Volume 21 Issue 2 August 28, 1998 |
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Contents:
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NEWS |
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Auraria accessibility examined Metro and Auraria officials
toured the campus Aug. 20 with students with disabilities to examine several
buildings to determine the accessibility for the disabled. Several changes in facilities that will help the disabled are already taking place across campus. Barb Weiske, director of the
Tivoli Student Union, guided the tour and said non-skid strips have been
placed on steps at the main south entrance to the Tivoli. The strips will
later be replaced with a hard ceramic tile to help people with depth perception
difficulties. |
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Survey planned Metro plans to distribute surveys
this fall to help determine the needs of disabled students, according to
Tony Montoya, assistant dean of Metro's School of Letters Arts and Sciences. |
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CCD paper restarts The student newspaper at Community
College of Denver will be back again Sept. 14, according to the paper's
co-editors. But those days are over, Goodman
said. |
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MetroBriefs Disability handbook out Fall enrollment better than
hoped |
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Metro gets math grant Metro received a $20,000
grant from the New Century Energies Foundation to expand its math
teacher training center. |
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COMMENTARY |
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The long, long wait News: Views: It's going to get worse before it gets better. But then, we hope, it will get much better. The beginning of the semester always means the same thing: long lines for books, IDs, financial aid, everything. Virtually every college service seems to take much longer than it should. One day recently the wait in the financial aid line was so long that the department passed out refreshments to waiting students. An interesting use of staff resources. In the case of Auraria Book Center, students sometimes waited for over an hour to pay for their textbooks. This despite the store's extended hours and a newly opened competing bookstore across Colfax Avenue. Both cases, however, largely stem from students waiting until the last minute to take care of their business on campus. How about buying books a week before class starts? How about applying for financial aid ahead of time? Remember, these inconveniences are mild compared to what's coming. Just wait until the new administration and arts buildings start construction. As if the cranes and bulldozers all over campus aren't enough, the new buildings will also eat hundreds of campus parking spaces. Just wait until the Pepsi Center opens. Just wait until rennovations start on Ninth Street Park. In the end, though, most of these changes will result in a better experience for students. Many student services don't require a long wait in line anymore because the information is available via the Internet. Sign on to Metro's Web site and you can access account information, registration status, financial aid information, grades and much more. It's not a perfect system yet, but not a bad start either. Auraria officials are also looking at ways to make the campus more accessible
to students with disabilities. That's not much comfort to the 55 classes that didn't have a classroom on Aug. 24, but perhaps those students were late anyway because they couldn't find a parking space. So soon Auraria will be able to house more students, but will it be able to park their cars? |
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Parking spaces disappearing Who was it, exactly, that decided no student would need short-term parking at the Tivoli? I'd like to tear the bum apart! Once, if you had to stop in to drop off papers, or run a quick errand at one of the many offices within that old brewery's halls, you could stop in and hope for one of the nearly ten spots that would allow you to park for an hour. That was then. Later, the time was shortened to 20 minutes, presumably to come into line with the other short-term parking limits on campus. That also was then. Now, or at least the last time I got a ticket there, there are only four spaces for all 35,000 students to share. That comes out to be one turn to park per student every three months, if each person took their 20 minutes around the clock without stopping. So who was it that decided we shouldn't have quick access to our student union? Now, the other six spots are firmly in the posession of the caterers that serve the building. I hope they are paying through the nose for that privilege. The cost of upkeep on that building is plenty high, and still the fire alarms seem to go off randomly. Do the caterers pay to fix that? No. I do. My tuition, and yours too, pays for the upkeep of that building and every office within those rotting stone walls. Sure, I love the architecture and ambiance of that beautiful monstrosity, but why can't I ever find a place to park when I need to go in and do my 20 minutes of business? Some would say, "There's a short-term lot just to the south. Use that." Wrong! That's going away, and have you noticed the price increase? That defeats the whole purpose of 20-minute free parking. Also, who is it that gets all the Tivoli permit parking? I happen to know that the vast majority of the employees in the Tivoli don't. So who is getting all of our spaces? I suppose there is one theory that I haven't addressed. Perhaps the Tivoli sits smack in the middle of some cosmic vortex that eats parking spaces one at a time, much like the dryer does the socks. Nah! I don't buy it either. They just keep on stuffing it down my throat, and yours too, like so many other fees and rate hikes. I feel a bit like I would, after winning, a hotdog eating contest. Sure, they say I win, but I canât stand to eat another one of those damn things. If they keep feeding me this I might start to believe the cosmic vortex theory. |
