Volume 96, Issue 3

November 13, 2015
Volume 96, Issue 3
Oredigger
THE
The student voice of Mines

since 1920
Opinion
Arts and Entertainment
Sports
Resident Assistants
and their role on
campus
Mines Little Theater

performs Boeing Boeing
Mens basketball starts

their new season
-Page 8
-Page 14
-Page 11
w w w . O R E D I G G E R . n e t
Policy, Federal Law Inhibit Clubs Goal

By: Grant DeShazer
Ever since Amendment 64 passed, the way that college
campuses deal with marijuana has come under scrutiny.
The newest club on campus, Students for Sensible Drug
Policy, has made it their goal to not only talk about campus
policies regarding drugs, but to potentially change them.
Here at CSM, our end goal is to promote fair and
sensible drug policies on campus that promote
student well-being through educational and harm
reduction
techniques, Jacob Warnke
president and co- ...founder
.of the Mines SSDP chapter,
said.
We aim to accomplish
this by establishing a working
relationship with the student
organizations on campus and with the
administration so that we can update and
reform the current polices to better suit the
needs of CSM students.
From a national standpoint, the goal of the
SSDP organization is to mobilize and empower
students to participate in the political process,
pushing for sensible policies to achieve a safer
and more just future while fighting back against
counterproductive Drug War policies, particularly those that
directly harm students and youth. SSDP neither condones nor
condemns drug use, rather we respect the right of individuals to
make decisions about their own health and well-being, and we
encourage honest conversation about the realities of the drug war.
We promote youth civic engagement as a critical tool in reforming
drug policy and we develop leaders who advocate for policy changes
based on justice, liberty, compassion and reason. Warnke said.
The current approach to drug use on campus tends to be a
stance focused more on help and education rather than an
immediate punishment.
Our philosophy is that wed rather modify a students
behavior. We focus on education rather than an immediate

punishment, said Chief of Police Gren Bohlen. We dont want
students ruining their opportunity to come to school here. The
opportunity is there, we just want people to play by the rules.
We work collectively with the police towards more of a community
policing model, which is to educate and talk about behaviors before
it becomes a ticketable offense as opposed to a more punitive
approach, Jenn Mazzotta, the Director of Student Activities, said.
However, if youre a repeat offender, thats when it becomes
punitive and takes a more judicial approach because the educational
approach isnt getting through.
In order for the school to continue receiving federal funding, there
are requirements that the school must meet.
Since 2013, there have been changes to freshmen orientation.
However, the focus has shifted more towards alcohol. The more time
I have spent with students the more I have heard the undertones of
drug use on campus and this coming fall there is going to be a more
layered approach regarding drugs, Mazzotta said.
Theres going to be more of a conversation regarding drugs
because it has been brought to my attention that there isnt much
of a discussion.
Policies regarding drug use on campus are very clear and are
outlined in the schools Student Code of Conduct, which states:
Although possession and use of marijuana consistent with the
requirements of the Colorado Constitution is not a crime in the State of
Colorado, the possession and use of marijuana remains illegal under
federal law. Consistent with federal law, including the Controlled
Substances Act and the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act,
the use and/or possession of marijuana continues to be prohibited
while a student is on Mines owned or controlled property, and/or
attending any function authorized or supervised by Mines.
The policy is in place because it is required by law, Chief Bohlen
said.
Law enforcement policies on campus and then state policies
all regulate intoxication. Coming on campus under the influence is
a violation of the Code of Conduct and sometimes we have to send
students to detox.
With respect to SSDP and their goal to change campus policies
Chief Bohlen said, its not a local fight but rather a national one.
Evangelical Event Takes Place on Campus

By: Grant DeShazer
On October 28, Mines students gathered in the
Steinhauer Fieldhouse for the campus rst ever After
Dark, a national event that travels to twelve campuses
a year and is aimed at getting the word out about
Christianity.
The event consisted of performances from Tedashii
and Matt Wertz, with a speech from Joe White titled
Is Jesus Relevant Today?
It is basically a one night event where music
and message meet, Caleb Waitsman, leader of the
event, said.
It is about opening the doors to a fun event so wide

that an entire can feel included in something bigger
than themselves. We want to look past darkness and
hate to experience love in a new way, while also having a great time surrounded by people on campus,
Ben Eigner, a student who helped to advertise and
coordinate the event, explained.
Given that the demand for After Dark is relatively
high with only a few campuses hosting the event per
year, Waitsman explained that Mines was chosen as
a host after a few students got together and called
the After Dark Team in Missouri to throw Mines name
into the hat for After Darks 2015-2016 tour.
Continued on Page 2
Taken by: Jessie Davis

Tedashii and Matt Wertz perform at After Dark on October
28th in Steinhauer Fieldhouse.
INSIDE
INDEX
SSDP ................................... 2
After Dark ............................ 2
John Lockridge .................... 2
Econ Seminar ...................... 3
Space Society...................... 3
Humans of Mines................. 3
Fuel Cell Research .............. 4
Asteroid Mining .................... 4
Heart Tissue ........................ 4
Candidate Proles ............ 5-6

Voter Turnout ....................... 6
Guns .................................... 7
RA........................................ 8
Lazy Day.............................. 8
Mines Internet Radio ......... 10
Boeing Boeing ................... 10
A Midsummers Nights ....... 11
Electronic Duo ................... 11

Days of Ruin ...................... 11
High Grade ........................ 11
Martian............................... 11
Marvel ................................ 12
Creative Arts Club.............. 12
Flash .................................. 13
Creative Writing ................. 13
Sports ........................... 14-16
NEWS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
The Students for Sensible Drug Policy had a criminal defense attorney come and speak about drug policies in
America.
Students for Sensible Drug Policy Hold First Event

By: Joeseph Hunt
The Students for Sensible Drug Policy
welcomed Patrick Nightdale, former
prosecutor and current criminal defense
attorney, to speak on behalf of the Law
Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP)
organization this past Thursday, October
29th.
As a member of LEAP since August
2010, Nightdale speaks publicly on
behalf of the organization, especially on
the failings of federal drug policies to
contain and reduce the prevalence of
drug use. He is originally from Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania, where he has been
practicing law for over 17 years, and is
also a founding member of the Allegheny
County Domestic Violence Unit.
Coloradans,
Oregonians,
Washingtonians have said in at least
some limited aspect that, when it comes
to marijuana use and possession,
After Dark
Continued from Page 1
It was estimated that there would

be approximately 800-900 people who
would attend the event and within the
rst half hour there were well over 700
attendees. In total, Waitsman estimated
that over 900 people attended from
across the West Denver Area despite
the fact that Mines is one of the smaller
schools to have ever hosted an After
Dark event.
The turnout at the event can mostly
be attributed to a signicant amount
of advertising, which consisted of
numerous yers that could be found in
consumption and distribution, this

policy has absolutely failed, Nightdale
asserts. He explained that there are
more incarcerated Americans (2,000,000
incarcerated, 10,000,000 with federal
infractions) in the United States than
there are incarcerated Chinese in China,
a country with approximately 1.038 billion
more citizens.
[This policy] needlessly warehouses
hundreds of thousands of Americans,
Nightdale declared. He furthered by
asserting that these wasted tens of
billions of taxpayer dollars could have
better been utilized elsewhere, perhaps in
reducing the 50% homicide arrest rate. In
addition to wasted dollars, he argues that
police departments have lost invaluable
time that could have been spent on more
urgent and ultimately more important
tasks.
It is the prohibition that has resulted
in the creation of such a lucrative black
marketplace, said Nightdale. He

illustrates this idea by explaining how the
war on drugs failed to contain the spread
of Heroin in Pittsburgh, but gave rise to
the efcient production of the substance
in greater yields and with higher purity.
Nightdale also spoke about the
reduction in legal rights for those who are
punished for crimes relating to conspiracy
to distribute drugs, and forfeiture of
personal effects.
Mandatory minimums are sets of
state or federal laws that remove a
judges ability to tailor a sentencing to
the circumstances of the crime; it sets
a mandatory sentence as a one size
ts all solution to certain types of case,
including illegal drug charges.
Most charging prosecutors use these
mandates to force defendants into plea
bargains, even if their chances of lighter
punishment are good. This then strips
the defendant of valuable legal and
almost every classroom on campus. The

administration at Mines was super helpful
in allowing students to advertise for the
event, Waitsman said. We did all we
could to make sure every student knew
when and where the event was being
held, and we feel like we accomplished
that goal.
Despite some of the negative
responses to the advertising, Brittany
Marshall, the other student to have
helped bring After Dark to Mines said,
Mines never has lots of advertising
for events. So when there is lots of
advertising, nobody really likes it.
Although the advertising succeeded
in its goal of attracting students to

the event, it also generated negative
responses claiming that the event was
not advertised honestly.
The advertisements were supposed
to be visually appealing so there was an
aspect to making them look cool. If you
read the posters it said what the talk was
about. It isnt true to say that the event
was falsely advertised. Brittany Marshall
said.
Eigner and Waitsman both said they
were thankful that the event came to
Mines this year.
The response was incredible. I felt
like everyone had a great time and
PAGE
constitutional rights. More immediately,

If a mandatory is invoked, the defendant
has absolutely no judicial review
whatsoever, asserts Nightdale. These
mandatories are employed in such a way
as to do anything other than seek true
justice.
Nightdale was strongly opposed to the
use of these mandatories, claiming that
they violate the basic rights of defendants
as well as their civil liberties, especially
since they revoke a defendants right to
appeal their case. However, Nightdale
has noticed that on a national level,
awareness of the brutal use of drug
mandatories is becoming widespread.
One of the shifts were having in
conversation right now is that simply
warehousing Americans for non-violent
drug offenses has been bad public
policy, he sais. Were having bi-partisan
agreement that drug mandatories for
non-violent drug offenders are not
working. According to Nightdale, courts
are looking for alternative policies to
incarceration, including drug courts,
to target the higher-ups in charge of
manufacture and supply instead of lowlevel users.
According
to
asset
forfeiture
laws, police ofcers can conscate a
suspicious individuals personal effects
or other assets, including cash, vehicles,
and even homes, with the burden of
proving innocence, rather than guilt, is
given to the individual who had assets
seized. While this law was designed
to give police ofcers a tool to damage
the infrastructure of upper level crime,
Nightdale contends that it is a violation
of civil rights for individuals, as police
can abuse this power against individuals
who are too afraid to return to regain lost
assets due to possible criminal activity,
even if there was no warranted reason
for the search or seizure.
This is what happens to me when Ive
got a case with a drug mandatory, and
a potential suppression issue thats
when the police obtain evidence that may
or may not have been unconstitutional,
he explains. The prosecutor will often
provide a plea deal, which is tempting for
defendants.
Theyre taking that deal and running,
because otherwise the prosecutor will put
them in prison for three years, explains
Nightdale.
walked out knowing they made the most

of their Wednesday night, Waitsman
said.
It terms of lasting effects on campus,
Marshall said there has already been a
signicant impact.
After Dark wont be here again, the
most they visit a single campus is once in
a four year period. But whats cool is that
this Friday there is going to be a huge
ministry wide worship night. After Dark
tied the community together and helped
to bring religions discussion to campus.
I think it is good for people to talk about
religion in general, Marshall said.
In Memory of John P. Lockridge (1931 - 2015)

By: Joeseph Hunt
Friends, family, and members of the
Mines community gathered in the Lockridge Arena at the Mines Student Recreation Center in mid-October to pay their
respects and commemorate the arenas
namesake.
John P. Lockridge, who passed away
September 7th this year, had the Lockridge
Arena named after him for his commitment
and continuous contributions towards the
Colorado School of Mines. Mr. Lockridge
was a highly respected member of the
Mines community who brought great prestige to the school with his work in the local
petroleum industry.
John Lockridge was accepted into the
Colorado School of Mines in the late 1940s
with an academic scholarship. During his
time at the school, he played as number
16 on the varsity basketball team and competed as a member of the swim team. He
would later be inducted into the Mines Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.
Mr. Lockridge graduated from Mines
in 1952 with a degree in Geological Engineering and began his career working for
a subsidiary of Mobil Oil. After 17 years,
he founded his own company, Mountain
Petroleum Corporation, with the aid of cofounder Clyde Thompson.

