The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Friday, October 12, 2012

‘Spring Awakening’ breaks all the rules

Hint: All of them are a-maze-ing

COLLEGIANT H E R O C K Y M O U N T A I N

By Emily Kribs� e Rocky Mountain Collegian

It’s October, and everyone knows what that means. Leaves are falling, we’re more than half-way through the semester and it’s time to get our spook on. � e problem with that is we’re all too old to be scared of witches and ghosts anymore, so we have to pay people to terrify us… with chainsaws.

I’m talking corn mazes here, and while they can be fun, they can also just be trite. With prices ranging up to $25 a person, it’s not like you can aff ord to screw this up. To help you out, here’s a quick guide to sort the cher from the cheap and the corny from the creepy.

Total bad corn puns in this article: 7

Harvest Farm’s Fall Festival Most of these farms are, in fact, farms. So

while Harvest Farm is hands-down the most typi-cal of these three as a corn maze, it remains the most unconventional as a farm.

“� e whole aspect of the farm itself diff erenti-ates it. We’re part of the Denver Rescue Mission, which is a non-profi t organization,” said Amy Os-trowski, Fall Festival Director.

Specifi cally, that’s drug and alcohol rehabilita-

tion. Sounds like fun, right?A total of 70 participants live, learn and work

on the farm, taking classes and working out their issues by working on the land.

Part of the corny aspect comes in when you real-ize that this maze isn’t scary in the slightest. It’s cut to celebrate the Fall Festival’s 10th anniversary and the town of Wellington. It’s also mainly geared toward kids and families, and surrounded by other events like a barrel train, a campfi re, a playground and a pumpkin patch. I don’t know about you, but I’m seeing a theme there, and it’s fear-free family fun.

It also has some corn cannons and a pumpkin smash attraction, if that’s what drives you, but if you must know, you can take a baseball bat to a gourd at home.

While not really the wild time you might have had in mind, it’s defi nitely a good cause; all money goes to-ward running the farm and aiding rehabilitation.

Cost: $15-$23Website: HarvestFarm.net

Fritzler Corn Maize Despite the name, this place isn’t one you

could call “corny.” � at’s not the word for a place with something called the “Alcorntraz/Zombie Slayer Paintball” adventure.

“We have four customized school buses, loaded with paintball guns, and a corn fi eld full of targets, zombies and escaped prisoners,” said Glen Fritzler, owner and obvious namesake for Fritzler Corn Maize.

“� e fi rst year we worried it’d be hard to get people [to play the zombies and escaped prisoners and get shot at], but they had a lot of fun and got a bunch of their friends to come do it, too. � ey’re well-protected,” he explained. “� ey do feel it, but there’s no pain.”

Other features include a petting zoo, pony rides, a slide mountain, a freaking helicopter ride, pumpkin patches, a playground, a corn box (which is like a sandbox but… yeah, you get it) and some-thing called a Verti-Scope that’s basically a life-sized optical illusion.

“We’ve been at this for 13 years,” Fritzler said, “and we made a commitment that very fi rst year to add something new every year so it’s a diff erent experience.”

� e mazes themselves are cool enough to see

why you’d want to put in for a helicopter ride.Finally, there’s the scary maze, which is where

things start getting… corny. � ere’s two parts: the fi rst one, which is kid-appropriate and never haunted, and the part where people jump out at you. With chainsaws. � ere’s not much new to be off ered here, but if you’re down for zombie hunt-ing you might as well enjoy the full experience.

Cost: $13-$35Website: FritzlerMaze.com

Something from the Corn All haunted mazes are supposed to be on the

eccentric side, but the owners of Something from the Corn take intensity to another level.

“We’re both engineers,” explained Eric Clarke, referring to himself and his co-owner, John Dory, “so I think we’re pretty creative.” And they’d have to be, to come up with new innovations every year — or as Clarke called them, scarevations (He let me make an executive decision on how that was spelled).

“Rather than just have speakers lying around, which is expensive and not that scary, we have you slide into a tunnel, we have you swing on a rope to an island, we have a snake crawl, we have a meat

See Maze on Page 3

Check the weather, and dress warmly. Did you go to Homecoming? It’ll be like that, except more fun.

MAZE TIPS

By Lianna Salva� e Rocky Mountain Collegian

Take away the set and the props of a theatrical performance and what do you have? An opportunity to get up close and personal with the struggles and confusions of 19th century 14-year-olds in CSU’s new-est production, “Spring Awakening.”

� is play breaks the convention-al rules of theater. A forest is made of green light, a courtroom bathed in blue and a dive into the confused minds of teenage boys turns bright, almost blinding, pink. � ere is no set, no furniture and no props.

Challenging at fi rst, the lack of concrete set gave actors the freedom to imagine the space.

“Working really simplistically forces you to focus on what you’re do-ing as an actor in the scene with your body,” said Mary Kate Tracey, sopho-more chemical engineering major. Tracey plays Wendla, an innocent and naïve girl who begs for understanding of the adult world in the play.

� e play is advertised as “In-your-face” theater, a style that provides close

contact with the controversial themes of rape, suicide and sexual awareness.

“� ere are rules in social situa-tions. � e great thing about theater is we don’t have to have those rules,” said Garrett Ayers, guest director.

“Spring Awakening” was a risky move for the CSU � eater depart-ment because of the controversial content, however, Ayers brings an important lesson to the CSU stage.

“It’s a children’s tragedy because they’re the innocent ones, and not in-nocent in the sense that they don’t bear responsibility for their actions, but that they’re depending on all the adults to be role models for them,” Ayers said.

“If it’s a warning for anything is a very simple one: you have no control over what will happen to your child but you know that they will grow up. It’s a reminder that says regardless of your point of view, make informed choices out of love,” he said.

Junior theater major John Er-ickson plays Moritz, a stumbling, misunderstood boy who feels pres-sured by his parents and teachers.

Erickson compared the world of the play to today’s society.

“People still aren’t comfortable talk-ing about those themes, and thus a lot of those same accidents happen. (� e play) is like the “It Gets Better” campaign; it’s about fi nally telling people information that they should know, but no one’s ever told them,” Erickson said.

Some members of the cast are roommates; others had never met until auditions. For a guest director and a cast of friends and strangers, trust had to be the ultimate goal for a good performance.

“Everybody has just jumped in; the enthusiasm is something that I’ve loved,” Ayers said. “It’s been a real treat for me and it’s made me a better director.”

� e energy has been challenged within the past week.

On Oct. 7, junior environmental health major Jason Laub was hit by a car while biking to the UCA to get ready for performance that night. Laub is in the male ensemble of the cast, playing both a student and a professor.

� e accident occurred on Eliza-beth and Taft —hours before cur-tain. Laub had minor injuries to his knees and wrists after jumping off his bike to avoid the car coming out

of a parking lot, but instead rolled over the hood of the car.

