Volume 21 Issue 14 November 20, 1998 |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Contents:
|
|||
|
|
|||
NEWS |
|||
|
Students condemn hate crimes
Eighteen Metro students and professors marched Nov. 16 from Auraria Campus to the 500 block of 17th Street where Oumar Dia, a 38-year-old West African refugee, was shot and killed Nov. 18, 1997. "A year ago, a man was killed because he was black," said Metro student Linda Cecile. "A few weeks ago, another was killed because he was gay. "It's not right! It has to end. If we all come together we can become the majority and stand together against hate." Last year, several groups on campus protested the killing of Dia after Nathan Thill, 19, confessed he killed Dia because Dia was black. At that protest, Monica Bauer, a Metro political science professor, told a crowd of about 150 people they have to take responsibility for racism. A year later, Metro political science professor Robert Hazan reiterated Bauer's concern, this time calling it a hate crime, including recent incidents like the killing of Matthew Shepard for being gay. "This is about education and setting standards for peaceful co-existence," Hazan said. "Ignorance breeds intolerance and hate. This is to generate awareness of hate crime and its ties into the horrific killing of Matthew Shepard." Robby Prior, a Metro junior, said he joined the march to remember Dia and how he died. "I think it's important for youth especially to realize the faces of racism and injustice in our society," Prior said to the group. "If you can stop at least one person of ignorance, you've made a difference." "Memory is an important thing," said Norman Provizer, chairman of the political science department, marching with his dog Cyrus. "As a political science professor, I tend to be involved in marches, rallies and protests," Provizer said. "Sometimes you do things because it's the right thing to do. There's a time to protest and a time to remember. "There are certain things that remind us how thin the veneer of civilization is. Beneath the surface is a bubbling well of hatred, and we all suffer from it." At the end of the march, as people spoke in remembrance of those killed because of hatred, Hazan asked the group to remember the woman who was shot and paralyzed because she stood up for Dia. "We must also remember Jeannie Van Velkinburgh," Hazan said. "She stood up against hate. She is our hero." |
|||
|
Archbishop, Nobel Prize winner visits Denver In a message for peace, local leaders of Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Christian
a nd Nakota religions joined in Tutu is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and a leader in abolishing apartheid in South Africa. He stayed in Denver three days to deliver his gratitude for America's support and a message of hope for overcoming world problems. "On behalf of millions of people in South Africa, thank you," he said. "Victory is ours now. Our victory is no doubt your victory." Tutu took the stage with a giddy smile, immediately making the Denver audience laugh as he singled out and thanked his two escorting police officers. Tutu also acknowledged the horrors of the world. He shared a story of a man getting his hands chopped off by a blowtorch as a form of torture. The audience let out a collective gasp. "How could a man hold a blowtorch to another man's body? "Our capacity for evil is very great. But just when you are feeling despairing, we also have an incredible capacity for good," he said. Tutu commended Nelson Mandela, South Africa's president elected in 1994, describing him as a symbol of the country's struggles and persistence. "Mandela waited 74 years before he could vote in the land of his birth. Even after 27 years in jail, one would expect him to be chewed up and angry," Tutu said, Metro student Kevin Mahoney, a senior who attended the Monday event, said, "His final note left you with a message of hope." In the end, Tutu told the story of a physicist who once said he did not believe in God. Tutu told him, "That's okay, God believes in you." Before Archbishop Tutu spoke, members of the various religions shared prayers in different languages and in elaborate costumes of their cultures. "It was an ecliptic display of spirituality. Even though the prayers were in different languages, you could still understand what they were saying just by feeling their peace," Mahoney said. For the first day of his visit, Tutu spoke with high school students participating in PeaceJam, an annual conference for teens in Denver. Although the program originated in Colorado, it is spreading to other parts of the world. Tutu is part of initiating a PeaceJam conference for teens in South Africa. At the end of the night at McNichols, the crowd cheered when Archbishop
Tutu offered to skip answering |
|||
|
SGA targets financial aid, advising Members of Metro's Student Government Assembly are revamping their agenda and are working on a comprehensive report, citing which goals are finished and what needs to be addressed. Two new issues SGA members are tackling are financial aid and academic advising within departments. "Students aren't being served the way they should be or need to be," said Andy Nicholas, student government president. Nicholas said student government has taken the issues of Thanksgiving break and adding pluses and minuses to student grades as far as they can. Giovanni Stone, vice president for student services, said he is in the process of forming a committee that will try and pinpoint some of the issues that need to be addressed in the financial aid office. Aussy Rabih, vice president for diversity, said some of the complaints she has heard regarding the financial aid office stem from the Banner system. The Banner system is a collection of software that makes it possible for students to register and access information online. "It has created some mess because if there's a part of the (financial aid) form that is not completed correctly, it would not go through the system," Rabih said. Stone said one problem the office has is loosing paperwork. Rabih said students should have a receipt or contract from the office, indicating they have filled out an application. "I was told that if the students request a receipt, they are given that," Rabih said. "But why is that supposed to be a request?" Kerrie Dallman, the student government's attorney general, said she is taking a closer look into professor's advising students on their major within their departments. There is disparity between departments with advising, Nicholas said. Dallman said she is interested in finding out if there is any consistency within departments on advising, and if there is any training for faculty on advising. "I don't think the ability to advise students comes by naturally to professors," Dallman said. "(Faculty should) help the student determine what it is they really want to do," she said. Dallman also said that advising students on their department and graduation requirements is one of the performance criteria professors are graded on. "There's not a way to evaluate faculty on advising even though it's a criteria for a pay raise," she said. They'd rather spend the time publishing than advising because there's no incentive to advise students, Dallman said. |
