April 15, 2013

Women’s softball, page 12

the

Vol. 37, Iss. 21

Monday, April 15, 2013

Inside this

Issue news

Chemical spill page 3 Following chemical spills at the University of Colorado, Boulder and Colorado College, UCCS discusses procedures in case of an oncampus chemical spill.

culture Eyes for Consuela page 7 An eye for an eye may leave the world blind, but this student-directed play proves it can also be bloody fun.

cribe UCCS Student Newspaper

Rape prevention outcry leads to new UCCS legislation Dezarae Yoder dyoder@uccs.edu Controversy over the concealed carry bill in the Colorado General Assembly and outcry over UCCS Public Safety self-defense tips led to a Student Government Association bill addressing safety on campus.

The S.A.F.E. Act, passed April 5, demonstrates the SGA’s position on women’s rights on campus. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and with a vote of 14-1 in the House.

It reads: “For the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Student Government Association to signify its defense and protection of the rights of female students, staff, faculty, and citizens to defend their lives through any means necessary.”

April Coffin, SGA vice president and author of the S.A.F.E. Act, pointed to controversy over selfdefense tips on the Public Safety website that

made headlines across the country in late February.

The page cited tips such as “tell your attacker you have a disease or are menstruating.”

At the same time as the website controversy, House Bill 1226 was being proposed to remove concealed carry on college campuses in Colorado.

Coffin said she felt she needed to do more after the negative nationwide attention spurred by the university website in reference to defense pointers for students. “[It] compelled me and other members of student government to take action to show the student body that we hear their concerns and would stand behind their rights to defend themselves effectively and legally,” stated Coffin. “[T]he idea of crafting this document was in response to the outcry from our students against the proposed HB 1226 legislation,” said Coffin.

She later added, “I had

students bringing their concerns to me in person … I also had other members in SGA discussing similar concerns being brought to them from members of the student body.”

Coffin also voiced her expectations from the passing of the S.A.F.E. Act. “I hope that the S.A.F.E. Act helps show that not all schools are in favor of gun-free campuses and that UCCS stays strong in their stance of protecting students’ rights.” “[T]he concept of students carrying guns on campus is unnecessary,” said TJ Bland, representative at large, who voted against the bill.

“The UCCS student population is growing, and I don’t feel that is proper way to secure safety on campus,” he said.

“A large population of the UCCS community is young and may not be responsible enough to have a gun,” Bland added.

“Guns could possibly increase the violence rates,

Photo by Nick Burns Vice President April Coffin addressed the student Senate on the importance of passing the S.A.F.E. Act. threats will arise between students without guns and ones with guns…although people can use guns for protection, it could also turn around and harm the victim, themselves and the people around them.”

Bland believes this measure is the wrong way to go about creating and maintaining a secure campus.

“The message I want to send out to the student body is that to increase the safety on campus, the school should increase the amount of police officers

at the university because the population is growing.”

HB 1226 has since been set aside until May 10 by its own author, Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder. This prevents it from being voted on, essentially rendering it a lame duck.

In the event that a similar bill is proposed by Colorado lawmakers, Coffin hopes students will rally as they did this time.

“I hope to see students unite again to ensure their rights are not taken away.” S

Muslim students seek changes to prayer room Nick Beadleston

opinion Death penalty page 9 While the death penalty is still legal in Colorado, that does not prevent disagreement about how criminals should be punished.

sports The outdoors page 11 Colorado has plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy, especially now that the weather is warming up.

nbeadles@uccs.edu In order to meet the religious needs and obligations of students, a room in the Kraemer Library was converted into an ad hoc prayer space in Spring 2012.

According to a sign posted outside multipurpose Room 318, located east of the rear staircase on the third floor the library, the space has been converted into “a room for study, meditation, reflection, and prayer.” It is available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and each student is limited to 30 minutes.

Efforts to allocate a prayer space for Muslim students to conduct their five mandatory daily prayers were started by student Zaina Abukhdeir.

Abukhdeir, a mathematics and secondary education major, is the chair of the UCCS branch of the Muslim Student Alliance.

She began requesting a room specifically designated for prayer in

Photo courtesy of the Saudi Club’s Facebook page The Muslim Student Alliance worked with the Saudi Club and Anthony Cordova, left, pictured during the spring Club Fair, to obtain a prayer room.

2012. Abukhdeir enlisted the help of Anthony Cordova, director of the MOSAIC Office and CU Opportunity Program, as well as members of the Saudi Club.

According to documentation presented by Abukhdeir – including the original proposal for

the room and a copy of the petition submitted to university administration – Teri Switzer, dean of the Kraemer Family Library, approved Room 318 be used for prayer.

Despite the designation of a room for multi-faith worship, several groups on campus, including the

MSA and the Saudi Club, want a change in the accommodations.

Answering as the spokesperson for the Saudi Club, Abdullah Almurayh, a Saudi exchange student attending UCCS for a Ph.D. in computer science, explained several concerns regarding

the room.

According to the club’s mission statement, its primary function is to “work as a tool to help new students communicate with fellow students, so everyone can share their academic, social, and life Continued on page 2 . . .

News

Page 2

(Continued from page 1) experiences and all other resources.”

Additionally, Almurayh indicated the organization exists to provide support for transfer students from Saudi Arabia.

Almurayh’s concerns about the room center around creating conflict with students that use the room in a non-religious, studying capacity.

His chief objection was that asking students present to leave so that he could pray would violate their right to use the room.

Another point of contention for Muslim stu-

dents, according to Almurayh, is the presence of a large table in the center of the room, which does not allow for adequate space in the event that multiple students wish to pray. The room measures 10 feet by 11 feet.

Almurayh said, “The decision makers may not understand what people need to pray.”

He thinks that it would not be appropriate toward other students to simply pray in open spaces around campus. He also expressed personal safety concerns for praying publicly.

April 15, 2013

Students seek changes to prayer room Almurayh believes the lack of a prayer space that meets all the necessary criteria for Muslim students can be a major consideration for Saudi nationals who are considering attending UCCS. Saudi students, through the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM), pay significant tuition fees, both on the state and national level, to attend.

Carol Pacheco, a library technician who works at the circulation desk, indicated the library staff has not had any issues with groups trying to use the room at the same time or

with study groups yielding the room to students with religious considerations.

Pacheco did indicate the door for the room had been taken off previously due to students misusing the room. Neither Almurayh nor Abukhdeir indicated the lack of the door was a major issue.

Abukhdeir stated that the missing door was an important factor in choosing the room, as it results in a more open atmosphere.

Abukhdeir cited the same issues with the room that Almurayh had men-

tioned. He suggested specific rooms be designated for specific prayer times to provide a confirmed place to pray while at the same time avoid conflicts with other students attempting to use the same room.

She gave few specifications to the nature of the rooms, only that they be reserved daily and that “the best places would be in the library or in the University Center because they are [more] central.”

Cordova indicated that he would be willing to work with student groups to allocate a room in future UCCS building proj-

ects, which would be used entirely for prayer.

Both the Saudi Club and the MSA are registered under UCCS’ list of cultural clubs and not as religious organizations.

Other universities in Colorado, including the University of Denver, also have designated spaces for prayer.

Almurayh said, “You’re not just praying for yourself; you’re praying for everything around you.

When you come to a place, you are part of that place. We pray for the city, we pray for the people, we pray for peace.” S

Procedures in place to prevent on-campus chemical spill Nick Beadleston nbeadles@uccs.edu A chemical spill occurred on March 20 at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The incident did not result in any serious injuries, but the campus’ Engineering Center was evacuated and four students were evaluated by the local hazmat team.

Another chemical spill, involving titanium tetrachloride, occurred at Colorado College on April 10. The incident prompted the treatment of 13 students, the hospitalization of custodian Steve Burt and the temporary closing of three blocks of Nevada Avenue.

