THE OREDIGGER

The student voice of the Colorado School of Mines

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Volume 94, Issue 19 March 17, 2014
COURTESY DHARMIKATVA

News

Mines hosts fracking documentary and discussion

Features

Learn how to make chocolate mouse cake!

Nearly 50,000 attend March for Peace in Moscow to protest Russias recent invasion of Ukraine.

The potential of a Mines degree

Henry Ted Kernan Staff Writer
It is spring time at the Colorado School of Mines and, for many people, that means looking for or looking forward to starting a job in a few months. For those of us looking to work in the petroleum industry, it is quite a time! Although our age group has massive unemployment, that hides the fact that our industry is booming. Any graduate that wants to work, will. Freshmen that have expressed an interest in petroleum engineering are oered internships and paid three times the countrys average salary. Its a good place to be, and we should all be thankful of the paths that brought us here. At the same time, however inated salaries might appear, they still do not reect the true value that a recent CSM graduate could bring to a company. This is because we are at the nexus of two tremendous booms: technological breakthroughs in oil extraction, and a massive growth in computing power and the ease with which it can be accessed. Everyone here has heard of hydraulic fracturing and how it has unlocked reservoirs once thought uneconomic. At the same time, Amazon now has servers that oer literally unlimited computing power to anyone with a desktop, tablet, or smartphone at scalable pricing. Even more importantly, the code needed to harness this power is being taught to grade school children. It is no longer the domain of specialists, but of the masses. Our generation is unique. Many of us were born before Windows 95 was rolled out. We may remember our rst website visit, or life before the iPhone. Our generation is the driving force for the transformation of the world into digital space, and oftentimes the rst users of technologies that have fundamentally changed the way we live and communicate (Facebook, Skype, Kayak, Pandora, etc.). How does this relate to our jobs in a few months? Very simply, we have the experience and ability to remake an industry that in many ways has not changed since the last oil boom forty years ago. There is a massive amount of value at stake: trillions of dollars of not only physical oil and gas molecules that the world will use to live on, but also billions of dollars of eciency hours that can be saved and used to increase productivity. One concrete example is right in our backyard: Wattenberg Field. This oil eld in the Denver Basin has been producing since the 1970s, but amazingly it will produce more oil this year than ever before. The reservoir that is driving that production today is the Niobrara Formation. The Niobrara exists throughout the Rocky Mountain basins, but it is only truly economic in Wattenberg Field. What characterizes the Niobrara in Wattenberg Field is a subsurface measurement of resistivity. High resistivity indicates the Niobrara will produce millions of barrels of oil; low resistivity is not (currently) economic. Millions of wells have been drilled in the United States over the decades, and each has electric logs that were run to test the rocks for certain properties like resistivity. These logs are public property held by the state where the well was drilled. Geologists interpret logs, traditionally by looking at printed sheets that fold on to each other inches thick. Computer programs today allow geologists to interpret on a screen instead, but the process is mostly the same-- look at each individual log and note its properties. It is time consuming and repetitive work. Worse, every company looks at the same logs every time. Yes, dierent interpreters and shifts in geologic thinking aect outcomes. But the bulk of the work is repeated over and over again. This space is ripe for disruption. In Wattenberg it is clear what the winning strategy was for the companies that positioned themselves in the best parts of the eld. All available logs were loaded into a computer interpretation program. Each log was brought up, the Niobrara interval identied, and the average maximum resistivity value captured. A map was then made of these values, and the sweet spots identied. To those not familiar with US onshore oil and gas exploration it is dicult to illustrate how much clicking, zooming, resizing, and squinting is involved. Each company that looked at Wattenberg exerted massive amounts of human energy. However, only three companies dominate Wattenberg because they were the fastest at identifying its potential and acquiring leases. Speed made the dierence between billions of dollars, so it is necessary to ask, Where was the maximum eort exerted? Part of it was in identifying high resistivity as the driving force in

Sports

10

MLB Spring Training Preview for the National League

Opinion 12

Minds at Mines asks about Spring Break activities

Niobrara production. This thought process takes experience, and a geologist with twenty or more years in industry came up with the resistivity cutoff that defined Wattenberg Field. But the bulk of the process, the examination of thousands of wells and capturing of thousands of values, was a repeatable set of steps with clear inputs and outputs. Quality control is necessary but involves skills that are basic to any young petroleum geologist. With minimal computing power and programming, the identication and delineation of Wattenberg could have been automated once the resistivity cuto was established. The company to have done so would have been rst to the prize. This is why our generation has unprecedented value to petroleum companies today. We have the skills to take a process that has remained unchanged for forty years and use the experience and creativity we gained by playing on and helping design the internet to increase efficiency a thousand fold. We still need the experience and guidance of the generations before us; that knowledge should not be lost! But we have at our ngertips computing power that was unimaginable when we sent men to the moon. And we have the exibility to put it to use. Unfortunately, companies do not always see this potential. Hiring and pay scales are still based on years of experience, roughly the amount of time someone chose to interact with an HR department. Continued at Jobs on page 3

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Emily McNair, Managing Editor

Edmonton, Canada - A team of scientists led by Graham Pearson from the University of Alberta have found the rst water-rich gem which provides new evidence of large amounts of water deep within the Earth. This gem, made of a mineral called ringwoodite, shows that water is 1.5% of the samples weight. This nding helps to conrm theories that a large amount of water exists between the upper and lower mantle. Ringwoodite is a form of peridot that, until now, had not been found on Earth. The mineral had previously been found in meteorites.

Ann Arbor, Michigan - Ecologists at the University of Michigan have found that malaria becomes more prevalent at higher elevations during warmer years. The study analyzed malaria cases in Ethiopia and Colombia and suggests that global warming may result in more cases of malaria in densely populated areas of Africa and South America. The study also suggests that climate change explains the changes in malaria trends in the highlands. Malaria was identied as a disease that would be sensitive to climate change over twenty years ago. The Plasmodium parasites and the Anopheles mosquitoes that carry the disease thrive in warmer temperatures.

Garching, Germany - The European Southern Observatorys Very Large Telescope (VLT) has spotted the largest known yellow star, which has been named HR 5171 A. This star is among the ten largest stars discovered and is more than 1300 times the diameter of the sun. The star is a part of a binary star system where the second star touches the main star. Observations from the past sixty years show that this is a rapidly changing star system. The star is 12000 light-years from Earth and has been growing for the past forty years. Scientists used interferometry to study the star. This technique combines the light collected from many telescopes, which eectively created a telescope 140m in size.

St. Lucia, Australia - Scientists at the University of Queensland and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Vision Science have found that budgeridars have a predisposition to favor the left- or right-hand side. This allows ocks of birds to better navigate around obstacles. Researchers ew the birds through a tunnel with an obstacle. There were paths on both the left and right sides, and thus researchers could then see a birds preferences. While some birds always ew through the wider opening. others always selected the path on one side.

Oredigger Staff
Lucy Orsi Editor-in-Chief Emily McNair Managing Editor Taylor Polodna Design Editor Connor McDonald Webmaster Lucy Orsi Business Manager Arnaud Filliat Copy Editor Katerina Gonzales Content Manager Jared Riemer Content Manager Karen Gilbert Faculty Advisor

Headlines from around the world

Ramiro Rodriguez, Staff Writer
Senator Dianne Feinstein, head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has publicly accused the CIA of illegally searching the Senate computer system and deleting les relating to an Intelligence Committee study and investigation of interrogation and detention techniques during the George W. Bush administration. CIA ocers could face criminal prosecution if an investigation was launched by the Justice Department. CIA Chief John Brennan says his agency acted appropriately and had not violated any laws. NASA has made funding plans to build a robot to explore the possibility of life on Europa, one of Jupiters moons. The speculation from NASAs planetary science chief, Jim Green, is based around the spotting of a large geyser from the Hubble Telescope on the dominantly ice-covered moon. Green says, If we can nd life there, either past life or current life, then that tells us life has to be everywhere in this galaxy. The Australian government has been accused of misleading the UN in an attempt to remove the World Heritage listing from tracts of the Tasmanian forest for the purposes of developing the land there. The formal request for protected status removal claimed that the 4.7% of the forest sought to be developed had already been degraded and should not have protected status; however, former Greens party leader Bob Brown has released photography of the in-question region showing the forest to not be in any degraded condition. Hampton, Florida is being threatened with dissolution of the 500 person town after accusations of corruption. The small town lays claim to a small stretch of highway a mile outside of town and has its police force almost entirely there with radar guns. The corruption charges came after part of the relatively large amount of revenue coming from the speed trap went missing and its mayor was arrested in an oxycontin dealing sting operation. Americas ambassador to Ukraine has said that the US will refuse to recognize a referendum in the Crimea and will take further actions against Russia if a poll is used to legitimized military action in Crimea. The statement comes after similar statements by German chancellor Angela Merkel and UK prime minister David Cameron. At the moment, this is suggested to mean stronger sanctions as the three countries still strongly favor diplomatic and economic routes to solve the issue. Soon some ocers of the Denver Police Department will be beginning a six month pilot program in which they will wear body cameras in an attempt to restore credibility in the eyes of the public. The cameras will automatically upload to a police serve and be unable to be deleted. Similar programs have begun all over the country and have led to reductions in the number of led complaints against ocers. The Inspector General of the Post Oce has released a statement proposing the Post Oce oer low-fee banking services. Historically, this service has been done by post oces before and is seen as a way to serve the roughly 10 million Americans who currently do not have any formal banking account. The proposed expansion of services has gained national attention after endorsement by Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Local News
Dallas resident Tracy Good died in a sledding accident in Marble, which is 35 miles south of Glenwood Springs. Good suffered a head injury while sledding with her family. The six-year-old Denver student, Connor Johnson, that started an online petition to save NASA was invited to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Johnson enjoyed various activities including the Robot Rocket Rally, lunch with an astronaut, and a presentation from the Kennedy Space Center director Robert Cabana. Cabana presented Johnson with a bolt from the ISS and a mission patch. Sandy Nyugen of Aurora was arrested for running a scam with her six-year-old son. Nyugen convinced her family and community that her son had been diagnosed with cancer in September 2012. The community collected over $25,000 for Nyugen. Investigators say that the family used some of that money for a vacation to Disneyland. Nyugen has since admitted that her son does not have cancer and is being charged with felony charges of theft and criminal impersonation. A raccoon caused a power outage in Woodland Park. The raccoon got into a transformer. It took about an hour for power to be restored. The raccoon was injured in the incident. Neighbors are complaining after a Colorado Springs woman hung two toilets and a sink on a tree in her front yard. She says that it is to express her creativity; however, the neighbors do not share her opinion. The installation is described as nasty and neighbors are worried that the toilets and sink are not properly secured.

