Nov. 5, 2009

t he scribe

A Look Inside the ISSUE

CAMPUS NEWS

The official student newspaper of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

November 5 to November 11, 2009 [Volume 34; Issue 11]

Mind Studios picks the brains of students Innovative program seeks to “foster inventiveness and creativity” for budding inventors

A tournament of Kings

page 4 CULTURE

Dr. Michael Larson juggles some parts around. Senior Designer, Jesse McClure, fixes an electronic device.

Patricia Cameron pcameron@uccs.edu

Cy’s Drive-In

page 5 Getting your sleep for finals

page 8

PARADOX A Pigdemic: Bacon Fever takes the campus by storm

Mind Studios, a new design program at UCCS is putting the campus on the map next to universities like MIT and Stanford in terms of innovation and product development.

Under the direction of Michael Larson, Mind Studios is working collaboratively with inventors, companies and students to bring designs for new innovations and inventions to life.

“It is a project design and development entity inside the university. So our goal is to help people and small companies develop prototypes of new inventions and new products,” said Larson.

The students are presented with a design or idea, and Mind Studios then creates a prototype of it. The program is constantly working on new projects that allow students to create the solutions.

One project involved redesigning pet leashes for a company. “A former student came up with the design for

an inlet that would make it more reliable spooling than flat webbing,” said Larson.

The actual prototype for this project was made inhouse, with a machine called a fused deposition modulator. Larson describes it as a “hot glue gun on steroids.”

The group’s current project is part of a large medical renovation. “Over the last twenty years people have, in laboratory settings, figured out that you can fuse tissue together using a laser. But no one has been able to develop a viable device,” Larson said.

page 9

OPINION | The Lucid Line | Healthcare reform and broken promises

page 10

SPORTS RMAC releases preseason rankings for Mountain Lion basketball

page 11

In the Middle the FEATURE

Swine Flu pages 6 and 7

A sweet success: SEAS succeeds in obtaining permission to maintain an organic garden Brock Kilgore bkilgore@uccs.edu

After a lengthy approval process, the Sustainability and Environmental Awareness Club (SEAS) has gained approval to build and maintain an organic garden on the UCCS-owned Heller property north of campus.

The club first began planning for a garden in early spring of 2009, according to club president Patrick McDavid. “SEAS had wrapped up some of its other projects around recyclemania and were trying to figure out how best to next anchor some sustainability flavored

CONTACT

consciousness at UCCS,” he told The Scribe.

After coming to the decision that a garden was to be the next step, SEAS members met with students who run a campus garden at Colorado College. Here, they gathered information on the planning and approval process, said McDavid.

Halfway through the spring semester the group found, at the facility’s suggestion, a possible location for the garden behind the Keystone House dorm which McDavid said was ideal because of its location and accessibility. Facilities declared the site unavailable due to technical and legal restrictions.

A summer passed and in the fall of the 2009 semester, SEAS began meeting again.

Members of SEAS, SNAP, SDC, SGA and SPECTRUM gathered to present the proposal to administration.

The proposal traveled from Chancellor Pam ShockleyZalabek to her Chief of Staff Susan Szpyrka and then to Risk Management and facilities for approval. Risk Management informed the group that safety concerns including snakes, fire and cactus would prevent the establishment of the garden on the property, according to McDavid.

Continued on page 4

Carrie Woodruff and Ariel Lattimore

“We now have a patent pending on a surgical device that uses lasers that fuse tissue together as an alternative to sutures or staples.”

The innovation could have significant effects on the market for such devices, and is almost unique to UCCS. Senior Designer Luke Hooper explained that the university is among the top schools in the area of innovation. “There’s only a handful of universities, [such as] MIT or Stanford, that have a program like this.”

Students are hired through Sean’s Place (seans.uccs.edu)

and paid an hourly wage.

The students are mostly engineering majors, but other disciplines are represented as well.

Larson wants to “foster inventiveness and creativity” by encouraging students to become inventors, and to be aware that Mind Studios has the resources to assist them.

“We turn any idea into reality,” said Hooper.

Mind Studios will be holding an open house Tuesday, Nov. 10 at noon on the third floor of the Science and Engineering building for all interested students. ◆

From eCompanion to Blackboard: December online program change

A screenshot of eCompanion’s course home page.

Randy Robinson rrobinso@uccs.edu Beginning Dec. 1, UCCS will consolidate its online course programs and begin the transition to an entirely Blackboard online course system.

As of now, the school currently runs classes through seven online systems, including Cyberclass, WebCT, E-Companion and Blackboard. Once the changes are complete, all online course

materials and activities will be conducted through the Blackboard system.

Jerry Wilson, UCCS Chief Technical Officer and Executive Director of Information Technology (IT), explained that the switch has “been a long way coming.” E-Companion, a program used by various departments, was bought out last year, and according to Wilson the company still has not revealed its future plans for the system.

Continued on page 4

| phone: (719) 255 - 3658 | fax: (719) 255 - 3600 | email: scribe@uccs.edu | website: www.uccsscribe.com

2

editorial

November 5 to November 11, 2009

scribe staff

Guy Fawkes’ biggest lesson

Tim Canon

Managing Editor Ever since Alan Moore wrote his “V for Vendetta” comic series in the early ‘80s, Americans have mistakenly taken Guy Fawkes to be a symbol of anarchy.

And, of course, today you can be pretty sure that any student with a Guy Fawkes mask – the chosen face wear of Moore’s character “V” – is some sort of liberty-loving libertarian nut.

But while Moore’s main character may indeed have blown up government buildings, it’s not accurate to portray Fawkes as an anarchist martyr or symbol.

Anarchists advocate the total, perpetual absence of government. Fawkes may have opposed the prevailing authority, but he did not want it to disappear entirely: He just questioned the way power was being used. And so should we, at all times, scrutinize and question government authority, and, if necessary, demand better of those currently in power.

Guido “Guy” Fawkes was a Catholic who lived in England under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, who financially and physically persecuted Catholics throughout her rule. During her time – and for some time after –Roman Catholics were prohibited from following their chosen faith, and were fined heavily for refusing to join the Anglican Church. In

order to make sure that “recusants” (those who refused to convert) could not worship, Catholics, especially clergy and their sympathizers, were also rounded up, jailed and sometimes executed.

Robert Catesby, an English recusant noble, seeing the Catholic suffering, hatched what came to be known as the gunpowder plot, a plan to demolish Parliament on its opening session (when, presumably, most members, along with the Royal family, would be present), kidnap one of the royal children and lead a popular revolt in order to restore Catholicism as the royal religion of England. Among Catesby’s recruits was Guido Fawkes.

The plot officially failed on Nov. 5, 1605 with Fawkes captured just hours before the explosions were to take place. The conspirators fled, but officials caught up with them and killed most of them, including Catesby, in a countryside shoot out.

The remainder, including Fawkes, several other conspirators and an innocent priest – Father Henry Garnet, who had tangentially heard about the plot during a confession that he was religiously bound to conceal – were tortured, tried and hanged.

You may agree or disagree with this group’s chosen method of violence, but one thing is certain: These men were persecuted by the English crown, and their desire to end this governmental mistreatment was quite understandable and, except for the violence, praiseworthy as well.

