The Mirror—April 18, 2016

NEWS BRIEFS A student reflection of the UNC community

Mackensie Cembalisty, a Student Activities employee, was name Student Employee of the Year. Winners were announced at the annual Student Employee Recognition event last Tuesday. Runners up included Lizzie Powers, from the Housing and Residential Education department, David Henderson from the English department, Breanna Olson from Dining Services and Aleksandrs Nehajenko from Veterans Services. A banner contest accompanied the event, featuring submissions from departments employing students. The School of Teacher Education won with their Star Wars banner, while the Office of Admissions/ Visitor’s Center won the People’s Choice award for their Harry Potter banner.

World Language Day Broadens Horizons Trevor Reid

arts@uncmirror.com

At World Language Day on Thursday, more than 1,000 high school students participated in over 50 competitions, presentations and workshops in the University Center.

The day highlighted several reasons students take interest in studying other languages. For Megan Bean, a freshman at Fossil Ridge High School, studying the French language means grasping a deeper comprehension of the arts.

“I do choir, and I do a lot of musical theatre, and a lot of what we do is in French,” Bean said. “So I thought it would be beneficial, especially for my ballet education, that I take French and understand the language.”

STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

A local high school student competes in a Spanish talent competition in the Longs Peak Ballroom during World Language Day on Thursday.

Photo by Alex Nunley

Students upset about rumors that the French and German programs will freeze admission to potential majors protested at World Language Day last week. Under the proposed policy, current majors will be allowed to continue in the program, and minors in French and German will still be available, but new enrollees in the programs would not be allowed to declare majors.

Students passed around a petition to maintain access to the programs at World Language Day, a gathering of high school language students held at the University Center.

The Schulze Speaker Series will host its last speaker of the year this week.

Jennifer Hinton, a professor of sustainability at Hellenic American University in Athens, Greece, will conclude the speaker series with a presentation on sustainability and social equality at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the University Center Ballrooms.

The City of Evans has an unpaid HR Internship available. Must have high school diploma or GED and basic computer skills. Please send resume and letter of interest to: Julie Tymkowych: jtymkowych@evanscolorado. gov or call (970) 475-1161.

For the week of

4/18/2016

2 | April 18, 2016 | uncmirror.com

Brotherhood stays strong through it all UNC News News Editor: Will Costello

THIS WEEK AT UNC MONDAY 4/18

All Day The Clothesline Project begins University Center/Michener Library

TUESDAY 4/19

Greeley's Holocaust Memorial Observances Begin Events held on and off campus

THURSDAY 4/21

5:30- 7:30 p.m.

First-Time Home Buyer Class University Center 7:30- 9 p.m.

Schulze Interdisciplinary Speaker Series: Social Systems Designer Jennifer Hinton University Center Ballrooms

FRIDAY 4/22

11 a.m.- 1 p.m.

7th Annual Shred Fest Kepner Hall- East Parking Lot All Day Last Day of The Clothesline Project University Center/Michener Library

SATURDAY 4/23

8 a.m.- 2 p.m.

Career Services administers the Certified SCS and CPT. Exam Ross Hall- Rm. 1010

@UNCMIRROR FOLLOW FOR MORE UNC NEWS

By Danielle Ross news@uncmirror.com

Kyle Oliver said getting kicked out of the University of Northern Colorado felt like a scene from a movie. In 2010, while staying in Indianapolis on a trip sponsored by the national social fraternity Delta Sigma Phi—a chapter of which he had recently been elected vice president—Oliver received a phone call from UNC and was informed that he would not be allowed to return to the university for the upcoming semester. He knew he was on academic probation and might have failed an important class, but it was still a stunning reality check.

“It sucked, and it hurt a lot,” Oliver said. “I felt like I had let people down, like I had let the brothers down.

When I told them, they were supportive. Of course people were mad, but they understood. That was when I realized how important the brothers were.”

