Volume 23, issue 29, April 27, 2001
Metronews
Caught on film: 2000/2001 in pictures
Sigi’s Pool Hall and Arcade was closed down June 1 due to Auraria Higher
Education Centers $455,000 budget deficit. The deficit was created when the
Student Facilities Bond Fee Referendum, which asked students for a $20.50 fee
increase, was rejected by the governing board of the Community College of Denver.
All three colleges must approve the fee for it to pass.
Sigi’s reopened Feb. 21 with new games and a live music hall after the student bond fee passed allotting more money to the pool hall for improvements.
Elizabeth M. Pierce, who claimed she was a Metro student, was charged with theft July 6, 2000 for sending letters complaining of bad service to 60 metro area restaurants. Pierce was sentenced to six years in the state prison Feb. 23 by Judge H. Jeffrey Bayless, who then suspended the sentence, providing Pierce complete six years of probation, serve 90 days in the county jail followed by 180 days of home monitoring.
The Emmanuel Gallery closed its doors in September after AHEC budget cuts caused interim gallery director Ken Peterson’s contract to not be renewed. After six months without a campus art director, a new one was hired Jan. 12. Kathryn Charles started her job as interim director Jan. 22 and the gallery reopened in March.
The Auraria Walk team raised more than $9,000 for AIDS Walk 2000, held Sept. 10. At the time of the registration, the Auraria Walk team was the second largest team registered for the walk, according to Karen Bensen, Director of Gay, Lesbian, Bi and Trans Student Services at Metro.
Auraria police arrested Chuck Spigola, an anti-abortion demonstrator on Oct. 4 after his second appearance on campus. Auraria police chief Joe Ortiz said police removed Spigola from the flagpole area because of concerns for the safety of the students. The Auraria police require permits if more than one person is speaking or if displays are used so that safety is maintained.
The Denver International Film Festival returned to the Tivoli Oct. 12 — 21 despite the closure of the AMC Tivoli Theater.
Students got a second chance to vote on the Student Facilities Bond Fee Referendum on Nov. 1 and 2. The proposed fee would add $18.50 to student fees that would be used to maintain Auraria campus services. The bond fee passed the second time around 857 to 270. The estimated $1.2 million increase will be used over the next ten years to make repairs on the Tivoli, the Child Care Center and the PE/Events Center.
Due to a policy change, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education cut Metro’s African American Studies major in November. CCHE requires the likelihood of 10 graduates in the next year for the cut to be appealed. But with extended support from the Metro and Denver communities, CCHE gave the African American Studies major a two-year extension April 5.
The House Education Committee voted 6-5 to defeat House Bill 1192 on Feb.6. The bill, which was introduced Jan. 17, would have transferred control of Metro from the Trustees for the State Colleges in Colorado beginning July 1, 2002.
A presidential search committee named Metro president Sheila Kaplan one of 11 finalists for the University of Toledo in Ohio on Jan. 18. Kaplan, who has been Metro’s president since 1993, was not chosen for the job.
The Student Government Assembly candidate race was uncontested in the election held April 2-6. Out of 12 positions on SGA, only 9 people ran and one was voted in on a write in ballot.
The Metro men’s soccer team went to the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament for the first time in 2000.
For the third straight year, the women’s soccer team went to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament in 2000.
Metro’s volleyball players turned around a losing season and Roadrunner Marina Banza was the first Metro volleyball player to be named RMAC player-of-the-year.
The men’s basketball team went to the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year and won the RMAC tournament for the third consecutive year.
Women’s basketball had their first losing season since 1989-90.
Divers D.J. Hummel and Cari Lewton were named All American at the national competition.
The Metro men’s tennis team won the RMAC tournament by beating Southern Colorado 7-0.
Women’s tennis made it to the RMAC tournament, but lost in the semi-finals.
Jake Edwards, outfielder for the Roadrunners baseball team, is closing in on
the school record for home runs made in a season. He needs one more to break
the record made by Rusty Befus in 1989 and 1990 and Todd Vaughn in 1986.
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NeoTrace: Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single
click
Deborah Grigsby-Smith
The Metropolitan
Internet surfers who have ever pondered what happens when they click on a link
or how a request for information made its way from one point to another can
now download an amazing new software program that can answer their questions
in the greatest detail.
NeoTrace, by NeoWorx, Inc. is a powerful new tool for checking information found or delivered by the Internet. Users can easily trace any computer on the Internet simply by entering an e-mail, IP address or URL. Once an address is entered, NeoTrace displays a graphical map of the electronic paths between the user’s computer and virtually any Web site – including all intermediate nodes and their registrant information.
NeoTrace is a high-speed graphical traceroute program with integrated "whois" and "ping" features. Whois is an online domain name research tool and the ping feature is simply a function that sends a signal from one point to another, and then echoes it back to the sender. By combining these two features with a user-friendly and zoomable map, NeoTrace is a very powerful tool that delivers names, numbers and geographic locations of almost any computer in cyberspace. It is extremely fast, simple to use and returns a wealth of information. NeoTrace is very popular for detecting network problems and finding net information, it is also a great tool for Web developers, spam hunters and anybody who wants to know where the congestion is on the ‘Net.
According to their Web site, NeoTrace is the world's most popular Internet tracer, used by law enforcement, ISPs, and network professionals, yet it is easy enough for home users to use.
In his about.com review of NeoTrace, Chris Sherman states, "NeoTrace is a diagnostic and investigative tool. It traces the network path across the Internet from the host system to a target system anywhere on the Internet. Simply drag a link from your browser and drop it on NeoTrace; all the nodes between your computer and the destination site are displayed on a map.
"Along the way, the program automatically captures data about the machines used in the connection. The route is displayed on a map – placing your cursor over each node on the map brings up a pop-up box with registration details for the owner of each computer on the route (address, phone, e-mail address) and the network each node IP is registered to."