Several members of Public Safety revealed UCCS has multiple plans to prevent a similar incident from occurring on campus.

According to Cynthia Norton, the hazardous materials specialist at UCCS, any person who handles chemicals on campus is required to undergo training, either through physical classes or online training.

The online training for the research labs consists of more than 145 PowerPoint slides that cover topics ranging from proper labeling of chemicals to emergency procedures.

Advanced students

conducting research must then score a minimum of 80 percent on an online test to be allowed to handle potentially hazardous material.

Additionally, all students enrolled in science classes with a lab portion, primarily in chemistry and biology, must complete lab safety training and testing on Blackboard within the first three to four weeks of classes.

“Training is an important aspect. You want to be as proactive as possible to avoid having to be reactive,” said Ron Honn, Environmental Health and Safety manager as well as the campus fire marshal.

Norton, whose duties also include overseeing lab registrations and inspections, stated labs must comply with proper storage techniques as described in the university’s lab safety manual.

Also according to Norton, each lab contains a smaller abridged manual designed to deal with any potential hazards found specifically in that facility.

Environmental Health and Safety’s website lists more than 50 safe operating procedures, from asbestos to used oil. Each procedure dictates protocol for how to interact with specific materials and equipment.

Spills are broken down into incidental and emergency response. Incidental spills can be handled at the lab level by students and instructors.

However, if a spill meets the criteria for an emergency response as defined by the label safety manual, then the situation is brought to the attention of EHS. The Emergency Support Function document states that “UCCS does not have internal Hazardous Materials response capabilities,” though Tim Stoecklein, program director of emergency management, indicated that this refers to large-scale hazmat scenarios.

In events like these, Public Safety will contact the Colorado Springs Fire Department Hazardous Materials Response Team.

Honn stressed the importance of erring on the side of caution when determining if a situation necessitates contacting the fire department.

With regards to preparation exercises, Stoecklein said, “We try and look for opportunities to integrate our training with the CSFD.” Honn summarized the concerns of EHS, stating, “Life safety is of the utmost importance; we can always replace buildings and equipment.” S

Corrections In the March 4 article “Club fundraising competition raises nearly $800,000,” nonprofits and clubs collectively raised more than $900,000 for the Indy Give Campaign. The Student Veterans Association did not win $200 but did win a pizza party and recognition at the annual Student Life and Leadership Awards.

In the April 1 article “UCCS to host booth at National Space Symposium,” the engineering department is not involved in the Biofrontiers Institute. The physics department also presented more than two projects.

News

April 15, 2013

Page 3

UCCS names 2012-2013 Student Employee of the Year April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu Nicolas Hostetter, a native of Alamosa, Colo., was originally a business major who thought he wanted to do something in marketing. He attended UCCS because it was three hours north of where he grew up.

“Where I grew up was extremely small, and at the time, I thought this was like an epically large city,” he said. He started freshman year as the advertising coordinator for the Office of Student Affairs.

“I kinda started working here for a totally different reason and kinda ended up in this position, and that’s what I want to do now,” Hostetter said.

Now studying public

administration, he works as the graduate assistant for OSA – and has been named Student Employee of the Year.

“I was extremely shocked, but I’m excited.

It’s been a fun year. It’s been an interesting year,” he commented.

Supervisors nominated student employees for the award, and the Student Employment Advisory Committee made the selection.

Hostetter was recognized during an April 8 kick-off event for Student Employment Week and will be recognized again at the Campus Awards Ceremony on May 1.

After the OSA assistant director quit last fall, Hostetter took on the assistant director duties until

the new assistant director, Steven Cucchiara, started in November. Hostetter said the job was stressful, but he learned a lot.

“That’s kind of been the reason that I’ve chosen that I wanna stay in student affairs and student life. It was just a huge learning curve,” he said.

“Previous to that, I was just an undergrad, so I started early and jumped right into having to learn to be a graduate assistant,” he added.

As part of his job, Hostetter oversees all of the graduate coordinators and ensures that event planning is going well.

Additionally, he does a lot of paperwork – paying vendors, scheduling and behind-the-scenes jobs.

Hostetter is most look-

Photo by Nick Burns Nicolas Hostetter was named Student Employee of the Year. He maintains a busy schedule with the Office of Student Activities. ing forward to the event Play Fair, happening next fall.

“This year, I noticed a lot of students in the first week coming to all of our events, but they didn’t re-

ally have friends. Play Fair is designed to be one massive team builder so you get to know people,” he said.

“Hopefully when they come to events, they’ll have those friends and connections and be able to walk up to people and feel like part of a group.”

Along with being a graduate assistant for OSA, Hostetter is also a graduate student in Student Affairs in Higher Education, his goal to have a job in some aspect of Student Life and Leadership.

“My dream job would be to be some sort of director in student life or something in student affairs,” he said. “[UCCS] would be ideal, but not likely.”

He said that he doesn’t have a specific place that

he wants to work, but knows he wants to remain in Colorado. “My family’s here. If they were somewhere else, I’d totally go there, but they’re here, so I want to be here.”

Hostetter said that his favorite part of the job is working with students. “I interact with them daily; all day, every day. Pretty much everything we do is student-driven, and it’s a lot of fun putting events and programs on that students want and then watching them enjoy it.”

He added, “I think they’re at this point where you can have a big impact on them and it’s a lot of fun, watching them grow through all of this and you get the chance to really help them succeed in what they’re doing.” S

Osborne Center to be partially powered by wind energy Jackson Rowland jrowlan4@uccs.edu The Green Action Fund and the Office of Sustainability have been working together for the past year in an attempt to use wind turbines to partially power the Osborne Center as they aim to further conserve energy on campus.

Although the GAF has encountered some challenges in the process of installing wind turbines on the roof of the Osborne Center, they hope to install two wind turbines by Fall 2013.

After research and investigations were complete, the Wind Turbine Commit-

tee concluded wind power is not feasible on campus to produce electricity but argues the reason behind establishing these wind turbines wasn’t simply for energy.

The wind moves at an average of 4 mph on campus, whereas the “cut in speed,” or the speed of wind at which the turbine begins to produce energy, is 12 mph. The cut in speed/energy production ratio is generally the same for any wind turbine.

The GAF hopes the wind turbines would visibly symbolize the university’s commitment to having a sustainable campus.

Though they will pro-

Photo by Alex Gradisher A large wind turbine just south of Pueblo.

duce a small amount of energy for the Osborne Center, turbines can be used to conduct academic research for wind power.

Brainstorming within a student sustainability seminar class in Spring 2012 sparked an idea for windpowered energy from the location of any campus building.

The idea became a reality when a series of votes passed the GAF board.

The Wind Turbine Committee was assembled to begin work and research for the project.

The GAF is composed of students and faculty, and the Wind Turbine Project itself was powered through student efforts.

“Students made it happen,” said Kevin Gilford, assistant director in the Office of Sustainability.

The committee, assisted by physics and engineering students and professors, tested the direction, strength and overall nature of wind on campus.

They also assessed the visibility of turbines from various campus locations, wind measurements specifically on the roofs of buildings and wind measurements during 24 hour time spans.

The Osborne Center was selected for multiple reasons. It makes the turbines visible from the parapet wall on the roof, and the building is already prepared to support turbines because of its electrical infrastructure. The turbine’s performance and data can be linked to the green ki-

osk inside Osborne.

The efficiency of numerous turbines was evaluated considering the size, shape, price and sustainability of turbine components.

The committee chose a model turbine to purchase from Honeywell, but before they were able to purchase the turbine, the vender stopped selling

them.

The committee is now in the process of choosing another model turbine to purchase and install on top of the Osborne Center. S

News

Page 4

April 15, 2013

Fighting debt, graduates claw their way into workforce Dezarae Yoder dyoder@uccs.edu The national debt clock is ticking. Many young Americans are struggling to make ends meet. Student loan debt is nearing $1 trillion.

