Volume 21 Issue 22 March 5, 1999 |
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Contents:
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NEWS |
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Couple donates $1 million
to Metro The president of Rocky Mountain Internet, an internet service provider, donated $1 million to Metro Feb. 25 for need-based four-year tuition scholarships. Doug Hanson and his wife, Elena, made the first contribution to the scholarship, which may receive more donations through the years, Hanson said. "I think Metro is the best school in Colorado to provide an education to students who may not otherwise have had the opportunity," he said. Carrie Schafer, director of College Communications, said the scholarship could be available for students as early as August. "Some of the details about how we can use the money still need to be worked out," Schafer said. Students will be chosen for the scholarship based on their financial need, she said. Hanson said his family was very poor and he grew up in rural West Virginia. He was the first person in his family to go to college. He attended Glendale College in California at age 25, and paid for his education with the GI Bill after he retired from the Navy. Schafer said the scholarship money would be for incoming freshmen, but not necessarily those coming straight out of high school. "We have such a diverse campus," she said. "Scholarship recipients may not be 19-year-olds right out of high school." |
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Report criticizes UCD foreign campuses A report detailing problems with the University of Colorado at Denver's international campuses recommends closing two of its campuses and restructuring the other three. Marshall Collins, CU-Denver spokesman, said this report was the first step in reviewing the program and is not complete or wholly accurate. Collins said not all of the recommendations in the report are feasible and further review of them would be necessary. A committee found significant problems at each of the campuses in Nepal, Russia, China, Taiwan and Mongolia. The problems included cheating, plagiarism, inadequate textbooks and inadequate housing. "This report was the first step in the review process," Collins said. "The second step would have been to have the dean look at this report and decide what recommendations were feasible. Then it would have gone to the chancellor. Then it would have been up to the administration to decide what to do. We were not given the opportunity to do that, because someone, somewhere, and we don't know who, tried to handout copies of this report and shouldn't have." The committee that put the report together was made up of professors and people who had been involved in the international program. The committee members were Elihu Pearlman, English professor; Kitty Corbett, associate professor of anthropology, Linda Dixon, biology professor; Sonja Foss, chairwoman of the communications department; Lionel Jensen, associate professor of history; Steven Medema, chairman of economics and Arthur Robinson, lab coordinator. Collins said some of the recommendations in the committee's report have been implemented or are being studied for implementation. The report recommends creating an academic board for international education. CU-Denver is looking to create that board, Collins said. Also, the report recommended hiring new managers, and Collins said CU-Denver has done that. "There's no guarantee that every recommendation will get done," Collins said. "It's a question of what is feasible." Collins said, "Feasibility depends on two things. First it will depend on whether we can make changes with our financial resources and second if we have enough labor to do it." He said one recommendation in the report was to increase American professors on the foreign campuses. "Can we afford to do that? How long will it take to increase the American professors? A week? A month? A year? We just don't know without further study," he said. CU-Denver graduate and former Metro student Richard Roberts, sent a letter June 19 to CU-Denver Chancellor Georgia Lesh-Laurie about the problems he encountered during his stay at the Nepal campus. Four months later, a female Metro student said she was raped by a security guard there. Roberts' June letter played a role in the CU-Denver investigation of its international campuses. "The notion that international programs will become lucrative 'revenue centers' seems to us neither wise nor practical," the report states. "This program was never designed to be a money maker," Collins said. "It's a relatively young program, some of the oldest ones being six years old." Collins said the committee did the best job it could, basing its findings for the report from interviews and research. But Collins said the report covered the findings of the committee, and those findings needed to be proven through more review. |
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Computer security examined Metro computer labs might soon add new software that will verify if users are Metro students before they use the computers. The school is considering adding Windows 2000 to all computer labs within a year, said John Reed, director of technology at Metro. "Nothing will change in the other programs we have, this will only
help us manage the software," Reed said. "Within the past six months there was a severe breach of security when an individual sent a bomb threat to The Denver Post from one of our computers," Reed said. Reed also said students have brought in viruses to the labs and installed software that allowed the individual to get secured information around campus. Reed said the software will be installed in all computers on campus. Reed said he doesn't know exactly what the cost will be, but estimated a half a million dollars. With this new software, Reed said IDs will no longer have to be shown. "The student will walk in a lab and log in on a computer, and it will get information to see if this student is currently registered with Metro," Reed said. "If the student is, they will be able to continue, if not, the student will not be able to use the lab." Metro student Tamika Davis said she likes the idea. "I think it is more efficient than having to search for your student ID every time you go to the computer labs," she said. Dave Hawkins, a student at Metro, said he uses the labs quite often, and feels anything is good if it benefits the students. "Anything that helps the students is always good, but the focus should be on updating the current programs and getting better computers," Hawkins said. "Whenever that is done, the school can begin with putting in the new program." Scott Dulaney, a junior at Metro, said he thinks it's a good idea. "Since tuition and fees fays for equipment, students should have exclusive rights to usage," he said. |