NeoTrace’s graphical user-friendly maps are similar to those of any online map service. Scalable and zoomable, users with detailed information can pinpoint a computer’s location within a mile. The detailed maps, combined with registrant information, make it easy to see exactly where trouble spots are popping up and provide the specific details needed to give to the Internet service provider (ISP) when calling to complain or report spammers.
But NeoTrace is just cool to watch. By entering similar sites and requests, users can see how the Internet handles multiple tasks and can take different routes to the same location if traffic is heavy.
NeoTrace, doesn’t require much hardware to operate, simply a personal computer, a standard modem, Internet service and Win95, 98 or NT 4.0 or greater.
For information, or to test-drive NeoTrace free of charge, log on to www.neotrace.com.
NeoTrace starts at $29.95.
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metro briefs
Metro’s school of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the Theatre Program
of the Department of Speech Communications present Twelve Angry Men, by Reginald
Rose May 1-6.
The play will be performed in the MSCD Production Studio in the Kenneth King Academic and Performing Arts Center on campus.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. May 1-5 and at 2:30 p.m. May 6.
Reserved tickets must be picked up 15 minutes prior to curtain. For reservations, call 303-556-3315.
People with disabilities please call 303-556-3073 for ticket information.
Adult tickets are $10, Metro students with ID, free, and all other students,
seniors and children, $5.
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Corrections
In Metro briefs April 20, Leah Becker’s name was misspelled.
The Metropolitan strives for accuracy. If you spot a mistake, please contact
Sean Weaver at 303-556-8353.
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Metroeditorial
Animals are responsibilities, not objects
Reema Al-Omari
Staff columnist
I recently heard a very sad story about a dog named Cain. He’s a two-year-old
Siberian Husky. He’s now living at the Dumb Friends League shelter, waiting
for his fate to take shape.
Cain’s story is an animal lover’s nightmare. His story begins when he was a very small puppy, a few weeks old. A woman brought him home to her young son as a birthday present. That woman would’ve been better off buying her son video games, because that’s what he ended up choosing over Cain. Cain’s life was spent mostly outside in the backyard, chained to a post, starved for affection, as the woman didn’t want this big, hyper-active thing in her house… and from the sounds of it, neither did the boy, that’s if he cared at all.
Neighbors would complain about Cain, for he barked, howled and cried. Especially when it was cold outside, or at night when he felt exceptionally lonely. People didn’t call the police because Cain was loud or annoying, they called because they were worried that Cain was being neglected and abused, as he was constantly outside, and was never taken on walks… something that even a lizard is entitled to.
When Cain reached the age of two, my friend heard his story. Her mother lived next to the owner of Cain, and decided to make a difference. My friend wanted a dog, and here was the perfect opportunity to rescue a neglected and abused dog, and get unconditional love in return.
Cain’s life was beginning to look better. People were visiting him, taking him for walks to get to know him, giving him treats… acknowledging his existence. The day came finally when Cain was taken to his new home, where he was going to have a backyard where he could roam as he wished, a doghouse for shelter and more visits indoors. When most people think of getting a dog, they always talk about getting a fence so the dog can run around whenever it wants. Well, that wasn’t enough for Cain. Cain wanted a lot more than room to move, he wanted love and affection. So much love, that my friend couldn’t give him enough. And that is why in the middle of the night, Cain was dropped off at the Dumb Friends League… because he wanted so much love and affection, he almost came through a window. He wanted into the house so badly, he ended up pushing himself further outside… in an animal shelter where he could get adopted and thrown back again, or he may never get adopted at all and be put to sleep.
It’s a sad story. Some people may say that it’s the fact that he’s a tough dog to deal with, being a Siberian Husky and all. I disagree with that. I feel that Cain would be in a nice home with love, if he wasn’t starving for affection to the point where he might break a window to be let into someone’s home. It all began from the day he was brought home as a birthday present… he was treated as just another toy or video game. To be the center of attention and then thrown away when it’s not the style anymore.
Unfortunately, stories like this will repeat again and again, unless people
begin to think before they get a pet… pets are not objects. They are living
creatures that need love and affection… and most of all, attention. A heart
full of love should come before a fenced backyard.
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Vassilaros steps down
Stephanie Vassilaros
Guest Commentary
To Metro’s Student Body,
On Thursday April 26, 2001, your Student Government Assembly is holding its annual inauguration at the flagpole from 2-3 pm. It is an important event and will give you the opportunity to see who your student representatives are for the year to come. I encourage you to attend.
Unfortunately, although you elected me for a second term as Student Body President I will not be able to accept your nomination this Thursday. As many of you know I am a single parent and am facing a change that must occur in my living situation. This situation is requiring me to work full time and since I am also a full time student, this new schedule will not allow me to give the Student Body the time that you must expect from your President.
I am not a person who can do anything halfway and I so I do not want to accept the position and let you down by doing so. This past year has been a magnificent year for students and for Student Government. I have been very honored to work with some of the most passionate and hardworking people on this campus and I would recommend the experience of Student Government to any student who has the drive and willingness to not only enrich their own education but to work to better the educational experience of all students at Metro as well.
This past year, your student government has conquered many issues such as the continuation of the African American Studies Major, Metro’s Independent Governing Board, the Auraria Auxiliaries Bond Fee and the Publishing of the Faculty Evaluations for student use. We have also made incredible headway in making the Golda Mier Center and 9th Street Park better accessible for those with disabilities. This year’s Student Government has created excellent working relationships with administration, faculty, alumni, the state legislator and the Board of Trustees of the State Colleges System. We have made our office more accessible to you, while having events that were set up to make you more aware of the representation you have and the services that are available to you. To do this we sponsored Meet Your Student Government Days and Nights, Student Services Nights (giving night students an opportunity to use the services their student fees pay for), and a Charity Ball that we designed to bring the campus community together in order to have some fun and raise money for The Children’s Hospital Cardiac Unit.
