The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Tuesday, October 9, 2012

By KATE WINKLEThe Rocky Mountain Collegian

There will be no more clipboard-carriers around campus and no more chanc-es to have a voice in the elec-tion after Oct. 9: Tuesday marks the voter registration deadline for Colorado voters.

Students can update their information or regis-ter for the fi rst time at the City Clerk offi ce on LaPorte Avenue until 5 p.m. Those unsure of their registration status can check it and reg-ister to vote at the Larimer County Clerk website at www.co.larimer.co.us/elec-tions. Online registration

will be open until midnight. Both the Obama and Rom-ney campaign offi ces will also register voters.

The deadline, which includes registering for the fi rst time and updat-ing registration, will set the number of voters who will determine Larimer County’s stance in Novem-ber’s election. As of Oct. 1, 14,751 people have reg-istered to vote in Larimer County since the beginning of January, according to the

Colorado Secretary of State. Of those already reg-

istered in Larimer County, about 18.66 percent are inac-tive because they either did not vote in the 2010 election, or they moved from a previ-ous address. There are slight-ly more Republican voters registered than Democrats, but the numbers are close enough to consider Larimer a swing county. The unaf-fi liated voters and CSU stu-dents could determine the election.

By CARRIE MOBLEYThe Rocky Mountain Collegian

Approximately seven out of Re-gina Martel and Joe Eden’s 16 student government campaign promises have been completed halfway through the fi rst semester of their administration, according to Martel, president of the Associated Students of CSU.

At this time last year, the 2011-2012 administration had completed 15 of its 44 promises. The 2010-2011 adminis-tration completed four of its six cam-paign promises throughout its entire term.

“I think that in ASCSU, every year

is different,” Martel said. “I think that every administration has to deal with a different thing at different times of the year … We have a lot of room to grow and a lot of room to improve … But so far, I think we’re doing really well.”

Three of Martel’s accomplishments –– blue books, a biannual report on his administration’s achievements and the Old Town Late Night Bus Route –– have been continuing policies created by the previous administration and working to make them more sustainable.

Blue Books, for example, were made free to all students during Eric Berlinberg’s 2011-2012 presidential administration. The problem with

this, Martel said, is the amount that these books are costing ASCSU.

“People have been taking many more than we antici-pated, which means it is get-ting very expensive,” Martel said. “We have been explor-ing other alternatives to keep them free to students, such as professors handing them out in class instead of having them at the bookstore.”

Two of Berlinberg’s other achievements are also student government initiatives that Martel is working to maintain.

“We are working with the Down-

town Business Association, the City of Fort Collins and the Fort Collins Police

Department on how to keep the bus route sustainable,” Martel said. “We are con-stantly asking ourselves, ‘Is this too expensive, or not ex-pensive enough?’”

Aside from sustaining three initiatives that carried over from last year, Martel’s administration has also set up a student Stadium Advi-sory Committee to fi eld the campus’ opinions of the on-

See ASCSU on Page 3

theSTRIPCLUB

Apparently, at least accord-ing to the avalanche of political ads that are swamping ev-erything, there is going to be a big election in November. And we have been told that the student vote is very important to the can-didates this year. Given that students are a fi ckle and picky demographic, here are some suggestions on how to get us to vote:

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

Tuesday, October 9, 2012Fort Collins, Colorado Volume 121 | No. 43

www.collegian.comTHE STUDENT VOICE OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1891

The Strip Club is written by the Collegian staff and designed by Design Editor Kris Lawan.

Beer WaterBreweries cope with effects of High Park Fire

PAGE 8

Affi rmative action in front of Supreme Court Wednesday | Page 5

Free PizzaStudents love free stuff. Stuff is expensive, and our budgets are stretched. We also happen to love pizza. If we were all handed a pizza with the name of a candidate on it, we’d vote for that candidate; no questions asked.

Things that will win the student vote

Member of the Barack Obama campaign staff Nin Kadjar attempts to get students to register to vote at the will.i.am speech on the Plaza last Thursday. Today is the last day to register to vote for this November’s presidential elections.

DYLAN LANGILLE | COLLEGIAN

Student gov. making slower progressASCSU

Still hot a� er 10 years

Register now or hold your peace

From top right, freshman business majors Eric Krieger, Ian Fox, Hulon Ware and freshman computer engineering major Corey Runyon tackle their bowl of chili during day one of the Chili Challange at Corbett dining hall Monday after-noon. The chilli challenge is a fi ve day chilli eating competition, where each day competitors attempt to fi nish a bowl of chili spicier then the previous day.


MARTEL

By MIKAELA ANTONELLIThe Rocky Mountain Collegian

Monday afternoon ig-nited the 10th annual Chili Challenge at Colorado State, a week-long event jointly hosted by CSU Dining Ser-vices and the Poudre Fire Authority at Corbett Dining Center.

The rules are simple: con-testants who fi nish an eight ounce bowl of chili advance to the next day, with each day’s chili getting progressively hotter. Contestants who last all fi ve days receive an “I Sur-vived” tee-shirt and (maybe more importantly) bragging rights.

To get through the entire week, though, participating students can benefi t from the knowledge of repeat competi-tors.

“Milk is your best friend,” said Brendan Isbell, a junior computer engineering major who has completed the chal-lenge twice.

“After you eat, just lay down for the rest of the day.” said Matthew Clang, also a junior computer engineering major who has completed the challenge three times.

All students with an on-campus meal plan were eli-gible to enter, but the deadline for registration was Wednes-day, Oct. 3. More than 250 stu-dents participated in the Chili Challenge last year.

The contest, which cel-ebrates Fire Prevention Week, ends Friday.

