Volume 23, issue 15, December 1, 2000

Metronews

Short-term loans pack pocket punch
Edward B. Winslow
The Metropolitan

A Colorado lender that requires a borrower to pay an annual percent rate of 45 percent or more in loan charges is guilty of engaging in criminal usury, but some lenders are legally skirting this law and charging borrowers a rate of 137 percent or more.

The annual percentage rate is the interest rate lenders charge a borrower for taking a loan. It is a financial formula that accounts for the time a loan balance exists and the periodic payments required to service the loan and payoff the principal.

Recently enacted legislation allows lenders to make loans that do not exceed $500 and have a balloon payment that is due in 40 days or less. These loans are known as payday loans because they are designed to be due on the borrower’s next payday. Payday loans are exempt from criminal usury laws. They are also exempt from the Uniform Consumer Credit Code that restricts a consumer loan’s annual percentage rate to no more than 36 percent.

Instead, the lender’s finance charge is based upon the amount borrowed with no regard for the term of the loan. So someone who borrows money from one of these lenders until his or her next paycheck could be paying an annual percentage rate of more than 137 percent.

Generally, these loans are secured by the borrower’s post-dated check for the amount borrowed. The borrower is given cash on the day the agreement is made, less the finance charge.

"(Payday loans) are very dangerous," said Darrin Sandoval, director of operations for Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Denver. Payday loans have interest rates much higher than conventional sources of credit.

The formula for calculating the finance charge for a payday loan is 20 percent of the first $300 and 7.5 percent of the next $200. The finance charge for a $500 loan is $60. Colorado law says the borrower may extend the loan for one additional period and the lender may charge an additional finance charge. After that the loan must be repaid or rolled into a traditional loan that is regulated by the UCCC.

In this case, if the original $500 loan was for a two-week period and the borrower needed to extend it for an additional two-week period, he or she would be charged a total of $120, yielding the lender an annual percentage rate of approximately 468 percent.

But in spite of the hefty charges that borrowers incur, payday loan borrowers only make about two complaints per month on average, said Laura E. Udis, Administrator of UCCC in the Colorado Attorney General’s office.

Furthermore, according to a report produced by the attorney general’s office, the default rate for payday loans in 1999 was only 3.4 percent.

But Metro students have an alternative to payday loans said Arliss Webster, director of the college’s Student Financial Resources Center. Students who are in good standing are able to borrow up to $200 for 30 days, interest free. To qualify for a loan from the center, a student must be able to show evidence of collateral. Collateral can be in the form of proof that college financial aid has been awarded or proof that the student has a job. A late fee of 5 percent of the outstanding balance may be charged if a student becomes delinquent, Webster said, but in most cases the late fee is waived if the student contacts the center. A payment plan can be worked out that fits a student’s needs.

Webster, who took the helm of the center in September, said the center has made about 500 loans totaling around $100,000 to students this fall. The default rate is low on these loans, she said, because a hold is placed on a defaulting student’s records that prohibit the student from registering for courses during the next semester or even graduating until the debt is repaid.

Additionally, Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports tells those who are not Metro students that payday lenders are not the only alternative for consumers facing debt problems. Consumers Union suggests the following:

•Negotiate a payment plan with creditors. The best alternative to payday loans is for consumers to deal directly with their debt. Most creditors will accept partial payment if a payment plan is setup. Consumers can negotiate these arrangements themselves or ask organizations such as Consumer Credit Counseling Services for help. Paying off debts through a payment plan, rather than taking on even more debt at exorbitant interest rates is the best way to deal with financial problems.

•Investigate other avenues of credit such as secured credit cards. Some credit card companies specialize in consumers with financial problems or poor credit histories. These credit sources offer credit cards that are secured by a borrower’s savings account. Once a consumer has successfully used the card for a period of time, they can qualify for an unsecured credit card.

•Ask an employer for an advance. Many employers will grant paycheck advances to employees. Since this is an advance against future wages and not technically a loan, it is a much better alternative than a payday loan.

•Join a credit union. Credit unions offer small, short-term loans to their members.

‘(Payday loans) are very dangerous’

-Darrin Sandoval
Consumer Credit
Counseling Service of Denver
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Moving Mountains
Teen discovers new direction at Metro-run facility
Story and photos by Kelli McWhirter

Student council members sat around discussing who would go to the Halloween dance. Thirty boys would be attending and 20 girls would be bused in from Excelsior Youth Center. Lookout Mountain Detention Facility would be the place to party for one night.

Eighteen-year-old Arnold Baca is one of four members of the council. He said the event would be a chance for the students to prove they could act appropriately with members of the opposite sex. They wanted to pick students who would interact and dance and not just sit by the wall.

"Some individuals can ruin it for everyone," he said.

Baca started his day on Oct. 26 in Environmental Geology class. It is a college-level science class, and students receive credit from Red Rocks Community College, said Clark Grose, Baca’s teacher.

The class is part of a Metro-run lab school at Lookout Mountain. The college program is in its second semester. Science and math are the only two classes that student can take for college credit, Grose said.

Lookout officials want to expand the program to include English composition.

All students at Lookout have been convicted of felony crimes, said William Wiener, the lab school’s director.

Baca has been at Lookout for more than a year. Before Baca was at Lookout, he said, he spent his days dealing drugs and partying. He sold marijuana and sometimes acid. He spent his time with others who did the same. Some were his age, some were older.

Baca started out at Alameda High School in Denver.

"I had attended school my freshman year for 45 days. I went to school, but not to class," Baca said. "That’s how I made my money, was at school."

He later enrolled at an alternative high school called Colorado's Finest. He was expelled for doing drugs on campus and dealing. He went back to Alameda High School. He transferred to Warren Tech, a vocational school, but dropped out. He got a job at Burger King and quit because of scheduling difficulties. He got a job at Chesapeake Bagel Bakery and was fired for a no-call-no-show because he was incarcerated.

At 14, Baca was convicted of a felony for stealing clothes. He violated his probation with graffiti, curfew, drug violations and assault. At 17, he was sent to Lookout because of continuous probation violations.

"It was fun, but nothing I want to do anymore," Baca said. "I did it while I was young and I'm happy about that. I can move on with my life."

In the hall of the school, boys bustled to class, talking and joking with one another. It could be any high school, only they are all in a uniform of khaki pants and polo shirts, on grounds surrounded by a imposing chain-link fence.

When student council finished, Baca went to his last class, culinary arts. He walked outside and up the path to a building. Also going to classes were groups of boys walking in twos, arms behind their backs with two staff members escorting them. The students at Lookout are always supervised by staff members.

"It sucks, it just really sucks," Baca said. But, he also said, "It’s a pretty cool place to be incarcerated at."

Arriving at the class, Baca waited to be let in by his teacher, Michael Campe. All the doors at Lookout are locked and must be opened by a key or from the inside.

Campe is a certified chef and has been at Lookout since July. He teaches the culinary skills that will let students at Lookout get jobs when they leave.

Screen printing is another program that teaches students good job skills. The culinary program lasts 120 days and the screen printing program lasts 90 days, Wiener said.

