Jan. 25, 2016 by The Scribe

Since 1966

Vol. 40, Iss. 15

Monday, January 25, 2016 SCRIBE.UCCS.EDU /UCCSTHESCRIBE @UCCSSCRIBE

UCCS Student Newspaper University of Colorado Colorado Springs

UCCS community voices disdain for proposed Mountain Metro bus service change

IN BRIEF NEWS

Addition to UCCS staﬀ Former Gazette editor Joanna Bean joins UCCS media team 3

Player Ineligible TreShawn Wilford was suspended due to academics 4

CULTURE JONATHAN TOMAN | THE SCRIBE

Mountain Metropolitan planning supervisor Brian Vitulli presents the potential alterations to bus route coverage throughout Colorado Springs.

Jonathan Toman jtoman@uccs.edu

Paintball Club Students participation in club grows 7

Richard III Director swaps gender roles in student production 5

OPINION

#WheresRey Star Wars merchandise lacks main character 9

Domestic violence Pay attention to what pop culture conveys 9

SPORTS

Women’s Basketball Team looks to defense to success 11

Men’s Basketball Team looks for consistency in RMAC play 12

It was a frustrated group of around 30 students, faculty and staff that attended a public meeting on Jan. 21 to discuss a plan that would cease city bus service to main campus. The meeting, held on campus and one in a series of five that will be held throughout Colorado Springs, is part of Mountain Metropolitan Transit’s effort to seek public opinion on proposed changes to several routes throughout the city, including those that service UCCS. Proposal The portion of the proposal that impacts UCCS calls for the elimination of service on Mount View Lane through the Cragmor neighborhood. In addition, the bus would no longer stop at Centennial Hall, instead it would stop at a new transfer hub off Nevada Avenue where the UCCS shuttles currently pick up students. Reasons for the changes outlined in the proposal include high cost for little ridership, lack of timeliness and conflicts with UCCS shuttles outside of Centennial Hall. “Ridership on Route 9 to the campus (at Centennial Hall) is also not significant, and does not warrant continuing to serve the main campus when the alternative is to provide

high-frequency service to the transfer hub off of Eagle Rock Road,” the proposal booklet explains. Brian Vitulli, transit planning supervisor for Mountain Metro, started the meeting with a presentation that outlined the proposed changes. He explained that the proposal comes in part from a 2013 operations analysis that established high frequency corridors throughout Colorado Springs, one of which is Nevada Avenue. “We are looking to make (the metro bus system) more sustainable, more efficient, more on time,” he said. At the proposed hub, students would then be able to transfer to UCCS shuttles to get to main campus. But there are twelve weeks during the year where students would not be able to utilize UCCS shuttles because school is not in session. “While (the proposed changes) are tough on some individuals we realize that we are looking at the greater good of the community,” Vitulli said. Response After Vitulli’s presentation, the meeting was opened for comments, all of which were against the proposed changes and were followed by applause from those gathered. Student Sara Bonner spoke first and explained that the proposed change “is going to

MEGAN LUNSFORD | THE SCRIBE

A map of the proposed changes to the Mountain Metro bus system.

make it so I can’t get to campus in off-semester time.” Bonner added that due to parking and shuttle issues on campus, there are ways to expand bus ridership at UCCS including increased marketing to students. “That seems like a better option instead of cutting off access for some of the students,” she said. Student Cynthia Barram echoed Bonner, explaining that the bus system is her only safe way to get to school and back and that school shuttles can often be overcrowded. “Not being able to get here to finish my degree would be

more than an inconvenience,” she said. “Even though we might be the minority on this issue, I ask that you consider us because we need this.” Catherine George, student and president of the International Buddy Program, highlighted the impact the proposal would have on international students that come to UCCS. “Oftentimes, our international students feel isolated, they feel stranded without their own public transportation,” she said. George explained that Mountain Metro is a resource (Continued on Page 2...)

News (Continued from Page 1) Mountain Metro Bus service

April 13, 2015 | 2

for international students to explore what Colorado Springs has to offer and to gain more cultural exposure during their visit. The plan would “severely limit autonomy for international students,” she said. According to the Global Engagement Office, 426 students from 49 countries came to UCCS in the 201415 academic year. Carole Huber, senior instructor in the Geography and Environmental Studies department, highlighted students who may not bring a car to campus, as well as those who bike to campus and are reliant upon the bus in case of bad weather or a flat tire. “To not bring the bus up to the main campus would just be a travesty,” Huber said. Susan Szpyrka, senior vice chancellor for Administration and Finance, outlined the official UCCS stance on the proposed changes: opposed. She highlighted changes

that UCCS has made in support of the city bus system, including partnering to help achieve a grant, encouraging curricula and faculty that deal with mass transit and changing to a one-way road in front of Centennial Hall to encourage shuttle and bus ridership. “We believe UCCS has been a very good partner with Mountain Metro,” Szpyrka said. “We’ve incorporated improvements at our expense, not at (Mountain Metro’s) expense.” Szpyrka said UCCS thinks their concerns have not been heard, that the area where UCCS shuttles operate was never intended as a transfer station and that the campus shuttles are not designed for non-UCCS commuter use. She added that accessibility for disabled students would be cut down due to the proposal and a sustainable transportation option for students would no longer be available. “It seems like going

backward in time,” Szpyrka said after her presentation. Tom Huber, professor in the Geography and Environmental Studies department, offered an alternative plan that would have the city bus pick up and drop off on Austin Bluffs Parkway, saving time currently used to get to Centennial Hall. Craig Blewitt, Mountain Metro director, attended the meeting. “UCCS is a key partner, a key activity in the community, and we want to support UCCS,” he said. “That’s why we hold these meetings is to get input, to figure out the best way to serve the community with the resources that we have.” Feedback on the proposal, collected from the public meetings, the Mountain Metro website and social media, and their customer service division, will be taken until Jan. 30. A recommendation will come by the middle of February, and the changes will be implemented by May 1.

