Feb. 18, 2013

Nutrition Club, page 5

the Monday, February 18, 2013

Inside this

Issue news

Cheating page 3 After a cheating scandal surfaced at Harvard University, instructors on campus have taken measures to prevent academic dishonesty.

culture Dave page 6 Dave Sturlaugson, who has a greeting for everyone he rolls past on campus, shares what brought him to UCCS and what keeps him active in the community.

cribe Vol. 37, Iss. 15

UCCS Student Newspaper

Focus on the Family president speaks amid LGBT protests Peter Farrell pfarrell@uccs.edu On Wednesday, Feb. 13, Focus on the Family President Jim Daly visited UCCS. Daly met in Centennial Hall with Jeff Scholes, director for the Center for Religious Diversity and Public Life.

He spoke about the change in direction that Focus on the Family is taking, primarily its stance on same-sex marriage and homosexuality.

Approximately 150 people attended the recorded event. Attendees included students, faculty, LGBT advocates, staff and UCCS police officers.

Under the leadership of James Dobson, the organization’s former president, Focus on the Family garnered a name for itself with right-wing conservative Christian values and

Photo by Bobby Lane Members of SPECTRUM and the Secular Student Alliance protested outside of Centennial Hall. ideologies.

In 2003, Dobson resigned but retained his position as a board member

until 2009, which marked a “definitive conclusion,” according to Focus on the Family’s official site.

Criticisms of the organization from the local community include its stance on same-sex mar-

Voting page 9 The U.S. political system is in dire need of reform. Changing voter eligibility is just the way to make it happen.

sports Attendance page 11 Students filled the stands for this year’s Blackout Night, but not every sporting event enjoys the same crowds.

Continued on page 2 . . .

First chancellor’s forum explains master plan, new campus projects Samantha Morley smorley2@uccs.edu

opinion

riage and homosexuality.

The event was initially

Students, staff and faculty filed into the University Center Theater on Feb. 7 to hear the first chancellor’s forum.

The meeting aimed to educate attendees about current and upcoming projects on campus.

“This morning we are going to be doing really three separate things that are exciting and are new and one of which is challenging,” Chancellor Pamela Shockley-Zalabak said. “I’m getting you ready for what good news this really is. I’m excited.”

Susan Szpyrka and Gary Reynolds presented the Facilities Master Plan. “We’ve done an update of the master plan earlier, but [what] we’re going to do today is … tie this back to the strategic plan,” Reynolds said.

“Buildings are more than just brick and mortar; they really tie to what this university is about,” he said. “Our goal today is to show you how the master plan, the brick and the mortar, fits with all the other pieces of the university, the strategic plan.”

Photo by James Sibert The chancellor addressed a crowd concerning changes to the spring commencement policy.

Reynolds then turned to a PowerPoint slide showing the projects for the university, including the current Summit Village expansion, the Lane Center (the construction on North Nevada), a parking facility with a recreational field, recreation center expansion, an academic office building, a coffee shop, an additional housing complex, a second health and wellness building, a track and soccer field and a Visual and Performing Arts complex.

“There are a few projects that are under con-

struction, in design or we’re looking at moving forward with,” Reynolds said. The plan is available on the Facility Services website (uccs. edu/~facsrvs).

The Lane Center will host the College of Nursing and Health Sciences as well as wellness programs. The facility will also have a nutrition kitchen and a gym and will also work with Peak Vista, sharing exam rooms and cooperating with the other programs.

The CU Aging Center, Gerontology Center and the Trauma, Health

and Hazards Center will be located on a different floor. The fourth floor will be home to the School of Medicine.

The Summit Village expansion will open in Fall 2013, and Szpyrka reported rooms are already being filled. The Office of International Affairs will also be in the new building.

“That will be a very welcome change for them,” she said. “But it’s also going to be great for our students because they are going to be located in the same building that we’ve designed with

some additional features that may be of interested to our international student client base.” Rooms will feature a kitchenette, for example.

Philip Denman, a social media and communication specialist with University Advancement, discussed social media on campus. “When you hear social media, most of you probably have an image in your mind,” said Denman.

“You’re probably thinking of sharing statuses and photos of family and friends, seeing people’s dogs, what they had for dinner … We’re trying to do a lot more than just that.”

Denman explained how social media websites help to build a connection among students, staff and faculty. He highlighted the importance of interacting with students via social networking websites.

A Noel-Levitz survey of 2,000 college-bound seniors stated that 46 percent of them visited the college’s Facebook page, up 19 percent from 2011.

“It’s an expectation now.

It’s what students are Continued on page 2 . . .

Page 2

(Continued from page 1) Focus a collaborative effort proposed to Daly by Scholes.

Scholes had read parts of Daly’s new book, “ReFocus: Living a Life That Reflects God’s Heart,” and was interested in speaking with Daly about the shift in tone that Daly presented with regards to transcending political agendas.

The meeting with Daly was exceptional for the Center for Religious Diversity because it has an emphasis on not prioritizing or favoring any one type of religious speaker over another.

“If we have one person [advocating a specific faith], we want several people doing it,” said Scholes.

The Center for Religious Diversity has a screening process that consists of an advisory board aiming to keep speakers informative instead of persuasive.

Scholes explained the exact type of speaker the advisory board would decline is “a pastor preaching, basically.”

Half an hour prior to the event’s start, a handful of protestors from the SPECTRUM Club and Secular Student Alliance protested outside of Centennial Hall where the event was hosted.

Ember Miller, an SSA member and senior ma-

joring in women’s and ethnic studies, protested “to peacefully and silently articulate that we support equality for everyone.”

Georgette Ibanez, SPECTRUM secretary, took a more personal stance.

“Because they don’t support non-traditional families or people involved in the LGBTQ community that are in committed relationships, we directly feel oppression whenever they’re involved in something that’s very public like this presentation,” Ibanez said.

Chancellor Pamela Shockley-Zalabak opened the ceremony thanking the audience for attending and citing Daly’s and Scholes’ accomplishments.

There was no podium or microphone trading on stage. Instead, the layout was arranged to emulate a talk show or fireside chat.

Scholes moderated the event and oversaw the audience Q-and-A section of the talk.

During the first 15 minutes of the closed Q-andA between Scholes and Daly, the guest speaker leaned toward a distinction about his identity and values compared to the prior head of Focus on the Family.

“I can’t be Dr. Dobson

News

on the Family president speaks

Photo by Bobby Lane Focus on the Family President Jim Daly spoke at UCCS on Feb. 13. ... and that’s fine,” Daly said in response to a question about his leadership.

Given the organization’s history, Scholes’ follow-up question about the sincerity of Daly’s statement generated interest from the audience.

Daly responded saying that he was “not trying to win votes” and that the seemingly political aspect of the shift in tone was “not a popularity contest.”

“I truly am trying to simply live the scripture out in the best way possible,” he said. “That’s my goal.”

Daly’s emotional appeal, in which he cited his traumatic and dysfunctional upbringing, gripped some audience members with sympathy, while others were not so swayed.

