Election Issue, March 3-16, 2014 by The Scribe

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UCCSScribe.com Vol. 38, Iss. 21

Election Issue, March 3-16, 2014

University of Colorado Colorado Springs

NICK BURNS | THE SCRIBE

Photo illustration: Integrated wellness model aims to combine recreational, health and counseling services at the Rec Center if students pass new fee.

Integrated care, elevated costs Proposed wellness fee contributes to 21 percent fee increase

Jesse Byrnes Nick Beadleston jbyrnes@uccs.edu nbeadles@uccs.edu

Tuition at UCCS may be lower than other in-state schools, but new fees are set to impact the amount students will pay out of already shallow pockets. Each student will pay $80 more per semester starting next fall to fund the Rec Center expansion, posed to break ground in August. Coupled with the proposed $35 Wellness Center Fee to be voted on by students March 10-14, fees could increase by up to 21 percent by fall. In 2012, 53 percent of the 1,165 students voted to greenlight funding for the estimated $15 million expansion. The new, permanent Rec fee was estimated to generate $1.6 million per year, including summer, to repay bonds issued to start construction. The Rec Center, which opened in the fall of 2007, was “lacking in its capacity and sufﬁcient recreation space” compared to national standards, per the Student Government Association bill that placed the issue on the spring 2012 ballot.

WELLNESS CENTER FEE

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, COLORADO SPRINGS

Health & Wellness Center

Student RecReation & WellneSS centeR | univeRSity of coloRado at coloRado SpRingS UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, COLORADO SPRINGS

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“I’d like to think the school has student health pretty high on their list of concerns,” said senior Jason Adams, vice president of the UCCS Pre-Health Society and a member of the Student Health Advisory Board. “We have a lot of military related students who deserve better, we have a lot of first generation students who deserve better,” said Benek Altayli, Counseling Center director, in the Feb. 24 issue of The Scribe. “We are and have been severely understaffed. We barely function.” “It’ll be a really nice, synergistic relationship if we can get them in here,” said Matt Gaden, director of Campus Recreation who sat on the project’s steering committee. The university hopes to create a collaborative staff position, a wellness manager or coordinator, to tie together the three departments, though plans have not been finalized. The fee would also subsidize health center visits, as the bill cuts copays in half from $30 per visit to $15. But many have questioned the timing of the purposed increase, how much students know about the fee and if relocating health and counseling offices to the Rec Center will impact what officials promised to deliver to students when the new Rec fee passed. Continued on page 2 . . .

ATHLETIC CONDITIONING

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This year’s SGA election ballot includes a referendum to add a $35 Wellness Center Fee to the current $25 Student Health Fee each student pays per semester, totaling $60 per student per semester. The fee would go largely toward additional staffing, a health promotions department, physical and mental health events, expanded clinical rotations, alternative medicine programs and workshops, and anxiety and stress counseling services. If passed, the Student Health and Counseling centers (located in the lower level of the existing parking garage and in Main Hall 324, respectively) would move to the new space in the Rec Center, which would be rebranded as the Recreation and Wellness Center. The integrated Wellness Center model has been lauded by administration officials, including the chancellor, at open events for some time. The approach combines recreational, health and counseling services to address overall student wellbeing. “The students seem very interested in having this,” said Stephanie Hanenberg, Student Health Center director. “Students realize they’re going to get something that will really transform health care on a campus,” she added. “I think they see the benefit of it.”

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February 20th, 2014

VOTE 2014

TEXT "THELODGES" TO 313131 FOR MORE INFO

SCRIBE REFERENDUM

Two Fees, Two Years Apart

The Wellness Center Fee, a $35 per semester ($17.50 in summer) addition to the current $25 Student Health Fee, is estimated to generate $763,542 in its first year, according to the bill’s language. The construction costs of the Wellness Center portion of the Rec Center expansion is projected to be about $3.6 million, financed by bonds repaid by revenues from the new fee. Susan Szpyrka, vice chancellor for Administration and Finance, approached SGA President Jasmine Caldwell in September or October to discuss the Wellness Center Fee idea, highlighting a Counseling Center waitlist and lack of health care providers at the Student Health Center, according to Caldwell. “She said there could be a potential to expand the already expanded Recreation Center services but that would require a student fee,” said Caldwell, a senior double-majoring in psychology and women’s and ethnic studies. Hanenberg then met with Caldwell to explain the needs in more detail and get information regarding the process to place a fee on the ballot. Caldwell, who authored the health fee SGA bill, was under the impression the Wellness Center Fee was a fairly new idea. “I don’t want to say that I wasn’t being told the truth but it was just – I felt like it was new.” “This [project] has been looked at and discussed for years,” Szpyrka said, noting she has heard comments from students about it “pretty strongly” since 2006. “This is usually a transparent kind of campus and usually transparency is really articulated with the students,” said Caldwell, who thought the timeline wasn’t articulated. “I wonder why that transparency wasn’t there.” “I couldn’t honestly tell you why they did that,” said Ethan Wade, a freshman who joined the Rec Center Expansion Committee in October 2013, of why the fees were not combined. According to Wade he was the first student on the committee. “I just think that initially they planned to just combine Counseling and Health Services, and now when they realized what the Wellness Center really should be about they’ve decided to make it what the university really needs.” ‘Why now?’ If discussion regarding the Wellness Center has been happening since 2006, some question why it was introduced to students this year. “Why now? What is it about this year that they just decided to bring it up?” Caldwell said. The bill to double the Rec Center fee to $160, introduced two years ago, included a caveat to not take effect until the fall of 2014, the same time the new health fee would kick in. “Most people voting in this election, if we assume that most people who vote are probably freshmen, don’t know that the Rec Center expansion fee passed,” said Adams. If the vote to increase the health fee took place in next spring’s election it would be a semester after the new $80 Rec fee took effect. “If it doesn’t make the vote this year, we’re not going to bring it back next year,” Szpyrka said. “I think if an administrator were to say that if the Wellness Center does not pass, that we’ll just deal with what we have – I would have a few choice words for that administrator, because the health and counseling services right now are inadequate for our university,” said Wade, a double major in economics and communication minoring in French. Wade said to not readdress the Wellness Center Fee would be “100 percent foolish.” Szpyrka said regardless of the health fee vote the administration plans to dip into the school’s general fund budget to hire another full-time clinical practioner for the Counseling Center. “Counseling is getting an allocation from the general fund, because we have to address that issue,” she said in the Feb. 24 issue of The Scribe. “They’re hiring now for a position that’s funded effective July 1. We’re bringing one time monies to pay for it this fiscal year.” “We know that the [Wellness Center Fee] alone

won’t address the university’s counseling center issues,” Szpyrka said. “So it is appropriate to have some General Fund allocation to it. We have it this year and we are looking at future years as well.” Altayli did not seem informed of the decision, and stated “well maybe that’s in the works and I’m not aware.” According to budgetary information provided by Altayli, previously psychological and neuropsychological tests have been purchased for the Counseling Center from auxiliary funds. Many are concerned what failing to address the stafﬁng and treatment availability concerns might mean. “If you look at recent history, not addressing mental health concerns at the collegiate level doesn’t seem to pan out real well,” said Adams, who is also the SGA chief justice. “So I think having insufﬁcient services to address student health concerns is a serious problem.” A 21 Percent Student Fee Increase Students pay on average about $1,000 per year in mandatory student fees. For a full-time undergraduate (12 credit hours), this totals $547.55 per semester, more if the student takes on additional classes. The $80 Rec Center increase and another $35 Wellness Center Fee look to add $115 more per student per semester. This would be a 21 percent increase in student fees compared from this spring. Proponents of the Wellness Center Fee have argued at $25 the current health fee students pay is the lowest in the state among colleges and universities and hasn’t been raised since 1997. CU-Denver charges a $31.20 fee for health, CU-Boulder charges about $70 and Colorado State University Fort Collins $148.

HEALTH FEES AROUND THE STATE • Metropolitan State University of Denver/ University of Colorado Denver $31.20 • Ft. Lewis College $61.50 • University of Colorado Boulder $69.86 • Colorado School of Mines $86.00 • University of Northern Colorado $191.70 (combined with rec fee) • Colorado State University Ft. Collins $148 • University of Denver $234 Source: UCCS Student Wellness Initiative, uccs.edu/wellness

Given the new Rec Center fee would create the space for the Wellness Center, if both fees were taken into account it would mean UCCS students pay the highest health/recreation fee in the state, second only to the University of Denver ($234 per student per semester). Caldwell, who also sponsored the Rec expansion fee bill, admitted if both fees were on the same ballot she would have voted no, opting for either more Rec or more health services, but not both. “I think that when you look at the whole long list of fees, another $35 is nothing,” said Wade. When asked if both fees would have passed if on the same ballot: “I think so,” Wade said. “I think if people really looked at what they’ll be able to get from the Wellness Center it would.”

