The Metropolitan

Club sports look for $15,000 budget increase

2009-03-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

Written by Kimberly Gunning
(kgunnin1@mscd.edu)

Campus recreation and the Metro athletic department asked the Student Affairs Board for a club sports budget increase Feb. 23.

Club sports, a tri-institutional program for all three Auraria colleges, currently receive an estimated $5,000 yearly budget that is split between 15 teams. They are asking SAB for a $20,000 budget to further help with teams’ insurance fees and various league expenses.

“The club sports program has blossomed and $5,000 doesn’t meet the needs anymore,” said Peter Julian, club sports coordinator. “It has grown threefold in the past four years.”

With 15 teams sharing the current budget, student athletes look to various fundraising ideas to come up with the money needed to play.

Metro’s ice hockey team holds an annual fundraiser to help with some of the team costs, and each player pays a seasonal fee of $1,500.

“It (a budget increase) would definitely take some pressure off of the fundraiser,” said Curtis Duffus, Metro hockey head coach. “The cheapest ice in town is $195 per hour.”

Ice time for practices and home games reach an estimated $15,500 each year.

“We (the athletic department) are very supportive of club sports growing and the funding of it,” said Joan McDermott, Metro’s athletic director.

McDermott and Julian both explained the frustration of limited play space for these athletes.
The varsity field north of the gym is reserved for those athletes and participants receiving academic credit, leaving club teams to find practice space off campus.

According to McDermott, Auraria acquired land south of Colfax. There is no set plan for the land at this time, but there are intentions to use part of it for a multipurpose field that club teams can play on.

“The need for traditional amenities is apparent,” Julian said.

He explained that having a club-sports program for students to participate in is an important dimension to campus life; however, it is currently limited by the inadequate budget and the lack of play space.

“We feel it is important to meet them halfway,” Julian said.

“Any little bit of money can help out,” said Tony Price, director of campus recreation.
For the past six years, the club-sports program has been run by the athletic department. It has been provided with a $5,000 fixed yearly budget from the general fund, which is salaried by the state of Colorado and student tuition.

“Campus recreation would like to assist in co-managing club sports with the athletic department,” Price said.

With the campus recreation department involved, club sports will become a student fee-funded program. This enables the decision for a budget increase to be made by SAB.

Because of the repositioning of club sports, the recent higher education budget cut does not eliminate the opportunity for a program budget increase.

“Enrollment is up significantly,” Price said. Higher enrollment means more student fees. However, “other programs want a piece of the pie too.”

Metro is becoming a more traditional college campus. The enrollment is increasing and the average student age is decreasing. The new budget proposal has not yet been approved by SAB.
Based on these observations and the growth of club sports over the past several years, the club-sports program is a “testament to the fact that students want to be more engaged,” Price said.

Roadrunners come from behind for victory

2009-03-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

Written by Robert Dran
(rdran@mscd.edu)
Photo by Jonathan Ingraham
(jingrah1@mscd.edu)

Metro baseball went 3-for-4 in a four-game set against Colorado Christian University March 6-8 in Parker. Though Metro came out on top, the team was glad to get three wins, as all four games had a margin of victory of three runs or less.

In the first game, Metro overcame six errors and a nine-run seventh inning to get the win after 11 innings. Designated hitter Brett Bowman followed up his two-out rally starting hit against Mesa with another two-out single that helped Metro grab a come-from-behind win. Catcher Tyree Abshire provided a key two-run home run to seal Metro’s third victory of the series.

“I wish we could have had a sweep,” head coach Jerry Schemmel said. “But all the games were close. CCU is a much improved team.”

First baseman Jordan Stouffer was a little bit more disappointed in the team’s attitude toward CCU.

“It was our toughest weekend,” Stouffer said. “The problem with a team like CCU is that it’s easy to take them lightly, and we took them too lightly. They battled hard.”

Stouffer did hit another home run during the weekend, which was his ninth home run this season. Both Schemmel and Stouffer agreed the team’s strength was their offense.

“We were kind of unlucky this weekend as we kept hitting the ball hard, but half the time it seemed that it went directly to the other team,” Stouffer said. “(Next week against New Mexico) Highlands — they will attack the strike zone, which is exciting for me. I don’t think a pitcher can attack the strike zone and get too many balls past us.”

Metro’s defense, while improving throughout the season since the first games against Regis, took a step back when they gave up six errors in the first game. Metro was able to calm down the defense and only allowed one error for the rest of the game.

“There were still plays that we should have made that we didn’t, but they counted as hits,” left fielder Marcel Dominguez said of the final three games.

Schemmel expressed confidence in his team’s defense, but said the team could practice more in the infield.

“The field was particularly rough with AstroTurf and tough sand on the infield,” Stouffer said. “It wasn’t very well-groomed either, but excuses aside we are spoiled on our practice field.”

Schemmel’s main concern heading into next week against New Mexico Highlands University is pitching. Highlands is known for having a potent offense.\”Our starting pitching needs to be more consistent. Outside of (Highland’s pitcher) Joel Lockhart we need to find a way to be more consistent,” Schemmel said.

Metro’s defense and pitching will be a concern against Highlands as the team beat CCU in a rout 35-5 earlier in the season. The team, as a whole, claimed not to take Highlands lightly.

“With Highlands and their offense, we need to pitch well and play good defense or we will get swept,” Dominguez said. “We can’t play down to their level like we did against CCU.”

Metro will play a four-game set against New Mexico University Highlands March 13-15 at Auraria Field.

Softball sweep Cowgirls with offense

2009-03-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

Written by Josiah Kaan
(jkaan@mscd.edu)
Photo by Leah Millis
(lmillis@mscd.edu)

Metro softball put their hitting on display March 7 and 8, racking up 52 total runs in four road wins at New Mexico Highlands University.

“Any time you win four on the road, it’s a pretty good weekend,” head coach Jennifer Fisher said. “This team seems to be a team that travels well together.”

As of March 7, the Roadrunners lead the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in batting, scoring 167 runs in 185 hits with 156 runs batted in.

There were no signs of fatigue the first day of the weekend as Metro scored 30 runs, winning both games 18-2 and 12-0.

In the first game up by three, going into the top of the seventh inning, Metro sealed the game in a big way with 13 runs. Pitcher Christie Robinson threw a full game and only gave up two runs in 27 at bats.

“(Lauren) Hainlen led off the top of the seventh with a home run; then we scored twelve more runs after that,” Fisher said. “Christie Robinson pitched another great game.”

Metro continued their solid hitting in the second game of the day, scoring 10 runs in the top of the second inning, leading to a 12-0 win.

The solid hitting of the first day placed three players in the top five of two RMAC leader-board categories: runs scored (shortstop Amber Roundtree 1, center fielder Kellie Nishikida 3, second baseman Sarah Rusch 5) and home runs (third baseman Jennessa Tesone 3, Roundtree 4, first baseman Jessica Haab 5).

“We did really good offensively,” Robinson said. “We got a lot of hits and a lot of runs. As a team, I think that we just came out and came together and did really great.”

The second day of the weekend saw more of the same, as Metro’s persistent offensive production drove home 22 runs in two wins.

Metro won the first game 9-5 due to great pitching and a steady stream of runs being driven in.
Going into the top of the fourth inning up by a single run, first baseman Haab hit, what Fisher described as, “three-run bomb,” bringing home pitcher Corrie Nishikida and designated hitter Nicole Young. The Roadrunners scored another three runs in the fifth inning before holding off a late run by New Mexico Highlands with great pitching by relief pitcher Corrie Nishikida in the bottom of the sixth inning.

“I’m really happy with what we are doing,” Haab said. “We’re doing really well as a team, and we can only get better.”

The Roadrunners’ series sweep was completed in the last game of the weekend with a 13-0 shutout win, which ended in six innings because of a mercy-run rule, as Metro scored seven runs in the inning.

With the success of the weekend, Metro improved their overall record to 16-4 with a 9-1 conference record, pulling the Roadrunners into first place over Regis University in the RMAC East Division. The Roadrunners will continue conference play March 14 and 15 against Western New Mexico University at Auraria Fields.

Kings of the RMAC

2009-03-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

Written by Kate Ferraro
(kferraro@mscd.edu)
Photo by Dawn Madura
(dmadura@mscd.edu)

Metro men’s basketball team rallied in the second half against Fort Lewis College to clinch the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference shootout title March 7 at the Colorado State Fair Events Center in Pueblo.

“I feel great,” forward Nelson Ekeh said. “This is one of the first times that I actually feel a little bit relaxed. The hard work all paid off, but this isn’t it. We’re ready to get right back after it next week.”

The Skyhawks led in the second half by four points and were on fire, scoring their next eight points to take a 12-point advantage, their biggest lead of the night at 65-53 with 12 minutes remaining. The Roadrunners then went on a 10-0 run with the help of two free throws by Ekeh, a jumper by forward Daniel Bass and Marquise Carrington’s first points of the night, cutting the Skyhawks’ lead to 65-63.

“We adjusted our defense a little bit,” head coach Brannon Hays said. “We changed our press and our matchup. It helped, just working our way back one possession at a time.”

Trailing 70-69 with less than six minutes to play, the Roadrunners scored the game’s next nine points. Forward Chris Robinson hit two free throws, while Wagstaff scored a layup, putting Metro ahead 73-70. After Bass pulled down a rebound, he was fouled by Fort Lewis forward Kirk Archibeque, who received his fifth personal foul and forced Fort Lewis’ leading scorer to sit on the bench the remainder of the game.

With 59 seconds left, the Skyhawks cut the Roadrunners’ lead to 78-75. Forward Brian Minor, Wagstaff and Carrington scored two free throws each in the final 48 seconds to seal the 84-78 victory. Hays said he believes the significant amount of seniors on the team helped the other players keep their focus, despite being down by 12 points.

“We’ve got six seniors,” Hays said. “They’ve been through quite a bit. The team knows how to win. The composure of the group is fantastic.”

The Roadrunners (18-1 in the RMAC, 27-3 overall) lost to the Skyhawks (13-6 in the RMAC, 24-9 overall) earlier in the season, and was one out of only three teams to defeat them.

Wagstaff led all scorers with 22 points and hit 9-of-12 at the line. As a team, the Roadrunners scored 33-of-38 at the line, while the Skyhawks only scored 20-of-36. Wagstaff was named RMAC Shootout MVP for the second time in his career. Ekeh and Donte Nicholas were also named to the All-tournament team. Carrington scored five points in the entire game, his lowest all season.

“I think Marquise’s game is deceiving,” Wagstaff said. “He can contribute in so many ways other than scoring. He’s an energy leader, a leader all around.”

Metro previously won their semifinal game against Colorado State University at Pueblo 76-65 March 6 in Pueblo.

The Roadrunners earned the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will travel to Minnesota for the first round March 14 against the No. 6-seed Winona State. If the Roadrunners win, they will move on to the second round March 15 against either St. Cloud State or Augustana.
“I’m doing it for the seniors,” Nicholas said. “I know this year has been a lot of hard work. They’ve been doing it for four years. Whatever I can do to help them and keep the season going.”

Students should start planning for retirement now

2009-03-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

Written by Robert Dran
(rdran@mscd.edu)

The Point: Social security won't be there

If students need a reason to vote, just look at the federal budget. The biggest government expenditures, such as Medicare and Social Security, go to the elderly. Education expenditures are nowhere close to Social Security expenditures. It makes sense: the elderly vote and students generally don’t, so the elderly get a hookup and students don’t.

Simply put, Social Security is the labor of the current work force financing the previous generation’s retirement. Unfortunately, this system is demographically unstable. As countries develop their population increases because people live longer. At the same time, the birth rate drops and the ratio of people paying into Social Security to the people collecting social security drops as well. With the drop in work force a country must increase immigration or face financial collapse. This is the situation Europe and Japan find themselves in. Europe is increasing immigration; Japan is not and maintains very generous benefits. Japan is clearly heading to the edge of a fiscal cliff.

If the situation continues in the U.S., it is unlikely the current generation’s work force will see any of the money they are paying into Social Security. Students are better off learning where their closest polling station is and voting to keep more of their money to use for their own retirement. How much confidence should people have in the government taking their money on the premise they will see it again when they are ready to retire? My answer is probably the same as yours — none at all.

One of the few positive but flawed Bush proposals is privatizing Social Security. I understand the argument: didn’t the stock market just crash? My answer is it sure did, and that’s why people should keep more of their own money. The best way for citizens to spend their money, especially for students, is to start investing for retirement. Stocks are cheap, so now is the time to start buying. Stocks have a high return over the long run. As you get closer to retirement, you get less risk adverse. Start transferring their investments from stocks into bonds and CDs which are much safer despite their lower returns. This could be done 10 years before retirement in case of a market downturn.

I know this is a bitter pill to swallow. Everyone wants a system where we can have a decent retirement and no one is left behind. The problem is such a system does not exist. Anyone who tells you they have perfect economic or political system, whether it’s a large welfare state or a capitalist utopia, is lying to you. All systems have flaws. As voters we simply have two choices: worse and better. Continuing our current path on Social Security is clearly the worse option.
The key here is it takes a bit of effort and discipline to save for retirement. Students should be doing this now and the best way is to get rid of Social Security since we will not be seeing that money anyway. Give people what they’ve already paid into Social Security so people can use their money for a better future. Some people may lose this money, but the money is gone anyway — everyone losing their entire Social Security is much worse than a few not saving properly for retirement.

Special Commentary: Learning about other cultures puts spotlight on own

2009-03-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

Written by Colin Seger
(cseger@mscd.edu)

Recently, Metro hosted the Rocky Mountain regional Model Arab League. The event brought together delegates from the University of Utah, Air-Force Academy, University of Northern Colorado, Regis University and Metro. Each school represented one or more nation within the 22-nation Arab League and each delegate was expected to carry the foreign policy, including the traditional alliances, antagonisms and current strains of their respective countries, to the parliamentary discussion forum.

The Model Arab League provides insight into the nations and people in a part of the world that is too often neglected and misunderstood by the West.

For me, it provided not only insight into the Arab world, it also offered an unparalleled learning experience about America. Most of the women who participated for Metro wore the Hijab regardless of their personal religious beliefs. Only two women, a student liaison and organizer of the event, and a participant representing part of the delegation from Saudi Arabia, were Muslim and wear the Hijab everyday. The rest of the women from Metro were not Muslim and largely had no experience with the traditional scarf worn by some women in the Muslim world. The first insight into how Americans view Muslims is how we as a culture apparently like to stare.

Muslim women who wear the Hijab in America have the unenviable position of looking different from most Americans and, therefore, attracting the gaze of many. During a break from the Model Arab League, I decided to ask one of the non-Muslim participants if she had been treated any differently while wearing the Hijab. She responded with an emphatic, “yeah. Men especially stare at you, and if you look at them they turn away quickly.”

“Yeah, you get used to that,” chimed in one of the Muslim women in our group as we walked to dinner. Curious, I decided to watch other people as we walked. At first I didn’t think that such a uniform response was possible, but as we crossed Speer Boulevard. heads cocked to the right, tracking our group as we made our way. Then as we got close enough to each car, their gaze snapped forward to the car ahead as if their inattention to driving had suddenly shocked them back to attention. Still, the uniform reaction of drivers downtown at someone wearing a Hijab was enough to pique my curiosity and elicit a further inquiry.

After dinner I approached another non-Muslim woman who was wearing the Hijab. Emboldened by the success of my recent staring experiment I asked the same question to her: “have you noticed anyone staring while wearing the Hijab?”

“No,” she answered, “but some guy just yelled at us.”

Expecting a “yeah, maybe,” I was taken aback by what she had said and asked her to elaborate. She had been walking with the student organizer of the Arab League, herself a Muslim, and both were wearing the Hijab. A man walked by and said, “you’re in America.” Her companion “must have been used to it,” she said, “as she instantly addressed the man as “ignorant” while I fumbled on a response and then just echoed the same.”

I do not know what possesses a man to feel it necessary to harass women, especially because they wear the Hijab. Did he really harness enough hate that it simply could not be contained and suddenly like a boiling pot spilled over the side in a hissing and splattering mess that stains both pot and stove? I do know, however, that by simply hearing about the incident I learned a great deal about the interconnectedness of hatred and ignorance.

The election of Barack Obama did not usher in an era of “post-racial” American discourse, no matter how much the popular media tried to push the story. Hatred and its big brother ignorance are alive and well. However, I do not hold with those who argue that hatred is an aberration solely evident in the Western world, or those who claim this nation churns out ignorance and hatred like a lucrative puppy mill. It is, nevertheless, a lesson learned through the demonstration of a particularly virulent and nasty form of American thinking. It is a way of thinking that is forged through intimacy with all things bigoted and culturally centric.

The situation as I observed it was this: with no small amount of poetic justice and irony, an angry man told two Americans, they were “in America.”

The man who felt compelled enough to forcefully display his ignorance was a man who allowed himself to be governed by hatred and intolerance. Presumably the outward display was meant to exhibit his preference that they not be Muslim, even though one was not.

The lesson I learned is this: no matter who is elected to office, as long as boastful ideological ignorance is a cherished and encouraged foundation for cultural literacy, there will continue to be social interactions built on intolerance. And more importantly, when someone seeks to learn about a different culture, they might learn more about their own.

The Met's music picks

2009-03-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

The Omens - Send Black Flowers
written by Jeremy Johnson
(jjohn308@mscd.edu)

While the word “omen” usually refers to future events, Denver’s fuzzed-out garage rockers The Omens are steeped in influences of the past — namely heavy ’60s psychedelia and organ-grinding, California-style surf rock. They do, however, prove there’s a place for music’s past in the future, updating the slightly antiquated genre with a layer of dark lyricism that mirrors Gen Y-er’s contempt for, well, pretty much everything. The Omens’ second, full-length recording, Send Black Flowers, doesn’t hide behind muted symbolism. Instead, Flowers is a grueling and energetic exercise in love’s dark, macabre side, bolstered with two-minute breakup anthems such as “Pray for You,” “She’s Just Fine” and “It’s Down on You.” Despite their inner, compositional complexities — including incredibly coherent, stripped guitar riffs (from singer and guitarist Michael Daboll) and haunting organ accompaniment (Eddie Briedenbach) — The Omens are still very much a garage-punk band at heart, and the proof is in Flowers’ frantic delivery of 10 tracks in just under 25 minutes. What The Omens lack in variety, they make up for with consistently electric vitality, doubly emphasized by Daboll’s incessant howling and his sweaty, lyrical delivery. The exception to The Omens’ typical whirlwind delivery is the third track, “You Can’t Come Back,” a monstrously enterprising number full of tempo shifts and false crescendos that leave the listener dizzy, and the poppy, tongue-in-cheek “You Don’t Know Me at All.” And in case you don’t know The Omens, I suspect, if you’ve got any indie-rock sense at all, you soon will.

Dan Craig - Accidents
Written by Julie Maas
(pretko@mscd.edu)

Accidents was, quite literally, an accident. While finalizing his second full-length album in the studio, the talented singer-songwriter Dan Craig couldn’t stop writing. Under more relaxed terms, this five-song EP was born. “It was really casual compared to the full-length album,” Craig said. “There was no pressure, it was great.” Although it was an “accident,” it certainly is a transient treat that leaves you wanting more. In an otherwise sweet-sounding tune such as “Quietly,” Craig surprises the listener with lyrics like “I watch you burn, and I love you quietly.” Erin Donavan’s vocals complement Craig’s with a haunting echo, adding an extra layer to his otherwise scratchy, albeit soothing, vocals. His mesmerizing guitar is set off perfectly with instruments like the cello and piano, which blend effortlessly. The track “There Is Still Time” brings the EP to a bittersweet close with an instrumentally-rich sound, both quiet and bold, in which Craig croons “Love, oh love, come back. There is still time.” And with that, Craig will keep listeners, and lovers, coming back for more.

N.A.S.A. - The Spirit of Apollo
Written by Clayton Woullard
(cwoullar@mscd.edu)

Some albums were meant to be the soundtrack for jungle juice, hazy living rooms and the groping of strangers. The Spirit Of Apollo is one of those.

The product of two hip-hop producers — Spike Jonze’s brother Sam Spiegel (aka Squeak E Clean of North America) and pro skater Ze Gonzales (aka DJ Zegon of South America) — Apollo was six years in the making, and it shows, especially in the deftly crafted production. “Money,” the album’s shining star, sees the talents of former Talking Head David Byrne, Z-Trip, Chuck D, Ras Congo and Seu Jorge but, surprisingly enough, is only unusual in its seemingly odd guest list.
“Way Down,” is another highlight that features Barbie Hatch’s ghostly vocals swirling perfectly with a Dan The Automator-esque beat, John Frusciante’s sparse, filtered guitar and RZA’s usual intriguing libretto, which are found elsewhere on the album’s hidden bonus track. My personal favorite, “Electric Flowers” features a sultry Nina Persson of The Cardigans.

On “Strange Enough,” Karen O fits perfectly on a rugged beat among fairly weak verses from the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Fatlip. “Gifted” is a bleep-y hip-hop/French electronic Santogold song featuring Kanye West and Lykke Li that works better than you’d think. “Whatchadoin?,” featuring Spank Rock, M.I.A., Santogold and Nick Zinner, is easily the most annoying song (it has M.I.A.) with a scrawny jungle beat and poorly-placed guitar riffs. And “Spacious Thoughts” is the most odd of the collaborators with Kool Keith and a husky Tom Waits over a gloomy New York beat that has a hard time figuring itself out.

Even though N.A.S.A. risked spreading themselves too thin with some 40 collaborators, it doesn’t take away from its playability because, overall, this is a laudable venture for the hip-hop lover’s, and the consummate partyer’s ears.

Missing Dufrenes - Missing Dufrenes
Written by Andrew Bisset
(abisset1@mscd.edu)

With influences including “tomfoolery, hijinks and rigamarole,” Denver’s Missing DuFrenes make rock and roll with a bit of an Ultimate Fakebook-esque, sugary coating. On their self-titled debut album, frontman Jonathan Snyder shifts gears from upbeat, almost poppy songs like the well-named “(They Don’t Put Nobodies) on Cereal Boxes” to harder, more emotional rock riffs like “All I Wanted With Ya,” a gritty, deep-throated ballad that could very well have come from the Detroit garage of the Von Bondies. Snyder is straight and to the point, as he tells a lover, “I’d rather hang from my own gallows than dangle on your hook.” Snyder continues this shifting throughout the album, giving us a nostalgic, back-porch-in-the-summer ballad on “The Same Bad Tunes,” and even a doo-wop track, “On the Hour,” where Snyder declares “Let’s be antisocial together, alienate everyone in our lives.” This diversity is what gives the DuFrenes their reputation as a great bar band — there’s something here for everyone. With a new release and a new guitarist (Gata Negra’s Whitney Rehr), the Missing DuFrenes can only go up from here.

Harlem Shakes - Technicolor Health
Written by Matt Pusatory
(mpusator@mscd.edu)

The debut album by New York five-piece Harlem Shakes is a fantastic example of what indie rock should be. Technicolor Health, due out March 24, is a nice blend of catchy guitar hooks, memorable lyrics and simple beats, with slight electronic vibes to keep the listener guessing. The addition of horns on some tracks really brings the whole package together. Vocally, singer Lexy Benaim may draw comparisons to fellow Big Apple resident Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Benaim’s voice may be high-pitched, but it is smoother and more refined than Ounsworth’s.

Highlights include “Strictly Game,” which is instantly likable and radio-friendly with a chorus that is built around the optimistic mantra, “This will be a better year.” “Sunlight” is another well-crafted song, building up to a raucous fervor, followed with verses filled with witty lyrics. The Shakes’ debut is a solid one, and with such catchy songs, you can’t help but shake along with the music.

Council of Word - CO2: A Heavy Gas
Written by Jeremy Johnson
(jjohn308@mscd.edu)
Since Zulu Nation-influenced hip-hop began waning in the early ’90s, artists of the constantly-transforming genre have continually tried to mimic the sound that led bands like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest to commercial success. Unfortunately, most fail. Denver’s forward-thinkers Council of Word cite such influences in the liner notes of their independent release CO2: A Heavy Gas, an ambitious display of delicious sampling, lightly funky undertones and wise lyricism about family, pride and personal growth. That’s not to say Council has fully succeeded in reviving the genre, but tracks such as “Council Gets Down” and “Don’t Change Your Love” — with percussive-heavy, Latin-spiced rhythm and Del Tha Funky Homosapien-like lyrical bravado — are examples of what hip-hop has been and, rightfully, should be again. The Council can be a bit chunky at times, with typical turntable intros and a mishmash of ringing bass lines, but the duo of Danny One Shoe (Dan Overby) and Deep Rawk Dave (Dave Ashton) keep it real, if you will, with witticism, lively tempos and pure, positive energy. That’s the Word, and they’re sticking to it.

Sounding Off: Yerkish

2009-03-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

Written by Matt Pusatory
(mpusator@mscd.edu)

Denver’s own Yerkish are making music that is hard to describe. Their complex blend of influences creates a vibrant and intricate sound. Fresh from recording their new album, Fear Conquers America, and on the verge of hitting the road for their first West Coast tour, drummer Ryan Eschenbach explains that Yerkish are not monkeying around.

MP: For those unfamiliar with the band, what is Yerkish all about?

Ryan Eschenbach: Yerkish is an artificial language using geometric forms to represent words, created for the experimental communication between chimpanzees and humans. Since 2005, we’ve aimed to dish out an experimental, neo-grunge, fuzz-jammin’, progressive rock/jazz and/or roll. We also believe in the visual aspect of a live show, always complementing our audio with a barrage of projected imagery and texture. The four of us have such an incredibly diverse and often contrasted musical background, but we somehow smash it down into a cohesive composition.

MP: You recently played an acoustic show. How does an acoustic show differ from your electric shows?

RE: We must be smashingly stoned to play an acoustic set. Kidding! The energy of the acoustic show (was) stripped down, more rhythmic, much more jazz-influenced, and overall more dynamic. With electric shows, we project a more intense onstage energy, barreling through songs, often bleeding from one to the next.

MP: The complexity of your music has garnished the label of “art rock.” Do you consider your music art rock?

RE: Art rock has been very loosely defined, it seems. The Denver art rock collective has sort of incorporated bands that fall between the crack, the ones that bridge gaps between genres. Our art rock can have seven or eight difficult passages, as opposed to your usual structure. Art rock tries to do something more than just rock, but still wants to rock. So, yes, Yerkish is art rock.

MP: What has the general reaction been to Fear Conquers America?

RE: The reaction has been humbling. We’ve gotten other bands that are inspired by it, my friend paints with it on, someone uses it as a coaster, my dog loves the smell of it and the local Denver music critics seem to enjoy it as well.

MP: The band is setting up a West Coast tour in May. What are you looking forward to most about the tour?

RE: I think we are all looking forward to getting out of Denver and playing in front of people who have never heard of us before. Meeting other bands, and soaking up as much new live music as we can. I also think it’s a sort of social experiment as well between the four of us, to see how we handle each other under such extreme conditions.

Yerkish
3.14.09
8PM @ the Toad Tavern
$6, 21+

Sounding Off: The Pirate Signal a beacon of Denver's hip-hop revival

2009-03-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Written by Jeremy Johnson
(jjohn308@mscd.edu)

Nothing is more frustrating than a stagnant genre. Not only can a lack of new direction be terribly uninspiring to listeners, it can lead them to misunderstand a genre completely. Hip-hop’s always been a misunderstood genre, and, more often than not in Denver, an uninspired one. Enter The Pirate Signal, a duo (consisting of frontman Yonnas and DJ A-What) that uses great sampling, driving tempos and truly inspired lyricism to bring the focus back to the local hip-hop scene.

JJ: Tell me a little about The Pirate Signal. What did you do before getting together to make music?

Yonnas: The Pirate Signal is me, Yonnas, DJ A-What and Joey Kuvo. And perhaps many, many more. Before we knew each other, we were drifting aimlessly, searching for meaning in this cold, dark world.

JJ: What is it about your brand of hip-hop that distinguishes it from a lot of the other stuff out there right now?

Y: I like to think that we use soft/loud dynamics unlike anyone in the world, really. We try to emphasize songwriting over rapping or scratching itself, and I think we definitely use melodrama and epic proportions uniquely. And our shit bangs, hard.

JJ: On your MySpace, you list your influences as sex, violence and Radiohead. Yet your music has a much more positive energy than that might suggest. What else fuels The Pirate Signal?

Y: I think I would like to maintain the air of darkness like my favorite bands, not necessarily Radiohead, who are very colorful, but maybe bands like Joy Division or Bauhaus. And I like dark, gothic stuff, but I like musicality and instrumentation and dynamics and color, too.

JJ: What rules need to be broken in order to keep contemporary hip-hop fresh?

Y: We need to have different influences outside of the genre to filter and contribute with, new textures and new sounds. Everything should be reconsidered and tested.

JJ: Speaking of anti-authoritarianism, Live Nation and Ticketmaster have been discussing a merger, making for a very monopolistic ticket sales market. What do you think that means to the future of music and ticket sales?

Y: They’re merging because independent music is toppling the corporate structure and it’s struggling to try and meet their ridiculous quotas and bloated overheads. Say what you will about stealing, but piracy means free, and freedom is the stone that busted Goliath’s head open.

The Pirate Signal
3.14.09
7PM @ the Marquis Theater
$10, all ages

The sweet taste of victory and the bitterness of defeat

2009-03-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Written by Eric Lansing
(lansing@mscd.edu)
Photos by Dawn Madura, Cora Kemp
(dmadura@mscd.edu, ckemp4@mscd.edu)

A seemingly innocent loose ball headed toward the baseline. Three players raced after it as if their life depended on it. As if their life depended on it? The players wouldn’t have it any other way.

