Volume 21 Issue 24 March 26, 1999 |
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Contents:
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NEWS |
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Director hired for business
center Metro's School of Business hired a Denver businesswoman March 9 to be the director of the schools' U S West Center for Small Business Success. "I'm really excited about this, and I hope to create something that will be the best of its kind," said Sharon Sherman, who will begin the position April 1. "I have a very strong attachment to higher education," she said. "I feel strongly that what I was able to achieve in my life was because of a good education. I think this is a wonderful opportunity to put that into action." According to college officials, the center will be a resource where students, professors and small businesses will work together to solve real-world problems small businesses face, such as inventory control. The U S West Foundation provided funding for the center's first two years of operation with a $1 million grant to the School of Business June 25. The grant will be used to pay Sherman's $90,000 salary as well as to provide scholarships and provide office facilities on campus. The center will open July 1. Sherman said her first priority will be to analyze the Denver-area market to determine what services the center can offer. "I know a lot of the people in the business community personally and what a lot of them need and what interest they would have in connecting with a program like this," she said. Sherman, who graduated from Iowa State University, is a former board member for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Denver Partnership. She also helped create and was a managing partner of Schenkein / Sherman Public Relations and was an education and political reporter for The Denver Post. "The center will be another way for the college to connect with the community," she said. "At the moment we're thinking that (for the remainder of this year) we will do more pilot projects," she said. "We expect to be fully up-and-running next year." James Robertson, dean of Metro's School of Business, said the search committee interviewed seven applicants for the position, all from the Denver area. "We wanted someone who was very much aware of the business community and the economics of the metropolitan area," he said. "(Sherman) is well known in the business community and will be a tremendous asset in helping recruit members to the center's advisory board and in serving the business community," he said. "She realized how important the center must be to the faculty, students and business." |
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Jazzman to receive Meir award Jazz musician Wynton Marsalis has been chosen as this year's recipient of the Golda Meir Leadership Award. Norm Provizer, chairman of the political science department, will give Marsalis the award at 2:30 p.m. March 26 at the Golda Meir center. The award is given for leadership qualities, and Marsalis has been an important influence in jazz for two decades. He is the artistic director for jazz at the Lincoln Center in New York and has worked with young musicians for years. "For a 37-year-old, he's been such an enormous force in jazz," Provizer said. Marsalis won a Grammy for jazz and classical music and is the only jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. "He is obviously one of the most important musicians of this generation," said Metro music professor Ron Miles. This year is the centennial of Duke Ellington's birth, and Marsalis has followed the tradition that Ellington began, Provizer said. Last year, Steven Spielberg and Debbie Allen won the Golda Meir award for their work on the film Amistad. |
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Senate leader criticizes proposed policy Metro's Faculty Senate president said she is disappointed with the changes in Metro's sexual harassment policy that would require reporting of suspected sexual harassment. "The biggest problem I hear about is the clause about the obligation to report hearsay, rumors and slander," Monys Hagen said at the March 24 Faculty Senate meeting. "Excessive reports will dilute reason and it will become harder to determine what's rumor and what's truth in sexual harassment claims," she said. "People can report things second-third-or-fourth-hand." The policy revisions are being written by Lee Combs, college attorney at Metro. Combs could not be reached for comment. The policy revision aims to prohibit behaviors and environments that could lead to litigation. Under the revision, victims can claim harassment regardless of the offender's intention. "This policy is a more expansive way of explaining sexual harassment than the previous policy," Combs told The Metropolitan Feb. 24. Combs cited two recent Supreme Court cases as reasons for the revision. He said Metro wants to add it to make distinctions about types of harassment. A vote by the Board of Trustees for the State Colleges in Colorado is expected at the end of April. Hagen said this vote is too soon and should be postponed so Combs can "step back and think about what he's doing." The department is trying to meet the April deadline without thinking about the consequences of not studying the proposals thoroughly, she said. Another part of the policy change she said bothers her is the consequences of false accusations. An earlier revision stated disciplinary charges would be filed for false complaints, now it states that charges may be filed, she said. There's a difference in the wording and Hagen said the revision backed out of disciplining anyone who made false accusations. Hagen also said she didn't approve of the revision that allowed for a hostile environment created unconsciously. She said with the new language a student who didn't approve of a professors lecture because it contained sexual material could file a complaint against the professor. |
