Volume 23, issue 7, September 29, 2000
Metronews
Students acquire relationship skills
Jennifer Youngman
The Metropolitan
Kelly’s cup isn’t full yet, but that’s OK right now.
Kelly, who didn’t want to give her last name, is a 20-something Metro student trying to avoid bad relationships and find a way to keep a good one going. The cup is a metaphor for every relationship she’s ever had.
While attending a discussion focusing on relationship issues sponsored by the Metro Counseling Center Sept. 21, Kelly realized she was more dependent than she thought.
Donna Beck, who led the discussion with Bobbi Vollmer, compared the interaction between partners to cups.
In a good relationship, each partner fills his or her own cup with accomplishments and high spirits. However, in a bad relationship, one person is constantly trying to fill his or her cup as the other empties it by drinking from it. The latter is a vicious cycle of dependency to which Kelly could relate, she said.
In past relationships, Kelly has been the one to drink from her partner’s cup, she said. But now, with the help of Beck and the rest of the discussion group, she knows better.
"I learned that I need to know myself and love myself before I can be in a relationship and really love someone else," she said.
Knowing that at least one person took something positive away from the small gathering, Vollmer was satisfied with the discussion.
"I think we gave them good information on how to evaluate themselves, as well as relationships," she said.
To evaluate themselves, Beck handed out quizzes to determine whether each person is in an emotionally stable enough situations to have a successful relationship. The 10 question quiz addressed self-esteem, dependency and stability issues.
To evaluate relationships, Vollmer outlined the characteristics of both good and bad relationships.
In good relationships, she said, there is a 5-1 ratio of positive interactions to bad ones. A positive encounter can include anything from a shared joke and laughter to showing of affection, both verbally and physically. But the main thing to keep in mind, she said, was that these kind of interactions need to happen much more frequently than a fight or squabble breaking out.
Yet, Vollmer added, squabbles will happen and couples must realize not every one is resolvable. Studies have shown that only 31 percent of all conflicts can be solved, she said. Therefore, Vollmer suggests couples "regulate" conflicts and agree to disagree sometimes.
While in conflict, partners react to each other, but Vollmer stresses that can not be the only time that happens. She said couples must be responsive. She gave the example that as one partner reads the morning paper, he or she points out an interesting article. In a good relationship, the partner would respond by picking up the article and reading it, or at least asking questions about it. However, in a bad relationship, the partner would be indifferent to the comment.
Sharing newspaper articles in the morning is just the beginning of the mutuality of a good relationship. Partners must also share some of the same dreams, Vollmer said. She added that partners don’t have to share every dream, but must support each other in those individual goals too.
After addressing the aspects of good relationships, Vollmer explained to the group the negative behavior patterns associated with bad relationships.
In bad relationships, couples suppress and avoid conflict. Or, should the couple be forced into addressing a conflict, one partner might become defensive while the other very critical of the partner. Vollmer said sometimes partners attack each other, not the issue at hand. In extreme cases, she added, abuse, either emotional, physical, or both, can come into play.
Unfortunately, in her line of work Vollmer sees more signs of bad relationships than good ones.
"Maybe if I was a wedding coordinator, I’d see better relationships," she said joking.
Still, Vollmer believes some positives can come from a bad relationship. She is hoping to start a group of people who have successfully left bad relationships, she said. She hopes by hearing their success stories, and knowing that leaving is an option, others stuck in bad relationships can find a way out.
Yet she knows that will be a tough message to get across.
"They have this idea that love will conquer all," Vollmer said of people stuck in bad relationships.
Beck compared bad relationships to old cars. She said people become attached to an old car because they’ve put so much money into it over the years for repairs. She admitted she had done just that with her very first car, which she had for more than 13 years.
"I never could really afford a new one," she said to the group. "I spent $100 here, $800 there. I never wanted to get rid of it because of that. It really was a jalopy."
The connection to relationships is the amount of time and work people put into them. After a certain period of time together it’s hard to give up hope and leave a bad relationship, Beck said. One partner may be indifferent, but the other still wants to fix-up the relationship.
Whether you’re in a bad relationship now, or just wondering how to avoid one, someone in the Metro counseling office can help. The Center is starting a relationship group Sept. 28 at 11 a.m. in Tivoli 651 and anyone is welcome.
Kelly is thinking of joining the group.
"I think it’s cathartic," she said. "If you tell your friends all the time, they might hear it too much and just tell you to leave him. The group can just be able to listen."
However, if you aren’t ready to share your situation with a group, the Center offers one-on-one counseling free to Metro students. While students are offered 10 free sessions, the average person only needs six to address their situation properly, Vollmer said.
Both Vollmer and Beck hope that Metro students will take advantage of the free sessions.
"It’s like taking a mini-Calgon," Beck said.
Contact the Metro Counseling Center at (303)556-3132 for information about
individual and group services, or contact Dr. Bobbi Vollmer about the bad relationship
success group at (303) 556-4045.