COURTESY | TRANSIT.COLORADOSPRINGS.GOV

Highlighted bus stops show average boardings in the Cragmor area.

Public Safety keeps on alert over winter break Kyle Guthrie

kguthri2@uccs.edu

Over winter break, students received an e-mail and text notification regarding an armed robbery on campus. Tim Stoecklein, program director of Emergency

Management, said that Public Safety still monitors for campus closure conditions during the break. “It was essentially a ‘craigslist type meeting’ to sell some items that just went bad,” Stoecklein explained. “Neither of the groups were associated or affiliated

COURTESY | UCCS.EDU

with the campus. This was just one of those things where UCCS is a prominent location, and easy to find for both parties and they were just going to meet here…but in this case, it went bad.” Stoecklein added that the two suspects fled the scene; they were not affiliated with the school in any way. During the winter interim term Public Safety receives calls from faculty, staff and families asking if they close campus for interim classes due to weather. “We are absolutely aware of the time of day, the amount of folks, and the special events on campus… and those get factored into that decision making process,” said Stoecklein. “We don’t want people to think we are forgetting about them.” Stoecklein explained that the system is reserved for true emergency situations, which rules out notifications for most weather conditions. “(The alert system) does not send weather watch, advisory, or warning information,” Stoecklein said. “The reason being is that we want to save that alert system for ‘need to take action now’ type items.” Public Safety is one of the offices responsible for helping in the closure decision making process. “We are one cog in the

wheel. I’m feeding forecast information conditions and anything else I am aware of in terms of closures and conditions to (UCCS Police) Chief (Brian) McPike,” he said. “Then he has conversations with Vice Chancellor (Susan) Szpyrka, and then of course the chancellor weighs in on that conversation as well.” Sophomore business

major David Meyer said he never really feels in danger at UCCS. “I actually do think that they do a really good job informing all of the students here of emergencies,” Meyer said. For more information and to sign up to receive alerts from Emergency Management, students can visit uccs.edu/pusafety.

SCREENSHOT | THE SCRIBE

Texts sent to students during the emergency situation over break.

April 13, 2015| 3 News Former Gazette editor joins UCCS communications team Joe Hollmann jhollma3@uccs.edu

When the editor of Colorado Springs’ largest newspaper makes a transition to UCCS, it is a win for students and faculty alike. Joanna Bean, an awardwinning journalist and previous editor of The Gazette, will join the UCCS Communications and Media Relations staff, helping to manage media relations and social media content through platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Communique. She has over 20 years

of public affairs experience in the Colorado Springs area, including as a business reporter, local news editor and managing editor. Bean was managing editor for The Gazette’s Pulitzer Prize winning series “Other than Honorable,” and was named editor of The Gazette in September 2014. “I’ve admired the university from afar,” she said, and if anything were to prompt a change “it would be higher education.” While working in the community, she has seen firsthand the growth UCCS has experienced.

AUSTIN CHASSE | THE SCRIBE

Joanna Bean recently joined the UCCS communications team.

“It has become a driver of the economy, part of the social structure of the city,” Bean said. “I had a wonderful run,” she said, referring to her journalism and editing career. “But I’m most excited to contribute and learn from the university.” Tom Hutton, executive director of Communications and Media Relations, said he is excited to work with Bean. “Universities are complex and hard to understand, and who better to help explain that than a seasoned journalist,” he said.

New program coordinator aims to help students, oversees events Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu

In addition to obtaining her master’s and majoring in communications from the University of Northern Colorado, Krystal Schiffelbein expects to learn even more in her new role at UCCS, coordinator of Student Clubs, Organizations, and Leadership. Schiffelbein joined the Student Life and Leadership team last Tuesday, beating two other candidates to accept the job late last semester. “My first goal and priority is to figure out what are the needs for the students here,” Schiffelbein said. “I’m really excited to work with other club and staff members.”

Schiffelbein has previous experience working at other colleges. She worked at Colorado College as a residential coordinator before accepting the job at UCCS. Before this, she earned her master’s degree in higher education and administration from Saint Cloud’s State University. Schiffelbein is also a member of Alpha Phi sorority. “The large part of my job is going to be interacting with clubs and organizations and making sure they are successful,” Schiffelbein said. “When it comes time to register at the beginning of the semester for people to start clubs, I’ll be overseeing that process.”

Schiffelbein said she is available for students with questions through email, phone or in her office in UC 104A. “Any student group that wants to start an event, they will fill out an event form and I’ll oversee that and I’ll also be helping with leadership programming,” she said. Schiffelbein said it is easy to start a club and receive help on campus. “You can sign up for a club online, all you need is four people, two officers and two general students,” Schiffelbein said. “There is a start a club button on Mountain Lion Connect.” “I’m really excited for this semester,” Schiffelbein said.

Robert Block, assistant dean of Engineering and Applied Sciences, said that they will tailor the survey a little bit. “Part of the survey is standard, and questions the

department would like the student to answer,” he said. “As an instructor, I like to look at the FCQ’s in two different ways: how did the student perceive that I treated them,” Block said. “Also, I

MEGAN LUNSFORD | THE SCRIBE

Krystal Schiffelbein is the new SLL staff member.