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Archeologists dig Auraria artifacts In the 19th century, before Dumpsters, most Denverites threw their trash into their backyards. A hundred years later, the state considers that trash to be historical artifacts, and the dirt five feet under Auraria campus is teeming with it. Construction crews digging trenches for new plumbing pipes unearthed historic trash during the first phase of the Ninth Street Park restoration project, which began last summer. A century ago, where the south classroom now stands, a house burned down, said Marcus Grant, an archeologist with Paragon Archeological Consultants. After the house burned down, people began using the site as a trash dump. Grant was surprised at the number of intact artifacts. "I'd say we only found 10 percent of what's under there," Grant said. Grant found more than 200 bottles, spoons, skeleton keys, and the skeletal remains of a "big, old, dead dog that was probably a family pet. "Anytime artifacts are found, an archeological monitor is called to supervise and catalog the findings," Grant said. "I thought it was going to be a big yawn. I thought I was going to be looking at dirt all day," Grant said. Grant said the trash dates back to the 1870s and continues up through the Depression era of the 1930s. Grant said the site could be used as a field school for anthropology students to dig up more artifacts. "If the anthropology department is interested, it would have to get the state's blessing to do it, but I'm sure the state would be pleased to do it," he said. "When artifacts are found on state property they need to be housed at the state facility in Boulder, but Boulder is full. They don't want this stuff," Grant said. He said he hopes the Auraria Higher Education Center wants it. Jim Kelley, facilities director of AHEC, said he would love to display the artifacts in some of the houses at Ninth Street Park. Rosemary Fetter, AHEC communications director, said it would be a waste to store the artifacts in Boulder, or in the basement of the Colorado Historical Society. "We should put them in the Faculty Club, the Mercantile, or in the conference building where people can see them," Fetter said. Ninth Street Park received a grant from the Colorado Historical Society for $386,000. The second phase of the renovation, building repairs, will begin in April. According to a report from Andrews and Anderson Architects, which has been working on the project for two years, Ninth Street Park needs $750,000 in repairs. The grant from the Historical Society plus $350,000 from a state fund for upkeep of public buildings will pay for the repairs, which include roof replacements and window frame and exterior door repairs. 1015 Ninth Street Park will be the first building to be repaired, because AHEC wanted to begin renovating the most damaged houses, Kelley said. Kelley said the grant money will go for outside repairs only. Contract bids came in higher than expected and some projects had to be shelved. Kelley said repairs to the insides of the buildings would focus on structural repairs. Money for new carpets, linoleum and paint would come from the general maintenance fund, if and when it is available. |
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Candidates present platforms at debate Student government candidates said they would confront issues such as parking, student involvement, and communication between students and assembly members at a meeting March 24. It was the first of two debates among candidates for Metro's Student Government Assembly. The second will be held March 30 in the Tivoli Multicultural Lounge. "One of my goals is to get as much student participation as possible," said presidential candidate Angell Perez. "My focus is to get a higher number of students involved in the elections and involved in voting." Downtown workers frequently park on campus, and that takes spaces away from students, Perez said. The new SGA should focus on keeping students at Metro and keeping students focused on their studies, she said. Brendan Haymaker, current vice president of student fees, is running for president with a group of candidates called Student Voice. "I believe I can make a change in our student government as it stands now," Haymaker said. Haymaker said he would take an active role in student involvement and lobby for the rights of students. "Each student has a voice," Haymaker said. Haymaker said his party would bring the student government to the students. "There is an obvious lack of communication on campus," said Jennifer Darnell, a presidential candidate. Her party, Students for Students, would like to send newsletters from SGA to students documenting assembly activities. "I believe our ticket can make a difference," Darnell said. Presidential candidate Ruth Burns backs the Student Sword group of candidates. "We've got the smallest ticket running," Burns said. Burns said she's concerned that students' Social Security numbers are being used as student identification numbers. That opens the door for privacy violations, she said. Lobat Asadi, candidate for vice president of Communications, said she would hold an open forum with the Financial Aid department and students. Mutzi Brown is running for vice president of Diversity, also under the Student Sword ticket. Al Soto and Jose Silva are running under the ticket name Hoo-Ya. Soto, a presidential candidate, said he would push for a four-year moratorium on increases to fees for parking and tuition. Soto said students should have a good time at Metro, and be sure to graduate. Silva is running for vice president of diversity. Soto said he would like to implement more technology at Metro such as voice recognition systems on computers. |
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COMMENTARY |
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Debate' a comedy of 'ideas' Views: We wanted goals. An agenda. Basic knowledge of Metro news. We wanted more
than third-rate, self-important What did we get? As one candidate summed it up: communication and diversity. That's not enough. Student government candidates held a so-called debate in the Tivoli March 24. But it certainly wasn't a debate. It was something more akin to limp posturing in front of a mirror. If this was a contest of looking most like the opponents, we hereby nominate every Student Government Assembly candidate for first prize. The candidates for student representation, most of them trying for jobs that pay $500 a month, were virtually indistinguishable. See for yourselves. The Metropolitan asked each presidential candidate to write a column on why students should vote for them. The pieces appear on this week's editorial pages. Everyone agrees: Diversity is important and students should be more involved in campus events. Well, duh. Face it, students will be as involved as they have time to be. That's not going to change. And "diversity" has been reduced to a buzzword, referring only to groups of people that have been historically oppressed. Most people say the word only to counteract fear of appearing to be insensitive to that oppression. Of course these are important issues, but candidates should spend less time talking about themselves and more time presenting a specific plan for making Metro a better place to attend classes. But don't just set out goals, tell us how you intend to accomplish them. Debate organizers have promised greater substance at a second debate March 30. The prospects don't look good, but we can only hope. |
