University of Denver students Emma Hiett, Faith Alexopoulos, Sofi Denton and Ellie Stetson hold a sign they made. Photo by Isabella Villalobos
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.
The Urban Peak Center, located at 730 21st, Denver CO. (Photo by Urban Peak)
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.
The 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.
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.
University of Denver Tri Delta members posing during recruitment 2020 [Photo by Alexa Chan]
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.
Sturm Hall, the building where Dr. Mosca’s lecture was held [Image by Jamie O’Malley]
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.
This movie freaked me out ! I agreed with the lack of plot, but I feel like movies nowadays with all this suspense, they use the visual aspects to make up for it.
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.”
Tina, one of the film’s protagonists and most dynamic characters, searches for a malignant force at the Prime Minister’s election dinner [photo taken by Nori Veit]
Attending a movie theater has become somewhat of a lost hobby following the COVID-19 pandemic. The convenience of at-home cinema, paired with the development of new streaming services and the augmentation of those that already exist have permanently altered the cinema industry.
The hype and anticipation for this film warranted a trip to the movie theater to partake in the complete cinematic experience in what was, for many, the first time since 2019.
Upon arrival, the Regal UA IMAX movie theater at Colorado Center greeted us with an eerie silence. Apart from the theater staff that scanned our tickets at the door and those at the concession stand, there wasn’t a person in sight.
“There’s no way you can go to the movies without candy and too much popcorn,” stated Ella Beattie, a Harry Potter enthusiast, after the purchase of a large bowl of popcorn that required both hands to carry. “If you aren’t overly stuffed by the end of the movie, did you even go?”
Having arrived early to watch the film’s previews, empty seats stared back at us as we entered the theater itself.
Rather than being greeted by the familiar, mouth watering smell of buttered popcorn as we found our seats, however, the cinema smelled sickeningly sterile, and almost musty from lack of use.
Apart from a couple sharing a box of Junior Mints, the theater seats were largely empty, only about 9 out of nearly 80 seats had been filled for the film.
“The previews are half the fun!” giggled Gracie, a fellow Harry Potter enthusiast, as the lights dimmed and the programming began, throwing us into an utter time warp.
Movie previews flashed by, advertising films varying from horror to Rom-Com. A comfortable and welcoming aspect of the cinematic experience, these trailers differed slightly from my memory of them before the pandemic, as they advertised viewing the films from various streaming platforms as well as in the theater. It began to become painfully clear to me that, although making every attempt at creating a dynamic and engaging cinematic experience, the cinema industry is actively losing their grip on viewers.
In the film, Albus Dumbledore, a pivotal character in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise, came together with Newt Scamander, Jacob Kowalski, and company from the Fantastic Beasts series in a classic narrative: defeating a malignant force. In this case, the force of evil manifested in the form of Gallert Grindelwald, Dumbledore’s ex-lover turned arch rival.
Rated a mere 47% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics described this film as “A beautiful story around brothers, lost love, and suppressed family. Mikkelson is amazing as Grindelwald, Law makes Dumbledore relatable and Redmayne keeps bringing charisma to the Wizarding World’s most unique character.” Contrasting reviews highlight the mediocre plotline that undermines the exceptional acting in this film, especially Eddie Redmayne and Mads Mikkelson.
Without giving any spoilers, this movie followed a classic ‘good and evil’ narrative, and was packed with references from the original Harry Potter films to bolster connection and engagement.
We left the theater feeling full and slightly sick from movie snacks, and, overall, satisfied with the movie’s content and the experience. Though, yes, cinema isn’t what it used to be, it was worth the wait for the cinematic experience, and something I would recommend to others.
Pleasure Prince rocks the house- Photo by Llewellynn FoulkPre-show stage for the Indie 102.3 Meetup- Photo by Llewellynn Foulk
Fans gathered in person for the first time in years on April 25th for the return to Live Indie 102.3 Meetups.
Indie 102.3, a Colorado public radio station, does a “meet up” each month to give local bands a chance to interact with each other and fans. However, during Covid, these meet ups had to be moved to Zoom. Fans finally got to get dressed up to meet their favorite artists for the first time in a meet up featuring Pleaser Prince.
Pleasure Prince is an electronic duo that began in 2017. The pair began in several different bands while living in New York, but ended up branching on their own and moving back to their home state, Colorado.
“We decided to do something totally different,” stated William Duncan, the drummer and vocalist.
Lilly Scott, the other vocalist and keyboard player, stated they “really wanted to make a band that people would dance to, especially live.”
Along with Pleasure Prince, Alyssa Robi, George Cessna, King Cardinal, and many other local musicians came to the event.
The crowed that gathered in the small lounge consisted of mostly people from ages 20-30. They spread from both inside rooms into the outside patio to drink and mingle, although most gathered inside once the music officially started. It had the feel of a family barbeque as band members and fans mingled with one another.
When the music began, fans bobbed their heads along with the beat as the members of Please Prince played and sang in harmony with one another. Although stating before starting that they were nervous to perform in front of so many other artists, no nerves showed during their performance.
“It’s almost like when you play for other creatives it’s like playing for your mom or your best friend…. It’s valuable and constructive,” stated Scott.
The band was accompanied by multicolored lights as well as digital art on the wall behind them. The soft colors created a serene atmosphere that worked well with the voices of the band.
“Last night was a great audience, so many new faces,” Scott stated.
Duncan said he didn’t really notice the crowd, “I kind of fixate on Lilly, she’s kind of my rock… and her energy matches the crowd’s energy.”
The pair was obviously connected to each other both musically and personally. Their performance showed how well they work as a team and allowed them to show their skills to other creators.
