THE OREDIGGER

The student voice of Mines since 1920

Volume 95, Issue 10

Recall Election Results Diversity on

in Same Outcome
Campus:
The LGBTQ
Experience
at Mines

May 4, 2015

Brett Tucker
Editor-in-Chief

about the late packet. However,

several days after the announcement that Gabrielson won, word
On the evening of April 23 rd, got out to the opposing candiDavid Gabrielson was sworn in dates about the questionable
as the new student body presi- legitimacy of the results.
We were not aware of his
dent after a controversial election
process in which a late election vice president dropping out until
packet could have altered the a week or so into the elections,
and we were campaigning at that
results.
We completed it and turned point, so we were focusing on
it in late because my original VP that task, opposing vice presidropped out one day before it dent candidate Karen OBrien
said. No
was due,
GabrielWe did not clarify, oi tn ew ak ns e wa
son said.
I talked to
after his vice president violation at
point,
Jenn and a
dropped out, when his that
and we still
few other
people and
election packet should didnt know
during the
t ol d th em
have been tur ned in. debate. It
my situwasnt until
ation and
how I still wanted to run. The the results were announced that
someone came up to me and
consensus was that we
would be able to turn it in late, told me that they thought it was
but we did break the bylaw - I am a bummer they were still allowed
to run even though they turned
not going to lie about that.
Election organizer Jerry Miller in their packet late. I asked Jenn
said there had been some mis- about it then.
According to Miller, the bylaws
communication between USG
state that a late packet would
and Gabrielson.
We did not clarify, after his result in the candidate not receivvi ce p res id ent d rop pe d out , ing a spot on the ballot. However,
when his election packet should the bylaws did not give guidance
have been turned in, Miller said. on what to do if this situation
It was our fault that we did not occurred.
Initially, they were going to
have any person at the office at
five on that Friday, so we didnt toss us out of the election, Gaknow when the packet really got brielson said.
in, which again was our fault.
The elections continued on Continued at Elections, Page 3
without any questions raised

oSTEM Representative
Guest Writer
Last week, our oSTEM group sent
out a survey to ascertain the attitude
towards the LGBTQ community on
campus. Through the responses, we
were able to determine the campus
opinion on controversial issues such
as same-sex marriage and businesses
denying services to LGBTQ individuals,
as well as how comfortable people
were around members of the community. In addition, we asked a set of
separate questions to members who
identied as part of the LGBTQ community, and were able to determine
their opinions on the attitude of the
campus towards them. We hope that
the information in this article and the results from this survey will help members
of the campus become more aware of
the issues faced by the LGBTQ community, and create a more accepting
environment on this campus.
Before I begin to analyze the data
collected during the survey, I would
like to analyze some of the aws with
the data we collected. The percentage of people who identied as male

The percentage of survey respondents who use the

term gay or faggot as an insult. For more results
from The Orediggers campus survey on LGBTQ attitudes, see page 7

accounted for 58% of the respondents.

That does match the school statistics of
73% of students identifying as male. In
addition, only 13% of the students who
answered the survey classied themselves
as graduate students, but graduate students make up around 22% of the current
student population. In addition, our team
would like to apologize if the title of the
survey caused oense, or gave the wrong
impression to any the students who took
it. This survey was carried out with serious
intent, and was aimed at solving some
the problems experienced by the LGBTQ
community on this campus.
As I was reading through the campus
responses, I noticed that some people
questioned the need for discussion of
the LGBTQ community or how they
are treated on campus. Three people
stated similar ideas that sexual preference
doesnt matter towards education. There
were also some comments which stated
that the community was simply looking
for attention and that the topic wasnt
important because the campus should be
focused on education. Other comments
noted that there isnt an LGBTQ community at Mines or that there arent any
LGBTQ people to have a climate towards.

The data provided by the survey,

however, indicates that LGBTQ students make up a signicant percentage of the schools population, that is
around fteen percent. The LGBTQ
community is not looking for attention,
but trying remediate some of the discrimination and verbal aggression they
face on campus.
It is important to understand that
the issues faced by the LGBTQ community dont pertain to what happens
in the bedrooms, but what happens
every day on campus. It is not an issue
of being part of the LGBTQ community,
but rather an issue of how people are
being treated differently according
to their sexual orientation or gender
identity.
Almost 20% of the LGBTQ students have been bullied as a result
of their sexual orientation. Taking into
account that almost 60% of the people
who identied as LGBTQ have not
revealed their sexual orientation to the
campus community, this number could
be higher.
Continued at LGBTQ, Page 7

New Club Gives Unique Yoga Experience

PHOTO CREDIT ALEX ESTRADA/OREDIGGER

Dillon Stine
Staff Writer

I met with the Acro-Yoga student organization

on Thursday, March 26th in the McNeil Room of the
Rec Center without really knowing what they did.
The group of students has plenty of nicknames for
their Acro-Yoga-centric organization; their Facebook
page is called Mines Acroyogurt, and they jokingly
refer to themselves as Acro the Gathering.
The group of eight or so students, dressed in
varying arrangements of yoga gear and workout attire, started pulling massive, thick mats from a closet
a few minutes before 9 pm. Once all of the mats had
been laid out, they began independently stretching
and chatting about new poses and positions they
had seen online and which ones they were most
excited to try out themselves.
At this point, I took off my shoes and joined everybody else on the mats. As I stretched, I nervously
asked Jeff Nichols what exactly they had planned,
and just how they planned on doing it. Jeff, the
founder of the organization along with Anna Ristuccia, just grinned and enthusiastically insisted that an
Acro-Demo was in order.
Jeff explained to me that each move in Acro-Yoga
involves at least two people. Normally one person
acts as the base while the other acts as the flyer.

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I put on my best befuddled face and just nodded in

faux understanding.
He demonstrated what it meant to be a base
by laying on his back and pulling his knees to his
chest. While he did this, Anna took to the flyer
position and slowly adjusted herself until the front of
her hips were in firm contact with the soles of Jeffs
feet. Anna then proceeded to grab Jeffs hands, and
with a quick move she was soon laying horizontally
up in the air, with nothing but Jeffs feet and hands
for support. She looked like Christopher Reeve from
the 1970s superman movies, body flat like a plank
and hands confidently stretched forward.
The position she was in is called Bird, and a
few seconds later she let go of Jeffs hands. Now
only being supported with his feet, she moved into
the Freebird position. [Insert cheesy Lynyrd Skynyrd reference here]. The two gracefully exited the
position and talked me into trying what they had
just done.
First, I based, which I found to be much more
difficult than I had anticipated (not to mention much
more stressful). Supporting a person in mid-air with
nothing but my legs was something that my hips
didnt entirely agree with.
Continued at Acro-Yoga, Page 4

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page 2

may 4, 2015

The Oredigger

Great Britian, UK - Scientists believe asthma

could be cured in ve years after nding the exact
cause of the condition and how to turn it o. The condition is caused by certain cells narrowing the pathways in the lungs, and the scientists have pinpointed
those exact cells. Fortunately, drugs already exist to
deactivate those cells and they are called calcilytics.
They are typically given to patients with osteoporosis.

Columbus, Ohio - Researchers at Ohio State

University have found that child prodigies and
autistic children share a lot more than previously
thought. The study was conducted after another
study had found that half of child prodigies had a
rst of second degree relative with autism. It was
found child prodigies and autistic children shared
a similar marker on chromosome one.

Oredigger Staff
Brett Tucker
Editor-in-Chief
Jason Lim
Managing Editor
Kyle DiSandro
Design Editor
Ronald Kem
Design Editor
Jacob Emmel
Webmaster
Amos Gwa
Business Manager
Katerina Gonzales
Content Manager
Katharyn Peterman
Content Manager
Karen Gilbert
Faculty Advisor

Sebitoli, Uganda - After a 29-month study was conducted,

it was found that wild chimpanzees exercise the same precautions as humans do when crossing roads. Conducted on over 120
chimps, the research found that they looked 92 percent of the
time before crossing the road. The study also found a few other
characteristics resembling human behavior such as waiting up for
vulnerable individuals to cross and crossing quickly, knowing the
importance of getting out of the way of cars as soon as possible.

Guinea, Africa - A new treatment

for the West-African strain of Ebola was
tested on monkeys and it was found to be
successful after a month. The cure, known
as TKM-Ebola-Guinea, was tested on
three monkeys and is slated to be tested
on humans in the second half of this year.
Scientists expressed caution with the success of the cure on the monkeys, stating
that many other cures that had been successful on animals failed the human tests.

Apache Corp. Announces Scholarship

The Apache Corporation
Apache Corp. in collaboration with the Colorado
School of Mines is pleased to announce implementation this fall of the Apache Scholars Program for CSM
petroleum-engineering sophomores and geosciences
graduate students. Apache is an enthusiastic supporter
of CSM, and is deeply committed to fostering the education of future petroleum engineers, geologists and
geophysicists through the Apache Scholars Program.
Apache representatives were honored to be the
guest speakers at a campus Society of Petroleum Engineers event on Thursday, April 9. Andrea Moritz, an
Apache reservoir engineer and CSM alumna, presented a technical discussion entitled, Field Development
101: Engineering Challenges in Growing Production
in the Permian Basin as part of the SPE-sponsored
Lunch and Learn series. Moritz, who graduated in
2012 with a bachelors degree in petroleum engineering and a minor in geology, participated in two internships with Apache in 2010 and 2011 and has been part
of the companys rotational-assignment program since
graduation. She has spent much of the past two years
working in various aspects of Apaches operations in
the Permian Basin, and with that experience as the
foundation of her presentation, provided an overview
of challenges faced in eld, production and reservoir
operations in the Deadwood region.
Following Moritz presentation, Mark McClelland, director of engineer development, highlighted Apaches
Petroleum Engineering Development program. The
program is a pathway for recent engineering graduates
like Moritz to transition from company internships to
becoming cross-functionally familiarized with Apaches
various regional operations, the ultimate goal being for
each program participant to settle into an optimal fulltime position.
McClelland also explained how the program is
supplied almost exclusively through summer internships. Apache oers two levels of summer internships
for petroleum engineers, both of which are generally 12 weeks in duration. For students between their
sophomore and junior years, Apaches eld internship
embeds them into an active oileld-operations team.
There, interns learn all facets of oileld operations by
working alongside roustabouts, mechanics, pumpers,
electricians, foreman and regulatory analysts. Interns
learn how oil and gas ows from the reservoir, is lifted upward through the wellbore and gets processed

through surface facilities to meet sales specications.

