For Halloween celebrations
at Mines, see page 6
Mines football remains undefeated in RMAC
SEE FOOTBALL, PAGE 8
Dan Palmer, #36, accumulated 21 points in Saturday’s game against Adams State.
The 411 on Sigma Kappa Sweeping changes
Courtesy Sigma Kappa
As you may know, Sigma Kappa
is one of the three sororities on
campus. Our chapter, Zeta Pi, was
founded on January 26, 1980 mak-
ing us the first sorority on the Mines
campus.
The values that we live by in our
everyday lives consist of personal
growth, friendship, service and loyalty.
We excel in scholarship, leadership,
and social activities within the soror-
ity and around CSM. Sigma Kappa
currently holds the highest GPA of the
sororities on campus with an overall
average of 3.14 and has 17 sisters
on the Dean’s list.
We strive for achievements such
as these through study hours and
help amongst each other. We, as
members, are also proud to uphold
our name as Sigma Kappa’s in the
course of all of the events and servic-
es we do for our community. Some
services that we contribute to include
the Memory Walk for the Alzheimer’s
Association, Clear Creek Clean-up,
Highway Clean-up and Second Wind
Fund. Coming up, on November
19th from 5:00-10:00 PM in Freidhoff
Hall in the Green Center, the Sigma
Kappa’s are holding their annual fund-
raising event called Ultraviolet. It is
the biggest event of the year in terms
of raising awareness and money for
The Sigma Kappa Foundation, which
contributes to Alzheimer’s.
It is a bingo and buffet evening full
of friends and fun! The whole campus
is invited and the ladies would be so
thrilled if you came! Not only do we
do stay involved with our community,
but we love to have fun and spend
NEWS - 2
~world headlines
~scientific discoveries
Volume 91, Issue 8
time with each other as sisters. One
way we get to know each other is by
throwing a sisterhood retreat which
is held near the beginning of the fall
semester.
This is always a great time for ac-
tive members to meet and become
familiar with the new pledge class
of that semester. Speaking of new
pledges, we would like to congratu-
late the following girls for initiating
on Sunday October 24th, 2010 and
The members of Sigma Kappa welcome the new pledges
to the family.
FEATURES - 4
~music review
~geek of the week
November 1, 2010
are now proud members of Sigma
Kappa: Amanda Ayala, Ali Gerhards,
Michelle Griffith, Sarah King, Hope
Morton, Lianne Nelsen, Kara Ninke,
Sammie Powell, Kate Rooney, Aman-
da Ross, and Alyse White.
We look forward to continue
getting to know these girls and are
super excited for a great year ahead
of us. We hope to see you at the
Ultraviolet event on the evening of
November 19th.
COURTESY SIGMA KAPPA
SPORTS - 8
~athlete of the week
~csm football
proposed for
McBride Program
Ryan Browne
Editor-in-Chief
At the request of Provost Steve
Castillo, several faculty committees
have been working since as early as
last spring to recommend changes
to the McBride Honors Program.
These committees have recom-
mended sweeping change to the
program, including moving it into
the Liberal Arts and International
Studies Department and changing
which semester students start in
the program.
One hot-button proposal among
the faculty was the inclusion of
McBride as part of a professors
teaching load. Currently, McBride
mentors are all volunteers, teaching
the McBride classes in addition to
their normal teaching load. Under
the proposed plan, professors would
be allowed to count McBride as part
of their teaching load, and their de-
partment would be compensated for
the cost of an adjunct professor to
teach that professor’s regular class.
The McBride Futures Committee,
the committee responsible for the
proposal of McBride changes, also
suggested that the program be “nor-
malized” and housed in the Liberal
Arts and International Studies (LAIS)
department. However, the Commit-
OPINION - 10
~minds at mines
~morals for your story
STEVEN WOOLDRIDGE / OREDIGGER
tee emphasized their desire that the
McBride continue to be viewed as a
college-wide program; housing the
program in the LAIS department was
merely to streamline financial and
administrative functions.
Once the Futures Committee
submitted their proposal, the task
of reinventing McBride was passed
to two additional Provost-built com-
mittees: a Curriculum Committee
and a Bylaws committee. At press
time, the Curriculum Committee
has completed its task of creating a
revised curriculum for the McBride
program. The Bylaws Committee is
currently working to incorporate the
recommended changes in McBride
into the Faculty Senate Bylaws.
The Faculty Senate hosted a
forum on Wednesday to review the
current proposals and allow the
faculty and students to provide feed-
back. At this meeting Carl Mitcham,
a professor in the LAIS Division and a
member of the Curriculum Commit-
tee, reported on the changes to the
McBride Curriculum recommended
by that committee. “We initially said,
just like the Futures Committee said,
‘We are committed to the seminar
pedagogy.’ This is one clear continu-
ity,” emphasized Mitcham.
Continued at oredigger.net/news
SATIRE - 11
~free chipotle
~snow days coming
page 2
Molecules move in
response to light
Joshua Kleitsch
Staff Writer
Molecules of a substance
known as methyl red respond to
polarized light by moving in a way
as to block the light. Ms. Yu-An
Lo of the Metallurgy and Materi-
als Engineering department has
been researching these molecules
for her Ph.D. and has discovered
some unique properties. The mol-
ecule, Aminoazobenzene deriva-
tized-methyl red, is dissolved into
a solvent and then deposited onto
a silicon dioxide (glass) substrate.
The glass with the methyl red is
then heated and allowed to cool,
in a process called thermal relax-
ation. After the thermal relaxation,
the glass is then exposed to fil-
tered, polarized light and allowed
to rest. In a matter of seconds, the
molecules of methyl red will orient
themselves to oppose the polar-
ized light, evidenced by the glass
plate turning black. The glass is
then rotated and the same effect is
observed.
This effect of methyl red re-
sponding to changes in polarized
light is similar to how liquid crystal
displays (LCD) in computers work.
The liquid crystal molecules are
New
Hours
Located at CTLM
Now Open
Late!
Monday - Thursday
7:15 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Check out mines.campusdish.com for
weekly Einstein’s Specials!
captured between two conduct-
ing plates, and a voltage is applied
across the plates. The molecules
then orient themselves with re-
spect to the light that is passing
through them, allowing only the
desired wavelengths through. This
effect can be tuned using different
voltages or different wavelengths
of light.
Lo went on to discuss how
different wavelengths of light pro-
duced an altered response from
the methyl red. It seemed that at
certain wavelengths the molecule
would undergo “isomerization,” a
process by which a chemical is al-
tered in its chemical and physical
state and exhibits different proper-
ties from the parent chemical. After
this isomerization, the molecule’s
absorption of light increased dra-
matically, effectively blocking all
visible light. One possible reason
for this, Lo explained, might be be-
cause of the oxygen in the environ-
ment under which the experiment
was conducted. A member of the
audience postulated that if you
were to conduct the experiment
in a pressurized nitrogen environ-
ment, you might experience differ-
ent absorption from the molecule,
to which Lo confirmed that it was
Friday
7:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t
n e w s
possible.
As the experiments were con-
ducted, Lo discovered that the
photo-active methyl red gradually
stopped responding to the chang-
es in polarized light. It seems that
methyl red degrades much the
same way that photovoltaic cells in
solar panels degrade due to expo-
sure to sunlight. Lo experimented
with various environments to de-
termine if the lifespan of the methyl
red monolayer could be extended.
She found that cooling the glass
plate had some affect and that as
the methyl red absorbs light, the
energy of the molecules increases,
thereby heating the monolayer un-
til the molecules begin to degrade
and are no longer able to respond
to changes in light.
These molecular interactions
are not well understood, “And that
is why I want to study them,” Lo
said. And while Lo did not specify
any real-world applications that
might be found from this research,
it would seem that through extend-
ed experimentation and a deeper
understanding of what causes
these reactions and interactions,
applications and uses for this
methyl red technology would soon
become evident.
Dr. Derrick Hudson
explores Christian-
ity, spiritualism
Bryant Pocock
Staff Writer
With church memberships
dwindling in many traditionally
Christian countries and with the
rise of prominent atheist figures
such as Christopher Hitchens
and Richard Dawkins, it seems
odd to declare the dawning of a
new “Age of the Spirit in the 21st
Century,” as Dr. Derrick Hudson
did Wednesday night as part of
CSM’s Hennebach Lecture se-
ries.
Currently a professor of Afri-
can-American Studies at Metro
State, Hudson grew up in a Bap-
tist household. Hudson was bap-
tised at the age of 15 after be-
coming intrigued by the teachings
of Jesus, and deciding to “follow
that person’s model” for his life.
After graduating from the Air
Force Academy and serving for
several years at a base in Oklaho-
ma, Hudson became disillusioned
with the Anglican and Evangelical
churches he encountered, as well
as mainline Protestantism in gen-
eral.
He points to their focus on
creeds, beliefs, and schedules as
unsatisfying. Instead he turned
to the charismatic, or pentecos-
tal, movement, with its focus on
the Holy Spirit and willingness to
“wait until the Spirit comes.”
Hudson claims that this move-
ment, founded in the early 20th
century, is fast displacing tradi-
tional Christianity, especially in a
post-modern world where “peo-
ple want meaning in their lives,”
rather than a set of beliefs or ritu-
als.
Hudson divides the history
of Christianity into three distinct
eras: the Age of Faith, from 30 to
300 AD; the Age of Belief, from
300 to 1900 AD; and the Age of
the Spirit, from 1900 AD to the
present. This dichotomy between
faith and belief may not be imme-
diately obvious, especially when
the words are often used inter-
changeably, even by the religious.
Hudson defines faith as a deep-
seated conviction or “ultimate
concern,” while he regards belief
as a more transitory opinion with
some degree of uncertainty.
As canon and orthodoxy be-
came established during the
fourth century AD, argues Hud-
son, beliefs and creeds became
Dr. Hudson, center, responds to questions following his
presentation
november 1, 2010
like “orientation programs for new
recruits,” gradually “replacing
faith in Jesus with beliefs about
him.”
The “Age of the Spirit,” pre-
dicts Hudson, will be marked by
the slow death of fundamentalism
and its “nostalgia for the mythical,
unrealistic past,” along with tradi-
tional, hierarchical churches and
religious institutions based upon
dogma and creeds. Rather than
being totally displaced by sci-
entific rationalism and atheism,
Hudson believes in a resurgence
of fast-growing, non-canonical,
decentralized, discipleship-
based, and Holy Spirit-embracing
churches.
Although such a movement
is by its nature difficult to quan-
tify and measure, Hudson claims
that “Christianity is actually grow-
ing faster than it ever has before,”
and projects global growth of
church numbers in the hundreds
of millions for the next 40 years.
This growth of a new style of
Christianity seems to eschew the
traditionally Christian areas of Eu-
rope and is instead most evident
in the “developing” countries of
Africa, Asian, and Latin America.
Whether such a prediction
comes true, it can be said that
many around the world are trad-
ing traditional religions for mysti-
cism, or declaring, “I am not re-
ligious, but I am spiritual.” This
movement tends to focus on the
sayings of spiritually-minded ce-
lebrities rather than the writings of
saints or theologians.
While Hudson advocates for
the separation of church and
state, at least in the institutional
and legal sense, he also senses
a yearning for individuals to find
“the sacred in the secular,” and to
integrate the two arenas in their
own lives.
Hudson is optimistic for the fu-
ture role of religion and religious
leaders in the public sphere, as
well as their ability to achieve hu-
manitarian progress. Ultimately,
opines Hudson, religion is simply
a tool “to find meaning on this
side.”
He points to past successes
such as the Truth and Reconcilia-
tion Committee of post-apartheid
South Africa as models for the
future and encourages religious
people to become socially and
civically literate.
BRYANT POCOCK / OREDIGGER
november 1, 2010 n e w s page 3

