Volume 23, issue 2, August 25, 2000
metronews
Except for a decline in Caucasion students,
Metro enrollments reflect national trends
Chris Ward
The Metropolitan
The number of minority students attending Metro has been slowly but steadily increasing over the past ten years.
While overall enrollments have fluctuated from year to year, enrollments of Native American, Asian, Hispanic, and African American students have steadily increased every year since 1989.
At the same time, students identified as "white" by the Metro office of Institutional Research are the only group, other than "other" that has declined in the last ten years.
Hispanic students, who make up more than half of Metro’s minority population have greatly increased during the past decade, jumping from 1,428 to 2,146 students between 1990 and 1999.
Luis Torres, chair of the Chicano Studies Department, has taken note of the increase. "We’ve noticed it very much. Not only in the department, but throughout the college," Torres said of the recent Hispanic population growth at Metro, which he feels "reflects a growing trend."
Torres cites the people at and around Metro for this increase. "Numerous people on campus have contributed to the effort," Torres said of Metro’s ability to attract and retain Hispanic students.
Among the factors Torres believes are behind the surge in Hispanic students are administrative support, recruitment of new applicants by current students, and help from campus staff members. "A lot of credit goes to the staff members here at Metro."
Also responsible are parents and members of the community, Torres said. "We’ve seen a lot of support in the families out here in Denver for their children to go on to higher education," he said. "We’re just part of this large effort."
That population dropped from 13,177 students in 1992 to 12,256 in 1995, a loss of over 1,000 students. Following the drop, there was a slight increase in the number of Caucasian students between 1995 and 1997. The rise would be short-lived, however, as the number fell again in 1998, going below 12,000 for the first time in eight years.
This is in contrast to national trends, which show an overall increase in the percentage of high school graduates that have gone on to college since 1990, regardless of race or ethnicity. The study, conducted by the Census Bureau, shows that while there have been steady increases in college enrollment across the board, the percentage of Caucasian students has actually been growing faster over the past decade, jumping from below 60 percent to about 70 percent in the last ten years.
So why the falling enrollment at Metro? Assistant Vice President of College Communications Debbie Thomas believes that there are many factors to consider.
One of the major reasons is the fact that Metro is structured differently than other colleges, and therefore doesn’t retain as many of its students. Part-time students make up about 45 percent of Metro’s population; a fact Thomas believes is part of the reason Metro’s enrollment has dropped off.
"At any school, part-time students have a higher drop out rate than full time," said Thomas, "and Metro has a higher part-time student rate. So it makes sense that we’ll have problems with retention."
Another factor Thomas cites is the economy. "The economy is so hot right now, it’s easy to find good jobs that pay well, and put off finishing a degree."
Whatever the cause, Thomas believes that any drop in enrollment is due to a lack of retention, not a shortage of new students. "If you look at the numbers, I think you’ll see the number of new students continuing to grow."
As for how Metro plans to reverse the trend of not being able to hold on to as many Caucasian students, there are a few studies being conducted to increase retention.
"What we’ve got to focus on are those things that we can control, not the things we can’t," said Thomas. "We’re asking questions like ‘Is there a way we can adjust the class schedules to make it easier for students to attend Metro?’ because that’s been a frustration for some students."
Auraria policeman charged with assault
Edward Bishop Winslow
The Metropolitan
An off-duty Auraria policeman was charged with assaulting a patron in a Tivoli Center bar at the Auraria campus then pulling down his pants and exposing his penis, said Auraria police chief Joe Ortiz.
Tony Lucero, 34, is accused of grabbing David Goos, 19, by the throat, slamming him against a wall and striking him twice in the face on July 14, said Denver police. Charges of indecent exposure and third degree assault have been filed in county court. Both crimes are misdemeanors.
Police reported no injuries.
The incident occurred when Lucero, who was off-duty and not in uniform, entered the Boiler Room, a Tivoli Center establishment and accused Goos and Adam More, 19, of underage drinking and asked them for their identification, said police. The legal minimum age for alcohol consumption in Colorado is 21.
More asked Lucero who he (Lucero) was and Lucero "lost his temper," said Goos.
Lucero replied, "Do you want to know who I am?" He then "pulled down his pants and showed his penis," said Goos. "He was acting really, really hyped up." Lucero left the bar "without telling who he was." Goos said that he got Lucero’s name from the bar manager at the Boiler Room.
