The Mirror—April 13, 2015

A reflection of the UNC community.

The Mexican American Studies program’s suspension sparks backlash from faculty and students protesting the hiatus.

Story by Tommy Simmons on page 5.

Illustration by Jorge Arredondo

Mexican American Studies struggles with suspension THIS WEEK IN

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April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

IN THIS ISSUE: OPINION 4

Transgender communities and the media The struggles of interracial friendships

NEWS 5 6 7

Entrepreneurial Challenge Winner

Ram Battalion combats the water survival test

Behind the canvas: Tom Geier Artists soar at the First annual START showcase Local gems shine at Greeley Night Out Show starts before curtain call

SPORTS 12 13 14 15

From Hawaii to Greeley: The story of the 808 boys

Hispanic Studies professor Genie Canales, when a Mexican American Studies class with 7-8 students was threatened with cancellation in 2010.

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Northern Colorado weekly sports recap What went wrong for the Colorado Avalanche?

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ARTS & CULTURE 9 10 11 16

Canales said she received a strict instruction to ‘never encourage students to speak to the dean ever again.’

Mexican American Studies struggles with suspension

Friend.town: Worthy new social media?

8

Table of Contents N

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Opinion

April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

Transgender communities and the media

By La’Asianee Brown As I scroll through news forums on my Yahoo page, I come upon an article remembering Taylor Alesena, a transgender teen and a loved YouTube personality who committed suicide earlier this month.

Alesena was harassed and bullied by peers for her identity, and she used her voice and experiences to help others who are struggling with their own bullies.

After the suicide of Leelah Alcorn in late 2014, eyes have turned to the transgender community, exposing the persistent battle trans-individuals go through just to be themselves in a binary culture.

Even closer to home, Greeley resident Angie Zapata was brutally murdered in 2008 because

of her trans identity.

The hardest question I think America faces now is: When will this stop?

Recognition of the transgender community has vamped in major media recently, with stars such as Laverne Cox taking a center role on the Netflix hit-show “Orange is the New Black,” and Amazon’s series “Transparent,” which looks at a parent’s transition after hiding his or her identity for years.

But is that enough?

These shows expose people who may not feel they have any connection to the trans world or to the transgender community. They show that trans-people are just people.

But still, is it enough?

On March 31, the website Tumblr flooded with selfies of transgender individuals, as they shared their lives with millions of strangers in honor of “Transgender Day of Visibility.”

Trans men and women shared pictures pre-

and post-transition, celebrating their progress as they’ve grown into the gender they identify with.

Followers from all demographics shared in this event, as some images reached up to 100,000 notes.

Despite the recognition of trans men and women in popular media outlets, society still attempts to marginalize these individuals for being “different.”

As I look back in my life, I recognize I have been exposed to the transgender community since elementary school. Childhood friends I once ran around with on the playground have grown up to identify with the opposite sex – and I still love them all the same.

As a woman who is currently dating and has dated transgender women and men, I consider myself lucky to be a part of these lives as they navigate the world through their transition.

Individuals who are not educated on trans-

gender people, but still have questions, should do their research.

As the transgender community steps out of its margins, it is important to respect their culture.

In the near future, I see a stronger movement toward acceptance of the transgender community. I see fewer headlines of teenagers losing their lives and their fights toward individuality.

—La’Asianee Brown is a junior English major and arts editor for The Mirror. She can be reached at editor@uncmirror.com.

The struggles of interracial friendships

Litsha Says Lame Stuff

By Litsha Leeper Most of my conscious life – and by conscious, I am referring to acknowledgement of my plight as a black woman in a white dominated society – I have had the most difficulties building

friendships outside of the work environment with Caucasian/Anglo Americans.

Being an educated black woman comes with the realization that institutional forces are against you and that a majority of Caucasians encountered are not aware of their white privilege, which is a freedom that absolves them of having racial discriminatory experiences or circumstances.

I and many other people of color have hung around the Caucasians that think they should be permitted to say the N-word because they are “down” or because some unknown black person has given them permission.

I always have to explain that there is no permission slip or Black Card that can act as a pass–unless I get a White Card that gains me access to a life of white privilege. I will never be comfortable exchanging the N-word with people whose looks favor the oppressor.

There are also the Caucasians that have befriended me because they thought I was different from other black people, which in my opinion, implies that they didn’t particularly care for blacks, but somehow I made the cut.

I am not different from most black people, and once I make this salient point, the “friendship” is quickly ended.

GIVE ‘EM A PIECE OF YOUR MIND

Last but not least, there are the Anglos who are completely incognizant of their white privilege, and they deem me as the angry, radical, black woman who clearly has no idea that we live in a post-racial society because our president is black.

There are, of course, always exceptions to the rule. Some Caucasians are oblivious to white supremacy, but with a brief encounter with education and enlightenment, they come to understand and support the black liberation movement. But the problem is when a person of color continuously has to have an educational segment with a potential friend, it can become draining.

I am interested in building relationships with people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, but I cannot maintain friendships with someone who doesn’t understand the problems their identity poses on people of color.

I cannot roast marshmallows on an open fire and sing “Kumbiya” with folks who are insensitive to my disposition and continue to use their power to maintain oppression.

—Litsha Leeper is a senior philosophy major and an opinion columnist for The Mirror. She can be reached at editor@ uncmirror.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Mirror welcomes letters to the editor, with the following stipulations: No profanity.

Word length 300-400 words. and title (year and major for students).

Send all letters to: editor@uncmirror.com

Editor: Chelsea Hinspeter Assistant Editor: Makalah Emanuel

April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

News

Mexican American Studies struggles with suspension

NEWS CALENDAR

MON 4/13 Parents of the missing 43 students from Ayotzinapa, Mexico speak out.