In the championship game of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament, the Colorado School of Mines and Colorado State University at Pueblo were on a crash course for history, but it was another collision that caused for pause.

CSU-Pueblo forward Mary Rehfeld swiped the ball from two Mines players who missed their chance at the rebound, but unfortunately, didn’t miss each other.

Mines forward Brecca Gaffney, 6-foot-8-inches ran head first into Mines guard Peanut Eickelman, 5-foot-8-inches. The smack echoed around the arena and the once boisterous championship crowd quickly silenced and everyone stared in horror, as two players lay injured on the court.

Gaffney was knocked out cold, as the crown of her head drove into Eickelman’s face, which was swelling up before she hit the floor. Trainers and families raced to their aid. The crowd stood in awe of the train wreck they just witnessed. Gaffney was taken to the hospital with possible head and neck injuries and Eickelman was carried to the locker room with a possibly swollen face.

But despite the nightmare of this brutal event that could have ended the careers or even the lives of the two athletes, this is how they leave everything they have on the floor for the game they love.

“It’s a testament to how hard they play this game,” Mines head coach Paula Krueger said. “They are willing to put their bodies on the line. They are not going to go down with a fight.”

This event epitomized what the 2009 RMAC Shootout was all about. The tournament beared witnessed to the 100 or so athletes clawing, racing and screaming toward a championship.

From the conditioning exercises of the offseason to the waning seconds of the postseason, these Division II athletes sacrificed everything to be that last team standing at the end of the tournament.

Fort Lewis was the top seed entering the tournament, compiling an astonishing 18-1 record in the RMAC. The Skyhawks reached No. 2 on the national rankings and were the consummate favorites to win the RMAC crown.

CSU-Pueblo, their semifinal opponent, had other plans. The Thunderwolves had won two of the past three shootout titles, including a semifinal upset of the Skyhawks last year.

Pueblo guard Rachel Espinoza, who was an integral part of last year’s championship as a freshman, rose to the occasion again scoring 18 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out six assists to take down the No. 1 seed for the second straight year.

Fort Lewis head coach Mark Kellogg could only hang his head in wonderment, as his team failed for the second year in a row to come away with the title, despite leading the best team during regular season.

“It’s no fun to play Pueblo in Pueblo every single year which seems to be our matchup,” Kellogg said. “It would be a lie to say that they don’t have a home-court advantage. But when we laid the egg, we just laid. It wouldn’t have mattered.”

While the women’s team had to unexpectedly pack up and head home, the men’s team was just heating up. Last year’s RMAC tournament champs rode the shoulders of a big man new to the shootout.

In his team’s semifinal contest with Colorado Christian on March 7, Fort Lewis center Kirk Archibeque, the 6-foot-9-inch 255-pound behemoth displayed raw power and emotion with rim-rocking dunks and brute strength. He scored 36 of his team’s 92 points leading his team one step closer to RMAC gold.

In the other semifinal games, No. 3 seeded Mines women upset No. 2 seed Nebraska-Kearney in a game of gritty half-court basketball that outlasted the Lopers’ run-and-gun offense. The No. 1 Metro Roadrunners outlasted a scrappy CSU-Pueblo team to advance to the men’s title game.

While there was no tomorrow for four of the eight teams that began the shootout, the remaining teams had to muster up enough energy and stamina to fight through another emotionally charged game. However, championship glory was at stake for March 8 winners.

The first of the day’s battles featured the slugfest between Mines and Thunderwolves women’s team. Not only was the RMAC trophy up for grabs, but also a trip to the NCAA Tournament was on the line. The winner moved on to the big dance, while the loser picked up their basketball and left to think “what if.”

This game was one of attrition as bodies banged in the paint and exhaustion left players panting during timeouts.

The ’Wolves raced out to a 30-22 point halftime lead, as Espinoza was once again ready for showtime, piling up 14 first-half points. Frustration was evident in Krueger as she flung her body and arms in a wild tornado motion, as her team missed layup after layup.

The heavyweight bout continued into the second-half and Pueblo drew first blood, literally.
Mines center Savannah Afoa had her back to the rim and looked to make a spin move with the basketball. Instead, a hand or an elbow from an invisible player — it was so fast it was unsure who made the contact — popped Afoa in the nose and she quickly went to the floor.

The game continued on as Pueblo was in possession of the ball. Afoa began bleeding profusely from her nose. Remnants of the blood remained on the floor after the center went to the bench.

The Gaffney, Eickelman incident took place four minutes later and the ’Diggers had to finish out the game without two of their superstars. Pueblo easily went on to win their third RMAC title in four years, but the brutality of what happened in the second half lingered on.

During the Mines press conference, Krueger and Afoa entered the room with tears streaming down their faces. Emotions had overcome the fierce competitors. Not only had they lost the game they strived for all season long, they sat worried about their fallen teammates. And to top it all off, three of their senior teammates had played their last game for the school, which is always an emotion sendoff for the team.

“I am very proud of this team,” Krueger said trying to fight off the crying. “It is very hard to continue to play after two of your sisters leave a game the way they did. It was too much for them to overcome to win a ballgame, but at least they went down fighting.”

Metro fought tooth and nail with Fort Lewis in the men’s final. The Skyhawks went for the kill leading by 12 with less than 12 minutes to go. But the ’Runners stayed focused and patient and rallied for the 84-78 win for their eigth tournament title.

The emotions were lower than low for the women’s Mines’ team, but the Roadrunner men were flying higher than high as six seniors celebrated their last RMAC game with cheers, hugs and smiles. Some could not help themselves, as they celebrated with the Metro Pep Band.

The 2009 RMAC Tournament brought out every emotion one could withstand and it provided a physical display that Rocky Balboa would have been proud of.

Altitude Sports did show the finals on their channel, but it was a long way from the coverage Division II basketball deserves. University of Colorado at Boulder and Colorado State University continue to get headlines and first-rate coverage despite sporting losing records.

At the end of the day, despite the bloodshed, the tears and the sweat, is basketball just a game? Yeah right!

Students to vote on increasing RTD pass free

2009-03-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

Written by Tara Moberly
(tmoberly@mscd.edu)

Increases in RTD fares have trickled down to the Auraria Campus, meaning that students will have to approve an increased fee or face losing the discounted pass.

On April 1 and 2, students will vote on whether or not to increase the bus pass fee from $37 to $46 for the 2009 – 2010 school year. The increase follows the 14 percent across-the-board fare increase RTD implemented in January.

The total cost for the Auraria passes for the 2007 – 2008 year was $2.8 million, and the cost for next year has increased to $3.2 million, RTD spokeswoman Daria Serna said.

Serna also noted that ridership is up among Auraria students, which also necessitated increasing the price of the pass. Last year, 97 percent of students voted to increase the bus pass fee from $33 to $37, with over 3,000 students turning out to vote.

“What we really need is more students to vote,” Rachel Wear, a member of the Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board said. “Do you want to continue with this fantastic deal or do you want it to abruptly end in August?”

Mana Rajai, a UCD student, doesn’t agree with increasing the cost of the pass.

“I use the light rail occasionally. I think $37 is enough already. We have to pay so much for things already and it’s just going to keep going up,” Rajai said.

Metro student Kevin Torres would vote to increase the fee, noting that the higher cost is still far less than students would have to pay for a pass otherwise. “I know everybody doesn’t want to pay more, but in the long run you are saving more.”

A 12-month pass purchased through RTD directly would cost from $770 to $1,804. Even with the increased price, students will still pay less than $100 a year for a pass.

Students can vote on both days at institution-specific locations. Metro students vote in the Central Classroom Building. UCD students vote in the North Classroom Building and CCD students vote in the South Classroom Building.

RTD Passes by the numbers

Auraria Student Pass

$136 for 12 month pass(Based on proposed increase)
Free Local, Limited, Express, Regional bus service —including Boulder and Longmont — and Light Rail Service in all fare zones. It can also be used as a $4 credit on skyRide to DIA.

Local AB and BC Regular

Includes all light rail stations except County Line and Lincoln. $770 for 12 month pass
Pass is valid for all Local, Limited, designated light rail fare zones and call-n-Ride service throughout the District at all times. It can also be used as a credit of $2 on any other regular RTD service.

Express ABC Regular Pass

Includes all light rail stations except County Line and Lincoln. $1408 for 12 month pass
This pass is valid for all Express, light rail fare zones A, B and C and all of the service listed above throughout the District at all times. It can also be used as a credit of $3.50 on any other regular RTD service.

Regional All Zones

$1,804 for 12 month pass
This pass is valid for skyRide, all light rail fare zones and all of the service listed above.

Taking out the electronic trash

2009-03-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

Written by Clayton Woullard
(cwoullard@mscd.edu)
Photo by Mark Farnik
(mfarnik@mscd.edu)

Apprentices save TVs, computers from landfills

Metro criminal justice major Brandon Rice had some dead cell phones, an old computer, and a PlayStation — and that was good news to Jesse Martinez and his team, who were educating people about e-cycling March 4 at the Tivoli Commons.

Martinez, a senator in the Student Government Assembly, is taking part in Metro’s Apprentice Challenge on Team Contender, the boys’ team. Last week, he was working to outdo Team Triple Threat, the girls’ team, on educating people about e-cycling.

At the rally, amid break dancers moving to the beats of DJ Dozens, Martinez and other members of his team informed students about e-cycling and signed them up to unload their defunct electronics for free at Comcast’s Englewood location on March 7. It normally costs $30-$50 to recycle electronics, Martinez said.

The City and County of Denver, Comcast, 9News, Waste Management and LG Electronics sponsored the event, one of five e-cycling drives held that morning around the metro area.

It is the second of four challenges the Apprentice teams must face this semester. The e-cycling mission had Team Contender first set up an information campaign that included a blog, online social media through Facebook and MySpace, a Twitter site and other online venues. According to the team’s blog, one TV contains eight pounds of lead and other toxic material.

Team Triple Threat was tasked with educating people about the benefits of e-cycling without using a shred of paper. Martinez’s team was slated to present to the Challenge judges March 13 on how their team did better at educating people about e-cycling and how successful they were at getting people to come to the March 7 event.

At the rally, students were asked to text 313131 and text five friends about the e-waste drop-off event later that week, and if they did, they were automatically entered to win four Colorado Rockies tickets. Anyone who came to the March 7 event was automatically entered to win Rockies tickets and the 500th car won a year of free Comcast cable TV service. Martinez said his team’s initial goal for the event was to see 500 cars and collect 1,000 screens and 40 tons of e-waste. They actually saw 4,908 cars and collected nearly 350 tons of e-waste.

“We’re excited,” Martinez said. “We were nervous at first because (of our location), but after seeing so many cars we were surprised by how many people showed up through our outreaching efforts.”

Rice said he wasn’t going to throw away his old technology because he knows the hazards it can cause to landfills. When he heard he could recycle it for free, he signed up to drop off his old electronics.

“I think it helps benefit the Earth,” Rice said. “I mean if you’re just going throw stuff in the junkyard … it’s never going decompose, so I think they’re helping out here.”

Martinez said many people have their old electronics stored somewhere in their house; they don’t know what to do with them and only 10 percent of the TVs and computers in American homes are recycled. Those that get thrown away make up 2 percent of the country’s landfills, but make up 70 percent of their toxic waste, he said.

Metro business management major Adam Ford, on March 4, said he was planning to bring some old cell phones to the drop-off event, but that he was initially planning to take them to a cell phone company’s store.

“It’s not only irresponsible not to recycle everything you possibly can in whatever manner is practical, but it’s actually overall, in the grand scheme of things, it’s more cost effective; it’s just the right thing to do,” Ford said. “It’s silly not to.”

A November 2008 60 Minutes segment showed the effects e-waste was having on the ecosystem and health of the inhabitants of one city in China and how Englewood - based company Executive Recycling was shipping e-waste collected at e-cycling drives to China. The company had a contract to recycle e-waste with the City and County of Denver, though that contract expired last year.

E-cycling drives have gained popularity in the past few years all across the nation, as the public becomes more aware of the harmful materials

March takes funding issue to Capitol

2009-03-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

Written by Caitlin Gibbons
(cgibbon4@mscd.edu)
Photos by Leah Millis & Andrew Bisset
(lmillis@mscd.edu, abisset1@mscd.edu)

Students rally to support budget cap elimination

More than 100 students gathered March 9 to march to the Capitol in support of increased funding for higher education.

The event, sponsored by the Student Government Assembly and the Associated Students of Colorado, rallied students to show support of Senate Bill 228, which proposes to eliminate a state spending cap, put in place by the Arveschoug-Bird provision. A-Bird, as it’s called, only allows the state’s general fund to grow by 6 percent a year from the previous year’s amount.
The mission of the ASC, according to chairman David Dorey, is to work toward accessibility, quality and affordability — all things that are threatened by Arveschough-Bird.

SGA President Andrew Bateman asked students to “show we value education.” Bateman said governments “love to ignore students” because students never speak up. If they did not speak up, Bateman said, students would continue to take enormous cuts for higher education, cuts they can’t afford. SGA handed out T-shirts and signs at the Tivoli Commons before the march. The SGA budgeted $10,000 for the march, according to Vice President C.J. Garbo. However only approximately $3,000 of the budget was used. A final tally of the costs was not available at the time of publication.

The march led students down Colfax to the Capitol with police escorts to ensure the safety of the participants.

SGA members led students in chants of “we are a nation that needs an education” and “fund our future.” The march also spurred supportive honks and waves from passing cars.

Metro student Gennai Sawvel, an art major, said she was marching because if tuition is raised as a result of less funding for higher education, she would not be able to get student loans to cover her tuition costs. Sawvel transferred from the University of Northern Colorado to Metro because the college was more affordable.

Metro is home to the second-largest undergraduate population in Colorado, but receives the least funding per student — an issue many students are concerned about, like Metro industrial design major Phillip Miller.

“Metro is already last in per capita funding. Higher education is always the first to be cut, and we can’t have that,” Miller said.

One of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. John Morse, D-El Paso, addressed the students on the west steps of the Capitol. “We’ve figured out we’ve cut our taxes to the point we can’t even fund higher education,” Morse said. “How are we supposed to make sure that the next generation has every bit as much opportunity as the current generation?”

Higher education funding in Colorado is ranked 49th in the nation.

“A series of well-intentioned statutory and constitutional provisions to promote fiscal responsibility has produced a state of affairs where higher education funding is the absolute last of our priorities,” Dorey said.

Higher education is one of many components of the general fund. Healthcare, K-12 education and corrections are also encompassed in the fund. Areas such as K-12 education and corrections are constitutionally protected from severe budget cuts, making higher education a target when it comes time to cut the state budget.

“It is hard for us to make a case for higher education funding if we can’t get the constituents it matters most to show up and show that it’s important to them,” Bateman said in regard to the purpose of the march.

Metro theater adjunct professor Terry Burnsed marched along with the students of Auraria.
“All the schools in the nation need, like all human services activities, to not be the victims of this economic catastrophe,” Burnsed said. “Human services need not to be pitted against each other, but need to band together. The people advocating health care should be shaking hands with the people advocating for education.”

The general fund encompasses all human services expenditures, not just higher education.
“It’s important to make a statement,” Metro junior Kayla Kaufman said, adding that she doesn’t want tuition to go up. “(The march) really is for our future,” she said.

Metro students joined other Colorado students at the Capitol from Arapahoe Community College, Colorado State University, the Community College of Denver, Pikes Peak Community College, Fort Lewis College, UCD and UNC.

“This is a testament to the urgency of the issue that we are here lobbying for,” Dorey said. Senate Bill 228, if passed, will repeal the 6 percent spending cap. If the spending cap is repealed, legislators will have the freedom to decide where to spend funds and “restore fiscal sanity to Colorado,” said Jack Wiley, ASC director of legislative affairs and former Metro SGA president.

Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, thanked students for their support of Senate Bill 228. “Repealing Averschoug-Bird does not create one more dollar. Think about that,” Heath said. “It gives us flexibility where we are going to spend the money. Maybe one year we want to spend it all on roads and bridges. But maybe the next year we want to spend it all on higher education.”

Additional reporting by Andrew Fortier

House moves grad bill forward

2009-03-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Written by Andrew Flohr-Spence
(spenceand@mscd.edu)
Photo by Drew Jaynes
(ajaynes1@msc.edu)

Metro one step closer to adding masters's degrees

Colorado legislators took a first look this week at a bill that would allow Metro to offer master’s programs, and so far, they like what they see.

The House Education Committee voted unanimously March 9 to move House Bill 1295 forward.
The bill would amend the state statutes governing Metro allowing the college to offer master’s degrees. The House is expected to vote on it in the coming weeks. The bill will then move to the Senate and, if approved, would need Gov. Bill Ritter’s signature.

“We know that Metro has been a champion of students of all backgrounds for many, many decades,” House Rep. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora, one of the bill’s sponsors, said to the committee. Todd said the change would allow Metro to broaden the opportunity for its students, offering high-quality degrees at a more affordable price than other state schools.

“We are seeing it (Metro) move with the times, making it more adaptable, more flexible and more available to more students so they can achieve their dreams,” Todd said.

John Karakoulakis, director of legislative affairs for the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, agreed with Todd and said the commission had voted to approve the legislation.

Metro President Stephen Jordan and chair of Metro’s Board of Trustees, Adele Phelan, testified to the committee in support of the bill. Jordan said studies show that offering a master’s helps a school retain both students and faculty. Offering teachers a way to continue their education, advance professionally and earn more money keeps them from moving on. Offering a higher level of qualification attracts a greater number of students who might otherwise look elsewhere, or low-income students might ordinarily be unable to afford further education.

Jordan outlined the three programs the college wants to extend to the graduate level: education, social work and accounting.

Jordan said the three departments would quickly be ready to go, with enough Ph.D. accredited professors necessary to teach at the level, and a high enough student demand for the added programs. Questionnaires the departments sent out to students came back with overwhelming approval for the idea, Jordan said.

“The board has taken this decision very seriously,” Phelan said. “We really think this continues Metro’s mission.”

The board set up a committee to make sure the areas the college developed were able to sustain the new services, and to make sure that all the proper steps were taken to establish the programs. Phelan told the education committee that the plan so far has received overwhelming endorsement from students, faculty, staff, alumni and the board of education.

There was no lack of support at the meeting. Numerous other Metro officials, not to mention a few students, also came to the public hearing prepared to testify if needed.

Chair of teacher education Ellie-Ann Shahinian Baldwin said that of the nearly 2,000 students studying in her department, around 510 students were potentially candidates for the program. She said the considerable pay increase that a teacher with a master’s degree receives over teachers with a bachelor’s degree, was something nearly every education student was interested in.

“Not to mention the doors that the higher degree opened if a person was interested in educational administration,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin brought along an ideal candidate for the program, Brian Adler, an education student currently working on his certificate at Metro. Adler said he was very interested in the master’s prospect and currently he was slowed down in his educational career because Metro couldn’t offer it.

Schools with master’s programs allow teachers to get the additional degree and their teacher certification at the same time. Currently, Adler has to wait until he is done with the certificate and then will have to find another school to do his graduate work.

Adler said he would sign up if Metro could make the change by 2010, otherwise he’d have to go elsewhere.

But if the speed at which the bill is moving through the house is any indication, Adler won’t have to leave. The committee didn’t need to hear from Baldwin or Adler: they were convinced.
“It’s really nice when things can move that quickly,” President Stephen Jordan said after the hearing. “It’s testimony to all the hard work everybody had put in.”

Roadrunners grab first victory

2009-03-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

Written by Enrico Dominguez
(edoming2@mscd.edu)
Daniel Clements
(dcleme12@mscd.edu)

The women’s tennis team started a little rough against University of Wyoming March 1 at the Air Force Academy, but ended on a high note against Winona State March 2 at Auraria Courts.

Junior Mandy Bowling hurt her knee and was unable to play in both matches, causing the team to forfeit No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles.

“I hope to be back soon,” Bowling said. “Not quite sure what the injury is yet.”

Junior April Hirad said it’s difficult beginning the match down by two points when it hasn’t even started.

“It’s a lot harder when the match starts 2-0 because Mandy is out,” Hirad said.

With Bowling out, the whole roster was forced to shift below senior Mitra Hirad. Senior Miriam Evangelista played No. 1 doubles with Mitra Hirad and Hirad played with sophomore Alexis Alvarez at No. 2 doubles after only a few days of practicing together.

“Doubles is a little foreign territory right now,” head coach Beck Meares said. “If we can go into singles 2-1 or 3-0 that would really help.”

Sophomore Kathleen Thompson lost 6-0, 6-1 but was still looking forward to the match against Winona State.

“Probably one of my best matches, although the score may not have reflected it,” Thompson said. “I felt like we had an intense week of practice just like the week we played Air Force.”

Although they didn’t win a single match, they all seemed to know something the scoreboard didn’t.

“We weren’t expecting to win against Wyoming,” Meares said. “I scheduled the DI teams at the beginning of the season for a reason. Our season starts tomorrow against Winona.”

Once again, the Roadrunners started off the match against Winona State down 2-0. Doubles began with new partners Evangelist and Mitra Hirad tag-teaming for a win against Winona’s No. 1 doubles 9-7. The No. 2 team, which consisted of Hirad and Alvaraz, lost their match 7-4.

In the far court, Thompson was starting more of what was promised as the actual season started. Before anyone knew it, she was coming off the court with a win, carrying herself with an anticipated sense of satisfaction.

Not only was Thompson winning her matches, the rest of the team were winning also. While Evangelista won her match 6-3, 6-3, Hirad started playing like she was shot out of a cannon around her fifth game and pulled the match out 6-3, 6-3. The whole team watched as Alvaraz finished off her match winning 6-2, 7-5.

“We started down 2-0 against a team ranked three spots above us,” Hirad said. “This feels so good.”

The win puts the women’s team at an even .500 overall. The men will play against Dallas Baptist March 10 at Auraria Courts.

Baseball loses opening series

2009-03-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

Written by Robert Dran
(rdran@mscd.edu)
Photo by Andrew Bisset
(abisset1@mscd.edu)

Metro baseball managed to claim a victory and avoided a series sweep at the hands of Mesa State Feb. 27 through March 1 in Grand Junction.

Metro scored four runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning of the final game to win 10-9.

Designated hitter Brett Bowman saved Metro from a quick one-two-three inning by singling off Mesa pitcher Aaron Guinn. Bowman advanced to second during the next at-bat when catcher Tyree Abshire singled. After left fielder Marcel Dominguez walked to load the bases, second baseman Tommy Frikken hit a ground ball that turned into a two-run error for Metro. With the teams separated by one run center fielder Chris Redding was walked to load the bases. Shortstop Matt McConnell hit the tying and go-ahead runs with a double off the wall in center field.

Though embarrassed at his teammate’s claim that he was the man who started the rally, Bowman gave a sober assessment of his strategy at the plate.

"[I was] just trying to be aggressive,” Bowman said. “The guys behind me are more important to me. The difference for us in this game is that we kept them close. They're a bunch of good hitters."

Slugging first baseman Jordan Stouffer was quick to compliment his team’s performance after being the first of two outs before the rally.

"I just have to say I am impressed with our team's mental toughness," Stouffer said.

Mesa only managed a single in the bottom of the ninth and Metro held their lead to win the game. The win stopped Mesa's chance at a sweep and ended Metro's three-game losing streak after winning their previous five. No. 4 ranked Mesa defeated Metro in the other three games in the series 18-8, 14-4, and 12-11.

Though Metro was excited to grab an emotional victory, head coach Jerry Schemmel said he felt the team should have done better.

"We could have won [the third game] and split the series," Schemmel said. "In this game, Mesa had four errors and their shortstop was suspended. We played hard and had a no-quit attitude; when that happens you'll win the game."

The normally polite and professional Schemmel was ejected from the third game.

As for the rest of the series, the No. 4-ranked Mavericks out-scored the Roadrunners 41-23 in the three games Mesa won. Metro did come close in the third game with a high scoring 12-11 loss, but Mesa won the game with a walk off home run. Stouffer had a good third game for Metro by going 3-3 with two home runs. He added another in the final game to increase his conference-leading total of eight home runs on the season.

Metro will spend March 6 and 7 playing a pair of doubleheaders against Colorado Christian University in Lakewood.

"They've got a good team this year," Schemmel said of CCU. "We're confident but were not overconfident."

Roadrunners sweep home opener

2009-03-06T15:41:00.000-08:00

Written by Josiah Kaan
(jkaan@mscd.edu)
Photo by Andrew Bisset
(abisset1@mscd.edu)

Metro 4 - Mesa 0, Metro 1 - Regis 1

Metro wins 4 straight games against Mesa; 5-1 in RMAC

Metro softball started conference play strong winning all four games against Mesa State College Feb.28-March 1 at Auraria Field.

“It was big for us to get these four wins,” head coach Jen Fisher said. “Mesa is a solid hitting team, and we have a lot of respect for them.”

The Roadrunners didn’t play past the fifth inning Feb. 28 as they out played Mesa in both games.

Metro won the first game of the day with great team hitting that produced 12 runs batted in on their way to beat Mesa 14-3.

Ahead 5-2 at the end of the first inning, Metro put on the gas with a seven-run third inning, followed by a two-run fourth inning.

Pitcher Christie Robinson played good defense, taking care of five ground balls and not allowing a run throughout the last three innings.

“Robinson pitched very well,” Fisher said.

The second game ended similarly as Metro continued hitting well leading to a 16-8 victory.

Pitcher Corrie Nishikida started the game throwing three scoreless innings as the Roadrunners racked up a 13-0 lead due to a nine-run third inning. Mesa made an attempt at the lead with a five run fourth inning and a three run fifth inning.

Nishikida led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to left field, then was later batted in for the game ending run by center fielder Kellie Nishikida.

“It was pretty cool that she scored that last run and her sister hit her in,” Fisher said.

“We want to set the tone for the RMAC,” Kellie Nishikida said. “Every game is important from here on out.”

Metro won the first game March 1, 5-4 in a match won by good defensive play. All of Metro’s scoring came early with a three run first inning, due to a two-run home run by second baseman Sarah Rusch, followed later by a homerun by right fielder Tara Mickelson, and a two-run second inning.

“I’m really happy with the success we’re having, but I don’t think we’ve reached our capability yet,” Robinson said. “We still have a long road ahead of us.”

Metro won the last game of the series 9-2 due to solid play on both offense and defense. Pitcher Brittany Moss started the game with great pitching as she held Mesa scoreless through the first three innings, helping Metro take a 6-0 lead. The Roadrunners sealed the game scoring two runs in the fifth inning, followed by another run in the sixth inning, while holding Mesa to only two runs for the game.

Moss pitched a complete game, striking out seven batters and allowing only four hits.
“We’re going to be a hard team to beat,” Moss said.

The Roadrunners improve to 11-3 overall with a 4-0 conference record, and is tied for first in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s East Division with Colorado School of Mines. Metro plays three conference games at New Mexico Highlands University March 8 in Las Vegas, N.M.

Metro drops ball in playoffs

2009-03-06T15:34:00.000-08:00

Written by Eric Lansing
(lansing@mcd.edu)
Photo by Linh Ngo
(lngo@mscd.edu)

Metro 83 - UCCS 70, Metro 54 - CSU-Pueblo 57

Metro women’s basketball team got a sweet taste of playoff basketball after winning five of six games to finish out the regular season. But it quickly turned bitter after blowing a nine-point lead with six minutes left March 3 against CSU-Pueblo in a 57-54 loss in the first round of the RMAC Tournament in Pueblo.

The Thunderwolves, who also came in playing at the top of their game riding a six-game win streak, put the clamps on Metro’s offense in the first half.

Metro managed only 23 points in the first frame, including a mere two points from Metro forward Rae Bean, who seemed to be double teamed every time the ’Runners were on offense.

The offense looked lost when they couldn’t find Bean, but Metro’s youthful team might have shown late season growing pains. Freshman guard Jasmine Cervantes committed two fouls in the first minute of the game, while missed layups and ill-advised passes kept the offense off-balanced.

“We had trouble making easy shots,” Metro head coach Linda Lappe said. “We had trouble making threes; we had four airballs and I haven’t seen that from our team all year. I think we had a little bit too much energy and maybe too many nerves.”

Pueblo guard Michelle Ambuul tallied 11 first-half points to give her team a 33-23 lead at the intermission.

The Roadrunners came out firing in the second half putting together a 16-4 run to take their first lead since early in the first half. Bean powered her way inside for six of those points.

“We knew our season was on the line,” Metro forward Megan Sinclair said. “We knew we had to come out and play with heart and we just didn’t want to go out without a fight.”

But the run didn’t stop there, as the offense took advantage of poor shooting by the Thunderwolves. The ’Runners pushed their lead up to nine at the 6:57 mark on a mid-range jumper by Bean.

The lead was short-lived as eight turnovers in the next six minutes allowed the ’Wolves to climb back within one with under a minute to go.

After back-to-back misses by Metro, Pueblo had a chance to take the lead with under 30 seconds remaining. Metro’s defense held Pueblo to a long 3-point attempt by Ambuul, who had yet to hit a three since the first half. But after the ball hit off the rim, a late whistle on a foul by Metro guard Chelsea Williamson put Ambuul on the free throw line for a one-and-one chance.

Ambuul drained both giving her team a one-point edge with nine seconds on the clock. On the inbound, Metro freshman guard Leandra Sands tried to pass to half court to where Sinclair was standing, but Draper came up with the steal. Draper went on to drain both free throws for a 57-54 lead with six ticks remaining.

Metro guard Sharaya Selsor’s last-second 3-point attempt hit the rim and the ’Runners season came to an end.

