October 9, 2015

Volume 96, Issue 2

Oredigger
THE

The student voice of Mines

since 1920

News

Opinion

Sports

Return of homecoming
parade a success

Yik Yak: Good or Evil?

Mens soccer continues to

dominate opponents

-Page 7

-Page 4

-Page 12

w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t

Mines Alumnus Files Lawsuit

Against School
By: Brett Tucker

Photos by Kathleen Morton/Colorado School of Mines

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson addresses an enthusiastic crowd of students, faculty and community
members on Sept. 30 in Lockridge arena. His talk was titled Astronomy Bizarre.

Tyson Delivers Bizarre Lecture

By: Amber Hill

Prior to his sold out show in

Lockridge Arena, Dr. Neil deGrasse
Tyson shared a bit about his trip to
Mines, opinion on STEM degrees
and related issues, and spirit
animal of choice.
Q: What was it that drew you to
presenting at the Colorado School
of Mines?
A: Basically, if I had my choice,
I would never present anywhere
to anyone. I would stay home and
play with my kids and go on a play
date with my wife. So now, requests
come in. I get about 200 requests
a month to make appearances

and thats impossible. If I did any

fraction of that, thats all I would be
doing and then I wouldnt have any
time to do what it is that attracted
them to invite me to talk in the
first place. So its a self-limiting
problem. Theres a severe triage
that unfolds on those 200 requests
and some of it relates to how far
away is it, who is the audience, can
they benefit from it? And all of this
comes together and sprinkled in
there, there are several occasions
where Im communicating with
people who I know will shape the
future of science literacy in this
country by their inventions, by their
entrepreneurship, by their level to
which they embrace STEM fields,

and Colorado School of Mines

is right there in the middle of
that. So given that the invitations
come, thats kind of how the triage
operates. But I didnt start my day
by saying, Ive got to talk to CSM!
No, thats not how my day started.
I started my day saying, I want to
stay home. But when invited and
when the triage is done, then I give
my all for whatever the invitation is.
Q: What do you hope that they
are going to take away from your
lecture?
A: So the topic chosen for this
audience is called Astronomy
Bizarre. Its all the weird stuff the
weird objects, weird
Continued on Page 3

Colorado School of Mines

has received recent attention
after a lawsuit has been brought
up against the school regarding
the
placement
of
bible
verses on a donor's plaque.
Mike Lucas, a graduate and
former football player at Mines,
made a donation to the athletic
department and in return,
received a plaque in the locker
room in Marv Kay Stadium.
On his plaque, Lucas desired
to have Colossians 3:23 and
Micah 5:9 engraved. However,
because of the permanence
of the plaque on campus,
the school, being a public
institution, denied the message
as it would appear to endorse
and favor one religion over all
others.
This decision was further
supported in the Walker v.
Texas Div., Sons of Confederate
Veterans, Inc.. Supreme Court
case in which the state of Texas
was sued for not allowing a
specialty license plate. In its
ruling in favor of the state of
Texas, the Court designated
the license plate as government
speech, which is not protected
to the same extent as private
speech
under
the
First
Amendment.
The
school
has
until
December 1st to respond to
the lawsuit and released the
following statement on October
5:

Colorado School of Mines

strongly disagrees with the
assertion made in a lawsuit
filed Oct. 1 that the university
impermissibly
restricted
a
donors
speech
based
on religious or viewpoint
discrimination.
The
Mines
community is made up of
many faiths and beliefs and
the university aims to foster
a supportive and inclusive
environment for all.
As part of the fundraising
efforts for Clear Creek Athletic
Complex,
donors
were
provided an opportunity to
place a recognition plaque on
a locker. One donor requested
to place two Biblical citations
on a plaque. Under recent
United States Supreme Court
case law, the speech at issue
is
considered
government
speech, as it would have been
permanently
inscribed
on
university-owned property. As a
state institution, Mines must not
appear to promote or support
one faith or belief over others.
University officials worked
with the donor to come to an
agreement on an inscription
that reflected his intentions
and
was
consistent
with
Mines obligations as a public
university. The plaque with the
agreed upon inscription was
installed and is currently on
display in the football team's
locker room.

President Johnson Hopes to Connect with Students, Community

By: Katrina San Nicolas
While Mines President Paul Johnson knows exactly where his M-Climb
rock lies on Mt. Zion, it is unlikely that
he will need to retrieve it anytime soon.
The M-Climb was a blast, said
President Johnson. By the time you
get all the way to the M and look down
on campus, it is just so beautiful and
you feel really proud to be a part of it.
Dr. Paul Johnson was appointed
New school president, Paul Johnson, discusses
Mines
17th President on July 1st, and
future plans for students at Mines.

has spent his first few months as President learning about Mines traditions,
connecting with students and faculty,
and outlining educational goals for the
institution.
Every institution has to evolve
with time, he suggests. The students
change, the needs of society change,
and the institution needs to somehow
continue to attract the type of students
who are going to go off and do wonderful things.
Some of President Johnsons top
priorities will be sharing the Mines
story with community members and

establishing Colorado School of Mines

as a leader in STEM Education and a
forum for the technical side of important
political and societal issues.
It would also be great to be more
innovative in how we deliver our education, asserts President Johnson.
We have a lot of faculty who are really
interested in that but arent really sure
they have the support to do it. President
Johnson hopes to continue working with
the Center for Innovative Teaching and
Learning to reach this goal and promote
experiential learning on campus.
Continued on Page 2

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INSIDE

Arts
Watermedia
exhibit at the
Foothills Art
Center
p. 9

INDEX

Modernizing Campus........... 2
Service Fair.......................... 3
Homecoming Parade............ 4
Class of 1965....................... 4
Dr. Lucena............................ 4
Colorado Water.................... 5
Point/Counterpoint................ 5
Ballroom Dancing................. 5
Yaknonymity......................... 7

American Success................ 7
Syrian Refugees................... 7
Boehner................................ 8
Presidential Barscene.......... 8
Three Dating Tips................. 8
Foothills Art........................... 9
Melodic Miners..................... 9
Emmys.................................. 9
Coral Creek.........................10

Doctor Who........................ 10
Til it Happens to You.......... 10
Womens Soccer................ 11
Vaccinations....................... 11
ORC.................................... 11
Mens Soccer...................... 12
Club Triathalon................... 12
Football............................... 12
Volleyball............................ 12

NEWS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2015

PAGE

Scientic Discoveries Around the World

The Oredigger
South Korea A process developed at
the Ulsan National Institute of Science and
Technology allows waste coee grounds to
store methane. The process involves soaking
the grounds and then heating them to produce
a stable carbon capture material.

United States Research at Rutgers

revealed that a drug, RGFP966, administered
to rats appeared to cause their memories to
sharpen. The drug used in this study is in a
class known as HDAC inhibitors; these are
being used in cancer therapies to prevent
normal cells from turning into cancerous
ones. This drug could potentially be used
for Alzheimers patients to help them create
new memories.

Cape Verde It was recently found that

part of a Cape Verde volcano fell into the
ocean approximately 73,000 years ago,
resulting in an enormous wave reaching
approximately 170 meters in height before
it crashed into another island. This tsunami
is one of the largest on record. These
massive landslides have the potential
to happen again, causing even larger
tsunamis, although it cannot be said when
or where.

China Scientists in China are genetically engineering

miniature pigs to be sold as pets for $1,600 each. BGI, the
genomic institute where this is taking place, is creating
micropigs, altering the genomes of a small pig called the
Bama, to make it even smaller. These micropigs grow up to
30 pounds when fully mature.

Previous Programs at ASU, Research Shape Future Campus Changes

From Page 1

A lot of learning doesnt take

place in a classroom anymore,
explains President Johnson.
As such, some of his
learning goals include involving
students more directly in the
engineering process from the
very beginning of their time
here at Mines.
The former Executive Dean of
Arizona State Universitys Ira A.
Fulton Schools of Engineering,

President Johnson received

several degrees in Chemical
Engineering
but
decided
to focus his early career in
groundwater
research
and
other environmental topics.
Dont be too worried that
the choices that you make
now with the major that you
choose or the classes that
you take will constrain your
life or employment, President
Johnson advises students.
Even
though
he
had
no
formal
coursework
in
groundwater research, he was

inspired by the interdisciplinary

nature of the work and decided
to take the opportunity.
Ive always been fascinated
with environmental research
because there is a societal
component to the work,
President Johnson explains.
We all value groundwater
and like to live in a clean
environment, so you feel good
about what you are doing.
President
Johnson
also
explains that speaking with
the fields technically skilled
scientists
and
engineers,

regulators, and the public all at

once illustrated the importance
of
communication
within
engineering disciplines.
From teaching a CSM101
class, to participating in campus
events like the Oredigger
Challenge, President Johnson
also hopes to connect with
students and encourage them
to get involved and speak up.
Talking with a faculty
member doesnt have to be
in the context of a class,
President Johnson explains.
We are all part of the

community, we are all very

interested in the success of the
students and the institution.
Overall, President Johnson
explains that he is excited to
be part of the Mines community
because it is in a beautiful
location and has a reputation for
producing fantastic students.
As President Johnson is
proud to point out, The Mines
name on your degree says a
lot about you, and that in itself
will provide opportunities for
you outside of what you might
expect.

Traditional Halls, Student Center Renovations Help Modernize Campus

By: Frank J Knafelc
With sushi available for purchase and
renovations to Morgan and Randall Hall,
new and exciting additions to campus
are everywhere this semester. Rebecca
Flintoft, Director of Auxiliary Services, and
Heather Boyd, Associate Vice President
of Enrollment Management, shared
information about everything from the
Periodic Table Food Court, to the Mines
Bookstore, to the upcoming Starzer
Welcome Center.

A newly opened full-service Starbucks,

located in the Periodic Table, is part of
expansion of food options for students.

We wanted to design a new food court

to replace the Digger Den that would
create a vibrant and welcoming space
for students, expresses Flintoft. The
Periodic Table takes advantage of lots of
natural light, offers exibility for students
to use throughout the hours of the day and
evening, and offers students, faculty and
staff some really great dining choices on
campus.
The Periodic Table promises to be an
excellent dining addition to the current
campus dining options of Mines Market,
Einsteins Bagels, Subway, and the
Starbucks kiosk in Brown.
In comparison to Digger Den, the
Periodic Table is an enormous upgrade.
Digger Den was capable of seating 140
people and offered only two venues,
compared to the Periodic Tables 330 seats
and ve venues of Habaeros, WOW Caf,
Starbucks, Elements Convenience Store,
and a fresh sushi bar.
Flintoft also says that the new Periodic
table offers an outdoor seating area, that
will offer seats for up to 80 people to soak
up the Colorado sun year-round. This is a
true breath of fresh air over the old Digger
Den, indeed.
The Periodic Table is not the only new
edition to the renovated Student Center.

The updated School of Mines Bookstore

is nearly double the amount of square
footage as the old bookstore, allowing it to
offer a much wider selection of merchandise
than was previously available, explains
Flintoft.
Dramatic as these changes are, they
are actually only phase one of the student
center complete renovation.
[Phase two] will include new or
renovated ofces for the Student Activities
Department, Graduate Studies, the
International Ofce, Bursar, Registrar,
Career Center, and Financial Aid, as
well as additional conference rooms and
informal student lounge space, Flintoft
informs. These renovations will take some
time though, and will probably be continued
well into the spring 2016 semester.
Beyond the radical changes that were
made to the Student Center, students living
in Morgan and Randall Halls are enjoying
other renovations that occurred during
summer 2015.
The renovations were a total facelift
for these buildings, which are the oldest
residence halls on campus, says Flintoft.
The two halls received new carpet,
windows, paint, doors, lighting, closets
and furniture in their bedrooms, as well as
new sinks, counters and showers in the

w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t

community bathrooms. In addition to these

new developments, entirely new lounges
and community kitchen spaces will also be
open soon.
[The Starzer Welcome Center] will
be the new front door to the university,
a welcoming location for new students,
alumni, and friends of Mines, declares
Heather Boyd. It will also house the
new CSM Alumni Association, the CSM
Foundation, and the Admissions Ofce, all
of whom will move into the building during
October 2015. Boyd also promises that an
opening date will soon be announced to the
student body.
To truly take advantage of these
campus changes, Flintoft has a few
recommendations for students.
Come visit the Student Center if you
havent already! Check out the new Mines
Bookstore, The Periodic Table, and our
new student lounges and ve study rooms,
she suggests.
Additionally, students should feel
welcome to share any feedback about the
new developments directly with the staff
in Residence Life, Mines Dining, Mines
Bookstore, and the Student Center. As the
Directory of Auxiliary Services, Rebecca
Flintoft is also happy to receive any
feedback herself.