Field interns return to school in the fall with a fundamental understanding of eld operations and Apaches
safety and environmental policies. For those students
who are between their junior and senior years (and
have completed a eld internship), Apache oers an
oce-based engineering internship. Here, students
are placed in active engineering groups that focus on
drilling, completions, reservoir or production engineering. Interns are given real projects that allow them to
build on their academic courses, thus enhancing their
engineering skills. Mentors work closely with interns to
guide them through a fast-paced learning opportunity.
Both eld and oce interns give a nal presentation in
front of Apache executives, managers and senior technical sta. Apache is rmly committed to developing
outstanding engineering talent through the internship
program and will employ 41 students this summer in
eld and oce petroleum-engineering internships.
Shelly Williams, HR coordinator of Apaches U.S. internship and development programs, then outlined the
companys most recent collaboration with School of
Mines: the highly successful Apache Scholars Program.
Apache will provide $1,000 scholarships to sophomore
petroleum engineering students, and $2,500 scholarships to rst year geology and geophysics graduate
students, who meet the criteria and apply by the deadline in September 2015. The program identies promising young talent within the petroleum-engineering and
geosciences elds and introduces them early in their
academic studies to Apaches corporate vision and
culture through summer internships. Apache expects
to host nearly 90 such interns this summer in highly
sought-after positions that provide critical experience
to prepare students for work in the oil-and-gas industry. Rising petroleum-engineering sophomores and
rst-year geosciences graduate students are encouraged to apply when the submission period opens in
late August. The university will alert students who meet
the scholarship criteria and are eligible to apply. Scholarship recipients will then be notied prior to the end of
the fall semester.
The Apache Scholars Program marks the beginning of what is planned to become a long-lasting and
mutually benecial industry-academic partnership, with
additional exciting collaborations to be announced in
the future.

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Local News
Denver Zoo ocials have
released plans for a 21st century zoo, in which guests can
swim alongside polar bears
and learn about conservation in
suspended treetop classrooms.
The zoos master plan was recently approved by the Denver
City Council.
The long-awaited trial for the
shooting that was responsible
for injuring 70 people and killing 12 in the Century Aurora 16
movie theatre will begin. It has
been over 1,000 days since the
shooting took place.
The Islamic Center of Golden
is expanding to a new location
near the intersection of 19th
and Ford Streets. The center
serves about 500 people from
the Lakewood, Arvada and
Golden areas.
A local Golden student received national attention from
the White House after submitting a short video displaying
kind gestures between siblings.
A group consisting of 25 students and six instructors from
Boulder have conrmed that
they were indeed safe in Nepal
after a record earthquake impacted the region.
The United States Department of Education rejected a
proposal by the state of Colorado that could lead to nancial
consequences. The proposal
was created in order to provide
relief to districts whose students opted out of state tests.

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may 4, 2015

page 3

Evaluations Improve Teacher Performance

Joseph Hunt
Staff Writer

Most students at Mines have seen and

filled out some form of evaluation for their
instructors, like in-class surveys or the
online evaluations made available through
Blackboard or the school departments
themselves.
Student evaluations are a common method
for gauging the effectiveness of instructors in
universities and schools across the United
States, and the basic administration of them
has not changed much since their inception.
While relatively simple in nature, short in
duration, and uniformly formatted, these
evaluations have a large impact on the
career and personal teaching styles of
many instructors here at Mines. Naturally,
the question of how far these evaluations
should go in terms of determining instructor
effectiveness as well as future employment
arise within both circles of teachers and
students alike.
I spoke with Vanessa Gonzalez, Executive
Assistant for Academic Affairs, about the
basic structure of the online evaluation and its
inception last year to learn more about how,
on a rudimentary level, the system works. In
the spring semester of 2014, a new format
for the teacher evaluations was rolled out.
The Evaluation Kit, a digital structure used
to conjoin and administer evaluations was
made available for use to Mines students.
The Evaluation Kit works with Blackboard
and Banner, a form of database integrated
with Trailhead that pools information from
evaluations. The switch from paper to
digital surveys was made to avoid the costly
process of hiring individuals to manually
record and copy the many paper evaluations
administered departmentally to students.
Additionally, the online survey is greener than
the paper survey, and wastes no paper in
administration.
In the fall semester of 2014, 69.25% of
invited students responded, a slight increase
from the 68.2% rate the previous semester.
Individuals with access to the administrative
side of the system can see respondents by
department, with most averaging a 70%
participation.
Professors can see all responses from

Elections
Continued from Page 1

We in turn argued with them

and they said they should have
never violated the bylaw. Then we
went back to them and showed
them all the other bylaws they violated in the election, but they said
they were going to stick with the
bylaw that was violated and that
was the decision. Then this got
out to other people and people
started getting mad about it and
brought the issue back to the
USG. That was when USG decided to do the re-election, which I
believe was the best option.
Miller agreed that the decision
to do a re-election was the best
course of action based on another
bylaw.
After reviewing the bylaws,
it was found that the bylaws did
say those with the late packet are
not allowed on the ballot, but the
bylaws also said the ballot allows
for a write-in candidate, which
in this situation could have been
considered David and Stephanie,
he said. The problem was that
we were doing this election based
off the precedence set during the
past few years, and we never had
this problem. This seemed like the
fairest choice, all things considered.
Although the majority of those
involved felt the recall was the fair-

students approximately two days after

grades are posted, and see only the raw
data from the multiple choice answers given
by anonymous students in normal PDF files
or PDF files, including student comments.
These same results can be seen by
any student via the school library. This last
spring, Gonzalez reported that they had
roughly the same response rate, if not
higher, than before the release of the digital
evaluation. She attributed the ease of access
of the survey, which is available on personal
computers and mobile devices, to the good
response rate achieved.
Some common concerns of the system
quickly arose, including the understandable
concern that students who had withdrawn
from
classes
having access to
the
evaluations.
Vanessa
stated
that the two types
of withdrawals did
not show up in the
system, and that
individuals who had
switched classes
still have access
to the evaluations
of their previous
classes. However,
these
problems
were
addressed
promptly
and
have been fixed in
anticipation of further surveys.
While highly informative, faculty often do
not rely solely on the school-wide student
survey to fathom the performance of staff.
Many departments administer their own
surveys, and have independent methods of
administering aid to faculty who score poorly.
According to Dr. Kevin Moore, Dean of the
College of Engineering and Computational
Sciences, instructors see a scanned copy
of comments and are given a summary of
answers. While department heads are not
given a summary, they can see each summary
in the faculty members files. Additionally,
each faculty member is responsible for
giving a Faculty Data Report (FDR), which
asks the member to describe the past years
performance. This report can include what

est option, not everyone shared

that feeling.
Campus was not aware that
there was a second election. A
lot of social media was hounding us saying we were bad things
and it was fairly obvious we were
not going to be able to combat
it. I mean only 18 percent of the
student body voted in the second
election, OBrien said. The original decision of not allowing them
in the election is politically how it
should have happened. It only became a different route because of
social media.
In the end, Gabrielson won for
the second time and according to
Miller, the situation made USG realize how many flaws there were in
the bylaws and election process.
There just was not a lot of
guidance on what to do, so next
year we will revamp the bylaws
that have to deal with the election because they were really incomplete and vague, Miller said.
They could be interpreted in seven different ways.
Despite the events that took
place, Gabrielson said he still has
the same vision he originally had
for the presidency.
I ran for this position because I
wanted to help people and I didnt
believe the student voice was being as accurately represented as
it should be. I want to be able to
talk to people and see what I can
help them with, and that is what I
will do.

the faculty thought about each class and

the number of students, as well as average
ratings for how effective the instruction was.
Department heads are then given a
spreadsheet of the results, including a
narrative for the FDR of each faculty member,
in which they can elaborate on poor evaluation
scores, highlight areas of inaccuracy, and
voice faculty opinion. Department heads then
evaluate the faculty member with one of four
ratings: needs improvement, satisfactory,
excellent, or exemplary. Department heads
take into account the facultys narratives, as
well as the workload and class size, whether
the class is new, in the facultys specialization,
or a graduate-level course.
The department heads rating, Dr. Moore
says, could result
Courtesy of BaylorLariat
in an increase of
pay and can affect
an
instructors
tenure, salary and
opportunities
for
promotion.
I n t e r e s t i n g l y,
teaching faculty are
not evaluated on their
research.
Tenured
faculty create a
dossier
regarding
their tenure (usually
repeated their fifth or
sixth year), which is
then reported to the
Board of Trustees.
Deans can force department heads to pay
less, but cannot control an instructors tenure.
Dr. Hereman, Departmental Head for the
Applied Mathematics and Statistics program,
further elaborated on the process. In the
AMS department, evaluations are used to
assist the department head in determining
the progress of an instructors path to tenure,
as well as a tenured instructors progress to
promotion. Dr. Hereman stated that, at the
end of every FDR, is a written summary of
the teachers progress to promotion and/or
tenure, if applicable, as well as guiding advice
and thoughts. The dean then calibrates
and screens this summary and gives the
go-ahead for Dr. Hereman to sit down with
faculty for roughly thirty minutes and have
an open conversation about their progress

in scholarship, instruction, and research, as

well as opening the door for advice on how
the department is doing as well. Additionally,
Dr. Hereman advises faculty to showcase
their work, whether it be in a research field or
within an instructional setting, to better prove
progress is being made towards promotion.
These conversations are meant to open
up ideas for faculty to improve themselves
as well as to praise their current efforts.
For example, Dr. Paul Martin, Associate
Editor, Editor, and Editor-in-Chief of multiple
journals and also a professor at Mines, won
the Deans Excellence Award in 2014 for
unusual achievement which contributes
significantly to the quality of the students
classroom learning experience as well as
publication of high-quality, original scholarly
works in nationally recognized and externally
refereed professional journals, which was
reflected in his evaluations and praise of the
AMS department.
With a working knowledge of the
evaluation process, the question remains
how to best assist instructors in improving
their courses to better reach students and
effectively pass material along.
There are many faculty-driven and schooldriven initiatives to improve the caliber of
instruction at Mines, including the Center
for Innovative Teaching and Learning, a
new organization on campus focused on
proactively supporting faculty to advance the
quality of our students learning experiences,
advance campus discussions on pedagogy
and innovative teaching, and advocating
for and supporting faculty use of empirically
proven innovative teaching approaches.
In addition, Dr. Stephanie Claussen,
Teaching Associate Professor for Electrical
Engineering and Computer Sciences, is
involved in a young, completely voluntary
program formed in 2014 called Teaching
Triangles,
which
places
like-minded
professors together to peer evaluate
each others class instruction. The group,
consisting of 12 people in the department,
also focuses on the instructional materials
used in class.
It is a safe statement to make that faculty
are invested in the instruction they make
available to their students and are willing to
improve it, if need be.