NICK BURNS | THE SCRIBE

Health Center will relocate, expand with the new fee. “It’s a very competitive market for health care professionals to hire them,” Szpyrka said. “You cannot hire a qualified nurse practitioner … for anything less than $90,000 a year.”w Fewer Rec Offerings? The proposed Wellness Center would take up about 27 percent of the 40,800-square-foot expansion (the Rec Center is currently 54,000 square feet), though exact building specifications have not be determined. Ballot language in 2012 for the Rec Center expansion highlighted more space and programs, including a twocourt gym with some bleacher seating and improvements to the current courts, expanded cardio and weight areas and equipment, new group and specialty fitness spaces, an expanded outdoor center and more lockers. It also included campus trail system maintenance and management. While the ballot question did not contain many specifics, the university’s request for proposals outlined a variety of additions, including 7,000 square feet assigned to weight and fitness, 2,800 square feet for a 50-person fitness studio and 13,000-square-foot, two-court gym with 340 seats, among other features. Officials say they will be able to deliver on most improvements that were voted for. “We should be able to get really close to what is on that list,” Gaden said in an email. “[The addition of the Wellness Center] shouldn’t really impact anything related to the Rec Center expansion,” said Gaden. “We really shouldn’t see any impact or decrease in the size of facility or the space we’re able to offer.” Rec Center Sheltering Costs Several administrators have pointed out the Wellness Center Fee alone would not be enough to fund an

COMBINED RECREATION & WELLNESS FEES Rec Center Bond Fee: Student Rec Fee: Additional Rec Fee: Student Health Center Fee: Proposed Wellness Fee:

$80 $13 $80 (starting Fall 2014) $25 $35 (if passed)

TOTAL:

$233

Photo: Nick Burns | The Scribe

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integrated model. “$25 per student per semester cannot fund an integrated care model, and it can’t fund any further enhancements,” Szpyrka said. “They wouldn’t be able to get a fee to build a standalone building,” Gaden said. It is the perspective of several involved the approach takes advantage of economies of scale, such as with a shared roof and walls. “It would just make the project cost-prohibitive if they went out and did the project on their own,” said Gaden. Space approved two years ago for Rec Center use is not currently designed to be used as additional recreational area, according to Szpyrka, and would need to be redesigned. “If the Wellness [Center] Fee doesn’t go through, it will just be more like gym kinds of stuff – weights and stationary bikes and things like that,” said Wade. Official designs for the Rec Center expansion will not be released until April, a month after the election, Szpyrka said, despite the funding for the additional space being voted on two years ago. Implications of Repurposing If the Wellness Center Fee passes, the space can be used for health services, but if it fails the Rec Center will pay back the bond, Szpyrka said. “A Rec fee can only be used for Rec Center services,” Szpyrka said. Officials can only use Rec Center funding for recreation; buildings, employment, programs – “all of it has to be tied to Rec.” “It is a violation of our bond documents to use it for any other purpose,” Szpyrka said. “We could repurpose it to Rec space if Rec pays the bond, but we cannot open it up as a Student Health Center if Rec were to pay for it.” According to documents between UCCS and the construction company from April 2013, the total Rec Center expansion will cost $11.2 million. The Wellness Center is an additional $3.1 million for a combined total of $14.3 million, the same figure in the school’s 2020 Strategic Plan. “The space that’s going in there for the Wellness Center is an additional, extra space that will be covered through their fee increase that they’ve proposed,” Gaden said. Fee Education “The Student Government Association is concerned with all fees proposed on students here at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs,” read the preamble to the Rec fee. “You’re paying tuition and you should know what’s going on with that,” Caldwell said. About 200 students out of 10,600 undergraduates are familiar with the Wellness Center Fee, the student body president estimated, noting proponents are attempting to educate more students leading up to the election. Others have similar beliefs about the Rec Center fee. “I would say that the school hasn’t put effort into informing people, the broad form voters, that a fee, the Rec Center expansion fee, went into effect,” Adams said. When asked if the administration could have reached out to the students more on the issue, Wade thought yes. “I think that they could of, just taken more surveys and stuff like that. But I think what it will really come down to is the vote.” “Once students understand what it will bring, they’re for it. We just have to educate them,” Hanenberg said. Will it pass? “I have to be optimistic,” Hanenberg said. “I’ve been working on this for a long time.”

If the Wellness Center Fee Fails

Survey vs. Election

Proponents of the fee argue the integrated wellness model at the Rec Center will not become a reality, but Rec Center offerings will not be impacted and options still exist for hiring additional staff to deal with health and counseling needs. “It won’t happen. It can’t,” Szpyrka said of the integrated model if the fee fails. If the fee fails the Rec Center will pick up additional costs and repurpose the space to Rec Center use, she said. If the Wellness Center Fee doesn’t pass: “It really shouldn’t impact us much at all,” the director of Campus Recreation said. “The building will still be there and we’ll still go on and function as normal.”

In early February, University of Colorado consultants Keeling & Associates, LLC, sent a survey to gauge student opinion on wellness initiatives. The survey was conducted on all CU campuses, Szpyrka said, though may have been “tweaked a little bit” for each campus. Neither Szpyrka nor Hanenberg have access to the data or will see it before the election, they said. “I think that the administration will beneﬁt from it in terms of gauging where students are at,” Szpyrka said. “I think that it will help us to determine the climate and if the fee doesn’t pass maybe it’ll give us direction on some options for the future,” Szpyrka said. Asked if an election was less representative of student opinions that a survey: “It’s representative of the students who took the time to vote.”

“It won’t happen. It can’t. — Susan Szpyrka In the Feb. 24 issue of The Scribe, Altayli indicated there is nothing in place for the Counseling Center should the ballot initiative fail. “Our hands are tied. Then services are probably going to shrink, the wait times are going to be longer.” Szpyrka said while the Student Health and Counseling centers will not relocate, other funding options may be explored to hire additional counseling personnel. “My response would then be a question of what is going to happen,” said Adams. “Because I do think there is increased student need, and I do think there needs to be some kind of response.”

Conclusion “Where we are very careful is to not put in a student fee without the voice of the students,” Szpyrka said, noting that the university has attempted to keep student fees “manageable.” “Get as much information as you possibly can for it before making a decision,” the SGA president said. Ultimately, the power to determine fees and policies lies with students, Caldwell added. “You have the power to really say no,” she said of future fee votes. When asked if that applied to the coming election: “Yes.” COURTESY FACILITY SERVICES | UCCS

The Student Health and Counseling centers may relocate to a rebranded Recreation Center, bottom left. Above: Expansion plans students approved in 2012 for the Rec Center. Below: Wellness Center space.

Nick Beadleston

Photos by: James Sibert

nbeadles@uccs.edu

jsibert@uccs.edu

Christopher Roth President Junior, psychology and leadership communication double major Anthropology minor

Caytes Liley Vice President Junior, ﬁnance and accounting

Chen Zhao

Dylan Shuster

ELECTION FEATURE: Roth has served in SGA for two years. At present he is speaker of the house. “I want us to do a better job of being our there,” Roth said of SGA’s involvement on campus. I don’t want us to be people who sit in our ofﬁce behind the

scenes. “I want us to be on the front lines of the school.” Roth said that increasing cohesiveness among the student body would also be a priority as president. “I really believe students thrive on

connections,” he said. “I think we need to ﬁnd new and unique ways to connect students on this campus. “We need to ﬁnd reasons to keep people on this campus and keep them actively engaged.” Roth is a teacher’s

assistant for freshman seminar and for the pre-collegian program. He is a committee chair for Relay for Life and worked to start Alpha Pi Omega, a service fraternity on campus.

A transfer student, Liley is serving in SGA as a representative at large. He indicated outreach to freshmen to improve school spirit and awareness will be a large component of his work as vice president.

Liley said engaging freshmen and raising school spirit requires a four year plan, something he hopes to have developed by the time he graduates. He also indicated a desire to address other

“pressing issues,” like grade forgiveness. At North Carolina State, Liley served as student ambassador for the College of Buisness. Liley serves on the Dean’s advisory council for the UCCS College of

Business, a newly formed organization that presents issues to the dean. Liley is currently pledging Delta Sigma Pi. He is also a member of the Ski and Ride Club.

Aaron Collett

Ethan Wade

Amber Hickman

Scott Hatlen

Senator of LAS

Senator at Large

Director of Finance

Senator of Multicultural Affairs

Senior, accounting and ﬁnance Economics minor

Senior, chemistry and biochemistry double major

Senior, communication with emphasis in digital ﬁlm making

Zhao is currently the director of ﬁnance. He indicated an interest in using Mountain Lion Connect in order to communicate with and convey information to students. “It’s there, we have to just make the students aware of what we do,” he said. Zhao said while he doesn’t think there is currently an issue with student funding, he still plans to monitor it closely. “Student funding is a big part, so I have to contact the students to make sure they follow our funding guidelines and complete their proposals.” Zhao is also the vice president of business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi, an accounting honors society.

Shuster has been a member of SGA for two years. For his first year, he served as a representative at large. The second year he began as a representative at large then became the secretary of Multicultural Affairs. He stated his plan is to bridge gaps between different multicultural organizations to build a cohesive community. “I want to really start representing them all as a collective group.” Shuster said he will be the university’s first chemistry and biochemistry double major. He is a lab lecturer for general chemistry and works in the scholarship office. “I’m pretty much actively involved in any event that goes on on campus,” Shuster said.

Collett has been attending UCCS since Fall 2011. “I’ve spent much of my time at UCCS working for The Scribe,” said Collett. “This semester I decided to pursue other opportunities and was appointed to the position of Senator for LAS.” “My time in journalism has given me a sense for the ethics of government,” he said. “My time with MOSAIC has given me the advocacy tools I need.” “I want to promote more cooperation between departments,” Collett indicated. “There are some classes that would really beneﬁt from working together: acting classes and directing classes, for example.” “I also want to promote awareness for SGA in general.”

Senator of the College of Education

Senator of the College of Business

Freshman, economics and communication double major French minor

Sophomore, elementary education and biology double major

Junior, business (information systems and international business emphasis) Entrepreneurship minor

Wade has been involved in SGA as a representative at large for the past year. He is also a member of Students Against Violence Everywhere, SPECTRUM, Respect on Campus and College Republicans. He indicated he is working to bring Phi Delta Theta, an organization founded on the principles of “friendship, sound learning and rectitude,” to UCCS. “I have expansive community service work including starting a chapter of Con-Kerr Cancer for Colorado Springs,” said Wade. “I would like to see SGA act as a more prominent organization on campus, be more visible, and seek more student feedback.”

