Build-a-Bear community service project, page 2
the
Vol. 37, Iss. 13
Monday, February 4 2013
Inside this
Issue news
MyLeave page 3 Student Employment has introduced a new way for student employees to track and submit payment.
culture Black History page 5 The Black Student Union will be hosting and participating in multiple events celebrating Black History Month.
opinion Vaccines page 9 With the recent flu outbreak, students should get their flu shots. Vaccinations will prevent us from getting sick. Right?
sports Kenya page 12 Cross country members traveled almost 10,000 miles away from home to volunteer at a Kenyan children’s center.
cribe UCCS Student Newspaper
Illegal immigrants closer to getting in-state tuition rates Samantha Morley smorley2@uccs.edu Four years ago, two high school girls who immigrated illegally wanted to have a bill passed that would allow for undocumented citizens to receive in-state tuition rates. On Jan. 24, Senate Bill 13-033, which is very similar to the bill crafted four years ago, went to the Senate Education Committee and passed on a 6-3 vote. The bill, more commonly known as the ASSET legislation, allows illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates. There are an estimated 1,500 Colorado high school graduates without legal immigration status. Of those graduates, approximately 500 would attend a Colorado college if the law should go into effect. Students must meet several qualifications. The student must have attended a public or pri-
vate school for at least three years, have graduated from a public or private school or obtained a GED, apply and be accepted into a Colorado institution of higher education and already be in the process of obtaining legal citizenship as soon as possible. “If [students] have committed and done well enough to get into college, I don’t believe they’re leaving, and the more educational opportunities we can give them, the better,” said CU Regent Michael Carrigan. Sen. Mike Johnston, D-Denver, and Sen. Angela Giron, D-Pueblo, have also demonstrated their support of the bill. Still, the legislation has many opponents. “I cannot provide my support to the legislation,” said Stephen Collier, UCCS student body president, in a statement released Jan. 29. Collier argued the bill does not guarantee
illegal immigrant students will establish legal residency and that the bill’s language permits “taxpayers to subsidize the educational costs of undocumented students, which technically speaking, are in Colorado illegally.” He added, “It is immoral and illegal to provide taxpayer assistance to these students, but potentially deny the same support to a legal resident.” This round marks the bill’s sixth attempt. Even though it has passed through the Senate Education Committee, it must now go to the Senate Appropriations Committee. According to the Denver Post, if the bill passes, “new students would bring in a $2 million increase in tuition for colleges and universities in the first year and $3 million the following year.” The 2013 version of the bill also advocates for illegal immigrant
Photo courtesy of Michael Carrigan CU Regent Michael Carrigan supports ASSET. students to also have access to the College Opportunity Fund. The state would spend
$930,000 more in the first year to subsidize the students and $1.4 million the next year. S
Student Health Center advises students during flu season Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu With a record number of outbreaks across the United States, many people are concerned about contracting the flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost all U.S. areas are experiencing record levels of the outbreak this season. Google’s “flu trends” has listed Colorado Springs flu season as intense, its highest level of measurement. For students, as the semester begins, the ability to spread germs becomes easier. The Student Health Center aims to keep UCCS students healthy for class. Dr. Vicki Schober, medical director on campus since 2005, has been involved with the Student Health Center for more than 10 years and is dedicated to keeping students well. “The flu is caused by the influenza virus and is transmitted through a variety of ways including
Photo by James Sibert The last bottle of flu shot vaccine was in the Student Health Center’s stock of supplies. sneezing and touching,” Schober explained. This allows the flu to spread more easily and can, in extreme cases, result in death. There are ways students can keep healthy and not catch illnesses during the semester. “The biggest tips proven by researchers are washing your hands,” she said, suggesting that students sing “Happy Birthday” twice for the correct amount of wash-
ing time. “You don’t have to sing it out loud,” she said. Schober added that basic habits can keep immune systems healthy. “Carrying hand sanitizer, getting enough sleep, eating healthy and drinking plenty of water really help,” she said. Despite national statistics, UCCS has not yet experienced a flu outbreak. “The first couple of weeks are when we expect to see students
in,” Schober said. The Student Health Center has ordered more vaccinations in anticipation of an increase in cases on campus but expects to be out of their supply soon. Schober encouraged students to get the flu shot. “The flu vaccine is made based on what the widespread strain is, and this year it is a good match,” she said. There is a chance the shot will not help based
on personal medical history, but it can greatly reduce one’s chances of getting sick. “It takes two weeks for the antibodies to take care of the virus. The shot is an inactive strain of the virus, and you cannot get flu from the shot,” Schober explained. “It’s common to feel achy after the shot, but that’s your immune system at work.” Schober said, “If students have a fever over 101 [degrees], students should not go to class.” The Student Health Center can also contact professors should a student miss class for being sick. Students living in the resident halls can receive support from their resident assistant, who can help get food service when they are sick. In an email sent out to students last week, the health center said it had “a handful of shots left at $20 each.” Students interested in getting a flu shot can call 255-4444 and schedule an appointment. S
News
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February 4, 2013
Build-a-Bear project to cheer up sick children at Memorial April Wefler
awefler@uccs.edu While you’re buying chocolates and roses for Valentine’s Day, consider making a bear for a child in the hospital. Beth-El Student Nurse Association (BSNA) is hosting a Build-a-Bear event on Feb. 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Chapel Hills Mall. Students and staff can create a personalized stuffed animal, which will then be donated to Memorial Children’s Hospital. Children will be greeted with the present when they’re admitted to the hospital. Amy Digan, community service representative for Beth-El, said she does a community service event every month, but this one she wanted to be more individualized. “It’s a bummer to be in the hospital, and it’s just something special to cheer them up,” she said. “This is the first time we’ve done anything this large. It’s a fun, unique community service project,” she added. “You’re helping out children that might not have the opportunity to ever make a bear.” Digan said that when she was younger, she thought it was a lot of fun to be able to build a bear. “Kids in the hospital can’t