A question initially posed by Vanessa Delgado, LGBT program di-

(Continued from page 1) Chancellor’s looking for,” Denman said.

He also explained the new project readMedia, a gamification system that will give students awards and achievements for things they do on campus.

Students can highlight and share what they are doing.

For example, a student would receive an achievement for completing his or her first semester at UCCS. The student would

February 18, 2013

receive an email about the accomplishment.

Denman also stressed that social media is a “great way to connect with individuals, but it is a double-edged sword in some ways.”

rector for MOSAIC, was asked again by another audience member: Would Daly support placing a child in foster care to a same-sex group of parents instead of no parents?

Daly’s answer concluded with him citing studies that stated a child fares better with a “mom and a dad,” he said.

Multiple members of the audience responded to Daly’s answer, one re-

marking, “Do we live in a perfect world?”

While the event may not have persuaded many on opposite ends of the same-sex spectrum, the conversation intensified by the end of the hour.

One unidentified man in the audience shouted atop the auditorium after the formal conclusion, “Hey, Daly, why don’t you go force that on your own family?” S

forum explains master plan

He referenced how personal actions can affect users who tie their social media accounts to their work, therefore opening themselves to potential harm in their career if they post inappropriate

content.

Shockley-Zalabak presented the last topic: altering spring commencement. She said the university has maximized World Arena capacity for one ceremony and will exceed the fire code limit next spring.

“That’s really good news,” she said. “It means we are not only graduating more students, but they are bringing their families and their friends to record numbers.”

In order to use the World Arena, admission must be limited. The chancellor, though, does not support limiting attendees. Therefore, there will be two ceremonies in the spring on the same day.

“We are going to have a long day of celebrating,” she said.

There will be a ceremony at 11:30 a.m. and a second at 3:30 p.m. The morning ceremony will be reserved for Letters, Arts and Sciences graduates.

The afternoon ceremony will be for Beth-El, the College of Business, School of Public Affairs, College of Education, and the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Both ceremonies will have bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees confirmed.

“We will have a need for volunteers that are well versed,” she said, “The reality is that we will need people to be as enthusiastic for that 3:30 graduation as we were for the 11:30 graduation.

I promise to do that. I will be as enthusiastic ...

I think it’s going to be a long day and I think it’s going to be a tiring day. It is a joyful day.”

The forum concluded with a speech from Shockley-Zalabak stating that the university’s growth is a testament of its success. She encouraged faculty and staff to take vitamins in order to prepare themselves for the days to come. S

News

February 18, 2013

Page 3

Disability Services sees more students, offers accommodations April Wefler

awefler@uccs.edu Since the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, disabled students do not have to struggle in silence while trying to complete assignments or exams. Legislation has guaranteed equal opportunity.

UCCS Disability Services works to help level the playing field so students with disabilities can meet their potential.

“I started in the office as a work study student a long time ago and just to see students come in and just need a little assistance getting around campus – it’s exciting when you get to see them at graduation and know that they worked really, really hard to get where they are,” said Ida Dilwood, director of Disability Services and the University Testing Center.

Dilwood said some of those accommodations might include software, technology to finish a paper or a quiet testing environment.

There were 380 students in the program last semester. This semester, there are between 400 and 500 students.

Around 75 percent of students that Disability Services accommodates have hidden disabilities, such as learning disabilities, psychological disabilities, traumatic brain injuries or ADHD, Dilwood said. She added there are fewer students with noticeable disabilities.

Dilwood emphasized student information is kept confidential.

“Some students are worried that if they speak up about a disability that they have, their professors will know about it or somehow it will be carried on into the workplace

or listed somewhere, or they might not want other people to know, so the confidentiality thing is big,” she said.

Disability Services has an Assistive Technology Lab in El Pomar Center Room 215 for students.

Dilwood said that the office proctored more than 3,500 exams last year – not only for students with disabilities but also students who paid to take make-up exams.

The program also offers disability etiquette tips to offices that request them. Once a semester, Disability Services speaks at PARTNERS, a training program for new student employees, and teaches them how to interact with students with disabilities.

“That’s another thing, to not assume someone has a disability,” said Dilwood. “Sometimes, unfortunately, it has to be said and students just need to be educated sometimes.

Photo by Joshua Camacho The Disability Services team from right to left: Veronica Sandoval, Vivian Thullen, Ida Dilwood and Rachel Gibson.

That’s the job I like to do – educate the campus community about people with disabilities and kind of getting rid of some of the stereotypes that people have.”

She added, “For some students, when it takes them longer to do home-

work or read or write papers, that just puts other barriers in their way. It’s so exciting to see so many make it through the university and hope that we have a small part in helping them fulfill their goals of graduating.”

Dilwood said that if

students have any questions or suspect they may have a disability, they can visit uccs.edu/dservice or email dservice@uccs.edu.

The Disability Services Office is in Main Hall, Room 105. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MondayFriday. S

Instructors confront forms of academic dishonesty on campus Nick Beadleston

nbeadles@uccs.edu After more than 100 students were accused of cheating at Harvard University, many schools are reconsidering their policies on academic dishonesty.

UCCS’ stance on academic dishonesty is covered by the Student Code of Conduct while specific policies to enforce academic honesty vary.

Article 7 sub point n. of the code stipulates a student may face discipline if he or she engages in “any form of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and other forms of cheating on examinations, tests, quizzes, research projects,

and assignments.”

The Code of Student Conduct defines fabrication as “making up data, notes, or other research information and reporting them” and defines falsification as “manipulation of the research process, or altering data, such that the reported results are not accurate.”

The College of Letters, Arts and Sciences goes on to define plagiarism as the “use of distinctive ideas or words belonging to another person, without adequately acknowledging that person’s contributions.”

Quentin Martin, an English professor, wrote in an email that he typically gets one to two plagiarism cases a year in

his introductory classes.

“It does tend to be a cut-and-paste job when it occurs, and at times it probably arises out of ignorance about what constitutes plagiarism - it’s on the web, it’s ‘public’ information that can be used by any user: that seems to be the thinking,” Martin said.

“Also students will rearrange a few words from an original source and think that’s now ‘their’ product. And of course others do it knowingly as a shortcut,” he added.

In order to safeguard against plagiarism, Rex Welshon, associate dean, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, indicated many instructors on campus require students to submit their papers to

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons Some instructors have revised their syllabi to curb cheating.

turnitin.com, an online database that analyzes submissions and checks for plagiarism.

Others, like Bill Myers, an English instructor, said the first tool used to identify plagiarism is Google.

Another form of plagiarism can come from foreign exchange students. This stems from a difference in opinions on the concept of individual ownership, which is less prevalent in more communal cultures, such as China.

According to the Purdue OWL website, “some mainstream interpretations of academic cultures outside of the North American context claim that copying another author’s words is widely accepted and even considered a compliment to the author.”

The Writing Center, located in Columbine Hall, Room 316, has several resources for educating students about avoiding plagiarism.