|||
|
'Burrito guy' calls it quits after 18 years Harry Gewuerz, better known as "the Burrito Guy," said he is retiring after 18 years on the Auraria Campus. Gewuerz and his wife, Marlene, own "Stuffers," a stand located near the bridge between the Arts Building and the West Classroom. The first location of Gewuerz's cart was next to the flagpole. "It was a lot slower then, but we liked it because it gave us time
to talk and get to know our customers. With all the Gewuerz credits the good business to inexpensive food, quick service and convenient location. Gewuerz said his most memorable experience on campus was in January 1987. Gewuerz said a man came up to him, set a brown paper bag on the counter, and asked if he could have a soda. He joked with the man saying, "You can't have a pop when you bring your own lunch." The man seemed very nervous, Gewuerz said. "About a half hour later, I heard what sounded like firecrackers.
The man had shot and killed his former wife, who Pamela McIntyre-Marcum, 41, a marketing professor at Metro, was gunned
down by her ex-husband, James Marcum, 45, in a campus parking lot. Marcum
was walking to her car when her former husband approached her. "The gun was in the brown paper bag he sat on my counter." Gewuerz said. At almost 50, Gewuerz said his 10-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son will keep him and his wife busy. "We're going to move on to new adventures," Gewuerz said. Gewuerz said he would like Cricket, an employee who cooks and rolls all the burritos to take over the business, "I hope to sell the cart and all the equipment to her on a monthly basis. Hopefully, that way, the cart could carry some of the same items." There are some things that Gewuerz said he won't miss about Auraria Campus. "The commute - I live in the mountains." He also said he would not miss the cold mornings or the vandalism to the cart. "I will miss my customers the most. I have great customers," he said. |
|||
|
Students sleep outdoors for homeless fundraiser As the temperature dropped to 36 degrees, Metro student Alisha Shafar stood warming her hands in the pockets of her thin jean jacket. Each November, Metro's Colorado Public Interest Research Group chapter holds a "sleep out" to raise money for the homeless. They did it again Nov. 18 at the flag pole, collecting more than $1,000 for the Colorado Homeless Families Organization. "On the way to work one day, I saw this guy eating out of the garbage," she said sniffling. "I went to McDonald's and bought him a lunch. He thanked me a million times, and it made me feel so much better." Sarah Scott, campus organizer for the organization refused to allow people to sleep in refrigerator boxes, as they did in previous years. She said she grabbed what she could find and came out, saying the homeless don't always have the conveniences of boxes. The event is helping the homeless by raising awareness of homelessness and collecting money for them, said Lydia Brase, another Metro student spending the night. "I don't know what your gonna learn from it," said Wanda Rosario, a Metro student walking by. "Maybe an entire week without taking a bath with only the food they could find for themselves would teach them something. The homeless don't have sleeping bags and hot pizza on the way." Rosario donated $12 to the group before she left, increasing the total donations to more than $1,000. Connie Zimmerman, director of Colorado Homeless Families, and Ann Norman, special events coordinator for the Denver Rescue Mission spoke, to the group about homelessness and their organizations efforts to help homeless people. |
|||
|
CU-Denver computers swiped Twenty-five hundred dollars in computer equipment disappeared sometime during Halloween weekend from the University of Colorado at Denver computer lab in the Technology Building, Auraria police reports said. Sometime between Friday, Oct. 30 and Mon. Nov. 2, someone broke into room 125 of the building and took a scanner, a computer and monitor, according to a Auraria police report. Auraria police have "no suspects, witnesses, or leads," according to the report. SanJay Manandhar, an employee at the computer lab, reported the theft to Auraria police officer Rich Vigil on Nov. 2. Officials from CU-Denver computing and Manandhar were not available for comment. The police report was not turned in until the Nov. 9, according to Auraria Police reports. "The reporting person said he would get back to us with the serial numbers and never did," said Detective Randy Hinricher. He said turning in a report this late was not unusual and the investigation
went on in spite of the unavailability of the |
|||
|
SGA vice president 'disappears' After approximately five weeks in office, the student government vice president for student fees is set for an impeachment hearing Nov. 20, to explain why he has been missing. Andrew Gress has been missing not only from SGA, but also from all of his classes as well, said Andy Nicholas, student government president. "Student government is worried about him," Nicholas said. "We can't get a hold of him or his immediate family." "It's almost like we should put his name on a milk carton," he said. A notice listing Gress's violations of the student government's policy manual has been sent to him. It lists such violations as neglect of duties and failing to show up to student government meetings. Nicholas said with Gress gone, all of the members have had to split his duties. Nicholas said he and John-Paul Whitaker-Krcik, the vice president of administration and finance, are working on the proposed fee schedule for fall of 1999. Other student government members wouldn't comment on Gress until after the hearing. |
|||
|
|
|||
COMMENTARY |
|||
|
After math: Truth "The earth's forests
are being destroyed at the rate of one football field's worth every second."