Abusive governments and authority figures are nowhere near extinction.

George W. Bush questionably and perhaps unconsti-

tutionally expanded executive authority immensely, and Barack Obama shows no signs of doing things much differently. Other countries are not faring much better.

We live in a time when governments are becoming increasingly intrusive and increasingly powerful. Furthermore, our means of opposing government evils are weakening every day: Military strength and violent technology have advanced to such a degree that hardly anyone in his right mind would think of opposing a modern, first world state like the US in any significant way. To do so would be suicide.

Throughout history, the single most dangerous tool of oppression has not been violent weapons, greedy corporate titles or even money: It has always been coercive (government) power. And when people take action with this power – whether we gave them permission to do so or not – students are not always very well equipped to analyze such actions. That’s why we’re getting an education: We’re green on experience with things political, and most of the time, let’s face it, we just don’t know what’s going on.

The only way we students can assess the political landscape, it would seem, is to question often, and question hard. We should think very carefully when somebody with coercive power at his disposal offers us a freebie, or a “beneficial” handout. We should not jump so quickly to the conclusion that he has the good intentions we may believe him to have. And we should be especially careful with the amount of power – even the power ostensibly to do good – that we choose to give him. ◆

striving to present the truth to the students by creating an open forum for opinions and ideas

Editor-in-Chief Jackie Parkinson

Managing Editor Tim Canon

Copy Editor Randy Robinson

Culture Editor Avalon Manly

Opinion Editor Byron Graham

Campus News Editor Catherine Jensen

Sports Editor Matthew Crandall

Layout Editor Rosa Byun

Advertising Manager Sarah Tindell

Columnists Tim Canon, Erica Doudna, Byron Graham, Greg Reilly, Veronica Graves

Reporters Carrie Horner, Brock Kilgore Lauren Mueller, David Owens

Photographers Kiley Card, Ariel Lattimore, Carrie Woodruff

Layout Designers Alec Bishop, Chris Sheppard

Illustrator Arno

Web Designer Dorian Rogers

Interning Reporters Brandi Ballard, Patricia Cameron, Justin Case, Phillip Jones, Chris Sheppard, Jessica Vaughan

Interning Photographer Kevin Kassem

Distributor

Donald Trujillo

Advisor Laura Eurich

Archives Additional copies of the current publication volume will be available in The Scribe office. The Scribe keeps issues from the past five volumes for internal use only. The Office of University Records will handle any request for additional issues from the past five years and beyond.

Letters to the Editor The Scribe strongly encourages Letters to the Editor. Letters intended for publication must not exceed 300 words, must be legible and must include the writer’s name and telephone number. Letters must be turned into The Scribe office, emailed or delivered to The Scribe mailbox in the ROAR office by 5 p.m. the Friday before publication. The Scribe reserves the right to reject Letters to the Editor that are libelous or obscene or anonymous, and has the right to edit as necessary due to space limitations, grammatical or spelling errors and AP style guideline errors.

student life

11/8/2009 - 11/14/2009

8

Geocaching @ Contact dbowan@uccs. edu Men’s Soccer vs. CSUPueblo @ Mountain Lion Stadium 1 p.m.

mon. tues. wed.

9

Resume Reviews @ MH 201 9:30 a.m.

Resume Reviews @ MH 201 3:30 p.m.

Women’s Retreat/Gender Celebration @ UC 3rd floor and Dwire 6 p.m.

Dashboard Confessional @ Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, 6:30 p.m.

10

Commuter Student Donuts @ University Center 7 a.m.

11

Staff Council Holiday Service Project 2009 @ Contact Sheryl Botts 255-4074 Hunger Hunt @ Meet at Lower Plaza 6 p.m.

Spectrum presents: F to Mbody @ CC Cornerstone Arts Center 7 p.m.

thurs.

12

fri.

13

Japan Society Bazaar @ The Business of Arts Center, Manitou Springs

SGA House Meeting @ UC 303 9 a.m.

How the Generations Shaped the Economic System @ Kraemer Family Library 12 p.m.

The Black Crowes @ Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, 8 p.m.

Career Fair @ UC Gym 12:30 p.m.

sat.

14

A Night of Bluegrass @ Stargazers Theater 8 p.m.

FREE Mandarin Lessons @ Science 101 6 p.m.

Jennifer Haza: Speech on Immigration @ UC 307 2 p.m.

College Republicans Movie Night @ UC 302 5:30 p.m.

Breathe Electric @ The Blacksheep 7:30 p.m.

want to see your picture? email your photo of the week to scribelayout@gmail.com

sun.

what’s going on today?

double challenge sudoku!

2 medium puzzles the first person to bring these completed sudoku puzzles will receive a $10 La’au’s Tacos gift card. bottom floor UCenter rm. 106

city elections update (not so brief) 2C Passes; Doug Bruce finally wins at something A couple of hotly contested issues were resolved by Colorado Springs voters Tuesday, Nov. 3 as Issue 2C and City Question 300 faced the city’s voters. 2C appeared to be failing, according to initial results, ending the hopes and dreams of those desiring the over 40 million dollar property tax hike to keep some parks open (okay, okay, that’s not the whole truth: It would have allegedly saved some city jobs and stuff, too).

It looks like Doug Bruce has finally won at something. Bruce’s latest crusade against the Colorado Springs Stormwater Enterprise – which apparently committed the horrible, horrible sin of cleaning up water that gets used by Springs residents and sent out to residents of eastern Colorado for “recycling” – appeared to be agreeable to Colorado Springs voters, as 55 percent of the initial 80,000 votes counted said “Yes” to Question 300. Rumor has it that in response to the intitial results, Bruce ordered a 3-inch tall trophy in the mail, which he will likely add to his collection of green “Participation” ribbons and “Most Improved” awards.

quote of the week: “There comes a time in every life when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart. So you’d better learn to know the sound of it. Otherwise you’ll never understand what it’s saying.”

-Sarah Dessen

email your quotes of the week to: scribelayout@gmail.com

4

campus news

November 5 to November 11, 2009

SEAS garden (cont.)

Continued from page 1

From battery controls to brewing yeast: Faculty research at UCCS Justin Case jcase@uccs.edu

SEAS President Patrick McDavid and his dog Bishop at the proposed site.

SEAS and administration reached the agreement that in the future those who wish to work in the garden are required to sign a waiver admonishing the university of liability. Once this agreement had been passed, SEAS was given permission to proceed with constructing the garden, said McDavid.

Construction of the raised beds could begin as early as Saturday morning, as the club attempts to practice the art of sustainability beyond a theoretical model.

The club’s vision statement, found in its proposal, reads, “UCCS needs a selfgrown heart around which its students can develop an affinity for the campus.

Collaboratively dreaming, designing, building, planting, tending and harvesting a garden together year after

year could create an outdoor social sphere where everyone in the campus community can create life together.”

SEAS invites any student wishing to participate in the garden activities to fill out a release form on their website and come out to visit.

They will build eight 16 by 4 foot wooden boxes that will be filled with imported soil and topped with mulch for the winter.