Photo by Nick Burns Beth-El Community Service Representative Amy Digan has helped put together a service project to provide children admitted to Memorial Children’s Hospital a Build-a-Bear. do that, but they’re able to have the bears as a special gift we made them. I think it will be more rewarding than keeping it for myself,” she said. “I still have one from when I was little. It’s almost a security blanket, and when you’re in a new environment, especially in a hospital, it’s a com-
forting measure to make kids feel more at home.” In addition to the bears, Digan said participants will be writing messages to the children on the back of the certificates that come with the bears. She said, however, that the messages will remain anonymous. Digan said the goal
is to make 100 bears through BSNA as well as other organizations and donations. There will be a table by Jazzman’s this week and tables in the University Hall cafeteria area where anyone can donate. The average cost for the bears will be $10, and accessorizing the bears
will cost an additional $3 to $15, depending on how much participants wish to spend. Digan said due to patient safety, specified health care workers will hand out the bears, but anyone is welcome to help take them to the hospital. “I’m very excited,” she
said. “It’s a really fun opportunity to give back to the community and it’s really different from other community service.” Those with questions or concerns, or who knows of another organization that would like to participate in the event, can contact Digan at adigan@ uccs.edu. S
SGA working to bring back grade forgiveness measure Mikaila Ketcherside mketcher@uccs.edu Students who performed poorly in a class and are retaking it for a better grade may be interested to learn that the Student Government Association is pushing for a program intended to benefit them. A new grade forgiveness policy has been approved and may be enacted as early as the end of the spring semester. Students attending class for the 2013 fall semester could have a new grading policy applied to courses. When a student receives a “D” or “F” in a class, the two grades are averaged out when the class is retaken. Under grade forgiveness, the higher grade replaces
the lower grade. SGA President Stephen Collier has been a proponent of grade forgiveness. “The policy,” he wrote in an email, “will reflect our predominately commuter campus that combines traditional students with students who work one job or more at a time, single parents who must find a balance between family and school, and for our large population of active duty, Reserve, and National Guard military members who must balance duty and education constantly.” Last spring, students voted 1,049 to 89 in favor of bringing a grade forgiveness policy back to UCCS, which was used as the previous grading policy almost a decade
Correction
In “Amendment 64 public information session on campus,” CEO of iComply Mark Slaugh was incorrectly referred to as Mark Siaugh.
ago. The Faculty Assembly gave its support for the policy in December. The Educational Policy and University Standards Committee (EPUS) will craft the policy’s guidelines in the spring. The proposal will go back to the Faculty Assembly for potential approval when it is completed. SGA envisioned the crafting of the new policy to take place in a transparent way in the hope that students would be able to provide feedback, but the EPUS Committee appears to prefer operating behind closed doors. “As students initiated this action, we hope the EPUS Committee will have a one to two week comment
Photo by Josh Camacho SGA President Stephen Collier has been collecting signatures to support grade forgiveness. period on the draft policy prior to it going to the Faculty Assembly for final approval,” Collier said. Any student can seek out petition signatures to place a referenda items on the ballot. A student needs
more than 50 percent of the number of students who voted in the previous SGA election to get an item on the ballot, which currently amounts to about 582 signatures, as a total of 1,165 students voted.
“The petition sent a clear message to our Faculty Assembly that we, as students, need their support on this issue. From the outcome, I am pleased to see it was a successful message,” Collier said. S
Something on your mind? Email the editor at scribe@uccs.edu
News
February 4, 2013
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MyLeave system gradually implemented for student employees Peter Farrell pfarrell@uccs.edu Student employees at UCCS will begin using the MyLeave system to file all of their paid hours, shifts and jobs in the near future as the university gradually introduces the new system. The system, designed with streamlining and waste reduction in mind, was created in 2011 primarily for faculty and has since seen been introduced and improved for student employees. Shannon Cable, assistant director of Student Employment and AmeriCorps manager, said that the system is still a work in progress. While the system requires a little give from employees, it takes a burden off the student employment office. Under the older timecard style systems, if a department improperly
logged an employee’s hours, there was a long and arduous process to fix the error, usually resulting in the next pay period two weeks later being larger to compensate.
With the new system, employees are still responsible for submitting their hours. Once hours are submitted, the department then confirms that the hours are accurate. From there, the in-
formation is sent to Student Employment and funds are channeled to the employee but with less physical paper. “The mechanism is now off of paper and online through the portal,” explained
Photo by Alex Gradisher Shannon Cable, Student Employment and Americorps manager, explained the benefits of the new MyLeave system for student employees.
Cable. The system isn’t without problems, however. Employees have reported issues where their pay was never sent until weeks after their hours were logged. Others have had issues where submitting hours was impossible. Lauren Burgess, an information desk employee in University Center, said, “At first it’s really confusing just because it’s new and you’re not used to it.” Burgess also stated that she was dissatisfied with how the new system rounds minutes to the nearest 15, as opposed to the previous model logging each minute. Other drawbacks include the user interface, which does not label individual jobs if an employee works for more than one department. Student Employment is aware of the issues and
intends to roll out updates continually until the system is more efficient. “What I’d really like to see the program do is be able to set up our preferences in one specific way for student employees and different employment groups and make the look and feel of the calendar more useful,” said Alejandro Dejesus, assistant director for Event Services and Scheduling. “I’m looking forward to having no paper associated with this process.” In our mobile world, the ability to access personal electronic information remotely is crucial. For now, MyLeave does not have any foreseeable updates for smartphones or tablets. Cable said that such a feature would be “ideal in the future” but that she “wouldn’t expect it in the next year or so.” S
Unlawful sign and university weapons control policy under fire Samantha Morley smorley2@uccs.edu In a simple black frame, the paper inside waterlogged and dirty due to age, it goes unnoticed by the majority of students and faculty passing through University Center. But once those pass-
ing by stop and read the sign, they will realize it contradicts the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling regarding weapons on campus. UCCS’ Policy 14.1 deals with weapons control and is under fire for its disturbance to the Second Amendment rights of students and
Photo by Nick Burns Evan Shelton discussed the policy posting and the elements involved with the policy change.
