Volume 21 Issue 9 October 16, 1998 |
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Contents:
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NEWS |
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Campus condemns hate crime
What stuck with many students who gathered on campus Oct. 12 to mourn the death of Matthew Shepard is that crimes against gays can happen anywhere, even in Denver. "We don't know Matt Shepard, and we're devastated by what happened to him," said Karen Benson, director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Student Services at Auraria. "But, I think why people so strongly react is this could've been me. It could've been my best friend. It could've been someone that I know, and that's what brings it so close to home for people." Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming who was openly gay, died the morning of Oct. 12 at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins. He died the day after National Coming Out Day. The GLBT sponsored Tearing Down The Walls to allow students, faculty, staff and anyone concerned to express their emotions and thoughts on Shepardâs death and address the need to pass hate crime legislation in Colorado. The walls were filled with articles documenting the progression of the gay movement, words of condolences to Shepard and gay pride flags hung ceremoniously on the front of the wall. Brendan Haymaker and Linda Cecile co-directed the speak-out and kicked off the event chanting "We will not be silenced." "It's also kind of bittersweet that someone has to die for people to realize that gays are oppressed and that people die just for being gay," said Mike Nunez, a Metro student. |
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Shepard mourners rally at capitol For many gay people, Matthew Shepard's death is a grim symbol of the fear they live with every day, said Dede de Percin, director of the gay advocacy group Equality Colorado's Anti-Violence Project at a rally at the state capitol Oct. 12. "Violence has a ripple effect that goes way beyond a single victim," she said. "Hate crimes are nothing less than a form of domestic terrorism." "This issue could have been Denver," Mayor Wellington Webb told the crowd. "It could have been any city in America." To loud applause, Webb called on the Colorado legislature and other lawmakers across the country to pass anti-hate crime laws. "It's a real shame that somebody had to get beat to death for them to pay attention," said Lisa Thompson, an Aurora resident who attended the rally with her family. "My friends in Denver in the gay community experience (discrimination) on a daily basis," she said. "I think (hate crimes in Denver are) probably more likely, just because of the sheer size of the town," said Thompson's husband, Steve. "Just because he was gay doesn't mean anything," said Billy, 9, one of the Thompson's two children at the rally. Eight-year-old Jessie agreed. "Why did he have to be bashed on the head though? Just because he was different and he was gay. He didn't do anything wrong," she said. |
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Amnesty International targets U.S. Supporters of Amnesty International rallied on the west steps of Denver's Capitol building, then marched to the Governor's Mansion Oct. 8 to protest the death penalty. The demonstration was summed up by 7-year-old Spencer Haile, shouting "Human rights now!" at times, louder than the adults. He walked next to his mother while beating a tambourine. "It's better off just for people to go to jail," he said. "It doesn't make it better when they die." This is the first time the group has focused on the United States. Although more than a third of its membership stems from this country, the group is confident it is the right thing to do, said Angela Thieman, a doctorate student at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Amnesty International featured her as a speaker for the event. "I'm very proud that our human rights campaign is focusing on the
United States," Thieman said. "Politicians use the death penalty
as a quick fix. It doesn't keep the community safe. It's an illusion that
the death penalty is a deterrent. Thieman said she has been to Bosnia three times. She worked with the county's students to start a free media, taught its elementary teachers human rights education and was an election supervisor in its post-war elections. The death penalty doesn't stop murder, and it's not a deterrent to crime, said Carrie Haile, Amnesty International's area coordinator and a Metro student. The organization condemned the United States in a 150-page report released
earlier this month citing human rights violations. The allegations include
torture by police, abuse of prison inmates, use of the death penalty and
others. The organization plans to rally and march Oct. 22 at the Greek Amphitheater in Civic Center Park. A march to the City and County building and Denver Police headquarters will begin at 5:45 p.m. |