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The Met, a nickname that's already worn out "If you don't like it, don't use it." Two years later, they're still taking her advice. I think it's safe to say that this The Met charade is a failure. Whew. Metro basically changed its name two years ago from Metropolitan State College of Denver to The Met. There was an uproar from students who didn't like the change, at least as much of an uproar as there ever is here. It caused Thomas, who is an assistant vice-president of College Communications, to utter the previous quote. So I was noticing last week, as I followed the coverage of the Metro men's basketball team in the two Denver newspapers and on local television news, just how much of a failure it is. Both papers refer to the school as Metro State. So, too, do the three major local television news stations. Does Thomas think changing the name has been a failure? "No I don't," she said. "If you talk to anyone who does these kinds of identity campaigns, they will tell you it takes three to five years to know if it has been successful." The keystone piece of my failure argument came courtesy of the basketball team's 2/12 hours on national television March 20. During the broadcast, CBS referred to the school as Metropolitan State. The Met? Nada. That's failure folks. It seems to me that if you want your identity campaign to work, you ought to let the television folks see your ID before they put it on the tube. Thomas didn't know if that had been done. She said athletics director Joan McDermott might have talked to somebody about it before the game. Obviously that never happened or I wouldn't be writing this column. I doubt McDermott ever even thought she might have to do that. Thomas also said she thought McDermott had conversations with local sports reporters about using the moniker. Queries to both sports departments at the two Denver dailies revealed both had no idea the college even wanted to be called The Met, and one assistant sports editor said he wouldn't publish the name regardless. Once again, failure. "We've got to give it another two to three years," Thomas said. "It's entirely too early." So what is going to change in two or three years? That's what I'd like to know. |
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Student Government Elections 1999-2000 Ruth Burns Motivation. I became involved with student issues in 1996 when political science professor Robert Hazan was denied tenure, an action that outraged many students. I became more involved while helping a friend to receive disability accommodations. I met Metro President Sheila Kaplan and other college officials, and also met their tendency to misinform, misdirect and generally mistreat students like naughty children. This didn't impress me, so I refused to go away. After working independently until 1998, I ran for the office of student representative to the Board of Trustees for the State Colleges in Colorado, Metro's governing board, primarily because the board hires and fires the college president. Now, I am running for Student Government Assembly president because other people have asked me to, and because it is extremely important for our president to be professional, disinterested and knowledgeable about the issues. Dedication. I am extremely dedicated to the student of Metro. In 1996 and 1997, I spent hours every day pursuing issues, reviewing records, budgets and laws, and meeting with top officials of Metro and Auraria. In my current SGA position, I travel all over the state communicating the Metro student perspective to the governing board and the legislature. I continue to be a watchdog for disability issues and take an active part in SGA meetings. This represents a considerable investment of time and energy, which I am fully prepared to continue. Qualifications. My year as an SGA member has educated me on the issues: parking, childcare, attendance, ad infinitum. At the board level, I have observed the big picture for Metro and other state colleges. Through the Colorado Student Association, I deal with higher education issues effecting students around the state. My experience with SGA and my connections with administration and faculty make me the most qualified candidate for the presidency. Jennifer Darnell Students slogan. It speaks about our goals, motivation, integrity and philosophy. The Students for Students ticket is exactly what it says, we want all students to feel comfortable approaching any one of us with concerns, issues or suggestions they might have. With us, there is opportunity for everyone's voice to be heard. This is the most important message to you. We feel that a strong student government is one that supports all members while actively representing the student body as a whole. Be assured that effective student representation is our top priority. We are committed to representing the student body aggressively. There are several other issues on our agenda. We will address racism, sexism, homophobia and disability issues, as well as childcare. With your help and input, we will make a formidable team. We want better communication between the student body and college administration. We plan to actively improve communication by publishing a monthly newsletter, extending office hours to the evening and attending campus functions. It is also our intention to install a billboard for the exclusive use of SGA and incorporate a suggestion box for all students to easily express their concerns to us. This will make SGA accessible to all students. The members of Students for Students have worked hard to decide on attainable and realistic goals. We are organized, hard working and determined to make the changes that are important to you. I would encourage each of you to seek out the candidates, attend the debates and ask questions. Student input is essential to the success of this election and next year's SGA. Please contact either a member on my ticket or myself and get to know us.