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A harrowing tale nearing the top of Mount Tivoli The following is the lost account of Metro student Cyrus Bredhoffer's expedition in the early fall of 1998. The group was lost to the elements — all of them perishing under the duress of exposure or malnutrition. It's a sad tale full of pain and suffering. I recount it here in hopes someone will take notice and never make his same mistakes. Day 1 - Spirits are high. The trek up has been easy, and the view incredible. The creatures sharing their habitat with us are largely pleasant and easy-going. There is a majesty in this environment that I've never been privy to in my existence. Day 2 - We've set up camp on the side of this incline. Things are slightly different today, as the creatures seem unhappy to have us here — it's as if we're intruding. Unfortunately, we've gotten word that inclement weather is fast approaching, so we must wait it out here. Day 3 - Disaster struck. We have found ourselves stranded here. This incline seems to refuse to allow us our leave until it's good and ready. The creatures are noticeably vexed by our presence in the area, and minor skirmishes have already popped up now and again between them and members of my expedition. Day 6 - We lost Monty today. Some creature tripped over his leg as it was coming down the incline and attacked. It was brief but brutal. Shortly after the attack. The creature loped off down the incline snarling its displeasure with the rest of us. Morale is low. Day 9 - I feel as though I'm stuck between heaven and hell. This purgatory I find myself in is a strong analogy for such a picture. Here I am, between the second and third floors of Mount Tivoli, waiting for this cursed incline to move again — freeing me and my comrades from our certain, contemptible deaths. My verve is shaken to its foundation. Supplies are dwindling. Day 14 - Food supplies are almost gone. The rationing only prolonged the inevitable, and now the expedition members have taken to fighting amongst each other. The creatures seem amused by the conflict, occasionally voicing their own, barbaric opinions on the matter. The hooting and cat-calling lasts hours once it starts, and whips them into a frenzy. I believe I am going mad. Day 22 - We've lost four more members of the expedition. God seems to have forsaken us, or at the very least, he is intent on punishing our trespass onto this incline. Some days I drop to my knees and beg it to move again, much to the delight of the evil creatures passing by. I hate them. I want to kill them. I want to die. Day 26 - It's only me and Francois now. Kevin, Branton, and Merlyn all perished yesterday. I keep seeing Francois looking at me and licking his lips, has a mangy dog does before devouring its gruel. I will not let him kill me. I know now I have lost my mind, but with my last clear thoughts, I will save my own life, even if it means taking another. Day 27 - I killed him. I ate him. He was good. Dayysssysysy It's happy pretty noW preTty Late on stopPed Incline., Have MaNY PEAches For lunCnh. Need slEEp noW. That remains the last entry of the lost expedition of Cyrus Bredhoffer. May god have mercy on his soul, and that of the Tivoli escalator repairmen. Dave Flomberg is a Metro student and a copy editor/columnist for The Metropolitan. His e-mail address is flomberg@mscd.edu. |
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It's custodian, not janitor Editor: This letter is in response to Ricardo Baca's article, "No washing up hands after pants go down." The Metropolitan, Aug. 21, 1998. While reading this article, I found myself agreeing with Mr. Baca's concern about people not washing their hands after using the restroom. This was until I came across the part where he stated, "Nobody is exempt from this. I saw a janitor not wash his hands." The fact that this janitor didn't wash his hands wasn't what irked me, it was the fact that Mr. Baca referred to the housekeeping staff as "janitors." We "janitors" in the Tivoli are "custodians," and I feel that there is a difference. I personally feel that the term, "janitor" is demeaning and insulting. This was not the only thing that riled me concerning this article. Mr. Baca wants to point out a custodian's bathroom habits. Well, let's have a little talk about the bathroom habits of the students and staff at the Tivoli. I can't recall how many times I have gone into the restrooms to clean and found not only the urinals and toilets unflushed, but urinated and defecated upon. I have found toilet paper and newspapers strewn across the floors and who knows what all over the sinks and mirrors. I realize it is our job to clean the Tivoli, but this does not give the
students and the staff the right to have total disregard to not only those
who have to clean up after them, but to those who use the restroom after
they leave. Students and staff should learn to regard their offices and restrooms as if they were guests in someone's home, after all, they are not the ones who have to clean up the mess they leave behind. Michael R. Sanchez |