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Groups protest holiday Three campus organizations rallied students to end Columbus Day, claiming it glorifies murder and torture. El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), Metro American Indian Students for Empowerment (MAIZE) and Metro's Amnesty International demonstrated outside the Central Classroom Building Oct. 12 to protest the celebration of the holiday. "The main point of it is to focus on historical truth," said
Hektor Munoz, a University of Colorado at Denver student. Some students did not agree with speakers at the event. "When it comes to people giving lip service and talking to be talking, it needs to stop," said Angell Perez, a Metro student and president of United Women of Color. "People can't sit there and talk about something they don't know about. It is a good thing though, this is the first step to education." Perez said although it was great that people were there, she did not think a lot of people knew why they were there. When a high school student opposed speakers' viewpoints, he was told to sit down. Perez opposed the attempt to extinguish his viewpoint. Perez said everyone deserves to speak and be heard. People need to be educated to understand the truth, not "eurocentric" views, she added. The demonstration reached about 125 people at its peak, with about 75 remaining throughout the whole rally, said Joe Ortiz, Auraria police chief. |
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Metro sponsors gov debates Gubernatorial candidates Gail Schoettler and Bill Owens will debate Monday, Oct. 19 in the Tivoli Turnhalle. Aimee Sporer from KCNC-TV will moderate the debate and will ask questions collected from students before the event. Zav Dadabhoy, Metro's director of Student Activities, said students may e-mail their questions to dadabhoz@mscd.edu. "The idea of this is to encourage our students to participate in the civic process and make informed decisions that go beyond political parties or sound bites," Dadabhoy said. The debate, part of the Towering Issues of Today lecture series, will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. with a reception following in the Turnhalle balcony. |
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Tivoli festival unveils new AMC patio area The Tivoli invited the campus to walk all over Bob. Bob was the name chosen for the reconstructed patio outside of the AMC Theaters and the Boiler Room. An opening ceremony was held Oct. 14. After two months of yellow tape and construction crews the bricked walkway has been waterproofed and new wheelchair ramps installed. "Underneath that patio is the electrical system for the whole building," said Crystal Carter, with support service management. "We had to get that fixed before the weather got bad. You remember last year with all the flooding," she added. "It was potentially dangerous, and it was just generally bad for the building." Tivoli management also wanted the patio completed for the Denver Film Festival, which began Oct. 8. Carter said she didn't know when the patio had been waterproofed or repaired last. The opening ceremony drew a crowd of an estimated 500 people, according to Carter. "I'm whipped. It must have been something close to 500, that's why I'm so tired," Carter said. Everyone who joined in the ceremony was treated to prizes and free food from the B-Movie Cafe and The Boiler Room. Metro student Jennifer Gingle won the grand prize for choosing the name for the patio. "We asked her about it," Carter said. "She just liked the name Bob." Carter explained that originally the name Lager Lobby was chosen for the patio. "We took out an ad in all the campus papers asking for submissions to name the patio. Lager Lobby was chosen by everyone as the best, but the student who submitted it did it anonymously. Jennifer's selection was the runner up, so she won." Gingle won T-shirts, sweatshirts, movie tickets and $50 in gift certificates at the B-Movie Cafe and The Boiler Room. Boiler Room owner Lawrence Gonzales said he didn't have any problems with the construction in front of his bar. "There were only two days or so that the front doors were blocked," he said. "The construction crew was a great bunch of guys. They worked hard to keep my doors open." |
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Four students disrupt rally Four students threw rocks, yelled insults, and tried to deface the graffiti board at the celebration of Coming Out Week, according to Karen Benson of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Student Services. The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. Oct 12 at the flagpole area in the middle of campus, Benson said. They wrote "Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve" on the graffiti wall set up for Coming Out Week and tried to mark out other comments on the wall. After arguing with other students, Benson said the four sat down and "starting picking up little rocks on the pavement and started pelting those of us sitting over at (the student services) table and started yelling, 'fuck you.'" Auraria campus police officer Rich Vigil arrived to herd off the four, who ran. One, whose name Auraria police refused to divulge, was stopped. He claimed he had nothing to do with the incident, but was cited for riding his bicycle in a dismount zone. Vigil said Auraria Campus Police and Security had no knowledge of the rock throwing and was not treating it as a crime. Police Chief Joe Ortiz said that on a large campus, incidents like such as that will happen because people have differences of opinion. |
