JAN. 17, 2018
VOLUME 125, ISSUE 02
CORNEL WEST SPEAKS AT DU
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WOMEN”S BASKETBALL BEATS NORTH DAKOTA
BATTLING HARRASSMENT IN THE STATE CAPITOL
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SANDRA LIM BRINGS 7 POETIC STYLINGS TO DU pa g e
GUIDE TO THE 60TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS
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DU CLARION
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JAN. 17, 2018
| NEWS
“Fire and Fury” inflames White House and News Media
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Photo courtesy of PsBattle
n Jan. 5, media analyst Michael Wolff’s book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” was released to the public. The tell-all book shares Wolff’s insights into the past year of Trump’s presidency according to his and his sources’, accounts. One of which, most notably, is former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon. After receiving a cease and desist letter from one of President Trump’s lawyers, “Fire and Fury’s” publisher, Henry Holt & Co., chose to release the book four days prior to its original release date. “We see ‘Fire and Fury’ as an extraordinary contribution to our national discourse, and are proceeding with the publication of the book,” the publishing com-
pany told Time. Since the release of the book, Trump and media outlets have questioned the legitimacy of some of the statements of the novel. Statements include—as listed in NPR’s review of the Wolff’s book—eating cheeseburgers in bed, having three TV’s in his room and his inner circle not respecting him. Perhaps the most discussed detail in the novel is Bannon’s remarks on Donald Trump Jr. He’s quoted saying that Trump Jr.’s meeting with a small group of Russians in 2016 was “treasonous” and “unpatriotic.” Trump told fellow Republicans and the public on Jan. 6 that he considered it to be fictional. “I think it’s a disgrace that somebody is able to have something, do something like that. I did a quick
ABOUT US
interview with him, a long time accomplishments in the first year ago, having to do with an article. of his presidency,” said Bannon But I don’t know this man. I guess in his statement to The New sloppy Steve brought him into York Times. Book reviews on the novel have the White House quite a bit. And it was one of those things. That’s even questioned the credibility of why sloppy Steve is now looking the novel. The New York Times for a job,” President Trump said pointed out some fact-checking mistakes and Wolff’s questionat Camp David. The president also responded able source crediting, calling it to the book on Twitter where he “liberal catnip.” Slate called the condemned the book’s claims and book, “shotty journalism,” and ensured his followers that he is “a NPR argued that Wolff was “fighting spectacle with spectacle.” very stable genius.” Wolff continues to stand On Jan. 7 Bannon released his official statement on the by his statements in “Fire and matter saying that the state- Fury.” As of Jan. 12, the book ments credited to him in Wolff’s debuted at number one in The book are untrue. “I regret that New York Times nonfiction bestmy delay in responding to the seller list and is also number inaccurate reporting regarding one on Amazon. Don Jr. has diverted attention from the president’s historical Daniela Santos | News Editor
DU Clarion EDITORIAL STAFF
JOHN POE, Editor-in-Chief RYAN NINESLING, Executive Editor DANIELA SANTOS, News Editor NIKKY JOHNSON, Sports Editor ELIZABETH LOCHHEAD, Opinions Editor The Clarion is the official student newspaper of the University of Denver, serving as the “Voice of the Pioneers.” Founded in 1899, it covers campus and local stories with the highest level of journalistic integrity possible. 1000 copies are distributed each Wednesday afternoon (throughout the academic year) across the DU campus, and every article is also published at duclarion.com. The Clarion does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the faculty, staff and/or administration of DU, and the opinions expressed by columnists and contributing writers do not necessarily reflect those of the Clarion. Reproduction of The Clarion in whole or part in any form written, broadcast or electronic without written permission of The Clarion is prohibited. The opinions expressed by columnists and contributing writers do not necessarily reflect those of The Clarion. Weather forecasts are of courtesy of the National Weather Service. The Clarion reserves the right to reject advertising, stories, columns or letters to the editor that it deems graphic, obscene or that discriminate on the basis of race, culture, gender or sexual orientation. The Clarion welcomes letters to the editor. Those who submit letters must limit them to 500 words. Some letters may not be published because of space limitations, overly-libelous content or similarity to past submissions. Please submit letters to duclarioneditor@gmail.com.
HOW TO JOIN
The Clarion is open to contributors of all years and majors at DU, including both undergraduate and graduate students. There’s no application necessary; all you have to do is show up to one of our weekly meetings, which are held every Monday at 6 p.m. (during the academic year) in the Driscoll Underground. Can’t make it to a meeting? Send an email to duclarioneditor@gmail.com and we’ll do everything we can to get you published.
