Denver labor lawer Joe Goldhammer speaks to faculty and others at a CFT/AFT union rally Sept. 24 at the Golda Meir House.

Photo by Steve Stoner

Over 100 students and faculty members attended a rally in support of Metro’s faculty union on Sept. 21.

“The turnout was overwhelming,” said Colorado Federation of Teachers Field Services Director Mark Belkin. “It’s more than we ever anticipated.”

The rally served as an informational event for both current union members and non-union faculty.
Non-union faculty members were encouraged to join and membership applications were handed out before the meeting.

Belkin said that although it is too early to tell how many new members signed up, he expects that many more faculty members have registered and will join the union.

Faculty Senate President Joan Foster opened the rally by expressing the faculty’s “passion for our students.”

Foster stressed throughout the meeting the union’s concern that the quality of education at Metro is being affected by the board of trustees’ policy manual. The manual was released last summer and has been viewed by some members of the faculty as detrimental to the principles of shared governance and tenure.

“Metro has always lacked monetary resources, but now we have a handbook that puts us at an even greater disadvantage,” said Foster.

Joe Goldhammer, legal council for the CFT, also spoke at the rally. Goldhammer addressed the rumor that the formation of a union at Metro was illegal.

Citing the 1958 case of NAACP vs. Alabama, Goldhammer explained that the right to form a union is protected by the freedom of association clause in the First Amendment.

According to Goldhammer, the First Amendment “clearly states the right to join and organize” a labor union.

Timothy Gould, a union member and professor of philosophy at Metro, called the union’s legal strategy “strong,” adding that Goldhammer is “one of the best lawyers in the state.”

Gould, however, “would like to avoid a major legal clash.”

“It is my hope that we can insert a step between now and legal action,” said Gould.

Also in attendance at the rally was Penfield Tate of Metro’s Foundation Board. Tate professed his “profound respect” for educators and told the faculty that their work is “the highest form of civil service.”

He noted that he is “not an outspoken critic of the board of trustees” and is “convinced firmly that independence was the right thing (for Metro.)”

Other speakers included Faculty Trustee Gene Saxe, AFT Higher Education Assistant Director Jack Nightingale, whose division of the AFT is the association’s fastest growing, and Gould.
Saxe noted that Metro’s current “state of flux” is “not particularly new.”

“This is a stunning turnout for an appalling situation,” said Gould, who cited the works of Plato, Emily Dickinson, and other literary and philosophical figures while expressing his views on politics and education.

Metro professor Gene Saxe waits to speak at a teachers union rally Sept. 24 in the Golda Meir House. Saxe is a professor of English and also the faculty representative to the Board of Trustees.

Photo by Steve Stoner

“In one view of politics and education, the ruler puts the eyes into the student’s head. In another view, we help the students turn away from the illusions toward a better, truer path,” Gould said.
Gould recently wrote a letter to the president and board of trustees at Metro requesting the disclosure of information regarding an alleged “secret meeting” between Governor Bill Owens and academic bill of rights author David Horowitz.

The letter has since evolved into a petition that has been circulating among the faculty.

Despite the political undercurrent to the current debate between the union and the board, Gould doesn’t feel that the issues will line up as liberal versus conservative.

Last week’s rally followed an announcement from interim President Ray Kieft concerning a possible revision to the policy manual’s reduction in force clause, which would allow the president to terminate faculty during a budget crisis without regard to tenure.

The policy was the impetus for the formation of the union, and according to Belkin, a change to the policy would be seen “as a victory.”

“Make no mistake, if the AFT wasn’t knocking on the door, the board wouldn’t be listening to what the faculty is saying,” said Belkin, who cautioned that “any change is only meaningful if enforceable.”

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Metro’s board of trustees has cancelled its meeting for the month of October.

“Realizing that there were no items requiring immediate attention from the board, coupled with the fact that every meeting of the board uses resources and funds, the meeting was cancelled,” said interim President Ray Kieft.

According to student trustee Harris Singer, the board is only required to meet eight times a year.
“There’s not a lot coming before the board right now,” said Singer, who noted that the board did not meet in January or July of this year either.

Many faculty members were hoping the board would discuss the possibility of making revisions to its policy manual at the October meeting.

“I would like to think that the board of trustees is reconsidering the egregious changes they made in the handbook, and I would also like to think that they’re trying to improve faculty relationships and morale here at Metro,” said Metro English professor Renee Ruderman.

The trustees are still in the process of selecting a firm to search for a new president but any movement on the issue by the board before Oct. 1 is unlikely.

According to Singer, the board’s request for proposal regarding the search will not close until mid-October.

The RFP is an “exception to the state’s fiscal policy” to increase the board’s $50,000 allocation for the search, said Singer.

