Feb. 23, 2015

Since 1966

Vol. 39, Iss. 19

Monday, Feb 23, 2015

IN BRIEF

UCCSScribe.com University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Free rides week looks to break bus stigmas

NEWS

April Wefler

Police body cameras

awefler@uccs.edu

UCCS police officers have been wearing body cameras for years 3

Dean of Education Conley will start her role July 1 3

CULTURE

Wedding planning Class offers opportunity for students to get certification 5

Professor spotlight Zek Valkyrie teaches students through video games 7

courtesy | UccS SUSTainabiLiTY

UCCS Rides Free will allow students, faculty and staff to ride the metro free of charge between Feb. 23 to March 1.

Construction update: VAPA Color coded parking system sees similar results, shuttle infrastructure begins rider increase Jonathan Toman

OPINION

Talking and walking People need to focus on their surroundings, not their phones 9

Science and faith Religion and science can work together 9

SPORTS

Basketball duos Welsh and White, Hernandez and Kirchoff lead their respective teams 11

Softball Team goes 2-3 in Las Vegas to start season 12

Parking and Transportation Services is partnering with Mountain Metropolitan Transit to offer free bus rides to all students, faculty and staff during the week of Feb. 23.

According to sustainable transportation assistant Matthew Driftmier, it’s an effort to break negative stigmas about city buses.

“There’s this common conception that occurs all across the nation that buses are dirty, they’re broken down, they’re unsafe, that people shouldn’t feel like they can get on them,” he said. “That’s almost never what happens with buses systemwide.”

Riders must show a valid UCCS ID to the bus driver for a free ride.

Jim Spice, executive director

of Parking and Transportation, said that Mountain Metro asked Parking and Transportation to send out a survey to housing students asking why they don’t ride the bus.

“A common theme that we saw was ‘I don’t know how,’” he said.

“A lot of what we’ve been getting in feedback across the campus community is more along the lines of ‘well, I’ve never ridden the bus before, but I sure would like to,’ so hopefully that kind of exploratory spirit will spread through the campus,” Driftmier said.

As a result, Metro and Residence Life and Housing are offering resident travel training on Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. in the Lift Lounge at Summit Village. The 30 to 45 minute training will teach residents about the bus system.

Continued on page 4 . . .

jtoman@uccs.edu

It might be called “One Diamond” now.

The Visual and Performing Arts and North Nevada Infrastructure projects are in full swing. Phase one of the project is expected to finish in 2017.

The new 76,000 square foot, $56 million building will house a 750 seat main theater, a 250 seat recital hall, a 250 seat Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater, a 100 seat Osborne Theater and GOCA. These major performance venues are part of phase one, while phase two, concerning inside elements such as classrooms and faculty spaces will be completed after. That date has not been determined.

The needed infrastructure for the building is in progress.

The new parking lots, roundabout and Spine and Eagle Rock roads are scheduled for completion Aug. 15. While the building will not be completed in August, starting that date, shuttle service from Four Diamonds to main campus will no longer travel on Austin Bluffs.

The route will follow Eagle Rock road up to campus.

As part of those

developments, three of the four diamonds at Four Diamonds have been removed, and the construction won’t stop there.

The next three weeks will see the project planners work toward 100 percent construction document completion as well as review those documents with organizations such as Colorado Springs Utilities, the Colorado Springs Fire Department and City Traffic Engineering.

Wastewater and utility approval, design and installation will be the focus.

“We’re kind of at a point right now where we need to get these designs approved, so the construction piece itself will kind of slow down,” said project manager Brad Johnson.

Johnson replaced Stan Rovira as project manager for the VAPA building.

The existing Four Diamonds lot will serve as the footprint for the new VAPA building.

Mountain Lion Stadium and Mountain Lion Field will remain in place.

Over 550 parking stalls will be created once parking lot construction is complete, an increase from the current number.

“We’re wiping out a parking lot to put a building, wiping Continued on page 2 . . .

Eleanor Skelton eskelton@uccs.edu

Campus parking implemented a new color coded permit and lot system last fall. The new system charges more for parking in closer lots, separated faculty and student parking and kept Four Diamonds parking free.

“I haven’t had any complaints at all about people being confused as to where to park,” said Jim Spice, executive director of Parking and Transportation.

William Whitfield, parking manager, reported that the number of tickets issued this year is comparable to last year. Through Feb. 10, 2014, 4,744 tickets were issued. This past year, through Feb. 10, 4,955 were issued.

Parking made one change to the color code system this semester. Yellow permits are now allowed to park in the visitor section of Alpine Garage, allowing those permit holders closer access to campus.

“Originally, we weren’t allowing that because we weren’t sure that we’d have enough capacity,” Spice said. “But it’s worked out well; we haven’t had that many visitors.”

Due to the Rec Center expansion, parking asked the Rec Center front desk to tell visitors

that yellow permits were now valid in the visitor section of the garage. That section will be added to the permit next year.

Parking sold a similar number of permits in both years. From fall 2014 through Feb. 10, 2014, under the old system, 3,033 permits were sold. This year, through Feb. 10, 3,571 permits were sold, according to Whitfield.

Spice indicated that parking sold the same number of yellow permits last year and this year.

His calculations did not include the green permits, added due to Alpine Garage.

Spice said parking currently sells 2 to 2.1 permits per space, a larger ratio than last year due to added parking availability.

“We’re four weeks into the semester, and we still haven’t waitlisted [for any permit].”

Construction changes at Four Diamonds Spice said he is hopeful construction for the VAPA building and expansion of parking at Four Diamonds will enable the shuttle buses to have new routes that avoid Austin Bluffs entirely.

Colorado Springs Metro plans to add a stop at the VAPA building in addition to their stop outside Centennial Hall on the main Continued on page 2 . . .

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Feb 23, 2015 | 2

(continued from page 1) VAPA infrastructure begins out fields to get parking,” said campus architect Carolyn Fox. “We’re putting something in place that’s going to benefit the students.”

Eagle Rock, the road that goes through the neighborhood from Four Diamonds to Alpine Village, will be rerouted to make a smoother connection with Nevada.

“It’s going to be interfaced with the existing intersection but it’s going to be more of a gentle curve back into the neighborhood,” said Johnson.

The new Spine Road will run north-south from the new round-about on the west side of Mountain Lion Stadium to serve as the primary connection to the VAPA building. The road

will run perpendicular to Eagle Rock.

The goal of the project is to centralize the various VAPA pursuits on campus, which are currently spread over several buildings. “[Centralizing VAPA] does a lot,” said Fox. “Right now, we’re scattered, we’re all over the campus.”

The current work will allow for further planned expansion on Nevada. “[This is] essentially the buildout for the visual and performing arts center, and basically from that infrastructure we can connect further to the north for our future stadium project, track and field project,” said Johnson.