He could not be an active member of Delta Sigma Phi while he attended Aims Community College for two semesters, but he still spent time at the fraternity house and participated in its events. Suddenly, the organization that he was initially reluctant to join showed itself to be an extremely important support system for him to lean on. With his own determination and his brothers’ encouragement, Oliver put up two back-to-back 4.0 semesters at Aims in 2011 and returned to UNC and the Deltas in January of 2012.

He was due back right around the fraternity's election season, but Oliver’s return was delayed by an advisor’s error. The brothers decided that the election could wait until he was there to participate. He felt honored.

When he arrived, the brothers said that “the king was coming home,” and he was immediately elected president. He proceeded to set goals to reunite what had become a divided brotherhood. Oliver said he made the Deltas do every philanthropic event he could think of, made them attend other Greek organizations' events, and meet with him one-on-one to instill the values of the organization and its reputation. When he graduated in 2013 with a degree in Human Services, he had a large turnout of previous and current brothers in attendance at the ceremony. It was a proud moment.

Oliver finds his ability to form strong relationships to be one of the most important benefits of his fraternity experience. Now, in his professional career as a life coach at Greeley’s GOAL Academy, Oliver continues to foster positive relationships and lend support to students who need it the most. He seems like an imposing figure, standing at 5’10” with broad shoulders and a full sleeve of tattoos. In reality, he’s as sweet and caring as they come.

He said he does “a little bit of everything at the academy, helping students on-site with homework and test proctoring, conducting home visits and attending any legal proceedings that may call for his input. He is available to some students 24/7 and allows them to contact him in the case of any emergency. And he will always respond to a student in need.

Becoming a Delta was a long journey for Oliver.

He transferred to UNC from Metropolitan State University in Denver where he played basketball. He in-

tended to transfer to UNC and be a guard on the Bears’ team, but quit before the regular season started. He began to make friendships immediately, but when Nico Ruscitti of Delta Sigma Phi’s Alpha line, or founding line of brothers, approached him and asked him to join the brand-new fraternity as a Beta-line, or second-line brother, he was not particularly interested. He couldn’t see what he might gain from Greek life.

Ruscitti was persistent though, and after he had convinced Oliver to attend a fraternity event, he and the other four founding members offered him a bid. Despite his reluctance, Oliver said it was clear that the brothers were “a genuinely good group of guys,” and he decided to take a chance and become a brother. Ruscitti became the Alpha to Oliver’s Beta, the big to his little, the mentor to the student. The two are still close, and for a few months, they worked together at Greeley’s Rodarte Community Center for Youth Enrichment. Ruscitti is now Recreation Coordinator at the center. and Oliver is an intermittent Youth Enrichment Staff member, and is greeted by excited shouts from kids of all ages whenever he enters the building.

Ruscitti graduated with a bachelor degree in recreation, tourism and hospitality in 2011, and was also reluctant to become a member of Delta Sigma Phi. He was approached by four others and asked to help them start a whole new fraternity on the UNC campus. After some substantial convincing, he accepted responsibility for pledge education and recruitment.

So began the three years of struggles and triumphs in which Ruscitti and the other Alphas attempted to create an environment of brotherhood worthy of being a Greek organization on the UNC campus.

“I learned a lot,” he said. “Starting it gave me a better understanding about the importance of building a strong foundation for any program.”

Other Greek organizations, both traditional and non-traditional, had mixed reactions to the strange conglomerate of nerds and misfits that Delta Sigma Phi seemed to attract. Some, like sorority Sigma Lambda Gamma, took the brothers under their wing and taught them what it meant to be there for each other and have pride in their letters. They taught the Deltas how to be a fraternity in terms of attending meetings and holding events, as well as the ins and outs of their relationship with the university itself.

Some were more competitive and less welcoming, because although it was a traditional fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi attracted a lot of eccentric brothers, including a large number of gay members that made the organization quite unique. Other fraternities were also wary of the Deltas because the addition of a new fraternity changed their dynamics and relationships of existing organizations. The Gammas’ interest in helping the Deltas took away from their existing connections with other organizations, causing some jealously and hard feelings.