With spring graduation ceremonies nearing, college students at UCCS and across the country are concerned about finding employment.

Fifty-three percent of recent college graduates in the U.S. ages 22-26 are unemployed.

While those who only received a high school diploma have a nearly three times higher rate of unemployment as those with a college degree, bachelor’s degrees have not guaranteed jobs for many recent grads.

Many college grads

have resorted to taking part-time, lower-wage jobs or working in positions that have nothing to do with their degree.

“I spent six months applying everywhere without a single bite before I managed to get a job at a grocery store,” said Elizabeth Chin, an English major with a professional and technical writing emphasis who graduated from UCCS last spring. “Needless to say, I started getting pretty cynical.”

Malea Ogilvie, an English literature major who also graduated last year, said, “I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to find a job that was related to my field. There was a lot of fear.”

From January 2009 to September 2012, $5.4 trillion had been added to the national debt, while stu-

dents have amassed nearly $1 trillion in student loan debt.

Some economists believe the rapid increase in student loan debt is partially due to the federal government giving out loans without appropriate screening.

According to Naked Capitalism’s Yves Smith, “[A]nyone who can fog a mirror can get a loan.”

Jill Schlesinger, editor-atlarge for CBS News MoneyWatch, agrees. “[T]hey require little in the way of underwriting. Most student loans are made through the federal government, which only vets borrowers in the most cursory of ways.”

Schlesinger added, “[T] he government doesn’t seem to care whether you are a liberal arts major, with little chance to earn enough to keep pace with

Someone you know has a new job. :) But it doesn’t come with health insurance. :(

Birth control • Emergency contraception Well woman exams Planned Parenthood health centers have grants that may cover the cost of breast and cervical cancer screenings 3958 N Academy Blvd. #108 719.573.8880

3480 Centennial Blvd.

719.475.7162

www.pprm.org

your loan payments or a software engineer, who should easily make enough money to carry the debt load.”

Many college graduates do not seem to view their degree as profitable given the current economic climate.

“Let’s face it – a literature degree doesn’t scream, ‘hire me,’” Chin added.

However, in Chin’s personal experience, practical degrees don’t always convert into jobs either. “My brothers graduated with degrees in business administration and finance, respectively, and even though those ought to be practical degrees, both struggled finding work,” she said.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York recently reported that student debt has tripled in eight years.

Experts say on average

someone earning a bachelor’s degree owes about $24,000 dollars by the time he or she graduates.

“Tuition costs are obscene, and when some students are starting out their independent lives with a small house loan’s worth of debt – well, it’s no wonder we stay in our parents’ basements,” Chin said.

“There’s a disconnect from whoever is setting the tuition [rates],” Ogilvie added.

Last week at a special meeting in Denver, CU Regents approved a 6 percent increase in tuition rates for both undergraduate and graduate resident UCCS students.

Non-resident UCCS students will be experiencing a 4 percent increase in tuition, coming into effect next fall.

As the student debt

mounts, Capitol Hill has taken notice. Last week, Sens. Coburn, R-Okla., Burr, R-N.C. and Alexander, R-Tenn., introduced a bill that would base federal student loan interest rates on U.S. Treasury rates instead of letting Congress set the interest rates.

Other politicians are being active in curbing current increase in student debt. Rep. Karen Bass, D-Cali., has suggested a forgiveness of loans up to $45,000 after 10 years if they are staying up to date with payments.

Until then, those graduating this spring must search for job opportunities to make ends meet in the economic environment.

“It is frustrating that I worked so hard to get a degree, and I get out of school and there’s nothing,” Ogilvie said. S

Check out our website! uccsscribe@ uccs.edu

Culture

April 15, 2013

Page 5

Students to raise money for cancer research in Relay for Life Jackson Rowland jrowland@uccs.edu Students looking to battle cancer and support cancer research have signed up to compete in this year’s Relay for Life at UCCS. Relay for Life of UCCS is holding its annual relay on April 19 to raise money and awareness to battle breast cancer. It will have a series of physical races, challenges and competitions.

The American Cancer Society holds the Relay for Life each year with UCCS through Hayden Murphy, an ACS staff partner.

UCCS clubs have been involved in Relay for Life for the last 10 years, engaging in the fundrais-

ing and procedures of the event.

Thirty-one teams are currently signed up with a total of 170 members.

Teams can sign up for the relay until April 19, the day of the event. Each team consists of about 8-10 members, but there is no limit as to the size of any team.

The Relay for Life mission statement states it intends to “fight back against cancer and support cancer research and ACS support programs” as well as “set a fundraising goal of at least $100.”

When a team signs up, it is encouraged to raise $100 per team member.

Although there is no limit for the quantity of members per team, the goal for an entire team is $1,000.

Individual and team fundraising are both encouraged.

Fundraising begins as soon as a team is signed up and continues until the end of the relay.

Various pre-relay fundraiser ideas are extended to teams in an effort to jumpstart their fundraising ventures, including a bake sale, car wash, babysitting, social media campaign, dodge ball tournament and a luminaria – or paper lantern – decorating party.

Achievement prizes are awarded for different amounts of money raised, like a long-sleeve tee, tent, quick bed and a grill cooler set.

Several of the clubs signed up for the Relay for Life include APISU,

Delta Sigma Pi, UCCS Criminal Justice Society, NRHH, Beth-El Student Nurses’ Association and Christian Challenge, among others.

Still, the Relay for Life is not exclusive to clubs.

Any kind of group or assembly can sign up and express support for the ACS. Lindsay Lohr of the Asian Pacific Islander Student Union has participated in Relay for Life for the last two years and was a team captain last year.

“The Relay for Life is very much a social activity and couldn’t be more lively and enjoyable,” Lohr said.

The location for the relay will be announced closer to the start of the event. S

Stock photo by Nick Burns APISU waited to run during the 2012 Relay for Life.

Alternative Spring Break provides perspective with community service cjeub@uccs.edu Many students come back from spring break well-rested and tanned.

Students in the Alternative Break Program came back with stories.

The Alternative Break Program, a club at UCCS led by Sarah Elsey, invites students to participate in community service during break.

This year, 17 students volunteered over spring break and split into two volunteer groups – one went to Denver and the other to Cheyenne, Wyo. Elsey is a graduate student in the Master’s in Educational Leadership program, Student Affairs Higher Education through the College of Education.

She completed her undergraduate degree in Texas, and when she started her master’s at UCCS, wanted to start an alternative break program because she had such great experiences on these types of trips during her undergraduate career.

Gabriel Cordova, who went with the Denver group, said it was a wonderful exposure to the real world for college students.

The most powerful thing for him was Bessie’s Hope, an organization where the team served elderly people and those with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

“We forget,” he said, “that all of us are getting older every day, and we

“

We forget that all of us are getting older every day, and we overlook our elders and everything they can teach us.

- Gabriel Cordova

overlook our elders and everything they can teach us.”

In coordinating the trip this year, Elsey partnered with various organizations. Students volunteered with more than four nonprofits in Denver and with Recover Wyoming and Saddle Tramps in Cheyenne.

Shawn Partin, a student who went to Denver, said the people he met were memorable. When working at a soup kitchen, he expressed surprise at the people he was serving.

“Many of them didn’t seem like the standard hopeless, dirty, decrepit people that you’d come to expect at a soup kitchen. Many of them were still full of energy, still seemed like they’d just fallen on a bit of hard times. They could bounce back easily enough if just given the opportunity.”

Each night, the groups spent time reflecting on their experiences in order to make their service meaningful to their own lives and experiences.

Reflections were planned before the trip, with topics for discussion.

“We talked a little bit during the reflections about how we also need service or what benefits we get as volunteers,”

“

Cynthia Jeub

said Stefan Eiles, who went on the Wyoming trip.

“It’s an interesting relationship, and we discussed different quotes.