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Future of materials science Jobs continued

Chris Robbins Staff Writer
In todays world where the expansion of technology is based largely upon the development of new materials, the demand for material innovation is constantly growing alongside the demand for newer and faster technologies. So, how are these materials created and tested for possible industrial uses? At this point in time, the answer to that is essentially by trial-and-error: repeated hypothesizing, fabrication, and implementation, which is continuously getting costlier in terms of both time and money. In this weeks installment of the Physics departments colloquia series, Prof. Abram van der Geest of SUNY-Binghamton explained a recently developed process to predict the formulation of new materials and their properties by computational methods and analysis. At first, van der Geest explained, it seemed a bit of a stretch that the properties of materials not yet created could be accurately hypothesized by a computer without actually having a physical sample to work with. Since the methods of material development rely heavily upon multiple trials or iterations, computing clusters seemed appropriate as they excel at implementing repetitive and iterative calculations. Regarding what these computers would actually be calculating, van der Geest described how the science behind material structures and surfaces was based upon density functional theory (DFT), which states that all crystalline materials (the focus of this formulation) are infinitely periodic. Furthermore, it explains that these crystalline structures are composed of a basis and series of Bravais lattice, which are vectors of a given cell with six degrees of freedom (an important feature in later calculations). The end goal of this computational DFT method was to define the stability (or in some cases, metastable points, which are explained later) of a hypothesized material. These computations differ slightly from the lowest-energy-seeking, single-system ideas of quantum mechanics, as material surfaces do not generally have a single low-energy point. Points of minimal energy for material structures change in unison with exterior conditions such as temperature and pressure, leading to several points of metastability, or stability at a specific set of circumstance The first step in this methodology, as with most computational methods, was to define the needed parameters. In this case, these parameters were the materials atomic computations, the number of formula units, the materials lattice parameters, and the atomic positions within the material. Once these parameters are adequately set, van der Geest explained, the prediction calculation can then be run, and its computational cost (in CPU hours) varies depending on how far into the prediction process one wishes to go with zero experimental input (meaning an entirely predicted result). Generally, a basic characterization of the proposed material requires on the order of 100 CPU hours to compute, and a more precise solution takes on the order of roughly 1000 CPU hours. At both of these levels, most computer clusters can handle the work with little difficulty. However, for a thorough, highly detailed, true prediction of the material and all of its properties, an order of about 100,000 CPU hours is required for a complete prediction with absolutely no experimental input. At this computational cost, a limit of feasibility proposed by van der Geest is materials with no more than 32 atoms in its composition. Any more than this and the benefits of predicting a material over simply producing and testing materials repetitively are virtually gone at the current level of available computing power. Another major part of DFT is the provable fact that crystal structures are widely reused throughout nature, and that over time scientists have discovered and validated the existence of numerous structures. Thus, van der Geest proposed that to determine the structure of a hypothesized material, different known structures are iteratively tested on the composition until one fits, or has the lowest stability energy. Once again, computing clusters are great for quickly running all of these repetitive structurecomposition combinations. The only drawback that van der Geest pointed out, however, was that predictions using DFT are limited to known structures. This process does not have any means of experimenting with new crystalline structures, and merely applies the best fitting structure to the hypothesized material, which up to this point has been successful. An example of how this new and growing idea has already impacted the world of technology is in the development and application of metal borides. At this point, up to 41 metal elements are known to be able to form molecules with boron atoms and create materials with a wide variety of properties. Some of these metal borides have been predicted to be used as superconductors, superhard materials, and refractory materials, which remain stable in extremely challenging conditions (high pressures, temperature, etc.). Several of these remain only predictions to this day, but some predictions have already been shown to be true, including the superconductors iron tetraboride (FeB4), cadmium hexaboride (CaB6), and manganese tetraboride (MnB4). And even for those that have yet to be physically proven true the predictions hold astounding possibilities if they are able to be proven true experimentally, as in the case of rhenium diboride, which predicts to be the worlds hardest material (even stronger than diamond). While DFT is already intriguing to those in the study of material sciences, van der Geest hopes to soon improve upon the method further. He plans on eventually finding ways to apply the theory to a wider range of surfaces and interfaces, as well as modifying the functions involved within the computations to accommodate a wider range of material properties.

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Henry Ted Kernan Staff Writer

Continued from page 1 When interviewing, companies want to know the specific skills you bring to the advertised position, rather than the creativity potential you may own. Senior workers are given the most difficult projects, while young minds are made to languish with plug-andchug assignments meant to train them. Managers and team leads are skeptical about new processes they do not understand. This is one reason we have seen a rise in entrepreneurship. Thousands of people have quit jobs (or

Relay for life 2014

Jessica Deters Staff Writer
Relay for Life comes to Colorado School of Mines for the second time on April 25. Circle K, an on-campus organization dedicated to service and making an impact on campus and in the community, is hosting the event, which is slated to run from 6 p.m. Friday evening to 6 a.m Saturday morning. The event will take place on Kafadar Commons and feature numerous bands, deejays and music throughout the night along with other activities. Circle K president Kaitlyn Martin shared some of the exciting activities planned for the event. We will have midnight Zumba, and Katie Schmalzel will be holding a willPower and grace class. There will be sports going on all night such as soccer, football and Frisbee, Martin said. Prizes will be given out throughout the night, and there will be raffles to win even bigger prizes. There will also be lots of free food at the event. A designated track will be set up outside of Kafadar for walking. Everyone is encouraged to form a team and participate in this years Relay for Life. Teams can sign up ahead of time by going to www.relayforlife. org/SchoolofMinesCO. Each team is encouraged to raise $1000, and every individual participant who raises $100 will receive a free shirt. T-shirts are only guaranteed the day of the

never taken them) because the corporate structure stifles their potential to create value. As you take that new job this summer, remember you have abilities that may be incomprehensible to your bosses. Push the limits. Do not accept to sit there repeating a process over and over again when a simple macro would solve the problem and scale to the whole company. Companies should realize that years of experience no longer correlate with a persons value. Those willing to ditch the HR rules and motivate their young employees to automate the identification of the next Wattenburg faster than the competition will be the ones to succeed.

Van Tuyl explores geologic catastrophes

Hope Sisley Staff Writer
Dr. John Warme, a professor of geology here at Mines from 19792002 and a professor emeritus since then, came to give a special talk about some of his more interesting research projects from the past. The unifying concept of the three different projects that he presented on was the idea that anomalies in the geologic record often record great catastrophes, and following up on these anomalies can lead to striking discoveries. A geologic catastrophe signifies something that happened rapidly on a grand scale, rather than something destructive (though the two definitions often go hand in hand). The first catastrophe Warme described is a unique landslide in the Grand Canyon that Warme nicknamed Panchos Radical Runup, because of its proximity to a rafting campsite named Panchos Kitchen. Along the Grand Canyons three hundred kilometers, there are many documented landslides, especially where the Bright Angel Shale is exposed. The Bright Angel is a weak unit which sits between two strong, cliff-forming rock units; because of this, many water seeps form at this point in the stratigraphy, which in turn instigate the landslides. These landslides have significantly affected the geography of the canyon walls; for instance, the only waterfall in the canyon at river level, Deer Creek Falls, is the result of a young landslide which blocked the creeks original route to the Colorado River. At a spot called The Narrows, where the Grand Canyon is at its narrowest, Dr. Warme (who used to lead rafting field trips down the canyon) noticed something odd about the way the bedding on the high banks was weathering. The location was fairly inaccessible, located atop a two hundred foot cliff, but Warme was determined. After making it up to the strange bedding to look at it up close and taking photos from an airplane with a good camera, he found something surprising: the same rock units were overlying more of themselves, at an angle. Furthermore, the overlying, tilted section of the units was shattered but not dispersed, as if it had been pulverized in situ, and contained relaxation faults, as if it had been in motion and settled back down. Conversely, normal talus - chunks of rock that broke off of the cliffs and rolled down the slope - remained in chunks called boxcars, which maintained internal cohesion, not showing any of the breakage structures of the anomalous beds. After examining all of these clues, Warme realized that this was a landslide deposit... from the opposite side of the canyon. Such a phenomenon, called a runup, occurs when a particularly high-powered landslide forms an air cushion under itself when it hits the bottom of a slope and continues forward, up the opposite side of the valley, much as water poured down one side of a bowl will splash up the opposite side. This particular runup consists of five separate slabs or tongues, covers a few square kilometers of area, and went about seven hundred feet up the canyon wall: the highest cross-canyon runup in the lower 48 states. At 750 thousand to 1.25 million years old, this is also one of the oldest landslides in the canyon. The frictional heat of the slide was so great that it naturally converted the limestone into quicklime, so that when it came to a halt and the pore water in the rocks bubbled out, the shattered slide acted like man-made cement, freezing itself in place for Dr Warme to find it and unlock its secrets. Next, Warme spoke of a landslide on the opposite side of the world, in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. During the Jurassic period, this was a rift zone (a place where a continent is breaking in two). Rifts often exude basalt lavas and form depressed areas called wrench zones which tend to catch water. The rhomboid wrench zones in this area were first dry rifts, filled with basalts, evaporite minerals and redbeds, but once subsidence was deep enough, the ocean was able to flow into the zone and a carbonate shoal developed. Later, when the Alps formed, the compression forced the rift faults to reverse direction, creating mountains out of a sea.

event to teams that sign up and raise the money before April 11. However, teams can continue raising money up to and at the event and extra shirts will be available for teams who raise money after April 11. All funds raised from the event will go toward supporting cancer research in Colorado. Relay for Life is an overnight fundraising walk that raises money to support the fight against cancer. The first lap in Relay, known as the Survivors Lap, provides an opportunity for all cancer survivors in attendance to celebrate their victory over cancer. Since its conception in 1985, Relay for Life has raised nearly $5 billion to fund and support the fight against cancer. Circle K hosted Relay for Life at Mines for the first time last spring. Last year, as a Circle K club, we decided we wanted to try to make a big impact both in the campus and in the community, Martin said. We decided that a great event we could bring to campus that would both help people and be fun at the same time would be Relay for Life since they have experience holding events at colleges. We contacted people at the American Cancer Society throughout their volunteer match center and go appointed someone from their organization to help us coordinate the event. Last year we raised over $10,300 so were hoping to raise more this year. Questions about the event can be directed toward csmrelay@gmail. com.