Let's see, there are 60 seconds in every minute, 60 minutes in every hour, 24 hours in every day (I seem to need 25) and 365 days a year. That's 31,356,000 football fields worth of forest gone each year, according to Al Gore. You're right. I don't believe him either. (If you do believe the vice president, skip to the end of the column.) Yet, I know why he feels the need to whip up hysteria. Without hysteria, nobody cares. There are trees dying right here at Auraria. In fact, right under our noses, at least 60 trees are about to be killed or uprooted to make room for another cold, heartless brick building, the Auraria Academic and Performing Arts Center. The trees, mostly the non-fruit bearing crabapple variety, I'm told, are in and around Lot G, which is between the Plaza Building and the parking garage. They are penned in by chain link and a ruthless contractor ready to dig them up on a moments notice. I've been expecting the treehuggers to show up at any time screaming environmental gloom and doom, with signs painted on their bare bellies, because the other kind would be a waste of trees, proclaiming Auraria is committing Arborcide or some similar nonsense. I expected people to chain themselves to the trees, where they would be scooped up by the giant spade and hauled off to the transplant site. I got sick of waiting. I decided to confront the people
responsible for the tree crisis myself. I called Dick Feuerborn, Auraria's
director "It's my understanding that they are going to try and relocate them," Feuerborn said. "Unfortunately, that is not 100 percent successful." Feuerborn saw me coming. I called Dean Wolf, Auraria
vice president of Administration, he said: "Yes, I'm concerned about
the trees. That's Wolf saw me coming. Finally, I went to John Loveshin, director of Design and Construction. I asked if Auraria was worried about a backlash when word got out about the dying. "Absolutely," Loveshin said. "We may be stupid, but we're not fools." Hysteria can be put down if you see it coming. Apparently, nobody saw Al Gore coming. People believe him. A traditional football field is 360 feet long and 150 feet wide. Multiply that many feet in length by 31, 356,000 football fields, and you get 11,352,960,000 feet of continuous 150-foot wide football field. There are 5,280 feet in a mile. So, according to Gore, every year we kill a strip of forest 150-feet wide by 2,150,181 miles long. That is enough to travel to the moon and back, when it is at its closest point to the earth (221,463 miles), four times with trees to spare. There is another way to prevent hysteria. Use your head not your heart. |
|||
|
Check yourself before you wreck yourself What obligations do you have to the people you love? Should you inform your sexual partners of past lovers? Should you feel obligated to get tested for the HIV virus and other sexually-transmitted diseases? Or should we allow the AIDS virus to rip through the world as it has in Africa? If you have answered these questions as anybody with a conscience would,
why haven't you been tested for HIV? After all, the Student Health Center
at Auraria only tested 367 students last year. Compare that to the number
of students on campus, and less than one tenth of one percent of the student
population on the Auraria I was part of the 98.01 percent of students who had not been tested until two weeks ago. My fear of testing positive was not a logical reason to postpone the test. Rather than thinking only of myself, I should be thinking about my girlfriend and how important it is for me to know. So I took the first step and contacted the Student Health Center. The appointment was made, and I was told about my options. I could either go in, give blood and leave or sit through a pretest counseling session. Curiosity took over and I chose the counseling. The day arrived, and I entered a small room where the counseling session was to take place. My first chance to back out of the test was presented when the counselor asked me if I knew the difference between confidential and anonymous testing. I responded with a confused, "No." The simple difference is that if you are tested anonymously they only know the name, or the number that you give them. Confidential testing, on the other hand, uses your name and goes on your medical record. Don't worry about curious insurance companies; they can't check your record unless they paid for the test, so pitch in the $15 for the test yourself. If you decide to be tested anonymously you will need to go to a different clinic because the health center only tests confidentially. Then the counselor asked me questions ranging to the number of partners I had been sexually active with to how we had sex. I was also asked about i.v. drug use. At first, I thought that the process was a little embarrassing, but I became more comfortable as the counselor continued to calmly ask me questions about my sex life. Then she asked me if I still wanted to take the test. A small percentage of people say no to this question. I, however, said yes. She took me to the lab, the blood was drawn and my two-week wait had begun. The thought of my test didn't leave the back of my mind, but it wasn't stressful until the day before my results came in. That's when the questions came into my mind. What if I test positive? Will I stay in school? How will I tell my partners?