One that stuck with me was ‘he who secures the good of others has already secured his own,’ to paraphrase Confucius,” he said.

“It’s just, you don’t go in it for the benefits yourself, but afterwards, the results that I experienced personally was really astounding. I mean, it was a spring break, it was refreshing and relaxing and a lot of fun, but it was meaningful.”

Elsey set a mindset before the trip. “Hearing both groups say that maybe things weren’t what they expected is kind of the point,” she said.

“We ask people when they sign up for the trip to not have too high of expectations because we’re going to help with these organizations because they need our help. It may not be the most fun work you could think of doing in service,” she said.

“But the fact that the students never complained, and we were there to do what the organizations needed from us – keeping in mind being safe – allowed us to

Photo courtesy of Sarah Elsey Students washed windows as part of their community service. meet our goals. It was a fantastic experience, and I am very thankful for the students who spent their spring break with the program.”

Eiles concluded, “I’m only here for another year, but if I had three more years, I would go every spring break.”

To find how to be in-

volved with the Alternative Beak Program, students can contact Sarah Elsey at selsey@uccs.edu or Crystal Wetzel at cwetzel@uccs.edu. S

Culture

Page 6

April 15, 2013

GOCA exhibit to feature artwork of graduating students Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu As the spring semester draws to a close, students look to showcase their top artwork at the Galleries of Contemporary Art’s annual senior art show.

The exhibit, running April 19, will feature some of the best work UCCS art majors have created during their careers at the school, with a piece from every senior on display.

“I think it gives insight to the school,” said Elizabeth Raitz, a PR representative. “It’s a [collaborative] art show and an accumulation of our schooling. Our peers voted in every piece.”

A committee of seniors votes on each piece displayed in the show.

Patrick Bohnen, one of the featured artists and a full-time curator in Manitou, is a sculptor. His display includes five welded steel sculptures painted with a powdered blue finish.

Bohnen welds the steel together before following a process that allows him to work with unique powdered coating on the boxes.

“My work has always

been about revelation,” he said. Originally, Bohnen only had one box to display, but through an LAS Research Grant he won, Bohnen was able to use the money to add additional pieces to his collection.

Bohnen’s project took approximately 200 hours to complete, with each of his five welding boxes requiring 30-40 hours of preparation.

Josh Mills, another student whose work will be on display, said his work focuses on comics.

“My work deals with the relationship [that] culture has with comic books,” Mills said. His most recent work, “Creating Comic,” took 75 hours to complete. “This work explores communication, the pitfalls of it, and the making of a comic book,” he said.

“I have learned so much at UCCS that words cannot describe,” Mills added, saying that he plans to make an art studio this year or next.

“I am most excited in showing my latest work,” Mills said about the art show. “I feel this work encompasses what I have learned at UCCS and, depending on how it is re-

ceived, I hope to further my exploration of works similar to it.”

Mills wants to focus on getting his work in galleries and other art shows after graduation. “I see my work as both a reflection of myself and my interpretation of culture.

“It’s nice to celebrate art,” Bohnen said. “I look forward to all the VAPA awards.”

During the night, awards will be given to students in appreciation of their hard work. Awards range from recognition to seniors’ pieces being displayed around UCCS for one year.

The art show will feature many pieces from all seniors. “I think it’s important for students to gather,” said Raitz. “It’s a great example of what’s going on right here at UCCS.” S

The Lowdown What:

Senior Show 2013

When:

April 19, 5-8 p.m.

Where:

GOCA 1420

How much: Free

Photo by Nick Burns Patrick Bohnen next to his art project that will be featured in the annual senior art show.

Public Art club looking to bring students, community together April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu day,

Students see it every walking through

University Center. They see it through the eyes of children in the display by the bookstore or on the wall near the pool tables.

Art is everywhere.

Public Art, a new club on campus, is looking to bring the UCCS and Colorado Springs com-

Photo by Josh Camacho Public Art seeks to create and display artwork like this painting.

munities closer together through art.

Jacob Scott, a freshman majoring in human biology, said in an email that he and Tiarra Lee created Public Art to share art with the community “to improve the community by engaging them in creative thought and by creating works that make more interesting and beautiful surroundings.”

Scott explained public art can come in many forms, from paintings to sculptures and can be permanent or temporary – any art in a public space.

According to publicartarchive.org, “a public art collection is not only part of a city or regional identity; it often serves as a major vehicle for engaging local citizens and visitors through art.”

“To me, public art is sharing creativity and ideas while creating community. I hope that our club will be able to engage the UCCS and Colorado Springs community and help make our town

a more beautiful place by sharing art with the community,” Scott said.

The Public Art club is starting with temporary art, like pastels and chalk. “Right now we are planning on creating various sidewalk murals with pastels to get the word out about our club and show what we do,” Scott said.

He said that many of the Public Art members have become involved in art by taking classes, joining clubs or for personal enjoyment.

“Personally, I’ve always enjoyed art since elementary school and always took classes and joined art clubs because I wanted to get better.”

“I really enjoy being able to be creative and being able to share your creativity or your vision with someone else,” he added.

Scott said his favorite art medium to work with is pastels because they blend nicely and are more forgiving than paint or markers.

His inspiration comes from John William Waterhouse, Herbert James Draper and Diego Rivera because of their subject matter and talent.

Last September, Scott entered a chalk contest at the What If Festival downtown. “My design was a skeleton head with lots of color around it and a marigold, sort of a Day of the Dead theme,” Scott said.

“I really liked it because of the contrast between the skull that people thought was creepy and the colors that elicited happier feelings. I really liked the process of making it because the people got to see it from start to finish and you can see people’s responses to my artwork,” he added.

Students interested in joining Public Art can show up to a meeting or contact Scott at jscott8@ uccs.edu or Lee at tlee3@ uccs.edu. The club meets on Fridays from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in University Center, Room 307. S

Culture

April 15, 2013

Page 7

Student runs business for low-income military families Alexander Nedd anedd2@uccs.edu 3,000. That’s the average number of disposable diapers a baby will use per year. Factor in cost, and you’re well into more than $1,000 put into the trash destined for landfills.

60. That is the number of handmade diapers given to families in their starter sets from Battle Bumms, a nonprofit organization and business that allows cloth diapers to be donated to low-income military families. To date, it has donated two starter sets to families in the Colorado Springs community.

The 60 cloth diapers made of chemical-free fabric translate to just over $250 but offer a reusable value that’s better for parents, their little ones and their budgets.

Victoria Emry, a senior strategic and organizational communication student on track to graduate in December, got the idea for the business while

Photo by James Sibert Victoria Emry, right, started Battle Bumms, a nonprofit organization that donates cloth diapers to military families. She is seen holding her son, Jasper. tending to her son Jasper.

“I began cloth diapering my son when he was about 4 months old,” Emry said. “We used disposable diapers, which cost us $500 to get started, and [my husband and I] began thinking that there was a cheaper way of doing this.”

Emry said that the idea developed into a business.

“I was pretty crafty and got to thinking … we can make these at a lower cost and provide them to military families,” she said.

Still working out the logistics of making their business bigger, the couple has worked to get members of the community to donate cloth diapers. For now, their business has grown to include more diapers than families.

“We started with a Facebook page in September, and pretty quickly we had 60 followers from all over the country,” Emry said.

People switch to cloth for many reasons, Emry noted. “It saves money.

There is an upfront cost, but in the long run you will save.”

Families have already tried and loved their starter

kits from Battle Bumms, Emry said, and the diapers are more environmental.

“You can use these for multiple children,” Emry said. “It can take up to 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose.”

When asked why clothing diapers aren’t as popular, Emry explained the hurdles of changing the public’s attitude.

“There is obviously a convenience factor,” she said. “Technically, with disposables you are supposed to clean out the diaper before you dump it in the trash. Landfills are not supposed to have that human waste. It’s really not that different than using cloth diapers.”

