The Mirror—March 6, 2017

THE The UNC Department of American Sign Language and Interpreting Studies has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Education.

This Wednesday is “A Day Without A Woman.” As a part of the International Women’s Strike, A Day Without A Woman aims to show that women’s rights are human rights, regardless of all identity factors.

A small glimpse of people who marched from the Garden Theatre to the Global Refugee Center on 10th Ave. Saturday morning. Photo by Amy Golden | The Mirror

MARCHING THROUGH MARCH

By Amy Golden news@uncmirror.com

Hundreds of members of the Greeley community walked in solidarity with immigrants at the Global Refugee March Saturday morning.

The march began at the Garden Theatre on the UNC campus and moved six blocks north along Eighth Avenue before ending at the Global Refugee Center. The event was put on by this organization in order to raise support and awareness for the refugee and immigrant populations in Greeley.

The event began at 10 a.m. with a line-up of speakers who described the pressing issues that motivated

the march. Many cited the current political climate.

A member of the Greeley City Council, Rochelle Galindo, was one of these speakers.

“I want you all to know I stand with all Greeley members of the community, regardless of their immigration status,” Galindo said, which was met with cheering from the crowd.

Approximately 600 people participated in the march, including many UNC students and other Greeley community members from every age and background.

Sarah Sprague, a sophomore at UNC and volunteer at the Global Refugee Center, walked with the crowd.

“I think it’s beautiful to see everyone come together and unite,” Sprague said.

As the group moved north, many carried signs of

support for refugees which read with messages such as “Welcome to Greeley,” “Immigrants make America great” and “Together we are strong.”

The large crowd spanned almost six blocks as they walked through Greeley, chanting things such as “No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here,” and “This is what democracy looks like.” A theme of acceptance and welcome ran through the march.

The sheer number of supporters surprised and encouraged many in the group.

“The turnout was a lot better than I thought it would be,” Sprague said.

Story continues on page 3.

Spring break kicks off this week, beginning on Saturday, March 12.

All residence halls, save for Harrison and Lawrenson, will be closed for the duration of the break.

Join the conversation: FB.com/UNCmirror @UNCmirror uncmirror.com

For the week of MAR. 6, 2017

news.

2 | March 6, 2017 | TheMirror

3/6

Individual course withdrawal deadline All day

3/7 International Women's Strike Consciousness Raising Session

Women's Resource Center 8:30-9:30 a.m.

3/8 A Day Without A Woman All day

3/9

Strong Bear Powerlifting Competition Recreation Center

6-8 p.m.

3/11 - 3/19 Spring Break (No classes) All day

News Editor

Jason Keller

West Side Story: An opportunity for

growth, or a whitewashing of latino culture?

By Tim Hernandez news@uncmirror.com

The University of Northern Colorado opened their Spring 2017 musical “West Side Story” with two performances on Friday, March 3, and Saturday, March 4. Yet, this production has quickly surpassed Maria and Tony’s New York love story. Instead, it has generated controversy within the School of Theatre Arts and Dance at UNC, with the casting and production choices being the focal point.

“West Side Story,” a musical written in 1957 by Steven Sondheim, follows the main characters, Tony and Maria, as they navigate the dilemma of adolescent expectations and desire within their two opposing ethnic identities. Divided by race, rival street gangs the Sharks, of Puerto Rican descent, and the Jets, a white gang, are at war throughout the musical. Yet, as Tony and Maria fall in love, the conflict between the gangs does not dissipate, and it is from these events that the conflict arises at UNC as well. The musical calls for the casting of people of color, as the Sharks are of Puerto Rican descent, but this is not what happened in the show that went on this weekend.

Rather, John Leonard directed this production, and made the choice to cast members of the UNC acting and musical theatre majors that are not people of color, and the UNC community had much to say about it.

While some do not agree with the casting choices, members of the cast also brought up an excellent point: Why throw away an opportunity to get yourself on the map? The performing and visual arts have always been an extremely competitive field, so any opportunity for resume building is essential for future success.

