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[
"John Anderson",
"James Wilkie",
"Scots Independent Newspaper"
] | The Flag in the Wind | scotsindependent.scot | The United Kingdoms of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had an advisory referendum in June on whether to leave the European Union. 51.89% of the public who bothered to vote, did so to leave. 48.11% of these voters wanted to remain. This meant that the government were going to remove us from the European Union on a vote with a majority of 3.78%. In my book that is hardly a decisive majority. I would say it was too close to call!
So we all panicked. Argued over what it was going to mean to our different sections of society. Scotland's First Minister immediately started a round of talks with representatives of other Countries and with representatives of European families living and working in Scotland.
Meanwhile the Tory government squabbled over who would replace David Cameron who, rather than stay and sort the mess out he had created in misplaying his hand to the far right, was standing down as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party.
Having replaced him with what turned out to be the anointment of the sole remaining candidate, not much has been done. Oh Teresa has had one or two cosy chats but HEY! it's Westminster recess time.
Meanwhile, Labour MPs have decided they really don't like their scruffy leader. Just not the standard we have come to expect, what?! So we now have 2 candidates for their leadership, both claiming to be from the left and for the working people. One in non conformist attire for government, the other in a shiny suit totally acceptable by the rebelling MPs (for now, anyway). The MPs do however seem to have forgotten that they are employed by the public purse and elected by the public. Possibly the more interesting time will be the next Westminster election selection process when these MPs want nominated again by the members who don't agree with their choice of leader. For another day!
Summer is always the 'mad' season when the Parliaments are in recess. The activists are not in recess. They are working away at community events and campaigning on street corners. Through lack of leadership momentum I see that many yes groups have reformed and are keeping the conversation going.
STILL there is no whiff of what might be happening in Brexit land.
At the start of this week the French have challenged the UK government on the special arrangements regarding immigration points on the French side of the channel. To be honest I can see where they are coming from. Why should they have to deal with the immigration camps when it is Westminster who are refusing to process the people wanting to come to the great England they have heard of?
Fear not though. Two months (8 WEEKS!) after the referendum Teresa May has called a cosy summit at her new home at Chequers. This will apparently be the FIRST time her cabinet has had the chance to get together to discuss the result of the referendum. It is held against a backdrop of deep uncertainty about what the Tories are planning – and now in-fighting between ministers about what Brexit will look like and what it will mean to families and businesses across the country.
Stephen Gethins comments
"The lack of action is in complete contrast to the work of the SNP Government with the First Minister convening an expert group to explore all options for retaining Scotland's EU status, unveiling a £100 million economic stimulus package to support jobs and alleviate uncertainty and having an open dialogue with EU nationals resident in Scotland to air their concerns."
If you have been abroad all summer, or on the moon, you will notice that we are no further forward in what our future hold for us. The only significant change I have seen is in the letter from my bank telling me the interest on my savings is now at 0.something.
By the time you read this we may have heard from Teresa May and her cabinet about what they are going to do about this mess. On the other hand, I am not holding my breath.
Meanwhile in Scotland Ruthie is shouting 'stop talking about an Independence referendum', Kezia is sticking the boot in her scruffy UK leader and wee Willie is awfy quiet (sigh). Oh, let's not forget Broon. He wants to give us a wee drop more constitutional powers. Just give us them all Gordie, and be done with it! | 2,016 |
[
"Scots Independent Newspaper"
] | The Flag in the Wind | scotsindependent.scot | The First Minister visited the Nigg Energy Park in the constituency recently and saw the turbines that are bound for the world's first large scale tidal wind farm. This will also be sited in the Far North; the MeyGen project, a forerunner in marine renewables, will change the way they are viewed around the world. Generating reliable, sustainable and clean energy for the consumer it will also add nearly £300 million to Scotland's economy as well as providing employment, training opportunities and research developments which will be of global benefit. Work will begin on the placing of the first giant underwater turbines within the next week or so and at the end of construction, it is anticipated that over 250 turbines would supply enough energy that all the households within the Highlands and Islands could be powered from that one development alone.
A few miles south from the MeyGen project, work will also begin on the £2.5 billion SSE Beatrice Offshore Windfarm. Over 80 turbines are due to be located here to replace the early prototypes currently in situ. An additional £10 million is being invested into Wick itself with this project as an Operations and Maintenance base is constructed through the regeneration and redevelopment of the historic fishing area of Lower Pulteney as the original Telford buildings are sympathetically restored in an ingenious design. I have an added interest in this farm as my house looks directly on to the current Beatrice rigs and windmills and I find it fascinating that I could soon look out of my window and know that what I see could potentially power from Moray down to Fife; within the next few years, half of Scotland could be completely fuelled by these two developments alone that not only protect the environment for future generations but are also producing a fuel supply that will never run out.
Funding from the Scottish Government remains committed as it recognises the benefits and opportunities that research, development and construction of renewable energy projects offer future generations as well as protecting the environment for them as we move from traditional and ageing energy sources. The Westminster Government however seems to be ever backward looking as it withdraws investment and curtails funding for some renewable sectors whilst investing heavily in new nuclear power stations. Further European investment is also uncertain post Brexit – it is not only the potential loss of finance but the loss of willing collaboration with other countries that is of concern. Once again, Scotland seems at odds with her governing body and has little recourse. It is time again our coastline up here is put to use powering the country although this time because of wind and wave rather than because of its remoteness.
As I stood at the back door on Saturday to watch a military plane taking off filled with uranium from Dounreay bound for America, the sight of material from yesterday's energy source departing our shores directly above tomorrow's emerging future as it passed over the Beatrice field was poignant yet propitious; when the last flight leaves Caithness 700kg lighter in uranium in 18 months time, Beatrice and MeyGen will be up and running powering a progressive and bright Scotland safely into the future. | 2,016 |
[
"Scots Independent Newspaper"
] | When the facts change what do you do? | scotsindependent.scot | "When the facts change, I change my mind, what do you do Sir?" John Maynard Keynes is reported to have said.
Let's just recall the feelings on the morning of September 19 2014. Despair, depression and dejection were the high points as I came to terms with what had happened on the day to be forever known as Black Thursday, I wanted to chuck it all in, move to Spain and live out my remaining years without another canvass pack or leaflet run. Ever.
In the following days, tens of thousands of people changed their minds. Some had been out campaigning for a YES vote, others had just wanted Independence to happen but not worked in the campaign. But for them all, one fact had changed; the lies and deceit of the official NO campaign joined with the ludicrous bias of the mainstream media in Scotland had persuaded them that they had to change their mind and join the only party who could make Independence happen. Many others joined parties who saw the logic of Independence and had made common cause in the YES campaign.
Now we are in another mind changing phase. Ok, there are some who take it to an extreme like Kez and Owen Smith the would be Labour leader. Writing in the Guardian last week he said
"Knowingly marching off to electoral irrelevance is a gross betrayal of the people who all Labour members and supporters – new and longstanding – came into politics to help. If we give up on winning the next election, or falsely claim to be on course to win it, we become accomplices to every Tory cut and will condemn Britain to a decade of doom."
He continued
"Our party is down to 27% in the polls, that would mean one million fewer votes than in 2015. Yet, faced with electoral oblivion, Jeremy surrounds himself with people who agree with him, rather than reach out to the whole country. Too often he seems content to be leader of his own fan club rather than the next prime minister, defining himself against his own party instead of the Tories. If we carry on like this, there will be a generation of children only knowing a Tory government. It happened in the 1980s, and I'm in this contest to stop that happening again."
But despite that knowledge, despite his assertion that Jeremy will face "electoral oblivion" he refuses to even countenance the idea that Scotland should be able to escape "a decade of doom". Well currently he does. Or at least at the time of writing he opposes. As example; Smith said he would not oppose another referendum "if the Scottish people chose that's what they wanted and there was agreement in the Labour Party" But he also said "I just don't there's any need or desire for it"
As John McDonnell put it " On the future of Scotland, Owen Smith has gone from thunderer to blunderer in less than 48 hours"
The problem for both Kez and Smith is the same, it's not just being inconsistent, it's the cardinal crime of failing to think through an idea and come to conclusions which are rooted in facts!
The outcome of the Tory Civil War on Europe on June 23 has once more changed the essential facts of the case for Independence in some very significant ways. Firstly of course the claim that only a NO vote would guarantee our place in Europe was exposed as the lie we all knew it was. But it was exposed as a lie which would cost money, jobs and security and entirely on the altar of English xenophobia. The brutal fact is that even the Brexit campaign knew they were talking rubbish and did not expect to come close, far less win. They still cannot even define, cannot even agree on, what Brexit means in the simplest terms even now 10 weeks after the vote. Many Scots chose to stay in the UK on the strength of that lie.
But when the facts change many change their minds and it is our job to make the process of changing minds as easy as possible.
That will require not only responses to the current changing political and economic environments but also a fluid response as the meaning of "Brexit" finally becomes clear whenever that actually happens. It will require a clarity on what Brexit will cost us and also a capacity to recognise that there will be some who will gain from the process. It may in the short term at least be easier to export when the £ is at €1.17 than it was at €1.28. Just as we need to highlight that it becomes so much more expensive to import at those figures.
For many small to medium sized businesses in Scotland the prospect of having to pay tariffs and suffer the time lags of border controls will hit their prospects of exporting fresh produce to European markets.
Perhaps even more Brexit will demand that we not only reach out to those who voted NO on Black Thursday but that we help them re-examine the cases for and against Independence. It demands that we help them to make that leap just as we have helped hundreds of thousands already to come to the SNP. It demands that we welcome them and encourage them to make that final change not because we have more "patriotism" then they have. Not because we "care more about Scotland" than they do. Not because we can sing Flower of Scotland better than them. No, the needs of Scotland demand that we do so because the facts have changed and with that their minds may be open to change.
We will win Independence not on a wave of emotion or pride but on a solid analysis of the economic, social and political benefits which only Independence can bring.
We will win Independence not because of or on the back of an appeal to the heart but on the cold, calm, rational process of changing minds.
Those who voted NO are not traitors or cowards! They simply voted for what they believed was best, for themselves, for their families and for their country. We will win Independence when they see that the case for Independence is stronger, more believable and presents a better future than the case for the Union! Let's welcome each and every convert with open arms and hearts, that way and only that way lies Independence. | 2,016 |
[
"David Ashford",
"Scots Independent Newspaper"
] | The Flag in the Wind | scotsindependent.scot | The summer holidays have come to an end; hair is cut, bags are packed and bedtime battles once again ensue. The family holiday was a few days in Fife, an area of the country that I had not visited for many years and a welcome change of scenery. The children delighted in fruit farms and go carts, horse riding and play parks whilst I marvelled at the lack of travel time needed between towns. When you are used to travelling several hours to the nearest city, 15 minutes commute from one large town to another takes a bit of getting used to and we were spoilt for choice with all the activities on offer that are not available close to home.
The office of Stephen Gethins MP was on our daily route and we soon found other constituency offices in what seemed to be every town – a sight which is still strange but gladdens the soul. It still feels incredible that you can practically travel the entire length and breadth of the country and have both Holyrood and Westminster SNP representation.
As always, the six weeks passed ever quicker than before and the new term beckoned. My three returned to a 3 month old school built to replace the two Primaries located on the north side of Wick River. Although not without issues, there is no denying the magnificent building now enjoyed by the students of the old schools and the start of this term sees both Wick North and Hillhead amalgamate officially into Noss. Across the river, the doors have shut on Wick South and her pupils have moved into Pulteneytown Academy where they will study together as Newton Park before moving into their new build later in the year. At that time, Wick High School, Wick Swimming Pool and Wick Library will bow out and together with Newton Park Primary, their replacements will open as a 3-18 community campus; an educational establishment which is the first of its kind within the Highlands.
The new build at Noss highlighted deterioration of the old schools which you had not noticed as well as the known problems that had impacted on a continuous education in the past but also threw up issues where new was not necessarily better. Large classroom square footage and swathes of open playground were now replaced with "minimum standard" and combining two schools into a built up area with an already difficult traffic management problem has compounded a situation where there does not appear to be a solution. With the local authority tightening its purse strings due to an overstretched budget, state of the art equipment is no longer part of the plan and resources are ever thinner yet the disparity between what the children of Wick will be taught in compared to their peers elsewhere in the county is striking.
Across Scotland, schools are being rebuilt or refurbished as part of the Scottish Governments Schools for the Future programme which works in partnership with local authorities, an investment of £1.8billion. Originally planned for 55 showcase schools, the near decade old programme will have achieved 112 by the end of the final phase in 2020. There does seem to be a one size fits all approach however with a similar design being used no matter where in the country they will be built and you can't help but wonder to the longevity of the buildings comparing them, perhaps unfairly, to the buildings of your own education which were falling into a state of disrepair when 20 years earlier they had been announced as the futuristic answer to the educational needs of the time. For now though, vaulted ceilings, glass frontages and secure premises allow children and staff alike the opportunity to work in light, spacious and calming environments and the pupils, without fail, have fallen in love with their new school.
The Scottish Government continue to focus on improving educational benefit and have stated that the monies raised from next years council tax reform will be allocated directly to schools to be spent by headteachers on the needs that they deem most pressing. The launch of the Scottish Attainment Challenge will also ensure that funding is allocated to those schools in deprived areas which are in the greatest need of increased investment to allow all children in Scotland to achieve their dreams and aspirations regardless of their start in life.
Worth over £180 million over 4 years, this fund has the potential to change lives and along with dedicated and caring school staff, getting it right for every child has never seemed more achievable. | 2,016 |
[
"Scots Independent Newspaper"
] | to boycott or not | scotsindependent.scot | John Mason stirred the Unionist nest the other week with his statement that he personally boycotts Barrhead Travel following its Tory owner's intervention in the 2014 Referendum when said owner wrote to each individual staff member calling on him or her to reject the Independence question.
Deputy Tory Leader, Jackson Carlaw MSP, called John's political statement in a tweet, 'petulant beyond belief'. Nothing like a touch of faux outrage with your cornflakes of a morning. The official SNP response was dismissive in its usual anonymous manner: personal trivial statements, not the party line.
What would have been more helpful all round is if there had been a debate about how business engages in politics in general and using the Referendum campaign as a case in point.
In April 2014 I spoke at a renewables conference in Inverness on the very subject with my day hat on as a political public relations gun-for-hire. I remember my presentation well because it was fascinating to look at how both the UK Government, particularly through the Scotland Office, and the Scottish Government were courting business to support their respective sides in the campaign.
My advice to the assembled group of developers, landowners, lawyers and interested persons was clear: open your eyes before you wade in. I took several examples of high profile business leaders – Bob Dudley at BP, Katherine Garrett-Cox at Alliance Trust, Bill Munro at Barrhead Travel – and showed how each of them claimed to make a personal political statement in the Referendum campaign which they are and should be encouraged to share in the public domain, but didn't back it up with a robust business justification or mandate.
Some, however, didn't stop at stating this is how or why I say Yes or No. Most wrapped themselves in their corporate brand, or certainly didn't sufficiently distance themselves from the office they are employed to protect, knowing full well that the personal has crossed a line.
Anyone with an employment contract of any sort nowadays will likely have a clause to the effect that you may be in breach of your employment contract if you bring the employer into disrepute through association with your personal actions and your work, i.e. if you say something political on social media and your workplace is linked to such publicity, usually in a negative way, that is likely to lead to disciplinary proceedings. A natural extension of workplace surveillance into your private sphere perhaps, but it is intended to catch the 'fascist lurking in the typing pool' is how it is defended and nobody wants those sorts working for you, surely?
Anyhow, the shoe rarely fits the bosses' feet. Business leaders wade in on subjects which they may or may not have a good understanding of or, more likely, have a political leaning to and, therefore, give credence in half or full measures to political forecasting or as we might call it in local parlance, Project Fear.
Personally, those business leaders do a dis-service to their employees, shareholders and stakeholders but it is for their governance structures to tackle that. For just as the sage advice of the business leader may be delivered on the back of strong reputational capital, so narrow interference in politics may wreck not just the organisational reputation but also the bottom line as voters (or is it consumers?), blend the political and the personal in their shopping habits.
For example, I used to be a regular visitor to the Waitrose store in Stirling and was always captivated by the employee-owned John Lewis tagline – never knowingly undersold – except when its chief executive Sir Charlie Mayfield told me to vote No and I decided I would try not to shop there again if I could help it.
Just as the people of Liverpool boycotted The Sun over their appalling treatment of the city in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster, so Scottish voters have every right to change their shopping habits to align their political and personal buying power.
We have done so throughout the ages. Over apartheid in South Africa (choose your oranges carefully) and still ongoing over Israel occupation of the West Bank (AirBnB being the latest to face charges of aiding and abetting the illegal occupation). Even countries do it – remember the British ban on Argentinian beef?
Whilst we can all be ethical shoppers by defining our own ethics, we should be aware that for every action there is a reaction. If Indy supporters boycott Sainsburys, what might shoppers in the rest of the UK do to Scottish producers in our strongest market? Perhaps therein lies the Scottish Government's cautious, if not dampening, approach to political boycotts.
So perhaps it is a personal thing. Maybe when John Lewis Partners give a guarantee not to tell me how to vote in IndyRef2 without explaining why, then I might consider changing my mind. Or just maybe we get business associations to agree a code of conduct for industry to adhere to during times of political pressure. | 2,016 |
[
"Scots Independent Newspaper"
] | August 2016 Digital Issue | scotsindependent.scot | When the facts change what do you do? – The Flag in the Wind
scotsindependent.scot
Stephen Bird When the facts change what do you do? 15 September 2016 • 0 Comments "When the facts change, I change my mind, what do you do Sir?" John Maynard Keynes is reported to have said. Let's just recall the feelings on the morning of September 19 2014. Despair, depression and dejection were… | 2,016 |
[
"Scots Independent Newspaper"
] | Looking backwards to the future | scotsindependent.scot | This piece tries to capture my thoughts over a four week visit to family in Canada over July. It covers conversations with family, their friends and in some cases complete strangers.
Long story short; my parents divorced when I was a toddler and just 5 years ago, at the age of 60, I discovered that I have two brothers and a sister in Canada.
Fortunately, we all get on well and over the last few weeks, the Boss and I have been visiting them for a family wedding in Calgary with stops along the way. But I wanted to take the time to have a few conversations about how Brexit and its potential impacts are viewed on the far side of the pond. I did not have to worry about having such conversations – so many Canadians, and a few Americans, wanted to talk about it even more than I did.
The first thing that is obvious is that Canadians think the UK has lost leave of its collective senses. The second is that there is a real understanding that Scotland voted differently and that it would be a democratic outrage if our voice is unheeded.
Before we had even set down in the land of the Maple Leaf we had been in two conversations with fellow passengers about Brexit and what the consequences might be for the UK, Canada and particularly for Scotland.