Will my friends still like me? Will My attitude toward the next day's appointment changed into a gloomy outlook. I wasn't prepared for the nervousness that came the day I got my results back. I had scheduled the appointment after my classes, and each class went slower than the one before. Finally, I made it to the health center and I was told to meet the counselor in her office. I started to panic. I had an awful feeling that something was wrong. I walked back to her office and nervously sat down. She placed her hand on my knee momentarily and said, "Everything is fine." Giovanni Stone is a Metro student and vice president of student services for the Student Government Assembly. His e-mail address is stoneg@mscd.edu. |
|||
|
Article misrepresents pure love Editor: Our purpose is to raise public awareness of the many benefits of sexual
purity before and fidelity within marriage. Proviano's article falsely accuses the PLA of being a cover group of the Unification Church. This is not true. While many of the founding members of the PLA, including Norberg Szolnoky, president of the Metro State chapter, are members of the Unification Church, the mission of our alliance is not witnessing or conversion. We are an issue-based organization, addressing our concerns specifically related to the social problems of pre-marital and non-marital sex, and the ensuing dangers thereof. More the point, here at Metro State College three of the four officers of the PLA are not members of the Unification Church. A small oversight in the so-called investigation. We believe that the Pure Love Alliance has been and will be a positive force on this and other campuses throughout America. Every Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Tivoli we have public meetings. Everyone is invited. Norbert Szolnoky and Monique Holmes, president and vice president of Pure Love Alliance, and Metro students. |
|||
|
In protest of protesting protests Editor: It is ironic that on a campus widely lamented for its apathy, sutdents showing initiative by taking action are criticized. In the Nov. 13 issue of The Metropolitan, the editorial "In protest of protests" made several astute observations, but they were burried beneath cynicism. There is nothing better for students to be doing than creating agitation that will result in social awareness and (hopefully) change. They are becomming conscious of injustice. The suggestion that student demonstrations are naive and meaningless needs
serious qualification. Have we already forgotten Tianamen Square in 1989
or France in 1995 or Burma in 1996? When Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke at
Regis University last Sunday, he said that the "spectatular victory
over apartheid" could not have been possible without the protests of
American college students during the late 1980s, saying "their own
participation, passion and zeal helped effect a change in the moral climate
of this country to such an extent that congress was able to muster The comment regarding "fists raised in ignorance" is a valid concern. Protestors must be (informed and prepared) or the event may disintigrate into violence, or worse - its passion wanes. Organizers must have a clear vision of their goals and communicate them effectively. It is a false assumption that the purpose of demonstrations is solely for the benefit of "others;" they are not. Protests and demonstrations are as much for the participants as they are for the on-lookers. They serve as an outlet for self-expression, as an opportunity for individuals to engage in public dialogue. The March Against Hate on Monday, for example, allows me to speak my anger, my frustration, my fear that senseless tragedies will continue. Rather than feeling that there have been too many protests recently, I suggest there have been too few. These gatherings serve as an extradorinary pulse-taking of public opinion that is worthwhile if only because it has not been filtered and pre-packed by the media. Too many Americans are notoriously passive; we allow others to make critical policy decisions while we abdicate our democratic responsibilities. Our students should be celebrated for wanting to be heard. If you listen carefully, you will hear them say that they have a stake in the improvemnt of their communities. If students' protests are not as "successful" as some would like, these nascent activists should not be blamed and ridiculed. They merely lack the experience that would develop the planning and organizing skills to make these demonstrations optimally effective. Protests and demonstrations teach another skill students seldom learn in classrooms: How to set aside individual interests and cooperate with other members of a group to achieve a common goal. Protests can teach students how to be active citizens. I agree with the statement that "protests ... have virtually no effect unless they are coupled with long-term, concrete action." I would argue, however, that these events do not necessarily have to occur simultaneously, but rather well-organized protests are the stimulus for concrete action and precipitate long-term, sustained effort. Student demonstrations serve as the initial spark that ignites the process of change, they are not the whole fire. No, student protests alone are not enough, but they are a good beginning. Social injustice, unfortunately, is so entrenched and pervasive that it takes more than one weapon to fight it. Instead, it requires unleashing the entire arsenal of all the peoples' skills and talents to effect lasting change. Gayle Johnson Editor: What is an insult is putting people down for taking action against injustice. Although not everyone involed in protest marches or demonstrations knows everything about the issues they are protesting against, they are participating in hopes of learning more while at the same time they are trying to educate others. Another insult is someone who is part of the problem bringing down the people who care enough to find a solution. What makes all of this worse is the fucking apathy on Auraria. There are hundreds of individuals on campus who are dedicated, vigilant activists, and they strongly believe in what they are fighting for. What makes our work tiresome and trying is the lack of support from the Auraria community, and the laissez-faire attitude of blind American consumers. Robby Prior Editor: The addiction to melodrama that is suggested by The Metropolitan
is actually (made up of) people who care enough about each other, issues
or the environment and take the time out of their lives and make a difference.
