BASKETBALL TEAMS PREPARE FOR SEASON | Basketball Season Preview Section University of Denver student newspaper since 1899
Vol. 118, Issue 24
nov. 8, 2011
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photo illustration By ryan lumpkin
Editor-in-chief
A watchdog organization from Washington D.C. sent a letter to Chancellor Robert Coombe last Friday charging that the actions by DU administration against Arthur Gilbert, a professor in the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, have threatened free speech and academic freedom. The organization was the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), which, according to its mission, “defends and sustains individual rights” at American universities, including DU. In April, Gilbert, 75, was removed from the graduate class he was teaching, The Domestic and International Consequences of the Drug War, because of allegedly creating a “sexually harassing hostile environment” and was also banished from campus for more than 100 days. The charges arose after Korbel administration received two anonymous letters by female grad students regarding his teaching methods in the class. In an extraordinary move, the Drug War class was taken over by three professors, including the dean of Korbel, Christopher Hill. At press time, Coombe and Hill have not repsonded to the criticisms by FIRE.
According to case documents and letters obtained by the Clarion last week, the ruling in the case could change the learning environment in classrooms across the DU campus - by setting precedence for the way professors may conduct themselves in the DU classroom, what topic material they may teach to students and the way in which they teach it. There is concern that DU’s commitment to academic freedom and tenure for professors is in jeopardy. According to DU’s Faculty Personnel Guidelines Relating to Appointments, Promotion and Tenure, approved by DU’s Board of Trustees on June 8, tenure is awarded by DU to recognize “excellent performance in teaching and scholarly research and/or creative activity.” The guidelines also state one of the purposes of tenure is “to assure academic freedom in both teaching and research.” Arthur Gilbert has held tenure, and correspondingly academic freedom, for 42 years, since Josef Korbel - for whom the Josef Korbel School of International Studies is named - gave Gilbert tenure in 1969, eight years after Gilbert started teaching at DU. As it relates to classroom teachings and discussions, the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) stresses that
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professors are entitled to full freedom in research, in the publication of results and freedom in the classroom in discussing the subject. However, professors “should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject.” It is the relevancy of Gilbert’s academic freedom to his course’s content that has DU administrators, including some in the Korbel School, concerned, and it is the relationship of the controversial matter to Gilbert’s course subject that is the heart of this case.
Under FIRE According to the letter sent by FIRE to Coombe, DU has threatened free speech and academic freedom through its “punishment and finding of sexual harassment against Professor Arthur N. Gilbert after roughly 50 years of teaching.” Six months ago, Gilbert allegedly created a “sexually harassing hostile environment” in his Drug Wars class. Allegations against Gilbert arose on April 1, when two female graduate students wrote anonymous letters about Gilbert’s conduct in the spring quarter 2011 class. During one class session early in the quarter, Gilbert brought in a vibrator to
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illustrate points he was making during the teaching unit “Drugs and Sin in American Life: From masturbation and prostitution to alcohol and drugs.” The unit was listed on the course syllabus, along with required published readings, which included two by Gilbert: “Doctor, Patient, and Onanist Diseases in the Nineteenth Century” and “Masturbation and Insanity: Henry Maudsley and the Ideology of Sexual Repression.” The previous teaching unit in the class was listed on the syllabus as “Bread of Dreams: On the relationship between food, legal drugs and illegal drugs.” Gilbert said that any student who read the syllabus had the option, ability and time period to drop the course without affecting his transcript or registration if he or she felt classroom lecture regarding food, sex, prostitution and masturbation made him or her uncomfortable. Following the allegations against Gilbert, none of the 24 students in the class withdrew, Gilbert said. The professor was only four class sessions into his syllabus when the two students submitted their letters to the Korbel administration.
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“There is no accurate way to look at the overall sexual health on campuses.” NEWS | Page 2
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A capella group wins competition again by makayla cisneros Staff writer
Idiosingcracies, a DU a capella singing group, won the fifth annual Mile High Vocal Jam competition for the second year in a row last week. Each group has only ten minutes to “wow” a panel of judges, according to Michelle Fox, the current president of Idiosingcracies. Teams are judged by overall performance in addition to criteria such as dynamics, emotion and movement. This year there were 13 teams competing: three high schools and 10 colleges, including another DU team, Exit 205. Idiosingcracies came in first, followed by University of
Colorado Denver’s team Ninth Street Singers and CSU’s team Ramblings, which came in third. “We worked really hard and it paid off,” said Fox. “The groups there are amazing and it’s exciting to be part of such a great community.” The medley performed this year that led to the group’s victory had a time-based theme beginning with a song from Inception and continuing with “Time is Running Out” by Muse, “Every Time We Touch” by Cascada, “Only Time” by Enya and “Time” by Billy Porter. “I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished,” said Fox. “The group has come a long way since my freshman year and I know this is just the beginning of great success for us.”
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The Idiosingcracies, DU’s a capella group, sing at a performance in May 2011. The Idiosingracies won the prestigious Mile High Vocal Jam competition for the second year in a row last week.
Moore family donates golf course DU alum appointed to Athletics receives second largest donation in school history from golf enthusiast’s family by manthan bhatt Staff writer
The family of the late Ron Moore, golf player and DU alumnus, gave DU’s Division of Athletics the Highlands Ranch Golf Club last Thursday. The gift is the second largest in DU athletics’ history, worth over $5 million. The gift will be matched with funds from DU’s ASCEND program to create new tuition scholarships for women’s and men’s golf student-athletes. The club served as the home for the men’s and women’s golf teams before the donation. The late Ron Moore earned a scholarship in 1951 to join the DU men’s golf team. Moore said
he believed his time spent at DU was a turning point in his life. Moore was the chairman and owner of the third-largest bank in Denver, Guaranty Bank & Trust. A long-term member on DU’s Board of Trustees, Ron served as the chairman of the board’s investment committee. He graduated in 1954 with a BS in Finance. Last Thursday, DU honored Ron and his family’s gift, while also celebrating his tremendous life with an event at the golf club. The Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Recreation, Peg BradleyDoppes, presented a Waterford Crystal Bowl to the Moore family. Chancellor Robert Coombe, Chancellor Emeritus Daniel Ritchie and Sandy Loeffler, the daughter of Ron Moore, all spoke at the event. “The Highlands Ranch Golf course gift is significant in so many ways. It really does tell the great story of what a DU education can do for your life,” said
u p c o m i n g TODAY Political Science presents “The Coalition Merchants: Political Ideologies and Political Parties” 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Sturm 286 Hans Noel from Georgetown University will speak about the reasons why political parties take the stances they do. Noel will discuss why he thinks editorial writers and other opinionated leaders form support or opposition to issues before the parties take stances on them. WEDNESDAY MFJS Distinguished Alumni Danny Simon 10:00 a.m. Mass Communications Building Room 121
Bradley-Doppes. “Ron and Carol, his wife, both came to DU. Ron credits his DU experience and education for the success he had both professionally and personally.” In August, the Athletic Department officially made the Highlands Ranch course the home of the Pioneer golf team. DU golf teams hosted the men’s and women’s Ron Moore Invitational, a 54-hole, three-day event, at the golf club in 2008. “It’s impressive and extremely generous to donate an entire golf club to the university,” said Junior Maximilian Jewett, an anthropology major and avid golf enthusiast. The Highlands Ranch Golf Club is located 11 miles south of campus, near C-470 and Lucent Boulevard at 9000 Creekside Wy. The course, which opened in 1998, is an 18-hole, semi-private club that spans nearly 7,200yards.
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As a part of its continuing Distinguished Alumni speaker series, the Media, Film and Journalism Studies Department will be hosting alumni Danny Simon. Simon has over 30 years worth of experience in entertainment licensing and will speak to students about his career and will answer questions about it. Occupy Wall Street/Denver: Here to Stay or Going Away? Noon - 1:30 p.m. Cyber Cafe CORD, the Middle East Discussion Group, and the International Studies BA Program will be hosting multiple panelists as they discuss the future of the Occupy Movement, including whether it is considered a valid movement or not.
THURSDAY Una Noche de Rumba 9:30 p.m. La Rumba (99 W. 9th Ave, Denver, 80204) In celebration of the end of the quarter, Korbel School of International Studies students will be meeting at La Rumba for a night of dance and live music. Entrance is $5 and a free dance lesson will begin at 9:30. Friday Some Girl(s) by Neil LaBute 7:30 p.m. Byron Theatre, Newman Center The Theater Department’s mainstage play features the story of a newly engaged man who visits his old girlfriends in search of the perfect girlfriend.
Weekly Forecast Today 36 º | 20 º
Wednesday 45 º | 25 º
Thursday 52 º | 31º
Friday 56 º | 31 º
Saturday 54 º | 31 º
Sunday 50 º | 37 º
Colo. Supreme Court by makayla cisneros Staff writer
Brian Boatright, who attended DU’s law school in 1988, was appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court by Gov. John John Hickenlooper on Oct. 27. He replaces Justice Alex Martinez, who was appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court in 1996. To select a new member of the Supreme Court, the governor forms a committee to make the determination. Prospective candidates go through a merit-based application process, which is then judged by the committee. After the application they are inter-
viewed, and it is narrowed down to the three best candidates who are then interviewed again. As a Supreme Court Justice, Boatright will initially be subject to a retention election instead of running against another candidate. The decision is based on a performance evaluation and is made as to whether to or not to keep him. If retained, it adds an additional seven years of service. “What does this mean for the DU College of Law?” said Martin Katz, Dean of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. “The process is competitive; it makes our school one of the most competitive in the state and the nation.”
University sexual health rating soars by olivia lubeck Staff writer
Trojan Brand Latex Condoms ranked DU 31st on an annual report card that ranks universities according to their sexual health and education availability. DU jumped 43 spots from last year’s report. The increase in rank can be attributed to contraceptive availability, HIV and STD testing and information provided to students, according to Bert Sterling, president of Sterling’s Best Places. Sterling heads the research group that performs the tests for the yearly report card. “We have a team of myself and four others who have recently graduated from college who evaluated the different 13 categories and that’s how we arrived at the score for each university,” said Sterling. Some of the 13 tested categories include student opinions of the health center, website usability and functionality, STD and HIV testing, as well as contraceptives cost and availability. “There is no accurate way to look at the overall sexual health on campuses as far as sexu-
ally transmitted diseases,” said Sterling. “So, what we look at is the availability of sexual health resources and information so students can stay healthy and make smart, good decisions themselves while taking care of their own health with the help of the student center.” This is the sixth year Trojan has released a sexual health report card. Consistently, Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Brown and Princeton land in the top 10, but DU is quickly making the leap to the top. The bottom three schools in the 2011 report card were the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and DePaul University in Chicago. Sterling is thrilled to provide an incentive for schools to change their sexual health availability around, he said. “We have seen students using the sexual health report card to address the administration as evidence that they are not getting the kind of care they need to be sexually aware and sexually healthy,” said Sterling. “It is wonderful to be able to have something have such a social benefit.”
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TB patient returns to classes by olivia lubeck Staff writer
The student who was diagnosed with active tuberculosis (TB) two weeks ago has been treated, is no longer contagious and has returned to school to attend classes, according to Dr. Sam Alexander, executive director of DU’s Health and Counseling Center (HCC). The student is a female. Her name has not been released. Information about the student’s return was sent to the DU community by an email last Wednesday. The email said the student is no longer considered contagious. The student was isolated in a local hospital from Oct. 29-30. The student will take four medications for the next few months to treat the now-latent tuberculosis, according to Alexander. Alexander said he believes concerns about the student contracting TB on campus are likely false.
“It is likely that the student did not get the TB here, but somewhere else,” said Alexander. “The health department is in charge of the student’s investigation and total treatment.” There are no vaccinations for tuberculosis in the United States because TB is not an epidemic. Regardless of this, Alexander is confident that students have nothing to worry about. “Even though the student did have TB, based upon the testing that was done, the doctors at the health department believe the student contracted a less harmful case of active TB than usual,” said Alexander. According to the Bureau of Tuberculosis Control in New York, millions of Americans have latent TB without knowing it. Latent TB cannot be spread to others. “Active TB is spread from someone else by coughing, sneezing, laughing [or] being in close contact with someone who has active TB,” said Alexander. “Even
if someone gets active TB from someone else, only about 10 percent actually get sick and become active.” According to Alexander, students who may have come in contact with the student when the student was actively contagious have little to fear. “I can reassure people that if they are deemed to be at significant risk, they will be contacted by the health department and they will be tested,” said Alexander. “Anyone who is not contacted by the health department does not have to worry.” A skin and blood test by HCC are available for those concerned they might have contracted TB. However, because of the condition of the diagnosed student, the health department is confident the situation is under control. “In this particular case, the likelihood that the student has infected another student is fairly low,” said Alexander.
New bottle-filling stations promote sustainability across campus by kameryn tanita Contributing writer
DU’s eight bottle-filling stations, one of which was installed in winter quarter 2011, three more installed before the end of summer and another four in locations around campus at the beginning of fall quarter, have saved the university an estimated 72,077 bottles, according to trackers installed on the machines. USG’s chair of the sustainability committee, sophomore Sam Kauffman, said there will be additional stations installed around campus throughout the 2011-12 school year. He said he spearheaded the idea of the bottle-filling stations after being
frustrated with always going to the water fountains and sinks in Johnson-MacFarlane Hall (J-Mac) to fill up his water bottle, but never having it completely full. “Motivated to never purchase bottled water, I wanted a solution to this minor inconvenience,” said Kauffman. Kauffman, who had been involved with the DU Environmental Team on campus, talked to DU Housing and Residential Education and was able to successfully get the first bottle-filling station installed in J-Mac by winter quarter 2011. The installation was followed by seven more throughout the school year.
