Volume 23, issue 22, March 2, 2001

Metronews

Light rail train to circle Auraria
Micaela Duarte
The Metropolitan

A new light rail track will brush by campus giving easier access to sporting and entertaining venues as well as downtown.

The new 1.8-mile track will connect with the current light rail track on West Colfax Ave. at the south side of campus. The $46 million line will head under the viaduct, then circle northeast around the campus towards Six Flags Elitch Gardens and the Pepsi Center, ending at Wewatta Street.

"It will service all the sports and entertainment venues, and more importantly, we will send every train to the Central Platte Valley to provide service more frequently during rush hour and let us provide more service to downtown," said Scott Reed, spokesman for the Regional Transportation District. With the addition of the new track, the 16th Street Mall shuttle will begin running an extended route of three blocks; from Market Street Station to Wewatta Street to connect passengers from the shuttle to the new light rail track, bringing students and staff to the edge of campus.

The construction of the new line has already begun with the destruction of a building on the west side of campus said Dean Wolf, executive vice president for Auraria Campus. Reed said the construction is anticipated to be completed and operational by March 2002.

"Work on the line will begin as soon as we get reasonable spring weather, in about the next 30 days," Wolf said. Reed said the bulk of the construction, the placement of the tracks on the Auraria Parkway and the installation of the overhead wires would happen during the summer and fall of 2001.

The Auraria Higher Education Center sold half of the land under the Printing and Distribution Center to RTD to use for the new light rail track, at a cost of $137,000, based on a fair market appraisal Wolf said. The building will lose about 7,400 square feet, Wolf said, and the operation within the building will continue during the construction of the new line.

"They have temporary walls so there will be no interruptions during the construction," Wolf said.

The light rail track will be placed and will run about 5 to 8 feet away from the building Wolf said.

The center, which houses the Auraria Book Center’s, inventory has been kept in an area of Sigi’s Pool Hall during the construction, said Barb Weiske, director of Student Auxiliaries. She said the majority of the book center’s stock would be relocated back to the Printing and Distribution Center. She also said it would be up to the students whether the closed off area in the pool hall is kept as a storage area or opened up for game uses by Sigi’s.

The new light rail will be free of charge to all students with a current identification card.

The construction will create a period of inconvenience during the summer, which is good timing since the enrollment is usually dramatically lower Wolf said. He said parking Lot J would be closed while parking Lot K would be restricted space due to the construction over the summer.

"We will have the lots back but at a net loss of 20 spaces, but we are picking up some space on Fifth Street," Wolf said. "But the mass transportation will make it more convenient for Auraria." Wolf also said during the construction of the new line separate construction would be done on Fifth Street improving the curb, gutters and paving. The new line will stop at four stations; the Auraria Campus, Invesco Field at Mile High, the Pepsi Center/Six Flags Elitch Gardens and the terminus at the Denver Union Terminal in LoDo. The light rail will run on a 15 minute schedule and will provide more frequent service during sporting events.

The idea of this light rail track has been in process for about two years with the Auraria Board approving the idea about a year and a half ago, Wolf said.

The advantage to the campus is it that students will make use of the express routes from the North and West and make it closer for them because it will be accessible to campus, Wolf said. "That was part of our motivation for this."

Reed said this would most likely be the last addition to the Light Rail system by Auraria Campus.

"This will pretty much cover what is needed at Auraria, we will have given to access points to the campus," Reed said.

‘It will service all the sports and entertainment venues."

Scott Reed
Spokesman for the Regional Transport District
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‘Student’ accused of scam sentenced
Edward B. Winslow
The Metropolitan

The woman whose contradictory statements to police about her status as a Metro student, and who was charged with theft in July for her scheme to rip off restaurants for gift certificates and merchandise, was sentenced Feb. 23.

Elizabeth Pierce, 23, was accused of receiving 15 gift certificates worth $946.50 and a set of steak knives. She pleaded guilty to attempted theft in January.

Judge H. Jeffrey Bayless sentenced Pierce to six years in state prison, but then suspended the sentence provided that Pierce completes six years of probation. The judge’s ruling also stipulates that Pierce serve 90 days in county jail, followed by 180 days of electronic home monitoring. She is also required to inform her employer of her felony status.

Sentencing recommendations called for 90 days in jail, but Bayless said the case was aggravated by two previous felony convictions in Arapahoe county that were on deferred adjudication. Deferred adjudication allows a person convicted of a crime to avoid a prison term as long as he or she is not convicted of another crime during a specified period of time.