Our fellow passenger on the flight across the pond was a former US Navy pilot who expressed concerns that "the UK might be about to go into an isolationist period at a time when the world is entering an increasingly dangerous phase." He viewed the decision to leave the EU as "inexplicable" (something we were to hear many times) and was eager to explore our thought. He was also enthusiastic about a second Independence referendum in Scotland and hoped we would not repeat the mistake of 2014.
On our first internal flight we sat beside a lady who worked in the financial industry and she thought it was a "crazy, mad" decision which would seriously undermine London as a major global player in her field. Before we were to leave Canada her prediction was becoming a fact! Again she viewed our situation as a major opportunity and was confident that Nicola would rise to the occasion. It became quite obvious early on that she was quite well known and not once did we hear her criticised. Her appearance on the Tonight show was mentioned more than once favourably.
Family were of course more aware as you would expect but even the most casual meeting would lead in the same direction.
On one occasion we walked into a museum in Ontario and spent more time answering very good questions from a couple of lovely young Canadian girls. One, whose family had migrated to Canada from Eastern Europe, was incensed at the depiction of her fellow migrants as lazy, sponging and work shy. She explained that her father had arrived penniless and had created his own business and put her through University studying history. Her views of Farage were pungent and demonstrated an understanding which he completely lacked. Her Canadian born colleague had finished University but once more found the decision very hard to comprehend. In both cases again they quickly asked about Scotland's position, how could we use this to gain Independence and wished us well.
Even just walking out of a diner with a Scotland t-shirt, going to a bar or even a ball game would get the questions going with the same sequence, how could you be so silly, how would you manage the economic consequences and how could this help to bring about Independence.
On the one occasion we did meet someone who thought Brexit was a good idea, he believed that the Commonwealth could replace the EU, he also thought Scotland needed to make its own decision.
Two years ago Mary and I had made our first trip to Canada to meet our new found relations and there was a polite interest in our arguments but it was not a big issue for them. Now the Brexit vote has changed everything. No longer is London regarded as a rational centre of decision making, for England or for Scotland. No longer was there a basic question of "but why?" Instead there is a recognition that Scotland's democratic voice is being ignored and that we have a strong moral. Political and economic case for a second Independence referendum.
Now I must emphasise that this is not meant to imply in any way that Justin Trudeau or his government will back us, nor that I have any new insight into the thinking in Canada's decision making circles. I do not. But, I do know that among ordinary Canadians, and the US citizens, we met there is a strong well of understanding which I did not meet two years ago.
There is a deep reservoir of goodwill and support and it may well be that we can tap into it and influence not only the positions Canada adopts but also use the strong and deep family ties. As a final example, on Saturday night we were in a great Indian restaurant in Okotoks. As we were leaving, the staff picked up on the accent and it turned out they had family in Pollokshaws in Glasgow. They were explaining to us why now, we had to vote for Independence.
One final and unrelated thought which is completely unrelated to politics.
On Friday night night I was lucky enough to go to a minor league baseball game between the Okotoks Dawgs ad the Medicine Hat Mavericks. It was "fan appreciation night" when players and staff saluted "the best fans in baseball". It was a lovely family night and even the concept of such a night stood in such stark contrast to the way fans are treated at football grounds across Scotland where we are barely tolerated far less appreciated. If football authorities and the football clubs, want to change fan behaviour perhaps changing club behaviour as well would be beneficial. If you want respect, showing some is often a good starting place. | 2,016 |
[
"Jackie Hamilton",
"Kay Ullrich",
"Rennie Elliott",
"Jim Lynch",
"Scots Independent Newspaper"
] | BATTLE LINES DRAWN? | scotsindependent.scot | Well, that's the end of summer (what summer?) Be fair, the kids went back to school and we had a few days of glorious sunshine – it was ever thus!
Summer is usually the dull time for us political junkies, but boy, has this year been an exception. We have been deafened by the sound of dragging feet from the Tories following their Brexit debacle (what a jolly wheeze that was!) To add to the seasonal delight, the "once great" Labour Party have kept us all amused as they publicly beat themselves to death. As if this was not enough for us sad anoraks, we could look across the Pond where Donald Trump is doing his best to destroy the "once great" Republican Party.
Not to be outdone, here in deepest Ayrshire we have had a Council by-election. Yes, the SNP came first with 37% of the vote, Labour being in second place with 31%. But here's the rub – that was on the first ballot! By the time the 5th round was completed, and many Tories had given their second votes to Labour, we found that the Labour candidate was the winner, although the Labour vote had dropped by over 8% – an anomaly of the STV system when only one candidate is being selected. So not too much to fear for the Council Elections in May next year where STV comes into its own in the multi-member ward system. There will not be the same loaning of votes to other parties when your favoured party will get your first and second preferences. However, here is what has struck me about this result. No, this is not a sign of a Labour revival in these parts. If anything, it showed their continued decline, but what came through clearly was the willingness on the part of many Tory voters to give their second vote to Labour! A pattern is emerging, seen in the previous Holyrood elections and was a big factor in Edinburgh South at the Westminster Election last year. That is, the tactical voting by those of a Unionist persuasion. It seems that it matters not which party they vote for, as long as it is a Unionist Party – The "save the Union" syndrome! I would contend that a Unionist Coalition is forming led by the Tories with Labour, albeit the junior, but most willing partner.
A wee history lesson folks! Way back when the writer was but a slip of a girl, the Tories could put up the proverbial "collie dug" and win a seat, Yes, I said the TORIES! The working class vote in the west of Scotland was divided by religion, not class. The Tories had the Orange vote and Labour had the Catholic vote. Even in the 1980's it was quite usual to find a staunch Tory vote in the most deprived estates – a remnant of the historical "Protestants vote Tory." Slowly this Orange Tory vote declined and working class voters turned to the Labour Party. Labour were cleverly playing Orange Card/Green Card depending on the doorstep! One by one Tory seats in the West of Scotland went to Labour until the last Tory seat, in Glasgow – Cathcart, fell to Labour's John Maxton in 1979. Teddy Taylor went off to the new pastures of Southend – not many orange voters there, methinks!
It may seem strange to readers outwith the Central Belt but Orangeism never went away in these parts. Our wee village of Dreghorn was once again festooned with Union flags and bunting during the July "marching season – It's no easy living in Dreghorn! At Irvine's annual Marymass festival last Saturday – the Union flag reigned supreme yet again. It is these cultural bonds that make the transference of votes between Unionist parties an obvious option. A realignment is taking place – the bonds of party loyalty are being replaced by loyalty to the Union.
I speak from the perspective of the Central Belt, but other areas of Scotland will be affected by this emerging Unionist Coalition. Seats where there are traditional Tory voters could now be augmented by Labour voters wishing to defeat the SNP. Make no mistake, it is becoming a two-way split in voting patterns in Scotland. Us versus them, or Nationalist versus Unionist. We have to plan our strategy with this in mind. The Labour Party is but a shadow of its former self, but the Tory vote is rising (up 8% in the aforementioned by-election). We have to acknowledge that about half of Scots have still to be convinced of the benefits of Independence. It is these people we must target if we are to get over the line to reach our goal. The non-nationalists who voted to remain in the EU are the most obvious people to persuade. As the Brexit saga gains pace we must raise the momentum and constantly expose the position in which Scotland finds itself due to the votes of our neighbours in England.
The lines are drawn – let battle commence! | 2,016 |
[
"Scots Independent Newspaper"
] | Summertime and the living is easy | scotsindependent.scot | So goes the old song. There has been nothing "easy" about living through this past summer after the result of the Referendum on June the 23rd. To watch the Tories at play in Westminster you might well think nothing much has happened! In spite of the damage they caused with their "jolly wheeze" of the Referendum – the great Tory Roadshow continues on its merry way – checked solely by the magnificent SNP Group at Westminster.
It seems that the sainted Theresa – she who reluctantly stepped up to the plate to aid her Country in time of crisis, is not quite so selfless as had been portrayed. It would appear that, during the EU Referendum she kept her head down and played both ends against the middle in her quest to become PM. Why any political observer did not see what she was up to during the Referendum campaign is beyond me! Anyway, we know that she is good at inaction – what we need now is action!
Theresa May ducks and dives at PMQs – heaven forfend that she should tell us what Brexit means! It is a "no go" area for her. She creates diversions like Grammar Schools for England, gives an anodyne speech at the U.N. but not a dickie-bird of a Plan for the future of the U.K. outside the E.U. Theresa obviously thinks that if she ignores the issue it will go away – no it won't Tessie! The Colonel Blimps on the true blue benches are just longing to create a "new Jerusalem" in England's green and pleasant land. They will never surrender! For the P.M. to pretend that we can stay in the Single Market withou Free Movement is, quite frankly, an illusion. Theresa knows that, as do her merry band of Brexiteers. It is time to stop the flannel and inform the electorate of the reality of the situation facing the U.K. after the result on June 23rd.
And of course, I couldn't fail to mention the continuing saga of the Labour Party – I know "private grief" and all that! But I cannae resist! Corbyn re-elected with a whopping majority – quelle surprise? Kezia gives him her full support – it is like the hokey-cokey for poor Kezia ! How quickly she fell into line – is this the new Autonomy in action Kez? Before she gets too excited about this Autonomy stuff, she should carefully read what Corbyn has said on the subject, "Scottish Labour should have more autonomy". The key word is "more" Kezia!
What a truly awful time conference has been for poor Kezia. She has come across like the proverbial rabbit caught in the headlights. If they had a stronger leader waiting in the wings, she would be toast!
I was interested to note that the Labour Party voting figures in Scotland were vastly different to those of the party in England. 58% of Scottish members apparently voted for Owen Smith – in a very small poll, it has to be said. But I can see why there should be such a difference. Only my theory, but I would guess that the Labour Party in Scotland has not had anything like the surge of new, particularly younger members, seen south of the border. After all, politically aware young people in Scotland have joined the SNP in their droves. The vote for Owen in Scotland reflects the fact that Labour in Scotland is an "old" Party (in all senses of the word!) and, indeed, is seen as the "Party our grandparents used to vote for"
In case I have not depressed you enough with the troubles we have to seek let's take a look across the Pond. If you are of the opinion that the U.K. Government is in a mess – imagine the dilemma facing our American cousins (in my case, my Husband!) They have a very unpopular but very experienced candidate on one hand and a very popular but very inexperienced candidate on the other (some would say he's a chancer!) For you, dear reader, I watched the debate in the early hours of Tuesday morning. To be honest, I would have watched it anyway – I am a Gold standard political junkie! Now, Hilary has many faults, but last night she was really on form. Trump came across like the aforementioned "chancer" For me, his statement, when he admitted not paying taxes, "that makes me a smart person" summed up both his personality and his honesty! Obviously a follower of the "only the little people pay taxes" brigade! Whether the debate made a difference to the Electorate is a mute point – but anyone who was watching must surely have realized that this man Trump is no longer a joke – he is a disaster waiting to happen!
OK ,so I am not a fan of Tessie or Kez -but, of course, their worth as leaders is open to debate- but what, I would contend is beyond debate – is that Donald Trump is totally unfit to be President of the U.S.A. | 2,016 |
[
"Walter Hamilton",
"Jim Lynch",
"Scots Independent Newspaper"
] | Status Quo Vadis? | scotsindependent.scot | The above is an amalgam of two Latin phrases I cobbled up in an idle moment. Status Quo is "as things were before", and Quo Vadis is "Whither goest thou?" Sums up Westminster.
Well at least we know where Scotland should be going; Nicola has challenged Party members to start canvassing support for another Independence Referendum. The Unionists and their media pals – we don't have many- are carping away about how the Summer Independence campaign has becoming the Autumn one. It wasn't a great summer, weatherwise, but we managed to convincingly win another Scottish Parliamentary Election, that's three in a row, plus the EU Referendum. However the fact that David Cameron called that one five weeks after the Devolved Parliaments' elections gave no time for a breathing space; activists also like to watch European football, although Scotland was absent, and the Olympics, where we did quite well, but under the Union Flag which is appearing in all sort of ways – my renewed driving licence for one, and Andy Murray won Wimbledon. Perhaps this summer was not the best time due to circumstances beyond our control. But now we hear that we are in for an Indian Summer……..
The Unionists had a fun summer too, David Cameron had to call the EU Referendum, sure he would win it, but the UK voted for Leave. The fallout from that was followed by a falling out of the Leave leaders with Boris Johnston, cheerleader No 1 being stabbed in the back by Michael Gove, who in turn was unceremoniously dumped by Tory MPs. The Tories then were forced to choose Theresa May, last women standing, so this Disunited Kingdom now has a Prime Minister that nobody voted for. This gaggle of chancers assailed the airwaves when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in the same fashion, but of course the Tories are immune to democracy. In turn Mrs May gave prominent Brexit Cabinet posts to Leave supporters, Boris Johnston, Liam Fox and David Davis; as we know the Tories do not do irony, perhaps poetic justice?
Labour had, and still have their own self-centred troubles. Jeremy Corbyn had been overwhelmingly elected by Labour Party Members less than a year ago, but the Labour MPs in Westminster could not accept that. After the fashion of the Praetorian Guard at some stages of the Roman Empire, they attempted to assassinate their Emperor, who actually had some clothes, but not the right ones in their less than humble opinion.
The upshot of the above means that this Disunited Kingdom faces at least 20 years of right wing Tory Rule, and the only way out is independence for Scotland. This solution frightens the living daylights out of the Unionists and they are trying to panic the people of Scotland.
And what of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown? He disappeared from public view after losing the 2010 General Election to a coalition of the Tory and Liberal Parties, but kept drawing his wages. Then he emerged from the crypt during the 2014 referendum campaign making promises that as a back bench MP he was in no place to implement. He talked up the Vow, which was actually the invention of the Daily Record, and trumpeted this with enthusiasm. When the Smith Commission came up with a list of demands he then claimed this was the best thing since sliced bread, and said it could be amended at Westminster. SNP MPs put in a list of amendments, fully debated in Parliament, but once the Division Bell rang, all the amendments failed.
Westminster contains 650 Members of Parliament – 59 of these are Scottish; at the 2015 General Election Scotland elected one Labour MP, one Tory MP, one Liberal MP – and 56 SNP MPs. So it does not matter what we say and do, we are outvoted 10 to 1.
And Mr Brown has crept out of the crypt again (to recycle an old joke)- methinks an unintended double entendre there, bleating about Home Rule, as if he has finally made some discovery.
Since Nicola made her statement we have had the usual Tory and Labour comments about "she should be concentrating on the day job – NHS, education, poverty, oil prices, whatever" (Don't know what the Liberals are saying but it doesn't matter, it will be different tomorrow). As far as the NHS is concerned I may have the advantage on them as this last 18 months I have had treatment at Edinburgh Western General, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (major operation), Edinburgh Dermatology Department and St John's Hospital Livingston. I have become a serial attender and I have no complaints or criticism of any of these places – I forgot the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS 24, but I was unconscious at the time – my wife said they were great!
Education – well, there were 17 schools closed in Edinburgh a few months back, all built under the PFI plans of Gordon Brown, running away with millions of public money which it would now seem to be getting paid to new owners, unspecified, finishing up in tax havens – perhaps even organised crime. Incidentally the PFI schemes bitterly attacked by Labour were renamed PPP (public private partnerships), also by Labour and continued to rip off the public. Local government was told this was the only game in town, and we were told it was to keep these projects off the Balance Sheet so that they did not breach the PSBR (everything begins with a P) Public Sector Borrowing Requirement rules imposed by the EU. I think the EU has now relaxed that rule and the projects have to be declared, but as the UK is leaving the EU where will the money go now? They haven't thought of that. This year the payments passed the billion barrier, and they are the first charge on any organisation. This means that in Education they are paid before teachers, staff, building repairs – everything necessary for the running of schools; the same applies to the NHS.
Poverty? The plethora of food banks, never even needed during World War II, were driven by the austerity agenda of the Tories. The vast subsidies due to the economic crisis triggered by greed – bankers' bonuses anyone – are being expected to come from the pockets of the poor who did not create, nor profit by this situation.
Truly we are seeing "The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists" 21st Century style.
As for oil – no one has yet come up with what happened to the untold billions of oil money which disappeared into the gaping maw of Whitehall, or why with all this loose money sloshing about the Government had to do public borrowing in the first place? Oil prices will rise, and there is still more oil and gas in the North Sea than has been extracted.
It is very difficult to keep up with the fast moving political situation, but one thing is clear to me; Westminster does not know what to do, and is scrabbling to come to terms with the unprecedented shambles they have allowed to develop. Scotland has a chance to walk away from this mess; there are no middle ways – only independence – full control of the purse and the policies, as Winnie Ewing defined it in the Sixties and Seventies- will allow us to survive and thrive. | 2,016 |
[
"Justin Guerriero",
"Head Sports Editor Justin Guerriero Is A City Boy Pittsburgh",
"Pa",
"Who Fell In Love With The Mountains Upon Touring Cu Boulder For The First Time Prior To His Freshman Year. He Is A Die-Hard Pittsburgh",
"Sports Fan",
"Covers Cu Football",
"Basketball",
"The Colorado Rockies At The Cui. Justin Is A Junior With A Major In Broadcast Production With Minors In History"
] | Coin Toss: Did the Buffs meet expectations in Michigan? | cuindependent.com | Did the University of Colorado Buffaloes meet expectations in Saturday's 45-28 loss to the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor? Or did CU leave more to be desired? The CUI's Justin Guerriero and Jake Mauff debate in this week's edition of Coin Toss.
Justin Guerriero: Okay, I really don't want to come off as unreasonable and insane here. I know that the unranked Buffs went on the road to Michigan and, for a chunk of the game, gave the Wolverines a run for their money. The first quarter was explosive. Having been at the game, I can tell you that when the Buffs went up 21-7 at the end of the first quarter, you could hear a pin drop in that stadium. There were 110,000-plus Michigan fans just fuming.
But I wasn't satisfied. At the end of the day, all this game showed me was a continuation of a miserable trend this football team has been handcuffed to in recent years: a failure to close out would-be winnable football games. Look at the other three quarters of play: The Buffaloes managed a meager lone touchdown in the third quarter. That's it. Once again, the team started off very hot and by the end of the game, all chemistry and effective gameplay was nonexistent.
Bad play-calling, unfortunate injuries, offensive inefficiency and the wearing down of the Buffs' defensive 11 are all additional trends that have plagued head coach Mike MacIntyre's team since he took over the program before the 2013 season. CU made these trends apparent in the loss at Michigan.
Jake Mauff: How many teams can say that they went into the Big House, against a No. 4-ranked team, and made them sweat for way too long? There aren't many to begin with, let alone unranked squads.
The game didn't end out the way we all wanted, but there was very little chance of this matchup going the Buffs' way, in any sense of the word. Vegas odds had Colorado as the 20-point underdog going into the game. This matchup was about learning big lessons, especially about hostile crowds, and the team will be battle-tested for the rest of the season.