CHECK FOR THE UPCOMING STORY ON UNCMIRROR.COM 12-2 p.m.

Ayotzinapa University Forum University Center

By Tommy Simmons news@uncmirror.com

For Eli Guerra, knowing Spanish and growing up in Ciudad Juarez has prepared her to be a better teacher.

“For me to be a teacher I think it’s necessary to have a background knowledge to teach my students from,” said the junior Spanish K-12 education major. “When I do my classroom observations, I understand my students in a different way because of what I know.”

In a time and place in which knowing the Spanish language has become increasingly important, Guerra brings up a good point. That was why Guerra said she was appalled when Donna Bottenberg, acting dean of the college of humanities and social sciences, made the sudden decision to halt admissions to the Mexican-American studies (MAS) major and the social studies secondary teaching MASemphasis major until further notice.

Guerra wasn’t the only one, either. A Wednesday night meeting at the Cesar Chavez Cultural Center brought over 50 concerned students, teachers and alumni together for an impassioned two-hour informational meeting.

“This started suddenly,” Joy Landeira, a professor in the department of Hispanic Studies, told the crowd. “On March 25, Dr. Falcon, Dr. Canales and I attended a meeting with the dean of HSS, which we thought was going to be about curriculum. We went in with new curriculum ideas - we had it ready to go - but instead of listening to us, the dean gave us a letter saying the major was immediately suspended and that we couldn’t object to the suspension.”

That same week, the Office of the Registrar was instructed to prevent students from declaring an MAS major.

The suspension came as a

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6-8 p.m.

Ayotzinapa Presentation Rodarte Center 4:30-5:30 p.m.

UNC Writing Center Workshops: Essay Structure-Organization and Transitions Ross Hall

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Annual UNC Student-Employee of the Year Recognition Event University Center

Illustration by Jorge Arredondo

Faculty and students of the Mexican American Studies program fight back against the suspension placed on the major by Acting Dean Bottenberg.

surprise – Hispanic Studies, like other programs on campus, is subject to a self-study program review that happens every five years. Hispanic Studies was scheduled for review in September of 2015 at which time, Landeira said, MAS would have been reviewed and changes would have been made if necessary.

The dean’s decision precluded that deadline by five months.

“I’ve been in higher education for a long time and I’ve never seen a suspension handled this unprofessionally,” said Beth Franklin, a professor of Hispanic Studies.

When asked for an interview, Bottenberg directed the request to PR officer Nate Haas, who then provided an email from the provost Robbyn Wacker.

“Only eleven students grad-

uated from the MAS Program over the past five years,” the email read. “Having such a small number of majors makes it very difficult to offer all of the upper-division courses students need to complete the major.”

The email stated that the suspension was to give faculty an opportunity to “revitalize” the program, and that the university wanted MAS to be one of UNC’s “crown jewels.”

As it turns out, this isn’t the first clash MAS has had with the dean’s office.

“Five years ago, they tried to turn MAS into an ‘ethnic studies’ program,” said Priscilla Falcon, a Hispanic studies professor, standing to deliver a passionate speech Wednesday night. “We fought that tooth and nail, and they backed off.

Ethnic studies doesn’t include

the language aspect that MAS does – how can you separate the culture and the language of Mexico? It’s all one piece.”

Genie Canales, who teaches in the Hispanic Studies program, stated that she once taught a class with seven to eight students enrolled and that the dean tried to cancel the class. Canales asked her students to email the dean, which they did, and the class was allowed to proceed. But, Canales said, she received a strict instruction to “never encourage students to speak to the dean ever again.”

“The implication was that they didn’t want an MAS program,” Landeira said. “They’ve been pulling for ‘cultural studies’.”

Guerra – and many others at the meeting – said she saw the loss of the MAS major as a slap

in the face to their culture and identity.

“MAS is a way of knowledge,” she said. “It educates other people, but it also helps you with your identity as a student. Who am I? Am I a Chicana, or something else? You learn those terms in MAS, not other classes.”

“This is why it’s so important for students to raise their voices, because our voices and our language are being silenced,” Canales said. “Use your voice, no matter how imperfectly, or if it was quivering. We as a people open our mouths and speak up – no one will do it for us.”

“We will go down fighting,” Falcon said at the meeting.

Her remark was met with applause.

4-5 p.m.

Rehabilitation Counseling M.A. Information Session University Center 5:30-7 p.m.

Autism Awareness Month Guest Speaker: “Breaking Barriers” Michener Library 7-8 p.m.

Student Literary Voices (The Crucible) Meeting University Center

FRI 4/17 Complete spring semester schedule withdrawal deadline

SAT 4/18 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

9 Health Fair University Center

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News

April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

Graphic by Manny Perez

Say It With A Condom has come out with consent condoms in order to bring awareness to the high occurrence of sexual assault.

Ask Before Unwrapping

By Ye In Morris

news@uncmirror.com

When most people think of condoms, sex comes to mind.

However, the consequences of physical relations are often overlooked.

Every year, multiple cases of sexual assault and rape occur on college campuses.

In order to bring awareness to sexual assault, a company has come out with consent condoms.

Say It With A Condom’s consent condoms display messages on the wrapper in support of consensual sex such as: “If I’m asking for it, why can’t you?”; “Stop, ask first;” “Consensual sex is safe sex;” and, “Ask me what I’m asking for.”

The idea of consent condoms is to raise awareness of sexual assault prevention and to serve as a reminder to get consent before intercourse.

It is estimated that 20-25 percent of women have been victims of attempted or completed rape throughout their college career. In addition, nine out of 10 victims knew their offender.