Attemps to reach Lucero for comment were not successful.
Lucero has been "terminated (from the Auraria Campus Police) as a result of discipline after an internal affairs investigation," said Lt. Gary Kasson of the Auraria campus police. He had worked for the Auraria Campus Police for about three years. He was initially "hired as an unarmed security guard" and when a position opened as an armed police officer, Lucero was promoted. Kasson also reported that Lucero was "checked out" before the Auraria police hired him and no prior criminal record was found.
Lucero held a position at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department before joining the Auraria Campus Police , said Auraria campus police chief Joe Ortiz.
Metro programs adjusting well to budget changes
Chris Ward
The Metropolitan
The effects of last year’s $1.5 million cut to Metro’s budget are still being felt by several departments. Most of them, however, have adjusted to the decrease in state funding.
"It hit everybody, all different areas were affected," said, Vice President of Administration and Finance Joe Arcese.
Although the budget cut affected multiple departments at Metro, Arcese said that there were no adverse effects. "The cuts were made so the areas could still operate effectively," he said.
The cut was made in January of 1999 after enrollment for the 1998-99 school year dropped 1.4 percent from the previous year. And, while an increase in admissions could reinstate the $1.5 million as early as January of 2001, chances are that enrollment won’t be high enough, Arcese said.
According to Arcese’s records, last year’s enrollment was only slightly higher than the previous year. The final enrollment for the 2000-01 school year isn’t in yet, but, based on enrollment so far, Arcese doubts that there will be a significant increase in the student population.
The loss of funds hasn’t had many negative effects, according to Vice President of Student Services Yolanda Ortega-Ericksen. "On the positive side, no one was affected as far as staff, or productivity, or service," said Ortega-Ericksen.
She also noted that finding a way to run Student Services with a smaller budget was actually beneficial. "We became a lot more efficient."
According to Ortega-Ericksen, no jobs were lost as a result of the budget cut, and no student services had to be eliminated.
Among the areas affected by the cut are the Athletic Department and the Counseling Center. While the Athletic Department was able to depend on fans and boosters to make up the difference in funding, the Counseling Center had to merge with the Student Health Center, another area that Ericksen cites as a slight improvement.
"It’s been really very good," said Ortega- Ericksen, "we’ve been able to do a lot of things more efficiently." According to Ortega-Ericksen, linking the Counseling Center to the Student Health Center has made it more available to students.
As for any additional changes to Metro’s budget, "we won’t know until after the spring semester starts, around January or February," said Arcese. Any increase in state funds wouldn’t necessarily go to the programs that lost funding, he added. Metro president Sheila Kaplan would decide which areas would benefit from an increased budget. "The president will look at the best place for the money to go."
SGA looking to build a better community on campus
Micaela Duarte
The Metropolitan
Getting outside the office, improving student involvement and raising knowledge of services available are the big promises the Student Government Assembly were elected on. The members say the goals are being accomplished, but that it is also a work in progress.
Stefanie Vassilaros, SGA president, said the main goals of this year’s SGA are to build a better community on campus, create more events, and to make sure students know what the assembly is for and what services are available to them.
Another goal of the current SGA is to do more student outreach, which includes members serving a minimum of five office hours of every month outside the student government office in a "high traffic" area on campus. The new requirement of office hours is to be ratified and placed in the policy manual by the assembly at their Aug. 24 meeting in the Senate Chambers of the Tivoli.
"This is the first student government ever to do student outreach in the summer and with a very successful ‘Meet Your Student Government’ day," Vassilaros said.
The Meet Your Student Government Day on July 11, had a turn-out of 1,000 students. "Students just came out of the walls to meet SGA, have fun , to learn about issues, campus organizations and to just allow the campus to come alive," Vassilaros said.
Vassilaros said activities the assembly has plan for this semester so far are the "non-traditional" student week from Nov. 5-11, which will include a "second chance prom," for all students who wish to come, as well as a "bring your kid to school day." She said the assembly will be conducting a survey of students and professors on their feelings of having a day for parents to bring their kids to class. Another event the student government already has in the works is a mural contest to decorate the front two walls of the assembly’s office.