This past year, your Student Government worked as a team in order to get things done for you. Of this fact, I am very proud of this past year and sorry that I will be unable to lead another team into the 2001-02 school year.
Although I will not be able to accept the position next year, I would like to strongly suggest that Candace Farmer who is the present VP of Academic Affairs and the elected Board of Trustee Representative, be appointed to the position. Candace is one of the most sincere, hard working people I know. She is proactive, mature and has proven herself to be an extremely competent leader. Candace has worked closely with me this past year and has experienced what needs to be done to make a Student Government work best for the students it represents. Candace already has working relationships with administration, faculty and many student groups with whom she is actively involved. Candace worked effectively for you this year on academic policy and grade appeal and I was impressed with her work and tireless ambition to save Metro’s African American Studies Major. In my mind, there is no one more capable to lead Student Government to another successful year.
I believe that Candace and the newly elected group will push SGA to an even higher level this next year. I look forward, as a student, to seeing this group succeed. Again, I apologize to those who have put their faith in me to lead the Student Body into this subsequent year. I will continue to be involved with Student Government but not within the capacity of president. I hope that you can understand that my son has been and will always be the first priority in my life, and so therefore, to do what is best for him I cannot accept this position for another year.
Thank you very much for your faith in me,
Stefanie I. Vassilaros
Metro SGA President
...I am very proud of this past year and sorry that I will be unable to lead
another team into the 2001-02 school year
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Bush tax plan won’t benefit working families
Dear Editor,
President Bush's irresponsible tax plan offers a large tax break to the wealthy, but little or nothing to Colorado's working families. Nearly one in five Colorado families, with a fifth of our children, will receive absolutely nothing. The majority of our working families will receive an average of less than a dollar a day, while the wealthiest of the wealthy would receive $115 a day, or close to $42,000 a year.
Worse still, this plan depletes the funds to secure Medicare and Social Security an to provide badly needed programs. Instead of President Bush's tax breaks for the wealthy, here's a more responsible alternative: Colorado could hire 1,351 more teachers for our state's public schools, upgrade the 90 percent of our schools that are in disrepair, provide a prescription drug benefit for our state's 451,000 Medicare recipients, and bring health care to the one in five Coloradans who are without health insurance. And, with all of these essential programs funded, we could still have enough for targeted tax relief for state's working families.
Most Coloradans will receive little, if any, benefit from President Bush's tax cut proposal. What we need instead is health and education programs for our state's children, seniors, and working families and a responsible tax cut plan that won't jeopardize the stability of Medicare and Social Security. It's time to stop the new president's "fuzzy math" and put first things first.
Dennis Roe
Colorado Progressive
Coalition
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High court erodes Constitutional rights
(U-WIRE) COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Supreme Court is chipping away at basic constitutional
rights again. This time it is an assault on the Fourth Amendment.
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
Gail Atwater, a Texas woman, was driving her two kids home in 1997. A police officer stopped the pickup truck she was driving, because the officer noticed that none of the three were wearing seat belts. Texas law allows officers to make arrests over minor traffic violations, so Atwater was handcuffed and taken to the police station. The children had to be taken care of by a friend while the truck was towed away and impounded. Atwater was photographed and released after posting bond. She plead no contest to the offense and paid the $50 fine. She and her husband sued, claiming that the arrest violated her Fourth Amendment rights.
Tuesday, after the usual set of appeals, the Court barred Atwater from suing. The decision was a 5-4 split.
"The arrest and booking were inconvenient to Atwater," Justice David Souter wrote in the majority opinion. "But not so extraordinary as to violate the Fourth Amendment."
So, being hauled away in handcuffs for not having a seat belt on is perfectly reasonable. Obviously many a desperate criminal violates mandatory "buckle-up" laws during commission of felonies -- so often that police definitely have probable cause to arrest these violators.
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, writing for the minority opinion, said that for the majority of the court to conclude that Atwater's arrest served no purpose and yet say that it passed constitutional tests is inconsistent. It is a violation of the guarantee of the Fourth Amendment.
So, all you students out there ... watch out. With a full legal precedent from
the Supreme Court, the next time you get a traffic ticket, you may find yourself
at the mercy of the Student Code of Conduct. After all, you have engaged in
an activity that could get you arrested and hauled in by police. That's all
that seems necessary now.
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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
You’ve got three months off . . .
Elena Brown
The Metropolitan
It’s summer!
So, what are you gonna do for the next three months?
We are not in seventh grade here, we are adults, and adults just don’t get a three-month break.
According to the Fact Book put out by Metro; more than 80% of the 17,000-plus Metro students on the Auraria Campus with full or part-time jobs. Most students are working until school starts again in the fall. If they’re not working they’re either in an internship or signing up for summer classes. The Cooperative Education Internship Center estimates that 500-600 students are placed in a summer internship each year. Last year over 6,000 people registered for summer courses.
The Metro student holds a part-time or full-time job. The Metro student has a summer internship lined up. The Metro student has a family. The Metro student signs up for summer classes. The Metro student needs a break. So…take one, you deserve it.
Go fishing, hiking, whitewater rafting, or volunteer at a summer camp. As a matter of fact, do all of the above.
In just one week you can get all of your outdoor experience for a fraction of the cost and possibly receive college credit.
The Cheley Colorado Camps, located in Estes Park, is looking for a support staff member that will receive room and board and college credit, as well as a salary of $1,550 a month. The Gates Camp for Boys and Girls is looking for a staff member interested in a weeklong experience for inner-city youths. The Colvig Silver Camps located in Durango near the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, is looking to fill general counselor positions.
The American Camping Association usually hires for 8 to 10 week sessions. Those hired are trained to use their camp experience for outside employment.
"Most of the applicants are in the education field," said Betsy Thamert, executive for the Rocky Mountain section of the ACA which serves Colorado and Wyoming. The ACA is a national organization, based in Indiana, of camp professionals committed to enriching the lives of children and adults through the camp experience.