Estimates show, out of 1,000 women attending college, there are 35 cases of rape each

academic year. Most people can agree these numbers are staggering, and many groups such as Say It With A Condom are attempting to help raise awareness of sexual assault and prevention.

Although the function of these messages on the wrappers of condoms are aimed at combating these numbers, many are skeptical about their effectiveness.

“I think they’re an interesting idea,” said junior business major Ethan Parker. “The message is good, but if someone is going to sexually assault someone, words on a wrapper isn’t going to stop them.”

Sexual assault is an apparent issue among the college demographic, and while consent condoms are just one of the many efforts to raise awareness, campaigns and advocacy programs continue to grow in an attempt to eliminate sexual assault.

“Personally, I don’t think condoms with sayings on them will raise awareness,” said Darian Nicole, a freshman early childhood education major.

“The school already does a lot to raise awareness, and while it won’t make everyone get consent, it will hopefully at least make the problem more known and help take steps to begin to solve it.”

News

April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

Monfort College of Business’s Entrepreneurial Challenge Winners:

Friend.town: worthy new social media?

By Makalah Emanuel news@uncmirror.com

First Place: $25k in prize money

Empowers physicians, trainers and physical therapists to quantify and streamline client progress and improve treatment outcomes with wearable tech called MovementTek.

Second Place: $15k in prize money porates the elements of popular games into daily ing data stream, representing employee production information and creating a series of player vs. player, team vs. team, company vs. environment and personal achievements set to seasonal and

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One of the newest social media networks to emerge is a site called “Friend.town.”

Friend.town’s listed mission is to create a trusted place to explore, connect, buy and sell.

Since its launch in early March, Friend.town is said to provide a peer-to-peer social media platform for college students who want to truly enjoy their college experience and interact safely among their classmates.

Upon the first visit to the site, users join the network by connecting their Facebook.

After connecting, a profile is developed. This includes adding a school and searching the marketplace for listings from people in the area.

The site also allows the option to connect with nearby professionals, search for a roommate and organize or find events occurring within a network.

The marketplace has items ranging from used chemistry books to used furniture.

But Tyler Fuino, a freshman majoring in secondary education, said he isn’t sure the site is going to be very successful.

“There’s always going to be something new like a new app or new site,” Fuino said. “The only way I’d use it is if it was actually unique.”

The purpose of the site, as explained by a Friend.town press release, is to offer a safer alternative to sites which offer similar opportunities. Friend. town is supposed to strip away the creeps and replace them with college students.

For students such as Tala

Atoafa, a sophomore majoring in sociology, social media isn’t just a remedy used to cure boredom. Social media has a lot more weight to it, he said.

“I feel like social media makes the world a lot smaller, and I can connect with people who I wouldn’t be able to connect with if I didn’t have it,” Atoafa said. “It keeps me updated with family stuff and friends and with people who I haven’t talked to since elementary school. That’s what I like about it, and I feel like this new network would be pointless because we already have all of that stuff.”

Brooke Hicks, a freshman studying theater education, said she shares Atoafa’s view on social media networks but not his view on Friend.town.

“If I knew more about it, and I knew it was working well, and I knew a lot of people were

using it, I’d probably engage in it and check it out,” Hicks said.

With preexisting social media networks currently catching the attention of college students, it’s hard to determine if Friend.town is worthy of being included.

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YikYak, Snapchat and others have already made their way into the hearts of most college students.

Kaelinn Ward, a sophomore studying music education and marketing, said these are just a few of the sites he visits regularly, and if Friend.town wants to be added to that list, it has some work to do.

“This new site would have to be something that you can’t find with Twitter, Facebookall that-or even something that’s just compiling all of those together to make one,” Ward said.

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News

April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

Ram Battalion combats the water survival test Guest writing by CDT Mason H. Kasunic, MSIII & CDT Stephan J. Ortiz, MSIII news@uncmirror.com

Last Friday, Army ROTC cadets from the University of Northern Colorado’s Ram Battalion undertook a harrowing test of their fitness and ability outside of the Army’s normal range – the water.

The Combat Water Survival Test, or CWST, is a five-event qualification that must be completed every semester by those actively pursuing a contract in the U.S. Army. The events are designed to test each cadet’s fitness, ability, confidence and, perhaps most importantly, perseverance in an uncomfortable situation.

The first event is 10 minutes of constant motion swimming.

Hindered by their shoes and weighted down by a uniform satu-

Once cadets perrated with water, severe through this cadets jostle for event, three techniposition with their cal events remain. peers in the limited The first is the space of the pool, Underwater Gear all the while stayDitch.

Cadet’s ing above water don a combat vest and in motion. and grasp a rubAfter the ten ber training rifle, minutes have been toe the edge of completed, cadets the pool and take rest while receivthe plunge. ing instruction for Once cadets their next event: are fully underfive minutes of water, they must treading water. completely reBy this point, move the vest the uniform bilbefore resurfacing. lows underwater, Once this task is adding resistance Courtesy of Daniel Hoffman met, cadets move to each stroke.

This, combined An ROTC cadet plungs into the Recreational Center’s pool with a rifle in hand during to a 15-meter gear swim. with waterlogged the Combat Water Survival Test last Friday morning.

Again, they put on the vest, take shoes, makes five minutes an the walls so they do not bump them uncomfortable eternity. and disqualify themselves; however, up their rifle and enter the lap pool.

At this point, the mental test be- the relief of ending the event is tempt- While keeping the muzzle of the weapon out of the water, cadet’s must gins. Cadets tread a fair distance from ingly close.

swim 15 meters, typically utilizing the sidestroke. The magazine and canteen pouches catch water, acting like parachutes attempting to hold the cadets back, yet in order to continue in the program, they must push through.