NEWS

Friday, October 9, 2015

PAGE 3

Service Fair Connects Mines with Community Projects, Volunteers

By: Katrina San Nicolas
From walking homeless dogs, to reading
with first graders, there are a myriad of
volunteer opportunities available for Mines
students in the Golden area. However, the
large amount of time that students spend
on campus means that it is sometimes all
too easy to miss out on the perfect activity.
There are always lots of students
looking for ways to get involved, explains
Sam
Anderson-Lehman,
Graduate
Assistant for Student Engagement. To fill
this need, Anderson-Lehman coordinated
Mines first ever Student Service Fair, which
took place in the Student Center Ballrooms
last week.
The fair included everything from oncampus clubs to organizations with a
national focus, says Anderson Lehman.
Over 20 groups attended, including Mines
Without Borders (MWB), Partnerships in

Primary Education, and Live by Living.

If you are looking for a high-energy,
ever-changing environment, this is the
place for you, asserts Boys and Girls Club
Volunteer Coordinator Liz Fraley. Boys and
Girls Club has 15 sites in the Denver Metro
area and serves over 1,000 at-risk youth
ages 6-18 years old. Mines volunteers can
drop in anytime 3-9 pm Monday through
Friday and mentor students in reading,
athletics, technology and robotics, or art.
Connecting Mines students with
disadvantaged youth is a primary focus
for a number of the organizations that
attended. For instance, Camp Wapiyapi, a
summer camp for children battling cancer,
matches each volunteer with an attendee
for weeklong summer sessions.
Volunteering for even one week is such
a rewarding experience, says James Zerr,
a summer 2015 Camp Wapiyapi volunteer.
Other volunteer opportunities involving
youth work include Reading Partners,

a nationwide initiative to help children

struggling with reading; Partnerships
in Primary Education, a program that
strives to bring college students to
elementary schools for an hour a week;
and Kullerstrand Elementary Volunteering,
which brings community role models to
students attending the Title I school.
For animal-loving students short on
time, the Homeless Boxer Care Rescue
Mission may be the perfect opportunity.
We actually do not commit at all,
declares Amy Caldwell, the Boxer Rescue
Event Coordinator. The Denver-based
program, which strives to find forever
homes for the dogs, needs volunteers to
walk the boxers on Sunday afternoons.
While there is no long-term commitment,
the experience is a great opportunity for
students to spend time with pets and the
boxers to receive attention and exercise.
Also in Denver is the History Colorado
Center, which needs student volunteers

to lead educational tours and help with

customer service.
It is not what people normally associate
with volunteer opportunities, asserts
Steve Luebke of History Colorado School
Programs. The museum is also looking for
interns interested in working with elementary
students and students interested in
geographic information science (GIS) and
its archeological implications.
All in all, engaging Mines students
with the community is something that the
Student Activities office hopes to continue
pursuing.
We absolutely love Mines students,
said a Habitat for Humanity volunteer
coordinator at the fair. They are so helpful
and we really appreciate their support.
For more information about these
organizations or more community service
opportunities in the area, please contact
Sam Anderson-Lehman at samander@
mines.edu.

Dr. Tyson Discusses Water on Mars, GPA and Spirit Animals

Photo by Kathleen Morton/Colorado

Dr. Tyson discusses quantum entanglement to a sold out
Lockridge Arena.
From Page 1

phenomenon, weird ideas

that drive our understanding
of the universe. Im guessing,
given the legacy of the school,
that theres less aerospace
here compared with how other
engineering
schools
might
be. So you might have less
exposure to cool cosmic things
than other places might. So Im
bringing that to you... just to
show you what other folks are
thinking about out there.
I count myself as a cardcarrying member of the Geeka-verse. So part of it will just
be to celebrate what it is to
have this kind of fluency. And
so often, probably when you
were in high school, you were
kind of weird to other people,
Im guessing. If not actually, but
possibly figuratively slammed
into lockers. In my day, youd
get a wedgie.
I dont know if they still do
that. You know about the atomic
wedgie? Well, its a wedgie
that you pull up so high that
it can fit over their head. In
my day, thats basically what
happened to the geeks. That
all changed thats how old I
am when computers started
becoming an important part of
peoples lives.
First in the workplace, then in
the home. And then the people
who would otherwise give the
nerds the wedgies, realized that
they need them to help them
figure out the computer.... and
there was an emergent class
of people who were gaining
wealth because the whole
world wanted computers and
that became the geek class. So
now the patron saint of geeks is
Bill Gates, and hes the richest
man in the world. So now you
dont find geeks abused in
todays school environments. If
it happens at all, its a fraction
of what happened in my

day, because we were still

just a weird bunch. Anyways,
what am I saying? Im saying
I look forward to such an
opportunity so we can all sort
of celebrate being scientifically
literate together.
Q: Speaking of weird science
stuff, whats your take on Mars?
A: I think its cool. We kind of
always knew that it was going
to be that, but its nice to get
some hard evidence for it.
Q: What would be one
piece of advice for the college
students now pursuing STEM
that used to be the geeks?
A:[Students] want to take an
easy class, so that they can get
a high grade so that their GPA
looks good. Now, what that
means is that we have created
an educational system that tells
us that your GPA is the measure
of who you are. Not, What did
you learn?
No one asks that. They ask,
What is your GPA? And this
question has such focus while
youre in school. Yet...it is the
most irrelevant datum that
exists in the rest of your life. Yet
somehow were all convinced
that its everything while were
in school. To me, thats an
abomination. Its a tragedy.
Because the most successful
people and most influential
people in society positively
influential like Bill Gates,
Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Elon
Musk, half of them are college
drop outs. Is your question to
them, Did you get straight As
in school? If it is, their answer
is, No. Theres something
else that goes on in the mind
of an entrepreneurial, creative
person who has the energy for
change that does not derive
from climbing over yourself to
get a high GPA. So my advice
would be, you should take the

classes you want, no matter

how hard they are, and forget
about your GPA. Because at
the end of the day, whats going
to matter is how much you have
learned.
So if you take a hard class,
youre ascending a ladder, and
every rung of that ladder that
you ascend for having done
something hard, there are fewer
other people around you who
can do what you can do. And by
the time you ascend to the top
of that ladder, maybe theres
no one there, and therefore
everybody has to beat a path
to your door because you know
how to solve a problem that no
one else can.
At the end of the day, thats
what drives who and what you
become as an adult. Not your
GPA. Never your GPA. I dont
want to say that Im anti-GPA.
Im against how much emphasis
we place on your GPA. So
my advice is take the hardest
classes you can, and if you get
a B, or maybe even a C, dont
worry about it. At the end, youll
be a deeper thinker for having
done so.

Q: What is your favorite

movie?
A: Matrix. One, of course.
Second favorite is Contact.
Q: What is your sprit animal?
A: Ive never thought about
that. But if I had to choose,
probably
the
Galapagos
tortoise. I bet the Galapagos
tortoise spends a lot of time
thinking
deep
thoughts.
Because what the hell else are
they doing? They look like the
wisest creatures in the land.
And maybe theyve invented
calculus, they just dont have
opposable thumbs to write it
down. But its in their head.
Q: Batman or Iron Man?
A:Those are the right ones
to pit against one another,
because theyre both human. I
think Iron Man could wipe his
butt with Batman, because Iron
Man is himself the engineer,
and he solves the problems,
whereas Batman needs his
engineering company to invent
his things. They both are the
heads of big companies, but
definitely Iron Man. He would
vaporize and melt from the
heat generated from the energy
in his chest so thats an issue
thats not really resolved. You
cant contain that much energy,
and have it not affect the

temperature of its environment.

But well let it slide.

Q: You once said that you

think a persons mind should
be blown once a day. How has
your mind been blown recently?
A: You actually have a finite
number of days youll be alive,
a finite number of sunrises and
sunsets and what are you doing
each day? I think every day I
want to learn something that I
didnt know the day before, and
its better if what I learn blows
my mind because that opens
your mind up for other things
that might also blow your mind
in a different way. You wont be
closed off to it.
Its been said...that theres
nothing harder for the human
mind to embrace than the
prospect of a new idea. We
reach for comfort in ideas that
we retread...Im here to tell you
that for every day you hear the
same thing, you missed a day
when you could have heard
something different.
Ill end on this point, I was
asked by the New York Times to
comment on what books were
on my shelves. So they take
writers and they say, What do
you read? Were reading your
book, but what do you read?
So I gave some books that work
their way close to my bedstand,
and they said, Are there any
books that people might be
surprised that you own?
I said, I dont know.
I have whole shelves on
pseudoscience and religion and
Islam.
They said, Wow! And I said,
Why would you be surprised?
I realized in that moment
that when you tell people what
books you read, they expect all
the books you list to be exactly
what you want to keep telling
yourself.
Think about that. Your books
reinforce whatever are your
thoughts, biases, perspectives,
dogmas, you keep buying books
that feed that. This is what
people do when they search
Google. They search what they
want to be true and they find
other websites saying, Yeah,
okay, this must really be it. This
is it, this is it, this is it. Its like
people who dont like vaccines.
They say, I dont like vaccines,
and in come all the websites
and it feeds their I dont like
vaccines thing. Doesnt matter
if its true, it just feeds it. So
part of the, I want my mind
blown every day, thing, I read

stuff that very different kinds of

people write and think about it
and that just opens you up. The
point of education is not to fill
your head with information. The
point of education is to take an
empty mind and turn it into an
open mind.

Following the interview, Dr.

Tyson delivered an enticing
lecture that had the audience
laughing, booing, and pondering
the intricacies of the universe.
The lecture, titled Astronomy
Bizarre, was both informational
and inspiring, with witty jokes
sprinkled throughout. Topics
included
everything
from
science in movies to recent
space-related discoveries.
What do you get when
you cross an elephant and a
banana? Well, if theyre vectors,
you get elephant-banana-sine
(theta), Dr. Tyson joked.
Dr. Tyson highlighted the
significance of the recent
discovery of water on Mars, a
feat that many scientists had
been not only hoping for, but
expecting as well. The running
water was discovered in the
wake of locating salt deposit
changes in deep, periodically
changing valleys on the planet.
Considering the remainder
of the universe, Dr. Tyson
also described possible lifeinhabiting zones within earths
galaxy.
With sheets of ice dozens
of miles thick, Jupiters moon
Europa does not exactly
sound like a human paradise.
However, Dr. Tyson explained
that the moon could provide
home to extremophiles, or
organisms capable of surviving
in the coldest or hottest of
temperatures.
Its not the leaders who
need to have more science
literacy, explained Dr. Tyson.
[The voters] need to be in an
informed state to make sound
decisions [for their country]. To
address this important issue,
Dr. Tyson explained the mindbending ideas of black holes,
white holes, and wormholes,
all of which act as tears in both
space and time.
Amazingly, the renowned
astrophysicist
managed
to
put these complex concepts
in terms comprehensible to
even the average person,
illustrating the importance of
space exploration and inspiring
each member of the audience
to consider the possibilities
beyond this world.

WANT YOUR CLUB OR EVENT COVERED? EMAIL OREDIGGERSTORIES@GMAIL.COM

NEWS

Friday, October 9, 2015

PAGE 4

No Change to Degree Programs

By: Joseph Hunt

Photo by Jacquie Feuerborn

Sigma Nu fraternity plays out a scene on their float during the Homecoming Parade.

