If the sidewalk adjacent to Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) building is any indication, the city’s pedestrians are in dire straits.
“Our infrastructure for sidewalks in Denver is not acceptable and leads to some pedestrian issues and traffic fatalities because people don’t have the means to walk safely around the city,” said Adrienne Razavi, the organizing manager at the Denver Streets Partnership.
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Even though Colorado consumers threw roughly 5.9 million tons of trash into landfills in 2020, according to the State of Recycling & Composting in Colorado Report, getting the trash into landfills and out of Colorado streets may just be the first hurdle to tackle.
This article addresses the state of littering throughout Colorado and sheds light onto the increasing issue in the state. According to Colorado’s statute § 18-4-511, The term “litter” is defined as all rubbish, waste material, refuse, garbage, trash, debris, or other foreign substances, solid or liquid, of every form, size, kind, and description. The statue also defines a person who litters as any person who deposits, throws, or leaves any litter on any public or private property or in any waters.
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[The march for reproductive rights in downtown Denver. Photo courtesy of Alexis Spittal]
On Monday, May 2, 2022, the first draft of the Supreme Court’s majority motion written by Justice Samuel Alito to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked to the general public. The historic decision is slated to be deliberated and finalized in the coming two months.
Roe v. Wade was a landmark lawsuit that lead to a Supreme Court ruling in 1973 that solidified a woman’s constitutional right to abortion, especially in the first trimester when a fetus lacks viability and deduced that governments could not impose a regulation that favors a fetus’s life over that of the mother.
The case pursued was between Jane Roe (a pseudonym for Norma McCorvey) who was a 22-year-old unemployed Texan who was pregnant for the third time. Her opposition was Henry Wade, the Dallas District Attorney, who enforced the state law that abortions were only permissible to save a woman’s life. Though the court ultimately sided with Roe, she had already given birth and placed the child up for adoption.
Though this is the first change to be proposed on a national scale, this is not the first time abortion rights have been challenged in recent years. With a 5 to 4, conservative anti-abortion majority in the Supreme Court, it is believed that the turnaround with has been a long time coming.
In 2020 Louisiana proposed an abortion law that required abortion providers to have hospital admitting privileges within 30 miles of their clinics before they could offer the service which would have shut down all but one of the state’s abortion clinics. This was identical to a similar bill proposed in Texas in 2016.
Since the establishment of Roe v. Wade states have enacted 1,313 abortion restrictions. Between January and June 7, 2020, 561 abortion restrictions and 165 trigger bans in preparation of the overturning.
Texas’s, “heartbeat ban” was the most strict of those enacted in recent years. This ban prohibits abortion as soon as fetal heart activity can be detected and allows anyone to sue the abortion provider or other individuals who assisted the woman in receiving the abortion financially or through transportation.
Most women don’t find out they are pregnant until two weeks after their first missed period, which coincides with the time the heartbeat begins. Pregnancy is only detected three to four weeks from the last day of the most recent period and tests are only designed to detect human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) which is produced 6 days after fertilization.
With this potential revision of the court’s stance on a woman’s bodily autonomy, many are concerned that the precedent could lead to changing circumstances in other facets of life such as the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, and impose further racial divides. For example, the Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia established a right to interracial marriage could be at risk as well.
“The overturning of Roe v. Wade means that every person who has been discriminated against and then protected by a ruling now has a new cause to worry. Women, in general, are going to continue to lose power because conservatives and liberals are being pitted against each other to make choices for every woman even when it doesn’t concern us specifically,” said Claire Broemmer, a freshman criminology student at DU.
The stigma around abortion comes largely from those that oppose it. Historically, conservatives post outside of Planned Parenthood with signs preaching “murder” and “the right to live”. The Planned Parenthood in Arvada, CO sends a disclaimer to those seeking an appointment that they often get protesters out front who have a tendency to yell and throw trash.
“ A lot of people in my family were raised Mormon or are Mormon so most of them are anti-abortion, but a lot of times when I talk to them I feel like the difference in beliefs isn’t that stark if you take the time to understand. A lot of religious people have anti-abortion views I think because they think that people that advocate for abortions are having sex willy-nilly and not being responsible when that’s not really the case. Most of the time when I talk about abortion, I’m not even thinking about late-term abortions where the fetus would be viable at that point whereas when my dad is thinking about abortion he’s thinking of late-term,” said Annalyn Jensen, a student at Utah State University and a member of the Mormon Church.
Such contrast in thinking is highly evident in instances such as when Republican Rep. Mike Johnson if Louisiana demanded a gynecologist give her stance on abortions “halfway out of the birth canal”. To which she responded that such occurrences are unfathomable.
The loss of the fight for abortion rights can inevitably influence the contraceptive market. With condoms running on average at a dollar each and birth control at $30-50, there are growing concerns about accessibility to such resources.
“I believe that the rulings in states like Texas are providing a map for the Supreme Court and other states to restrict access to basic medical care for women and trans folks. I think we will begin to see increased debates about sex education in public schools like we have been witnessing with “critical race theory.” As these white Christian nationalist trends amplify, access to accurate and vital information will become increasingly restricted from young folks,” said Taylor Wesley, Social Justice Professor at DU.
Wesley goes on to explain that it is highly likely that this ruling was leaked as a means to dampen opposition and outrage before its official rendering with the ability to garner votes and mitigate.
“Unfortunately, I do not believe that those in power feel like they need to listen to or follow the people at this point. For the people, by the people was always rather meaningless in terms of representation and exclusion, however, it has become increasingly devoid of meaning (especially re: material change). The wealthy/political elite (including political institutions) are not held accountable and have not been for a long time — to deleterious effect,” said Wesley.
Though action may not create a significant impact in the minds of the Supreme Court themselves, that has not stopped many women, uterus wielding, and allied people from taking to the streets to protest.
“Overturning Roe will just cement the fact in American politics that we don’t live in a democracy and can’t trust our government as it exists to act on behalf of people and their desires and rights. The ruling would give power to the voices of an extremist minority that cares about “traditional” relations between genders, said Aidan Phillips, a freshman international studies major at DU.
Despite the constant backlash, restrictions, and opposing state rulings, Roe v. Wade has stood the test of time among other monumental court cases that dictate the sociopolitical state of the nation. In recent months, it remains to be seen just how drastically that sociopolitical climate will change.
Greek life has been around for many years in the United States, including, the University of Denver. Students at DU have viewed and commented on Greek life with skepticism. It’s not uncommon in today’s discussions and news articles for criticism about the history of hazing and associated deaths across time. Others say Greek life offers many benefits that more than overshadow the darker history.
Interviews at the University of Denver show a variety of views on sorority life and, in particular, its impact at DU student’s college experience.
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The American housing market is one that has seen immense change in the 21st century. It is often viewed as a pivotal marker of economic health in the US.
Young people all over the country are having doubts about whether or not they will ever be able to afford a home.
Millennials and Gen Z are two of the largest generations in history according to Statista. But the ability to buy a home while making a reasonable income as their parents and grandparents may have done seems to be just out of reach for this generation.
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“If you’re not pissing somebody off you’re not doing journalism you’re doing PR,” said Jonathan Ballew, a freelance reporter who formally worked for NBC Chicago and the Chicago Reporter.
