Volume 21 Issue 4 September 4, 1998 |
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Contents:
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NEWS |
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Internet class rosters grow
Traffic on Metro's stretch of the information super highway is growing at a speedy rate. This fall, 735 students are enrolled in 40 Internet courses, nearly six times as many students who enrolled in Internet courses in fall 1996, when the courses were introduced. The traffic will continue to increase, said Andrew Breckel, assistant vice president of extended education. This spring, administrators are planning to offer 80 "virtual" classes, which they expect to attract an estimated 1,200-1,400 additional students. The explosive interest in Internet courses reflects a growing demand for more flexibility in higher education, Breckel said. "Most of the students enrolled in the courses at The Met live and work in the metro Denver area but have a difficult time fitting on-campus classes into their schedules," he said. "Internet classes are the only way some of them can work and maintain family responsibilities while still pursuing college credit." The popularity of Internet classes could possibly be due to the characteristics of the average Metro student, who's age 27 and holds at least a part-time job. "I'm eager to see how students will do in Internet courses," said C.J. White, chair of the African American Studies department. The department does not have Internet courses, but White said he plans to add at least one introductory course this spring. White said Internet courses have the same grade distribution as traditional classes. To create some consistency between courses from different departments, the college has entered into an agreement with the Jones Education Corp., which is working to maintain a consistent appearance and create a standardized format. "This will make it easier to navigate between Web pages for students who are taking a number of the courses," Breckel said. This fall, students can take Internet courses in accounting, astronomy, Chicano studies, criminal investigation, economics, geography, Middle East politics and speech communication. |
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SGA to fill two posts Metro's student government expects to fill two vice president positions within the next couple of weeks. The move will fill all 13 positions for the first time since the group's juggling began April 30. Since their inauguration, five of the 13 members have switched positions, leaving the vice president of administration and finance and the vice president of student fees positions vacant. Students voted the members into office in the Student Government Assembly elections April 6-8. Ruth Burns, Metro's Colorado Student Association representative, said the internal juggling doesn't look good to students. "As for Ruth's concern about, 'we ran for a position why don't we stick with it,' I can see that point," said Andy Nicholas, Metro's student government president. Three of the five movements were the results of resignations, and the other
two involved internal movements. The position of vice president of administration and finance will be appointed by Nicholas Sept. 10 at the next student government meeting. The vice presidents vote whether to retain the appointee or not. The four applicants for the month-and-a-half-vacant position are Catherine Campbell, John-Paul Whitaker-Krcik, Teresa Thomas and Helen Giron-Mushfiq. The opening for vice of student fees is planned to be filled by Sept. 17. There aren't any applications for the post, and the 2 p.m. Sept. 17 application deadline is on the horizon. The first resignations came early, when Sarah EchoHawk Vermillion resigned as vice president of administration and finance on April 30 to take a job at the American Indian College Fund. Aussie Rabih replaced EchoHawk Vermillion until July 30 when Janet Damon resigned as vice president of diversity and Rabih moved into Damon's post. The next departure came with Jane Duncan, who left her spot as representative to the Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board for a job as the Colorado Student Association's campus affairs director. On Sept. 3, Jim Hayen, former vice president of student organizations, was selected to fill Duncan's post as a representative for the Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board. "My loyalty is for students on this campus, period," Hayen said. "I don't put any priorities over any other students regardless of the school they go to." SACAB representative Matt Johnson said he sees Hayen as an asset to the position. "There aren't very many people around who know the student union and can deal with the people (Tivoli administrators) on their level as Jim Hayen," he said. Jeremy Perkins slid into Hayen's position, leaving the vice president of student fees open. Most vice presidents said the restructuring will strengthen Student Government to serve students better. "What we're doing right now is trying to keep our student government strong," said Giovanni Stone, vice president for student services. "It really shows how (Hayen and Perkins) are devoted. They're willing to take on a new position." Such movements are nothing new to Student Government, which during the 1997-98 academic year had seven out of 12 members resign, two of whom were reinstated. Resignations are inevitable, Karmin Trujillo, former Metro student government president, said in April. |
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MetroBriefs Metro President Sheila Kaplan said this year, however, the campus will
be open, and faculty may exercise the option of cancelling their classes.