Chris Carranza, a sophomore Musical Theatre major in the production, states that he is, “appreciative of UNC’s Theatre Department,” and that he is thankful for his “three Hispanic roles,” he has had the privilege to play in his mere time at the university. And as a selfidentified person of color, Chris believes that he has been represented fairly in his time here with casting opportunities in “Miranda’s Nightmare,” and “The Transition of Doodle Pequeño” and now “West Side Story.”

On the other hand, Yasmine Youssefi, a senior acting major, believes the choice to cast white actors in roles designed for people of color is, “not okay.”

“There is no need to watch theatre that disrespects the culture and lifestyle of people in this nation,” she wrote on Facebook.

According to Youssefi this is where the divide is generated. While any opportunity can lead to future success and should be seized, the choice for a white person to be cast in a role meant for a person of color invalidates and erases the narrative of these identities that face immense social discrimination.

Youssefi, a self-identified person of color, and spoke for many disgruntled actors when she expressed her disdain for the casting and production choices. She also touched on an immense stipulation within this casting choice. If the members of the UNC student body who identify as people of color are going to be disregarded in roles specifically designed for people of their identity, why have the show at all?

Jose David Reynoza, a freshman Musical Theatre major, believes that the racial tensions that the show generates are much bigger than the show that took place this weekend.

“Please know that my pride in this production, and

“There is nothing equal about being forced to tell stories written by and for white people over and over again.”

- Bianca Phipps joy in being a part of this should not be misunderstood for complacency,” Reynoza said.

Many members of the “West Side Story” cast have been receptive to the uproar from people who disagree with the casting and production choices.

Instead, many acknowledge that the School of Theatre Arts and Dance is to blame for the “whitewashing” of roles designed for people of color in the show.

“The casting choices are racist,” said Megan Rudy, a Theatre Education major in her junior year.

Rudy also states on Facebook that the director and production team are to blame for the controversy.

“It stands in direct contrast with my educational mission statement, which is one of ethics, integrity,

and inclusion,” she wrote.

Therefore, it begs the questions of whether there is institutional racism in casting, for example, a white musical theatre major in the lead role of Maria as a freshman, over others who are more experienced and fit the role more appropriately.

Bianca Phipps, a graduate of the 2016 School of Theatre Arts and Dance from UNC, believes that there are undeniable racist tendencies in this department.

Rather than equally pandering to the stories that the School of Theatre Arts and Dance choose to tell through the varying population of students, she argues, in her letter written to the Dean of Students, that “there is nothing equal about being forced to tell stories written by and for white people over and over again.”

Further, she elaborates that even in choosing a story like “West Side Story,” a story with a cast filled with people of color, “is the easiest show about race to perform.”

She hoped that the School of Theatre Arts and Dance would, “do the right thing…[and] let the show be performed by the people who the story is about.”

Yet, she was disappointed in seeing the casting selections and implored the School of Theatre Arts and Dance to now “reflect where America is going, not where it was.”

All things considered, the controversy still thrives.

As an individual who is in such a competitive field as acting or musical theatre, do you accept a role that was not written for what you identify as, even if it will build your resume and bring you potential opportunities for success? All students have the ability to deny a role should they be cast, so many like Phipps believe there is no excuse for choosing to be a part of a “whitewashed” show.

On the contrary, the opportunity for any type of casting opens exponential doors for an individual to reach the success they desire, so John Leonard, in his first show back from a suspension by the School of Theatre Arts and Design, has many questions to answer, and faces heavy scrutiny over a highly debated show, fraught with conflicting ideologies. Nevertheless, the willingness of individuals to keep open dialogue for all perspectives is essential, so that next time that the School of Theatre Arts and Dance puts on a production that calls for people of color, there will be a satisfying solution to this somber dilemma, and hopefully one that satisfies all parties.

TheMirror | March 6, 2017 | 3

UNC tackles the struggles and stigmas associated with anorexia, bulimia and others

By Tim Hernandez news@uncmirror.com

Last week, across the United States, many programs, organizations and institutions raised awareness for National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. UNC joined the cause.