In the midst of these mountains are three jebels, or ridges, separated by faults, which comprise pieces of a single large carbonate grainstone block thirty kilometers in length. The block represents a former reef, with many fossils in it. Reefs require sunlight, so the jebel bedrock must have formed in shallow water... but there are deepwater landslide deposits, or turbidites, over the top of the reef. The turbidites are themselves full of coral fragments, as well as chunks of dark deepwater sediments and debris flows. In the past, researchers were baffled by what appeared to be a reef that had somehow sunk to the bottom of the ancient sea. After Dr Warme examined the rocks, however, he determined the true story behind the jebels. This is not a reef but a piece of a reef shed from the shelf edge in one coherent block, called an olistolith, which fell down the continental slope into deep water. Continued at Geologists discover crater using rock records on page 4

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Hydraulic fracturing debate comes to Mines

Hope Sisley Staff Writer
FrackNation, a film made in response to the popular HBO documentary Gasland, was shown on campus by the Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development, or CRED, a community outreach organization put together by Noble Energy and Anadarko to educate the public about fracking and other industry processes. The film was introduced by Mike Dickinson, from Noble, and Mike Weaver, from Anadarko, both of whom are Mines alumni. Dickinson mentioned that in the last ten years alone the number of CSM students graduating from the petroleum engineering department has increased from thirty to over two hundred. Weaver asserted that the industry is under a threat and emphasized the number of jobs created in the state by the oil and gas industry. A panel of CSM professors was held after the showing for community members to ask questions of experts. Many present at the showing were not students, and the auditorium was all but filled to capacity. FrackNation is an eminently frustrating film. On the one hand, it is undeniably propaganda. On the other hand, the film itself points out that propaganda is the only thing that gets heard in modern media. As a rebuttal to Gasland, it is extremely effective, managing to discredit Josh Fox (the maker of Gasland), a pair of his key interviewees, and much of his data. When the film diverges from its refutation of Gasland, however, it falls into absurdity. In order to assess FrackNation, it is helpful to watch the movie it refutes. Gasland, an Oscar-nominated 2010 documentary about the Marcellus Shale, makes FrackNation look like the PBS News Hour: it is full of artsy out-of-focus establishing shots; intolerably obnoxious shaky-cam effects; pointless personal anecdotes; and Foxs slurring, stilted, overly-theatrical narration. It is profoundly unscientific, more art film than documentary. (Josh Fox should really have stuck to banjo playing.) Summarized, Gasland takes Fox from Pennsylvania to Colorado, Texas, and Wyoming in search of water contamination caused by gas drilling. He does not distinguish between well drilling, completion, or stimulation, instead lumping all three together as a nebulous sort of environmental disturbance. The movie relies mainly on interviews with people living near gas wells and storage tanks. No scientific facts are presented, except as a scare tactic; the word chemicals is treated as synonymous with poisons. It comprises a vague, simplistic moral statement along the lines of gas production bad. Yet it proved so popular that HBO financed a sequel - not to mention it sparked public opinion to turn against fracking in many parts of the country, without explaining in any detail what fracking actually is or any other facts that might be helpful to the viewers in determining their stance towards the process or the industry at large. In watching Gasland, it becomes clear that Phelim McAleer, the director of FrackNation, was either unable to, unwilling to, or uninterested in providing a direct rebuttal to each and every one of the claims in Gasland. Nor did FrackNation have to address every point brought up. Several telling points were discussed. For one, the gas development lease in Gasland that Fox claims was sent to his Pennsylvania home is revealed to be a copy of a lease negotiated with Chesapeake Energy by a citizens cooperative in a neighboring rural township. This is not the first time McAleer catches Fox in a lie, but it is the most compelling. When McAleer requests an interview with Fox, Fox hangs up on him, refusing to answer any further calls. Fox even goes so far as to eject McAleer and his camera crew from a showing of Gasland rather than address McAleers questions, suggesting that Fox has no interest in debate, much less any discussion of the errors or misinformation in his film. Craig and Julie Sautner - citizens of the town of Dimock, PA, where much of Gasland takes place were among some of the most vocal opponents of fracking, claiming that their water had turned black and undrinkable after fracking in the vicinity of their home. They, too, refuse to speak to McAleer once they realize he doubts their claims, behaving with hostility towards him. (They have since left Dimock for good.) There are a number of other interviewees in Gasland, however, who do not show up in FrackNation; in fact, the Sautners are the only complainants interviewed in both films. This could mean the rest of Foxs contacts in Dimock did not wish to be in being involved in FrackNation. It could also mean that McAleer chose to show only the most unreasonable of the interviewees so as to demonize the opponents of fracking. One of McAleers main points is that methane gas is naturally found in water in the Dimock area, that it was present long before people were and that it has done them no harm. He points out that methane-rich waters have been set alight in many places where no oil and gas development has occurred. While it is true that Gasland fails to mention even once that methane can occur naturally in groundwater, the famous scene of a man lighting his tap water on fire was actually filmed in Colorado, not Pennsylvania, as McAleer would have viewers believe. According to The Denver Post, it is inconclusive whether the methane in the water is linked to local drilling or not, but a few things are known which both filmmakers neglect to mention. First, drinking water with methane in it is not harmful to humans so long as the gas that bubbles out of the water does not collect in a poorly-ventilated area, where it could explode if ignited. Second, the energy company in Dimock which Gasland focuses on, Cabot Energy, was found to be responsible for some water contamination there, not because of fracking, but thanks to faulty well casings. FrackNation ignores Cabot altogether, instead focusing on Chesapeake, which is presumably more diligent about upholding their well completion quality standards. Indeed, the Colorado contamination, if connected to gas production in the area, is probably linked to faulty casings as well, as normal migration of gas through induced fractures into peoples water wells would take far longer than has been observed. This leads to the real heart of the matter. Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, has been in use since 1947. By setting packers in a well to allow pressure buildup, then pumping frac fluid into the well, the operator can initiate a microquake, with the pressure causing old natural fractures in the rock to reopen or new fractures to form. The induced fractures allow the well to drain from a larger area, since the fractures act as conduits for gas to flow through. The propagation distance of induced fractures from the well, however, is 300 feet on average and no more than 1500 feet, according to two 2011 studies. Since the Colorado aquifer is a mile and a half from the reservoir being produced, it is unlikely that induced fractures could have formed a pathway between the rock units. Yet neither Fox nor McAleer seems to think it is reasonable to blame contamination on the far more likely possibility of leaky well casings. On Foxs part, it is likely because bad well casings is not scary-sounding, while fracking sounds ominous to the unlearned ear. On McAleers part, he probably avoided mentioning the lawsuit against Cabot because, even though fracking was not related to the incident, to suggest that the operator was responsible for the pollution in any way, even in an isolated circumstance, could be seen as anti-industry, or perhaps used as ammunition in the fight to ban gas production. So the facts get glossed over in both instances, and the truth McAleer continually refers to remains hidden, at least in part, from the public eye. For anyone knowlegeable in oil and gas processes, natural or artificial, Gasland is obviously blatant misinformation. FrackNations attack on Gasland is systematic and put forward in terms digestible to the average uneducated American. But FrackNation does not stop at exposing Gaslands inaccuracies. FrackNation attempts to change public opinion, as Gasland did. Josh Fox demonized the natural gas industry; Phelim McAleer paints it as a benevolent savior. He makes three points: 1. the leases paid to rural farmers in Pennsylvania by the gas companies allow the farmers to continue their way of life, as the extra money keeps them from the verge of bankruptcy; 2. American natural gas is an important alternative to Russian gas, especially for the European countries in thrall to Russia because they have no other source of gas; and 3. energy is important, so natural gas, as an energy source, is necessary for a comfortable, civilized standard of living. The first point is true and valid. When a moratorium was placed on gas production in the Dimock area, drilling was halted and many citizens in the vicinity lost their monthly lease checks. Having a gas well on ones property ensures a sizable amount paid to the owner by the well operator, which for a struggling farmer really can mean the difference between making it and going bust. The people of Dimock were upset at the stigma that Gasland pinned on their town, no doubt losing precious tourist dollars as well. The simple fact is, people have to get by, and having drilling on their property is an easy way to get them extra cash without giving them extra work. Perhaps a solution to this would be to pay an added premium for risk of air or water pollution, thus satisfying the landowner and allaying peoples fears, while still allowing production to proceed. McAleers second point, however, is a stretch. American gas production will do little to help the little old Polish widow interviewed in the film, and should gas production here decrease, it will not lead to Russia controlling America any more than American dependence on Saudi oil has led to

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Geologists discover crater using rock records

Hope Sisley Staff Writer
Continued from page 3 As it fell, the block destabilized the sediments it ran over, which then came tumbling down after it, filled in the space behind it, and topped over it, spilling across and over. The coral fragments in the turbidites are olistostromes - small broken pieces of the reefs edge knocked off during the collapse - and the dark bits were ripped up from the seafloor as the landslide passed. This simple explanation failed to be recognized based merely on the sheer size of the olistolith. Finally, Warme discussed the largest of his catastrophes: the breccia (or broken rock) left behind by a Devonian meteorite impact in presentday Nevada. At the time of the impact, Nevada was the Pacific coast, a tropical carbonate ramp. Subsequent compression caused a thrust belt to form along the former seacoast, and the area is now made up of hundreds of subparallel mountain ranges. The Alamo impact breccia is found in at least twenty-five of these ranges, and had long stumped researchers before Warme began his investigation. As he explained, the broken rocks were variously interpreted as coral-reef talus, karst cave-fillings, and fault or solution-collapse breccias. The thickness of the breccia varies, but gets up to three hundred meters in places. The breccia contains many unique characteristics which are signatures of a bolide (or meteor) impact. Shocked quartz, for instance, which records the pressure wave from an impact, is the classic sign of a meteor strike. There are also carbonate impact lapilli - rock hailstones - which form the same way as volcanic lapilli, aggregating about some nucleus in a superheated debris cloud and falling back to earth. The lapilli have fossil fragments as their nuclei; the process by which they were cemented is the same quicklime formation phenomenon seen in Panchos Radical Runup. The unit contains intraformational folding and a smashed fallback layer between unbroken, undeformed rocks, an unusual observation that records the debris from the impact falling back to earth. All of these clues pointed Warme and his students towards an impact, so they began searching for a crater. Sure enough, they found one. Though the crater has since been disrupted by tectonics (the whole area is now heavily faulted), it can be seen in the rock record. The bolide struck about 150 km north of present-day Las Vegas. Because the impact was underwater, it caused a tsunami, which also left a record in the geology. Successive graded beds, each thinner than the last, signify successive tsunami waves as water sloshed from the crater to the seacoast and back. Desiccation cracks in the tsunami deposits show that the wave travelled inland far enough to get above sea level. Graded resurge beds record

Saudi Arabia controlling the U.S. As for McAleers third point, it is here that FrackNation falls to the same level as Gasland. Besides being phrased in the most childish of ways, the argument contains two offensive and harmful sub-points. First, McAleer takes the opportunity to attack clean energy, saying that geothermal plants cause earthquakes, and that both windmills and solar panels will make the U.S. dependent on China and responsible for the deaths of workers in Chinese factories with low health and safety standards. Then he shows a map of the world at night and makes the claim that the poorly-lit areas (ie. Africa) are hotbeds of violence and starvation, where life is cheap and disease runs rampant. The implication that hydraulic fracturing will solve all the worlds problems is laughable. Notwithstanding that most power plants burn coal, electricity does not mean an end to war and hardship, nor does the lack thereof mean that people might as well be dead. To end on such a note is detrimental to FrackNations credibility, not to mention it does little to combat the emotionality and propagandistic problems of the media that this very film itself laments. One more thing worth noting is the fact that Phelim McAleers other film credits consist of a pro-mining documentary, Mine Your Own Business, and a movie claiming that anthropogenic climate change has no scientific basis called Not Evil Just Wrong. This leaves the educated, politically-aware viewer discouraged. On one side of the debate is Josh Fox, an extremist out of touch with the economic concerns of real people and the safety standards of local industry, and on the other hand is a climate-change denying extremist who imitates the very thing he derides. Where is the voice of common sense? Yes, there is no reason to ban fracking any more than there is to ban any other production method. But at the same time, attacking clean energy as a way of defending fracking is absurd. In order to meet the energy needs of a modernizing world, humankind needs every source available. This includes fossil fuels, but it also includes wind farms, solar panels, geothermal plants, and nuclear energy. As a Pennsylvania politician tells Fox in Gasland, Theres no such thing as a perfect source of energy. Technological progress and increased efficiency in all areas is the only sustainable solution. But then, that would hardly win a film producer an Oscar, now would it?

the same sloshing phenomenon below sea level. Slumped normal sedimentation records the collapse of the oversteepened crater walls back to a stable slope after the turmoil had ended. Finally, a reef which grew atop the breccia suggests that the sea in this area was deepened enough by the impact to make room, or accommodation space, for corals to grow. Warme concluded his talk by pointing out that he was only able to recognize these strange anomalies in the rock record because he had seen so many rocks and had so much geological experience that he knew what was normal and what was not. In other words, he said, One must understand the expectable in order to recognize the anomalous.

