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Friday, Jan. 21, 2011

Volume 93, Number 48

Look in The Mirr or Page 2

Clubs cultivate creativity

News Reading into the life of a writer James A. Michener was known for his books, but there was more to the man.

PAGE 5

Sports Men’s basketball wins close game The UNC men’s basketball team almost lets Sacramento State back into the game.

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Online Police on lookout for fleeing thief A student was robbed near campus on 10th Avenue and 19th Street. Read more at uncmirror.com.

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Mon: 37 | 19

Upcoming In Monday’s issue of The Mirror, read about a math student who is enrolling in a program in Moscow.

CASSIE NUCKOLS | THE MIRROR

UNC freshman guard D’shara Strange dribbles the ball up the court in Thursday’s victory over Sacramento State at Butler-Hancock.

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News

2 The Mirror

Friday, Jan. 21, 2011

Students looking for involvement go ‘clubbing’ AMANDA STOUTENBURGH news@uncmirror.com

Students who were involved in clubs and organizations in high school have many opportunities to become involved in a variety of groups during their time in college.

There are 105 chartered clubs and organizations at UNC, including clubs pertaining to sports, religion, professional, academic and miscellaneous interests.

Students who want to join a club are required to contact the president of the club or a mem-

ber. This information is accessible on the UNC website.

If there is not a club established that offers what a student wants, they can start their own.

To start a club, three students need to sign onto it for one year and fill out the charter packet.

Then, after the year is up, the students will need 10 signatures to make it an official club.

There are requirements for obtaining funding (student fees)through the school. The club must be in good financial standing with the Student Senate and make an appointment to meet with Katelyn Elliot,

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the director of Student Organizations. They will meet with Senate members to find out what the board deems appropriate to give the organization. Also, the group must be chartered.

There are multiple benefits to joining a club or organization. Elliot said they give students a support system on campus. She also said involved students tend to perform better academically.

Some of the many clubs and organizations on campus include the American Meteorological Society, UNSEA Scuba Diving Club and Navigators. All of these clubs and organizations have been running for at least a year.

The American Meteorological Society has approximately 50 members and about 25 active members who regularly participate said Rebecca Elliott, the AMS student chapter president.

Club members participate in a wide variety of activities, such as weekly bowling, endof-the-year barbeques, corn mazes and an outreach program for students and adults, as well as visits to educational facilities.

Lindsey Passantino, a junior earth science major, is the president of UNSEA Scuba Diving Club. The club was popular at UNC in the past, and Passantino helped revive it and

CASSIE NUCKOLS | THE MIRROR

Christi Knapp, left, a senior geography major, and Michelle Low, a professor of modern languages, write calligraphy last semester at the Kohl House as part of the Chinese Cultural Club. reintroduce UNC students to scuba diving about a year ago.

The organization now has about 60 members.

Kristina Vossler, a sophomore elementary education major, is a member of UNSEA. Vossler said last weekend, the club traveled to Utah for scuba training.

The club meets at 5 p.m every Monday in the University Center conference room. The club allows students who are involved in scuba diving or who just want to get certified an opportunity to pursue their interests.

Eric Bloom, a sophomore communications major, is the co-president of Navigators, a religious group on campus.

“This club was formed to give students a chance to know God in a more relational way, not so much in a religious way,” Bloom said. “It allows students to give religion another chance in a less formal way, especially if they have been turned off by a church.”

Navigators has about 160 members, and meetings consist of Bible studies that are separated by year and gender.

Navigators meet at 7 p.m. every Thursday in McKee Hall.

More information on clubs •Three students must sign onto a club for one year and fill out a charter packet, including a clear mission statement, parameters of membership and club constitution, to begin a newclub application.

•After one year, the signatures of ten students must be collected to be made an official club.

•All clubs must be comprised of a majority of UNC students.

•Ten students must be members of the club at all times.

•For funding, groups must meet with Student Senate and Katelyn Elliott, the director of Student Organizations, at 970-351-2582.

Editor: Eric Heinz

Friday, Jan. 21, 2010

The Mirror 3

LETTERS The Mirror appreciates your opinions. You can submit your columns or letters to the editor to editor@uncmirror.com. Columns can be no longer than 400 words.

Include your name, year and major.

POLL This week’s poll question: Do you plan to attend the spring concert featuring Sammy Adams and Shwayze?