Special teams is another topic in and of itself, but if the team hadn't made those two costly punting errors, this game really could have gone Colorado's way. They'll learn from that mistake and will learn to play better team football now that second stringers have seen time against one of the toughest teams out there.
JG: I've watched too many games that the Buffs shoulda, coulda and woulda won.
Colorado's football program is on the verge of returning to relevance, but every time it suffers a loss like this, it feels like we're going back in time —2014 and 2015. It is beyond time that this football team proves that it is ready to be taken seriously. Losing senior quarterback Sefo Liufau to an ankle sprain shortly after halftime certainly didn't help the cause. I understand that. There's nothing anyone could have done about that. Well, I guess the offensive line could have done something about that by protecting Liufau more efficiently, but that's none of my business.
The nightmare just never ends. This team continuously finds new and more infuriating ways to lose football games. I guess I can't complain about senior place kicker Diego Gonzalez shanking a chip shot field goal, due to his unfortunate season-ending Achilles tendon tear that he suffered during the game.
But had he not went down with that injury, I'd be expressing extreme frustration and concern about that. I know the Buffs lost by 17, but really? Missing an easy field goal? And missing it badly? Not a good look for a team that needs every possible advantage it can get in order to win games.
The worst part of this loss was the players' reactions. These guys know damn well that they should be winning more games. The players wanted that win in Ann Arbor. Can you imagine the shockwaves that it would have sent throughout the college football universe? The Buffaloes likely would have been ranked had they beaten Michigan. Sophomore linebacker Rick Gamboa did not attempt to hide his frustration with the special teams unit after the game. While talking about the loss, he said that he definitely noticed a momentum change in the game, and that "[it] came off of special teams. Everybody knows that."
So, I'm sorry, Jake. I've done my waiting and I am out of patience. This team needs to start winning games.
JM: So far this season, this team has won games. It's won games in a way that it hasn't in a long time. Very few teams are going to beat Michigan this year. This matchup isn't the best one to expect a victory from.
This felt like a game from last season for three quarters. After that explosion of a first period, Michigan outpaced the Buffs 38-7. Football is an endurance sport, and nothing drives home that lesson more than a game like this. There is room for improvement. But the mentality this team has this year is different from in years past. They will learn their lesson.
Michigan was also a statement game. The 850 KOA broadcast said, and I'm paraphrasing here, "Colorado is leading 21-7 and having a nation of people turn their heads as the score scrolls by." Teams are going to know not to sleep on the Buffs.
The defense got to Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight and made him look bad. When clicking, CU's offense can do whatever they want on any defense. Our punt return is improving slowly but surely. Special teams is the only weakness this team showed in Ann Arbor. I know that's important, but, for the most part, special teams errors can be fixed. This team will come out hungry next week, wanting to avenge a tough game. Even without Liufau, next week should be a fun game to watch. Michigan was a tough obstacle, but the team will be better for having faced it head-to-head. | 2,016 |
[
"Justin Guerriero",
"Head Sports Editor Justin Guerriero Is A City Boy Pittsburgh",
"Pa",
"Who Fell In Love With The Mountains Upon Touring Cu Boulder For The First Time Prior To His Freshman Year. He Is A Die-Hard Pittsburgh",
"Sports Fan",
"Covers Cu Football",
"Basketball",
"The Colorado Rockies At The Cui. Justin Is A Junior With A Major In Broadcast Production With Minors In History"
] | Fraternizing with the enemy: facing No. 4 Michigan | cuindependent.com | In this week's rendition of "Fraternizing with the enemy," the CUI's Justin Guerriero talked to Max Bultman, football beat writer and Co-Managing Sports Editor of The Michigan Daily, to get some insider information on the Michigan Wolverines.
Justin Guerriero: Michigan's No. 4 ranking speaks for itself in terms of what this team can do. What really pops out to me is the returning starters factor. Michigan is experienced and tested on both sides of the ball. I've had a hard time pinpointing a true exposable weakness of the Wolverines, so can you help me? Is there any particular part of the team that is a weak link that the Buffs could expose?
Max Bultman: So far, Michigan hasn't had those weak links exposed. I'm sure they exist (every team has flaws). Since we don't watch practice, there's no position group that has stood out as a glaring weakness. The Wolverines' contain was beaten a handful of times against UCF, and that seems like an area Colorado has the pieces to exploit, but it's still probably too soon to declare that a weak link.
JG: I'm sure the events of Sept. 24, 1994 will never be forgotten for many Wolverines fans. Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart tossed a last-ditch Hail Mary as time expired that was tipped and caught in the endzone by wide receiver Michael Westbrook, giving the Buffs a stunning 27-26 win over the No. 4 Wolverines. Colorado returns to Ann Arbor for the first time since 1997 and would you look at that, Michigan is ranked No. 4 again. Is there a revenge factor involved in this showdown? Does this team want to send a message by beating up the Buffaloes and avenging the 1994 loss?
MB: I haven't counted how many players on the current team were alive in '94, but I'm a senior, and I wasn't. I can't imagine the number is too high. Wilton Speight was asked about the play this week and had very vague memories of it. I don't know if any of the players have revenge on their minds just because it was so long ago. Running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley was on the '94 team, though, so if it would mean more to anyone, he'd be my guess.
JG: For as experienced as the Wolverines are, the Buffaloes aren't by any means first-timers. Both the offense and defense returned the vast majority of 2015's starters. Specifically, CU's receiving corps is looking stellar. The Buffs have a plethora of medium-sized, speedy receivers in Bryce Bobo, Jay MacIntyre and Devin Ross, all of whom have been good about shaking their defenders and getting open. Shay Fields Jr. has been quarterback Sefo Liufau's favorite long range target. So how does Michigan's secondary matchup against the Buffaloes' receivers? What can you tell me about the Wolverines corners and safeties?
MB: Well, first I can say they're expecting a talented group of receivers. Defensive backs coach Mike Zordich said as much when he spoke to media on Wednesday.
As far as the secondary itself, it's a senior-laden group. All four starters should be seniors, and that's not including All-American cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who is still fighting a nagging injury. It's very possible he won't play, but even in his absence it's a solid group. That said, Colorado should have the toughest receivers Michigan's have faced this season. It'll be interesting to watch.
JG: Can you tell me how Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh, his staff and players view this game? On one hand, there's precedent to consider. The Buffs have been irrelevant and stuck in the cellar of the Pac-12 Conference for nearly a decade. However, in 2013 head coach Mike MacIntyre took the helm of the program, and in his tenure at CU, the football team has made massive strides. The Buffs arguably should have been in a bowl in 2014 and 2015, but a lack of execution and a failure to score critical points crippled those teams. I'd also like to add that just like the Wolverines so far this year, the Buffs have manhandled their first two opponents by a combined score of 100-14. So do the Wolverines take this Colorado team seriously and as a legitimate threat?
MB: I think they do. They've spoken highly of the Buffs receivers this week, and I think after UCF ran up almost 300 rushing yards against them, they have to be aware of Colorado's tempo at all times. It's hard for me to gauge their perception of each team on the schedule, but the general consensus I've heard is that they view Colorado as their toughest test yet.
JG: The Buffs have had a pretty abysmal run defense in recent years. But this year, our linebackers are looking good and the defensive line has prevented large gains on the ground. Will the Wolverines succeed against the Buffs in the run game?
MB: I'm no fortune teller, but I think it depends how Colorado approaches the gameplan. If they stack the box on Michigan like UCF did, then no, I don't think the Wolverines will have great success. I think they'll handle it the same way and just try to throw over the top. I'm not saying that strategy will work as well as last week, only that it makes sense to try the same approach.
But if Colorado comes out in a base defense or plays a lot of nickel, then yeah, I think the group will be very hungry to prove their so-so showing last week wasn't an indictment of the position's strength. They'll probably have a reasonable amount of success, but an unstoppable performance would surprise me.
JG: Who are some offensive and defensive impact players that the Buffs need to watch out for?
MB: Well, that's a hard question because Michigan's impact players really vary week to week. I'll give you three standouts to watch.
LB Jabrill Peppers — He's really a treat to watch. He hits hard, plays fast and still manages to be smart while doing it. He's a converted safety with 100-meter dash speed and also returns punts. He's a freak, and he's usually all over the place.
DT Ryan Glasgow — Michigan's D-line is banged up right now, but this guy is just a force in the middle. He's a former walk-on who plays like his scholarship could be taken away at any second, and he's a strong run-stuffer. If he gets free toward the quarterback, it's a sight to see.
WR Jehu Chesson — He blew up toward the end of last season, and he's picked up where he left off so far. He's still considered the fastest player on the team, and if Speight can place the deep ball on target, he's a deep threat on any given play. He draws praise as a blocker, too. Chesson also has a penchant for coming up with some pretty impressive catches in traffic.
JG: Michigan Stadium seats more than double the people than Folsom Field in Boulder. Will the atmosphere and fan factor be an asset for the Wolverines?
MB: Probably. Seeing Michigan Stadium for the first time is intimidating, especially if you're used to playing in front of less than half that many people.
With that said, it could also be a huge motivating factor for Colorado. It really feels like the biggest stage in college football. That can fire up opposing players, too.
JG: Here's the big question: score prediction. How does this game go down and what's the final score? I guess to build off of that, is there any way, in your mind, that the Buffs roll into town and upset the Wolverines?
MB: Sure, there's always the chance of an upset. Michigan is banged up on defense, and you can never be sure how a team is going to handle its own hype early in the season. If Colorado forces turnovers and finds ways to keep breaking Michigan's contain, it'll be close. If not, it won't.
I'm going out on a limb when I say it'll be the closest game either team has played this season. But I just don't see it coming down to the wire.
I'll say Michigan 38, Colorado 17. | 2,016 |
[
"Dani Pinkus",
"Dani Pinkus Is Our Girl On Girl Feminist Opinion Writer. She Is An Undergraduate Cu Student Studying English With An Emphasis In Creative Writing",
"A Minor In Women",
"Gender Studies."
] | Girl on Girl: 'No' is enough | cuindependent.com | Opinions do not necessarily represent CUIndependent.com or any of its sponsors.
When you are asked a question, it warrants a response. Sounds pretty straightforward right? But the way that we choose to answer isn't actually all that random. Your opinion, sadly, isn't just your opinion. The things that we say as men and women in this imperfect world of gender binaries, norms and expectations translate to the way we are taught to answer questions. That's right, our answers are not solely based on a personal feeling, but also by the expectation of our genders.
We are taught in grade school the structure of "the hamburger." The introduction bun, the concrete details lettuce, tomato, the meat of our story and the concluding bottom bun. We are taught to include these details, trim the extra, get the grade, learn something in the process, feel triumphant (or embarrassed) and throw it away.
This is a basic process that has proven helpful with things like college essays. But here is where it falls short– somehow, somewhere down the line, some teacher forgot to highlight the point of the story. And by the time sex ed classes rolled around, it was too late.
In the efforts to disclose information, answer a question or give an opinion, the crucial lesson of the simplicity and power of "NO" was lost.
When answering "No," a logical follow up question is often "Why?" Unfortunately for many young girls, "Because I said so" equates to bossy, bratty and poorly behaved. Meanwhile, as the stereotypical male builds towers of legos and tears them down with an angry "arrrghh!!" he is applauded for being creative.
What's wrong with this picture?
Throw sex into the equation of gender discrepancies and it gets a lot more complicated.
Here are some common excuses that women exercise when they don't feel like having sex and don't feel like "no" is enough:
1. I don't know you well enough
You mean "I met you today???" It's okay, we've all been there. And guess what– not wanting to shake hands with your genitals is nothing to be ashamed of.
This excuse is totally valid, but also really subject to scrutiny. Why? Because this sentence still doesn't say "no." "Ohh come on. I thought we were having fun," "Fine, I'll take you to breakfast," "You seemed into it at the party." Your partner doesn't get it, and you don't have to turn the other cheek.
2. I'm on my period.
This one makes me so sad. Your period is a sign that your body is healthy and functioning in its womanly rite. This is not your faux "no." Plus, it gets really awkward when you actually do get your period and your partner thinks he's just popped your cherry.
The period excuse is definitely the most accessible and it works. It's personal, they'll never understand and most likely won't be willing to check for confirmation. This response can provide an end to the conversation that "no" on its own doesn't.
But I need you to consider what you're covering up here. You can't trust your partner to accept that you simply don't want to engage in sex right now, so instead you are willing to apologize for your menstrual cycle. That just doesn't seem like a fair enough trade.
3. Too drunk or too tired
Or too bloated or too sad or too hairy? Right right. If your partner is also "too" whatever, they don't care. This reply is not stern and it's not fair to you.
Playing the drunk girl is not your selling point for self respect. I know, harsh. I'm totally down for you to make your own choices and if being drunk and having sex is your way, more power to you. But selling yourself short, belittling your worth and using this persona to avoid something that you can't say "no" to doesn't cut it.
4. Later?
Pushing it off. Classic. Hoping they'll forget and it never happens. Maybe this calms your momentary woes, but for him it inspires a challenge.
Later is inspiring. What more can they do to convince you? Where else can they touch you, what more can they say, and how far can they push you in efforts of a yes?
What gets lost in translation is what has been left unsaid, and that's the "no." They don't know that you don't require convincing, you require respect. The demand for respect doesn't come across with your shy "later."
5. Why don't I just go down on you instead?
Ahhh! Okay– no. Just, no. Your happiness, satisfaction and pleasure does not get pushed aside because you weren't conditioned to say "no." You do not need to suffer through this other very intimate sexual act to satisfy your partner and distract from the fact that you're not really into penetration (or any intimacy) at this moment. I know, that was really uncomfortable.
But you're not the first or last to use this as an excuse to abstain. What this line neglects to address is that you don't owe them anything. This is about you and your body. Not about satisfying anyone else out of embarrassment.
And what are you actually worried about? If there's no sex, will that mean it's over with this person? If they don't know how to accept the answer "no," they also don't deserve an opportunity with you in the future.
Women seeking men- I know I know, these guys we're sleeping with have really delicate masculinities and can't handle a flat "NO" when we're simply not down.
Just kidding, that's not the case. And I really hate that imaginary "empowerment" when you think you've regained the strength to be on top in your relationship. As though you've "beat the system" by coming up with something better than "no" to distract from your partner being a douche bag. We both know that's not right either.
Here is the worst part– the feeling that men were taught and trained to say "no" indefinitely in a way that women cannot. Ugh. "Nope, not feeling it," "Not right now," "I don't feel like it"– how do they make it sound so poetic?!
It's not their fault. Many men won't even realize this privilege– of saying "no" and not needing a follow-up–or why you can't exercise it the same way.
The binaries under which boys and girls are raised, taught and molded in stand uniquely apart from each other. But as society continues to warm up to the idea of equality, the sexes have to ask each other to play a bit of catch up.
Ladies, this asks a bit more of you.
Please think about this. Please consider what you mean to say when you tell the person you're with that you're not into the meet and greet. That being a woman is your excuse. That you would rather assert your drunk persona. That you don't have an answer so you'll avoid the question. Or that you're willing to compromise your self respect for their sexual benefit.
These excuses all lead to the same conclusion, and that's the word "no." Your kindergarten teacher left it out during the lesson about boys being mean and pulling your hair when they like you, so I am reminding you now. "No" is a sentence on its own. "No" is a valid and perfect answer. "No" is a demand. "No" is your right. "No" is your privilege. | 2,016 |
[
"Hayla Wong",
"Hayla Wong Is An Undergraduate Student At The University Of Colorado Majoring In Sociology With A Minor In Philosophy."
] | CU Bluffs: Rec closed due to testosterone spill | cuindependent.com | The University of Colorado Recreation Center is temporarily closed due to a disastrous testosterone leakage. The spill is being called "the BP of Boulder."
The leak was first brought to the attention of Rec Center staff on Tuesday at around 2 p.m. by the mother of one unfortunate 7-year-old. Gina Fischer, 35, said that her son suddenly sprouted a full crop of chest hair as they were leaving the family changing room after a pleasant day at the Buff-shaped pool. Fischer's son, Paulo, reportedly looked down at himself, said, "Dope!", then trooped off toward the county clerk's office to change his name to Blaze. His mother described the scene as "horrific."
Shortly after that first infection, other students began reporting increased adrenaline, a drop in voice pitch and a desire to be the best and the biggest. Male gym-goers who were present when testosterone levels skyrocketed have complained of acne outbreaks, breast growth and shrunken testes.
The Rec was evacuated once these symptoms of testosterone overdose reached an all-time high. It was identified as a health hazard at this point, and not just gym culture. As of last night, at least 419 patrons have been given hormone treatment in nearby local hospitals in a frantic attempt to prevent lasting effects.
Meanwhile, investigators have been tracking down the cause and location of the leak. Back in 2014 when the Rec was remodeled, architectural planners, biologists and environmental scientists teamed up to design an air filtration system that purifies excess hormones from the gym's air. The air is sent through a complex series of filters and ducts. The liquefied waste from this procedure is then stored in 50-gallon drums in the basement that are replaced every six months. One unconfirmed source said the old drums are sent off to Russian Olympic athletes for research.
Preliminary reports indicate that the leak was not the result of a rupture to the storage tanks, but rather to a malfunction and backup in the air ventilation system. No foul play is suspected. Investigators are now tasked with determining how so much testosterone could be collected in such short amount of time. The drums weren't due to be replaced until next month.
"We think it has to do with the sheer number of students who have discovered the joy of exercise at the tail end of the summer," said John McIntosh, a physiologist. "Physical exertion boosts testosterone levels in all people. In order to regulate hormone levels, excess testosterone must be excreted from the body. Mainly this occurs through urination and perspiration. I would wager that the hotter temperatures as well as collective passion for 'the grind' (as they call it) plus the overpopulation of gym rats were what ultimately caused this overflow."
The filtration feature was meant to curtail excessive weight slamming, unnecessary flexing (including, but not limited to, ab checks and back/tricep examinations), grunting, nipply muscle tees and bad form as a result of overconfidence in one's own strength. Up until Tuesday, the system had managed to keep these side effects of lifting to a minimum and the Rec had been a pleasant workout environment for its patrons. However, it became ever more clear that there was something wrong when all deadlifts were performed with rounded backs and grunts could still be heard from the ostensible safety of Norlin Library.
Until Rec-goers can distinguish between four seasons rather than just two — "bulking" and "cutting" seasons — the Recreation Center will remain closed. | 2,016 |
[
"Justin Guerriero",
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"Pa",
"Who Fell In Love With The Mountains Upon Touring Cu Boulder For The First Time Prior To His Freshman Year. He Is A Die-Hard Pittsburgh",
"Sports Fan",
"Covers Cu Football",
"Basketball",
"The Colorado Rockies At The Cui. Justin Is A Junior With A Major In Broadcast Production With Minors In History"
] | Injury report: Liufau day to day, McCartney/Gonzalez gone for year | cuindependent.com | To make last Saturday's 45-28 loss to the University of Michigan Wolverines even harder swallow, it's now confirmed that junior outside linebacker Derek McCartney will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee.
