Nov. 11, 2013

Since 1966 Monday, November 11, 2013

Trayvon Martin Interim Sanford police chief speaks on campus 2 Defense Local military to be impacted by cuts 3

Science & Business Flying cars Slovakia legalizes car air travel 4

Chemistry prof Bioinorganic chemistry assistant professor trumps cancer 4

Culture Grand Canyon Boulder speaker to present at UCCS 5 ‘Thor’ Newest Marvel flick not new, entertains 5

Opinion Heroes Ordinary service is expected 9 Race Census should not group everyone 9

Vol. 38, Iss. 11

University of Colorado Colorado Springs

City considers parking restrictions in north Cragmor neighborhood Sara Horton shorton@uccs.edu

The City of Colorado Springs introduced a parking permit system in the Cragmor neighborhood south of Austin Bluffs Sept. 9, restricting university students and staff from parking there 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. As early as January 2014, the Cragmor neighborhood north of Austin Bluffs could adopt the same system.

The city held a meeting on Nov. 6 for residents in north Cragmor, including Palm Drive, Rimwood Drive and Madrone Way, all within walking distance of University Hall.

This marked the first of multiple meetings to develop a plan that will prevent students and staff who live outside the neighborhood from parking in the residential area.

Tim Roberts, city transportation planner, led the meeting.

Jim Spice, executive director of Parking and Transportation at UCCS, also attended to address residents’ concerns. Roberts began with a question a resident had asked him before the meeting: why now?

“We kind of chose the south one first because it was larger,” he said. “We’re learning, and we felt that whatever we implement on the south side, it’s going to be that much easier to implement on the north side.”

Part of the learning process for the city has included how to manage the effects of the restrictions, especially spillover of students and staff parking just outside the restricted area.

According to Roberts, spillover is expected and is already a problem being addressed in south Cragmor.

“We know once we implement something, it just kind of pushes out a little bit further,” he said.

“And we did that with Cragmor south. Even though I think we did a pretty good job of trying to capture the spillover, there was

COURTESY IMAGE | THE CITY OF COLORADO SPRINGS

The City of Colorado Springs has proposed parking restrictions in north Cragmor, but they have yet to be finalized.

“

The intent is not to punish students.

It’s to reclaim your neighborhood.

“

News

UCCSScribe.com

— Tim Roberts

still a little bit of spillover.”

Roberts showed residents a map outlining where the city was looking to implement parking restrictions. The uppermost section through Palm Drive, he noted, will be extended to prevent some of the expected spillover.

Roberts said he will divide the neighborhood into subgroups and meet with each individually, aiming for them all to come to a

consensus on a plan by the end of December.

A deadline for when the restrictions will be introduced has not been set, but Roberts said they could be introduced as early as January.

However, he noted UCCS is slated to finish its 1,227-stall parking garage in March, which could help clear the residential streets. “Our goal is to get them back on campus,” said Roberts.

“The intent is not to punish students,” he told residents. “It’s to reclaim your neighborhood.”

Roberts did, however, indicate that whatever plan was implemented in north Cragmor may begin before the competition of the garage.

“There’s no guarantees that we’ll hold off,” Roberts said.

The Colorado Springs Police

Sports UCCS Pep Band The Fighting Cats trot onto campus 11 Mauy Thai Beautiful sport, beautiful form 11

TEXT "THELODGES" TO 313131 FOR MORE INFO

Department and UCCS Police have been working together to enforce the south Cragmor parking restrictions.

“They’ve actually been leading the parking enforcement,” said Roberts.

Spice said the initial plan was for city police to enforce parking in south Cragmor, but UCCS has taken on a larger role.

“It was supposed to be when we implemented this program that CSPD was going to take the lead, and then we were going to help them,” he said, “but the reality is CSPD’s so busy, it’s just pretty much been us that’s been doing it.”

Lt. Clay Garner with Public Safety said that 22 tickets had been written in south Cragmor since Sept. 9.

NEWS

Nov. 11, 2013 | 2

Top News, Across the Nation

Sara Horton shorton@uccs.edu

Obama apologizes to Americans losing health care coverage

Super Typhoon Haiyan arrives in Philippines

President Barack Obama apologized to Americans who have lost their health insurance despite his previous assurances they would keep it.

At least 3.5 million Americans, almost 250,000 of which are from Colorado, have received cancellation notices from their insurance companies.

Estimated to be the strongest storm in history with 195 mph winds and 235 mph gusts, Super Typhoon Haiyan reached the eastern island of Samar on Nov. 8.

At least three people were reported dead and seven were reported injured at press time.

Voters approve marijuana tax, reject public school funding

Current and former Broncos coaches hospitalized

In the Nov. 6 local election, 63 percent of El Paso County voters passed Proposition AA, which will place retail taxes on marijuana even though the county has banned recreational use.

Voters struck down Amendment 66, a tax increase for public education, with 73 percent opposed. The election had a 41 percent turnout rate.

Broncos Head Coach John Fox was hospitalized Nov. 2 after feeling lightheaded while playing golf in North Carolina.

Houston Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak, a former Broncos offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, collapsed Nov. 3.

Both are expected to return to coaching soon.

cnn.com

nfl.com

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

elpasoelections.com

cbsnews.com and krextv.com

Former Springs police chief discusses Trayvon Martin case Nick Beadleston Genesis Hernandez nbeadles@uccs.edu ghernand@uccs.edu

Even half a nation away, Colorado Springs was not immune from the impact of the shooting death of Trayvon Martin late last February.

Former Colorado Springs Police Chief Richard Myers was asked to act as interim police chief in Sanford, Fla., during the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin shooting.

Myers shared his experience in a lecture at UCCS on Nov. 6.

“I hoped to get people thinking about social issues, especially students since they are at the forefront of potential job opportunities that impact social change,” said Myers, who took the interim chief position following the resignation of Police Chief Bill Lee Jr. Lee stepped down after receiving a 3-2 vote of “no confidence” from the Sanford City Council for his handling of the Martin case.

