It’s the middle of the night. Traffic is dying down, allowing the soft hum of darkness to take over. A loud crack, fol-lowed by a dull thud, disturbs the evening’s peace. The noises continue

throughout the night. Come morning, fam-ily and friends enter the cemetery only to find sev-eral headstones scattered across the grass. Between 12 and 24 grave markers were van-dalized at the Fountain Fairview Cemetery on Aug. 13 and 14. Many of the stones date back to the late 1800s or early 1900s. “This is really sad. They don’t have any more family to take care of the stones,” said An-nette Saumure-Barnhart, a previous Fountain resi-dent. Saumure-Barnhart is the daughter of George Saumure, a former Foun-tain city councilman. Earlier in the sum-mer, history instructor Barbara Headle’s UCCS class “Cemeteries, Lega-cies and American His-tory” toured the cemetery. The group was studying the history of the grave-stones. Kimberly Sweetwood,

one of the students, ex-pressed indignation about the incident. “I was so an-gry,” she said. Sweetwood channeled her anger into motivation and constructed a fund-raiser. “A couple others [and I] immediately said, ‘OK, what are we going to do?’” she said. The Cemetery Crawl – not literally a “crawl” but a guided tour – will take place Nov. 3 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Attendees will receive a one-hour tour through designated paths in the Fountain Fairview Cemetery. Some 20 UCCS students have volunteered to wear cos-tumes and act out educa-tional skits. The slow-moving tour will provide guests with six stations that are “head-stones and gravestones plots of people who were influential in the pioneer-ing and settlement of Fountain,” Sweetwood explained.

Headle and Sweetwood teamed with the City of Fountain, the Fountain Valley Preservation So-ciety, Fountain Valley Foundation, Fountain Valley Historical Society and Museum and many others to make this event

possible. Tickets are $10 per per-son, and children younger than 12 are free. The mon-ey will be put into a fund to restore the stones. “The goal is to raise $2,013 by 2013,” Sweetwood said. Sweetwood is request-

ing donations of clothing for the volunteers from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Also, the group is in need of three additional male actors. If interested, contact Kimberly Sweet-wood at ksignsasl@gmail.com.

Students and faculty on campus are reminded to keep a watchful eye and help Public Safety prevent incidents of theft. In the past year, there’s been a slight increase of theft on campus. Between 2009 and 2010, theft in-creased from 51 to 72 in-cidents; in 2012, it rose to 74, according to the latest Annual Security Report that the university is re-quired to submit. “Seventy-four in a year is not good,” said Jim Spice, director of the De-partment of Public Safety. He added that the campus only has 10 holidays, and for 355 days out of the year, the buildings are un-locked. Spice said that al-though Public Safety is not required to report on the theft rate, the campus chooses to because it’s an issue. He explained that the

biggest problems involve people leaving laptops un-attended, students keep-ing their dorm rooms open and professors leaving of-fices unlocked. Spice noted that places where people congregate and leave their items be-hind – namely the library and the bus – were more likely to have theft. “People tend to go up-stairs to look for books and leave all of their stuff on the tables. It’s not a huge problem right now, but if people continue to vbe too trustworthy…” said library technician Carol Pacheco. She said that theft in the library tends to oc-cur toward the evenings when people leave their purses or laptops. She also added that the night-time hours have more activity from the public patrons, and it’s a tempta-tion if people leave their possessions behind. Pacheco explained that the library staff is alert

and has supervisors walk-ing around during the evening. Still, she added, “I’m surprised I don’t see more of this.”

During the summer se-mester, Joanna Johnson, a senior majoring in ge-ography, looked up some of the campus crime rate

statistics. “I finally got my concealed carry,” she said. “There was a distur-bance in the Financial

Aid office – I guess this guy wasn’t getting his money, so an officer

Continued on page 2 . . .

the cribe

news culture InsideIssue

opinion sportsWaldo Canyon Fire

restorationpage 2

Zombie clubpage 6

2012 electionpage 9

NCSA rankingpage 11this

UCCSweekly newspaperMonday, October 29, 2012

Vol. 37, Iss. 7

Paul Ryan, page 3

Theft rate on campus increases slightly from last yearApril Weflerawefler@uccs.edu

Photo by Nick BurnsAfter several grave markers were vandalized, the Cemetery Crawl on Nov. 3 looks to raise funds to help restore them.

Photo by Nick BurnsThere are simple steps everyone can take to lower the risk of being a victim on campus.

First Annual Cemetery Crawl to raise funds for damaged headstonesSamantha Morleysmorley2@uccs.edu

The LowdownWhat:

First Annual Friends of Fountain Fairview Cemetery Crawl

When:Nov. 3

10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Where:757 South Santa Fe Ave.

Fountain, CO

How much:$10, free for children

younger than 12

More Info: ksignsasl@gmail.com S

The Waldo Canyon Fire is still fresh in the minds of the Colorado Springs community, but the effects of the fire that ended more than three months ago are already fading away. Local vegetation and

wild grass are starting to resurface, and advocate groups are contributing their time and resources to helping the damaged areas recover more quickly. On Oct. 19, Students for Environmental Aware-ness and Sustainability (SEAS) hosted a Waldo Canyon Fire restoration

event to help the Blodgett Peak area recover. The SEAS club was established in 2003 to spread awareness and ad-vocate eco-friendly poli-cies at UCCS. A recent campaign, “Take Back the Tap,” was proposed by a former SEAS member to eliminate plastic bottled

water on campus. The campaign brought new water-filling stations, in places like Cafe ‘65 and the Osborne Center, to re-duce the volume of used plastic water bottles. Andrea Hassler, co-chair of the SEAS club, oversaw the operation earlier this month. “This

is my third time working out in the Blodgett Peak [area] … my first time taking UCCS students out there,” she said. Notable plant life that has begun reappearing includes Gambel oak and mountain mahogany, both species of native wild shrubs that grow between

5,500 and 8,000 feet. The SEAS group, composed of 20 students and faculty, spent roughly four hours in the Blodgett Peak area moving logs and creat-ing semi-natural dams to prevent soil erosion. Hassler said, “The ultimate goal is to speed up the recovery of vegetation to the Hayman burn area. The main impetus behind this is that, after a fire, you lose veg-etation.” Without roots from plant life, rainfall can cause soil erosion and damage the landscape. Despite dis-comforts, the group maintained a positive attitude throughout the day.

“[I was] looking down the hill slope and seeing 20 students and faculty, faces and clothes covered in black char, just digging in the dirt and struggling to carry these huge, heavy logs,” Hassler said. “But [there were] smiles, and everybody was laughing and having a good time.” A large reason for the group working specifi-cally in the Blodgett Peak area is due to politics. “The reason why we’re working in the Blodgett Peak area is because it’s owned by the city. And the city has granted approval for groups to go in and work,” said Hassler. Acres belonging to the U.S. Forest Service are still off-limits to the pub-lic due to safety concerns, and large organizations such as Coalition for the Upper South Platte have been working to restore private property. With colder weather and shorter days, it is im-portant for the area to gain a head-start before the winter temperatures set in and nullify additional plant recovery. SEAS’ next event will be the Public Display of Plastic on Nov. 2 in the El Pomar plaza outside the li-brary. Students interested in becoming active with SEAS can contact the club at seas.club@gmail.com.

showed up and escorted him out,” she said. “I had no idea that you could look this stuff up … why am I finding all this out my last year here?” Spice said that the campus only has a total of 16 officers, and although officers are on campus 24/7, they can’t be every-where at the same time. Generally, there are two or three officers per shift. “We have to rely on the eyes and ears of the com-munity,” he said. Spice noted that the best precautions for students to take are to be aware of their surroundings, report suspicious activity, keep valuables attended, keep things locked and ask a trusted friend to watch the belongings. Additionally, the campus offers a secu-rity awareness and crime prevention program, as well as the National Bike Registry. Students can register their bike, and if it is stolen, it can be re-

covered. Public Safety also leaves postcards in unat-tended offices, explain-

ing that theft can occur that way and reminding people to keep their door locked and closed after

leaving. “If something doesn’t seem, look [or] feel right, report it. We’d rather have

you report something that turns out to be nothing, than not report it,” Spice said.