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COMMENTARY |
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College backs Clinton? News: Views: Metro political science professor Monica Bauer walked a fine line earlier this month when she and 19 students marched to Republican Party headquarters. The college crossed that line when it distributed a misleading press release, which seemed at times to advocate one political party over the other. After learning in class the details of the impeachment inquiry against President Clinton, students in two of her classes voted to hold a demonstration, ostensibly so they could express views on both sides of the debate. But the dye on that question might have already been cast. According to the college's press release, "The students ... learned in class that the Republicans are in the driver's seat on impeachment proceedings in the U.S. House of Representatives." That's funny - when the House voted Oct. 8, only 10 Democrats opposed initiating a limited impeachment inquiry against the president, while 196 voted for a limited inquiry. It looks to us like there is more than one driver here. Every one of the students who marched at 1 p.m. Oct. 2 opposed an impeachment inquiry, and most blamed Republicans for the uproar. That's the problem with practicing political and social activism during class time. Invariably, political winds blow strongly in only one direction. Maybe that's why the other half of Bauer's class didn't show. Most professors can keep their political views neutral during class-time lectures, and Bauer has a reputation for doing just that. Most students can tell the difference when professors cross the lines of objectivity. But stepping out of the classroom and carrying placards on city sidewalks has a polarizing effect. We question why the college would take sides. What does that say about the political education Metro students receive? Are students getting both sides of the story? Not if you believe the college's press release. Bauer called the march a "hands-on civics lesson." Fair enough. But we urge her, other professors and the college to be careful. Leading students in an obviously partisan march is just asking for trouble. What's next, writing our party affiliations on college applications? |
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This guy Price is right Nobody is going to blame Gary Price for bragging about his son Jeff. Heck, maybe somebody ought to buy Gary a meal and a beer or maybe just dinner if he's on the wagon. Somebody should stop by the Price home and drop off some flowers to Jeff's mom Sharon. Maybe someone should take her out to lunch just to say thanks from all of us. Jeff Price is the 20-year-old Metro student who chased down a man Oct. 2 who was later arrested by Auraria police for investigation of felony assault. Price was in Suzanne Hudson's English composition class at 2 p.m., working towards a business degree after two years of partying at Colorado State University when a shrill scream lifted him out of his seat. He and several of his classmates found a distraught woman in the hallway just outside the women's restroom on the first floor of the West Classroom Building. Price admits he didn't understand what the victim, Emi Ichihara, 23, was trying to say when he first saw her. Luckily, one of his classmates did. A man surprised Ichihara in the restroom and assaulted her with a stun gun on her right shoulder. Price and the others ran outside to find Ichihara's attacker. "I saw a guy running across campus taking off his shirt," Price said. Price said he followed Ulises Vier-Solis, 27, into the technology building where he watched as Vier-Solis walked into a classroom and back out again in a matter of seconds, now wearing a blue fleece jacket. Vier-Solis is not an Auraria student. "I didn't know if it was him for sure," Price said. "I saw him walk into another room, and he walked out all casual like he was fixing his fleece that he put on. "The people in the class didn't know what he was doing in their classroom." Price said he approached Vier-Solis and asked him where he was going. According to Price, Vier-Solis said he was going home. Price didn't let him. I'm guessing the 5-foot-8-inch tall, 155-pound Vier-Solis hadn't counted on encountering a 6-3, 195-pound former Denver Christian High School football player when he allowed his mind to contemplate using a stun gun on an unsuspecting woman "to see how it works." Vier-Solis confessed to the crime, which might not have happened if it hadn't been for Price. Jeff Price is the son of a Denver Public Works director and a property manager. He grew up in a middle-class neighborhood in southeast Denver. Only a day before the stun-gun incident, Price had taken the time to stop to provide a statement to police after witnessing a traffic accident in Denver. He is the kind of guy who doesn't mind helping people, no matter the risk. Sharon Price's first thought when she heard what her son had done was: "What if (Vier-Solis) had a gun." Jeff Price didn't stop to think about himself. I can't help but think his brave act is a reflection on the people who raised him. We owe Jeff Price for running down evil. But, I suspect we also owe Gary and Sharon. Kyle Ringo is a Metro student and columnist for The Metropolitan. His e-mail address is ringok@mscd.edu. |
