May 6, 2013

Club inline hockey, page 12

the

cribe Vol. 37, Iss. 23

Monday, May 6, 2013

UCCS Student Newspaper

Inside SGA special election results: Caldwell, Apelo win this

Issue news

Results Summary

School fire mitigation page 2

President:

Jasmine Caldwell

Vice President: Donald Apelo

Green Action Fund: Yes

Senate and House candidates ran unopposed and were all elected to their respective positions: Kyle Lee, senator of College of Business; Jamar Anderson, representative at large; Janine Cantrell, representative at large.

Student Election Results

Approximately 9.6 percent of the student body, or 986 students, voted during this year’s special election. That total falls 179 students short of last year’s record 1,165-student turnout. S

Green Action Fund

With a hot and dry summer ahead, school officials look to prevent on-campus fires.

Graduate student Twitter study page 2 A UCCS graduate studied the role of Twitter for the Waldo Canyon fire.

culture Weddings page 6 While most students think of attending UCCS for classes or events, wedding packages allow couples to say “I do” here too.

opinion Class politics page 9 Classroom time should be spent on learning about tolerance, not voicing racial predjudice.

sports Judo page 12 UCCS student scientist adds judo gold to his many accomplishments, including researching at Duke University.

Four teachers post signs banning guns in offices Jesse Byrnes jbyrnes@uccs.edu When a man came into his work with a weapon openly displayed, his manager quickly said the weapon wasn’t allowed. “[Our] manager said that they didn’t allow it in store,” said C.J. Mitchell, a former UCCS student. “I did some research. No person can control whether or not people can carry into their business or education unless it’s a property owner,” he said, referring to state statutes.

State law and University of Colorado policy allow for carrying a concealed weapon (CCW) on Colorado college campuses.

Recently, however, four UCCS teachers, all from the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, posted signs outside their office doors requesting that visitors not bring guns, including concealed firearms, into their offices.

“Please do not bring guns, concealed or otherwise, into this office,” the signs read, all formatted the same way.

The teachers include Carole Huber, senior instructor, and Emily Skop, associate professor and graduate director, from geography and environmental studies; Mary Ann Cutter, a philosophy pro-

fessor; and Alex Ilyasova, assistant English professor and director of the professional and technical writing program.

Huber, the first teacher at UCCS to do so, posted the sign in mid-February while others have posted it more recently.

“I get the New York Times and saw the Feb. 16 article about guns on campus … which included a photo of the sign outside a CU Boulder professor’s office,” Huber said in an email.

Last fall, an academic adviser at CU-Boulder made headlines by posting a sign reading “Absolutely No Guns, Concealed Or Otherwise, Allowed In This Office,” the Daily Camera reported in October.

After school administrators told him the sign would be better “as a friendly request,” he changed the wording.

The signs outside the teachers’ offices at UCCS have identical wording to his second sign.

“I think guns are the problem not the solution,” Huber continued. While she admits there is no way of knowing if a student brings a concealed gun into her office, she added, “I hope it makes everyone think about the issue of guns in our culture.”

Photo by Nick Burns Some UCCS faculty have placed signs requesting no firearms in their campus offices.

While none of her students have mentioned the sign, Huber said that several colleagues have commented, including those wanting a sign for their own office.

Ilyasova, one of the teachers who received the sign from Huber, put it up a couple weeks ago after a recent decision in the Colorado General Assembly that upheld students’ right to carry concealed weapons on Colorado campuses.

“Depending on who you are maybe carrying a gun makes you feel safe, but that’s not something that I think is necessary,” Ilyasova said.

“This is not something that can go away easily,”

Ilyasova continued, referencing guns in the culture.

“There’s hopefully at least some opportunities for discussion, if not awareness.”

“State law is clear as is the university’s position,” said Tom Hutton, university spokesperson, in an email.

“The key to the discussion is concealed weapon and that the individual is compliance with the state law,” which notes that concealed carry owners be 21 or older, have a valid permit and carry a CCW ID. “State law and university policy would supersede any sign posted on a professor’s office,” Hutton added by phone.

He said that as long as the signs are written as

a request they shouldn’t contradict state law, comparing it to if a professor were to put up a “please knock” sign.

“My own personal opinion is, if that’s how I feel and this is space you’re entering, I would expect you to be respectful of that, just like I’d respect whatever space you have,” Ilyasova stated.

Surprisingly, Ilyasova said, no one has commented on the sign, possibly because it has gotten lost amid other papers outside professors’ offices.

“It seems a bit pushy and hypocritical for them to not allow for concealed carry on campus,” said Continued on page 2 . . .

Page 2

(Continued from page 1) Four Mitchell, a December 2012 graduate in political science with a minor in criminal justice.

“I’m a big, big fan in what our police are doing on campus. They’ve all been certified,” Mitchell said, but noted that students should be allowed to conceal carry in addition to armed university police.

“It’s better to have more a backing than to just rely on first responders.”

“There were a few times were I saw a few hostile students that made me consider to want to carry in the

future,” he said.

“I wanted to … I thought about carrying,” Mitchell said of his time at UCCS. Now he says that when he carries, he usually does so openly.

“I never had anyone openly admit that they were conceal carry,” Mitchell said, mentioning that several fellow students said after the law passed that they were going to conceal carry. When asked if he thought students should be able to carry on campus: “Yeah. Don’t you?”

When it comes to the

News

May 6, 2013

teachers post signs banning guns

school’s weapons policy, officials say that the law is clear.

“All we do is mirror state law. We don’t make policy,” said Brian McPike, interim chief of police on campus. “The CU regents make their policy based on state law, and that’s all we follow.”

Students can carry anywhere on campus except in the dorms, a contractual policy the regents have granted the chancellor, and at ticketed events, McPike said.

The university’s weapons

policy states, “the University of Colorado shall not, by rule or regulation, restrict the ability of any person who has been lawfully issued a permit to carry a concealed handgun under the provisions of Colorado law to exercise the right to concealed carry in any public places or publicly accessible buildings on the University of Colorado campuses.”

“It’s supposed to be concealed,” McPike said, noting CCW is limited to handguns. “You can’t be carrying an AK-47 and

consider it a concealed weapon down your pants.”

“When it comes down to a professor saying, ‘You can’t carry in here now’ ... we’re not going to make them take it down, per say,” McPike said.

“It’s just a matter of, if you have a lawful right to carry a CCW on campus, then you can carry a CCW on campus.”

Still, the professors who posted the signs disagree with the decision to allow guns on campus.

“I think in general that kind of stuff contrasts with

the role of education,” Ilyasova, the professor, said. “Having weapons on campus is, I think, at conflict with some of the missions and goals of the environment we want to have on campus.”

Asked about the type of environment that UCCS should have on campus: “One that is safe.”

“What have they done to earn that prerogative?”

Mitchell, the 2012 graduate, said. “They do not control ideology. They do not control action. They only control education.” S

Sodexo contract highlights differing food sources on campus Nick Beadleston nbeadles@uccs.edu In response to what an Office of Sustainability newsletter recently called “a growing desire to have local and organic food on available on campus,” UCCS has undertaken several organic initiatives, including building a greenhouse west of University Hall.

Construction on the greenhouse started last summer. While the building is finished, systems for the greenhouse are still being installed and modified, according to the university’s Director of Operations Jeff Davis.

Davis predicts that it may be more than a year before the greenhouse will be fully functional.

“The funding came from a couple of sources; some of them were auxiliary operations and some was capital money from Sodexo,” stated Davis regarding to how money to build the greenhouse was procured.

Sodexo Dining Services, through its primary vendor Sysco, provides food services to UCCS. UCCS has had a contract with Sodexo, a French company, since 1997.

Three times during that period, it has retained the contract after it was opened to bidding.

The current contract is set to expire in 2017.

Some have raised questions about Sodexo’s policies, including its role as the sole food provider on campus.

“I don’t really like the food choices they have.

I feel like there could be more variety of choice,” said Alex Eastman, sophomore biology major.

With regards to the exclusivity proposal in the university’s contract with Sodexo, Russell Saunkeah, the Sodexo general manager at UCCS, stated that the provision was part of the original contract “as per the Request for Proposal from UCCS.” Additionally, Saunkeah stated that Sodexo, according to its contract with UCCS, pays a commission back to the university on all sales on and off campus. In contrast, “outside vendors are not compelled to pay such a commission,” he stated.

Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Susan Szpyrka indicated that the commission from Sodexo retail and catering

Photo by Joshua Camacho Sodexo’s contract for services is set to expire in 2017. sales go to fund the Student Life and Leadership Office. Additionally, she cited Sodexo commissions as a primary reason in not increasing University Center fees.

“We have to approve their retail and do a price comparison,” said Szpyrka regarding Sodexo’s pricing practices.