“It takes a communi-ty,” he said. “This is not something that we can tackle alone.”

News October 29, 2012 Page 2

Theft rate on campus increases (continued from page 1)

Photo courtesy of SEASSEAS members spent four hours restoring the Blodgett Peak burn zone on Oct.19.

SEAS club aids in Blodgett Peak fire restoration effortPeter Farrellpfarrell@uccs.edu

S

Chart courtesy of the 2012 UCCS Annual Security Report

S

Students’ fall course loads may make spring-time planning an after-thought, but with regis-tration for spring classes opening Nov. 5, planning ahead is key.

Freshmen and other students looking to regis-ter for a new set of classes have a range of services to help aid the process. Academic advisors can be a helpful resource for students unfamiliar with registration. They can be accessed through the “Email an Advisor” page on the Student Success Center website or in per-son with an appointment.

Emailing an advisor al-lows students to quickly get feedback and answers for any questions they may have. If those questions can’t easily be answered via email, appointments are also available.

“The Student Success Center will have addition-al walk in advising to help accommodate as many students as possible for spring course planning,” said Academic Advisor Bill Bannister.

Freshmen and any oth-er students needing help

registering for classes can also do a 15 minute walk-in advising session in the Student Success Cen-ter, located in Main Hall Room 208.

Advisors offer walk-in appointments for three weeks Monday through Wednesday starting Oct. 29 until Nov. 14 and are available for students in every major.

Walk-ins are available on a first-come first-serve basis Mondays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except during lunch from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Advisors also offer 30 minute appointments on Thursdays and Fridays and must be scheduled ahead of time. Students more than 15 minutes late for their appointments will have their sessions can-celed.

Students can access self-services at their UCCS portal to find their date and time to register. The portal also allows students to view their holds and to-do list.

Holds need to be taken care of before registration can be completed. Any-thing on the portal’s to-do list will eventually become a hold and should be com-

pleted before registration.The course shopping

cart is available through the student portal and aids with viewing the dates and times of classes and arranging a schedule. Classes can be added to the shopping cart before officially registering.

The Student Success Center’s website has a step-by-step guide to reg-

istering, including how to access the student portal and a guide to searching for classes.

Full course schedules, the 2012-13 course cata-log and information about which advisors to see for each major can also be found there.

Academic advisors sug-gest students access their degree audits and view

the major advising sheets available on the Student Success Center website.

Degree audits al-low students to view the courses necessary to complete their degree and find out how many hours have been completed. The DARS Audits can be ac-cessed through the student portal.

Past the audits, major

advising sheets provide a four-year plan for nearly every major available at UCCS and detail the rec-ommended classes stu-dents should take each semester.

The Student Success Center seeks to make reg-istration as easy a process as possible and is avail-able to any student in need of help.

NewsOctober 29, 2012 Page 3

Photo by Robert SolisStudents looking for help should talk to academic advisors in Main Hall.

Photo by Nick BurnsPaul Ryan came to Colorado Springs for a victory rally as a part of the last push before the election.

Advisors, services available for spring registrationMikaila Ketchersidemketcher@uccs.edu

S

Afternoon sunlight out-lined the crowd streaming into the airline hanger as the doors opened nearly two hours before the vice presidential candidate was

scheduled to speak. On the evening of Oct. 21, the Romney-Ryan campaign held a rally open to the public near the Colorado Springs Munici-pal Airport at 1575 Avia-tion Way. Congressman Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., was

the featured speaker. The Josh Abbott band, a Texas country group, melded notes from their fiddles and guitars with the conversations of people trickling into the building, gradually build-ing in intensity as the light

faded. The energy in the hang-er heightened as people gathered, and the music grew more political in tone, ending one of their more popular songs with improvised lyrics, “She’s like Texas, and she sup-

ports Mitt Romney.” About an hour before Ryan was scheduled to speak, Rep. Doug Lambo-rn, R-Colorado Springs, addressed the audience, opening the rally with the El Paso County Sheriff’s honor guard, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem. In his speech, Lamborn supported Romney’s eco-nomic plans and displayed enthusiasm for Ryan’s up-coming appearance. Kyle Hybl, another Republican and one of the regents of University of Colorado, spoke after Lamborn. Jennifer George, Col-orado House of Repre-sentatives candidate for District 18, was the next speaker, taking the oppor-tunity to describe her own campaign goals as well as support Romney and Ryan. George advocated the need for the government to prepare for future gen-erations, saying that her children inspired her to run for public office. Rock music reverberat-ed over the sound system concert-style, the volume

matching the audience’s anticipation and enthu-siasm while they waited for the main speaker. In between each song, the crowd erupted into ap-plause, expecting Ryan’s appearance. About 20 minutes after he was scheduled to start, the entire back wall of the hanger opened from the center as Rep. Cory Gard-ner, R-Colo., and Ryan stepped onto the stage. Supporters cheered as a united mass of hands and banner-waving. “The last four years have been defined by bail-outs, dropouts and hand-outs,” Gardner said, argu-ing a Romney presidency would be different as he stepped away from the lectern. “Guess what? You got a big choice to make,” Ryan said. “In a little more than two weeks, you’ll look back at this moment. You’ll know that we did what we needed to do to put our country back on the right track, to save our country for our young

Continued on page 4 . . .

Ryan addresses local voters, points to Obama’s failed recordEleanor Skeltoneskelton@uccs.edu

ones that are here with us.” He mentioned fond memories of vacationing in Colorado and compliment-ed the military community, adding, “This is a beautiful state. This is the state that has shown America what leadership looks like. …. You’ve got entrepreneurs, you’ve got immigrants that have [come] here and made a difference, and you’ve got a piece of the finest military the world has ever seen.” “We’re not just pick-ing … who’s going to be president for four more years,” Ryan said. “This is a generation-shaping elec-tion. We are deciding what kind of a people we are going to be and what kind of a country we are going to be for at least a genera-tion.” On the subject of the economic climate and President Obama, Ryan said, “The president – he can’t right his record. He can’t come here and tell you how he’s made things better. He can’t come here and tell you about the peo-ple living in poverty today

– 15 percent of our coun-trymen and women, 46 million people. He can’t tell you about the 23 mil-lion Americans struggling to find work today.” “He won’t even come and tell you about the only thing he [seems] eager to cut in government – that is our military,” Ryan said. “Since he cannot run on his record, he is going to try to distract you, he is going to try to distort and he is going to try and win by default, and we’re not going to fall for it, are we?” Ryan continued, “You know, four years ago, he said when he was run-ning for president that if you don’t have any fresh ideas, you use … tactics to scare voters. That if you don’t have a good record to run on, you paint your opponent as someone peo-ple should run from. You make a big election about small things. That’s exact-ly what he said four years ago, and unfortunately ... that’s precisely what he’s become.” “The president himself [said] on TV a few weeks

ago that he can’t change Washington from the in-side. … If he can’t change Washington, then I say we change presidents,” he said. “We are not going to cut our military,” Ryan as-sured the audience. “We have so much energy in this country. We have so much energy in this state. Let’s use that energy and put people back to work.” Ryan looked to the fu-ture and what a Romney administration would look like. “On day one, when they ask Mitt Romney, ‘Can we build the eastern pipeline,’ he’ll say, ‘Yes, you can build that!’” The vice presidential candidate emphasized the importance of Colorado voters in an election de-cided by only a few swing states. “Colorado, you can de-cide,” he said. “You’re one of the key battleground states. You have the abil-ity in the palm of your voting hands – the ability to shape the future of this country for yourselves and your kids.”

