The Sycamore
September 15, 2010
Selecting Jenevieve’s Replacement
Editorial Board
In the coming few weeks a hiring deci-
sion will be made to replace the outgo-
ing Assistant Dean of Student Affairs,
Jenevieve Glemming, who is parting ways
with Naropa effective October 1st of this
year. This moment marks the conclusion
of Glemming’s invaluable career at Naro-
pa. It also represents an opportunity for
students to outline what they expect of
their next dean to the parties responsible
for hiring her replacement, Vice Presi-
dent Cheryl Barbour and Dean Bob Cillo.
Surveying the specific needs of our
community, we’ve isolated the follow-
ing items as must-haves for any worthy
replacement: (1) extensive experience in
higher education at a University other
than Naropa; (2) a proven track record
for creating leadership and community
building opportunities for students; (3)
significant training in handling sensi-
tive matters related to diversity, and; (4)
note-worthy experience in improving the
efficiency of an administrative office.
Experience in Higher Education:
The Student Affairs Office is the main
avenue of information and communica-
tion between the administration and stu-
dents. Students walk through the doors
of that office during moments of jubila-
tion and crisis. In light of this, it makes
sense for the Student Affairs Office to be
composed of professionals with broad
experience regarding a gamete of student
issues. Therefore it is both important
and necessary to note that no candidate
should be selected for the job of Asst.
Dean without extensive experience of di-
rect interaction with university students.
This experience should be accumulated
from a career in higher education that
does not include Naropa as a resume item.
Our position is that Naropa needs to di-
versify its human capital portfolio. While
there maybe value to familiarity, hiring
talented professionals from beyond the
walls of our school adds to the collective
intelligence of the administration. More-
over, the reality is that both our adminis-
tration and students are stifled by a culture
that too frequently looks inward for talent
Moreover, the reality is that both our ad-
ministration and students are stifled by a
culture that too frequently looks inward
for talent without seeking out the wealth
of intelligence that exists in our greater
community. Our new Asst. Dean should
have a wealth of unique wisdom to im-
at Naropa University
www.thesycamore.org
Vol. II No. 2
part, but equally, she or he must be unfa-
miliar enough to have something to learn.
Track Record of Community Build-
ing: It is no secret that there is enormous
room for improvement at Naropa as far as
student leadership and community-build-
ing opportunities are concerned. Thus, it
should be an obvious requirement for the
new Asst. Dean to have a strong history
of facilitating leadership and community
enhancing opportunities for students.
Practically speaking, the new Asst. Dean
should be expected to make the Student
Affairs Office into a resource for those that
are seeking service-learning experiences.
In a similar vein, this would also mean the
Asst. Dean would work to empower the
student government, United Naropa, to
become an independent, democratically
elected body that conducts its affairs re-
moved from any administrative presence.
Taken together, any addition to the Stu-
dent Affairs Office must come equipped
with the experience needed to guide stu-
dents toward greater individual empower-
ment by way of community engagement.
Diversity Training: Among the 23 uni-
versity officials that were relieved of duty
during this past summer was Naropa’s
Diversity Advocate, Sandhya Luther.
While the administration has professed
its intent to move diversity into the fore-
front of all aspects of the institution
through an “integrated diversity model,”
at the present moment, there is no sin-
gle official responsible for assisting stu-
dents that come from underrepresented
backgrounds. That being said, our next
Asst. Dean should be capable of re-
sponding to concerns raised by students
from said backgrounds, so that the cur- Cover Art by Jillian Skalky
rent deficiency is effectively addressed. one of our university’s distinguishing fea- our next Asst. Dean must be capable of
tures, it is in reality an inadequate student designing an accountable and fair judicial
Enhancing the Student Affairs Office: disciplinary system for two reasons. First, system, which models the rule of law.
As is the case with most existing bureau- it only governs Snow Lion. Secondly, it
cracies, the implementation of adminis- operates in the realm of admitted cul- We have confidence that responsible
trative innovations and improvements pability i.e., one accepts guilt before en- parties are capable of wisely select
are usually done in a reactionary fashion. tering the forum. For a student judicial ing the next Asst. Dean of Student Af-
With regards to our institution, we think system to be just and reliable it must – fairs. However, the items discussed
it should be in the purview of the new like our country’s judicial system – be above should serve as immutable guide-
Asst. Dean to proactively enact changes unbiased and function from an innocent lines throughout the selection process.
that result in a more streamlined Student until proven guilty vantage point. Cur-
Affairs Office. One notable example of rently, students subject to adjudication at Interested in joining The Sycamore’s all stu-
a necessary improvement would be the Naropa must look to Dean Cillo as the dent staff ? Want to ask questions or share
development of a uniform disciplinary ultimate authority. This, frankly, places your feedback? If so, email us at: edito-
code, which would govern all of Naropa. too much power in the deanship, and is rial@thesycamore.org. We would love to
entirely inconsistent with the best prac- hear from you.
Though restorative justice is touted as tices used in higher education. Therefore,
Page 2
NEWS
Director of Colorado’s Anti-Death Penalty Movement Speaks to Naropa
Rebecca Koval
Staff Writer
This month, The Sycamore had the opportunity to in-
tThis month, The Sycamore had the opportunity to in-
terview Lisa Cisneros, Executive Director of Coloradans
for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (CADP). CADP is
a non-profit organization that seeks to educate the pub-
lic about the death penalty as well as push for anti-death
penalty legislation.
This September and October, CADP has partnered
with the non-profit Witness to Innocence in order to
bring three exonerated death row inmates to Colorado
for a speaking tour. Randy Steidl, Derek Jameson, and
Shabaka WaQlimi will be speaking at churches, universi-
ties, and community centers across the Denver Metro,
Northern Colorado, and Boulder areas.
We asked Lisa about the structure and history of CADP,
its ongoing work, and the death penalty’s presence in
Colorado.
When and why did the organization start?
CADP started in 1997 after the execution of Gary Davis
who was the only prisoner executed in Colorado in 40
years. Father Jim Sunderland, an anti-death penalty activ-
ist started it because he realized that it needed to stop in
Colorado after that. It’s evolved since then but it started
out with about 30 people. Our number has grown to
about 5000 since then. Our members are criminal de-
fense attorneys, clergy, and teachers. Now we’re work-
ing to diversify and bring in some conservative members
and people of color.
The biggest change that has happened is that we now
have a coalition, which was created last August. The
name of it is CAEJ- Colorado Alliance for Effective
Justice. The members of the coalition include CADP,
public defenders, Catholic Churches, the ACLU, and
Colorado Cure, who helps inmates and their families.
We’ve also recently added the Interfaith Alliance and the
NAACP, so it’s a big coalition of different organizations.
The reason we did that is because we realized that we
needed a grassroots movement. Also, it makes a bigger
presence to the legislature.
What has CADP been working on recently?
Next week, on the 19th, Randy Steidl is coming to town
and he will be speaking around the Metro area and in
October, we’re having two other exonerees coming in:
Shabaka WaQlimi and Derek Jameson.
Shabaka WaQlimi spent 13 years on death row in Flori-
da and was released about 20 years ago. Derek Jameson
spent 20 years on death row in Ohio and he came within
an hour of his execution. While he was in prison, he
lost his mother, father, and most of his family because
they all died. Derek was released 5 years ago and he re-
ally wants to get out there and start talking about the
death penalty. He realizes that some people need to be in
prison, but there’s no reason to kill them.
What is your estimation of when Colorado will abolish
the death penalty?
The Sycamore September 15, 2010
people you say it to are your family, friends, your govern-
ment officials; let them know. Otherwise, it’s not going
to stop.
Tour dates for the exoneree tour for the months of Sep-
tember and October are as follows:
September 2010 Events with Randy Steidl
1. Sunday, September 19 - 11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
Glen-
non Heights Mennonite Church, 11480 W. Virginia Ave.,
Lakewood, CO 80226

