April 6, 2015 by The Scribe

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NEWS

scribe.uccs.edu Vol. 39, Iss. 23

Monday, April 6, 2015

IN BRIEF

cribe

LeVar Burton event rescheduled April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu

Wi-Fi

Campus will receive upgrade to increase the speed of the internet 2

Plant Fund $63,000 of leftover student fee money to be rolled over 4

CULTURE

‘Take Back the Night’ Event raises awareness about sexual assault 5

FF7

Newest ‘Fast and Furious’ movie action packed and exciting 7

University of Colorado Colorado Springs

courtesy | uccs communiQue

LeVar Burton, ‘Reading Raindow’ and ‘Star Trek’ actor, will be at UCCS on April 27 instead of April 14.

LeVar Burton, who was slated to speak on April 14, has been rescheduled for April 27 at 7 p.m. at the Gallogly Events Center. Stephen Cucchiara, assistant director of the Office of Student Activities, said that Burton, “Reading Rainbow” host and former “Star Trek” actor, was invited to the White House as a special guest to the president and vice president. “He really did not want to cancel, so they worked with us. April 27 was the day that worked for them and worked for us,” Cucchiara said. Tickets purchased for the April 14 date will be honored. Those who purchased tickets on campus but cannot attend on the new date should go the University Center front desk with the ticket and

valid identification to receive a refund. Additional tickets are available at the University Center front desk. Burton will speak about literacy in America as part of the UCCS Significant Speaker Series.

The Lowdown What: LeVar Burton speech Where: Gallogly Events Center When: April 27 7 p.m. How much: Students/Faculty/ Staff/Military $5 General Admission $15

Plan to turn Bates Elementary into housing for students

OPINION

Online bullies Social media websites need to follow through with their policies 9

Religious bill New bills passed in Indiana and Arkansas harmful 9

SPORTS

March Madness Why millions put so much stock on college students 11

Track Men and women transition from indoor to outdoor season 12

nooh alrashid | the scribe

Bates Elementary, the closed school west of the university, is set to be demolished and replaced with housing for students.

April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu

Differing perspectives have emerged due to a plan to tear down Bates Elementary and build a 550-bed apartment complex for UCCS students. The idea to turn Bates into a building for student housing was proposed by GG Land Group, LLC, a Chicagobased real estate company and a partner of The Lodges’ developer. Bates closed in 2013 and is located across Austin Bluffs from UCCS. “Bates School became an opportunity for us. It’s directly across from campus and [students] can walk and don’t have to use the shuttle,” said

“I knew about the history of the neighborhood. The neighborhood changes, Bates closed. That wasn’t me.” — Tom Galuski President and CEO of GG Land Group, housing developer Tom Galuski, president and CEO of GG Land Group. “We saw the site and just got lucky. Very rarely do we get schools for schools,” he said. Galuski said that they want to build safe, state-of-the-art full amenity housing with gyms, pools and Wi-Fi for students. “I think [the students will] think very highly of [the new housing.] The Lodges are highly sought-after. It’s an

attractive alternative for kids going to school full-time,” he said. Neighbors of Bates see the situation differently. “[Bates] is like a little slice of yesteryear. Most [neighbors] are disappointed it closed,” said Edy Kline, resident of the Cragmoor neighborhood. She said that many neighbors are worried about raucous college students. “My little street is quiet. It’s going to be noisy. One lady

with little kids is moving out because it’ll be too noisy for her.” But, Kline added: “I’d rather have [the college students] in one area than scattered in the neighborhood.” Tim Eager, senior communication major, said the plan sounds like a great idea. “What else are they going to do with the school? If they’re not going to do anything, then tear it down and build houses for students,” he said. GG Land Group entered into the bidding war for the school a week before it concluded. Continued on page 3 . . .

News

April 6, 2015 | 2

Third annual Sustainnovation to focus on climate disruption, daily habits DeKeveion Glaspie dglaspie@uccs.edu

The Office of Sustainability will hold its third annual Sustainnovation on April 10 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Berger Hall. This year’s theme is climate disruption, and the keynote speakers addressing students and the community will be James White, professor of geological sciences at CUBoulder and Jenifer Cross, assistant professor in the department of sociology at Colorado State University. The main focus will be how people can change their behavior to influence sustainability. There will be a faculty and student panel, faculty round table and research poster contest in addition to the keynote speakers. “We continue to have more people participating and more interest from the community,” said Kevin Gilford, assistant

courtesy | uccs sustainability

The Climate Change Symposium will be on April 9-10.

director of the Office of Sustainability. “Changing topics every year helps expand the number of attendees.” Along with the many other sub-events, students will have the opportunity to pursue internships within the sustainability field. “We will have more

community organizations that are looking for interns,” said Linda Kogan, director of the Office of Sustainability in an email. “It is now a two-day event with a student summit to kick off the event,” she said. “There will also be opportunities to sign up to be part of a solar

farm. This year we have a tour of the greenhouse and the new sustainability house.” Kogan shared how students can utilize this event in their everyday lives. “Our strategy for Sustainnovation is always learn, connect, act and that is how we design the event. We provide learning opportunities from the presentations, the booths and the posters. We provide connecting opportunities through networking, meeting people at your tables for lunch,” she said. “What is also provided is the opportunity to act by providing concrete actions and organizations that students can get involved with.” For those who are interested in the sustainability, Kogan explained the connection with other like-minded people is the most empowering part of the event. Gilford mentioned a local organization website called 350.org. Students can learn

how to engage climate change issues in their everyday lives and how to encourage others. On April 9, a student summit to kick off Sustainnovation will start at 5:30 p.m. followed by a presentation from author Winona LaDuke at 7 p.m. The student summit will be in UC 302 and LaDuke will speak in Berger Hall.