The Maryland-based American Hiking Society has been offering "Volunteer Vacations" for the past 19 years. The one or two week packages include image building for national parks and public lands, building bridges and clearing trails. The package is only $60 for members and $75 for non-members. There are five Colorado packages from January through November. The people in the groups range from 18-70 years old.
"I went last May on a Colorado trip," said Michael Hechter, membership coordinator of the society. "I was the youngest in the group at 25 and the oldest was 70," he said, "And he was kicking my butt."
The Girls Scouts of America recruit volunteers and staff members year-round. There are strict guidelines of structure and background checks each member must complete.
"The Girls Scouts of America is very flexible in training volunteers for various programs," said Rhonda Mickelson, Camp Administrator.
The Scouts run day and resident camps from mid June through late August.
The day camps are Monday- through Friday, from 9 until 3:30 p.m. The day camp includes various activities in many of Denver’s’ metro area parks. The resident (overnight) camps are located near Bailey and Decker Colorado. The camps run in three, seven and 13 day sessions.
For more information about all the camps listed, log on to: www.ACAcamps.org,
www.SummerCampStaff.com, www.Camppage.com,
www.americanhiking.org or call the
Girl Scouts of America at 1-(888)-926-2267.
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now what?
Jennifer Grey
The Metropolitan
Let’s pretend that you’ve never been camping. You’d like to try
it before heading to a flagship store and surrendering your bank account for
the latest, greatest nature-defying gear that you won’t survive the weekend
without. Instead, you can rent the gear from the Outdoor Adventure Program,
so you are not stuck with it when you realize that you hate sleeping in a tent
on the ground in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by infested varmints and
stalked by killer bugs.
The Outdoor Adventure Program can also help prepare you for your maiden trip because they offer outings, CORE (Cooperative Outdoor Recreation and Education) classes, leadership and team development initiatives and an on-line learning program.
"Outdoor Adventure is your student fee supported, environmentally based outdoor leadership and team development program. Outdoor Adventure provides opportunities to learn new skills, develop leadership and experience adventures with your friends, classmates and colleagues," said Bryan Ferguson, Assistant Director of the Outdoor Adventure Program.
They ice climb in Ouray, ski Loveland and Arapahoe Basin, canoe and kayak the Colorado River and mountain bike the Kokopelli Trail. They lead the trips for the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department and can certify you for skills needed to apply for adventure races. The multi-day trips average $200. The day trips and other series are $30-$50.
"People don’t need to be hard-core to come. I’ve done the Kokopelli trail trip more than once and I still get off and walk parts of it. That’s not the point," Ferguson said.
The free CORE classes are about how to not get lost in the wilderness with a map, compass and sense of direction, a.ka. Global positioning system. They also teach how to tie knots, so your bear bag won’t fall down from a tree, and menu planning to ensure the bears and you eat well.
"The program depends on student involvement and incorporates interactive, hands-on learning with outdoor skills," Ferguson said.
"It’s a total learning experience because the participants and instructors are learning, not just about skills but about team building and leadership."
Outdoor Adventure conducts seminars for classes and organizations to enhance group dynamics through games. The first year seminar students, the International Student’s Organization, Peer Counselors and Student Support Services participated in programs over the past couple of months.
"We set up low angle rope courses, tight ropes and the like, then get the groups working as a team to get one person from point A to point B. It’s using adventure to further communication and team building," said Nick Delmonico, who works for the program.
Ferguson said that they are getting ready to offer courses in rigging for rock and ice climbing and kayaking that incorporates leadership development, physically challenged support and team building. Rigging is how to attach the ropes to the rock, yourself and others.
"Rigging is very important to know how to do well because it ensures safety. Many climbers get by with shoddy rigging," Ferguson said.
The on-line learning program is under development live at http://clem.mscd.edu/~craweb and Ferguson said it offers classes similar to the CORE program. Right now you can go online and through sections on campus recreation training and support, map instruction, dressing for the outdoors and the Outdoor Adventure Manual and Training.
"The online program is granulized instruction and learner driven. Most students use web-based resources," Ferguson said.
The summer schedule is posted on the web and includes kayaking trips, a swift water rescue seminar and a wildflower photo outing. They are mountain biking the Kokopelli Trail from May 15-20 and in August they’re canoeing and kayaking the Colorado River.
The Outdoor Adventure Program is tri-institutional and open to all students,
faculty, staff and guests. If you don’t know what to do with your summer
check out the Outdoor Adventure Program. The rental shop is in the basement
of the PER Events Center or talk to someone in PER 108.
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Summer at the movies
Chris Ward
On Film
As summer approaches it brings the biggest financial season in the film industry’s
year. This is when big-budget action and comedy movies are over-hyped; creating
the illusion that seeing them is more of an event than a diversion. I had the
opportunity to talk to some of the people behind three very different movies
slated for summer release, on topics ranging from directing techniques to rock
music to sandwiches.
The action-adventure
Sitting across the corner booth from Brian Helgeland, I hardly recognized him. This wasn’t the young filmmaker I had seen in various press release photos. This man looked worn out and tired. It might have been because he had been doing interviews like this all morning, but I suspect it had more to do with the sling holding his right arm. "You’ll have to excuse my appearance," Helgeland had said when I arrived. "I had an accident." I felt bad for the man, even though he was behind one of the worst films I have seen this year.
A Knight’s Tale is a formulaic sports movie set in the 1300s. While the scenery, costumes, and events are all fitting for 14th century Europe, it seems Helgeland felt the tale of a would-be knight competing in jousting tournaments was incomplete without a crowd singing "We Will Rock You" during the opening scene. There are other anachronisms throughout the movie, the worst of which is a Nike product placement, but those would almost be excusable if there were a decent script or characters worth caring about. Instead, the audience subjected to a long line of clichés, predictable plot twists, and stock characters played by actors who, in some cases, deserved better.