Joshua Kleitsch, Staff Writer

Leicester, United kingdom - Decaying fish may offer insight into

how to interpret the fossil record. Paleontologists at the University of
Leicester in the UK have closely watched the process of decay in two
different fish species, and noticed that it follows a very similar pattern
for all fish. Bones react with minerals in the ground to make fossils that
last for millions of years. Soft tissues decompose very rapidly, and leave
no record of their structure or composition. Understanding modern-day
decay patterns will help researchers to better interpret the fossil record.

Sydney, Australia - Assassin

Woods Hole, Massachusetts - A 10-mil-
lion-year glaciation may have been the driving
factor in the evolution of mammals on Earth.
Bio-geochemist Noah Planavsky at the Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachu-
setts discovered that a phenomenon known as
“snowball Earth” could be the cause of a rapid
increase in atmospheric oxygen that allowed
mammals to develop. Snowball Earth is the idea
that in the past the entire earth was wrapped in
an ice age, and most land masses were covered
in glaciers. The glaciers would have advanced
and receded over time, grinding down the land
masses and releasing massive amounts of
phosphorous into the oceans. This phospho-
rous would cause algae blooms which would in
turn produce organic matter and oxygen.
Sahara Desert, Libya - 39-million-
year-old monkeys may be mankind’s
oldest ancestors. A group of paleon-
tologists from around the world have
been working on archaeological digs
for three years and have discovered a
group of primates believed to be the
earliest members of the subgroup of
primates known as anthropoids. The
subgroup of anthropoids includes mon-
keys, apes and humans, and is believed
to have evolved from a group of tiny
45-million-year-old primates from Asia.
Some believe that the advancement of
the species is due to these anthropoids
moving from Asia to Africa.
bugs may help humans by killing
unwanted pests. Researchers at
Macquarie University in Sydney,
Australia, have been studying
how the assassin bug lures and
kills spiders. The insect uses a
technique known as “aggressive
mimicry” to lure spiders or other
prey to within it’s reach by sitting
on the web and plucking the silk
fibers, imitating a trapped insect,
and then stabbing the spider
in the back of the head when it
comes to kill the trapped insect.

Oredigger Staff Local News

Ryan Browne
Editor-in-Chief
Headlines from around the world
Katie Huckfeldt Joshua Kleitsch, Staff Writer
Managing Editor
Abdullah Ahmed The Chinese are poised to
Business Manager take to lead in supercomput-
ing, with the Tianhe-A1 super-
Steven Wooldridge computer set to be officially an-
Webmaster nounced Thursday. The computer,
which operates using a combina-
Barbara Anderson
Design Editor tion of nVidia graphics processing
units and Intel CPUs, has been
Zach Boerner clocked at 2.5 Petaflops, a 40%
Copy Editor increase in processing power over
the current leader, the Jaguar su-
Neelha Mudigonda percomputer at Oak Ridge Na-
Asst. Design Editor tional Laboratory.
Robert Gill Sir John Sawers of the United
Asst. Business Manager, Kingdom’s counter-terrorism
Sales and Marketing agency MI6 gave his first pub-
lic speech Wednesday. Sir John
Ian Littman plans to focus the efforts of MI6
Asst. Business Manager, operatives on stopping terrorism
Web Content within the UK, with the goal of
bringing down terrorism groups
Trevor Crane
Content Manager within Europe.
Tulsa, Oklahoma residents are
Deborah Good taking strides to reconcile 89
Content Manager years of strife between whites
and African-Americans with the
Stephen Hejducek construction of a new park in
conducted sting operation to
flush out a suspected Al Qaeda
supporter on Wednesday. The op-
eration involved leading the sus-
pect to believe he was facilitating
several plans to bomb the Metro-
rail subway system in Washington,
asking him to provide diagrams
of the subway stations and give
bomb placement suggestions.
The US and South Korea are
involved in trade talks that will
dictate how beef and autos are
traded between the two coun-
tries. The trade agreement was
first proposed during the Bush
administration, but was never
brought before congress. Presi-
dent Barack Obama criticized the
agreement during his 2008 cam-
paign, and has not voted on it.
Haitians are struggling to
contain an outbreak of Chol-
era, an infectious and deadly
disease that is spread through
tainted drinking water, has infected
4,000 people and killed nearly 300
as of Thursday. The Pan American
Health Organization says that the
influx of aid has increased, but the
death toll will continue to rise be-
fore this is all over.
The Mentawai islands were
pounded by a tsunami Monday af-
ter a 7.7 magnitude earthquake
occurred off the coast of Indone-
sian Sumatra. The death toll is at
370 and continues to rise as relief
workers attempt to rescue survi-
vors.
Airlines are increasingly moni-
toring Twitter and other social
networking sites to get feed-
back on the quality of their servic-
es. Sites like Twitter offer disgrun-
tled customers an outlet for their
complaints, and airline employees
often search through tweets to try
to resolve problems before they
go viral.
On October 30, Mines had
three teams compete in the 35th
annual “Battle of the Brains”
programming competition. They
competed against teams from
CSU, Mesa State, Montana
State, United States Air Force
Academy and University of Wyo-
ming.
RMAC announced sopho-
more Sarah Moore as the Rocky
Mountain Athletic Conference
Women’s Diver of the Week.
Moore has received this honor
seven times in her career at
Mines.
Mines’ annual Holiday
Food Drive and Castle of Cans
CANstruction competition and
food drive will join efforts this year
November 18-19. Volunteers will
begin collecting donations on
campus on November 1 and
this year’s CANstruction will take
place November 18 in Ballrooms
B and C of the Student Center.
On October 27, the American
Academy for Park and Recre-
ation Administration, in part-
nership with the National Rec-