11 ways to spot a loser lover
• They come on too strong, too soon
• Their behavior is erratic, uneven or mysterious
• The relationship reaches a plateau and stagnates there
• There are inconsistencies in what they say and do
• They confuse you
• Their life has not gelled yet
• They are completely self-centered
• They behave badly with others
• They always blame other people
• They tell you what to expect
• Trust your gut feeling
—Information curtesy of SafeHouse Denver
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CCD student suspect in rape case
Micaela Duarte
The Metropolitan
One of the suspects in the Victoria’s Secret rape case is a registered student at the Community College of Denver.
James Harry Gipson, 26, a registered student at CCD, is one of two main suspects in the case where women were talked into going to a lingerie party, and were instead raped by a masked man. Gipson is a non-degree seeking student at the Community College of Denver, and taking one class the Admission, Registration and Records office of the CCD. This is the first time he has enrolled as a student on the campus. The college had no comment, except for that he is a student, said Pat Jensen, director of institutional advancement at the CCD. Gipson is described as an African-American male, 5’ 8’’ and 160-170 pounds.
The other suspect, Melissa Marie Todd, 22, is said to have been the women who engages the women’s interest into going to a party sponsored by Victoria’s Secret,and/or Gap Jeans, then takes them to an undisclosed place where an African-American man rapes them at gunpoint. Todd is described as a 5’ 2", 130 pounds, blond hair, blue eyes.
All together, there have been more 20 women who have come forward saying they have had contact with the suspects. Three women have said they were raped after agreeing to accompany the woman suspect to a phony Victoria’s Secret lingerie party.
Last year a similar circumstance happened when police reported two people distributing questionable flyers on campus.
Auraria Police Chief Joe Ortiz, said the suspects were contacted by a campus police officer on campus when they were distributing flyers in September of 1999. The two were told they could not pass the flyers out because the property was state-owned, and that they needed to be students to pass out literature on campus or obtain a permit. The Auraria Police Department said they do not know what was on the flyers the suspects were passing out.
Ortiz said no one has come forward claiming they have had contact with the suspects on campus, but said one person called on Sept. 20 and asked for advice because she was contacted by the suspect. The caller did not leave her name, and didn’t file a report with Auraria Police. Another caller who said she was contacted by the suspects on the 16th Street Mall filed a report with the Auraria Police. Campus police then gave the information given to them by the victim and turned over the information to the Denver Police. Of all of the estimated 20 victims who have come forward, all of them were contacted by the suspects on the 16th Street Mall, and not on campus, Denver Police Department spokeswomen Virginia Lopez said.
The suspects were last seen leaving the Metro area around 3:30 p.m. Sept. 25.
"We believe they are on their way out of the state, we have information
that they were in Pueblo, around 10 a.m. on Sept. 26," Lopez said. The
suspects were last seen driving a leased, red 1998 Chevrolet coupe, with the
license plate number PBY 9676, Lopez said.
The Scam:
A female contacts women on the 16th Street Mall representing herself as an
employee of either Victoria’s Secret or Gap Jeans. She then entices the
women to give her their personal information. The female then contacts the women
by phone to make arrangements to attend a lingerie sale or party. The suspect
then picks up the victims at their homes and drives them to a remote location
in Aurora, where they are met by the male suspect in a mask, who rapes the women
at gunpoint.
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Art group rallies in support of gallery
Chris Ward
The Metropolitan
The Art Guild, a group of Metro students dedicated to supporting student art, isn’t happy about the state of Emmanuel Gallery.
The gallery has yet to open for the fall semester because no director has been hired to replace Ken Peterson, whose contract as director expired July 1. The reason Peterson’s contract wasn’t renewed was a lack of funding, according to Dick Feuerborn, division director of Facilities Planning and Use at Auraria.
The Art Guild is gathering signatures for a petition to demonstrate how important an operating art gallery is to the students on campus. They argue that eliminating the director position and therefor, closing the gallery was an inappropriate action by Auraria.
"What it comes down to is that AHEC can’t take any teaching tools away from the schools," guild member Kyle Backlund said. "Many art teachers use the gallery for their classes, and they’re being denied that opportunity,"
"We're trying to show that we do support the gallery," Arlene Bergslien, another member of the Art Guild, said of the petition. "We found out that we have more than student support we have faculty support and community support."
"There’s a lot of love for the gallery, a lot of caring about it," Bergslien added. "We’ve had several people ask what they can do to help get the gallery open and keep it open."
The guild plans to present the petition, which as of Sept. 27 had 1,400 signatures, to executive president for administration Dean Wolf Oct. 9. The guild is intentionally presenting it two days before a meeting between Feuerborn, Wolf, and representatives from Metro, the University of Colorado at Denver, and the Community College of Denver.
The Oct. 11 meeting is being held to determine if there is enough money in Auraria’s budget to hire a new director for Emmanuel Gallery. If the funding is available, Feuerborn said, Auraria and the three schools will begin the search for a gallery director.
