Sept. 26, 2011

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Flobots, Air Dubai Rock UCCS

Air Dubai rocks everyone’s faces off at the packed Gallogly Events Center.

Photo by Alex Gradisher

Students of all faiths – or none – welcome at new center Catherine Jensen cjensen2@uccs.edu

Since history has been recorded, clashes between religious groups has been a part of it. Finding ways to get along has been an ongoing battle, and one which is likely not to see an end soon. But steps are being made toward that end at UCCS. “How do students from different religious traditions find agreement?

Can they? Should they?” are the questions asked

by Jeffery Scholes, professor of Philosophy and director of the new Center for Religious Diversity and Public Life on campus.

Scholes is looking to bring students of various religious traditions, as well as those of nonfaith, together to engage in dialogue and activities this semester.

The Center for Religious Diversity and Public Life, first established on campus in February 2010, was inspired by President Obama’s In-

terfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge, according to Scholes, who attended the conference at the White House with Provost Peg Bacon in August.

Despite being very much in support of the President’s challenge, Scholes said he takes issue with the term “interfaith.”

He said there is also a need to appeal to those who are secularist or of no faith. He hopes the labeling of events can be done so in a way that invites everyone and makes it clear that all voices will be heard.

“The idea for UCCS is for the Center to act as a place where student and community members can come together to discuss important issues,” Scholes said.

He also said he hoped that through the challenge, as well as other campus events, students and faculty can begin a dialogue and start working together.

“The Center is a Continued on page 2...

UCCS received $12 million in research funding Maggie Olague molague@uccs.edu

In June of this year, the Colorado General Assembly approved SB 11-204, which changes the mission statement of UCCS to include graduate-level research.

The hope is that this modification to the statement will help our campus over the next several years to attract more researchers and become more competitive in applying for federal grants and other funds.

The University of Colorado system received more than $790 million in research funding from federal and nonfederal sources for the fiscal year.

CU Boulder received $359 million and CU Denver and the Anschutz Medical Campus combined received $419 million in research funding.

McConnellogue said, “Faculty from all campuses submit funding forms.

Since Boulder and Denver are bigger research institutions, they receive more funding.”

UCCS received $12

In this

Issue

million in research funding, or about 1.5 percent of the system-wide total; it has increased by $2 million, or 24 percent from the previous fiscal year.

Beth-El College of Nursing received $2.2 million, the largest grant at UCCS, from Colorado Health Foundation to improve access to nursing education at five Colorado community colleges.

Two projects at UCCS are funded by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education: The U.S. Department

Chancellor’s Conscious Forum Table Page 3 Page 6

of Justice provided a grant to develop programs that protect students from victimization and build healthy relationships, and the U.S. Department of Education provided a grant to increase the number of southern Colorado residents who attend college by working with a group of southern Colorado colleges and universities.

Though funding received for the last fiscal year had decreased from the prior fiscal year due to a one-time funding event for that year; an estimated $145 million came from

the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in 2009-2010, this year has even surpassed that.

It’s also important to note that research funding can’t be used for non-research related expenses.

Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Michael Larson said, “A key thing to understand is that the money we receive for these grants and contracts are directed specifically to achieve the goals outlined in the respective proposals. The money can’t be used to fund what are con-

Yellow Design Stunt Team Pages 8 and 9

Texting Page 12

sidered normal operating costs.”

Some funding is used to advance science research in laboratories and field studies, but it can also be used for education and training programs.

Associate Vice President for University Relations Ken McConnellogue said, “[Funding] is not exclusively to science.”

Larson says, “All of the projects are now underway — some of them were new and some were continuations of projects started in previous years.” S

Whiteout Night Page 16

News

Page 2

Monday, September 26, 2011

The Center for Religious Diversity and WEST offers new certificate programs Public Life (continued from page 1) to broaden your resume place where students can listen and participate in asking questions about what it means to have or not to have faith and work together to achieve common goals,” he said.

The Challenge requires that participating schools hold a kick-off event, as well as participate in community service.

The Center plans to create UCCS Park Corps, a group of interfaith and non-faith students who will work with the City of Colorado Springs’ Park, Recreational and Cultural Service to work on park-related projects including tree planting, trash removal and turf maintenance.

The first event to be put on by the Center happened in February 2010, where six different sacred spaces from various religious traditions were included and set up in different rooms in the University Center.

According to Scholes, the event was a success and the Center is looking forward to putting on similar events.

Both he and Bacon said having a physical space for the Center isn’t as important; the events create the location.

“I think the definition of space we are thinking about is different than physical,” said Bacon.

“There needs to be space in the curriculum and activities for students to learn and participate.

This can happen anywhere.”

The next event being put on by the Center with is the Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge kickoff on Sept. 27.

Chancellor ShockleyZalaback will be introducing speaker Benjamin Broadbent, pastor of the First Congregational Church, whose lecture will be followed by a Q&A with a panel of UCCS faculty and students and Colorado Springs community members.

The event will be speaking on the challenge and religious issues on campus.

There will also be

weekly meetings in Clyde’s every Wednesday at noon to continue engaging in discussions and getting to know people, said Scholes.

“Knowledge is the first step toward tolerance and acceptance,” Bacon said.

“We hope students will come wanting to learn and participate.” S

The Lowdown What:

Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge Kick-Off

When:

Sept. 27 3 p.m. - 4:20 p.m.

Where:

University Center, room 302

How much: Free

More Info:

Contact Jeff Scholes jscholes@uccs.edu x4089

the

Matt Sidor msidor@uccs.edu

Last spring, the Department of Women’s and Ethnic Studies (WEST) began offering three new certificate programs in addition to their major and minor.

“Today, with the way things are with jobs, the more specialization and versatility you have, the more marketable you are in your job,” said Andrea Hererra, professor of literature and co-director of the WEST program.

The concentrations for these certificates are Native American and Indigenous Studies, Latino/Latina Studies and Global Studies.

“When people ask us, ‘Why do anything with WEST?’ one thing we always emphasize is that there is no area in your life where you cannot afford to be culturally conversant or competent,” said Hererra. “All of our courses have both a domestic and international focus.”

The Native American and Indigenous Studies certificate investigates American Indian issues as part of a

broader study on indigenous knowledge worldwide, with a special emphasis on the cultures in the United States, Canada and Pacific Islands.

Some of the courses offered include Native American Philosophical Thought, Native Communities and Indigenous Views on Sustainability.

Latino/a Studies is designed to highlight the various Latino/a communities in the United States and how their identifications are defined in the wake of globalization and migration across political boundaries.

Some of the courses include The Chicano Community, Youth Gangs and ‘Going Native’: British and Spanish Narratives of the Colonized World, according to the certificate information sheet.

The certificate in Global Studies focuses on globalization as a complex and dynamic product of many different regional, ethnic and institutional identities from a transnational perspective.

Its courses explore intersections among gender, race, class, sexuality and

individual identity.

The courses offered in this concentration range across a broad spectrum of topics, including Sex and Gender in Islam, Caribbean Literature, History, and Theory and Gender in International Politics, as well as some courses from the other two concentrations.

After completing the Introduction to Race and Gender course, a requirement of all WEST programs, an additional 12 credit hours, including nine upper-division, must be taken from a variety of different course offerings, depending on the specific certificate a student is pursuing.

These certificates are not limited to WEST majors and minors, either; anyone looking to boost their academic portfolio can pursue these certificate programs.

For more information on the WEST major, minor and new certificate programs, stop by their office in the south wing on the first floor of Columbine to pick up handouts with course requirements or visit their web site at uccs. edu/~west/. S

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News

Monday, September 26, 2011

Page 3

CU President addresses fiscal challenges at town hall meeting Matt Sidor msidor@uccs.edu

CU President Bruce Benson travels to each of the four campuses in the CU system at least once per semester to hold a public town hall to reach out directly to any interested staff members, faculty and students and answer any questions they might have about the general health and direction of the university system at large.

On Sept. 20, he visited the UCCS campus to hold a town hall meeting in the University Center Theater.

The focus of Benson’s talk was on the challenging fiscal environment that the CU system continues to face as the economic recession and state budget crisis continue.

Benson announced that the most recent revenue forecasts from the Governor’s office indicate that there will need to be about $650 to $700 million in cuts to the state’s higher education budget next fiscal year.

“The one good thing is that property taxes are coming in higher, so that will take some of the pressure off the general fund

budget because that helps K-12 [schools],” he said.

Referring specifically to CU, Benson said that he expects an additional $30 to $50 million in cuts system-wide next fiscal year.

“Our budget is now $147 million from the state, and if you look at what it was in 2003 – from $226 million – and factor in inflation, our budget should be $326 million [today],” he said.

“We’ll just make do and we’ll figure it out,” he expressed.

“We’re all very entrepreneurial.

We’re going to make it work no matter what they do.”

Benson also discussed the new Creating Futures fundraising campaign, the public phase of which he kicked off last spring semester; according to the web site (creatingfutures.colorado. edu), the goal is to raise $1.5 billion.

“We’re doing extremely well,” he said. “We’re doing so well that we will probably increase that goal and step it up.”

Benson added that the fundraising doesn’t directly fund operating expenses, but that by raising money for areas such as student scholarships and new

buildings, this campaign will indirectly help the university system in the long run.

Benson also took a moment to discuss media outreach, specifically the new forms of social media that have been rising in popularity. “Outreach is a very, very important issue to me,” he said.

In addition to all the traditional forms of print, television and radio media, CU plans to “push ahead” on marketing through all available outlets.