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march

Mines builds robot to increase Mines student selectsafety in Abu Dhabi reneries ed for Arecibo ObserCourtesy Mines Newsroom
Mines students are working with Mechanical Engineering (ME) professor John Steele and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) professor Qi Han to build and develop a system to automate oil and gas processes through unmanned robots. Blaster, the original prototype, will be deployed to the Petroleum Institute (PI) in Abu Dhabi to increase the safety in oil and gas reneries. Currently, renery operators are exposed to potential explosions, gas leaks and extreme weather conditions. We are trying to get robots to do the same operations humans can do, but by taking the human out of harms way, we are increasing safety, Steele said. Abu Dhabi can reach up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, so people are exposed to extreme heat as well as sand storms and possibly gas leaks. If the robot is harmed, you can always build another one. The robot is equipped with a methane gas sensor, video camera, microphone, thermal imaging camera, GPS, digital compass, laser-range nder and Wi-Fi client-bridge. Each of these sensors will help it navigate, avoid collisions and transfer information back to the control room operator. EECS students Adewole Ayoade and Marshall Sweatt are collaborating to develop applications that will take readings from the sensors to determine the robotic location and remotely log those readings for analysis. Alex Yearsly, a ME student, designed and manufactured the 5-degrees of freedom robotic arm after taking over from Dan Albert, a recent graduate. John Steuben, a graduate student in engineering systems, designed and 3D-printed the sensor housing for the robots head. Ayoade emphasized the importance of testing the robot in conditions similar to the renery. Because we are working on a real life project, we have to understand the environmental conditions of where we are sending the system, Ayoade said. Once Blasters build is completed, Ayoade and Sweatt will travel overseas to test its functionality and transfer the technology to faculty and students at the PI. Im really excited; Ive never been to the United Arab Emirates before, Sweatt said. It is an honor to be invited. Blasters capabilities will demonstrate Mines ability to develop a robotic system for inspection and operations. The robot will become the basis for a proposal to a French robotic competition called ARGOS Challenge, sponsored by TOTAL, in which contestants from all over the world will develop advanced robotic capabilities for oil and gas environments.

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vatory research
Courtesy Mines Newsroom
If you have seen the James Bond movie, GoldenEye, or played the Nintendo 64 video game, you might remember the radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. Mines mechanical engineering student Alexis Humann was selected for a 10-week summer research program, during which she will working on building an autonomous robot to clean the world's largest single-dish telescope. Right now when people clean it they put on giant snowshoes to even out their weight; the weight of a person would collapse it, Humann said. We will need to build a robot that is really light and well distributed. The observatory telescope is used to study the properties of planets, comets and asteroids. Scientists who want to use the telescope are required to submit proposals for an independent scientic board. It will

be a unique opportunity for Humann to work with the telescope rsthand. Everyone in the aerospace industry knows about this observatory and it has a great reputation, Humann said. I will be working with some of the top scientists in the world. I am so excited to be able to meet them and learn all about their work. Humman is also looking forward to the opportunity to combine her mechanical engineering skills with her interest in aerospace. I think space exploration is going to move away from man exploration and go into the robotics side of things, Humann said. There is so much technology to improve upon there, and the possibilities are endless. Currently Humann is working on an undergraduate research fellowship with Dr. Douglas Van Bossuyt to build a robot that can analyze its health and make its own decisions.

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Geek Week
of the
own intelligence. A geek is someone who is obsessive about a certain individual, non-mainstream concept. I guess the fact that I distinguish between the two makes me a geeks. The fact that I work [at the Geology Museum] as a ChemE says Im a geek because this is a hobby and a line of work that is beyond my own personal intelligence or line of work. Do you know what free time is and if so, how do you spend it? Free time is time that is not taken up by homework, classes, or exams. I spend my free time working two jobs, taking care of my family, sleeping, playing classical guitar, [doing anything involving] rocks. I write poetry, I compose classical music, I make jewelry, and I write calligraphy. What is your favorite thing about Mines? Hah! Yeah, next question. What are some of your greatest accomplishments? Ive designed, prototyped, and field tested an intra-arterial stent. Ive supervised a team that came up with a new formula and delivery system for a thrombolytic drug used to replace surgical treatments in patients with heart failure. Ive helped revamp the club sports program at Mines. I created their sideline medical protocols [and] trained over eight hundred people in the program in CPR and first aid. Ive kept myself alive. If you could have any super-

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march 17, 2014

... Andrew Hyde, Senior: Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

power, what would it be and why? The ability to turn off my emotions because [the ability to evaluate] an option completely rationally is a valuable tool in life for making decisions that benefit others. Who would win in a fight between a Star Wars stormtrooper and a Star Trek redshirt? The stormtrooper because although he cannot hit the redshirt, the redshirt is gonna die anyways. [Speaking realistically,] the stormtroopers going to win because he has armor and training...Stormtroopers have six years of training at the Academy whereas redshirts have approximately one semester of tactical training, so yeah, the stormtrooper wins. If you could be dropped into any fictional universe, what would it be and why? Probably the Lego universe simply because the way its portrayed in all of the games, movies, comics, etc, malice exists, but it has no major impact on people, which makes [that universe] one of the most free places you can be. You can be what you want to be and feel what you want to feel and really its only the positive things that are long-lasting and matter. Ultimately, you can only do so much damage before you reduce [someone] to a pile of bricks, which you cant hurt. How would you handle things if Mines was invaded by a horde of rabid Bronies? With prejudice. Friendship is bullets. Do you have any plans for the future? I plan to work in biotechnology and medicine because they occupy my time and I enjoy them. [I plan to] live frugally, care for others, [and] not die for a little while. Do you have any advice for fellow geeks and Mines students? Dont go to Mines. Do you have a favorite quote? If you wake up and youre not in pain, youre dead. -Russian proverb.
JORDAN FRANCIS / OREDIGGER

Jordan Francis Staff Writer

Enjoyably nerdy as Mines can be, many geeks spend their time here trying desperately to escape this school as fast as possible. Some succeed, some do not. Others take their time in the academic realm, get the most they can out of their education, and pass on as much hard-earned wisdom as they can to underclassmen. Somewhere in the middle of those lies Andrew Hyde. [Oredigger]: What made you choose Chemical and Biochemical engineering as a major? [Hyde]: Originally, I wanted to go to medical school. The real question is why did I stay with that major? The answer to that is...I dont know. Something about biosciences and making peoples lives better through biotechnology. What has been your favorite class so far? Possibly Genetics with Dr. Ogg. Not only...[are] both lecture and lab...applicable to most biotechnology...unlike so many other courses at this school, [but] you get to make mutants! And grow them in a petri dish while listening to Oggs sarcasm and general attitude of sunshine. Are you a geek and why? Lets parameterize geek for a start. A nerd is someone with above average intelligence, in my view, who gets wrapped up in his

Decadant chocolate mousse cake recipe

Elizabeth Starbuck McMillan Staff Writer
This cake takes a lot of precision, patience, time and love. The ingredients are simple considering the complexity of the cake.: Cake: * cup boiling water * 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped * cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces * 1 large egg, at room temperature * cup sugar * 1 tsp vanilla extract * 1 cups all-purpose flour * 1 tsp baking powder * tsp baking soda * tsp salt * cup hot, strongly brewed coffee Mousse: * 3 cups whipping cream, divided * 12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped * 3 large egg yolks, at room temperature * cup sugar * 1/3 cup water Chocolate Glaze: * cup water * 1 cup sugar * cup whipping cream * cup Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted * 1 Tbsp unflavoured gelatin powder 1. For the cake, preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper and then lightly dust the sides of the pan with flour, tapping out any excess. *Please note that only 1 cake layer is needed for this recipe, but it is easiest to make this recipe in its full measure and freeze the second cake for a later use. 2. Whisk the boiling water, chocolate and butter together until melted (it will be visibly grainy) and set aside. 3. Whip the egg, sugar and vanilla until the mixture doubles in volume (about 2 minutes on high speed) and then fold in the chocolate mixture by hand. 4. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt over the batter and fold in, then stir in the hot coffee (this will make the batter become fluid). 5. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans. 6. Bake the cakes for about 25 minutes until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans. 7. For the mousse, have ready a 9-inch springform pan, lining the bottom with parchment paper (in order to make the mousse-filled cake easier to remove from the pan). 8. Whip 1 cups of the whipping cream until it holds a medium peak when the beaters are lifted and chill. 9. Heat the remaining 1 cups of cream to just below a simmer and then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let this sit one minute, then gently stir until incorporated. Set aside. 10. Place the egg yolks in a bowl and whip for a minute on high speed. 11. Place the sugar and water in a small pot over high heat and boil (occasionally brushing the sides of the pot with water) until it reaches 250 F on a candy thermometer. 12. Start whipping the egg yolks on medium speed and then carefully pour the hot sugar down the side of the bowl to avoid splashing, and then increase the mixer speed until high and whip until this has doubled in volume and cooled to about 105 F. 13. Measure the temperature of the ganache to ensure it is close to 105 F as well and fold the ganache into the whipped yolks. 14. Let this cool for 15 minutes or until just above room temperature, then fold in the chilled whipped cream in 2 additions. 15. Pour half of the mousse into the ungreased springform pan. Slice one of the cake layers in half horizontally and place this over the mousse, as centred as possible. 16. Pour the remaining mousse over the cake layer and gently place the other half of the cake layer on top, pressing gently just so the mousse covers the sides of the cake, but not so that it sinks in. 17. Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and freeze the cake to set it, at least 4 hours, or overnight. 18. While the cake is setting, prepare the glaze. Bring the water, sugar, and cream to a boil in a medium saucepan. 19. Once boiling, whisk in the cocoa powder and simmer (reducing the heat if needed) for 4 minutes, stirring often, (the consistency will not change). 20. Remove from heat. 21. Soften the gelatin in cup of cold water and then whisk this into the hot cocoa mixture until dissolved. Cool the glaze to room temperature, then chill completely, at least 3 hours. 22. To finish the cake, remove it from the freezer invert the pan onto a cooling rack placed over a parchment-lined baking tray. 23. Use a hair dryer on a low, hot setting to gently warm the pan so that it releases from the pan, the sides first and then the top. 24. Warm the chilled glaze while

Andrew Hyde looks forward to graduating from Mines and starting work in the fields of biotechnology or medicine.

whisking occasionally until just melted and smooth and pour this over the torte, spreading gently with a spatula to ensure that it covers the top and sides of the torte evenly. 25. Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes, then lift it onto the presentation plate and store chilled until ready to serve. To make peanut butter icing, use 1 cup of peanut butter for cup of powdered sugar and a 1 tsp of vanilla. And as the final touch, put mini Reese cups around the edge. Make sure to store the cake in the fridge and it can keep up to four days.