Not only were all Group Fitness classes free of charge last week, but UNC also supported the national movement by hosting several awareness classes at a symposium on Thursday. Yet, many were unaware of what exactly the week of awareness entails.

While free Group Fitness classes may be convenient, what UNC did by supporting this cause is a huge message to the mental health community.

“So long as you have an hour open, we will see you as a walk-in,” said Assistant Director/ Training Director and Licensed Psychologist Renee Gilkey. The counseling center is located on the second floor

of Cassidy Hall.

Stigma perpetually surrounds this issue, and so, as many took advantage of the free awareness perks that the university offered. The reality of this mental illness is daunting, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated disorders. A plethora of Americans suffer from these mental illnesses. In fact, with just the two most well-known eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia, nearly 2.5 percent of the American population is afflicted. Applying this number to just the UNC population, this means that out of the 12,000 students who attend this university, 300 individuals are impacted by these mental illnesses.

UNC is taking steps to make sure support is offered. By hosting this Week of Awareness for Eating Disorders, the university not only showed its support for the week, but brought it to the forefront of what is go-

ing on around campus. In the email that is sent out daily by the Dean of Students Office, on Feb. 24, they alerted all students to the resources available to students for this last week, which included a symposium all day on March 2 and ended with a keynote speaker Lyndsey Varkula, a psychologist for the Center of Balanced Living in Columbus, Ohio. This event even ended with a scale smashing, a symbol for the dismantling of the stigma that surrounds these very real illnesses.

Quite simply, UNC’s ability to bring the National Eating Disorder Awareness Week into a normalized conversation around our campus was not only an educational opportunity for many members of the UNC community, but was a symbol of support for any who may have needed support in their mental health journey. For future reference, the Counseling Center at UNC takes walk-in appointments from 8:00 a.m. to

5:00 p.m., and there is also a 24-hour hotline that is set up through their usual phone number, 970-351-2496, for anyone who would like to ac-

cess this support system.

Ultimately the stigma surrounding these mental illnesses is ever-present, but with the university address-

ing them with the slogan of “Educate, Inspire, Advocate,” it illustrates that there must be awareness every week, not just when cycling class is free.

Students rally for global refugees, march together

continued from page 1

Many cars drove by the crowd honking in support, leading to waves and cheers from the marchers. John Bedwell, a freshman at UNC who participated in the march, noted this praise.

“It’s great seeing all the people in cars honk and cheer,” Bedwell said. “I think it shows how many people in the community wants to help and support our cause.”

Others worked in collaboration with the Refugee Center, including the Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership (HESAL) community and the HESAL Student Organization.

The Courthouse Steps Group also showed their support for refugees. This group meets at 9 a.m. on the first Saturday of every month on the steps of the Greeley courthouse.

Bob Stack participates in this group, which joined the Global Refugee March after their meetup at the courthouse.

“I use the word heartwarming,” Stack said of the march. “It’s unbelievable that this many people would come out to show support for all the people in the community. This is awesome.”

At the end of the march, organizers encouraged participants to continue their involvement. The crowd was reminded that the demonstration was just the beginning of their involvement.

Those who want to support the Global Refugee Center or their partner organization, Right to Read, can do so through donations or by signing up to volunteer.

More information on the center can be found at their website: www.grccolorado.org.

Board of trustees inches closer to resource center

By Will Costello news@uncmirror.com

UNC’s Board of Trustees meeting on Friday detailed plans for their fundraising campaign, which will involve reaching out to alumni.

They also provided an update to the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center that many students have been waiting for progress on for months, and announced the potential for a sale of the Old Man Mountain property, nestled on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park on the outskirts of Estes Park, that is owned by the university.

A house has been located south of the University Center that could serve as a Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, in a similar way to cultural center houses such as the Marcus Garvey and the Cesar Chavez Cultural Centers.

University officials are still waiting on estimates for the house, but hope to have the center ready

by April 15.

Students have been pushing the board to make faster progress on the center for months.