“� e girl who was driving the car was nice enough to give me a ride to the UCA,” Laub said. “I was still in shock; after about half an hour the pain started to settle in. Our stage manager got a fi rst aid kit, I took a few ibuprofen and went on stage.”

� is is the third time in the past year that CSU theater students have gotten into car accidents on the day of a show, Laub said.

“I’m always so impressed of doing shows here because of the profession-alism and the dedication,” Laub said.

UCA Beat Reporter Lianna Salva can be reached at [email protected].

What: “Spring Awakening” by Frank Wedekind

When: Oct. 11 - 21, 7:30 pm Where: Studio � eater, Uni-

versity Center for the Arts Cost: $9 Students, $18 Gen-

eral Public

SHOW DETAILS

CALENDAR Brandi Carlile and Blitzen Trapper

Date night cooking class

India Nite

Engineering Exploration Day

Swing dancing on a Saturday

Fall Clothing

Guide (I cardigans)

‘All that Jazz’

happenin’ in FoCo

ILLUSTRATION BY HUNTER THOMPSON

pg2

pg3

pg5(I cardigans)

Sophomore Mary Kate Tracey plays the role of Wendla for the UCA’s performance of “Spring Awakening.” The UCA will be holding performances through to October 21st.

KEVIN JOHANSEN | COLLEGIAN

2 Friday, October 12, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

By Kevin Bartz� e Rocky Mountain Collegian

It is o� cial. � ere is snow on the mountains. But it is not time to wax up those skis or that board yet. � e hiking season goes down swinging until the mounds of snow smother it. So keep on trekking.

� is week, I recommend tak-ing a trip up Round Mountain. It is a steep 4.5 miles in the big � ompson Canyon. It’s worth ev-ery step. Seriously, this trail has some spectacular sights.

� e trail starts with a very steep climb through dense for-est. Only a few steps and the trailhead disappears in the greenery. Also, at the start, the trail is very wide and easy to follow. But once the trail curves into a set of switchbacks that weave up the side of the canyon, it levels out a little and narrows.

When I did this hike, there was a slight dusting of snow. � e trail is very easy to lose. Quick tip: follow footsteps. But if you do lose it, pay particular atten-

tion to the trees. You should see the space between them where the trail runs.

At the end of almost every switchback, you’ll � nd a great view of the Big � ompson Can-yon from above, slithering be-tween the foothills. You’ll also see a wide panorama of the foot-hills, the plains, Fort Collins and Loveland.

Shortly after the rocky switchbacks start, there are a few dips. � is makes for a nice break from the climb. But save the en-ergy for the uphill on the return.

� e whole time that you’re on this side of the mountain, you’ll hear the whispering rush of the Big � ompson River (it’s unreal).

� en the trail curves around to the backside of the mountain. Here, you’ll hike at the base of some stunningly golden cli� s and through some narrow rock formations. If you like to boul-der, I recommend coming up here when it warms up.

� e trail continues to curve around the mountain, encircling the summit. From the west side,

you’ll see a sweeping view of the Front Range and Long’s Peak. With the snow, they literally glow in the distance. You’ll � nd some great spots for a new pro� le pic.

I would say that the views along the trail serve as compen-sation for the summit. At the top, there still is a lot of tree cover, so there are not as many views. But other hikers have built some pretty impressive carns (rocks stacked on top of one another to help other hik-ers know they are on the right path). Check it out!

To get here, take College Avenue, Shields Street or Taft Hill Road down into Loveland. Turn Left on Eisenhower Boule-vard (Highway 34). Continue up the Big � ompson Canyon. You will pass Viestenz-Smith Picnic area on the right. Go another 50 yards and the trailhead will be on the left. If the trailhead is full, park in the picnic area. No worries about a fee — it’s free.

Collegian writer Kevin Bartz can be reached at [email protected].

Hike in the foothills (don’t mind the snow)

A guide to shopping as the weather gets a little bit colderBy Emily Smith� e Rocky Mountain Collegian

It’s that time of year again — the leaves are changing colors, Starbucks is serving pumpkin spice lattes and women everywhere are losing their men to fantasy football.

� at’s right, it’s o� cially fall, which means it’s time to update your wardrobe for the new season. Don’t fret — Fort Col-lins o� ers several shopping options for “autumn-izing” your closet, so grab your wallet and a friend and prepare to drop some dough.

Old Town Fort Collins1. Kansas City Kitty

Location: 136 N. College Ave.Website: www.kckitty.comPrice range: $20-$60

The apparel and accessories at Kansas City Kitty match the quaint cuteness of its feline nomenclature. An independent boutique in Fort Collins, Kansas City Kitty offers unique, handmade items for both guys and gals. For ladies, there is a selection of interestingly-patterned car-digans and chunky pastel sweaters that are perfect for Colorado’s sporadic fall weather. Plenty of scarves and burgundy and navy blue-colored tights round out the fall apparel lineup. Men can choose from scarves, flannels, and “Coloradical” tees and snapback hats.

2. CiraLocation: 21 Old Town SquareWebsite: “Cira Ltd.” Facebook pagePrice range: $30-$100

Clothing boutique Cira o� ers a wide array of fall fashions for young women.

Trendy merchandise at the store includes sheer button-up tops (great for layering), bomber jackets, studded combat boots and a range of accessories from scarves and bags to earrings and hats. � e boutique is ideal for � nding distinctive, colorful pieces and dressier items.

Near Campus3. GG Boutique

Location: 204 W. Laurel St. Website: “GG Boutique” Facebook page Price range: $10-$30

GG Boutique, which recently opened in August, o� ers a great mix of tanks, tees, sweaters and jackets — all important when layering your out� ts for the fall season. Standout items include a polka-dot blazer, a gold sequin long-sleeved dress, burnt orange skinny jeans and black over-the-knee eques-trian boots that are an essential item in any girl’s fall wardrobe. GG is a great option for the more fashion-forward Fort Collins-ites among us.

South College Avenue4. Plato’s Closet

Location: 4372 S. College Ave. Website: www.platoscloset.com Price Range: $5-$70

Plato’s Closet sells used clothes (gasp). If you want to save money without sacri� cing style, Plato’s is your home. � ey only sell pre-viously owned clothing that is gently used and brand name. � e clothes are even reviewed by a buyer before purchasing them to decide if they are stylish enough and in good enough condition to be sold at the store. Plato’s cur-rently lists its “Top 10 Trends” as moccasins, feminine sweatshirts, embellished sheer, fall vests, colored denim, structured handbags,

peplum tops, military jackets, statement scarves and pretty jewelry.