In addition, Mr. Lockridge was formally
accepted into the American Association of
Petroleum Geologists and Rocky Mountain
Association of Geologists, where he was
lauded as an exceptional lecturer and explorer.
He served as president for the Rocky
Mountain Association of Geologists and
additionally served as vice-president in
both organizations. He was decorated with
numerous awards from both organizations
for his outstanding service and writing contributions.
Mr. Lockridge gave back to the Mines
community by helping establish the Blaster Basketball Scholarship Fund, which is

available to out-of-state, Varsity basketball players, in 2001. He also helped fund
the construction of the Student Recreation
Center in 2005 with the help of his wife,
Erika.
Mr. Lockridge passed away at home in
Pebble Beach, California and is survived
by his wife and his children Nancy, Laura,
Monica, Eric and Nick. His fame as a renowned geologist, winning personality, and
helpful attitude towards peers has created
a lasting legacy that brings great pride to
Colorado School of Mines.
NEWS
Friday, November 13, 2015
PAGE 3
Humans of Mines
By: Katrina San Nicolas
Alumni Nicholas Van Gundy, Lisa Martinez Templeton, Ana Ochoa and Jim Soiland all come back to speak
about their experiiences in the field with an Economics Degree. Photo by Ronald Kem
Econ Graduates Return to Speak of Experiences

While the Economics Department at Mines may be very

small in size, graduates career paths cover a wide variety
of industries and applications. Four recent Economics
graduates returned to campus last week to discuss
economics-related career opportunities, the courses that
they found to be most useful in the workforce, and the
unique value of obtaining a non-engineering degree from
a school filled with engineers.
I thought I wanted to be an engineer, recalled Nick Van
Gundy, who graduated in 2013 with a B.S in Economics
and M.S in Mineral and Energy Economics. Then I took
Physics and Chemistry and decided that I didnt want to be
an engineer anymore.
Van Gundy is now a Senior Quantitative Analyst
at Source Gas, a company that sells natural gas to
households. In addition to modeling demand and price for
the company, he also manages some of the budget and
financial operations.
My company liked that Im not an engineer but I speak
engineer, contends Ana Ochoa, who currently works as
a Contract Surety Writer for Liberty Mutual Surety. Ochoa
graduated in 2012 with a B.S. in Economics and frequently
communicates with construction contractors to evaluate
investment stability.
Initially, the Mines name really made me stick out, she
shares.
While a number of economics graduates end up
working in the private sector, 2013 graduate Lisa Martinez
Templeton found rewarding work at the Office of Economic
Development at the City and County of Denver. She
is currently working in a team of four to develop further
data connections between government aid programs like
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and
disability.
I have a team of data analysts that work under me,
Martinez Templeton explains. I had no idea when I was in
school that I would be doing what I am now.
Overwhelmingly, the graduates have found computer
programming and data analysis classes to be the most
valuable in the work force, but also recognize the distinction
provided by a strong math and science background.
Not only is it the math that drives everything, but it
is that overarching conceptual framework that we use to
solve problems, expresses Martinez Templeton.
Because Mines is such an academically challenging
school, several of the speakers mentioned that the learning
curve also becomes incredibly apparent in the work force.
One of the things that you get really good at here is
learning things fast, says Jim Soiland, who graduated in
2011 and now works at Square Two Financial.
The graduates also highly recommended the Mineral
and Energy Economics M.S. program, in which students
study the interactions between markets, policy, and the
mineral and energy industries.
There are not a lot of schools where you can learn
that, Van Gundy commented about the unique focus of
the masters program.
After spending some time in industry, the graduates
additionally shared lots of advice on being successful in
the workforce and finding the appropriate career fit.
Keep in mind other factors, not just the paycheck,
advised Soiland. The environment that you are in will
make a big difference.
Ochoa, who has enjoyed interacting with construction
contractors and now has several years of involvement in
the field, suggests picking an industry and using that to
gain experience.
Really, it is all about where you want to go and how you
see yourself, concluded Van Gundy.
From the quiet student in the back of class, to the faculty

member researching a passion, each member of the
Mines campus has a unique story to tell. Deirdre Keating,
Information Specialist for the College of Engineering and
Computational Sciences, recently set out with a camera and
an idea to share them all.
Inspired by Brandon Stantons well-known Humans
of New York Facebook page, Keating created a similar
Humans of Mines page that features photographs of
various members of the Mines community along with brief
stories and quotes.
The ultimate goal is to create a sense of community on
campus, she explains. There are so many people we pass
by and we dont necessarily know their stories.
When Keating began the Humans of Mines project last
summer, she knew its success would depend on a team
of collaborators. The team has grown to include Mark
Ramirez and Agata Bogucka (Information Specialists for
the other two colleges on campus), Kathleen Morton (Mines
Communications Manager), and Anna Ristuccia-Glancy
(Geological Engineering student).
Our page is really unique in that its successful, contends
Keating. If you look at the other universities that have tried
it, they usually fade out after a few months. I think what is
really unique is the team that we have. We each do one day
of the week.
The Humans of Mines Facebook page has grown to
over 1,600 likes and is generally visited over 10,000 times
a week. Even though the pages main audience is current
students, alumni and prospective students also frequently
comment on the posts.
I think we hit a nerve where there was a need to have a
bigger picture, Keating expresses. There is a stereotype of
Mines students as super bright but super narrowly focused,
but this project taps into a diversity of interests and talents.
Humans of Mines interviewer/photographers ask openended questions to get unique responses from students.
Each of us has our own go-to questions, but a lot of it is
just about taking the time to listen a little bit more, Keating
explains.
Since the project began in June, the most rewarding
part to Keating has been watching a community grow on a
page. For instance, several Mines alumni wrote encouraging
comments to a first year student nervous about succeeding
at a challenging school like Mines. Another post featuring
a student torn between the Physics and Computer Science
majors received multiple comments with advice and
information about ways to study both.
Its a really positive community, expresses Keating. I
am really impressed with the comments that we get.
As the project grows and students graduate, the Humans
of Mines team is looking for more students to become
involved with the project.
If we have that kind of diverse engineering student who
loves their science and math but also has this artistic side,
I would love to see them participate, explains Keating. To
keep the quality of photography high, student participants
should have their own camera and basic photography
experience.
My favorite part of the program is that it opens my eyes
to all of the different facets of Mines, asserts Keating. It is a
really unique school and people dont know how many great
things are being done by students here.
CSM Space Society Brings in a CEO Guest Speaker

While many Colorado School of Mines
students dream of one day working for
large aeronautical companies, Jonathan
Goff of Altius Space Machines decided to
take a leap of faith and start his very own.
Sometimes the best way to learn
about a business startup is to jump in
and learn the hard way, said Goff during
a guest lecture coordinated by the CSM
Space Society. Goff is the founder and
CEO of the Broomfield-based company,
and received his Bachelors and Masters
degrees in Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering, respectively. Prior to
starting Altius Space Machines in 2010,
Goff worked for the California-based
company Masten Space Systems.
I am a big ideas person, so if I see
an opportunity that I like, its nice to be
able to go and take it, expresses Goff
in regards to company projects. Altius is
currently working on developing orbital
propellant depots for space refueling and

reusable space vehicles. Additionally, the
company conducts research on human
hypogravity with the hope of determining
the minimum amount of gravity necessary for human life.
The small company, however, is best
known in the aerospace world for Sticky
Boom, an extendable robotic arm. Altius
is currently doing similar research to develop International Space Station (ISS)
assistive robots to reduce the enormous
amount of time that astronauts spend
simply maintaining the system.
We spend $3-4 billion per year on the
ISS, and get approximately 2,100 manhours of research in return, explains
Goff. The MAGE (Mechanical Assistant
for Glove-Box Experiment) robots would
be controlled from the ground, which allows earthbound researchers to manipulate and control their own experiments.
Altius similarly landed a contract from
NASA to design an asteroid boulder retrieval system. The companys design,
The Prospector, can land on the sur-
face, pry a boulder free, leap off, and

wrap the boulder up for a safe return to
earth. With only eight employees, Altius
was the smallest company by far to land
the prestigious contract.
Plasma decelerator development is
the one non-technical thing that we are
doing that I think will make a huge difference, asserts Goff. Because slowing spacecraft down uses a tremendous
amount of energy, plasma decelerators
aim to utilize a protective plasma shield
to divert the spacecrafts kinetic energy
into the surrounding atmosphere.
While owning a business yields freedom and rewards, Goff outlined some of
Altius greatest challenges as well.
You get to control your own destiny,
which is actually the best and the worst
part, said Goff with a laugh. Because
space contracts tend to be of short duration and operations are very expensive,
finding the money to keep things moving
forward can be difficult. In this way, the
tradeoff of more business control is financial stability.
As Altius Space Machines continues

expanding over the next few years, the
company is searching for interns and student engineers for the future. Goff has
numerous recommendations for students
looking to work in the aerospace industry
or even start their own aerospace businesses.
Do your research and go and try
something big, Goff suggests. Projects
outside of class show initiative and are often differentiators in the hiring process.
For instance, Goffs first hire for Altius
was a student who built a bowling-ball
trebuchet in high school. Even though
the project was completely unrelated to
aerospace, it demonstrated the problemsolving process necessary for research.
Goff also points out that the aerospace
industry is currently going through a period of changing attitudes and research,
which can be beneficial for scientists.
When you have a lot of change going on,
there are more opportunities for individuals to make a difference with innovation.
WANT YOUR CLUB OR EVENT COVERED? EMAIL OREDIGGERSTORIES@GMAIL.COM
Research
PAGE 4
Asteroid Optical Mining Research

By: Abby Zimmerman
While mining on earth is the focus of
most Mines students, easily extracting
resources in space may soon be a reality.
NASA has awarded grants to two Mines
researchers, Assistant Research Professor
Christopher Dreyer and Director of the
Center for Space Resources Angel AbbudMadrid, to further investigate optical mining
techniques.
The optical mining concept is very
exciting because it is a large-scale approach
for producing resources in space, Dreyer
stated for Mines Newsroom. We are
contributing experimental evidence for
the conditions under which intense light
will disassemble carbonaceous chondrite
asteroids.
Students Alex Lampe and Travis
Canney are working alongside Dreyer and
Abbud-Madrid. Lampe, the head research
assistant, got involved with the project in
early 2015.
The goal of this research is to show
that extracting volatiles (H2O and CO2)
from asteroids can be accomplished without
the use of highly complicated mechanized
systems, Lampe explained.
Our hope is to demonstrate that, by
using focused sunlight, the asteroid regolith
will de-volatilize at a high enough rate that

it not only releases the chemically bound
water and carbon dioxide, but also causes
the regolith to spall, Lampe furthers.
Spalling is desired because it will cause
fresh regolith to be exposed, allowing for
continued extraction.
Another important focus of the research
is to verify the practicality of trapping all of
the vaporized volatiles. These extracted
materials could theoretically be used as
spacecraft propellants.
After many years of dead-end
investigations trying unsuccessfully to
adapt terrestrial mining techniques to
extract resources from asteroids in the
future, we are excited to nally participate
in the development of what we consider
the most feasible and effective technique
to recover valuable volatile elements, such
as space propellants, from asteroids, Dr.
Abbud-Madrid stated in an interview with
Space.com.
Currently, there is a variety of work
being done in the lab to test optical mining
methods more effectively. For example,
at the beginning of the project, Lampe
was responsible for reconditioning two
vacuum chambers needed for high vacuum
experimentation. Following that, he was
tasked with designing and constructing the
chassis for the ISRU Experimental Probe.
Because some of the mined resources
Mechanical Engineering Assistant Research Professor Christopher Dreyer and Director

of the Center for Space Resources Angel Abbud-Madrid in the Center for Space
Resources Laboratory. Photo courtesy of the Colorado School of Mines Newsroom
can be used for fuel, the optical mining

research project has the potential to
revolutionize space travel.
Imagine sending up payloads with
only the outbound legs worth of fuel
and relling your tanks from resources
already in space, Lampe describes. In
comparison, if you think about taking a long
road trip, its silly to consider bringing all of

the gas with you. This could also soon be
true for space travel.
If [optical mining is] proven to be
feasible and applied properly, this technique
could change the way humans approach
space exploration forever, Lampe asserts.
Colorado Fuel Cell Center Research

By: Abby Zimmerman
Since 2006, Mines has been the home of the
Colorado Fuel Cell Center (CFCC), which is located in
the General Research Laboratory building. According
to their website, the CFCC seeks to advance fuel-cell
research, development, and commercialization.
Fuel cells take the chemical energy within a fuel
and convert it directly into electricity. A lot of folks
compare fuel cells to batteries, explains Professor
Neal Sullivan, the director of the CFCC. The main
difference is that a battery is going to die sooner or
later and then weve got to recharge it. Fuel cells will
just continue to operate so long as the external gas
tank stays full.
These traditional fuel cells, however, are not the
only application of cells researched at the CFCC.
Of course a fuel cell center is going to study fuel
cells. But what we also try to do is study how the same
fundamental principles that make fuel cells work can be
used to do other things, says Professor Sullivan.
For example, one new area of fuel cell research is
energy storage.
Weve got all these wind farms, all these solar
panels, and everybody loves them. Theres no denying
theyre great. But supply is intermittent. So while we all
love those solar power generated electrons, theyre a
hit or miss, Sullivan explained.
One way to remedy this issue is to find a way to

store the excess energy. The CFCC is working on this
type of research.
If you run a fuel cell in reverse, then they become
energy storage devices. Instead of taking the chemical
energy in fuel and turning it into electricity, well take the
electricity and turn it into chemical energy, Professor
Sullivan furthers. So we do energy storage by making
chemicals, using the excess capacity of renewable
energy sources, like wind and solar.
Running the fuel cells in reverse, however, is not
an automatic process.
Fuel cells dont just run the same when reversed.
Youve got certain material sets that make fuel cells
run well and if you just go and run them backwards,
they dont work as well, states Professor Sullivan. So
really you need a material set that does both forward
and reverse. For this reason, the CFCC is set up to
create and test new materials.
Additionally, faculty at the CFCC are performing
research on geothermic fuel cells, which are used to
turn oil shale into oil by heating the surrounding rock.
The CFCC lab actually makes Mines home to the
worlds only completely operational geothermic fuel cell
site.
Professor Sullivan explained that obtaining and
implementing the fuel cell stack during the initial monthlong trial for the geothermic fuel cells provided valuable
data and research to the CFCC.
When you have nine stacks, what you find is
that the constraints for one stack led to an opposite

constraint for a stack on the other end, Sullivan said
of that the main lesson the researchers learned. You
run into a problem with one fuel cell stack and the way
you would go about fixing it would destroy the stack at
the other end. Figuring out operating conditions is a
big deal.
The CFCC will continue to apply fuel cell technology
to new problems as they arise.
If theres one thing that Im probably proudest of
for this Fuel Cell Center, its the range of study the
range of the size and scale of whats being studied,
Sullivan stated.
Weve got the fundamental stuff on ionic
conductivities and things like that and then weve got big
system stuff complete fuel cell systems with pumps
and blowers and fuel processors, data acquisition and
giant 30 foot tall stacks of assemblies all in one place,
illustrates Sullivan proudly. And you dont just see that
anywhere. In the whole country, youre not going to see
that anywhere else.
Professor Sullivan recommends that students
interested in being involved in on-campus research get
to know their instructors. The CFCC has both graduate
and undergraduate student researchers, as do many
other labs at Mines.
A lot of students reach their goals by working in
the Fuel Center and its great to help them get there,
explains Professor Sullivan.
Restoring Hearts: International Research on Heart Tissue Regen