"I hope that we can get it open and running," Feuerborn said of the gallery. "It’s a very important and viable part of the campus and I hope we can do something about it."
If there isn’t enough money in the budget, Bergslien thinks the funding could be raised from other sources. Among other ideas, she proposed holding a silent auction of student artwork or the sale of commemorative plaques. Any fund-raiser, she said, would have to raise a lot of money, and be "very indicative of the arts."
Regardless of how the money is raised, the Art Guild believes Emmanuel Gallery is a necessary part of the Auraria campus.
"The more art we can get out there, "Bergslien said, "the better
it is for all the students."
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CU professors seeking salary raises
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The results of a University of Colorado faculty survey
have school officials fearing they won't be able to attract and retain quality
professors.
The Boulder Faculty Assembly’s executive committee Monday presented results from a survey on salary raises.
Out of 117 faculty members who responded, 98 said those who exceed expectations should receive at least an inflationary raise. The respondents represented about 10 percent of the campus faculty.
"That's the core of this university, the success of the faculty," said Regent Jim Martin. "I don’t think we've done enough in this area"
Although administrators say they intend to focus on increased fund-raising to help boost payroll, CU-Boulder’s faculty salaries are about 5 percent or 6 percent lower than those at similar universities.
On average, Regent Bob Sievers said, CU -Boulder faculty received a 4.5 percent raise this year. An across-the-board raise of 4.5 percent was pooled and used for salary increases to correct gender inequity and to reward merit, he said.
Still, some believe the raises aren’t competitive.
"This is how you destroy a university" said Stan Brakhage, a film
studies professor who has been with the school for 19 years. "I’m
seeing people around me in dire straits. I don’t see why we don't stop
building buildings and pay the people who are teaching here."
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METRO BRIEFS
Students, faculty honored
Two Metro students and five faculty members received awards from the Golden
Key National Honor Society.
Thad Beery and Danielle Van Daele, both Metro students, were awarded the Honorable Mention Key Chapter Award at the society’s national convention in August.
Both Beery and Van Daele are incoming co-presidents of Metro’s chapter.
The award is given to those who excel in communication, publicity, meeting management, chapter activities and leadership, and participation in regional and international programs.
Excellence in Teaching awards went to Frank Nation and Joseph Quatrochi. Timothy Gould received the Outstanding Researcher/ Scholar Award and Jon Armon and Bonnie Benda received the Adjunct Faculty Recognition award at the Golden Key National Honor Society annual faculty convocation Sept. 6.
—Dorothy Hicks
Parking charge for Race for the Cure
Auraria Parking and Transportation is charging participants of the Race for the Cure a special event parking fee of $5.
Mark Gallagher, the director of parking, said since the event is early in the morning it should not have any effect on regular parking around campus. The charge for parking will go up to $10 for the Bronco game at 2 p.m.
The Race for the Cure is a 5K walk/run to raise money for breast cancer research.
It is taking place Sunday, Oct. 1 at the Pepsi Center.
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Corrections
An article in the Sept. 15 issue of The Metropolitan misrepresented compensation
for part-time professors. They do not receive benefits.
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Metroeditorial
Olympics give something special
Bryant Dillard
The Metropolitan
This is a wonderful time of year. It’s a time when the leaves start to change colors, and the air starts to cool. But it’s also the time of year when almost all the professional sports are in play. We have baseball wrapping up, hockey season gearing up, football in full swing and basketball not too far behind. However, there is one athletic event that must be named. It is one that only comes every four years. I am talking about the Olympics. This is a time of year that I will always remember for the experiences that the Olympics has given me.
I worked at the ‘96 Summer Olympics, and had the time of my life. Granted, there were times I hated life while I was there, but the bonuses of working there far outweighed and negative. Being around those athletes made it impossible to have a negative outlook on life.
This year’s Olympics are in Sydney, Australia. The time difference has caused a lot of problems with viewership, not to mention the fact that the Olympics are competing against pro football. There are many things that we can detract from these Olympics. They are being played 17 hours ahead of us so we already know the score before we even see the game. The coverage really isn’t all that good, and when you do get to see something, you have to listen to horrible commentary. Additionally, you almost feel as if someone should ask if you’d like a little Olympics with your commercials. But with these things aside, I, for one, still watch the games.
The Olympics have a personal quality that you can never get anywhere else. You learn about the athletes. You feel what they feel because they are real people know and not just some person on the television. They become your friends. And in doing so, they tend to pull you along an emotional roller coaster when they compete.
The personal stories in these Sydney games are no different then those of Atlanta. You can’t help but cry when you hear stories of people like Lance Armstrong, who has battled cancer, but is still one of the best cyclists in the world; or B.J. Bedford, who finally made the team on her fourth try, and then went on to win gold. I don’t know how anyone can say that the Olympics are boring. They provide emotions that we don’t normally see on a daily basis. They also provide memories that will last a lifetime.