The final event involves the oftenclosed three meter high dive board.

Often misjudging its height, cadets must battle their newly acquired acrophobia – fear of heights – to complete the CWST. Once they scale the ladder to the top, they are handed yet another rubber rifle and are blindfolded as they walk to the edge of the board.

The standards involve safely jumping from the board, submerging and resurfacing, removing the blindfold, reorienting and exiting the pool without any aid from your peers as they watch.

At the completion of the five events, cadets are CWST certified and can continue on to their summer camps, ultimately pursuing the goal of commissioning into the U.S. Army – and maybe hoping to never swim again.

Editor: La’Asianee Brown

April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

Arts & Culture

Behind the canvas: Tom Geier arts@uncmirror.com

Every year, University of Northern Colorado art students are given the chance to submit art to a jury of professors and be awarded for their hard work.

The Mirror sat with senior marketing and art history double major Tom Geier to discuss his experience with the juried show as well as his aspirations as a student artist. : Tom, can you briefly explain who you are, where you’re from, and tell me something interesting about yourself?

Q A

: Can you explain how your work ended up getting displayed in the gallery?

: The show happens every year, so we know to expect it, and they email us when it is time to send our work in. We use what is called “CaFE,8” or “Call For Entries.” We submit up to four works digitally with captions and pay the $15 fee. Art students have access to what we call the “resource room” for taking quality photographs of our work, so getting the photos wasn’t hard at all. They will then tell us which of the pieces has been accepted, and we turn them in. This year I was able to get three of my paintings in the show! I got one in last year which actually won “Best in Painting,” which also made me very excited! This year that category didn’t exist… which made me nervous.

Q A

: What award were you given and for what piece?

: The piece of mine that won this year was “Daily Walk Along 19th Street,” which was a painting of this section of grass and sidewalk that I pass every day going to and from class, work and meetings.

This piece won the “Dean’s Purchase Award,” meaning the dean of the art school bought my work and is going to display it on campus year round. This is especially cool that I won this award this year because my boyfriend Manny Perez won the “Directors Purchase Award,” which is the same, except obviously the director chose it.

Q A

: What inspires your artwork?

: I chose this subject matter because I found lots of subtle beauties in the details of the grass and

MON 4/13

All Day Student Foundations Art Exhibition (Multi-Day Event) Crabbe Hall

Q

: My name is Tom Geier, and I am a senior double majoring in marketing and art history. I plan to graduate in December. My dream job is to work as a creative designer for Disney’s theme parks, conceptualizing exciting and interesting environments and experiences. On campus, I am a student ambassador and an art history tutor. I am also special projects coordinator of the UNC Marketing Association. Though I am art history by major, my passion is painting!

ARTS CALENDAR

All Day Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition (Multi-Day Event) Guggenheim Hall

By Correll Comer

A

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Courtesy of Tom Geier

Tom Geier is a senior double majoring in marketing and art history. His painting “Daily Walk Along 19th Street” (above right) received the “Dean’s Purchase Award.”

sidewalk. I knew if I was able to capture them, I was an accomplished painter. My favorite things to paint are things that I see over and over again. If I see it so frequently, it ends up making up a large section of my life, and that’s what I want to capture in my paintings– my everyday life. That’s why most of my major pieces are from a “point of view” perspective.

where art has been and what has been done. Artists build on each other’s work, and that is part of how we make advancements. So really, my major in art history is more to benefit and inspire my work as a fine artist, more so than it is to get a degree and pursue a career in it... although that isn’t out of the question either. I still may like to teach it one day or curate shows.

Q A Q A

Q A

: What kind of art do you enjoy doing most? Why?

: Painting, for sure! That is my favorite form of art to make and also my favorite to admire. : How long does it usually take you to finish a piece?

: It really depends. And honestly, it is hard to say because I always forget to count the hours. By the time I am done painting, I have other concerns occupying my focus, like “I forgot to eat dinner,” “I need to get to the gym” or “I need to finish other homework.”

Many people say I should be sure to calculate my time so I can price the pieces easier. But I really agree with what James Whistler said. “An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision.” So time isn’t as much of a concern for me in the calculation.

Q A

: How did you initially get into art?

: I don’t remember the specific moment when I was given my first set of acrylics, but I started early as a child. I know my parents and family deserve a lot of credit for helping support and encourage me.

Q A

:What other artists inspire you?

: All kinds! This is why I am an art history major instead of painting. First of all, art history majors still get to take studio classes, so I wasn’t abandoning it, but I really wanted to learn about how art has progressed through the years and how other cultures make their art and why. I feel, to be a successful fine artist, it really helps to have a firm understanding of

: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

: Since my focus is painting, I will share what has been the most useful piece of information for painting: Add color variety! The painting professor Lauren Eisen emphasizes color variety very heavily. The variety is what adds realism and depth. It is what stops it from being a cartoon, really. Her “400 Color” project where we paint a bowl of fruit using 400 squares, each with a different color, was the most helpful assignment I’ve had. It taught me to see the subtleties of color within an object. That’s almost more important than being able to mix or place the paint. I used to think realism was about sharp edges and fine detail, but really it is about capturing the right colors in the right places. I was surprised when one of my very loose and impressionistic paintings was more realistic than one of my tightly painted ones–all because it had more variety.

Q A

: What would people be surprised to learn about you?

: The fact about me that most frequently shocks people is that I have owned a pet octopus.

I have a very obsessive personality, and octopuses are one of my fixations. They are so fascinating and beautiful!

Q A

: Is there anywhere else we can find you and your work (e.g., Facebook, website, blog, etc.)