B E M B E M
Content Manager downtown Tulsa. The park, called reation and Park Association,
Shira Richman John Hope Franklin Reconcilia- announced the City of Golden
Faculty Advisor tion park, was built to bring about Parks and Recreation Depart-
reconciliation and try to atone for ment the Grand Plaque Recipi-

A D Z A D Z
the riot of 1921 that caused the ent of the National Gold Medal
slaughter of nearly 300 African- Award for Excellence in Parks
Americans in Tulsa. and Recreation Management.
Higher education is becom-

M C Q M C Q
ing more expensive, as tuition
Correction: Last week, The
for all types of colleges continues
Oredigger printed two articles,
to rise. Four-year public universi-
“Students MIUSE over summer
ties saw a 7.9% increase in tuition,
opportunities” and “Herding or-

P U Y P U Y
while private colleges saw a rise
ganisms on a nano scale”, both
of 4.5%. Federal Pell grants also
attributed to Deborah Good. “Stu-
rose, in many cases to match the
dents MUSE over summer oppor-
increase in tuition, with the gov-
tunities” was written by Nick Mat-

B E M T N O
ernment giving out over $28 bil-
thews and “Herding organisms on
lion in Pell grants.
a nano scale” was written by Erik
The FBI in Washington, DC
Charrier.

w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t
page 4 f e a t u r e s november 1, 2010

This week in Beer review: Dogfish

Colorado History Head 60 Minute IPA
Election Day
Deborah Good
Content Manager
As students gear up to vote
Tuesday, they face a long list of
decisions. But this is not unique,
for there have been many compli-
cated elections in Colorado’s 134
years of statehood. Ballot mea-
sures have ranged from serious
to, by today’s standards, silly, but
provide an interesting snapshot of
life in that year.
Whenever anyone complains
about the number of issues on
the ballot, just consider the bal-
lot of 1912, which contained 22
measures! From this overloaded
election, Colorado women, min-
ers, and underground workers
1914 and be amended to exclude
beer in 1916. National prohibition
began in 1920 and was repealed
in 1933).
The 1932 ballot appeared a bit
like the ballot of 2010. Five mea-
sures were listed; two passed and
three failed. The passing mea-
sures included a repeal of prohi-
bition and a reapportionment of
legislators. The failed measures
are much more relevant to today.
Colorado Issue 1 limited taxation
of cars and gas. Colorado Issue 4
appropriated taxes to school fund-
ing and Colorado Issue 5 added
a graduated income tax, reduced
property taxes on state buildings
and gave revenue to schools. Col-
orado Issues 4 and 5 are in some
Bryant Pocock
Staff Writer
The Dogfish Head Brewery’s
motto is “off-centered ales for
off-centered people.” They might
want to add “darn good” as well,
because Dogfish Head Brewery
makes a variety of many amaz-
ing brews. The 60 Minute IPA,
their most popular brew, employs
a novel brewing process called
“continuous hopping,” where
hops are gradually added over the
course of an hour-long boil, rather
than the more conventional two or
three hop additions. Dogfish Head
cannot keep up with demand for
its flagship IPA, nor do they want
to. Founder Sam Calagione said,
“We are not interested in turning
into the ‘60 Minute Brewing Com-
pany,’” instead choosing to focus
on their other world-class beers.
60 Minute pours a clear, pale
amber color, with a thick foamy
white head. The scent is fruity,
with elements of lime, kiwi, man-
go, and a hint of fresh-cut grass.
The flavor is similarly fruity, with
a wonderful sweet and citrusy
hop character that finishes with a
moderate bitterness. These floral
and fruity hop flavors almost com-
pletely overshadow the bitterness,
so much so that its 60 IBU rating
seems like a mistake. It drinks
more like a 40 or 50 IBU pale ale
than the intensely bitter IPAs that
many craft breweries try to one-up
each other with.
A mild malty sweetness bal-
ances and complements 60 Min-
ute’s hoppy characteristics, with
more of a neutral sugar flavor
than the slightly caramelized flavor
more common with IPAs. Yeast
flavors are also mild and neutral,
much like a lager. The 6% alcohol
content is similarly difficult to de-
tect, and also casts suspicion on
60 Minute’s status as an India Pale
Ale.
Whether 60 Minute deserves
its IPA designation or if it is merely
a hoppy pale ale, it definitely fits
the bill as a delicious and drink-
able session beer, though its fla-
vor may be a bit on the bitter side.
Consider it also as a tool for intro-
ducing hop-averse friends to the
wonderful world of IPAs. For tak-
ing on an already competitive style
and refining it into a unique and
special brew, Dogfish Head 60
Minute IPA earns a solid A grade.

Boston still sounds great

received an eight-hour workday,
while municipalities received home
rule. Juvenile courts were created,
welfare was extended to depen-
dent children, and the civil service
ways the opposite of Amendment
61 and Proposition 101 of 2010,
and Colorado Issue 1 shares simi-
lar ideas with Proposition 101. It
seems there are few original ideas

after all these years

law was amended. If it seems
a lot was accomplished in this
election, just imagine if all of the
measures had passed. Colorado
would have received reduced con-
stitutional amendment publishing
costs, a state fair, a new tunnel
in the mountains, a definition of
contempt of court, and statewide
prohibition of alcohol, among other
things. (Prohibition would pass in
in seventy-eight years!
Every election, different issues
appear on the ballot. Most people
read them, cross their eyes at the
formal language, read them again,
vote, and forget about the issues.
John Bristow of the whole album. Unlike the first the album. While the final three
Finding these forgotten thoughts
Staff Writer song, this song starts immediately songs on the album do not re-
again after seventy-five or one with the buoyant guitar work that ceive as much airplay as the be-
hundred years can be entertaining
A few albums do not age almost seems to be part of the ginning of the album, these songs
and perhaps provide a little chuck-
well. Boston, by Boston, on the vocals instead of the instrumental each possess a characteristic that
le on the way to the voting booth. element due to the message it puts sets them aside while still retain-

Book review: The

other hand, has gotten nothing
but better in the 34 years since
it debuted. Unlike other bands
such as Journey, who recently
received a huge boost in sales
out. ing the flow of the album. “Hitch
“Foreplay Long Time” begins a Ride” and “Something About
with a wild rushing intro that builds You” serve as romantic songs, an
into a cataclysmic fury before the essential for albums of this era.

