THE OREDIGGER

The student voice of the Colorado School of Mines

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Volume 93, Issue 1 Sepember 3, 2012
OREDIGGER JON DEMPSTER

News News

Hazardous waste disposal is a hot topic

Features 6

Celebration of Mines kicks off the semester

Mines football kicks off the season with a 57-16 win over William Jewell College. Read more on page 10.

Sports 10

DiggerNet unveils Be memorable in the resume builder 30 seconds or less

Joshua Kleitsch Staff Writer
For students looking for a way to maximize their chances of landing a dream job this fall, the Colorado School of Mines Career Center is a great place to start. With the new DiggerNet system fully operational, Mines students now have a wealth of knowledge and job-searching resources at their fingertips. Lin Sherman, the Director of Recruitment for the Career Center, presented on how to get the most out of DiggerNet last week. Sherman gave tips on where to look for vital information on companies and networking, resume examples and templates, as well as a powerful job-search engine that organizes every job a student qualifies for in one place. To get the most out of DiggerNet, Sherman advises that every student upload their resume to the site. This allows students to apply for jobs through the site as soon as they see a job they like. Uploading a resume is simple, and involves navigating to the documents page and pressing the Add New button. DiggerNet also has a built-in resume builder, which will assemble a functional resume from various options. Every resume outline on the site is professional, and can be tailored to fit individual needs. To access the resume builder, navigate to the Resources tab and select Resume Builder from the dropdown menu. Sherman took special care to mention the host of networking and career day resources on the site, including workshops, special recruiting events, signing up for interviews, and of course applying for jobs. The main topic of Shermans presentation was resumes, with advice on what is appropriate for a college resume. Sherman pointed out that they had surveyed employers, and the first piece of advice is, One page long, unless you have 10-15 years of experience or youre a Ph.D. The next piece of advice was that it should be easy to read. Use one font throughout (10-12 pt. is a good size) and keep it simple and readable. What theyre most interested in is Colorado School of Mines, your major, and your graduation date. This tells them whether youre looking for full-time or an internship. She continued, saying that a good resume will have relevant work experience after education, with industry or internship experience most prominently displayed above any other jobs. Continued at resume on page 3

Rima Baliga Staff Writer

Cross Country attends CSU invitational

Opinion 12

Minds at Mines asks about your summer

With Career Day around the corner, Jean Manning-Clark, Director of the Career Center and Employer Relations, provided tips on how to positively attract potential employers during Career Day. The first step to making a good impression during Career Day begins with the five Ps, which are plan, prepare, practice, personal appearance, and performance. To plan, Manning-Clark suggests going through the Career Day Program Guide and creating a list of ones top 25 companies, and adjusting the list as appropriate. Before attending Career Day, submit applications on DiggerNet as well as on employers websites. Applying on DiggerNet ensures that a students application is associated with the School of Mines and applying on employers websites satisfies employers equal opportunity requirements. Manning-Clark said that online applications were what allowed for 992 interviews to be conducted on campus in one day, after last years Career Day. Additional preparation for Career Day includes bringing extra copies of a resume. Manning-Clark recommends bringing enough to place in the resume drop-off location and to hand out to recruiters if needed. Bringing a portfolio or notebook is a good idea, as they can be used to store extra resumes, employ-

ers pamphlets, and notes. When speaking with recruiters, ask them if note taking is alright. Recruiters might appreciate such attentiveness and involvement. To practice for this event, students should create a 30-second commercial of themselves to present to recruiters. Students should mention their year and major, and explain why they are interested in their area of study. Inform recruiters of notable achievements and goals, and conclude this speech. When it comes to personal presentation, the type of position can have some influence on attire. For students looking for a full-time job, a suit is a must, whereas for an internship business casual is appropriate. Employers have been notified that students, especially freshmen, will be stopping by Career Day during their short breaks or exploring the career fair for the first time. At the very least, wearing semi-formal attire will make a good impression. Manning-Clark also suggests students not begin Career Day by speaking to their top company choice. By speaking to other companies first, students can calm the nerves and get those initial jitters out of the way. When approaching a recruiter, began with a firm handshake, give the 30-second commercial and remember to smile and maintain eye contact. Continued at memorable on page 3

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september 3, 2012

Joshua Kleitsch, Staff Writer

Bristol, England - The shape of a beer glass may have an impact on how fast one empties it, according to a study of social beer-drinkers in the United Kingdom. Angela Attwood, a University of Bristol experimental psychologist, organized a study in which self-identified social drinkers were given equal amounts of a lager beer and asked to drink it while watching a nature documentary. One group was given the lager in a curved beer flute, while the other group was given the beer in a straight glass. Attwood observed that the group with the straight glasses finished the 354 mL of beer they were given in an average of 13 minutes, while the drinkers who were given the beer in the curved flutes finished the 354 mL in less than 8 minutes. While the study is not entirely conclusive, Attwood points out, it does show that people have difficulty gauging how fast they are drinking when the glass is curved.

