Volume 21 Issue 10 October 23, 1998 |
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NEWS |
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| Snafu frees stun-gun
suspect Denver police say a paperwork mix-up resulted in the release Oct. 16 of a man whom they say attacked a woman with a stun gun on campus. Judge Brian Campbell issued an arrest warrant and set bail at $5,000 Oct. 20, for Ulises Vier-Solis, the man accused of using a stun gun on campus. Court documents say that he was released due to a "clerical error." Vier-Solis was arrested Oct. 2 on suspicion of using a stun gun on Emi Ichihara, a Japanese exchange student, in the first floor women's rest room in the West Classroom. He fled the restroom when Ichihara screamed, and was later apprehended by students and turned over to campus police. Court documents said Vier-Solis was arraigned Oct. 16 in Denver District Court, where he was to be charged with third degree assault with a stun gun, a class five felony. The crime carries a possible three-year prison sentence. An affidavit by Detective Pennington of the Denver police department said the case file was assigned to a misdemeanor unit and no charging documents were filed. As a result, Vier-Solis, was released without being charged. "I wouldn't like to say it happens often, but it does happen,ä said Chief Deputy District Attorney Lamar Sims. "Fortunately, we acted immediately to rectify the situation." Sims said he will file charges as soon as Vier-Solis is again in custody. |
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| Historian to haunt Tivoli Former Metro history professor Phil Goodstein will present stories of haunted Denver in the Tivoli, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. Goodstein is the author of The Seamy Side of Denver and Ghosts of Capitol Hill, a book about urban sociology and legend. Goodstein also gives guided tours by bus or foot that touch on topics as varied as heads beneath the capitol to Denver architecture. Goodstein blends ghost stories into the surrounding area, said Brian
Wilson, the president of the Metro History Club. The lecture, sponsored by Metroâs History Club, will be in the basement of the Tivoli, next to Sigi's Cabaret. |
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| Bar brawl ends in broken leg A construction worker broke the leg of his colleague and is listed as "at large," according to a Auraria Campus Police and Security report. Ken Powell, the victim, and witness John Neesmith would not name the suspect in police reports or to The Metropolitan. Auraria police reports said Powell was attacked in the men's room in the Boiler Room by a white male wearing a white shirt and blue jeans around 7:10 p.m. Oct. 16. Police made no arrests. Neesmith said he, Powell and the suspect work at Mortenson construction at the Pepsi Center. The three went into the Boiler Room after work, Neesmith said. The police report said the suspect and Powell argued about work. "Ken (Powell) was mouthing off all night," Neesmith said. Powell went into the bathroom. As Powell was buttoning his pants, the suspect attacked him and broke his right leg, the report said. Powell received treatment at Swedish Medical Center for the injury and was released. "It's just a fight between friends," Neesmith said. "Some can hold their alcohol, and some can't. Ken can be stupid with words." Arguments are "pretty routine," said Lawrence Gonzales, co-owner of the Boiler Room. "One guy got hurt so we called the police." He said the Boiler Room is required by law to report fights on the premises. No other fights have been reported in Auraria police records in the Boiler Room this semester. Powell refused comment. |
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| Anti-gay harassment increases at Auraria Twelve reports of anti-gay harassment have been filed with Auraria's office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Student Services since the Matthew Shepard rally Oct 12. The office receives 12 reports a year on average. "The Shepard death felt like an assault on the whole community," said Karen Bensen, director of GLBT. "Gays are feeling more fearful about sharing their sexual orientation." Gabriel Hermelin, of GLBT, had a note left on her car about her rainbow sticker. "Why do you need a sticker on your truck to tell me who you fuck?" it read. "That was a cowardly act. The person who left that note obviously did not understand the effect of their actions. Being a lesbian is much more than who I sleep with," Hermelin said. Equality Colorado has a form for students who have been harassed to fill out in the GLBT office. Students may do this anonymously or can use their names to receive help if necessary. One anonymous report contained acts of verbal harassment by a stranger in one of Auraria's parking lots. A student was approached by a stranger and asked if the person was "one of those queers they're killing?" Linda Cecile, program assistant for GLBT, said professors need to allow representatives from GLBT to come in and speak about these issues. "Homophobia is the last prejudice, but there is no legal recourse," said Cecile. There are various services on campus to help gay and lesbian students
in need: The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans |
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| MetroBriefs Golden Key to hold food drive Collection boxes will be placed around campus Nov. 2 through Nov. 20. The society will be collecting non-perishable food goods, children's toys and books as well as blankets. These items will then be added to the KUSA-TV collection Nov. 21. For more information about the project, contact Brian Barbieri at (303) 832-8057. Psi Chi plans soup kitchen "We've been very busy this fall with the soup kitchen, after-school programs for several area elementary schools and other community service projects," said Psi Chi President Lee Smith. Smith said the group's focus on community service projects promoted good psychological health. The chapter has about 70 members and would welcome new members. To be a member you must be a major or minor in psychology with a GPA of 3.0 and want to be active in community service projects. If you have questions or would like more information about Psi Chi, contact Smith at (303) 377-6725. |
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| Schoettler: Cut college hassle Cutting down on bureaucratic hassle is the best way to improve higher education in Colorado, gubernatorial candidate Gail Schoettler told a crowd on campus Oct. 19. "How many times have some of you walked into financial aid and all you do is get a long list of rules that you have to follow?" Schoettler asked students in the Tivoli Turnhalle. It's that kind of headache that leads many students to forget about college altogether, she said. Schoettler came to campus for a debate with Republican challenger Bill Owens. If elected governor, she said she would work to see that college professors and administrators are easily available to advise students. She also said colleges should track graduates as they enter the workforce to assure they received adequate training to be successful. If students aren't doing well after they graduate, colleges should change their approach to fix the problem, she said. "We need to be constantly willing to adapt," she said. Owens stuck to criticizing Colorado colleges for tuition rate increases that he says price some students out of an education. "I'm afraid that we're moving toward a system where only the wealthy can go to college," Owens said. Schoettler said the Colorado Commission on Higher Education made the right decision recently when it backed down from penalties for schools that fail to meet goals for ethnic minority graduation rates. "Legally, they had no choice," she said. "Because it would look like quotas." But she stopped short of condemning affirmative action completely. "I would not be where I am today if it weren't for affirmative action," she said. Schoettler was elected lieutenant governor in 1994. Before that, she was state treasurer for eight years and president of the Denver Childrenâs Museum board for 10 years. |