“Relating the Chili Chal-

lenge to fi re prevention week works really well,” said Brit-tany White, marketing direc-tor for CSU Residential Dining Services. “We get the fi re de-partment involved and the fi re chief walks around and talks with the students.”

Though the PFA has been involved with the event in the past, it’s especially important for fi refi ghters to be present this year to answer questions and give fi re safety advice fol-lowing the High Park Fire, said Jason Mantas, fi re captain for PFA.

“(The High Park Fire) defi -nitely raised awareness and now students get the chance to come up to us and ask us ques-tions about wildfi re preven-tion,” Mantas said.

In addition to answer-ing students’ questions, fire-fighters also serve the chili and, according to Mantas, enjoy themselves while do-ing it.

White said, “This is my fa-vorite event, the students are excited about it. We have a lot of repeats each year ... it’s so fun.”

The contest’s sponsors in-clude U.S. Foods, Cholula, Gil-berto’s Gourmet, Horsetooth Hot Sauce and Dave’s Hot Sauce.

Collegian writer Mikaela Antonelli can be reached at [email protected].

CSU dining hall Chili Challenge continues to burn students’ mouths

What: CSU Chili Challenge Where: Corbett Dining Center When: Oct. 8 – Oct. 12, 11 a.m.

- 2 p.m.

EVENT DETAILS

Legalize MarijuanaAccording to the polls, the legaliza-tion of marijuana is wildly popular among the youth. The fi rst candi-date to come out in favor of weed will undoubtedly receive our undy-ing support.

To fi nd out more about getting registered and see the breakdown of currented registered voters

FOR MORE | PAGE 6

$$ing support.

$$ing support.

$$Debt For-giveness

College is expensive. Really expensive. And a lot of students go into debt in order to get an education. If a candidate were to promise to make it easier on us, and thus make it a lot less painful to fi nd a good paying job, we’d be eternally grateful. Just saying...

2 Tuesday, October 9, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

FORT COLLINS FOCUS

Junior music major Sean O’Connor practices at the University Center for the Arts Monday afternoon. O’connor, who plays in the Colorado State Wind Ensemble, practices at the UCA on a daily basis along with taking private lessons to prepare for performances.


Community Briefs

Ornstein and Mann, political scholars, Oct. 17

Thomas Mann and Nor-man Ornstein will present “It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: A Conversation with Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein” on Oct. 7. Priding themselves on a nonpar-tisan approach to political analysis, the pair will speak at the University Theater at 7 p.m.

Mann and Ornstein cre-ated substantial political controversy earlier in the year with their op-ed piece in Washington Post, “Let’s just say it: The Republicans are the problem.” A limited number of free tickets will available to the public at CSU’s University Center of the Arts box offi ce.

Second annual Women Entrepreneurs’ Leadership Summit

Hosted by CSU’s Col-lege of Business and Insti-tute for Entrepreneurship, the Women Entrepreneurs’ Leadership Summit will be held from 9 a.m. — 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17, in the Lory Student Center’s West Ballroom.

The leadership summit will address the challenges women entrepreneurs face in today’s economic envi-ronment through practical advice, network connec-tions and consultation to foster the growth of wom-en-led enterprises.

The event includes a light breakfast, lunch and a networking reception in the evening from 4:30 — 6 p.m.

Registration is $60 for the entire day, with student and faculty rates also available.

Herman Cain cancels visit to CSU campus

Herman Cain, former GOP presidential can-didate, has canceled his scheduled visit as a part of his College Truth Tour for both CU-Boulder and CSU.

Herman’s organization has promised that they will reschedule for the spring, bringing Cain’s message of what he considers to be three of the most pressing issues facing our country today: The tax code, energy dependence and govern-ment spending.

-- Collegian Staff Report

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

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[email protected]@collegian.com

Nic Turiciano | Entertainment [email protected]

Cris Tiller | Sports [email protected]

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ADVISING STAFFKim Blumhardt | Advertising Manager

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Editor’s Note:News Editor Andrew Carrera interned with the Democratic National Committee this summer. He has removed himself from all political coverage, including writing, editing and discussions, as well as the paper’s daily editorial, “Our View.”

Starts week of October 22 through December 8 Saturday Morning Games with 2 practices per week Volunteer (Flexible Schedule)

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Please call 224-6027, TDD/TTY 224-6002, for accessibility assistance.

Continued from Page 1

campus stadium and re-port them to university offi-cials.

Student government said it will continue to provide additional opportunities for students to voice concerns about CSU President Tony Frank’s decision to build the facility.

“We really want to make sure that all concerns are voiced,” Martel said. “We have a great relationship with Dr. Frank currently and as problems arise we will be sure to voice those concerns to him.”

The administration has also collected student opin-ion by holding a finance fo-rum Oct. 1 on the Lory Stu-dent Center Plaza, designed to give ASCSU an idea of CSU’s thoughts on subjects like tuition and fees. Martel said ASCSU did not record how many students partici-pated and hasn’t yet reflect-ed on the forum’s findings, having focused instead on preparing for the most re-cent Homecoming Week-end.

Another finance forum will be held on Oct. 17.

“I think Joe and Regina are a little more conscious about how students look at things and how our role impacts them,” said Robert Harris, a senator from the College of Natural Science. “They have taken steps nec-essary to make sure student voice is being heard.”

Student government has also reformed the Student Fee Review Board –– a group of students that approves or denies fee increase propos-als –– to have 50 percent of its staff belong to the ASCSU Senate.