St. Louis, Missouri - Some of the most robust of the antibioticresistant bacteria found in hospitals today may have come from soil, according to a genome study on soil samples taken from across the United States. Gautam Dantas, biologist at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that soil is filled with genes identical to those found in bacteria that are known to be disease causing, such as E. Coli and Staphylococcus. These bacteria then can pass resistant genes to other types of bacteria, causing antibiotic resistance in a wide variety of bacteria.

Grenoble, France - Scientists have nearly perfected a way to measure the mass of individual molecules by placing them on a microscopic vibrating beam known as a nanobridge and measuring the change in the frequency of vibration. Initially devised by a group of researchers at Caltech in Pasadena, California, the technique has been refined by a group of scientists at the French Atomic Energy Commision in Grenoble. This new work involves vibrating each end of the nanobridge at different frequencies, allowing observers to measure both the mass of the molecule and its position on the beam. The former method of simply vibrating the beam and measuring the frequency change would yield different mass readings for the same molecule based on its position on the beam.

Mainz, Germany - The Amazon rainforest appears to seed its own rainfall by releasing potassium-rich aerosols into the atmosphere. A recent study by Christopher Pohlker, an atmospheric chemist at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany, has shown that the core of most raindrops in the study area was composed of potassium salt. This suggests that the plants in the forest are pushing tiny, microscopic particles of the salt into the atmosphere. The humid air over the rainforest condenses onto the salt particles, producing rain.

Oredigger Staff
Katie Huckfeldt Editor-in-Chief Deborah Good Managing Editor Steven Wooldridge Webmaster Barbara Anderson Design Editor Lucy Orsi Business Manager of Advertising Ian Mertz Copy Editor Arnaud Filliat Asst. Copy Editor Trevor Crane Content Manager Stephen Hejducek Content Manager David Tauchen Faculty Advisor

Headlines from around the world

Joshua Kleitsch, Staff Writer
Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, denounced Egypts newly elected president, Mohammed Morsi, after the Egyptian leader supported the uprising in Syria. Syria is Irans strongest ally in the region, and the comments from Egypts new leader have heated up the tensions between the two countries. Additionally, Egypt has continued to honor its peace treaty with Israel, contrary to Irans desires. New reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicate that Iran has doubled enriched uranium production capacity at its nuclear sites just outside the capital city of Tehran. Iran is continuing to prevent international inspectors from gaining access to the sites. The Pakistani organization known as the Haqqani is likely to be branded as a terrorist organization by the Obama administration, pending discussions between White House officials and the Pakistani government. Officials are hesitant to make the decision due to the fact that there is an American soldier being held by the Haqqani, and Taliban peace talks would likely cease if the Haqqani are branded terrorists. Former Navy SEAL Matt Bissonnette, author of No Easy Day, a first-person account of the raid on Osama Bin Laden, has been threatened with legal action by the Pentagon for material breach of nondisclosure agreements. Bissonnette has issued a statement claiming that he did not violate any nondisclosure agreements and that the contents of his book were carefully written in order to avoid any security leaks. The book goes on sale September 4, 2012. James Holmes, the man accused in the Aurora theater shooting, sent a detailed account of his attack plans to University of Colorado psychiatrist Dr. Lynne Fenton the day before his attack. Further investigation by the prosecution shows that Holmes attempted to reach Dr. Fenton about nine minutes before raiding the theater. One off-the-shelf piece of software has changed the face of modern spy surveillance for many countries around the world, according to a report by computer scientists Morgan Marquiz-Boire, a Security Engineer at Google, and Bill Marczak. The pair have identified the spyware software FinSpy after chasing the surveillance tool over five continents. Current reports have suggest that over a dozen countries have been using this spy tool to capture screenshots of remote computers, record Skype conversations, and hack into surveillance cameras remotely.

