Since 1966
Vol. 40, Iss. 22
Monday, March 28, 2016 SCRIBE.UCCS.EDU /UCCSTHESCRIBE @UCCSSCRIBE
IN BRIEF NEWS
IBS award
UCCS Radio brings home first place at award show 2
Drop in campus enrollment leads to SGA budget drop 3
CULTURE
Battle of the Bands
Colorado Springs bands compete 7
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Election: Elliot/Marshall win; athletics, UC initiatives pass Results for the 2016 SGA elections came in on March 18. With 2,160 students voting, this was the highest turnout for an election in UCCS history. Below are the results for SGA members, the two ballot initiatives and student choice educator of the year. Each position or initiative is listed with the percent they carried to win the vote.
Executive Branch President and Vice President: Sam Elliot/Tamara Marshall
Enrollment
UCCS Student Newspaper
Director of Finance: Joseph Conrad
Senators
Senators at Large
Senator of Business Jacob Hopkins 31%
Senator of Nursing Shelby Rank 37%
Kimia Ahmadian 49%
Senator of Engineering Victoria Crowley 32%
Senator of Public Affairs Serena Ahmad 75% (unopposed)
Senators
Senator of Graduate School Christian Fazel 37%
Fee Initiatives University Center Fee Sunset Referendum Yes, 65%
Senator of Letters, Arts and Sciences Carlene Gray 43%
Athletic Fee Referendum Yes, 46%
Senator of Sustainability: Jeremy Nelson 78% (unopposed) Senator of Multicultural Affairs Okiaof Ikimalo 74% (unopposed)
Kemay Clark 39% Collin McDowel 42% Spencer Davis 47% Clairise Post 39% Derek Beitle 38% Shawn Hendrickson 43%
Educator of the Year Sabine Allenspach 7%
Chalk symbols on Colorado campuses unfolding mystery, not a threat to students Audrey Jensen
Resident Assistant
Responsibilities of RAs 6
OPINION
Cancer
Be aware of how you treat others with an illness 9
Non-traditional Students Students have better experience 9
SPORTS
Weight room
Weight room exclusively for athletes moves to Rec 11
Women’s basketball
Team defeated in NCAA tournament 12
ajensen4@uccs.edu
Public Safety is not worried that chalk drawings of unknown symbols on campus are a threat to student safety. On March 6, white symbols appeared in front of at least six locations around campus including The Lodge, Copper House, the Rec Center, the Spine, the parking garage and between Breckenridge and Steamboat dorms. Flash drives marked with a printed version of the symbol labeled “SearchForMyMarks,” were placed with the symbols. One to two weeks before the drawings showed up at UCCS, the same markings and flash drives made an appearance at the University of ColoradoBoulder, Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado at Greeley. Interested students started a thread on reddit. com on March 3 to discuss the findings. A
BEN PATZER| THE SCRIBE
One of the mysterious symbols located outside of Copper House.
link to a public google document titled “Search for my marks UCCS” started on March 5 to compile any information that students or anyone else has about the symbols or flash drives. According to this google document, flash drives picked up on different campuses contain soundbites and
letters in addition to videos. Police lieutenant Marc Pino said Facilities Services were making their morning rounds and found a flash drive on campus that they turned over to Public Safety. The USB contained a copy of a video titled “Scared” that was also posted on a YouTube
channel under the username, “E 23 E 6 27 18 8 4 2 112.” The video contained a message to viewers that said “I know all this is strange. But I ask that you trust me. These are messages, not warnings. There is still a story to unfold.” With the most recent video published
on March 16, there are seven total on the YouTube channel “SearchForMyMarks,” with an updated username The Entity. Pino said that Public Safety contacted CUBoulder and CSU to ask for any information they have on the symbols. (Continued on Page 4...)
News
March 28, 2016 | 2
Women make up 12 percent of enrolled engineering undergraduates Halle Thornton
hthornto@uccs.edu
At the SGA candidate debate, Victoria Crowley, a candidate for senator of engineering this spring, expressed that there is a lack of female representation in the engineering department at UCCS. Crowley, a freshman mechanical engineering major, was one of three candidates for the SGA position and the only female. According to director of Institutional Research Robyn Marschke, in fall 2015, 160 out of 1,302 undergraduate students (12 percent) enrolled in the College of Engineering and Applied Science were female. In the graduate programs, 59 of 286 students (21 percent) that enrolled were women. In fall 2015, women constituted 4,951 of 9,598 undergraduates at UCCS, 52 percent of the school. Women were 54 percent of graduate students last fall (850 of 1,553). The percentage of women in science majors, according to engineering academic advisor Claire Ami, is due to females not being encouraged
to pursue careers in math and science through elementary, middle and high school. Women pursuing an engineering degree typically have a higher GPA, according to Ami. Ami calculated that this spring, out of the students in EAS, females have an average GPA of 3.13 and males an average GPA on 3.02.