Take your Mines Pride for a Drive

Purchase your Mines license plate today:

MinesAlumni.com/MinesPlates
Buy online or come to the alumni association at the Coolbaugh House (17th & Maple St.)

Cost: $75 tax-deductible donation + $50 DMV Fee

Ride with Pride brought to you by:

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f e a t u r e s

page 4

may 4, 2015

Mines Little Theater Shines in Jekyll and Hyde

Katrina San Nicolas
Staff Writer

Each of us is the embodiment

of two distinct forces good and
evil each ghting for supremacy inside us, says Henry Jekyll
in one of the most iconic lines
of the famous story. An exploration of the mind and personality,
the creepy tale of Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde has been challenging
readers to consider the dark elements of personality since its
original publication over one hundred years ago. With exquisite
costumes and lots of spirit, Mines
Little Theater truly brought this
story to life in their performance of
Leslie Bricusses Jekyll and Hyde:
The Musical.
First published in 1886 by
Robert Louis Stevenson, The
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde features one mans
dark transition from a respected
professional to a terrifying madmen. Dr. Henry Jekyll, seeking to
create a medicine to rid the mind
of madness, develops a serum to
separate the two. However, when
his proposition is rejected by the
Board of Directors of St. Judes
Hospital, Dr. Jekyll decides to risk
everything and use himself as the
serums rst test subject. Instantly,
he is taken over by his dark alter
ego, Edward Hyde, who wreaks
havoc upon London by disappearing each night to beat and murder
several citizens. Mr. Hydes retention of many of Dr. Jekylls experiences, enemies, and mannerisms
highlights the destructive power
of dissociative identity disorder.
With emotionally gripping music and an enthusiastic and cohesive cast, Jekyll and Hyde was
Mines Little Theaters best per-

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY ALEX ESTRADA / OREDIGGER

formance of the year by far. The

acting was well synchronized with
the music, the set included some
really cool chemistry applications,
and the dances and costumes
highlighted each actors talent
and contribution. Especially notable performances include Joshua
Homans depiction of the butler
John Utterson and Blake Sanders
performance as Dr. Henry Jekyll.
However, it was Eric Schalchs
chilling portrayal of Mr. Hyde that
truly stole the show. With a perfect evil laugh and intense movement around the stage, Schalch
had the audience hooked each
time he appeared onstage. Abby
Hentges also gave an incredible
vocal performance as Lucy Harris,
shining in each and every solo.
The biggest star of the show
was probably the pit orchestra,
playing everything from beautiful waltzes to fast pub music to
creepy background notes. The
ute solos, violin and saxophone
portions, and skilled keyboard
performance took the audience
on a rollercoaster of emotions and
really contributed to the meaning of the play. Unfortunately, the
volume of the music compared to
that of the actors microphones
did detract from some of the
scenes and could be improved for
future performances.
Overall, the play was a great
rendition of the classic story and
a big accomplishment for a theater department at an engineering
school. Aside from illustrating the
importance of artistic expression
amidst math and science, Mines
Little Theaters Jekyll and Hyde
also explored scientic ethics,
highlighted the relationship between music and emotion, and
ultimately analyzed the dichotomy
of personality that exists within
even the sanest of people.

Acro-Yoga
Continued from Page 1

After that, it was my chance to fly.

After some careful positioning and even
more praying, I was lifted into the air like a
bird. I freebirded a moment later, doing
everything in my power to keep my core
tight and remain flat in the air. I eventually breathily and sweatily got down from
my perch when I was informed that that

position was one of the easiest ones, and

is often used as a starting point for other
positionsGreat.
While observing the others in the group
dive into all varieties of impressive and
seemingly impossible positioning, I asked
Jeff Nichols what had led him to co-start
this organization. He said, We used to go
down to Boulder to [acro] classes at the
Boulder Circus Center, but that got expensive and time consuming with all the
driving. He continued, I work in the Rec
Center, and so it just became a matter of
talking to the right people and acquiring a

room on a weekly basis.

At this point, I wandered around the
room wide-eyed, impressed with all the
crazy flexibility and teamwork I was witnessing, and asked everyone the names
of their positions and how to get into
them. I saw Anna being supported upside down by an Acro guru from Boulder
named Guillaine Kirgis in a move called
Needle.
I witnessed Chase Li base Nicole
Hagstrom into a move called Vishnus
Couch. This move requires some very
flexible movements that result in the
PHOTO CREDIT ALEX ESTRADA/OREDIGGER flyer lounging on
their side with the
bases foot in their
armpit. Chase and
Nicole were kind
enough to show
me how to both
base and fly the
position.
Then I saw
Anna and Guillaine
perform a series of
moves that left me
in awe. Multiple
times Anna accidentally knocked
into the ceiling
with her feet
think about that
for a moment! One
of the moves that
the pair performed
that
impressed
me the most was
called Shoulder to
Shoulder, in which
a series of movements resulted in
Anna resting on

Mines students practising acro-yoga with the warm and welcoming Acro-Yoga Organization.

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

Guillaines shoulders with her own.

My hip cramped while attempting a
move called Throne, and I fell multiple
times attempting a move called Falling
Leaf with Stephen Semmens, who was
kind enough to deal with my ineptitude.
After seeing so many moves that required only two people, I asked Anna
what the maximum number of people she
had seen perform a move together was.
She excitedly pulled out her phone and
showed me a position in which six people
were interlocked with one another, essentially making a giant human wheel.
Apparently, there are multiple sites online
that provide pictures and instructions on
how to assemble these monstrous group
moves.
Jeff must have overheard my question to Anna, because he immediately
recruited the help of Sarah Martinez and
Taylor Heeg to create the aptly named
Dragon pose. Through a series of nearly
indiscernible movements, Sarah winded
up sitting on Jeffs shoulders, using her
feet as counterbalances to hold up Taylors torso that jutted out perpendicular
from Jeff, who stood upright as the base
of this move. Once in position, the three
of them locked joints and limbs in such a
way that they all supported one another,
allowing Jeff to walk around stomping and
roaring like a dragon. It was the perfect
Acro-Yoga move for FantasE Days!
The Acro-Yoga organization was one
of the warmest and welcoming groups
Ive ever had the pleasure of spending
time with. So if you think youre up for
the challenge of pushing your flexibility,
core strength, and trust in others to new
heights, I highly recommend reaching out
to either Jeff Nichols or Anna Ristuccia

n e w s

may 4, 2015

page 5

Impactful Research in Brown

Abby Zimmerman
Staff Writer

to Filatov, a group of volunteer

Mines students had participated
in a trial to test which motor
settings gave users the best
People all over the world
feedback. The volunteers were
are working to improve human
set up with the arm and harness
prostheses.
This
research
system, but their view of the
is exciting, innovative, and
hand was blocked. They were
potentially life-changing. When
then given sponges of varying
I read about all of the different
degrees of stiffness, and asked
ways that researchers are
to report the haptic feedback
looking to improve prosthetic
they were receiving. Could they
limb technology, I find myself
tell when they were squeezing
wanting to join in. How can I,
a hard sponge versus a soft
an undergraduate engineering
sponge? At what motor setting
student, learn more about
was the feedback they received
prosthesis
research?
How
most clear? Both this trial and
can I begin to gain a better
future trials seek to answer these
understanding
about
these
questions and allow for further
advancements and how they
advancements of the Haptic
work? Much to my surprise, the
Tunable
Impedance
answers to my questions
are located much closer
All I have to do to get Prosthesis.
After
all
of
the
than I thought. All I have
closer look at ground- explanations,
Filatov
to do to get a closer a
look at ground-breaking breaking prosthesis research offered me the chance
to try out the prosthesis.
prosthesis research is take
a trip to the basement of is take a trip to the base- Feeling excited, I then
Brown Building.
ment of the Brown Building. got set up with the arm
on my right side and the
The Biomechatronics
Research Lab run by Dr. Ozkan is moved, the hand opens and harness on my left. First, he has
Celik, is a large, open room. closes accordingly. A small motor me close the hand without any
There are various desks, tables, on the arm runs in conjunction impedance from the motor. I
and pieces of equipment spread with
MATLAB/Simulink.
The opened and closed it by shifting
throughout the space. As I program communicates with the the weight of my shoulder.
walked in, I was greeted by motor and enables the variation After I was comfortable with
Anton Filatov a PhD student in of the amount of force that is the movement, Filatov used the
Systems Engineering, who also required to close the hand. computer program to run the
happens to be my Dynamics TA. Changing the resistance felt when motor and vary the impedance.
I know Filatov as someone who closing the hand gives the user He changed a few of the different
explains concepts from class haptic feedback. This feedback settings and has me try them
and helps me with homework system makes the prosthetic arm out. On the highest impedance
problems. I now see him in an act much more like a human limb setting, I really felt the difference
entirely new context as he gave with greatly improved sensitivity when I closed the hand. Its like
I could tell, with the prosthetic
me a tour of the lab.
parameters.
Although there are many
Not only did I learn about arm, that I was actually gripping
projects to learn about, we the basic set-up of the system, a rigid object. When I felt the
focused on the Haptic Tunable I also got a better idea of some effects of this technology myself,
Impedance Prosthesis. On first of the testing that has already all of the explanations of haptic
observation, I noticed that the been done using it. According impedance started to click into

arm is made from 3D printed

plastic and various machined
parts. There are several wires
feeding from the prosthesis
over to the computer sitting
nearby. According to the labs
website, the purpose of this
specific project is to achieve
complete flexibility in adjusting
the relationship between the grip
force generated at the prehensor
based on subjects contralateral
shoulder movement.
Filatov explained to me that the
system includes a harness that
is secured around the shoulder
on the side opposite from the
mechanical arm. The harness
is attached to a cable, so that
when the contralateral shoulder

place in my brain. I was truly

beginning to see the value of the
research that is being done here.
As I sat in class later that day,
I thought about the amazing
research that is being done here.
Its one thing to read articles
about cool, scientific news thats
happening across the country
or across the world. But to be
able to see it on your very own
campus is a whole new level
of awesomeness. Our fellow
students, TAs, and professors are
working to change the world. I
think most students are oblivious
to a lot of this research. It is easy
to get caught up in homework,
tests, and the stress of it all. It is

easy to complain about school

because its so hard sometimes.
The Biomechatronics Research
Lab, however, has put things
into perspective and helped me
to remember some important
things. We each chose Mines for
a reason. We chose science and
engineering with a purpose. So
the next time I want to scream
when Im stuck on a homework
problem or the next time I walk
into an exam with a sense of
dread, Ill remember that there
are people like Anton Filatov on
our very own campus, doing
research that will one day change
lives. And we can, and should,
become a part of that, too.