Local News
CU students, who attempted to book a party bus to transport them to the CU vs. CSU football game in Denver, found themselves stranded in Denver Saturday. About 20 students reserved a party bus through a company claiming to be My Denver Party Bus. The bus conducted them to Denver, but never arrived to pick them up. The number they contacted indicated the bus was broken, but another My Denver Party Bus number told the students another company was impersonating them. In the first case in Colorado since 2006, a 7-year-old Pagosa Springs girl is recovering from bubonic plague at a Denver hospital. She likely contracted the disease when camping with her family northwest of Pagosa Springs and has been in the hospital since August 25. Two Boulder students plead guilty this week to first-degree criminal trespassing charges after spraying a group of people with bear repellant and crashing their scooter when the fumes blew back at them. A man fell twenty feet from a wall overlooking the Civic Center Bus Station and was seriously injured while attending the Taste of Colorado Festival. The Denver Fire Department reported he was taken to the hospital in full respiratory arrest. A southwestern Colorado man charged in a fatal shooting plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. His plea deal resulted in more serious charges including first degree murder being dropped.

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september 3, 2012

Challenge program offers freshmen a head start DiggerNet unveils

the resume builder
Continued from page 1 Weve had people that wanted to put on why they left their last job. That sort of thing doesnt go on there at all. Sherman emphasized that negative comments of any kind do not belong on a resume, and will only make a recruiter uncomfortable. These are the essentials of a good resume, The absolutes, said Sherman. Students should not include personal pictures, cute or cool graphics, logos, and political affiliations. References should not be included, and in general there is no need to write

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Katerina Gonzales Staff Writer

references available on the resume. There were many other great tips and tricks in Shermans presentation, and all of this information can be found on DiggerNet along with example resumes and blank outlines. The Mines Career Center provides many great resources to improve chances of succeeding in a job search.To access the new DiggerNet website, go to minescsm.symplicity.com and select student/alumni. Click forgot password if you have not used the new DiggerNet before, and use your CWID as your login ID.

Be memorable in 30 seconds or less

Continued from page 1 When asked questions about specific situations, use the STAR method to form an answer. Provide the situation, task, action, and result. If asked a tough question, do not feel the need to quickly answer. Take a deep breath and answer as well as possible.

Interview with confidence

Aaron Pfeifer Staff Writer
Career Day is just around the corner, September 11, which means the Career Center is busy helping students and alumni alike prepare for the big day. One such event was the Interview with Confidence Workshop, sponsored by Shell. Debbie Behnfield, Recruitment Coordinator for the Career Center, has worked to prepare students for Career Day for five years. One of the main points of the workshop was to highlight that an interview should be a conversation. In a conversation, one should be relaxed and breathe deeply. The interviewer just wants to see if an individual is a good fit for the company, just as an interviewee should be seeing if the company is a good fit for them. Behnfield said, Part of the interview process is looking for red flags; are you the weird one? Even if the candidate is the weird one, he or she may still stand a chance by using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) Method of answering questions. We relate things through stories, and that is what the STAR method helps interviewees do. Additionally, a conversation requires both parties to participate. They want to know you planned for the interview, said Behnfield. Be sure to bring company notes and have questions ready.

Finally, Manning-Clark states that 99.9% of [students] will make a mistake during Career Day. Making mistakes is normal, and might even endear a student to recruiters. Students can gain more assistance on maximizing their Career Day at the Career Center, which is located next to the Registrar in the Student Center.