"I did not try to steal," Pierce testified during the sentencing hearing.

Her attorney, Brian Bakkum, said Pierce was writing a research paper for a class she was taking at Metro.

But Denver Prosecutor Phil Parrott said her story changed during police questioning. First she said she was attending classes. Then she told police that she was thinking of attending classes. Then she said she was taking a correspondence course, Parrott said.

"What really happened was she got busted," Parrot said.

It was only after her plan was uncovered that she decided to pay back the gift certificates that she redeemed, Parrot said. "Ms. Pierce is a crook," he said.

Pierce wrote letters to 60 Denver—area restaurants complaining of bad service, said Christine Agosta, an investigator for the Denver district attorney’s office. Pierce was given gift certificates to Allie’s American Grille, Basil’s Ristorante, The Brown Palace, The Fresh Fish Company, Jax Fish House, Marlowe’s and Morton’s of Chicago. Morton’s also gave Pierce a set of steak knives, Agosta said.

Agosta said after Pierce heard a radio broadcast by reporter Penny Parker, who said Morton’s was going to prosecute the matter legally if Pierce did not return the merchandise, she became very scared and went home and immediately began calling the restaurant managers to apologize.
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Kaplan no longer a finalist
Sean Weaver
The Metropolitan

Metro president Sheila Kaplan has not been chosen as a finalist in the University of Toledo presidential search.

"The search committee was impressed with Metro’s success," Kaplan said. "The committee members’ interest was a personal complement to me and to our college. I wish them the best in their search for a leader who will be a good match for their institution."

The university will interview the two finalists for the position, Richard Davenport from Central Michigan University and Daniel Johnson from the University of Alaska Anchorage, during the first week of March.

"The committee is confident that both have the qualifications expressed in the leadership statement which was developed last fall with extensive input from faculty, staff, students alumni and friends of the university," wrote Joan Uhl Browne, chairwoman for the university’s presidential search committee. Browne was unavailable for comment.

The University named Kaplan as one of 11 finalists for the position Jan. 18.

Metro spokeswoman Debbie Thomas said she is not surprised the university choose Kaplan as one of its 11 finalists.

"The school has been on a roll lately, and getting national recognition," Thomas said. "I wouldn’t be surprised if she had been approached by other institutions."
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metro briefs

Author to speak at conference

Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth, Fire with Fire and Promiscuity, will speak March 9 as part of the 5th Annual Women’s Leadership Conference.

The conference will be from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Tivoli Turnhalle.

There will be a $5 registration fee for students and a $10 fee for non-students.

March is women’s history month

Tarot, palm and psychic readers, Reiki, henna tattooing and workshops are among the many services offered this year at the second annual Women’s Spirituality Festival being held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 13 in Tivoli 640.

The Institute for Women’s Studies and Service and Iota Iota Iota are sponsoring the even to celebrate the diversity of the many forms of women’s spirituality.

For more information, please contact 303-556-8441.

Tell her you love her

The Institute for Women’s Studies and Services is offering "Tell-her-grams" for $1 during the month of March to express your appreciation for the women in your life.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the "Tell-her-grams" will be delivered on campus between March 8 and 29. They can also be mailed.

To order, go to 1033 Ninth St. Park.

All money will benefit the Pamela Marcum memorial Scholarship Fund for survivors of violence.

Job Fair on campus

Delta Phi Omega is hosting a job fair from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., March 6 in the Tivoli Turnhalle

The job fair is open to all majors. Students are encouraged to bring their resumes.

More than 30 agencies from the criminal justice field are expected to attend.
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College redesigns its cyberspace look
Sean Weaver
The Metropolitan

Metro’s web site will have a new look to it after spring break.

Metro’s College Communications and Information Technology will unveil the site March 19.

"There’s nothing particularly wrong with the present site," said Chris Mancuso, manager of web communications for Metro. "It’s just time to take it to the next level. It’s been two years since we’ve looked at this site from a communications perspective. We just want to put our best foot forward."

The new web site features more access to information on the front page as well as an updated and more efficient campus directory. On-line services, such as the Banner registration system and web sites from individual departments will not be affected with the web site change.

"Most content will be available two or three clicks in," Mancuso said.

The new web site will also be the first the college has designed completely in house, Mancuso said. The current web site was constructed by the Information Technology staff, but the visual design was contracted out.