“Sodexo benefits students in many ways. For a particular event it may feel limiting, but if students start the process early enough, they can save significantly,” said Sabrina Wienholtz, assistant director of Student Life and Leadership.

Wienholtz referred rules

for clubs that allow students to use outside vendors for events if Sodexo cannot meet their demand in terms of volume, type or if the outside vendor is willing to donate time and products.

For the greenhouse, which Sodexo contributed $200,000 for its construction, and the university will be handling operation costs.

The company will be purchasing produce from the green house at “fair market price,” Saunkeah said, though he did not specify what that price would be.

Produce from the green-

UCCS mourns loss of two students The Scribe Staff scribe@uccs.edu UCCS mourns the loss of two students this month.

John Finley, a freshman majoring in electrical engineering from Colorado Springs, died April 26. Finley, 19, enrolled at UCCS in Fall 2012.

Finley’s family has

planned a celebration of his life for May 11 at noon. It will be open to the UCCS community and held at his family’s home, 7595 Chirgiton Rd in northeast Colorado Springs.

Jamie Burnett, a junior majoring in pre-business studies from Del Norte, Colo., died April 19 in Colorado Springs. Her funeral service was held

April 24 at Del Norte’s Gateway Church.

Burnett, 20, transferred to UCCS from Arizona State University in Fall 2011. Shortly thereafter, she was hired to be an advertising representative for The Scribe, where she worked until March.

The Scribe will remember Burnett for her outgoing personality,

love for animals and talent for attracting advertisers. Stories regularly needed to be cut because of the large ad deals she was able to close on week after week.

“Jamie always brought sunshine with her into The Scribe office,” wrote Cherise Fantus, previous Scribe editor-in-chief, who hired Burnett.

house tentatively will be utilized in salads on campus, predominantly in Café ‘65.

Saunkeah stated “that [it] is difficult to ascertain at this time” whether produce used in certain menu items grown on campus will result in decreased costs to students.

“The freshness element is going to greatly increase the quality of what a person consumes. Farm to table will just be a matter of minutes or hours, instead of days or hundreds of miles,” said Kelly Jennings, the greenhouse manager.

Students who are looking to purchase food independently of Sodexo on campus will need to wait until the annual campus farmers market later this summer.

This will be the farmers market second year in operation. During 2012, the market was open Monday morning on the University Center Plaza from July through September. It sells produce from the Heller Student Garden.

The Heller Student Garden was the result of efforts by Students for Environmental Awareness and Sustainability, specifically students Patrick McDavid

and Briana Carlin.

According to Andrea Hassler, projects coordinator for the Green Action Fund, SEAS used a $1,300 grant from the GAF for tools and supplies to complete the garden.

Carole Huber, the GAF’s faculty sustainability representative as well as a SEAS advisor, stated that the garden’s benefits to students included “instruction in garden techniques and access to [healthy], organic, local food at a reasonable price.”

Huber indicated that proceeds from the farmers market would go to fund garden supplies and student workers for the following year.

With the greenhouse still under construction and the produce from the farmers market not yet available, students will remain reliant on Sodexo to meet their on-campus food needs.

“As the food service provider, Sodexo assumes the responsibility that the food served on campus will be safe and wholesome,” said Saunkeah.

Students interested in volunteering to work in the Heller Student Garden can contact Huber at chuber@ uccs.edu. S

“Her friendly demeanor and optimistic attitude made her a great sales rep. and an even better human being. She had unbound potential, and the world is a dimmer place for her having left it. She will be sorely missed.”

To read Burnett’s obituary and share con- Photo courtesy of the dolences, visit tinyurl. Burnett family Jamie Burnett died April 19. com/cod6gvp. S

News

May 6, 2013

Page 3

Campus works to prepare for another hot and dry summer Dezarae Yoder dyoder@uccs.edu Since the Waldo Canyon Fire almost a year ago, several improvements have been made in an attempt to protect the campus.

Communication upgrades have been a large part of the efforts made regarding campus preparedness, which proved problematic last summer.

“On that Tuesday evening, it was evident that cell phone networks were overloaded,” said Tim Stoecklein, program director of Emergency Management, referring to the number of calls being made at the time.

Since the fire, UCCS has begun using both Wireless Priority Service and Government Emergency Telecommunications Service.

WPS and GETS are national communications programs that allow cer-

tain personnel the ability to have their calls pushed through with a higher priority, as opposed to getting a busy signal.

“It allows us to register those key personnel with the program, and we are given a priority code which bumps us up in the queue,” Stoecklein explained.

First responders, policymakers and other university administrators like Chancellor Pamela Shockley-Zalabak and those at the Dispatch Center are among those that would have access to the codes, according to Stoecklein.

Proactive fire mitigation has also become a part of campus preparedness for a similar ordeal.

“We identified some areas on campus that could use attention,” Stoecklein said, referencing “hot spots” near the bluffs and commenting on one area in particular that has al-

Photo by James Sibert UCCS has property that the CSFD, FEMA, and other groups have done fire mitigation work on. ready been addressed near the Family Development Center.

The Colorado Springs City website provides a detailed map of the regions at risk, including numerous locations around the university deemed “High Risk” and “Very High Risk.”

Stoecklein predicts that

over time these areas will be tended.

“We rely on the fire department,” Stoecklein said.

Due to other wildfire urban areas zones having higher demand, UCCS must wait in the queue for assistance.

Stoecklein hopes to address some of these areas before summer, including the section near the bluffs

and the north campus property.

Amy Sylvester, program coordinator for the Colorado Springs Fire Department, foresaw future mitigation on campus as probable although not soon.

“Right now we’re focusing a lot on the southwest part of town,” Sylvester said. “[W]e’ve already done a lot of work around UCCS. It’s not in our immediate project plan, but there are always possibilities.”

The Colorado Springs Fire Department has been largely responsible for such mitigation on campus to be possible.

CSFD applied for a grant on behalf of UCCS and was awarded federal money in 2007. This grant also incorporated other areas of Colorado Springs for mitigation, including Stratton and Mt. St. Francis.

As for the difference in procedures from summer to fall or spring, when there is a larger population on campus, Stoecklein saw a small contrast in how emergencies are handled.

“The past couple of summers we have increased the number of conferencing,” Stoecklein stated. “We handle things according to the same procedures. It would be much the same as if it were to happen right now. A lot of it comes down to communication.”

Even with the recent snowfall, a dry summer is still expected for Colorado.

“The runoff that you would normally see from increased snowmelt, you’re not going to see it because the ground has been so parched,” Steve Berry, a spokesman for Colorado Springs Utilities told The Gazette on April 18. S

Student studies Twitter’s role in Waldo Canyon fire coverage April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu Last summer, Colorado Springs saw the destruction of nearly 350 homes in the Waldo Canyon fire, the loss of two lives and a coming together of the community to help rebuild people’s lives.

“The fire brought out the best in this community. It made us more connected,” said Kristina Clark Achey, a graduate student in the communication program.

“Just because the fire is out doesn’t mean that people aren’t still being affected. People lost their homes, their belongings, their jobs [and] are still

dealing with those problems,” she said.

Clark Achey originally planned to study how social media influences social change. “However, when I witnessed the huge role Twitter played during the Waldo Canyon fire, I knew it deserved studying.”

“I think what interested me the most was how much the community came together through Twitter and how much control they had over the messaging during the crisis,” she added in an email.

As part of her study, Clark Achey interviewed the top Twitter influenc-

ers that used the hashtag #waldocanyonfire, a list acquired from hashtracking.com.

“The goal of these interviews was to understand how they got involved in the Waldo Canyon fire Twitter conversation, how the information flowed and what motivated them to use Twitter,” she said.

Clark Achey created an online survey she distributed through Twitter, using the fire hashtag. The survey was also tweeted to the top Twitter influencers, who were then asked to retweet the link.

“A study like this, and hopefully other studies that will go even more in-

depth, offer opportunities to create more efficient and effective crisis [management].”

Clark Achey learned that about 5 percent of people had never been on Twitter before or are rarely on, 30 percent said they were often on Twitter and 83 percent found their information on Twitter, as opposed to the 77 percent that learned their information through the TV. Additionally, 97 percent of them used the Waldo Canyon fire hashtag and 2.97 percent of them never did.

Clark Achey said that normally, Twitter hashtags created for an event usual-

ly don’t outlast the event.

“The fact that the hashtag is still being used is amazing to me,” she said.

“I think there is an emotional attachment to it because so many community relationships were built through it,” she added.

In her studies, Clark Achey also learned that many people became citizen journalists to help any way they could.

“It created the ability for an interactive conversation instead of the traditional one-way conversation. It created a strong community that is still interacting months after the event,” Clark Achey said.