Vassilaros said she would like to make student government strong for years to come. "My goal and SGA’s goal is to build and strengthen SGA so that it is strong for the next ten years," Vassilaros said. An individual goal of Vassilaros is to put together a legislative committee in conjunction with the Auraria Board of Trustees and the Colorado Student Association to "become a power in this election year." Another top goal of Vassilaros is to have the entire campus pass the Bond Fee Referendum the second time around.
"We plan on maintaining a high visibility on campus," said Tracy Rhines, vice president of Administration and Finance. "We want to have our presence that we are here."
Improvement of services for students is the top goal for Alphonso Gonzalos, vice president of Student Services. He said he plans on researching the Financial Aid process and is working on putting together a committee to review the process.
Candace Farmer, Vice President of Academic Affairs said she would be very much involved in conferences and workshops in the intellectual respective for students. "I want to be a resource for students," she said. "I represent students, and I want a sense of community and students to get together and work together and realize the power of students."
Commission approves plans for new law school facility at CU
DENVER (AP) _ The Colorado Commission on Higher Education has approved long-pending plans for a new $38 million law school building at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
The commission voted unanimously on Thursday in favor of the new facility to replace the aging Fleming Law building.
University officials have argued that the law school’s accreditation is at risk by the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools because of limited library space and room for expansion. The new building will serve 600 students, up from its current capacity of 500.
Under the final agreement reached Thursday, the commission set the amount of money to be raised by student tuition at $5.6 million instead of the previous $7.6 million. The $2 million difference will come out of a legislative appropriation.
The state will pay $20 million of the $38 million tab.
University officials have raised close to $6 million for the project, which was first approved by a former group of commissioners in December 1998. Under a policy change, the new commissioners appointed by Gov. Bill Owens reconsidered the project.
The new building is expected to be finished by fall 2004.
Metro students taking advantage of technology
Jennifer Youngman
The Metropolitan
So sitting in a classroom staring into space while professors lecture isn’t your thing? What, paying up to $5 a day for parking isn’t either?
Well, you’re not alone. More and more students are taking advantage of courses offered on-line by Metro.
More than 2,700 students are enrolled in on-line courses this fall. That is a 51 percent increase from fall semester last year. Since on-line courses debuted in 1996, enrollment has increased 1,000 percent.
Cathy Lucas, the director of Communications for Metro, said she thinks the dramatic increase in enrollment in on-line courses is due to the convenience of the classes.
"Many students have to balance family, work schedules and classes," Lucas said. "Many students’ whole life isn’t on campus."
Metro offers 144 classes on-line. They range from general studies requirements to high-tech certificate programs. Business students may now complete their core curriculum on-line, and by the end of the semester, accounting and computer information system majors will be able to take all of their degree requirements on-line.
However, 12 of the 144 classes offered on-line, are considered "hybrid" classes. Lucas said that means that students will have to meet with professors at some point during the semester. Hybrid classes are about 80 percent on-line and 20 percent on campus, Lucas said.
That 20 percent might only be for the final exam. Some professors do require students to come to campus, and bring a student ID for proof of identification, to take the final exam, Lucas said. However, she added that the college is looking into ways to eliminate that need.
metroeditorial
Danielle Haraburda
Ok, Ok, I get it. Neither George W. Bush (Dubya) nor Al Gore plan to do anything inappropriate in the back hall to the oval office. That point has been made abundantly clear. They are fine, upstanding men. George got up early to make breakfast for his little girls, obviously the mark of a moral, upstanding man, and good father. Al is still hot for Tipper, at least that seems to be the message we’re to get every time he slips her the tongue on every stage from the Democrats' convention to his recent riverboat trip.
Enough already, I’m getting grossed out with all the domestic affection these two men have for their wives. And I can’t believe it’s taken up as much time as it has. The sum total of the GOP convention, as far as I could tell, seemed to return to a pretty central theme: Republicans Don’t Like Sassy Young Interns (except, of course, for Newt Gingrich who has stayed conspicuously absent from the spotlight since divorcing wife number two so he could marry…you guessed it, his intern).
The Democrats and Gore walk a tighter rope since they would like to stay in the loop of Clinton’s economic successes while creating distance from his back hall dalliance. Gore opened his convention address, saying he was "his own man." Translation, "I don’t smoke cigars…and this gentleman prefers blondes."