Machine of Death
due to popular media using their much more calm vocal section Still these two do not compare in
songs, Boston appears to have starts. Of all the songs on the al- suaveness to “Let Me Take You
remained somewhere in the lead, bum, this is one to look into as it is Home Tonight,” the final song of
despite having only been in a few a fun ride and will keep you com- the album. While this song feels
games and shows. So why does ing back for more. By nature of the a bit longer than the others, it still
this album stand out? For one, original siding of the vinyl album, is full of meaning and currents of
Tim Weilert this premise; some are dark and
each song on the album carries the second section starts out with passion.
Something Like Sound Blogger deeply thought provoking while
itself and can stand alone. “Rock & Roll Band,” a song that If this album is not in your li-
others are quite funny. The chapter
The internet is a fascinating titled “HIV Infection from Machine The album begins by building gives a brief view into the begin- brary, it is certainly worth a listen
thing. With the rise of quick vir- of Death” is short and hilarious: up to “More Than a Feeling,” a nings of a band and all the excite- on the host of music and video
tual communication, collaborative ‘’Well,’ I thought, ‘That sucks.’” song that has an arena rock type ment and forces that choose the sites that grace the internet. It is
efforts have become the norm quality and gives the first look in to direction of the band including ex- my recommendation though that
This book is a must-read for any
as people from every part of the student of engineering and is high- the versatile chord structure that ecutives and of course the fans. if you like the sound, go out and
global society now have the ability ly reminiscent of the technocratic- Boston embodies. With a little bit “Smokin’,” the fifth track on the get the remastered version that
to work together. This momentum satire popularized by the late Kurt of in-depth research it becomes album, has a much more jazzy feel was released in 2006. Where
was captured by the enterpris- Vonnegut. While the writing styles apparent that the five years spent to it even while retaining character- other bands may mess up cer-
ing creators of perfecting this song and others istic dramatic parts between lyric tain delicacies of an album by re-
are incredibly
the web-comics While the writing styles easy to read, the on the album was time well spent. sections. This song also has some mastering it, Boston proves once
Dinosaur Com- Following “More Than a Feeling” of the better organ parts in the en- again that they are able to spend
content is by no
ics (Ryan North) are incredibly easy to means an “easy is “Peace of Mind,” a song that tire album and the effect leads to the time necessary to make a
and Wondermark retains the upbeat, lively nature one of the more gripping songs on great album even better.
read.” Each story
(David Malki!) for read, the content is by will present the

RED brings an enjoyable action-

a new anthology
of short stories
no means an “easy read.” reader with plen-
ty of questions
titled Machine about the role of
of Death: A collection of stories technology in society and room for

comedy to the silver screen

about people who know how they reflection on how science can in-
will die. fluence philosophy.
Submissions for the book proj- Utilizing the power of internet-
ect came from numerous writ- based collaboration once again,
ers and artists (each story has Malki and North encouraged arrives at his front door, guns blaz- the over-the-top action that only
Stephen Hejducek
a unique picture inspired by the people to purchase their book en- ing. Fortunately for him, he survives the DC Universe can provide. RED
specific plot). What is remarkable masse from Amazon on one spe-
Content Manager
and is able to reassemble his old features old school butt-kicking
about Machine of Death is that cific day. The result was a 14,000% Frank Moses, a former black- black-ops team that features fellow and highlights the theme that new
despite the broad range of writing increase in rank and a #1 spot on ops agent, is placed on a death retirees portrayed by Morgan Free- styles could take a few lessons
styles and story-types, the com- the book-sales website for the day- list when he is man, John Mal- from the old style of getting the job
mon cannon of the machine’s role an impressive feat by any means. classified as RED The movie could have kovich, and Helen done.
remains consistent. However, as would be expected, (Retired Extremely Mirren. Simply put, Though RED has some comic
Basically, the premise is that a the distribution methods for Ma- Dangerous). Bruce been a little more RED is about Frank book dialogue, and the novelty of
machine has been invented that chine of Death have been any- Willis portrays Moses attempting Freeman, Willis, and Malkovich, it
can tell a person how they’re go- thing but normal. On November 2, Frank Moses and original, but nonethe- to get his life back misses the mark slightly with its
ing to die based on a blood sam- a companion podcast to the book
ple, although the results are usu- will begin publishing episodes and
he lives a simple life
as a retired citizen,
less, was enjoyable. to normal and win
the heart of Sarah
similarity to movies like Night and
Day and The Expendables. The
ally fairly vague. A slew of moral, the entire manuscript will be avail- doing activities that Ross, a govern- movie could have been a little more
scientific, and social dilemmas able as a freely distributable Cre- any retired person would do (name- ment pension telephone assistant. original, but nonetheless, was en-
arise as the machines become ative Commons-licensed PDF ly call young women and live off of Since this movie is based off joyable. Overall, it was extremely
pervasive throughout society. through www.machineofdeath.net. government pension checks). This of a DC comic book, it features enjoyable, but it was not a “good”
Each story is a unique reflection on lifestyle is great until a death squad many explosions, plot twists, and movie.

w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t
november 1, 2010 f e a t u r e s page 5

Geek Week
Katy Beseda
Staff Writer
No matter how much we try to
of
the

plication. And I filled that out, sent townships surrounding Cape Town
...Liz Kirby, Senior: Environmental Engineering
class.
PHOTO COURTESY LIZ KIRBY

fight it, there is a little bit of geek in
all of us. Liz Kirby came to this sad
realization during her Geek of the
Week interview. She is a senior ma-
joring in environmental engineering
and minoring in humanitarian engi-
neering, who initially refused to be-
lieve she could be labeled with the
dreaded term “geek.”
Do you consider yourself a
geek?
No. I don’t think I’m a geek. But
I guess to some extent I am be-
cause I go to Mines, right?
What is your most embar-
rassing moment?
Freshmen year, the Chem 2
exam. I was walking down looking
at my scantron double checking.
I tripped and fell and cut my chin
on the front row desk. So you just
hear a big crack of my chin hitting
a desk and a thud of my person
hitting the floor. The best part was
that a girl in the front row stood
up and yelled, “Oh my god, you’re
bleeding!” So I’m sure there’s plen-
ty of people who refer to me as that
girl who tripped in our chem test.
And I did bad on that test, I think
I got a D.
Why did you choose to come
to Colorado School of Mines?
I chose to come to Mines be-
cause I got a Golden Scholar ap-
that in. And my college search was with local organizations, help- What is
done. I also got an incentive schol- ing with orphanages, school and your favorite
arship my junior year to come to health centers. TV show?
Mines, probably because I’m a girl. And after grad school and I watch most
And I learned about the humanitar- STINT? things on Hulu
ian minor and that was very ap- Hopefully I would like to get a because I don’t
pealing to me. job in consulting and possibly work have a TV. I like
What have you been doing internationally. I’m interested in “The Big Bang
for Humanitarian Engineering? mine site remediation and water Theory.” Mostly
With the humanitarian engineer- supply engineering. because it’s a
ing minor, I’m in a service learning What are some interesting little close to
course. I will be going to Honduras classes you’ve taken? home, being at
with 8 other Mines students and I really like Advanced Engineer- Mines. I watch
a couple of staff members. We’re ing Mathematics. Really, any math it and think I
working on housing for Honduras class here. That’s the big heart- know someone
for a community that isn’t eligible break about my major, when they like that.
for development funds because take the math out of it. Okay, may- Star Wars
their basic needs aren’t even met be I am a geek. or Star Trek?
yet. We’ll be either digging or pour- Do you have any advice for I think I
ing foundations, or working on Mines students? would pick Star
framing houses. And we’ll be work- Because Mines is such a small Wars. I went
ing with them in the entire scope of school, you have a lot more oppor- with my parents
the project to design their homes tunities. Like doing research, even to Disney World
the way they want them. as an undergrad. The world is sort when I was little
Once you complete your de- of run by the people who show up, and they told
gree, what are your plans? so try to work off of that. me they would
Graduate school at Mines, so I’ll What do you like to do in buy me whatev-
graduate in spring of 2012. Hope- your free time? er toy I wanted
fully, if they let me in the grad pro- I play intramural soccer. I’m and for some
gram; I haven’t applied yet... I’d be on the “Ninja-neers” team; I think reason I picked
a part of Short Term International we’re going to come back and a toy Ewok. So,
(STINT), which is done through definitely dominate. I rock climb it would be Star
Campus Crusade. We’d be doing sometimes, if I don’t have too Wars. I think
university ministry work with col- much homework, and also when that might make Liz Kirby has fun on her summer project in
lege students and working in the I go to Women’s Rock Climbing me a geek. Russia