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| She said, he said Candidates for Colorado governor debated community issues Oct. 19 at the Tivoli. Gail Schoettler and Bill Owens met in the Tivoli Turnhalle to answer questions focusing on transportation, education and urban growth. The debate posed questions for the candidates, compiled by Metroâs Student Activities office. The office compiled the questions in advance to keep the candidates from staging questions from the audience, said Karmin Trujillo, a Metro student and events coordinator for Student Activities. Schoettler focused the debate on her experience as Colorado's lieutenant governor since 1994. She said 10 years ago Colorado had one of the worst economies in the country. Now it's got one of the strongest, she said. But Owens said, "We can do better." Owens criticized Schoettler and Colorado Gov. Roy Romer for building a massive state bureaucracy while in office, He said one of his first orders of business would be to reduce that bureaucracy. At least four times during the debate, Owens reminded the approximately 500 in attendance of his endorsements by Colorado's major daily newspapers. Schoettler, though, said there are only three governors in the country who are women, and offered a challenge of her own: "We can do better." In her closing remarks, Schoettler said Owens had contradicted himself during the debate and produced a visual aid noting his past positions on issues. She asked the attendees of the event to vote for the candidate they trusted. "(Schoettler) was more aggressive," said Jazette Gallop, a Metro freshman. "She seems like she'll get more done. I like her plan for the future." Other students were skeptical of the event. "I think it's just a big show," said Brandi Langus, another Metro freshman. "A lot of promises they're making aren't going to be kept. People make promises they can't keep ... Anything to get more young people involved is great, though." Although skeptical, Langus also supported Schoettler in the end. "Schoettler's view on education was very important to me," Langus added. "She doesn't believe in taking money out of the public education system." Owens' statement about keeping the rate of tuition increases down also got cheers. "Year after year after year, I see tuition rates doubling that of the rate of inflation," Owens said. "We need to hold tuition cost at a rate for the average Coloradan." Schoettler agreed, but emphasized that good economic times are a signal to invest for the future. The election will be Nov. 3. |
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| Owens: Keep tuition competitive Colorado colleges and universities need to keep tuition competitive with universities around the country, said Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Owens. "We have the best system of higher education in the world, which
is why so many students attend here," he said. Owens said as governor, he would appoint members to college governing boards that would "be driven by a desire to see more dollars in the classroom rather than overhead." Owens also said he agrees with the Colorado Commission on Higher Education's decision to no longer penalize colleges and universities for not graduating a set percentage of minority students. "I don't think we should have set quotas for graduation based on race or sex," he said. "When we ask the question of affirmative action, we need to be specific. If affirmative action means any type of aggressive outreach in a way that means underrepresented parts of our population have an equal place at the table, then I'm for it. However, if affirmative action means that because of the color of your skin, sex or sexual preference, you get special treatment, then I'm opposed to it. "Graduation ought to mean the person has completed a set course assignment," he added. Bill Owens graduated from Austin State University in 1973 and received his masters of public administration from the University of Texas in 1975. He moved to Colorado in 1977. |
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| Children urged to vote Colorado children are helping to increase voter turnout this election season. Kids Voting Colorado, a co-sponsor of Monday's gubernatorial debate at the Tivoli Oct. 19, encourages students and their parents to participate in the electoral process by voting. The organization conducted a poll at the debate Oct. 19. Audience members were given ballots and asked to vote for the gubernatorial candidate of their choice. Gail Schoettler won the impromptu poll with 69 percent of the vote. Bill Owens received 29 percent, Libertarian candidate Sandra Johnson received 2 percent and American Constitution Party candidate Tim Leonard received no votes. Through school programs, children are encouraged to help their parents register to vote. The children accompany their parents to the polls on election day and cast their own mock votes. This "trickle-up effectä helps increase voter turnout while educating future voters about current issues and the election process. "We provide an effective, straight-forward program for increasing civic participation among current and future generations of voters," said Jeff Short, executive director of Kids Voting Colorado. Sponsored by Kids Vote USA, Kids Vote Colorado currently includes more than 240,000 students and 5,700 teachers in the program. More than 8,000 volunteers have signed up to assist student voters at the polls on Nov. 3. Kids Vote Colorado is a non-partisan, non-profit organization. The curriculum avoids teaching about specific candidates and issues, instead focusing on the electoral process. They are seeking volunteers for the upcoming election. For information, call (303) 839-6303. |
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| New faces on college board? The Board of Trustees for the State Colleges in Colorado will have five out of seven positions open to be appointed by the next governor. The board sets policies, establishes programs and allocates funds via the Colorado Commission on Higher Education for Adams State College, Mesa State College, Metro and Western State College. "I would appoint people to governing boards who would look at why tuition raises twice as fast as inflation," said Bill Owens, one of the gubernatorial candidates who debated at Auraria Oct. 19. Owens said candidates don't discuss the specifics of who they will appoint. Pam Wagner, the board's lobbyist for 12 years, said traditionally, a republican governor will try to appoint members so there is at least one more republican than democrat, and a democratic governor will do the same. Wagner said over the years the board's political affiliations haven't been as important as the task of being responsible watchdogs for tax-payer dollars. She said members of both parties on the board tend to be fiscally conservative. Cile Chavez, the board's chairwoman, said, "We don't really function from a partisan point of view." Chavez also noted that Owens isn't in favor of Referendum B, a measure that would give money to colleges for building costs, which would mean the colleges would have to borrow money from the general funds if it's not passed. Wagner said, "Both of these people (Schoettler and Owens) have shown commitments to education." She said Schoettler once served as a board member and Owens served on the education committee in the legislature. |
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| U.S. Pacifist Party premiers On Nov. 3, when Democrats and Republicans engage in their final electoral battle, Coloradans will be the first in history to have the option of voting for the U.S. Pacifist Party. For the party to be included on the 98 ballot, it had to acquire 1,000 voters' signatures, more than half of which he said came from students at Auraria Campus. The party's Colorado candidate for senate is 30-year-old Gary Swing of Denver. He is the youngest candidate running for senate this year and is the first candidate from the Pacifist Party to be included on a ballot ever. "We support the abolition of war," said Swing. "We believe that any kind of violent warfare is a crime against humanity. It is morally unacceptable and a practical mistake. We want a non-violent government." Swing said the Pacifist Party wants a non-violent military that would defend and intervene in foreign and domestic affairs by organizing and supporting mass demonstrations, as well as training foreign countries in non-violent tactics and strategies. The party, founded by Bradford Lyttle in Chicago in 1984, also supports the world-wide destruction of all weapons of war, the abolition of the death penalty, universal health care and full federal funding for education. "We have no chance of winning," Swing said. "But it is essential that we try to change the voting system in the U.S. Our biggest goal was to actually get a candidate on the ballot." Jenny Krejci, 22, a Metro student and Republican, said she's never heard of the U.S. Pacifist Party and still plans to vote Republican. "I don't agree with any of their views except for trying to change the voting system," she said. |