A transfer student, Hickman plans to pursue a degree in administration in addition to her degree in education. Currently Hickman is a representative at large. She believes her educational background will allow her to represent the College of Education as a senator. Hickman feels she will bring “the stand point from an educator and a teacher” to the position. She sees this as beneﬁcial due to “the compassion they bring to people and their best interest.” Prior to college, Hickman was involved with her high school student government in multiple positions. “My goals in student government are to give a voice to my fellow education students and to make changes to better the campus.”

Hatlen transferred to UCCS Fall 2012. According to Hatlen, initially he was not involved with student activites. However after joining Kappa Sigma he expanded his role on campus. Currently, he is the senator of business and the sentate pro tempore. He is also a member of Delta Sigma Pi, a business-centric fraternity. He expressed his ability to combine experiences from both organizations to beneﬁt both SGA and DSP. Hatlen is a member of the recently formed College of Business Dean’s advisory council, a group designed to provide feedback to improve the college. Hatlen sees this as an important part of his position in SGA moving forward.

SGA CANDIDATES Matthew Driftmier President Junior, political science

Courtney Eldred Vice President Junior, psychology and philosophy double major

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Driftmier has attended UCCS and been a member of SGA for two years. Currently he is the secretary of sustainability. The position has required him to work hand in hand with several organizations on campus (to include the Ofﬁce of Sustainability and Green Action Fund)

to promote projects like the solar tables. Previously he served as a representative at large. “As president I will bring a central focus point that student government can get behind,” Driftmier said. He expressed that concept

has been lacking in SGA in previous years. He described SGA as “aimless,” and indicated historically it hasn’t had a person who has said “we’re SGA, we need to work for the students, and we all need to rally behind something.” Driftmier said he is a

fan of UCCS history and has read up on the subject extensively; speciﬁcally he has researched the history of SGA. He feels SGA is “a real organization that can make an impact on thousands of peoples’ lives every day.”

Eldred has served in SGA for two years, as a representative at large and in several committees including SGA’s Budget Advisory Committee. She expressed a desire to serve on the university’s BAC because she is interested to see where students’

money goes. As vice president, Eldred plans to streamline the process for allocating funds to student organizations. She also wants to address the issue of student fees. Eldred wants to design a plan to use the SGA’s Plant Fund, the amount

of unspent, rolled-over student activity fees, for large projects that beneﬁt the student body. Puppy Days, a plan to bring dogs on campus to help students combat ﬁnals stress, is also something Eldred would like to enact. Eldred indicated

her open, outgoing personality allows her to relate to students, and inform them of topics related to them. She said she has a large amount of involvement in student clubs and activities, even for groups she is not a member of.

SGA

debate Matthew Prichard Senator of the College of Engineering

Nora Limjoco Laura Schreiner Jamar Anderson Senator at Large

Senator at Large

Senior, mechanical engineering

Junior, political science

Senior, business ﬁnance and economics

Junior, psychology

Prichard is the senator of engineering and the senate president. He indicated that he has dedicated all his free time to his position. According to Prichard, he has improved SGA funding processes. He also said he has “analyzed student class data in an attempt to optimize parking and shuttle service.” Prichard hopes to make SGA “more respectable” among students and school staff. He plans to continue to do this through his “Gripe Tables,” a program he feels is accurately gauging the opinion of students. To promote the College of Engineering, Prichard plans to form a Dean of Engineering advisory council and hold multi-day “STEM Days” events on campus.

Limjoco began attending UCCS in Summer 2013. She has only been a member of SGA for one month, however she said she has already recognized the importance of the organization. “I feel so strongly that SGA makes a difference on campus and I’m proud to be a part of it.” Limjoc said as a senator at large she intends to focus on student veterans and students with families. She indicated nontraditional students make up a large portion of the student body but are largely underrepresented. “I’d like to bring their concerns and suggestions to SGA and bring more programs to UCCS for these students.” Limjoco is a parent who was in the Air Force for ﬁve years.

Schreiner has been in SGA since her freshman year. She is secretary of housing and a resident assistant. Previously she was the senator of business and the senate president. Schreiner indicated she was instrumental in the recent SGA change to a unicameral system. Along with several friends, Schreiner started Alpha Pi Omega, a service based Greek Life organization. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Pi. Schreiner likes SGA because “you do ﬁnd out a lot about what’s going on on campus, and you can be that informant to other students.” She also expressed her enjoyment at being able to help student clubs and organizations.

Anderson has served in the SGA for one year. “There are a lot of things that SGA can actually change to improve campus that people aren’t aware of,” he said. Anderson also indicated his feeling of responsibility to inform and speak for the student populace. “I enjoy being an advocate for the students, because I know there are a lot of policies in place that need to be ﬁxed here at UCCS,” said Anderson. He also said there are groups of students whose voices aren’t being heard. Anderson is the president of the Black Student Union and chair of the National Society of Leadership and Success. “I recognize the importance of being active on campus,” he said.

SGA held their annual election debates on Feb. 25 in the Upper Lodge. Five senatorial candidates and the director of finance were Senator at Large present. After introducing themselves and providing brief biographical Junior, psychology and information, they fielded women’s and questions from the ethnic studies current SGA president and vice president. Pino transferred to Responses were generally UCCS last semester, and formulaic, and focused joined SGA in January as largely on the importance a representative at large. of representing the As a senator at large she student population. plans to improve funding Following a brief for club sports. Her goal intermission the is for teams to be able to presidential and vice “do what they need to presidential canidates do with the resources we took the stage. They were can provide for them.” also given questions by Pino also intends to the current vice president work with the LGBT and president. community on campus The floor was then to raise awareness and opened to questions from support for resources that the audience. Several exist on campus. questions were asked Recently Pino started designed to distinguish a women’s rugby team on the two group of campus. She is also canidates. However, these involved with were largely side stepped. SPECTRUM, a student Both presidential organization that provides candidates indicated that support for the LGBT they would seek to revisit community. the issue of grade “I want SGA to be an forgivness during the association that students coming year. value as a source of Approximately a change and improvement dozen students attended on campus.” the catered event.

Mia Pino

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UCCS gets grant for K-12, collegiate geography program Samantha Morley smorley2@uccs.edu

Geography education in western states has some extra funding. The UCCS Colorado Geographic Alliance was awarded one of three grants from the National Geographic Education Foundation in January. The newly established $50,000 grant will go to advance geography teaching and learning at UCCS and in Nevada, Arizona and Oregon. After funding disbursements, an evaluation and traveling expenses, UCCS will get about $11,000. The grant “encourages alliances to partner together, learn from each other’s strengths and also to engage other organizations outside of the alliance network,” said Rebecca Theobald, COGA coordinator. COGA has been at UCCS since 2008. It was founded in the 1980s by the National Geographic Society, which felt the country could improve its knowledge of geography. There are currently 54 geographic alliances across the

country and its territories. The National Geographic Society provides the support and funding to keep these programs going. COGA receives $90,000 annually from the NGS to cover base costs and activities. The $50,000 grant is additional funding, and will go toward improving partnerships between alliances. The on-campus geographic alliance partners with others in Oregon, Nevada and Arizona. Together, they will establish a program that will develop workshop models for teachers in the region and eventually throughout the country. Theobald indicated the grant process started when COGA was approached by Teaching with Primary Sources (Western Region), a Library of Congress initiative. The organization cited a lack of geography teaching skills in primary educators. They indicated programs developed at the university could constitute the framework for similar programs across the nation. “This is a planning grant for what we hope will be a larger project that will explore

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how to work with the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources program,” Theobald said. According to the Library of Congress website, TPS is a program that “collaborates with school districts, universities, libraries and foundations to help teachers use the Library’s vast collection of digitized primary sources to enrich their classroom instruction.” “We’re going to work on getting K-12 teachers connected with some of the map resources,” said Steve Jennings, another on-campus coordinator. The UCCS Ofﬁce of Sponsors handles the funds, which it distributes to Nevada ($8,000), Arizona ($8,000) and Oregon ($7,000). A portion of the funds, about $10,000, goes toward an evaluation, as well. The evaluation will consist of surveys and observations that will determine the effectiveness of the workshops. “One of the things that is very important in professional development work is trying to evaluate really how much is done,” Theobald said. Biological Science

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NICK BURNS | THE SCRIBE

COGA coordinator Steve Jennings worked with Rebecca Theobald to secure the grant, which brings $11,000 to UCCS.

Curriculum Study, a Colorado Springs-based non-proﬁt company, will perform the evaluation. When a variety of other costs are factored in, such as traveling expenses for all four states. Coordinators from Oregon, Nevada and Arizona as well as UCCS will travel to Denver next month for a collaborative planning event. Coordinators will also meet in Oregon later this year. Jennings will help facilitate the materials for the

workshops. The coordinators in the other states will work to develop the product teachers will ultimately use. Overall, Jennings believes the workshops will “add to the portfolio that teachers have, the different resources that they have, to use in a classroom.” Those involved expect to see results in two to three years. Jennings and Theobald are conﬁdent about the success of the project. “If it works well, which we think it will, then we can start to bring it to the rest of the country,” Jennings said.

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SCIENCE & BUSINESS

March 3-16, 2014 | 7

YAL club founder forges into naturopathic medicine eskelton@uccs.edu

The physician career path tends to include a four year biology degree (with a 3.5 GPA or better), hospital volunteer work and four years of medical school before specialization. For Jason Walker, the founder of the UCCS chapter of Young Americans for Liberty, a pre-medicine career is more of a journey than a linear equation. Walker, a senior double majoring in nutrition and chemistry, started at Pikes Peak Community College with an associate’s in anthropology. Later, he began researching health, ﬁtness, nutrition, alternative medicine and “evolutionary uses for different diets.” “That’s why I picked the nutrition major.” When he realized the limitations of becoming a dietician, Walker’s interests shifted to naturopathic medicine, a system that “emphasizes the healing power of nature” and combines traditional and modern therapies, according to the

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “I had a different idea of what a dietician would be responsible for in a hospital,” Walker said. “But it’s almost more like the dietician is an assistant to the nurses.” After adding the pre-

“

I’ve been trying to educate myself more on free market ideas in healthcare, because healthcare is one of the most heavily regulated markets in the country.