News October 29, 2012 Page 4

Photo by Nick BurnsPaul Ryan visited Colorado Springs for battleground-state support.

Ryan addresses local voters (continued from page 3)

S

CultureOctober 29, 2012 Page 5

A rich, dark history lies in Cragmor Hall. When walking past the building, many have no idea that it served as a tuberculosis sanatorium in the late 1800s and into the early 1900s. Now, stu-dents, faculty and the Colorado Springs community are coming to-gether to unearth Cragmor Hall’s curious past.

Presented by the UCCS Department of Visual And Performing Arts Depart-ment, “The Sun Palace: A Tribute to Cragmor Hall” is a hyperopera, an interac-

tive show, by sound artist Philip Blackburn. The event is titled af-ter the fact that Cragmor’s ideal floor-to-ceiling win-dows were used to drench patients in sunlight, help-ing to treat them. Filled with interactive multimedia experiences for audiences, the interdis-ciplinary opera will take place in Berger Hall. “We’re turning Berger Hall into a huge replica of what Cragmor Sanatorium may have looked like from [a patient’s] eyes,” said Jane Rigler, assistant pro-fessor and interim director of the VAPA Music Pro-gram. Audiences will be taken back in time as they are led through various situa-tions that actual patients at Cragmor Sanatorium may have faced. Participating in every-

thing from reenactments of oscillations to X-rays and vapor rubs, audiences will walk through a feast for the senses that includes music, theater, art and the

lost stories of both the tuberculo-sis-stricken patients and the doctors and nurses who cared for them. “Every single pos-

sible aspect has double and triple meanings,” Rigler said. “Everything has been thoroughly researched.” The hyperopera will shine light on both the in-ternal and external strug-gles that the TB patients had to overcome, remind-ing audiences that those who fought with strength either for their own lives, or to save the lives of oth-ers, were not just patients, doctors or nurses but regu-lar people. “If [audiences] just come curious, and they come with the willingness to be and be present with us in this moment of cele-bration and homage, that’s all we are looking for,” Rigler said. The VAPA chamber and vocal ensembles will per-form, and UCCS nursing students and members of the Colorado Springs com-

munity will help shape the event. Blackburn’s hyperopera gives participants an op-portunity to be enlightened by the humanity and expe-

riences of TB patients. But he’s also provid-ing a detailed account of Cragmor Hall and the role it played in the history of Colorado Springs.

“There are a lot of joyful moments in The Sun Pal-ace, but it’s also touching and moving, and we want to be able to combine those ingredients,” he said.

History of Cragmor Hall brought to life in tributeKellie Alvesaalves@uccs.edu

The LowdownWhat:

The Sun Palace: A Tribute to Cragmor Hall

When:Friday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 3 at 3 p.m.

Where:Berger Hall

How much:Free

More Info: facebook.com/pages/

The-Sun-Palace-A-Tribute-to-Crag-

mor/463478763692135

jrigler@uccs.edu

““We’re turning Berger Hall into a huge replica of what Cragmor Sanatorium may

have looked like.- Jane Rigler, interim director

of the VAPA Music Program

“

Photo courtesy of VAPAThe Sun Palace reflects on Cragmor Hall’s past as a sanatorium.

S

Fast-paced action films and blood-pumping mystery plotlines offer an adrenaline rush, but for one local actor, delivering a strong, thought-provoking story involves

a unique interpretation and performance style. “Sometimes, puppets do an even better job of acting than humans,” said David Simpich, owner and head puppeteer of the Simpich Showcase Marionette Theater. In his one-man shows,

Simpich tries to fuse the lightheartedness of classic tales and the desire for respect that he wants to give his audience, both adults and children alike. In his current show, “Aesop,” Simpich takes on the role of a hunchback slave, presumably

portraying Aesop himself, a narrator who is a part of the show and also interacts with the puppets while on stage. The show is comprised of many of Aesop’s famous fables, including “The Slave and the Lion” – which acts as a catalyst for the entire show – and stories of the stork and the fox, as well as the grasshopper and the ant. However, all of the tales mold together into Simpich’s own, new take on the fables. The stories are so intricately weaved into each other that, at times, the audience may not even know that they’re supposed to be separate narratives. Simpich was inspired by his parents, who introduced him to the world of marionettes and inanimate characters. “They were doll designers for 54 years … their dolls and figures were shipped all over the world,” he said.

Simpich participated in drama during high school and wanted to figure out a way to mix his passion for theater with the art that his parents took part in – the start of what is now his beloved theater. Both his puppets and his parents’ puppets are handmade. The difference between the two is the size of the figures – Simpich’s designs range to about 20 inches tall, while his parents’ were only about a foot in height. Simpich also wants to incorporate life-sized puppets, or at least puppets on a larger scale. “I don’t want to just put on a puppet show,” he said. “I don’t want it to be a condescending performance. I want to give something that can challenge children and be thought-provoking. Not a show where I talk down to them.” A majority of Simpich’s audience, nearly 80 percent, is adults. When

writing a script, Simpich said, “I need to keep that in mind. That I need to appeal to both groups.” Upcoming shows by Simpich include “A Christmas Carol,” in which he will be playing the part of Charles Dickens as he retells the story from his own perspective.

Simpich Showcase tells tale of one man, a life-sized lion and AesopShelby Koteckiskotecki@uccs.edu

The LowdownWhat:Aesop

When:Oct. 31-Nov. 4

Fridays at 7 p.m.Wednesdays, Saturdays,

Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Where:Simpich ShowcaseMarionette TheaterOld Colorado City

2413 W. Colorado Ave.

How much:$8-12

More Info: simpich.com

Photo courtesy of the Simpich ShowcaseDavid Simpich’s shows attract both children and adults.

S

Here are two words I never thought I would hear in the same sentence: “kumquat” and “rubber baby barn car,” spoken so fast it might as well be one word. Yet, during GOCA 121’s Messis Autumni, “Church Car” took these words and made it into a melody of sorts.

Messis Autumni, an Oct. 22 concert, was the first in a series of collaborations featuring the Veronika String Quartet, founded in Moscow in 1989. The concert opened with “Church Car,” one of the most fascinating pieces of the night, a song composed in the 1980s by Charles Amirkhanian. Two people repeated different words over and over and made a melody mainly out of the words “car,” “box,” “kumquat” and included many “bang”

sounds as well. “Church Car” was followed by two pieces from the Veronika String Quartet. In the first, Anton Webern’s 1906 “Rondo for String Quartet,” there was slight squeaking from the instruments, perhaps purposely. The piece was beautiful overall but, in some places, a tad grating. “Rondo for String Quar-tet” included a lovely cello solo, performed by Scott Kluksdahl, who made his debut with the San Fran-cisco Symphony. His solo

was followed by the first violist and then two violin-ists. The musicians, espe-cially the first violinist and the cellist, were deeply involved in their playing, adding another element to the music. They felt the passion and despair in the piece. After the Veronika String Quartet, members of the Ensemble Peak Frequency and members of the quartet performed “Infinito Nero,” which began with the sounds of church bells, fol-

lowed by a breathing-type sound. The breathing was fol-lowed by silence, then more breathing (played by flute and clarinet) and more silence, and it continued like this for some time. Eventually, the singer speaks up, startling the crowd, which expected more silence and breath-ing. The other instruments played a little, but they only became noticeable if the singer reached a high pitch.