Benson said, “We started finding out as we started communicating in the high schools that a lot of these kids don’t use emails, they use Facebook, Twitter and all of these other things, which are a little over my head but I’m involved with it anyway.”

He emphasized that the CU system will need to have renewed focus in reaching out to prospective and current students through these new outlets.

At the end of his lecture, during a question and answer session, a member of the audience in the back of the room said, “I know you said that it kinda goes over your head, but I just got a

Health services building promises benefit to community Mark Petty mpetty3@uccs.edu

The CU Board of Regents has approved the construction of a new building on North Nevada Avenue in an effort to build partnerships and serve the community.

The Academic Health Services Center will be a 60,000 square foot, stateof-the-art facility that aims to bring quality health care to lower income persons and senior citizens in southern Colorado.

According to Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Tom Hutton, the plan for the facility is to consolidate various health programs including the CU Aging Center, the Gerontology Center and the wellness programs operated by the Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

The plan also provides space for Peak Vista, a community health organization whose services include community health centers, which would pay for its space.

“This is a way for the

University to have a new space but without being required to pay the entire bill. This is a good reason to go into a partnership with a like-minded organization on a project like this,” Hutton said.

Other partners in the project include Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences and the Anshutz Medical Campus in at the CU-Denver campus.

Among the services offered, the Academic Health Services Center will have a nutrition kitchen where anyone can sign up and take a class on cooking and creating a healthy diet.

There also will be a small gym for seniors, which will have physical trainers and therapists on staff to help with rehabilitation and movement.

The facility will be a one-stop medical center where anything from blood work to yearly physicals could be done.

Hutton expressed that this will not only serve the community, but departments on campus as well as faculty, staff and students interested in re-

search and the services that plan to be provided.

Executive Director of Facility Services Gary Reynolds would remind the public that the building, though approved, is still in its planning stages.

“Although the prospect of having such a facility so close to campus is exciting, there are many details that can’t be overlooked,” he said. “Now that the plan has been approved, an architect will design the building and then a contractor will be selected.”

The Academic Health Services Center will be the fifth building built by UCCS to apply for the LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design) gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Only the most energy-efficient buildings can earn a LEED gold certification.

Other LEED-certified buildings on campus include the Campus Recreation Center, the Osborne Center for Science and Engineering, the Gallogly Events Center and a pending certification for Centennial Hall. S

Photo by Robert Solis

CU President Bruce Benson spoke at UCCS on Sept. 20. tweet from you about ‘Be Colorado Wellness.’” Then there was a lot of laughter in the room.

“You’re really good,” someone said to Benson.

Benson replied, “It’s just a wellness program, because, you know, it’s good for you to be more well.” There was more laughter.

At this point, Marcy Benson, Bruce’s wife, took the lectern from Bruce to explain the new program intended to provide free health screenings to all eligible CU employees and reduce health

care costs across the system.

The next forum on campus hosted by the Chancellor’s Office will be a “Student Conversation with the Chancellor,” her first forum this year aimed directly at students.

Chancellor Shockley-Zalabak will give a short overview of current issues on campus, followed by open time for students to ask questions.

The forum will take place on Thursday, Oct. 20, from 2:30 p.m to 3:30 p.m. in the University Center Theatre room 302. S

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News

Page 4

Monday, September 26, 2011

I-Contribute seeks to give college New bike sharrows encourage students financial assistance students to share road Steven Hernandez knows the expenses that a college experience comes with, especially if you decide to go on to graduate or medical school, where even more money comes into play.

“I was trying to find a way to lower my personal student loans and get assistance with tuition to work on my master’s degree,” Hernandez stated.

“What started as a single webpage telling my story, turned into a place where all students in my position could tell theirs,” he furthered.

That “place” Hernandez is referring to is the website called I-Contribute (i-contribute.org), an idea he and his wife, Laura, came up with.

The online organization connects private donors with recent graduates or current college students who are hoping that donors can help by providing them with financial assistance.

The goal of I-Contribute, according to Hernandez, is to place a bigger emphasis on secondary education for those who are unable to afford it.

Because of the rise of college tuition and living

expenses, many students have to take massive loans to afford an education and many end up opting out due to the high prices.

Hernandez, the president and CEO of I-Contribute, believes he has found a unique solution to that problem. He says that I-Contribute helps to solve this debt problem that students usually experience from taking out loans.

“I-Contribute […] provides students with a single location to meet private donors that will give students an opportunity to pursue their careers that financial woes are holding them back from,” he remarked.

Laura Hernandez, vice president of the organization, said that the connection works in an easy four-step process that is simple for both students and donors to understand.

“After researching many different options, we found that mixing micro-lending principles with a charitable organization and online profiles was the solution,” she stated.

For $5, students can build a profile page where they can list their education and work experiences, which donors

can search for.

Donors also create an account, which details the amount of money they are willing to donate to students. The minimum donation is always $5 and donors set their own maximum.

Once the contributor is registered on the site, they can begin searching for students who are in need of their assistance.

After selecting a student, donors click the “contribute” button, enter an amount to contribute and the I-Contribute team handles the rest.

To ensure that the contributions are going where they are needed – to loans and student tuition – the I-Contribute team acts as the intermediary and directs the funds to students, Hernandez said.

So far, feedback of I-Contribute has been great, Hernandez said.

“The first impression from people that hear about I-Contribute is very positive. The most common response that I have heard is, ‘This is something that was needed.’”

The Hernandez’s hope that through contests (such as a free Apple iPad 2 to one out of every 1,000 people that sign up), I-Contribute can grow even bigger. S

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One of the newly painted bike sharrows painted on the campus roads.

Leslie Randolph lrandolp@uccs.edu A new feature has been added to campus roadways for all those who bike to school: 17 new street markings, called sharrows, have been added to the roads to remind drivers to share the road with others.

“Hopefully when they see the signage, [drivers] will be more alert and know that bikes do travel these roads,” said Sustainable Transportation Coordinator for Public Safety Kayli Ciambotti.

The funds for the project came from the city of Colorado Springs for the markings on Regent Circle, which the city owns, and the Parking Sustainability Fund, who provided funding for the markings for the rest of the campus.

The city is also making standing signs that will be placed around campus within the next few

can take up the whole lane if they need to.

They hope to market the new Share the Road campaign all over campus with e-mails, flyers and more information, so this won’t be the last we hear about this new feature.

Linhart also wanted students to be aware that there are bike racks on the We’re hoping it’s going campus shuttle to encourage more buses. Students looking to compeople to cycle here mute to either the Four Diatributed to students. monds lot or Lot N and According to Ciam- ride the shuttle up the botti, one of the reasons long hill to main campus for students not wanting will be able to take his or to bike to campus was be- her bike with them to get cause they felt it was un- around. safe, and when the survey The sharrows, Ciambotbrought this to light, Pub- ti said, are a positive adlic Safety decided to do dition to the campus. “It’s something about it. definitely going to ben“I think the goal is to efit us in a lot of ways… raise the awareness level [and] increase safety for of motorists and cyclists bicyclists. We’re hoping and the fact that they are it’s going to encourage sharing the road,” said more people to cycle here Steve Linhart, director of instead of driving in a sinemergency management. gle-occupancy vehicle so Ciambotti added that we can reduce emissions. bicyclers have the same We’re always looking to privileges as drivers and do that.” S

“

weeks.

While there have been no problems between bicyclers and drivers on campus yet, Ciambotti said, “We are just trying to be proactive in preventing any possible problems.”

The need for the markings became apparent when surveys were dis-

“

Ryan Adams radams3@uccs.edu

$2 Off per person with UCCS ID

Monday, September 26, 2011

Culture

Page 5

GoCA hosts HIVE exhibit, makes a buzz Maggie Olague molague@uccs.edu

The next time a bee whizzes by you, pause before swatting at it. Although you may have traumatic memories of being stung by that bee’s

brothers or sisters in the past, bees are not pests.

They are friends of agriculture that pollinate one in every three bites of food that humans eat.

Bees play an essential role in producing honey and beeswax, and they are now being celebrated with

Photo by Tasha Romero

A plexiglass beehive sculpture.

an exhibit dedicated to their contributions.

The Gallery of Contemporary Arts (GoCA) is hosting HIVE, which ends its run this week on Oct. 6. Co-Director of GoCA, Daisy McConnell, said, “[HIVE] is making [people] aware of how vital bees are.”

She continued, “We need bees more than they need us.”

Five artists have been invited to participate in this exhibit: Susan Meyer, Laura Tyler, Elaine Ng, Matt Barton and Jane McMahan.

Meyer, a Denver-based artist and faculty member at Denver University in the Visual Arts Department, created a piece called “Unité D’Habitation,” or Housing Unit.

Meyer used laser-cut acrylic and figurines to create her vision of what it would look like if humans lived like bees.

As a co-founder of Colorado honey company

Backyard Bees, Tyler has three pieces on display. In one piece, Tyler uses encaustic paint, or beeswax, to paint portions of flowers and plants.

This provides a perspective on what a bee sees and the paintings have a slight scent of beeswax.

Tyler also combines a flying geese quilting pattern and honeycomb. The darker the honeycomb, the older it is. This complex work took six years for her to complete.

Another piece in the gallery incorporates honeycomb on a chair. McConnell, the artist of the piece, said, “The chair is an iconic symbol of the home, and the honeycomb is home to the bees.”