“

Eleanor Skelton

—Jason Walker

medicine career direction, Walker participated in the Create Health Scholars Internship in Denver in 2012 and 2013. Jennifer Hellier, a neuroscientist at the Anschutz Medical Campus, directs the program, which focuses on aiding economically challenged, rural and minority students.

The internship proved to be a turning point in Walker’s career direction. “Dr. Hellier believing in me, [with] her being as accomplished as she is, made me feel more like I could accomplish things on a level that I never really saw myself doing before,” he explained. Walker views his libertarian philosophy as a separate interest from his desired career in medicine, but still an integral part of his life. “The reason I got into libertarianism was because before I started the nutrition degree at UCCS, I grew up poor and I saw myself as a victim,” said Walker, who founded the YAL chapter on campus in the spring of 2011. “I’ve been trying to educate myself more on free market ideas in healthcare, because healthcare is one of the most heavily regulated markets in the country,” Walker explained. “The philosophy of liberty is mainly based on selfownership,” he explained. “Because you own your body, you are the only entity responsible for your actions. Thinking of it like that was helpful to me in my personal

COURTESY JASON WALKER | FACEBOOK

Jason Walker, who founded the UCCS chapter of Young Americans for Liberty in 2011, is a nutritian and chemistry major.

development in terms of taking more responsibility than I did when I was younger,” he said. “Since you own your body, you own your labor, and mixing your labor with your world around you creates property, and so in owning your body, you naturally have the right to your life, liberty, and property.” Walker’s passion for naturopathy is spurred by his

belief that “it is the cutting edge of the direction healthcare and medical science will be moving in order to innovate.” “Healing chronic illness has to do with lifestyle and diet,” Walker said. “There’s not just a pill or a speciﬁc compound that will ﬁx everything that goes wrong with the body.” Walker plans to attend naturopathic medical school in Washington after graduation.

Entrepreneurs claw their way to top in Lion’s Den Nick Beadleston nbeadles@uccs.edu

Dim the house lights and cue the pitches: Welcome to the Lion’s Den. The second annual Lion’s Den Pitch Night, an event for budding entrepreneurs in the community, was hosted Feb. 24 in the Upper Lodge. UCCS, the El Pomar Institute for Innovation and Commercialization and Peak Venture Group sponsored the event. Each presenter or team had ﬁve minutes to pitch their product or concept. A panel then asked questions about the pitch and each presenter’s business model. The event was similar to ABC’s “Shark Tank,” where multi-millionaires and moguls listen to business and product ideas, providing feedback and potentially funding. Presenters included students from UCCS, Colorado College and the Air Force Academy, as well as from several local startup companies. UCCS was represented by senior Scott Griffee, creator and president of Natural Vibes Lifestyle, a company that makes clothing apparel. Their motto, “To build is to

grow and to grow is to build,” represents the creative attitude of the organization. (www. naturalvibeslifestyle.com) Accompanying Griffee’s pitch was a slideshow that featured information and art from the company’s collaborators. He also distributed shirts to the judges. Members of the panel asked Griffee questions about the production of his apparel, the collaboration process with artists and the profits being generated by the company. When asked why he should be picked to win over the other presenters, Griffee indicated his organization is already established and turning a profit. Like several of the other presenters he was not willing to say what that profit was. But the UCCS student wasn’t able to sway panelists. Air Force cadets Aaron Sporrer and Will Burnette won the event and $500 prize. They represented an AFA team and presented a physical therapy program called NeuMimic, which functions similar to interactive gaming systems. (http://www.neumimic.com/) Other presenters were Will Harris and Tim Burns of Wadi Climbing. Their startup aims to create climbing gyms in impoverished areas in

NICK BEADLESTON | THE SCRIBE

Scott Griffee, creator and president of Natural Vibes Lifestyle, presented his clothing company at Lion’s Den Pitch Night.

Palestine. According to Harris, eventually they plan to expand to other countries. (http:// wadiclimbing.com/) Julian Flores presented for his company Get Outfitted, which rents ski equipment and apparel. (http://getoutfitted. com/) Kristie Wilkson presented her concept of a vent grate designed to save money through efficient operation. (http://www. wilkinsonengineering.com/) Noel Boyce presented Urban Mobile Health a unique system that brings doctors to patients in need of urgent and primary health care. (http:// www.urbanmobilehealth.com/) The event was hosted by Tom Duening, El Pomar chair of business and entrepreneurship as well as the director of the Center for Employment. The panel of judges consisted of Larry Goers, president of Speed Stacks Inc., Peter Husak, CEO of Team Pikes Peak, LLC. Also on the panel was Aaron Stachel, senior associate at Miller Investment Management, and Bree Langemo, dean of Pikes Peak Community College’s School of Business, Public Service and Social Science.

CULTURE

March 3-16, 2014| 8

‘3 Days to Kill’ blows typical action movies away Samantha Morley smorley2@uccs.edu

Rating: 4/5 Costners

Bombs, blood and a purple bike. Oh, and don’t forget the bald albino. “3 Days to Kill” – it’s a hyped-up, super-charged, fastpaced spy thriller. Plot: Ethan Renner (Kevin Costner) must kill The Wolf (Richard Sammel) and accomplice The Albino (Tómas Lemarquis) before cancer consumes his brain and lungs. Obviously. What keeps Renner motivated, and alive, is agreeing to let CIA agent Vivi Delay (Amber Heard) inject him with an experimental drug to keep his disease tat bay. The movie follows the basic spy ﬂick guidelines with bullets, bombs, bad guys and sexy ladies. Amid the chaos of killing, Renner also has to handle the internal conﬂict of keeping peace with his wife Christine

(Connie Nielsen) and reconciling with his daughter Zoey (Hailee Steinfeld). What sets “3 Days to Kill” apart from the typical spy movie is the exquisite balance between the main character’s home life and his spy life. While Renner shoots the enemies without hesitation, he still understands that some characters are caught in situations against their will, illustrated when he leaves reluctant henchmen Mitat Yilmaz (Marc Andréoni) and Guido (Bruno Ricci) relatively unscathed. The audience gets plenty of the family side of the story, too. They learn about Zoey’s struggle of accepting her almost non-existent father and Christine’s conﬂict of reintroducing him into their lives. The cinematography and sound effects were alluring. Director Joseph McGinty Nichol (McG) avoided the shaky camera effect, opting for smooth frames and followthroughs. This presented Renner as a sly operative in control of every situation. The best component by far

was the lack of music during action scenes. Instead of using racy, loud and sporadic music to get the audience excited, McG relied solely on sound effects, his music method throwing audience members into the deep end of thrill. The base was pumped to accentuate the thump of bullets and the roar of engines. Viewers felt like bystanders in the movie, such as when the spy man and criminals in cars whized down busy streets in Paris. The faults with the ﬁlm fall mostly on Delay, a sultry agent who entices Renner to do her dirty work. She bites her cigarettes before lighting them, but her looks and sex appeal are ridiculous and erratic. She is initially presented as a stark blonde babe, next a leather-clad brunette and then a black-haired dominatrix in a strip club. While she presents herself as sexy, it isn’t so much appealing as it is overblown. Delay tries too hard to get Renner’s affection and it comes off as pathetic. The movie ends like one would expect … with credits.

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ALLIES ACROSS CAMPUS

The following list of people are allies of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community at UCCS. Thank you for your support and for making UCCS a safe and welcoming place for all students! Henriikka Weir Administrators Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak Kerianne Smith Dr. Linda Watts Vice Chancellor Homer Wesley Chris Bairn Vice Chancellor Martin Wood Edie Greene Assoc. V.C. Kee Warner Corinne Harmon Assoc. V.C. David Moon Dr. Marek Grabowski Dean Kelli Klebe Allen Schoffstall Dean Teri R. Switzer Blaise M. Sonnier Tom Hutton Greg Schlabs Barbara Gaddis Scott Van Ness Brad Bayer Michelle Bull Steve Linhart Julie Cole Kristi Kremers Lori Bryan Phillip Morris Angus Chassels Benek Altayli Gina Baldoni-Rus Megan Bell Liesl H. Eberhardt Jeanne Durr Eric Eberhardt Cindy Zomchek Christopher Hill Gayanne Scott Kimbra Smith Faculty C.L. Robinson Perrin Cunningham Mary France Cerian Gibbes Lissanna Follari Charles C. Benight Janice Gould Dr. Matt Metzger Elaine Cheesman Lisa Smith Irina I Grichtchenko, Ph.D Leah Chandler-Mills Corey Drieth Minette Church Mary Jane Sullivan Dr. Kimbra Smith Staff Joe Craig Prof. Terry Boult Vanessa Delgado Nate Siebert AimĂŠe Morgado Nina Ellis Frischmann Todd Casey Jeffrey Montez de Oca Karen Short Leslie Grant Nicole Smith Mike Kisley Tamara Moore Kirsten Bartholomew Ortega Holly Kaspar Chet Dymek Laurie Buchanan Dena Samuels Jesse Perez Kevin Tvrdy Julia Bullock Daniel L. Segal Debby Patz Clarke, PsyD ,E-RYT Catherine (Katie) Kaukinen Lynne Calhoun Mary Beth Chambers Kelsey Bay Hunt Dr. Jennifer Clarke Christin Deville Char Brecevic Janell Campbell April Lanotte Tamara Cannafax Sylvia Martinez Lindsay Knell Jeff Scholes Ellen Burkart Andrea Herrera Ben Sloan Lesley Ginsberg Anthony Cordova (Mr. C) Suzanne Cook Molly Mulligan Lisa Durrenberger Stephanie Hanenberg Rhonda Williams Tiffany Yep Christina M. Jimenez Sabrina Wienholtz Amanda King Carol Kumm Leilani Feliciano, Ph.D. Linda Kogan Katherine Mack Nancy Hoist Abby Ferber Jessie Pocock Susan Finger Maria O'Connell Nancy Wells-Georgia Chris DuVal Christina Martinez Paul Deniston Mark R. Malone Angie Kinnett Kerry Peterson Tam Doane Robert von Dassanowsky Carrie Baatz Dionisia de la Cerda Trent Claypool, PsyD Carole Huber Jewel Meyer Laura Marshall Bradley Plesz Heather Albanesi Tyson Randall Matt Barton Sharon Clark David Havlick Bev Kratzer Janet Feder Vanessa Ea John Crumlin April Miller Dr. Anna Kosloski Cathy Calvert, PsyD Lynda Dickson Stacy Vogel Catherine Grandorff KrisAnn McBroom Maja Krakowiak Heather Kling Stacey Johnson Brooke Allen Jess Kirby Alejandro De Jesus Dale DeBoer Linda Foltz Stefanie Ungstad Justin Crossno Marek Grabowski Kara Carragher Deborah Hronsky Jessica Tvrdy Sally Von Breton Carolyn Daley Dr. Bob Melamede Elizabeth Hanlon Benjamin Syn Nashla Dawahre Michael Martinez Greg Augspurger Chelsea Lawson Britt Anderson