faculty. Revised on Sept. 12, 2012, the policy states that “the unauthorized possession of firearms, explosives, or other dangerous or illegal weapons on or within any University of Colorado campus, leased building, other area under the jurisdiction of the local campus police department is prohibited.” The document goes on to explain exceptions and specifications. However, many students and faculty think that posting the policy is an infringement against the Second Amendment. By law, Colorado is an open carry state, meaning people are permitted to carry a weapon on them as long as it is visible. Obtaining a concealed carry permit is the only legal means to hide a weapon. The Students for Ammunition and Weapons Safety (SAWS) club on campus advocates that everyone should maintain the right to legally possess weapons. Evan Shelton, CEO of SAWS, has worked with Chief of Police Jim Spice and Chancellor Pamela Shockley-Zalabak in regards to Policy 14.1. “The minute after [the policy] passed, we were in their offices and discussing how it would
work and we talked about the housing, and the new housing,” Shelton said. “We discussed with the chancellor ... and when those news buildings opened, we were supposed to be there advocating for them to be concealed carry buildings,” he said, referring to the Summit and Alpine residences. A housing contract was developed, stating weapons are banned in dormitories with freshmen. In Alpine Village, however, concealed carry permit holders over the age of 21 may have their weapon. Residents also have a choice of whether or not to tell the Public Safety
office of the weapon and may, in turn, receive a safe to house the device. Spice said it isn’t a requirement for those living in Alpine Village to claim weapons. He said there “haven’t been any issues” in relation to people possessing weapons on school grounds. In the CU regent debate held during the 2012 election season, then-CU regent candidate Steve Ludwig made his stance in regards to concealed carry very clear. “I do not support concealed carry on campus,” he said. Shelton responded to Ludwig’s determination by stating, “He (Ludwig) can say whatever he wants, but now he’s vio-
lating what the Supreme Court says. Once [the law] was passed by the Supreme Court of Colorado, that’s it.” There, however, may be changes in the future in regards to weapons at large, public events hosted at UCCS. For large gatherings, Spice and the Public Safety office are working on a plan to create a statement on admission tickets stating that attendees forfeit their right to bear arms in events. Spice summarizes that if someone pays for a ticket, there may be a notice on the back stating that a weapon, concealed or not, cannot be taken into the event. S
Photo by Nick Burns The old policy is posted inside of University Center adjacent to the main entrance. The posted policy does not represent the current concealed carry policy at UCCS.
News
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February 4, 2013
Writing Center welcomes worried students with options Kyle Marino kmarino@uccs.edu Freshmen and upperclassmen intimidated by the writing process may be dreading some challenging assignments in their core classes this semester. Enrollment has skyrocketed in the past few years and is expected to continue in that upward trend. With an increase in enrollment comes an increase in demand for the many academic facilities available to help students be successful in classes. The Writing Center, located on the third floor of Columbine Hall, is one of those facilities. “It’s not super busy right now; it’s always kind of slow the first few weeks because students don’t have papers due,” said Kacey Ross, interim director of the Writing Center. While it may not be busy right now, the center expects the demand will spike as midterms and finals loom. Many students often report finding
Photo by Robert Solis The Writing Center is available to students looking for help and advice. themselves scrambling to get their papers turned in by the deadline. “Midterms and finals are our busiest times. Appointments need to be made two weeks in advance,” Ross said. However, appointments
are not students’ only options. “We offer face-to-face consulting, the OWL (Online Writing Lab), [in] which students can turn papers in online and the ORCA (Online Realtime Consulting Appa-
ratus),” she added. The ORCA system involves a live webcam chat with a writing tutor. The Writing Center is a place where students can go to get help editing a paper, but the center can also help stu-
dents understand essay prompts or work on a scholarship letter, among other services. “A lot of people think of us as a place to fix your commas, but we’ll help if you don’t understand your assignment
or need help brainstorming,” Ross said. “Regardless of what it is, if you’re a student, we will help you out.” The Writing Center has 19 “consultants” for UCCS students who can help in 45-minute appointments. The consultants vary in range from English majors to communication and history majors. Each consultant has experience writing in various disciplines. The center will likely become busier, but Ross encouraged students to not let that deter them from visiting and earning the higher letter grade they want. “We do good work here and meet the needs of students. It is sad when we turn students away [on a walk-in basis],” Ross said. “If you plan ahead and give yourself time, you will probably be able to get an appointment.” Appointments can be set up two weeks in advance by calling 2554336 or by visiting Columbine Hall Room 316. S
Culture
February 4, 2013
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Black Student Union celebrates Black History Month April Wefler
awefler@uccs.edu Between Valentine’s Day for couples and Presidents Day representing our admiration for country, February is the month of love. But throughout the month, there’s another kind of love, a love for a culture: Black History Month. “It celebrates the struggle and accomplishment of our people and of people who weren’t afraid to stand up for black rights,” said Whitley Hadley, senior and president of the Black Student Union (BSU). Hadley said she didn’t have an extensive knowledge of black history until she came to college. “With the schools I attended, you learn the fluff about black history,” she said. “It isn’t just the Martin Luther Kings and the Rosa Parks.” BSU is attending and hosting several events
Photo courtesy of the Black Student Union’s Facebook page The Black Student Union, shown last year accepting the Non-B12 Counsel Award, is preparing to help celebrate Black History Month. throughout the month, including “The N!gga (er) Word,” Harlem Renaissance, Black History Movie Night and the BSU Talent Show. “The N!gga (er) Word” is hosted by the Matrix Center Feb. 4 from 6-7 p.m. in University Center Room 302. Hadley said the event is an open forum that will discuss how the n-word is holding back the commu-
nity, what it means now in 2013 and how it’s different from 30 years ago. Dr. Eddie Moore will present. “The n-word is a double standard; black people use it – white people can’t, and if they do, they’re looked down upon, so just get rid of it,” Hadley said. “I find it disrespectful; others find it empowering.” The second event is Harlem Renaissance, which will be hosted by BSU on
Feb. 7. Phillip Ramsay, a student who presented for the Educating Children of Color Summit on Jan. 12, will be presenting about the Harlem Renaissance. “It was a really big movement for black people – really big movement for black artists and books,” Hadley said. The next event is Black History Movie Night on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m., which will show a film from
black history. The event will be followed by Jazz Night and Candlelit Walk on Feb. 16. Jazz Night and Candlelit Walk will include a reception with coffee and pastries and an open mic night. “We really want to reach out to the community and remembering people who’ve put in so much work for the black community to be where they are now and celebrating,” Hadley said. The last event will be the BSU Talent Show on Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. The talent show will include stepping, drummers, strolling and poetry. “We really wanted to showcase the talent we have in the community that is overlooked,” Hadley said. She added that she will be stepping with some of her friends and family and strolling with her sorority, Phi Sigma Sigma. Hadley explained that stepping is making music with your body, and stroll-