FCQ’s: How student feedback is used Abbie Stillman astillma@uccs.edu

At the end of every semester, students are given the opportunity to change the way their class is structured. Faculty Course Questionnaires are given to students to voice their opinions, possibly changing the way the course is taught at a later date or even who teaches it. “The FCQ’s are made to get information from the students about how the class was, how the instructor was and the effectiveness of their lectures,” explained Dan Dandapani, the dean of the college of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Even though students receive the email and hardcopy surveys, not everyone takes the time to fill them out. “We give every student the opportunity to complete the survey which is done in the classroom, but it is up to the student to either complete it or not complete it,” Dandapani said.

look at what happened in that class.” Block also pays attention to how many forms he hands out compared to how many he gets back. “In the spring, I had 22

COURTESY | FCQ.COLORADO.EDU

FCQ results are available to request by any student after the semester.

forms handed out and 18 returned and that made me feel really good because I feel like the survey responses, because I had a lot of responses that those were fairly accurate and well represented of the whole class,” Block said. Block explained that for teacher evaluation, they look at aspects such as how hard the course was, and examine the instructor and their performance. “One instructor did not receive the best remarks from their students so we are looking into whether it was the instructor or the course or possibly a combination,” he said. The course received feedback that there were way too many assignments and it was too hard for an undergraduate course. After examining the material of the course and syllabus, the department came to the same conclusion as the students. They are now trying to come up with a plan to cover all the material without overburdening students.

News

4 | April 13, 2015

Men’s basketball player TreShawn Wilford academically ineligible to play Audrey Jensen Taylor Garcia

ajensen4@uccs.edu tgarcia@uccs.edu

Junior guard TreShawn Wilford from the men’s basketball team is academically ineligible to play. As a result, freshman Elijah Ross was taken out of his redshirt year to play. “It’s been an adjustment,” said head coach Jeff Culver. “We established our blueprint and identity at the beginning of the year. Now we’re having to adjust with the change of point guard again.” The NCAA requires Division II student athletes to be enrolled in at least 12 credits a semester and keep a 2.0 GPA by their junior year. The UCCS athletic department requires student athletes to maintain a 2.0 GPA regardless of their year. “To be competitive as a student athlete at UCCS, you need to be competitive in the classroom,” said senior associate athletic director Nate Gibson. Since the loss of Wilford at the end of last semester, the team is 2-4 overall. Despite not playing for six games, Wilford remains the teams

assist leader, steals leader and fourth highest scorer in points per game. Culver said the overall goals for the season and team have not changed. “We’re doing everything we’ve always done, it’s a system that we plug people into,” Culver explained. But he added they have had to be more patient with this younger team, as the backcourt now includes one less upperclassman. “We just fast forwarded the process of putting (Ross) at point guard,” Culver said. “Now Brandon (Malone) and Elijah get reps together and as they grow, we’ll grow.” Junior guard Tim Hass explained that the learning curve in the RMAC is steep, but that everyone has stepped up to handle it. “(Wilford) was one of our more prominent players and leaders, but his personal decisions don’t affect the daily effort and commitment put forth by the other members of this team,” Hass said. “Grasping the reality of the situation has allowed us to move on and better visualize the long term expectations for this team.” When student athlete GPAs reach 2.0 or lower, Alex

Koehler, assistant athletic director for compliance, said he receives e-mail warnings from an early alert system so the athletic department can take steps to help the student. “We get notifications if kids aren’t going to class or they are struggling, and then we talk to the coaches, they can talk to their athletes and ask what’s going on with a certain class,” Koehler said. Coaches have the option to offer study groups to their athletes or the athletic

department can create an academic plan for the student. “I’ll look at their grades, notify the department who’s struggling and everyone will do more background research on the student,” Koehler said. Gibson added that students who fall under a 2.0 GPA but are within the less stringent NCAA requirements have the option to appeal to the Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Committee. The IAAC consists of faculty and staff members

COURTESY | SPORTS INFORMATION

Junior guard TreShawn Wilford, pictured in a game in November.

from UCCS not including any athletic employee, according to Gibson. “They would go before IAAC and have to answer a set of questions and IAAC would make a decision about whether or not they can continue to compete,” Gibson said. “If a student has a bad semester and has a good reason we can make that decision then whether or not they can continue to play or take a red shirt year,” he added. When student athletes fall below UCCS and NCAA requirements, they are ineligible to play and cannot appeal to IAAC. “It’s ultimately up to our athletic director, he decides if the student athlete should focus on academics solely or continue competing next semester, it just depends on the situation,” Koehler said. “If they’re not going to class, there’s not much we can do for them.” According to Gibson, UCCS’ athletic department reached 23 consecutive semesters having a cumulative 3.0 or higher GPA. “We have department GPAs that have been as high as 3.4. Our goal is to always have a department GPA of 3.0 or better,” Gibson said.