“There was a lot of excitement on the Environmental Sustainability LLC hallway last year after the first station was installed, and after getting complaints that more water infrastructure was needed, I went ahead and pushed for tall spouts to be installed in every hallway in Halls and J-Mac,” said Kauffman. There are currently eight stations in J-Mac, Centennial Halls, Nagel Hall, Centennial Towers and Driscoll. “By now, many students are using the stations and spouts to fill up their reusable water bottles - so the fewer and fewer Aquafinas I see, the more I conclude that these installations have been successful,” said Kauffman.
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p o l i c e MEDICAL On Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 3:08 p.m., Campus Safety responded to a call made from the Sturm College of Law regarding a student in need of medical assistance. Officers responded to the scene and called for paramedic assistance. The Denver Fire Department arrived on the scene and provided assistance until Denver Health paramedics arrived and transported the student to Porter Hospital. On Thursday, Nov. 3, at 6:14 a.m., Campus Safety responded to a call made from Centennial Halls regarding a Sodexo staff member in need of medical assistance. The reporting party noted paramedics were already en route. Officers arrived on the scene and provided assistance until paramedics transported the Sodexo staff member to Porter Hospital. On Saturday, Nov. 5, at 3:13 p.m., Campus Safety responded to a call made from the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management regarding an unaffiliated person in need of medical assistance. Officers responded to the scene and provided assistance until paramedics arrived. The unaffiliated person was transported off campus by family members. On Sunday, Nov. 6, at 8:38 p.m., Campus Safety responded to the Barton Lacrosse Field due to a 911 call made from the area. Upon arrival, officers made contact with a student who was in need of medical assistance. Officers spoke briefly to the student before paramedics arrived and transported them to Swedish Medical Center.
Theft On Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 4:47 p.m., Campus Safety responded to a call from a student who reported their vehicle had been broken into while parked in lot “C” between 7:55 a.m. and 4:35
r e p o r t p.m. Once inside the vehicle, Campus Safety noted the stereo had been stolen and someone had attempted to start the vehicle in order to steal it. A tow truck was called for the victim and the victim was advised to file an additional report with the Denver Police Department (DPD). On Friday, Nov. 4, at 3:01 p.m., Campus Safety responded to a call from a student in the Driscoll Student Center regarding a stolen cell phone. Upon arrival, officers spoke with the student who said the phone had been turned into the Driscoll Center lost and found on Nov. 3. When the rightful owner of the phone (also a DU student) came to retrieve it from the lost and found on Nov. 4, it was gone.
Lost and Found On Saturday, Nov. 5, at 4:56 p.m., while on routine patrol, a Campus Safety officer was stopped by a community member in Sturm Hall who wished to turn in a wallet that they had found in a hallway on campus. The officer examined the contents of the wallet and determined that it belonged to a student. On Sunday, Nov. 6, at 11:59 p.m., while on routine patrol in the Sturm College of Law, a Campus Safety officer was handed a wallet that had been found in the building. The officer examined the contents of the wallet and determined that it belonged to a student.
Drugs and alcohol On Thursday, Nov. 3, at 3:52 a.m., Campus Safety responded to a call from a staff member who reported that they heard yelling in parking lot 302. Officers responded to the scene and found a student who was yelling, highly intoxicated and lying on the ground. The student was unable to provide identification so officers called for assistance from the DPD. DPD arrived on the scene, assisted with identifying the student and called for paramedics who transported the student to Porter Hospital.
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Tracking software on the fountains indicate how many plastic water bottles are potentially saved by using the bottle filling stations. Sam Kauffman, USG’s chair of the sustainability committee, said he hopes to continue the effort by installing more bottle-filling stations on campus over the course of the 2011-12 academic year.
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Gilbert case leads to questions of free speech Continued from page 1
The Power of Truth and Consequences Christopher Hill, currently the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, has served as the dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies since July 1, 2010. Hill has denied comment on the case to the Clarion on multiple occasions. Yesterday, Hill canceled an afternoon meeting with the Clarion because he had “additional meetings that needed to be scheduled,” according to an email to the Clarion from Rita Rossi, Hill’s executive assistant. In this instance of contacting Hill for comment, and in another instance
last Thursday via email, the Clarion was referred to DU’s University Communications office. On April 22, 2011, after first contacting him, Hill told the Clarion via email it would be inappropriate for him to comment “out of respect for Arthur Gilbert’s privacy.” However, Hill may have violated Gilbert’s privacy on a different occasion, April 29, when Hill met with one of Gilbert’s teaching assistants, Mitch Chrismer, a graduate student at the time, regarding what Chrismer told the Clarion in an interview for the story published on April 26, “Art Gilbert removed from teaching, put on paid leave.”
According to a letter Gilbert wrote the Faculty Review Committee (FRC), which is composed of 12 faculty members from the various schools at DU, dated July 31, 2011, Gilbert admits he spoke to Chrismer after Chrismer’s meeting with Hill: “Mitch mentioned things that I [Arthur Gilbert] had never shared with him before” - including the contents of the two anonymous letters. Gilbert argues that Chrismer would not have known the contents of the letters had Hill not shared them with Chrismer. In a letter written by Hill to Gilbert, dated June 28, Hill explains that he did not give Chrismer any of the anonymous
letters, instead merely “informing him [of] the complaints that he was already aware of because you [Arthur Gilbert] had spoken openly about them to the Drug War class and to him personally.” Although Chrismer was not enrolled in the Drug War class in spring of 2011, he did have an academic relationship with Gilbert: Chrismer served as the assistant director to Gilbert’s now-canceled winter interterm study abroad class in Costa Rica. In the June 28 letter to Gilbert, Hill also claims that Chrismer requested to meet with Hill. However, according to a Facebook message Chrismer sent to the Clarion on April 27, it was Hill who asked for the meeting, not Chrismer. While Hill did not physically produce the letters for Chrismer during the meeting on April 29, the two did talk about them, Chrismer told the Clarion on Sunday. “I know we [Dean Hill and I] discussed the nature of the letters,” said Chrismer, a Korbel M.A. recipient. “From what I recall, Dean Hill read excerpts from the anonymous girls’ letters to me to demonstrate why he took the action he did. I remember him speaking about what [the anonymous letters] said, what was said by the girls and what the accusations were.” However, Gilbert never saw the letters, nor was he able to discuss their contents with Christopher Hill or DU administration, Gilbert said. The professor acknowledged the letters when he addressed his students at one point during the final days of his Drug War class prior to removal, but he never addressed any specific individuals, as he did not know who wrote the letters in the first place, Gilbert said. “I understand that [Arthur Gilbert] was not shown these letters nor given the opportunity to respond to the allegations contained within them before being placed on administrative leave,” said Dean Saitta, professor of Anthropology and president of the DU Chapter of the AAUP, in a letter dated May 5 to Hill; Provost Gregg Kvsitad; and Amy King, the director of Human Resources at DU. Saitta was first made aware of the case through Don McCubrey, president of the DU Faculty Senate. “I further understand that these letters have since been shown to other people expressing an interest in the case,” Saitta said. “None of this is consistent with the treatment we might reasonably expect would be afforded a 50-year veteran of DU teaching who, from time-to-time, has been prominently featured in promotional material trumpeting DU’s extraordinary faculty.” According to Gilbert, the professor never had the opportunity to view the two letters containing the allegations, nor has he seen them now. Throughout appealing his charges of sexual harassment and creating a “sexually harassing hostile environment,” Gilbert was banished from the DU community for 112 days, not 101 days as previously reported in the Clarion - from April 6 to July 27. Because Gilbert’s banishment began in the middle of teaching his Drug War class spring quarter 2011, Hill began teaching the class in Gilbert’s place. However, Hill had to cancel the first class session on April 12, following Gilbert’s
banishment, because Hill was out of town. The 24 graduate students in the class received only a twoline email explaining the circumstances, said Alexis Kopakowski, M.A. recipient at Korbel who was in the class. According to Kopakowski, three different people taught the Drug War class following Gilbert’s removal. They included Hill, Korbel lecturer Lynn Holland and Korbel doctoral candidate Joel Pruce, who is currently teaching as a lecturer in International Human Rights “Each person picked a section and taught how they wanted,” said Kopakowski in a phone interview with the Clarion on Sunday. “They didn’t really stick to Professor Gilbert’s syllabus at all. It wasn’t cohesive. It was a really messy rest of the quarter.” Despite multiple attempts ny Gilbert to receive permission to return to campus, only once did Hill grant Gilbert the right to return to DU - on April 20, for a celebration of Gilbert’s 50th anniversary of teaching at DU, hosted by two student organizations: the Korbellian Resistance, whose purpose is to promote diversity of thought opposing dominant societal politics, and the Queerbell Alliance, an LGBTQ student organization based out of Korbel. At the celebration, which was held in the space of Korbel named for the professor, the Arthur N. Gilbert Cyber Café, Gilbert delivered a speech entitled “19th Century Masculinity.” On Sept. 12, at the beginning of the new academic year, Gilbert returned to the DU community to teach graduate students. However, prior to this case, in early January 2011, Gilbert had been notified by Korbel administrators that he would no longer be teaching undergraduate courses. That his ability to teach undergraduate courses was not reinstated when he returned to DU from his banishment does not regard his sexual harassment case, but instead a move by administrators to have Gilbert focus only on the graduate level, Gilbert said in an interview with the Clarion on Thursday. The class Gilbert has been teaching this quarter is called Human Rights: Genocide. Next quarter Gilbert will teach two graduate-level classes, History, Culture & Conflict and Religion and International Studies: The Apocalyptic Tradition. For spring quarter 2012, Gilbert told the Clarion he anticipates teaching the Drug War class again with the same controversial syllabus as last year. Although he was asked to change the syllabus, especially regarding the unit, “Drugs and Sin in American Life: From masturbation and prostitution to alcohol and drugs,” Gilbert said that to change his syllabus would be admitting he was guilty of creating a “sexually harassing hostile environment.”
What Is Sexual Harassment? Arthur Gilbert’s case hinges on what constitutes sexual harassment and what does not. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
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DU’s Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Policy falls in accordance with Title VII. The DU policy states that “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature will constitute ‘sexual harassment’ when submission to such conduct is either explicitly or implicitly term or condition of an individual’s employment or status in a course, program or university-sponsored activity; or submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment or educational decisions affecting that individual; or such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s academic or work performance, or of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment for working or learning.” Thus, academic freedom does not prevent DU from investigating matters that may or may not violate anti-discrimination laws, according to Kim DeVigil, director of news and public affairs in University Communications. However, did Gilbert violate anti-discrimination laws and DU policy and, in fact, sexually harass these two graduate students? The answer: it depends. In a letter to Gilbert dated June 8, the director of the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO), Susan Lee, said that the ODEO’s investigation of Gilbert’s case found it “more likely than not that, absent an academic justification, [Arthur Gilbert] created a hostile sexual environment in [his] class. Whether this is justified by the academic integrity of your teaching of the subject matter is beyond the scope of this investigation and will be determined by the appropriate academic decision makers.” “To convict me of creating a ‘sexual harassment hostile environment,’ while at the same time admitting they do not understand the academic justification and integrity of my classroom discus-
sions, is patently absurd,” said Gilbert in his Aug. 26 letter to the FRC. The investigation by the ODEO found that there was “insufficient or no evidence” supporting the allegations that Gilbert shared intimate details about his sex life or prostate surgery - which occurred in spring 2011; that Gilbert discussed the relationship of food to addiction and “there was no evidence that his lectures on this topic were highly sexualized”; that Gilbert gave a female freshman student two condoms and “wished her luck on her date with a fellow student in the class”; and that Gilbert inappropriately touched female students. However, the ODEO’s investigation did find that Gilbert often said that masturbation and ejaculation was good for men’s prostate health and that Gilbert “frequently” used the f--- word. Yet other allegations, which contained sufficient confirmatory facts, could not be deemed relevant to the academic content of the Drug War course, ODEO said, because the considerations of the allegations to academic relevancy were “beyond the scope of this investigation.” These final allegations included Gilbert screening films and film clips that are “sexually graphic,” sharing a vibrator in more than one class and that his classes were “highly sexualized.” The academic decisionmakers who would be involved in determining whether these alleged practices were relevant to the academic content of the course were Hill and Provost Kvistad. But therein lies another issue: Hill and Kvistad did not consider the academic justification of Gilbert’s teaching methods, according to records. No administration member, including Kvistad and Hill, asked Gilbert why he brought the vibrator to his Drug War class in the first place, Gilbert told the Clarion last week. After a 9-to-1 vote by the FRC
- two of the 12 members didn’t show up to the meetings nor vote by email, according to Saitta - an Oct. 4 report concluded DU administrators appeared to have violated Gilbert’s academic freedom by passing judgment on his teaching methods without consulting other faculty members or referring to standards of teaching developed outside of DU, according to Peter Schmidt’s story, “Provost Upholds U. of Denver's Handling of Professor Who Discussed Sex in Class,” published on the website for The Chronicle of Higher Education, a source of news, information and jobs for college and university faculty members and administrators, on Oct. 24. “Professor Gilbert has published in his course subject area. The titles of his refereed publications - easily located by just a few minutes of web searching - contain words and phrases like ‘buggery,’ ‘sodomy,’ masturbation,’ ‘insanity,’ ‘sexual deviance’ and ‘sexual repression,’” said Saitta in a letter to Gilbert and Hill regarding Saitta’s supplementary statement for the FRC Report to Gilbert’s complaint, dated Oct. 3. “Thus, Professor Gilbert’s area of scholarly research and academic expertise is demonstrably ‘highly sexualized.’ “The content and tone of the two anonymous letters that triggered Professor Gilbert’s suspension, in my opinion, suggest students who feel shortchanged and disappointed by Professor Gilbert’s classroom presentations, rather than sexually harassed by them.”