Homecoming Parade Returns

By: Sarah Dewar

After
a
two-year
hiatus,
the
Homecoming parade returned this year.
Seniors and fifth-year students might
remember the last time the parade
occurred during Homecoming in the Fall of
2012. However, for many underclassmen,
this year marked their first experience with
the Homecoming parade. Many student
groups took the time and effort to handbuild their very own float in accordance
with the Gold Rush theme. Each float was
then driven on Washington Street through
downtown Golden with students aboard.
Spectators enjoyed coffee and donuts,
while students were able show their
creativity on a large scale to the Golden
community. Homecoming spirit increased
with the thought of winning the prize of the
best float! This year the combined efforts
of Kappa Sigma Fraternity and Alpha

Phi Sorority claimed bragging rights for

Homecoming 2015. Other groups included
Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Beta Phi, Beta
Theta Pi, Sigma Kappa, The Multicultural
Engineering Program, and Residence Life,
all who participated with really spectacular
floats of their own.
Students absolutely love building
floats and all of the fun that goes along with
the parade. Being able to design, build,
and display a float fosters strong student
bonds. It gives students a chance to create
positive memories in pursuit of celebrating
the honor and privilege involved with being
a student at the Colorado School of Mines.
Hopefully, the success of this event
will solidify the Homecoming parade as
a permanent fixture in the Homecoming
schedules of the future making it a
tradition Mines students can be proud to
participate in and to show school pride to
the surrounding Golden community.

Students in the Chemical and

Chemical and Biological Engineering
degree program can focus a little more on
Organic Chemistry and Thermodynamics
this month, as Dr. David Marr, Department
Head, assures students that no immediate
changes are looming large.
We are always thinking about what
we might do differently or better, Dr. David
Marr stated in an interview on Friday,
September 11th. According to Dr. Marr,
visiting groups of outside experts come in
regularly to analyze the program with the
intention of leading instructors and the
Department Head in order to evaluate the
efficacy of the program itself. The last such
visit was approximately two years ago,
during which experts noted that our two
degrees, the Chemical Engineering degree
and the Chemical and Biological Chemical
Engineering degree, are not that dissimilar.
At this time, however, Dr. Marr
explains that the department is still in the
continuous process of considering whether
or not a single degree would best serve
the students of the department, as well as
outside employers.
While Chemical Engineering has been
on campus since 1952, the Chemical and
Biochemical Engineering program is still
relatively young. It remains in the process
of building a larger recruiter base, as the
department remains a little less widely
known among recruiters than the prolific
Chemical Engineering degree.
With a student base numbering over
600, the Chemical/Chemical and Biological
Engineering Department has no short
supply of undergraduate students.
At 134.5 credit hours apiece,
each degree is indeed similar to the other.
A Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
major graduates with additional skills

related
to
microbiology
and
biochemistry, in addition to graduating
as a full Chemical Engineer. Recruiters,
according to Dr. Marr, recognize that
Chemical and Biochemical Engineers
are fully capable of performing the same
jobs as Chemical Engineers, but have the
distinction of being able to perform more
specialized tasks relating to Biological
Engineering.
In the future, Dr. Marr hopes that both
degrees will become more distinct and
differentiated to better meet the needs
of companies who return to Mines for
Chemical and Chemical and Biochemical
Engineers.
Youd [the Department] like some
distinction so that its clear both to the
students and the recruiters that you provide
either an extra value or a different value so
that theyre [the students] marketable, Dr.
Marr asserts. He recognizes the importance
of an evolving skillset needed by students
and employers alike for an ever-growing
industry.
Dr. Marr also questions, Do we do
what were doing now or would that
[the education] be better served in some
other model? Weighing the merits of the
distinction between the Chemical and
Biochemical and Chemical Engineering
programs, Dr. Marr states, is a continuous
discussion about whether or not a unique
degree best reflects students learning
interests and industry demands.
When asked about the possibility of a
change in the future, Dr. Marr responded
with an enthusiastic Absolutely, yes.
For the time being, however, no plans
have been laid out to change the programs.
Should they arise, the undergraduate
student body can be assured that the
department has the best interests of the
students and industry under consideration,
and will strive to return the investment
and hard work put in by the departments
students.

Class of 1965 Reminisces About Meyer Hall, Student Dress

By: Evan Wong

Over Homecoming weekend,

the CSM class of 1965 reunited to
have breakfast at the Presidents
house, judge the parade, and
receive special access to the
football game.
President
Paul
Johnson
spoke, updating the alumni
about the current status and
future direction of the school. He
emphasized the importance of
women obtaining leadership roles,
the drastic increase in enrollment,
and the nationwide significance and
respect the school has received.
Do you still sell the t-shirts that

read, the odds are good and the

goods are odd on campus? asked
Frank Erismann. The question was
followed by laughter.
During breakfast, the class
reminisced about the time they
spent here and reflected on the
magnitude of change that has
occurred around campus.
After we finished the tour,
we were looking around and we
had no clue where we were, Dick
Hecox and Larry Hoppe remarked.
However, the most shocking
realization for the class is the
demolition of Meyer Hall.
Hecox stated, they said
yesterday that they were ripping

down the physics building this year,

and it was a brand new building
when we were seniors. I cant figure
out why somebody built that thing
to be ripped down so soon. Hoppe
interjected, Its fifty years, its fifty
years old man.
Gerald
Jergenson
also
mentioned the school adaptation
from a mining focus to all
engineering disciplines.
The reputation of Mines has
grown immensely over the years,
Jim Huddleston commented. I can
fool people now because everyone
thinks youre a genius.
The class then compared the
current student body to the 1,250

students that once comprised

the entire school. Someone was
claiming that we had a coed on
campus, but I didnt see her in 5
years, joked Huddleston.
I noticed yesterday that the
dress is almost the same. The kids
wear jeans and sweatshirts if it is
cold, and t-shirts if it was warm, but
we have pretty much a uniform of
khakis, corduroy jeans, white tennis
shoes, books under one arm,
commented Raymond Claxen,
an ATO member. We didnt have
backpacks, books under one arm
and slide rules sticking out of your
back pocket.
Claxen and Weber also pointed

out that the fraternity houses were

located where Alderson and Brown
are today.
The real story on radiation
in this place is the math building
(Engineering Hall), Dick Hecox
explained. You read the old history
of the math building and for years
and years we had math classes
and then they found that the bottom
room down there had been used for
a radioactive lab, and it was hotter
than a son of a gun.
Hecox also mentioned, We
had only two dorms, Bradford and
the other one, it didnt even have a
name yet, but we called it the new
dorm (Randall).

Dr. Juan Lucena Challenges Preconceived Notion of Engineering

By: Abby Zimmerman

Dr. Juan Lucena, Director of the

Colorado School of Mines Humanitarian
Engineering Program, classifies himself as
someone who has never been satisfied with
the answer that engineering is just to help
corporations make profit or to help countries
be secure.
Engineering has to be more than that,
he asserts. It also has to be for serving
society, helping people live better and more
fulfilling lives, and protecting our natural
environment. Originally, Dr. Lucena is from
Colombia, South America. He moved to
Harlem, NY when he was 13 years old and
became a US citizen at age 40.
In Dr. Lucenas own words, now I am
from nowhere and everywhere, or as one of
my favorite songs says, Ni soy de aqui, no
soy de alla. A Mechanical and Aeronautical
engineer from Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute, Dr. Lucena has now been at Mines
long enough to climb Lookout Mountain

on his bike in under 22 minutes (the record

stands around 16 minutes.)
I believe that corporate, national,
societal and environmental
goals can all be achieved
through engineering, but
to get there we need to
seriously rethink the way we
educate our future engineers.
We cannot achieve these
goals educating engineers
in the conventional ways that
were established in the Cold
War, expresses Dr. Lucena.
One way that the
education of engineers is
being re-shaped is through
CSMs
Humanitarian
Engineering (HE) program, which started in
2003 as the first program of its kind in the
United States. Now with stiff competition from
universities like Penn State, Michigan Tech,
and Purdue, CSM still enjoys unique HE
courses like Engineering and Social Justice

and Human-Centered Problem Definition.

Dr. Lucena explains that Mines HE
program, after 12 years in existence
has matured to become an
inspiration for many students
who want to pursue careers
helping corporations be more
socially responsible in their
interactions with communities
and
the
environment,
or
designing
assistive
technologies for persons
with disabilities, or building
appropriate
technologies
to improve communities
wellbeing.
I teach students to think
critically about engineering,
its methods, designs, processes, practices,
etc. so they can become more socially
responsible professionals, he explains. From
Engineering and Sustainable Community
Development, to Engineering and Social
Justice, Dr. Lucena strives to involve

students directly into the learning process in

all HE courses.
One of the greatest challenges of
working in HE, according to Dr. Lucena, is
to educate students to understand that their
desire to help communities sometimes can
do more harm than good.
Despite the challenges, there are also
numerous rewards to working in the field.
My biggest reward is when graduates tell
me that, thanks to what they learned in the
HE program, they are changing the way
their employers impact communities and the
environment. In short, when they tell me that
they have become agents for positive change
in the world, Dr. Lucena explains.
After working with Mines students for
many years through the HE program, Dr.
Lucenas advice is to remember that no
matter how good a paycheck is, never settle
for a job that does not inspire you to serve
society or the environment or a group of
people that you care about. Never give up
your passions for money. Never!

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Friday, October 9, 2015

OPINION

PAGE 5

The Colorado Water Plan: Managing Water Resources for the 21st Century
By: Brent Brouillard
Most have heard the saying whiskey is
for drinking; water is for ghting. Although
this quote has been used as a mockery
towards tensions of water in the west, the
underlying meaning has persistently grown
stronger over the last several decades.
From coverage regarding the dwindling
Colorado River (the most over allocated river
in the world), to the continuing drought in the
Southwest, concern about water resources
has become all the more prominent. Although
most recent media attention has focused
on issues centered on Californias drought,
perhaps we should use this time to analyze
our own water resources here in Colorado.
I think we can all agree Colorado
is a fantastic place to live. With a strong
economy, growing industry, and abundant
recreational activities, it isnt a surprise
that our population is set to nearly double
by 2050. Although many view growth in a
positive light, expanding cities and industry
require increasing water availability, creating

Surface waters required to leave

Colorado through interstate compacts,
along with east and west slope
populations and irrigated acres. An
acre-foot is a volume measurement for
the amount of water that could cover an
acre of surface area to a depth of one
foot.

a scarce resource in high demand.

is to increase water supplies by
Besides
a
burgeoning
population, Colorado has several
40,000 acre-feet each year for 15
other challenges when managing
participating Northern Front Range
water resources. For starters, 80water providers by diverting water
90% of the population lives on the
from the Poudre River during high
eastern side of the Continental
ow events.
Divide while 80% of the precipitation
The nal avenue highlighted
falls on the western side. To alleviate
in
the
Water Plan is transfers from
this problem, a total of 25 tunnels or
agriculture,
or what is often called,
trans-mountain diversions have been
buy
and
dry.
With more than 85%
constructed to move water from the
western slope to the metropolitan
of Colorados water going towards
areas of the Front Range.
agriculture, some of the water rights
Additionally, Colorado is one
needed to meet municipal and
of only 2 states in the U.S. that is
industrial demand will need to be
a headwaters state, meaning most Projected municipal and industrial water demand in
purchased from farmers. However,
precipitation falling in Colorado Colorado by 2050 depending on low, middle, or high
many basins hope to minimize this
ows out to neighboring states rates of population growth. Figure taken from the
option as agriculture represents a
but very little ows in. Nine other Colorado Water Plan draft.
major portion of the states economy
states, and Mexico, have rights
with some Colorado counties being
to, and rely on surface water originating in water supplies due to climate change are
Colorado. Therefore, besides managing our also addressed in the planning process.
the most productive in the United States.
own water security, we have a responsibility
With 40 out of 50 states in the U.S.
The Water Plan focuses on three main
to ensure interstate compacts are met and avenues to meet the projected water demand expected to have water shortages in the
water resources are available to downstream by mid-century. The rst avenue, and least next 10 years, odds are most of us will
users.
controversial method, is through municipal have to become more cognizant about
In 2013, Governor John Hickenlooper
water resources and our personal water use
signed an executive order to confront the and industrial conservation. Conservation
regardless of where we live.
goals
in
the
Water
Plan
are
set
to
reduce
issues of a growing population and the reality
My challenge is for us all to be proactive
water
usage
by
400,000
acre-feet
through
of a limited water resource. This directive
in
the
conversation now, following the lead
land-use
reform,
demand
reduction,
required the development of a State Water
Plan to address the projected 600,000 acre- technological innovation, and water reuse of the Water Plan, instead of waiting for our
foot shortfall in water availability by 2050 due strategies with most of the conservation hand to be forced by population growth or the
primarily to population growth on the Front burden falling on Front Range municipalities. next drought. No one wants to end up in a
Range.
Another option to meet future water situation like the one California is currently
While securing water availability, demands is through infrastructure projects. facing.
Whiskey should always be for drinking,
Hickenlooper also desired the Colorado The majority of these projects are additional
Water Plan to uphold several values during trans-mountain diversions or projects aimed but lets see if our collective action and
planning can prevent us from ghting over
the planning process, including support of at increasing storage.
water.
An example of such a project is
sustainable cities, viable agriculture and a
To learn more about the State Water Plan
robust recreation industry. Additionally, the the Northern Integrated Supply Project,
or ways you can personally get involved in
plan is required to provide effective water a proposed plan to construct two new conservation efforts visit ColoradoWaterPlan.
infrastructure while promoting healthy reservoirs to store excess water leaving the com or the Colorado Water Conservation
watersheds and rivers. Reductions in state state during wet years. The projects goal Board website at cwcb.state.co.us/.