Battle Bumms will be the beneficiary of a sponsored event April 20 at the Chapel Hills Mall titled “The Great Cloth Diaper Change.”

The event seeks to break the previous year’s Guinness World record of number of babies being changed into cloth diapers at one time.

“Denver beat out Colo-

rado Springs last year, but we’re hoping to be bigger than them next year,” Emry said.

The event will feature raffle tickets and giveaways geared toward new families, as well as games like the Diaper Derby, where parents coax their children to cross the finish line in a variety of humorous ways.

The event is free, but people are encouraged to register. Those interested can register at gcdc2013cs.eventbrite.com.

Emry hopes to expand the nonprofit business, but in the meantime she helps teach classes for those who want to learn more about the benefits of cloth diapering.

“I do one-on-one teaching for anyone who is interested, completely free,” she said.

Battle Bumms is always accepting donations, and people can learn more or help donate and buy cloth diapers by visiting facebook.com/battlebumms or emailing victoria@ battlebumms.com. S

Student-directed ‘Eyes for Consuela’ questions blind spots Cynthia Jeub cjeub@uccs.edu Rating:

Deep in the jungle of Mexico, there are no phones or taxis, and the dirt Henry stands on is the only road.

He came here to escape from life in the United States, but a maniac attacks him and makes his vacation a wakeful nightmare of desperate soul-searching.

The dark drama begins with the shocking scene of Amado, played by Omid Harrison, cutting a screaming man’s eyes out. The eyeless, blinded figure with a blood-stained face haunts the rest of the performance.

Amado, a Mexican with a difficult past, wants to gather blue eyes for his wife to make her smile.

His next victim is Henry, who has always had brown eyes – until now. Henry questions his sanity when he tries to save his sight by appealing to his brown eyes, but everyone around him claims his eyes are blue.

“It’s a play about blindness,” said Dana Kjeldsen, the student director of “Eyes for Consuela,” referencing the literal theme of

removing eyes.

“I want to ask the audience about their own blind spots. You need to address those now, or they will come up later,” he said.

Christian O’Shaughnessy, who plays the part of Henry, has blue eyes. But the set lighting casts doubt on colors, and the crew is waiting for brown contacts to arrive for later performances.

The contrast in cultures forces the audience to reconsider normalcy.

Amado accuses Henry of not knowing what love is because the United States culture ignores the heart.

In turn, Henry is shocked at the barbaric willingness Amado has to cut out the eyes of Caucasians.

Through dialogue that reveals the backstory of the two characters, reality becomes less clear. Perhaps Amado is not the insane one – Henry is disillusioned about his life and marriage, too.

Kjeldsen said he chose “Consuela” at the last minute. Kjeldsen and O’Shaugnessy picked a scene from it for their fight test, a certification for unarmed combat on stage.

Kjeldsen was taking a Directing I class and was supposed to spend all semester preparing a pro-

Photo courtesy of UCCS Theatre’s Facebook page “Eyes for Consuela” opened April 12. posal for his play. He had chosen another play but changed his mind after working with “Consuela” for combat.

“I switched to it in the last two weeks before the proposal was due because I loved it so much,” he said, and his proposal was chosen for production.

Kjeldsen’s skill with choreography shows throughout the performance. The actors fight and wrestle in the dirt, and Consuela,

played by Chloe Kiskiras, dances silently through the show as a controlling spirit.

Mere fighting is topped with a scene where four cast members torment Henry in a dream. They move effortlessly through a complicated routine despite being blindfolded.

Another scene features a slow-motion fight.

“I like gritty roles,” said Kjeldsen. “And I’m tired of fluff comedy; it doesn’t

help me as an actor, or in this case, as a director. To get better, I want to do something new, find something in me I didn’t know existed.”

The play ends abruptly after little explanation of what was real, what was dream or insanity and what was spiritual.

But like learning Dorothy in Oz was just a dream or that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was just a story, the trip was worth it because of

the questions it asked. S

The Lowdown What:

Eyes for Consuela

When:

April 19-21, 8 p.m.

Where:

Osborne Studio Theater University Hall

How much:

Free for UCCS students $5 general admission

Opinion

Page 8

April 15, 2013

Debt and joblessness await many college graduates Staff Editorial scribe@uccs.edu Last week, CU Regents voted 6-3 to raise tuition at each of the four CU campuses, including a 6 percent hike at UCCS. For freshmen and sophomores taking 15 credits hours in the fall, the increase is from $3,525 per semester to $3,735.

For juniors and seniors in the Letters, Arts and Sciences, for example, semester rates will increase from $3,795 for 15 credits to $4,020.

Students are expected to pay more for their education, but can we really afford it?

Despite generous claims to the opposite, students across the country are facing increasing debt, crushing joblessness and an economy with fewer opportunities.

Various studies show that a lack of economic opportunities has forced young Americans to delay starting families, buying homes and cars, investing wages and saving for retirement.

For those on the verge of graduation, the economic situation is all too real. While some will experience immediate success, many will face the many burdens that come with debt and joblessness.

the

Debt: Personal and loan interest rates to mar- against such fiscal improket rates, which are low priety, launching groups Collective According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, after home mortgages, outstanding student loan debt – now at $1.1 trillion – is the largest consumer debt class.

The Project for Student Debt at the Institute for College Access & Success estimates the average college student graduates with $26,600 in student loan debt.

For some, acquiring mounds of student loan debt can be a death sentence.

Millions of students are paying record-high relative interest rates on government-backed loans, according to a review by the Huffington Post.

While low-income students can qualify for a subsidized 3.4 percent interest rate (itself set to double this summer, according to NBC News), since 2006, most are stuck with a static 6.8 percent rate. Grad students face a 7.9 percent interest rate.

In fact, for the first time, those on the Federal Reserve’s panel to set interest rates have identified high student debt burdens as a key hurdle to economic growth.

In his budget proposal last week, President Obama offered tying the

now, but could rise significantly in the future.

Also affecting millennials’ economic future: the national debt, which stands at $16.8 trillion.

Each person’s share is $53,201, or $148,109 per taxpayer.

And that is current debt – how much we would owe if the government were to shut down immediately. Excluded is new spending on entitlement programs, the main drivers of debt.

Americans haven’t seen this much red since Gettysburg.

As it is, the federal government runs a daily $2 billion deficit. With around 315 million people in the U.S., that means that every day the government spends more than $6 on your behalf, or more than $44 a week.

It’s like taking a friend out for dinner at an expensive restaurant and, right before the check comes, your “friend” dashes to the restroom, never to be heard from again.

Worst yet, this is a “friend” that chooses the restaurant, decides both of your orders, eats his dish and most of yours, then dashes to the restroom.

Many young Americans have started to push back

cribe

Editor-in-Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara Horton Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jesse Byrnes Copy Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylor Hargis News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eleanor Skelton Culture Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cynthia Jeub Opinion/Life on the Bluffs Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aaron Collett Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonathan Toman Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Gradisher Business Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike English Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emily Olson Designer and Photographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Solis Cartoonist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steven Fenczik Web Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edwin Satre Ad Sales Representatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nikolas Roumell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Petrucelli Lead Photographer and Columnist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nicholas Burns Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joshua Camacho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Sibert Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April Wefler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Farrell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Samantha Morley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyle Marino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nick Beadleston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexander Nedd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dezarae Yoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Crystal Chilcott Junior Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jackson Rowland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monika Reinholz Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylor Eaton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shelby Shively Distributor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lisa Erickson Advisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laura Eurich

like The Can Kicks Back (Fix the Debt), Concerned Youth of America, Common Sense Action, National Campus Leadership Council and Bankrupting America (Public Notice).

More and more Americans realize that today’s fiscal challenges must be solved by young adults – and we can’t be locked into myopic approaches.