ing is how black Greeks historically showed pride in their organization. “I attended a Black Student Government conference, and it blew my mind. You could see how proud the Greeks were of their sorority,” she said. Hadley said she thinks it’s exciting to learn about other cultures. “You will interact with people of other cultures, and I think it’s significant to know why this is important to them,” she said. “You shouldn’t forget the past – how much people have put in to get you where you are, and I think it’s important to celebrate.” Hadley said that she hopes that BSU will continue growing and that people will learn and have fun. “I think if you have fun learning, it sticks with you,” she said. “We are open to all walks of life – just want everybody to come out and learn about our culture.” S
Lights, camera, award: UCCS professor awarded True West title Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu Kevin Landis is no stranger to the spotlight on stage, having directed and acted in several plays in his career. But it’s his work off stage that continues to impress his colleagues and students around the community. Landis is an assistant professor of theater and director of theater at UCCS. In December, Landis was given the prestigious True West award for his work with the Prologue Lecture Series, a group committed to the art of theater and acting. Every year, the award recognizes some of the best directing and acting in the region. The award is given by John Moore, a former Denver Post theater critic and one of the most respected names with theater in the Colorado area. The Prologue is a collaborative effort that Landis oversees between Theatreworks and Visual and Performing Arts in an effort to connect students with professional acting agencies. “My joy in working here has been to bring people in and to have students work on a professional stage and have that connection,” Landis said. “It’s very gratifying.”
Photo by Nick Burns VAPA professor Kevin Landis has received the distinguished True West award in recognition of his work with the Prologue Lecture Series. Landis has attracted the local and national attention of other theater artists to come speak at UCCS. It’s a full-time job that benefits those in the acting community and gives a sense of real-world acting for likely scholars. For Landis, this means everything. The award-winning
season of Prologue this year featured actors and playwrights to speak with students. “This year we had Sarah Ruhl in October, probably the most famous playwright in America right now,” Landis explained. “Coming up in March we plan on having Oskar Eustis, who is no doubt the
most powerful producer in theater. We just have some great people coming up for next year,” he said. “One of the best things about the Prologue series, both for the students’ sake and for the community, is that it’s free. You will never have to pay a dime to visit these lectures.” Landis still makes time
for his love of theater by taking part in stage productions. Guiding students along the way, Landis has directed the plays of “Salome,” “The Inspector General” and “The Bacchae.” For the spring semester, he plans on directing the hit musical “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,”
set to open in March. Landis has been with VAPA for three and a half years and has also acted with Theatreworks and other professional companies. The productions “Church” and Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost” are among his recently produced plays. S
Culture
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February 4, 2013
‘Red’ attempts to define experiences through color Eleanor Skelton eskelton@uccs.edu Rating:
The scene opens with an abstract red painting center stage and the modern painter Rothko who is smoking his cigarette and nudging a 20-something apprentice wannabe into the painting. “What do you see?” Rothko asks. UCCS Theatreworks’ “Red,” which runs Jan. 31 through Feb. 17, asks the audience to revisit how each individual’s experience colors his perceptions and humanity through a discussion of all that the color red embodies and what art means to humanity as a whole. The plot centers on a series of red abstract paintings the historical Mark Rothko was com-
missioned to create for the Four Seasons Restaurant, a project that was left unfinished. In the play, Joel Leffert plays the part of Rothko. Since Leffert wasn’t originally cast to play the character, he only had two and a half days to prepare for opening night. Rothko and his apprentice Ken (Jordan Coughtry) are caught in the middle of the creative process and an attempt to define human experience with three colors of paint – red, black and white. Red symbolizes blood and life for both artists. Ken associates red and white with his parents’ murder, but Rothko views life itself as a struggle between red and black, which for him means death. Rothko says, “There is one thing that I fear in life, my friend. One day the black will swallow
the red.” Later, he elaborates, “We are foolish, we human beings – we try to make the red black. But the black is always there.” Ken replies, “We look for that red, that glimmer of hope.” The artists cover a blank canvas with red paint at the climax of the play to the pace of sprightly classical music, demonstrating the artists’ expressiveness to cover the white canvas, which, for Ken, is associated with death. Ken and Rothko discuss the painting centered on the easel on stage, but then turn back to the audience, commenting and gesturing as if at finished works hung on the studio walls. “They change, they move, they pulse … Do these pictures pulse when they are alone?” The audience is incor-
porated into Rothko’s mural series, blending the distinction between an inanimate work of art and a human being. In the first scene, Rothko is wearing a plaid shirt and casual clothing while Ken is dressed in a business suit. Rothko, an overbearing mentor figure, tells him that artists do not work that way, and for most of the play, both wear plaid. In one of the final scenes, Rothko enters wearing a suit and Ken takes the role of inPhoto courtesy of Theatreworks structor, telling Rothko “Red” runs until Feb. 17 at Theatreworks. how he has been wrong about art and life. “My friend, I don’t side of the stage plays the apparent chaos presthink you would recog- primarily classical spo- ent in the murals and the nize a real human being radically throughout the creative process also creif he were standing right production. At one point ates depth throughout the here in front of you,” he Ken attempts to put on plot’s execution. says, further emphasizing a jazz record, much to As the lights dim, the connection between Rothko’s dismay. Rothko asks once more, people and artwork. This contrast between “What do you see?” A record player on the the orderly music and “Red,” Ken answers. S
GOCA opens exhibit exploring clever clay concepts Cynthia Jeub
The Lowdown
cjeub@uccs.edu The feeling of fear and hope before reaching a destination is hard to express. But concepts like it, alongside appreciation for culture and history, will be expressed at a Galleries of Contemporary Art exhibit opening this week. “Ceramica: Contemporary Clay” will feature five artists expressing abstract concepts with compelling designs. Elaine Ng, a graduate student at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, will be displaying her piece, “It Was While We Were on Our Way Home.” The installation consists of clay shapes suspended in midair from threads stretched across walls. GOCA is letting Ng use a triangle room for it, so the brown and yellow colors will be enhanced during display. Ng’s piece is based on the concept of in-between moments. A former student of science as well as art, she said she’s fascinated by metamorphosis at the physical and biological levels. She told a story about the awkward space between locations when she transferred to Cranbrook to study art. “I left my career, my life, my home, and I hadn’t quite gotten
What:
Ceramica: Contemporary Clay
When:
Feb. 8-April 12 Wednesdays-Saturdays Noon-5 p.m.