TARYN ALLEN, Arts & Life Editor KENDALL MORRIS, Arts & Life Editor CAITLAN GANNAM, Photo/Video Editor GRACE HOUSER, Photo/Video Editor MONICA MCFADDEN, Podcast Editor JUSTIN CYGAN, Copy Editor MAYA PINON, Copy Editor ANDREW MATRANGA, Faculty Adviser Cover photo courtesy of Wayne Armstrong
CONTRIBUTING STAFF GRACE CARSON MADELYN GAHARAN SYDNEY KAPP BEN ROSSI ANDREW SMALLEY GRACE WILKINS
DU CLARION
JAN. 17, 2018
NEWS | 3
Cornel West speaks to DU about race and spirituality
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n Jan. 11, Dr. Cornel West sat down with Chancellor Rebecca Chopp at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts for a conversation about how his work can help address the challenges that higher education and society face today. West is a professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy at Harvard University and holds the title of Professor Emeritus at Princeton University. He has written 20 books, including his two most popular, “Race Matters” and “Democracy Matters,” as well as his most recent, “Black Prophetic Fire.” Before the conversation began, West introduced himself as a “Jesuslover, free Black man, who always tells the truth.” He told the crowd to remember that the current moment that they’re in right now is bigger than themselves. He said, “The suffering is more than your own individual suffering.” He questioned what the crowd was going to do in their short amount of time of living. After he introduced himself, Chancellor Chopp asked West questions about race, higher education and students in today’s society. West’s answers focused on the importance of students finding their voice. He told the crowd that it’s important to ask themselves, “What does it mean to be human? What type of person am I going to be?” He later continued, “Your voice is like your fingerprint. There’s only
one like you. There will never be, in the history of cosmos, another you. And that’s a beautiful thought, but a terrifying thought. So you have to have courage to think critically, courage to learn how to love truth and goodness and beauty, courage to stand over against the crowd — the mob, courage not to defer to superficial popularity.” The last half was left to members of the crowd to ask West questions. There were questions about the mass incarceration rate in the U.S., indigenous rights and how elders should participate in the current social movements that the professor gave
his insight on. One person, however, did not ask a question but made a comment on the name of the tennis courts on DU’s campus. The court is named Stapleton Tennis Pavilion, after the son of Benjamin F. Stapleton. Benjamin F. Stapleton was the mayor of Denver in the 1920s and 1940s, as well as a high-ranking member of the Klu Klux Klan. The student, a third-year law student at the Sturm College of Law, spoke about how he feels when passing by the name engraved into the court every day on his way to his classes, knowing that his ancestors were harmed by the
man with the same name. He asked for Chopp’s personal commitment to change the name on the tennis courts as soon as possible. After a debate between the Chancellor, students in the crowd and West, Chopp said that, “It sounds to me like we’re going to open this one up,” referring to the case about whether the tennis court should stay named after Stapleton’s son or not. You can watch the full event on the online edition of this article.
Grace Carson | Contributing Writer
Photo courtesy of Wayne Armstrong
The changing news industry in the the US and UK
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he panel took place on the second floor of the Anna and John J. Sie International Relations Complex with around 30 students and DU community members in attendance and palpable energy. The presentation focused on various facets of media consumption, including statistics from the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2017. This report surveyed 70,000 people in 36 markets in 5 continents. The topics of his presentation included: comparing media systems, production and funding, changing consumption patterns and paying for news. Levy explained that trust and consumption patterns of news in the U.S. and the U.K. have changed dra-
matically in the past few years. For example, according to the Reuters report, the morning after the Brexit referendum media consumers had a new thirst for information which subsequently increased the U.K.’s trust rating seven percent. In 2017, the U.S. news industry witnessed a seven percent increase of paying for news because of the presidential election; however, 38 percent of Americans currently trust news media and 53 percent trust the sources they use. According to the Reuters report, consumers remain skeptical of news, especially on popular social media sites such as Facebook. Twenty-four percent of people globally believe social media does a good job of distinguishing fact from fiction and 40 percent believe that news media does
a good job separating fact from fiction. Additionally, many choose not to consume media at all. Twenty-nine percent of the population regularly avoids the news either because they believe it impacts their mood, is unreliable or there is nothing they can do to change its outcome. In the U.S., 38 percent trust news media and 53 percent trust the sources they use. Levy argued that perhaps a more polarized portrayal of news in the U.S. could be causing distrust and apathy. He showed the audience a scatter plot depicting the number of news sources that are left-leaning or right-leaning in both the U.S. and the U.K. According to the Reuters report most news sources in the U.S. have a liberal point of view. Yahoo
Grace Houser l Clarion
News remains unbiased and Fox News is the only conservative news source. In the U.K. there is an almost even number of left-leaning and right-leaning sources. Levy also addressed that, according to the Reuters report, print companies worldwide invest the most in professional journalism. However, social media consumption is currently 51 percent and 41 percent in the U.K. Portugal, Sweden and Austria’s consumption has decreased. Overall, social media use is increasing exponentially in the U.S. but decreasing elsewhere. To conclude, Levy said, “Overall, trust has decreased and polarization further complicates the issue. News media is valued more than social media for separating fact from fiction. There is an opportunity for news organizations to build on this to create valuable experiences for people. There are news entrants everywhere, global competition and revenues have increased, especially social and mobile media sources. There has been a major revisal of trust, payments, and tech adaptations. Traditional print based media system models don’t hold anymore.” In addition to his role as director at the Reuters institute for the Study of Journalism, Dr. Levy has served as the manager of BBC London and continues to write about public policy in Britain and Wales.