Ng, a sculptor from Boulder, incorporates an element of the bizarre with “Coalesce,” which is made of casted bones from Taiwanese beef noodle soup that lure a swarm of bees.

Looking from differ-

ent angles and distances around the piece will demonstrate its depth.

An interactive video installation creates UC graduate McMahan’s “Nousbee.” McMahan installed cameras with audio inside two beehives.

After the exhibit is over, visitors can continue to follow the progress of the hives at nousbee.blogspot.com.

Smart phone users can scan a code to listen to Nousbee on their phone.

The codes for this feature can be found at GoCA. Barton, who teaches sculpting in the Visual and Performing Arts Department, has an interactive piece on display called “Dome.”

It is a massive hive made out of intertwining branches, and the hive sits on a low table. Visitors are encouraged to crawl under the table and into the hive to view life as a bee.

HIVE is part of a citywide celebration, Cross-

Pollination 2011. Events from August to December will be held throughout Colorado Springs.

McConnell concluded, saying, “Cross-Pollination is inspired by science and is, at its heart, a creative celebration of pollinators.”

Information about upcoming Cross-Pollination events for this month, including the opening of an exhibit that examines moths and butterflies, is available at crosspollinationcollab.com. S

The Lowdown What: HIVE When: Aug. 25 to Oct. 6 Where: GoCA at Centennial Hall How much: Free More Info: uccs.edu/~goca

A Call to Life sells local, handmade items Sara Horton shorton@uccs.edu

Finding local merchandise that suits your style, budget and morals can sometimes be a challenge. With all the retail stores that carry mystery fabrics made in Uzbekistan and local shops that carry a very specialized inventory, the search may seem futile.

A relatively new business in Old Colorado City called A Call to Life, though, deserves a visit for its focus on local entrepreneurs and unique items that are nearly impossible to find at big retailers.

“It’s been going very well,” said owner Laura Teeters about business since A Call to Life’s 2010 opening. “We’re lucky to have such a great location on the corner and such good neighbors.”

A Call to Life’s inviting atmosphere contributes to its success. The walls are covered with fun decorations and a wide range of artwork made by local artist Emma Ginsberg.

Although bigger pieces may not be friendly to a student’s budget, smaller and more affordable pieces or prints are available and

promise to add a little color to any room.

The clothes, perfect for fashion-conscious women, include shirts, pants, dresses and accessories such as belt buckles, hats and seasonal scarves.

Like the artwork, most articles of clothing are a bit costly and start at about $30.

However, in addition to supporting local suppliers, there is another good reason for the prices of winter attire, according to Teeters, who said, “The summer clothes are more whimsical. The winter clothes are meant to last season after season.”

While some clothes sold at big retailers only last for several washes, fall and winter clothes from A Call to Life are built to be enduring pieces of a customer’s wardrobe, she said.

At the register is a display case of bright and funky jewelry, all of which are handmade by local women. One customer, an elderly woman, looked at the jewelry and lamented she couldn’t wear big earrings anymore because they were too heavy.

Teeters assured her that A Call to Life’s earrings were

different because of one couple entrepreneurs, and clothes made in China to en- to offer a voice to local vikey detail: “They’re made sells items made almost sure nothing originates from sionaries and chic items to out of aluminum soda cans. exclusively by female Colo- sweatshops. shoppers. S They’re also eco-friendly, rado artists and designers.

Teeters is looking forThe Lowdown so you’re supporting the enAccording to Teeters, A ward to the future, when vironment.”

Call to Life supports busi- she hopes to hire and train What: Although some jewelry nesses that would not oth- an intern, preferably an art A Call to Life made from recycled mate- erwise be able to break into student. She also hopes to When: rials tends to look aestheti- the retail environment. teach middle school, high Weekdays 10 a.m. to cally unpleasing, this is not “If they’re not [made by school and college classes 6 p.m. the case at A Call to Life. locals], we try to make sure about entrepreneurship, They believe that fashion the clothes are at least made perhaps even holding an enWhere: and function are not mutu- in the United States,” said trepreneurship contest and 2502 W. Colorado Ave. ally exclusive.

Teeters. marketing the winning idea.

More Info: In addition to clothes, Some of the clothes for No matter the direction (719) 471-8888 jewelry and accessories, A sale are made in Canada or Teeters decides to take, A Call to Life also sells a vari- China, but she investigates Call to Life will continue ety of adorably snuggly stuffed animals.

Among them are handmade sock monkeys with rhinestone eyes, which were too cute for me to not take home at least one.

The sock monkeys are made by Flocks “O” Sox, a business started by a 13-year-old Colorado girl.

A Call to Life is full of items Photo by Ariel Lattimore made by similar female or A Call to Life offers a wide variety of clothes and accessories.

Culture

Page 6

Monday, September 26, 2011

Guilt free food served at Conscious Table Mark Petty mpetty3@uccs.edu

vers, one of three co-owners of Conscious Table.

They aim to provide patrons with a special dining experience.

The restaurant offers an unA new word might have to be invented to describe an idea that rivaled menu. The entrees on the has come to Colorado Springs. menu include the Duabe of Lamb Conscious Table serves what “Pueblo” with mirasol chiles and might be called “ethical food,” shallot oatmeal hushpuppies, or but that phrase doesn’t encompass a Red Curry-Coconut Burmese the entire idea behind the new Yardbird with pineapple tempura and lemongrass restaurant Until a chicken is dumplings. downtown.

The menu will Conscious ready to be dinner, it Table wants should be allowed to be fluid, however, in order to to bring lobe a chicken. accommodate cally grown the philosophy food to their customers. “Many people claim of Conscious Table, which is to to serve locally grown food, but use only foods produced by susthey fall short,” said Brent Bea- tainable means.

Farm raised salmon and fish The Lowdown caught in overfished areas will never be on the menu at ConWhat: scious Table. Likewise, it’s imConscious Table portant that the chicken are not raised in 15-inch boxes or the catWhen: tle slaughtered by the thousands.

Daily 5:30 p.m. to midnight Small ranches promote a Where: healthier animal and ensure that 26 E. Kiowa St. animals live in a humane environment. Beavers admitted that How much: he loves to eat meat but still be$10 - $30 lieves that there are certain stanMore Info: dards that must be adhered to in 719-636-FARM raising animals for food.

“

“

Photo by Shandi Gross

Left to Right: Aaron Retka, Brent Beavers and Dave Cotrill are the owners and cooks of Conscious Table.

“Until a chicken is ready to be dinner, it should be allowed to be a chicken,” he said.

In the spirit of promoting this idea of a more sustainable, more ethical standard of culinary, Beavers and his partners Dave Cottrill and Aaron Retka are offering a number of culinary courses at the restaurant itself.

The courses include vegan, French dining, Southern, “salads that don’t suck” and even a class for kids, according to Beavers.

High school students can take a special culinary class and figure out if culinary school is really right for them. Anyone interested in signing up for classes can do so at conscioustable.net.

Classes are ideal for anyone wishing to learn some fantastic culinary techniques, but they might be especially useful for anyone wishing to learn how to create a tasty vegan or gluten-free dish. They are also a great way to enjoy delicious food while

helping make the planet a better place.

Conscious Table opened for business on Sept. 29. Late night food will cater to anyone who wishes to have a late night snack and maybe a drink. Foods for $8 include a shrimp corndog with red chile ketchup and key lime mustard.

Reservations are not required but are recommended, as there are only 30 seats available for dinner. S

Colorado Springs’ best kept secrets: Colorado Coffee Merchants Aaron Collett acollett@uccs.edu

Eric Umenhofer had a problem that many fellow coffee elitists face around the Springs: Finding a really great cup of coffee.

He previously enjoyed really great coffee from a friend who once owned a coffee shop of her own, but it closed down.

He managed to obtain a “great coffee” fix every so often when

this friend roasted some coffee beans in a popcorn roaster in her own home, but it wasn’t enough.

“I scoured Colorado Springs for a roaster,” expounded Umenhofer. He eventually found one and took it home in preparation of brewing his own coffee. To his complete frustration, however, it didn’t fit in his garage.

He found a small space for rent in the East Fillmore area, set up his roaster and finally got to start making his great cof-

fee. Umenhofer had completed his mission, but he didn’t stop there.

Umenhofer’s coffee shop is now Colorado Coffee Merchants, a cozy little shop with a commitment to working with local businesses whenever it can and serving up the freshest coffee in the Springs.

Although small, Colorado Coffee Merchants roasts about 1,000 pounds of coffee each week for wholesale clients and never serves coffee that’s more

than 24 hours away from a fresh, green bean.

Colorado Coffee Merchants also sells pastries and cookies from other local businesses, such as Steve’s Private Stash and Sweet Daphne Confections.

Umenhofer remembers clearly how his business took off: “People were just coming in [off the street]. They smelled the coffee roasting and wanted to buy some.”

Umenhofer, who had just wanted his great cup of coffee, was now in the café business. After about three months of “scent traffic,” he put up an open sign and officially became a business.

When asked about what sets Colorado Coffee Merchants apart from other coffee shops in the area, employee Erin Fairweather didn’t hesitate to respond: “We never compromise a good cup of coffee.” Colorado

The Lowdown What: Colorado Coffee Merchants When: Mon. - Fri. 6 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sat. 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Where: 302 E. Fillmore

Owner Eric Umenhofer displays his newest coffee roaster.

Photo by Shandi Gross

More Info: 437-8878 coloradocoffeemerchants.com

Coffee Merchants uses a unique method of roasting called air roasting, or fluid bed roasting.