“That’s roughly 10 percent of the engineering population being women and performing slightly better,” she said. “I don’t think persistence or performing better is the reason for more men than women in the field.” There are scholarship opportunities for women in engineering, according to Ami. The Women in Aerospace Foundation
provides scholarships to women interested in a career in the aerospace field to pursue higher education degrees in engineering, math or science. There is also a scholarship offered by The Society of Women Engineers. The Pikes Peak Section awards scholarships to women from southern Colorado interested in pursuing a career in the
engineering field. Women who aspire to become engineers can also become involved on campus. The Society of Women Engineers club is a support network and professional society for existing and potential engineers. The society is open to all engineering students and meets on Mondays from 5-7 p.m. in Osborne Center A327.
UCCS Radio wins award for best news interview show Rachel Librach
rlibrach@uccs.edu
UCCS Radio took home two Intercollegiate Broadcasting System awards March 5 at the Intercollegiate Broadcast Conference in New York City. Alexander Nedd, senior communication major, won first in the national competition for best radio news interview and Brandon Applehans, senior communication major, took home a finalist trophy for best sports play-by-play in men’s basketball. The IBS serves high school, college and community radio stations as a resource for information, action and help, according to their website. Last year, UCCS Radio had students nominated in three categories, but did not return with a first-place trophy. Kyle Boyle, station manager and sophomore business management major, explained his thoughts on Nedd’s victory. “This is UCCS’ first collegiate award from the whole entire nation for first place,” Boyle said. “When we actually heard Alex’s name get called out, the
COURTESY | UCCS RADIO FACEBOOK
From left to right: Alexander Nedd, Kyle Boyle and Brandon Applehans attended the Intercollegiate Broadcast Conference in New York.
initial reaction was shock. Alex is a pretty outspoken and happy guy so he let the room know that he just won that award.” Nedd won for his show “Northern California Wildfires.” “It resonated with us
throughout the evening that for the rest of the night and the rest of the school year we’re going to be national radio broadcasters for news,” Boyle said. Nedd and Applehans were competing against four to five other colleges in their
categories. Boyle explained that UCCS Radio is made up of several committed students and it took all of them to bring home the awards. “It takes a whole entire foundation to give a platform for someone to even have
the opportunity to go give news on the radio and then take the whole group of DJ’s to collaborate and put everything together,” he said. Nedd is also the Opinion/ Life on the Bluffs Editor for the Scribe.
News
March 28, 2016| 3
San Juan residence hall on schedule to open in fall Joe Hollmann jhollma3@uccs.edu
San Juan residence hall, the final installation to the Village at Alpine Valley that includes the 2015 additions of Roaring Fork Dining Hall as well as La Plata and Cucharas residence halls, is on schedule to open in August. The residence hall, which is in compliance with UCCS’ policy of only constructing LEED Gold certified buildings, will add the final 223 beds to the total of 515 beds in Village at Alpine Valley. According to project manager Carolyn Fox, San Juan has escaped delays and extra costs, staying on budget. San Juan will be the final addition to Alpine Valley’s total cost of $74.5 million. Ralph Giese, director of Residence Life and Housing, agreed that everything is on track. “San Juan should be
BEN PATZER | THE SCRIBE
Construction continues at the San Juan residence hall behind the Roaring Fork Dining Hall.
turned over to (UCCS) late June or late July,” he said, adding that site work such as landscaping will continue through Aug. 1. Giese said weather may
affect that schedule. “The biggest unknown is spring weather,” he said. Giese added that last year’s spring rain delayed construction on new
buildings such as La Plata, Cucharas and the Rec Center expansion. But he is confident everything will go according to plan. “The building is dried in,
so weather can’t affect the interior.” Fox said San Juan differs slightly from Cucharas and La Plata. Those two both have offices and classrooms in addition to resident spaces, while San Juan is entirely residential. Fox added that most of the rooms are three or four person suites. The apartments will include a kitchen, while the suites will not. There will also be a fireplace on the ground floor, with central lounges on each of the six floors and views of Pikes Peak. “The floor lounges are critical for creating community,” Giese said. Fox believes there is a good chance San Juan may be ready even sooner than the Aug. 1 due date. Students interested in applying for housing at San Juan or any of the dorms can find the application on Residence Life and Housing’s page on the UCCS website.
Academic advising sees turnover, student utilization low Jonathan Toman jtoman@uccs.edu
Students have academic advisors available to them throughout their UCCS career. But while turnover among advisors has impacted services, some students find that they do not often need to visit an advisor. The 16 academic advisors are divided into six categories: business (two), nursing (two), engineering (two), humanities/ education (three), natural/ health sciences (three) and social science/criminal justice/ undecided (four). Between fall 2014 and fall 2015, UCCS lost (and then replaced) four of the 16 academic advisors. In the same time span, of the original 16, five were moved to new areas of concentration. When advisors move or leave UCCS, there is a time frame of around three months to hire and train a new advisor, according to director of Academic Advising Brett Fugate. “This three month gap,” Fugate said in an email, “means a lot of students work with other advisors in the interim before their new advisor is trained and ready to go.” Regardless of any advisor changes, some students are infrequent visitors to the Academic Advising office, because they utilize their degree audit. For the 2015 calendar year, academic advising had 16,948 walk-in and scheduled
BEN PATZER| THE SCRIBE
The Academic Advising desk is located on the second floor of Main Hall.
