THE OREDIGGER

The student voice of the Colorado School of Mines

2
Volume 93, Issue 14 January 28, 2013
MICHAEL RODGERS / OREDIGGER

News

Delta Days talks wealth and the American dream

Features 6

Cooking Corner features peanut butter cookies

Mines wrestling falls hard against CSU Pueblo this past weekend with a 19-18 loss. Read more on page 10.

Sports 10

Overcoming Celebrating your self doubt female physicists

Jordan Francis Staff Writer
According to Dr. Valerie Young, many people, particularly students, who are smart and have many accomplishments to their name, often feel as though they are nowhere near as intelligent or capable as their colleagues or do not deserve their current position. Young identifies this feeling as imposter syndrome and says that it is a fairly common problem that can impede the success and negatively affect the lives of those who suffer from it. Young explains that imposter syndrome is distinct from a simple lack of self-esteem, but usually occurs in conjunction with achievement. She describes the phenomenon as a situation where despite external evidence to the contrary, very bright, capable people do not experience an inner sense of competence or success, believing instead that they have fooled others into thinking that they are more intelligent and competent than they really are. This mindset tends to affect women more than it does men, but it is not exclusive to any particular gender or role in life. It happens to students, professors, businessmen and women, people in high positions in academia, and many other situations where people feel as though they are experiencing unearned or undeserved success and admiration. Since those who suffer from imposter syndrome tend to think themselves unworthy of the success they experience, they have many strategies for explaining away that success and why it should not count towards things they have actually accomplished. Many imposters claim that opportunities they get to experience, such as a dream job or a good school, were a result of luck or good timing rather than their own merit and worth. Others believe that the task they perform or have accomplished is, in actuality, incredibly simple, and they take the mentality that if I can do it, anyone can, even when it is, in reality, an incredibly difficult feat. Some imposters dismiss their accomplishments by pointing out that they had help with the task, while others explain away the baffling success by assuming that someone else (such as the person who hired them or was grading their assignment) made a mistake. Another common idea imposters cling to is the belief that the people in authority who have recognized their achievements are not actually looking at the imposters merits, but that the people simply like them. Continued at doubt on page 3

Nicole Johnson Staff Writer

Started by the University of Southern California approximately eight years ago, the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics, also known as CUWiP, was founded to give undergraduate women a chance to explore the realm of physics in a professional setting without going to a large national meeting. Since its inception, the series of CUWiP conferences has grown to include six simultaneous sites across the nation and has included institutions such as California Institute of Technology, Cornell University, Stanford, Texas A&M and, this year, the Colorado School of Mines as the Rocky Mountain site for the 2013 CUWiP. Now being organized under the American Physical Society (APS), CUWiPs mission is to provide undergraduate women in physics opportunities to network with successful women in physics through dinners and faculty talks that describe their research and how they have handled being a woman in the field of physics. In January 2012, four senior undergraduate physics majors (Nicole Johnson, Ariel Bridgeman, Jeanette Young and Linnea Jones) travelled to the Stanford University site of the seventh annual CUWiP. While there, Bridgeman noticed of

Womens B-ball defeats Adams State 58-46

Opinion 12

Colorado Mills new restaurants grind our gears

the approximately 150 participants, maybe one or two were male. This was disconcerting to her and two of the other students because all the advice they learned regarding personal lives could be equally applied to men. Also disconcerting was the absence of a conference location in the Rocky Mountain region. Upon speaking to Dr. Pat Burchet, one of the senior organizers of the Stanford CUWiP, those students learned that over the past seven years there had not been a school in the Rocky Mountain area to host a CUWiP. The four students returned to CSM on a mission to see what it would take to host a CUWiP. When they approached Dr. Thomas Furtak, head of the physics department, with the idea to host one of these conferences at CSM and he was more than supportive, arranging three faculty to join Johnson, Bridgeman, and Jones in planning the conference. The planning took a little less than a year and the students headed up efforts for every aspect of the conference, including advertising, speaker and panel invitations, and fundraising. With attendance of the conference free for all admitted, the 150 person conference was estimated to cost in the area of $45,000 with a successful sponsorship drive that earned approximately $60,000. Continued at celebrating on page 3

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

page 2

n e w s

january 28, 2013

Michigan - Sand, or silicon dioxide, makes up about 40 percent of the Earths crust, but converting sand into crystalline silicon is expensive and negatively affects the environment. According to Stephen Maldonado, crystalline silicon is made with some energy-intensive chemical reactions that produce large amounts of carbon dioxide and require temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Continued on page 4

Arnaud Filliat, Asst. Copy Editor

Toronto, Canada - According to a new study, smokers who quit before the age of 40 can live almost as long as people who never started smoking. A research team at the University of Toronto, recently published findings indicating that smokers who quit between ages 35 and 44 only lost one year off of their lives. Continued on page 4

Tucson, Arizona - Researchers used NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to observe seasonal changes on Martian sand dunes caused by warming of a winter blanket of frozen carbon dioxide. The researchers looked at how the vast blankets of dry ice on Mars sublimate into gas during the spring. Continued on page 4

Pittsburgh, USA - Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine may have found a weakness in a key HIV protein. They showed that targeting this vulnerable spot could stop the virus from replicating, potentially thwarting HIV from progressing to AIDS. Continued on page 4

Oredigger Staff
Katie Huckfeldt Editor-in-Chief Deborah Good Managing Editor Steven Wooldridge Webmaster Barbara Anderson Design Editor Lucy Orsi Business Manager Ian Mertz Copy Editor Taylor Polodna Asst. Design Editor Connor McDonald Asst. Webmaster Arnaud Filliat Asst. Copy Editor Trevor Crane Content Manager Stephen Hejducek Content Manager Katerina Gonzales Content Manager David Tauchen Faculty Advisor

Headlines from around the world

Arnaud Filliat, Asst. Copy Editor
Ten police officers were killed in a suicide bombing in northern Afghanistan on Saturday when a man driving a motorbike detonated a bomb at a busy roundabout in Kunduz. Four civilians and five other policemen were also wounded. The attack came a day after another suicide bomber killed five civilians and wounded 15 others when he attacked a NATO convoy in Kapisa, Afghanistan. A New Jersey high school teacher was arrested last week for having a sexual relationship with a student. The 28 year old algebra teacher was charged with second-degree sexual assault and fourth-degree child abuse. According to prosecutors she began the relationship with the 16 year old boy in December and she allegedly had at least three sexual encounters in a classroom inside the school. The teacher realized that officials had discovered her relationship, which prompted her to check into a rehabilitation center in Florida. Anonymous says it infiltrated the website of US Sentencing Commission to avenge the death of Aaron Swartz. The website was taken over and was replaced with a message warning that when Swartz killed himself two weeks ago a line was crossed. Family and friends say that Swartz committed suicide after being hounded by federal prosecutors for helping post millions of court documents online and for illegally downloading millions of academic articles from an online clearinghouse. An Egyptian court sentenced 21 people to death for their involvement in the Port Said soccer stadium disaster in which 74 people died last year. The ruling could reduce clashes on Egypts turbulent streets as soccer fans and families of those killed had threatened more violence if the punishments did not satisfy them. The ruling came after nine deaths during protests this week. The protests were held to mark the two years since Egypts revolution forced Hosni Mubarak from power and to accuse Mohamed Mursi for re-imposing authoritarian rule. In all, 73 people were charged with involvement in the disaster at the end of a match between Cairos Al Ahly and al-Masry. Spectators were crushed when panicked crowds tried to escape from the stadium after a post-match invasion by supporters of al-Masry. Others fell or were even thrown from terraces. A jail riot in Venezuela killed dozens of people last Friday. Violence broke out after inmates heard about an inspection to confiscate weapons at the Centro Occidental jail. Reports indicate that between 26 and 54 people were killed in what is the latest incident in the ongoing crisis of Venezuelas crowded prisons. The violence involved a struggle between rival gangs for control of the jail and a confrontation between inmates and troops called in to calm the situation. Venezuelan prisons are largely controlled by armed gangs that have rioted repeatedly over the last several years. North Korea has threatened repeatedly to attack rival South Korea since the Korean War. Last Friday North Korea said that if South Korea joined a new round of tightened U.N. sanctions that it would regard this as a declaration of war. The North is boycotting all dialogue aimed at ending its nuclear program and vowed to conduct more rocket and nuclear tests after the U.N. censured it for a December long-range missile test.

Local News
The Boulder Daily Camera reports that a grand jury voted in 1999 to indict the parents of sixyear-old JonBenet Ramsey, who was murdered in 1996. However, then Boulder District Attorney Alex Hunter felt evidence was insufficient and refused to sign the indictment. The Ramseys were cleared of any wrongdoing in 2008. Layoffs of more than 50 workers from a single employer declined in Colorado in 2012. The BLS reports there were 153 mass layoffs in 2010, 114 mass layoffs in 2011, and only 104 mass layoffs in 2012. Real Estate Agents in Summit County report that home sales continue to rise. According to 9News, one real estate agent says, There has been a lot of activity. Our brokers have done extremely well this last year. Percentage-wise, its our best year. Though prices remain low, traffic has increased and offers above asking prices are becoming common. A man jumped out of the dark and grabbed two women from behind last Friday night. DU campus police are warning people to be vigilant. Neither woman was alone at the time. Jefferson County Sheriffs deputies are seeking a man believed to be connected to a sexual assault on a bike path by C-470 and Wadsworth. The woman was walking on the path, and when she entered a tunnel, she was attacked. The suspect is a white male, 30-40 years old, between 57 and 59 and 175 and 185 pounds, with an athletic build.