The The (editorial) referred to Dr. Luis Torres. Dr. Torres had given many years of his life to bring about concrete change in the education system. How many of the nine members of the editorial staff can say the same thing. Torres has been working for "concrete change" in education for most of his life, along with other dedicated educators. Staging a protest is part of showing to the public at large how slow change comes about in this country. If The Metropolitan can waste print on the facts it does portray, my question is this: Why can't The Metropolitan print a story that truly reflects what is going on? As a student and a reader of The Metropolitan, I feel the "long-term, concrete action" needed is in the form of a protest against The Metropolitan. The only other recourse for The Metropolitan is to stop criticizing the people who are doing something, get of their own buffs and care enough to report objectively on these protests. Helen Giron-Mushfiq |
|||
|
|
|||
FEATURES |
|||
|
A TIME FOR TALES Storytelling is an art that has been around for centuries, and this week, storytellers from Colorado are joining others from five continents around the world to celebrate this ancient art. Tellabration, as this worldwide festival is known, began 10 years ago with a group of people in Connecticut who wanted to get together and tell stories to each other, according to a professional storyteller, Katy Little who lives in Loveland. This group now includes storytellers, both professional and amateur, from various different countries and 44 of the United States. It is held annually on the third week of November, because of its popularity. An anthropologist, Little, is a member of the Northern Colorado Storytellers. This group, along with its parent group, the Rocky Mountain Storytelling Guild, participates in Tellebration every year. During other months, these groups bring storytelling to libraries, museums, businesses, and other institutions in Colorado. Little does storytelling events
at counseling centers, as for children in crisis. Tellabration is
a way to bring families "Some of us are in this from a professional standpoint," Little said. "But all of us are in it for the joy of being able to tell stories. Our dream each time is to be able to draw our listeners right into the story." This is often done with the use of music and pictures, a practice that has been going on since storytelling first began more than 5,000 years ago, according to the writer of, Anne Pellowski. Storytellers often dress in costumes, also, to bring vitality to the programs, Little said. Some of the Northern Colorado Storytellers' goals are to continue expanding into the business world and to work with rangers in the Colorado national parks so that campfire storytelling can become a part of regional recreation areas. Storytelling in the business environment is used to help employers with managerial/speech skills and to help employees with motivational and networking techniques, said Little. A member of the Rocky Mountain Storytelling Guild,Bailey Phelps, said that storytelling has been ressurected back into the American culture, largely because of the electronic era. "The electronic era has impacted our culture with the combination of sight and sound technology, which is essentially what storytelling is all about. We have moved away from an era dominated by print media where information is primarily written and read. We are now understanding the depth and effectiveness of oral narrative," said Phelps. He also spoke of the new trend in storytelling in the business world. Corporations are beginning to train their managers to tell stories from their speeches rather than simply reading them off paper. Phelps is also a member of Spoken Wheel, which was started and sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Storytelling Guild. Spoken Wheel is a group of eight storytellers who primarily tell stories of Native Americans. A Cherokee tribal member, Phelps, first began storytelling when he lived in the Ozark hills of Arkansas. Back then he merely swapped stories with others for pure entertainment, and he soon discovered that it was an art with more than one purpose. As a Presbyterian pastor, he uses storytelling to convey the contents of scripture. Storytelling is basic to humanity because it "conveys values, creates community, remembers history, maintains identity, and has fun," Phelps said. Recent studies done by psychologists and neurologists suggest the brain is wired to communicate more through a story than through any other way. Pellowski writes that there are many different types of storytelling: folk, religious, theatrical, camp-playground, hygienic, therapeutic and musical. The type of stories that are told at the Tellebration events vary considerably, often depending on whether the audience will be mostly children or adults. Adults are usually the majority of the sudience at evening performances, Phelps said. Each event has approximately eight storytellers, and each one of them picks their favorite story to tell. Some of the tales remember the American West and the Chicano culture. Some are simply fairy tales like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Philosophical fairy tales are his favorite, Phelps said. Tellabration is held at 300 different sites throughout the world. Six of those events will be held along the Colorado front range. A Metro graduate, Skywalker Payne, has a degree in storytelling, and said it is a spiritual experience for her. "I love storytelling. It is inspiring because it is a co-creative experience between the storyteller and the listeners," Payne said. She produces and performs on a storytelling TV show on channel 58, which airs every Monday at 7 p.m. The interest in storytelling is increasing due to the interest in their roots or family history, Payne said. Payne and three other storytellers will take part in Tellabration at Auraia Campus Theater in room 271 on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. Tellabration shows how storytelling has moved from being a mere entertaining pastime to becoming a vital part of our culture. |