SEAS member Brianna Carlan explained that in the summer they plan to plant herbs, lettuce, root vegetables, rhubarb, squash, tomatoes and flowers. Sodexo is providing vegetable trimmings for mulch and may receive some of the end product for students to eat. SEAS would also like to open a farmers market on campus.

In the past, the Heller

property was important to Native Americans, whose artifacts are still buried in the dirt, which is the reason for the raised beds. UCCS student Alvin Chee from the Society of Native American Peoples will perform a blessing when the construction is complete.

The garden, McDavid hopes, will be a valuable addition to campus. “First world consumer’s dependant on fuels and technologies are going to soon be threatened with serious shortages of many kinds.

Being able to grow or collect one’s own food is going to keep them alive in the future. Now would be a good time to learn that skill.”

Students may e-mail seas. club@uccs.com for additional information. ◆ Catherine Jensen contributed to this article.

Many of the faculty members at UCCS not only teach, but also engage in some form of research within their field, whether that research focuses on electric batteries for GM or better yeast for Coors beer.

Grants and contracts from government entities and private businesses provide the faculty with much needed money and resources for this research. These grants recently have ranged anywhere from $60,000 or so to $1.5 million.

Among the faculty researchers is Dr. Gregory Plett in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Dr. Plett is working with the University of Michigan and General Motors to develop more advanced battery controls, particularly as they are applied to GM’s line of electric and hybrid automobiles. This five-year long effort includes finding ways to ensure that the batteries will last as long Continued from page 1 as the car will and working to decrease the degradation only system for the campus, of the battery while simulstudents will receive an ex- taneously increasing its eftra perk: 24-hour help. “We ficiency.

The Department of Mewill be contracting a 24-7 support desk,” he said. This chanical and Aerospace Enround-the-clock support gineering is also researching will be available by telephone, webpage, and even instant messaging sessions such as through AIM or MSN Messenger.

The shift to Blackboard Brandi Ballard also has additional advan- bballard@uccs.edu tages, including securing the school against an epidemic outbreak. In case of a A new kind of student pandemic, the possibility of which has been made real by competition will come to the H1N1 virus, UCCS can campus Friday, Nov. 6 as the resume classes through the UCCS Chess Club hosts its first tournament.

Blackboard system.

For an entry fee of $5, “All courses could switch to distance learning online” which includes pizza and if a severe pandemic did hit soda, all students of all exthe school, ensuring that perience levels are welcome students could remain on to participate in the tournaschedule even if they cannot ment, to be held at 3 p.m. in physically attend classes on the Atrium near Jazzman’s.

Depending on the number campus, Wilson stated.

IT is currently undergo- of entrants, there may be ing Blackboard training, ac- cash prizes awarded.

The event was originally cording to Wilson. The new scheduled for Oct. 30th but Blackboard system will go live at the start of December. had to be postponed as the By spring of 2010, students club was waiting for SGA should notice the switch, funding approval. The chess and the transition to Black- club was formed a year ago board should be finished by and now has roughly 20 members. They practice ev2011. ◆

Move to Blackboard (cont.) “[E-Companion] does not have as many third-party capabilities,” he said. “We looked at all the different products, and Blackboard is the biggest. It’s going to grow and add more technologies. It will feature more long-term strategies.”

The goal is to eliminate extraneous programs used by the school that may be confusing for both staff and students. Accordingly, all online activities, from uploading documents to posting grades, could eventually be integrated into the Blackboard system.

Exactly which activities will be consolidated into Blackboard is still uncertain.

According to web services manager Kirk Moore, IT professionals will participate in integration training for the next two weeks, which should clarify things.

What IT learns at these trainings will determine what can currently be done with the new Blackboard system, and what will have to be put on hold.

“Of course, we can’t make the decisions here in IT,” said Moore about the potential uses of Blackboard, including online grade post-

ing, a function in which some faculty have expressed interest.

“There is definitely interest from teachers in having [grade posting integrated],” he added. “Hopefully we can start building the infrastructure to make that happen. We’re excited to see it all and see how we’re going to use it.”

This change, however, has already been underway for some time due to company buy-outs. “WebCT, which is used primarily by the chemistry and geography departments, was already bought out by Blackboard,” said Wilson.

For students and staff, the changes should not be severe or difficult, Wilson added.

With Blackboard, Wilson hopes, more professors may offer more distance-courses or hybrid courses online.

Online grade postings may become common, and the new system should offer students and faculty more opportunities to communicate with each other, such as through message boards or forums.

Wilson also revealed that by creating a Blackboard-

Brock Kilgore

new technologies. Dr. Andrew Ketsdever has received funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory for multiple projects that deal with advanced propulsion technology.

One such project deals with increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of maintaining satellite positions in space. Over the past two years, Dr. Ketsdever has received several thousand dollars for his project.

Research on campus is not limited to engineering, however. In an interview with The Scribe, Minette Church, the chair of the Department of Anthropology, said that several members of the department are currently researching in several different areas.

Church, for example, has recently been asked by Colorado Preservation Inc., the Army, and the state of Colorado to search for archaeological sites on private lands near the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, as well as in the maneuver site.

A colleague of Church’s, Kimbra Smith, an applied anthropologist, has received grants to perform research in Ecuador. This research includes working with Ecuadorian schools to promote a place-based education curriculum that better connects with the students.

In the chemistry department, Renee Henry and a

group of five other faculty members are working with metalloenzymes and metalloproteins (proteins and enzymes with metal centers).

Henry and her group is currently working on designing special ligands, which cause the metal atoms of these proteins to look and act like enzymes.

The work has garnered Henry and her colleagues a joint grant with some other faculty members for $60 thousand from the government’s National Science Foundation. This money has allowed them to hire additional student researchers and to hire a speaker from the University of California at Riverside.

The biology department has also engaged in research.

Among their projects was one performed by James Mattoon, the Director of the Biotechnology Center.

Mattoon was contracted by Coors Brewing Company to create a better yeast for brewing beer.

His research led to a hybrid of brewing yeast that is capable of breaking down complex starches into alcohol (regular brewing yeast can only break down sugars). The new yeast was genetically altered even further when Mattoon added DNA from the salivary gland of a mouse to the yeast to make it break down starches even better. ◆

Chess Club: A tournament of Kings ery Friday from 3-6 p.m. in the Atrium, and are hoping to have at least one tournament every semester.

The club is fundraising to purchase additional boards and chess clocks. They currently have about eight tournament sets with weighted pieces for practice. They also have score sheets for interested players.

Club president Aaron Butcher told The Scribe that many students feel intimidated when they hear the words chess club. Butcher, however, prides himself on the relaxed, non-competitive atmosphere of the club.

Still, Butcher says he meets resistance when he invites people to come play.

The biggest objection he gets, he said, is: “but I’m no good at chess.” Butcher assured students that the club welcomes all levels from beginner to advanced. Even

students who can’t tell a rook from a bishop or don’t know how to move a knight to D-4, there are plenty of members that are willing to teach you.

Butcher admits that when he founded the club, he wasn’t “that good of a player.” Improving your game is simple, the more opponents you play, the more you will learn about the game and about strategy. So no matter your skill level, the UCCS Chess Club wants you to come out and play.

Butcher suggests that those who wish to brush up their skills can simply logon to www.chess.com. The site features daily puzzles, lessons and online games.