2. Monday, September 20 - 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Regis Univer-
sity Chapel, 3333 Regis Blvd., Denver, CO 80221

3. Tuesday, September 21 - 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Northeastern
Junior College, 100 College Ave., Sterling, CO 80013

4. Wednesday, September 22 - 7:00 p.m. Colorado Cure,
400 Corona St. (ACLU office), Denver, CO 80218

5. Wednesday, September 22 - 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Saint Mi-
chael the Archangel Catholic Church, 19099 E. Floyd
Lisa Cisneros Courtesy of Ms. Cisneros
Ave., Aurora, CO 80013
I
would hope next year. We put a bill together in 2009 October 2010 Events with Shabaka WaQlimi & Der-
and it came within one vote of being passed so we know ek Jameson
that the votes are on our side. We’re working hard to
keep these votes the same but you just don’t know what’s 1. Sunday, October 17 - 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Parkview Con-
going to happen until the day of the vote! But I would gregational Church, 12444 E. Parkview Dr., Aurora, CO
guess based on what I have seen that Colorado doesn’t 80011

have a taste for it.
2. Monday, October 18 - 12:00-1:30 p.m.
Naropa Uni-
How do you think the death penalty affects society? versity, 2130 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, CO 80301

When the death penalty reaches anybody it will affect 3. Monday, October 18 - 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Nothern Colo-
their humanity. Prison guards house these guys for 20 rado Cure, Address TBA, Fort Collins, CO

years and they become friends and then the guards have
to go kill them. I think that it affects jurors, who have 4. Tuesday, October 19 - 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Regis University
to make that decision—it affects their soul by the time Chapel, 3333 Regis Blvd., Denver, CO 80221

the trial and execution are over with. I know that it af-
fects the defense attorneys. I think the prosecutors, the 5. Thursday, October 21 - 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Bookery Nook,
judges… anybody that touches it- it does something to 4280 Tennyson St., Denver, CO 80212
them. I think that’s why it just needs to stop. There are
other ways for people to be punished and I don’t think
that killing them is it.
What would you like Coloradans and Naropa students
to know? Is there any message you would like to share?
We would like people in Colorado to understand that
there really is a death penalty. I was recently at the Cinco
de Mayo festival running a table there and I heard most
of the people that I spoke to say, “We have a death pen-
alty in Colorado?” We need to educate the public, espe-
cially in Colorado where people don’t know that they
have it.
I was in Crested Bute late week and Sister Helen Prejean
was there. She was giving her speech and she asked the
audience questions and they didn’t know that we have
three people currently on death row in Colorado. So
those are the kinds of things that need to be publicized.
My message to Naropa students is that you are citizens
of the U.S and if you agree with us then you need to
step up, commit your voice, and say this must stop. The
Page 3 The Sycamore September 15, 2010