That is what the Olympics are all about. For those of you who feel that the Olympics are as important as I, why not follow our team? Why not support them with smiles and merchandise purchases.
And for those of you who really want to be part of the team, why not volunteer with the Olympics? I can personally attest to the fact that working at the Olympics can be a life changing event.
The next Olympics will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah in the winter of 2002.
They are currently seeking 26,000 volunteers, 750 full-time and 1,000 temporary
employees for their games. Come on, besides it being and experience and opportunity
of a lifetime, you get free clothing for the games, free food and housing while
you are there. For anyone interested in applying for any position at the 2002
games the website is www.slc2002.org.
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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
Saxophonist, composer Fred Hess is keeping the faith
Story and photos by Sean Weaver
The energy in his music could be compared to a rush-hour Soho subway station.
Complex layers of language and sound resonate around a steady rhythm of passing
trains, interrupted —only briefly— by moments of unsettling silence.
"I have different areas I look to for inspiration," said composer
and Metro professor Fred Hess. The places Hess finds inspiration range from
tropical island paradises to sub-atomic particles.
"Nobel prize winning physicist Richard Feynman discovered the paths which sub-atomic energies take during a collision," Hess said of his composition, "Feynman Series No. 2, from his last CD, Faith. "This is our musical representation of a bubble chamber event."
The CD, which was released earlier this year by the Boulder Creative Music Ensemble, which Hess was a founder in 1982, explores Hess’ style of jazz, which combine the history and future of the music, forming an experience unique to the present.
"I take things from places I like," Hess said. "Some of it might be based on things from 30 years ago. I enjoy working with the elements in the music. I have a dedication to the past in the sense that I love the music. I’m not just copying a lick or stealing something in a bold way. I’m trying to create a new composition."
Hess’ unique style of composition has earned him several awards from the jazz world, ranging from the Hennessy Cognac award for best musician, jazz band and best CD to the grand prize in 1986 in the Elevox Open Jazz Competition.
"I keep saying, ‘I’m going to retire after this one,’" Hess said. "And then I say ‘I got this far, I can’t stop now.’"
Hess is, however, is far from putting his tenor saxophone in the attic.
"I was practicing six hours a day," said the 56-year-old musician. "By the end of the summer, I was at the doctors thinking I was dying. I realized I was practicing too much. I’ve been practicing for three to four hours a night for the last 40 years. For the last couple years I’ve had a new intensity to bring new things into my playing. We still have that real fire. You have to keep playing you have to keep practicing. That’s my whole energy."
Hess has also formed a new quartet, featuring younger musicians in their twenties.
"They’ve been real inspiring because they’re where I want to be," Hess said of the musicians in his new quartet. "They’re there naturally.
"I wanted to do this after a period of retooling. I felt like I have to have songs to play that reflect the language I was trying to speak."
The quartet, featuring Nate Wooley on the trumpet, Tim Sullivan on the drums and Greg Garrison on the bass, will play an 8 p.m. concert Sept. 29 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church at 16th and Ogden.
"I’ve played at most of the places you can play," Hess said, adding he prefers concert type settings.
"We’re not necessarily trying to entertain people, we’re trying to create music," he said. "I haven’t done much club work, but I don’t miss that because my focus has not been in that direction. They want to have you fit into the ambiance."
There are plenty of reasons for Hess to take his music seriously. In addition to his most recent CD, he has released six other recordings in the last two decades under his own name, and has backed up fellow Metro professor and trumpet player Ron Miles and one-time Denver jazzman Ginger Baker on their recordings.
"We’re not people who stopped twenty years ago being who we wanted to be," said Hess, who holds a doctorate in music composition from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Hess, however does not limit his musical tastes to jazz.
"I have a degree in classical composition," he said. "But I’m also interested in the avantgarde. Some people see that as two different sides. People who live in two different parts of the country have different dialects, but it’s all speech. I’ve never had a lot of difficulty in appreciating different styles of music. If I hear a wonderful bluegrass band, I like that."
But Hess notes, being a jazz musician is becoming more difficult with pop music dominating popular taste.
"You have got to have some passion," he said. If you don’t have that, it’s a long slow road. Now you have to be super duper. You have to conquer all the mountains to get noticed.
"Even the great players are nobodies in the big picture. It’s not
the field to go into if you want the big bank account, but there are fans who
appreciate the complexity. I look back for inspiration, as well as forward.
Someone in their twenties should look forward. They are the ones who will be
taking it to the next level. You’re imagination can take us to the next
level."
"I have a dedication to the past in the sense that I love the music"
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horoscope by miss anna
ARIES: Your mood might be cranky, resulting from tensions either at home
or at work. Speak softly and avoid any disagreements with others. You are in
a practical frame of mind and sharp in matters of money. It's a happy time for
romance and love.
