Volume 21 Issue 26 April 9, 1999 |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Contents:
|
|||
|
|
|||
NEWS |
|||
|
Students pass the bus bill
Metro students approved the bus pass program for another two years, giving students the option of riding the bus at a discounted price. The Regional Transportation District bus pass referendum passed by a 9-to-1 margin on March 30 and 31. The RTD bus pass program began in 1995 and every two years students vote on whether to keep the program, said Matt Johnson, a representative to the Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board. "I think it's a benefit for all students," said RTD spokesman Scott Reed. Students could pay $2 to $3 a day to ride the RTD bus to school if it were not for this bus program, said Chris Culbreath, a Metro student. Auraria has more than 32,000 students going to three colleges, yet only 7 percent of the student population voted on the issue. The referendum passed by similar margins at the last election in 1997. The only difference is the amount of students who voted. Two years ago, nearly 4,000 students voted on the issue and this year only 2,305 students voted. "It's a great thing (the bus pass program), I ride the bus everyday," Culbreath said. "I will always vote 'yes.'" The program this year cost students $16.70 per semester, and is paid for by student fees. The fee will increase next fall to $17.70 per semester. The schools are charging RTD $1 per student as part of their fee for the collection of the money, Johnson said. Metro had the largest voter turnout with 930 students for the program and 79 students against. For the campus as a whole, 2,078 students voted for the bus pass and 227 students against. Metro, Community College of Denver and University of Colorado at Denver, students can use their identification cards as a pass bus so long as it has the current sticker. SACAB will continue to negotiate on the RTD pass for the non-students on campus, Johnson said. |
|||
|
Elections draw a crowd Swarming the flagpole and blaring popular music, student government candidates directed about 450 Metro students to the voting booth on April 5 and 6, said Kari Tutwiler, associate director of Student Activities. Student Activities will announce the winners and the final vote count at the SGA meeting on April 8, she said. Students said they were glad to see the candidates trying to get others involved and informed. "I think they're doing a good job getting people activated," said Cindy Sovine, political science major, "To say that they have some sort of voice is what gives us all power." Some students said they had not heard about election day or the candidates running. One student, Brenden Martin, public relations major, said he would have liked to see candidates speaking weeks before voting day and answering students' questions. "This is the first time I've heard about student voting and that was on vote day. They could have done a lot better job of getting their voice out there," Martin said. Candidates arrived at 8 a.m. on April 5 to start talking to students and passing out flyers, said Brendan Haymaker. "I'm trying to do the best job I can do. It's hard work," said Haymaker. Campaign slogans like "Hoo-Ya" painted on the sidewalk caught attention for the Al Soto and Jose Silva campaigning party. "I ask [students] to go vote their conscious," Soto said, "For me it's 'Hoo-Ya'. Once you know what it means, hopefully you'll join in the Jesse Ventura movement. We going to change the mindset." The Students for Students campaign put on music like Bob Marley, to say "Get up, stand up," said Taryn Browne, academic affairs candidate. Their table was filled with people, supporting the campaign. Helen Giron-Mushfiq, diversity candidate, said, "I don't care who they vote for as long as they make informed decisions and vote. |
|||
|
Water damages library interior, books OK Auraria Library's leaking roof and poorly insulated windows were a disaster waiting to happen, said Pete Hagan, Auraria's construction inspector. Repairs to the roof have been completed, and now the windows are being replaced for the first time since the building was built in 1976. The roof has been replaced, which cost $500,000. Replacing the windows will cost an additional $170,000, Hagan said. Condensation on the windows and water leaking from the ceiling damaged the inside of the library but no books or other reference materials were damaged, Hagan said. But Hagan said if the roof hadn't been replaced, there could have been serious damage because water was pooling two to three inches over the surface of the roof causing it to split. There isn't enough money in the budget to fix all the windows. "We thought we had a sealant problem not a window problem.When we realized the problem was the windows, we chose the worst ones and replaced them first," Hagan said. Hagan said all the windows on the Lawrence Street Mall side of the library will be replaced with high-tech, energy-saving windows by the end of June. Library workers can already feel a difference in the room temperature, said John Carter, an installer with Gump Glass, the company replacing the windows. The new windows are double-paned and treated with a tint on both panes that keeps "what's out, out and what's in, in" said Mike Martinez, an installer with Gump Glass. According to the project's design manual, the extra pane will also increase the thickness of the glass from one-eighth of an inch to three-quarters of an inch, which will help conserve energy. The problem was compounded by the original design of the building. "This building doesn't have weep holes," he said. Weep holes allow water that gets into a building to drain out, he explained. "We are putting them in and should be eliminating future problems of this type with this repair project," he said. Auraria's maintenance department will have to request more money to do the rest of the windows, and whether they get it will be up to the Colorado Legislature, he said. Built in 1976, it won an award for design excellence from the American Institute of Architects, according to Shirley Marecak of the library's administration office. |