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Professor testifies in First Amendment case Metro journalism professor James Brodell is slated to be an expert witness for a First Amendment case going to district court June 7. "Brodell probably won't have to testify in court," attorney Mark Honhart said, "but he has written affidavits supporting the plaintiff's case. If Brodell does testify, his testimony will be used as a rebuttal." The weekly Frisco newspaper, Ten Mile Times, printed editorial columns critical of the town council. The town responded by pulling all of its advertising from the newspaper. "The town manager at the time, Elizabeth Black, with the approval of the town council, placed a ban on all advertising in the paper," said Honhart, who represents Ten Mile Times. "That was July 8, 1991." Honhart said the town would advertise events like barbecues or Fourth of July fireworks shows in the paper and in the two annual supplements Ski the Summit and Summer in the Summit. "Since the ban, we don't know what kind of financial impact that had on the paper or on other merchants in the town," Honhart said. "Other merchants must work with the government to get their business licenses and building permits. We can't say if merchants felt like they would face retaliation if they didn't pull their advertising, too." Ten Mile Times editor Miles F. Porter would have settled out of court years ago for a few thousand dollars, Honhart said. But the town refused. "It's taken a long time to get to court for a lot of reasons," Honhart said. "There was a case in the Supreme Court that would have affected our case. So judge Richard Matsch put our case on hold, waiting to see the outcome of the Supreme Court case. Then Matsch got busy with that whole OKC trial. That slowed us down for a while." Brodell said he is not allowed to speak about the case, but he has written several affidavits supporting Ten Mile Times. Brodell's affidavit states, "The amount and intensity of the material about town government does not seem excessive or inappropriate." According to Brodell's statement, "Weekly newspapers such as Ten Mile Times frequently are produced by too few people in too little time." "In a small community, multiple hats are a necessity," he wrote. Jean Otto, from the Denver Rocky Mountain News, is an expert witness for the town of Frisco. She supports the town's decision to ban advertising in Ten Mile Times. Otto's affidavit states that the Ten Mile Times ignored journalism standards and that, "The town government would not wish to endorse that product by purchasing advertising space." |
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Students awarded for 'turning life around' Dion Trujillo thought his life was over after he was paralyzed in a car accident three years ago. He was wrong. Since then, he has excelled in school and donates his time to helping students at risk. Trujillo and eight other Metro students received "Students to Watch" awards March 2 for their determination, courage and academic achievement in the face of life's challenges. "I'm just glad to have the opportunity to go to school," Trujillo said. "I never thought I'd be able to do anything again. It's an honor." Metro recognized students who were gang members, rape victims, abused children, drug addicts, young mothers, chronically depressed, blind at birth and schizophrenic. These students turned their lives around and now hold GPAs ranging from 3.0 to 4.0. Most are active in helping people in the community. The selection committee received many nominations, and chose "nine pretty amazing fascinating students," said Karen Besen, director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Student Services. The recipients were Kerrie Dallman, Daniel Gallegos, Karen Hellman, Charles Holmes, Maureen Lewis, Julie Mah'd, Mary Riotte, Trujillo and Robert Willoughby. Each of these students has a story that needs to be told, Kate Lutrey, executive assistant to vice president of Student Services, told the audience at the evening ceremony at St. Francis Center. "I'm always inspired by the courage of students with disabilities and who have suffered tragedy in life get up and try to help other people," Lutrey said. "They have compassion that goes beyond the average person." Families and friends played a big part in the students' success, Bensen said. Muh'd, a blind student from Colorado Springs, said the dedication of Metro professors helped her succeed. In Trujillo's family, "Failure was not an option," he said. His family encouraged him to return to school. Gallegos cleaned up his life when he was left to raise his son on his own. These students are now helping youth involved in gangs and drugs. The award recipients said they want to help others facing similar situation. Lewis survived an abusive childhood. With her desired degree in Human Services, she wants to counsel abused and neglected children. Hellman wants to become a clinical psychologist to help people with problems she once had: depression, drug addiction and anorexia. Willoughby has cerebral palsy and speech problems. He worked for 15 years at the Cerebral Palsy Center, the school he attended from ages 10 to 18. He also has been volunteering at the Denver Museum of Natural History for the past seven years. Holmes assists needy African American families. He held 10 workshops on African American history at St. Martin's Plaza. Some of the students said they were surprised to receive the award. "I guess I'm just overly modest, but I just do what I do," Muh'd said. |