A map showing what the Four Diamonds area will become.

courtesy | UccS conSTrUcTion

(continued from page 1) Parking changes, challenges campus.

“What I’d like to do eventually long term is have an internal road system,” Spice said.

Roads are usually financed through the state’s general fund, but Spice does not know when that could happen.

“Who knows when that’s going to happen, it’s a funding issue. Who is going to fund a road?” he said.

Traffic on the internal road would be limited to emergency and transportation vehicles to ensure efficient shuttle service, but accompanied by a pedestrian sidewalk and a bike lane.

“We’re slowly working on those pieces to make that a reality sometime in the future, because it is in the master plan.”

Spice said the shuttles have seen increased use, probably due to parking restrictions in the surrounding neighborhoods.

The shuttle system carried

400,711 passengers in the 20122013 fiscal year and 611,503 passengers in the 2013-2014 fiscal year, almost a 53 percent increase.

Spice projects 630,000 riders for the 2014-2015 fiscal year and 650,000 for fiscal year 20152016 “with all factors currently the same and a slight increase in enrollment.”

He believes that the increased shuttle numbers could also be due to the new orange lot by the green lot by the greenhouse, which is serviced by the University Hall route. The most cars Spice has seen in that lot is about half of the 225 car capacity.

Parking has counted around 400 open spaces at the busiest time in the Alpine Garage.

“That’s probably not going to continue, as soon as the new housing village is built,” Spice said. “Eventually … we won’t be able to sell commuter students

permits anymore, because it will be full of housing students, minus the visitor portion.”

Half of the new housing village opens this August, and the VAPA building completion date is 2017.

Technology and parking Spice and the parking department are partnering with a student group from the Bachelor of Innovation program to track the number of open spaces in various lots.

“They’re starting an actual student club, and they’re calling themselves Lot Spot,” Spice explained. “They’re actually implementing a car counting system so that as a car pulls into level four or level five, it takes away the available spaces, and as they leave, it adds.”

The number of available spaces will be posted on a Twitter

Earth Corps Rocky Mountain Field Institute

feed that refreshes every five seconds.

“This is a test pilot that parking is funding, at least the first phase of the project. They’re going for funding from the Green Action Fund for the second phase,” Spice said.

The second phase would involve a smart camera system installed on light poles in a triangulation method. The smart cameras would be equipped to detect open spaces. This information would also post to the live Twitter feed.

The shuttle bus app has been discontinued after parking conducted a survey at the end of last year.

“Only 35 riders out of 850 said they were a regular user of the app, and the price tripled,” Spice explained. “It was very laborintensive for dispatch.”

The complexity of updating the app was compounded by

multiple routes covered by three or four different buses per day.

Although the software relied on GPS tracking, dispatch had to manually program which bus was on which route and which buses were currently in service.

“We decided if we were going to keep that system, we were going to have to make it bus driver controlled,” Spice explained.

That would have meant installing a screen in each bus and an air card with a $55 monthly subscription.

“It just became financially not feasible, plus we just didn’t have a lot of interest,” Spice said.

“It was kind of a neat thing to have [but] the feedback we got from the surveys was you can set your watch to the buses, and they’re every five to 10 minutes, so just wait a couple of minutes and another bus is going to come along.”

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neWS

Feb 23, 2015 | 3

Theft at University Village, arrest at Lane Center Eleanor Skelton eskelton@uccs.edu

UCCS notified students and staff at 3:16 p.m. on Feb. 18 that a theft had occurred in the University Village Shopping Center, explaining that the suspect was last seen entering the Lane Center.

At 3:38 p.m., the system issued a second alert saying the situation had been resolved and the suspect was in custody.

“The 911 call went to the Colorado Springs Police Department. We monitor that police channel, and their dispatch notified officers of the theft, and

our officers also responded to the call,” said executive director of Public Safety Brian McPike in an email.

McPike explained that the shopping center falls within the UCCS Police Department’s Inter Governmental Agreement area, granting UCCS police enforcement authority.

CSPD dispatch notified responding officers that the suspect fled across North Nevada Avenue and entered the Lane Center, McPike explained.

“UCCS PD and CSPD officers responded to the Lane Center, and a search of the building was conducted,” McPike said. “The

suspect was found and placed into custody without incident by UCCS PD and CSPD officers.”

The population visiting UCCS is changing as the campus grows and the surrounding area is developed, said McPike.

“We are an open campus, meaning that anybody is welcome on our campus during normal business hours and we love people coming up to the campus and experiencing what we have to offer,” McPike previously said regarding broken windows in the Feb. 16 issue of The Scribe.

“It’s past those hours that we really get concerned.”

Anyone disrupting normal

campus operations can be forcibly removed.

He said homeless people coming to the campus has increased, but was unsure of exact numbers because he believes it is still low.

“As the urban renewal continues on the north side, with all the expansion of … the North Nevada corridor, we’re seeing more and more of the homeless population end up in this area,” he explained.

“We do a great job, I believe, of finding them quickly and helping them. We don’t want to just tell them to go away, we want to make sure

why are you here and how can we help you and get resources for them.”

McPike was not able to discuss patrol schedules and when they assist custodians in locking the buildings at night.

He expects increased cases and service calls to continue in the next two weeks as the IGA with CSPD is finalized, expanding their jurisdiction at off-campus locations such as the Lodges.

McPike reiterated the importance of safety as the highest priority.

Students and faculty can sign up for UCCS Alerts for no charge at http://alerts.uccs.edu.

Campus police utilize on-duty camera system Kyle Guthrie kguthri2@uccs.edu

Events like the Michael Brown shooting and Eric Garner’s death have led to some Americans calling for new regulations that would require police departments to implement a personal camera system for officers.

These personal cameras, similar to GoPro’s, would be worn by officers while on duty in order to allow the department to conduct a closer surveillance on their officers. Proponents say that this is necessary to better conduct accountability for officers; opponents say that such measures would be overreaching for the occupation.

But while the debate rages on over the implementation and use of such cameras, the UCCS Police Department has been using the system for over two years.

In 2012, UCCS implemented a personal “On-Call Camera

System” that records the officer’s point of view while on-call. The officers then upload the footage to a collection point where it is retained for 60 days unless it is needed for a criminal case.

Brian McPike, executive director of Public Safety, believes that the cameras are a step in the right direction.

“I think this is a good step in order to both protect the officers as well as the students, staff and faculty,” McPike said. “They are a very effective tool in helping to ensure the safety of our entire campus.”

The cameras are about the size of a small fist, and can attach to the officer’s uniforms in various areas. They are activated once the officers respond to a call for service.

A lockout feature ensures that only administrators have access to the footage.