There is even a chess application for mobile phones for those looking for something to do while waiting for the shuttle or in those few minutes before a class starts. ◆

culture 5

November 5 to November 11, 2009

ive-In r D s ’ Cy Good Hair

Byron Graham bgraham2@uccs.edu

Brock Kilgore bkilgore@uccs.edu

4 Burgers

Rating: Drive-ins may be from a time long gone, but they still represent the distinctly American desire to drive to everything. The world’s first drive-in emerged just after Henry Ford’s famous innovation changed transportation forever.

The Pig Stand started selling pork sandwiches on a Texas highway in 1921, and fast food was born. Today car hops, occasionally on roller skates, still linger at Sonic restaurants nationwide, but they are mostly an Americana memory. Colorado Springs is lucky to have a piece of the past in the form of Cy’s Drive-In on the west side of town.

At Cy’s you can park and a nice server will come out and take your order. The menu is posted on the outside of the building, so all you have to do is sit, look at Pikes Peak and enjoy. Cy’s serves a traditional drivein fare of burgers, fries and

shakes. The Alaskan burger ($4.80) is the signature sandwich (imagine a Big Mac on steroids).

Eaters may also choose to sit inside and look at all the stuff on the walls. Nobody remembers who Ricky Martin was, but his photo is still there on the wall, like a piece of a mini-trip back to the 1950’s.

Cy’s uses Ranch Direct meats, so the quality is there and they don’t skimp on the portions. My new favorite item is the Jalapeño and Guacamole Burger ($4.10), which you will need a fork and many napkins to finish.

The french fries are fantastic but for a real treat, try the buffalo fries ($1.85). They are like thick chips with a light and spicy batter.

My trip to Cy’s ended a personal search for inexpensive shrimp and chips ($4.55). They provide a large portion of batterdipped fried shrimp with

Cy’s Drive-In Restaurant 1833 W. Uintah St. Colorado Springs, CO 80904 (710) 630 - 7008

fries, or buffalo chips for a bit more. They also serve green chili as a special quite often, and it is a delicious substitute for red chili on the chili fries ($4.00).

The food is great and the atmosphere is nostalgic, but the best things on the menu are the ice cream treats. Cy’s still has malted milk shakes ($2.80). They have an eclectic variety of flavors to choose from for your shake ($2.80) or sunday ($3.60), including blueberry, banana, marshmallow and, my favorite, butterscotch.

They cook everything to order at Cy’s, so expect to wait a little longer than you’d have to at Sonic. But the food is far better, and they always bring out your drink or ice cream treat first so you have something to do while you ponder Pikes Peak or wonder who Eddie Three Eagles was. Cy’s Drive-In is not all that healthy, but most good things aren’t. ◆

Price: $

(inexpensive)

Quietly charming its way into local cinemas last week was the Chris Rock docucomedy, “Good Hair.”

I know what you’re thinking: “docu-comedy” is not a real word. Indeed, the word does not appear in any English dictionary I can find, but in recent years a new subgenre of documentary has emerged in cineplexes across the country whose roster of films mark enough of a departure from the established conventions of documentary filmmaking to merit their own specific name.

“Good Hair,” not unlike Bill Maher’s “Religulous,” relies on the appeal and narration of a comedian to conduct interviews on camera and chaperone viewers through the information uncovered during the film, and the movie succeeds when following that format.

This new docu-comedy examines the cultural enigma surrounding the booming industry of African-American hairdressing, specifically women’s products and styling techniques (though Al Sharpton offers some valuable insight into the methodology behind his distinctive coiffure, of which I am an avowed and hitherto

perplexed, now gratefully enlightened fan). I admit that while I had a vague notion of the effort required to maintain many black women’s hairstyles, before watching “Good Hair,” I had no of idea the expense: Many women pay as much as $1,000 for a weave. Nor did I know of the discomfort salon procedures like hair relaxers and weaves entail, or the cultural baggage they often carry, or the scope of the cottage economy of African-American hair care.

Some of “Good Hair’s” most provocative moments occur during Rock’s interviews with a host of seemingly unrelated African American celebrities ranging from Nia Long (whose every scene is notable for the actress’ colorful candor) and Ice T to Maya Angelou.

Rock discusses contentious issues without judgment of the people who populate this documentary. The film also succeeds when Rock delves into the inner workings of a niche industry, revealing that very few of the companies who manufacture and market these products almost exclusively to black people are blackowned. It’s fascinating when Rock travels to India, where

shaved-off hair collected from Hindu religious ceremonies is harvested for reuse in women’s weaves, and harrowing when a scientist explains the volatility of the chemical compound contained in the relaxers many black men and women use to straighten their hair.

Unfortunately, however, those compelling scenes are juxtaposed with a structural flaw in the narrative that almost undoes the good will generated by the quality of the documentary style scenes. The story “Good Hair” is set primarily at an over-the-top Atlanta hair care convention, complete with an outlandish stage show competition in which stylists choreograph performance haircuts for judges.

These scenes contribute very little to the intriguing controversy of “Good Hair’s” subject matter, and the picture derails each time it cuts back to the convention.

Television veteran Jeff Stilson makes his big screen directorial debut with “Good Hair,” and indeed some of the movie’s plotting elements feel like scenes from an unseemly reality TV show I’d change the channel to avoid. ◆

H1N1 outbreaks Avalon Manly [amanly@uccs.edu]

H1N1 UCCS and the Swine Flu

Colleges and universities nationwide have also struggled in their attempts to contain the swine flu, as well as other seasonal illnesses, and UCCS is no exception.

In October, President Obama declared the H1N1 virus to be a “national emergency” due to its rapid spread and harsh effects.

Schools have been among the hardest hit.

KRDO reported last month that six schools in the Colorado Springs and Pueblo areas have undergone brief periods of closure this fall in the hopes of stifling outbreaks among their student populations, but the number of students diagnosed continues to rise.

Attendance poli Avalon Manly [amanly@uccs.edu] Some professors have adjusted their attendance policies at the behest of the Student Health Center so as not to punish students who miss class due to illness.

“I have simply asked students not to come to school if they are feeling flu symptoms and to stay away until they are at least two days over any related fever,” said Dr. Linda

Students affecte Avalon Manly [amanly@uccs.edu] Mara Wedo, a UCCS senior, missed seven days of class when she was diagnosed with H1N1.

“They did a no-swab [diagnosis] that took about a minute,” she explained. She said that her bout with swine flu “wasn’t that bad,” but that her husband contracted a more severe variant of the strain.

Types of vaccin Jackie Parkinson [jparkins@uccs.edu]

H1N1 data insufficient

The Student Health Center is distributing two types of vaccinations: seasonal and H1N1.

The seasonal flu shot is an actual shot that is available to all students, but not faculty or staff. Thus far, 400 shots have been administered, and Hanenburg has ordered 8,000 more from the Center for Disease Control.

H1N1vaccine is only available to students under the age of 24 that are in a healthy

Jackie Parkinson [jparkins@uccs.edu] UCCS is taking precautions to prevent H1N1 throughout campus, but the data collected on H1N1 related hospitalizations, health center visits and other flu-related issues remains insufficient.