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Spring break travel deals sold out College students hoping to find deals for spring break to places like Cancun, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and South Padre Island might be out of luck. "All package deals are sold out," said Karen Scheuerer, a travel consultant at Council Travel in the Tivoli. She said deals the company was offering have been sold out for about a month. All packages included round-trip airfare and a seven-night stay in a hotel of the person's choice. The packages also included "The Best Party Pak," which includes free beach bashes, free food, free parties and free happy hours. "The biggest draw is the beach," Scheuerer said. She said the bars are another big draw to these destinations. The package deals started at $369 and went as high as $889. The prices varied depending on what hotel is chosen and choice of occupancy. Scheuerer gave some prices for these destinations that include airfare only and are not part of any package deal. The prices ranged from $265 to $380 depending on the destination. However these prices are also no longer available. "There is absolutely no way to get these fares at this time for spring break," Scheuerer said. Scheuerer said college students should start planning spring break in December. Some students are going to a variety of places for spring break. Metro student Archie Bernstein said he and some friends are going to Lake Powell for spring break. "There's nothing else to do," he said. Metro student Lindsay Spencer said she was going to Cozumel, Mexico. "I'm going just to see it," she said. |
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COMMENTARY |
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Cold, but not calculating News: Views: The controversy over an alleged rape at CU-Denver's Nepal campus seems a little overblown. From the information that is available now, it looks like university officials could not have prevented what happened. After learning of mismanagement at the Nepal campus, they investigated and ultimately discontinued the program last fall. Obviously, there are inherent logistical difficulties with running a campus thousands of miles away. Academic quality and student safety are the two biggest problems, as evidenced in a recent report from CU-Denver professors to Chancellor Georgia Lesh-Laurie. The report recommended closing two of CU-Denver's far-flung campuses and revamping the other three. But the rape situation isn't about large-scale mismanagement. It was a series of smaller errors that probably reflect bigger problems. First mistake: Officials at SANN Research Institute, which runs the program in Nepal for CU-Denver, allowed students to drink alcohol in campus buildings. Some of the students became drunk. Second mistake: Those officials encouraged students to sleep at the school that night rather than walk home. Tragedy: A Metro student in the program said a security guard at the school raped her in the early morning hours of Nov. 1. After hearing of the incident, the university said it immediately sent an official to Nepal to investigate. The investigator could not confirm the student's allegations, said Marshall Collins, CU-Denver spokesman. The victim would not speak to CU-Denver investigators, and her family is planning to sue, according to published reports. Larry Bell, director of the Office of International Education at CU-Denver, said students are put through a three-day orientation session upon arriving in Nepal. On the fourth day, female students sit through a separate seminar covering topics such as how to dress, health and safety issues, and proper behavior around men in the Nepalese culture. Collins said CU-Denver specifically prohibits alcohol consumption on its campuses, and that's one factor that led the school to sever its relationships with the SANN Research Institute. Given: CU-Denver warned students about cultural differences. The university can't control the actions of its employees. Rape is still wrong, and CU-Denver should have been more sensitive to the woman's situation. Instead, sample this gem from Collins: "We never had a position on this (rape) claim to begin with." And what about Narayan Shrestha, the Boulder businessman who started the Semester at Nepal program? He told the Denver Rocky Mountain News that the rape victim was irresponsible, scatter-brained and immature. Metro spokeswoman Debbie Thomas didn't exactly foster healing either when she matter-of-factly said the college can't control what its students do at other institutions. Several groups bear responsibility. It's not enough for CU-Denver to close down a campus where students were victimized. The university should also seek to repair the damage, as much as possible, with individuals. And Metro should be more careful about what programs it tacitly endorses by offering class credit to students who attend them. |
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Student involvement rewarding While writing this column I am aware of Denver's brown cloud pollution, the endless sprawl into prestigious rural Colorado, and a mass transit system that is inadequate for the size of metro Denver. Do you care about having a voice on these issues? I do, and I think you do too. Laws are being considered as you read this that could stop students in organizations from taking a stand on political issues (if they are funded by public money). In the 1980s, students at Metro voted to establish a chapter of the Colorado Public Interest Research Group to have a voice on political and environmental issues. A $4 waiveable fee that is voted on every three years funds CoPIRG. I've been involved in CoPIRG for a year. Now I'm the chapter chair and one of the board members for Metro's CoPIRG. Board members decide on the campaigns the different chapters will work on for the semester. CoPIRG also has chapters around the state including the University of Southern Colorado, Western State College, Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado. I work in the Club Hub all day Mondays on campaigns such as fighting homelessness, saving wildlife refuges, heightening the recycling rate on campus and, this semester, Earth Day 1999. I've learned how to run these campaigns, work with the media and make a difference on the issues that are important to a healthy future. I see a lot of great organizations that any student can get involved with located in the Club Hub. I see students, such as myself