Valerie McClinton Brian Mann Chris Beiswanger Jill Summers Brett Fugate Heather Neilan Mathew Cox Sandra Loux Claire Ami Wang Chao Amanda Koback Kolby Stallings Elisabeth Moore Elisabeth Fisk Casi Frazier Megann Powell Samantha Villarreal Melinda Hamilton Matt Gaden Ray Fisco Mary Alice Long Melissa Doffing Lisa Pettit Marilee Brooks-Gillies Kalinka Caldas Premawardhana Officer Lisa Dipzinski Sandy Harness Molly Kinne Vicki Schober D. Von Rueden Sarah Elsey Eric Nissen Daisy McConnell Ron Honn Students Aaron Collett Kristen Mahler Ariel Thompson Nakeesha Conley Scott Bowman Alyssa Landsberger Connor J. Sweetwood Angie Knipe Kadija N. Williams Jennifer Ishida Kayleen St. Louis Scott Friedline Miranda Popp Presley Schwisow Crystal Nichols Sofia Garcia Noel Morales Will Smith Victoria Ramirez Emma Knickerbocker Jess McCoy Alexa Mandi Rae Nikole Dahn Joe Hyatt Wendy Howe Elizabeth Burgin Mary Jeffrey Brittany Merritt Amy Bunn Alexandria Christensen Alex Gonzalez Taylor Counterman Naomi Leigh Lucie Holloway Savannah Mahoney Ethan Wade Melanie Ware TJ Roach Kaitlin Forsythe Hayden Rosenblatt Miranda Edwards Patrick McClellan Sierra Gray Caytes Liley Jack Reasoner Chris Roth Brenna Renn Anna Cordova Grant Barnes Ryan Merrifield Dawn L. Delahousse

Joshua "Sarge" Sargent Heather Balle-Mason Justin Filla Marisa East Courtney Handel Dylan Shuster Emily Luther Chloe E. Kiskiras Rachel Shaffer Steve Bates Matthew Driftmier Robin Visser Aubrey Hatch Carissa Kuenstler Anique Green Brittany & Madison Dietrich Malcomb Vrecenar Amy Jamison Taylor Murphy John Woods Curtis Bell James Reasor Moriah Montiel Lori Angell-Grady Danielle Kalk Erin Steinman Steven Kerr James Luttrall Sydney Hughes David Horne Quiana Vidal Susan Brady Zoe Thomson Michael Boyd Justin Wayman William Covington Dustin Herrin Mariah Edwards Raquel Rosa Glenn Staton Heather Fonte Callie Gilbert Josianne Cabalce-Hotchkiss Christian Carde-Guzman Chris Epps Patrice Winsor Victoria Ybanez Shae Thomas Amanda Case Erika Click Caleigh Findley Graham Hegeman Lauren Hoyal Sarah Vanessa Cyr Jeremy Tredway Denise Fortune Curtis Medina Daniel Espejo Kevin Igo Eleanor K. Skelton Stacy Trevillo Minerva Valentine Katherine Parra Rachel Ginsburg LeAnn Mandeville Kelly M. Lyons Ariel McPherson Mikayla Brown John Parker Nick Gammons Kaitlyn Pitchford Marissa Lammon Erika Langfeldt Adryliana Santiago Todd Jones Allison Eberhardt Jacey Cox Sarah Vogt Dolan Buckingham Danica Cox Ana Leewaye James Leray Oliver Shantal DesVignes Craig Putzstuck Naomi De La Torre Mary Jane Sullivan

Margot Dainowski Beatris Rodriguez Alexandra Padilla Ashleigh E. Fuller Maddi McCullough Caitlyn Runge-Nason Catherine O'Neil McKenna Vanhorn Ashley Eberhardt David Grapes III Tessa Gurley Irvn El Guapo Rynning Colin Hodges Joseph McWilliams Ryan Porter Maggie Peterson Alexandra Miller Ashley Montano Erin Joyner Maranda Sandoval Brandon Titus Matt Stys Brianna Urbino Kacey Songer Marina Petti Cooper McCollum Moriah Nelson Carlos Garcia Kurt Bruck Yves Sturdevant Mikaela Resende Tam Nguyen Chris Shelley Nick Eisele aka "Roy Charlie" Andres Mieles Bryce Guinta Aaron Thompson William F. Corujo Juliana Tuck Scott D. Miller Elizabeth Delgado Dominique Wilson Sara Boenisch Allyson Grimme Andrew R. Ceili Kirkaldie Alyssa Leigh Thomas Lydia Mulligan Selina Martinez Christina Mascarenas Joshua Weston Higgins Lisa H Tinea Bjelcic Josh Hendrickson Kevin Hambalek Nikki Hambalek Hilary Studebaker Courtney Brewner David Phillip Pina Rachel Shiffer Josiah Warner Breana Henderson Anita Perez Shekonah Gordon Kylie Miller Peter Puffer Edna Mode Derek Suboticki David J. Atkinson John Donovan Joshua Cooley Tara Taykowski Christine McBride Ingrid Henderson Valerie Estrada Austin Spiller Rachel Asleson Christopher Varano Mary Trotter Greg Rendon Rodney Jones Paige A. Nelson Kelly Major Ian Adams William Long

Heather Chontos Riley Coltrin Sarah E. Mayer Sean Dean Patience Paisley Maya Hayes Bonnie Noufer Megan Gallegos Nicole Conway Jessica Scott Rob Teti Jeanine Prescott Diane Borges Kristina Nitro Justin Becker Alison Egbers Ashley Carr Ciera Gump Jordan Black David K Sabra Bedell Tesia Kwak Sarah Nichols Abbe Koenig Renae C Hill Sarah Dietrick Kiefer Tuck Krista Stone Brandon Meyer Katherine Allen Tracy Kosman Emilie Williams Aja Alexander Rachel Baker Sarah Bouton Danielle Love Nicole Schulz Eric Ayuso Britany Scott Rob Bowen David Hills Amy Thurston Devan Ballard Meral Sarper Eli Palmer Sarah Sagiao Christina F. Courtney James Chris DeGrazio Amethyst Yale Izzy Andrade Neyma Valdez Janina Carson Caitlin McMillon Cari Dye Leonard Oliver Nancy Hernandez Kristine Kovac Kyle Brewner Chris DeGrazio

THANK YOU FOR BEING ALLIES AT UCCS!

An ally is anyone who genuinely supports LGBT equality or can be someone who is actively involved in the fight for civil and human rights. Allies are important at UCCS because LGBT people are mothers, fathers, cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, friends, co-workers, neighbors and MOUNTAINLIONS!

CULTURE

March 3-16, 2014 | 11

GOCA exhibit highlights Colorado history, protesting Audrey Jensen ajensen4@uccs.edu

For some, protesting is a way of standing up and speaking out against an issue. For others, it is a medium of self-expression. For the artists of PROTEST!, the university’s latest art installation in the Galleries of Contemporary Art, it’s both. The exhibit centers on the 100-year anniversary of the Ludlow Rebellion and Massacre, which occurred in Trinidad, Colo. The massacre, which took place in 1914, involved workers in coalmines owned by John D. Rockefeller. The harsh conditions kept the workers, many of whom immigrants, in almost constant peril. When the rebellion occurred, Rockefeller called in the Colorado National Guard to burn down shelters and subdue the workers.

The result: 20 people dead, including women and children. Daisy McConnell, GOCA director, has been gathering artists and artwork locally and nationally for the exhibit since 2012. While the exhibit is based on the history of the Ludlow Massacre, protesting is the larger theme for the featured artwork. The ﬁrst art piece visitors see when walking into the exhibit are the letters P-R-OT-E-S-T hanging on a wall in LED lights. McConnell says there has been an upheaval in protesting around the world and artists are frequently involved with the protests. “If you’re trying to grab a person’s attention, you have to be creative,” she said. Contributing artist Scott Johnson has several photographs featuring remnants of the mine and decayed symbols of the struggle.