She added all staff will be required to work, unless a vacation day is approved.
Dean Wolf, executive vice president for administration, said the property, which is owned by Atlas Metal Co. and Burlington Northern Railroad, is west of the campus at Fourth Street and Interstate 25 and at Walnut and Curtis streets. Wolf said negotiations on the deal could take up to a year. "(You) hold a match up to them to see if they're moving. They're really
slow," Wolf said of purchasing real estate. Student assaulted as people watch Seven people assaulted a single Metro student on campus during the first week of class, according to police reports. The incident happened Aug. 28 around 1 p.m. near St. Cajetans Center. The alleged victim, a 17-year-old female Metro freshman, said witnesses "mostly just looked. "I was embarrassed," she said. "I didn't want to go to the cops. I sat in my car and cried." According to the police report, the victim suffered minor injuries to her head, face, arms and legs. Campus police made no arrests. |
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Tivoli set for talking Metro's Student Activities department has scheduled workshops, rap sessions and lectures at the Tivoli for the 1998 fall semester. Workshops, or Nooners, will be held Tuesdays from 12:30-1:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in Tivoli Room 329. The focus of this series is to provide workshops that give students information about special interests and provide learning skills in a fun and informative environment. Legal Nooners will be held Thursdays 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in Tivoli 329. This is a new series to present aspects of the legal system through analysis and discussions with legal professionals. Rap Sessions will be held Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. in Tivoli Room 320. Rap sessions provide discussions, lectures and films on topics such as diversity, leadership, social expression and cultural awareness. Towering Issues of Today sessions will be held Mondays at 1:00 p.m. in Tivoli 640. This series presents current issues in a debate and lecture format and provides access to scholars, politicians, scientists, athletes, business people and community members who are experts in their field. Michael Parenti, a political analyst, will speak Sept. 14 at the Democracy, Class and Power session. The Distinguished Lecture series will be held at various times throughout
the semester. Julie Rodriguez, assistant director of programming,
said speakers will be announced by the end of September. The series provides
internationally recognized speakers who talk about current issues, events,
trends and diversity. Past speakers include |
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Metro flight team aims at Air Force The Metro Flight Team is preparing once again to take on the Air Force Academy in a National Intercollegiate Flying Association regional competition Oct. 8-10 at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Metro took second place after Air Force in last year's competition: the Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference. The competition is divided into 11 regions. Region one encompasses Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah and Montana. Joining Metro and Air Force this year are flight teams from Aims Community College in Greeley, North West Community College in Rangely, and Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mont., according to Bruce Christian, Metro Flight Team Adviser. There may also be teams joining the competition from Utah and New Mexico, Christian added. The event consists of seven ground events and five flight events. The top two teams will be invited to the national competition which will be held in Salina, Kan., in May. The ground events include a preflight competition, where a plane is sabotaged by a mechanic and the team needs to find the problems that would interfere with flight. There are also tests in flight simulators, timed aviation and aircraft identification. Flight events test pilots' navigation skills, landing abilities, and precision flying. "The team seems excited," said Justin Gines, Metro flight team captain. "We have about five weeks left (until the event), and I think by then we will be ready." Christian said the Air Force is not unbeatable, but they have several advantages over the other flight teams. "They have about 300 people sign up for their flight team and are able to chose the top 10," he said. "They have to win, they're the Air Force, if they don't look good in this, they are in big trouble." One of Metro's biggest disadvantages is the fact that the team does not own their own planes or receive funding from the school, as some of the other flight teams do, Gines said. The team members have to rent their planes at around $54 per flight hour, which each member pays for themselves. "They are limited only by their wallet," Christian said, "which sometimes is a big limit." Used planes cost around $40,000. To have a good aviation package on it, they could cost up to $80,000, Christian said. New planes cost about $125,000. "It would be convenient if we had our own planes, but I think someone would need to donate them for us to have any," Christian said. The region one competition, as well as the national competition, will cost the team around $13,000, which includes registration, two to three planes, lodging, transportation, flying in events and practice flights. The flight team is trying to organize some fund raisers for this year's competition. The team will sell pizza in the lobby of the aviation department, as they did last year, as well as some other activities. |