Culture

April 13, 2015| 5

Two VAPA students awarded $5,000 in sculpture contest Halle Thornton

hthornto@uccs.edu

Two student artist’s sculptures will be featured on Nevada Avenue, while the money awarded to each will help build them. Senior visual and performing arts majors Ian Alexandrowicz and Tamara Mauldin each received $5,000 from the student public sculpture program, funded by University Village Colorado developer Kevin Kratt, at the end of the fall 2015 semester. Alexandrowicz’ sculpture, inspired by bicycles, will be built and mounted on North Nevada Avenue next to the UVC. VAPA instructor Nikki Pike introduced the idea to her Art and Democracy class. Alexandrowicz said Pike required the students in the class to sketch an idea for a sculpture. Mauldin will also have her work featured at the UVC. Mauldin’s sculpture will consist of two fish intertwined standing on their tails. “It is the physical acknowledgement of the need to balance the feminine with the masculine forces in one’s psyche,” Mauldin said. Alexandrowicz’ inspiration for the sculpture came from past artwork. “I was looking through my sketches from last semester, and decided to draw up something similar,” he said. Alexandrowicz said he was surrounded by art growing up. Seeing his uncle’s passion for photography inspired him to pursue a path in visual arts. Co-director and assistant professor of VAPA Matt Barton also spoke to Alexandrowicz’s

class for more information regarding the contest. Barton teaches studio and sculpting classes and helps with the contest. “I work as a contact and advisor for the students as they navigate the entire process of budgeting, refining their designs and working with fabricators,” said Barton. Alexandrowicz said he wants his sculpture to be 20 feet tall, sit on a 2-by-3 pedestal and have a bike sprocket as the main focus of the piece. Mauldin’s sculpture will be nine feet high and constructed of plate, expanded and perforated steel. Before these dimensions are finalized, the engineers and fabricator make sure it will be sturdy enough to stand on its own, according to Alexandrowicz. Barton said he chose this sculpture project because it is a good representation of the student’s work. “It is a truly unique and valuable program that gives the students real-world experience, as well as a crucial portfolio piece that gets their foot in the door for further public art projects,” said Barton. Mauldin said Barton’s help has been valuable. “Barton’s encouragement and selection for this scholarship have built up my confidence in my ability to succeed as an artist,” Mauldin said. “The most exciting part about being awarded the money is the public recognition,” said Alexandrowicz. He hopes that the sculpture will be put in the UVC among the other student’s artwork by the end of the spring semester.

AUSTIN CHASSE | THE SCRIBE

Ian Alexandrowicz is one of the two reciepients of a grant for an off-campus sculpture.

A day in the life of an administrator: Susan Szpyrka Kyle Guthrie kguthri2@uccs.edu

When your school days start to seem lengthy, remember that Susan Szpyrka has work days that can last up to 15 hours. Szpyrka, senior vice chancellor of Administration and Finance, oversees several departments on campus such as Public Safety and the Resident Assistant training program as well as holding her position as chief financial officer for UCCS. Szpyrka said she spends most of a workday in 8-12 meetings with staff and student employees. “I start at seven in the morning and sometimes go until nine or ten at night,” she said. The first six months of the year are busy for determining the budget. While Szpyrka’s time

COURTESY | CONNECTIONS.CU.EDU

Susan Szpyrka, senior vice chancellor of Administration and Finance.

with students is limited, she said she still interacts with and helps students under her supervision. “My student contact is not as robust as I would like simply because of the overwhelming responsibilities and my obligation to meet with other staff members,” she said. The vice chancellor added that most of her contact with students is with employees. “There are hundreds of student employees in these different groups. I will often go in when they are having their team meetings to address them and talk to them,” she said. “Last week I spent about 45 minutes with the residential assistants and their training,” Szpyrka said. “I like to go over when they have their training in August and January.” Szpyrka also helps student

ideas become implemented on campus. “We had a student group that was very interested in the opportunity to have a different type of parking permit.” The students wanted a parking permit for specific days during the week. “They did this through a class, and did a whole proposal around it, and today you now have the opportunity to buy (one of) these passes,” Szpyrka said. Szpyrka said that while they may not always be visible to students, campus resources are there for their benefit. “I think it’s important for students to know that all our resources on campus are there for them,” Szpyrka said. “They are developed for them. We don’t work in higher education unless we truly believe in the mission.”

Culture

6 | March 9, 2015

Spring club fair hosts 70 clubs and organizations for students to join Audrey Jensen ajensen4@uccs.edu

In the first week of classes, students had a chance to take a picture with Clyde and visit clubs and organizations during OSA’s Winter Welcome Week. OSA’s club fair took place on Jan. 20, giving students a chance to connect and learn about their clubs and organizations. The fall club fair in August on the West Lawn

featured 75 clubs and organizations and had a total of 1,087 students participate. This spring, 463 students participated in the club fair with 70 organizations. According to Student Life and Leadership assistant director Stephen Cucchiara, from the spring 2014 semester to this semester there is a 51.3 percent increase in club fair participation and attendance. Cucchiara said the best way for clubs to recruit

students is to actively table. President of the college republican club, Ivy ElZaatari, said their club sees the most people in a meeting that is closest to a club fair. “We’ll usually get 30 people to sign up and then from that 30 we will get to five to 10 who will show up to the meeting and then I have really solid people who want to be officers after that,” Zaatari said. “So, 30 will receive an email from us, 15 will show

up, and five to ten people will join.” Sophomore criminal justice major Dolly Lostaunau, who tabled for Phi Sigma Sigma sorority, said she wanted to find out more information about the body and fitness club. “I think (students) could

get more involved and spread their group of friends. I think that everyone who comes here is very passionate about their club and they show it,” Lostaunau said. Students interested in joining a club or organization can sign up or read more on Mountain Lion Connect. AUSTIN CHASSE | THE SCRIBE

AUSTIN CHASSE | THE SCRIBE

RACHAEL DEEGAN | THE SCRIBE

AUSTIN CHASSE | THE SCRIBE

The 2016 spring Club Fair showcased a myriad of organizations for students to join.