Grace Wilkins | Contributing Writer
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| SPORTS
JAN. 17, 2018
The Crimson Tide rolls on to national title
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ust playing right outside their backyard, Georgia surged ahead to enjoy an early 13-point lead without any knowledge of what was to come ins one of the most exhilarating, breathtaking games in the history of college football. Georgia’s defense shutout Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Alabama offense, while Georgia’s freshman quarterback Jake Fromm showed no signs of faltering under the pressure of the national stage. The action began to unfold in the second half as a bold choice by Alabama Head Coach Nick Saben to bench Jalen Hurts for his freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa who had never played at any considerably crucial moments in
Alabama’s season. Down by 13 to start the second half, Tagovailoa rolled the Tide back into the game with an impressive drive to cut the deficit to 13. The Bulldogs then got their lead back on an 80-yard pass from Jake Fromm. After a pair of field goals the Crimson Tide once again showed the masterful tenacity they’ve shown time and time again in National Championship games, tying the game on a seven-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Calvin Ridley. Fromm also was beginning to lose his composure becoming victim to Alabama’s wicked secondary. That wasn’t all for Tagovailoa in regulation. He marched Alabama down the field yet another time and Alabama looked like they were a field goal
away from once again reaching the promised land as national champions only to shockingly witness a missed field goal by kicker Andy Pappanstos sending the national championship to overtime. Following a Georgia field goal, Tagovailoa had one last chance to win the game or send it to double overtime. The first play, Tagovailoa took a hard sack that put into question whether Alabama was even in field goal range to tie it. At the 41-yard line with Georgia in a cover two-defensive scheme, Tagovailoa took a vertical shot downfield finding receiver DeVonta Smith for a touchdown followed by crimson confetti as Alabama stunned the country coming back from being down 13 at halftime to win their fifth
national title since 2009. Georgia was completely stunned, having blown their 13-point lead about a year after the state of Georgia witnessed another collapse from their Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51 to the New England Patriots. Alabama had barely found their way into the college football playoffs and now was once again on the podium. Saban had once again found a way to do it, this time by trusting an inexperienced freshman to lead the Tide to his fifth national championship with the program and sixth in his career as the only coach to win in multiple programs, and doing so in thrilling fashion to cap off an exciting year in college football.
Ben Rossi | Contributing Writer
Photo courtesy of Washington Post
Men’s Basketball falls to South Dakota, 94-72 D U’s men’s basketball team failed to compete in a loss to South Dakota State on Saturday at Frost Arena, falling 94-72. The defeat dropped the Pioneer squad to 7-11 (1-3 Summit League) on the year, while the Jackrabbits improved to 16-5 (4-0 Summit League) with the win. Junior guard Joe Rosga (St. Paul, Minn.) led DU with a teamhigh 19 points and four rebounds. Senior center Daniel Amigo (El Paso, Texas), again coming off the bench, provided productive minutes, scoring 17 points and pulling down nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Ade Murkey (Minneapolis, Minn.) set a new career-high of 15 points, his fourth double-digit scoring game in the last five games. The South Dakota State Jackrabbits came off the bench strong, jumping out to a 12-4 advantage just over five minutes into the first half. The Jackrabbits led with balanced scoring, having four of their starters score during the stretch. A three-pointer from Tevin King made it an 18-point lead for the Jackrabbits at the 6:56 mark in the period, giving him five points on the afternoon. Denver started to get some momentum, cutting the lead to 13 after a pull-up jumper from Murkey made it 35-22 and gave the
Minneapolis, Minn. native six in the game.South Dakota State found some momentum, going up 45-26 at the break. The Jackrabbits’, Daum, was a force in the opening 20 minutes, scoring 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, which included three three-pointers. The Pioneers were held to just 40.6 percent (13-for-32) shooting in the period. The second half wasn’t much different, as DU couldn’t get enough stops on the defensive end to generate some momentum and eat into the Jackrabbits’ lead. Denver got to within 15 points after a three from Rosga made it 71-56 in favor of SDSU. The three gave the junior 1,100 career points and put him in a tie for 26th on the all-time scoring list. South Dakota State quickly extended its lead back to 23 points after a pair of free throws from Daum, upping his point total to 34. The Jackrabbits kept the high lead the rest of the way, locking up the victory and remaining unbeaten in league play. Denver returns to the court for part two of its four-game road trip with two more contests next week. They face Omaha on Jan. 18. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Nikky Johnson | Sports Editor
Caitlin Gannam | Clarion
JAN. 17, 2018
DU CLARION
SPORTS | 5
Women’s Basketball steals a win over North Dakota
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U’s women’s basketball team started slow against North Dakota State on Saturday, but the Pioneer offense went off, overpowering the Bison, 98-79. The Pioneers improved to 11-8 and 2-2 in the Summit League, while NDSU fell to 7-11 and 0-4 in the Summit. Sophomore guard Lauren Loven (Scottsdale, Ariz.) led the Crimson and Gold to the victory with 18 points. Three other Pioneers scored in double figures including freshman guard Claire Gritt (Arlington Heights, Ill.) with 17, freshman forward Grace White (Redby, Minn.) with 13 and senior forward Jordyn Alt (North Oaks, Minn.) who added 12, guiding the team to a high end score of 98. As a team, the Pioneers shot 42.One percent from both the field (32-for-76) and behind the arc (16-for-38). A previous season high of 15 three-pointers against Chadron State was replaced, as the squad let 16 three-pointers fall for the new season-high. Denver earned 46 total rebounds, handed out 20 assists and forced 18 turnovers from the Bison. Gritt led the team in rebounds with eight, while senior guard Ciera Morgan (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) counted six assists.