Where:
GOCA 121 121 S. Tejon, Suite 100
How much:
Feb. 8 ART&WINE opening: $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers Free after Feb. 8
More information: uccs.edu/~goca
Photo by Nick Burns Recasted in clay, 16 1950s hood ornaments are suspended to form the body of a 1955 Coupe DeVille. to my destination yet. It was really confusing, really uncomfortable. It was probably the most frightening thing I’ve ever done.” She wrote a five-line poem to display alongside the piece with the same title. Corie Cole, who studied at Arizona State University, said her art concepts come from being raised in a politically concerned family. Most of her clay figurines are references to political instances and jokes. Her clay display for
GOCA is an installation about labor with 360 figurines. Each unglazed porcelain figurine is about six inches high and a selfportrait of Cole depicted as an early-20th century laborer. She displays them with cloth draped among them so they mime working on the fabric. “I did a social experiment in order to understand outsourcing,” she explained. “I went to China and had 600 copies of a figure that I made.” While in China, she learned that her idea of sweatshop labor was dif-
ferent than reality. “Because porcelain is such an ancient art form, it’s done in a sort of cottage industry-type way, where individual families each specialize in a particular part of the process. So one man made all 600. He cast them into an 11-piece cast mold.” In hindsight, she said that the American perception of large-scale factories in China is inaccurate. Instead of countless machines manufacturing products, from what she has researched since her visit, many things in
China are made by hand. Among the products made by human hands are iPads, she said. Jerry Morris, a Colorado Springs resident, has brought an installation called “Cruella: freedom, status, personality.” To build his piece, Morris took 16 hood ornaments from 1950s cars and cast them in plaster, then reproduced about 400 of them in clay. These are hung to form the shape of a 1955 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. Morris described it as homage to Harley Earl,
who was the chief designer at General Motors for more than 30 years. The second and main reason for the piece is how the car culture of the 1950s is responsible for changing the country. Morris spoke of the end of the World War II, when rationing ended and people had money to spend. They bought cars, and the automobile industry grew. His piece is a tribute to the car culture and its founders. Two other artists will also be displaying their work in the exhibit: Mark Wong’s 1,000 cranes project, which was covered in the Dec. 10 issue of The Scribe, and the work of Del Harrow. S
Opinion
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February 4, 2013
Fewer printed issues, increased digital presence ahead for The Scribe Staff Editorial scribe@uccs.edu The pungent odor of ink has returned to The Scribe Office on Friday nights, when bundles of newspapers are rolled in fresh from the press. It announces The Scribe is back to being a weekly publication. However, beginning this spring, you will need to rely more on your smartphone to access some issues. Big changes are underway for The Scribe, so it’s only appropriate you hear about them from us first. Our policy has always been transparency with our fellow students, especially because the newspaper relies on student fees for operating costs such as student payroll. To deliver 10 printed issues to our stands this semester, we will also pay our printing costs with funds from our student fee account. In the past, we have relied on advertising revenue separate from our student fee account to fund printing. We still want to abide that arrangement and do not intend for student
the
fees to be a permanent solution to our printing costs. Our advertising representatives are reaching out to advertisers with new advertising packages and deals so we can return to paying with advertising revenue. But relying on student fees has become a temporary necessity. Without them, we would have been forced to have a semester of online-only issues. Even though a 2010 ballot referendum calls for “phasing out the paper edition” of The Scribe by Aug. 1, 2015, we are not prepared for such an immediate transition. We are, however, taking steps to prepare for it. Your student fees help enforce a simple idea: payment for printing a newspaper written for students by students. To ensure fewer issues will be left on the stands at
the end of each week, we have reduced our printing. Except for our last issue of the semester – our annual orientation issue given to incoming students – we will print 500 issues compared to our usual 750 so we can focus more on our online presence. Although we respect the ballot referendum, we don’t agree with a completely online newspaper. Eliminating print means eliminating options for our readers. If students don’t own a laptop or smartphone, they should still be able to visit a stand for a paper to read between classes,
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Opinion
February 4, 2013
Dueling Opinion
Page 9
Are vaccines important for staying healthy, or do they inhibit our immune system’s ability to protect us? These Scribe staff members debate.
Vaccines close the doors to illness
Flu shots useless in the long run
Robert Solis
Samantha Morley
rsolis@uccs.edu You are walking down a dark hallway, each step echoing louder than the last. Open doorways line both sides, begging for your attention. Every time you try to take a peek inside, something is taking a peek at you. Something awful lurks in each room. A lucky glimpse may be the only thing you see before it attacks. Getting to the end of this hallway is going to be difficult. In each room lies an illness. The human body has to navigate this hallway, in the dark, every time you go outside. And schools are breeding grounds for many of these illnesses. There is a way to make the journey easier, however, with the introduction of vaccines into the human body. Vaccines allow us to close most of those doors, making sure the illness can no longer affect us. There are only a couple of arguments against vaccinations, and they are easily dispensed with. Argument 1: Vaccines have ingredients, such as mercury and aluminum, which are harmful to the human body. Mercury was indeed used in vaccines. This is no big secret; the information can be found on the websites of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Drug Administration. Mercury is present in the form of ethylmercury and was part of the preservative known as thimerosal. This preservative prevents the growth of bacteria and fungi while the vaccine is being stored.
