Volume 39, Issue 21 - February 8, 2017

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The Student Voice of MSU Denver

Volume 39, Issue 20

February 8, 2017

MSU Denver Roadrunner headed to the Phillies

Former MSU Denver athlete, Julian Garcia, pitches against Colorado Mines April 19, 2015 at the Regency Athletic Complex in Denver. Garcia was the 10th round draft pick for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016.

Photo by Abreham Gebreegziabher • agebreeg@msudenver.edu

F

News

Garcia is a former MSU Denver baseball player who holds the school record for strikeouts with 95 in a season. In 2016, he got to experience every young baseball player’s dream.

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coming on the board,’” Garcia said.

Continued on PAGE 12 >>

Sports

Features

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“The Phillies call me and say, ‘Hey man, you’re definitely going in the 10th round. Get your phone ready, call whoever you need to call, be around with everybody, but your name’s

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dschaut@msudenver.edu

ew can pitch in baseball.

Fewer can pitch collegiately, and only the select elite can call themselves a professional baseball pitcher.

Julian Garcia is one of these elite.

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David Schaut

Denverites say ‘not today’ to travel ban

The new culture of casual sex

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February 8, 2017

Denver rallies around Islamic community

By Esteban Fernandez

eferna14@msudenver.edu

D

enverites answered a Facebook call to protest President Donald Trump’s executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries at Civic Center Park Feb. 4.

Brandishing handmade signs written in Arabic and English and waving American flags, protesters stood in solidarity with their Muslim neighbors. Kristen Andersen stood beneath the greek pillars in the amphitheatre wearing pink on both her hijab and the sign she held. Standing beside her was her friend Leticia Calderon and her daughter Rachel. They were at the protest to not just make their voices heard over the travel ban, but to also support Andersen.

“I wanted to stand for our vision of America,” Andersen said, explaining that her vision was a diverse and inclusive country.

Looking on, Leticia Calderon said, “Kristen is awesome, how can they ban her?”

The president’s travel ban was put on hold by a temporary restraining order by Federal District Court Judge James Robart on Friday. Lawyers for the administration failed to stay the order in Federal Appeals Court. Judge Robart’s order stops the administration from imposing the 90 day travel limitation and restores travel from the seven affected countries for people that have already been properly vetted.

Despite that development, there was an undercurrent of fear running beneath the entire protest.

“I mean, look at the countries that are being targeted. It’s like seven Islamic countries. It’s the beginning of a Muslim ban, it seems like it. I think it will get worse, but that this is the start,” Frank Vanbaelinghem said. Vanbaelinghem is the leader for the Colorado chapter of

the Islamic Circle of North America. His group was at the event handing out water and donuts, as well as educating people on what he said was the true representation of Islam. His group also helps out with relief efforts during catastrophes.

Rawia Daud studies accounting at MSU Denver. She comes from Sudan, one of the banned countries. Daud is a permanent resident of the United States, and administration has stopped banning people with green cards from re-entering the country. However, she said she had a cousin who flew to the United States to join her husband, but was stopped at the airport and taken back.

“Our countries have wars and we need a place to go to,” Daud said. “We have opportunities here more than we have in our countries, so he should let whoever wants to come here have success and stand up for themselves.”

Adam Digiorgio and Brendan Ray were also at the protest. Digiorgio is an MSU Denver student and Ray is an administrative assistant and tutor for the TRiO program at MSU Denver.

Ray’s classroom is diverse and includes Muslim students along with children of immigrant parents.

“We have Muslim students. And we have students from the Middle East going to our school,” Digiorgio said. “It could affect them if they have family overseas and want to go and see them. It’d be hard to come back.”

Digiorgio classified the ban as discriminatory for several reasons. He cited Rudy Giuliani’s comments on a Sunday morning news program regarding how the administration asked him to make a Muslim ban pass legal muster was one of the things that convinced him that the travel ban was discriminatory.

Digiorgio also pointed out that the administration wasn’t banning Christian

Nour Bendhahnane pinches Heba Mouadane’s cheek while playing during the Protect our Musim Neighbors Rally Feb. 4 in Denver. Photo by Lauren Cordova • scordo22@msudenver.edu

Tears well in Mohamed Mouadane’s eyes as he listens to inspirational speakers at the Protect Our Muslim Neighbors Rally in Denver Feb. 4. Mouadane immigrated to the U.S. two months after the attacks on 9/11. Photo by Lauren Cordova • scordo22@msudenver.edu

refugees from the same countries and that none of the countries hit by the ban held business ties with President Trump. He added that he believed the ban would go to the Supreme Court and could end with Trump being impeached.

Batula Mohamed, another MSU Denver student, said that the ban impacted her

because she was both an immigrant and refugee from Somalia.

“Looking, at like, how everything’s taken place, like people standing up for us, I feel that we’re going to win. We’re going to overcome it somehow,” she said.

“If nobody stands up for us, it’s going to be terrible.”

CU student Donia Hanaei listens to speakers at the Protect Our Muslim Neighbors Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver Feb. 4. Photo by McKenzie Lange • mlange4@msudenver.edu

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Truth amongst alternative facts Auraria students learn ways to spot fake news

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MetStaff Editor-in-Chief Joella Baumann • jbauma17@msudenver.edu Managing Editor Keenan McCall • kmccall3@msudenver.edu News Editor Esteban Fernandez • eferna14@msudenver.edu Assistant News Editor Madison Lauterbach • mlauter1@msudenver.edu Features Editor Cassie Ballard • cballar7@msudenver.edu Sports Editor David Schaut • dschaut@msudenver.edu Assistant Sports Editor Jake Howard • jhowar50@msudenver.edu Web Editor Devyn Deeter • ddeeter@msudenver.edu Photo Editor Lauren Cordova • scordo22@msudenver.edu Assistant Photo Editor McKenzie Lange • mlange4@msudenver.edu Page Layout Estevan Ruiz • eruiz8@msudenver.edu Director of Met Media Steve Haigh • shaigh@msudenver.edu Assistant Director of Met Media Ronan O’Shea • roshea3@msudenver.edu Production Manager of Met Media Kathleen Jewby • kjewby@msudenver.edu

Matt Kaskavitch, the social media manager at CU Denver, led a passionate conversation with students from each institution about the idea of “Fake News.”

Kaskavitch discussed the aspect of social media and how it is changing the game of journalism. Photo by Kylie Henson • khenson2@msudenver.edu

By Ed Gloor egloor1@msudenver.edu

I

n the latest Hot Topic Discussion, CU Denver Social Media Manager and lecturer Matthew Kaskavitch and freelance journalist David Kelly partnered up to discuss fake news with students and faculty in the Tivoli Multicultural Lounge.

Fake news has been in the headlines recently because several reputable news outlets have reported on its influece over American politics. Fake news has traditionally meant untrue stories published online or in print. Planet Money, an NPR podcast, found a fake news distributer and reported on ther amount of money a fake news publisher makes.

Critics of the media have accused reputable news outlets of being fake news purveyers because of sloppy and inaccurate reporting.

Kaskavitch and Kelly admit that there is fake news in circulation that looks legitimate. However, they came up with some ways to spot fake stories.

“Any time you are consuming information online, look at the source,” Kaskavitch said.

Fake sites have become better at naming themselves to trick readers. Kaskavitch pointed out that some sites, like abcnews. com.co, will use domain names that seem

official at a quick glance, but are fake.

Kaskavitch warns readers against only reading the title and not the story itself.