Harmony Road5. DSW

Location: 4431 Corbett Drive #1004 Website: www.dsw.com Price Range: $15-$150

You can’t forget one of the most im-portant aspects of any fall wardrobe — shoes. DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) carries a huge selection of boots, sandals, heels and � ats for women, plus dress shoes, boots, sandals and sneakers for men. � ere really is something for everyone at DSW. Boots are a de� nite must for this time of year. Popular styles for women include over-the-knee riding boots, lace-up com-bat boots, fringed boots, cowboy boots and spike-heeled stiletto boots. Combat boots, lace-up leather boots and suede boots are popular among men’s styles.

6. Charming Charlie Location: 2721 Council Tree Ave. #101 Website: www.charmingcharlie.com Price Range: $5-$30

Charming Charlie is mainly an acces-sories retailer. � ey carry everything from headbands, earrings and necklaces to brace-lets, rings, purses and even some dresses and other apparel. � e sheer volume of accesso-ries in the store is somewhat overwhelming at � rst, but if you’re looking for jewelry, chances are good that you will � nd some-thing here. Charming Charlie’s merchandise is arranged by color, which makes it easy to � nd that perfect accent item to match your fall out� ts.

Collegian writer Emily Smith can be reached at [email protected].

WEEKEND EXCURSION GUIDE

By Davis English� e Rocky Mountain Collegian

� is � ctional column is based on the Ramtalk, “If CSU is an institution of higher learn-ing, why can’t people learn to � ush the toilet after they’re done?” which originally ap-peared in the Oct. 5 Collegian.

Colorado State Universi-ty recently began o� ering a new class to frequent bath-room users entitled “Forget Something?” Bathroom pa-trons at CSU are notorious for not � ushing their BMs down the toilet, and other re-stroom goers have been com-plaining for some time now.

A preliminary study was taken, and 90 percent of students reported that they do not use the � ushing mechanism on the toilets in CSU bathrooms. Out of this

90 percent, 80 percent also reported not washing their hands. Another small percent of that 80 percent reported eating afterwards as well. Ew.

� e � rst “Forget Some-thing?” class was held Wednesday in Clark A104. All of the seats were tak-en. � e lecture covered the broad topic of proper toilet � ushing technique. Flushing after the use of toilet paper was a topic that was covered in the class. � e students were stunned.

Sophomore student, Chanler Frederic, attended the class on Wednesday.

“My roommates get mad at me for not � ushing the toilet, and I’m always all ‘what’s the big deal, guys?’” Frederic said. “Now I under-stand the big deal — it’s re-ally gross.”

Each of the students

made a vow to � ush the toilet every time they were even in a bathroom once the class � nished. Although this class was helpful to many, others were looking to con-tinue their education about bathroom etiquette. � ere is a 10-step program enti-tled “Flush the Movement to Start Improvement” that many students jumped at.

“I really enjoyed the class, but I would like to take my knowledge of � ush-ing to the next level,” said Cawlin Finnigin, a notorious � ush-forgetter.

Finnigin will be par-taking in the 10-step pro-gram, which will be held at the Denver Coliseum next � ursday. Tickets are ex-pected to sell out.

Collegian writer Davis English can be reached at [email protected].

New Class at CSU (OMG)

“I really enjoyed the class, but I would like to take my knowledge to the next level.”

RAM TALK ... THE REST OF THE STORY

Fall in love with a new cardigan

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COLLEGIANT H E R O C K Y M O U N T A I N

Lory Student Center Box 13Fort Collins, CO 80523

This publication is not an offi cial publication of Colorado State University, but is pub-lished by an independent corporation using the name ‘The Rocky Mountain Collegian’ pursuant to a license granted by CSU. The Rocky Mountain Collegian is a 10,000-circu-lation student-run newspaper intended as a public forum. It publishes fi ve days a week during the regular fall and spring semesters. During the last eight weeks of summer Collegian distribution drops to 4,500 and is published weekly on Wednesdays. During the fi rst four weeks of summer the Collegian does not publish. Corrections may be sub-mitted to the editor in chief and will be printed as necessary on page 2. The Collegian is a complimentary publication for the Fort Collins community. The fi rst copy is free. Additional copies are 25 cents each. Letters to the editor should be sent to [email protected].

EDITORIAL STAFF | 491-7513Allison Sylte | Editor in Chief

[email protected] Miller | Content Managing Editor

[email protected] Thompson | Visual Managing Editor

[email protected] Carrera | News Editor

[email protected] Willner | News Editor

[email protected] Jensen | Editorial Editor & Copy Chief

[email protected]@collegian.com

Nic Turiciano | Entertainment [email protected]

Cris Tiller | Sports [email protected]

Kyle Grabowski | Assistant Sports [email protected]

Kris Lawan | Design [email protected]

Nick Lyon | Chief [email protected]

ADVISING STAFFKim Blumhardt | Advertising Manager

Michael Humphrey | Journalism Adviser

KEY PHONE NUMBERSNewsroom | 970-491-7513

Distribution | 970-491-1146Classifi eds | 970-491-1686

Display Advertising | 970-491-7467 or 970-491-6834

Editor’s Note:News Editor Andrew Carrera interned with President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign this summer. He has removed himself from all political coverage including writing, editing and discussions – this include’s the paper’s daily editorial “Our View.”

weekender entertainment

www. collegian

.com

WHAT’S UP THIS WEEKEND IN FOCO? Check in with the Collegian’s Weekender every Friday to see what’s going on in Fort Collins over the weekend.

By BAILEY CONSTAS

Brandi Carlile and Blitzen Trapper at Lincoln CenterBESTinSHOW

� e best in show this weekend, and I’m not talking about any purebred dogs, is Brandi Carlile with Blitzen Trapper at the Lincoln Center Sunday.

Carlile is an alternative folk singer-songwriter that incorpo-rates a soulful voice with a beat that is sure to bring warmth to

a cold autumn night. Carlile be-gan singing in Seattle clubs and received Seattle’s City of Music Breakthrough Award in 2010. Her newest EP, Bear Creek, was released this year.

Blitzen Trapper, an exper-imental country-folk band, will be joining Carlile in one of their last stops on their tour before heading back to the Pa-cifi c Northwest to record a new album. Blitzen Trapper infuses story telling lyrics with a catchy almost-Shins-infl uenced style. One of my favorites, “Black River Killer” from their 2008 al-bum Furr, sympathetically tells a story of a killer making his rounds to and from jail.

OTHER CONCERTS:

Diego’s Umbrella - Vokab Kompany

When: Friday, Oct. 12

Where: Hodi’s Half NoteCost: $10

A gypsy band from San Francisco that will pull out your inner gypsy with a twist of soft rock.

HOT BUTTERED RUM!When: Friday, Oct. 12Where: Aggie � eatreCost: $17

Acoustic, bluegrass folk five-piece band with vocals that are reminiscent of Jack Johnson but with many more instruments than the shoe-less artist.

Greeley Chamber ConcertWhen: Friday, Oct. 12

Where: Trinity Episcopal Church

Cost: $5 for students, $10 for the general public

� e concert will be featur-ing,Barbara � iem, artist in res-

idence at Colorado State Uni-versity’s School of Music.