With a choppy internet connection, and a zoom call gradually ticking down from the 40 minutes mark, he discussed his start and propel into the field as a journalist, his advice for those just beginning in the job market, and the directionality of the media field in coming years.
“It’s pretty scary to take on the institution you are a part of especially as a small cog in the machine. Try to be fearless. I loved pissing off my school. As long as you have solid reporting and solid facts don’t be afraid to publicize something because that’s what being a journalist is,” he said.
Ballew’s first break in his career came when he wrote a story for DePaul’s student paper. He exposed the fact that the 22 million dollar naming rights deal for the new arena being built was given to Wintrust Bank due to the fact that the athletic director’s sister-in-law was a chief executive at Wintrust Bank. The school didn’t pursue any other potential sponsors.
Soon after the article was published, major sports media outlets in Chicago picked up the story and it became a prominent topic of discussion. He spoke on WGN, the local news stations, as well as the radio expanding on his findings. This was the first of many successes that came before even completing his degree.
“Student reporters should treat themselves like reporters. If you don’t respect yourself as a reporter then no one else will. Act like you’re a professional and that will go a long way,” he said.
The job market for those who have yet to become active members in the journalism field is rapidly changing. According to a Pew Research Center Survey, eight in ten Americans get their news from digital devices, and 86% of that statistic comes via smartphone or tablet notifications. Only 10% get information from print news sources often.
Ballew believes that the death of print will not be seen for a long time but predicts that the future will be largely digital. He said that there is the potential for journalists to become primarily freelance and focus on creating a brand for themselves through their content and social media presence. He also explained that developing expertise within the field could be extremely beneficial with the current state of the job market.
The Pew Research Center conducted another study that indicated that U.S. Newsrooms have seen employment fall by 57% between 2008 and 2020 while digital-native news organizations have seen considerable gains.
“The biggest problem in legacy media dying is profits over good journalism. I personally think the future of journalism should be non-profit news or public media. We should have publicly funded media sources. Journalists need to be pursuing stories because they are important and impactful and not because it’s going to get the most views or clicks,” he said.
Ballew goes on to explain that the Chicago Tribune is a prime example of a predominant trend in recent years within the industry where companies that own major publications begin selling them in bits and pieces to obtain the maximum amount of profit.
“I’ve been pretty frustrated and disillusioned with the journalism industry. Not because the journalists aren’t incredible or doing great work or because it’s dying and people don’t want good journalism. It’s because greedy people are running these publications into the ground,” he said.
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for journalists in 2021, was $48,370 per year and there are 5,400 projected openings for news analysts, reporters, and journalists each year.
In the current socio-political climate, the search to fill these positions falls to individuals who can fit the criteria of objective and unbiased journalism.
“I don’t really buy into the notion of an objective journalist. I think objective journalism means being differential from the state, power structures, and institutions. When I write something that I’m really passionate about, I’m unafraid to share my opinions in public and on Twitter. We aren’t robots and pretending you are a robot is part of the reason why people aren’t trusting journalists as much,” he said.
Ballew explains that a wide range of journalists write articles skewed in a specific political direction and label themselves as non-partisan. His main focus is to be accurate and fair as opposed to unbiased, which is a rare sentiment in this field. He encourages up-and-coming journalists to strive for such values in their careers.
“Be careful with this idea that everything needs both sides. At the end of the day, if someone tells you it’s raining outside and another person tells you that it’s not, it isn’t your job to report that each person said if it was raining, it’s your job to go outside and look and see if it’s f*cking raining or not and report it that way,” he said.
When an individual is just starting out, editors can maintain a strong hold on the content of articles and the writing being produced. Ballew wants young writers to know that it’s okay to push back, and ultimately if they are uncomfortable with what is being written, it’s alright to be removed from the byline altogether.
“Don’t ever let someone publish something with your name on it if you’re no longer comfortable with it and they’ve changed your story. The editor can put their name on it or refer to the staff. Don’t be afraid,” he reaffirms.
In recent years, Ballew’s frustrations with the industry have created a segway for him into the field of law. He explained that he now has no limitations to being opinionated and that advocating for clients is refreshing in that it doesn’t require the inclusion of both sides.
“I don’t think that I’ll be done as a journalist forever. I don’t think I could ever stop being a journalist. I don’t know when or how I will enter back into the journalism world, but I don’t see myself ever totally leaving it.”
On May 2, Politico leaked the Supreme Court draft opinion of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that would overturn the 1973 Supreme court decision Roe v. Wade. This landmark decision struck down a Texas abortion ban as unconstitutional and confirmed that women in the United States had the fundamental right to choose whether to have an abortion without governmental restriction.
This decision would spark fear and angst amongst women across America, according to experts who continually advise against the Court’s draft opinion because of the medical concerns that would arise from abortion bans. There is also an unsettled atmosphere amongst younger generations of college students who are using their voices to speak out against the decision across campus in attempt to protect their peers.
According to a Washington Post article that was released on the day of the leak, the decision of Roe v. Wade was also made public before the court announced it. The article stated that a Supreme Court clerk leaked the result to a Time Magazine reporter who released a story hours before Justice Harry Blackmun announced the court’s decision.
“The Supreme Court has always jealously guarded its opinions, and secrecy is critical to maintaining an even handed approach to dispensing justice,” states the article, confirming that a leak, like this one, is rare.
If the case is overturned, decisions on the legality of abortions will be left up to the states. Many have announced their commitment to keeping the procedure legal while over a dozen others will enact a total ban once the case is overturned.
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Inside the conference room of HCP Home Healthcare Agency, the morning meeting of May 16 was short, but the human resources department’s weekly agenda was filled to the brim. Amidst a bustling office, Betsy Marin, the Human Resources Manager, squeezed in time during her lunch period for a Zoom interview.
In the background, the camera caught glimpses of the office’s ambitious atmosphere. Employees took quick strides past Marin’s work area with cheerful greetings, intermittent sounds of fingers typing quickly on a keyboard could be heard nearby, and the muted sounds of employees’ accommodating phone conversations could be heard in the distance.
Having started out in apartment property management, Marin found her previous employment to be the perfect platform for a career transition. The pipeline for human resources is fairly accessible, providing opportunities for people with previous customer service experience and administrative roles. Moreover, there are also ways to qualify for this position even without any professional experience.
Marin dove right into explaining why she is so passionate about her work in human resources.
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From the movies on the big screen, to YouTube videos, to social media content, careers in film and video production have wide-ranging applications and have been increasing steadily, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics.
With the development of the internet and social media, an incredible amount of content has become available through different platforms such as Vimeo, Youtube, and countless others. This has given filmmakers regardless of their age, gender, experience, and more the ability to have a voice through film.
“As a filmmaker I choose lots of different projects to do so I’ve done short and feature documentaries, I’ve done narrative shorts, I’ve done experimental films, and upcoming I’m going to be the social media producer for the women in turf team at the US women open gold tournament,” said Schroeder.
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A typical day for Laura Frank is far from dull. Frank can be found in downtown Denver’s Buell Public Media Center, writing grants, securing health insurance for her employees, refining newsletters, or assisting media organizations that are under financial stress. In a constantly evolving news environment, Frank’s job is to determine how to develop more trust with communities and ensure improvements in the production of news in a financially sustainable way.