appointments from students, an average of just over 1.5 visits per student. Patricia Arnold, freshman sociology major, knows her advisor and met with her as part of orientation. But she hasn’t met with her since then, explaining that she has planned out her next few semesters. Junior mechanical engineering major Kyle Miller said his main source of advising information is his degree audit. After creating a plan with that tool, he mainly uses his required group advising as an engineering major to double check the decisions he’s made about his schedule. “(Advisors) can help you,” he said. “(My advisor) helped the first two semesters until I figured out how to do it
myself.” Nationally, schools average
300 to 450 students per advisor, according to Fugate. UCCS
averages 600. In the fall, Academic Advising plans to offer drop-in advising with graduate students who will be trained as peer advisors. This service, which will complement existing advising, will be available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This semester, drop-in advising is only allowed on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Otherwise, students must schedule an appointment to meet with an advisor at other times of the week. All students can request to see a different advisor if they are not happy with their current advisor. Students wishing to change must fill out a form at the academic advising front desk.
BEN PATZER| THE SCRIBE
Students check-in at the Academic Advising office.
News
4 | March 28, 2016
UCCS enrollment over-projection leads to SGA budget concerns Joe Hollmann jhollma3@uccs.edu
SGA, which funds clubs at UCCS, reallocated $61,275 from its carry forward fund to the general fund to adjust for less-than-projected student enrollment numbers. UCCS did not meet the university’s projected levels of enrollment for both fall 2015 and spring 2016. “Because we didn’t hit the projected student enrollment for fall 2015, the SGA budget did not receive the expected revenue,” said Erin Bolinger, junior communication major and director of finance for SGA.
Part of the consequence for over-budgeting for the fall is the carry forward fund, which contains any surpluses from previous years, had to be completely emptied. “We were able to pull from that to compensate for those losses,” Bolinger said. In an email, director of Enrollment Management Mathew Cox said student enrollment was projected to increase by 2.8 percent last fall, but instead increased by 1.5 percent. Spring 2016 enrollment was also lower than expected, with a 2.5-2.9 percent projected increase, while UCCS experienced a 2.1 percent
increase. Cox said the primary reasons for the miscalculation was a decrease of new transfer students from outside the Colorado Springs area and a decrease in graduate students. The projection’s inaccuracy in the fall led to a policy change in budgeting for SGA. After Bolinger was informed of the less-than-projected student enrollment in August, she decided to change the way SGA budgets money. Previously, SGA based their budget off the projections given to them by university administrators. Bolinger said that for next year, they will put forward a budget based off a
zero percent increase in student enrollment, so that any actual increase in student enrollment results in a surplus of funds. “We are not basing it off of the projections,” Bolinger said. “Because I saw the negative effect on it, I changed it.” Despite emptying the carry forward fund, SGA still has money to help fund clubs. “We still have funds from the regular budget,” Bolinger said, adding that this year they have actually seen an increase in clubs SGA was able to fund. In total, Bolinger said 70 clubs have been funded this year, but she encourages clubs and organizations to apply for their event funds early.
“It’s on a first come, first serve basis, so (clubs) aren’t entitled and guaranteed that money,” Bolinger said. SGA provides up to $3,000 per club per year for events, while also providing the budget for UCCS Radio, GOCA and the Scribe. Cox said that while transfer student applications are increasing, graduate applications will increase for summer and decrease for fall 2016. He added that it is still hard to tell what exactly next year will look like in terms of growth.
(Continued from page 1) Chalk symbols not deemed a threat “What they were able to find out is that it’s a student group, maybe a fraternity.” The videos uploaded to The Entity’s YouTube channel contained letters and numbers that students from different Colorado campuses believe are a message. Anonymous students and online users said the numbers are a cryptogram, posting a deciphered code on the google document. Chief of police Brian
McPike said Public Safety believes this might be a form of geocaching, which is geographical coordinates used to find items. Pino said that because this case, labeled by Public Safety as “graffiti,” may be geocaching, he is not worried. “(It’s an) internet version of a scavenger hunt, just sort of send them different coordinates, they follow up, there are flash drives with new coordinates, that’s why
we’re not really concerned with safety,” Pino said. McPike said Public Safety will not continue to investigate this case. To follow the unfolding messages, students can look up “SearchForMyMarks,” on reddit.com to find the updated google document.