Although it has been proven safe for use in humans, controversy over the use of this ingredient forced the FDA to remove it from children’s vaccines with the exception of the flu vaccine. However, even the flu vaccine has a thimerosal -free version available to patients. Now only a few vaccines, such as a tetanus shot, contain it. The purpose of aluminum is to jumpstart the body’s immune system into producing more antibodies. Without it, multiple shots would be needed to have the same effect. The amount of aluminum present does not harm the human body. An antacid tablet has close to 1,000 times more aluminum than in a vaccine. Argument 2: Vaccines can cause autism. I cannot stress this enough how very false this statement is. It would be the equivalent to saying Morgan Freeman does not have a soothing voice. The autism argument centers around thimerosal – the preservative mentioned earlier. Even though it was removed from children’s and most other vaccines in 2001, autism rates have continued to climb unimpeded. Wouldn’t this demonstrate that there are other factors causing autism? Even if there were other factors, there would have at least been a stall in growth if the two were related. Argument 3: The herd mentality. This is the idea, “The majority of people are getting vaccinated, and there-
fore I do not need to vaccinate myself since I will not be exposed to the flu.” This strategy did work well for some time. Surround yourself with vaccinated people and you will not be exposed to the illness. Problem is, as more and more people decided to not get vaccinated, the herd immunity becomes weaker. Once a single individual is infected, it can spread like a flood when there is a lack of vaccinated people. This is evidenced by the outbreaks of whooping cough in Colorado. In 2012, it became so severe that Colorado declared whooping cough an epidemic. Although the highest cases of whooping cough involve infants, there is a growing number of children around 12 years of age contracted the illness. Why? Because many are missing their vaccinations. There are many myths surrounding vaccines. I understand that not everyone is going to trust them. Do your own research, understand what is entering your body and do not rely on people only claiming to be experts for your information. S
smorley2@uccs.edu
Alex Gradisher agradish@uccs.edu Flu shots are absolutely pointless. Every year, consumers are fed the same nonsense about how necessary it is to get the flu shot, especially for children and seniors. The main advertised reasoning is that seasonal influenza mutates every year, therefore encouraging people to protect themselves against the newest threat. But do we really need to go through with the annoying stabs in the arm? No, we don’t. Influenza was a major problem for Russian and European societies in 1580. Over 8,000 people died in Rome alone. Scary, right? However, we must now consider that the society we currently live in is much more conscious of our hygiene than ever before. We don’t rummage around in soiled streets, where rats can carry diseases all over the country. Instead, we live in a time where we have a very
structured way of keeping ourselves clean and healthy. And yet, about 36 percent of people continually receive the flu shot (or nasal spray) every year. Ironically enough, despite having gotten the flu vaccine, citizens of Boston have experienced more than 700 confirmed cases of flu with 18 deaths. All but eight states have reported widespread cases of the flu at the end of 2012. Why is this happening even though people went through the effort of “protecting” their bodies against the disease? It comes down to this: In order to protect yourself from the flu, your immune system must build protection against it. In order for that to occur, the flu virus must be introduced to the immune system. This is accomplished via flu shot and nasal sprays. A short-list of ingredients, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, consists of preservatives (such as thimerosal, which is mercury), aluminum salts, sugars, gelatin, egg protein, formaldehyde and penicillin. The ingredients don’t appear very threatening. However, consider that egg protein’s purpose is to allow the cultivation of the virus and bacteria for the immune system to battle.
Also consider that your body is being fed mercury and formaldehyde. Thimerosal is believed by some to contribute to cases of autism in children. Formaldehyde is routinely used to preserve bodies, like those you dissected in high school biology class. And that’s just a basic list of ingredients. Each pharmaceutical company creates their own concoction of chemicals every year. If administered in improper doses, a person’s brain, central nervous system, skeletal, cellular and endocrine systems could all suffer negative longterm effects. The basic rule to learn here is that you absolutely must do research about vaccines before going through with the flu shot or nasal spray. I have never received the flu shot and haven’t had the flu. I’m leaving it up to my immune system to conquer the virus. We must learn that, as a society, we are not permitting our bodies the ability to fight infections. We’re forcing our immune systems to become dependent on whatever chemicals are shot into our arms. To produce a healthier future, we must understand that a vaccine may be useful only for so long. In the long run, vaccines may increase the infectiousness of the bacteria or virus, thus producing greater healthcare problems in the future. S
Photo by Nick Burns Robert Solis, left, and Samantha Morley, right, disagree about the need for flu shots.
Aurora theater reopens – with no mention of new security
April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu Six months after the shooting that killed 12 and injured 58, the Cen-
tury Aurora 16 theater reopened Jan. 17. It was all over the news with information about new seats, new screens, new paint and a new marquee. Yet we have heard nothing about new security. According to ABC News, “individual theaters are now labeled with letters instead of numbers.” Additionally, “Theater 9, where James Holmes allegedly carried out his attack, is now ‘Auditorium H.’” It’s possible there
is new security and the plans are under wraps so, if someone tries to mimic Holmes, the security will surprise them. But on the other hand, shouldn’t the public be made aware of the security? Holmes chose the theater because Cinemark banned guns. If there had been security that night and members of the security team were allowed to carry guns, would the shooting have occurred? According to Fox News,
“armed security guards at movie theaters are rare in low crime areas … armed guards may have experienced difficulty getting quickly inside.” However, this was the night of the shooting. You would think that afterward there would be new security plans and that the news would make sure the public knew the security plans so no one tried to do something like it again. Still, nothing. Amid the debate over gun use that is currently
dominating American society and President Obama’s second term since the shooting at Sandy Hook on Dec. 14, it’s curious that the news never said anything about the theater’s new security. If the theater didn’t create plans for new security but has new seats, new screens, new paint and a new marquee, then weren’t they just wasting their money? Although some of the victims’ families did attend the reopening six
months later, other families boycotted it because they felt it was too soon. If they knew there was security around, would they have been less likely to boycott? Or did they know that there was new security and did they boycott anyway? Either way, it would have been more beneficial for the theater, both monetarily or otherwise, if the public had been made aware of new security plans if, in fact, there are any. S
Life on the Bluffs
Page 10
Campus Chatter Story and photos by Eleanor Skelton, eskelton@uccs.edu
February 4, 2013
Top Ten
There are more than 20 million students in America, and more than 10,000 of them are at UCCS. Their opinions matter.