Frank serves as the executive director of the Colorado News Collaborative (COLab), a nonprofit organization composed of 170 news-media organizations that find collaboration to be more effective than competition. With newspapers disappearing at unprecedented rates, and vulture hedge funds like Alden Global Capital swooping in to gut newsrooms, the world of nonprofit journalism requires inventiveness and the willingness to test new approaches.
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The public relations professional career sphere has been taking the world by storm in recent years. Public relations has been the key to many professionals’ success in the media and print world. With the advancements of technology and the beast that is social media, online presence and image is more important than ever.
Account supervisor and public relations specialist, Julia Coats, recently shared her experience living her dream in the public relations field in today’s world. She currently works at Prim + Co, an award winning public relations firm and marketing agency that represents many hospitality and lifestyle brands. Prim stands for “public relations and integrated marketing.”
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As a sophomore at Colorado College, Jesse Paul, a politics editor and writer for The Colorado Sun, landed his first internship in his hometown’s newspaper in Delaware. Hooked on journalism after this experience, he continued work on Colorado College’s school paper and took further internships until he was ultimately offered a position while interning at The Denver Post.
The decision to begin writing in politics, however, was not a decision of his own, as he began his career covering what he called, “cops, and courts, and breaking news”.
During his time at The Post, the company was going through multiple layoffs and buyouts and Paul was essentially left with a job writing about politics, or nothing.
“I actually really fell in love with it,” said Paul. “There’s not really a beat that’s like it where everyone is just lying to you all the time and you have to try and fact check stuff, but once you kind of dig into the players and you understand policy and how the capital works, it becomes pretty addictive and fun.”
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Ashleyridge is a wedding venue in Littleton, Colo. hosting over 200 weddings and events a year. The venue has both a ceremony and reception space that overlook the Rocky Mountains.
Julia Trujillo started working at Ashleyridge in 2016 and has sold, planned, and coordinated over 400 weddings in that time.
Trujillo works both in sales and as an event coordinator. As a coordinator or acting captain during a wedding, her job is to make sure the event runs smoothly. Organizing photographers, DJs, and catering staff are among the most essential aspects of Julia’s job. The coordinator is the point of contact for the bride, groom, and any other wedding guests that may have questions.
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Hannah Goodfriend, a diversity, equity and culture senior analyst for NASDAQ, counts herself among the people for whom a career tracked them down rather than her finding a career.
As Goodfriend states, “Did not choose this career, this career chose me.” She said this because of how an internship turned into her full time job.
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Rafaello Palumbo Mosca, a professor at the University of Turin transported listeners to Rome through literature and film during his lecture at the University of Denver on May 4.
The lecture titled, “Rome one and many. Literary and cinematic representations of the eternal city” followed with the contents of Mosca’s book on Rome published in 2017.
“(Its) more narrative, it’s something more of a personal journey in discovering Rome through the authors I love,” said Mosca about his book and the coinciding lecture.
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Experts and descendants of internment camp residents alike came together to discuss the history of the Amache internment camp here in Colorado and why it’s so important we preserve it in an enlightening lecture on May 4.
With this month of May being Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the lecture, hosted by Historic Denver, could not have come at a more appropriate time.
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On a quiet Tuesday evening near downtown Lafayette, Colorado, a small but captivated audience gathered to hear a seminar on the importance of caring for our soil, plants, and medication development in a sustainable way. Sabrina Tran, a rising student at the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism, presented the lecture on May 3 to bring awareness to the topic.
Tran explained that interdependence is a key part in upkeeping herbal and pharmaceutical medicine cultivation. She explained that humans are essential to the process of land stewardship and in maintaining functional diversity for the future success of medicinal plants.
However, Tran added that “Healthy communities and biological systems depend on human restraint and responsibility in technologies, population, production, and consumption.”
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The Tesoro Cultural Center’s 2021-2022 series concluded on Sunday, May 1, with a speech from historian Dee Cordry on Southern Cheyenne history and his new book, Children of White Thunder.
The final lecture of this season began on an irregular note, as attendees were asked to shift to Tattered Cover’s upstairs section due to an oddly placed backpack in the store’s downstairs lecture room.
Despite technical issues that prevented the accompanying Powerpoint from being displayed, Cordry delivered his lecture from memory for the first time.
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“In our society women are penalized when we behave in ways that violate gender norms.”
This was said by Robin Hauser, a documentarian whose content focuses primarily on the female experience, in her lecture focuses on the likability factor among women and the unconscious bias surrounding gender.
She offers insight into how modern-day sexism is exhibited through subtleties and microaggressions that are undetectable to those who haven’t experienced them but detrimental to those who face them on a daily basis.
“Women, unlike men, are rarely perceived to be both competent and likable. Why do we perceive women differently when we assert ourselves?” Hauser asks.
She focuses on the manner in which a societal preference is a more submissive woman as opposed to those who are willing to take charge and be more active in their lives. She explains how it becomes commonplace for a woman who serves others to be praised, but one who serves herself to be reprimanded, reflecting in overall work performance.
“Women are not as good at men as negotiating for themselves. Yet, women outperform men when they negotiate on behalf of someone else. Women who negotiate for themselves are perceived as selfish and women who negotiate on behalf of someone else are perceived to be helpful. A helpful woman might be liked more than an assertive woman, but the helpful woman will never be recognized as having what it takes to be a successful leader.” Hauser explains.
She details many instances in her personal life where male entities have upheld the sentiment that she would be unable to follow what they were speaking about because she had no husband to teach her about such things.
“My masculine traits make me the kind of gal that can hang with the guys as long as I’m not their boss,” Hauser said.
A large portion of the lecture looked at how everyone sees themselves as impartial observers of such biases. However, Hauser found that they can easily occur unintentionally between females when one displays more confidence than the other.
She explains that the only way to remove such biases from our society is to become self-aware of them even at the most basic level.
“As long as society continues to associate leadership with masculine traits, female leaders will be judged more harshly even when they outperform male counterparts. It’s no wonder that United States female politicians suffer greatly as our elections tend to value likeability over competency.” Hauser says.
She expands to say that such issues are present in every facet of life from education to the workplace as backlash is created when input is given from women.
“Studies show that women in meetings with both genders are less likely to contribute knowledge,” Hauser said.
She advocates that the issue can be rectified once society is able to eliminate the notions of the double standard between men and women that are rooted in our ancestral history and the very development of our country.
“A day when we value each other regardless of gender and for the unique contributions we all bring to the table, that will be the day when I don’t have to worry about being liked. I can just be me.”
University of California professor, Tristan Bridges held a lecture on the negative effects of masculinity at the University of Denver’s Grand Forum Monday night. The talk entitled “Healthy for whom? Why redefining masculinity might not be enough” highlighted masculinity’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bridges spoke to a predominantly female audience about his ongoing study of what masculinity is. He postulated that it is usually easier to describe what masculinity isn’t. Both Bridges and DU professor Dr. Amie Levesque – who introduced him – warned the audience that they would be discussing some uncomfortable topics.
Bridges began by stating simply, “I started studying masculinity because I recognized it as this kind of vague idea that I felt like I had been hurt by.”
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The University of Denver’s Native Student Alliance hosted a public forum at the University of Denver’s Ruffatto Hall on Apr. 29, 2022. The forum was to discuss and educate individuals and administration on campus about the recent tipi incident outside of the Academic Commons. DU’s NSA constructed a tipi to create a safe and sacred place, which was defaced and vandalized. Individuals destroyed the sacred poles of the tipi and the University regrets playing any role in not protecting and safely keeping these poles, according to a mass email sent out to its students.
