FALL 2020 A NEW NORMAL: What COVID-19’s impacts look like for CU Boulder students Art by Mengchen Gong FALL 2020 INSIDE... Letter from the Editor: Despite challenges, the THE RECAP: NEWS BRIEFS 26 Boulder’s sustainability efforts put other cities to shame CU Independent lives to see another day 2 Letter from the Editor SPORTS 3 Coronavirus brings Pearl Street by Anna Haynes to a halt 27 Top 5 CU football games of 5 Students and faculty urge for the decade o readers of the CU Independent, I am happy to confirm that CMCI has agreed to T provide us with funding as well as newsroom and Los Seis sculpture to remain 29 Pac-12 tournament canceled A university as large as the University of Colorado storage space-effective through mid-December 30 CU Bluffs: CU basketball Boulder without a student press is rare, but the of this year, for which we are incredibly grateful. PHOTOS As for the spring semester, we are continuing to knocks off Duke to win National campus has come dangerously close. We, the staff 7 Through the lens: CUI photos of the CU Independent, know that there has been have negotiations with potential funding sources, Championship (in a perfect uncertainty surrounding our future. I would like to including the University of Colorado Student NEWS world) update our readers and our community about our Government (CUSG). continuing efforts and provide reassurance that, The CUI’s achievements cannot be overstated. 11 COVID-19 timeline ARTS despite this uncertainty, I am confident that we are Earlier this year, our staff won three Society of here to stay. Professional Journalists (SPJ) Mark of Excellence 13 A new normal: COVID-19’s 31 Colorado’s tattoo artists get My name is Anna Haynes and I will be assuming awards with three finalists. The CUI has also the position of the CUI’s editor-in-chief for the provided extensive coverage in the face of impacts for CU students creative 2020-2021 school year. Former editor-in-chief COVID-19. I could not be more proud, and I hope 19 The Brazen Project works to 33 Eric Swalwell’s new book, Robert Tann has held the position since last fall and that we will be able to continue to provide award- has done an incredible job of keeping the CUI not winning journalism to our community. shed light on “fake” clinics ‘Endgame’ only afloat, but also thriving during tough times. The first time I was harassed for my role as a OPINION 35 CU black musicians for social I am taking on a unique task with my new role student journalist, I was in shock. I had heard — the task of ensuring that the CU Independent it before, but had never truly believed it until I 23 CU’s diversity plan just an idea change doesn’t vanish entirely. Until recently, the CU experienced it myself—journalism, especially 36 Women’s History Month: Independent has operated under CU Boulder’s student journalism, is grossly undervalued. This 25 There may be a bright side to College of Media, Communication and Information only makes our efforts to keep afloat harder, but The CUI’s favorite albums by this pandemic (CMCI). In December 2019, CMCI announced it I am confident that will the help of those who women artists would be ceasing our funding by May 2020 which continue to value journalism, we will continue to includes the loss of our newsroom in Armory 206b thrive. and longtime faculty advisor Gil Asakawa, in favor We hope that we can continue to work with CU Independent Magazine is produced by students for the CU and Boulder community. All of its own media venture. While our efforts to CMCI and CUSG to reach long-term solutions of the content in this magazine was created in August 2020, after the University of Colorado find sources of funding continue, we have yet to and ensure that CU Boulder’s only independent secure a long-term solution. COVID-19 has further student publication will not disappear. I am beyond Boulder’s Spring 2020 semester. This masthead reflects the Fall 2020 positions of those complicated funding negotiations, as CU Boulder honored that I have been given the torch as the involved with the creation of this publication. has experienced financial losses as a result of the new editor-in-chief, and I am excited to light the Contributors, in last name alphabetical order: Hunter Allen (staff photographer), Nigel pandemic. way for the CUI’s next phase of life. Amstock (operations manager), Adam Bender (sports editor), Gray Bender (former photo We received an outpouring of support from If you would like to donate to the CUI, you can editor), Ben Berman (arts editor), Kathryn Bistodeau (staff writer), Mairead Brogan (staff journalists and readers alike in response to find our official fundhere . From the bottom of my writer), Kaylyn Buehler (staff writer), Jack Carlough (sports