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Professors flunk test of integrity Here's a little evaluation for the powers that be in the Faculty Senate: F-minus. You flunk with fervor, and not an ounce of panache. You know, It hasn't even been a month, and the Faculty Senate has made me eat my words. At least in the sense of support I tried to convey when pointing out the flawed nature of student evaluations and why this makes publishing them not so hot an idea. Forget about it. All of it. No, as of this moment, any support I may have had for the Faculty Senate is hereby revoked. And the reason why? Recently, the body sent an e-mail stating all meetings of the executive council of the Senate would be held in Executive Session (read, closed to the public). Now, there's an overstated case of self-importance if I ever heard one. First of all, the mere idea that they could have anything to discuss that is even remotely important enough to warrant its secrecy is purely asinine. Fact is, you all just want to cover your collective asses. Instead, what you've done is effectively hang them out to dry. Guess what folks? It's illegal. That's right. The Colorado Open Meetings Act told me so. It said, "Dave, what they're doing isn't, to put it into language you understand, kosher." Not kosher?! Hell, It's worse than a shrimp cocktail, followed by a ham and cheese sandwich, with a glass of milk on the side on Yom Kippur. The open meetings act was specifically amended recently to apply to situations and groups just like this one. But the fact has always been inferred. In case you haven't figured it out, this really bugs me. Keeping the government open and public is the only way to insure against fascism. Accountability breeds good decision making, and when that is removed, everything goes to hell in a handbasket quicker than postseason play involving the Chicago Cubs. Why, I ask, would this closed-door idea even begin to make sense to the powers that be over there? I hope that the people we are entrusting our education with are smart enough to at least understand the law in the state they live, if not the importance of freedom of the press and the public's right to know. (That last right is covered under the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Can anyone remember that one?) The only exception special to the state education amendment of the act concerns discussion of individual students. So, I guess if you are all meeting to discuss what you're going to do with me, then you can close the door to the public. But if you're trying to keep the public from knowing your plan of action for anything else in the universe, forget about it. Open sesame. Bottom line is: Open the door before someone gets a judge to tell you to, or it's going to cost you a lot of money that could better be spent figuring out how to revamp the silly evaluations that started this whole mess. |
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VP search should cast a wider net Metro is searching for someone to permanently fill the position of provost at the college. But they're going about it the wrong way. The provost is the liaison between faculty and administration. In addition, the provost is directly involved with several committees that affect students, including the BASE Committee (where students can appeal class transfer credits) and the Grade Appeal Committee. The provost also fields complaints from students about faculty. The committee is searching for someone to permanently fill the provost
(vice president of Academic Affairs) position. One concern of professors is that the college is only looking internally for candidates for the provost's job, rather than conducting a nationwide search. They should be concerned. To be considered for the job, candidates must hold a Ph.D., have tenure status, and be at the dean level or higher. At Metro, there are only 10-12 people who meet those requirements. This should be a great concern to everyone. The provost needs to have a strong voice in representing the faculty concerns about policies and committees while the students need their concerns about academics represented. It is important that the faculty voice is at least represented even if the provost disagrees with their opinion. Former student government Chief Justice Krystal Bigley sat on a search committee for the Political Science Department for a new full-time professor last spring. She said the committee looked at approximately 180 applicants gathered from a nationwide search. That's a lot of work for a committee to hire one new professor. But the long process resulted in hiring the best professor possible. In that case, the college hired