"This is a grass-roots effort," Mancuso said.
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Life after Napster may be just as lonely for music industry
Deborah Grigsby-Smith
The Metropolitan

Hoping to end a bitter lawsuit with the recording industry, Napster has offered to pay $1 billion during the next five years to settle the year-long court battle surrounding its controversial music-swapping service. If accepted, the popular online music community would pay $150 million per year in licensing fees to major record companies and $50 million per year to independent labels and artists. But while the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) might feel confident that Napster is near its final demise, some say the organization may actually be hurting itself by forcing the site to shut down.

Though Napster may be one of the most sought-after violators of copyright infringement, its estimated 50 million users constitute one of the biggest collective audiences in music history–an audience that will scatter if the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals forces the site to close.

Some analysts argue there is greater value in keeping the Napster community intact and the recording industry would be kidding themselves if they think users are going to remain cooperative after the site is removed. In a recent interview with Newsbytes, Forrester Research music industry analyst Eric Schreirer indicated that "the idea that (the labels) will make Napster unusable and therefore users will simply wait until the music industry tells them what to do instead is not particularly realistic."

Thirty years ago, the occasional copying of music for personal use was pretty much a minor concern by the industry–today, because of the Internet and massive online communities like Napster, the RIAA feels that artists are losing a significant portion of their income and the only way to prevent this is to eliminate these "pirate" communities in their entirety.

Some 13 million computer users are estimated to download digital music for free. Pew Research says 38 percent of Internet users, or 35 million Americans, have downloaded music from the Web but a scant 2 percent report having paid for it.

Napster, as part of its settlement, plans on releasing a new business model sometime this summer that will attempt to keep the user group together. Partnering with German telecom giant Bertelsmann AB, a parent of the BMG label, the two plan to further develop the Napster "person-to-person" file sharing system into a subscription-based operation. The new model would utilize a technology that enables digital music files to be transferred from computer user to computer user, but with a new restriction — such as limiting the ability to copy those files to a CD. A set fee has not been determined, but is estimated to be somewhere between $5 and $15 dollars.

So, what next? Napster has a few remaining days to appeal the latest court ruling. Until then, the site is still up and running–with even more visitors than before. But the real problem does not exist in the copyright infringement ideal alone, it exists in the astonishing new impact that Napster has had not only on the industry, but also on the vertical markets within digital technology.

While Napster creator Shawn Fanning intended to develop a system for sharing files among music lovers, the success of Napster alone has been credited with spawning the commercial development of the portable MP3 player and the need for many colleges and universities to block its access from school-owned computer labs.

So if Napster really does throw in the towel, has the industry really eliminated the problem? Experts say no. Salon’s managing editor Scott Rosenberg writes, "the motivation clearly already exists. If the Napster phenomenon proves anything, it proves that the Internet public wants a universal library of immediately accessible and downloadable music." He adds the problem now is that the music industry must come to accept this outcome and participate in its potential revenue.

But that potential revenue is on the critical list. If Napster goes away, the ready audience of music lovers goes away–to any of the potential Napster alternatives waiting patiently in cyberspace. One such substitute is Gnutella.

If the recording industry thought Napster was scary, then Gnutella might be something out of their worst nightmare because this system is almost anonymous. Its Web site www.gnnutella.wego.com explains:

"One of the problems with Napster and others like it is that they are centralized. A centralized place for government agencies to impinge upon your freedom to search the net. All those commercial real time search engines probably keep logs so they can target ads at you. At least they keep logs so they know how many searches they get per day so they can tell it to their investors. And they probably run some data mining to figure out how many people searched for MP3s, how many people searched for recipes, etc. All that so they can figure out exactly what their customer is like.

"Gnutella puts a stop to all those shenanigans. When you send a query to the GnutellaNet, there is not much in it that can link that query to you. I’m not saying it's totally impossible to figure out who’s searching for what, but it's pretty unlikely, and each time your query is passed, the possibility of discovering who originated that query is reduced exponentially.

"In short, there is no safer way to search without being watched.

"A big however, however. To speed things up, downloads are not anonymous. Well, we have to make compromises. But again, nobody’s keeping logs, and nobody’s trying to profile you."

While some say Gnutella is too "geeky" for the average user its potential remains interesting because no singular entity is really responsible for it. It’s not there to promote the exchange of MP3 files–"it’s a technology, not a music piracy tool."