Culture

April 13, 2015 | 7

Paintball Club sees increase in membership, looks to offer leadership opportunities Hannah Harvey hharvey@uccs.edu

Some students might participate in a sport or hit the gym to make friends and relieve stress. But for Paintball Club members, shooting at zombies is the best, unconventional way to do just that. The club, founded by sophomore business major Erik Nudson in October 2014, meets once a month to introduce new members and discuss the next game or event. “All of our meetings are open. Anyone can come in. We want people to be a part of it,” said club vice president Izzy Riley. All students can join the club at no cost. But, if a student wants a discount and a reserved slot in future games, they pay a $25 fee, according to the club’s Mountain Lion Connect page. When the club plays at Covert Ops Paintball, located on 6425 Platte Ave., Riley said 18-25 students join in. Riley, a freshman biology major and experienced paintball player, said that students don’t have to be a paintball expert to join. “We make it easy to be involved; we teach you how to use your gear and everyone is friendly and outgoing,” said Riley.

COURTESY | PAINTBALL CLUB AT UCCS FACEBOOK PAGE

For some members, it is their first time playing. Others have played for years. According to Nudson, last year there were four active members. Now, there are over 40. Nudson said the club is anticipating seeing even more new faces this semester, and he and Riley advertised with posters, handouts and tabling on campus. Freshman pre-medicine major Matt Fiala, also an experienced paintball player, joined the club last semester. “We’re a super laidback club. You don’t have to do 10 different things to get in. It’s really not high and tight,” said Fiala. “We don’t require a certain

GPA. Really, it’s anybody that can join the club. We just try to make it as fun as possible,” said Nudson. While students can join the club to participate in paintball and fundraising events, Fiala said the club is also a great way to meet people. “One of the great things about paintball is that it’s a good equalizer. I’ve played with doctors and guys who have been working for 30 or 40 years, and yet, we’re all the same,” Fiala said.

According to Nudson, it’s easy for students to become an officer of the club. “Learning to manage a club is great for organizational experience,” he said. “We try to make it a recreational club with a lot of opportunity to learn about organizational leadership and development,” added Nudson. Students interested in Paintball Club can find out more information by visiting the club’s Mountain Lion Connect page and Facebook profile.

COURTESY | PAINTBALL CLUB AT UCCS FACEBOOK PAGE

The Paintball club poses for a photo during an event off campus last semester.

Gender role reversal highlights student production of ‘Richard III’ DeKeveion Glaspie dglaspie@uccs.edu

The UCCS Theatre Company is presenting “Richard III,” but the play comes with a twist. The tale about King Richard III’s short, tumultuous reign and quest for the throne will be played by a woman. The UCCS Theatre Company presents “Richard III” Feb. 5-14. The play will be at the student theater in the Osborne studio theater in University Hall.

Richard (Molly Garrison) who starred in “Tartuffe” will be accompanied by Alex Niforatos and other freshmen. Rachel Baker is directing the play. Baker explained that while she has experience acting and helped with technical elements of plays, this is the first play she is directing. Baker added that designers and advisors are guiding her through the process of directing. “There will be something that I look at and I think it looks fine and they see it and

say that’s not reading how you think it is,” said Baker. Baker added that the idea for swapping gender roles in the play came to her when she studied abroad in London last summer. With a small number of men in the program, the roles typically played by men had to be played by women. “I’ve seen several performances of Richard before, it was just the most interesting performance of Richard I have ever seen,” said Baker. Baker said she became

interested in how casting women in male roles changed the dynamics of the play. The competitiveness of the modeling industry also served as inspiration for her idea. “I started thinking (about) the modeling world and how that level of competition can really become catty,” Baker said. “There are a lot of parallels in the play in the way Richard treats people and the way you see women compete with each other, so I thought it would be an interesting way seeing the dynamics of gender conflict

and violence and how we treat each other.” Baker hopes the gender swap allows the audience to think beyond the stage. “I want to start a conversation. I want people to leave the theater talking about what they’ve just seen and what it means to them and also continue talking about it after. Students should come with an open mind and prepare to think.” “Richard III” starts at 8 p.m. and will be free for those students who have a student ID and $5 for non-students.

Editorial

April 13, 2015 | 8

Mountain Metro proposal out of touch, meeting needed earlier notice

Jonathan Toman Editor-in-Chief

Audrey Jensen Managing Editor

Eleanor Sturt Copy Editor

Evan Musick News Editor

Hannah Harvey Culture Editor

Alexander Nedd JONATHAN TOMAN | THE SCRIBE

Opinion Editor

Quinita Thomas expresses her concern with the proposed changes to the Mountain Metro bus system coverage of UCCS.

Scribe Staff scribe@uccs.edu

Mountain Metropolitan Transit’s proposal to no longer service the main campus of UCCS is a problem. If the proposal continues as is, the closest a city bus will get to UCCS’ main campus will be the parking lot by the inconstruction Ent Center for the Arts near what used to be Four Diamonds. This would negatively impact many students: those who have no car on campus to get anywhere in town, those who are from another country (or just another part of the U.S.) and want to explore Colorado Springs, and those who bike to school and rely on the bus if it rains or they have an equipment malfunction. That doesn’t even cover disabled students who rely on the bus to get to their classes and will be not only inconvenienced, but absolutely frustrated in their attempts to get to campus. This proposal takes away a vital lifeline for our campus and community. The Scribe, like the university itself, cannot support it. And it’s hard not to take it personally. The proposed changes to Route 15 in the southern part of Colorado Springs include an additional service to Pikes Peak