I just keep wondering who they’re trying to convince, and why. My very unscientific poll confirms that almost nobody I know cares. We didn’t care when Clinton was messing around with Monica, or at least not much, and we don’t really seem too concerned with the personal antics of Gore or his hard-partying opponent, Bush. What people seem to care about, or at least myself in any case, is what they want to do with the country.
I care that a man running for president whose real agenda about diversity is to deploy the National Guard to the Texas/Mexico border to "compassionately" turn away immigrants by, in at least a couple of cases, shooting them. I care dearly that our next president might be more closely married to the Christian Coalition than he is to his wife. I care that Bush seems to be a few apples short of a bushel in the brains department.
Additionally, I find myself concerned that Gore gives more lip service than he can deliver in the areas of hate crimes, financial support for public schooling, and campaign finance reform.
Instead of addressing any of these issues, both parties are beating us over the head with their personal fidelity. As far as I’m concerned, a really good president will serve his constituency in a fair and balanced way. If he does that, I don’t give a good damn what he does (understanding, of course, that the antics stay consensual between both, or more, parties).
What I don’t want to see any more of are weird photos of a bare chested Gore cozying up to Tipper, or hear any more sappy love stories from Laura Bush or her children. I figure that these women have stayed at their husband’s sides because they both have some sort of redeeming personal qualities, and, quite frankly, that’s good enough for me.
I, myself, am a Democrat, so my political bias is leaning toward Gore, but that doesn’t mean anything is carved in stone. All it might take for my defection to the Green Party is one more shot of him slobbering all over "the woman [he’s] loved since the night of [his] high school prom." After all, I hear Ralph Nader isn’t married.
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metroactive
ARIES: Your intentions and thoughts are focused on your relationships, whether romantic, business-related or marriage. Any partnership desires you presently have will flourish and remain stable for quite some time. Any new business opportunity will flourish.
TAURUS: A new love, or perhaps an ongoing relationship will finally turn in the direction you want it to. The need to be part of a couple is strong right now. You would be wise to tone down any urges to overdo or overindulge. Be cautious concerning transportation and travel.
GEMINI: You find it very easy to attract or pursue romance this week. But do avoid any showdowns with loved ones, you can’t expect to have everything go exactly the way you would like it to. All money making activities are successful and you should see an increase in your earnings.
CANCER: The assertive and dynamic qualities of your personality will shine this week, along with any romantic notions. It is a volatile time for you with emotions running in every different direction, so proceed with extra caution. Job advancement is almost certain.
LEO: A bit of upbeat financial news will keep you going strong for at least the rest of the year. Behind the scenes influences may be able to ease your way up the success ladder. There seems to be a certain amount of stress and strain in an important relationship.
VIRGO: A fairly conservative type of investment will prove worth it’s while this week. Don’t take too much for granted, even though your social life is an absolute whirlwind. Your approach to work and achievement is effort, attention to detail, patience and good luck.
LIBRA: Now is a time for opportunity and expansion for you. Just remember that good fortune is not going to come knocking at your door, you have to make yourself accessible, and be aware of the potential all around you. Don’t overdo, overindulge or overspend!
SCORPIO: You are due for a good time this week, so enjoy what you deserve. Your love life is moving along nicely now, don’t let your active imagination ruin it for you. A nice financial bonanza is possible. There seems to be an influential person helping you out behind the scenes.
SAGITTARIUS: Finding yourself in a social whirlwind will make you available for any possible romantic interests. Try to avoid immediate intanglement with a romantic prospect. Your health prospects are excellent this week.
CAPRICORN: It’s a lively week for your social agenda and you will have a fair share of the popularity. Challenges may occur in a business relationship, so be prepared to cope diplomatically. Don’t be too quick to act on rumors or too slow to get a move on when needed.
AQUARIUS: You have a lot of positive energy that can be put to good use in building up your physical resources or work-related activities. Be especially careful to avoid accidents whether at home or in the workplace. Be cautious of any romantic involvements with strangers.
PISCES: There seems to be a few minor hazards connected with a much too rambunctious social agenda. It may be time to redo your looks in some way. Avoid clashing with your mate or partner, your temper may cloud a relatively simple issue.