The Lowdown What: Sustainnovation When: April 9 Student Summit 5:30 - 7 p.m. UC 302 Winona LaDuke Presentation 7 p.m. Berger Hall April 10 Keynotes, Panels and Research Poster Contest 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Berger Hall

Campus Wi-Fi upgraded, damaged wires slow process Evan Musick

“This has been a steady line increase every year. We probably use 200 megabits per second more every year. So if you think about it, it is exponential.”

emusick@uccs.edu

Bumping out of the slow lane and shifting into hyperdrive, the campus Wi-Fi will receive a big boost. On March 13, the IT help desk posted on their website that it would be completing the final steps in upgrading the UCCS internet bandwidth from 670 megabits per second to 4 gigabits per second, with the future potential to move up to 10 gigabits per second, thus providing faster internet speeds. Students said an upgrade would be beneficial. Heather Macdonald, sophomore psychology major with a premed track, uses the Wi-Fi for about an hour a day and says that sometimes, the connection isn’t the best “It’s kinda slow. Sometimes. It depends on how many people are using it,” Macdonald said. John Radabaugh, a senior majoring in film, uses the Wi-Fi on campus daily and evaluates the service on a one to 10 scale. “I’d say, when everything is working, I’d say a seven, eight, that neighborhood. It’s actually pretty decent.” Greg Williams, director of Networks and Infrastructure for IT, explained the reason

— Greg Williams Director of Networks and Infrastructure for IT

reilly flood | The Scribe

Students often rely on campus Wi-Fi to complete class assignments.

behind the upgrade. “More students watching Netflix,” Williams laughed. He said the real reason behind the update was due to an increase in usage. “This has been a steady line increase every year. We

probably use 200 megabits per second more every year. So if you think about it, it is exponential,” Williams said. Work on the wireless upgrade began a year ago and hasn’t had many difficulties. But since the fiber optic

cables run down to UCCS from Denver, anytime the cable is damaged, the Colorado Department of Transportation is responsible for the repairs as UCCS shares a fiber pipe with CDOT, Williams said. On March 23, IT posted on its web site that it had to switch to its back up internet link due do the fiber being damaged somewhere along I-25. “There was a retaining wall that was built, and one of the horizontal spikes that go in to hold up that retaining wall, went into that fiber,” Williams said. According to their website, IT switched back to their primary link on March 30. But the portions of the cable that provided the newest internet connection are still damaged, Williams said. He hopes the fiber cables will be repaired sometime within the next several weeks. Williams said that paying for the upgrade has come from general funds, not student fees. One benefit of the upgrade

is that all restrictions are being lifted. Williams explained that if two students were accessing the network, one for Netflix, one for student applications, priority would be given to the student accessing student applications. With the new Wi-Fi, both students would have equal priority, according to Williams. Williams explained some of the workings behind providing campus internet and the company UCCS gets its internet connection from. “It’s called Front Range Giga Pop, and it’s a consortium of mostly highered institutions in Colorado,” Williams said. Williams mentioned that FRGP is similar to Comcast and Century Link, as they are their own entity. Like Comcast and Century Link, FRGP can go directly to Level 3 Communications, a large telecommunications company, and receive its internet through them via fiber optic cable. “This is heavy duty stuff,” Williams said.

News

“I knew about the history of the neighborhood,” Galuski said. “The neighborhood changes, Bates closed. That wasn’t me.” GG Land Group chose to build housing for UCCS students because it is the fastest growing university in Colorado. “There’s a good growth story. We stick with schools that have growth,” Galuski said. Additionally, he said they liked that UCCS was becoming less of a commuter school and more of a traditional school. “There was a process where we received offers and this was the offer deemed to be the best, so the board accepted the offer,” said Kris Odom, executive director of the Procurement and Contracting Department at Colorado Springs District 11. “The Board of Education always takes into consideration what they believe is going to be in the best interest of the community and the fit to the community as well as the district,” she said.

Bates Elementary conversation

nooh alrashid | The Scribe

Vice chancellor Susan Spzyrka grew up in the Cragmoor neighborhood and went to Bates Elementary.

In 2013, a study looked at schools throughout the district to check if any

needed improvements and if they were performing at the correct capacity. Bates, which

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opened in 1957, was deemed underutilized. Despite a capacity of 233, Bates had an enrollment of 195 kids and 156 kids within the neighborhood were attending neighboring schools. Colorado is a choice state, which means that parents that live in one district can choose to send their child to another district. This is called permitting in. Only 1.9 percent of kids at Bates were being permitted in. Bates, along with Lincoln Elementary, had the highest number of issues out of the Colorado Springs schools. Lincoln also closed. In a 2014 Gazette article, an offer to buy Bates Elementary from Silver Key Senior Services and Penrose-St. Francis Health Services was withdrawn because of the cost of remodeling a building with asbestos. “I went to school at Bates. I grew up in Cragmor,” said Susan Spzyrka, vice chancellor for Administration and Finance, who attended kindergarten to sixth grade at

“

What else are they going to do with the school? If they’re not going to do anything, then tear it down and build houses for students. —Tim Eager

UCCS Senior communication major

“

(continued from 1)

April 6, 2015| 3

Bates. “It’s sad,” she said. “If the community doesn’t want this to happen, the best way for their voice to get heard is to let city planning know,” said Odom. “They’re the people that have the power to do that.” GG Land Group is still in the process of sale with District 11. Odom said that the sale is estimated to close in October. “I do this all over the country. I’ve never had so much press, they [were] all over it,” Galuski said.