and other CoPIRG volunteers, working hard to organize petitions, press conferences and urging students to take an active stance on issues. I would like to see even more involvement at Metro. If legislation to take politics off publicly funded campuses passes, there won't be a chance in the future to get into leadership-based organizations. Your choice will be between gaming and basket weaving. CoPIRG has challenged me and brought me to a higher level of involvement both politically and school-based. I challenge anyone to come and help us with our hunger clean-up by donating a few hours of your time, or help save our wilderness by signing a card to stop logging in our national forests. Or you can even help with the planning of Earth Day by finding vendors and entertainment for the event. Even if community activism isn't your "cup of Joe," get the most out of your college experience by joining one of the clubs on this campus that does things that interest you. There is an organization for you. Use opportunities such as CoPIRG and get involved! |
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Here's my suggestion: follow your own rules "It depends on what the definition of is, is." Metro wants suggestions on how it can improve its proposed new sexual harassment policy. Here are a few places to start. First, let's get this straight. These records are open. The school says records on sexual harassment complaints are closed to the public. Hogwash. The law, which was what we were all using as a standard last time I checked, says if it doesn't specifically say its closed, it's open. End of story. Nowhere does the policy state that some sort of pattern of unwanted behavior must form before certain acts become sexual harassment. It simply says if you do this or that, it could be harassment. Obviously, there are certain acts that, if done once, can be defined as sexual harassment. Sexual assault is one example. But how about asking a fellow student or a co-worker out on a date? Under this policy, that could be sexual harassment even if it happens just once. That's got to change. I asked Percy Morehouse, Metro's director of Equal Opportunity, about this omission. He said the point is a valid one and the policy should be made more clear to eliminate silly scenarios from becoming fiascoes. The policy states: "Hostile environment sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct, generally although not necessarily of a sexual nature ..." Huh? So, it seems to me what this says is sexual harassment can include other kinds of harassment. How does regular old harassment become punishable under sexual harassment policy? Don't our current harassment laws provide enough protection here? The policy states any college administrator, supervisor or professor who "observes what he or she reasonably believes to be sexual harassment ..." must report it to the director of Equal Opportunity who must investigate it. "This office will determine whether it is factual before it acts upon it," Morehouse said. Maybe you have noticed, not everyone can agree on what is reasonable. I think my definition of reasonable and Patricia Ireland's are going to be quite different here. Ireland, of course, is the president of the National Organization for Women. There is also a clause that says Metro has a responsibility to its students who are participating in courses or other college-sponsored activities off campus to ensure protection against sexual harassment. So I wondered if Metro has followed its own proposed rule. It knows one of its students has said she was raped while participating in a study abroad program in Nepal. Has Morehouse begun an investigation into whether this woman's claims are true? "No, because the student hasn't come to us," Morehouse said. "No one has come to us." Morehouse said he had read about the story in the paper, which means he observed or was made aware of what he must have reasonably considered to be sexual harassment. So under this new policy, shouldn't Metro be aggressively pursuing the facts in this woman's case? "Yeah, I guess under this policy you're probably right," Morehouse said. I get that all the time. Kyle Ringo is a Metro student and a columnist for The Metropolitan. His e-mail address is ringok@mscd.edu. |
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Metropolitan missed mark on CSA Editor: I am writing in response to The Metropolitan's Feb. 19 editorial. Not only does the editorial display complete ignorance on behalf of the editorial staff about the implications of House Bill 1189, but it also makes false accusations against the Colorado Student Association. Despite your inaccurate opinions, HB1189 would largely affect student governments and student groups. The bill's sponsors may not have intended for it to affect student fee funding in institutions of higher education, but when asked about these specific implications, lawmakers agree it does pose a clear threat. The bill does specify political activity as being a political committee, candidate for office, ballot initiative or referendum. However, it does not specify the definition of "political purpose." Was it not with a political purpose that you wrote the editorial? What about other countless other letters to the editor? Are they not printed with student fees processed through Metro's accounting department? The bill, which would make it illegal for state agencies (colleges and universities) to collect funds for political purposes, applies to a broad spectrum of student organizations who organize countless events that could be considered as having some political purpose. The editorial blatantly criticized CSA for lobbying against HB1189 to save its own hide, but it also addressed our main points, which center around protecting student government organizations. In fact, CSA is most concerned about the viability of student governments and accessibility to higher education. In 1993, CSA successfully lobbied for a $4.5 million increase in need-based financial aid, the largest increase in the State of Colorado. In 1995, CSA supported and received a $6.2 million increase in aid. CSA is one of the most organized, efficiently operated student coalitions in the country, and you should be ashamed to have criticized CSA when your staff and all students at Metro benefit