a professor from out of state. Last spring, I sat on a search committee for the assistant director of Student Activities. The search for that job was opened up regionally. We had approximately 150 applicants for the position. In the end we hired Metro alum Julie Rodriguez. Although we hired someone within the college, she still had to compete regionally for the position. If the college goes through so much work to search for professors or other administrative positions, why wouldn't it do the same for a position of such prestige, such as the provost? If Metro President Sheila Kaplan really feels that someone on this campus is the best qualified to be provost, that person should have to prove it. Or is Kaplan stacking the deck? Does she want to limit the search to people she knows hold the same administrative vision she does? Or, shall I say, smile and float along on the same boat? Candidates for Metro administrative positions should compete at a regional or national level. If faculty are unhappy with the current provost, maybe it is because their collective voices aren't being heard. It is time to get someone who will represent faculty concerns. |
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FEATURES |
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Reaching for Excellence The Campus Recreation Association on the Auraria Campus is home to one of the few college programs nationwide for students with disabilities, and a couple of students are even training for the Paralympics. Some of these students have
never exercised before, but now one disabled individual is downhill skiing
and another is blind and running the Bolder Boulder. The program and its
accomplishments are due to its director, Julie Rummel. Julie began developing the program five years ago after attending a conference demonstrating seated aerobics classes. She began to set up individualized fitness and outdoor programs after receiving funding from the director of the CRA. To get a feel for the demand of the program, she surveyed the needs and interests of the appropriate students. The program is available to students, faculty, staff, spouse and alumni members of the Auraria Campus with permanent or temporary disabilities. Most of these disabilities are physical. Temporary disabilities, such as shoulder injuries, need to be strengthened enough so the individual can lead a typical life. Permanent disabilities can be progressive or non-progressive. The trainers treat progressive disabilities by preventing the onset of the disease and adapting a participant's life to the effects of the disease. Students with non-progressive disabilities are encouraged to make gains in fitness, which improve the quality of life. Rummel said that before a participant is enrolled in the program, they have to complete intensive paperwork. Information is required concerning what goals the student hopes to achieve, heart problems and other medical concerns, and a description of their disabilities. Likes and dislikes are also surveyed because Rummel would like to see participants adhering to the program, which is specially formulated to meet their interests and abilities. The next step is to match the student up to an appropriate trainer. Often, these student trainers have disabilities of their own, and it is a challenge to maximize the capabilities of participants as well as their trainers. Daniel Gallegos has a head injury, and he is slightly unbalanced. Rummel said he has three years of experience in training and can use his knowledge effectively. His weaknesses are countered by his strengths. For example, motivating students and monitoring equipment use throughout the program helps him, opposed to leading a heavy weight training program. "I know what these guys are going through because I've been in a wheelchair myself," he said. Student trainer Orence Lagman said, "It is quite something when students with disabilities who have a hard time getting down here work out with us about three times a week. Some able-bodied individuals don't even participate in an aerobic program." Jennifer Laird, a Community College of Denver sophomore, said, "People take things like stretching every day for granted." An individual program is worked out for each student based on disabilities, and the student participates in activities such as seated aerobics, stretching and strengthening. Rummel says the goals of this program are to provide a safe, fun and effective workout for the participants. Participants are encouraged to work out independently. Rummel has witnessed some results through the program. One woman with multiple sclerosis couldn't stand up in the shower, but after a trainer worked on strengthening and stretching her legs, she was able to do this. The most common disabilities are visual and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy and back and joint injuries. Many participants have multiple disabilities. Rummel has seen an increase in the students' self esteem, as some have previously struggled with everyday activities. She has seen a change in a person's body type and also in their muscle tone and flexibility. Social relationships are developed and Rummel wants participants to look forward to a fun workout in a welcoming place. Diane Hill, a Metro student,