I am confident that once you have talked to us you will vote for Students
for Students and The FORCE we represent. When election time arrives, vote
for my ticket members: Taryn Browne, Jennifer Smith, Lisa Wohletz, Jeremy
Perkins, Hektor Munoz, Helen Giron- Brenden Haymaker I believe a more active role is needed by the SGA to encourage a more involved
student body throughout the campus. That is why I am running for Metro student
government president. In fact, that is the major goal for The skills and education I have acquired through my life, I feel would benefit student government. I have served in the United States Army, which gave me the discipline and leadership skills that can make me an effective president. Along with my service in the military, I have also worked for the City and County of Denver, been active in many nonprofit and fundraising organizations and have experience in writing bylaws, policies and procedures. Being the vice president of student fees in the present SGA has given me great insight into the understanding of what it takes to be a successful student government president. The Student Voice 2000 ticket is dedicated to a more active roll in students school life. As a ticket, we will inform the students. We will listen to their concerns. We will advocate for the rights of students. Bring the student government to the students. Ensure that each student has a voice. We will take action to inform faculty and administrators about student concerns. Our combined experience and education have given us the tools to properly fulfill the positions. Student Voice 2000 could add a sense of pride and an outlet that students will be able to access. Vote for me and the Student Voice 2000 ticket this April 5-7. Let your voice be heard for the choice of the new millennium. Angell Perez What has prompted me to run is the lack of an actual student voice and student participation in student government historically here at Metro. Historically, we have had low voter turnout at student government elections and overall participation with student government by students. I, too, did not feel the need to participate. Although I did not participate in student government and elections, I have been very active on this campus in all different aspects and have indeed been a student leader. I now know, as a natural leader, I must step into another arena and take on the responsibility of representing myself and my fellow students within this bureaucracy at Metro. Too often, students do not realize the power we possess and continue to
work within a system which is supposed to cater to us but in fact does not
meet our needs as non-traditional working students. A large number of students
feel as though their vote was a useless effort and often times didn't feel
represented by the candidates. I share these feelings with the students
and therefore know I can provide an avenue for all students to voice themselves
through. I am not here to give lip service and waste time. I am here to take action and represent the needs of students at Metro, who are paying hard-earned money to receive an adequate education and to demand we have resources to make the struggle for that education a less complicated road. Al Soto Hoo-Ya is the party that's looking for the new voter. That's you. I challenge you to make a difference. No more business as usual. The Hoo-Ya party is coming ashore, and we're not taking prisoners, we're changing the mindset. We are working for student government and students in general! Our platform: Have a good time while you're here, graduate, and have a good life in the new millennium. I don't want tuition and fee hikes and will explore a moratorium on increases to tuition and fees for our next four years. After all, it's our tuition and fees. I do not want parking fee hikes and will also explore a moratorium on increases to parking fees for our next four years. After all, it's our parking fees. I want to begin the new millennium by celebrating diversity. A diversity that is necessary for a smooth transition to a global economy. I believe everyone at Metro has to make a difference by understanding and buying into diversity. We are disabled and challenged, non-traditional, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, women, black, Chicano, foreign and traditional students who should all be working together to make it better. More solid goals:
If elected, I will be doing for the student what they as individuals cannot do for themselves. I will be the mightier pen and voice for the student. I will have the eyes, ears and pulse of the shakers and makers at Metro. You will want to know who we are in student government. |
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Don't ignore debate Editor: To the description of the mediocre coverage of the swim team as noted by Jess Schwartzkopf, kindly add in the debate team. Coach Schwartzkopf expresses malaise at the "pathetic coverage" of the team's worthy efforts. Further, the hardworking coach is upset at the small column dedicated to explaining the efforts of the team. Frankly, the minute "head shots" of Metro's swimmers are a portrayal of gargantuan proportions in comparisons to the coverage of the Debate Team. Why should an academic activity receive any coverage at all? Simply, the team has brought attention to this campus in numerous ways. Our record has included a variety of national, regional and state awards. Examples include having one of the top nine ranked teams in the country, more individual championships and awards than most teams at this campus, and have been honored by a number of governmental officials including the governor. The coverage for these accolades: absolutely none. Further, the team hosts a large conference each year, drawing some of the finest scholars from across this country to our campus. Coverage: non-existent. We were recently honored with being awarded the position of host for the British debate series, hosting two gentlemen with higher degrees and more academic accomplishments, frankly, than many professors at this institution. Response from this newspaper? Absolutely nil. The team has been honored with exclusive invitations to highly prestigious speaking engagements. We have worked in the community, for the campus foundation and in a series of academic functions. In two days, we leave for yet another national tournament. Our students represent some of the finest that this college can offer. Coverage from your newspaper? One paragraph in the past two years — a paragraph, incidentally, that was loaded with errors. I can understand how the swim team feels. I know that my team's sacrifices