TAURUS: Spend extra time with family - fun and adventure will be highlighted. It may be the perfect opportunity for a heart-to-heart talk with your children. Roadblocks are likely in realizing a financial goal, you're closer than you think. Your passion deepens.
GEMINI: You and your mate get along throughout the entire week. All those chores that really need to get done will be accomplished like clockwork. Your career is highlighted, so don't be surprised if you receive a raise or promotion. Keep your patience around children.
CANCER: Start the week in a practical frame of mind. Take time alone and treat yourself to something that will make you feel extra special. Some co-workers are be critical and sarcastic, but otherwise work runs smoothly. Your career is about to take a big step forward. Managers are impressed with your effort.
LEO: Listen to a friend's advice on money matters - an objective point of view is what you need. Your sweetheart may be feeling neglected, and accuse you of unrealistic expectations - so make the time for romance and more intimacy. It's time for a few practical steps to improve your image.
VIRGO: There will probably be a strong urge to immerse yourself in creative pursuits. Keep an open mind and you may be pleasantly surprised at the results. Both business and household projects enjoy favorable influences; and you may get a bonus for recently positive efforts.
LIBRA: Nerves, the stronger you are. You inspire family members likewise. There are some self doubts lingering which only you can work through. Self-improvement efforts will succeed. Remember - if you can't say any thing nice, don't say anything at all.
SCORPIO: Spend time with close friends and you'll find that your friendships and loves are very fulfilling. There is someone trying to undermine your position with flattery and bribery. Keep your cool. There will be great news about money, and possibly a new, lucrative job offer.
SAGITTARIUS: It will be an effortless and pleasurable week for you. Keep in mind you do have the power to make all sorts of changes for the better. Everyone seems overly emotional as of late, so be on guard for lies and accusations. Harmony will be restored at home by week's end.
CAPRICORN: Wherever you are, you will be surrounded by friendship and luck. Unexpected money is coming your way. Both family and work responsibilities are heavy, take one situation at a time. Be aware that guidance comes through your dreams. Positive vibes continue at home.
AQUARIUS: You need to travel in order to check out an opportunity to increase your income. Don't neglect a mate who's starving for attention. Both your professional image and reputation is boosted to new levels. Your charm and magnetism take you through any sticky situations right now.
PISCES: It's a week of heavy mental stimulation and challenges. Both innovative and unconventional approaches work. Your assertiveness takes you far at work and your family's happy and enjoys being together. Plan your entertainment and include others from the sideline.
IF THIS WEEK IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: Your closest relationships are stable
for now, but your inner voice may be prompting you to take time alone for self-renewal.
Professional advancement is at hand, so keep yourself on the straight and narrow.
Your creative urges may turn into profit.
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An Epic tale comes to life
Troy Markgraf
The Metropolitan
After nearly 50 years of imaginative conception, drafts, and revisions, the
making of Tantalus is finally coming to fruition at the Denver Center for the
Performing Arts. Following six months of 11 hour rehearsal days, 15 tons of
stage sand, and 60 hand crafted stage-masks the play will make its debut.
Tantalus, written by playwright John Barton and directed by Sir Peter Hall, has taken the shape of a 10-and-a-half hour play about the events up to and following the Trojan Wars. The lengthy play is actually an adaptation. The original would have been almost 12 hours.
The entire play can be broken into a trilogy, with shows that are viewable in one-,two-, and three-day cycles.
Staging the play required the help of many internationally recognized theatre artists. Dionysis Fotopolous, from Greece, handled the production of masks and costumes. Fotopolous has designed for more than 40 films and 350 theatrical productions.
The play also received help from Sumio Yoshii of Japan who is the premier lighting designer in his country. For Yoshii to create his lighting, he utilized a full time interpreter who translated the entire play.
The world Premier of Tantalus begins on October 21 after which it will tour England and then open at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s home. The event will draw press from as far away as Britain and from notable papers like the New York Times. Though the show appears to be heading in the direction of greatness, it has not always been the case that Tantalus would become a reality.
The show might have begun when Sir Peter Hall and John Barton originally met as students at Cambridge University. From there, Hall moved on to gain fame as a director, mainly for his production of Waiting for Godot.
Hall and Barton came together once again when they formed the Royal Shakespeare Company. A little over a decade later, Hall moved on to the Royal National Theatre while Barton remained with the company. There, Barton received praise for his production and writing of The Greeks, which has been described as, "basically a paste-up of Sophocles, Homer, Euripides, Aeschylus, and Barton."
The original brainstorming of Tantalus came in the early 80s after John Barton’s successful run of The Greeks.
"The story is wonderful, so it worked, but it would be better through one man’s eyes and I’d been saying this to John for years. His great talent is to take existing stories and give them a spin, or more gloss, so he’s the perfect man for the job," Hall said.
After a successful collaborative effort by Hall and Barton on The War of the Roses, Barton was commissioned to write Tantalus. That was nearly twenty years ago. Now, with the exception of a few rehearsals, the play is complete.