Clark Achey said that communication moved at a rapid pace during the fire. “Some Twitter influencers even had their accounts repeatedly locked for suspicion of spamming because they were tweeting so much.”

She said that her study has a lot of limitations, however. “It barely scratches the surface of what occurred during the Waldo Canyon fire, and I encourage and hope other students to take interest in this event,” she said.

“There is just so much yet to be discovered and so much of it could help us next time a crisis occurs,” she added. S

Department of Extended Studies starts Kids University Crystal Chilcott cchilcot@uccs.edu The Department of Extended Studies began a new program named Kids University for the spring 2013 semester. Kids University holds classes for students in first through seventh grade. This semester, 10 classes were offered and more than 100 students enrolled.

The class costs $125 for four sessions and takes place on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon or 12:30-3:30 p.m. It started April 13.

Elisabeth Fisk, Kids University program manager, said, “I hung around on the first Saturday after classes. All the students

were ecstatic. They came running out saying, ‘Look at what I made.’ The parents were invited in for the last five minutes of class and many of them came up to me afterward, thanking me.”

The program was put together in less than three months. Last semester, the College of Education held a similar program called Super Saturday.

Like Kids University, it hosted courses for students in grades one through seven. Classes were only for students identified by their elementary schools as gifted and talented. Kids University no longer requires the gifted and talented label.

“Any student can enroll ... These students are motivated and inquisitive and willing to learn,” Fisk said.

Elementary schools in the area received information about Kids University. Most of the students are from District 11 and District 49. There are students from other districts, as well as homeschool students.

“I would consider enrolling my kids because they are very bright, but cost is a factor,” said Jillian Hamilton, a nontraditional UCCS student.

“I have three kids, so the cost is tripled. If I had just one, I would probably enroll.”

Instructors were recruited from local school districts, and some of the instructors are UCCS professors. Teachers are responsible for designing their own lesson plans and curriculum.

Lynn Davis, a retired biology and oceanography instructor, teaches first and second graders. Her spring class is called Dissection Discoveries.

“In this class, we dissect invertebrates such as grasshoppers, worms, crayfish, starfish and owl pellets, which have vertebrates such as moles and bird bones inside the pellets. I love teaching the little ones because they love science,” Davis said.

In the fall, she will teach A Whale of a Tale.

Her classes are based off of curriculum she has used for the past decade.

“We start out learning about zooplankton and phytoplankton,” she explained. “We learn about sharks, sea turtles, and whales. Each student makes a huge sea turtle out of green poster paper; [they] decorate it, stuff it with newspaper and wear it out on the final day.

At present, most of the classes are science-based, but Fisk is looking to change that.

“In the fall, I am hoping to have 15 classes and double the student enrollment,” Fisk said. “Eventu-

ally, I’d like to have many more classes expanding on all departments. We’re currently working with the drama department on campus and the Rec Center.

The Rec Center is thinking of holding an outdoor survival skills class teaching skills like knot tying,” Fisk added.

This program will take place in the fall during October and she hopes to expand it.

“I would like this to be a common program in all schools,” Fisk said.

“I’d like consistent teachers and courses, involvement with grad students and UCCS teachers. I’d also like to have a summer camp eventually.” S

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May 6, 2013

Social media use not a class requirement per school policy Dezarae Yoder

dyoder@uccs.edu University policy dictates instructors cannot require social media to be used by students within courses, and many UCCS professors agree the policy should remain.

“The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs recognizes that social media platforms provide unique opportunities to participate in interactive discussions and share information,” university policy reads.

“However, the use of social media can pose risks to the university’s confidential and proprietary information, reputation, and can compromise the university’s compliance with laws and regulations,” it continues.

David R. Anderson, associate professor and chair of the department of chem-

istry and biochemistry at UCCS, said that the policy should remain in its current form.

“I absolutely support the UCCS policy,” Anderson stated. “Responsible use of social media site is acceptable but requiring a student to use such a service is not.”

Lauren Bacon Brengarth, assistant professor of organizational and strategic communication, teaches several classes regarding social media. She pointed out that it can be beneficial when used as a tool.

“I encourage students to have a professional presence in the social media realm,” Brengarth said. “I encourage them to use it wisely. Everything you put out there is a reflection of yourself. You have to be careful.”

Brengarth has had no negative feedback from

students concerning the way social media is used within her courses.

“It’s never been an issue for me … most students in this generation are already on those channels anyway,” she continued.

Brengarth said that, should a student express any desire to abstain from social media, it would be completely acceptable.

“I think it should be encouraged but not required for the protection of our students,” Brengarth added.

Andrea Hutchins, associate professor of nutrition, has tried to integrate social media through the use of Facebook in a previous nutrition class.

“The students were going to answer questions that were published on a public Facebook page,” Hutchins said, then “develop an answer for it and then post the

answer.”

Due to time constraints, Hutchins decided to scrap the idea. Courses with social media incorporation are not on the horizon for Hutchins.

“Probably not with the current policy,” Hutchins added. “I don’t have any plans in the future to use social media.”

Hutchins, however, has no issue with the university stance regarding social media. “It’s there to protect students, and I wouldn’t advocate changing the policy.”

“We can’t require them to have those accounts, and so it makes utilization of social media in a class context difficult,” Hutchins noted later, adding, “I would not be in favor of putting students in a situation where they were required to create a Facebook account or Twitter account

or anything like that for a class either.”

The policy regarding social media also states, “[T]he use of Social Media may not be a required component of any course or educational program.”

Tim Penning, who has a doctorate in media information studies from Michigan State University, identifies social media as tools that students should engage with in an appropriate manner.

“Some forced participation has students engaging personally,” he writes on the website teachingpr.org, stating that it is useful to the point to educate on how the tools function. “[T]hey need to understand how to appropriate these social media platforms for professional public relations uses, not personal life streaming.”

According to Philip

Denman, social media and communication specialist for UCCS, the reasons for this stance are many.

“First and foremost is our responsibility to protect our students’ privacy,” Denman said. He referred to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. “Educational platforms like Blackboard are built with FERPA in mind and have security measures in place to ensure this type of information is kept private. Facebook does not,” he said.

Denman also alluded to how students might view the benefits of this policy regarding privacy. “They may not want to share their personal information online, or maybe they’re job searching and don’t want employers looking at their profile. Whatever the reason, we want to respect their decision.” S

UCCS hosts events aimed at human trafficking awareness Nick Beadleston

nbeadles@uccs.edu UCCS recently hosted two events aimed at raising awareness for human trafficking, which occurs on a state, national and international scale.

On April 30, the UCCS chapter of the International Justice Mission hosted a documentary on human trafficking, an industry which the FBI estimates nets more than $32 billion worldwide. The showing was followed by a panel in the Centennial Hall auditorium.

The film, “Not for Sale II: Join the Fight,” was made by award-winning documentarian Robert Marcarelli and inspired by David Batstone’s book of the same name.

The panel consisted of Anna Kosloski, an associate professor in Public Affairs, Aubrey Terry, a former trafficking victim, and an FBI victim specialist, who requested that her name be omitted from the article.

Terry, who is currently the director of programs at Women’s Resource Agency, related he experiences as a victim of human trafficking. She explained how she was raped after being drugged at a party. “I fought and I screamed, and I did those things and it didn’t matter,” Terry said.

The event, which had been orchestrated by an individual intent on recruiting her into a local prostitution ring, resulted

Photo by Nick Burns Panels held at UCCS have provided students with information on human trafficking. in Terry entering a life of sexual slavery.

Despite her eventual escape from the prostitution ring, Terry indicated that her rehabilitation was hindered by the fact that mental health professionals whom she encountered did not have the tools to properly treat her.

“Who would love me after the things I’ve been through,” stated Terry, referring to feelings common in trafficking victims.

“It’s one thing to get out; it’s another to be judged,” she added.

“The best fight against it is that confident self,” stated the victim specialist regarding how female students can protect themselves against being targeted.

“Gaining knowledge about human trafficking through campus and community events is the

first step towards taking action against such crimes,” Kosloski said in a statement via email.

According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, eight out of 10 alleged incidents are classified as sex trafficking, while about 10 percent are classified as labor trafficking.

The BJS reports that “federally funded task forces opened 2,515 suspected incidents of human trafficking for investigation between January 2008 and June 2010.”

According to an email from Kosloski, human trafficking claims an estimated 27 million victims annually.

Locally, the Rocky Mountain Innocence Lost Task Force (RMILTF), founded in January 2012, is one of 47 FBI task forces which combat the commercial sexual exploitation of

children, said the FBI Denver Division in a statement.

The RMILTF has handled 47 investigations, worked with more than 170 tips and has educated more than 3,000 individuals on the topic of human trafficking. Partnered with other agencies, they have identified and recovered 49 children.