Vicky Garza, who served as both a member and then as president of Sigma Lambda Gamma, actively assisted the Alpha, Beta, and Epsilon brothers with establishing the fraternity, and even after she graduated in 2009 with a bachelor degree in Spanish and Mexican-American studies, she became Oliver’s advisor during his presidency in 2012. She said she knew most of the brothers before they were brothers, and met them sporadically throughout her freshman and sophomore years. She said when they told her

Oliver is greeted enthusiastically by three of the children he works with at the Rodarte Center. Photo by Danielle Ross.

they were starting a new fraternity that she appreciated them for having such commitment and starting something different; they weren’t like any other Greek organization on campus.

Garza said the Deltas were always moving forward to do something good. Even before she got to be extremely close with them, she said they were gentlemen who treated her and others with kindness and respect. She said it was notable and uncommon that they had drag shows for all their members, and they all happily turned out to applaud their brothers in drag, no matter their orientation.

“They weren’t like typical organizations,” Garza said. “But that’s just the way they are with each other, the way they showed support.”

According to Garza, the Deltas mixed up what was expected from traditional and non-traditional fraternities.

They were a little bit of both, associating with whomever they wanted and treating their friends like family.

Oliver said his brotherhood worked out for the best.

He’s still friends with many of his line brothers (the other Betas) and subsequent brothers. He has helped current brothers with their fraternity basketball games and building relationships amongst themselves.

“It helped me grow as a person,” he said. “As an athlete, I learned about competitiveness and sports, but the fraternity introduced me to people that changed my life. They helped me grow and change and look at things differently. They celebrated my good moments with me and shared in the bad ones.”

Greek life–for Oliver, many of his brothers, and many of the people they associated with–was a catalyst for personal growth. It allowed them to come into their own in a positive environment and learn to care for each other fiercely and loyally. Through his highs and lows, successes and failures, Oliver’s brothers were there to share the load, and they continue to support him in his adult life.

uncmirror.com |April 18, 2016 | 3

Internship City Of Evans For the

Human Resources Internship Opportunity for the City of Evans REQUIREMENTS: High school diploma or GED and skill in the use of standard computer equipment and software, including electronic mail, word processing and spreadsheet applications. Six months experience providing clerical or administrative support is highly desirable. *This is an unpaid internship

SENDRESUMEANDLETTEROFINTERESTTO: City of Evans/Human Resources 100 37th Street, Evans, CO Attn: Julie Tymkowych 80620 (970) 475-1161

jtymkowych@evanscolorado.gov

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4 | April 18, 2016 | uncmirror.com

French and German to be silenced?

UNC Arts Arts Editor: Jason Keller

HIGH CLASS/NO COST

MONDAY 4/18

9- 11 p.m.

Open Mic Night University Center - Fireside Lounge

TUESDAY 4/19

7:30- 10 p.m.

Assault Survivors Advocacy Program Film Screening: The Hunting Ground Michener Library - Lindou Auditorium

WEDNESDAY 4/20 6- 7:30 p.m.

Chinese Culture Night University Center - Spruce C

THURSDAY 4/21

7- 10 p.m.

The Crucible: Release Party University Center - Columbine Suites 7:30- 10 p.m. (Continued through Sunday) Performing Arts Series: “Pride and Prejudice” Fraiser Hall - Langworthy Theatre

FRIDAY 4/22

7- 10:30 p.m.

Queer Prom University Center - Ballrooms 7:30- 10:30 p.m.

UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival: The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and Ellis Marsalis Trio University of Northern Colorado School of Music at the Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., Greeley.

SATURDAY 4/23 3- 7:30 p.m.

Fauxchella Music Festival Turner Green

By Trevor Reid

arts@uncmirror.com

As World Language Day brought in 1,000 high school students passionate about languages, a handful of students found the perfect venue to express concern for the university’s French and German majors.

Students have heard that the university is exploring the option of pausing admission to the French and German majors, meaning students can no longer apply. Senior French major Shannon Dunn said it suggested a bleak view of the university.

“I felt that it was very unfair, and that the university wasn’t valuing us for anything other than our money,” she said.