ELIZABETH STARBUCK McMILLAN / OREDIGGER

Chocolate mousse cake is sure to please any sweet tooth.

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march

Prince of Persia is a simple, fun game

Emily McNair Managing Editor
In late 2008, Ubisoft released Prince of Persia, which was meant to be a reboot of the original series released in 1989. While the later reboot, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, was met with more acclaim, Prince of Persia is definitely a game that can stand on its own. The game itself is nothing extremely special. The story follows an unnamed warrior (who will be referred to as the Prince) who stumbles upon a lost woman while searching for his missing donkey. The woman explains that her name is Elika, she is a princess, and she must return to the temple. The Prince follows her and watches as her father destroys the Tree of Life. Ahriman, the god of darkness, is trapped within this tree, and breaking the tree releases him. This corrupts the world, and Elika explains that the only way to stop the corruption from spreading is to heal the fertile grounds. While this seems gameplay to be FT ISO leaves much to be a simB YU ES desired. It is extremely reple task, RT U CO petitive and, once players underit is quite difficult, a s stand how to defeat each of the various m o n s t e r s monsters, the battles are of little g u a r d the fertile challenge. The worst battles take grounds and many re- place between the Prince and quire special powers granted by the Warrior King, a large monOrmazd, the god of Elikas peo- ster made of stone. In the PS3 ple. To access these powers, the version of the game, it is nearly player must collect light seeds impossible to mash buttons fast and take them to the temple. enough to defeat the monster. The light seeds then unlock pow- Many players have resorted to ers that are used to reach more using pencils to push the butfertile grounds. After healing all tons as fast as possible. This has of the fertile grounds, the Prince made the battles with the Warrior and Elika return to the temple to King little more than a nuisance and adds very little to the game. fight Ahriman himself. One of the most interesting Sadly, the game builds up to what could have been a great, aspects of the gameplay is that satisfying ending, but instead the player can never die. Instead, leaves players angry. Essentially, Elika saves the Prince whenever all of the players hard work goes he takes off more than he can to waste and the world is left in chew by falling off a wall or jumpa corrupted state. While Ubisoft ing into a chasm. This is extremedid release DLC to add more to ly helpful as the landscape is filled the ending, the DLC costs much with jumps, wall running, and all more than the game and adds sorts of various dangerous acts. However, at the same time, it can very little to the story. The character development be frustrating as Elika returns mostly occurs through optional the Prince to his last location on conversations between Elika and the Prince. These conversations mostly focus on the background and the future of the characters and do little to advance the story. At times, the dialogue feels forced and unrealistic, which takes away from the game. Additionally, there are only two notable quotes from the entire game: I could have had carpets *this* thick, which is what the Prince says when he explains the significance of losing his donkey to Elika, and if you would have your wish, then give me mine, which Ahriman says at the end of every one of Elikas flashbacks. The fact that there are only two memorable quotes shows how boring most of the dialogue really is. At times, the Prince and Elika are amusing; however, most of their dialogue seems to be filler to help reduce the repetitiveness of the game. T h e

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solid ground. There are many sequences where the Prince does not touch the ground for nearly a minute, so if the player fails to navigate a ledge, all of that work is lost. This aspect becomes especially important on the quest for light seeds. Light seeds are often placed along the route used to reach the fertile ground. These are the easiest to collect and only require a small amount of the players time. However, collecting all of these light seeds is not enough to unlock more powers - in fact, many of the more remote light seeds have to be collected in order to finish the game. This provides an interesting challenge to players as some light seeds are in locations that require powers, which makes collecting them that much more difficult. This game really excels in the environments. The landscape requires players to use all of their skills to navigate the world and collect light seeds, and this often requires a bit of creativity on the part of the player. While the rocks, water, sand, and other environmental features are not the most realistic, the level of detail fits well with the style of the game. Areas with healed fertile grounds can be quite beautiful with lots of foliage and light. However, corrupted areas are extremely dark and the environments can be difficult to navigate at times. The corruption, a black slime, reaches to grab the Prince as he runs past it, which can block the players view. However, it is extremely fitting and gives those areas the dark ambiance expected of an area covered in evil. Even though the gameplay is quite lacking, Prince of Persia is an interesting game. The story itself is not very complex, but it is engrossing enough to keep players asking for more. Specifically, this game is perfect for those who love to collect everything in the world and those that want a casual, inexpensive game to play between new releases.
COURTESY WALLPAPERSHD1080P

An Invincible Mines Tradition!

Make a gift to The Mines Fund or to the area that means the most to you.

Your gift will be matched 1:1 by Mines alum and Board of Trustees member, Tim Haddon 70!

DEADLINE APRIL 26
giving.mines.edu/students
Mines Senior Gift on

Mines Cheerleading Tryouts

Clinics 7:30 to 9:00 PM Wednesdays- 3-19, 3-26, 4-2 Sundays- 2-23, 3-30 Tryouts April 13th 7:30-9:00 PM Located in the Wrestling Room @ Volk
Questions, comments, or concerns may be directed to: minescheerleading@gmail.com

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If/Then: The power of choices versus fate

Jessica Deters Staff Writer
One choice, two lives. If/ Then, which opens on Broadway on March 30, follows Elizabeth, a 30-something who recently moved back to the Big Apple after a failed, decade-long marriage in Arizona. Elizabeth plans to meet up with an old friend at Madison Square Park to begin her new life in New York City. One friend, Kate, played by Tony award winJESSICA DETERS / OREDIGGER

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march 17, 2014

A classic that never ages Holmes lives on

Jacqueline Feuerborn Staff Writer
ly prominent part of this scene is the outside knowledge that none of their reasons for being there were scripted. The director, Some people argue that older John Hughes, told all of the acmovies are classics and theretors to improvise the scene and fore better. This isnt always true, so each actor or actress was able but in the case of The Breakfast to imagine their own reason why Club, they might be right. The there character was there. This Breakfast Club tells the story COURTESY UNIVERSAL STUDIOS allowed the actors and of five teenagers who actresses to make their discover friends in the characters even more most unlikely of places. compelling and intriThe Breakfast Club cate. is the story of five teenAs the audience agers who are attending watches the characters an all day detention on a actions, they become Saturday. The story demore and more relatpicts their experiences able which is one of the as a brain, an athlete, a things that makes this basket case, a princess movie so good. Everyand a criminal. This unone who watches the likely group of teenagmovie can find some ers are forced into each part of one of the charothers company due to acters that they can their detention and find connect with. By the in each other things that end of the movie, all of they never expected. the characters are seen The students participatin a new light. While the ing in the detention are overall plot isnt very Andy, the jock; Brian, intricate or particularly the brain; Allison, the attention grabbing, the basket case; Claire, the movie does an incredprincess and Bender, ible job of showing peothe criminal. Presiding ple, real people, and over the detention is how they interact. The Richard Dick Vernon, Breakfast Club also the schools assistant successfully disarms principal. stereotypes and shows The five students are people that humans left in the library and inare much more comstructed to each write plex and confusing than an essay about who The Breakfast Club is a fascinating film. people might initially assume. they are. They have the entire deeper character development. All in all, it is an incredible The primary example of how day to complete a single page essay so, inevitably, they get up each of them are not what they film that will make any audience to all sorts of mischief. Bender seem is when all of the charac- watch in fascination. Anyone has a very dysfunctional relation- ters sat around discussing why looking for a good classic movie ship with Vernon so he specifi- they are in the Saturday deten- to watch should pull The Breakcally tries to incite mischief and tion. This is an incredibly moving fast Club off of the shelf or go on chaos. He primarily does this by scene as viewers see more into Netflix and take a look. Watching trying to rile up the other stu- who each character is and how this movie is not something that dents, mostly Claire and Andy, they act and why. The especial- will be regretted. because their stereotypical jock and princess personalities easily clash with Benders. While there are some stereotypical portrayals of characters at the beginning of the movie, by the end the audience sees that none of them are as simple and one dimensional as it originally seems, they all have

If/Then explores the idea of all other versions of self who are living different lives because one thing went differently along the way.

ning actress LaChanze for her role in The Color Purple, says Liz returned to the city to find her true love. Another friend, Lucas, played by Broadway veteran Anthony Rapp, believes Beth came to the city to advance her career as an urban planner. In that moment, Elizabeth, played by Tony Award-winning best actress Idina Menzel, must choose whether to follow Kate, becoming Liz and discovering a new love or to follow Lucas and eventually become successful urban planner Beth. What difference does one choice make anyways? Each path unfolds and Elizabeth lives out the next years of her life having made each respective choice. Down one road Beth finds herself in a dream career, leaving her mark on the New York City landscape, but her love life is quite simply a hot mess. Down the other Liz finds lovereal, true love but advancing her career falls by the wayside. This original musicalthe only musical opening this spring with a completely new and authentic story and scorecrafted by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, Pulitzer winners for their musical Next to Normal, opened at the Richard Rodgers Theater on Broadway for Previews on March 5. The new-age concept coupled

with the immense star power of Idina Menzel make If/Then a must-see. Menzel is best known for voicing Elsa in the new Disney film Frozen as well as for originating the role of Elphaba in Wicked, for which she won a Tony. Menzel and If/Then costar Rapp play old friends in the new musical, which is quite accurate as the two also co-starred in the original Broadway production of Rent 18 years ago. If/Then explores the power of choices. A choice as simple as deciding to answer the phone or deciding to go to Starbucks in the morning can change the course of a persons life. If/Then is not the first work to explore this ideathat of one choice altering a persons life course. Sliding Doors, a 1998 film starring Gwyneth Paltrow, depicts the power of a simple event in the course a persons life takes. As Helen Quilley (Paltrow) rushes to work, she barely catches (or barely misses) a subway train. Her making or missing that train completely alters her life. One road takes her to a new love. The other keeps her with a cheating fiance. The plot unfolds the two parallel universes, exploring the power of one train ride to alter Helens life. Though the idea of parallel lives has been explored before by other

works, If/Then is the first to do so in a musical format. If/Then portrays life. Nothing is sugarcoated. Nothing is brushed over. Nothing is off-limits. The production proves to be an incredibly moving and thought-provoking work, portraying gay, lesbian, and biracial relationships, the challenges of becoming attached to a soldier and the fleeting nature of time in an effortless manner. If/ Then manages to portray each relationship as simply another aspect of life--not something to be debated or even something worth dissenting over. The incredibly powerful musical holds nothing back and even brings its audience to tears. It explores the idea of all of the other versions of self who are living different lives because one thing went differently along the way. If/ Then resonates with audience members in a way most musicals cannot because it tackles a concept that impacts everyone as well as featuring challenges that most face throughout their lives. As daunting as it may be to think that every choice leads away from one life and toward another, If/Then offers a little piece of solace to viewers. Perhaps, despite the choices made, both good and bad, everyone ends up where they belong.