Jobs: A Lack Thereof

Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Colorado Springs had an 8.5 percent unemployment rate for February, compared to 8.9 percent for the same month last year, a four-year low.

In fact, the unemployment rate fell in 22 states in February, and the March national unemployment rate fell from 7.7 percent to 7.6 percent.

Unfortunately, a falling unemployment rate doesn’t mean fewer people are unemployed. Some are – but most credit the drop to fewer people working or giving up their search entirely.

The economy only added 88,000 jobs last month, less than half the expected 200,000 to maintain current growth. Nearly half a million Americans dropped out of the work-

Contact us: On campus: UC 106 Phone: (719) 255-3658 Email: scribe@uccs.edu

force entirely.

The labor participation rate – the number of those older than 16 who are employed in the workforce – fell to 66.3 percent, a 34year low.

The outlook for young Americans is even worse.

One in six young adults can’t find work. Many of those fortunate to have a job don’t just have one – they have multiple parttime jobs to make ends meet.

Today’s college graduates are expected to do more with less. The question is: How long can they maintain that?

Practical Steps

The economy is a machine: If debt continues to rise unabated, inflation rates, interest rates and unemployment rates will rise too – and everyone loses.

To tackle our debt, it’s important to get informed.

Read everything you can get your hands on – not just those you think you agree with.

“The Daily Show” is great, but life isn’t all fun and games. Begin to understand the forces driving economic fluctuations and the historical precedence for effective pro-growth policies.

It’s also vital that you get involved. Understand

that the future of the country won’t get sorted out in a Facebook thread.

Attend town hall meetings, write a blog or letter to a newspaper (even this one!), and email and call legislators to voice your opinion.

Skip a single episode of “Game of Thrones” and help get our fiscal crisis under control – your wallet will thank you later.

If you don’t have a summer internship or job lined up, talk with a teacher, friend or mentor for leads. Check out SEAN’S Place online for job posts, and take advantage of the many services offered through the Career Center.

UCCS, like many schools, puts an emphasis on reaching graduation – but then what? Are students expected to wallow in a jobless state of indebted despair?

No. We know the economy sucks and our debt crisis is a mess. The question is, what we going to do about it? S Editor’s note: Editorial board member Jesse Byrnes is a member of the Colorado steering committee for the Campaign to Fix the Debt, of which The Can Kicks Back is a millennial outreach partner.

Follow us:

www.uccsscribe.com www.facebook.com/uccsthescribe @uccsscribe

Letters to the Editor

The Scribe strongly encourages letters to the editor. Letters intended for publication must not exceed 350 words, must be legible and include the writer’s name and contact information. Letters must be submitted to The Scribe via email at scribe@uccs.edu by 5 p.m. on Wednesdays before publication.

The Scribe reserves the right to reject letters to the editor that are libelous, obscene or anonymous and has the right to edit as necessary due to space limitations, spelling or other grammatical errors and AP style guidelines.

Distribution Policy

The following conducts are prohibited by The Scribe: Publication and news rack theft. A person commits the offense(s) of publication and/or news rack theft when he or she willfully or knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over more than one copy of any edition of a publication distributed on or off campus (a “publication” is any periodical that is distributed on a complimentary basis). Any person who commits these offences is responsible for compensating The Scribe for any reasonable costs incurred, including, where appropriate, the refunding of advertising fees.

Archives

Additional copies of the current publication volume are available in The Scribe’s office. The Scribe keeps issues from the past five volumes for internal use only. The Office of University Archives will handle any request for additional issues from the past five years and before.

Advertising

If you, your club, organization or business wishes to advertise with The Scribe, please call (719) 255-3469 or email scribe2@uccs.edu.

Opinion

April 15, 2013

Page 9

Dueling Opinion Colorado right to maintain the death penalty

Take away death penalty in Colorado, keep the punishment

Alexander Nedd Taylor Eaton teaton2@uccs.edu There is no reason for Colorado to ever consider eliminating the death penalty.

House Bill 1264 was rejected on March 26, saving the death penalty in Colorado. It guarantees the three men currently on death row will not lose their dates with lethal injection.

Unfortunately, 17 states have abolished capital punishment, most recently Connecticut last year. Forty-two death row inmates were executed last year, compared to the 1990s when upwards of 80 were executed yearly.

The U.S. needs to go back to that.

The death penalty itself is expensive with repeals and fees. But the 4,575 prisons in the U.S. are becoming quickly overpopulated with an estimated 2.2 million prisoners.

The quickest solution is to execute the murderers, rapists, repeat of-

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons Lethal injection rooms, such as this one in San Quentin State Prison, have been banned in some states ­­– but not in Colorado. fenders of child abuse, those who have committed treason against the U.S. and child molesters. The U.S. population can find quicker and more affordable ways to execute these people.

The criminals who have plead guilty or have proven with significant amounts of evidence to have committed a heinous crime should not be allowed to sit and wait for repeals. Resources could be put to better use, like educating innocent youth or helping grieving families.

Of the three inmates waiting on death row in Colorado, two were involved in a murder of a couple that was supposed to testify against one of the inmates. The other is Nathan Dunlap, a man guilty of killing four people at a Chuck E. Cheese.

Colorado’s last inmate to die by lethal injection, the state’s sole

method of execution, was Gary Lee Davis in 1997.

Davis was convicted of raping at least 15 different women and for murdering his neighbor, who he raped then shot 14 times with a shotgun. Davis admitted to the murder and rapes in court.

Is one to say that Davis could have become a productive member of society? Inmates like Davis cannot be fixed in a mental institution. He likely would have never stopped raping and causing harm to women.

Even though it has been 36 years since Colorado’s last execution, the death penalty needs to remain active within the state. It not only maintains respect for rule of law, but it eliminates inmates who do not deserve to live.

People who commit heinous crimes do not deserve to live. S

anedd@uccs.edu On July 20, 2012, 12 people lost their lives when James Holmes entered a movie theater outside Aurora, Colo.

The DA is seeking the death penalty, and why not?

He massacred a dozen people and injured dozens more. But if there is something I want from Holmes, it’s for him to remain alive for a very long time.

I’m against capital punishment. We should not judge the life of another individual when we are all “men created equal.”

The wellbeing of the general public is a top concern. But the death penalty is a cowardly form of punishment. There is an escape through death, even though it’s indefinite. We should not set criminals free.

The death penalty satisfies our anger, rids our nation of one less lunatic and is seen as the ultimate revenge – but is it productive?

I would rather know a convicted felon is locked up with 822 consecutive life terms without the ability of parole than to simply have him gone.

With capital punishment, we group ourselves with countries such as China, Cuba, Iran and North Korea. If we want to remain a dominant force in world politics, why we are still committed to barbaric actions that might mistakenly put someone to death?

Putting someone to death by any means is cruel and unusual, and as a punishment, this directly violates our Eighth Amendment.

And God forbid if our justice system gets it wrong. While we like to think it’s always right, some organizations have provided reason to take a closer look at those who have already been executed.

The Death Penalty Information Center, a national nonprofit organization, has a running list of prisoners executed since 1976 whose cases arguably contain evidence of innocence.

The most recent addition, Troy Davis, was executed in 2011 despite testimony doubting his guilt and high-profile pleas for clemency from former President Jimmy Carter, former FBI Director William Sessions, Pope Benedict XVI and others.

An example closer to home happened in 2011, when former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter granted a posthumous pardon to Joe Arridy, who had been convicted and executed as an accomplice to a murder in 1936.

“Pardoning Mr. Arridy cannot undo this tragic event in Colorado history,” said Ritter. “It is in the interests of justice and simple decency, however, to restore his good name.”

Sentencing an innocent man to death is irreversible. Most of us would not kill a person if we had to do it ourselves, so we should not condone such a punishment.

There are also many fees associated with execution as well, including lawyers, DNA tests and more time on trial. It’s almost 10 times costlier to execute a person then to keep him imprisoned.