Lieutenant Marc Pino, who is in charge of investigations, is

courtesy | STUDenTS for LiberTY

An example of body cameras police officers can wear.

also the officer in charge for the personal camera system. He said that the officers of his department were on board with the proposed camera plan.

“When we were looking into them, we asked the officers what their thoughts were on them, and we had them testing them out in the field to see if they were

something they would use,” Pino said. “The feedback we got on it was that it was very useful, and that they liked it, so we moved forward with purchasing them.”

Pino also said that there was no pressure on the department to move forward with the plan, and that this was the choice of the officers themselves.

“We never received any pressure,” he said. “We had some money at the end of the year, and a rep told us about a new body camera system that was being developed. We employed them, researched the best practices for video retention, created a policy and put them out.”

The cameras have provided the officers with some unexpected, but welcome side effects, said Pino.

“Sometimes a video will get posted online of a police altercation, but they’ll edit it to make it look much worse than it actually is,” Pino said. “What we are now able to do is have the option to say ‘yeah, that’s the video that was shown, but this is what happened from our perspective.’”

Pino said the footage can be reviewed to make more detailed report, and in one case, help a medical emergency victim identify a seizure disorder.

New dean’s goal is to make education available for all April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu

Valerie Martin Conley, the new dean of the College of Education, is committed to diversity.

Colorado’s diversity is one of the things that attracted her to apply for the position, as well as UCCS’ plans to become a recognized research institution.

Conley will begin her role on July 1.

“I’ll be looking for identifying the areas of strengths and focusing attention on advocacy, faculty, staff … as well as building and nurturing existing partnerships and advocating for the college and the southern part of the state of Colorado,” she said.

Embracing diversity is one

of the core values for Ohio University’s Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education, where Conley is currently employed.

“There are some things I think are similar that I can bring some experience to the table to enhance our ability to serve,” she said.

Her dream is to make educational opportunities available for everyone no matter what the circumstances.

“My mother was a schoolteacher, and so I grew up really exposed to education and the importance of education in transforming people’s lives,” Conley said.

“I have been really committed to enhancing opportunities for access of individuals from different groups, particularly those with

different economic status.”

Conley attended the University of Virginia with the help of financial aid.

“I don’t think I would have had that opportunity if it hadn’t been for the financial aid programs. I think it was that opportunity that opened doors for me, so I think about that often – opening doors for as many people as I can.”

Her first professional position was as a government contractor and consultant for the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics. As part of her position, Conley had the opportunity to become acquainted with people from various college institutions.

“I think after awhile I decided I would really enjoy working on a college campus,” she said.

She returned to school for her

Ph.D. and got a job at Virginia Tech.

“I realized I was very interested and committed to working with students, particularly for helping students realize their passion for research,” Conley said.

She has been with Ohio University since 2002, originally as a tenure-track assistant professor. She was then promoted to associate professor with tenure and now serves as chair of the Department of Counseling and Higher Education.

She has been involved in the strategic planning efforts at the university and was also on the faculty senate.

“It’s been a long journey, but one I think I was always meant to travel,” she said.

In addition to her teaching,

Conley is a member of the local women’s soccer league and of her local dance academy. She is looking forward to becoming involved in the Colorado Springs community.

“The arts are something that is very important to me and I think it’s important for us to support the arts,” she said.

Conley said Colorado seemed like the perfect fit for her, her husband and their Jack Russell terrier, Lucy.

“I am happiest of all when I’m on a trail with my husband and my dog. We love to hike and we really do love dogs, so that’s another thing that attracted me when I learned that Colorado Springs is really a dog-friendly place.”

“It’s a new adventure and one that my husband and I are really looking forward to.”

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Feb 23, 2015 | 4

(continued from page 1) Free bus rides, selfie contest Afterward, attendees will take the bus downtown to Poor Richard’s.

The bookstore is offering 10 percent off in all of their stores to all members of the UCCS community.

The graduate school will take the bus to Trinity Brewing Co. for a social with their dean on Feb. 26, and the MOSAIC office will take international students to Manitou Springs on Feb. 28.

“The entire campus has really pulled together to make this a very successful event,” Driftmier, senior political science major

and associate chief justice of the Student Government Association, said.

Parking and Transportation is also hosting a Bus Selfie contest, which is modeled after a recent contest by the Pueblo Police Department.

Anyone riding the bus can snap a picture, whether of themselves, their group or with a bus driver as long as it doesn’t affect bus operation and then upload it to the Parking and Transportation’s Facebook page.

The winner will receive a

$100 gift pack from the UCCS Bookstore.

“Mountain Metro Transit actually has one of the better bus systems that I’ve ever used,” said Driftmier.

He added that he has taken public transportation in other cities, such as Washington D.C. and Seattle.

“With Mountain Metro, you have very clean buses, they’re very safe. Every bus has a camera in it; all the bus drivers are extremely courteous. I’ve never met one that wasn’t extremely

nice and helpful,” he said.

“Right now our campus is underserved with public transit and that deeply affects a lot of our students,” he added. “The entire point of the week is just to see what general UCCS ridership would look like.”

William Whitfield, parking manager for Parking and Transportation, is looking forward to trying out the bus for the first time.

“I certainly plan on doing it one day, maybe going down for lunch because I haven’t had the

opportunity to take the bus so I’m kind of excited about that,” he said.

Spice agreed with Whitfield.

“I’ve never taken the city bus, either, so I’m looking forward to trying it as well, riding from my house to campus,” he said.

Bus route maps can be found in the Parking and Transportation lobby and the University Center sells metro bus passes yearround. The Mountain Metro website at mmtransit.com also provides route-planning information.

International educators visit UCCS to study higher education methods April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu

UCCS welcomed 15 international educators Feb. 1718 as part of the U.S. Department of State EducationUSA network.

The event, which runs Feb. 15-24, is hosted by StudyColorado, a program of the Colorado Department of Higher Education.

According to the StudyColorado press release, educators from all over the world

will visit various educational institutions in Denver, Colorado Springs, Greeley, Fort Collins and Boulder to “explore opportunities for capacity building and international collaboration” in industry and innovation.

“StudyColorado is seeking to highlight ways in which Colorado’s higher education institutions are working with industry to address research challenges, prepare students for the workforce and promote entrepreneurship and

innovation,” the release said.

The educators include presidents, vice-chancellors, faculty members and people from the higher education ministries.

“The idea was for them to look at how in the United States we create partnerships and linkages between the university and the private sector,” said Kee Warner, associate vice chancellor for Inclusion and Academic Engagement.

Warner said the university highlighted some partnerships

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that UCCS has created, such as the College of Engineering, the Bachelor of Innovation program and the Lane Center.

Chancellor Pamela ShockleyZalabak talked to the group about how the university was built on these kinds of partnerships.

“The visiting scholars were very interested about what they learned about our campus. They had the chance to interact with some of our students and some of our faculty and staff that had been Fulbright Fellows in other

countries,” Warner said.