This was a surprise, considering Helgeland’s résumé. He started out as a screenwriter, working on such scripts as Conspiracy Theory and L.A. Confidential, for which he took home an Oscar. His directing debut came with Payback, an enjoyable piece of action noir that he also wrote. After making these films that were at best masterful and at worst entertaining, Helgeland decided to try something different. Instead of the good dark movies he had been making, he created the light and upbeat Knight’s Tale, proving that he should stay in the dark.
"I probably, at the end of the day, like dark movies better," he said, "but it’s too depressing to do them relentlessly."
"I really like a lot of the movies that are from this period…Braveheart and all those kinds of things," Helgeland said while explaining his decisions behind the movie. "The problem I have with all those movies is they get very stiff; everything’s put up on a pedestal and people don’t joke with each other and everything’s very serious. I wanted the audience [of A Knight’s Tale] to really be able to relate to these characters in a way that you feel like you know them and the problems that they have and everything that’s going on."
He used similar reasoning for the anachronisms, saying he wanted to contemporize the atmosphere. "A lot of it is about youth and identity and finding your place in the world," Helgeland said. "But there’s no way to get that across just playing medieval music to a modern audience. I thought I would put more contemporary music into it to try to invite the audience into the story a little bit more."
Helgeland said he plans to continue directing his own work. "There’s a saying that writers who direct direct out of self-defense," he said, commenting on the satisfaction he derives from having control over how his words are portrayed on-screen. He likened being just a writer to "having kids, but when they turn 12 you give them to someone else to raise until they’re 18, and then they don’t turn out the way you want them to turn out."
As for his next project, he’s working on an adaptation of Moby Dick. The basic storyline should be better, but there may still be reminders of A Knight’s Tale. "I’m actually trying to take the cast from A Knight’s Tale and put them all in Moby Dick."
The comedy
Writer/director Kevin Smith never expected to make it this far. Had you asked him ten years ago where he hoped to be now, he would have told you about the deli he wanted to own.
"My dreams were much smaller," he said during a recent conference call. "I thought I could make a pretty good sandwich."
Instead, he made a pretty good movie on a minimal budget, in the hopes that it would play at a local theater and he could show it to family and friends. It wasn’t until Miramax picked that movie up to show first at film festivals, then in wide distribution, that Smith considered making more films.
"I had an idea in my head to make one movie, and that was Clerks," he said. "And that just lead to another movie, which led to the next one"
Since Clerks hit the screen in 1994, Smith has written and directed three more films: Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma. His fifth film, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, will be the final installment in what has become known as the New Jersey Chronicles; all of Smith’s prior films have been centered around the garden state and contained references to common characters and events. They have also all featured Jason Mewes and Smith as the characters Jay and Silent Bob. Smith has built up a cult-like popularity among twenty-something filmgoers, and has spun off his characters into comic books and a short-lived animated television series.
Smith said his new movie, which is still in post-production, will be more lighthearted than his last two films. "It’s far more juvenile than Chasing Amy, but smarter than Mallrats," he said. "There’s satire, but nothing serious." Jay and Silent Bob promises to have the same dialogue-heavy style Smith has become known for, with occasional monologues and what he called hyper-realistic conversations. "Reality is kind of boring," Smith said; "conversations are stilted and they don’t flow very well. When you’re writing, you’re creating a perfect world, or as perfect as the writer wants it to be."
Jay and Silent Bob is the largest project Smith has taken on so far. With an ensemble cast of almost everyone who has been in a prior Smith movie, plus more than 200 digital effects (he said they had originally planned on about 25), Smith said this is an expensive movie, "and it looks like it…It’s a big movie. It looks big, and feels big, and plays big. It’s a far cry from Clerks."
Smith said he doesn’t care how big his budget is, as long as he can make the film he wants. However, he said it would be hard on producer Scott Mosier, who has produced all of Smith’s movies. "There’s the guy who has to make everything happen with the budget," Smith said. "If it’s up to Mosier, we’ll never make anything that inexpensive again," he added in reference to the small budgets of films like Clerks and Chasing Amy.
Smith said he is retiring the familiar characters of his past films because they had become too much of a crutch. "There will be no more Jay and Silent Bob," he said. "From now on there will be new characters, like Roy and Silent Phil." He said he wants to try some other genres; after making five movies that are "a bit on the bombastic side, it will be nice to do something quieter."
Throughout the interview, Smith kept returning to how much he enjoyed making movies. "I could never be anything but happy, because it beats fucking working at the convenience store," he said. "Every day I chuckle because I feel like I’ve gotten away with something…I predict an early death, because nothing could go this well for so long."
The import
As they sat down at the table the Mayan had set up for the interview, Franka Potente and Benno Fürmann both turned their attention to the west-facing windows across from them.
"We’re constantly talking in these rooms, and I see the Rockies back there. I’ve never been to this part of the country and I’d love to go," Fürmann said. "Next time, if we come back, let’s do [the interview] somewhere nicer."
"Yeah, we could hold it up in the mountains," Potente added. "Why not?"
From their relaxed attitude and fascination with the Colorado skyline, it would be easy to assume these two are relatively new to acting. Actually, Potente and Fürmann are two of the most well known actors in Germany, but finding American moviegoers who recognize their names is difficult. Potente gained some fame in 1999 as the star of Run Lola Run, and is starting to garner some recognition as Johnny Depp’s girlfriend in Blow, but both have a long way to go before they are recognized stateside as well as they are in Europe.
Potente and Fürmann star in The Princess & the Warrior, one of the best movies I have seen so far this year. Like Lola, it is directed by Tom Tykwer, and like Lola, it deals with the ideas of fate and coincidence — a chance encounter completely alters the course of the main characters’ lives — but The Princess & the Warrior has a much more measured pace than Tykwer’s last film. His visual style is still recognizable, as is the talent in his leads.
Although she is playing almost the polar opposite of her character in Lola, Potente’s performance as a nurse in an asylum rings true throughout the film. Part of this is probably due to her working with Tykwer in developing the character, but based on her other work, but her basic talent shouldn’t be dismissed.