Myers succeeded Lee by becoming Sanford’s fifth police chief in a span of two years, including interim chiefs. His tenure as Sanford’s interim police chief lasted for 11 months. During that time, he worked to mitigate the social fallout from the shooting and the subsequent murder trial involving George Zimmerman.

According to Myers, who served as Colorado Springs Police Chief from 2007 until October 2011 and an interim chief for the Manitou Springs Police Department, it was his job to “stabilize the deteriorating situation in Sanford in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting.”

Zimmerman, a community watchman, shot the unarmed 17-year-old Martin who was returning from a convenience store.

Zimmerman was eventually charged

COURTESY PHOTO | CHERYL LEE

Richard Myers spoke Nov. 6.

with second-degree murder and later manslaughter but was acquitted by a grand jury.

The controversial events received national media attention. Myers inherited a divided town and a factionalized, “shellshocked” police department, as he described it.

Myers’ position, while temporary, was a full-time commitment.

“My 11 months there was like one long meeting,” said Myers. He likened most events to “standing up and getting yelled at for two hours.”

Myers pointed out that not a single person was arrested during the protests in Sanford. He credited this to the police force’s unwillingness to overreact to the situation and their ability to appease demonstrators.

He also spoke about the media’s role in ramping up racial tensions and the dangers of reacting to quickly to information, especially when it was released in pieces and potentially taken out of context.

“I think the whole damn case was tried

COURTESY PHOTO | FIBONACCI BLUE

Trayvon Martin’s death caused nationwide protests.

in the media before it even went to trial,” said Myers.

Sanford has, according to Myers, a history of racial disparity dating back to the late 1800s. Myers used the situation in Sanford to illustrate issues that exist at the national level.

“The disconnection between the United States police institution and AfricanAmerican communities is an issue for which my passion has increased,” said Myers, who was replaced by Cecil Smith, a former Illinois police chief, as the permanent Sanford police chief.

Myers concluded his lecture on an optimistic note.

“I know that our perspectives on a situation are based on a collection of what we are exposed to, and I hope that this exposure broadened the mind of a member of the audience,” said Myers.

Other local and state officials attended the lecture, including Colorado Attorney

General John W. Suthers and Trinity Missionary Baptist Church’s Rev. Jim Dotson.

Richard Radabaugh, an instructor in the university’s School of Public Affairs, also participated in the panel. Radabaugh, a former police officer for 30 years, related a story about subduing a suspect using non-lethal force.

“It was a good perspective from the other side rather than just the media perspective – from people who were actually from the inside,” said undeclared freshman Shelby Duran about the event.

Duran and other students attended the event, one of the School of Public Affairs’ Campus Engagements for credit in an intro to criminal justice course.

She also indicated how Myers’ objectivity contributed to the lecture.

“He didn’t tell me his opinion about Zimmerman or Trayvon. He only told me the facts and his job in Sanford, Fla.”

NEWS

Nov. 11, 2013 | 3

Defense spending cuts

Cuts in defense spending threaten economic impact of local military installations Anna Kelly Guest Writer

You might call Colorado Springs the military’s home.

Neal Rappaport, retired Air Force Colonel and current Professor of Economics at Colorado College said, “After I was deployed, the community always welcomed me back and supported me whole-heartedly, and that really makes a difference.”

Indeed, one of the defining features of the city of Colorado Springs is the presence of five U.S. military installations, four of which are the largest employers in town. The bases, which employ 41,672 people – 12,454 of whom are civilians – provide a substantial economic boost to the city.

However, recent government cuts on military spending, including the Budget Control Act of 2011, could bring dramatic changes to the role of the military in the Colorado Springs community.

The largest military base in Colorado Springs is Fort Carson, a training facility that occupies 137,000 acres just south of Colorado Springs. The base was founded in 1942, just three weeks after Pearl Harbor, and currently houses 17,000 soldiers and employs 3,400 civilians.

Colorado Springs is also home to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson and Schriever Air Force Bases and the United States Air Force Academy.

“Put it this way: one out of every three people employed here is a military person or is directly supported by defense dollars,” said David Bamberger, a local economist wrote on a website about the military here.

After 9/11, boosts in military spending by the United States government meant that Colorado Springs’ economy was bolstered by the expansion of the five installations.

This economic boost is a result of the creation of civilian jobs at the bases and the contributions of soldiers and veterans to the city’s economy.

“Civilian jobs at the bases really run the gamut, from technical jobs to intelligence analysts to teachers and less skilled jobs,” said Rappaport.

“There are really jobs for everyone.”

In addition, those who stay in the area after their deployment contribute as well.

“So many people stay,” Rappaport said. “Colorado Springs is a great place to be stationed, so families will buy houses, retire, send their kids to school here.”

The economic wellbeing of Colorado Springs and military spending nationwide are intertwined, which is why many are concerned about how recent cuts in defense spending and the current budget crisis will affect the economy of Colorado Springs.

Although military spending peaked after 9/11, it has decreased in recent years.

According to a study by the Southern Colorado Economic Forum, a publication by the UCCS College of Business, “Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office project military budget cuts will amount to $487 billion by 2021.”

Although the effects of recent cuts are unclear, the military presence here has already seen some decline.

“Active duty and civilian employment at military establishments decreased to 55,395 in 2012 from 61,501 in 2011,” the study continues. “This was a loss of 6,106 or 9.9 percent.”

This decrease is a cause for concern, as the city has relied for so long on the economic activity generated by the region’s military bases, and has not succeeded in diversifying the economy.

“Fundamentally, we’ve relied on the bases for so long that when the defense declines, it will be troublesome,” Rappaport said. “After 9/11 we got spoiled when spending almost doubled, and we haven’t succeeded in finding other solutions for the economy.”

Military defunding has hurt the economy in the Springs before, another reason why local economists and business moguls are worried. City leaders too have noted that the local economy’s reliance on military dollars could become problematic in the future.

At a recent town meeting, Colorado Springs mayor Steve Bach acknowledged that more must be done for the city’s economy and recent proposed plans for The City for Champions – Bach’s controversial push to build hundreds of millions of dollars worth of new infrastructure downtown – are geared towards diversifying the region’s economy.