Titles that sound especially divisive are the ones that readers must be wary of. Often the title is meant to get clicks and isn’t entirely related to the story.

“Don’t just rely on the headlines.

Sensational or clickbait headlines should raise a flag,” Kaskavitch said.

Another source of questionable information is anonymous internet forums like 4chan and reddit. These sites generate content through user submission. Because anyone can post anonymously on these sites, the things that are posted cannot necessarily be taken as fact. One thing Kaskavitch advised to do was to check the site’s “About Us” section and read the name of the authors of the stories that you read.

Kaskavitch warned that if the “About Us” reads like it would come from an online forum like 4chan or reddit, then that is an easy way to spot a fake site.

“Does the photo look real in the story?”

Kaskavitch asked.

If not, he suggests saving the image on the story and doing a reverse Google search on the image. If a similar image is found to the one on the suspected fake story, compare the two images. A lot of fake news stories will take photos from legitimate stories and alter them to make their stories appear more legitimate.

Also, stories that seem like they

should be breaking news will be reported by all reputable news sources. If the story cannot be found anywhere else but on the site where it was originally found, it is likely fake.

Kelly and Kaskavitch also presented those in attendance with ways to deal with fake news stories and sites: Never share without reading the content, report the stories believed to be fake, consider browser plugins, such as Fib, to help spot fake news and call out the fake news stories that are posted.

Fake news used to go by a different name, yellow journalism. Operating the same way as fake news, yellow journalism is defi ned by a reliance on exaggeration and sensationalism. The term originated around the time of the Spanish-American War in 1898.

MSU Denver Junior Matthew Michalak raised concerns on having to invest time to simply get the facts.

“If you’re working two jobs to just get by, who has the time to investigate the news? There’s this growing divide between the people who have the time and have the money to pay for news, for good quality news, versus everybody else,” Michalak said.

Kelly said that it is also the responsibility of consumers to use critical thinking to sort through what’s real or fake, not simply absorb all information.

“You are not a potted plant,” Kelly said.

The Metropolitan must issue a correction for our statement that Sue Meals is a state senator. Meals is a member of the Republican party and not an elected representative. State senate District 2 is represented by Sen. Granthom. The Metropolitan regrets the error.

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Janine Davidson: Presidential finalist

By Keenan McCall kmccall3@msudenver.edu

A

fter several months, the presidential search committee has settled on Janine Davidson as the final candidate for MSU Denver’s next university president.

The announcement was made Feb. 1 at the faculty senate meeting. Davidson was selected for her experience in a varied array of leadership fields, which include serving as the 32nd undersecretary of the United States Navy as well as nearly 30 years of experience in military operations, national security policy and academic research. She has also led courses on national security policy and political science at Georgetown University in D.C., George Mason University in Virginia and Davidson College in North Carolina.

“Dr. Davidson’s unique, and what I call hybrid background, really hits those marks,” said Michelle Lucero, chair of the MSU Denver board of trustees.

The presidential search committee was comprised of former and current faculty and board members, as well alumni and current students. All were required to sign a confidentiality agreement to prevent the disclosure of the candidates’ identities past the committee meetings.

“Some of the experts said, and some of the literature said, be careful about including students in the search committee,” Lucero said. “But I’m glad we included them.”

Davidson was decided on after narrowing the search down to three candidates. Rob Cohen, chair of

the search committee, said her skills in various areas and involvement in the community set her apart.

“Her administrative experience, her experience in academia, her experience working with legislature in a public area,” Cohen said. “It was challenging because we were blessed with a number of great candidates, but in the end, she rose to the top because of the package she brings.”

Cohen said due to the sensitivity of the subject and to protect the future prospects of those who were not selected, they were as secretive as possible about who was chosen up to the finalist decision.

This was also done in line with State law.

“That’s why the state sets up the process the way they do. It’s the same as it would be at any other academic institution in Colorado,” Cohen said.

On Twitter, Davidson said she was honored and excited to be named as the finalist for the MSU Denver president. Cathy Lucas, associate to the president for marketing and communications and the administrative member in charge of interviews with the presidential finalist, said Davidson would be unavailable for direct comment until her visit to the MSU Denver campus Feb. 13 and 14.

Lucas said Davidson was seen as a pick that could further progress made in several areas since Jordan first started at MSU Denver. She was happy with the work done during the search.

“I think the search committee, the board of trustees, everyone did a great job,” Lucas said.

Davidson will be available to meet in person with the wider faculty and student community Feb. 13 and 14. The board is expected to officially vote on her hiring Feb. 15.

Janine Davidson. Photo from Google

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Progressives defiant over Trump orders

By Esteban Fernandez eferna14@msudenver.edu

C

Youth leader Mayra Evangelista waits for the Sanctuary City Policy Discussion to begin at North High School in Denver on Feb. 2 • Photo by McKenzie Lange • mlange4@msudenver.edu

the provision prohibiting state and local agencies from sharing any information with federal agencies about Colorado residents.

“This administration is going to want the state and local government to help them identify people. And guess what? We’re just not going to do that,” Salazar said.

Salazar claimed the 10th amendment, which gives any powers not expressly reserved by the federal government back to the states, as legal justification for the bill.

Herod’s proposed bill shortens class 2 misdemeanor sentencing from 365 days

to 364. While the change seems minor, the extra day means that immigration and deportation won’t be automatically triggered. Major crimes like murder and rape are typically sentenced longer than a year. Herod gave shoplifting as an example of a class 2 felony.

Both bills have yet to be introduced into the state legislature.

One common theme was that sanctuary cities were safer if people felt comfortable enough to report crimes without fear of deportation. However, the last two weeks

of Trump’s presidency amplified the fear undocumented immigrants felt according to the panelists. MSU Denver professor Ramon del Castillo said his classroom turned into an impromptu therapy session.

He said the uncertainty wasn’t limited to his students.

Castillo said that DACA students weren’t the only ones impacted by the new executive order. He said people had brothers and sister who were married to people that were in the United States without papers and, “were fearful that their children were going to be deported, so they stopped sending them to school.”

Also present were members of the local Muslim community. Amal Kassir, who organized the DIA travel ban protest Jan. 28, spoke in solidarity with her immigrant neighbors at the forum.

Currently, the only immigration bill introduced into the Colorado House of Representatives is the Hold Colorado Accountable Government Sanctuary Jurisdictions bill. Rep. Dave Williams drew special ire from Rep. Salazar for sponsoring the bill. It allows victims of crimes perpetrated by undocumented immigrants to sue pro-sanctuary Colorado politicians.

“He is half-latino. Write his name down and call him tomorrow. Visit his office tomorrow. Tell him that we will not tolerate any more divisiveness coming from the Republican party,” Salazar said about Williams.

Image: Arwa Abouon, I’m Sorry, I Forgive You (detail), photograph/diptych, 2012

ommunity leaders outlined their plans to protect immigrants by turning Denver into a sanctuary city at a forum held at North High School Feb. 2.

Hosted by the Colorado Latino Forum, the event brought Democratic lawmakers, city attorneys and law enforcement officials together to discuss how Denver would handle immigration policy in light of President Donald Trump’s executive orders surrounding undocumented immigrants.

“I want to make it very clear. If Donald Trump expands his XO and tries to come to Colorado and tries to do things that hurt your rights, any other of the immigrant’s rights that are going on, we are ready to stand and fight,” said Cristal Torres de Herrera, Denver’s deputy district attorney.

State Rep. Joseph Salazar and Rep. Leslie Herod were part of the forum.