News

April 6, 2015 | 4

Plant fund money moved, SGA plans to raise club funding amount Kyle Guthrie kguthri2@uccs.edu

On Dec. 8, The Scribe reported on the $63,000 surplus from the Student Activity Fee. This year, there has been a massive revamp to the procedures and practices associated with these funds and their proper allocations. Before, the leftover funds at the end of the school year were placed in a temporary “plant fund” for future use. The funds are now redirected back into the Student Activity Fund to

be carried over into the next fiscal year. Sabrina Weinholtz, assistant director for Student Life and Leadership and advisor to the Student Government Association, explained why the change was made. “Several years ago, the SGA created a plant fund when they did a big renovation in this office,” Weinholtz explained. “At that point, they did have a plant fund that they created, and they would move all their excess money at the end of the fiscal year to that fund.”

“We got some guidance from upper administration that this probably wasn’t the most appropriate place for Student Government Association to be keeping their money because they don’t have a building.” SGA funded groups are paid half of the funds allocated to them at the beginning of the year, and as money continues to trickle in throughout the fiscal year, the second half is paid out once enough has been collected to cover the remainder of the allocated funds, usually in March. Weinholtz detailed the new

procedures for dealing with the excess at the end of the year. “Now, instead of whatever doesn’t get spent going into this [plant fund], it gets transferred back into the SAF account,” Weinholtz said. “Once everyone has spent what they are going to spend and the remainder has been transferred back to the SAF, that is what we would call our ‘Carry Forward’.” Joseph Conrad, junior majoring in English for secondary education and a newly elected senator at large for SGA, said there are several

changes in the works for the fund. This could include an increase in the amount of money clubs can be allocated, from $3,000 to $5,000. Conrad also said that better transparency is also a concern for the fund. “I can’t say at the moment that I know of any big changes to transparency, but I know we are working on making the language more accessible to the students, as well as looking into ways that we can get this better explained at student leadership training.”

On-campus radon lab offers cheap and safe alternative for home testing Kyle Guthrie kguthri2@uccs.edu

Radon has been a growing concern in states such as Colorado since the 80s, but an on-campus alternative to expensive testing seeks to offer students and the community a cheaper and safer option for protecting themselves from radioactivity. Radon is a byproduct of uranium decay, and can enter a home from the soil at the lowest level at the house. While radon gas can pose a problem anywhere, topographic soil characteristics and a high prevalence of basements makes Colorado susceptible. Professor James Burkhart, who is also the director of the Western Regional Radon Training Center in Colorado Springs, runs the Radon Measurements Lab on campus, which began in 1986. “The EPA knew about Radon in the 50s, but it didn’t become of national importance until 1984 when it was found out that it was in ordinary homes.” Burkhart said. Burkhart and the physics and engineering departments

nooh alrashid | The Scribe

Professor James Burkhart discusses the Radon Measurements Lab on campus.

utilize a comprehensive laboratory on campus for testing levels of radon in homes, and the business generates roughly $20,000 a year, which then goes toward student employee wages and scholarships. Burkhart also continues his own research on the gas itself. “A lot of my research is

not contained in the two labs, but it’s medical research,” Burkhart explained. “In particular, I’m doing a large case control study on trying to determine if breathing radon causes thyroid cancer, so we worked with local endocrinologists in Memorial Hospital.” Burkhart believes the

health and monetary benefits for students that are buying a house is a fantastic resource. “Above all, I don’t want to be perceived as trying to make a lot of money off of our students,” Burkhart said. “But because this is a public university, anyone can come in and purchase a test.” “I’ve never advertised this,

and I was reluctant because I don’t want the interview to be perceived as an advertisement for the lab,” he said. “But anyone can test their home for radon at any time, and we let anyone come in and purchase the test.” Burkhart said previous owners of a home could be held fiscally responsible if the new owner detects levels of radon above safe limits. “Before the home is bought, when you’re looking at a home, you hire a home inspector,” Burkhart said. “One of the things they check is radon gas. The student should also make sure that the inspector is certified for radon inspection, and the certification body is the National Radon Proficiency Program.” Burkhardt advised home buyers to be sure the contract includes a paragraph that states the home must be mitigated if the radon test indicates a level above 4 parts per liter. “This way, the student buying the home will not get stuck with the bill. This practice is almost always done automatically, but the buyer should always make sure the seller does this.”

‘Glow Games’ will shed some light during ROAR week Rachel Librach rlibrach@uccs.edu

A specially requested campus event is quickly approaching. The “Glow Games” will take place during ROAR DAZE, a week devoted to hosting fun activities for students who want to throw down before they have to crack down on finals. Glow Games will take place April 9

from 7-9pm on the West Lawn and is free for students. The games have been in the works for about a year. The Office of Student Activities has been collaborating with students to develop event ideas. With an overwhelming amount of comments from students suggesting more activities with a glow-in-thedark theme, OSA hopes to have created an event that is not only the first of its kind

at UCCS, but that is sure to attract a large crowd. Stephen Cucchiara, assistant director of OSA, is excited for the event. He compared it to a glorified field day. “This event will feature a glow-in-the-dark corn maze, volleyball game, bowling and shirt decoration station. There will also be food provided and a cotton candy machine,” he said. Roneisha Frazier, OSA

graduate assistant for activities and programing, suggested ways to tailor your outfit for this event. “You should definitely wear bright neon colors and good shoes for the outdoor activities. Also, be sure to bring a plain, white shirt to decorate at the event and save for the Black Light Dance.” The Black Light Dance, on April 11 at 8 p.m. in Berger Hall, concludes ROAR DAZE.