B A P B

E D U E

M B Z Y A P

E D U N

M Z Q Y O

M C

Q M C M T

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

Overcoming your self doubt

Continued from page 1 An imposters greatest fear is being found out or exposed as the fraud they consider themselves to be. Thus, they tend to make use of at least one coping strategy to protect themselves from this great fear. Some use hard work to make up for their ineptness, convincing themselves that they are working harder than their peers to maintain the same level of competence. Others refuse to speak in class, avoid leadership positions, shy away from pursuing better jobs, and employ various other methods of holding themselves back to ensure that they stay under the radar and remain undetected by those who could notice their fraud. Many utilize charm and humor to deflect attention away from the mistakes and shortcomings they perceive in their actions. Plenty of imposters also choose to procrastinate essential tasks so that if they fail, they can rightfully claim that the finished product was not their best work. Others prefer not to finish important jobs, or engage in other forms of self-sabotage, since it is much harder to criticize an unfinished work than a completed one. After recognizing some of the many ways imposter syndrome manifests itself in people, Young began to focus on the various sources of this mentality. The first source she mentioned was the fact that sufferers from this syndrome tended to be raised by humans, which refers to the fact that parents are not perfect and do not always know how much attention they should give for good accomplishments versus the appropriate level of admonishment for failures. Young uses the example of grades in school to illustrate these possibilities. Some children can come home with, say, four As and one B and the parents will ask why the child got the B. Other kids come home with straight As without much reaction, as good grades have become routine and expected. Children who have a sibling labeled the smart one might also grow up feeling like they are always trying to reach the level of that smart sibling. Another source for the sense of being an imposter is working in a creative field where the criteria for judging ones work are largely or entirely subjective. These feelings can also stem from being a first-generation professional in ones family; if one is the first in a family to go to college or enter the professional or business workplace, one can feel very isolated both from ones peers and family. Other situations that can make one feel like an outsider, such as working, studying, or immigrating to a foreign country, or being the first or one of a few in a particular field, job, or job level, can cause rampant symptoms of imposter syndrome. As Dr. Young said, a sense of belonging fosters a sense of confidence, and thus a sense of alienation can have the exact opposite effect. Additionally, people who are students or new hires or put in some other position where their knowledge is constantly being tested may feel like frauds. Finally, any organized culture that fuels self-doubt (such as academia) tends to be a perfect breeding place for the imposter syndrome. Given how hard they work to maintain their illusions and how often they tend to brush off the praise they do not believe they deserve, Young believes that those who have imposter syndrome have a very strange definition of success and very odd reactions to it. Success seems to bring sufferers relief rather than joy in their accomplishment. It also brings more stress, as success tends to push people further into the spotlight and thus subjects them to further scrutiny, which imposters believe increases their chances

january 28, 2013

n e w s

page 3

Celebrating female physicists Exploring US

Continued from page 1 Diversity in admitted applicants was important to the student planning committee. To avoid preferential treatment or bias, the applicants personal statements were read without names. Bridgeman noticed after the accepted applicants were compiled that a little over twenty percent of attendees were male. Johnson said, Its cool to see that some of the most thoughtful essays came from men who genuinely want to understand women in physics and help increase diversity through collaboration. The first Rocky Mountain CUWiP was held January 18-20, 2013. Through all of the participants and sponsor representatives, 16 states, 10 companies and 34 different institutions were represented. Tours of local laboratories kicked off the weekends festivities, which included the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NOAA and the United States Geological Survey building located on the CSM campus. Over the weekend, seven faculty talks were given, which ranged from physics education research given by CSMs Dr. Patrick Kohl to ultracold molecules given by Dr. Deborah Jin from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Each talk was divided into part research and part personal journey of how they got to where they are today and ended with advice for the participating undergraduates. Several panels and workshops broke up the faculty talks, which included a workshop on the importance of physics in industry and the life of a graduate student to cover the two main career paths after graduation. The conference at CSM was particularly special because the site hosted the keynote speaker, whose address is simulcast to all six conference locations on Saturday afternoon. This years keynote address was delivered by Dr. Margaret Murnane from the University of Colorado at Boulder. On top of being a well-accomplished researcher in the field of laser physics for which she was appointed as chairman of the Presidents Committee for the National Medal of Science in 2011, she is also an active mentor internationally for recruiting women into physics. During her talk, she emphasized the importance of all scientists working and collaborating across groups to meet the problems of the twenty-first century. She indicated as an example a project she and her husband collaborated with other groups on over the past twenty years and that without that collaboration, it would not have been feasible to accomplish what they did as quickly as they did. Murnane noted that with the younger generation growing up with the internet and having instantaneous access to all kinds of information, collaboration will not only be easier, but will become more prevalent. Murnane said My grad students are able to analyze more data points in a single day than I did in my entire PhD. When asked what diversity means to them, several participants cited Murnanes talk and argued that without collaboration, scientific progress would be slow at best. Some male participants were a little anxious about applying to a conference for undergraduate women in physics but after listening to the numerous talks and networking with their peers and successful women in the field, many of the men attending began to understand some of adversity that women in physics face. For a lot of men, work and family balance is not an issue in their minds. Dr. Alex Flournoy said, Where most men think getting a PhD is great and then a post-doc and then a job, women have to think Ok I want to do all of this and have a family so how am I going to do this? According to a post-conference survey, most conference attendees left with a better sense of what a physicist actually does as compared to when they arrived. Many also left with a better understanding of graduate school, industry and how men and women can contribute to physics and to science as a whole. When asked what they were going to do once the conference was over, student organizers Johnson, Bridgeman, and Jones laughed and said, Maybe sleep.
COURTESY DENVER POST

of being exposed. They also tend to feel great pressure at the prospect of having to repeat their successes, as many believe they will not be so lucky in the same way again. Based on these reactions, Young believes that for many imposters, it is not the fear that they cannot do something which holds them back, but the fear or at least the uncertainty that they do not actually want to do the thing and thus deal with all of the problems that accompany success. In addition to their off-beat reactions to success, imposters often have differing beliefs on what qualifies as competence. The general categories they tend to fall into are: the perfectionist (everything has to be perfect), the expert (one must know everything there is to know about a subject to be competent with it), the soloist (someone who is truly competent should be able to handle his or her tasks alone), the natural genius (competence is being good at something without having to work at it or struggle to learn it), and the superhuman (competence is being able to do everything related to the subject at hand). In contrast, imposters tend to equate mistakes with failure and internalize shame when they make mistakes or fail. They tend to take any failures or mis-

takes very personally, rather than seeing them as objective steps in the learning process. Their failures can even influence (and usually diminish) what they believe counts as success. To try and alter an imposter mentality, Young advises that small changes add up. She advises imposters to break the silence and normalize feelings, as well as learn to separate feelings from fact. She warns that imposters should attempt to alter their thoughts and behaviors first, rather than wait until they feel confident to try and change. She encourages them to reframe challenges and failures and see them more as the opportunities to grow and learn, rather than insults and reflections on ones incompetence. She also says that imposters who believe they have fooled everyone into believing that they are more competent than they are need to realize what they are really saying. Those who believe they have pulled the wool over others eyes are essentially saying that other people are so stupid, they dont know Im incompetent. She encourages imposters to be open about how they feel and to work with others to change their behavior and their mentality to live a more successful and fulfilling life.

income inequality
Katerina Gonzales Content Manager

CSM is the first Colorado school to host a conference for women in physics.

Americans as a whole reaching aspirations, the gap between the wealthy and poor continues The Delta Days luncheon lec- to widen, and if trends continue, ture facilitated by Dr. Jon Leydens the middle class will be effectively discussed the question, Why is eliminated. the subject of socioeconomic inAccording to Leydens, capital equality taboo? and explained shapes the basis of socioecothat the subject has to do with nomic inequality. Human capital, identity in how we perceive social or education and credentials are class. still more likely to be obtained by When it comes to wealth and an apathetic student with upperincome, in the United States, the class parents than hard-working top 4% hold more of the wealth students of a lower class. Values, distribution than the bottom 90%, habits, tastes, and cultural capital but hold vary from culture less of the When it comes to wealth to culture and income and income, in the United class to class, and distribuas a result, differtion. This States, the top 4% hold ent classes are shows that unlikely to interact the wealthy more of the wealth distri- with each other. are not Social capital is n e c e s s a rbution than the bottom key to getting jobs ily wealthy and promotions. b e c a u s e 90%, but hold less of the It is all about who of a highyou know and income distribution. paying ocnetworks can be cupation, more beneficial but rather that many the top 4% than credentials. But many middle inherited their wealth. and lower class members do not This directly contradicts the have the right combination of Horacio Alger hypothesis, which human capital. That is, their capias Leydens explained, is the idea tal is not necessarily bad, but the that what gets one ahead are their top 1% skews the system. aspirations, that working hard is All of this is the cause of the the key to the American Dream. rich getting richer, the poor sinkIn the last three decades, the ing deeper into poverty, and the bottom 90% has seen a 15% in- middle class becoming hollowed crease in wages, minority groups out. have trended upward in completThe U.S. GINI coefficient, an ing education, but the gap has index of economic inequality, increased. Home ownership, an- shows that out of all developed other indicator of moving towards industrialized countries, the U.S. the American Dream for a family, is the most unequal. Leydens has increased from 38% to 44% discussed the consequences of from 1960 to 2010. This is be- these trends, but did not offer cause the median family income any solutions. Rather, he hoped has increased overall, but this has to spur further pondering and disbeen mostly for Whites. Despite cussion of this issue.