While the Roadrunners shot 42 percent from the floor, the 17 turnovers kept the Thunderwolves in the game. Pueblo also hit 15-of-18 from the charity stripe that won them the game, despite shooting an abysmal 24 percent from the field and 0-of-9 from downtown.

Sinclair led Metro with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Bean had a better second half finishing with 14 points but only three rebounds.

This game was the last time Sinclair would don a Roadrunner jersey. The senior spent her entire four-year career at Metro and said she enjoyed her time on the court, as well as the friends she made off of it.

“It’s been amazing,” Sinclair said fighting back the tears. “I’ve gotten so much more out of Metro than just basketball. I couldn’t have asked for a better season.”

Lappe enjoyed her two years with the 5-foot-11-inch forward from Victoria, Australia.

“She’s a senior that every coach wants to have,” Lappe said. “She’s been a tremendous leader all year; in the locker room and on the floor.”

Metro wins first round

2009-03-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

Written by Kate Ferraro
(kferraro@mscd.edu
Photo by Brittney Hanze
(bhanze@mscd.edu)

Metro 84 - UCCS 78, Metro 86 - UCCS 76

Metro men’s basketball took the first game of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout against University of Colorado at Colorado Springs March 3 at the Auraria Events Center.

Earlier in the season, the Roadrunners (19-1 in the RMAC, 25-3 overall) beat the Mountain Lions (10-10 in the RMAC, 10-18 overall) 92-81. Metro and UCCS met once again Feb. 28 for the last regular season game in Colorado Springs where the Roadrunners beat them one more time 86-76. Metro guard Brian Minor said he believes even though it was the third time playing UCCS, it wasn’t easier the third time around.

“It gets harder and harder every time you play a team over and over,” Minor said. “It’s been getting tougher and tougher every game.”

Metro began their third meeting with the Mountain Lions with the score going back and forth. The Roadrunners went on a 13-3 run for a 32-18 lead with seven minutes left in the first half.

The Mountain Lions were scoreless on their last 11 straight possessions. UCCS roared back going on a 13-6 run closing the Roadrunners lead to only seven points with the score of 38-31 at halftime. Metro shot 53.6 percent from the floor and forced 11 turnovers.

With the Roadrunners ahead 46-39 only four minutes into the second half, the two teams had a 3-pointer duel. UCCS guard Ben Feilmeier buried a three cutting the Roadrunner’s lead to 46-42, but Metro guard Marquise Carrington answered right back with his own 3-pointer. UCCS guard Jordan McClung scored another 3-pointer for the Mountain Lions, but again Carrington responded maintaining a seven-point lead at 52-45.

“We definitely pick it up when we need to,” Minor said. “We started off slow and then the second half, we definitely picked up our defense, which helped a lot.”

The Mountain Lions scored eight of their last nine points to tie the game at 53 with 12 minutes left. The Roadrunners went on a 12-1 run opening their lead to 10 points. With five minutes left, Carrington hit a 3-pointer, and then stole the ball from the Mountain Lions on their next possession and hit a 19-foot jumper to put Metro ahead by 11 at 76-65.

“Marquise (Carrington) has been a leader of this team,” head coach Brannon Hays said. “He does just a great job of getting the team going and getting guys involved in the offense. When we do need to hit a shot, he’ll hit a shot and he came through big in the second half.”

Despite only hitting 6-of-12 from the line in the final four minutes, the Roadrunners held on to their lead and won the game 84-78.

“We got a resilient group of guys,” Hays said. “They find ways to win games. We’re bending, but we’re not breaking. The guys do a great job of keeping their poise.”

The Roadrunners have won 17 games in a row and will play Colorado State University at Pueblo in the semi-finals of the RMAC Shootout March 6 in Pueblo. If they win, Metro will move on to the championship match at 8 p.m. March 7 in Pueblo. Carrington said he believes it doesn’t matter who they play, the team is ready to play whichever team comes their way.

“We feel like we can take on anybody,” Carrington said. “Our one goal is to get into the national tournament, and get into the elite eight. From there, we have to beat the best anyway, so we don’t care, bring it on.”

No plans to quit

2009-03-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

Written by the Metropolitan Staff

Today, we stood two inches away from the founder of The Metropolitan, flipping through the yellowed, brittle pages of the first issue and sharing stories of its beginnings. They were six key journalism students who worked themselves tirelessly, skipping class and staying up past bedtime, to erect the paper for which we proudly work for today.

Many journalists who have worked in a newsroom before might recall ‘the glory years’ — when their spell check was a just dictionary and the large plates on which the papers were printed were fragile enough to break.

The technology may have changed but one thing remains: the people. We are journalists. We assemble, interpret and analyze the information you read. We make it easier for the people to understand the world’s chaos. We are the public’s watchdogs, critics and entertainers. Our newsroom seems more like home than our own apartments, and the people we share it with become our family.

Every newsroom has its own personality. Our home never stops laughing. We’ve lost count on the numerous inside jokes and stories we have with each other. There are exhausting nights of shouting, editing and seemingly never-ending writing. Believe it or not, we have bickered and fought over one sentence that’s made all the difference. A newsroom is never still unless it’s closed.

This is why the Rocky Mountain News’s loss has affected us all in a deep way.

A newsroom has died; the whole atmosphere of ideas, humor and excitement has been sucked out of it. An entire space filled with the most talented, brilliant reporters, editors and columnists have wiped their desks clean. Their crowded cubicles now stand completely empty. The people we respect and learn from are left displaced. Some may have joined other newsrooms, but more are still recuperating from the shock.

The business model may have failed, but the people have not. They are still the storytellers you depend on to bring life into print. In a sense, we are your public servants; if the public refuses the service we provide, the loss is greater than just a printed newspaper.

Journalists will never stop doing what they do. They will continue to pursue the stories and find a way to bring it to the people’s front door, even if it’s through the Internet. This is not an ending for journalism, it’s a fresh beginning, and any journalist will tell you that they’re ready to adapt just as they always have, working tirelessly, maybe skipping class and staying up past bedtime, to bring you a paper we are still proud of today. We have to. It’s all we know how to do.

SGA's march for funding could prove a costly hill to climb

2009-03-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

Special commentary by Andrew Bateman
(sgapresident@mscd.edu)
Andrew Bateman is President of the Student Government Assembly

On Monday, March 9, the Metro Student Government Assembly will be leading a march to the capitol, where it will join with students and student organizations from across the state of Colorado in asking the State to save higher education. We are calling upon the students of Metro to join us.

As you are reading this, the legislature is in the beginning stages of determining the Colorado state budget for 2009. With the economy in trouble, the 2009 budget is likely to sustain enormous deficits. With the law as it stands, higher education will bear the brunt of these cuts.
Colorado is already 49 in the nation for higher education funding. Within that already limited pot of funding, Metro gets the least amount of funding per student.

From the early estimates, it looks as though Metro will be cut more than any other institution next year. What this means for you is higher tuition, larger class sizes and less course sections. It also means Metro may have to begin turning away qualified students for the first time in the school’s history.

To make matters worse, the Arveschoug-Bird provisions in the state law books restrict the state from ever being able to recover from these massive cuts. The law says the state can increase the general fund by no more than 6 percent over the previous year. Since this is approximately how much the cost of state services increases each year, the net result is the state can never increase funding. So, when the state makes these enormous cuts to higher education next year, they will be permanent.

To understand the effect of the Arveschoug-Bird law, imagine that you spend $100 on food every week this year. In 2010, you get to increase that to $106 (6 percent). In 2011, you lose your job and work part-time, so now you can only afford $80 a week. In 2012, you get a job that pays what you made in 2009, but it doesn’t matter, because you’re still only allowed to spend $84.80 a week, due to the 6 percent limit. In fact, at this rate, you won’t be able to return to your 2009 levels until 2015, regardless of any raises or promotions you get. Meanwhile, the cost of food is going up 4-7 percent every year, so even though you are allowed to spend $100 a week again, it buys much less food than it did in 2009.

Senate Bill 228, sponsored by Sen. Morse (D) and Rep. Marostica (R), would repeal the Arveschoug-Bird law and allow the state to begin to restore funding to the starving state programs, including higher education, once the economy recovers. If this bill is not passed, it is likely Colorado will be stuck in a permanent recession for the foreseeable future. This will not only cripple higher education, but K-12, transportation, Medicare, corrections, law enforcement, and every other service that relies on state funding.

For more information on the Arveschoug-Bird laws and other state funding issues, visit the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute at http://www.cclponline.org.

Students, join us on March 9 and be a part of Colorado’s future. If you want to make sure that your tuition stays low and your teachers keep their jobs, take a couple of hours out of your day to walk to the steps of the capitol and make a difference.

We will begin to gather and distribute T-shirts and signs in the Tivoli Commons (between the Tivoli and the Plaza Building) at 10:30 a.m.

At 11:15, I will address the crowd and the press and make our intentions clear. At 11:30, we will depart from the campus and be escorted by police through downtown Denver to the capitol building where the Associated Students of Colorado will be holding their press conference at noon.

For most students, this means missing a single class, at worst, which is a small sacrifice to save higher education in Colorado.

Upcoming shows: Brother Ali brings witty hip-hop to the Fox

2009-03-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

Brother Ali

Written by Matt Pusatory
(mpusator@mscd.edu)

Two years after the release of his critically acclaimed sophomore album, The Undisputed Truth, Rhymesayers’ royalty Brother Ali is hitting the road in support of a new nine-song EP, The Truth Is Here. Ali will be taking the stage March 5 at the Fox Theater in Boulder.
Ali’s distinctive vocals and rabid rhymes make him one of the best emcees in underground hip-hop. His songs can cover any topic from political to biographical, and are always delivered in a hard-hitting and honest fashion. With heavy beats to go with his lyrical frankness, Brother Ali is sure to put on a blazing show worth the Front Range drive.
3.5.09 9PM @ The Fox Theatre $15, 21+

The Get Down!, The Get It! and The Knew

Written by Jeremy Johnson
(jjohn308@mscd.edu)

For a commanding knowledge of the seedier side of the Mile High City’s punk-rock scene, one need look no further than to the rustic guts of renown Denver dive the Carioca Café (better known as Bar Bar, due to the neon sign hanging above the door). Denver’s The Get Down! is pure compositional pandemonium, with chainsaw guitar and incessant, hollow drums paving the way for graveled lyrical deliveries. Punk-rock cousins The Get It! continue that theme, but with more metal influx, while The Knew offer a country-punk buffet that’s heavy with meaty indie complexity and tasty lyrics. While all three span different subsets of the punk genre, each offer a decidely unified sound explosion, sure to rattle the dust off the Bar Bar’s lone bottle of high-end whiskey.

3.7.09
9PM @ the Carioca Cafe
FREE, 21+

A mile high and rising: CO bands on the climb

2009-03-06T14:58:00.000-08:00

Hawks of Paradise

Written by Jeremy Johnson
(jjohn308@mscd.edu)
Photo by Ryan Martin
(martiry@mscd.edu)

There’s good logic to Hawks of Paradise’s moniker. They are a band whose tempo, at a moment’s notice, takes flight straight up into a heavenly ’60s freak-out climax, only to have the band’s direction downshift into droning garage rock and Lou Reed-like apathy. Then, effortlessly, they soar once more, flying high with a sense of sheer, grinding, electric urgency until they reach a splintering crescendo, thick with Vox organ psychedelia. It’s the kind of music that makes you tired in a fine and emotional sense. Currently opening venues for acts such as garage rock brethren The Omens and The Swayback, the Hawks are one of those “watch out” bands that are likely to rise above the rest very soon. In the meantime, take flight with the Hawks March 17 when they open up for weirdo folk trio Akron/Family at the Oriental Theater.

Drag the River

Written by Matt pusatory
(mpusator@mscd.edu)

Drag The River is one of Colorado’s best-kept secrets. Formed in Ft. Collins in 1996, the band has been making music for more than a decade. With the recent release of Bad at Breaking Up, they show no signs of slowing down. The title itself could serve as an indication. The band’s sweet blend of punk roots and country twang put Drag The River in the company of bands like Lucero and Drive-By Truckers. The group is still touring and will be hitting the East Coast this spring with a return to Colorado in the summer. Drag The River has been working hard and plans on releasing more singles later this year. If alt-country is your bag, Drag The River has damn near perfected the genre, and carved themselves a nice little niche in the Mile High City’s music scene along the way.

Sounding Off: Blind Pilot travels indie landscape without direction

2009-03-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

Written by Enrico Dominguez

From time to time a band comes along with the unique ability to inspire you to get up and do something spontaneous or unexpected. Blind Pilot (BP) does this quietly, with subtle mannerisms, diverse sounds and great lyrics. Whether it’s the story of them traveling on tour by bike, with all of their gear, from Bellingham, Wash., to San Diego, or how they evolved from a two-instrument band to a six-instrument ensemble, Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski, much like a blind pilot maneuvering a plane, haven’t always had a clear path to follow. The Portland, Ore. duo are, however, finding some clear skies ahead. Recently featured on Carson Daly, BP is coming to Denver’s Hi-Dive March 11, amid a U.S. tour that includes a spot at Austin, Texas’ coveted South By Southwest Music Festival. One half of BP’s whole, Ryan Dobrowski, stopped pedaling long enough to talk to The Met about the duo’s current success and ongoing travels.

Enrico Dominguez: How was it being on Carson Daly?

Ryan Dobrowski: It was really fun. I had a great time and everyone was really nice. The sound was good, and that made all the difference. We were excited just to have a show in Los Angeles.
ED: I read you guys hopped on your bikes, with all your gear, and pedaled from town to town on tour. But it didn’t say how long you were gone, or how far you rode.

RD: Isreal (Nebeker) and I had done bike tours a couple times. The first time it was just the two of us. We started in Vancouver and we were going to ride down to Mexico, but our bikes were stolen in San Francisco, so I’m not quite sure the mileage on that trip. It was definitely shorter than we wanted, but it was still an amazing trip. Then we came back and started working on 3 Rounds and a Sound, and got that album printed. This last time we started in Washington, just south of the border, and ended with a show in San Diego. It rounded out to just (more than) 2,000 miles.

ED: How much did you guys prepare for the bike tour? Or did you just go?

RD: You sort of just go out there and do it. We’re normal people. We really don’t work out all that much. We eat burritos and drink beer. But we like to ride bikes. The first few days we kept to shorter distances. The first few days are really tiring, but then you get use to it.

ED: Did you write very many songs while you were on the road? It’s easy to imagine the open road while listening to your music.

RD: There’s definitely a feeling of travel and a sense of place in the music that comes out. We get a lot of ideas for songs, and when we actually have a little bit more time to sit down and work on them, (they) get filled out into proper songs.

ED: It said in your profile you met in college. Were you roommates or did you meet around campus?
RD: We had a couple mutual friends. Israel had a band in high school, and I was a grade ahead of him, and there were two other guys in his band at the time. At first they wanted me to be the drummer of that band, but we had one practice, and after … I thought that just the two of us should start something. There was nothing against the other two guys, they just didn’t have the chemistry and it wasn’t the music we wanted to be making. It was pretty casual at first. Then we went to England for a summer and we played pretty much every night.

ED: How was it playing on the streets of England?
RD: It was fun. You get a really honest reaction from people when you play on the streets, and it was fun hanging out with the other street musicians. We are always pretty fond of that summer.

ED: So in five years, where do you want your music to be? Do you want to stick to indie or do you want to get with a major label?

RD: As things pro-gress, more people need to be involved to make the project grow, and to get more people to hear the music. A lot of people talk about labels disappearing altogether. We’ll see later down the road. We’re pretty grateful to have the label that we have, as small as it is. It’s a big help to have things taken care of on the business end a little bit more because it is a pretty complicated business. It definitely seems we’re more of an indie band than a major commercial band, but we’re also not really afraid of growth at all, and want to play for as many people as we can. So if we did end up on a major label, it would have to be under some certain terms that we wouldn’t be giving up to much of what we do.

ED: You seem very passionate about your music. How long have you been involved in music?

RD: I started playing music when I was 8 years old. I just like creating stuff. Initially, when Israel and I started playing together, I was doing a lot of painting and he was writing a lot of songs. We would work on things together and sort of bounce things off of each other.

ED: What inspires you to go from just playing an instrument, to creating a band, and creating a lot of your very own music?

RD: There’s something intimately better to me about playing with other people. I’ve seen a lot of other bands play with pre-programmed beats. There’s definitely an energy you get playing with other people that you just don’t get on your own.

The Broken West, Blind Pilot and Magic Mice
3.11.09
8PM @ the Hi-Dive, $12, 21+

In their own words

2009-03-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

Five former Rocky employees with Metro ties speak about their time at the paper and the future of the industry.

JOHN ENSSLIN
Journalism Professor
At the Rocky 24 years
•“[Newspapers are] morphing into something else. The reason I say that is because the appetite for news is stronger than it ever has been. Just look at the last election. The business model needs to change. The big circulation, metropolitan dailies may be dead.”
•”The bigger loss is the watchdog element. If we can’t pay somebody to go to the city council meeting then the city council figures that out pretty fast.”

KEVIN VAUGHAN
Metropolitan Editor-in-Chief, 1984 - 1985
At the Rocky 12 years
• “When I look at the last three months there were a lot of days that I picked up the paper and I was proud of what we put in there.”
• “I don’t know where journalism’s headed. I need to sort of see how the next few months play out.”
• “I am extremely grateful that The Denver Post offered me a job. I hope to bring something to the paper and learn something from that group of people.”

CHRIS SCHMAEDEKE
Metro Student
At the Rocky seven years
• “I enjoyed being able to work in journalism while taking journalism classes. I had that real-life experience that I could come into a class and say, ‘I’ve done this.’”
• What was your first Rocky story — “My actual first byline was a state basketball, a girls game. I was an outright nervous wreck. I was so scared. It’s, ‘I’m writing for the biggest paper here.’ I went and took care of it.”

ARMANDO ARRIETA
Journalism Professor
At the Rocky five years
• What did the Rocky mean to you? —
“Everything. It was my world. Best job. My dream job. It was everything I wanted to do, and I was only there for five years. I could only imagine what it’s like for people who have been there for 20, 30 years.”
• What killed the Rocky? — ”Officially, the recession. Personally, reader habits. The success of the Internet doesn’t translate into the current economic model of newspapers.”

JUDY DeHAAS
Photojournalism Professor
At the Rocky five years
• About her class at Metro — “I want to change peoples’ lives. I’m not going to stop just ‘cause some corporate whatevers aren’t making money.”
• “No one goes into journalism that wants to make money. What does happen is a deep sense of fulfillment and purpose.”
• “At The Post I’m going to be just concentrating on shooting. I am very thankful that they thought enough of me to give me a chance.”

Is the newspaper dead?

2009-03-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

Commentary by Dominic Graziano
(dgrazia1@mscd.edu)
Photos by Cora Kemp and Drew Jaynes
(ckemp4@mscd.edu)(ajaynes1@mscd.edu)

The last edition of the Rocky Mountain News came off the presses Feb. 27th. On opposite ends of the continent, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Philadelphia Daily News are both on the brink of the same fate. With advertising rates plummeting and the increase in Web usage for publication, one question is on the minds of publishers, writers and readers alike...

Is the newspaper dead?

Yes, and long live the Internet. Anyone can be a reporter these days and we’ve lost that crucial small-town feel. Soon the only thing left on the page will be car ads and classifieds — and Craig’s List hosts those for free.

The Internet is taking over journalism, and anyone with a pen and pad or a laptop can cover a story.

Bloggers can do the job of any seasoned reporter. Granted, the words are stilted and the metaphors are a little lacking, but who really cares when it’s offered up at a small, or nonexistent, price?

Subscription rates are dropping and ad rates are following suit. Why would a company pay for a full-page ad in an even widely circulated newspaper when anyone with an Internet connection can see the same ad online — a service consumers already pay for.

Speaking of paying, more and more newspapers offer snippets of their articles online and the complete story is available for a small fee, utilizing the Internet as well as they can and making some money along the way.

But those same stories are hosted free on another site for any tenacious Web crawler.
Even if papers like The Washington Post and The New York Times survive it won’t be in print. Their websites are already streamlined and content is updated as quickly and regularly as possible, but it isn’t enough.

Why buy a copy of The Post when the print edition’s story has already been updated, copied and pasted onto your roommate’s blog?

Dailies across the country are relying more and more on wire service stories. On any given day, a newspaper prints handfuls of stories available in any other paper or online.

Even if newspapers are seen as complete packages, marrying photos, non-narratives and stories for overall coverage, the Internet can do it better.

All too soon a paper’s website will be seen not as a supplement to the hard edition but as a replacement.

And what are the corporations that run these dying behemoths doing?

Rolling over.

Sure they fight the good fight for a little while, updating their sites as often as they can, and maybe hosting a few videos, podcasts and slideshows.

But all that does is showcase how much the print edition can’t do.

The same well-crafted stories can be hosted online, alongside the same perfectly framed images, at a much lower cost and without nearly the same space limitations.

Other than the romantic ideal of holding outdated news in our hands, newspapers are worth far less than the fish they are wrapped in.

News on printed paper will exist in some fashion for the rest of time, but the corporate cash cows that we’ve come to know and love will die.

No, but the big city dailies could be. Long, long ago the only cities with newspapers were the biggest and grandest in the nation.

Now, almost every city on a major highway publishes its own daily. Even a small mountain town like Aspen supports two papers, for the time being.

And that is the future of print journalism — the small town paper.

Those small town papers have the right idea. They run the big international news when they have to, but for the most part, every page is filled with what the high school football coach is doing differently this season and editorials about the speed bump on Main Street.

And isn’t that what people want to read — at least in those small towns?

Think of all the people who pick up the paper in small towns. They are the aunts, uncles, grandmas and grandpas of stellar athletes. They are the directors and stars of the town’s small plays. They are the everyday Joes who advertising should be aimed at.

Metropolitan dailies have inflated staffs and budgets and can’t cover everything the people want.
Denver itself could support a handful of small dailies that only print news based on vicinity.

The Capitol Hill paper wouldn’t touch the Five Points news and the Highlands paper would stay away from anything south of Colfax.

The major sports would still have to be city wide, but the prep coverage would be better than ever.

On top of that, the political coverage would actually be worth reading. Instead of big-billed items, every neighborhood would be able to see exactly what would be impacting them.
No more glossed over stimuli packages. They’ll be replaced by coverage-a-plenty of pothole fillings and playground rebuilding initiatives.

National and international news is still important, and wire services like the Associated Press, Getty Images and Reuters will have to stick around to provide their goods.

But when we take out watered-down national coverage presented at a local level we are left with what people really want to read: local coverage done right.

Another important change that needs to be made, on a local and national level, is the acceptance of new and different media.

Sure, that story on the speed bumps on Main Street is compelling, but what else do we do to engage readers?

Using multimedia like audio from town hall meetings, online message boards and even slideshows or videos can help explore the issue of speed bumps. All of which can be found on the newspaper’s website.

At this point we’re split — the big papers are focused on multimedia and forgetting local news, but the small town papers are sticking to their guns and staying away from anything technologically advanced.

Both types of papers have work to do, but both can be saved.

Review: Movie full of indie musician cameos

2009-03-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

Written by Kara Kiehle
(kkiehle@mscd.edu)

Scott Walker’s vocal chords strangle the wind like a sob, or a ghost moving across the attic floorboards above your head at night. David Bowie’s most tragic demon howling, and Brian Eno’s most abstract, alien soundscapes, are echoes of Walker, the subject of Stephen Kijak’s 2006 documentary “Scott Walker: 30th Century Man.”

The late ’60s was the dawn of a socially weird and liberating era that gave birth to a variety of disparate music sub-genres. It also marked the beginning of a 40-year course Walker spent struggling against the current of mainstream tendencies.

From his days as the eccentric, rogue vocalist/bassist of American boy-band trio The Walker Brothers — whose canned, sedative AM strains were fervently embraced by England as Beatlemania raged stateside — to his solo works of extreme sonic expressionism, “30th Century Man” describes this fascinating, epic journey that led to Walker’s most recent albums, Tilt and Drift.

The movie includes anecdotal interviews from Bowie, who also has a producer credit in the documentary, Eno and other musicians Walker worked with and inspired, such as Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, Alison Goldfrapp, Marc Almond of Soft Cell, and Johnny Marr of The Smiths. The interviews frame rare autobiographical musings from Walker himself. Like every artist should when discussing his work, he manages to maintain his Kafkaesque inscrutability.

The film capitalizes on Walker’s well-known eccentricities. He’s used fists beating on a raw slab of pork as percussion, screaming donkeys as sound effects and sung about S&M, CIA torture, Elvis’ stillborn twin, cockfighting and the Greek god of music and mysticism, Orpheus. He has covered Belgian cabaret songs, spent time in a monastery studying Gregorian chant, described his roots as “beatnik,” and drawn aesthetic inspiration from the moody, atmospheric films of Bergman and Kurosawa. Interviewees attempt to deconstruct the structure of Walker’s sound — how he buries melodies in discord to unsettling effect — and uses nonrepresentational lyrics as his mode of storytelling.

“Scott Walker: 30th Century Man” is a postmodern portrait. It invites you to penetrate the aura of the tortured genius and the mystery of his methods. Specialized biopics like this one are typically only seen by fans, and devotees will not be disappointed. But for the uninitiated wanting to broaden their musical horizons, 30th Century Man just might convert you.

Review: "Phantom" in Denver

2009-03-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

Written by Nic Garcia
(ngarci20@mscd.edu)

Put simply: “The Phantom of the Opera” is the best musical ever written.

It’s no wonder why it has sold more tickets than blockbusters “Titanic” and “Star Wars” worldwide. It’s the musical that does everything right despite its ending being so wrong. The music is powerful. The lyrics spellbinding.

From the moment the iconic chandelier rises to the ceiling of the theater, audiences can’t help but to be entrapped by the “music of the night.”

Written by acclaimed composer Andrew Llyod-Webber (“Cats,” “Jesus Christ – Superstar”), “Phantom” is the story of a boy who grew up first in a travelling circus and later in the catacombs under a Paris opera house. Born a monster and a genius, Erik — forced into exile because of his defects — grows angry at the world and acts out in murderous ways to those who live and work at Le Opera Populaire.

Based on the classic novel “Le Fantome de L’Opera” by Gaston Leroux, the title character, our anti-hero, falls in love with Christine Daae, a Swedish soprano. He dedicates all his energy into making her a star. While his intentions are noble, they are not exclusively for Chritine’s greater good. Deeper, the Phantom is looking for acceptance and respect.

The current U.S. tour stars John Cudia as the Phantom, Trista Moldovan as Christine and Sean MacLaughlin as her childhood lover and the opera’s patron, Raul. All three are phenomenal. Unlike most musicals that allow some liberties between casts, there seems to be no room for artistic freedom. A cast who seem to understand the exquisiteness of the show supports Cudia and company. Whether it’s hitting exactly the right note or precise choreography and blocking in a scene, it’s hard to remember you’re seeing “Phantom” for a second, third or fourth time — all with different casts.

In the end, it is a job well done by all. By the time the performance had nearly reached the end (when the Phantom kidnaps Christine) a collective sigh can be heard with wishes the show was not over. But anyone knows the magic does not end at curtain call. Humming the tunes for the remainder of the week is a common side effect when seeing a musical of this caliber. And of course, the magic starts up again the next time “Phantom” is in town.

"Phantom of the Opera" plays through March 22 at the Buell Theatre. More info at http://www.denvercenter.org

Independent designs from some independent guys

2009-03-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

Written by Julie Maas
(pretko@mscd.edu)
Photo by Cora Kemp
(ckemp4@mscd.edu)

Tired of all the same old T-shirts? Need something fresh to adorn your frame? Then check out IndyInk.

According to owner Dave Roggeman the store offers “affordable lowbrow art, better than cocaine and sexier than your mom.”

What you really want is a new custom tee that compliments the artist of the month, or any of the other local artists who contribute to their shirt designs. However, if you see something you like, you better grab it.

“Everything we do is all in limited runs,” Roggeman said. “When it’s gone, it’s gone. Like 30 of each design, that’s it, we don’t reprint.”

The first Friday night of every month, IndyInk, located at 84 0S. Broadway in Denver, hosts an awesome night dedicated to one local artist.

“It’s our kind of advertising, and it brings people into the shop, gets us involved with all the local artists and stuff. And then we can take some of their art and make T-shirts from the shows as well. So it’s fun,” Roggeman said.

The shop will be wall-to-wall with people. The music will be loud but the conversations are louder. Owners Roggeman, 33, and Aaron Cohrs, 32, along with designer Chris Huth, 27, are there to host.

During daylight hours, you can shop for one-of-a-kind custom artist prints in this unique shop.
Even if you miss the 6-foot-8-inch guy with sleeves of tattoos when you walk in the custom door, you’re still bound to notice some of the awesome local art on the walls. You have a clear view of the back room where you will generally find Cohrs doing the printing, while Roggeman holds down the front of the house greeting customers and working on designs on his Mac.

According to Roggeman, starting IndyInk in 2001 was pretty simple.

“Aaron just finished school in graphic design and wanted something to do. He looked through the paper and found some screen printing equipment for sale, called me up and said, ‘Let’s start a company,’ — ‘cause I used to print. That’s it. That’s how we started. Pretty easy. We borrowed money from his mom for the initial investment,” Roggeman said.

With no original intent of starting a retail shop, IndyInk opened their doors in 2003.
“We just wanted to print logos and stuff for businesses. Then we started making shirts for our friends so we did more. We did shirts for somebody who was in that shop before us. He told us he was moving so we jumped on it. We never really wanted to do retail, but since he had the space and it was cheap, we decided to do it.”