|||
|
Metro revamps Web site, enticing online students Metro's latest attempt to reel in new students is a redesigned Web site with constantly changing photographs, pastel colors and more information. Enticing more prospective students to come to Metro was a main goal of redesigning www.mscd.edu because more and more students find out about schools online, said Debbie Thomas, assistant vice president of College Communications. A survey, used by the committee in charge of the content of the new Web page, found 83 percent of traditional, college-age students who are considering college enrollment use the Web to research different schools, Thomas said. Last spring, fewer than five percent of students registered via the Web, while this spring more than 25 percent of registration was done online, Thomas said. "The Web site is a communication device," Thomas said. "It could be their first impression of the school and we want it to be as good as it can be." Many of those students who research schools online want to apply online too, Thomas said. Metro began offering online applications a year ago and the trend is catching on. The online application or registration sections can be accessed in three clicks. In fact, users should be able to find most of the information they need "in three clicks," Thomas said. The committee made this a goal for navigation through the Web site, especially for the most frequently accessed areas, Thomas said. They tracked the usage of the old Web page for couple months to determine which areas where most often used, Thomas said. The main page, the Banner System, athletics, class schedules, academic information, admissions, directories, catalog, extended education and computing on campus were the top 10 most accessed areas, according to the research, Thomas said. Most of these links were placed on the left side of the new Web site. On the top of the page are links aimed at groups of people, including current students, professors, prospective students and alumni. "There are two ways to navigate," Thomas said. "One is on the left side of the screen. There were the portions most used on the old site. Second is the top where we anticipate what people are looking for." Some students find the new navigation system easier to use and others do not. "It's much easier to use," said junior Jennifer Larwa. "I think it's the left side that makes it so easy." "It's harder to find stuff on this one than the old one," said senior Thuan Huynh. "Commuting on campus used to be right in front of you and now you have to find it." One aspect of the new Web site that most students like is the constantly changing picture on the main page. There are two pictures, one that remains the same and one that changes every five minutes, Thomas said. "The purpose of the (changing) pictures is to keep the page fresh and interesting," Thomas said. Photographers hired by the school took the pictures over the past couple of years, said Ron Lambert of interim director of publications. They are used for various publications that Metro puts out, Lambert said. "They are Metro students, Metro faculty, everybody in there is a Metro person," Lambert said. |
|||
|
Man pleads guilty in Shepard slaying, given two life sentences LARAMIE, Wyo., — In Albany County District Court April 5 Russell Henderson pleaded guilty to charges for the kidnapping and murder of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard last October and was given two consecutive life sentences. "It is my hope that Russell Henderson will die in Wyoming State Penitentiary," Albany county prosecutor Cal Rerucha said. Rerucha also said that Aaron McKinney's case, who has also been charged with the death of Matthew Shepard, would definitely be a death penalty case. "I think Albany County can sustain the kind of jury (to hand down the death penalty)," he said. Rerucha added that McKinney's trial would likely bring out whether the crime was motivated by hate, but he maintained that all murders are hate crimes. However, Wyatt Skaggs, Henderson's public defender, adamantly opposed the idea that the attack on Shepard was motivated by hate. "He was targeted because they believed he had money," Skaggs said. "(Henderson) knew Mr. Shepard was gay, but that was not his motivation. He's not a hateful or vengeful person." Skaggs said Henderson had felt remorse for the crime, and people express remorse in different ways. "Russell is, by nature, stoic," he said. Skaggs said he thought Henderson would probably spend the rest of his life behind bars. "I don't think Russell has a realistic chance of being paroled," he said. Skaggs also said that he took personal offense to the way national media had been covering the case. He said that Laramie was not just a dusty, old cow town. Neither side would discuss the conditions of the plea bargain aside from Rerucha's admission that Skaggs' office had initiated the deal April 1. Rerucha said he believed the move had been made because Skaggs knew the jury that had been selected was a "good" jury when looking to impose the death penalty. Skaggs said his office had one goal in mind throughout the proceedings, "To save Russell's life." He added that he thought the death penalty was wrong because it was something imposed by the rich, and in Henderson's case, it would have been completely unfair. Rerucha said he was unsure whether justice had been served. "You tell me what justice is," he said. He said the loss for the Shepard family was a hole too large to fill. "How can justice ever be done?" he asked. Rerucha said he wouldn't have accepted a plea to a sentence of less than life imprisonment. Rerucha and Skaggs both said that Henderson may testify against McKinney if he is subpoenaed. |