grounds, and 41% were female. They spent all four weeks living in Weaver Towers, eating at Slate, This year, 39 students were and taking courses to get a taste granted admission to CSM on the of college life. stipulation that they pass the MulStephen Candelaria said, ticultural Engineering Programs Challenge for me was an absolute annual four week preparation proand utter blessing. The opportunity gram known as Challenge. Chalto come to school a month early lenge gives students an opportuniand to get a taste of what Mines ty to prove they should be at Mines academics is really all about was a by completing a rigorous series of huge benefit for me just to know classes before the fall semester what I was getting in to. To come begins. to school now and already have a Challenge was a huge lifehuge network of people was such changer. It prepared me an advantage because for Mines and helped me Challenge was a huge life changer. It I already felt at home make many friends who when I got on the Mines I can relate to. At first I prepared me for Mines and helped me campus. It gave me that was iffy about the whole solid foundation that I idea but I dont regret any make many friends who I can relate to. needed for academic second of it, said Jimmy success and I got to Nguyen, who went through Chal- students also took trips to IBM, meet a whole heap of people who lenge in 2011. A few other Chal- Bureau of Reclamation, Ball, and ended up becoming my closest lenge students expressed hesitan- CSMs Edgar Mine. One Saturday friends that I consider like family. cy before going through Challenge. afternoon was spent doing comThe Challenge students felt I was on edge about the idea es- munity service, while another was like family by the end of the expecially since I would be leaving spent on a ropes course which perience, making chemistry jokes Texas. However, Challenge turned helped the students bond and and having prank wars. As for the out to be better than I could possi- form their own community. adjustment to rigor of fall classes, bly imagine, said Chris Matthews. This summer, the students Nohemi Almaraz said, It is going The Challenge classes are in- hailed from four different states, well so far, but I am still learning to tense review for some and intro- many different ethnic back- manage my time.
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duce new concepts for others. MATH100 reviews concepts from algebra, geometry, and trigonometry with introductory topics in calculus. CHGN111 covers topics from Chemistry I and II and includes a lab. It gave me the opportunity to see what a college class would be like, Brooke Kelly reflected. For Challenge, the students have a heavy load of homework each day, exams at the end of each week, along with the lab reports. During the four weeks, the

The Challenge progam is sponsered by MEP, Multicultural Engineering Program.

One student asked about the dreaded, Name one strength, name one weakness question. Behnfield responded, You should think about strengths before you go in, weaknesses should be something from the past. She also added that individuals should be able to explain how they fixed that problem. This is a technique to use to deflect the question. Behnfield recommended not saying anything about being a perfectionist, but be honest. Behnfield also recommended those looking for work this Career Day attend the WIRED Event on Monday, September 10, where companies pay to help answer students questions about any part of the job-seeking process from common interview questions, to how the employees like their company. Companies goals are to meet with as many students as they can, Behnfield said. This is also why Optimal Resume, a site accessible through Diggernet to help with resumes, cover letters and interviews, is paid for by Shell. The Career Center will be holding events almost every day leading up to Career Fair to help students prepare. They also ask that students schedule a time to come in, review their resume, create a cover letter, or take advantage of the plethora of other services provided. However, they also welcome walk-ins, 8 am to 5 pm.

ASCSM is now USG and that is good news

Matthew McNew USG President
The Associated Students Colorado School of Mines (ASCSM) was initiated in 1954. Throughout the years ASCSM has served as the campus Student Government. It helped make the Student Recreation Center, ORC, and Brown Building realities. It postponed the onset of the Plus/Minus grading system, supported countless clubs, founded Mines Activity Council and preserved Mines most sacred tradition, E-Days. It is not perfect, there have been plenty of struggles. For years the Student Government has fumbled around its undescriptive name. This problem was intensified two years ago when the Graduate Students split from ASCSM with a joint operating agreement. This relationship left two separate and unique governing organizations: ASCSM, the Undergraduate Student Government, and GSA, the Graduate Student Association. Long story short, ASCSM was no longer just an undescriptive name, it was inaccurate. Today, we are pleased to announce that the long overHowever, without the support due name change has officially taken place. The Undergradu- and commitment of the Student ate Student governing body is Body, USG is powerless. Stunow named the Undergraduate dents need to fulfill their civic duty Student Government. The old at Mines, run for office, vote in name isnt forgotten. ASCSM will elections. voice their concerns, describe the joint operation be- help us find solutions and put tween the two governing bodies. pressure on your representatives. This year USG representatives The support for this change was evident, it was approved unani- look forward to working with all of mously by the 2012-2013 repre- you. Please dont hesitate to talk to us. sentatives. Now, USG can proceed to acCOURTESY ORGSYNC.COM complish its mission and be the true representative student government it was designed to be. Because its name confusion is in the past, the true power of your student government is actually attainable. It doesnt end there; we are working to become a more visible, transparent, and influential force on Matthew McNew, USG president, encourages campus. students to talk to the student government.

