March 2, 2015

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scribe.uccs.edu Vol. 39, Iss. 20

Monday, March 2, 2015

IN BRIEF

cribe University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Full coverage of SGA Candidates, polls open March 9 The 2015 Student Government Association elections will be held the week of March 9.

Positions available include President/Vice President and Director of Finance, along with senator positions for the College of Business, Education, Engineering, Graduate School, LAS, Multicultural Affairs, Nursing, Public Affairs, Sustainability and at-large senator.

Seven of the ten senator races are uncontested: senator of Sustainability, Engineering, Education, Graduate School, Multicultural Affairs, Nursing and Public Affairs.

New designated tobacco areas on campus 4

Tech industry Colorado ranked high in IT jobs 4

CULTURE

Quidditch Muggles can participate in this ‘Harry Potter’ sport 7

Student art Exhibit in the library looks at constructions of reality 7

Director of Finance has a pair of candidates, senator of LAS has three candidates, senator of Business has two candidates and At-Large senator has eight candidates.

Six at-large candidates will be elected.

The President/Vice President race will have two tickets, Zachary Woolweaver and Ariana Borders against Bailey Westerfield and Katelyn Harris.

Members elected this spring will serve for the next full academic year.

INSIDE: Full coverage of the candidates on pages two and three.

Return of winter leads to campus delays, closures

OPINION

Socializing The skills you need to succeed are not taught in the classroom 9

Colorado clothing Wear clothes appropriate for the weather 9

joNAtHAN toMAN | The SCrIbe

Snowfall closed campus Feb. 22 and 23 and left the West lawn, left, and the top of the parking garage, right, with large amounts of snow.

Jonathan Toman jtoman@uccs.edu

SPORTS

Ski and snowboard SOLE Office, club offer ways to get to the mountains 11

Men’s and women’s basketball Regular season wraps up; RMAC Shootout to begin 11

Winter made its presence felt on campus last week, with UCCS closing on both Feb. 22 and 23.

Brian McPike, executive director of Public Safety, explained the process the school goes through to determine if a delay or closing is necessary.

McPike begins by acquiring information from various local sources including UCCS police officers on call, facilities services, area schools and the Colorado Springs Street Division to get an accurate assessment.

He then forwards his recommendation to Susan

Szpyrka, vice chancellor for Administration and Finance, to talk through the information.

Szpyrka has the ultimate authority on the decision.

McPike said on a bad weather day, he starts at 4:30 a.m. to look at reports and analysis. A decision is made by 6 a.m. at the latest. The decision to delay or close depends on the storm, and whether it will move out of the area or stick around.

The shuttles from Four Diamonds, as well as the ability of front wheel and rear wheel drive cars to get up Austin Bluffs, does play a role. McPike watched for accidents close to campus for the most recent closure.

“If it’s a safety issue for

students, obviously we don’t want to take that chance,” he said.

Eastbound Austin Bluffs was closed Feb. 21 due to multiple stalled vehicles.

Facilities Services has as many as 30 staff to work on snow removal when a storm hits, according to Jeff Reed, associate director of Facilities Services.

For a snow event, a schedule is set for the team and shifts are often split, as was the case Feb. 22-23. Delays give Facilities Services extra breathing room.

“That allows us to get some more work done without the traffic flow,” Reed said.

One of the clean up areas is the top level of the parking

garage. Usually, snow is removed by a dump truck and disposed of at a dirt lot by the greenhouse to melt.

But due to a second storm which hit Feb. 25-26, that process was not completed for the Feb. 22-23 storm, leaving two mounds of snow on the top level.

“We haven’t been able to get that mound off as we had hoped,” said Reed.

McPike encouraged students to communicate with their instructors if they feel unsafe about coming to school. UCCS Alerts, the UCCS website and social media are the best ways to find out closure and delay information. The snow line number is 719-255-3346.

Samantha Morley Evan Musick

Photos courtesy SGA

smorley2@uccs.edu emusick@uccs.edu

Election Feature:

President and Vice President Candidates

Katelyn Harris

Senior, Biology and Psychology

Junior, Political Science

“

Sophomore, Communication

“

Goals: More community involvement; financial transparency

Charles MacGregor

Could not be reached for an interview

Mykinthia Ebron

Junior, Psychology

Junior, Communication

I’m looking more at a funtionality aspect.

I really want to enrich myself and expand throughout this university.

“

“

Treasurer for UCCS Reisher Scholar’s Club; billing assistant at UCCS Family Development Center.

I was raised working as hard as [I] can and finished a task to the best of [my] ability.

If there’s a job for me to do then I’m going to do it to the best of my ability until it’s done better than anyone else.

Previous Experience:

“

Previous Experience:

Macey Juhl

“

I think I’m really friendly and I’m easy to talk to.

I think I take initiative and reach out to people.

My past experience in leadership and my future goals ... would make me a good fit for [Senator] of Business.

Previous Experience:

Class president in high Current scholarship school; previously Two years on the chairman of Sigma vice president of CU-Boulder SGA; Alpha Epsilon Future Business member of recreation fraternity. Committee Leaders of America. board; Volunteer at member of Jenny’s Memorial Hospital Hope Foundation.

Goals: Give Students of the College of Letters, Bring organizations Arts and Sciences together; petition for more of a voice; more senator positions Develop stronger for Greek Life and communication with athletics. the Dean.

Goals:

Collin McKone

Freshman, Business Admin.

“

“

Senator of the College of Business

Junior, Pre-Med

“

Erin Bollinger

My overall vision is to handle this position with efficiency [and] effectiveness.