But the MP3 swapping shockwave doesn’t stop with Napster alternatives. Even the artists themselves have issues with the online file-sharing concept. Many big names in the industry feel the Napster controversy has finally brought to light the growing frustrations over how much record companies control what music people get to hear. Some, like Prince, have even launched their own Internet sites and music distribution communities. Others claim many new artists would never be heard if their futures were totally dependent on the labels.

Opponents of unregulated file sharing have even gone as far as launching electronic countermeasures called "Napster Bombs" and "Trojan Horses" within MP3 files to discourage users from downloading from unauthorized sites. These "bombs" intersperse files with anti-piracy messages randomly placed throughout the track. A listener would be two minutes into Eminem’s new release when you hear Charleton Heston reading a public interest message opposing song theft. The countermeasures are not meant to destroy computer systems or other files, but merely to annoy users and discourage the use of unauthorized sites.

In short, there seems to be a feeling that no matter the outcome, Napster needed to happen, both for users and the industry.

"Napster did two things," states former music industry employee Matt Edgar. "First of all, it shook up the record labels and made them realize that there needs to be a very definitive explanation of exactly what copyright infringement is; secondly, it’s called them to task on their pricing practices."

Edgar, who worked closely with record labels in Nashville concludes, "This is nothing new to the entertainment industry at all–just remember the whole VHS/BetaMax issue back in 1984. Opponents predicted that taping movies from cable broadcasts would result in the total demise of the movie industry, but that didn’t happen–it actually helped improve the quality of both content and service."

While the whole Napster issue is a new sort of digital theology, Edgar states that in his experience record labels make a hefty profit from even the lowliest of titles, "but it seems that until they are asked to be accountable for the beefy price of CDs, electronic distribution of files may stay popular."
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corrections
A story in the Feb. 16 issue misspelled Dena Pisciotte’s name.
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Metroeditorial

Is capital punishment justifiable murder?
Danielle Haraburda

Some crimes are unforgivable. Sometimes, for reasons not ever completely understood, humans commit acts so despicable the perpetrator has forfeited his right to live. For many, this is the rationale used to justify America’s death penalty. As a human being who often makes her decisions in regards to justice using my emotions, innately, I can understand this belief. As a survivor of a violent crime, I can empathize with the satisfaction capital punishment grants both victims and society. This is, however, where my alignment with the majority of public sentiment ends.

It’s a difficult position to take, this opposition to the death penalty. Not, I believe, in factual debate, but, rather, when it is viewed by public sentiment.

"How could you even attempt to argue for the life of someone like Donta Page?" a fellow student asks me. How indeed.

Page was convicted of first-degree murder and sexual assault last November. He brutally raped and murdered Capitol Hill resident, Peyton Tuthill, in her home. His crime is indefensible. He has admitted his guilt and now a panel of three Colorado judges will decide the fate of Page’s life—execution or life imprisonment.

It feels emotionally gratifying to think of Page’s execution, and I am not here to argue the virtue of Page’s life. Instead, my argument lies in the idea that, if taking life is wrong, then, by this very precept, the death penalty is inherently wrong as well.

One of America's most valuable assets, when considering our justice system, is the idea of impartiality. Justice is blind, some like to say. Capital punishment, however, tests this belief. In its essence, the death penalty is based on the emotion of revenge. We do not, for instance, sentence rapists to an encounter of sexual violence, or beat people guilty of assault, even if this fantasy seems somewhat fulfilling.

It is because of this sense of retaliation, though, that we have outlawed vigilante groups. Our penal system was created so that the unpredictability of human emotion could not override logic and reason.

When we place the argument of vengeance aside, we have no strong arguments left in favor of capital punishment. It can't be labeled as a deterrent. Murder rates aren't usually lower in states that administer the death penalty as opposed to states that do. In fact, when California reinstated the death penalty, in the latter half of this previous century, the murder rate increased.

Nor is it cheaper. The cost of incarcerating a prisoner for life averages about $600,000. The costs for an average death row inmate, after their course of appeals has been exhausted, can range into the millions.

Does it afford our society justice? This, perhaps, is a subjective question, but it is certain that the life of the victim is not reinstated because we execute their killer.

But these arguments all presuppose one thing; the man or woman sentenced to death is, indeed, guilty.

A fundamental flaw in our system of capital punishment is that, in more cases than its proponents would like to admit, innocent people are sentenced to die in America.

The governor of Illinois recently suspended its capital punishment system because the number of mistakes had reached alarming numbers. In Texas last year, a man was sentenced to die. It was later revealed that his defense attorney had actually slept through portions of the trial. Did this man receive a fair trial? Is the cessation of life such an attractive punishment that we, as a society, are willing to risk its many inaccuracies? What if, in error, you were convicted of murder?