The Lowdown What: Glow Games Where: West Lawn When: April 9 7 - 9 p.m. How much: Free

Culture

April 6, 2015 | 5

UCCS, fraternity continue work to prevent racial issues April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu

In response to news of the racist chant by the Oklahoma University fraternity chapter, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, a mass email was sent out to UCCS clubs and organizations on March 13. The email, written by Homer Wesley, vice chancellor for Student Success and Enrollment Management, acted as a reiteration of UCCS’ anti-discrimination policies. “Basically what the message said was that this incident involving this fraternity was a racist, hurtful song and it was beyond horrible … and completely something that is not acceptable,” said Brad Bayer, executive director of Student Life and Leadership. “What we’ve been talking to some of these groups about is that, you know, are we a campus where we’re willing to step up and voice objection to racist, homophobic, sexist and otherwise discriminatory actions,” said Bayer. “So our message is let’s continue to build that here.” UCCS clubs and organizations are required to be open to all students, regardless of age, gender, sex, race, social status or other factors. “The message is that student

courtesy | sae uccs

The coat of arms for Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

leaders play a critical role in the leadership and continue to provide an inclusive campus environment,” Bayer said. He said that as far as he is aware, UCCS has not had a similar issue to the Oklahoma incident in the

past. “I’ve heard some positive feedback too from individuals that they feel safe here and included,” Bayer said. Although the email went out to all clubs and organizations, Bayer

said that there will be follow-up specifically with the presidents of campus Greek organizations. “We’re not associated with [OU SAE’s] actions,” said Travis Tafoya, president of the UCCS chapter of SAE. “We stand against that; we’re making moves to make sure our chapter is not like that and will never be like that.” “The OU president said that it was taught, and that is definitely not true,” he said. The UCCS SAE social fraternity has been on campus for five years and has 38 active members that perform community service, cosponsor events with the Office of Student Activities and participate in many other events on campus. Members must have a 2.5 GPA and be involved in another organization on campus. According to Tafoya, about 25 percent of SAE members work on campus. “Our main goal is having a social place of brotherhood for college men and also having a place where people are able to grow and better themselves during their college career,” he said. Tafoya said that the only relation the chapter has to the OU SAE is their name. “After all this happened, our chapter kind of came together and … we kind of got proud of ourselves because we’re not like

that. Our chapter is extremely diverse,” he said. “We have not heard, seen or have been a part of anything related to that incident or related to any incident regarding racial issues or misconduct like that.” Following the incident, UCCS SAE’s regional director spoke to the fraternity about how to move forward. Tafoya is working with MOSAIC and the Office of Discrimination and Harassment to set up trainings for members of SAE and have a Greek-wide event for them to speak to the Greek organizations on campus to ensure that a similar incident will not occur at UCCS. Additionally, the national organization of SAE has mandated that all members complete online training between now and April 30. Tafoya said the UCCS SAE has never had to deal with this sort of issue before. “It kind of put us in an awkward position that you know, it’s 2015, we’re in Colorado, we’ve never seen racial issues and now we’re having to address this to our chapter,” he said. “I think that it’s an ongoing opportunity for us to define who we are and this is a campus that respects all and gives equal voice to all,” Bayer said.

Front Range offers entertaining opportunities for spring fun Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu

Spring is here and with it are a variety of fun activities to elevate your mood and give yourself a break from end-of-semester pressure. Check out these close destinations that are sure to cheer you up. Garden of the Gods: Beautiful, historic and free. It’s a popular destination that is unofﬁcially regarded as the eighth World Wonder by both Colorado natives and tourists. A

ﬁve minute drive from UCCS, the park features a number of trails, landscapes and an escape from the life of a college student. Have a picnic: Get outdoors and bask in the sun. A few friends and a well-developed meal can make this idea a true memory for all. Start by selecting a meal that is easy to prepare, such as sandwiches or mixed fruit. Split the load with your friends as you hike to a predetermined spot. Enjoy the company while feasting. It’s as simple as pie, and be sure to bring that, too. Go to a drive-in movie:

Although none are located in Colorado Springs, Denver and Pueblo offer traditional drive-in movie style seating. Some even offer a double feature, that’s two new movies for the price of one. The Mesa Drive-In Movie Theater (2625 Santa Fe Dr.) in Pueblo is open seven days a week with movies beginning at dusk, offers three screens to view the action and is regularly a double feature. Denver is set to open a new drive-in theater over Memorial Day weekend, May 25, and will feature one screen 20 feet

above the ground and should accommodate about 400 cars. Mini Golf: For those on a budget, Colorado Springs offers a number of mini golf attractions for a steal, many with games at only $2. The more people, the more fun the trip. Keep within your budget while enjoying Colorado’s great outdoors and perfecting your putting stroke. Laser Tag: Like mini golf, there are several laser tag options in the Colorado Springs area. Battleﬁeld (120 W. Costilla St.) allows for events between you and another team across an outdoor

stadium complete with a “Hunger Games” vibe. Hike The Bluff: A whole new world awaits those that have never bothered to look behind UCCS. Five minutes from any location on campus, The Bluff offers a unique hike and vantage point without having to go far. Old buildings and hiking trails mark the top of the campus and are a quick trip to get away from one’s afternoon class stress. To share more fun tips, interact with us on Facebook (uccsthescribe) and Twitter (uccsscribe).

Third annual ‘Take Back the Night’ gives victims a voice Evan Musick emusick@uccs.edu

On April 3, Respect on Campus held their third annual “Take Back the Night” event. ROC has been on campus for five years, explained Carrie Finkill, Violence Education and Victim Service Coordinator. ROC, funded through the Office of Violence against Women and the Department of Justice, looks to raise awareness about sexual violence, stalking and dating violence. “We use ‘Take Back the Night’

for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is April,” said Finkill. “We use it as an opportunity to bring some students together and talk about sexual violence.” In addition to classes, Finkill said that ROC brings groups such as Dean of Students, Counseling Center and the Health Center together to discuss how to implement sexual assault prevention on campus. The event was free and began with Terry Schwartz, associate vice chancellor for Academic and Faculty Affairs, previewed the events of the evening.