Resolutions we’ve already broken
Tim Fisher, junior, computer engineering
Mezen Ibrahim, MPA and ESL studies
Parker Boyce, sophomore, electrical engineering
Lauren Russ, senior, psychology
Have you ever had a flu vaccine? No. I think it’s a waste of money and a waste of time. I haven’t [had one]. Never in my whole life. I haven’t had the flu since eighth grade. I’ve never had the shot, and I’ve never had the flu.
Have you ever had a flu vaccine? I took [the flu shot] before I came here … Jan. 14 from Saudi Arabia. Everybody ask[s] me, “Did you take the flu shot? Did you have the flu before?” But in our country, maybe it’s not that cold, that’s why we didn’t have the flu. Because the weather there is mostly hot during the year. I ask for the flu shot [for the first time before coming here], and my doctor also recommended [it] when he [knew] about my traveling here … I was recommended to have a flu shot when [I came] to the Springs.
Have you ever had a flu vaccine? Yes.
What do you think about flu vaccines and have you had one this year? I have not had a vaccine. I think that [the] flu vaccine could be really, really good for people that are prone to getting the flu … or people that have illnesses where getting the flu would be really dangerous for them, but I haven’t had the vaccine thus far in my life that I’m aware of unless my parents had me take it when I was much younger. But I think that it has its pros and cons. S
Did you have one this year? Yes. I think it’s nice to have a flu vaccine, even though the way the vaccine works is it gives you a spectrum of possible viruses that may develop this year, not the actual virus … But I think it’s nice to not have to worry about getting the flu, so that way you can study longer without being sick. Do you ever think you’ve gotten sick from the flu vaccine? Have you ever had the flu? No. [I haven’t had it] recently that I can remember. I did get sick during “dead week” last semester, but I don’t think it was the flu.
Dog House Diaries
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Sudoku
Stop complaining about parking.
No more sleeping on couches in the ROAR office. No more prank calling seniors as communist spies. Stop sniffing whiteboard markers.
No more troll comments on YouTube. No more scrubbing toilets with roommate’s toothbrush. No more “chocolate chips” in Tuesday morning pancakes. Stop getting on the wrong bus to talk with the right girl. Stop stealing urinal cakes. Where are all of them, anyway? No more photobombing pictures of the Clyde statue.
Bring your completed sudoku to The Scribe Office (UC 106) for a prize! Last week’s sudoku answers can be found at uccsscribe.com.
Comic courtesy of thedoghousediaries.com
This week at
UCCS
Tuesday, Feb. 5
Donuts and Hot Chocolate 4 Diamonds Parking Lot 7:15-8:30 a.m. Talk is Power University Center 303 2 p.m. Running Club Clyde’s 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 6 Michael Salter: Solo Exhibition GOCA 1420 Noon
Thursday, Feb. 7
Acoustic Artist Café 65 12:30 p.m.
Ceramica: Contemporary Clay GOCA 121 5 p.m.
Greek Hunger Games University Center 307 7:30 p.m.
Poker Night Clyde’s 6 p.m.
Red Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater 7:30 p.m.
Sigma vs. Sigma Alpha Epsilon Dodgeball Recreation Center 6 p.m.
Curiosity Unlimited University Center 302 9:30 a.m.
Friday, Feb. 8
SGA Senate University Center 303 9:20 a.m. Mardi Gras Night Clyde’s 6 p.m.
Sports
February 4, 2013
Page 11
Armstrong’s fall from glory a warning shot for our egos
Peter Farrell pfarrell@uccs.edu Lance Armstrong, former world cycling athlete and sports legend, came clean about his usage of steroids with Oprah Winfrey two weeks ago, leaving many wondering what to make of it. In September, I covered the issue of Armstrong yielding his defense regarding allegations by the United States AntiDoping Agency over his steroid usage, in which he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. If we put our pride out back for a moment, there’s something that we can all take away from this. Since his interview
with Winfrey, it’s pretty apparent there’s more to the former champion than just the sport. The person underneath embodies a very real warning to anyone who will listen: You’re not above extremes. When Armstrong said during his interview with Winfrey, “This is too late – it’s too late for probably most people, and that’s my fault,” there was a discernible amount of conviction in his face. I don’t know Armstrong personally and likely never will, but I wouldn’t say that he’s evil. I don’t mean to discredit the unjust things that he has done, though. The numerous people he and his team heinously sued for accurate allegations of unethical conduct have very strong feelings toward Armstrong and anyone else who enabled his doping scandal. When we think we’re better than the next guy regarding decisions of morals and character, we’re already approaching a decision
Photo courtesy of Lwp Kommunikacio Two weeks ago, Lance Armstrong opened up about his steroid use with Oprah Winfrey. the wrong way. Admit it or not, our attitudes, habits and beliefs are influenced by what we value the most and the people we surround ourselves with. Armstrong’s fall from glory is a sharp reminder that peer pressure paired
with apathy is a social cannonball ready to backfire. In reference to athletic cycling, Armstrong’s own words were, “I didn’t invent the culture, but I didn’t try to stop the culture – and that’s my mistake.”
Though most probably don’t care anymore about what Armstrong has to say after such a huge scandal, I have to acknowledge the small initiative he has taken to come clean. He could’ve very well just kept quiet about the whole ordeal until
his dying days. But he didn’t. As a society, we should look at the Armstrong scandal as a warning shot for our egos. Everyone is capable of greatness, but greatness without accountability leads to ruin. S
Denver Broncos bucked from playoffs after wild season
Kyle Marino kmarino@uccs.edu
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Beall Peyton Manning could not carry the Denver Broncos to the Super Bowl.