Previous Experience:

Sophomore, Bus. Marketing

Senator of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

“

“

“

Freshman, Criminal Justice

“

Junior, Finance

Zachary Woolweaver

We can do a good job by providing the clubs with the funding that they need.

Director of Finance

Aldo Torres Jimenez

Ariana Borders

“

“

I want us to be fiscally responsible with the student’s funds.

President

“

“

Bailey Westerfield

Vice President

Previous Experience: Section leader in the Air Academy High School marching band.

Goals:

Goals:

Establish stronger connection with students and faculty members; make resources more available.

Creation of clubs focused toward business; Encourage entrepreneurial experience; Weighting process for GPAs.

Erik Nudson Freshman, Business

“

I can really listen to the voice of the students ... to see what they really want and actually transfer that into action.

“

Vice President

Goals as a team: Implement grade forgiveness; continue with the Halloween Carnival and create other big events on campus; establish a football team; create a senator for clubs; increase club funding.

“

President

Goals as a team: Transparency for student government. Open doors for students to come through and talk directly to the president and vice president.

Previous Experience: Owns and runs a house painting business. Previous chairman of Colorado Springs Teen Court.

Goals: Develop entrepreneurial education within the College of Business.

SGA candidates

March 2, 2015 ­| 3

Senator-at-Large Candidates

Freshman, Undecided

“

“

Kimia Ahmadian

John Ferko Jr.

Junior, English

Sophomore, Sport Mgmt. and Marketing

Senior, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Junior, Biochemistry

Senior, Political Science

I am open ... to the insight [other Colleges] will bring to the table.

As a chemist, I’m conditioned to be a problem solver.

Experience: Co-President of the UCCS Student Center for the Public Trust.

Experience: Speaker of Senate; Student member of the American Chemical Society.

Goals: Focus on creating bills that help the student body.

Goals: Make community of senators and students.

I can really lend a handson approach to the clubs on campus.

“

“

“

“

Goals: Unify housing students and commuters.

Experience: Experience: President of Senator-at-Large Student Council 2014. and Future Business Leaders Goals: of America in high Employ experience school. in a beneficial way and become the Goals: voice of students.

Bring awesomeness to the campus.

Dylan Shuster

“

I chose the I feel like I can I think I can get really involved Senator-atreally improve Large position on [the housing] ... and make a lot of fun things ... because of its community happen. versatility. atmosphere.

Experience: President National Honors Society in high school

Jacob Hopkins

Experience: President of the German Club; Vice president of the Honors Society.

Goals: Work with clubs, create more activities on campus.

“

Senator of Multicultural Affairs

Senator of Graduate School

Senator of Sustainability

Thomas Huang

Jeanine Prescott

Tessa Bronner

Sophomore, Economics

Grad year 2016, Public Admin.

Freshman, Business Admin.

Grad year 2016, Public Admin.

I want to help UCCS become a more sustainable campus.

I’m hardworking [and] dedicated. ... I’d be the perfect candidate for student government.

“

Previous Experience:

Previous Experience:

“

Previous Experience:

Vice president of UCCS Asian Pacific Islander Student Union.

Current Senator of Graduate School.

Previously served on budget committee that handled $2.5 million.

President of environmental club in high school.

Member of Students for Environmental Awareness and Sustainability.

“

Goals: Increase awareness of multicultural clubs around campus.

Goals:

Goals:

Get graduate students more involved.

Educate students and encourage projects.

Could not Could not be reached be reached for an for an interview interview

Senator of Public Affairs

Senator of College of Education

Senator of College of Engineering

Senator of Nursing

Jonathan Chavez

Amber Hickman

Kristen Slyter

Robin Done

Sophomore, Biology

Freshman, Comp. Engr.

Junior, Health Sciences

I really enjoy helping people.

I want to be able to link the nursing program and the health science students together because it is very disjointed.

“

“

“

“

“

I want [students] I feel like it’s to go enjoy and important to see a different represent the 15 or perspective so percent of the [of] other Asian student population cultures and which are ... cultures in general. graduate students.

“

Previous Experience:

Could not be reached for an interview

“

Previous Experience:

President of undergraduate student social work association.

Worked and volunteers at UCCS Center for STEM Education; volunteers at local middle and elementary schools.

Goals:

Goals:

Make clubs or organizations for graduate students to feel more involved.

Liaison for faculty and students to communicate and accomplish goals.

“

“

Freshman, Comp. Sci.

Joseph Conrad

“

“

Miranda Lovelace

“

Freshman, Biochemistry

Jordan Coffman

“

William Brandon

Previous Experience: Army medic for nine years.

Goals: Link nursing and health sciences programs; Incorporate health sciences more on the main campus.

nEWS

March 2, 2015 | 4

Designated smoking areas clear the air but some protest stigma Eleanor Skelton eskelton@uccs.edu

Gold and white signs stating “designated smoking areas” along with ashtrays were installed this semester, indicating exact locations where smoking is appropriate.

A committee including Ralph Giese, director of Residence Life and Housing, and Brian McPike, executive director of Public Safety worked with Susan Szpyrka, vice chancellor of Administration and Finance, reviewed the smoking policy.

“We met several times, we toured campus several times, we did a lot of research into what other universities are doing, including our sibling campuses,” said Giese.

Each administrative policy is reviewed on an annual basis.

“The policy needed to be reviewed, and we needed to look at it from a perspective of what is a healthy campus,

how can we promote healthy choices while still giving people the opportunity to make choices in their life,” Giese said.

The committee’s findings indicated that most campuses were transitioning to designated smoking areas rather than a smoke-free campus.

“Boulder had tried to start that,” Giese explained, “and my understanding is that they have not been very successful in being completely smokefree.”