Next, a short video of students and faculty members explaining the importance of combating victim blaming was shown. The main event consisted of guest speakers from TESSA, an organization that stands against intimate partner violence, and students at UCCS standing up to share their experiences with sexual assault and the healing processes they are going through. The event concluded with its traditional march across campus, chanting words of resilience and rebellion for those who have been victims of sexual assault.

Finkill explained that about half the time after events such as “Take Back the Night,” someone will stay behind and discuss either an issue either they or a friend is having. Amy Bunn, who spoke at the event, is currently working on her Master’s degree at UCCS. She believes that talking about her experiences is important, as it provides courage for others. “Really, it’s because I had no one. And I think that it helps if people know that there are people out there that can help, and that there are these places [ROC] on campus,” Bunn said.

She also shared her thoughts on blaming the victim of sexual assault and not the perpetrator. “It’s really frustrating to me when I see these things happening to other people, and they’re on the news and they say the victim, and not the perpetrator,” Bunn said. “And it is the perpetrator. They’re the one who committed the crime.” Bunn added that sexual assault needs to be treated as a regular crime. For more information on ROC or Sexual Assault Awareness Month, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/UCCSROC.

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Culture

April 6, 2015 | 7

Men and women strut for ‘The Golden Age of Hollywood Drag Show’

megan lunsford | The Scribe

Ramiyah Devereaux, left, served as the emcee of ‘The Golden Age of Hollywood Drag Show while students, middle, experienced the show with participants Gilbert Kuhn, Christine Remacle and Alexander Nedd, right.

DeKeveion Glaspie dglaspie@uccs.edu

Students and members of the community and students came together April 2 in Berger Hall to enjoy a night of a few fabulous queens of Hollywood. Hosted by the MOSAIC, the Student Life and Leadership and the Office

of Student Activities, “The Golden Age of Hollywood Drag Show” allowed men and women to strut in drag. Local drag queen Ramiyah Devereaux was the master of ceremonies. Lights glinted off heels and hair was as big as it could get in order to impress the audience. The participants were evaluated and judged

throughout the show in order to determine the best king and queen of the night. Christine Remacle (Papa Cherry) won the award for best king and best queen went to Gilbert Kuhn (Gizzelle). Alexander Nedd (Angelina) won the audience choice award. Nedd is Opinion Editor for The Scribe. Shelby Kindell, MOSAIC

graduate assistant office manager, contributed to the show and helped make it possible at UCCS. Kindell worked with Prizm, the equivalent of MOSAIC, at CSU-Pueblo as an undergraduate. “I love getting people involved and all the passion that is involved. I wanted to bring that to UCCS,” she said. Vanessa Delgado, LGBT

program director, enjoyed the night. “I loved the student performances and was really impressed by the amount of people who attended. It shows how the community and LGBT is linked. It really says a lot,” she said. Devereaux concluded the show with a performance to Kelly Clarkson’s “People like Us.”

‘Fast and Furious 7’ meets ‘Mission Impossible’ Audrey Jensen ajensen4@uccs.edu

Rating: 4/5 sport cars

A man lying in a hospital bed with Ian Shaw [Jason Statham] standing next to him and nurses scared half to death opens the seventh “Fast and Furious” movie. It would not have been a true “Fast and Furious” movie without all the expensive and beautiful cars, the diverse racing culture and Paul Walker. Dominic Toretto [Vin Diesel] and what he consistently refers to as the only thing he has in this world, his family, face a war against a revenge seeking Ian Shaw, brother of “Fast and Furious 6” protaganist, Shaw [Luke Evans] and a group of terrorists that hope to gain control of the tracking program, “God’s Eye.” Comedic relief was provided with slap stick jokes and catch phrases throughout by tech man Tej [Ludacris], the humorous Roman Pearce [Tyrese Gibson] and ripped military man Luke Hobbes [Dwayne Johnson]. Every scene carries action

courtesy | fullmovie2k.com

Despite the death of Paul Walker, ‘Fast and Furious 7’ debuted on April 2.

but is not likely to keep you on the edge of your seat. The traditional elements of “Fast and Furious” were included, except for actual racing. The only street race that did occur was disappointing, over in two minutes and had no significance to the story. The movie revolved around the original characters and their future. Toretto’s ex-wife, Letty Ortiz, [Michelle Rodriguez] struggled throughout the film to regain her memories after returning to Toretto from Shaw.

This became repetitive and annoying since Ortiz had nothing to do with the plot until “Fast and Furious 6” since her appearance in the first film. Brian O’Connor [Paul Walker] missed adventure in his life after settling down with Toretto’s sister, Mia [Jordan Brewster]. It was clear that several scenes with Walker were filmed with doubles for O’Connor, played by Walker’s brothers Cody and Caleb due

to the unfortunate death of Paul in a car accident in November 2013. Statham played a role that one would expect him to play; a guy that likes to beat up people and always has a bad attitude. A cameo appearance from Kurt Russell felt forced and random as he played the head of an unknown government branch. Although the movie lacked real racing, most of the film consisted of car pursuits

featuring cars such as the Lykan HyperSport, a $2.3 million car, the infamous Toretto car, the 1970 Dodge Charger and Shaw’s Aston Martin DB9. Director James Wan took an interesting approach to the fight scenes. The camera followed actors’ faces as they were slammed to the floor or thrown across a room. Wan also attempted to piece together all of the “Fast and Furious” movies to make the timeline of the series clear. Scenes from “Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift” were included to introduce Shaw and his mission for revenge against Toretto. However unrealistic the car scenes were, including parachuting cars out of airplanes, driving off of mountain cliffs and cars leaping through two skyscrapers, it’s entertaining to pretend that these car stunts could be a possibility. “Fast and Furious” fans should see this for the appreciation of the series and out of respect for Paul Walker. The film wraps up to relay the message of family first despite what they have been through and closes with “For Paul.”