The change is part of a larger push on behalf of Martel and Eden to encour-age student senators to take their positions more serious-ly. On top of giving the ASC-SU officials more responsi-bility, the administration has also strictly enforced senate attendance and start times, said Chelsey Green, a sena-tor from the College of Nat-ural Science.

“In the past, that's been a problem of people just me-andering in after talking on

their phones or something,” she said.

Promises still in the works include bringing a bike share program, also known as the Bike Library, to CSU’s campus, creating a “green, greener, greenest” rubric by which to grade student government-fund-ed events’ environmental friendliness, creating a new dispatch system for Ram-Ride, improving campus Wi-Fi, putting the Test File online and creating a syllabi sharing website.

Martel said she hopes to complete the remaining promises by the beginning of next semester.

“We know there are a lot of flaws in the student gov-ernment right now,” Green said. “I feel as though they have made good grounds in improvement and I believe they are striving toward that goal of having a better func-tioning student government as a whole.”

ASCSU Beat Reporter Carrie Mobley can be reached at [email protected]. News Editor Andrew Carrera con-tributed to this report.

ASCSU | Promises kept by ASCSU leadership this year

Held student forums to better reach the student body

Created the On-Campus Stadium Advisory Committee staffed by students and listened to CSU’s feedback regarding the stadium

Kept blue books free

Held various finance forums and changed the As-sociated Students of CSU Constitution to allow more senate members on the Student Fee Review Board

Increased outreach to the residence halls Increased outreach to student organizations Aided Senate in going “green”

PromiSeS kePt by 2012-2013 StUdent Government to dAte (7 of 16)

Implemented a car share program for students Club clips advertising student orgs around campus Created a Traditions Council Expanded test file access by housing them at the

ASCSU office Made blue books free for students Funded College Councils to increase membership Addressed graduate student health insurance

options

Created a Greek Life liaison position Increased permanent RamRide student staff

members Increased Student Funding Board funding Increased travel grant funding Brought “The Onion” to campus RamRide car and volunteer extension RamRide Old Town pick up loop Created twice monthly president roundtables

PromiSeS kePt by 2011-2012 StUdent Government thiS time lASt yeAr (15 of 44)

Providing more information on funding, motivation and timeliness of current construction projects

Putting the student TestFile online Creating a syllabi sharing website Improving Wi-Fi across campus Creating an accountability report to be released

biannually

Implementing a new dispatch system for RamRide Continuing funding for the Late Night Bus Route Creating a “Green, greener, greenest” rubric by

which to grade ASCSU-funded events’ environmental friendliness

Bringing the Bike Library to campus

PromiSeS Still to be kePt by 2012-2013 StUdent Government (9 of 16)

This year

Last year

“I think Joe and Regina are a little more conscious about how students look at things and how our role impacts them.”

Robert Harris | Senator from the College of Natural Science

STAY UP TO DATE!

LOOK FOR BREAKING NEWS

AND IN-DEPTH COVERAGE ON

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The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Tuesday, October 9, 2012 3

Fall has swiftly engulfed Colorado and brought all the usual seasonal niceties.

Leaves are flaunting vi-brant shades of red, orange and yellow, pumpkin spice latte mania has begun, the first snow evoked wide-spread bewilderment along the Front Range and the air is abuzz with politics… Kind of.

We have all experienced the not-so-subtle subtle-ties of election years, from countless ads oozing from TV and radio, to bombard-ments of unsolicited emails and calls, there is no avoid-ing either presidential nom-inee. As slews of malicious accusations and manipulat-ed facts spray from our me-dia, most of us dodge these tools of persuasion as best we can.

The culmination of po-litical aversion came almost a month ago when “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” was more successful in televi-sion ratings than either the Republican or Democratic National Convention. I re-peat; Americans preferred watching the star of ‘Tod-dlers in Tiaras’ to the events that are intended to define nominees’ respective plat-forms.

Despite a dismal state-ment Honey Boo Boo’s ratings made on our pop culture, last week’s debate revived political engage-ment, capturing an audi-ence of about 68 million and dominating social me-dia, for better or worse. Al-though the public seems to have zeroed in on what they deem relevant to their vot-ing thought process, it high-lighted an ugly aspect of our political system.

Why is it that we try as hard as we can to avoid the political arena until cam-paign crunch time? It’s not because of disinterest or lack of political knowledge but rather there is an overwhelm-ing sense of cheapness and superficiality to our process.

This is not anything new, but never has it been so evi-dent that our politics are not just deciding how we run businesses, they are a busi-ness. Between lobbyists, su-per PACs, political consulting and direct donations, billions of dollars flow through our political system annually.

Last month, President Obama received about $180 million in donations, Mr. Romney has received more than $12 million in online donations since Wednes-day’s debate alone, and in 2012 close to $2 billion will be spent lobbying by the collective industry sectors.

Where does this money go? Well, a good part is spent

on teams of political con-sultants that sift through infinite amounts of data, transcripts and video hoping to divulge a po-tential campaign weapon.

Some is spent on lob-byist salaries, some spent on ads, some event plan-ning, the list goes on and on but certainly nothing substantive for the Ameri-can public is included.

If PBS — which Rom-ney claims he would cut spending to if elected — received donations at the same rate as the former governor has the last five days the station would cover its yearly expenses in less than five months. Unfortunately, Big Bird doesn’t have big business behind him. The bot-tom line? Policy is being bought, whether we ac-knowledge it or not.

The institution of political consulting in the U.S. dates back to the 1930s by a company known as Campaigns Inc., in large, paving the way for big money’s involve-ment in state and federal legislatures.

Since that time, we have witnessed exponen-tial growth of lobbying and political consulting as well as the birth of su-per PACs, which — in lay-men’s terms — is money laundering with a nicer suit.