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Professor Raffaello Palumbo Mosca visited the University of Denver, Wednesday, to give students, faculty and visitors a lecture on the depictions of Rome in the media. This lecture, two years in the making, was repeatedly rescheduled due to Covid-19 conflicts, so organizers were not shy in sharing their excitement about the event’s occurrence.
Born in Turin, Italy, Mosca holds doctorate degrees from both the University of Turin and the University of Chicago, and now works at the University of Kent where he has produced multiple publications on the side.
The inspiration for Wednesday’s lecture came from a series of publications titled ‘Paper Cities’, each of which explores a different European city. When asked to write the book on Rome, Mosca explored how literature and film have represented the city from the 20th century to present day.
“What is the distance between the self and the projection of the self and the character, is in short, minimal, life and art are inextricably linked,” said Mosca, in discussing the impact media has on individuals.
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Dr. Able Gomez, a professor in the Native American Studies Department at the University of Oklahoma, gave a guest lecture in a University of Denver course called “Caste, race, colonialism” last week. Gomez works for the University of Oklahoma. The department he works in or his specialty is native american studies.
His department also examines relations between sacred sites in California and also spends a lot of time discussing decolonization, a fitting topic for the class.
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The newest phenomenon to overtake the superhero universe is Matt Reeve’s iteration of “The Batman,” starring Twilight’s Robert Pattinson.
The film grossed over six hundred million at the worldwide box-office since its release on March 4, 2022.
With an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Batman is considerably better than anything DC has produced in a long time.
The movie explores various facets of DC comic book lore, including the essential aspects of Bruce Wayne’s story from previous Batman movies such as Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon, and Alfred, to crime bosses like Carmine Falcone and Salvatore Maroni.
Overall, the film does a superb job of creating a new interpretation of the Batman that audiences know so well from the Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale, The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Batman in this universe exists as this brooding, overly-driven and damaged individual seeking to rectify the impurities of the corrupt city that is Gotham.
Bruce Wayne is no different, gravitating towards loneliness, being excessively covered in black eyeliner for most of the film, and seeking to continue his father’s efforts at improving the quality of life of the city.
“I like that it understands that Batman needs to be more than just fear to the people of Gotham. He needs to uplift the city in order to make a change,” said Aidan Guerra, a freshman computer science major.
In previous instances, Bruce Wayne is a flamboyant billionaire and seeks socialization and grandeur as his means of distinguishing himself from the characteristics that someone would have if they were a vigilante. The absence of this character choice is arguably the most compelling thing about Pattinson’s portrayal, as you can no longer tell where Batman begins and Bruce ends.
“I like that in this movie Batman doesn’t know who he is or why he does what he does. He’s figuring it out as he goes along,” said Liam Piper, a freshman international policy major.
His character is said to be modeled after Kurt Cobain, and for the first and last sequences of the movie Something In the Way plays on Bruce Wayne’s stereo, feeding into this new grunge aesthetic. His hair is in his eyes for 60% of his out of suit shots, which is something that can be attributed to the emo boy community of 2014.
“Although it was too long and there were too many elements of the cinematography focused on overdramatization, I thought the way they presented the character of Batman was much more suiting since this time Batman is really just a tortured soul and I think that’s more genuine to the character,” said Aidan Phillips, a freshman political science major at the University of Denver.
Zoe Kravitz is the best Catwoman we have seen so far and offers a scene stealing performance every time she appears on screen. From her movement to her sultry voice, she was the perfect embodiment of the iconic character, previously portrayed by Anne Hathaway and Michelle Pfiffer.
There was also a larger exploration of Gotham as its own location in this film, with long, aesthetically pleasing shots of the skyline, buildings and citizens. A vague usage of New York scenery has historically characterized Gotham and in straying away from this, the movie is visually stunning and adds to the new reality it has created.
One element that did not serve as an advantage to the film was its length. With a running time of 2h and 56min the Batman also seems as though it would never end.
There are multiple points in the story that could have ended the film and as an audience member you just couldn’t tell exactly when they would come. It was almost as though they had taken everyone’s ideas from the writers room and attempted to incorporate them all into one movie.
I saw numerous people use the bathroom at least twice in the middle of the film, and they missed nothing in doing so. The running time could easily have been cut in half if there weren’t so many sequences of Pattinson walking slow motion towards the camera while his theme song played in the background.
The pacing was incredibly slow and it was hard to keep track of the main focus with all of the subplots the movie attempts to maintain. The dramatic scene where Catwoman is revealed to be the daughter of Salvatore Maroni, really shouldn’t have existed at all; it served no purpose.
I can, however, honestly say that the car chase featuring the Batmobile was the most visually stunning and impressive aspect of the film in my opinion. Showing off cool gadgets, and a sleek form it is genuinely a car someone could fall in love with.
There were some inherent flaws in costuming given that Zoe Kravitz’s mask looked like an old beanie that had the eyes cut out while the rest of her outfit was seemingly high budget. I also don’t feel like it is necessary to see Bruce Wayne in his post usage of the suit covered in eye liner as many times as we did.
The thing I liked most about his film is that it is a Batman movie whose primary focus was to set itself apart and create a new experience for audiences that previous franchises have never done.
The Riddler was featured as its main antagonist and I thought this was the perfect choice given that the Joker has been overdone in the past twenty years of the franchise.
This was a seemingly Joker free movie, until the end when they couldn’t leave well enough alone. While I admire the cameo and reference to the iconic villain, the film would have done such a good job at setting a new tone without the Joker had they chosen not to incorporate it in the film.
All in all, it was a fun and captivating film to watch and I would definitely watch again with some friends. However, I am in no means in love with it. Batman could easily be rated at an 8/10.
Read more: From vampire to vigilante: Robert Pattinson’s DC debutWarning: contains spoilers
A viewer watches “X”. [Photo by Lauren Schmidt]
A24’s “X” hit theaters this March, marking the triumphant return of director Ti West to the horror genre after almost a decade long hiatus. “X” follows an amateur porn crew shooting on a rural Texas farm, led by the ambitious RJ (Owen Campbell) who dreams of making adult movies an art form. Not all is as it seems, however, once their elderly hosts catch wind of their activities, resulting in Pearl (Mia Goth) going on a murderous spree as she grapples with her desire to be desirable.
Despite the star-studded cast, featuring the likes of Jenna Ortega and Kid Cudi, 20-year-old Sophie Van Winkle, a self-confessed lover of the slasher genre, stressed that “although there’s a lot of famous actors, you don’t lose the character to the actor.”
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From blocks away you could smell the marijuana permeating from the 2022 Mile High 420 Festival. As you got closer you began to see hordes of people laughing, shopping, dancing, and hanging out in the center of Downtown Denver.
Colorado, along with Washington became the first state to legalize recreational cannabis with the passing of amendment 64 in 2012. Since then, 16 other states have followed suit leading the way for Cannabis legislation in the US.
“At home weed culture is so different. There are a lot of people that look down on those who smoke, and because it’s not legal you can get in a lot of trouble if you’re caught” said North Carolina native Scott Chekan.
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After the film release of “Dune: Part One” on October 22, 2021 in the United States, the 155 minute, Sci-fi film goes on to win six Oscars and 10 nominations during the Academy Awards.