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Mirror Staff 2010-2011 KURT HINKLE | General Manager khinkle@uncmirror.com ERIC HEINZ | Editor editor@uncmirror.com BENJAMIN WELCH | News Editor news@uncmirror.com PARKER COTTON | Sports Editor sports@uncmirror.com RUBY WHITE | Arts Editor arts@uncmirror.com MELANIE VASQUEZ | Visual Editor photo@uncmirror.com ERIC HIGGINS | Advertising Manager ads@uncmirror.com RYAN ANDERSON | Ad Production Manager adproduction@uncmirror.com

University-specific textbooks distort fair prices If prices are indicative of quality, textbooks must surely be printed on much finer trees than their leisurely-read counterparts.

Each semester, millions of students shell out hundreds of dollars just to own ink on pages in binding. Throughout the course of the academic calendar, these books may not even be cracked open, and the scholastic value of the material contained within is a whole other issue entirely.

Thankfully, websites like Half.com and Amazon.com have been established to give students the opportunity to both buy and sell new and used textbooks that have served their purpose and are no

Front Desk 970-392-9270 General Manager 970-392-9286 Newsroom 970-392-9341

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

About us The Mirror is published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the academic year by the Student Media Corp. It is printed by the Greeley Tribune. The first copy is free; additional copies are 50 cents each and must be purchased from The Mirror office.

each student, have caught wind of this new method by which students are purchasing their textbooks and allocating their funds away from their respective institutions.

UNC professors have required university-specific textbooks in an increasing number of classes.

These abridged versions of the original text allegedly omit a few chapters and pieces of information that instructors at the University of Northern Colorado typically choose to exclude from their lessons, or they will have material inserted by professors that was not in the original version.

Any reasonable person could then conclude that such an altered

book would be much cheaper at the bookstore than the entire version, but, naturally, this is not the case in the lucrative textbook market.

The school-specific books are generally $5-$10 cheaper than the full text brand-new, and since no other outlet exists for students to purchase these specific books, students are forced to spend more than $100 again for material they may not need.

For places of higher learning already charging students tens of thousands of dollars for tuition alone, the courtesy to students should be extended to at least allow them to purchase reasonably priced textbooks.

Mirror Reflections are the opinion of The Mirror’s editorial board: Parker Cotton, Eric Heinz, Melanie Vasquez, Benjamin Welch and Ruby White. Let us know what you think. E-mail us at editor@uncmirror.com.

Retreat leaves students with invaluable background lessons Joanna LANGSTON

Contact Us Advertising 970-392-9323 Editor 970-392-9327 Fax 970-392-9025

longer useful to the original owner.

Instead of paying superfluous prices for a book, textbook searchers now have the option to purchase gently used books online for, typically, a fraction of the original price.

At the conclusion of the semester, students can re-sell books in hopes of receiving the same amount of money as originally paid, thereby skipping the process of attempting to sell books back to a campus bookstore where a miniscule fraction of the original purchase price is offered.

However, college administrations, in the unending quest to drain the last possible dollar from

editor@uncmirror.com

L

ast weekend, we had an extra day off to celebrate the lifetime achievements of Martin Luther King; many of you took advantage of the extra time to bask in your typical Philistine leisure activities. I myself was planning to spend my days wedged firmly between the couch and a bag of fast food deliciousness, glued to the History channel, before I remembered I was to have the pleasure of attending the Catalyst Social Justice Retreat.

The purpose of the retreat was to shed light on the different types of oppression that exist in our society and to have honest discussions about how they affect people on personal, societal, and global levels. From 8 a.m.-10 p.m., UNC students, facilitators and faculty engaged in gritty and powerful conversations about trying to find an equal footing for everyone in a world pock-marked with subjugation.

In small groups, we were asked to recreate our social justice journey on paper, both high and low points in our lives, which inspired us to continue the march for equity.

This was my favorite part along with another activity called Cross the Line: when the facilitator called out a subordinate group identity that you belonged to, you walked

forward, crossing an imaginary line and turned around to face the people who belonged in the dominant group, voicing whatever messages you want that group to know.

Women, GLBT, non-Christians, poor/lower class, non-white and disabled people, as well as other subordinate groups all had the chance to cross the line and speak their piece. People got to share what offends them (jokes, slang, phrases) and what empowers them about that identity. The other group stays completely silent, respecting the others’ experiences.

I think the most powerful thing about this exercise is that the socially privileged groups had the opportunity to listen and absorb the grievances that their group, knowingly or not, inflicts. We are all born into this world with a legacy that at

least partially determines our lives, but we can honor each other’s worth by trying to understand each other’s struggles.