The Bison started the game strong, with a 7-2 lead early in the first half. But, DU was quick to respond, with four unanswered points from Alt and junior
21-16. In the second quarter, the Pioneers refused to give up, and Denver found its niche offensively outscoring North Dakota State 14-2 over the next five min-
Caitlin Gannam | Clarion
guard Samantha Romanowski (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.). The Bison led by at least one point throughout the first quarter, but with just one minute to play, Romanowski drained Denver’s first three of the contest and slashed the North Dakota State lead to only three. At the end of the first quarter, the Bison continued to control the momentum, leading
utes, thanks to threes from sophomore guard Briana Johnson (Carson, Calif.), White and Alt. A deepshot from Gritt, followed by a free throw from sophomore forward Madison Nelson (Dover, Minn.) put the Pioneers up by eight at halftime, 47-39. The eight-point lead was the biggest advantage the Pioneers held in the first half.
The offense continued to roll for the Pioneers into the second half, as the team outscored the Bison 5-2 to start the third period, pushing its lead to 11. After North Dakota State cut the lead down to eight, Gritt scored two and drew a foul. Despite missing the free throw, the Pioneers got the ball back and sophomore guard Abi Curtin (Sydney, Australia) put up a three, giving the squad a lead of 11. Just a few moments later, with NDSU down by only nine, DU used a 13-5 run, highlighted by threes from Gritt and Loven to extended the advantage to 17 points, 72-55. Continuing to fight, North Dakota State outscored Denver, 5-2 over the final two minutes of the third, but the Pioneer squad still held the lead, 76-60. The Bison got within 12 points thanks to a Reilly Jacobson layup with just over seven minutes to play. But the DU advantage was too much for North Dakota State to overcome, resulting in the 98-79 victory in Denver’s favor. Denver returns to the court on Thursday, as they head to Omaha to face the Mavericks.
Nikky Johnson | Sports Editor
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| SPORTS
Explore the intersection of social justice and sustainability.
JAN. 17, 2018
JAN. 17, 2018
DU CLARION
OPINIONS | 7
Addressing harassment at the State Capitol A
strong presence hanging over the beginning of the Colorado General Assembly’s legislative session on Jan. 10 was the matter of sexual harassment at the statehouse, a problem described in detail by a Denver Post story that broke before the holidays last month. Sexual harassment reports have come in from numerous lawmakers, aides and interns, giving a wider view of the prevalence of sexual misconduct within the Colorado legislature, a topic that the Post placed as number two on its list of the top eight issues of the 2018 legislative season. What the coverage of this topic has revealed most clearly is a dysfunctional culture at the statehouse, one in which misconduct is widespread and handling is questionable. A thorough review of the General Assembly’s policy and an examination of the culture as a whole is desperately needed. The current policy, created by the General Assembly for those exempt from personnel laws (such as lawmakers), places a strong emphasis on confidentiality and allows for a high level of discretion in investigations. Lawmakers take complaints to chamber leadership (and staff
take complaints to legislative directors), and each complaint is judged to determine if it is substantive. Investigations are then confidential, if an investigation happens at all, and according
male party leaders who ultimately end up being in charge of filed complaints, and the transparency of this process is minimal. Even more, many accusers fear destabilization of their
Photo courtesy of The New York Times Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
to the Post, it is not clear how well the General Assembly even tracks these complaints. Punishment or decision can vary greatly based on the people involved. There are obvious problems with this policy, many of which female lawmakers have already pointed out—oftentimes, it is
careers if they were to enter the process, especially since the bar is fairly high for determining what complaints are “substantive.” Before the break in December, lawmakers voted to bring in an outside consultant to evaluate the current harassment policies. This is clearly a needed
step. The General Assembly has already attempted to write a policy and has clearly not yet found the right process for reporting or struck the correct balance between confidentiality and transparency. Determining how to protect the confidentiality of those involved while also not permitting secret or ignored reports should be a major focus of this evaluation. But as many close to the issue have already argued, a cultural change will also have to be a part of this. A stronger policy can be a step, but is not an ultimate solution in itself. Greater recognition of the scope of these events and a much lower level of tolerance for such behavior is necessary at the statehouse. We also need more women in leadership positions, more support for women striving for these positions, and a greater willingness to confront problems as they arise. These changes in culture have already been set in motion at various levels around the country, and we must ensure that they continue in a direction that will empower women and accusers, not defame them.