Despite the concern, Rappaport thinks that the city can continue to rely on military spending to some extent.

“The bases aren’t going anywhere,”

NICOLE JORGENSON | THE CATALYST

Five military institutions around Colorado Springs including Fort Carson, pictured, stand to be impacted by budget cuts from Washington, D.C.

he said. “The question at hand is whether we can diversify our economy and adapt to the defense cuts.”

This article was reproduced courtesy of The Catalyst, the independent student newspaper of Colorado College. catalystnewspaper.com

Increased vandalism, costs passed to students Nick Beadleston nbeadles@uccs.edu

Following previous reports from Public Safety showing an overall decrease in campus crime, instances of vandalism in student housing are on the rise.

During the last month, Public Safety has responded to multiple instances of vandalism, including three accounts of damage to elevators in the Monarch House and one in the Copper House.

Additionally, campus police respond-

ed to reports of stolen fire extinguishers and damaged exit signs in the Eldora building.

In response to the events, Ralph Giese, director of the Office of Residence Life and Housing, sent an email to Summit Village residents.

In the email, Giese informed students the damages “have cost well over $2000.00 and in the event of an emergency could have impacted [student] safety.”

He also indicated that, in keeping

with student housing contracts, if the guilty individuals are not apprehended, all housing students will share the damage costs.

“If the responsible party is not identified; damages are charged to all the residents in the village and are billed to your student account at the end of the semester.”

Giese also stated in the email that this course of action has not been necessary during the past six semesters.

“I’m still hopeful that folks will come

forward to help us understand the who and why,” said Giese in a follow-up statement.

While Residence Life and Housing does have a Common Area Damages List published online, it has not been updated since 2008.

The link on the Residence life and Housing website for students to anonymously submit information is currently inoperable.

Students can report a crime or concern to Public Safety at 255-3111.

SCIENCE & BUSINESS

Nov. 11, 2013 | 4

Slovakian car breaks flight barrier Aaron Collett Dezarae Yoder acollett@uccs.edu dyoder@uccs.edu

One of the most iconic ideas in pop culture for the last 25 years has been the flying car.

The idea is even older than that – some of Leonardo Da Vinci’s drawings were personal flying machines.

It has taken several decades, but it has finally happened – the world has legal flying cars.

In Slovakia. Americans are not behind the curve, however.

Several companies, such as Terrafugia, are building flying cars here.

The U.S. has strict safety regulations, however, and those prevent any current flying car from being street-legal here for the time being. The important government departments are the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

“To fly, you have to meet FAA standards, and to drive, you have to meet NTSB standards,” said Taylor Lily, an

COURTESY IMAGES | AEROMOBIL

Flying cars are legal in Slovakia.

assistant professor in the mechanical and aerospace engineering department.

The Slovakian car, called the Aeromobil 2.5, is equivalent in size to the Ford Fiesta.

It is lighter, weighing in at 980 pounds compared to the Fiesta’s 2,295 pounds. The lighter the car weighs, the easier it is to fly.

Aeromobil 1.0

In practice, this means most designers start with a plane and make it drive rather than trying to make a car fly.

Lily said, “A car weighs 2,000 pounds, or even 1,500 pounds. That’s what’s required

by NTSB standards. To make that fly requires giant engines and huge wings. Instead, if you start with a light plane, and

Aeromobil 2.0

simply get it to drive around on the road comfortably, you win.”

According to Gizmag.com, the car is “snug,” with only two seats. When the wings are deployed, the wingspan stretches 27 feet. When parking, however, the car will fit into a standard parking spot.

Additionally, no special fuel

will be needed – the 100-horsepower engine runs on regular gasoline.

The Aeromobil won’t break any speed records, either. It has a top speed of 100 mph on roads and 124 mph in the skies.

Stefan Klein, the designer, took the Aeromobil on its test flight in the third week of October, saying that the Aeromobil 2.5 is “the intersection of technology and art.”

So when will America get its first flying car? That remains to be seen. As with all new technology, the potential customer base must be considered.

“Who it’s for is a lawyer who wants to increase his area that he meets with,” Lily explained. “So he wants to meet with someone in the Springs.

Do you want to drive through Denver at 5 o’clock? So he can fly from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, and he’s where he needs to be in an hour and a half instead of four hours.”

Eventually, those lucky enough to afford the idea and flying lessons may finally get their flying car.

Aeromobil 2.5

Chemistry professor trumps cancer, heads K-12 outreach Aaron Collett acollett@uccs.edu

October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, has been over for three weeks now.

But for Renee Henry, an assistant professor in bioinorganic chemistry, awareness is yearround.

Henry has returned to teaching following the spring 2013 semester, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to take leave for treatment. “[In] February, I was diagnosed with cancer after the surgery to remove the lump,” she said. “The doctors didn’t think it was anything.”

Henry insisted that the lump be removed. Once the doctors removed it, they found cancer in the structure they had originally claimed was cancer-free.

“It’s a very rare type of cancer that you can’t see on the normal type of tests – the mammograms, the ultrasounds.”

In other circumstances, Henry’s situation may have been much worse. Henry said,

NICK BURNS | THE SCRIBE

Dr. Renee Henry is a breast cancer survivor who teaches bioinorganic chemistry.

“The [chemistry] department was great – they got all my classes covered. They paid the people that covered, and I got my pay.”

Henry did not have to go through chemotherapy, as the specific type of cancer she had is not susceptible to that treatment. “I got the two surgeries,

and then radiation, and then I take something called Tomoxifin,” she said.

Tomoxifin is an anti-estrogen drug that works in a similar fashion to chemotherapy, but according to Henry, “The side effects are a lot better.”

The prognosis looks good for Henry. She said, “I have a 100 percent chance to not get cancer for the next five years.”

While Henry did not participate in any Breast Cancer Awareness events this past October, she does plan on participating in the Susan G. Komen Relay for Life in the spring.

Offering advice to young women at risk of breast cancer: “Do your self-examination, because if you catch it in stage one, it’s really not that bad,” she said. “I found it and pushed to get it out. Apparently, that’s rare.”