By: Abby Zimmerman
Heart attacks, even when not
fatal, cause irreparable damage. After
a heart attack, the healthy tissue dies
and is replaced with scar tissue, which
greatly reduces the hearts ability to
pump blood effectively.
Recently, there have been a
variety of research experiments
completed around the world to combat
the detrimental effects of heart
attacks. Scientists hope to provide
solutions that will help patients return
their heart functions back to pre-heart
attack levels.
Hydrogel Scaffold
Karen Christman, a Bioengineering
professor at UCSD, and her team are
working on developing a hydrogel

that would serve as a scaffold for new
heart tissue to grow on.
Unlike other similar technologies,
the hydrogel could be injected using
a catheter, eliminating any need for
surgery or anesthesia.
The hydrogel is made from
connective tissue from the heart.
The muscle cells are removed, and
the remaining tissue is crushed into
powder. From there, an enzyme is
used to liquefy the powder. When
this liquid is injected into a patient, it
reaches body temperature and turns
into gel.
Throughout
its
research,
Christmans team has performed
numerous animal trials using the
hydrogel. The team reports that when
the gel was injected into pigs with
heart damage, it partially solidified
and the pigs saw an improvement in
heart function.
Bioengineered Velcro
Scientists at the University of
Toronto are leading another research
effort to combat heart damage. They
have bioengineered an asymmetrical,
2D protein mesh that actually has the
ability to attach to itself like Velcro.
The material, formed from flexible
polymer, has microscopic posts that
mimic the small hooks on Velcro
strips.
Milica Radisic, the lead researcher,
explains that when the meshes make
contact with one another, they start to
beat. When electrical field stimulation
is applied, the meshes even beat in
synchrony.
This Bioengineered Velcro could
be grafted onto the heart, promoting
new tissue growth in a matter of
months.
Over time, the mesh structures
would be absorbed by the body,
leaving only a repaired heart.
Protein Patch
Pilar Ruiz-Lozano, a professor
from Stanford University, began his
research endeavor by examining
the hearts epicardial cells. Through
careful study, his team discovered
that these cells actually cause existing
muscle cells within the heart to
multiply.After narrowing down the 300
proteins found in the epicardial cells,
the Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) protein
was identified as the one responsible
for causing the muscle cell growth.
FSTL1 was then incorporated into a
collagen patch that can be attached to
the heart. The patch slowly releases
the protein over time, stimulating
tissue generation.
In animal trials, pigs pumping
capacities were increased from 30%
after a heart attack to 40%. This
improvement was seen over the
course of the first week. The Stanford
team expects to transition to human
trials in 2017.
OPINION
2016 Presidential Candidate Overview
These following articles are intended to simply be candidate snapshots to

give an overview of some of the leading candidates in the race. That being said,
if you want to know more about a given candidate dont let these be your only
source. Go to their websites, read news articles, get informed.
PAGE 5
If you want to write an opinion article about one of these candidates, or a

completely different one, feel free. Email orediggerstories@gmail.com with the
candidates name in the subject line. We want to hear your voices and opinions!
Democrat: Bernie Sanders

By: Eric Dattore
Bernie Sanders has been fighting for
American working class families for his
entire political career, since he was first
elected as mayor of Burlington, Vermont.
Prior to his election, he was involved in
the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s,
where Sanders participated in the March
on Washington in 1963, and worked
to organize student-led desegregation
movements while a student at the University
of Chicago.
From his early days of student-activism
he moved onto political office, and won his
first term as mayor in 1981, where he was
elected by a margin of ten votes. During
his first term as mayor, the ruling class of
Burlington tried to thwart every initiative he
created in an attempt to limit him to one
term as mayor. After being reelected for a
second term, the city also elected a more
progressive city council that would work
with Sanders to achieve his progressive
ideals. His successes in Burlington included
creating and protecting affordable housing
for working class families, and focusing
small business towards pro-community and
pro-employee policies.
In 1990, Sanders ran successfully for the
United States House of Representatives
where he was elected as an independent.
Sanders worked across party lines to
achieve reforms. As a U.S. Representative,
he vocally opposed the repeal of GlassSteagall, the law which prohibited

investment banks from merging with
commercial banks. In 2006, Sanders ran for
the U.S. Senate, also as an independent,
and defeated a better-funded opponent.
In 2010, Sanders made history by
filibustering for more than eight hours to
oppose the extension of the Bush-era
tax cuts for the wealthy. This became the
subject for his book: The Speech: A Historic
Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the
Decline of Our Middle Class.
In May 2015, Sanders announced his
bid for the Democratic nomination. Being a
comparable underdog to the Hillary Clinton
political-machine, his candidacy was
initially viewed as one to just push her left
on issues and keep her honest.
This view was further reinforced by
his refusal to have a Super PAC and firm
insistence on running a positive, issuesoriented campaign. Many were dubious
that he would be able to stay competitive,
however, after the first fundraising deadline,
the FEC filing revealed him as a viable
competitor.
By the second deadline, he was only
short of Hillary Clintons fundraising
amount by $2 million. The majority of his
donations come from small-dollar donors
and the average donation is just $35.
Having raised almost $41 million from
650,000 contributors, it is easy to argue
that Sanders campaign is truly about the
people.
On issues such as healthcare and Wall

Street reform, Sanders is the most leftleaning member of both major parties.
He is regarded as the most ideologically
pure member of the United States
Senate, and has a record of passing the
most amendments to legislation during
his tenure in the United States House of
Representatives. This has helped Sanders
to effect reforms in small pieces.
He favors people-centric policies that
are sometimes viewed as opposition to
business interests. He favors a single-payer
healthcare system, so seeking medical
attention doesnt lead to the potential of
bankruptcy.
The Wall Street Journal originally posted
an article breaking down his tax plan and
claimed that it would cost $18 trillion
over ten years, with the
majority coming from his
single-payer Medicare-forall plan. However, other
economists chimed in,
stating that the plan would
actually save almost $5
trillion over that same
decade. Former Labor
Secretary Robert Reich
has spoken very favorably
of
Bernie
Sanders
economic
plan
and
championed his cause for
income equality.
While domestic policy
is Sanders strong-suit,
it was evident in the first Democratic

debate that his biggest weakness is his
inexperience with foreign policy.
His lack of military service and lack of
service on foreign affairs committees in
Congress demonstrates his inexperience.
Several responses to debate questions on
foreign policy were shaky and definitely
unrehearsed. In comparison, Hillary Clinton
had strong answers to these questions,
given her history as Secretary of State
under the Obama Administration.
Despite the tough race he finds himself
in for the presidential nomination, Bernie
Sanders is surging and creating an
unprecedented grassroots movement that
can help to push him to win the nomination.
Democrat: Hillary Clinton

candidate rather than the best candidate all together, and
it is inappropriate to scavenge for votes solely because
she is a woman, rather than votes based on principle. It is
By: Tyler Jones

The preliminary election season has so far been defined
by outsider politicians. These candidates all promise to
reign in the crippling inefficacy of the federal government
resulting from the last eight years.
Former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has been
plagued by mistakes made during the Obama administration
and discredited by many for being too disconnected from
progressives. I am not advocating that Clinton is a perfect
candidate for the democratic nomination, but she is the
best option available this election season.
There are two serious issues, however, with her
campaign that may prevent her from being elected:
Clintons email scandal is admittedly a hurdle in her second
attempt for a presidency. There is no acceptable reason
for her to have used private email servers to communicate
potentially classified information. However, it has gotten to
the point where these emails are defining the democratic
primaries and providing fodder for the GOP in the upcoming
election. If the Republican-led Benghazi committee found
any actual wrong doings, appropriate action would, and
should, be taken. But as it stands, it has been merely a
partisan attack on Clinton with little interest in finding the
truth of what happened in 2012.
Additionally, Clinton is devaluing the idea of a woman
presidency by attempting to make her gender a reason to
vote for her. While a woman serving as president is long
past-due, she is ignoring other aspects of her campaign
in doing so. She is campaigning as the best woman
unfortunate that when asked how her campaign would differ

from that of President Obama at the first CNN Democratic
Debate, her immediate response was that she would be a
woman in the White House. Instead of highlighting policy
differences throughout the debate, Clinton wasted several
opportunities by explaining to viewers that she is a female.
Some opponents have called Clinton weak and
unaggressive regarding Wall Street, but she is being
realistic. Reality tends to rear its ugly head, and it is more
important to have some legislation in effect than none at all.
What Clinton proposes instead, is to empower regulators
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overseeing shadow-banking institutions coupled with

strengthening transparency and disclosure requirements.
These moderately-aggressive policies would curb risky
financial firms to prevent another economic disaster similar
to 2008.
During her position as Secretary of State, Clinton has
demonstrated what effective foreign policy is. She was able
to successfully get China to sign its first ever climate control
treaty. Serving as Secretary of State has much more weight
than what any senator has voted on in the past 30 years.
Bushs irresponsible foreign policy left President Obama
in a difficult position internationally, and former Secretary
Clinton is most likely to continue his legacy.
It is important to note how Clintons presidency would be
different from Obamas last term. The GOP-led Senate and
House have been unwilling to fully cooperate with some
of the progressive legislation put forth by the Democratic
party. Unless Democrats hope to regain the majority on
both floors, compromise will need to be made for any
progress to occur in the federal government. Both parties
should expect a productive administration, and Clinton is
the only candidate that will make that happen.
Political insiders this season have been portrayed as
cronies, and any positive legacies left behind have been
ignored. Clinton has the commitment and experience of
a lifetime, and a political background unseen anywhere
else in this election season. Knowledge of foreign policy,
cautious but responsible financial ideas, and modern social
values leave no uncertainty about her qualifications to be
president. Clinton deserves consideration in the democratic
primaries and, hopefully, in the election season in 2016.
Brett Tucker
Editor-in-Chief
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News Editor
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Opinion Editor
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Design Editor
OPINION
PAGE 6
Citizens Need to Exercise the Fundamental Concept of Democracy: The Vote

By: Eric Dattore
We tell ourselves the political system
is broken, but, is it really? There's a famous quote, whose origin is unknown,
that says, "decisions are made by those
who show up." When we take a look at
voter turnout, the largest voting bloc is the
45 and older group. They show up, they
get to make the decisions, so, is the system failing us, or are we in fact failing the
system?
The elections in 2014 had the lowest
voter turnout in 72 years. Only 36% of
the voting age population turned out to
vote. The total eligible population in 2014
was almost 246 million people. Although,
2014 was a midterm election and turnout
is generally lower for midterms, to get the
lowest voter turnout in 72 years definitely
says something about the state of Ameri-
can politics. In comparison, 2012, a presidential election year, saw almost 54% of
eligible voters cast ballots. The eligible
population was around 5 million smaller
at the time, though.
Of these numbers, which age group
had the largest turnout? According to
CIRCLE (The Center for Information and
Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), in 2014 only 19.9% of eligible
voters aged 18-29 showed up to cast a
ballot. Of those, they generally preferred
Democratic candidates. Had a larger percentage of the demographic shown up,
the Senate and House might not have
swung so wildly to the right.
In 2012, the numbers were a bit more
optimistic during presidential elections,
but they still left something to be desired.
According to CIRCLE in 2012, 45% of
those aged 18-29 turned out to vote. Of
those people, they favored Incumbent

President Barack Obama over Governor
Mitt Romney by a 23 point margin. In contrast, 66.3% of those 30 and older turned
out to vote. Our parents and grandparents
had had almost 150% larger voter turnout
than our generation.
In general, younger people tend to
vote for progressive candidates over conservative ones, and older people generally vote for conservative candidates over
progressives.
According to Pew Research, a large
percentage of the population becomes
more conservative with age. Given the
low voter turnout of the youth, and the
high voter turnout of the older and elderly,
the policies and the politicians typically
elected set out to gut social safety nets,
and other guarantees, that help people
gain a foothold in the modern economy.
As a result, our parents and grandparents

are electing candidates that will only make
our lives harder for decades to come.
It is simple: if we don't show up, we
don't get represented. Our political apathy sends a message that we're fine with
other people making decisions for us. Is
that something we really want? Do we
want to continue to allow others to make
decisions about the way the country operates, or do we want to seize control and
elect politicians who represent us?
Government once was the solution. It
was the great equalizer of opportunity. It
gave everyone an equal shot at success
and didn't benefit one group of people.
In that time, we had the strongest labor
unions, the largest (and healthiest) middle
class, and the fastest rate of innovation
(funded largely in part by the government).
Republican: Marco Rubio

By: Braden Egtvedt
Marco Rubio (R-FL) was born in Miami, Florida, in
1971 to Cuban immigrants. He grew up in Florida, earning
his B.A. in political science at the University of Florida
and his J.D. degree cum laude from the University of
Miami School of Law. Rubio began his career in politics
with his election to the West Miami City Commission in
1998. In 1999, he won a seat in the Florida House of
Representatives, eventually becoming the Speaker in
2006, where he served until 2008. After his time in the
Florida House, Rubio ran for and won a seat in the U.S.
Senate, where he currently serves. In recent polls, Rubio
is in a shaky third place at roughly 11%, behind Ben
Carson and Donald Trump by roughly 12 and 17 points,
respectively.
Here is a brief and basic summary of Rubios stances
on the basic issues of fiscal policy, education, and foreign
policy: the three main topics found on his website.
On fiscal policy, Rubios tax code reform includes the
following changes:
Reduce the marginal tax code from 7 brackets to 3:
Marginal Tax Rate, Individual Filers, Joint Filers
A 25% tax rate for all businesses and eliminate Capital
Gains, Dividends, and Estate taxes.
On education, Rubio opposes Common Core and

wants more flexibility with state-chosen education,
bringing education decision-making to a more local level.
Rubio supports school-choice and empowering parents
to send students to the school that best fits their kids
educational needs. He also promotes high-skill vocational
Republican: Donald Trump