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Campus research Hazardous waste is a major looks at wireless but manageable issue technology
Deborah Good Managing Editor Chinmay Upadhyay Staff Writer
avalanche monitoring. Theres no one else we know thats looking at wireless dam monitoring. There As the global community be- are lots of groups working on these comes increasingly digitized, there wireless sensing devices, theyre is another feature of the techno- just working on different types of logical revolution on the rise wire- applications. Tracy Camp Q: Is there anything youre less systems. CSMs Tracy Camp expecting to disis overseeing a outside research group As the global commu- cover your research to study and develop these nity becomes increas- motives? A: Some of systems. ingly digitized, there is our students work From predicting ava- another feature of the on looking at how we can use these lanches and wireless dam failures technological revolu- small, sensing devices to to real mobility data, this tion on the rise wire- try to predict when an earth dam group of stuless systems might fail. Curdents is utilizrently, the United ing their knowledge of computer science to solve States has 85,000 earth dams problems in both the lab and the and about 50,000 of them are past world. The Oredigger met with their expected lifetime, so theyre the group to ask a few questions going to start failing. Current monitoring techniques about their research. Question: What are the ap- used on them are wired surveys plications/further implications that only happen once every five years. So, if we could deploy a of your research? Answer: We study mobility wireless type of instrument to surmodels and these models are very vey the dam continually, we might important when we, for example, be able to predict before it fails. are running simulations for experi- Tracy Camp Q: Before researching, what ments and mobile scenarios. The biggest challenge is how to do is the necessary prior knowlthat in a realistic way. The result edge? A: It depends on what projwill be that when we do our evaluation, well be making correct as- ect youre working on. All of my students have a pretty significant sumptions. learning curve when they started Thyago Mota Q: Is research in this area the group. They had to learn more than I know so that they could hot/active or cold/lacking? A: From all the conferences, move forward with their research. Id say its pretty hot. I think that But, I also think that makes it fun, on the bigger scale of it, for the its always fun to learn new things. Tracy Camp other projectsits also sort of an Q: In your opinion, what is interdisciplinary program as well the amount of opportunity to col- the most interesting aspect of lect continuous data in a real-time, this work? A: I think the thing thats most meaningful way, in a way that will help society in general, is huge interesting is the actual practical right now and its happening in application of learning new things a way that weve never seen be- in computer sciencelike artificial intelligence and machine learnfore. Doug Hakkarinen I would say its pretty impor- ingand being able to apply them to something tant because just look at what From predicting avalanches thats physical and out we all carry in and dam failures to real in the real our pockets. world. The computamobility data, this group James Mation power in her our pockets is I love the greater than the of students is utilizing their impact. The computation knowledge of computer sci- impact you power we used to get to the ence to solve problems in can have on the world. moon. So, if you both the lab and the world Tracy Camp I love could leverage what Im dothat, like what Thyago is doing where hes actu- ing. I love doing simulations and ally following mobile phones, you performance evaluations. I like could work on building networks to learn how these things try to on that and having them integrate model the real world, to do things wirelessly with sensors in your in a more accurate way. You have house and sensors in your cloth- to make sure that when we do this ing. That seems to be the direction stuff, were not losing too much. It that computer science has taken. should not affect the experiments we want to have. Thyago Mota Trevor Whitney The biggest thing for me is The applications that were working on are unique to our that its nice to be something thats group and thats what helps gets on the forefront. In engineering, us known. Theres no one else we electromagnetic theory has been know whos working on sensing around for several hundred years. while youre doing an underground So, its nice to be working on boring. Theres no one else that something thats new. Michael we know whos doing wireless Coughlin vicinity of your lab. It cant be two labs down, it cant be one floor up. Suggested locations include fume hoods, the floor, and chemical storage cabinets. Waste stored in these areas needs to be clearly designated using pink labels provided by the Environmental Health & Safety office (EHS). These labels must be specific and complete, including the constituents and concentrations of the constituents as well as the researchers information. Make sure everything on your waste tag is identified, said Chavez. SAAs must also be neat as they may be inspected by the state of Colorado at any time. They can come whenever they want to, said Chavez. These inspectors look for such issues as dirty, crusty reagent containers, improper or unsafe chemical storage, open or leaking containers,