The board announced the meeting’s cancellation the same day an article was published in The Denver Post that called Metro “a listing ship.”

Singer referred to Metro’s treatment in the media as “destructive” and added that “it’s not helping anyone.”

“The rumors driving these negative passions are not productive, realistic, or appropriate,” said Singer.

Singer emphasized his willingness to help students understand the board of trustees and their policies.

“If there’s something you don’t understand, talk to me, and if I don’t know, I’ll get on the phone and find out. That’s what I’m here for,” said Singer.

The Rocky Mountain News has also reported that board of trustees chairman Bruce Benson is planning to resign his position as chairman, chief executive and president of United States Exploration Inc. due to the sale of the company.

Benson could not be reached for comment on whether the sale of United States Exploration had anything to do with the postponement of the meeting.

According to the president’s office, the board is scheduled for a retreat in late October, and the next board of trustees meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 5.

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Democratic presidential hopeful Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, makes a speech on the Lawrence Street Mall after supporters of the candidate held a small rally showing his support in the 2004 bid for the Oval Office.

Photo by Joshua Buck

Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, 58, visited the campus Friday afternoon and spoke to an assembled crowd of about 100. The Columbus, Ohio congressman spoke about his platform issues and addressed concerns about higher education.

“What I want to see is the money that would go into tax cuts go right into education,” he said. “It would be a tremendous break for so many families who are finding that the opportunity for a college education are (beginning) to elude young people, who are finding that an increase in their tuition is making things a little bit harder.”

Kucinich’s campaign headquarters notified the Denver campaign of his visit on Tuesday. They, in turn, called the Metro organization Creative Resistance, who sponsored the event.

Group official Joel Tagert, who helped to organize the congressman’s visit, said the event wasn’t announced until Thursday. He also said Creative Resistance supports Kucinich for his issues and the way he presents them.

“He’s a straight-talker,” Tagert said. “He tells the truth and says things other candidates aren’t willing to say.”

Tagert said these issues include universal health care, reducing the military budget and withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, all of which Kucinich addressed in his speech.

Kucinich emphasized his stance against the U.S.-led war in Iraq and what needs to be done.
“It’s time to get the U.N. in and the United States out,” he said. “We need to have the United States handle oil with no privatization of oil, and handle the contracts and the new government for Iraq.

“Through this administration, the United States made a colossal blunder in attacking Iraq.”

Kucinich is one of ten democratic presidential candidates. Others include former Vermont Gov.

Howard Dean, Sen. John Edwards and recently announced candidate Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun.

Like some of the other candidates, he only accepts donations from individuals and refuses to take money from corporations.

Kucinich also promised that he would repeal the Patriot Act if elected and said that it was initially passed by Congress because many were fearful and that all of Congress supports it.

“It was passed in a climate of fear,” he said. “I will tell you that there is a readiness in Congress to repeal this bill, which attacks so many provisions of our Bill of Rights; to repeal this bill, which turns librarians into arms of the justice department.”

He said he would keep a few provisions which protect the families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

“As the next president, I intended to help re-create America so that we rejoin the world community,” he said. “It is time for the United States to rejoin the world. It is time for us to get away from policies of war. War is not inevitable.”

Tagert said that while some, including other presidential candidates, have said Kucinich’s chances of being elected are low, this only takes away from his issues. “I think issues of war and peace, for example, are critical in all our lives,” he said. “To ignore it is foolish.”

A meet-and-greet for his campaign supporters and those interested is scheduled for today at 7 p.m. in Tivoli room 320A.

For more information on Dennis Kucinich and his campaign, visit www.coloradoforkucinich.net and www.kucinich.us.

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In an effort to replace the student legal services that were once offered, Metro’s administration has organized some legal education workshops.

Auraria’s Student Legal Services office closed its doors for good April 29, 2003, following an investigation of former SLS director Christian Rataj.

Former SLS employees William Safford and Beth Ott initiated the investigation after they approached members of Metro’s administration to complain about Rataj.

They accused him of sexual discrimination, falsification of annual reports and having students who were paid by the department and federal work-study programs put in hours doing work for his private clients.

The investigation was dropped after Rataj resigned in June.

SLS provided students from all three schools free legal counseling, seminars and do-it-yourself handbooks on issues such as divorce, bankruptcy, landlord-tenant disputes and DUI cases.

After the decision was made not to reopen the office, UCD and CCD’s administrations let go of the program.

“In this climate of budget cuts, reorganization and reprioritizing, each institution has really had to take a close look at what is best for its students,” Assistant Dean of Student Life Joanna Duenas said.

