CC's Mantra Examined
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NEWS COMDEB FEATURES ACTIVE LIFESTYLE Inaugural Mental Health Psychedelic beats make for Denver’s newest brewery Sampling the joy of fl ight Awareness Day excellent Tobacco concert reveals humble homebrew beginnings Rosie Curts 3 Gordon Matthewson 4 Claire Crawford 5 Drew Thayer 6 Volume 41 No 22 What the THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF COLORADO COLLEGE hell is Desert Metal? Find out on Page 8 Work hard, play hard: CC’s mantra examined > April 29, 2011 catalystnewspaper.com Jeff Hester waits on the other side. 8th block is something cluded) each CC student plays a crucial game of Guest Writer like a reunion, and a well-earned one at that, and chance with only 80 points and a pin number at everyone you know is present, recently released hand. The process takes time, deliberation, and Seniors float would like to start this piece by establishing from the jaws of academia. Everybody deserves the overbearing consequence of your four-year I that this is not, by any means, a traditional 8th block, and seniors, without question, deserve diploma looms grimly overhead without rest, but “opinions article.” This an article that circles it most. But again, the question is raised, in what I would be lying if I said that the fulfillment of towards graduation around an idea, an idea that has been brought ways do we work in order to feel that we are graduation requirements was the only influential into question numerous times by myself and owed something? The answers aspect in choosing classes. Choosing an 8th Jenny Natelson my colleagues, in light of the frivolity of Eighth are mildly obtuse, yet clear. block class takes finesse; choose something not Active Lifestyle Editor Block. This idea, or maxim rather, is tossed At the end of each school too hard, but also something not too obscure or raditions at Colorado College range anywhere around constantly in reference to our adventur- year (seniors ex- far-removed from your typical interests to avoid Tfrom designated party songs to formal attire ous and often intense lifestyle choices at CC. having to sit through painful, 9 a.m. lectures from the glorious 80s to the sacred Whiskey From lax bros to slackliners, we all say it: with a head full of Phantom Canyon. Monday. Our five-day vacations are no different, “Work Hard, Play Hard,” and so we do. We You have to work towards the perfect and come 7th block, students from every grade charge the incline while considering Der- schedule. Sure, it’s not a traditional voyage into get prepared to take on the end of year favorite: rida, we bring red cups to the library. In my academia, but we take it just as seriously, if not floating down a lazy river. sophomore year I even saw one girl running more so, and our reward is a senior year ideally This year, hoards of excited kids crammed through her psych notecards on the bus to filled with Drawing, Buddhism and audits. into cars and caravanned either to Moab or Psychedelic Bowling. Sure, we phone it in I think we can agree that CC’s interpretation Grand Junction in search of the bluest skies, every once in a while, but the truth of “Work Hard, Play Hard” is less about strik- sunshine and unlimited amounts of chillage on is that each of us ended up here for ing an even balance between the two and more the river. The stress of booking rafts, paying some reason or another, whether it’s about using our inherent intelligence and work deposits and finding campsites was lost as the SAT scores, the equestrian team or, ethic in more devious ways in order to cheat the final Wednesday approached, and the elation of like me, you have to depend entirely on scales in our favor. We work hard not solely for our final block break swept over us. While some your flowery writing. It’s trite, it’s agreed- purpose and pride, but also so that when we are decided to keep the numbers smaller and others upon and, perhaps most importantly, it done working hard we are provided with the decided that fifty was the limit, everyone shared provides us with a general sense of identity. We tools to play even harder. This does not give us in the pure joy of doing nothing on a river for truly believe that we earn our time off; we work the right to vomit all over Mathias or drunkenly three days. diligently in pursuit of it. The question at hand, disturb our residential neighbors – I am encour- Senior Kenny Reid organized the larger group however, is what we do exactly to earn it. aging nothing of the sort – but we are good at of mostly-seniors trip on the Colorado river, As I mentioned before, we are all intelligent, what we do, whatever it is, and we deserve the having participated on a float trip for 7th block competent individuals in some facet or another, fruits of our labors within the bubble of CC. break last year. meaning that we all strive for excellence in very Why are these definitions, this discussion, “It was awesome; we got really great weather different ways. I know that this may sound like important? I guess it’s not, ultimately, but I think and everything was pretty easy, so I decided to something you see on an inspirational poster it’s a discussion that reaffirms our sanity in some do it again,” said Reid. or in a college advertisement, but stay with me way; maybe that’s why it keeps coming up. I hate After spending ample amount of time on here. The most stereotypical, one-dimensional to put it in writing, but after CC comes real life. the phone reserving rafts and planning the manifestation of academic excellence would We only get a limited amount of time within this route, Kenny finalized his numbers at around be receiving straight As, but no one could be relative fantasy world, and we should utilize its 45 students. And with CC students, especially arrogant enough to boil down the entire college ins and outs, its faults and strengths. We need to those who use 7th block break and 8th block experience into one grade point average. In fact, squeeze out every bit of ambrosia before we get to test their physical limits of consumption and some might even claim that skirting academic kicked back down the mountain, forced to drink functionality (read: seniors), getting everything responsibility is an act of excellence all its own. well water. Not that we think twice about it, but in order is no small feat. During the middle blocks of the year at CC, next time you’re grinding up on one an- “People kept calling me to get on the trip, but small groups of seniors seem to disappear as if other, or simply waiting in line I had to cap it at 45, and even that was a stretch, mysteriously kidnapped or quietly exiled from for a drink, give yourself a but everything worked out,” said Reid. campus. This is the nature of the thesis, a pat on the back, because The floaters in Moab started the trip with a beast that will drag all of us into the depths of maybe, for some reason, refreshing downpour on their campsite before the carrels at one point or another. The thesis you have earned this… is one huge commotion of text and edits and graphic by Erick Nelson continued on page 7 somehow. text and significantly less interaction with other human beings, but for each senior, 8th block 2 April 29, 2011 News Young Republicans Club creates open forum for conservative students on campus Brett Bustos Democrats first. “They were really helpful and Cobb. “They were also really excited to have organization. Staff Writer offered advice on how to start the process of both parties officially represented on campus.” The club will have to wait to become of- being recognized by the administration,” said Both organizations expressed a desire to work ficial until October, when the school gives out The CC Democrats are quite visible on together to coordinate events like registration charters to clubs and organizations on campus. campus, especially during election seasons. I think there are a drives, candidate debates and issue forums, as Once chartered, the club will face some chal- However, many right-leaning students have lot of students who feel well as to bring outside speakers to campus. lenges in getting funding from the school. trouble finding an outlet for their voices on The reaction from students has been fairly Because CC receives federal funding, it cannot that“ they cannot voice positive. “There are a lot of people who are fund a club that will align the school with a campus. Sophomore Zora Cobb is bringing the Republican voice to the CC campus through their political ideology excited that this club is finally happening. Some specific political ideology. However, organiza- the creation of a Young Republicans club. The because the school is so people have even talked about attempts they tions like CC Democrats and Young Republi- club, which hopes to be chartered in October, made in the past to start a Republicans club,” cans can receive funding for events they host. currently has seven members. openly liberal,”said Cobb. said Cobb. A number of students have ex- Cobb is not concerned with this because she “I think there are a lot of students who feel “This club gives them a pressed an interest, she said, but are not ready believes that “it forces political clubs to work that they cannot voice their political ideology to commit to the club wholeheartedly.