Haiti
The Technology of Ongoing Support
Rob Baker most part, it was coming along.
Contributing Writer
Except when they were play-
Four hours after I’d landed ing games on their iPhones.
in Port au Prince, Haiti, I was Still not what I was expecting.
watching Carl “Doudou” Ed-
ouard frag other players in an At first, it was frustrating.
online game of Call of Duty at Trying to launch a new pro-
his house downtown. It wasn’t gram, knowing how many
the arrival I’d been expecting. were in tents and that the
hurricane season was already
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to upon us. Not getting all the
expect. It was late July, closer to support we needed, expecting
eight months after the January them to put in the same long
12th, 7.0 earthquake that leveled hours. We took our work se-
much the city and decimated sur- riously and, though they did
rounding towns, killing several manage to get things done,
thousands in an instant and hun- we wondered how much
dreds more in its aftermath from more we could be doing.
injury and disease. Yet with all
the international attention things But those were their mo-
had to be better by now, and by ments: watching videos on
Doudou’s setup – a three story YouTube, playing those
house, a nice truck, a fast com- Earthquake ruined streets in downtown Port-au-Prince Courtesy of Todd Huffman games, taking the time to have
puter with electricity and an Internet Those were the moments that stayed with ny we’d identified as a viable partner to fun with the other develop-
connection to play it – maybe they were. me. We’d be in a car, music playing, it could take over the work we’d started in Janu- ers. Pretty soon, we came to accept it.
be an afternoon anywhere and then we’d ary: a system for tracking requests for After awhile, we began to understand it.
After playing for a while, Carl showed drive by a building, completely concrete, emergency assistance and aid via SMS.
me photos from his LAN parties. Over completely flattened. Public buildings, If I learned anything from the experi-
a dozen guys piled into another room mostly likely with customers at the time. I was there as part of an independent ence, it’s that the real goal in this work
of his house, computers and network group out of Tufts University who had doesn’t just provide necessity. It re-
cables everywhere, playing games. He What I experienced – as an outsider – responded to the earthquake within those stores normalcy. The freedom to play
began to tell me who many of them were. was that one could break away from first critical hours. Using Ushahidi, a web a silly game or watch a movie with-
the shock and the get back to normal. platform able to receive, process, geo- out the constant concern of where the
“Yeah, who’s this guy over Just not for long. Brief periods of lev- locate and, most importantly, get these next meal is coming from or how long
here?” I asked, pointing to some- ity frequently interrupted by the remind- SMS messages to first responders on the until they’d live under a roof again.
one I thought he’d overlooked. ers of not just what had happened and ground. As soon as the cell networks were
what was still happening for the thou- back online, so were the people, sending By the end of my time in Haiti, we did
He paused and immediately I could sands of people living in over 1,200 us requests by the thousands, everything manage to have a new site, ready to launch
tell why. “He didn’t make it.” Just camps still located all around the city. from water and shelter to alerts of people – certainly thanks, in the end, a monu-
like that we’d lost the comfort of still trapped underneath the buildings. mental effort from the Solutions team.
the game and that weight of that I got the sense Doudou was looking for
earthquake, that tragedy, was on us. these moments as well. He worked for In Haiti, like many other developing We’d established first responders to ev-
Solutions, a Haitian technology compa- countries, cell phones are the most preva- ery category of request, making sure the
lent technology, with millions messages we received had somewhere to
of subscribers over only tens go and a group to respond. We’d changed
of thousands with radios and the SMS workflow into a local call center,
TV. With cell phones in the providing structured data to NGOs and
hands of even those who can- creating a few jobs. We left having accom-
not afford much else, with plished what we could, not losing sight
many houses lost and electric- of the important work, but also mak-
ity unavailable, those phones ing the time to remind ourselves why we
became the lifelines of many were really there and what was possible.
who had lost everything else.
But not leaving without a
Solutions had built a similar few last games with Doudou.
tracking and processing sys-
tem as well, and Doudou and Rob Baker is a Naropa alumnus who gradu-
I, along with their other devel- ated in 2002 with degrees in Writing and
opers, sat together in the So- Traditional Eastern Arts. He is an inde-
lutions office implementing pendent web developer who’s worked in Haiti,
what we’d learned into their Africa, and the Middle East for non-profits
system. Our task was to re- and humanitarian missions all over the world.
build it to make sure the local More about the technology and work in Haiti
responders, the camp manag- is available at http://blog.ushahidi.com.
ers, the non-profit organiza-
tions, and even the UN were
getting our reports and doing
Severely damaged capitol building in Port-au-Prince Courtesy of Todd Huffman something about it. For the
Page 4 The Sycamore September 15, 2010