is visually impaired. "The program is good and enables people with
disabilities to Joe Simms, a blind Metro student said, "The physically challenged program has done wonders for me, and I am in very good physical condition. The program has helped me to overcome my lifelong fear of water, and I now dive off the diving board." As this is one of the few college programs nationwide, no entity has developed any standards, norms, certifications or guidelines as to the running of a program. Rummel has a Masters of Science in sports medicine and is a certified aerobics instructor and personal trainer. She is developing the program based on her experience and hopes to establish criteria for future programs. Florida State University and a school in Tennessee are other schools utilizing her guidelines in their programs. Trainers are trained in areas they are considered to be weak in. The biggest thing that these students get most from this program is that they have the opportunity to meet people and achieve goals," Rummel said. |
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Fun, but not the Cats' meow So expect 100 percent fluff if you venture to Cats (playing through Oct. 18 at the Buell Theatre) - that is if you haven't seen it already. This musical (which passed all records for longest running musical both on Broadway and on the road last year) is magical. It is fun. It is childish. It teaches morals. But it lacks in other aspects, mainly, a plot. Actually, it's very Greek-like in one sense. Greek drama was written with one thing in mind - all characters were striving to get to heaven. In Cats, the calicos and tabbies are striving to get to the heaviside layer. Unfortunately for the audience, we have to sit through numbers like The Awful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles to get to the point where Old Deuteronomy (Craig A. Benham) picks the one cat who gets to live eternally. The musical is unique in one respect. The lyrics to all songs but two are
those of poet T.S. Eliot. Composer Andrew Eliot's genius is crystal clear in some songs. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer is the bounciest duet in musical theater. It tells the story of these two mischievous cats and their run-ins with the law, Sunday suppers and shattered vases. And who could resist the Rum Tum Tugger, the cat with more early-'80s flair than Billy Idol? Other songs stoop to a bore. Bustopher Jones is a lame spot in the production, but due to Webber's music rather than Eliot's prose. The show's trademark song, though, is Memory (one of the only pieces not written by Eliot). It is Grizabella's (Linda Balgord) plead for a sense of life, when it seems as though all is lost. Grizabella's stature has been elevated since the song is the most famous of the show, but she fails to fill expectations. Her voice is too shaky, and it takes away from a very powerful verse in the musical (the last chorus of Memory ending the second act). The company itself is not all together. The dancing is sloppy and so is the singing - some of which could be blamed on the altitude. Poor Rumpleteazer (Michele Tibbitts) was so out of breath on opening night she barely pronounced the ending choruses in her song. The show is a little dance-heavy. It would be one thing if this were Tap Dogs or something with entertaining dancing, but it's not. Excluding Mr. Mistoffelees' solo during his song, the dancing is too much, too sub-meow. The tech on the show is good (excluding the spotlights which are all over the place). But it is a fun show, still. Advice: see it once, see it twice. But when you start losing your passion for the music and the characters, retire it. Hang it up, never to be seen again. For tickets, call (303) 893-4100. |
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Dreams: A journey into death The film, What Dreams May Come, is entertaining, filled with artistic backdrops that leave little to the imagination and a romantic plot that screams the category tearjerker as the story of a woman dealing with the death of her husband and two children unfolds. The story's anti-hero, Chris (Robin Williams), paints a picture of his own personal heaven across the screen, and takes you on an adventure through his beautiful dream world. Chris is sent to heaven after a fatal car accident that happened while he was running an errand for his wife, Annie (Annabella Sciorra). Consequently, Annie takes the blame for his death. Her children die in a different accident as well, which adds to her grief. Actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. plays the role of the couple's deceased son in the afterlife. Stretching your imagination, the film explains that anyone living in the after-life may choose not only what they look like, but their surroundings as well. Gooding also plays the role of Chris' guide through his heaven as well as Chris' old friend and mentor, Albert. While Annie isn't present in the afterlife to enjoy the company of her husband, daughter or son, (Jessica Brooks Grant and Rosalind Chao), and with the tragedy of their deaths weighing heavy on her conscience, Annie becomes very depressed during the last days before she commits suicide. In a desperate attempt to save Annie, Chris braves the horrors of a graphic,