The “Infinito Nero” might have been some kind of nightmare or internal struggle because the singer talked as well as sang, and what she said (it was in-comprehensible) sounded like she was fighting with herself. Later in the piece, the percussion made the sound of a beating heart, which also gave the impression that the piece might have been about a nightmare. At times, it was slow and unsettling, though largely dramatic.

Culture October 29, 2012 Page 6

People felt uneasy when the Centers for Dis-ease Control and Preven-tion (CDC) published an article about preparing for the zombie apocalypse. Yet some are taking the CDC’s warning into ac-count and are planning ahead. Students who wish to prepare for this disaster can look into the Zombie Awareness, Preparation and Protection (ZAPP) club at UCCS. ZAPP was formed as a response to the CDC arti-cle and recent movies de-picting zombie outbreaks. Club members discuss theories about how zom-bies will emerge, watch zombie movies and dis-cuss survival techniques should an outbreak occur.

Brenden Valdez, the president of the club, ex-plained that “the most prevalent theory concern-ing a zombie outbreak is a mutated viral infection.” Valdez went on to ex-plain his top tips for sur-viving the zombie apoca-lypse. “You want to have a safe house,” he said. “That’s the first step. Set-tle there, assess the situ-ation and make decisions from there.” Valdez suggested hav-ing a basic survival kit ready to go with items such as food and a first-aid kit. Staying away from highly populated areas, such as malls or schools, is important. “They all seem like safe places, but all it takes is one infected, and everyone’s infected.” While it is important to stay away from populated areas, forming a zombie

survival team is just as crucial. “You don’t want to isolate yourself,” Val-dez said. He suggested a group of 10-15 people at the most. A diverse group of people is preferable, with skills ranging from basic wil-derness survival to hard-ened combat veterans. Students may be con-cerned that with all of the disaster theories sur-rounding the year 2012, the zombie apocalypse may occur within the next couple months. While Valdez is pre-pared for a possible zom-bie outbreak, he is not convinced it will happen anytime soon. “I’m sure there are people who think it will happen soon, but I’m not so convinced. But it’s always good to be prepared.” The CDC has a similar

stance to Valdez when it speaks of being prepared for a disaster and the like-lihood of a zombie infes-tation. Under “Zombie Pre-paredness” on the CDC website (cdc.gov/phpr/zombies), CDC Direc-tor Ali Khan wrote, “If you are generally well equipped to deal with a zombie apocalypse you will be prepared for a hurricane, pandemic, earthquake, or terrorist at-tack.” Students who are se-rious about the zombie apocalypse and those who are skeptical are all wel-come to attend the ZAPP club meetings. “The club is meant to be fun,” Val-dez said. “We watch a lot of movies and just talk about zombies.” ZAPP club members are still working on set-

ting up regular days and times for meetings. Any-one interested in learning

more about the club can email Valdez at bvaldez@uccs.edu.

ZAPP helps prepare students for the zombie apocalypseSarah Palmaspalma@uccs.edu

Photo by Tyler AndersonBrenden Valdez is the club president of ZAPP.

S

Veronika String Quartet demonstrates art of breathing, silenceApril Weflerawefler@uccs.edu

Rating:

The Veronika String Quartet performed at GOCA 121 amid church bells, silence and a collaboration of vocal melody.

Photo by Nick Burns

S

CultureOctober 29, 2012 Page 7

Spiders may be the scari-est arachnids around, and they play on the primal fears that nearly all humans face. “You may have a huge, invisible spider living in your skull. This is not a metaphor,” warns David Wong in his new book, “This Book is Full of Spi-ders: Seriously, Dude, Don’t Touch It.” The novel balances clever humor with spine-chilling horror and never lets up on suspense. Wong’s real name is Jason Pargin, and he is the senior editor of the hu-mor website cracked.com. Readers familiar with the site will enjoy Wong’s oc-casional references to pop-ular articles. “This Book is Full of Spiders” is the sequel to “John Dies at the End.” While the first installment does explain the setting and

characters, reading it isn’t necessary to enjoy the sec-ond book. The protagonist, David Wong, with his best friend John and girlfriend Amy, attempts to save the world from parasitic brain-eating spiders and fail spectacu-larly at it. Now the trio must fight to stay alive in a world on the brink of apocalypse and keep spiders from crawling down their throats. The novel is written as if it were a telling of real-life events, as evidenced by the protagonist having the same name as the author. This makes the novel’s events more personal, en-hancing sympathy for the characters and the reader’s feelings of urgency. Most of the story is told by David, but a few sec-tions are narrated by John and fewer by Amy. David’s narration is familiar to fans of “John Dies at the End.” He is sarcastic, jaded and can crack a joke in just about any situation he gets himself into. John’s sections contain

the expected antics of a nar-rator who is drunk for half the novel. He is an appeal-ing character despite being lazy, snarky and generally unlikeable. These qualities only manage to make his narration more amusing. Amy’s sections, howev-er, are less compelling. Her narration establishes her as more responsible and rea-sonable than her compan-ions but lacks the clever and dirty humor David and John provide. As a result, her sections are dull and lifeless in comparison. The novel illustrates the world’s fall into utter lunacy as confusion and fear reign supreme. With television so dominated by post-apocalyptic shows, “Spiders” is a welcome and unique twist on a common-ly used scenario. Fans of “John Dies at the End” will have greater appreciation for the panic the apocalypse brings, as they know David and John as the bumbling and imma-ture morons they are, and they’re taking the situation seriously.

The book manages to do what so few novels ac-complish – it combines two genres into one balanced masterpiece and does so with two very different fields. The contrast of hu-mor and horror increases the reader’s terror without diminishing the humor. The chapter titles are structured as a countdown to an event, such as “48 Hours Prior to Outbreak” and “8 Days 12 Hours Un-til the Massacre at Ffirth Asylum.” Titling chapters this way builds tension and encour-ages continued reading to find out just what the “mas-sacre” is. Some readers will be put off by the frequently risque humor and vulgar language, but if given a chance, the filthy jokes are extremely entertaining. The book’s only imper-fection is Amy’s occasion-ally tedious narration. The writing style is very casual, mainly because it is meant to be an account by David as he experiences the apoc-alypse, and the frequently

ignored grammar rules can grate on the reader. The fear “Spiders” pro-vokes plays on primal ter-

rors every human has, such as the dark, the unknown, feelings of helplessness – and of course – spiders.

‘This Book is Full of Spiders’ also full of laughter, terrorMikaila Ketchersidemketcher@uccs.edu

Rating:

Photo courtesy of Macmillan Publishing “This Book is Full of Spiders” is by the senior editor of cracked.com.

Most country stars rely heavily on failed romantic interests for their lyrics, but many can learn that dreaming about the im-possible, especially after heartbreak, can be indis-

pensable. With the amount of overplaying her new sin-gle has received since its August release, it’s hard to give the rest of Taylor Swift’s album a chance. But while the main-stream sound of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” has left many fans disappointed, every other track on her newest

CD, “Red,” is worth hear-ing. Not to worry, Swift fans, she’s back with her country-twang voice and brilliant lyricism. “State of Grace” opens the record with a strong country-pop theme and clever wordplay. Swift sings, “These are the hands of fate/You’re my Achilles heel.”