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september 3, 2012

USGs first meeting brings change to CSM student government

Aaron Pfiefer Staff Writer
ASCSM is now USG. During the first meeting of the 20122013 school year, ASCSM (Associated Students of the Colorado School of Mines) voted unanimously to change the councils name to Undergraduate Student Government, or USG for short. The name change comes one year after the undergraduate and graduate student government councils separated into two separate entities working under a joint operating agreement. The resolution was written by the new student body president Matthew McNew with aid from the former Director of Student Activities, Marie Hornickel. McNew explained, Naming ourselves USG is a progressive move that will help us usher in a new, more competent student government. Derek Morgan, the Associate Dean of Students, announced that he will be the overseeing advisor to the USG until a replacement can be found for Marie Hornickel. As many may know, Hornickel left CSM earlier this month to move back home to the Midwest to be closer to family. Further faculty changes announced at the meeting included a new head of Public Safety, Greg Boholen. This first meeting of the newly elected student government also marked the first meeting in which the the class representatives did not include class treasurers. Previously, treasurers could only vote in budget committee meetings for reallocation and not in ASCSM meetings. After some discussion in the previous year about the need for class treasurers, and since all the class treasure positions were vacant after last semesters elections, the council voted unanimously to remove the position from the council. The class representatives now consist of a president and three representatives for a total of four votes for each class out of a total of 20 (including the Board of Student Organizations). Currently, freshmen are in the process of class elections. Monday, September 3, 2012 is the start of the freshmen class elections. To vote for freshmen representatives a student must be

We have to track everything from cradle to grave and thats what we do on this campus, said Environmental Health and Safetys (EHS) Danelle Chavez in a recent presentation on hazardous waste management. Chavez began by defining hazardous waste as listed waste and characteristic wastes. Listed wastes are determined by the EPA, but as Chavez said, Were more worried about characteristic waste. Characteristic waste is any waste which is ignitable, corrosive, toxic, or reactive. Ignitable wastes are liquids with flash points less than 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Corrosive wastes have a pH less than 2 or greater than 12.5. Reactive wastes liberate cyanide or sulfide gas when exposed to air, and toxicity is deCOURTESY USA EPA termined based on concentration of compounds. The first step in managing hazardous waste is to properly store the waste. It ought to be put into appropriate containers, such as those available in Chauvenet and Coolbaugh Hall, and should be segregated by type and stored safely. A large component of handling hazardous waste is focused around the management of Satellite Accumulation Areas or SAAs. These are temporary waste accumulation areas near the point of waste generation. Chavez explained an SAAneeds to be within the Hazardous waste needs to be tracked from cradle to grave.

and lack of training. Chemicals cannot be stored in an SAA for more than six months. Additionally, more than 55 gallons may also not be accumulated. EHS makes rounds to collect chemicals; researchers merely need to provide the appropriate information. Submit your waste when containers are full, rather than waiting for an in-house inspection notice, Chavez said. In addition to properly managing waste, Chavez urged researchers to minimize waste. Unused chemicals can be returned to the CSDF storage facility. Only the necessary amounts of a chemical should be requested. Spills should be avoided and labs kept clean. Attending hazardous waste safety training is mandatory for anyone researching with chemicals or ordering chemicals from the school supplies.

a freshman by credit hours (less than 30 credit hours). Freshmen can login to Trailhead, go to Self Service, Student, ASCSM Elections & Student Surveys to vote for their choices. The council also appointed Erin Nawacki to At-Large Representative to the Community after an unexpected departure by the winner of last semesters spring election. Jonas Cafferty of MAC also stopped by to introduce himself to the council and announce that the cancelled E-days fireworks show from last semester will occur over Homecoming weekend. The council is scheduled to meet every other Thursday with the campus invited to attend. The next general meeting will happen Thursday, September 6, 2012 in Ballroom D at which time the newly elected Freshmen class will also join the council. Students can look up their current undergraduate student government officers at mines. orgsync.com/org/usg/officers. Students with any questions, feedback, or ideas for changes at Mines are encouraged to contact their class representatives.