Each presented new legislation they were currently drafting to protect immigrant communities. Salazar presented the Ralph Carr Freedom Defense Act, which would prevent state and local agencies from working with federal agents to register or intern Colorado residents on the basis of national origin, race or religion.

However, the most controversial part of the bill according to Salazar was

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How Pornhub can fill the holes in sexual education

By Keenan McCall kmccall3@msudenver.edu

W

hen a major pornography site is one of the most progressive sources for sex education, it might finally be time to talk more about sex.

Last week, Pornhub announced they were launching a new sex education service tied to their site. The new subsite offers videos covering a variety of information on the biology of sex, STDs, safe practices and protection methods for both men and women. At the same time, it offers ways to get in touch with professionals for advice

While the number of people who will seek out the sex education content versus basic porn won’t be even, the sheer reach gained by a site taking up this cause is a huge opportunity.

on trying new positions or self pleasure devices, as well as better communicating expectations in a sexual relationship.

Now, I know what you’re thinking.

Why would this be preferable to the more traditional methods we’ve relied on for sex education?

Simple: It embraces sex not only as a reproductive act, but as a pleasurable activity that can be done regularly and enhanced by communication.

Sex has long been a divisive and confusing subject for people living in American culture. Religion, politics and social norms all play major roles in when, where and how having sex is acceptable, to the point where something like contraceptive actions are a hot button issue.

It leaves many feeling tense, frustrated and embarrassed while learning about the subject, let alone discussing it.

Sexual education courses taught in school don’t do much to help this either.

Sure, that section on the biology of sex in middle school explains the different parts involved and why it’s necessary, but it doesn’t cover how to work your way around social and cultural norms. It does little to explain how you can talk about concerns or desires that will come up during sex or the steps one should take when establishing sexual relationships.

That’s where Pornhub’s services come in. Being perfectly frank, almost everyone knows about pornagraphic sites, Pornhub especially. The site receives over 70 million visitors per week from across the globe, covering several kinks, positions and forms of sex and expressed sexual urges.

While the number of people who will seek out the sex education content versus basic porn won’t be even, the sheer reach gained by a site taking up this cause is a huge opportunity. It can help start up the conversation of what sex is in a casual context, and how both men and women can enjoy it.

Its capabilities as a tool educators can use is phenomenal as well. Clearly displaying key points of casual sex practices with videos starring actual people can supplement lessons and paint a clearer picture of the process. It can also explain the proper precautions needed to enjoy it regularly without the worry of accidental STD contraction or pregnancy, both in

Sex is a normal and pleasurable experience.

It’s time we started teaching people as much.

X E S TALK Update Though the piece in

more traditional styles like missionary or more taboo preferences like BDSM or anal play.

The same can be said of one on one talks given by parents. It varies from person to person, but many people who grew up in American culture are, unsurprisingly, uncomfortable talking about sex with their kids. It’s necessary now more than ever though, due in large part to the abundance of porn websites that could depict dangerous behavior kids can imitate and, in some cases, have.

Pornhub’s new services help clear up topics parents can’t properly explain. The videos can better show what sex is, when it should be had and what healthy sexual relationships look like. Pornhub also has specialists who can answer questions for them or the kids involved, giving input backed by research.

Last but not least, it can help with communication in everyday relationships.

Establishing kinks or boundaries can be difficult, but watching specially made videos could serve to ease the tension and make both members more comfortable with their own sexuality. Past that, it could lead to reaching more fulfi lling and pleasurable sex sooner.

Sure, there will be some kinks to work out. Porn is still a topic kept out of public conversation, save for when it causes a major issue or crosses legal lines. Past that though, it could start a conversation sorely needed by people throughout the country.

Sex is a normal and pleasurable experience. It’s time we started teaching people as much.

this week’s section deals with a topic related to sex, this is not officially part of the sex talks column series. Pieces by sex talk columnist Natasha Ahmed will return at a later date.

If you have questions about a previous topic covered last semester or have a topic you’d like to see covered, send an inquiry to THEMETONLINE@ gmail.com/sextalk.

Have a view on current events you’d like to share? Want to voice your thoughts on a subject that has been covered in the paper? Send your pieces to themetonline@gmail.com or managing editor Keenan McCall at kmccall525@gmail.com.

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Dungeons, dragons, comics and comedy

By Cassie Ballard cballar7@msudenver.edu

W

hether in a book, a song, a poem or any other form, fantasy is always a tale.

With fantasy, anything is possible. The only limits are the boundaries of an individual’s imagination. In most cases, there is planning involved and a set path for the formulated plot.

In rare cases, the story comes spontaneously. The characters, their background and even the rhythm is majestically presented on a whim. A true art of its own, separate from a learned rhyming pattern or a well thought out twist.

Improvised storytelling works from the clues surrounding the storyteller. Not everything can always be planned.

For the cast members of Dork: Dungeons and Dragons, improv is their forte. Each show works with a few suggestions from the audience to create a comedic, improvised story.

Dungeons and Dragons has been an improvised fantasy game since the 1970’s, while Dork: Improvised Dungeons and Dragons plays a literal game of Dungeons & Dragons on stage.

One of the creators, Todd Couch, directs the story as the Dungeon Master. Couch will write a broad script with a Mad Lib format, leaving spaces for the audience to fill in random nouns to guide the story. From there, the cast will improvise the mission.

“We just ask for animals, parts of body, things like that and it

builds out the entire legend for the dark crystal and fills out the adventure throughout the night,” Couch said.

The main goal is to find the dark crystal.The cast is told the outline with the audience during the opening scene and the rest is their creation.

“He lays out this whole guideline and then we improvise the rest of it. So all the words are made up, we never know what we are going to say, we never know where we are going to go, who we are going to meet. It’s really fun,” said Elizabeth Frazier, one of the main heroes who normally plays an elf ranger named Xandriel.

The show used to follow three main heroes on a large journey.

Couch wanted more of the cast members to have an opportunity to play the hero, so he switched to the Mad Lib crystals and switches the heroes and villains each time.

Sometimes, the characters will still refer to a prior show for backstory.

“When I told the story about my father killing my demon son, that really happened,” said Thomas Robinson, who usually plays a pirate bard named Jurek.

One of the characters relates himself to his personal life. Rahul Shah plays a wizard hero in many of the shows and is also a magician in real life. Shah will perform magic on audience members in the lobby before the show.

After Dork is One-Shot, a live action comic book with the majority of the same cast. Tony McNitt is the director for OneShot while also doing the lighting for Dork.

One-Shot takes two photographs from an old comic

Liz Fraizer and Thomas Robinson discuss their journeys with a co-star during the improve performance DORK at Voodoo Comedy Playhouse in Denver Feb. 2.

Photo by Kenneth Martinez • kmart143@msudenver.edu

The 20-sided die used for the DORK improv performance waits to be rolled at Voodoo Comedy Playhouse in Denver Feb. 2.

Photo by Kenneth Martinez • kmart143@msudenver.edu

book strip as the guidelines. The show opens with a picture to start and the cast is required to end with the closing picture. Everything in between is improvised.

The stories used to follow a superhero theme, but now it relies on the melodrama of older comic books.

The cast came together taking classes at the Voodoo Comedy Club. They were part of another improv called Hotdog City. Steve Wilder, the owner of Voodoo, invited Couch and McNitt to direct Thursday-Nerdsday improv nights.

The night is designed to be two hours of nerd comedy on the first Thursday of every month.

Voodoo Comedy Club is known for hosting improv classes and having a majority of improv comedy shows for audience members.