The Future of Academic Freedom According to the AAUP’s 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, academic freedom with regard to teaching “is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the teacher in teaching and of the student to freedom in learning.” However, Saitta said he worries
the ruling in Gilbert’s case could send shockwaves throughout the DU community, creating a chilling effect which will prevent professors from teaching controversial subjects. At press time, DU has not yet responded to the letter sent by FIRE last Friday regarding Gilbert’s case. However, Saitta released a reflection on the case on Sunday, entitled “Sex, Pedagogy, and Academic Freedom.” Saitta previewed much of its contents to the Clarion during a conversation on Friday. “Our campus AAUP chapter expressed concern about the due process and academic freedom dimensions of this case when it first broke last spring,” Saitta said. “We worried about the consequences for all DU faculty - especially contingent faculty, given their much greater vulnerability - if Professor Gilbert is wrongly busted for justifiable classroom speech.” At the conclusion of Gilbert’s banishment from campus, on July 27, he met with Hill and Human Resources director Amy King. During this meeting, Gilbert received a letter containing Hill’s chosen punishment: sensitivity training. Although the letter was dated July 14, almost two weeks prior to the meeting itself, Hill was requiring Gilbert meet with Chuck Passaglia, an employment law attorney who started Employment Law Solutions, Inc., which represents both sides of employment disputes, by Aug. 9. Gilbert said he never scheduled to meet with Passaglia for sensitivity training because, in doing so, the act would have been an admission of guilt for making interdisciplinary connections between sex, food, masturbation and prostitution. “Academic quality is teaching, research, service and public outreach that makes ‘beautiful connections’ between the varied phenomena that attract inquiry within the great domains of human knowledge,” said Saitta
in an email to the Clarion. Saitta also asserted in an interview with the Clarion on Friday that these “beautiful connections” are what make interdisciplinary study and conclusions so interesting. However, Saitta, who teaches mostly about evolution within the Anthropology department, fears that Gilbert’s case may have repercussions for him, too. Saitta teaches a class on human evolutionary psychology, called The Culture of Rape. In one section, Saitta said, he plays devil’s advocate and challenges students to think about how rape prevention policy changes if we see rape as not simply about power but also about sex. “I could easily be charged with ‘spreading lies’ about the nature of rape, if not sexual harassment,” said Saitta. “Things gets very dicey in this rape conversation - especially if there are rape hotline counselors in the class - even though the object of the unit is to think a little more broadly and perhaps a little more clearly about how we might eradicate rape as a social problem.” As the president of the AAUP and also one of the 10 faculty members who reviewed Gilbert’s case on the Faculty Review Committee, Saitta has known about the allegations, in one way or another, and their ramifications on academic freedom since the Clarion’s first story on Gilbert on April 26. “If a tenured professor and 50-year veteran of DU teaching can be threatened in this way, then what chance do untenured colleagues, adjuncts and other contingent faculty have if called to account for pushing the envelope in their classrooms?” said Saitta. “The outcome of this case, no matter which way it breaks, could easily determine whether teaching faculty will err on the side of risk-taking and boundarycrossing, or docility and conformity. Opting for the latter would be the death knell for innovative education at DU.”
USG looks to buy new plasma TVs for Sturm USG considers funding updated TVs for Sturm Hall, Driscoll Bridge in effort to stream live info.
by anita balakrishnan Assistant lifestyles editor
Undergraduate Student Government (USG), with the division of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHSS), is currently pursuing funding for four to five new plasma screen television sets for the lobby of Sturm Hall. They are also investigating the possibility of replacing television sets on the Driscoll Bridge. The Sturm Hall project is spearheaded by AHSS student senator Josh Wehe and Social Sciences student senator Rudy Alterio. The Driscoll Bridge project has been proposed by Sam White and off-campus senator Sam Estenson. According to Wehe, a sophomore Philosophy and International Studies major from Alamosa, Colo., USG plans to purchase 45-50 inch flat-screen television sets to be mounted on the paneling in the lobby of Sturm Hall. The TVs will stream information about student organization meetings, faculty lectures,
news, weather and other campus events. The new TVs will be designed after the interface in the Sturm College of Law. Although there are some TVs on campus that serve a similar function now, Wehe claims these will be more modern, visible and placed in strategic locations. Each TV is estimated to cost $4,000 dollars including installation, software and hardware, for a total of about $20,000. Because USG does not have funds to cover the entire amount, Wehe said, negotiations are currently underway with Anne McCall, dean of AHSS, to fund part of the expense. “Being the largest building on campus, Sturm Hall needs to represent DU as a 21st century university,” Wehe said. “That means investing in new technology.” Because DU hosts numerous conferences each year, USG proposes adding the new TV sets will be an impressive addition for off-campus guests. According to Wehe, the main obstacles include a rigid budget from the AHHS department which may not accommodate the new TVs and issues with the ownership of Sturm. Kristin Altman, director of community relations and com-
munication for the AHSS department, confirmed that Wehe approached the office about the possibility of funding and installing the TVs. “We are definitely talking to Josh on the project, but he has taken the lead on figuring things out,” Altman said. “We are still in the developing stages of determining the source of funding.” According to Altman, because Sturm Hall is a general education building, the Dean’s Office must work with the architect’s office to gain approval to for the TVs. While nothing has been finalized, Altman said he hopes the TVs will be placed in the most well-used parts of the building. “The Dean’s Office would like to see promotional information made accessible to students and users of the building,” said Altman. “From a logistical standpoint, the new technology would make it much faster to make changes and add new announcements. It would be a big improvement over posters, which are slow and use limited resources.” “Unlike the Korbel School of International Studies, which is owned and funded through the Josef Korbel School, Sturm Hall is owned and managed by the DU architects’ office, and only occupied by the AHSS department,”
said Wehe. “So, there needs to be approval from many different levels of bureacracy,” Other options for the upgrade include the less ideal smartboards, which need to be upgraded more often and are not as efficient for USG’s purposes. While Wehe said they will continue to work on the TV project, he emphasized that school spirit is USG’s top priority this year. “While funding the TVs is important, USG primarily wants to allocate more funds to student organizations,” said Wehe. “We have really amped up school spirit this year. The Pioneer Pregames before every hockey game are on USG’s dime, and we have increased funding for DU swag by 25-30 percent this year.” The replacement of televisions in Driscoll Bridge has only been a topic of discussion for about two weeks in USG, according to off-campus senator Sam Estenson. USG has only just started contacting facilities, discussing potential locations or pursuing funding for the projects. According to Estenson, the main need he sees for new televisions in Driscoll is to remedy a need for information he and other off-campus students experience. “As our student center, [Driscoll] ought to be the loca-
tion for event advertising and support,” said Estenson. “Especially for those students who live off campus and don't see regular posts around the school, a system like this that is put into place would be able to accomplish this and much more.” The main advantage of the new TVs would be having several screens right next to each other, one of which would show a timetable of daily events and others depicting fun messages from USG, DUPB, the Lamont School of Music, Athletics, Greek Life and other student organizations. There is a possibility that this complex would be located in Driscoll North. So far, USG has met with technical support staff to learn how to better utilize the TVs that would be placed both in Sturm and in Driscoll. They also want to know how to take advantage of the work that has already been done to run the existing screens in Driscoll. The cost of the project has not been finalized yet. USG plans to review a bill which would include a cost as well as draft a cost proposal for the division of Student Life in the near future. USG is hoping to be prepared to install the new screens early in winter quarter.
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Nov. 8, 2011
www.duclarion.com
Campus Safety heightens patrols after third student attacked by caitlin hendee
professor in DU’s Professional Graduate School of Psychology, teaches in the school’s Forensic The Department of Campus Psychology Program, which Safety (DCS) is increasing patrols places an emphasis on recogniznear the intersection of South ing, understanding, preventing High Street and East Wesley and treating violence and trauma. Avenue as a result of the most She said people who engage in recent in a string of attacks against certain types of violence and female students that occurred aggression generally increase Thursday, Oct. 27. their aggression over time. “In light of the incidents that There is “a process of have happened, there is a high- desensitization and dehualertness among our patrols,” said manization in which someone Tyrone Mills, associate director contemplating hurting another of DCS. “We keep an eye out and human being increases his or watch for anything suspicious.” her comfort level with the act The increased patrols come by mental and physical ‘practice after the third incident of sexual runs,’” she said. “The motivating assault near the DU campus. The factors and specifics can vary first attack occurred Aug. 27 and widely based on the category of another attack occurred Sept. violence at issue, but we would 26. In all three incidents, female be wise to always exercise caustudents were walking on or near tion and remain vigilant.” South High Street and University Mills said DCS’s biggest conBoulevard when an unknown cern is that students continue to man allegedly came walk by themselves, up behind them putting them at risk. and groped, or “We really “Situations like attempted to grope, need for this where it’s been their buttocks. actually talked In the most students to about on the news recent incident, we still have not only walk but DCS sent out a people doing the crime alert on together, but same thing,” he said. Friday, Oct. 28, to “We really need for the campus that said to be more students - especially the suspect grabbed aware.” female students the female around to not only walk the waist area and together, but to be attempted to reach Tyrone Mills, more aware.” up her skirt. The Associate Director Mills said the victim freed herself more students are and the man ran of DCS aware, the more off. The suspect is they know about described as a white or Hispanic what is going on around them, male with a thin-to-medium the better they will be able to prebuild, 5-foot-7-9 inches tall with pare themselves. short, possibly curly hair. “When you’re aware, you’re In prior incidents, the sus- going to be able to hear things pect was described similarly, or see things you might not have between the ages of 25 and 29, noticed before,” he said. weighing about 160 pounds with Metzger also said it’s impora buzz-cut hairstyle and glasses. tant for students to be alert. Despite the differences in “Use your eyes and ears, hair, Mills said DCS suspects which includes avoiding distracit is the same man because the tions such as texting while walkdescriptions are so similar and ing or using headphones that the man’s M.O. is the same. do not allow you to hear what is “He has done basically the going on in your surroundings,” same thing,” said Mills. “He she said. sneaks up behind someone as If a student finds herself they’re walking and grabs them.” in a situation where she’s being The Denver Police Depart- attacked, Mills said the important ment (DPD) is pursuing the case thing is to get away to a safe area. as an active, ongoing investiga“Always have some ‘what-ifs’ tion. in the back of your mind,” said Patrols are done by motor Mills. “Those ‘what-ifs’ can help vehicle, bike or by foot. On aver- protect you and help you be preage, three DCS officers work the pared if you’ve already thought night shift on campus. The offi- out what you’re going to do in a cers on patrol typically check that given situation.” buildings are secure, especially If attacked, Metzger said she from 4:30-11 p.m., drive through encourages students to contact parking lots and drive down the the Rape Assistance and Awarecity streets surrounding campus. ness Program (RAAP) at 303DCS does not have jurisdiction 322-7273 for counseling. over the city streets, but, accordDCS also offers Rape Aggresing to Mills, DCS officers report sion Defense (R.A.D.) classes anything suspicious to the DPD. two times per quarter. Mills said “We’re working very closely he expected that, in light of the with [DPD],” said Mills. “They publicity the attacks had received, of course will have the total there would be more inquiries responsibility for the investiga- about the classes. However, so far tion because every incident has only one person has called. happened near the campus but “We don’t want to see these not on the campus.” things happen,” said Mills. “At the Mills also said the suspect same time we have people trained appears to be escalating in terms as instructors to help especially of his aggression toward the our female students to protect female victims. themselves in case they get into a “He did actually grab this situation.” person around the waste, which is R.A.D. classes require 12 different then what he’d done with hours of commitment. Nationally the other two,” he said. certified instructors teach stuLynett Henderson Metzger, a dents how to handle themselves psychologist and clinical assistant if they are attacked for a $25 fee. News editor
ryan lumpkin
President Barack Obama waves to the crowd after his speech at the Auraria Campus in Denver two weeks ago. Obama, as the presumed Democratic Party candidate, will be at DU in October 2012 for a debate with the Republican nominee.
| clarion
Chancellor calls for DU students to have ticket precedence DU not in charge of tickets to presidential debate, handled by external group by alex johnson Staff writer
DU’s chancellor said he wants students to have ticketing priority when the university holds the first of three presidential debates between President Barack Obama and the eventual Republican presidential nominee at Magness Arena on Oct. 3, 2012. Tickets for the debate are not handled by the university or the venue hosting the candidates, but rather handled through the Commission on Presidential Debates. The Commission normally reserves tickets to the campaigns, the press and some members of the community. DU is the first school in Colorado to hold a presidential debate. The total cost of holding the debate comes in around $1.65 million. This figure would not be covered solely by DU, but rather, “fundraising [will occur] from a lot of parts of the city,” as Chancellor Robert Coombe said
in a press conference on Monday, Oct. 31. “[It was] certainly a lot of money,” said Provost Gregg Kvistad, who also attended the press conference. “It will be money well spent.” He emphasized the important nature of the debate in the grand election framework and the spotlight that will be on DU. “It also doesn’t hurt our marketing efforts,” Kvistad said. Next year’s debate, the first of four for the 2012 election cycle, will be the only such event held west of the Mississippi River. It will also be the first presidential debate in the history of the Colorado. Magness Arena, which can hold up to 8,000 spectators, will be converted to fit the format of the debate. The nomination of DU to host the debate establishes the city of Denver again as an important area in the election process for both Democratic and Republican candidates, highlighting the fundamental importance of our state’s nine electoral votes, according to Coombe. “We will, again, become the focal point of the great American electoral process,” Coombe said.