On May 1, UCCS hosted a Symposium on Human and Sex Trafficking, featuring a panel of local Non-governmental organization speakers. The event was a joint effort between the sociology department and Women’s and Ethic Studies.

Aditi Mitra, an associate professor of sociology and WEST, secured the grant for the event through the UCCS Ethic Initiative.

Mitra, who is also the founding faculty advisor the UCCS branch of the

American Association of University Women, teaches a cross-listed 4000- and 5000-level special topics course, Sex Trafficking, which is geared towards social sciences and ethics.

She indicated students from a variety of disciplines would find the information in the course “relevant and pertinent to our times.”

Mitra has also published a book on the topic; “Voices of Privilege and Sacrifice from Women Volunteers in India: I Can Change,” which deals with the efforts of activists in non-governmental organizations.

The event began with a showing of the 2003 documentary “Trading Women.” The film, which was directed by David Feingold and narrated by Angelina Jolie, covers various aspects of international sex trafficking including the industry’s relationship with the drug trade.

“I teach most of my courses from a global perspective…this film focuses on several areas of the world,” stated Mitra as to why she chose the film.

The panel included a representative from the Human Trafficking Task Force of Southern Colorado, Betty Edwards, as well as members of local non-profit groups.

Among these was Jason Korth who, along with his wife Michelle, founded Restore Innocence in 2004. Korth describes the nonprofit as an “after care

focused organization.” His group has created the Cinderella House, a safe house for victims of sexual trafficking.

“How do you watch a movie like that and not want to do something,” said R. Patrizio, an owner of a therapeutic message school and founder of the non-profit Touching the World. Patrizio is also the vice chair of the Human Trafficking Task Force of Southern Colorado.

“I’m just glad to see the number of students that were here last night and tonight,” said Margot Dainowski, a former child services worker who is currently pursuing her master’s in sociology.

Dainowski’s master’s thesis will pertain to Youth Sex Trafficking. While she is currently still formulating her thesis, she indicated that she would like to look into what role media and social networking play in trafficking.

In addition to students who attended the event, members of the community and other trafficking experts were present. Among them were Jo-Ann O’Neil, the clinical director of the Southern Peaks Regional Treatment Center, and Kari Smith, a mother of four including two children adopted from Haiti, both expressing their appreciation for the event.

“We all have the power to change society through whatever little differences we can make,” Mitra said to conclude the event. S

Culture

May 6, 2013

‘Wild Duck’ questions whether madness is all that bad Cynthia Jeub

cjeub@uccs.edu Rating:

In a story where the villain plays a small part and the victims of cruelty blame themselves for their circumstances, it’s hard to determine right from wrong.

“The Wild Duck,” Theatreworks’ newest play, tells a story about honesty – or an attempt at honesty.

Contrary to the maxim that honesty is the best policy, however, it tells a story of people better off remaining blind to the truth.

Set in Norway, “The Wild Duck” has little to do with the duck itself, which is (spoiler alert) never seen. Yet the symbol of a wounded animal, taken in by equally wounded people, haunts the dialogue of several scenes. When each character is compared to

the duck, the audience is left wondering who the play is titled after.

Gregers Werle, the most oblivious character in the play, has his own life problems to deal with. But it’s easy to run from his family and try to fix somebody else’s life.

Played by Jon Barker, Gregers offers believable uncertainty and a determination to help others. While oblivious, he effectively points out the things vacating the blind spots of his friends.

Hakon Werle, Gregers’ father, is played by Dan Mason. Hakon has cheated Hjalmar Ekdal’s family into poverty through bad business.

Hjalmar, played by Philip Guerette, is blind to his own family’s needs, but nobody dares to open his eyes. That is, until Gregers leaves his father’s business to fix Hjalmar’s problems.

Gregers’ own sanity is questionable. The audi-

ence remembers Maya Angelou’s words, “I do not trust people who don’t love themselves and yet tell me, ‘I love you.’ There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt.”

Whether the people have harmed themselves or are reaping the consequences of the villain’s selfishness is hardly questioned.

Playwright Henrik Ibsen, though trying to show awakening to reality, glosses over the perpetrator of the hardships displayed.

Director Murray Ross wrote in his notes, “Ibsen himself wrote a famous play, ‘the Enemy of the People,’ which celebrated the heroism of a man strong enough to tell a truth his fellow citizens did not want to hear.”

In reference to “Wild Duck,” Ross continued, “But a few years later, in 1884, he wrote another play in which the painful truth, once told, seems to bring

Page 5

The Lowdown What:

The Wild Duck

When:

Through May 12 Wednesdays-Saturdays 7:30 p.m.

Saturday matinees 2 p.m.

Sundays 4 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Isaiah Downing The cast of “The Wild Duck” include, counterclockwise from left, Lija Fisher, Jon Barker, Sol Chavez, Eleanor Stuart and Philip Guerette. nothing but destruction and heartbreak.”

Eleanor Sturt makes her debut on the professional stage as the youngest character, Hedwig. Much like an owl of the same name, she represents a move from childish irresponsibility to realization in the other characters.

The most entertaining performance comes from Sol Chavez, who plays up his role as the crazy Old Ekdal.

The character of Relling,

played by Tom Paradise, displays the attitude of the story’s conclusion: pessimism. While acknowledging reality, people don’t change and life doesn’t get better.

Relling’s lines are the least subtle, and his attitude of resigned complacency reveals a sense that all people are mad. At one point, he says, “If you take the life lie from an average man, you take his happiness as well.”

Does trying to help peo-

Where:

Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater

How much:

Free for UCCS students $35 reserved $15 for children younger than 16

More information: theatreworkscs.org

ple do any good? Gregers gets what he wants, but the results are unexpected, and his efforts are thankless.

Whether all people are indeed mad might not be answered, but the story doesn’t hesitate to insinuate that madness isn’t a bad thing compared to sanity.

Professor releases book, says poetry doesn’t need deeper meaning April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu Students are often taught that poetry has to have a deeper meaning to analyze.

Mia Alvarado, English instructor, says differently.

“That’s sort of a misnomer that poetry has a different meaning. It’s not a code that needs to be broken,” Alvarado said.

Alvarado, whose book “Hey Folly,” was published on Feb. 15, said that poems aren’t usually about things. “They’re poems; they’re not essays, they’re not abstract,” she said.

Alvarado is giving a free reading for “Hey Folly” at GOCA 121 on May 8 at 7 p.m. The reading is part of a documentary photography exhibit in the ChitChat series and will be no longer than 40 minutes.

“I like for the reader to be really lively, engaging, funny, heartbreaking,” she said, indicating that she tries to be like that in her readings.

Alvarado said her reading will be poetry that is more documentary-bent to go along with the documentary photography from Bill Starr, Matt Chmierlarczyk and Andrea Wallace.

“I’d love for people to come to the reading. I think the best reading is a bodily experience. What is it doing in my mouth? What is it doing in my ear? In my

eye?” she said.

“Hey Folly” is a collection of poems, divided into three parts. The oldest poem is from around 2006 and the most recent is from about a year and a half ago.

The book includes ekphrastic poems (defined

by Merriam-Webster as “a literary description of or commentary on a visual work of art”), serial poems, poems that take their titles from suras in the Quaran and love poems addressed to a character named “my wife.”

Additionally, there are poems that consider various ends of the world. “A great many of the poems try to move between what we would think of as consolation and what we would think of as desolation,” Alvarado said.

Several of the poems also engage with different places that Alvarado lived, including “our fair city,” Cincinatti, New York and Alvarado’s travels in India and Namibia.

“I write almost all my poems long-hand on legal pads. It helps me not to type them until the end, helps to mark where the life is in them and go toward that,” she said.

Alvarado said she tends to memorize her poems to revise them and always relies on readers she trusts during the writing process, usually friends from grad school.

“So far, all the pleasures of having been published are small and mostly my own. It feels good to have a reason not to revise. It feels lovely to have it in a book that’s been beautifully made, beautifully type-set. I love the cover,” she said.

Alvarado said that it would be easier to say what doesn’t inspire her in her poetry because most things do. “…except Powers Boulevard. I’m not very fond of it,” she said.

In high school, Alvarado fell in love with Gwendolyn Brooks, E.E. Cummings, Pablo Neruda and Rainer Maria Rilke.

Brooks’ “The Bean Eaters” was “maybe the first poem I ever read that I realized you could write poetry about ordinary things.”

Cummings “reflected lots of the exuberance,” Neruda’s “100 Love Sonnets” “was really hot” and Rilke wrote in the voices of the characters.

Currently, Alvarado is in to serial poetry. “Serials afford you the ability to look at one thing many, many different ways,” she said.

Additionally, she loves Lorine Niedecker’s ability to whittle down to something very, very spare and Fanny Howe’s lyrical serial poems.