“Red” gives a good example of Swift’s poetic ability. The lines use col-ors to describe the feel-ings at different stages of a relationship: “Los-ing him was blue like I’d never known/Missing him was dark grey all alone/Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met/But loving him was red.” It’s not her only play on words. “All Too Well” uses an intense acous-tic sound behind Swift’s strong voice, singing the lines, “Time won’t fly/I’m paralyzed by it,” and “You … break me like a prom-ise.” Across all genres, al-most every album this year has had at least one track with dubstep chords, and Swift hasn’t been left behind. “I Knew You Were Trouble” shows Swift’s experimentation with the dubstep sound, featuring a catchy techno background to her chorus. It’s a fun song about ignoring the warning signs of people who mean trouble. The same fun style is used in the song “22,” in which Swift describes be-ing 22 years old. She sings about forgetting deadlines and being “happy, free, confused and lonely.” Another memorably

fun song is “Treacher-ous.” Swift sings about how daring it is to cling to hope, how dangerous it is to daydream. The optimis-tic sound indicates that she’s not afraid to dream anyway. Following the angry, pop-sounding “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” is a sweet love track reminiscent of Swift’s classic “Our Song.” “Stay Stay Stay” has a country Tennessee feel, complete with clapping and a bouncy tune to the lines “I just like hangin’ out with you/All the time/All those times that you didn’t leave/It’s been oc-curring to me I’d like to hang out with you/For my whole life.” Featuring a second art-ist tends to slow Swift’s momentum. Her col-laboration with The Civil Wars to record “Safe and Sound” for the “Hunger Games” soundtrack was an exception. This album’s song “The Last Time” feels too slow, and featured artist Gary Lightbody sings the unimaginative rhymes, “Found myself at your door/Just like all those times before/I’m not sure how I got there/All roads they lead me here.” The end of the album

contains slower, redun-dant songs. Her other track with a featured artist, “Ev-erything Has Changed,” is more enjoyable than the first but still lacks the creativity her own songs contain. Swift regains her own style – and positive im-age – at the end of the al-bum. The last two songs are uplifting and happy. “Starlight” is about someone who encouraged her to dream. She sings, “He said, ‘Look at you, worrying so much about things you can’t change/You’ll spend your whole life singing the blues if you keep thinking that way … Don’t you see the starlight, starlight?/Don’t you dream impossible things?’” The last song is the most thoughtful lyri-cally. Swift plays a soft tune about healing from past heartbreaks, singing, “I’ve been spending the last eight months/Think-ing all love ever does is break and burn and end/But on a Wednesday/In a café/I watched it begin again.” Maybe listeners will learn something from Swift’s catchy lines: Dreaming about the im-possible, and trying again after heartbreaking fail-ure, is worthwhile.

Swift’s ‘Red’ album delivers colorful, powerful returnCynthia Jeubcjeub@uccs.edu

Rating:

Photo courtesy of Billboard.com“Red” is Taylor Swift’s fourth studio album.

S

S

Editorial October 29, 2012 Page 8

Letters to the EditorThe Scribe strongly encourages letters to the editor. Letters intend-ed for publication must not exceed 350 words, must be legible and include the writer’s name and contact information. Letters must be submitted to The Scribe via email at scribe@uccs.edu by 5 p.m. on Wednesdays before publication. The Scribe reserves the right to reject letters to the editor that are libelous, obscene or anony-mous and has the right to edit as necessary due to space limita-tions, spelling or other grammatical errors and AP style guidelines.

Distribution PolicyThe following conducts are prohibited by The Scribe: Publication and news rack theft. A person commits the offense(s) of publica-tion and/or news rack theft when he or she willfully or knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over more than one copy of any edition of a publication distributed on or off campus (a “publication” is any periodical that is distributed on a complimen-tary basis). Any person who commits these offences is responsible for compensating The Scribe for any reasonable costs incurred, including, where appropriate, the refunding of advertising fees.

ArchivesAdditional copies of the current publication volume are available in The Scribe’s office. The Scribe keeps issues from the past five volumes for internal use only. The Office of University Archives will handle any request for additional issues from the past five years and before.

AdvertisingIf you, your club, organization or business wishes to advertise with The Scribe, please call (719) 255-3469 or email scribe2@uccs.edu.

the cribeEditor-in-Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara HortonManaging Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jesse Byrnes Copy Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylor HargisNews Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eleanor SkeltonCulture Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cynthia Jeub Opinion/Life on the Bluffs Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aaron CollettSports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tyler BodlakPhoto Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alex Gradisher Business Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mike English Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Emily OlsonDesigner and Photographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Solis Web Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Edwin SatreAd Sales Representatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nikolas Roumell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jamie BurnettPhotographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nicholas Burns Junior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tyler Anderson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joshua Camacho Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April Wefler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Peter Farrell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Samantha MorleyJunior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Blessinger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shelby Kotecki. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kellie Alves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyle Marino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sarah Palma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jonathan Toman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mikaila Ketcherside. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan CooperDistributor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lisa EricksonAdvisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laura Eurich

Contact us:On campus: UC 106Phone: (719) 255-3658Email: scribe@uccs.edu

Follow us: www.uccsscribe.com www.facebook.com/uccsthescribe @uccsscribe

Throwing together a 500-word paper is easy. Completing a 100-point midterm? Done. But when it comes to casting a ballot, people are easily apathetic, don’t get all the details or understand both sides and still refuse to take part. As Americans come together and split their votes down presidential, congressional, state and local lines, voting remains a necessity, not an option. To be fair, Colorado has one of the highest voter turnout rates in the nation; our state is ranked fourth nationally with more than 70 percent of eligible voters casting ballots in the 2008 election. (Less than half of eligible voters in Hawaii, ranked last, bothered to cast a ballot.) But paying attention to news and understanding campaign stances is vital for casting an informed

ballot. Yet according to Pew, only 18 percent of those under 30 say that they are tracking campaign news very closely. That’s nearly half the percentage from just four years ago. Despite less enthusiasm than previous election cycles, there is evidence that younger Americans are becoming more interested in issues like the economy and having jobs after college. Today’s “Millennials”, those people ages 18-29, want to see what Washington can do to tackle the nation’s growing debt and how elected leaders can transfer economic responsibility from the government back to the individual – or at least make them comparable. And as voting and taking part in the democratic process becomes more socially expected, turnout

to advance such issues will also increase. Younger Americans don’t want politicians who blame each other, but they want leaders who show how they can work with others in presenting and implementing a solution. Freedom and rule of law, essential elements for elections, distinguish America from dictatorial nations – whether dominated by a few tyrants or a mob of overly

passionate citizens. Those who pay attention to foreign disputes and campaigns understand the importance of free and fair elections. When thousands have to fear for their lives when casting a ballot in the Middle East or wonder how far they can go in speaking out against their government, freedom and rule of law have been replaced with totalitarian control and intolerance.