Amiee Morgado, a tutor at the Writing Center, explained how citing sources and crediting other writers strengthens a paper since it shows a student has done the research to support their statements.

While many can spot plagiarism, others work to prevent cheating when

it comes to taking exams.

Some instructors in the chemistry department and other sciences have adapted specific policies to curb academic dishonesty.

The syllabus for Jerry Phillips’ Biochemistry Principles course states, “Students may not leave the classroom during an exam unless they’ve completed the exam and are turning it in. Students who leave before completing their exam will not be allowed to return to the classroom.”

Phillips indicated students may have used notes and cell phones in the bathroom during exams.

He does not allow cell phones in his class, and a zero score will be assigned to those students caught with one.

The syllabus describes his cellphone policy, stating, “Consequently, any student using a cellphone during class will be asked to leave and the student will be reported to the university’s judicial officer. This is consistent with the university’s policy for reporting disruptive behavior.”

While designed to uphold academic honesty, different instructors use different methods to curb cheating.

“We talk about some of these things at meetings,

and they become unofficial department policy,” Phillips said.

Penalties for academic dishonesty vary by college, but the most common penalties include receiving a lower grade on an assignment, failing an assignment, being forced to retake an exam, having a course lowered by a letter grade and failing a course.

If the infraction is more severe, more applicable actions will be taken by the appropriate authorities.

Welson summarized the procedure for an academic dishonesty case: “Basically, the cases runs through college processes and then, if unresolved at the college level, goes to the vice chancellor’s office, where a committee takes it up.”

In addition, students who have pending academic dishonesty cases cannot graduate until the case is resolved.

Obtaining more specific information, including specific statistics on how many students have been accused and subsequently disciplined for academic dishonesty, is not easily accessible, as most information is protected under Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA). S Eleanor Skelton contributed reporting.

News

Page 4

February 18, 2013

UCCS faculty and staff take two of three Thomas Jefferson awards Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu Several medals are awarded throughout the CU community based on various criteria. One honor that recognizes those striving for excellence in both academics and in the campus community is the Thomas Jefferson Award.

On Jan. 16, three people were given the honor for Spring 2013. Anatoliy Glushchenko, associate professor of physics, and Drew Martorella, executive director at Theatreworks, from UCCS were among the honorees.

Anand Reddi, a student at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, was the third recipient.

Originally founded at the University of Virginia in 1951, the Thomas Jefferson Award honors those who symbolize characteristics exemplified by our founding fathers with outstanding performance in academic arts and service to the community.

During the 1980s, the award was offered at five other major universities, including the University of Colorado. The Thomas Jefferson Award is currently available at all four CU campuses.

In order to receive the award, members must be nominated by students and staff from all over the CU region.

Recipients are given an engraved plaque, a $2,000 honorarium and a formal

event in their honor overseen by the CU Board of Regents. Campus recognition will be Feb. 21, and the ceremony will be held April 4.

“When I found out about the award I was very surprised,” said Drew Martorella. “Blown away, just couldn’t believe it.”

Martorella has been in the professional art community and taught at UCCS for more than 17 years. During his time on campus, he has helped lead financial reforms within the theater program and tripled the number of shows performed per season.

“I was nominated by Susan Szpyrka and Brian Burnett,” Martorella said.

Szpyrka is the senior as-

Something on your mind?

Write us!

sociate vice chancellor for Administration and Finance, and Burnett is the vice chancellor for Administration and Finance.

“I am extremely humbled.

I just hope I prove worthy of this award.”

Anand Reddi is a medical student for the class of 2014. He advocates for public health research and has helped change policies around the world.

Anatoliy Glushchenko is an associate professor and teaches physics at UCCS. In 2007, he was recognized by CU as Inventor of the Year.

Glushchenko and Reddi were not immediately available for comment but are expected to both join Martorella for the award banquet. S

Photo courtesy of University Advancement Drew Martorella received the Thomas Jefferson Award.

Email the editor at

scribe@uccs.edu

Culture

February 18, 2013

Page 5

Motorcycle and Brazilian dance mash-up revs into GOCA Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu If motorcycles and two-step were to literally combine, someone may end up hurt. Figuratively combined, however, they create an educational experience.

That’s the idea behind ChitChat, a series that takes two unlike topics and joins them in a creative way that features audience participation.

Lead by the Galleries of Contemporary Art, Chit-

The Lowdown What:

ChitChat

When:

Feb. 20, 7 p.m.

Where:

GOCA 121, 121 S. Tejon, Suite 100

How much: Free

More information: uccs.edu/goca

Chat aims to stimulate beyond the literal meaning of subjects and create connections.

“ChitChat is now in its second season and is a series of mash-up talks that combine contemporary culture and DIY topics,” said GOCA Director Daisy McConnell.

“It’s the latest trend.

Not only are you learning a lot, it’s geared to anybody that wants to learn outside the classroom.”

The series covers a range of topics. One mashup last season included a link between goatees and comic books.

Each mash-up has two speakers present for 20 minutes before engaging with the audience for questions and comments.

All subject matters are not just lectures; many feature hands-on experience for the audience, allowing for a more intimate learning atmosphere.

Engines are firing up for this upcoming season of ChitChat, which will open

with a mash-up of motorcycle culture and Brazilian dance.

Discussions will include motorcycle enthusiast K. Alex Ilyasova and dance performer Luciana da Silva. For Ilyasova, her fascination with motorcycles will fuel her talk.

“My [discussion] is going to focus on the gender issues of motorcycling,” said Ilyasova, who is also the director of professional and technical writing for the English department.

“I want to give people some ideas on motorcycles, emotional issues with masculinity and gender, and reconsider some of those gender norms,” she said.

Ilyasova said that her fascination for motorcycles started while in school.

“I started when I was a grad student. There was a trademark case out of San Francisco with Dykes on Bikes who wanted to trademark their name,” Ilyasova said.

Photo by James Sibert K. Alex Ilyasova, an assistant professor in the English department, will discuss how gender issues tie into motorcycles during the upcoming ChitChat.

“I did a paper on the group (who are now nationally and internationally recognized) and been following other topics since then.” da Silva teaches Brazilian dance at Colorado College. “I came from Brazil, dancing. When I came to the United States and was invited into danc-

er shows there was a lot of dance but no Brazilian,” she said.

“Here, I became a performer and took some time to improve and study and become an instructor and performer.”

There will be no idle feet on the dance floor for de Silva. “I would like to share within the commu-

nity the rhythm of Brazilian dance; I want to do more hands-on dance, have people understand its origins from Africa and get everybody up.”

Together, the two will approach the topics from a new angle for a new season of ChitChat, which will be every Wednesday until March 20. S

Nutrition Club to analyze food origins with ‘American Meat’ Eleanor Skelton eskelton@uccs.edu A hamburger may not be the most thoughtprovoking food, but the Nutrition Club is asking students to think about how their food is treated before it arrives in stores.