CRACKER When: Saturday, Oct. 13 Where: � e Aggie � eatre Cost: Free until 8:30 p.m.,

donation-based entry after 8:30 p.m.

An alternative rock band that has been pumping out tunes since 1991 comes to the Aggie.

OTT. When: Sunday, Oct. 14 Where: Aggie � eatre Cost: $14

To get your hallucinogenic electronic jam on, OTT. And � e All Seeing I will be sure to draw a crowd of dreads and drugs.

Entertainment and Diversity Beat Reporter Bailey Constas (@BaileyLiza) can be reached at [email protected].

Swing dancing on a SaturdayOld Town Yoga StudioWhen: Saturday, Oct. 138 p.m. - 1 a.m.$5

� ere are many types of swingers, but those who prefer to apply the term to a style of dance are probably more wholesome. Join them Saturday night at the Old Town Yoga Studio in Fort Collins for some classic swing dancing.You aren’t well-versed in the style? Don’t worry. � e hour of 8 to 9 p.m. is dedicated to beginner’s lessons.For more information, visit www.therhythmcompany.com.

Brandi Carlile and Blitzen Trapper� e Lincoln CenterSunday, Oct. 147:30 p.m.$36-$40

As the windows begin to frost over, appropriate cold-weather music becomes a must, and some of the best tunes to accompany the chilly weather come from this country’s folk roots. Enter Brandi Carlile and Blitzen Trapper, two groups that off er up abundant amounts of Americana and warmth.Catch the two big-name performances Sunday night at the Fort Collins Lincoln Center. � e price is on the steep side, but then again, Red Rocks is pretty cold this time of year, and the Lincoln Center is right in our backyard.For more information, visit www.fcgov.com.

Date night cooking classGiff ord BuildingFriday, Oct. 126 - 7:30 p.m.$35

� e idea of speed dating is a familiar trope, but how often do you get the chance to go on a formal cooking date with your partner? � is option is great for Fort Collins foodies who are looking to learn tricks in the kitchen and bond with a loved one while doing it.� is class provides a hands-on experience and includes an apron, equipment, ingredients, recipes and instruction for making a healthy and hearty meal.For more information, visit www.calendar.colostate.edu.

India NiteLory Student CenterSunday, Oct. 143:30 - 7 p.m.Free

It’s easy to get caught in a cultural bubble while living in northern Colorado. � at’s why India Nite, aside from being all around awesome event by including dance, music, skit, show, fashion and more, is a great way to learn about a less-represented community in Fort Collins.If that isn’t convincing enough, then maybe the fact that more than 800 people enjoyed the festivities last year is enough to convince that this event is truly fantastic.

Engineering Exploration DayLory Student CenterSaturday, Oct. 139 a.m. - 4 p.m.Free

Engineering Exploration Day at CSU might be geared toward high schoolers and their families, but also a great chance for current CSU students to see some really cool engineering feats that the rest of us can only dare to understand (Oh, a hydrogen-powered car, you say? I totally know all about that).Head to the LSC on Saturday to check out displays that range from robotics to complicated chemical engineering. Who know, you (I?) might actually understand what’s going on.For more information, visit www.calendar.colostate.edu.

MUSIC

LIFE

Continued from Page 1

packer, and we dedicate lots of time, energy, and yes, money, to make our maze participative and innovative.”

Clarke talked a mile a min-ute, explaining exactly why this maze isn’t “corny.”

“We have a destination factor; other mazes, you go through the maze and you come out in the parking lot, but ours, people come and hang out for the evening. We have a DJ, we have food, we have unhaunted mazes.”

They also have a haunted hayride, which opens them up to kids and wimpy baby

CSU students who don’t want chainsaw-wielding haunters all up in their faces. For the maze itself, Clarke said you must be at least as brave as a fifth grader.

� is Saturday, SFTC and ASAP have teamed up to provide CSU students with free trans-portation to and enjoyment of this corn maze. Free tickets are available in the LSC while sup-plies last.

Cost: Free this Saturday with pass, $17-$25 otherwise

Website: Something-From� eFarm.com

Collegian Writer Emily Kribs can be reached at [email protected].

MAZE | Student orgs sponsoring trips

“We have a destination factor ... We have a DJ, we have food, we

have unhaunted mazes.”Eric Clarke | co-owner of Something from the Corn

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Friday, October 12, 2012 3weekender entertainment

You probably don’t know who Bobby Hogg is. I didn’t either until last week when I read that he had died.

He was no famous ath-lete, musician, or movie star, but only a 92-year-old man living in a small fish-ing village in Scotland. He was last speaker of the lo-cal fisherman’s dialect, and along with him died 600 years of spoken language.

As I write this column, I see another form of com-munication being wiped out: cursive.

Yeah, those little squig-gles and curlicues that you learned in third or fourth grade. After you were taught cursive, you proba-bly abandoned the format and went on writing in manuscript like any other elementary school kid.

Around the same time you were probably taught how to type on a keyboard. You most likely typed on a computer pro-gram that kept track of your words-per-minute and taught you the home-row keys. As a child, the computer was probably a more alluring way to learn than a handwriting book where you traced all those funny looking letters, like the ‘Q’ or ‘G’ (which I still can’t form correctly).

The current trend in elementary schools is to emphasize comput-er skills, such as typing, over more traditional forms of communica-tion like cursive. Most schools are scaling back their efforts to teach cur-sive, and the state of In-diana decided last year that their schools would teach it only if they want-ed to.

While I think everyone needs to be able to type on a keyboard, I also think that every adult in this country should be able to sign more than just his/her own signature in cur-sive.

Sure, nobody turns in hand-written pa-pers anymore, but no-body gets to print his or her name on a check either. As I researched the decline of cursive, I came upon various de-scriptions of how kids in eighth grade couldn’t write their own signature because they didn’t know how, or how seniors graduating from high school were writing all of their “Thank-you” letters in manuscript.

Some may see this as a sign of the times. Every-thing is digital, and almost

nothing is hand written. We don’t even handwrite our letters anymore be-cause of email. You might assume that you could get by with just knowing your own signature and nothing else, but I don’t buy this.

Learning cursive is akin to learning a foreign language, which is empha-sized more and more in school curriculums, and it facilitates learning beyond just knowing how to read and write.

One thing that cur-sive teaches is patience, which our digital age is in extremely short supply of. It takes time to learn the curves and squiggles of the alphabet, just as it takes time and effort to learn the conjugations of another language. Without patience, learning of any kind is bound to be ex-tremely shallow.

Now this is subject to debate, but I also think writing in cursive is faster than manuscript. It logi-cally follows that the faster you write, the better you track your thoughts and form arguments. The fast-er you write what’s in your head, the better you align your thoughts.

Also, when one writes in cursive, connectivity is necessary. By stress-ing connectivity, cursive shows us that words, sen-tences and thoughts must also be connected.