from CSA's impeccable efforts to ensure student involvement in the legislative process. Contrary to your claim, which makes false allegations concerning the University of Colorado at Boulder's reasoning for dropping out last year, Boulder wanted CSA to lobby on issues that weren't in line with CSA's mission: social issues such as abortion rights. CSA said no because we are strictly a lobbying group for issues concerning issues of higher education. One last point is that CSA cannot be held accountable for a lack of student involvement. We are the students actively involved in CSA's decision making and we work on a representative system. Abigail Driscoll Editor: Regarding the editorial, "Good riddance to lobbyists" (Feb. 19). When student governments originated, they served specific purposes: to develop and implement student activities to educate, inform and enhance the educational experience; to oversee student fees; and to protect and advocate for the better interests of the student body. Student governments were created by the students for the students. Now, with our campus population growing, the system has evolved to create more efficiency. With the understanding that the fundamental principle still exists with the inclusion of clubs, organizations and activity boards. Some student activities could be speaking events, rallies, candidate debates, legislative forums and voter registration drives. If students are to have the ability to gather, who would organize such an event? Political science clubs? Philosophy clubs? Debate clubs? If HB1189 passes, these activities would be non-existent on our campuses. The Higher Education Act of 1998 requires that colleges and universities play an active role in getting students registered to vote? If HB1189 passes, it would be harder to hold institutions of higher education accountable. Next, student governments have always taken the role to protect and advocate for the majority of the students. This occurs at the administrative level of your campus and at the state level. It is the responsibility of the student government to seek input from the students or other pertinent areas in order to make effective decisions. This is the democratic process our country has functioned on for more than 200 years. Democracy is a process of debating and educating. The Colorado Student Association is the only voice for students at the capitol. Some of the items that CSA has contributed to have been keeping tuition low, increasing student aid, allowing more students an opportunity to earn a degree, and it is in the midst of gaining money to improve modem pools, replacing computers that can barely run Windows 3.11 within our institutions. Not too bad of an investment for 50 cents (each student per semester). Without CSA, if tuition went up $1,000 each semester, there would be nothing we could do as a whole except find a cheaper university. Jeff Willener |
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FEATURES |
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Doe-Vibrant and Victorious:
I thought I might die, so I wanted to leave something behind," said Metro English professor Sandra Maresh Doe. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1975 and she refused to be defeated. A book of Doe's poems, Lies and Promises, has been published by Holly House, Inc., of Flagstaff, Ariz. The Auraria Faculty Club celebrated the event with a book signing Feb. 26. "I began writing to get even with death, and with this book I'd say I'm winning," Doe said. The excitement of being published was felt throughout the little cottage house at 1041 Ninth Street Park. Doe was surrounded by old friends, acquaintances, faculty and new admirers. Doe began reading from her book and her voice boomed, catching everyone's attention. Wine, finger foods, home-made salsa and a congratulatory cake was offered. There were smiles at every table like well-placed utensils. "I write with a conversational rhythm, and I love to explore metaphors," Doe said. "I'm not afraid to write about the hard stuff." Her poems confront issues of divorce, single parenthood and the triumph of becoming a self-sufficient woman. Doe divorced in the early 1970s, before developing breast cancer. There hasn't been any reoccurrence of the cancer. Lies and Promises has been called her "domestic" edition. It has reflections of being a divorced woman in the 1970s with two little girls. Her children are now 30 and 31, both have received degrees in theater and political science, respectively. Kenneth Pitt, a Metro senior and winner of the 1998 Writes of Spring contest, said, "(Doe) has no idea of the 'proper' teaching of an English class, and thank God! She is so spontaneous and gracefully active." Doe sometimes jumps on chairs and desks, and she gets excited about what she teaches, Pitt said. A professor of Doe's impressed her when she was a student with his active and animated style of teaching. "He would jump on the desk when we read the Storming of Bastille. I wanted a teaching style that was a character's character," she said. Doe autographed her books and gave the new owners hugs. Doe began teaching at Metro full-time in 1966. She has no intentions of leaving Metro. "Metro is a great place with excellent students," she said. Doe's achievements include the 1998-99 Distinguished Service Award for the past 33 years of teaching. She also received a special recognition award for her dedication and commitment to women's studies. She was chair for Metro's Institute of Women Studies in 1996. Doe lives an active lifestyle. "Life is great, and I'm glad to have it," Doe said. "I'm 58 going on 35, I'm well-preserved." Doe traveled to England with Metro's British Drama Tour, from Dec. 31, 1998 to Jan. 12, 1999. She plans to visit Costa Rica with the earth science and biology departments. "My biggest test to surviving is to survive as a role model," she said. "I'm still here and kicking!" "I have enjoyed Sandra's poetry for 30 years," said Vance Aandahl, former Metro professor. "I am deeply impressed by the honesty of her voice." Doe said if there is something she would want her readers to come away with are thoughts of enjoying life. "A line from my poem 'Girls with Braids in Church' is we all live 'Into the promise of God.' I have lived a long time and I've rejoiced."