For those who wonder where meat products like the cold cut turkey on their sandwiches come from, the Nutrition Club is hosting a free screening of the documentary “American Meat.”

The film, scheduled to be released April 12, will have an advance screening in Berger Hall on Feb. 25 from 5-8 p.m.

The club will also offer

refreshments.

Tashina Dollarhide, a senior nutrition major and club member, said the film “basically just talks about raising animals outside versus … keep[ing] chickens normally caged up in dark barns.”

“They want the animals raised outside, eating foods that they are supposed to be eating, locally so that we’re not traveling as far to get our meat … they want healthy meat for consumers.”

“Farmers that are local are interviewed,” said Kimberlee Fisher, a postbaccalaureate nutrition student and club member.

She said there will be a panel that the audience

can ask about aspects surrounding the film.

The main farmer featured in the documentary is Joel Salatin, whose method is “based on rotational grazing and local distribution” developed over three generations, according to the film’s website.

“The movie is also endorsed by Chipotle, which is a big deal to people,” Dollarhide said.

According to the UCCS Club and Organizations’ website, the Nutrition Club’s goal is “to allow gathering of people of common interests, educate underclass-

men of future requirements for career success, and encourage bonding among Nutrition Major students.”

The Nutrition Club partners with the Students for Environmental Awareness and Sustainability in tending a community garden at the Hel-

Photos courtesy of americanmeatfilm.com Above: Joel Salatin is one of the farmers interviewed in “American Meat,” which will be presented at UCCS by the Nutrition Club.

Left: The documentary explains the benefits of eating meat from animals raised outdoors instead of in cages.

The Lowdown What:

American Meat

When:

Feb. 25, 5 p.m.

Where:

Berger Hall

How much: Free

ler Center past the Four Diamonds parking lot.

“A big part of nutrition is sustainability,” Dollarhide said. The club is also involved in and supports a farmer’s market. “[We] also like to visit restaurants that endorse local food,” Dollarhide said, adding an event is being organized in May where members will visit restaurants and sample local foods from organic farms.

The Nutrition Club meetings are on Thursdays and include healthy snacks, but being a nutrition major is not a requirement for membership.

Fisher said, “The first meeting that we went to for the semester [had] people from biology, history, engineering, [and those who wanted] just to be part of a club.”

Dollarhide said National Nutrition Month is in March, adding the club will be placing booths near Jazzman’s Cafe throughout the month.

She said that fruit and other edible items may be given away.

Those with questions regarding the screening or other upcoming events can contact Alicia Kazarian, the Nutrition Club president, at uccsnutritionclub@gmail.com. S

Culture

Page 6

February 18, 2013

Random Acts of Kindness Club seeks to spread cheer on campus April Wefler

awefler@uccs.edu While the holidays might be over, the season of good will and kindness will continue if freshman Matthew Driftmier has anything to say about it.

Driftmier, founder of the Random Acts of Kindness Club, plans to foster kindness around campus.

He founded RAK at the end of last semester.

“We encourage people to take the initiative – something small like paying for someone’s coffee at Jazzman’s,” he said.

The club’s mission statement is to act to provide activities of good will and generosity to all people at UCCS. “It doesn’t have to be complicated. Even something as simple as saying good morning to a stranger can make someone’s day,” the club’s Twitter page reads.

“It’s the spirit of paying it forward. I think more people should engage in it,” Driftmier said.

Paying it forward is when one person does an act of kindness for someone and that person continues the chain.

“I’ve seen this club in other colleges, and I just

felt like it’s a really great idea, especially with all the tragedies going on.

Together as a club, we can do larger events,” Driftmier said.

“There [are] always more opportunities for kindness that go unnoticed or unheeded,” he added. “There’s always room for improvement.”

According to kindnessusa.org, the origins of the “random acts of kindness” concept are uncertain. “Peace activist Anne Herbert is said to have written the phrase ‘Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty’ on a placemat in a restaurant in the late 80s.”

Chuck Wall, a professor at Bakersfield College, is another possible creator. The website states Wall heard about “random, senseless acts of violence” on the news in 1993 and decided to assign homework to his students that involved “one random act of senseless kindness.”

“It’s a great way to foster a kindness community.

Hopefully this will inspire people to act where they might not have before,” Driftmier said.

On Feb. 14, RAK mem-

bers passed out heartshaped lollipops at a table in front of Café 65 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The club also plans to hand out jars of bubbles during Random Acts of Kindness Week at a date to be determined.

“Why not bubbles?

They’re fun, they’re easy – everyone knows how to blow bubbles. There’s a lot of bubble fans,” Driftmier said.

RAK will also have Bubble Wrap Pop Day during the week of midterms, an event where RAK members will pass out bubble wrap sheets.

“That’s going to be a ton of fun and hopefully people look forward to it.

As a kid, whenever we’d get bubble wrap, I’d always try to pop them before my mom could catch me,” Driftmier said.

“I just hope that people will enjoy it as much as I’m enjoying it. As long as we’re helping to promote kindness where there was none before, that’s a win in my book.”

Students interested in joining RAK can contact Driftmier at rakuccs@ gmail.com or visit the club’s Twitter page or Facebook page by searching “rakuccs.” S

Photo by Nick Burns University Center employee Lauren Burgess received balloons on Valentine’s Day as a random act of kindness by the RAK Club.

Scooter Dave an alumnus, iconic component of campus life Cynthia Jeub cjeub@uccs.edu “Heya, how ya doin’?” the man on the electric scooter says to familiar faces on the sidewalks.

“Good to see ya!” he exclaims with a wave to people in the halls.

Many know Dave Sturlaugson, but few know his story. The eldest of five children, he was raised on a farm in North Dakota.

“We were about 10 miles from the Canadian border,” Sturlaugson said.

He was allowed to drive the tractor around the family’s cattle ranch at the age of 8.

Sturlaugson moved on to enlist in the military right out of high school.

The expectation was to get into the Air Force because other men in his family had also been in the Air Force.

“I tried to take the Air Force test, and I missed it by two points,” he said.

Sturlaugson and his parents were disappointed, but by the end of the week, both the Army and the Marines had called.

“They said, ‘you quali-

fy for both of those, which one ya want?’”

He spent 21 years in the army, serving more time overseas than here in the United States. While in Germany, he met a girl named Janice.

“She had been married before, and had two kids,” he said. “When I got there, her ex-husband [had] decided to get into German drugs. It was killin’ their marriage, which it did, but she made it 10 years. I was stationed in a little base called Nellingen Barracks in Germany. They had a pizza parlor there, and I used to go there.”

Janice worked at the pizza parlor, and when he saw her for the first time, he said, “We just locked eyes, and we knew we were going to be friends at least.”

When Sturlaugson came in, she would take a break to talk with him. She was from Houston, Texas, and shared a background in the Midwest with Sturlaugson.

After returning to the United States, Sturlaugson organized events at the catering and conference cen-

ter in Fort Carson. He had a stable job, he was single and he started considering college.