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september 3, 2012

The skill many engineers wish they didnt need

The importance of writing as an engineer
Larry Borrowsky Mines Magazine
Weeks before the space shuttle Challenger launch of January 28, 1986, two engineers from aerospace contractor Morton Thiokol concluded that an O-ring on the shuttles solid rocket boosters was susceptible to failure. The engineers provided their test data to their supervisors at Morton Thiokol and to NASA officials, all of whom disregarded the report. The incident has become perhaps the most heavily studied engineering failure of all time. The federal government immediately launched an investigation, and the ensuing report contained thousands of pages of data, testimony and analysis. Hundreds of books and articles have since been written about the Challenger disaster, focusing on everything from faulty engineering, to lax oversight, to organizational dysfunction at NASA. But very few of those inquiries have focused on a plain and simple fact: the disaster was the result of a failure to communicate effectively. Dorothy Winsor, an English professor at Iowa State University and a respected analyst of technical communications, contends that the Morton Thiokol engineers didnt effectively communicate the test results that predicted the O-ring failure. They apparently believed that if they simply sent the data to their managers, the managers would automatically be convinced by it, she writes. The meaning of the data required interpretation. The existence of data alone was insufficient to create knowledge. This type of blind spot still exists in engineering, but it is getting smaller, not only in industry, but also in engineering education. Colorado School of Mines has been at the forefront of a growing trend to incorporate communications training into engineering curricula. Although many undergraduates arrive on campus with the expectation (and hope) that their courses wont require much in the way of writing, they quickly learn that they cannot earn a Mines degree without gaining some facility with the machinery of language. Writing is not my strongest skill, says recent graduate Andrea Ham 08, nor is it what I wanted to do in any of my classes. But despite my grumbling, Im thankful for all the practice I got in the various forms of writing that I will need as a professional. Many of our graduates will be moving into management within a few years, adds Jon Leydens, writing program administrator at Mines. When they do, the skill set they need will shift dramatically. Theyll need skills that they may not recognize as part of their engineering tool kit. Students need communication skills in the workplace and engineering institutions need them in their curricula. An ability to communicate effectively is one of the 11 requirements listed in ABETs Criterion 3, which enumerates desired outcomes for graduating students. U.S. engineering schools have been understandably hesitant to embrace this trend. The volume of technical and scientific material that must be packed into a four-year undergraduate program continues to grow, and theres precious little time left over. But Mines has used creative approaches to win faculty buy-in and develop a robust writing program that is tightly integrated with core engineering curricula. At Mines, we learn that engineering is the bridge between the scientific community and the everyday world, says Zach Aman, a graduate student studying chemical engineering and the former editor of The Oredigger newspaper. Effective communication is as essential as superior technical ability if we are to truly succeed. That may not have always been the message at Mines. Matt Moore 96 says when he attended Mines in the mid-1990s,writing was out of sight, out of mind. We didnt get any education on it. And that was okay until I got into the work force. Thats where I learned that communicating clearly and efficiently is a tremendous tool. Without it, we end up selling our intelligence short. Our final product is typically a written report, adds Lauren Evans 82, president of a Lakewoodbased consulting firm called Pinyon Environmental Engineering Resources. A lot of times the work is for a client whos not a technical person, such as a banker or a real estate developer, so we have to be able to communicate our findings and recommendations to them in a way they can understand. Moreover, she says, the report has to be persuasive. Its not enough simply to present data clearly; that data must also be placed into context and shaped into an argument. In other words, rhetorical skills are important for the engineer. While the term rhetoric can be used correctly to describe overly elaborate, pretentious and insincere speech, its primary meaning is much more positive, referring to the art of using language effectively and persuasively. Winsors charge against the Morton Thiokol engineers is that their report lacked an effective rhetorical component: People needed to persuade one another of the meaning of the data they had, but they failed to do so, partly because they did not seem to know such persuasion was necessary. The need to overhaul writing instruction at Mines began to surface in the early 1990s. In conversations with employers of Mines graduates, says Leydens, faculty and administrators were hearing again and again that Mines did a fantastic job of preparing graduates who were technically excellent, superior to peer institutions, but we were lacking in the area of communications, especially writing. Then the 1994 alumni survey came in, and it too indicated that our quality was high for technical education, but not for professional skills such as writing. In 1998 Leydens was appointed to the newly formed Writing Across the Curriculum committee, a group of about half a dozen faculty charged with bolstering the writing curriculum at Mines. The committee asked each academic department to name a designated WAC liaison, and it used those channels to gather input from across campus and build consensus around key program features. One major decision made early on concerned whether to segregate communications instruction from the rest of the curriculum by, for instance, requiring a sequence of composition courses, or alternatively, to integrate it within existing coursework. The committee, and most liaisons, argued for the latter, so that students would come to regard writing and communicating as engineering tasks. If you outsource writing instruction to a division of liberal arts, you send the message that its not that important for engineers and scientists, says Leydens. But if engineering and science faculty incorporate it into their assignments, the students write texts that directly relate to their field. For example, geological engineers might write the type of report that a geological consultant would write, giving students the message that effective writing is a vital professional skill. Todays Mines undergraduates get writing instruction from the moment they arrive. During their first two years, they take three required courses that carry significant writing loads: Engineering Design I and II, and Nature and Human Values. In addition to upper-division requirements in the liberal arts, students in their junior and senior years must take another 12 credits in their major that are designated as writingintensive in the Undergraduate Bulletin. This approach carries a major challenge. It requires engineering and scientific faculty to teach writing in their own courses and many were initially apprehensive about that prospect, even while they recognized the importance of teaching communications. To address those concerns, WAC instituted annual faculty workshops and ongoing consultations focused on incorporating writing into technical courses. Since 1998 more than 70 faculty members have attended these workshops, and more than 40 have received WAC consultationssignificant numbers on a campus with around 200 full-time faculty. Kevin Moore, an engineering professor who took the WAC workshop, is in a good position to comment on the content. In his previous post at Utah State University, he administered a portion of their Senior Design class, into which he incorporated a novel and very successful writing program. His overall impression of the WAC workshop was positive, particularly the emphasis placed on writing for a variety of different purposes. He pointed out that academic faculty tend to be most familiar with writing for academic journals that are read by a narrow audience and generally have a similar purpose. On the other hand, engineers in the professional world face a diverse audience and will end up writing for a wide variety of purposes. As faculty, we need to make sure our writing assignments are a good match for the content of the course and for the needs of our students. Leydens believes the strength of the WAC model ultimately rests in its high degree of faculty involvement and commitment. Some programs try to mandate; we try to enable, so that faculty can teach writing in the way that best serves their needs and supports their overall educational objectives. Some Mines students may always chafe at writing and communication assignments. But most undergrads become less hostile once they gain a little exposure and improve their abilities. And without question, they recognize that good writing skills will help them professionally. I think my written skills have improved enough so that peers and superiors will take me seriously and will be able to focus on the content of my writing instead of the writing itself, says Ham. I was often irritated about being forced to write, she adds, but Im grateful to Mines for forcing me to do it.