The fluidity neces-sary for writing cursive consequently helps a writer to think more flu-ently and completely. Although we’re all in col-lege and think that we can do this, just take a minute and look at your friends’ posts on Twitter or Facebook. It’s embar-rassing. Some people still cannot form com-plete sentences.

As a practitioner of this dying form of writing, I feel it’s my duty never to stop using it. I’ve been os-tracized, but I think it’s the most rewarding style of writing. I also think it looks more professional than manuscript because I can’t help but thinking I’m back in middle school when I see someone’s notebook jotted with colorful little letters.

It is my hope that 80 years from now I am not the Bobby Hogg of cur-sive writing. Our posteri-ty should not be doomed to a fate of entirely digi-talized media. If this form is forgotten, I only see it as another death stroke toward creativity and in-dividuality in the 21st century.

I’ll put it this way: Our Bill of Rights and The Declaration of Indepen-dence were both penned in cursive, how sad would it be if one day our sons or granddaughters were not capable of reading them?

Quinn Scahill is a se-nior English major. His columns appear Fridays in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to [email protected].

OPINIONCOLLEGIAN

Collegian Opinion Page Policy

The columns on this page reflect the viewpoints of the individual author and not necessarily that of The Rocky Mountain Collegian or its editorial board. Please send any responses to [email protected].

Letter submissions are open to all and are printed on a first-received basis. Submissions should be limited to 250 words and need to include the author’s name and contact information. Anonymous letters will not be printed. E-mail letters to [email protected]

Friday, October 12, 2012 |

This is an unscientific poll conducted at Collegian.com and reflects the opinions of the Internet users who have chosen to participate.

YOUR TWO CENTS

*63 people voted in this poll.

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION:

TODAY’S QUESTION:Do you think ASCSU should ban smoking on campus?

Log on to http://collegian.com to give us your two cents.

What would you have done with the $500 billion used to fight the drug war thus far??

43% Fix higher education crisis. 16% ride the horsey at

King Soopers trillions of times. 14% Build world’s coolest

on-campus stadium. 14% Fought the Drug War. 13% Develop cure for

cancer/aids.

Doping is fine (unless you’re an athlete)

Say goodbye to writing in cursive

Hey babycakes, why didn’t you txt me back?

By NIC TURICIANO

43%

16%14%

14%13%

By LAUREN STIERITZ

By QUINN SCAHILL

Lance Armstrong announced that he would not fight doping charges lev-ied by the United States Anti-Doping Agency back in August of this year, and earlier this week the New York Times published a story containing damning accusations against the seven-time Tour De France champion.

The source of the story’s informa-tion is a USADA dossier; the contents of which Armstrong chose not to fight. It includes, among other things, testimo-ny from 11 former teammates of Arm-strong, all of whom implicate him in a vast doping ring.

So, based off the available evidence, one would logically assume that Arm-strong doped throughout his career.

The tragedy isn’t that he used banned substances, that he lied about it or that he was looked to as a role model. The tragedy is that a witch hunt has been propagated against a single person for doping when, in reality, ev-

eryone — not just athletes — dopes in one form or another.

It seems that our society is often too busy persecuting professional ath-letes for their performance enhanc-ing drug use to remember that coffee, cigarettes, weightlifting supplements, daily vitamins and an assortment of other often-used crutches are no dif-ferent than the blood transfusions Armstrong relied on to help him per-form at his best.

We live in a culture that depends on substances: personally, I can’t func-tion properly unless I consume two cups of coffee per-day. That means that I’m exploiting a substance in or-der for my brain to perform optimally; it also means that my morning routine is similar to many others. According to Statisticbrain.com, 54 percent of U.S. citizens 18 or older drink coffee daily.

It’s widely accepted that doping is prevalent in professional cycling. Armstrong by no means was the only athlete utilizing available drugs and methods to elevate his performance, and it’s conceivable that doping in professional athletics might be ac-ceptable if more people had to make the choice between doping or not doping.

As it is, the majority of us will never have to make that choice, and it’s easy to judge professional athletes while watching them from the sofa. In truth, professional doping would be permit-ted if we were all exposed to its temp-tations.

In an age where science and med-

icine is so openly accepted, it’s hard to understand why using medical de-velopments in athletics is shunned. It’s okay for a baseball pitcher to com-pletely reconstruct their shoulder with invasive surgery and advanced tech-nology, but using chemical steroids to increase protein synthesis within cells is not okay.

Is there hypocrisy in that? Yes, and it’s because everyone may someday benefit from using medicine to recon-struct a shoulder, hip or knee when old age renders our natural joints cumber-some, but few of us will need to benefit medicine that could increase our mus-cle mass.

It’s time we let conversations of doping cease to defame athletes, dis-tract from the sports and undermine the respectability of role models. Using performance enhancing drugs should be permitted in sports such as cycling, baseball and weightlifting both for the benefit of the athletes and the fans.

We want to see athletes jump higher, run faster and be stronger, and they want to achieve those goals too. It’s time we let go of the notion that in order for achievements to not necessitate an asterisk, they must be completed au naturel, because the truth is that most of us rely on some form of a chemical kick-start, and no one is describing our actions as ab-horrent.

Entertainment Editor Nic Turiciano can be reached at [email protected].

We've all played it. You know, the stare-at-your-phone-flip-it-over-throw-it-across-the-room-put-it-away-pull-it-back-out-why-hasn't-he-texted-me-back game. Fun, huh?

Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have cell phones? If we didn't have Face-books, Twitters and Instagrams to stalk our potential and ex significant others? Only kidding, that would be horrible – then I couldn't post that awesome picture of myself at the bars from last weekend to show my ex how much fun I'm having and what he's really miss-ing.

Seriously, though. Texting has com-pletely altered the dynamics of dating — and made an already complicated game that much harder.

In a recent (and hilarious, I might add) infographic in TIME Magazine, it lays out the new rules of dating, based on texting. For example, you know when you wait and wait for that text, can't stand it anymore, and finally de-cide you have to say something? Let me guess. You send a "coy complaint rather

than asking about any plans."Oh yes, I'm guilty. "Ugh, my hair is

still sticky from that beer you spilt on me last night!" AKA: I couldn't stand the suspense of waiting for you to text me anymore, so I tried to be clever/cute/whiny/funny to start a conversa-tion.

Sound familiar?Then there's those tricky one word

texters. Even worse, receiving the dreaded "K" in response to a three page text. And no, I haven't forgot about you — the 15 texts in a row senders, be-cause maybe just one more will make him/her respond? Yeah, just send that last thought, if they didn't respond to the last 14 this one will surely get 'em.

We all have our texting flaws, either we're too much or not enough. We're over the top or we can't remember where we left our phone last. We've all got our own texting personality.

It's hard enough finding a person we connect with face-to-face, and now-adays we need to find one with a per-sonality in person, social media and text message that just clicks.