Many of us have heard stories about innocent men and women who, although once thought beyond a reasonable doubt to be guilty, were later exonerated for one reason or another. Sometimes the actual guilty party comes forward; sometimes DNA is used to prove a person's innocence. One thing is sure, however, we cannot guarantee, with 100 percent surety, the perfection of our court system. Do we not, even with our justification of retribution, become as guilty as the murderers we seek to punish if we put even one innocent man or woman to death?

Present too, are the alarming disparities between those that do and do not receive the death penalty as their ultimate punishment. For the same crime, nationally, black men are sentenced more than white, poor more than wealthy. Justice, it seems, is not really blind after all, but, perhaps, jaundiced instead.

The best solution then is to abolish the death penalty. Not because murderers like Donta Page deserve the compassion of our society, but because we as a society cannot afford the luxury of our revenge.
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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

Metro student takes on Unsinkable role
story by Elena Brown
photos by Melanie Bialik

The thin frame doesn’t seem as though it would hold such a loud and booming voice.

"Everyone thinks I fit the part because I have a big mouth like they say she did," said a smiling Deb Gallegos, the actress playing the title role in Metro’s spring musical production The Unsinkable Molly Brown. "My mom used to say I had a microphone in my throat."

The 26-year-old Metro junior walked into the campus library, tinted yellow sunglasses on her head, and the sound of music in her ears. In her Walkman she has a tape with a few of the songs from the show that she listens to while walking to her next class. She is very focused on her new role.

"I was so shocked when they called and said I was ‘Molly,’" Gallegos said.

She did not audition for the part initially. In fact, she checked the space marked "any role." She auditioned by singing an a cappella version of "Believe In Yourself," from the musical The Wiz, performing a rehearsed dance number and reading a few lines.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a musical written by Meredith Wilson and Richard Morris. It is an historically-based account of the life and times of Margaret Tobin Brown, a woman who was reportedly never called ‘Molly.’ Brown, born in 1867, was a poor Irish girl from Hannibal, Mo. In search of a husband and lured by the tales of a prosperous way of life, she moved to Colorado. At age 19, she married the 31-year-old John. J. Brown, a Colorado silver miner. Within a few short years, the Browns became wealthy and had two children. The new Mrs. Brown set out to become a socialite, against the wishes of her husband. She went to classes to become familiar with the arts and foreign languages. In 1894, they moved into a home at 1340 Pennsylvania St., in Denver.

Margaret Brown traveled Europe extensively. She was reportedly in Europe when she got word that her grandson was ill, so she booked herself on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic.

When the "unsinkable" Titanic struck an iceberg and sank, Brown was one of the approximately 1,200 survivors. As a result of her adventure, Brown gained the fame she so desired.

"We Browns are unsinkable," she reportedly told the press.

But Brown was more than an outspoken socialite. She was a philanthropist who had a hand in improving the safety requirements and devices on boats, as well as women’s suffrage.

Gallegos admitted she didn’t have much knowledge about Molly Brown, prior to this role, but her research has been extensive. However, she restricts herself from watching the Oscar-nominated performance of Debbie Reynolds in the title role of the movie version or Kathy Bates’ portrayal in the movie Titanic. "I want to bring my own bit of originality to the role," she said.

Gallegos, a Denver native is a single mother, a full-time student and she holds a part-time job. She attends Metro on a Displaced Aurarian Scholarship, a full scholarship for the families of those uprooted to make room for the new campus.

"My grandmother used to live where the South Classroom building is," she said.

"I just do it, because I have to," she says about her very hectic schedule.

She enjoys sharing this new experience with her family. Her sons, ages four and six, help her with her lines, and the three all love singing songs from the play Are You Sure is a favorite.

She draws from Molly Brown the dynamic determination and sheer persistence that keeps both women’s spirit high in the face of adversity.

The cast of the play has been rehearsing since Jan. 29, and will soon begin daily five-hour rehearsals.

There are more than 150 people working on this production, including cast members, backstage assistants, orchestra and Metro’s theater department staff.

The newly built Kenneth King Academic & Performing Arts Center will host the production. The play will be presented in the Eugenia Rawls Courtyard Theater.

"(The play) will test just what the King Center can do," said Marilyn "Cookie" Hetzel. Hetzel is the chair of the Speech Communication Department and she is the director of the production.