Community College. As part of the proposal, Mountain Metro is going out of its way to service one educational institution, and out of its way to remove proper service from another. Colorado College essentially has the Metro system go through its campus, so there’s no issue there. The only college in town left is the Air Force Academy, and that’s almost in another time zone. It could be nothing more than an awkward coincidence, but it sure seems that UCCS is the awkward stepchild of colleges in Colorado Springs that no one wants to deal with or pay attention to. It was a small, yet vocal group of students that went to the public meeting that explained the changes in detail. Many of the comments came from students, and they were full of eloquence and passion in their arguments. But there were only around 30 people there, and no more than 20 were students. Out of a campus of over 11,000, we mustered 20 students to hear about the future of public transportation on our campus. Part of that is the difficulty in getting students of a commuter university to come to events on campus after 5 p.m. But that’s another editorial. This time, the issue was the

announcement of such an impactful event to students. True, an advertisement did show up on Mountain Lion Connect on Jan. 15, six days before the meeting. True, the Commode Chronicles that was published Jan. 19 ran an advertisement. But they had the wrong information. The error was explained in an email sent to students from Parking and Transportation Services: “Pease note that advertisements in both Commode Chronicles and Mountain Lion Connect incorrectly state start time of 7:30 p.m. This meeting actually begins at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 21.” This email was sent out to students less than 48 hours before the event. As the official form of communication for the university, email is the most likely medium students would check, and they barely had time to hear about the Mountain Metro meeting before it happened. It is irrational for UCCS to expect students to attend these events and participate in the conversations when the information provided is incorrect and corrected too late. That mistake could be anywhere along the line, but if the interests of students are a priority, the coordination must be better.

Alexander Nedd

Life on the Bluffs Editor

Taylor Garcia Sports Editor

Megan Lunsford Photo Editor

Davy Mellado Layout Editor

Tessa Bronner Media Manager

Reporters

DeKeveion Glaspie Kyle Guthrie Rachel Librach Abbie Stillman Halle Thornton Joe Hollmann

Photographers Austin Chasse Rachael Deegan

Jennifer Curry

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Opinion

April 13, 2015 | 9

#WheresRey: Gender stereotypes still an issue as companies hide strong female roles

Davy Mellado dmellado@uccs.edu

In my weekly trip to King Soopers, I was met by a large display of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” merchandise in the toy section. The latest Star Wars episode was a wonderful flurry of old and new characters following the journey of the female protagonist, Rey. As I looked over the boxes and stands in the grocery store, I noticed there was not a single poster, toy, mask or even packaging with Rey on it.

With a disgruntled shuffle, I pulled out my phone and tweeted, “#WheresRey,” along with a photo of the scene. This is not the first time I’ve seen a Star Wars display lacking Rey. This hashtag started a month before the movie came out. It began with a controversial Hasbro product of six Star Wars action figures. Of the six figures, Rey was nowhere to be found, despite there being two unnamed figures irrelevant to the film. It wasn’t for lack of space, so why was Rey absent? The brand that owns Star Wars, Lucasfilm, was bought by Disney in 2012 and soon after, the seventh movie went from rumors to reality. But this purchase

didn’t come without strings attached. Disney propagates a specific marketing plan when it comes to females. It’s called the “Disney Princess.” This role is typically passive, has enchanting beauty, wears a dress and is almost always married. In the latest Star Wars film, Rey is an active

woman who doesn’t enchant anyone with her looks, wears pants and doesn’t get married. The trending hashtag, #WheresRey continues because multiple products commissioned by Disney omit her.

iconic motion picture with a modern day American black cast and interpretation. I admit, it looks good. I watched the trailer. I laughed at the jokes. It features and is produced by Marlon Wayans (“White Chicks”), so what’s wrong with this movie? Everything. It hit me when my friends started to comment on the film’s release. “That movie looks funny as ****, I’m in.” “Why are black people so freaking funny?” “Alex we have to go see this. That is totally

you!” Working four jobs and obtaining my bachelor’s degree doesn’t show my true character or work ethic, but a three second clip of a black woman clapping her hands describes me to a tee. Gee, thanks. The success of “50 Shades of Grey” says a lot about its fan base as a whole. The movie glorified the aggressive sexual nature of Mr. Grey and began a worldwide conversation on BDSM. While it may seem OK between two consenting adults, the fact that a woman is hit

In response to an 8-year-old’s handwritten note, Hasbro made a public announcement on Jan. 4 explaining they did not include her because they didn’t want to ruin the “surprise” that Rey plays an important role. Why would a consumer who doesn’t know the significance of the characters buy posters,

action figures and masks of them? Hasbro commented just one day after the spoiler statement that they will produce and ship a new line of products that include Rey. Hasbro and Disney

have a dodgy history of omitting female characters in their products. Black Widow from “The Avengers” is another example. Despite being an Avenger who fights alongside The Hulk and Captain America, she is largely underrepresented in merchandise. These female characters have roles that are crucial, active and not based on their looks. These are values that we easily encourage in young boys, but seem to forget about when it comes to girls. #WheresRey is evidence we still have a problem with gender roles in today’s society. We discourage girls to play with female characters that “act like men.” When there aren’t skilled and intelligent

female characters in movies and merchandise, young boys and girls have no choice but to look to men for role models. That means that skill and intelligence are only associated with one gender, male. This is a problem we have to address. Strong character traits like fighting, outsmarting villains and motivating others are needed for both young boys and girls. This country changed the minds of decision makers in a multi-million dollar company for the better. People like you were able to shape our culture and take control of the toys our kids play with and look up to. Never forget you have the power to resist being a product of a culture, but a reckoning force for change.