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College drinking targeted The Higher Education Act of 1998 entails a series of initiatives, amendments and repealed items from the Higher Education Act of 1965 but is still subject to last-minute tinkering in Congress. The act is being reviewed by a conference committee between the Senate and the House of Representatives. One section of the act deals with reducing binge drinking on college campuses. There are six steps listed under the initiative on alcohol:
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COMMENTARY |
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SGA defeats itself again Views: Former President Karmin Trujillo said months ago that resignations from the body are, "inevitable." Cur-rent President Andy Nicholas is predicting at least one more resignation by the end of fall. But the fact that three student government members have quit since their one-year terms began April 23 shows utter contempt for student representation at Metro. OK, so Metro's "democratic" process isn't exactly ideal. Only 522 voted in the election, representing about 3 percent of students at the college. The representatives who quit are Sarah EchoHawk Vermillion, Janet Damon and Jane Duncan. Additionally, Jim Hayen and Jeremy Perkins shifted from one seat to another. Two of the seats are still empty. Hardly what voters had in mind. There's a process that is supposed to fill these positions. It's called an election. But a low election turnout is no excuse for making commitments you can't keep. And the student representatives' lack of commitment is a big reason why so few students vote. Why should they vote for someone who, odds are, will leave office before finishing their term? For that matter, why should they vote at all under such circumstances? It's disappointing because student government finally looks like it could
affect real change. Another plus, it looks like students will have a comprehensive book listing the results of student evaluations of professors sometime soon. Not bad, but student government could go even farther if it was firing on all cylinders. |
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Dave's top 5 top 10 lists about Auraria Top 10 New Titles for Auraria Parking Services: Top 10 Suggestions for New Vendor in the Tivoli Food Court: Top 10 Things Overheard on the First Day of Class: Top 10 Places to Park To Avoid Giving Any More Money to Auraria: |
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Resist your inner samurai It's a collective "you" aimed at the abled people who insist on using the buttons that automatically open the doors for people who can't otherwise do so. You know the buttons. They are blue and square, and although they're little in size, their importance can't be measured. If pressed, they open the door. They are there to make Auraria Campus accessible for people with disabilities. It is state law, you know, for every building to be accessible for anyone and everyone. But what happens is they get misused. The ignorant jock type like to make a spectacle out of it and samurai kick it. Others press it, even though they are perfectly capable of opening the door, and wait for it to slowly open. A colleague of mine even mocks people with disabilities by slamming the button with his fist, then miming a wheelchair movement through it. I adore being the party pooper who thinks these acts are moronic and immoral. The buttons aren't there for the wannabe samurai. They aren't there for the smart asses. They aren't there for the lazy, weak-willed people who end up using them most often. They are there for the people who can't open the door otherwise. The buttons make life much easier for people in wheelchairs. The buttons make life brighter for people carrying ten textbooks, a lunchbox and a Pepsi. Once again, the college has to be completely accessible for people with disabilities, so it is mandatory that these buttons are working. But I can't count the times that I've passed a button bearing an out-of-order sign. All of this because some fool tried to be witty. This wave of laziness overwhelms me. A few weeks ago, The Metropolitan published two stories and a brief about people with disabilities on campus and how they have been getting jacked. School administrators took a tour of the campus with students with disabilities to find out the campus "bugs." They found a few, too. On one hand, some students with disabilities can't get up the "handicap accessible" ramp because it's too thin. On the other hand, they can't read the Braille on the almighty ATM machine. Imagine that: not being able to get into a classroom, or not being able to get instant cash when you need it for lunch. And now the stupid button isn't opening the door. (If this all happened in one day, it would make for one shitty day.) But really, the bugs turned out to be the students and faculty who abuse the buttons. A quick question for those of you who use the buttons needlessly: Is it really that hard to push or pull the Arts door open? How about the Tivoli door? I didn't think it was. There is a door at a former job of mine that was impossible for one person to open. If I had a blue button on that, I might have used it in case of an emergency. But I'm talking about this campus and this campus' doors. To investigate this dilemma, I just left my office on the third floor of the Tivoli, ran downstairs and opened the main door by Domino's. I opened it with my pinkie. Does that say I have more power in my little pinkie than you have in your entire soul? Yes. You don't agree? Visit me in The Metropolitan office and you'll