The integrity of the respective campaigns face constant attacks from op-ponents yet all sides em-ploy similar tactics. Our political system could be superimposed over AMC’s “Mad Men” without too many adjustments, the largest difference being, we’re being sold policy in-stead of cigarettes or slacks.

Neither Obama nor Romney bear sole blame for the flaws of our politi-cal inner workings but they are not doing anything to address the issue. Until we have the ability to insist and incentivize legislation and elections to be trans-parent we will continue to witness this big money trend. It is a daunting task with no clear solution and is almost certainly the kiss of death for any politician that approaches it.

Every major social movement from civil rights to women’s suffrage has taken years of dedi-cation from countless in-dividuals. Americans are discouraged by the way policy makers are con-ducting business, but the harsh reality is nothing can change when we only actively participate during the four weeks prior to Election Day.

High caliber politics is the sum of an informed and engaged public, a year-round job. Unfortu-nately, this requires watch-ing the news instead of Honey Boo Boo.

Bryce Liedtke is a se-nior finance major. His columns appear every oth-er Tuesday in the Colle-gian. Letters and feedback can be sent to [email protected].

Next time you’re walking by the Associated Students of CSU offices in the Lory Student Center, ask your-self: What has your student govern-ment done for you?

At this time last year, your student government had provided free blue books, a CSU car share program and a RamRide Old Town pick-up route.

So far this year, ASCSU President Regina Martel and Vice President Joe Eden have created a committee, held “finance forums” to discuss changes to the student fee process, “increased outreach” with residence halls and student organizations ... and maintained the programs creat-ed by last year’s administration.

It’s pretty obvious which accom-plishments were more tangible and which ones made a bigger impact on the life of the average student.

And this has been the underly-

ing issue plaguing this year’s ASCSU administration: The focus has re-volved around vague statements like

“increased outreach” and “soliciting student voice,” rather than actual

promises to take action. Thus far, being adaptive to stu-

dent voice has accounted for the bulk of their campaign promises. Sure, it’s important for a leader to heavily consider the needs of their constituents, but a leader needs to do more than that. A leader needs to ultimately decide what’s right for the community, to perpetually move forward and strive to actually do something.

The good news is that Martel and Eden still have a semester and a half left in office to make a real impact on our university. And we implore them, the next time they’re walking through campus, to stop and ask themselves: What can they do for students?

Hopefully the answer is far more tangible than “increasing outreach” or “soliciting student voice.”

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]

Tuesday, October 9, 2012 |

our view

Where’s the accomplishments?

The Collegian Editorial Board is responsible for writing the staff editorial, “Our View,” and for the views expressed therein. Letters and feedback in response to the staff editorial can be sent to [email protected].

Allison Sylte | Editor in [email protected]

Matt Miller | Content Managing [email protected]

Hunter Thompson | Visual Managing [email protected]

Andrew Carrera | News [email protected]

Elisabeth Willner | News [email protected]

Kevin Jensen | Editorial [email protected]

Nic Turiciano | Entertainment [email protected]

Cris Tiller | Sports [email protected]

Kris Lawan | Design Editor [email protected]

By BryCe liedtke

By malinda deBell

USA Incorporated

“A leader needs to ultimately decide what’s right for

the community, to perpetually move

forward and strive to actually do something.”

Ag Adventure: Think past the grocery store

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

*47 people voted in this poll.

yesterday’s QuestiOn:

tOday’s QuestiOn:Are you regisitered to vote for this election?

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

What is your general perception of Greek Life on campus?

23% Mostly positive 60% Mostly negitive 17% Neutral

How many stomachs does a cow have? Where do fruit, bread, vegetables and milk come from? What are your clothes made of?

These are just a few questions third-graders were asked when they at-tended CSU’s Ag Adventure on Sept. 26 and 27.

Every year for the past 12 years, stu-dents in the College of Agricultural Sci-ences have educated more than 2,000 third-graders from the Poudre School District. The purpose of this two-day extravaganza is to help the younger generation learn firsthand about the sources of their food and fiber.

Many kids and adults don’t think past the grocery store; Ag Adventure demonstrates that it all starts with farmers and ranchers.

U.S. farmers — and many others involved in our country’s food sys-tem — produce an abundance of safe, high-quality and reasonably priced food.

We might think our grocery expens-es are high, but in the United States we spent just 9.8 percent of our disposable

personal income on food in 2011, ac-cording to the U.S. Department of Ag-riculture Economic Research Service. Compare that to double-digit expendi-tures in other nations.

We are fortunate to live in a coun-try that produces the best food in the world, yet many Americans are not aware of the effort and resources that go into our food.

That’s why the CSU College of Ag-ricultural Sciences created Ag Adven-ture. Third-graders attend a special Ag Adventure field trip at the CSU Agricul-tural Research, Development and Edu-cation Center. There are other versions at the National Western Stock Show and select county fairs.

For the third-graders, CSU student volunteers set up a grand agricultural display with hands-on education sta-tions.

After an introduction, the young-sters get tractor-drawn hayrides to stations where they learn about the in-tricacies soil and erosion control. They learn about the influence of climate on growing fruits and vegetables. They dis-cuss livestock, meat safety and big-pic-ture topics — including world hunger and food security.

Students see how crops at the re-search farm are planted and grown. They also visit horses, cattle and sheep, and even observe sheep shearing and the spinning of wool.

When Ag Adventure goes on the road, the exhibit provides information about Colorado’s wheat, corn, dairy, beef, egg, sugar beet, sheep and fiber sectors. It also includes displays featur-ing green housing, soil sciences, water and other natural resources.