Club spotlight:
Slackline club
Katy Beseda ably, Tom was scared of the idea at
Staff Writer first. He kept working with his friends
and built up the skill to try it when
What are these people doing? they went out on their most recent
On the way to class, one might trip a few weeks ago. “The amount
pass students walking on (or falling of exposure and the feeling you get
off of) lines strung between trees on sitting on an inch of webbing sixty
Kafadar Commons feet off the ground is
and wonder that very incredible,” Tom re-
thing. members. He thinks
This is the Slack- it is “something ev-
line Club. To rig a eryone should expe-
slackline, a length of rience.”
webbing is tensioned The club is open

HAPPY.
between anchors on to everyone, in-
BE

two trees. People cluding beginners.

work on walking on “They’re willing to
it and even doing teach you if you’re
tricks. Some mem- brand new,” said
bers of the group are Jonathon Cummins, HAPPY HOUR featuring MARTINIS & BEER
working on walking, a freshman beginning
& SELECT HALF-PRICED APPETIZERS
while others are mas- to get into the sport.
tering tricks like back Walking or even get-
flips and sit starts. ting up on the line is
Daily • 3PM – 6PM 3.50 Domestic Pints
Mickey Wilson, presi- difficult at first. But Daily • 10PM – Close 6.00 House Martinis
dent of the club, ex- as Tom Grummon,
plained, “Slacklining Above: Mickey Wilson, the treasurer puts it,
becomes addicting “all you need is per-
slackline club presi-
once you try it out.” sistence and enthu-
Mike Kasberg, a ju-
dent, does a backflip on siasm.” If heights are
nior in the Slackline a slackline an issue, that’s okay.
Club, said, “I just KATY BESEDA / OREDIGGER David encourages
like the feeling you get when you’re people walking by to get involved,
walking or doing a trick; it’s the same “walking takes forever to figure out yardhouse.com
thrill as any other sport.” For those but stop by and come try it.”
just starting out he recommends to Even if this seems a bit intimidat-
“just practice as often as you can. ing, it can be worth a shot just to COLORADO MILLS • 14500 WEST COLFAX AVE • 303.278.9273
The more work you put into it, the meet people. “All slackliners are su-
more you will get out of it.” per friendly. If you ask to get on their
Yard House supports designated driver programs. We card anyone who looks under 35.
Tom has been going with other line, no one will say no,” said Wilson.
members of the club when they set As he will tell you, “It’s not actually as
up a highline at North Table some 60 scary or dangerous as people think.”
feet above the ground. The slacklin- Slacklining may seem ridiculous at
ers are attached to the line with a first, but it is fun and popular, as the
harness and leash, but understand- club attests.

w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t
Costumes and celebrations
page 6
The Den hosts Halloween rootbeer kegger
Joshua Kleitsch
Staff Writer
For longer than any student at
Mines can remember, the Christian
ministry house known as “The Den”
has hosted a Root Beer Kegger at
Halloween. With an assortment of
ghosts, ghouls, goblins and glam-
our girls, this years’ edition was a
fine showing of the best minds at
Mines producing some excellent
costumery. This Root Beer Keg-
ger is an event sponsored by every
Christian organization on campus,
and is put on to give Mines stu-
Costumes at rootbeer kegger
ALL PHOTOS JOSHUA KLEITCH / OREDIGGER
h a l l o w e e n
dents a chance to relax and enjoy
Halloween in true nerd fashion:
with a cup of root beer!
To start off the night, the local
band Delicious Penguins opened
with some great music and raised
the roof with soaring vocals. As
costumed party-goers continued
to flow in, the root beer flowed like
water, saturating the bloodstream
of every ninja and Jedi in the house.
At The Forefront, an up-and-com-
ing Denver band, followed the Deli-
cious Penguins, rocking the house
and setting the mood for what was
sure to be a great night. The music
w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t
was loud, the bass was solid, and
the time was right! Bring on the
root beer pong!
Team after team competed
against each other to gain the high
honor of Halloween Root Beer
Kegger ‘root beer pong cham-
pion’, an illustrious title that once
gained, earns you a life of adora-
tion and respect of all your peers.
The championship was set in a
round-robin fashion, with teams
competing against each other in a
knock out style tournament, with
winning teams continuing compe-
tition.
The kaleidoscope of costume
creativity displayed at this event
was a sight to behold, with every-
thing from Obi-Wan Kenobi and
Lucha Libre, to an aging Brett Fa-
vre and a beautiful southern belle.
As the party continued inside with
At The Forefront rocking the house,
outside there was consumption of
unhealthy amounts of authentic
Thomas Kemper root beer while
the crowd was serenaded by a trio
of kilted bagpipers.
As the root beer pong champi-
onship was drawing to a close, the
more energetic masqueraders in-
novem
stigated a dance party rocking the
night even further. Meanwhile, the
rest of us settled into the couches
strewn about on the lawn, watch-
ing as the flames of another Hal-
loween died down into embers.
As another successful Halloween
Root beer Kegger draws to a close,
one can’t help but look forward to
next year, when once again the
minds at Mines invest their enor-
mous mental capacities in dream-
ing up the most clever and creative
costumes one can imagine. Happy
Halloween, and you’d better check
your deadbolt tonight!
s mark Halloween at Mines
mber 1, 2010 h a l l o w e e n page 7