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| Iranian nationals confused about law interpretation An Iranian Colorado State University professor might be unable to continue his research and teaching in the United States because of a prohibition on goods and services imported from Iran. "If I have to leave the United States it will be a terrible point in my life," Kaveh Aminsarhangpour said. In May 1995, President Clinton prohibited importing Iranian goods or services into the United States. The President said in an executive order, "All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order." Auraria has three Iranian students who could be affected by the order,
said an Institutional Research spokeswoman. Aminsarhangpour said, "The main problem is that different government agencies have different opinions about the word "resident." I have no idea of the Immigration and Naturalization Service's opinion, which is more important then the others." The INS has not released any statements according to immigration bulletins. "Because of the State Department's order, offering a work visa to Iranian people has become illegal. I have been able to extend it until now, since I have been living in the United States.ä Aminsarhangpour explained that he has a restricted-work visa. Aminsarhangpour is a doctor in veterinary obstetrics, reproduction and reproductory diseases. He taught previously at the University of Illinois and recently taught veterinary students at CSU and worked in the school's veterinary hospital. The professor said he intends to increase Colorado's cattle industry's sales with a reproductive management procedure for large dairy operations he pioneered. The professor plans to set a reference center for dairy operations with high profit results with public and environmental health in mind. "I do not know what my future will be if I cannot stay in the U.S.," he said. |
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| Tivoli administrators track foot traffic Tivoli administrators conducted surveys Sept. 12-15 to examine students' use of the building. They found approximately 133,485 people visited the building during the week, compared with approximately 50,000 during a one-week survey during the 1998 summer semester. "It's basically a pedestrian traffic count," said Barb Weiske, director of the Tivoli. "We utilize the information to tell us how many people are using the building," she said. Weiske said the pedestrian traffic survey shows the habits of people visiting the Tivoli and helps to identify where the people enter. "The southeast corner by Domino's Pizza is the most heavily trafficked area during the week because traditional day students enter here. Approximately 60 percent of the traffic enters here," Weiske said. Although the entrance is tight and uncomfortable, students use it because it is the closest entrance to the Tivoli from the classrooms of the Auraria campus, she said. Weiske said long-range plans need to be developed to improve this entrance. The Tivoli staff has discussed building an atrium entrance as a possible solution for the southeast entrance traffic. "The problem with widening this entrance is it is sandwiched between
two historical portions of the building, the There are structural concerns with the building, and walls may need to be rebuilt before any future planning can be done. "The first priority is taking care of the building. We want to be good custodians," Weiske said. Weiske said the north and west entrances are the most frequently used entrances during the weekends because people visit the AMC theater or Boiler Room restaurant. "The most heavily trafficked facility at the beginning of each semester is the bookstore," Weiske said. |
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COMMENTARY |
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| Promises to keep? News: Views: It's politics - and clichés - as usual. Gubernatorial candidates Gail Schoettler and Bill Owens followed long-established tradition in a so-called debate at the Tivoli Oct. 19. At the rare points where they actually disagreed, usually on money matters, the position of governor barely allows the state's top executive to carry out his or her agenda. Take transportation. Both say they would improve highways and mass transit. The only substantial difference is Schoettler said she would use the state budget surplus to pay for it, while Owens said he would pay with federal and private funds. Good luck to them both, but Colorado law makes the governor's office especially weak when it comes to distributing out state funds. The state's budget is handled first in the legislature's Joint Budget Committee and then voted on by the entire assembly. Sure, the governor can veto a budget bill, but it's pretty unlikely considering that the JBC waits until only a few days before the session is up to introduce a budget. It's just one example of many happy platitudes spouted by Owens and Schoettler that are unlikely to translate to reality. Colorado's political system also takes power away from the governor by making many important positions elective, not appointed, including the secretary of state, the state treasurer, the attorney general and several top educational posts. But that's politics, right? A contest of ideas. Well, there was no contest at this debate. Both candidates repeated classic political mantras. Schoettler: The Romer-Schoettler administration has been good for Colorado. Owens: We can do better. We've seen better fights in Mike Tyson's first post-prison boxing matches. Schoettler stood statue-like addressing the crowd, while Owens sweated it out bouncing from one leg to the other. The only thing bordering on excitement was at the very end when Schoettler angled for the last word and used it to slam Owens for his ties to the oil lobby. It was a low blow because Owens had no chance to respond. Ironically, in his closing statement only moments before, Owens gushed with pride in how clean the campaign has been. In the end, voters seemingly have little choice in this election. It's another case of two career politicians vying for the bland middle. |
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| Hate - lessons learned Years ago, I was just as ignorant as the people who tortured and killed Matthew Shepard, the homosexual student attending the University of Wyoming. Although I never used physical violence like his murderers, I used slurs, jokes and verbal abuses. Many people don't realize that verbal abuse is a form of torture. I didn't, until I saw its effect myself. About 10 years ago, I rented a house with friends I worked with. I later learned that two of the roommates were gay. The house and rent were great, so I kept my mouth shut. I expected the worst. I dreaded sleep, wondering when they would come for me. I expected to return from work to find them chasing each other around in their underwear and having sex all over my furniture. Worst of all, I feared people would find out that I was living with them. I didn't want to be branded as gay. My ignorance exemplifies the state of mind of Shepard's killers and most of the people in society. A couple students shouting, "Fuck the gays!" at the Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual and Trans awareness rally memorializing Shepard Oct. 12 is one example of ignorance on campus. Another example is the art display organized by GLBT. People would come in, then leave when they found out a homosexual advocacy organization was behind it. People persecute others because they don't understand them. My roommates never came for me. As a matter of fact, I would have never known they were gay if they hadn't told me. They actually became the best roommates ever, and we became good friends. During that time I learned what my verbal comments did. I never thought about the effect of my words until they talked about what other people did and said to them. Words hurt. I found myself feeling lower than low. What do you say to a friend hurting because something you once did yourself? I didn't know what to do. I condemned the ignorant comments of the abusers, condemning myself in the process. I never told them what I did before I knew them. I just changed. Every person is stereotyped some time in their life through ignorance. Homosexual men and women are no different than anyone else. Once I knew better, my homophobia vanished. One of my fears did come true. When my friends found out, they accused me of being gay. Although I lost some friends, I gained new ones. One thing I didnât realize was that women seem to flock to homosexual men. This might be because they are not perceived as a threat and women think they don't have to worry about being hit on. I didn't mind at all. |