Then the accident happened. “I was goin’ to make a final payment in a pawn shop for a television that I was going to give myself as a Christmas present,” he explained. “I never made it to the pawn shop.”

A car hit him while he was walking across the street, and his injuries were just shy of fatal. “I had a compound fracture in my lower leg. I guess the bone was stickin’ out of the skin,” he said.

“So I had a broken leg, and a fractured tailbone, and a fracture in the neck. I found out the neck fracture was the number one bone. It’s the bone that gives you air and lets you speak. So luckily I just fractured it because I probably wouldn’t’a made it if I broke it.”

His large medical bill was paid for by the Army.

When Janice-from-thepizza-parlor found out he had been injured, she came to visit and help him recover.

“She came over and said, ‘I think I want to settle down with you.’

And I always thought the man was supposed to ask for marriage, but she beat me to it,” he said. The two have been married for 20 years.

Because of his injuries, though Sturlaugson recovered enough to walk, he was unable to continue working with the military. He enrolled at UCCS studying communication and graduated in 2010.

“LAS wanted me to come back, as most graduates leave and don’t come back,” he said.

He was offered a program in which he’s allowed to listen in on classes though he’s no longer a student. “I can take exams if I want to, but they don’t count anything now.” He added, “I’ve been doin’ it for five semesters now, and I’m likin’ it.”

The thing that motivates him is helping others. He concluded, “I sometimes run into freshmen at this school, and I just tell ‘em, ‘This is a good college.

I made it through it, and you can do the same.’” S

Photo by Nick Burns Dave Sturlaugson is a familiar face on campus for many UCCS students.

Culture

February 18, 2013

Page 7

Pirate Bay documentary reignites copyright debate Sara Horton shorton@uccs.edu Rating:

One of the biggest wars of our generation is not being fought with guns in the Middle East. It’s being waged with files online.

“TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard,” a documentary about The Pirate Bay, the largest file-sharing site in the world based in Sweden, is an engrossing behind-the-scenes account.

In a tribute to its subject, the documentary is available to watch for free on YouTube (goo.gl/1dTDw) but accepts donations at tpbafk.tv. Uploaded to YouTube Feb. 8, it already has more than one million views.

Director Simon Klose started filming in 2008, when Hollywood and the media industry filed a lawsuit against Pirate Bay founders Gottfrid

Photo courtesy Simon Klose “TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard” premiered online Feb. 8.

Svartholm Warg, Fredrik Neij and Peter Sunde.

Warg and Sunde are introduced to the press prior to the trial. Thin and pale,

they type away on their computers as cameras flash.

“The trial tomorrow is not about the law,” Sunde

says. “It’s about politics.”

Indeed, the United States threatened Sweden with trade sanctions unless The Pirate Bay was shut down.

Sunde is the sharpest of the three, perhaps because of his duty as spokesperson, but the trio’s dynamics are as intriguing as the shady politics surrounding their persecution.

After his first few words introducing himself to the court, Neij forgets what he’s saying and needs help getting back on track.

Warg, when asked to explain what he means by having a “certain technical competence,” deadpans, “I’m not sure this is the right time, place or medium to post my CV.” The court deserves little more courtesy than Warg offers, as evidenced in how it abuses Roger Wallis, a multimedia professor at the Royal Institute of Technology and Pirate Bay witness.

The court doubts his credentials to downplay

his expertise and belief that copyrights should not be used as a control mechanism.

“It’s not the first time,” he says afterward. “I’ve heard about professors in the United States who have indicated that file sharing could be positive for the industry that have been hunted down with a whip. It’s sad that these American methods are coming to Sweden.”

After being convicted for copyright infringement, the men learn the judge presiding over their case, Tomas Norström, is a member of the Swedish Copyright Association and is connected to the plaintiff’s attorneys.

This is blatant evidence for conflict of interest, yet no retrial is ordered.

Everything consequently falls apart, and the documentary becomes an emotional challenge to watch.

As Warg takes off to Cambodia to binge on drugs, Neij and Sunde talk trash about each oth-

er. Even though the three seem like a team in the beginning, they soon demonstrate The Pirate Bay – not friendship – is the only thing holding them together.

The camera captures the trial, initial conviction, appeal and subsequent conviction, raw moments of disappointment and black humor. But the story doesn’t end after the trial.

Even though “TPB AFK” was made in almost six years, The Pirate Bay continues to be a relevant topic because no one has budged.

The Pirate Bay is still online, and Hollywood continues to file lawsuits, unwilling to incorporate a public Internet into its industry.

Those like Warg, Neij and Sunde, who envision reformed roles for intellectual property and the Internet, are obviously outnumbered. But if “TPB AFK” is to be believed, they will not be silenced. S

‘The Following’ will amass a cult following of its own Nick Beadleston nbeadles@uccs.edu Rating:

Horror shows are becoming more disturbing, but they still maintain a following of adoring fans.

Fox’s new psychological thriller-slash-crime drama “The Following” is comparable to an unholy union between the Saw franchise and some twisted nightmare plaguing J.J. Abrams after an absinthe bender.

The show centers on the sadistic rivalry between former FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) and the charismatic serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy).

The show begins with Carroll’s escape from the Virginia Central Penitentiary, where he kills five armed guards in less than two minutes. Hardy, who originally captured Carroll, is called back in by the bureau to consult on his former quarry.

Before murdering 14 of his female students, Carroll was an English professor with an obsession for the darker side of the Romantic period.

Edgar Allan Poe’s tales seem to be a central theme

here, and the graphic images he was famous for inspire many of the show’s darker moments.

Fans of Poe’s works will recognize many lines and concepts from his stories as they pop up again and again.

It becomes apparent that Carroll has influenced an untold number of individuals, most with sordid pasts and little hope for the future.

His magnetism and keen eye for fragile psyches has allowed him to build an army of tortured souls just as depraved as himself Carroll’s acolytes begin to activate, not unlike agents in sleeper cells, and carry out nefarious tasks as predetermined by their leader.

What will really keep audiences enthralled is the fact that any character could potentially be one of Carroll’s disciples lying in wait for his order to strike.

Bacon jumped on the role of Hardy because, as he told Entertainment Weekly’s Melissa Maerz, “One thing that’s consistent about the shows I’m drawn to is that they’re life or death situations.”

Bacon’s rendering of Hardy is reminiscent of some of his other dark performances, such as

in “The Woodsman” and “Mystic River.”

Purefoy, best known for his portrayal of Mark Antony in the HBO series “Rome,” does a convincing job of playing a serial killer. He is calm and collective, obviously methodical, but disturbed and incredibly cruel.

Other notable names include Natalie Zea, Annie Parisse, Valorie Curry and Shawn Ashmore, who is known for his roles on “Smallville” and in the XMen movies.

The show unabashedly plays on two things Americans love: gratuitous violence presented in new and frightening ways and alluring individuals with the power to bend others to their will.

Couple that with a notable cast, and you have a vehicle that just may survive the sharp, swaying pendulum of public opinion.