Director of the Student Health Center Stephanie Hanenburg said, “All students are supposed to call us and the first two weeks we were still figuring [how to report the information] out.”

Therefore, data collected for both possible and confirmed cases has not been released by the Chancellor, according to Hanenburg.

According to information gathered from the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment (pictured above), on Sept. 19 there were no clinic visits and only 1 percent of phone calls attributed to flu-like illness. The high for clinic visits was on Sept. 26 at 8.5 percent and 9 percent for phone calls.

Chief of Police Jim Spice reported that there have been eight medical transports at UCCS for fall of 2009. However, due to HIPAA regulations, these are not necessarily case-specific to swine flu.

Swine flu symp

cdc.gov (Centers for Disease Contro

“The symptoms of swine flu in people are of regular human seasonal influenza and incl and coughing. Some people with swine flu al nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.”

s on campus

The UCCS Health Center

The Health Center administers vaccines for swine flu and can be reached at (719) 255-4444 Since the end of the 2009 spring semester, the UCCS Student Health Center, in a proactive measure, placed dispensers of hand sanitizer in strategic places across campus, such as outside restrooms, in frequented hallways and inside a number of classrooms.

Students in the residence halls who experience flu-like symptoms have been encouraged to stay in their rooms and avoid as much contact as possible with others. Commuter students, too, have been urged to stay home when ill.

icy changes Watts, associate professor of anthropology.

“Also, I try to remind them to be watchful during class in terms of their behavior around others.”

Connie Blackmann, senior instructor of communication, has also altered her standard attendance policies, offering some students an opportunity to make up points they would otherwise lose due to flu-related absence.

ed by H1N1 “He’s been in the ICU for three weeks,” Wedo said. “He was in a coma for a week. [The virus] just decided to settle in his lungs; it attacked his kidneys. He’s on dialysis right now.”

“I had it really easy. I had a 102 temperature. I was just sleepy. That was my only problem,” she concluded.

nes available state with no flu symptoms. This vaccination is a live virus that is administered by spraying into the nose, said Hanenburg. 70 H1N1 vaccinations have been administered at UCCS. The Student Health Center is restricting the H1N1 vaccinations to those under 24 because, according to Hanenburg, this group reports a lower immunity to this strain. Living in closer quarters is also common for the age group, which makes it more susceptible to H1N1.

ptoms

ol and Prevention)

e expected to be similar to the symptoms lude fever, lethargy, lack of appetite lso have reported runny nose, sore throat,

Photos by Ariel Lattimore

How to prevent catching H1N1 Jessica Vaugan [jvaugha2@uccs.edu] 1. Cover your cough or sneeze with the crook of your arm or a tissue then throw the tissue away immediately.

2. Wash hands for at least 20 seconds with warm soapy water, or use hand sanitizer immediately.

3. Avoid close face to face contact with people that are sick.

4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth without washing your hands first.

5. Get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.

6. Do not share drinks, make-up, chap-stick, or silverware with anyone.

7. Get your seasonal flu vaccine.

What to do if you’ve caught it Jessica Vaugan [jvaugha2@uccs.edu] 1. Self isolate in your dorm room or at home

.2. Don’t leave your home or dorm room until you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication.

3. Contact the Student Heath Center for documentation.

4. Stay well rested and well hydrated.

5. Wash your hands frequently.

6. Cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm to avoid further spread.

Health Center:

(719) 255-4444

8

culture

November 5 to November 11, 2009

Getting your Z Z for finals Rosa Byun gbyun@uccs.edu With midterm papers all graded and filed, students must now prepare for the stressful and often sleep -deprived time known as finals.

Although Oreos and Red

Z Z Z ’s

Bull may help keep the eyelids open during this stressful time, they prevent restorative sleep.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, teenagers need up to nine hours of sleep per night, whereas adults can often function on seven to eight. However,

people are all different, and optimal sleep times can vary from five to ten hours.

When insomnia comes knocking at 3 a.m., the National Sleep Foundation and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke list several ways to get you dreaming. ◆

4. Use the bed (and bedroom) only for sleep and sex: this helps to train your mind to associate the bed with sleep, not reading, watching movies or playing video games. Don’t lie in bed awake. Go to another room and do some calming activity. Avoid confrontations (easy reading is great). How do you choose your activity? For example, watching some brain-killing television is OK, but playing some people on Call of Duty on your Xbox 360 is not.

5. Don’t exercise six to eight hours prior to going to bed: make sure that you’re not still energized from the exercise, and make sure you relax.

When you’re already in bed and are unable to sleep, first, get out of bed, remember rule four and try some of the following tricks.

1. Don’t count sheep: According to CNN’s coverage of an Oxford University study, sheep counting is ineffective because of its sheer monotony. Simply imagining the same sheep jumping over the same fence six hundred times was too boring to keep the subjects’ mind off problems and other stressors.

1. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine: caffeine will keep you up at night, so make sure to check the labels on your drinks. Switch to decaf if you cannot live without your coffee.

2. Relax: Practice focused, deep breathing exercises and try to relax each of your muscles one by one until you fall asleep. Some people find relief through meditation or prayer as well.

2. Don’t eat or drink close to bedtime – except for tried and true sleep-inducing foods like turkey, milk, and bananas.

3. See a doctor: The NSF defines insomnia as “the inability to fall asleep or remain asleep.”

Acute insomnia lasts for “one to several nights,” and chronic insomnia may last “months to years.” Chronic insomniacs should contact their doctors.

3. Make yourself comfortable: Many people prefer a dark, cool room to sleep in. Pick pillows that help you relax and bedcovers that don’t contain allergens that may irritate you. That lumpy mattress you inherited from your great aunt Mabel is probably not going to help: a mattress’ life is usually ten years or so. Consider setting up some source of white noise; white noise helps to block outside noises that may prevent you from sleeping.

A good rest may benefit you more than a sleepless night of caffeine, cramming textbooks to prepare for finals. For peaceful rest that will energize you for finals, follow the guide and happy sleeping! ◆

Routines that zap your pizzaz

Evan Robison takes an afternoon nap in the Student Community Center. Carrie Woodruff

Avalon Manly amanly@uccs.edu It’s tough staying chipper and energetic as a college student, particularly during the mid-afternoon slump, when no matter where you are or what you’re doing, all you want is to crash.

Happily, though, there are some things you can do to help vanquish the beast that is 3 p.m. weariness, and an article on Yahoo! by Denise Schipani has compiled some of the best of those strategies.

1. Don’t be constantly connected Sitting in the corner of the library refreshing your inbox every thirty seconds is no recipe for feeling upbeat.

Likewise with voicemail, IM and social networking: Repeatedly interrupting your activities to answer the call of the electric realm is ultimately very draining and can leave your batteries less than fully charged.

In order to avoid this energy pitfall, try limiting yourself to checking your email only hourly, and turning your electronic devices off during times when you have to work with stricter focus. Stop multitasking and do one thing at a time.

2. Do take regular breaks

that involve exercise and sunlight Everything from carpeting to cleaning products to printer inks pollute the air of your working environment. The florescent lights aren’t doing any good for your complexion, either. So when the exhaustion sets in, take a break, head outside, and take a brisk ten- or twenty-minute walk in the fresh air and sunlight.