see. |
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Computer access helps student Editor: When I first started at Metro, there wasn't a Combined Computer Access Center for students with disabilities. Before this computer lab opened, I had to rely on the computers in the Disability Services Office which meant scheduling a room to work on a computer. That arrangement was not too bad, but it took much coordination on my part for me to utilize these computers. If I wasn't worrying about my bus coming early, then I was concerned that I would have to be finished at a certain time. Since the lab opened, I use the computer to write papers and do all of my homework. Metro's administration has been quite receptive to dealing with issues pertaining to students with disabilities. Mitch McKinney |
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No excuse for labeling students with disabilities Editor: I want to first applaud you for your coverage in the recent Metropolitan
of the accessibility issue on campus. For many years many people with disabilities have labored to get the news media, especially the print media, to pay attention to person-first language when referring to people who have disabilities. Many excuses have been heard such as "it takes up so much more column spaceä or headlines have to be short" and so on. We have changed a lot of language over the years around a lot of other issues, and this seems to be the final frontier. Robert Slay |
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Marxism is no solution Editor: I must refute John Cassella's statement about there being a better economic system than Capitalism. His implied "better way" has failed horribly in Russia and Eastern European countries with disastrous consequences for its citizens. Marxist philosophies require the removal of all possessions from the hands of the individual placing them in the hands of the state. The result of this economic revolution is supposedly the disappearance of classes resulting in a utopia where each works "according to his ability" and each receives "according to his need." It is foolish to believe a highly intelligent and competent person will work to his potential if he is getting the same reward as a lazy person doing less-skilled work. I would not work my butt off all day to support my lazy neighbor and I know you wouldn't either. The Communist party that is and was in power in many Eastern European countries is in direct contradiction to Marxism itself, which preaches dissolution of class distinctions. The party is crueler and more in control than any bourgeois society in the whole world. Citizens of these Communist countries are forced to live in poverty while their leaders abound in wealth. I beg of you, fellow citizens of the U.S.A. to examine the Marxist ideologies
being touted through our land. We live in the richest nation on Earth with the highest standard of living. If you don't like it here, get out! God bless America. |
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Marx was a scientist, not a psychic Editor: In other words, international capitalism constitutes something new in the history of human development and is a major step toward eradicating the divisions created by the struggle for recognition. Secondly, I hesitate to trust communists who use the term "predict"
in reference to the work of Marx. He merely Lastly, most importantly, I offer the words of Michael Walzer to all my comrades: "The power of an ideology ... lies in its capacity to activate its adherents and to change the world." (Revolution of the Saints, 1965) Without "practical-critical revolutionary activity" no change will come, capitalism will rebound from its woes and exploitation will continue to reat its ugly head. Jason Struna |
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FEATURES |
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THE SNOWSHOW: A Russian Clown Fire me Rolex, then the windy sweep, what the broom! They egads? Ouch, then you stoop to the crooked table, and plunk. Neato moth perplexia. When the time comes to see Slava's Snowshow, you may not understand it. But you'll love it. Cirque du Soleil meets Salvador Dali meets Blinky's Fun Club meets anti-must-see-TV campaigners meets tumbleweed whirlwind. Snowshow star Slava Polunin is Russian. He doesnât speak English. He doesn't speak at all during the show, so it doesn't matter. The non-verbal in this show is classic. And one look says it all with Slava. He's an offshoot from Cirque du Soleil. And it's evident through his animated style of subtle, yet incredibly obtrusive clowning. It's a one-ring circus. Although that ring is very large. Slava abuses the space of the Auditorium Theater. He's on the stage watching a moon trickle from a barrel to the