and work have gone unnoticed for far too long. In comparison, however, the
swim team and the "juggernaut" of basketball are in the deep end
of coverage while we are left floundering. This statement is not to suggest
that the coverage of the sports teams is unearned. Nor do I discount the
efforts of coach Schwartzkopf. Perhaps, however, your newspaper should be
much more equitable Scott Gratson |
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Mandatory bus pass unfair to the students who drive Editor: It brought me great pleasure to see the "RTD 'Alms Bus'" cartoon in The Metropolitan on March 12. What it looked like to me was a motorist pulling up alongside an RTD bus and noticing the money pouring out of the tailpipes, while at the same time the riders have their hands out begging for more. I know this story well. Working with Jon Caldara, the former chairman of the RTD board and the current president of the Independence Institute, I've learned how students' money is wasted on mass transit systems. Every time a mandatory bus pass has been proposed for Metro professors, it has swiftly been voted down. What do these people know that the students don't? That the bus pass doesn't work. Listen to the truth about the bus pass. It hasn't had any measurable impact on air pollution. If you say that it has reduced parking congestion on campus, you need only use your eyes to see that it has been a failure. Don't listen to the threats that if you vote no on the bus pass the sky will fall and parking will cease to exist. Next year, there will be 4,400 spaces at the Pepsi Center that will sit idle 97 percent of the time (mainly during the hours that we have the most students on campus, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.). If you think that those businessmen who built that arena are going to let those lots sit idle, you're crazy. They will smell the market, and the money will open up those lots. On the last week of March, vote no on the bus pass. Not to say no to mass
transit so much as to say yes to fairness Matthew Mueller |
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FEATURES |
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Booming Bobbi Denver photographer has a reputation for waiting for the perfect shot. She waits patiently for just the right moment. When it happens, boom, Bobbi Evans-Truesdale captures it, then walks away after taking just one photograph. "I like one-of-a-kind shots and, boom, that's what I shoot for," Evans said. "It's quality that I'm after, not quantity." Evans' work will be on display for a one-night show at 6 p.m. April 2 at the Denver Press Club at 1330 Glenarm Place. Her work is a menagerie of historical moments in Denver. Evans has covered a variety of subject matter in her 10 years as a professional photographer. Some of her images, such as Hillary Clinton kicking up her heels in a dance, a terrified 9-year-old boxer preparing for a fight, and a skinhead being beaten in a riot that erupted during the 1990 Martin Luther King Day celebration, display her wide range of coverage. "That riot was a very
nervous time for me," Evans said. "I saw the shot I needed, boom,
then took off running." A photo-essay in The Urban Spectrum's July 1993 issue featured Evan's year-long coverage of the Broderick Bell shooting. Six-year-old Bell was shot in the head during gang- related violence in Denver. She met with and photographed gang members who were asked to ensure safety at the resulting peace march in 1993. "These guys were rough, yet they trusted me enough to take some photos of them," Evans said. "I try to be non-threatening when I approach my work. I guess I'm just a regular kinda' gal." Evan's work was also featured in Marketing Journal magazine, and it displayed one of her favorite photographs. The piece is a close up of a high school quarterback on a cold and muddy day in 1996. His look is intense and powerful. "I could've taken a thousand photographs but when he looked into my camera, boom, I took only one," Evans said. "I knew I had the photo I needed." Tom Pade, owner of the Marketing Journal, said, "Bobbi is one of the best photographers I've ever worked with." He said Evans treats photography as an art form instead of just going out to take a bunch of photographs. History is the major focus of her work, Evans said. "I like to capture history because we are all made up of it," she said. "It's the individual moments that make up our lives." Sandy Robbins, president of The Pro Lab, a photofinishing company in Denver, said Evans is a wonderful photographer. "The images she creates are fantastic," he said. The Pro Lab is providing the printing, processing and mounting for Evans' exhibit and will feature the show after April 2 at their store at 1200 W. Mississippi Ave. Evans said her apartment holds more than 40,000 moments captured on film and it is difficult to decide on which pieces will go into the exhibit. "I have to go through 10 years of shooting, and that's not easy," she said. Evans' collection of celebrity images is vast. Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and Mickey Mantle are among the list of photographs that may be featured in her show. Evans said she once got Roseanne Barr laughing so hard at a party that Barr insisted that Evans take her photograph. Sports photography, however, is Evan's favorite genre because of the graceful moments she captures on film, Evans said. Photographs of prominent sports figures on and off the field will be presented in Evans' exhibit, she said. Many photographs at Evans' show will be offered as a "1/1," and will be the only image produced from her negatives. Evans said she couldn't imagine her life without photography and the thrill of capturing that one perfect shot. However, Evans said, "I usually take only one shot, but I have to admit, when I saw Hillary Clinton doing the cancan I couldn't resist, boom, boom, boom - I took a few more." For more information, call The Denver Press Club at (303) 571-5260. |