Physical activity will not only help you meet your body’s requirement for vitamin D, but the exercise will help jazz your system to wakefulness.

3. Don’t wile away the time Procrastination merely adds to stress, while the accomplishment of items on your to-do list can give you enough of a boost to surmount the infamous midafternoon slump. Combat stress by conquering some of the chores and activities that otherwise weigh you down.

4. Do organize your work space and how you exist in it Cluttered spaces and general disorder spawn anxiety. It’ll calm your mind as you work through the tired afternoons to work in a clean, organized space. Be aware, too, of your posture.

Schipani quoted Pia Martin,

a San Diego health and wellness chiropractor, as saying, “When you sit for long periods, you tend to slump forward, leading to rounded shoulders and a tilted lower spine. Your muscles contract, and blood flow is impaired,” which inhibits adequate flow of blood to the brain and can make you more exhausted.

5. Don’t fall victim to negative emotions It requires a surprising amount of energy to deal with negative people and emotions. If you’re surrounded by people who emanate negativity in the form of complaints, resentments, cruel gossip or grudges, your emotional energy is being actively sapped. Work to let go of any grudges you hold, as well as to spend time with people who refresh rather than drain you.

6. Do watch how and what you eat Big meals full of carbs always carry with them an aftermath of tiredness, and in the wake of a large lunch, that weariness hits right about the middle of the afternoon. Instead of eating lots of heavy foods every six hours or so, scatter lighter meals throughout the day, eating smaller meals of healthier food about every four hours. ◆

Erica Doudna edoudna@uccs.edu We all know that Robin Hood made a name for himself stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Likewise, the “Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch” has managed to steal 15 minutes of fame because they’ve all stolen from celebrities and kept the booty for themselves. The L.A. County District Attorney has charged five youngsters (the alleged “mastermind” of the burglar bunch is only 19 years old) with first degree felony residential burglary. The homes of celebrities hit include those of Audrina Patridge, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Rachel Bilson, Orlando Bloom, Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox. Paris Hilton was quoted as saying “I hate them!” after being asked about how the bunch made off with $2 million worth of her jewelry. Some people are willing to do anything to get a little fame.

One such person (perhaps hungry for a little notoriety) got his picture on TMZ. com when he painted a swastika on his shirt and got Taylor Swift to pose with him.

Swift obviously wasn’t paying much attention to the huge red symbol on the young man’s shirt because she looks just as happy and plastic as she does in every other photograph taken of her. Swift’s representative explained, “Taylor took pictures with about 100 people that night ... she doesn’t know who this guy is and she didn’t realize what was on his shirt.” The young man later apologized to Swift, and explained the swastika was just an ‘X’ gone awry. The whole thing seems like an honest mistake.

Speaking of honest mistakes, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger “coincidentally” planted a juicy slight along the left hand margin of a letter to a California Lawmaker. The keystroked brilliance even includes a capitalized F and Y; the other crucial five letters are left un-capitalized. It’s obvious the Governator, or his secretary, is capable of some intense word arrangement.

Possible reasons for the “coincidence” include the recipient’s democratic party affiliation or just some incident in San Francisco where the gentleman “heckled” Mr. Schwarzenegger and got on his bad side. We know as an actor, Schwarzenegger played characters who proclaimed that they’d “be back,” and it’s apparent that as a governor he’s figured out how to clandestinely get back. ◆

Erica Doudna

Top Ten Ways to Stay Busy in Class

10 9 8 7

Note Taking: If you want to pretend that you’re interested in your professor’s lecture, you could try writing things down.

paradox the

the news is full of contradictions

satire : irony : hilarity

“Still, if a statement cannot reasonably be interpreted to be one of express or implied fact, it cannot be libelous. This means that humor columns, spoofs, cartoons and satire are protected as long as readers understand that the material is not intended to be taken seriously.”

- Student Press Law Center

A Pigdemic: Bacon fever takes the campus by storm Randy Robinson [rrobinso@uccs.edu]

Homeworking: Write that 12 page research paper that’s nearly due.

Gaming: Play “The Sims 3” or “World of Warcraft,” you can pretend to be taking notes while you monitor your digital minions.

6 5 4 3 2 1

Grooming: Anything except attempting to cut your own hair is fine. Nail clipping, filing and polishing are all sanitary, but you might get complaints about the polish fumes.

Art Making: Draw on your desk using a pencil. You could try drawing animals (see the lecture hall in the Science building for examples).

Nostalgia Indulging: Think up toys from your childhood and see if you can buy them on eBay. There might be a hot auction on a Tamagotchi you could get in on. Or you could try finding a Furby similar to the one you had.

Friend Finding: It’s easy to tell who your fellow bored peers are; take a chance and whisper or pass a note to one of these students. You might find someone to exchange annoyed glances with every time that overzealous student in the front row has something to add.

Facebooking: Check your Facebook profile for updates, or just chat with friends. If that gets boring, start a digital snowball fight.

Napping: You could just wear sunglasses, and as long as your jaw doesn’t drop open and you start to drool, you probably won’t get caught.

Leaving: Get up, but leave your things, and go do whatever you’d like. As long as you get back within 10 minutes before the class ends, no one is going to call you out on your extended absence.

edoudna@uccs.edu

On Oct. 6, the day that President Obama declared the H1N1 epidemic a national emergency, every student at UCCS called in sick with the virus formerly known as “the swine flu.”

“The day started out normal,” said Ulysses Trenton, an electrical engineering professor, “and I expected my classroom to be a full house. But instead, no one showed up. Not a single one of those reprobates took the test.”

According to school policy, students who contract the virus are not supposed to come to the school. The procedure is to contact the Student Health Center, report the symptoms and swiftly receive an all-expense paid trip out of scheduled assignments.

Professors are to excuse any and all grades missed due to the flu, even from quizzes and exams. Rumors abound that even grades from the beginning of the semester may be excused if a student is “sick enough.”

The chances, however, that every student missed class that day by coincidence are slim, according to Yancy Barboa, a nurse at the UCCS Student Health Center. Barboa explained, “It’s really unlikely that every student got H1N1 at the same time. In fact, I’d say it was just about damn near impossible.”

When asked if that was a professional medical assessment, Barboa replied, “Hell yeah.”

Vice-Vice-Chancellor Robin Hooperpops was not at liberty to explain the school officials’ plans concerning the roughly 8,000 student absences, but he hinted that, “this is definitely between the students and their professors. In the end, we’re probably going to leave it up to the professors or instructors to decide what to do with their students.”

Only one student, who chose to remain anonymous, came forward to explain his side of the issue.

“You know, with the economy on the downward turn and all, and this crazy war in the Middle East, and people getting ticketed for rapping at McDonald’s drive-thrus, it’s tough,” the student said.

“It’s so tough right now that I needed a break. Kinda like that one candy bar commercial, where the guys try to hit on chicks and they screw up, so they eat the candy and they’re, like, puttin’ the world on ‘pause’ while they take a sec to think about what to say next.

That’s what it’s like, just without the macking or the candy bar.”