Inside the door was a room with tables and chairs with the kitchen in back. Baca was given the test he had to take to pass the class. For the next hour and a half, Baca took his test while other students worked in the kitchen.

They prepared Salisbury steak with vegetables and chocolate mousse for dessert. The meal was served to some of the students and staff at Lookout as practice in serving skills and for catering jobs.

When class is finished, Baca and the other students are escorted to their living quarters. Baca enters one building by himself where he will stay for groups and free time.

The groups are offender specific, Baca said. They discuss topics ranging from anger management to drugs and alcohol, property, violence and sexual offenders.

Baca is an Eagle and sleeps in a different area. Eagle is the highest level at Lookout.

"Some would say I am more trusted than others," he said.

Levels range from one to three and are based on a point system, Baca said. Students get an average of 196 points a week. The students get zero to four points for each class. Getting two points is average. More than two points, students have to do something positive. Fewer than two points, the students did not follow directions or had negative behavior, Baca said.

When students move up in levels, Baca said they must "show positive behavior for a consistent amount of time."

The students need to be positive role models, have leadership, and hold themselves accountable for their own actions, he said.

All students start out at the orientation level. They have a couple of weeks to learn the program, then students move up to level one. Students stay there for at least four weeks. Students can move down levels to the disciplinary program. That is when students were fighting, vandalizing or cursing out the staff, Baca said.

Because Baca is an Eagle, he can get more phone calls and get extra canteen items such as candy. He lives in a dormitory-style room with the other Eagles. They have bunk beds, desks, dressers, closets for their clothes and a TV. There are always at least two staff members in the building and can see into the room at all times, he said.

Students may go to bed whenever they like. They have chores to do every day: make the bed, vacuum the room, and clean the windows, microwave and refrigerator, Baca said.

When Baca first arrived at Lookout he said he didn’t think about how to change his life.

"You come in here thinking about how to beat the system," Baca said.

He started to change his behavior after looking at his peers at Lookout and decided to go a different route.

Trying to beat the system "is to stressful, it wore me out."

When Baca leaves Lookout he wants to continue his education and go to college. He wants to major in business.

Baca’s life before Lookout made him who he is today, he said, but Lookout has made him realize that he has intelligence.

Baca said he worries about going back to the things he did before Lookout. He said he worries he will go back when things in his life go bad.

"The fast money, the fast life," he said. "My connections are still there."

Baca said he looks forward to getting out of Lookout. "I’m old enough to handle it. I’ve worked so hard," he said.

He said he wants to be with his family and his girlfriend. His family visits him once a week, but he hasn’t seen his girlfriend since he’s been at Lookout.

He’s been with his girlfriend for at least two years. He talks to her on the phone and writes letters. They don’t talk about Lookout, only the future.

"It’s some strong love there," he said.

In December Baca goes up for parole.

"I made mistakes and I’ve learned from my mistakes," he said. "Everyone has made mistakes. I’ve grown up now."
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Film society to take over theater
Chris Ward
The Metropolitan

The Auraria campus is at the center of a project designed to make Denver a world-class film community.

At a Nov. 28 press conference, representatives from The Denver Film Society, the University of Colorado at Denver, and the Starz Encore Group joined Gov. Bill Owens and Mayor Wellington Webb in announcing plans to renovate the Tivoli space formally used by AMC theaters.

"It can become the preeminent place in Denver to exhibit films," said Starz founder and CEO John Sie.

The AMC Tivoli theaters closed their doors Feb. 10, 2000. The space has remained vacant since, except for a brief rental by the film society for the Denver International Film Festival in October.

The Starz Encore Film Center will house the Denver Film Society and provide a location for all of its festivals and events.

Mark Heckler, dean of CU-Denver’s college of arts and media, said the center should be open in fall of 2001.

"Can you believe it?" Ron Henderson, the executive director of the Film Society, asked. "A permanent home for the film arts in Denver."

CU-Denver’s college of arts and media will also utilize the Film Center, operating it in conjunction with the Film Society

Starz Encore, along with the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation, are providing funding for the Film Center, donating more than $5 million to CU-Denver and the Film Society. Donations from businesses and individual contributions are expected to raise an additional $7 million.

"This is a tremendous gift," Webb said of the donation. "It certainly means a lot to the city."

"I’ve been a film buff for years," Webb added, "so for me this is a great honor."

Sie said he and his wife, Anna, had been looking for a way to give to Denver’s film community.

"We have always been very passionate about movies," he said.

Owens concentrated on the educational aspects of the Film Center, saying it "will provide thousands of students with years of knowledge." Out of the $5 million donated, the Anna and John Sie Foundation’s $770,000 will go toward film studies programs, and the increasing the use of film as an educational resource. In addition to its use at CU-Denver, the donation will also fund "Filmmaking: Art & Business," a colloquium held at Denver’s National Cable Television Center and Museum four times annually.

"It highlights the importance of private involvement in higher education," Owens said of the foundation’s donation.

Henderson ended the press conference by expressing his optimism for the future of film in Denver, saying the Film Center "will be a place where the film arts will be celebrated 52 weeks a year."

"This is, if I can make a huge understatement, a dream come true," he added.

Henderson said to find out how he felt about the Film Center, one only needs to spell Tivoli backward, "I-LOV-IT."
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Student health center to offer free AIDS testing
Scott Smeltzer
The Metropolitan

Students on Auraria campus will be able to get free HIV testing and information about HIV and AIDS Nov. 30 in recognition of the World AIDS Day, held on Dec. 1.

The Student Health Center at Auraria will be offering free tests, which usually cost $15, all day Nov. 30 in Room 150 of the Plaza Building. People who are interested but are unable to get tested on that day because of time constraints will be issued a voucher for a free test, which must be used before Dec. 6, said Billi Mavromatis, the health educator at the Student Health Center.

In addition, the Multicultural Lounge in the Tivoli will feature HIV and AIDS awareness information presented by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans Student Services office, which is co-sponsoring the event.

The HIV test takes about 30 minutes and includes a candid counseling session.

"The first question we ask is why are they here for testing," Mavromatis said. The counselors ask questions about possible exposures to the HIV virus through old tattoos, blood transfusions or unprotected sex.

She said the counseling sessions are a good opportunity for people to talk openly about their sex lives with people who are willing to listen to private matters and who are also medically trained.

The blood is then sent to the lab where it undergoes an initial test called an Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay test. If the blood proves to be negative for HIV, the test ends there, but if it’s positive it goes through either a Western Blot test or the Immunoflourescent Assay test for final confirmation of the positive result.

The entire process takes about two weeks and the results are discussed with the patient during a post- test counseling session.

"This is the best way to get tested," Mavromatis said.

She said the waiting period is a good time for self reflection and it allows for the person to decide if they ever want to be in a situation again were they could be exposed with HIV.

Linda Cecile, the assistant program coordinator for the GLBT Student Services office, said the slogan for this year’s event is "AIDS awareness everyday."

She said there is a misconception today with all the new pills and medicines being developed that the AIDS crisis is over.

"That’s not true," Cecile said.