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| You don't see color, you don't see me I don't make it a practice of responding to letters. But in this case, I'll make an exception. This goes out to Shawna Whitacre: In the fall of 1993, I was a freshman at the University of Northern Colorado. You may not remember this, but that was the semester the school made prime time national news. What happened was, some good ol' boys from the aromatic town of Greeley had made their way onto campus, passing out a little flyer their local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan had printed. At the top of the flyer was printed, "Nigger Hunting License." The rest of the flyer went on (in excruciatingly poor mechanics and grammar) to point out why it was this special hunting season, and even offered up rewards for bag limits. Earlier that same semester, I was involved in two physical confrontations over the fact that I am a Jew. Needless to say, the University of No Color was a bit remiss in its racial sensitivity policies. After the Klan's visit, there was a rally involving a few hundred students against the act. Individual students were each taking a few moments to take center stage and voice their anger and hurt about the events that had transpired. All of the students who spoke were black. And then a white girl took the stage. Her opinions mirrored yours, Shawna. She pointed out that while she felt she owed no one an apology for the transgressions of her ancestors, what had happened was terrible, and should not be allowed to happen on "her" campus. Then she said she didn't see color, only people. You said, "I have chosen to disregard color and look at the person." And that is why the Ku Klux Klan can pass out "Nigger hunting licenses" today. I guess it's understandable. I know how disenfranchised you white people must feel. You must struggle hard to exhibit those facets of your ancestral cultures that separate you from other white people. Italians, Irish, Polish — you all had a rough time finding jobs when you came to this country, experiencing hardship upon hardship because of where you were from. Then, to be accused of racial wrongdoing and bigotry and prejudice — it's just so unfair. No, you say, it's time to blur the lines of race. It's time we looked past skin color and said, "We're all the same." You self-important, pompous bigot. Maybe you have no identity to proudly cling to and cherish. Does that give you the right to strip me of mine? How dare you stand there and refuse to evaluate me as a whole person, the sum of all my parts, past and present. What gives you the right to refuse to see my heritage as a long and rich history, full of beauty and color? Sure, you're disenfranchised. But I'm not. And neither are any of the rest of us non-whites who created the world. Refusing to see color is refusing to accept color. Refusing to see a difference is refusing to accept a difference. Refusing to accept a difference leaves the door open for ignorance-slinging hate mongers like the KKK. And it all starts with you. So, quit complaining about your multicultural requirement. "What about white history classes?" you ask. It's all been white history, sister. It's all been your version of what happened. Open your mind up to learning about the beauty of other cultures. Read about the Massai warriors and the Aztecs and the ancient Hebrews. Learn to see and appreciate color and difference. Then, you can learn to embrace it. |
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| Don't violate victim's privacy Editor: I would like to protest the use of the victim's name in your headline story "Female Student Assaulted" (Oct. 9). This was an editorial decision by The Metropolitan, which chose to disregard the victim's request to not be identified. The student, through the director of her school, had asked that her name not be revealed. The Metropolitan news editor Sean Weaver and reporter Tara Trujillo decided that against the victim's wishes; they would print her name and school affiliation under the justification of "accuracy." Prior to the publication of the article, I spoke at length about the student's wishes with Mr. Weaver with Ms. Trujillo present for some of the discussion. The angle of the story, I was told, was to focus on the students who apprehended the attacker. However, the newspaper did not feel it necessary to print the names of these heroes, but instead chose to print the name of the victim. In a rather crass statement to me, Mr. Weaver pointed out that had the victim been raped, her name would not have been printed. The Advocate (Oct. 7) offers an excellent contrast in what a good news story can be. In its article, the information was presented so as to inform the campus community of the attack and remind students to be careful and aware. At the same time, the article took into consideration the request of the victim. The story is accurate, and shows a compassion toward the victim that is lacking in the work of Ms. Trujillo. The Metropolitan article would have been no less accurate had the story read, "A 23-year-old student from Japan, who asked that her name not be revealed..." I'm disappointed in the direction The Metropolitan seems to be taking toward tabloid journalism. I applaud and thank the students who reacted in a pro-active way to apprehend the attacker and who demonstrated to an international student that acts of kindness can be found on the Auraria campus. I feel that Mr. Weaver and Ms. Trujillo have discredited themselves by turning into attackers who hide behind a guise of "journalism" and "accuracy." Sincerely, |
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Metropolitan perpetuates racism Editor: I can no longer hold my silence. Week after week you print letters and articles which hurt my heart. Yes, I am a white person who comes from a long line of white people. I am just about as Anglo as a person could get. But I refuse to feel ashamed of my heritage. My ancestors came to this country from Germany and Italy, and they were denied jobs, courtesy and respect because of their heritage. They worked their tails off doing work that no one else wanted to so they could provide for their families. Thus I am sick and tired of reading about how you were so mistreated and the world owes you a debt because of it. What gives you the right to blame me for your suffering? I have chosen to disregard color and look at the person. Thanks to people like Michael Byrd, (Sept. 25) racism is alive and well here at Metro. Shawna K. Whitacre |
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Matthew: 'I will remember you' Dear Matthew Shepard: You don't know me, nor can you know what you have come to represent for me since the events that took your life just recently. Like you, I am gay, and like you, I have been optimistic about being open about my gayness. The sense that you seemed to have that if you are nice to someone, they will return the favor, is one that I also maintain(ed). My lesson about this belief was a much easier and unbelievably less painful one, one that came at the expense of your life. How the weight of your death has me reeling with sadness and fear and anger and loss. The loss of you, Matthew, is huge, and I stand in a place of never having known you. There is a hole in this community where you belong, and I think you should know that I will forever be aware of it. Today, for almost the fifth day in a row, that picture of you is on the front page of all the newspapers. I wonder where that picture was taken. I wonder what or whom you were smiling that sideward smile at. Was it your parents, or a friend, or maybe your lover at the time? At a rally in your honor, your friends stood and spoke about who you were. Your friends spoke of your overwhelming kindness and generosity and of your desire to make change in this world. Some of them referred to you as "little Matt" and in my mind I easily imagined being your friend. What were those boys imagining that night when they hung you from a fence and left you there to die? Who told them in their lives that men who love men should be so loathed? More importantly, who told them otherwise? Who, if anyone, stopped them the first time they used the word "faggot" back in elementary school? Where would you be if someone had taken the time to stand up for you and people like you? I can say with certainty that you would still be here - unafraid, generous and brave. I am making a promise to you that I will remember you. I will remember, as difficult as it is, what those two kids did to you and what it represents. I will be brave about who I am, just as you were that night, and I will be proud. I will not let fear make me small. I will remember you when I hold my girlfriend's hand on campus; when I stand in front of a classroom as a teacher and tell them that gayness is not a disease; when I act as a role-model for children who have no experience with gay people, except through the media; and when I love who I want because you and people like you gave your lives for such freedoms. I will remember you, and I am sorry. With incredible amounts of respect, |