COURTESY | REDDIT
A Reddit user’s correspondance is posted ot the public google document
UCCS Facebook bulletin board aims to connect campus Alexander Nedd
FREAKY
anedd@uccs.edu
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Catching the attention of a passerby might be as difficult to achieve as studying for a final exam. But as UCCS looks to expand, so do the ways students and staff try to reach out to one another on campus. This semester, Sam COURTESY | UCCS BULLETIN BOARD FACEBOOK Elliot, junior Bachelor of Innovation major, created The UCCS Bulletin Board Facebook page alllows students to connect a Facebook page, the UCCS Bulletin Board, for of ways. Members can post UCCS, it is not officially students to connect on. announcements, items for sale, recognized by the university. Elliot said he understands book requests and connect with With 330 members, the the benefits of having other students online without group has informational information and interests of the need to go to other pages. posts since its introduction to students on campus all in one The system is similar to Facebook in late February. place. Mountain Lion Connect, “I think the page is a “I saw there were a lot of a service provided by the great idea,” said freshman different classes or Facebook university and used by other biology major Amber groups, but they weren’t really official groups on campus to Collins. “Everyone can (get efficient,” he said. connect students and staff with information) from one place.” “If you wanted to reach all events on campus. Elliot hopes the page will the (UCCS groups and classes) While MLC doesn’t take off as word spreads about you had to post four different use Facebook, Elliot said the public forum. times, so I wanted to create this works well to spread “I’ve never heard of the a group that combines all of information fast. page,” Lauren Gonzales, a them so that anyone can post “I know the Student Life sophomore nursing major, said. on it and it works like a bulletin and Leadership office is “I do think it’s a good idea. board.” teaching every freshman class Everything seems to be moving The UCCS Bulletin Board how to use Mountain Lion toward online and from the is a public group on Facebook Connect but like my (freshmen) sound of it, it sounds like it’s a open to anyone who wishes to class, 2012, didn’t really know great way for students to stay join. what (MLC) was, so there is a connected.” Elliot said the page aims disconnect here on campus.” to connect UCCS in a variety While the page incorporates
CULTURe
March 28, 2016 | 5
UCCSTeach partners with 100kin10, hopes to increase certified science and math teachers Audrey Jensen ajensen@uccs.edu
Low pay and long hours of teaching have left middle and high schools with small numbers of teachers educated in sciences other than biology. In Barack Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address, he called for 100,000 improved Science, Technology, Engineering and Math educators. On Feb. 17, 100kin10, a national organization that works with other schools to increase science and math teachers in the U.S., partnered with UCCS program UCCSTeach and Colorado Geographic Alliance. According to Tom Christensen, co-director of UCCSTeach, there is a shortage of teachers in middle school and high school who are well trained in science and math. “This is a national problem. The 100kin10 group as well as our UCCSTeach group are both trying to produce more well-prepared science and math teachers. That’s the big issue,” he said. Vickie Newkirk, program coordinator for UCCSTeach,
and a bachelor’s degree through the UCCSTeach program every school year. Newkirk said she believes there is a lack of participation of teachers in these fields. “The participation question comes from years and years of declining enrollment in all teaching fields, AUSTIN CHASSE | THE SCRIBE pay’s not great. It’s a lot of work, it’s UCCSTeach allows students to earn their teaching license as well as their degree hard work.” Senior said the goal of UCCSTeach is 2010, and Christensen said instructor and master teacher to have content-rich teachers in 120-125 students are taking of UCCSTeach Cory Gavitt the classroom. classes in the program. said that Colorado is one of Christensen said the other Students can get a science the lowest funded states for issue and reason to have or math degree in addition to education. programs such as UCCSTeach the UCCSTeach program that “Unfortunately we value is recruitment of teachers. will provide students with a people making a lot of money “How do we get people to teaching license. for ridiculous reasons,” Gavitt become excited about being Before the program, three to said. teachers, once they become five students graduated with a Gavitt, who worked as a teachers how do we keep them teaching license in addition to geologic engineer for the first in the schools? It isn’t going their science or math degree. part of his career after receiving to be the salary, I’m afraid. Since the program a geologic engineering degree The pay for teachers isn’t that started, Christensen said at the University of Wisconsin, good.” up to 15 students graduate enrolled at UCCS to receive a UCCSTeach started in fall with a teaching licensure teaching license and master’s
degree. Gavitt taught science at Jenkins Middle School for nine years, with the last five years at Jenkins teaching engineering. According to Gavitt, when sixth graders are asked if they think they can be an engineer, 60 percent believed they can. When high school freshmen were asked, 20 percent said they can. “If that many people don’t think they can, that’s why we have a shortage of engineers.” Christensen said that our society needs to prepare future scientists and mathematicians “The technology that goes into so many things that we take for granted today, if we want to keep this stuff going, even just regular people who aren’t scientists and mathematicians, they need to have an understanding of where this science is coming from, where it’s impacting their lives.” Newkirk said that UCCS was nominated because of the new engineering education degree added to UCCS last fall.
CULTURe A look into being a resident assistant at UCCS 6 | March 28, 2016
Joe Hollmann jhollma3@uccs.edu
With the resident assistant application deadline passed and the selection process beginning, it is important to understand the experiences RAs come across in their day-to-day responsibilities. RAs live on campus and are responsible for supervising students who live in the dorms. This semester, 26 students serve as RAs in Summit Village, while 16 are in Alpine Village. The selection process for these positions includes an application, panel interviews, group activities and final selection interviews. The panel looks for a variety of candidates, according to assistant director of Residence Life Molly Kinne. Students who have experience in a student club or organization are preferred, but that criteria are not rigid. “We don’t necessarily have a checklist we are looking for in one particular person, and that’s why we are so diverse,” said Kinne. Once hired, Kinne said students who are RAs develop a variety of skills
that will be beneficial in future careers, including the opportunity to be a mentor and resource for younger students. “The position itself offers a wide variety of leadership roles,” she said. Being a RA also offers students free room and board. Junior communication major Jonathan Snyder recognized the financial benefits of becoming an RA, but didn’t think that was the best reason to apply. “If you are there just for the free housing, then you won’t like it,” said Snyder. “I like the community and family aspect. This is (also) helping me grow as a leader.” Felicia Crispin, another RA, had her own reasons for becoming an RA. “I want to influence people throughout their first year because I struggled my freshman year getting involved,” said Crispin. RAs also have to keep residents in line with university policies on alcohol and marijuana use. The job requires RAs to document issues with drugs and alcohol, as well as follow state laws regarding drug usage,
AUSTIN CHASSE | THE SCRIBE
A whiteboard hangs on the door of a Summit Village resident assistant.