The Old Man Mountain property, used frequently for retreats to the mountains by on campus organizations like the Housing and Residential Education department, has an interested buyer in the Nature Conservancy, a non-profit dedicated to preserving natural places in Colorado. The property has been valued at $800,000, and has not been sold yet. The board simply authorized President Kay Norton to continue negotiating the sale with the Nature Conservancy.

The board also approved a new degree program, the MA in Foundations of Professional Psychology.

The audience area was full to capacity, primarily because of students wearing Trans Visibility Month shirts and raising awareness of transgender issues.

Friday’s meeting was the last board of trustees meeting for the spring semester.

4 | March 6, 2017 | TheMirror

art.

3/6: UNC Jazz Thang Moxi Theatre 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

3/7: Women’s History Month Screening: “A Womb of Their Own” Scott-Willcoxon Hall, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

3/8: Gender Studies Club “Meaningful Song” Night Candelaria 0140 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

3/9: IFS Screening: “Girl Rising’ Lindou Auditorium.

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

3/10: Trans/ Non-Binary Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, UC, 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Arts Erika Editor Siebring

The self-improvement of UNC’s men

By Erika Siebring arts@uncmirror.com

Acknowledging the flaws in oneself and the gaps in one’s knowledge or character is essential in order to grow into the best person an individual can be. Your Own Man does exactly that, functioning as a supportive, positive force designed to shape the lives of UNC’s male students, in an effort to help them become well-rounded individuals. Providing any male student a safe environment in which to express any vulnerabilities or other weaknesses, this group allows for the individual improvement of social, practical, and societal skills and overall quality of life, with the help of others working on the same things.

Andrew, the founder of Your Own Man and a UNC faculty member, conducted the group’s third meeting on Tuesday with a review of the past two meetings. According to Andrew, the pilot meeting was spent discussing what it means to be a man and positive aspects that most men share; the subsequent meeting gave way to discussion about negative aspects in members’ lives that could be considered roadblocks--things that would prevent an individual from growing.

Some of the roadblocks brought up in the previous meeting included not knowing when to ask for help from other people and putting too much pressure on oneself. Andrew believes that while self-reliance is an important trait, there is also strength in knowing oneself and thus knowing when to ask for help.

“There’s nothing weak about saying you’re not strong in some aspect,” Andrew said. “I wanted to start a group where men aren’t afraid to come together to talk about their issues. No man is an island--to be your own hero, you need to rely on the people around you, and because other people around you rely on you as well.”

Tuesday’s meeting was a roundtable exploration of different skills each member would like to learn about during future meetings, using each other as resources.

The idea was that each member didn’t have to be an expert in anything, but merely willing to share what they know with the rest of the group. Such skills that members said they wanted to learn included basic cooking and car care, gardening, first aid, house-care--including wiring and electrical work--sewing, financial literacy, making cocktails, crafting an argument, and building a fire.

UNC sophomore Don MacQueen, a history and geography major and Your Own Man member, expressed a desire to discuss great ideas and thinkers in Western society through works of literature, including The Odyssey, The Iliad, and The Divine Comedy.

“These are the books that Western civilization is built on, this is the common story language that we all speak,” MacQueen said. “I think we should also have at least something on the development of Western thought, like an introduction to Plato, to Aristotle, to St. Augustine. These are the ideas that our civilization is based on.”

MacQueen also brought up the idea of learning about basic political theory and the definitions of well-known political systems.

“You don’t even have to agree with the theories, or go super into depth about what they believe in and why, but I mean just basic definitions,” MacQueen said.

“What is communism, what is fascism, what is parliamentary democracy, like these words get thrown around a lot in conversations, but a lot of people don’t really know what they are.”

Andrew also expressed his desire to do volunteer work with Your Own Man in order to exercise being a positive influence on the community.

“Part of, I think, not just being a man but being a human in general, is taking the time that you have on this Earth to grow as an individual and learn new things,” Andrew said. “I think volunteering is very humbling and fulfilling work, and it really helps create a good perspective, or helps round-out your perspective on the world.”

The group also came up with an idea for a continuous project, in which a member will come up with a certain virtue each week--courage, honesty, or integrity for

example--and everyone will talk about what it means, if they’re lacking in it, and how to improve.