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Paper misses point on Columbus Day Editor: Nothing upsets me more than to see the press not report objectively on a printed story. People who read these stories are spoon-fed incidents that just did not happen. This is exactly what you should clear up! In your Oct. 16 issue of The Metropolitan, the story titled "Groups protest holiday" contained so much misleading information that I wonder if the reporter was actually there, or if the story was written by the people who attended this protest with their own agendas. The story should have read, "El dia de la raza," (The day of
the races). This day has been celebrated in the This day is celebrated now as the day Americans decided to rid America of racism. The fact is, Metropolitan, that this protest was entitled "Defeat Racism." The majority of the participants at the protest understood exactly why they were there. The photo used in the Oct. 16 issue was a moment when a person, who was
not a student on any of the three campuses, was asked to allow a student
to speak since he had already spoken. This is what I would have liked
Helen Giron-Mushfiq |
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FEATURES |
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Alumnus of Authority
In 1968 Tom Sanchez, Denver's new police chief, fresh from Abraham Lincoln High School, found himself staring down the barrel of an uncertain future. Stuck in a back breaking meat delivery job by day to pay for engineering night classes at Metro, Sanchez said he was eager to find a better way to make it. One day a newspaper ad from the Law Enforcement Assistance Program caught his attention: "Be somebody. Be a cop. We'll pay your college tuition." The only catch was that Sanchez had to serve one year as a cop for each year of tuition the city paid. Eager to help people and find an easier way to pay for college, Sanchez filled out an application, and on Jan. 1, 1969, became a police cadet. He became an officer the following year, working 25 hours a week while attending college. He graduated from Metro in 1971. He did become somebody. Earlier
this month, Sanchez, 49, became the first Hispanic posted in the role
of As a deputy chief handed him
a stack of manila folders full of police officer candidates, Sanchez said
the "It's a lot of work, but it pays big dividends," he said as he looked over a few folders. "We are the people who put the prosecution's case together. We have to know what things need to be presented to win a case." Sanchez was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico and came to Denver at age 4. He admits he wasn't an angel growing up, but he never was trouble for the law either. Wistfully, Sanchez said he remembers how different Auraria is now compared to when he attended in the late 1960s. "You used to have to bicycle from place to place. That was when the White Mule, on Colfax and Elati, was the student union, and you had to take physical education classes at the YMCA." From cycling to and from classes to delivering meat at his old job and eventually serving as an officer, Sanchez got to learn the streets of Denver well. Although he said he enjoys his new position, he misses working on the streets. "I became a cop for the field work. The work really means something in terms of direct contact." Sanchez said he has a lot of lofty goals for his new position, including establishing more community police-type beats. Remembering how he preferred his field experience he said, "Community police probably was how everything was done at one time. The beat cop really can get a feel for the community." During his years with the Denver police, Sanchez has helped to plan security for several of Denver's large-scale international events including Pope John Paul's 1993 visit, the 1997 Summit of Eight and the two Oklahoma bombing trials. His first test as Denver's top cop was monitoring the recent Mexican Independence Day activities throughout the city. During a few past Hispanic celebrations, including Cinco de Mayo, there had been clashes between local Hispanic youths and Denver police. Also, because Sanchez is Hispanic, he said he felt many people would closely scrutinize his actions during the celebration. However, he had been a part of the activity planing since 1993 and said he feels the extra attention to his actions are unwarranted. There was very little trouble at this year's Mexican Independence celebration. But Sanchez said he would be the first to admit that the fact that he is Hispanic neither helped or hurt how people would behave at the celebration. The scrutiny was there, but it did not affect how we performed our job," he said. As for Auraria campus concerns, Sanchez said he worked with Campus Police Chief Joe Ortiz and trusts his methods of operations. He said he expects to see no changes in how Denver police works with the Auraria Campus Police and that they will continue to have a cooperative relationship. Sanchez said he is proud to be one of many prominent Denver Metro alumnus, and he hopes to be a good role model for all students, not just a Hispanic leader. |
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Baca's pick The good news: If you can only see one show this weekend, make it Steven Dietz's Private Eyes at the Aurora Fox, 9900 E. Colfax Ave. The bad news: It closes Saturday. It wasn't seen till recently, but this production rocks the mic. It's a rare example of superior acting and directing on the same stage in Denver. The fantastic script tells the deceitful story of Lisa (Trina Magness) cheating on her husband, Matthew (Dan O'Neill), with their hot-shot director from England, Adrian (Joe Miller). As a play within a play, the couple is under the direction of Adrian. During the process, Lisa falls for the Brit and they sneak around behind Matthew's back - almost. It turns out that Matthew knows about the affair for a while, only he calculates to get his own sweet revenge against the two. The audience barely notices the characters. They are inconspicuous, and the evening flys as the audience is engrossed with the story. Kudos out to director David Payne, for the au natural approach to the performance. This show will leave you thinking about a topic that is as universal as lust: infidelity and the retaliation that comes thereafter. If you've ever cheated on someone, you'll appreciate this play. If you've never cheated on someone, you'll still dig it, as it is insightful and accurate with emotions and expressions. Call the Fox at (303) 361-2910. |
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Wild Will strikes (again) Seeing The Will Rogers Follies for the first time is loads of fun. The musical, about the mega-man that stood for human rights and other great causes, beats all expectations. It's a lot of fun, and the music is worthy of excessive toe-tapping and head-bobbing. But the second time, as with anything, is less impressive. Especially when it's basically the same cast as the first time. Boulder's Dinner Theatre has remounted its Follies with generally the same cast. It's just as impressive (the rope work is better as the actors have had time to practice), but it's just a carbon copy of 1995's Follies. Really, there's nothing new to report. But if you missed it last time ... It takes the form of Ziegfeld Follies, and takes Will (A.K. Klimpke) through his entire life. Starting at birth, Will is born to the very proud Clem Rogers (DP Perkins). Will grows up, gets kicked out of schools and moves to the Argentine, where he'll learn to be a real cowboy. His father's against it, but allows him to go. Will later joins a festival as the headlining roper, gets married and ultimately performs in Vaudeville. His marriage to Betty Blake (Shelly Cox-Robie), which comes out-of-order because Ziegfeld's acts always end with the wedding, gave Will an anchor he never had before. He now reports to home, and the marriage suffers great tension as he is always on the road. The looming ending is Roger's death, which comes in the form of a plane crash in Alaska with his friend Wiley Post (Wayne Kennedy). The musical is a true pleaser. It's initial impression comes off with a Western spin, but even the most vehement Country music haters will enjoy themselves. Most of the audience leaves the theater humming the show's theme "Never Met a Man I Didn't Like" (which is also Roger's moniker). The high-energy "Our Favorite Son" is a energetic trollop through Roger's bid for the presidency. "The Big Time" plays with meaty rhthyms and introduces the Rogers' four kids: Will Jr., Mary, James and Freddie. The acting and singing in the show are full-force and a pleasure. Klimpke and Perkins have the roles down pat (and they should after the second time). Klimpke's delivery of humor on timely subjects (a Rogers trademark) is credibly better. Perkins' sarcastic nature exceeds that of last time, and that says a lot. The kids playing the Rogers kids are fantastic. Making their debut, even, is Bitel and Olyvia Beyette, the daughters of Director Scott Beyette and Ziegfeld Girl Joanie Brosseau-Beyette. The Drugstore Cowboys (a group of strapping barbershopin' men who follow Will and add bold harmonies to his rants) are a pleasure. They seem better in this production than the last time. Their synchronicity in "Our Favorite Son," along with the rest of the cast, is strictly the deal and amazing to watch. Call BDT , 5501 Arapahoe Ave. at (303) 449-6000. |