Warner is one of the Fulbright Fellows that the participants dined with.

“On Tuesday, they thought Colorado was very cold, but the sun came out on Wednesday and they were a little bit more comfortable and they thought the campus was really beautiful,” he said.

“It was a very productive trip and I think there may be some partnerships that emerged with some of the institutions that visited us in this delegation.”

Culture

Feb 23, 2015­­| 5

‘Dear White People:’ Movie encourages UCCS to discuss race Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu

Don’t let the title fool you, this movie is for all to enjoy.

Screened by MOSAIC and the Office of Student Activities on Feb. 17, students were treated to snacks and refreshments to celebrate Black History Month and encourage discussion about race.

Written and directed by Justin Simien, the R-rated feature “Dear White People” follows the lives of select students at Winchester University with interwoven story lines on sex, power, greed and race.

At times the film was uncomfortable and in other moments just flat out hilarious.

It reaches a climax culturally and racially when an offensive-

themed invitation goes viral, a subsequent Halloween party takes place on campus and perpetrates war between whites and blacks.

Released late last year, “Dear White People” has sparked conversation across the country.

Freshman Peyton O’Driscoll thought the event was awesome.

“The balance between the seriousness of the issue and the humor they put behind the issue was really good,” she said.

“I didn’t know what it was about when I first came to see it but it’s a really good film and definitely worth watching” continued O’Driscoll.

Andrea Mueller, senior, viewed the screening.

“When I saw the flyers I thought it was a joke,” Mueller said. “I didn’t think it was real, and when I found [out] it was

rachel ricci | The Scribe

‘Dear White People’ showed on Feb. 17.

real I said I definitely want to see what that’s about.”

“You don’t think racism is an issue in 2015 but it is,” she said.

“As much as we try to deny it I think racism is still much of

an issue today and in the U.S, and this brought to light of how it is played in our generation,” O’Driscoll said.

When asked if the events such as the climatic party scene could

happen at UCCS, O’Driscoll thought yes, while Mueller said no.

Vanessa Delgado, LGBT program director for MOSAIC, helped host the night’s well received gathering.

“The reason for (the event) was Black History month,” Delgado said. “There is not enough that our campus has done in the past to really support, celebrate and recognize Black History.”

“I think that this movie, because it’s so new and so relevant, it’s important for the campus to see, there is a lot going on politically in our country and socially, with race.”

“Dear White People” is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

“If you didn’t see it, you need to see it,” Mueller said.

Wedding planning course can help lead to viable career April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu

As children, young girls often dream of the perfect wedding day. But an imperfect wedding can ruin everything and turn the nicest bride into a Bridezilla.

That’s where the wedding planner comes in.

When Nada Gutierrez, founder of R.S.V.P. Weddings, first started her career, wedding planners weren’t an option for many people. “[Wedding planners were] one of those things you got if you had money,” she said.

Gutierrez, who also owns and produces the annual Bridal Extravaganza at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort, teaches an intensive 10-week certified wedding and event planner

course, which has been offered as part of UCCS Extended Studies for the last five years during both semesters.

“I’ve even been asked to do it in summer, but the summer months are my biggest months for weddings,” Gutierrez said.

The course was originally offered online. Gutierrez was contacted by the Wedding Planning Institute, who said they were putting the course into many different colleges.

“It enabled everybody who’s coming in to actually meet someone who’s actually doing it and to have hands-on experience [and] then have the opportunity to intern for a wedding planner.

That’s a really cool thing,” she said.

Gutierrez said the perception students have of wedding planning before taking the course is from what they see in

movies and on TV. “Everybody who comes to the class are surprised – surprised isn’t even the word. It’s more intense than they thought it would be.”

Students taking the course learn to budget and create timelines and blueprints for weddings. Then, the aesthetics follow.

Students are given the opportunity to partner up with someone and plan a wedding.

One student is the bride and the other is the wedding planner.

The students then present their weddings.

“Some students come up with things that I couldn’t even think of,” Gutierrez said.

She said that students will need a lot more than the course to become a wedding planner, but that many of her students have then gone on to intern in

wedding planning, opened their own businesses or been hired at hotels.

“You want to show passion and do really well in the course. Those students I’ll give recommendations.”

Students are given the opportunity to finish the class for up to six weeks afterward.

“I just think it’s a really great learning opportunity and if someone wants to become a wedding planner, the best way is to become accredited and learn in a setting where you’re actually with an instructor,” she said.

“If it’s something you want to do and pursue, figure out why you like it, [taking the course] is a great way to start,” Gutierrez said.

She said that in the past, weddings were all the same.

“Even when I started, weddings weren’t so elaborate or

so themed, not as grand as they are today.”

“Weddings now are all very unique, all very one-of-a-kind.

Everyone wants signature weddings. They’ve really got a stamp of uniqueness on every single one of them,” she continued.

Gutierrez said that now there are about 20 wedding planners in Colorado Springs and that about 1 in 4 brides hires a wedding planner.

“As time went on, social media and all those great reality shows about weddings pushed wedding planning into the forefront,” she said.

“I get emails all the time from 16 year old girls [saying] ‘I want to be a wedding planner.’ No one said I’m going to grow up and be a wedding planner, but a lot of people are now seeing that as a viable career.”

Transgender coverage for CU employees; not equally attainable for students Evan Musick emusick@uccs.edu

CU-system employees who consider themselves transgender will be able to have gender confirming operations covered by insurance provided by the University of Colorado beginning July 1, according to Boulder newspaper Daily Camera.

With this new coverage, faculty and staff will be able to have access to some level of transgender related medical coverage, whether that includes hormone shots or surgical operations.

In terms of student coverage, options vary. At CU-Boulder, students are covered up to $10,000, explained LGBT program director of MOSAIC

Vanessa Delgado.

For UCCS this does not mean students are covered.

“It’s not for students. It’s for faculty and staff. It’s system wide, so that includes our faculty and staff. And I think that’s really important,” Delgado said.

Stephanie Hanenberg, executive director of Health Services said in an email that the differences between CU-Boulder and UCCS student medical plans are drastically different. CUBoulder has a mandatory medical coverage policy while UCCS has a voluntary policy for students.

She wishes that UCCS students’ medical plans, which are provided by Aetna Life Insurance Company, would include access to transgender related medical support.

“I wish we could say that

we had the option to add that coverage as well,” Hanenberg said.

“They are able to make plan changes and look at how it affects their premium, while we are on a set plan and unable to offer this coverage despite trying to. We ask [Aetna] every year, but unless something changes with voluntary plans, I don’t think this will be an option for us,” she said.

Although UCCS students aren’t currently covered for gender confirming operations, it doesn’t mean that support doesn’t exist for those who identify as transgender.