In normal roasting, the beans lay on hot metal and can burn slightly. They are then bagged along with the by-product of roasting, called chaff.

In air roasting, the beans are elevated on a layer of heated air, never touching heated metal. The chaff is also vacuumed away by a “cyclone”- essentially a funnel that separates the roasted beans from the lighter chaff.

Umenhofer also attributes some of the success of his business to his commitment to fresh coffee. While most roasters will roast beans once a week, Colorado Coffee Merchants roasts every single day.

“The precious oils that give coffee its flavor start to deteriorate after about eight days,” explained Anne Blair, production coordinator.

Colorado Coffee Merchants also has a program called Copper Mug, where it sells a copper colored travel mug that includes a year of free coffee and discounts on all other drinks and pastries if you have your mug with you.

“It’s our way of saying thank you to our regular customers,” said Blair.

According to Umenhofer, Colorado Coffee Merchants will have mugs for sale again just in time for Christmas shopping. S

Culture

Monday, September 26, 2011

Find the movie theater that’s right for you

Page 7 Leslie Randolph lrandolp@uccs.edu

College students enjoy many pastimes, one of the most popular and longstanding of which is taking in a movie.

And why not? Sitting in a dark theater for two hours and being completely immersed in a fantasy world is the perfect way to forget about term papers and exams for a while.

Still, with so many movie theaters in Colorado Springs, which one do you choose? Here are a few to consider.

Cinemark 16 3305 Cinema Point

Kimball’s Twin Peak Theater 115 E. Pikes Peak Ave.

Photo by Alex Gradisher Movie Selection Rating:

Overall Theater Rating:

Photo by Shandi Gross Movie Selection Rating:

Overall Theater Rating:

On the east side of town is the Cinemark 16, located off of Powers Boulevard. It’s the most expensive at $8.75 a ticket but offers all the newest movie experiences like IMAX and 3D. There is also a wide range of movies all showing at multiple times throughout the day, so if you want the most choices, Cinemark 16 would be your best pick.

The staff is nice, helpful and keeps the theaters clean. It’s also both adult- and childfriendly. Although the ticket price may be more than you’re willing to pay for every show, Cinemark 16 is perfect to visit when you want a high-quality experience.

Each theater has something different to offer, so your venue of choice really depends on what you want out of a movie experience. Indie or blockbuster, 3D or 2D, whatever your preference; at least all theaters advertise one common opportunity: An escape.

Downtown, off of Nevada and Pikes Peak Avenue, is Kimball’s Twin Peak Theater, which prides itself in playing a different variety of movies for those who do not want to always see the mainstream, popular films.

Kimball’s has only three auditoriums, but the entire theater has a different look and feel than large theaters. It is more of the old movie-going experience.

You won’t find 3D or IMAX here, but you will find a pleasant theater with kind staff and a refreshing range of movie genres.

Kimball’s only accepts cash for their $6.50 matinees, but an ATM is on location if you need a few extra dollars. There is also a full bar inside, in case you’d like to enjoy some wine with your show.

A word of caution: Don’t show up late or you might need a flashlight to find your seat.

The theaters are quite dark, and it is especially difficult to see if you are moving around.

Picture Show Entertainment LLC

Carmike 10 Theater

901 N. Academy Blvd.

1550 Pulsar Dr.

Photo by Alex Gradisher Movie Selection Rating:

Overall Theater Rating:

Nestled off Galley and S. Academy Boulevard is Picture Show Entertainment LLC, most commonly referred to as the Dollar Theater. Don’t be fooled, though; movies are only a dollar on Tuesdays and $1.75 any other day of the week.

That still beats all the other movie prices in town, but you will have to wait for new movies to show there after they are no longer in the bigger, more expensive theaters.

The theater is a bit dirty with popcorn all over the floor, but it’s not so disgusting that you can’t bear the thought of sitting down for a showing.

The theater screen is smaller than that of other theaters and the sound is almost too quiet sometimes, but none of it made for a bad viewing experience.

Concessions are reasonably priced – a rare find at any theater. A small popcorn costs $3, so the total spent for a ticket and a snack is $4.75 – less than half of what they cost at big chain theaters. The theater has a nice atmosphere overall and the staff is polite and friendly.

While the Dollar Theater isn’t the greatest theater, it is well-worth the ticket price.

Photo by Alex Gradisher Movie Selection Rating:

Overall Theater Rating:

A little further down S. Academy Boulevard is the Carmike 10 Theater, which plays the latest movies. The most important details to note about the venue are the difference in prices and the student discount.

If you show a college ID, you get $3 off regular ticket price, which is $8 Sunday through Thursday. It’s about a dollar cheaper to go during the week instead of weekends.

If you’re hungry, Carmike 10 offers a popcorn bucket that you can buy and refill for $2.50. A small bag, however, costs $5.70 and is the same size sold at the Dollar Theater.

Carmike 10 also offers a reward card, in which you can earn free perks, like movie vouchers. Every dollar spent at the theater registers on the card as one point, and members are eligible for rewards once they reach 80 points, so it’s valuable card for any avid moviegoer.

The lobby and theaters are very nice, clean and the staff is friendly as well. The screen is just as big and the sound quality is just as good as larger theaters, but for a fraction of the price. S

Feat

Monday, Septe

Page 8

It’s all for the love of the ride BMX stunt crew take on national TV Cherise Fantus cfantus@uccs.edu Bunny-rabbits don’t ride bikes. But men in rabbit suits do – and they get to do it on national television.

The Yellow Designs Stunt Team, based out of Denver, got to showcase both their BMX stunts and theatrical talents in season six of America’s Got Talent (AGT), where one of them got to wear a bunny suit.

The team, consisting of 12 members, was started by 39-year-old Cheyenne, Wyo. transplant Brian “Yella” Gavagan.

Af-

ter starting the Yellow Designs clothing company to make use of his artwork in 1991, he decided to do something more fun with it in 2000.

Since biking was his passion, and the company sold mostly biking gear anyway, it was an easy transition into a stunt team, he said.

His first thought for the team was to do competitions, but he didn’t want to deal with the stress, the costs of competitions and the high risk of injury.

So he thought, “Let’s go where the guys can have fun, ride ramps, do their tricks – but let’s get paid for it.”

And that’s how they became Yellow Designs Stunt Team.

The first show they did as a team was a halftime show for the Nuggets.

“It was really stressful,” said Gavagan, since they were told repeatedly to be careful of the million-dollar floor on which they were performing.

Since then, the team has performed at fairs, festivals and other various events around Colorado and around the world.

ture

ember

Page 9

26, 2011

About a year ago, Gavagan woke up to find an email from AGT. They had found out about the team and invited them to audition in Winter Park.

And since it was invite-only, they didn’t even have to wait in line.

The flatlanding (tricks performed on flat ground) that he and teammate James McGraw performed in a hotel ballroom at the audition landed them a televised audition in Atlanta.

Four of the team members, including Gavagan, represented the team for the s h o w.

The others include McGraw, 41, who has competed in the X Games five times and holds w o r l d championships for flatlanding, and who brags, “I turn tricks;” J o n Chin, 26, who has been with the team since 2004; and AJ Anaya, 26, of Denver.

Not wanting to get their hopes up too high, they went in thinking, “At least we get a free trip to Atlanta, then we’ll see what happens,” according to Chin.

They were stoked and feeling good for the entire performance, until Chin’s chain broke as he went up for the finale trick, and he face-planted into the floor.

“I started doing push-ups, because I didn’t know what to do,” he said.

But

the judges gave him another chance to do the trick with Anaya’s bike, and he crushed it.

They were able to move on to Las Vegas, but after that show, they were told they needed to do something more than just BMX stunts when they moved on to Hollywood.

So McGraw got creative. “When I found out what I had as a budget, I let my mind go wild,” he said.

He came up with a Mad Hatter’s tea party complete with dancers, costumes and BMX partycrashers.

McGraw flatlanded as the Mad Hatter, and fellow team member, Zach Lewis, performed stunts in a bunny suit.

“I dressed up like a lunatic, and it worked,” said McGraw.

Though the judges and the audience loved them, they didn’t receive enough votes to go on.

They did, however, get called back as a wild card act, on the insistence of judge Sharon Osbourne.

For this second chance act, McGraw created a pirate-themed show that incorporated BMX,

flatlanding, dancers and this time, a story.

The judges and the audience were certain they were going on, but again, they didn’t get enough votes.

“We don’t really feel like what we did could translate that well on TV,” said Gavagan. The studio audience got to see the whole story play out, but the folks at home only got an edited version of that.

Despite that, Gavagan said the fact that they got into the top 30 of 70,000 acts was a real accomplishment.

Since the show, they’ve gotten back to what they really love doing – riding, and having fun doing it.

The shows they do at festivals and events are not choreographed, and without the stress of having to do a perfectly choreographed show, they can do whichever tricks they feel like doing in the moment.

“These guys are just making this up. Let them feel what the energy is right now and do whatever they want,” said Gavagan. S

Culture

Page 10

Monday, September 26, 2011

The Flobots bring energetic sound to UCCS Molly Mrazek mmrazek@uccs.edu

After weeks of promotions and advertisements all over campus, the moment we had all been waiting for came.

On Sept. 17, the Flobots performed in front of a crowd of about 700 students and community members. Air Dubai, followed by K.Flay, kicked off the night with an upbeat frenzy of songs.

The Gallogly Events Center transformed into a concert venue, with black drapes covering the folded bleachers and carpeting covering the wooden floor, while the stage was adorned with colorful lights that swept the room and produced dazzling designs all over the walls.