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Legal Alien Band jump-starts a hi-fi imagination. Imagine Frank Sinatra living in the suspended world of Twin Peaks and you have Alien Fashion Show. The band is the lovechild of a Dean Martin, David Lynch and Judy Jetson ménage a trois. Its music brings forth that kind of spacey ambiance with driving beats, haunting horns and a crooner at the front. Drummer Jeff Daetweiler is in a cramped van March 15 with his four bandmates and a tour manager somewhere between Buffalo and Cincinnati. He is two weeks into the Freschetta Mirror Ball Tour, where Alien shares the bill with swingin' California peers New Morty Show and Blue Plate Special. The tour is playing small clubs, and it hits Denver's Ninth Avenue West (99 W. Ninth Ave.) March 26. You might have heard of Alien Fashion Show. It opened last year for the Brian Setzer Orchestra all along the West Coast, including the Paramount Theater. The quirky name is simply part of singer Eldon Daetweiler's fertile imagination. "If you listen to the lyrics, it's all about this hip alien chick Babs and her adventures in the galaxy," said brother Jeff. "He actually thought up the whole concept of Babs as out mascot: A sexy alien chick like Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy." The band got together in Los Angeles in the summer of 1997. After multiple failed attempts at forming a band (off and on since Jeff was a 19-year-old college drop-out), the Daetweiler brothers wanted to try something new. Moving away from rock, they jump-started a space-age/swooning lounge sound that later got stereotyped as swing. "The swing scene was just starting in LA, and people were like: 'Oh, you're a swing band.' We were placed in that category by the people who saw us perform," said Jeff. "But we're not your traditional swing band. There are great bands that are much more into swing and are much more in tune with its tradition. Royal Crown Revue is one of them. We borrow from the beats and the sounds and then do something completely different." The now-35-year-old has a band with a Surf Dog record deal, with the financial backing of Surf Dog's parent company, Hollywood Records. Alien was gaining popularity in LA when Eldon and Jeff were daydreaming about hitting the big time. "We were thinking of a major established artist we could open for, and I had just bought Brian Setzer's Guitarslinger. Setzer just happened to be coming through town to the Greek Amphitheater." They called their agent and suggested Alien open for Setzer. She chuckled and noted it was a tall order, but said she'd try. A few weeks later, Alien was playing The Mint and who shows up, front and center, but the Stray Cat himself."He was incognito and wasn't wearing his pompadour up. He came up to us after the show and was very complimentary." Alien opened a Los Angeles show for Setzer, and six months later it played again with him at a New Year's Eve concert in San Francisco. Alien and Setzer had a short and sweet tour of the west, and Alien recorded their first album, a self-titled jaunt that covers Kiss' Detroit Swing City, The Police's Roxanne and a handful of their own excitable tunes. "It all just kind of went wam-bam. But the whole Setzer thing proved critical in getting us a record deal."But the life of a successful touring band isn't quite as Jeff had pictured. "These van seats are really uncomfortable. I always thought you would become successful and things would become easy." They're still having fun, he admitted."It's totally wild to play a club in New York, across the country from where we live, and see people mouthing the words to your songs." As for the Freschetta Mirror Ball Tour, the bands are getting along nicely. Practical jokes are common, and Jeff laughs heartily at the driving skills of the Blue Plate Special guys. "They've been pulled over at least three times. We drive by and they all have their stuff on the street with someone searching through their car." Call Ninth Avenue West, (303) 572-8006. |
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SPORTS |
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2nd best ain't bad - Hoops suffrage "The staff and players are responsible. That's where it starts