This semester, Henry is teaching six courses in the chemistry department, including general chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, chemistry research and a master’s-level thesis course.

Henry also heads an outreach program to K-12 students. One of their activities is curing a fictional disease in a chinchilla population. She teaches them how to utilize chemicals to draw out metals from a solution.

For example, in one experiment, students used a chemically active pellet to extract copper from a beaker of water.

“If you take a diaper, and you cut it apart, those little pellets will absorb copper from a solution, so your solution will go from blue to clear,” Henry said. She uses this to teach the students about bioinorganic chemistry.

Bioinorganic chemistry is the study of how metals interact with biological systems.

Henry’s research is focused on separating metals from the surrounding material using ligands present in living organisms.

Applications for this research range from processing coal to cleaning up highly toxic dumping grounds called “superfund sites.”

CULTURE

Nov. 11, 2013 | 5

Boulder geologist to discuss age of Grand Canyon Cynthia Jeub cjeub@uccs.edu

The prevailing view on the topography of the western United States used to be mountains and canyons were fairly recent changes in the landscape.

New evidence, however, suggests the Grand Canyon is millions of years older than previously thought.

A leader of this research will be visiting Clyde’s to discuss the finding and what it means. Rebecca Flowers, a professor of CU-Boulder, spoke with The Scribe about her upcoming Café Scientifique event.

“My talk is going to be presenting new evidence for a much older formation age for parts of the Grand Canyon.” Flowers said.

“The prevailing view is that the Grand Canyon formed sometime after 6 million

years ago. But our new data suggests that at least parts of the canyon were substantially carved by about 70 million years ago.”

“It has received a lot of attention in the geological community,” she continued. “It changes the way in which we think of the landscape … that the Grand Canyon is as old as 70 million years has important implications for the evolution of topography, and drainage systems and what the landscape was like.”

According to the New York Times, Flowers’ team “used an improved dating technique based on the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium atoms into helium atoms in a mineral known as apatite.”

As Flowers explained it to The Scribe, “Temperatures increase with depth beneath the earth’s surface, so this tool gives us information on when rocks cooled

through relatively low temperatures.”

“That means this gives us new information on when rocks came to the surface,” Flowers continued.

“And so by applying this tool to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, this allows us to determine when the rocks at the bottom of the Canyon became very close to the surface. And in this case, the data required that the rocks were very near the surface by 70 million years ago. Which means that there must have been a substantial canyon carved by that time.”

Flowers pointed out the implications are toward ancient water flow patterns, “so that’s long before humans entered the picture in terms of being relevant for archaeology.”

Flowers’ work was a collaborative project with Kenneth Farley of the California Institute of Technology.

On having students involved in the

conversation and interested in the scientific development, Flowers expressed excitement for the spread of knowledge.

“I think it’s really healthy for people to realize that science is a process of discovery.” S

The Lowdown What: Café Scientifique: Thermochronology Evidence for an Ancient (~70 Ma) Grand Canyon Where: Clyde’s When: Nov. 12, 6:30 p.m.

How much: Free

‘Thor: The Dark World’ predictable but entertaining April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu

Rating:

The god of thunder is back, hammer in hand. This time, he is accompanied by the Ninth Doctor.

In “Thor: The Dark World,” Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has just returned from restoring peace to the Nine Realms when a new threat arises.

Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), the human he loves who he left on Earth, becomes the carrier for something evil after stumbling across a strange scientific field on Earth.

When Thor realizes his love is in trouble, he returns to earth to save her.

Their reunion on Earth is short-lived, and Thor ends up bringing Foster back with him to Asgard.

While in Asgard, Thor tries to figure out what is in Foster. Thor’s father, Odin, tells of a story from before the realms were created about the darkness inside Foster and how Malekith, ruler of

H v

the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, sought to use that darkness.

Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) and his elves, who were originally presumed dead, crash into Asgard to retrieve the darkness within Foster. Malekith hopes to release the darkness while the worlds are aligned in the Convergence.

Odin puts Foster under watch. Thor goes down to the prisons and releases Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who was placed there after his attempt to dominate the world in “The Avengers.” Thor then enlists Loki’s help in Foster’s safe escape.

There are several comedic scenes throughout the movie. In one scene, Loki plays around with disguises, transforming Thor into one of his female friends and himself into Captain America (Chris Evans). Evans plays an amusing disguised Loki.

In another scene, objects vanish from one world and into another repeatedly.

At one point, Thor and Malekith are among these objects and vanish from earth into another world and back on to earth again.

Foster’s sassy friend, Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), is blunt and funny.

Eccleston is an excellent Malekith, but

COURTESY PHOTO | MARVEL

Chris Hemsworth stars in ‘Thor: The Dark World.’

Hemsworth is only a decent Thor.

The scenery, particularly in the land of Asgard, is beautiful, and the effects with the scientific fields are intriguing.

Comic book writer Stan Lee makes an amusing cameo appearance as well.

But for all its good points, “Thor: The Dark World” is only a decent sequel and is a typical superhero movie. The ending is predictable but welcome.

One scene shows a shot of Hemsworth’s abs for a brief moment, which seems unnecessary. Hemsworth is the

opinion weigh in E

l l tt

- d

scribe@uccs.edu

only one shirtless throughout the entire movie. When Thor is riding the metro, a woman bumps into his chest.

Anyone who wishes to be entertained or catch a glimpse of a shirtless Hemsworth will enjoy the movie. On the other hand, superhero fans looking for an excellent superhero movie should look elsewhere.

There is an additional scene hidden after the end credits, so be sure to stay until the end.

CULTURE

Nov. 11, 2013 | 6

JAMES SIBERT | THE SCRIBE

Those willing to donate pumpkins saw them hurled across the West Lawn Nov. 1 on a trebuchet, a medieval catapult-type device.

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EDITORIAL

Nov. 11, 2013 | 8

University must be prepared for returning veterans Staff Editorial scribe@uccs.edu

It’s hard to imagine that it’s been a dozen years since a U.S.-led coalition invaded Afghanistan to attack the extremist Taliban-controlled government and cripple al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden’s terrorist organization.