By: Chad Tucker
The success of Donald Trumps
presidential campaign has taken both
the country and media by storm. An
appearance by Trump has proved to be
a major ratings booster for networks. He
has easily been one of the most quotable
candidates thanks to his blunt manner
when handling questions. Many people
feel that being politically correct does more
harm than good, as it encourages not
directly dealing with issues.
In an effort to Make America Great
Again, Trump has focused mainly on
improving the health and legitimacy of
American businesses. According to his
campaign website, foreign nations are
able to use the countrys large debt and
deficit as negotiating tools, forcing the
U.S. to relinquish too many jobs to foreign
nations. Trump has issued a broad tax
plan as a solution to the
deficit. Highlights of this plan
include increased taxes on
the extremely wealthy, as
well as demystifying the tax
code so that it can be more
easily understood by an
average U.S. citizen.
Despite some good
ideas, several problems
with Trumps campaign are
evident. First, Trump has
little political experience.
Additionally,
although
Trump is responsible for
helping to build successful
companies, the fact still remains that

several were driven to file for bankruptcy.
These bankruptcies raise questions about
his ability to successfully enact his tax plan.
A major part of his plan to make America
great again is to further increase border
security by building a wall along the U.S.Mexico border. Trump intends to keep
immigrants out, because, in his opinion,
they are stealing American jobs that belong
to natural-born American citizens. In the
end, this wall is simply unfeasible. Even
more unreasonable is his belief that Mexico
will provide the funding for the construction
of this wall. Despite the ridiculousness of
this idea, however, it has been one of his
only true solutions to the many problems he
sees in America today. All too often Trump
favors generalized, surface-level answers
that avoid the issue at hand, leaving many
to wonder what all he would really be able
to accomplish as president.
programs. In addition, he wants to implement a way to let

students know how much they are expected to make with
a certain degree before they pay tuition, as well as adjust
the rate at which students pay back their loans according
to how much they actually make after graduation.
Finally, on foreign policy, Rubio has laid out the
Three Pillars of the Rubio Doctrine: American Strength,
American Prosperity, and American Values. American
Strength means building and maintaining a strong military
as well as empowering our intelligence community by
permanently extending Section 215 of the Patriot Act.
As Rubio said in an interview on the OReilly Factor, the
world is a better place when Americas the strongest
country in the world. American Prosperity means
completing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), as
well as oppose any violations of international waters,
airspace, cyberspace, or outer space. American Values
means spreading American ideals of freedom and
Democracy throughout the world, such as demanding
China remove its new Two-Child Policy and calling out
radical Islam as the source of atrocities in the Middle
East.
Again, this is a basic overview of Marco Rubio. If you
are interested in learning more about him, marcorubio.
com/issues should give you a fairly direct sense of what
he believes are relevant issues should he be elected
president.
Republican: Ben Carson

By: Katharyn Peterman
Dr. Ben Carson, one of the leading
Republican presidential candidates for
2016, was born and raised in Detroit,
Michigan. Carson attended Yale University
for his undergraduate education and then
went on to The University of Michigan
School of Medicine. He completed his
residency training at the Johns Hopkins
University Medical Center. Carson then
remained at Johns Hopkins for 29 years as
the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery.
Dr. Carson gained nationwide
recognition for his skill after successfully
completing several risky procedures. In
1987, he became the first to separate
Siamese twins that were connected by
the back of their head. In addition to his
medical accomplishments, Dr. Carson
has received high levels of recognition
including the highest honor given out by
the NAACP, the Spingarn Medal, in 2006.
In 2008, Former President George W.
Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal
of Freedom, the most prestigious award a
U.S. civilian can receive.
As an outsider to the Washington
scene, Carson has the ability to bring a
different perspective to issues than the
other Republican candidates. During
debates, his answers seem unrehearsed,
unlike the other potential candidates which
is truly refreshing.
Carson also holds a unique position
on minimum wage. He argues that we
should enact a two tier system, so that

recently employed workers are paid less
than long-time employees. This is intended
to encourage longer employment, as each
year worked provides the chance to have
an increased salary. In addition, Carson
wants to end the discussion about the
minimum wage being as only a starvation
wage. In order to do this, he wants to index
the minimum wage to inflation so that it
rises proportionally.
The best quality of Carson is also

one of his biggest drawbackshe has had
no meaningful experience in Washington.
Since he is relatively new to the scene, he
is going to be easily swallowed up by the
politicians in Washington. It is hard to trust
what he promises in his campaign because
it is very likely that his opinions will change
depending on his biggest donor at the time.
Lastly, Carson is deeply religious,
and while this is typically a good thing for
candidates in the Republican Party, it can
tend to dissuade many moderates and
independents.
OPINION
PAGE 7
Rash Decision Making Violates 2nd Amendment
By: Wyatt Vidmar

Since the founding of the United States, the fundamental right to bear arms has been instrumental for U.S. citizens. With the evolution of social norms and technology,
the public perception of rearms has changed drastically.
The controversy that revolves around rearms in America
today is whether or not they should be privately owned and
how easily obtainable they should be for any one individual.
Currently, the Department of Justice reports that one in
three Americans owns at least one rearm, a percentage
much higher than in any other country. Having an environment where rearms are commonplace creates a unique
atmosphere for the U.S. The role rearms serve for private
citizens can be boiled down to three main components:
fundamental rights, personal protection, and recreation.
The right for citizens to keep and bear arms is given by
the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and it is

explicit that this right shall not be infringed. However, as
with all written law, there is room for interpretation and a
balancing act must be performed to maintain this inherent
right for the people. Firearms cannot be as easily accessible to the public as a candy bar, but law-abiding citizens
willing to purchase a rearm should not have to bend over
backwards either.
The legalities of rearm possession is one of the more
complex issues that exists in our society. Proponents of
gun control want to make the process of obtaining rearms
much more strict, but unfortunately, there is not a simple
solution to the problem. According to a Department of Justice Survey, 77 percent of criminals involved in gun-related
crimes obtained their weapon(s) either illegally or from a
family member.
Every individual has the right to their own self-protection. Whether someone is in their own home or in a public
space, people should not be restricted in their own ability
to protect themselves. In a life-or-death situation, a person
has seconds to respond in order for their actions to have
an impact on the situation. Considering the time it takes to
call 9-1-1, discuss the scenario with the operator, and wait
for a response, it is clear that there are much faster ways to
act in a situation. While it is obvious that we should not condone murder as a society, we cannot tell an individual that
they cannot act out in self-defense if a perpetrator means
them harm. It is important to consider that Individuals who
wish to protect themselves with a rearm every day must
go through specic training before they can legally carry
concealed.
Since the dawn of mankind, the hunting of animals for
food and supplies has been a part of our survival, and the
tradition of hunting both for sport and subsistence is still
carried on today across the globe. Although we like to think
of humans existing in a realm separate from that of wildlife,
this is simply not the case. We coexist within the same environment, despite the fact that we live inside a structure
that the animal does not. Being a part of that ecosystem,
our role as a hunter has always affected the population of
wildlife, for better and worse, over the history of the planet.
Today, it is crucial for humans to continue to play a role in
regulating species populations with regulated hunting and
other means. In the past few decades another form of recreation involving rearms has emerged. Leisure and competitive target shooting has become increasingly popular,
especially in the U.S., and ranges from a family pastime to
an Olympic event. Civilians should have the ability to engage in these sort of activities on their own accord, assuming that they have the legal capacity to own the rearms
needed to partake in these types of recreational events.
Specically, a controversial issue worth discussing
is the perceived rise in mass shootings in our nation. In
truth there has not been a rise but a decrease in gun violence over the past ten years, even with the rise of gun
ownership in the United States. Gun owners and opposers both agree something needs to be done surrounding
these mass shootings, but their reactions are very different.
Politicians often make knee jerk reaction laws to these
events in an attempt to prevent further shootings, and while
this intention is valient, the response is possibly misplaced.
Every law made as a reaction to mass shootings has not
prevented any more from occurring, and the topic needs to
be debated extensively rather than acted upon rashly.
There is substantial controversy surrounding rearms,
especially within the past decade, and there will always be
room for improvement in the legislation that regulates and
restricts rearm distribution, ownership, and use. However,
rearms have been a part of our countrys ways since its
foundation and we must consider the ramications of the
decision to remove rearms from our lives altogether.
New Approach Must be Taken to Combat Gun Violence

By: Eric Dattore
A month ago in Oregon, a mass
shooting on a college campus was the
catalyst that reignited the conversation
regarding gun control. In the end, it
is usually only empty rhetoric about
what we should do, but there are the
few times that reforms are actually
enacted. This was the case in Colorado
following the Aurora theater shooting.
Policies were created on the state
level that included bans on magazines
exceeding certain capacities, and
requiring universal background checks.
Even with states having varying levels
of gun control, nationwide policy is still
mixed. The primary argument is that
you should not punish law-abiding gun
owners by creating reforms that make
it harder for them to own a gun, despite
the fact that research has shown that
the majority of shootings are done by
people who obtained their guns legally.
Some people believe that every
time a mass shooting occurs, we must
do something, usually involving new
legislation, to make society safer by
making it harder for people to commit
crimes with guns.
Although this
argument is valid and we should do
something about gun-related crimes, it

does not mean we should necessarily
be passing new laws.
Gun control continues to be
a misunderstood issue with no
clear consensus. On one hand, we
have predominately liberal groups
advocating for more control and
restriction on gun ownership. On the
other, we have the National Rifle
Association (NRA) that claims there is
a war on gun owners every time gun
control is simply debated. Both sides
are toxic to the debate. It is true that
the Founding Fathers guaranteed a
right to bear arms in the Bill of Rights.
A literal interpretation, however, would
reveal that citizens were only allowed
to bear arms for the purpose of having
a well-regulated militia; however,
our modern view of gun ownership
tends to leave out that clause. This is
perfectly understandable, but some
people believe that the right should be
completely unfettered.
A sane approach to gun control would
be to restrict avenues to acquire a gun,
and not on the types of guns you can
actually buy. A majority of Americans
support universal background checks
for both private and gun show sales.
This is a simple reform to enact, but
interest groups like the NRA restrict
passage of legislation because they

view any restriction as a grave assault
on their freedom. A majority also
supports restricting people with mental
illnesses from purchasing guns. The
past few major mass shootings were
committed by mentally ill individuals,
but how would we have restricted their
access to a gun? Should we require
people to go through a psychiatric
evaluation prior to being allowed to
purchase a weapon? In my opinion,
that would put an undue burden on the
system and delay gun purchases an
unreasonable amount. It sounds good
in practice, but I dont think you can
reasonably implement such a system.
Another popular issue is the creation
of a federally administered database
of registered firearms. This is a more
controversial issue, but Americans
support it 67-30 (Department of
Justice). This database would allow
for the tracking of gun ownership and
purchases, and make it easier for law
enforcement to track down how and
where someone purchased a weapon
and the legality of the sale. Another
benefit of this database is that it could
help to absolve gun owners from being
the subject of an investigation if their
gun is stolen. However, opposition to
this issue usually claim that the federal
government could use the database

to alienate, oppress, or discriminate
against gun owners. While this is an
unfounded concern, a compromise
could be to have a third party
administer the registry and require law
enforcement to get a warrant to obtain
records from it.
Despite having some majority
support on certain aspects of gun
control, the issue is still sharply
divided and passing increasingly
restrictive regulations on acquisition
and ownership is not the answer. We
need more meaningful reforms, but we
also need further research into how
criminals obtain guns and what kinds of
people they are.
There are millions of law-abiding gun
owners in America that dont deserve
their right to own and purchase firearms
to be infringed upon. Its important to
protect the rights of gun-owners while
also protecting the public from gun
violence. The path towards doing that
is unclear, but if we can all come to the
table and have a sane conversation,
we might be able to come up with a
solution. It is necessary to set aside
the partisan entrenchment, and special
interest groups, in order to reach this
consensus.
OPINION
PAGE 8
Resident Calls for Change in RA Program to Combat Trend

By: Tyler Jones
Watching as your parents leave you on your own for the

rst time inevitably involves a lot of heartache as you part
ways and transition into adulthood.
College is revered as a time of self-identication, where
young adults can gure out who they are, what they want to
do, and how they are going to do it. Students suddenly gain
the freedom to shape their future. There arent many other
times in life where there is an easy excuse to begin anew.
It takes considerable amounts of work to begin going to
school here, and some students live hundreds or thousands
of miles away from their home. Naturally, Mines has an
interest in ensuring that these students easily adapt, but the
way the school approaches this transition is not in the best
interest of students arriving here each fall.
Mines has built an extensive network to assist students
in adjusting, but what they are experiencing is literally a
gloried babysitting service for freshmen. Each oor of every
residence hall on campus has at least one resident assistant,
in addition to hall directors and residence life coordinators,
that all work to supervise students every day and night of
the school year.
I understand that there is a lot that goes on behind the
scenes for residence life to be successful, but the way
freshmen are treated is wrong on a basic level as it actively
sties the potential for student growth. There is a serious
disconnect between what RAs think they do, what they
actually do, and how many students see what they do. Even
if RAs worked to the full capacity of their job description,
residence life fails to fulll its purpose because constant
supervision is simply not an appropriate way to help
teenagers become adults.