Chris Huth came on board in 2007 as a designer.

“He designed both logos. I’ll do some here and there, but Aaron and Chris are the artists,” Roggeman said. “And then we have other artists that we buy artwork from.”

Don’t expect to find IndyInk products anywhere else. They have no plans to expand and peddle their goods at the corporate mills.

“I think it would be cool if we had our own line of clothes and just worked out of this shop. Just be one of the stores that’s always been here,” Roggeman said.

During the summer, IndyInk uses the Annual Plastisol Free For All for additional advertising.
“We have our big party once a year — a big T-shirt art competition — it’s just an open call. twenty bucks to enter, and then the public votes, and then we print the top 10 shirts.”

Every other Saturday, IndyInk offers screen printing classes.

“We take their artwork and show them how to print the shirt, from their art to T-shirt, all the steps involved in that. The cost includes some T-shirts,” Roggeman said.

Although they can reuse the screens, you do have the option of buying them at the end of the class, Roggerman said.

They have definitely made some mistakes in the past, but when Roggeman printed a shirt with his own face on it, it was planned.

“I thought if I sold shirts with my face on it, I would be famous,” he said.And how did that work out?

“Well, we sold all the shirts, so I must be famous,” Roggeman said.

Metro's music moment

2009-03-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

Interview by Steven Giles
(sgiles@mscd.edu)
Photo by Andrew Bisset
(abisset1@mscd.edu)

The life of award-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch holds the same spirit as the fight song he wrote for Metro: vivacious competition

You came from a musical family, was that a big influence on you?

MH: My father was from Vienna. He was a musician. There was a piano in the house in New York so it wasn’t a question of what’s interesting.

I would have preferred to be the center field for the New York Yankees. I would have been really happy. But what I seem to have been able to do is [to] have an ear for music. And one of the things I have learned over my life is that kids who have an advantage of being able to do something with talent have a huge advantage because they have an identity.

I feel very bad for the kids [whose] parents either don’t know that they have some sort of talent, or worse, that we are losing it in the schools. I am very lucky because I was kind of a very crazy kid; I kicked my teacher in the second grade. Take away the piano and I would have been in big trouble!

How old were you when you started playing?

MH: 5, 6 years old.

You attended Juilliard? How old were you then?

MH: Well, I was accepted at the Juilliard School at 6 and a half. That, however, was not the college at that time. It was called a preparatory division. But it still makes you a child prodigy because you are in that school, and I wasn’t there because of my love for Beethoven or Bach. I was there because I was good at music.

What influence did growing up in New York City have on you and your music?

MH: There’s good influences and bad influences of N.Y.C. The competitiveness — that is a New York trait that can be very helpful at a young age because you are trying to make your way, you are trying to get going, and you are almost being pushed by that New York craziness to get going. In the kind of career that I am in, competition is part of it. Even today at 64, people say to me, When are you going to retire? And I say, “Never.”

You’re one of only 12 people to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. What do you do with your awards?

MH: All of my awards that I have are usually in my apartment behind me so I am not looking at them. I am very proud, don’t get me wrong. But I wish I could do it again.

What do you do to prepare for a performance?

MH: Preparation is the name of the game. Because it’s not like luck is going to strike and all of a sudden something that was lousy is going to become great only because tonight’s the night. No, it doesn’t work like that.

Do you ever second-guess or find yourself saying, “I could’ve done this or that?”

MH: I’m very well known that after the first performance I usually change things, (laughs). So I’ve been quoted saying I thought the eraser is one of God’s greatest gifts.

You attended Queens College, correct? What was that experience like.

MH: I went all the time. I had to, there was a problem. There was a thing called Vietnam. In order to avoid Vietnam, you needed 12 credits. So I had to find schools that would somehow give me 12 credits and I was still the rehearsal pianist for Bell Hour. So Bell Hour rehearsed from 10 to 5.

Wow, that’s a long time.

MH: Yeah, so, at 8 in the morning I was in Queens getting four to five credits from 8 to 9:30.
I had a standing taxicab waiting for me that could zoom me to New York and be there by 10 o’clock. In New York the universities are all tied [together]. You can get your 12 credits even though not all 12 are in Queens.

Is a degree necessary for show business?

MH: No. I’ve never seen an artist come up and say, “My name is Frank Sinatra, I graduated from…” Put up a show. You either got it or you don’t.

I mean, a degree may be more helpful for someone like a director, or a set designer, costume designers — when you are learning a craft. Singing and dancing a lot has to do with, you know, having nothing to do with talent, but there’s also people [who] have a look.

Do you have any advice for college students that want to be in show business?

MH: There are three components to know if you are really going to be in show business. One, you really have to be talented. Not just because your mother says you are good. Two, you have to be crying when you think that your life would be without show business. You would almost die if you didn’t make it.

And three, and this is the topper: I think it is very important for most college kids, to get a job, hopefully, in a theater, in a summer stock production of anything. Let it be the smallest part because after three weeks of summer stock, eight shows a week, you’re going to know if this is the life you want.

In show business, it’s a rough world. You might find that it was a great idea; it was a great thought, but you know, after three weeks, I really miss my life, I just miss having a life. So yes, I would think if there’s 100 people who all want to be in show business, probably five will get there.

Metro to show courage on biggest stage yet

2009-03-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

Written by Jimmy Braley
(jbraley@mscd.edu)

The Point: March for your education

Down in the deep dark recesses of the King Center — where, for a number of good, rational and private reasons, only a very small minority of us choose to spend our time — there exists a whole underbelly of creativity exhumed and channeled by a small group of exceptionally talented students who are somehow able to remain hard at work, focused, determined and serious about their passions, despite the uncertain political and economic atmosphere that has engulfed the rest of the known world.

But wait. I should probably start this thing off on the right foot.

Hi folks — Yeah, that’s better. It has been a while, I know. A few weeks at least, but I can’t be sure. I have been doing everything in my power to avoid both the idea and the act of writing anything at all, except under extreme circumstances. This accounts for my absence from this newspaper, for sure, but the vacuum I left was filled rather quickly by an overzealous, conservative hawk-boy who has taken great care to remind all of us that our country is still a wreck even with a black democrat in office. Never mind him though. He is not why I came back.

I came back because I saw those people under the stairs. I’m being serious, damn it. Listen to me. From what I could tell, there must have been at least 30 of them, and another 15 or 20 behind the curtains handling the ropes and the lights and the sounds and everything else. Or perhaps even less. Who knows?

Indeed, it could have been less because there was enough talent in the Eugenia Rawls Courtyard Theatre to make up for a lack of set gophers and stoned AV techs. “Parade” was the name of that performance I saw, and what a performance it was.

Now I am no critic, especially not on the topic of theatrics and entertainment. I can’t tell the difference between a good actor and a dead actor. But I know talent when I see it, and the people in the depths of the King Center have a freehold on it. I’m not sure that very many people understand that.

And this brings me to my point. Economic misfortunes abound. Everyone knows it — not everyone understands it and even fewer have any idea what to do about it. Shop I guess. I don’t know what to tell you, I’m just a hillbilly kid from the sticks who manages to sneak a few words into print from time to time. Probably you should have voted differently eight years ago.

Anyhow, politics and macroeconomics aside, there has been a lot of hubbub lately regarding the financial security of our beloved Metro. And I use that word beloved for a reason, because any institution endeavoring to do what ours has done for so many, whether they be underprivileged, underpaid, under acknowledged, under the boot or all of the above, deserves respect, recognition and a passionate defense from those of us who benefit from it.

The editors of this newspaper, among others, have begun to do their part to defend the college and renounce the fact that, as an institution, Metro receives substantially less in funding from the State than other colleges, which are populated habitually by drunkards and slobbering fraternity louts in tiny polo shirts, and rich kids who’ve managed to make an art out of trying to look poor. Which is neither here nor there, but I’ve been to Boulder. I’ve seen these people, and I can say definitively: the students of Metro deserve at least as much money for their intellectual endeavors as any one of them.

I’m sick, folks. I’m sick of hearing Metro is an inferior institution and deserving less of the higher-education budget than other institutions, which, in all seriousness, get paid because they have students who can run fast and shoot baskets. Hell, we can shoot baskets too, for that matter. The Roadrunner hoops squad mops the floor with everyone who has the misfortune of coming face to face with them. Take that, Boulder.

At any rate, there are times when people simply must stand up for themselves, and now is one of those times.

And it was the people from the bottom of the King Center who showed me this. It was they more than anyone else. I witnessed the passion and sheer determination in the eyes and on the faces of the actors in “Parade.” I saw people give themselves over to their characters in a relatively unknown and certainly underappreciated production. People who manage to put real emotions into your heart, people with the ability to leave you humming weird tunes about Georgia for days. People from Metro: proof that we have every conceivable reason to demand equality.

Indeed, if you are blind and deaf to the myriad whys and wherefores for which to march to the capitol with the SGA on March 9 to demand equal opportunity and confidence in our fine institution, I suggest you go watch “Parade.” It will change your mind.

Rally aims to eliminate state budget cap

2009-03-06T12:40:00.000-08:00

Written by Andrew Bisset
(abisset1@mscd.edu)

Bill would aid higher education in Colorado

Metro’s Student Government Assembly will team up with student governments from around Colorado on March 9 to lead students on a march to the Capitol from the Tivoli Commons in support of funding for higher education.

It is a mission that Metro’s SGA takes seriously.

“Their future is at stake,” said SGA Senator Amanda Splitt. “This is something that is going to affect us as students. The budget crisis at the state level will hit higher education as a whole and Metro will be seeing a very substantial cut.”

And not just Auraria students are expected to attend — the event is being organized by the Associated Students of Colorado, which includes student governments from around the state, including the University of Colorado at Boulder and Colorado State University.

The march comes on the ASC yearly lobby day, when the ASC asks lawmakers to consider the impact of their bills on higher education.

“The budget crisis at the state level will hit higher education as a whole and Metro will be seeing a very substantial cut.” Splitt said.

Nearly $3 million was cut from Metro’s budget this year with another $5 million expected next year.

On Feb. 16, President Stephen Jordan outlined a plan to cope with Metro’s shrinking budget that included belt tightening around the college but did not make any mention of layoffs or furloughs for faculty and staff.

Current legislation is as pertinent as ever to Colorado college students. Senate Bill 228, which passed through the Senate Finance Committee last week, would repeal the Arveschoung-Bird law, whose focal point was a 6 percent spending cap on state funds.

Currently, the state’s general fund budget, from which Metro derives its funding, can only grow up to 6 percent from the previous year.

Since there is no cap on the budget cuts now being made, this budget ceiling would prevent higher education funding from recovering quickly when Colorado’s economy turns around.
“If this bill is not passed, it is likely that Colorado will be stuck in a permanent recession for the foreseeable future,” SGA President Andrew Bateman said.

It is this sense of urgency that spurred the organization of a student march to the Capitol. Splitt said the march could show lawmakers that average students care about higher education funding, and that students are concerned about how the budget crisis facing the state will affect them.

Last year’s Lobby Day saw 50 students push for the passing of Gov. Bill Ritter’s budget, which included a $65 million increase in funding for higher education. This year’s march will gather at the Tivoli Commons at 11:15 a.m. and will march to the Capitol at 11:30a.m.

Senate Bill 228

Would eliminate a spending cap that restricts annual spending increases to 6 percent for areas including higher education, criminal justice, schools, corrections and health care.

• Initially approved by the Senate March
2 after a 10-hour debate.

• Must be approved a second time by
the Senate.

• Sponsored by Sen. John Morse,
D-Colorado Springs

• Co-sponsored by Rep. Don Marostica,
R-Loveland

Students tackle foreign dilemmas

2009-03-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

Written by Daniel Williams
(dmart145@mscd.edu)
Photo by Linh Ngo
(lngo@mscd.edu)

Future delegates molded at Model Arab League

Heated debates, a brief (mock) crisis, a keynote speaker, dinner and dancing, resolutions and an award ceremony made for a busy three days for students participating in the 18th Model Arab League.

“There is such a tremendous history in the Middle East, there are so many ideas of civilization that came from this region. If there were any truth to ‘history repeats itself’ the Middle East is showing us this is true,” said keynote speaker Ali Thobhani, chair of Metro’s international studies department, before telling the students how much he admired them for participating.

The Metro Political Science Department, the National Council of U.S.-Arab Relations and the Political Science Student Association sponsored the event, Feb. 26– Feb. 28. at Auraria.

Seventy students from Regis University, the University of Northern Colorado, the Air Force Academy, the University of Utah and Metro converged to discuss the Middle East and Arab world, participating in a series of mock summit meetings.

“MAL is a regional model competition in where university students from across the world learn about and compete as representatives from member states of the Arab League,” said Marziya Kaka, president of Metro’s Political Science Association, at a dinner on Feb. 27.

“As representatives of the Arab League’s member-states, these student delegates work to achieve consensus on questions real-life diplomats wrestle with daily.

They vote on resolutions they have written that seek to resolve some of the Arab countries’ most difficult challenges,” said Robert Hazan, chair of Metro’s political science department. “And the energy was awesome this weekend.”

Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Syria were all represented by student - delegates at the event. The student participants attempted to represent the viewpoint of their respective countries and draft resolutions to problems that affect the entire Arab world.

“Joint defense, political affairs, social affairs, Palestinian affairs and environmental affairs were all council sessions debated all over the Tivoli on Thursday and Friday,” Metro student Natalie Carneal said. “The weekend went perfect and everyone had a really good time.”

Dylan McDonnell, a participant from the University of Utah — who also helped organize and run the event — praised Metro and its students for the successful weekend.

“Metro was a great host and the weekend could not have gone any smoother,” McDonnell said.
This is the third time Metro has hosted the event.

Metro alumnus Kyle Haley, class of 2008, participated in last year’s Model Arab League and has since gone to work for the Arab American Institute in Washington D.C. Haley flew back to Denver to participate in this year’s event and spoke at the Feb. 27 dinner at St. Cajetans.

“When I graduated last year, it wasn’t the best time to enter the job market and you never know where life is going to take you.

But I have a great job at the Arab American Institute and my time at Metro prepared me for this job,” Haley said.

The MAL wrapped up with an award ceremony on Feb. 28. They gave awards that recognized and honored the work of the council chairperson, student representatives and the council as a whole.

Metro’s Corrine Bidwell won an award for her work on the Political Affairs Council where she represented Palestine.

More than 2,500 students and hundreds of faculty advisers from more than 200 universities hold about 15 Model Arab Leagues annually.

Since its start in 1983, more than 25,000 students have participated. The destination school for next year’s Model Arab League is yet to be determined.

Late registration fees haunt students

2009-03-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

Written by Barbara Ford
(fordba@mscd.edu)

Metro students who wait too long to register for classes won’t just face a smaller choice of classes, but a higher bill now that the late registration fee is in place.

The late fee policy was approved in September 2008 and implemented for the first time this semester. If students miss the registration deadline, a $100 fee is added to their total tuition bill.
Associate Vice President of Enrollment Services Judi Diaz Bonacquisti said this new policy isn’t in place to penalize students but to change behavior.

“This is a completely avoidable fee,” Bonacquisti said.

The $100 late fee seems like a lot of money, but it could have been double that amount.

The initial proposal for the fee was $200, before it was decided the fee could become a deterrent and lowered to the current amount.

Not all see the late enrollment fee as being a good thing, even with the changes in the originally proposed amount.

The fee is automatically applied as soon as a student registers late and in order to get the fee reversed, the student must complete a form from the Office of Enrollment Services.

Emily McKissick, assistant to the vice president for enrollment services, works with Bonacquisti reviewing the applications and determining if a refund will be authorized.

However, of the 2,000 students who applied for exemption from the late fee rule, only nine were granted a refund.

“Most students are concerned and just need to have the reason why their fee wasn’t refunded explained,” McKissick said. “But it helps if they are businesslike when they have a problem.”
Revenues from the late registration fee added $200,000 to the general fund this semester.
Students who register on time have better choices for classes and new students can register earlier for required college orientation classes and avoid being penalized.

Planning ahead also prevents burdening school resources that are already stretched thin. Metro will have to pay $2.83 million back to the state of Colorado. This coupled with a 13 percent increase in applications and a 10 percent increase in acceptances to Metro for fall 2009, planning ahead is crucial.

Fire ravages recycling center

2009-03-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

Written by Nic Garcia
(ngarci20@mscd.edu)
Photo by Dawn Madura
(dmadura@mscd.edu)

A Denver recycling company, just blocks away from Auraria student housing, suffered more than $50,000 worth of damages after a fire ripped through a facility underneath the intersection of Interstate 25 and Colfax Avenue, early the morning of March 3.

“The flames were higher than the highway,” Denver Fire Department Assistant Chief Tom Conner said.

The fire started at about midnight and was first reported by motorists on the Interstate, he said.
The owner of All Recycling Solutions, Pamela Pacheco, said she suspected the fire was started by a transient or gang member. She said several transients had made camp along the train tracks that border her building. Gangs have recently been tagging her building and trucks as well, she said.

Pacheco said her business had leased the property at 1835 W. Colfax Ave. for four and a half years. The Campus Village is only a half a mile away.

“There was a need for this (type of business) in Denver,” she said.

Conner said the fire department’s investigation was ongoing and suggested a cause for the fire would not be determined.

“There’s a good chance we won’t know,” he said.

The fire was contained by 30 firefighters by about 1 a.m. About a dozen firefighters remained on the scene to extinguish the remaining flames.

A second fire started at about 2:30 a.m. on the opposite side of the Colfax building. Authorities said they believe, but could not confirm, the blaze was started by transients discarding cigarette butts. It spread and was contained quickly, Conner said.

Investigators on the scene would not immediately comment on whether the two fires were related or if there were any suspects. Investigators referred all questions to a public information officer, who could not be reached for comment.

However, Pacheco said she saw three men running west from the scene.

An unidentified firefighter said the damaged garbage outside of the building where the first fire started was compacted and would have to be picked apart and soaked block by block.

The company recycles metal, fibers and plastics. Pacheco said the company has saved thousands of pounds of garbage from landfills each month.

She said most of the garbage behind her building that was destroyed was to be shipped out.
“I just can’t believe someone could do this,” she said.

One of the companies’ trucks was totaled. Damage was also done to the inside of the building.

Site all clear after bomb threat

2009-03-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

Written by Samuel Blackmer
(blackmar@mscd.edu)

A bomb threat was discovered written on the wall of a portable toilet located at the construction site of the Science Building Feb. 26.

The threat, discovered at approximately 8:50 a.m., read “On Thursday I will blow this construction site to pieces. You were warned.” The threat was immediately reported to Auraria police who are conducting an investigation.

Auraria police Detective Jason Mollendor, who is leading the investigation, said the threat is being taken seriously, but the real threat to the Science Building was considered minimal.
“The Port-o-Potty walls are like bulletin boards, they are scrawled with graffiti,” he said. “The threat was vague and had no specifics.”

The threat lacked credibility but was treated as serious, Mollendor said.

The Auraria police conducted a walk-through of the Science Building construction site and surrounding grounds with Haselden Construction staff but found nothing suspicious, nor any reason for concern. The Auraria police would have needed a more concrete threat to call off class or close campus.

Police said they don’t believe there was ever any threat to the Science Building, students or contractors working on the building.

There are currently no suspects. However, “it did happen within the contained construction site which, is a secured facility, meaning the only people who can get in and out are the people working on the site,” said Blaine Nickeson, director of Communication and Installation Relations for Auraria.

Due to the ongoing investigation, the Auraria police could not release details about what is currently being done nor what action was being taken to find the culprit.

“We haven’t had any closings associated with the threat,” Nickeson said, nor are there expected to be any closures due to the threat.

Jacob’s Engineering, the managing company for the construction, referred all questions to the Auraria Higher Education Center and the Auraria police.

Representatives of Jacob’s Engineering stated they were leaving the investigation to the Auraria police and were not conducting their own investigation.

There have been three prior reports of trespassing at the construction site reported to the Auraria police since construction began, one of which resulted in an arrest.

Court to clarify SGA constitution

2009-03-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

Written by Caitlin Gibbons
(cgibbon4@mscd.edu)

Member seeks interpretation on appointments

The Student Government Assembly has submitted a formal request for an interpretation by the student court regarding SGA’s constitution.

Senate Speaker Pro-tempore Savannah Powell submitted the request March 2 to the court. Powell said she wants to ensure SGA is following all outlined policies and guidelines regarding the recent appointment of Attorney General C.J. Garbo to the vacant vice presidency.

“There were some questions and concerns raised by people within the assembly,” Powell said. “I want to take some steps to clarify [the process].”

When a request for interpretation is filed with the court, a response must be issued within 10 business days, according to SGA judicial bylaws, section 10.

In Powell’s request she writes, “Members of the Student Government Assembly are expected to uphold the highest standards in ethical conduct while in office as outlined in Chapter 4 of the Policy Manual. If one or more members of the senate express a concern that there may be a direct conflict of interest should this be noted and respected accordingly?” The court will decide if this is a matter subject to an interpretation or better suited by filing a complaint.

According to SGA President Andrew Bateman, requests for interpretations usually deal with present matters, not past.

The interpretation will clarify the questions of legitimacy regarding the appointment process.
“The most important thing is to ensure that the SGA is acting with integrity,” Powell said.

Powell said she has not looked into the process for filing a complaint, as the process is entirely different. Complaints deal with an issue surrounding a specific situation or person. If the request for an interpretation is not the answer, Powell said she will file a complaint.

“C.J. Garbo would make an excellent vice president. As for his qualifications, he cannot fulfill all his duties,” Powell said. “This has nothing to do with his abilities, but he cannot serve as the chair of the Student Advisory Board until he is confirmed.”

Powell, as speaker pro-tempore, stepped into the vice presidency earlier in the semester when Heather Broadead resigned the position.

When Powell assumed the role of vice president, she also took over as the SAB chair.
“A person has to remain in that position for a full term,” Powell said, noting she’s still performing some vice presidential duties even with Garbo’s appointment.

“There are split duties between us, and it has made things a little messy,” Powell said. This is another concern Powell has regarding the appointment, and the senate bylaws.

“We need to hold ourselves accountable to the student body, especially since we are funded by student fees,” Powell said.

“I look forward to having some resolution on this question,” Bateman said.

The court will meet at 9:30 a.m. on March 6 in Tivoli 307C. Students are invited to submit “amicus curiae” or “friend of the court” briefs on the matter. Briefs may be anything appropriate toward clarifying any thoughts or opinions on the interpretation and may be hand delivered to the SGA judicial branch office in Tivoli 307B. Briefs must be in a sealed envelope clearly addressed to the student court. Briefs mays also be e-mailed to mscd-sgacourt@mscd.edu.

The court will not hear testimony. However, students may address the court during the public comment period in the open portion of the meeting.

Women struggle on tennis court

2009-02-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

Written by Enrico Dominguez
(edoming@mscd.edu)
Photo by Daniel Clements
(dcleme12@mscd.edu)

The Metro women’s tennis team lost 7-2 against Colorado College Feb. 22 at the Auraria Courts, dropping their record to 0-2 for the spring season, 3-3 overall.

Sophomores Alexis Alvarez and Kathleen Thompson won at No. 3 doubles 8-4. Alvarez also won her singles match 6-4 and 6-0. Senior Mirian Evangelista lost at No. 4 singles 6-4 and 6-2.

“Miriam Evangelista, although losing at (No.) 4 singles, fought well and played very good tennis,” head coach Beck Meares said. “She should be proud of the way she played.”

Senior Mitra Hirad and sophomore Mandy Bowling started off with an impressive doubles match, winning by three games before falling to Kelsey Smith and Deanna Thirkell.

“We started off good,” Hirad said. “But when it was 5-2, we became very tentative to them, and couldn’t pull it off. It’s unfortunate because last year we almost beat these guys.”

After losing her singles match 6-2 and 6-3, junior April Hirad came off the court dissatisfied with the way she played.

“I could not put points together,” April Hirad said. “I’ll be up 40 love and I just can’t finish it. It’s not that we’re lacking work. We’re out here running and hitting balls, we’re just not playing like ourselves.”

The women’s next match is Mar. 1 against University of Wyoming at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

“After playing the way we did on Sunday, we have a lot more work to do on the practice court before our next match,” Meares said. “Hopefully the girls will have a good week on court and we will see improvement when we play University of Wyoming on Sunday.”

The men’s team came out with a 5-4 victory over Colorado College, making their record 2-2 overall.

Sophomore Angelo Faustino and junior Georgie Perez led the Roadrunners Feb. 22 with two victories. Both men won at No. 1 doubles 8-6, and Perez won at No. 2 singles in a tiebreaker 4-6, 6-2 and 6-3. Faustino swept Brian Thirkell at No. 3 singles 6-0 and 6-1.

The men will host Dallas Baptist in their next match Mar. 10 at Auraria Courts.

Softball wins five straight on tourney

2009-02-27T12:37:00.000-08:00

Written by Josiah Kaan
(jkaan@mscd.edu)
Photo by Leah Millis
(lmillis@mscd.edu)

Metro softball gained five wins Feb. 20-22 in a three-day Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference/Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Crossover Tournament hosted by the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

The RMAC/NCIS crossover tournament is a round robin tournament featuring eight teams from both the RMAC and NSIC.

“We did really well this weekend,” shortstop Amber Roundtree said. “We hit the ball really well and improved on defense a lot.”

Metro started the tournament with a win, beating Augustana College 6-3 in a close game that came down to big plays in the final inning for the Roadrunners.

With the score tied at three after six innings, Roundtree hit a two-run home run, helping Metro finish the inning with a 6-3 lead. Pitcher Christie Robinson sealed the game with solid pitching which included striking out two batters.

“Christie Robinson pitched a great game going all seven innings,” head coach Jennifer Fisher said.

Metro won its second game of the day against Minnesota State University at Mankato 15-13 in a high scoring game that was called early.

“We couldn’t shut them down,” Fisher said. “We couldn’t catch a break. We had to just keep battling.”

Trailing by one run going into the bottom of the fourth inning, first baseman Jessica Haab hit a double, bringing home a run and tying the game. Roundtree singled, bringing Haab home, and scored off a double by second baseman Sarah Rusch, giving Metro a 15-12 lead.

Robinson held MSU to a single hit and didn’t allow a run in the fifth inning, since the umpires called the game after the top of the fifth due to darkness, giving Metro the win.

Metro started the second day of the tournament run ruling Concordia-St.Paul, winning the game 12-4.

The Roadrunners finished the day off with another win, beating St. Cloud State University 11-6.
Metro won its fifth game in a row beating the University of Mary 4-0 in a defensive game to start the last day of the tournament.

“Christie Robinson had a really good pitching performance,” Fisher said. “She only gave up three hits in seven innings.”

Most of Metro’s scoring came in the third inning when Rusch singled, bringing in Roundtree, then scored off a single from Mickelson. In the fourth inning, Roundtree scored catcher Lauren Hainlen on a single, then in the sixth doubled, bringing Hainlen in once again.

Metro’s first loss of the tournament came in the last game during the final inning to Wayne State University due to an error that allowed two runs.

“It was a pop-up that landed behind the pitcher in no man’s land,” Fisher said on the error.
Metro lost the game 2-0 after being unable to drive in any runs at their last at bat.

“I think we had a great weekend,” Fisher said. “I feel good about going 5-1. We’re looking forward for conference play on Saturday.”

The Roadrunners ended the weekend 5-1 and improved to a 7-3 overall record. Metro hosts Mesa State Feb. 28 and Mar. 1 at Auraria Field.

Triple threat in tripleheader

2009-02-27T12:28:00.000-08:00

Written byRobert Dran
(rdran@mscd.edu)
Photo by Andrew Bisset
(abisset1@mscd.edu)

The Roadrunners swept a triple-header against Santa Fe College Feb. 22 at Auraria Fields, improving their record to 9-4.

Metro outscored Santa Fe 47-12 including a 22-1 shelling in the second game. Originally four games were scheduled, but the double-header Feb. 21 was postponed due to the snowfall that put two inches of snow on All Star Park Feb. 20.

Scheduling a triple-header was unusual. Left fielder Marcel Dominguez said the last time he recalled playing in a triple-header was when he played Little League, but believes there were advantages to the scheduling.

“It is good for the coach so he can get a good look at everyone,” Dominguez said. “Everyone got in at least eight at-bats. We also got to play a new center fielder, pitcher, and left fielder.”
As for the games, Metro was able to string hits together and bat in runs while keeping the pitching and defense consistent. Metro’s ability to hit at the bottom of the order made them difficult to pitch around.

Nevertheless, the big bats were not shy either. First baseman Jason Stouffer hit two home runs on the day, including a grand slam. This increased his team-leading total to five home runs this season. Center fielder and lead off hitter Chris Redding also belted two home runs. Third baseman Dakota Nahm, first baseman/catcher Tyree Abshire and second baseman Brett Bowman scored one home run each on the day. First-year head coach Jerry Schemmel was still cautious in his assessment.

"The key for us was Santa Fe only had 18 players,” Schemmel said. “They are dismantling their team at the end of the season so the program is in shambles.”

The games were a key confidence-builder for Metro, who is now on a six-game winning streak. Metro will need all the confidence they can muster when they visit the Mesa State Mavericks in Grand Junction Feb. 27-Mar. 1. The Mavericks are ranked No. 4 in the country. They beat Regis University, a team Metro struggled to split a weekend series against at the beginning of the season, 22-5. The Roadrunners’ primary reason for struggling against RU was errors, which Metro has improved on. Still Metro overcame five errors in a series they dominated.

