is looking impressive running the third team offense, while Hanie is looking incompetent. Finally there is Brock Osweiler, the rookie out of Arizona State. As much as I like his potential, I think he should wait and watch Manning. Super Bowl or bust. That is what I am hearing from Broncos’ fans. And, as much as I would love to see Manning win his second Super Bowl playing for the Broncos, he’ll have trouble. After all, Manning has a history of struggling in playoff games and his 9-10 playoff record won’t necessarily be part of his Hall of Fame acceptance speech. Weather could be another negative factor for Manning, who played half of his games in a dome and in the warm climates of Jacksonville and Houston. As those living in Colorado know, once late October comes around, so does the snow. The last time the Broncos had high preseason expectations was after the 2005 season, in which the Broncos went to the AFC Championship game and lost. The 2006 Broncos went 9-7; it was also the start of the short Jay Cutler era. Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself.
18 August 23, 2012 MetroSpective TheMetropolitan
TimeOut This Month 8.24-9.8
Metrosphere and Artists of CVA
View the fine art and literary works featured in the 20112012 edition of Metrosphere. Center for Visual Arts, 10 a.m. Free
Across 1- Official records; 5- Wight or Man; 9- Grenoble’s river; 14- Scheme; 15- Mariners can sail on seven of these; 16- Executive of a municipality; 17- Father’s office; 19- Squeeze; 20- Able to read and write; 21- Crystal-lined rock; 22- Appears; 23- Building for storing hay; 24- Proverb ending?; 25- Dexterity; 28- Criminal; 31- Egg exterior; 32- Be in the red; 34- Chemical used on trees; 35- Land measures;
36- Send out; 37- Like some ears; 38- Impostor; 39- Basic monetary unit of Sweden; 40- Young tree; 42- The 19th letter of the Greek alphabet; 43- Lukas of “Witness”; 44- Confuse; 48- Collect; 50- Menacing; 51- Shatter; 52Rabid; 53- Lofty nest; 54- Utopia; 55- Flower holder; 56- Lock of hair; 57- Sunset direction; 58- K-6; Down 1- “Forbidden” fruit;
2- Assert as a fact; 3- Sensation provided by buds on the tongue; 4- Earlier; 5- Sharon’s land; 6- Chairs; 7- Overdue; 8- Legal ending; 9- Endanger; 10- Loose-fitting skirtlike garment; 11- Watched intently; 12- Ascended, flower; 13- Trauma ctrs.; 18- Church instrument; 21- Some Celts; 23- Run in the wash; 25- Gesture of indifference; 26- ___ sapiens; 27- One of a matching pair; 28- Blubber;
29- Some Ivy Leaguers; 30- Actress Turner; 31- Examines closely; 33- Sorority letter; 35- Met highlights; 36- Bursting forth; 38- Flares; 39- Gold standard; 41- Aspect; 42- Occupant; 44- Languishes with longing; 45- Express alternative; 46- Clear the board; 47- Plant tissue; 48- From the U.S.; 49- Female horse; 50- Created; 51- Posed; 52- Not many;
My Life is Average Today, I woke up to a Rubber Duck on my car and a note that read, ‘This is a friendly warning to make you aware of the upcoming chaos. The Rubber Duck apocalypse has started. We suggest you stock up on grapes and lemonade and wish you the best of luck. Quak. MLIA Today, I forgot my ipod when I went to the gym, so instead I put my own words to the soap opera on the tv for entertainment. I don’t think I need music anymore. MLIA
8.25
Reggae on the Rocks 25th Anniversary
Red Rocks Amphitheatre 3:00 p.m. Doors open at 2:00 p.m.$73.90
8.27
Investigative Reporting Contest
Find clues and solve the media mystery in this studentmedia sponsored contest! Lawrence st. Plaza 12:00 p.m.
8.24 8.27 1964: The Food Truck Beatles Challenge Anniversary Concert Tribute Opening Round Red Rocks Ampitheatre 8:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. $29 General Admission
Denver’s best food trucks go head to head to earn students’ votes! The top 3 will be back for the final showdown August 30! Tivoli Commons, 11:00 a.m.
Texts From Last Night
Today in History 8.23
Hey have you ever thought about fishing cause I’d like to go fishing but don’t know anyone that fishes and I’m gonna cry because. FISHING
1784: American Revolution: The State of Franklin declares Independence.
Me and this 7 year old almost finished a large pizza. And when I say me and this 7 year old I really mean me. I have fireworks and redbull; let’s make heart attack inducing magic happen. I woke up and found a doughnut on our front porch. It’s not sketchy though. More like a gift from the gods.
1904: Patent for the tire chain is issued. 1926: Famous silent film star, Rudolph Valentino dies at age 31. 1966: Vietnam War: U.S. cargo ship strikes a mine near Saigon 1979: Cold War: Aleksandr Godunov defects to United States. 1989: Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose is banned from MLB for placing bets on baseball games.