"I never thought he’d do it. I thought he’d do some of it, but never finish it, because it’s a huge and extraordinary task," Barton added.
Whether or not the play would be written was not the only issue that needed to be resolved. There was also the problem of funding. This problem of financing can be compared to the myth of Sysiphus who had to push a ball of rock up a staircase only to start again when the end was reached.
The case of Sysiphus was certainly comparable for Barton and Hall who found themselves without backing once again when the 2000 UK opening was cancelled.
The problem of funding was finally solved when, Donald Seawell, the founder of the DCPA offered to fund the entire project: An act which some see as the benevolence of the Gods.
"I went to Denver and was amazed at the facilities and the theatres-it’s absolutely fantastic. Don’s offer was a terrific act of patronage without which we might still be struggling to find a home for this epic," added Hall.
And over his head leafy trees
Dangled their fruit from high aloft,
Pomegranates and pears,
And apples glowing red,
Succulent figs and olives swelling
Sleek and dark, but as soon as the old
Man would strain to clutch them fast
A gust would toss them up to
The lowering dark clouds.
–Homer, The Odyssey
So goes the plight of King Tantalus, who was condemned for betraying the gods’ secrets to mankind. For his crime, Tantalus is forced to live in a pool of water under a large dangling rock, which is ready to fall at any moment.
He is just out of reach of the unobtainable fruit lying just above the water.
To Barton, the myth of King Tantalus is a metaphor representative of modern mankind, as is the story line of Tantalus.
Telling the stories of the Trojan War was important to Barton for other reasons as well, including the fact that they are not well known, even in Greece.
"Above all, I believe the whole straggling and fragmentary epic does comprise an organic coherent whole, and that to experience the whole would qualify and enrich an audience’s feelings and some of its assumptions about its more famous parts," stated Barton.
As source material for Tantalus, Barton used surviving mythical material to weave his onstage story. The body of myths were actually in the form of fragments. To fill in gaps, Barton relied on other ancient references.
"To counter-balance my own innovations I have set myself the rule of keeping rigorously to the plot of the cycle and all the main events or ‘facts’ within it," Barton added.
On yet another level, or rather, many other levels, Tantalus is a myth that has an infinite set of metaphorical themes. The fact that the myth is absorbed in so many dimensions is what gives the myth its value.
"It is the eternal relevance of the myth that most interests me: it is contemporary because it is timeless and transcends centuries. Tantalus is full of immediately recognizable themes embedded in its sources," Barton said.
Director Hall reverberated the formidable task of Tantalus.
"Irony of what John has done is to try and make finite the issues of the
wars between the Greeks and the Trojans. In doing so, he has exposed the simple
objective which is to say that it is infinite and that there is no such thing
as a finite stop to any issue in life," said Hall.
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Metrosports
Soccer player strives for superstar status
Eric Eames
The Metropolitan
"He’s excitable. He’s fun to be around. He’s goofy,"
said Metro men’s soccer coach Brian Crookham.
He is sophomore Danny Gallardo, starting forward for the Roadrunners’ men’s soccer team..
"He’s the kind of player you want on your team," Crookham said. "Certainly the kind of player you want in front of the goal for you."
And certainly, the kind of player the rivals love to hate. Endowed with a scorer’s mentality, Gallardo scored eight goals in eight games to place him on top of the leader board in goals scored for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Six of those goals have come in Metro’s past four games, including a four-goal performance in Metro’s 4-1 win against Colorado Christian University, Sept. 15, which tied a team single-game goal record.
His achievements speak volumes for themselves, but Gallardo, literally, does his talking on the playing field.
"I definitely run my mouth out there," Gallardo admitted.
You see, Gallardo not only scores goals that break rivals’ backs, but he riles the other teams, who wouldn’t mind if his tongue was put in a cast.
"Oh, he’s a big talker," Crookham said and is always telling Gallardo. "But that’s good in a way because he gets everybody going."
Talk, though, is just a figure of speech, right?
"I like to let people know that I’m here and you need to watch out for me, because if you don’t there could be a lot of problems," Gallardo said.
Problems like a ball directed off his foot getting entangled in the back of the net or the bare witness of Gallardo and his teammates roistering off to the side, which was a scarce sight last year.
"Last year it wasn’t really like that," Gallardo said. "We would score and it would be like nothing. This year we score and it’s like somebody scored the greatest goal of their life."
Maybe because each goal and game count for the 8-0, 6th ranked Roadrunners.
"It’s going to be a pressure situation now," Crookham said. "It’s all on the line everyday."
Last year Gallardo’s playing time was on the line and diminished behind All-American Jared Zanon, who left last year as Metro’s all-time leading goal scorer with 39. But Gallardo’s bravado never wavered. He worked hard in the off-season, gained the confidence that he could play against anyone and quickly learned that good things do come to those who wait.