Though the first season has just begun, the show promises to be full of violent action and vehement character interactions that will keep viewers fanatically following until its final breath.

“The Following” airs Monday 7 p.m. MST on Fox. By deadline, the first four episodes were available for free on Hulu. S

Photo courtesy of The Following’s Facebook page Kevin Bacon, left, and James Purefoy star in “The Following.”

Opinion

Page 8

February 18, 2013

Academic dishonesty: The easy choice is not the best choice Staff Editorial scribe@uccs.edu One of the larger stories in education during the past couple of weeks has been the forced withdrawal of about 70 students from Harvard over a cheating scandal. Some students turned in identical take-home tests – some of them even had the same spelling mistakes.

As a publication, The Scribe takes plagiarism very seriously. Students often think that cheating or plagiarism is a “victimless crime.” Nothing could be further than the truth.

A writer is paid for the work he or she creates – taking a writer’s words and intentionally passing them off as your own is the same as claiming that you carved “David,” not Michelangelo, and insist on being paid a commission.

It’s stealing, plain and simple.

Plagiarism aside, cheating is not just something that “everyone does,” a common excuse for a growing trend.

According to the Educational Testing Service, about 20 percent of college students admitted to cheating in the 1940s.

the

Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Squatch Cheating to pass an exam means you’ve already failed.

Compare that to the 7598 percent of college students surveyed each year now who admit to cheating in high school – and may be doing the same in college or at work.

Dishonesty, whether it’s peeking at a friend’s exam or spicing up your resume with a few fake lines of experience, has no clear-cut end.

Cheating hurts the student doing it, and it hurts

the other students in class.

The information we learn while attending college is supposed to develop into knowledge that we can take into the real world.

Our education is supposed to be utilized for a long time, not just until the next test comes around.

The information we study needs to stick.

By cheating, one jeopardizes the learned information that can be taken

cribe

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

into the future. If one compromises the essential learning process, the ability to perform well in the real world, or even get a job in the first place, is compromised.

When a student cheats, he or she is costing the ability to accomplish what almost all students who attend college aim to do: learn.

Students pursue different degrees, but it doesn’t

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

matter what field one enters – the goal is to learn.

It is never good to cheat in anything in life, but scholastically the importance of not cheating may be exponential.

Not only is cheating in school unethical, but it undermines one’s longterm capabilities in an economy where finding a job that matches your true qualifications can already be difficult enough.

Students must be able to see past the perceived need of the current exam and understand that the need of their future is a much better asset.

As Sophocles once said, “Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud.”

Tempting though it may be, there is no room for cheating in school, and in the long run it will do you, and the people around you, more harm than good. S

Follow us:

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

Letters to the Editor

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

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

Distribution Policy

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

Archives

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

Advertising

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

Opinion

February 18, 2013

Page 9

‘Syllabus subject to change’ an inconvenience to students

Shelby Shively sshively@uccs.edu A syllabus is more than just a piece of paper. It’s a map to the entire semester.

So, when an instructor has the freedom to suddenly overhaul it, that decision can hurt students who follow it, like me.

Last semester, I took 18 credit hours and worked two jobs. According to the syllabus for one class, the weekly writing assignments were only worth 10 percent of the total grade.

I had so much work in other classes that these assignments were never a priority for me. Unfortunately, at the end of the semester, the professor chose to do

away with the percentage system altogether.

Every one of those missed assignments was worth 20 points, and the final paper I worked so hard on was somehow only worth 50.

Some parts of the syllabus really shouldn’t be subject to change.

“Syllabus subject to change” – the phrase we’ve all seen. Most instructors only put it there because they have to, as some people think that suing over an added writing assignment is a good idea.

Don’t get me wrong – there are certain things instructors should have a right to change over the course of the semester. That phrase, though, shouldn’t give them license to make drastic, grade-altering changes.

I can’t say I like when an instructor assigns extra readings, but if he or she feels like those readings are absolutely imperative to fully understanding the class, I can deal with it.

(I love when instructors choose to take readings

away.)

I don’t mind if an instructor moves a due date up a week, especially if I still have at least a week to complete the assignment.

I don’t mind a cancelled class; I don’t even mind if an instructor asks us to come in on a day the syllabus says we have off, as long as there is no punishment for students who already made plans for that day.

The line should be drawn at the grading system and class policies that affect

students’ grades.

The attendance policy should also remain the same; if an instructor wishes to change it, then that should be done for the next class.

“Syllabus subject to change” is an important and loaded phrase that gives instructors the right to change literally anything over the course of the semester.

Still, instructors should be required to commit to one grading system, and some class policies should remain concrete. S

Right to vote should be limited to select group of Americans

Nick Beadleston nbeadles@uccs.edu Let’s make it harder to vote. A lot harder. I’m not talking about gerrymandering or voter ID laws, but restricting the right to vote to a select group of altruistic Americans: veterans and federal employees.

This concept was presented, in all its controversial heresy, by Robert Heinlein in his 1959 novel “Starship Troopers,” a treatise on the topic of selective suffrage.

Utilizing the restriction-free medium of science fiction, Heinlein constructs a future society where only those who have served a minimum term of service – whether in the armed forces or in federal service – have the

right to vote.

The key to his concept is that the government is required to find a position for anyone who volunteers, regardless of physical or mental aptitude.

Inalienable rights, chief among those the right to vote, have always been American ideas, along with political participation on a national scale. But that has been changing.

There is a growing trend of citizens neglecting their civic duty to vote, and it is slowly eroding the bedrock of American stability.

According to the Census Bureau, during the 2008 election, fewer than 60 million Americans who were eligible to vote even registered. And that was one of the most popular elections in recent history.

Not merely a fancy of science fiction, Heinlein’s concept could easily be applied to modern-day America. Rendering the voting privilege only unto those who prove their willingness to promote the good of the whole ahead of their own would ensure that the nation’s best interests are maintained.

The beauty of this sys-

tem is that everyone has the ability to help steer the ship – they just have to be willing to step up and grab the wheel.

Suffrage through service selects the individuals who have proven themselves willing to accept the burden of social responsibility.

This system is color blind, gender neutral and indifferent to personal beliefs. It would be far more democratic than the country’s history of supposedly fair distribution of power.

The immediate outcry to this idea is that America would be transformed into a bellicose warmongering state with a disproportionately high number of voting veterans.

The reality, however, is that individuals who have lived in war-torn countries and have seen the harsh realities of combat would hold aggressive action as a solution only as a last resort, lest their own homeland be plunged into similar straits.

Additionally, because of their firsthand experience with the bureaucratic system, placing power in the hands of civil servants would reduce the tenden-

Photo illustration by Robert Solis Robert Heinlein’s idea of selective suffrage can benefit the U.S. political system. cy of voters inexperienced in matters of state to be goaded into the logical fallacies so often utilized by politicians.

Due to its complex nature and entangled avenues of oversight, trying to trim the government bureaucracy would be akin to giving a hydra a haircut.