All state buildings are smoke-free indoors, but a smoke-free campus would push smokers to an area the university does not regulate.

“Although we are in the middle of the city, we are not a very urban campus,” Giese said. “It would be quite a walk to send students or faculty or staff to a public sidewalk.”

The committee selected areas that were already being used.

Housing has received little feedback to date, and people are following the policy, according to Giese.

“People have been really respectful of smoking in the designated areas,” he said. “I think it’s been really successful here.”

Fire safety in a drier climate was also a concern, according to an email from McPike. He explained that the policy does not cover marijuana, which is still illegal on campus.

Facility Services installed the signs and ashtrays and removed all ashtrays from the top of trashcans.

Gary Reynolds, executive director of Facility Services, took the committee’s recommendations and created the designated smoking areas.

Reynolds explained a project manager visited the locations and created site layout. Signarama, an outside sign company, and an independent contractor built the areas.

Previously existing smoking sites only had signs added.

Due to complaints about smoking areas that Reynolds tracks, he plans to remove some areas from the Campus Services building and add a site near the Academic Office Building, which was not yet under construction when the committee originally met.

“Several [people] have said you can hardly walk out of our building without having to walk by a smoking area,” Reynolds explained.

Student reactions to the designated areas varied.

Rianne Lightfoot, a junior psychology major, thinks that removing and relocating ashtrays promotes littering of cigarette butts, especially near Columbine Hall and between the library and Osborne Center.

“They’ve covered up all the ashtrays and now there’s just cigarette butts everywhere,” Lightfoot said.

“It makes it more

inconvenient,” she added.

“I’m a pretty conscientious smoker, I try to be respectful of people who don’t smoke, so I would always find a place away from people.”

“But now they’ve made it more difficult to do so with the signs and I feel like it’s a little more stigmatized than it should be.”

But non-smoker Martha Cervantes, a senior studying criminal justice, is affected by secondhand smoke.

Cervantes has dealt with asthma since childhood.

“I think it’s a good thing that they have certain areas at school where they can smoke because that way I know what places to avoid,” Cervantes said.

“I’d rather have them smoke in one spot than wherever they want to,” said Eric Frank, a junior in high school concurrently taking engineering classes. “They’re out of the way, most of them, so they don’t really bother me a whole lot.”

Colorado’s tech industry among best in the country Kyle Guthrie kguthri2@uccs.edu

A recent review of the technology industry from CompTIA has shown that Colorado’s technology industry ranks among the best in the nation.

The review looked the number of jobs, number and type of establishments, payroll of companies and average wages earned by workers in the industry.

According to the report, the technology industry accounted for 11.3 percent of Colorado’s economy. While

the report detailed that the overall ranking of the state in terms of employment came in at 13th place, the wages earned for workers in the industry was ranked as ninth in the nation.

Workers in the tech industry earned about $101,800 a year on average, while the state average in the private sector was roughly $51,000.

5,900 jobs were created in the industry last year, a 3.3 percent increase in jobs for the state.

The study also shows growth of computer sciences and engineering.

“UCCS students in these related areas are contributing to the industry growth, but there is a much larger demand in these areas than all the Colorado universities together can supply,” said Terry Boult, professor of computer science. “People move to Colorado to work in these industries.”

The state added 5,900 jobs in 2013-14, but all Colorado universities together only graduated less than 1,000 students, he said.

According to Boult, the total number of new IT jobs in that one year was greater than “all existing mechanical

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and aerospace employees in the state.”

Still, there are some uncertainties in current students about their skills in the IT industry.

Cole Johnson, junior computer engineering major, is getting ready to enter the IT workforce.

“I have no idea what the IT industry is even like, I’m just in school,” he said, “But I feel comfortable in the skills I am learning, I do really enjoy them and hope they come in handy in the future.”

“As a mechanical engineer I do get some IT background, but it’s just enough to be

able to interact in that field,” said Michael Burns, junior mechanical engineering major. “My education seems very solid to me, but I won’t know until I get to go out and use it, so I don’t really have that much to base it on.”

Boult is confident that UCCS students are ready for the world of the IT industry.

“Many of our undergraduates get to be involved in advanced research and or start-ups, feedback from employers is positive on our graduate skills,” Boult explained. “All students have strong computer science and software development skills.”

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culturE

March 2, 2015 | 5

Scholarship students share Puerto Rico’s culture Rachel Librach rlibrach@uccs.edu

UCCS scholarship winners traveled to Puerto Rico January 12-19 where they helped build trenches to provide fresh water to villages and crops.

Students were so moved by the region’s culture and colorful celebrations that they decided

to share their experiences with other students by hosting a Puerto Rico Cultural Event.

The event took place in the Upper Lodge on Feb. 24 from 5:30-7pm. Russell Saunkeah, executive chef of Dining and Food Services, prepared the food.

The menu featured arrozcon gandules, a rice dish with vegetables and pigeon peas,

sancocoho, a vegetable stew, roast pork with sour orange marinade, and for dessert coconut flan and churros.

Joseph Ortega, a scholarship winner, described that upon returning to UCCS, the students wanted to share their experiences and Puerto Rico’s rich culture.

“The trip was so amazing, we just wanted to show our

appreciation to UCCS since they generously helped with the funding for the trip,” Ortega said. “We hope, with this event, we can share our experiences and demonstrate what a great impact this trip had on our lives.”

Between the group salsa dance lesson and delicious cuisine, a few students commented on the food they

sampled.

“I love the coconut flan; it’s the closest to the original flavor. Although, the meat was really good too,” said Kryzdaliz Tirado.

“The flan was the best.

It had such a different taste, something I’ve never come across before. It was really interesting,” said Tristan McGuin.