and stops for me." Suffer together. That's the saying on the T-shirts. Each Metro men's basketball And that's why they are so good. There are lessons to be learned from this team. They suffered together, through their tireless work, all the way to the national championship game. Then they suffered some more watching their dream die on a Louisville, Ky., basketball court. Metro finished second in a field of close to 300, which is a first for this school. The Roadrunners practiced at 6 a.m. While most students were still snoring and some were just brewing their coffee, these guys were waking up to wind sprints. Work hard, treat people right, be worthy of respect and everything else good parents try to teach their kids are epitomized here. Obviously not every basketball team is filled with thugs jawing like gangsters, skipping class, committing crimes, but we see enough of those stories across the land to build up stereotypes. This team destroys them. If you're a student here, you can be proud of this team for that reason alone. And it is not making a mockery of the name of the school that will be on your degree. The brightest light ever shined on Metro, during 21/2 hours of national television time, showed it to be a place you wouldn't mind having a degree from because of athletes like Rashawn Fulcher, who is one of 50 students in the nation to be awarded a Jackie Robinson academic scholarship. A new era began this month at Metro. As long as coach Mike Dunlap stays here what this season's team did will continue to grow. That benefits all of us because it improves. Suffer together. |
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Panthers too big to overcome LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Four thousand screaming Kentucky Wesleyan College fans and seven Kentucky Wesleyan seniors were too much for the Metro men's basketball team to handle March 20. The Roadrunners lost the NCAA Division II championship game to the Panthers, 75-60, at the Commonwealth Convention Center in Louisville, Ky. With the loss the Roadrunners finished the season at 28-6, tying the school record for wins in a single season. The game itself marked the first time a Metro sports team played in a national championship game and on national television. Metro fell behind early, turning the ball over an "uncharacteristic" 13 times in the first half. The Roadrunners shot only 27.8 percent, scoring 22 points before the break. Junior Lee Barlow, who led the team in scoring throughout the Elite Eight tournament, scored 13 of Metro's first half points. The Roadrunners trailed by 14 points at half time, but they came out of the locker room on fire. In the first 4:30 of the second half, Metro outscored Kentucky Wesleyan 10-3. That run put the Roadrunners only seven points behind the Panthers with plenty of time left. However, minutes later the Panthers devastated Metro with a five-point play. Kentucky Wesleyan's Will McDonald made a three-pointer while Panther Dana Williams was fouled by Metro's junior Michael Alcock away from the ball. Williams made two free throws to cap off the five-point play. According to head coach Mike Dunlap and Metro players, that play shifted the momentum back towards Kentucky Wesleyan. "I think the five-point play was the turning point in the game," said junior DeMarcos Anzures. "It broke our backs." The physical match ups inside proved to be a key. Kentucky Wesleyan senior Antonio Garcia dominated the boards with a game high 19 rebounds. However, the Roadrunners out rebounded the Panthers, 43-39, including nine from sophomore Kane Oakley. Oakley also contributed three of the four blocked shots that Metro had which moved him into fourth on the career blocked shots list at Metro. While the Roadrunners were tough on the boards, they could not get their shots to fall. From inside the three-point line Metro shot just 34.7 percent against the Panthers. Outside shooting was even lower as Metro made only two of 12 three-point attempts. Anzures struggled to get his offensive game going against the Panthers' defense. He went four of 15 from the field and missed all four of his three-point attempts. Anzures finished the game with eight points and a good defensive showing. "He did a great job," Dunlap said. "He made a change defensively that will help us next year. There are other ways of contributing than scoring and he did that." While Anzures played well defensively, Barlow and junior John Bynum picked it up on the offensive end. Barlow scored a team high 19 points and Bynum scored 15. They were the only two Roadrunners to score in double digits against a bigger Kentucky Wesleyan team. The Panthers had four players who scored in double figures. McDonald and Pat Critchelow each put up 10 points. The Panthers' powerhouses Williams and Garcia scored 15 and 22 points respectively. Anzures and Barlow, were named to the Division II Elite Eight All-Tournament Team. Garcia was voted the most outstanding player of the tournament. Garcia will not be in the tournament next year, but the Roadrunners will, Anzures said. "It was a great year," Anzures said. "We worked hard and wanted to be here. We didn't get it done but it'll be our goal for next year. We'll be back." |
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Barlow shoots high, scores big In big games, big players make big contributions. In the NCAA Elite Eight tournament, junior Lee Barlow was Metro's big player. he helped the Metro men's basketball team advance to the national championship game. Entering the tournament, Barlow averaged 13.9 points per game. In the Elite Eight tournament he took his game to a new level. He led the Roadrunners in scoring throughout the tournament, averaging 26 points per game. He attributed his success in the tournament to his teammates. "The team feels confident with me," Barlow said. "The credit goes to my teammates. They work at getting me the ball, and it makes it easier on me." In the first round Metro faced Salem-Teikyo University and Barlow scored a game-high 33 points to lead Metro to victory. This shattered his previous career high of 22. One of the keys was his free throw shooting. He was 17 of 20 from the foul line. "I took my opportunities," Barlow said. "I was either