|||
|
Profs sound off on Kosovo
Students were aghast when a Metro history professor said the United States should declare war on Serbia at a panel discussion March 30. The professor, Charles Angeletti, said many people got the wrong idea of his statement. The United States is already using war tactics in Serbia, therefore we should call it a war, he said. "If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, might as well call it a duck," he said. If the United States declares war, it can make faster decisions without having to consult with 19 countries in NATO before acting, he said. One man in the crowd who declined to be identified said, "My only trouble with Angeletti's proposition is, as a man of liberal studies, he should not be arguing for total war." Angeletti and the three other panel members offered their insight on the Kosovo conflict and raised questions on the ethics of the U.S. position at the "Crisis in Kosovo" discussion at the Tivoli. "Are we committing more bloodshed without knowing what the outcome should be?" Robert Hazan, a political science professor, asked the attendants. Kosovo, which is 90 percent ethnic Albanian, is part of Serbia, Hazan said. The crisis escalated last fall when the Kosovo Liberation Army stepped up its independence drive. In turn, Serbia increased its "ethnic cleansing" — the removal of non-Serbian minorities through force. The recent bombings come nearly six months after NATO began calling for an end to the crisis. The conflict has become a civil war over whether Kosovo should be independent or remain part of Serbia, Hazan said. Sabina Durmishi, an international student from Macedonia and panel member, said that Kosovo should not gain independence. A native of Kosovo, B.M. Vukovich, agreed, "Kosovo liberation is going too far," he said, "If you say to Israel 'give Jerusalem away or we'll bomb you,' they'd rather die than give it away." Kosovo is the historic homeland for Serbs and they refuse to give it up, Vukovich said. The issue of independence called to attention the nature of the crisis. One man asked, "Is this an issue of secession or genocide? The lines are getting blurry." A German woman said that genocide is a term used loosely. "People who use it don't have a definition for genocide," she said. The genocide in the Nazi concentration camps is different than the Serbian conflict, she added. The Jews were taken out of their countries and sent to Poland, and the Albanians are dying in their country. Hazan said, "Any secession war can open the door to horrific crimes against humanity. Historically, cession wars have pointed to genocide, the systematic slaughter of secessionists who want to gain economy or establish independence." Vukovich said it is painful to see his homeland in horrific rage. "What I've seen there — it rips my heart out," he said, "I think there is a lot of man-made catastrophe in the making." |
|||
|
Used clothing store ends Tivoli run The Bunker recycled clothing store in the Tivoli Student Union is closing its doors at the end of the semester. Annette Holt, owner of the Bunker, said the lease is up in June, but she plans to close the store at the end of the spring semester. "It's been fun, but it's time to move on," Holt said. The Bunker has been open in the Tivoli for 41/2 years. Holt said she enjoyed being at the Tivoli and that it has been a good experience. "The Bunker's customers have been great and very appreciative of us being here," she said. Holt said that the Tivoli has changed since she opened. She remembered when the Tivoli used to have more retail stores like Twist and Shout music store and Pure Energy, an athletic and clothing store. Holt said she has no plans to open the store at a new location. She said she needed to take a break. The Bunker will be having a series of sales before the store closes and will also have a major closing sale at the end of the semester. |
|||
|
Vitality, not weight and looks key to women's health, speaker says
A woman can live longer just by watching her diet, a health counselor said at a Nooners women's health workshop March 31. Linda Wilkins-Pierce with the Student Health Center said a healthy diet can reduce risks of cancer and heart disease by 50 percent to 60 percent. For example, she said, the amount of saturated fat in a woman's diet directly relates to her risk of breast cancer. Wilkins-Pierce said her goal was to encourage women to take the emphasis off of weight and looks and go for energy, life and vitality. Women can achieve a healthier body and state of mind by being more diet conscious, she said. Metro student Tricia Cisneros said she knew that it would be helpful for her to attend. Britt Pickrel, a student and health insurance manager who attended the Nutrition and Health for Women workshop said that she walked away from it knowing what kinds of foods are better. |
|||
|