Just before the concert,

the Flobots met with the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission. The band shook hands and signed autographs happily for a group of kids from a peace camp that the Commission ran.

The kids, lead by T.K. Hofmann, were part of a class at the camp called “White Flag Warriors 101,” named after the well-known song by the Flobots of the same name.

The class was also hosted by the Flobots non-profit organization, flobots.org.

During the class, the kids drew pictures of what they thought a “White Flag Warrior” was and contacted Flobots’ lead singer, Jamie Laurie (Jonny 5), in the hopes of sharing their pictures and meeting the band.

Between meeting the band members and getting various items signed, the kids also walked around with a petition to end the war in Iraq.

When 8 p.m. rolled around and concertgoers had chosen the spot where they would stand for the duration of the event, opening band Air Dubai took the stage.

Based out of Denver, the band brought a mixture of rap and up-beat melodies to Colorado Springs. The band consisted of all the typical rock-style instruments, but also added a fantastically unique trumpet wail to the mixture.

Next was K.Flay, (who visited UCCS last year, opening for 3Oh!3), who added her own blend of rap and quirky melodies to the concert as well. She is probably the fastest fe-

male rapper ever seen, and hailing from San Francisco, brought her own style.

Finally, after much ado, in came the Flobots.

“Are you ready, Colorado Springs?” asked Stephen Brackett, one of the band’s lead singers.

The Flobots proved once again that its distinctive combination of guitar, bass, drums and viola equaled musical genius. Speaking for peace and acceptance, the Flobots spent the next hour and a half entertaining the crowd and wearing out their dancing feet.

“It was definitely the best concert I have been to at UCCS!” said an enthused Kolby Stallings, a senior. “The Flobots were amazing, K.Flay always puts on a good show, and I am now an Air Dubai fan!” S

Photo by Alex Gradisher

Jesse Walker of the Flobots was more than happy to sign anything, including T.K. Hoffman’s bandana.

Leftmore’s Joe Ziegler to play at The Black Sheep again

Catherine Jensen cjensen2@uccs.edu

A blend of indie, folk and alternative rock is scheduled to fill The Black Sheep when alumnus Joe Ziegler and his band Leftmore, along with The Myth of Modern Medicine and Government Camp, hit the stage next weekend.

Ziegler graduated from UCCS in 2007 with a degree in communication and has been creating music since the band’s beginnings in Vail House in 2004.

Ziegler released his first album, “For Every Seed a Tree,” at The Black Sheep in 2010 at the beginning of his 12th national tour and estimated he has played there between 15 and 20 times.

Ziegler came back to tour this month after recovering from open heart surgery in late July. He suffered

Club

an aneurism in an artery, a section of which was later replaced with a mechanical valve.

Ziegler said he “feels very lucky to be in good health” and was on the road six weeks after his surgery.

He said he is looking forward to playing with The Myth of Modern Medicine, whom he played with at his album release, and Government Camp.

“I’m really excited that I’m starting to play again. I just feel really lucky and excited to get back on stage and see how it goes,” he said.

“These are three of the best Colorado Springs local bands, so if people haven’t been to The Black Sheep, this is a great opportunity to embrace and be a part of the Colorado Springs music scene,” he added.

“It’s hard to get out to live shows with ramen noodle diets and student loans. A lot of kids are looking to get $5 worth of entertainment, but I guarantee this is going to be a lot of fun and worth it.”

Ziegler also wanted to remind students that this month is Stashtember, so mustaches are highly encouraged. S

The Lowdown What: Leftmore with The Myth of Modern Medicine and Government Camp When: Sept. 30, doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Where: The Black Sheep 2106 East Platte Ave., 80909 How much: $5 tickets online at ticketweb.com or at the door

Spotlight

APISU seeks to break stereotypes, encourage education April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu

Couches and chairs fill up in the ROAR office as members of the Asian Pacific Islander Student Union (APISU) prepare for a game of charades. A club that believes in ending each meeting with a fun, engaging group activity, APISU continues to be prominent involved group on campus.

APISU makes a point to incorporate all of Asia and the Pacific Islands, not just a select few Asian countries.

Bryan Pattirane, presi-

dent of APISU, is Indonesian and said that many group members come from all over continental Asia.

“We stick to APISU because we like the name.

It’s more the name; we let people know about Asian countries, like the Middle East,” added Pattirane.

APISU is planning events for the semester, including a bonfire on Oct. 12 at Four Diamonds. Last year, the bonfire was cancelled because of the fire ban, but the fire ban has been lifted for this year.

“Past events have been successful. Two years ago, we had [the bonfire]

on the West Lawn [and we had] open, good weather.

In an hour and a half, all the food was gone,” said Pattirane.

The bonfire has different acts from the different cultures included in APISU. In the past two years, an Indian dancer and belly dancer have performed.

Every fall semester, APISU has a RACE, or Raging Asian Cultural Event. This year’s RACE will be in November.

It teaches about different Asian and Pacific Islander countries each year, so the same country is not featured two years

in a row.

“It’s to educate and break the stereotypes,” Pattirane said about RACE. “There’s different cultures, different languages. People have this idea that we’re all the same; some people argue with us if we don’t look Asian but [we] say we are.

Just because we’re all different doesn’t mean we’re not Asian.”

APISU members bring in artifacts, or other items of cultural significance, that they have around their homes and share them with the group.

Members have the chance to enjoy foreign

foods, too; APISU orders food from the various Asian restaurants in town and tries to ensure the food is authentic.

APISU is more than just a club, though; members interact with each other outside of meetings.

“One of our main points is to bond with our members. We aren’t one of those organizations where you just meet and don’t see each other otherwise,” Pattirane explained.

“We consider ourselves friends. We hang out, go bowling and help new freshmen adjust to the college life,” he continued.

Last year, the club was

made up of mostly Filipinos. This year, there are more Korean members because of a recent influx of foreign exchange students.

“The [Korean Philanthropy Club] and my club sponsored 15-20 foreign exchange students from Korea this past summer,” concluded Pattirane.

Students who do not have Asian or Pacific Islander heritage may still attend APISU meetings and talk freely. Anyone interested in joining APISU is welcome to attend one of their weekly Friday meetings at 5 p.m. in the ROAR Office. S

Monday, September 26, 2011

Opinion Editorial

Page 11

When being yourself becomes an artform

Since the dawn of time (that may be an exaggeration), parents, teachers, pop stars and role models of all kinds have been advising to “Be yourself.”

From Audioslave singing, “To be yourself is all that you can do,” to Madonna belting, “Express yourself” (though that one is about women being able to tell men what they really want, it still rings true), the sentiment is splattered all over our lives.

In high school, a lot of people strive to be “different” or “one-of-a-kind,” but in doing so, they end up being just like everyone else who’s trying to do the same thing.

Then, there are those who are afraid to show who they really are. They buy the clothes that the “cool kids” wear, dye their hair blonde (or whatever the right color may be) and adopt a style of speech that makes them sound just like everyone else.

But then they graduate and get into the real world, and realize that it’s OK to be themselves – that people actually like the person they are inside.

In college, we all really start to find ourselves, and as we get up to the junior and senior levels, many of us feel that we have a pretty good sense of who we are and stop worrying so much about what others think.

Obviously, there’s still some concern, as we all generally shower every day and make an effort to wear clothes that will make others find us at least moderately attractive. But mostly, we are unconcerned with the opinions of others.

We at the Scribe like to express ourselves through writing, photography and graphic design. Those of us who have chosen to make the Scribe a part of our lives have done so because we feel very passionately about what we do.

The Flobots, who just rocked your faces off in a concert last weekend (see page 10), have chosen music as their outlet. Their unique sound and interesting lyrics give us a sense of who they really are.

The Yellow Designs Stunt Team, a BMX stunt team featured on America’s Got Talent (see pages 8 and 9), chose stunt biking as their medium. The tricks they choose to do, as well as the enthusiasm with which they do them, are a big part of who they are.

We all have something in our lives that we feel truly passionate about, something that we feel defines who we are (and not just the person we want others to see, but the big “I” that is the true self).

Deep down, you know that you have something that sets you apart and makes you uniquely you. The trick is finding that something. Many of us already know (most members of the Yellow Designs Stunt Team have been stunt-riding since they were kids).

Many people know it, but are afraid to let others know. To them, we say just go for it.

You will be much happier if you do what interests you rather than what you think other people will find interesting. If you’ve always wanted to play guitar, sign up for lessons. If joining the Bedlam Knights interests you, but you think everyone will think you’re a giant nerd, just go for it anyway.

(I’m not sure if you got the memo, but being nerdy is so in right now.)

The fact is that we’re running out of things that are real these days. Plastic surgery, airbrushing, autotune and other technologies are turning us into a society of plastics.

And we want to see the real you!

So tell us who you really are. Write us at scribe.eic@gmail.com or post on our Facebook page, and tell us how you express yourself.

- The Scribe editorial board S

Letters to the Editor

I’ve been asked many times since arriving at UCCS this year, “Why be a part of Student Government, anyway?”

I could explain and go over in detail the intricate workings of the Student Government Association (SGA), but the best way for me to get across the importance of this organization is with one simple phrase: “Because one man or one woman can make a difference.”

After all, isn’t that what we all strive for in our lives? We’re going to college to get an education and a magical piece of paper that hopefully gets our foot in the door for a job interview. Of course, being a “college-educated citizen” is supposed to make us better members of our community with the idea we’re more informed and educated about the world around us.