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

page 4

2013 Delta Days Responsible conduct of celebrates you research in physics

Katerina Gonzales Content Manager
community explored the ideas of privilege and racial injustice, the importance of diversity in the This years celebration of diver- workplace, and socioeconomic sity at Colorado School of Mines inequality. Free food and artwork explored the concept of identity. from the Delta Days Art Contest Delta, or change, Days is put was displayed for many of the on by the Presidents Committee events. on Diversity Day each year to not A concert featuring Mines only commemorate the legacy of staff Jahi Simbai from the GraduDr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but ate Studies Office and Cornell also to recognize the importance Bass from the Office of Admisof diversity on the CSM campus. sions took place Monday, while The Presidents Committee the NSBE and the SHPE hosted on Diversity and a Hip Hop and several organi- Demi Awolaja, a fresh- Salsa Night zations on camFriday. Awolaja pus organized man at Mines said, Delta continued, My many events favorite events throughout the Days was a blast! I mean, were the Conweek that keyed and what more could you ask cert Salsa. Hip in on identity. Hop EvDemi Awolaja, for free cake, a concert, eryone knows a freshman at this school is Mines said, inspirational, thought- filled with brilDelta Days was liant people a blast! I mean, provoking speakers, and but I guess I what more never realized fun dancing. could you ask how much arfor free cake, tistic talent this a concert, inspirational, thought- school holds. Hearing Jahi and provoking speakers, and fun Cornell perform original music dancing. The Mines community was really cool but watching evnot only got their fill of delicious eryone salsa and freestyle was cake on Martin Luther King, Jr. funny and amazing. Day, but also explored important For those who attended, Delta themes in identity and diversity Days was both a fun and eyesuch as the imposter syndrome opening time learning about ourand overcoming the false feeling selves and celebrating who we of incapability. Additionally, the are.

n e w s

january 28, 2013

Nicole Johnson Staff Writer

Continued from page 2 Michigan, USA But Maldonado and his team of U-M researchers recently discovered how to create silicon crystals at 180 degrees Fahrenheit. They are using the concept that when a liquid is supersaturated with any dissolvable solid such as sugar, that solid can spontaneously form crystals. They used a liquid gallium electrode layered with a solution containing silicon tetrachloride. The electrons from the gallium converted the silicon tetrachloride into silicon which then dissolved into the liquid metal. Their results showed that dark films of silicon crystals accumulated on the surface of their liquid gallium electrodes. So far the crystals are small but they hope to improve the technique and make larger crystals. The process could lead to much cheaper crystalline silicon potentially affecting the solar energy industry because crystalline silicon is the most-used solar energy material. Toronto, Canada Those who quit between ages 45-54 and 55-64 lost four years and six years respectively. Women and men who smoke both lost about a decade of life and current smokers ages 25 to 79 had a mortality rate three times higher than people who had never smoked. Those who never smoked were about twice as likely to live to age 80 than were smokers. This study adds to recent evidence from Britain, Japan, and the United States that smoking risks involve about a decade of life lost worldwide.

Pittsburgh, USA Research indicates that an HIV protein called Nef interacts with many other proteins in infected cells to help the virus multiply and hide from the immune system. The group developed a way to track Nef activity by linking it to an enzyme called Hck. They then tested various compounds to find ones that blocked Nef activity. The team found that a compound called B9 seemed to block Nef. B9 prevents two Nef molecules from interacting to form dimers as effectively as a mutation in a critical area of the protein surface. This effectively impairs its function in the viral replication process. The team is currently working on trying to assess the effectiveness of B9 in animal models of HIV/AIDS and hopes that their research will lead to a more effective way of blocking HIV from developing into AIDS. Tucson, Arizona The thawing occurs at the underside of the ice sheet, where it is in contact with the darker ground being warmed by the early-spring sunshine through the transparent ice. The trapped gas builds pressure and breaks out in various ways. As it escapes in large bursts, It often forms what is known as a transient groove and brings sand along with it. The expelled sand forms dark fans or streaks on top of the ice layer at first, but then disappears with the seasonal ice as summer winds erase most of the grooves in the dunes before the next winter. The findings reinforce the idea that Mars is a dynamic world and although similar to Earth it still has many differences.

As part of the Colorado School of Mines dedication to responsible research, the Ethics Across Campus (EAC) committee, according to their website, primarily seeks to promote, extend and deepen the understanding of ethical issues in relation to applied science and engineering education and research. The EAC works closely with many departments across campus to develop responsible research practices, also known as Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). As part of RCR, graduate students in the physics program are required to attend ethics seminars. One such seminar took place during a weekly physics colloquium. Professor Reuben Collins emphasized how ethics and physics go together, reminiscing how he decided not to work for ALL PHOTOS COURTESY ETHICS.MINES.EDU the defense industry because of their research practices. Although most physicists prefer to conduct research alone in their lab, most research involves working with a variety of people and it is important to understand ethics as part of The new EAC website can be found at ethics.mines.edu. Check the site for upcoming lectures and student activities. research practices. Professor Carl Mitcham led the seminar and opened with the distinction between morals and ethics. According to Mitcham, no one can do without morals, but it is ethics that are the critical reflection upon those morals. He developed a term called ethics experts. Unlike doctors or engineers who make decisions for us, an ethics expert helps people come to their own interpretation of morals. In a sense, Mitcham argues scien- EAC is committed to serving the people of Colorado, the nation, and tists and engineers the global community. are their own ethics experts because they must reflect on their morals when conducting any kind of scientific research. So in reflecting upon morals, Mitcham introduced three frameworks to interpret experiences and morals. The first, Virtue Ethics, was introduced by Aristotle and stresses the cardinal virtues of temperance, prudence, courage and justice. The second, Deontology, was introduced by German philosopher Immanuel Kant and proposes the Categorical Imperative, which looks at the nature of the actions themselves. The third, Utilitarianism, was developed Prof. Michael Mumford (University of Oklahoma) was invited to CSM

by John Stuart Mill to analyze decisions that would either maximize happiness for the largest amount of people or minimize the amount of unhappiness. The choice then for a scientist or engineer in research is to determine which of the three frameworks to use in a moral dilemma. There are two ways for each framework to be applied to means or processes or to ends or goals. The first focuses on a persons actions and emphasizes doing the right thing no matter the consequence, which most closely matches Deontology. The second, a very utilitarian application, dictates the importance of consequences rather than actions. After laying down the foundation of ethics, Mitcham asked, Now why should scientists and engineers care about ethics? Research affects people all around the world and Mitcham argues that it is important that ethics

training in all areas of research should be spread first throughout all areas of the government and then throughout the world. He predicts this will happen within the next ten years. As an example, bringing standard ethical procedures to peer review of papers could increase the flow of information worldwide. Mitcham introduced a case study focusing on the ethical decisions made by scientists involved in the Manhattan Project. Even after Victory in Europe Day, the atomic bomb project continued without any of the scientists walking away. Even years later, not one of them could explain why they did not walk away. Mitcham argues that by intertwining ethics with research through seminars like this and others that the EAC hosts across campus, the integrity of scientific research is preserved and helps people make better decisions.

on January 30 and 31, 2012.

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

january 28, 2013

Dr. Art Saller emphasizes the importance of Carbonate Sequence Stratigraphy

such as mounds can be formed. These mounds are often considered to be unconformities, the reA corporate executive might sult of deposition after some sort ask, I dont care about the Mio- of erosion of layers. cene, I just care about the keroAs is the case in the Holder sene, said Dr. Art Saller in a lec- Formation, in Dry Canyon, New ture about sequence stratigraphy Mexico, the Yucca Valley buildup of classic carbonate outcrops. of phylloid mounds corresponds He emphasized that this sort of in deposition with the Wilson statement should not impact a Mound. Saller explained that geologist. Lackadaisical analysis the Wilson Mound formed away of an area could result in mislo- from the Yucca Valley because cated, improper, and inefficient of a transgression away from the drilling, as carbonate deposits are Yucca Valley. The additional presnot always immediately apparent. ence of phylloid above the level Saller first focused on the im- of the Wilson Mound in the Yucca portance of understanding re- Valley indicates a subsequent regional geology when making an gression. interpretation of a sites stratigraIn other words, for a period phy. He used as an example the of time, the sea level dropped Reinecke Field, also known as and the water retreated from the the HorseAccording to Saller, inter- Yucca Valley shoe Atoll, buildup, movin Texas. pretation of a site should ing organisms Saller exto survive and plained that also include consideration of deposit carto the inexbonates on the p e r i e n c e d , evaporitic lagoonal and sab- Wilson Mound. the site Eventually the seems to kha facies. These minerals sea level rose be a formaand filled the tion with an are removed from the site area around on-lap surthe Yucca Valface qual- over time, leaving pockets ley, allowing ity, meanorganisms to for oil to fill, where layers of ing that deposit carthe rocks non-permeable rock form an bonates in the seem to accommodahave been tion space creupdip seal. formed in ated there. shallow water. In reality, the rock According to Saller, interpretalayers are deep water carbon- tion of a site should also include ates, sand, and shale. A com- consideration of evaporitic lapany would choose not to drill goonal and sabkha facies. These for carbonates there if they did minerals are removed from the not examine the regional geology site over time, leaving pockets for more closely. oil to fill, where layers of non-perSaller also discussed how meable rock form an updip seal. to make accurate conclusions As is the case in the Guadain stratigraphy by analyzing the lupe Mountains, the top layer of cycles of transgression and re- the mountain contains lagoonal gression movement and accom- mud, which is not good source modation space to discern car- for carbonate reservoirs. If a gebonate systems such as isolated ologist did not consider the mud buildups, ramps, and shelves. as a potential cap for a carbonDuring a transgression, sea level ate reservoir, that geologist would covers an area farther from shore advise that the area was not ideal for a period, and high carbon- for drilling. The reality is the exact ate deposits in isolated buildups opposite.