eDitOriAl

April 6, 2015 | 8

Communication is changing; we must remember the basics

Jonathan Toman Editor-in-Chief

Samantha Morley Managing Editor

Taylor Hargis Copy Editor

Eleanor Skelton News Editor

Audrey Jensen Culture Editor

Alexander Nedd Opinion Editor

courtesy | Grammarly

Scribe Staff scribe@uccs.edu

LOL, BTW I retweeted you this morning. That phrase is nonsense to any generation before ours. It could have had something to do with a bird, perhaps. Communication is hard. But it is becoming even harder for our generation. With the advent of new technology, and the speed with which it changes, our generation has adapted to a style and speed of communication that is unprecedented in world history. We can get in touch with anyone in the world instantaneously with the touch of a few buttons. We can even see their face if we utilize Skype or other similar programs. It’s a unique communication power that no one has ever had before. And it has made us lazy. The ability to do the simple “oldfashioned” communication is lost

among the noise. Our generation can’t leave good phone messages. We stutter and don’t get our point across. Our emails look like texts: short and abrupt, not courteous and often littered with misspellings. Our cover letters and resumes are painful to read or even look at, often thrown away by employers before they even read them. Finally, and most debilitating to this generation, talking in person can be painfully awkward. Because we are so used to communication not in person, we have forgotten how to do it well in person. We will get together to hang out, but then proceed to pull out our phones and talk to people who aren’t there. What we have, instead of normal communication, is pseudo-communication. We have communication styles that have become commonplace through technology, and they now influence our more “traditional” methods. We have Twitter. The hashtag has

even entered our verbal communication, becoming part of how we speak to each other. We have texting. The shortened versions of words or phrases that we use for texting are now used in verbal and other written communication. LOL. We have the concept of social media itself, where “liking,” “retweeting,” and “sharing” have become part of how we speak. It’s not good for us. It leaves a generational gap (that is large enough already in other areas) in communication. Most importantly for our generation that currently spends a lot of time looking for jobs, it leaves a gap between those looking to be hired and those doing the hiring. We are all children of technology and the different types of communication it has brought us. And while we utilize it, we also have the right to bemoan it and the problems it brings us if we wish. We have to remember how to do all that “old school” communication also, because after all, communication is a two-way street.

Alexander Nedd

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Opinion

April 6, 2015 | 9

Social media outlets fail in Religion bills: Indiana and responses to cyberbullying Arkansas fail to see the whole picture

April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu

One of my good friends was recently harassed on YouTube. Her harasser then stalked several different channels my friend was subscribed to. Many people were spammed with comments insulting a fictional character on a popular soap opera. But then it became very real. My friend was told to kill herself and then one of her friends was told derogatory comments about her race. All of this because of differing opinions on a television show. But what’s even more disheartening is that YouTube didn’t do anything about the situation. We all blocked the user and reported the comments. Nothing happened. On the YouTube Safety Center page, it recommends deleting comments or blocking the user. If that doesn’t work, then the next course of action is to turn off the comment option entirely. My friend did this. She even unlinked

Google with YouTube so no one could reply to her comments, but still the harassment continued. Finally, if nothing has worked, YouTube says to report the harassment. On its Policy Center page, YouTube claims “accounts dedicated to harassing a particular user or the community at large will be terminated.” This user has harassed not only my friend on numerous occasions, but also many other people, and about the same subject. Her account has not been terminated. YouTube clearly has some issues with enforcing its termination policy. Accounts are terminated daily due to strict copyright laws, but when it comes to harassment, nothing is done. The user’s harassing went beyond insulting a character on a television show. It turned into racist remarks and death threats, blatant cyberbullying. Under “Hate Speech” on its Policy Center page, YouTube states that it is “not okay to post malicious hateful comments about a group of people based solely on their race.” But apparently it’s fine to post malicious hateful comments about an individual based solely on her race. Then, the user started harassing my friend on Twitter. Included in its

Online Abuse page in its Support Center, Twitter recommends blocking an abusive user. The site states that “abusive users often lose interest once they realize that you will not respond.” My friend eventually contacted her local police to ask who she could talk to about cyberbullying. Twitter recommends this step if the other steps fail. While police are well equipped to deal with these situations, the lack of discipline for cyberbullying on both YouTube and Twitter is appalling. Facebook is a little better when it comes to cyberbullying, and YouTube and Twitter should take notes. Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities includes policies on bullying, intimidating or harassing and hate or threatening speech. According to the Facebook Help Center, when a user reports something to Facebook, it is reviewed and removed if it violates the terms. Many states have laws on cyberstalking, including California, where YouTube and Twitter are headquartered. Clearly state laws aren’t enough. The Internet is so widely used that it is imperative for websites to have stricter cyberbullying laws and to take reports of cyberbullying seriously.

Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu

I love history. But I don’t want to repeat it. Learning about our past allows us time to reflect on the changes we have made, the obstacles we have overcome and the progress we continue to make as we march into the future. Pictures and footage I have viewed of historical events have stayed ingrained in my mind as black and white. But they are a stark contrast to the colorful canvas full of current events that are experienced today. A bill known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. It has caused a tremendous uproar across the nation due to the potential for people to refuse services to gay people based on religion. Despite bold statements and backlash from other states and major corporations, a similar law was passed in

Arkansas a few days later. On paper the law, which will go into effect July 1, states that their state government cannot “substantially burden” a person’s ability to follow their religious belief. In reality, it allows businesses to discriminate against individuals who might not conform to their beliefs, such as being gay or worshipping another god. Even with later amendments that now incorporate sexual orientation, I still don’t feel comfortable with the premise. In fact, it illustrates how wrong the bill was in the first place. For AfricanAmericans, the measures sound dangerously close to laws that were in effect back in the 1950s. As an LGBT individual, these measures truly scare me as to what a business can now proceed to do based on my sexual orientation. Stickers such as “No Gays Allowed” have soared in Indiana, despite the law not yet taking effect. The mere thought of that picture brings me to the days of segregation. What Indiana and Arkansas fail to see is that I wasn’t born gay. I wasn’t born black. I was born as a citizen of what is considered by many to be the greatest country on earth. A country whose founding fathers tell me