She said people think if they can pop a pill they can handle having the disease and it’s that misconception that’s lending itself to the idea there is no need for safe sex anymore.

What people don’t know is the administration of the new medication, often in the form of a "cocktail" which might include different medications for different problems, is a complicated system, Cecile said.

In order for it to be effective, it must be taken at the exact same time every day.

"Life has to revolve around the medications," Cecile said.

In some cases, the medications can all but wipe out the virus, however studies have shown that HIV often hides in the kidneys where it does damage, she said.

"It’s such a crafty little virus," Cecile said.

Cecile knows about HIV from personal experience — her son is infected with the virus.

However, she said there is hope because the medicines do slow down the virus and have proven to reduce the number of deaths from HIV and AIDS.

She said that the importance of World AIDS day is to bring awareness to how HIV and AIDS effects everyone.

The GLBT will be showing movies and educational videos and free special flavored and multicolored condoms, provided by the health center, will be available.

In addition, they will be displaying their project called Mounds of Memories, Hills of Hope. The project started three years ago allowing people an opportunity to write a personal message to someone living with, someone affected by or someone who has died from HIV or AIDS on a small flag, Cecile said. The flags will then be placed in the ground between the Tivoli and the Plaza Building on Nov. 30.

Donations for the flag project will be accepted and the proceeds will go to Project Angel Heart, which provides full meals to people with HIV and AIDS.

Cecile said the message that we don’t have to be afraid of people who have HIV or AIDS still needs to be heard.

"They need hugs like everybody else."
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Corrections

The Metropolitan strives for accuracy. If you spot a mistake, please call Sean Weaver at 303-556-8353.
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Metroeditorial

Education might prevent rape

For many fraternities statewide, Greek life includes fellowship, leadership opportunities and involvement in community service. Unfortunately, it can also mean excessive drinking that leads to sexual assault.

Recently, the Colorado State University chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha has undergone investigation that some members of the fraternity allegedly drugged several women at their Sept. 31 "Polyesta Fiesta" party. Although none of these CSU students at this gathering fell victim to sexual assault, the fact that these women may have been drugged and placed unwittingly in a dangerous position is indeed alarming. Additionally, CSU has the highest rate of campus related sexual assault in Colorado.

Sexual assault has become a dismaying reality for colleges and universities, especially those housing resident fraternity dwellings. Studies show fraternity members are responsible for a disproportionate number of acquaintance rapes, both in Colorado and across the United States.

A few Greek organizations across the country have taken it upon themselves to require members to attend sexual assault education programs, or to forbid alcohol entirely at fraternity functions. While taking this responsibility is obviously ideal, and much more in line with most mission statements of fraternal organizations to begin with that stress excellence and statesmanship, we believe colleges and universities should also make themselves accountable.

In schools where sexual assault education for fraternities and sororities becomes mandatory, such as Colorado’s School of Mines, acquaintance rape is greatly diminished. The CSU police department currently has a sexual assault prevention presentation, but does not require that fraternities or sororities attend this program. In light of recent events, it would seem wise for the CSU administration, and remaining Colorado institutions without this policy, to make attendance at this presentation standard for all Greek organizations.
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Ignorance spreads AIDS epidemic
Danielle Haraburda

When I was growing up, I heard about AIDS for the first time. In the beginning, it was referred to as the "gay cancer" and I thought only homosexual men contracted the disease.

As the years went by, I learned more about the dreaded, non-curable disease and found out that while gay men indeed suffered the highest incidence of HIV and AIDS infection, nobody could claim immunity. Gay men still make up about 60 percent of HIV infections in America, but the number is rising for women, up from only 7 percent in 1985 to 23 percent by the end of last year. Worldwide, more than 80 percent of adult transmission of HIV occurs through heterosexual intercourse.

AIDS statistics are frightening, no matter how you look at them. New medications are greatly improving and increasing the lives of those with HIV and AIDS, and that’s good news, but in light of the abundant education and the many precautions available, too many are becoming infected to begin with. Especially among our children.

Of the nearly 50,000 new HIV infections that will have occurred in the U.S. by the end of this year, half of them will include youth under 25. U.S. government survey statistics of American teenagers are frightening. Nearly 20 percent of adolescents believe that oral sex carries no risk of HIV transmission, and of sexually active teens between the ages of 15-17, 62 percent say they have never considered getting tested for the HIV virus. Only 48 percent say they would even know where to go if they desired a test.

This information from the National Institute of Health only gives numbers, it doesn’t tell us why our youth have become so at risk. Perhaps it’s because so many these days think that AIDS is a bygone crisis. Or because many educators drop HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum from health classes due to pressure from those that claim these programs teach sex. But today’s youth, whether you agree with it or not, have sex.

Fortunately, trends suggest that condom use among male teenagers has increased. There still are, however, 20 percent who say they use condoms "only sometimes," or "never."

There’s nothing wrong with encouraging teens to practice abstinence when it comes to sex. However, withholding information about safe sex practices increases the likelihood that they won’t use contraceptives if they do engage in intercourse. Teaching teenagers about condoms and safe sex precautions doesn’t equate to giving them a green light to jump into bed with someone.

More than half of teenagers surveyed said they wanted to learn more about how to protect themselves from HIV infection. They should have this information. Saying that kids "just shouldn’t have sex" is tantamount to saying that the punishment for pre-marital sex is death.

‘AIDS statistics are frightning, no matter how you look at them’
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Remembering the slain transgendered

Dear Editor,

Internationally, there were fourteen reported murders of transgendered people in the last year. Of those fourteen, ten occurred in the United States.

As I write, it is Nov. 28, the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Trans-violence. Tonight I went to a memorial service at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. The turnout was sparse; most of those there were transgendered. Various political leaders spoke, including senator Dorothy Rupert.

The revered Toni Cook introduced the Litany of Remembrance. Various transgendered people came forward to take turns leading the congregation.

"Alina Marie Barragan, a nineteen year old transgendered woman was strangled to death in San Jose, California on January 19, 2000."

"We weep for our sister Alina."

"Julia Carrizales was stabbed numerous times then strangled to death in Webster, Texas on July 21st."

"We weep for our sister Julia."

"An unnamed three—day—old infant born with ambiguous genitalia died of blunt force trauma to the head, strangulation and glass shards in the intestines. The child was killed by his/her mother in Dallas, Texas on Dec. 8, 1999."

"We weep for this child."

"Many deaths of transgendered persons go unreported by the police and the media. Too many persons die violently, alone and in terrible pain. Those who are gender-different should not pay with their lives."

"We weep for the blood that has been shed by our many unnamed sisters and brothers, for the untold lives that have been stolen from us. The message of their suffering is clear, it pulses through every humming cell of our being and we cry out: THIS SHOULD NOT BE!"

I walked for a while next to a transgendered women on my way home from the memorial. She turned a corner and I wanted to walk her to her car, to make sure that she was safe, although she was a head taller and probably twice as strong as I am.

I am a gay man. I am a member of the queer community. Before tonight, I never understood the courage it takes to be transgendered. They risk death every day because they are constantly visible, whereas I can hide.