Mesa State is considered a free-swinging team that scores a lot of runs. The whole team has a batting average of over .400. They are a team that combines power and speed to gain victories, yet they led the league in ERA last season. Still the Mavericks’ ability to overcome their pitching woes and remain one of the top teams, makes them a strong, but not invincible, opponent. Defensively, Metro will look to stop MSC’s batters. On the offensive side, Metro will look to rock the Mavericks’ weak pitching at Lincoln Park Feb. 27-Mar. 1 in Grand Junction.

Metro clinches RMAC

2009-02-27T12:23:00.000-08:00

Written by Kate Ferraro
(kferraro@mscd.edu)
Photo by Dawn Madura
(dmadura@mscd.edu)

The Metro men’s basketball team clinched the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title after beating University of Nebraska at Kearney and Chadron State in two close matches Feb. 20 and 21 at Nebraska.

Two weeks ago, the Roadrunners (22-3 overall, 16-1 in the RMAC) won against CSC and UNK by 36 and 18 points. CSC and UNK were on top of their game this time around, since Metro beat them by only one and two points.

“Both teams came out to play,” forward Brian Minor said. “They showed up and played completely different than the first time we played them.”

The Roadrunners started off slow against UNK, falling behind quickly in the first half. Metro was down by 17 points in the middle of the half and was losing 37-25 at halftime.

“We knew it was going to come out a little differently, because of the result of the last game,” forward Donte Nicholas said. “We kind of got a big lead on them the last game, so we knew it was going to be a different team we were facing.”

Forward Chris Robinson scored his first bucket of the game 20 seconds into the second half, tightening UNK’s lead by 10. UNK forward Josiah Parker came back with a basket of his own, giving his team a 12-point lead once again. The Roadrunners went on a 15-2 run, with the help of guard Marquise Carrington’s three 3-pointers, giving Metro a 44-43 lead.

UNK was ahead by one point with 1.6 seconds left in the game. Forward Jesse Wagstaff lofted a pass over all five UNK players to Minor, who scored the game-winning layup.

“It was exciting,” Minor said. “They hit this crazy shot in the corner that rattles in. I took off running and then (Jesse) Wagstaff suddenly just saw me out of nowhere and chucked it deep and I caught it and finished the layup and we won.”

Metro won the game 64-63. Nicholas was the only Roadrunner to score in double figures with 20 points. Metro outscored UNK 38-22 in the paint, 24-4 in the second half alone. Minor led a strong performance from the bench with seven points, as the Roadrunners outscored UNK in bench points 15-0.

“His shot is really coming along,” head coach Brannon Hays said. “He likes to shoot the ball out from the three, but when he does, it’s very meaningful.”

The Roadrunners controlled most of the first half against CSC, holding onto a 40-38 lead at halftime. The Eagles hit a 3-pointer at the start of the second half to take a one-point lead before the Roadrunners went on a 11-2 run taking a 51-43 advantage with 17 minutes left. CSC went on a 20-6 run taking back the lead before Minor tied the game at 68 with two free throws. The two teams battled back and forth the rest of the game until Carrington hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final 30 seconds to seal the victory.

“We handled them pretty easily,” Nicholas said. “We came out with the same intensity. We didn’t get a couple of calls, but down at the end, we got it done. We made some free throws, got the stops that we needed and pulled out the W.”

Metro is No. 1 in the RMAC, No. 3 in the region and No. 18 in the nation. The Roadrunners will finish out regular season play against University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Feb. 28 at Colorado Springs.

“They don’t ever quit no matter what the score is,” Hays said about his team. “They have a belief that we’re going to get the stops and get the scores at those critical junctures in the games. They just have an attitude, ‘we’re just going to get it done.’”

The cost of a good vocabulary

2009-02-27T12:20:00.000-08:00

Staff Editorial

A number of words come to mind when Metro is told — by the state — it has to pay back more money to the general fund than any other college during this financial crisis. Keep in mind: Metro already receives the least funding of any other college in the state. And, oh yeah, we have more students, too.

Absurd is one.

Backward may be another.

With tuition relatively low, enrollment requirements virtually nonexistent and the highest undergraduate population in the state, we’re sure you can think of a couple as well. You should be good with words — after all, this is college, right?

Apparently, the state legislature doesn’t seem to think so.

Western State College, CSU-Pueblo, Fort Lewis College, Adams State and Mesa State, now those are colleges. Institutions with promise. Great programs. Good students. Milk and honey flowing from the water fountains in the hallway.

Which is why the state gives them 60 percent more funding than Metro — a school that has opened its doors to the huddled masses yearning to be educated since its inception. We’re glad our lawmakers know their priorities.

Maybe you work full time and find Metro’s night classes convenient. Maybe you didn’t do so well in high school, decided against college right after high school but eventually chose Metro because it didn’t scrutinize your history. Maybe you live in the city and found Metro’s locale inviting. Maybe you’re living paycheck to paycheck and just couldn’t afford CU-Boulder. Maybe you’re a faculty member with Roadrunner ties who decided to come back to the college that gave your future so much promise.

Whatever the reason, if you’re here at this college, the state of Colorado doesn’t think you are worth as much as someone who is at any of those other colleges — institutions who received $30 million more with 5,000 fewer students.

Thinking of any words, yet?

In a completely unrelated piece of legislation — same-sex benefits for gay and lesbian employees of Colorado — Denver Sen. Jennifer Veiga told her colleagues there is never a wrong time to act on principle. We agree. And despite the economic downturn, every student must be funded equally.

Inequality — now, there’s a word.

But words can only do so much. Action is much more effective.

We applaud President Stephen Jordan for going to the Legislature. On March 9, Metro’s Student Government Assembly is going up the hill to take issue with the lack of funding, as well.
If you think your school, your education and your student body is worth more than the Legislature thinks it is, you should go with the SGA — teach those politicians some new words.
You should know some — after all, this is your college, right?

Special Commentary: Success begin... after I get some help

2009-02-26T13:13:00.000-08:00

Written by Kristi Denke
(kdenke@mscd.edu)

Anxiety is a day-to-day thing. Some days you’re swimming, some days you’re treading water and some days you’re drowning.

A year ago, the days of treading water wore thin. What should have been the unconscious process of putting myself together every morning had become a grind. Some mornings, with my book bag on my shoulder it would stop me at the door handle.

Timid has never been in my nature, but neither has admitting something is wrong. If I could have talked myself out of it, I would have. But there was the door handle every morning and a world outside that left me completely shaken.

These days, I am a much stronger swimmer because a team of therapists and doctors helped me get my head above water and keep it there.

I do something everyday that used to scare me and sometimes still does. I leave the house. Standing on my own feet is an addictive feeling. It’s a good feeling, but the pace at which it spreads through the rest of my life has been slow at times. It’s like working through a laundry list of things left undone – the things anxiety kept me from doing.

But on the other side of that door was one thing I regret letting slip away. My education. The degree that I’d thrown my mind at year after year suffered the greatest loss. Not one to admit defeat, I kept trying. I kept sinking. My grades went down with me.

Early last week, it occurred to me that the next big thing would be to take back my education. Even if it means a long road ahead, my mind and spirit are ready for it.

 I packed my bag. I took my student ID out of the chocolate tin next to my computer. I put my phone on silent, grabbed a bottle of water, and a pack of chewing gum. I made the trip from my new home in Fort Collins to Denver. What I didn’t anticipate was my bravery being knocked down and even hampered by several different administration offices.   First stop, the advising office. The adviser advising at the advising office desk offered me no advice. When I asked her if there was someone who’d be able to give me a broader view of my academic situation, she told me there was nothing the advising office could do for students with more than 30 credits.   After she quoted how many credit hours beyond their limit I was, I felt lame. Behind her computer and clipboard, I’m sure she felt pretty strong. I walked away with nothing.   Instead of getting angry, I decided to check on my financial aid status. Although they quoted how many credits I have, they gave me hope that perhaps I can get financial aid again. But beyond the “Go get ‘em tiger,” moment, alas, there was not much more they could do than send me to the Cashier’s office.   From the Cashier’s office I was directed to the Student Account’s office.

The person at the front desk appeared to be a student. If that’s accurate, it’s very likely this person had found work through the work-study program. Work-study money comes from the state. Even if my accounts with the school are in arrears, some tiny portion of the money from the state comes from my taxes.   I stepped up to the desk. I put my student ID on the counter just like they ask. I explained in kind, short sentences that I needed to find a way to settle my account. Either by payment plan or by any other option afforded to me. It was good will that had led me there. I didn’t go in search of bad news.   Is there a payment plan? No.   What would I need to pay today to keep this account from being sent to state collections? More money than I have.   What is the deadline to pay the entire balance? March.   Is there anyone else I can talk to? No.   I tried to make my accounts current and found myself immediately discouraged. In my mind I tried to calculate the possibility of putting the money owed on my credit card (one I recently had the fortune of paying down to $0).

 Being in debt to a big building in New York City somehow seemed more practical than paying it to my own college. As far as I can tell, my creditors have always been happy to take my money-- no matter how small the check I write might be.   Metro is a cesspool of misused resources and misguided talent. If it is possible for a person such as myself to go towards a known problem with a white flag, it should be just as possible to be offered a hand in return.

I didn’t ask for the advising office to fix my records that let me graduate without putting in my full effort or shaming those who achieve great things with the hindrance of such disorders as anxiety.

I didn’t ask the accounts office to waive the tuition and fees I owed. I wanted no handouts. I didn’t pound my fists on the counter or bring on the tears. I didn’t even bother stealing one of the pens they have attached to popsicle sticks to prevent their theft. Though the more I think about it, I should have.

What lesson did I glean from my visit to almost every office in the building central to the administration of this place of higher learning? Success begins with me, but it ends as soon as I ask how to get there, and all of these things happened directly beneath the nose of the administrators who direct a college that touts its diversity and convenience.

The Met's music picks

2009-02-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

Written by Julie Maas
(pretko@mscd.edu)

Lily Allen - It's Not Me It's You
Fans of Lily Allen missed her.

They missed her sweet voice delivering honest and crass lyrics over mixed beats and reggae/ska sounds. On her sophomore effort, Its Not Me, It’s You, she almost delivers. The first two tracks play like a run-on sentence of over-produced dance beats and so-so vocals. However, the third track, “Not Fair,” a song about being in a relationship with someone who is wonderfully caring, but selfish in bed, delivers Allen’s trademark wit and honesty, backed by banjo and a killer dance beat. “Fuck You” is a fantastic song in which Allen drops f-bombs that attack ignorance with pure, sweet sass. The middle of the album finally delivers all to love about Allen: those first-time-around, mixed-up beats, creative vocals and clever lyrics that distinguishes her from the other Brit-pop divas of the day. The final tracks fall a little flat, but overall the album is energetic and enjoyable. Allen’s lyrics and vocals aren’t as on-point as on Alright, Still, but it does the job of keeping her in the game.

Written by Roberto Dominguez
(dominrob@mscd.edu)

Morrissey - Years of Refusal
Morrissey’s cult status continues to evolve and gain momentum as, over the years, his music continues to appease longtime fans. Steven Patrick Morrissey hails from Lancashire, England, where his music roots date back to the ’70s.

Morrissey’s popularity began in the ’80s, during his time as lyricist and frontman of The Smiths. The band, which included lead guitarist Johnny Marr and drummer Andy Rourke, created music that delved into the emotional depths of the human mind. The pop-laden songs, with warbling guitar, accompanied Morrissey, whose style is a cross between a young Elvis and Frank Sinatra, well. The band disintegrated in 1987 and Morrissey forged ahead with a solo career.

Despite often being overshadowed by the legacy of The Smiths during his 21-year, solo career, Morrissey emerges with his 10th release, Years of Refusal. Early radio releases “That’s How People Grow Up” and “I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris” are powerful songs that observe the nuances and solitude of existence with catchy hooks that neutralize the sullen lyrics. Morrissey’s persona evokes cynical observations, which fuel his untouchable image. “It takes me a long time to make friends. I just do not like people,” Morrissey said. Paradoxically, Morrissey may not like people, but his fans love him anyhow.

Morrissey will be embarking on a world tour this month to support his new release. The nearest stop to Denver will be April 15 in Albuquerque, just days after Morrissey is scheduled to perform ahead of Paul McCartney at the Coachella Festival in Southern California.

Written by Julie Maas
(pretko@mscd.edu)

M.Ward - Hold Time
If you haven’t already heard of M. Ward, you are missing out on one of the best singer-songwriters of our time. He’s a troubadour, reminiscent of Tom Waits, but with a more soothing whisper. Influenced by early country, his velvet vocals and effortless guitar playing take you to a different place. His sixth solo release, Hold Time, plays like a collection of short stories reflecting on life and love, sometimes through the eyes of death. With “For Beginners” acting as a prologue, through the worldly “Shangri-La,” it is a solid album from start to finish. The title track and “Oh Lonesome Me,” featuring Lucinda Williams, act as quick breathers in an otherwise upbeat album. Ward brings along his partner in crime from previous project She & Him, actress Zooey Deschanel, on two tracks, emphasizing superb harmonies no matter who takes the lead. The closing track is a quaint instrumental called “Outro (I’m a Fool to Want You).” You’d be a fool not to listen and love what you hear.

Written by Stephanie DeCamp
(sdecamp@mscd.edu)

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead - Century of Self
For all of the amazing artistry shown on their major-label debut, 2002’s Source, Tags and Codes, …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead’s following two albums, found the band lost in the stormy seas their music so often recalls. But for those who wrote them off four years ago, the band need not reply with anything other than their new album, The Century of Self.
From opening track to resolute coda, Trail of Dead becomes a veritable Poseidon, commanding the angry waves of their songs to crash any who dare sail their ocean. It is a dramatic rescue, really, for a band who almost found themselves lost in the deserts of progressive-rock overindulgence. The recurrent theme of “Insatiable: Parts One and Two” clearly channels The Doors, circa “Spanish Caravan,” and the boys themselves haven’t lost an inch of their instrumental mastery. Indeed, this is an album where one can acknowledge not remembering any of the lyrics, as they are clearly overwhelmed by bullet showers of drums and daunting synth effects. The resulting culmination is nothing if not a reminder that sometimes a good band needs to wander for awhile. A good band can always come back.

Written by Matt Pusatory
(mpusatory@mscd.edu)

Various Artists - Dark is the Night
Dark Was The Night is packed with excellent performances from some of indie rock’s most respected performers. The track listing reads like an indie rock fan’s dream. The double-disc collection includes the likes of Spoon, The Decemberists, Arcade Fire and My Morning Jacket. The contributors for the album donated all original material, and if that weren’t enough, all the proceeds go to the Red Hot Organization, a charity dedicated to HIV/AIDS research.

The songs on this compilation are all worth listening to and in spite of its daunting 31 tracks, not one should be skipped. The album boasts all original material from its performers, including some new takes on a spattering of covers — the most notable remake being My Brightest Diamond’s incredibly sexy take on “Feeling Good,” made famous by Nina Simone. (Also, check out Cat Power’s bluesy, Ray Charles-esque version of “Amazing Grace.”) The true standout, though, is the title track. Originally performed by “Blind” Willie Johnson, “Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground” is one of the most emotional blues songs ever, and the Kronos Quartet do the song justice in a very eerie way.

The original songs are great as well, but there are a few letdowns. Iron & Wine’s one-minute “Die” feels weak when sandwiched between The Decemberists’ eight-minute “Sleepless” and Sufjan Stevens’ 10-minute monster “You Are The Blood.” Dark Was The Night is everything a good compilation should be. With so many highs and so few lows, it is begging for a spot in your collection.

Written by Jeremy Johnson
(jjohn308@mscd.edu)

Various Artists - War Child:Heroes
War Child International’s Heroes, is a multifaceted and surprisingly competent compilation, with some of contemporary indie rock and pop’s very best paying homage to luminary rock predecessors, and album proceeds going to children of war-torn regions around the globe. The concept behind the collection is ambitious, if not necessarily heroic: original artists picking young talent to cover old classics. This approach creates a doubly pleasing effect, as artists, after all, know their own work best, and the match-ups make for some fresh, new takes on timeless folk, rock and pop. For instance, Hot Chip’s cover of Joy Division’s “Transmission,” is electronically sublime, and The Hold Steady — undeniably cut from E Street cloth — show why they’re ballad bosses in their own right with their tribute, “Atlantic City.” Heroes also highlights modern-day divas such as Britain’s Estelle (“Superstitious”) and Duffy (“Live and Let Die”), and Canadian gender-bending diva Peaches with her appropriately convincing cover of glam godfather Iggy Pop’s “Search and Destroy.” The icing on the classic cake is contemporary riot grrrl Lily Allen’s cover of The Clash’s “Straight to Hell,” (written by Allen’s dead godfather, Joe Strummer, and featuring living member Mick Jones), which conveys the same coy cynicism and haunting melodies that made the original genre-jumping version so versatile. Indie rockers Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Franz Ferdinand and The Like pay CBGB dues with spirited renditions of “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker,” “Call Me” and “You Belong to Me,” respectively. Even TV on the Radio’s slightly convoluted arrangement of the conspicuous Bowie classic and album namesake, “Heroes,” plays in the same, souped-up vein of pop-god worship. But not every cover is a gem. A seasoned indie vet in his own right, Beck’s translation of Bob Dylan’s “Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat” falls flat, losing Dylan’s trademark sarcasm in a void of electronic clap-trap. And Adam Cohen’s ode to his father Leonard, “Take This Waltz,” falls a little too close to the Cohen tree. Sure, rock and roll has never really saved the world. But the heroes on this album make this compilation a monumental one all the same.

Sounding Off: Black Tide rides wave of metal ancestry to success

2009-02-26T12:30:00.000-08:00

Written by Jeremy Johnson
(jjohn308@mscd.edu)

As guitarist for Miami metal band Black Tide, Austin Diaz is the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez, soaking young fans in slick, high-octane riffs and a tidal wave of massive, black sound. Just 18 years old, Diaz handles his ax (he now has three of them) like a seasoned lumberjack of the metal genre. Pretty incredible when you consider he learned his first 40-minute set with the band during an RV ride from Florida to Seattle. At an age when most people start thinking of college, Diaz and frontman Gabriel Garcia, bassist Zakk Sandler and drummer Steven Spence are literally learning life on the road, and they’re fast learners. Diaz takes time off from a U.S./Japan tour as opening act for fellow metal masters Escape the Fate to discuss lessons learned in the school of hard rock.

JJ: How would you describe Black Tide’s music?

Austin Diaz: I just say rock and roll. I mean we have songs that are labeled “metal,” but they don’t really sound “metal.” They sound to me like rock songs, like radio rock. We all have a variety of music selections, and we like to branch out in totally different styles. We wouldn’t want to categorize or limit ourselves, really.

JJ: Sure. But listening to your music, you can really hear a lot of early 80s/late 90s undertones, like Judas Priest and Mötley Crüe. Do you think those kind of musical similarities have helped you succeed commercially?

AD: Yes, definitely, because we go to these shows and we see a lot of older people who have brought their kids out. And they’re like ‘wow, you guys remind me of when I used to go to shows.’ It’s pretty cool to see both the old and the young coming out to our shows.

JJ: You guys are pretty young — too young for the bars, in fact. What do you do for fun?

AD: I like to go to shows, and I play guitar all the time. I like to hang out with friends. That’s pretty much it, dude. We just like to go around, raising hell. Every now and then, we like to go to the movies.

JJ: You guys have found a lot of success for such a young band. What do you think it takes for a band like yours to maintain focus and continue to find success in the music industry?

AD: Well, there’s a lot to learn at first. We’re all really young, so we’ve had this opportunity up until now to play our instruments all the time without the responsibilities of a job and stuff like that. And we’ve learned a lot more about how tour managers work. I mean, right now we don’t even have a crew, so we’re doing it all ourselves. It’s a matter of learning and having the time to learn.

JJ: If you guys weren’t doing the rock and roll thing right now, what do you think you’d be doing?

AD: I’d probably be in college. I have a lot of music training, but however, I’ve got this thing going on, which is what I really want to do. If we get a break, I may go for a semester or something, but I’m still undecided.

JJ: What’s the best part of your young career so far? AD: The best part is the free equipment, bro! The free equipment and seeing the world, those are my personal favorites.

JJ: Do you have any sound advice for the young dudes looking to follow in the wake of Black Tide?

AD: Yeah, dude. It’s fucking work, bro. I mean, it starts off when you’re in a band that you’re having fun and doing your shit. When I first got started we were all just a bunch of kids and we weren’t really taking anything too serious. It just happened that way. But you can’t be extremely serious. If you seem too focused on making yourself really good, it’s not going to happen like that. But if you focus on making your music the way you like it, follow your ears, follow your heart, that’s going to be it, you know? And if the big break does happen for you and you’re lucky enough to get exposure in front of the right people, then you got it.

Musical notes somber past

2009-02-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

Written by Steven Giles
(sgiles2@mscd.edu)
Photos by Linh Ngo
(lngo@mscd.edu)

The large double doors leading into the Eugenia Rawls Courtyard Theatre are heavy to open.
But once opened, the doorway transports you to the American South, circa 1913.
You stand in Atlanta as a spectator watching the tragic story of an unlucky man unfold before you.

The true story of Leo Frank, the only Jewish person lynched on American soil, is depicted in playwright Alfred Uhry and composer Jason Robert Brown’s play “Parade,” which opened on Broadway in 1998.

Director Scott Lubinski said he chose the play for its cutting edge in showing social issues.
“The play is a slice of American life that is not very complimentary,” Lubinski said.
The play opens with Confederate Memorial Day festivities.

There is a parade and dancing. Children are running about with cotton candy and balloons. The entire town is celebrating.

But in the early morning hours after the celebration, night watchman Newt Lee makes several calls to Leo. After a series of unanswered calls, Lee reports to the police that he found the body of 13-year-old Mary Phagan covered in a white sheet in the basement of Leo’s pencil factory, where she worked.

Jim Conley, a convicted criminal prone to violence and drinking and former member of a chain gang, tells many different stories to the police during the investigation, always deflecting suspicion from himself and directing it toward Leo, even when others give police tips that he may in fact be Mary’s killer.

Jim was a con man and didn’t feel bad for one minute about lying, said Tyrell Donaldson, the actor who plays him.

He added that Jim was smart but acted dumb and told a tale the white people in charge believed.
“I am reminded of how things have changed but are still the same,” Donaldson said.

The handful of suspects, including Jim, are cleared and released one by one. Leo is the last one and he is arrested and put on trial for young Mary’s death.

The cards are stacked against Leo from the beginning because he is Jewish, from the North, a graduate of Cornell and married to Lucille Selig.

Lucille is from a wealthy Atlanta family who had built the city’s first synagogue generations before, a Southern faux pas to say the least.

It’s a musical with an ensemble cast of 34 actors, Lubinski said. The students were encouraged to stretch themselves in their performance and were required to do further study and research, because it is a historical piece.

The play struck a chord with actress Courtney Capek, who plays Leo’s wife Lucille.

Lucille stays with Leo even though he pushed her away, because that’s what you did then, you supported your partner and did not leave a marriage, Capek said.

“I was saddened by the injustices that lead this man to being killed, just because someone lied,” Capek said.

With great fanfare and jubilation, Leo is arrested and charged with Mary’s murder.

Leo is put on trial in an era when hatred against minorities is accepted and the norm.

The local newspapers, The Atlanta Constitution and The Atlanta Georgian, sensationalized the trial and the competition between them was fierce. More than 40 special editions were published during the trial and The Georgian even published doctored morgue pictures of Mary.

At trial, prosecutor Hugh Dorsey compares Leo to Jekyll and Hyde, while the defense tries to discredit the witnesses with no success. Hugh later went on to become governor of Georgia with the assistance and endorsement of the press.

Witnesses were persuaded to lie when they testified against Leo.

Women factory workers told the court how Leo talked to them inappropriately but never describe how.

It doesn’t matter — in the end Leo is found guilty of killing Mary and sentenced to death. All of his appeals are rejected.

There is only one steady person in Leo’s life: Lucille Selig, his wife. Even though he continually pushed her away by saying unflattering things to her, she sticks by his side and even visits him in the jailhouse.

Unfazed by Leo’s rejection, Lucille fights relentlessly on his behalf until finally she is able to prove to Governor John Slaton the miscarriage of justice in her husband’s trial. After his own investigation he agrees and commutes Leo’s sentence to life in prison, believing that in time the sentence will work itself out.

Kevin Hindley, who played Leo, said this role has pushed him emotionally. “I’m 10 on scared and 10 on angry.

“I pushed Lucille away because I had a plan in life and I didn’t want to get close because it might mean a baby, and that wasn’t in the plan, “ Hindley said.

“It was uncomfortable being [Leo] because I was a villain, an outsider, and people keep saying things about me that were untrue,” Hindley said.

Hindley is acting differently now since he transformed into Leo for the play.

“A friend of mine said that I was withdrawn and seemed much sadder during this play than I had in others,” Hindley said.

“I hope the people that see the play have an outlet and time with their own sadness and allow themselves time to weep and heal,” Hindley said.

Transferred to a state prison farm to serve out his sentence, Leo is able to spend some private time with Lucille.

For Capek, the play has had an everlasting effect on her.

“I walk away from this play knowing that we can never go back to where we were 50, 60, 70 or more years ago,” Capek said. “Change can only come from within our own selves and only happen if we truly want it.”

During what turns out to be her last visit, Leo professes his love to Lucille, apologizing for his unacceptable behavior. They hold each other, lying on a blanket on the cold hard jail floor into the night until the drunken guard asks her to leave.

That would be the last time Leo would ever hold or be with his loving and supportive Lucille, for sometime in the early morning hours, Leo is kidnapped from the state prison farm by the “Knights of Mary Phagan” whose members number more than 20 and are prominent citizens of the community.

The mob brings Leo more than 240 miles away from his home. As they tighten the noose around his neck, Leo recites words in Hebrew and puts both of his palms together in prayer.

With his accusers looking on, Leo is lynched.

'Best' President, not the best economist

2009-02-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

Written by Robert Dran
(rdran@mscd.edu)

With all the talk of Lincoln and the presidents this last week, it would be nice to focus on how Lincoln influenced the United States. When C-SPAN asked historians to rank the presidents, for the first time, Lincoln was considered the greatest president. With the current comparison of President Barack Obama to Lincoln, it would be appropriate to ask what made Lincoln so great? Was it freeing the slaves or winning the Civil War? In fact, contrary to what pop history told you, the Civil War was primarily an economic war between the industrial North and the agricultural South. Many of Lincoln’s critics point out that few other countries needed a war to get rid of slavery. Mexico did, but like the American Civil War, it was a battle for economic independence rather than slavery. Haiti is probably the best example, as it is the only successful slave revolt in history.

When it comes to looking at a president’s economic policies, it is important to look at the administration as a whole rather than a single individual. I laid blame on both Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and former President George W. Bush. Lincoln’s Treasury Secretary was a man named Salmon P. Chase. Chase was quite accomplished: he served as both senator and governor of Ohio. He later became chief justice of the Supreme Court. However, Treasury Secretary Chase had three important policies that affect us to this day.

The first was deficit spending.

Before the 1857 depression, the U.S. had a debt of 97 cents per person. By 1865, the debt had ballooned to $75 per person. But considering the U.S. was going through an economic downturn and a war this should sound familiar an increase in deficit spending was a necessary evil. The amount of spending during the Civil War was shocking. By the end of the war, the Navy and war departments were spending $2 million a day. According to John Steele Gordon’s "An Empire of Wealth," before the Civil War, the largest federal budget was $74.2 million in 1858. Since the Civil War, there has never been a federal budget under $236.9 million (that happened in 1878). In fact, in 1865, the government spent $1.3 billion. The United States was the first country to ever spend more than a billion dollars in one year.

Now this begs the question, how did Lincoln and Chase pay for all of this? Which brings about his second and third most influential economic policies.

The first of these was bonds. Bonds are when someone purchases debt and when the bond matures, the purchaser is paid back with interest. Chase was not the first government official to use bonds, but he greatly expanded the number of bonds issued. This is important because at the time only a small group of people in the U.S. had bank accounts and barely 1 percent had any securities at all. After advertising in newspapers, lowering denominations and generally getting the word out, 5 percent of the population owned government bonds. The government was able to raise two-thirds of all its income through bonds, according to Gordon.

Chase’s third change was the dreaded taxes.

Chase instituted the first income tax; it ranged from 3 to 5 percent on people earning incomes over $800 a year, which was not a bad amount for the time. After ramming the income tax through at the beginning of the war, the tax rate increased to 10 percent by war’s end. Chase ironically managed to kill the income tax 10 years later when the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. Today, we have the income tax thanks to the 16th Amendment. This is an unfortunate example of an economic panic causing the government to do an inefficient thing. Chase even recognized this, but failed to stop the tax over the long term. Taxes reduce investment and consumption in the economy. When businesses and individuals spend less, they consume less and therefore create fewer jobs. Creating the income tax system sounded reasonable at the time, but over the long run became a permanent burden on the American economy.

When we look back on Lincoln and Chase it is important to realize their economic accomplishments. Though successful at the time, their policies caused problems over the long run, particularly spending and the income tax. It is hard to argue that if the Union had not won the Civil War, the United States would not have become the great power it is today or freed the slaves. Nevertheless, when the Lincoln/Obama honeymoon is over, historians may have to rethink Lincoln’s economic policies. Though he is one of the greats, being the best president may be a stretch.

Middle East conflict takes center stage

2009-02-26T11:26:00.000-08:00

Written by Rochelle Smolinski
(rsmolin@mscd.edu)
Photo by Leah Millis
(lmillis@mscd.edu)

A number of Auraria students took a break from their busy schedules to reflect on the plight of a people halfway around the world Feb. 23, learning about daily life in the Middle East through the eyes of a 13-year-old Palestinian boy.