Dunn signed a petition calling on the university to reverse the decision concerning the French and German major programs. That day, more than 500 people signed the petition in person and, as of Sunday morning, more than 500 people had signed the online petition.

Laura Connolly, the dean of the college of Humanities and Social Sciences, understands

Marika Barth, a freshman special education major, held a sign in support of the French and German majors at UNC, as many other students protested alongside. Trevor Reid | The Mirror

why students are upset.

“I don’t blame them. It’s never happy to hear you’re losing something that you feel is important,” she said. “I do want to make sure that they know we’re not losing it.

It’s transforming into something that’s more current, something that has a 21st century focus.”

Connolly was referring to the option of a global studies major, something she said the university is still exploring.

“We don’t know exactly what

it would look like,” she explained.

“We are looking at other schools to get kind of an idea of what they do, but our focus would be on world cultures and languages.”

When asked whether the university would still be able to license teachers in French and German, Connolly said the university is unsure.

“We don’t know yet, actually.

That’s still a question. We will still have a master’s program in multilingual education,” she

said, adding that the graduate programs will not be affected.

She expressed that the decision will have no impact on personnel or the minors.

“We would still have upperdivision French and German classes because we’re not pausing the minor, and they require some upper-division courses,” she said.

“So they still would have three and four hundred level courses in both languages.”

Dunn voiced student concern that the lack of a major would limit students from the valuable experiences that come from acquiring an in-depth fluency.

“I first got into French because I thought it was pretty.

And then when I continued on, I found so much about myself that I didn’t realize,” she said.

“What I love about learning foreign language is that it forces you to advocate for yourself because nobody else can speak that for you. You just have to learn how to be confident.”

Connolly said enrollment has not reflected enough interest in the majors, which went up this year for the French major.

“I don’t actually have the exact numbers. I think it’s up a little, but for French and German,

it’s one or two extra students, it’s not, like, a lot,” she said.

Students petitioning the decision said this message does not reflect UNC’s marketing.

“With a student-to-faculty ratio of 19:1, your professors will not only know you by name, but it will guarantee your acquisition of advanced levels of oral and written proficiency,” reads the webpage of the foreign language department.

Aurelia Dowling, a freshman French and German double major, said limiting deeper education in languages does not reflect the true importance of embracing globalization.

“To exist in a global society—knowledge of cultures and languages other than our own—it’s integral,” she said.

On Saturday, the university’s French club Facebook page announced an informational meeting for the Modern Languages Department at 5 p.m. on Wednesday in Candelaria, room 0065.

For more information, go to: facebook.com/UncoFrenchClub

Language day connects students Story continued from page 1.

Accordionist Ron Tomocik couldn’t have offered a more perfect workshop to Bean: French dance instruction. Beginning with a couple samples of traditional French music, Tomocik knew the students would recognize one song with ease.

After only a couple of seconds, “La Vie en Rose” broke out in whispers among the students. Tomocik then led into teaching “Le Maître de maison,” a line dance that was popular in Brest, France.

As about 30 students joined the circle, Tomocik asked them to join pinkies before teaching the first basic step.

Students smiled at the ease of the first attempt. After he stressed the constant motion of the dance and added arm movements, students’ faces turned to looks of focus. By the end, students had learned more than just dance.

“I thought the dancing was really fun,” Bean said.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect because it was my first year coming, but it was really fun to learn about the cultures of other communities in France.”

Tomocik said the students’ enthusiastic participation shows the potential of music.

“I’ve always been a person that’s interested in exploring new cultures, and one way of doing it is by music because all the music is different,” he said. “I think a lot of language teachers are really missing the boat by not learning more about things like the dance culture and the music culture of the different languages.”

Walking into a Japanese dance workshop, it seemed Tomocik’s belief is spreading. Students learned an exercise dance known as “Yo-kai Taiso,” which originated from a series of video games. As they danced watching a screen of colorful animated characters, students periodically broke out in laughter.