according to Kinne. “We aren’t out to get them, but we are here to keep them safe,” said Snyder. Both Snyder and Crispin
said the position offers valuable experiences and is fulfilling for reasons outside of the free room and board. “I don’t feel like I’m
going to work,” said Snyder. “It’s a lot of work, but at the end of the day it’s about imprinting on people’s lives,” said Crispin.
CULTURe
March 28, 2016 | 7
Battle of the bands competition to spotlight college musicians Rachel Librach
MEGAN LUNSFORD | THE SCRIBE
rlibrach@uccs.edu
Music can be expressive and is a passion for many people, especially for those who play in a band. The National Society of Leadership and Success is hosting a battle of the bands event on April 4 at 6 p.m. in Berger Hall that will feature bands from area colleges and other colleges in the CU system. Eight bands had registered by press time. The event is free and students can vote for their favorite band to win not only a cash prize, but also a potential spot on 103.9 RXP, a local radio station. At the event, students can meet the band members, purchase merchandise and help support local bands. NSLS vice president Estell Moore believes that this event is a great way for students to get more involved and support the bands. “If anybody in the community really enjoys music, or they have nothing to do on a Monday night, you’re welcome,” said Moore, a sophomore mechanical and aerospace engineering major. “It’s nice having the chance to promote our club through this event, but personally I’m doing
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it to help my friends’ bands and local bands perform in front of a large audience.” Each band will play two songs for a total of 10 minutes stage time. The music will range from acoustic to metal core. Moore said she wants students to stop by between classes to enjoy the music and vote for their favorite. Austin Sutton, senior music major at Pikes Peak Community College, thinks the competition is a good way for bands to get their
name out. Sutton is competing with his metal band, Letters to the Living. They entered the competition because the drummer knows Moore, according to Sutton. “I haven’t done this before, but we think it’s a good way to sample our music to Colorado Springs fans,” he said. Sutton said he thinks his band has a good chance of winning. “The other bands are good, but we are different and that will help us stand out. We can appeal
to more people instead of just one demographic.” Northeastern State University alumnus Nick Watrous is a solo act called R3diculous. Watrous uses his voice, guitar synthesizer and looper to create his electronic sound. Watrous had radio time in the past, with one of his songs played on 103.9 RXP. “I would love to see some other acts and hear what they have created and what they have to offer. This kind of audience
and publicity really helps a musician’s career,” said Watrous. Watrous heard about the event through a social media post and decided to enter. He’ll be playing one jazz song and one electronic song. Moore said NSLS was surprised by the amount of positive feedback and enthusiasm from students and bands. NSLS plans to put on the event every semester. “We have over 400 people starting to RSVP through the public, not just college bands. We are continuing to publicize this event and are expecting big crowds,” she said. To learn more about the event, check out the UCCS NSLS Facebook page and visit their events tab or you can email Moore at emoore8@uccs.edu.
The Lowdown What: Battle of the Bands Where: Berger Hall When: April 4, 6 p.m. How much: Free to students
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EDITORIAL
March 28, 2016 | 8
SGA election sees record amount of un-involvement Jonathan Toman Editor-in-Chief
Audrey Jensen Managing Editor
Eleanor Sturt Copy Editor
Evan Musick News Editor
Hannah Harvey Culture Editor
Alexander Nedd Opinion Editor
Alexander Nedd
AUDREY JENSEN | THE SCRIBE
Life on the Bluffs Editor
Students received comemorative stickers after voting at a table
Scribe Staff scribe@uccs.edu
Over 2,000 students voted in the SGA elections the week of March 14-18. This will be hailed by student activities and SGA as a student involvement triumph. It is nothing of the sort. Yes, a record number of students voted in this year’s election, with 2,160 students electing their next SGA representatives and deciding the fate of two fee initiatives. But that success is built on a bubble that does not tell the whole story. Every student who voted was rewarded (dare we say bribed?)
with free stuff, including t-shirts, stickers and candy, which added up to almost $8,000 worth of material. Another $6,000 was spent on election-related events such as the pie giveaway on Monday and the luau. In total, $14,466.28 of student fee money was allocated for the election. A separate additional bill was passed for around $1,000 of pie. The issue is, we don’t blame SGA. This is what they (and other organizations) have to do to get students involved in anything on campus – free stuff. But don’t mask the truth when those involved in student enrichment tell us
that this is no longer a commuter school, that student involvement on this campus is skyrocketing. It’s not. Of those 2,160 students, a lot of them felt pretty ambivalent about the candidates. The following is the percent of students who abstained in the vote for these respective positions and initiatives. Positions President/Vice President – 13 percent Director of Finance – 27 percent Senator of Public Affairs – 25 percent Senator of Sustainability – 23 percent Senator of Multicultural Affairs – 26 percent
Senator-at-Large – 26 percent Senator of Engineering – 30 percent Senator of Business – 28 percent Senator of Graduate School – 33 percent Senator of Letters, Arts, and Sciences – 32 percent Senator of Nursing – 27 percent Ballot Initiatives University Center – 19 percent Athletics – 17 percent The Student Choice Award for Educator of the Year was given to Sabine Allenspach, an instructor in the biology department, who garnered seven percent of the vote. 13 percent of students abstained.