McCartney said that the injury happened in the middle of the second quarter.
"I just kind of landed funny and my knee buckled on me," McCartney said. "It's unfortunate for sure. I didn't go back in because it didn't feel right. It was really disappointing, but at the time I was just focused on the game and that my teammates were ready to go. Looking at it now, it's just tough, but it's part of the game."
The loss of McCartney leaves a marked hole in Colorado's defense that will be hard to fill.
"Derek is our biggest, strongest outside linebacker," head coach Mike MacIntyre said after practice Monday. "[He's a] good player for us and a great leader."
The Buffs will likely turn to sophomore outside linebackers N.J. Falo or Christian Shaver.
Falo was suspended from the team along with freshman tailback Dino Gordon near the end of last Spring semester. They were arrested and booked in the Boulder County Jail on April 28th on suspicion of burglary and theft.
Shaver started at outside linebacker last week against Idaho State, saw action in 13 games on special teams last season. Falo played in eight games in 2015 and was reinstated on the roster before the start of fall camp.
"N.J. will be back," MacIntyre said. "He was out practicing today. He's been practicing on the scout teams."
In addition to McCartney, senior kicker Diego Gonzalez tore his Achilles tendon—in his kicking foot—while pursuing Michigan's elusive specialist Jabrill Peppers on a kickoff.
"It's really disappointing," MacIntyre said. "The next guy's got to step up and go. [With] Diego, you all have seen what he's been doing so we'll have a kicking contest all week to see who's going to kick field goals, extra points and kickoffs."
The "kicking competition" will be between backup kickers Chris Graham and Davis Price.
Graham, a junior from Burlingame, Cal., is not intimidated by his potential new responsibilities.
"Last year, [before Gonzalez was named the starter], we always handled every kick like a competition," he said. "We never let each other feel complacent. We always want to one-up each other."
As for senior quarterback Sefo Liufau, who sustained a sprained ankle during the game vs. Michigan, MacIntyre has listed him as day-to-day.
"He was moving around better today than he was yesterday," MacIntyre said. "It'll just be kind of day-to-day as the week moves along. He didn't practice [today.] If he's moving good enough to play, we'll play him. If he's not moving good enough to play then we won't play him."
Despite the injury woes, this week of practice should be business as usual for the Buffs, who will fly to Eugene, Oregon, to play the DUcks in their Pac-12 Conference opener this Saturday.
"Every Monday, win or lose, we come back and prepare as hard as we can for the next game," MacIntyre said. "It'll [This week's matchup against Oregon] be exciting, it's our first Pac-12 game and of course, they're a great team." | 2,016 |
[
"Carina Julig"
] | New dining hall brings food, community to Williams Village | cuindependent.com | A new dining hall in Williams Village is on schedule to open by the time students return from winter break.
The dining hall, named the Village Center and Community Commons, will meet LEED Platinum construction standards, according to Paul Houle, the director of campus dining services. It will seat 650 inside and another 100 outside, with opening day set for Jan. 11, 2017. An official grand opening will follow after Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The dining hall will have five permanent stations: an all-day breakfast station, a Mediterranean station with cuisine from Greece to the Middle East, Curry Road, a station featuring curries from different world regions such as India and the Pacific, The Grange, which will offer grilled food like burgers and smoked meats, and the Colorado Hearth, a station that will serve food produced within 250 miles of Boulder. Furthermore, students can sign up to take cooking classes and watch demonstrations in the new 'training kitchen', included alongside other stations.
"We're hoping the menu mix is exciting and brings some people down to Williams Village," said Houle. "We built it for the residents of Williams Village but we're hoping that other individuals from across campus will come down and partake in the new dining center as well…we're really hoping it becomes a hub of community, a gathering place."
Hours will be similar to those of the C4C, and the building will be open as a study area for students to use after dining hours are over. A retail restaurant called the Grotto Café will occupy the building's lower floor after the first stage of construction is complete. It's expected to remain open longer than the dining hall each day.
As part of the new dining space, a 30,000 square foot greenhouse will contain all the leafy greens served on campus, as well as some foods for the Colorado Hearth that aren't already locally available. Greenhouse employees will use aeroponics to grow produce, a system already being used on a smaller scale in the C4C. Houle said this is part of the second stage of construction and should be open by next August.
The Village Center will replace Darley Commons, a structure built in the 1960s but never upgraded. Its main purpose is to bring a full dining hall to students who live in Williams Village, and to help further integrate Williams Village into campus life.
"We want it to be a community center for Williams Village but we also want everyone to enjoy it, so it's not just its own satellite," he said. | 2,016 |
[
"Kim Habicht",
"Kim Habicht Is An Undergraduate Student At Cu Studying Journalism"
] | Candidates' medical records should be public information | cuindependent.com | With fresh, bizarre information coming to light every day, this election season has turned news channels like CNN and Fox News into socially condoned reality TV shows. It seems like this election season could easily have a second season on E! News.
Most recently, the campaign's had as much medical drama as an episode of Grey's Anatomy. On Sept. 11, pneumonia caused Hillary Clinton to lose her balance at a 9/11 memorial event in New York City. She had to be escorted from the ceremony, and after hours of silence from her campaign, it was announced that she'd been diagnosed with the illness.
Rumors of Clinton's health have plagued her campaign for months, adding to criticism over her lack of transparency. That issue, which began with the email scandal, continues now after she withheld information about her health for days until she physically couldn't stand to keep it from the public.
According to her campaign, she had received the pneumonia diagnosis two days prior to the incident, making it seem like Clinton was planning on keeping her diagnosis a secret. This naturally leads us to the question of what other ailments she may have hiding in her records.
Republicans have taken advantage of Clinton's minor bout of ill health an opportunity to idolize their golden cow, Donald J. Trump. Trump insists that the public can rest assured if he were to win the election, since he has been given a clean bill of health from Dr. Harold Bornstein.
"[Trump's] strength and physical stamina are extraordinary" and his "laboratory test results are astonishingly excellent" Dr. Bornstein said in a letter last year. He has also claimed that Trump would be the healthiest person to ever sit in the White House if he is in fact elected. The doctor, who resembles The Dude more than he does a medical practitioner, could feasibly be the same guy that wrote North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il's biography. Does Trump also have the power to alter the weather simply with his thoughts, and shoot 11 holes-in-one?
It's obvious that if we leave the candidates to their own devices, they may as well write, date and sign their own bills of health. Not that anyone can blame them — with the media and opposing campaigns constantly scavenging for anything to expose, it's no wonder why both candidates have disclosed as little of their records as possible.
But the American public still has the right to know what's going on, even if it means letting the country in on the conversations that happen in little paper gowns. Candidates should have to lay themselves bare.
We live in an age where privacy is no longer a value, virtue or right. Like it or not, presidential candidates who run in our modern world know this. Clinton's marital issues have been combed through meticulously; Trump's business failures have been mocked and memed without abandon.
In fact, Trump embraced this on Thursday, when he joined the likes of Charlie Sheen and DJ Khaled by appearing on The Dr. Oz Show. In the episode, Trump revealed his medical records. While Trump's willingness to open up to the public is commendable, the sensational manner in which he did it somewhat defeated the purpose. It saddens me that the American public has come to expect, and even buy into, such flamboyant acts of showmanship.
To eliminate the media frenzy and cesspool of rumors, candidates should be required, after being nominated at their party's convention, to release their medical records.
The media would no longer have as much room to speculate about what obscure diseases the candidates have that disqualify them, and the public would then have more time and attention to focus on policy, which should be its main concern in the first place.
I'm not calling for any candidate to be disqualified based on their bill of health. That would lead down a nasty, nauseating rabbit hole. And it's not like all of our past presidents have had Herculean health. Even FDR had polio.
I trust that the American public could form its own opinion regarding the candidates' health, and therefore the people should be given the proper, accurate information that they deserve. A step in this direction of increased transparency is a step toward solely policy- and idea-driven politics, instead of the America's Next Top Candidate reality show that we have playing now. | 2,016 |
[
"The Cu Independent Or Cui For Short Is The Student Newspaper For The University Of Colorado At Boulder.",
"We Cover News",
"Sports",
"Politics",
"Entertainment",
"More.",
"Our Mission",
"To Give The Students At Cu An Online Publication For Students",
"Students",
"About The Things We Care About."
] | Previewing the Buffs' first four conference matchups | cuindependent.com | Fans of the Colorado Buffaloes football program need no reminder of the team's woes in regards to winning conference games. Head coach Mike MacIntyre has won two Pac-12 games in his tenure at the helm of the program. But 2016 could be the year that the misery ends. With a mature and experienced roster, the Buffs look more poised to do some intra-conference damage than in years prior. The CUI's Justin Guerriero and Jake Mauff break down the first four Pac-12 matchups and examine the Buffs' chances of winning.
Oregon: (Sept. 24)
Jake Mauff: Oregon is lacking the versatility we're used to seeing from their quarterback. As compared to Marcus Mariota, or even Vernon Adams, quarterback Dakota Prukop only has a 3.1 yards-per-carry average. This game will be closer than in years past. Oregon has a fast-paced offense. Colorado is starting to use it this season. Given their experience and home field advantage, I think Oregon may pull this one out.
Justin Guerriero: The Buffs' performance against Oregon last season speaks for itself. At halftime last year at Folsom Field, the score was tied 17-17. Long story short: the Buffs got better and the Ducks have gotten worse. Personally, I think that the Buffs' secondary, whom I strongly feel will be a key strength of this 2016 squad in conference, can contain Prukop. However, tailback Royce Freeman does generate some concern. Colorado's run defense was a weak link last year. Through two games this season, it's looked solid, but against a solid Pac-12 team that could change. Defensively, some key losses on the line should aid the Buffs' offensive line in protecting senior quarterback Sefo Liufau. I think the Buffs will march into Eugene and win.
Oregon State: (Oct. 1)
JM: If we're being honest, I see no way Colorado loses this game. The only team the Buffs were able to beat last year in Pac-12 play was the Beavers. Playing more into Colorado's favor is the fact that the game is in Boulder. The Buffs have done nothing but improve. Oregon State is trudging forward with another change in quarterback. Given that Oregon allowed 150 running yards in their first game of the season, the Colorado offense should have fun with Liufau's ability to add to the offense.
JG: I agree. The Buffs will win this one. I see Oregon State as a team that's in a rebuilding phase. Specifically, I see a big mismatch with the Buffs' receivers and the Beavers' secondary. The Beavers gave up 256 passing yards per game on average in 2015. From what I've seen, albeit, briefly, of OSU, I think that number is going to go up when Liufau gets his shot at the Beavers' defense. We'll see how they handle Idaho State this week.
USC: (Oct. 8)
JM: This will be a test for the Buffs' improvement. Last season, the game between these two was very close in front of a national audience. USC was also the game that Liufau got injured in last year. If he can remain healthy and keep the offense going like it was before he left, Colorado could pull this out. It's also clear that this is not the same Trojans team of old. The week one loss to Alabama shows that this is a mortal team that is going through growing pains. Even on the road, this very well could go the Buffs' way.
JG: You're right, Jake. This Pac-12 showdown between CU and USC features some unfinished business. Liufau is definitely hungry for this one. If he would not have gotten injured, I think the Buffs would have won last season. I mean, the Cade Apsay-led team came so close to pulling off an upset, but fell just short. I have to admit, the Trojans' run attack frightens me. Justin Davis and Ronald Jones form a pretty intimidating two-headed monster. On the other side of the ball, the Trojans do have some holes. They have no returning starters on the defensive line, something that junior tailback Phillip Lindsay could exploit. I'm going to give this one to the Buffs. They will win.
Arizona State: (Oct. 15)
JM: Last year's Arizona State game was the one game in the Buffs' schedule that popped out the most. ASU has never been a Pac-12 heavyweight, and, for the most part, Colorado held its own against the non-heavy weights of the conference. But the 48-23 drumming speaks differently. The Sun Devils are returning most of their defensive line, which got Liufau a ridiculous number of times in the last match up. Colorado's offensive line will play an important role. Considering the game is on friendly pastures, and that it's homecoming, the Buffs will likely pull this out.
JG: The Sun Devils are going to be a middle-of-the-pack Pac-12 team this season. ASU lost seven offensive starters including its quarterback, Mike Bercovici. For a team that gave up 33.5 points per game last season, containing Liufau and the Buffs' talented receiving core will be a tough task. It truly feels strange to have so many optimistic previews in a Colorado football season, but again, I'm going with the Buffs on this one. Last year, as you said, Jake, the Sun Devils beat up on Colorado pretty badly. I expect a rather different result this season. | 2,016 |
[
"Carina Julig"
] | New York Times columnist Charles Blow visits CU-Boulder for Bisexuality Day | cuindependent.com | Prominent New York Times columnist and author Charles Blow spoke at the University of Colorado on Friday to mark Bisexuality Day. The event, held in Eaton Humanities, was jointly organized by the Cultural Events Board and student groups Biphoria, and Queer and Trans People of Color.
Approximately 150 people attended, including Ayla Sullivan, communications coordinator at CU's Gender and Sexuality Center, who facilitated a discussion with Blow for the first half of the talk and then turned the event over to the audience for questions.
Blow spoke on a range of topics, answering questions about his work as a visual columnist at the New York Times, his life as an openly bisexual man and father, his opinion on current events and LGBT issues and his memoir Fire Shut Up in My Bones, published in 2014. In the memoir, he wrote about his difficult childhood and young adulthood in the deep South. Blow, 44 years old at the time, also came out as bisexual in the memoir.
One issue Blow spoke about in depth at the event was the need for widespread awareness of what bisexuality is. He said there must be an understanding that not everyone who identifies as bisexual will experience their sexuality in the same way. He also expressed a desire for people to make space for those who are still in the process of discovering or relating to their identities, whatever they may be.
"The most powerful thing you can do as a human being is to embrace your truth," Blow said.
After the event, Blow stayed to sign copies of his book, speak with audience members and take pictures.
"I am so humbled that we were able to have Charles here and I think it was a huge success. I think it was a really affirming event," said Sullivan, in regards to the talk. | 2,016 |
[
"The Cu Independent Or Cui For Short Is The Student Newspaper For The University Of Colorado At Boulder.",
"We Cover News",
"Sports",
"Politics",
"Entertainment",
"More.",
"Our Mission",
"To Give The Students At Cu An Online Publication For Students",
"Students",
"About The Things We Care About."
] | Mac Miller’s 'The Divine Feminine' | cuindependent.com | Mac Miller's fourth studio album The Divine Feminine centers around his anecdotes and emotions around love and relationships. Although the title might suggest that he is discussing the the sanctity of the female, the stories he tells are really about his ever-continuing quest for "pussy," as he says in over half of the songs.
Miller features a few notable artists, including Anderson .Paak, Cee-Lo Green, Ariana Grande and (King) Kendrick Lamar. These voices, along with Miller's own monotone-slow rap, go perfectly with the jazzy-sounding backing music to create a groovy vibe.
To me, this vibe is the best part of the album; Miller utilizes strings, horns, saxophones, guitar and bass with minimal electronic sounds. The beats sound genuine and, in each song, unique. Since Miller's style of rapping is slow, the music is a major part of all of his tracks, as they heighten the mood his lyrics aim to produce. The instruments are played in a way in which they seamlessly weave in and out of Miller's speaking without overloading the listener's senses with distracting sounds that would detract from his lyrics.
To further his variety of sound, each of the features brings something different to the track, whether it's .Paak's melodic jazz, Grande's falsetto or K. Dot's classic outlandish voice. Even when there aren't features, Mac finds a way to bring something new and unexpected to the track. For example, in "Stay," the chorus is bombarded by a church choir.
Although he excels in these aspects, the biggest vocal problem on this album is that his execution of his lyrics is mediocre at best. Miller does not enunciate at all and that makes him sound lethargic, like he's not interested in what he's recording. His flow is also pretty much the same throughout all of the songs. By "flow," I mean his lack of flow; seldom does he change how he speaks nor does he make rhythms with his voice. It sounds like Miller is just talking. That is just his style, and it takes away from his musicality and his message of divinity.
Speaking of divinity, what Miller is trying to portray is not the feminine divinity in a spiritual and pure sense, but rather the essential connection that can only be found with a female (in heterosexual males). He means no disrespect to women as he talks about how he loves them and how he loves having sex with them. The whole point is that we as humans depend on love to cope with the world around us. The Divine Feminine as a title does not inspire this theme, as Mac is not worshiping female entities, but is simply telling us his experiences with being in love and in relationships with females.
The production for the 10 tracks was stupendous with only one significant hiccup. In the song "Dang," there is a part that sounds like two recordings had been put together, but with a connection that isn't smooth. There is an extra bit of a beat in the song which is really sloppy on the production's part. Other than that, the instruments and vocals were mixed fantastically with no "why did they do that" moments.
As soon as I saw that Lamar was being featured, I was pumped. "God is Fair, Sexy Nasty" was the strongest track on this album, and not only because of K. Dot's appearance. Miller's verses are as intricate as ever in this song, and with Lamar there to add his own genius to the mix, the track is great.
The variety of music and vocals is incredible, and they work with Miller's voice to enhance his message of the importance of love. Unfortunately, his lyricism and obsession with talking about female genitalia dragged him down a bit. The Divine Feminine receives a six and a half out of 10. If you're a fan, I expect that you'll like this album, but if you've come across the album wondering if you would enjoy Miller, at the very least I would recommend that you play "God is Fair, Sexy Nasty" and decide for yourself if Mac Miller is your kind of rap. | 2,016 |
[
"Charlotte Bowditch"
] | Bears bulking up for hibernation poses possible problems for Boulder Campus | cuindependent.com | Last Thursday, a male bear was spotted on the CU Campus near Varsity Lake. Colorado Parks and Wildlife did not have to tranquilize the bear, therefore it was not tagged or relocated.
The sighting sparked some concern for local groups like the Boulder Bear Coalition, who strive to reduce circumstances that attract bears. Brenda Lee, founder of the Boulder Bear Coalition investigated the area to determine what caused the bear to come so close to campus.
"I actually saw the bear and I definitely had some concerns about how he got on campus," Lee said. "They said he had come up from the creek area, and I followed the path from where he came from. There are some fruit trees down there, and if he had hunkered down there, he wouldn't have much incentive to leave."
The City of Boulder adopted an ordinance in 2014 requiring all trash and compost to be secured in order to minimize frequent visits from bears in search of food. Fruit trees remain a problem, especially since bears often return to an area where they find food.
"Years ago, a bear was relocated to the Wyoming border under anesthesia, and came back to the very spot in Boulder, weeks later, where he had been originally tagged," Lee said. "If a bear feels as though they have claimed the spot as territory, it is likely that they will come back."
CPW continues to encourage communities to always utilize the mandatory trash security precautions and make sure fruit is harvested from fruit trees properly. University Hill has been a problem in the past due to large amounts of unsecured trash from college students. Recently, officers have been enforcing this ordinance by giving out tickets for unsecured trash instead of just warnings.