The Denver Broncos (13-3) had an impressive season and an 11-game winning streak go by the wayside in the AFC Divisional Playoffs at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens. It’s been a few weeks now since Rahim Moore was caught looking like a Pop Warner football player, since John Fox decided to kneel down with 31 seconds remaining and two timeouts and before Peyton Manning threw a decisive interception that led to a Ravens field goal and victory in double overtime. Fans can still taste that bitter loss and have flashbacks of the horror and disbelief they felt sitting there, watching the coldest
NFL game of the season. It is an unsettling and unreal feeling sure to plague memories for a long time. Scott Van Pelt of “SVP & Russillo” put it wonderfully: “I feel for Broncos fans. That loss is like having the flu; it sucks at first and just keeps getting worse,” he said. Even though it is a bitter feeling, it is time to move on, reminisce on a great season and look forward to many more great seasons with Manning at the helm. 2012-13 was a special season for Manning. Because he was coming off four neck surgeries, many didn’t know what to expect from him, but his play was masterful. In every game, Manning was breaking some sort of record. He set franchise records for passing yards and passing touchdowns in a season while also moving into second all-time in touchdown passes and wins by a quarterback behind only Brett Favre. In addition to a recordbreaking year, Manning brought out the best in “Black and Decker,” the self-proclaimed nickname of wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric
Decker. Black and Decker combined for a staggering 179 receptions for 2,498 yards and 23 touchdowns to make one of the fiercest receiving combinations in the league. Thomas finished his season with an impressive showing in the Pro Bowl. Not to be outdone by the offense, the defense was impressive as well, finishing fifth in total defense in the 2012-13 campaign. Pro-Bowlers Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil led the charge, combining for 29.5 sacks and 12 forced fumbles. Miller is also a strong contender for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Manning will be 37 next season, the same age as John Elway when he led Denver to their first of back-to-back Super Bowls after a heartbreaking 3027 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The similarities between the championship teams of 1997-98 and now are obvious. Fate will be on our side as Manning will follow the footsteps of Elway and win back-to-back before riding off into the sunset. S
Sports
Page 12
February 4, 2013
Men’s cross country members volunteer at Kenyan children’s center
“
These kids just love to have someone from the outside come in and show interest in their lives.
Kyle Marino kmarino@uccs.edu During the winter break, some of us used the time off to head somewhere warm. Kenya is probably farther than any of us traveled, but members of the UCCS men’s cross country team called it home for almost a month. A few days after Christmas, Head Men’s Cross Country Coach Mark Misch and student athletes Robert Scrivner, Luke Dakin and David Marino embarked on a trip that took them almost 10,000 miles away from Colorado. Coach Misch offered the opportunity to the entire cross country team. Those who made the trip spent 22 days in Kenya volunteering at a children’s center with no electricity, no water and very little to live on. “It was a challenge bigger than our world, but
“
- Mark Misch
the right guys went on this trip,” Misch said of Scrivner, Dakin and Marino. “When you’re in a thirdworld country, it is almost like camping inside all day; time was not an element out there in Kenya,” he added. Not many people can hold it together when living with almost nothing, but the teammates were able to keep it together and bring back valuable experiences to share. “We came back with a mission,” Dakin said. “We have a goal of raising over $4,000 to get seven teachers over to the school to help students learn and have a better student-toteacher ratio.” Scrivner is a key catalyst to helping with the fundraising. He plans on making a running apparel line called Mizunga, a term the native Kenyans use for white people. “I want to start off small with some running
Photo courtesy of Robert Scrivner’s Facebook page Robert Scriver wrote that the girl pictured with him above “was the only one out of probably 50 who would come close to us. She just plopped down in my lap and didn’t move for about an hour.” singlets, then maybe start making shorts, T-shirts, etc.,” Scrivner said. “Our motto will be ‘Run Like a White Guy.’” In addition, they will attempt to raise money with a Kenyan dinner night at
Grace Place Church on March 1. “Our goal will be to make $1,500 in one night. We will be selling tickets for $10. All-you-can-eat delicious Kenyan food prepared by Scrivner,
Marino and [me],” Dakin said. They hope to raise enough money to get the kids the help they need and enhance the lives of people who are in need. “You can make such
a huge impact by doing so little, even if it is just showing up. The kids absolutely love it,” Misch said. “These kids just love to have someone from the outside come in and show interest in their lives.” S
UCCS athletics honored for academic excellence with award Seth Polich spolich@uccs.edu Many athletic programs push their athletes to succeed both academically and in sport, and UCCS has been honored for doing just that. Of the total 300 NCAA Division II affiliated institutions, UCCS has been named one of only 24 to receive the Division II President’s Award for Academic Excellence. UCCS was one of just four public schools (Truman State, UC San Diego and Florida Tech) to receive the award and one of only two universities in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to meet the award’s criteria, along with Regis University. The Division II Academic Requirements Committee established the President’s Award to
recognize athletic programs that have consistently displayed academic success. 2012 marks the inaugural year the award has been given. In order to be eligible for the President’s Award,
a university’s athletic program must have an academic success rate (ASR) of 90 percent over a consecutive four-year period. At UCCS, 91 percent of student athletes have graduated over the past
four years – well above the national average, which stands at 72 percent. While the ASR is considered a comprehensive way of measuring academic success, it does not
Photo by James Sibert UCCS Athletic Director Steve Kirkham discussed the Division II President’s Award.
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take into consideration incoming transfers or athletes who are not receiving financial aid. Outgoing transfer students are counted as not graduating. UCCS Athletic Director Steve Kirkham was pleased with the reception of the President’s Award, citing it as proof of UCCS student athletes’ success in the classroom, despite the difficulties of juggling coursework and sportsrelated obligations such as practice and games. “Academics come first in our athletic programs,” said Kirkham. “That’s what our faculty likes to see.” The President’s Award reflects the purpose of Division II athletics. While athletics play a large part in a student athlete’s life, seldom does it become a livelihood. The main pur-
pose of going to college is to get a higher education. “It’s very rare to see a Division II athlete go on to become a professional in their sport. Division II is about going and doing something you love for four more years and maybe getting a scholarship to do it,” Kirkham said. For UCCS, being honored with the President’s Award is a sign that not only are the school’s athletes on the right track but also the university as a whole. To receive an award, less than 8 percent of the schools in Division II qualified for took a great deal of effort. “Doing well in academics is not something that occurs by chance,” added Kirkham. “Whatever happens [academically] has to be because you believe in something.” S
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