No student chose to run for senator of education. Also – enrollment at this university has gone up consistently, so it stands to reason that participation numbers would go up as well. It seems like UCCS had a lot of students who voted, but didn’t care about who they voted for. Perhaps this is what you get when your participation is built on the unsustainable bubble of giveaways. So yes, we had the highest turnout in SGA election history. But when you hear it explained that student involvement continues to grow, specifically in elections, be a bit skeptical.
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OPINION Students should be held accountable for attendance
March 28, 2016 | 9
Rachel Librach rlibrach@uccs.edu
As an adult, college students believe that they should be able to decide everything for themselves, including when they should and shouldn’t go to class. But attendance policies can prove to
be more beneficial than students might believe. In elementary school, teachers take attendance to make sure kids don’t wander off during recess. In middle school, attendance keeps kids from getting into mischief. And in high school, attendance policies gave students a sense of responsibility and consequence for their actions. In college, tracked attendance gives students a sense of what they should expect in life after school, so take the initiative now and commit to your classes.
As a part of being an adult, attendance policies are meant to simulate a work environment. If you don’t show up to work on time or simply not at all, it will be worse than just receiving a bad grade for the semester. You will be fired. The cold, hard truth
is that showing up for what you commit to is a part of life. Even for classes you only took to meet the credits, show up. We sometimes have to do what we don’t like, and we better get used to it now, because the severity of the consequences only get worse. If you are not in college to learn, why are you paying for classes? All you’re doing by skipping a day is wasting your own time and money. If classes were like a job, and professors
treated students like they were their employees, so many people would be fired on the spot and asked to drop the class. College is not a right; it’s a privilege. You are given this opportunity to better yourself, so why not take the advantage by simply showing up to class? Attending class is more than just a check mark next to your name on the attendance sheet. You are developing a work ethic that will stay with you for the rest of your life. There will be days
that you don’t want to go to your job, or you know the information talked about at the meeting will be absolutely pointless. But if your boss expects you to be there, you better show up 15 minutes early. If you’re willing to make that effort for your superior, why not start now, and set expectations for yourself to show up to your classes? You might learn something tomorrow that surprises you. Then, you will be grateful for attendance policies after all.
there were 589,430 deaths in the U.S. caused by cancer in 2015. It is also the second leading cause of death in the U.S., with the first being heart disease. Cancer is regularly discussed, and there are countless organizations searching for its “cure.” I despise the term cure. There is not just one cause for cancer, because there are many different types. Some cancers are genetic and some aren’t. Some are so serious that the patient has days to live, whereas others get years. Because there are so many causes, there cannot be one cure. Maybe, in the future, we can find cures for certain cancers, but there will not be one magical cure that will work for every cancer.
Websites and blogs devoted to diets, exercise routines and breathing exercises that are supposed to prevent cancer are rubbish. These articles lead people to think that cancer is preventable, which is hopelessly wrong. Cancer consumes lives, and not just for the patient, but also for family and friends. This is partially due to a lack of understanding. When my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last fall, I was devastated. I thought it was a death sentence. In some cases, it is. In my mom’s case, it was not. But there was a long period of time where my mother needed constant care and supervision. She needed help with basic tasks like showering and getting dressed. On top of this, there
was constant worry that the chemotherapy wasn’t working. We were lucky that it did. During this time, the way people treated my mother and family was different. They would either awkwardly skirt the subject or it would consume the conversation. Neither option was helpful. People also always managed to say strange things like, “I had a cat once that died of cancer,” or “I heard cancer is due to inbreeding.” As fascinating as those facts are, I would rather have a conversation about how school is going. Thankfully, my mom finished chemotherapy and no longer needs constant attention; she can run errands on her own and doesn’t need
my help. But in public, people always ask her if she needs help or give her a reassuring smile. Yes, it is sweet, but my mother is at her wits end with people treating her differently. She just wants to get back to normal life. No more cancer. While your intentions are great, there are ways you can help out that don’t make survivors
feel like they are noncapable beings. Begin by educating yourself. Understand that there are more cancers than just breast and lung cancer, and the different treatments depend on the patient. When you are interacting with patients, follow this simple guideline: Don’t act like it isn’t a problem. It is, so address it. But don’t let it consume the conversation. It already consumes the entirety of the patient’s life. If they are out shopping, they don’t need help. If they did, they would have brought some, or they will ask. Lastly, they are going through a lot. Cancer is scary. Give them a little more love without overdoing it. They need it.
commuters who want a school that’s not too close to home but not more than an hour’s drive away. There are many valuable life lessons I have learned from attending a non-traditional university that I wouldn’t have experienced at a traditional college. The first lesson lies with the student body. At UCCS, we have students of all majors. More importantly, we have students of all ages and backgrounds. Some of the first friends I made as an intimidated freshman were older students. They were coming back to school to further their education.