CAPITOL CONNECTION The Metro men's basketball team got a pat on the back from lawmakers on April 5 for nearly winning the NCAA Division II national championship. House Joint Resolution 1025 said "Members of the general assembly extend our congratulations to the players and staff...for their success in the 1998-99 season." The men lost to Kentucky Wesleyan College 75-60 on March 20, one game short of the national championship. It was the best performance ever for a Colorado NCAA basketball team. State aid dollars open to private Schools Students at privately-run schools will be eligible for state financial aid dollars now that House Bill 1047, sponsored by Debbie Allen, R-Aurora, got the governor's signature March 17. Supporters of the bill said students who attend private colleges, such as Denver Business College, shouldn't suffer a penalty by default by having financial aid money placed out of reach. Opponents worried college students would either get smaller financial aid awards or some students would be left out entirely. Metro students on financial aid receive an average of $1,736 yearly in financial aid. The change to the law would add 19 private colleges to the 28 where students are now eligible for financial aid from the state government. |
|||
|
|
|||
COMMENTARY |
|||
|
Sex investigations secret News: Views: Records of sexual harassment investigations are no longer public now that Gov. Bill Owens signed House Bill 1191 on March 30. Owens' signature dealt the latest in a series of blows to public access to the workings of government. Now, sexual harassment investigations may be conducted in secret. No one will hold government officials accountable for treating victims or the accused fairly. The new law essentially says that any records of sexual harassment complaints and investigations shall be denied public inspection. The bill was intended to eliminate the "deliberative process privilege" as a reason to withhold public information. A Colorado Supreme Court ruling last year extended that privilege to all government agencies. It had been limited to state lawmakers and their staffs. Instead, the bill did not nullify the court's ruling. It focused primarily on sex harassment records. The knee-jerk reaction here is to say that sex harassment records should be secret. It would be nice if sex harassment never happened in the first place. It would be nice if people were never falsely accused, too. Unfortunately, the real world now is one where sexual harassment complaints and investigations can be conducted without independent review. The public lost. The accused lost. Victims of sex harassment lost. And government officials have one more wall to protect them from the cleansing eye of public scrutiny. Metro officials had claimed, erroneously, that these records were secret all along. But, of course, if that were the case there would be no need to pass HB1191. The change to state law came mere weeks after the Colorado Court of Appeals held that the public has a compelling interest in open sex harassment records. Apparently, lawmakers and Gov. Owens consider the interests of themselves and other politicos more important than an open and accountable government. |
|||
|
Curses! I'm foiled again! By the time this paper hits the stands, Metro will be blessed with a new Student Government Assembly. I'm sure most students, like myself, look forward to this event with amazing apathy and profound indifference. We, as a student body, just participated in the great American process of helping people who are incapable of action add another line to their resumes. Of all the student political parties this year, I would have to say my favorite was the Student Sword. Ruth Burns, Yvonne Brown and Lobat Assadi came up with this neo-medieval political campaign of Justice, Knowledge and Honor. The only problem with the campaign, however, is when the three donned foils like Musketeer want-to-bes and hit the campaign trail. No, not swords, just foils, as in, "Curses! We've been foiled again." I also admire the determination of presidential candidates such as Brendan Haymaker, who has been so involved in getting students' attention that he was accused of neglecting his current duty as vice president of student fees. "While this is a direct violation of campaign policy," wrote Vice President of Student Fees Jeremy Perkins, "it is a bigger disservice to the students." Perhaps Perkins should look into donations China might have made to SGA candidates as well. One candidate at a debate criticized The Metropolitan for promoting apathy among students. This philosophy underestimates Metro students. We are completely capable of apathy on our own, thank you very much. Why are students so apathetic about our student government? Contributing factors include this year's bozofest, which neglected most issues in lieu of internal bickering and shifting positions more often than a kid with the runs on an extended road trip. Another reason for apathy is the lack of any real power among SGA members to influence campus events. You could hope for more power by plugging a microwave into a banana. If assembly candidates were really interested in promoting student involvement, they would close all of their meetings to the public and hire some interns. At first, when this year's band of junior politicos decided to close some meetings, we at The Metropolitan were obviously distraught. Why does student government need to conduct business behind closed doors? The answer quickly became apparent. It was a necessary precaution against having an unwitting student walk in to a meeting and face death by boredom. So this year, I endorse closed-door meetings. Perhaps we should consider securely locking the doors as well. Let's also see some sex scandals, for crying out loud. If candidates want to make it in today's sophisticated political world, they are going to have to learn how to orchestrate and deny a multitude of scandals. And as every good, red-blooded American knows, sex scandals are the key to promoting any public interest. Otherwise, we just have too much else to worry about. Sean Weaver is a Metro student and news editor of The Metropolitan. His e-mail address is weavers@mscd.edu. |