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that I was born with the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Two of those three are taken away, giving these laws a failing grade. This can’t continue in 2015, and it shouldn’t. I am in no way opposing anyone’s religion or personal beliefs. But when your free will and thought overrides my free will and thought, then I have a problem. LGBT people deserve the same rights and treatment as anyone who is heterosexual. How does this law prevent people from being discriminated by the color of their skin, a code of conduct every American knows is morally wrong? People can refuse others just because of their religion; doctors can refuse to treat patients just because of their skin color, even when death is at the door. It’s open season with an asinine law such as this one. It’s sad to think that the person we love classifies us as a second class citizen, but that’s exactly what these laws define me as. As actor advocate for equality George Takei says: “To cloak bigotry under religious freedom is still bigotry.” When we open up the doors to hate, we fail as a nation.

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Sweet Salty Tweets @jessisue

April 6, 2015 | 10

for the trees or Pikes Peak, but the weather is pretty stellar on campus today #UCCS” @TornadoTimmy

9 “You know it’s the end of spring

break when you are makin plans to go to the library tonight. #uccs #murselife” @EnochCarlstrom

Top Ten Places to ﬁnd an Easter egg after Easter Alexander Nedd, anedd@uccs.edu

10 Your backpack 9

Under the left rear tire of your mother’s car

Your favorite pothole

England

Still boiling on your stove

With crazy cousin Earl

The Incline

Macy’s clearence section

Aisle 5

your motivation to 1 With ﬁnish the school year

Campus Chatter April Weﬂer, aweﬂer@uccs.edu

What is your Easter tradition? Chante Wiggins, freshman, medical laboratory technology “We do Easter egg hunts around the house, going to the park, hiding eggs, a big dinner.”

Phillip Hairr, sophomore, biochemistry

“I spend time with my nephew and we’ll create a little Easter egg hunt for them filled with candy and change and hide it around the house nad outside.”

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at UCCS 8

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“My husband and I celebrate the Passover. Then on Easter Day, we go to church and have dinner with family.”

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Fri

Tues

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Open Mic Night 6 p.m. Clydes

Sat

ROAR DAZE: Black Light Dance 8 p.m. Berger Hall

spOrts

April 6, 2015 | 11

The madness of March: Why basketball takes over a whole month Brandon Applehans bappleha@uccs.edu

There’s a void in your life if you refused to make a bracket in March. Every year, NCAA division one basketball holds a tournament of the top 64 teams in the nation. “Bracketology,” as sport fanatics call it, comes around once a year, with the hope that someone will pick all the matchups correctly. So why did millions of people make a bracket this year? March Madness has become an event primed for social gatherings and water-cooler talk. College basketball drives people insane. The odds of making a completely perfect bracket are somewhere over 9-qunitillion-to 1. People in the 21st century live for upsets, and the dethroning of top division one schools backed by more funding. So we play, and wait and see what happens both in the tournament, and to our bracket. Every year, there are four schools that earn a number one seed in the bracket. This year Villanova, Wisconsin, Duke and Kentucky received the highest rankings. All but Villanova still stood going into the Final Four. But what makes the tournament so unique, and leads so many to play, is the madness. This is only the fifth time in NCAA history that at least three top-ranked teams have made it to the Final Four. Whether you are a basketball fan or not, remember that the President of the United States joins in the madness by making a bracket. Barack Obama picked Kentucky to win it all this year.

courtesy | ncaa

Millions of fans ﬁlled out their March Madness bracket in hopes of picking all of the games correctly.

Oh, and don’t forget that billions of dollars are gambled away each year during this event. So why is the madness all around picking the winner before it happens? Other than conforming, it’s about the thrill. There are multiple online brackets that deal out money, prizes or just strictly bragging rights.

If you are looking to get in on the action next year, here’s a bit of advice: there is no skill, no strategy, no principles in March Madness. This year, only one individual picked a perfect bracket through the first 32 games. His bracket was busted in the second round, where he picked the

upset of Ohio State beating Arizona that didn’t happen. And so the madness won again. For those crazy enough to make a bracket next year, or just for those non-sports fans who want to get in the action, best of luck to you. The odds will never be in your favor.

Listen up: You are seeing the best UCCS Athletics has ever been

Jonathan Toman jtoman@uccs.edu

Athletics at UCCS have been rough. Think “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” except that day lasting for years. But that may be a thing of the past. UCCS, in tandem with the RMAC, is a force whose impact is increasing. Through specific samples, a broader trend is emerging.

The sport that has the biggest draw at UCCS is basketball. Basketball, especially men’s, is the rock that the rest of athletics has to be built on to breed success. It’s the moneymaker, the sport that all kinds of folks will come to see, as we saw this season. UCCS men’s and women’s basketball have been “No Good, Very Bad,” for a long time. The first year for men’s basketball was 1987-88. In the 28 seasons of the program, the combined record is 232-530, including a dismal 2004-05 season when UCCS went 1-26. That’s an overall winning percentage of 30 percent. The first season for women’s basketball was 1989-90. In the 26 seasons of that program,

the combined record is 298-404, an overall winning percentage of 42 percent. But here is the great, wonderful, sunlightthrough-the-clouds rub. We are so much better now, and it’s a great time to watch our athletic programs here. In the last two seasons, UCCS men’s basketball is 48-15, a winning percentage of 76 percent. In the last four seasons, UCCS women’s basketball is 75-42, a winning percentage of 64 percent. Both of these time frames include the best seasons in school history. In basketball, and athletics at UCCS more broadly, it’s not a matter of if records will fall, but when. The Mountain

Lions are ranked 43rd in the Learfield Sports Director’s Cup Standings released on April 2, a ranking that recognizes the top schools in the country with broad-based athletic programs in both women’s and men’s sports. It’s the highest UCCS has ever been after the winter season; the closest was 2012-13 when we were 80th. UCCS has had 58 All-Americans, all since 1997. That’s an average of 3.05 per year. Since 2012, we have had 14, an increase to 3.5 per year. Obviously, there are influences that may explain the numbers. School size, talent, coaches and competition level all play a role. But the numbers remain.