"No law is effective unless you have good enforcements," Lee said. She is hoping that the Hill will continue to improve with proper implementation of the ordinance. | 2,016 |
[
"Maris Westrum",
"Maris Westrum Is An Undergraduate Student Who Writes About Culture",
"Women S Issues. She Is Studying Journalism"
] | Opinion: The benefits of taking a gap year | cuindependent.com | Opinions do not necessarily reflect CUIndependent.com or any of its sponsors.
Since kindergarten, the idea that going to college is the only path to success has been drilled into our heads. Go to school, get a degree, make money doing what you love. This concept is great and the thought of spending the rest of your life getting paid to do something you love is tempting. Unfortunately, as many college graduates will tell you, it isn't likely.
A vast majority of college students spend their first few years at school somewhat lost. Many are either undecided in their major, or are looking for more options. Because of this, 30 percent of college students drop out of school after their freshman year.
The pressure on students at any given university is staggering, but the pressure to go straight from high school to college is even higher. If there was some breathing room between high school to college, students would be relieved of some of this pressure, and perhaps be able to make better decisions about their education. In other words, taking time away from school could actually help students with their academic careers.
As a young, starry-eyed high school graduate, I had no idea of what I wanted to do in life. I actually enjoyed high school and was sad to leave my childhood behind. I planned on going to CSU (ugh, I know) to study Archaeology, for God knows what reason. I remember sitting in my room looking at my posters, books and keepsakes; it would all have to go at the end of the summer. I realized I wasn't ready to leave my whole life behind, not even close. I knew it was taboo, but I decided to take a gap year.
The backlash I received for this decision was impressive. Family and friends pleaded with me to go to school. They told me I would "lose momentum" and never return.
They couldn't have been more wrong. During that year, I traveled. I worked a 9-5 job and I paid my bills. I made new friends and I learned more about being an adult than that first year of college could have ever taught me. I even discovered that I wanted to be a journalist. That year convinced me that college was a privilege that I didn't want to miss out on. I made the right decision this time and applied to CU, was accepted and was even told that my "gap year" was impressive. Every day I got up for the dreaded 9 a.m. my first year back, I thanked my lucky stars (and I still do) that I was going to school.
My gap year was what prepared me for college. Many people I tell about my experience wish they had done the same. Taking a gap year– or taking any amount of time off– is scary. Doing so goes against our social norms. It's tough to see the pitying look on someone's face when they learn you are "just working," or "taking some time" away from school. But the whole point of a gap year is to do what's best for you. Who cares what others think? The time spent away from school is for you and you alone.
After surviving time away from school, you may discover that school is actually fun. It's hard to grasp, but I promise it's true. Once you get back into the academic swing, things will seem easy. The point of taking time off school is that it gives you motivation. It makes you realize your priorities in life.
Giving yourself time to figure out who you are is in your best interest. You will thank yourself later. | 2,016 |
[
"Emily Mcpeak",
"Emily Mcpeak Is An Undergraduate Student Who Writes About Politics",
"Society",
"Social Media. She Is Studying Journalism",
"Political Science."
] | Fact-checking the first presidential debate | cuindependent.com | Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump went head-to-head in the first presidential debate Monday night. The three topics of the night were achieving prosperity, America's direction and securing America.
The candidates clashed on nearly every issue, from trade and the economy to policing and their own personal pasts. Both made broad and questionable statements, which our fact checkers either verified or disproved.
The candidates clash on economic policy, especially when it comes to taxes.
Trump plans to cut taxes in order to create jobs. Essentially, he would return to trickle-down economics, which he claims would also help bring back US money being held overseas:
"Under my plan, I'll be reducing taxes tremendously, from 35 percent to 15 percent for companies, small and big businesses. That's going to be a job creator like we haven't seen since Ronald Reagan."
Trump also stated:
"And when these people are going to put billions and billions of dollars into companies, and when they're going to bring $2.5 trillion back from overseas. . . It's probably $5 trillion that we can't bring into our country, Lester."
Clinton's plans include increasing taxes on the wealthy:
"We're going to do it by having the wealthy pay their fair share and close the corporate loopholes."
Following the debate, researchers at the Tax Policy Center analyzed the policies described by both Clinton and Trump. They came to the conclusion that neither candidate would be able to fully achieve what they said. The tax proposals of both Clinton and Trump have also been detailed and analyzed by the Tax Foundation.
Clinton claimed that "independent experts" have deemed her proposed tax policies to be better than Trump's
Specifically, she said that her plan would create 10 million new jobs while Trump's would increase the debt by more than $5 trillion and cause 3.5 million jobs to be lost.
This is semi-true. Economist Mike Zandi did issue a report that made some, but not all, of these claims. But Zandi also saw flaws in Clinton's plan – mainly the struggles she would face trying to get her plan through Congress.
However, according to groups like Citizens for Tax Justice and the Social Science Research Network, Clinton's claims on what Trump's plans would cost the country were true.
Trump called for a return to Stop and Frisk.
What he said:
"In New York City, stop-and-frisk, we had 2,200 murders, and stop-and-frisk brought it down to 500 murders. Five hundred murders is a lot of murders. It's hard to believe, 500 is like supposed to be good?"
The successes and failures of Stop and Frisk were detailed in a 2014 study conducted by the New York Civil Liberties Union. According to the report, the number of stops rose drastically between 2002 and 2011 while the number of guns recovered, shooting victims and murders remained relatively stable. But the number of murders did fall when the number of stops dropped between 2012 and 2013. This indicates that the statements made by Trump were false – although he was correct in stating that murder rates did increase in some major cities in early 2015.
Trump raised questions about Clinton's view of African Americans.
Specifically, he brought up a past statement he said was made by Clinton:
"I do want to bring up the fact that you were the one that brought up the words 'super-predator' about young black youth."
Clinton did use this phrase in a 1996 speech made in support off the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. She used the term "super-predator" in reference to gangs of kids, not specifically to African-Americans. But the overall context of the speech caused many to draw the same conclusion as Trump.
Clinton favors community policing.
What she said:
"Now, I believe in community policing. And, in fact, violent crime is one-half of what it was in 1991. Property crime is down 40 percent. We just don't want to see it creep back up. We've had 25 years of very good cooperation."
These statements are true. Furthermore, there is some evidence that community policing is effective.
Clinton praised NAFTA, while Trump denounced it.
Clinton said that the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, increased incomes "for everybody."
Trump, on the other hand, claimed the opposite:
"Your husband signed NAFTA, which was one of the worst things that ever happened to the manufacturing industry… You go to New England, you go to Ohio, Pennsylvania, you go anywhere you want, Secretary Clinton, and you will see devastation where manufacture is down 30, 40, sometimes 50 percent."
NAFTA is a 1994 trade agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico that eliminated tariffs between the countries. It has been and continues to be a source of controversy, with critics claiming it would cause job loss and proponents arguing it would lead to broad economic gains. But according to a study conducted by Cornell University, the effect on the US economy has been minimal.
Neither candidate painted the full picture when it came to NAFTA, but their claims were not inaccurate. According to Neil Irwin, a fact-checker for the New York Times, states like Ohio and Michigan have faced manufacturing job losses, but have recently gained many jobs back. There is therefore evidence for both arguments.
Clinton's shifting stance on the TPP was brought up.
The Trans-Pacific Trade Pact, or TPP, is a proposed free trade agreement between the US and 11 Pacific Rim Countries. President Obama aims to pass the TPP before he leaves office, but has to overcome the controversy that surrounds it. Supporters say it will be economically beneficial for all countries involved, while opponents argue that it will encourage the exportation of manufacturing jobs from the US.
Trump was correct in stating that Clinton made a sudden shift in her views of the TPP. She praised it many times in the past before switching her views once the deal was fully negotiated.
Trump said he never supported the War in Iraq, Clinton said he did.
This is sort of true. Trump said in various interviews, such as one in 2002 with Howard Stern and another in 2003 with Fox News that he was in support of the War in Iraq. He did not oppose the war until after the US had already invaded.
Trump spoke briefly about immigration
What he had to say:
"The other day, we were deporting 800 people. And perhaps they passed the wrong button, they pressed the wrong button, or perhaps worse than that, it was corruption, but these people that we were going to deport for good reason ended up becoming citizens. Ended up becoming citizens. And it was 800. And now it turns out it might be 1,800, and they don't even know."
This is true, though it did not occur "the other day." This September, the Department of Homeland Security issued a report stating that at least 858 individuals ordered to be deported were accidentally given citizenship. Trump was not correct in stating that number of citizens naturalized by mistake may be over a thousand.
Clinton questioned why Trump has not released his tax returns.
Clinton said that Trump is not releasing the tax returns because he is trying to hide something – Clinton said that this may be that he is not as rich or charitable as he says he is, or that he "owes about $650 million to Wall Street and foreign banks."
Clinton also said that Trump will not release his tax returns because he has not been paying federal taxes:
"Or maybe he doesn't want the American people, all of you watching tonight, to know that he's paid nothing in federal taxes, because the only years that anybody's ever seen were a couple of years when he had to turn them over to state authorities when he was trying to get a casino license, and they showed he didn't pay any federal income tax."
Trump's businesses do in fact owe money, though the specific amount is hard to pin down. It is possible that Trump has not been paying federal taxes, but this statement must be taken as speculation since Trump has yet to release his tax returns.
Clinton said that Trump did no always pay workers.
Clinton said that Trump failed to pay for contracted work:
"And, indeed, I have met a lot of the people who were stiffed by you and your businesses, Donald. I've met dishwashers, painters, architects, glass installers, marble installers, drapery installers, like my dad was, who you refused to pay when they finished the work that you asked them to do."
This is true, according to a USA Today investigation. Hundreds have claimed that Trump did not pay them fairly for their work, resulting in at least 24 violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act since 2005 and 60 lawsuits. Many of these workers were carpenters, painters, dishwashers and even lawyers.
Trump said that Clinton's "people" created a bias against Bernie Sanders in the DNC.
In July, emails which demonstrated a pro-Clinton bias in the DNC were leaked and revealed by Wikileaks. However, there has been no connection made between these emails and the Clinton campaign.
Clinton said that Trump "thinks that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese."
Trump did in fact state this in a 2012 tweet.
Clinton sees opportunities for job growth through investments in clean energy.
What she had to say:
"We can deploy a half a billion more solar panels. We can have enough clean energy to power every home. We can build a new modern electric grid. That's a lot of jobs; that's a lot of new economic activity."
There is evidence supporting the statements made by Clinton. In May, Bloomberg reported that clean-energy jobs surpassed those in oil drilling, and that job growth in the U.S. solar business was 12 times faster than overall job creation.
Trump claimed that Patti Doyle, Clinton's campaign manager, was one of the first to raise questions about Obama's citizenship.
There is no connection between the birther movement and Hillary Clinton. | 2,016 |
[
"Ellis Arnold"
] | Suspicious device brings bomb squad to campus; streets, parking lots closed as area was investigated | cuindependent.com | A suspicious device involving wires and a plastic detergent container holding an unknown substance brought several law enforcement teams to the University of Colorado campus Monday night. No closures are expected Tuesday, according to the CU-Boulder Police Department.
Areas including Euclid Avenue, 18th Street and two parking lots near the University Memorial Center were closed off from about 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. as officers inspected the device.
Initially thought to be a bag or backpack-like object, the device was reported to the Boulder Police Department at about 5:30 p.m., according to Scott Pribble, spokesperson for CUPD.
Robots from the Boulder County Hazardous Device Response Team — commonly called the bomb squad — went in to inspect the object at about 7:15 p.m., Pribble said. Two bomb squad technicians dressed in full-body suits approached the device and determined that the plastic jug contained liquid. The squad was out of its suits by about 8:45 p.m., Pribble said.
"I'd think the fact [the team went] in means it's on the safer side," Pribble said, adding that robots would have handled it on their own if it were more dangerous. The bomb squad inspected cars in the University Club lot, according to Pribble.
A hazardous materials team from the Boulder Fire-Rescue Department sampled the substance at about 9:20 p.m. and determined that it was not dangerous, Pribble said.
"They're talking about how to dispose of it, and then we're [clearing] the scene," Pribble said. Officials' computers couldn't determine exactly what the substance was, but were able to confirm no hazardous substance was in the liquid, Pribble said.
The object was located near the pay station in the University Club parking lot, Pribble said. That lot and part of Wardenburg Health Center's parking lot were closed, as were the south entrance of the UMC, the west entrance of Wardenburg Drive and areas lining 18th Street. 18th Street was closed up to Colorado Avenue.
No campus buildings were closed, Pribble said. Students walked along Broadway and throughout non-closed areas on campus during the inspection. CU NightRide was closed for the night, as their cars were parked in the University Club lot, Pribble said.
As of 10 p.m., there were no suspects surrounding the device, and police are investigating campus surveillance tapes, Pribble said. CUPD did not have comment as to the motives of the device's placement or if the object was an attempted bomb. American Medical Response, BFRD, CUPD, BPD and the bomb squad were all on scene until about 10 p.m., when police tape in all areas came down and closures ended.
No streets or university buildings are expected to be closed after the inspection ended, CUPD said. The university did not send any campus alerts about the event as of midnight. | 2,016 |
[
"The Cu Independent Or Cui For Short Is The Student Newspaper For The University Of Colorado At Boulder.",
"We Cover News",
"Sports",
"Politics",
"Entertainment",
"More.",
"Our Mission",
"To Give The Students At Cu An Online Publication For Students",
"Students",
"About The Things We Care About."
] | Opinion: Buffs in the kitchen | cuindependent.com | Opinions do not necessarily reflect CUIndependent.com or any of its sponsors.
The most essential duty of food is sustenance. It is to us what gas is to a car, or any other uncreative metaphors late-night writing sessions produce. (Water to a water mill?) However, the role food plays in our lives should not stop there. What we eat should do more than just meet its basic duty. It should be a creative expression, as energizing as it is delectable.
Instead of cracking that fourth Costco pack of mac-and-cheese this week, or, even worse, having cereal for dinner, pick up a knife and chop a vegetable! Working for your food will heap the returns of more than a satisfied belly, but a satisfied life.
That box of mac may be easy, and it may be quick. In a brief moment of weakness, it may even taste good. (Don't be fooled, it's all sodium.) But life shouldn't be filled with the quick, easy, sub-par options. Cook some real pasta and cheese and not only taste a more delectable dish but experience food that will become part of a better you.
No matter how much sugar, salt and fat (the magic recipe) a company can cram into their microwaveable "food," nothing will beat the satisfaction of cooking. Things like the meditative act of sharpening the chef's blade, the rhythmic motion of a fine chop and the aroma of sautéed onions are experiences that create a fully satisfied belly and mind. The basics are simple, and cooking quickly becomes second nature in a daily routine.
Furthermore, the pen may be mightier than the sword in fighting corporate power, but best of all is a kitchen knife. The mass produced food I see in the cupboards and trash bins of college kitchens breaks my heart. Packaged crap stuffed with unpronounceable chemicals, scraps of old veggies and meat straight from the discard lines. Break the corporate-dictatorship over food and cook something that you know is fresh, you know is wholesome and you know will be delicious.
Whether it is as little as one meal a week, or as much as baking fresh bread every morning, skills you hone in the kitchen are skills you can use for life. What is more impressive than a well cooked meal? You will even save money on dates by cooking meals yourself!
Cooking real food will also save you money in your daily life. Food only gets cheaper the less it is processed; a bag of flour may cost the same three dollars as a loaf of store-bought bread, yet that flour can give you 15 loaves to enjoy.
To many, cooking can be daunting, time-consuming and frustrating. But with a little planning and some basic skills, you can replace Kraft with your own recipe of delectable curry flavored cheesy pasta. Swap wonder bread with fresh bread. (It isn't that hard.) And instead of dining on a $10 bowl of rice and veggies from The Corner, cook your own, and, dare I say, cook it better.
The most important thing I know about food was taught to me by the best chef I know: all you need is good ingredients and love. You can thank my mother for that one.
To learn how to change your life for the better, with better food, check out my new cooking column, Buffs in the Kitchen. | 2,016 |
[
"Carina Julig"
] | CU libraries celebrate Banned Book Week | cuindependent.com | Sept. 25 to Oct. 1 marks the annual occasion of Banned Book Week, an awareness campaign from the American Library Association (ALA) to advocate for freedom from censorship. CU's library system is observing the event by promoting books in their system that have been censored or criticized in the U.S.
A cart near the front entrance of Norlin Library has a display of banned books, and the library system website is featuring six in particular: Invisible Man, Brave New World, Beloved, Kaffir Boy, Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry (written by Mildred D. Taylor, a CU alumna) and Their Eyes Were Watching God.
The ALA's theme for Banned Book Week is "celebrating diversity," as they state that books that deal with themes of race, sexual orientation or disability, or books written by ethnic authors, are disproportionately targets of censorship. People of color make up 37 percent of the U.S. population but are only the focus of 10 percent of books that are published. Fifty-two percent of censored books contain diverse content.
"It's important to have a wide variety and knowledge of where these authors have come from, and the different stories that they're trying to tell," Library Technician Grace Haynes said. "I think it's important to see that for the books that have been challenged, it keeps coming up again and it's going to be an issue for a while. There's so much great literature out there written by these fantastic authors. I think if access to these novels is banned or limited, it really shuts people out from getting that wide range of understanding, and it also prevents them from getting some really quality literature." | 2,016 |
[
"Trinity Clark"
] | Gloria Steinem visits Boulder, discusses her newest book and the election | cuindependent.com | Though she never personally got behind the steering wheel of a car, towering activist figure Gloria Steinem spent decades on the road as a journalist, a feminist spokeswoman and organizer.
On Friday, she discussed her newest book, My Life on the Road during her visit to Boulder. The event was sponsored by the Boulder Bookstore and drew a crowd of more than 750 people to the First United Methodist Church of Boulder.
"The road is a great way of living in the present. It's right up there with meditation and great sex," Steinem laughed.
Steinem detailed the influence of her parents, her experience at the National Women's Conference in Houston in 1977 and some of the characters she met along her journey. She attributed her "survival" through the years to sharing community and social justice with others.
Earlier in the day, she spoke at the Colorado Democrats office in Boulder about issues facing women all across the country and the importance of voting. Steinem also expressed her opinions about the upcoming election at her book talk.
"This presidential campaign is all about bullying," she said. "Donald Trump is a bully."
Steinem, a fierce Hillary Clinton supporter, claimed that women have a difficult time backing Clinton because they fear they will also be ridiculed.
Rosalind Wiseman, author of the book, Queen Bees and Wannabes (which inspired the movie Mean Girls), moderated the event and also threw in her two cents about the election.
"It's just so difficult to understand why somebody who is so brazenly nasty, mean, inaccurate and callous is so attractive to people. Well, some people," she said.
Steinem also touched on her take of the newest scandal involving each candidate's health.