“Sleepover at Snow Lion” with Dr. Lord

Richard Bordoni
Staff Writer
On Wednesday, August 25th President
Stuart Lord hosted a “Sleepover with
the President” in the Snow Lion hous-
ing complex. Starting at 6 pm, Dr.
Lord held structured and unstructured
discussions with residents in the court-
yard of Snow Lion which lasted into
the early morning on Thursday. This
event was tailored by the President to
open a face-to-face dialogue about top-
ics relevant and important to students.
Dr. Lord, who is nationally recognized as
a leader in the areas of service learning
and multicultural education, spent much
of his time throughout the sleepover
discussing his goals for Naropa as an
institution as well as listening to stu-
dents’ thoughts about important issues.
Beginning with diversity, Dr. Lord led a
dialogue with residents on the context
of diversity at Naropa and beyond. On
the subject matter, students expressed
frustration about obvious lack of di-
versity on campus. Acknowledging the
evident racial and ethnic reality of the
community today, Dr. Lord answered
students by promising that actions were
being taken to address these issues.
Examples of planned improvements
on diversity mentioned by Dr. Lord in-
clude the creation of a Diversity Re-
source Guide, which would allow stu-
dents to find and access assets for their
my speech, you would al-
ready know how I feel about
this.” Dr. Lord was allud-
ing to his comments dur-
ing the Convocation speech
in which he stated that, “A
Naropa education is a pass-
port to the world,” and fur-
ther insisted his intention
to make true on that vision.
One student, Ayries Blanck,
said that the availability of
study abroad programs was
a major factor in her col-
lege selection process. She
was most concerned with
the timeframe of the imple-
mentation of these changes
and said, “if the language
or study abroad programs
aren’t expanded during the
time I am here, depending
on my major, I might have to
consider changing schools.”
As an on-going action step,
Dr. Stuart Lord Courtesy of Naropa University
Dr. Lord mentioned that a
needs across Boulder, as well as mobi- group of his interns were cur-
lizing grants focused on the develop- rently working to examine potential part-
ment of diversity in Naropa’s courses. nerships with schools around the world
that share a similar vision with Naropa.
Later in the day, Dr. Lord led a segment
on international education/service learn- As his remarks moved toward service
ing. At the onset of this discussion stu- learning opportunities, many students
dents raised the concern that Naropa expressed disappointment with the cur-
currently offers only one study abroad rent state of affairs at Naropa. To this
program, which is in Tibet. In response dismay, Dr. Lord responded by talking
to this, Dr. Lord teased, “if you all had about the steps being undertaken to ex-
been at the Convocation and listened to pand service learning, such as a meeting
that he conducted recently with over 40
community partners in Boulder. The
meeting was focused on how Naropa can
serve the needs of the local community.
In his final discussion with residents, Dr.
Lord talked at length about possible career
decisions after graduating from Naropa.
Though many of his comments were di-
rected at personal concerns of specific stu-
dents, he also gave broad advice, garnered
from his personal experiences, concern-
ing successfully obtaining employment.
Nearing midnight, an international stu-
dent asked about how students in her posi-
tion would be able to finance their educa-
tion. Speaking to this, Dr. Lord professed
an analogy to outline his thoughts on the
matter: “buildings will eventually crum-
ble, but an education will last forever.” He
went on to say that part of the prioritiza-
tion of university funds has been focused
on allocating more dollars to financial aid.
Resident Timmy Eyes noted that he was,
“pleasantly surprised to hear about what
Dr. Lord had done about financial aid [by]
increasing opportunities for students.”
Yet, not all residents perceived Dr.
Lord’s remarks positively. Sharing his
thoughts at conclusion of the sleepover,
student Jake Aschenbrenner said, “[I]
felt like he was beating around the bush
with his answers and giving me what
seemed like a more PR quality answer
to maintain his role as the President.”

Student Group Spotlight: East-West Philosophy Group

Ania Chapska
Staff Writer
The East-West Philosophy (EWPN) group was
founded with the purpose of further questioning
the nature of Buddhist Studies in the university. The
group’s founder, Troy Omafray. wanted to challenge
normative Buddhist presumptions with Western no-
tions (like that of justice) as well as challenge tradi-
tional Euro-American presumptions (like that of
theory), while drawing on critical scholarship. He also
wanted to examine Buddhist notions comparatively
with Western notions, like that of the ethics of Ti-
betan Buddhist meditation along side Kant’s deonto-
logical ethics or David Hume’s utilitarian morals. 
 • Discuss writing and critical reading
losophy and what each means.
• Critically examine Buddhist rhetoric in translations
by Western scholars
.
• Discuss the idea of Buddhist theology in the con-
text of post-modernism.
• Discuss the nature of Buddhist arguments
.
• Think about the role of ritual in Tibetan Bud-
dhism
.
• Think about anthropological approaches to the
study of Buddhism
.
• Consult scholars in the field of philosophy and re-
ligion
.