“I would recommend every person to take improv classes,” Frazier said. “It’s like playtime for adults. So I recommend everyone to do it. It can build confidence, it can make your mind much faster.”

Thursday Nerdsday is the first Thursday of every month starting at 8 p.m. at the Voodoo Comedy Playhouse 1260 22nd St. in Denver.

Shah will also be having a magic show Feb. 25 at the Boedecker Theater in Boulder at 8:30 p.m.

Todd Couch (Dungeon Master) keeps the story flowing during the improv performance of DORK at Voodoo Comedy Playhouse in Denver on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017. This monthly show is based off the popular role playing game Dungeons and Dragons. Photo by Kenneth Martinez • kmart143@msudenver.edu

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Cosplay culture a growing attraction

By Kavann Tok ktok@msudenver.edu

C

osplay is an underground culture dedicated to bringing the worlds of fantasy and role-play to life. Various genres of sci-fi, superheroes, anime characters and gamers join together to celebrate their common interests.

Conventions such as “ComicCon” and “Zombie Crawls” have become mainstream in recent years, so much so that some feel it has lost touch with the original social aspects and personal interactions within the Cosplay community. Therefore, new groups are emerging in an attempt to bring it back to its roots. One such group is “Project Cosplay.”

“Think of a scene where the cosplayers are getting their pictures taken in their brand new awesome costumes by great photographers,” said Iggy Michniacki, editor-in-chief of Project Nerd Publishing.

“There’s 20 other people with cellphones that keep them bombarded, getting in the way.

The booths are in the background of the pictures. That’s not a good scene setup.”

Michniacki wants to give the cosplayers a chance to work with about nine or ten photographers without distraction from the public.

Project Cosplay is an annual event in Denver, typically in February, focusing on organized photoshoots, workshops and panels. It ran for the first time last year, where, they had about 120 attendees. The event was held at Embassy Suites in Denver from Feb. 3-5. Their theme is “Think of it as the convention without the convention… just more time for you to enjoy cosplay.”

Another group, Club Cosplay, also emphasizes smaller events such as Nerd Karaoke. It started as a Southern California event, particularly in Inland Empire, Los Angeles and Orange County, which is where Sarah and Greg Shupe grew up and how they became familiar with these type of events. The Shupes, who are the founders of Club Cosplay, explain their mission behind the club.

“It’s very casual,” Sarah said.

“We want to make it feel like more of a small party and share the community.”

While they also do bigger events, the whole concept is to have a sanctuary for cosplayers

to mingle and hang out together without all the pressures and spectators of mainstream conventions.

“We want to make it feel like more of a small party and share the community.”

– Sarah Shupe “We saw how strong the community was here in Colorado,” Greg said. “There are all of these tight-knit groups of nerds, gamers and cosplayers.

We just didn’t have enough to do together so Club Cosplay can be that place where, every month or two, they can get together and talk about all the nerdy things.

No one rolls their eyes at you. We want to be able to entertain nerds wherever nerds go.”

With about 125,000 people expected to visit San Diego’s Comic-Con each year, it has become diluted with people who are not there to participate, but to spectate.. Project Cosplay and Club Cosplay are finding ways around that to reclaim their community and cosplay culture.

Ezmeralda Von Katz poses as her cosplayer persona at the annual Project Cosplay event at the Embassy Suites in Denver on Feb.4.

Photo by Duane Hirschfeld • lonewolf_cub@yahoo.com

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII *Spoilers Ahead*

By Keenan McCall kmccall3@msudenver.

F

inal Fantasy VII” is one of the greatest games of all time, but its prequel helped its story and characters to reach even greater heights.

Released 10 years after VII on the Sony Playstation Portable, “Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII” follows the story of Zac Fair, a support character from the original game.

The player guides Zac through his exploits as a legend of the military group Soldier, meeting key characters like Sephiroth and Aerith to the ends of making his last stand against the evil Shinra Corporation’s forces.

Though the gameplay wasn’t revolutionary and had its share of technical hiccups, the game’s design and story expanded on the characters of VII in all the right places. In a series known for parties of adventurers, Zac is made to go through the game solo. He takes on colossal monsters single handedly, able to defeat series mainstay foes like Bahamut without help from anyone. It gives credence to why Photo courtesy of MobyGames.com

he holds such a vital role in the lives of the main characters after his death, as well as why Cloud Strife, VII’s main character, perfectly modeled himself after Zac in action and beliefs .

His end only builds upon this. Originally a brief scene offering him a quick and painless death, Crisis Core turns it into a monumental show of Zac’s spirit. Fighting wave after wave of Shinra henchman, he swings his sword with less control in each battle. His movements become sluggish and winded until he literally collapses from exhaustion, dying in front of Cloud and triggering his transformation into the hero of VII. It also builds upon the character of Sephiroth through its story. The most iconic villain of VII’s large roster of antagonists, “Crisis Core” shows who Sephiroth was before he broke down mentally. A hero of the highest renown, he pursued the betterment of Midgar with everything he had. The city’s people idolized him, and he was glad to be the hero Zac seeks to catch up to someday.

With the discovery of what he really is though, Sephiroth slowly unravels. His

disdain for the world who created him, and for the torturous research done on his mother Genova, pushes him further and further toward his decision to destroy the world he once sought to protect. It culminates in an epic battle with Zac, accompanied by music and combat which hint at his later moniker of “One Winged Angel.”

While these seem like basics for a prequel title, their execution builds upon the first so perfectly that it’s now hard to imagine the series’ world without Crisis Core’s additions. It stands as a shining example of what a prequel should be, and further cements the main game’s place as a pillar of gaming’s history.

Playing With Perspective is moving to a podcast format! You can find our shows on Thursday nights on mymetmedia.com/ playingwithperspective

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February 8, 2017

Met Features

New exhibit shares perspective on Muslim life

By Mady Smarr msmarr1@msudenver.edu

T

he Center for Visual Art at MSU Denver was brightly illuminated for the opening of the Presence: Reflections of the Middle East exhibition on Feb. 3.

The walls were covered in different pieces of different mediums, but all shared a similar theme. They deal with the erasure and perception of the Middle East in the United States over the past 20 years.

Presence was conceptualized at the end of 2016, but has become even more relevant in the current political environment.

“It is extremely timely and I’m really glad we put this exhibition together.

Obviously we did not predict what was going to happen, but it just feels like an important time to show the work,” said Natascha Seidneck, co-curator and professor of photography at MSU Denver.

The exhibition is largely a photo gallery, but one artist breaks the mold.

Laleh Mehran works in electronic timebased media. She uses a combination of many different mediums including video and motion censored pieces to create the desired effect. Mehran’s works are about the intersectionality of politics, religion, science and art. Her works have been featured all over the globe.

Another artist featured at the exhibition is Samira Yamin. She works with Time magazine war photos. Yamin cuts out intricate patterns that are important in Islamic culture on Time magazine

Left to Right: Artist Samira Yamin and co-curator Leila Armstrong discuss with a friend the success of the opening night of Presence: Reflections on the Middle East in Denver on Jan. 3.

Photo by Kylie Henson • khenson2@msudenver.edu

photographs.

“I’ve been having a conversation about war photography and the representation of the Middle East and how the representation of the Middle East actually leads to war, not the other way around,” Yamin said.

Yamin has also volunteered at LAX in recent weeks as a translator for incoming Middle Eastern immigrants.

“I’ve been having a conversation about war photography and the representation of the Middle East and how the representation of the Middle East actually leads to war, not the other way around.”