That costs falls on you.

Holmes’ actions are unforgivable. But he should live – knowing that he has no chance of ever seeing daylight and forced to look at the same wall for the rest of his life. And then I want him to die of natural causes.

Capital punishment is outdated. As it has been said, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” Let God have mercy on their soul, and let us not intervene. S

Ethnic studies classes useful despite incorrect stereotypes

Shelby Shively shively@uccs.edu Upon hearing about the women’s and ethnic studies, or WEST, program at UCCS, I initially thought it would include classes designed for man-hating, bra-burning lesbians and people of a race other

than Caucasian. What could this program have that I would ever want to study?

I signed up for an introductory class – and quickly changed my mind. I have found that WEST classes, and ethnic studies classes in general, are for everyone.

There’s no man-hating, and no one is required to burn their bras or come out. As a white woman, I have never felt that I have been subject to racism and was shocked to learn how prevalent it still is.

Ethnic studies classes opened my eyes to a world I had not encoun-

tered – one that helped students in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) discover their own potential.

TUSD, located in Arizona, made news in recent years for banning ethnic studies classes and a long list of books, which at one point included Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”

Just weeks ago, the law that created the ethnic studies ban, ARS 15-112, went to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and was upheld as constitutional.

The law isn’t entirely bad. It bans classes that promote overthrow of the

government and resentment toward a specific race or class of people.

It also bans classes designed primarily for people of a particular ethnic group and classes that advocate ethnic solidarity instead of treating all students as equal.

Unfortunately, this law allowed the superintendent of TUSD to claim some classes were in violation of this law – without any proof.

That’s how ethnic studies classes were banned in TUSD. They did not violate this law, but Tom Horne, Arizona’s Department of Education superintendent of public

instruction at the time, looked at some of the books on reading lists for the classes and decided they must be anti-American.

The classes didn’t negatively affect students in any way, though. The students in these classes performed better on standardized tests and were graduating at a rate of 93 percent.

TUSD’s ethnic studies program was an interdisciplinary approach that incorporated MexicanAmerican and Native American contributions to history and literature.

They also included a social justice slant in his-

tory, government and literature classes.

Anyone was welcome to take the classes, regardless of race or ethnicity. The program taught a fuller picture of American history, one that included voices of people who have been silenced.

It was even linked to a program at the University of Arizona, which encouraged students to attend college.

Since these classes are not in violation of the law, there is no reason for them – in Arizona or any other state – to be banned. In fact, they should be required. S

Life on the Bluffs

Page 10

Campus Chatter Crystal Chilcott, cchilcot@uccs.edu, photos by Joshua Camacho

There are more than 20 million students in America, and more than 10,000 of them are at UCCS. Their opinions matter.

April 15, 2013

Top Ten

Things to do with tax refunds

by Nick Beadleston, nbeadles@uccs.edu

Jack Johnson, junior, philosophy

Nick Skalisky, sophomore, pre-nursing

Conner Morgan, freshman, electrical engineering

Jacie Walton, freshman, engineering

Do you believe in the death penalty?

I think something like that needs to be case to case. I don’t think it is a blanket that is viable at all times. It needs to be contextualized.

Do you believe in the death penalty?

Yes, but not in all cases.

Do you believe in the death penalty?

Well, it depends. It is morally wrong to kill someone and taking life for whatever reason, but the alternative of life in prison costs taxpayers money. So morally it is a gray area, but fiscally it is right.

How do you feel about the death penalty?

I was a criminal justice student, so this is a hard question for me. I learned that it costs more money to kill them than keep them in prison for life. So in that way it would be a con. I had to write a paper about it, and my mom asked me, “How would you feel if your child was killed and the shooter was out in 30 years receiving health insurance and getting food everyday?” Even though it costs more, I think the death penalty is worth it for the people affected. S

What are the pros and cons of the death penalty?

A con for my personal beliefs is because it seems so savage. I can’t condone people killing each other.

Is this a viable punishment for the Aurora shooter?

I think the prison system is not productive. Nothing would come out of incarcerating him nor from killing.

It’s a lose-lose situation for the shooting victims’ unfortunate reality.

What are the pros and cons of the death penalty?

The pros are deterrent and getting rid of truly dangerous people who won’t change. The cons are if we aren’t careful, we could get rid of someone too early before they’ve had a chance to change.

What crimes deserve the death penalty?

I would say mass murderers who obviously won’t change, not someone who committed seconddegree murder one time, though that is very bad.

Should the justice system keep the death penalty?

At this point we should keep it because we don’t use it that often. Maybe [it] helps prevent murders with the threat of one’s own life.

What crimes justify death?

Any premeditative murderer.

Anyone who thought through all the options and picked that offense knowing what would happen to them if and when they got caught.

North Korea

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

“Wait, I had to file by when?”

Start a pug sperm bank.

Adopt as many African children as you can before Angelina Jolie, Madonna and Bono get their hands on them.

Buy a bunch of cheeseburgers and eat them in front of a homeless person.

Don a ski mask, run into bank screaming and deposit your refund into your account.

Leave screaming.

Obtain a spider monkey. Give it rabies.

Release it into the wild.

Buy as many jumbo shrimp as you can.

Hide them strategically around campus.

Throw a quinceañera for your neighbor’s dying Chihuahua.

Purchase 100 pairs of shoelaces. Donate to local prison.

Invest your refund…in alcohol.

Sudoku

Bring your completed sudoku to The Scribe Office (UC 106) for a prize! Last week’s sudoku Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.76) answers can be found at uccsscribe.com.

4

6

8 2

7 3

9

2 6

5 6

5

7

7 4 5 9

Comic by Steven Fenczik, sfenczik@uccs.edu

5 3

8

9

2

9 3

9 7

1 2

1

7

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Mon Apr 8 17:43:52 2013 GMT. Enjoy!

This week at

UCCS

Tuesday, April 16

Wednesday, April 17

Café Scientifique Clyde’s 6 p.m.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Gallogly Events Center 7 p.m.

Donna Orender Berger Hall 11:30 a.m.

Chalk Talk Lodge 5 p.m.

Yoga for Mindfulness and Stress Reduction University Center, Room 309 Noon

Thursday, April 18

Adult CPR/AED Training 8 a.m.

DPS Training Room

Friday, April 19

Opening Reception: Senior Visual Art Majors GOCA 1420 5 p.m.

Relay for Life TBD 6 p.m.

Sports

April 15, 2013

Page 11

Many gym precautions, dangers are lost on students

Nick Burns nburns@uccs.edu For students who have actually dropped weights on themselves in the gym or have seen it happen to someone else, safety is

never a compromise.

After helping a young student (and apparent gym novice) put the safety collars on his E-Z curl bar, I was struck by his response: He said he had never needed them before.

Unsurprisingly, this came after he dropped the weights off both sides of his bar. One of the weights landed a foot from the bench I was working out on – lucky for me.

The gentleman was so oblivious to gym safety that he was not even sufficiently embarrassed by

his dangerous behavior.

We are all guilty of not keeping safety at the forefront of our lives. (Who wants to live a sterile and safe life?) But the gym is different.

Every mistake made in the gym affects others: an Olympic bar flying across a room because too much weight was taken off of one side, turning it into a counter-balanced projectile; a spotter who missed catching the bar on a heavy bench press lift.

Personal responsibility for mitigating potentially large dangers should keep

everyone in the gym alert.

Incidents like those are few and far between, but when they do occur they can have lifelong consequences.

But what about the seemingly not-so-dangerous activities that are approached without safety in mind?

As reported by NBC News by the number of injuries, the most dangerous machine in the gym from a 2009 study is the unlikely treadmill.

Have you used the emergency-stop safety clip recently? While it

may be easy to ignore, it’s also the simplest way to prevent such injuries.

Gym safety also includes gym cleanliness.