Having a star-studded cast may have also helped with the film’s explosive popularity. Some of the leading stars included Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgård and Zendaya—just to name a few.
The official trailer displays a stunning depiction of the film’s intriguing storyline and immediately captured my attention. Then, after having viewed the film for the first time, I thought it alluring, enchanting, and quite fascinating.
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DENVER – After two at-home victories for the Warriors, round one of the Western Conference playoffs resumed at Denver’s Ball Arena on April 21.
20 minutes before the game began, the seats were close to empty, but by 7:55p.m. the arena was full and the crowd was deafening. The fans were a sea of blue and gold, making it difficult to tell each team’s supporters apart. A Nuggets announcer warned that the Warriors tend to travel well, but the Denverites supplied an animated home crowd.
“It was a tough game. Right? I knew at the beginning… oh my. They have very good players,” said Alberto Rodriguez, a Nuggets fan and Ball Arena employee.
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Lucinda Williams and her band Buick 6 rocked the Boulder Theater on Tuesday night. Fans squeezed into the Boulder, Colorado venue for the sold-out show. The event was presented by 105.5 The Colorado Sound, a local radio station.
This April run of shows had previously been scheduled in January but was postponed due to COVID-19 safety concerns.
Williams began her set with the 1990 hit “I Lost It” from her album “Happy Woman Blues”. She then played “Shadows and Doubts” from her newest album “Good Souls Better Angels” which came out in 2020. The crowd enjoyed songs from Williams’ entire discography during the show.
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DENVER – A chilly spring night left the Rockies triumphant in a 6 to 5 win over the Cubs, home in Denver, Friday night.
In their second at home weekend of the 2022 season, the Rockies hosted the Cubs for the second night of their four game series. Following a five-run fourth inning, the Rockies remained in the lead for the final five innings, tying the series before the start of the weekend.
Coors Field was packed with fans despite the temperature dropping below 40°F and wind speeds edging 12mph. With a fair share of Cubs fans present, the atmosphere was electric following each play.
“It was the perfect night for a baseball game” says Nina Stoops, a Rockies fan, “A bit cold, but I’m happy baseball season is back”.
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When have you ever let out your inner panda? On March 11, 2022, the quirky, coming-of-age animation Turning Red was released to American theatres. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios, this feature-length film follows a 13 year old, Asian-Canadian girl name Mei as she goes through the trials of puberty and finds herself among family expectation. I thought the overall message of the film was influential and deep. The style and animation was modern and smooth. In general, I thought it was a great film.
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I am very glad I used this opportunity to do a movie review because “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was so incredibly good and I can’t put into words how much I loved this film. This movie was absolutely incredible and flooded me with memories from when I was little.
I grew up with older brothers, so when I was little they made me watch all of the original Spider-Man movies with Tobey Maguire, and the originals were always my favorite. Toby Maguire is the original Spider-Man and is who started my obsession with Spider-Man as a little kid. This obsession wasn’t just mine as even before I was born, my two brothers were obsessed with Spider-Man.
Continue readingAJ, Taj, and Kat
Photos by Alexa Chan, Melissa Marin, Nori Veit
Lincoln, Lauren, and Llewellynn
Images by Jamie O’Malley and Charlie Schuham
Leah, Tia & Ally
President Joe Biden has extended the student loan pause once again in hopes of tending to the needs of the people and economic consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Department of Education. While there are signs that the pandemic is leading towards endemicity, per Dr. Stephen Parodi, a member of AMA, there are still pending issues that society needs to address from the COVID pandemic fallout.
To date, the total United Sates student loan debt stands at $1.749 trillion, and the debt traditionally grows six times quicker in a year compared to that of our nation’s economy. However, in 2021, this total debt for student loans had decreased for the very first time in our country’s history.
The University of Denver has committed to a goal of becoming a completely carbon neutral institution by 2030.
The school’s initial claim, made in 2008 pledged to achieve neutrality by 2050, and joined the Presidents’ Climate Leadership Committee. The new timeline accelerates the original by 20 years.
The DU administration is reporting a current reduction of carbon emissions by 28%. With the provision of light rail passes for students, the installation of 18 solar panels and motion-sensored lights in many restrooms, the progression is on a steady track.
However, some students feel as though the university fails to understand the gravity of the changes they are attempting to implement.
“A big, important step that needs to be taken is to reallocate university funding that’s going towards fossil fuel corporations and instead investing in green energy companies, organizations dedicated to monitoring the climate crisis or even local organizations that work to keep cities green,” said Ellen Bussey, a freshman international business major at the university.
Chancellor Jeremy Haefner noted that DU in 2008 produced 53,280 metric tons of carbon each year. DU’s former executive director of sustainability, Chad King, said that 50% of the on-campus carbon emissions come from electricity.
Claire Broemmer, a freshman psychology and criminology major, who works for the Center of Sustainability at DU, said that she thinks that moving the initial goal was very much a PR stunt on the part of the institution as they are not prioritizing any data collection or large changes per the direction of Chad King.
As a result, the university has yet to account for the transportation necessities of students in their new sustainability goals and has no present solutions for such an issue.
“One of the twenty-five by twenty-five goals was to eliminate the need for students to have a car, which seems unfeasible with accessibility, especially for those of us who maintain jobs off- campus. They suggested some of us work on the project over the summer without pay,” Broemmer said.
With the extensive outward projection that DU is working towards sustainability, this ensures the interest of environmentally conscious students in attending the school.
According to a study by the Princeton Review, 74% of students indicated that information on an institution’s environmental policy would influence their decision on where to attend.
“It feels like these statements are being made just to ensure students who care about sustainability are coming here. They are addressing it because it’s a backburner issue a lot of students care about, but they don’t actually understand the steps that need to be taken. We don’t even sustainably run kitchens,” said Broemmer.
DU has a lasting contract with Sodexo, which is one of the largest contributors to fossil fuels and carbon emissions in their slaughterhouses and production of goods.
“The investments the University has made in favor of the fossil fuel industry directly contradicts what they are attempting to do with carbon neutrality. It’s something that no one pays attention to and it’s a vital element of this process that needs to be rectified,” said Aidan Philipps, a freshman political science major.
DU has also aligned its goals with the new commitments of the presidential administration to sustainability efforts.
An official statement for the Biden administration by the White House says with their current policies, the goal is to achieve 100% carbon-pollution-free electricity by 2035 and reach net-zero emissions economy-wide no later than 2050.
Some students are questioning DU’s motives in following the government’s environmental goals and whether or not that means more federal grants and compensation.
“There’s a lot of awards that a school can get when there’s campus engagement in sustainability efforts. It adds money and more students who prioritize environmental efforts. It’s really attractive to them and President Biden has his own goals for reducing carbon emissions and aligning with that can mean more funding on the federal level,” Kania Campbell, a freshman public policy major at the center for sustainability said.
Carbon neutrality begins with the individual footprint and in the coming years the task is to translate these changes to the scale of the entire student body, practices, and faculty as an institution. In order to fully achieve its goals, DU must be willing to divest from fossil fuels and confront the issue at its source.
The NCAA Ice Hockey Championship has dominated conversations at the University of Denver (DU), but news of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Senate confirmation has percolated among students as well.
Jackson has made history as the first Black woman to be nominated and confirmed in the Supreme Court.