– Samira Yamin

The exhibition itself features a wide range of artists of varying ages and nationalities, but they all show the erasure of Muslim culture in their own way. Some artists fled the Iranian Revolution in the 1970’s. Other artists were born in the United States, but still have family and friends in the Middle East. The collection itself shows the variation of Muslim culture and also the stark contrast between modern and traditional Islamic culture.

“An exhibition like this can provide an avenue for empathy,” said Cecily Cullen, the director of Presence.

The motive behind putting on a show

like this in Denver was that Colorado does not have a very large Muslim population and the curators believe that Denver needs to understand the Muslim population.

While the show is not overtly political, it does possess many political subjects on its walls. It deals with refugees, war and the inequality betweenof the sexes.

It also features depicts non-politicized pieces. These pieces deal with generational gaps and normalizing Islamic people as something other than a terrorist.

Presence: Reflections on the Middle East is running at the Center for Visual Arts at MSU Denver until April 8, 2017.

During this time, artists will be holding lectures on their work.

If you go Presence: Reflections on the Middle East Location: Center for Visual Art 965 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204

Artist Talk with Laleh Mehran Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m.

Artist Talk with Golnar Adili Wednesday, March 25 at 5 p.m.

Sante Fe sculptor works to widen sidewalks with art Photo and story by Karson Hallaway cgonzo88@msudenver.edu

A

rtist Georgia Amar showcases new concepts behind her most current work to propose an artistic collaboration with the city of Denver.

Multimedia artist, Georgia Amar, showcased her conceptual work featuring structures for the city of Denver at the Habitat Gallery and Studio on Sante Fe Drive for the First Friday Art Walk Feb. 3.

Amar has created art in the Habitat Gallery for 13 years and every first Friday, she’s one of many artist who open their doors to the visitors of the art walk organized by Denver Art District on Sante Fe. As Denver’s patrons fi lter in, Amar takes the time with each exhibitor to talk about the concepts behind her most current collection, featuring steel-like sculptures resembling the basic form of a human figure painted by the medium oil on canvas.

Although the size of the sculptures

will differ, the conceptual meaning behind the structures are meant to serve as a collaborative piece with the city of Denver to improve pedestrian life from an architectural and artistic perspective. Amar says her aspirations for the conceptual art work will, “improve the Art District and widen sidewalks.”

Despite the current renovations to improve Denver’s most congested areas, once a month festivals like First Fridays still results in heavy traffic along Sante Fe drive.

To combat high traffic areas the Art District is developing a plan to widen sidewalks to ease foot traffic from gallery to gallery. Amar hopes the work she showcases in this past Friday will flow fluidly into the city’s plan to improve city navigation to and from the art walk and that doing so will bring more visitors at a convenient cost.

As the landscape of the city continues to change, highly populated art centers like Sante Fe will become more creative and commercialized due to city planning collaboration.

The art walks on first Fridays are graciously open till 9:30 p.m. on Sante Fe Drive at the Denver Art District, and

welcome well over 7,000 art lovers from the metropolitan area.

Multimedia Artist Georgia Amar (right) invites First Friday Art Walk visitors into her Habitat Gallery and Studio on Sante Fe Drive in Denver Feb. 1.

@themetonline f: themetropolitan mymetmedia. com

11

Dash: sit, stay, fetch, defuse

By Miranda McHodgkins mmchodgk@msudenver.edu

A

new addition implemented to Auraria Campus will keep students safe. He is a new police officer, who has four legs, white fur and a wet nose.

Dash is a 1-year-old, English cream golden retriever, who was rescued from Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies. He and his handler, Officer Corey Averill, became partners in October. They are a part of the first K-9 unit on campus.

Officer Averill was chosen for his experience as a military police officer and Dash for his nose.

“We are a certified team. Dash is certified in finding the odors and I’m certified in reading his behavior to determine if he has found any odors,” Averill said.

Not only is Dash the only K-9 on campus, his name is special too. He was named after an old Tivoli Beer from the prohibition.

“It’s kind of a cool name. It ties into campus and has some history in it,” Averill said.

The K-9 unit was introduced this year to make officers’ jobs

safer and more efficient.

“Everyday, out of the almost 45,000 students that come here, somebody leaves a backpack unattended that takes a lot of time for us to safely examine and get back to them,” Chief of the Auraria Police Department Michael Phibbs said.

Dash’s job also includes clearing rooms before big events such as dignitary visits.

Not only is Dash helpful for sniffing, he catches the attention of students and faculty.

“He’s a happy dog, smiling face, so he’s here to kind of bring all the students up, and it’s kind of nice seeing a dog walking around,” Averill said.

Dash also helps the police seem more approachable.

“They might see the dog out and might be more willing to talk to us more. It kind of humanizes the uniform in a way,” Averill said.

Although Dash’s job is so important, he doesn’t realize he is working.

“Dash doesn’t know what he’s searching for. He just knows that he recognizes this odor, and if he follows it he gets a toy and gets to play. So, he gets all excited when

he finds it,” Averill said.

The pair have yet to find an actual explosive device on campus. They are on duty Monday through Friday and students have enjoyed seeing them around.

Pamela Pacheski is an MSU Denver student who just lost her golden retriever. Seeing Dash on campus and being able to pet him made her feel a lot better.

“It’s nice seeing a dog,” Pacheski said.

“They want to use him to sniff out bombs. Of course, my mind goes ‘I hope he never ever finds a bomb.’”

Averill wants students to keep in mind that Dash is a service dog and he is working. If someone wants to pet Dash, he advises them to ask first. Then he’ll bring Dash to the student.

After a long day on campus, Officer Averill and Dash head home to relax, until the next day, when Dash comes back to campus to protect and play.

Students can keep up with Dash and his K-9 adventures with his instagram @dashthek9.

Officer Corey Averill poses with Dash the K-9 in front of the Tivoli on Jan. 19 on the Auraria Campus in Denver.

Photo by Lauren Cordova • scordo22@msudenver.edu

Good things brewing on Auraria

By Madi Lauterbach mlauter1@msudenver.edu

D

MSU Denver student Marciano “Marco” Olivo holds his award-winning Habango Ale at a complementary beer tasting at the Degree restaurant on the Auraria Campus Jan. 25.

Photo by Lauren Cordova • scordo22@msudenver.edu

egree Restaurant hosted a free beer tasting featuring beers brewed

by MSU Denver’s very own students.

The restaurant is a part of MSU’s Hospitality, Tourism and Events program, and is located at the Northeast corner of campus.

The restaurant partners with MSU Denver students to provide a real world experience.

The intimate beer tasting, held in the foyer of the restaurant Jan. 25, was open to MSU Denver faculty and students. The event featured nine beers, all brewed last semester by students enrolled in the Brewing Science Certification program. As patrons enjoyed the bubbly creations, most of the students were in class just a few feet away in the fermentation lab.

Joseph LaViolette, beverage laboratory coordinator, said that the event provides students and Degree exposure.

“It’s a great opportunity, the students get feedback from a lot of faculty of Metro and some students,” LaViolette said.

The program’s limited

liquor license allows for the production and tasting of beer for educational purposes only, and the beer cannot be sold.

LaViolette said that this affords students some creative freedom, which is shown in the beer lineup.: Ragnörok, a traditional Finnish beer, a passion fruit saison, Lemondrop SMaSH, a popular experiment beer brewed with lemon drop hops, and Habango, a refreshingly spicy and slightly sweet beer.

Habango, created and brewed

by Marciano “Marco” Olivo along with three partners, won bronze in the fruit beer category at the 2017 Big Beers Competition in Breckenridge.