But then again, 2,287 U.S. service members have lost their lives and another 19,464 American troops have been wounded in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

That nearly doubles when adding in Operation Iraqi Freedom (4,423 dead, 31,941 wounded) and the more general Operation New Dawn (66 dead, 295 wounded).

The loss of life has been great, and the impact on America’s interests at home and abroad has been far-reaching.

While Americans focus on the healthcare website debacle, the Country Music Awards and professional football, about 50,000 U.S. troops are still on the ground in Afghanistan.

Many won’t be home for Christmas, and fewer for Thanksgiving.

When they do return, their often-

bruised bodies and shattered mindsets will be met by tired souls wearily wondering if the costs were justified. If the mission was accomplished.

The Obama administration’s plan to draw down troop levels by 40,000 and close dozens of military bases over the next year has been met with mixed regard.

Many military members and their families share a timid sigh of relief while others think it’s too early to withdraw and hand over control to a government still largely in shambles.

Military strategists have voiced concern over the plan. Many, like former Secretary of the Army Pete Geren, consider the decision ill-advised.

Geren recently told a group gathered in Fort Worth, Texas, that the plan to draw down troops gives al-Qaida a clear timeline for how long the terrorist group needs to wait it out before unleashing their terror again.

A recent report by the inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction showed that the U.S. would only have oversight of 20 percent of the country, The Washington Post reported. This has left many lawmakers worried, wonder-

ing if the countless dollars spent to rebuild the Middle Eastern country were spent in vain.

And while defense is likely to take a hit over the next several years – cutting about $50-60 billion a year from funding through 2021 – many of those in the drawback will be returning to life in Colorado Springs.

Strategic interests aside, those back home must work diligently to accept returning servicemen and women, providing essential support as friends, families and a community.

As more service members return home, more will attend college and utilize university services.

Few on campus have publicly expressed the need to plan ahead over the coming months and prepare for the added military students. This may be precautionary, dependent on military changes, but a topic worth discussing openly to allow for input and feedback. If it doesn’t occur, campus services will surely be strained.

Our servicemen and women have made the time for us. It’s time to return the favor.

Jesse Byrnes Editor-in-Chief

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Corrections & Clarifications

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Last week’s article “Student weightlifter presses for 2016 Olympics” mistakenly attributed a pull quote to Teri Switzer, dean of Kraemer Family Library. The pull quote, of a sentence correctly attributed in the story, should have been attributed to freshman Ellen Kercher. Also, the article “SGA Cabinet member resigns amid conflicts” should have clarified that the Secretary of Athletics was not previously a senator position.

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OPINION

Nov. 11, 2013 | 9

Fulfilling one’s role not qualification for hero status

Nick Burns nburns@uccs.edu

No society is without heroes, and no child grows up without knowing what heroic acts are.

But we are cheapening the very idea of them by raising the actions of “everyday” men and women to superhuman status.

It is becoming so prevalent that we praise the ordinary man with the term hero just like we praise every grade-school

child with a gold star just for participating.

I am not belittling the value and importance of our servicemen and women. There must be a distinction, however, between appreciating necessary roles and raising someone to hero.

The word hero means something. If everyone is a hero for just getting through life, what role models do we have? The word (and the idea) become absolutely meaningless.

Every soldier or cop can’t be praised as a hero.

At some point, choosing to perform a certain role in society should not grant someone the honorary title. Yet we see it more and more as the rally cries for honoring them, deserved or not.

Pilot Chesley Sullen-

berger, a 1973 graduate of the Air Force Academy, was praised as a hero for safely landing his passenger-laden Airbus flight in the Hudson River in 2009. Yet he declined the title of hero after the incident.

Sullenberger pointed out during a Smithsonian Institute interview that a hero by definition “chooses to put himself at risk to save another.”

He concluded his own situation was thrust upon him suddenly.

The actions of Sullenberger, saving the lives of his passengers, crew and himself, were necessary to survive. He was capable of landing that plane through his years of flight experience and training, so the alternative to succeeding would have been contrary to his

Birth control Condoms, not pills, best and safest option

Samantha Morley smorley2@uccs.edu

Condoms are the best option for both men and women when trying to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

While condoms are half as effective as hormonal birth control for pregnancy protection – with a failure rate of 18 percent for male condoms compared to 9 percent for the pill, according to the Centers for Disease Control – hormonal birth control can alter the menstruation cycle, potentially causing serious problems.

The pill also does not protect against STDs as condoms do, and require visits to gynecologists, a prescription and may be expensive.

Then there is the scheduling factor. The

pill must be taken every day at a regular time.

Missing a single pill can result in the possibility of pregnancy – and there’s no obvious way to tell if you’ve accidently forgotten the pill that day. This isn’t an issue with condoms.

There also aren’t any adverse effects to the use of condoms. While there are complaints that they are uncomfortable, which stems mostly from a lack of education on the selected size, they don’t alter hormones or anyway physically harm either the man or woman, unless used incorrectly.

The information I have obtained from doctors, the Internet, personal use and input based on others’ experiences has led me to determine condoms are the most effective s o lu tio n for sexuallyactive couples when trying to prevent both pregnancy

and sexually transmitted diseases.

Female condoms, although not as common, have a similar success rate as male condoms (21 percent, according to the CDC) and have the potential of preventing pregnancy and diseases, but must be used with careful attention to instructions.

While all couples should have their own discussion about what works, in general condoms work best for both men and women because they do not affect hormones, protect from STDs and unplanned pregnancies, and are typically inexpensive.

own training and survival.

Members of a selfsacrificing and dangerous job who make it through basic training had better know they may at some point be thrust into danger and expected to perform certain tasks in the face of certain threats.

Being a military town, we recognize the need to honor our fallen and the sacrifices of our service members. They can be our personal heroes and should always be remembered and honored for standing for a higher cause. That does not make them a hero by default.

Dying in the service of one’s country or while in the performance of one’s duty does not warrant the highest recognition of self-sacrifice we can

COURTESY PHOTO | CLINDBERG, FLICKR

Chesley Sullenberger received national praise.

provide.