sky, then he's captaining a ship (made of bed rails, a bed sheet and a broom) against heavy waves to the theme of Chariots of Fire. Meanwhile, white shreds of paper (Slava's snow) cover the floor of the stage and the seating area. It's a non-sequitur voyage of good-meets-better and cute-doesn't-cut-it. It reads like a beat poem, only it isn't a read. Or is it? Possibly maybe? Definitely disjointed. Moving on. When the going gets tough, make it worse by just standing there with a lethargic look of a sea otter. If there's a loose thread on your shirt, pull it till there is no more shirt left, only ravels and unspooled cotton dreams. If violence is threatening the livelihood of all man, one thing is necessary for our existence. Laughter. This sort of ill-mannered logic makes up the irreverent Slava. His wide-spread gray hair isn't fake. The gigantic yellow suit that he wears is faintly accented by the latent bushy red shoes. His minimalist movements are tiny-bo-biny and are reminiscent of Bill Murray as he played out the "baby steps." Forget about the traditional clown nose that is spherical and clean. Slava's is cylindrical, sticking out of his face like a horizontal can of tomato soup. His wrinkled brow, emphasized by make-up, show all the expressions you need to see. His child-like movements are unpredictable, and it's not unusual for him to misstep and completely forget where he is going. Non-chalant is his game and ... non-chalant is his name. Or is it Slava. Or Mumsy, take another trolley out of the oven and impale it upon the salt lick. It's not your everyday circus. However, if you did see Cirque du Soleil, it will take you back. The same kind of European, off-beat humor comes through. Example: Slava decides to pick at the hanging partitions, which turn out to be elongated comforters, and he picks out a huge slab of stuffing, and it grows, and it grows, and it grows. Soon enough, he's all caught up in it, and out of loneliness, or selfishness, he drags the massive piece of now-unraveled stuffing across the front 20 rows of the orchestra seating. The crowd doesn't know what to do with itself. The fair maidens have it caught in their hair, and the Ken doll prude boys did everything they could to avoid it. But Slava is out for them, and he gets them. But as soon as he arrived back to the stage, an enormous comet comes from stage left and crushes him. Salvador Dali would have been proud of Slava. If not for the mattress stuffing incident, then for his sporadic trips into the audience, grabbing patrons' play programs and throwing them in the air. When the show lapses in creative outbursts, it treks it double-time to please the audience. And the ending will literally blow your socks off. The endearing Slava continually sits on a crooked stool next to a crooked table, even through the inevitable was his falling off it. And that was the only continual thing about it. For tickets, call (303) 893-4100. |
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Montoya: An open door The door to Tony Montoya's office never seems to close. Metro's assistant dean of the School of Letters, Arts and Sciences said he wants to be able to help students any way he can: From assuring equal access for all students to helping them adjust to their new scholastic environment. As he sat at a desk positioned to notice anyone seeking his help just beyond his ever-open door, Montoya, 45, said he knows quite well how it feels to be a Metro student seeking direction.. From Los Animos in southeastern Colorado, Montoya came to Metro in 1977, majoring in business administration. As he neared graduation, he said he was not really sure where his degree would lead him. "I really wasn't even thinking about it," he said. "I was in my last year of college here at Metro when I found out I was working out of the affirmative action office." As he pondered his options, Montoya said, a position with the office opened as another administrator left, and he applied for the position. Metro allowed him to sign a waiver making it possible to work for the affirmative action office days and attend school at night. Montoya worked for that department for the next seven years after graduation, when he moved to Metro's School of Letters, Arts and Sciences' advising office. He also helped coordinate Metro's Health Careers, sharing his 23 years experience as a member of the Army National Guard, serving some portion of that time within a medical unit. Montoya joined the Guard in 1968, ultimately attaining the rank of sergeant first class. During this period he went from operations with his medical unit to being a drill instructor at the National Guard Academy. Montoya later went to work at the state headquarters. "When I was there, I worked out of the affirmative action office," Montoya said, adding that when he eventually attended Metro he decided to continue to work for the campus chapter of the office. "When I was here at Metro, I hooked up with the affirmative action program to get more exposure. And when I became a full time employee, I just stayed as a part of a commitment to the office." As a result, Montoya serves
as chairman of Metro's Affirmative Action Advisement committee, which reviews