“Another thing that’s kind of this overarching theme of this whole group, this idea of being virtuous and being moral, knowing what is right what is not right,” Andrew said. “Obviously there’s exceptions to every rule, but there are some common things that we can agree on, things that are right and things that are wrong.”

According to Andrew, while the goal of Your Own Man isn’t to tell people how to live their lives, but to merely improve the quality of one’s life, the group has received negative feedback.

“I don’t think anything that’s been said here is incredibly negative,” Andrew said.

“I think part of this group is us knowing to become men, or learning to become men. I think that we’re just as much at fault as our own lack of ability to grow up. It’s not just a man characteristic I think it’s a female characteristic too, that we all kind of share.”

One of the major criticisms Your Own Man faces is the accusation that the group is sexist, because although it talks about universal, useful characteristics, it is exclusively for male students. However, Andrew emphasized that it is not intended to be nor acts as a group that intentionally exercises hatred for women. MacQueen said that being surrounded by people of the same gender makes it easier for the young men to fully and genuinely express themselves and the gaps or flaws in their knowledge and abilities.

“I think that it’s more difficult for men to hold each other accountable if it’s a co-ed group,” MacQueen said. “The instant you introduce women into the group, even if the men don’t do it consciously, every one of them immediately to some degree--some more than others, but everyone one of them--immediately kind of starts putting on a display. It’s very difficult for a man to be vulnerable in a co-ed group. If it’s just one-on-one, that’s something different.”

MacQueen explained that he started to come to the meetings because he thought it would be a useful opportunity for him to grow.

“It’s an opportunity for men to come together and create a positive atmosphere for self-examination and self-growth,” MacQueen said. “A repeated theme we’ve been hitting regularly in these meetings is that we should be easily pleased but never satisfied. The slightest move you make towards becoming a better man, even if it’s something as simple as setting an alarm clock every morning, that should be celebrated, that’s a positive step. But, don’t be satisfied with that, always be wondering ‘What more can I do, how can I grow, how can I get better?’”

MacQueen also appreciates the chance to be vulnerable while taking part in the group.

“It’s strange, the world both tells men you should feel things--a man is supposed to be in-touch with his inner emotional side--but we’re not supposed to bring it out,” MacQueen said. “I think that when a man is with a small group, when he’s with men that he knows and is comfortable with them, then he should not be afraid to be vulnerable, and to say ‘This is something I’m not good at, this is something that I’m afraid of.’ It’s a way to learn how to be vulnerable.”

Andrew explained that the goals for Your Own Man are more or less openended, but the idea is to let other students know that there are other people who struggle with the same things.

“If I can get one guy that can look himself in the mirror in the morning and say ‘Hey, I’m better than I was yesterday and I’m working towards becoming a better me, and this is something that I love doing or I love about myself,’ that’s great,” Andrew said. “The first big hurdle is coming to these things, and I think once guys do that, and they see it’s either A, for them or B, not for them, they can make their own opinions up.”

The group welcomes all new members or students wanting to see what Your Own Man is all about. Any male student wishing to come to the group’s meetings can email yourownman.unco@gmail.com to join the mailing list and get information about weekly meeting times and locations.

TheMirror | March 6 , 2017 | 5

THE MIRROR STAFF 2016-17 Editor-in-Chief Will Costello editor@uncmirror.com

By Kaila Ward

arts@uncmirror.com

To mark the beginning of Trans Visibility Month, the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center hosted a kick-off on Wednesday. The event consisted of refreshments and mingling among students and faculty, while also providing educational tools on what Trans Visibility Month is.

This year the Trans Student Educational Resources Network picked #TransResistance as the theme for Trans Visibility Month.

The hashtag encourages others to speak out, educate, and take action regarding the well-being of all trans, non-binary, and genderqueer individuals. While visibility is important, the hashtag urges individuals to take action against transphobia.

UNC sophomore and psychology major Ashlei Vincent, who uses the pronouns they/them/their, explained why they believe Trans Visibility Month is important in educating others about issues within the community.