The Muslim Student Association of Auraria hosted “Tragic Fate of Peace in Gaza,” introducing the harsh realities of life in Gaza to a near-full house in the Tivoli Multicultural Lounge.

The 2001 documentary “Gaza Strip” was shown to provide a window into the world of Mohammed Hejazi, a second-grade dropout who took a paper route to help support his family.

The documentary follows Hejazi and his friends’ lives in their war-torn neighborhood; not all of them making it out alive. Hejazi, no stranger to death, laments that he wishes he were dead, like his friend, because it would be easier than living. The crowd was left silent.

That silence met Robert Hazan, chair of the political science department, as he took the podium at the end of the film, speaking to the crowd about the true reality of life in Gaza.

“Gaza is the reminder of delusional peace,” Hazan said. “Don’t be fooled by your leaders. They fail far more than they succeed in places like Gaza. If you don’t hold your leaders responsible and accountable — let me put it mildly — by their misdeeds, who will?”

Eight years after the filming of the documentary, hostility seized Gaza, though the outcome of the engagement left the region no closer to peace than it was before.

Hazan encouraged the students to reflect on the situation in Gaza, reminding them that American tax dollars support the Israeli army, and asking the crowd if this is how they want their tax dollars spent.

The objective of civilization is to create peace and 7 billion people have condemned the 1.5 million Palestinian children in Gaza, Hazan said, forcing them to grow up too quickly and take on adult responsibilities, including the fear of being shot.

“It’s not a pleasant discussion — it’s horror,” Hazan said.

America’s support for Israel was also highlighted in the opening paragraph of a letter from Sen. Mark Udall protesting military aid to the country for 2010.

“During its December-January war on the occupied Gaza Strip, Israel killed more than 1,300 Palestinians and injured more than 5,000, destroyed 4,000 buildings and caused an estimated $2 billion of damage to the civilian infrastructure of the Gaza Strip,” read the first of Udall’s letter.

The letter also alleged that Israel abuses weapons supplied by the U.S. and is in violation of the Arms Export Control Act.

Audience members were encouraged to sign the letter in support of the move to not allocate $2.77 billion in military aid to Israel as part of the 2010 budget.

Marziya Kaka, president of the Political Science Students Association organized the event with the Muslim Student Association and was delighted to see so many students attending the event.
Kaka wants students to see that the people of Palestine have families and friends — all of whom are suffering in Gaza.

“American media doesn’t report what it’s supposed to report. It’s very biased,” Kaka said.
Kaka encouraged students to question everything and not take anything at face value, especially the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Kaka also reminded students that the door of the Muslim Student Association, located in the Club Hub in the Tivoli, are always open to new students.

Free pass on new park-n-ride fees

2009-02-26T11:22:00.000-08:00

Andrew Fortier
(afortier@mscd.edu)

RTD began its planned park-n-ride fee program Feb. 2, and while some RTD patrons may feel a tug on their wallets, Metro students who utilize the RTD parking lots will not.

There will be no cost for those in-district residents using the RTD parking facilities for 24 hours or less, though longer stays will cost $4 in high-demand lots and $2 in low-demand lots.

In-district residents are those with license plates registered in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson and Weld counties. Those who are unsure of whether or not they are in-district can check by entering their license plate number into a form on the RTD website (www.rtd-denver.com), said Daria Serna, communications assistant at RTD.

However, students living outside of the RTD district can have the fee waived.

The RTD website states that students enrolled in a college or university with a current student ID, but with a vehicle registered outside the RTD district, are exempt from the parking fees.

College students living out-of-district can be exempted from the parking fees if they provide Central Parking — the company in charge of RTD’s new parking system — with a school schedule, copy of their school ID, license plate number, phone number and which parking location the student will be using.

All information should be sent to Sherry Sylla at Central Parking Systems, 475 17th St. Suite 750, Denver 80202. Central Parking can be contacted at 303-292-1505 for more information.
It is the student’s responsibility to contact Central Parking to avoid any out-of-district fees, Serna said.

Even if an exemption from the out-of-district parking fee is obtained, the fee for a stay longer than 24 hours will still apply. The new parking fees will not have an impact on the price of the student bus pass, Rachel Wear, the UCD representative to the Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board, said.

The first phase of the fee plan includes lots at Wagon Road, Thornton, Airport Boulevard and 40th Avenue and Stapleton, with 12 additional lots to implement fees on March 2.

In April, six more lots will institute the fee program, with a final 12 lots joining the plan in May. Thirty-eight of RTD’s park-n-ride lots will remain fee-free.

All RTD park-n-ride Light Rail stations — with the exception of the Englewood station — will be converted to a fee system by April 1.

RTD parking fees
Parking lots at these locations will begin charging on March 2.

Arapahoe at Village Center Light Rail Station
Belleview Light Rail Station
Colorado Light Rail Station
County Line Light Rail Station
Dayton Light Rail Station
Dry Creek Light Rail Station
Lincoln Light Rail Station
Nine Mile Light Rail Station
Orchard Light Rail Station
Southmoor Light Rail Station
University of Denver Light Rail Station
Yale Light Rail Station

Recession not all bad news for grads

2009-02-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

Written by Todd Stansfield
(tstansfi@mscd.edu)

With the nation’s unemployment rate hovering close to 8 percent and no end in sight to the recession, many Metro students are rethinking and changing their career plans. Despite the economic downturn, there are still several degrees that remain in high demand.

Many areas are being hard hit by the recession, but fields such as nursing and engineering continue to grow, with many new jobs opening for recent graduates.

As developments in computer programming, data management, software engineering and other information processing operations continue to revolutionize, so will the need for employees trained in computer information systems. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that this will be the fastest growing occupation in the next seven years.

Baby boomers are nearing retirement and this, coupled with an aging population, accounts for the increased demand for nurses. As more than 70 million members of the workforce near retirement, additional jobs will open in many health-care fields.

Increases in governmental contracting in conjunction with the recent passage of the stimulus bill and $120 billion set aside for upgrades to the nation’s infrastructure and science have made civil, mechanical, industrial, chemical and electrical engineering key positions employers will need filled.

This is good news for engineering majors at Metro, like Jayshen Bell, a civil engineering major who began to worry about his future job prospects as the economy started to falter.

“Even without the stimulus, there were still a good amount of jobs and people didn’t seem to be having as difficult a time finding employment as some other areas did,” Bell said.

The four highest paying jobs for people with less than five years experience are all engineering-based jobs.

Accountants play an essential role in businesses and government agencies. The field will increase, adding more than 200,000 jobs by the year 2016 as a result of tightening governmental restrictions and the introduction of new businesses.

Johann Snyman, management professor for the School of Business, said he believes management is one of the most sought-after degrees within the spectrum of business.
According to the labor bureau, financial analysts — including management and finance majors will be among the fastest growing occupations by 2016.

What does the future hold? What areas will emerge as new areas for students to find jobs?
“Green energy. Anything that has to do with green energy,” Snyman said.

The stimulus bill, which allocates roughly $50 billion toward energy conservation efforts and alternative energy solutions, will stimulate the demand for green degrees.

In addition, companies who operate with green energy will be eligible for tax cuts outlined in the bill. In turn, this will encourage employer creation of programs and jobs in the green energy industry.

Science Building takes shape

2009-02-26T11:15:00.000-08:00

Written byCaitlin Gibbons
(cgibbon4@mscd.edu)
Photo by Drew Jaynes
(ajaynes1@mscd.edu)

Auraria’s new Science Building is unique, inside and out.

The building is an odd shape, somewhat reminiscent of a horseshoe, a result of the building’s home nestled among Speer Boulevard, Lawrence Way and the North Classroom Building, said Joyce Carnes, senior project manager for Jacobs Global Buildings North America.

Venture inside the half-finished building — a mere 50 feet away from busy Speer Boulevard — and you’ll find that the interior reflects the exterior’s bold design.

“Auraria is not sitting back. We are a part of Denver and the Denver scene,” said Jim Fraser, Director of Facilities Management at Auraria.

The wall facing Speer will be constructed entirely of windows in order to “show off the science academics happening at Auraria,” Carnes said.

One of the most dramatic design elements of the new building will be the frame outlining the windows, which emulates a picture frame.

“Science will be looking back at Denver,” Fraser said.

There will also be bright accent colors featured in the classrooms facing Speer to attract onlookers, along with a large atrium that will connect the existing Science Building to the new addition.

The atrium will be home to a large piece of public art from a Denver artist commissioned by the Colorado Council for the Arts. While a final piece hasn’t been picked, options include a giant butterfly, 25-feet wide and 20-feet tall, suspended from the ceiling, its wings holding test tubes filled with colored liquid. The council will announce their decision by the end of March. One percent of the $121 million budget for the building will fund the art.

The building will comply with the Green Building Rating System as set by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is a third-party program and is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings that has both financial and environmental benefits.

Any new or renovated building whose total project cost includes 25 percent or more in state funding must be built to a high-performance green building standard, such as LEED, to comply with Senate Bill 51, which Gov. Bill Ritter signed into law in April 2007.

The project had already been funded when the law was enacted so it wasn’t necessary to meet the standard; however, builders decided to comply with LEED standards at the gold level anyway.

LEED certification is based on a 69-point system. Points are awarded for everything from storm water control to the amount of daylight a building lets in. In order to reach the gold level, the Science Building must be between 39-51 points out of the 69 possible.

Fraser explained that part of the LEED compliance states that the contractors must recycle 75 percent of their waste.

In addition to the recycling of materials, the contractors will get additional LEED points for obtaining their materials within 500 miles of the site.

The distance requirement for materials is to ensure that the amount of resources used to transport building materials is minimized without hindering the builder’s ability to get necessary supplies.

Construction of the new Auraria science building commenced Dec. 7,2007.

The schedule for construction was revised after asbestos was unearthed in the neighboring lot.
After a three-month delay for cleanup and removal, construction resumed and is now on track with the revised schedule.

The project is also on budget and aims to have occupants by November 2009. At that time, the existing Science Building will be vacated and shut down for renovations.

Campus home to those without

2009-02-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

Written by John Miller
(jmill201@mscd.edu)
Photos by Dawn Madura
(dmadura@mscd.edu)

Auraria is the urban destination for knowledge-hungry students but the campus is also an oasis for many of Denver’s invisible residents — the homeless.

Behind the Central Classroom Building, a lonely stretch of alley serves as a sanctuary for Denverites who’ve fallen on hard times, a place where they can grab a meal and some momentary respite.

It’s particularly cold and windy today, a condition that attracts more people than usual to the sandwich line at St. Elizabeth’s of Hungary Roman Catholic Church. Most are dressed as warm as they can afford, in clothing they have obviously been wearing for days. Standing in line with them, it’s clear that showers are not a daily ritual.

Some seem in good spirits as the prospect of a meal has lifted their mood. But others appear desperate and miserable. One has curled up into a ball next to a fence, shivering as his vacant eyes search the skies.

A voice behind me has been rambling on inaudibly, when suddenly it clearly says “the birds have tape recorders.” As I turn to address this statement, I see a tall black man, about 6 foot 4 inches, gazing into the distance, mumbling. His face is angry, tired and empty. I realize he’s not addressing anyone in particular. “They listen to you, and then…” he says, and his voice trails off into an indistinct mutter.

The area on the north end of the Central Classroom Building serves as a de facto dining section for many who have gotten their lunch from the sandwich line. Although there are a few pairs eating together, most stake claim to a bench and eat alone. The visual is poignant — like little islands of humanity, distrustful of their surroundings and of each other.

As students and faculty walk through this area, no greetings are exchanged, and eye contact is minimal. It’s as if they don’t exist; the islands are left as they are.

It’s no coincidence that they prefer their solitude, says Lauretta Proulx, pastoral associate at St. Elizabeth’s. Proulx has been in charge of the sandwich line for the last six years, collecting volunteers to help run it and procuring food to distribute.

Of the 100 to 120 homeless who frequent the line every day, Proulx says the majority of them are what she calls “toughened homeless.” They don’t like interacting with others, and they don’t like to be indoors. Fearful of being robbed or abused, they refuse to frequent shelters, preferring to camp under the viaducts and overpasses that surround the campus.

Proulx’s affection for them is apparent, evidenced by her frequent references to them as “my guys.” She says when they are in the sandwich line, they do a good job of policing each other if someone is disrespectful. They are all aware there is no panhandling allowed on campus; they will be escorted off if they try.

Saint Elizabeth’s of Hungary Roman Catholic Church was founded in 1878 by a handful of German families who lived on the west bank of Cherry Creek. The current church, dedicated in 1898, started the sandwich line in 1983, continuing the tradition of its namesake, who was known for feeding the hungry in her village.

Of the three churches on the Auraria campus, St. Elizabeth’s is the only one that remains a sanctioned place of worship and conducts regular masses. Auraria Higher Education Center long ago purchased the St. Cajetan’s and Emmanuel churches and converted them into a meeting hall and an art gallery, respectively.

St. Elizabeth’s also owns the land the church lies on, including the alley behind it where the sandwich line forms. The college was essentially built around it and the other historic landmarks that grace the campus.

Proulx says there have been “some conversations from the college” about the homeless population using the restrooms in the library. She also says that some parishioners feel intimidated if there are homeless people in the church when they go to worship. But she also seems protective of “her guys,” and it’s probably safe to say that as long as St. Elizabeth’s remains a church, there will be a sandwich line to feed them.

Dino is not the average patron of the sandwich line. An upbeat and gregarious guy, he chatters to those around him while they wait in line for lunch. Forty-something, with long, stringy hair and a slight build, he seems unaffected by his current plight, talking about a life he left behind many years ago.

“I used to have a little apartment over on 12th and Sheridan back in 87,” he says. “Had a job making $9 an hour. Left me enough money to party with. I was doin’ pretty good.” Someone commented that in 1987, $9 was good money. “Yeah we smoked a lot of dope,” Dino says.

He talks about having a wife and kids, how easy his job was and about all the dope he smoked. But none of those waiting for lunch really seemed to care. When asked what happened to it all, he simply says “I don’t remember.”

After a moment, he says Kathy Brisnehan portions out beef stew, Feb. 24, for the final people forming the sandwich line outside the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Church at Auraria. More than 100 people were served lunch Tuesday in the alley between the church and Central Classroom. “boy, I’d sure like to get a hold of some more of that white stuff.”

“We are the custodians of the campus,” officer Sam Maes of the Auraria Campus Police Department says. Since the campus is public property, “everyone’s a visitor,” Maes says. The only prerequisite is that people need to keep moving. Sleeping for long periods of time is not acceptable.

This can be problematic for a couple of reasons. Since many of the homeless stake a claim to the numerous freeway underpasses and viaducts that surround the campus, they wander the campus having been up all night, particularly in the winter, because if they try to sleep they could freeze to death. Most are simply looking for a place to rest, Maes says.

The library and the Tivoli are also public property where any visitor is free to roam. Coupled with the fact that many students like to take naps on the lawns or in the lounges of the Tivoli, it can be confusing as to who is taking a break in between classes and who is not.

There are a small number of regulars who frequent the library daily, says Rosemary Evetts, archivist for the Auraria Library. Most stay at least a few hours a day.

“There are always some waiting for the doors to open in the morning, and probably some that need to be herded out at closing. Many of them are waiting for lunch. While they are waiting, they mostly read,” Evetts says.

Some members of the library staff are intimidated by the homeless visitors, and there are occasionally some problems. Students and faculty sometimes have a problem with the space they take up because it is one less seat for someone who pays to be there.

“For awhile there was a ‘regular’ who one day complimented an exhibit, and in talking with him I discovered that in a previous life — before homelessness — he had a Ph.D in marketing from DU. I said, in a stupidly incredulous tone of voice, ‘Really?’ To which he replied, ‘Well, things change.’ I felt like a total dolt — talk about judging a book by its cover,” Evetts says.

Maes said officers are familiar with most of the homeless visitors, and their main concern is checking on their welfare. The police respond to complaints made by faculty and students — most common are violations involving drinking on campus, intoxication, urinating in public and confrontations with students or faculty, or with each other. Depending on the severity of the offense, infractions such as these can produce what is called a “banning letter,” prohibiting the offender further access to the campus.

As for the sandwich line, as long as the campus is public property “there’s no getting rid of it,” Maes says.

SGA shuffles positions, funds

2009-02-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

Written by Caitlin Gibbons
(cgibbon4@mscd.edu)

The Metro Student Government Assembly is busy dealing with controversial decisons regarding the appointment of a new vice president and a plan to revise the compensation for elected officials.

At the Feb. 18 SGA meeting, president Andrew Bateman appointed Garbo vice president, leading adviser Gretta Mincer to question if the move was allowed under the assembly’s by-laws.

According to Bateman, the standard process for appointees was followed, including reviewing all previous external applications for the position.

Bateman said he felt the appointee should be someone with a significant understanding of SGA operations, someone who could only be found within the current assembly.

Garbo, as attorney general, was asked in the fall semester to make an interpretation regarding the appointment of a new vice president, when the assembly voted to consider internal applications.

At the time, Bateman had made no mention of appointing Garbo or any other current member.
Garbo said he felt a little odd offering an interpretation of the bylaws, but felt confident that his interpretation was just and encouraged seeking an opinion from the student court as well. At the meeting, a motion was proposed to postpone approving Garbo, to maintain transparency and integrity within the government.

However, the motion was eventually withdrawn, because the Student Court would have to consider the legality of the appointment, which would consume time and potentially delay or hurt current SGA projects.

Bateman said even if the decision were delayed he would not change his appointment. The appointment will be finalized March 1, pending final approval and interpretation.
“It’s a complicated issue, and we’re trying to come up with a good solution that supports all students,” Mincer said. Bateman is also investigating restructuring the compensation for elected officials and senators.

As president, Bateman receives an $800 a month stipend.
The presidential position is compensated based on a 20-hour workweek, which roughly translates to $9.20 an hour.

Bateman proposed that the presidency move to a 20- to 30-hour workweek and receive a $1,100 a month stipend as well as a half-tuition stipend. Other elected officials would also receive the half-tuition stipend.

The proposed re-allocation of compensation would not change the operating budget significantly, according to Bateman, and would not increase student fees, which currently pay for SGA salaries.

Bateman said he hopes that with the tuition stipend many of the SGA members would be able to focus on their academics and be more connected to their classes.

Senators would receive no monthly stipend, but would be awarded a stipend for half their tuition costs. The weekly hourly requirement for a senator is two to four hours, mostly on Fridays for meetings.

The current compensation for senators is a $100 monthly stipend.

Bateman said the majority of the assembly seems to support the compensation proposal.
Bateman is working with the Scholarship Center and the Administrative and Finance offices. The proposed compensation plan must also comply with federal and state requirements.
He said he expects to have a decision regarding the compensation by the April election.
SGA, according to the 2008-2009 budgets, has a $200,000 surplus. Bateman said this is not truly a surplus and the money has been proposed for several uses, but there are “always eight months of red tape and bureaucracy to go through.”

Some of the budgetary surplus is from $10,000 allocated for travel. SGA had set aside the funds to attend an out-of-state conference, but could not get approval from the school. Now, the assembly is looking for other areas to spend the money.

One proposal being circulated is to expand the wireless Internet service in the King Center. Wireless is only available on the fourth and fifth floors of the building, out of the reach of students. SGA is working with the information and technology department to determine the feasibility cost and logistics.

SGA will be holding a student - interest meeting Feb. 26 in the Tivoli Multicultural Lounge to discuss the use of student fees. The meeting will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature free pizza.

Bateman said the assembly does not want to have to roll funds over to the next year, and would like to see those funds benefit the student body.

Bateman also proposed at the February Board of Trustees meeting that it is inappropriate for the SGA to get funds through the Student Affairs Board. The board is composed of 11 members, seven of whom are SGA officers. Bateman explained that SGA should be its own fee, not bundled into the Student Affairs fee.

“SGA is unique and subject to our own scrutiny apart from the rest of Student Affairs. If we want to increase our budget, it should be put to student vote,” Bateman said.

If the fee were to be separated out, it would be $4 to $5 a student but would not increase the total amount of student fees. It would be reallocated into its own category instead of packaged into Student Affairs. Students would vote on any future increase of the fee.

Bateman said he plans to have a final proposal on the fees on the table by December 2009, in time for approval for the spring 2010 semester.

Fan day brings 1,701 fans to game

2009-02-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

Written by Kate Ferraro
(kferraro@mscd.edu)
Photos by Jeremy Papasso, Drew Jaynes, Ryan Martin
(jpapasso@mscd.edu, martiry@mscd.edu, ajaynes1@mscd.edu)

On Fan Appreciation Day, 1701 fans packed the house for the Metro men’s basketball game against Colorado Christian University Feb. 14 at the Auraria Events Center.

Not only were the games aired live on CBS CollegeSports, a tailgate party and giveaways were also part of the experience.

The average number of people at a men’s basketball game at home is 443, while for women it’s 161. The number of fans increased by over 1300 people for the men’s game on Fan Appreciation Day.

So, where have these people been all season? The men are on a 12-game winning streak and are one of the best teams in the division, yet live television and a tailgate party is when the fans come out to support their team.

Athletic Director Joan McDermott believes not only was the game being on T.V. and promotions a part of the big crowd, but also the Metro pep band.

“People are having so much fun with the band being here,” McDermott said. “Since they’ve started, our crowds, every game, are getting a little better.”

McDermott thought the game had a great atmosphere and hopes to see more people at the games from now on.

“I wish we could get more of this,” McDermott said. “Hopefully everybody had fun and they come back.”

Metro men’s senior guard Marquise Carrington said Metro is a commuter school, and doesn’t get angry when people can’t make it out to every single game.

“We give people a break,” Carrington said. “I hope for the next years to come, people see what they’re missing. They’re missing good basketball.”

Cheerleader Andrea Allen has a different prospective on the situation, saying that it’s typical of people to only come to sporting events when there is live television and giveaways, but it was fan day after all.

“It’s going to happen,” Allen said. “That’s how people are. It was a good turnout, but hopefully they will come out more often.”

Looking around in the stands, there were people who painted themselves for the game, while others made their own shirts. Student Ryan Baker and six of his friends each painted a letter from the word, RUNNERS on their chests. Baker claims he and his friends are at the games all the time, but decided to be creative with the game against CCU.

“We did this because it was a big rivalry,” Baker said. “We came out to support the team.”
The women’s game was played right after the men’s game, but with no live coverage from CBS CollegeSports. The number of people in the stands was 475, dropping 1300 fans from the men’s game. The men, who now rank No. 2 in the division, and No. 18 in the nation, could possibly be hosting regional’s in a couple weeks.

Volleyball looks to compete in second season

2009-02-20T14:20:00.001-08:00

Written by Josiah Kaan
(jkaan@mscd.edu)

The start of a new volleyball season could be heard on the courts in the Physical Education Building Feb. 4 as tryouts for the Metro men’s volleyball club team took place.

“It’s a good opportunity for the college since there is no organized men’s volleyball team,” head coach Glavin Markovits said.

Markovits, who is also assistant coach of the women’s varsity volleyball team, and Debbie Hendricks, head coach of the women’s volleyball team, started this new club sport about a year ago. This is the first season that the team will be seeing competition. The main goals this season are competing in all their matches, as well as working out the kinks that come with a men’s volleyball program, while laying down a solid foundation for the future of the club.

After preparing all fall for competition with multiple tryouts and weekly practices, the young and developing team is excited to face its first opponent Feb. 22, when they start playing in the Rocky Mountain Region Adult Volleyball Tournament Series.

“If the guys who have expressed interest show up, we’re going to be pretty good,” Markovits said.

Michael Nguyen, a standout from the team who joined club volleyball in September of 2008, said that he feels the team will be strong and competitive in the tournaments ahead.

“I would like our team to place in the tournaments that we enter,” Nguyen said. “ I would like to see us improve and have something to look forward to for the future.”

The strength of the team lies in its offense, as the team has a good group of hitters -- like Nguyen, who plays outside hitter -- but has room for improvement when it comes to defense. Working on blocking schemes, ball control and defensive positioning are key elements that the team needs to improve on.

“The defense needs to move with the blockers in a fluid motion to cover the angles that the block will not be able to shut down,” Nguyen said. “Overall, communication will be the key component of a successful season.”

After only seven players showed up to the tryouts Feb. 4, the team is still looking to fill three roster spots. Experienced players who may have missed the tryouts, but still want to play volleyball with a team, are welcome to come to practice, Markovits said. He went on to stress that the team is looking for experienced guys who are serious about playing volleyball and willing to make a valuable contribution to the team. Markovits believes it’s hard to develop a young team while trying to coach different skill levels.
“It’s not fair to them or the team,” Markovits said.

Any players who are interested in playing or trying out for men’s club volleyball can either contact head coach Glavin Markovits at gmarkovi@mscd.edu or show up to practice, which takes place on Wednesdays from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. in the Physical Education Building.

Metro drops opener

2009-02-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

Written by Enrico Dominguez
(edoming2@mscd.edu)

The Metro women’s tennis team dropped their spring opener match 7-0 Feb. 13 against the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

Although the team was unable to come out with a win, they showed plenty of heart and a positive attitude during the match.

“We weren’t expected to win the match,” head coach Beck Meares said. “I told the girls not to think about winning, but just giving it their best.”

Sophomore Alexis Alvarez won the only set late in the match. In doubles, sophomore Mandy Bowling and junior Mitra Hirad tag-teamed against top-ranked division I doubles, Katrina Eromin and Erlyn Rudico. Although they lost, they showed they aren’t intimidated by anyone, and are a force to be reckoned with whenever they step foot on the court. During the entire match, not one of the girls was slightly fatigued.

“Beck runs us like you wouldn’t believe,” junior April Hirad said. “Two nights a week practice goes till midnight. Playing two matches in a few hours better not faze us.”

Not only were they undeterred, but the hard work the girls are putting in and the commitment they are upholding, looks to be rewarded in the very near future. Meares has high hopes for her team this season.

“Get to the RMAC final,” Meares said on the team’s goals. “Place in the top three of the conference tournament, and make it to the regional tournament.”

This is well within reason, considering all of the girls are seasoned veterans within the program. Meares believes if the team keeps going the way they are, they will definitely reach their goals.
“This is the best we’ve come in at the beginning of the season,” Meares said. “They are hitting the ball well and everyone is on the same page. As long as we’re working together, and playing as a team and not just individuals out there, it will all come together.”

Right on track

2009-02-20T14:14:00.000-08:00

Written by Kate Ferraro
(kferraro@mscd.edu)
Photo by Linh Ngo
(lngo@mscd.edu)

The Metro men and women’s track team competed in the Husky Classic and the Air Force Invitational Feb. 13 and 14 in Seattle and Colorado Springs.

The Roadrunners are off to a good start, as junior Anthony Luna has already qualified for the NCAA championships in the 800M with a time of 1:50.53. After only two meets so far in the indoor season, Luna broke a school record with his 800M time, and is the second fastest time in the nation.

“I think he can potentially make a career out of running,” head coach Peter Julian said. “He has big pressures, but handles them very well.”

Junior Todd Tolentino also ran at the Husky Classic, and ran an NCAA championships provisional qualifying mark in the 5,000M with a time of 14:38.95. Tolentino broke the indoor school record for that event. Although he broke a school record, Tolentino wasn’t that happy about it.

“I didn’t get the time that I wanted,” Tolentino said. “It was kind of disappointing.”

Both the men and women’s Mile Relay team ran seasonal bests of 3:31.49 and 4:08.12 in the Air Force Invitational.

Even though the track team doesn’t really concentrate on the indoor season, Julian is still satisfied with how indoor is going.

“Most efforts go in the outdoor season,” Julian said. “Luna has the second fastest time in the country, and both men and women’s distance teams are on the national list, I’m pretty pleased.”
Julian is looking forward to both teams in having success and seeing if Luna wins a national title. He believes both relay teams are doing well, and hopes some runners can received some all-American awards.

“I’m looking forward to winning a national championship in March for my 800M,” Luna said. “That’s my goal.”

Both teams will run in the Mines Twilight Feb. 20 in Golden. Tolentino is looking forward to running in the distance medley relay, hoping he qualifies for nationals.

Metro wins three straight on road

2009-02-20T14:09:00.000-08:00

Written by Robert Dran
(rdran@mscd.edu)
Photo by Jonathan Ingraham
(jingrah1@mscd.edu)

Metro baseball outperformed Montana State University-Billings going 3-1 in a in a hastily scheduled four-game set. Though Metro only planned to play two games against MSU-Billings, Nebraska-Kearney was unable to leave Kearney to head to Lakewood to play Metro and MSU-Billings. Since Kearney was snowed in, Metro and MSUB were forced to add two games instead of just playing two. In addition, Metro and MSUB had to cancel the first game because of snow but was still on All Star Park's field.

In the first game on Feb. 13, MSU-Billings was anxious to get started. In the weekend series highest scoring game, MSU-Billings scored eight runs off of 16 hits. Starting pitcher Ryan Eccles kept the ball in the strike zone. He ended his four shutout innings with five strike outs and no walks, but he gave up seven hits. Once Eccles left, the game started to go MSU-Billings’ way in the fifth inning. MSUB went on to score two runs in four straight innings to win the game 8-4.

"We have to give them credit,” Metro left fielder Marcel Dominguez said. “They came out to play.”

Head coach Jerry Schemmel was a little bit disappointed in the teams performance.
"We took them a little too lightly," Schemmel said.

The second game, on Feb. 14 Metro grabbed the momentum that took them through the rest of the weekend. In the fifth inning MSUB was the first to draw blood with two runs, which Metro quickly answered in the bottom of the inning. Metro than took the go-ahead run and two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, which MSUB could not answer. Metro went on to win the game 5-3.