Famous photographers revisited
Erin Laspa
The Metropolitan
1964. A single black bullet slices a king of diamonds in two, leaving only shredded paper at the base of his eyebrow and the rim of his mirrors’ belly. Cobalt surrounds both king and bullet, while a frozen streak of white hangs where the king’s eyes once were.
1945. Surrounded by greening pines and luscious shrubs, a Netherlands road is outlined by hundreds of decomposing bodies. Some still clothed, some not. Some have skeletal legs sticking out from beneath blankets, others are completely exposed. And right next to this site of genocide, a young, Dutch Jewish boy walks, his eyes directed away from the bodies. Only a thin ditch of dirt separates the living from the dead.
July 20, 1969. A floor of brown earth. A shuttling of footprints. An American flag standing tall amidst a chestnut wilderness. The gardener who planted this seed stands in white beside his emblem. The man’s name is Buzz Aldrin.
These are just some of the images captured in Masterworks: Photography from the 1930s through the 1960s on display at the Camera Obscura Gallery at 1309 Bannock St. now until Sept. 24. They and their extraordinary counterparts, all images selected from the Camera Obscura Gallery Collection, will have a lasting imprint on you long after you leave this one-room gallery, hopes Hal Gould, director of the Camera Obscura.
"These are some of the top people in photography," said Gould. And Gould should know the best; he has been working in photography all his life. His own work is currently in an exhibition at the Denver Art Museum entitled Colorado Master Photographers.
"Some of the prints and images in this exhibit are not even in museums," Gould added. "This is a one-time only exhibit."
From 1930 to 1960, just decades after Alfred Stieglitz established photography as an art form, photographers were testing the limits and depths of photography as a medium. But as Gould said, "art is in the artist, not in the medium. Art comes from a person - the camera is just the expressive medium."
So, it was the artists not the cameras that created the Masterworks you will see in Gould’s gallery. And in their creations, these artists employed a variety of styles and subject matter.
"These artists utilized not only the pictorial images of beauty, but they also embraced more contemporary subject matter, including documentary photography, photojournalism, commercial, advertising and industrial photography, and also experimenting with surrealism, abstraction, photo-grams, etceteras," Gould said.
For example, on the West Coast in 1932, Group F64 was founded by eight photographers, including Williard Van Dyke, Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, and Peter Stackpole. Group F64 promoted straight, modernistic photography favoring natural forms and found objects, according to Gould. Works produced by the above listed artists are included in Masterworks.
Willard Van Dyke’s portrait of Ansel Adams is one such shot. It features a drunk Adams trying to sober up with a few swigs of coffee before he takes his drive home. Noticing that cocktail cup by Adams’ right foot gives this portrait new meaning, according to Gould.
Peter Stackpole’s Golden Gate Bridge Construction, 1934-6 is another piece in the exhibit worth praise, according to Gould. Taken before the second and third layers of the bridge were built, Stackpole has a straight shot from the top of one of the bridge’s towers down the main frame. Beyond the base of the half constructed bridge, you can see the vast Marin Headlands of the 1930s. No signs of development yet.
Imogen Cunningham, another member of the Group F64, has three images in Masterpiece. One has actually been signed by Cunningham, a rare thing to find after her death, according to Gould.
Soon following but not related to Group F64, photography was first taught in schools. Henry Holmes Smith, whose work Growing Up 1, 1952 is included in Masterworks, was the first person to present a college-level course about the history of photography at Indiana University in 1947.
"He was the first in the history of photography to develop a four-year degree program for photography," said Gould.
A self-supporting Photo League was also established in the 1930s under the leadership of Sid Grossman and Sol Libsohn. By the late 1940s, the league was attracting photographic talent such as Ansel Adams, Beaumont Newhall, Edward Weston, and Paul Strand, all of whom are included in Masterworks.
Several famous photographs are included in this bunch, namely Edward Weston’s Green Pepper, #30, 1930. Although of a simple green pepper, this photo captures dramatic aspects of nature. In the green pepper, one may recognize similarities to other natural phenomenon, including an embrace between naked bodies, Gould said.
Not to disgrace Ansel Adams, also a member of the League, the only picture of him or by him is not the one of him recovering from a night of drink. Also included in the exhibit is Ansel’s Fern Spring. Dusk. Yosemite, a photograph of waterfalls in which the crashes become translucent clouds and imaginary images seem to float in the whiteness.