"Look at [Trump]. He says he's healthy? Listen, when those expensive suit jackets fly open, I'm telling you there's a gelatinous mass."
The remainder of the event was a Q&A session with people in the audience. Steinem fielded questions surrounding book suggestions, how to handle being shut down as an activist and her impression of inclusivity in the mainstream media, among others.
Olivia Storze, a senior studying international studies at the University of Denver, raised a question around sexual assault.
"I go to a college campus where 1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted. What's your advice to me, as a feminist, about a world that still needs changing?"
Steinem said, "We still have a long way to go."
Storze drove up from Denver with her two friends, Rachel Ledon and Sarah Hodes. They were impressed with the event.
"There were a lot of older people in the audience that have lived through a lot of this. But Gloria really had a way of speaking to the younger generation … it was like she could see the future," Ledon said.
"Her life on the road really keeps her young," Hodes said. "She is still speaking out even though she has to speak to different generations about different problems."
The final question asked was, "If you could go back and change anything in your life, what would it be?"
Steinem said she would have done everything faster. | 2,016 |
[
"The Cu Independent Or Cui For Short Is The Student Newspaper For The University Of Colorado At Boulder.",
"We Cover News",
"Sports",
"Politics",
"Entertainment",
"More.",
"Our Mission",
"To Give The Students At Cu An Online Publication For Students",
"Students",
"About The Things We Care About."
] | Opinion: Stay hungry - how fasting can be a statement | cuindependent.com | Opinions do not necessarily represent CUIndependent.com or any of its sponsors.
I enjoy being hungry — a statement that I can only make in my place of complete and total food security. I do not mean to say that I starve myself, or am an advocate for any form of anorexia. I simply approach the little pings of hunger that awaken my stomach daily as reminders of being pure in my asceticism and in a type of anti-consumerism. This is what I feel when I fast.
Being hungry is different from the state of hunger, a crushing state in which food is neither a part of one's present nor near future. A state befallen on far, far to many people in our world, country and even our own Boulder County. But being hungry, as someone who does not view the state of hunger as a foreseeable possibility, can be a necessary reminder of the possibilities of life.
My affinity for those little flicking pings in my stomach began in the most unusual of places: a situation where the proper intake of food became a safety requirement, yet the weight of our food (or lack of it) was equally as important.
Backpacking through the Indian Himalayas I found that my body, and yes, your body, can function beyond our mental desires for caloric intake. I desired food. I heard my brain asking for its typical 3 p.m. snack of tortillas, yogurt or whatever my mother would usually stock in the fridge. But my little plastic tub of snacks only replied with a handful of nuts and completely unsatisfying banana chips that were a strange white color. Yet, my leg chimed in to this intra-body conversation with a steady rhythm of continued movement.
A completely understandable human desire did not represent a necessity at the time. My need was replaced with want. Of course, I had to eat. Eating is a necessity. And I did. I had protein-rich dals, delectable oatmeal and, when passing through villages, very fresh and yellow bananas. I had the food that could power me and my sanity through hail storms, up mountain passes and even the brain power to navigate in a forgone language.
These so-thought-of "needs," like that of my 3 p.m. snack, became clear wants. Returning from the high mountains, I had a need for new pants became a want for fitting into a new trend, and a stupid one. My need for a new phone case became a want for a case that I knew would provide my phone with less protection, a want driven by some well-crafted ad with a super cool song. My needs slowly became wants. Wants that, just like with my refrigerator in the Himalayas, were unnecessary.
These newly realized needs-turned-desires were more than just stupid things that only hurt my bank account. They hurt us all. They hurt our earth, they hurt our society and they will be a piece of the suicidal blade that could end us all. 'They" is not an abstract other, an enemy, but instead, it is us. The mass consumerist desires inside us all, inside me and inside you.
The non-stop cycle of buy, use, trash, buy has inflated our pollution in every step of the process. The sweatshops in Bangladesh where your jeans were made, the cargo ship that carried them to the United States and all of the packaging that ended up in the same oceans those cargo ships sailed through, all contribute in a negative way. Awareness has brought some slow change. But this is a system without fixing. A system so profitable for a few and detrimental for everyone else — a system that can only be changed through lack of participation.
Fasting was my small attempt at waving the anti-consumerist flag, and I totally encourage people who feel comfortable to try and do at least a small fast per day. Not as any way of countering a false body image, but as a practice of mental asceticism. Whether it is food, clothes or anything else that is clogging up your life and bank account, take a fast. | 2,016 |
[
"Carina Julig"
] | George Takei to speak at CU's Macky Auditorium in October | cuindependent.com | George Takei will speak at the University of Colorado on Oct. 26 in an event organized by the Distinguished Speakers Board. Takei's talk will be in Macky Auditorium at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. After the lecture portion of the event, there will be a Q&A with Takei.
Tickets go on sale on Oct. 10 and are $2 for students and $10 for faculty and staff. They can be purchased with cash only on the first floor of the UMC every weekday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A Buff OneCard is required to purchase student tickets. Community tickets will be available online for $25.
Takei rose to fame by playing Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman of the U.S.S. Enterprise, on the original series of Star Trek. In more recent years, he starred in a Broadway musical about a World War II-era Japanese-American family sent to live in an internment camp, and has been a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and human rights. He has a large social media presence that he uses to promote these causes. | 2,016 |
[
"Emily Mcpeak",
"Emily Mcpeak Is An Undergraduate Student Who Writes About Politics",
"Society",
"Social Media. She Is Studying Journalism",
"Political Science."
] | Nominees' medical records should be made public | cuindependent.com | Opinions do not necessarily represent CUIndependent.com or any of its sponsors.
Contact CU Independent Opinion Staff Writer Kim Habicht at [email protected].
With fresh, bizarre information coming to light every news cycle, this election season has turned news channels like CNN and Fox into socially-condoned reality TV shows. It seems like this election season could easily turn into its own show on E! News.
Most recently, there has been as much medical drama as an episode of Grey's Anatomy. On Sunday, pneumonia brought Hillary Clinton to her knees at a 9/11 memorial event in New York City. She had to be escorted from the ceremony, and after hours of silence from her campaign, it was announced that she'd been diagnosed with pneumonia.
Rumors of Clinton's ill health have plagued her campaign from the start, with her unwillingness to disclose health records adding to a general criticism of her lack of transparency. This issue began with the email scandal, and continues now with Clinton withholding information about her health for days until she literally couldn't stand to keep it from the public.
According to her campaign, she received the pneumonia diagnosis two days prior to the incident on Sunday, making it seem like she was planning on keeping her diagnosis a secret. This naturally leads us to question what other ailments she has hiding in her records.
Republicans have taken advantage of Clinton's minor bout of ill health as an opportunity to idolize their golden cow, Donald J. Trump. Trump insists that the public will be rest assured if he were to take office, since he has received a clean bill of health from his doctor Harold N. Bornsteirn.
"His strength and physical stamina are extraordinary" and his "laboratory test results are astonishingly excellent," said Dr. Bornsteirn about Trump. The doctor, who resembles The Dude more than he does a medical practitioner, might also be the same guy that wrote North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il's biography. Dr. Bornstein's letter claimed,"If elected…Mr. Trump will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency." Does he also have the power to alter the weather simply with his thoughts, and shoot 11 holes-in-one?
It's obvious that if we leave the candidates to their own devices, they're going to write, date and sign their own bills of health. Not that anyone can blame them; with the media and their opposition constantly scavenging for anything to expose, it's no wonder why both candidates have disclosed as little of their records as possible.
But, the American public still has the right to know what's going on, even if it means letting the public in on the conversations that happen in little paper gowns. Candidates should have to lay themselves bare.
We live in an age where privacy is no longer a value, virtue or right. Like it or not, presidential candidates who run in our modern world know this. Clinton's marital issues have been autopsied meticulously; Trump's business failures have been mocked and made into memes without abandon.
In fact, Trump embraced this on Thursday, when he joined the likes of Charlie Sheen and DJ Khaled in an appearance on the Oz Show. In the episode, Trump revealed his medical records. However, the way in which this was done only added to the aspect of sensationalism that has been present throughout this election. Oz himself is a Republican, who has been noted to sensationalize anything he can for followers (sound familiar?) It saddens me that the American public has come to expect, and even buy into, such flamboyant acts of showmanship.
To eliminate the media frenzy and cesspool of rumors, I believe that candidates should be required, after being nominated at their party's convention, to release their medical records in a straightforward way.
If this becomes a norm of the election process, the media would no longer have as much room to speculate about what obscure diseases the candidates have that could potentially disqualify them. The American public will then have more time and attention to focus in on candidates' proposed policies, which is what the election should principally concern.
I'm not calling for any candidate to be disqualified based on their bill of health. That would lead itself down a nasty, nauseating rabbit hole. And, it's not like all of our past presidents have had Herculean health. Even FDR had polio.
The American public should be able to craft their own opinion regarding the candidates' health, and they should be given the proper, accurate information in order to do so. A step in this direction of increased transparency is a step toward solely policy and idea-driven politics, instead of the America's Next Top Candidate reality show that we have playing now. | 2,016 |
[
"Austin Willeke"
] | South Park season 20 review: Episodes 1 and 2 | cuindependent.com | South Park season 20 started off with a bang last week as it lampooned a wide array of recent topics in its 22 minutes. The national anthem, Colin Kaepernick, the election and Star Wars all received attention in humorous and insightful ways.
Unfortunately, it almost felt like the writers played catch-up with so many events that they had to skim through them. The show works best when it can go deeper into an idea, as Trey Parker and Matt Stone have proven to be excellent satirists over the show's 20 seasons.
For those that don't know, South Park has picked up an overarching narrative in recent seasons and actually has a story across its episodes. Because of this, you may want to watch the first episode of this season "Member Berries" to be totally cued-in. And in case one was needed, *spoiler alert.*
Episode 2, "Skank Hunt," picks up on some of the points introduced in last week's episode and further expands upon the plot of the internet troll "skankhunt42." Much to my, and many viewers', surprise last week, it wasn't Cartman who was behind the internet trolling, but Gerald. He started photoshopping dicks into mouths and leaving nasty comments all across social media, especially toward the women of South Park. The school, parents and students began freaking out, and many of the women felt personally attacked — so much so that one female South Park Elementary student decided to end it all and delete her Twitter (a comparison the episode very cleverly draws to suicide).
This episode feels a great deal more focused than last week's, and, as such, the humor and social commentary are both refreshing and very entertaining. Gerald's surprise turn as the internet troll is nothing short of side-splitting. When Gerald trolls, it's a leisure activity. He busts out a glass of fine wine and his favorite Boston record before getting off to leaving hateful bile online.
Gerald soon makes national news, to his excitement, where he learns the Dutch won't pay attention to his trolling. This is where the show's newly introduced overarching narrative works, and I am intrigued to see where the writers go with Gerald as he prepares to up the ante.
Social media commentary is heavily present in this episode, especially with the Twitter deletion being equated with suicide. The commentary peaks here, as Parker and Stone point out how social media has consumed people so much that they become it. I find this to be an impeccably relevant message, as I mindlessly scroll through Facebook in my underwear, unsure of how to type the rest of this review.
The laughs and commentary balance out really well in this episode. While mainly focusing on social media and trolling, the show made me almost fall out of my chair laughing this week. Compare this to last week, where, despite a very strong premise, I only had a few decent chuckles. The laughs work well into the plot, too. As tension rises between the boys and girls of South Park Elementary, the girls plot to get back at the boys for their trolling. To dissipate this, the boys frame Cartman for the trolling and give him a painful punishment to hopefully stop the retaliation. Although he didn't deserve it in this case, I will admit it's a bit gratifying to see Cartman finally receive some bad karma for years of sociopathic (albeit gut-bustlingly funny) behavior.
The girl's retaliation at the end of the episode is a hilarious scene, which I won't spoil here, but it does leave interesting narrative questions. While this episode is topical and funny, I'm wondering where they are headed with it. I don't know if the "Gerald trolling and Boys vs. Girls" plot can last a whole season, but I hope it can because there are some really neat ideas brewing from the beginning here. As of now, I am very excited to see what the rest of season 20 has to offer. I await more of South Park's ability to make me laugh at the expense of others, and take a hard look at myself afterward. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back on Facebook and mindlessly scroll until 3 in the morning. | 2,016 |
[
"Olivia Butrymovich"
] | CU cruises past the Rams and into Pac-12 play | cuindependent.com | The University of Colorado women's volleyball team bumped, set and spiked their way to a perfect 3-0 weekend of play in Boulder. The Buffs defeated Chicago State, New Orleans and in-state rival Colorado State at the Omni Invitational, and will cruise into conference play with some momentum.
The No. 18 Buffs improved to 8-2 overall after a productive weekend; Colorado also kept their undefeated home streak alive. CU is 4-0 in home matches, making head coach Jesse Mahoney's first season as a Buff picture perfect in Boulder. With the Pac-12 season to start Wednesday, Colorado must be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.
"This part of our season's over, the pre-season, I think we tested ourselves playing a lot of really, really high level opponents, and I think playing some high level volleyball," said Mahoney. "The Pac-12 is gonna have nine or 10 teams that are as good, or better, than the last several we faced in the pre-season."
CU defeated Chicago State Friday night in three straight sets 25-15, 25-14, and 25-14. Colorado's victory was headed by newcomer, sophomore outside hitter Alexa Smith. Smith's 10 kills helped to propel the Buffs to victory. Junior right side hitter Gabby Simpson followed closely behind her teammate, recording nine kills on 12 total attacks.
The Buffs also had a big day from behind the line. Colorado recorded nine serving aces in the quick three set match.
The Cougars struggled to gain any ground with the Buffs. Chicago State recorded 20 kills on 89 total attacks, giving them a dismal team hitting percentage of .011.
Colorado opened Saturday's double-header with a sweep over New Orleans. The Pelicans were shown no mercy and quickly fell to their Buffalo opponents 25-18, 25-13, and 25-12.
CU's block proved too difficult for New Orleans. NOU committed 32 attack errors on 100 swings and only 25 kills. The Buffs managed 11 total team blocks, seven of which were assisted by sophomore middle Naghede Abu.
There was no one offensive standout for the Buffs, as five players recorded five or more kills. The match came down to proficiency on both offense and defense, as CU committed less errors to sweep the Pelicans in three sets.
Despite defeating two teams in three straight sets earlier in the weekend, it was Saturday night's primetime matchup that brought Colorado its glory. CU defeated Colorado State in 4 sets, 25-22, 25-20, 23-25, and 25-21, for the first time since 2002.
CU came out with a strong first set in this iteration of the Rocky Mountain Showdown. The Buffs recorded 19 kills, led, once again, by Smith and Simpson. The Buffs proficiency at the net was tested at the net. The Rams' block proved to be more difficult than anticipated. By the end of the first set, Colorado State had recorded five total team blocks, Colorado had zero.
The second set of the match was clearly Buffalo dominated. CU added another 16 kills to their total. Junior outside hitter Stephanie Shadley had a huge set for Colorado. Both Shadley and Smith had six more kills a piece for the home team.
The Buffs also managed to gain some control over the CSU block, holding them to just two following a brutal first set.
Colorado's momentum slowed as the Rams took their first lead of the match in the third set. A long rally between the Colorado teams resulted in CU's one and only loss of the match.
In the third, CSU managed a more proficient game at the net. This proved a test for the Colorado defense. CU's block put up a strong front against the opponent, adding three more team blocks to the stats. The blocking duo of Naghede and redshirt junior Joslyn Hayes slowed the momentum of the Rams, but it was not enough.
Senior libero Cierra Simpson had her work cut out for her in the back court, but struggled to contain the offense. A set riddled with sloppy play and various errors was quickly pushed aside as the Buffs looked to set four.
The fourth and final set of the match ended with a Buffalo victory. CSU's leftover momentum from the third didn't last, and the Rams failed to build a strong offensive game at the net, falling short of forcing a fifth set.
Smith finished out her night with 21 kills on 46 attacks. She committed only three errors giving her a swing percentage of .591. Shadley also closed out her night with 13 kills on 36 attacks.
Colorado State exposed some weaknesses in the Buffs. Colorado will need to learn how to control the block from the get go. CU's slowed momentum in the third set can be blamed on the brick wall that was set up on the other side of the net.
Colorado's victory over the Rams carries more importance than most non-conference games. This is the first time since 2002 that CU has defeated CSU. The Buffs have continually fallen to Colorado State, who leads the all-time series 23-12, their most recent loss coming during the 2010-2011 season.
This was also a conflicting victory for first-year head coach Jesse Mahoney. Mahoney served as an assistant head coach at Colorado State for seven years, helping the Rams to seven straight NCAA appearances and a 162-51 record.
But Coach Mahoney's past employment didn't seem to affect his team or his willingness to win.
"I like to win every match regardless of who's on the other side," said Mahoney. "It's gratifying to see these players get rewarded for working as hard as they have for the last month and a half or so."
Colorado is excited to open their conference play in Boulder this Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. against Utah.
"This is the beginning of the Pac-12, this is the beginning of the fresh start to the season," said Smith. | 2,016 |
[
"Jake Mauff",
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"Staff Writer For The Cu Independent. He Enjoys Biking",
"Hiking",
"Running In What Little Free Time That He Has",
"Has Interviewed A Variety Of Interesting People Including A Presidential Candidate."
] | Colorado prepares for No. 4 Michigan | cuindependent.com | Contact CU Independent Copy Editor Jake Mauff at [email protected].
The Colorado Buffaloes (2-0) are gearing up to travel to the Big House and play the No. 4 ranked Michigan Wolverines (2-0). In what is easily the toughest matchup the Buffs have faced to date, a team effort will be needed to defeat the national title contenders. Here's a comparison between the two squads.
Offense:
Colorado has been fairly efficient on offense this year. Their new offensive tempo may have played into this. Consistency in the running game has also been vital to the Buffs' success. Although it is still early in the season, every runner has his clearly defined roles. Junior tailback Phillip Lindsay has earned the bell cow role and has mostly produced as such.
Sophomore running back Kyle Evans has earned more carries the longer the game has gone on. Most of his carries have come in with the score clearly tipped in Colorado's favor. If he can continue to produce like he did in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, where Evans ran for over five yards a carry and scored a touchdown, more scores should come his way.
This should play into Colorado's favor, as a healthy run game stymied Michigan last week. Central Florida came with a smash mouth game plan. The result: 46 carries for 275 yards and two scores. The Knights were able to gain six yards a carry against Michigan. That's no small feat.
Defense:
The Wolverines' quarterback dilemma has sorted itself out. Junior quarterback Wilton Speight has played solidly thus far this season. Michigan now has to sort out the running game.
In two games, the Wolverines had very different results when they handed off the ball. Against Hawaii in the first week, Michigan had 306 yards. They only had 39 carries. The next week, against the Knights, the Wolverines only had 119 yards. That's not an awful performance, until you hear that there were 41 carries involved.