"It made me nervous in the beginning, because I don’t really like it," Potente said about her involvement in the writing process. "I like to have a perfect script and then I go from there."
"He gives you a lot of space, but at the same time he has a very clear and strong vision of what the feeling of the scene is," Fürmann said of Tykwer’s directing style. "One of the great gifts of Tom’s is that he’s so incredibly open and willing to just follow along what you have to offer. He loves his actors…What’s clear is the beginning and the end of a scene, but what happens in between we don’t find out now, let’s just do it. Let’s try it like this, let’s try it like that."
"He wants the lines though," Potente added. "He won’t let you drop the lines."
Both Potente and Fürmann have worked on German television, but prefer movies. "I went to movies since I was a kid, and automatically my decision to become an actor, the desire to act, came out of being affected by movies," Fürmann said.
"I love how movie theaters celebrate movies," Potente said. "There’s actually people choosing to spend ten dollars to go see this movie out of a variety of plenty."
"I don’t want to limit myself to saying, ‘I want to do German films,’ or, ‘I want to do only television,’" Fürmann added. "I’m really open. With a script that grabs me or a character that makes me curious to find out more about him, I’d love to do it."
"I’d love to," Fürmann said when asked about working with Tykwer on future projects. "I’d have to say he’s an exceptional filmmaker who manages to each time make an absolutely personal film that really enables me to watch the film each time differently."
These are just three of the multitude of movies to open this summer, but as
you can see there’s not enough room to cover them all in one column. I’ll
close by encouraging you to seek out The Princess & the Warrior, to avoid
A Knight’s Tale, and to enjoy the break from classes, even if you don’t
spend any of it in a movie theater.
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horoscopes by miss anna
ARIES: Pull out all stops this week and go ahead with those plans, everything
you need is now in place. The idea of how things are supposed to be and reality
will always be in conflict, so don't let it stop you. Matters on the homefront
need to be taken care of.
TAURUS: Don't jump to conclusions about anything, if it looks to good to be true, it probably is. Look beyond appearances and check out all the facts first. Play your hunches, because your intuition is working overtime this week. Your evenings may be filled with intense romance.
GEMINI: Hindsight is always 20-20. So stop feeling sorry for yourself this week and look around to see just how rich and full your life really is. A friend may be just the remedy to pull you out of the doldrums. Take a tip from their enthusiasm and childlike sense of wonder.
CANCER: There is an overlooked detail in your financial dealings which needs to be searched out and taken care of, otherwise it may cause some inconvenience. Since you love tradition and are not overly fond of change, don't be alarmed of the changes, but roll with the punches.
LEO: This week may find you finishing a project with the help of a cool and calm approach. Take a moment to review your work and look for any possibly improvements for the next time. A little soul- searching is in order, so bring up old memories, however painful.
VIRGO: Your money matters may need a bit more juggling than usual during the week, and may be due to your dependence on someone who is not very dependable. Cut your losses and move on. Just who or what are you saving your love and affection for - put your own needs as a priority.
LIBRA: A calm and cool exterior will do more for you than hysteria this week. There is a good reason to not let your feelings get the best of you. Your primary love relationship seems to be heading in a new direction, one which will be beneficial for the both of you.
SCORPIO: The weight of the world seems to be on your shoulders during the week. Just continue to do a good job, but don't take it with such a life and death attitude. A lover or partner may be in hysterics, so just listen compassionately and save your reply until later.
SAGITTARIUS: An opportunity this week needs to be seized now before it is snapped up by another. Things around you may have become a little slow, even to routine. Try something new to eject a little live into your every day living and let those creative juices start to flow.
CAPRICORN: A fortress in your life may be slowly crumbling away during the week, but if you look at the situation on a positive note, it may be able to provide you with the chance to rebuild according to your own design and desire. Don't take any foolish risks with your health.
AQUARIUS: Someone in your life seems to be trying to dominate your every move. This person needs to be put in their place with as much tact as possible, with no question of your intent. Things may be changing regarding your personal lifestyle, but it will work out for the best.
PISCES: The choices you make this week will depend on your ability to
tell the difference between what looks good and what is really in your best
interest. You must be able to maintain a certain level of enthusiasm if you
want to accomplish everything on time.
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Metrosports
Metro soccer in Regional for first time
Nick Garner
The Metropolitan
Going into spring camp before the 2000 season, Metro men’s soccer was looking
for an answer.
The question was who was going to take the scoring torch from departed Jared Zanon, who set scoring standards for the men’s soccer program.
The answer came in the form of sophomore Danny Gallardo, who is The Metropolitan’s men’s athlete of the year.
Before the start of the season, Gallardo had made a promise to himself to score as many goals as he could.
He missed his personal goal, but not by much: Gallardo posted 17 goals in 20 games, falling just two short of the school mark for most goals in a season, set in 1990 by Tim Yunger.
"I thought that I would come out of the season pretty good," Gallardo said. "I knew that I was ready to play my freshman year, I was out of the picture for a little bit, but I knew my game was strong and I was going to come out and score as many goals as I could. I was shooting for somewhere around 18-20 and I was confident about making that mark."
With Zanon gone, someone had to step up and fill the scoring shoes.
"Danny is the kind of player that needs to be the man," said Metro men’s soccer coach Brian Crookham. "He came off the bench his freshman year and played a lot behind Jared, didn’t see as much time as he probably wanted to, which is hard for a younger player to develop confidence without being on the field."
That confidence that Gallardo may have lacked in his freshman year didn’t seem apparent this past season.
The Roadrunner offense was more dangerous this season then any in the past, as they set the record for most goals posted in one season, 46, beating the old record of 41, set twice, most recently in 1991.
As a team, they won 14 games, the most in school history, and Gallardo accomplished something that not even Zanon could do: sending his team into the NCAA Tournament. The appearance was the first ever for the Roadrunners in the program’s history.