The goal is to effectively com-municate the impact that Colorado agriculture has in our lives. After all, agriculture contributes an estimated $40 billion to the Colorado economy, according to the state Department of Agriculture.

As a volunteer for both versions of Ag Adventure, I’ve seen the limit-ed amount of knowledge people have about agriculture. It is important to me to contribute to this knowledge because agriculture’s future will be de-manding in the realm of production of food with the growing population and depletion of land.

It is our goal to raise awareness of the bright and intricate future agricul-ture has and how it will impact the lives of everyone on earth.

After our Ag Adventure last month, it’s great to know that local third-grad-ers better understand how agriculture is important in their everyday lives. They go home able to answer questions like those posed earlier:

Cows have one stomach with four different compartments where di-gestion takes place.

Bread is a product from wheat. Fruits and vegetables are grown

from plants, trees and bushes that thrive in open, cultivated fields.

Dairy cows produce milk. Many clothes can be made from

cotton or even from wool, which comes from sheep.

Malinda DeBell is a sophomore ani-mal science major. Her column appears every other Tuesday in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to [email protected].

60%23%

17%

The question is on the table — in order to neutralize the existential threat Iran poses with its uranium enrich-ment; will the United States use mili-tary action against them?

This is the question buzzing around Washington, Israel and the Middle East.

However, this question needs to be regarded by students of higher educa-tion particularly because the answer to this question will invariably affect our immediate and long-term future.

As students looking to enter into a ca-reer relatively soon and establish finan-cial independence, international rela-tions can seem out of view and irrelevant.

There needs to be a shift in our paradigm. We absolutely must engage ourselves in foreign affairs, for it is our civic duty as well as in our best interest.

Let us establish a context and framework of Iran’s uranium enrich-ment program and the effects upon the American and international commu-nity if the United States decides to use military action upon Iran.

According to an executive report published by the Iran Project, unilat-

eral air strikes would only delay Iran’s plan of enrichment up to four years — not shut down the program completely.

In order to eliminate Iran’s uranium enrichment project altogether through regime change, terrific numbers of military personnel and force would be required, costing more than the U.S. invested with its military action in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

Ultimately, the result of a preemp-tive strike against Iran would prove to be anticlimatic for the U.S. and Israel alike.

Using military action against a sov-ereign nation who claims their uranium enrichment will be used for peaceful purposes, and who is also a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty would be an informal declaration of war.

Obviously war is the most expen-sive activity a country can participate in. With unemployment finally dip-ping below 8 percent, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan drawing out, our economy can not afford to fund anoth-er expensive, long and unpredictable international conflict.

Even more significantly, if the U.S. decides to use military action against Iran, we can expect retaliation from Iranian proxy groups such Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as extending anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiment throughout the Arab Middle East and North Africa.

The last thing the U.S. needs is to waste our resources (both human and fi-nancial), deteriorate our already delicate relationship with Middle Eastern pow-ers, jeopardize our national security, and proliferate our robust national debt.

Beyond our domestic view, conse-quences for an attack on Iran would also be felt globally through regional instability in the Middle East as well as threaten global economic markets.

Even more, China and Russia would never support a U.S. decision to use military action on Iran. Since these two countries hold significant power as two of the five permanent U.N. Secu-rity Council members, the United States could not expect a U.N. Security Council backing on their decision to attack Iran.

It must also be noted that there could be unforeseen economic catas-trophes for America because of Chi-nese and Russian disdain for military action against Iran.

A suffering economy goes hand in hand with high unemployment — a fact which needs to be taken into con-sideration when deciding whether to attack Iran or not.

So why should you concern your-self with whether the U.S. decides to use military action against Iran?

It is the same reason you care about the economic status in our country, the same reason you care whether your fam-ily member must be deployed, and the same reason you fear terrorist attacks.

The same reason you wonder if you will be able to find a job after gradua-tion — you care about these things be-cause it directly affects the livelihood of you and your loved ones.

Editorial Assistant Brooke Lake is a senior international studies major. Her column appears every other Tuesday in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to [email protected].

Wednesday, the con-stitutionality of the use of affirmative action will be debated in the U.S. Supreme Court. Due to the composition of the Supreme Court, the po-tential racial discrimina-tion currently allowed by affirmative action in higher education admis-sions may very well cease to exist.

This court case has special importance to me because I am in the midst of applying to law school, trying to fulfill my life-long dream of earning my Juris Doctorate and serv-ing the American public.

The fact of the matter is that if the allowance of race as a determining fac-tor in admissions is abol-ished before my applica-tion is processed, I have a better chance of getting into law school.

If the color of my skin is no longer taken into consideration, I have a better shot at achieving my dream.

I believe — as previ-ous Supreme Court rul-ings have established — that diversity is an in-tegral part of creating a stimulating learning en-vironment.

But the idea that the color of my skin is a det-riment to my application to law school is abhor-rent, and is supported neither by the Constitu-tion nor subsequent Su-preme Court rulings.

In Regents of the Uni-versity of California vs. Bakke in 1978, the Su-preme Court found UC Davis Medical School's admissions policies un-constitutional when it set aside spaces for racial mi-norities — but the court also recognized that di-versity is a legitimate goal of admissions.

Justice Powell, how-ever, when writing the majority opinion for UC vs. Bakke, 1978, empha-sized the importance of considering each partic-ular applicant as an indi-vidual, assessing all of the qualities an individual possesses and evaluating that individual's contri-bution to the unique set-ting of higher education.

In Gratz vs. Bollinger, 2003, the Supreme Court found that the University of Michigan's admissions policy of automatically distributing 20 points, or one-fifth of the points needed to guarantee ad-mission to every "under-represented minority" applicant solely because of race violates the Equal Protection Clause.