n e w s

page 5

Esther Lowe Staff Writer

COURTESY DR. SALLER

This map shows a carbonate mound oil field. These maps are critical for drilling.
COURTESY DR. SALLER

Mines in the news: CSM makes headlines

Courtesy Mines Newsroom
U.S. News ranks Mines second in the nation for students interning. Colorado School of Mines ranked second in U.S. News list of 10 National Universities that Produce the Most Interns. In the 2010-2011 school year, Mines graduated 699 bachelor degrees with 81 percent of students graduating with internship experience. Mines placed behind Clarkson University in New York. Denver Post congratulates Mines for role in critical materials research hub. The Denver Post congratulated Colorado School of Mines for receiving a portion of a $120 million Department of Energy grant, which establishes the Critical Materials Institute, a new research center that will develop solutions to the shortages of rare earth metals and other materials critical for U.S. energy security. This grant will bring together multiple academic and industry partners working to develop substitutes for scarce materials, diversify supply sources, improve reuse and recycling, and strengthen energy security. New York Times Magazine features Mines alum George Saunders. Author Joel Lovell wrote the piece, George Saunders Has Written the Best Book Youll Read All Year. Saunders graduated from Mines in 1981 with a degree in geophysics. Denver Business Journal: Mines among top values in public colleges. The Denver Business Journal reports Mines is ranked No. 58 in Kiplingers list of the 100 Best Values in Public Colleges. CU-Boulder is also included on the list, ranked No. 88. NPR interviews Mines researcher about moons gravitational map. Mines researcher Jeff Andrews-Hanna was interviewed for this National Public Radio story about NASAs GRAIL mission. Andrews-Hanna is exploring some unexpected sights inside the moon; he states We saw these big lines crisscrossing the surface of the moon that didnt show up in any other data set. Andrews-Hanna believes that these lines may be solidified magma-filled cracks, a result of ancient volcanic eruptions. Wall Street Journal interviews Mines chemical metallurgy expert. Dr. Patrick Taylor, the George S. Ansell Distinguished Professor of Chemical Metallurgy, was interviewed for the Wall Street Journal about recovering valuable iron from mining waste. In the article Taylor states that Theres a whole range of waste product that contain value that technology is being developed to recover. Taylor has two Ph.D. students working on smelting copper to be used from circuit boards. The Denver Post reports on the Undergraduate Women in Physics conference hosted by

In Dry Canyon, New Mexico, the Yucca Valley buildup of phylloid mounds corresponds in deposition with the Wilson Mound.

Mines. Colorado School of Mines was one of the hosts of the eighth annual Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics. This is the first time a Colorado School has hosted the event.
COURTESY DENVER POST

George Saunders rocks out in Golden, Colorado, in 1981.

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

page 6

Geek Week
of the
centric and really like science. How do you spend your free moments? What free moments? Its either plotting to take over the world or I have no free time. Whats been your greatest accomplishment thus far? Id say climbing Mount Bierstadt in the middle of the night. How would you handle an attack from undead dinosaurs? Assuming its dinosaurs that are large, find someplace small I could hide. Probably a sewer or something like that. If theyre small, get a shotgun and continue to move place to place in the sewers. If theyre medium sized yeah, I think all the plans involve sneaking around the sewers with a shotgun. [Or] stick them all in a giant tank and compress them. If you could be dropped into any fictional universe, what would it be and why? Dragon Age, because I really like Dragon Age. I really like the lore and the experience and the characters and the lore around

f e a t u r e s

january 28, 2013

Jordan Francis Staff Writer

John Green once said that nerds are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jumpup-and-down-in-the-chair-cantcontrol-yourself-love it. One of the most obvious examples of this facet of nerdiness on campus is this weeks geek, a sophomore Computer Science major by the name of Andrew Ths Towe. He is known by many for his great enthusiasm in all parts of life, be it having real-life adventures or reveling in ways to play science and fantasy games. [Oredigger]: Why did you decide to pursue a Computer Science major? I really like puzzles, I like solving problems, and I really hate paperwork. Whats been your favorite class? I think [its] a toss-up between Comp Sci 261 and Aikido. Are you a geek and why? I would say yes because Im ec-

...Andrew Ths Towe, Sophomore: Computer Science

[them]. Whats your favorite thing about Mines? The community. Ive finally found people who understand the words coming out of my mouth. Whats your best nerd moment? Id have to go with Professor Flournoy crushing a can with electromagnetism. Who would win in a fight Han Solo or Indiana Jones? Ooooh Han Solo because he shoots first. Do you have any plans for the future? Take over the world! Do you have a favorite quote? We do things, we beat some people up profit. Captain Isabela, Dragon Age Do you have any advice for fellow geeks and Mines students? Dont take everything too seriously; try to laugh some of it off. What is the essential gear for a mad scientists laboratory? The giant laser beam of doom!

COURTESY ANDREW TOWE

Comic Corner: Deadpool and Hercules duo

Jordan Francis Staff Writer
Deadpool, Marvels lovable mercenary with a mouth, the craziest assassin this side of Arkham, has had his fair share of crossovers, largely because it is a lot of fun to force an interaction between him and anybody else just to see what happens. This was, essentially, the entire premise behind the Deadpool Team-Up series, which ran from 2009 to 2011 and was basically just an excuse for the writers to pair Deadpool with pretty much every entity in the Marvel universe. In issue #899, he teams up with one of the legends of old, the Lion of Olympus himself, Hercules. Yeah, Deadpool and a Greek god. This is gonna be good. To give a bit of background, Deadpool is a skilled mercenary and assassin who got his powers when he volunteered as a test subject for Weapon X (the people who made Wolverine into what he is). The procedure was a success and Deadpool, then known as Wade Wilson, got the same healing factor as Wolverine. Unfortunately, the cancer he had at the time got the same powers, so it heals itself and attacks Wades body at about the same rate as the rest of his body heals himself. This puts him in a lot of constant pain and has the side effect of making him ugly as sin without the mask. He is highly skilled with the use of most weapons and has minor teleportation abilities. Hes also more than a little crazy. Deadpool has at least two extra voices in his head, he sometimes hallucinates in Deadpool-vision, and he is aware that he is in a comic book, so he tends to break the fourth wall on a regular basis, which further cements his status as a nutball with the rest of the Marvel characters. All these powers, abilities, and insanities combine to make Deadpool an effective, unpredictable, crazy, and hilarious mercenary. Hercules, on the other hand, is Marvels interpretation of the classic Greek hero. While he is prone to occasional bouts of cleverness and wisdom, he is largely the strong, brave, sometimes foolish, not always particularly intelligent Hercules people know from mythology. His dialect and attitude go back to the bygone era of Greek legends, but he is a man who loves the pleasures of life and while he is still occasionally baffled by life in the modern era, he has grown quite fond of many of its aspects, including indoor plumbing. He is one of the lesser known Marvel characters, but a lot of fun in the hands of the right author. The comic begins with Deadpool waking from a recurring dream in which he fights an opponent who he cannot seem to beat. After arguing with his voices, which sarcastically suggest stabbing himself in the head as a solution, Deadpool follows the symbols from his dream to a real-life door, which he bursts through to find Hercules. Deadpool immediately assumes Hercules is the figure from his dreams and begins fighting with the confused hero. After they calm down enough to actually talk, Hercules explains that he was lured into this location by a beautiful woman who vanished and left him trapped in a labyrinth the same labyrinth in which Deadpool is now stuck too. As they attempt to solve the labyrinth with thread from Deadpools uniform, they discover that they are simply going around in circles. At this point, Deadpool sees the mysterious figure from his dreams and races out to fight it, while Hercules is faced with a crowd of vengeful children who claim to be the ones he slew in his rage (according to mythology, Hera once caused Hercules to go into a blood rage and murder his children). The voices in Deadpools head, which have been strangely quiet throughout this adventure, suddenly make themselves heard again, from the figure he is fighting. Deadpools opponent turns out to be the manifestation of his voices. With Deadpool fighting essentially himself and Hercules being attacked by children he refuses to hurt, it looks like the two are doomed to a very short team-up until Deadpool stabs himself in the head on purpose. Turns out, Deadpool had gotten a hunch from his opponents taunting that this whole setup was an illusion, so he severed the connection between the two halves of his brain in order to see reality. When he shows Hercules which wall to punch, the duo discover the masterminds behind the situation Arcade, a man famous for building incredibly elaborate death traps, and Nightmare, Lord of the Dream Dimension, a shadowy figure with illusory powers and a serious grudge against Hercules. The two of them had created a trap that used Deadpool and Herculess minds to manifest their subconscious enemies and fears. Nightmare escapes, but Deadpool and Hercules manage to catch Arcade, and after pulling the knife out of Deadpools skull and letting his brain repair itself, they decide that such a solid victory deserves celebration. So they head down to Tijuana to indulge in vast quantities of alcohol and hand Arcade over to some rowdy locals looking for a punching bag. This comic is entertaining. Deadpool and Hercules are somewhat minor characters in the Marvel universe who are often relegated to the role of screwballs, and that is okay. Sure, there are some great, powerful stories that can and have come from the both of them when they are taken seriously, but sometimes, it is fun to give an author a chance to let them play off each other and just have some fun doing what they love to do making stupid decisions, getting in fights, making great jokes, and somehow getting out of any scrapes just fine. The dynamic in this comic is summed up perfectly in some closing lines between Hercules and Deadpool, respectfully: I learned that its my own frailty that proves my worth as a god that like humans themselves, I am constantly trying to overcome my own failures. While I learned absolutely nothing! The art is solid. While it is nothing spectacular and it does, on occasion, look like the artists were a bit pressed for time in getting this

Andrew Towe finds his center on a rock outside of Golden.