So, because Metro helped him when he needed guidance, ultimately providing him with the job he enjoys so much today, Montoya said he wants to help all students sort out their college careers. Montoya stresses the fact that Metro supported him throughout his career, especially when he sought his master's degree. "When I came back, I had a job," he said. "Many students, when they were accepted into the program (the National Urban Fellowship) had to quit jobs then had to come back and look for jobs. So I am certainly very supportive of the institution." As a whole, Montoya said, minorities are better off under the current university administration than in the past. "Naturally, I would be lying if I said we couldn't always do better,ä he said. "Part of that is a matter of recruitment, part of that is a matter of nurturing your own faculty, doing what they need to do to improve themselves educationally." But, Montoya said he feels there are some great opportunities for minorities to advance to the highest administrative positions at Metro. After all, he is in a good position to know. |
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Telepathic Neanderthals learn to kill In John Darnton's book Neanderthal, the reader is tantalized by the possibility of a living Neanderthal in modern times, yet only encounters a hum-drum adventure with a predictable ending. Darnton, a bureau chief for The New York Times, presents a menagerie of spiritless characters that are more like cardboard cut-outs than passionate scientists on the verge of a phenomenal discovery. The main characters, Matt and Susan, are thrust together on a project to find their old professor who is missing in the mountainous wasteland of Tajikistan. Kellicut, the old professor, was searching for Neanderthals. Matt and Susan had been lovers in the past, and this element of love lost, love found is awkward and unnecessary. It doesn't help in creating the emotional realness of the characters. However, it does give a reader more dialogue to climb over. Eventually, Matt and Susan reconsider their grudges and fall into each other's arms amidst a peaceful community of telepathic Neanderthals. Yes, telepathic Neanderthals. The scientific information on hominid pre-history is basic and easy to understand, yet it stuck out of the dialogue instead of being a part of it. Through their own bumbling, Matt and Susan create a war between this peaceful Eden-like village and a warlike group of Neanderthals living inside a mountain. They even mention to themselves that as scientists, they have no right to interfere, but they do anyway. And in the classic 1950s B-movie tradition, they teach these peace-loving creatures to kill. And killing is what happens. Yet with all the smashed bodies and severed heads that tumble to the ground, Matt and Susan survive to continue their love affair. In Neanderthal, good vanquishes evil. Homo Sapiens triumph over the bad guys, muddle around in meaningless emotional conflicts and teach pacifist Neanderthals how to kill their own kind. What's so good about that? Neanderthal, by John Darnton, Random House, Inc., New York, 366 pages, $24 |
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SPORTS |
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... but no cigar Underneath the six banners representing past powerhouse volleyball teams in the Auraria Events Center, the current Metro team played like a champion Sept. 4 in its first two matches of the Colorado Premier Challenge tournament. But Sept. 5, when the Roadrunners had a chance to make a name for themselves in the championship bracket, they failed to win a game. No. 1 BYU-Hawaii beat Metro in three games to move on to a championship match with No. 3 Regis University, Metro's most bitter rival. BYU-Hawaii rolled over the Rangers in three games as well to win the championship of what has become the best Division II tournament. The Roadrunners lost the third-place match in three games to Central Missouri State because they were tired and unfocused, coach Joan McDermott said. "(Sept. 4) took so much out of us, by the time we got to Central Missouri — not to make an excuse — but we were worn out," McDermott said. The coach said she made it clear to her team that she believes the Roadrunners failed to make the most of a huge early season opportunity to at least play well against the top teams. But she isn't dwelling on it. "When I say we threw it in a blackhole, that was after we looked at the film," McDermott said. "I think we have the talent, but we don't have it together as a team yet. "As to why that is, I'm knocking my head." Seniors Amy Buchanan and Kelly Young were selected to the 12-woman All-Tournament Team. Young echoed her coach and blamed herself for not playing well despite being honored as a standout. "I think we were just a little worn out from (Sept. 4)," Young said. "I don't feel like anyone was really motivated." Nine of the top 25 teams in the country participated in the tournament, yet Metro fell two positions in the national poll after finishing fourth. The Roadrunners had been ranked No. 11 one week before. |