“This is a tremendous moment for the university, city and state of Colorado.” Coombe addressed how DU will work with the city, state and the presidential campaigns and work on civic engagement at all levels, with more than 3,000 reporters from around the world descending onto campus, he said. Michael Hancock, mayor of Denver, expressed the importance of the debate coming to Denver, and added that the city was more than prepared for the immense challenges, in both logistical and monetary aspects. “I think this is something very monumental,” said Hancock. “We proved to the world that Denver is a world-class city. We’ve [hosted] the Pope and the World Youth Day.” Denver hosted Obama and nearly 50,000 people in August 2008 for the Democratic National Convention. In addition, DU has hosted the Dalai Lama, the UN Secretary General, former President Bill Clinton, numerous diplomats and important global leaders in recent years. Hancock also lent his hand in assisting DU with the event. “You have a partner in the city of Denver,” he said.
Council strives to create community in AHSS by alex johnson Staff writer
Two Undergraduate Student Government (USG) senators have been allotted $5,000 for activities relating to the newly-formed Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Student Advisory Council. Josh Wehe, a philosophy major, and Rudy Alterio, a political science major, founded the council a few weeks ago. Wehe said the council was established to create a sense of community in the Division of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS), which represents 15 academic departments on campus and the Lamont School of Music. He said the club will use the funding to co-sponsor events and raise awareness around
campus, bring speakers and to host events at DU. “There is a lack of community in the AHSS departments,” Wehe said. “For example, if you're a psychology major, you're a psychology major at the University of Denver. [But] if you're an International Business student, you're a student in the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver.” Their first major event will be held in early-January. It will be a launch party to kick off the club, generate interest and recruit new members. Another event, scheduled for April 17, 2012, will feature Latin American author Julia Alvarez. “We're honored to have her,” said Wehe. Another goal of the club is to reach out to DU alumni who
have reached prestige or found success in their fields after graduating from DU’s AHSS. Wehe explained that as a philosophy major, this has affected him personally, as he's had to cope with the stigma of having a degree that some consider impractical. “This organization will also feature a really cool alumni-student relationship,” he said. “We’re looking to establish a mentoring program between the two. We’re a multi-faceted student organization. We’re also looking to do an alumni mixer.” The USG Senate passed the measure in an unanimous vote, thus allotting the new council direct funding of $2,500. Anne McCall, the Dean of AHSS, who's also the club’s sponsor, also matched this funding, bringing the new club’s funds to $5,000.
Nov. 8, 2011
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Event encourages diversity in selecting education careers by emma mckay Staff writer
The Morgridge College of Education held an informational reception last Friday to encourage students of color to apply to the school and consider a career in teaching. The college, which has approximately 850 students and six major graduate programs, emphasizes diversity of the student body as one of the things that makes it unique. Friday’s reception was also hosted by the Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA). The BGSA is a campus-wide graduate organization made up of students of color. In addition to giving prospective students information about the different graduate programs, the event also allowed guests to hear first-hand from current students how the college’s commitment to diversity has benefited their education. The official program began with words of welcome by Gregory Anderson, the dean of the school. This was followed by a panel of students who narrated their personal stories with the school, mediated by Maria Salazar, an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction at Morgridge. After the program was over, perspective students could get more program-specific information at different designated tables. Although the event was called “The Students of Color Reception,” it was open to any DU student, staff member, alumnus or prospective student. “The most particular area of interest for this event is that you would want to pursue an
advanced degree in education, but there is an intent commitment to increase our enrollment numbers as it reflects students of color,” said Chayla Haynes, a second year PhD student at Morgridge who also works in the office of admission. Each year the college tries to obtain students from a variety of different backgrounds to simulate a “real world” experience in the classroom. “The world we live in is not homogenous,” said Haynes. “I am being prepared to address, report and respond to educational issues within a diverse global landscape.” The college’s goal for diversity comes straight from it’s aims to “prepare highly competent, socially responsible, ethical and caring professionals to promote learning in diverse settings,” according to its mission statement. “One of the goals in educating librarians is to understand that people from different backgrounds have different information to share,” said Krystyna Matusiak, a professor in the library science department, located in Morgridge. The college also looks at different forms of diversity when choosing its students. “Inclusive excellence is not limited to compositional diversity,” said Haynes. “It is also inclusive of nationality, gender and sexual orientation. I think that’s what makes DU unique. Inclusive excellence is not just part of the recruitment plan, but it is also part of the academic landscape, conversations on campus and DU’s business practices.” When admitting students to
DCB to offer masters in entrepreneurship by manthan bhatt Staff writer
The Daniels College of Business (DCB) is considering a master’s degree in entrepreneurship by the fall of 2013. DCB’s Department of Management is currently gauging the interest level of students, faculty and the general public about the possibility of starting the program. At the current point of development, Dennis Wittmer and Bob McGowan, the professors spearheading the program’s development, said the degree will consist of courses and other experiences designed to prepare students to become entrepreneurs. In particular, the students will be set to start their own business or work within specific corporate structures in product development and services. “Daniels has a long history in terms of providing individual courses for entrepreneurs, and a number of faculty have championed entrepreneurship as an important aspect of business education,” said Professor Wittmer, chair of the Department of Management. “While there is currently a concentration in the MBA program [Innovation and Entrepreneurship], there is no graduate degree program specifically designed to give students the
skills, knowledge and experience to be entrepreneurs as such.” The new set of curriculum will consist of a college-wide, multi-disciplinary set of courses. Though the Department of Management will be home for the students enrolling in this degree, Wittmer said it is expected that future scholars will work with many other departments like finance, accounting, marketing and ethics to gain a foundation for their pursuit of entrepreneurship. According to Wittmer, students consistently demonstrate a high level of interest in becoming entrepreneurs. DCB also plans to explore a possible undergraduate degree or concentration in entrepreneurship that will build the foundational knowledge of creating a new business. “We believe a resurgent economy will, at least in part, be driven by a wave of individuals who have new ideas and are willing to take risks in start-up enterprises,” said Wittmer. The final decision on the degree, after going through a survey process that will engage mainly students, depends on the DCB faculty, the administration and the board of trustees. Wittmer said the professors plan on marketing the degree to prospective students in fall 2012.
the college, admissions officers do take into account a student’s race and background because it helps create a more diverse environment. However, it is not the single most important aspect of admissions. “We handle admissions holistically,” said Jodi Dye, admissions counselor and interim director for Morgridge. “We take into account the entire student regardless of race, ethnicity, gender and social rank.” Students of the Morgridge school said they really appreciate the diverse environment the school offers. “The diversity was what drew me to DU in the first place,” said Floyd Cobb, a PhD student in curriculum and instruction who was a member of the panel. “I have never felt like a minority, and I have realized that this is a place where my voice will always be heard.” In addition to having a diverse community, students also learn how to maintain diversity in other places. “One of the things I was really attracted to was the opportunity to be a part of inclusive excellence initiatives across the campus,” said Star Luceno, another panel member and a Masters student in higher education. This was the second year Morgridge held the Students of Color Reception, and they plan to continue it next year. “This reception is more than just an information session,” said Haynes. “It is definitely something that binds the community together, because everyone cares so much about diversity.
www.duclarion.com
jill hamilton
| clarion
Chayla Haynes, the president of the College of Education Student Association, discussed some of the ideas behind their belief in diversity in educational careers.
Prop 103, Initiative 300 fail November voting Colo. voters deny initiatives that would increase taxes across state, fund education by manthan bhatt Staff writer
Two ballot measures: Initiative 300 - a bill to mandate sick days to all Denver based employees - and Proposition 103 - a tax increase slated to support secondary and primary education in Colorado - failed last Tuesday at the ballot box. The Colorado Constitution prohibits lawmakers from increasing taxes without voter consent. Proposition 103 asked voters to raise the corporate tax rate from 4.63 percent to 5 percent and change the sales tax from 2.9 percent to 3 percent for fiscal years 2012 through 2016 to make up for the budget cuts to public schools. Proposition 103 failed by a margin of nearly 2:1, with 622,000 people voting against the tax rate change, while 356,000 voted in favor of the measure. With an increase of 7 percent in enrollment of primary and secondary education, coupled with a 20 percent surge in enrollment to public higher education institutions, the state will be cutting money from an already marginalized system. The budget for
schools will be cut by $97 million the measure, while over $400,000 and funding to public universities from unions and women’s organiand colleges will be cut by $76 zation was donated to support the million under Governor Hicken- measure. Denver voters rejected looper’s advice. the measure with a margin of “There's going to be serious nearly 2:1, with 66,000 voting resistance to almost all the cuts,” against the measure and 37,000 Hickenlooper said in a press voting for it. briefing last “Initiative Tuesday. He did 300 would have not comment on “Initiative 300 provided a critical his position for public health safeProposition 103. would have guard for Denver, This will be provided a which is why the the third year in Colorado Public a row that public critical public Health Assoschools will see health safeguard, ciation supported heavy cuts. this initiative,” Initiative 300 which is why the said Kyle Legleiter, was supported by president of the a diverse group Colorado Public Colorado Public of DU professors Health Health Associaranging from the tion. “When workchair of econom- Association ers don't have ics department, supported this paid sick days, it Tract Mott, to affects all of us. the chair of the initiative.” That's because Management workers without program at the paid sick days Daniels School Kyle Legleiter, face an impossible of Business, president of Colorado choice when illDennis Wittmer. Public Health ness strikes: risk Overall, 10 DU their economic professors signed Association security by staying an open letter home or risk their to the local Chamber of Com- health and the public's health by merce supporting the economic, going to work." business and personal benefits of Cities such as San Francisco, mandatory sick days. Philadelphia, Seattle, Milwaukee Initiative 300 gained national and Washington D.C. already attention with over $800,000 fun- mandate sick days for employees. neled in from conservative, pro- Colorado, however, has voted business organizations against down the similar initiatives.
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Nov. 8, 2011
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College political groups clash in first of school year’s debates argument from each side. The debate became heated when Prince posed the question: “What is the proper relationship between federal and state governments?” Democrats and Republicans were completely split on this issue. Warren presented the Democrats’ opening arguments. She said while federalism is necessary for the system to work, the federal government should have the greater power. She argued that more federal power is needed to create “equal opportunity on a national scale,” and cited multiple examples of when the federal government has intervened with positive results. Republicans disagreed. “The federal government today is nothing like the founders intended,” argued Johnson. Republicans cited the Constitution’s 10th amendment, which states powers not specifically designated to the federal government nor prohibited to the states are by default given to the states. They said states should be free to operate without mandates from the federal government. In closing, Republicans argued that members of a state know what is best for them because they are local residents. The debate continued with the question: “To what extent should the government operate as
by emma mckay Staff writer
Last Wednesday, in the Davis Auditorium, The College Republicans and the DU Democrats held their first formal debate since 2011’s winter quarter. In what the clubs called “the faceoff of a lifetime,” three representatives from each side proceeded to argue over three of today’s most controversial topics. Jacob Gunter, Alex Johnson and Andrew Struttmann argued for the Republican side, while Gabe Rusk, Chelsea Warren and Michael Neil represented the Democrats. “The most important thing that both our groups hope to see from this event is a genuine desire from DU students to be more involved politically,” said Struttmann. “We hoped that this debate would make this issue real to less-involved students, and that it would spark their interest in the country they live in and the world around them, regardless of their ideology.” Professor Prince, who claimed to be neither Democrat nor Republican, mediated the event, posing questions to the groups. Each group was given the opportunity to present an opening argument for three minutes followed by 10 minutes of rebuttal and a two-minute closing
a social safety net?” The groups focused on welfare reform. The Republicans’ main argument, presented by Gunter, contended that too much money goes toward welfare programs. They argued that money for welfare should be given to states in categorical, rather than block, grants, meaning the money must be allocated for more specific purposes. Gabe Rusk, in turn, argued for the Democrats that there should be “direct beneficiary support through welfare.” The Democrats said our society is built on entitlement, so when individuals’ needs are not being met, they have a right to direct support from the government. The debate ended with an analogy from the Democrats. “If the goal is to reach the top of Mt. Everest, then so many people are born on the bottom without the ropes to pull themselves up,” Rusk said. The democrats believe it is the government’s role to help these people. “Of course if anyone could choose, they would choose to be born on top of the mountain, but why should we pull other people down in order to get them there?” said Gunter in a response. The College Republicans and DU Democrats hope to continue having debates on a quarterly basis.
DCB Executive MBA program earns top 100 rank MBA program ranked as one of the best EMBA schools in the world, according to newspaper by makayla cisneros Staff writer
The Daniels College of Business (DCB) was recently ranked among the top 100 Executive MBA (EMBA) schools in the world in The Financial Times newspaper, a newspaper based out of London. The University of Denver is the only Colorado school that has achieved this status. DCB’s Executive MBA Program has also been ranked in the top 40 business schools in the United States for the past four years, placing in the top fifth out of more that 200 EMBA programs nationwide. “We’ve had many people whom have been medical doctors, financial analysts, IT professionals, entrepreneurs and business leaders participate in this program,” said Barbara Kreisman, assistant dean of DCB. The Financial Times ranks all the EMBA programs in the world. In order to create the rankings, The Financial Times surveys individuals who completed their Executive MBAs five years prior in order to judge the value their degree has played in the success of their career. Other criteria of the ranking
process also includes the students’ evaluation of the quality of their academic program, research by faculty members, diversity of the student population and international focus of the program. “It is an extreme honor to be ranked among the top 100,” said Kreisman. The EMBA program and Daniels require 10 or more years of professional work experience in order to be admitted into an 18-month program to get an advanced business degree. The Daniels EMBA was one of the first EMBA programs launched in the United States, initiated in the mid-1970s. The program centers around three core ideas, including business technical skill development, leadership intelligence and execution competence or being able to complete tasks on time and within a budget. The EMBA program usually includes individuals with various professional backgrounds and experience. According to Kreisman, DCB has done many things in order to improve the quality of its program. “Focusing our education on critical areas [is] necessary for business leaders today,” said Kreisman. “Key to The Financial Times ranking is an emphasis on global education and the development of global leaders.”