Elizabeth Lochhead | Opinions Editor
The FCC’s damaging net neutrality vote O
n Dec. 14, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on a 3-2 decision to roll back the 2015 Obama-era policy requiring stronger oversight for broadband companies. This decision affects everyone who uses the internet, but the FCC’s decision has other implications, especially for students. With the FCC decision to divide the internet into slow lanes and fast lanes, extra fees are almost sure to be applied for consumers. These additional charges would make services like free tutorials, streaming and other forms of distance learning less accessible to the user. However, students at institutions like DU will most likely not feel effects like many lower-income and rural families will experience. But just because some students at DU might not feel the effects as strongly as others doesn’t mean those effects won’t exist. The added costs for experimental forms of learning continue to contribute to the educational gap between lower-income populations and higher-income populations. Additionally, this has effects for students who already have difficulties affording the high costs of textbooks and often seek alternative options through sites like Amazon or other open source materials.
The Internet Order treated broadband internet service providers as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act. With this protection, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) were required to treat all internet traffic equally which prevented them from blocking or interfering with access to any particular websites or internet functions, like apps or other resources. ISPs now have to disclose any steps they take to limit or sell special access, which the FCC has termed “Restoring Internet Freedom.” Teachers and other educators have already been victimized by broadband providers. Broadband companies, like AT&T have already been accused of discriminating against low income neighborhoods. After data was collected from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) and Connect Your Community (CYC) in Cleveland, Ohio, it was found that low income areas in Cleveland are much less likely to have the ability to download at a higher speeds than adjacent suburban communities. AT&T failed to upgrade the network in the low income Cleveland neighborhoods, while integrating high-speed fiber network options in wealthier areas. This “digital redlining” will only be exacerbated as a result of the recent FCC decision. Low-in-
Photo courtesy of Connor W. Davis
come areas will most likely be disregarded because they are simply not profitable. The FCC, under the direction of five people, made the decision to repeal net neutrality despite overwhelming support from the American people. If the decision wasn’t enough, the FCC net neutrality repeal was corrupted by over 50,000 complaints that were excluded from the FCC’s repeal docket. The FCC unrightfully, and knowingly, finalized the Internet Freedom decision after allegations that the decision process was skewed after thousands of fake and automated comments were sent in advocating for internet freedom. It isn’t too late to act on the
FCC’s decision. Congress is still able to stop the decision with a Congressional Repeal Act. To act, text BATTLE to 384-387 to contact Congress and stop the FCC from furthering the educational divide, and restricting information or visit battleforthenet.com. For more information on net neutrality and the role you can play, Dr. Gus Hurwitz of the University of Nebraska and Dr. Derigan Silver are hosting “Untangling the Web of Net Neutrality” this Thursday, Jan. 18 from 12:00p.m.- 1:00 p.m. in Sturm Law, room 125.
Madelyn Gaharan | Contributing Writer
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JAN. 17, 2018
| OPINIONS
PIONEER VOICES Question of the week:
What class are you most excited for this quarter?
“The class I’m most looking forward to is Convivencia: Muslims, Christians and Jews in the Iberian Peninsula.”
“I’m probably most excited for my calculus class because I only went so far in high school so I’m excited to continue it.”
Grace Houser, Second Year
Lucia Calatayud, First Year
“The class I’m most excited for is Intro to Neurobiology. I haven’t taken a biology class in a while and I’m excited to get back into it.”
“The class I’m most looking forward to is my Advanced Chinese class because after just coming back from China, I finally learned to love Chinese.”
April Vollmer, Second Year
Claire Caviglia, Third Year
JAN. 17, 2018
DU CLARION
OPINIONS | 9
A case for reading more books
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n Dec. 31, 2017, former President Barack Obama shared his book list of the year, once again demonstrating that reading (fiction and nonfiction alike) holds an important place in his life, as it should more often for us, too. Obama’s love of books has been public knowledge for some time—The New York Times pub-
Photo courtesy of MPR News
lished an article about Obama’s reading habits while he was in the White House, and his sharing of the years’ book lists has also become a tradition. This prompts the thought that if a man with the life and career of former President Obama can afford the time to read—and not just nonfiction works but novels—then we should be able to do the same.