The hearings began for Judge Jackson on March 21, as Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn), questioned the judge’s reliance on critical race theory in the courtroom, how she would define the word ‘woman’, and whether she agreed that “babies are racist.”
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Wildfires are becoming more and more prevalent and destructive every year. The Colorado fire season which used to last from June to September now spans much longer. With summer approaching, University of Denver students are preparing for raging fires along with all western US residents.
The recent Marshall Fire near Denver, CO is the most striking example of an extended fire season. The front range experienced its latest snowfall on record this year and the Marshall Fire was set ablaze on Dec. 30th – months after fire season was supposed to end. The fire burned over 1000 homes in Louisville and Superior, becoming the most destructive fire in Colorado history. Residents of northern Colorado were shocked by the magnitude of the fire in such a highly-populated area.
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The global pandemic has been plaguing the daily lives of individuals for a little over two years now. The world has been diligently wearing masks in classrooms, work spaces, public transportation vehicles, and grocery stores for a commendable amount of time.
As of Mar. 20, 2022, the University of Denver has decided to lift their mask mandate on campus and move to Level Clear. Fully vaccinated students are able to remove their masks in classrooms and in open spaces on campus now.
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On Oct. 5th, 2021, the Office of the Chancellor at the University of Denver shared with its students, faculty, alumni, and other community members the plans for the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus via email.
The 724 acre property in Larimer County, Colorado has over 25,000 square feet of housing and will include a dining hall, health center, rec center, ropes courses, and access to public land, according to the email.
The email also embedded a link to a promotional video which showed images and videos of the new campus. The video includes how the goal for the campus is for students to feel inspired and grow.
Continue readingBy Taj Inalsingh
The current pandemic has had major effects on everybody’s lives since it started two years ago. Whether it has affected people’s jobs or peoples family, everybody has felt the impact that COVID-19 has had on us all. One of the major impacts of COVID-19 was the effect that it had on our social lives.
COVID-19 has obviously had a huge impact on the world at large but also has had a much more localized impact as it has heavily impacted students here at University of Denver.
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On May 2, 2022, the news outlet, Politico, received a leaked draft of the draft opinion that is 98 pages long. The incredibly rare leak of the supreme court decision revealed that the court will reconsider the standing of the Roe v. Wade case.
In 1973, Roe v. Wade was brought to the supreme court to settle whether abortions should be regulated or proscribed during the first trimester of one’s pregnancy. The supreme court came to the consensus that the woman should come to a decision with the consultation of her physician.
“I think Roe v. Wade opened doors for women in many ways. For example, it helped women who don’t have money or aren’t white. Many institutions make it hard to be a single mother and if you don’t have those resources, then getting an abortion is an important way to preserve your own life,” political science major at the University of Denver Ellie Stetson said.
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Metro Denver has been experiencing a rise in homelessness within the past few years, and it has become more noticeable by those local to the Denver area. Homelessness has been a prominent issue in the United States for some time, and U.S. citizens have been urging higher powers to do something to put an end to it, or at least slow it down.
In a poll conducted by the Gallup Organization in April 2022, they asked a sample of 1,018 American adults about what the most important problem facing the United States is. Only 3% of those polled said homelessness. The top three problems according to the poll-takers included: the government/poor leadership (20%), high cost of living/inflation (17%), and the economy in general (12%). All of these issues can correlate with the nationwide problem of homelessness.
Though some of the overall numbers of homeless people in the country have decreased, it is becoming more of a problem state by state, especially in larger metro-areas such as Denver.
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The main mission of Divest DU is to get the University of Denver to stop investing in the fossil fuel industry, which many view as untenable as a future major source of energy.
Founded at the University of Denver, Divest DU is an on campus student-run organization at the University of Denver self-described as a “student activist organization aiming to push the university to become fossil free,” according to their website mission statement.
The statement continues, “Divest DU organizes campaigns to both divest from fossil fuels and re-invest in renewable energy. Students aim to hold the University of Denver accountable to its mission of “a private university dedicated to the public good” through the lens of climate justice.”
“DU has invested a lot of money in fossil fuels, and we hope to change that by actively protesting against it,” stated Ally Corradimo, the vice president of Divest DU.
“We have a responsibility to guide our University towards divesting from fossil fuels,” continued Corradimo.
Made up of 4 officers and around 78 overall members according to their website, Divest DU still manages to run many on campus events supporting their cause, such as on campus protests and calls to action to the University.
The most recent protest occurred on June 3, and was held at Carnegie Green on campus at the University of Denver. Students from another on campus action group called Students Against Investment in Fossil Fuels (SAIFF) also joined the protest.
One student attending the protest stated that “DU has a lot of infrastructure related to being sustainable, and often pushes that message, but has all this money tied up in fossil fuels? It just doesn’t make sense to me.”
The organization has also performed acts of protest in other ways besides gathering:
In 2020, students from the group hung a large white banner above the Josef Korbel school of International Relations, and called out the University for investing $22.6 million dollars invested into fossil fuel related holdings.
Another member of Divest DU, Martine Gelb, stated that “I am very upset that DU is choosing to invest in a climate disaster instead of protecting the future of its students.”
The group is targeting the Board of Trustees at the University of Denver, and has been for quite a few years now, but the group is just now garnering a larger quantity of support.
“We started getting really active in 2020,” continued Gelb. “People really began to care more about the cause, climate change, and the planet overall.”
Many students feel the same way as Gelb, and it shows. Divest DU sports an instagram page with 610 followers, a good following for an on campus student group. The Facebook page for the group also has 832 likes and 854 followers, a healthy group in size.
However, only 690 people have officially signed the change.org petition for Divest DU, which is a smaller number than is reflected in their online following presence.
When asked about this discrepancy, Vice President Corradimo stated “It is a lot easier just to have people say they will support a cause than to actually see them do something about it,”
“We have tried to offer more student friendly ways to support, especially this past year. Our most recent event was an on campus pot luck party to celebrate the achievements of the year,” continued Corradimo.
Other events held by Divest DU this year included an open mic night and a food and game night, all hosted on campus and in support of the cause.
“I think it is nice that they are trying to get more students involved, but I am skeptical as to how easy it will be to get support during the summer months,” stated Becket Mohns, a student at the University interviewed for his thoughts about Divest DU.
“I can see support falling off as students return home and could forget about it,” he continued.
The group leaders, however, maintain their confidence that Divest DU will continue to fight for DU to make the decision to stop investing in fossil fuels.
“Hopefully the younger classes will be able to take on the torch we are passing and keep protesting for Divest DU in new and meaningful ways,” stated Vice President Corradimo.
Over 4.2 million youth and young adults experience homelessness or some sort of home insecurity each year in the United States.
There are countless factors that can contribute to this unfortunate reality, family abuse, parental neglect, gang affiliation, drug or substance use, etc. And so often are these all piled together, and rarely handled properly in the delegating of resources and time.
Read more: Recent efforts have been made citywide to combat Denver’s growing youth homeless populationThe city of Denver has been a partner in combatting this issue within their own means with recent efforts. In April of 2021, the city council approved two separate contracts for local organization Urban Peak, totaling $1.6 million in aid.
Urban Peak started over 30 years ago by local citizens who were concerned of the high number of youth living on Denver’s streets, it is the city’s first and only licensed shelter for homeless youth.