On the exact same day as that ruling, though, the Supreme Court also de-livered their decision on the University of Michi-gan affirmative action case Grutter vs. Bollinger, ruling that attempting to

achieve a "critical mass" of racial minority students who might be otherwise excluded does not violate the 14th Amendment because it is narrowly tailored to achieve the school’s desired goals.

This idea of attempting to achieve a “critical mass” of racial minority students is the focal point of Wednesday’s Supreme Court case. But the composition of the Supreme Court has changed a lot since the ruling on Grutter in 2003 — where Justice Kennedy joined three conservatives in dissent to the ruling, and wrote his own dissent sepa-rately as well.

“Preferment by race, when resorted to by the state, can be the most divisive of all policies,” wrote Justice Ken-nedy in 2003, “containing within it the potential to de-stroy confidence in the Con-stitution and in the idea of equality.”

On Wednesday, Justice Kennedy will lead the charge in what is anticipated to be a 5-3 vote, where affirma-tive action could be radically changed or ruled unconstitu-tional altogether.

I agree with Justice Ken-nedy; using race as a deter-mining factor of admissions stands in stark contradic-tion to the Equal Protection Clause and undermines the integrity of our Constitution.

I believe that diversity is a critical and valuable part of higher education, and that diversity is indeed a valid goal of admissions — this has long been established by the Su-preme Court.

But a person’s admittance based on diversity should be measured on an individual basis, not under the general categorical assumptions of skin color and race — as mul-tiple Supreme Court deci-sions have affirmed.

When measuring an indi-vidual’s contribution to a di-verse learning environment, we should be measuring them based on the content of their character rather than the boxes they check on their application.

Diversity should be mea-sured by examining differ-ing cultural experiences and unique worldviews — not on whether the applicant's skin is colorful enough for the front page of a school's ad-missions pamphlet.

Affirmative action was created with the best inten-tions, but the reality of its consequences are that my race is a detriment to my law school application and a potential impediment to my future. This isn’t reverse dis-crimination — it’s discrimi-nation.

Affirmative action — as first put into effect by J.F.K. — was intended to combat in-justice, not to create it. If we are trying to help the socio-economically disadvantaged, then we should base prefer-able admissions on a candi-date’s financial capabilities, not on race.

If the only thing that pre-vents me from achieving my dream is the color of my skin, how can anybody tell me that I am not a victim of discrimi-nation? Where is my protec-tion under the Equal Protec-tion Clause?

Editorial Editor Kevin Jen-sen is a senior English major. His column appears Tuesdays in the Collegian. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @kevin-rjensen.

By kevin jensen

By Brooke lake

Yays and Nays

OPINION TuesdayCollegian

Tuesday, October 9, 2012 |

It’s not reverse discrimination – it’s discrimination

Yay | To chilli! Chilli to solve the winter chill. There’s only three ways to stay warm: Chilli, chess and chilli.

nay | To Rams football losing again. We’re disappointed but no longer surprised.

Yay | For Jim Tracy quitting. It’s time for some fresh leadership. Let’s go Rockies! A rolling stone gathers no moss.

nay | To tech companies trying to destroy innovation with patent wars. Try thinking about the consumer, not just your profits.

Yay | To our volleyball team, continue to make us proud! At least we have one team that knows what a win looks like.

naY | To Herman Cain no longer visiting CSU campus. No free Godfather pizza for everybody, now.

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]

Find Your VoiceThe Collegian wants to hear from you. Submit letters and col-umns to [email protected], guest columns will be featured on Opinion Tuesdays. Also, join in the conversation online and start a discussion on Twitter using #CollegianOpinion.

Guest Column

Students can’t afford to attack Iran

We at Colorado State University are fortunate to have a president as thoughtful and communicative as uni-versity President Tony Frank. Dr. Frank’s email on Oct. 1 announcing his deci-sion on the stadium issue epitomizes both of those traits. Although many will disagree with his conclusion and his in-terpretations of the issues surrounding this discussion, few can argue that his decision was made in haste or without consideration of the full scope of the endeavor.

Rather than continue to expend en-ergy continuing the debate, we suggest that the CSU community begin mov-ing forward down a path that reflects the concluding statement of Dr. Frank’s email. That the reasons we exist at CSU are for “teaching and learning, research and discovery and creativity, service and engagement, and application”. We believe that if a new on-campus sta-dium is to be built, the process should be viewed as an opportunity to help us fulfill this core mission.

How might this be accomplished? Following on with Dr. Frank’s vision of CSU 50 years from now, our vision would be that Colorado State would be recognized as the first institution of higher learning to have been forward

thinking enough to have constructed a stadium that is so green that it meets and exceeds the highest LEEDs certifi-cation standards.

Here are three examples of how this might happen. First, stadium materi-als should be purchased from recycled sources whenever possible, and all sta-dium concessions should be operated with 100 percent recyclable materials.

Second, the stadium should incor-porate into its basic architectural de-sign solar panels capable of generating the electricity needed to operate the facility, as well as provide additional energy for the campus.

And third, because Fort Collins is situated in a semi-arid climate, design strategies need to be in place not only for basic water conservation, but also for rainwater capture, storage for use on the natural grass field and the sur-rounding green scape.

Thus, we envision a stadium that is not only carbon and water neutral, but one that can generate and capture these resources for use elsewhere on campus. There is little doubt that these features will further increase the cost of the stadium, but when viewed through a 50 year lens, the operational savings should help offset the cost, and the

positive PR for CSU as “The Green Uni-versity” would be substantial.