She is working on two new projects: a non-fiction collection of lyrical essays

entitled “Goodnight Goodnight Good Morning” that

explores various ends of the world and a fictional

novel about a post-apocalyptic Colorado.

Culture

Page 6

May 6, 2013

High school and college students throw down poetry in slam Jackson Rowland jrowland@uccs.edu Those who have never been to a poetry slam may find it different than any other artistic event around.

Kraemer Family Library’s second annual Poetry Slam Throwdown, held April 26 in Clyde’s, brought together UCCS students and those from around the community.

This year’s Poetry Slam was a high school vs. college slam. The first half of the slam consisted of five teams from various schools in and around the city.

The second half of the slam was an individual competition, in which six competitors are handpicked by judges.

The winner of the team slam, Manitou High School Cocks and Hens, beat out three other high school teams and UCCS’ Freex: Free Expression Poetry Club.

The winner of the individual slam was Drew Ziegler, a student at UCCS and a member of Freex.

“I had plenty of poems recently memorized, and some that were a little older that I planned to use for the slam on Friday night,” said Ziegler, who claims he has been “slamming” for six or seven years.

Photo by James Sibert Kin Arkind from Denver was the featured poet of the evening at the April 26 poetry slam.

Second place was given to Isabel Dufford, a sophomore at Manitou High School. Dufford said, “There were so many amazing poets; I was awed by the talent.”

Third place was awarded to Kimberly Southcott, a freshman at UCCS and another member of the on-

campus poetry club.

“I have been slamming for three years now, and the best thing I do to prepare for the slam is memorizing my poems,” said Southcott.

Prizes, awarded for first, second and third place, included a T-shirt, a plaque and some candy.

In the team and individual slam, the participant was allowed three minutes to perform his or her poem of choice, followed by a score from five separate judges. Judges were composed from random members of the audience.

Participants were judged on a scale from

0.0 to 10.0 based upon the performance. The lowest and highest scores were dropped, and the remaining three were averaged for a final score.

Competitors stood on stage and spoke into a microphone, some with the poem in hand and others by memorization.

A theatrical show, the slam had students perform poems along with hand gestures, facial expressions and movements for emphasis.

To find information on future poetry slams, like the Freex page on Facebook at facebook.com/ groups/freex.poetry. S

Marriage packages: couples able to say ‘I do’ on campus Monika Reinholz mreinhol@uccs.edu UCCS Conference Services can set up meetings, but it can also arrange for a walk down the aisle.

Andreanna Romero, conference and event specialist, and Kathy Tirado, part-time student assistant, welcome anyone to come learn what Conference

Services can do for any event.

One of the newest offered services, about two years old, is weddings. According to Romero, “We are one of the only fouryear institutions that allow wedding receptions and ceremonies to happen on campus.”

Colorado College, a local private institution, has

a chapel on campus that can be used for weddings but doesn’t allow facility rental space for the reception.

“We looked somewhere yesterday and it was a beautiful place, but the whole process was overwhelming, and I also felt too young to be there and I’m not getting that feeling here. I feel comfortable

Photo by Nick Burns Conference and Event Services employees Kathy Tirado (left) and Andreanna Romero (right) will help facilitate event planning using UCCS venues and services.

and almost feel accepted,” said Nikki Seilheimer and Phil Barrios, a local couple planning their wedding at UCCS. Romero and Tirado went to their first bridal fair on April 7 at the Antlers Hotel downtown. The response was overwhelming for an affordable, simple and unique all-in-one venue.

According to Seilheimer, it was the “super yummy food they fed me and the beautiful ballroom pictures that drew me in.”

There are a variety of options to choose from when planning a wedding at UCCS. A contract starts with the facility rate, which is charged hourly and maxes out at eight hours, and catering by Sodexo. Then a client can choose from three packages.

Packages A and B include an audio/visual meet and greet, and the DJ is hired by the bridal party.

Package A has no AV support, whereas Package B has visual support via use of an LCD projector for

slideshows.

Package C has all AV support by UCCS, which includes visual support for slideshow/video, audio music iPod hook-up and an on-site AV tech. All pricing is exclusive of room charges and catering.

A couple can choose between the University Center upper plaza, the El Pomar plaza or the Lodge plaza to have their ceremony and either the Berger Hall ballroom or the Lodge ballrooms for the reception.

“We have a unique venue, a different kind of backdrop. A lot of people really like the idea of having this educational piece and the values of what education represents,” Romero said.

All three packages include room rental, set-up/ breakdown and all necessary furniture, a dance floor, one or both event coordinators to handle all venue-related details, event signage and free parking on weekends only.

Conference Services of-

fers to do decorations for an additional fee, as well as offers discounts to students and alumni. Romero and Tirado work with individuals to determine all costs upfront so there are no hidden fees.

“We can bring our own liquor in without having to pay crazy amounts of money for that,” said Seilheimer. “Feels more hometown instead of feeling like you’re stepping out somewhere.”

Tirado and Romero said they want to keep the process as simple and easy as possible so there is no wasted time and unneeded stress.

All revenue received from hosting events goes back into the campus. Conference Services stays in line with the academic mission and vision of UCCS, allowing it to host outside community events.

“We do the same as a hotel but can do it for a cheaper, more reasonable price,” said Romero and Tirado. S

Culture

May 6, 2013

Page 7

Graduate student sells patented project at UCCS, Broadmoor Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu For graduates, the eight semesters of coursework leads to one of a college student’s most coveted items – a diploma. But undergrad student Carly Paul, a 2010 alumnus, had a much bigger achievement after her graduation: her own patented project.

The project, called Synji, is a blend of organic ingredients that helps wash the face and clear the skin of acne, improving skin quality and complexion.

Synji has a growing popularity in Colorado Springs. It’s sold in five local areas including the Broadmoor and UCCS. However, it didn’t start out as a big project. Paul, who has a degree in nutrition and is currently set on obtaining a Master of Science degree, prepared it by accident in the shower.

“I had just gotten my hair done,” said Paul. “I wanted to keep the black dye in so I made this product which I [used] on my head and on my face. [Afterward] my skin looked amazing, my face was so clear.”

Completely excited, Paul sought feedback from her friend and now business partner Lupita Carrasco.

“It looked and smelled really bad,“ Carrasco

said. “But I put it on myself and was amazed. [My skin] went from being scratchy to really supple and soft. I put it on my son. It just worked.”

Synji was born.

The two friends worked closely to bring it to the public.

“I have the ideas, but Carrasco is the voice of reason,” says Paul. Together, they brainstormed the needed steps to getting a patent.

The process to obtaining her patent was not easy, Paul said. “I started giving it out in plastic bags to everyone in the street.” It was during this time that Paul began to have a bigger image for her product.

“I told my mom, this happened and I need to patent it, Lapita said so,” said Paul.

Paul said her mother paid for the patent attorney. “That was really good; things that you think that do not matter really do. It was the worst final exam – we didn’t have a formula.”

“The attorney wanted to know everything,” said Paul. “That was the biggest initial struggle…he wanted to know every teaspoon.”

“We didn’t have a formula,” said Carrasco.

Synji has been patent pending for two years, and the process could go to seven. But this does not

bother Paul.

“It’s my idea, and because I did this before I sold it, I am protected. I have a worldwide protection,” she said.

The next major obstacle was to get the product ready to be sold in individual units and stores around town.

Paul wanted her product to look the most professional and spent the bulk of her Synji is created from organic ingredients. time preparing Synji right in last fall to being available her own home. at local shops and on dis“It was exhausting,” play at UCCS. she said. After months of “I talked to Kim Webpreparation, Paul’s first ber, she was so nice,” Paul attempt to get her product said. “The UCCS bookon the shelf was at Poor store was the first place I Richard’s. However, in- didn’t know anyone and experience proved fatal had no connection aside for her first contact and from graduating there. she was not able to per- But I talked to Kim and it suade the company to by was easy.” her product.

Next came four other “I wasn’t ready and I local shops including the learned from that experi- Broadmoor. ence,” said Paul. She re“It’s at the cosmetic packaged and reassessed shop, the equivalent to her development of her being at Nordstrom,” said product, spending count- Carrasco. “They’re really less hours in final prepa- high end, we’ve had great ration. success there.”

It paid off.

Despite growing sales, Synji went from being the duo doesn’t expect to sold at two craft stores see the product in a major

Photo by Nick Burns business such as Whole Foods. And that’s how they would like to keep the product.

“The whole thing behind Synji is that we want to get behind small business,” Carrasco said. “As a company, its whole goal was to support small business, local; it won’t be in Whole Foods.”

Since its creation, Paul has received much support. “My family has helped and everyone that has started,” Paul said.