But when we finally achieve that undergraduate degree, will we only apply that knowledge toward making money? Or will we, instead, work to be leaders in our future communities, helping to steer it in the right direction for the better?

Well, why wait? Right now, this very minute, you can get involved in the one organization that is charged with being your voice to the Chancellor, Regents, professors and to your fellow students.

Student Government creates, oversees and cares for more than a $200,000 annual budget. This budget, made up of student fees, helps to fund clubs, organizations and other entities approved to receive funding.

But guess what? That money has to come from somewhere, and it comes from YOU! Those of you who are pinching pennies and looking after every dollar you spend probably aren’t interested in seeing your hard-earned money spent in a way you might disagree with. If this is you, then SGA has a number of ways you can let us know.

So I ask you, why not have your voice heard? Stay on top of Student Government happenings by visiting the organization’s website at uccs.edu/sga or follow the latest updates on UCCS’s SGA Facebook page by searching for “UCCS Student Government.”

And just in case you’d rather reach out to one of us with any issues or questions you might have, please drop me a line at uccssteve@gmail.com or send me a “tweet” (I never get tired of saying “tweet”) at @UCCSSteve.

I’ll make sure whatever you’re looking for is sent to the right person so we can get you an answer as soon as possible.

Remember – together, we are the future. See you around campus!

Stephen J. Collier UCCS Student Government House Member uccssteve@gmail.com

I am both a major in the United States Army and an online student at UCCS. In May 2011, I completed all the requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Homeland Defense; to date, however, UCCS has failed to provide my certificate.

Instead of congratulations, all I receive are requests to sign up for more classes. Back in late June, after all other university students received their diplomas and certificates, I made my first call to the Center for Homeland Security to discover that the Department did not even realize I completed all requirements.

In mid-July 2011, I was told that certificates would not be signed until Aug. 31, at the latest.

For graduates, the diploma or certificate is the substantiating document to a resume. The failure of a university to provide timely diplomas or certificates delays the graduate’s opportunities to procure employment, thereby directly affecting the graduate’s bottom line.

In my case, I retired from the Army on Sept. 20 of this year, and I cannot mail a single resume or conduct an interview for homeland defense-related careers until the proof of my education is securely in my hands.

Resumes that should have been sent in June, for interviews conducted in July or August, were preplanned for a career transition in September. The failure of UCCS is directly affecting my income.

Besides having an incompetent staff, the Center for Homeland Security also has a substandard curriculum. One class in particular is PAD 5951: Interagency Relationships in Homeland Security and Homeland Defense. “Interagency” is the moniker given to the myriad governmental organizations that provide support for national security and during emergencies.

The program of study covered neither the major participants of the Interagency nor the capabilities of those dominant members. The most basic requirement of any leader conducting any type of operation is an inventory of assets available to apply to a problem.

Instead, the solitary theme of the class was learning that interpersonal communication skills are required to cooperate with outside agencies. Really? That is an undergraduate skill, at best.

To demonstrate a fair and balanced assessment of the Center for Homeland Security, I must give praises to the professors of PAD 5950: Introduction to Homeland Defense and PAD 5957: Understanding the Threat, who both inspired conversation, contribution, interest and further research in their classes.

As an introduction to online study, these two professors set a high and respectable standard.

But for the program as a whole, that’s still only a 50 percent score.

On Sept. 1, after a month of silence, I called to discover that the certificates were finally on the Dean’s desk, ready for signature, but without a clue of when they would be signed or even mailed to those that earned them.

During the call, a representative from the Center grew quite condescending and uncooperative. He claimed he did not even know, or at least was not willing to share, the e-mail address of his superiors with a rightfully angry student who was looking for resolution.

I am disgusted with the pathetic, apathetic, haphazard efforts of the UCCS Center for Homeland Security. There has been absolutely no effort on behalf of the department to inform me (and doubtlessly others) of any delays, status updates or even reasons for the delays.

The University, its colleges, departments and relevant staffs have a duty to their students (the ones who pay their salaries) to provide timely graduation, diplomas and certificates. Apparently, the University has little regard for its students and our bottom line.

John A. James Major, U.S. Army

Opinion

Page 12

Monday, September 26, 2011

Texting is for the communication-impaired

I am so over text messaging.

I remember when it used to be a novelty during high school and my less-mature relationships. Now, it’s just an easy way to miscommunicate and get into fights.

Let’s look at this objectively. Texting doesn’t work for a number of reasons.

Number one, you can’t tell tone from text messaging. All of a sudden, a simple sentence like, “Go have fun with your friends,” becomes a reason to believe your boyfriend is angry with you, just because he neglected to put a smiley-face emoticon and an exclamation point at the end.

If the words were spoken to you, the emphasis might have been put on the word “friends,”

“

“

Molly Mrazek mmrazek@uccs.edu

making it easy to understand ums. that the meaning was genuine Gone are the days of elegant and friendly rather than flat and love letters, majestically and angry. exquisitely written in romantic If someone just responds calligraphy (and, might I add, with a “k,” then he is obviously grammatically correct…or is upset with you; especially if it’s that “correctly”?). capitalized and with a period at Now we swoon over an “ily” the end. or “luv u!”

Number two, we have to Who has the time to write a establish new social norms for sentence with commas and petext messaging. If you were to riods? As a matter of fact, who meet someone at a bar, school has time to complete a word or a party and you were to ex- anymore? change numbers, the way to get “You” becomes “u,” “are” to know each other is by texting becomes “r” and worst of all, them all day long. That is how “to,” “too” and “two” have you establish a relationship. become “2.” Our elementary If the person is a smooth school English teachers must texter, then you might consid- be rolling over in their graves er having a conversation with (assuming that the massacre of him face-to-face. However, if the English language has killed he were to, say, call you on the them). phone and try to have a converNumber three, texting is quite sation with you, you would find distracting. There are definitely that weird. more imporWhat is tant things, this, 1982?

Who has the time like, just off Also, if to write a sentence the top of my you were head…class. with commas and to go out Everyone’s with your done the hideperiods? friends, the-phone-unit’s no londer-the-deskger considered rude to not give to-text thing. No one’s fooling them 100 percent of your atten- anyone, and its exceptionally tion. It’s become a new social rude to the instructor that’s norm to multi-task and talk to trying to bore (pardon the multiple friends at once in all pun) some knowledge into our different communication medi- heads.

Photo courtesy of Alton It’s also distracting when you’re expecting an important text back from someone and you start to count how many minutes have passed since you texted her.

Geez, it’s been five whole minutes! What could she possibly be doing?

Perhaps she’s blowing you off, just plain choosing not to respond to you. But how do you know that?

Maybe she’s somewhere with bad reception, or she never got your text, or her brother’s giraffe had a sudden allergic reaction to her mom’s casserole and needed to go to the vet ASAP! Now, the next time you see her, there’s that unspoken awk-

wardness of wondering whether she was rude and didn’t respond or simply never knew there was something to respond to.

I hate when I check my phone and all it tells me is the time. It’s heartbreaking.

Honestly, how did our parents and grandparents ever get to know each other without texting? How were they supposed to know what each other was doing every second of every day, without it?

Without the constant “Whatcha doooin?” text, how were they supposed to know that the other person cared?

No one is going to give up texting all together, but perhaps we could be more mature about it. Oh, wait. LOL. S

an American soldier day after day, fighting, essentially, for my freedom.

The problem, of course, is that he and I are living in different realities. Video games are causing him, and many others, to lose sight of the difference between real life and video game life.

Clearly, the lines between the two lives can blur, leaving gamers with a sense of confusion.

Don’t get me wrong – there’s nothing wrong with video games, per se. Video games can be a great way to get away and relax from everyday life.

But some gamers

can get so immersed in a game that they confuse what is real with what is just a game — that is when video games become a problem.

Some gamers need to come to terms with the fact that video games are just that — games.

Eventually, a realization of the fact that not everyone knows what they are talking about when they mention anything about their video game life needs to surface.

Video games are causing some people to lose sight of reality, and that in itself, is quite sad. S

Video games are an alternate view of reality

Julianne Sedillo jsedillo@uccs.edu It’s a Friday night, and a group of guys get together. Inevitably, the Xbox gets turned on, and all eyes are glued to the TV. For the next couple of hours, the room sounds like a real life war zone: “Grab your AK-47 and let’s go!”

“Get behind the car — now!”

For days afterward, they will have their minds on the epic battle that had ensued on that otherwise ordinary Friday night, anxiously awaiting their next “Call of Duty” rendezvous.

There is a plethora of video games that feature very realistic plot lines loosely based on ac-

tual events. Games like “Call of Duty,” “Medal of Honor” and “Battlefield” are a couple of examples. Heck, even the graphics are pretty hard to decipher from real life if you don’t look at the TV too closely.

But the very evolution of these games, from their blocky animation beginnings to their crisp, high-def present, may be the very problem with video games: They are becoming too realistic.

For children who are growing up playing these games every day and maybe even for some adults who have found an addiction to the hand-controller, video games may pose a very real threat to life as it is today.

Take last weekend, for example. I got into an argument with a guy about lyrics that I had posted as my Facebook status.

Somehow, this argument spiraled downward, eventually leading him to say that I was disrespecting him. He said that he deserved my respect because of his supposed fight for my freedom.

Now let’s back up. First of all, this is someone who has never shot anything more than an airsoft gun. He spends his

days in front of his TV with his friends, playing “Call of Duty” hour after hour.