Tonight the speakers at the memorial spoke of hatred and violence resulting from fear. Fear seemed to make the violence and hatred somehow easier to understand. No one wanted to think that the hatred would be born out of basic maliciousness.

Why would someone shoot a man because he wore a dress or had a sex change? Why would they even care? I do not understand and do not want to. But I do know that such crimes will continue as long as the silence continues. Until the public cries out about all murders, regardless of the gender status of the victim, these murders will continue. To paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., until all minority groups are respected, regardless of what marks them as different, then no one is truly free.

Alfred Utton
Metro Student
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Popular vote would overlook Colorado and Kentucky

Dear Editor,

In attempt to find some articles that I'm doing for an English class, I came across a Jessica Rouch article, "Popular Vote Better Represents People." I feel that her article was very insightful to me and I do agree that their needs to be a long look at the voting process. I do not think using the Popular vote is the answer. The electoral vote is designed so that persons running for president wouldn’t cater to a specific part of the country. In short, the electoral vote is based upon the population of the state which is consisted with how many congress people and senators that state has. So in closing, if our voting process was based on the popular vote, then states like Colorado and Kentucky (where I'm from) would only be seeing a candidate flying of the skies of our state.

Thank you,

Dallas E. Harshfield
University of Kentucky
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Letters Policy

The Metropolitan welcomes letters of 500 words or fewer on topics of general interest.
Letters must include a full name, school affiliation and a phone number or e-mail address.
Letters might be edited for length, grammar and accuracy.

Mailbox:
The Metropolitan
900 Auraria Parkway, Suite 313
Denver CO 80204

e-mail: haraburd@mscd.edu
phone: 303.556.2507
fax: 303.556.3421
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Metroactive

‘Lonely Planet’ explores life with AIDS
Troy Markgraf
The Metropolitan

If asked about major events that take place in December, most people would probably speak of Christmas or New Year’s Eve. But few people would mention World AIDS Day, which takes place on Dec. 1.

That is why the showing of Steven Dietz’s Lonely Planet at the Metropolitan Black Box Theatre is so beautifully timed. Director Brendan Haymaker chose the script because part of its theme explores the subject of AIDS.

"I originally brought the play here because World AIDS Day is happening during this week and because I’d seen a wonderful production done in Durango," Haymaker said.

Lonely Planet takes place in a map store that is run by the play’s protagonist Jody, played by Megan Barry. Jody chooses never to leave the map store because he has an apprehension for the outside world. Meanwhile, Jody’s friend Carl, played by Shawn Aaron, brings chairs into the map store, each signifying the death of a friend. Tension is built around Carl prompting the reluctant Jody to leave the map store as a step toward being responsible for his life.

The previous synopsis might make you think that the play is about a furniture collector and an agoraphobic map seller, but that is not to understand the play. To understand the play is to realize that it explores the tragedy of AIDS and the meaningfulness of touching others.

The persistence of AIDS in Lonely Planet is obvious without even mentioning the acronym. The observable presence of AIDS is in the struggle of the two main characters. Jody chooses to run from the "catastrophic disease." His life is made up of hiding in the map store while his friends are overcome with the spreading affliction. Carl chooses another route. He is the caretaker who is involved in the remembrance of those who are lost to the disease.

Lonely Planet is also a statement about the impact we can have on our worlds. The screenwriter, Steven Dietz, realized from an early age that each act of kindness has its own reward. Although we sometimes lose hope that we can have a positive impact on our worlds, Dietz feels this is not the case.

"History, I believe is not the story of grand acts and masterpieces. History, instead, is the inexorable accumulation of tiny events-footsteps and glances, hands in the soil, broken promises, bursts of laughter," Dietz wrote "Historians may focus on the famous, familiar names–but history itself is made, day after day, by all those whose names are never known, all those who never made a proclamation or held an office."

Dietz presents this message in Lonely Planet with the essence of the symbolic chairs, which were influenced by the Eugene Ionesco’s The Chairs. Each deceased friend leaves his own Darridaesque trace of the life with each chair he leaves behind. Carl uses these chairs to carry on the voices of his friends.

"There is a part of lonely planet that shows how traces of us live on. Carl starts to take on the voices of all of his friends, and depending on when you ask him he writes for a tabloid or he is an auto glass repair person or he is one of many other things," Haymaker said.

Sound complicated enough? Well it doesn’t get any less complicated on a personal level. The Metro production lost its original Jody almost a month into the rehearsal of the play. Since then, Megan Barry has been playing catch-up on her character.

"To do a character analysis, learn all the blocking, and nail down her lines is difficult to do in three weeks. There is a lot of monologue. So she has come a long way in a short time," Haymaker said.

Any struggle that has to be endured does not seem to bother Haymaker who will be doing the first night of Lonely Planet as a benefit for Project Angel Heart and the Colorado Aids Project.

"A quote that I always like to remember is from Emerson who says ‘Be useful.’" Haymaker said. "And I guess that is what I would always like to do–is to create change for people."
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Ten-hour ‘Tantalus’ tantalizes
Troy Markgraf
The Metropolitan

Let’s face it! We live in an age of advertising marathons and blitzes, most of which end up being disappointments. Remember The Truman Show, Jurassic Park, and the television sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. After so many letdowns we would be foolish to remain optimistic.

It came as no surprise, then, that the play Tantalus, with its length and anticipation, would come under a certain amount of scrutiny.

Fortunately, the epic Tantalus pulls itself out of the cynical trap with a profound script and great stage performances from actors and creative staff.

There is no easy way to describe the epic Tantalus without first giving an outline of the show. But giving a synopsis of the play is an epic in itself. The struggle in this case is that the "play" is actually a collection of ten plays spanning a performance time of ten and a half hours.

Hence, the following outline of the Tantalus.

Part I: The Outbreak of War

Prologue

A souvenir vendor, David Ryall, happens upon a beach where a multiplicity of bikini-laden women is sunbathing (this is enough to draw at least half of the audience in). The vendor begins telling the story of the Trojan Wars to the chorus of women (Vickie Tanner, Christina Pawl, Robin Terry, Jeanne Paulson, Tess Lina, Francesca Carlin), who find themselves engrossed in the Greek Tragedy.

Telephus

Set in Mycenae, the chorus of woman find that a fleet of Greek soldiers have mistakenly invaded Mysia, rather than Troy, in their quest for Helen.

Agamemnon (Greg Hicks) tells his wife Clytemnestra (Nicole Pool) of the mishap. King Telephus of Mysia (David Ryall) arrives with a leg wound caused by the warrior Achilles (Robert Petkoff) in the mistaken war.

Iphigenia

The Greek war fleet is ready to set sail for Troy, but with one problem; there is no wind. Apparently, Agamemnon offended the goddess Artemis by killing one of her stags. In order to appease Artemis, Agamemnon must sacrifice his favorite daughter Iphigenia (Mia Yoo). Agamemnon is torn between the sacrifice of his daughter and winning the battle against Troy (can I get a vote for father of the year).