“Most things centered around getting the word out is so negative. Eight transwomen have been murdered since the start of 2017 already. Trans Visibility Month instead celebrates the lives of trans people,” Vincent said.

Throughout the event, buttons and t-shirts with gender neutral and gender inclusive pronouns were distributed to highlight the importance of understanding a person’s preferred pronouns. The t-shirts denoted the use of he/him/his, she/her/hers, they/them/ theirs, and ze/hir/hirs as alternative pronouns.

Stephen Loveless, the director of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, emphasized the visibility aspect within Trans Visibility Month.

“Trans and non-binary identities are often times made invisible. Trans Visibility Month gives others access and more understanding to a community they don’t know,” Loveless said.

Loveless also showed their enthusiasm for upcoming events

By Paige Murray arts@uncmirror.com

To celebrate the end of Black History month, UNC junior Autumn Johnson, the cultural activities coordinator for the Marcus Garvey Cultural Center, put together a trap yoga session Monday night at Harrison Hall.

The yoga class was taught by Aurora trap yoga instructor, Lesley Pace. Trap yoga is not a commonly known form of yoga. It consists of doing yoga while listening to trap music, a combination of hip-hop, dance music and dub, creating an upbeat atmosphere.

Though some instructors may teach variations of trap yoga, Pace only knows of one other type.

“I started in August of 2016, it was really an attempt to be more inclusive in yoga classes and to really tap into communities that probably wouldn’t try yoga normally. So with the change in music and kind of energy or atmosphere in the classroom, it creates more inclusiveness and more of a fun environment,” Pace said.

Pace kept the mood lighthearted and comfortable for everyone attending. There was no judgment, no stress and no biases. A place for students to become in-tune with themselves and drown out

Production Manager Logan Garcia adproduction@uncmirror. com News Editor Jason Keller news@uncmirror.com Arts & Culture Editor Erika Siebring arts@uncmirror.com

Spectrum Officer and sophomore elementary education major Ashley Edwards (pronouns she/her/hers) stands with Alpha Sigma Alpha RA Kenzie (she/her/hers), a sophomore, and Calvin Brown (he/him/his), a senior philosophy major at the Trans Month of Visibility Kickoff. Photo by Caleb Clarke | The Mirror

and how the local community can become involved in Trans Visibility Month.

“This month has less to do with politics and more to do with personal respect for each other in a visible way. Our events allow the community to come and meet someone who is trans or genderqueer to become educated,” Loveless said.

Throughout the month, the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center will host a plethora of events including several affinity groups, a clothing swap, and safe zone training.

“Safe zone training teaches people how to use correct wording to support advocacy and education. It is so important to educate teachers especially at the middle school and high school levels because too many teens are committing suicide from a lack of education about their identities,” Vincent said.

The next event for this month will be a screening of the film A Womb of their Own at 5 p.m. on Tuesday in Scott-Willcoxon Hall.

the world. Between 15 and 20 students attended the class. It consisted of mostly women, with exception of one man.

Pace kicked off the class with poses that allowed the body to be at rest, establishing a full mental and physical awareness. Due to the stress of school, Pace chose to have the session fully focused on balance. Working from the upper body down, Pace incorporated smaller dance moves into the various yoga poses; some students followed her lead when they mastered the pose as well.

“I have come to see that there is always a bigger picture,” Pace said. “That’s what I try to show in my yoga classes.”

At one point in the session,

Pace invited the class to introduce themselves and share something that they either love about themselves or about being black.

At the end of every session, Pace says “namaste” which

means, in a nutshell, having respect for one another.

Pace currently has a studio in both Downtown Denver and Aurora where she teaches trap yoga among other dance classes.

Sports Editor Dylan Sanchez sports@uncmirror.com Photo Editor Breelyn Bowe photo@uncmirror.com Marketing & Social Media Managers Amanda Andrews marketing@uncmirror.com Advertising Manager Naomi Butler ads@uncmirror.com Copy Editor Jordan Baca General Manager Matt Lubich mlubich@uncmirror.com

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The Mirror’s mission is to educate, inform and entertain the students, staff and faculty of the UNC community and to train the staff on the business of journalism in a college-newspaper environment.