The Group’s Purpose: Background on Group’s Founder:

• Question what philosophical inquiry entails in both
the Continental and Analytical traditions. 
 terested in philosophizing since 1993 when I started
•Question how Buddhist thought/philosophy is
taught in the academy and how this affects main-
stream Buddhism.
• Examine the assumptions behind Western discourse
on Buddhism
.
• Examine whether “Buddhism” is a religion or a phi-
Troy Omafray: I started my college career in 1991;
I’ve taken the proverbial “20-year plan.” I’ve been in-
a critical thinking group as an undergraduate student
at Century College in Minnesota. My history is long,
but I started EWPN in 2008. Since then attendance
has been very minimal, but that hasn’t stopped me
from pursuing this sort of study.
Troy Omfray Courtesy of Mr. Omfray
Page 5
Naropa Novelist Returns to Read his Story
Mohammad Usman
Staff Writer
Naropa alum and novelist Shantam
Zohar will be introducing his book,
Mideast Tango, to the community on
Thursday, September 16th at 7PM in
Lincoln Studios. Zohar, who graduated
in 2001 with a B.A. in Interdisciplin-
ary Studies, wrote this novel as a com-
pilation of his experiences in the Elite
Forces of the Israeli Defense Forces
(IDF) during the first Palestinian Inti-
fada, which took place in the late 1980s.
In describing the novel, Zohar called
it a “mosaic” with an “arc”, with the
arc being his notion of identity. Zo-
har’s quest into the realm identity com-
menced at the time of his eighteenth
birthday, which is also when he be-
gan his service in the Israeli Army.
For Zohar, the loss of identity marked
the beginning of his journey. Part of
this journey entailed serving in his coun-
try’s armed forces, but a much larger
part of it included traveling, studying,
writing, and deepening his own con-
templative practice over the course of
two decades. According to him, the
journey only recently culminated with
the publication of Mideast Tango.
Zohar began writing Mideast Tango
while he was attending Naropa. It be-
Creative Naropa
Jaime Gonzalez
Contributing Writer
what a big revelation is given to us when someone we know dies
passes away
crosses over
we are given the gift of realizing how susceptible we are
How in any given moment,
we can break, like an eggshell
like thin glass
like our mask
However,
we forget this revelation in a split second,
split minute
or split moment.
The Sycamore September 15, 2010
gan as a short story focused on a seg- to me, and I trust that
ment of his experience in the army – that peace,” he explained.
story, “Kabatiye” is now chapter two of This notion of peace
the book. Then, following the advice is what Zohar noted as
and encouragement of his two advis- being more than just
ers, Carole Clements and Zoe Avstreih, the absence of con-
Zohar submitted his story to the 2002 flict. It is instead, ac-
Writers@Work Contest, and won first cording to Zohar, a
place. After that impetus, Zohar re- state in which individu-
called, “I just kept writing until even- als or nation-states alike
tually I realized I was writing a book.” are at a place of mu-
tual trust – thus they
The book itself was completed in 2004, are experiencing peace.
but according to Zohar finding the right
publisher took time. Enough time that Zohar’s novel is, in
Zohar moved back to Israel, began work- fact, a description of
ing as a translator, completed an MFA, his movement toward
directed an internationally acclaimed achieving his own state
circus, met his wife – who was a per- of peace – peace with
former in that circus – and had a son. identity. Now the au-
thor confidently asserts
In the span between Zohar’s time of ser- that his identity is “ab-
vice and today, not much has changed solutely nothing.” This
between Palestine and Israel. Both par- idea contrasts with ev-
ties are still divided on reaching a peace erything up until his
agreement. Though recently, the Obama 18th birthday, at which
administration, under the leadership of point he understood
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, an- himself as “an Israeli, a
nounced the renewal of talks between family man, and some-
Palestine and Israel, with the goal of one who was willing
reaching a peace deal within one year. to fight for his coun-
Zohar, however, is not sure if this real- try.” This all changed Shantam Zohar Courtesy of MideastTango.com
ity will manifest by his standard of peace. of course. “While
I was a solider all I back together,” as he eloquently acknowl-
Delving into the details of this assess- could do was fall apart,” he summarized. edged, but now he has come full circle,
ment, Zohar described his position on back to the place where his writing began.
peace, as being is “experiential.” “Peace Now Zohar is no longer falling apart. He
is when a person who I trust says ‘peace’ may “never be able to put Humpty Dumpty
Oblivion
how sensitive we are
Page 6 The Sycamore September 15, 2010

Wings Naked
Ania Chapska
Staff Writer
Lina Papastergiou
They didn’t really use them but it was a privilege to have Contributing Writer
them, if only to include them in the bird family. They
pecked away at the seeds, sometimes mistaking a rock for a
hoof or manure, certainly not nutritional grain. Good thing
there were no teeth to break. Taking off the clothes