Another featured art instillation is clips of a ﬁlm being projected onto the wall. It portrays the different protests happening throughout the world. The scenes show protesters using LED light signs to convey their message. The concept started with a protest in Milwaukee, when it was illegal to post or hang signs on the overpasses above freeways. The Overpass Light Brigade, featured in some of the art pieces, circumvented these rules by individually holding up these LED light signs with a letter on each sign. PROTEST! also includes art from Dareece Walker, a UCCS alumnus. Walker was a GOCA intern in the fall of 2012 and received his bachelor’s in visual and performing arts, with an emphasis in ﬁne art, the following semester. McConnell contacted Walker when she discovered artwork he created in his

free time. Through his artwork in PROTEST!, Walker hopes to expand the conversation of race. Walker bases his artwork on personal experience; he researched the history of slavery and how African Americans have had to live during periods of oppression. Walker says that his artwork communicates news pertinent to culture that isn’t communicated in mainstream media. One of his pieces, made from cardboard, advertisements, charcoal and acrylic paint, features a young African-American male in the middle of newspaper articles and pictures. It is a collage that represents struggles African Americans have endured. The exhibit includes yoga sessions, according to McConnell, and when it ﬁrst opened a performance from dancers and musicians. “The more art a person

sees, the better citizen they become,” McConnell said. PROTEST!, located in GOCA 1420 in Centennial Hall, runs Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. until March 22. Walker will have a single show featured at the Modern Bohemian art gallery in Colorado Springs on May 2.

The Lowdown What: PROTEST! Where: GOCA 1420 (Centennial Hall) When: Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. (until March 22) How much: Free

Anti-Scott Walker environmental activists to speak at UCCS April Weﬂer aweﬂer@uccs.edu

The title of Alfred Tennyson’s revered poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” represents a battle and speaks of people heroically charging forward to their deaths. In the Gallaries of Contemporary Art’s new exhibit, PROTEST!, Lane Hall and Lisa Moline’s display of the Overpass Light Brigade resembles another kind of battle: one of politics and environmental issues. Hall and Moline will visit UCCS on March 5 from 5-7 p.m. in Columbine Hall 214 to show their other works and discuss the Overpass Light Brigade – an activist group whose members hold boards with light bulbs spelling politically charged messages on overpasses at night in Wisconsin. Hall and Moline’s exhibit in PROTEST! is a collection of pictures whose signs spell out ENGAGE, RESIST and DISRUPT. Hall indicated the exhibit is connected with the 1914 Ludlow Massacre in Colorado, which was a conﬂict between capital and labor, according to the PBS American Experience website. “I think we all need to know our history. That’s not just America’s, but Colorado’s,” Hall said. Hall said he hopes the Overpass Light Brigade

NICK BURNS | THE SCRIBE

“Wisconsin has a pretty strong history of environmental protection and appreciating our outdoors,” said Hall. “It’s just made us move from more subtle, political messages to more overt, more obvious political messages,” he added. Hall said he and Moline have often collaborated on pieces about nature. “We’ve both done a lot with large-scale installations of natural things – animals and critters that are often kind of repulsive to people,” he said, mentioning snakes and winged insects as just a few.

An exhibit on display in GOCA by Lane Hall and Lisa Moline focuses on protesting through art.

The Lowdown

exhibit helps students become engaged. “That’s the whole notion of our country. We came out of activism. We came out of rebellion. I think students need to hook up with that because it’s your future,” he said. “Don’t just accept everything that the media tells you and if you feel strongly about it, do something about it. I hope that students come away with the feeling like hey, I could do that, I could get involved and do my own thing in certain ways and stand for what I care about,” he said. Hall and Moline, partners and collaborators on the Overpass Light Brigade, hail from Wisconsin, although Hall attended Colorado College.

What: Overpass Light Brigade

The two originally cofounded the Overpass Light Brigade because of political differences with Wisconsin’s governor, Scott Walker. “He’s a rightwing, kind of Tea Party governor and was doing policies that we were against and so there was a lot of protest going on at the time,” Hall said. In Wisconsin, Hall and Moline decided to use their artistic skill to create portable signs that spelled RECALL in LED lights. They chose to use LED lights because many of the protests occurred at or after dusk. Hall and Moline went to overpasses and highways around 5 or 6 p.m. to show people their signs and convince

them to demand a recall of Walker. “At ﬁrst, we had a hard time getting people interested and then it started to get cool, so now when we go out, we’ll have anywhere from 20 to 30 people join up with us,” Hall said. After Walker managed to avoid a recall, Hall and Moline decided to use the signs to focus on their advocacy for environmental change. Hall said they are particularly interested in focusing on the issues of poor water and air quality. They are also concerned with fracking. Hall and his wife are connected with organizations such as the Sierra Club and Green Peace.

Where: Columbine Hall 214 When: March 5, 5-7 p.m.

The Lowdown What: PROTEST! artwork Where: Centennial Hall 203 When: March 6, 7-8:30 p.m.

EDITORIAL

March 3-16, 2014 |12

Fee on ballot forces students into a corner Staff Editorial

scribe@uccs.edu

Decisions are subjective. Facts are not. “Vote! Vote! Vote!” You’ve heard it all before. “This is your way to make your voice heard!” “The future depends on you!” “Your voice matters!” Want to know the truth? You’re being played. You’re being played by administrators, you’re being played by staff and faculty, you’re being played by fellow students. And yet you don’t seem to notice, or care … or both. Everyone has an agenda; the only difference is their effectiveness in getting results. Everyone espouses reasons for change; the only differences are whether they’re justiﬁable, legitimate and prudent. Everyone wants to do what’s in the best interest of students; the only difference is how that change is enacted. Proponents of the Wellness Center Fee argue the health fee has stayed the same since 1997. What hasn’t stayed the same is the number of enrolled students. That ﬁgure has jumped about 63 percent since then. Based on the size of the student body 17 years ago, at $25 per student the Student Health Fee generated approximately $162,000 per semester. With 10,600 students

now, it generates around $265,000 per semester. How are these increased funds being allocated? Are they being used intelligently to meet the long-term (and arguably more important, short-term) needs of the student populace? The timing of this measure also raises concerns. Administrators contend students have been vocal about this issue since 2006, but many of the students we’ve talked to don’t even know what an “integrated model” is, let alone that they’ll already be paying $80 more per semester for a Rec Center expansion starting next fall. And who stands to lose out the most in this “deal”? Commuter students and nontraditional students, including members of the military. How many of them actually use the current Rec or Student Health centers? Many have private gym memberships and get counseling and medical services through their off-campus providers. Those undergraduates fortunate to ﬁnish their degrees will have paid more than $4,000 in student fees – half an entire year of college tuition. As students ourselves, we care deeply about keeping costs low. The Scribe ballot initiative illustrates this. Instead of allowing the newspaper to become a black hole for

student fees and its budget entirely reliant on student funding, the initiative keeps open opportunities to bring in outside funds, via print advertisements, for something that beneﬁts students.

Fees, on the other hand, while sold as something that benefits students, are entirely reliant on students’ wallets. For most administrators, it’s a balancing act of doing what’s in the best interest of students (defined by administrators) and doing what students think is in their own best interests (also defined, largely, by administrators). To some extent it makes sense: Students cycle through UCCS, ideally, every four years, while full-time staff members are here for significant portions, if not the entirety, of their careers. It’s logistically easier for staff to develop strategic goals and policies for the university and to carry out longterm decisions in a timeline conducive to their duration on campus. However, it is a total farce when those goals and policies

are sold as student initiatives, without providing students that beneﬁt of accurate background information. All ballot initiatives must ultimately get the approval of the chancellor, vice chancellors and regents. Full-time staff say they’re concerned about student costs, but how concerned are they really? It’s alarming that the only person outlined in the school’s Institutional Student Fee Plan to conduct an administrative legal review of mandatory student fees, when asked how much the initiative raises student fees, thinks it raises the existing $25 to $35, not that it more than doubles the existing $25 to $60. Many students will vote for the Wellness Center Fee, as well as likely some Scribe staff members. Students should have the freedom to make decisions on this campus, and it’s important that they do so via elections. But students should not be backed into a corner and forced to make a decision because funding alternatives haven’t been explored. And if those alternatives have been explored they should be shared publicly so students can cast an informed vote. Regardless of how this election ends, the greater discussion, focus and passions of students, faculty and staff on this campus needs to be reevaluated.

The most important thing you’ll read all week

Jesse Byrnes

editor-in-chief This spring 2014 election has long-term implications past the week of March 1014. The election includes a smorgasbord of candidates and a Sodexo cheese platter of ballot referenda. When you go to vote this election, you’ll ﬁnd a question about The Scribe. “I don’t know how to put this but [it’s] kind of a big deal,” as Ron Burgundy would say. In a spring 2010 special election, held during ﬁnals

week, 176 students voted to eliminate this print newspaper by August 2015 (104 voted no; 10 abstained). Considering more than three times the number of students that voted to do away with this print newspaper actually pick up this print newspaper every week, it’s a tough sell to think students as a whole don’t like having this print newspaper. It’s a piece of history and a piece of UCCS. This year The Scribe has brought in more than $12,000 in revenue from print advertisements, nearly all of that from outside the university. This has allowed us to pay to produce the newspaper itself as well as look to tackle a $6,000 debt from two years ago, buy needed ofﬁce supplies and invest in the newspaper’s future success. While we’re focused on transitioning to a less-costly website, the reality is that we

won’t be able to advertise on our new site, which will be hosted on UCCS servers. Even if we could, online advertising produces less than 1 percent of print ads, our largest potential revenue source, making an onlineonly option untenable at this time. If we had the page views of BuzzFeed or The Hufﬁngton Post, we might be able sell enough online ads to offset costs like we’ve done this year with print revenue. But we don’t. (We’ve made a point to keep our coverage focused on UCCS, which funds us, and not become a content aggregator like those websites.) But the ﬁnancial reasons to keep this newspaper in print are only part of our long-term strategy. We’ve worked to increase the newspaper’s environmental sustainability, too. This year we switched to a local printer, eliminating the need

for a gasoline-burning truck from Denver each week. The printing practices of our local printer are also more sustainable, with their use of soybean-based ink, sustainably-produced North American lumber and thermal process-free printing plates, which uses less water and energy. Altogether, this means every copy of The Scribe is recyclable, reusable, renewable and biodegradable. From the beginning, this has been a student initiative. Students looked at the greater ﬁnancial, environmental and social implications and moved to gain support. Students in SGA sponsored the bill and passed it through the House and Senate unanimously. Students will ultimately be responsible for voting for this referendum and the continued success of this newspaper. I hope you’ll join us in becoming part of that success.