Part II: The War

Neoptolemus

Set on the outskirts of Troy, the Greeks plan to trick the Trojans by hiding inside a wooden horse and infiltrating the city walls. In order to do this, Neoptolemus (Robert Petkoff) must wear a dress to pose as the sacrifice the Trojan’s have requested. Neoptolemus does not wish to lie and the relentless Peleus (David Ryall) and Odysseus (Alan Dobie) try to convince him otherwise.

Priam and Odysseus

The Trojans attempt to convince Priam (Greg Hicks) to let the wooden horse inside the city walls. Troy is tackled and the Trojan women, including Priam’s wife Hecuba (Ann Mitchell) are taken hostage.

Part III: The Homecomings

Cassandra

Now back in Thrace, Hecuba attempts to revolt with the other Trojan woman. Cassandra (Alyssa Bresnahan), a soothsayer, predicts Agamemnon’s fait.

Hermione

Several years after the end of the war, the victors find that home is not what it used to be.

Helen & Epilogue

Helen is placed on trial for her part in the war. The fate of Helen is decided as the western people are thrown a twist.

These events may seem difficult to follow, but the cast of Tantalus binds them into one seamless production. Tantalus receives monumental performances from its international cast (rehearsal for the play lasted six months). Greg Hicks delivers a solid performance as the stoic Agamemnon. As the Greek’s situation worsens, Hicks voice remains almost machine-like in its ability to show Agamemnon’s acquiescence to fate contradicting with his grasp of reason.

"It’s as if God had turned me into some other creature, yet I am responsible for what that creature did," said Agamemnon following one of his unthinkable actions.

Giving another remarkable performance was Alyssa Bresnahan as Cassandra. With contagious frustration, Cassandra’s prophetic view of the future is eclipsed by her unheard voice. She can only watch as she remembers the tragic events that will soon happen.

So far so good, but what about all the hype surrounding the "world-class" artistic directors? Tantalus, again, does not fall flat.

The set, which was arranged by Dionysis Fotonopoulos, is not immediately impressive. As the play moves forward, the set proves just how dynamic it really is. One scene shows the twenty-some foot high wheels of the Trojan Horse being wheeled into Troy in a foggy orange haze.

Another scene pulls a rabbit-out-of-the-hat trick when Peleus dumps the contents of his mug on the ground as Thetis, the sea nymph, emerges.

Equally as impressive is the costume design, also arranged by Fotonopoulos. Within the play there are sixty-some masks, each tailored to a specific actor. The masks and costumes quickly become icons that give Tantalus its unique flavor. As the director Edward Hall said, "We finally ended up with a cross between Laura Kraft-Tomb Raider meets some comic. It’s very vivid and very surreal."

A play as long as Tantalus will complicate just about every area of performance. One such area is the lighting design created by Sumio Yoshii. Complicated as it may have been, Yoshii pulls off astounding lighting effects that demonstrate why he was brought here from the other side of the globe.

With such a great supporting cast, Tantalus’ real battle is to remain substantive. The artistic purpose behind Tantalus was to create a myth that would become a metaphor for our times, yet remain timeless. In motion, the playwright (John Barton) and director (Sir Peter Hall) have created a conglomerate of myth, metaphor and satire.

Barton proves that he can weave a metaphor like no other, as Tantalus becomes a complex departure from reality that comments on many contemporary issues. The beauty is that Barton does not state, he only suggests. Viewers will find themselves thinking of contemporary problems that range from homelessness, to hegemony.

One such a scene occurs when the Spartans attack Mysia in their quest to conquer Troy. The attack happened by mistake, but ruined the entire city and its people. As a metaphor this scene resonates events that took place during the bombing o f a mistaken target in Iraq by American soldiers.

On another level Tantalus is a satire that comments on subjects like war, brutality toward women, and colonization. Here Barton and Hall’s style is a progressive in-your-face social commentary.

Take the purpose of the Trojan War for instance. The war began when Helen was abducted and taken to Troy. The Greeks want to retrieve her and decide that there must be a war against the Trojans. Yet we are told that Helen is actually happy in Troy and would not like to leave. For the Greeks, this was apparently not enough to dissuade their thoughts of war.

Barton masterfully shows that most of our problems are created when we choose to play out roles that may not be all that practical. This point is punctuated in the sixth play when Cassandra and Agamemnon remove their masks. Hauntingly, their real faces are revealed and the audience is reminded how much they have accepted the masks of the cast. It is only after this that Agamemnon and Cassandra can view their world with utter clarity.

"I hear them and I feel them as I did when I was a boy," said the mask less Agamemnon, "Maybe one day what’s lost will be found again."
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Finally, a home for film in Denver, with a $5M name
Chris Ward

The Denver Film Society is coming to the Tivoli—for good this time.

When the society announced a press conference at the Tivoli theaters to announce "A new era of film… for Denver & Colorado," few had any doubts of what the surprise announcement would be. Few people in that movie theater the morning of Nov. 28 expected to hear anything other than "The Denver Film Society will be moving into the Tivoli."

What was a surprise was the extent to which the society will be moving in. Utilizing an expected $12 million in donations, the society and the University of Colorado at Denver are completely renovating the space.

With office space, classrooms, a grandiose main theater, and a gallery, the proposed center is unrecognizable next to what AMC theaters left behind.

It’s wonderful to finally have a permanent home for film lovers in Denver, and even better to have it right on campus.

The Film Society has been looking for a home for several years, operating out of rented office spaces while the search turned up few prospects. While its current space on Larimer Square has a decent view and isn’t located too far from where they house the Denver International Film Festival, a society dedicated to the film arts deserves to have access to a place to display those arts, 52 weeks a year.

Furthermore, it will provide a workspace for CU-Denver’s film and video production classes; a film department without a movie theater is a terrible thing.

But they ran into a stumbling block when it came to naming rights. In a town where the name of a football is under constant debate, Starz Encore managed to imbed themselves into everything at the FilmCenter (sorry, the Starz Encore FilmCenter) with little or no objection.

This is obviously because the largest chunk of the bill for all this is being picked up by Starz Encore and its CEO, John Sie. Granted, if someone poured $5 million into renovating a building, they can put their name on it. But the naming rights to every festival that goes on there? Now Auraria will play host to the Starz Encore Denver International Film Festival, the Starz Encore Jazz on Film Fesitval and the Starz Encore Jewish Film Festival, among others.

I guess it could be worse; Sie could have plastered his own name all over the center. I’d have trouble keeping a strait face while buying tickets for the John Sie Pan African Film Festival.
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horoscope by miss anna

ARIES: Use all of the resources available to you. A family argument may take some extra attention to straighten out, with no serious fallouts. You may need to make some choices - between spending more quality time with family and friends, or advancing at work.

TAURUS: There seems to be some apparent conflict, but it is of a healthy variety, and may yield some unexpected benefits in the form of totally new approaches to routine situations. Don't make hasty decisions regarding financial matters until you know the whole story.

GEMINI: You and your significant other may make a wonderful connection and the sense that you are growing closer will bring both of you joy. Success will be yours, even if it is of a low-key nature. You know you've made great strides, and soon the right people will notice.