Far more practical would be to endow the individuals within, those

who understand its workings, greater control over the course of the country.

One cannot reject this notion simply because it doesn’t jive with accepted standards. In the bygone days of this great nation, people were once property and women were expected to stay subservient in the house.

Yes, the concept of selective voting would be a sharp diversion from the

political norms our country has ascribed to since its inception, but it has also never faced voter apathy of this magnitude.

A drastic change – one that redefines the source from which our elected officials derive their power – is necessary if we can hope to protect our nation from the forces of decay that have claimed so many great empires in ages past. S

Marines have no excuse to quit if women are in combat

Taylor Eaton teaton2@uccs.edu The Marine Corps released results during the

first week of February from a survey taken last summer about women in combat.

According to ABC News, the survey was taken online by 53,000 Marines. Of that, 17 percent of those Marines were males who said they would leave if women were allowed to have jobs in combative positions.

It’s foolish to quit being a Marine just because women can serve in combat. We do not live in the 1950s anymore.

It’s time to put all sexist comments and concerns to the side and let all our brave men and women have equal opportunities in the military.

Four percent of the survey was women who agreed with the 17 percent, totaling about 11,130 Marines who would leave the USMC now that Leon Panetta has opened combative positions up to women.

What is even more appalling is how high those percentages went

up when the survey asked about how the Marines felt if women were involuntarily put into combat positions: 22 percent of males would opt out of leaving, while 17 percent of women would leave with them.

I can understand how women in the Marine Corps would want to leave if they were involuntarily put into a position of combat because jobs like infantry are not for everyone.

However, these men

and women signed up to serve our country no matter what. Serving your country is not like working a simple retail job – you cannot just quit just because things are not fair anymore. Why even sign up to serve the country when something like this causes a pout?

According to the Huffington Post, 31 percent of current active-duty military women are interested in moving into combat positions.

That 31 percent knows

what is at stake when entering infantry, including passing the higher physical tests and possibly death. Those women understand, and they still want to move into a combat position.

There are plenty of males in all military branches who would never even think about a combat position. Those women should not be denied their right to serve and possibly die to protect their country just because of their gender. S

Life on the Bluffs Campus Chatter Top Ten

February 18, 2013

Page 10

Story and photos by Samantha Morley, smorley2@uccs.edu

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

Real police dispatch calls

by Nick Burns, nburns@uccs.edu

10 9 8 7 6

“Is this who I contact to complain about my ticket?”

“There is a naked white male outside of my door. He has a small thing, too.”

“I think terrorists are smuggling nuclear materials into the city through the blue stuff in the Port-a-Johns.”

Amanda Barta, freshman, accounting

Kellan Egelston, sport management

freshman,

Garrett Kinkade, sophomore, international business

What is your experience with marijuana?

Never tried it.

What is your experience with marijuana?

I have friends who do it.

What is your stance regarding the marijuana ban on campus?

I don’t see a need for it on campus. You don’t come to school to get high.

How do you feel about the legalization of medicinal and recreational marijuana?

I am personally for it because I kind of feel it’s ridiculous to spend all this money and time and resources to go after people I feel like aren’t really doing bad things.

What is your experience with marijuana?

I am cancer survivor, and I’ve had my medical marijuana license for years.

What is your stance regarding the marijuana ban on campus?

As far as on campus, I don’t have a problem with [the ban]. S

What is your stance regarding the marijuana ban on campus?

I feel like it’s a good thing, personally, because we shouldn’t have people smoking weed on campus all the time. It’s obviously a place to learn.

Dog House Diaries

“I want to make a report that in the 70s I was abducted by aliens and the government for two years.”

“Is the president okay? I had a bad feeling, so I called 911 to check.”

5 4 3 2 1

Caller: “A cop just drove past me really fast and nearly ran me off the road!”

Dispatcher: “Did the car have its lights on, ma’am?”

Caller: “Yes, but I am in a hurry, and he made me get out of his way.”

“Can I get directions to the nearest dispensary please?”

“Are you guys hiring?”

“There is snow in my driveway. Can you send someone to get that?”

“There is a mountain lion outside of my dorm room, and I’m trapped inside!”

The “mountain lion” turned out to be a calico cat.

Sudoku

Bring your completed sudoku to The Scribe Office (UC 106) for a prize! Last week’s sudoku Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.94) answers can be found at uccsscribe.com.

1

6

2

7 2

8

7 1

2

5

7 5

4

9

7

2 9

8

6

1

5 7 1

Comic courtesy of thedoghousediaries.com

This week at

UCCS

Tuesday, Feb. 19 Chocolate Chip Pancakes University Center 7:30-9:30 a.m.

Poetry Slam Clyde’s 6 p.m.

Mint

Wednesday, Feb. 20 Club Orientation University Center 116 4 p.m.

4

6 3

9

7

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Tue Feb 12 15:55:10 2013 GMT. Enjoy!

Avalanche Awareness Clinic Rec Center 5 p.m.

UCCS Unplugged The Lift 7 p.m.

5

2

Thursday, Feb. 21

Healthy Relationships Workshop University Center 124 Noon Everyman On the Bus Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater 6 and 8 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 22

Green Out Night Berger Hall 5:30 p.m.

UCCS Women’s Basketball vs.

Chadron State Gallogly Events Center 5:30 p.m.

Clyde’s Comedy Series Clyde’s 6 p.m.

Sports

February 18, 2013

Page 11

Misch aims to set example for cross country athletes, students Kyle Marino kmarino@uccs.edu With a time of 27 minutes and 56.6 seconds, Mark Misch, men’s cross country head coach, finished 16th overall at the 2013 National Cross Country Championships in St. Louis.

Misch, who just turned 40, is the head coach of an NCAA program and has many other responsibilities.

“I look at it this way; we are blessed with 168 hours in a week. It is our decision on how we spend those hours,” he said.

Misch also looks at finishing the race as a way to motivate and set a tone, be a model to his athletes and show them what it takes in order to be successful.

“I like to show my athletes what it takes to have success and how not to settle for mediocrity,” Misch said. “I tell the guys if you shoot for the moon, you are bound to hit a few stars.”

From personal experience, Misch understands the value of each day.

“Every day is a blessing,” he said. “Each day I wake up and can put one foot in front of the other – I count that as another blessing.”

In the 2003-2004 sea-

Photo courtesy of Jared Verner The 2013 National Cross Country Championships were held in St. Louis’ Forest Park. son, Misch was involved in a car accident when he was struck by a drunk driver. Misch was injured but still considers the accident a blessing in disguise.

“It was one of the best and also worse days of my life. I was seriously

injured, but it showed me who was there for me and who truly cared,” Misch said. “Adversity creates opportunity; you have to think how this will improve my life.”

In addition to coaching at UCCS, running marathons and recruiting, Misch also

advises former athletes.

Nick and David Kern are two former athletes whom Misch still advises.