|||
|
Beautiful Ballyhoo The Last Night of Ballyhoo (currently playing at the Denver Performing Arts Complex) is a play about Jewish Atlanta circa 1939, but it's written in a universal manner so relatable it can be applied to Anytown, U.S.A. circa today. Playwright Alfred Uhry weaves a wonderful tale of youth and acceptance, displaying the era's stereotypes and biases. In an upscale Atlanta neighborhood lives Adolph Freitags. His house is home to many members of the family, and it proves to be an effective backdrop for the dialogue as only a couple scenes take place outside of it. Lala (Mara Stephens), Adolph's niece, rules the house. She's home from college semi-permanently as things didn't go well in her sorority. She has the hots for Joe (Aaron Serotsky), a new-hire of Adolph's, but he has his eye on Sunny (Kate Gleason), Adolph's other niece home from university on break. All of this centers around Ballyhoo, an annual event where rich Jewish kids get together to party, roast weenies and dance. The pretentious pretense is dominating and felt throughout the play. Joe comes from a lower class proud Jewish family in New York. When he sees Sunny, Lala and even Adolph take their religion for granted, he is offended. This play's flow is constant in all respects. The exposition in the first act is thoroughly detailed, and it leaves the audience in deep suspense for the events to follow. The rest of the story is predictable and romantic - but not fluffy. The play's meaning is sincere as Uhry wrote what he knows best: growing up in a Jewish family in 1939 Atlanta. The acting does the job. Serotsky and Gleason have the appearance of being
in love down pat. Even though they barely admit it to each other, it's seen
through their movements. The nuance is captured on the tiny stage of the
Nonetheless, the supporting roles are strong and authentic. They help elevate the show and further the message of the words. The cast creates a nice environment for the action to take place in. The audience gets the impression that this is a tight-knit family, and the actors portray just that. And with such a well-written script, it makes it hard to screw things up. Uhry's name might be familiar, as his other work Driving Miss Daisy won him an Oscar and the Pulitzer Prize. He completed the hatrick by snagging the Tony Award for best play for Ballyhoo. |
|||
|
Oops! They're gone, but they'll be remembered Sometimes I'm wacked. I saw a few plays not too long ago and forgot about them. In addition to The Last Night of Ballyhoo (see review above), the
Denver Center Theatre Company also recently produced Picasso at the Lapin
Agile, a smashing comedy by Steve Martin, and Travels With My Aunt,
a theatrical To my dismay, they both closed Nov. 14. My apologies to everyone - but I feel like writing about them anyway. I feel sorry for anyone who didn't see Picasso. Its script is genius, the players were absolutely fab and everything clicked. But don't worry, this is one of those plays that will be performed again and again. And really, it would be hard to do a bad production of Picasso. Martin's words are so easy to work with, the lines come out in a mish-mash of theatricality and stand-up. Audience members could just see Martin standing on the stage playing out any and all of the parts. It was truly a joy. The play is a hypothetical meeting of Albert Einstein (Bruce Turk) and Pablo Picasso (Don Burroughs) in a Parisian Bistro, the Lapin Agile (Agile Rabbit). The two, who stumbled upon their respective discoveries during the same decade, trade ideas and witty dialogue. This production was classic with a cast that displayed the eccentricities of Einstein and Picasso. Oh yeah, there were other characters on stage, too. There was Freddy (Brad Bellamy ) and Germaine (Kathleen M. Brady), the nutty couple who owned the bar; Gaston (James Lawless), the obligatory drunk with a small bladder; Suzanne (Katie MacNichol), the busty young women who craved for more Picasso; and Charles Dabernow Schmendiman (Lee Eskey), a real piece of work who electrified (and horrified) the characters and the audience upon every entrance. The team worked together and flowed, and with the help of a script that can't fail, they rocked the mic. Travels was a much different show. This is not one to check out
from the library, rather wait till it's performed again. Giles Havergal
adapted the novel for the stage in an unusual manner. Four actors carried
the narrative. Tony Church, Jamie Horton, Robert Westenberg and Eric Tieze all do fantastic jobs. The main problem: Tieze is nothing but a glorified stage hand, carrying objects, rarely talking. |
|||
|
|
|||
SPORTS |
|||
|
Staying power When senior backrow player Laura Mader talks about her first year on the Metro volleyball team, she doesn't use adjectives that show a pleasant experience. She uses phrases like "it was a long year," a "frustrating year," a "disappointing year." In fact, Mader says it seems like such a long time ago, she has a hard time remembering any of the year. Looking back, the unmemorable year does look like something you'd want to forget. In 1995, when Mader was a freshman out of Brighton High School, Metro finished 13-20 for the season . Now, as the only senior on the team that has spent her entire four year career at Metro, Mader has a some more exciting terms to describe this season. "Successful, fun, comfortable, fulfilling," are the words that describe a season in which Mader cracked the top 10 list in games played (397) in a career. And to think, just a couple years ago, she