out, it is largely done in a cartoony they get along really well and their style that fits the not-particularly- nonchalant reactions to each others serious, goofball nature of this weirdness and occasional stupidity comic. The dialogue is a bit on the make the partnership both plausible expository side, especially with re- and entertaining. The plot is not gards to character background, but anything spectacular, but honestly, that is to be expected. This series this comic was an excuse to see matched Deadpool up with a differ- Deadpool and Hercules fight each ent Marvel character (or characters) other, mess around, and then team every week, so the writers had to up to fight somebody else. The fact assume that some of the audience that there was a coherent storyline would not be familiar with at least that fits in with Marvel continuity and one of the characters. It is a good plausibility is good enough for this way to make sure any new or in- author. This is not exactly a comic of frequent reader is not lost and to earth-shattering importance, but it is introduce them to new characters. fun, goofy, has got lots of fighting, Deadpools dialogue also gets a bit and is a good reminder that comics more intelligent and eloquent than is do not have to be incredibly dark, characteristic for him when he saves gruesome, and crazily serious to be them from the illusions, but that can good. Often, the comics that do not be explained away by the fact that take themselves too seriously are he had a knife separating his brain more fun. It is not a must-have for halves and did not have his voices, anyones collection, but a person so he might have almost been sane who gets a chance to read it should at that point. Plus, he redeems his definitely take that opportunity. COURTESY MARVEL COMICS out-of-character conversation by responding to Hercules question as to whether the knife hurts with I-thinkthat-RushLimbaugh-andSean-Hannityactually-makea-lot-of-validpoints. Overall, the dialogue is entertaining. Deadpools conversations with his voices are full of sarcasm and not too overdone. The dynamic between Deadpool and Hercules is enjoyable as well. It is very much a buddy-buddy/ comrade-inarms feel between the two of them. Once they stop trying to kill each other, Deadpool and Hercules team-up in issue 899.

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

january 28, 2013

f e a t u r e s

page 7

PB Cookies
Bradley Wood Staff Writer
Peanut butter makes an excellent sandwich when paired with a variety of ingredients from jelly to bananas. It can also be eaten on crackers or with a spoon. Peanut butter can also flavor delicious cookies that are easy to make at home. All one needs is a large bowl, an electric mixer, and a cookie sheet. To make warm and delicious cookies at home just follow these steps taken from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. Ingredients cup butter (softened) cup shortening 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar, or cup honey 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour Instructions Whip butter, shortening and peanut butter in a large bowl for 30 seconds with an electric mixer. Add granulated and brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Mix well. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Mix in the flour using the mixer and knead to get it all mixed in. Put the dough in the fridge for 60 minutes. To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Make the dough into 1.25 inch balls and roll these balls in sugar. Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet and flatten them with a fork leaving criss-cross lines on the top of the cookies. Bake the cookies for seven to nine minutes or until they are brown around the bottom edges. Then take them out of the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before eating.

Bastion: The simple yet addicting RPG

COURTESY SUPERGIANT GAMES

From the witty narrator to the beautiful music, Bastion captures the essence of a magical world fraught with danger. Emily McNair Staff Writer
The Calamity destroyed the world as everyone knew it. Cities crumbled, mountains fell, and forests burned. Only a few people survived the disaster, and even fewer knew how to reverse its effects. In a glorious quest to rebuild the Bastion, the character known as the Kid faces countless villains in an effort to collect cores and learn the truth about the Calamity. One of the best things about this game is the narrator. He not only tells the story, but also provides entertaining commentary on many of the Kids actions. His remarks can make even the most dire situation trivial. It is a nice change from many games that take everything really seriously. Although the story itself takes on a dark topic, the narrator keeps it light-hearted and interesting. The music also keeps with this theme. It simply fits with the atmosphere. The beautiful instrumental pieces play off of each areas scenery in a way that really creates another world. Even though nothing in the game is breathtaking by itself, the combination of the music with the painted world turns a simple RPG into an amazing adventure. The whimsical aspects of the game continue well into the Kids weaponry as well. The diverse range of weapons and abilities allows for many styles of play while also not seeming out of place with the world. Upgrades such as Whale Ale and Doomshine add another layer of customization to the Kid, and the best part is that these upgrades can be equipped at will. However, at times, these upgrades make the game a little too easy. Thankfully this does not last long. A nice addition to the game is the ability to influence the behavior of the enemies. Various upgrades allow monsters to regenerate, move faster, and cause more damage, so combat never gets boring. Although not nearly as interesting as the combat, the characters in the game add a nice level of realism to the fantastical world. Their backstories hit on a lot of real-world problems and tone down the excitement of the game. They slow down the story enough to encourage thought on these problems without distracting from the main plot. From the witty narrator to the beautiful music, Bastion captures the essence of a magical world fraught with danger. The addicting nature of this game makes up for its extremely short story, and the collectables and upgrades hidden throughout the vast world allow for much exploring. This criticallyacclaimed indie game lives up to its reputation. Bastion is available for PC, XBOX 360, iPhone, and iPad.

Easy roasted veggies

Whitney Welch Staff Writer
Simple roasted red potatoes, peppers, and onions make an easy and filling meal. This vegetable medley makes it easy to stick to new years resolutions and can be prepared in a pinch. Makes two dinner servings, or four to six side dish servings Ingredients 10 red potatoes, quartered red pepper, cut into chunks green pepper, cut into chunks red onion, cut into chunks

&
ight Saucer Wax N

OT WAX! FREE H
Feb 2nd & March 2nd $3.50 pints of Native and Coors

for free our board/skis ill wax y March 16th Saucer Wax w er. Feb 16th & pm-close k a be 9 while you drin

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tbsp of olive oil salt and pepper to taste Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and grease cookie sheet. Then, after washing and cutting vegetables, place them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover the bowl with a plate and shake until all of the vegetables are coated with olive oil. Arrange potatoes, peppers, and onions evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Enjoy!
WHITNEY WELCH / OREDIGGER

Like us at facebook.com/woodysgolden to stay connected

WIN - A-Basin Tickets | N Vans Gear and other sw S Snowboards eet prizes - 9pm-close

Simple roasted red potatoes, peppers, and onions.

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

page 8

Esther Lowe Staff Writer

Whip Smart - A Memoir not a feminist read

and other gender- and sexualitybased aspects of society. It is through critiquing these aspects of culture that feminists look to promote societal transformation. Fundamentally, feminism advocates for the equality and liberation of those negatively impacted by gender roles and sexism. On the surface, it would seem potentially feminist that a woman would document an account of her experiences as a professional dominant in sadomasochistic relations. Yet under the surface, the account depicts the narrators promotion of her perceptions of patriarchal social structures in others as a means of attaining drugs, social eminence, and wealth. In egotistic vanity, the narrator pridefully exposes herself reinforcing cultural patterns infused with rape and harassment for the sake of personal advancement. According to the biography portion of Febos website, Febos dropped out of high school in order to take night classes at Harvard. She would later graduate from The New School University and obtain an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. This information parallels the background of the narrators life presented in Whip Smart. Repeatedly, the narrator emphasizes her academic brilliance and the ongoing struggle to be intellectually challenged. Additionally, Whip Smart frequently introduces sub-narration of the narrators experiences in school amidst the primary narration of her social interactions, work, and musings. As a result, the reader begins to understand how the narrators academic eminence falls short to quench the needs of her egoistic nature. The reader also sees how she turns toward satisfying her ego through the social power she gained over others when telling them she was a professional dominatrix. Therefore, rather than advocating the feminist values of equality and liberation, the memoir depicts the use of gender roles to gain the upper hand in social interactions. Simply having a woman as the culprit of such socially regressive behavior does not do enough to make the actions feminist. While it is possible that dominating another through the use of sexual roles can be a feminist device by illuminating aspects of gender inequality, the accounts in Whip Smart do not seem to have brought about a revolution for those mentioned in the narrators encounters. In fact, the narrator uses the depictions of her work as a dominatrix for the sake of explaining how her experiences were primarily devoid of feminist value. At one point she says, Jack came with a typed list of instructions... I would spend an hour having every moment of my tyrannical role dictated to me... I knew what to do, I was good at knowing what to do, but they still whispered the answers to me. I walked out of these sessions flushed with furious humiliation. Aside from the description of the book as feminist, the most frustrating aspect of the book is the deceptive title, Whip Smart. A majority of the narration depicts the use of dominating and sexism to obtain money, drugs, and social advantage by a genius heroin addict. The story concludes when the narrator sobered up, left the dominating industry to marry a man uninterested in her taking on dominant roles, and living a heteronormative life. The ending reveals that the aspect of the narrator as a dominatrix was actually of lesser importance and that the entire book was, in reality, about the narrators journey from drug addict to married lady. Essentially, the entire book is the journey of a troubled soul becoming normal and living happily ever after. Whip Smart - A Memoir fails to provide insight into the life and career of a true and enduring dominatrix, who works in the in-

f e a t u r e s

january 28, 2013

Recently, the Denver Feminist Book Club members voted to read Whip Smart - A Memoir by Melissa Febos for their November discussion, hoping that the book would be a compelling feminist read. Although the book is about a dominatrix, a woman who plays a dominant role in sadomasochistic encounters, the application of the label feminist is problematic. Libraries typically classify Whip Smart under the nonfiction and biography/autobiography genres as the memoir narrative style makes the book indisputably an autobiography. Technically, human subjectivity is considered valid non-fictional material, but one wonders what boundary would move subjective conveyance of reality from a nonfiction to a fiction classification. Perhaps the line between fiction and nonfiction when considering the narrators perception of reality was too thin to fully support the materials classification as nonfiction. In rather egotistic fashion, the narrator in Whip Smart tended to provide the reader with accounts of other characters thoughts and lives (as though they were fact), when in reality, the relation of such personal information came off to the reader as judgemental on the narrators part. The narrators subsequent egoistic utilization of her perceived reality ties directly into the controversy behind labeling Whip Smart a feminist read. Feminism can be generalized as a theory that places high value in increasing the acute social understanding and cognizance of gender inequality, sexuality, gender-influenced power relations,

dustry to this day or is retired after a long and successful career. While not for feminists, this book is for those who enjoy reading about the journey of egomaniacs such as Odysseus, from Homers The Odyssey. Those who look for provocative nighttime reads involving dominatrixes and dungeons would also enjoy this book.
COURTESY THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS

Car club offers fun, hands-on engineering

SolidWorks. Measurements were then transferred to steel rods which were cut and welded together to build the frame. The engine, a Suzuki 600 GSXR was the motorcycle engine the last formula club used to build their car in 2004. In addition, fuel injectors, a performance tuner chip, and a new intake were added. As the club has a tight budget this year, reusing as many viable parts as possible is essential to creating the best possible car. When asked about the tight budget, Krapes said, We are going to make it work no matter how hard we have to squeeze the budget. This group is adamant about getting a functional car on the road. Two senior design projects are currently part of the completion of the car. One team is designing the front suspension and steering for the car while the other team is doing an aerodynamics package including a front and rear spoiler. As for the body, Were going to make it out of fiberglass, we have all the materials needed, although no one knows how. It cant be that hard. Krapes said. As February approaches, the car still looks more or less like a skeleton, and even with a slight engine set back with a blown valve, the team hopes to have the car driving by spring break. It is essential the club gets some time to test the car and fix any problems that arise. The race will take place June 19-22 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Eighty teams are currently registered, and when asked, Krapes mentioned that he has heard Mines won most improved and $5,000 once but Im not sure what the best place weve ever achieved. When competing against schools like Cornell which has a base budget of $130,000 it is hard to compete with a $4,000 budget. The race is broken up into several categories, including a new one this year for electrical cars. When asked about Mines pursuing and electric car, Krapes said, We would love to go in the electrical direction but its not currently probable with the current budget electric cars speak Mines more than anything. The current car will compete in the competition, which is scored on a points system. Half the points come from design and presentation. The

Those who look for provocative nighttime reads involving dominatrixes and dungeons would also enjoy this book.

KC Kent Staff Writer

The Society of Automotive Engineers entered its twentieth year of existence at Mines this year. Founded in 1993, the clubs original purpose was to build a race car to compete against schools across the world. In recent years, the club focused on putting together a car show every year during E-days. This year, the club is bringing back the race car build along with hosting the car show. According to Jake Krapes, the current club president, the Society of Automotive Engineers currently has about 70 people signed up on Orgsync, 40 active members, and 15 or so members are part of the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers. The Formula team is the group of students involved in designing, building, assembling, and racing the car. One might wonder, Can people still join? Of course! They can sign up on Orgsync under SAE, they will then get an email from me, and can come to a meeting which currently takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 pm in the auto shop in Brown, says Krapes. The car, currently being assembled, has a frame design by Jordan Johnson, a recently graduated student who did all of the designs in

other half of the points are performance based. Points will be awarded in the categories of acceleration, lateral G turn, best lap time, endurance and gas millage. Much work is still needed to finish the car and Krapes encourages anyone who is interested in a fun club where we get to do hands on learning that is actually related to engineering to join. Both the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Formula team are looking for new members.

COURTESY SOCIETY OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS

The Society of Automotive Engineers is responsible for the car show at E-days each year.

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

january 28, 2013

f e a t u r e s

page 9

The Knight, the Seer, and the Child Miranda

Nicole Johnson Staff Writer
Previous chapters can be found online at oredigger.net Mirandas dark blue skirts fluttered with the soft breeze that blew across the pier. Her head lifted back so she could take in the massive ship. Dark wood with carvings made to look like waves encompassed the hull. Large, white sails were being untied by a dozen or so of the crew while others ran about the deck under the sharp orders of the ships captain. A beautiful carving of a mermaid stood at the bow, looking as if she was about to dive away from the ship. The mermaids hair flowed seamlessly backwards to meld with the deck. To her left, the sun had barely peeked over the horizon and was rising so slow she began to wonder if it too hated mornings. It had only been two hours ago that one of the queens aides had come to her chamber for her morning cleansing. She shivered as another breeze passed by, forgetting how cold mornings could be by the sea. Looking back on the water, Miranda couldnt help but smile. The ocean was particularly beautiful whenever the sun could find the time to bend down and kiss the waves. Princess, it is time to go, called one of her guards. Miranda almost groaned. Ever since her introduction to the council, Miranda hadnt had one moment to herself. Even in her new rooms, no less than three guards kept watch over her at any given moment. It made sleeping nearly unbearable. Shed rather carry a couple blankets down to the gardens to sleep beneath the stars, but she feared those days were long behind her. Instead all she had to look forward to were long meetings with people she didnt care about to rule a nation as foreign to her as air to a fish. To top it all off, she hadnt seen Adina or Garreth in weeks. Her mother promised one would be coming with them at her request. Miranda hoped it was Adina. Garreth had been acting strange towards her ever since the Zukalan High Senator started paying attention to her. Miranda sighed. Just her luck to find the one person who treated her with a few kind words only to be sailing miles away with no idea of when she would return. A small pain coursed through her chest as her heart felt the longing for her village. She wondered what it looked like now and if those creatures had returned to finish their destruction. Yes, Ill be along in a second. She tried to keep the sadness from her voice. Now how is it one so beautiful as yourself can be so sad? Miranda jumped at the voice and was surprised to see its owner, but she smiled nonetheless. Brennus, or at least she thought that was his name, was dressed in ornate emerald and gold cotton robes. His dark brown eyes and white smile caught her breath and pulled it right out of her chest. She realized she had not yet responded and shook herself from her stupor. Forgive me High Senator. I hadnt... didnt think you would be here. He turned and pointed to four men behind him carrying various pieces of bags and trunks. I have business to attend to in the Kaitu Isles. I was going to leave within the next few weeks, but when I heard you were leaving so soon I decided to move things up a bit. I hope you do not mind the company. He gave a slight bow and kissed her cheek. Miranda tried to keep her smile modest but flattered. Of course not! It will be good to talk to someone who knows my homeland. Excellent. Miranda melted against his voice. Perhaps I may escort you on board? It looks like we are drawing quite a bit of attention. His hand brushed the side of her face. Might as well give them a show. Miranda snapped her gaze up and sure enough more than a few of the people milling about the docks kept stealing glances at the two of them. When she turned back she noticed her and Brennus were standing quite close to each other. She stepped back, feeling heat rush into her cheeks. Miranda, called a voice from the deck. If we must send one more guard to come fetch you, I swear on all three goddesses that you will never leave the classroom when we return home to the palace. Miranda looked up to see a rather cross looking queen staring down at her. The man at her right, the king, tried to look angry but Miranda felt his gaze go through her rather than focus on her. Miranda smiled at Brennus. Find me sometime. Id like to see you if they ever let me out of my cage. Brennus took her hand and kissed the back gently. For you, Id wait until the end of the world. Miranda couldnt stop the smile from spreading on her face as she laced her arm through Brennus and walked up to the ships deck. She stopped next to her parents and bid farewell to Brennus who retired to his rooms below. He seems to have taken to you. Miranda smiled and turned to her mother. Its nice to talk to someone about where I grew up. He actually lived not too far from me for a while, though Ive never met him. Hes nice, mother. The endearment still felt odd in her mouth. The king huffed. From a good family too. Its lucky you two get along. Why? Cassandra patted Mirandas arm as she led her towards the cabins below deck. Convenience my dear. Lets get you down to your room. Well be shoving off soon. Miranda caught a glimpse of Garreth across the deck and the look on his face was a caged anger. Their gazes locked for a moment before her mother began quizzing her on her lessons and giving Miranda her itinerary once they reached the islands. When she looked back up, Garreth was gone from the deck. Weeks passed since she returned to the isles. The sun would rise and priests would fill her mind with prayers in the old Kaitu tongue. Afterwards she would eat a small breakfast of fish and grain with some sort of fruit juice. The rest of the morning was filled with lessons on the history and function of each island. These were held in a room barely big enough warrant that name. It was barely twice her height in either direction and filled with two desks and piles of books with but one window that overlooked one of the kingdoms major shipping ports. Between lessons and meals she used one of her guards, which her parents insisted remain by her side, to carry all her books. It was a comical sight to see a full armored guard carrying half a dozen heavy leather-bound tomes. One day the sky was filled with dark grey clouds. The torrent of rain pounded the glass windows of her classroom. The steady line of thumps against the glass made her head pound harder and harder until she pulled at her hair, hoping to stop the storm raging inside her head. Princess? Her instructor, a quaint man older than many of the palace buildings, brought up his glasses to the end of his nose. Should I send for a healer? Miranda held up a hand. No, but perhaps we should take a break? She looked outside. I could use a little fresh air. The old man harrumphed. Your parents insist your lessons not be interrupted. With the kingdoms anniversary coming up, you must be knowledgeable in your kingdom enough to entertain diplomats while your parents arrange your suitor. Miranda sat up straight. My what now? The old man smiled. It is custom that the heir be married for at least a year before ascending the throne. With the king and queens failing health, they are quite eager to see you wed and produce your own heir. Miranda felt sick to her stomach. One hand rubbed her trembling belly while the other cradled her head. Please just ten minutes. Ill stay after for as long as you deem necessary. I just need to open the window for a bit and be alone with my thoughts. Now wait, before you argue, I will have the guards outside to make sure Im safe. I could always order you if necessary. The old man was at a loss but eventually bowed. As you wish, I will be back in ten minutes and then you will work very hard. She kept her smile until he shut the door behind him at which point she released the breath she had been holding and scrunched her eyes. Her nails dug into her skull as her fingers massaged her scalp. She rushed over to the window and unscrewed the bolt holding it shut, cracking open the glass. Her lungs greedily drank in the moist air. The smell of rain melted the stress from her neck and shoulders. The pounding in her head began to lessen until it was a background throbbing that she could ignore or at least tolerate. There came a knock at the door. Princess? High Senator Brennus is here to see you. Miranda jumped from the window and straightened her dress. The silk gown hugged her waist tightly before flaring out to a series of skirts that ranged from a pale sky blue to a deep bluish grey. The combination of colors imitated the sea just after a storm. Brennus walked in, smiled and for a moment appeared speechless. The Kaitu colors fit you well. You look beautiful. He kissed both of her cheeks and when kissing the second he whispered, I have something for you. He reached into his robes and pulled out a gold necklace. The pendant was also made of gold with a fire topaz set in the center. The jewel gleamed brilliantly under the fire light. Miranda touched it gently. Its beautiful. Brennus unhooked the clasp and held it up to her. May I? Of course. Miranda swept aside the braid that ran down the center of her neck and shivered when Brennus reached behind to clasp the necklace together. Miranda touched the jewel where it hung just above the swell of her breasts. Miranda looked up to see Brennus frown for just a moment. Before she could ask what was wrong, he smiled and said, I have another surprise for you. Really? I thought you might want to escape the lessons for a while. I remember going through schooling and I always wished I could have just spent some time with someone from my village. The funny thing about leading people is you dont often spend time with anyone. Its very lonely. While Im not from your village, I figured youd like to have someone somewhat familiar to talk to. His smile faltered just a tiny bit. That is if youll have me? Miranda checked to see that the guards outside the room were out of earshot. No, no, I would love that more than you could ever know. She drew closer to the window and gestured to the small room. However, unless you can fly, there arent many options of getting out of here. We wouldnt make it ten feet out that door. Brennus chuckled. You must have a bit more faith. Not all doors can be seen. He walked to the end of the room were the fireplace was quietly blazing. He pushed gently on a brick next to its mantle and reached inside the hole. A soft click later and a secret door opened up. He turned to her with his hand outstretched. How about we play a bit of hooky? Miranda hesitated. Her mother certainly wouldnt approve of this, but Brennus was a senator and therefore a man of honor. Where are we going? I thought Id take you to the gardens. There is a spot thats very isolated, particularly when it rains. Itll be the most beautiful place youll ever see. Miranda stole another glance at the door, biting her lip. Oh what the hell. I doubt theyd miss me that much. How much could ten minutes really hurt? With her hand in his, they disappeared into the stairway. As he closed to the door shut behind them, they were left in nothing but pitch black darkness.