Mines Alumni Start Online Clothing Business

Ethan Meeks
Staff Writer

Starting a business is no easy task. Like many creative

processes, entrepreneurship is a path fraught with an
abundance of both risk and reward. In some ways the
working mans ideal of making a living off the sweat of your
brow and the strength of your determination resonates
with the challenge of starting a business in the ultra
competitive market of modern industry.
In such a challenging environment, it takes a special
type of mindset to weather the storm of obstacles and
hardships that come with creating a lasting business.
The founders of Belong Designs, Shamus McNutt, Mark
Grubbs Jr, and Ben Thomson, were willing to share
some great insights on what budding entrepreneurs
must face in the rushing tide that is todays market.
A online clothing vendor started by a small group
of Mines alumni, Belong Designs dove into the raging
waters. Follow your passion, do what you love,
find where you belong. With this set of core beliefs
driving them forward, the team got to work constructing a
brand that would cater to others that could get behind the
ideas that their company was built on. These beliefs have
fueled and continue to fuel the actions of the company as
they fight to overcome the tides of todays market.
To date, Belng has attended a number of promotional
and commercial events, standing alongside big name
brands such as Oakley, Vans, and Volcrum. Some of these
events include: the Go Pro Games, Rail Jam, and Snowball
Music Festival. The founders focus on making a brand
with integrity that produces quality products has given
them an audience that respects the goods that Belong
produces as well as the ideal they are trying to chase.
The team has pride in what they are working to create,
putting hours upon hours into building up their business.
They are strong believers in the value of sweat equity and
a good work ethic, throwing their all into whatever path
they decide to pursue and avoiding shortcuts at every
turn. The group has worked hard to create what they have
today, but their journey was not as simple as a straight line

full of elbow grease.

From the outset, Belong Designs was buffeted by
obstacles, each testing the fledgling companys mettle.
Problems ranged from trying to minimize the unit cost,
while maintaining the quality of the apparell, to dealing
with customer concerns in a manner that leaves both the
customer satisfied and the integrity of the business intact.
The team had a steep learning curve to overcome during
their transition from engineering to business. On top of
having to adapt to the new setting, each obstacle would
build upon the last, amounting to setback after setback,
each putting stress on the emerging companys finances
and workload.
In such an early stage of development, even seemingly

little concerns will require time and potentially money

to correct, which many people may not think of when
beginning their own business. Running at optimal capacity
at all times looks good on a spreadsheet, but in practice
the Belong team had a hard time remembering a day
where [they] havent had at least one obstacle.
The Belong team may have said it best: We are
chasing our dream, were not enduring it.
When they are faced with setbacks, they deal with
them and work through them because for them there
is no other option. The guys at Belong Designs have
experienced numerous hardships in their journey to start
their company, but at the end of the day, they go to bed
appreciating the effort they put into pursuing their beliefs,
not some potential paycheck. The founders mentioned
that the hardest part of starting their business was not
putting the work in, but rather making the commitment to
make Belong Designs something meaningful, a lifestyle as
opposed to a hobby.
Through it all, each of the members stuck together,

hiking up each obstacle in lockstep with a harness to

connect them all. When one of them fell the others would
pull them back onto their feet and keep marching right on
forwards, through every financial loss, faulty test result,
and lost opportunity. And they still continue to climb today,
trudging up mountain with the peak nowhere in sight, but
an set of ideals lighting their path.
Belong team expressed gratitude towards the Mines
staff, especially the Mines student activity committee and
Kelsi Busol for supporting them, and continuing to support
them, along the way. Additionally, they are thankful for all
the people that are following and/or leading the way in
the movement to pursue your passion, because without
them they would not be able to do what they love.
In the future, the team has expressed interest in
developing products unique to their company, most
likely involving the action/sports industry. They also
plan on investing in a physical location where their
goods can be sold in a traditional storefront setting
rather than just on their website and event booths.
The next few years hold massive potential for the
emerging company and they are gearing up to accomplish
some amazing things.
Belong Designs is currently searching for a School of
Mines engineering intern who shares in their mission to
help people follow their passion in life. Students interest
in working with this great group of guys can contact them
about applying through their store website.
From their start as a relatively unknown online clothing
vendor to becoming a company capable of standing
alongside the likes of Oakley and Volcrum in a marketing
setting, Belong Designs has carved out its own path in
todays industry. With their supply of quality casual wear
as well as their growing footprint in the sports industry, the
Belong team has earned the support of their customers
with copious amounts of hard work and mental fortitude.
Though their journey is far from over, with obstacles
continuing to line their path in spades, their story stands
as a testament to the value of following your passion even
in a world where your dreams run on the path of most
resistance.

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page 6

m i n i n g

e n g i n e e r i n g

Department in Review:
Mining Engineering
Jeremy Yong
Staff Writer
This week, The Oredigger sat down
with Dr. Priscilla Nelson to discuss both
the current and future outlooks of Mining
Engineering. Dr. Priscilla Nelson has been
the Mining Engineering Department Head
since the start of 2014, and boasts extensive past experience with well-known
universities like New Jersey Institute of
Technology (NJIT) and University of Texas
at Austin.
The Mining Engineering Department
has been around ever since the inception of Colorado School of Mines, and according to Dr. Nelson, mining engineering
is the profession of choice for the people
who want to be a steward of the earths
resources.
Dr. Nelson stressed that this program
is more than just building a mine and processing the ore. Instead, pursuing a degree in mining engineering heavily involves
thinking about sustainability, life cycles
and earth resources. With an appreciation
for sustainability, the social aspects with
regards to the communities living near the
mining areas are treated just as important
as the engineering aspect of the operations.
Therefore, the responsibilities as a
steward of resources include the safety
aspects, environmental aspects, social aspects and cradle-to-grave aspects of the
mine. Dr. Nelson believes that students
who understand the responsibilities of a
steward of the earths resources will adopt
a holistic approach in the program.
In this management-conscious age,
todays mining industry needs graduates
who are not just technically sound in engineering, but who also can progress quickly through supervision and into management. Dr. Nelson remarked that many of
the graduates from the mining department
in the past have moved into management.
A student enrolled in the mining department can opt to take a technical track or
move into a management track. People
who stay in the technical aspect of the
program tend to move towards working as
an exploration engineer whose job primarily involves finding deposits, or towards
mine management.
Management is also in line with stewardship. Hence, the department offers
courses in mine management, risk management and dealing with uncertainties.
These courses deal with the understanding of uncertainties in production, equipment maintenance and the financial aspect
of a project. Along with these important
skill sets, geology in mining is also necessary to understand how earth materials
vary. Dr. Nelson considers graduates with
the ability to recognize risks and manage
the uncertainties to be in high demand in
the industry.
According to the Office of Mine Safety
and Health Research (OMSHR), the number of occupational mining fatalities and
non-fatal lost time injuries has been declining over the years.
Dr. Nelson regards safety to be of the
upmost importance in mining, and reckons the need for a very strong program in
safety training for mining. Dr. Nelson even
hinted on plans to develop a degree program in safety engineering at Mines, as
there has not been a profession that solely
practices safety in the industry yet.
With regards to future plans of the mining department, arrangements to develop
courses on sustainability and social aspects together with the Liberal Arts and International Studies (LAIS) department and
the Division of Economics and Business at
Mines are in place. In addition, there are
plans to reach out to other departments

such as the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department on campus to forge

partnerships. The ability to reach out to
other departments is one of the traits that
make Colorado School of Mines unique
and truly outstanding.
The current Mining Engineering Department consists of 125 undergraduate students and 18 faculty members - a student
to faculty ratio of seven to one.
The department is also welcoming eight
more students from Brazil over the summer
to aid in graduate students research projects that involve rock excavation, which
is only one of the many research projects
taking place in such an active department.
With $1,433,922 of grants awarded to
the department in 2014 alone, there are
17 research projects currently underway.
In addition to the center found on campus, Edgar Mines located up at Idaho
Springs is one of our universitys landmarks since 1865. In fact, a 150th birthday party will be held this coming fall for
Edgar Mines. Edgar Mines is used by students for a range of different classes, from
mining, to geophysics, to petroleum. It is
also used as a research center for students. Recently, a 1 million dollars grant
was awarded by Freeport to upgrade the
infrastructure in Edgar Mines.
When quizzed on the future of the mining industry, Dr. Nelson believes that there
will be an increase in underground excavation activities in urban areas. Cities
would want to be more centralized and not
spread out. Hence, activities such as drilling and blasting have to be done properly
to mitigate vibration and other potential
problems for people living in urban areas.
There will also be more research conducted on blasting in urban environments,
which fits in the construction program as
well as the mining program.
Dr. Nelson observed that the mining
industry is heavily linked to the financial
aspect of the market, with a response to
the mining market surfacing when prices
of other commodities decrease. Dr. Nelson
admitted that there will always be ups and
downs in the industry, but students usually
do not have problems seeking internships
or even employment.
For prospective students still deciding on a university, Dr. Nelson maintained
that there are about fourteen programs
specializing in mining engineering in the
United States. However, there are plans
underway for Colorado School of Mines
to be the biggest program in the United
States in terms of faculty.
This year, the department will be hiring two new faculty, and nine more the
year after. A close bond exists between
enrolled students, the department and its
faculty. A major event the department is
passionately invovled in is the Mines Rescue Team. Annually, Mines competes in
mining games that involve safety and rescue operations, for which they have been
nationally recognized.
Besides that, Mines has an extremely
high reputation in the industry, and the
drive to continue its growth suggests that
this is the university of choice for prospective mining engineers.
Dr. Nelson asserted that there is a
need to change the essence of stewardship by getting people who never thought
to be involved in mining to join this growing field. For instance, students from an
EPICS course will be going to Edgar Mines
near the end of the semester. There are
also plans for another similar trip to provide students with an exposure to mining
engineering. Dr. Nelson hopes that with an
increased exposure to mining engineering,
students may understand the importance
of stewardship and develop an interest in
this field.

may 4 2015

Favorite Professor

Easiest Class

Toughest Class

Research experience with faculty?