CANCER: Try to take it easy this week. You have been going at a frantic pace, and it will start to catch up with you. Decisions made hastily may be flawed, so put off action until you have all the facts. Treat yourself to something special, and maybe something a little frivolous.

LEO: You will get ahead by working hard. Nothing less than your reputation is at stake, but no need to worry since your work is usually above reproach. Expect a little bit of a delay, because soon you'll be riding on the crest of success. The spotlight is yours, you deserve it.

VIRGO: Prosperity is an issue, so instead of whining, take action. Work a little harder and you'll be surprised at the financial results. A surge of inspiration will enable you to get through any potentially rough situations - clear all avenues of communication.

LIBRA: Use your clout to get some new and different changes off the ground at work. Friends and co-workers can really come in handy now. You're working for no less than the greater good of all involved - remember this. Don't be taken in by careless flirting with someone new.

SCORPIO: Keeping your nose to the grindstone is admirable to a point, but you might make a better impression with superiors if your approach is more balanced. Learn to give some responsibilities to others if you are interested in a management position.

SAGITTARIUS: You tend to keep your emotional distress to yourself, and this might not be for the best. Allow someone close to penetrate your defenses. Your beauty comes from within, and creates a glow that is obvious to others around you. Make plans carefully to assure a positive outcome.

CAPRICORN: A little contemplation will get your week off on a calm and clear path. You are pleased with the results up until now, but do want to improve your work. Allow troublesome obstacles to dissolve themself. You can't hasten this process by hovering and worrying needlessly.

AQUARIUS: Is your current relationship a little unbalanced? If so, playing the role too faithfully can bring resentment and boredom. Maybe a planned weekend pleasure trip is just what the doctor ordered. One or both of you may need to learn something new. Make peace with inevitable changes.

PISCES: When working on your financial plan for the future, avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. Anything which looks definite may not be beneficial in the end. Diversify investments and don't expect to get rich overnight. Any health problems are probably from neglect.

IF THIS WEEK IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: Catch up on correspondence with friends. Be wary though, encounters with others may end in emotional outbursts, which may leave you a bit bewildered. You may feel that you are constantly at battle with your significant other, which leads you nowhere.
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Metrosports

Roadrunners ruins former coach’s return
Eric Eames
The Metropolitan

With Metro coach Mike Dunlap and new Colorado Christian coach Brannon Hays on the same court at the same time, the men’s Thanksgiving Basketball Classic at the Auraria Events Center could have been mistaken for a family reunion.

"I don’t like anything about it," Dunlap said of coaching against Hays instead of coaching with him. "That’s my son."

Although the two men don’t have any family ties, for the past decade they have come up with countless winning strategies for the same teams. Hays played under Dunlap for two years, and served as an assistant coach to Dunlap for the past eight years. Hays’ last three years with Dunlap were at Metro, in which he helped build the Roadrunners into the reigning NCAA Division II Champions.

Dunlap has been an exemplary coaching champion for Hays, and both men knew the day would come when Hays would be commanding his own players on the opposite sideline. And on Nov. 24, Hays was doing just that.

"It’s very weird," Hays said of being on the opposite side, "considering the fact that I know everybody in the gym. A lot of the players I knew from last year’s program. It just feels awkward being on the visitor’s side."

And on the losing side for that matter.

While the day after Thanksgiving is usually reserved for fasting, the Roadrunners were still feasting–mostly on rebounds and the Cougars’ turnovers, as the Roadrunners extended its home winning streak to 26 games with a 67-40 win over Colorado Christian.

The Roadrunners’ defense chewed up the Cougars’ offense attack, forcing 20 turnovers while seniors Rashawn Fulcher and Jody Hollins crashed the boards for 26 rebounds, 12 of the on the offensive side.

"Metro just killed us on the offensive glass and their defensive pressure at times put us back on our heels," Hays said. "We had a hard time getting into our offense."

Metro (1-1) out-rebounded Colorado Christian (0-3) 43-33 for the game and had a commanding 21-11 advantage on the offensive glass. And its swarming three-quarters court defensive press thwarted the Cougars offensive to a rudderless motion.

Colorado Christian didn’t reach double digits until there was 3:16 left before halftime.

Junior guard Joe Kelly scored all 11 of his points in the first half, connecting on 3-of-8 three-pointers, helping Metro to a 21- point first half lead.

Colorado Christian did restore some kind of ballast to the scoreboard, with Cougar Matt Chambless hitting two three-pointers down the stretch, to help close the gap to 35-21 at intermission. But Metro wouldn’t let the Cougars get any closer.

Senior Chris Ford and freshman Luke Kendall each connected on three-point shots to open the second half as Metro begin to build its lead.

Cougars senior center Tom Dettman, who finished with a game high 15 points to go with 12 rebounds, tried to provide some spark with two dunks late in the game. The second one was a stuff off a missed Cougar shot and brought the small Colorado Christian contingent to their feet.

But Metro’s big men weren’t going to let the Cougars get away with any more and for the rest of the game, the Cougars were backed up and out from underneath the rim by lane dwellers, Fulcher and Hollins.

"We thought we had a better depth as far as size wise that we could go to," Hollins said.

First there was Fulcher, who at 6-foot-2 used his 39-inch vertical to outleap the 6-foot-11 Dettman, on many occasions. Fulcher finished the game with nine points and 12 rebounds.

Then there was Hollins, who spun his way in front of smaller Cougar defenders and bullied his way to the board at will for eight offensive rebounds, which resulted in most of his 12 points.

"He worked the boards very hard," Dunlap said of Hollins, who had 14 rebounds overall. "That made a difference for us. He gave us a real shot in the arm."

"That’s Jody’s biggest strength–rebounding," Hays added. "He just killed us on the glass tonight."
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Metro wins sloppy home opener 63-44 over Fort Lewis
Nick Garner
The Metropolitan

It may have not been pretty, but the Metro women’s basketball team will take the win.

The Roadrunners won its home opener of the 2000-01 season by defeating Fort Lewis 63-44 in the Metro Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 24.

The first half, neither team looked like they came out ready to play

It took almost two minutes into the game before anyone scored a basket (Fort Lewis) and almost four minutes before the Roadrunners posted their first points of the contest.

At the end of the first period, neither team was shooting the ball well. Both teams were shooting well under 40 percent (Metro at 30 percent and Fort Lewis 37.5) both were in double figures in turnovers. Through all of that, the Roadrunners had a slim three point lead, 27-24.

"That’s been the story this whole year," said coach Mike Power. "We are so banged up, all we have is an inside game.

"We have a few people who can shoot it from the outside, but when people are locking up the inside, we have to shoot from the perimeter and we aren’t knocking them down."

But when the second period started, there was a different Metro team that came out ready to play.

The Roadrunners (2-1) used two 11-0 runs in the second period to gain leads of 13 and 21 points which put the Skyhawks (0-3) out of the game for good.