Reading novels is often done for the sake of enjoyment or to fill spare time, but it also can serve another purpose, a purpose which former President Obama no doubt realized, which is to give us more personal insights into human emotions and decisions than we might find anywhere else. Novels explore how we think and feel, what motivates our decisions and what changes our beliefs of morality. Sometimes it can even be easier to understand the perspective of a certain kind of person through the inner dialogue of a book character than through more guarded real-life interactions. The more we read, the more bits of knowledge we have to piece together to try to understand the people around us. Reading novels throughout the year is frequently seen as a valuable activity, but one for which students or adults don’t have the time. Books have the capacity to make us better people, but they are also worth the time because they make us better in our work. Business and the social sciences are the most popular majors at DU, and these are subjects that hinge on human behavior, decisions
PIONEER FUNNIES
and reasoning. Understanding various perspectives (of clients, superiors, program recipients) is essential if you aim to be a good businessperson, economist, public servant or diplomat. Studying history and theory and data about how people behave is largely how these subjects are taught. But novels offer a missing piece—studying voter behavior, for example, can say a lot about Americans’ preferences, but books reveal values and backgrounds in a more patient, personal light. A social scientist who reads novels is a social scientist who examines more carefully the lives of those they impact. Book recommendations are not hard to come across. Sources like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and NPR have just put out their 2017 lists, and we should all make an effort to read more this year. President Obama called books “a reminder of the truths under the surface of what we argue about every day.” Being reminded of these truths makes us more compassionate and open-minded people, the kinds of people of which the world always needs more. Elizabeth Lochhead | Opinions Editor
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| ARTS
JAN. 17, 2018
& LIFE
Poet Sandra Lim gives reading and workshop at DU
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he Creative Writing Program hosted Sandra Lim for the program’s first reading of 2018 on Jan. 11. Lim is the author of her most recent collection called “The Wilderness” (W.W. Norton, 2014) which was selected by Louise Glück for the 2013 Barnard Women Poets Prize. She earned a BA at Stanford University, an MFA at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop and a doctorate in English at UC Berkeley. Born in Seoul, Korea but raised in California, Lim’s poetry addresses the internal spaces of an individual’s consciousness with great sensitivities,– the celestial, the social, the romantic and the private. Her sparse compositions often veered into the darker, less frequently inhabited places in our minds: “In the way that stars keep their distance / Love, uninvited, hangs in the blood / In an anticipation crossed with absence / Taking
on an aspect of the Orient.” Held in a Sturm lecture hall, the event drew a sizeable crowd for a Thursday night. Lim’s presence was unassuming, and after mentioning that she was testing out some new poems, she was bashful and modest behind the podium. The majority of what she read was taken from “The Wilderness,” including the poem “Amor Fati,” Latin for “the love of fate.” Lim has a knack for surprise. A poem would often begin with light, naturalist imagery only to be disrupted with the “enormous humor of a human skull.” As a writer, she understands the necessity for the strange and grotesque aspects and the ways to tap into the reader’s unknown, internal reservoirs of emotional energy. She masterfully glides through the normal into the forsaken without batting an eye. Lim’s reading voice is placid, like a filled, waiting bathtub. Her
Photo University of Massachusetts-Lowell
words wash over and envelop her listeners, not only beautiful in meaning, but in sound, space and tide-like rhythm. Lim hosted a workshop on Jan. 12 during which she gave a talk about her writing process, and gave attendees exercises and prompts to help during their writing process.
For information about upcoming readings, department events and workshops, contact Brian Kiteley at brian.kiteley@du.edu or request to be placed on the department mailing list at Englishmaj-l@ du.edu. Kendall Morris | Arts & Life Editor
Photo courtesy of FOX Searchlight
Clarion staffers share 2018 pop culture anticipations
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ransparent–Season 5: The 2018 premier of “Transparent” season five is definitely on the top of my list. If you’ve yet to watch the series, it’s the recipient of a Golden Globe and multiple Emmys, and it welldeserved them. Its gritty depictions of the interior lives of a Southern Californian family are almost too believable. You’re bound to leave the show with a greater perspective for the complex lives we lead in search of love and purpose, and you’ll definitely laugh along the way, too. –Kendall Morris, Arts & Life Editor Isle of Dogs: The first thing that comes to mind is the release of Wes Anderson’s new film, “Isle of Dogs,” which premieres March 23. I’m a huge fan of Anderson as a director; he just has such quirky, beautiful films with the best casts and amazing music. My favorite film of his is “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” and he created “Isle of Dogs” with the same stop-motion animation style, so I’m especially excited about that. – Taryn Allen, Arts & Life Editor Fourth addition to the Cormoran Strike series: I am looking forward to the next Cormoran Strike novel,
the latest book in the mystery series written by J.K. Rowling under the pen name Robert Galbraith. The release date of the book has not been confirmed yet, but it is expected to come out sometime in 2018. A good mystery novel is always a pleasure, especially when written by the Potter creator whose clever voice can’t even be masked by a pseudonym. –Ellie Lochhead, Opinions Editor New music: 2018 is going to be another year of shifting sound and meaning within the world of popular music. 2017 was a year of new sounds, of different ways of communicating beautiful thoughts through music. I look forward to 2018 continuing that trend. The sonic landscape is ripe for experimentation nowadays, and who knows what certain artists can come up with in 2018. Maybe new Kanye? –Justin Cygan, Copy Editor Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: I’m very excited for the release of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” in December. After three Spider-Man reboots over the last decade, this new movie will focus on Miles Morales rather than Peter Parker, which is exciting in its own right. I’m