One ballroom over, Diane Bolden-Taylor, a professor of music, taught “Singing Songs in German.” Translating line by line, students learned vital singing techniques and proper diction. As the workshop came to a close, the ballrooms opened up for the awards ceremony.

Winners of the Japanese song and dance competition, Kelsey Jones and Akiko Palmer–seniors at Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, Wyoming–performed “Sen no Kotoba.” The amount of people competing

caught them by surprise.

“In Wyoming, we’re the only high school that gives Japanese, so we weren’t expecting very much competition,” Jones said.

Though Japanese education might be scarce in the state, Palmer said she grew up with the language.

“For me, Japanese was basically in my life ever since I was a very small girl because my dad was into Japanese, and then my sister got into learning it when she was in high school,” she said.

Jones said learning languages not only creates opportunities, but also friendships.

“It really helps broaden your horizons. You can get so much done with more languages,” she said. “Akiko and I would’ve never met and definitely would never be going to Japan together this winter.”

It’s become easier than ever to connect with people across the globe and, often times, language is a significant barrier in creating lasting friendships. Colleges act as cultural hubs, fielding international students and languages. The UNC World Language Day is just a small part of that budding global community.

uncmirror.com | April 18, 2016 | 5

SOAPbox creates one ‘hell’ of a good time Though it began in fog and darkness, the SOAPbox production of “Alice in Slasherland” turned into an apocalyptic comedy performance that had the audience bending over with laughter.

Spencer Althoff, a senior acting major, chose to direct the play while looking through the works of Qui Nguyen, describing the play as zany and action-packed.

“I was looking through all of his plays, and I found this play and I said ‘Yep, this is the one I wanna do,’ demons and all!” Althoff laughed.

“This show was a very stylized piece, so it’s not

SOAPbox Productions put on the play just off-campus at the Atlas Theater. Althoff recounted the beginnings of SOAPbox just four years ago, and how the company began as a simple service to the community of UNC.

After putting on a play in Frasier Hall, they decided to create the theatre company as a creative outlet for students. Today, SOAPbox performs main stage each semester and puts on poetry slams bi-weekly. The events are open to all.

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By Trevor Reid

arts@uncmirror.com

realism,” Althoff explained. “It was fun and challenging to get the actors to go beyond this real to, almost this, cartoony cinematic kind of vibe.”

With a cardboard car, a splash zone for blood and a fight sequence with a video game announcer, the play was anything but “normal.”

Alice was built upon nerd culture, horror films and over the top characters. For such a amgoal, practical stage effects would be needed.

Jennie Fischer, a senior design tech major, was the media and special effects designer. Holding a bloody knife after the play, she said the greatest technical challenge was the spray blood and vomit.

“One night when we were testing the spray vomit, one of the tubes blew and instead of going out, it went down her back,” Fischer said. “It was hilarious. I felt really bad, but it was hilarious.”

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6 | April 18, 2016 | uncmirror.com

From walk-on to record holder UNC Sports Sports Editor: Dylan Sanchez

HOME GAMES TUESDAY 4/19

4 and 6 p.m.

Softball vs. Metropolitan State University of Denver Butler-Hancock Softball Field

FRIDAY 2/22

1 and 3 p.m.

Softball vs. Portland State University Butler-Hancock Softball Field

SATURDAY 4/23

2 p.m.

Softball vs. Portland State University Butler-Hancock Softball Field

AWAY GAMES MONDAY 4/18

All Day Women’s Golf at Big Sky Championship Boulder City, Nevada

FRIDAY 4/22

TBA Baseball at Chicago State Chicago, Illinois

SATURDAY 4/23

TBA Baseball at Chicago State Chicago, Illinois

By Chris Bolin

sports@uncmirror.com

From a football and soccer player her junior year of high school, to eighth on the UNC record board in two separate events her junior year of college, Jacqueline Palizzi has quite the story.

Now, after only three years being a thrower, she says when she steps into the hammer cage it is like her happy place.

It was not until her senior year of high school that a physical education teacher, who happened to double as the track teams throwing coach, convinced her to give track a try. From the moment she tried it, she fell in love with it.