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Students heed the plead for kids to read When Jole Monk, a member of Metro's women's soccer team, visited Barnum Elementary School for Read Across America Day, she read from Dr. Seuss's The Cat In The Hat. "Oh, I - I know this book," said one boy. "Oh - I have this book," a girl replied. Some students mouthed the words along with Monk, while others sat cross-legged and mumbled to themselves. Two boys receded under a desk to chat. One boy sat quietly at the back of the room playing with strips of paper and pretended he wasn't paying attention. Five women's soccer team membersdropped by Barnum on March 2, including Monk, Jennifer Kitano, Amber Cardamore, Kelly Johannes and Samantha McLeod. The team's coach, Ed Montojo, also came along to celebrate Read Across America Day and Dr. Seuss' birthday. Barnum, like many urban schools, is struggling to adapt to a growing national distaste for bilingual education. Of 575 students, 65 percent are Hispanic, said April Crumley, a school employee. About one-third of the classes are conducted in Spanish. Signs and fliers posted around the halls are in both English and Spanish. Many students come from one-parent homes or live with grandparents. Nearly 95 percent are on the school's free lunch program. Monk read quickly and emphatically, trying to keep the children's attention. When things got too restless, at least one well-trained student would raise two fingers high and put a serious look on their face: Quiet. The teacher, Ms. Laurie, breathed "Shhhh!" with ever-greater intensity. The boy at the back of the room continued fidgeting with paper and books while gazing out the window, but he piped up as Monk ended the book. "What would you do, if your mother asked you?" Monk read. "Tell the truth," the boy said. And he was quiet again. All day, Crumley had been shuttling volunteer readers to classrooms. Two police officers stopped by. One Denver City Council member blew in with her campaign manager toting a camera. The next book in Ms. Laurie's class was Green Eggs and Ham. "I would eat them in the dark, but I would not see them," one girl said. "I would eat them anywhere." Again, near the end, the children leaned forward, eyes locked on the illustrations. "He's gonna eat 'em!" one boy said. "Right here. Watch." It's that hunger for learning and fantasy that keeps Crumley going. She's the family advocate at Barnum, a job created recently to connect families in trouble with community resources. But Crumley said a large part of her job is also to bring a little happiness to students' lives. "So many of these kids are in a personal slump because of what's going on at home, and 'Where's dad?' and things like that," she said. "I feel like that's my crusade, to have them enjoy things, instead of it being such a drudgery. "I try to get senior citizens to come in here, but they get scared about the Spanish, and I go 'Hungry brown eyes are brown eyes. It doesn't matter what skin color is wrapped around them,' you know? These kids are hungry for any kind of attention." This event is the beginning of more volunteer activities for Metro athletes and coaches, said Larry McGill, coordinator of marketing and promotions for Intercollegiate Athletics. McGill said the athletes and coaches are enthusiastic. "I have yet to have any athlete turn me down on any issue that has anything to do with elementary or middle school kids," he said. |
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Cave Comedy For a caveman, Rob Becker has a hip disposition. There are no grunts or heaves as he defends the caveman. The information comes out of his mouth in a very mechanized fashion. It seemed mechanized because Becker has performed his one-man show Defending the Caveman more than 2,000 times across the country. Since the show gelled in 1991, the material hasn't changed one snippet. But he swears it's still interesting to him. It first came upon him at a party when he was severely male bashed by a group of women. He had to protect himself (and his gender), and the results were hilarious. "The more they came at me, the more they kept putting me on the spot, the funnier it got," he said. "Then my wife started at me, and I start explaining stuff to her, and she starts laughing. I think to myself, as a comedian this is good material." He first thought the material would sneak its way into the middle of his routines. "Originally I just had a couple bits I wanted to do," Becker said March 2 before his show opened in Denver that night. "I tried them out, and the reaction was overwhelming. I told people 'men and women are like two different cultures with different customs and everything.' After the show all these people wanted to talk, but just about the five-minute piece I did in the middle. There were several women there, and they all said they were tired of being angry at men." Becker suddenly saw an untapped market: Marriage counselor/comedian. Make them laugh their way through the trauma, he thought. (Granted this is 1987; Tim Allen's hammers and Robert Dubac's Oxymoron weren't on the scene.) This was more than a comedy routine—rather a life lesson. As his wife Erin lent him insight into the female psyche, he noticed something was happening between the two of them. "It seemed that she liked me more while we were talking about this. She (previously) had this anger toward me, and this helped a lot." Becker was studying screen writing at the time and started to structure it as a movie. But fate took the caveman in a different direction. He started in small 300-seat comedy clubs and moved into 2,000-seat theaters in San Francisco, Dallas, Philadelphia and Chicago. Once he felt comfortable in legitimate theater, he took on the big one. "I was on Broadway for two and a half years." It was enough to become the longest running non-musical solo play in the Great White Way's history. It surpassed Lily Tomlin's show, and placed Becker into the record books. In his post-Broadway life, he is on tour again, enjoying the perils of fame. He was in Denver in March of 1997, and he's already back. On average he interviews with a dozen media outlets in each city. In Denver his two-week run was recently extended due to popular demand. "It's a phenomenon," said Becker of the show's success. "I can't even pretend to be bashful about it." Becker said the show lasted because of the humorous presentation of the subject matter. "You can read Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, but you won't laugh." Becker does a lot of stereotyping within the play, but tackling relational subject matter without generalities would simply be unfunny, he said. "(The show) thrives on generalities. I use the generalizations—or I'll call them archetypes because that makes me sound smarter—but they help people relate it to their own lives. "I illustrate how the differences between men and women cause us to fight and misunderstand each other. People can hear the examples and say, 'we argue about the same things.' That's what makes the material so interesting." Caveman runs through March 26. Call: (303) 893-4100. |