also very excited because this movie has an absolutely amazing art style that combines the art of comic books with a futuristic use of color to really make this movie a marvel. –Caitlan Gannam, Photography Editor “Winds of Winter”: Fans of George R. R. Martin, creator of “Game of Thrones,” know that Martin has indicated that the sixth book in the seven-book series is very likely to be finished soon, hopefully in 2018. Last January, Martin said that he planned to have it done in 2017, but also admitted that he said the same thing the year before. The sooner “The Winds of Winter” is printed the better so that loyal fans can continue living in the lands of Westeros and the North until season eight comes out on HBO in 2019. –Maya Pinon, Copy Editor Atlanta–Season 2: Donald Glover has proven himself to be one of the most innovative talents in the industry. Fans of Glover or of comedies in general should look forward to March 1 for the premiere of “Atlanta,” season two. Focusing on two cousins trying to prevail in the Atlanta rap scene, Glover used the show’s gritty, grounded presence in
the first season and was able to develop memorable episodes each capable of solid storytelling whilst still being an entertaining comedy. In this golden age of television, do not let “Atlanta” fall by the wayside. –Daniela Santos, News Editor Ocean’s 8: Heist movies are one of my deepest media loves, and “Ocean’s 11” is a king among men in that subgenre. The upcoming all-female “Ocean’s 8” is on its way to being the queen among men. Its all-star cast features big names like Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna and a slew of others. The trailer alone has me insanely hyped (almost entirely for Rihanna’s badass, hacker character) and, at this point, the movie could do almost anything and still be groundbreaking with its female ensemble cast in the realm of male-dominated action films. Even without considering the cultural significance and inevitable internet debates, the movie is bound to be a blast and is well worth heading to theaters to see. –Monica McFadden, Podcast Editor Clarion Staff
JAN. 17, 2018
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Winter Quarter guide of what to study to study abroad
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tudy abroad is the the best of times and the worst of times. While I can guarantee that it’s one of the most fun and amazing experiences you will ever have, it can be stressful getting there. However, with the help of this checklist, and the checklist the Office of International Education provides for you on the website, hopefully it will make the process a little easier. The first and most fun part is picking which programs seem like the best fit for you. While it can be hard to not dive head first into the the programs brochure, be sure to attend the First Step Session the OIE offers. While there are sessions online, the best way to get all the necessary information is to go to one of the in-person sessions. With the session, you will be able to better figure out where you want to study abroad. Another good
way to help you figure out where to study abroad, as well as a required step, is meeting with an OIE advisor. These advisors are available per country and will help you in any way that they can. Once you have attended a meeting and met with an OIE advisor you can finally start searching for which program you would want to attend and open up an application. While looking at programs, there are many attributes you can attach to your search, including GPA, location, language and housing. Remember though, while studying abroad in Italy, for example, and eating pasta all the time sounds really awesome, don’t go unless you know you will be able to thrive i.e speak Italian. All the applications will be unique to each program. While there are required essays you
Sydney Kapp | Clarion
must write for DU study abroad, the universities you apply to may have you write additional essays, as well. Along with that, some programs need passport information or letters of recommendation. In order to keep track of all of this, make sure to read up thoroughly on your program in the program brochure. The biggest piece of information I can give you is to have your application completed by Jan. 18 if you plan on studying abroad in either Fall Quarter 2018; summer 2018 applications are due March 30. Once you have completed those necessary steps, your Program Application Page (Pre-Decision) will guide you on the next steps. Those include forms like your Program Choices & Essays and your Student Information Form, which has you enter your passport and academic informa-
tion. On your application, you will see the Signature section, as well, which will have the Authorization to Release Information, the DU Study Abroad Policies, the Risks & Responsibilities Agreement and Release and the Student Responsibility Statement you will need to electronically sign. While this may seem like a lot, it’s all necessary to study abroad, and if anything seems confusing, the OIE advisors are a phone call, email and appointment away. Although this may all seem a tad overwhelming, it will be worth it once you’re finally abroad. After all the adventures, all the laughs and all the new food you will inevitably eat, all the application stress will be long forgotten. Sydney Kapp | Staff Writer
Sydney Kapp | Clarion
Preview and predictions for the upcoming Grammys
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he 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards will premiere on Jan. 28 at 5:30 p.m. MST. The show, hosted by James Corden (“The Late Late Show”), will be broadcasted live on CBS from Madison Square Garden. There are a total of 84 categories of nominations for the GRAMMYs in many different fields, from the well-known like Pop and Rap to the lesser-known like New Age and World Music. With the inclusion of Jazz, Latin, Country, Reggae, Gospel
and more, there is certainly something for everyone’s taste at the show. The categories to watch will be the general ones: Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best New Artist. Record Of The Year has “Redbone” (Childish Gambino), “Despacito” (Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber), “The Story of O.J.” (JAY-Z), “HUMBLE.” (Kendrick Lamar) and “24K Magic” (Bruno Mars) nominated. Clarion pre-
diction: “Redbone.” Album Of The Year will be decided between “Awaken, My Love!” (Childish Gambino), “4:44” (JAY-Z), “DAMN.” (Kendrick Lamar), “Melodrama” (Lorde) and “24K Magic” (Bruno Mars). Clarion prediction: “DAMN.” Song Of The Year nominations include “Despacito” (Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber), “4:44” (JAYZ), “Issues” (Julia Michaels), “1-800-273-8255” (Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid)
and “That’s What I Like” (Bruno Mars). Clarion prediction: “Despacito.” Finally, nominees for Best New Artist include Alessia Cara, Khalid, Lil Uzi Vert, Julia Michaels and SZA. Clarion prediction: Khalid. See the full list of categories and nominations on the GRAMMYs website.