By the end of the retreat, I was pretty exhausted, and my left eye was a- twitchin’ — probably from being bombarded with enlightenment. But I was well reminded of the reason why I love retreats so much: The collusion of a diverse group of people for the betterment of society inspires hope in me that we stand just on the brink of a more perfect union. When all I see is injustice, the examples of just a few brave people renew my faith in humanity. So in all sincerity, thank you, Dr. King. And thank you, Jesus.

—Joanna Langston is a senior psychology major and a weekly columnist for The Mirror.

News

4 The Mirror

Friday, Jan. 21, 2011

Student Senate Update

Second proposal of semester passed, SOT renamed SARA VAN CLEVE news@uncmirror.com After four readings spanning two semesters, Student Senate passed the amended Proposal 14 and provided updates from various organizations.

Katelyn Elliott, the director of University Relations, opened the proposal for its fourth and final reading.

Elliott proposed an amendment to Part 3 of the Senate bylaws.

The amendment removed the Organization Finance Board Hiring and Removal Process, which included compensation for members of the OFB for their time and service. The amendment was passed with a majority vote.

Elliot said the proposal is necessary because it changes

the name from Student Organizations Team to Organization Finance Board, changes the structure to eliminate excess directors and clarifies what is considered inappropriate funding requests made by organizations.

Elimination of extra directors on OFB was part of the proposal because Elliott said it is sometimes difficult to find directors from Student Senate who are able to attend the meetings, which interferes with voting for allocating funds and meetings in general.

“Directors come in each week, and while they understand the Senate bylaws, they don’t always understand what the Student Organizations Team has been doing,” she said.

The proposal also changed

The Mirror Correction In front page cutline in the Wednesday, Jan. 19, issue of The Mirror, we incorrectly reported the organization the subjects in the picture on the front page represent. They are from the UNC Police and Color Guard. It is The Mirror’s policy to correct all mistakes. To report an error, please e-mail Eric Heinz at editor@uncmirror.com

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the wording for what constitutes an “inappropriate funding request” made by a club or organization to include any personal gift that is not connected with an event. Proposal 14, including amendments, was passed.

A variety of updates and announcements were also discussed during the meeting.

Elections Council Commissioner Danielle Morgan said election packets will be available at 4 p.m. today in the Student Activities Office.

Benjamin Schiffelbein, the director of Academic Affairs, said conference grant applications are now available online at www.unco.edu/gsa/grantfunding.html or in the Office of Student Activities. The first deadline is Jan. 29, with later

deadlines in February and March.

Student Rights Advocate Samantha Fox said the Student Judiciary will meet at 8 a.m.

Tuesdays in Aspen C, and meetings are open to the public. Fox also said Senate Radio had its first broadcast of the semester Jan. 18 and will be on the air from 7-8 p.m. every Tuesday.

The university is looking to repurchase the student health insurance plans from the insurance provider, and because graduate students are the primary users of UNC health insurance, the Graduate Student Association wants to talk to graduate students with health insurance plans to find out how the university can better serve their needs, said Graduate Student Association President Shanda Crowder.

Evan Welch, Student Senate adviser, said the City of Greeley is planning to work with the University of Northern Colorado and Aims Community College to find a better mechanism to get student feedback about different aspects of living in Greeley and how to improve upon them.

The University Program Council will host the first Open Mic Night of the semester at 9 p.m. Jan. 31 at the UC Fireside Lounge.

The UPC hasl also begun selling tickets for the Feb. 19 Shwayze and Sammy Adams concert. Tickets went on sale at 8 a.m. today. A limited supply of T-shirts are also available for those who purchase tickets.

Tickets are $5 for UNC and Aims students and $15 for nonstudents.

Justice retreat focuses on acceptance DEVON NAPLES news@uncmirror.com Last weekend, more than 60 UNC students congregated in Estes Park for Catalyst, a social justice retreat aimed at examining and changing the ways students face conditions like social exclusion, discrimination and privilege.

Ria Vigil, the University Program Council coordinator, conceived Catalyst and made it a reality for the first time last year. Because of its overall success and the overwhelmingly positive feedback they received, Vigil and the Office of Student Activities decided to make the

experience available for students again this year.

The participants’ experience began with a “step-in” activity, an exercise designed to incite openness and understanding among the participants. They stood in a circle and were asked to step into the circle if they identified with the statement being read by a facilitator.

The statements involved, among other issues, discrimination, privilege, race, socioeconomic class, gender and sexual orientation.

Sophomore history and secondary education major Megan Gallegos said the activities became increasingly personal and intense

as the retreat went on.