How on earth could he have fought for the freedom of this country without any previous military experience?

The answer, I say, is video games.

With the in-depth plot development, the pristine graphics and the challenging life trials and tribulations that the characters must face, video games are becoming more and more like real life.

For someone who plays an excessive amount of them, video games may very well be an alternate reality.

The only problem is, not everyone plays video games.

I, not being a gamer myself, was utterly confused when the concept of freedom was brought into this otherwise trivial argument.

When I examined the situation more closely, however, I realized I was wrong.

It was true: This guy really was fighting as

Life on the Bluffs

Monday, September 26, 2011

Campus Chatter

- Story by Aaron Collett acollett@uccs.edu -Photos by Alex Gradisher

Listening to music can be crucial to getting through school. It can help us focus when we need to, or it can distract us when we need to be distracted. We wanted to know what kinds of music you love and what musical experiences have been especially memorable. Here were some of your answers:

Page 13

the Scribble

TOP TEN Tacos

Alan McLeod

Freshman, Psychology What is your favorite style of music? What is your favorite thing about that style?

Hip hop and alternative rock. There’s not just one style you have to have, there’s lots of different forms of it.

If you could go to any concert, past or present, what would it be?

I’d go to a Beatles [concert] because there are so many artists that say, “Oh, the Beatles are my inspiration.” I want to know why, through personal experience.

Justin Torres

Sophomore, Biology What is your favorite style of music? What is your favorite thing about that style?

In particular, I like Indie rock. It has lots of soul. It’s more rough, not as refined and polished as some mainstream rock, and that gives it charm and makes it better, in my opinion.

What is the best concert you’ve ever been to, and why was it the best?

The best concert I’ve ever been to was Foxy Shazam up in Denver because they are kind of an indie band, too.

They usually put on the most crazy shows ever. During one of their heavier songs, the singer actually climbed up on the rafters and started swinging, and the rafters looked like they were going to fall out of the ceiling. It was nuts.

If you could go to any concert, past or present, what would it be?

I’d go to Woodstock, because it was so epic and crazy and monumental.

Hannah Pinar Junior, Biology

What is your favorite style of music? What is your favorite thing about that style?

Techno and dub step, because it makes you dance; you have no choice.

What is the best concert you’ve ever been to, and why was it the best?

Skrillex at Red Rocks last summer. [Sonny More] took everyone on a journey with him.

If you could go to any concert, past or present, what would it be?

Sublime. The original Sublime, because they are classic. S

10.

9.

8.

7.

Wahoo’s Fish Tacos

Taco Bell

Taco John’s

Albertacos

6.

José Muldoon’s

5.

Del Taco

4.

El Taco Rey

3.

The Loop

2.

Taco Express

1.

Your mom’s taco

- Alex Gradisher

pearrot@gmail.com

Page 14

Life on the Bluffs

the Scribble

Disclaimer: The contents of the Scribble are completely fabricated, peppered with inconsistencies and laced with lies. Any resemblance to the truth found herein is a matter of sheer luck. The Scribble should be approached with a healthy dose of skepticism, and its claims should be taken - if they are taken at all - with many grains of salt.

Scribe voted best student newspaper at UCCS Dr. Gonzo thescribblepage@gmail.com

The Scribe is officially number one. In a recent poll, UCCS students were asked to choose the best UCCS student newspaper and voted overwhelmingly for The Scribe.

In the poll conducted by the Scribe staff, UCCS students were simply asked to choose their favorite UCCS newspaper.

With nearly 85 percent of the votes from the 15 students surveyed, The Scribe is clearly the favorite.

When asked why they chose The Scribe, most students argued that the choice was nothing more than obvious.

Sophomore Joseph Sunlight stated, “Well, I guess it is the best. I don’t even know if the school has another paper.”

Senior Dakota Starling supported his vote with, “So… I mean, it has to be the best. There isn’t even another option.”

Nearly all of the Scribe staff agreed that the paper is number one. The Scribe won nearly 80 percent of the staff vote.

While some may find it odd that the paper did not win 100 percent of the staff vote, the following statement was released by The Scribe to explain the underwhelming percentage of staff support: “Indeed, there are those among us that do not support the paper. However, this is a democracy, and our staff members are allowed to make their own decisions.

Those that did not vote for The Scribe are

free to make that choice. That is freedom, and with freedom comes responsibility.

Now those unsupportive members just need to deal with the consequences of that choice.”

The Scribe has been celebrating all week for this victory. With that success, plans are now being considered for expansion.

Editor-in-Chief Sharita Fantasy said, “I believe that we have indeed reached the level of success that we need to move forward. We are working on a proposal to begin charging for the paper. It’s obvious now that this is the number one university paper and the public has always been willing to pay for the number one resource.”

There are some who argue, however, that The Scribe is also the worst paper on campus.

As freshman Claudia Beaumont put it, “Well, yeah, I guess that The Scribe is the � 6 best campus paper, but it’s the only one.

That means it’s also the worst paper.” � �� This student has not been the only one �4 to make this argument, though many say �6 that they don’t mean any insult toward �8 The Scribe; it’s simply a matter of math.

20 The official response from The Scribe 2� is still that the paper is number one. As 22 Fantasy said, “I don’t care if anyone tries 2� 24 to argue some sort of mathematical se2� mantics. We won the vote. Furthermore, 2� �2 if any other university paper were to pop �� �� up, we know that we’d take them down… �6 with extreme prejudice.” S

Monday, September 26, 2011

Did You Know?

- Julianne Sedillo, jsedillo@uccs.edu

Did you know that a famous chamber ensemble called the Da Vinci Quartet were the musicians in residence at UCCS? They were founded in 1980, and their first concert was in the fall of 1982, which began their 24 consecutive season run. They disbanded in 2005, marking more than 25 years of success. They are now artistsin-residence at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, the ensemble-in-residence at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, and they also serve a residency with the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association. The Da Vinci Quartet has created five albums and was awarded the 2001 Peak Area Performance Award for the “best classical music performance by a small ensemble.” �

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Students tailgate Chancellor’s town hall meeting St. Jebus thescribblepage@gmail.com Students will find any reason to drink beer and eat wieners in a parking lot.

Last Monday night, in preparation for the town hall meeting with Chancellor Pat Shocker-Zanzabar and CU President Brice Beesting, students gathered on campus for a tailgating party.

Trucks started arriving at about 10:30

Photo by Alex Gradisher

Several students tailgate in the parking lot before the Chancellor’s meeting.

p.m., just after the last classes of the day ended. The party didn’t end until 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, when the town hall meeting actually started.

Amanda Freetodance, taking a break from dancing, said, “This is amazing!

We never did anything like this in high school!”

There were about 150 people gathered in Lot 4. Ten stereos were blasting while people got their dance on. Six barbecues of various shapes and sizes were smoking away, cooking burgers, brats and whatever meat people had managed to bring.

There was a large bonfire blazing off to one side, being fed physics and chemistry textbooks, which left the fire burning for hours before any more fuel had to be added.

One of the students responsible for planning the tailgate party, Jeff Drunkagain, said, “Yeah! Whooohooo!” Then he crushed a beer can on his head.

Junior Shannon Repto, looking quite bleary-eyed loudly proclaimed, “I like tur-

tles!” before passing out.

Not everyone, however, loved the idea of tailgating. Campus Safety urged students who are going to tailgate to do so safely.

“It’s all fun and games until someone gets their clothes run up the flagpole or has their car moved into the library. That’s never funny,” said Police Chief Tim Rice.

There was also some student backlash.

Students Protesting against Random Tailgating Association (SPARTA) also made an appearance, but they were not partying; they were picketing.

When asked about the purpose of the club, President Mark Handley was quite clear, saying, “There needs to be a clear reason to tailgate. What’s with all this randomness? Once people start tailgating for any reason they want, that’s the beginning of the end.”

Handley declined to explain what he meant by “the end.” “If you don’t already know,” he said, “it’s too late for you.”

Sophomore Leo King chimed in, “We are SPARTA. It’s what we do.” S

Monday, September 26, 2011

Sports

Page 15

Colorado Springs heritage bares long-lasting Olympic ties Matt Rigby mrigby@uccs.edu Since 1978, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has been headquartered in Colorado Springs, making it a huge part of our identity and culture.

There have also been several UCCS athletes over the last several years that competed in various Olympic competitions, including Colin Robinson, Jillian Roman and Kaitlyn McKim, who travelled to Athens, Greece to compete in the 2009 Judo Junior World Championships.

Aside from producing several Olympic studentathletes, the school also has a nationally recognized Team USA triathlon club, which marks only the fifth team in Colorado, along with CU-Boulder, Air Force, Colorado College and CSU. The USOC is bound to host future UCCS Olympians as well, since it is contracted to remain in El Paso County through

at least 2038.

The committee occupies what was once the ENT Air Force Base, located at the intersection of Union and Boulder. When the USOC left New York City in 1978, the only other city that initially wanted them to move in was Baton Rouge, LA. As time went by, however, more than 80 cities were involved in the bidding process to claim rights as the USOC’s home. Chicago was close to winning, but once the bidding process was over, it appeared that it was in the best interest of the USOC to move to Colorado Springs.

The USOC was established in 1894 and was first headquartered in New York City. In 1948, the USOC was officially chartered by the U.S. Congress.

Since it was established, the United States has hosted the Olympic Games for a total of eight times, in various cities.