According to their site, their mission is, “meeting where they are at and ignite a spark that puts them on a path toward self-determined, fulfilled lives.”
“We’re only providing the platform for these individuals, it’s up to them on how they want to implement it [our resources] into their daily lives.” Says Joan Winstein, community leader and correspondent of Urban Peak.
One of their drop-in centers on Stout Street has their doors open five days a week, providing more than a place to stay and food on the table, but cleaning and sanitary stations, counseling, and case work management.
Hard to imagine the challenges many of these young individuals face, Urban Peak and other programs provide so much both physical, mentally, and developmentally.
Denver’s homeless population nearly doubling from 2020-2021 due to COVID complications, an estimated 10,870 individuals were counted for to be “unsheltered”, not accessing government support or local organizations. And of those, 952 are youth members.
With numbers as big as one in every 10 young adults, 18-25, have experienced some form of homeless living over the course of a year, about 3.5 million young adults. It was clear that work had to done in every corner of the country, especially in Colorado.
Clear that this is national problem, different cities take different initiatives at trying to provide the right resources and care.
In Chicago, at any given time there are over 1,500 youth or young adults (18-25), experiencing homelessness. PADS Shelter Program, being the main organization within the city and suburbs, provides overnight shelter and meals for those in need.
Taking turns each night at different shelters throughout the suburbs, individuals are able to be bussed to locations the following morning. While the shelters and homeless population change, most the volunteers stay year after year.
“I think organizations like PADS are essential in the community.” Shares Dar Townsend, volunteer of over 13 years at the local shelter in Libertyville, IL. Not having to disclose identification or any other information, PADS is a safe space for some of the more vulnerable members of our communities.
“There’s a lot of ways to help out but I think most people are too hesitant to take the initiative to get involved.” Says Townsend.
“I’ve heard dozens of times from people, “I’ve always wanted to do something like that” or words to that affect but so few people actually do anything of the sort.” Chimes in Townsend when reflecting on how the number of volunteers has been dwindling since COVID.
And since COVID, have PADS seen an increase in 18-23 guests and less families. Luckily thanks to gracious donors, a lot of the regular families (with kids as young as 6-9 months) in hotels across Cook County.
“We used to have as many as 75 people show up on any given night, but since COVID our numbers have been around 20-25.”
Now this case of combatting homelessness isn’t all that monument when looking at the national implications and numbers we see, but it is a start.
“There’s certainly more to be done to address homelessness but it’s not just one’s singular responsibility. We in society all need to step up.”
And we see that attitude here on campus, with University of Denver’s Housing and Homelessness Research programed assisted with “research, program evaluation, data analysis and interpretation, policy analysis and needs assessments.”
Their program, Your Family, Your Neighborhood, works with families living in low-income housing and communities. Aiming to strengthen pre-existing bonds between children and their schools, children and parents, and try to reduce further wrongdoings.
Professor Daniel Brisson, the executive director of the Center for Housing and Homelessness Research, comments on recent efforts by the community and his team regarding housing security and homelessness.
“Homelessness and housing affordability are at crisis levels, both in Denver and in the country as a whole. It’s more than just observing communities, neighborhoods, or the “other”. It is going deeper with elements of activism and optimism to provide the right kind of help.”
“We’re moving one step at a time, thinking with trauma informed design, even the simplest of things such as texture and architecture of the housing in account.”
Aware that many of these individuals who do reside in these housings, could have been exposed to traumatic or uncomfortable experiences in past shelters or say hospitals. Brisson and his team makes sure that these environments are welcoming and safe.
Making sure that these safe spaces are cultivating feelings of familiarity and new possibilities, hoping to create “a warm and soothing environment”.
Another recent project in the works for DU’s Housing and Homelessness Research group, the Denver Basic Income project, a citywide organization that provides a basic income to those experiencing homelessness with, “the goal of building a healthier society grounded in social justice and centered around improving human thriving.”
By pairing up with this organization, the community will be providing “guaranteed basic income” for these people. More clearly, the city will be providing cash, no-strings attached money, to meet basic needs.
This program is still in the works, observing the impact this type of aid will affect homeless individuals.
They have divided their participants into two groups of 260. One group will receive $1,000 a month for 12 months. While the other group of 260, will receive a onetime payment of $6,500 and a consecutive $500 for the following 11 months.
Giving individuals cash with no other requirements, allows them to put their own financial needs, rather than many other programs that decide how and how much someone struggling with poverty can spend their money.
It is evident that this nationwide cannot be solved overnight, but it is essential to make note of the strides by so many citizens who want to help.
If you or someone is experiencing housing insecurity, the following lines are open 24/7 for the Denver area.
Urban Peak mainline: 303.974.2900
Urban Peak shelter: 303.974.2908
The recent shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas is the most recent in a trend of school shootings in the United States.
In just 2022 so far, there have been 27 school shootings, according to education week. These tragic incidents have gained considerable media attention and sparked conversations about the larger issues of mass shootings and gun control.
“It’s terrifying to know there are kids who wake up every day and fear for their lives when going to a place that is supposed to be a safe and nurturing environment,” says college student Emma Caponetto.
As information about the Uvalde shooting has continued to be released, there have been many inconsistencies in the timeline, as well as anger at how police reacted. Despite many 911 calls and police on the scene, the gunman was able to enter the school for an hour and a half before the confrontation with law enforcement resulting in his death, according to a timeline by The Texas Tribune.
This is not the first time a shooting has led to cries for increased gun control and policy changes. The Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 gained a great deal of media attention and felt very personal to many.
“I grew up around 30 minutes away and I won’t ever forget that day. It was terrifying being a student and seeing something like that happen so close to me. I live in an area that is considered very safe where things like this rarely happen, so it was a much-needed reality check on the terrible reality of what could happen at any time,” says Connecticut resident Nina Stoops.
These school shootings are part of a larger trend of Mass shootings in the US. In 2021, there were a total of 692 mass shootings, which is up from 272 in 2014, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Due to the significant amount of shootings, various groups have formed and people have rallied behind them trying to get gun control legislation passed. One group, EveryTown for Gun Safety, is one of many of these such organizations.
According to their website page on mass shootings, EveryTown for Gun Safety is pushing for background checks on all gun sales, implementing extreme risk laws, prohibiting assault weapons, prohibiting high capacity magazines, and blocking silencer deregulation among others.
“It is crucial for people to understand that change can’t happen without action. If you want legislative changes, you need to be active in voting and electing candidates who will actually make those changes. Only then will we be able to try and fix these issues and implement the necessary changes,” says Leslie Washington who works for EveryTown for Gun Safety.
One notable past legislation is the Federal Assault Weapons Ban from 1994, however, this policy had only a 10-year window. Since its expiration in 2004, no similar bans have been passed.
In 2013, after the Sandy Hooke shooting, some lawmakers attempted to pass legislation such as a renewal of the assault weapons ban, increases on background checks, and a limit on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds. However, these all failed to make it passed the senate.
According to an article by Steve Miller, often what happens is a “gridlock” in which legislation isn’t passed. He says it begins with a big event that sparks activism by those who want stricter gun control laws, whose attempts are then met with resistance from pro-gun organizations such as the NRA influencing lawmakers.
“I feel like in general lately, it feels so difficult to get meaningful legislation passed. There are so many views, and while having opinions is great people need to be able to come to some sort of agreement,” says Political science student MaryBeth Gentry.