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Hoity-toity Hapgood stays half good At first mention, Hapgood sounds just like half-good. After seeing the Hunger Artists Ensemble production of the play (at the LIDA Project through Oct. 31), it's obvious that it is only half good. This Tom Stoppard play is billed as an espionage thriller, and maybe it has the potential to be just that. But this performance is not a great example from which to take from. The story goes along confusing lines resembling that of a 007 diatribe
or Get Smart episode. Complete with switching brief cases in the bathroom,
walkie-talke speech in codes and characters named Maggs, Wates and Its subplot deals with particle physics, positional geometry and quantum sciences - all of which are too heavy and drag the play down. One character speaks with a heavy Russian accent and makes analogies to the complicated mathematical sciences at every opportunity. This is unfortunate for the audience. Intellectuality is always expected from a Stoppard play, but even the most intellectual of plays need the slightest trace of a recognizable plot. Perhaps the plot is there, but it gets lost in the interpretation (which is muggy and confined in the small LIDA space). The acting in the show is relatively on. A lot of accents on the same stage tend to make characters more clear, but in this case it made the evening even more blurry. Unpolished accents are the cause, and the audience getting lost is the effect. It's a play where an audience member will have no clue what is happening in front of him or her one second, then change and understand completely the next second, only to be clueless again in the next scene. The second act is much better than the first, but actors should warm up before they're an hour into the show. Lisa Mumpton's Hapgood was commendable. She carried the leading role with flair and confidence. Her character had the diva of a Bond girl, and she played a complicated role victoriously showing her multifaceted adaptability. Helping the company out is the jumpy stage design. The two simple walls create many different options for different locales and times of day. Nonetheless, Hapgood stays only half good. Call the LIDA,180 S. Cherokee at (303) 893-5438. |
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Unlocking the views of culture She calls herself a traveler. A traveler through time and space, traveling through various identities and gender roles. Kate Bornstein, a transgendered author and performance artist, spoke to students at Auraria Oct. 15 about her life experiences. As part of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual Awareness Month and Metro Student Activities Lecture series, Bornstein entertained and enlightened students with humorous skits, personal anecdotes and cultural commentaries. "When I finally went through my gender change, and no one else was writing about it, I didn't want anybody else to go through the same bullshit I went through when I was a kid," she said. "So, I figured I'd write these books for the kids." Bornstein has written Gender Outlaw; Nearly Roadkill, co-written with Caitlin Sullivan and My Gender Workbook, writings that show one how to transcend the cultures prevailing view of identity and gender to prevent being locked into dichotomies. "If I seem to be breaking down barriers on binaries like man, woman, straight, queer, it's only because I think humanity's struggle is to find the real binaries like life and death, like chaos and order, like good and evil. We've got to break those suckers down, but we're never going to do it unless we practice on the easy ones like gender, sexuality, race, class, physical body types," Bornstein said. "That's given to us as practice. That's the easy stuff." Bornstein redefined for the crowd what it meant to be straight and what it means to be queer in our culture. She said straight does not mean herterosexual, but is anyone who is puritanically repressed or repressive, while queer is anyone living life on their terms. Bornstein was born Albert Herman in Neptune, New Jersey, in the 1940s. She described her boyhood as being a confused and overweight Jewish boy who was madly in love with girls all the time. "It was not the happiest childhood, but I don't think many kids have a happy childhood in the culture," she said. "Not if growing up means going so rigidly into some identity that you can never escape from." After living in Neptune for 14 years, Bornstein said she went to an all-boys prep school,college and a year of graduate school. She majored in theater arts. From there, Bornstein said she just traveled from place to place, working in a number of different jobs. "l've called 57 places home," she said. "I tried being every kind of man I felt l could be." "I was first mate on an ocean-going yacht. I was a minister in this weird cult. I'd been an actor. I'd been a husband. I'd been a father. I'd been a hippie boy. I'd been a nice Jewish man. None of it was working," she said. Bornstein said she knew from nursery school that she was a woman, but it wasn't until her 30s that she was able to come to terms with it. "When my father passed on ... this huge pressure to be the perfect son just kind of lifted off," she said. Bornstein decided to have her genitals transformed in the late 1980s. "The first fun part was waking up after the surgery," she said. "The second fun part was a month later when I had my first orgasm." Bornstein said it was never her intention to become the guru on gender issues. "I didn't go through my gender change in order to write about it, talk about it, preach about it, encourage anybody else to do it," Bornstein said. "I went through my gender change So that l could embody some of the qualities of the heros I grew up with. "I grew up when Hollywood stars were like, so fabulous." Currently, Bornstein lives in New York and works for project Safe Space, helping "queer" kids who live on the streets. "To put money on the table, I'm a dean at Miss Vera's Finishing School for boys who want to be girls," she said."These men come in from all over the world and we change them into the girls of their dreams." Bornstein said she has just recently celebrated her one year anniversary with her female lover, Barbara Carrellas. "She was recently named the top tantric sex teacher in New York City," Bornstein said. Although Bornstein's work has been focused on gender issues, she says she is ready to move on. "I'd like to get back on the stage and quit talking about gender for awhile." For right now, however, Bornstein will live in paradox, or what she says is the Japanese word "Mu." The nothing that is something. |
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Learn before it's too late — intern Not everything can be learned in the classroom. Going into a career without a bit of experience can be like being thrown straight into the frying pan. By interning with a real company, students get a glimpse of job demands, working environment, and inside techniques of their future field. Metro students who have already tested the waters agree that internships are a crucial part of learning. "You just get the basics in school, you get the whole picture in an internship," said Kathy Rodriguez, a Metro senior and broadcast-radio major. Rodriguez started interning with KTCL radio in her junior year. She explained that the hands-on experience helped her build confidence in her working ability, and it changed her view on the radio industry. Carrie Christensen, a Metro junior and education major, had an eye-opening experience when she interned with an urban middle school. "It really shows you why a foreign language is so important in this day and age," she said. Many problems arose that she never expected, and it helped her to see how a professional would handle them. In a survey of 72 Metro students, 81 percent of students never had an internship. Only 54 percent of those students knew how to get an internship if they desired one. The most common ways to get an internship are through personal connections,