As a constitutional republic, voting plays an important role in the function of our society and government. It allows citizens to speak up for candidates that they believe in and speak out against policies that they dislike. But the right to vote does not come without certain consequences. Whether electing Francois Hollande in France, who stands against measures to tackle Europe’s debt woes and who is already advancing policies like banning homework, or reelecting Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, a controversial socialist and sworn enemy of the U.S., a candidate and his or her policies are only as sound as the votes that are cast to elect them. Citizens who rely primarily on emotions as they check a box on a

piece of paper can only expect leaders who utilize such emotions – those who vote out of fear can expect leaders who will govern by using fear. Those who vote as if their voice doesn’t matter will be treated as if they are powerless. Whether considering the state of the economy, civil liberties, foreign wars, drug policies or leadership experience, voting for the next president of the United States – or for state and local representatives and ballot initiatives – should not be taken as lightly as a single collegiate assignment. The next four or more years will be governed by those appointed Nov. 6. And all you have to do is vote.

– The Scribe Editorial Board

Voting is the easiest task you’ll complete all year

Something on your mind?

Email the editor atscribe@uccs.edu

Photo courtesy of Laura Bittner, Flickr.comWill you vote in this election?

S

OpinionOctober 29, 2012 Page 9

Time to wake up, UCCS! As a student and part of the generation that will become the new

leaders of the free world, I feel the need to address something that we often feel about politics – apa-thy I am telling you this with every hopeful and urging bone that I have in my body. There is a need to understand what is going on in the politi-cal world. Politics affects you right now as a stu-dent; it also affects your future and the future of all Americans. Because there is so much is at stake, you need to support President Barack Obama for reelec-tion. Looking back on the

last four years, I see a president who is commit-ted to improving educa-tion. He championed the Race to the Top program, doubled the funding for Pell Grants and cut out the middle man in student loans, which will save tax payers close to $68 bil-lion. He sees the need to support the Department of Education and educa-tion policies in this coun-try, not cut them. By passage of the Af-fordable Care Act, we can stay on our parents’ health insurance until we are 26, making the transi-tion from life at home to

life in the real world that much easier. Through education reform, low-income schools and community colleges are getting more funding than ever, and students are being of-fered more grants to go on to higher education after high school. This president under-stands the need to inno-vate our schools so that we can achieve higher standards by praising charter schools and small class sizes and putting more technology into the classroom. He understands that to compete worldwide, we

need to be number one again, and to make that happen, education must be a top priority. Now I know times are tough and that we have a struggling job market. “No president – not me, not any of my predeces-sors, no one could have repaired all the damage that he found in just four years,” Bill Clinton said. “But he has laid the foun-dation for a new, modern successful economy.” Others will tell you differently. They will say it is easy. They’ll say anyone can do it. Believe me, though, we cannot afford to disman-

tle fundamental programs that make our country great. We cannot afford four years of the other guy. We need change, and we need it now. OK, maybe not right this instant. Reelecting the guy does not mean he will be able to snap his fingers and fix all the problems of the world in one night, nor does it mean he can do it all by himself. It means we must work together to move this country forward. A vote for this president is a vote for a better future. So wake up! Let’s make it work.

President Barack Obama understands student needs

I urge everyone to vote for Governor Mitt Romney this year. Why should you vote for Romney instead of Pres-

ident Barack Obama? Ask yourself the follow-ing question: “Am I bet-ter off today than I was four years ago?” As a fellow college student, you and I are worse off today than we were before Obama took office. There are many reasons for this, but I will focus on the issues that directly impact col-lege students. Many students take out loans to pay for their college education. Obama has said that higher education should be prioritized and made more easily attainable for the youth in this country. If that’s the

case, why has college tuition gone up an aver-age of 25 percent during Obama’s tenure? Every college student who takes out student loans understands that a post-graduation job is necessary to simply pay off the student loan debt accrued while attaining one’s degree. Today, more than 50 percent of college stu-dents move back in with their parents because they cannot find a job in their field. That leads to my next question: Where are all the jobs that were prom-ised with the trillions of dollars spent by the

Obama administration in stimulus? None of us should be content with having to pay higher tuition and have far fewer job pros-pects after graduation. That is not the American dream. The American dream is about prosper-ity. The Obama admin-istration, through over-indulgent spending and waste, has endangered that dream. Unlike Obama, Rom-ney understands how the private sector and job growth work through his time as a business owner and entrepreneur. Romney also knows how to be an effective

executive within a gov-ernment; he was suc-cessful as governor of Massachusetts in reach-ing across the aisle, working with Democrat-ic colleagues to pass im-portant legislation and reform. The only major leg-islation passed by the Obama administration was forced down the throats of the Republi-cans when his party pos-sessed a supermajority in the Congress. Romney will be able to combine his experi-ence in both the private sector and as a governor to help bring the United States back to fiscal re-

sponsibility and prestige in the world economy. He wants to encour-age small businesses to flourish and grow. Small businesses employ more than 97 percent of the country’s work force and are vital in provid-ing jobs to new college graduates. Romney can and will guarantee us all a better, more prosperous future by pulling us out of the economic downward spiral the Obama ad-ministration has sent us tumbling down. Vote this year like your future depends on it – because it does. Vote for Romney.

Your future depends on the election of Mitt Romney

The 2012 elections have stirred up quite the season for political controversy. The Democrats want more progress, and the Republicans are fearful of four more years. This election has also proven to be a large battleground

for the Independent and Libertarian voters. With elections every four years, one can observe that Americans are getting more and more fed up with the whole political system. Yes, the faces change and so do the parties, but the overall direction of government remains constant. So what alternatives to the two-party political machines do we have? Some have suggested voting for Jill Stein (Green Party), Virgil Good (Constitution Party) and finally Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party). With national polls listing Johnson as high as 10 percent, he is considered the viable alternative to the current candidates who face off

in the larger arena. Latest polls from “Politico” show Johnson with 5 percent in Colorado (with Obama at 47 percent and Romney at 47.7 percent). In a state that swings an election, this could prove to be very important for the 2012 election. Johnson has run an honorable campaign this presidential season and tackles all of the main issues facing the country. Although critical of the establishment, he has never once run an attack ad. He’s a candidate for Democrats who have become disenchanted with their own party’s economic policies and also for Republicans who want to go back to the Goldwater years

of believing in small government. While governor of New Mexico, Johnson focused on the most important issue – debt. He not only turned around the state debt and balanced the budget; he was also able to pull off an 11.6 percent job growth rate. New Mexico had the best job growth rate in the country under Gary Johnson. With a $16 trillion national debt and a souring deficit, America must get its finances under control. Johnson himself said, “The math is simple: Federal spending must be cut not by millions or billions, but by trillions. And it must be done today.” Ron Paul may not be on the ballot, but liberty

is. Johnson opposes the PATRIOT Act, NDAA, TSA Security, police stop and frisks, racial profiling, Internet censorship, UN suppression, reproductive choice, education choice, unwarranted searches and seizures, military torture and any other liberty-leeching laws, departments and practices that threaten our freedoms. He does not believe in sacrificing liberty for safety. ACLU rated Johnson the highest on its Presidential Report Card. Johnson will most likely not win, but that should never keep one from contesting the vote and protesting the system.

Ross Perot, a third-party candidate, won nearly 20 percent of the vote in the 1992 election. Although he did not win, the debt and other issues became a hot topic for most Americans. Third parties shake up the playing field. Do not let your two-party friends bully you into voting against Johnson if you believe he’s the best candidate. Johnson supporter Beth Lancaster said it best: “I don’t go to the polls to vote against someone, I go to the polls to vote for the person I believe will be the best person for the job. The only way to bring about true change is to vote for someone who’s proven they can change things for the better. Gary Johnson has done just that.”