When looking at the gridlock theory in relation to the Uvalde shooting, the first signs are there. A major mass shooting has occurred and now people are lobbying together so this does not happen again.
Such people’s work has already been met with a great amount of discourse, however, time will only tell whether this round of activism will result in meaningful gun-control legislation being passed.
“I think people need to keep pushing and fighting for what they believe in. We always see a lot of activism right after big events, but it feels like that momentum usually dies down before we’re able to make a change. Even when you’re tired and feeling hopeless, you need to just keep fighting for the thousands of people who’ve died,” says Caponetto.
The overall debate on gun legislation has been highly politicized. This has caused a wide partisan divide on the issue.
According to a poll done by the Pew Research Center, 20% of Republicans or those who lean republican believe gun laws should be more strict, whereas 27% believe they should be less strict. In comparison, 81% of Democrats or democratic-leaning persons believe gun laws should be stricter and 4% believe they should be less strict.
While there are many reasons for this divide, Miller notes importantly in his article that the NRA has essentially tied pro-gun sentiments inexplicably with the conservative party.
“The work we are doing is highly political, however, gun safety should not be an issue between republicans and democrats. It should be in the interest of all people to save innocent lives, and we hope to see changes to make gun-control a bipartisan issue,” says Washington.
In an article about the politicization of gun violence, Benjamin Kantack touches on how those of different political parties may perceive and react to gun violence, supporting Miller’s gridlock theory.
In a debate, Kantack says that republicans who are anti-gun control will often argue that any proposed changes would not have prevented whatever the most recent shooting was, and will often seek to protect their preexisting beliefs. Alternatively, Democrats will argue you cannot discount the effectiveness of a policy just because it may not have prevented whatever example opposers may bring forth.
He concludes in his study that efforts to push for gun-control reform, especially following major shootings, are not seemingly an effective method of changing public opinion.
“People make politics seem so black and white, republican or democrat. Not enough people are willing to sit down, listen, and talk with someone about their beliefs respectfully. We need more bipartisanship if we want to get things like gun-control legislation passed,” says Gentry.
This finding begs the questions of what can be done, and how would such be achieved.
Uvalde was the most recent mass shooting in the United States, however, it will surely not be the last. 18,000 lives have been lost to gun violence just this year, according to the gun violence archive, and sadly this number is set to climb.
For ways to get involved in fighting gun violence in America, you can visit the EveryTown Website and see a list of ways you can take action.
The streets of Louisville Colorado show a bleak new reality for homeowners throughout the western United States.
On December 30 2021 a grass fire by hurricane-force winds burned 1,084 structures in Louisville and the neighboring town of Superior.
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Concussions in college sports is something that has been researched for quite some time as it pertains to impacting student athlete immediately after the concussion incident as well as the impact it may have later down the road.
In the last five years, the NCAA has reported that there have been approximately ten thousand five hundred (10,500) diagnosed concussions in all of college sports. (NCAA)
“I see about two to three severe concussions every year. That’s not including the times where I see a big hit and the player gets up, takes a quick break and gets back out there or when payers lie about how their feeling,” said Josie White the athletic trainer for the University of Denver Men’s Lacrosse team.
Read more: Concussions more serious than we know in college sportsWith a lot on the line players maybe hesitant to explain what they’re feeling as the fear of coming out of the game or practice may overshadow the risk, they are putting on their health, athletes are risking more than they even know.
“Players don’t understand the logistics and how minor hits, or collisions can cause a concussion. They don’t understand how the earlier we understand and treat the situation, the less severe it will be and the sooner they’ll be back,” said Ms. White
It only takes ninety Gs of force to cause a concussion, that is equivalent to hitting your head against a wall at 20 mile per hour. (Online website)
Players don’t understand that these minor symptoms add up and can make you more prone to future concussions and damage your brain in other ways such as school, social interactions or other activities.
“School isn’t easy for me at all I have pretty bad dyslexia, so it takes a lot to focus on my work, so I don’t make mistakes. Every time I’ve had a concussion the first few weeks after is such a struggle because my brain feels like it just cannot focus on anything,” said Andrew DiFrancesca, medically retired due to concussions with the Denver lacrosse team.
There are times to be strong willed and willing to risk your body for your team but when you’re dealing with something as important as your brain that is not something you want to play around with.
Your brain is something that needs to be healthy and stable in order to give yourself the best chances of living a long and healthy life. Constant or repeated head trauma doesn’t allow the brain to be the best so it can perform at a high level for a long time.
“After my ninth concussion I had a long talk with my family about what I should do, after fighting through the obstacles concussions made for me, I knew it was time to hang up the stick and helmet. I couldn’t keep risking my future for lacrosse,” said DiFrancesco.
Not only is long term trauma a huge concern but the instant trauma a concussions has can is also a huge concern and can make it hard to come back from.
“It was annoying how many weeks of school I missed because every time I had a concussion I wasn’t allowed to stare at a screen or focus on anything to intensively, so once I was ready to come back, I was out of shape from doing nothing and I was behind in school,” said DiFrancesca
Research shows that multiple episodes of mild head trauma can have a combining effect that may also result in serious long lasting conditions. For example, an individual who experiences a concussion and has a second one before recovering from the first is prone to development of a second impact. This can lead to major brain impairment and even death. (EBSCO)
Jack Hannah former Denver Men’s Lacrosse player said “I was honestly scared once I got up from my hit. I was dumb and kept playing but it wasn’t me. If I talked to the trainer and understood more about concussions, there was no way I would’ve gone back in.”
From further research, baseline testing is useful for detecting deficits following a sports concussion. A total of 223 collegiate athletes from multiple sports who sustained concussions and had both baseline and post-injury testing. Each athlete used Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). (The Utility of Post-Concussion Neuropsychological Data in Identifying Cognitive Change Following Sports-Related MTBI in the Absence of Baseline Data.)
“I’ve done the impact testing many times I don’t feel like it doesn’t anything, but I’ll take the doctors word for it because I just show up and play if they say its fine for me to play,”
After going through repeatedly pushing your body through intense training and conditioning in college sports you tend to look the other way when things don’t feel right as most believe it’s just normal wear and tear.
“After I was hit, I got up angry like I always do but it did not feel normal, first my ears were ringing and neck kind of felt tweaked. But as I continued to play, I started to feel lethargic, even with these unusual symptoms I didn’t know what it was like having a concussion,”
Not knowing the signs is dangerous for athletes. They’re taught from a young age unless you’re not breathing, there is no blood, or you can’t walk then just keep playing.
That is why at NFL games there is usually thirty medical professionals and at least ten are on the sidelines watching carefully taking notes and making observations on certain players and plays that have happened to make sure nothing is going under the radar.
“When I’m not sure on what I’m feeling the first thing I do is go to the athletic trainer some may call me a baby from time to time, but I really want to take care of my body,” said defensemen of Denver’s Lacrosse team Adam Hangland
With this kind of mindset of wanting to take care of your whole body including your brain, is important. Even though its not an injury you can see its one that will have a major impact on your life.
“There’s so much I can’t really control so I want to make sure I control how healthy my entire body is for the season but also for the future I don’t want to be thirty-five but feel or have the mind of a seventy-year-old,” said Hangland
Being a college athlete is very important to most athletes, but it shouldn’t be more important than their health down the line.
MFJS Reporter Spring 2022 