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sports.

6 | March 6, 2017 | TheMirror

At Home 3/7: Softball vs Colorado State University Butler-Hancock Softball Field 4 p.m.

3/10: Men’s Tennis vs Sacramento State Bank of Colorado Tennis Courts TBA

On the Road 3/6: Women’s Swim at NCAA Zone E Diving Championships All Day

3/7: Baseball at Nebraska 12:35 p.m.

3/8: Women’s Basketball at Big Sky Championships 9:05 p.m. @UNCMIRRORSPORTS

Sports Editor

Dylan Sanchez

Bears looks to prove voters wrong

By Chris Bolin

sports@uncmirror.com

For the second straight year, the University of Northern Colorado baseball team was picked to finish eighth in the Western Athletic Conference.

Now, for the second straight year, the Bears look to prove voters wrong.

Last year, Northern Colorado finished 16-34 overall and eighth in the WAC at 11-12, capped by two quick losses at the conference tournament.

The Bears return their best pitcher, second team All-WAC selection Nick Tanner, who finished 4-1 with a 2.89 ERA last year. He was also a major contributor on the offensive end, finishing second on the team in batting average, hitting .327 while adding seven doubles.

The Bears also bring back the one person above him on the hitting charts, Dean Lawson. Lawson hit .357, last season, with a .428 on base percentage.

The Bears also added 19 new faces to the roster this year.

One of those new faces, Aaron Hamilton, has already made a difference this season. Hamilton, who has been at UNC for nearly two years, but due to eligibility hasn’t taken the field until this year, tied a school record with 14 strikeouts in a two-hit shutout last Thursday against San Jose State.

UNC is 6-7 so far this year, following a string of games in Northern California to start the season.

Through nine games, redshirt freshman Jack Pauley leads the Bears in batting average at .371 and hits with 13, while also tying for the team lead with three doubles.

Cole Maltese has also been impressive early, batting .347 and leading the team in on base percentage at .450 and slugging percentage at .656.

That has to be a positive sign for coach Carl Iwasaki who insists his team will be better at the plate this year.

“We’re a team that’s going to be better than we were last year,” Iwasaki said. “We’re going to hit more.”

Currently, the Bears sit 188th out of 274 teams in batting average, hitting .250 as a team so far this season.

Though these early season matchups are a good chance to play teams that will probably be at regionals, conference play is what is most important.

“This team has the attitude and effort to make strides in the WAC when play begins,” Iwasaki said.

The Bears will play their next six on the road before opening up WAC play on March 24 when Sacramento State comes to town.

Jack Pauley, Sophomore Out Fielder, running into the dugout after scoring the first run of the game last Friday at Jackson Field.

Photo by Alex Nunley |The Mirror

2017 Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll

Rank (1st place votes) 1. Seattle University (4) 2. New Mexico State (1) 3. Sacramento State (2) 4. Grand Canyon University 5. Utah Valley (2)

Points 60 52 47 46 43

7. UT Rio Grande Valley 8. Northern Colorado 9. Chicago State

24 19 8

Final 2016 Standings

Ranks (WAC record) Overall Record 1. Seattle University (21-6) 37-21 2. New Mexico State (20-7) 34-23 3. Utah Valley (18-9) 37-23 4. Sacramento State (16-11) 30-28 5. Grand Canyon (13-14) 25-28 6. Northern Colorado (11-12) 16-34 8. UT Rio Grande Valley (10-14) 9. Chicago State (6-21) 10. North Dakota (4-23)

21-28 13-42 8-37

TheMirror | March 6, 2017 | 7

THIS WEEK IN NOCO SPORTS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Bears managed to get their scoring touch back as they won two over Portland State and Sacramento State last week and now have a short rest before starting the Big Sky tournament.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Bears scored a 102 points to 74 points and a 36 percent shooting rate.

A few short weeks ago the Bears sat No. 1 in the conference but have slipped to third following back-to-back losses to North Dakota and Idaho State.