Sarah Dewar Staff Writer

Sherlock Holmes has been brought to life onscreen most recently by the BBC in the popular drama series Sherlock. Audiences around the world have been entertained by this 2010 fixture, now at the conclusion of the third season. Benedict Cumberbatch brilliantly stars as Sherlock Holmes with Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson accompanying him on his journeys through London and beyond. (Movie connection! Interestingly enough in The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug (2013), Cumberbatch provides the voice for the dragon Smaug, while Freeman plays Bilbo Baggins. Sherlock fans may find the irony of their encounter given they work so closely in Sherlock as partners, rather than adversaries.) For those unfamiliar with the Sherlock Holmes novels penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creators of Sherlock have prioritized the importance of maintaining details unique to the novels. There are four original Sherlock Holmes novels and fifty-six short stories. Collectively, these pieces create the world in which Sherlock Holmes lives and environment where readers are able to envision that he solves mysterious and distinguishing crimes. Obviously, the time setting differs between the Sir Arthur Conan Doyles work and the work of the modern adaptation. The creators of Sherlock place this legendary character in the modern streets of London, where he is able to communicate using mobile devices and the internet, as well as travel in taxis or by means of the tube. The original Sherlock Holmes novels have remained popular since their publication beginning in 1887. Readers in Europe, the United

States, and beyond are intrigued by Sherlock Holmes first as a character and second as a player in the crime scene. This is apparent even today, as crime movies and television dramas are consistently the most profitable and popular genre of entertainment. However, the attractiveness of Sherlock Holmes originates from the fact that he is not a police officer but rather an independent private detective. He is made out to be smarter than the police force, to be more cunning and observational than the authorities. To state is simply, Sherlock Holmes is a crime-solving genius. Sherlock Holmes is a man that transcends time. His character is just as effective when placed in the late 19th century as in modern times. He is supremely individualistic, neither adapting to current standards or adopting appropriate social protocol. He is quirky, sarcastic, and working for good. He is a mental powerhouse, who uses his fascination with science and his profound abilities of observation to solve implausible crimes. The format of many original Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories is retrospective, meaning that the events have already taken place and either Sherlock Holmes or Dr. John Watson is retelling the succession of preceding phenomenon. This gives the reader insight into each criminal case so that little clues piece together with each page and the reader can solve the mystery right along with Sherlock. For readers intrigued in reading the original works, the novels are quite easy to find digitally for free. Even though there is quite a bit of reading to get through, these novels and short stories are immensely entertaining and recommended for all readers looking to immerse themselves more into the wonderfully illegal world of Sherlock Holmes.

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march

Short Hair, No Cares

Karen Gilsdorf Staff Writer
Short Hair, No Cares has become the motto of Morgan Halls 3rd oor after eight of its residents donated their hair to Locks of Love and Pantene Beautiful Lengths. As of late, the group has been working on nding ways that college students can make a dierence in the world on a low budget. Carmella Caltagirone, the Resident Assistant of Morgan 3rd, explained that previously they had done a day of silence, working on how to change the world as a college student when you dont have any money. Now, they continue this trend with the donation of their hair. One of the girls on the oor came to me last semester to see if it was something we all could do, explained Colista West, the community service chair of the oor. This semester it actually happened, and it was something we could do all individually, she continued. And now, every girl has at least 8 inches less of hair and wears it proudly. It is kind of weird to get double takes, but its pretty awesome, West said. As many can imagine, cutting o this much hair was no small feat (10 inches for Locks of Love, 8 inches for Pantene). Hair is a big security blanket and a big comfort item, but as women, donating your hair in a group is a really cool and empowering experience, explained Caltagirone. And this truly seemed to be the case. When the eight women went to Aprils Salon, they booked the entire salon

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for a two hour block. All of the stylists that cut [the girls] hair had such a fun time, exclaimed Caltagirone. But even though it was a scary process, it was a surprisingly simple decision for some. We were making a contribution to raise awareness by getting a haircut, which would have happened anyways, Caltagirone continued, Its been an awesome community builder, and everyone that went through it relied heavily on the moral support of her oor mates. These women are truly an inspiration at Mines, and a phenomenal example of what can be done with a little bit of willingness. Though sacricing something like hair is not always easy, the benets far outweigh the downfalls, both for the participant and the persons being aided.
KAREN GILSDORF / OREDIGGER

Katerina Gonzales Content Manager

Baseball splits in home opener series

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(pictured left to right) Petra Atwood, Hayley Armstrong, Emily Echelberger, Dale Mathisen, Stephanie Panza, Hannah Wysocki, Colista West, and Carmella Caltagirone all donated their hair to Locks of Love.

The CSM Baseball team nally got to play a series on their own grass the weekend of March 8. Mines went against the Colorado Christian University Cougars for the four game set, winning the rst two games 14-4 and 11-2, and losing Sundays matches 4-1 and 11-1. Fridays game was carried by the oense, although the pitching was not bad at all. Junior right-hander Ben Gilman gave up four runs (three of which scored after Gilman left the mound) on four hits while walking four, but fanned six Cougars while picking up the victory. Freshman righty Nathan Smythe came on in the 7th to relieve Gilman and capped o the game with an ocial scoreless one and one-third innings. The oense ignited in the bottom of the rst with two runs, one of which came on a double steal of second base and home. But the six-run explosion happened in the 6th inning, with the Orediggers capitalizing on a throwing error and playing small ball to score Nathan Fishel, Logan Smith, Charlie Basil, Zach Bothwell, Derek Skrdlant, and Cody Marvel. Bothwell, Evan Brown, and A.J. Schillinger collected singles in the inning, and Fishel started everything with a walk. Fishel also hit a home run in the eighth, which ended the game, as the teams agreed on a run rule of ten. The Orediggers continued to re on all cylinders Saturday afternoon, scoring 11 runs, this time spread-

ing them out a bit. Mines scored two in the rst on sophomore Nate Olingers home run, and then four in the second, one in the third and fth, and three in the sixth to add some extra insurance. Olinger, Brown, and sophomore Christian Rooney each had two hits in the second game. On the mound, Mines shut down CCU. Sophomore righty Tommy Rodgers was credited with the win and went ve full innings, giving up all of CCUs seven hits but allowing only two runs to score (one unearned). Senior Peter Herrin and junior Brandon Storm then came out of the bullpen, both right-handers, and pitched perfect sixth and seventh innings respectively. Rodgers, Herrin, and Storm struck out one batter a piece. Sundays double header did not bode as well for the Miners, however. CSM put up a good ght, as Sundays opener was decided in the nal inning as CCU hit backto-back home runs, ending Mines three-game win streak with the 1110 result. The bats were still hot, with Olinger, Schillinger, Bothwell, and Skrdlant all having multi-hit games. Both of Bothwells and three of Skrdlants hits went for doubles, and junior Rey Chavarria also contributed with an RBI double. The nale was the closest thing to a pitchers duel that the weekend would see, with CCU taking the win 4-1. Rooney went six innings, giving up three earned runs on eight hits, while AJ Valerio threw a solid seventh inning, only giving up a single.

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MLB Spring Training Preview-Nat. League

Chris Robbins Staff Writer
outeld, plus OF Jason Heyward and 2B Dan Uggla should give Atlanta the ability to put up plenty of runs and keep them in contention most games. All-Star C Brian McCanns loss in free agency will hurt the Braves, but young Evan Gattis, who early last season was gaining possible Rookie of the Year considerations, should be a nice replacement. The starting rotation, while not laden with star players, is nonetheless a solid group and an asset to Atlanta this season, while Craig Kimbrel has proven himself to be one of the best closers in the past few years. The Braves should be in contention for the AL East title throughout the regular season, likely in a two-horse race with the Washington Nationals. Key Losses: SP Bronson Arroyo, OF Shin-Soo Choo, OF Xavier Paul, C Ryan Hanigan, OF Derrick Robinson Most teams in the majors would be very happy to end a season 9072 like Cincinnati did in 2013, as it would almost assuredly lock up a spot in the postseason. However, when in a division with the Cardinals and Pirates (as the Reds are), 90-72 might not always be good enough, and in this case it was not. The Reds go into 2014 seeking to remain a challenger in the NL Central, but will have to overcome several oseason losses to do so. The pitching sta in Cincinnati should remain solid despite losing SP Bronson Arroyo, as Matt Latos and Johnny Cueto have shown to be capable starters and closer Aroldis Chapman anchors a strong bullpen. The Reds oense has the talent to compete with most teams in the NL, as RF Jay Bruce, 2B Brandon Phillips, and 1B Joey Votto are all perennial All-Star contenders. Rookie OF Billy Hamilton is emerging into a quality player as well in spring training, and the club also signed the versatile Skip Schumaker to provide depth on the bench. By late this season, the Reds should be well within striking distance of the NL Central crown, having to likely ght o the World Series runner-up Cardinals and the upstart Pirates. rotation this season, while 42-year old veteran LaTroy Hawkins will assume the closing duties. While not a signicant improvement on paper, the revamped should show at least some improvement over last seasons results. Despite the roster overhaul, the Rockies still do not have the talent compared with the Dodgers and Diamondbacks to pose a serious threat to the division

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OF Brian Bogusevich, 1B Garrett Jones, 3B Casey McGehee, RP Carter Capps Key Losses: OF Juan Pierre, 3B Placido Polanco, 1B Logan Morrison, OF Justin Ruggiano Over the past ve years, the Marlins nal record has continually gotten worse, culminating in last years 62-win debacle. Some growing pains were expected with the organizations plan on calling up its young talent and relying on them after dealing away most of the teams veterans, but the time for learning experiences is running out. Beginning this season, the Marlins expect to see progress, and that could be a tall order given the talent level on the roster. There are bright spots, as 20-year old SP Jose Fernandez is easily the clubs ace, while RF Giancarlo Stanton is a perennial All-Star contender. Miami also used this oseason to deal for veteran C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 2B Rafael Furcal, and 3B Casey McGehee. But overall, the rest of this team lacks the skill and experience needed to make a run at an NL East division title this season, and will likely be spending the bulk of 2014 merely trying to avoid another last place nish.