"I think that it’s a big step in our program," Gallardo said. "Our first year we came out pretty good, but we had a couple of problems which we are going to fix for this past year.
"We have stepped our game a little, and created better opportunities to solve our problems a lot easier. We played with a lot more heart and courage this past year."
The experience in the NCAA Tournament was something that was helpful to the team.
"It was a great experience, even though we fell short," Gallardo said. "We played our hearts off that game and it always means something to go to the tournament and say you are a part of those top 16 schools in the country but that makes you a better team and makes you look forward to the next season.
With the break out year Gallardo had last season, and with two more years left to play, he could easily break all the scoring records that Zanon set before he graduated, if he can repeat his performances in the next two years.
"I definitely think so," Gallardo said. "Every year I think that my game is getting even better and hopefully next season I can break all the school records."
Gallardo will have to score more then 17 goals next season if he wants to break all of Zanon’s marks next season.
The record watch will begin Aug. 24th, 2001.
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Gallardo makes people say ‘Zanon who?’
Nick Garner
The Metropolitan
When a team loses seven key players, including the all-team leading scorer in
the school’s history, most of the time that equals a rebuilding year.
But not for Metro men’s soccer coach Brian Crookham.
Instead, he guided the Roadrunners to a school best 14 wins and the team’s first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. With that type of a performance, its no wonder why he is The Metropolitan’s Men’s Coach of the Year.
Coming into spring camp last year, the idea of making it to the NCAA Tournament was not out of the question.
"We had a feel coming out of the spring last year," Crookham said. "There was an excitement, some things that kinda gelled.
"We weren’t positive with the player we were bringing in, but we had a pretty good feel for a couple of guys to come in and start and make the difference for us."
The 2000 season was something special, something that the men’s soccer program had never seen in its 15 year existence.
The Roadrunners started off the season quickly; winning nine straight games that included seven shutouts; four straight to open the season. Going through the rest of the season with an unblemished record was something that Crookham felt could not happen.
"You know when you play in a conference like ours it’s a battle," Crookham said "Plus you have to play people twice, that we were going to have days where its just not going to go that way.
"It’s a long season, very few teams in the history of Division II soccer that went a season undefeated. We thought that we could compete in every game that we were in and you never know how it’s going to turn out in the end."
Crookham and the rest of the Roadrunners knew how thing would usually end, and that was in their favor.
For the first time since 1990, the Roadrunners swept Fort Lewis, who at one point last season was ranked No. 1 in the season.
Metro traveled to Durango, Colo., for the first meeting against the Skyhawks. The teams needed two extra periods to find a winner. With 1:33 left in the contest, Tony Thomas found the back of the net to give the Roadrunners a 3-2 win.
In the second meeting, this time at the Auraria Fields, Fort Lewis struck first, scoring less then 10 minutes into the game. But after that, it became the Danny Gallardo show, as he scored three times in the second half to give the Roadrunners the win.
"We match up well against them, we made some adjustments at mid-season that we thought would make us more dangerous against a hardworking team like them," Crookham said. "It was a great result for us, coming off an national title game, we had to go up against the best and Fort Lewis was the best.
Except for when they were playing against the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champions Colorado School of Mines.
All season, Crookham could not find the answer to beating Mines.
The first encounter with the Orediggers was one that Crookham and the rest of the Roadrunners would love to forget.
After beating Fort Lewis two days earlier to extend their winning streak to nine, Metro traveled to Golden to take on Mines in game that Metro should have won.
Metro got off to a quick start, taking the early 1-0 lead, but Mines responded by scoring five unanswered goals and handing the Roadrunners their first loss of the season.
Metro had its chance for redemption on their home field two weeks later and still had a chance of winning the conference title and host the conference tournament.
The game turned into a war, neither side wanting to make the one mistake to lead to the other scoring a goal. But instead of a mistake, Mines scored a unbelievable goal that gave them the win and the right to host the conference tournament.
For Crookham, he only wishes that his team would have met up with Mines in the NCAA Tournament so that they could have chance to redeem themselves
Don’t worry, they will have their chance Sept. 3 when they travel to
Golden to take on Mines.
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From worse to almost first in one year
Nick Garner
The Metropolitan
It’s never easy coming into a program that is coming off its worst season
in the school’s history, losing four starters, and knowing that the coach
that was there the year before was let go after one year.
For Metro volleyball coach Debbie Hendricks, this was more of a challenge then a problem.
"I like the challenge," Hendricks said. "For me coming into that situation, it was a challenge, something that was intriguing to me.
"I knew that we had the resources and we had the staff and then eventually the player personnel to be successful and so that was my perspective, I felt very optimistic."
With only three players back from the 1999 team and eight new faces, Hendricks said that she had expected a lot from them.
"I still had high expectations, I’m just that kind of a person," Hendricks said. "I always expect my teams to win, I always expect that, even under what might be perceived as adverse circumstances. Especially with the talent that had been recruited, I knew that we were going to put together a positive squad."
The squad that she put together was more than just positive they were winning again.
And so is Hendricks, as she is The Metropolitan’s women’s Coach of the Year.
After finishing 10-21 the previous season, Hendricks was brought in to rebuild the program, but instead she turned the program around in one season.
The Roadrunners finished second in a tough Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference East Division and earned a berth into the NCAA Tournament, all things that Hendricks felt the team could have done even before the season started.
"It’s a little bit of a disadvantage," Hendricks said. "Like this year we can look at what we want to accomplish this next year based on what we did last year and what we tried to accomplish in spring set goals based off of that.
"Anytime you are setting goals and you haven’t been together that long, it’s a little more difficult to do, but that is what we were going to try and accomplish."
Besides making it to the NCAA Tournament and the second place finish, the team won 13 straight games that included wins against then No. 10 University of Northern Colorado and No. 22 Regis. But for Hendricks, these accomplishments were not the best of the past season.