"Our staff here is small," she said. "We call it a mom and pop operation, but not in quality."

Hetzel enjoys the challenge it will present to the students’ concerning their vocal abilities. In this type of theater, voice projection is vital and more demanding. It prepares them for performing in various types of venues, she said.

As big as the King Center is, the musical needs even more space for set building.

The production is using the space in the Art Building, Room 271 and the studio theater room. Metro productions tend to have the largest casts and the biggest sets, but Metro shares the theater with the two other schools on the campus. Hetzel feels the King Center is a welcome addition, but having to cycle between the other schools makes things difficult.

The Courtyard Theater has a capacity of 200, the ability to fly in settings, and was built as a flexible space, which could create a theater in the round.

The month of March is nationally recognized as Women’s History Month.

"Every month is women’s history month" Hetzel said. "It’s been a privilege to learn about this tremendous pioneer."

The play doesn’t provide a true-to-fact tribute to the real Margaret Brown so the theater department will hand out study guides for the audience to brush up on a more accurate version of Brown’s history.

On March 7, the play will host "High School Night," a private viewing for area high schools, in an effort to promote interest in the arts.

"I have always been a performer," said Gallegos, who nurtured her acting abilities at West High School and knew she would set her sights on obtaining a degree in theater.

"It has been wonderful to watch her grow," said Hetzel, "I truly admire her."

A display case will be at the entrance of the Courtyard Theater showcasing memorabilia of Molly Brown and bits of Auraria history.

The "unsinkable" vision is what the members of the theater department wanted to create. The essence of Molly Brown exemplifies and reflects the "spunk and vigor" of the Metro students, said Hetzel.

"We grow with the run of the show and are deepened by its closing," she said.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown will be performed at 7:30 p.m. March 8-10, 15 - 16. And two matinees at 2:30 p.m. March 11 and March 17.
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horoscopes by miss anna

ARIES: Change is in the air. Allow old habits and emotions to be swept away and you'll be surprised how fast new and exciting situations will materialize. Chances are that you've been trying to work at things alone, stop and get feedback from others.

TAURUS: During the week your physical energy will abound. Use this new found energy well and include others in the activities, possibly children. Tie up any loose ends and expect something in the workplace to come to a head. You have alot to share with those around you.

GEMINI: There is someone close to you in desperate need of financial help. Look around you closely, this individual may not be obvious. Feelings of passion will follow you during the week. Direct this fiery energy in a positive way. It is a good time to express yourself romantically.

CANCER: Try to maintain your sunny spirit in the face of seemingly depressing circumstances. Do what you can and try to stop worrying. You can do much to change the situations you find yourself in. Do your best to act fairly, for money matters are coming to a head.

LEO: An existing relationship will flourish if you trust the other person completely. There is a real possibility for a new and intense love. Your spark of enthusiasm brings out the best in those around you. This opportunity could pave the way to more responsiblity.

VIRGO: You are doing well in your career choice, but know you could be doing better if given the chance. That opportunity for advancement is right around the corner. Be sure you can make good on your promises. There is an introspective friend who needs your emotional support this week.

LIBRA: Turmoil seems to be everywhere this week. Just remember that a great deal of criticism can be delivered effectively with a smile. It will make more sense to keep people on your side if you can channel your rage in a more direct way. Joy could be just as habit forming as pessimism is.

SCORPIO: You may have the opportunity to invest in a creative enterprise with unexpected money coming from a family member who is looking out for your best interests. If a relationship is starting to feel a little stagnant, try to find ways to increase vitality, or get out.

SAGITTARIUS: It's time to take a lead from an ambitious acquaintance, and take your shot at fame and fortune. Your love life may be a bit rocky this week, so try to accentuate the positive. It's time to sew up any loose ends, leaving no stone unturned as you finish up.

CAPRICORN: Changes do not come easy, but those that may occur in your personal life will probably be more excepted than most. Quiet time with family will give you the opportunity to catch up with others' lives. When you put your mind to it, you can accomplish just what you want.

AQUARIUS: You seem to have a choice of paths to take. Make sure that you are not achieving success at the cost of others. Such ambition will no doubt reap rewards you may not wish for. It feels as if you are running around in circles; everything does not have to be done by the book.

PISCES: If you are getting to attached, you are only setting yourself up for disappointment. Live in the here and now, tomorrow will take care of itself. Much of what you have been striving for is within your grasp, but you may have to count on others to help you reach that goal.
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Metrosports

Metro takes three of four
Roadrunners win series from regional foe Texas-Wesleyan
Adam Dunivan
The Metropolitan

Last weekend’s four-game series between the Metro baseball team and Texas Wesleyan University was billed as a measuring stick to see just what the team may do this year.