If a student cant make decent decisions on their own,
then they will quickly learn from the consequences. Mistakes,
and how they are handled, provide the most powerful
opportunities for growth as a person. Not every mistake can
be prevented, but more importantly, you cant be afraid to
make them. This articial safety net freshmen are caught in
prevents the very college experience that everyone benets
from.
There is little accountability to ensure that the
expectations of residence life aligns with what their purpose
is and what students pay for. Resident assistants are being
compensated for acting like an authority gure and, in some
cases, acting like friends born out of convenience. It is easy
enough for somebody to roam the halls at night and unlock
peoples doors.
College is becoming simply an extension of high school.
Students are being led every step of the way through their
education via unnecessary and undesired services. Higher
education is not magically becoming more affordable, and
students are being forced to shoulder the cost for all of these
staff members regardless of benets they receive.
If Mines wants to seriously commit to assisting students
with the transition to college, there are more effective
ways of building communities. Money can be spent more
responsibly to enrich students education and lives for the
duration of their college career.
Freshman Success Seminar already exists to foster a
group of students under the guidance of a faculty member
and peer mentors. Most of the freshman, however, see it
only as a half-credit A. This is due to severe limitations
placed on the scope of the program.
Providing legitimate funding for CSM 101 would remove

these restrictions and create experiences unique to each
group of students, transforming it into a program of their
own. Peer mentors and faculty members should be able to
teach what matters to them on this campus. Actual lessons
could be taught rather than gibberish designed to make the
school appear better to potential students and their parents.
Mines should reinforce the idea that students are
responsible for forging their own memories during
college, and respect their ability to do so, without constant
supervision.
How to Have a Perfect Lazy Day: Tips for the Day You Deserve
By: Vishnu Kadirisani
In order to combat the stress of going
to Mines, one must have The Perfect
Lazy Day. Some of you may think you
know what you are doing, but you do not.
Not even a little bit. The perfect lazy day
actually starts the night before the actual
lazy day.
The Night Before
Now, there are several ways to spend
the night before. Many Mines students
will probably enjoy the Netix option.
This event allows for a complete mental
snooze except for the little amount of
comprehensive ability necessary to
process the show or movie you are
watching.
The other option is board game night.
Board game night works well if you have
a group of people looking to all have a

collective lazy day the next day, so games
like Risk, Monopoly, and Settlers of Catan
can take up all night and set you up for
the morning!
Obviously, if you are utterly exhausted,
feel free to pass out on the couch with the
radio blasting your favorite tunes. Which
leads us to the next part of the day
The Morning
This is pretty simple. Do NOT get out
of bed until 10:00 AM. No matter what
productive urge tugs at your gut, resist it!
Go back to sleep, dream a little longer,
and let the early morning rays shine on
your face. Go ahead and stretch like your
cat, roll around, jump on the bedJUST
DO NOT LEAVE THE BED. Enjoy it for
once in your Mines career!
The Brunch
Brunch. Mans gift to himself. Brunch
is a meal best served between 10:00 AM

and 1:00 PM. There are many options for
brunch, you could go out, cook at home.
Regardless, the standard items are:
pancakes, bacon, eggs, bacon, orange
juice, bacon, toast, bacon, hash browns,
bacon, and a small side of bacon. The
key lies in bacon. Now, once you are
sufciently stuffed and ready for a super
productive day
Locate the Couch
I am going to level with all of you, my
readers. Apparently there was a futon in
my living room that I did not even know
about until I took my rst lazy day a few
weeks back. Make sure to locate the
couches in your home, and pick your
favorite. Now, turn on the television, and
start browsing. Find something good, lie
down on the couch, and let yourself fall
asleep for your afternoon nap or sip on
Whats Your Beef?
Mines Without Borders
You know what grinds your

gears, but USG doesnt.
Come to a meeting on
Thursdays at 7:00PM to
voice your opinions.
Interested in working
on communitycentered humanitarian
engineering projects in
rural Nicaragua? Email
ewbmines@gmail.com
some root beer or apple cider, and if you

want to be that person,go fetch your
pumpkin spice latte, for no one can judge
you on this day
The Grand Finale
The best part of the day is the end. I
know some of you groan at the aspect of
having to go back to work the next day,
but if you do lazy day right, you actually
kind of look forward to it. But, make sure
you end it on a high note. Watch another
movie, eat another big meal, go get that
ice cream sundae, maybe even call your
mom! Do something to put yourself
to sleep one more time before you get
cranking again with your work the next
day.
In short, eat, sleep, repeat for one
whole day! And know that you have
earned the right to do so. You really have
been working your butt off.
High Grade
Call for Submissions!
Email your submissions to

highgrade@mines.edu by
November 30th!
ADVERTISEMENTS
PAGE 9
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More than half of

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of Mines students receive financial

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receive scholarships directly

36% offromstudents
The Mines Fund
Internships for 2016
Mechanical & Electrical Engineering

Be a part of a world class engineering team!
BHP Billiton New Mexico Coal operates a surface coal mine serving a major
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than its cost because
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power plant in northwest New Mexico, and has exciting summer, fall, and spring
internships. Positions are paid and have a monthly living allowance.
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2,032
Number of donors
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Learn how THE MINES FUND

exponentially impacts your experience
at giving.mines.edu/students
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 10
Advanced Wars:
Days of Ruin
By: Ethan Meeks
After a period of confusion due to a love potion, the couples finally fall back in love with the right person. From left to right:
(Meridith Peel, Chase Harms, Daniel Rose and Abby Hentges). Mines Little Theater put on their rendition of Shakespeares
Midsummer Nights Dream.
Mines Little Theater Presents:

A Midsummer Nights Dream
By: Anonymous
After
much
hard
work
and
preparation, Mines Little Theater is
ready to perform once again.
The
actors have been rehearsing for weeks
to bring A Midsummer Nights Dream
to life on stage in Bunker Auditorium.
The Shakespeare comedy may be wellknown to most audiences, but regardless
of the average students experience with
the works of the Bard, this interpretation
of the classic is marvelously entertaining.
A Midsummer Nights Dream features
a lively cast of characters, including
four unluckily love-struck teenagers, a
ragtag group of inexperienced players
preparing to perform at a royal wedding, a
troublemaking fairy named Puck, and the
quarreling King and Queen of the Fairies.
All of them spend one raucous night in
a nearby wood, after which nothing will
ever be the same. The beloved become
forgotten, the fair become bewitched,
and poor Bottom the Weaver ends up
with the head of a donkey. Everything
about this play promises a comical
adventure that is anyones perfect break
from their studies.
The play is directed by Mines student
Jordan Brothers, who shared some
of her thoughts on her time bringing
Shakespeares wild language to life.
From the directorial side, because

Shakespeare is so well known, theres a
pressure to focus on the language while
also trying to bring in fresh ideas.
Brothers also mentioned, In contrast
to modern plays, which are less flexible
in the manner in which they can be
performed, Shakespeare is adaptable
and may be put on in a variety of ways
while still maintaining the core of the
storytelling through the original words.
On her time spent as director, she
reflects,
My favorite part about directing was
simply directing it! Previously, I have
been the actress on stage listening
to the instructions and suggestions of
my directors. This time, Ive been able
to work personally with my 20 actors
to help them discover and shape their
characters and performance while
drawing upon my own knowledge and
experiences of stage acting.
The acting itself for this performance
is certainly energy-packed. Meridith Peel
conjures a lovely Hermia, while Chase
Harms as Lysander and Daniel Rose
as Demetrius are perfectly cast. Abby
Hentges Helena is sure to dazzle, and
Dylan Thierrys performance as Puck is
properly mischievous. Bottoms hapless
yet obnoxious amusement is spot on as
played by Dalton Metz.
A Midsummer Nights Dream is

actually one of two plays Mines Little
Theater has prepared for this semester.
The other, Boeing Boeing, is directed
by Josh Hoffman, and will perform
in the same weekend time frame as
Midsummer. Both plays showcased
talented Mines students.
Richard
Sebastian-Coleman,
the
President of Mines Little Theater who
also plays Egeus in Midsummer, offered
his impressions on what it was like to
have the club feature two simultaneous
performances:
Hosting two plays relied mostly upon
the teamwork between the tech directors
and the director. It is usually tradition to
offer two plays in the fall because of the
good timing; we typically have enough
interest to do it.
Given the amount of dedication
and
time
that
has
gone
into
these
performances,
Brothers
is
understandably excited about Mines
Little Theaters accomplishments:
I look forward to having one of
Shakespeares comedies be performed at
Mines and sharing it with the community
here. I am very proud of my actors and
how they have brought the characters to
life and applied their own interpretation
and style to their performances.
Electronic Duo Disclosure release their new album Caracal

By: Sarah Dewar
Brothers and electronic duo Disclosure just released their
sophomore effort, Caracal on Sep. 25.
This album features collaborations from Lorde, The
Weeknd, and Kwabs. Colleague and close friend Sam
Smith also makes an appearance on this album. Smith has
previously worked with Disclosure on Latch from the Settle
album, which was released in 2013.
Disclosure has developed into an established electronic/
R&B crossover band, combining the best of dance pop with
strong alternative R&B beats and lyrics.
Since their breakthrough in 2010, Disclosure received
a Grammy nomination for their debut album and have been
on a worldwide concert and festival tour since 2013, playing
prominent American festivals such as Coachella, Sasquatch,
and Lollapalooza.
Disclosure also played at the Apple Music Festival with
LION BABE and NAO, two new and prominent artists on the
indie R&B scene who are also featured on Caracal.
Hailing from Surrey, England, Guy and Howard Lawrence

are just 21 and 24 years old respectively. Using their age to
their advantage to reach more fans, Disclosure has a huge
social media presence on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.
The group hyped the release of Caracal with a midnight
drop counted down on their Twitter account.
Disclosure has consistently used their trademark face
for album artwork. For those who are unfamiliar with the
band, this involves Guy and Howard or the artist they are
featuring with a white stenciled face depiction overlaying the
photo or illustration of the artist.
There is even a mobile application where fans can
Disclosure their own face by uploading a photo.
New listeners of Disclosure should definitely check out a
few songs that happen to be my personal favorites including,
Help Me Lose My Mind (feat. London Grammar), When a Fire
Starts to Burn, Holding On (feat. Gregory Porter).
For old fans of Disclosure, give Caracal a listen and fully
embrace the transition from pure dance music to an artfully
crafted, and matured synthesis of edgy pop and smooth R&B.
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, is a

turn-based tactics game released for the
Nintendo DS and 3DS January of 2008.
Developed by Intelligent Systems (the
minds behind such acclaimed titles as the
Fire Emblem and Paper Mario series),
Days of Ruin has stood as the most recent
edition to the Wars series for the past
seven years.
Bringing forth the same well-balanced
and multilayered tactical gameplay that
longtime fans have come to expect from
the Wars series, Days of Ruin repaints the
franchise with a fresh new coat of both
story and presentation.
The alternative style illustrates the
developers desire to make the game
stand out from previous entries into the
series and makes the game feel fresh to
old-time fans without sacrificing gameplay.
Players are placed in control of a small
band of soldiers as they travel through the
post-apocalyptic remains of their society
in search of survivors and a safe place to
live.
During their search, the soldiers will
be tasked with overcoming not only the
lack of supplies that comes with living in
a newly formed wasteland, but also other
such obstacles including but not limited to:
raiders, uncooperative civilians, incurable
diseases, mad scientists, a war that not
even an apocalypse could end, and a
painfully annoying mayor.
On the whole, Days of Ruin presents
gamers with a well-executed plotline that
inspires some thought provoking conflicts
and interesting themes.
The serious and largely no-nonsense
tone of the game is accompanied by
updated graphics and set pieces meant to
add to the credibility of the narrative.
Compared to the cartoonish style of
the previous entries in the series, the dark
and gritty imagery presented in Days of
Ruin clearly illustrates the intense shift in
atmosphere from its predecessors.
During the course of the campaign
alone, players will battle on more than fifty
unique maps, each boasting its own set of
terrain and building placements to spice
up the encounter.
The character models are no less
varied. Each addition to the cast is
memorable in both appearance and
personality.
Realism is the name of the game when
it comes to describing the intent behind
Intelligent Systems character designs
and the hand drawn aesthetics hold up
well even with the games seven years of
age.
Fans of the Wars series will be
intimately familiar with the style of
gameplay showcased in Days of Ruin.
Despite the massive changes made to the
narrative style, Intelligent Systems left all
of the old game mechanics intact.
While the games campaign does do a
good job of easing the player into each facet
of combat by introducing them for the first
time in separate, isolated environments
that are often easy to handle, players
that move on without firmly grasping key
concepts will find later missions to be near
impossible to complete.
With
its
complex,
well-polished
gameplay and strong narrative, Advanced
Wars: Days of Ruin is a must buy for
anyone even mildly interested in the turnbased strategy genre.
Even for gamers not interested in the
genre, the well-executed plotline and
character interactions make this game
a great introduction to the genre or
distraction from other more played genres.
For the latest, but hopefully not the
last, game in the Wars series, it is nice to
see a developer like Intelligent Systems
mix up their tried-and-true formula to give
their fans a new experience, while also
maintaining the integrity of the gameplay.
PAGE 11
Mines Internet
Radio
By: Sarah Dewar
An old friend (Braden Egtvedt) and a housekeeper (Makenzie Parimuha) help a bachelor (Blake Sanders) escape various compromising situations through the night when he has to hide his three fiances from one another (Clara Levy in yellow, Shannon
Bradley in blue and Julianna Campbell in red). Despite tight budgeting, Mines Little Theater was able to put on a spectacular
performance of Boeing Boeing.
Creativity Against Constraint: Boeing Boeing