|||
|
Rumors preceeded VP sex harassment inquiry "It's Dr. Kaplan's responsibility to run the institution, and until
there is a suspicion that things are not right, that is what you have to
let them do." A Metro vice president and the president of Faculty Senate said they heard rumors suggesting Vernon Haley, a former vice president of Student Services, might have sexually harassed a student who worked in that office. Both said they heard the rumors before the college began its investigation into the matter before spring break. Haley, now vice president of Student Services at Palm Beach Community College in Florida, strongly denied ever sexually harassing anyone. Haley said the allegations "came out of the blue." The investigation was initiated when professor James Brodell notified Percy Morehouse, director of Equal Opportunity, that a student had claimed Haley had sexually harassed her while she worked in Student Services. Yolanda Ortega-Erickson, who became interim vice-president of Student Services when Haley resigned to take the Florida job last summer, and Monys Hagen, president of Faculty Senate, each said they didn't report the rumors they heard because they considered it gossip they couldn't substantiate. Here is one reason why all this matters. The Trustees of the State Colleges in Colorado, Metro's governing board, are currently revising the sexual harassment policy used by the state colleges. Some, such as Hagen, feel the draft version of the policy requires members of the college community, especially administrators and professors, to report rumors and gossip that relate to possible sexual harassment. The current policy has no such provision. Hagen said she is fighting to have the proposed policy reworked to rid it of any requirement to report rumor and to add tough punishment for filing false claims. So nobody did anything wrong by not reporting rumors, but they would be breaking the rules if they failed to report rumors under the proposed policy. Lee Combs, the college attorney, said the proposed policy has been changed and no longer requires reporting of rumors. "Our policy changed so that we don't hear rumors," Combs said. Hagen disagreed and said she is still arguing her point with the State Colleges. What this also shows is people in high places at this college had heard about this before Brodell reported it. When I asked Ortega-Erickson if she had heard these rumors before the investigation she said: "I'm not going to answer that." A little later: "Yes, but gossip and rumors, you hear that about everybody. I choose not to substantiate it." Kate Lutrey, executive assistant to Ortega-Erickson, said she had not heard anything about the situation until a student from Brodell's class asked her about it. "The student had information that I was aware of the situation," Lutrey said. "I had to correct the student." Combs said he hasn't completed the investigation, but he expects to soon. He denied me access to records involving the investigation last week, citing a federal law. On March 30, Combs denied my request in writing citing a state law, signed that day by Gov. Bill Owens, which mandates that sexual harassment investigation records are no longer open to the public. Last week, I questioned whether people who had worked so closely with Haley should be investigating any claims against him. I put that question to President Sheila Kaplan's boss, William Fulkerson. "I guess my position on that would be let's wait and see what happens," Fulkerson said. "I guess my role as a watchdog in case of an appeal or complaint would be to look into it." Kyle Ringo is a Metro student and a columnist for The Metropolitan. His e-mail address is ringok@mscd.edu. |
|||
|
Increase pay for computer workers Editor: An editorial in the April 2 issue of The Metropolitan, "We're :) about online," reflects the writer's ignorance about computers. The writer says, "The current 'Clem' system is a dinosaur," and calls for Metro to, "improve e-mail access and interface." The writer must be unaware that Clem is a standard UNIX interface, and that UNIX is the operating system on which most major networks — including the Internet — is run. Accessing PINE and other programs through Clem gives students valuable hands-on experience with UNIX systems which may be difficult to obtain in other ways. By "improving" the system, the writer probably means switching to a Windows-based system. This would be a disaster for two reasons. First, it would deprive students of the experience I mentioned above. Because Windows is inherently less stable than UNIX, it would guarantee still more crashes and down time for Metro's already less-than-stable network. We already have enough inferior software on campus due to the mad rush to all things Microsoft. Here's my suggestion for improving the campus computer labs: pay the student workers who run the labs more money, a lot more money. In today's high-tech job market, talented computer science students can easily find outside jobs (as I have) which pay much more money than any campus position. The result is that the people who end up running the computer labs are, to put it mildly, less than talented. Outside employers long ago learned that to attract top people, they have to pay top salaries. It's time for Metro to do the same. Daniel Dvorkin |
|||
|