Nearby eateries offer quality food and decent prices

NooH ALrASHiD | The SCrIbe

CourtESy | GreeK CAFe

CourtESy | PhO-NOMeNAL

Affordable and hole-in-the-wall eateries are near the campus.

Kyle Guthrie kguthri2@uccs.edu

Students who are looking for a bite to eat at a great price should know about some hole-in-the-wall restaurants just a few minutes away from campus.

Mollica’s Italian Market and Deli Located at 985 Garden of the Gods Road [2.46 miles from campus], with average lunch prices of $5-9.

For those who want great Italian food (both in restaurant and to take home), Mollica’s Italian Market is a great choice for students who want quality Italian food at a great price.

Mollica’s offers a wide

variety of food, including several large, delicious Italian sandwiches like the pastrami and Italian heroes, as well as a wide variety of pastas. Their pizza is also regularly voted among the best in Colorado Springs.

Additionally, Mollica’s offers deli quality meats, cheeses and groceries to use at home.

El Ranchito #2 Located at 3819 Maizeland Road [4.8 miles from campus], with an average cost of $6-12 per lunch meal.

Mexican food doesn’t get any more authentic than here.

The restaurant has a grocery-like style. The taqueria in the rear of the store

boasts an impressive array of authentic Mexican dishes such as tacos, burritos, carne asada and bowls of house made menudo.

All the dishes are made fresh on the spot, including the tortillas which are rolled out in front of you as you wait. They also offer a great selection of meats and groceries at the front of the store, including bags of homemade and steaming hot tamales at checkout.

You can also buy a half pound or so of carne seca (carne asada jerky) from the butcher area in the store.

Pho-nomenal Located at 5825 Stetson Hills Blvd. [5.5 miles from campus], an average lunch

meal costs $7-14.

Online reviews rate this restaurant as one of the best and most affordable in Colorado Springs.

The clean and friendly restaurant offers a wide variety of Vietnamese and Asian inspired dishes and appetizers such as spring rolls and noodle dishes. But their biggest draw is their famous pho soup and a bowl of rare steak pho (along with several other meat options) which costs about $8.

For the truly brave, the restaurant also offers an eating challenge called “Man vs Pho,” where contestants are forced to eat over a pound of noodles, meat, broth and vegetables in under an hour.

Losers are forced to pose for a

picture wearing a pink loser’s shirt, which is then hung in the restaurant.

Greek Café Found at 4343 Integrity Center Point [4.7 miles from campus], with an average lunch cost of $5-15.

There’s no better place near campus to get an authentic falafel than Greek Café.

Greek Café offers a wide variety of delicious Greek foods, including tasty meat dishes such as lamb kabobs and gyros made fresh from meat skewers.

The quality of the food and friendly service make this restaurant one of the most welcoming and satisfying Greek eateries in the area.

Check out our website! scribe.uccs.edu

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Culture

March 2, 2015 | 6

‘The Vagina Monologues’ to come to UCCS DeKeveion Glaspie dglaspie@uccs.edu

Female students are being encouraged to share their stories and experiences this month at “The Vagina Monologues.”

On March 14 at 7 p.m. and March 15 at 2 p.m. in Berger Hall, MOSAIC will be presenting the monologues of empowered women through performance.

The project started with Eve Ensler. She wrote monologues of her experiences interviewing women across different identities and orientations.

“These experiences are themes of experiencing life from the viewpoint of a woman, so some of them are funny and some are more serious. They range from topics of hair to sexual assault,” said Vanessa Delgado, LGBT program director for MOSAIC. Sociology graduate student

Mikaela Resende is excited to be performing “Hair,” and a role in “They Beat The Girl Out of My Boy.” “Spreading awareness of women’s issues and women’s rights are passions of mine as are doing the same for any issues related to any marginalized group. ‘The Vagina Monologues’ is a creative, fun and touching way to achieve this,” Resende said.

Sophomore communication major Tina McDonald will be performing a solo monologue, “The Little Coochi Snorcher That Could.”

When auditioning, McDonald requested to be assigned as piece regarding recovery from abuse.

“I felt that telling another woman’s tale about survival would help myself on my own road to recovery after a previously emotionallyabusive relationship,” she said.

“Once I was informed I had a role, I was excited by the prospect of being able to be a

courtesy | UCCS MOSAIC

The photo caption goes here.

little more active with campus events,” McDonald said. “And once I learned the purpose and the story behind the show, I hope that the project, and my piece especially, will help empower women.”

The monologues are owned by a national organization called V-Day. With “The Vagina Monologues,” they hope to end violence against women and girls across the nation.

Men are encouraged to attention the show.

“It is a great experience for everyone who gets involved.

These Vagina Monologues raise awareness of violence,” Delgado said.

‘Remapping the Trauma of War’ looks at history of PTSD Eleanor Skelton eskelton@uccs.edu

War is not isolated to a geographic location or time, argued a lecture on Feb. 26 titled “Remapping the Trauma of War.” Professor Anna Secor and associate professor Patricia Ehrkamp from the geography department at the University of Kentucky presented their research of veterans and refugees historically and today.

Secor studies geopolitics and how relocation promotes

inclusion and exclusion, and Ehrkamp studies state violence and the connection between topographical space and psyche. They began researching together after receiving a National Science Foundation grant.

Secor cited David Morris, who argued that “No other people is as disconnected from the brutality of war as the United States today.”

“Too often, war disappears from public memory and imagination.”

Psychologists first explored what became

known as PTSD in the 1890s after railway accidents, when survivors reported mystery ailments referred to as “railway spine.”