for sexual pleasure still doesn’t sit right with me. I might not be able to fully relate to the controversies in “50 Shades of Grey,” but being black is a trait I am too familiar with. The concept of “50 Shades of Black” is wrong. It features overused stereotypes that dominate black culture and tries to sell itself to a mainstream audience. And guess who that audience is? White people. Am I turning this into a race thing? Absolutely. Am I being politically correct? Absolutely not. Too often, racist jokes are tossed around with

no real consequences. It’s sickening. In a two-minute trailer on YouTube, a number of black characters are seen stealing a car, referencing a baby daddy and robbing a woman of her purse. Aren’t you tired of hearing these jokes? If five years of college has taught me anything, it’s that these jokes and behaviors of thinking are producing more harm than good. I am not a stereotype. Stereotyped roles that continue to be played in this film don’t help people of color get an Academy

Award, or help our fight to be represented well and taken seriously in Hollywood. We are taking a step backward in inclusion and equality. I understand it is a movie, but there is much to be said about what we as an audience find funny and amusing. The fact that this movie was given the green light and produced for widespread entertainment in the U.S. shows me we still have a long way to go on the topic of race in 2016. I can’t accept movies like this. And if you do, then you are part of the problem.

These female characters have roles that are crucial, active and not based on their looks. These are values that we easily encourage in young boys, but seem to forget about when it comes to girls.

50 shades of fed up: Racial stereotypes in movies must end

Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu

While Stars Wars continues to bring in money at the box office, one film has caught my attention and a number of my friends’ wallets in the theater: “50 Shades of Black.” A parody of 2015’s sizzling, romantic film “50 Shades of Grey,” the movie looks to spoof the

Listen to your lyrics: Be aware of hidden messages in pop culture

Hannah Harvey hharvey@uccs.edu

Pop culture can provide fun, take your mind off of daily stress and connect you to people. But as exciting as it is, disturbing events like domestic violence make their way into our lives through this form of entertainment. Domestic violence

occurs when one person in a relationship abuses their partner to gain control or power. It can be physical, sexual, emotional or verbal. The victim of the violence may be traumatized, hurt or killed by their abusive partner. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, three in ten women and one in ten men have experienced a form of domestic violence. In one year, 12 million people will be impacted by it. But we don’t always stop to think about the way that these events are celebrated and

even made to be seen as the norm. Instead of bringing awareness to the dangers of domestic violence, pop culture glorifies it. How many times have you cranked up the volume when Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie” came on the radio? Or sang along to “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke? Entertainers often use music as an outlet to write about their personal experiences. A musician may write and sing about an unhealthy relationship, but their listeners think the artist’s negative experience was good. Sometimes we are so focused on how the

music we listen to adds to the good times that we commend violence. It’s easy to overlook the seriousness of domestic violence when it is blurred by a catchy chorus and rhythm. But the more we overlook these lyrics, the more domestic violence seems normal. If we continue to make violence seem like it’s OK, then how many more people will become a statistic? Listeners and entertainers do not think carefully about the messages that are being sent. Purposefully harming someone you love is not something to glorify.

You should not want to abuse your partner or be abused. I can’t get over the fact that a cycle of violence is worked into pop culture while people are affected by what could potentially kill them. When domestic violence appears in pop culture, it dilutes the seriousness of the issue, making it seem less dangerous. It’s easier for society to turn a serious issue into a normal, everyday occurrence We can’t use this way of thinking to justify selling more records or books, or getting more likes on a post.

If a musician or author sends the message that it’s normal to hurt those you love, it will only justify a violent perpetrator’s actions. This won’t help end the cycle of violence that so many face every day. We are too busy enjoying the song, reading the book or laughing at the joke our friend posted on Twitter that we fail to think about what we’re being exposed to. We have to think actively about the messages we’re supporting, listen carefully and speak up when something is wrong.

Life on the Bluffs Sudoku

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

1 3

Sweet Salty Tweets

Things to do with snow DeKeveion Glaspie dglaspie@uccs.edu

semester as an undergrad #finally #uccs #soclose”

6 3

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Top Ten

“First day of my last

April 13, 2015 | 10

“Ive only been back a couple

of hours and already feel like I'm home I missed this place #UCCS #ColoradoSprings”

@DustinBailey97

“I just got my $300 physics book on Amazon for $41.58 with free shipping. I think I won this round, UCCS.”

@LookAtDatForm

Wait for it to disappear

Make Lemonade

NOTHING BECAUSE IT’S COLD

Admire it from inside

Cool oﬀ warm drinks

Snow angels

Make zombie-proof barricade

Homemade snow cones

Do you want to build a snow maaaaaaaan?

Save a snowball for summer

Campus Chatter DeKeveion Glaspie, dglaspie@uccs.edu

What would you do if you won the Powerball?

Jahlysa Wilson, junior, Spanish major “I would give it to my mom because we all live on the struggle bus and split it with my siblings and brother in college.”

Audrey Rose, junior, Spanish major “Pay my tuition and donate it to education to rebuild grade schools.”

Capture

Clyde This week

at UCCS

Wed

Safe Zone Training University Center 122 6 p.m.

Thurs

Cynthia Gladfelter, senior, VAPA major “Mostly invest it.”

Win a prize! Come to The Scribe oﬃce (UC 106) and tell us where the picture was taken.

Mon

Intramural Table Tennis Tournament (1v1) Recreation and Wellness Center 7 p.m.

MOSAIC & LGBTRC Welcome Back Celebration University Center 110 5:30 p.m.

Fri

Tues

Condom Fashion Show Upper Lodge 7 p.m.

UCCS Strategic Plan Update Sessions Berger Hall 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sat

Blackout Night Basketball vs. New Mexico Highlands Gallogly Events Center Women at 5:30p.m. Men at 7:30 p.m.