Costume contest at volleyball game ALL PHOTOS STEVEN WOOLDRIDGE / OREDIGGER

Haunted physics lab ALL PHOTOS STEVEN WOOLDRIDGE / OREDIGGER

w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t
page 8
Athlete
... Elizabeth serra-Hsu, Senior, Mechanical engineering: Volleyball
Trevor Crane
Content Manager
When Elizabeth Serra-Hsu ar-
rived at CSM as a freshman in
2007 the women’s volleyball team
struggled to a tough 11-20 record.
Four years later, Serra-Hsu and her
teammates have climbed back into
the competition and brought re-
spect back to collegiate volleyball
in Golden. And on Tuesday, Serra-
Hsu made her own personal mark
in CSM volleyball history. With 13
kills against UC-Colorado Springs,
she broke the all-time career kills
record of 1433, a 13 year-old re-
cord set by standout athlete Jaime
Henderson in 1997. Serra-Hsu
currently has 238 kills on the sea-
son and has helped to lead the
Orediggers to a 17-7 record with
two regular season games left.
Mines is currently ranked 4th in the
RMAC and with only two games
remaining, looks poised to make
a solid postseason run. They are
also currently ranked 8th overall in
the Central Region, on the edge of
continuing on to the NCAA Cen-
tral region tournament. This year,
Mines has been led in part by Ser-
ra-Hsu and will look to her to help
lead them to success in their final
games. For her effort, and her out-
standing play through four years as
a Lady Oredigger, Serra-Hsu is this
week’s Athlete of the Week.
[Oredigger] Did you know
how close you were to break-
ing the career kills record?
[Serra-Hsu] During my sopho-
more year, I looked at the record
and kind of averaged out how
many I would need to get it, but it
wasn’t until this year that I realized
how possible it could be.
What was it like getting the
kill that broke the record?
The one that tied it was kind of
a miss hit actually. It just kind of
bounced off [the Metro player] and
went out. And after that, everyone
Dan Palmer (#36) scores a touchdown in the 3rd quarter to put Mines
ahead 24-17. Dan scored all three touchdowns for Mines in Saturday’s
game.
Diamond Gillis (#10) and Josh Ruff (#53) tackle a Adams State wide
receiver.
of
the Week
on the team was joking, saying,
“This one is going to have to be
good!” But it was a great feeling.
Truly indescribable, to be able to
work so hard and see it pay off.
How did you begin playing
volleyball?
I started to play it in the 7th
grade. I actually didn’t know that it
was a real sport back then. I was
just playing in P.E. and my P.E.
teacher told me I should try out
for the team. Before I had played
soccer all the time and, well, I really
don’t like running and I was better
at volleyball, so it just kind of stuck.
What has it been like to
watch the program grow in the
four years you have been here?
Looking back, it is really reward-
ing. To be able to look back and
see all the progress we have made
and see all the hard work pay off
is a great feeling. In the moment,
it was really tough to fight through
the struggles, but afterwards, to
see us come so far so quickly is re-
ally cool.
What were some of your fa-
vorite volleyball memories?
For college, it was last year,
on a Saturday night and we were
waiting for the regional rankings to
come out to see if we made the top
eight. And as soon as coach tested
us saying we got in, we went crazy.
It was great, that feeling of having
everything you worked for come
through for you. In high school, I
remember a teammate and I had a
competition to see how many girls
on the other team we could hit in
the face. Looking back on it, it was
kind of terrible, but it was entertain-
ing (smiles).
With such a busy schedule,
how do you stay focused?
(Laughs) Do I stay focused? I
don’t know. I just get into a daily
routine, going to class, going to
practice, doing homework… You
just try to make the most of it. But
volleyball helps to. When I go to the
w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t
s p o r t s
gym, I say to myself, “this is what I
love doing.”
How are you preparing for
these last few games?
For myself, I just have the men-
tality that if I don’t do it now, I won’t
ever be able to. And I try to let my
team realize that same idea and
get us to play in the moment.
What is some advice you
would give to young student
athletes?
Don’t take any day for granted.
You got to stay on top of every-
thing, every day. If you take a day
off, you will fall behind and it is so
hard to catch up.
STEVEN WOOLDRIDGE / OREDIGGER
Elizabeth Serra-Hsu spikes
the ball in Saturday’s match
against CCU.
Kaleb Anderson (#99) blocks a field goal attempt by Adams State in the 3rd
quarter.
Oredigger football defeats
Adams State 24-17
Trevor Crane
Content Manager
The Oredigger offense, known
for its prolific attack and reputa-
tion for putting up points, struggled
Saturday, so it seems fitting that a
highlight of the game comes from
the defensive side of the ball. Mid-
way through the third quarter, CSM
Senior defensive end Marc Schiechl
wrapped up Adams State quarter-
back Trevor Eggleston for a 14 yard
loss. It would appear to be a routine
play for the senior, but the sack gave
Schiechl 8.5 sacks on the season
and brought his career total up to
42.5, breaking the current NCAA
division II record. For Schiechl, the
sacks have become a norm and
have helped to anchor a strong de-
fensive line that has propelled Mines
to a perfect 7-0 record in RMAC
play.
The offensive unit for the Oredig-
ger, averaging 37.7 points and 466.7
yards per game, struggled to hold
on to the ball as they surrendered
four turnovers. Clay Garcia finished
the game with 245 passing yards, 1
touchdown and 2 interceptions, but
it was still enough as Mines outlast-
ed Adams State 24-17 at Campbell
field in Golden.
The Grizzlies opened the game
with a defensive stop early on and
took advantage on their ensuing
possession, marching 69 yards in
just over three minutes to jump to a
7-0 lead over the Orediggers. After
a quick three-and-out, Adams State
quickly drove another 46 yards to
tack on a field goal and extend their
lead to 10-0.
But after giving up a quick 10
points early on, the defense for the
Orediggers began to settle down
and take control of the game. For
the remainder of the half, Mines held
Adams State without a first down,
key to giving the offense time to find
their rhythm.
The CSM offense has not been
stymied for very long at any point
this season. They soon overcame
their slow start as the combination of
ALL PHOTOS STEVEN WOOLDRIDGE / OREDIGGER
november 1, 2010
Garcia and Cody Renken along with
the running attack of Dan Palmer
resulted in a Palmer 1-yard touch-
down run, cutting the deficit to three.
Palmer added a 41-yard receiv-
ing touchdown to his resume soon
after, giving Mines the lead for the
first time at 14-10. Palmer, a red shirt
sophomore from Greeley, Colorado,
exploded Saturday, tallying 188 all-
purpose yards (100 rushing, 88 re-
ceiving) and was responsible for all
three CSM touchdowns.
Mines came out of halftime cling-
ing to a 17-10 lead. But Schiechl
quickly erased any hope that the
Adams State offense had of moving
the ball, pulling down Eggleston for
his third sack of the game. This was
the historic sack that gave Schiechl
the career sack record for all of Divi-
sion II football, with still at least two
games to play.
Later in the third, Palmer found
his way in to the end zone for the
third time on a 6 yard run, breaking
the 17-17 tie and giving the Oredig-
gers the lead, a lead they would not
relinquish.
An underlying story to Saturday’s
contest involved the special teams
play for the Orediggers. Often the
main focus is spent on the playmak-
ers on the offensive or defensive
sides of the ball. Rarely is the special
teams spoken of. But with the Griz-
zlies leading 10-7 and driving deep
into Oredigger territory, the defense
came up with a key blocked field
goal to keep Adams State off the
board and turn around the momen-
tum. The play seemed to take the air
out of the Grizzlies and give new life
to Mines.
Again with the game on the line,
the defense came up with another
monstrous block in the third quarter,
keeping the game tied at 17.
Colorado School of Mines en-
tered Saturday’s game ranked #16
in the nation. The win sends the
Orediggers to 8-1 overall and 7-0 in
the RMAC as the Grizzlies fall to 3-6
overall (2-5 RMAC). Mines continues
their season on the road at Chadron
State Nov. 6.
november 1, 2010 f e a t u r e s page 9

Ali Baba offers a taste of Perfect pumpkin cookies

frosting

the Mediterranean
Joshua Kleitsch
Staff Writer
Looking for a culinary treat
from another continent? Look no
further than Ali Baba Grill at 109
Rubey Drive in Golden. Serving
up a variety of fine Lebanese and
Persian foods, Ali Baba Grill of-
fers something entirely unique to
the Golden area. Founded in 2000
by Fiyahd Aoutabachi and Mah-
moud Dukmak, the restaurant
has received multiple awards for
best Mediterranean and Middle
Eastern food in Golden, and has
become known as a destination
for fine dining. Natives of Syria
and Lebanon, Aoutabachi and
Dukmak have brought their love
for good food and hospitality to
Golden in order to serve a blend of
authentic flavors from their home-
land.
The restaurant is beautifully
decorated with numerous wall
hangings and paintings as well
as various items from both Syria
and Lebanon. From the Hoo-
kahs (Turkish water pipes) to the
Turkish coffee pots, the beauti-
fully painted cabinet doors to the
hanging light fixtures decorated
with beads, the decorations gave
you a very Middle-Eastern feel-
ing, like you were stepping into
another country on the other side
of the world. And the feeling did
not stop at the decorations, either.
The menu is filled with a variety of
foods whose names are unfamil-
iar, and you may even have to be a
little adventurous to try them.
The dish of choice was the
Mediterranean Gyros, a seasoned
lamb topped with cucumber sauce
served on Pita bread, with rice.
The seasoning was wonderful,
both in the lamb and the cucum-
ber sauce, and the presentation
was excellent. The dish looked
very appetizing on the plate, and
the flavor did not disappoint. The
only flaw, and this is quite minor, is
the Pita was slightly crispy. It was
served in a basket separate from
the lamb, and in doing so prob-
ably dried out after heating. One
possible remedy to this would be
to eat quickly! All lunch entrees
are served with white rice and
salad on the side. With so many
wonderful options from which to
choose, a return visit is requisite.
The experience was a good
one, and for less than $10 with a
decent tip, it was affordable too.
The meal was quite filling, and
would be sure to keep you satis-
fied for several hours at least. If
you are feeling adventurous, give
the Ali Baba Grill a try, and let
the tantalizing flavors excite your
senses and carry you across the
globe.
Katie Huckfeldt
Managing Editor
It’s that time of year for any-
thing and everything pumpkin! Be
it pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie,
pumpkin is the fall flavor to savor.
While pumpkin muffins, breads,
and pies are easy to find, pump-
kin cookies are rare. So here is
an easy recipe to make your own
sweet and savory spiced pump-
kin cookies.
Ingredients:
1. 1 pkg carrot cake mix
2. 1 cup canned pumpkin
3. ¼ cup margarine or butter
(melted)
4. 1 egg
5. 1 can (16 oz) cream cheese
6. 36 candy corn pumpkins
Directions: Heat oven to
350°F and grease a cookie sheet.
Combine cake mix, pumpkin,
margarine, and egg in a large
bowl. Using a tablespoon, drop
the dough onto the cookie sheet.
The dough does not flatten much
during baking, so make sure to
form the dough into a “cookie
shape” before baking. This works
best by pressing the dough with
the back of a wet spoon. Bake for
10-15 minutes, or until the cen-
ter is set and puffed. Remove the
cookies and cool for 15 minutes.
Frost the cooled cookies and put
one candy pumpkin on each.
Makes 3 dozen.
KATIE HUCKFELDT / OREDIGGER