“What Boulder is doing is allowing for a certain amount of money for transition purposes,” said Delgado. “The types of services we provide are really support based.”

She pointed out that if a transgender student is taking hormone shots, the Student Health Center will work with that student to have the shots delivered to UCCS. Delgado mentioned the support that MOSAIC offers can range from legal, medical and social support. This could include help with changing names, driver’s licenses, birth certificates and social security cards.

“It gets very tricky for trans students as they begin to transition in terms of the legal ‘what are you asking me here for? Are you asking me for how I identify or the legal thing on my driver’s license?’” she said.

But medical coverage is still a concern.

Delgado mentioned that in the past, medical procedures needed

for transgender students such as estrogen, testosterone, hormone therapy or surgical procedures, was not and is still not covered by many health plans due to the treatments and procedures being deemed as elective and not necessary.

Delgado pointed out that because of this, those seeking to confirm their gender have turned to alternative methods.

“What people started to do was buy off the streets, buy it online, things like that, and that can cause a lot of problems,” she said.

She explained that students need to be under the care of medical professionals.

Students interested in more information or medical resources can contact MOSAIC at 2553040 or the Student Health Center at 255-4444.

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Culture

Feb 23, 2015| 7

Past relationship inspires student exhibit at Heller Center Audrey Jensen ajensen4@uccs.edu

Senior JD Sell invites the community to the Heller Center to revisit their past, good or bad.

“What’s Changed”, Sell’s solo exhibit, will be in the Heller Center March 6-8 and will feature a special event on March 6 and 8 at 5:30 p.m. with a performance by local band “Millicent.”

Sell, a visual and performing arts major and the president of the Art Club wanted experience building an art exhibit before the senior art show in May. He was inspired by a previous relationship to create the theme of nostalgia in his art.

“It is correlating natural and decaying processes to the way you recall memories in present time,” Sell said. “For example, when you recall a memory you do not see it for what it was, you have a different interpretation and different biases you may have had towards that specific memory.”

“The ultimate outline factor is that you don’t know the other perspectives that were going on at the time. It’s an adaptation of the memory changed or evolved with something you are dealing with in the present,” he

audrey jensen | The Scribe

Artist senior JD Sell stands in front of his piece depicting the figurine of a girl on rusted square plates.

continued.

Sell revisited emotions experienced in his past relationship while creating the exhibit.

“All of the work is the under-toned emotion of lost and confusion and pain. There is dialogue I’ve began with myself to understand those experiences. It was very traumatic when I was younger,” Sell said.

“What’s Changed,” will feature pieces with a touch of old-fashion to reiterate the theme. One of the main pictures Sell has worked on will be a figurine of a girl on several large square plates that have been layered with rust.

“There are different chemical processes to rust metal. I have been experimenting for the past several months, trying to

understand different tones and colors that can come from different chemicals. Texture as well is a huge thing. You get a bunch of different atmospheric texture qualities to it,” Sell said.

Video journals will show Sell documenting his work throughout the past year of piecing the exhibit together.

The audio of the journals will be digitally altered through the process of static

distortion. Sell hopes to make this similar to police scanners with several noise sources so his documented journals will stand out.

Upon entering the exhibit in the Heller Center, the first object the audience sees will be a video that is like entering into the mindset of recalling memory, said Sell.

“I’ve incorporated a lot of references into past and nostalgia. It is something I found that people look at it on a high note, something that has influenced your life. In this work here, it has a nostalgic quality, but is more rooted in memory that you don’t want to recall.”

“The importance of those memories is for growth and understanding where you came from and dial in with yourself,” he said.

Sell wants to raise awareness of the Heller Center with his show as well. On March 6, the exhibit will be open from 5:309 p.m.; March 7 it will be open at noon; and March 8 from 5:30-9 p.m.

“The main thing I’m hoping this art does is open dialogue into the emotions that I’m touching on and open dialogue with an unfiltered or unbiased perspective of those emotions internally,” Sell said.

Teacher hopes to motivate students through video games Rachel Librach rlibrach@uccs.edu

Living in a virtual world stealing cars in Grand Theft Auto or running through castles as Mario the plumber can be a popular activity among students when they are not busy with classes and homework.

In sociology professor Zek Valkyrie’s classes, students can have similar experiences. He has developed a new style of teaching which allows students to not only create game characters but also progress through the class like they would a video game.

“Students create their player names and are given a secret ability unique to them. With each correctly answered question in class or on homework assignments, students earn coins which could be used to upgrade their character or purchase new skills,” Valkyrie said.

In order to track his students’ progress, Valkyrie created a leaderboard, a bar graph that depicts how far a student has progressed

nooh alrashid | The Scribe

Sociology professor Zek Valkyrie uses video gaming to teach students.

compared to the other “players” in class.

“This way students can receive immediate feedback on how well they are doing in certain areas as well as what they could improve upon,” Valkyrie said. “This also spurs competition amongst peers to see who can earn enough coins

to dominate the leaderboard.”

Valkyrie believes he is the only professor who has implemented this style of teaching. He thinks his efforts are having a positive effect on his students.

“Making the class like a game changes a student’s perspective on mundane class

assignments. By earning coins for completing tasks and upgrading characters to one’s preference, the student gains a sense that his or her hard work is being rewarded,” he said.

He noticed how many students struggled with the stress of maintaining a good grade. As a result, many students would give up on their course work.

“I want my students to realize that they have so many opportunities to improve and different courses they could take within the game that may be better suited to their learning preferences,” he said.

“I’ve done research on online gaming worlds and how they made us do so much work in such short amounts of time, but made it fun. [Similarly], learning should be fun but we got it in our heads that it’s not, and that’s just wrong,” Valkyrie said.

Since it is such a deviation from past techniques, Valkyrie admitted this style might not be for everyone.

“Many people’s initial reactions were excited and eager to learn more. Then, when I started talking about

the technical aspect of actually getting this system in place and functional, people began to get discouraged,” he said.

There are some classes he advised would not benefit from his style.

“Programs that focus on more hands-on training I don’t see benefiting by playing games in virtual worlds. Plus, I feel that graduate classes don’t need to provide extra motivation for their students since the people taking those classes are already interested in that field of study,” he said.

Valkyrie explained that he doesn’t have one set format for this technique. He hopes teachers will remodel and improve upon his ideas to accommodate different themes.

“For example, a culinary class may tailor their game to be featured in a restaurant and the students determine how successful the restaurant is based on their progress in the homework and tests,” he said.

“Teachers can play with the incentives they set in the game and find creative ways to incorporate their material into a game.”

eDitOriAl

Feb 23, 2015 | 8

Academic Office Building vandalism Officer Ginter: again begs the question: How do we An example of want to be viewed?

the impact of small deeds

Jonathan Toman, editor-in-chief scribe@uccs.edu

eVan MusicK | The Scribe

jonathan toMan | The Scribe

Left, shattered window on the first floor of the Academic Office Building on Feb. 4.