The League collapsed in 1951 due to Senator Joseph McCarthy’s witch hunt against what the U.S. Attorney General’s office considered to be "totalitarian, fascist, communist, and subversive organizations," according to Gould.
Later in New York, in 1955, the Family of Man exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art attracted a large audience and then later circulated around the world. The theme from Family of Man, Flute Player by Eugene Harris, is included in Masterworks.
Also included in Masterworks is the documentation of the advent of weekly photo sequences (Life, Look, Coronet, etc.). These photographic images were brought into almost every household in America, elevating many of the photographers to celebrity status, according to Gould.
One such artist was W. Eugene Smith, whose works Mad Hands, Haiti, Schweitzer: Man of Mercy, The Wake: Spanish Village, and A Walk through Paradise Garden are displayed in the exhibit. In one, the viewer sees a decrepit jail, locked with metal and barred with wooden poles, with black stretching tendons reaching out from inside. In another, a Spanish man’s wake is captured by the snap of Smith’s camera. Five women shrouded in black huddle over the dead man, whose hands are crossed, eyes closed, and black jacket buttoned up to just below his neck line.
"Eugene Smith was the greatest photo essayist in the history of photography," said Gould. According to Gould, when Smith revealed the contaminated waterways in Minamata, Japan via his photography, he brought attention to the need to clean up waterways all over the world.
Gould also believes that "one of the world’s best war photos" is in his exhibit, namely Dmitri Baltermants’ Attacking the Enemy, 1941. Baltermants, Joseph Stalin’s personal photographer, captured war from the front line in black and white. Gould said he was responsible for first bringing Baltermants’ work to the United States. On sale at the Camera Obscura for $4,000, another signed copy of Attacking the Enemy was sold in Los Angeles for $25,000, Gould said.
Gould’s exhibit also includes a special tribute to the photographer Todd Webb, who died April 15. Webb was described by art historian Beaumont Newhall as an artist who "records what moves him, what fascinates him; he photographs that which defines the character of the place, with technical brilliance and an innate sense of composition."
To view the above Masterworks and many others, visit Camera Obscura Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The works described in the introduction are entitled as follows: Dr. Harold Edgerton’s Easy Way To Cut Cards, George Rodger’s Dutch Jewish Boy Walks through Camp Belsen and Neil Armstrong’s July 20 , 1969.
Number of women on campus increases
DENVER (AP) — Most students signing up for classes at Colorado colleges are women and some officials are worried about the growing gender imbalance.
Of the state’s 200,000 students set to start school, there will be 16,700 more women than men. Statewide, women will make up 54 percent of the students on college campuses, and on some Colorado campuses women account for 60 percent of the student body.
The numbers in Colorado and nationwide where 56 percent of college students are women have some college officials concerned about a growing gender imbalance that could have serious social ramifications.
Schools nationwide are making their recruitment literature more masculine, changing the color of their envelopes, and in at least one case, starting a varsity sports program to attract men.
"The gender issue is a serious issue," said Linda Bunnell Shade, chancellor at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, where 58 percent of the students are women, outnumbering men by 1,100.
"It’s important to have a diversity of race, ethnicity and gender because that’s what students will be working with in the workplace,"she said.
But aggressive job recruitment fueled by the booming economy is hampering her efforts at gender balance.
"My inclination is to go to employers and ask them to think about the long-term impacts of an under-educated male workforce and to encourage employee college assistance," Bunnell Shade said.
In Colorado, women earn 52 percent of the 20,700 bachelor’s degrees awarded annually; they surpassed men in the mid-1990s.
Nationally, women earn 57 percent of thebachelor’s degrees, compared with 43 percent in 1970 and 24 percent in 1950, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
"If the current trend keeps up, the graduation line will be all females in 2086," said Thomas Mortenson, a higher-education policy analyst living in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
According to sociologists and college officials, reasons for the gender imbalance include: a shortage of male role models for boys; a trend that has more girls taking college prep courses; a booming economy leading young men to strive for fast cash; and a growing number of women choosing to pursue careers outside of the home.
It leads to a host of social consequences, Mortenson said.
As educated women increasingly move into top business and political leadership roles, they’ll have to settle for marrying less educated men if they marry at all, he said.