Taryn Allen | Arts & Life Editor
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JAN. 17, 2018
DU Theatre’s “The Whale” deserves more than one night D eath looms above Charlie (Anthony Adu), a morbidly obese man who teaches online writing courses in “The Whale” by Samuel D. Hunter. Charlie’s days are spent slogging through the mediocre and unmotivated writing of the ungrateful students he instructs from his laptop. As a teacher he desperately tries to help his students see past the monotonous nature of their work and guide them to embrace their passions. However, Charlie’s efforts to enlighten are mostly in vain, despite his passionate recitation of one student’s essay on Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick.” This staged reading, directed by senior Isaiah Adams, touches on serious themes including parenting, religion and marriage while still successfully infusing a healthy number of laughs in a runtime just short of two hours. Charlie lives alone in Idaho, struggling with his weight and a
past that includes an estranged daughter, a deceased boyfriend and a complex relationship with organized religion. Weighing in at over 500 pounds, Charlie is heavily reliant on his nurse Liz (Lois Shih) who urges him (unsuccessfully) to seek medical attention. Liz devotes herself to caring for Charlie, but is deeply skeptical of Elder Thompson (Drew Harrilchak), a Mormon missionary who visits Charlie. Thompson attempts to offer Charlie the spiritual guidance of the Church, but Charlie is far more interested in an episode from the past involving the church and his ex-lover. Further details about Charlie emerge with the reappearance of his angsty and challenging teenage daughter Ellie (Katie Goodwin). Ellie enlists her father to help her write her final essays all while hurling a torrent of verbal abuse at her father and the rest of the world.
Ellie is seeing her father for movements and commitment the first time in 15 years and to the physicalization of a without the permission of her much larger man. While Charmother Mary (Shelby Lynhall). lie remains mostly stationary Mary abruptly enters Charlie’s throughout the play, his brief apartment to confront him moments of movement, notably about their broken past and his attempts to stand from his Ellie’s future. couch, are particularly poignant. After less than 12 hours of Despite his enormous size, Charrehearsal, the cast transformed lie appears remarkably small in the Byron Theatre into the these moments. intimate living room of a sad, “The Whale” remains hopeless man. With no technical anchored to Charlie and his elements, the performers suc- quest to help others realize their cessfully navigated the complex passion, but its excellent cast themes covered by the script of ensemble characters creates into a performance with consid- a more profound reflection on erable emotional punch. larger motifs. Few of the characters are The DU Department of clear cut and many complex Theatre’s next show will be backstories emerge in the course “Cradle Two Grave,” Feb. 1-11. of the story. Ellie’s unpredictable The department will also presantics lead to a surprising reve- ent “Trojan Women,” Feb. 22lation about Elder Thompson, March 4. Tickets are $10 and while Mary’s return prompts can be purchased at Newmantix. Liz to discover Charlie has been com. lying to her for years. Adu captures the essence of Charlie through his laboured Andrew Smalley | Contributing Writer
Photo Courtesy of Vogue
Social movements steal the Golden Globes spotlight
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resented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards premiered on the evening of Jan. 7. Coverage of the event started early in the day, as usual, but the red carpet looked quite different this year. In an inspiring wave of unity, every actor and actress in sight wore black to stand behind the Time’s Up movement, a sweeping motion declaring that “the clock has run out on sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace.” Furthermore, the social commentaries did not stop once the show started, with host Seth Meyers (“Late Night”) using his opening monologue to blatantly address the issues on everyone’s mind. “Good evening, ladies and remaining gentlemen.” was his opening line, which set the stage for him to mention people like Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and President Trump, and also
for him to jokingly acknowledge the challenges he faced as a white man being asked to host the awards show in today’s social climate. To recap the big categories: “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” won Best Motion Picture - Drama, while “Lady Bird” won Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. Best Television Series - Drama went to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” while “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” claimed the same for Musical or Comedy. For Best Performance in a Motion Picture - Drama, Gary Oldman (“Darkest Hour”) and Frances McDormand (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”) won. For this same in Musical or Comedy, James Franco (“The Disaster Artist”) and Saoirse Ronan (“Lady Bird”) took home awards. “Big Little Lies,” “This Is Us” and “Coco” claimed various
awards, and other titles like “The Greatest Showman,” “Call Me By Your Name,” “I, Tonya,” “The Shape of Water” and “The Post” presented impeccable casts, directors, composers and the like, leaving viewers scrambling to get their hands on any and all of the titles featured in the awards show. Aside from the actual awards, Seth Meyers was not the only one to tackle current events and welcome social change in a speech. The night was full of inspiring words and bold jabs Photo courtesy of NBC News at Hollywood and the United States: Sterling K. Brown (“This is Us”), accepting an award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama, gave a passionate thank-you for being recognized as more than just a token black man in the acting world. Natalie Portman subtly added the phrase “allmale” when announcing the director nominees. Still more
people addressed the #MeToo movement and connected with Tarana Burke, the woman who started the campaign, who attended the show. Perhaps the highlight of the evening, though, was Oprah Winfrey’s acceptance speech upon receiving the Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement. She seized the opportunity to comment on the #MeToo movement, to educate the world on Recy Taylor’s case, to address the fact that she was the first black woman to receive this award and to say, full of hope, that “a new day is on the horizon.” Her words left many in tears and reopened the “Oprah 2020” discussion in politics and media. To get all the details on the Golden Globes, check out the full list of 2018 nominees and winners. Taryn Allen | Arts & Life Editor