In the third game, and the first of a double header on Feb. 15, Metro continued on the previous day's success with a victory. The game started much as the others, with a pitchers duel between Metro's Steve Green and MSU-Billings’ Brian Howe. In the fourth inning, MSU-Billings finally broke Green with one run to inflict the first damage of the game. MSUB then spent the following inning grabbing some breathing room with three additional runs to put themselves ahead 4-0. However, Metro quickly responded with five runs in the fifth inning to crawl back into the game and grab the lead 5-4. Metro then added a single run for comfort to which MSUB could not respond, and Metro snatched its second victory of the weekend 6-4. Shortstop Matt McConnell and first baseman Jordan Stouffer each hit home runs for Metro.

Metro concluded the weekend in the same way they began, with close a game. Metro had to change strategy by trying to advance runners with sacrifice bunts due to the lack of offensive production.

"Offensively we have a lot of talent but we struggled to get hits and we played for one run and that's how it turned out," Schemmel said.

Stouffer again was the key to Metro's offense as he provided all of Metro's two RBIs. But ultimately, the game came down to pitching as Metro pitcher Kyle Orgrill went six innings with nine strike outs, four walks and gave up only one run on three hits.

"We had really consistent pitching," Schemmel explained. "Defense was terrific. We were dynamite."

Metro will look to continue their consistent play with two double headers Feb. 21 and 22 at All Star Park in Lakewood against College of Santa Fe.

Runners No. 18 in nation

2009-02-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

Written by Kate Ferraro
(kferraro@mscd.edu
Photo by Ryan Martin
(martirya@mscd.edu)

Metro men’s basketball team won against Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Christian University Feb. 13 and 14 at the Auraria Events Center.

Fan Appreciation Day, senior night and CBS CollegeSports brought 1,701 fans to watch the Roadrunners (14-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, 20-3 overall) beat rival CCU (8-8 in the RMAC, 13-11 overall) in a close match 74-68.

“This is probably one of the biggest crowds I’ve seen here in four years,” forward Jesse Wagstaff said. “It was good to get a big crowd here.”

An Achilles’ heel for Metro is 3-pointers, however, point guard Marquise Carrington connected on three in the first four minutes of the first half.

“Our game is to get inside out,” Wagstaff said. “The 3-pointers presented themselves, so we shot them.”

The Roadrunners went on a 13-2 run with the help of Carrington’s 3-pointers, but the Cougars roared back with a 16-3 run, taking a two-point lead with 10 minutes left, and was ahead at halftime 36-31.

The Cougars led by nine points in the beginning of the second half, before Carrington scored three more 3-pointers as the Roadrunners went on a 14-5 run. A layup from Wagstaff tied the game at 47.

“Our mentality was to get a lot of 2-pointers,” head coach Brannon Hays said. “They did a nice job of not letting us do that. They opened up a lot of 3-pointers and our guys made them.”
The Roadrunners went on a 9-0 run after the Cougars were ahead by two points. Carrington scored his ninth 3-pointer with six minutes left in the game, giving Metro a four-point lead. Forward Donte Nicholas scored a layup, before Wagstaff hit two free throws, giving Metro a nine-point lead with five minutes left. CCU forward Jobi Wall cut the Roadrunner’s lead by one, however, Metro made 4-of-5 free throws in the final two minutes of the game to seal the 74-68 victory. The game was the last regular season home game for six seniors on the team.

“It’s very sad,” Carrington said. “It didn’t really hit me. I got a little emotional before the game, but it’s a good sad.”

Amongst the 1,701 fans, Carrington’s mother Veronica Carrington, came to Colorado from Philadelphia to watch her son play in his final two home games.

“I am so proud,” Veronica Carrington said. “The words cannot express. I’m going back to Philadelphia with two whole wins. My son, he loves it here. I’m looking to see what God is going to do further and I’m just blessed.”

The Roadrunners have now won 18 consecutive home games against CCU, with the last loss being in 1993. Carrington recorded a career-high nine 3-pointers, in addition to a game-high 29 points, just being four short of his career-high 33 points. His nine 3-pointers also tied a school record, set by Jeremy Ward in 1995.

“He’s a stud,” Wagstaff said about Carrington. “I’ve played with him for four years. He kept us in the game for the whole first half and through the second.”

Wagstaff scored 22 points and added a game-high eight rebounds and four assists, while Nicholas scored 15 points for the Roadrunners. The trio combined for 66 of Metro’s 74 points.
The game was Metro’s first TV appearance which set a regular season home attendance record at the Auraria Events Center. Metro is now ranked No. 18 in the latest NABC/Division II Top-25 Poll, voted by Division II coaches.

Metro also won against CSM Feb. 13, where Wagstaff scored a game-high 22 points. Wagstaff hit 13-of-14 free throws, and pulled away with a team-high eight rebounds.

The Roadrunners will travel to face University of Nebraska at Kearney and Chadron State Feb. 20 and 21 in Nebraska.

Metro dominates on defense

2009-02-20T13:59:00.000-08:00

Written by Eric Lansing
(lansing@mscd.edu)
Photo by Andrew Bisset
(abisset1@mscd.edu)

All the hype on campus was the nationally televised game Feb. 14 featuring the men’s basketball team. But the Metro women’s basketball team staked their claim for national attention after two double-digit wins against the Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Christian University at the Auraria Events Center.

“I was very proud,” Metro head coach Linda Lappe said on her team’s convincing victories. “It was a big weekend for us. We lost both of these games the first time around and to come back like we did with intensity and focus was amazing. It was an all around team effort.”

The more amazing win came against one of the hottest teams in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. CSM came into the contest sporting the best record in the RMAC East Division and riding a seven-game win streak.

The first half showcased Metro’s third-ranked defense that made an impressive showing by holding the Orediggers to a mere 16 points and to an abysmal 18 percent shooting from the field.
“We worked all week on their back screens,” Metro forward Kiley Gill said. “We were trying not to get beat back door and not getting beat on screens, which is how they beat us last time.”

The Roadrunners jumped out to a 21-9 lead early in the first half. The game was tied at five apiece before Gill came into the ball game. The reserve used her time wisely hitting on a couple of 3-pointers and a layup to spur the run.

The junior scored 10 of her career high in the first half and helped her team to a 36-16 lead at the half.

Mines’ highly skilled forward Emily Dalton, who averages 14 points per game, did not record a single field goal or free throw in the first half. Metro’s defense kept the senior from connecting on her first field goal until 4:40 off the clock in the second half.

The Orediggers cut Metro’s lead to 10 with 10 minutes left in the ball game. The ’Runners quickly responded on a 3-pointer by Metro guard Sharaya Selsor. The home team then reeled off a 17-6 run to bring the lead back up to 23 and Mines never got closer than 17 the rest of the way.

Metro took the 71-49 victory, as four ’Runners scored in double figures, while out-rebounding the ’Diggers 38-26. Metro guard Jasmine Cervantes led the team with 17 points and three steals.
The early 20-point game might not have been in Lappe’s game plan, but the way her team played in the first half was vital in pulling off the upset.

“We were just hoping to win,” Lappe said. “The 20-point lead was a surprise, but really watching them execute on offense and defense, it wasn’t a surprise after watching that. We came ready to play and when we do that, we’re hard to beat.”

They may have been hard to beat versus Mines, but they were unstoppable the following night as six Roadrunners hit the double-digit mark in an 84-67 rout of CCU.

“We did a great job of spreading around the wealth,” Lappe said. “We answered every single run they threw at us with a big shot. It’s tough to guard an entire team when everyone is contributing.”

In their previous meeting with the Cougars, Metro had a hard time finding their shooting rhythm in a 71-61 loss. But this past weekend’s win, they shot a stellar 50 percent from the field, including 7-of-14 from beyond the arc.

Lappe explained that the team passed the ball well racking up 21 assists, which leads to easy buckets and open 3-pointers. Metro is ranked third in the RMAC in assists per game.

The wins improve Metro’s record to 9-6 in the RMAC and currently sit tied for the fifth spot in the conference tournament. The Roadrunners will travel to Nebraska Feb. 20 and 21 to take on University of Nebraska at Kearney and Chadron State, and will also play Regis University Feb. 24 in Denver.

Faculty needs clear standards, expectations

2009-02-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

Written by Hal Nees
(Professor, Criminal Justice and Criminology)

The mission of Metro State is to educate students, and we, as faculty members, perform a great job of providing that education. We need to recognize how good we are at what we do for the students at Metro State. However, with this letter I am raising concerns that I believe we must discuss and resolve as a faculty.

For the past forty years the faculty members have carried this institution, developing the college and building a strong educational institution. We should be proud of all of our accomplishments. We hold degrees that would match favorably with the faculty members of most institutions. We are not paid at a high rate and will probably suffer through another year of stagnant wages due to the widespread economic problems that we face as a state and a nation.

We, the Metro faculty members, need to recognize that we work hard. To illustrate this point, a partial description of our workload is provided next.

• We teach 12 credit hours each semester. At a minimum this means that we spend three and a half to four hours per week for each credit hour that we instruct. To be conservative, I will assume the time to be three and a half hours. This means that faculty members spend 42 hours a week in the classroom and preparing for teaching. If we are preparing a new course or modifying a course, the minimal amount of time that I have allocated is very conservative and the demands of teaching are often more than 42 hours per week.
• We maintain five hours per week of office hours to advise students and are required to be available for additional office hours for student appointments. Most faculty members spend more time than this with appointments and advising outside of the required office hours.
• A conservative guess would be that faculty members spend a minimum of three hours per week on department, school and college committees, community service as well as other service to our professions. This is a conservative estimate; many faculty members spend way beyond this amount of time.
• Professional development work, keeping up with the field and completing research/creative work related to our areas of study takes much time and for the sake of discussion I shall assume that we spend another four hours per week. This varies from faculty member to faculty member with many of us spending much more time than this number of hours per week. Furthermore, most faculty members pay for some or all of the costs associated with professional development (e.g., conference fees and travel). We strive to maintain currency in the field and to complete research and creative outcomes as we are able to do so.

This means that a conservative estimate indicates that faculty members work a minimum of 54 hours per week. Research that I have read about faculty members teaching in an undergraduate program indicates that faculty members work approximately 55 hours per week. So, it is a fairly safe assumption to make that our faculty members work a minimum 50 to 55 hours a week.

The processes of retention, tenure and promotion are not well defined, and different faculty members have different views as to what are appropriate criteria. Our standards need to be high but reasonable; they should be appropriate for various disciplines but similar throughout the college; they should be clear but flexible to accommodate our differences and different skills; and they should be in writing and transparent. It is our task to develop the standards and then lead the members of the administration towards acceptance of our high, yet reasonable standards.

There is more pressure to complete research/creative work and publish articles and books than in the past. I also am concerned that the amount of time required to research and complete creative work is not fully recognized by some faculty members and administrators. I believe that we need to establish reasonable expectations for faculty members concerning the research and publications expected of them.

This is not a plea for lowering standards, but it is a plea for developing clear and reasonable standards that allow the faculty members to know what they must achieve to be retained, and to gain tenure and promotion. We must recognize the diversity of knowledge, skills, interests, and abilities of our faculty members and allow for the full development of these factors. We must not be caught in measuring what is easily and usually measured in retention, tenure and promotion, and not finding ways to measure and encourage faculty members to develop in teaching, service, and advising.

This letter is a call for discussion and action on the part of faculty members.

Commentary: Stimulus empty without bipartisanship

2009-02-20T13:54:00.000-08:00

Written by Kailei Higginson
(khiggi11@mscd.edu)

Is the stimulus package a good thing? There are those that say yes, but I believe that it is to open interpretation. But much like the Supreme Court Justice who tried to define obscenity, I know bad policy when I see it and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is definitely it. It doesn’t really address any of the economic need that Americans are calling for; it’s about politics and how people can keep power in Washington.

It isn’t that I think government spending is bad, it’s that the majority party wrote with little or no input from the minority party. It’s the idea that we need to spend our way out of a recession but not curb our excess spending. It’s the idea that we the people don’t know how to spend our money and paying off debts and credits cards won’t help unless the government does it for us. More importantly, it’s the fact that if it doesn’t work, we’ll do it all again next year or so. All of these aspects bother me.

Reality is it is easier for the government to spend our money and take care of people than it is for us. Why? I have no idea, but it is. We decided at some point that we don’t want to be directly responsible for our fellow Americans. We want to show up and show pity on those less fortunate and serve them food once or twice a year but we don’t want to give money to the non-profits that do it year around.

The federal government is spending $2,447,922,036 in the great state of Colorado. That works out to be about $570 per person in Colorado that is being spent on streets and other construction jobs here in the state. It’s money well spent, right? Additionally, there are other initiatives in the bill the President signed here in Denver. Items such as tax breaks for college and housing are included. Be sure to thank your local Republican representative for those clauses. Otherwise, it would have been spent on condoms and grass.

Regardless of what you read in print or hear on MSNBC, Republicans offered up a solution that wasn’t seriously looked at by the Democrats. This plan called for more tax cuts, which would have put money in people’s hands immediately. But partisan language used by those in power implies that we’re in this crisis because of bad economic policies driven by the Republicans. Quite frankly, that isn’t accurate. Both sides contributed to the crisis which includes active lobbying by Freddie Mac and Frannie May and lack of enforcement by the Bush Administration. The best way to solve the situation is to put aside personal and professional issues between both parties and come to the table ready to debate and discuss what’s the best for the country. However since that didn’t happen, it falls to the Democrats to push through what they think is best.

But that is neither here nor there. What really has me freaked out is that we’re about to spend nearly $1 trillion in tax dollars and we’re not entirely sure that is the right thing to do. One economist said this and a different economist said a different thing about the whether or not this will work. But that is what Washington does: Overreact to a crisis by not deliberating or conducting anything that resembles rational thought or debate. It’s how we got a less than perfect national security bill call the Patriot Act. That is all politics when it comes down to it.

Candidate Obama once promised a new way of doing things, but when it wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be, he called out the Republicans for disagreeing. President Obama forgot about “change” and “hope” when it came to a very real possibility that he might not be re-elected. Somehow, it was more important that Republicans support the Democrats in their overworked spending bill than truly achieve anything lasting. Again politics comes into play.

I’ll even attempt to be nice and say that there might have been valid arguments about the past administration and the lack of debate about bills. But isn’t it the very model of hypocrisy to run on a “new type of politics,” to run on “changing the way Washington works” and then not change anything? Bipartisan doesn’t mean trying to grab a couple of the opposing party members and get them to agree with you. It means truly having a debate with opposing ideals and then meeting at the table to work out a compromise that doesn’t make anyone happy now. But it could have positive impact in the future.

So while I don’t believe that the bill will do anything, it was an interesting aspect of politics and will have some very real ramifications that we’ll see next summer and fall. I know that this is true in that most of the spending won’t take place till 2010. Is that a big year for anyone? It is an election year and if it works, we’ll see the ramification in time for a new round of Democrats to get elected, which all spending bills are designed to do because we’ll forget this whole month and the drama that went along with it.

Well, that shouldn’t surprise us. Campaign promises are just that and the reality of governing is settling in. The crisis is here and how each party handles it is what will make a difference come 2010. What I can hope for is that my party learns from this and begins to take their message and their views to the people. That is the best way for us to make an argument about why we are better to govern now. However, once we accomplish that aspect, we need to be ready to govern and invite dissenting voices to the table.

Download this: free online music

2009-02-20T13:52:00.000-08:00

Written by Matt Pursatory

Artist: Dead Heart Bloom
EPs: Fall In, Oh Mercy, In Chains
Where: deadheartbloom.com

New York’s Dead Heart Bloom recently released a series of three EPs, with five songs apiece. Each EP is said to reflect different musical styles.
“The original concept was to set ‘moods’ for the EPs, where the first would be optimistic, the second pessimistic (and) aggressive, and the third resigned,” vocalist Boris Skalsky said.
The band accomplishes this effortlessly. Fall In is more pop-oriented, with light vocals and even some string arrangements. Oh Mercy goes a complete 180 degrees, focusing more on the blues, with deep guitar fuzz and ferocious lyricism. In Chains is an acoustic effort, with echoed vocals that give its five songs a dream-like quality.
So no matter how you’re feeling, Dead Heart Bloom has got you covered. And if you really dig their tunes, they also offer their two previous albums at no charge.

Artist: Faux Pas
EP: Waterfalls
Where: iamfauxpas.com

Tim Shiel, aka Faux Pas, hails all the way from Melbourne, Australia, where he crafts an intriguing and intricate brand of electronica. His songs jump from style to style: at times blasting a heavy bass beat and a horns section before skipping right into gentle, acoustic strumming … and then jumping right back again at a moment’s notice. On Shiel’s free four-song EP, he showcases his unique style that, while at first may be hard to grasp, eventually grows and rises, until it reaches unimaginably catchy heights. Shiel decided to release Waterfalls for free because he just couldn’t bring himself to do otherwise: “It might sound naïve, but I've always felt a little strange about making people pay money for my music and have always been compelled to give it away,” Shiel said. “I'm not sure ‘give all your music away’ is necessarily a viable option for independent musicians in the immediate future. It sure is fun in the meantime, though.”
Give Faux Pas a listen. It won’t be a mistake.

Upcoming shows: Local shows for those in the know

2009-02-20T13:43:00.000-08:00

Written by Nathalia Velez
(nvelez@mscd.edu)

Honor the Fallen
2.21.2009
7:30 PM @ The Atlas Theater, $10, all ages

For nearly three years Broomfield quintet, Honor the Fallen, have been writing some real-life rock ‘n’ roll backed with a certain “carpe diem” attitude. While all band members contribute to the music-writing process, it is lead singer Matt Guerin who primarily tends to the lyrics. According to bassist Jerrod Fassler, “he listens (to) and feels the music, and just writes from the heart.” The band attributes their style to a variety of influences. “A lot of our songs are different from each other, and there’s not one particular band you can label us as,” Fassler said. HTF has appeared at a number of Colorado venues such as Caffeinated Coffee House Presents in Broomfield, and 3J’s Coffee House in Johnstown, but have progressed to more notable gigs, such as appearances at 2008’s Warped Tour and the annual Broomfield event, Broomstock, which has been the largest crowd they’ve played to date. HTF will take the stage Feb. 21 at the Atlas Theater in Greeley and will play a free show March 27 at Hot Topic in Flatirons Mall. For more information visit www.myspace.com/honorthefallen.com.

Written by Robert Dominguez
(dominrob@mscd.edu)

The Submarines
2.20.2009
8PM, The Hi-Dive, $10, 16+

The married duo known as The Submarines is comprised of John Dragonetti (aka John Drag) and Blake Hazard, who originate from Boston by way of Los Angeles. The recent success of the band has been highlighted with “You, Me, and the Bourgeoisie” from their latest release Honeysuckle Weeds, which appears on an Apple iPod commercial. The sultry voice of Hazard blends well with the eclectic accompaniment of musical styles that manage to transcend both synth-pop and traditional indie rock. If you like Death Cab for Cutie or The Postal Service, this show is one that you will not want to miss. The Submarines will be co-headlining with The Morning Benders Feb. 20 at the Hi-Dive in Denver (www.hi-dive.com).

Written by Enrico Dominguez
(edoming2@mscd.edu)

Bob Pellegrino doesn’t sing to the music, instead his guitar simply lends to the vocals on tracks like “Angeline” and “Hey Nick.” Pellegrino’s lyricism comes from the pit of his stomach, and he vocally puts his heart and soul into every verse. Pellegrino really shows his versatility with tracks like “Swingin’ on 3rd,” where he uses no chords, just pure old-fashioned blues finger-picking, in a style that can’t help but get you up and make you move. It’s only right that such a great performer and local talent like Pellegrino opens the new Blues on Blake Supper Club. Check him out Feb. 28 for the grand opening hosted by Keith Webb and Randy Thornton. For more information visit www.myspace.com/bobpellegrino.

Sounding Off: Two Cow Garage leaves smokey trail across America

2009-02-20T13:39:00.000-08:00

Written by Jeremy Johnson
(jjohn308@mscd.edu)

For a band called Two Cow Garage, the Columbus, Ohio foursome are far less redneck than the name might imply. TCG’s sad, late-night party anthems about smoking and drinking too much somehow manage to avoid coming off cliché, thanks in part to frontman Micah Schnabel’s vocal conviction, and his band’s less-than-driving, rusty-sounding accompaniment. To call Schnabel’s lyrical delivery smoky would be an understatement (an online description has the band sounding “like Pall Malls,” a particularly harsh brand of cigarette). The vocals are often just barely coherent, making for a perfect match with TCG’s bare-boned rhythms and deliberate, downward chord progressions. Part Gin Blossoms and part Gaslight Anthem, TCG’s apathetic, graveled and tired approach, in every instance, is a case of one dirty, bluesy hand washing the other, with the end perfect match of dark and light, black and white. Schnabel took time from the band’s busy tour schedule (nearly 200 shows per year) to talk about the Cows’ trip through our own cow town, Denver.

JJ: Two Cow Garage is kind of an odd name, especially for what is essentially a rock band. Where did it come from?

Micah Schnabel: The name came from a friend of ours, who said it as a joke. We didn’t even have a name yet, and we tried it jokingly in our first show. For some terrible reason it stuck. It’s been kind of a curse through time, and we would go back and change it if we could. But here we are seven years later and, well, we’re over it now. People just assume we’re a country band, which is misleading, I guess.

JJ: Well you’re really not a country band, though you do have some country appeal.

MS: I don’t use the word “country,” but we did all kind of grow up around folk music. We all sort of come from the Bob Dylan school of music writing. You know growing up in Ohio kind of lends itself to a very Midwestern feel. So we started out with country feel, that’s kind of where we came up, but over the years we’ve gotten away from that. Shane (Sweeney, bassist and co-vocalist) and my voices lend to our country appeal. Growing up around cornfields and such lends itself to country songs. We’ve moved away from that a little, but we have a fan base there and so we’re going to stick with that.

JJ: Well, it’s a refreshing movement from all the hipster, indie rock that’s out there right now.

MS: Yeah, you know it’s kind of weird because it seems like it’s coming back around for us. All these hipster kids now are starting to want to be country. I don’t know where that comes from. We’re the real thing, I guess, and they can fake it all they want. But it’s definitely more genuine coming from us.

JJ: Aside from the obvious booze and cigarettes, what else influences Two Cow Garage?

MS: Just living, you know? Picking apart everyday situations I would say is where most of our songs come from. They’re the kind of situations probably everybody’s been in and we just try to put it under a microscope and really pick them apart. Put it out in front of people. I guess that’s why people can connect: you take these everyday situations and tear them apart and romanticize them a little bit. When people hear that they can connect with that because they’ve been in these situations and they know how it feels. Everyday life is what influences and inspires us.

JJ: We talked about your country image and your influences, but how would you describe your music.

MS: Man, that’s the hardest thing. Being on the inside it’s so hard to describe. In our heads, it’s probably nothing like what people hear. I guess we kind of have that Bruce Springsteen-esque thing going on. You know, the way he wrote about (New) Jersey and other things, it all comes from the same place. As a band we portray that whole thing of where we’re from and dig deep into that. And then people hear that country thing, too. If people like that, then it’s fine. If not, well then, we’re not really country at all.

JJ: What is it about TCG that makes the band particularly unique in today’s overcrowded indie scene?

MS: I think just not being part of it. We’ve really been shunned by the whole thing just because of our name, you know? We really haven’t been accepted into those circles. I think that alone keeps us outside of that. It sucks sometimes to see your bands get caught up in that scene and get some breaks and stuff. And you see them fly by you, just because their name isn’t Two Cow Garage. But it keeps us honest. We do 200 shows a year and we work harder than a lot of bands that get stuff handed to them and so I think it means something more. And that’s why we have the fan base and respect we do: not just because of the music we write, but because we had to work so hard to get anybody to even listen to us. It’s a lot of work to get somebody to respect a band called Two Cow Garage. It might have put us in a hole, but at the same time I think it’s built a lot of character.

JJ: How do you feel about coming back to Denver, a genuine “cow town,” if you will?

MS: I don’t know how they get that. They call Columbus that, too. Whatever, we do pretty well in Denver. If that’s the reason, we’re alright with that.

JJ: What are the staples for TCG when you go on tour?

MS: Cracker Barrel and Gaslight Anthem records. We really love Gaslight Anthem and we feel like we’re kind of in the same vain, but we get left out of that indie rock category.

Restaurant reviews

2009-02-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

Written by Andrew Bisset, Jamie Moore
Photos by Andrew Bisset, Jamie Moore
(abisset1@mscd.edu, moorjami@mscd.edu)

The 9th Door
The 9th door is known as a local hot spot for tapas, small Spanish dishes usually enjoyed with drinks. The restaurant’s dark interior and tables made from 275-year-old Spanish doors give off an air of understated elegance, and The 9th Door’s menu for Denver Restaurant Week is no exception. Chef Kevin Marquet crafted a variety of dishes for the four course meal, including a plate of cheeses that, with their sweet accompaniments, work equally well as an appetizer or a dessert. Also on the menu are the Albondigas de Cadero, lamb meatballs served with a sauce that is more subtle than expected. The 9th Door does not do fusion cuisine, instead opting to focus on Spanish dishes to the extent that they import many of their ingredients directly from Spain. Paired with a glass of wine and a date, The 9th Door could be the choice date restaurant for Denver Restaurant Week.

Le Central
Chef Bertrand Gesbert speaks to his kitchen staff in a thick French accent. Gesbert hails from Paris, a world culinary capital. Appropriate, considering his restaurant, Le Central, has been serving French cuisine to the people of Denver for 27 years. Le Central’s menu for Denver Restaurant Week is French to its core, featuring dishes like the Paupiette de Veau, a veal course which the restaurant takes very seriously. “We get a whole calf in, and butcher it in house,” said General Manager Michael Levine, “That way, there’s no waste.” Le Central aims to bring a little slice of France to their corner of North Lincoln, and with these dishes, France just doesn’t seem so far away.

Chop House
Sous Chef Celeste Varra is still practicing the preparation of the Salmon Encrout, part of the Denver Chop House’s Denver Restaurant Week menu. She pulls the from the massive wood-fired oven on the kitchen line and lays the salmon gently on a bed of wild rice and asparagus. Varra then finishes the dish with a slice of lemon, giving a more traditional touch to a dish which, if it tastes as good as it looks, should not disappoint. Rounding out the menu for DRW are a tomato fennel bisque as an appetizer, and an espresso walnut tart for dessert.

Prima
Prima restaurant specializes in elegant Italian, northern Spanish dishes. They’re main dish is a Tuna steak with French vegetables and roasted tomatoes. Management has decided to add on two extra weeks to they’re 5280 special, due to being booked for several weeks in advance.

City's finest plate their best

2009-02-20T13:17:00.000-08:00

By Dominic Graziano
(dgrazia1@mscd.edu)

Denver Restaurant Week started five years ago, after the city was ranked in the top 25 in the country.

"In 2004 there had been a national survey of opinions of the top 25 cities in America," said Visit Denver spokesperson Richard Grant. “But the bad news was we were ranked 23 in food."

Even Denverites were unimpressed with the city's food — "our own residents ranked us number 24." That's when Visit Denver took it upon themselves to change Denver's reputation. “We decided we needed to do something to spruce up the city’s representation for fine dining,” Grant said. "There were more than a dozen cities doing the same thing at the time."

Five years ago, 84 restaurants started participating in Denver Restaurant Week. This year, more than 200 of the city’s chow-downs will contribute the melting pot of cooking.

And true to the Mile High City, every restaurant is offering their fare at $52.80 for a dinner for two.

Grant said that some of the normally lower-priced eateries will be giving patrons more for their money. Some will feed four for that price, and others will offer giveaways like tickets to comedy shows or wine to go along with the meal.

“It’s a great time for people to grab some friends together [because] the bill is so easy to split,” Grant said.

Grant added that if a patron feels like hitting the town on their own, each restaurant offers half the food for half the price.

"A three- or four-course meal for $26.40 isn't too bad," he said.

And at that price, Grant expects quite a turnout.

“People are feeling pretty beat up from the economy. For a lot of people this is something they look forward to all year,” Grant said. Last year participating restaurants saw more than 160,000 diners, Grant said, and the numbers are looking even better for this year.

"The website has already seen 40 percent more hits than last year," he said.

Grant added that he is excited about restaurants that are extending the promotion through March 6.

"Over the years some restaurants have done it unofficially, but this year we are endorsing it fully," he said.

Since most of the popular restaurants will book up quickly on the weekend, it’s better to make reservations early. Forty to fifty restaurants host their reservations online, but by the time the event is marketed, weekends at most restaurants are booked solid, said Grant.

He added that some of the slower nights like Monday and Tuesday still have openings.

The occasion doesn’t just bring the restaurants together, either. “It’s a great deal for students; it’s a chance to splurge and go to a place you hear about or read about all the time. It’s a great chance to celebrate and grab a whole bunch of friends together,” Grant said.

Although it would be impossible to actually visit every participating restaurant, Denver Restaurant Week allows for the opportunity to explore restaurants that you may not have known about.

"The average person visits 42 menus on our website; there's a lot of trying to figure out what everyone's serving," Grant said. "You may only go to a couple of restaurants, but you look into a bunch of them."

visit: http://www.denver.org/denverrestaurant

Award-winning indie flick a formulaic fairy tale

2009-02-20T13:13:00.000-08:00

By Kara Kiehle
(kkiehle@mscd.edu)

A haggard-looking middle-aged mom (Barbara Sarafian) slowly pushes a cart through a grocery store, two twins in tow, looking for all the world like she’d rather have her head in a gas oven … so begins Belgium, Moscow, which won two awards at the Starz! Denver Film Festival and three at Cannes.