Right, vandals shattered a different first floor window on Feb. 11.

Scribe Staff scribe@uccs.edu

Yellow police tape has fluttered around the Academic Office Building for the majority of the past three weeks.

It is there, serving as a marker for shattered windows that were impacted by a BB or pellet gun on two separate occasions this month, shattering between eight and 10 windows in total.

This incident leads to a concern that will continue to plague UCCS in the coming years: our reputation and how we are viewed by the community.

A similar conundrum was brought up in the Sept. 29 issue of The Scribe, where the editorial bemoaned the main reason UCCS is in the news: bad parking relations.

That piece evaluated the job that UCCS administration has done to alleviate parking issues that plague both students and our neighbors around campus.

Now, it is time for us (students) to share some of the blame.

We don’t know who vandalized the Academic Office Building, and we may never know. But if it was a student, it would serve as a prime example of a general rule that we have to learn to accept: the community, the state and the region are beginning to notice

UCCS. And they are going to have their X-Ray spectacles on when they notice, and then evaluate, us. So we better be ready.

The “face” of a university is the administration, the athletics and the public relations folks. But the real face, the one that the community, state and region interact with on a daily basis is students.

When community members drive by the Academic Office Building, and see the yellow police tape that faces the road, they make assumptions about UCCS, no matter who actually perpetrated the vandalism.

And those assumptions automatically jump to the face of the school: students.

Perception is reality, and the reality that community members see due to that police tape is a campus of vandalism. And that campus is represented by students, who in turn must be not-so-good as well.

Students represent UCCS, everywhere and all the time. How do you want UCCS to be seen? And how, as students, can you help?

The reputation of the school you graduate from will follow you as long as you have that diploma. So help make sure it’s a good one, it’s in your best interest.

It’s the little things that make the world go ‘round, and I want to thank UCCS Police Officer Craig Ginter for providing one.

As I do every week, I was in the middle of distributing The Scribe at the various news racks we have around campus (would you believe there are 21?).

I went down to University Hall (where there are two racks) to put papers there.

But I found that both the doors to the building were locked.

I had noticed two UCCS police cars sitting in the lot; the two officers were chatting. I made nothing of it and tried not to look conspicuous. But what happened after I found that University Hall was locked is the reason for this column.

As I headed back to my car, Officer Ginter turned his cruiser around and rolled down his window. He asked if I needed to get in to the building.

“It’s not that big a deal,” I said. I figured I would come back later.

But this is where it got good, and where Officer Ginter surprised me: “Well, it’s not that big a deal to let you in,” he replied.

Officer Ginter could have easily questioned me as to why I was rattling the doors of a university building on a Sunday afternoon. He could have told me to be on my way, and caution me not to do it again.

Instead, Officer Ginter proceeded to let me in, reminded me to check the door to ensure it locked after I left and wish me a nice day.

He didn’t have to do all of this, but he did. Frankly, I was stunned. His little effort made my day, and the cool thing was that I didn’t see it coming.

We need to recognize these deeds and the people that make them happen.

We need to encourage these folks, make them understand that their efforts are appreciated, no matter how insignificant they may seem.

Because if we do that, maybe, just maybe, others will start to act that way as well. The small, positive things can make a large, positive difference.

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Opinion

Feb 23, 2015| 9

Danger lurks in front of your cell phone screen

Megan Lunsford mlunsfor@uccs.edu

Multitasking while using smartphones has become one of the dumbest and most dangerous activities for those between the ages of 16 and 25.

We have our favorite music, movies and websites at our fingertips, and contacting friends and family is as easy as pressing a few buttons on the screen.

But getting lost in a handheld device includes surprisingly common risks like walking into people, tripping down stairs and stepping into busy traffic.

According to a recent study by Healthline, texting and walking is known to cause more accidents than texting and driving.

Dr. Dietrich Jehle, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Buffalo in New York,

believes that as many as 10 percent of the tens of thousands of pedestrian injuries found across the nation each year result from accidents involving cell phones.

Jehle goes on to explain that the number of injuries caused by texting and walking might be even higher than figures indicate, since many people are too embarrassed to admit that they were injured because they were texting and walking.

If you’re so embarrassed that you were texting and walking, why bother doing it in the first place?

Recent research has

Spirituality sometimes embraced, not shunned, in science

Eleanor Skelton eskelton@uccs.edu

The modern day martyr stereotype involves the Christian freshman debunking his atheist science professor, risking his A for a failing grade.

But this scenario is incredibly rare. None of my science professors have ever attacked my religious beliefs.

Instead, my professors asked students to not take offense when teaching evolution and to consider the evidence for themselves.

When I was shunned by a fundamentalist church for believing that God’s will could be different from my parents’ and pastor’s, one of my chemistry professors suggested an alternate church for me to check out, although she herself is not a churchgoer.

Other professors in science departments were themselves Christian.

The deepest conversations I’ve had about spirituality in college were with

science classmates as often as with my English classmates.

One of my coworkers in the Science Center escaped an abusive Catholic household, identified as Wiccan for several years, and recently converted to Islam, because she appreciated its structure and view of God. My chemistry tutor Kyle Culhane, now a physics graduate student, explained how he appreciated Aristotle and Aquinas’ philosophies about the “prime mover” or the “unmoved mover.”

“Since the laws of physics are dictated by cause and effect and we describe the world around us in this way, these are our knowable truths,” Culhane said. “But for me the [god or] gods are unknowable. If I could know them, they would no longer be gods.”

“But that also reveals the obvious dichotomy of science and spirituality for me. My spiritual side must be at ease with never knowing because my scientific side demands it unknowable.”

Last summer, I read a book by behavioral geneticist Dean Hamer called “The God Gene: How Faith is Hardwired into our Genes.”

Hamer’s main premise was that there is sufficient genetic evidence to explain why some people seem more attracted to spiritual practices than

others. The VMAT2 gene regulates the production of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, three hormones that regulate mood.

These hormones are present in higher concentrations when a person has a polymorphism of VMAT2 that produces more messenger RNA than the alternate version.

Hamer’s research links this trait to a higher inclination towards spirituality.

Previous research by psychologists cited in “The God Gene” indicated that people who experienced periodic epiphanies stayed healthier and lived longer, demonstrating at the least that spirituality is evolutionarily advantageous.

In the preface, Hamer says that his research could be thought to support the existence of a divine being or deny it, depending on personal interpretation. His goal was just to present the evidence for a genetic explanation.

As a student researcher, my studies have never attacked my spirituality, only enriched it.

Freshmen considering a major in the natural sciences shouldn’t feel obligated to join the mythical battle between science and religion. It’s safe to put aside the fear and just explore.

shown that we are simply not as good at multitasking as we think we are.