Alex Sousa wrote in the UVU Re-view earlier this week: "In an age de-fined by the ease and access of com-munication — where there are more ways to connect than there are reli-gions — somehow, people are still get-ting it wrong."

We are literally surrounded by ways to communicate with one another, the lines are open — always. Maybe they're too open.

The problem with this never end-ing communication via text, is that you don't get to hang up. You don't get to tell someone you "have to go",

because they know you're not leaving your phone at home — you just don't want to talk anymore. You don't get to stop texting without somebody being at least slightly offended.

You don't get to do anything on your own, because even if you'd like to use the excuse that your phone broke — "you could've at least sent a Face-book message." We can't even go to the restroom without being bombarded with a call, text, Facebook notification or email anymore. Honestly.

Talk. In person and about texting. Use your wonderful meta-communi-cation skills and communicate about communicating. I'm serious. Tell some-one you're dating "I'm a psycho texter, I'm not a psycho, I just like to text a lot" or "I hate texting. I'm really horrible at it." Find a happy medium.

The truth is that we simply can't ig-nore texting as a factor that plays into a relationship anymore. It's here, and as far as we know — here to stay.

So I leave you with this: Follow the unspoken rules. Talk about texting, don't send 39 texts in a row, respond when texted and do not — and I mean do not — send that drunk text. If you want to send it, send it at 8 a.m. the following morning. If you're not up by 8 a.m., well then that just speaks for it-self.

Oh, and don't use the new cat emoji on iOS 6, it's just creepy.

Copy Editor Lauren Stieritz is a se-nior communication studies major. Her columns appear Fridays in the Colle-gian. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @lauren-stieritz.

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Continued from Page 8

season cannot be won or lost on any single play is what the Rams have said they need to remember.

Instead, each individual needs to focus on what they do to get better and take care of their assignment one play at a time in order for the whole team to start playing better.

“Take it a day at a time; just get better every single day,” linebacker Shaquil Barrett said. “That’s our goal,

just get better every day and we’re going to fi nish it with a great season.”

In order to reach one of their goals from the pre-season — making a bowl game with a .500 record — the Rams will have to go 5-1 in their last six games this year.

There is a new provision in the NCAA rulebook that would allow a 5-7 team to make a bowl game, but that would serve as an unlikely sixth tie breaker if there were not enough bowl-eligible

teams to fi ll every bowl game in December.

The easiest way for the Rams to make a bowl game would be to win fi ve of six games, a feat they have not accomplished since October

of 2005.“Just fi nd a way to get

some wins and fi nd a way to get to a bowl game,” Nwoke said of the Rams’ goals at this point in the season. “It’s still possible, we’ve still got just enough games. We have to execute each play and play with some passion, [so] we have to be perfect and we have to execute every rep on the fi eld.”

Football Beat Report-er Andrew Schaller can be reached at [email protected].

This week’s top 2 albums: By ALEX HALL90.5 KCSU Fort Collins

Daphni:“JIAOLONG” Caribou is from Ontario. So is Manitoba. Now Daphni

is, too. They are all pet bands headed by Dan Snaith, a Ca-nadian multi-instrumentalist and doctor of mathematics who toured with Radiohead this year. Caribou isn’t really the thing you’d play in a discotheque, but Daphni unequivo-cally and absolutely is. “JIAOLONG” is a nine-song swath of vaguely ethnic club beats, laid down in parts like thick syrup and lifted in others like angel food cake. This inconsisten-cy makes it seem like it wouldn’t be too fun to listen to, but you’d be wrong. This record is as fun as it is challenging.

Released Oct. 16 Snaith has his PhD in mathematics from Impe-

rial College of London This is Daphni’s fi rst LP, but the project has been

active since 2011 Caribou’s 2010 album “Swim” marked a change

from psychedelic pop to deep house and minimal techno

Ty Segall: “Twins” If you weren’t able to catch Ty Segall’s performance

at the GNU Experience Gallery last week, you’re in luck, because the next best thing dropped Tuesday; Segall’s sixth LP “Twins.” I canvassed the station to fi nd an ap-propriate title for the California rocker. The two best I heard were “Garage Majal” and “The Overlord of Over-load.” Segall’s brand of fuzz might not be for everyone, but it will defi nitely provoke and excite some sort of sen-sibility, especially if the words “guitar freakout” bring a smile to your face.

Released Oct. 9 Segall’s last album, “Goodbye Bread,” released last

year to critical acclaim The Ty Segall band released the album “Slaughter-

house” earlier this year Segall has released six albums on seven labels

1. Niki and the Dove — “Instinct”2. Grizzly Bear — “Shields”3. Callers — “Reviver Partisan”4. Circa Survive — “Violent Waves”

5. � e XX — “Coexist XL”6. Two Door Cinema Club — “Bea-con Glassnote”7. Reptile Youth — “Reptile Youth”

8. Propagandhi — “Failed States”9. Jonti — “Jonti”10. Divine Fits — “A � ing Called Divine Fits”

Top 10 albums for the week of Oct. 7

FBALL | Taking things one step at a timePoints against/game: 30.0

NCAA Rank: T-87Rushing yards/game: 214.33

NCAA Rank: 108Total sacks/game: 1.83

NCAA Rank: T-68

2012 DEFENSIVE STATS

By Marcus Moritz� e Rocky Mountain Collegian

According to PBS fi lmmak-er Ken Burns, “Jazz is the most formidable artistic contribution that our country has given the world thus far.” So how is Fort Collins helping with that contri-bution?

Two Fort Collins staples, Ace Gillett’s Lounge and Jay’s Bistro, “provide all that jazz.”

“At Ace Gillett's you can hear jazz fi ve nights a week — Jay’s three or four — that's pret-ty awesome,” said Ben Markley, a CSU jazz teacher. “� en you sprinkle in the college, which has two big band concerts a se-mester and then other people playing on separate nights. So yeah, the jazz scene is pretty strong here.”

Ace Gillett's is located down below the Armstrong Hotel on S.

College Avenue, and Jay's Bistro is located a stone's throw across the lot near Oak and College. Gillett's off ers live jazz music fi ve nights a week — Wednesday through Sunday — and Jay's of-fers live jazz four nights a week Wednesday through Saturday.

“I think that for a town this size Fort Collins has a lot of music and jazz going on on any given week,” said Mark Sloniker, the piano player for Jay's Bis-tro. “I play four nights a week at Jay's with established players known on a state and nation-al level playing with me often. � e two jazz-centered places in town are a block within each other and most people just hop between the two.”

Jazz isn't like pop music or rock music in the sense that players don't usually create 'bands', but they instead play with many diff erent musicians.

“It's kind of rotating musi-cians that play at Gillett's and not really a band,” said Ray Har-vey, the bartender for Ace Gil-lett's. “� e one good exception to that is � e Rainchecks who play on Sunday night.”