This week in Colorado history: Mint bandit?

Deborah Good Managing Editor
This week in 1923, Mines alumnus Fleet Parsons had a tense moment when he was mistaken for a Denver Mint bandit in Nebraska. Parsons looked highly suspicious, as he had been in a car hurtling from Lincoln to Omaha, carrying $1,902,000 negotiable bonds reported the Omaha World-Herald. A business dispute had escalated, and the bonds needed to be in Omaha immediately. However, Parsons and his companions had quite the shock when they found themselves surrounded by men armed with sawed-off shotguns. Ultimately, it turned out that the armed men were Omaha police officers and that the entire thing was a misunderstanding. Parsons continued on to Omaha with no further issue. The Colorado School of Mines basketball team was defeated in its first conference game this week in 1923. The Miners played University of Denver and lost 28 to 22. The Colorado Transcript described the game as somewhat ragged throughout, as both teams seemed to have an off night. The CSM squad had little time to dwell on their defeat, as they were to play University of Wyoming and University of Colorado almost immediately thereafter. Also in Mines sports news, halfback Ced McWhorter was named captain for the 1923 CSM football team. He was unanimously elected to succeed the great McGlone, the vote being taken at a meeting of the football lettermen last week. McWhorter was an excellent player, junior class president, and member of two fraternities. In news reminiscent of modern Mines doings, Jarvis Huang and Y.Q. Young left CSM for Arizona, where they had acquired mining jobs. Apparently, the 1913 Career Day was successful without actually even existing. Two Denver men were fined $25 and costs in what The Colorado Transcript described as a mix-up at a Morrison dance. Sheriff Kerr was attempting to search for (then illegal) alcohol and one of the men punched Kerr in the jaw before being knocked out by Deputy Sheriff Clyde Hocking.

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

page 10

Mens Basketball falls to Adams State 58-67

Jared Riemer Staff Writer
The Colorado School of Mines Mens Basketball team traveled to Alamosa on Friday night to square off against the eighteenth ranked Adams State Grizzlies. In what would prove to be a defensive battle, the Orediggers jumped out to an early 10-4 lead five minutes into the game, but by the halfway point of the first half, the score was tied at 11 with neither team being able to establishing much of a rhythm against stifling defenses. If it was not for free throw shooting in the first half, 10-12 from the charity stripe, the Orediggers would have been facing a far greater deficit at the half than the 22-28 hole they were in. Of the Orediggers final 12 points in the first half, nine of them came from the free throw line along with a Brian Muller three-pointer, standing as the only field goal that Mines made in the last minutes of the first half. Only down six at halftime to a quality opponent, Mines needed to find their stroke early. And with Muller knocking in a three for the Orediggers to open the second half, Mines looked to be off to a good start. But three points would prove to be as close as Mines would get as five minutes into the half the Orediggers found themselves down 11 at 30-41. Trailing by as many as thirteen, the Orediggers kept just close enough to make a run thanks once again to superb free throw shooting and some crucial threes, and with less than 30 seconds remaining the Orediggers closed the gap to six points. But on this night, the Orediggers simply ran out of time, failing to pull off the upset, losing 67-58. The loss drops the Orediggers to 10-6, 7-5 in the RMAC while No. 18 Adams State is now 132, 11-1 in the RMAC after their home court victory. Luke Meisch led the Orediggers in points and rebounds on the night with 20 and eight respectively. Muller went 3-8 from beyond the arc and added 13 points of his own. Trevor Wages had nine points and seven rebounds, and Nico Mucci led the Orediggers with 3 assists. The Orediggers shot 36.6% from the field to Adams States 38.1%, and Mines continued their stellar free throw shooting on the season making 21-26 for 80.8%. However, having nearly twice as many turnovers as Adams State (20-11) and a rebounding deficit of 38-29 proved to be the nail in the coffin for the Orediggers who were playing their first of two road games against top 25 teams.

s p o r t s

Mines wrestling narrowly loses in CSU-Pueblo meet

Jared Riemer Staff Writer
The Colorado School of Mines mens wrestling team squared off against CSU-Pueblo in Lockridge Arena Friday night for what proved to be a thrilling dual meet. The dual started at the 174 pound weight class with Mines Chance Davis narrowly losing to Ray Hall of CSUP by a 3-2 decision. Ryan Swanson then tied the dual up at 3 points apiece with his 8-3 defeat of Joseph Giron in the 184 pound division. Mines lost the next three bouts of the night at 194, Heavyweight, and 125 pounds by scores of 8-3, 2-1, and 6-2, respectively, as CSU Pueblo took the 12-3 advantage halfway through the match. Looking to tighten the score, Robby Schultheis pinned his opponent in the first period in 2:47 to give Mines a chance at 9-12. The next two bouts at 141 and 149 pounds ended with a 5-4 and a 6-1 defeat for the Orediggers who were then faced with an 18-9 deficit. There was still hope though as John Crowley upped his team high in wins to 22 by defeating Nick Stahler 5-1 at 157 pounds. Needing a pin in the last bout to force a tie, Justin Frazer was deadlocked with his 165 pound opponent at 4-4 after the first two periods. The third period would prove to be pivotal as just 36 seconds into the final period, Frazer pinned His CSUP counterpart to knot the dual

january 28, 2013

score up at 18. Narrow defeats proved to be the theme of the night however, as three of the six losses Mines suffered were by just one point, and with the dual tied at 18-18, the Orediggers hoped to avoid their second dual loss this season on a tiebreaker. The first tiebreak, according to NCAA criteria, gives the win to the team with more bout victories and on this night that meant CSU-Pueblo came out victorious with a 6-4 advantage in victories. This 19-18 loss brings Mines overall record in duals to 3-7, 0-3 in the RMAC. The Orediggers continue their season February 2 in Las Vegas, New Mexico with a dual against New Mexico Highlands. MICHAEL RODGERS / OREDIGGER

Lady Orediggers crush Adams State 58-46

Jared Riemer Staff Writer
The Lady Orediggers basketball team squared off against Adams State on Friday, looking to snap their two game losing streak and begin their road trip with a conference win. Adams State scored the first bucket of the game and looked to be in control as they shot the ball well for the first five minutes of the half. But that was as much control that the Grizzlies would have. Mines soon battled back to take the lead 8-6, a lead they would never relinquish. Mines then went on a 13-5 run to jump out to a 21-11 lead halfway through the first period. The Lady Orediggers then stepped up their defense and took advantage of Adams State turnovers to lead 33-28 at the half. Mines shot 40% in the first with balanced scoring as seven players had scored at least two points. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies were only shooting 37.5%. If the defense was good for Mines in the first half, it was otherworldly in the second half. After Adams State scored the first two baskets of the second half to push the score to 33-32, the Lady Orediggers went on a 12-3 run, forcing Adams State to take a timeout with just under 12 minutes remaining. After the timeout, Mines continued their run, stretching the lead to 16 points with just under

five minutes remaining. The Grizzlies made a few more runs, but never got closer than 10 points. In the end, the final score was CSM 58, ASU 46. The win brought the Lady Orediggers to 11-7 on the season and 8-4 in the RMAC. The ladies from Golden won thanks to a defense that allowed season bests in points and field goals allowed. The Grizzlies made only 14 baskets on the night and shot just 32.6% for the game and only 26.3% in the second period. While Mines did not shoot well themselves (35.5% from the field, 30% from three, and 72.7% from the line) their defense was good enough to get the victory. Mines also recorded a season-high eight blocks and forced Adams State into 18 turnovers versus just 11 for the Lady Orediggers. In what was a spectacular team effort defensively, the team had balanced scoring offensively with four starters reaching the double digit mark on the night. Allie Grazulis and Taylor Helbig led the team in scoring with 14 points apiece while Tory Langas chipped in 11 points, added five rebounds and a career high three blocks. The fourth Oredigger with double digit points was Angie Charchalis with 10. Grazulis led the team with eight rebounds and added three assists and two blocks. Helbig and Charchalis also chipped in with three assists each.