Our housefrau is particularly ruthless in a parking-lot fender-bender, trading personal attacks with the ice cream deliveryman (Jurgen Delnaet) she plows into. With her husband, recently separated, she’s equally bitter. A third child, a teenaged daughter, is in that adorable disrespectful stage. And that’s just in the first ten minutes.

Being a single mom can be rough, ugly business, so just about any friendly attention outside the house can bring the same relief as cool water to a fresh sunburn-- even if he’s a little younger, and even if she’s still technically married.

This independent effort from director Christophe Van Rompaey is marketed as a romantic comedy. The films soundtrack, an accordion and jaunty organ accompaniment, adds a touch of whimsy. Regrettably, the rest of the comedy is at the expense of this pitiful, frumpy, world-weary woman, who seems desperate to be pursued, even as she has to be convinced that she’s worthy of it, and that’s just sad.

You don’t want to be this woman. You don’t want to think about your mom as being like this woman. And ugly duckling stories that take place past puberty are patronizingly anti-feminist. It’s excruciating to watch a woman, whom the mirror turned against long ago, place all her self-worth and happiness in the amorous attention of a freewheeling stud.

Even so, it’s intriguing to see the mid-life crisis play out from the other gender’s perspective; the moral struggle, and the giddy kick in the seat of the pants that comes with a crush, making you act irresponsible and nuts. Unlike the husband character, however—a professor who’s run off with one of his young students--- Mom isn’t allowed to be unrepentantly selfish, and a soft, traditionally feminine heart prevails.

But, true to genre, Belgium, Moscow is infected with naive idealism and characters that are almost guaranteed to make you, the viewer, feel attractive and confident by comparison. In short, we know by the halfway mark how this formulaic, fairy tale fluff will end, and there’s nil in the way of two subplots to sustain much interest.

Tech Bytes: To Jott or not

2009-02-20T12:53:00.000-08:00

By Drew Jaynes
(ajaynes1@mscd.edu)

Over the last week, I've been reviewing a Web service called Jott. It is a speech to text transcribing application which allows users to stay updated on many popular Web applications such as Twitter, Facebook and various to-do applications via phone. Sounds cool, right?

Setup is fairly straightforward, and while Jott recently did away with their free, ad-supported plan, I opted for the cheaper of the two offered plans at $3.95 a month. Subscribing to their service gave me a plethora of options, including adding links to a multitude of sites that I could post to over the phone. The drawback of the lower-priced plan, however, is you only get a 15-second window to record your message, as opposed to the 30-second window with the higher-priced plan.

My first impression of this application was that it would take away the urge to text while I was driving. I know, I know ⎯ talking on the phone while driving is not really safer than texting, but at least my eyes are on the road while I’m updating Twitter or whatever.

Over the course of the week, I tried several different features including updating my Facebook and Twitter, adding events to my calendar and e-mailing or texting friends in my imported contacts list.

Jott did reasonably well with understanding contacts’ names, dates, times and other sorts of common phrases. But it garbled symbols, and other characters normally not phonetically expressed. Not surprisingly, Jott had difficulty understanding accents and often replaced entire words with its best guess. The trick, I found, was to enunciate as clearly as possible; however, I often wasted so much time trying to speak clearly that I ran out of time to record.

My biggest complaint from the beginning when updating Twitter was Jott’s inability to understand spoken symbols such as @. To get it to translate correctly, you actually have to say “at symbol.” This issue, combined with trying to reply to tweets, started an aggravating pattern. In order to reply to bob1’s tweets, I would literally have to say, “At symbol, no space, bob, no space, number one,” and then the rest of my message. This eats up your 15- second recording time considerably. And there is no way for you to check whether Jott transcribed the message correctly before it is transmitted, I would get weird responses to messages that were “Jotted” incorrectly.

Jott’s back-end is streamlined and quick to respond. Many of the menus are difficult to find at first, but with use, it becomes easier to navigate.

Granted, Jott presents a service made to fit the needs of a specific niche of mobile Web users. As one of those users, I expected a more finely tuned and streamlined application, especially as it was developed for use with a Blackberry more than a year ago. Instead of being impressed with Jott, I came away from it feeling like I wasted my time. Talk about a supposed time saver doing exactly the opposite.

www.jott.com

Eyesight: Public displays of love

2009-02-20T12:33:00.000-08:00

By: Leah Millis
(lmillis@mscd.edu)

On Feb. 13 a small group of gay, lesbian and straight students marched into a courtyard on the CU campus at exactly 11:53AM and made out en masse for approximately a minute. Why? Because while all the happy straight couples are getting married on Valentine's Day, there are just as many gay and lesbian couples who have been denied the simple right and privilege of marriage. I don't know much about heaven and hell, but I do know that God probably sends people to burn for all of eternity for committing homicide, not for committing to another person in a lifelong relationship based on the bonds of love.

Opinion: The free market should be free

2009-02-20T12:24:00.000-08:00

Written by: Robert Dran
(rdran@mscd.edu)

The economic clouds are gathering. The storm is approaching to level a devastating disaster not only on America but the world. Soup kitchens will have lines going around the block. Now a once roaring decade has closed with financial turmoil and the aftermath is perhaps a decade or more of misery.

If you are confused whether this is 2008 or 1932 you are not alone. In 1932 the United States had to choose between two equally bad candidates Herbert Hoover and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 2008, did America again have a choice between two equally bad candidates? The history still hasn’t been written. Yet, the truth is we have yet to hit the depression everyone has been panicking about. The current economic climate is not just "a mental recession" as one foolish adviser to Sen. John McCain said. The recession is very real. However, it is time for the media's and the fatalist’s view of the economy to come to an end. The fact is we know what caused the depression and though the current solutions are not perfect, the economy will bottom out and turn around much sooner than we expect.

There are a whole host of reasons why the Great Depression occurred, yet what many of us fail to realize is during that horrible period people were learning what happened and how to avoid another depression. The economists now know why the Depression was so long and so devastating: government intervention in the economy.

Let's look at a massive government expansion program - the New Deal. Five years into Franklin Roosevelt's presidency the unemployment rate was still at a scary 19 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is admittedly better than 24.9 percent in 1933, the first year of Roosevelt's presidency, but that means there are thousands and thousands of willing workers who still could not find jobs.

Unfortunately, Roosevelt made a massive blunder during the New Deal named the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA). This allowed business owners with government support to act as cartels, brush away antitrust laws, set price floors and raise wages. In some cases, economists put the wages 25 percent higher than they otherwise would have been. Most people would think there is nothing wrong with raising wages, however, this act of legislation was only beneficial to those lucky enough to have a job in 1933.

The main economic problem with the NIRA is business worked with the government in setting prices and wages too high. When employing high wage workers, businesses have to cut back on the number of jobs available and that is exactly what happened. Two economists, Harold Cole and Lee Ohanian, demonstrated through economics that Roosevelt prolonged the Depression not shortened it.

The fact is unemployment did not reach adequate levels until 1942, after the United States joined the Allies in World War II. Roosevelt thought excessive competition among businesses was causing Americans to work less. When the NIRA allowed for businesses to fix the wages of workers it reduced competition between employers to provide jobs. The politicians and populists fail to understand that when the labor market is restricted employers stop hiring employees. Competition is the workers friend not the enemy.

Not only did the New Deal not end the Depression but Americans worked less. Cole and Ohanian wrote, "Total hours worked per adult, including government employees, were 18% below their 1929 level between 1930-32, but were 23% lower on average during the New Deal (1933-39). Private hours worked were even lower after FDR took office, averaging 27% below their 1929 level, compared to 18% lower between 1930-32."

This does not mean that Herbert Hoover could have ended the Depression either. He raised taxes and tariffs because he thought the national debt was more important than unemployment. By raising tariffs this reduced trade and isolated Europe from the United States. When trade decreases there are less jobs because there are no goods and services being exchanged, therefore less workers are needed.

For those of you who thought there was little choice between Obama and McCain, you should look to 1932 when the only choices were: making the Depression longer with Hoover's high taxes and tariffs or Roosevelt's restrictions on prices and wages. We all should be thankful that employment hasn't hit 25 percent and that we did not have to choose between two evils of equal magnitude. A depression is still far away thanks to our grandparents’ efforts. But it is time for a more realistic and pragmatic approach to fixing the economic crisis and it is called letting the free market work.

Q&A with President Stephen Jordan

2009-02-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

Written by: Nic Garcia and Tara Moberly

Q: What are the consequences of not getting adequate funding?

A: We were created as this modified open admissions’ institution. With expectations that regardless of what happens to an individual in their educational experience, they can go to Metro. At the same time, these policy makers are saying to us, we have an expectation, you have to sign a performance agreement, about retention and graduation requirements you’re going to do. Well, the whole point is, you can’t have unlimited access to an institution and on the other hand have expectations that you’re going to improve retention and graduation rates while continuously cutting the budget.

Jordan said statistics show students who come to this campus, perhaps two or more years after graduating college need more support services. “They’re the ones that are most likely to be at risk in the first two years without intensive advising.”

Either we’re going to say we’ll continue to accept (all students) and accept that drop out rates will be greater, but I’m not prepared to accept that. I understand the consequences are real that to the people this happens to. They leave with stigmas they leave with large debt. And many never recover.

The other option is to say enough. We’re not going to accept students if we don’t have the resources to support them. People need to understand that. That’s what we’re wrestling with. We’re really wrestling with the mission of this institution.

Q: What kind of message does underfunding send to the students? That we may in the end have to modify the mission of the school?

A: The kind of message it sends, that even an institution like ours there are some expectations that you need to be prepared to do college level work. I would be the first to say that people are capable of doing college level work and still require some remediation. One of the questions is, are their limits on what is reasonable to expect for a student to do college level work if they need one or two remedial classes? I think the data is clear to what happens to students who have multiple remediations. There is a much higher drop out rate. They are less likely to succeed. I think those are issues people need to be aware of. We have a great community college system here. Students should really think ‘Should I really go to community college first and get my academic act together?’ and then transfer here.

More than one-third of all community college transfers come to Metro. More than 30 percent of all transfers.

___

“I don’t think anything conscious is going on. So many of the schools are in smaller communities and the institutions are the lifeblood of those communities so their legislators are huge proponents of those institutions and they will spend a lot of their legislative time assuring the safety and longevity of those institutions. We sit here in the middle of Denver and legislators don’t feel the same way about us. They have a lot of other agenda items going on, they see a lot of other things contributing to the economy and so there hasn’t been in the past a group of legislators that will put a stake in the ground for funding for Metro. That’s one of the things we’ve been trying to rectify by starting the Metro caucus. By meeting on a monthly basis with a group of legislators. We’re trying to create a group of people that understand the college and its importance and significance and who will be able to start doing that for us. The truth of it is we got into this position over a long period of time. It started under the consortium. Adams and Western were losing enrollment and we were gaining enrollment and all the money was coming to the trustees, it was really based on our increases and so they thought ‘OK, we’ll help protect Adams and Western and so they can continue to be open by moving some of the money from Metro.’ And then you had the period around 2001 when the new funding formula was developed and the original idea of the (College Opportunity Fund) was to be $4,000 a student. The recession came along and the COF got cut from $4,000 to $2,400 and what they did was come up with another funding formula. We’ve been trying to recover from that ever since.

Last week I was with the president of the state senate who is a real proponent of our institution. But he said in that meeting ‘I think it’s really important that we protect the small schools.’ I think without realizing the cumulative effect of protecting small schools has been. It’s all for good reasons but I don’t think people have looked at the consequences.

Q: In a perfect world, where do we go from here?

A: In a perfect world we would be in an upward environment. And we probably would have been OK. We have a formula that was recognizing on the upward side about leveling the playing field among the institutions. Which is why we got the largest increase (in funding) over the last two years. So, this problem wasn’t created overnight, we’re not going to solve it overnight. IN a perfect world, we’d be on the upside of funding in an eight-to-10-year period which was the govenor’s goal. The problem is I don’t know a 10-year period that goes by without some sort of recession. You’re always taking two steps forward and three steps back.

Q: In May of 2008 you signed a three year contract with two one-year extension options. In light of the financial situation and lack of funding by the state, do you still want to fulfill it?

A: I do. Absoultley. I believe in this place more than ever. I tried to say to the community at the address we will come out of this stonger, better, more committed than ever. And I believe that. That’s the spirit of the people that go to this college. I want to be here to be a part of that. But you know, I would be less than truthful that there aren’t days that are discouraging. And it is discouraging when you see the inequity that exists and when you think of the kind of students we have and what we could do.

I have said to legislators, look, when I arrived at Metro only 38 percent of the credit hours were taught by tenure, tenure track faculty. Nationally, the average is close to 70 percent. I asked them: how many of you would find it acceptable if 60 percent of your child’s K-12 classes were taught by part-time teachers instead of a full time teachers. There isn’t one of you that would find it acceptable but that is what we do to our young people when you put them into our colleges. I think that’s shameful.

Q: The critics of higher education may look at these budget cuts and see that we can continue to run Metro above water. What do you say to them when the economy turns around and we request our funding be increased?

A: Policy makers have to decide what is an acceptable loss rate. That is the point I was making, we’ll survive the budget cuts. We know how to be lean and mean but when we were that way before we went from 58 percent retention rate to 62, to 64, to 68. The likely consequences is we’ll go back down. Here is the issue: we can run lean and mean and we’ll continue to graduate students. One of the things the state needs to keep in mind is we are a part of this larger study that was done nationally: the projected loss of people my age in the workforce that there are not enough people coming up through the K-12 system and the secondary system to make up for that loss. And that in order to make up for that loss we not only have to significantly increase the participation, retention and graduation rates of traditional age students, we will have to reach deeply into non-traditional students, get them back in and educated if we are going to maintain our workforce that it currently is. The obvious consequence of that is if we can’t maintain the workforce as a general economic condition we’re going to decline significantly as a country. That’s why this issue is so important.

You’ve always heard we’re top five in educational attainment, we’re 49th in Coloradans who actually got an education at a Colorado institution, the question is in this competitive environment are you willing to keep betting that we will continue to be successful where we import all of our educated citizens and essentially say to our homegrown citizens we are willing to run the risk you’ll be a part of the social service system, the prison system, the correction system rather than a productive part of the economy. That is what is at stake for Colorado.

Q: What would any cap enrollment policy look like at Metro?

A: We had a meeting at the end of last week. I don’t have any answers yet. But we need to take a look at all the different groups we admit. There are very different groups. There is the traditional, 18-year-old coming straight out of high school.
Second, it’s the same group but they go to work for a couple of years and they come in at 20 years of age or older. You really need to take a look at this group. They’ve taken no math in the last two years. And we know math is one of those subjects that’s not like a bicycle. Then you begin to say maybe its how long these students have had since they took a math class and ask will they really succeed. Then there are GED students. GED is the norm to what high school students currently know, not what they should know. Right off the bat, there is a huge gap between what students do know and should know. But we have said as a marker its OK if you know what your peers know. That’s not acceptable any longer for getting into college. The last thing is we have to get back to the question of community colleges. Some of which come with an AA degree, some of which come without completing a degree. We need to take a look at those students who come to us with less than an AA degree, since our admission standards say we have to admit those 20 years or older, maybe we need to rethink that. What performance have they had? Do they have a higher GPA? It’s things like that we need to consider.

Q: Metro is rolling over $4 million dollars to the next fiscal budget. Is that legal? What’s the precedent?

A: Yes. We do it every year. The amount of carryover has been decreasing the last few years. It’s been a conscious effort on our part to do that. Last year it was close to $10 million. In this case, there are lots of ways we can use that money for one time purposes to help us bridge this problem. In the past few years we’ve used that money on equipment for classrooms. I said professional development is critical to us. We’ve never had the money in our base budget. But we can use the money on an ongoing basis for professional development as one-time funds. There can be a number of other things: critical renovation.

Q: How is Metro’s relationship with AHEC after cutting their budget? Do you expect AHEC to ask for more money from the students directly in fees?

We just took whatever our cuts were as a proportion, we just passed it on to them on a proportional basis. Now, in some sense they get by. I asked all departments to come up with a three-tier approach. Some are going to give more, some are going to give less. Unfortunately, we can’t ask AHEC to give more. When I was in Eastern Washington I could make the decision of what was critical. In some sense they are getting the opportunity to only have to pay the proportional cut. I don’t know how much AHEC will be able to (ask students for more in fees). There will be consequences around the campus that the students will see.

Q: Do you think we can still become the preeminent public urban baccalaureate college in the nation in spite of budget cuts?

A: First of all, every state is going through these kind of cuts. And so, I think the answer to that is yes. Sure, we’re going down. But everyone is going down. The question is going down relative to everyone else? We have teams going out to four different places next month (to study their programs). We’re continuing to press forward. Simply because people have more money than us doesn’t mean we can’t still accomplish that at a lower cost. Will we do it as soon as we hoped? Probably not.

Q: This seems to be your biggest public battle, bringing to light the inequality of Metro’s funding, increasing Metro’s presence in the legislature talk to us about what’s going on.

A: Let’s put it this way: it has been a theme since the day I got here. If you talk to the trustees that hired me, there was no question about that. It was a part of the agenda. The truth of it is, we’ve been pretty successful. I think that’s one of the reasons why you saw us get the largest increases over the last couple of years. I will have to tell you there was no one more disappointed at the methodology that was chosen to implement the budget reductions to higher ed than me. I’m not saying we shouldn’t have had budget cuts, but it should have been done differently.

Q: How would you have liked to see it done differently?

A: If we are saying we’re using the funding formula on the way up, those who are furthest away get the biggest increase, then, I said we should have done the same on the way down. While no one can escape a reduction those who are furthest away should get the smallest reduction. That seems to me, to be much more equitable. And more consistent with a goal, which is the governor’s stated position, then you have less problems reaching that goal than the way he’s done it. I was very disappointed. That was a setback. And now we’re responding by giving them new data. If the purpose is to fund Colorado residence, which is what COF is all about, here’s where you’re at today. And give them a chance coming out of this to have a new commitment to fix this.

Q: What’s your biggest fear for the 2009-2010 fiscal budget?

A: A prolonged recession. I’m afraid the budget might have to be cut again halfway through the year like it was this year. I don’t know how much we still have to give.

Q: Where do you foresee in the next five years for higher education and Metro?

A: As sad as this is to say, I think you can expect a real crisis. (Higher education) won’t be fixed until it comes to a real crisis. It’s going to be the interaction of the affects of TABOR, the 6 percent limitation, the recession effect and the expiration of Referendum C all coming together at the same time. I think its going to take this catastrophic kind of event where they’re not going to be able to put the pieces together unless there is a commitment from the public to fix the problem. The other point I think that’s going to play into this, I think you’re seeing the Latino community become much more politically active and the role they might play, combined with the African-American community around this question around the funding of the institution that their children are more likely to go to could be very critical.

Tuition benefits posed for veterans

2009-02-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

Written by: Clayton Woullard
(cwoullard@mscd.edu)
Photo by: Drew Jaynes
(ajaynes1@msc.edu)

In this recession, affording tuition has become further out of reach for many in Colorado. But it could move a little closer for some.

A new bill in the state legislature would allow honorably discharged veterans to pay in-state tuition regardless of their residency.

Proposed Jan. 7 by Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Douglas, HB 09-1039 would also offer in-state tuition to any children or dependents of honorably discharged veterans.

Sen. Mike Kopp, R-Jefferson, has co-sponsored the bill. McNulty said he felt the bill was necessary because of his campaign promises in 2006 and 2008 to make veterans a priority.

“It seems to me that helping our veterans integrate themselves into civilian society must be a priority and this is a very simple way we can do that,” said McNulty, who in 2007 successfully pushed through legislation that granted in-state tuition to active-duty college students.

Currently, only students who have legal residence in Colorado can pay the in-state rate. The difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition can be significant. At Metro, for the 2008-2009 academic year, a Colorado resident taking 15 credit-hours pays $1,620.44, including mandatory fees and the College Opportunity Fund stipend. A nonresident taking the same number of credit-hours pays $5,974.64. That’s more than three times as much.

McNulty also said he felt it was important with this new bill not to forget the loved ones who support America’s veterans.

“Members of our military are the ones who sacrifice themselves on the front lines but all too often we forget about the wives, the sons and the daughters and the sacrifices made by them, so it makes perfect sense to include them in this legislation,” McNulty said.

Veterans Services Coordinator Janet Maestas said she thinks the bill would be great for veterans because Colorado is lagging behind other states in providing in-state tuition for veterans, but she was skeptical if it would become a reality.

“I just really don’t think with the current budget situation that it would be passed,” Maestas said. “They’re cutting millions from higher education and other programs…so how can they pass this? Because this would be a big ticket item.”

McNulty said the bill, if passed, would have no fiscal impact because it’s voluntary for colleges and universities.

“A college or university could choose not to participate, but I think they do that at their own peril.”

If this bill passed, Maestas said, it would affect veterans’ financial aid because such a cut in tuition would be considered a veterans’ benefit, or resource. She said this bill would really benefit veterans more in Fall 2010 when veterans’ benefits will no longer be factored into financial aid.

“Veterans are only eligible to use the G.I. Bill for 10 years, so for all veterans who are beyond that 10 years it would be beneficial,” she said.

Maestas said active-duty soldiers already have their tuition and books paid for through the G.I. Bill, and that her office deals with fewer than 10 active-duty soldiers. There are also few nonresident veterans at Metro, she said.

McNulty said by having more veterans attending Colorado’s higher education institutions that all students would benefit.

“I think students who are in college will benefit from having been familiar with the life experiences of someone who’s been in the military. So hopefully it will become a draw for people like that to seek education in Colorado,” he said.

To legally classify for in-state tuition, students (or their parents, if the students are under the age of 23) must prove they have lived in and intended to stay in Colorado for a year before the first day of class. Students can show intent in the form of license plates, a driver’s license and payment of state income tax, among other things.

“Colorado is home to multiple military installations…If (veterans) want to advance their education here they shouldn’t have to wait that year,” McNulty said.

The measure passed unanimously Jan. 20 in the House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs and will now go to the House Committee on Appropriations. Assuming it passes there it will go to the house floor for a second reading, a third reading and then on to the senate.

CCD employee puts out fire

2009-02-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

Written By: Caitlin Gibbons
(cgibbon4@mscd.edu)
Photo by: Andrew Bissset
(abisset1@mscd.edu)

Ari Rosner-Salazar, director of recruitment and student outreach at the Community College of Denver, is used to putting out fires around his office in the proverbial sense, but Feb. 6, he literally put out a fire outside the South Classroom Building.

A juniper bush burst into flames outside the building after a smoldering cigarette butt in the surrounding mulch rolled into the dry bush at approximately 11 a.m.

Rosner-Salazar was exiting the restroom near his office when Derick Gavidia, an accounting major at UCD and an hourly worker in the CCD cashiering office, came rushing down the hall yelling, “Fire!”

“I was a little confused at first. A lady told my supervisor to call the fire department, but there was no visible smoke in the building. I walked outside to see what was happening and saw the smoke and a few low flames,” Gavidia said. “I ran into Ari as I came back into the building. His eyes widened when I told him there was a brush fire and he grabbed the fire extinguisher.”

The fire engulfed the juniper bush located directly in front of a diesel-powered generator on the south side of the building.

“My first impression was that the fire was too big to handle with an extinguisher. The winds were blowing the smoke almost horizontally,” Rosner-Salazar said. “One thing that I learned in my training is that if a fire is too big, don’t try to fight.”
Rosner-Salazar received fire and earthquake training when he was employed at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Bill Hudak, an accountant for CCD, was with Gavidia and Rosner-Salazar.

“The flames spread fast, and the bush was dangerously close to the generator,” Hudak said.

Both Hudak and Rosner-Salazar were worried that the fire would damage the generator and endanger the building.

“I was confident with my training in operating a fire extinguisher that I could slow down the fire until the fire department could get here,” Rosner-Salazar said.

Rosner-Salazar stayed on the sidewalk and used a slow sweeping motion to douse the flames. He instructed Hudak and Gavidia to find another fire extinguisher.

“It was very windy. Fortunately the wind was blowing towards the building and actually helped spread the agent [from the extinguisher],” said Rosner-Salazar.
Rosner-Salazer had used the entire contents of the first extinguisher and had the fire almost out when Hudak and Gavidia returned with the second canister.

The Denver Fire Department as well as Auraria Police responded. The fire department commended Rosner-Salazar’s efforts, and doused the area with water to prevent any flare-ups.

“The training came in handy. It was almost 10 years ago. If I hadn’t had this training I would not have been confident enough to operate the extinguisher,” Rosner-Salazar said. “You can’t always sit back in disaster and wait for help. A little training can help.”

'We're going to be in for a tough couple of years'

2009-02-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

Written by: Tara Moberly
Photo by: Andrew Bisset

Metro President Stephen Jordan outlined the budget crisis facing the college Feb. 16 at a packed townhall meeting, highlighting the low level of state funding Metro receives compared to other colleges in the state.

“I think at some point, people need to say enough is enough. Why is it fair that Colorado residents at one institution get funded at this level and at another institution get funded at this level. And that’s I think the level of awareness we’re trying to create with policy makers today that the cumulative effect of these decisions — which I think they weren’t meant to be mean — but the cumulative effect at this point has created an inequity that in my view rises to a point where policy makers need to start accepting responsibility for it,” Jordan said, highlighting the low level of state funds Metro receives in comparison to other Colorado colleges, prompting applause from the crowd.

Metro has more resident undergraduate students than any other college in the state, with 3,000 more than the second place school Colorado State University in Fort Collins and is home to more recipients of the Pell Grant than any other school, a fact Jordan highlighted as evidence that the legislature needs to reconsider the manner in which they fund Metro.

Compared with five similar schools across the state — CSU-Pueblo, Fort Lewis College, Adams State and Mesa State — Metro receives less funding from the state.

“They have $31 million more with 5,000 less students,” Jordan said.

“That is the nature of our problem and that is what we are out talking to the governor about and the Commission on Higher Education about. Quite frankly, I have said to the governor and the commission that if we were a public school, we would have a great legal case for equal protection of our students because we have the most under represented, the most low income students, and yet, they are clearly receiving significantly less support than all other students at regional comprehensive institutions.”

Jordan outlined the funding picture through a series of slides – a presentation he also shared with the Colorado Commission on Higher Education recently.

“Their jaws dropped,” Jordan said of the commission’s response to the presentation.
“If nothing else, we’ve scored debate points.”

Gov. Bill Ritter was also presented the same data and while he acknowledged that the numbers on funding are correct, made no promises that more will be done to bring increased funds to Metro.

While the CU and CSU legislators are highly visible at the capitol, the Metropolitan legislators are not and have never stood up for higher education in the community, Jordan said.

“One of the difficulties we have is so many of the people in the governor’s administration — I’m trying not to be too negative — but so many of them are basically CU people. That’s a tough thing to overcome. And, of course, my friend Mr. Benson’s pretty persuasive at that political level,” he said, pointing out the increased difficulties Metro faces within the legislation.

This prompted Jordan to call on all faculty and staff to talk to the legislators from their home districts and make the case for increased funding at Metro.

But Jordan doesn’t plan to stop there — he’s taking his call to action to the media and will be presenting the data to the editorial board of the Denver Post, aiming to spread the word about the inequity of fund dispersion at colleges in the state.

These efforts, while they will not help offset the current round of budget cuts, could put the college in a position to offset other effects of the decrease in funds.

Jordan outlined the $7 million the college has saved through cost-containing measures that were first instituted in September. $2.9 million will be given back to the state and the remaining $4 million will be rolled into next year’s budget to help bridge the anticipated $5 million in reductions for next year.

Each of the administrative departments set target amounts that they could save while still serving students — targets that were met, and in some cases exceeded, giving the college some breathing room.

The school has also developed a 3-tier approach to the cuts that loom from next year’s budget, which will be presented to the Metro Board of Trustees for approval their April 2 meeting.
“All this does is gets us back to a new general fund base. So this effort that we’re going through to get ready to present this material to the April meeting of the board is to create the general fund base from which we will then look at how much more are we going to raise tuition and how will we use the new revenue that we gain from tuition to invest in order to invest in the things we intend to do for the college,” Jordan said.

Metro students will likely see a hike in tuition rates for the next few years, but Jordan has a plan to try to ease the pain of these increases.

In addition to asking the commission on higher education to commit fair and equal funding, he is also supporting a move that would give the governing boards of colleges more flexibility in determining tuition rates.

“We’re not looking to have carte blanche authority over tuition with this proposal,” he said of a bill to be introduced to the legislature next month that aims to build a 5-year proposal of tuition increases that will be built into the schools performance contracts.

“At least this would be a way for our students and families to plan over their students career what tuition would look like,” he said.

Currently, tuition increases are not finalized until June, after students have left for the summer, leaving them to come back a few months later to higher bills.

Another concern Jordan highlighted that stems from the fluctuating budgets is the possibility of capping, or limiting, enrollment.

“We are researching, and let me emphasize the word researching, the feasibility of limiting or capping enrollment if we do not receive the additional funding for the increased numbers of students,” Jordan said.

Metro is an open enrollment school, meaning anyone 20 years or older who has graduated from high school or has a GED must be admitted.

While administrators are still formulating plans for possibly capping enrollment and further budget cuts that may arise once the budget is finalized in the coming months, Jordan is sure that Metro will emerge better than before.

“There is not question that we’re going to be in for a tough couple of years. Having said that, I want to assure you that I m absolutely confident that we will come out of this stronger, better academically and more committed to our mission.”