frightening hell which bounds his suicide-driven love. Even in the depths
of this nightmare, the romance of the script is prevalent. In an ultimate
The film is complex as it addresses the question of what happens after we die. With no reference to the Bible, the setting of the afterlife lies in a colorful heaven and frightening hell. The film is interesting no matter what opinions viewers hold regarding the curiosity of life after death. The film captures your romantic spirit making this the perfect date movie. As for the thrill-seekers: Prepare for an adventure through a ravenous hell and the endless bounds of the beautiful scenes in heaven. The special effects are incredible. Leaving you with a sense of curiosity and wonder, as well as an appreciation for those relationships you hope to take to the other side, where ever that may be, What Dreams May Come is to die for. |
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SPORTS |
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Metro hits transfer trifecta Having a player transfer from one school to another is common in college sports. Having two players switch schools is less so. Getting three players from the same school for the same sport is a coup. The Metro women's soccer team has three players that played a year ago at New Mexico Highlands now calling Metro home. Defender Kathryn Cziuzas, forward Pam DeLuca and defender Jodie Roberts, all juniors, came to Metro in the off-season and have paid big dividends for coach Ed Montojo. "They give us quality depth at every position," Montojo said. "Kathryn is the anchor of our defense. "Pam is a real danger for opponents. If opponents key on Kari (Pierce), Pam will step up and score. And the same thing if they are keying on Pam, Kari is open to score. "Jodie gives us good depth at the midfielder position." Even some of their former teammates have noticed the difference. All three are much better at Metro. "Pam seems to be playing harder and her game has improved," said
New Mexico Highland midfielder Amy Finke. Even though they left together, each had their own reasons. "The town was so small that there was nothing to do there," Cziuzas said. "Here, the program is better and the school, in general, is better." Education, rather than soccer, was one of the reasons for the change for Roberts. "Besides leaving Highlands and coming to Metro for the soccer program," Roberts said. "I wanted to come here because Highlands did not have my major (criminology)." DeLuca came to Metro to play for a stronger team. "It's not everyday that someone gets the chance to go to a RMAC "Powerhouse"
such as Metro," With the three in the line-up for Montojo, Metro has earned a No. 6 national ranking. The Roadrunners are 12-1-1 on the season, second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and ranked first in the Great Plains Region. DeLuca is second on the team with five goals and tied for first with five assists. Roberts has one goal and two assists. |
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"I guess people think I get grumpy" Here we go... This was a good week for the Roadrunners. It is amazing how much livelier things are at my house when we win. It seems that no one will call my house if we have lost a couple of games. My mother-in-law saved $500 on her phone bill when we had a long losing streak last year. I guess people think I get grumpy. A 10-2 win on Oct. 9 gave us the opportunity to play some people who needed to see the field and rest some people who needed some time off. The timing is great since we faced rival Regis University on Oct. 13 to start a three-game road swing that will be the toughest week of our season. We won. This is the worst part of the season for both players and coaches. At this point every player is tired and sore, they are in a crucial time in the classroom and things can get monotonous in a hurry. Cold weather will be here in the next week or two and the possibility of an October dusting of 25 inches of snow is always there. As coaches, we must keep things short and sweet so that we don't waste valuable time and energy. The chemistry and work ethic of this group has made the chore much easier this year. We have a young team, five sophomores and a freshman start for us, so the 1-0 victory at Regis was big. We moved into a second-place tie in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and proved we can play well on the road against a good opponent in crunch time. The confidence this team is developing shows more and more daily. That confidence will be vital this weekend as we travel to play at Fort Lewis College, the seventh ranked team in the country. This is the stretch where I feel our tough non-conference schedule will pay off. A few of the teams in our conference are at the frustration point, this is where they start to kick and get dirty, so it is vital that we stay focused on playing good soccer. We have had a remarkable