They didn’t know the destiny that awaited them. How could That they gave me to carry
they? It wasn’t pretty. But when it came, it came down
hard; clubs, bats and no mercy. When it was all over, only With my body, with my soul
feathers filled the air with an occasional muffled shriek.
Standing here
Some of them were bold, crusty looking, while others so
big that their legs broke under their weight. They would lay My heart keeps beating
there breathing deep. There was nothing else left for them
to do. She expected some to have multiple heads but never And that’s what is needed
got to see them, though was sure they existed. She walked by a local bar and felt hunger clawing at her just
She never saw it happen live, only through some website an like she clawed from hunger hours before in the night. She My ears listen to strange music
animal activist friend sent her the day before. She dared to went in.
check it out and allowed it to make its impact. She wanted My eyes see beautiful sights
nothing to do with it - the brutal, murderous industry. “Do you serve food?”
Is it enough? Can you tell what is?
The previous night she had nightmares and dreamt she was “You bet. Best buffalo wings in town. Try the bbq, out of
one of them. There was no room for her, there were too this world.” My soul can
many of them. Her right leg stuck out of the cage at an
awkward angle. She tried to get out but knew there was “No, I don’t think I can eat chicken anymore. It’s not right It will
no use. Even if the flap was open, there was nowhere she what they do with them; lock them up in cages and shoot
could have gone. She couldn’t jump that high and surely them up with hormones. It’s too much for me. I want no The clothes are gone
couldn’t fly. She felt a burning sensation in her spine and part in it.”
knew it was nothing new. Right after that, it was time for Their shadow remains
food. It made them quiet that way. They learned to know “Yeah man, but it’s wings. They don’t even use them. Just
what came next. It was Ivan Pavlov all over again. She ate think they come from Buffalos.” Cold doesn’t affect me
the remains of her deceased sister, the one that suffocated
in her own feces. She tried hard to imagine it – flying Buffalos. Her grum- Only the sun does
Although it was only a dream, it made her relate to those bling belly saw them, soaring high above the tree tops in
poor unfortunate beings. She looked at poultry with new South Dakota or wherever it was they raise them. What happens when they fight?
eyes, revealing depths of sadness and compassion. She
wanted to cry every time she passed by a Boston Market or “Did you say the best in town?” She didn’t even know what My naked body is the canvas
a KFC, only because she now knew the Truth. She has seen town this was.
and lived their reality, if only through her own unconscious “Yes madam.” And the emotions have the brush
one. But conscious she became. How didn’t she know be-
fore? She was appalled by her own ignorance and naivety, She closed her eyes and sadly smiled at the glimpse of And they draw new clothes
even more so by the cold hearts that existed out there in the knowledge she was given, which she now wanted to forget.
world – her world. Soon she would be in the mountains and the planes of hor- More suitable
ror would be behind her.
After ten hours on the road, thoughts became repetitive. More fitting
Long stretches of farmlands made her eyes blurry and her “Alright, I’ll take your word for it. Give me the wings.”
mind single-pointed. Dreams mashed with her waking There’s a battle
state, warping her senses. It was time for a break.
I have to be prepared
Over Appetizers at the Restaurant New clothes
Jessica Hagemann Does my soul know now?
left; it looks slightly burnt, but I’m sure one of us will eat
Contributing Writer
it anyway. The whole room smells of baking bread, break-
ing bread, as Mary’s self-described “chubby, grubby fingers” Will it allow a new pair of pants?
The bread is the prelude to my pasta, something warm and steal one more piece. We have just returned from hiking and
spongy to soak up the pilsner. It came in two colors and are famished, not to mention dirty with mountain dust. As New restrictions?
two loaves: one white sponge encased in golden skin, one long as we don’t fill up too much before entrees, so there’s
dark sponge with oven-baked oats on top. They form quite room for cheesecake...The bread is so light there’s no oil The laws have changed
the pair, with their overlapping shadows of the same color stains on the napkin, only flaky crumbs. The basket is a long
playing across a paper napkin in a woven basket. When I rectangle, copper-colored wicker with gold wicker trim. It The sun is still there
reach to grab a pre-sliced morsel I feel the radiating heat, sits on a cold, olive-tone marble table, with veins of dark and
confirmed by the way my Country Cream Butter slab melts light the same hues as the bread. The napkin is white and The cold is still there
so quickly. Hard on the outside, soft on the inside, delicious everyday, imprinted with typical factory designs, likely Chi-
all the way down. Mary takes another piece--crackle--and net. I wish I could ask for two more to take home with me. My heart knows
the newly diminutive white loaf resumes its cockeyed stance Five loaves and two fish, though there are no fish present.
against the dark. She smiles, wipes her hands, opens another
foil-wrapped butter slab. Only the butt of the dark loaf is
Page 7 The Sycamore September 15, 2010