Soldiers after World War I who suffered from trauma were viewed as weaker than others who reintegrated, but after World War II, research began to recognize that “every man has his breaking point.”

Later studies showed that PTSD could be implicated in any traumatic event.

Secor argued that the Iraq War is one example, reading a statement from

commissioner on refugees, who reported in June 2014 that global displacement topped 50 million for the first time since World War II. Adjusting to regular life has complications because many refugees and veterans report psychological trauma such as PTSD symptoms.

The two presenters cited a 2005 article by Fassin and d’Halluin that explained: “A refugee’s body becomes ‘an inscription of truth, insofar as it bears witness to it for the institutions of their host country.’”

Senator John Kerry in 2009: “Iraq today has become the now-forgotten war.”

Secor and Ehrkamp’s lecture focused on the idea that when a war is forgotten, veterans and refugees are also overlooked.

“The resettlement of refugees challenges the geopolitical imagination of spaces of war and peace being separate over space and time,” Secor said.

“Refugees, much like veterans, move between safe and unsafe spaces as they seek shelter from violence.”

Secor cited the U.S.

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Culture

March 2, 2015 | 7

OSA, Residence Life and Housing to host Quidditch game April Wefler awefler@uccs.edu

Fans of fiction can find themselves dreaming about entering the world they spend hours diving into. “Harry Potter” fans are no exception.

In J.K. Rowling’s series, Quidditch is as loved as soccer and football. The annual Quidditch World Cup has a massive turnout, similar to the World Cup and the Super Bowl.

Students can enter that world, with a Quidditch game on March 13 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on the West Lawn.

The Office of Student Activities, in collaboration with Residence Life and Housing, hosted the game last semester on the housing turf and had a turnout of about 20 students.

“We don’t normally bring back events that quickly. Since we work so closely with the senior R.A.’s, they thought this semester they could get more floors involved,” said senior business major Presley Schwisow, Clyde’s and Weekend Programmer.

Schwisow said students enjoyed the game and that it is good to see housing students do something that they enjoy.

No registration is required and anyone can participate.

Senior criminal justice major Jen Spears, Clyde’s and Weekend Programmer, participated in the game last semester.

“It was a lot of fun and

courtesy populationgo | tumblr

A Muggle Quidditch match during the annual Quidditch World Cup.

once you started playing, you couldn’t stop. It was just an addicting, fun game,” she said.

Quidditch has seven players: one keeper, three chasers, two beaters and a seeker.

The Keeper acts as a goalie and tries to keep the quaffle, which acts like a basketball or soccer ball, out of the goalposts.

The chasers try to get the quaffle into the goalposts.

The beaters deal with bludgers, which are balls that zoom around trying to attack everyone. The seeker’s job is to catch the golden snitch, a tiny golden ball with silver wings.

This is all done in the air while the players try to stay on their brooms.

Teams receive points for getting the quaffle through the other team’s goalposts.

Catching the snitch earns a team 150 points and ends the game.

The amount of teammates used in the UCCS version will depend on the amount of participants.

“People can decide what they want to do. It’s really up to the students that show up,” said Schwisow.

The teams are chosen

through handing out Gryffindor and Slytherin scarves, which represent the two rival houses in “Harry Potter.”

The other two houses, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, will not be represented.

“It’s hard enough to play with two teams,” Spears said.

Goalposts will be placed on each side of the West Lawn, with three towards University Center and three towards Columbine.

Every player receives a broom. The goal, like the fictional Quidditch, is to get the ball into the goalpost while

keeping the broom between one’s legs.

A teammate plays the snitch and runs around while the Seeker tries to catch him or her. The Snitch cannot hide in housing or other buildings.

The teams play in fiveminute increments. The snitch is caught by the seeker tagging the person playing the snitch.

As in the series, the team that catches the Snitch wins the game.

“It should be a blast,” Schwisow said.

Water, granola bars and hot chocolate will be served at the event, as well as Bertie Bott’s Every Flavored Beans. There is also talk of butterbeer.

“My hope is that the weather stays nice, but I really just want to see the students have a good time again,” Schwisow said.

“I hope that we get a larger turnout and that we can get some more people to really get involved with it and I just hope that we can make this a more large-scale event,” said Spears.

The Lowdown What: Quidditch Game Where: West Lawn When: March 13 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Psychology major attempts to reconstruct student’s realities in library Audrey Jensen ajensen4@uccs.edu

Students are used to driving around campus and seeing construction sites, but they are not used to seeing construction work inside the Kraemer Family Library.

From Feb. 24-26 “Construction of Reality” was set up in the library with caution tape, multiple boxes, signs and questions for students to answer and throw inside the exhibit.

This project is the first for psychology major Leah Payne in her art and democracy course this semester as she hoped to culture-jam stereotypes by asking students to fill out papers with questions about their realities.

“Generally a good culture jam follows culture but changes something about it. You mimic something, but there’s a bigger message. You’re jamming the culture.” Payne said.

One of the questions on the papers for students to answer and throw inside the caution

audrey jensen | The Scribe

Psychology major Leah Payne created the ‘Construction of Reality’ exhibit hoping to culture-jam stereotypes.

tape was “What boxes has society put you in?”

“That’s why there are cardboard boxes … People get boxed in by their own stereotypes,” said Payne. “Just because you’re a woman, just because you’re white or just because you have blonde hair says this, this and this about you.”

The original idea for the

project started with a media literacy course Payne took.

“It was about how we construct reality and how the people in power have a larger say in how reality is constructed and that’s how you generate social norms and some people just go along with those.”

“I think those can be really harmful if people don’t step back and say ‘why did I think

this?” she said.