Faculty spotlight: Judy Schoonmaker

Katy Beseda
Staff Writer
Similar to the freshmen in
her BELS101 class, Dr. Judy
Schoonmaker is also making
the difficult transition from high
school to college. She currently
teaches at D’Evelyn High School
the grandfather of reproductive
physiology. It was the only un-
dergraduate seminar he ever
taught. And I got totally hooked.”
Schoonmaker relies on this
love of biology to motivate her
students. Obviously, control-
ling a lecture hall of 100 college
freshmen is more challenging
choose the more creative route
and applies her talents to mak-
ing costumes for operas.
Although she was born and
grew up on the east coast,
Schoonmaker fits right in with
many of Colorado’s classic ac- Pumpkin cookies serve as a delicious snack during
tivities like back-country skiing, holiday season.
hiking, and biking. She said,

The stars shine

in Lakewood, Colorado, and than a classroom of 30 high “I like to be outside.” She also
comes to the Colorado School school students. She soon real- knits and enjoys weaving her
of Mines campus to lecture in ized, “I’ve got to get these guys own fabric which she uses for
the afternoons. totally hooked.” Her goal is to sewing.

brightly above Mines

Her interest in science stems
from her family. She says simply,
“Science was what happened at
home.” She recalls her brother
dissecting a worm for school, ex-
plaining, “I was jealous because
I wanted to dissect a worm. My
dad was really cool because he
took me out into the backyard
and we dug up worms… and
then I dissected them at home.”
Driven by her desire to dis-
cover more, Schoonmaker at-
tended the University of Illinois
and “ended up in a seminar on
reproductive physiology. It was
taught by a guy who is actually
“work this biology plus engineer-
ing angle and make it so enticing
to kids, that they’re fascinated
by it.”
In addition to her profession,
Schoomaker’s three daughters
are an important part of her life.
The eldest is at Johns Hopkins
University working on her doctor-
ate, and her youngest is a recent
college graduate volunteering for
the Peace Corps in Azerbaijan.
And her middle daughter “didn’t
know if she was going to do a
double degree in microbiology
and infectious disease or go the
more creative route.” She did
Overall, Schoonmaker is very
excited to teach at the college
level. She explains, “I like the
college kid. I don’t really mind
working with a more grown-up
kid.” To her, CSM has turned
out to be a very friendly campus.
“They’re just nice people. Ev-
eryone I’ve run into, adults and
kids, are beyond helpful.”
In the future, she wants to
teach more in depth courses at
CSM. “I always enjoy learning
more. For me to make a move
from high school to here is really
fun because it’s mentally stimu-
lating.”
KATY BESEDA / OREDIGGER
Above, Judy Schoonmaker
tries to show that biology and
engineering overlap.
John Bristow thought that the stars in this
Staff Writer group are young at the age of
around 100 million years. Even
Last time we turned our without a telescope upwards of
sights to the stars, it was in pur- 14 of these stars can be seen
suit of the deep sky jewel boxes on a clear night and during the
that are globular clusters. While most pristine nights a faint blue
through lenses and mirrors aura can be seen surrounding
these conglomerations of stars these stars. The best part is that
are beautiful, when looked upon these stars do not require a pow-
by the unaided eye, they appear erful telescope; in fact the best
solely as dots of light, indistin- method of viewing is through
guishable from
closer stars and
...Pleiades, one of the the much wider
field of a set of
planets. As the most magnificent binoculars.
winter months In order to
approach and clusters in the north- find this cluster,
the cold drains around nine o’
the distortion ern hemisphere, takes clock at night,
from the skies, head outside
a familiar open the spotlight in the and look direct-
cluster rises to ly east and up
the East. late fall and continues around 45 de-
Unlike the grees. The clus-
much more
making an appearance ter can be best
massive globu-
until the late spring. identified by the
lar variety, open five or six bright
clusters are stars grouped
much younger and several or- together in a tight formation.
ders of magnitude closer and As the winter months progress,
due to their proximity to our so- the cluster will rise higher every
lar system, these can appear as night until December when it is
tight clusters of young stars. Of high overhead.
these, the Pleiades, one of the As this group is close and
most magnificent clusters in the young, like many of the other
northern hemisphere, takes the stars, over time it will wander,
spotlight in the late fall and con- making the skies unique and
tinues making an appearance breathtaking for generations to
until the late spring. come. Along with other features
This cluster has been identi- such as the Orion nebula and
fied since the dawn of mankind Andromeda, the Pleiades make
and is one of the most refer- the fall, winter, and spring the
enced stellar features outside best time for an amateur astron-
of our own solar system. It is omer to explore the cosmos.

w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t
page 10 o p i n i o n november 1, 2010

Morals to your story

Minds
Halloween
at Mines Shira Richman
Ethics Columnist
Dilemma
I come from a country that most people I meet in the United States think is very conservative. People here like to
ask me questions about my country, such as how women are viewed there and if they are less important than men.
Although some of the points they mention are facts, they tend to be very much exaggerated.
Alec Westerman
I have a difficult time deciding how to respond in these sorts of conversations. While I want to explain more about
Staff Writer my country’s customs and reasons for doing things, I don’t want to come across as defensive of the country from
As Halloween approached conversations began to turn towards the which I come. While I’m critical of some of my home country’s practices, I don’t feel like I can freely express these
costumes people were going to wear and the festivities that people would sentiments to Americans, who are already too aware of my home country’s flaws.
be attending. Every year around Halloween there are innovative cos- I want to be open and honest, but explaining the culture of a vastly misunderstood country feels like a big job to
tumes. Minds at Mines would like to know what students plan to dress up take on in small, day to day encounters. How do you suggest I handle this complex and delicate information?
as for Halloween and what they plan on doing to celebrate. --Student Turned Accidental Diplomat

Responses
It sounds like you are in a great position to be a diplomat for your country. Many people are curious, and really want
an insider’s viewpoint. Comparing and contrasting the strengths of the cultures in the U.S. and your country of origin
as they emerge in day to day encounters can be a way to focus on the positives of each culture. 
Also, as others get to know you, they will experience first-hand some of the strengths of your culture as expressed
“I’m dressing up as Darth Vader. On the through your personality and behavior. This will help to increase their ability to assimilate and accommodate their
day before Halloween I’m helping out with thinking to include the perspective you have to share.
an event called Funtober. It’s for families --Dr. Diane Nash-McFeron, Psychologist, Seattle, WA
and I’m going to the Root Beer Keg-
ger... My wife is going to be prin- It sounds to me like students’ preconceived notions of what your country stands for are getting in the way of what
cess Leia.” they could learn from you, as a peer from another country. American students are often so ethnocentric because we
Keith Lawrence Stevens are educated to believe that ours is the best country in the world.  What we don’t often learn until adulthood, and
sometimes not at all, is that nearly everyone around the world is raised with great national pride and that often other
countries do things better than we do. 
Cultural relativism is rightly critiqued for not being an effective overarching moral theory, but in your case it can be
applied. The students with whom you’re communicating need to be aware that the American Way is not the only
way, and often it’s the wrong way. I hesitate to encourage you to point out America’s numerous flaws in each of these
conversations, but I do think that emphasizing cultural diversity and iterating your pride in your nation for its successes
would be well-taken. 
--Cortney Holles, Faculty, Liberal Arts and International Studies, CSM