“I’ve always wanted to make things like that and buy them instead of buying them, and now I know how to do it. School taught me so much and UCCS [had] a big part.”

Though she has accomplished a major goal, and she hasn’t stopped yet.

“I was disheartened and discouraged, but when I did this with Synji, I believed in God and it put into perspective that he believes in me,” she said.

“I’m not discouraged. I would not have been able to do it without school.

I’m glad I finished, you never know how things will turn out, keep placing one foot in front of the other.”

Synji is available at UCCS in 8 oz. and 1.2 oz. containers for $25-$40 and $10-$15 respectively. Those interested can learn more about Synji at synji.com. S

Student unicycle rider an iconic part of campus life Jackson Rowland jrowland@uccs.edu

Photo courtesy of Kevin Horst Kevin Horst enjoys the attention he gets when riding his unicycle.

It’s not often people see someone cruising around on a unicycle.

Among the few unconventional modes of transportation on the UCCS campus, one student likes to cruise around on one wheel.

It is hard to miss Kevin Horst, a sophomore studying molecular biology, riding his unicycle around campus on those warm days, which students yearn to spend outdoors.

Several students around campus have waved him down with questions and request for tricks. “People stop me quite frequently with the desire to learn how to ride a unicycle,” said Horst.

“I am willing to teach people how to ride a unicycle and will give anyone the opportunity to try

it. ” He enjoys the attention he gets riding his unicycle around campus and hears funny stories from students.

Horst said, “I enjoy riding my unicycle around campus because it is an easy segue into conversations with people and a fun way to meet them.”

In August 2012, he happened to see a unicycle hanging on a wall of the Old Town Bike Shop for $130 and, out of impulse, decided to purchase it.

“It was unique and hilarious, so I got it for fun,” said Horst. “I had no idea how to ride it and knew no one that could teach me, so I taught myself.”

He went down to a local tennis court and held onto the fence while riding the unicycle for his first time and taught himself. Horst spent every weather-permitting day

outside when he was first learning.

He learned to ride the unicycle in just two weeks.

After just a few days of riding around on the unicycle, he realized he loved it. “I kept riding it because I loved it so much; it was addicting,” said Horst.

The more he rode it, the faster he learned. “I fell quite a bit when I first learned, but that just made me more ambitious in learning. The greater my ability became, the more fun it was,” Horst said.

“Riding fast and travelling far distances on a unicycle isn’t nearly as easy and reliable as on a bicycle, but it is absolutely more fun.”

He lives downtown, drives to campus and uses the unicycle as his transportation from class to class. S

Opinion

Page 8

May 6, 2013

UCCS needs to continually prioritize students first Sara Horton shorton@uccs.edu My appointment to editor-in-chief and my family’s evacuation due to the Waldo Canyon Fire happened about one month apart.

Almost one year later, I’m reminded how I have been tested not only as a supervisor but as a person.

I feel stronger for it and have learned more about myself than I can ever attempt to express here.

But I don’t want this issue, my last as editor-inchief, to focus on a bittersweet goodbye. Instead, I want it to celebrate the strength of The Scribe and its future as student watchdog, which can only be bright as UCCS expands.

Now more now than ever, students need to know about the latest happenings on campus and to have an outlet for their voices.

I know Jesse Byrnes, incoming editor-in-chief, and the talented team that I have had the honor of working with will meet the challenge.

Since UCCS has no journalism program, The Scribe benefits solely from initiative and hard work, neither of which has been in short supply.

My parting hope is for future Scribers, and students in general, to keep

the

their eyes and ears open.

While I have enjoyed studying at UCCS, I am concerned this small, student-centered university that first attracted me as a freshman is losing its focus – the students.

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s April 17 visit particularly stood out to me as an example demonstrating need for improvement.

Students began to line up outside Gallogly Events Center at least two hours before the doors opened to see the most highly anticipated campus event of the year. I know because I was one of those early birds.

The other students and I stood together in freezing temperatures, braving the wind and snow to ensure we would get good seats.

When the doors finally opened, we were warned not to sit in any of the reserved seats. The first few rows of chairs in each section were set aside for university staff members, who arrived at least half an hour later than the first student in line.

Knowing there’s a seat waiting for you must be nice.

I was disappointed in UCCS for allowing this arrangement. Even though the Office of Student Activities organized this event, staff was still prioritized before those students who

lined up outside – and had helped pay for deGrasse Tyson’s visit with their tuition dollars.

Students bought those seats, and students deserved to have them. If university staff had wanted those seats, they just as easily could have lined up outside with us for a chance to claim them.

If I had not received the privilege of meeting deGrasse Tyson at his media briefing earlier that day, I would have gladly taken one of those reserved seats and waited for someone to move me.

I watched and waited for someone to do just that, but it never happened. Perhaps it crossed students’ minds but they decided against it because their desire to listen to deGrasse Tyson outweighed their will to protest university politics and possibly get kicked out. Understandable.

But my disappointment was not limited to just the seating arrangement. I later learned Jordan Townsend, the student who won the contest to introduce deGrasse Tyson, also happens to be the son of Tamara Moore, director of Auxiliary Services Marketing.

His being selected the winner is a blatant conflict of interest, especially when the other candidates qualified to introduce deGrasse

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jackson Rowland Junior Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monika Reinholz Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylor Eaton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shelby Shively Distributor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lisa Erickson Advisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laura Eurich

Tyson apparently don’t have family members employed at the university.

Not only does this fact make UCCS look biased, but it also makes it look unfair to students, some of whom may have thought they were being judged on their video entries alone.

Why couldn’t students have voted for the contestants via email like they’ve already done for so many other events, such as the SGA elections?

I doubt I’m the only one who has made these observations, but The Scribe will be there to inform the students who have not. It will be there to shine a spotlight on the university with a critical eye when others’ gazes are averted.

That mission and purpose are what initially inspired me to apply for editor-in-chief, and I know they will not end with the conclusion of my term.

Students are completely justified in demanding that UCCS improve their experiences on campus, especially when tuition is due to increase yet again this fall.

The first step is for students to recognize they are not as dependent on administration as they think.

Students are the ones with the money – and, therefore, the power.

Use it. S

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

Photo by Nick Burns Sara Horton signs off as editor-in-chief.

Letter to the Editor Public Safety or Public Nuisance?

Two cars stolen within nine days and five cars stolen at UCCS in the past year. You might be thinking, “What is the Department of Public Safety doing about this?”

I’ll tell you what they’re doing: They’re writing parking tickets.

Instead of investigating or placing parking services employees near highrisk lots to keep our property safe, they are walking around handing out more tickets to us.

Instead of protecting students and their property, they spend their time finding ways to nickel and dime us. I don’t know about you, but having my car stolen would be detrimental to my life.

When I park on campus, I am placing my trust in the Department of Public SAFETY that it’s going to be there when I get back.

But now I have to retract that trust because cars are going missing, and I look around to see students (and professors) having to pay DPS money because their car is a little over the line or they were parked in 15-minute parking for 20 minutes.

We are paying them money to do their job and they are failing us. They do not care about the wellbeing of students; they only care about collecting our money. They are failing UCCS. Ian Penn

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Opinion

May 6, 2013

Page 9

Racial profiling remains unchecked, still exists at all levels get.

Taylor Eaton teaton2@uccs.edu The terror brought upon America on September 11, 2001 is something that we as a nation will never for-

Since that tragic day, Arabs, Muslims and even certain Asian ethnic groups have been targeted by not just law enforcement but by everyday Americans.

Even as the events with North Korea and the bombings at the Boston Marathon continue to rattle Americans, civilians are taking it upon themselves to target minorities. Students are starting to feel the effects of racial profiling in more than one capacity.

One of my political science classes had a dis-

cussion, and a majority of students agreed with one point in particular: It is definitely OK to profile “blacks, browns, Muslims and Asians.”

What is even more disturbing is why the students thought it was OK to racially profile certain ethnic groups.

For some students in the class, one answer in particular seemed to be that those ethnic groups are here for one reason: to commit acts of terror upon America.

One comment a student in that poli-sci class

made went along the lines of, “My dad taught me it is OK to racially profile.

I will teach my kids the same thing.”

As a natural-born citizen with roots from Korea, I have experienced more than a little bit of racial profiling because of who my mom is and how that makes me look.

But I’m not alone in receiving harsh words from my peers and even customers at work. Thousands of American citizens, either immigrants or naturalborn, take abuse from other uneducated Americans

on a regular basis.

A Saudi Arabian student hurt during the Boston Marathon bombing was held in questioning by authorities and was marked as a suspect. News outlets labeled this poor student the prime suspect in the bombings all because of his ethnicity.

I understand that as a country, because of what we have endured from terrorists outside of America, we have to be extremely careful and on high alert.