Undergraduate Placement Rate: 96%

Graduate Placement Rate: 100%
Undergraduate Average Starting Salary: $67,740
Graduate Average Starting Salary: N/A
Number of Students: 125
Number of Faculty: 18
Student:Faculty Ratio: 6.9: 1

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

o s t e m

may 4, 2015

Heteronormativity and the Sex Survey

Nick Hamblin and Sean McGinley
Guest Writers

To understand the sex survey in the context of the LGBTQ+

community, there first must be a discussion of heteronormativity
and its effect on the community. Simply put, heteronormativity
assumes that all people are straight. This assumption is based
on the belief that people identify as either a man or a woman,
and that these gender roles are opposite and complementary
to each other, and that sexual attraction only fits within these
complementary gender roles.
However, none of those beliefs are the reality.
Heteronormativity is pervasive throughout all aspects
of society, including the Mines campus. The effect of
heteronormativity on those of us who are not straight or
cisgender is erasing or silencing our identities and lives. It makes
us invisible. It keeps our experiences from being heard. On
our campus specifically, heteronormativity plays out through
assumptions that there are no LGBTQ+ people at Mines.
Engineers do not fit the typical stereotypes that LGBTQ+ people
are associated with, and the general assumption is that we just
dont exist here at an engineering school.
Speaking of the sex survey, there were some positive things
in regard to the LGBTQ+ community. For one, it allowed people
to identify their own gender and sexuality through the other
option. By not automatically assuming that everyone identifies
as straight and cisgender, the sex survey did, in part, battle

heteronormativity.
However, the sex survey failed to do much more than
ask how people identify. There were several things that were
problematic with the survey. Firstly, the survey conflated sex
with gender. Sex refers to the biological parts you have and
the chromosomes youre born with, for example, male and
female. Gender refers to how you identify within the social
construct of gender and gender roles, such as man or woman.
They are separate. Also, regarding sexual orientation, the survey
used terms like homosexual and heterosexual. To the
LGBTQ+ community, homosexual is a term that is pretty much
only used by people who tell us that were sinful or immoral. This
term has a lot of stigma attached to it. Its not an identity word
that the LGBTQ+ community uses for themselves. Rather, we
use terms like gay or lesbian to identify ourselves, and are
therefore more respectful to use. Even straight sounds more
friendly than heterosexual.
The sex survey also made the assumption that everyone
wants to have sex. There were no questions asking if people had
the desire to be sexually active, or if they were sexually active.
This line of questioning inherently erases the experiences of the
asexual community, who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
The sex survey was also problematic in listing sexual activities
that are normal for LGBTQ+ people in the list of items that were
clearly considered to be kinky, or leaving it off the list altogether.
Anal sex was put in the same category as threesomes and
role play. Anal sex is just normal sex for many people who

LGBTQ Community Responds

Do you change your actions/behavior

to seem more heteronormative or
pass as straight?

Do you feel safe holding a same-sex

partners hand on campus?

identify as LGBTQ+. Labelling LGBTQ+ sex as kinky has the

effect of othering LGBTQ+ people. Also, the ways in which
LGBTQ+ people experience sex, such as hand jobs, fingering,
and mutual masturbation, were not among the options for the
question what do you consider to be sex? - thereby erasing
our experiences. Similarly, the STD protection category of the
survey left out options for safe sex between female people who
have sex with other female people.
But as a whole, we were left with the feeling that the survey
didnt even ask the questions we really want to answer. It didnt
ask the things that come up in discussions within the LGBTQ+
community when we talk about sex and intimacy. And while
they may not be specifically about how we have sex, they do
impact our intimate lives with our partners. The questions that
really start to share our stories are Do you feel safe holding
your partners hand in public? Do you feel safe sharing a kiss
with your partner in public spaces? Does having sex with your
partner ban you from donating blood? Have you ever been
mistreated by a medical personnel because of the gender of
your sex partner?
Heteronormativity stigmatizes intimacy between LGBTQ+
people, and erases the experiences of those people.
Unfortunately, heteronormativity was pervasive throughout the
sex survey. However, I am glad that the sex survey was done
because it opened the door for communication and dialogue
about these things, which is the first step toward combatting
heteronormativity and its effects on the LGBTQ+ community.

Written Comments

Concerns and stories?

I found the process of coming out to my friends more
enjoyable and relieving than I thought it would be.
I havent been bullied here, but often get the sense
that people arent comfortable with the gender I
present. My sexuality feels like less of an issue in
the eyes of those around me than the way I prefer to
dress. Sometimes it feels impossible to fit in because
people see me as being too weird or different. No
matter how hard I try to get to know and relate to
them, they dont try back. I think I end up getting left
out because it is easier for them.

To what degree are you out on the Mines campus?

As a female, I find it much easier to come out as

bisexual to my male friends. I have not come out to
my three female roommates because Im scared how
they would react. The only other girls Ive told are my
two closest friends from elementary school.

Have you ever been bullied by other

students because of your gender identity?

LGBTQ
Continued from page 1

A The use of words such as

gay or faggot by 30% of the
student population can create an
atmosphere which makes it difficult for LGBTQ individuals to feel
comfortable expressing their sexuality. The results indicated that about
70% of the schools LGBTQ individuals alter their actions in some say to
be accepted on the Mines campus.
In addition, many of the LGBTQ
members do not feel safe displaying identifiers of their relationship,
such as holding hands or kissing, in
public. No one should be harassed
or mistreated on the Mines campus.
While the survey did reveal some
challenges faced by the LGBTQ individuals on campus, there is strong
potential for the campus environment to improve.
Many people on campus are not
directly affected by discrimination
and are not aware of the fact that it
exists, or that it strongly affects the
daily lives of fellow students. Regardless, this discrimination is pres-

Do you feel safe kissing a same-sex

partner on campus

ent, and directly reflects the quality

of our campus.
Over 75% of the respondents
designated themselves as allies to
the LGBTQ community and would
live with people of the same gender
who does not identify as straight.
Many of the LGBTQ students in
the survey signified their want for
increased awareness about samesex couples and transgendered
individuals, and for these to be considered a normal part of student
life. Others expressed a desire for
the campus to learn about the differences between gender identity,
gender, and sex, as well as the different types of identification.
As an ally, it is easy to support
the LGBTQ community by attending Safe Zone trainings, and supporting other students when they
are bullied or they feel unsafe on
campus. Almost 75% would share
a bathroom with a transgender student. Only 6% of students of Mines
say that a friend coming out would
negatively affect their friendship. In
light of this positive information, we
hope that the LGBTQ community
will feel more comfortable attending Mines and interacting with other
students.

page 7

Being part of Mines varsity athletics is extremely

hard as a gay male. I dont know of anyone who is
openly gay on our sports teams...I would not feel
comfortable telling any of my teammates or coaches
about my sexuality. It frustrates and saddens me
when I hear openly gay people say things like Oh,
everyone needs to come out to everyone or that they
think its easy because its really not for an athlete.
Its an entirely different situation because I am with
these people most of my time here and I feel like I
cant be open about myself out of fear of how my
teammates, coaches, program, and entire athletics
community would react. I read all these articles about
how gay athletes are being accepted at their schools
and whatnot, but Mines is completely different: the
athletics program is extremely masculine and hetero.

How would you describe the

climate of the Mines campus
towards LGBTQ people?
Vastly improved since I joined the staff in
2002. I feel that LGBTQ students feel safer
to reveal their gender identification. Sigma
Lambda has an increased presence on the
campus and has helped LGBTQ students
bond. I'm also impressed with Public Safety
who attended a Sigma Lambda meeting to
assure the members that they have the right
to a safe, non-bullying experience on campus and that the department would respond
to harassment calls from LGBTQ students.
Hostile, taboo, or tragically funny outside
the circle. Weirdly pushy cliques inside the
circle to come out farther. The Mines environment doesnt really have much social
pressure, which makes it a great place for
LGBTQ people to be themselves. People
here are more concerned with professionalism. LGBTQ people are not judged as
having a sexuality Im uncomfortable with
but rather are labeled as unprofessional
just so homophobes can be politically correct. I think it would help the entire campus
community to encourage people to express
themselves in all ways, not just regarding
LGBTQ issues, and to judge people by the
quality of their work instead of their outward
personality and appearance.

I feel like the community at mines is accepting and would rather worry about
school than social issues.

The Mines Community Responds

How comfortable would you feel using the same
bathroom as a transgender person?

Do you consider yourself an ally of the

LGBTQ community?

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What is your sexual orientation?