Opinion
Choose Your Habits Wisely
Ania Chapska
Staff Writer
Why is it so difficult to acquire a “good” habit and
so easy to pick up a “bad” one? And why do some
“good” habits turn into obsessive behaviors, hence
becoming “bad?” We constantly pick up habits
throughout our lives - from our parents, peers, soci-
ety, personal desires, and yet the ones that don’t serve
us are tricky to shake off, while the ones we aspire to
obtain require dedication and heavy self-discipline.
According to research, the average time to form a habit
is 66 days, and this is a statistic based on habits which
people wish to attain, such as an exercise routine, a
healthy diet, or meditation practice. But what about the
habits of drinking, smoking, or nail biting? I know from
personal experience that it takes a lot of recondition-
ing and a sufficient amount of time to drop some pretty
hideous habits, hence the phrase “old habits die hard.”
I’m not sure if 66 days is long enough to lose a
deeply embedded habit, unless, of course, it is re-
placed by a different habit, in which case, I won’t ar-
gue with the statistics. It all depends on how long
that habitual pattern has been a part of one’s life.
I met a 90 year old man in India who has quit smok-
ing cigarettes over 50 years ago and still every morn-
ing, he would go out on his stoop and sit there, hold-
ing an invisible cigarette, and blowing out imaginary
smoke. The cigarettes themselves were not the object
of his rooted tendency, but the somatic motion itself.
When it comes down to it, most of the things that we
do routinely become habits – from the way we brush our
teeth and eat our food, to the way we sit and sleep. Are
we just habitual beings? It’s estimated that out of every
11,000 signals we receive from our senses, our brain only
consciously processes 40, which means that everything
that our brain does not process is a habit. So what would
it take to lose all of our habits, and transform into entire-
ly new beings? Would we need to further condition our
minds with repetitive actions, or try to be more mindful
of every action? Would that require for us to create ut-
ter chaos in our lives and do things differently every-
day? What if subscribe to the position that our habits
make us who we are, it then seems necessary to address in values i.e., improving what matters most to them.
them directly if we desire to improve and evolve, right?
This could span the spectrum of quitting smok-
Yet, as I see it, what is most paramount in an indi- ing to saying hello more frequently, but no mat-
vidual’s crusade against bad habits – as well as her or ter the items; chances are we’ll make it passed the
his effort to achieve better ones – is simply a matter 66th day if we’re doing something we care about.
of choice. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the facts
of the day on what’s good and what’s bad for you. After all, a wise person once said, “Thoughts lead
Nowadays, it seems everything from coffee to hickies on to purpose, purpose leads on to actions, actions
can give you cancer. So in deciding what transforma- form habits, habits decide character, and character
tional endeavor one would like to undertake, the indi- fixes our destiny” - Tryon Edwards. Choose wisely.
vidual’s choice would be best suited if it is grounded