The first 11-0 run came at the start of the second half following baskets from both teams. Something must have clicked as both the Roadrunners offense and defense came alive. Instead of turning the ball over on offense, the Roadrunners were making the shoots. On defense, Metro were getting the rebounds and steals that was turning into easy transition points. point lead by freshman junior Natasha Zachavora four points, pushed the Roadrunners advantage to 40-29.

The last 11-0 run came at the end of the contest, with freshman Rachael Grove and junior Stacy Koehler converting on free throws to give the Roadrunners a 21-point lead, 63-24.

"That’s us, we are a team of spurts both offensively and defensively," Power said. "We can go five, six minutes without scoring or we can go five, six minutes and go on runs like we did. We just need to make a little less of those dry runs."

The Roadrunners numbers improved in the second, shooting nearly 38 percent (37.8) and for the first time all season, they had less turnovers, (22-35) then their opponent.

Leading Metro offensively was sophomore Malene Lindholm, who at the half scored 14 points and had seven rebounds, including five on the offensive side. She finished the game with a season high 21-points and nine rebounds.

Power was really pleased with the performance of his forward.

"Malene played the best game this season," Power said. "Natasha (Zacharova) was sick, she had the flu and Malene came in and stepped it up another level and we really needed it."

Two other Roadrunners finished in double-digits in scoring, Zacharova with 13 points and nine rebounds and Grove, also with 13 points, had eight rebounds.

The following night, the Roadrunners lost to Central Missouri State in the championship game 92-56. Metro had three players in double-digits, with Zacharova leading the way with 14 points. Grove and Lindholm had 11 points each in a losing effort.
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This Roadrunner has found his ‘hoochy cooch’
Nick Dewart
The Metropolitan

Metro’s Men’s basketball player Kane Oakley is like a snowball rolling down a mountain and there’s no telling what the momentum of his senior year will bring.

This Australian native 6-8-220lbs senior is a menacing center on the court who has improved his game tremendously from season to season. Off the court he’s positive person to have in Metro’s athletic program.

There is some college players who are cocky about themselves and their game, but Oakley isn’t. His humble attitude and win/win situation thinking has allowed him to fully utilize his station at Metro.

Oakley said playing basketball in American is almost a dream come true.

"It’s sort of an Australian dream to go play college basketball…in America." Oakley said. "We do not have high school or college basketball in Australia like what they have here."

The aspect of playing street ball that is common in American, is not so in Australia.

"As coach says, the Australians come over with no ‘hoochy cooch’ in their game. We don’t go out and play street ball like they do over here. You don’t see many Australians (play street basketball) we’ll go out and just shot around with each other but no one gets serious and plays one on one with each other for four hours like the young American kids out here do."

Playing here in America, though, has put a little "hoochy cooch" into Oakley’s game.

His most developed strength is his ability to block the shot. He broke his own single season school record of 56 blocked shots, set his sophomore year, as he blocked 60 shots last season.

He has 130 career-blocked shots and ranks third all-time at Metro and he needs 41 to become the school’s all-time leader.

Oakley’s defensive contributions are astounding.

Not only is he blocking the shot, he’s creating turnovers. In his first two season’s at Metro, Oakley had a combined 24 steals, 10 in his freshman and 14 in his sophomore year. Last year, he compiled a career-high 38.

Coach Mike Dunlap said besides being a shot blocker, Oakley can also cover a great deal of ground.

"He’s somebody that is athletic he can run the floor and (he’s) very fluid," Dunlap said. "He was top ten in the country last year in blocked shots. He actually helps his teammates out by covering mistakes."

On the offensive side of the ball, Oakley keeps improving his point output year in and year out. He went from averaging 2.9 points a game in his first season, to 4.3 and 7.8 his sophomore and junior years, respectfully.

Dunlap has seen the improvements in Oakley over the years and likes what he sees.

"I think that he’s mentally matured a lot," Dunlap said. "He wants to play professional basketball in Australia. He has sacrificed a lot in four years to lift weights, get a multitude of shots up daily and by being in the states for four years. That commitment speaks volumes."

While Dunlap credits Oakley’s improvement in basketball to his "mental maturity," in turn, Oakley feels being a student athlete helps him mature for the rest of his life.

"When you go into the work force, you’re going to need the same skills (that a person acquires as a student athlete). You’re going to need to be able to balance two things at once. ," Oakley said. "In a way, having been a student athlete is just a way of preparing yourself for the future."

Dunlap said since Oakley has been around for a while, Dunlap looks to Oakley to set good examples to the younger players in the program.

"Off the floor he’s just a guy who understands what we expect," Dunlap said. "How we set up our tradition. So, he helps a lot of guys with a lot of small things.

"He’s one of our leader on and off the floor. He’s one of the major reasons we’ve had so much success over his time here."

Oakley’s has at least one goal set for himself this season.

"I just want to try and be consistent," Oakley said. "I’m not saying we’re not going to win the championship, I’m not saying that we are going win the championship. I just want have a great year with my team."
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Coach’s Corner
Mike Power

Forrest Gump said, "life is like a box of chocolates." I say a basketball season is like a chocolate chip cookie. The chips in the cookie represent the wins and the good times during the season. Some teams have lots of chips in their cookie and others have less and still others have next to none. The following is a recipe for a very good chocolate chip cookie.

Step 1: To make a good cookie, you must prepare well and have the right ingredients. As coach, or chef, we must go shopping!

When we go looking for the right ingredients, we call this recruiting. At the Division II level, you have a limited budget with which to go shopping with. So some coaches go for the bargain ingredients, while others take their time to find the prefect ingredients.

We may be called picky at times, but without the right ingredients you cookie will do one of the following: fall apart, taste bad or worse, not have any chips in it at all.

Step 2: Mix the ingredients together and make the dough. This is conditioning and the pre-season.

Some times you think you have the right ingredients for the cookie, but when you mix them together, it doesn’t stick together to make your dough.

So as the chef, we must either add or subtract from the ingredients to make the dough just right. There are many teams who think they have the right dough and later find out that they had the wrong ingredients.

The next step is when you find out if the dough was really any good.

Step 3: Bake the dough for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. This cooking is what we call the season.

After all the preparation, we put the dough in the heat and we see what kind of cookie it will produce.

In the oven, the heat will either make or break the dough, just like the season for the team.

When it’s done, we take it out of the oven and see what we have.

Which is like our season, we put the team through the heat and at the end we see what we have.

Step 4: Take a bite and see what it tastes like. This tasting is the NCAA Tournament.

Some cookies will be in the oven too long, they will be hard and it will hurt to take a bite. We see this from a team who didn’t have the right ingredients and the heat of the season got them producing too many losses.

Some cookies look good, but when you pick it up, it falls apart. This comes from teams that make it to the tournament but fall apart at the most important time.

Then there is the cookie that is full of chocolate chips and tastes great. We call these types of cookies champions.

When you win the National Championship, you can dip your cookie in a glass of milk.

Not many chefs get to do this, but you can ask some experienced chefs, such as Chef Mike Dunlap of the men’s basketball team and Chef Debbie Hendricks of the volleyball team, they have both won a national championship!