In one exercise, members of various groups generally considered “subordinate” in society confronted members of the corresponding dominant group about what it is like to live with their social societal disadvantages, what hurts them and what empowers them.

“Those in the dominant identity were told how to be good allies, essentially,” Gallegos said.

Motivations for sacrificing a weekend and making the trip to Estes Park varied among participants.

See Catalyst, Page 8

News

Friday, Jan. 21, 2011

The Mirror 5

Library namesake was modern Renaissance man CARRISSA OLSZEWSKI news@uncmirror.com

To many UNC students, Michener is just a name for the library on west campus. But the name the library represents is much more than a building.

James A. Michener attended the University of Northern Colorado when it was still named Colorado State Teacher’s College. Later in his life, he taught at the institution for several years.

Michener did not have an easy childhood. He was an orphan and was documented

saying he did not know who his parents were. He was taken in

by Mabel Michener, a woman who housed orphans in Pennsylvania.

In his writing, Michener said he often hitchhiked in his youth and was able to visit several states. Through it all, Michener became known as a hard-working and intelligent individual.

He received a scholarship and attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. He attended nine other universities after that. Later, he taught at Harvard for one year.

Michener was primarily a

writer. He wrote about 50 books, most of which contain detailed descriptions of locales and included facts he researched. One of his books, “Tales of the South Pacific,” won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1948.

“He is a really important, popular writer,” said Jay Trask, the head of UNC Archival Services, located in the library’s basement, and assistant professor of the University Libraries.

“He spoke to a lot of people with his writings and opened up the world to those that didn’t have the opportunity to travel,” Trask said Michener’s novel “Centennial” is based on Colorado, which is one of the reasons Michener donated

note taker, a skill that he utilized to earn him f a m e .

Michener died at 90 years old in T e x a s . James Michener There are was a former buildings in UNC professor s e v e r a l and Pulitzer Prizes t a t e s winning author. named after him to commemorate his life and works.

To read more about Michener, visit the UNC Archival Services located in the basement of the library. On the first landing in the building, there is a museum dedicated to his work.

most of his artifacts researched for that book to the library.

Yet Michener did more than write.

“Michener was an extraordinary man because he accomplished so much in his life,” said Shirley Soenksen, a library technician.

Michener was also involved in politics. He ran for United States Congress in 1962. He also held a position on a NASA advisory council. In his early years, Michener was a lieutenant in the Navy and worked on missions in the South Pacific.

“Michener was an amazing author and a stickler for detail,” said Jeff Miller, a library technician.

Michener traveled the world and wrote detailed descriptions of what he saw. He was an avid

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EXPERIENCE! COURTESY OF THE MICHENER LIBRARY | THE MIRROR

The James A. Michener library on the corner of west campus was named after the famous author, who also dabbled in politics and was in the Navy. His book “Centennial” is based on Colorado.

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6 The Mirror

Friday, Jan. 21, 2011

Hornets pose no problems for UNC DAVID WILSON sports@uncmirror.com

The UNC women’s basketball team saw 11 Bears score and all five starters reach double-figures in points as the University of Northern Colorado disposed of Sacramento State, 91-59, Thursday night at ButlerHancock Sports Pavilion. The 91 points are the most the team has ever scored in a Big Sky game.

The Bears (9-9, 4-1) were never tested. They jumped out to an 18-8 advantage within the first five minutes of the half, sparked by three early steals, one of them by senior guard Courtney Stoermer, making her the all-time leader in steals at UNC with 190.

“I pride myself on my defense, and to get that record means a lot to me,” Stoermer said. “I never imagined breaking

any records when I came here. I just wanted to play and win games.”

Stoermer also contributed on the offensive side of the floor, finishing with 13 points on 4for-6 shooting from the field, to go with five assists. Her effort on both sides of the floor during her four years has not gone unnoticed by UNC head coach Jaime White.

“Courtney has been a staple for us,” White said. “She’s the hardest worker on our team and has been for four years.”

The Hornets (3-15, 0-5) were held to 26 percent shooting for the game and were out-rebounded by UNC 49-31, which White said was key in the Bears game plan coming into the game.

“It was an emphasis; it was something we knew was going to happen because, first off, we knew there was going to be a lot of rebounds by the way they

shoot,” White said. “And second of all, we knew they were going to be long rebounds. Our guards were going to need to step up and get rebounds, and that played into our hands.”