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Capitalism is doomed to failure Editor: Karl Marx predicted that capitalism would fall once it became a global phenomenon. Governments all over the world are not experimenting with "free-market" capitalism and the global economy. It's an experiment because nobody really knows how to control it or what the end result will be. Thus far the experiment has produced four financial crises - in Mexico, South America, Russia and Asia - which are causing great suffering among the people. It is only a matter of time before these global crises hit home here in the U.S.A. Those who have praised the benefits of global capitalism must now face its downside consequences: no country on earth can remain immune from the impending disaster caused by the rush of international money flows. Is there a better way? You bet there is. John Cassella |
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FEATURES |
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Unmasking the art beneath
the skin The art of photography conjures images of majestic landscapes, pretty faces and delicate bodies, yet one artist's vision delves into art that features deceased humans. Pat York, a photographer for more than 30 years, challenges the phrase that beauty is only skin deep by giving her audience a peek at what is underneath that thin layer of epidermis. York's work is on exhibit at the Magidson Art Gallery in Aspen at 525
East Cooper Ave. through Sept. 5. In cooperation with a doctor, Marc Pick, York attended human dissections
and took pictures of the deceased. She said she became disenchanted with photographing celebrities and wanted to move on to something different. The idea of looking beneath the skin came to her after a visit to Buckingham Palace in referred to their hospitality as snobbish and pompous. "When people have no clothes it is a complete equalizer, they can't act this way," York said. York depicts this idea through her exhibit. The first stage is called Masked because her models are clothed and alive. Portraits include her photographs of Liza Minnelli, John Travolta, Sean Connery, Andie McDowell, Robert Kennedy, Steve Martin and others. The second stage of the exhibit is York's idea of being Uncovered. These individuals perform their daily job routines in the nude. York includes everyone in this category, from plumbers and chefs to CEOs. The final stage, Unmasked, depicts the human in its most delicate form, after death. York photographed a human brain with the eyeballs and tongue still intact. Art gallery owner Jay Magidson said this photograph was purchased by a couple for their 14-year-old son. "They're very thought-provoking because they bring up fear of nudity and death," Magidson said. York states in the exhibition's booklet, "The cadavers and body parts, far from being repellent, were objects of subtle beauty and significance." |
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Central City When people first start talking Central City, visions of cigarette butts and scantily dressed cocktail waitresses fill my mind. Until this year. This year I went to the Central City Opera. On July 4, I ditched the inane
nature of Independence Day for Puccini's The Barber of Seville. And it was
one of the most rewarding moves I ever made. Journey with me as we find the historic town abuzz with gamblers and theater-goers alike. It hit me first when we get out of the car and I smell that brisk Colorado pine. It strikes me like a cannonball, and I am in heaven. Walking down the hill toward the Opera House, I come across a cobblestone path. It leads to the quaint restrooms, which are nestled in their own cozy brick building. Taking the cobblestone path back out the sidewalk, I notice a black wrought
iron fence separating every section from the other. The fence's spear-like
heads give the approaching courtyard a medieval feel. But that scary touch
is lost when I see all the different varieties of shrubberies and foliage.
If Bob Ross were still alive, he would have called this courtyard "the
happy courtyard." Flowers of every color - yellow, red and white -
line the side of the courtyard, which is barriered on one side by the brick
restroom building and on the other by the Opera House. Ancient brass dedication plates are found attached to the buildings. I find that Frederick McFarlane was "a gentle and kindly man" who had a fountain dedicated to him. Unfortunate for me, I can't find it - unless it is one of those old-school drinking fountains found in the courtyard. Another tells of Mr. and Mrs.Gerald H. Phipps and the Gates Foundation's contribution which helped restore the Opera House stage in 1972. Yet another placard said the Gates Foundation contributed the next year to help restore the ceiling art. This August evening reveals gardening hoses lazily strewn about the yard; I imagine the flowers require daily nourishment. Leaves caress the brick floor in a scattered fashion, leading up to a staircase connected to the Opera House. The staircase is an exit for the house. Its steep stairs take you high enough to see the historic skyline of residential Central City (It's also a terrific place to watch the sun set. Just look straight over the neighboring St. James United Methodist Church and let your heart embrace the view). The smell of mountain air is still there. Itâs the predominant trait of this area. I now go back down the stairs, across the brick walkway, past more yellow
and pink flowers, out of the courtyard and along the rest of the iron fence
to the four 10-foot doors that stand tall and red at the front of the Opera