"Watching a really good group of people come together and become a team," Hendricks said. "So often in this profession, you are adding two or three to the mix that you already have to the core coming into the core four and add six and watch that that group gel and grow that was probably the best part."
Metro dominated all RMAC teams this past season but one, Nebraska-Kearney. The Roadrunners lost in Kearney, then went on the 13 match winning streak, and it was Kearney that put an end to the streak.
Hendricks said that a part of the problem was that the team was inexperienced and her team did not have the big game experience.
"I think that it was several things, but I think the most important was that their experience in the big games," Hendricks said. "We had a group of kids that were not experienced in the big games and it showed last year. I think that it was the only disappointment but it was to be expected.
"Some of our players have been in state championship games or junior college championships, but it’s a whole different setting."
The scene will be set for the Roadrunners next season and with eight players
coming back next season, they will be ready for the big game experiences.
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Bazana shines in first year at Metro
Nick Garner
The Metropolitan
When you are the new kid on the team, and you don’t know anyone, your game
could take a while before it starts up.
Try telling that to junior Metro volleyball player Marina Bazana, The Metropolitan’s women’s athlete of the year.
A transfer athlete from Western Nebraska Community College, she came to a program that was in shambles after going 10-21 the season before and lost most of the starters as well.
Bazana had the chance to go to a Division I school, but she didn’t want to go to school where she couldn’t help out, so that was why Metro was the sure choice for her.
"I was expecting to do the best that I could," Bazana said. "The things that I could not succeed in, my team helped me out.
And she helped out her team.
The team finished 21-9 and 16-3, good enough for second place in a tough Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference East Division, and after being absent the year before, a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
During the season, the Roadrunners put together a 13 match winning streak that included wins against then No. 10 University of Northern Colorado and No. 22 Regis.
The game against Northern Colorado was Bazana’s best game of the year. She recorded 32 digs, 22 kills and four assists in the Roadrunners five game thriller 15-13, 9-15, 15-11, 18-16, 15-9.
The win in Greeley was the first for Metro since the 1988 season, when they beat the Bears in three straight games, 15-4, 15-12, 15-7.
Bazana was recruited by former coach Janelle Duvall, so when current coach Debbie Hendricks got to Metro, she didn’t know what kind of player she had in Bazana.
"We knew that Marina was a great athlete," Hendricks said. "I didn’t sign Marina, so I didn’t see her until she got here.
"But I knew how well she played in junior college, because her junior college coach is a good friend of (volleyball assistant coach) Todd’s (Raasch), and I trusted that they knew how good she was going to be.
"Part of the reason why Marina was as successful as she was is the fact that we had good player personnel at every position. So we were able to spread the ball around and by the time that it did get to Marina, it put her in a good position to do good things."
Bazana won several individual honors after the season was over. She was named to the RMAC All-Tournament team, she was a first team All-RMAC, named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region team.
Other Metro players have won those awards before, but Bazana won an award that no one has before.
After the season was over, the RMAC coaches voted for her to be the RMAC Player-of-the-Year, the first time a Metro player has been given that honor.
But Bazana would not take all the credit for herself, but rather gave it back to her teammates who helped make it possible.
"I wasn’t expecting it at all," Bazana said. "I think I could have done that just because my teammates and coaches have helped out.
"I was happy and I worked hard for it too."
‘I think I could have done that just because my teammates and coaches
have helped me out’
Maraina Bazana talking about being the first Metro player to win the
RMAC Player-of-the-Year
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Nick picks Metro’s most valuable players
Nick Garner
The Metropolitan
The 200-2001 Most Valuable Players from each of the 10 Metro athletic teams
FALL 2000
Women’s soccer: Janice Armstrong, Senior, Forward. For the second straight season, Armstrong led the Roadrunners in goals, scoring a career-high 13 goals and leading the team to its third straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament.
Men’s soccer: Danny Gallardo, sophomore, forward. (See story page 22).
Volleyball: Marina Bazana, junior, outside hitter. (See story page 23).
WINTER 2000-2001
Men’s basketball: Kane Oakley, senior, center and Rashawn Fulcher, senior, forward. Oakley set career marks in scoring (356), rebounds (195), and blocks (69), setting two records in that category; most blocks in a season, which he set last year with 60, and the all-time record for blocks in a career, 199.
Fulcher was the only player to be around for all of men’s basketball coach Mike Dunlap’s 100 wins. He became a full-time starter in his senior campaign, and with that, he led the team in scoring (13.6) and was second in rebounds (187). As his reward, he was name to the RMAC All-Conference first team.
Women’s basketball: Sara Gordon, senior, guard/forward. In a season in which the women’s basketball team didn’t not flourish, Gordon made the most of it. She led the team in rebounds (7.2), field goal percentage (47.3), assists (60) and steals (59).
Men’s and Women’s swimming and diving: D.J. Hummel, senior, diver and Cari Lewton, senior, diver. For Hummel and Lewton, there was no better way to end their college careers then as All-Americans. Hummel finished seventh on the 1-meter and eighth on the 3-meter at the NCAA Championships while Lewton finished 11th on the 1-meter board and eighth on the 3-meter board.
SPRING 2001
Baseball: Hitter: Jack Edwards, senior, outfield. Pitching: Tim Price, junior, pitcher.
Edwards emerged as the power hitter this season, smashing a team high nine home runs, knocking in a team-leading 39 RBI
On a pitching staff that has been up and down all year, Price has been the leader. He has won five games on the season, tied with senior Bryce Gelhen for the team lead and struck out a team-leading 59 hitters.
Men’s Tennis: Michael Judd, senior, and Jarrad Rexillus, freshman, No. 1 doubles. The combination of these two players helped guide the Roadrunners to the 2001 RMAC title. The two have put together an 8-5 mark this season and will be going to the NCAA region.
Women’s Tennis: Lisa Pascual, junior, No. 3 singles. In her second season
at Metro, Pascual won 12 singles matches, tying her for the team lead with freshman
Rebecca Meares.
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