Sports

April 13, 2015 | 11

Women’s basketball focuses on defense to start 2016 with winning streak Halle Thornton hthornto@uccs.edu

Before winter break, the women’s basketball team struggled as they lost three of their last four games, but their mentality quickly changed once the New Year began. A big resolution for the team was changing their strategy, and their hard work paid off. The team rang in the New Year with a four game winning streak, and they are now 11-6 (7-4 RMAC) entering play on Jan. 22. Head coach Shawn Nelson believes the ups and downs in the beginning of the season were normal

due to some of the players being on the court for the first time. “I was glad we got the New Year off with a great four-game winning streak. We are 5-1 since break and the key for us has been getting better at our defensive fundamentals” said Nelson. In addition to improving the defense, Nelson wants to focus on each opponent individually. Shannon Kelly, a graduate student working toward her masters in criminal justice, loved the fourgame winning streak, and agreed with Nelson that focusing on each opponent separately was critical. “Our four-game winning streak

COURTESY | SPORTS INFORMATION

The Mountain Lions get pumped to play a recent game at Gallogly Events Center.

COURTESY | SPORTS INFORMATION

Senior guard Shannon Kelly dribbles against Fort Lewis.

was attributed to focusing on each individual game, and knowing that we needed to win in order to accomplish the goals we set for our season,” Kelly said. Kelly also attributed the streak to the team playing up to their full potential. “When that happens with our team, we are very successful,” she said. Kelly has high hopes for the remaining games. “Our mentality is focusing on one game at a time, and doing the little

things right. When we play defense and outrebound teams, we will win,” Kelly said. The team will see RMAC opponents for the second time as the season progresses, allowing them to have a specific strategy for the returning matchups. Defense and rebounding are the two main factors in winning against teams they already played, said Kelly. “If we do what we are coached to do and play how we can, then we will beat any team in the RMAC.”

Winter Games a bust, students attend other Winter Welcome Week events Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu

While students showed up for their new classes last week, the same could not be said for the Winter Games, an event sponsored by the Office of Student Activities. The event, scheduled on the West Lawn on Jan. 21 from noon to 3 p.m., was to feature competitions such as a snow shoe race and igloo building among students looking to add fun to the start of the new semester. What followed was an empty field under chilly conditions with little interests from students passing by. “With new events come challenges,” said Stephen Cucchiara, the assistant director for the Office of Student Activities. “We have a population that is very used to traditional events so when you try to launch a brand new event and not everybody knows about it, that’s why attendance is typically lower.” Cucchiara said the event won’t be rescheduled but plans to have an internal assessment to make sure attendance is up in the future. “It’s a team evaluative process,” Cucchiara said. “Any program that is held by OSA we evaluate it on a variety of different levels: attendance, execution, the cost of the event are just three examples.”

TAYLOR GARCIA | THE SCRIBE

There was a small turnout for the Winter Games held on the West Lawn Jan. 21.

Despite the lack of attendance for the Winter Games, Cucchiara said other events received a positive welcome.

“All of our (other) winter welcome events have received high attendance, from what we heard from students it wasn’t a factor

We have a population that is very used to traditional events so when you try to launch a brand new event and not everybody knows about it, that’s why attendance is typically lower. – Stephen Cucchiara, assistant director for the Office of Student Activities

of marketing, it was just student interest.” Cucchiara encourages students to share their ideas for future events on campus. “(OSA) is always open to new ideas, we’re interested in hearing from students on how they felt about the event,” he said. “For students who knew about the event but didn’t decide to go, we want to hear why as well.”

Sports

April 13, 2015 | 12

Men’s basketball looks to improve consistency to help break rough start to 2016 Taylor Garcia

Jonathan Toman tgarcia@uccs.edu jtoman@uccs.edu

Free throws are some of the most highly criticized shots in basketball because they are, well, “free.” So when professional players like Shaquille O’Neal or even Division II athletes can’t make them, it is an easy stat to point out. For the men’s basketball team (9-9, 6-5 RMAC), those free shots have been a mirror of the team’s success since coming

back from winter break. In 2016, the team is 2-4 entering play on Jan. 22. In the two wins, the team averaged 75 percent from the free throw line. In the four defeats, the Mountain Lions averaged 71 percent. That includes 61 percent in a four point loss to Westminster College, when UCCS missed 17 free throws. “Everyone comes in to shoot extra free throws because we have lost close games because of that reason,” said Jay Crawford, redshirt freshman guard. COURTESY | SPORTS INFORMATION

The men’s basketball team hopes to make a run into the RMAC Tournament.

COURTESY | SPORTS INFORMATION

Senior forward Alex Welsh puts up a shot against Colorado Mines.

For the season, the team has shot 67 percent from the line. But for head coach Jeff Culver, it’s more about uneven team play. “Our free throws are up and down, but the play is inconsistent overall,” he said. The Mountain Lions have been scoring lots of points – 93, 86, 84 and 81 in the past four games, but so have their opponents, who scored 97,82,

90 and 73. Culver remains positive about this season. “We realized we’re good enough to beat anyone in the conference and anyone in the conference is good enough to beat us on any given night. We just need to bring attention and focus to every detail of every game,” he said. Blackout Weekend Jan. 29-30 is the next time the

Mountain Lions are at home, when they take on Western New Mexico and then New Mexico Highlands. Both games tip-off at 7:30 p.m. and are in the Gallogly Events Center. “Right now the season is a grind and we are getting to a point where we can either sink or swim,” said Crawford. “We know how important the rest of conference play is for us to make a run.”