House. I forgot they have gambling up here. Nonetheless, the Opera House doors look like they have history behind them, and they do. The tall and thin black signs tell me that "Bill Cosby" was "Live in Person, One Night Only, Friday August 14, 1998." So I missed that show by a week. The other sign declared that the Opera House is the home to the Central City Opera, which performed The Barber of Seville, Tosca and The Crucible this year. Their company season runs from late June to early August, so itâll be a few months before I can see great characters such as Figaro on the stage, but the wait is worth it. Inside the house is pure beauty. The Opera House was built in 1877 by the citizens of Central City, a flourishing gold mining town. It was later run down, but since 1932 constant restoration has been going on. The small lobby compliments the elegant performance area. The acoustics arenât great, but the ceiling is painted beautifully, and that makes up for any musical flaw. However, the major problem of the Opera House - just ask anyone who's ever seen a show there - are the chairs. They are the most uncomfortable things I've ever sat in. You come out of there needing a serious butt massage. But no longer. When they open the doors for next season, they will have
brand new chairs waiting for the Exiting the Opera House on the opposite side I came in, I find myself on a balcony. The view isn't as good from here as it is on the other side, but it works. The casinos are still jumbling, and people are still gambling, and the mountain air is still filling my nasal capacity, so I trudge down the stairs to another courtyard, this one a bit more cozy. With similar flowers and benches to the last one, the only difference is its hidden enclaves. But there's one last person I have to see. On every trip to Central City, I have to see her at least once. The Face on the Barroom Floor. She's my mistress. I go out of the courtyard, down the road past the nearby Teller House Casino to the second-to-last door of the Teller House. It reads "Face Bar," and I turn right putting all of my body weight into opening the heavy door. She's sectioned off so no one can vandalize her. She looks the same as before. She looks like a flapper, with a quizzical look upon her face. She's sexy and wondrous. She's mystical and gorgeous. She's Herndon Davis' 1936 painting on the floor of an old bar, but sheâs worth fighting the traffic, the cigarette butts and the moronic gamblers just to gaze at. The gamblers walk past her, not recognizing her timeless beauty and coy presence. |
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He never said a word An old man waited on a broken green bench, Aug. 24 as a number 15 RTD bus
rushed toward the stop. Instead, it roared past and covered him with a fresh film of dust. As the cloud of grit crossed his wrinkled face he didn't flinch or make a sound. He didn't say a word. Yet, many people don't while hanging out on East Colfax Avenue.. The stop wasn't necessary, for the man didn't want the number 15. He wanted a different bus. A mysterious bus that many look for on this chaotic street. The traffic light turned red, and a row of anxious motorists cursed their turn to stop. Many looked at the man from their cages - some laughed. He fished out a pint-sized bus pass from a torn back pocket. It was a bottle of vodka. His trembling fingers shook the bottle to his mouth. He took a long swig. He swallowed, then took another. Snickers and judgments came from the onlooking motorists. He put the bottle back into his pocket and continued his stare across the traffic of East Colfax Avenue and Downing Street. 'Hey you bum,' yelled a young women from a stopped car. 'Get a job asshole. As her words pounded him, he didn't flinch or make a sound. He didn't say a word. Yet, many people don't while hanging out on East Colfax Avenue. He crossed his skinny legs revealing a pair of raggedy beige slippers on his feet. No shopping cart. No backpack. No words. Nothing but a pint-sized bus pass in a torn pocket. The light turned green and the row of cars moved on as a young man approached the bench and sat beside him. The young man carried a box filled with steaming bread sticks. He ate two, yet nothing was said. Then the young man stood up and readied his bus fare as another number 15 was aiming for the stop. The bus halted with a hiss and the young man got on. The bus waited, yet the old man didn't move. This wasn't his bus. The number wasn't right. The bus closed its doors with a clank and left. A blanket of black exhaust settled across him. He reached for his liquid pass once again. He took a swig. He swallowed, then took another. I left after this. He never did say a word. Neither did I. Yet, many people don't while hanging out on East Colfax Avenue. Tim Fields, the features editor of The Metropolitan, can be reached at fieldst@mscd.edu. |
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SPORTS |
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Here we go again? Metro women's soccer coach Ed Montojo might have thought he had seen it all after his team, in 1994, dropped from its ranking of No. 3 in the nation to a near .500 record. But then came 1997, when his team once again reached a lofty ranking at No. 5 in the nation only to lose nine of 13 games and finish one game above .500. Players claimed the coach was too soft on them. This came a year after other players had asked him to go easy on them. Newspaper articles — about as important to Montojo as the price of