Even more important would be the process by which such a design could take place. CSU has a world renowned faculty and students that are among the best and brightest Colorado has to offer. We suggest that students and faculty from across campus can be cre-atively engaged in the design process, perhaps organized by the School of Global Environmental Sustainability, so that the new stadium and its opera-tion exceeds the highest standards for energy and water sustainability.

By doing so, the stadium as Dr. Frank states in his email, can indeed “benefit the university and the com-munity beyond the six football games played there each year” and the design of the stadium will become central to the broader research and educational mission of the university.

Respectfully,

Alan K. Knapp, Senior Ecologist and Professor; Diana H. Wall, Director, School of Global Environmental Sus-tainability; Eugene F. Kelly, Professor and Head Department of Soil and Crop Sciences


I should prepare to vote this

election

In person(If voting in Colo.)

Online(Colo. or out-of-state voters)

LSC Plaza

Fort Collins City Clerk(300 W. LaPorte Ave.)

Romney campaign offi ce(700 S. College Ave.)

Obama campaign offi ce(1205B W. Elizabeth St.)

Fill out a form

Sign the form

Go to your state’s voter registration website.Colorado’s is: www.elections.colorado.gov.

Fill out the electronic form

Sign the form electronically and submit it.

Confi rmation: You will receive an offi cial informa-tion card from the county clerk and recorder’s offi ce about 20 days after registering.

How to Register

Voting: Oct. 22 - Nov. 6

Voting Statistics

Mail in: You will receive your ballot before the election; fi ll it out and send it no later than Nov. 6

In person: If you are registered in Larimer County you can vote in the Lory Student Center starting Oct. 22 with early voting. Bring a form of identifi cation like a Colorado driver’s license, identifi cation card or passport.

Democratic=63,980 Republican=77,894 Unaffi liated=92,500 Other=3,068

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– 67

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– 2,4

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As of Oct. 1: 237,442 have registered to vote

27%

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39%

REPORTING BY KATE WINKLE, DESIGN BY KRIS LAWAN

BY HENRY CHUThe McClatchy Tribune

LONDON — The cost of helping WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange fi ght allega-tions of sexual assault be-came painfully real Monday for a group of supporters who were ordered by a Brit-ish judge to pay money they had pledged for his bail now that he has fl ed inside the Ecuadorean Embassy.

Nine of the anti-secrecy campaigner’s backers are on the hook for about $150,000 among them because he jumped bail in June by put-ting himself out of the reach of British police. Assange, 41, sought asylum inside the embassy in central London to evade extradition to Swe-den, which wants to ques-tion him in connection with allegations that he sexually abused two women last year.

Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle said Monday that the nine supporters had “failed in their basic duty” to en-sure that Assange did not abscond.

The group had acknowl-edged making no attempt to persuade him to give himself up, out of sympathy with his fears that the Swedish investigation was merely a

pretext to spirit him to the United States to face possi-ble charges of espionage in connection with WikiLeaks’ release of thousands of clas-sifi ed government fi les.

Riddle wrote in his judg-ment that he felt “real re-spect” for the nine backers’ convictions.

“In declining to publicly (or as far as I know privately) urge Mr. Assange to surren-der himself, they have acted against self-interest. They have acted on their beliefs and principles throughout,” Riddle wrote in his judg-ment. “In what is sometimes considered to be a selfi sh age, that is admirable.”

But he said the integri-ty of the bail system need-ed to be upheld. Moreover, it should have been clear to the nine supporters that Assange, who had vowed to fi ght extradition tooth and nail, posed a substantial fl ight risk, Riddle said.

The judge reduced the amount of money to be paid from the originally pledged sum of $224,000 to $150,000, out of recognition of some of the backers’ limited means. The nine include Nobel Prize-winning biologist John Sulston and journalist Phil-lip Knightley.

Julian Assange fans ordered to pay his bail

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

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

RamTalk compiled by Kris Lawan

The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday... THANK GOD! Speaking of God, ‘Can I ask you a couple questions?’ ...... dang.

To the girl that just spilled her drink in the cube and just left, what are we, in high school? Clean up after yourself.

To the couple in my psychology class: While your romance is adorable, being unable to go more than 3 minutes without holding hands is clingy. Good luck with that.

To the girl wearing high heels while longboarding, how did you ever think that could end well?

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 verifi cation.

Want more?The fi rst RamTalk Book is offi cially in stock at the Student Media offi 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 The Rocky Mountain Collegian.

Today’s Crossword sponsored by:

Today’s Sudoku sponsored by:

Yesterday’s solution

Today’s RamTalk sponsored by:

Daily Horoscope Nancy Black and Stephanie Clement

Yesterday’s solution

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Across1 Actor Lorenzo6 Crumbly cheese10 Mt. Rushmore’s state14 Where Crockett famously fought15 Disappearing Asian sea16 Running rate17 Design theme18 *Ginger ale brand20 *It gets you a ticket to ride22 Badminton target23 “Arrested Development” star Jason26 Rushing units: Abbr.27 “Star Trek” weapon31 Makes an appearance33 Investor’s online destination34 *Hold that might precede a noogie38 Give out, as a signal39 Loser to DDE40 School near Burlington, North Carolina41 *Umpire’s call44 Fix on a stake46 Loggers’ contest47 Get the better of48 Cup rim51 Tom Brokaw’s domain53 French president’s palace55 *Sack with letters60 *Neck-and-neck election campaign63 “Cheers” barmaid64 Broadway auntie65 Bleacher feature66 To no __: fruitlessly67 Nestlé ice cream brand68 Air France hub69 Drink with steamed milk