Jay's isn't so much a jazz bar — like Ace Gillett's — as it is a restaurant with a jazz lounge that play while you enjoy your meal.

“Jazz is an amazing art form, and I think we bring that to the community and give peo-ple a place to listen and enjoy,” said Sloniker, who has been playing in Fort Collins for more than 30 years.

“Sometimes when an art form takes place in the midst of your culture, it’s a joy and kind of a mission for the people who live there to see that it grows and stays healthy.”

Because Fort Collins isn't a bustling metropolis, you need a

large population pool to support it.“Even Denver doesn't have

many more jazz places. � ere are a couple staples, but they have been there forever,” Harvey said. “Jazz has always been a little bit on the periphery; it's not really mainstream music.”

Jay's Bistro draws on a wide talent pool to play the lounge. Sloniker said he constantly draws talent from the Front Range and also plays with peo-ple from CSU consistently.

“� ere is no lack of good mu-sicians to draw from,” Sloniker said. “When people play at Ace's, then they play at Jay's, it's more of a co-creative energy than a competitive one. � ere is a lot of good, friendly energy, which I think is the most important part about playing music and jazz.”

Collegian writer Marcus Moritz can be reached at [email protected].

Jazzy FoCo: Fort Collins’ hidden jazz gems

By CRIS TILLERThe Rocky Mountain Collegian

You hear the term game changers all the time in foot-ball, but there are very few players who can single-hand-edly dictate the game — and San Diego State has one.

Senior cornerback Leon McFadden has proved himself as one of the very best cover corners in the country, already picking off three passes in six games. Two of those interceptions have gone for touchdowns for a combined 124 yards.

In three years and six games, he found himself in rarifi ed air within the program.

“I didn't even know that I was creeping up in the re-cord books, to be honest with you. Over the years, I'm just going out there and playing hard,” McFadden said. “Being in those record books or being in the stand-ings doing that is something that just came along with me doing it and having fun.”

Calling him a cover corner would be an insult. McFadden is second on the team in tackles with 30 at a position not known for rack-ing up high tackle totals.

For CSU’s offense to be successful against McFad-den and a defensive-mind-ed head coach in Rocky Long, the key is to bring a higher level of physicality.

“We have to go out there and out-physical them,” wide receiver Marquise Law said. “We have to play hard-er and I think in turn we can come out with a W.”

Physicality has not been a strong suit of the Rams this season. Problems along the offensive line to domi-nate the line of scrimmage have come up following ev-ery loss this season. In turn ,CSU hasn’t run the ball ef-fectively, putting the team in third and long situations.

Despite all those issues, CSU coach Jim McElwain said he felt something this week that he rarely has up to this point.

“I feel pretty good [about the offense’s preparation]. Coach (Dave) Baldwin has a little insight to Rocky from being with him all those years at New Mexico, so I think that has helped,” McElwain said.

The responsibility of turning around a stagnant of-fense rests on the shoulders, of senior M.J. McPeek, who made his fi rst ever college start against Fresno State last week.

“I saw a couple plays where I didn’t do the right things, but I saw a lot of good things,” McPeek said. “We tried to throw the ball down-fi eld, and hopefully we keep trying to do that.”

CSU’s biggest deep threat has come from wide receiver Lou Greenwood, whose knack for bringing in long touchdowns caught McFadden’s attention.

“They have a guy that's been there the last three years or so, Lou Greenwood. He's a great receiver and a great athlete,” McFadden said. “We are looking for-ward to playing against him in the secondary.”

Sports Editor Cris Tiller can be reached at [email protected].

SDSU up next for CSUFOOTBALL

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Friday, October 12, 2012 5

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Daily cartoons and games available at Collegian.com. Send feedback to [email protected].

RamTalk compiled by Kris Lawan

Overheard some professors in the chemistry department talking about “drinking beers” while grading tests/papers... suddenly my ochem grade makes sense.

I love the fall: clean, crisp morning air, the leaves changing color and squirrels playing with their nuts

Revolutionary idea... T-Skellar (temporary Ram Skellar) during LSC renovations.

Seeing the CSU daycare walk through campus has to be the most effective form of birth control since I lost my virginity.

Submit RamTalk entries to [email protected] . Libelous or obscene submissions will not be printed. While your comment will be published anonymously, you must leave your name and phone number for verification.

Want more?The first RamTalk Book is o�cially in stock at the Student Media o�ce in the Lory Student Center.

Buy your copy for $10, or get one online for your Kindle or Nook.

Find out if you got in!

Text your rants to 970-430-5547.

Follow us on Twitter @RMCollegian.

“Like” us on Facebook. Search for �e Rocky Mountain Collegian.

Today’s Crossword sponsored by:

Yesterday’s solution

Today’s RamTalk sponsored by:

Daily Horoscope Nancy Black and Stephanie Clement

Yesterday’s Solution

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword

Today’s Sudoku sponsored by:

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Across1 Like the Knights Templar8 Performers, e.g.15 In16 Kiss offerer17 Unit often counted18 Big rigs19 Cowboy Tony20 Writer of creamy messages21 Lion’s prey23 Ancient Greek storage vessel27 Hook, line and sinker30 Mantegna’s “Criminal Minds” role32 �e Once-__: “�e Lorax” character33 March of Dimes’ original crusade35 Leaded fuel component36 Rush discovery37 Pizza places38 Wimbledon champ before Pete39 It didn’t get its no. until 193940 Urban cruisers41 “__ see”42 Determination45 Alp ending46 Fleece sources48 People49 Lines at the hosp.50 Oscar winners’ lines53 On top of things56 Make it right60 H.G. Wells classic, and a hint to this puzzle’s theme found in the answers to starred clues66 “... by yonder blessed __ I swear”: Romeo67 Muse of Hughes68 Author Bagnold69 Squealed70 Sharp rival71 �ickness measures

Down1 Buddy2 Mobile home?: Abbr.3 *”Midnight’s Children” author4 “Typee” sequel5 *”Armies of the Night” author6 Hit the road, say7 Hard part of mathematics?