“We (Metro) don’t have enough money to staff a center alone,” Duenas said. “But we do have an opportunity to look at these legal workshops and providing, beyond that, extended legal advice sessions with attorneys.”

The first workshop is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m Thursday, Oct. 9 in Tivoli Room 442.

A presentation on bankruptcy will take place the first hour, followed by a two hour Q&A session with certified contracted attorneys Amy Eckert and Rhonda Ntepp.

Workshops will be offered once a week throughout the month of October: landlord- tenant disputes Oct. 15, small claims court Oct. 23 and traffic court Oct. 29.

“We’re going to see how effectively it works for students and how it’s received by students,”

Duenas said. “We’ll regroup and review what the results were, not only attendance but response.”
She also said that this does not by any means replace SLS, but with the number of students still calling with legal problems, the office of student life felt it was necessary to offer something.

They also plan on digitally recording the workshops for those students that are not able to attend.
The workshops will be funded through student fees just as the SLS program was.

“It certainly doesn’t rise to the amount that was originally approved,” Duenas said. “So a portion of that was returned to the reserves until we figure out what to do with it.”

“I’m not sure this is something I want my student fees to go toward,” Becky Long, Metro student, said. “I’m just not sure this is a solution that’s useful for me.”

“Students don’t tune into these types of services until they need them,” Duenas said. “When you get to that point and you realize that the market is dictating anywhere from $175 to $250 per hour for an attorney and all of these pro bono services are maxed out, that’s when you recognize you’re in a bind.”

Whether these workshops continue after this semester will be based on attendance and response from students.

If they are not successful, another approach will need to be taken.

Duenas said it also depends on whether Metro students are willing to pay for a legal service in this day of rising tuitions and fees.

She also said another option may be a user fee-based model in which students would need to pay as they go at greatly discounted rates, instead of using student fee money to fund a program.

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Results from several related studies show that only about four percent of Metro’s student population participates in voting in elections.

The outcome of the voting for the revitalization of the Tivoli, the Regional Transportation District fare increase and the election of student government officials shows that the majority of students are not voting. For each election the turnout rate was about 800 out of nearly 20,000 students.

The students from Metro are paying $18.50 to restore the Tivoli and $20 a semester for an RTD bus pass. The Metro student population of 20,230 is paying $778,855 a semester.

The vote for the revitalization of the Tivoli occurred in fall of 2000. Since then, the student population has grown from 17,504 to 20,230. This is an increase of 3000 students who did not have the chance to vote.

Metro student Nico Baker said, ‘I did not attend school in 2000 but I think it is a great investment. ‘

Another possible reason many students are not voting may be due to the elections not being widely advertised.

“The Tivoli was not advertised, I didn’t even know and I would not have voted for it,” said Metro student Aimee Avenes.

The turnout in the spring of 2003 vote for the RTD bus fare increase was 957 out of 19,193 students.

“I was a part of the four percent who voted for the RTD fare,” Baker said.

Baker rides the bus several times a week and does not mind paying the $20 a semester.

The total population of Metro students is paying $404,600 a semester for the RTD pass.

The student population has risen by about a thousand since last spring.

These students, who did not have a chance to vote, are paying $20,000 in bus fares a semester.

Metro student Bryan Reno asked, “Why are we subsidizing RTD?”

The students who ride the light rail or buses felt that the fee costs them less in the long run.

“I voted for it, and personally I think it is beneficial to students who can’t afford to have a car,” Avenes said.

If there were no bus pass, Auraria Campus would have to make room for more parking spaces which could cost more than $20 a semester, Avenes said.

The student government election of spring 2003 logged 735 votes out of 19,193 students.

The student government helps make decisions regarding the welfare of the students.

“I think it is important to vote; the student government represents the students,” said Metro student Andy Galles.

Candace Gill, vice president for student fees, is a representative for the student population and presents issues dealing with student fees to the board of trustees.

Gill is working on the “Institutional Fee Plan,” which will allow the student fee requests, to be presented to the BOT once year.

In previous years, student fee requests would be brought up to the BOT three times a year .

Only one out every 25 students participates in voting. Those 800 students who do vote speak for the entire Metro student population of 20,230.

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An attempted car theft took place Sunday morning in a parking lot outside of the Department of Corrections building in Denver.

“The number of suspects involved is unknown and no one has been identified,” said Sonny Jackson, a spokesman for the Denver Police Department.

A police report said the suspect or suspects smashed the driver-side window to gain entry to the car.

The same report said, once inside the suspect broke the ignition in an attempt to steal the car, then searched for valuables and tried to get into the trunk by breaking the top of the back seat down.

According to the report, the only item stolen from the car was a gas card with an unknown name.

David Holestine, a Department of Corrections employee, reported the crime Monday morning.