"He got his shot to step into the limelight," Crookham said. "He just had to bide his time for the first year and he’s showing us what he’s got now."
Gallardo is not trying to live up to Zanon’s excellence. Instead, he is trying to replace it, while carving his own.
"I’m just trying to score and be the man out there–be the superstar," Gallardo said. "I’m not trying to live up to Jared. I’m not trying to be behind him. If anything, I’m trying to beat all his records."
He’s well on his way. Before the season, Gallardo thought 12 goals would be a good standard to reach. But to satisfy his thirst for goals now, he might need to reconsider that number. Gallardo is on pace to score 18 goals this season, a number that never crossed his mind. A number that would more than likely make him an All-American, a number that deserves first-team recognition, a number that could prove to be good enough for something even bigger.
"Maybe even Player-of-the-Year," Gallardo said.
Gallardo, along with his coaches, admits he can’t do it all by himself.
"Danny is one piece of the machine and if one piece is gone the machine falls apart," assistant coach Joshua Pittman said.
In an offense, which marches to the steady, pounding beat of Gallardo and freshman Victor Adetoye, everyone is thriving. Soon the run and shoot style of offense Metro plays will be renamed to the run and score offense. Gallardo doesn’t do much of the running and he doesn’t have the "turbo jets" of Adetoye–not many do–but he does love the ball at his feet, when the game is on the line.
"I like being the hero," he said. "I want my team to be comfortable in that if we are down they can depend on me to bring us up and I expect the same from them."
Gallardo has hopes of playing on a Major League Soccer team, but mainly he wants to play soccer as long as the heart, body, and tongue is willing.
"I want everybody to know that I’m a person that is out going,"
Gallardo added. "It’s part of my game–I like to talk. I love
to let everybody know that I can be a leader and I can carry this team with
me. But we have such depth on our team that anybody can step in and play and
just watching everybody is exciting."
"I like being the hero."
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Men’s soccer team to face formidable Fort Lewis
Nick Garner
The Metropolitan
Whenever Metro and Fort Lewis men’s soccer gets together, the games are
always close and most of the time the Skyhawks win the games.
In the past five years, Fort Lewis has a commanding lead in the series, going 7-2-1 including a sweep of the season series last year.
Things have been known to change.
When the teams meet Sept. 29 in Durango, the advantage could be on Metro’s side.
The Roadrunners are ranked No. 1 in the Midwest Region and No. 6 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. Fort Lewis, on the other hand, is No. 4 in the region and No. 25 in the nation.
On paper, the game looks to belong to Metro. They outscore, out shoot, and out defend the national runners-up from last year.
Roadrunner coach Brian Crookham said that looks are not always what they appear.
"I think that it’s very tough to go into a place like Fort Lewis, place where they don’t lose," Crookham said. "Play a team that is ranked in the Top 25, coming off a bad result (1-0 loss to Regis), and feel like we are a favorite there could be stretching it a bit."
Sophomore goalkeeper Eric Butler agrees with his coach’s comment.
"They are good, just like every other year," Butler said. "They are prepared to face the best team that they have faced this season. I don’t think that they will take us too lightly, nothing on paper matters right now."
Crookham said he feels there are three things his team needs to do in order to beat Fort Lewis.
"Be solid defensively, which we have been all season," Crookham said. "Two and three both deal with composure issues. We have to be composed when we deal with the opportunities we get in front of the goal and finish those opportunities.
"And we have to be composed in a hostile environment, not let things affect us outside of soccer. They will have a big and vocal crowd. They are a big, strong team and we have to focus on soccer and soccer only."
For Crookham and the Roadrunners, this game could be a measuring stick to show them where they are at and where they still have to go.
"I think that our players have done a really good job of looking at the next game we play and that is what we have been preaching about," Crookham said. "I don’t think that we have been looking ahead, pretty focused on who we have to play next maybe a difference between this team and teams of the past."
For Fort Lewis and coach Jeremy Gunn, this game is important after suffering a 1-0 loss to Regis last weekend.
"Every game is important," Gunn said. "The loss to Reigs was devastating, but we have seven of our last 10 games at home while a team like Metro has seven of their last 10 games on the road."
A breakdown of upcoming Metro/Fort Lewis game by offense, defense and goal keeping:
OFFENSE:
Fort Lewis: On offense, Fort Lewis (5-2-2, 3-1-1 RMAC) will be missing on of its leader, senior Brain Fredrick, who went out of the Regis game and will miss the Metro game and maybe the season. Frederick had led the Skyhawks with eight points and was tied for the team lead with three goals.
Crookham said even with him out of the lineup, the Roadrunner game plan should not change.
"We have set goals; go and play well, play the same style that we have been, tight defensively and create opportunities offensively," Crookham said. "It doesn’t matter what 11 players they put on the field. Everyone on that roster can play. Them losing Brian is not good for them, but it won’t change what we have to accomplish."