“You create a perception of reality for yourself, how you go along your day-to-day life and how you view yourself, so we’re constructing realities all the time. You can lose sight of what you think. I wanted to bring attention to that.”

Payne explained that people are more than their stereotypes and that the point of her exhibit

is to get students to break out of the boxes they are placed in.

“That’s an important problem with the construction of reality.

People will say that’s the way things have always been and why would I challenge that?

We’re not recognizing and owning that someone at some point made up a rule and then we build culture around it,” Payne said.

Editorial

March 2, 2015| 8

Basketball playoffs to begin, support teams in the right way 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

rEiLLy FLooD | The SCrIbe

Clyde the mascot encourages the crowd to cheer during the blackout basketball game.

Scribe Staff scribe@uccs.edu

Sports can unify a group, organization or even a country. They can also divide.

March 3 will see UCCS host at least one RMAC quarterfinal basketball game. The women are assured to host at least one game of the tournament, while the men need only win one game over the weekend of Feb. 27 to ensure they host as well.

It is likely that both teams will move on to the semifinal on March 6 and perhaps the final of the tournament on March 7. The likely locations for all of these games are either on campus or at a site easy to attend.

That means student support will be in full, unbridled force.

As it should be.

UCCS has struggled to have a reliably successful sport to cheer for.

And until recently, the support of the student body has not been impressive enough to have a significant impact.

But that has changed.

The unique thing about sports is their ability to bring a group together.

And as a commuter campus, we need as much of that as we can.

So go to the games, show your support. Any of the players will tell you they love and crave the backing of their fellow students. Both teams will need student support to be as successful as they can be.

Athletic Director Steve Kirkham knows it.

Head coaches Jeff Culver and Shawn Nelson know it.

The players know it.

Clyde knows it.

All of these people (and mascots) know the impact, the force that a loud student body can become, especially in a condensed basketball arena. A team, even if outmatched, can be pulled through the door of success by

a boisterous support base.

And you can make that happen.

Become the unified support the teams need.

But remember that you represent yourself, your school and your team when you are at the games. Remember the difference between proper cheering or heckling techniques and stupidity.

Don’t be drunk, people can tell.

Don’t cross the line between creative and abusive heckling, people will hear.

Do be loud. Do be inspired. Do band together, not as engineering or business students, but as UCCS students in support of successful basketball teams that represent our school.

These athletes are deserving of your support. They have given the school athletic excitement that it hasn’t seen in years.

Give them that support, but make sure you give it responsibly.

Alexander Nedd

Life on the Bluffs Editor

Brandon Applehans Sports Editor

Megan Lunsford Photo Editor

Samantha Morley Layout Editor

April Wefler Media Manager

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Natalie Bluhm DeKeveion Glaspie Kyle Guthrie Rachel Librach Evan Musick April Wefler

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Opinion

March 2, 2015­­ | 9

Why do your job when you can worry about the next election?

Jonathan Toman jtoman@uccs.edu

Boy, there are some incompetent folks in government. Some things will never change.

But there’s an organized, planned level of intentional bungling that has us all in trouble.

Politicians spend more time worrying about

their next campaign than actually doing their job.

Often, politicians are in the news due to their “decision” regarding what office they are going to run for in the next election cycle. This is in stark contrast to what they should be in the news for: how they are doing at what they were elected to do.

Campaigning is fun.

You get to smile at folks and kiss babies, practice your parade wave and read speeches other people wrote for you in front of sympathetic crowds who think you are the reincarnation of God on Earth.

Doing your job is not.

When you have to help

run a country, you have issues like the economy to figure out. That’s tough.

That requires effort, a certain ability to put your nose to the grindstone and get things done.

Which would you choose to spend more of your time doing?

So, our politicians spend more of their time worrying about the next election than their current job. But how do they ensure that nobody notices or that we don’t care? That’s the next step, and they start with speech-making.

Many of our politicians are great public speakers.

So was Adolf Hitler.

They’re great at

making promises to dumb voters who really have no idea. Many of them suck at their job, and we don’t know or care.

We should throw them out, those that have no bloody idea what they are doing. But we don’t.

Why? They are such masters of propaganda, such masters of their image that we never think worse of them even when they do screw up.

As a result, our most incompetent people end up in our most important positions. And they decide our future. Unfortunately, the competent people, the ones that want to be held accountable for their actions, are run out of

office by misguided voter vengeance.

It seems our political differences are borne out of what party precedes their name, a kind of blind hate reserved for the dumb masses under a dictator, not the required critical thinkers of a democracy. We take the propaganda as Gospel.

So, when it comes to evaluate what an elected leader has done, it comes down to three reasons why we do nothing.

First, we are blinded by our visionless hate of the “wrong party.”

Second, politicians cloud the job they are doing with rhetoric and blame, and they’re damn good at it. Finally, they distract

us with the continuous election mentality.

That mentality forces us to forget what we were mad about, and get back on the bandwagon two to six years later. And it’s sneaky. We will be just about ready to really (and I mean really) evaluate our elected officials when they spring the next election on us.

“Get pumped, America, because I’m back! Except I’m going to be more important this time!”

And we get swept up in the election tide, and the person that should have been harshly critiqued and evaluated ends up reelected or promoted.

Winter apparel, or lack thereof, has to change

DeKeveion Glaspie dglaspie@uccs.edu

Those clothes in this weather? You’re kidding.

I’m a Colorado Springs native, but after attending CSU-Pueblo I transferred to UCCS. The biggest change for me, while only a short distance away, was the

weather.

Used to the close yet different climate and setting of Pueblo, my first winter back in the Springs was a real eye opener. In Pueblo, people would layer themselves with scarves, sweaters and gloves.

But students at UCCS don’t seem to care what the weather is.