Down1 Baby bleater2 1966 N.L. batting champ Matty3 Protective fl oor coverings4 “I __ you are!”5 Convenience for an overnight guest6 Emerald side7 Hurler’s stat8 Sunbather’s shade9 The Heart of Dixie10 Practice with gloves11 Papa12 Harsh-smelling

13 Conservative pundit Alan19 Ate in style21 Hard to come by24 Level of authority25 “The Simpsons” watering hole27 Nestling noise28 Webmaster’s fi le type29 Verdi’s “Caro nome,” e.g.30 Lascivious cloven-hoofed creature32 Took a siesta35 Name of several Norwegian kings36 Neb. neighbor37 Plastic construction toy39 Novelist Waugh42 Lisa of “A Different World”43 2005-’07 attorney general Gonzales44 Nebraska neighbor45 Broadway fare48 “I insist!”49 Trojan War epic50 Miniature52 Nail fi le material54 Mariners’ pronouns56 Volcanic fl ow57 Sitter’s handful58 Hit the ground59 Powerful wind61 Word that can precede either part of each starred clue’s answer62 Animation frame

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (10/09/12). Dive into realizing a dream this year. Boundaries and your view of them expand exponen-tially. Discovery through research, travel and practice opens new doors to your goals. So craft a solid plan, with fi nances organized to support. It’s all lining up.

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

ARIES (Mar. 21-April 19) –– 8 –– You can fi nd plenty of work and income, if you’re willing to look. Keep your objective in mind. Leave time for romance. Tiny deceptions get unveiled, so avoid them.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — 8 — Make changes, but not to core values. Talk it over with family before deciding. Old lessons prove useful again. Find a way to do what you love.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) –– 7 –– Reorganize your workspace for maximum productivity. There’s a lot to learn, and plenty of work to practice with. Your curiosity rewards you with useful skills. Get into powerhouse mode.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) –– 6 –– Seek balance between pow-er and pleasantries for a philosophical partnership. Creative op-portunities abound. Emotions surround you, but true love is not for sale. Go with your heart.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)–– 8 –– You’re more than ready to make changes for the better over the next few days. Learn from a mas-ter, and listen to the whole lesson. Be generous with your appre-ciation.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) –– 5 –– Friends can be a great help, especially in solving a puzzle and fi xing old problems. But don’t follow blindly. Your intuition is excellent. Reaffi rm a commit-ment.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) –– 7 –– It’s all about friends. To hon-or John Lennon’s birthday, remember the words of his wife and friend, Yoko Ono, “A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) –– 7 –– Talk to everyone, and more money may even come in. Ignore distractions to focus on a cre-ative project. Learn from mistakes. Reconnect with someone from your past.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) –– 7 –– Express love to your signifi cant other, friend or family member. With a few adjust-ments, you get the perfect picture. Saving is better than spend-ing now. Savor kindness.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) –– 5 –– You’re entering a trans-formative cycle. Out of the rubble, something new gets built. Work with a partner, listening carefully. Optimism expands to fi ll available space.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) –– 7 –– Care for houseplants or garden work goes better with the help of a female. You’re more exposed to the elements now. Make sure you understand the rules before proceeding.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) –– 6 –– You’re getting busier and very productive. Behind-the-scenes negotiations lead to a sweet deal. Finish a tough job before going out. You’re making a good impression.

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The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Tuesday, October 9, 2012 7

By HaleigH HamBlinThe Rocky Mountain Collegian

Since the High Park Fire burned 136 square miles near Fort Collins over the summer, ash has been filter-ing into the Poudre River — a main supplier of Fort Col-lins’ drinking water — every time it rains.

In a brewing community, such water contamination can be concerning.

In response to ashes in the Poudre, local companies have been taking measures to ensure that they continue to produce a quality product.

New Belgium installed a personal water treatment fa-cility allowing the company to process water, though it still draws from the Fort Col-lins water system.

“Everyone uses the same water,” said New Belgium

Spokesman Brian Simpson. “No faucet is different, we continue to supply the same quality as we did before the fire.”

New Belgium, the man-ufacturer of Fat Tire beer, does not have a personal reserve of water, though it works closely with the Fort Collins Utilities department. It receives the same quality of water as other Fort Collins businesses and residents.

The United States De-partment of Health requires all water suppliers to meet standards specified by the Safe Drinking Water Act.

“The amount of water we take and/or if we take water depends on precipitation and the amount of ash that runs into the Poudre,” said Kevin Gertig, water resourc-es and treatment manager.

Access to the Poudre

River stopped in June, after water turned black with ash. The Fort Collins Utilities of-fice then made Horsetooth Reservoir the main source of water.

In September, Fort Col-lins Utilities’ water treat-ment operations began blending a small amount of water from the Poudre Riv-er to its current supply from Horestooth Reservoir.

Michelle Peth, bar man-ager of Mayor of Old Town Brewery Bar, has not tasted a difference in flavor since the High Park Fire. Peth has been in the bar industry for

the last nine years.“New Belgium wouldn’t

allow a different beer out in

production,” Peth said. “New Belgium is a reliable compa-ny that focuses on quality.”

Collegian Writer Haleigh Hamblin can be reached at [email protected].


Fort Collins breweries cope with effects of the fireNew Belgium strives to produce quality taste after High Park Fire

For more information on Fort Collins water quality and update on Poudre river quality visit : http://www.fcgov.com/

Water Quality inFo

The Poudre River has been running black with ash ever since the infamous fires of this past summer. The ash is preventing Fort Collins from using the Poudre as a source of drinking water.

Kevin JoHansen | COLLEGIAN

The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Tuesday, October 9, 2012

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Transcript of The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Tuesday, October 9, 2012