Speight has played well enough to help the run game in both situations. However, Michigan hasn't played a defense like Colorado's yet. The Buffs are, statistically, the best defense in the country going into week three. This is likely to change this week, but Colorado has been doing well enough against the run and the pass.
Colorado hasn't faced a team like Michigan yet, so being effective against both will be more important. The team is allowing four yards per rush, so it seems a performance akin to Hawaii seems more likely than a UCF outing. If Colorado can keep the running game in check, Speight will have to take a bigger role in the offense. That could spell trouble for Michigan.
Mental:
Perhaps, the biggest factor about this game doesn't come on the field. Colorado has only played in the state of Colorado so far. One of the team's games was in Denver in what was considered neutral grounds, but there were still many Buffs fans in attendance.
Sports Authority Field is certainly a big venue. Nothing can prepare a team for the Big House itself. Boisterous opposing crowds will drown out any sound Colorado has to make at the line of scrimmage. How the offense adjusts will be important to the Buffs' success.
This is especially true considering the offense no-huddle approach. If there needs to be a change, it'll be a lot harder, if not impossible, to implement. | 2,016 |
[
"Emily Mcpeak",
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"Society",
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"Political Science."
] | Fact-checking Trump and Clinton in the first presidential debate | cuindependent.com | Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump went head-to-head in a debate Monday night that highlighted the hot-button issues of the campaign — Trump's tax returns, police policy and taxing the wealthy — rather than delve into deeper details about economic plans.
But the candidates still clashed on nearly every issue, from trade to race to their own personal pasts. Both made broad and questionable statements, which our fact checkers either verified or disproved. Here are the most important ones.
The candidates clash on economic policy, especially when it comes to taxes.
Trump plans to cut taxes in order to create jobs. Essentially, he would return to trickle-down economics, which he claims would also help bring back U.S. money being held overseas:
"Under my plan, I'll be reducing taxes tremendously, from 35 percent to 15 percent for companies, small and big businesses. That's going to be a job creator like we haven't seen since Ronald Reagan."
Trump also said:
"And when these people are going to put billions and billions of dollars into companies, and when they're going to bring $2.5 trillion back from overseas … It's probably $5 trillion that we can't bring into our country, Lester."
Clinton's plans for making college debt-free and creating paid family leave include increasing taxes on the wealthy:
"We're going to do it by having the wealthy pay their fair share and close the corporate loopholes."
Following the debate, researchers at the Tax Policy Center analyzed the policies described by both Clinton and Trump. They came to the conclusion that neither candidate would be able to fully achieve what they said. The tax proposals of both Clinton and Trump have also been detailed and analyzed by the Tax Foundation.
Clinton claimed that "independent experts" have deemed her proposed tax policies to be better than Trump's
Specifically, she said that her plan would create 10 million new jobs while Trump's would increase the debt by more than $5 trillion and cause 3.5 million jobs to be lost.
This is semi-true. Economist Mike Zandi did issue a report that made some, but not all, of these claims. But Zandi also saw flaws in Clinton's plan — mainly the struggles she would face trying to get her plan through Congress.
However, according to groups like Citizens for Tax Justice and the Social Science Research Network, Clinton's claims on what Trump's plans would cost the country were true.
Trump called for a return to Stop and Frisk.
What he said:
"In New York City, stop-and-frisk, we had 2,200 murders, and stop-and-frisk brought it down to 500 murders. Five hundred murders is a lot of murders. It's hard to believe, 500 is like supposed to be good?"
The successes and failures of Stop and Frisk policies were detailed in a 2014 study conducted by the New York Civil Liberties Union. According to the report, the number of stops rose drastically between 2002 and 2011 while the number of guns recovered, shooting victims and murders remained relatively stable. But the number of murders did fall when the number of stops dropped between 2012 and 2013. This indicates that the statements made by Trump were false — although he was correct in stating that murder rates did increase in some major cities in early 2015.
Trump raised questions about Clinton's view of African-Americans.
Specifically, he brought up a past statement he said was made by Clinton:
"I do want to bring up the fact that you were the one that brought up the words 'super-predator' about young black youth."
Clinton did use this phrase in a 1996 speech made in support off the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. She used the term "super-predator" in reference to gangs of kids, not specifically to African-Americans. But the overall context of the speech caused many to draw the same conclusion as Trump.
Clinton favors community policing.
What she said:
"Now, I believe in community policing. And, in fact, violent crime is one-half of what it was in 1991. Property crime is down 40 percent. We just don't want to see it creep back up. We've had 25 years of very good cooperation."
These statements are true. Furthermore, there is some evidence that community policing is effective.
Clinton praised NAFTA, while Trump denounced it.
Clinton said that the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, increased incomes "for everybody."
Trump, on the other hand, claimed the opposite:
"Your husband signed NAFTA, which was one of the worst things that ever happened to the manufacturing industry… You go to New England, you go to Ohio, Pennsylvania, you go anywhere you want, Secretary Clinton, and you will see devastation where manufacture is down 30, 40, sometimes 50 percent."
NAFTA is a 1994 trade agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico that eliminated tariffs between the countries. It has been and continues to be a source of controversy, with critics claiming it would cause job loss and proponents arguing it would lead to broad economic gains. But according to a study conducted by Cornell University, the effect on the US economy has been minimal.
Neither candidate painted the full picture when it came to NAFTA, but their claims were not inaccurate. According to Neil Irwin, a fact-checker for the New York Times, states like Ohio and Michigan have faced manufacturing job losses, but have recently gained many jobs back. There is therefore evidence for both arguments.
Trump brought up Clinton's shifting stance on the TPP.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, is a proposed free trade agreement between the U.S. and 11 Pacific Rim Countries. President Obama aims to pass the TPP before he leaves office, but has to overcome the controversy that surrounds it. Supporters say it will be economically beneficial for all countries involved, while opponents argue that it will encourage the exporting of manufacturing jobs from the US.
Trump was correct in stating that Clinton made a sudden shift in her views of the TPP. She praised it many times in the past before switching her views once the deal was fully negotiated.
Trump said he never supported the War in Iraq; Clinton said he did.
This is sort of true. Trump said in various interviews, such as one in 2002 with Howard Stern and another in 2003 with Fox News that he was in support of the War in Iraq. He did not oppose the war until after the U.S. had already invaded.
Trump spoke briefly about immigration.
What he said:
"The other day, we were deporting 800 people. And perhaps they passed the wrong button, they pressed the wrong button, or perhaps worse than that, it was corruption, but these people that we were going to deport for good reason ended up becoming citizens. Ended up becoming citizens. And it was 800. And now it turns out it might be 1,800, and they don't even know."
This is true, though it did not occur "the other day." This September, the Department of Homeland Security issued a report stating that at least 858 individuals ordered to be deported were accidentally given citizenship. Trump was not correct in stating that number of citizens naturalized by mistake may be over a thousand.
Clinton questioned why Trump has not released his tax returns.
Clinton said that Trump is not releasing the tax returns because he is trying to hide something — Clinton said that this may be that he is not as rich or charitable as he says he is, or that he "owes about $650 million to Wall Street and foreign banks."
Clinton also said that Trump will not release his tax returns because he has not been paying federal taxes:
"Or maybe he doesn't want the American people, all of you watching tonight, to know that he's paid nothing in federal taxes, because the only years that anybody's ever seen were a couple of years when he had to turn them over to state authorities when he was trying to get a casino license, and they showed he didn't pay any federal income tax."
Trump's businesses do in fact owe money, though the specific amount is hard to pin down. It is possible that Trump has not been paying federal taxes, but this statement must be taken as speculation since Trump has yet to release his tax returns.
Clinton said that Trump did no always pay workers.
Clinton said that Trump failed to pay for contracted work:
"And, indeed, I have met a lot of the people who were stiffed by you and your businesses, Donald. I've met dishwashers, painters, architects, glass installers, marble installers, drapery installers, like my dad was, who you refused to pay when they finished the work that you asked them to do."
This is true, according to a USA Today investigation. Hundreds have claimed that Trump did not pay them fairly for their work, resulting in at least 24 violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act since 2005 and 60 lawsuits. Many of these workers were carpenters, painters, dishwashers and even lawyers.
Trump said that Clinton's "people" created a bias against Bernie Sanders in the DNC.
In July, emails which demonstrated a pro-Clinton bias in the DNC were leaked and revealed by Wikileaks. However, there has been no connection made between these emails and the Clinton campaign.
Clinton said that Trump "thinks that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese."
Trump did in fact state this in a 2012 tweet.
Clinton sees opportunities for job growth through investments in clean energy.
What she had to say:
"We can deploy a half a billion more solar panels. We can have enough clean energy to power every home. We can build a new modern electric grid. That's a lot of jobs; that's a lot of new economic activity."
There is evidence supporting the statements made by Clinton. In May, Bloomberg reported that clean-energy jobs surpassed those in oil drilling, and that job growth in the U.S. solar business was 12 times faster than overall job creation.
Trump claimed that Patti Doyle, Clinton's campaign manager, was one of the first to raise questions about Obama's citizenship.
There is no connection between the birther movement and Hillary Clinton. | 2,016 |
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] | Glass Animals, 'How to be a Human Being' | cuindependent.com | I had only heard a little of Glass Animal's work before reviewing their newest album, so I decided to check out their 2014 debut ZABA. It was a record I originally (and somewhat pretentiously) wrote off as another new indie band making music for the masses that would have as much appeal as possible. I was happy to find out that I was incorrect. ZABA was vibrant, energetic and very well-produced music that was certainly higher quality than most music played at college parties and clubs.
However, unlike a great deal of music that seems designed for that environment, ZABA had very layered and textured sounds. When intently listened to, one could find very well-arranged pieces of music. It wasn't something that provided any great emotional depth, but it was an incredibly pleasurable listening experience that rewarded careful attention nonetheless.
For their newest album How to be a Human Being, I expected that again. At first, that is exactly what I thought I got. It was very well-produced and put-together indie music that took all the right influences from electronic music and hip-hop to make an interesting, catchy listen, but wouldn't go out of my way to listen to over and over again.
As it turns out, this was the exact wrong way for me to categorize it, because experiencing this album over and over again is precisely how it should be enjoyed. And I do say enjoyed, because after paying careful attention to everything in the album, it is pretty incredible.
How to be a Human Being really is the best title for this album, as Glass Animals has learned to bring humanity into their well-developed sound. It's a concept album, which does always make me a bit randy. That was something I hadn't even remotely picked up on during my initial listen (probably due to the pigeonhole I had put it in already).
Each song is based around interviews, or conversations, lead singer Dave Bayley conducted with a wide variety of people on tour for his last album. They were all secretly recorded, as he wanted them to be completely honest. While the ethics of this are debatable, these real life stories and experiences lay the groundwork for what the previous album was lacking for me: humanity. Every song on the album has a sense of humanity to it.
The music in each song is crafted to match the idiosyncrasies of its particular character. Standout tracks like "Season 2 Episode 3," "Popular Street" and the closing track "Agnes" do this incredibly well.
"Season 2 Episode 3" depicts a stoner girlfriend who doesn't do much with her life. It also brings in retro video game sounds into the beat while referencing TV shows like Adventure Time. This pairs incredibly well with a verse like "She's drunk on old cartoons/Liquid TV afternoons/sometimes it makes me laugh/sometimes it makes me sad."
Even though I only highlighted three tracks, there is not one song on this album I did not enjoy to at least some degree. The first track, "Life Itself," is about a young man who was born a bit strange and can't adjust to society. It is completed with a funky beat with syncopated synthesizer rhythms to match the quirkiness (and I always hesitate to say that word) of the character.
Even songs that don't stick with me as much as some of the others all have something special — something human. Each track is elegantly crafted and incredibly well-produced, with each song's character brought out by well-composed music, great-sounding beats and counter-melodies that seamlessly ride along to anything that song originally establishes.
Overall, it's the production quality that makes this album truly great. It can be enjoyed as great-sounding music at a club or at a party, or as a beautiful experience that flows in between your headphones while you lay down and take it all in. Not every song will grab each individual listener, but that is part of what makes the album great: how human it is, and each human who listens will find something different.
Final Rating: 9/10
Favorite Tracks: "Season 2 Episode 3" "Pork Soda" "Popular Street" "Agnes" | 2,016 |
[] | Buffs in the Kitchen: Midterm crustino | cuindependent.com | No time to run to the store? Read on to learn how you can still eat well during the midterm crunch.
During a midterm crunch, the last thing I have time for is a grocery store run. However, even with little to work with, a good meal still can be made in order to power through late night cramming sessions.
Chop up whatever you have, sauté it, and top your creation on a toasted slice of bread for a collegiate crustino (crustino is the Italian word for "little crusts" or grilled bread served with toppings.) This technique can work with anything from apples to zucchini, but a personal favorite is a tomato cabbage sauté. If you don't have any of the ingredients, no stress, use what you have and learn from these techniques.
Ingredients:
Bread or cracker (Multigrain Wasa crackers are my personal favorite.)
Balsamic vinegar
Onions (Yellow is best for cooking, but use any you have.)
Cabbage
Tomatoes
Cheese (Any will do, but feta is the best.)
Spices and herbs
Process:
Chop first! Get everything ready before the heat hits the pan. Scrambling for that jar of fennel seeds while your onions burn is no way to make good food.
Take an onion and slice it in half with the roots on either end. That is where most of the tear-inducing chemicals lurk. Slice off a few thin rings, then stack and rough chop to create evenly chopped sticks. Do the same with the cabbage and cube your tomato. As a general rule of thumb, make sure there are two parts onions for every one part of the other veggies.
Next, put a non-stick pan on high heat.
While the pan takes the heat, arrange your herbs and spices next to the stove. My philosophy on spice is more the merrier, but if all you have is black pepper, that will do just fine.
Hold your hand over the pan and when you feel heat, pour in the fat. The fat can be butter, olive oil or lard. Wait until the fat moves quickly as you swirl the pan. It should begin to shine. Pay careful attention to your fat, because this is a simple step, but one that can easily go wrong. Or put in the language of my house, "Don't burn the butter, idiot."
When your fat shines, add the onions along with herbs and spices. For this dish, I recommend fennel seeds, cilantro, rosemary or thyme. But really anything will do, so take this in any direction your palate desires. Let your battuto (battuto is the Italian term for chopped onions and herbs) sizzle for a beat. Give them a turn with a spatula or quick flick of the wrist, then turn the heat down to medium/medium high. If the heat is left at high, your fat and onions will burn.
The moment an onion hits heated fat and begins to sizzle is one of my greatest joys in life. As the heat makes the onions translucent, your battuto becomes a soffrito, or mirepoix as the French call it. This is the base for all flavors. Without a fully sautéd onion, the veggies will never reach their full potential. Equally, overdo it and you have a burnt mush. But don't fret, it's very easy, just watch the pan.
Keep turning the contents of the pan over, and once the onions are fully translucent (5-7 minutes,) add in the rest of your veggies.
As the veggies sizzle in the pan, select your cheese. If your parents recently visited and bought you feta, use it! If not, parmesan, swiss or even cheddar will add a nice bite and help stick the dish together.
Continue sautéing until all veggies are at your desired tenderness. If you really want your cabbage to cook down, try adding in a touch of a wine/cider-based vinegar, but just a touch. When ready, use your spatula to push all of the veggies to the side and slide in a piece of bread. Add more fat if needed.
Spoon the veggies on top of the bread and top with balsamic vinegar. Crack some pepper and sprinkle any fresh herbs you have. Cover and let cook for a minute, or until the bread is toasted on the bottom. A trick to determine when it is toasted is to swirl the pan close to your ear and try to listen for the little scraping of the toasted bread against the pan. This takes some practice, but will come eventually.
Lastly, enjoy. You just made a delectable meal that cost less than anything on The Hill, and hopefully you had fun while doing it. | 2,016 |
[
"Carina Julig"
] | Opinion: CU art exhibit showcases female pioneers of Western art | cuindependent.com | Opinions do not necessarily represent CUIndependent.com or any of its sponsors.
The University of Colorado Art Museum opened its new exhibit "Pioneers: Women Artists in Boulder" on Sept. 14. With works spanning from 1898 to 1950, the gallery displays paintings, cartoons and ceramics from female artists who lived in the Boulder area. The exhibit is free to the public and will be open through Feb. 4.
Many of the artists featured were women who moved to Colorado from the East Coast, and their art showcases how strongly they were influenced by the American West. Most of the paintings are composed of Western landscapes or buildings and made strong use of color. Looking at the art gave me a sense of how much nature dominated life out west and what it meant to these women.
"Some of these women talk about the landscape being both interior and exterior," said Kirk Ambrose, chair of CU's Department of Art and Art History. "Interior in that it was the way they were creating these new spaces for themselves; you can almost understand it as a space of freedom and self-identification for them."
Ambrose curated the exhibit, which has been in development since 2014.
I found the exhibition to be compelling: The focus on American Western art and female artists made it stand out from the usual museum experience, where artwork tends to skew European and male. Many of the artists featured either taught at CU or were married to spouses who did. It was interesting to learn about how they influenced the school.
Colorado gave women the right to vote before any of the Eastern states and offered a sense of greater opportunity to women. Along with creating Boulder's art culture, many of the artists featured were also involved in the social movements of their day. They used their art either directly or indirectly to promote their causes.
"Women had such a strong hand in shaping Boulder as we know today," said Jessica Brunecky, the museum's director of visitor experience. "I think through the artists we have selected for this exhibition, you can see how they were plugging into the national movements that were happening and that Boulder has always been maybe a little bit ahead of its time." | 2,016 |
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] | Buffs, sustaining injuries, put up a fight but fall to Michigan 45-28 | cuindependent.com | Despite an explosive first quarter, the University of Colorado Buffaloes football team lost on the road to the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines 45-28 in CU's first trip to Ann Arbor since 1997.
Special teams was the bane of Colorado's play against the Wolverines. Michigan's dynamic Jabrill Peppers — who plays linebacker, defensive back and occasionally tailback, but also returns punts and kickoffs — made the day unenjoyable, to say the least, for the Buffs' specialists and offense.
"We had some issues [with the punt team]," head coach Mike MacIntyre said. "It hurt the game for sure. There's no doubt about it."
Pepper put on a clinic against the Buffaloes. He returned four punts and two kickoffs for a total of 180 yards, including a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown. He also had a 55-yard kickoff return.
"He's a player that makes plays," said Sefo Liufau, senior quarterback. "You respect a player like that that can do so many great things."
CU got off to a red-hot start. Liufau found junior wide receiver Devin Ross in the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown that capped a 49-second drive. He would score another touchdown by the end of the first quarter.
The Buffs went up 14-0 when senior defensive back Chidobe Awuzie sacked Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight deep in Wolverine territory. Speight fumbled, and junior linebacker Derek McCartney recovered the ball and ran it into the end zone, which silenced about 110,000 Michigan diehards in the stadium.
Liufau played well, completing 16 of 25 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns.