The Orediggers next meet is on February 2 in Las Vegas, New Mexico against New Mexico Highlands.

MICHAEL RODGERS / OREDIGGER

Friday nights meet proved to be thrilling by coming down to the tie criteria at the end.

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

january 28, 2013

Women take to the field to play club rugby

Sydney Liming Club Sports
What do Sean Connery, John F Kennedy, Daniel Craig, Chris Farley, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Javier Bardem, and J.R.R. Tolkien all have in common? They all have played rugby! Although they played mens rugby, the rules are the same for womens rugby. The pitch, rules, and equipment are all identical, though the histories of the two are very different. No one knows for sure when womens rugby began, as public reaction to women playing such a physical, contact sport was extremely negative, and even violent. The first report of a womens rugby game was found in the Liverpool Mercury in June, 1881 and described games with touchdowns, proving at least a version of rugby was played. In 1895, a series of sporting cigarette cards were published featuring an image of a woman who appears to be holding a rugby ball. However, it is unknown if these cards were just amusing cartoons or an illustration of a game that was being played. The first confirmed record of a woman playing rugby occurred in Enniskillen, Ireland when a young girl played with her brothers rugby team, scoring a try. During World War 1, a few womens charity games were organized, with the though the Colorado School of This semester, the team will with over 25 members! The team women wearing protective head- Mines Womens Rugby team is be playing in the Valentines Day is always looking for anyone with gear (which predates their male governed by USA Rugby. The Massacre Tournament on Feb- an interest in the sport with any counterparts use of the head- team here at Mines plays local ruary 16, 2013 in the snow in skill level. For more information, gear by a few decades). games against womens teams Breckenridge, CO. This will be please contact the team at clubIn Sydney, Australia, two such as the Boulder Babes and their only tournament this semes- rugbyw@mines.edu for more inwomens teams played in front the Denver Black Ice. This envi- ter, as they are mainly a fall sport. formation or visit their website at of a crowd of 30,000 people in ronment allows the team to com- This year, the team has reached http://recsports.mines.edu/REC1921; however the local authori- pete within their skill level. an all-time high for participation, Club-Sports-Women-Rugby. ties pressured the teams COURTESY CLUB SPORTS into never playing again in Sydney. Throughout France in the 1920s, the game was extremely popular and even received support from several male rugby players. The 1960s decade saw the game beginning to put down roots, especially in the universities of Europe. Initially, the matches were between mens and womens teams. This led to the development of the Association Francaise de Rugby Feminin (AFRF) in 1970, following the first fully documented and recorded womens club match in 1968. This development let the game begin to fully evolve into a world game, with many countries creating teams in the 1980s. Today, the game of womens rugby is run by the Womens International Mines plays local games against womens teams such as the Boulder Babes and the Denver Rugby Board (WIRB), al- Black Ice.
ALL OTHER PHOTOS STEVEN WOOLDRIDGE / OREDIGGER

s p o r t s

page 11

Each Fall, the Club Rugby team organizes a fundraiser where they raise money by playing a prom-dress match against the Denver Black Ice. w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t

page 12

Study Break Grinds my

Jarrod Sparks Staff Writer

o p i n i o n

january 28, 2013

gears

You know what really grinds my gears? The lack of vigor with which the new area around Colorado Mills is being developed. Officially titled the Promenade at Denver West, this area already has a Mediterranean Chipotle called Garbanzo, and a Panera Bread. However, the best may be yet to come. According to the Denver Post, there is a Chick-fil-A, Carrabbas Italian Grill, Five Guys, Caf Rio, and even a Pacific Dental on the way. However, I have done some very advanced militarystyle reconnaissance on the area and cannot determine where the Chick-fil-A or Caf Rio will go. As a current senior, I have been waiting on seeing these trans fat-saturated, calorie rich, 100% American fast food chains come to this area, and now I am afraid I will never get to relish bask-

The importance of good, clear communication

Deborah Good Managing Editor
Mines students are educated, intelligent people. Why, then, should we be irresponsible with our communication? At the risk of sounding like an EPICS mentor, clear written and oral communication is a key to increasing the effectiveness of the next generation of engineers. Consider a lecture. More specifically consider two lectures, one which was very engaging and one which left listeners trying to stuff their ears with pencils. Did they present different information? Not necessarily; this phenomenon can crop up even between different sections of the same course. The difference arose in how the information was presented. It is difficult not to be bored when stuck in an hour or two of bullet-point-and-error-bar slides which one does not understand. It is, however, much easier to pay attention to a presenter who mixes things up in slide design or engages the audience or at least makes sure their presentation is at the appropriate level of complexity. Clear communication can have deeper consequences than participant boredom though. Take as an example the case of Italian seismologists, who did not consider earthquake warnings of a local amateur seismologist credible. Subsequently, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake did hit the town of LAquila, killing 309 people. These scientists have now been convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 6 years in prison as well as being permanently banned from practicing science and forced to pay 7.8 million Euros in compensation to victims and the city of LAquila. Whether their science was correct or not is not the key take-away message for young scientists and engineers. The key take-away is that the scientists were unable to communicate their results in a manner that accounted for uncertainty and for the difficulties of prediction. Clarity is a virtue. Perhaps the ability to communicate lectures and announcements is important, but what about written communication? Surely writing ought to be as simple as plunking

ing in their fried aura. Evidently these developers do not realize how necessary it is to build these renowned chains with a sense of urgency. Furthermore, if one goes to the Chick-fil-A website, it does not even list a Colorado location as Coming Soon and it has dates all the way out through March booked. I am seriously disappointed. It takes 2 Chainz about a day to drop a track, it took Cezanne one year to paint a $300 million painting, and it took Neil Armstrong and the rest of the Apollo 11 crew about four days to get from Florida to the Moon, yet getting a Chick-fil-A built in the span of a school year is too difficult for some people. Finally, where did all the snow go? I realize that winter, through the cold, brings a dreary and depressing atmosphere to our study-centered culture, but I never wanted there to be no snow. There is usually about seven

inches of total snowfall during the month of January, but since we have started our second semester, I cannot remember seeing anything other than a couple of flakes or a light dusting. Mother Nature is probably on strike against Denver due to a combination of the cancelling of Jersey Shore and Tim Tebow being traded to the Jets. However, the world keeps turning, and Mother Nature will soon get over our gaffes and the snow will hopefully start falling once again. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what grinds my gears.
Editorials Policy The Oredigger is a designated public forum. Editors have the authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval and may edit submitted pieces for length so long as the original meaning of the piece is unchanged. Opinions contained within the Opinion Section do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado School of Mines or The Oredigger. The Oredigger does not accept submissions without identification and will consider all requests for anonymity in publication on a case-by-case basis. Submissions less than 300 words will receive preference.

Across 1 Advance (4) 3 Road, typically raised above marshland or similar (8) 9 Popular Greek wine (7) 10 Jewish holy day celebrating deliverance of massacre by Haman (5) 11 Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis comedy film of 1959 (4,4,2,3) 13 Vulgar (6) 15 Sandalwood perfume named after French word for its country of origin (6) 17 Informal expression (13) 19 Panache (5) 20 Sir Henry ---, Scottish por trait painter 1756-1823 (7) 21 Flatten (8)

22 Withstand (4) Down 1 Leech-like (9) 2 Quiet, not speaking (5) 4 N Americas Last Frontier (6) 5 British fighter aircraft of WWI (7,5) 6 Glorify (7) 7 Sweet potato (3) 8 Post-paint? (6-3,3) 12 Heathen divination - anag. OCEAN MYTH (9) 14 West Midlands town north of Birmingham (7) 16 Glossy mineral present in most rocks (6) 18 Habituate (5) 19 Watch chain, key holder (3)

Have an opinion?

down a few words and a chart? Au contraire, writing ought to include a certain amount of thought as well. By the time it becomes time to write a paper, the writer herself has often become so intimately acquainted with the topic that they merely want it gone. However, the reader has not spent all this time with the topic. The writer must take care not to assume too much knowledge, without making the document ungainly. This is a difficult balancing act, but it certainly is possible. Even so, writing for scientists and engineers ought to be confined to the territory of technical papers and reports, right? Not at all, at least not for the beginning scientist and engineer. The ability to express oneself clearly is necessary to even gain employment. Consider interviews for industry positions and personal statements for graduate school. Mines students need to be able to express themselves in a clear way to attain later success. Learning to write and speak can be difficult, but it is overall a valuable exercise.

Tell us about it! Write a letter to the editor and send it to oredig@gmail.com! Do you have thoughts on public safety, parking, the college structure and more? Wed love to hear what youre thinking about!

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