was thinking of hanging up her volleyball shoes. "I didn't plan on coming back my sophomore year," Mader explained. "But having a different coach come into the program kept me here." That coach was Joan McDermott. Even though Mader knew little about McDermott, she knew a lot about her freshman coach, Rhonda Williams, and decided she was not the coach she wanted to play for. The change made all the difference. "It feels like I've been at two different schools with two different experiences," she said. The past three years have met the expectations Mader had when she first entered the Metro volleyball program. She also has seen quite a few changes. "There has been so many people come and go, it almost seems like we've had a new team each year," she said. Mader entered the program with two other freshmen but they quit the team after their sophomore years. Mader had endured two years on a team with a losing program, but she could see her sophomore year, McDermott's first year back at Metro, times were improving. The past two years, success has taken a front seat at Metro, and Mader has enjoyed as much of it as possible. "These last two years, I've fulfilled pretty much everything I've expected from volleyball," she said. "To know I stuck it out, just to know that inside, it feels good." This season isn't over yet as Mader has an opportunity to be a part of history. A victory at this weekend's regional tournament would send the Roadrunners to a first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. An experience that might be worth four years of memorable adjectives. |
|||
|
Metro men picked to win RMAC They're bigger, quicker, stronger and more athletic than last year. But the question remains, is the Metro men's basketball team any better than last year? The coaches around the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference think so as they picked the Roadrunners as the top team in the RMAC preseason poll. Metro is coming off a season where it had a new coach, a new coaching philosophy and established a new tradition. The coach is Mike Dunlap, who guided Metro to a 25-5 season record, an RMAC East Division title, a berth in the NCAA Tournament and a No. 18 final national ranking. He was the 1998 RMAC Coach of the Year and has no doubts last year's success will continue. "The organization is running much smoother; we are further along than last year as the system goes and the team chemistry is better," Dunlap said. It all led up to a season opening win over Arkansas Tech Nov. 16. The Roadrunners will get their first test away from home when they play in the Rocky Mountain Tournament in Billings, Montana, Nov. 20-21. Dunlap brought to Metro a philosophy that included every player on the team. Last year, Metro had 18 different combinations of players in the starting lineup which Dunlap says "leads to high morale." It also led to an average of 88 points a game, tops in the RMAC, and the highest winning margin (12 points) in the conference. With all this success returning, along with a recruiting class that has excellent foot speed and size according to Dunlap, it seems the Roadrunners will be a marked bird. "We have the understanding people will be coming after us," Dunlap said. "That's a compliment to our organization and our players." With the predicted success comes some pressure. But Dunlap says if you're going to be successful, you better get used to it. The tradition of winning seems to be following a quick pace at Metro. The players have become quicker, the recruits are quicker and Dunlap is quick to point out it's just getting better. "We're quicker at every spot on the floor this year," he said. "With a year under our belt and more understanding of the system, the returners condition response is better and their reaction is better because they don't have to think as much, they just react." Metro has two returning starters this year in junior guard DeMarcos Anzures and junior center Lee Barlow. If the Roadrunners are going to be a marked team, Anzures will have the biggest bullseye on his jersey. He was a first team All-RMAC selection last year, averaging 18.3 points a game to lead Metro and led the RMAC in steals. It's not just the RMAC coaches who tab Anzures as a player to watch either. He is listed as an honorable mention All-American in Street and Smith's preseason basketball magazine and is also listed by Division II Bulletin as an honorable mention All-American. With the loss of Phillip DeGraffenried, a three-point shooter from last year, Anzures knows that teams will have him in sight all game long. It may change the way he plays his game some but he feels the outcome won't change. "Last year he (DeGraffenried) relieved the pressure off me," he said. "This year all the attention will be put on me. I have to be more patient and let things come to me." Anzures also understands the pressure put on his team this season. It's a pressure he relishes and feels he and his teammates are ready for. "Last year we snuck up on a lot of teams," he said. "This year there are a lot of expectations of me as a player and us as a team. But we're quicker, more athletic and deeper than last year." Barlow couldn't agree more. He is the team's top returning rebounder, averaging eight boards a game last year, and says as long as the team comes ready to play every gamethere will be no problems. "The pressure has been put on us by others and we accept that challenge," he said. We were under that pressure last year and we came through. Now we expect to win and we're ready to back it up." Most likely with some speed, strength and quickness. |
|||
|
Lose one, win one For the third time this year, the Metro volleyball team had to face one of the top ranked teams in the country in a conference match. For only the first time this year, the Roadrunners didn't come home a winner. The Regis Rangers, consistantly ranked in the top five nationally this