Needed: Clean Air On Campus

Earth, Energy, Environment. We are

all familiar with Mines motto, which signies
the matrix of focus within the degrees
that the school offers. While many of the
students at our school are exceptional at
deriving value from the matrix, there are still
many changes that we can make to bring
the values of our motto to life on campus. I
was made aware of one of these possible
changes while participating in a program at
the University of California school system
this past summer.
While on campus, the rst thing that
struck me as different from the Mines
campus were the signs and banners that
lled the empty space on the lightpoles
around campus. These posters advocated
two important campus ideals for the
University of California: an anti-rape
culture and the fact that the school is now
a non-smoking university.
It wasnt until I returned to Mines and
walked out of Marquez directly into a cloud
of smoke that I realized that regulations
for the air commons on campus are a
blessing. In California, I had both gotten
used to the guarantee of clean air while
walking out of buildings and the general
culture of a non-smoking campus that was
promoted by both the signs and the people
that attended the university.
On top of that, it surprised me how
proud the students on campus were of
these rules and the resulting change in
environment. I decided to sit down and try
to take a look into what the smoking laws
on Mines campus were to nd out both
what they were and why this culture was
missing from Mines.
As I began my research, I realized that
the regulations for smoking on campus
were confusing and underdened. On one
guest information page, a very rm there
is no smoking on the Mines campus can
be found.
On the Residence Life FAQ page,

however, the following is found: smoking

is not allowed in any building on campus.
Smoking outside the Residence Halls
needs to be a reasonable distance from
entry ways, windows, and ventilation
systems (typical rule of thumb, 50 feet from
building).
It is hard to say what the actual rules
about smoking on campus are. I believe
that this is a good opportunity as a campus
to speak up and fully embody our motto.
I suggest that we join the 1,577 university
campuses that are smoke-free, the 1079
that are tobacco free, and the 710 that
prohibit the use of e-cigarettes anywhere
on campus.
These policies not only protect the
air commons on campus, but also serve
as a support system for users who are
trying to quit. Furthermore, this regulation
would curb the number of new smokers
on campus by creating a cultural norm of
a smoke-free environment, while having
the additional effect of forming healthier
spaces for students to interact.
To a point, it appalls me that we
have not tackled smoking regulations on
campus yet. Mines was recently ranked as
the #1 engineering college in the U.S., and
the article stated that one of the focuses of
the school is the responsible use of Earths
resources, yet we do nothing to protect the
resource of the air around us as a campus.
Luckily, it is not too late to make a
change and protect the resource of air on
campus. As a school that values the Earth,
we should move to pass regulations in
order to live what we believe. We should
hang up signs around campus that display
our values in practice.
Even though this may seem like a
small step in the right direction, Mines
should begin by adopting these regulations
and be proud in becoming a leader in
protecting the environment that we live and
work in.

Dont Judge a Person By Their Vice

Cigarette smokers receive a much

worse reputation than they deserve. The
amount of judgment they receive compared
to people who frequently partake in other
vices (like alcohol or marijuana) is honestly
a little ridiculous, but not completely
unfounded.
Lung cancer is expected to kill
approximately 160,000 people this year
alone; of those people, 90% of men and
80% of women will develop lung cancer
from smoking. These numbers are
scary, it doesnt take anything special to
understand that. So then, why do people
smoke? Its this manner of thinking which
I consider to be at fault for the majority
of crude stereotypes smokers are so
frequently labeled with.
I tried smoking my rst cigarette the
summer I turned 17 and hated every
second of it. From the burning sensation
in my throat, to the asphyxiating panic that
accompanied the thought of putting tar in
my lungsthat rst cigarette was truly the
worst experience for a rst time smoker
like myself. And at the end of a coughing
t that drew tears from my face, it was
obvious to me, after just one drag, that
smoking cigarettes wasnt something I had
interest in.
My second cigarette, smoked just 8
months after that very real nightmare, was
a completely different experience. Why?
Imagine my surprise when I found myself
half way through my second cigarette in
the blink of an eye. How much could have
really happened in the last eight months
that, all of a sudden, I was looking at the
end of my second, cough-free cigarette?
Eight months; that is all the time it took
for a cigarette to go from intolerable to
relaxing. In that blink of an eye, what I once
regarded as unhealthy and torturous, I now
found to be the perfect six minute esape.
One on which I would end up relying.
No two people are ever going to react

to an identical situation in exactly the same

way. Reason being that no two people
in existence are wholly identical. The
overwhelming odds point at the possibility
that youve probably been offered a
cigarette, to which most of you probably
replied no. Schools and media do a
phenomenal job in convincing people that
saying no to tobacco is easy. Truthfully, it
isI did it once.
What isnt taught in schools is how
much easier saying yes becomes in the
appropriate situation. To those who have
consistently chosen to not be involved with
tobacco, kudos. Seriously, not everyone
can do that. Having that strength in
character, however, doesnt put you above
those who smoke. Smoking cigarettes
doesnt make anyone any less of a person.
So, why then the putrid looks when
someone is standing 20 ft. in front of a
building smoking a cigarette? Dont you
think smokers know that cigarettes are
bad for them? Why the casual quickening
of pace when walking by someone whos
smoking? Worried that the second hand
smoke is going to affect your health?
The point is, no one starts smoking with
the intent of becoming addicted. Everyone
is dealing with their lives in the best way
they can, with whatever is available to
them. If taking a step back for the length of
a cigarette allows you a moment of peace,
you sure wont be catching hell from me.
Theres no guarantee that smoking
will be a life-long habit. So, dont let the
fact that someone smokes keep you from
getting to know them. For myself, as of
late, Ive been feeling life shift in a different,
exciting direction.
Its about time I quit. Yet I can say
with absolute condence, that once I quit,
there is a pretty good chance that Ill nd
myself pacing in the street with cigarette in
hand, freaking out about some impending
situation.

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OPINION

Friday, October 9, 2015

A Yak to Hide Behind: Anonymity is Not Immunity

By: Ronald Kem

On the Internet, nobody knows youre a

dog. - Peter Steiner
Its obvious that nobody on the Internet
is actually a dog. Cat pictures are pretty
popular, and I dont think they would be if that
were the case.
All jokes aside, if you didnt understand
the joke, its probably alright.
Its an old joke from a comic
strip referring to the privacy
and anonymity that the Internet
provides.
Anonymity, in the most basic
sense, is having your identity
concealed. With a mask to hide
behind, you can do and say more
than you would outside of the
Internet. You are free to criticize
officials in positions of power and
express your opinion, no matter
how unpopular, all while ensuring
that you wont be hurt and your
character wont be judged.
Id keep on going, but Im
not here to talk about why
anonymity is amazing and what
the repercussions would be if it
were taken away from us.
Im here to talk about the
usage of anonymity on social
media (i.e Yik Yak) and why it
seems like people here at Mines
just dont get it.
As an app, Yik Yak promotes
a forum for people within the community to
talk about anything and everything. If you
like something, you upvote it so others can
continue to see it. If you dont, you downvote
it and it will go away once it hits -5.
Im an avid user of Yik Yak and it pretty
much provides me with up-to-date news on
whats going around here at Mines. The best
part about it: your name is not attached to
anything on the app.

Ive seen and heard of good things

happening because of Yik Yak. Some time
last year, a student was feeling pretty down
and reached out for help on there. Whether
or not they actually met up, people offered
to meet up and hang with him/her. Ive seen
gatherings set up by the app and I even know
someone who got a drink bought for them

from Starbucks while they were at work.

This app is capable of some sizable
amounts of good. Whether or not the people
would have done the things above without
anonymity is a topic of its own, but there is
one thing this app can confirm:
Anonymity breeds meanness the
Internet has proven this time and time again.
- Sam Altman

As much as I love perusing the app, Im

not a big fan of specific people being targeted
for comments and jokes.
One of the first rules is: DO NOT
bully or specifically target others.
It is easy to find people using nicknames
for people to bully them for extended periods
of time or even using the names
of professors to say pretty mean
things about them. Our Yik Yak
has it all, even when it shouldnt.
You may not realize it or you
may realize it completely and not
care, but in some way, shape and
form, youre essentially bullying
them even if you feel like your
words dont hurt them.
Theres a huge difference in
using anonymity to attack political
figures and ideas, and using it to
attack everyday people you go to
school with.
If youre someone using it
for the latter, you need to be
reminded that even though you
may be completely disassociated
while
online,
you
arent
disassociated from any real life
repercussions.
Anonymity is a double edged
sword. It can be used for both
great and bad things. Im not your
mother and Im not going to tell
you to not do things. Youre more
than capable of making your own decisions,
whether they are good or bad.
The one thing I ask of you, before you
decide to use anonymity for anything harmful
to others, is to remember the human youre
talking about behind the screen.
We all are trying to get through this dogeat-dog world that is Mines, so why make it
harder for someone else to do so?