editor), Zack Cohen (former this news. For example, the Rocky Mountain heart, thank you for all of your support. arts editor), Isabella Fincher (arts editor), Mengchen Gong (web and visual design), Owen Collegian, Colorado State University’s student Hartmann (visual design) Anna Haynes (editor-in-chief), Altug Karakurt (staff writer), Emily print publication, published its own letter from the Regards, Ladd (staff writer), Vayle Lafehr (opinion editor), Cameron Markuson (staff writer), Hannah editor in solidarity with the CUI. This support has Metzger (former managing editor), Casey Paul (digital director), Peterson, Zoe Schacht reassured us that we are not alone in our fight to Anna Haynes, CU Independent Editor-in-Chief (opinion editor), Robert Tann (former editor-in-chief), Ben Titelbaum (staff writer), Kara stay alive. Wagenknecht (staff photographer) 2 FALL 2020 NEWS BRIEFS ‘Everybody’s very uncertain’: Local businesses hope to survive as coronavirus brings Pearl Street to a halt by Mairead Brogan At 11 a.m. Tuesday morning, Boulder’s Pearl people to limit gatherings to no more than 10 Street Mall was nearly deserted. White signs people in a bid to reduce the number of people scattered across storefronts announced closings coming in contact with the virus. and reduced hours. The hustle and bustle of The virus’ effects have hit employees of the Boulder’s downtown was non-existent. service industry especially hard— it’s cut their “Mornings are dead, afternoons are dead… income severely. whole days are “I think it’s pretty looking like slow scary … we’re nights,” said Noëlle all low-income Mrugalla, an employee workers, like part- at Trident Booksellers time for the most and Café. part,” said Mrugalla. As the deadly novel “I might be filing for coronavirus, which unemployment at causes the disease 23.” Pearl Street’s Pizza Calore will be closing its doors and doing takeout only until further notice. Tues- day, March 17, 2020 (Mairead Brogan/CU Independent) known as COVID-19, “Most of the staff spreads across here depend on tips of my employees and my guests,” said Dan doing the curbside pickup for puzzles especially Colorado and forces but now they are Shaffer, owner of Pizza Colóre, which has served right now because a bunch of people are in the city and county of going to depend on homemade pizza on Pearl Street for over 20 years. their homes,” said Art Source International Boulder to take drastic just hourly time,” “Of course there’s the financial aspect of it where Manager Katie Olsonwe’ll. “(We might) measures, small said Diane Van it’s gonna cost thousands to close the doors, but eventually do custom framing… maybe by business employees Tiggelen of Boulder at the same time, is it still feasible to try and stay facetime, but we just need to kind of change the have been some of restaurant Salt. open and make it work for just a couple hundred way we’re reaching people.” the people hit the Local businesses dollars in possible sales?” Shaffer said. “There’s PosterSource manager George Baillie is hardest. On Monday, often represent a certain tipping point where it costs more to be optimistic that despite the coronavirus’ spread, Colorado Gov. Jared pillars of the A number of storefronts display signs explaining closure or open, especially trying to keep staff employed, than shoppers will return to the mall once the Polis ordered statewide community, proving takeout-only rules. Tuesday, March 17, 2020 (Mairead it would be to just close the doors.” warmer weather returns. closures of seating common spaces for Brogan/CU Independent) Some local shops have already decided to “It’s tough to say right now, so far, like inside all bars and the general public. shutter. yesterday was busy, a lot of tourists out… today restaurants until April 30, forcing businesses to “One of the things I like about Trident… is it’s “We’re actually gearing up, we’re making all of our is slow, but it could be the weather,” Baillie said. move to delivery and takeout in order to survive. a sense of community for me, and I come here finalizations to close for at least the next two weeks Still, some worry about what comes next. “Hopefully, Trident will be able to stay alive because I’ve gotten to know a lot of people, who’ve or foreseeable future,” said Nathan Klein, owner of “Everybody’s very uncertain about the because… rent is not cheap on Pearl. We don’t become very good friends, and I’m seeing fewer of Smithklein gallery. He took over the business from future… their financial stability and whether know what’s happening with that,” said Trident them now as a result of the virus,” said Mike Badar, his mother who opened the gallery over 30 years or not they could even work in service like employee Crystal Garcia.