We hope our team and coaching staff will be able to produce the perfect chocolate chip cookie for this season.
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Roadrunners can’t find magic in regional
Eric Eames
The Metropolitan

Metro’s volleyball ended its season by dropping a four-game match to Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference rival Regis in the NCAA’s Southwest Regional Tournament on Nov. 16.

But who would have thought the Roadrunners’ season would go that far?

Coming off the worst record (10-21) in school history last year, Metro brought in a new coach, a handful of new players, and the new coach and players had only the summer to get to know one another.

But what the team accomplished–a 21-9 overall record, and the second best RMAC record at 16-3–in such a short time, created a buzz that surpassed many people’s expectations.

Except those of the head architecture herself, who knew the Roadrunners would be a force in the RMAC.

"I knew we had the athletic ability and I felt like we had good quality kids," said first-year coach Debbie Hendricks. "And when you put those two things together with a little bit of leadership and willingness to buy into a philosophy, you can become successful in a hurry.

"Entering into this season I expected nothing less than what we did. Others may have had lesser expectations and that’s OK. That is what probably helped us, is that a lot of people looked past us and that gave us a lot of motivation and gave us a chance to sneak up on some people."

In the mist of a 13-match win streak, Metro put its full potential on display Sept. 19, when they knocked off No. 10 Northern Colorado in a thrilling five-set match.

In that contest, the Roadrunners produced the second highest team total of assists in a match with 84, and the third highest number of kills with 96.

But the team couldn’t win a post-season match, leaving not only a pickled taste on the player's’ tongues, but left something to crave for next year.

"It’s almost a cliché, and you hate to say it, but I think we peaked a little early," Hendricks said. "We played our best volleyball in October, rather than in November. We met a lot of our goals and the goals we didn’t meet will motivate us for next year."

With the key parts of the machinery returning, next year should be more exciting.

Junior transfers Marina Bazana (458 kills), Mei-Rong Lu (329), and Diana Marques (203) will be seniors next year. Bazana and Lu are RMAC first team selections and both earned player-of-the-week honors. Bazana also won the RMAC Player-of-the-Year award and was named to the RMAC All-Tournament team.

Freshmen Jesse Roy, Michelle McBurney and Devon Herron can only get better and stronger for next year. Roy was second on the team with 423 kills, earned player-of-the-week honors and is a second team All-Conference selection. McBurney recorded 292 kills and led the team with 118 total blocks. Herron, meanwhile, earned the league’s Freshman-of-the-Year award by dishing out 1,419 assists, and leading Division II with a 14.33 assist per game average, breaking the previous school mark of 13.53.

Add five bodies for depth to that core and the team should rise to the next level Hendricks said. And maybe than the Roadrunners will earn an A, instead of an A-.

"This is one of the best groups I’ve ever worked with," said Hendricks, who gave her team a B- grade. "As far as their ability to mesh and trust each other and come together–they did a good job of that".

Something they can build on.
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Men’s soccer enjoys best season in history
Nick Garner
The Metropolitan

Less then a year after the Metro men’s basketball program won the first basketball championship in Colorado, there is another program that is starting to reach new heights.

The Metro men’s soccer team reached the NCAA regional for the first time in the program’s history, before losing 1-0 to West Texas A&M. That’s just some of the accomplishments they achieved during the 2000 campaign.

"Obviously making the NCAA tournament it’s the ultimate goal for every team that starts in August," said coach Brian Crookham. "We made the tournament, we broke a barrier that had been broken, it’s a big thing for our program."

For the first time since 1990, the Roadrunners swept a season series from Fort Lewis, who started the season off as the No. 1 team in the nation.

"Any time you can play the team that is ranked No. 1 in the country at one point and not lose to them, two wins and a tie against Fort Lewis, shows a lot of character from our kids." Crookham said.

Along with the Roadrunners winning a school record 14 games (14-4-2), Crookham brought some national attention to the program, having his team ranked as high as seventh in the nation at one point in the season. The Roadrunners finished second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with a mark of 9-3.

With a season that had nothing but positive impacts on the team, the coach could find some of the low points.

"We are disappointed that we didn’t win the conference tournament," Crookham said. "We are disappointed that we are not playing in the final eight, we feel like our team is good enough to do that.

"We have to learn is that we have to win that one extra game that gives us a home game in the tournament instead of an away game."

At the start of the season, the question was who was going to replace Metro’s all-time leading scorer Jared Zanon.

With the season over with, the new question is will sophomore phenomena Danny Gallardo have enough to catch up to Zanon’s records.

In 1999, Gallardo only saw action in eight games and scored one goal and added one assist for three points. This past season, in 19 games, Gallardo netted 17 goals and added three assists for 37 points.

Gallardo’s 17 goals in a season were the most since Tim Yunger set the mark back in 1990 when he had 18.

His 18 career goals have him tied for fifth all-time, trailing Zanon by 21 goals, which Gallardo could easily get in two more seasons. His 40 career points has him 46 behind Zanon, again he could get in two more seasons.

Crookham said he feels that with the work that Gallardo did last spring really helped him out this season.

"Danny is a very good player, he improved tremendously last spring, which I think was a key to him being successful this fall and if Danny continues to improve this spring he can continue to be a dominate player."
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on deck

Men’s and Women’s Basketball:

Friday, Dec. 1 at 5 and 7 p.m.

Metro Women vs. Northern Colorado--- Behind 24 points from Stephaine Allen, Metro defeated the Bears last year in Greeley 87-81, the first time the Roadrunners had ever won in Greeley.

All-time record: 3-16

No. 6 Metro Men vs. Great Falls-Montana--- The Roadrunners enter this game with a 27-game home winning streak, currently the second longest streak in Division II.

All-time record: First meeting between the two teams

Thursday, Dec. 7 at 5 and 7 p.m. (women are at five, men at seven)

Metro @ Fort Lewis--- This game will officially open the 2000-2001 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule for both teams.

Women’s All-time record: 12-4

Men’s All-time record: 13-3

Saturday, Dec. 9 at 6 and 8 p.m. (women start at six, men at eight)

Metro @ New Mexico Highlands--- The Roadrunners women are 2-2 all-time at New Mexico Highlands, including a 61-55 win two years ago in Highlands. The men on the other hand, won easily over the Cowboys 74-58 on the same trip.

Women’s All-time record: 7-2

Men’s All-time record: 11-4

Friday, Dec. 15 at 5 and 7 p.m. (women are at five, men at seven)

Metro vs Western State--- The last time Western State was at the Auraria Events Center, the Roadrunners won convincing 91-37. The Roadrunners will be looking for some revenge this game, since the Western State men were the last team to beat Metro at the Auraria Events Center, 89-81 two years ago.

Women’s All-time record: 4-3

Men’s All-time record: 11-5

Saturday, Dec. 16 at 5 and 7 p.m. (women are at five, men at seven)

Metro vs Mesa State--- Mesa State women don’t not like playing at the Auraria Events Center, as the Mavericks have lost seven in a row, including the 1998 RMAC championship game while the men defeated Mesa State in the 2000 RMAC championship game 82-66 en route to their first ever national championship.

Women’s All-time record: 10-6

Men’s All-time record: 6-3
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