stretch of three games without taking even a yellow card, evidence of the maturity of the group. We are not without weaknesses, though. We will at times take a lead and then decide to defend for the rest of the game. I would be less likely to have a heart attack if we would continue to play good soccer for the full 90 minutes. Little injuries have started to mount, and seven- and eight-hour bus trips won't help the aches and pains. This is what you live for though if you are a true competitor. At this point in the season, there are times you play more with your heart than with your body. Three of our last five conference games are against top-25 teams. So we will find out just how deep we can reach to get it done. It will be an interesting finish to the season. Brian Crookham is head coach of the Metro men's soccer team. His column will appear weekly during the fall soccer season. |
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Settin' pretty She probably won't talk to you as she walks around campus unless you ask her a question. Not that she's rude or stuck up, but because she's shy, unassuming and quiet. It's a trademark that Metro starting setter Kelly Young has accepted and is comfortable with. She keeps to herself mostly, going about her business on a daily basis. Then the time comes to change her shoes and put on her special socks. That's when the 5-9 senior from Wichita, Kan., walks into the Auraria Events Center and gets ready for volleyball practice or begins her routine before game time. From mild-mannered student, Young becomes a focal point for the success of the Roadrunner volleyball team. It's a transformation she doesn't even realize occurs. "Off the court, I'm shy and don't talk to people much, kind of keep to myself," Young says. "I didn't even talk to my teammates when I first came here. On the court I'm a fiery person, and I really try to pump myself up and get into the game. I don't even notice it, but when I think about it, go back and look at the situation, how different I am in a game, then I realize it." Young, a business management major, is a transfer student from Barton Community College where she played for two years as a hitter and a setter. Her team placed fourth at the Junior College National Championships in 1996. She had limited playing time last year as an outside hitter and is enjoying her new responsibility as a full-time setter this season, even though you may not know it by her modesty. "I don't see myself as a great player," she admits. "I'm pretty consistent, a good player all the way around in serving, passing and blocking." The stats show that Young is consistently producing this season. In 70
games she has 893 assists for a 12.76 per-game average, is tied for third
on the team with 43 blocks, is second on the team with 21 aces and has 53
kills. "I like the role I have on this team," Young said. "I feel like I'm good at it. I knew I could do it because when I went to junior college, I learned a lot. I just had to have the chance to prove it to coach." It didn't take long for head coach Joan McDermott to realize Young would be her starting setter. McDermott had her tabbed last season to take the place of Laurie Anderson, who was a senior, and realized during preseason that Young could fill the vacancy. "She's been playing like a pro," McDermott said. "She's very competitive and you can see the intensity in her eyes." Young hopes to become an All-American this season and help her team make it to the Elite Eight. The beginning of the season didn't give her much hope as Metro went 3-6 to open the schedule. But it was a time for the team to come together and grow. She now believes this is one of the best teams she's ever been on. "I knew it would eventually come together," she said. "We are a very experienced team." That experience has helped the Roadrunners overcome a slow start. They've won 10 of their last 11 matches and are currently riding a 10-match conference winning streak. Ranked 20th in the latest Division II poll, Metro is tied for first with Regis and Colorado Christian in the Eastern Division of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. With the current success, Young is having the time of her life. You may not notice it if you see her walking around campus, but itâs obvious if you see her on the volleyball court. |
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Sports briefs Record breakers? Freshman goalie Jenny Fink earned RMAC Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors for the week of Oct. 5-11. Fink recorded consecutive shutouts against New Mexico Highlands and Elmhurst College. Junior Kari Pierce currently leads the RMAC in scoring with 29 points. Pierce has 12 goals and five assists this season. Zanon tops 'em all The 10-2 victory over McPherson also broke the school record for most goals in a game. The old record was seven goals set in 1985 and 1988. The McPherson game also saw Jorge Mena set a school record when he dished out five assists, breaking the old record of four assists set by Michael Wachter (1987) and Yunger (1990). Rangers rescheduled |
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