But the whole countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq were not respon-

sible for 9/11. All of Korea is not responsible for North Korea’s unruly dictator, either.

I am not saying we should stop trying to fight terrorists or let down our guard. We simply need to stop being ignorant as a country when it comes to the minorities who live here.

Unless a person is being suspicious or disturbing in some capacity, do not assume they are a terrorist here to destroy this beautiful country. When you do, you become the one causing the destruction. S

Living proof that feminists can enjoy Victoria’s Secret too

Shelby Shively sshively@uccs.edu Since I’m a women’s and ethnic studies major, I’m often asked how I feel being a feminist who also works at Victoria’s Secret.

Anyone who has watched the annual Vic-

toria’s Secret fashion show may think that such a business is a nightmare for feminists – and really, women in general. But there’s more to Victoria’s Secret than just models strutting around in lingerie.

These models are so unnaturally beautiful, in the way models are, that they have actually risen to a higher plane of existence – they are angels.

Aren’t we lucky to watch these exalted creatures walk a runway in their underwear?

The television ads aren’t much better. The same sultry British voice

talks about whatever new bra there is, as if an accent will make the commercial that much more exciting.

The ad campaigns and other media advertising Victoria’s Secret often objectify their models. However, actually working in a Victoria’s Secret store is a very different experience.

I may be surrounded by the same objectifying pictures, but I have found that the focus is really on customer experience.

I can’t speak for the company, but I feel the whole purpose of the brand is to provide clothing that makes customers feel both sexy and com-

fortable.

Bras of the past sometimes looked like torture devices, and I’ve met many women who just expect that any bra they pick up will feel like one. Typically, the rule seems to be this: the prettier it looks, the more uncomfortable it will feel.

This is not the case at Victoria’s Secret. There are bras designed for all kinds of body shapes, so my favorite one might be the worst thing that’s ever touched another woman’s skin. Her favorite might be the completely wrong fit for me.

It’s pretty easy to find

one that’s comfortable, though, and they all come in a variety of colors and designs. Why should women have to choose between feeling comfortable or feeling attractive?

Victoria’s Secret isn’t perfect. I wish we offered larger sizes, and I don’t understand why we offer extra small lounge pants but not extra large (in the store; all sizes are available online).

I also think the color “nude” should be a range of colors that work with many different skin tones, rather than only an approximation of a white skin tone.

Still, Victoria’s Secret is not a horrible, sexist company either. I am proud to work for a company that donates to domestic violence shelters and makes bras for women who have undergone mastectomies.

I am proud to help women find bras that build their confidence.

As a feminist, I don’t have to love everything about the company I work for. If that were the case, I would never keep a job.

The most important thing is I can appreciate what the company is doing well and keep my critical eye to recognize what it could do better. S

College the perfect time to get LASIK and improve eyesight

Robert Solis rsolis@uccs.edu About three-quarters of Americans need some form of corrective vision.

I would be willing to bet many of you reading this are using one form or another.

For those with poor vision, LASIK is an important, worthwhile

option. And college is the best time to consider getting LASIK. Eye surgeons generally agree that the eyes stop changing and growing after 18 years, and the ideal timeframe for surgery tends to be 24-25 years old.

Bad vision often starts young – I got my first pair of glasses around age 10. Since then, I have wavered back and forth between glasses and contact lenses.

You get used to having crappy vision. Your glasses become a crutch you cannot live without.

Break them? Well, good luck driving to an optician

to get a new pair.

In college, this can become a problem. Your friends have classes and your parents may be in another state.

This scenario may be infrequent, but when it does happen it really, really sucks.

This happened to me last summer. I was participating in an obstacle 5k with friends.

We were in the starting area when a friend asked if I was worried about my glasses. Of course I said no – I had those awesome glasses that you can bend every which way and they won’t break.

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in order. I removed them from my face, bent them like I had done thousands of times before, and they immediately snapped in half.

A moment of silence followed as everyone around us watched in disbelief. My only thoughts involved words I cannot repeat here.

That was a rough 5k. I needed a more permanent solution. A solution involving lasers.

Luckily, I was a prime candidate for the surgery.

Appointments were made, and I became filled with anxious hope.

The idea of getting blasted in the eyes by

uccs

lasers is daunting, but I took the plunge. For me, the benefits outweighed the cons.

It helped that they gave me valium. I heart valium.

The actual LASIK procedure itself was probably only 5-10 minutes long. I spent the rest of the day sleeping since it was recommended to not open my eyes for the first 24 hours.

The next day, I went to the optometrist and discovered I had 20/15 vision. I couldn’t believe it – just one day after surgery and I could already see better than I had in the past decade.

After a week, I had 20/10.

In all, short-term recovery was about one week, and I will be using eye drops for a good six months until the nerves grow back in my eyes.

The eyes won’t know they are dry until these nerves reconnect.

If you can afford it, get LASIK. The normal price is around $1,800 per eye, but if you are referred by someone who got LASIK (ahem), then that knocks off $200 per eye.

Now is the best time to consider eye surgery.

It is truly one of the best things you could ever do for yourself. S

.com

Life on the Bluffs

Page 10

Campus Chatter Taylor Eaton, teaton2@uccs.edu, photos by James Sibert

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

May 6, 2013

Top Ten

Ways to prepare for finals

by Aaron Collett and Shelby Shively, acollett@ucccs.edu, sshively@uccs.edu

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Have a study party with friends, pizza and beer. What could possibly go wrong?

Record the entire semester on your phone.

Listen to every class as you go to sleep.

Drew Johnson, senior, business

James Stamps, freshman, computer science

How do you feel about social media being incorporated into classrooms?

I don’t think it’s fair to force people to use it. It’s something students should have [a] choice in using.

Do you think the use of social media in classrooms is useful? Why or why not?

If it’s a teaching tool, it’s not disruptive and useful.

Has your professor used any social media sites in class? How? YouTube, obviously, to watch videos. Not so much Facebook or Twitter.

How do you feel about social media being incorporated into classrooms?

I think if it were to be used appropriately and in moderation it would be fine.

It would be helpful for homework or for students who miss class.

Do you think the use of social media in classrooms is useful? Why or why not?

I don’t know about using it as a teaching tool. I don’t think it would be useful.

Has your professor used any social media sites in class? How? No, they haven’t so far.

Michael Malnichuck, freshman, computer engineering How do you feel about social media being incorporated into classrooms?

To an extent, I could find that as a useful point. But it could get out of hand.

Do you think the use of social media in classrooms is useful? Why or why not?

This is also to an extent as well because not everyone has access to a social media site.

Has your professor used any social media sites in class? How? None of my professors have used a social media site in class. Not even YouTube.

Climate Change

Sydne Williams, freshman, pre-nursing How do you feel about social media being incorporated into classrooms?

I think it’s weird. I feel like social media is only used with young adults.

Do you think the use of social media in classrooms is useful? Why or why not?

I think it can be if used in the right ways.

Has your professor used any social media sites in class? How? My professor uses YouTube in my rhetoric class to show different kinds of videos. S

Bash your head against your textbook and hope the words rub off on your face.

Play World of Warcraft. Quiz your fellow players. Don’t worry, they’re trustworthy.

Write the answers on the ceiling above your bed. You can read them while you sleep!

Tattoo the answers on your fingers. Note: This only works once.

Throughout the semester, write information from lectures on your desk.

Watch Jeopardy. Phrase all of your final answers in the form of questions.

Bribe your professor with your parking permit to make a take-home final.

Watch “Cash Cab.” Pray your finals questions are well-represented.

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Bring your completed sudoku to The Scribe Office (UC 106) for a prize! Last week’s sudoku Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.80) answers can be found at uccsscribe.com.

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Sports

May 6, 2013

Page 11

SOLE ends school year with Wilderness First Aid Course Nick Beadleston nbeadles@uccs.edu While the school year is drawing to a close, students can look forward to one more outdoor opportunity from an office on campus.

The last event Student Outdoor Leadership Expeditions (SOLE) will be hosting for the year will be a Wilderness First Aid Certification Course. The course will take place on May 25-26, despite the online trip schedule that indicates May 26-27.

Over the span of two days, participants will be taught field-craft first aid and put the skills to use in a variety of real-life scenarios.

What sets this course apart from other first aid courses is that the simulated conditions will mirror the less than optimal conditions individuals may face in wilderness emergency situations.

The course will be taught by instructors from the Wilderness Medical Institute, a division of the National Outdoor Leadership School.

Photo by Nick Burns UCCS SOLE student employee Alex Miller provides instruction for students during the SOLE-hosted rock climbing trip.

Lecture and instruction will take place first in classrooms. Later, students will move outside for more hands-on training.

Those who successfully complete the course will receive a WMI Wilderness First Aid certification. Students will also

have the ability to pursue their WMI Wilderness First Responder and WMI Wilderness EMT certifications after passing both a written and field examinations.