“We wanted to do something that was fruity and spicy, so that it would be balanced. We went with habanero peppers and mango. So habanero and mango comes to Habango,” Olivo said.

Olivo has a culinary background and worked as a chef for 20 years before starting home brewing in 2008.

“I’ve always looked at beer as a food, so I wanted to explore that further. This is really what brought me here. The program has given me more insight into the science of brewing beer as well as the business aspect. It’s really a well rounded program,”

he said.

Olivo has a few beers going to competitions in the coming weeks or months, including a Belgian tripel, an American porter and an historical London ale.

David Andy and Sean Lawson are two MSU Denver students who attended the event to fill their bellies with the student brews. Both agreed that the Imperial IPA, Fruit Cornucopia, was their favorite.

“It embodies everything I want in an IPA; really strong, hoppy flavor. It was good, it was just on point,” Andy said.

Lawson noted the quality of the beers.

“It’s great. I can’t believe how good the beer is, especially for students,” he said.

Jeremy Greenwell, assistant director of food and beverage for Degree, said the partnership with MSU Denver provides students in the hospitality major a real world experience. The partnership benefits students in other ways as well. Funds from the restaurant go directly toward student scholarships.

“It’s an outlet for the students to be able to get their beer out there to be able to talk about it, to do something fun for campus,” Greenwell said.

Met

Sports

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mymetmedia.com

February 8, 2017

Roadrunners Briefs » Men’s basketball wins last two without Clark The Bahl era has come to an end for the Roadrunners’ men’s basketball team. The Runners went 2-1 with assistant coach Michael Bahl at the helm.

Junior Sunday Dech scored 15 on Feb. 3 and led the team with 23 the next night. Senior guard Brian Howard scored 18 in the fi rst game of the weekend.

» MSU Denver taekwondo club welcoming new members The MSU Denver taekwondo club is looking for new members. Boasting a history of regular participation and awards in the National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships, the team has existed for nearly as long as MSU Denver itself. Alumni frequently return as instructors and are willing to give handson guidance in proper form, technique and practice. The club welcomes students starting from any experience level. Students can enroll in a class, or stop by during their free time if they contact the program’s lead instructor Bill Pottle at wpottle@msudenver. edu.

»Roadrunners’ track and field team start kick toward outdoor season The MSU Denver track and field team has entered the final stretch of its indoor season.

The men’s team is currently ranked 9th in the projected RMAC Indoor Track and Field Championships rankings with four points, while the women’s team is ranked 10th with 16 points. The Championships will be held February 26-27 at the Chadron State-Nelson Physical Activity Center in Chadron, NE.

f: themetropolitan

@themetonline

Becoming a pro: Julian Garcia » Continued from cover It was a happy moment for him, a proud moment for his teammates and coaches and an emotional moment for his family members.

“It was cool to hear my Dad kind of get choked up and shed a tear because we’ve worked so hard and he’s helped me through so much,” Garcia said.

His father Joe wasn’t the only one feeling pride. Jerrid Oates, the head coach of MSU Denver’s baseball team, told Roadrunners Athletics after the pick how proud he was of the deserving Garcia.

“We are proud of Julian. Since he joined our program, he has been a first class kid with an amazing work ethic on the field,” Oates said. “He has worked extremely hard to get to this point in his career. We know he will do great things at the next level.”

“Right after you get off that plane, man, you’re a minor leaguer. It’s cool, you were treated like a god, kind of like, ‘OK you just got drafted,’ this and that, but then you go right to the minor leagues. You’re part of the system now.”

– Julian Garcia Garcia didn’t have long to enjoy his watershed moment. After flying out to Philadelphia, watching a couple Phillies games at Citizens Bank Park and signing his contract, he was jettisoned off to Clearwater, Florida to begin his professional career with the Phillies’ minor league affi liates.

“Right after you get off that plane, man, you’re a minor leaguer,” Garcia said. “It’s cool, you were treated like a god, kind of like, ‘OK you just got drafted,’ this and that, but then you go right to the minor leagues.

You’re part of the system now.”

After spending five days training in minicamp with the rest of the rookies, Garcia was sent to Williamsport, Pennsylvania to play with the Class A short-season Crosscutters.

While training and playing took up most of Garcia’s time, he noticed the difference between the city lifestyle he’d grown accustomed to and the new, slower pace of the smaller Williamsport.

“It was definitely different man. From being in the city for the last four years, and Fort Collins is a big area now, and so seeing all that and then going to Williamsport, it’s like this little tiny town that’s known for its history,” Garcia said. “You get into that

Former MSU Denver pitcher Julian Garcia was signed to the Philadelphis Phillies in the 10th round of the MLB draft. He hopes to join the New Jersey Lakewood BlueClaws next year.

Photo by Lauren Cordova • scordo22@msudenver.edu

little area and you’re like, ‘This is weird. I don’t see the city.’ I mean the city was nice, but way different than the fast and traffic in Denver, so it was really weird for me.”

Even though Garcia was accustomed to the city, the strict schedule that the organization precluded him from noticing the differences.

“We weren’t even in the city that much.

My schedule was to go to the field at two, we’d practice all day until seven, play a game, go home at like midnight and sleep until noon or one,” Garcia said.

As far as how Division II baseball prepared him for the professional ranks, Garcia dutifully balked at the notion that Division II may not do as good of a job as Division I programs.

“The times that I’ve had here at Metro and the players that we have on this team, they are definitely high caliber players,” Garcia said. “Just because it says Division II or Division I doesn’t mean that that’s their level of play. That’s just where the school that gave you the scholarship is. So you see Division II guys, you see junior college guys up at that level. The Division II talent that I faced is just as good. Division I just gets more publicity.”

When it comes to his career, Garcia, who finished his first professional season with 40 strikeouts in 30 innings, wants the next step to be making the jump from short-season play to the low-A club Lakewood Blue Claws after spring training ends.

“Lakewood is the goal right now. I mean not the complete goal obviously, but that’s where I see myself next year,” he said.

Garcia is no dunce. He understands that he has to plan for his life after baseball, whenever that may come. He is still taking classes for his sports management degree at MSU Denver, with the Phillies footing the

bill. However, he wants baseball to remain in his life.

“I really want to run a facility for baseball,” he said. “It takes a little bit of time and effort to find the right place, but I think Colorado’s growing in baseball and I really want to move it up even more.”

While professional training may be in his distant future, Garcia’s immediate focus is on spring training, where he hopes to make an impression on his coaches after giving his arm time to rest after a collegiate season immediately followed by a professional season. He sets out to make his case on March 2nd.

Garcia’s Crucial Stats • Status: Active • Full name: Julian Robert Garcia • Age: 21 (May 13, 1995) • Birthplace: Fort Collins, CO • Bats/Throws: L/R • Height: 6’ 3” • Weight: 185 lbs • Draft: Round 10 (2016 PHI) • School: Metropolitan State, CO

Career

(Over 2016) • Innings pitched: 30.0 • Hits: 27 • Runs: 14 • Earned runs: 12 • Home runs: 1 • Hit batsmen: 0 • Walk: 22 • Intentional walk: 0 • Strike out: 40 •AVG: .233

@themetonline

f: themetropolitan

mymetmedia.com

February 8, 2017

Avalanche safety

Nationwide Briefs

By Matt Miller

» Steve Sarkisian headed to the NFL

mmiller237@msudenver.edu

I

t only takes 15 minutes.

From the time an avalanche consumes you in the backcountry, your partners have 15 minutes to dig you out before you die from asphyxiation. There were 30 deaths across the U.S. due to avalanches in the 2015-2016 season and the 2016-2017 season has claimed seven so far.