I have seen so many people wearing shorts when it is twenty five degrees or colder. Flip flops are an everyday shoe.

Do students not comprehend that they live in Colorado and not Florida?

Students should

that you can dress warm

“Students should dress for the appropriate while still looking good. weather, even if that means covering up.

For girls, there are No one has time to check you out when many options. It could it’s below freezing outside.” be as simple as black or dress for the appropriate weather, even if that means covering up. No one has time to check you out when it’s below freezing outside.

Some girls feel the need to show that extra skin off just to attract the opposite sex. No one is going to be looking at you when you’re lying sick in bed.

I’ve seen several female students walking around campus in shorts and UGGS. Do they

want to be cold or warm?

Some of them add a sweater to their outfit.

That’s not going to help a whole lot.

Your legs are still exposed and no matter how many times you say that you’re a Colorado native, it still won’t keep you from catching a cold.

Growing up my mom would always say: “You’re going to catch a cold trying to look cute.”

I learned over the years that there are other ways

burgundy jeans, boots, a sweater and a colored scarf.

Guys aren’t exempted either. I see more males on campus with slit tank tops in January than any other time of the year. We get it, you just worked out and you want to show off your muscles. But come on, we all know that you’re freezing.

There are so many alternatives that will keep you looking handsome and comfortable.

Some girls find it highly attractive when guys wear a sweater and jeans. Save the tank top and shorts for warmer days.

Clothes can be expensive, especially for college students.

Secondhand stores such as Plato’s Closet and XS Threads are ideal places to build your wardrobe.

Not only are they convenient in price, but in location as well.

Students can dress warm, fashionable and comfortable. There is no need to go half-dressed.

UCCS promotes 300 days of sunshine, but we all know that it is never a guarantee. Dress smart.

Put effort into the social skills you haven’t practiced

Alexander Nedd anedd@uccs.edu

Surprise: the most important aspect of getting a job after graduation is not taught in the classroom.

Social skills are replaced by multithinking and multitasking that renders our communication useless during the most social moments of our life. The disease is spreading, and these important skills are quickly being overtaken by awkward moments and rude gestures.

But there’s a chance that our generation can recover from this sickness. Here are some of my suggestions: For starters, smile.

At times it is a challenge. But the mere

act of smiling can be enough to brighten your day as well as the days of others around you.

Being in a bad mood can hurt your chance of connecting with other people and shouldn’t be an excuse to be rude to others.

Make new friends.

Sometimes you need to be around a new group of people to make life better.

Meet new people.

For jobs today it’s all about who you know before what you know.

Talk to your neighbors at Clyde’s

and the bookstore, get to know your counselor on a personal level or meet a Student Government member.

College is the last step before the real world. Arm yourself with the best people around. Networking opens you up to opportunities that could have remained closed without knowing a person.

UCCS is known as a commuter school, so get out and about.

Be fluent in social and current trends.

Besides the natural

benefit of being informed, you make yourself smarter and arm yourself with the ability to carry or even start a conversation. This skill could lead to business relationships or new friends.

Finally, always say please and thank you.

Manners could be the difference between a job and no job. An approachable person at the office is way more attractive than one who keeps to themselves.

Chances are you are going to have to work with people. Show your

future employers that you have the means to carry on a conversation and be polite.

As I grow older, the social skills my mom showed me are seen less and less in my peers.

We don’t go up to the door and chat with the parents of our friends, we text from the car.

Be nice to one another, go up to the door and knock, call instead of text. Always tell your parents you love them.

Remember your social skills, they will come in handy.

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How do you really feel about UCCS?

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Hannah Smith, senior, English rhetoric

“I think that UCCS is small enough so that you can meet new people every day, but big enough where you can avoid people. Parking is bad.

Laura Parsons, junior, psychology “I think it’s good, but I think it’s pretty small. I guess [I’d like it to be bigger,] just to have more involved for each academic program.”

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Sports

March 2, 2015 ­­| 11

After rematch with Metro State, RMAC Shootout begins Brandon Applehans bappleha@uccs.edu

On Dec. 12, men’s basketball hosted the team that knocked them out of the national tournament last year, Metro State.

In the final minutes of the game, UCCS would pull away, partially due to the preseason player of the year, junior guard Derrick White, who concluded the contest with 32 points and 13 rebounds. The Mountain Lions defeated the Roadrunners for the first time in school history, 69-66.

“It was a big win for the program,” said White in an email. “It was exciting to beat them because I remember when they used to tell me that I wasn’t good enough to play at this level. It was nice to show them that I can.”

More recently, the team suffered two two-game losing streaks with losses at Colorado Mesa Jan. 10 and Colorado

reilly flood | The Scribe

The men’s basketball team gets pumped up before a game.

Mines Jan. 16 along with losses at CSUPueblo on Feb. 7 and Adams State Feb. 13.

The team won the next three games

coming into play Feb. 27-28. Their overall record is 22-4. UCCS faced Regis and Metro State for the last regular season

games on Feb. 27 and 28. With a win in one of the two games, the team will clinch hosting a first round RMAC Shootout game.

Head coach Jeff Culver knows the crowd support will be key as the team transitions to playoff basketball.

“It’s been great to have everyone come along for the ride,” he said in an email. “It has certainly played a factor for our guys to know that the support is there. We look forward to having that continue for our playoff runs.”

Culver knows that the conference tournament will be a tough task.

“If you look at the teams, top to bottom, there’s no resting against any teams. If you can survive the conference, it really sets you up at the regional and national levels,” said Culver.

The RMAC Shootout Quarterfinals will take place on March 3.