By: Ethan Meeks
Halloween has come and gone, but in
between the hazy memories of orange,
candy-corn, screams of absolute terror,
and pleas for mercy, the sound of
laughter and panicked bachelors will
wonder through the minds of many.
Courtesy of the Mines Little Theatre,
audience members were treated to a
rendition of Boeing Boeing this past
weekend.
Following the troubles of a young
bachelor as he attempts to juggle the
attention of his three fiances with the
help of his closest friend and trusted
housekeeper, the play provided its
audience with a refreshing break from
the daily grind.
However, nights of fun and frolic
rarely come without due effort, and
from working around a limited budget,
to adapting to a new style of acting, the
Mines Little Theatre put in its fair share.
Director Josh Hoffman recounted
some of the obstacles the team faced
before curtains opened on Oct. 30.
Between Boeing Boeing and
Midsummer Nights Dream we had
around
twelve
hundred
dollars,
Hoffman said, Five hundred of that
was spent on doors for the stage and
the rights to the play was two hundred
dollars.
Aside from the tight budget, there
was a lot more contributing to the
teams troubles than it may initially
appear. Hoffmans inclusion of the
cost of the doors hints at the care the
technical team put into designing the
set.
The set for this play is the biggest
weve attempted to my knowledge,
Hoffman said.
We tried to do things as best we
could. Constructing it was a real team
effort.
Unable to drill into the stage like
regular productions, the team was
forced to find alternative ways of
making the set robust enough to not
only stand up by itself, but also take
the punishment of multiple doors
repeatedly opening and closing.
Additionally, a standout feature of
the set involved a periaktoi that the
team used to transition the pictures on
the back wall during the course of the
play. While the overt presence of the
feature is minimal by itself, Hoffman
considered its inclusion as a testament
to the teams desire to produce a
quality product behind the scenes as
well as in front.
Hoffman praised the entire technical
team for their considerable effort on
the set, giving special mention to the
technical director Zac Mimlitz for his
hand in seeing the periaktoi through to
the end.
Fortunately, the technical team was
not alone in their desire to give their
audience a quality experience as
Hoffman had a lot of compliments to
give out for his actors as well.
The best way to make the a play
work is for the actors to buy into it
themselves, Hoffman said.
This play is very physical, very
loud, very boisterous, and it requires
constant movement. You can guide

them, but you cant just tell them what
to do.
The physicality of Boeing Boeing
was something that Hoffman put a great
deal of emphasis on, describing how it
often took the actors out of their comfort
zones to perform. Hoffman points to
Anna Campbell as an exceptional
example of the teams improvement
since the beginning of their rehearsals.
Youve got to remember, we have
no professional staff and none of us are
theater majors, Hoffman said.
This is a hobby and they take pride
in it and put effort towards it.
The entire cast involved in Mines
Little Theatres production Boeing
Boeing did an outstanding job of making
sure their audience got a night full of
laughs during Halloween weekend.
Head lighting technician Luke Hansen
has given the performance his thumbs
up and a glowing review.
This is the funniest show weve
ever put on, Hansen said.
With their latest performance now
behind them, the club now looks
forward to the coming musical, ready to
surmount the plethora of challenges it
is sure to bring along with it.
In closing, Hoffman said, Thanks
to those of you that came to see the
show, the musical will be even better.
Its been a hell of a ride.
His thanks also extends to his stage
manger Katy Schneider, the alumni
donating for the show, and the entire
cast for their extraordinary work on the
project.
Mines Internet Radio (MIR) provides

a platform for broadcasters and listeners
to share music together via weekly radio
shows. Each of the shows are broadcast
live on the MIR website at their scheduled
time.
All twenty-five shows airing this
semester are organized, led, and produced
by students at the Colorado School of
Mines. Some shows have returned from
previous semesters, allowing listeners to
find familiarity with a program over time.
Members have complete control over
their show, which gives variety to the
weekly lineup. With the opportunity to
explore a genre of music, or to follow a
theme that fits a specific style of music,
MIR members gain real experience
broadcasting.
Some shows just stream music,
while others fall more into the talk show
category. Each DJ, or pair of DJs, uses
their creativity and passion for music to
develop a unique product each week for
their airtime.
During the time when live shows are
not on the air, MIR plays old shows, or
streams music similar to what might be
played during a live weekly broadcast.
This means that no matter what time you
happen to visit the MIR website, there will
surely be something to listen to.
Hannah Ware, the Live Events Director,
coordinates with clubs and events
on campus to host live music events
sponsored by MIR. This is a free service
available to all organizations on campus.
While it is an amazing feature that
can enhance any event, it also gives MIR
members a chance to volunteer and gain
experience hosting a live event right here
on campus.
Remember the superb music played
during the E-Days Carnival last year?
MIR DJs played their shows live onstage
to enhance the event experience.
The current Vice President, Alex
Manoilo, is looking to have a stronger MIR
presence at campus-wide events in the
future.
As such, MIR extends a warm invitation
to all students to become involved in the
club. If you have ever been curious about
radio show production, the MIR executive
team invites you to hang out at their studio
during shows.
Currently, the MIR studio is located in
the old Jones Road apartment complex,
but has plans to move into the Student
Center in the future.
MIR has grown as a student
organization over the past few years and
is gaining more strength and support from
the student body. MIR wants you to check
out their social media accounts!
MIR has a presence both on Twitter
and Facebook, so follow or like their page
to stay in the know on all upcoming shows
and events. If you have any ideas of your
own for events or activities you would like
MIR to host, post to their social media
accounts they are open to receiving
feedback and inspiring ideas from the
student body.
MIR will be looking for new station
personnel for the Spring 2016 semester,
as well as new DJs to host shows! If you
are interested in becoming involved in this
fun and entertaining organization, be on
the lookout for an opportunity to become
involved in the spring.
PAGE 12
High Grade Prepares

for Another Successful
Year, Issue
Creative Arts
Club on Campus
By: Anonymous
By: Jacquie Feuerborn

High Grade is Colorado School of
Mines annual literary arts journal that
publishes the various works of students,
faculty, staff, and alumni. High Grade
publishes fictional short stories, poetry,
photography, art, music and even the
spoken word. They are currently looking
for submissions for this years edition.
If you have never heard of High
Grade before, whether a new freshman
or simply a distracted upperclassman,
dont worry. Several previous editions
are available on the High Grade website:
http://highgrade.mines.edu or you might
even be able to find another student who
has a copy or two.
Flipping through a copy, it is obvious
that many students, faculty, and staff at
Mines have incredible hidden talents.
Beautiful photos, fascinating stories, and
intriguing poems could possibly distract
you from homework for hours at a time.
At Mines, it is common for people to
get so focused on school work and tests
that we forget that there is a world outside
of math, science, and engineering. Do
you have a creative streak that has been
buried? Do you want more recognition for
your talent? Consider submitting a piece
of work to this years High Grade.
Last year, there were over 500
submissions so it is almost guaranteed
that you know someone else who has
either submitted something or will be this
year. Katy, a junior, said, I am so excited
to go take some pictures of the beautiful
fall leaves. Hopefully, I can get some
pictures good enough to submit to High
Grade. This just proves that you never
know if someone snapping pictures on
Kafadar has ulterior motives.
To be eligible to submit, you must be
a current Mines student, staff member or
faculty. So go out, write a story or poem
or take some pictures or write a song or a
written piece and submit it to High Grade.
Take a leap of faith and give it a go. I
was too nervous to submit something last
year. I didnt think my writing was good
enough but I am going to try this year. It
is worth a try. said Jack, a current Mines
student.
For more details on how to submit
your work to High Grade, check out the
submissions section of the High Grade
website:
http://highgrade.mines.edu/
submit.html.
The deadline for art, poetry and fiction
submissions is Nov. 30.
The deadline for music and spoken
word submissions is: start of spring
semester, exact dates TBD.
The Martian Continues Trend of Movies

Falling Short to Their Book Counterparts
By: Jacquie Feuerborn
October 2nd was the premier date
of the greatly anticipated movie The
Martian based off the science fiction
novel of the same name by Andy Weir.
While an excellent book and entertaining movie, the film fell a little short of
expectations.
The Martian follows the story of
Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon,
who is a NASA astronaut on a mission
to Mars. In an unexpected dust storm,
Watney is injured and left behind on
Mars with the crew believing him to be
dead.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, Watney isnt dead but he is left stranded
alone on Mars with no communication to Earth or his crew. Knowing that
there is another mission coming to
Mars in four years, Watney must figure out how to make his 400 days of
food last that long.
From these, the story continues
from the point of view of Watneys
personal logs detailing his attempts to
grow potatoes and contact Earth.
The audience sees things both from
Watneys perspective, as he begins to
go a little stir crazy, and the perspective of those on Earth, mourning him
and then realizing he is still alive.
It is quite common for books to
be better than their movie counterparts and The Martian was no different. The book was filled with witty
comments and intense moments that
made the reader feel like they were

right there next to Watney.
The movie, while good, did not have
the same kind of connection. Instead,
it felt as though you were watching
from Earth, a little detached and without as many funny one liners as the
book included.
However, this does not mean that
it is a bad movie and it is definitely
worth seeing. All of the actors and actresses bring the characters to life in
a riveting story. Notable actors include
Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain.
Paired with excellent music and
stunning shots of Mars, or what Mars
would theoretically look like, the story
will please most audience members.
The science of The Martian is
one of the best things about the entire
movie because it all seems quite plausible, with one notable exception.
To avoid spoilers, the exception will
not be mentioned but you will notice it
immediately if you watch the movie. In
general, everything scientific seems
as though it is feasible, most of it with
todays technology, if not in the near
future.
Overall, this is an excellent movie
that is highly recommend for any science fiction lovers but if you have the
chance, read the book before going to
see it.
It is worth it for the extra insight
into what is happening and a few more
subtle humorous moments will jump
out at you.
As many know, Colorado School of

Mines is home to people who spend a lot of
time on their studies. Studying engineering
can often be stressful and time consuming,
leaving less room for other external
passions than most students would like.
To combat this, the campus features
many great outlets to showcase and
encourage student talents that reach
beyond the scope of math and science.
One such outlet is the Creative Arts Club,
which meets once a week on Thursdays
from 6-8 pm in the EPICS shop behind the
Engineering Annex. Anyone can come, be
it a new or regular member, regardless of
his or her level of artistic talent. Students
can drop in for a few minutes, or can spend
the whole time working on a masterpiece.
The club is led by its student copresidents, Cohen Turner and Becky
Reeve. It has been around for at least
seventeen years and was originally
founded when LAIS stopped offering art as
a subject.
The function of the club, according to
Turner, is to keep art on campus, to allow
students to de-stress, and to let people use
a different side of their brains.
Reeve adds, Mines often needs a
creative escape for its students because
school is so focused on science.
The club offers many amenities to its
members, including a wide range of twodimensional art supplies. Turner listed
a few: We have pencils, pens, paper,
canvas, pastels, charcoals, acrylic and
tempura paint, brushes, wood burners,
spray paint, and crafting supplies.
The club also provides a large, private
working space in the EPICS shop and
opportunities to showcase works to the
public. This fall, the club is working with
the Mines Foundation and the Welcome
Center to set up a rotating gallery to feature
artwork created by students. In addition,
the club is working in conjunction with
Mines and the City of Golden to create two
murals; one will be in the EPICS shop, and
one will be in downtown Golden. Students
will be able to submit design ideas and
participate in the process.
Upcoming events that students can
look forward to in include face and body
painting at the Homecoming Tailgate, and
finger-painting and tea on Kafadar during
Finals Week. In the spring, there may be
some professional artist-led workshops as
well.
The club welcomes new faces each
week and encourages them to unleash
their creativity. Turner calls it a relaxing
environment where you can think creatively
and take a break from all the analytical
things people do at Mines.
Marvels Agents of SHIELD Continues to Season 3

By: Amber Hill
Perpetually at the head of box offices globally, Marvel
movies sprinkle in a slight dash of excitement to a world
that can sometimes seem a bit dull and gray.
To be completely honest, sometimes its easy to
believe every last one of the Avengers is real.
Imagine the excitement when they announced that
one of the most well known and loved characters, Phil
Coulson, would be heading an incredibly-casted team in
a new Marvel T.V. show back in 2013.
The show itself has been a roller-coaster ride of
betrayals and other orchestrated and plot-driving backstabbings.
Season three started off with a bang, as per Marvels
usual. The slowly-rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D. agency is
pursuing people that came in contact with a drug
that was laced with the blood of aliens and can bring
horrifying super powers to the surface.
Meanwhile, everyones favorite engineer, Agent Leo

Fitz, is only half of a puzzle frantically searching for his
missing pieces. His partner, Agent Jemma Simmons,
is trapped inside the monolith in SHELDs basement,
which is revealed to be a portal to another planet.
How about all of that?
And of course, there is former SHIELD member Grant
Ward trying to rebuild Hydra, the right way. To speak
for most fans, Wards punishment must surely fit his
crimes, and it can only be expected that it comes this
season.
Thus far, the third season promises to be as wildly
exciting and witty as the previous two. It continues to
interlace itself with the accompanying Marvel movies
through subtle conversation regarding a city falling from
the sky.
This season has much to live up to in its forebears,
but if the first episodes heavy action is anything to judge
from, the fans will not be left for wanting.
Marvels Cinematic Universe returns to the television screen as Agents of Sheild is back for its third
season.
SPORTS
Myth of the College

Multitasker
Club Tennis Team

Competes at USTA
Invitational
By: Alisha Eskew

The CSM Club Tennis Team
competed in the USTA Tennis On
Campus Fall Invitational in South
Carolina over the weekend of
October 9 through 11. They were
one of 48 tennis teams invited to
compete. The tournament opened
up the season for Tennis On Campus. Different teams of either coed intramural or club tennis teams
from across the country came to
compete.