“Nick and David are two former athletes I coached in high school,” Misch said. “They now attend University of Michigan, but I still keep in touch,

and they went on the Kenya trip with us.”

Despite his busy schedule, Misch finds a way to “pay it forward.” Whether it’s a trip to Kenya with cross country players to help underprivileged kids or coaching at UCCS, Misch finds a way to bring

people together.

“There is ‘me’ people and ‘we’ people. Surround yourself with ‘we’-minded people because life is a lot richer when you share it with others,” Misch said.

“You can’t put a dollar figure on people and experiences.” S

Blackout Night not only opportunity to show school spirit

Seth Polich spolich@uccs.edu On Feb. 1, the UCCS men’s and women’s basketball teams held their annual Blackout Night games. There was a pregame tailgate and free Tshirts for the first 1,000 students as they packed the bleachers at the Gallogly Events Center.

Unfortunately, for the basketball teams – and all athletic teams at UCCS – having such a large turnout is a rare experience.

Too often the stands at home games are partially empty.

I am in cross country and track and field at UCCS, two low-profile

sports where minimal attendance is more or less expected.

Even so, at many cross country meets, other schools such as Western State and Colorado School of Mines have a large pack of frenzied students cheering on their school’s respective runners.

Any shouts of encouragement that may exist for the us pale in comparison to those heard by the swarms of fans from the other schools.

The absence of supporters starts with a general lack of awareness about athletics at UCCS. Being a student athlete myself, it is painful to hear other students saying they did not know UCCS sports teams even existed.

Being a commuter school also presents difficulties for attendance numbers at games and competitions.

Students go home once classes are over, leaving few people on campus when athletic events are actually occurring.

Photo courtesy of gomountainlions.com The full stands, seen here during Blackout Night, tend to be a rare sight at UCCS home games.

The result is minimal exposure to potential supporters, making it difficult for any of the Mountain Lion teams to grow their fan bases, even if teams are doing well in competition.

Granted, UCCS is not

a colossal Division I university with an endless budget and a football team playing in front of a national television audience every weekend. Division II schools tend to not do as well in attendance as their larger Division I

counterparts.

Despite the odds, the athletic department is taking steps in the right direction.

Promotional events such as the blackout games are crucial to generating interest, and free entrance to games for

students is a great place to start.

Perhaps with continued promotion and consistent advertising of games, UCCS athletes can someday enjoy the thrill of playing in front of a packed crowd. S

Sports

Page 12

February 18, 2013

UCCS club rugby begins season, seeks to expand team Kyle Marino kmarino@uccs.edu After graduation, some students want to be remembered by their alma mater. Senior Austin Bowman’s memento will be a team of tackling, scrumming Mountain Lions.

“As a senior, I wanted to leave something for the UCCS students,” said Bowman, club president.

“Since we have no football team on campus,

I figured a rugby team would be the next best thing.”

The 2013 campaign for the UCCS Rugby Club began after press time on Saturday, Feb. 16 against Denver University.

Nick Abbott, rugby head coach, has played professionally as a rugby player and is also a seasoned head coach, having coached for the Colorado Springs Men’s Club. An experienced coach like Abbott could help gen-

erate interest in the club team.

As the word on campus gets around about the rugby team, Bowman anticipates interest will soon grow as well.

“We hope to continue to generate interest in our team,” Bowman said.

“If we get enough interest and get some guys to commit, we can then look at playing in some tournaments.”

Right now the team has about 25-30 players.

Most of the players are learning the ins and outs of the game, but they expect to have a winning record even with some inexperience.

“Obviously we hope to have a winning record at the end of the year, but we also know we must improve every game in order to accomplish this.”

Bowman said.

The team hopes to have 30 or more players on the team and will accept anyone who is will-

ing to play, regardless of experience. It hopes to have enough players to run scrimmages in practice.

According to Abbott, “We have a diverse group of players, about seven to eight military guys, some guys who have experience playing and some who don’t. We have some talent but are always looking for more bodies to scrimmage during practice.”

Bowman, who has

torn his PCL and is unable to play, encouraged anyone who is interested in playing to show up at practice.

The team practices Tuesdays and Thursdays at Four Diamonds from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Bowman said there is also practice on Sunday from 3-5 p.m. at Four Diamonds.

Those interested in joining the club or wanting more information can contact Bowman at abowman@uccs.edu. S

File photos by Nick Burns The Rugby Club, pictured here practicing last semester, is looking to recruit new players.

Professor discusses abuse at USA Swimming conference Peter Farrell

pfarrell@uccs.edu On Jan. 28, Sandy Wurtele, professor and LAS associate dean of community partnership and programs, spoke at the Safe Sport Leadership Conference hosted

by USA Swimming in Colorado Springs.

The conference, sponsored by Safe Sport, a subsidiary of the U.S. Olympic Committee, concerned child sexual abuse in youth service organizations.

The conference saw approximately 200 participants, many of whom were coaches or associated with swimming clubs.

The significance of child sex abuse in entities as large as Olympic swimming was recently recognized by the large scandal that broke in 2010, in which 36 U.S. Olympic swim coaches were charged with sexu-

ally abusing swimmers, most of them female.

Although child sexual abuse may seem like a distant problem, the issue is prevalent on national and local levels.

According to a study on child abuse published in 2011 by the Children’s Bureau, a federal agency designed to “focus exclusively on improving the lives of children and families,” Colorado had 1,051 reported cases of child sexual abuse.

Additionally, child sexual abuse, like other kinds of abuse, is not always reported, making it difficult to obtain concrete information.

To define the problem, Wurtele’s lecture outlined the youth service organizations as “schools, residential treatment and correction facilities, scouting, clubs, faith centers and sports leagues.”

The definition was not always so broad, how-

ever.

Wurtele’s experience in the field of child sexual abuse began in 1985 during her time as an instructor at Washington State University.

Prior to the Internet boom of the early 90s, information about child sexual abuse was scarce and difficult to update.

“There was awareness, but it tended to focus on intra-familial incest,” Wurtele explained.

Around that time, the women’s rights movement was gaining momentum as well, helping it become recognized on the national level.

Due to the recognition, the federal government allocated funds for programs to develop tools and resources to prevent child sex abuse.

A few years later, with the technological explosion of the Internet, information became more accessible for program

designers and advocates like Wurtele.

“We became much more aware that [sexual abuse] is a world-wide problem,” Wurtele said.

Since then, Wurtele’s focus has shifted and emphasizes a larger demographic of teachers, instructors, mentors, coaches, parents and leaders.

She also acts as the child protection consultant for the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, overseeing the implementation of safety guidelines and principles.

The day-and-a-half conference concluded with a call to action by the event’s facilitator, Britt Darwin-Looney, the director of youth development services for Praesidium, a risk management company centered in Arlington, Texas.

“I’m so honored to have been there,” Wurtele said. S

Photo courtesy of Sandy Wurtele Sandy Wurtele, LAS associate dean of community and partnerships, spoke at the Safe Sports Leadership Conference.