Arizona Diamondbacks 2013 Record: 81-81 (2nd in NL West, Did Not Make Playos) Key Additions: 1B/OF Mark Trumbo, CL Addison Reed Key Losses: CL Heath Bell, OF Adam Eaton, INF Willie Bloomquist, 3B Matt Davidson, SP Tyler Skaggs After their second consecutive .500 season, the Diamondbacks owners openly placed the teams managing sta on the hot seat, creating a must-win situation this season for Arizona. At the cost of some of their top prospects, including SP Tyler Skaggs, OF Adam Eaton, and 3B Matt Davidson, who has yet to see the eld at the major league level, the D-Backs made deals to acquire slugger Mark Trumbo from the Angels as well as former White Sox closer Addison Reed. Reed was brought in to patch together a bullpen that blew 29 saves last season, including 7 by last years closer Brad Ziegler, while Trumbo should strengthen an already solid batting lineup that nished 5th last year in the NL in batting average race. The pieces are there in Trumbo, Reed, 1B Paul Goldschmidt, and 3B Martin Prado for Arizona to contend with the Dodgers for the West, and the managerial stas future likely depends on staying in the running through the seasons end.

title this season. Los Angeles Dodgers 2013 Record: 92-70 (1st in NL West, Lost to Cardinals in NLCS) Key Additions: SP Dan Haren, RP Chris Perez, INF Alexander Guerrero Key Losses: SP Chris Capuano, SP Ted Lilly, 2B Mark Ellis, INF Jerry Hairston, INF Michael Young, INF Skip Schumaker, INF Nick Punto, RP Carlos Marmol, RP Edinson Volquez, RP Ricky Nolasco In a season that vastly exceeded expectations in 2013, the Dodgers stormed through the second half of their schedule, took the NL West title, and reached the NLCS. As a result, expectations are sky high for Los Angeles this season. The Dodgers certainly have the personnel to make a deep postseason run this year even after the multitude of losses endured over the oseason. The elding depth chart and batting order in L.A. are some of the most talented and complete in the majors, with numerous All-Star caliber starters including RF Yasiel Puig, 1B Adrian Gonzalez, CF Matt Kemp, SS Hanley Ramirez, and LF Carl Crawford among those. In addition, the L.A. pitching sta is one of the best in the NL, headlined by starters Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. Hyun-Jin Ryu, Josh Beckett, newly acquired Dan Haren, and the eventual return from injury of Chad Billingsley make this starting rotation one of the most formidable in the majors, while Kenley Jansen, Brian Wilson, and Chris Perez make up part of a fantastic bullpen. The early favorite to claim the NL West Championship, the Dodgers should be among the top contenders for the NL pennant all season long and could realistically nd themselves playing in the World Series.

Chicago Cubs 2013 Record: 66-96 (5th in NL Central, Did Not Make Playos) Key Additions: RP Jose Veras, C George Kottaras, OF Justin Ruggiano Key Losses: RP Kevin Gregg, C Dioner Navarro, OF Brian Bogusevic The Cubs have not made the postseason since 2008, and that is a streak that will likely continue through this season. At the plate and in the eld Chicago does have some young talent with large upsides, particularly in SS Starlin Castro and 1B Anthony Rizzo. However, the rest of the lineup is severely lacking in the talent and experience needed for the Cubs to keep pace with the upper tier of the division. The pitching sta has shown promise over the years, especially with Je Samardzija and Travis Wood in the starting rotation, and this should only be helped with the addition of Jose Veras from the Tigers. But the entire sta has also been wildly inconsistent from game to game, and that coupled with the lack of run support from the oense led to a very frustrating season for Chicago last year. The Cubs seem to be trying to improve and head in the right direction, but for this season any nish above last place in the NL Central should be seen as an accomplishment.

Colorado Rockies 2013 Record: 74-88 (5th in NL West, Did Not Make Playos) Key Additions: 1B Justin Morneau, SP Jordan Lyles, OF Drew Stubbs, RP LaTroy Hawkins, OF Brandon Barnes, SP Brett Anderson Key Losses: 1B Todd Helton, CL Rafael Betancourt, C Yorvit Torrealba, OF Dexter Fowler Having nished last in the NL West in consecutive seasons for the rst time in franchise history, the only way for the Rockies to go is up. Colorado was one of the most active organizations this oseason, dealing and signing a number of both prospects and veterans in an attempt to return back to relevancy in the division. Although some of the names on the lineup have changed due to the oseason shuing, the Rockies already solid batting order should be about as good as it was last season. With headliners in SS Troy Tulowitzki and CF Carlos Gonzalez already in place, plus the addition of former All-Star Justin Morneau at 1B to replace the retired Todd Helton, scoring runs should not be too much of an issue for Colorado this season. The pitching sta was what desperately needed some retooling after allowing the highest ERA of major league teams in 2013, and a large portion of Colorados oseason deals involved boosting the quality of their sta. Young newcomers Brett Anderson (from Oakland) and Jordan Lyles (Houston) could see time in the starting

Milwaukee Brewers 2013 Record: 74-88 (4th in NL Central, Did Not Make Playos) Key Additions: RP Will Smith Key Losses: OF Norichika Aoki, INF Yuniesky Betancourt, 1B Corey Hart Only three years ago, the Brewers posted a 96-win season and topped the annual NL Central powerhouse Cardinals for the division title. But Milwaukee fell fast, as last year they only could muster 74 victories and a fourth place nish in the division. One of the biggest reasons for this has been a slew of injuries (and in the case of Ryan Braun, suspension) continuously disrupting any momentum the Brewers manage to build in a season. If they can remain healthy and return to peak form, 3B Aramis Ramirez and RF Ryan Braun should anchor a goodnot-great batting order, but if they cannot then the oense will struggle. Although Milwaukee dealt very little over this oseason, they did lose a strong bat in 1B Corey Hart, making it even more imperative that the rest of the oense step up in his place. The pitching sta has a few solid members, but is otherwise rather unimpressive. Starter Kyle Lohse is the best the Brewers have to lead o the rotation, but has only been decent recently and likely wouldnt have the number one starting slot on any other team. The bullpen is shaping up to be okay, with good options in RPs Tom Gorzellany and newcomer Will Smith, as well as Jim Henderson at closer. The most

Atlanta Braves 2013 Record: 96-66 (1st in NL East, Lost to Dodgers in NLDS) Key Additions: SP Gavin Floyd, 1B Mat Gamel, C/1B Ryan Doumit Key Losses: C Brian McCann, SP Tim Hudson Despite their highest win total since 2004 and their rst division crown since 2005, the Braves, as they have become known to do in recent memory, fell apart in October. It only took four games for Atlantas postseason to come to a halt at the hands of the Dodgers, and this season the team is aimed at reversing that trend and doing some damage in the playos. The Braves have all the personnel to make an extended postseason run a very real possibility, as the organization has done a fantastic job recently of assembling a contending team on a sub-$100-million payroll. All-Star 1B Freddie Freeman and the Upton brothers in the

Cincinnati Reds 2013 Record: 90-72 (3rd in NL Central, Lost to Pirates in NL Wild Card) Key Additions: C Brayan Pena, UT Skip Schumaker

Miami Marlins 2013 Record: 62-100 (5th in NL East, Did Not Make Playos) Key Additions: 2B/SS Rafael Furcal, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia,

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that still sends SS Jimmy Rollins, 2B Chase Utley, and 1B Ryan Howard to the plate most nights, the run output is shockingly low. The Phillies were only moderately active this oseason in trying to x these issues, and for an oense that seemed so inept for most of 2013, the addition of Marlon Byrd will likely be nowhere near enough to turn the batting around. And aside from the declining starting rotation, the Philadelphia pitching sta is largely unimpressive. Nobody in particular stands out from the bullpen, and Jonathan Papelbon is not the high caliber closer he was while in Boston. A postseason appearance appears out of the picture for the Phillies in 2014, as the talent gap between the NL Easts top two teams (Washington and Atlanta) and the rest of the division is just too wide.

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SS Jhonny Peralta, OF Peter Bourjos Key Losses: OF Carlos Beltran, SP Chris Carpenter, 3B David Freese Another year, another deep playo run for St. Louis, who last year made an appearance in the World Series and pushed the champion Red Sox to a sixth game. The offense was steady throughout the season up until the World Series, but the real strength for the Cardinals was once again their pitching. Even though Cardinals great Chris Carpenter retired at the conclusion of last season, St. Louis still returns a formidable pitching sta including starters Adam Wainwright and the young upstarts Michael Wacha and Shelby Miller. Trevor Rosenthal and Carlos Martinez anchor a bullpen as strong as any in the NL. The only potential Achilles heel for this Cardinals team is the oense, which was not bad by any means last season, but fell stagnant against the Red Sox in the World Series. To help bolster their oensive depth, St. Louis signed 2B Mark Ellis away from the Dodgers and veteran SS Jhonny Peralta from the Tigers. With these additions to a cast of stars already on the team such as Matt Holliday, Allen Craig, Yadier Molina, and John Jay, the foundation is there for a very potent 2014 Cardinals oense. There is no reason to assume that Cardinals are not favored to win the NL Central again, and should be considered favorites along with the Dodgers reach the NLCS come October. This team has not improved all that much from their third place nishing team last season, so another year of competing for third or fourth in the division while leaving the ght for the NL West title to L.A. and Arizona seems the most likely for San Diego.

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and make their rst postseason appearance. Still, the Nationals remained competitive and still posted 86 victories, which was good enough for second behind the Braves in the NL East. Very little has changed for Washington over the oseason, and the oseason additions of pitchers Doug Fister from Detroit and Jerry Blevins from Oakland should only improve the Nationals. They join a sta already composed young talent including SP Stephen Strasburg, SP Jordan Zimmermann, and RP Tyler Clippard. If they and the rest of the sta can remain healthy in 2014, Washington should nish the year near the top of most pitching categories. The Nationals batting order should be decent once again this year, as 3B Ryan Zimmerman and LF Bryce Harper are All-Star caliber players, with 1B Adam LaRoche, SS Ian Desmond, and RF Jayson Werth all providing nice depth to the lineup. The bench should also remain deep with the addition of OF Nate McLouth from Baltimore. The NL East race should be a twoteam contest until the very end, with the Nationals looking to make a run on the defending division champion Braves and the runner up likely having a good chance at claiming one of the NL Wild Card spots.

realistic scenario for Milwaukee this season will be battling the Cubs for fourth in the NL Central, far behind the divisions contenders in St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh.