There is an epidemic that has spread

across the United States, and no, it is not
Ebola. It has been hiding under our noses,
ever-present like the stack of homework
on our desks. Currently most closely
related to sugar, this entity is constantly
sought after, and the more we taste it, the
more we want it, usually overindulging to
the point of sickness.
Coined as Oversuccess by Author Jim
Rubens, this concept has been described
as the obsession in America with wealth,
fame, power, and perfection or any other
similar metric of success.
With one in three adults dissatisfied
with their lives, the nation in its largest
public and private debt to date, hundreds
of thousands of contestants every year
auditioning for talent shows, etc this
drive for personal achievement and
recognition, whether demonstrating it
through wealth, fame, or power, is taking
its toll on the country.
But why have Americans become
obsessed with success?
Capitalism. Done. Fin. Finished.
Just kidding, that would be too easy.
And I am not here to bash on Capitalism.
It has its perks.
A contributing factor to this obsession
is the Protestant work ethic. Since there
was no particular way to know who those

predestined for heaven were (the elect), it

was thought that those who were socially
and financially successful (from being
hard working and frugal) in their life on
earth were destined for heaven.
In turn, hard work and frugality became
qualities to strive for among Protestants
that were passed down through the
generations and have become ingrained
in our culture.
Capitalism, another contributing factor,
is a means to an end that fosters our
commercial culture and is the platform for
which we can constantly compete against
one another in business and in acquisition
of personal possessions.
The mixed economy of the United
States rewards those who work harder with
more profits, which contributes to wealth,
fame, and power. Essentially, capitalism is
the set of rules we play by so we can win
the game of life, which in Milton Bradleys
case is to own the most money. Go figure.
While the Protestant work ethic and
Capitalism are both major contributors
to oversuccess, in my opinion, it is our
obsession with competing in America that
is at the heart of the issue. We compete at
everything.
I am definitely guilty of turning any
activity, no matter how insignificant, into
a competition, and in the end caring more
about winning than enjoying myself.
TV shows have even turned some of the

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U.S. Syrian
Refugee
Program Strains
Immigration
Situation
By: Tyler Jones

most enjoyable activities, like dancing and

cooking, into competitions, for example,
So You Think You Can Dance and Iron
Chef.
We especially love to win. Look at all of
our Olympic Gold medals and the space
race. As stated in Psychology Today:
Having a winning mindset has its
obvious advantages. It generates intensity,
determination and effort, and often success
can fill our lives with meaning. But a
competitive mindset has serious problems.
The first is pitting America against the rest
of the world, and Americans aggressively
promoting the notion that they are the
best. This generates constant tension and
stress in life. The second is winning never
produces permanent satisfaction, because
once the victory is attained, the next one is
quickly sought after. A competitive mindset
and focus on winning can also introduce
a continuous state of dissatisfaction with
ones life.
Wealth, fame, and power are just a few
metrics we compete with each other on.
There appears to be one simple
solution to this obsession with success
in America. Since we cannot immediately
alter our economic system or cultural
values, deviating from a desire to win
and just enjoying the activity or journey
will help alleviate some of the stresses in
living in the most competitive country in
the world.

In the aftermath of September 2001, the

United States launched a decade-long attack
against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda and a full
scale attack against terrorism in the Middle
East. However, despite a strict military
victory, the United States successfully
strengthened anti-western fervor in a search
for justice.
There is a reason why extremist muslim
groups come almost entirely out of the
Middle East and not countries like Indonesia
or India. Populations have been forced to
choose between oppressive regimes or
extremist Islamic groups because of U.S.
airstrikes. The idea of civil society has
been dismantled by the U.S. rather than by
terrorist organizations, and all that remains
is chaos.
These labors are now coming to fruition. A
combination of civil wars and political unrest
in the Middle East have created a power
vacuum for extremists to occupy countries
with terrorism and hatred. Syrians are facing
a civil war against a government who has
committed war crimes on its own people,
bombed its own territory, and allowed ISIS to
control peoples lives.
Is Obamas recent announcement to
accept more Syrian refugees an attempt to
begin assuming partial responsibility for the
Middle East? Although attempting to accept
more Syrians is admirable considering the
ongoing debate about immigration policies,
it does not actually accomplish anything.
Accepting more refugees from Syria is
not a sustainable solution to this conflict.
Domestic partisan debate stands in the
way of coming to a concise solution to
immigration from Mexico, yet the federal
government hopes to successfully oversee
the proper movement and transition of
thousands of refugees.
Shipping foreigners more than 5,500
miles out of the conflict does not prevent
horror from continuing to travel outside of the
borders of Syria. Unless the U.S. intends to
accept hundreds of thousands of refugees,
any decisions made are purely political
rhetoric, and extremists will continue to
thrive in war-torn countries.
The United States is frozen in place,
trying to not repeat their mistakes by simply
not acting. It claims that it is supporting
moderate rebels fighting Bashar al-Assad,
launching air attacks, and forming an antiISIS coalition. Despite this, the west is losing
progress on the Syrian civil war and failing to
defend against modern terrorism in the form
of Daesh. It was the United States that laid
the foundation for Daesh to grow, and other
extremists around the world to identify under
the icon of ISIS. Now is the time for the U.S.
to compromise and find a global solution to a
global problem.
All major powers are capable of
collaborating in the UN towards a solution
that protects everyones interests. Time has
run out for diplomacy to end the Syrian civil
war. Multilateral military action is quickly
approaching, and the only way for the U.S. to
preserve its foreign interests is to cooperate
with the rest of the world to further stabilize
the region.

Brett Tucker
Editor-in-Chief
Katrina San Nicholas
News Editor
Katharyn Peterman
Opinion Editor
Erica Dettmer-Radtke
Arts and Entertainment Editor

Alisha Eskew
Sports Editor
Ronald Kem
Design Editor / Photojournalist
Kyle DiSandro
Design Editor
Jason Lim
Copy Editor

American Dream Drives Obsession with Success

By: Anonymous

PAGE 7

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Friday, October 9, 2015

OPINION

PAGE 8

Boehners Resignation Signals Victory for Tea Party

By: Eric Dattore
John Boehner is the first Speaker of the
House to willingly leave the position since
Thomas ONeill, Jr. in 1987. He announced
on September 25th that he will resign as
Speaker on October 30th. This marks the
end of an era in Congress, as it signals the
high-water mark of the Republican Party.
Boehners resignation announces to the
Tea Party that theyve won the battle and,
perhaps, even the war.
Speaker Boehners resignation marks
the inability of moderate Republicans to
manage the rightward drift of their own
party. Weve watched the Republican party
drift further and further to the right since the
inception of the Tea Party in 2009.
In the midterm elections of 2010,
Republicans gained sixty-three seats in
the House, giving them a majority. John
Boehner was elected the Speaker of the
House in 2011 after the 112th United States
Congress was brought into session.
The Tea Party Caucus was also created
in the 112th Congress, which began the
woes of John Boehners tenure as Speaker
of the House. This was only the beginning of

a losing battle, as he attempted to keep his

party in line and continue governing.
The reason for his resignation is the latest
fight over government funding. Because
of the discovery of a false video showing
Planned Parenthoods practices, many
conservatives called for a budget that cuts
federal funding to Planned Parenthood. Their
open threat to shutdown the government
over this meager issue pressured Boehner
to side with his partys ideology rather than
do whats best for the country.
The first sign of Boehners inability to
corral his own party was in 2013 when the
government shutdown for sixteen days over
the issue of defunding Obamacare.
The final agreement to reopen the
government would be the undoing of thenHouse Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who
was later defeated in the primaries by a Tea
Party candidate.
Boehners likely successor is now-House
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who is wellliked among hyper-conservatives because
of his malleable nature. His succession
will likely lead to even more gridlock in
Washington with less getting done in
President Obamas final months in office.

In his last days in office, Boehner has

some critical decisions to make that will
determine the legacy he leaves behind. With
the passage of a continuing resolution that
funds the government though December
11, Congress has avoided an immediate
shutdown, but without a solid budget, they
will face another impending shutdown in
December.
Boehner should get the House to
approve a budget and raise the debt ceiling

before he resigns to ensure the government

can continue to operate in 2016. This would
also put Tea Party Republicans in a difficult
position in 2016, since the budget would
come to vote weeks before Election Day.
Regardless of what he decides to do,
Boehner has presided over the House
during a contentious period with the House
divided by Democrats, Republicans, and the
Tea Party, and there is something to be said
for that.

2016 Presidential Hopefuls Oddly Resemble a Scene at the Bar

By: Paul Funion

The media has been blowing up about

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton
the frontrunners of the Republican and
Democratic partiesbut what about the
other candidates?
According to the Huffington Post, only
27% of the U.S. population has been paying
close attention to the 2016 Presidential
Race. If you are not a part of this group and
want to sound smart by name-dropping a
few candidates, I will help you get vaguely
acquainted with them (as one of them,
theoretically, will be your new president
next year).
To make things simple, lets set a
scene: everyone is in a bar. A big bar.
Built by Mexico. Donald Trump (RNY
Businessman) probably owns it, so well
call it Trump Bar. He often tends to fall
into traps when his bartenders tell walkouts they have to pay, and they always
respond, Nah, mines natural. Your bosss
on the other hand Think about it.
Anyway, in a dusty corner of the bar is
the Kiddie Table. Those who sit here are
the candidates lowest in the polls and are
like a solitary freckle on your armjust kind
of there. Youll see it every now and then
when youre looking at your skin, but its

not really going to get much bigger. These

people are:
Lincoln Chafee (DFormer RI Gov.),
Martin OMalley (DFormer MD Gov.),
Jim Webb (DFormer VA Sen.), Lawrence
Lassig (DHarvard Professor), Jim
Gilmore (RVA Gov.), George Pataki
(RFormer NY Gov.), Bobby Jindal (R
Current LA Gov.), John Kasich (RCurrent
OH Gov.), Rick Santorum (RFormer PA
Gov.), and Lindsey That Guy from South
Carolina Graham (RFormer SC Sen.).
The table is headed by The Margin of Error
and Other, who typically do better in the
polls.
Rand Paul, M.D. (RCurrent KY Sen.)
is by the door performing eye surgery.
Dr. Paul is said to be good because he
imagines the patients eye problem as the
NSA. A fellow surgeon, Ben Carson (R
Retired FL neurosurgeon), is separating
twins who are conjoined at the head, being
the first to successfully do so. Not many
people mention this, but he is black.
There is another demographically
significant candidate in the bar. Carly
Fiorina (RFormer Hewlett-Packard CEO)
recently left the Kiddie Table after getting
into a bar fight with Trump. She is one of
two women running for president. The
other, Hillary Clinton (Dformer Secretary

of State), is having a big party at a large

table across the room. Some people think
she owns the bar, which she is close to
doing.
Under her table is Bernie Sanders (D
Former VT Sen.). He crawled under the
table, noticed by a few people. Recently,
more people are looking down and leaving
Hillarys party. The floor is kind of hot, so
some people are pushing others down,
telling them to feel it.
At the bar stools sit Jeb Bush (R
Former FL Gov.) and Marco Rubio (R
Current FL Sen.), speaking to each other
in Spanish. Ted Cruz (RCurrent TX
Sen.) sits next to them, trying to join the
conversation, but only gets a few phrases
in before giving up. He is reading Oh, the
Places Youll Go in preparation for his
next filibuster. Green Eggs and Ham lies
on the counter next to him, with a page of
Obamacare as a bookmark.
At a table blocking a lot of traffic in the
middle of the room sits Chris Christie (R
Current NJ Gov.). He is playing a game
of Bridge, teamed with a staff member
and playing against Fort Lee Mayor Mark
Sokolich and an angry New Jersey driver.
There are complaints of the cards being
stuck to the table, restricting the flow of
gameplay. Christie claims to not know

anything while his staff member shoves a

stick of glue down his pocket.
On the stage, Mike Huckabee (R
Former AR Gov.) is giving a sermon whilst
fist-fighting a bag of rainbow Doritos. The
Doritos are winning.
Rick Perry (RFormer TX Gov.) and
Scott Walker (RFormer WI Gov.) have
already left the bar, having run out of
money.
Outside the bar looking in is Joe Biden
(DCurrent Vice President). Some people
are already buying him drinks, even though
he hasnt entered the bar.
And finally, having a party on the
roof, is every write-in candidate, stacked
up higher than the cares given by the
American population. At the top of the pile
are Deez Nutz (IndependentInternet
meme puppeted by Iowa teen), polling at
9% in a Trump vs. Clinton vs. Nutz poll, and
Limberbutt McCubbins (DCurrent KY
Meow Cat).
By now you should be fairly familiar with
the candidates. For more information, go
to the internet. That pretty much covers it.
If you keep watching the news, youll see
wholl leave the bar next, who else might
get into a bar fight, and, by November next
year, well see who gets the drunkest. Your
next president will be the one in detox.