Recently, the office has hosted several outdoor activities for students. SOLE

hosted a climbing event at Red Rock Canyon Open Space on April 27, which was designed to initiate climbing-curious students to the basics of the activity. Ten students and four instructors attended the event.

At the event, Daniel

Bowan, manager of intramurals, outdoor recreation and club sports, stated that SOLE trips are “a good opportunity to learn outside of the classroom and meet new people.”

Bowan indicated SOLE outings are relatively cheap and can be a good

entrance into the outside world in a safe environment.

Asked midair at the top of one ascent about what she thought of the trip, Chelsie Overlooker, a double major in communication and business, said, “Awesome and so much fun. People should definitely come out and do this more.”

“You’ll get higher than you’ve ever thought you’d get,” said Justin Bills, a student and a bike technician at the SOLE office, at the crest of one of his climbs.

On May 5, the SOLE office hosted another climbing workshop, this one focusing on more advanced skills such as mock leading, rope skills, anchors and rescue skills.

The minimum age for the wilderness first aid course is 16. Registration, additional information and payment for all outdoor trips and events are handled at the Rec Center front desk.

For more information on WMI courses and certification, visit nols.edu/ wmi. S

UCCS men’s golf wins RMAC tournament, eyes nationals Kyle Marino kmarino@uccs.edu The UCCS men’s golf team has started to get into the swing of things.

After coming in sixth at the Saint Martin’s Preview, it finished first out of 13 teams in the Wolf Pack Invitational on April 15-16 in Pueblo.

The team then went on to win the RMAC Championship in Arizona, marking the 11th time UCCS has won the RMAC.

“I feel like we finally almost played to our potential as a team with this win at CSU Pueblo’s event. We still had a few loose shots as a team, but it’s getting close,” senior Kevin Witte said.

Witte has been a huge part of the team’s success this season. Earlier in the year, Witte was named RMAC Golfer of the Week, and he was also the individual champion at the RMAC tournament.

“It felt pretty good being named Golfer of the Week. I was excited to have a couple of decent tournaments, but they should have been better,”

Witte said. “It’s really about team wins and that regional tournament, not individual awards.”

With three seniors, including Witte, and a junior, the team’s chemistry has worked in its favor down the stretch.

Even though golf is an individual sport, it is a team-oriented experience at the collegiate level.

Witte recalled a time when he and teammate Eddie DeLashmutt both hit great shots and shared a moment of excitement.

“It is an individual sport outside of the collegiate realm, but you very much rely on your teammates for support out there,” Witte said.

“This last tournament for example, the wind started blowing 50 mph.

I looked over and saw Eddie barely being able to hold himself up as he absolutely smashed a drive down the middle.

This fired me up. I hit a shot to about 3 feet to set up my third birdie in a row. Eddie then looks back over and gives me a ‘hell yeah!’ and fist pump.”

Confidence within team members isn’t a

Photo courtesy of UCCS Athletics The UCCS men’s golf team won the RMAC Championship and hopes to play for a national championship. problem either, as they think they have some of the most talented golfers in the entire nation.

“Any one of our five guys can take it low and should be feared by ev-

eryone else,” said Witte.

“Not to be cocky, but I really don’t care about who to look out for on other teams because we know we can play and that’s all that matters. We

don’t need to watch out for anyone.”

As the team progresses through the rest of the season, the team ultimately hopes to play for a national championship.

Step one will be doing well at the South Central Regional Championships in Washington May 6-8, where the team is seeded fifth overall in its region heading into play. S

Sports

Page 12

May 6, 2013

Club inline hockey team wins Division II national title game Crystal Chilcott cchilcot@uccs.edu UCCS Inline Hockey Club won the Division II title at the 2013 National Collegiate Roller Hockey Championships on April 14.

The final win came in an overtime goal in game seven against Northeastern University, ending with a 3-2 final score.

“I was on the floor for the goal, and my friend was right there too,” said team captain and club president Taylor Gebhart.

“We threw our gloves, and the other 12 players came running over. We all stood and just had the biggest celebration.”

The national championship lasted seven days with one game a day.

The victor was decided through round robinstyle brackets with single and double elimination rounds. UCCS had a championship result of six wins and one loss.

“We only lost one in the round robin, and it was a close game,” Gebhart said.

Gebhart, a junior geography major, founded the club three years ago.

All three years, the club

earned a trip to nationals by winning the regional championship. This trip to nationals was the team’s second. Last year, the team was eliminated in the first round.

“I think the improvement came from more experience and better players. Everyone was committed to personal and team success. It has been a family effort. Most of us have been together from the very beginning. Some have even been playing together since middle school,” Gebhart said.

The team, which practices once a week at CET Arena, works with Bill Mulhern, the head coach, and Mark Gebhart, the assistant coach and Taylor’s father.

To raise funds for the trip to the national championship, the club had promotions at Chik-Fil-A and Top That Pizza. The club also hosted iron man tournaments at its arena, which brought in $3,000.

The club receives about $1,500 a year from SGA and the Rec Center, Taylor Gebhart estimated.

With the national title, the players hope to increase their funding.

“Inline equipment

Photo courtesy of UCCS Inline Hockey’s Facebook page The UCCS Inline Hockey Club beat Northeastern 3-2 to claim the national championship. is expensive. My skates costs $800, and sticks are about $200,” Gebhart said.

The team is also eying moving up to Division I in the coming season.

“Now that we’ve proven ourselves, moving up is a possibility. We played Colorado State University last year, and they are a Division I team,” Gebhart said.

The team is also looking to expand membership as

it moves forward. Most of the 14 current players are sophomores and juniors, while two are graduate students.

“We have more and more younger kids interested in playing. Freshmen and incoming freshmen. Also transfer students,” Gebhart said. “Last semester, we had a transfer student from Albuquerque and one from Metro.”

The club begins player recruitment in August,

around the time of the Club Fair. Open tryouts are held, and those interested in joining can follow the club at facebook. com/uccsinlinehockey.

In the meantime, the players are looking forward to the delivery of their prize and enjoying their post-victory celebrations.

“We won a gigantic trophy, but it has to be shipped back because it was too big to carry with

us. It hasn’t hit me yet.

We’ve never had this many comments on our page, and I’ve never gotten this many congratulations,” Gebhart added.

“The club has far more recognition than ever before. There are people in my classes and at the Rec Center that I don’t even talk to congratulating me.

There is so much sentimental value. This is definitely the biggest accomplishment of my life.” S

Accomplished UCCS student scientist wins USA Judo gold Jonathan Toman jtoman@uccs.edu

“

I wanted to show them that if you have a dream and chase it hard enough, you will catch it.

- Austin Cook

“

UCCS has a new gold medalist.

Austin Cook, a junior biology major with a minor in chemistry, won the gold medal in the 66kg weight class at the USA Judo Senior National Championships on April 14 in Virginia Beach, Va. Originally from Chapel Hill, N.C., Cook, 21, started judo when he was 15 to assist his wrestling and “fell in love with the sport almost immediately.” That love started a track of winning that has continued until today.

He won the state championship and then won junior nationals at the age of 16. After that win, he was invited to train in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center, where he has been ever since.

Last summer, he took home a gold medal from the US Open and took silver at senior nationals last year. This year, winning gold at the senior nationals, Cook knew

Photo courtesy of Austin Cook Austin Cook, right, won gold at the senior judo national championships. something was different.

“This year I truly believed that I was the best person in the nation at my weight,” Cook said. “I knew no one had worked harder than me.”

Despite the personal challenges, younger kids

and upcoming junior judo players also motivated Cook.

“I wanted to show them that if you pour your heart into something and give it your all, you can accomplish anything,” Cook said.

“Despite challenges that come up or difficult living situations, I wanted to show them that if you have a dream and chase it hard enough, you will catch it.”

Outside of judo, Cook is involved in various ex-

tracurricular pursuits. At UCCS, he tutors chemistry and biology at the Science Center.

He does research in a UCCS biology lab as well, studying bacteria, and had a poster recently presented at the Univer-

sity of Colorado Medical School.

Over the summers, Cook does neurological research at Duke University. Last summer, Cook and two friends founded the LLC Youth Health Advancement Project, which “strives to promote youth health through nutrition, physical activity and various other strategies,” according to Cook.

They built a permanent obstacle course at a Boys and Girls Club.

Cook is also a big brother for Big Brothers Big Sisters and works at the Penrose Hospital Emergency Room as a scribe.

Cook is optimistic about future possibilities.

“I want to become a doctor and continue to improve the health and education of the community,” he said. “I want to continue my research and be able to further our understanding of pathogenic microorganisms.”

Cook also wants to win an Olympic gold medal in judo at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. S