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‘Some Girl(s)’ portrays female power, disillusion Comedic, dramatic casts act in romantic play about a young man and his four former girlfriends by katy owens Contributing writer
The Department of Theatre’s production of “Some Girl(s)” on Saturday was well-received, drawing 30 to 40 people to the Byron Theater in the Newman Center for Performing Arts. The actors and actresses were split into two casts working alternate shows, each a different spin on the tribulations of a heartbreaking misogynist’s journey through his past relationships. The 90-minute play revolves around a male named Guy and four girls, all of whom are his exgirlfriends. With his own wedding a mere few weeks away, Guy decides to embark on a journey to retrace his most hurtful breakups and “right some wrongs.” “Some Girl(s)” is a story of past relationships and the trail of broken hearts one rather selfcentered Guy can leave. According to Lindsey Wagner, the house manager for the production, each cast approached the play from different angles. The blue cast portrayed
“Some Girl(s)” as a humorous production, while the red cast made it more dramatic. “They’re two different shows,” said Kaitlin Clark, a junior playing the part of Sam for the red cast. The blue cast featured Tony Ryan, Jessica Dorcey, Maddie Spilman, Jerica Khosla and Libby Cobb. The actors for the red cast included, Cody Schuyler, Kaitlin Clark, Jasmine Szympruch, Cheyenne Michaels and Cicely Galm. “Some Girl(s)” is a play written by Neil LaBute. Following in typical LaBute style, it is dramatic, to-the-point and features a misogynist as the male lead. While misogynistic, the play also has aspects of female empowerment that the female cast members feel mixed towards. “I think everyone has a woman-empowering moment, but overall, [the play] makes it seem like Guy still got away with doing all this crap to the women,” said Jasmine Szympruch, a freshman actress playing one of the former girlfriends, Tyler, in the Red Cast. Audience and cast alike found themselves able to relate to the play. The analysis of past relationships and breakups in the characters gave way for per-
How to de-stress with finals riding on your back by caroline escobar & leah scott Clarion staff
With only two weeks of classes remaining this quarter, many of us are beginning to enter panic mode. With the pressure to ensure your grades, it may seem like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, but never fear. Below are quick, simple and creative ways to de-stress during the most stressful time of the quarter. Meditate Take as much time as you’d like to sit and focus on your breathing. Focus your thoughts on things that you’re grateful for or things that make you happy. Take your mind off of the things you need to get done and anything else stressing you out in order to have a moment of peace. If you need to get out of your room and into a space where meditation is customary, the Coors Fitness center offers yoga classes. Try dedicating the 15 minutes following the yoga class to meditation. For a list of classes offered in the Coors Fitness Center, visit recreation.du.edu. Get your blood pumping Sometimes the best way to escape the stress of school is to walk away from it completely - well, at least for ten minutes. Exercise is a great way to re-energize, and crisp, fresh air will reawaken your brain in no time. The Coors Fitness Center offers a simple answer to this problem, bringing all your fitness needs indoors. Any type of exercise that you feel comfortable with will be beneficial for you. Although it may feel arduous and
painful for a while, your body will be relaxed following your workout. Take a hot shower/bath For extra relation following your workout, take a hot shower or bath. Even if you’re unable to exercise, taking a hot shower or bath when you feel stressed or at the end of the day will increase blood flow throughout your body, warm up your muscles and ultimately relax your body so that you can get a full night’s sleep or be ready to conquer the remainder of your homework.
Do nothing Sometimes doing nothing for brief periods of time is the best way to realign and carry on with your day. Check out www.donothingfor2minutes.com. This website challenges you to do nothing for two minutes, using soothing ocean sounds to relax you. Journal Although you might be sick of writing, keeping a journal can be really therapeutic. Write down everything stressing you out, what’s on your mind, your worries and concerns, as well as what you’re proud of yourself for accomplishing and your strengths. You can also do this on your computer if you’re unable to find a clean notebook to devote to journaling. If you can find a way to combine some (or all) of these things into an afternoon or evening, you’ll be able to de-stress at least enough to avoid pulling your hair out. While final exams and essays are sure to stress you out, by utilizing these suggestions in your daily routines, you’ll be able to breathe and make it to the last day of finals.
katy owens
| clarion
Some Girl(s) opened last Thursday and portrayed both female empowerment and disillusion, resulting in mixed feelings and selfanalyzing from students involved in the production.
sonal reflection of the past and what went wrong in relationships. “Playing [the character] Lindsay has actually turned out to be a very therapeutic experi-
ence because it has forced me to analyze what went wrong in my own break up and say aloud the things I wish I could say to the guy,” said sophomore Cheyenne Michaels.
Some Girl(s) opened last Thursday and will continue this weekend, running through Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the Newman Center.
HEALTHY BODY FOR EVERY BODY
Truth about health myths, beliefs surrounding winter by nick pisciotta
You lose most of your body heat through your head
False notions about health and nutrition cause many to aviod innocuous food and behaviors to prevent an illness, and to believe that certain concocted remedies can cure their ailments. There are widespread misconceptions about health, but you don’t have to fall victim to them. Here’s a guide to some common myths debunked.
Also appropriate for the winter months, there is nothing special about the head and heat loss. You can lose heat through any exposed body part, so be sure to bundle up all parts of your body to stay warm.
Copy chief
Hangovers can be cured As much as we all want there to be a sure-all-end-all cure to alleviate the pains resulting from a night out, and as much as many of us will attest that we have found our own cures, research shows no scientific evidence to support any type of cure for alcohol hangovers. Only time and rehydration can help you feel better. Cold weather makes you sick Despite the approaching cold weather and spreading sneezes, this myth does not hold much truth. In studies of cold transmission, it did not seem that people who are chilled are more likely to get sick. It may just be that people spend more time indoors in closer contact with others, where germs can pose a bigger threat.
Cracking you knuckles causes arthritis Aside from the annoying sounds cracking knuckles produce, it is a habit that is more of a nuisance to others than a threat to your health. It doesn’t actually cause any damage to the cartilage inbetween bones. So keep cracking away, so long as no one is around. You should drink 8 glasses of water each day Existing studies suggest that adequate fluid intake can come from daily consumption of juice, tea, milk and even some caffeinated beverages. However, there are still many health benefits to drinking untainted H2O - just don’t feel obligated to drink a full glass every two hours. Your bladder will thank you. Vitamin C prevents colds Many of us have been led to believe that a glass of orange juice is one of the best preventative measures to ward off colds.
Unfortunately, some studies show that individuals takindaily vitamin C supplements were just as likely to develop colds. Plus, orange juice contains a lot of sugar, which weakens the immune system. So, if you’re looking for vitamin C, taking supplements is a better option. However, washing your hands often and getting enough sleep are much better at keeping you cold-free. Bacteria typically survives on objects such as books for 6-8 hours. By washing your hands often you will remove this bacteria from your hands. 5-Second rule Regrettably, the belief that no bacteria will latch on to a piece of food that has been dropped on the ground just isn’t realistic. Suggestion: if a parcel of food has hit a relatively clean floor, just eat it. Bacteria exposure can actually be beneficial, allowing your immune system to bolster up its defense against a new pathogen. One caveat however: if that floor happens to be the one at the Border, just count your losses and let it go. Although you have followed these health myths all of your life, don’t fear. You now have the real tools to stay healthy this winter. Nick Pisciotta is a molecular biology major who is passionate aboont diet and excercise programs to better his health.
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Anthropology Museum teams with fraternity to honor Day of Dead by jacob bockhorst Web editor
The DU Anthropology Museum and the Sigma Lambda Beta fraternity are showcasing “ofrendas,” or altars, in celebration of Día de los Muertos in Room 102 of Sturm Hall. Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a traditionally Mexican holiday celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2 that honors the dead through celebration, remembrance and prayer. Day of the Dead, a holiday with Aztec and Catholic ideals, revolves around receiving the dead at home through altars that feature a variety of objects aimed at acknowledging and pleasing them. Traditional altars feature photographs of loved ones, food, sugar skulls, marigolds, candles, religious objects, toys and paper cutouts. In addition, altars contain items representing the four main elements of nature: earth, wind, water and fire. Brooke Rohde, curator of collections for the Anthropology Museum, Sigma Lambda Beta and others have constructed and decorated two altars in the gallery. The gallery also has a table with paper and supplies that can be used by the DU community to create a message to a dead loved one that can be left on the altar. “We want people to gain a little more knowledge about Day of the Dead and hopefully feel compelled to leave something to honor someone who has passed on,” said Rohde.
ryan lumpkin | clarion Decorations constructed into altars are used to welcome the dead into homes, and often include photographs of loved ones who have passed.
ryan lumpkin | clarion The Anthropology museum honoring the Day of the Dead opened on Nov. 1 and contains many artifacts relevant to the Aztec and Catholic celebration.
“Hopefully, the gallery will have extended hours so students with night classes and other people can come to pay their respects to the dead as well,” added Rohde.
“We’re inviting the DU community to join in on a mostly Mexican tradition and leave something to remember a loved one.” The gallery will close Nov. 18.
Alum creates medical app From experience in emergency care, DU alum creates free health app by leah scott Staff writer
All people are susceptible to physical injury, yet not everybody possesses the medical knowledge needed to identify and adequately respond to health-related issues. The immense and rising popularity of smart phones, however, has allowed many users to access an extensive medical database at any moment; the free app iTriage, co-developed by DU alum Wayne Guerra, educates consumers about potential conditions and what steps should be taken to counteract them. “The idea came from practice as an emergency physician,” said Guerra. “Taking care of over 50,000 patients over 20 years of practice, I really watched them struggle with how to handle acute care, not having the tools or information needed to make good decisions.” Guerra was working for a physician management service company when he decided to return to school, enrolling at DU with the goal of earning his MBA in 2007. “I wanted to learn some tools around making quantitative decisions rather than intuitive decisions in business,” said Guerra. “I learned a great deal about growing and managing companies, how to take an idea from the back of a napkin and launch and develop it as a product.”
When Dr. Peter Hudson approached Guerra with the idea to make necessary medical information more readily available to the public, Guerra was able to apply the knowledge gained during his time at Daniel’s College of Business to the marketing of iTriage. “The idea of giving patients the information around symptoms, diseases and the best place to go was originally Dr. Peter Hudson’s. When we got together to collaborate about spreading iTriage, I was able to apply many of those tools I learned at DU, and we’ve been able to expand to both a mobile app and a website,” said Guerra. The capabilities of iTriage are numerous and continually expanding. The app connects the user with providers who can help educate the user on what is wrong and what can be done in cases of acute, or short-term, harm. In the past year and a half, Guerra has been focused on further developing the platform to encompass instances of more chronic care, recently including a list of mental health clinics across the country. Amidst the volatility of current healthcare reform, iTriage has also been modified to accommodate people with limited resources. “Eighteen months ago we were asked by the Federal Government’s Health and Human Services to help patients who are under- or uninsured find health care,
locating clinics in Denver that treat people with these types of insurance,” said Guerra. ITriage seems especially useful in the college community, as many students abandon the convenience of visiting their own doctor when attending schools away from home. The app gives students a resource to diagnose acute health care concerns without attempting to locate a new physician. “Families will use the app to help their students figure out what to do,” said Guerra, “and students are using it all across the country.” The addition of international databases now allows access to iTriage in the instance of sustaining an injury while traveling. All hospitals in Mexico and the United Kingdom were added the week of Oct. 17, and institutions in South Africa, Canada and the top 20 mostvisited countries are said to be included in the next six months. Patients can even make appointments with doctors by means of the app and the website, www.itriagehealth. com. Guerra’s intentions for the future include the creation of a Spanish version of iTriage with the aim of reaching an even wider audience. “We are constantly trying to expand and improve our app,” said Guerra. “It is really important to see what users are asking for and to build more tools and assets to make iTriage even better.” For more information visit www.itriagehealth.com.
ryan lumpkin | clarion Decorated skeleton heads are just one of the decorations, which often include the four elements: earth, wind, water and fire.
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Contact anita.balakrishnan@du.edu
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YOU HAVE OPTIONS: MA – Forensic Psychology MA – International Disaster Psychology MA – Sport and Performance Psychology Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) – apply with a BA degree
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ROTC goes extra mile to build program, LLC professor, students take support troops with Veterans Day race trip, keep creativity afloat ROTC hopes to reach out to community and create a postive image for veterans and soldiers by skye savage Contributing Writer
Most people wouldn’t consider 8 a.m. on a frigid, windy, weekend morning an ideal time to go for a jog. But last Saturday, over 250 people got up early and did just that in order to support the U.S. Armed Forces. The Veterans Day 5k race was held at the University of Colorado-Denver Auraria campus. The event is held every year by Charlie Company, an Army ROTC Company comprised of students from DU, CUDenver and Metro State College of Denver. Participants had to arrive early to register at 6:30 a.m. and prepare for the 8 a.m. start time. People of all ages and from a variety of backgrounds signed up to complete the two lap course around the Auraria campus. An army platoon ran the entire race in formation while singing cadences, and a few individuals ran the race carrying extremely heavy rucksacks. A few veterans ran the race with prosthetic limbs, largely keeping pace with the others.