The event was a great way to find new bands and to get to know them personally. The duo stated they gained 30 followers just from that one performance. It allowed creators and consumers to gather and get to know each other, allowing each to learn more about each other.
Pleasure Prince released their debut album, “Numbers”, April 22nd. Their next confirmed show Breadbar on June 25th. They intend on playing as much as possible during the summer months, although dates are still up in the air.
“We’re excited to be playing live in general, come see us play,” stated the band.
The date of the next Local 303 Meetup has not been announced yet but stay tuned to Indie 102.3 to find out more.
Photo by Tess Styler (April 23, 2022 at Your Moms House, Denver.)
DENVER – After almost thirsty years since their last tour, The Far Side, formally known as The Pharcyde, finally came to local venue, Your Moms House, here in Denver on April 23.
Far Side (Pharcyde), an alternative hip hop group formed in the late 80s dominated the underground scene of hip hop in South Central Los Angeles. Made up of the original members, Imani, Fatlip, and SlimKid3, it was an instant throwback for the entirety of the night.
But the night didn’t start that way. Doors opened at around 8:00, and the crowd, an older one (me 21, was definitely the youngest one there), didn’t start forming till closer to 9:00, when the opener begun.
All eager for the night to begin, many of those in the audience haven’t seen them since high school or college days, and for me my first time. By the time the show begun, the people were ready.
The opener and sound master for the tour, DJ Abilities, was met with lively, tightknit crowd.
Mixing hits from the age of hip-hop with metal and 80s punk with classic rock, and mix that all together with EDM. Made out to be quite the night, full of dancing, head banging, and the occasional call-and-response with him and the crowd.
Busting out staples within the hip-hop world, “The Humpty Dance” by Digital Underground, and “Electric Relaxation” by Tribe called Quest. And the people danced.
By the time The Far Side came to stage, the crowd was ready. Playing some of their biggest hits from their 1992 album, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, like “Passin’ Me By” and “Ya Mama”.
Keeping the audience in high spirits came as second nature for these emcees, reminding everyone there why the underground hip-hop community fell in love with them all those years ago.
This was a night to remember, both for Far Sides, not having been in Denver since the 90s, and their dedicated fanbase that came out in numbers and did a number on the merchandise table.
Which unfortunately wasn’t all that stacked in the beginning.
Talking with one of their road members as to why they only had one t-shirt and one hoodie option, they went on to share that their trailer of merch was broken into earlier that day, nearly clearing them out.
But that didn’t stop them from giving the people what they wanted. Being true guides, and legends on a trip back down memory lane. Way back to the 90s, full of their mischief and humor through their ability to keep the audience engaged and excited.
Closing out with their hit song, “Runnin” from album “Labcabincalifornia”, and accompanied by local Denver singer, Moombeam Kelly, to give us a nostalgic yet powerful closing song.
Sticking around for autographs and photos, the three emcees were right at home at Your Moms House and feeling all the love from their Denver fans.
This show ends up being in the middle of their 30 Year Tour, where they’ll travel to the West Coast, hitting their home city of Los Angeles before finishing up back in Wisconsin.
[photo by AJ.Mercurio: pioneers walking to the locker room at halftime]
Senior day in Peter Barton lacrosse stadium the Denver pioneers are hosting St. Johns for a chance to go 2-1 in the big east conference and build off their last win against Villanova.
With the stadium filled to the brim with friends, families’, diehard fans, and everything in between ready to watch the game.
Before the game was to kick off the pioneers had a ceremony for all of the seniors and grad students to celebrate all of there hard work and dedication to the game.
“I’m so happy to see all of the boys that started their first day of college lacrosse together now to see them coming down to one of their last days as teammates together.” Said Tina Stroman a mom of a senior goalie.
Because the emotions were high in the stands with happiness for seeing their sons end a part of their lives, they still knew business was not yet done with a minimum of 3 weeks left in the season.
“The boys need this win so they can get on a roll to go into the big east tournament with confidence.”
The pioneer has had a rocky start to the season losing some big games versus duke, UNC and yale going into big east play nationally ranked at 20th.
With the emotions shifting gears from happiness and loving it was getting intense and quite in the stands and on the field because both teams knew what were on the line here.
“We needed this win as a statement game that the first half of the season was not the real pioneers and that were coming for that national championship” says Teddy Sullivan a midfielder on the pioneers”
Right from the start it was a dominant performance from the pioneers keeping the foot on the gas all of the first half ending at 9-1 going to the second half.
“we’re not done yet” says Teddy Sullivan repeatedly as the team walks out of the locker room to start the second half.
As the second half begins the crowd and players on the far side got loud and intense. Feeling there was a spark of life to the St. Johns team hoping to claw there way out of this deficit.
They gave it all in the third quarter scoring three goals in a quarter put the pioneers on their toes.
“The coaches will make the adjustments to dominate in the 4th “says Joedi Stillstrop a father of a Denver lacrosse player.
The pioneers ended just as hot as the started score 4 in the 4th quarter and allowing 0 goals.
With the final seconds counting downs the families of the seniors and rest of the family and fans cheering on the Pios for a dominant win over the hard-fought St. Johns team.
The game ended 18-4 the pioneers did exactly what they set out to by getting a dominant win to start their win streak.
The pioneers dominated in every category ground balls, shots, forced turnover, and the main one goals.
[photo by AJ .Mercurio: at the end of the game shaking hands]
This win gives the Denver pioneer seniors a good memory of their senior day and gets them into the big east tournament. It also gets them ready to continue this steak and mentality for their next game away against providence next week.
MFJS Reporter Spring 2022 