After all, it was Texas Wesleyan who earned the fourth and final spot in the NCAA West Regional Tournament in 2000, with Metro finishing fifth.

In the first meeting between the two teams, Metro earned three victories and proved they could see more games well after the regular season is over.

After splitting a Feb. 25 doubleheader, Metro won 8-6 and 2-1 Feb. 26, in games that were character builders.

"After losing the first one, we just came together as a team," senior Tim Uhls said. "Winning against a good team like that is just a step in the right direction."

Senior Jack Edwards said the comeback wins were important in giving the entire team confidence, which should translate into wins against good teams.

Much like the day before, the final two games of the series were very different from each other. While one was an offensive explosion of sorts, the other saw hits come few and far between.

Texas Wesleyan jumped on senior starter Caleb Parmenter, who struggled a bit with consistency. The Rams scored two runs in the second and increased their lead to 5-0 with a three-run home run from right fielder Andrew Madey in the third.

With one out in the bottom of the third, the Roadrunners began a mild comeback as Uhls put a Derek Gerold changeup over the left field fence.

Parmenter left in the fifth inning after facing two batters, and was replaced by junior Steve Fox. Parmenter finished the game allowing six runs, all six earned, and struck out six Ram hitters.

Fox and classmate Eric Cummings held the Rams’ hitting in check for the remainder of the game.

The Roadrunners’ hitting, on the other hand, was coming around at precisely the right time. A lucky two-run home run from Edwards in the bottom of the fifth put the Roadrunners down just 6-4.

"I had two strikes on me, and I just wanted to put the ball in play," Edwards said. "I really just got lucky on the next pitch."

The comeback was fully achieved in the sixth when, with one out and two runners on base, Uhls connected again off Gerold for his second home run of the game.

"I was just trying to hit it into the outfield somewhere," Uhls said, "and I just got my pitch."

Uhls finished the game 2-for-3, two runs scored and 4 RBI.

Cummings allowed two hits in the top of the seventh, but preserved the win for the Roadrunners.

Offense was not evident in the second game, as the two teams combined for only nine hits and three runs what was evident, however, was the extraordinary effort of junior Jason Ash on the mound for the Roadrunners.

Ash, who was used as a reliever last year, got his first career start for the Roadrunners. He showed head coach Vince Porreco what he had seen in the off-season and practices: improvement in both control and technique.

After giving up an unearned run and two hits in the first inning, Ash then dominated the lineup which scored 20 runs in the previous three games. He allowed three hits, walked two and struck out five in the remaining six innings to give the Roadrunners their fifth win of the season.

For his teammates, the performance was much needed as the lack of offense kept the game tight until the end.

"[Ash] showed a lot of confidence and a lot of poise on the mound," Porreco said. "He really had command of the game and we needed that performance."

Said Uhls: "He stepped up for us in a big game and that’s what we’re going to need from the whole pitching staff for the rest of the season."

According to Porreco, although the season is young, the wins were crucial in putting the team on the right track in the region.

"From a regional standpoint, it put us up where we need to be this early in the season."

The Roadrunners will be have one more series at home, against Nebraska-Omaha, on March 2-3, before going on the road to face the University of Northern Colorado for two games on March 6.
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Metro, Wesleyan split opener
Corrigan Willis
The Metropolitan

Daylight almost ran out at Auraria Field Feb. 25 before the Roadrunners could get a win against Western Regional foe Texas Wesleyan. Metro did, however, manage to split in the opening doubleheader of the four-game series before the sun went down.

The Rams ousted Metro for the fourth and final regional playoff spot in the last week of the Roadrunners’ 2000 season, and that didn’t go unnoticed when looking ahead to the series.

"We talked about it," said head coach Vince Porecco. "It was in the back of my mind and the (returning players) mind that they made it in front of us."

Despite thoughts of revenge for the Roadrunners, the Rams drew first blood of the series with a 12-7 game-one win.

Senior side-armer Bryce Gehlen pitched game one for Metro on just four days rest. Gehlen was roughed up early by the Rams, giving up five runs on five hits in the first inning, including a two-run home run by Lance Newton.

Metro didn’t answer. Rams starter Ty Lowe struck out seven Roadrunner hitters in the first four innings, and stranded eight baserunners in a complete game victory.