Keep concealed guns off college campus Editor's note: What follows is a letter sent to Colorado Gov. Bill Owens by top Auraria Campus executives March 31. House Bill 1316 died in committee at the legislature April 5, but other measures are still under consideration that would dramatically increase the ease of getting a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Dear Gov. Owens: As the Colorado Senate debates House Bill 1316, or any other weapons legislation, you have said you will work with the senate to bar firearms from schools and school grounds. On behalf of the Auraria Higher Education Center, Metro, University of Colorado at Denver and Community College of Denver, we request that you support a ban for institutions of higher education. Although there are more people on the Auraria Campus than inhabit many towns across the state, we take great pride in offering our faculty, staff and students a safe environment where teaching and learning can flourish. We take this responsibility seriously, and frankly, are worried about the impact on students, faculty and employees if HB1316 is passed in its present form. We want our faculty to focus on delivering a high quality education to our students. We want our staff to focus on delivering services designed to help students succeed. We want our students, their parents, and families to know the campus is safe. We do not want their attention distracted from the job at hand — teaching and learning — by worrying about whether they are in danger because concealed weapons can be brought onto the campus and into the classrooms. For these reasons, we believe the same firearms ban you want applied to schools and school grounds should be extended to institutions of higher education and their campuses. We would appreciate your support and assistance in this regard. Dean Wolf, Auraria executive vice president for administration; |
|||
|
Time for action on hunger Editor: Hunger and homelessness are serious problems facing the world and our community today. Most people want to help, but just don't know how. Our hearts are in the right place, but the opportunity rarely arises. On April 10, an opportunity is here to volunteer time and raise money for some local shelters in need. The Auraria chapter of the Colorado Public Interest Research group is sponsoring the 15th Annual Homelessness and Hunger Cleanup Day. It is a national event for volunteers everywhere. We will be going into shelters around the city and working for four hours. We are getting pledges for the event to raise money for the shelters and for a national relief effort. If anyone is interested in volunteering for the day or in donating money to this tax-deductible and worthwhile cause, please call (303) 556-8093 or stop by the Club Hub in the Tivoli and talk to anyone at CoPIRG. David Craig |
|||
|
|
|||
FEATURES |
|||
|
Saucy Subjects What do you think about golden showers (finding pleasure in being pissed on)? What about painful autoeroticism. What about manually masturbating caged animals for artificial insemination? Find out about these exciting topics and more at the Auraria Book Center. That's right, the campus bookstore carries these titles to suit the alternative needs of the student population. To some, these things are as normal as drinking water. Others see books such as this as immoral and blasphemous. In either case, these books have mad flava and attitude galore. They're the books that don't quite fit anywhere else. For example, True Blood is a book with graphic, color pictures and descriptive text about people cutting dominators, slicing partners and pissing on lovers. "When I saw it in the catalog, I didn't think it would be quite as graphic as it was," said Eric Boss, the general books manager at the Auraria Book Center. "When it came in, the guy who was shelving it asked me 'are you sure you want this here.' It did get a lot of action. The pages were all worn. I didn't realize it was quite that tough, although self-mutilation is a fairly widespread thing among cultures. "It can't all be little fuzzy bunnies and grandmas knitting." Want more? Or are you just reading this because of the sexy picture to the left. Either way ... The volatile nature of the second floor isn't immediately evident. Sure, there's The Finger: A Comprehensive Guide to Flipping Off. Another is English as a Second Fucking Language, but nothing rivals the audacious pictorials found in True Blood. Some of the guilty parties are: English as a Second Fucking
Language Nerve The Finger: A Comprehensive
guide to Flipping Off Fabulous: A Photographic
Diary of Studio 54 X-Rated Bible
Cooking with Cannabis
|
|||
|
Facets of Faculty The decapitated baby-doll head stared blankly into a Denver gallery. It ticked. It tocked. And with a one-eyed twitch, a stunning, camera-like flash escaped the baby's eyes. "Twitch," a mixed-media art piece by part-time Metro art teacher Chris Rogers is featured in Metro's Center for the Visual Arts at 1734 Wazee St.. The center, which brought the Haitian Voodoo exhibit in March, is holding Metro's Art Faculty Exhibit including sculptures, printmaking, computer imaging, drawings and photography. "The faculty are active not only in teaching, they are also included in numerous regional and national shows throughout the year," said Sally L. Perisho, director and curator of the center. There are 28 full- and part-time art professors in the exhibit, which runs April 2-28. The Metro teacher exhibit is held every two years. The center typically displays traveling exhibits from museums. Rarely are the pieces for sale, but in this show the art is on sale. Prices range from $100 to $6,500. Five pieces have been sold. This show gives students and the public a chance to see and judge a professor's work. "Any art student should go to this show and would be happy to go to this school," said Tyler Utesch a Metro senior and art major. "It was very visually pleasing." Kim Knauer, a part-time teacher at Metro, said her pieces Safety Net
and Security Blanket are shown together because of their similar