Do up support same-sex marriage?

f e a t u r e s

page 8

april 27, 2015

How Spotify Is Revolutionizing Our Music

Hunter Chase
Staff Writer

streaming site of our generation thus far. But what

does this site mean to the
average Mines student
and their music listening
habits? In the Mines Music Survey, only an underwhelming 9.7% of the
total respondents ranked
the importance of music
in their lives as a 2 or a 1.
This signies that for most
college students, music
plays at least a moderate
role in their life. The highest response, with 44.4%
of the vote, was that music ranked as a 4 on the
scale of importance in the
average college students
life. This data establishes
that most Mines students
are probably informed
about music technology
and innovation.
Moving forward with
the data from the survey,
when respondents were
demand listening. Taylor Swift and similar artists argue that
asked
what
services
they
use
for
music listening purposes,
their work holds a greater value compared to the Spotify
the
top
three
choices
were
Spotify
(35.3%), iTunes (22.2%),
model of streaming. And according to Taylor Swift, she lost
out on millions of prots while her music was on Spotify and and Pandora (21%). This signies that while the current
Mines generation are on the cutting edge of STEM,
they are also readily embracing the trend of music streaming. With the success of Spotify and the
prominence of Google Androids in recent years, it is
not surprising that iTunes came out behind the wildly successful streaming model. However, after this
point, the data gets a bit confusing and paradoxical.
Although most Mines students and sta rate
music as somewhat important in their lives, when
asked what their opinion was surrounding services
like Spotify, the results showed an almost even split
between liking streaming because it is cheaper than
buying music (36.4%) and not having an opinion
about streaming (36.6%). How could this happen?
How could students simultaneously care about music but not have an opinion about how they consume it? It is a real possibility that we did not ask the
right questions to get the right answers. However,
the survey may have yielded the results it did because most students see no real dierence between
owning music or streaming music. Spotify eectively
capitalises on this fact by oering the free version
and the Premium version that both oer thousands
of artists and immediate gratication. In fact, of
those who use Spotify streaming on this campus,
78.7% use the free version. It is a fact that streaming
is
cheaper
and more convenient than buying and loading
only made about $500,000 in the one year before she pulled
her music. This begs the question that if a Top 10 Billboard songs into an iTunes library. The Spotify service is extremely
artist is not making money, what does this mean about the enticing and could be the next revolution in how music is
starving artists who put their music on the streaming site? consumed.
But what does this predict about our youthful generaObviously it means their music is more accessible but what
tions views on music and art? Although Mines is not a
do they forego in lost prots?
Whether or not Spotify is a benecial service for ev- typical college with a wide variety of majors and students,
eryone, they have created arguably the most innovative the students on this campus are more than just engineers
or scientists; we are artists,
musicians, writers, buildHow do you mainly consume your music?
ers, creative thinkers and so
much more. So could Spotify
represent a positive revolution whereby music and arts
are more readily available to
the average person? It is possible that the trend of college
students choosing to stream
their music could help spark
creative dialogues on this
campus that would not have
happened otherwise. Perhaps, this could empower
the next wave of engineers
and scientists of this campus
to have a more encompassing and holistic education in
regards to art, music, and
literature. Or, Spotifys prominence could just represent a
rapid decline into consumerism. Both of these scenarios
are merely speculation. However, as many of the students
on this campus are destined
for leadership, we have the
power to inuence the legacy
this school will hold.

How important is music in your daily life on a scale of 1 to 5

(5 being most important and 1 least important)?

A revolution occurred on October

23rd, 2001 that forever changed how
each and every one of us perceive
and listen to music. No longer were
we required to carry around weighty
cases of CDs and Walkmens. The
changing of the guard allowed us
to carry innitely many tracks in the
palm of our hands wherever we
pleased. All we had to do was own
those songs on our personal computers. The revolutionary icon was
Apples iPod.
Single-handedly, Apple implanted
a culture of egocentricism that, in
the case of busy college students, allows us to express our individuality in
an educational system that doesnt
always allow promotion of our cultural and musical tastes. In this way,
the iPod allows us to quietly indulge
in our music interests without imposing those interests on others.
The power to listen to a multitude
of songs from separate genres, artists, and albums in succession continually fed a culture that
was eager to get its hands on all the music it could. While
businesses like iTunes were legal avenues for consumers to
purchase music, inevitably this lead to the rise of
internet downloadable content sites like Napster,
LimeWire, and The Pirate Bay that argued for the
free ownership of music and other downloadable
content. Apples revolutionary eect on music
ownership is still being bitterly fought by antipiracy groups and governments alike, although it
appears to be a fruitless ght.
One major player that is taking music ownership in an innovative direction is Spotify, with their
plan to remove simultaneous ownership from
artists and consumers through a paid streaming
service. It works like this: for a paid subscription
of $9.99 a month (or $4.99 for college students),
consumers get unlimited access to Spotifys music library of thousands of artists that are willing
to sign away their copyrights (and album sales) in
order to have their music more easily heard, while
reducing piracy crimes.
The merits of Spotifys argument are not easily
dismissed by the average music lover and especially not by poor college students who cannot
always aord the music they would otherwise
miss out on. Spotifys sound quality is on par with
what would be expected from a local le located
in your personal iTunes account, and the fact that
it doesnt take up much hard drive space is a plus.
Spotify currently has 60 million active users in 58 countries and of those active users, 15 million users pay $10/
month for the premium service. In addition, the company
has paid out $2 billion in royalties to artists over the course
of Spotifys existence. It advertises that it pays out more
than twice the amount royalties currently paid out by competitor streaming services.
Despite all the benets of Spotify to college students and music lovers, the streaming service
causes an inevitable debate as
to whether streaming gives musicians and music listeners more or
less control over the music they
produce and consume.
Streaming music means that
a listener does not directly own
that track and hence a listeners
ability to listen to music when in
an oine environment is directly
impacted. This can create a real
issue for audiophiles who take
pride in meticulously organizing
their personal iTunes library. For
those who do not value the ownership of a musical library, this is
not a problem and Spotify is the
perfect, streamlined service. But
for those who revel in ownership,
Spotify is missing a critical piece
of the music listening experience
by demeaning music to an assigned dollar amount.
In addition, popular artists like
Taylor Swift have taken a stand
against the streaming revolution
by pulling their music from on-

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f e a t u r e s

may 4, 2015

page 9

Lamars Surprise Release Breaks Records

Dillon Stine
Staff Writer

Originally slated to be released on Monday, March 23rd,

Kendrick Lamars third studio album To Pimp A Buttery
shocked rap fans when it mysteriously appeared on Spotify
in its entirety a week early on March 16th. The surprise
release soon gathered the attention of music lovers and
acquired over 9.6 million streams on Spotify within 24
hours, breaking the record of 9.5 million streams within 24
hours previously set by Michael Bubles Christmas-themed
album.
The highly-anticipated album follows his 2012 platinum
selling good kid, m.A.A.d city, which established
Kendrick Lamar as one of hip-hops most dynamic and
powerful gures. While good kid, m.A.A.d city felt like a
movie with intertwining motifs of family, faith, and violence,
To Pimp A Buttery changes the dynamic, oering a
series of vignettes that are lled with recurring characters
who dier in their perspectives on self-doubt, race, and
the harrows of fame.
The album opens with Wesleys Theory, a great high
tempo track that explodes with energy thanks to Lamars
impeccable rapping ow and tenacity. Legendary bassist
Thundercat supplies a wavy, thumping bassline that drives
the song and provides a great backing melody for Lamars
vocals. George Clinton of Parliament Funkadelic, one of
the fathers of the P-Funk movement of the early 1970s,
contributes vocals throughout the song and makes it clear
that this album is not afraid to funk things up.
Dr. Dre makes a quick cameo in the song with a kind
of radio-static lter over his voice. His message is clear,
making it to the top of the rap game isnt nearly as dicult
as it is to stay atop. This message perfectly introduces the
album; Lamar is perfectly aware that he has worked his
way to the top of the genre, and he intends on nothing less
than delivering the perfect album and keeping his throne.
These Walls and For Sale sound similar to Wesleys
Theory, with funky soundscapes that eortlessly weave in

and around Lamars fast paced raps.

For Sale has high pitched female-centric choruses
that echo and swirl throughout the song, while a feathery
light synthesizer dances up and down behind the tight
basslines once again played by Thundercat. The song is
an amalgamation of its many parts that all fade in and out
through the four minute runtime; Lamars voice acts as the
glue holding all the pieces together, and his lyrics focus on
an interpretation of the devil as a woman named Lucy, who
feeds o of his perceived inadequacies and insecurities in
an attempt to break him psychologically.
These Walls is my personal favorite track on To
Pimp A Buttery. Its a true showcase of Lamars rapping
prowess (that is otherworldly throughout the entirety of
the album). His high pitched and somewhat raspy voice
masterfully twists its way through rhyme schemes that are
accompanied by calypso-sounding guitar, piano, and bass
trills that blink in and out of the foreground of the songs
jazz-like soundscape.
Saxophone leads are sprinkled throughout the song
and provide a soulful and emotional undercurrent that tie
into Lamars wordplay. The story centers around the dark
underbelly associated with a life of fame and glamour. This
provides the perfect counterbalance to the songs upbeat
instrumentation. The combination of lyrics, vocal delivery,
and backing track create a laid back vibe that emanates a
melancholic feeling.
i, the Grammy winning rst single o of To Pimp A
Buttery exists in a dierent form here on the album. This
version of the song strips away much of the production and
polish that made the single version such a strong pop-rap
tune. The underlying guitar ri remains mostly unchanged,
but Lamars rapping suddenly seems more in line with the
rest of the album. When belting out the lyric When you
lookin at me, tell me what do you see? Lamars voice
hits falsetto highs that make this version feel hungrier and
more tenacious. The song is anked on each side with the
audio of a street ght breaking out, with Lamar eventually
cutting his rapping short to oer words of wisdom and
peace to the two prospective ghters.

Momma, u, and Mortal Man are also highlights of

the album in their own unique ways. In Momma, Lamar
once again lets his emotional lyrics loose. He eloquently
ties his success and fame to his struggles and experiences
rooted back in Compton, at one point dropping my favorite
quote of the album: I know what I know and I know it well
not to ever forget\\Until I realized I didnt know s#@t\\The
day I came home.
Lamars insecurities branch from Momma into u.
Lamar raps about how his rise to fame has painfully
ended friendships and relationships, compromised his
street-credit, and led to a constant battle with depression.
Lamars voice is distraught and vulnerable in u, a
technique he uses frequently to incite emotional reactions
within his listeners.
To Pimp A Buttery ends on the track Mortal Man,
which kind of acts as an epilogue to the album. The song
is twelve minutes long, and after the fth minute mark all
melody and rhythm disappear. All thats left is Kendrick
Lamars voice calmly reading through a poem that ends
with a sudden fever-dream like conversation with the
deceased 2Pac. Lamar continuously questions the ghost
of 2Pac on how he handled fame and where he sees
the hip-hop genre moving toward in the future. Lamar
expresses his thoughts through 2Pacs answers using the
deceased rapper as a representation for his own beliefs.
Its a unique way to end an album, and it demands multiple
listens to truly dig out all of the meaning tucked away
within their conversation.
To Pimp A Buttery is both wildly condent and mired
in self-doubt. A half-piece jazz band and collaborations
from funk legends ensure that each track sounds
powerful and crisp, providing the perfect landscape for
Lamars expertly written lyrics to roam. Lamars rapping
throughout the album is superb; his rhymes and tempo are
amazingly uid and each line is seemingly able to elicit an
emotional reaction from the listener. Kendrick Lamar may
have established himself with good kid, m.A.A.d city, but
To Pimp A Buttery builds upon that foundation to lay out
Lamar as one of hip-hops true modern day kings.