Gary Johnson liberty-minded, tackles important issues

Bill CaseyChairman, College Republicansuccsgop@gmail.com

Riley ColtrinChairman, College Democratsrcoltrin@uccs.edu

Michael ManginUCCS Chapter Chair, Young Americans for Libertyuccs.yal@gmail.com

S

S

S

Life on the Bluffs October 29, 2012 Page 10

Campus Chatter

Bring your completed crossword to the Scribe office (UC 106) for a prize! Last week’s crossword answers can be found online at uccsscribe.com.

Crossword

Presidential elections occur once every four years, and election day is only one week away. Many UCCS students are ready to cast their votes, while others are unsure or simply not participating in this year’s election. What do students have to say about the election?

by Sarah Palma, spalma@uccs.edu, photos by Nick Burns

This week at

UCCSTuesday, Oct. 30 Wednesday, Oct. 31 Thursday, Nov. 1 Friday, Nov. 2 Saturday, Nov. 3

Hula Hoop FitnessRec CenterNoon

ZumbaRec Center4:40 p.m.

Stretch and FlexRec Center6 p.m.

Basic DanceRec Center7 p.m.

Philip Blackburn, sound artistBerger Hall7:30 a.m.

AquacizeRec Center5 p.m.

Improv NightClyde’s6 p.m.

Karaoke NightClyde’s6 p.m.

1

2 3

8

17

5

9

4

12

7

15

14

18

6

11

16

13

10

Across2 Gun runners, Vin Diesel (3

Words) (3 Words) 8 Batman villain starting

cash? (2 Words) (2 Words) 9 Incumbent El Paso County

commissioner (2 Words) (2 Words)

10 Romney household game: You're it!

13 Wonky chart maker 15 Second debate arrest (2

Words) (2 Words) 17 5th Congressional District

incumbent (2 Words) (2 Words)

18 CU system government

Down1 Obama's equal rights first (3

Words) (3 Words) 3 Sitcom presidential candidate

(2 Words) (2 Words) 4 Electoral college playground

(2 Words) (2 Words) 5 Crowd-surfing candidate (2

Words) (2 Words) 6 9/11 anniversary attack 7 BLS conspirator, grape guy (2

Words) (2 Words) 11 Oven glove 12 Massachusetts beach shoes

(2 Words) (2 Words) 14 Fowl in jeopardy (2 Words) (2

Words) 16 Colorado's electoral vote

1

2 3

8

17

5

9

4

12

7

15

14

18

6

11

16

13

10

Across2 Gun runners, Vin Diesel (3

Words) (3 Words) 8 Batman villain starting

cash? (2 Words) (2 Words) 9 Incumbent El Paso County

commissioner (2 Words) (2 Words)

10 Romney household game: You're it!

13 Wonky chart maker 15 Second debate arrest (2

Words) (2 Words) 17 5th Congressional District

incumbent (2 Words) (2 Words)

18 CU system government

Down1 Obama's equal rights first (3

Words) (3 Words) 3 Sitcom presidential candidate

(2 Words) (2 Words) 4 Electoral college playground

(2 Words) (2 Words) 5 Crowd-surfing candidate (2

Words) (2 Words) 6 9/11 anniversary attack 7 BLS conspirator, grape guy (2

Words) (2 Words) 11 Oven glove 12 Massachusetts beach shoes

(2 Words) (2 Words) 14 Fowl in jeopardy (2 Words) (2

Words) 16 Colorado's electoral vote

Top 10: Worst campaign slogansby Sara Horton, shorton@uccs.edu, photo illustration by Robert Solis

Photo elements courtesy of Thomas Hawk and Stevendepolo

10987654321

We Have Your Mom’s Vote

Better Hair Than Mitt Romney

Hey, It Could Be Worse

I’m Crazy, and I’m Right

Show Me the Money

Screw the Constitution

Stylin’ and Racial Profilin’

War Like “1984”

Backward

The Lesser of Two Evils

Aubree Carter, sophomore, hos-pitalityDo you plan to vote this year, and who are you voting for?Yes, I’m voting, and I’m voting for Obama.Why do you feel Obama is a better choice than the other candidates?Well, that’s the problem. I’m not really sure about Rom-ney or Obama, I just feel like Obama is the lesser of two evils. I feel like we’re in a pretty deep hole right now. Romney would have to spend a lot of time learning about everything and uncover a huge mess, but Obama already knows what’s happened.What do you wish students understood about vot-ing?Voting is so important. People died so we could vote. My boyfriend is in the army. We have worked so hard so we could have this right to vote. If you don’t, it’s like kicking sand in the faces of those who have fought for it.

Garrick Slack, soph-omore, mechanical engineeringDo you plan to vote this November, and who are you voting for?Yes, I’m voting for Romney. What issues are most important to you in this election?There are a lot of issues important to me. The economy, moral issues. I don’t believe what Obama believes. I don’t like the debt he’s created. I don’t believe in taxing the upper class more, and I don’t believe in abortion. How would you recommend other students get in-formation about the issues in this election?I have a lot of conversations with friends and look on-line at websites. But it’s hard to figure out the truth on-line because a lot of sites are biased. I feel like this is mainly a liberal college, but in my economics class, I received a fact sheet that proves to me things haven’t changed during the last four years. Things have just got-ten worse.

Mitchel Castle, junior, mechani-cal engineeringAre you plan-ning to vote this year, and if not, why?No, I’m not vot-ing. None of the candidates appeal to me. All they do is bash each other. They aren’t saying anything that appeals to me to get my vote for either of them to become president.What would you have liked to have seen in a candi-date?I’d like to hear more about real-life situations and peo-ple. I’d like to have seen someone from the middle class running for president, someone who actually knows people and what they are going through.

Free PancakesUniversity Center7:30 a.m.

Jay Shinn: IlluminatedGOCA 121Noon

Psychology Colloquium SeriesUniversity Center 303B12:10 p.m.

Core ExpressRec Center5:10 p.m.

CSI (Cardio Strength Intervals)Rec Center6 p.m.

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad DeityDusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater7:30 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 5Spring Registration Begins

Ultimate ConditioningRec CenterNoon

S

UCCS is ranked No.25 in the 2012 National Col-legiate Scouting Asso-ciation power rankings, which looks at all the schools in the nation in each division. Developed 10 years ago as a tool for fami-lies of student athletes to evaluate possible institu-tions of higher learning, the ranking objectively evaluates schools. The annual ranking, which is a comprehen-sive conglomerate of both academics and ath-letics, includes an aver-age of the U.S. News & World Report academic rankings, student ath-lete graduation rates and the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup stand-ings (which determine a school’s overall athletic performance) to achieve the score. “To get in the top 25, you have got to be pretty balanced,” said Steve Kirkham, UCCS athletic director. “It’s a good thing to have going for you.” Many Mountain Lion programs are begin-ning to win consistently. “Two years ago, we were around 90-something,

and last year they messed up our graduation rate,” he said. “We could be in the top 10 next year.” UCCS is the top-ranked Division II school in the state of Colorado, one spot ahead of Colorado School of Mines. One of the biggest benefits for UCCS in the new ranking will be for recruiting. “Recruiting is the lifeblood of college ath-letics, and our coaches can now have a power-ful discussion with both parents and kids,” said Kirkham. “We’re winning,” he added. “And we now have both the scholar-ship and salary money to retain our players and coaches.” This fall, various sports are doing well; some are even having the best sea-son in the history of their respective programs. “We’ve never host-ed a fall RMAC (Rocky Mountain Athletic Con-ference) postseason game, and we have a great shot to host three this fall,” said Kirkham. Postseason is set to begin for several Moun-tain Lion teams within the next few weeks.