Looking back now, she is glad she did.

“Even though it is coming to an end soon, I don’t know what I would be doing with my life without throwing,” Palizzi said.

She originally came to UNC for the academics, saying from the moment she stepped on campus, UNC felt like home, and walked on to the track team her freshman year.

She now sits in eighth place in UNC history for both weight throw and shotput, with distances of 12.72 meters and 10.86 meters respectively.

She has blossomed into a great teammate, a team leader and the type of person that both players and coaches have nothing but positive things to say about.

Sophomore thrower Katie Dorman remembers a story about Palizzi that sums up who she is as a team-

mate and person.

During Dorman’s freshman year, without being asked, Palizzi reached out to her the day before the first practice to calm her down and answer any questions she may have had.

Dorman also commented on how truly helpful that was to her, saying she had no idea what to expect, and was definitely not prepared beforehand.

“Jacqueline always knows what to say at the right time to keep you out of your own head,” Dorman said.

Palizzi credits that partially to having played football in high school.

“Playing football taught me mental toughness and hard work,” Palizzi said. “In a team sport, you never want to let your teammates down, and that made me more self-motivated.”

Jacqueline Palizzi is eighth in UNC history in weight throw and shotput with disSo far this season, she has found tances of 12.72 meters and 10.86 meters, respectively. Photo Courtesy of Jacquesuccess in the weight throw, includ- line Palizzi. ing throws of 11.86 meters at the Air Force Invite, and 12.07 meters at the Joe Davies in Wyoming. They then return to Colorado for the final meet of the regular season, the Air Force invite Open in Golden.

The Northern Colorado track and field team has on May 7.

After the Big Sky Championships, the track and three more events in the outdoor season before the field athletes will advance to Regionals on May 26-28 Big Sky Outdoor Championships.

On April 28, the team will travel to Iowa for the in Lawrence, Kansas, and hopefully on to the NCAA Drake Relays before the Cowboy Open on April 30 Championships in early June.

Will marijuana find a place in sports?

Michael Laudick

sports@uncmirror.com

The legalization of marijuana in Colorado has brought up the question; will marijuana ever be used or welcomed in sports? With the NCAA putting down strict rules for athletes, people say it’s unlikely.

The NCAA tests athletes regularly for substances like stimulants, depressants, alcohol, and street drugs.

But since the marijuana industry is growing at a high rate, marijuana producers have developed products that may be useful to athletes.

Former NBA basketball player Cliff Robinson has started to produce marijuana products made for athletes called Sports Cannabis. Cliff Robinson is becoming known around the nation as the face of Sports Cannabis. His nickname while he was in the NBA was Uncle Cliffy, but since his change in scene, he is better known now as Uncle Spliffy.

The product will not be used for performance aid, but used more for easing pain in sore and hurting athletes. There are many different cannabis-based creams and balms that have been created in the past five years.

The cream or balm is absorbed into the body in the

area of pain, soreness or inflammation and creates relief. The creams can also treat headaches, cramping, psoriasis, dermatitis and itching.

Ross Rebagliati, a professional snowboarder from Canada who won a gold medal for snowboarding in the 1998 Winter Olympics, briefly had his medal taken away when he tested positive for marijuana.

Rebagliati now advocates for marijuana for athletes and recommends that athletes work out when stoned.

“All the distractions of your phone, the people next to you working out, it just goes away, and you’re just going to pound out the workout,” Rebagliati told the Washington Post.

Other professional athletes have advocated for marijuana, like former professional wrestler Rob Van Dam and former professional football player Ricky Williams.

Some experts do not feel the same way as these athletes do, though. Experts say that marijuana lowers response time, so for an athlete that needs to have quick reflexes, marijuana could be detrimental to their performance.

Cannabis also irritates the lungs, so when an athlete is doing a cardio workout, it may affect the way they breathe, and could hinder their performance.

Some types of marijuana can make a person lazy and not want to leave the couch and their bag of chips,

so that could take an athletes performance away altogether.