: My online portfolio can currently be found under my Digication account here: https://unco. digication.com/thomas_geier_art/Welcome/

WED 4/15 11 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Asian Heritage Month: A Story to Tell: Student Panel University Center

THU 4/16 6- 8 p.m.

4th Annual Global Cultural Festival Michener Library- Lindou Auditorium 7:30 p.m.

UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival (Multi-Day Event) Off Campus

SAT 4/18 11 a.m- 5 p.m.

Asian Heritage Month: Bears on the Field - Game Day Challenge Recreation Center 1- 3:30 p.m.

Sustainability Scavenger Hunt Holmes Dining Hall/Tobey-Kendel Dining Hall

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Arts & Culture

By Correll Comer arts@uncmirror.com

If you take elegant aerialists, extemporaneous and inspired painters, a dash of comedy, some spoken word, a jazz band, a variety of talented vocalists and an ensemble of clarinets, you’ll have some idea of what the first ever START Artist Salon had to offer.

The idea for the “salon” was based off of the Paris Salon in the eighteenth century, known then as the greatest annual art event in the world. The idea became a reality, thanks to the

students in the first ever Introduction to Arts the course of this semester.

“We just wanted to do Entrepreneurship course, something to get people’s attention,” which asked for students “ I actually said Kristin Lihudis, a junior fine arts to create, plan and put on an event that reflected the stopped painting major who was in charge of publicity the event. “We’re all passionate array of talents in UNC’s to see the aerial for about different things and wanted to Department of Performing dance.” incorporate all of those things into and Visual Arts. our event.”

Housed in the Bel-Air - Garrett UNC students took turns rooms in the back of Zoe’s Leonning performing their arts on the stage in Café Thursday night, stuthe front room. dents, faculty, community Concurrently, a connecting room held even members and friends packed the house for a night filled with simultaneous performances more visual arts, including a display of student and entertainment–a culmination and showcase artwork and two live student painters.

The students who began painting a blank canof 12 students’ hard work and dedication over vas at the beginning of the night allowed those in attendance to observe the evolution of their pieces throughout the evening.

“The jazz is what I vibed with most and what I felt most when I was painting,” said Garrett Leonnig, a freshman visual arts major and one of the two live painters. “I painted the horizontal brush strokes in my piece when I was trying to match the percussion of the jazz ensemble.”

Most audience members spent the night bouncing between the two rooms, eager to take in all the salon had to offer.

“Our performance was such a small part of this whole thing, which was just awesome,” said Chris Bakel, who performed as part of the clarinet ensemble. “I was just inspired by how many people actually showed up to support, basically, a mini gala but totally student-run, totally student done.”

The final performance of the night had performers and audience members gawking and talking.

Aerialists Blair Belt and Ariel Armelino were suspended just a couple feet off the ground.

They looked like contortionists bending and folding their body over the silk fabric.

“I actually stopped painting to see the aerial dance–I’d never seen anything like that before,” Leonnig said. “I was super into it.”

“I really loved the aerial performance,” Bakel said. He also acted as music coordinator for the event. “It was just something that was very unique, very special–mind-blowing, I didn’t know they offered that at UNC.” After such a successful event, and having dubbed it the ‘First Annual Artist Salon,’ it’s safe to say there will be another START Salon next year. While the diligent dozen who planned out this event are glad to be relieved of their duties, many of them can’t wait to see what a new group of students might produce.

“I’m really looking forward to next year’s Salon,” said Lihudis. “I want to see what students come up with next.”

Not knowing what modifications the next class might enact has audience members and performers excited for next year’s Artist Salon.

April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

Courtesy of START: 1st Annual Artist Salon Facebook

April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

Arts & Culture

11

Local gems shine at Greeley Night Out

By Mikhala Krochta arts@uncmirror.com

Greeley seems to have a bad reputation in Colorado for being a boring, small university town.

But in downtown Greeley, not far from campus, there is a paradise of unique local businesses that students can explore. And at this year’s Greeley Night Out, an event that UNC’s University Program Council puts on once each semester, students had the opportunity to learn about Greeley and get a taste of the local businesses and entertainment.

“Greeley Night Out is pretty much never the same event twice,” said Jessi Ray, the social and developmental event coordinator for UPC. “We try to use different locations and restaurants every semester to mix it up and introduce students to new things. The one thing that is consistent is dessert from Batter Up Cakes.”

This year, the event was held in the Atlas Theater, off 16th Avenue. The event area was decorated like a black-tie event, with a stage in front and a buffet of food to the side.

UPC’s staff was serving food from Cables Pub and Grill, a local restaurant that makes a lot of their food by hand.

There were also blue and yellow frosted cupcakes from local bakery Batter Up Cakes.

After the guests had a chance to eat and mingle for a while, UPC welcomed everyone to the event and called volunteers on stage for Greeley trivia.

The questions revolved around current and historical facts about the city.

The participants each received a prize from a local business for answering a question correctly, including t-shirts from the Nerd Store and Roma and a book on Greeley history from Woody’s Newsstand.

After trivia, UPC introduced CHAOS, an improvisational theater group from UNC who played different improv games with each other and the audience.

The group had the audience laughing for the entirety of their performance.

“CHAOS performed because they are an on-campus group who I think deserves more recognition,” Ray said. “I didn’t want to bring in some random comedian from California, because there was no way for students to connect it back to Greeley.”

Guests seemed to respond well to the event, and sophomore jazz studies major Josh Bell said he thought more students should come to Greeley Night Out. “At the very least, they’d be supporting certain PVA groups on campus, and in turn, the arts can reach out further into the community,” he said.

21-year-old Greeley resident Teylor West attended the event and has been to Greeley Night Out before, even though she is not a UNC student. But she said she loves it.