Over 35,000 students from
600 college campuses across the
nation participate in the USTA
Tennis On Campus program which
began in 2000. The USTA Tennis On Campus program allows
students of any level to be active
year-round and build community
skills without having the stresses
of playing on a varsity team.
At the Invitational, Colorado
School of Mines won the Copper
Bracket and placed 22 nd overall.
The CSM Club Tennis team will
continue competing throughout the
school year aiming to advance to
the USTA Tennis On Campus National Championship in April.
Weve gone every year Ive
been here and its basically because we do fairly well, and they
keep inviting us back. We usually send eight people based
on the roster, says junior Faith
Oehlerking. Not only did the team
compete in the tournament, they
also enjoyed team-bonding on the
beach.
Were right on the beach, so
right after the tournament we can
go on the beach and swim, says
Oehlerking.
Since the team competes yearround, they have had a few tournaments already this semester.
Weve had three tournaments. One was at UNC, and
there was one double header at
Laramie against the University of
Wyoming, explains Oehlerking.
Through these tournaments the
team has been able to get to know
themselves better.
I think we definitely could
improve. Its hard because we do
have a coach, but practices could
be more competitive. We have
a lot of people that have never
played before, so especially in
the fall season that can hinder the
team a lot because you dont know
the people youre playing with
very well, says Oehlerking.
We have practices four times
a week for about two to three
hours while the sun is still up.
Players can choose which ones
they come to. Now that its getting
darker, we only have practice on
Sundays, explains Oehlerking.
The team is looking forward to
more tournaments in the coming
semester.
We have more tournaments in
the spring. Once spring sememster starts, well be practicing
inside, states Oehlerking. In the
winter, well have a tournament in
Steamboat, one in Salt Lake City,
and one in Arizona.
In the last few years the team
has done well with these tournaments.
In the past weve done fairly
well in the Salt Lake City tournmaent. Because there are a lot
less schools there, we have a lot
better chance of winning. CU was
the only team we lost to last year,
and theyre our only real threat,
explains Oehlerking. At the Arizona tournament we actually did
really well and made it to the gold
tournament. Were actually looking
at a good comeback this year as
long as we get some good practice
in beforehand.
PAGE 14
Photo by Keenan Barker.

Luke Schroepfer shoots over a Colorado College player in the teams exhibition
game last weekend. Mines came up short to Colorado College, losing 72-66.
Mens Basketball Begins Season

Ranked #10 in Nation
By: Evan Wong
The mens basketball team has kicked

off the season. The Orediggers have been
on the court during the preseason and
off-season working on skill development.
Over the preseason the team participated
in several scrimmages.
After every scrimmage, there are
always things that we need to work on,
junior forward and guard Gokul Natesan
stated. Over the off-season the team has
been able to improve as a unit in preparation to the 2015-2016 season. Although
the team still has things to work on, it looks
forward to its depth and returning players.
We have a lot of guys and a lot of
depth. We have everyone returning except
three guys, so theres a lot of competition
and room for people to get better, explained senior forward Garrett Loew. The
team is different this year.
Shots are going to come differently
and thats just how it is when you have a
great shooter and a great distributer, said
Coach Pryor Orser. Regardless, the team
feels confident about their current condition.
The roles are different this year. The
two seniors we lost were really important
for the program. But now we still have a
lot of really good players, admitted junior
guard Kaan Korkmaz. Losing the two
seniors has affected the team.

Guys are definitely stepping
updifferent guys. We are continuing to
improve as a team, to get better, and to
work together, stated Loew. The team is
working well together as they enter the
season.
Our style is playing together and
being the better team, not having five individual better basketball players, Natesan
explained. He continued to express his
confidence in the team: I would say that
we are even ahead of last year just from
the fact we have so many guys coming
back that know our system and know how
we play. I think were really ahead in terms
of that.
The teams commitment has led to
skill development over the offseason and
strong work ethic going into the season.
You have guys who are brought into
the program and who want to succeed and
be the best players they can be. I think
that it obviously shows; there are some
guys out there that are obviously a lot
better players than they were last year,
explained Coach Orser.
Practice can only carry you so much,
Natesan stated. Once you really hit the
game and youre thrown into the fire,
you really find you, whats going to work,
whats not, and whos going to do what.
Swim Team Welcomes Two New Athletes

By: Alisha Eskew
The mens and womens swim team
signed seven year old Ethan Gehman
and his 12 year old sister Summer to the
team October 16th at a mock signing.
Ethan had been diagnosed with Burkitts
Lymphoma a year ago and is recovering
from chemotherapy. TeaIMPACT, an
organization that helps chronically ill
children connect with collegiate teams,
gave Ethan this opportunity. Summer
was signed to the team also because her
life was markedly changed by Ethans
diagnosis as well.
Its been a lot of fun to get to know
you guys and were excited to welcome
you to the team, Coach Nate Rothman
comments to the Gehman siblings. Im
happy to see the excitement. We would
like to welcome you officially to the team.
We are excited to have you guys and we
are excited to incorporate you into the
team. After questions, the two signed and
dated the papers.
Alright, its official! Coach Rothman
declared. The room applauded.
Before the signing, the team had
a chance to get to know the two young
swimmers. The whole team is excited for
the new additions.
We love Ethan and Summer. Weve
loved them since the first day we met
them. So its really exciting now since
theyre officially part of the team, says
sophomore swimmer Sarah Berude.
Through the few meets the swim team
has participated in so far this season,
the team has shown their dedication and
potential to do well. One of their first meets

was a relay meet in Denver.
We had a meet at DU against
Denver, Western, and Wyoming. We did
pretty well. Theyre D1 schools so were
not in the same division so it was basically
a fun meet, states sophomore swimmer
Sarah Berude. The team also competed
against Airforce at the Airforce Invitational.
Although the men lost against Airforce
and Colorado Mesa at the invitational, the
women beat CSU-Pueblo.
Airforce is a pretty good competition.
Plus theyre really hightheir elevation is
incredibly high. They usually win, but we
put up a good fight, states Berude. At the
teams most recent meet over Halloween
weekend, they won three of the four headto-head matches against Adams State and
Colorado Mesa.
One of the teams focus this year is to
defeat one of their biggest rivals: Colorado
Mesa University.
We go to the CMU invite in
December and then compete against them
again in December. We usually get 2nd and
3rd, but I think were strong enough to do
really well so thatll be exciting, exclaims
Berude. With a different training approach
this year and new additions to the team,
the swimmers are looking forward to a
great season.
We have a really strong team this
year14 new freshmen and a sophomore
that joined the team. We lost 11 and
gained 14, and all the freshmen are really
good, so I think the team will be stronger
than ever, acclaims Berude. Were
training a lot harder and we started training
a lot earlier.
By: Elizabeth Starbuck
Everyone thinks they multitask, and

that they are good at it too. But the truth is
multitasking is not possible. Our brains are
not wired to multitask.
For the most part, we simply cant
focus on more than one thing at a time.
What we can do is shift our focus from
one thing to the next with astonishing
speed. Switching from task to task, you
think youre actually paying attention to
everything around you at the same time.
But youre not, says MIT professor of
neuroscience Earl Miller. Studies show
that we often overestimate this ability, and
the consequences of this can be stress, a
blunder, or maybe even a car crash.
You may think you are being
productive when you are simultaneously
working on a problem set, checking
Facebook, responding to emails, and
having a snack to top it off. Why do we,
especially as students, feel that we need to
multitask to get everything done? Moving
back and forth between several tasks
actually wastes productivity.
Experts estimate there is a 40%
loss on average in productivity when
multitasking because your attention is
expended on the act of switching gears and
you never fully get in the zone for either
activity. On top of being less productive you
are likely to have more errors especially
with critical thinking problems. It also can
hinder your brains ability to record short
term memory and decrease the ability to
think creatively.
If this does not convince you that
multitasking is not the best decision,
consider how multitasking affects
happiness. Matt Killingsworth built an
app called Track Your Happiness that
had people answer several questions
throughout their day regarding their
happiness. He found that people were
consistently happier when they were giving
their full attention to the task at hand, even
it was doing something unpleasant such as
commuting.
Multitasking not only means trying to
do many things at once, but it also means
letting your mind wander from the task at
hand by planning the future or dwelling
on past events. If you are trying to jazz
homework up and think that it would be
more productive to allow yourself to also
check your phone every time you get a
text or notification, or let your mind wander
to other unrelated things, you are actually
hindering yourself and your homework.
Taking breaks is important, but let those
breaks be walking around or meditating for
a minute every 20-30 minutes. Focusing on
what you are doing with your full attention
being here nowis a huge factor in overall
happiness.
This also applies during class. There
is an insane epidemic of students on their
cell phones during class. Whether it is
responding to emails or checking social
media, we all are missing out. We pay to go
to this school and we want this education.
We may not be enjoying a certain class
at that moment, but avoiding focusing on
your phone to focus on the teacher makes
the class so much more enjoyable. It takes
away the stress of trying to copy down
notes in the middle of your multitasking,
and it makes studying for the classs exam
a lot easier because you have actually
been listening and learning.
My challenge for you is to not bring
your phone at all into your next classor at
least turn it off and give it to a friend. If you
put it in your backpack, it is going to be too
easy to just turn it back on and go straight
into multitasking mode again. Immerse
yourself in the class and the moment. We
are so fortunate to have this opportunity,
why not enjoy it?
Tonight, while you are doing your
homework or studying, try my second
challenge: do not multitask. Give all your
attention to what you are doing. Try it
even if just for a half an hour. I have a
feeling that no matter how less-than-fun the
homework is, you will be surprised with the
quality of your work, your satisfaction, and
overall happiness after that half hour.
If you could improve your productivity,
creativity, memory andmost importantly
happiness, why wouldnt you? Start unitasking now.
SPORTS
PAGE 15
Strong Preseason
Prepares Womens
Basketball Team
for First Game

By: Evan Wong
Womens basketball has their first

game Nov. 13 against Texas A&M. After
a successful preseason, the team looks
forward to a large number of returning
players, as well as new talent on the
team.
Every day we focus on the process
and deserving what we earn. It starts
in Volk when no one is watching, and
hopefully that translates to our first
game, Brianna Robinson, a sophomore
guard, said.
We had a great preseason and
I am looking forward to going into the
season.
The teams improvements during
off season have not gone unnoticed. A
lot of the players came back better than
when they left, Coach Brittany Simpson
said. Simpson recognizes that the team
is young, but feels confident in the level
of leadership.
Weve challenged everyone on the
team to be a leader in their own respect,
and I think a lot of them have bought into
that.
She describes what she believes is
the teams strength: I think the strength
is just the buy in. They are all hungry
and they want to go win. However, the
competition is fierce.
Our conference is always very
competitive. You can go into any given
night and not knowanything could
happen, explains senior leader and
forward Courtney Martin. With a different
schedule ahead of them, Martin is
excited about the teams chemistry.
With a lot of returners, weve
learned to play together and read off
each other, comments Martin. The
womens basketball team has worked
hard to improve over the off season.
Were just working out the details
and putting in the offense, Robinson
describes as the team is going through
the last steps before the season. I think
our first goal is one game at a time, and
we are looking forward to that first game
against Texas A&M.
Photo by Keenan Barker

Freshman Acacia Ortiz dribbles past a Fort Lewis defender last week in the RMAC tournament. The team is
returning to the NCAA tournament where they lost last year in the Final Four.
Womens Soccer Wins RMAC Championship

By: Evan Wong
On Sunday, Nov. 11, the

Orediggers defeated Fort Lewis to win
the RMAC championship for the 5th
year in a row. Assisted by Acacia Ortiz,
Haley Cole scored the only goal late
in the second half to give the team the
win.
The Orediggers are advancing
into playoffs. They play Texas A&M
Commerce Nov. 12 at 7pm in Texas.
If the team is victorious, they will play
Dallas Baptist on Nov. 14 at 2pm.
Unfortunately, the Orediggers will
be playing both games in Texas. You
can follow the games online on the
NCAA website.
Senior mid-fielder, Mel Westhoff,
captures the teams excitement about
winning the RMAC championship for
the 5th year in a row.
It feels great! No other team gets
to hoist the trophy up. I understand how
unique it is. And getting to share it with
the men on our home field just made
it, exclaims Westhoff.
The teams attitude is hopeful
going into the NCAA tournament.
I know personally thats how I

am going to look at it--as unfinished
business. Were going to go back and
kick some butt. I think our story still
hasnt gone as far as it can in the
NCAA, states Westhoff.
For the Orediggers, the season
has been plagued with injuries. Five
starters were injured over the course of
the season.
We talked about a squad mentality
earlier in the season and now that has
really been put to the test because of
how many people we have out, says
Westhoff.
However, the team has been able
to overcome the obstacle.
I think shoes needed to be
filled and people stepped up really
well, sophomore forward Haley Cole
commented.
Its kinda cool that we can step up.
The people that wont normally play as
much can. I mean, if they werent hurt,
I probably wouldnt get to play as much
and its cool that I get a chance to play,
step up and make a difference.
The Orediggers ended the regular
season with a record of 8-1-2 in
Football Team Keeps

Positive Attitude Despite
Three Straight Losses

Students Enjoy Moab

Over Fall Break

By: Ben Miele
After an undefeated start to this

season, the Orediggers have now
dropped their last three games.
That being said, the opponents have
been fellow Rocky Mountain Athletic
Conference ranked teams.
Seeing the conference
championship as well as a playoff
birth slip from their hands, the team
still keeps a positive attitude to finish
out the season.
Nothing will change. We always
prepare for every game like its the
most important game of the season.
As a team, we focus on a weekto-week basis, and make sure to
never look past anyone. Thats how
we prepare from week one until the
final week, regardless if we make
the playoffs or not, said redshirt
sophomore Stephen Candelaria after
being asked what changes would
be made now that the team is not
playing for their original preseason
goals.
We still want to send the seniors
off with a win. To keep our playoff
hopes alive, we still have to win
these remaining games regardless
of our record, junior defensive back
Caleb Courkamp confirmed.
The competition in the RMAC has
been superior to what it has been in
years past. In the two losses to CSUPueblo and Colorado Mesa, both
opponents were undefeated in the
conference.
conference and 14-4-2 overall at the

end of the regular season.
The Orediggers beat UCCS 5-2
on Sunday, Oct. 25. Cole scored two
goals.
I think we did well passing the ball
today and also did well playing over
the ball and behind. Its good that now
we can figure out whats best when we
attack, Cole remarked after the game.
One of the major concerns the
team faces is the teams energy levels
going into the game.
I think weve been a little
inconsistent with our energy, but in the
last few games weve been coming in
stronger, junior defender Holly Weyand
stated after Fridays (Oct. 23) win over
Western State.
The team has not lost focus.
Sophomore defender, Emily
Gardner explained, We need to focus
on what we need to get done still. We
still have two games left this weekend.
We need to focus on winning those, but
spirits are definitely up.
Coach Kevin Fickes agreed, I
think theyll do a good job of taking it
one game at a time.
Photo by Leah Pinkus