The Bears were bullied during the North Dakota matchups as their only weakness appears to be size but UNC’s ability to score from all positions has teams reeling for help.

The trio of Savannah Smith, Courtney Smith and Savannah Scott are clicking again just as they were when UNC went on a 11-game win streak. The trio all scored 20+ points scored 25 points and 12 rebounds.

The Bears will still have a bye and will play the winner of the Idaho State-Montana game.

Four place at Big 12 Championships Big 12 tournament for the first time and we will continue to build on this momentum. We have four guys still competing tomorrow, and we are Staff Report excited to get back after it and attempt to make sports@uncmirror.com some runs in the consolation brackets.”

Redshirt Senior Timmy Box (141) came out Dylan Gabel became the first Northern Colorado wrestler in program history to advance to fired up and won his quarterfinals match against the Big 12 finals following his wins on Saturday No. 5 seed John Meeks of Iowa State. Box delivafternoon at the Big 12 Championships. Gabel ered a gritty performance, and grinded out a 3-1 has also automatically qualified for the NCAA decision over Meeks, to advance to the semifiTournament in St. Louis, Missouri on March 16. nals.

Box faced No. 1 ranked and returning 2016 Northern Colorado had four other wrestlers compete over the weekend and they have all NCAA Champion Dean Heil of Oklahoma State placed at the tournament. which is the most in the semifinals. Heil won via fall over Box in 1:44. placers in program history.

No. 8 seed and No. 23 ranked Keilan Torres Dylan Gabel (184) was the only Bear remaining in the championship bracket, and he wres- (165) was the second Bear to step on the mat tled late Sunday evening. [133] Rico Montoya, this morning, but was the first to win, putting [141] Timmy Box, and [165] Keilan Torres are Northern Colorado on the board with three team points. all in the consolation brackets.

It was a rematch from three weeks ago, as Currently the Bears are in 8th place as a team, and have already set a new program record for Torres wrestled against Koy Wilkinson of Utah Valley. Once again, Torres made quick work of most team points at the Big 12 Championships.

Dylan Gabel proved why he was the No. 2 Wilkinson, pinning him in the first period for seed at 184 lbs., with a 13-1 major decision over the second time in less than a month.

Torres advanced to the quarterfinals and Lucas Lovvorn of Wyoming. Gabel took down per week Lovvorn within in thirty seconds, and immedi- faced No. 1 seed and No. 8 ranked Chandler ately established dominance on top, nearly pin- Rogers of Oklahoma State. Despite riding a lot of momentum after the huge pin in the prelimining Lovvorn twice.

Gabel advanced to the semifinals and faced nary round, Torres lost via fall to Rogers in the No. 3 seed Martin Mueller of South Dakota first period.

In what was a thrilling and exciting match State University. Gabel defeated Mueller 7-4 two months prior, when the Bears traveled to Brook- from both wrestlers, Torres defeated No. 5 seed Yoanse Meijas 3-1 in overtime. With some acings to take on the Jackrabbits.

“It is great to see Dylan Gabel become the first robatic displays of athleticism and a timely wrestler in program history to reach the Big 12 takedown, Torres pieced together a huge win in Conference finals, as well as qualify for his first sudden victory to move on to the consolation NCAA Tournament,” said Head Coach Troy semifinals.

Nickerson. “It is great to have four placers at the

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Northern Colorado said good bye to senior Jont’e Dotson and did so with a 70-67 win over Sacramento State saturday afternoon at the Bank of Colorado Arena.

Led by junior guard D.J Miles the Bears managed to Miles led UNC with 20 points including six straight free The Bears can now focus on the future and will have many decisions to make as redshirt seniors Anthony Johnson and Tanner Morgan will return to the lineup in 2017.

For parts of this season the Bears have had to play with nine players as injuries opposite problem as Johnson and Morgan look to be key-starters, leaving this seasons starters reaching for minutes. UNC will have to wait until next season to see how things pan out.

UNC can now move forward as they will serve their self-imposed penalty and sit out this seasons Big Sky Conference championships.

8 | March 6, 2017 | TheMirror

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