Metro scored one run in the first five innings and didn’t bust out offensively until the sixth inning when Chad Gonzalez lined a two out grand-slam over the left field wall, cutting the lead to 10-5. The Rams responded in the top of the seventh, scoring two more runs and upping the lead to 12-5.

Seven of the Roadrunner’s 11 hits came in the last two innings. Tyler Woods, Nathan Lavernz and Gonzalez led Metro with two hits each.

Game two showcased good pitching, extra innings and a walk-off base hit by Metro’s Jack Edwards in the late afternoon twilight.

Tim Price and Tim Neely combined on a three-hit, nine-inning victory to hold off the Rams. In his first start as a Roadrunner, Price stymied the Rams bats early, holding them hitless for the first four innings.

"I was real excited for my first start," Price said. "I was able to get us into position to win and Neely shut the door."

Metro’s Tim Uhls doubled in the fifth inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly by the red-hot Gonzalez, who had already doubled in Metro’s first two runs in the third inning.

A two—run homer in the sixth inning by Lowe, the Rams’ designated hitter and game one winner on the mound gave the Rams a 4-3 lead. Lowe’s blast onto Auraria Parkway made way for Neely, who pitched four hitless, shutout innings in earning the victory.

"(Neely) was pumping strikes with all three pitches," pitching coach Anthony Gutierrez said.

Neely gave the Roadrunners’ offense chances in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to win the game. In the ninth, Edwards finally capitalized off of relief pitcher Justin Cleveland with a game-winning single to right field that emptied the Roadrunner dugout to greet Jarod Stultz at home plate.

Porreco was happy with the win, but said the team was still making routine mistakes. Despite committing seven errors on the day, Metro escaped with the split.
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Metro advances to RMAC semi-finals
Eric Eames
The Metropolitan

They came out high-flying, rim-rattling and showboating, but unfortunately for the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, nobody keeps track of statistics during pregame warm-ups.

"It caught me off-guard, because they were joking around in warm-ups and dunking," said Metro guard Joe Kelly. "I didn’t know what to think of it. I don’t know if they were loose in a good way or a bad way. But that’s something we are not really worried about."

When the real game started, the Mountain Lions came crashing down to earth under Metro’s solid defense and shooting, as the Roadrunners coasted to a 100-85 victory Feb. 27.

With the win, Metro (20-6), the two-time defending Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champions, advanced to the semi-finals of the RMAC tournament, where they will play top-seeded Fort Hays State University (23-4) at 3:30 p.m. March 2 at the University of Denver’s Hamilton Gym.

"It’s going to be billed as one hell of a game, so let’s go for it," Metro coach Mike Dunlap said. "We’ve got a lot of players who have been in big games before, so we’ll take that."

One player who’s not likely to panic under the pressure of championship play is Kelly. Against the Mountain Lions (15-11), it looked like Kelly was playing a personal game of H-O-R-S-E behind the three-point line. He hit from every angle and twice from distances of 25 feet.

"Once he gets started, man, there is no stopping him," said teammate Luke Kendall. "When he gets hot our whole offense is toward Joe just so he can shoot it and put it down."

By halftime, Kelly had 15 points on five three pointers coming off the bench as Metro took a 42-32 lead. When Kelly hit two more three-pointers, this time in the second half, the Mountain Lions finally counteracted by forcing the ball out of his hands.

No problem. Along with Kelly’s 21 points – on 7-of-10 shooting – five other Roadrunners scored in double digits.

"Everyone is unselfish on this team," said Kendall, who scored 22 points, including 3-of-4 shooting from behind the arc. "We know who to go to and when to go to them."

Then there was Rashawn Fulcher, who created space in the paint, scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds. Point guard Clayton Smith slithered passes inside to a cutting Kane Oakley, who finished with 16 points and three blocks for Metro before fouling out, while Smith had 10 points and 10 assists (a new career high). Meanwhile, Lee Bethea drove, stopped, shot and dropped in 12 points.

Quincey Simpson scored 23 points to lead the Mountain Lions, but the visitors’ defense could do little to slow down Metro as the Roadrunners cruised to comfortable leads of nine points, 12 points, and as high as 17 points.

The Roadrunners shot 56 percent from the field and hit 10 out of 14 three-pointers.

Bring on Fort Hays. Heck, bring on Kentucky Wesleyan.

"We’re looking to play anybody, anywhere, anytime at this stage of the year," Dunlap said. "We’re just happy to be alive."
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