The full weight of the hero title should resonate through the community for actions unspeakably selfless.

Thoughtfully

and carefully given out, the highest praise has to be reserved or we risk diminishing our American identity – and the identity of true heroes.

Racial categorizations reduce culture to a checkbox

April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu

Society loves to categorize people. The problem is our categorizations don’t take culture into account.

I’m a quarter Italian, which most people think doesn’t mean anything because I’m not full Italian or even half. But when you are raised in a family like mine that is very much in tune with its Italian roots (we eat lasagna every Christmas without fail), it means everything.

I’m also Iroquois Indian, German, French, Scots-Irish and Swiss. In society’s view, I’m just predominately white with a little American Indian.

To me, I am a mix of several cultures and family genealogy that isn’t shown when I’m grouped under a single term: white.

We are grouped into categories that deprive us of our culture so we can

checkmark a box that fits our race on paperwork.

The United States census race options are white; black or AfricanAmerican; American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; Hispanic; non-Hispanic and two or more races.

According to the United States Census Bureau website, the term “white” groups together people of European, North African and Middle Eastern descent based on the pigmentation of their skin.

The United States has a renowned reputation of being a melting pot, but this makes it seem like it isn’t one at all. The U.S. Census doesn’t care about people’s culture. It cares about their skin color, especially if it will easily fill the checkmark box.

Never mind Italians and Scandinavians, Moroccans and Mexicans or Americans and Iraqis have vastly different cultures and traditions.

Similarly, African tribes each have their own set of traditions, languages, foods and more, but they’re all categorized as black.

According to the United States Census Bureau website, “black” is the term that groups “a person having any origins in any of the Black racial

groups of Africa … or report entries such as …

Kenyan, Nigerian or Haitian.”

If you went to Africa and then went to Haiti, you would see a vastly different society that isn’t taken into account on the census.

Even the term “Hispanic” groups people actually from Hispaniola (the island of the Dominican Republic) with Mexicans, Mexican-Americans and South Americans.

What about American Indian and Alaska Native?

How do the two in any way resemble each other, except that they were in this land first? Even different Native American tribes don’t share the same culture but are still grouped under the same racial category.

Historically, people left their homelands and headed for the New World in hopes of preserving their culture. Why did our ancestors fight the harsh storms to cross into this land if we don’t care about culture?

The loss of one’s culture is the loss of oneself.

If we continue to group people together under racial terms that don’t respect culture, we will lose ourselves in the process and the U.S. will cease to be a melting pot – if, in fact, it is one.

LIFE on the BLUFFS

Nov. 11, 2013 | 10

Top Ten

Campus Chatter Monika Reinholz, mreinhol@uccs.edu

Ideas for a 51st state

Is there a veteran in your life you want to thank? If so, where are they and what service are they connected to?

Scribe Staff, scribe@uccs.edu

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Puerto Rico

Combine Carolinas and Dakotas, split Texas into three

Doug Gaydusek, junior, education “Yes. My father just retired from the Air Force.”

Coney Island Iraq

Erin Jones, senior, nutrition with health and wellness minor

Jersey Shore

“My grandfather. He was in the Army as a drill sergeant in the Vietnam and Korean Wars.”

Turn Mexico into South Texas Annex Mexico, Texas becomes North Mexico Little Havana

Rachel Lewey, senior, English literature major “Yes. My dad is an Army vet and my stepdad was in the Navy.”

Hollywood

COURTESY | BITSTRIPS

This week at UCCS General Nov. 11-17 7:30 a.m.

Food for Fines Kraemer Family Library/El Pomar Center Nov. 15-24

7:30 p.m.

“Mineola Twins” Osborne Studio Theater, University Hall

Monday, Nov. 11 7 a.m.

Remembrance Day Roll Call and Resource Fair Berger Hall

Sudoku

Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.46) Bring your completed sudoku to the Scribe office (UC 106) for a prize!

1

5

8

7

10 a.m.

Test Anxiety Workshop Main Hall $5/workshop 6:30 p.m.

Café Scientifique Clyde’s

4 6

6 p.m.

Transgenderfocused Safe Zone training UC 126

Friday, Nov. 15 12:15-2 p.m.

Jungle Laboratories: Mexican Peasants, National Projects and the Making of the Pill lecture UC 122

7:30 p.m.

Sean Hennessey faculty film screening, “Shades of Grey” Centennial Hall Auditorium

7 9

5 3

6

8

Wednesday, Nov. 13 11:30 a.m.

Professional Development Luncheon Upper Lodge

4

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Tuesday, Nov. 12 4:30 p.m.

Ignite Colorado Springs Berger Hall

Canada

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5 1

2

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2

9

2 1 7

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SPORTS

Nov. 11, 2013 | 11

UCCS pep band plays its way into existence Monika Reinholz mreinhol@uccs.edu

Soon fans can expect to hear songs like “Eye of the Tiger,” “Hot, Hot, Hot” and “Bad Romance,” among others, at upcoming men’s and women’s basketball home games.

The UCCS Fighting Cats, a new pep band club, started this fall and held its first rehearsal Oct. 16.

“We have some fantastic musicians that, I think, go practically unnoticed on campus,” said Adam Hooper, visual and performing arts (VAPA) music student assistant and a senior VAPA music composition and sound design major.

This is a venue where the student body can see the school’s musical talent and skilled athletes, said Hooper.

Co-directed by Mark Israel and Sondra Bell, this hybrid concert band and pep band will

play a variety of repertoire from classical to rock, funk to electronic.

“We’ve got literature coming in from arrangers all over the country, and we have folks in the area willing to write for us,” said Israel.

“Glen Whitehead, chair of the music department, called and asked me if I’d be interested,” said Bell. “My husband, Mark Israel, has quite a bit of experience with pep bands, and we thought we could do a better job if we worked on it together.”

Hooper spoke with VAPA music faculty about creating a music library as a legacy project.

“I know that there’s been an on-and-off history with the pep band, so we felt these two things would go hand in hand,” said Hooper. “We get the pep band up and through that we’d be able to build a solid music library.”