The rebounds ignited the Bears’ transition offensively, as UNC finished with 16 assists compared to 15 turnovers and opened up looks for junior guard Kaisha Brown. She finished with a season-high 19 points, shooting 8-for-14, three of which were 3-pointers.

“I have to thank my team on that,” Brown said. “They did a really good job of moving the ball. It was just a fun night to play basketball.”

The Bears are 8-1 at home this season and are currently riding a three-game winning streak. They will look to take their momentum on the road as they face Weber State at 2:05 p.m. Saturday in Ogden, Utah.

CASSIE NUCKOLS | THE MIRROR

UNC freshman center Kirsten Hess attempts a free throw in Thursday’s 91-59 victory over Sacramento State at ButlerHancock Sports Pavilion. Hess notched with four points.

Men’s hoops holds on for tight win STAFF REPORT sports@uncmirror.com

The UNC men’s basketball team remained undefeated in Big Sky Conference play Thursday with a 77-72 road victory o v e r Sacramento State.

Men’s Basketball T h e University of Northern Colorado (10-7, 6-0) led by as many as 14 points in the second half but survived a comeback attempt by a Hornets team (3-15, 0-7) still searching for its first conference win of the season.

UNC has now won a season best six consecutive games and was led by senior guard Devon Beitzel, who scored a team-high 25 points on 8-for-13 shooting, including three 3-pointers.

Beitzel also made all six of his free throw attempts.

Sophomore guard Elliott Lloyd was the only other Bear in double-figures, scoring a seasonhigh 18 points to go with four rebounds and three assists.

UNC led by 14 with 5:24 remaining in the second half when Sacramento State went on a 19-8 run to close to within three points before Lloyd sank two free throws to seal the win.

The Bears, after holding opponents to 8-for-52 shooting

3-pointers in their last t h r e e g a m e s , allowed the Hornets to convert on 10 of their 25 attempts, i n c l u d i n g Elliott Lloyd five from scored a seasons e n i o r high 18 points in g u a r d the win over S u l t a n Sacramento State.

Toles-Bey, who finished with 25 points and eight assists in the game.

UNC also allowed Hornets sophomore guard John Dickson and junior guard Heath Hoffman to record 18 and 11

points, respectively.

Sacramento State held a brief 8-7 lead in the first half, after a 3-pointer from senior forward Duro Bjegovic. It was the only time the Hornets would lead in the game, as Lloyd quickly answered with a 3-pointer of his own to put the Bears on top for good.

UNC went into the locker rooms with a 39-30 lead at halftime.

A dunk by senior forward Taylor Montgomery, who finished with four points and two rebounds, to start the second half put UNC up by 11. The lead would grow to 14 with just less than 14 minutes left to play before the Hornets fought back

to within seven points. UNC pushed the lead back up to 14 before Sacramento State made their final comeback attempt.

Freshman guard Paul Garnica led the Bears’ bench players with nine points.

The Bears will be at home for their next game against Weber State at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion.

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Professor contributes to helmet research BEN WARWICK sports@uncmirror.com

It is no secret that football players take a beating on the field. A main issue in all levels of football this past season has been head safety and concussion prevention.

One UNC professor is doing something about that.

Intel, in collaboration with Riddell helmet manufacturer, has announced that Igor Szczyrba, a mathematical sciences professor at the University of Northern Colorado, has been selected to a team of college faculty members working to create a way to diagnose brain trauma the instant it happens.

Their solution comes in the

FILE PHOTO | THE MIRROR

Football helmets used by the UNC football team that are specifically designed to prevent concussions. Igor Szczyrba is helping develop a chip that instantly transfers data to team doctors.

form of a c h i p embedded in the helmet that will transmit data to team doctors.

The final result, Igor Szczyrba ideally, will said the special give train- helmets are only ers valuable used in the NFL data with for the time being. hopes to pinpoint the location of brain trauma to devise better treatments.

Szczyrba said he was interested in helmet safety before Intel approached him about researching alternative safety measures.

“It was just like a natural step,” he said. “We do this modeling of how the brain behaves in traumatic situations, and then you think, ‘What can be a remedy to help?’”

He also said if the industry can be convinced to change their design even slightly, results could be very different.

“In helmets, you can get very

precise data,” Szczyrba said. “In the beginning, it was theoretical. Now, it’s not done, but it’s doable; now, you can really check whether or not the guy has the potential to be injured.”

According to a USA Today article in 2009, the NFL reports about 175 concussions each season, which is about one for every other game, including the preseason and postseason.