New York Mets 2013 Record: 74-88 (3rd in NL East, Did Not Make Playos) Key Additions: SP Bartolo Colon, OF Curtis Granderson, OF Chris Young Key Losses: CL LaTroy Hawkins, SP Johan Santana The Mets are a mess right now, having nished no closer to the top of the NL East than 18 games behind in the past ve years, so about the only place for the team to go from here is up. The elding depth chart and batting lineup for New York is not great, but has enough talent to at least make the Mets competitive in most games. 3B David Wright is a year-to-year AllStar candidate, and while they are far from the peaks of their careers, oseason additions CF Curtis Granderson and RF Chris Young should add power to the Mets order. The starting rotation, including Johan Santana before he was dealt this oseason, was about average when compared to the rest of the NL, and while the addition of Bartolo Colon and the continuing improvement of Zack Wheeler are certainly positives, the overall strength of the sta will not likely change that much. A major area of concern for New York in 2013 was in the bullpen, whose ERA was a disappointing 3.98, and with no additions to alleviate the situation between then and now, it gures to be a weakness again this year. The Mets are still far away from making a run at the postseason, but it would be reasonable to expect some slight improvement over last year. A third or fourth place nish in the division would be the most optimistic possibility for the end of the season.

San Francisco Giants 2013 Record: 76-86 (T-3rd in NL West, Did Not Make Playos) Key Additions: SP Tim Hudson, OF Michael Morse Key Losses: OF Andres Torres, RP Barry Zito The San Francisco Giants were winners of both the 2010 and 2012 World Series, but one might not believe that after watching a team composed largely of the same players that won those championships fall to 76-86 last season. So what happened to the Giants in 2013? As mentioned, the team has remained virtually unchanged these past few years, so it could not be due to roster changes. Apparently, San Francisco is just in a bit of a slump. The starting rotation is still, on paper, able to be one of the best in the NL if Matt Cain can keep up his level of play and if Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong, and Madison Bumgarner can all nd ways to return back to their stellar forms of a few years ago. The addition of Tim Hudson should ll out the rotation well, and the bullpen can be good with Jeremy Aeldt relieving and Sergio Romo closing. San Franciscos oense and elding should also have the talent to be playing a step above their performance last year, as Buster Posey is still an elite catcher and RF Hunter Pence, CF Angel Pagan, 2B Marco Scutaro, and 3B Pablo Sandoval are all solid starters. The addition of Mike Morse in left eld over the break does not hurt either. If the Giants can play to the top of their game like in years past besides 2013, San Francisco is certainly capable of besting the Diamondbacks and challenging the Dodgers for the NL West title, and a deep run into the postseason is not entirely out of the question.

Pittsburgh Pirates 2013 Record: 94-68 (2nd in NL Central, Lost to Cardinals in NLDS) Key Additions: C Chris Stewart, SP Edinson Volquez Key Losses: OF Marlon Byrd, 1B/OF Garrett Jones, 1B Justin Morneau Coming o of a 2013 season in which the Pirates won 92 games and made the postseason for the rst time in 20 years, expectations are now higher than ever in Pittsburgh. The Pirates had relatively little roster movement over the oseason, and thus return the majority of a team that nished only three games behind the Atlanta Braves for the NL East title. Pittsburghs batting lineup is one of the better orders in the NL, with All-Star caliber players in CF Andrew McCutchen and 3B Pedro Alvarez, as well as C Russell Martin and LF Starling Marte. The talent left on the depth chart should be more than enough to cover for the oseason losses of OF Marlon Byrd and 1B Justin Morneau. The Pirate pitching sta has quietly been built into one of the top units in the NL as well, with quality starters in Francisco Liriano, Gerrit Cole, and Charlie Morton. This group should only get stronger with the addition of Edinson Volquez. While probably not a true World Series contender, the pieces are in place for Pittsburgh to make a second consecutive playo appearance a real possibility, but they will have to best the Reds and likely the Cardinals as well to make that happen.

San Diego Padres 2013 Record: 76-86 (T-3rd in NL West, Did Not Make Playos) Key Additions: SP Josh Johnson, RP Joaquin Benoit, OF Seth Smith Key Losses: SS Ronny Cedeno, 1B Jesus Guzman, OF Mark Kotsay, SP Jason Marquis The story of 2013 for the San Diego Padres was streakiness and suspensions, as both played major roles in keeping the team from making a run at the NL West crown. Starting C Yasmani Grandal began the year on a 50-game suspension due to PED infractions, and just as San Diego was beginning to develop a rhythm midseason, star SS Everth Cabrera was also hit with a 50-game PED suspension. This was costly, as Cabrera played a major role in the Padres oense, and the team entered into a slump they could never recover from. San Diego did not use this oseason to go out and sign many players, and of whom they did sign, only one is a positional player (OF Seth Smith). That leaves the Padres largely with the players they had last season to work with in 2014, and that would be an oense centered around LF Carlos Quentin and Cabrera. The pitching sta did receive some new additions over the oseason, namely starter Josh Johnson and reliever Joaquin Benoit. Both gure to have immediate impacts and play from Opening Day onward.

2013 Record: 73-89 (4th in NL East, Did Not Make Playos) Key Additions: OF Marlon Byrd, C Will Nieves, SP Miguel Gonzalez, RP Brad Lincoln Key Losses: SP Roy Halladay, C Erik Kratz, INF Michael Young Philadelphia is a far cry from the NL contending team it was only a few years ago. Their once mighty starting rotation has been reduced to Cole Hamels, an aging Cli Lee, and a sporadic Kyle Kendrick among others with minimal skill and experience. And for an oense St. Louis Cardinals 2013 Record: 97-65 (1st in NL Central, Lost to Red Sox in World Series) Key Additions: 2B Mark Ellis,

Washington Nationals 2013 Record: 86-76 (2nd in NL East, Did Not Make Playos) Key Additions: OF Nate McLouth, SP Doug Fister, RP Jerry Blevins Key Losses: UTIL Steve Lombardozzi, P Fernando Abad Washington took a slight step back in 2013 after a 2012 season that saw the club win 98 games

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Ethics Across Campus

Minds at Mines CODE: The Collaborative Online Discussion on Ethics
Spring Break activities
Katerina Gonzales Content Manager
Spring Break comes at the perfect point in the semester to rescue Mines students from the constant homework, exams and projects. It is also a good halfway marker for the semester. Mines jokingly put up on the student activities board, Dont get arrested the week before Spring Break. Hopefully most students plans included not being arrested, having fun, and maybe some relaxing. Before students headed o to faraway lands or home a few minutes away, Minds at Mines caught up with a few to ask,What will have your Spring Break consisted of?

Brian Zaharatos Guest Writer

Narnia with the kids. Because its a magical land lled with Christian allegories. Sean Spencer

Pursuing a degree at Mines provides ample opportunity to think a lot about the technical aspects of science, engineering, and technology. Sometimes it is really easy to get lost in the details. Getting lost in the details often means that one forgets to step back, look at the big picture, and ask why. Solving technical problems is often interesting and fun; but, along with asking how to do X, we should also ask why ought X be done. Luckily, for graduate students, there is a new service on campus that allows students to step back and ask these crucial questions. The service is called the Collaborative Online Discussion on Ethics (CODE). The purpose of CODE is to explore new ways to for students to develop ethical responsibilities in the context of applied science and engineering educa-

tion. CODE takes place on a Blackboard discussion group where users are able to anonymously post questions and comments about ethical issues. The goal is to create a nonthreatening environment to discuss and nd resources on important big picture questions that have ethical content. One aspect of CODE that is particularly awesome is that there is no time commitment or obligation; one can log in and participate whenever one sees t. Questions posted on CODE are quite varied. Here are some recent questions that have been discussed: 1. How can we improve advisor-graduate student relationships on this campus? 2. What improvements could be made to make life at CSM more balanced, rewarding, pleasant, or inclusive? 3. What responsibilities do we

have to each other? 4. What obligations do we have with respect to the environment? In addition to these discussion topics, the CODE organizers have added a great list of resources meant to supplement the ongoing discussions. Particularly interesting are the resources on gender equalitywhich include resources exploring questions about the dearth of women in science and how to manage a good work-family balanceand the ethical beliefs of well-known scientists, including Albert Einstein. CODE provides a great environment for thinking about the important aspects of science, technology, and engineering that are (unfortunately!) sometimes overlooked in our formal studies. If you are interested in joining the discussion, please contact Diane Witters (dwitters@mines.edu) or Mirna Mattjik (mmattjik@mines.edu).

The Business Corner

Striking Gold!
cal reason to doubt that humanity will stop valuing gold for as long as people buy and sell goods and services. With a history lesson out of the way youre probably wondering, Well Chris, why should I care about this when I have 3 tests this week and no girls to talk to or party with? Great question hypothetical average Mines student. The reason you should care and read this instead of studying is because you can prot from golds tumultuous ride on the waves of commodity prices. Presently gold is around $1,351/troy ounce which obviously is a far cry from its robust high in 2011 but in its present lower valuation lies serious investing opportunity. Year to date, gold is up 12.5% on market uncertainty in China, a slow recovery in the U.S., and increasing demand from investors worldwide. With golds rebound taking o right now the all important question must be asked, How can we make money from golds recovery? The answer is in gold mining stocks such as Barrick Gold (NYSE:ABX) $20.50 +0.12 (0.59%) and Kinross Gold

Chris Oestreich Staff Writer

Skiing and hockey. Looking forward to the good powder on the mountain. Connor Natzke Id like to introduce my rst article to run in the Oredigger: The Business Corner. The purpose of this article is to share with you, the good people of Mines, my thoughts on all things business. To kick things o lets talk about the gold industry and how you can prot from its ups and downs in the stock market. The gold industry has been around as long as humans have valued gold for its inherent hardiness, malleability, and shininess. In September of 2011 gold hit an all time high at $1,895/troy ounce mostly due to the recession and subsequent market turmoil. As past history has taught us, when the economy goes into disarray or into a recession, investors seek to stabilize their portfolio by buying gold because throughout history, gold has been valuable and should remain valuable regardless of the current economic climate. Seeing as that principle has remained true for 3000+ years, theres no logi-

Im going on a surf trip in Florida.[...] Im from Florida and have been surng since I was three or four. Heather Barnes

(NYSE:KGC $5.19) -0.03 (-0.57%). These stocks represent aordable means for the average investor (or average Mines student) to prot without shelling out $1,350 for an ounce of gold. Gold mining companies such as these have been hurt from the tumbling price of gold and as such have taken drastic steps to increase their protability and operational strength. These measures include selling non-core assets, reducing expenditures, and restructuring debt which all make for a more protable company boasting higher prot margins and more achievable forecasted earnings. While I claim no liability for the results stemming from any trades or investments anyone makes from reading this article I believe the advice given in this article gives an insight into an exciting emerging investment opportunity and can help you strike gold. Consult with a nancial professional before investing instead of just listening to someone in a school newspaper. ** All stock prices researched on 3/3/2014, changes may have occurred since then.

Throwing snowballs at my roommate Emily. Elizabeth Frank

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 reect those of Colorado School of Mines or The Oredigger. The Oredigger does not accept submissions without identication and will consider all requests for anonymity in publication on a case-by-case basis. Submissions less than 300 words will receive preference. COURTESY WALLPHO.COM

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