“You really get your money’s worth, and it’s a fun time. I’ve never not had fun at Greeley Night Out,” she said.

Ray said that one big point of Greeley Night Out is to help students feel more at home in Greeley.

“Students should come to Greeley Night Out to learn more about the city they go to school in,” Ray said. “It introduces them to new restaurants and new venues that they are always encouraged to go back and visit on their own.”

UPC’s twice-yearly event is all about Greeley, and it truly shows that there is more to the city than most would think.

“Students should come to Greeley Night Out to learn more about the city they go to school in ” - Jessi Ray

Sports

12

Editor: Jacob Scott Assistant Editor: Dylan Sanchez

April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

For next-day game recaps, check UNCMIRROR.COM SPORTS CALENDAR YELLOW = HOME GAME BLUE = AWAY GAME

TUE 4/14 3 p.m.

Baseball at Air Force Academy Colorado Springs, Colorado

WED 4/15 3 p.m.

Softball at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Colorado 5 p.m.

Softball at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Colorado

From Hawaii to Greeley: The story of the 808 Boys UNC coaches and players bring Hawaiian experience and love of baseball to Northern Colorado

FRI 4/17 1 p.m.

Softball vs. Weber State University Butler-Hancock Softball Fields 2 p.m.

Women’s Tennis vs. Colorado State University Butler-Hancock Tennis Courts Senior Day 3 p.m.

Softball vs. Weber State University Butler-Hancock Softball Field 3 p.m.

Baseball vs. Utah Valley University Jackson Field

SAT 4/18 12 p.m.

Softball vs. Weber State University Butler-Hancock Softball Field 2 p.m.

Baseball vs. Utah Valley University Jackson Field

By Makalah Emanuel sports@uncmirror.com

“Like your Dominican and some of the Latin countries who play baseball as a national sport, Hawaii is a state… but baseball is our national sport,” said Carl Iwasaki, the head coach of University of Northern Colorado’s baseball team and Hawaii native.

Other Hawaiian natives and Northern Colorado baseball players include senior infielders Reyn Sugai and Ryan Yamane, senior outfielder Jensen Park, junior left-hand pitcher Dylan Shiraki and freshman left-hand pitcher Brayden Willing-McCutcheon. Volunteer assistant baseball coach Kainoa T. Correa was also born in Hawaii. Together, the group makes up what Iwasaki calls the 808 boys.

Though none of the players were born in the same city, they all share the Hawaiian experience. This experience, as Iwasaki points out, is one of the reasons they were recruited to play for the Bears.

“We have a long history with baseball in the state of

Hawaii… that’s why I recruit them,” Iwasaki said. “They respect the game, and they play the game hard.”

Iwasaki’s players’ testimonies can attest to that, because each of them began playing at a young age.

“I started playing baseball from four years old,” Sugai said. “My parents always had a baseball and a glove and bat around the house, and that was my favorite toy. I didn’t really play too much with conventional toys.”

Park’s and Shiraki’s baseball beginnings occurred in a similar manner, but Willing-McCutcheon’s was a bit different than his teammates.

“I was literally born into baseball because my dad was playing professionally when I was born. Baseball was around me everywhere we went,” Willing-McCutcheon said. “We travelled to 38 different states, and then when my dad got done playing ball, he realized it’s not the life he wanted for his kid. So we went back home.

When we went back home, everything just fell into place.

My dad started coaching me in T-Ball, onto rookie ball, onto little league, onto high school.”

Being in a different part of the United States is just as challenging for these players as it is for any college student who left home in pursuit of a better opportunity. For players who’ve been in the northern part of the United States for quite some time, like Shiraki and Sugai, the transition seemed to ease out over time.

Willing-McCutcheon and Park, on the other hand, have yet to fully come to terms with being away from their home.

“I miss my family and my friends and being around people I love,” Willing-McCutcheon said. “The weather is the biggest change for me. I had to get used to the cold, and shoveling snow off of the field and going from 80 degrees to 20.”

Park also has struggled with the adjustment.

“It’s hard being away from my family, my friends and all the people I’ve been around my whole life,” Park said. “I miss surfing. I did that a lot growing up, and not being around water has been a big change.”

One Hawaiian who isn’t at all displeased with the change in weather is Correa. Correa spent eight years in Tacoma, Wash. after leaving his home-

Photos courtesy of Dean Popejoy

Senior infielder Reyn Sugai (above) and senior outfielder Jensen Park (below) are just two of the UNC Bears that make up Iwasaki’s 808 Boys.

town of Hilo, Hawaii.

“Hilo is one of the rainiest cities in the western hemisphere,” Correa said. “You’re talking about almost 200 inches a year of rain, so when you combine that with Washington, I’m used to a lot of rainfall and water. And that’s something that I appreciate getting away from for the first time in my 26 years on Earth.”

The adjustment to the weather isn’t the only change Correa said he’s had to make.

“You take one five-hour plane trip, and you go from being a racial majority to a racial minority for the first time in your life. In Hawaii, I think we have really strong cultural and family values,” Correa said. “I’d say the adjustment is actually heavily related to baseball in the sense that regardless of where you are in the world, the bases are always 90 feet apart.

You have that commonality and that’s the great thing about college baseball.”

Sports

April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

Freshman righthanded pitcher Justin Mulvaney gave up two runs off four hits in two innings of Northern Colorado’s 12-3 loss against the Air Force Academy last Tuesday at Jackson Field.

13

Mark Harro | The Mirror

Northern Colorado weekly sports recap Staff Report

sports@uncmirror.com

Baseball

It has not been the best week for Northern Colorado baseball as the Bears have gone 0-4 against both the Air Force Academy and Grand Canyon University.