message. "It shows a false sense of security. Security comes from your acts, not your purchase,"she said."It's meant to be funny." Knauer graduated last year from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and this is her first semester as a part-time teacher. She said her favorite piece was Biological Clock. It is a maternity corset with seams made out of watch faces. "It's the external and internal forces and pressures a woman faces on whether to reproduce. From her body and from society," she said. Her interactive display, 10 Commandments, consisted of 10 pillows with writing on the fronts and backs. The fronts were elaborately embroidered with Biblical commandments and the backs were blank except for black lettering. Each of the 10 pillows fronts listed one of the 10 Commandments, such as, "Honor thy Mother and Father" and on the back of this pillow, the words "Mother-Fucker" were sewn in. "It's the ideal verses the real," Knauer said. Art should be thought-provoking and changing, she said. "You should challenge and ask questions, if it doesn't stir you, you could become immune to it." Every year the center holds an exhibit of Metro's Senior Honors Thesises and will run May 7 through May 28. Opening receptions are May 6. E. C. Cunningham, chairman of Metro's art department, specializes in printmaking and is in the show. He believes the show is unique because it showcases work from each artist's area of expertise. "It's a tremendous exhibition that really shows the broad range and strength of both full-time and part-time faculty," he said. For information call (303) 294-5207. |
|||
|
|
|||
SPORTS |
|||
|
Serving up a successful season The Metro men's tennis team had the exact tune-up it needed April 7 when they defeated Colorado College, 7-2, on the Auraria campus. With the win, Metro is now 8-3 on the season and ready to face two tough teams. Metro will host Mesa State on April 9 at 9 a.m. and then face Nebraska-Kearney the following day. Nebraska-Kearney is ranked seventh in the region while Metro is ranked eighth. Nebraska-Kearney is one of only three teams to beat Metro this season, collecting a 5-4 victory in Nebraska on Feb. 19. Metro was able to rest some of its top players in the win over Colorado College. Peter Lantz and Michael Judd teamed up to win at the No. 1 doubles spot to start the rout. The duo is now 9-2 on the year. Metro's No. 2 and 3 doubles teams followed suit. Bruce Dicker and Greg Davenport (No. 2 doubles) and Jean Francois Paquin and Ondrey Pilik (No. 3 doubles) also collected victories. Lantz and Judd are the Roadrunner's usual No. 1 and 2 singles players but were given the afternoon off. They weren't needed as the other Metro players were able to pick up the slack. After sweeping the three doubles spots, Greg Davenport won at No. 5 singles and then Nathan Green clinched the win with a victory at No. 6 singles. In his fourth year on the Metro team, Green has been having a great season. He is 4-1 on the year and glad to see the Roadrunners are playing like they're going places. "I've been here since the beginning and it's good to have a team that can go to regionals and even nationals," Green said. Green has seen times when the tennis team was an unknown quantity on the Metro campus. But with the success of the basketball team this season and the Metro name being heard around town more often, Green feels all sports, including tennis, has been helped out. "All of a sudden, out of nowhere, people are noticing," he said. "We're getting recognition from coaches and administrators. People now know we have sports teams at Metro. For a while, it looked like we didn't have any support." Green not only had to battle his opponent but the weather also. The wind started to pick up in the middle of his match and that created some challenges. "It's more of a mental thing," Green said. "I don't think it should affect you. If you're mentally sound, you don't think about it." Judd tends to agree. His game doesn't change when the wind kicks up. He simply concentrates on what he's doing and goes about his business. "Your opponent plays under the same conditions," he said. "If you're mentally strong, you can adjust." Other Metro winners included David Marquina at No. 2 singles and Jean Francois Paquin at No. 3 singles. Metro has now won five of its last six matches. The only loss in that span is to Division I Denver University. |
|||
|
Women on the verge For the first time this season, the Metro women's tennis team is a whole unit. Not just part of a team, not just a couple members, but a six-person team that no longer is a step behind. For five matches this season, the women's team hasn't been able to field an entire team. They've been one player short, which means they have to start each match behind 2-0 before they even step on the court. On April 7 against Colorado College, the Roadrunners came with a complete t4eam and walked away with a complete win, 5-4. The Roadrunners are now 1-5 on the season. "We got our first win," a relieved assistant coach Buu Le said. "It's been tough because we played five teamsa that were ranked with only four girls on the team. But finally we had a chance to win and capitalized on that." Metro took a 2-0 lead with wins at No. 1 doubles (Kelley Meigs and Maria Nystrom) and No. 3 doubles (Vicki Chong and Michelle Edwards). They backed that up with three wins in singles. Both Meigs and Nystrom were winners at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots. The Roadrunners clinched the match with a win at the No. 6 singles spot. That's where the Roadrunners have had to forfeit all their matches this season. Natalie Maes, in her first collegiatte match ever, took the win at No. 6 singles. She admits she was nervous going intio the match but after winning the first set, 7-6, she calmed down and dominated, taking th3e second set 6-0. "I was a lot better on my serves," she said. "That's been a weak area for me. I became more confident at the end of the match." Meigs, who has been at the No. 1 singles spot all season, is happy to see that her team is complete now. "It takes a little pressure off everyone," Meigs said. "It allows us to play better and we've played some pretty hard teams." Metro will be back on the courts April 9 and then again on April 10 with a match against Nebraska-Kearney. |