Failing to wipe down equipment and benches after you use them is why an average gym bench has more germs than a toilet seat.

The transmission of germs through sweat and contact should scare you, as antibiotic-resistant MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) can be prevalent in commercial gyms.

Being safety conscience

means you also wipe down equipment.

The greatest detriment to safety is just not paying attention. Being too lazy to throw on the safety clip, wiping down machines or giving forethought to your next action makes you dangerous.

It is your responsibility to consider how your actions will affect yourself and others in order to prevent injury to both.

Don’t just throw your weight around. Like life, the gym is inherently dangerous, but it is more dangerous if you are stupid. S

Colorado offers number of outdoor activities to enjoy

Dezarae Yoder dyoder@uccs.edu Coloradans can see blizzard-like conditions any given day. By the following afternoon, only remnants of the snow and ice are left as the sun beats upon asphalt and trailheads alike.

Runners, bicyclists and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds can be found relishing the unique climate in Colorado.

After living two years in Fairbanks, Alaska, I re-

alized and came to appreciate even more the consistently amazing weather in my native state.

On a typical day, you will find people more than willing to escape outside for some form of exercise ­– be it a local trailhead or a quick jaunt to the nearby frozen yogurt joint.

Those who live here seem eager to be outside.

Tim Swiat, current senior vice president and commercial banking relationship manager for Commerce Bank in Denver, recently discussed the rare nature of the state for outdoor activities. “It’s just great … I fly fish, I mountain bike. Colorado offers a lot for a guy like me,” he said.

Swiat, an avid outdoorsman and friend, transplanted to Colorado from Michigan in 1995.

Although bound to downtown Denver, where his office is located, Swiat takes full advantage of his location when his schedule permits.

“There are just so many things that I can access quickly within a relatively short amount of time,” Swiat said.

The state as a whole is active, health conscious and does much of its “fitness” outdoors. For Colorado natives, it’s in our blood.

For transplants, it’s an eagerness to become a part of the madness. Those residents not engaging in the outdoor culture need to pay attention.

During the summer months, the state is flooded with tourists who are eager to enjoy Garden of the Gods, excited to hang around Manitou Springs

and pumped to attend an outdoor concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre or trek across the National Sand Dunes Monument.

Those Coloradans who haven’t experienced these things are letting down their state and owe it to themselves to get out there. It’s important to take advantage of such unique opportunities.

The emphasis on outdoor activities has health benefits, too. For the third consecutive year, Colorado has maintained the nation’s lowest obesity rate at 18.7 percent, according to Gallup. This compares to the national obesity rate of 26 percent since 2011, according to another Gallup poll.

The community offers many opportunities for those with very busy schedules or ones

wide open. Garden of the Gods, literally down the road from the UCCS, offers wonderful excuses to get outside.

Here you can find lowintensity to high-intensity trails for runners, mountain bikers and horseback riders.

Opportunities for rock climbing on some of the gorgeous rocks in the garden bring many from near and far.

The recently legalized Incline is also a hot spot for outdoor fitness freaks in Colorado with the eagerness to conquer the 1.25 mile elevation gain of 2,000 feet, starting at 6,574 feet and ending at a nauseating 8,585feet.

Colorado Springs also boasts 18 golf courses.

So if intense cardio isn’t quite to your liking, the links are a relaxing al-

ternative. Keep in mind, however, they’re not all public.

As a Colorado conscious native, take some advice from transplant Tim Swiat: Find what you’re passionate about doing outside and you’ll find yourself making the time to do it. You’ll likely also find new activities that you’d like to pursue.

As a college student, it’s an easily attainable goal to spend an hour a week outside. Take your homework outdoors or perhaps plan one or more camping trips for the summer.

Whether it’s the 300plus days a year of sunshine or the 53 fourteeners that motivate Coloradans toward a healthy lifestyle, one thing is certain: If you live in Colorado, you should do it outdoors. S

Sports

Page 12

April 15, 2013

Women’s softball team looks to build on early success Kyle Marino kmarino@uccs.edu The women’s softball team (22-12-1, 17-8) has gotten off to one of its best starts in school history.

“This is one of the most talented groups of girls I have ever had,” said Head Coach Scott Peterson. “Some of them grew up playing baseball, and it shows [in] the way they play.”

The girls concluded a four-game series against Regis University on April 7, winning three of the four games. They lost 6-2 in the second game of a double-header on April 6.

“We definitely can win the next eight games – we expect to go 8-0,” Peterson said before the series against Regis.

“We are playing two of the bottom feeders in the RMAC. If we win these eight, we will be in good shape headed into the latter part of the season.”

The lady Mountain Lions hit the road for half of the games in that stretch.

Still, confidence is something the team does not lack.

“Playing Division II softball isn’t all that hard,” Freshman Outfielder Payton Kornfeind said. “Sure, it is more

Photo by James Sibert The women’s softball team won three of four games in a series against Regis University to start off the season. work than I am used to, but I just kind of go out and do my thing. That’s how all of us are; we just take care of business.”

The Mountain Lions rely on their dynamic offense to lead the way.

“We have one of the best hitting teams in all of Division II,” Peterson

said. “We put emphasis on hitting in every practice. It really shows when we get out on the field.”

Currently, the Lady Lions lead the RMAC in batting average (.365), on-base percentage (.435), runs scored (257), runs batted in (233), stolen bases (52) and slug-

ging percentage (.548).

Running the offensive surge for UCCS is Kornfeind. She leads the RMAC with a .525 batting average and 62 hits, leaving many teams frustrated by her dynamic play.

“Teams are always asking how you get this

girl out,” Peterson said.

“You play in on her – she smokes it over your head; you play back – she lays down a bunt. She is a great all-around player,” he added.

“I just go out and do my thing,” Kornfeind said. “I try not to think about things too much. I

just let the game come to me.”

The Mountain Lions will head on the road for eight straight games before returning home for the final four games of the season on April 27 and 28 as they look to jumpstart a deep run in the playoffs. S

Campus Recreation to host 12th annual Bash the Bluffs Crystal Chilcott cchilcot@uccs.edu Beginning and ending at the Rec Center, the route highlights the topography of the community, Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountain Front Range.

On April 20, Campus Recreation will host the 12th annual Bash the Bluffs 5K walk and run.

“We have a number of people from the community that participate in the event, so it serves as a nice showcase of the campus for many people that otherwise would not have the chance to visit,” said Matt Gaden, director of Campus Recreation.

The race starts at 9 a.m. Aid stations providing medical attention and water will be dotted along the course. Participants should park in Lot 8, which is adjacent to the Rec Center. Overflow parking is available at Four Diamonds at 5025 N. Nevada.

An awards ceremony will follow the race, scheduled for 10 a.m. The top three overall male and female winners will be honored. Additionally, male and female winners in five age categories will be recognized.

Entry fees support the administration and running the event, Gaden said.

“There are costs associated with T-shirts, food, drinks, cups, race prizes, door prizes, race numbers and other assorted things so we use the entry money to cover those costs,” Gaden said. “It’s a breakeven situation in terms of the budget, so it’s not a profit-making event.”

Those involved with the event take on a variety of tasks, from handling advertisements to implementing a timing system.

Bash the Bluffs is held in memory of Ed Burke, a former professor of exercise science at UCCS. A researcher who

Photo by James Sibert Bash the Bluffs, to be set on the above course, is set to take place April 20. befriended many of the Campus Recreation staff, Burke wrote more than 1,000 articles and contributed to books on applied physiology, health and sport science. He

died in 2002.

“The event started in the spring of 2002 with only a handful of participants on a very cold, rainy, sleety day. Since then, the event has been

organized and run annually by the department with participation of 200-300 people from the campus and surrounding community,” Gaden said.

Participants must register by April 18. The $25 entry fee includes a T-shirt. Students may register at the Rec Center front desk or online at uccs.edu/campusrec. S