Not every participant was a die-hard runner. Some participants pushed strollers, others led dogs. There were many joggers and walkers, concerned not with having the fastest time but with supporting veterans. The Veterans Day 5k is part of the ROTC’s efforts to branch out into the greater community. Ellie Loran, a sophomore at DU majoring in finance, is one of only 12 ROTC cadets at DU that ran in the race. “These are really exciting times for [the ROTC program],” Loran said. “We are really seeking to create a positive community image. With the wars winding down, we want to forge a leaner but stronger program.” The race was first held in 2009 in order to honor Charlie Company graduate Capt. Russel B. Riptoe, who died in 2003 while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Proceeds from the race go to the Russel B. Riptoe foundation, the Metro State Army ROTC Running Club and the Auraria Future Leaders Association, which provides funding for leadership development activities for ROTC cadets. Various foundations and businesses also had a presence at the race, where they marketed services for veterans as well as runners.
This year marked the second year of participation for 36-year-old Trisch O’Conner from Thornton, Colo. O’Conner first discovered the Veterans Day 5k while searching the Internet for races around Colorado. “My father is a retired Navy veteran. I run to support the military and veterans,” O’Conner said. “I like the environment of supportive solidarity that this race creates,” she said. At last year’s race, O’Conner’s father was able to join her, though this year he was unable to make it. The American Veterans’ Traveling Tribute was also present on the Auraria campus during the race. The tribute included a portable replica of the Vietnam War Memorial and multiple displays detailing every armed conflict in which the U.S. has been involved since the country was founded. In a section labeled “The Global War on Terrorism,” the names of soldiers killed in the conflict since 2001 were added individually, with additions as recent at September 2011. This year’s race was run by Cadet Rob Bingham, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a second year Cadet in the Army ROTC program at Metro State College of Denver.
by olivia lubeck Staff writer
Paul Laesecke believes in learning outside the classroom. This year the Hospitality Management professor and LLC director took his Creativity and Entrepreneurship living and learning community (LLC) students to the Cherry Creek Reservoir for an afternoon sail. Laesecke has been sailing since he was a naval officer and decided six years ago that some lessons could be more effectively taught through exposing his students to something he loves. “I thought about what else we could do besides entrepreneurship, and I said team building,” said Laesecke. “Having things where students are learning lessons over and above what they would in the classroom makes it an awarding experience.” The students go in groups of five at a time. The first trip included freshman Alex Pick. “I was skeptical of there being a lake in Colorado that we could go sailing on, but when we pulled up, I was really surprised,” said Pick. “[Professor Laesecke] was so excited about it that even though the lake was small, it was still really fun” All of the Living and Learning Communities go on a weekend retreat, but it is not required that professors take their classes on extra trips.
Freshman Silas Collentine, also a part of the first sailing group, was enthusiastic about getting to know his professor more personally. “It’s a way to incorporate a humanistic element into the curriculum that he teaches, and it’s also a great way to connect on an individual level with all of the students,” said Collentine. “It furthers the curriculum that we learn so he can make a personal connection with each of us.” Laesecke uses the sailing experience to break down barriers that many other professors build up. “The students get the boat ready to sail, and we talk when we are out on the water,” said Laesecke. “They learn something about sailing, but they also learn how teamwork takes effort.” Out on the water, Pick also saw the experience as a way to work together. “With sailing, there is teamwork. If it was one person it would take them a lot longer [to sail],” said Pick. If students keep supporting the trip, then Laesecke says it will continue for future LLCs. “It is just not sailing; you bond with the other students. I get to know you and you get to know me as more than someone who stands up and talks in front of the classroom. It’s a good place to exchange ideas about things in general,” said Laeske.
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President should use executive orders to accomplish policy by thomas tarler Staff writer
It’s an awe-inspiring moment to see the scrawniest kid on the playground finally standing up to the schoolyard bully. We all yearn to see the fight, because we know that he will win because he is right. This is what it looks like to see President Barack Obama finally using executive orders to push his policies. As long as he uses discretion, he could finally start making the change that he promised. His executive orders will be a more legitimate expression of the wishes of the American people than our deadlocked Congress. Congress has done nothing in the preceding years; virtually no substantive policy has been pushed through, and even mun-
dane policies are being held up. want something to be done about The problem is that the govern- our dismal economy, no matter ment has a multitude of functions what it is. Therefore, I believe, the that it must fulfill and these are executive orders are justified in this instance. not being accomplished. The president skipping They were elected to office Congress brings back bad memoto run the ries of the Bush and country and Cheney presidency, instead they “The problem when executive orders are stepping were used to do horon the brake is that the rible things out of the and gas pedal government public eye. Many are at the same afraid that President time. To get has a multitude Obama will similarly things done, abuse the power. P r e s i d e n t of functions to The difference is Obama has to fulfill and these that he is being increduse his execuibly transparent about tive powers to are not being what he is doing. Ever make policy accomplished.” since the start of his decisions. presidency, one only O ver whelmneeds to go to www. ingly, the people of America are frustrated whitehouse.gov to read the full with the lack of action, and they text of every executive order that
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
We can’t wait: helping manage student loan debt by barack obama
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to get out of Washington and talk with folks across the country about how we can create jobs and get our economy growing faster. This is a tough time for a lot of Americans - especially young people. You’ve come of age at a time of profound change. The world has gotten more connected, but it’s also gotten more competitive. And for decades, too many of our institutions - from Washington to Wall Street - failed to adapt, culminating in the worst financial crisis and recession since the Great Depression. For the last three years, we’ve worked to stabilize the economy, and we’ve made some progress. But we still have a long way to go. And now, as you’re getting ready to head out into the world, many of you are watching your friends and classmates struggle to find work. You’re wondering what’s in store for your future, and I know that can be scary. The truth is, the economic problems we face today didn’t happen overnight, and they won’t be solved overnight. But the fact that you’re investing in your education right now tells me that you believe in the future of America. You want to be a part of it. And you know that there are steps we can take right now to put Americans back to work and give our economy a boost. The problem is, there are some in Washington who just don’t share that sense of urgency. That’s why it’s been so disappointing to see Republicans in Congress block jobs bills from going forward - bills that independent economists say could create millions of jobs though the kinds of proposals
supported by Democrats and Republicans in the past. Now, the best way to attack our economic challenges and put hundreds of thousands of people back to work is through bold action in Congress. That’s why I’m going to keep demanding that Members of Congress to vote on common-sense, paid-for jobs proposals. And I hope you’ll send them a message to do the right thing for your future, and the future of our country. But we can’t wait for Congress to do its job. So where they won’t act, I will. That’s why, I’ve announced a new policy that will help families whose home values have fallen refinance their mortgages and save thousands of dollars. We made it easier for veterans to get jobs putting their skills to work in hospitals and community health centers. And at the University of Colorado at Denver, I announced steps we’re taking to make college more affordable and to make it even easier for students like you to get out of debt faster. Michelle and I know what it feels like to leave school with a mountain of debt. We didn’t come from wealthy families. By the time we both graduated from law school, we had about $120,000 worth of debt between us. And even though we were lucky enough to land good jobs with steady incomes, it still took us almost 10 years to finally pay it all off. It wasn’t easy. Living with that much debt forces you to make some tough choices. And when a big chunk of every paycheck goes towards student loans, it isn’t just painful for you – it’s painful to our economy and harmful to our recovery. That’s why we’re making changes that will give about 1.6 million students the ability to cap their loan payments at 10 percent
of their income starting next year. We’re also going to take steps to help you consolidate your loans so that instead of making multiple payments to multiple lenders every month, you only have to make one payment a month at a better interest rate. And we want to start giving students a simple fact sheet called “Know Before You Owe” so you can have all the information you need to make your own decision about paying for college. That’s something Michelle and I wish we had. These changes will make a real difference for millions of Americans. We’ll help more young people figure out how to afford college. We’ll put more money in your pocket after you graduate. We’ll make it easier to buy a house or save for retirement. And we’ll give our economy a boost at a time when it desperately needs it. That’s not just important for our country right now – it’s important for our future. Michelle and I are where we are today because our college education gave us a chance. Our parents and their generation worked and sacrificed to hand down the dream of opportunity to us. Now it’s our turn. That dream of opportunity is what I want for my daughters, and for all of you. And even in these tough times, we are going to make that dream real once again. In the weeks ahead, I’m going to keep doing everything in my power to make a difference for the American people – including young people like you. Because here in America, when we find a problem, we fix it. When we face a challenge, we meet it. We don’t wait. And I hope you’ll join me. Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States.
Do you have a lot to say about current issues? Write an op-ed for The Clarion. email lauracdedmon@gmail.com
President Obama signed. For the past several years, he has used them only to affect internal issues and implementation and has refrained from using them for substantive policy decisions. The time has come, and he is wielding them wonderfully. If anyone is curious, they have the ability to read everything he is doing and understand it. Others fear about the legitimacy of executive orders. The President can, theoretically, do whatever he wants even if it is against the will of the people. During Obama’s term the preferred policy of the people, from comprehensive healthcare reform to financial regulation, has been twisted by Congress into an ugly morass of corruption. If you think that is more legitimate than Obama following the polls and doing what the
people tell him to do, then you really ought to move to a plutocracy. Furthermore, if the people do disapprove of what Obama is doing, executive orders are much more easily reversed than legislation is repealed. A future Republican president can easily reverse all of President Obama’s executive orders. This way of doing things is a much more valid expression of the wants of the people rather than the desires of a polarized congress. In the end, the partisan nature of politics has forced Obama to this measure. Hopefully good will come of it, and student loans for all of us will be reduced. Personally, I think he could have done more, but I applaud the step in the right direction. Maybe in the remaining year of his first term, President Obama will start bringing about real change to America.
Experience or education? by isabel mccan Contributing writer
For many of us, it seems like the four years of our time doing undergraduate study can run past us before we even catch our breath. And then we are pushed, stumbling out the door, degree in hand, and a pat on the back. Hey good luck! But then what is the plan? What are the next steps we need to take? Typically speaking, we have two options: the choice to immediately continue on to graduate school or the choice to take those cautionary steps into exploring the career and work options in our newly credited field of study. It seems like with the recent downturn of jobs available, the wise choice would be to keep up the momentum and head straight to graduate school to get your Master’s degree. You will be more qualified than your competitors and can also outwait the current economic conditions. Now this isn’t a necessarily a bad move, but grad school is a big, costly commitment. You need to double - maybe even triple - think the reasons why and where you want to continue your education, reasons beyond simply trying to avoid the job downturn. You need to be committed to these goals if you feel like going straight to grad school is the best for your area of employment. But for many of us others, foregoing grad school for awhile and gaining foundational work experience can prove to be indispensible in helping cement what career path we want to proceed with. Therefore, it is wise to consider some of the reasons to stall going to graduate school to gain work experience before spending the immense amount of time and money involved in attending grad school coming fresh out of your undergrad years. Think about it like this: Despite economic conditions, there are still many valuable opportunities to find a job or
internship that can end up helping you land that dream job later on. Here is the step where the dedication and education from your past four years comes in. Because the reality is, you can read all the textbooks and ace all of the tests, but without spending time trying to apply what you have learned sitting in the classroom to real-world situations with real-world consequences, you will find it difficult to adapt and survive at any job. Being forced to apply those concepts makes us to work and mature past the ivory tower of education and gain a wider perspective about the workforce you are entering. This is not even to mention how many graduate schools expect to already see this kind of work experience on an applicant’s resúme, therefore taking the time to go out and work in the field can enhance your chances of being accepted into a better graduate school program later on if you decide to go. Consider also how you can spend this time working to not only gain connections and experience, but then continue to save up some money earned to pay for grad school later. In turn meaning you would need to take out less loans to pay for it. Furthermore, many companies prefer to hire people who are already working for them; some will even pay for their employees to attend graduate school, but only after a few years of loyal work within the company already. So before making the long investment in graduate school, give yourself a chance to get out there and evaluate your job market. Explore opportunities and start hacking away at that career path. You can always fall back on making it to graduate school so you can continue growing in your qualifications, but taking that first step out into the job market can help define your success goals for later on in life.
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Quarter system works great, freshman thinks all like one, we just can’t get our hands on Hermione’s time turner. That’s why we’re so lucky It’s true that the quarter to get to register not twice, but system can sometimes be a three times in an academic year. complete pain in the neck. With The chemistry major who’s also only 10 weeks of class there is no really interested in art history can wiggle room for the weekend that find the time to take an art class you caught the flu and couldn’t without taking a whole semester’s credit away from study. her major. Bomb a test? The system You’re done for. And “I was able to gives freshmen what in the world more time to are we supposed to drop my not-sodo with ourselves useful chemistry explore possible majors. I started during the six weeks when we head home class without any off the year sure I would be a for the holidays - concern about biology major. bake pies and catch By week four, I up on the latest taking too few was fairly posiepisodes of Jersey credits.” tive that, in fact, Shore? biology was I’ve heard the not my thing. complaints over and over again, but I think that these But because we’re on the quarter shortcomings are worth it for system, I didn’t have to worry the value that the quarter system about waiting half of a year to test out a possible new major. brings. I was also able to drop my We’ve all seen the registration time freak-outs. Students now not-so-useful chemistry want to take 10 classes in a quar- class without any concern about ter, and as much as we would taking too few credits. The short by emma mckay Staff writer
time span also allows DU to offer classes with more specific topics. Currently, in week nine, it is common to hear the groans of students who are becoming sick of their classes. Imagine if we still had another five weeks to go. Professors would be squeezing the material out of some classes. Of course, any topic can be discussed for the length of a semester, but students are always looking forward to a change in pace. The 10-week system keeps our minds fresh so that by the end of the quarter, we feel satisfied rather than suffocated. As difficult as it will be to part with our friends over the long winter break, DU students are fortunate enough to not need to worry about school while on vacation. It is easy to forget course material in the midst of all that pumpkin pie and tree decorating. In high school, I used to be disappointed that homework put a damper on the holiday season. At DU, we can take the time to let our brains rest and prepare for the winter.