Some were attending their first college class like me. Their wisdom from living through some painful experiences, juggling 16 credits on top of a full-time job, kids and homework taught me a lot about what it means to work hard. I admire students who got only two hours of sleep because they were tending to a sick child or worked the graveyard shift but still showed up to class and passed their midterm. I admire students who have not taken calculus since their senior year 20 years ago and are still able to explain the material better than I ever could.
The cold, hard truth is that showing up for what you commit to is a part of life.
Give cancer the proper weight, attention
Eleanor Sturt esturt@uccs.edu
I hate cancer. Not just the illness, but everything that comes with it. The way people talk about it, the way people treat patients and survivors, the way people talk about curing cancer and, most of all, the lack of knowledge about it. Cancer is not one illness and it isn’t as rare as people expect it to be. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention,
During this time, the way people treated my mother and family was different. They would either awkwardly skirt the subject or it would consume the conversation. Neither option was helpful.
Non-traditional students: The unsung heroes of UCCS
Hannah Harvey hharvey@uccs.edu
Last semester, I embraced adulthood and started my first semester of college. I quickly learned that UCCS is a non-traditional school. Although advancements are being made to include traditional students, the campus still caters primarily to
I admire students who have not taken calculus since their senior year 20 years ago and are still able to explain the material better than I ever could.
It all comes down to hard work. Being talented at what you do is important, but you don’t achieve anything without working hard. I’ve never seen someone work as hard to achieve their goals as a non-traditional student. Maintaining a balance
between work, school and family can be difficult, but this difficulty builds strength and allows you to persevere. People go to college for different reasons. A student may be going back for a second bachelor’s degree to get a better job to provide for their kids. Whatever the reason, that student is only going to benefit themselves and the people around them by improving their quality of life. Finally, I’ve learned to accept others and all that they go through. It’s easy to be critical of someone because they decided to not show up to class. But I think that that
is the easy way out. I’m reminded to look at all of the external factors that someone may be dealing with in their life. Non-traditional students don’t live on campus; they cannot rely on their dorm mates to help them out. While colleges may try to cater to students that live on campus and are fresh from high school, the real heroes that keep our doors open are the non-traditional students. I’ve learned so much from them, and am grateful for their sacrifice and determination to work hard despite life’s curveballs. That’s what makes UCCS stand out.
LIFe on the BLUFFs Sudoku
Bring your completed sudoku to the Scribe office (UC 106) for a prize!
COURTESY | HTTP://PUZZLES.CA/SUDOKU.HTML
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Top Ten Sweet Salty Tweets
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“I do not miss college. But j do miss that view. #UCCS #alumni #MountainLions #College”
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@MichelleBoyea1
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Campus Chatter Alexander Nedd, anedd@uccs.edu
What are you most excited for this spring break?
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March 28, 2016 | 10
“Better bet if I don’t get
accepted to UCCS, I’m gunna be applying for all of the jobs in Colorado”
@e_kizzzllleee
“So… We don’t have a
climbing wall because we have the Garden of the Gods’ –UCCS Senior Tour Guide” @cowwithmoo
April Fool’s Day pranks Halle Thornton, hthornto@uccs.edu
your roommate’s 10 Change clocks from a.m. to p.m.
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Turn your professor’s office into a ball pit
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Put your friend’s number on Craigslist
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Replace Oreo stuffing with toothpaste
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Set your friend’s phone to a different language
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Tell a classmate there’s no class today
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Give out fake parking tickets
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Set off the fire alarm in the dorms
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Dress the mountain lion statue in CSU apparel
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Put your roommates clothes in the freezer
The Maze of life
COURTESY | HTTP://WWW.ALLKIDSNETWORK.COM/MAZES/DETAIL.ASP?FIL=MAZE-MEDIUM.JPG
Jacob Calahan, engineering, freshman “I’m going on a cruise with my family to Jamaica.”
Sarah Mosley, physics and math, junior “I’m taking my best friend and we’re going to go explore northern California. We’re going to go to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.”
Kaven Martinez, mathematical engineering, sophomore “I’m going to be headed back to my hometown and spending time with my family and then going up to Salida (Colo.) and going camping.”