Having a Plan to Make That Date More Attainable

By: Vishnu Kadirisani
Before we dive into this messy little
conversation, there needs to be a disclaimer:
I will not be getting every male reader a date
with the following advice. I am just giving you
the tools necessary to build a relationship
with a member of the opposite sex.
That being said, nobody reading this
article should ever think, That guy/girl is
so out of my league. That line is complete
nonsense. We all start on a level playing
field. Without further ado, here are the basic
guidelines to talking to someone you likelike: Initial Contact, Compatibility, The Final
Descent.
Initial Contact.
Everyone wants to be cliche here. You
want to be gazing into the distance when
your starry-eyed love looks back at you and
smiles with a smile so sweet that your heart
melts...except that probably is not going to
happen to many of us here at the Colorado
School of Mines. For most of us, there is
a much more dreaded beginning to our love
story.
You. Have. To. Approach. The. Cutie.
Really, you have to do it. See that cute guy

sitting over there eating lunch? His plan for

the rest of the day is to finish that lunch, go to
class, eat a snack, do something at the gym
involving weights, eat more food, and sleep.
UNLESS, you walk on over there and say
the greatest pickup line known to mankind,
Hey, how is it going? Now, unless you
have approached the King/Queen Jerk, you
will probably have a nice conversation about
your day and his/her day.
Important side notes About Step 1: Do not
be creepy. Be confident. If you act awkward
and scared, the other person will be scared
and look at you awkwardly. Also be nice.
Nice people always finish the race, maybe
not first, but they finish the race every time.
Compatibility.
This is not a Do or Die, scenario. Take
a step back and think about what you are
doing. There are people looking for longterm commitments, there are people looking
for flings, there are people looking for one
good night, and there are people looking
to add to their list of friends with benefits.
Which one are you, and which one is the
person you are talking to?
Do NOT expect to get this answer the first
time you talk, or even the first couple of times

you talk! You will learn pretty quickly which

kind of person they are through their actions.
Take some time to figure out which
character you are before judging them. Did
you just go through a tough break up? Did
you just get to college? Have you ever had a
relationship before? Do you even have time
for this?
Important side notes About Compatibility:
Do not force someone to be your kind
of compatible. This is college. Let them
explore, run wild, fall in love, but do not force
them to pick you. Just hope they think you
are as right for them as you think you are...
and do not worry, most of the time it works
out in the end.
The Final Descent.
Yes, this is where you ask them to a oneon-one social interaction known as a date.
And before you set high expectations for this
occurrence and get all dressed up and make
reservations three weeks in advance, ASK
THE PERSON IF THEY WANT TO GO. And
be explicit. Please, please, please, avoid
making it seem like a hangout session,
when you want it to be a date. A date is
special, so make it special. And no, it is not
special because you bought her roses and

the most expensive chocolates at the store.

It is special when you can barely keep
your eyes off of each other and can remind
everyone else in the vicinity what it means
to laugh because youre with someone you
really like, no matter the reason you like
them. At the core, that is when you two are
ready for a date. That is basic human life for
you: be with the people that make you laugh.
Important Notes About The Final Descent:
You will probably have more than one final
descent. And that is just fine.
You get better as you go on more dates,
you learn more about what you like and what
you enjoy talking about, and it is always fun
doing something fun with a person that likes
you enough to hang out with you. So have
fun.
Go say hi, get to know them and what
both of you want, and have fun together.
Good luck and good hunting.
As a side note: My girlfriend agrees with
all of this, and would like to add that Snarfs
is a great little place to go on a first date. I
disagree and would recommend pizza and
bowling. My roommate likes coffee. You
pick. Its your date. Go make it happen.

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Friday, October 9, 2015

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Melodic Miners
By: Amber Hill
When the name barbershop quartet is
said, what first comes to mind? Top hats
and striped getups, perhaps some stylish
suspenders?
What about dresses and heels?
A Cappella has begun to pick up momentum in recent years, due largely to the
popular film, Pitch Perfect, that depicts a
group of highly talented women with enormous voices (Aca-scuse me?).
However, its roots both here at the
Colorado School of Mines and abroad
are a bit more humble.
The Sweet Adelines, a group of musical
women who came together in the wake of
World War II in Tulsa, Oklahoma, continue
today to promote the teaching of music
and singing to young women. Their counterparts, the Barbershop Harmony Society,
strives for the same goals with young men.
While the Sweet Adelines went international in the 1950s, and encompass a very
wide and diverse community of women
worldwide, they still remain largely here in
the United States. In fact, a small branch
of this group has a voice here on our very
own campus.
The Melodic Miners were founded
over ten years ago by choir director Robert Klimek. In their time here, they have
remained true to the roots of the Sweet
Adelines movement, their most well-known
cover being Lollipop by Julius Dixson and
Beverly Ross.
We love newer music, Melodic Miners
president Nichole Pisierra said. But for us,
the classic music is so much more meaningful.
The Melodic Miners truly strive for the
closeness that the original Sweet Adelines
possessed, and Pisierra compares her
own ensemble to that of a sports team.
I want that same tight-knit feeling that
they had, she said. Thats what their music was all about.
A round of auditions on September 2nd
brought new blood to the group of twelve
girls, and their president could not be
prouder of the variety and skill of her club.
Everyone was so talented, she said.
Every single one of them will fit in so well
with us.

Photo by Becky Guy

A piece of art displayed at the Foothills Art Center Exhibit.

Watermedia Exhibit at Foothills

Art Center
By: J. West
For students looking for a way to
embrace the arts off campus, there is a
local exhibit that is sure to be thrilling
and picturesque. The Foothills Art
Center launched their 42nd Annual
Rocky Mountain National Watermedia
Exhibition on September 19, 2015.
The exhibit runs until October 25,
giving anyone enough time to see the
masterpieces on display.
In a recent press statement, the
Foothills Art Center said of the exhibit:
Noted as one of the top watermedia
exhibitions in the country, 65 distinct
works of art have been chosen by the
prestigious watermedia artist Mark
Mehaffey. Watermedia enthusiasts
and appreciators will be delighted by
artistic expression that ranges from
highly articulated realism to engaging
works of abstraction. Accompanying

each work of art is a statement that

defines the aesthetic goals of each
artist.
The works of art on display were
created by 65 different artists.
The pieces were selected from 665
entries made by 282 artists in 27 states,
according to the Foothills Art Center
Exhibitions Manager, Becky Guy.
Watermedia is a type of art that
takes many forms.
It famously includes watercolor
pieces, as those are typically the most
common, but acrylic painting, collage,
and mixed media are also considered
watermedia as long as water is used as
the most prominent material.
Mark Mehaffey judged the art
submitted for this exhibit. He came in
at the beginning of August to teach a
master workshop and make selections
for the exhibit.
He saw the works in person after

PAGE 9
making preliminary eliminations on the
computer. From those, 20 awards were
given by sponsors of donors, mostly in
cash amounts, said Guy in a recent
interview.
Two of the winning pieces, In
Between Time, an acrylic by Brenda
Turner (Best of Show), and Marbles,
a watercolor by Soon Warren (3rd
Place and the cover of the Foothills Art
Center Catalog), are featured in the
pictures seens.
Mehaffey kept several questions
in mind when determining the best
pieces: [H]ow does the artist engage
the viewer? Is there an attempt at
making a personal statement? How
does the artist use the elements and
principles of design to reinforce their
content? And finally, do the techniques
employed fit with and reinforce the
design and the content?
Mehaffey also offered a statement
about his time as juror: It is always an
honor to be asked to jury. It is also a
huge responsibility.
Every image is viewed many, many
times over multiple days. I did my very
best to understand what the Artists
were trying to say and searched for both
subtleties and a personal approach.
When possible I try to select a balanced
show with paintings that feature
different genres and techniques.
The
exhibit
website
(http://
foothillsartcenter.org/)
offers
more
details
about
gallery
hours
and
upcoming
events.
One event in particular that Mines
students may enjoy is the Holiday Art
Market, which begins on November
14 and lasts until December 31. The
market opens up the galleries for
retail, including all kinds of handmade
Colorado artwork.
The variable and affordable prices
make this event a great resource for
holiday shopping. Admission to the
Holiday Art Market is free.
If the changing colors of fall bring a
new yearning for artistic appreciation
to your eye, be sure to check out the
Watermedia exhibit at the Foothills Art
Center. Admission is $5 for students
and $8 for adults, and will be worth
every penny.

67th Annual Emmys Award Show Highlights Diversity

By: Jacquie Feuerborn
Sunday, Sept 20th was a night of
entertainment and firsts at the Emmys.
The Emmys award show has been in
existence since 1949, making this the
67th award show.
The night began with an opening by
host Andy Samberg, which included a
number of jokes, some of which were
quite pointed such as: The big story this
year is diversity. This is the most diverse
group of nominees in Emmys history.
Racism is over! Dont fact-check that.
In addition to all of the humorous jokes,
he even included a short film about how
he prepared for the position by living in a
bunker for a year, in order to have time to
watch all of the TV shows currently on air.
Each awards category was presented
by one or two celebrities, including Amy
Schumer, Amy Poehler, the comedian
Tracy Morgan, seen for the first time
since his serious car accident last year,
James Corden, Jimmy Kimmel and many
more. Each presenter stood on stage
announced the nominees and cracked
a few jokes at the various nominees
expenses before announcing the final
winners in each category.
With over 30 awards presented, it
was a night filled with celebration and

disappointment. Some of the most

exciting winners included Viola Davis
for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series
for How to Get Away with Murder, Jon
Hamm as Best Lead Actor in a Drama
for Mad Men, and the cast of Game of
Thrones taking home their 12th Emmy
with Peter Dinklage getting his own
additional Emmy for his portrayal of
Tyrion Lannister.
Perhaps one of the most memorable
parts of the night was Viola Davis
speech, after winning Best Lead Actress
in a Drama Series, as the first AfricanAmerican woman to win that category.
She began with, In my mind, I see a line.

And over that line, I see green fields and

lovely flowers and beautiful white women
with their arms stretched out to me, over
that line. But I cant seem to get there no
how. I cant seem to get over that line.
which is a quote from Harriet Tubman
in the 1800s, she explained, but is still
incredibly relevant for black women in
Hollywood.
The only thing that separates women
of color from anyone else is opportunity.
she explained before going on to thank
the writers, like Shonda Rhimes, who
write interesting women of color and
the other women of color actresses that
have come before her and paved the way

for complex characters like the one she

plays on How to Get Away with Murder.
There were many other notable
acceptance speeches. Peter Dinklage
even went so far as to say in his speech, I
wasnt prepared because the other actors
in my category, Im still sort of awed by all
of their performances. Jonathan Banks
went on to thank the writers of Game of
Thrones and give them most of the credit
for his performance.
Another winner was Jeffrey Tambor,
who won the Emmy for Outstanding Actor
in a Comedy Series, for his portrayal of a
transgendered woman in Transparent.
He went on to thank transgendered
people for your patience, thank you for
your courage, thank you for your stories,
thank you for your inspiration, and thank
you for letting us be part of the change.
After the creation #OscarsSoWhite
from the Academy Awards this year,
the diversity at awards shows has been
an intense topic of discussion but with
several wins by African-American women
at the Emmys, hopefully things are
starting to change for the better.
The Television Academy, who runs the
Emmys, have made numerous changes
to the rules on how votes are placed.
New voting rules will hopefully continue
this years trend of unpredictable winners.