Bryan Ferguson and Dave Lamothe from Auraria’s Outdoor Pursuits program lead an avalanche safety and forecasting class in order to mitigate the chance of this happening among Auraria students that want to set out in the backcountry.

The avalanche safety and forecasting class is an equivalent course to the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education level one course, which is $450. Outdoor Pursuits offers the same information and some of AIARE’s level two course information for free to Auraria students.

The course focuses on the four main factors of avalanches: Weather, terrain, snowpack and humans. Day one of the course is spent in classroom learning about the factors. Lamothe and Ferguson engage the students with interactive media and information from slides.

“There are two types of people that usually cause trouble in avalanche terrain.

Novices and experienced travelers,” Lamothe said. “Some of my best friends, I won’t ride with.”

He focuses on the human factor especially when discussing avalanche triggers since it’s the one thing that can be controlled.

They also discuss what makes Colorado snow riskier than coastal areas for avalanches. In coastal areas, the snowfall tends to become more homogenous and consistent through its snowpack, whereas Colorado’s does not. With inconsistent snowpack, there is a chance for more weak layers which can give way under other layers creating slab avalanches.

The course’s second and third days are conducted in the field on Jones Pass past Empire and before Winter Park, Colorado. The students are a mix of skiers, snowboarders, split-boarders and snowshoers who want to gain more

Met Sports

An avalanche safety instructor buries himself in the snow to show his students how to use a probe.

Photo by Lauren Cordova • scordo22@msudenver.edu

knowledge and preparation to go into the backcountry safely.

Steven Seguin, a Community College of Denver student, has some backcountry experience in Colorado, traveling the 10th Mountain Division huts with experienced backcountry leaders. He wanted to gain firsthand knowledge of what to look for in avalanche terrain.

“When it’s my own life, I don’t want there to be a question mark when I’m going down a hill. It interferes with the fun of the day,” he said.

On day two, the instructors guide students through beacon use and recovery.

When traveling in the backcountry it is highly suggested that every person has and knows how to use an avalanche beacon. In the event that someone is caught in a slide, another person can use their beacon to pick up the trapped person’s beacon, which emits a radio signal.

About a quarter of deaths in an avalanche are due to trauma, while the rest are caused by asphyxiation. If people can learn proper usage of their beacons, it can significantly cut the amount of time it takes to rescue someone that has been caught.

Lamothe and Ferguson divided the students into smaller groups for a mock rescue. Once the timer goes off, the students run and try to track down the buried beacon. The beacons are placed in unknown locations around a hundred

yards away, with the average recovery time around 10-12 minutes.

The third day of training includes field testing and how to identify weak layers in the snowpack. It’s highly encouraged that backcountry travelers test the snowpack that they want to ride or ski every time they go out and there are a few methods that are recommended.

“If I use anything, it’s going to be the Rutschblock test. It’s going to be the most similar to what I’m actually doing,” Lamothe said.

The Rutschblock test is a method where the traveler isolates a section of the snow on all four sides and puts their body weight on it. If any of the layers in the block collapse, it’s an indication it shouldn’t be ridden.

Ferguson has a philosophy for the class.

“I want to encourage a climate of inquiry,” he said.

He wants the students to be aware of the risks they are taking, and be in an environment where questions can continually be asked. Nate Penney, a brewery operations student at MSU Denver and Outdoor Pursuits staff member, added that the primary goal should be “getting home at the end of the day, alive.”

“Take pride in the decision to back down. It’s a result of the information you’ve learned here,” he said.

Sports stance: Gaga Bowl

By Madison Lauterbach mlauter1@msudenver.edu Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl LI halftime performance reflected on a larger pattern we’ve seen throughout the nation since President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence’s controversial policies materialized.

The performance came in typical Gaga style, with

mesmerizing costumes, synchronized audience participation and a deathdefying jump from the top of the stadium. The pop singer, who has never been shy of controversy, appeared to steer clear of the political realm, unlike Beyoncé’s Super Bowl L performance. The avoidance may have awarded her a new fan base of misguided conservatives, many of whom commended her on Twitter for “not getting political.”

Alabama’s Steve Sarkisian was named the Atlanta Falcon’s offensive coordinator Tuesday Feb. 7 after the departure of Kyle Shanahan.

Sarkisian took over for Lane Kiffin as Alabama’s offensive coordinator before Alabama’s national championship game.

Sarkisian has had NFL experience as the Oakland Raider’s quarterback coach in 2004. He was also previously the head coach at the University of Southern California and Washington.

“I felt, No. 1, what an aggressive playcaller he’s been through the years,” Atlanta Head Coach Dan Quinn said.

“He has a real familiarity from the wide zone scheme, the keepers that are such a big part of what we do.”

» Baylor official charged with solicitation

While not anti-Trump so much as pro-unity, Gaga’s performance was anything but apolitical. The artist has been outspoken about LGBTQ rights in the past, and sang her hit song and gay anthem “Born This Way.” Gaga opened her show by signing specific lyrics from “God Bless America” and “This Land is Your Land,” before reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, placing clear emphasis on “liberty and justice for all.”

Gaga used her national

More controversy arises at Baylor University. Assistant strength coach Brandon Washington was fired Feb. 7 after a solicitation arrest in the Waco prostitution sting.

Sheriff Parnell McNamara of McLennan County, Texas, said Washington was arrested at a Waco area hotel on a prostitution solicitation charge.

Washington was released immeditately.

Washington was brought to Baylor by head coach Matt Rhule after the departure of Art Briles amidst controversy over multiple sexual assault allegations against Baylor football players.

platform to sing a pro-LGBTQ song to an audience that included Pence, who has become the foremost voice of homophobia and gay conversion therapy at taxpayer’s expense.

Many conservatives may have found the halftime show simply entertaining, while anyone who had watched or listened closely enough certainly found validation in the comforting, humanitarian lyrics.

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Mile High Events

February 8, 2017

Auraria Events 2.08: Spread the Love Come join us in spreading the love by making Cards for Hospitalized Children, Pillows for the Elderly, and Dog and Cat toys for Animal Shelters.

Location: Multicultural Lounge Price: Free Time: 10 a.m. -1 p.m.

2.09: Roadrunners Give Back: Clothes to Kids Clothes To Kids of Denver provides free school clothing to preschool-12th grade students from low-income or in-crisis families.

Location: 2890 S. Colorado Blvd.

Unit M-3 Denver, CO Price: Free Time: 1:30-4:30 p.m.

2.13: Homecoming 2017: Roadrunner Field Day Join us as we celebrate Homecoming 2017. We will have free food, tons to do, and plenty of MSU Denver pride.

Location: Tivoli Turnhalle Price: Free Time: 1-4 p.m.

2.14: Love is a Drag A day devoted to dragging the campus into the new world! Drag workshops, educational speakers, and a drag show finale as a fundraiser for Rainbow Alley.

Location: Tivoli Turnhalle Price: Free Time: 2-5 p.m.

Seven-Day Forecast

2.08: Bleep Bloop Location:: Fox Theater Price: $13 Time: 9 p.m.

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2.12: The Gladiators Location: Fox Theater Price: $12 Time: 9 p.m.

2.08: Hail Sagan Location:: Herman’s Hideaway Price: $7+ Time: 7 p.m.

2.12: Shook Twins Location: Marquis Theatre Price: $15 Time: 8 p.m.

2.09: Raging Fyah Location:: Ogden Theatre Price: $22.50 Time: 8 p.m.