SPORTs
March 28, 2016 | 11
Mountain Lion baseball has chance to be great in first season
Taylor Garcia tgarcia@uccs.edu
A sunny day, no clouds, a cold beer, some cracker jacks and your favorite baseball team is up to bat. That’s a perfect summer day in the making. Thankfully for UCCS students,
that’s about to become a reality next year, as UCCS will add baseball for spring 2017. The tough thing about any first-year team is success; even established programs struggle with success. The Mountain Lions won’t be entering an easy league. The RMAC is made up of teams such as Colorado Mesa (undefeated in conference play and 18-3 overall as of March 16), CSU-Pueblo (136) and Colorado Mines (13-7). Last year Mesa ranked number one and CSU-Pueblo number three in the region. For 2016, the conference is split into two divisions, the Mountain and Plains, each made up of four teams. No matter which of the two divisions UCCS is placed in, the Mountain Lions are going to have to face Mesa, CSU-Pueblo and Mines at least once in that first year. That
could potentially be nine losses for the Mountain Lions, with three games against each team. But that isn’t going to be the case. Breaking .500 on the season isn’t going to be an issue. Looking at the RMAC, there are plenty of wins for the Mountain Lions to take such as Metro State, Colorado Christian, New Mexico Highlands and Regis, all teams that are under .300 this season. Sweeping these teams isn’t going to happen only by recruiting great high school prospects, but adding members who have already played college baseball at other schools or junior colleges. Additionally, a successful club baseball team gives head coach Dave Hajek a place to start his recruiting. A veteran or two will help Hajek to build this first team and help the freshmen in their transition. Baseball
is a very mental sport and the veteran players will help the younger ones cope with the stress of the game. Also, it’s safe to say Hajek knows what he is doing. Hajek was a member of the Rockies organization for 12 years and a player in the Major Leagues for 12 seasons. Along with being familiar with the Colorado Springs area since becoming a part of the Rockies organization, Hajek knows the right coaches in the area to help develop his team. But even if the first season isn’t successful, it will allow the program to see where and what they need to improve on for the next year. I am not saying that the team is going to go undefeated in their first year, win the RMAC championship, place first in the region and go far into the NCAA tournament. But it could happen.
Athlete weight room moved to Rec Center Taylor Garcia
tgarcia@uccs.edu
UCCS is a campus of growth, with the new Alpine dorms, Roaring Fork Dining Hall and now the Rec Center expansion. If you’ve been to the Rec recently, you’ve probably seen different Mountain Lion athletic teams going in and out of the new athlete weight room added with the renovations. Historically, athletics has been separate from student recreation because athletics didn’t want any of their athletes taking over nonstudent athletes’ areas, explained assistant athletic director Nate Gibson. He added that using the Rec Center is a temporary solution and that no student fees that went to the Rec Center renovation were used to build the weight room. Discussions about keeping the weight room after athletics has moved on as a place for club teams to lift are occurring, Gibson said. “Space is the biggest need on campus right now. Clubs need places to work out and practice. Having a place that can be scheduled out to students and student-driven activities would solve that need.” Gibson explained athletics is partnering with the Rec Center to get new weights and equipment that will remain there even after athletics moves. These will be funded by donations from outside groups, he said. The space is much needed, according to second year master’s student Robin Conroy, who is majoring in sports medicine with an emphasis in strength and conditioning. As the strength and conditioning coach for UCCS volleyball, women’s basketball, women’s soccer and women’s golf, Conroy spends about 10 hours a week in the weight room. Along with focusing on athlete fitness, Conroy understands the impact of moving the weight room
BEN PATZER | THE SCRIBE
The entrance to the new athlete-only weight room in the expanded portion of the Rec Center.
across campus from its previous location in the University Center. That space was repurposed for a gender neutral restroom and meeting space. “Logistically it is difficult for many of the student-athletes to get their training sessions from practice and between classes, especially those coming from Gallogly such as volleyball and women’s basketball,” said Conroy. Conroy said the Rec Center weight room is the same size as the old one, adding that the limited space makes it tough for a whole team to fit at one time.
AUDREY JENSEN| THE SCRIBE
The gender neutral bathroom in the UC is where the weight room used to be located.
SPORTs Women’s basketball defeated in NCAA first round
March 28, 2016 | 12
Halle Thornton
hthornto@uccs.edu
The No. 3 seed West Texas A&M University defeated the UCCS women’s basketball team, the No. 6 seed, 70-43 in the first round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament on March 10 in Lubbock, Texas. This was the team’s second NCAA tournament appearance in program history. The game was tied after the first quarter, with both teams at 12 points. But UCCS scored six points in the second quarter while West Texas poured in 19, leading to a 31-18 halftime deficit. UCCS scored eight points in the fourth quarter. Junior forward Tori Fisher hopes the team will improve mentally when it comes to stressful situations such as the NCAA tournament. “I think (our strengths and weaknesses) balanced each other out and we just needed to be more consistent with our play.”
COURTESY | SPORTS INFORMATION
Junior Brittany Hernandez was named the defensive and overall RMAC player of the year.
After scoring 70 points in the RMAC semifinal on March 4 against Fort Lewis on 37 percent shooting from the field, UCCS shot just 21 percent against West Texas. UCCS recorded its second straight 20-win season, third in program history. The Mountain Lions finished tied for fourth in the RMAC, going 16-6 in conference games before the RMAC
tournament and 21-10 overall. They advanced to the RMAC semifinal for the second straight season. Junior forward Brittany Hernandez is the third student-athlete in RMAC history to earn both overall and defensive player of the year in the same season. She was also selected to the RMAC All-Tournament team and named to the Division II Conference Commissioner’s
Association All-Region first team. “I think the season went very good overall. Before Christmas break we were 6-5 and it was a struggle to win, but we pulled it out and ended at the national tournament,” she said. Head coach Shawn Nelson thought the season went well. “Anytime you earn a spot at the national tournament, it’s a success,”
he said. Nelson said the greatest strength of the team as a whole this season was the play of the team’s forwards. The greatest weakness was playing with consistency at both ends of the floor. To improve next season, he said the team needs to improve physical strength so that they can compete at a higher level against opponents.