|||
|
Regis aids Roadrunners' resurgence The Florida Marlins and the Metro State Roadrunner baseball teams have something in common. Even though both teams are at different levels of competition, Florida in the major leagues and Metro in NCAA Division II, both have experienced similar situations. They had one great season followed by a mystery season. The Marlins had their great season in 1997, winning the World Series in only their seventh year of existence, the quickest ever in the majors. One year later, the Marlins fell apart and found themselves in the cellar of the National League Eastern Division. The same can be said for the Roadrunners. They won 33 games last year (33-20), the best season under coach Vince Porreco and second best in the program's 20-year history. They also went to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament for the first time in the program's history, finishing second. This season is a different story. Metro is 17-17 overall and 6-6 in the conference compared to 21-13 and 11-1 in the conference at the same point of the season last year. "It's a combination of things," Porreco said. "Not all three aspects have been there, the pitching, defense and hitting. One or two of these areas have broken down at one point during the game and the end result is a loss." The talent level is the best that Metro has seen in a long time. The Roadrunners are second in batting average in the RMAC, hitting .322. The pitching staff has been strong throughout the season, with the staff holding the second-best ERA in the RMAC at 5.15. "There is more talent on this team then last year," Porreco said. "The talk about chemistry and mix is not the problem. The times that we have been in trouble, we have put too much pressure on ourselves and the players have lost focus on the game." Junior catcher Billy Wallace, a transfer from Yavapai Junior College, understands that there were some high expectations for the Roadrunners after the success they had last season. "The expectations were definitely high," Wallace said. "We got better recruits this season and the returners back to the club, but we just can't find the big wins." Metro isn't losing its games by much. In the 17 losses, the Roadrunners have lost by two runs or less in eight games. In those eight losses, Metro has either had a lead going into the late innings and gave it up or were able to get close late in a game but weren't able to overcome a deficit. However, in the most recent series with Regis, both the players and coaches had a sense that this could be the turning point in the season. After losing the first game of a four-game series, Metro won three straight games. Even more important, the Roadrunners were able to get good pitching — allowing just three runs in two of the games and collecting a shutout in the other — while also getting good hitting. Metro scored 24 runs in the three wins. In comparison, the Roadrunners scored 29 runs in two losses to Northern Colorado on March 30. "We had it all going in the series (against Regis)," Wallace said. "The first game, I don't want to say that the pitching was not there, but Corrigan (Willis) didn't have one of his better games of the season. "In the last three games, (Will) Tavis threw well and Jacques (Burgoyne) allowed no runs, it was all complete. It was the biggest series that we have played all year because we played as a team." Porreco agrees that the team has picked the right time to start hitting on all cylinders. "They put it all together," Porreco said. "Great defense, good pitching and they were swinging the bat well. It was the most complete series of the year." The road hasn't been a friend of the Roadrunners this season. Last year Metro was 9-7 away from Auraria Field after 34 games. This season, they are 3-13. "I don't want to talk bad about our schedule, but at the start of the season, we were playing NAIA schools at home," Wallace said. "When we went on the road to California and Texas, we were amazed at the competition because we did not see that type of competition at home. "Now we are playing up to the level of competition that the other teams are playing at," Wallace said. This is not a surprised to Porreco, who thinks that this is the perfect time for his team to start peaking. "We need to build from this series and get better," Porreco said. "Our goal was to peak towards the end of the season, but every team wants to peak towards the end of the season." The Roadrunners will have to play their best to peak for the last 16 conference games. Metro will be at home for eight games (four games against Fort Hays State and New Mexico Highlands) and eight on the road (four games against Nebraska-Kearney and Southern Colorado). "We won a few games at Mines and we had our chances to win two, maybe three at Mesa," Wallace said. "It gave us confidence that we can win not only at home, but on the road too." |
|||
|
The
Met Online is a student-produced online version of the weekly student-produced
The Metropolitan newspaper, both operating under the direction of
the Metropolitan State College of Denver Office
of Student Publications.
|
|||
|
All
Rights reserved, Copyright © 2003, The Metropolitan.
For feedback and questions |
|||