Humans just cannot do things simultaneously.

Instead, we simply switch our attention from task to task very quickly. Often, it’s just not fast enough. It is impossible to give your full attention to more than one task at once.

So when you’re busy sending an “I love you” text to your “bae” in between classes, your attention is focused mostly on your screen instead of the speeding car you didn’t notice that swerved out of the way to miss you.

A separate study from

Stony Brook University showed that people using cell phones while walking are 61 percent more likely to veer off their course.

I don’t care how good a “multitasker” you are, when you text and walk, you are putting yourself and everyone around you in serious danger.

Walking around campus, I see an alarming amount of students completely oblivious and unaware of their surroundings. What happened to walking down the sidewalk without a phone in your hand?

Where did smiling and nodding at a stranger,

taking the time to say “hi” to someone go?

This selfish generation is too busy updating their Facebook status or uploading a selfie onto Instagram to be bothered with such nuisances.

Maybe it won’t be tragic, and you won’t walk into traffic while you’re on your phone, but you might walk straight into someone without noticing, leaving both of you flushed and embarrassed.

Your life should go beyond a glass screen.

Appreciate what is already in front of you, and always be 100 percent aware of what’s around you.

Television diversity: Why ‘Friends’ bothers me

Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu

When Netflix first announced that all seasons of NBC’s hit show “Friends” were to be released on Jan. 1, the internet exploded.

Fans and new viewers alike could not wait to watch what many consider to be the best series of the ‘90s. As an avid consumer of pop culture, I relished this opportunity and enjoyed watching a couple of episodes upon their release last month. But one thing stood out to me that I never really noticed: Everyone is white.

It’s 2015, surely this is a thing of the past. There are plenty of shows that only feature black people and casting. How can you even think of skin color on a sitcom that is meant to be funny?

These are the questions and statements my friends have responded with upon discussing the show’s return to mainstream. But there is something to be said about the fascination people have with mid-20’s white people who live

great lives in Manhattan.

It makes me uncomfortable because it’s not relatable.

In today’s world, more people can relate to my situation than a cast of six white people who hang out with one another and embark on privileged activities. It’s great writing, but simply doesn’t reflect our society.

I prefer shows that are more relatable. My favorites are “Scandal” and “How to Get Away with Murder.”

These shows are powerful examples of what TV should be like in a culture that is diverse as it is easily entertained.

Lead characters don’t play traditional stereotyped roles, making the series very attractive.

These characters hold true to their own. Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) has a steamy affair with both the President of the United States as well as ex-B616 Commander Jake Ballard, both white men who enter the unseen multiracial love affair that has been absent from traditional sitcoms and drama for years.

“How to Get Away With Murder” looks at various students from different backgrounds and cultures, and dives into their experiences. People can identify and latch on to a character whether it be because of race, orientation or a personal obstacle.

I never felt that with

“Friends.”

A guilty and new found pleasure of mine is the hit show “Empire” on Fox. A black ensemble, cutthroat drama and interwoven story lines make the show interesting because the characters aren’t what have been stereotyped in the black community.

Although a different genre from “Friends,” these are the types of shows that should be making everyone’s queue list.

I want to see people that aren’t like me as much as I want to see people that I can relate to. Let’s feature disabled characters, older actors, gay relationships and other nontraditional people that make up our diverse culture.

America has always been a melting pot, but has not always reflected this in our television shows. “The Cosby Show” and “Seinfeld,” although powerful and groundbreaking shows, don’t adequately demonstrate what I would consider to be the staple of American culture: diversity.

“Friends” was good then. But let’s see what’s better now.

“Empire” continues to rock ratings every Wednesday and can be seen on Fox at 8 p.m.

ABC’s “Scandal” and “How To Get Away With Murder” can be seen on Thursday nights beginning at 8 p.m.

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What would you do if February had three extra days?

Laura Wolff, freshman, Spanish and bio-medical exercise science “I would go hiking, hammocking or back packing.

As long as it was something outside.”

Yitbarek Molalagne, sophomore, mechanical engineering

“I would go camping, that sounds like fun.

Maybe party more.”

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Sports

Feb 23, 2015­­ | 11

Women’s 4x400 relay wins at Western State, conference in sight

courtesy | sports information

reilly flood | The Scribe

reilly flood | The Scribe

Senior runners Jessica Todd, left, and Sam Bauer, right, race at the Western State meet on Feb. 7.

Jessica Todd, above, Sam Bauer, below.

Interim head coach Corey Kubatzky.

Brandon Applehans

Championships on Feb. 27-28 is the Joe Davies Open on Feb. 20 in Golden.

“This meet is our last tune-up meet before the conference championships, so obviously that’s the focus of our season for indoors,” said Kubatzky.

“Indoors is built towards outdoor season so we want to be running pretty well by the conference championship.”

The team has already been to the School of Mines track for three meets this season and according to Todd the smaller, 188-meter track can be awkward for sprinters.

“When you are running the sprinting events, the tight curves affect you and can slow you down; especially if you are in the inner

lanes,” said Todd.

The seniors look to lead by example.

“I like being an influence on the younger girls,” said Bauer. “It’s great helping them get better and to get to the level that I’m at now. It’s just better for the team later on. When I was a freshman, because our team was so new, I had to figure a lot of things out by myself.”

“We have some great freshmen coming in,” added Todd. “They love the leadership dynamic they are getting from me and the other seniors.

They listen and you can tell they are taking in whatever we give them. They are going to be great when they get to our position.”

bappleha@uccs.edu

After a trip to nationals for cross country in the fall, the women’s track and field team wants to take that success into indoor.

The Mountain Lions won the 4x400-meter relay at the Western State Alumni Open on Feb. 7.

“It’s always good to win,” said interim head coach Corey Kubatzky.

“It’s a nice reward for all the hard work they put in. There are some good national qualifiers in the 4x4 teams in the conference, so we are looking to finish top four.”

Senior runner Jessica Todd helped the 4x400 meter relay take first place

and finished second in the 400-meter dash.

“We have run a couple 4x4’s before, but that meet I felt that we all put it together and we meshed really well,” said Todd. “Western’s new track felt great. It really gives us a lot of confidence going into conference play knowing that we know what we can do, and possibly more.”

Senior Sam Bauer took second in the 3,000-meter run.

“The race gave me confidence,” said Bauer. “I know that I can go out in the conference in a week and know that I can be a contender and compete.”

The last event on the schedule before the RMAC Indoor

Kirchoff/Hernandez, Welsh/White: Dynamic basketball duos

Brandon Applehans bappleha@uccs.edu

In college athletics, dynamic duos don’t come along on a regular basis.

Usually, one player basks in the spotlight, but for UCCS four players share the spotlight, propelling the Mountain Lions into national contention.