fortunate enough to get fouled or make the basket." Truman State University was the next opponent Metro faced in the tournament, and Barlow continued to dominate, this time earning the double-double which had eluded him in the previous game. Barlow finished the game with a team-high 11 rebounds and a game-high 26 points, despite scoring only five points before half time. In the second half Truman State made the same mistake as Salem-Teikyo, sending him to the free-throw line eight times. Barlow took advantage of the opportunity and finished 10 of 12 from the free throw line in the Roadrunner victory. However, Barlow's big contribution to the game was a six-point run he made in the second half as Truman State tried to battle back, Mike Dunlap said. "I think the key moment of the game for us is when we went inside to Lee and he delivered on six straight points," head coach Dunlap said. "I thought that was pivotal in pushing them away." Metro did push Truman State away to make it to the championship game. There they played Kentucky Wesleyan College on national television. Once again Barlow led the Roadrunners in scoring with 19 points. He went to the free-throw line once, and made one of his two shots. Barlow had only five rebounds in the game against the bigger Kentucky Wesleyan team. Kentucky Wesleyan's 6-8 senior, Antonio Garcia ,scored a game-high 22 points and pulled down 19 rebounds. It was his massive size that got the better of the Roadrunners, according to Barlow. "He's the player of the year," Barlow said. "He's tough, he's strong and he's a big boy." While Barlow was quick to praise Garcia, the Roadrunners were quick to praise their tournament leader. "Lee's definitely been player of the week on our team," regular- season scoring leader DeMarcos Anzures said. Barlow's performance in the Elite Eight tournament earned him praise from others as well. He and Anzures were both named to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight All-Tournament team. |
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Lewton, Schweissing named All-Americans Cari Lewton and Kristin Schweissing led the Metro women's swim team to a 16th place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships March 10-13. Lewton was the highest finisher for Metro, placing fifth in the 3-meter diving competition with 399.30 points. The finish gave Lewton All-American honors as the top eight finishers are honored. Lewton also placed 12th in the 1-meter diving competiton. Junior Jen Larwa also placed in the diving competition, finishing 17th and 16th respectively in the 1-meter and 3-meter dives. In the swimming events, senior Kristin Schweissing finished her career at Metro with an eighth place finish in the 200-meter backstroke (2:07.59). She also placed in the top 16 of the 100-meter backstroke (1:01.55). Another finisher for the women was Sarah Lane, who placed 11th in the 1,650-meter freestyle. On the men's side, junior Kaan Berberoglu swam to a ninth-place finish in the 50-meter freestyle, the best showing for the men's team. Senior Dan Purifoy finished his career at Metro with a 10th and 12th place place finish in the 3-meter and 1-meter diving competition. Wirmandi Sugriat placed 14th in the 100-meter breaststroke (58.69), his best time of the season. Metro also had teams in the 200-meter medley relay (7th), 200-meter freestyle relay, 400-meter freestyle relay (15th) and 800-meter freestyle relay (14th). |
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Reichers pulling double duty Sometimes, Metro baseball player Dana Reichers can beat a team with his arm. He has two wins and a save to his credit this season. Other times, it's Reichers bat that has been doing the damage. He is batting .341 and leads the team with seven home runs. Still other times, Reichers has been able to do both. He does them equally well and that is what caught Metro head coach Vince Porreco's eye. "Dana is athletic, and we wanted to use him as a pitcher and as a position player," Porreco said. "He had success in junior college doing both." Reichers started playing baseball and won his first trophy at age 5. He was All-Conference in 1993 at Eagle Valley High School and was All-State in 1994 and 1995. He set the record for most doubles in a season at Colorado Northwest Junior College with 19, and had the highest batting average at .450. He was also named first team All-Region. When Reichers transferred to Metro, his main reason was not to play baseball. It was for academic reasons. "This is the only school in the state of Colorado which offers my degree (Surveying and Mapping)," Reichers said. The double threat of Reichers bat and arm is what makes him so important to the Roadrunners team, according to Porreco. Not only does he currently lead the team with 10 doubles, 30 RBI and 63 total bases, but also has two wins, a save and an ERA of 1.000 this year. Reichers likes playing both aspects of the game, but isn't sure where he likes to play best. "That's a tough one cause I love to hit," Reichers said. "I like them equally the same right now. I'm not sure I could lean from one to another." Reichers has the blessing and the curse of being the only left-handed pitcher on the Roadrunner pitching staff. He finds this thrilling. "It's exciting because you know you have to go out and get the job done," he said. "There are no other left-handed pitchers out there. I'm the only one so either I get the job done or I don't." Reichers is a great example that players can do more than one thing on the field. Very few college players can do what Reichers is doing at Metro. "It is very difficult at the college level to do both," Porreco said. "We usually bring pitchers in to pitch. Dana is an exception to the rule in most colleges, in practically all colleges." Most college players see college as a stepping stone to the pros. However, Reichers isn't like most college baseball players. He concentrates on his job right now. "Right now I just go out and do my job as a hitter and a pitcher to fulfill the expectations of my coaches and the team," he said. If the pros did come calling Reichers would prefer to play in the National League so he could continue to use his strengths.Whether it's pitching or hitting, only a baseball scout can tell. |
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