Winning streaks lead Mountain Lions to host RMAC Shootout quarterfinal Brandon Applehans bappleha@uccs.edu

Behind new coach Shawn Nelson and a new forward, the women’s basketball team is entering the RMAC Shootout.

Sophomore Brittany Hernandez joined forces with senior guard Abby Kirchoff. The team has seen and eightgame winning streak and a six-game winning streak on route to a 21-5 record entering play Feb. 27.

“I’m actually sad because I wish Brittany was here last year,” said Kirchoff in an email. “Since we only have this year, we have to make the best of it.”

“This type of team doesn’t come around very often so we are trying to do something special with this team.

Right now we have the chance to, and we want to send the seniors out with something,” said Hernandez in an email.

On Feb. 20, the Mountain Lions avenged a two point January loss to

Chadron State by defeating the Eagles 100-68 at home. They then defeated Black Hills State 57-54 on Feb. 21.

To finish the regular season, UCCS will travel to take on Regis on Feb. 27 and Metro State on Feb. 28. Hernandez and Kirchoff will need to shine as the RMAC Shootout approaches.

“It’s easier for both of us each game because both of us demand a lot of attention on the court,” said Hernandez.

“The defense has to pick their poison.”

The team will likely host the first

round of the RMAC tournament, and Nelson knows the fans will be needed.

“When I interviewed for the job, they talked about the crowds but some of the crowds were unbelievable,” he said. “I wasn’t here last year, but I can sense that the crowd is not just students, we are starting to get families now and their kids are coming. It’s becoming a big deal and it’s a byproduct of the success.”

The RMAC Shootout quarterfinals will take place March 3.

Aquatics Center offers opportunities for students to get in the pool Natalie Bluhm nbluhm3@uccs.edu

Located in the Rec Center, the Aquatic Center has many options to offer in the water. Junior Julia Lucero-Orebaugh, a lifeguard majoring in sociology, explained that the center has both serious and fun activities.

A four-lane lap pool, vortex pool with an added volleyball net and a slide are available for students. A 20-person hot tub and a bubble couch, a ledge that has

bubbles coming up from it, are for students looking to relax.

These amenities are available for the entire UCCS community, and community members are also able to use the Aquatic Center. Lucero-Orebaugh said the best times to swim are 6-8 a.m. on the weekdays as well as Saturdays from 1-5 p.m.

The center also offers a variety of swim lessons.

“There are lessons available for ages five to any age, and they come in different packages for different lengths of time,”

said Lucero-Orebaugh. “There are also semi-private lessons for smaller children.”

A private one-on-one 45-minute session costs $15 for UCCS students or a student can take part in a semi-private lesson, with one instructor and two students, that costs $25 in total. Students catch a small price break if they pay for a ten lesson package for $120.

Lucero-Orebaugh helps develop strokes and hone in basic swimming skills that make a person more efficient and safer.

She also teaches workout plans to help a person get in better shape.

She explained why swimming should be part of each student’s life.

“Swimming is a very good life skill,” she said. “It is very important that people know how to swim for their own safety and it’s also a lot of fun.”

The Aquatic Center also offers a mixture of intramural sports, including a water volleyball tournament that took place Feb. 4 and an inner-tube water polo league.

The Aquatic Center is open Monday through Friday from 6-8 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4 -9 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m.

UCCS, local businesses offer ways to get on the mountain Audrey Jensen ajensen4@uccs.edu

After the last two weeks of snow, skiers and snowboarders might be traveling deep into the mountains to ride the fresh powder down the slopes, bowls and terrains located at the different ski parks.

Each park offers different venues to ride as well as places to rent equipment, restaurants and everything else the mountains offer. If you do not have gear, rentals are at Colorado Ski&Golf, Christy Sports and Hoyle, which are all located in Colorado Springs.

Students can plan a trip with friends or hitch a bus ride with the UCCS Ski and Ride Club.

Sophomore Renee Swartz, Ski

and Ride Club president, has been snowboarding since she was in sixth grade and prefers Colorado out of the six states she has skied and snowboarded in.

“Colorado will still be my favorite by far, nothing can beat Keystone for me.”

Locations visited by both natives and out-of-towners include Keystone, Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin, Copper and Monarch.

Students who buy certain passes can have access to one, two or up to twelve different parks, some of which are in Utah and California.

Junior biology major Dalton Lukasik said in an e-mail that he prefers to ski at Breckenridge.

“While the runs are not as long as resorts like Keystone, Breckenridge offers more challenging in bounds terrain and

has a multitude of hike-to-terrains. In addition to this, Breckenridge tends to get more snow than the other resorts in Colorado,” Lukasik said.

Instead of buying lift tickets every time, a pass to multiple ski resorts could save students money if they plan on going a lot.

One “Epic Local Pass” gives the buyer unlimited access to Keystone and Arapahoe Basin.

Lukasik said that skiing has become an important aspect of his life because there is always room for improvement.

“Whether you ski backcountry, groomers, park, or bumps, there are always ways to challenge yourself and test your own limitations.”

Voted as one of the best terrain parks in North America is “Area 51” at Keystone

where skiers and snowboarders may spend their time on rails and jumps. This terrain park is open during the night as well.

Swartz said that she enjoys riding the rails in “Area 51.”

“I would go to A-Basin if you have a family, it is more family oriented. I’d go to Keystone if you like terrain parks,” said Swartz.

The next “Ski and Soak” trip through the S.O.L.E. office of the Rec Center is March 14. The cost is $85. Use of the Ski Shop at S.O.L.E., to care for and wax skis and snowboards, is free. The office is open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“Skiing offers an escape from reality when life gets stressful; there is nothing quite like flying down a mountain,” Lukasik said.

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