The Subtle Veils of Oppression: Gender vs. Qualification

Lora Fike
Staff Writer
Many of us at Naropa hold jobs in ad-
dition to our part-time or full-time stud-
ies. Among the number of us who hold
jobs in the food service industry, I imag-
ine I am not alone. I am a part-time
employee at the local Larkburger com-
pany, which was recently commended
as the “Best Burger in Boulder,” but
I am often the only woman working.
Weekly manager meetings consist of
four men: two assistant managers, a gen-
eral manager, and a regional manager.
Our restaurant is predominantly gender-
segregated, with men in the kitchen and
women operating as Front Of House
Staff. Since my employment in August
2009 there have been two women to
work in the kitchen. When I confronted
management about the lack of represen-
tation for my gender on the managerial
level, I was told that these two employees
had originally been hired with the inten-
tion that they become assistant managers.
He also suggested that our location in the
Denver Tech Center had a woman assis-
tant manager, which indicated that gen-
der was a non-issue but that our women
just “couldn’t hack it.” I would like to
nod and walk away from this encounter
assured that the issue is a matter of quali-
fication over gender, but I find myself
ity regarding the is- lose from their favorable position in the
sue, I expressed my patriarchy, and they set themselves at odds
sense of under rep- with other women who seek to empower
resentation to one each other through solidarity. That being
of my female col- said, a skilled feminist needs to keep her
leagues. Unfortu- eye out for men seeking to serve as an ally
nately, she respond- in the continued pursuit of equal rights.
ed with an overall
disdain for working To move from the macrocosm of sex-
with other women. ist social systems into the microcosm
This response rang of my workplace I want to emphasize
all too familiar with the importance of asking difficult ques-
the pervasive sense tions of oneself as well as the institu-
Larkburger establishment Jennifer Voggesser of The Sycamore of division I’ve en- tions one lives within. At Naropa it can
countered amongst be difficult for me to remember that
with more questions than answers. For fellow women. There gender can be understood as a spec-
example, what kind of work atmosphere is no denying that we still live in a world trum along which individuals vary in
struggles to retain women as employees? where on the whole, for every dollar a man expression, but that this understanding
makes a woman doing the same job makes is not a given in everyday conversation.
This is not my first job in the food indus- about seventy-five cents (with ample con-
try. I am fortunate enough to have kept in sideration to hours-worked and leave). I aspire to challenge the gender norma-
touch with a former female manager since tive hiring practices of the food service
I resigned from Famous Dave’s BBQ due Patriarchy is a hot word on Naropa’s cam- industry as well as continue the inte-
to my move from Uptown Minneapolis pus but this is a word worth addressing. gration of my education into other av-
to Boulder. On more than one occasion Feminism is often placed in opposition enues of my life. This is not only for
she confided in me that the weekly mana- to the oppressive patriarchal system and myself. Inviting terms such as “gender
gerial meetings often left her discouraged. this binary conflict perpetuates the il- queer” and topics such as “the relation-
When she voiced concerns to her col- lusion that patriarchy is synonymous ship between racism and classism” into
leagues at meetings these concerns were with men and feminism synonymous more conversations has opened up a
often attributed to her “oversensitivity” with women. This need not be the case. dialogue in my work place unceasingly.
as a woman. When my former manager’s
professional experience is undermined Gender is a social construct so deeply To rupture social expectations is to open
and I encounter my current manager’s embedded in our culture that its emotion- the door for qualifications to be evalu-
vocal aversions to women as managers, al triggers make it very difficult for many ated according to merit over stereotype.
the placating statement that ‘this not a people to take a step back and examine
gender issue’ is challenging to believe. it with a critical eye. Like my colleague,
In an attempt to muster some solidar- some women only see what they might
Page 8
Arts
Artist: Leo Jean-Luc Soula Drake-Hutchinson
Upcoming Events
• JUDD GOLDEN OF THE ACLU
SPEECH ON THE ARIZONA IMMIGRA-
TION LAW on Friday, September 17th from
12-2 PM in Sycamore 8150.
Come hear Judd Golden of the ACLU discuss
this with our community: Why is the ACLU tak-
ing up the fight to defend Human Rights? Does
this law violate our 14th amendment-civil rights?
Get the facts! Free and open to all. Sponsored by
the Office of Student Affairs on the occasion of
Constitution Day.
• CHADO: THE WAY OF TEA. JAPANESE
TEA CEREMONY WITH MIKE RICCI on
Monday, September 20th from 3-6 PM in the
Naropa Tea House.
Continuing through the summer. No need to
sign up. Anyone may come at any time and stay
as long as they like. Contact: Mike Ricci- 970-
530-0436; riccimjr@hotmail.com.
• FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT on Monday, Sep-
tember 20th from 6-10 PM on the Naropa Green.
This outdoor movie night is a kid-friendly dou-
ble feature for students as well as local families.
We will be having fresh grilled foods, drinks and
snacks.
• BEGINNING OF FALL FESTIVAL/
FAMILY CARNIVAL on Monday, September
20th -- all day -- on the Naropa Green.
Kick-off event for the Fall Festival. Features:
prizes, snacks, carnival games, and family-orient-
ed events.
• TEAM GAMES & SPORTS DAY on Tues-
day, September 21st – all day – on Arapahoe
Campus.
There will be sports and team games such as
football, capture the flag, a scavenger hunt, play-
ground games and more.
• NAROPA PET WALK on Wednesday, Sep-
tember 22nd from 5-7PM on the Naropa Green.
Beginning on the Naropa Green, all Naropans
with dogs are invited to come out for a walk
The Sycamore September 15, 2010
“Leather mask made
for a fire-breather.”
Artist: Nicholas Barth
Artist: Nicholas Barth
Title: Microgametophytes
around our city’s pet-friendly parks! The first 25
Digital image taken Spring 2010. At the corner of Marine
attendees get a free ‘doggy bag’ with pet items
and 20th, under my old apartment complex, is a concrete
and other fun prizes.
parking lot. Nothing special, just cars and concrete. One
day with drops collecting in a trough, came pollen, and
• MFA THEATER: CONTEMPORARY
with that came this moment.
PERFORMANCE on Friday, September 24th
from 7-8:30 PM in the Nalanda Studio Theater.
Butoh Showing Open Class/Works-in-progress
based on Butoh Training with Katsura Kan,
MFA Associated Artist & MFA 2nd Year Stu-
dents 6287 Arapahoe Ave., Room 9190, Boulder,
CO 80303 Free and open to the public.
• BFA SALON PERFORMANCE on Friday,
September 24th from 8-10 PM in PAC.
The BFA in Performance students and faculty
put together a night of performance to highlight
what is happening in the studio classroom. This
event is open to the public. Admission: TBA
• FREE DRIVE THROUGH FAST FOOD,
KIND-OF, on Thursday, September 24th from
6-11PM in the Student Lounge/Parking Lot
(Arapahoe Campus).
‘Naropa Style’ sit-down/drive-thru fast food res-
taurant – meaning healthy versions of fast food
favorites like burgers, shakes, salads and more.
And it’s all free!
• GRADUATE OPEN HOUSE on Monday,
September 27th from 7-9 PM in PAC.
Prospective students will be visiting Naropa to Artist: Rika Rossing
learn more about our various graduate degrees. This painting was the final piece in my art project “Body
Please help welcome our guests! Contact Event Shapes,” in which I paired images of dancing with ge-
& Visitation Coordinator, at admissionsevents@ ometry. It is inspired from a photograph taken by Annie
naropa.edu with any questions. Nash, of myself and two other Naropa students dancing
in the forest during our Improv Dance Class field trip.
• GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL Sacred geometry is infinitely present within the human
SCHOOL FAIR on Wednesday, September body, and I feel that the act of dance creates an electrify-
29th from 11:30-2:30 PM in PAC. ing charge very much like my wonder of geometry.
Join us for this excellent networking event and
learn more about graduate or professional school.
20 schools/programs from around the country Editor’s Note: The Sycamore is a bi-weekly publication released on
plan to attend. Free to all Naropa students, alum- the 1st and 15th of each month. Beginning this semester, issues released
ni, faculty, and staff as well as the general public. on the 1st will be available in print and online at www.thesycamore.org.
Issues released on the 15th will only be available online.