Holestine said he was unsure about the suspect’s motives.

“Maybe they were going to take it (the car), I don’t really know,” Holestine said.

Ernie Fernandez, a supervisor at the Department of Corrections, was unavailable for comment.

Police are requesting anyone with information about this crime to contact Denver Police at (720) 913-2000.

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The Outdoor Adventure program, located in the Auraria campus PE event center, offers nearly 60 events a year for students interested in taking advantage of the outdoors.

Not only does this program give students a chance to improve their outdoor skills and meet new people in a group setting, it gives them a chance to get out of the city and have fun for a reasonable price.

Some upcoming events in October are Rock Climbing III, a kayak instructional series, an autumn hike, a raft trip on the upper Colorado and Introduction to Canoeing in Colorado.

The events offered in October range in price from free to $45.

The Outdoor Adventure program also offers equipment rental.

This program will rent canoes, crampons, cross country skis, snowshoes and tents, and other outdoor items to students.

This rental ranges from $2 to $15 a day and $6 to $50 a weekend, which spans Thursday to Tuesday.

Bryan Ferguson, assistant director of Campus Recreation, said “The goal (of the program) is to charge enough to cover costs and defray wear and tear on gear.”

He said, “Ideally, we break even each year.”

This program evolved into a department within the campus recreation center in the 1980s and has been run similar to the way it is now for about 14 years, according to Ferguson, who has been on the staff for 10 years.

The Outdoor Adventure Program employs students to work in leadership and development.

This program gives these student employees a chance to work in the outdoors while helping other students develop their outdoor skills.

Ferguson said this program is for Auraria Campus students only.

They do have a guest policy for students who want to bring a friend to outings.

This guest will pay an additional fee, which will be determined according to the event.

This extra charge is because some of the student’s cost is covered by student fees. Because the guest is not a student, he or she has not previously paid these fees.

In addition to outdoor events, the Outdoor Adventure Program also hosts team-building activities with groups on campus.

On Monday, Sept. 29, the program co-hosted a team-building project with a group called the Camp Program.

This program is Metro-specific and supports first generation migrant students.

Lynnea Atlas-Ingebretson, an intern for the Outdoor Adventure Program, said “The goal with Camp is to help them understand working together as a community.”

She said the last group with whom the program hosted team-building had a goal: that the group members would understand that even though people are different, their value is the same and they should be treated equally.

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None this week

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Legal services to be provided for students
Starting in October, Metro and certified attorneys will be offering free legal counseling and workshops.

These workshops will include help with landlord-tenant disputes, DUI/DWI, family law, and more, and will be available throughout the remaining school year.

For more information, call Joanna Duenas (interim assistant dean of Student Life) at 303-556-8134 or e-mail her at duenas@mscd.edu

Hate crimes in America
There will be a guest speaker in Tivoli Turnhalle Oct. 8 from 1-3 p.m. who will be remembering a hate crime that shattered the nation five years ago.

Because he was gay, Matthew Shepard was beaten and left to die in 1998.

All students are urged to listen to a different perspective on hate: a mother’s.

Women in science
Vanessa Aponte, a CU doctoral student and possible future member of NASA, will be speaking about her experiences as a child in Puerto Rico and being a woman and minority in the science field.

The event is scheduled for 1 -3 p.m. Oct. 16 in Tivoli Room 320.

De-stress Fest hits Metro
A festival filled with chair massages, reflexology, Indian head massage, acupuncture and much more will be held at Metro 11 a.m. to 3 p.m Oct. 18 .

Don’t forget to go to Tivoli Turnhalle to get your free massage.

Self-defense workshops
There will be two self-defense workshops taught by Denise Moor-Meier from Dol Go Rae Tae Kwon Do. Emphasis will be on basic skills of protection.

Classes will be held from 2 - 4 p.m. Oct. 13 and 16 in St. Cajetan’s Center.

Get rid of headaches naturally
From noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 15, Todd Nelson, a naturopathic physician, will be in St. Cajetan to teach students about the natural approach to dealing with headaches.

Nelson is the host of Get Healthy, a radio show on KHOW. Lunch will be provided. RSVP to wilkinli@mscd.edu.

Help a kid, be a “Big”
Big Brothers/Big Sisters is looking for new “bigs” (the older member of a big and little brother or sister team) to help a kid in need of guidance in school or even just a friend.

Go to www.bbbscolo.org for more information and an on-line application.

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In the Sept. 18 issue of The Metropolitan the story about the student that will help the board of trustees with the presidential search should have read that the student trustee Harris Singer chose the student, not the board.

The Metropolitan strives for accuracy. Report mistakes to the news editor at
leavittn@mscd.edu

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