"There are at least 125,000 college-educated women now who won’t find college-educated men to marry, and in a decade it will be a quarter million women," said Mortenson.
Adams State in Alamosa attributes its 59 percent female enrollment to young mothers returning to school.
At CU-Denver, which is 54 percent women, Midge Cozzens, vice president for academic and student affairs, cautioned against overreacting.
"While you wouldn’t want to send out pink recruitment brochures, I’m not sure you would want to send out baby blue either," she said.
At Colorado State, a seemingly modest imbalance of 52 percent females accounts for 900 more women than men.
Yet there are exceptions to the trend. The Colorado of School of Mines in Golden attracts 76 percent men to its engineering programs. CU-Boulder can’t explain why it bucks the trend with 52 percent men. Western State President
Harry Peterson says his whopping 59 percent male campus in Gunnison is because of out-of-state men who come for the outdoor lifestyle and related studies.
Survey quizzes Coloradoans on heaven, hell, evolution and extraterrestrialsDENVER (AP) — Coloradoans believe in the occult, the extraterrestrial and the paranormal more now than they did eight years ago, according to a new poll.
A Colorado News Poll asked 607 Coloradoans last month about their beliefs.
The survey conducted for the Denver Rocky Mountain News and News4 by Talmey-Drake Research & Strategy Inc.
More than half of those surveyed believe there are advanced forms of life on other planets. One in eight believe there are aliens living among us.
Almost three-fourths believe heaven exists; but less than half believe hell exists and that people who sin suffer eternal damnation. Nearly half the Coloradoans surveyed believe that ghosts haunt certain places.
Forty-eight percent believe mankind evolved from lower forms of life; 43 percent do not. Two-thirds of college-educated Coloradoans believe humans evolved, but just one-third of those without college degrees believe that.
The poll found that younger Coloradoans and the less educated are the most likely to believe in the occult, extraterrestrials and mystical powers.
For example, 10 percent of college-educated Coloradoans believe space aliens live among us, but 14 percent of non-college educated residents do. And while 15 percent of those under 35 suspect their neighbors might be aliens, just 8 percent of those 50 and older do.
The fact that there is no scientific proof of those beliefs doesn't seem to matter, said Robert Baker, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Kentucky.
A skeptic and member of the Scientific Committee for Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, Baker blames newspapers, books, television and movies.
"Every day that goes by, scientists are more sure that highly evolved creatures don't exist" on other planets, Baker said. Yet, the famous extraterrestrials of the movies look similar to humans. "To expect life like ours anywhere near us is chasing a will-o'-the-wisp."
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.
metrosports
Jennifer Youngman
The Metropolitan
Ten women will step onto the Auraria Events Center floor wearing Roadrunners volleyball uniforms this season.
Only four of them have ever known that feeling before.
Debbie Hendricks, the new Metro volleyball coach, said she is optimistic that the team will recover from last year’s dismal 10-21 overall record and 8-11 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference mark. The record is the worst in school history.
"We’ve got a lot of new blood and the returning players are using last year to fuel motivation for success," Hendricks said. "Sometimes a year like that can spark positive emotions."
Hendricks hoped that an overnight trip and ropes course might do the same for her new team. The Roadrunners spent one night away from Denver, doing team building skills, including the ropes course, and establishing who they want to be, she said.
"I think we accomplished that," she said, adding with a laugh that it’s a good thing because the team missed a day and a half of practice for the trip.
Hired in December, Hendricks replaces Jenelle Duvall, who resigned after one season.
"Sometimes I question my sanity," Hendricks said of rebuilding programs, "but I do find it very exciting."
The Roadrunners open the 2000 season on Aug. 25 at the Ramada UNO Classic in Omaha, Neb. There the team will play two nationally ranked teams, No. 5 Nebraska-Omaha and No. 6 North Dakota State.
The following weekend, the Roadrunners host the Colorado Premier Tournament. Their first two scheduled opponents are also ranked.
First Metro will play the University of Northern Colorado and then Minnesota-Duluth, ranked 14th and 19th respectively.
Hendricks was quick to say that, even after the disappointment of last season, the Roadrunners were not about to settle for an easy schedule.