After taking a long pause, the student added, “Wait, wasn’t there a national emergency or something? So it’s cool then that I wasn’t there, right?”

Students ask for new couch for Bluff Greg Reilly [greilly2@uccs.edu] Fifteen students came together before the Student Government Association this week to request that funds be allocated on behalf of the students to purchase a new couch for the bluff, citing that the couch offers respite and relaxation for people who want to get out and explore their campus.

SGA listened to the petition for nearly two hours, as many of the students presenting seemed to ramble, zone out and occasionally burst into giggles for no good reason.

“We, like, think it’d be really cool if you guys did this, because the one up there now gets all gross and stuff and nobody wants to sit on it,” said Junior Roger Stern, who spoke for thirty minutes to the student government representatives. “It, like, would be a really nice way to help kids living in the dorms who get really tired when they’re up there and want to, like, just look up at the stars.”

Student government representatives were initially divided by the petition. When asked if this couch had anything to do with illegal drug activity, Stern laughed for five minutes, along with most of the other students presenting the petition. “No, bro, not even. Like, we just want to have a nice place for kids to sit down and chill.”

“Why is it that everyone who comes down from that part of the bluff seems to have bloodshot eyes and Cheeto dust on their fingers?” asked Senator Alicia Scott. “Surely there’s some correlation between marijuana use and the couch?”

“Man, we’re just up there ‘cause we’re tired, and when it gets all wet and cold and stuff, it makes it hard to take a nap, and when you’ve been, like, walking around on the bluff looking for foxes and stuff, it really wipes you out, man,” said Stern. “ “So we bring, like, Cheetos and stuff to keep our strength up,” added Stern after three to four minutes of incoherent rambling. “And like, if we had a new couch, it would, you know, help us keep rested so we can do better in classes and stuff like that, you know?”

SGA members have yet to decide on whether to approve funding for the new couch, but are expected to have reached a decision by Friday. After presenting the petition, the students left the meeting and were seen walking up the bluff with several bags from 7-11.

Asked for comment on the petition’s chances of success, Stern said that if it wasn’t accepted, “we’d just grab some couch off Craigslist or something. But bro, shit would be so cash if they got us a new one.”

10

opinion

November 5 to November 11, 2009

|The Lucid Line | Healthcare reform and broken promises

Tim Canon tcanon@uccs.edu

George Bush campaigned in 1988 on a promise of “Read my lips: No new taxes.” Of course, then reality set in and Bush raised taxes anyway, for which the Republican base crucified his reelection bid, casting around 19% of the vote to alternative conservative choice Ross Perot and allowing Bill Clinton to sneak into the White House with just 43% of the vote.

Barack Obama also promised in 2008 not to raise taxes on those earning under $250,000. Then came the

Baucus healthcare bill, and, just as it did for Bush, reality set in.

Let’s face it: I’ve not read this 1500-plus page health reform bill, I don’t plan to and neither do you. Still, some very smart economists have dissected the plan, and what they’re saying is that it will fail to change much in health insurance. From what those economists say, this bill is less than acceptable for lefties and righties (and all those in between) alike, because it fails to deliver on Obama’s promise of a healthcare miracle, and breaks another one of his promises: That whole “no new middle class taxes” nonsense.

The first problem with this bill is it does almost nothing to solve the problems in our healthcare system, an effect, perhaps, of the bill writer’s misunderstanding of those problems.

Most of those in favor of government solutions to healthcare believe the health

insurance market is plagued by a problem called “adverse selection”: a problem resulting from insurer’s lack of knowledge of their patient’s health (and, thereby, relative risk) which results in everyone in the market being charged the same, overly high price to cover the unknown risk.

Many economists are skeptical of the relevance of this particular market failure to health insurance markets, but for argument’s sake, let’s assume it works.

Trouble is, those government officials currently pushing reform don’t seem to understand this problem, which throws a bit of a wrench into their ideas for fixing a system supposedly plagued by it.

Obama’s own team of economic advisers issued a 56-page “Economic Case for Health Care Reform” report last June that spent some space on this supposedly central problem, but indicated that, instead of

| Take Down | Smells like Socialism

Veronica Graves vgraves@uccs.edu

Why do some liberals think that increasing the federal government’s power is a cure to most problems within the US? People seem to believe that the “godlike” government will is more capable of doing professionals’ jobs than the actual professionals, which seems like a shifting of responsibilities. We don’t want to get our hands dirty so we pass the work on to the federal government.

The federal government accepts our helplessness all too eagerly, creating departments with fancy names and ratcheting up tax rates to pay for this new bureaucratic waste.

Increasing bureaucracy is the government’s “cure all.” Today, the government is hard at work increasing

its power in areas such as health reform, government bailouts and taxes.

Government run organizations have such a great track record’ it’s no wonder that the Democratic Party wants to expand the already obese bureaucracy! Wait a second…

Let’s look at the Department of Energy, for example. A typical government bureaucratic pigeonhole established during the Carter Administration, the Department of Energy was established to ostensibly decrease our dependence on foreign oil. It’s been pretty darn efficient and effective, hasn’t it?

It’s 2009 – 32 years later – and the budget for this “necessary” (cough, cough) department is at $24.2 BILLION a year. They have 16,000 federal employees and approximately 100,000 contract employees. And look at the job they have done!

Why, we hardly use any foreign oil at all, right? Good ole’ bureaucracy – just made everything entirely worse.

The more power relinquished to the federal government, the less power the average citizen has and the more we must trust our mommy, the federal govern-

ment. If President Obama really wants to make us “even,” he will enlarge the reach of government, something he is already hard at work doing.

Unfortunately, once the government interferes one time, it feels free to do it again, and again, and again…

A great example would be the government bailouts issued this year and last

by Obama. Now that the economy is still suffering, Obama’s regime is forcing these businesses to take large pay cuts. What’s going to keep the federal government from deciding that they would do a better job, and take over the car companies completely?

We all know that once the Federal government takes over something, it’s way better off than a free market business, right?

Like the Post office, compared to UPS. Or the DMV compared to a privatelyowned company like Masterdrive.

Seeing how wonderful these function, let’s go ahead and give over the banking system, healthcare and the auto industry to the all wise government.

Sounds like a plan! ◆

the typical adverse selection story where everyone is charged high prices because of lack of information, “most insurers use medical underwriting and incorporate a risk premium into the actual price of coverage.”

As economist-blogger David Henderson correctly noted, this statement basically says that Obama’s team asserts that the lack of information causing adverse selection is a problem, but that, also, no such lack of information exists, because insurers search for that information, find it and incorporate it into their premiums.

Obama’s team, in contradicting itself concerning what it views is the central problem in healthcare markets, is thus admitting that that problem, in reality, is not the problem. Still, he seems intent on fixing it.

Obama is no fool. He knows very well that if adverse selection in the healthcare market were indeed the

main cause of rising costs, then the mandate included in the Baucus bill would do most of the work in assuaging those costs.

But Obama doesn’t seem to believe that story, and neither does Max Baucus, which brings us to the other major problem with this bill: the taxes it levies on the middle class.

Baucus’ bill includes in its text a 40 percent tax on what have been termed “Cadillac plans” – insurance plans with fairly high values and benefits – to pay for what look like continually rising healthcare costs.