improvisational than polished. Gulch, for example, seems

to sacrice a more traditional rhythm for a more experimental
sound. While fans of the style will appreciate these tracks, it is
unlikely that outside listeners will appreciate these pieces.
It is important, though, to remember that Forward
Escape also features tracks on the other end of the spectrum:
The Bedraggling plays almost moodily in a more reective

Forward Escape, as a whole, uently plays through a

53-minute trip without feeling repetitive or derivative of other
music. Each piece is interesting and distinct, and yet plays
well together in sequence. It is just as fun to jump right into
any of the albums songs as it is to sit down and enjoy it in
its entirety. Notable tracks include the light and playful Apex
of the Vortex, and the almost drum and bass Reverse
Dross Maneuver. Fans of Tippers more ambient works will
appreciate Table Flipping and Rip Cord.
Successfully synthesizing and mastering sounds has
been a point of diculty in much of electronica lately, often
alienating listeners not familiar to it with heavily modied
sounds and almost noisy creations. While it is indeed dicult
to appreciate from the outside, listeners not particularly fond of
the genre will enjoy the more ambient side of Tippers music,
of which Forward Escape has in plenty. Similarly, a listener
not familiar with Glitch will likely nd Tippers tasteful use of
its distinct rhythm highly enjoyable at best, interesting and
noteworthy at worst.
This album, along with much of his body of work, proves
to be a valuable addition to the already burgeoning collective
of modern electronic music to those who are familiar with his
work as well as those who are not. It is highly recommended
that new listeners should not stop here; Tippers work suits
tastes of many varieties with a potent and large body of work
spanning years of experience. If, however, one must listen
to just one album alone, Forward Escape remains a strong
and reliable example of Tippers ability to compose music of
consistently high caliber.

New Album Excels in Electronica Genre

Joe Hunt
Sta Writer

Forward Escape is David Tippers latest full-length album,

released in 2014. Tippers trademark sound blends an
amalgamation of glitch and trip hop with healthy amounts of
melodious, ambient soundscapes in an ever fascinating and
easily listenable format. In a genre as diverse as electronica,
it is notable indeed that Tippers work remains unique and
easily distinguishable from the masses - a trend that Forward
Escape strongly emphasizes.
David Tipper began his musical career as a DJ, gradually
progressing upwards with a multitude of record labels,
before nally settling with his independent label Tippermusic
and releasing much of his work digitally on various platforms
including iTunes, Beatport, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and
Spotify. Tipper has released a respectably large volume of
music since the beginning of his career: 12 full-length albums
and 11 EPs, the latest of which, Fathoms, was released this
year.
Forward Escape features a healthy variety of uptempo,
kinetic tracks interspersed with mellow pieces, oering a variety
of tastes for fans. Listeners will be pleasantly surprised at how
easily many tracks ow from beginning to end while remaining
true to the Glitch genre. There are moments, however, when
the tracks play almost overwhelmingly, and seem more

Forward Escape, by Android Jones http://androidjones.com

tone, and Life Raft for a Death Trip follows a darker, heavier
melody. This album remains highly variable in nature, retaining
the endearing qualities of modern electronica and its many subgenres while showcasing the more creative and unique styles
of the musician behind it.

Kodaline Compared to European Greats U2 and Coldplay

Sarah Dewar
Staff Writer

Alternative rock band Kodaline has just released their

second album, Coming Up for Air. The band is composed
of four male members from Dublin, Steve Garrigan, Vinnie
May, Jason Boland, and Mark Prednergast, who have
known each other since their childhood. Garrigan and
Prendergast were the original members, but performed
under the band name 21 Demands. In 2012, the current
four members changed the band name to Kodaline and
signed with RCA Records.
New listeners of Kodaline might have the feeling that
they have heard this band before and for good reason
Kodaline has been compared to Coldplay, U2, and Kings
of Leon. While these comparisons may seem dramatic
for a band as seemingly underdeveloped as Kodaline,

many listeners feel that these are entirely justied claims.

Kodaline released their rst full length album in 2013. In
A Perfect World was an instant success in the groups
native Ireland, and shared some success in Britain as
well. However, the band has not broken through into the
American music scene until just recently with Coming Up
For Air.
This album follows their rst albums musical style,
driven by guitars and drums, but also introduces elements
from the indie/electronic genre. There is denitely a variety
of songs that falls between the alternative and indie genre.
Some songs, such as Human Again, lend themselves to
a truer traditional rock sound, while other songs, such as
Coming Alive, almost break through into the pop rock
genre.
Kodaline continues their North American tour into midMay, stopping in most major cities. Unfortunately, Kodaline
will not be making a stop in Denver. Hopefully the band

will continue to gain popularity among American listeners

and eventually play a show in Colorado. Kodaline is the
archetype group to play a show at Red Rocks, and fervent
enthusiasts for the group can only hope the band visits
sometime in the near future, bringing their Irish sound to a
live Denver audience.

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f e a t u r e s

may 4, 2015

Kingsman Delivers Action-Packed Laughs

Erica Dettmer-Radtke
Staff Writer

As summer approaches, many

Mines students will have more time
to catch up on the movies that they
missed throughout the semester.
One of the best action movies
to hit theaters this spring was
Kingsman: The Secret Service.
Although the title sounds slightly
corny the movie was really well
done overall. If youre in the mood
for some classic action, the lm
contains ght scenes that Quentin
Tarantino would have been proud
of. Directed by Matthew Vaughn,
this movie is based on the comic
book The Secret Service by Dave
Gibbons and Mark Miller.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
follows the story of a top-secret
spy organization that is going
through recruitment. Gary Eggsy
Urwin gets recruited to the
program and must undergo the
highly competitive training program
that the Service uses. However,
Eggsy has some serious attitude
problems as well as family issues.
Of course, the movie would not be
complete without a villain. While all
of this is happening, a global threat
is emerging from a warped tech

Coutesy of Indiewire

genius.
The cast of this movie did a
phenomenal job. Colin Firth plays
the classic good guy, and impresses
critics everywhere although he
is not usually an action man. He

chooses Eggsy, played by Taron

Egerton, for the Kingsman service.
But the best element of the movie
was Samuel L. Jacksons portrayal
of the villain. Jackson makes for
a very eccentric and interesting

villain in this movie, one that

cannot stand the sight of blood,
yet he wants a lot of people dead.
Adding to the action, his sidekick
has knives for feet. In the lm, there
are also appearances by Michael

Caine, Mark Hamill, and Mark

Strong. Although the cast is maledominated, the female characters
that do appear are strong-willed
and more than capable.
This movie is rated R, and for
good reason. There are a lot of gory
images and there is a fair amount
of strong language. However, both
of these elements contribute to
the lms action-themed nature. In
some ways, the lm is very similar to
the Bond movies, but there is a bit
more swearing and a darker humor
in Kingsman, aspects that Mines
students will probably appreciate.
Perhaps some of the violence is a
little over-the-top, and the humor a
little dirty, but this gives it a dierent
twist to the typical classic action
movie. Kingsman denitely does
not take itself too seriously.
A perfect choice for watching
over the summer, Kingsman has
a lot to oer. On top of a great cast
and general quirkiness, Kingsman
also features an above-average
soundtrack. The original music
was composed by Henry Jackman
and Matthew Margeson. While the
lm is rather humorous, there are
also some important lessons about
family. All in all, this movie is a
fantastic pick if you are looking for
a quirky action romp.

Top Ten Movies with Laughable Science

Erica Dettmer-Radtke
Staff Writer

the movie is inaccurate, such as not ruining materials that it would actually burn right through.
9. Chain Reaction - In this movie, two researchers who are a part of an alternative energy
project are put on the run because they are framed for treason and murder. The government
does not want the technology to be spread because people are not prepared for it. Despite
being about physicists, the movie dees many of the laws of physics. Other laws that are
violated in this movie are the laws of time and space.
10.The 6th Day - This is the story about a man who meets a clone of himself, thereby
uncovering a conspiracy about clones taking over the world. These clones do not really abide
by the scientic rules and conventions we know. Although the movie is futuristic, the science
is probably too advanced for the society depicted in the movie and could be impossible.

There are movies that have questionable science, and then there are movies that have
science so bad it makes you stop and question all of the science that you know and believe
in. Mines students seem to notice these aws more than most. While both todays and
yesterdays lms may be entertaining to watch with good special eects, many contain
science that simply is not realistic. The laws of physics do not seem to be actual laws in these
movies. Here are some movies that are guaranteed to make you both shiver in disgust and
laugh in amusement at the bad science that they contain.
1. Armageddon - Armageddon is notorious for its bad science. A couple of scientists
discover that a Texas-sized asteroid is going to hit Earth in less than a
month. NASA then puts together a team of drillers whose job it is to save
the planet. These drillers are sent to the asteroid to essentially split it in half
so that the parts will y past the Earth.
2. The Core - The core of the Earth has stopped rotating and scientists
must drill into it to get it to begin rotating again. Basic geology and geophysics
is not the strong suit of this movie. Real scientists and semi-intelligent movie
reviewers everywhere can agree that this movie got a lot of science wrong.
3. The Day After Tomorrow - This movie follows the basic assumption
that global warming is going to hit the Earth in a split second or two and
that we are going to descend into an ice age. First of all, fast descending ice
ages still take a decade or two to expand over the world, not just a couple
of days. Second of all, when all of the water in the movie freezes because of
this sudden impossible ice age, it does not expand like it should.
4. Deep Impact - Deep Impact follows the story of a comet that is
about to hit the Earth and a team attempts to get the comet o course.
Bad science ensues primarily in the astronomy category. For example, at
one point a professional astronomer is sitting in his lab with his telescope,
surrounded by lights and computers. He should be in the dark so that
he can actually use the telescope. Many scientic inaccuracies are made
throughout the movie.
5. Megafault - This is a disaster movie at its most scientically disastrous.
Miners trigger an earthquake that essentially spreads across the United
States. The earthquake and the giant rift crack that the earthquake creates
wreaks havoc. This is not actually how earthquakes work, as most people
know. Various other scientic blunders also occur.
6. 2012 - 2012 centers around the plot premise that neutrinos from
a solar are heat up the core of the Earth. This essentially ends life as we
think of it now. However, scientically speaking, neutrinos just pass through
matter without doing anything as signicant as starting the apocalypse, so
2012 is sure to make the physicists at your movie night laugh.
7. Mission to Mars- After the rst manned mission to Mars is met with
disaster, another mission is sent up to investigate and rescue any survivors.
This movie ignores the laws of physics in space. While some of the movies
physics is accurate, most are not. Also, the company that sends up the
www.rrcc.edu
astronauts makes decisions that NASA would never make, such as sending
all four of their astronauts out on a mission at the same time.
8. Volcano - A volcano appears underneath Los Angeles and disaster
happens. A volcano in the L.A. area is very unlikely due to the plate
tectonicsin the area. Besides that, a signicant portion of the lava science in

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ine, evening, or
weekend courses at Red Rocks. Clearly, our
exceptional (and
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But if you are, wed love to share stories fro

m students just
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To learn more, visit www.rrcc.edu/stories

Apply Now. Summer And Fall Registration

Is Now Open!