individual inquiry, and the Metro student, Thaun-Thaun Mguyen, obtained an internship with U S West Dex, working with computer software and hardware, through the Co-operative office. "I love where I work. The people at the Co-op office were very helpful," Mguyen said, U S West Dex client services manager, Linn Gates, explained that college offices are not the only way to get an internship. "Don't overlook the aspect of knowing a manager in the business. Sometimes Human Resources are the last ones to know when we need people," Gates said. Cristen Salazar, a Metro junior and political science major, landed an internship with the Bloomsbury Review after his grandfather met the editors at a banquet. Salazar started off as an editorial intern with the national book magazine, and became the assistant editor for the "News from Mexico" section. Salazar writes reviews about books from Mexico. Businesses agree that getting on the inside can create future opportunities. "Generally getting in the job is more important than the resume," Gates said. However, the application process is a crucial step, particularly the interview. David Leavitt, a financial consultant who worked with NASA, the United Nations, and the Peace Corp, said, "The interview counts for 90 percent of why I hire an intern." Leavitt went through the Presidential Management Internship Program for graduates. It allowed him to travel around the world with his career. Application for this program should be available in the career center. Julia Loya, a KTCL internship advisor, said, "I recommend that students be persistent. If you don't hear from us, call back. Your application could easily slip through the cracks." There is a thick line between the classroom and experience in the real world. Internships can be a way to mend the gap. |
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| McDermott is interim AD The days are getting longer for Metro volleyball coach Joan McDermott. Not just because the volleyball season is approaching playoff time, but because McDermott is also taking on more responsibilities in the athletics department. McDermott was named the interim Athletics Director Oct. 20 for the departing William Helman. Helman, who directed athletics at Metro for 17 years, is retiring effective Nov. 1. McDermott, who is in her fifth year as volleyball coach and the department's senior women's administrator, says the appointment is only temporary as a national search is conducted to hire a permanent athletics director "as quickly as possible." Deadline to apply for the job is Oct. 24, according to Joe Arcese, vice president of Administration and Finance. Arcese says it will take roughly a month for the 10-member search committee to go over the applicants. The committee will then recommend three or four applicants to Arcese and he will conduct interviews and make a decision as to who to hire as permanent athletics director. His decision then must be approved by Metro President Sheila Kaplan. At press time, Arcese said there has been about 15 applicants and he expects between five and 10 more. He hopes to have the position filled by the beginning of spring semester. McDermott has experience in directing athletics. She was the assistant athletics director at Morningside College in Iowa from 1991-92 and the school's co-athletics director from 1993-95. She said she was in charge of compliance and budgeting. She also coached volleyball and softball at the same time. "You really need to be organized," McDermott said. "But Bill (Helman) left everything in order. Everything is on track and I just need to keep the status quo." After some thought, McDermott has decided that she will apply for the position even though she hasn't officially sent in her paperwork. Becoming an athletics director has been a goal of McDermott's ever since she graduated from Stanford University. "I knew from the very first day I wanted to apply for it, but I made myself go back a couple steps and think it through," she said. McDermott says that she doesn't see any problem directing athletics and coaching at the same time. She did it at Morningside College and knows what to expect and how to manage her time. "I think it's very important that I don't lose track of recruiting," she said. "It's really important that I stay focused on recruiting at the same time. "We're right in the thick of things right now. What it means is my days are longer." |
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| Roadblock They tried to go through it, around it and eventually over it. The Metro volleyball team encountered a stifling blocking scheme by Colorado Christian University Oct. 21 at the Auraria Events Center, one which they never could figure out. The result was a 15-9, 9-15, 15-13, 15-8 loss to the Cougars. The loss snapped a 13-match Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win streak and knocked Metro out of a first-place tie in the Eastern Division of the RMAC with Colorado Christian and Regis. Metro, 16-8 overall and 12-2 in the RMAC, must now regroup and travel to the West Texas A&M Invitational this weekend with two matches set for Oct. 23. "We should have won game three," were the first words out of Metro head coach Joan McDermott's mouth after the match. It was the turning point of the whole match as Metro had a 13-9 lead in the third game. After losing the first game, the Roadrunners had figured out how to get through the mighty block of the taller Cougar players. They went over it, scoring points on dink shots to even the match. It was working again in the third game until Colorado Christian adjusted. "They started picking it up," McDermott admitted. "Then
they had some big blocks at the end of the third game." It was the second time this season Colorado Christian has beaten Metro, handing the team its first RMAC loss Sept. 12 to open conference play. "They made the big plays when it counted," McDermott said. Colorado Christian had 29 blocks in the match compared to 12 for Metro. Metro also had 34 hitting errors in the match and hit only .133 compared to Colorado Christian's .232. It was the same problem Metro had the last time the two teams played, according to McDermott. Sophomore Michelle Edwards was one bright spot for Metro, leading the match with 17 kills. |
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No. 400 no big deal Ask Metro volleyball coach Joan McDermott what she remembers most about her 17 years of coaching and she won't tell you about Oct. 18. That's when she captured her 400th victory as a volleyball coach. "I didn't even remember it until the SID (Sports Information Director) from Fort Lewis asked me about it," McDermott said. McDermott has never looked at her number of victories as a benchmark
for success. But those numbers speak for themselves. She has a record
of 400-211 in volleyball, recording marks of 141-66 at St. Mary's College
over six years, 133-85 in six years at Morningside College and 126-60
in five years at Metro. She has a NAIA "I see the faces of the players and the experiences we had together," McDermott said. "I think back over the years, all the different players that I've had play for me. "You remember some of the big wins and getting certain titles, but I think you remember even more the different players. That's something you can't take away and I've been fortunate to have some really neat kids that have played for me over the years. That's why I'm in it. I love the interaction with them and the coaching day-to-day." This wasn't what McDermott had in mind when she graduated from Stanford University with a Masters degree in Education, specializing in administration. She wanted to be involved in college athletics and decided to coach for a few years as a stepping stone toward that goal. It didn't take long for her to realize she wanted to change those aspirations. "My first year in college coaching I knew I loved it," she said. "I changed my course of action after the first year." McDermott's style reflects her love of coaching. She has been characterized
as a "players coachä by current "Just getting them to work hard every day combined with making it a fun experience for them," she said. "I push them really hard, I'm intense but I try to have humor in there too. "I expect a lot out of them, but I treat them as individual people." Also important is the constant communication between coach and players according to McDermott. Making the athlete feel important will motivate them and if they know she's there for them, they will be there for her. No matter how many victories the coach has accumulated. |
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Look long, hard before hiring just any AD "People throw bricks at you all the time when you are a coach."