The Buffs ended the first quarter with a 21-7 lead over Michigan, with the Wolverines' lone score coming off a blocked punt that was recovered and ran into the end zone. It was the Buffs' first special teams malfunction of the night.
The Buffaloes failed to score in the second quarter, and the Wolverines took advantage, scoring 17 unanswered and retaking the lead 24-21 at halftime.
"We sensed a momentum shift" said Rick Gamboa, sophomore linebacker. "It came off of special teams. Everybody knows that. As a defense we just kind of stick to what we can handle."
A real kick in the teeth came late in the second quarter. The Wolverines were driving, but the Buffs' defense held and forced Michigan to settle for a 39-yard field goal with 1:59 left in the half. But a minute later, Speight connected with wide receiver Amara Darboh for a 45-yard touchdown with 33 seconds left to give the Wolverines their first lead of the game.
But the Buffaloes struck right back. With only 58 seconds played in the third quarter, Liufau hit junior wide receiver Shay Fields Jr. with a bullet that turned into a 70-yard touchdown reception to put the Buffs back on top 28-24.
It would be the Buffs' final score of the day.
Liufau's game was cut short after that. He suffered a sprained ankle in the game and was replaced with freshman Steven Montez.
"I don't have a full diagnostic yet, but I'll find that out tomorrow," Liufau said. "It's a little sore right now."
The Buffs also lost McCartney to an undisclosed injury and senior place kicker Diego Gonzalez, who tore his Achilles tendon and will miss the remainder of the season.
The offense failed to gain any traction after Liufau left. Montez failed to complete any passes and was constantly rushed out of the pocket by the Wolverines' front seven defenders.
Liufau described the loss in one word: "Devastating."
Another thorn in the Buffaloes' side was the Wolverines' Jake Butt, a 6'6″ senior tight end from Pickerington, Ohio. He was constantly open and led Michigan with seven receptions for 87 yards.
Fields Jr. led the Buffaloes with four receptions for 99 yards to go along with his touchdown.
"We knew he was an All-American tight end," said Kenneth Olugbode, senior linebacker. "He's one of their playmakers. We just have to play better, wrap up and tackle."
The Buffs also failed to adequately pressure Speight. They did record three sacks against him, but they were largely irrelevant. Most of the time, Speight had enough time to knit a sweater in the pocket if he chose to.
The Buffs were also awful on third down, converting just one out of 13 on the day.
"We just couldn't move the ball as well as we would have liked," MacIntyre said. "They pressured us a little bit. We had too many third-and-longs, so that was a problem."
Junior tailback Phillip Lindsay failed to make a sizeable impact in the game. He rushed for 51 yards on 12 carries, but was often stuffed up the middle by the Wolverines' defensive line.
The final nail in the coffin for Colorado was Peppers's 54-yard punt return touchdown, which he scored early in the fourth quarter and would turn out to be the final tally for either team in the game.
The Buffaloes lost. That fact likely won't surprise many. But the manner in which they lost will. Despite the team's shortcomings and blunders, unranked Colorado came into Ann Arbor and played a competitive game, giving the Wolverines their first relatively close football game of the year.
For CU, up next is the Oregon Ducks, who lost 35-32 to Nebraska on Saturday night. The Buffs and Oregon will square off in Eugene to kick off both teams' Pac-12 schedule next Saturday, Sept. 24. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. MST. | 2,016 |
[
"Lucy Haggard"
] | CU celebrates Bisexuality Awareness Day with speaker Charles Blow | cuindependent.com | Next Friday, Sept. 23, New York Times columnist Charles Blow will be speaking at CU Boulder to mark Bisexuality Awareness Day.
Blow came out as bisexual in 2014, the same year that he published his memoir, Fire Shut Up In My Bones, about his tricky childhood and internal struggles. He is known for being a "visual op-ed columnist," and has also worked for National Geographic Magazine as the Art Director.
This event is hosted by CU Boulder's Gender and Sexuality Center, along with the Cultural Events Board and the student groups Queer Trans People of Color and Biphoria. It will be held in Humanities 1B50 with first-come-first-serve seating. More information can be found at the Facebook event page . | 2,016 |
[
"Olivia Butrymovich"
] | CU women's soccer wins Colorado Cup in overtime thriller against Denver University | cuindependent.com | The University of Colorado women's soccer team pulled out another last-second win Saturday when it defeated University of Denver 1-0 in overtime and clinched the Colorado Cup for the third straight year.
The Buffs beat the Pioneers in their third overtime game of the season. Senior forward Danica Evans scored the golden goal to put Colorado over the top to secure the win.
"We knew going into this game it was gonna be a one-goal game," head coach Danny Sanchez said. "Every time we play Denver it's gonna be like this. It's a local derby. It's gonna be a battle. I thought we rose to the challenge — we had a great week of training and I think it was a well-deserved win at the end of the day."
Six Colorado schools compete for the Colorado Cup: CU, Colorado State University, DU, Air Force, Colorado College and Northern Colorado. The Buffs previously beat Air Force 2-0 and Colorado State 2-1, and was in need of a win or tie against DU to keep the cup in Boulder.
Colorado kept an offensive edge over the Pioneers in the first half of the match. At the half's conclusion, Colorado recorded a total of 10 shots, including six shots on goal. The Buffs managed four corner kicks, but none of the attempts resulted in a score.
Sophomore forward Erin Greening took the first shot of the game for the Buffs. Senior forward Emily Bruder exhibited her lightning-fast speed, edging out many of DU's players to win crucial possessions.
Despite the strong effort from the CU offense, the Pioneers did not give in. DU goalie Cassidy Rey picked up some improbable saves for her team. Rey continually slapped the ball out of the sky to prevent a Colorado lead.
Things got heated on the sidelines following some controversial actions from players on both teams. Denver head coach Jeff Hooker was issued the only yellow card of the game with just over 15 minutes left to play in the half.
Sophomore goalie Jalen Tompkins recorded three saves in the little action that she received in the half.
The second half of the game belonged much more to the DU offense, which tested the Buffs' D. Tompkins added three more saves in the process. Colorado only managed two shots on goal during the half.
Colorado nearly had the game won in the 88th minute of regulation. Freshman forward Camilla Shymka juked a DU defender and went one-on-one with the goalie but was unsuccessful in her attempt to score.
Following two solid halves of competitive and aggressive soccer, the game proceeded into overtime.
Colorado avoided a second overtime period when freshman midfielder Taylor Kornieck found an open Evans in front of the net. The Buffs scored the game-ending goal in the 99th minute of the match and secured a final victory.
Kornieck led Colorado in shots with five, followed closely by Evans, who recorded four. Tompkins closed out the match with a total of six saves.
There has been a shift in attitude on the field from last season for the Buffs, and players are noticing the difference.
"We're coming out on the field at the beginning of games with more energy, and that just sets the game up for us," Evans said. "We're getting shots off, we're playing well together, and as long as we keep doing that throughout Pac-12, we're gonna be good."
CU will enter the Pac-12 portion of its season with a 6-3 record. Colorado will kick off the conference part of its schedule on the road this Friday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. MST against Washington State. | 2,016 |
[
"Justin Guerriero",
"Head Sports Editor Justin Guerriero Is A City Boy Pittsburgh",
"Pa",
"Who Fell In Love With The Mountains Upon Touring Cu Boulder For The First Time Prior To His Freshman Year. He Is A Die-Hard Pittsburgh",
"Sports Fan",
"Covers Cu Football",
"Basketball",
"The Colorado Rockies At The Cui. Justin Is A Junior With A Major In Broadcast Production With Minors In History"
] | The Buffs and MacIntyre gear up for Michigan | cuindependent.com | In recent weeks, the University of Colorado Buffaloes football team — players and coaches alike — have repeatedly stated that the only task at hand is the opponent of that given week.
But come on — how could every player and coach on that roster not be thinking of their week three matchup in Ann Arbor against the Michigan Wolverines? Is everyone truly keeping a cool head in regards to this opponent? Well, yes, but at the same time things appear to be more complicated than that.
"Any time that you're playing a major program that's at the top of its height right now, doing really well, and you're playing on the road, there's always a little more excitement," head coach Mike MacIntyre said. "[CU players] understand that it's how we prepare. If you're not prepared, it doesn't matter who you're playing, how hyped up you get or how excited you get — it's all about the preparation."
"In any week, it's easy to lose focus because sometimes the weeks leading up [to a game] in preparation can be very long," senior quarterback Sefo Liufau said last week after the win over Idaho State.
Focus and taking things one week at a time is definitely key to any program. But with that being said, it's impossible to overlook the fact that the Wolverines are ranked No. 4 in the nation, the exact same position they were in when the Buffaloes pulled of the Miracle at Michigan. The game ended with Colorado defeating the Wolverines in the final seconds on a seemingly hopeless Hail Mary pass in 1994. The Buffs might be on the road and playing an intimidating opponent, but fate could very well be on their side.
With all coincidences of the past and current hype put aside, Saturday's matchup is more than just a game for the Buffaloes. It will likely serve as a makeshift program performance review.
Fans might justify a blowout loss in Ann Arbor, as the Wolverines are a heck of a team. But with the Buffs' dominating performances in weeks one and two, and given that in both weeks the team has received votes (albeit three total) to be in the AP Top 25, more is expected from this team in 2016.
"You measure yourself after every game and you look at how you play to see if you keep improving," MacIntyre said. "[The Wolverines are] big and athletic and have a lot of depth … They're very experienced all over the field and they've got a lot of freshmen that they're throwing in there that are very athletic."
Saturday's matchup features two experienced football teams, both of which are hungry for victory. A win for the Buffs on the road against a ranked team would send shock waves through the college football world. So will the Buffs execute a 2016 Miracle at Michigan? Stay tuned. Only time will tell. | 2,016 |
[
"The Cu Independent Or Cui For Short Is The Student Newspaper For The University Of Colorado At Boulder.",
"We Cover News",
"Sports",
"Politics",
"Entertainment",
"More.",
"Our Mission",
"To Give The Students At Cu An Online Publication For Students",
"Students",
"About The Things We Care About."
] | Coin Toss: Can the Buffs go undefeated in October? | cuindependent.com | In this week's edition of Coin Toss, Justin Guerriero and Kyle Rini debate how likely it is that the Buffs will go undefeated in October.
Justin Guerriero: The only real question here is in regards to the Buffs' matchup against the Stanford Cardinals on Oct. 22. I'm inclined to believe that Colorado's three preceding October games against Oregon State, USC and Arizona State are more than winnable contests.
Colorado opens as a 17.5 favorite against OSU. The Buffs barely dammed the Beavers in Corvallis last year, sliding away with a 17-13 victory. But that was a different and a less experienced team. CU should manhandle Oregon State this Saturday. Colorado's receiving core has been exceptional this year. In more than one instance, they made Michigan and Oregon's secondaries look like a bunch of freshmen walk-ons.
Colorado's offense and defense have both been solid this year. OSU does boast a solid tailback in Ryan Nall, but with how good the Buffs' front seven have looked, I think Nall is a threat that will be contained.
This team is hyped up. They just took down the Oregon Ducks. I think players and coaches alike understand the importance of having a good follow-up game. Beating up on the Beavers would give this team a confidence level not seen from a Buffs squad in a long time. They cannot and will not lose this game.
The USC Trojans don't instill as much fear as they used to. Southern California currently sits at 1-3. Underestimating the Trojans would be a mistake, as all coaches and players would surely agree, but still, I think Colorado has the edge here. USC will likely look at the matchup vs. the Buffs as a very important game. Regardless if the Trojans are 2-3 or 1-4 by the time of next week's matchup, it'll be a turning point in their season. Colorado could have the power to really put a dent in their bowl hopes with a road win.
Keep in mind that the Buffs could very well face a USC team led by an interim head coach. If the Trojans lose another game, head coach Clay Helton could be in the hot seat facing a removal. Colorado has proved that they can function effectively on the road. Considering the possibility of a 4-1 Buffaloes team marching into Los Angeles to face a struggling USC team, I like CU's chances. This game is more than winnable.
Arizona State will be a tough game for the Buffs. It's at Folsom Field, which is an advantage. The Sun Devils play USC and UCLA before heading to Boulder to take on the Buffs. We'll see if they are still undefeated by that time. Head coach Todd Graham has an impressive offense. He's been known for the spread offensive attack during his time as a head coach but standing in the way of his hopes and dreams is the Colorado secondary, which consists entirely of upperclassmen who have played together for years and have formed a solid camaraderie.
Arizona State's defense has given up an average of 499 yards per game (404 through the air) this season. If the Buffs can put up 593 yards at Oregon, they'll put up a similar amount against ASU. I imagine the Buffs' receivers will spread the Sun Devils' defense out, and if that happens, it's going to be a long day for Graham and his Devils. Out of 128 FBS teams, ASU earned the No. 122 overall spot in the total defense department. This game will be a battle between the offensively/defensively balanced Buffs and the extremely lopsided Sun Devils. I think that CU will hold relatively well against ASU's offense. Colorado's offense should do some serious damage against the Sun Devils' defense though, which is why I see this game ending in the Buffs' favor.
But Kyle, there is one more matchup in October. It's a showdown in Stanford, Calif. on Oct. 22 to face The Cardinals. I'll leave that to you. What are you expecting?
Kyle Rini: I'll be generous here, I agree with you that every single one of these October games is more than winnable for the Buffs, well… almost. The Buffs might just make it through Oct. 21 undefeated, but not any further than that.
In the final matchup of October, they face Stanford and all-star running back Christian McCaffrey. Out of all the games this season, this is the only one I can confidently say I don't see the Buffs having a chance to win. Stanford is the new hegemon in the Pac-12. While Colorado can compete with declining powerhouses like Oregon and USC, I'm not sure they can compete with Stanford.
McCaffrey is a force of nature. This Buffaloes defense struggles against strong running attacks. The loss of senior outside linebacker Derek McCartney doesn't help the situation. McCaffrey is also a threat on kickoff and punt returns, so I can easily imagine him having a day similar to the one Jabrill Peppers of Michigan did against CU. Second running back Bryce Love has also been impressive in the run game. Quarterback Ryan Burns has proven he can make crucial throws under pressure. This Colorado defense is great, but Peppers and McCaffrey are stars because they refuse to be contained by even the best defenders.
The Cardinals have also built a strong defense, anchored by a great D-line. They will make things hard for both junior tailback Phillip Lindsay and senior quarterback Sefo Liufau. Defensive end Solomon Thomas shined last year as a freshman and is tearing offenses up as a sophomore. If the Buffs continue to rely on predictable run plays instead of drawing up more creatives schemes, Thomas could be in the backfield all day. I have faith that Liufau will be able to get a good pass game going in this contest, but I don't think it will be enough to overcome The Cardinals.
Special teams are always a question too. I've already mentioned McCaffrey's potential on returns. Colorado could also suffer from the kinds of mistakes we saw against Michigan: blocked punts and poor coverage. Junior kicker Chris Graham hasn't missed a field goal yet, but he did miss an extra point. With Diego Gonzalez out for the year, close games are very unsure. A missed field goal from Graham could make all the difference if things are close in the fourth quarter.
And all this is only if the Buffs can make it that far. Losing to declining, but still talented, USC at the coliseum would not be a surprise to me. Falling to Arizona State at home is also more than possible. Colorado will have to play mistake-free football to win-out in October. But for me, it's definitely Stanford that stands in the way of this being a realistic opportunity. | 2,016 |
[
"Charlotte Bowditch"
] | CU-Boulder ranks among top universities again; Boulder still in top college towns | cuindependent.com | The University of Colorado appears yet again on the nation's top college rating lists, ranking highly on US News & World Report's Best Colleges list as well as the top choice in Best College Reviews' Best College Towns in America.
CU was named No. 38 in the nation among public universities, and No. 92 among all universities by US News & World Report. The school's placement on yet another ranked list demonstrates a long streak of continued excellence for the institution. Colorado has also been ranked highly on Forbes in the past.
Boulder also ranked No. 5 in Best College Towns according to Best College Reviews. The town of Boulder has also previously been named the fittest by Business Insider.
"I came out here to go to school, but I've already graduated and I'm definitely staying for the town because of how much I love it here," said Caroline Brugge, who graduated with the class of 2016. | 2,016 |
[
"Jake Mauff",
"Jake Mauff Is A Copy Editor",
"Staff Writer For The Cu Independent. He Enjoys Biking",
"Hiking",
"Running In What Little Free Time That He Has",
"Has Interviewed A Variety Of Interesting People Including A Presidential Candidate."
] | Nic Morse talks environment and the presidential election | cuindependent.com | This election season marks the end of a two year cycle, which means it's time for Colorado to choose a new member for the House of Representatives.
Boulder falls into Colorado's 2nd Congressional District. Democrat Jared Polis has been the representative for the district since he was elected in the 2008 election.
This year, Polis will face GOP candidate Nic Morse in his bid for re-election. Morse is offering policies he believes the residents of district two will be in favor of.
Morse is offering a policy to help with payment of student debt. There would be a pre-tax alternative for recent graduates, once they begin paying back loans. This plan would focus on the income of the student. According to Morse, this will save the average student about $100 a month, if the student is making a salary. It would save slightly less money if the student was working an hourly job.
The GOP also wants to make funding options available for post-secondary education for tradesmen.
Morse is also focused on environmental policy, and believes that alternative energies need to offer a greater yield of energy before the country implements a greater emphasis on using it as a primary source of energy.
"I'm for government subsidies to support alternative energy, but we have to make sure that they're at the same capacity to produce the same amount of energy as oil and gas," Morse said. "And when we get to that point, then obviously we can begin to [reel] back the energy sources that are less environmentally friendly."
Morse also weighed in on broader issues, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. The TPP is a trade deal between 12 countries. Democrats have had the strongest negative attitude toward it, but these attitudes aren't limited to party lines.
Candidate Morse is opposed to the deal, and even signed a petition started by Sen. Bernie Sanders to stop the TPP.
"We can't keep passing bills, passing laws [or] international trade agreements without letting Congress negotiate those things," Morse said. "I'm a big believer in the free market, and I think that any business that has a product that it's trying to export or negotiate with should be able to [fix] its prices and determine how much is in stock and what the quantity is."
Morse is also preparing for the presidential election, though he is not campaigning for that office. The GOP candidate has offered support for Donald Trump ever since he won the party's nomination.
"I support Donald Trump because, although he may not be the perfect candidate, and like I've said before, I don't agree with all the things he's said, when I look at what Sec. Clinton has done in office, I can't vote for her," Morse said. "Is Donald perfect? No. Is he a career politician? Absolutely not. He doesn't have such a laundry list of negative political mistakes that Sec. Clinton has had."
Morse will continue to campaign until the election on Tuesday, Nov. 8. He is hoping to become the first Republican representative from district two since 1975. | 2,016 |
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in Dataset Viewer.
English CC-News 2016-2021 cleaned, deduplicated, and decontaminated.
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