First on Tuesday, UNC (9-20, 6-6 WAC) hosted Air Force but did not stop the Falcons’ high powered offense, losing 12-3.

Air Force’s rightfielder Spencer Draws could not be stopped at the plate as he hit four doubles on four hits, getting two RBI’s and scoring three runs himself.

Falcons’ pitcher Steven Trojan (3-2) was given the win for his four innings in the game. He allowed one hit during his time on the mound.

After dropping their game Tuesday afternoon, the Bears hoped to rebound on their three-game series at Grand Canyon (21-14, 10-1 WAC). Instead, the Antelopes scored a total of 37 runs over the three game series while Northern Colorado only put up 16 runs over the weekend.

UNC dropped the first game in Arizona 12-4 then lost its second game 10-0. The majority of the Bears’ runs came in the final game Sunday as

Northern Colorado lost 15-12.

Despite losing the afternoon, the Bears were effective behind the plate as sophomore outfielder Dan Reese, freshman infielder Marco Castilla and freshman infielder Cole Maltese hit homeruns to give UNC a fighting chance. The three combined for eight RBI’s of the team’s 12.

Before coming back to Jackson Field, the Bears will have to take on Air Force one more time 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Softball

This week, Northern Colorado traveled up to the University of Montana to take on the Grizzlies, and over the three-game series, the Bears walked away with a 2-1 record.

Friday featured a double header between the Grizzlies and the Bears, but UNC was able to take both games, winning 4-3 and 4-1.

In the first game, two pitchers threw for about three innings for Northern Colorado (11-20-1, 6-6 Big Sky), but freshman pitcher Kelli Kleis was able to shut down Montana and get her fourth win.

Kleis (4-7) faced 16 batters, allowing five hits, but the Bears’ defense helped her out and was able to make sure Montana (9-28, 5-7 Big Sky) never found home plate.

In the next game, the Northern Colorado de-

fense buckled down even more, only allowing one run in the fifth inning.

Bears sophomore pitcher Jayme Reddacliff (7-11) threw a successful five innings, allowing the one run but holding the home team to six hits. Kleis then came in for UNC to get the save.

After the low scoring games on Friday, Saturday’s matchup between Northern Colorado and Montana was all offense. Each team got 16 hits, but ultimately, UNC was edged out 13-12.

Northern Colorado opened up the game, scoring eight runs in the first inning and holding Montana to just two. But the second inning was a complete flip as the Bears scored two runs and the Grizzlies scored eight.

Four different Bears had two RBI’s, and four more had one RBI on the day.

For Montana, freshman outfielder Mercedes Bourgeau was an offensive powerhouse and had two hits. One was a double, and one a homerun, with three runs and three RBI’s.

UNC softball will continue its road trip Wednesday as the Bears take on UCCS for a double header at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Tennis

UNC’s women’s tennis traveled to Idaho on Saturday, defeating Idaho State University 6-1.

Northern Colorado took five of the six singles

matches and two of the three doubles matches.

UNC (7-13, 3-7 Big Sky) is currently on a three match winning streak.

Freshman Lea Krajcovicova earned her 12th singles win of the season after defeating Idaho State’s Kasey Bacon 6-4 and 7-6.

The sophomore duo of Courtney Schulte and Beth Coton earned their 10th doubles win, defeating Idaho State duo of Marian Tangarife and Wiebke Boechmann 6-2.

Track & Field

UNC sophomore Susan Meinders has broken yet another school record.

After breaking Northern Colorado’s 400m hurdles record last week, Meinders broke the 400m dash Saturday in Boulder.

Meinders finished with a 54.04 time, and as well as setting a record, she earned the league’s qualifying mark by two seconds.

This is the second fastest time for this Big Sky event.

Sophomore sprinter Moriah Zachary was just .01 seconds away from reaching the conference championship.

Zachary finished third in the 200m race with a time of 24.61 seconds.

UNC track & field will compete in multiple invites in California next weekend.

14

Sports

April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

What went wrong for the Colorado Avalanche?

By: Dylan Sanchez sports@uncmirror.com

From Central Division Champions to nine points out of a playoff spot, the Colorado Avalanche have settled back to reality.

In 2013, the Avalanche finished 29th out of the 30-team league and were in desperate need of a change. The lottery draft gave the Avalanche the first overall pick– their highest pick since the franchise moved to Colorado. The Avalanche chose 19-year-old speedster Nathan Mackinnon, and soon enough, the fanbase was satisfied.

It appeared as if it was all coming together for the Avalanche (39-31-12). Joe Sakic, the captain to wear the Avalanche uniform, took control of the front office. Patrick Roy, arguably the greatest goaltender in the league’s history, stepped in as the head coach.

Adam Foote, the fearless defenseman, was hired as a defensive scout. Peter Forsberg had his infamous #21 retired and hung from the Pepsi Center rafters. Alex Tanguay, after spending seven years with various teams around the league, returned to the team that won him a Stanley Cup. For old-school fans, it was too good to be true. In 2001, those names represented championships, and now they have all returned: together again.

The league was blindsided by the revived franchise as they took over the western conference, on route to their first division title since 2003.

Entering this season, the Avalanche had the eighth highest odds of winning the Cup with 18/1, according the CBSSports.com.

Seven months later, the Avalanche will not play extra hockey as they prepare for the long offseason of scrutiny.

What went wrong this season?

Statistically, the Avalanche were nearly as good as they were last season. They are just no longer the team others expect to beat.

Excluding last season, the Avalanche had been bottom-feeders in recent years. They were the team that others expected to beat, and often, that was the case.

In the 2014-15 season, with Roy behind the bench and Sakic in the front office, the players, as well as the fans, reignited the desire for winning.