The band currently consists of a rock guitar, drums, trombones,

tubas, saxophones, clarinets, oboes and flutes but is open to other instruments as well. There are about 40 people interested on the email list while typical rehearsals have 20 people at a time.

“I’m pretty excited. We’ve had a good turnout so far, but I have bigger aspirations,” said Bell.

Earl Gerlach, a senior marketing and professional golf management major, plays trombone in the pep band. After meeting Bell with her trombone near the library, his interest sparked because he used to play trombone as a freshman.

“For myself, it’s an opportunity to get back into it and play a little bit more, which is something I really enjoyed doing. I did for a long time and haven’t been able to do it for a while,” said Gerlach.

“We know that there are many students on campus who’ve

MONIKA REINHOLZ | THE SCRIBE

The school will now have a pep band.

played in the great programs across the state, and we want to invite them all because we have all-state students playing in principal chairs so the level is pretty high,” said Israel.

Students and community members are encouraged to contact Bell at trombonebell@ gmail.com or Israel at brassand-

jazz@gmail.com.

The only requirement to be in the band is the ability to play a C scale on your instrument. UCCS students who commit to the band and play at the basketball games can also receive a $500 scholarship.

Muay Thai a practical, beautiful martial arts form

Serena A. Ahmad sahmad@uccs.edu

The experience of Muay Thai martial arts is one of learning, struggle and pain tolerance, both mentally and physically.

It is much different from karate, a popular form of martial arts in the United States. The problem with karate, and even

taekwondo, is that these martial art forms prepare you for an ultra-simulated scenario.

In no real-life situation will your opponent let you know when he or she is about to hit you. They will not yell, “Hiya!” and leap at you in slow motion. Your opponent will simply attack you.

A mugger will not wait until you are in a ready stance to fight. He or she will simply give you a sharp blow to the jaw, knocking you unconscious.

Muay Thai prepares you for situations that seem hard to be prepared for. For example, if a student is walking across a parking lot and someone comes a little too close, the student will be able to protect himself or herself against the possible threat of an attacker.

The physical training of

Muay Thai, well known to be strenuous and challenging, provides a student with a much stronger state of mind.

The second a mugger raises a hand to a Muay Thai student, he or she would be able to disarm and take control of the situation without falling victim to panic.

Nationally, Muay Thai is expanding. While 491 fighters from 28 states registered for the Muay Thai Classic in 2012, 672 fighters from 31 states registered this year.

The Muay Thai scene in Colorado Springs is still relatively small, though. About five centers in the Colorado Springs area teach Muay Thai, with only a few very well-known.

The dominant Muay Thai schools are Da Kine Fight Team and 719 Fight Team, who train

at Rough House MMA and Fitness.

Though the population of people performing Muay Thai is very small, it provides a sort of adoptive family.

Many people whom join Muay Thai groups find a sanctuary in a space where they can express themselves physically and learn more self-control.

Having taken up taekwondo, karate, kung fu and judo, I can say my experience with martial arts is not limited.

My interest and love for Muay Thai is heightened due to these past experiences. I have come to understand it as a beautiful sport that provides both a healthy mind and body.

Muay Thai has done more for me in one year than any other martial art has in three.

Muay Thai fighters learn

to push their limits physically and challenge their strength mentally. They learn to sacrifice speed and power for technique, only to bring it back to full speed and full power when their technique has been perfected.

It challenges the impatient to learn the slow, jaguar-like stealth of technique rather than rushing out like Peter Rabbit from beneath the vegetable garden’s gate. It prepares the unprepared for situations one may not normally be strong enough to take on.

Muay Thai is a beautiful battle with one’s mental and physical strength. It changes the impatient and unwilling for the better and develops the determined and passionate, thus forming the true definition of fighter.

tisements featured on their Jubotron.

The Ravens aren’t the only sports team promoting the ACA, as professional soccer team D.C. United has also agreed to back the program.

“Our fans are important to us on every level,” Michael Williamson, chief operating officer of D.C. United, told the Washington Business Journal.

“That includes their health and well-being, so helping provide information about health care options for them and their families makes total sense to us.”

Yes, sense and cents. And although I appreciate the sentiment from Williamson that’s most assuredly shared by the Ravens, I can’t help but shake

my head at this concept, as I’m sure funds given would be better spent elsewhere.

In and of itself, do we want sports teams advertising health insurance options?

I certainly do not.

As for the benefits of sports teams advertising for health exchanges, I think there are many. However, I also think those who ultimately pay for it, the people, should vote on a nice chunk like $130,000.

Thank goodness Colorado’s pro teams haven’t decided to advertise for the ACA – for now.

Keep politics out of sports

Dezarae Yoder dyoder@uccs.edu

The U.S. government gives money to a whole mess of folks, including, apparently, professional sports teams.

To further promote the Affordable Care Act (ACA),

the Baltimore Ravens recently accepted $130,000 from Maryland Health Connection, the state health exchange.

The National Football League (NFL) in its entirety shot down the chance to promote the ACA in June, and so it came as a bit of a surprise when the Ravens opted in.

“This is an advertising package purchased by a state agency, much like we have business associations with the Maryland Lottery and the Maryland National Guard, as well as other groups like Giant Foods and Verizon,” a Ravens public relations staff member said to Medical Daily.

So who pays for the package? The taxpayers, that’s who.

The money comes from the

Maryland Health Connection, which is paid for by taxpayer money.

Aside from voting for the ACA and knowing that the government would likely be promoting the policy, taxpayers had no say in which form it would be spent or who would benefit from it.

It’s also curious why a bill as divisive as the ACA would be promoted by a group who in reality doesn’t need to take on any other projects, as the team sits at No. 15 in power rankings on ESPN, their lowest ranking since 2009.

The team will promote the exchange through a variety of methods, including the use of their social media platforms as well as with game day adver-

SPORTS Sponsored athlete

Nov. 11, 2013 | 12

Sophomore aims for mountain biking world cup Crystal Chilcott cchilcot@uccs.edu

Harrison Ory grew up exploring his mother’s bike shop.

He began biking at age 6 and started competing in downhill mountain biking races at age 10.