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Friday, October 9, 2015

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Coral Creek Album Release at Buffalo Rose

music could help engineering brains come

up with new engineering ideas.
The band is appreciative of everyone
For those interested in music of
who comes to their performances. Chris
the Americana, bluegrass, and blues
describes his favorite part of performing as
persuasion, the local band Coral Creek
the interaction with the audience. Seeing
has just released a new album. They will
the crowd and
be playing at the Buffalo
how they are
Rose on October 16 at 8
responding
to
PM. The show is free to
the bands music
attend.
is one of his
Coral Creek is a band
favorite things.
featuring Chris Thompson
This
past
on vocals and guitar and
year, the Mines
Bill McKay on keyboard.
community was
The band also includes
involved in the
Rob Garland on bass and
Ullrgrass festival,
Jack Watson on drums.
volunteering
Coral Creek is based from
with
different
the Colorado front-range,
aspects of the
primarily playing shows
festival.
Coral
close to home.
Creek is one of
Chris described their
hosts for this
new album as a breakout
festival. In 2016,
album featuring my music
the
Ullrgrass
and Bills. Bill McKay
Festival will be
recently joined the band
held
January
as the keyboard player.
29-31. If you
Bill McKay is best known Photo courtesy of Coral Creek
interested
as a former member of the The Coral Creek band plays at a local show. The band will be playing at multiple local are
in
volunteering
band Leftover Salmon. shows in the upcoming months.
or attending the
Because
of
recently
adding Bill, the album is described as a Golden, is to connect with the local festival, check out the website: http://www.
reintroduction of the band.
community. This includes the Mines ullrgrass.com/.
Be sure to check out Coral Creeks
The album features original songs as community as well. Building connections
well as a couple of covers. Musically, its between the Golden music community performance at the Buffalo Rose. For
pretty solidly in the Americana category. and the Mines student body is good for more information on Coral Creek, go to:
A bit of a departure from the bluegrass everybody. Chris jokingly added that http://www.coralcreek.net/

By: Erica Dettmer-Radtke

sounds weve recorded in the past. When

asked what hed like Mines students to
know about the new album, Chris simply
said, Well, Id like them to hear it.
For Coral Creek, one of the most
important parts of performing here in

Til It Happens to You Addresses Sexual Assault on Campus

By: Jacqueline Feuerborn
The recent release of Lady Gagas
Til It Happens to You is already
being heralded as one of the most
important music videos of the year.
Til It Happens to You delves into the
issue of sexual assault on college
campuses. While Mines has a low
reported rate of sexual assault , the
prevalence of sexual assault on most
college campuses is concerning.
The video references a number
of statistics, including the frankly
horrifying statistic that 1 in 5 women
in college will be raped. It is a graphic
video and contains a disclaimer
at the beginning so anyone who
intends to watch it should be wary of
potential triggers.
The video follows three story lines
of different sexual assault scenarios.
The first scenario shows a young
woman practicing at a piano and
writing music with a friend. Amidst
their celebration of a break through,
the situation turns sexual. The male
friend forces himself on the woman
despite her refusal. This scenario of
a woman being raped by someone
she knows, potentially a friend
or even boyfriend, is surprisingly
common. The majority of sexual
assault victims know their attacker
before the incident occurs.
The second storyline shows a
girl who appears to be transitioning,
with a bound chest, using the mens
communal showers. This story shows
another man, potentially a stranger,
approach in the bathroom and force
himself on them.
The third storyline shows two girls

at a party being watched by a man.

He brings them drugged drinks and
leads them to an empty bedroom.
One of the girls emerges from her
drugged stupor midway through
being assaulted to fight off the man
and help her friend, who has already
been raped, to get out.
After showing the initial trauma
that each of the victims go through,
the viewers see some of the fall
out of the trauma that they have
experienced. This includes both
the ways that others view them, as
well as the ways that they look at
themselves. This is done through
words written on their bodies, things
like I am worthless and Sometimes
I hate myself.
We see that one girl drops out
of school, something that happens
entirely too often with sexual assault
victims, while the rest just draw into
themselves. This is one of the low
points of the video but the tone is
promptly turned around as we begin
to see the people who support these
victims.
Friends and family begin to show
up to pull the victims out of their
shells and get them motivated again.
Here is where we see words written
on their bodies again but this time
they are more positive with, I am
worthy. and I love myself. A stark
contrast to how they seemed to feel
about themselves earlier in the video.
The video ends with the three
main victims being led from their
dorms by friends and family along
with other victims, of all genders and
races. This scene of various victims
of sexual assault standing together

and moving forward is an uplifting

way to end a song about such an
important topic.
The video handles the topic of
sexual assault very well. It is both
direct with the portrayals of the
assaults and handles the aftermath
to show how it can affect the victims.
The uplifting ending, hopefully, shows
real victims that things will get better
with the help of friends and family
and talking about what they have
been through.
Lady Gaga is well known for her
outhere music videos but this is the
first one to tackle such a big topic.
Simply by making this video, she has
drawn more awareness to sexual
assaults on college campuses,
something that has been in the
media a lot recently.
Ever since Emma Sulkowicz,
a Columbia student, carried her
mattress to classes in protest of her
rapist not being expelled, sexual
assault is a popular topic both on
campuses and in the media but
nothing seems to be being done
about it.
The statistics keep rising and
conversations keep happening,
being prompted by things like Til
It Happens to You, but nothing is
changing. What can be done to stop
the rising number of sexual assaults
on college campuses?
ItsOnUs.org
National Sexual Assault Hotline:
1-800-656-HOPE
Mines Policy and Procedures:
http://bulletin.mines.edu/
policiesandprocedures/

PAGE 10

The Return of
Doctor Who
By: J. West

Most will agree that it is soothing

to slowly slip back into watching an
old favorite show, especially when
episodes resume their predictable
schedule of airing each week. One
could liken it to the feeling of putting on
that first pair of fuzzy socks at the start
of autumn exciting, long awaited, and
comfortable.
Doctor Who fans experience no
exception.
Fans across the globe
rejoiced on September 19th, 2015 as
the first episode of season nine aired.
The show was on an eight month hiatus
since the final season eight episode,
Last Christmas was released. The
Christmas episode answered questions
about whether or not the Doctors
current companion, Clara Oswald,
played by Jenna Coleman, would be
leaving the show prior to the start of
season nine.
The newest episode picks up the
storyline sometime after the Christmas
episode, when the Doctor, played by
Peter Capaldi, is missing in action.
Clara is summoned by old friends
and enemies to help find him. The
plot quickly complicates with the
reintroduction of Davros, the notorious
villain whose evil robotic inventions, the
Daleks, consistently plague the Doctor
and his companions. The first episode
then leaves viewers with a tantalizing
and infuriating cliffhanger.
Doctor is known for its well thought
out plot lines and incredible timetraveling twists. Steven Moffat, the
producer and writer for the show, has
received mixed feedback on his work
on the direction the show has taken.
Some praise his incredible ability
to plan storylines through multiple
seasons with constant intrigue, while
others criticize his creation of plot
holes and reuse of similar story arcs.
Despite arguments over the quality of
the plot, the show still holds sincere wit
and classic entertainment value.
Throughout their adventures, the
Doctor and his companions constantly
question their moral choices and their
identities. These are issues all Mines
students struggle with, and we can
easily compare our college journeys
to the Doctors perilous yet rewarding
adventures. The show also provides
some social commentary through the
actions of its characters, which offers
a refreshing perspective on common
issues today.
There is much excitement in the
atmosphere as Doctor Who continues
this autumn, but it may still shape up
to be a hard road for fans. There is
speculation that Clara will make her
exit partway through the season and
be replaced with someone new. Each
time a new companion is introduced,
there are always a few bumps as fans
get used to a new presence on the
show.
However, if past seasons are any
indication, viewers are still in good
hands. Doctor Who promises to bring
just as many emotional moments,
exciting triumphs, stunning visuals,
and fascinating mind games as it has
before. So, fellow Whovians, summon
your inner Doctor and call upon your
TARDIS; this seasons adventures will
prove to be thrilling, to say the least.

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SPORTS

Friday, October 9, 2015

PAGE 11

ORC Provides
Outlet, Resources
for Students
By: Evan Wong

Around campus, there are plenty

of sticker covered Nalgene bottles,
slacklines and climbing shoes tied to
backpacks. For those of you who want
to become involved in this culture, the
best place to start is the front doors of
the ORC.
For those craving adventure, Amy
McCann plans the trips and acquires the
all-important permits that allow access
to the national parks. McCann explains
the best way to become involved is the
ORC because, they offer instruction
and educational background to allow
students to safely enjoy the outdoors.
Melanie
Stephenson
runs
the
extensive rental desk in the ORC.
When packing for a trip, the ORC has
everything that you dont. The ORC
is here to be a resource to students,
to provide the necessary advice, and
equipment, for your next adventure.
The bike/ski shop is also an invaluable
resource. Chris Finfrock observes that
students are using grandparents bike
or those on Craigslist and riding them
till they die. Finfrock takes pride in
seeing the bikes his team has repaired
fill the bike racks on campus. With five
mechanics working over 50 man hours
per week, the ORC keeps the campus
bikes running in the summer time,
and our ski/snowboard edges sharp
throughout the winter.
The ORC is here to help at any
experience level since the trips are a
great opportunity for students to go out
and learn, while meeting a lot of cool
people, according to McCann. She
challenges students to come by and
see what we rent. Additionally, Finfrock
hopes to see more kids coming in to do
their own repairs.
The community extends far past the
ORC, however. Zach Swanson, with the
Hiking Club states that, one of the cool
things about the ORC is it introduces
people to the outdoors. Once students
are into the ORC, they start looking
for clubs, thats how the hiking club got
started.
There are a plethora of outdoor
communities around campus. Swanson
views clubs as a way to take it a step
further than what the ORC can provide.
The clubs on campus are run primarily
through Facebook groups, Orgsync, and
organized events by the officers.
The hiking club organized a trip to
Greys and Torreys Peak in September
where they offered three different
routes, each with a different difficultly.
Essentially, the hiking club is catering
to all different skill levels and mentalities
around hiking.
Every day we see the outdoor
community through the slackliners on
Kafadar. Jacob Adamson, the president
of the Slackline Club explained the
multiple lines stretched across the trees,
its just what we try to do on Fridays...
you get these groups that congregate
on Kafadar, a big part of that is the
slack line club. Adamson also voiced
his perspective toward the outdoor
community on campus, viewing it as a
bunch of engineering students doing
their best to relax. He particularly values
the culture that Kafadar has created in
the heart of campus, everyones just
finding ways to destress; the trees, the
slackline community and the hammock
community, everyone enjoys the nice,
big shady space.
If you find any interest in the thriving
outdoor community at Mines, visit the
ORC or walk up to a slackline and just
try your best. Whatever experience level
you have, the outdoor community is wellestablished. Its easy; just check out the
Facebook groups and get involved.

Photo by Leah Pinkus

Taylor McRae, freshman, goes for a header during a home game against St. Edwards on September 11.

Womens Soccer Bounces Back After Rocky Start

By: Evan Wong
Oredigger Womens Soccer currently
stands at six wins, two ties and
two losses as of October 4. During
conferences, they have won three out
of four and tied the other two games
played.
Friday, Sept. 25 the team took the
field against rival Regis University.
Going into half-time the Orediggers
trailed behind 0-2. Early in the second
half, Brooke Stoermer scored, turning
the tide of the game with an assist from
Caitlin Kaltenbaugh. Soon to follow,
Acacia Ortiz scored to tie the game.
The two teams continued to battle into
overtime until Kaltenbaugh finished
a loose ball opportunity created by
Stoermer in front of the Regis goal.
Stoermer stated after the game,
that getting the first goal spurred [the
team] into working harder, after the first
goal [they] had huge momentum to the
second and going into overtime still
had that momentum. There is concern,
however, towards the ill-played first
half, we need to start the games ready
to go, rather than having to wait for
them to score on us to start playing.
Stoermer, however, remains positive
when looking towards the future, stating

that, [theyre] on a super high and need

to fix the start of the game, but we are
confident.
After the game, Coach Fickes
remarked about the difference in play
between the two halves. The first half
we were miserable, [but] in the second
half we turned it around and we were
the Orediggers again.
The Lady Orediggers are missing
Anna Deleray and Cari Smith from
injuries. As Fickes explained, thats two
big losses, Jayln Yates is struggling to
get back and find her all-American form
from last year. Despite the injuries,
Mel Westhoff stated at practice, I
definitely think we are growing as a
unit. Importantly everyone is part of
the team, not just the eleven people that
start. This creates a very deep lineup that allows the team to run hard the
entire game.
One of the biggest challenges the
team faces is solving issues before they
become problems in the game. Acacia
Ortiz explained that when it comes to
issues that need to get fixed, they get
fixed in a couple games or a couple
practices. She went on to say that its
all about the little things in the future
games.