Pioneer Voices Do you think DU should be spending $1.56 million on hosting the first 2012 presidential debate?
Going down under with claire delahorne
You drink like a girl
Tequila Thursday is a weekly tradition with my friends and I down here, following Wacky Wednesdays, which is directly proceeded by Funky Fridays. If you’re thinking it should be Tequila Tuesdays, you’ve completely missed the point of Tequila Thursday. While the whole idea is to go hard, I’ve begun to notice a startling trend: Girls just can’t hold their booze. And while there’s a reason people say “You drink like a girl” when they’re trying to call you out, it worries me just how few of my female friends (and some of my guy friends) can drink without becoming a sloppy mess. While the end of quarter is still a few weeks away, it’s never too early to take in some tips on how to drink like a pro. First, it’s not how much you drink, it’s what you drink. Tequila Thursdays are all about tequila, so you’re not going to see me mixing it up with vodka or Jager and confusing my stomach. Different types of alcohol have different alcohol content and, in turn, your body reacts to each type differently. Maybe you can knock back eight shots of tequila in an hour, no problem, but that doesn’t mean you can down four shots of tequila and four shots of whiskey with the same effect. Pick a drink and stick to it and you’ll be much better for it in the end. Second, water is your friend. Even if you’re going out with the express intent to get drunk, you still want to be drinking water. You know what creates that nasty headache the next morning? Dehydration, especially if you’re drinking drinks with sugary mixers. My rule is a glass of water after every three drinks, but that’s a system I’ve carefully mastered and your ratio might be different. I also like to leave a full bottle of water by my bed before I go out for the night, just to remind myself to drink up before I hit the sack. Third and finally, you’re not drinking to impress anyone. This is where girls tend to miss the boat. While most guys seem to know their limits (even if they choose to exceed them), girls always think they can drink as much as they want with no consequences, getting selective memory for how much pain they were in the week before. Drink what you can, and stop when you’re drunk. Or even before you’re drunk, if you’re going to be smart about it. There’s no prize for being the biggest mess at the end of the night. If someone honestly cares how much you can drink, and judges you by that amount, that person has some serious time on their hands and you should think about helping them take up a hobby. I hear knitting is nice. Claire Delahorne works as a copy editor for the Clarion. She is currently studying abroad in Australia, where she serves as a correspondent for all things regarding sexuality and culture.
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‘High Flying Birds’ never leaves the ground be a winning single. Nothing on this album is as catchy or memorable as classic Oasis material. “Everybody’s On The Run” wastes no time jumping into a repetitive choral and orchestral by andrew neely swell that eventually becomes Contributing writer white noise on this album. The Brothers Noel and Liam track sounds big enough to carry Gallagher are notorious for its expectations but soon the being some of the most competi- vocals come in and immediately tive and abrasive people in the show this album’s true platform. The backing tracks on each music business. The two have of these songs continued their are so generic legendary rivalry that only the since Noel left [The album] vocals can carry the duo’s band wastes no time the melody (an Oasis in 2009. old pop trick), Now, each jumping into a but Noel’s voice has released a is over-affected solo album; Liam repetitive choral and indistinwith his project and orchestral guishable from Beady Eye, and today Noel with swell that eventu- any of the other bland modern his High Flying ally becomes the rock voices on Birds. the radio. In terms album’s white The album of record sales, drags along until Noel is superior noise. it reaches the to Liam – High lead single, “The Death of You Flying Birds’ self titled album debuted at number one in the and Me.” For the first time, the United Kingdom, while Liam’s instrumentation is somewhat Beady Eye only managed to memorable and the chorus shows promise of popular sucmake it to number three. However, this album is not cess, but this still cannot be justified in its success. While mistaken for true artistry. The next song, “(I Wanna Liam channeled John Lennon on his solo effort, Noel seems only Live in a Dream in My) Record to channel cheesy rock-pop. The Machine” starts like an acoustic record is over-produced and ballad, which is another relief each song seems desperate to from the mindless rock mush
Former Oasis singer and songwriter gives us his best solo attempt
Noel Gallagher, formerly of the band Oasis, strums the guitar as a solo artist these days.
that precedes it. Soon, however, the song falls right back into the uniform radio-rock pattern and doesn’t waiver until its last note. “AKA…What a Life!” shows again the album’s deep emphasis on the vocals. There isn’t a hook to be found musically and the band seems to cycle through chords robotically. The album
remains muddy and indistinct. There is a slight turn on the final two tracks. “(Stranded On) The Wrong Beach” begins with the album’s sharpest, bluesiest riff yet and “Stop the Clocks” is less densely populated with instruments, but two songs breaking the formula are not enough to salvage this mess.
photo courtesy of ology.com
On this album, Noel Gallagher seems more motivated by surpassing his brother on the charts than making a cohesive artistic statement. The Brit-rock starved public across the pond already seems to be enjoying it, but High Flying Birds does not progress music in the slightest.
THE HULU HIT LIST
‘Castle’ bank robbery steals the night SPOILER ALERT by kim carbonari Contributing writer
A week without murder; how refreshing. Or rather, a week that doesn’t follow the tired formula that Castle has fallen into over the last season and a half. Pulling at threads from over-arching storylines when struggling, and dropping poorlywritten and uninteresting episodes as a default, the writers and producers of the show have clearly been slacking. Throwing the viewers for a loop and proving (for now) that they have not completely lost the show to a standard recipe, the writers start the show with a hold-up at a bank. No introductory familial interaction, no phone call from Beckett (Stana Katic), no murder - at least not in the traditional fashion. Castle (Nathan Fillion) accompanies his mother to the bank to get a loan, which she insists he not sign for as she wants it without his help. On the phone with Beckett, asking for about a murder, he is met with robbers instead. The robbery quickly turns into a hostage situation, and Castle is forced to be clever in his observational skills and adapt to the situation. Beckett on the other end, estranged from her partner, tries to negotiate with the robbers in
photo courtesy of castle-fans.org
Nathan Fillion is stalled by a bank robbery in a recent episode of ABC’s “Castle.”
scrubs who threaten to kill the hostages. Without spoiling too much, tensions and stakes are high, and the ending actually leaves the viewer with a slight smirk of sur-
prise unlike the prior episodes’ predictable plots and time-based suspect reveals. Though the bank hold-up story itself is quite clichéd, it works well to wake the viewer
up and assure the audience that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully the episode “Cops and Robbers” will serve to provide a breath of fresh air and ensure that future Castle
episodes will include some of the fresh witty dialogue that originally rocketed it to the top of the Nielsen TV ratings charts. Castle airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Nov. 8, 2011
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‘Tower Heist’: criminally fun robbery by janay wright Contributing writer
From the opening scene to the credits, “Tower Heist” lives up to its name as a big-time blockbuster as the movie’s viewers enjoy the voyeuristic feeling of being “on the inside.” Director Brett Ratner chooses to introduce the audience into the inner-workings of the booming New York apartment complex, The Tower, by way of manager Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller). Soon after, the audience joins Kovacs and his group in an attempted “heist” of The Tower to unconventionally take back millions of dollars of stolen cash. It was with only the best intentions in mind that Kovacs, a well-respected and highly efficient worker at The Tower, invested the pensions of his entire staff with the wealthiest resident of The Tower, Arthur Shaw. When Shaw is caught by the FBI and revealed as a fraud, the livelihoods of the eclectic mix of staff members are all put on the line. This may seem somewhat far-fetched and ridiculous, but this plot twist provides a foundation for the audience to connect emotionally with the cast of characters, as well as a justification for what Kovacs plots as a result. To heroically return Shaw’s money to its deserving owners, Kovacs plots an elaborate scheme to break into Shaw’s apartment and raid his safe. Kovacs enlists the help of Slide, a petty criminal played by comedic legend Eddie
photo courtesy of washingtonexaminer.com
Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy try pulling an impossible heist. .
Murphy, who is expected to develop the other innocent members of the group into crooks. The other members of the gang assembled by Kovacs include building concierge Charlie Gibbs
(Casey Affleck), former Wall Street investor Mr. Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick), Jamaican maid Odessa Montero (Gabourey Sidibe) and bellhop Enrique Dev’reaux (Michael Peña).
The combination of the goofy, delinquent Slide, rational Gibbs, young and enthusiastic Peña and desperate Mr. Fitzhugh provides for an over-the-top cast of characters and plenty of laughs. The film’s humor often draws from cultural misconceptions and racial stereotypes. For instance, Gibbs proudly greets a tenant with flowers and kind words on Chinese New Year, oblivious to the fact that she is Korean. He mistakes her bemused smile for a sign of gratitude as his colleagues snicker at his stupidity. Similarly, Kovacs gives a run-down of The Tower to newly hired Dev’reaux, explaining that, “The average apartment in the tower costs 5.6 million dollars. We have the best views, the most advanced security system, but do you know what these people are really buying?” “White neighbors?” Dev’reaux responds. The film also incorporates certain morals, such as the triviality of money, as it incriminates Shaw for his greed and lack of heart. When the news of the attempted suicide of a doorman is delivered to Shaw by Kovacs, Shaw responds indifferently, provoking Kovacs to further criticize him. While “Tower Heist” may not astound audiences with its ingenuity, it is likely to deliver a few good laughs and an enjoyable evening - a stellar choice for either a night out on a date or with a group of friends.
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CONCERT ALERT
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Radiohead announces First Bank Center show in March Radiohead announced yesterday that it will be playing a headline show at the First Bank Center in Broomfield, Colo. on Tuesday, Mar. 13 (right during finals week!). The Broomfield show was announced as one of ten U.S. tour dates planned for this winter. It will be the band’s first stop in Colorado since Radiohead headlined Red Rocks Amphitheatre in August of 2003. Tickets for the show, which are GA-only, go on sale 10 a.m. this Saturday, Nov. 12, for $69 a piece. You can pick them up online at 1stbankcenter.com, or you can brave the lines and head to Broomfield Saturday morning to escape the inevitable processing fees. These tickets are very likely to sell out. Radiohead released its eighth studio album, The King of Limbs, on Feb. 18 of this year. A follow-up remix compilation, TKOL RMX 1234567, was released in September and features remixes of the original album from Caribout, Four Tet and Jamie XX. by Christian Allen
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Hockey remains winless as national champs cruise by tyler perlmutter & steve coulter Clarion staff
The defending national champion Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs walked away from a road trip to Magness Arena with three points as they sent the No. 8-ranked Denver Pioneers in a tailspin, coming back to tie DU 3-3 on Friday night and then ending the series with a decisive 4-0 shutout victory on Saturday. With their second consecutive winless weekend, the Pioneers (3-3-2, 2-2-2 WCHA) fall four spots in the national rankings to No. 12 following a 3-1 start that had DU as high as No. 2 in the national polls. “There’s no magic to [ending the winless streak],” said head coach George Gwozdecky. “Our competition level and execution level needs to be higher.” UMD goalie Kenny Reiter deserves credit for a 29-save performance on Saturday, including a pivotal stop on a second period penalty shot from sophomore Jason Zucker following a penalty committed by the Bulldog’s Tim Smith at the 15:30 mark. The save preserved a 1-0 UMD lead that they would add to later in the period, burying the Pioneers with a barrage of quick goals.
Junior goaltender Adam Murray is able to deflect a shot from UMD’s Max Tardy. Murray was able to make 42 saves in a 3-3 tie on Friday night.
“I take full responsibility for that,” said Zucker about the penalty shot after the game. “He made a save on it. I think I should have scored that; it definitely would have changed the game. They played better than us, though, so they deserve those two points. No excuses on our side.”
While Reiter blanked a talented DU offense that includes Zucker and junior Drew Shore, freshman Juho Olkinuora played well early on in his second career start for the Pioneers, shutting down the Bulldogs’ offense in the first half and recording 21 saves. “They have experience from winning it all last year; they’ve got a good goalie who kept a great game,” said Zucker. “On our side, [Juho] played well for us. On our team we have two capable goalies we can trust right now.” Last weekend, Olkinoura led DU to a tie in the second game against Michigan Tech; however, it was the team’s starting goalie, junior Adam Murray, that shined this weekend. On Friday night, Murray set a new career high with 43 saves to help DU earn an overtime tie and walk away with at least one point from the weekend. UMD erased a pair of twogoal deficits in that contest, but three assists from Nick Shore
were good enough to establish an early lead for DU, challenging the national champions late throughout the contest. “[Murray] played a great game on Friday,” said Gwozdecky. “He was our shinning player and earned us the tie.” Reiter was also a top performer Friday, recording 30 saves and shutting out the Pioneers in the third period and in overtime. The difference in the contest was an abysmal 0-5 power play performance from the DU power play unit, allowing the defending champs to convert on two of six attempts in the power play. “We’re going to make changes [to the power play],” said Gwozdecky. The Pioneers endured their first scoreless performance of the season on Saturday, which draws an offensive concern as the team has only scored seven times in four outings since exploding 10-2 against Minnesota State Oct. 22.
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Although offense is a problem, the Pioneers’ defense has performed sub-par of expectations, according to Gwozdecky. DU has allowed at least two or more goals in all eight of their contests, including 16 total goals in the previous four games. While the bad stretch has the Pioneers descending quickly in the national polls, the team is not too concerned with a fivegame home stretch, which features a pair of conference foes in archrival No. 3 Colorado College and No. 5 Western Collegiate Hockey Association opponent Nebraska Omaha. In addition, the Pioneers will host Princeton and Miami (Ohio) on Friday, Nov. 25 and Saturday, Nov. 26, respectively. “We still have a great team, and I am not giving up on this team,” said Zucker. “We have a lot of time to get better and keep improving.” The Pioneers host Colorado College at Magness Arena this Saturday. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m.