Now a sponsored professional athlete, Ory, a sophomore at UCCS, eyes his ultimate goal: the world cup stage.

Downhill mountain biking races are conducted by timed runs. Bikers and their full-suspension bikes are taken to the top of a mountain by shuttle or chair lift.

One at a time, they race down the mountain, navigating sharp turns, rocks and jumps.

There are usually ways around the jumps, some manmade and some natural, but for the fastest time, bikers complete the jumps.

“Some people have a misconception about downhill racing. They think it’s going to be easy and that gravity just takes over. That’s not how it really is,” said Ory, who works two to three days a week at the SOLE Office repairing bikes. He also goes on SOLE mountain biking trips to answer questions and provide pointers.

“Racing is the most chal-

COURTESY PHOTO | MATT DELORME

Harrison Ory looks to compete in national mountain biking.

lenging thing I’ve ever done.

Each race takes everything in me.”

His mom’s store, Denverbased Mojo Wheels, has a bike team for which Ory races. He also races individually and moved up to the professional category last year.

Competitors are divided into three levels: cat 3, cat 2, cat 1 and pro. Within each category, there are age divisions.

Last year, Ory received a sponsorship from One Industries. The company produces bike-specific helmets and clothing.

This season, Ory competed in two stops on the national tour race series and the national championships, where he finished 26th out of 80 competitors.

His season complete, Ory took a month-long break before preparing for his next season, which begins in March.

“It’s hard with money to travel all the time. I would like to go to more stops on the tour next season, but it just depends on money,” he said.

In the past, he has competed in Canada, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, California, New Mexico and Utah. He hopes to participate in more international events, namely the world cup series.

The U.S. sends six pros to each stop on the series. Ory estimated three to four bikers attend most of the events, but the other spots are open.

“They’ll send whoever does well and can afford to go,” Ory said.

Ory narrowly missed qualifying for the world championships as a junior in summer 2012.

“I missed out on that opportunity. There was one race that decided whether I went or not, and I blew the race. I was really bummed.

They sent seven juniors, and I don’t know for sure, but I was probably the next spot,” he said.

Ory put his disappointment aside and resumed training. He bikes four days a week and works out six days a week. His team is sponsored by Trestle Bike Park in Winter Park, so he frequently practices there. During the ski season, he instead trains on his own in Palmer Park.

“I guess you could say I’m my own coach. I’ve had a lot of coaches and learned a lot from each of them. I have a lot of people who help me, but not one specific coach,” he said.

Downhill racing can be dangerous. Throughout his career, Ory has broken his collar bone

and sustained four concussions.

“I think I’m fairly lucky. I know people who are a lot worse off,” Ory said. “A couple years ago, my friend died while mountain biking. I struggled with feeling scared for a while after that.”

Despite the past, he now has a healthy dose of fear while biking.

“I don’t think about it most of the time. I do have some off days, but it’s not something that is on my mind for the most part,” said Ory. “A little fear is good, but if there is too much, that’s not good. That actually makes it more dangerous.”

In his quest for a world cup, Ory is willing to keep racing as long as his body and finances permit. The average age that mountain bikers retire is 28.

“It’s seriously full-time to get that goal. It’s really timeconsuming, but I want to keep going. I want to go until I can’t, until I’m too old or something,” he said. “I just want to bike.”

COURTESY PHOTO | CADE VANHEEL

Freshman on campus is a senior on ice Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu

Most people prefer studying at room temperature. Jason Brown prefers a little below freezing.

Brown, an 18-year-old freshman at UCCS, is a U.S. figure skating champion and competes across the nation.

What began as a hobby his mom gave him to keep him busy while his sister received lessons has now blossomed into a full, promising Olympic career.

“I remember falling a lot, but I love doing it,” Brown said. “I was that rowdy kid. I wanted to learn how to do the hardest things. I was not patient at all; I just wanted to go fast.”

And fast Brown has become, winning bronze and silver medals by age 16. He also placed second in the Skate America men’s short program in Detroit Oct. 18.

While most students are busy studying for history, Brown is making it. He was the 2011 Junior Grand Prix final champion and the 2010 U.S. national champion. “[I] don’t think about mak-

COURTESY PHOTO | GEOFF ROBINS

Jason Brown placed second in Skate America men’s short program.

ing history. I just try and do my best. It’s like a bonus,” Brown said.

Brown trains in Monument but also trains at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, one of three centers in the nation.

Outside of his workout routine, Brown can be found on the ice three hours a day.

Brown graduated from high school earlier this year. He moved to Colorado this summer from Chicago.

“I moved here in June and I absolutely love it,” Brown said.

“I’ve done the Incline. I love Manitou Springs. I’ve been to the zoo as well, that was a lot of fun.”

To stay on top of his game and keeping his mind sharp, Jason wanted to attend a university after high school.

“My parents really wanted me to graduate high school,” Brown said. “I like to keep myself busy. I enjoy the public balance because I want to compete

for another eight [to] nine years.

I didn’t want to start college after that, so I decided to stay with school.”

Already in the limelight since high school, Brown explained the rush of performing in front of thousands of people.

“It’s incredible. It’s great to have the crowd support you,” Brown said. “When you’re out there and everyone is waiting, wondering what I’m going to do, it’s just a privilege to perform in front of people, the

judges, everyone.”

Through the pressure, Brown is able to shake off the nerves and focus on the task at hand.

“Sometimes it’s worse than others, but you always work hard mentally to work past the nerves and to seem like you don’t have them,” Brown said.

Although a freshman on the college level, Brown will be entering his first senior year on the ice. It’s a move he is looking to give his all.

“I want to be looked and perceived as stronger than a first-year senior. I want to push myself both physically and mentally, performing to the best of my ability,” Brown said. “I want be faster, stronger and looked more polished on ice. I want to improve my technical score.”

Off the rink, Brown is much like any other student.

“I have a lot of hobbies. I love watching movies, bike riding, but I don’t get as much time to. I played the piano until I moved,” Brown said.

“That’s one of the reasons I love going to school is having that balance. Because I go to school and train, it is hard to make friends.”