Metro has hired its volleyball coach, Joan McDermott, to fill the position of athletics director on an interim basis when William Helman leaves on Nov. 1. It might even be willing to hire McDermott permanently. I am not convinced the latter is a wise idea. It's not because I don't believe in McDermott's ability. I just don't believe this school has a track record of conducting these so-called national searches well. Likewise, it has a habit of creating permanent interim positions. Please see the provost. I have nothing bad to say about McDermott. She has always been friendly and accessible. She's a true professional when dealing with the media, and she is a damn good volleyball coach. She has the qualifications, I'm told, to be considered for the athletics director position. But, I'm betting there has to be a plethora of quality, qualified people for the job to give her a little competition. Metro had eight of its 10 athletics programs earn top-25 national rankings last school year. The school is in an attractive city. It competes in a respected conference. It has nice facilities and the job pays well. The only down-side is none of the students care enough to attend any of the games, Metro teams are routinely embarrassed in their own gym by small but vocal crowds cheering for the other team, and nobody has done squat to fix the problem. Who wouldn't want the job? Joe Arcese, Metro's vice president of Administration and Finance, is the person responsible for recommending who the college should hire. He takes a recommendation from a 10-person search committee. I'm hoping this group does its job as thoroughly as possible. This should be an exhaustive search. If it takes a little longer to find the best person, fine. If McDermott is needed to hold down the fort until next summer when more quality candidates might be considering other opportunities, so be it. Brian Crookham, the men's soccer coach and the department's eligibility and compliance coordinator will be around to help out. If there is a soul alive who knows more about the way the department is supposed to be run, I am not aware of it. This isn't a job the college will need to fill very often. Helman worked hard in it for 17 years. Let's make sure the next 17 years are even better. The best way to do that is to look long and hard. If the search is done properly without a stone left unturned, and McDermott is found to be the best candidate, then sign her up. McDermott is familiar with the school, the conference and the way things work— or not — around here. She seems enthusiastic about the challenges the job poses. If the school searches for only two months and announces it has found the best person for the job on the third floor of the Tivoli, then the school would not have looked hard enough. And maybe that has been the plan all along. |
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| Anatomy of a bus trip Life on the road. We had plenty of it this week. The most important week of the season came to a close with a bus trip to Durango and Pueblo Oct. 15-18. Chevy Chase couldn't have scripted it any better. The bus was two hours late. After we got on the road, we were told we were going to Colorado Springs to change buses. Not a problem unless you have a sevenhour bus ride through Denver, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo rush hour traffic. Our bus driver, Roger, got us there safely before Jay Leno ended. Oct. 16 we woke to a beautiful mix of rain, sleet and snow in the Durango sky. Usually we do a pregame walk-through the morning of the game on the field, but the conditions were so miserable and we had enough sick players that we decided to do warmup and talk through the game plan in the hotel pool. In a few hours we would have the opportunity to play the seventh-ranked team in the country. Or so we thought. It cleared some during the early afternoon, but, of course, by the time we arrived at the field it was back to rain and sleet. As we got into our warmup, it started to lightning. We ordered the teams off the field just in time for a lightning bolt to hit the stadium light pole. After a 30-minute delay we resumed the warmup. Only 10 minutes later there was an inch and a half of snow on the field due to snow flakes the size of this newspaper. It was deemed too dangerous to play and the game was rescheduled for noon the next day. Thankfully, the sun came out and the snow was melted by the time we got back to the hotel. Sarcasm. Me? Never. If you think you have seen everything, come coach in our conference for a few years. The following day was nice, and the game was played in good conditions. Great conditions if you consider that we beat the sevent-ranked team in the country. My team fought hard and pulled out an impressive win in a very tough place to play. We came back from a 1-0 deficit and scored two goals within two minutes for a victory that we deserved. It was a defining point for this group. Consecutive road wins over Regis and Fort Lewis turned heads not only in the RMAC and the Far West Region, but all over Division II soccer. Excited, almost giddy, we loaded up the family truckster and got back on the road. The freak show was not over, however. Not by any means. Since the game was pushed back to Saturday, our rest day was gone, and we had to travel to Pueblo to face a rested and always-hard-working University of Southern Colorado team on Oct. 18. We felt it was tremendously important to have a good walkthrough on Sunday morning to make sure we put the big win behind us and focus on the task at hand. After a meeting and a pregame meal, we felt we were as prepared as we possibly could be. After watching our women's team grind out a hard-fought victory, it was showtime. Things went well at the beginning. We played well throughout the first half until we gave up a late goal. We reorganized at halftime and felt we would win the game. That is, until we gave up three more goals. Getting behind 4-0 late in the second half is not part of our game plan. It was well executed, though. Everyone played in the game. Well, everyone got into the game, very few of them really played. We are still young, not just in age, but also in mentality. We will take a great lesson from that game. You have to play for 90 minutes every time you step on the field. We didn't against Southern. We felt we needed to win two games on the three game road trip, we didnât dream it would be those two. Brian Crookham is head coach of the Metro men's soccer team. His column will appear each week through the fall soccer season. |
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| Not about to knuckle under It's not the same Jennifer Larwa standing on her tiptoes at the end of the 1-meter diving board at the Auraria Pool. Larwa never takes this long to throw herself into the 225,000 gallons of beckoning blue. Any time now a professional negotiator is going to be called in to talk her down from the edge. Larwa is struggling to find what used to come naturally to her — the courage to leap off the board, perform some combination of flips, twists and contortions and regain her composure in time to slip into the water without so much as a ploop. She made a mistake in a September practice during what is a routine dive for her. She was performing a reverse-one-and-a-half, a dive that requires a back flip toward the board and head-first entry into the water. Larwa's lapse caused her to smack her hands on the board, both were broken. Now she is faced with missing a sizable portion of her season for the third-straight year and overcoming the fear caused by the accident. "When I first got back on the board, even front jumps were scary," Larwa said. Hitting the board isn't uncommon for divers. Larwa admits she has hit her head, hands and feet before. But this time, Larwa, 21, a junior, who set the Pomona High School record in diving during her senior year there, fractured the middle knuckle on her left hand, a forefinger knuckle on her right hand along with a bone between her knuckles and wrist. She has already endured one surgery, when a doctor inserted two permanent screws into the knuckle of her right forefinger. She might have to do it all again for the left. It's been anything but an ordinary experience for her. Sitting pool side and watching her teammates perform has become run-of-the-mill. Two years ago, she suffered a right-ankle injury while rock climbing. The injury required surgery and Larwa missed the rest of the year. Last season, she had surgery on the same ankle to remove bone spurs. She missed six weeks and never regained top form. So when her hands connected with the diving board this season, Larwa wasn't shocked. She has grown accustomed to misfortune. She calmly rose to the surface and said to herself, "my hands don't work." "We kind of joked about it up in the training room," Larwa said. "We said this should be all the bad luck for the rest of my life.' Larwa's coach Brian Kennedy admits he wasn't surprised at seeing his diver with an injury. "I would describe her as: If she is not facing some sort of adversity or some kind of challenge, look out cause there is probably one coming," Kennedy said. "The good thing about it is she loves the sport and has the drive to continue." Trying to survive without the use of either hand for three weeks has been Larwa's greatest challenge. Teammates helped her with the most simple tasks, like taking a shower, dressing, doing her hair and brushing her teeth. She couldn't grip anything. Taking notes in class was an impossibility. She's lucky she lives close to campus because she couldn't drive. It got to a point where Larwa considered quitting. "I questioned whether I even wanted to come back," she said. "I decided I needed to give it everything I had or not even be here. "I think with diving it is a sport where you have to love what you
are doing." "I was so close last year," Larwa said. "Yeah, that's what I'm planning on. Let's put it that way." Kennedy is hesitant to count Larwa out of making nationals given her determination. He says a trip to nationals is possible. After what she has been through, Larwa is just happy to be back in action, even if it is only feet-first for now. She expects to be at full strength around the semester break. "One of the hardest things has been coming here for the past three years and sitting here watching everyone dive and wanting to be up there," she said. "I'm an athlete not a spectator." Last year, senior Dan Purifoy and sophomore Cari Lewton qualified for
the national meet. Both helped earn "I'm pushing for a top-five finish for both of them," Kennedy said. "I'm expecting some records to fall." Purifoy is also battling early season injuries. He has a strained right knee. Lewton has the most potential, according to Kennedy. He says he might be working with a budding star. "Cari has the potential to be a national champion," Kennedy said. "Maybe not this year, but that is our mindset. "I've told her I want her looking at the record boards at each institution we visit and striving to put her name on those boards." Larwa, meanwhile, will be trying to avoid the boards. |
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