Chart courtesy of ncas-ports.org

SportsOctober 29, 2012 Page 11

Mountain Lions ranked 25 in annual NCSA power rankingsJonathan Tomanjtoman@uccs.edu

In August, sports fans all across America watched as gymnast Gabby Doug-las twisted and flipped her way to Olympic gold. Douglas had seemingly come out of nowhere to snag the top spot on the podium, finishing with a gold medal dangling from her neck and a huge smile splitting her face. Anyone watching could tell Douglas had worked hard for that moment, in-vesting thousands of train-ing hours in sweaty gyms for this one shot at history. But what viewers didn’t see was the finan-

cial strain that the pursuit of this dream, the Olympic dream, had placed on her family. Prior to the Olympics, Douglas’ mother filed for bankruptcy. The cost of supporting her daughter’s quest – on a $30,000 a year salary – had simply gotten too large. Stories like these are hardly unique, which rais-es the question: Is it really worth it? Aside from a few high-profile athletes, most Olympians compete in an-onymity. They receive no sponsorships, and the only way that their training in-vestments will be repaid is through the winning of a medal, a feat that garners a payout from the U.S. Olympic Committee and also makes them likely to land some sort of endorse-ment deal. But realistically, for your average Olympic ath-lete, the chances of this are slim. Most likely, he or she will never make it to the Olympics, and even if he or she does, a medal is still elusive.

To most of these ath-letes, it is probably still worth it, to them at least. But it doesn’t come with-out a cost. For example, parents of elite gymnasts can ex-pect to spend upwards of

$1,000 a month to support their children. Olympic-caliber gym-nasts begin training at an early age, making this a sustained cost. Factor in travel expenses – and there are plenty – and the num-

ber climbs even higher. For Douglas, the story has a happy ending; she stands to make thousands in sponsorships. But for other gymnasts, the ones who didn’t make the flight to London, the ending is

not so happy. Even some of the Olym-pics’ more obscure sports are hugely expensive. Olympic fencer Maya Lawrence estimated that the annual cost of her sport is $20,000. And training full time, the money necessary to support these athletes has to come from external sources. Usually, it falls on the athlete’s family. So is it worth abandon-ing the Olympic dream? I don’t think so. However, something needs to be done to prevent the Olym-pics from becoming a bur-den for those involved. It might be time for the U.S. to take a look around and realize that it is one of – if not the only – country that doesn’t directly sup-port its athletes through government funding. For some Olympic athletes (LeBron James, Michael Phelps) funding is unnecessary, but for oth-ers, a paycheck would be a lifesaver. For many, it would prevent the Olym-pic dream from becoming a financial nightmare.

Chasing the Olympic dream comes with crippling price

Tyler Bodlaktbodlak@uccs.edu

Photo courtesy of On Being, Flickr.comThe costs of pursuing a gold medal paid off for Gabby Douglas, but many athletes have a hard time financing their training and traveling. S

S

Photo by Joshua CamachoAbove: Alyssa Wendt, who competes on the women’s cross country team, hits the books and the trails to help our school reach its academic and sports goals. Below: UCCS has a 118 NCSA power ranking.

Sports October 29, 2012 Page 12

The UCCS women’s cross country team is hav-ing one of the most suc-cessful seasons in team history. The Mountain Lions are ranked No.4 in the south central region as of Oct.23, their highest rank-ing this season. They are one of three Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams ranked in the top four in the re-gional poll, along with Adams State and Western State. The team has also reached a new high in the national poll, ranked No.14 in the country. The Mountain Lions are enjoying the success of their hard work building the program, said Head Coach David Harmer. “You have to set the expectations and attitude in any program, and that takes time,” Harmer said. “It becomes the norm as opposed to having to en-force it.” “This year, it is all about the team, and it’s really cool to be a part of it,” said Melanie Diep, a

freshman biology major from Thornton, Colo. Harmer is in his sixth year as a coach at UCCS, but this is his first as head coach of the women’s cross country team. Be-

fore this year, Harmer coached both men and women. “It’s tough to transition between male and female athletes within a few sec-onds, and I think this ar-

rangement has helped both teams (men and women) focus,” explained Harmer. “It’s not too different, and it’s nice to be able to focus on one gender,” he added. In recent meets, the

Mountain Lions have en-joyed much success. They took second in the Regis Invitational on Sep. 17. “That meet showed us that we can compete with the top teams, and we

got to run on the regional course,” said Harmer. “At that meet, people were like, oh, OK, let’s take a look at UCCS,” said Diep. “That experience and having a good perfor-mance bodes well for re-gionals,” added Harmer. The team won the Roy Griak Invitational Sep. 29 in St. Paul, Minn., coming in first out of 38 teams. “That was a standout meet for us, and it was a simulator for a national-type environment,” said Harmer. The Mountain Lions got to host the RMAC Championships on Oct. 20 for the first time in program history – and they responded well, tak-ing third out of 14 teams. Madison Neher led a balanced attack for the Mountain Lions, finishing twelfth overall. On tap for the Moun-tain Lions is regionals in Denver on Nov. 3, on the course they saw in the Regis meet. Following re-gionals, the team is hop-ing for a trip to nationals in Joplin, Mo., on Nov. 17.

Women’s cross country program building on successJonathan Tomanjtoman@uccs.edu

Photo by Tyler AndersonThe UCCS women’s cross country team received the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honors award.

S

More athletic teams (baseball, anyone?) could be making their way to UCCS within the next five years. The expansion and development of new ath-letic facilities on campus will result in more prac-

tice and playing space. The expansion, which includes a 4,000-seat are-na, will serve as the home for many different sport-ing events. Construction is set to start in 2014 with an estimated completion date sometime in 2017. According to the mas-ter plan, the university

“envisions a 4,000- seat arena anchoring a com-plex with a soccer and track stadium, softball diamond, baseball dia-mond, and one or two practice fields.” In addition, sites will be reserved for an indoor sports field house and a natatorium, an indoor

swimming pool. Due to their large footprint and dimensional constraints, it is important to reserve adequately sized sites for these facilities even though they are consid-ered long-term needs. The master planning team, led by Gary Reyn-olds, executive director of

facility services at UCCS, and Jim Rees, project manager for the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority, facilitated the overall process of plan-ning the facilities. The current Four Dia-monds Sports Complex accommodates UCCS athletics, as well as Col-

orado Christian School athletics and recreations for the community. The student body is increasing, with an estimated 15,000 students by the year 2020. The demand for the Four Diamonds site will become very high, and ex-pansion is needed to meet these de-mands. Finding spots for construction of new facilities takes time. According to the master plan, “Finding flat sites for new and relo-cated fields amidst the campus’ signif-icant topography is challenging. The Master Plan identifies opportu-nities for artificial

turf fields that accom-modate intensive use and are integrated into hous-ing and parking develop-ments.” Not only does the uni-versity need money to fund such facilities, but it is also important to be aware of the natural envi-ronment around the build-ing area. Some are concerned that destroying the natu-ral environment around the facilities could make the facilities look less appealing to the eyes of the students, faculty and Colorado Springs com-munity. It is essential, accord-ing to the master plan, that “the responsible ca-pacity of the land is being respected.” Building and financing new athletic facilities and new sporting events on campus takes a lot of time and money to become a reality. Many current students will not see the project come to fruition, but fu-ture Mountain Lions will be able to experience the excitement of new facili-ties and possibly even a football team in the near future.

Expansion and new athletic facilities planned for UCCSKyle Marinokmarino@uccs.edu

Photo by Robert SolisThe future athletic facility will be located near the Four Diamonds Sports Complex. S