8 “What a relief!”9 Show again10 *”Breakfast at Tiffany’s” author11 __ Royale: Lake Superior national park12 *”�e Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” author13 �rice, in Rx’s14 Part of CBS: Abbr.21 __ monkey22 “�is is a bad time”24 Continues despite hardship25 *”�e Caine Mutiny” author26 Radar of TV28 Common boot feature29 �ey affect stock prices31 UAR member34 Fertility clinic cells43 �at, in Oaxaca44 Brandy letters47 Quaint memory aid49 Respect51 Farm female52 “Friendly skies” co.53 Casino fixtures54 “Halt!”55 Near-eternity57 Upscale hotel chain58 Get exactly right59 Culminates61 Annoy62 Anger63 Men’s patriotic org.64 Skater Midori65 Enclose, in a way

Today’s Birthday (10/12/12). Learning through study, re-search and actual exploration grows your skills, talents and spe-cialties this year. Spirituality flourishes. Follow passions where they lead, with the foundation of a solid financial plan. Practice adaptability with an open mind.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (Mar. 21-April 19) ––8–– Stay put for a while longer. Both financial and social planning take on new importance. Don’t worry about the money, just get into action and solve a puzzle.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) ––9–– Celebrate later: Now’s time for action. Redesign your priorities, set a juicy goal and get the funding. You can get your bills paid. Trust a hunch.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) ––9–– Now’s a good time for nesting and penny-pinching. Learn a new trick to give a sec-ond life to what you thought was trash. You’re making a good impression.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) ––9–– You can handle the work obstacles coming at you. Access your best communication skills. Send information to those who need it. All ends well and love prevails.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) ––8–– A friend helps you find a bug in your system. Turn up the charm, and up the ante at work. Exceptional patience is required. Focusing on someone you love makes the task at hand easier.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ––9–– Speak up and listen. Your opinion is important, but don’t get tangled up in an argument, especially at work. Create teamwork. Achieve the goal, despite the circumstances. Get outdoors.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) ––7–– Avoid taking risks, unless you’re willing to learn the lesson. You may need to be a stern taskmaster. Search for ways to cut costs. It all works out.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) ––9–– You get a lot done quickly, especially without distraction. Count your blessings. Go for what you want, and enjoy what you have. Get the family to join in.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) ––9–– Invest your time and energy wisely. Your productivity is on the rise, and you emerge victorious once again. Don’t give up. It’s easier than it seems.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) ––9–– Get your antiques ap-praised, and make travel plans. �e road ahead is full of fun sur-prises, so enjoy them. Words come out easily; use them to make a difference.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) ––7–– Be prepared to do some walking. Foot comfort is essential. When one door closes, an-other one opens. Finding another source of revenue is a good idea. List passions.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) ––9–– Hold your temper ... someone could get hurt. Rage into a pillow. Don’t take your gifts for granted. Clean up to improve living conditions without spending. You’re attracted to neatness.

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Friday, October 12, 2012 7

BREAKING BADVOLLEYBALL

CSU looking for consistency away from comfort of Moby

SPORTS FRIDAYCOLLEGIAN

Friday, October 12, 2012 |

By ANDREW SCHALLER The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Almost a year ago, the Jim McElwain era started at CSU, with promises of a bold new era and an increased enthusiasm around the program and many viewed the 2012 Rams as a team that could buck the trend of three consecutive 3-9 seasons and possibly compete to play in a bowl game.

At the midway point in the season — with a 1-5 record — those goals will be diffi cult for the Rams to achieve, at least this year.

But that doesn’t stop the Rams from remaining optimis-tic about the rest of the season.

“We’re staying positive,” running back Chris Nwoke said.

“Each and every day we’re com-ing out trying to get better — that’s the key. I think that’s what makes us a good team because even though things aren’t going our way we’re still staying posi-tive, still working.”

And the Rams have a moun-tain of work in front of them if they want to salvage the rest of their season.

Offensively, the Rams have had diffi culty all year grasping McElwain’s new offense while having the sixth-worst scor-ing offense in the nation at the midway point in the season. But according to the fi rst-year head coach, it’s not just the scheme that needs to be adjusted.

“The plan just needs to be executed at a higher level,” McElwain said. “You say, ‘OK do

you dumb it down?’ Yeah, we’ve dumbed it down and still miss this here or there, so that’s not what it is.

“You know what it is? It’s the understanding that every play is an individual event and it must be treated as an individual event no matter what happened before, what you think might happen after, doesn’t matter.”

Acknowledging that the

See FBALL on Page 5

Rams refuse to quit after 1-5 start

Jim McElwain rallies his team together before practice Wednesday afternoon on the practice football fi elds. The Rams will travel to San Diego State in hopes of improving on their current season record.

NICK LYON | COLLEGIAN

By KYLE GRABOWSKIThe Rocky Mountain Collegian

The CSU volleyball team’s record may not be as lofty as in past years, but that does not mean the team’s quality of play has diminished.

The Rams’ 10-5 record at the midpoint of the season has re-sulted from playing an extreme-ly challenging schedule.

Three of CSU’s non-confer-ence opponents (Tennessee, Pepperdine and UCLA) were ranked in the American Volley-ball Coaches’ Association poll at the time of the meeting, while BYU has since moved into the top-20 and Oklahoma has con-sistently received votes all sea-son.

“We played a lot of tough com-petition,” senior middle blocker Breion Paige said. “That’s why we have the losses that we have.”

CSU suffered its first three-game losing streak since 2008 in late August, going 0-3 against Wichita State, Tennessee, and BYU in the Shocker Volleyball Classic. But how the team lost was more disheartening than the defeats themselves.

The Rams gave up long point runs in every match, and their focus and discipline faltered.

“We felt like we were drowning at certain points. There was a lot of frustration, and we didn’t really know how to get out of it,” senior outside hitter Dana Cranston said. “That weekend taught us a lot.”

The team put that knowledge into practice very quickly, winning its next four games, including a sweep of then No. 14 Pepperdine.

“They’re a great team and we played awesome that game from

start to fi nish,” Cranston said. Two very different fi ve set

losses followed, a heartbreaking defeat to No. 2 UCLA at home and a puzzling stumble at New Mexi-co to open Mountain West play.

“I feel like we could have been more focused. Obviously we blew them out the fi rst two sets, and I think we came in a lit-tle too overconfi dent in set three expecting to win it,” Paige said. “When things didn’t go our way we lost focus and everything just went downhill from there.”

CSU regained some of its form at home with three consecutive conference wins, but still needs to prove it can play away from Moby.

“I don’t want any part of a conference game to slip,” Crans-ton said. “I want us to be focused and alert throughout our con-ference season.The Rams have picked up their wins through a strong defensive and blocking effort, but lack the attacking numbers CSU coach Tom Hil-bert would prefer.

“I don’t think we are attacking the ball with the offensive num-bers we should be,” he said. “It’s happened in a few games, but I’d like for it to happen all the time.”

In order for that to happen, the Rams need to play consis-tently well on the road and keep the same level of focus they en-joy at home.

“That’s where the mental part of volleyball comes in, just because one person is down, that’s when you step up to the plate,” Paige said. “Everyone on the starting side needs to step up and make sure we win.”

Assistant Sports Editor Kyle Grabowski can be reached at [email protected].

“We felt like we were drowning at certain points.”

Dana Cranston | (senior outside hitter)

Points per game: 16NCAA Rank: 115

Rushing yards/game: 96.17NCAA Rank: 114

3rd down conversion %: 35.71NCAA Rank: 91

2012 OFFENSIVE STATS

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The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Friday, October 12, 2012

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Transcript of The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Friday, October 12, 2012