The four U.S. summer games have been stationed in St. Louis

(1904), Los Angeles (1932), Los Angeles (1984) and Atlanta (1996).

The four U.S. winter games have been hosted in Lake Placid, N.Y. (1932), Squaw Valley, Calif. (1960) and Lake Placid, N.Y. (1980) with the most recent being held in Salt Lake City (2002).

For a country to be recognized by the International Olympic Committee, and thus be able to participate in the Olympic Games, they must have a national Olympic committee in their respective country.

The International Olympic Committee was constituted in 1894 in Paris, and today, hosting the Olympic Games is a highly public, multi-trillion dollar venture.

In August 2012, the latest addition of the summer games will be hosted in London.

Jim Morrison, leader of Indianapolis’s Olympic sports efforts, stated in August 2010 during an Olympic gathering at the Broadmoor International

Center, “Every top tier city in the U.S. would kill to have the USOC headquartered in their town.”

In 2008, former Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera assessed the value of the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado Spring to be worth $341 million in annual economic impact, with a direct tax income value of $3.4 million.

Consequently, cur-

rent Mayor Steve Bach is aggressively working on a branding plan to make it more visible to the general public that Colorado Springs is home of the U.S. Olympic Committee, since there is a tremendous amount of economic value in the Olympic brand.

Colorado Springs may be rich with cultural diversities and many important histo-

ries of years past, but it’s the unique, possibly unknown, athletic icons, including the USOC, that bring an essence of flare toward a town that isn’t known primarily for its athletic roots.

Students are encouraged to visit the USOC since it plays a vital role in the Olympic structure, and carries a hefty impact on annual economic entities. S

Photo by Robert Solis

The Olympic Traing Center is where several UCCS students train.

Third round woes lead to 11th place finish at Air Force Invitational Ryan Adams radams3@uccs.edu

Although a poor third round cost the Mountain Lion golf team a possible top 10 finish, the team did put together two solid rounds at the Air Force Invitational on Sept. 19.

The team finished with a combined team score of 877, three strokes behind Division I Air Force and five strokes behind San Diego and Wyoming, who also compete in the Division I venue.

The two day tournament took place Sept. 1819 at the Eisenhower Blue Course, which some may consider one of the best golf courses in the city of Colorado Springs.

The Colorado Buffaloes and UNLV Rebels tied for first after three rounds with final team scores of 844. UNLV took down Colorado in a team playoff, and won the Falcon Invitational for the first time.

Coming into the tournament, the Mountain

Lions found themselves in the same position they were a year ago: They were the only Division II school competing in the tournament.

Last year, the Mountain Lions shocked the college golf world by beating out all of the Division I invites and taking home the title.

Although head coach Phil Trujillo knew how the team fared last year, he still wasn’t too disappointed with the Mountain Lions finish this time around.

“I thought the team played two really good rounds,” stated Trujillo.

“Unfortunately, it’s a three-round event and we didn’t play well in the second round of the 36hole day. We got off to a bad start and the boys struggled coming down the stretch. Finishing just outside the top 10 was disappointing, but we did beat some good [Division I] teams,” he added.

However, the men did have some great moments coming from juniors Spencer Biersdorff and

Eddie DeLashmutt, by recording under par rounds throughout the tournament.

“Spencer played three really good rounds on a very tough golf course.

Shooting 67 on the opening round was good enough for second place against some really good Division I players. He also had a strong finish again this year with a oneunder round of 71,” said Trujillo.

“Eddie DeLashmutt played some good golf as well. This was his first time playing in this event and his rounds of 74, 72 and 69 kept us ahead of many good schools,” he added.

Behind Biersdorff and DeLashmutt, freshman Patrick Skakel finished third on the team with a three round score of 227, followed by junior Kevin Witte at 231 and senior Mitch Buchner at 233.

The team’s next event is at the second RMAC / NSIC Crossover Tournament at Wild Horse Golf Course in Gothenberg,

Neb. This tournament will finish up Sept. 26 and is the second RMAC tournament of the season. It will be important for the Mountain Lions to build

on their improvements at Air Force and play even better.

“This was the first time playing this event for three of our guys. It’s a demanding golf course

Patroc Skakel eyes up his putt on the 18th hole.

and even more pressure playing against all D1 teams. Overall, not our best tournament, but we are starting to figure it out as a team,” concluded Trujillo. S

Photo by Alex Gradisher

Sports the

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Mens Golf Page 15

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Monday, September 26, 2011

Senior leadership key to lady Mountain Lion’s hot start Tyler Bodlak tbodlak@uccs.edu For the first time since the program’s inception four years ago, the UCCS women’s soccer team finally has the kind of experience and leadership needed to compete for a conference title amongst the powerhouse Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).

With a record of 3-1, the team is off to a hot start. Not surprisingly, Head Coach Nichole Ridenour traces this early success back to leadership.

“The key to our success this year has been the leadership we have. They call each other and hold each other to a higher standard than the coaching staff can,” said Ridenour.

“This year I’ve had a lot of help from the seniors holding the team to a higher standard, which just allows me to do my job and coach,” she added.

This experience has allowed the lady Mountain Lions to implement a new for-

mation this season, the 4-3-3 (instead of a 4-4-2 system).

This new alignment will, potentially, provide an offensive boost, but requires constant communication from defensive players.

“Before, we didn’t really have the connectivity to run a 4-3-3 because if you don’t have one part of the 4-3-3 work, your defense ends up getting pounded and your forwards end up standing there,” said Ridenour via gomountainlions.com.

“This is the first year that I feel confident that we have the players on the field, the mentality and the leadership to run it,” she continued.

Ridenour also believes that the 4-3-3 will give her team an added dimension that has been lacking from previous teams.

“It gives our team a lot of versatility because we can easily drop back to our old formation if necessary. The girls know it; we can run it easily. The new formation gives us a lot of firepower because we have seniors who are capable of running it,” she said.

Last year, UCCS finished sixth in the conference, earning a road playoff game at New Mexico Highlands, which resulted in an early playoff exit.

This season, the team not only has its sights set on a return trip to the playoffs, but hosting a home match.

In order to achieve their goal, UCCS will have to finish in the top four of the RMAC, in which the top two teams receive first round byes, and the third and fourth teams host playoff matches.

“We’re thinking if we work our butts off early and get into the rankings where we want to be, we can have more success in playoffs and go a little further,” concluded Ridenour.

With a talented and experienced core of senior playmakers to lean on, that’s something that has the potential to happen this year.

The ladies return home Oct. 2 to face NebraskaOmaha at Mountain Lion Field, followed by a showdown with conference rival NebraskaKearney on Oct. 7. S

Photo courtesy of gomountainlions.com

The UCCS women’s soccer team is off to a hot start with a record of 3-1.

Lady Mountain Lions crush Colorado College at Whiteout Night Ryan Adams radams3@uccs.edu UCCS never let crosstown rival Colorado College get ahead and swept them in three straight sets (25-17, 25-13, 25-14) during Whiteout Night, Sept. 21.

The ladies not only put on an impressive display of power and agility, but also played great team volleyball, overall.

Junior Nikki Kinzer led the team with 11 kills, senior Cindy Bathelt led with 33 assists, and sophomore Skylar Lewandowski rounded out the stellar night with a team-high of 10 digs.

Fundamental team play wasn’t the only thing on tap, however at the Gallogly Events Center.

“Whiteout Night,” an idea spearheaded by the Office of Student Activities and FIGHT Club, drew a rowdy crowd of around 600 students.

The event started at 5 p.m., but students eager to get their hands on one of

the 200 hallowed Whiteout Night t-shirts showed up even earlier.

The pregame festivities were held at Berger Hall and included an array of free food and energy drinks.

The event was sponsored by Jimmy Johns and Noodles & Company, who provided sandwiches and pasta.

For $2 or a canned food donation, students could also get a free white Mountain Lion bandana. Monster was there, as well, handing out free energy drinks and students got their faces painted to show support.

Sophomores Wes Levanduski and Arick Zeigel were two of the 600 students who were basking in the fun of Whiteout Night.

“I didn’t realize that our volleyball team was this talented and #2 (Nikki Kinzer) can really wreck the ball!” said Levanduski. “I’ll definitely be at more games this year cheering them on,” he furthered.

Zeigel, in similar fashion, expressed his positive

thoughts. “It’s fun to see everyone in one place and supporting our athletes,” he stated. “I had a great time and can’t for Whiteout Night next year!”

Head coach Keith Barnett seemed to notice the energy his team was drawing from the boost in attendance, which may have had quite the effect on the quick outcome.

“I think the game went better than expected, as we really took it to them from the beginning and never allowed them to get comfortable in the match or our gym,” said Barnett.

When asked about Whiteout Night, Barnett had nothing but good things to say, as well. “Whiteout Night is a great concept and I know it helped our team play well.

Whenever you have a large crowd, it inspires players to play at or above their ability level,” stated Barnett.

“Now we need to make sure the student body continues to come to games as they can be the seventh man for volleyball games

through their vocal support and, of course, their intimidation of any visiting team!” he said.

The Mountain Lion’s next couple few weeks may bring some tougher competition, but Barnett hopes they can use the dominating victory and electric crowd on Whi-

teout Night as a confidence boost.

“I think we are on track for a good season, but we will not know until we get deeper into conference play. The east side of the RMAC conference is riddled with good teams and can be brutal,” said

Barnett.

“We have some big home games coming up versus nationally ranked teams and I am hoping that we can have the crowd play as big a role in those games as they did on Wednesday,” he concluded. S

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