season, finally got the best of Metro, Despite the loss, Metro received a bid to the Regional Tournament set for
Nov. 20-21 at Regis University. Metro started off the RMAC Tournament with wins over Western State and
a satisfying victory over Colorado "Volleyball is such a mental game," senior backrow player Laura Mader said. "We were prepared for the match this time. Last time, I think they surprised us with what they did." The win over Colorado Christian pitted Metro against Regis and gave them a chance to exact revenge for the two regular season losses. The loss was disappointing but not season ending. "Like coach (McDermott) said after the match, it's better to lose to them now than next week," Mader said. There is no tomorrow for Metro now as a loss at regionals ends the season. A victory at regionals would give them a spot in the Division II National Tournament. Mader feels, even with the earlier loss to West Texas A&M, the goal is still achievable. "I know we can play better than we did last time," she said. "On a nuetral court, at our best, we can beat them." Metro had two players selected to the All-RMAC Tournament team: Kelly Hanlon and Audra Littou. Conference honors were also handed out this week and Metro had several players recognized for their outstanding play this season. Seniors Hanlon, Amy Buchanan and Kelly Young were all selected to the first team All-RMAC. Sophomore Michelle Edwards was selected to the second team All-RMAC. |
|||
|
Already making a big splash Before starting its season, the Metro swimming and diving team had been led by two head coaches. Former head coach Brant Noonan had spent about two months with the team before the season started when he decided to pursue other options. It took only one week after hearing about the position opening, from Noonan himself, for James Richey to apply and receive the title as the new head coach. Richey is no stranger to Metro. He was a swimmer and water polo player for Duke University before coming to Metro and swimming in 1987. He has coached everything from club teams to high school teams in his career. Ritchey is currently a Masters swim coach at the Denver Athletic Club and head coach of the Colorado Rapids Swim Team. But no matter how fast the application process had been and how much experience he had, the time to prepare with his team before the season started was very limited for Richey. "It was something that I was thrown into very fast," said the coach, who had only about two weeks to get ready for the Roadrunners' season. Thus far, it would be hard to tell that the team, which is composed of both swimmers and divers, hasn't had much time to connect with its coach. They opened the season at the Early Bird Invitational at Colorado State University on October 23-24 with the men placing third and the women placing seventh. Both the men and women hold a 2-1 record in the dual meets. Richey has his own ideas on how the team has performed this far into the season - and it's all positive. "Within Colorado we rock," said the enthusiastic coach. But swimming and diving is about more than just posting a winning record, according to Richey. To him, improving swim times and diving scores are most important. "Swimming is cool because if you swim 2:02 and you usually swim 2:05, then that is good for you; especially if the person who beat you went 2:01 but they usually do a 1:57. You won because that was weak for them and great for you," said Richey. This improvement will only come with lots of practice, says Ritchey. The Roadrunners practice twice a day for two hours each session, five days a week. This early practice is already paying off for some of the athletes. Ritchey has noticed their discipline in practice as well as in competitive meets. "Captain Adam Treanor is nursing a sore shoulder but continues to practice everyday and lead the team in the pool," said the coach. This is valuable to the team because Richey believes that motivation should come from inside, not from him. He says praise and punishment from a coach can only push a player so far, in the end both methods "fall flat." Already catching the coaches eye has been Mike True, who swam the 400-meter freestyle in 4 minutes, 16 seconds. The men's 200-meter medley relay team is also doing well. Even after a
loss at South Dakota he expects them to On the women's side, Christabell Nieman is looking strong early. "I look for her to place in the top eight at Nationals," Ritchey said. "She has that level of physical talent, we just need to get her into peak shape." But Richey's praise for his team does not stop with just the swimmers. "Right now we should be called the Metro State diving and swimming team," he said. "Our divers' performances have definitely been the most outstanding this year." Richey attributes much of the success of the diving squad to its coach, Brian Kennedy. "He is probably the best coach in the whole area. We are extremely lucky to have him." And as far as the national competition, the divers struck first in qualifying. Both Cari Lewton and Dan Purifoy have qualified for the competition in March. Lewton set a new school record in the 3-meter diving competition with an 11-dive total of 435.20 points. Purifoy set a new school record for the men in the men's 3-meter dive with a 6-dive total of 292.35 points. Also setting a new school record this season is Sarah Lane, making her mark in the 1000-meter freestyle with a time of 11:09.29. |
|||
|
The
Met Online is a student-produced online version of the weekly student-produced
The Metropolitan newspaper, both operating under the direction of
the Metropolitan State College of Denver Office
of Student Publications.
|
|||
|
All
Rights reserved, Copyright © 2003, The Metropolitan.
For feedback and questions |
|||