Coach
Fickes,
discussed
the
presence of the Mines Mentality within
his team. He referred to the teams hard
work both on and off the field. On the
field, Rachael Turner tried to capture
the teams mentality, I play for the
people next to me on the field, and I
push myself to get better because thats
what everyone else expects. This has
resulted in continuous improvement by
the team. Every practice we are getting
better and better and improving more
and more.
Due to a relatively slow pace going
into the heart of the season, we have
to win everything we can concluded
Fickes. He is optimistic, however,
because, we have a team that is feeling
it.
Friday Oct. 3, the Orediggers played
CSU Pueblo in a conference game.
Rachael Turner scored a hard fought
team goal in the middle of the second
half to tie the game at 1-1. Turner
remarked after the game, that she
thought it [would] help [the team] play
well on Sunday, since everyone is mad
about tying today.
Sunday Oct. 4, the Orediggers won a
conference game against New Mexico
Highlands.

Flu Season: Weighing the Benefits, Risks of Vaccinations

By: Alisha Eskew
As flu season is rapidly approaching
and the topic of vaccination becomes
an increasingly popular topic of debate
in society, Mines students have a
decision to make. They have to weigh
the potential long-term health risks of
a flu shot with the apparent immunity
against the flu that the shots may
provide.
The questions that arise
are: Is the vaccination safe? Is the
vaccination reliable? Is the vaccination
actually needed?
Vaccinations and their safety issues
have been controversial for quite some
time. The autism scarenow shown
to be unjustifiedhas caused an
increase in caution when it comes to
vaccinations.
While it is true the science behind
immunizations themselves is reliable,
it is also argued that people must be
aware that there are extra ingredients in
vaccinations themselves and know that
there is much still unknown about the
long term side effects of vaccinations.
I think anything we do in medicine
is not 100%, but the benefits far

outweigh the risks. And I think we try to

tell people that, like anything, we cant
say its 100% safe. But, the statistics
of people that die from influenza are
high. You have to always look at whats
the benefit and whats the risk. I truly
believe that getting a vaccination is
much more helpful and beneficial
states Debra Roberge, Director of the
Health Center and a nurse practitioner.
The occurrence of influenza has
drastically decreased and pandemics
from the flu virus are nearly nonexistent
in the U.S. now, because of the
vaccination.
Fifty years ago the number of
people who died from influenza was
very high. Now, there are still people
that diemostly the very young or the
very oldbut it is still a lot less than
what it was years ago. The CDC doesnt
get it exactly right every year, but they
try and look at trends and do have a
high percentage of success, comments
Roberge.
If youve ever had the flu, it can put
you down for a week. You feel tired,
have muscle aches, and feel like youve
just run 10 miles. You cant really afford

to lose a week of school, so if theres

something you can do to prevent
that from happening, I would highly
recommend it. The other thing is that
students live in very close quarters, but
when you live in a resident hall, you are
sharing a bathroom with 20 or 30 people
and chances of getting something are
much greater, states Roberge. Along
with the vaccination, there are other
natural ways to prevent getting the flu.
A lot of this stuff is transmitted
through coughing, sneezing, or picking
up something from a surface. If youre
coughing and feeling sick, stay home.
Cover your cough, wash your hands
frequently, and try to keep your immune
system up. We are exposed to viruses
every day and most of the time our
immune system wards them off. On
occasion when were fatigued, not
eating well, or stressed, our immune
system is already working on all of those
things, so when a virus is exposed to
it, it just doesnt have enough power to
thwart it.
Ultimately, Roberge concludes, If
theres a vaccine thats going to prevent
illness, use it. Its safe.

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October 9, 2015
Volume 95, Issue 1

Mens Soccer
Finds Rhythm,
Confidence

SPORTS

Photo by Leah Pinkus

Senior Richard Garvey dribbles past a defender in their game against Regis.
John Haist scored two goals late in
the first half to give the team the lead.
Regis answered early in the second half
but was unable to produce a second
goal. John Haist described the games
afterwards,
I think they struggled to deal with
the high pressure in the first half, I think
we had more energy in the first half and
thats where the goals came from Haist
said. Weve got a lot more to show in
the future, and we have a really good
squad and a lot of depth in the squad.
Aiding in their goal production, the
offense has been able to apply pressure
in key areas of the field to create
turnovers. The defense starts with the
forwards and midfield working back to
create a strong first line of defense.
Our offense puts their defense under
a lot of pressure and gets them to freak
out on the ball. That is what creates a lot
of our opportunities right in front of their
goal, Andres Ramirez explained.
Despite their streak of success and
like any team, there are bad days that
accompany the good.
I think playing for each other is
important to keeping us on track, weve

Club Triathlon Team Places Third at

Oktoberfest Triathlon
By: Alisha Eskew
Now having a Club Sport title, the
CSM Club Triathlon team has projected
success due to a much larger pool of
teammates and achievements at their
past two races.
We have had two races so far this
semester. The first one was great. We
had a high turnout and were just getting
ready for the season, says secretary
and second year competitor Madison
Scott.
Their first triathlon back in August
was the Boulder Sunset, an Olympic
distance triathlon. Olympic distance
consists of a grueling 1500 meter swim,
25 mile bike ride, and a 10 km run.
The second race was much better.
We actually placed third, said Scott.
And we beat Airforce! This second
triathlon in Longmont, Colorado, was
the Oktoberfest Triathlon, a sprint
distance triathlon consisting of a 750
meter swim, 12 mile bike ride, and 5 km
run.
This was the first time in team history
that we have placed. We normally dont
have enough people to be in the running
at all. We had by far the most people
and the most enthusiastic people on
the podium, treasurer and race director
Jeffrey Nichols said.
We had 20 people race. There are
probably 20-30 people on the team,
which is way bigger than past years so

Volleyball Continues
Dominance
By: Alisha Eskew

By: Evan Wong

In the last three weeks, the mens
soccer team has won conference games
against Colorado Christian, Colorado
State-Pueblo, Metro State, Colorado
Springs, Regis, and South Dakota
School of Mines. With a goal difference
of 21-2 in the last six games, it seems
the team has found thier groove.
We score a lot of goals, but more
importantly we didnt concede any, John
Haist said.
The spirit and work rate of the team
was excellent last week, Head Coach
Frank Kohlenstein said during practice
before the teams game against Metro.
The Orediggers took the field Friday
(9/25) against Metro, it remained
scoreless into overtime. With 6:25 left
on the clock, Senior Richard Garvey
capitalized on an opportunity to give the
Orediggers the game.
It was a team effort, we ran as hard
as we could, and got them as tired as
we could, and capitalized when it came,
Garvey said after the game. We went at
it, the whole team went at it, we ran as
hard as we could the whole game. In the
end the pressure was bound to let them
burst.
The game was back and forward. We
were getting shots and they were getting
shots, stated goalkeeper Collin Hall.
Everyone was in it from start to finish, a
good team effort and a great team win.
The Orediggers finished the weekend
playing Colorado Springs Sunday (9-27)
to another 1-0 victory. The goal being
scored by so. Nikolaus Grotz late in the
second half.
Friday (10/02) the Orediggers played
Regis at home to a 2-1 victory. Freshman

The student voice of Mines

since 1920

Im super excited team president Sam

Smith states. We have had a team
for four years. But this is our first year
being a club sport. Companionship on
the team is at an all-time high this year.
Weve always been close, but were
growing this year. Well do workouts
together during the week and then after
races well sometimes have a BBQ
which is a lot of fun.
Preparing and training for these
intense races requires a lot of dedication
and hard work.
During the summer its a lot easier to
train because I didnt have homework.
I do a couple swims a week, a couple
runs a week, and a couple bikes a week.
Obviously during school though its
much harder, but I like to do whatever I
can get in, Scott says.
I generally do about 15 hours a week
of training. Its probably half biking and
the other part run and swim. A lot of my
runs are higher intensity runs. Coming
into a race week, Ill do some hard
workouts at the beginning and then start
to taper off in the end, Smith said.
The teams next race is the Olympic
distance Pumpkinman Triathlon in Las
Vegas, Nevada, October 24.
Its a hard race but a fun once so we
are looking forward to it. The swim is
beautiful, and in the biking part we gain
over 3500 feet of elevation and the run
is flat, Scott said.

had some bad days and some bad

games, but weve been able to push
through it.
One of the teams strengths this year
is thier leadership.
Three seniors on defense results in
a lot of leadership and communication,
Ryan Leach said.
I think everyone is focused and
everyone is having fun, you can see it
at practice that everyone wants to play,
Nikolaus Grotz said.
As the season continues, Coach
Kohlenstein feels the team is getting
better.
Weve gotten a lot better as a team
and how we play tactically, he said. This
allows us to play a high pressure style
of soccer so everyone really matters.
We try to step up together and try to get
everyone involved with the attack as well
as working back on defense.
The teams recent success has led to
a heigtened confidence.
We feel really good about how we
played last week, but it doesnt matter
this week, Coach Kohlenstein said.
The team sets their sights toward their
next game against Westminster tonight.

Ranked number one in their

conference and 12 th nationally, the girls
volleyball team has continued thier
successful 2015 season.
Weve had 10 games so farfour
at our home tournament, four at a
tournament in Indianapolis, and two
other home conference games, states
sophomore Ellie Monarch. Weve done
pretty wellwe won all our games at our
home tournament and then we went twoand-two when we played the number one
team in the nation in Indianapolis. In our
home opener we also beat South Dakota
School of Mines and Black Hills State.
Surprising to both the team and the
fans, the Lady Orediggers came up short
in their game against Western State on
the last Friday of September despite
predictions they would do well. However,
they were able to rebound the next day
and defeat CSU Pueblo. As the season
moves along, the ladies have been able
to develop their team dynamics.
We are starting to click technically
as a team on the floor. We are starting
to figure out what works. Off the court
we are doing really well too. We spend
quite a bit of time together, but we are
handling it really well, Monarch attests.
Thankfully with the exception of only
a couple incidences, only the minor
muscle sores and aches have burdened
the team.
Maddie, one of our sophomore
middles, got a concussion and weve
had to work around that. Ashley, our
junior outside, had surgery on her knee
because she tore her meniscus during
preseason. Other than that though, there
have been just little expected things here
and there, states Monarch.
The team will try to continue their
dominance this weekend against MSU
and UCCS.

Mines Football Ranked Number

Eight in Nation
By: Ben Miele
The excitement continues around
the electric, fast paced and high volume
football team. As they continue their
success going forward, there are many
obstacles that they look to overcome.
Being the 8th ranked team in the nation
can add great amounts of pressure to the
game, but the team has stayed tough and
look to continue with what they started.
Junior quarterback Justin Dvorak has
been the man guiding the team to a very
successful start to the season thus far;
Dvorak is ranked in the top five for almost
every stat in Division 2.
Sticking together and taking it one
game at a time is how we have been
successful to this point of the season,
Dvorak said.
Not only have they handled the
obstacles exceptionally well, they have
dealt with the preseason hype.
The success has given us confidence
during the games, junior defensive back
Caleb Courkamp said. We worry about
our jobs, and dont worry about external
problems. The only team that can beat us
is us.
I would say its been for the better. Its
been nice to see our play be recognized,
Dvorak added. Its another incentive to
play well and represent this school in an
area other than academics.
Junior wide receiver Ty Young feels the
team has the right mentality.

w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t

As a team we always expect to win

and have success. And I think we have
always had a winning mentality and with
the success we had last year we know
what it takes to win and how we have to
get there.
Courkamp agreed with Youngs view on
the team.
After last years success we were
expecting it again this year. With the new
coaching staff we were a little iffy at first
if we could adjust, but they have made it
easy for us to continue to do our thing, and
made it easy for us to continue to win.
With the added pressure of being
undefeated, and nationally ranked number
8, there could be some obstacles that
arise for the team.
This is our first season with a new
coaching staff, so adjusting to new
personnel has been the biggest obstacle.
Yet, its still been a smooth transition,
Dvorak said.
Although the Diggers are taking it
one game at a time, they obviously have
one game circled on the schedule: CSU
Pueblo.
Theyre the reigning DII National
Champs, so we want to knock them off.
We still have to take a one game at a time
approach until we get there, was what
Dvorak had to say about their later in the
season matchup.
Look for the football players to continue
their undefeated streak as they go on the
road against Western New Mexico.