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SPORTS |
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Metro RMAC champs The Metro men's basketball team finally got to enjoy a victory Feb. 27. Though the Roadrunners now have 25 wins on the season, this victory was the one Metro had been shooting for since the very first day of practice. The 83-73 win over Mesa State in the finals of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament gave Metro the title it wanted: Conference Champs. "A lot of pressure is off us now," said junior forward Lee Barlow, who was selected to the all-tournament team. "The expectations were high, and now it's time to prove ourselves in the NCAA tournament. We knew if we worked hard, it would pay off." With the victory, Metro earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA North Central Regional Tournament, held March 4-6 in Wayne, Neb. The Roadrunners were given a first-round bye and will play March 5 against the winner of the South Dakota-Mesa State game. This is the second straight year the Roadrunners have made it to the NCAA Tournament. The hard work started the first day of practice when the Roadrunners began their 5 a.m. practice schedule, according to Barlow. Metro spent half the season having early morning practices, and the discipline gained from those practices paid off. Mesa State had control of the game at the beginning, slowing the pace down and forcing Metro to follow. The Roadrunners were able to take a three-point lead into halftime. Once the Roadrunners were able to get out on the fast break and run its uptempo style, the Mavericks were caught a step behind. "We played their game the whole first half," DeMarcos Anzures said. "That's not our game. Second half we picked it up and things started to happen. Everybody was a threat on the floor." As has been the case all season long, Anzures led the charge. He scored a game-high 22 points, 14 in the second half, as he was voted the tournament MVP. The Roadrunners followed their usual game plan as they went inside early. It's been a trademark of the team, going inside first and then bombing away from the outside as its opponant sags off to stop the inside game. Metro scored 20 of its 35 first half points within five feet of the basket. "We're getting better at doing that, and that's a tribute to this team," head coach Mike Dunlap said. "We're playing team ball and that's what it takes to win at this level." The Roadrunners also have a weapon that most teams it's faced this year don't have. It has a bench that can score when needed. The Roadrunners' bench outscored Mesa State's bench 28-6 in the game. The last time the two teams met, Metro's bench outscored Mesa's 41-3. "This time of the year you have to be hitting on four and five cylinders, not just two," Dunlap said. "We have a lot of guys contributing, especially off the bench." Dunlap knew how hard his team had worked to get to this point and wanted his team to enjoy the moment. "One of the themes we had going into the game is enjoy this because we worked incredibly hard to get here," he said. "Whether we win or lose, it would be a travesty not to appreciate the moment, and I thought we did a good job of that. I thought we played relaxed even though it was an intense game." |
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Relishing a Roadrunner rebound The Metro men's basketball team finally got the monkey off its back Feb. 26 in the second round of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament at the Auraria Events Center. Last year the Roadrunners lost in the second round of the RMAC tournament to the University of Southern Colorado. This year one of its goals was to extend its season beyond that point. Metro accomplished its goal with a convincing win over the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers, 102-79. "This year's team wanted to set the bar a little higher than last year's team," head coach Mike Dunlap said. "They're tired of hearing about last year's team, and last year's team didn't win this game. They were very motivated in that way." The only two returning starters from last year's team are juniors DeMarcos Anzures and Lee Barlow. Each remembers the pain of last season's tournament defeat. They agreed that their past experiences made this year's victory a little sweeter. It didn't take long for the Roadrunners to erase last year's memory. By halftime, the Roadrunners were well on its way to victory. They took a 20-point lead into the locker room, led by Anzures and Barlow, who scored 14 and 13 points, respectively, in the first half. Metro led by as many as 29 points during the second half. The Lopers got as close as 16 points but the Roadrunners were never in jeopardy. With three minutes to go Metro led by 29 points, and Dunlap knew his team had secured the victory, a rare occurrence for a head coach. "I never feel that way," Dunlap said of his team's apparent victory before time had run out. "The major reason was this year's team. They were determined to be better than they were last year." Anzures was one of the players who had a better performance in this year's tournament than last year's. In the loss to the University of Southern Colorado last season, Anzures made only one shot out of 14 attempts. This time around Anzures finished with a game high 22 points. Twelve of those points came in the first half when he made four of six from three-point range. Anzures said retaining his poise was the key to his success from the outside. "I felt really good shooting my three-pointers," Anzures said. "I didn't rush it, and I was really patient." Barlow contributed a double-double to the Metro victory with 17 points and 12 rebounds. He led the team in rebounds and credited that success to being in the right position at the right time. Two other Roadrunners scored in double-figures. Junior Richard Lugowski and senior David Adler scored 11 points and 12 points, respectively. While the Roadrunners were out- rebounded by Nebraska-Kearney, 41-37, Metro made up for it in other ways. Metro had 15 steals to the Lopers' four. The Roadrunners also followed their defensive game plan of keeping Nebraska-Kearney guards Eric Strand and Anthony Harms in check. "We knew who their key scorers were," Dunlap said. "We just wanted to shut them down and the guys did a great job of that." Strand scored 18 points and Harms scored 11 points for Nebraska-Kearney in the game. Metro junior Jody Hollins had eight points in the game, two that rocked the Auraria Events Center. As the Roadrunners sat at 98 points, the crowd chanted "triple digits." Hollins was the man who granted the fans' wish. His dunk with under two minutes to go pushed the Roadrunners to 100 points and brought the fans to their feet. "I didn't even know what the score was when it happened," Hollins said of the dunk, "but it felt good." |