It may be a while until all the kinks are worked out in recreational marijuana, and it could be even longer before we see any big time professional athletes in their prime openly using marijuana.

But ten years ago, no one could have predicted that four states would have legalized marijuana, so only time will tell if we will be seeing our favorite athletes smoking a joint on the sidelines.

Do you think marjuana should be allowed in athletics?

Join the discussion on our Facebook page: facebook/uncmirror.com

uncmirror.com | April 18, 2016 | 7

Baseball gains momentum, wins three

By Michael Laudick sports@uncmirror.com

UNC’s baseball team finally found the spark it has been looking for all season long. The team has won three games in a row, and most importantly, all three were conference games.

The Bears started off the streak winning in extra innings against Utah Valley University.

That gave the Bears much-needed momentum coming into their first home conference series against California State University at Bakersfield.

Bakersfield. like the Bears, has been struggling this season, and came into the series with a 2-8 conference record.

Freshman Corey Nakakura gave the Bears a strong start on the mound, going five innings and giving up two runs with only one being earned.Then, the Bears’ bullpen shut the door on California State, not surrendering a run and only giving up five hits.

Allen Cook and Cody Carroll were used out of the bullpen, with Cook going three innings and Carroll taking the ball in the ninth.

The offense started off hot—scoring three runs in the first inning—and found heat again in the fourth, tallying six more runs.

Dean Lawson and Ryan Yamane led the Bears offense, combining for four hits and five RBIs. Jacob Ek would also shine, having one hit and three RBIs. The Bears won the game 9-2.

The nightcap was an even colder game then the first, which the Roadrunners are not used to, coming to Colorado from the

sunshine state of California.

It was a dog-fight throughout, with both pitchers fighting to keep the lead.

The Bears struck first, scoring one run in each of the first two innings, but were shut down until the sixth when they would put up one more.

Alex Werbach was stellar the first three innings, but ran into trouble in the third and fourth.

He let three runs cross the plate in those two innings, and was pulled after going four and one third. The Bears bullpen would again save the day. This time, the heros were Justin Mulvaney and Connor Leedholm.

Neither pitcher would give up a run, and both fought their way out of sticky situations with runners in scoring position.

Both offenses were dormant in the last three innings, which led to free baseball for the fans at Jackson field.

The game was 3-3 going into the tenth inning.

Leedholm shut down the California State hitters in the top of the inning, and the Bears started their half off with a bang.

Nick Tanner led the team off with a single up the middle, then Lawson took one for the team, getting on base by a hit from a pitch.

It all came down to Cole Maltese, who earlier in the game failed to convert in the same situation.

Maltese hit a towering three-run walk off home run to seal the Bears 6-3 victory and third win in a row.

“When Dean got hit I expected Coach Iwasaki to come up to me and tell me to bunt,” Maltese said. “He came up to me and he was like ‘This is what you’re here for, this is what you live for,’ and I was

like ‘Heck yeah!’”

The Bears will hopefully finish up the series, but inclement weather could force the game to be canceled.

For a team that has been struggling all season, these wins were much needed for them to get back on track.

“We are climbing that hill right now, we are not peaking, we are nowhere near that and that’s good because I need to play my best baseball when we get to May,” Iwasaki said.

If the Bears had lost those two games, it may have been tough for them to keep a positive mindset and make the conference tournament.

This could be the turning point for their season.

The Bears still do not feel like they are in a spot were they can take it easy though.

“We can’t get too comfortable with everything, we still need to compete everyday,” Maltese said.

The Bears will face in-state rival Air Force Academy on Tuesday for a non-conference matchup in Colorado Springs.

Then the thick of the Bears conference schedule will start up again as they travel to Illinois to face Chicago State University.

The Bears have been successful against the Cougars in past years and look to keep that same trend going.

The Cougars are 1-9 in conference and with the Bears recent hot streak it looks like UNC may pick up two or three more wins.

“This is still a young season and we can do a lot of good things with it,” Yamane said.

Coach Carl Iwasaki’s early season promise for 76251 a conference title is starting to look a little bit more like a reality.

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