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Brilliant insight' via coach's B.S. At first, I was flattered when I was asked to write a column for The Metropolitan, but then I became a bit nervous when I realized that I did not take one single English class in my four (OK, seven) years of college. So here it is, take it or leave it. My intention is to give the loyal sports page readers some brilliant insight into the life of a college coach. It might, however, turn out to be more like the story line from Forrest Gump. I would like to start with one of the most traumatic days of my life. I remember sitting at my high school reunion and being asked the ever-popular question, "What are you doing now?" I puffed out my chest and proudly proclaimed, "I'm a college soccer coach." After a raising of the eyebrows, the interrogator attempted to act interested and responded with, "Is that a full-time job?" From that point on, I was doomed to a long evening of fielding questions and statements such as:
By the end of the evening, I was caught up explaining that college coaching is a profession in which people must perform highly skilled tasks like dual-deck VCR operation, using one of those cool light keys that look like a divot replacer, video camera tripod assembly, strategic cone placement and tying shoes for little kids at soccer clinics just to name a few. Everyone was impressed with the life I had created for myself. It never occurred to these people (who you might think would be smarter than I am since I was repeatedly told that they make 10 times the money I do) that things like recruiting, monitoring academic progress, fundraising, community service projects and putting on camps and clinics would enter into the picture. This column will be my attempt to erradicate the ignorance we have as a society regarding the duties and overall importance of college coaches. As an educational tool, I will, over the next few weeks, attempt to give you a semi-serious look at the world of college athletics from the perspective of a Division II coach. I'll end by answering one of my classmates' questions. I do have a B.S. in biology, but I guess the B.S. part is used more frequently than the biology part these days. |
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Big Mac's magic: A home run here "The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a
man's determination." I haven't seen Mark McGwire hit his 62nd home run. I don't really want to. When his bat hit the ball in Busch Stadium Sept. 8, sending a low line drive over the left field fence, I wasn't staring into the glow of a television. I still haven't let myself watch the replay. I heard the tape of the radio call during my drive home from work that night. The announcer called McGwire the new "Sultan of Swat" which was one of many nicknames Babe Ruth earned. I realized I liked the image of McGwire's historic moment plenty with out having actually seen it. Why ruin a good thing? I have an image in my mind of Ruth's 60th home run, but I have never seen it either. I don't mind one bit. I grew up listening to sports on the radio. Yes, I also watched many events
on the tube. I can't speak for everyone, I used to listen to Colorado Rockies games — the hockey team — in the basement of my parent's house. My brothers and I fashioned hockey sticks out of broomhandles, cardboard and tons of tape. We bloodied each other's noses and shins plenty between periods and during commercials. We sat silent staring at the walls when the game was on. We were mesmerized. We made similar arrangments for Denver Nuggets games. A coathanger was fashioned into a hoop. We relentlessly jammed our fingers on the ceiling going for the slam. There was a time when the University of Colorado wasn't very good at football. Its games were only available on radio. But I can describe Walter Stanley returning a punt for a touchdown like it was happening right here, right now. The truth is, I was at work when Big Mac maxed out. Initially, I was disappointed
not being a part of the moment. For a short time, Mark McGwire's achievement made me feel like a kid again, sitting in the basement of my parent's house about to take a tennis ball in the teeth. No other image could replace that. |
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Sports briefs Women's soccer Metro defeated Texas A&M-Commerce Sept. 4 on a first-half goal by junior Kari Pierce. Kelly Johannes enjoyed another easy day in goal, facing just seven shots. Pierce extended her scoring streak to four straight games Sept. 7 after finding the net against St. Gregory College. Pierce leads the Roadrunners in goals and points. Freshman Jenny Fink notched her first vicory in goal against St. Gregory. The Roadrunners begin Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play Sept. 11 at Auraria Fields against the University of Southern Colorado at 5 p.m. Men's soccer Metro's record fell to 2-2 after losing two games at the Umbro-Days Inn Classic soccer tournament in Rindge, N.H., Sept. 4-5. Both of the Roadrunners' opponents were nationally ranked in the top 10. No. 9 Franklin Pierce College overcame a 1-0 halftime lead for Metro to score three goals in the second half. Junior Richard Paylor scored Metro's goal. The Roadrunners managed just two shots in the match while Franklin Pierce cranked out 19. Goalie Mark Torgusun made nine saves for the Roadrunners. Paylor netted another goal Sept. 5 against No. 6 New Hampshire College. The Roadrunners gave up a tying score before halftime and the game-winner in overtime. Paylor is second on the team with three goals. Junior forward Jared Zanon has four. Metro opens its RMAC schedule Sept. 11 at home at 2:30 p.m. at Auraria Fields against USC. |
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