As a team, they are scoring an average of almost two goals a game, and have out shot opponents 162-121.
Metro: The Roadrunners (8-0-0, 4-0-0) have the most explosive offense in the conference that comes from sophomore forward Danny Gallardo and freshman Victor Adetoye. Gallardo leads the team with eight goals and 18 points while Adetoye is right behind him with six goals and 13 points.
As a team, Metro has out shot opponents 187-55. Scoring, the Roadrunner has recorded 21 goals and 20 assists. The team last year in 19 games scored 32 goals and 26 assists.
Gunn said that he didn’t want to give anything away before the game.
"I don’t think that this is something that I should be discussing with the media," Gunn joked. "We have a very tight defense and we have only allowed one goal in the past two games, we have some ideas on how to stop them."
DEFENSE AND GOAL KEEPING:
Fort Lewis: The Skyhawks are showing some weakness in the defense and the keeping, allowing nine goals through nine games. Last year, Fort Lewis, through nine games, had allowed three goals and all of the goals came in one game (3-1 loss to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs). Senior keeper Steve Berguland has not been the keeper that he was last year. In 766 minutes, he has allowed eight goals and a .940 goals against average. In 24 games last season, he allowed 15 goals and recorded a .592 GAA.
Metro: Butler and the rest of the Roadrunner defense so fat this season has
showed that getting the ball in the net will be something that will not be easy.
Butler has already surpassed his career high in shutouts when he recorded his
fifth against Regis. He has six on the season. Butler has allowed one goal and
has a .13 GAA. The defense has allowed 55 shots on the season, with 22 of them
being on goal.
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Metro continues streak with win against Timberwolves
Eric Eames
The Metropolitan
Some games are won, not with talent or by the other teams’ mistakes, but
with perseverance.
On an arid day that would test the true grit of both teams, Metro proved it wanted a win more than its counterparts. The team scored two goals in the second half for a comeback triumph over Southern Colorado, 2-1, Sept. 10 at the Auraria Fields.
Sara Norkoli scored the game winner in the 85th minute, as Metro won its third straight game and accreted their record to 3-2 overall, 2-0 in the Rocky Mountain Conference. The Thunderwolves fell to 4-2 and are now 0-2 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Both teams were breathless throughout the game, and when Southern Colorado’s first shot–from about 40 yards out–nearly went in, Metro coach Ed Montojo was left holding his own breath.
Two minutes into the game, Southern Colorado forward Melissa Martinez caught Metro goalkeeper Bridget Gallagher lurking too far from goal and lobbed the ball over her head. With Montojo on the sideline cringing, the ball bounced off the ground just high enough to clear the top post. Montojo turned and shook his head and cheeks, trying to erase what he had just saw–a narrow escape.
The Thunderwolves didn’t let the next opportunity hop on over, though. Defender Jamie Swenson scored for Southern Colorado in the 11th minute by lacing a loose ball from in front of goal, into an open net amongst the scrambling Metro defenders, who failed to clear a corner kick.
Southern Colorado clamped down on defense for the rest of the first half, but in the second half, Metro picked up the intensity as the Thunderwolves withered in the heat.
"In the second half we pride ourselves in that we think we are more fit than the other team," Montojo said. "So in the second half–if it’s close–we feel confident that we are going to win."
Metro adjusted to the Thunderwolves’ defense to get better looks at goal. Julie Zanon nearly put the Roadrunners on the board 30 seconds into the second half, with her shot from inside the penalty box going just wide. Seven minutes later, Zanon fed Janice Armstrong, who strafed a shot across the goal box, leaving goalkeeper Sara Carter grabbing nothing but air. The goal tied the game at one apiece.
"We thought if we took advantage of (their defense) the goals would come and we would be able to dominate and take it over, and the girls did that," Montojo said.
The game, though, came down to determination. Neither team had good scoring chances as time wound down, but defender Jole Wilson tried to put Metro ahead with her own 40-yard shot that brushed off Carter’s hand and grazed off the top bar. This time Montojo grimaced–a near goal.
About five minutes later, Wilson dribbled the ball from the backfield to the left wing, five yards outside the penalty box, and spotted Norkoli in front of the goal. Norkoli took Wilson’s cross, spun away from one defender and rifled the ball underneath the right crossbar for the winner.
"It (was) just a great team effort and we’re coming together slowly," Montojo said.
Forty-five hours earlier, Metro had beaten New Mexico Highlands 3-0 (Sept. 8) with goals by Zanon, Wilson, and Armstrong. The Roadrunners have regrouped in the last three games, all at home, outshooting opponents 38-22, and outscoring them 7-1. Now, Metro the itinerants, will hit the road for two games in Texas. Metro has yet to score on the road, but Montojo said things are different now.
"We just feel we can go down (to Texas) and win now–we’re set," he
said. "We just got to convince ourselves that we can win on the road also Take
the same intensity on the road and not settle for anything less…We know
it can be done."
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