Hear stories from students like you who are transferring

their credits to CSM and saving thousands on their
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f e a t u r e s

may 4, 2015

page 11

Creative Writing Corner THE MINES FUND IMPACTS

All stories continued at Oredigger.net

Bird: Chapter 6
Amber Hill - Staff Writer

Im sorry, I blurt out before I can stop. My eyes

start to heat up, and I laugh humorlessly to myself as
I turn my head further away from her. I didnt expect
them to just show up there.
Hey. She gets to her feet and I feel her hands on
my shoulders. Its just a broken house in the woods.
The cabin isnt a big deal. And the men arent either.
Youre safe. Thats all that matters.
That sounds cliche. I meet her eyes and we share a
smile.

You dont need to worry about them. You got

away. And they wont ever see you again. She smiles,
and I cant help but remember Birds insistence on my
meeting others. I try not to furrow my brows. I feel my
wings move restlessly at my back.
Yeah, I say, not really focusing on her face when I
glance back up at her.
Nobody ever does, she says, not if you dont
want them to.
My wings shift again.

Cornelia: Part 1
Grant DeShazer - Staff Writer
Given that he has asked us to carefully record everything that crosses our mind for later analysis, I want
to make it perfectly clear that I do not believe that this
record will be in any way useful. To my reader, I want
to make it clear that the events recounted in this personal journal are being told only because it is required
of me. Most likely if you are reading this then you already know the nature of my work and the purpose of
this research endeavor.
However, if on the very slim chance that this project

is declassied I will start from the very beginning. Also,

I am being asked to start at the beginning, so dont get
it in your mind I am doing this for you. And it certainly
isnt for me.
About a year ago I, along with Dr. Selridge were
contacted by REDACTED with an opportunity to
come work on a new emerging technology. At the
time we were told that we would be ying out to a
facility near Silicon Valley in California. Although now
I would hardly call this a small facility. But I digress.

Ten: Chapter 3

J. West - Staff Writer

Yesterday was a whirlwind. I did not have time to

journal last night about my Ceremony, so I will do so
now. Before I begin, I must preface this by saying that
what I am about to write is not what happened ofcially. It is what actually happened, but hopefully no
one else will ever know.
I know that by writing the truth in this journal, I am
from now on going to constantly worry about whose
hands hold this journal, and which eyes peruse its
contents. This journal is my co-conspirator in events
that may in the future prove life-threatening.
Now that Ive gotten the terribleness o of my

chest, I can at least say that the Ceremony was actually quite nice. Mom and Dad were obviously nervous, but I think by the end they at least settled down
enough to swallow some of the chocolate cake. They
were expecting the worst. The worst, according to the
ocial record, did not happen.
My letter is still unopened, and it is lying at the bottom of the hidden compartment in the back of my
closet. There it will stay until I see t to otherwise remove it. It must not be opened.
Of course, I did read a letter aloud at the ceremony.
It just wasnt mine. It was all made up.

YOUR STUDENT EXPERIENCE

STUDENT LIFE
Cutting-Edge
Technology
Graduate
Support

10%

16%

STUDENT
LIFE INITIATIVES

53%

Scholarships

21%

100%

Students who
enjoy traditions
like E-Days
funded in part by
The Mines Fund

21%

of The Mines Fund supports

leadership opportunities, student
clubs/organizations and traditions

2,211

Number of
donors to
The Mines Fund
in Fiscal Year
of 2014

180

Number of student
organizations at Mines
supported in part by
The Mines Fund

Glimpses of Another Life:

The Girl on the Train Book Review

Learn how THE MINES FUND

exponentially impacts your experience
at giving.mines.edu/students

Katrina San Nicolas

Staff Writer

Sometimes it is easy to look into someone elses

life, fill in the blanks, and make up a story. That guy on
the football team is a star athlete living his high school
dream, the beautiful girl in physics class is confident
and happy, and the kid in calculus class who answers
all the questions is a mathematical genius who will
be an excellent engineer someday. Looking from
the outside in is human nature, but Paula Hawkins
explores the fragile essence of making up little stories
in her new bestselling novel The Girl on the Train.
Protagonist Rachel Watson is a recently divorced
alcoholic, taking life one day at a time as she faces the
cold reality of her broken relationship. Every morning,
she takes the slow-moving 8:04 AM train from her
home in Ashbury to her work in Euston, and every
morning, she takes a peek into the life of a couple
living along the route. With movie-star good looks
and a great relationship, the man and his wife seem
to be happy, healthy, and completely in love. They
are a testament to everything that Rachel yearns for
and does not havethat is, until Rachel catches the
woman kissing a man who is not her husband and the
illusion shatters. When Rachel discovers the woman is
missing a few days later, she becomes engrossed in
the intricacies of the womans life beyond the curtains.
Paula Hawkinss debut novel is a well-written
character study that will grab hold of readers from the
very first page to the very last. While the prose is simple

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and direct, The Girl on the Train is told from a variety

of perspectives that reveal just how contradictory
first impressions can be. It turns out that the woman,
Megan, was depressed and lost, while her husband,
Scott, was overprotective and prying. Other characters
were also far from what they initially seemed to be like.
One of the best parts of this novel is how easy it is to
read within a few sittings and how well the plot and
characters are portrayed throughout the pages. While
many mystery novels have dozens of characters and
plots that require effort and determination to follow,
this story manages to be compelling and emotional
without all of the extra complexity.
Above all, The Girl on the Train is a thoughtprovoking novel that analyzes the truth about
relationships and the need for people to find their
own purpose in life. While Rachel is a sad character,
she is also relatable as she represents the gnawing
depression that comes with a bad breakup or a major
job loss. Hawkins similarly uses Rachels determination
and strength to reveal the importance of moving on
from difficult situations and not sugar-coating past
memories. The story is also unique in that Rachel is
definitely not the typical heroine; many novelists tend
to create protagonists who are attractive, emotionally
stable, and hardly ever fail, but Rachel is portrayed to
be so real that she could walk out of the pages and
straight into the hardships of everyday life.
With suspense and depth, The Girl on the Train
is an excellent read that will forever change the way
readers judge others. However, make sure not to start
this novel during finals because it is nearly impossible
to put down!

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may 4, 2015

Ant-Man - July 17, 2015 - With a super-suit that

is able to shrink in scale but increase in strength, conman and thief Scott Lang must become a hero and
help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym. They must plan and
execute a heist that will presumably save planet Earth.
Starring Paul Rudd, Hayley Atwell, Judy Greer, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Douglas, Ant-Man is the second
Marvel movie coming out this summer. Peyton Reed
directed this movie and Christophe Beck (Frozen)
composed the original score.

Terminator Genisys - July 1, 2015 - Any movie

that stars Arnold Schwarzenegger is bound to have
at least a little bit of action. Directed by Alan Taylor,
the movie co-stars Emilia Clarke and Jai Courtney. The
character Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) is sent back to the
past to protect John Connors mother (Emilia Clarke).
Instead of nding a meek waitress, as he is told to expect, Reese instead nds Sarah as a skilled ghter.
He ends up teaming up with her and another aging
terminator (Schwarzenegger) to stop the thing that the
future fears, Judgement Day.

Fantastic Four - August 7, 2015 - This remake has

a good chance of being better than the 2005 original.
The story follows four scientists who end up with superhuman abilities after a experiment goes wrong. The
four must learn how to harness their new abilities and
work together as they attempt to save the Earth from a
tyrant. Miles Teller, Kata Mara, Jamie Bell, and Michael
B. Jordan (not the basketball player) star as the Fantastic
Four. Toby Kebbell and Tim Blake Nelson also appear in
this lm.

Summer Movies to Watch For

Erica Dettmer-Radtke

Avengers: Age of Ultron - May 1, 2015 - The new

Avengers movie is bound to be a great ride. Written
and directed by Joss Whedon, and produced by Kevin
Feige, it has a star-studded cast. Robert Downey Jr.,
Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson,
and Mark Rualo return as their original characters.
Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders will also be
back. However, there are two new characters in the
lm, Wanda and Pietro Maximo, played by Aaron
Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen respectively. Tony
Stark attempts to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping
program and things do not go as planned (when do
they ever?) The fate of the planet rests in the hands of
the Avengers, who must overcome Ultron and his evil
plans.

Jurassic World- June 12, 2015 - Based on the novel by Michael Crichton, directed by Colin Trevorrow, and
produced by Steven Spielberg, this new installment into
the Jurassic Park series is going to be an epic actionadventure. Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic
Park, Isla Nublar now has a dinosaur theme park that is
supposedly fully functioning, Jurassic World. It has been
in operation for ten years and now its visitor rates are
declining. To to ll a corporate mandate, they create a
new attraction which ends up backring. Starring Chris
Pratt, Judy Greer, Ty Simpkins, and Jake Johnson, this
movie should give you the fright of the summer.

Pitch Perfect 2 - May 15, 2015 - Anna Kendrick,

Rebel Wilson, Skylar Astin, and the rest of the original
stars return in the second Pitch Perfect installment. Our
favorite a cappella group, the Barden Bellas, enter an
international competition. No American group has ever
won the competition and it is up to the Bellas to prove
that they can regain their status. Directed by Elizabeth
Banks, this movie is bound to be as fun and comical as
the rst installment.

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