This impressive turnaround, this awakening, has also been accomplished in the toughest division two conference in the country, the RMAC. Along with UCCS, there are five other RMAC schools in the Learfield ranking: Colorado Mesa (second), Adams State (fifth), Colorado School of Mines (seventh), Western State (20th) and CSU-Pueblo (39th). Only one other conference in the country had that many schools in the top 50 of the ranking. The conference had made its presence felt in championships as well, especially in cross country. The last seven men’s national champions have either been named

Western State or Adams State. In 2014, RMAC schools finished first, fourth, fifth, 18th and 23rd (UCCS) out of 32 teams. On the women’s side, every national championship between 1992 and 2009 was won by either Western or Adams. This fall, RMAC schools finished fourth, 10th, 16th, 20th (UCCS), 22nd and 23rd out of 32 teams. Playing a game inside the conference is a nightmare. Any team can beat any other team, and home field advantage is an incalculable benefit. The stature of the conference, and of UCCS, will continue to grow. Remember this when you watch UCCS athletics, and consider yourself lucky.

spOrts

April 6, 2015 | 12

Success in Boulder, Golden gives Mountain Lions outdoor season boost Brandon Applehans bappleha@uccs.edu

With the indoor season concluded, the women’s track and field team now takes to the outdoor track. The Jerry Quiller Classic on March 21 in Boulder was the first opportunity, and the team had 11 top-ten finishes. “Our focus is really to build toward that outdoor conference meet and I think we have had some breakthrough races,” said interim head coach Corey Kubatzky. At the Kit Mayer Memorial Open, held in Golden March 27-28, teammates sophomore Chelsea Martus and senior Amber McAfee battled each other in the 800-meter run. Martus won the race, taking the lead after the chaotic “cut” in the runners to the finish-line. The “cut” is the meshing of lanes on

courtesy | sPorts information

Senior Amber McAfee, left, and sophomore Chelsea Martus took ﬁrst and second at the Kit Mayer Memorial Open on March 27-28 in Golden.

the track near the end of the race. “It was good, but honestly I didn’t run that race the way I wanted to run it,” Martus said. “I was upset about the cut-off, and I was in the back of the pack until the very end.” In the final seconds of the race, Martus sprung from the pack and won. McAfee finished second. According to Kubatzky, McAfee ran the perfect race until the final 200 meters, where Martus overtook her. “Amber was running the perfect tactical race, and she did exactly what we talked about before [the race],” said Kubatzky. “She really took control of the race.” “Chelsea about gave me a heart-attack on the first lap when she got tangled up at 200 meters,” he said. “She came blazing back the last 200 meters to help us go 1-2.”

McAfee explained she can learn from the race. “I was more thinking about being tactical, so that I could have a strong finish,” she said. “From the cut, it was difficult because all of the runners did break awkwardly. I just eased my way to the outside to bring it home. I lost it in the end, but it’s a learning experience.” Kubatzky enjoys the success his team has had so far. “I have been very impressed with the team,” he said. “It’s a really good group of ladies and they work very hard. They deserve all of the success they get. I’m excited to see all the hard work pay off over the course of the season.” The Mountain Lions are next in action at the Colorado Invitational on April 11 in Boulder.

More Inside: Explaining March Madness; Best of UCCS athletics

Men’s track and ﬁeld adjusts to end indoor season, jumps into outdoor Brandon Applehans bappleha@uccs.edu

The end of the indoor season for the men didn’t go according to plan. After an 11th place finish in the distance medley relay at nationals to end the indoor season, head coach Mark Misch wants to move past injuries that forced his hand and continue to transition to the outdoor season. “The end of our indoor season was kind of rough,” he said. “We’re redshirting a lot of our outdoor guys right now trying to get healthy, get better and get stronger.” The distance medley relay team qualified for nationals, but an injured David Kimaiyo forced the use of an alternate and the reordering of the lineup. “It wasn’t something you want to have to do,” he added. “When you’re competing at a national level, everyone is so good that you can’t hide a dropoff.” The focus quickly shifted toward the outdoor season, which began on March 21

at the Jerry Quiller Classic in Boulder. Senior Matt Winfrey finished 13th overall in the 800-meter run, good for fifth in the RMAC on the opening weekend. Three meets later, the men took to the track in Golden, where senior Ryan Buchanan finished third in the 400-meter hurdles. Buchanan thought his first outdoor race of the season went according to plan. “The race was more about getting the cobwebs off,” he said. Buchanan finished with a time of 57.29. As the team enters the second half of the season, goals are tailored toward the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships. Buchanan realizes the ups-and-downs of the track and field season. “We train in blocks,” he said. “We always call it a double-peak. We train real hard in indoor [season], for me I just came out of a slump, and now we are starting to hit it hard again.” “Now the meets are longer and we’re running more events than usual

courtesy | sPorts information

Junior runner Ryder Tam participates in an indoor meet earlier this year.

to build up that strength and endurance,” he added. “When we go to California [April 17 and 18], I will

begin to run faster races.” The RMAC championships are May 1-3 and nationals are at the

end of May, but the team will next be in action at the Colorado Invitational in Boulder on April 11.