The Mines Footballs offense lined up in the redzone against Western State
last Saturday in a tight game in which they lost 42-45. The team will finish its last
regular season game this Saturday against Adams State.
We were encouraged more than
discouraged to get back on pace
and continue our winning traditions.
Unfortunately we were faced with a
lot of injuries to key guys that made
it harder to compete against another
strong RMAC team [Colorado Mesa
University]. We couldnt look past
anyone and still had to perform like
any other game, alleged Courkamp
after being asked how the team felt
after the loss to CSU-Pueblo.
Losing their first game of the
season to the reigning Division II
National, Champions CSU-Pueblo,
changed the mindset of the team.
We were all upset. Not so much
because we lost, but because we
knew we beat ourselves. I think that

first loss gave me more determination
to work on what I wasnt doing well. I
think thatd also go for the team as a
whole, said Candelaria.
Even though the team has
struggled in the last few weeks, look
for the Orediggers to get back on
track for the last game of the season
against Adams State. Expect the
team to continue competing at the
high level they have all season. The
Diggers wish to send out the seniors
on a winning note.
Junior Ty Young declares, We
just have to stay to what we know and
stick to what we are good at, and that
success will continue.
By: Evan Wong
The Mountain Biking Club, OffRoading Club, and CSM Slackers spent
fall break in Moab. Surrounded by two
national parks, Moab allowed the outdoor
community to explore endlessly for the four
days and enjoy the summer outdoors as
winter engulfs the Rockies.
All the clubs carpooled and camped
out in the warm weather. The Mountain
Biking and Off-Roading clubs stayed out in
a campsite near Moab. The CSM Slackers
camped out in the Fruit Bowl just north of
Canyonlands National Park.
The Off-Roading Club would fire up the
engines and start the day bright and early at
8:00am. Shortly after, the Mountain Biking
Club left around 9:00am each morning
for a full days ride. Each night the clubs
gathered around the campfire to recall the
events of the day and plan the next days
adventure.
Although the trip did experience rain
at night, the temperature was warmer than
Colorado. The cloud cover protected the
clubs from the Utah sun.
On Monday, the Mountain Biking Club
completed the trail The Whole Enchilada.
It started just below tree line and offered
great views overlooking Canyonlands
National Park to the west and Arches
National Park to the north. It ended just
north of town after almost 25 miles of
downhill.
For those who have never experienced
the amazing sites and geology of the
southwest United States, reserve next fall
break for Moab.
November 13, 2015

Volume 95, Issue 3
SPORTS
The student voice of Mines

since 1920
Volleyball Wins Fourth

Straight RMAC Title
By: Alisha Eskew
Photo by Keenan Barker

Ricardo Ocampo dribbles past a F ort Lewis defender in the RMAC semifinal game last Friday. Colorado School of
Mines won the semifinal and went on to beat Colorado Mesa 2-1 in the RMAC Championship.
Mens Soccer Team Wins RMAC, Heads to NCAA Tournament

By: Evan Wong
The Orediggers made it through
the RMAC season and to the
tournament Championships. Friday,
Nov. 6, the Orediggers played Fort
Lewis to a 6-2 victory in the semifinals. On Sunday, Nov. 8, the team
came from beind to win 2-1 over CMU
with goals from David Boldt and Joe
Haines.
The Orediggers play Saturday,
Nov. 14, against St. Edwards at
Stermole Soccer Stadium in the first
round of the NCAA tournament.
The team is both humbled and
excited to win the RMAC Championship
for the 2nd year in a row.
It feels good. We came out with a
lot of energy in both games and we did
what we needed to do to get it done,
Ryan Leech commented. The teams
hard working culture is believed to be
one its strongest assets.
With high work ethic, we always
come in with a lot of energy. The key
is to come in and play with confidence.
When we play with confidence and
we play with energy, we know were
going to win. Theres nothing that we

cant do. Even if we go down it doesnt
matter to us. We just keep fighting,
elaborated Joe Haines.
That being said, Richard Garvey
went on to explain the key to the
teams previous and future success.
The energy that we bring to
this next game is going to be very
important, and we have got to make
sure that we maintain the energy,
stated Garvey. Going into playoffs, the
team is taking the games one at a time.
Weve been doing it all year and
its been working, so theres no reason
to change it, stated Haines. Ryan
Leech went on to explain how the team
is approaching playoffs.
Like we have every other game,
its just another game that we have to
win, explained Leech. At the end of
the day, the team is happy to continue
their season.
Were excited to be playing
when a lot of D2 teams arent, Leech
declared. As the end of the regular
season comes to an end, the team
holds a record of 9-0-1 in conference
and 16-0-3 overall and is ranked 8th in
D2.
Cross Country Team Advances to Nationals

By: Alisha Eskew
This past weekend on Nov. 7, the
cross country team travelled to Texas to
compete in the NCAA Division II South
Central Regional Championships. With
stellar placings of second place for the
men and third place for the women, both
will advance to nationals.
Women got 3rd behind Western
and Adams which means we will go
to nationals! exclaims senior runner
Elizabeth Starbuck. Only the top four
womens teams and top six mens teams
from regionals advanced to nationals.
We had a really tight and fast
pack. This will be the first time in Mines
womens cross country history that we
made it to nationals two years in a row,
states Starbuck. While every runner
on the team performed spectacularly,
senior Ann Millers performance ensured
a place for the womens team in
nationals.
This is my last season so more
than ever I really feel like I have to make
it count, states Miller. She placed 8th
out of 165 female runners.
We are seated 15th in the nation

and have our sites set high for the
national meet on Nov. 21 in Joplin,
Missouri. This is especially exciting
because the womens team began the
season not ranked at all nationally and
ranked 5th in the region, but we love
proving them wrong, declares Starbuck.
The Mines cross country team
presented another surprise at the RMAC
Championships the weekend before.
Not only did both the men and women
do well in general, but Dan Mahoney
won the RMAC Runner of the Year
Award.
That was the first time ever that
someone other than Western and
Adams got the individual title at RMAC,
confirms Miller. The teams success
has not come without hard work and
dedication. The team has been training
hard since school started and is now
tapering for nationals.
You always feel accomplished once
youre done, but during the workout its
not always fun. But you know what the
end goal is so you get through it, states
Miller. Especially right now, the team is
striving to stay healthy.
On Friday, Oct. 22, the Orediggers

played Fort Lewis to a 0-0 tied game.
In overtime, Fort Lewis was rewarded
a penalty kick. Goalkeeper Colin Hall
stopped the penalty kick. Hall spoke
about the teams effort after the game.
We couldnt have mustered a
better battle from everybody, said Hall.
Sometimes it just doesnt go your way
and it just doesnt go in the net.
Mens soccer played Adams State
Sunday, Oct. 25, to a 1-0 victory.
Garvey scored the goal against Adams
State in a 1v1 match in front of the
opposing goal.
Our midfield was able to defend
their plays and counter. I think the
midfielders are creating a lot of
chances for the guys up top, explained
Garvey. On the other side of the field,
the defense has been able to limit the
number of opportunities that opposing
teams create.
Although we werent putting
our chances away, we know that we
have to shake it off and come back
and be ready to defend the next play.
We always try to get everyone back,
everyone involved, and talk to each
other, commented Garvey.
This past weekend the Mines

volleyball team won their conference
game against CMU. The win confirmed
them as RMAC Regular Season
Champions for the fourth year in a row.
Not only did the lady Orediggers take the
champion title, but they are also the top
offensive team in the RMAC and were
the first RMAC team to get a seat in the
postseason tournament.
After conference we have the
RMAC tournament. That will start the
weekend before Thanksgiving. After
Thanksgiving is the regional tournament.
We might have to travel or we might stay
close. It just depends on the rankings,
states sophomore volleyball player
Ellie Monarch. The team has one more
conference game on Nov. 14 which will
determine whether Mines will host the
RMAC Tournament.
Im getting excited for the
tournament and to see how we do.
We really are a strong team and have
overcome a lot this year, and we
are starting to click more. Im really
excited to see how we do at the RMAC
tournament and at regionals, says
Monarch.
If we get through regionals where
there are eight teams, and we win
out, well go to the NCAA tournament
the weekend after. Were hoping to get
through that. Our main goal right now
is to get past the semifinal round. That
would be the farthest weve gotten, so
hopefully as a team we can achieve
that, states Monarch.
The team is ranked #18 by the
NCAA Division II Coaches Poll. Their
success can be attributed to how well
the team works together.
I think just the connection of being
as a team and playing more together
has gotten well and the connections
overall have improved. Weve just
improved individually and as a team so
its definitely helped us in the games,
says Monarch. As a team we are
overcoming a lot of the things we were
struggling with before, but we still have
to perform so overcoming weaknesses is
still important.
The last conference game, the
RMAC tournament, and regionals are
rapidly approaching. Monarch speaks for
the whole team: Im excited to see how
we do at the tournament and regionals!
Hopefully we can get past both and go
from there!
Anticipation of Ski Season Culminates

By: Evan Wong
Winter is coming.
While youre still running around
with a t-shirt on, it is snowing in the
mountains. Ski season is upon us,
and the outdoor community is getting
stoked. Eric Hake with the Free Ride
Collective Club expects to have
multiple cars with free seats going
up to all the major ski resorts on the
weekends. During the week, we can
expect to see occasional free seats
going up to the resorts and even the
backcountry. For those still needing a
ski pass, the majority of campus has
Summit Value and Epic Local passes.
This is due to the loss of the two-forone Wells Fargo deal last year.
If you are looking for more
information about the Free Ride
Collective Club, get online and
check out the Facebook page
CSMFreerideCollective.
This is how I see the start of the
season: the anticipation. Getting lost
in ski edits on YouTube, eventually
leading to the first run of the year.
For those of you still

procrastinating on homeworkbecause
I know you aregoogle Gavin Rudy
and check out a fellow Mines student
that has become part of the ski film
industry.
Gavin released The Golden
Age Oct. 3 and worked for Mt. Hood
recording ski videos this last summer.
The majority of his videos can be found
on Newschoolers.com. Gavin totaled
111 days last year and encourages you
to just buckle up, and send it.
It makes you try new things and
explore yourself almost. Its that sense
of individuality and freedowm. Like you
have so many different opportunities
on the mountain you get to choose how
to express yourself and scare yourself,
because that will ultimately make you a
better person, explains Rudy on what
skiing means to him.
The rain that welcomed us back
after fall break resulted in snow in the
mountains, and the ski resorts are
preparing to open their doors.
I hope everyone enjoyed the 14er
season because winter is here now.

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Volume 96, Issue 3

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November 13, 2015

Volume 96, Issue 3

The student voice of Mines

Arts and Entertainment

Mines Little Theater

Mens basketball starts

Policy, Federal Law Inhibit Clubs Goal

behavior. We focus on education rather than an immediate

Evangelical Event Takes Place on Campus

It is about opening the doors to a fun event so wide

Taken by: Jessie Davis

Candidate Proles ............ 5-6

Electronic Duo ................... 11

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015

Students for Sensible Drug Policy Hold First Event

It was estimated that there would

consumption and distribution, this

marketplace, said Nightdale. He

almost every classroom on campus. The

in its goal of attracting students to

constitutional rights. More immediately,

walked out knowing they made the most

In Memory of John P. Lockridge (1931 - 2015)

Petroleum Corporation, with the aid of cofounder Clyde Thompson.

community by helping establish the Blaster Basketball Scholarship Fund, which is

Friday, November 13, 2015

Econ Graduates Return to Speak of Experiences

While the Economics Department at Mines may be very

From the quiet student in the back of class, to the faculty

CSM Space Society Brings in a CEO Guest Speaker

propellant depots for space refueling and

face, pry a boulder free, leap off, and

As Altius Space Machines continues

WANT YOUR CLUB OR EVENT COVERED? EMAIL OREDIGGERSTORIES@GMAIL.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015

Asteroid Optical Mining Research

will de-volatilize at a high enough rate that

Mechanical Engineering Assistant Research Professor Christopher Dreyer and Director

can be used for fuel, the optical mining

road trip, its silly to consider bringing all of

Colorado Fuel Cell Center Research

One way to remedy this issue is to find a way to

that the constraints for one stack led to an opposite

Restoring Hearts: International Research on Heart Tissue Regen

working on developing a hydrogel

WANT YOUR CLUB OR EVENT COVERED? EMAIL OREDIGGERSTORIES@GMAIL.COM

Friday, November 13, 2015

2016 Presidential Candidate Overview

These following articles are intended to simply be candidate snapshots to

If you want to write an opinion article about one of these candidates, or a

Democrat: Bernie Sanders

he vocally opposed the repeal of GlassSteagall, the law which prohibited

On issues such as healthcare and Wall

it was evident in the first Democratic

Democrat: Hillary Clinton

By: Tyler Jones

unfortunate that when asked how her campaign would differ

2015-2016 The Oredigger

Please send letters to the editor to

overseeing shadow-banking institutions coupled with

WANT YOUR CLUB OR EVENT COVERED? EMAIL OREDIGGERSTORIES@GMAIL.COM

Friday, November 13, 2015

Citizens Need to Exercise the Fundamental Concept of Democracy: The Vote

those people, they favored Incumbent