Outdoor activities in Colorado Springs pages 8 and 9
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Monday, November 7, 2011 Vol. 36, Iss. 11
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Your school. Your voice.
University of Colorado Colorado Springs Weekly Campus Newspaper
University Center’s south entrance nears completion Jay Kim jkim@uccs.edu
For those who have relied on the southwest entrance to the University Center (UC), this past summer and the fall semester has been tough. Seeing the yellow construction tape block it off was disheartening. A common occurrence among many students and staff members was to walk all the way down to the doorway, realize it was blocked off for construction, then walk all the way back around to the main southeast entrance. The project began early in the summer and was expected to be finished by the start of fall semester. However, while digging, the workers ran into a plethora of wires for various utility lines. While they knew that some of the lines were there, they weren’t prepared for the immense quantity, said Carolyn Fox, the university’s chief architect. Fox said they ran into water lines, gas lines, fiber lines and at least 15 other
ones. Some of them could be fixed or relocated properly, but a few others required them to redesign the foundation around them, which set them back on their completion date. The new entryway is scheduled to be complete on Nov. 9, during which an open house for it and the rest of the remodeled University Center will be held throughout the first floor of the UC. Associate Director of the UC, Megan Bell, who is organizing the open house, mentioned that the “ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 3 p.m., but feel free to come at any time.” The open house will feature live DJs, food and various activities organized by Mosaic, the bookstore, the Copy Center, The Scribe, the front desk and the ROAR office including a billiard tournament, video games and origami. Students can even meet Clyde, the school mascot. When asked why they decided to renovate the southwest entrance, Fox said this was all part of a plan to make the University Cen-
ter more relevant and that it “wasn’t obvious that it was a public entrance” and that “it wasn’t welcoming.” It often felt like a back door to just The Scribe and MOSAIC offices. “It’s all part of this effort to update this first floor University Center,” she said. Jesse Perez, student employee in MOSAIC, is hoping the more appealing door will attract more students to the office. “The problem was that before, it looked like a loading dock. Now it looks more like an entrance. We hope it will increase traffic and students will get to know more about diversity efforts on campus.” In the late 1970s, that area was a loading dock for the bookstore, and while the University Center’s structure changed over time, the feel of that entryway never did. With a giant “UCCS” emblazoned on the wall and pillars supporting an overhead, students going to the Copy Center or MOSAIC will no longer feel like they are going through the back door. S
are not all like this.” Students gathered in the plaza, as well as on the balcony overlooking it. They listened to the man shouting slogans of “Jesus will save you,” “Read the Bible” and “Repent!” The man, named Steve Johnson, is a local pharmacist, but uses his spare time to spread the gospel around Colorado Springs, including downtown locations and college campuses. “I go where the people are, just like Jesus did,” said Johnson. When he was through speaking, he came down from his box and began dialoguing directly with students. Many approached him because they were offended and upset by what he had to say. But some, like
junior Meral Sarper, a mechanical and space engineering major, appreciated what he was doing. “Regardless of whether people really heard him, or heard the counter-protester, I think it got people thinking, and I thought it was great,” said Sarper, who added that she didn’t necessarily agree with what he was saying, but appreciated that he believed in it enough to be out there. Several students, including junior Tyler Lowman, a game design development major, stayed to engage in a debate with Johnson. As the conversation began, Johnson said, “I care for people enough to tell them the truth.” Lowman replied, “How do you know it’s the truth?”
Photo by Tasha Romero
The University Center’s south entrance is scheduled to be complete on Nov. 9.
Religious zealot demonstrates in front of the UC Cherise Fantus cfantus@uccs.edu
On Nov. 1, a guy walked into the UC, approached the info desk and announced, “I want to practice my freedom of speech!” After being directed to the free speech area surrounding the white mountain lion statue, he got up on his soap box – which he brought himself – and began his demonstration, which included handing out Bibles and business cards. He was followed by an impromptu counter-protester, sophomore Lauren Schoate, a pre-nursing major, who sat on the bench behind him holding a whiteboard that read, “We
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“The Bible tells me it’s the truth.” “But, it’s a book, written 2,000 years ago,” said Lowman. “It is a book. But there’s a lot of truth in there, don’t you think?” responded Johnson, saying that architecture – the fact that there is architectural proof that all of the towns and cities written about in the Bible actually existed – authenticates it. As the debate went on, it grew to be mostly onesided. When students tried to make their points, they found that Johnson talked over them to make his own. The conversation progressed to what happens after death, of which Continued on page 3...
culture ‘Anonymous’ Review
page 5
Photo by Robert Solis
Steve Johnson is practicing his freedom of speech.
opinion Facial Hair page 11
sports Men’s Basketball page 15