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End of the line Some people may not agree with Metro women's basketball coach Mike Power, but the first-year coach believes his players performed beyond expectations this season. Despite a 69-58 season-ending loss to Nebraska-Kearney on Feb. 26, the Metro head coach believes the season was a success. When you look at how the Roadrunners started the season, playing with only seven players because of injuries and illnesses, which was the same way they ended the season, a final record of 19-9 looks pretty good Power said. "To be where we're at, I think the girls have overachieved," Power said. "We were definately one of the four best teams in the conference." The only time of the season the Roadrunners were at full-strength was in the month of January. They took advantage of the situation by running off seven straight conference wins and didn't lose a game during the entire month. But when injuries and illness came back to haunt Metro, Power could sense the tribulations of the beginning of the year may return. "You get so worn down during the season, depth has to carry you," Power said. |
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Roadrunners on a roll Junior outfielder and pitcher Dana Reichers used some late-inning magic to win an extra-innings thriller and sweep a double-header from Hastings College Feb. 27 at Auraria Field. Reichers started the game in left field, but finished it as a pitcher, striking out five batters and giving up only one hit in the final 2 2/3 innings to pick up the win in relief for the Rodrunners. He also went 2-for-4 with two doubles at the plate and scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. "It felt really good to come in and shut Hastings down and then get the big double in the ninth to give us a chance to win the game," Reichers said. Metro, now 8-2 on the year, took the early lead, scoring four runs in the first two innings and leading 5-3 after five. In the top of the sixth innning, Hastings College battled back to take the lead, 6-5. With starting pitcher Will Tavis in a jam, senior pitcher Jarrett Magdaleno took the mound with the bases loaded and two outs and struck out Hastings' third baseman Mike Schwab to end its half of the inning. Hastings lead wouldn't last long. In the bottom of the sixth, senior outfielder Geno Ballardo came to the plate with a runner on first and one out. He crushed Hastings' pitcher Jay Jones' pitch for a two-run homer to right field to regain the lead for the Roadrunners. In the top of the seventh, two Roadrunner errors allowed Hastings to tie the game at seven. In the bottom half of the inning, Hastings narrowly escaped a Roadrunner threat to send the game into extra innings. After shutting Hastings down in the eighth and ninth innings on the mound, Reichers led off the ninth with a big double, putting himself in scoring position for Brian Aguiar. The junior first baseman singled to left field to drive in Reichers for the winning run. In the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday, Kevin Watson overwhelmed the opposition, pitching a complete-game while allowing only four hits. Metro won the game 5-1. Watson only gave up one run and struck out four to improve to 2-0 on the season. |
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Watson, Garibay lead Metro The addage, "Two is better than one" is a short commentary on the Metro baseball team's pitching staff. Kevin Watson and Ariel Garibay are starting pitchers this year for Metro and both are All-Americans. Watson and Garibay were honored last year by being selected to the RMAC first team and the second team All-Western region. The two Metro pitchers, both seniors, will be looked at for leadership this season. Kevin Watson has been playing baseball since he was three. During High school Watson earned 16 letters (four each in baseball, football, track and cross country.) He then attended Trinidad Junior College and was named to the Academic Team of the year and graduated with honors. Last season was his first year with Metro. Last year he posted a 7-2 record and an RMAC-low 3.38 earned run average. It is an ERA that is difficult to attain for a pitcher in the thin air of Colorado, but the air here is not a problem for Watson, "Being down south where there is a little more elevation and especially playing in a shorter park has had its ups and downs," Watson said. "But as a pitcher you learn to adjust to that. There are going to be times you make mistakes and usually what happens is home run balls. If you go by our philosophy of hitting your spots and picking up your target, the ball getting out of the park should not be a problem." Ariel Garibay is working on his 18th year of baseball. He was team captain for his high school baseball team and selected all-conference his senior year. Garibay led the Roadrunners with 62 strikeouts in 82 innings last season. Before attending Metro, Garibay played at Ohlone Junior College in Fremont, Calif. He earned two letters in baseball at Ohlone and met Kenny Leonesio, Metro' s pitching coach. Leonesio had coached a couple of years at Ohlone, leading them to a championship. Leonesio is the main reason Garibay came to Metro. "The only reason I came here is basically because of Kenny," Garibay said. "I didn't want to play anywhere else." Last year Garibay led the team with an 8-1 record and had a 4.39 ERA. Both Garibay and Watson are very modest when they talk about their success They are the leaders of this pitching staff according to everyone but themselves. "I don't really look at it that way, we are a staff," Garibay said. "When one guy doesn't get it done, the staff doesn't get it done." Watson agrees with Garibay. "I think there are eleven leaders on this staff," Watson said. "We all love to compete." At first look, it may concern some people that the Roadrunners are only returning two starters to the mound. But this does not concern Watson or Garibay. "It's all a chemical equation," Watson said. "I think Ariel
and I can set the grounds for this staff though." "I played with those guys a couple of years ago," Garibay said. "This should help the chemistry of the team that much quicker." How important are these players to the roadrunners? "I think they will have a big part." head coach Vince Porreco said. "They had success last year, and coming into this year it is good to know you have two guys who can do the job and have done the job." So far this year Watson is 2-0 with a 5-1 win over Hastings on Feb. 27th and a 7-1 win over York State. He worked seven innings in each game. Garibay has posted a 1-1 record, losing at Regis and winning a 14-2 game over Doane Feb. 26. Metro returns to action March 6-7 when they travel to face West Texas A&M for four games. |
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