Jesse Byrnes Editor-in-Chief

Nick Beadleston

Managing/News Editor

Taylor Hargis Copy Editor

Eleanor Skelton

Science & Business Editor

April Weﬂer Culture Editor

Crystal Chilcott Opinion Editor

Christopher Schmidt Video Editor

April Weﬂer

Life on the Bluffs/Social Media Editor

Jonathan Toman Sports Editor

Nick Burns Photo Editor

Samantha Morley Layout Editor

Edwin Satre

Website Manager

Reporters

Dezarae Yoder Alexander Nedd Attiana Collins Ryan Adams Megan Moyles Audrey Jensen

Samantha Morley

Graphic Designer, Reporter

Photographers James Sibert Joshua Camacho

Business Manager Hussain Albahrani

Ad Sales Representative Michael Petrucelli

Advisor

Laura Eurich

Letters to the Editor: scribe@uccs.edu

On campus: UC 106 Phone: (719) 255-3658 www.uccsscribe.com

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OPINION

March 3-16, 2014 | 13

Millennials: more action, less apathy

Megan Moyles mmoyles@uccs.edu

Millennials certainly seem to not give a damn about a lot of things. And this sad fact is holding much of our generation back. If apathy is not getting us where we want to be, perhaps it’s time to try a more self-assured, motivated approach. Maybe we have strong opinions about Miley Cyrus or the Seattle Seahawks. Perhaps we care about even deeper political issues like marijuana legalization or gay marriage for instance, though we’re not always very well versed on the depth of those issues, either. But that’s fair enough. At least we can have decisive opinions on it. Or at the very least we can have a general idea of where we stand. But why doesn’t this transition into our daily decision making?

As far as our dayto-day lives, I find we’re all far too passive and apathetic toward everyday decision making. Overall, our generation has done pretty well for itself in spite of a crumbling economy. But the fact we face significant joblessness and mediocrity after graduation is a paramount reason to be passionate and decisive. Go get what you want. It isn’t a reflection of some spoiled entitlement to seek out your desires. Our collective lack of decisiveness also seems to stem from a core lack of confidence. Perhaps we’d rather not stir up any trouble when we put forth our opinions. Maybe we fear judgment, over-analysis or challenge of what we have to say. We might trust the ideas of others over our own. Maybe we just think what we have to say is ignorant or incorrect. I can’t count the number of times I’ve prefaced my own ideas with “this might be stupid, but…” Often what I had to say wasn’t stupid at all, and sometimes it was an excellent, wellreceived idea. What’s the worst

that could happen if you put forth your honest, genuine, wellthought ideas, even to an intimidating audience? Doing this is good practice to build up confidence. Try it out in class or at work. If it sincerely does give you anxiety, jot down your key points before sharing them. Also pause just for a second before speaking out loud. As a formerly anxious person, I’ve found these tricks have helped me gain confidence tremendously. Maybe we really just don’t care at all about what we have to say to others; it doesn’t seem worth it to even contribute our ideas. But here’s why we should – if we get to have our say on things we end up getting more out of it. We are also getting an opportunity to cultivate leadership skills, which are imperative for the post-collegiate job market. This all goes hand in hand with developing confidence. Let’s start caring about what we have to say and recognizing the value of our ideas. While we can and should certainly do the same for others, we don’t have to disregard our own thoughts.

It all went peacefully until the very end. When a few students stayed behind, the Venezuelan National Guard and the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service decided to open ﬁre. Not only did the organized assault include gas bombs and rubber bullets, but lethal weapons as well. That night, two students were reported dead, more than a dozen injured and many detained. The actions the government took afterwards would have been laughable if not for the seriousness of their effect. In an attempt to wash the blood from their hands, they blamed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez for creating instability and violence. They issued a detention warrant for

Lopez. He turned himself in after two days. Lopez called for a public meeting, delivered a heart-warming speech and proceeded to the prosecutor’s ofﬁce. He is still being held in prison. Students decided to respond with continuous protests the following days. They were demanding justice for the fallen, as well as the immediate liberation of those incarcerated. Worse than failing to comply, the government’s response was extreme in its repression. More deaths, tortures and even rapes have continued to occur since that day.

U.S. debt ceiling, why it matters

Jonathan Toman jtoman@uccs.edu

If the government was a business, it would have had to hock everything we owned just to keep the lights on years ago. On Feb. 11 and 12, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate passed a bill to raise the debt ceiling. This will allow the government to borrow unchecked amounts until the same question will be raised in March 2015. Yet this decision went largely unnoticed by our populace. A populace that might want to tune in, learn a little and speak up. When the same question was tied to the recent government shutdown, all sorts of people raised all kinds of hell. Not a peep this time. Everyone could care less. And why should they care? The government got exactly what they wanted:

the ability to keep spending my generation’s money. Our national debt is more than $17 trillion. I can’t even fathom how much money that is. I can, however, do the math: that equals around $54,000 per citizen and $150,000 per taxpayer. In 2000, our national debt totaled $5.7 trillion. In 2004, more than $7 trillion. 2008, a little more than $10 trillion. This year, our national debt has reached more than $17 trillion. Written out, that is $17,338,060,000,000-ish (the numbers increase so quickly it is impossible to get an exact amount). In the last 14 years our national debt has increased by almost $12 trillion. The “power of the purse” that supposedly lies with Congress has turned into the “power to spend whatever we want.” The supposed mandatory collaboration between the president and Congress has turned into a “do what I say or I’ll veto and executive order the hell out of you” relationship. We need smart spending from the legislative branch and smart policy from our executive branch. Smart spending from neither one exists today.

I now turn to the words of two of our most revered presidents to further explain the mammoth mess we ﬁnd ourselves in. “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves,” Abraham Lincoln said. Additionally, John Fitzgerald Kennedy said, “The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it.” Can we literally pay this cost of our freedom? An upsetting issue, I know, but such questions must be addressed. This has become a topic that discourages people. If we do not address this issue soon in one way or another, we will no longer have the ability to make a difference. Our politicians continue to roll the ball down the road, leaving it as someone else’s problem. Why should we care? It is the young people of today, our generation that will have to ﬁnd an answer. The goal of the government should be to help people cash in on the American dream, not ask them for bus fare to slink off to another checkcashing shop.

international stage they are most definitely a defined dictatorship, the “government” shut off Internet access for a day in the states outside of the capital. No Twitter, no Facebook, no Instagram. Just darkness and terror in the form of military men. Men sworn to protect the people whose necks are now firmly under their military boots. Since the blackout, communications have been restored. However, Venezuelans continue to use social networks to inform the world of what is happening. Trending topics containing the hashtags #SOSVenezuela and #PrayForVenezuela have been spread out across the web.

decided this is the point of no return. They are continuing to take to the streets without weapons, and have stated they will not stop protesting until their pleas are met. Their main goal has become to involve every sector of the population, from every social class, to form a social mass – a cohesive union affected by the economic, political and social mismanagement the government has imposed upon them. The international community must now watch to see if that possibility becomes a reality.

Guest opinion: In Venezuela, students are dying

Javier Perez jperez5@uccs.edu

There is turmoil in Venezuela. Starting in the western portion of the oil-rich country, since Feb. 12 students have protested the corrupt and illegitimate government, presided over by Nicolas Maduro. Students have demanded increased security and complained about high inﬂation and food shortages, according to BBC News.

Media blackout The communist Venezuelan government controls all media content people can see, read or hear. In fact, the only

TV channel that was transmitting the ongoing events was Colombia’s NTN24. As of last week, however, the authorities decided to take NTN24 off the air. International media has also been threatened with expulsion, their ability to operate freely put in jeopardy. What the Venezuelan government does not seem to understand is that Venezuela is not Cuba in the 1960s. People have the need to inform themselves and are now turning to social media to ﬁll that need. Twitter has become the most powerful communications tool the resistance has. News of the horrors happening in the country has spread worldwide through hashtags and pictures. Seemingly, in order to prove to the

What’s to come The opposition, along with the students, has

Javier Perez, 22, was born and raised in Venezuela. A junior communication major, he is attending UCCS on a student visa. After graduation Javier plans to return home.

LIFE on the BLUFFS Campus Chatter Samantha Morley, smorley2@uccs.edu

What do you hate most about Daylight Savings Time (March 9, 2 a.m.)?

Sudoku 1

6 7

Sara Balakrishnan, junior, communication The fact that I keep forgetting to change the clock ... then the microwave doesn’t match the stove and then I’m always late.

Shane Madigan, freshman, business

Nick Beadleston, nbeadles@uccs.edu

1 7

2 1

5 4

8 1

4 4

Top Ten Reason Mardi Gras is better in Colorado

7 I hate that not all clocks change. I hate everything about it. It’s pointless. Why don’t we let time decide itself?

Bring your completed sudoku to the Scribe ofﬁce (UC 106) for a prize!

Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.47)

Danielle Atkinson, senior psychology Losing an hour of sleep and it gets darker earlier. I like the daylight.

March 3-16, 2014 | 14

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Wed Feb 26 01:29:52 2014 GMT. Enjoy!

Proficient in English?

good

doesn’t smell like 10 Itcrawﬁ sh wherever you go

Colorado was never owned by the French

The sun sets sooner, thanks to the mountains

You can actually understand our people

There is 100 percent less swamp food

The Broncos can take the Saints any day

We’re north of the Mason Dixon Line

This city knows how to handle a ﬂood

Manitou has the most legit beads known to man

Our cougars are wild

Know the basics of writing?

This week at UCCS General, March 6-16 “Woyzeck” 7:30 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays 2 p.m., Saturdays 4 p.m., Sundays Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theatre

Tuesday, March 4 Take a Stand Against SKIN Cancer 6 - 7 p.m. UC 302

Safe Zone Training 6 - 8 p.m. UC 122

Great!

Like earning cash?

Of course you do!

Monday, March 10 Coming Out Stories 7 p.m. UC 110

Tuesday, March 11

Exciting and wonderful

Uno Tournament 7 - 9 p.m. Upper Lodge

“30 minute wait for a salad at Clyde’s.. This is ridiculous. #uccs” @Fallward “The moment of victory

when you find the last spot in lot 5 #UCCS”

@ErinMalles

Thursday, March 13

Friday, March 14

from afar and waits to make sure you catch the bus even tho you were late. Carl’s the man @OnlyAtUCCS #uccs”

Write for us and we’ll make your life

Steve Priest Lecture 2 - 3:30 p.m. UC Theater 302 Spring Graduate School Open House 5:30 - 7 p.m. Berger Hall

“When the shuttle driver sees you

@leafyboy_eo1n

Wednesday, March 5 Visiting Artists and Critics Lecture Series Lisa Moline and Lane Hall 5 - 7:30 p.m. Columbine Hall 214

Sweet Salty Tweets

View open positions at SEAN’s Place Contact us at Scribe@uccs.edu

the

cribe

“When u have to make a

decision to walk in the snow from lot 9 to Gallogy at 6 am or to drive and get a ticket. ...for practice #UCCS #smh”

@C_MO_Bounce4

SPORTS

March 3-16, 2014 | 15

English journeymen Skakel ﬁnds ﬁt with UCCS golf team Ryan Adams

radams3@uccs.edu

Junior Patrick Skakel is not your average UCCS student. While the campus has its fair share of students from outside the United States, Skakel is one with a unique story. Originally from Birmingham, England (located several hours northwest of London), Skakel graduated high school ﬁxed on the idea of playing golf for a postsecondary institution in the U.S. “I really wanted to play college golf, but just didn’t know the best route to take,” he said. “So, I decided to try the Hank Haney Academy down in South Carolina.” The training facility, now called the International Junior Golf Academy, was run by

Haney until 2013. Haney has trained gold notables like Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara. “I did a year of no schooling, resumebuilding and video help then looked into where I wanted to go,” said Skakel of his time at the IJGA. Skakel looked at schools around the country ranging from Grand Canyon State to Florida Tech, but UCCS seemed to ﬁt his plans best. “I liked their sport management program and so that was a big factor,” he said. “But to be on a team that contends for a championship year-in and year-out also weighed into my choice.” Regarding his place on the university’s NCAA Division II golf team, Skakel says the best

part is the motivated environment created by his teammates. “We are all working together towards a common goal and that’s my favorite part,” he said. “Even though we had a down season in the fall, we’re all hungry for success,” Skakel stated. “Hearing other teams say that UCCS isn’t as good ﬁres us up and gets us motivated to be back to where we once were.” As a junior in the Sport Management program, Skakel hopes to stay in the United States after college and pursue his passion for the event management side of sport. “I would like to stick around the United States,” he said. “I did an internship with the [American Junior Golf Association] this past

season was far from those standards, the spring season brings a new, fresh outlook. Trujillo, along with team captain Patrick Skakel, hope to use in their quest to return to success. “People are starting to doubt us and think that we’re not the force we used to be,” said Skakel, a junior. “I think I can speak for all the guys when I say that has ﬁred us up and made us want to win more than ever.” To help combat the team’s lack of success, Trujillo explained right after the season ended, the team hit the weight room hard. “In the fall, six out of our nine players were

new,” he said. “We didn’t come together and play well, but after the season we were able to get into the weight room and that’s where a lot of team bonding takes place. Guys get to know each other better.” Freshman Joey Hearn agreed and felt the offseason workouts have helped the team. “We all worked really hard because we knew we didn’t play to our potential this fall,” he said. “Everyone’s games are looking a lot better and it’s going to be fun to see what happens.” Along with extensive work in the weight room, the team has also tackled challenging Colorado

summer where I was running tournaments and that is something I deﬁnitely want to go into.” Outside of school and golf, Skakel said he is the average college student. “I work out a lot outside of practice,” he said. “A lot of the guys

from the team do, so I just join in with them.” Despite adjusting to life in the U.S., Skakel remains aware of the differences between Colorado Springs and Birmingham. “The climate, food, and people are all way different,” said Skakel. “Back in England, there are about 200 plus days of rain a year and coming here is quite a change of pace. “Waking up and seeing the mountains every day is one of my favorite things about Colorado for sure.” Skakel indicated people of the United States were also very hospitable to him. “All very nice and helpful,” he said. “I’m not sure if that was just them not being used to me being from England,

but still very welcoming.” Another difference Skakel reiterated is the food available across the pond. “Chipotle is my favorite,” said Skakel. “There’s not a lot of fast food or any sort of Mexican food in England, so that’s a big reason why.” Although Skakel has been a part of the team the last couple years at UCCS, golf wasn’t always his sport, especially growing up in England. “I actually played a lot of tennis growing up,” he said. He quickly found golf to be less strenuous and more enjoyable. “I joined a country club when I was 11 and a little while after that I decided to focus more on golf.”

Springs weather to get practice time in. “We’ve had one of the worst weather seasons in a long time,” said Trujillo. “Yet, we’ve been able to put some work in at Sportz Skillz and The First Tee Indoor Learning Center.” Though it may not seem like it to the casual observer, college golf is largely a team sport. For the Mountain Lions to succeed this spring, being united as a team may be the most crucial aspect in making a comeback. “Before college, it’s all individual, but once they come and compete our guys realize it’s more about the team,” said Trujillo, “They learn

to have respect for one another and take pride in making good decisions for the sake of the team instead of say for them as an individual.” Hearn agreed the team aspect may be the most unique part of a college golf team. “It’s nice to have eight people you can trust on and off the golf course,” he said. “This group is great because we constantly push each other to be better in school and golf.” This spring, the Mountain Lions will play four out-of-state tournaments leading up to the RMAC Championships in Phoenix. The ﬁrst

tournament will take place in Austin, Texas, were they will compete in the Saint Edwards Invitational at Greg Rock Golf Club. They will also travel to Garden City, Kan., Miami and Dallas for tournaments throughout March and April. Skakel believes the team is ready to reclaim their good name. “We have the same expectations we always do: to win another conference championship and to contend for a national championship,” he said. “I have no doubts that we have the talent to achieve both those goals this spring.”

NICK BURNS | THE SCRIBE

Patrick Skakel jumped over the pond to play golf.

Fall season over, men’s golf team looks get back to winning Ryam Adams

radams3@uccs.edu

Phil Trujillo, head coach for men’s golf, had never seen as a bad a season as last fall. “It was disappointing,” said Trujillo. “It was the worst fall season on record as long as I’ve been here.” Normally a powerhouse in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the team is used to being a serious contender in tournaments. The team has ﬁve NCAA Division-II National Championship appearances to back up that assertion. Although the fall

BREAKING NEWS: Michael Sam is black

Alexander J. Nedd anedd@uccs.edu

This just in: Michael Sam – the NFL draft prospect who was a unanimous First-Team All-American and CoSEC defensive player of the year while at the University of Missouri – is black.

Why would this make news? How is this relevant to a man who has spent his life pursuing a sport, which, shockingly, he is good at? These are the same questions I have in response to Michael Sam coming out – the true reason why he has garnered much media attention throughout the nation the past month. Sure it’s big news. Being the ﬁrst (potentially) openly gay player in the NFL is a crowning achievement and a model for the LGBT community. However, it’s sad that

an announcement like this could end his professional career before it begins. Why are we as Americans more comfortable watching men go head to head against each other in commercialized violence than walk together hand in hand? Why is it that player actions off the ﬁeld affect how we perceive them on the ﬁeld? Shouldn’t Americans value athletes for their sportsmanship and ability? Many say having an openly gay player on the team would be

a distraction. Having a barely dressed pop star sing horribly during the halftime show – that’s a distraction. And let’s not forget about the actions of some of our other NFL players: men who have been charged with murder, vicious dog fighting, illegal drug use, domestic violence or who have had multiple marriages. If off-field actions determined on-field performance, there would be too few players for a game. UCCS is filled with diverse students and

welcomes everyone who enters through its doors. In sports, UCCS is represented by integrity and honor of its athletic code. When we tell our friends, colleagues and children it’s wrong to cheer for a person because they are gay, we might as well tell them it’s wrong to cheer for the person because of the color of their skin. I understand certain religious views and personal beliefs, and I’m not asking anyone to forgo these things. But it’s also important to not keep players from potentially successful

careers because of their own beliefs. Hopefully, in the near future, gone will be the days being gay will make national news; where who you are outside the sport doesn’t affect your professional ambitions. More importantly than being gay, or being black, or being an amazing defensive end, Michael Sam is human. It’s time to embrace our differences and celebrate him for what he has achieved in his promising career. Let’s sit back and let him play what we all love to watch: good American football.