Subcultures in a Digital World

Kendal Holzman, 25, and Abby VonFeldt, 21, reach for each other’s hands and intertwine their fingers after Holzman pulls out a cigarette and lights it. The two girls are days away from their one-year anniversary and just finished their first Easter dinner with VonFeldt’s family. Holzman says that they met on a website called Ok Cupid. While Holzman was initially hesitant to use a dating website to find a girlfriend, she says that her relationship with VonFeldt would not have been possible by any other means because they would have been “too shy” to approach each other at a club or in any other social situation.

From Homeless to Harvard

The Center for Urban Connections, the Student Association of Social Workers (SASW), the Institute for Women’s Studies and Services and Metropolitan State College of Denver have organized a movement to raise awareness on campus about homelessness issues by promoting the book, “Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard” by Liz Murray. 

An Ice-Crystal in the Rough

Photo by Ian Ospina

A 19-year-old pizza-cook from Clear Creek County plans to use his love, history, commitment and dedication for snowboarding to set himself apart from the masses of aspiring snowboarders that inhabit Colorado. He hopes to become a professional snowboarder as a career.

Customer Service Employees Voice their Opinions about Fake Smiling

Customer service employees tend to find it irritating to maintain a fake smile while dealing with an annoying customer. However, most remain relatively un-phased after the experience, so long as they have a way to vent.

Frederick Cole Hopes that the Past will Shape the Future of Journalism

            In the age of media convergence and the switch to digital media technology, some of our society’s veteran journalists seem to have worries about what the future of journalism might hold. Among these old-school journalists is Frederick Cole, a retired editor of multiple newspapers across the nation. Today, Cole is working for the Denver Post as an advisor, and doesn’t hesitate to speak his mind about the current condition of the journalism industry, in relation to the system by which journalism education is taught. 

“Love Project” Photo Exhibit Leaves Public Love-Struck

The Flobots.org Community Center, located on 27th St. and Larimer St. in five points, housed the “Love Project” show at 8 p.m. on Sunday, February 13, 2011. The “Love Project” is a book of black and white photography depicting love in its truest essence. The photographer is Lucia de Giovanni. Giovanni began her project in 2009 in order to capture photos of “what love looks like.” The finished project was revealed at the event. More after the jump.

Auraria Campus Offers a Warm and Welcoming Sanctuary for GLBT Students

Tivoli room 213, located in the Auraria Campus Student Union, is home to the campus’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Services (GLBTSS) office. This office provides services and social networking for all GLBT students and their straight allies that attend any of Auraria’s three schools. All services offered are free of charge, and welcome to be utilized by anyone. The office, decorated with rainbows, had seven people inside: three employees and four students doing homework and socializing in the lounge.

Amondo Green, 37, sat alone at the desk right inside of the front entrance. Green began his employment at GLBTSS in December 2010, right before spring semester 2011 began. When asked about the events that GLBTSS organizes, he described the “Queer Symposium,” an annual gathering of students and specialists that meet up to discuss important issues within the GLBT community. As of right now the date is to be announced. “But, you have to go to the Valentine’s Day drag show on the 14^th at four in the Tivoli Turnhalle!” Green exclaimed, “And I don’t care if you have to ditch class to do it! You'd make a great drag king!” Green made it clear that having fun was a big part of the GLBT community on campus. He described the office as a “safe zone,” a place that anybody of any sexual orientation could hang out, network, and socialize without the social pressures of being judged by peers. “My favorite part about my job is the environment, the comfort, and the diversity of the people who use our services. We even have a library and movies in the office so students can just come hang out,” said Green. He also described many community outreach projects and volunteer opportunities that will occur throughout the semester.

Around the corner inside of the GLBTSS office is a lounge filled with comfortable red couches and shelves upon shelves of movies and books, both GLBT related and not. Ashton Richardson, 19, a Metro freshman, sat on one of the couches with her MacBook in her lap. She first began hanging out in the GLBTSS office about halfway through fall semester 2010. She said that her favorite part of the community was all of the friends that she has made so far. She says that she spends a couple of hours every day that she’s on campus in the office, “socializing and occasionally doing homework.” When asked what other GLBT events she participates in, she described the Auraria Genders and Sexualities Alliance (AGSA). The AGSA meets in the Senate Room in the Tivoli every Tuesday from two to three in the afternoon. Humorously enough, she asked with a smile, “Did you hear about the drag show on the 14^th? I’ll be leaving class early to be there!”

E-Sources for Journalists and Consumers

While the integrity of the internet as a source to receive news may be questionable, it can be useful for a journalist to find direction for their stories. I have found a few sources on the internet that are useful for a journalist looking for a starting point for a story. These sources can be used for a variety of topics. Google News is a good starting point. It provides an RSS feed from many popular news sources, allowing a journalist instant access to the topics that stir interest among local or national society. Another very detailed website that I found is Journalist Express. This website provides a search bar for Google, Wikipedia, government websites, and even a dictionary, among other search options for checking spelling and verifying sources. Throughout the page, there are links to websites for almost every medium of news, including many popular magazines, television broadcasts, and news wires. These links can be found on any sized scale, from local to international. On a more local scale, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) website provides instant news and even current photos of weather conditions in Colorado. As Coloradans, we may find this useful because weather is an important part of many aspects of our lives. An obvious source for seeking out news as Journalists is NPR, specifically the RSS feed. This website allows you to search topics of interest by topic or location, and provides links to various podcasts. Finally, a good online source for journalist use is the American Press Institute (API). This website is dedicated to journalistic integrity, and provides links to many sources that are considered credible in the eyes of media employees.

The news is not just for journalists. It is sold as a product to consumers throughout our society. As a consumer, my favorite source of news is Facebook. I consider information among my peers news, because it is interesting to me, whether or not it is NY Times worthy. Another great source of news for consumers can be found at The Daily Show. This is the official website for Jon Stewart’s news show, where you can recap and revisit previous episodes. While this website may only be directed at liberal consumers, it is an entertaining yet informative source of news media. The New York Times is a popular news source for consumers as well. This is one of the most widely read newspapers in America, and is a great way to view national news that a large scale of people care about. The Westword, Denver’s local weekly newspaper is specifically aimed at consumers. This newspaper focuses on local food, music, and events, so it can be said that this newspaper is specifically made for consumers. Finally, another website that is useful for consumers is Wikipedia. While not always current, wikipedia.com provides peer-revised stories and histories on a variety of topics, and can be updated over and over as information becomes outdated.