sod in Sudan — came down on the side of toughening up. "We need to get back to the attitude that every game is a big game and making people play at our level," Montojo said. Montojo is once again his feisty self. And he really isnât concerned what anyone thinks about it. His tolerance for being nice while the season implodes is history. If nothing else, the nine months separating this season from last have
re-energized a man who had been perplexed. Montojo has 26 players to work with this season. Many played here last year and are looking forward to putting the ugliness of that season behind them. Several newcomers are expected to make an impact, Montojo said. Kelly Johannes is expected to start in goal. Johannes, a junior, attended Metro briefly seven years ago. She withdrew
for personal reasons, Montojo said. Two of three transfers from Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foe New Mexico Highlands should challenge for starting assignments, Montojo said. Kathryn Cziuzas, a junior defender, and Pam DeLuca, a junior forward, are the two likely to play a lot. "We have probably the most depth we have ever had here," Montojo said. "And our three transfers brought some experience." Ariana O'Neill returns to bolster the offense after missing the latter portion of last season with an injury. Deluca, O'Neill and Kari Pierce will be the primary scoring threats. Freshmen Jennifer Kitano and Megan Schmactenberger are doing well at midfield in practice, Montojo said. The depth and experience of this season's team might be enough to launch Metro back into the top 25, Montojo said. |
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Sensitive soccer? Uh, yuk "Floggings will continue until morale improves." A sign in Marv Levy's office when he coached the Ottawa Rough Riders. Ed Montojo admits changing his coaching style was a mistake. Several players from Metro's women's soccer team approached him several years ago and asked him to be more sensitive to the players feelings, Montojo said. Metro soared as high as No. 5 in the national rankings last season after six games. The plan seemed to be working. Then, the Roadrunners lost nine of their final 13 games, with players literally crying about playing time, whining about the mistakes of their teammates and pouting about Montojo's laid-back attitude. It was the second major collapse in three years. The coach has since scrapped the sensitivity charade. Now, when Montojo barks, 26 women stop dead in their tracks and listen. Katie Pierce has noticed the difference in her coach as she prepares for her senior season. "He's being mean," Pierce said, not minding one bit. Pierce is happy her coach has toughened up. She said she is sick of the lolligagging practices and poor work ethic that has plagued the team for several years. Montojo is happy just to be himself again. "Hopefully the players will develop a thicker skin and realize I still love them after practice," Montojo said. "We need to develop some intensity around here." Intensity is just right. The women's basketball program at Metro is a championship contender annually because players like Danielle Stott and Gabi Sandoval work their butts off refusing to lose. Meanwhile soccer players are worried about having their feelings hurt? Most coaches would have scoffed at crybaby players asking for Mr. Nice guy. It is a credit to Montojo that he tried to improve the team by changing his style Now, let's get back to yelling and winning. Let's shut up and play soccer. |
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Sleepless soccer coach dreams of shut-eye "I probably truly haven't had a good nights sleep since the tenth of October last year," Brian Crookham said. "If you think I'm joking, you can ask my wife." Those who know the coach of Metro's men's soccer team might just think
he is joking. After all, he is the reining champion of one-liners in the
athletic department since the departure of women's basketball coach Darryl
Smith. The beginning to the sleepless saga probably happened long before Oct. 10. On that day, Crookham's team lost its seventh straight contest, further condemning the 1997 season to ruin. On the eve of a new campaign, Crookham is assured of a few good Zs. Jared Zanon, last season's leading scorer in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, is back to help Crookham put the past to bed. He returns with little brother Jimmy, a freshman recruit, in tow. While one Zanon strolls campus with his head shaved, carrying a stuffed doggie as part of his freshman initiation, the other is concentrating on leading the Roadrunners in more than scoring. "I always want to do good individually," Jared Zanon said. "But what I do individually, I want it to help us as a team so we can have a winning season." Several players will not be returning to Metro, including last season's starting goalie Stephan Babby and defender Liam Barnes, Crookham said. Babby had problems academically and Barnes decided he wanted to be near his family and girlfriend in England, Crookham said. Mark Torguson, a transfer from Cal-State Bakersfield, will be in goal at 2 p.m. Aug. 29 at Auraria Fields when Metro takes on Southwest Baptist in the season opener. Bubba Davis is a new starter at forward. Davis is a transfer from the University of New Mexico who Crookham said will work well with Zanon. But the new players might not be as important to turning the tide to winning as the maturation of last season's youngsters, Crookham said. "There is a big difference between starting five freshman and starting five sophomores," Crookham said. "(Last season) was a maturity thing, It was a mental thing, and a lot of it was pretty damn bad luck."Crookham is betting another year of practice is the remedy for his brand of insomnia that, and a few Zs. |
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