Szczyrba is working with his son, Rafal, who owns his own software development company. He is also working with Martin Burtscher, a professor at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. Burtscher is a colleague with whom Szczyrba

“

Now, it’s not done, but it’s doable; now, you can really check whether or not the guy has the potential to be injured.

— UNC mathematical sciences professor Igor Szczyrba

has published many papers.

If successful, the sensors in the helmet can be applied to other sports in an attempt to diagnose brain trauma. From skiing to hockey to cycling to boxing, Szczyrba said there is no sport that would not be able to benefit from this technology.

Szczyrba, an avid follower of the Broncos and the CU Buffs, previously worked at Boise State University and gave guest lectures at Purdue University, which he said were his first experiences with football.

“My first encounter with football was really when I was here visiting in the 60s and then the 70s at Purdue,” said Szczyrba, who also keeps up with Boise State’s recent successes.

Right now, the special helmets are being used only in the NFL and are strictly voluntary.

The ultimate goal of this project over time, Szczyrba said, is to have all players use these sensors to prevent severe head injuries.

“You can’t eliminate from the game the danger,” he said. “Our hope is that it will give us better understanding.”

Sports/News

8 The Mirror

Friday, Jan. 21, 2011

Brothers bring sibling rivalry to UNC TARIQ MOHAMMAD sports@uncmirror.com

Fighting with a brother is somewhat common in any family, but when both are part of a Division I wrestling team, the dynamics are a little different.

Wrestling This is the case for Brandon and Bryce Kammerzell.

Brandon, a junior, and Bryce, a redshirt freshman, wrestle for the UNC wrestling team and have been competitive with each other their entire lives. Whether it is shooting ducks or playing video games, the two brothers both said they never like losing to one another.

Brandon, a consistent starter in the 165p o u n d w e i g h t class, may be the older brother, but the sib- Brandon ling rivalry Kammerzell takes an said he and his interesting brother have suptwist as port at every dual.

Bryce is in the 197pound weight class.

“I push it harder because he’s my brother,” Brandon said.

“I’m not going to let him beat me just because he’s bigger. It’s that brother thing. We are naturally competitive with each other. We’re not afraid of getting out there and punching

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ing,” Brandon said.

The pair both finished third in their respective weight classes at the Old Chicago Open on Nov. 20.

Bears head coach Ben Cherrington said the level of competition between the two is high, and things can get heated

We are naturally competitive with each other. We’re not afraid of getting out there and punching each other, throwing blows, not worried about hurting each other.

“

— UNC junior wrestler Brandon Kammerzell

and competitive quickly.

“They raise each other’s level of competitiveness; one doesn’t want to be Bryce Kammerzell thought of said his older as worse brother keeps him than the motivated to work o t h e r , ” harder.

Cherrington said. “With Brandon and Bryce, it is a little different because they are different weight classes. It’s a lot quicker, and you can see it when they compete — Brandon may get frustrated because he wants to wrestle like a small guy, and Bryce wrestles like a big guy, so there is a clash of styles.”

Students connect on trip, share experiences

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each other, throwing blows, not worried about hurting each other. He knows who’s boss.”

Whether Bryce or Brandon wins, the other has to be prepared to hear about it the rest of the day. The big-brother syndrome and trash talk comes with the rivalry.

“He keeps me motivated and working harder, always trying to beat my butt, and we criticize each other,” Bryce said.

In the meets, it is a different story.

The brothers become highly supportive, encouraging each other to do well. Brandon said being from Eaton, 10 minutes away from Greeley, means the pair have countless familiar faces supporting them.

“It kind of makes you want to do well because all the people you grew up with are watch-

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Although some participants heard about the opportunity independently from organizations, several student clubs invited their members and leaders to attend.

Housing and Residential Education members also recom-

mended the retreat to resident assistants and diversity mentors.

Adam Guthrie, a sophomore political science major, said he was inspired to attend because as an RA, he feels obligated to learn anything that may allow him to better help his residents and fellow RAs. “I wanted to be challenged, and I

wanted to be open to things I may have never been exposed to before,” Guthrie said. “I felt it was an area I’ve never really explored.”

Gallegos said she found it difficult during the retreat to express emotional things she usually avoids talking about, but she also said the experience was extremely rewarding at the same time.

“It’s not about jumping up to defend yourself — you have to sit in it and accept it,” Gallegos said. “The experience was just incredible.

There’s really no other word. It was draining but absolutely worth it.”

I wanted to be challenged, and wanted to be open to things I may have never been exposed to before.

“

— Adam Guthrie, sophomore political science major