Last season, the Avalanche were fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 2.99 goals per game, but this season fell to 23rd despite scoring 2.54 goals per game, according to NHL.com.

Last season’s forward Matt Duchene had 70 points in 71 games as the team’s leading scorer, and four others got to 60 points.

The Avalanche led the league this season with six players over 50 points but could not get a single player over 60. Duchene, in undoubtedly the healthiest season of his career, played in all 82 games but only produced 55 points.

Gabriel Landeskog and 39-year-old Jarome Iginla led to the

team with 59 points each. They played in every game this season for the Avalanche.

The sophomore slump was real for 19-yearold Mackinnon as he only managed 38 points in 64 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. Mackinnon won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year last season.

Injuries played the largest role in the team’s regression. The injury bug came early and often as the Avalanche lost the second most man games to injury with 486, including the loss of defenseman Erik Johnson. Johnson, in the first half of the season, was on pace to set a personal best in goals scored but instead suffered a knee injury that sidelined him the last 35 games of the year.

Starting goaltender Semyon Varlamov suffered a groin injury early in the year, and it lingered throughout the season.

From the drop of the puck in October, the Avalanche appeared unclear of their direction and took too long to recover.

Despite going 12-6 in the final two months of the regular season, the Avalanche could not recover from a sluggish start to the season. In the first month of the season, the Avalanche went 3-8, including getting shutout the first two games of the year.

With one of the youngest rosters in the league and Hall-ofFamers around nearly every corner of the Pepsi Center, the Avalanche have not yet tapped their full potential and hope to rebound next season.

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April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

Fun & Games y

15

Filbert Cartoons

By Anthony Labonte

Because he neverlands.

What did the zombie girl say to the zombie boy?

“Are you going to kiss me or rot?”

What do you say to a lollipop when you throw it away?

“So long sucker!”

Where do eggplants come from?

Chicken plants.

Why are fish easy to weigh?

Because they have their own scales.

Free

The Cheater’s Station

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FOR UNC STUDENTS (WITH VALID BEARMAIL) TO SUBMIT A CLASSIFIED EMAIL: EDITOR@UNCMIRROR.COM

(Don’t worry. We’re not judging you.)

Why is Peter Pan always flying?

AS A CAMPUS SERVICE THE MIRROR NOW OFFERS

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JOKES OF THE WEEK

16

Arts & Culture

April 13, 2015 | uncmirror.com

Show starts before curtain call

By Antonio Hill arts@uncmirror.com

The University of Northern Colorado is known for many things, but nothing quite stands out like its theater department. At UNC, students can expect to receive some of the best educations possible from professors that have the experience needed to provide it.

The director and choreographer for UNC’s Performing Arts Series most recent performance, Matthew Herrick, is also an assistant professor for the musical theatre department.

His most recent show, “Children of Eden,” just ended but it featured a huge variety of talent.

Even his own children got to perform. He has worked as a director and musical director for multiple productions in New York City as well.

Herrick is only one example of many professors who help make the UNC theater program so special.

On stage, everything is about timing. From the dialogue to the stage queues, everything

matters. But the timing doesn’t start when the curtain opens up–it starts closer to when the sun comes up.

“Two words: Vocal rest,” said Joy Owen, a sophomore theater education major. “That is so important the day of a play. Especially since it’s a musical. I was told when I first started in theater to drink a lot–and I mean A LOT–of water and tea to ease your throat.”

This isn’t a taboo idea. Other theater majors, such as Brittany Shaffer, agreed that resting your voice is important, even on rehearsal days.

“I even try to avoid talking as much as possible during the day,” said Brittany Shaffer, a senior theater major. “My friends understand, but sometimes I have to tell my professors ahead of time. Resting your voice is pretty important.”

Owen has been acting in plays since high school and is involved in the theater program at UNC. I got to see what her life is like the day of the play as she prepared for her rehearsals for Children of Eden.

As the loud shrill of the teakettle went off, Owen grabbed a lemon and set out the honey.

The mist from the lemon could be seen

through the rays of light that shined through her kitchen window. The lemon scent was strong enough to overpower the mint fragrance from the tea as she poured it into her mug.

“The day of the play, I like to relax as much as possible,” Owen said. “I get all my homework done early so I can focus completely on the play during the day.”

The theater is ready, and it looks hollow and ominous with all the empty rows of seats. Owen doesn’t go over her lines before the play–she believes, at this point, you either know them or you don’t.

Since high school, she has always believed that staying close with the group of actors in a play is important.

Behind the stage, people can be seen setting up props or doing makeup, and there is nothing but the sound of breathing coming from the circle Owen and her fellow actors have formed as they hold hands–all of their breathing in sync.

“We like to do this thing called ‘Pass the Squeeze.’ It’s a bonding exercise that helps us all get calm before the show, and it brings us closer together – something I think is really important for a play to go well,” Owen said.

The booming voice of the director was all that could be heard over the shuffling of feet as the actors went over scenes again and again. During the rehearsal, Owen never broke character and remained focused. Her voice rang loud through the theater, and her dialogue was on time and precise.

“I need to work on my stage placement a little more, and I don’t think I was loud enough at parts,” Owen said. “Overall, though, I thought we had a great rehearsal.”

After a performance, she said it’s clear what the most important thing is: More sleep.

“Actors are usually so exhausted after a performance. I know I am,” Owen said. “I know some people who get back massages to help them remove stress, especially if it’s after the last showing of a show.”

For theater majors and everyone involved, these productions become their lives. For them, they never really leave the stage; they just find new ones all around them.

“Theater majors take things seriously,” Owen said. “Even if it’s just singing to yourself as you’re walking down the sidewalk, it’s a performance to us. It all counts.”