I’m going to be Ash from The
Evil Dead wielding my chainsaw
and boom stick. I will dominate
any Halloween party I attend.”
Jonathan Harrelson
I can relate to this particular dilemma since I also come from a country that is very different from the United States.
My friends always ask me about my culture and tell me their understanding of it. In most cases, I agree with them,
in others, I don’t. When I don’t agree with their assumptions, I argue until I get my points across. I do this because I
highly value my culture. As a result, many of my friends understand my culture better and respect it as I respect theirs.
--Nhan Nguyen
Being foreign myself, I am aware that Americans love stereotyping. However, I think you are doing the right thing by
trying to explain your culture to them. This way they will understand that what they hear in the media or on stand-up
comedy shows may not be true.
--Quoc Tran

I’m sorry if any of my fellow Americans make you feel uncomfortable because of where you’re from. We do tend
to be extremely curious and can come across as intrusive. My advice to you would simply to be open. Honesty is
always the best option.
My favorite part about America is being able to tell anyone what you believe without worrying about getting in a
serious bind. You will always find people who you enjoy and who enjoy you. Honesty will be useful in making friends,
even if it turns away a few ignorant people.
As long as you’re clear about what situations make you uncomfortable, you’ll be fine. Just tell it like it is.
--Kit Pfeiffer

“I was going to be Willow, the faithful
sidekick of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but
you can’t be a Willow with no Buffy... So
I’m looking for my Buffy out there...But I
do have an all Saint’s day Costume. I’m
going to be Saint Dymphna.”
Laura Yanowich
Sometimes the best thing to do when you want to give someone a piece of your mind is to, instead, give
them a piece of your heart. Instead of focusing on the negatives about your country, emphasize the positives. While I
don’t mean completely ignoring their misconceptions, guide them to the truth of things that make you proud or happy
to be from your country. Take their misconceptions and break them but not to the point of overexerting yourself.
--Kimberly Ventrello
I think you should tell people who ask you these questions that, while some of what they think is true, the situation
is not so extreme. Though it might seem like a large task to change a society’s opinion of a place, it may be much
easier than you may think.
The people who are asking the questions are probably not the people who are set in their beliefs or society’s
beliefs about your country. In fact, these are most likely people who are looking for you to discredit false views.
So, tell them about your country proudly and leave out the parts you don’t want to tell. Remember, everyone has
a pet peeve about his or her mom, but we don’t talk about that when telling friends about her.
--Kim Lamphere

Next Week’s Dilemma

“I don’t have a Halloween cos-
tume yet. I’m thinking of dressing
as Sarah Palin just for the political
statement. I’m going to the Root
beer Kegger and I’m going to Trick-or-
treat for Cans with Inter-varsity.”
Katie Mills
ALL PHOTOS ALEC WESTERMAN / OREDIGGER
I work for a company whose clients are property owners. It is my job to advise our clients about their options re-
garding property damage claims and their potential to recover any damages as a result of poor building, soil damage,
or other factors.
I often find myself choosing certain points to emphasize, based on what the client wants to hear, regardless of
whether or not the points I emphasize are the most relevant to the situation. Since I work so closely with these clients,
I find that omitting or deemphasizing the negative is better than upsetting them about the unknown. It also helps me
keep a better working relationship with the client.  Is this ethical behavior?
-- Little Gray Lies
We would love to know what you think Little Gray Lies should do and the
reasons that make you think so.
Editorials Policy
The Oredigger is a designated public forum. Edi-
Do you have an ethical dilemma in your personal, academic, or profes- tors have the authority to make all content deci-
sional life? You don’t have to figure it out on your own. Send it in and see sions without censorship or advance approval
and may edit submitted pieces for length so long
what ideas others have to offer. as the original meaning of the piece is unchanged.
Opinions contained within the Opinion Section do
not necessarily reflect those of Colorado School
Send your ethical dilemmas and responses to Little Gray Lies to: of Mines or The Oredigger. The Oredigger does
srichman@mines.edu. not accept submissions without identification and
will consider all requests for anonymity in publica-
tion on a case-by-case basis. Submissions less
Be sure to let me know if you want your name printed or not and if you than 300 words will receive preference.
have a preferred nickname what it is. We look forward to hearing from you.

w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t
november 1, 2010
Send a letter to Santa
Santa clubs ring in the season
Janeen Neri
Grown-up
The numerous Father Christ-
mas clubs on campus have
banded together to designate
this Friday a “Day of Letters,”
during which all students who
still believe in Santa Claus, are
encouraged to write him a let-
ter. “Belief in Father Christmas
is declining all across the coun-
try,” said Father Christmas Asso-
ciation president Clement Moore,
“and we decided it’s time to take
some drastic action.
Writing letters to Santa has
traditionally been kind of a per-
sonal thing, sort of a private con-
versation with the jolly old man,
and traditionally [it] happens
closer to December 25. However,
due to the rapidly shrinking list of
‘good children’ that we see going
on today, we felt that we needed
to get an early start.”
A recent Gallup poll has shown
that the number of Santa Claus
Do you work on Campus on
Saturdays? proudly serving allegro coffee & tea
You can now get your AFPP organic espresso drinks
(Afternoon Face Plant
Prevention) at the Book & Brew hormone - free milk
apologists are indeed on the de-
cline. An informal poll of students
confirmed this trend.
“I never really bought it,” said
one sophomore (all respondents
were promised anonymity), “I
mean, if it was so clear that Santa
was real, why would people risk
getting coal in their stocking by
being jerks and saying he wasn’t?
Besides, there was never any real
proof that it was anyone other
than my mom who was stuffing
that thing. I tested it one year,
and no matter how many letters I
wrote to Santa, if I gave my mom
a different list, I would only get
what was on hers.” Said another
student, “It was a big relief when
I realized I wouldn’t really get
coal if I slipped up once or twice
in the year. I mean, seriously, it’s
kind of mean to torture kids with
the thought of imaginary punish-
ments.”
“I used to believe he came
down my chimney every year,”
said another, “and even when
w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t
s a t i r e page 11
my parents told me that they dren of Christmas Club, Virginia ing them that St. Nick is no more
filled my stocking, ate the cook- O’Hanlon, agreed that Santa than a ‘historical figure’ – I mean
ies, all that, I figured they were Claus is often seen as “a figure no offense to anyone in particu-
just being grown-ups. I mean, for children that adults don’t trifle lar here, but y’all are going to cry
everyone knows how adults tend with.” when you find coal in your stock-
to forget that Santa Claus ex- However, she added that “just ing. That’s the truth, whether you
ists. They don’t want to believe, because children are the prima- want to accept it or not.” Moore
so they pretend ry believers in and O’Hanlon both expressed
that they’re be- Once they get to col- Father Christ- a wish that the upcoming letter-
hind it all. That mas doesn’t writing day would help break the
they’re the ones lege, there’s all these make him any stereotype of Father Christmas as
in charge of the less real. It’s a a child’s myth.
presents. But professors filling their sad fact of life Students do not have to be
as I got older, I that as children members of a Santa club on cam-
realized that it’s heads with the ways of grow up and pus to participate. Anyone who
pretty hard to
convince your-
the ‘grown-up,’ teaching gain knowl-
edge, they lose
wants to write a letter is invited to
write one or more letters to Santa
self that some- them that St. Nick is no that innocence for themselves or for others. “In
thing’s true just and purity that fact,” O’Hanlon said, “we encour-
by wanting it to more than a ‘historical makes them so age people to write letters on be-
be. It’s kind of special; they half of their grown-up friends.
sad when you figure’... become af- Maybe this Christmas, Santa
realize that or- fected by the will give them the gift of a childlike
phans or kids skepticism of a spirit.” There will be a box outside
in bad families, no matter how skeptical age. Once they get to of Ballroom A from 11 AM to 6
good they are, Santa isn’t bring- college, there’s all these profes- PM this Friday where students
ing them anything.” sors filling their heads with the can drop their letters off to be de-
The spokesman for the Chil- ways of the ‘grown-up,’ teach- livered to the North Pole.
 T:10”

page 12 a d v e r t i s e m e n t november 1, 2010

w w w .c he vr on .c om /c a re
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