After the brief stint at home for the Colorado Premier Tournament, the Roadrunners hit the road again to open the RMAC portion of their schedule. They begin with a weekend trip to Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State, then travel to Colorado Christian and Chadron State the next week.
"I don’t think we’re going to look at that in fear," Hendricks said of the road trips.
For Hendricks, being mentally prepared is at least as important as being physically prepared for a volleyball match.
"I think that’s half the battle," Hendricks said. "I’ve seen teams with less talent go out and be giant killers."
Hendricks said she thinks the Roadrunners have both the talent and the mental prowess needed to rise the level expected of Metro volleyball teams. The Roadrunners have a balanced offense, with anyone and everyone able to come up with the big play, she said. And that can throw off any opponent’s game plan, Hendricks added.
The other strengths of the new Metro volleyball team are its core of good people and character, Hendricks said. And that should help them work through their biggest weakness: making too many errors in practice.
"That’s something I know we can fix," Hendricks said.
The Roadrunners will have to eliminate the errors if they expect to meet their goals for the season. Thus far, the team has set only short-term goals, Hendricks said.
First and foremost, they want to defend the Auraria Events Center floor.
"We want to go undefeated at home," Hendricks said. "That starts in two weeks (with the Colorado Premier Tournament)."
The Roadrunners also want to control what’s within their power and compete every time they step on the floor, she said.
"I’ve seen teams with less talent go out and be giant killers,"
- Coach Debbie Hendricks
Men’s Soccer
August 25-26 all day
Mile High Classic
August 25 at 4 p.m.
Montana State-Billings
August 26 at 2 p.m.
Northwest Nazarene
Women’s Soccer
August 25 at 3 p.m.
Metro @ Central Oklahoma
August 27 at 3:30 p.m.
Metro @ West Texas A&M
Volleyball
August 25-26 all day
@ Ramada Inn UNO Classic
All Metro home games are free with a valid student ID. Soccer games are played on the Auraria Fields, volleyball games are played in the Auraria Events Center.
Swimmers build toward the future
Adam Dunivan
The Metropolitan
Under Construction.
That’s best way to describe Metro's swimming and diving program. After two mediocre, years the athletic department now looks to Andrew Lehner to bring the program back into the national ranks in Division II.
Lehner becomes the third swimming coach in three years at Metro, replacing Jim Richey, who coached the team the last two years, but resigned earlier this summer.
Lehner, who will also be the athletic business manager, is the first coach since Nasser to have a full-time position at the school. He thinks this will be an advantage for himself and the swimmers.
"I think being full-time is a nice commitment from the college," Lehner said. "Being able to talk to the athletes on a regular basis, for them to be able to come in to my office and rely on me for whatever problems they might encounter is very positive. It also shows them that the university is interested in them as human beings and as student-athletes, and it’s a commitment to them."
Recruiting new swimmers from around the country is Lehner's focus, as he looks toward the future of the program rather than an immediate rescue. With his connections to coaches all around the country, Lehner feels that he has an edge in the recruiting game. He said he knows coaches at all levels of swimming, and has familiarized himself with the feeder programs that many good swimmers come out of.
Lehner is confident in his knowledge of how to coach swimming, which he explains is different than coaching any other sport.
"In swimming, the coach controls the training and controls when he wants them to swim fast," Lehner said. "One thing I think I do well is know how to plan a season… I think I can do a really good job in formulating a strategy, implementing it, and then tapering at the end."
"A lot of coaches will go up and down, with training they go really hard and then rest, and the times come down, and they go really hard again and then rest, and the times go down. I’d rather see a time, like a minute, and have it drop to 56 at the end, one really big drop at the end. That’s more my philosophy."
Lehner has coaching experience at several different levels, most recently the 175-member North Jeffco Swim Team, the third-best in the state for the last two years.
He also has coaching experience at the Division I level, turning around the women's program at Seton Hall University from 1987-94. During the last three years of his tenure, the Seton Hall women went 27-8 in dual meets. As an assistant coach at Florida State from 1981-83, the women's team earned as high as a No. 3 national ranking. Lehner's teams will begin their season on Oct. 14 at 11 a.m. at Air Force Academy.
Swimming
Men’s and women’s swim teams are holding tryouts for the 2000 season. Interested swimmers can contact head coach Andrew Lehner at (303)556-6447.
(303)556-6447.