Of course, this tax falls on the insurance companies directly, but they will inevitably pass at least part of that tax onto consumers, in effect making it a tax on American consumers as well, and not just on insurance companies.

According to the American Enterprise Institute, of the tax’s $50 billion in projected revenues, 87 percent would

come from individuals with incomes under $200,000, breaking Obama’s campaign promise to not raise taxes on the middle class.

Barack Obama’s campaign website stated quite explicitly: “Middle class families will see their taxes cut – and no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase.” So much for that promise.

The Baucus bill won’t lower costs, and Obama and Baucus both know it. So instead of relying on economic logic they know doesn’t quite mesh with reality, Baucus and Obama are hedging their bets by including a sizable tax in their reform bill, just to make sure they can afford it.

Or, more accurately, that you can afford it. Because make no mistake, you will be paying for it, America.

And if history is any indicator, when this tax hits your bank accounts and Obama is up for reelection, he’ll likely be paying for it too. ◆

sports

November 5 to November 11, 2009

11

RMAC releases preseason rankings for Mountain Lion basketball



MEN’S



5th in RMAC’s Eastern Division, 9th Overall

WOMEN’S

Last in RMAC’s Eastern Division, 12th Overall Matt Crandall mcrandal@uccs.edu

As the semester reaches the half way mark and fall sports draw to a close, the men and women’s basketball teams of UCCS are beginning to get prepared for the season ahead. Preseason ranking were made available during the week of Oct. 28 at www.gomountainlions. com.

It was only a year ago that the men’s basketball team reached the mid-season mark with a record of 0-7 and rebounded back to reach an impressive finish of 10-9 in the RMAC. The Mountain Lions ended up qualifying for the

Photos courtesy of UCCS Sports information

Athlete News: Balloons, Olympic doping and power outages

David Owens dowens3@uccs.edu

In America, millions gather around the television to watch empty balloons sail through the skies. In the Netherlands, however, there is a different controversy that is causing waves.

According to the Associated Press, a Dutch court recently ruled that 14-year-old Laura Dekker was still too inexperienced to be allowed to set off on her quest to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

In August, a 17-year-old British male accomplished the feat, only to be outdone by a 16-year-old Australian female in October.

The courts are so concerned about Dekker that they placed her under the guardianship of child protection authorities until

next July to ensure that she cannot set off on any fantastic voyages. Dekker’s parents, both veteran sailors, are in disagreement about the idea. Dekker’s father supported his daughter’s aspirations but her mother believes her daughter is still too young. The girl’s lawyer, Peter de Lange, noted that she could potentially set sail next year and still break the record.

“But the record is not her primary goal,” de Lange told the Associated Press. “Laura just wants to sail.”

I see a different sort of expedition in line for balloon boy in the near future. Can you say “sailing balloon boy: an American icon?”

Speaking of icons, let’s talk about the Olympic Games.

Now, the games that won’t be held in Chicago in 2016, but the 2010 Winter Games that will be held in Vancouver. It seems there is already a doping scandal and the festivities have yet to begin.

According to deadspin. com, Greek hurdler, Fani Halkia was banned by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) for two years after testing positive for illegal substances at the Beijing Games. However,

that didn’t stop the Greek Olympic Committee from keeping the torch from her as the relay passed through Greece. Needless to say, The IOC was not happy when they heard the news.

One young athlete, hopefully not taking steroids, is this week’s inaugural “hero of the week.” Jordan Ikner, a 6-4, 255-pound football kicker from Bessemer Academy High School in Birmingham, AL, caused a jolt that most kickers could only dream of doing. According to the Birmingham News, with 8:14 left in the first quarter, Ikner kicked the game-winning extra point that is sending his team to state, while the opposing team’s season is done.

The reason the game ended after less than four minutes of play is because Ikner’s extra point managed to hit a transformer, consequently causing a power outage in the stadium. The kick heard around the city even managed to knock out the traffic lights near the school.

The best part of the story is this isn’t the first time an incident like this has occurred at that stadium this year. Only in Alabama! ◆

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference playoffs which marked only the third time in school history the men advanced past the regular season. The men come into the new season with a strong recruiting class and lost only two players to graduation last year.

The men’s team was picked to finish ninth overall and fifth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference East Division by the preseason Coaches Poll. None of the Mountain Lions were selected for the preseason RMAC All-Conference Team.

The women’s basketball team has several players returning from last year’s squad. The Mountain Lions finished last season 8-19 and 6-13 in the RMAC. The Mountain Lions re-

turning for this season include: Point-guards Janean Jubic and Karlee Gradisar, Forwards Ashley Miller and Mallory Lowe, Guards Jessica Lynch and Lauren Holm, and Center Audy Bell. Three-point shooter Payden Ackerman will also return this year.

The lady Mountain Lions were picked to finish 12 overall but last in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference East Division. Similar to the men’s team, no players from UCCS were chosen for the RMAC All-Conference Team.

The men’s season begins Nov. 20 as they host Colorado College at the Lion’s Den. The ladies will open their season Nov. 6 in an exhibition game against the Air Force Falcons. ◆

Sports Shorts Women’s Volleyball (17-8, 12-5 RMAC)

Oct. 30 at Lion’s Den Nebraska-Kearney 3, UCCS 0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-22) The Mountain Lion’s loss to Nebraska-Kearney on Oct. 30 snapped their record-breaking nine game winning streak.

Sonja Johnson and Jenica Shippy led the ladies with seven kills a piece. Andrea Brodie, Laura Brodie and Nicole Pederson contributed with five kills each. Kendal Utz led the Mountain defense with 11 digs and Cindy Bathelt added 26 assists with three service aces. The RMAC playoff picture won’t be complete until the weekend of Nov. 7, but UCCS can still clinch a top five berth.

Men’s Soccer

(8-10-1, 5-8-1 RMAC)

Women’s Soccer (7-9-1, 6-9-1 RMAC)

Nov. 1 at Mountain Lion Stadium UCCS 2, Mesa State 1

Nov. 1 at Auraria Field Metro State 5, UCCS 1

Oct. 30 at Mountain Lion Stadium Fort Lewis 3, UCCS 0

Oct. 30 at Mountain Lion Stadium UCCS 5, Nebraska-Kearney 0

Michael Flynn’s game winning goal marked the first of his career as the Mountain Lions defeated Mesa State 2-1 on Nov. 1. The men’s season ended on a positive note as they won on “Senior Day” which honored the UCCS seniors.

The four graduating seniors honored were Dan Smith, Greg Miley, Dami Oladiran and Garrett Maloney. The Mountain Lions season may be over, but they will play an unscheduled match against Colorado State-Pueblo on Nov. 8 since both teams were eliminated from tournament play.

The Mountain Lions extended their season as they defeated Nebraska-Kearney 5-0 on Oct. 30 to qualify for the RMAC playoffs. The ladies’ victory clinched them a sixth seed berth for the RMAC tournament. The five goals scored came from five different players, including Julia Sasenz, Jessica Escobedo, Brianna Guzzardo, Lauren Hall and Krista Mirabelli. The UCCS offense dominated Nebraska-Kearney 37-2 shots on goal.