Juniors Derrick White,

guard, and forward Alex Welsh make up the men’s side. On the women’s side, sophomore forward Brittany Hernandez and senior guard Abby Kirchoff hold down their territory.

For White and Welsh, a bond that started their freshmen year has grown into an on-and-off the court friendship. The duo played together just one time prior coming to UCCS. “I’ve always known [Derrick] from tournaments on the weekends when we were a lot younger,” said Welsh. “He used to be super small so I was shocked to see him at the Highlands Ranch league tip-slamming and doing

crazy things. He just kept getting better.”

The thought of playing with Welsh excited White.

“Before the summer league, I just knew of him as some goofy kid from the Shining Stars [AAU Basketball Club],” said White. “I didn’t really know much about him, but I knew he played really well at Pomona [High School] and I was excited to play with him.”

The two joined forces for the Mountain Lions in the 2012-13 season, when the men’s team struggled to find wins.

Meanwhile, a guard on the women’s team had emerged as one of the top players for the university.

Kirchoff was the goto player, but the team lacked another dynamic scorer. Then head coach Shawn Nelson brought in Hernandez for the 201415 season.

Hernandez comes off as a hardened individual, intimidating players around the conference.

For the sophomore, there is more than what meets the eye, especially with her teammates. “[My teammates] get to see a side of me that other people don’t,” said Hernandez. “A lot of people are intimidated by me but my teammates know me. I can be serious, but not around them.”

Hernandez left Colorado Christian to

join forces with Kirchoff.

It was chemistry at first sight. The team is backed by a capable supporting cast, while led by two offensive options that have the potential to break the scoreboard.

“It’s a lot easier having two people because if I’m having an off night, I know [Brittany] is going to have a good night,” said Kirchoff. “Also, if we’re both on, we can combine for 60 points a night.”

Entering play Feb. 20, the women’s duo has led their team to a 19-5 record. From a 5-21 season their freshmen year, White and Welsh have led their team to a 20-4 record this year.

Approaching the

last week of play, the women’s team has their eyes on a revenge game against Regis, as the men count the hours until the awaited rivalry game against Metro State.

“We’ve been looking forward to Regis since the night we lost [to them],” said Kirchoff.

The men’s team hopes to sweep the series against Metro, a team that at one time served as the big brother to UCCS. “When we were freshmen, this type of season seemed like a long ways away,” said White. “We watched Metro play and made them a benchmark of where we needed to be and the team we wanted to become.”

SpOrtS

Feb 23, 2015| 12

Softball goes 2-3 to start off the season in Las Vegas Brandon Applehans bappleha@uccs.edu

For students over 21, Las Vegas can serve two purposes: a weekend of festivities or for softball games.

The first weekend of play for the softball team began with two wins, then ended with three losses. Head coach Scott Peterson said the team was close to its goal for the Las Vegas trip.

“Our expectations were to be over .500 [win percentage],” said Peterson. “I thought the way the schedule was set up, I thought we had a great opportunity to hit that goal. We just didn’t get it done. We are going to work on some things in the areas that we need to.”

The games against Simon Fraser and Mary ended in victories, 11-7 and 8-7. But the Mountain Lions would only score four runs in the next three games, getting shutout twice.

“I thought our pitching was

reilly flood | The Scribe

Women’s softball head coach Scott Peterson.

good enough to win, but our offense won us those games,”

said Peterson. “We were pleased to get right out of the

box with two wins. Up and down the line-up everybody hit, we ran the bases well.”

“What was disappointing was that we completely went the other way in the next three games.”

The young talent for the Mountain Lions stepped up.

Two freshmen, Whitney Weber and Kylie Barnard, both went three-of-five between the first two wins of the season.

“It reminded me a lot of travel softball [in the summer] except it was for college,” said Weber. “They were really exciting because they were so fast paced. There was definitely a difference between high school and college.”

“The first couple games were very exciting but very nerve racking,” added Barnard.

“There was a lot of adrenaline in the games so I just tried to have some fun.”

Peterson felt the freshmen got acclimated in the Vegas heat.

“Our freshmen played great,” said Peterson. “Kylie and Whitney both played

great. We do have high expectations for those two but they we our two best players for the weekend.”

“I just really wanted to do my part and get my job done,” said Barnard. “I just wanted to contribute to the team.”

Both Barnard and Weber explained they have an influential and encouraging senior driving them to be the best they can be.

“Korey [Kulpins] has really helped me with the mental side of softball and being confident in myself,” Barnard. “She helps me when I’m up to bat and in the field.”

“I’d have to say MJ [Emily Jennings], just because she is always encouraging me and making sure I know I did a good job at what I did,” said Weber. “She’s great at reinforcement.”

The Mountain Lions will next be at home on March 7 and 8 against New Mexico Highlands. Game times on March 7 are noon and 2 p.m., and game times on March 8 are 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

More Inside: Women’s track wins; Dynamic basketball duos

Coach and student start Medals4Mettle chapter Jonathan Toman jtoman@uccs.edu

Sophomore runner Mitch Klomp and interim women’s cross country coach Corey Kubatzky have partnered with a national organization to bring medals to kids in the hospital.

Medals4Mettle takes donations of old race medals, swaps the ribbon with one of their own and presents the medals to the children.

“Mitch and I figured, being running related, that it would be good to tie in with the team and start a chapter here,” said Kubatzky.

Klomp said he jumped at the idea to get involved, and they have received their first batch of ribbons.

“That’s a fantastic idea, let’s get to it,” said Klomp.

The two partnered with Boulder Running Company to have an event at Jack Quinn’s Running Club on Feb. 10 in support of the program. 52 medals were donated.

“That was a pretty big success, so that’s going to carry us for a little while,” Kubatzky said.

He hopes to have a similar event two to three times a

year moving forward.

“It’s always good to give back to the community, it’s the responsibility of collegiate athletic teams, and it’s even better when you can tie it into your sport, it makes it a little more meaningful,” said Kubatzky.

Kubatzky volunteered for the organization when he was in Michigan.

“Being a kid in a hospital is never a fun thing,” said Kubatzky. “It’s good to have somebody come and recognize your efforts to get better, to tough it out.”

Klomp has been in touch with Memorial Hospital to schedule their first visit, which is expected to be in March. They will likely bring six to eight people at a time, starting with team members and then opening to the community.

“You don’t usually think about it too much, about what kind of an impact you can have in the community, said Klomp. “But seeing the kids’ faces, it kind of hits you.”

Medals can be donated at Boulder Running Company or Kubatzky’s office.

Donations to the national organization can be made at medals4mettle.org.

reilly flood | The Scribe

Sophomore Mitch Klomp, left, and cross country coach Corey Kubatzky model Medals4Mettle merchandise.