2.13: Aqueous Location: Larimer Lounge Price: $12+ Time: 8 p.m.

2.09: Sanga Location: The Bluebird Theater Price: $20+ Time: 9 p.m.

2.13: Fortune’s Fool Location: The Black Sheep Price: $7+ Time: 7 p.m.

2.10: Big Smo Location: Grizzly Rose Price: $12 Time: 8 p.m.

2.10: Mustard Plug Location: Gothic Theatre Price: $15 Time: 8 p.m.

2.11: Jauz Location: Ogden Theatre Price: $25 Time: 9 p.m.

2.11: Dead Floyd Location: Aggie Theatre Price: $12 Time: 9 p.m.

2.14: mewithoutyou Location: Ogden Theatre Price: $23+ Time: 7:30 p.m.

2.12: Rain in July Location: Marquis Theatre Price: $10 Time: 7 p.m.

2.14: Gasoline Lollipops Location: Fox Theater Price: $10+ Time: 8:30 p.m.

5 healthy snacks to get you through the day

Met Sports

1. Frozen grapes

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2.10 Vs. Chadron State

2. Trail mix

Location: Auraria Event Center Time: 5 p.m.

2.08: Windy

60º/30º

3. Dried fruit

2.09: Partly Cloudy

68º/41º

4. Greek yogurt and honey

2.10: Partly Cloudy

72º/40º

5. Edamame

2.11: Chance of Rain

60º/28º

2.12: Sunny

48º/22º

2.13: Sunny

54º/26º

“Maple Syrup Spill on Vermont Highway Leaves Drivers in Sticky Situation” (Time)

2.14: Sunny

55º/26º

“Putin approves change to law decriminalising domestic violence” (The Guardian)

Playing with perspective is back in a whole new way! The show will now be recorded as a podcast with new shows posted as soon as possible afterwards on soundcloud.com

n

Trending News “Harambe cheeto sells for $99k in the UK” (BBC News)

In Case You Missed It • Vice President Mike Pence cast the historic tie-breaking vote to confirm Betsy DeVos as secretary of education. It was a split vote of 51-50 despite outrage from the public surrounding her nomination.

• Janine Davidson has been chosen as the next MSU Denver president following Steve Jordan.

MEN’S BASKETBALL 2.10 Vs. Chadron State Location: Auraria Event Center Time: 7 p.m.

Pro Sports 2.13 Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors Location: The Pepsi Center Price: $25+ Time: 7 p.m.

2.15 Denver Nuggets vs. Milwaukee Bucks Location: The Pepsi Center Price: $15+ Time: 7 p.m.

2.09 Colorado Avalanche vs. Pittsburg Penguins Location: The Pepsi Center Price: $25+

Met

Break

f: themetropolitan

mymetmedia.com

Horoscopes

Overheard this week

Capricorn

You may think that starting afresh on Monday would be of some comfort, but it really won’t be.

too, it’s totally my worst trait.”

Hearing clicking noises in your head is not a good sign for you today.

Everything you have been taught will be forgotten in a crazy moment of rash behavior.

“I feel like a slice of pizza trying

aunt or uncle, but I’m excited

Speak slowly and you will be heard. People will think you’re being a jerk, but people will defi nitely understand you.

ACROSS 1. Like some beer 6. Wrapper weight 10. Fozzie, for one 14. Do without 15. Out of town 16. Wheel shaft 17. Fast-food franchise fixture (Var.) 18. Diamond crossing point 20. ‘’Cheers’’ role 21. Game on felt 23. Did Whitbread 24. Habitat 26. Rocky hill 27. Determine judicially 28. Fainthearted 30. They may be popped 32. Limbless lizard 34. Melody 38. Washer cycle 39. Trick ending 40. Word with code or colony 41. Place for a vault 42. Silly sound transposition 44. Adding-machine key 46. Constructs 47. Where to find porters 50. WWW address 51. Diplomatic representative 52. Lake source of the Mississippi 54. Baffled 55. Male swan 58. Farm tool 60. Subject of a Daniel sonnet 62. Lover of Narcissus

Libra

Th is week, everything will become just as clear as it is unclear.

Scorpio

October 23 -November 21 Take a long, hard look at yourself in the mirror.

If you see nothing, be open to the possibility you may be a vampire.

Gemini

Sagittarius

May 21 - June 20 Terrible envy can be yours all for the price of walking into a very expensive car showroom. Use that negative energy to summon up dark spirits.

63. Jolliet’s lake 64. Happening 65. Coarse file 66. Letter opener 67. Schoolroom items

“Spirited Away.”

— Keenan McCall “The Big Lebowski.”

—Madison Lauterbach “Raiders of Independence Day.” —Esteban Fernandez

September 23 - October 22

April 20 - May 20

to clean up after the flu.”

Hear or see something that makes you laugh?

Shake your head? Roll your eyes or say WTF? Tweet it to @themetonline with the hashtag #overheardoncampus

The rising moon says you were once born, and at some point in the next few days or weeks you will meet someone else who was once born.

Taurus

either way.”

than feelings. It’s so much easier

Virgo

August 23 - September 22

March 21 -April 19 Th is horoscope is brought to you in association with your upcoming incredibly bad luck.

— Joella Baumann

Your ideals are starting to shape the way you’re living, so congratulations.

Aries

to dance right now.”

“I would much rather get the flu

July 23 - August 22

February 19 - March 20

little bit.”

“The Color Purple.”

Leo

Pisces

“I didn’t throw up. I just cried a

“Not sure if I’m going to be an

Two heads are better than one if you’re trying to get a team together.

January 20 -February 18

entire family sweats so much. I do

What’s your favorite movie?

June 21 - July 22

Aquarius

“I literally hate my whole life. My

15 15

Met Picks:

Cancer

December 22 - January 19

February 8, 2017

“The Jerk.”

— Cassie Ballard “Groundhog Day.” — Erik Kemp “The Perks of Being A Wallflower.”

— Mady Smarr

November 22 - December 21 You consider yourself a born leader. Others think you are pushy. It is up to you to decide which is right.

Down 1. Kills, in slang 2. Wife in ‘’A Doll’s House’’ 3. Fast boats 4. Become better, as Brie 5. Playful sea creature 6. California/Nevada lake resort 7. Missing from formation 8. Transport for Phrixus 9. Litter or graffiti, e.g.

10. Island east of Java 11. Elevate with reverence 12. ___ ego 13. Tall and thin 19. Central, for one 22. Croupier’s offering 25. Long-eared hound 26. Edo, now 28. City on the Jumna 29. Pancake manipulation 30. December song 31. Sound system 33. Everest land 35. Circus vehicles 36. Tammany Tiger creator 37. Picnic shaders 40. Permeated 42. Machine-gunned from above 43. Hawaiian goose 45. Pained expression 47. Pickled-pepper picker 48. Ancient African city 49. Avon attraction 51. Glacial deposit 53. Old English bard 54. Song for Madama Butterfly 56. Porcine sound 57. Belfry inhabitants 59. Rich rock 61. Second person in Genesis

Sudoku

Difficulty: Medium

Difficulty: Hard

Answers:

@themetonline

Source: http://www.onlinecrosswords.net

Open Wednesday – Monday from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. $27 per person 8 players/room

ROOM THEMES We have 5 different room themes, including a brand new room - now open.

NEW Timescape

Conspiracy Theory

Dorm of the Dead

The Grand Theater Presents: The Mustache Thief

Pikes Peak or Bust: Colorado's Gold Rush