Johnson looks to lead volleyball into competitive SBC tournament, praises older sister as inspiration by michael ferrero Staff writer
Junior libero Lyndi Johnson once sat watching her older sister, Jessica, play volleyball; now the roles have reversed, and her sister is watching her receive national accolades. Johnson played high school volleyball in Dallas at Flower Mound Marcus High School and was selected to the 2005 North Texas Regional USA High Performance Team. She also made the 2008 Junior Olympics OPEN. She points to her sister as her biggest inspiration on the court. “When I was younger, my sister played a lot, so I went to watch her games. Some of the younger sisters of her teammates would go too, and we played on the sidelines of their games,” said Johnson. “It got me into the game, and so I began to watch the way she played. She definitely had a big influence on me.”
Watching her sister got Johnson into volleyball at a young age, inspiring her to play at a competitive level in order to sharpen her skill set. “As I got older, I started to play for more competitive teams. When you play at a higher level, it gets you more involved in the game, and the more I got involved, the more I loved the game. When high school ended, I didn’t want to stop playing,” said Johnson. The Pioneers recruited Johnson after watching her high school matches. Johnson made an immediate impact as a Pioneer, playing 72 of the team’s sets before injuring her hand her freshman season. After a slow start this season, the Pioneers have won eight conference matches, good enough for second place in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference. Johnson has been a force on the defensive end, leading the team with 450 digs. She was recently recognized for
her performance by the Sun Bet Conference, who awarded her with a Co-Player of the Week award in early October. “It’s exciting to get awards. At the same time, as a team, I wish were doing better this season,” said Johnson. “This whole season, we’ve been trying to figure things out. There hasn’t been one thing to pinpoint, but multiple. We can either be really good or have some crappy games. It’s kind of been a mix,” Johnson said. With the conference tournament less than a week away, Johnson has confidence in herself and her teammates for the upcoming matches. “We need to come out strong and really focus on winning that first match,” said Johnson. The Pioneers will wrap up their regular season Friday with a home match against North Texas at 6 p.m. The conference tournament will begin on Nov. 17 in Miami.
Nov. 8, 2011
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FAST BREAK volleyball
(12-15, 9-6 SBC)
DU 3, Arkansas Little-Rock 1 DU 3, Arkansas State 1 what went right In two home matches over the weekend, the Pioneers downed both conference foes. Friday, Denver topped Arkansas LittleRock in four sets (25-22, 25-19, 20-25, 25-15). The Pioneers recorded a season-high 10 service aces in the match. Junior Faimie Kingsley and redshirt freshman Cassie Ronda led the Pioneers with 14 kills apiece. Sunday, Ronda again led the team with 13 kills five blocks as the Pioneers defeated Arkansas State (20-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-16). what went wrong The Pioneers had a strong weekend at home, despite losing one set to each of its opponents. up next Denver prepares for its final match of the season as it welcomes North Texas to Hamilton Gymnasium Friday, Nov. 11. First serve is set for 6 p.m. The Pioneers will be honoring Cawthra and Alyssa Bonelli in a pre-match ceremony to celebrate their careers at DU.
men’s tennis what went right Juniors Enej Bonin and Jens Vorkefeld were crowned Group A doubles champions with a 2-0 record at the Minnesota Invitational Sunday afternoon at Baseline Tennis Center. Bonin and Vorkefeld beat Notre Dame’s Spencer Talmadge and Niall Fitzgerald 8-5 on Friday and Minnesota’s Phillip Arndt and Leandro Toledo 9-7 on Saturday. Sophomore Alex Clinkenbeard and Vorkefeld posted an 8-6 win over Nebraska’s Robert Schulze and Tom Blackwell in Group B doubles action. what went wrong Vorkefeld, senior Yannick Weihs and freshman Othar Kordsachia each lost three-set singles matches to players from host Minnesota. up next DU returns to action at the Key Biscayne Invitational on Jan. 6-8, 2012. LSU, Michigan and Texas join the Pioneers in the four-team field.
DU tops high NCAA graduation rates by anna gauldin Assistant sports editor
More than 80 percent of NCAA Division I athletes are earning their degree within six years, according to the most recent data collected by the NCAA, and the percentage at DU is even higher. The Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for student athletes who began their freshman year in 2004 is 91 percent among Pioneers. Across the NCAA, the average is 82 percent, the highest percentage since data collection began more than a decade ago. “We recruit the whole student at DU,” said Cynthia Rail, associate athletic director. “Our coaches focus on bringing in student athletes, not just athletes. Some of it is also attributed to the
Women’s soccer falls in semi-finals by alex proietti
said Hooker. “We made some mistakes and couldn’t overcome those mistakes, but we had a The DU women’s soccer couple chances and I’m really team’s dreams of winning the proud of the way they battled Sun Belt Conference postsea- there at the end.” son tournament slipped away Despite losing the match, the Thursday after the Pioneers were Pioneers were in control of the stifled in a 3-1 loss to Florida ball for most of the game, holdInternational Uniing a 24-5 shot versity. advantage and a Thursday, the “We made some 13-0 advantage in Pioneers (16-5-0, mistakes, but I’m corners. 9-2-0 SBC) came “[I am] very out strong, taking really proud of proud of the effort,” an early 1-0 lead the way we said Hooker. “The before falling to only disappointFIU, one of only battled there at ing part is that the four losses for the seniors don’t get the end.” Pioneers in the to play another regular season. game, and we “We were Jeff Hooker, would have liked pretty excited to to send them out get the first goal,” Head Coach on a little better said head coach note.” Jeff Hooker. “We went to the Prior to Thursday’s loss, locker room 1-1 but felt really DU started strong in the tournagood about the way that we were ment on Wednesday, when they playing and what we were going prevailed over No. 6 seed South to accomplish in the second half.” Alabama University 2-0. Earlier When the Pioneers came out in the season, the team beat the of the locker room in the second Jaguars 7-0 at home, part of their half, they gave up two goals in the four-game shutout streak. 62nd and 71st minutes. “I think it’s always difficult “Unfortunately, we gave up going back and playing a team three goals in five shots, which you already handily beat, goalis not really a ratio you want,” wise, because there’s always that
feeling from the players of ‘Well, you know we’re a lot better than them,’ but we did a good job,” said Hooker. Junior goalkeeper Lara Campbell recorded her fifth individual shutout of the season and the Pioneers’ 10th team shutout against South Alabama. Junior forward Katy Van Lieshout and sophomore forward Kristen Hamilton both scored goals for the Pioneers. Van Lieshout scored in the 20th minute and Hamilton in the 59th minute. “We did a good job, not a great job, in the first half,” said Hooker. “We played against the wind and gave them too many shots. I was impressed with the second half. We had the ball 70 percent of the time, didn’t give them any chances, got the second goal and played a total of 20 or 21 players probably.” Hamilton finished the season one goal and two points away from the DU single season records. While the team had to send its seniors out on a sad note, the senior class’s record is one to be noted. In their four years as Pioneers, they won at least 16 games each year and never dropped more than six games in a single season.
flage t-shirt. The pep band will also be performing “God Bless America” at each game.
Pioneers to receive NBC airtime
Staff writer
in the news 11/11/11 Veterans’ Day events at Ritchie Center
DU’s Division of Athletics and Recreation will be hosting a series of events on Nov. 11 as part of Veterans and Military Appreciation Day. “It’s just a way for DU athletics to give back to the community and show appreciation for the military and veterans,” said Angel Field, assistant athletic director. Women’s basketball will take on Loyola Marymount at 5 p.m., women’s volleyball will play North Texas at 6 p.m., and men’s basketball will go up against Portland State at 7 p.m. The Hopper Pass will be available, offering all three games for $11. DU athletics partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project to put on the event and will recognize wounded warriors throughout the evening with Sun Belt Conference gold coins. Students who attend the events will receive a free camou-
high academic standards at DU. “There is room for greater progThe students who are accepted ress, and we continue to work here are likely to excel academi- hard to that end, but today we celebrate this important milestone.” cally and most likely graduate.” While not Nine of DU’s all 17 athletic 17 athletic pro- “We recruit the at DU grams achieved whole student at programs achieved a perfect a perfect 100 percent GSR in DU. Our coaches GSR last year, Rail said that almost the 2010-2011 acaevery team was still demic year, includ- focus on above the NCAA ing men’s and bringing in average. women’s skiing, “We should be men’s and women’s student athletes, tennis, women’s not just athletes.” extremely proud of the accomplishgolf, gymnastics, ments of our stuwomen’s lacrosse, dent athletes both women’s soccer Cynthia Rail, in the classroom and volleyball. Associate Athletic and on the field,” “Success for said Rail. “In the student athletes is Director spring, when the ultimately meaAcademic Progsured by how well they do in the classroom,” said ress Report comes out, it will just NCAA President Mark Emmert. reaffirm that.”
Colleges Against Cancer creates competition with Colorado College The University of Denver branch of Colleges Against Cancer will be holding a competition with rival Colorado College at the DU-CC hockey game Nov. 12 to see which team can raise the most money. “The idea is that both schools will have jars out and people can add money,” said co-president Jacqueline Smith. “Whoever wins gets the Golden Ribbon. The goal is that the loser has to wear the other team’s colors at the next game, which is at CC. We’re planning on winning.” All of the money raised goes directly to the American Cancer Society. The club has set a goal of raising $50,000 this year, most of which will come from its biggest
event, Relay for Life, which is a 12-hour walk that will take place May 4. Other events include two “Burritos for Boobs” fundraisers at Illegal Pete’s, one of which was in October. The second event will be on March 29. They are also hosting an alumni dinner in the spring. Colleges Against Cancer will be selling t-shirts for $12 at the hockey game. “The main goal of our group is to spread awareness about cancer,” said co-president Josh Carlson. “A lot of people are impacted by it but don’t recognize it.” The American Cancer Society divides its money between several outlets, including research, programs for patients in remission and the subsidization of treatment costs. At the end of each year, Colleges Against Cancer donates all of its remaining budget to the Society in addition to the funds it raises during the academic year.
The NBC Sports Group announced last week that it will air 16 live college hockey games during the 2011-2012 season, including three DU games. Broadcasts will include Denver’s home games against Minnesota on Friday, Feb. 10 and North Dakota on Friday, Feb. 24 and a road game against Nebraska Omaha on March 2. The games will air on the Versus network, which will be rebranded as the NBC Sports Network in early January. Coverage will begin Dec. 31 when No. 4 Notre Dame hosts No. 12 Boston University at 5 p.m. The remainder of this season’s schedule will include a game each Friday in primetime starting in January. Regularseason highlights include No. 4 Notre Dame hosting No. 3 Michigan on Jan. 20 and No. 9 Yale facing Harvard on Jan. 27.
Coulter’s Corner
Clarion managing editor delves deep into sports world
One Moore than the rest
While the national attention was deservedly placed on “the game of the century” in Tuscaloosa, Ala. this past weekend, where the No. 1 LSU Tigers edged the hometown No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide 9-6 in an overtime thriller, the nation’s greatest winner entered the record books in silence. Boise State’s quarterback Kellen Moore notched the 46th win of his career to become college football’s alltime leader in career victories, eclipsing former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy’s mark of 45; however, the accomplishment went egregiously unnoticed, uncovered and untoasted in a sea of football headlines. It may be because of the stellar weekend the sport enjoyed - a No.1 vs. No. 2 doesn’t happen often in the middle of the season, but that doesn’t justify the lack of coverage around the game. The Broncos are ranked No. 5 in the nation and the game wasn’t even nationally televised. ESPN should be ashamed of itself, ignoring a monumental triumph of this caliber by choosing to broadcast the game on its livestreaming network ESPN3.com. Moore’s achievement warrants national praise and celebration; it doesn’t matter whether the record may be broken two or three years down the line. It certainly doesn’t matter who his competition is, because no quarterback ever has won 46 games against any competition. When Aaron Rodgers shatters Dan Marino’s passing yards in a single NFL season later this year, I’m sure all the major networks will allot hours to give Rodgers the recognition he is worthy of. Why doesn’t the same apply for Moore’s recordsetting 46th win? This isn’t an argument about whether Moore can play on the same gridiron as Rodgers, though; rather, this is where the distinction should be made - college and pro football are two entirely separate entities. An accomplishment in one level doesn’t equate success in the other; however, a record-setting feat such as becoming the all-time leader in victories should be identified and distinguished as the highest of individual records. Although he isn’t a Heisman winner or a national champion, and probably won’t be baring a BCS catastrophe that sees Oklahoma State and Stanford lose along with Alabama and Oklahoma losing again, Moore’s name should be supplanted next to the all-time collegiate greats such as Doug Flutie, Tim Tebow, Joe Namath, Vince Young, Gino Torretta, Peyton Manning and the late Steve McNair. Despite the outcome of some of their pro careers, that is quite a list to be associated with, and yet, Moore still doesn’t get the respect that he should. We’re talking about a guy with a 46-2 overall record; that’s a 95.8 winning percentage. Stanford’s Andrew Luck is second on that list at 85.3 percent (29-5 overall). Moore may not be as “pro ready” as Luck, but his collegiate career is far superior. Will Boise get to the national title? I don’t know, there’s still a lot of football to be played. One thing I do know is that, come January, Moore will have set the all-time wins mark at 50-plus. It’ll take a legendary quarterback to break that record. Hopefully he’ll get the attention he deserves when he does.
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Nov. 8, 2011