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The stars above Mines: Validating a legacy

should focus on the legacy that was left by both the man and the program which provided the There are few things as hum- world with one of the greatest bling as learning your place in the displays of human achievement Winning the space race cosmos, and arguably no group of men and women understand brought numerous benefits to this better than the brave and America and the world. A sense noble astronauts. Only a select of pride and achievement was group of humans have had the evident, and plenty of technolochance to journey into space, gies from the program have found their way into comand even fewer have made Thats one small step mon society as the building blocks of the trek to our nearby moon. for man, one giant leap the modern era. Yet, the legacy Yet of the many for mankind. that deserves spehumans to call cial focus can be earth home, only a lonely dozen individuals summed up with one important have had the privilege to step phrase heard around the world, foot upon our grey and white Thats one small step for man, neighbor. And while unfortunately one giant leap for mankind. Fewmany of these men have escaped er arrangements of words have high recognition, one man will al- carried such a potent meaning. It ways stay in the conscious of hu- is true that the physical first step on the moon was, from a physimanity- Neil Armstrong. There will be many moments ological stand point, a very small to reflect on Armstrongs life, effort. In reality, it was less of a training, and character during the small step and more of a minusnext few months, but for now, we cule hop. Yet history has shown

John Bristow Staff Writer

that it has been a giant leap for pened with a great man, a man is a sad reality that since his era mankind. Just over half a millen- who will live on in the memory of we have yet to see more human nium ago, humankind was just humanity until the very end. Neil footprints across our universe. beginning to explore itself; we Armstrong will be missed, and it Per Aspera Ad Astra. COURTESY NASA sent out tendrils of connection to other groups and discovered that there was more beyond our territories and masses of rock and dirt. Slightly more than a century ago we took another leap, flying into the skies. And on July 21, 1969, Armstrong helped humankind to extend their exploration beyond the earth. What is remarkable and truly defines the phrase giant leap is the short amount of time that was required to break our atmospheric barrier and leave prints on a whole different world. While the first step could have been taken by any number of humans, propelled by any nation, in any number of technoOn July 21, 1969 Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, helping logical decades, it hap-

humankind extend their exploration beyond the Earth.

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The 2013 McBride class studied the relationship between culture and engineering during a month-long foreign area over the past summer
ing the public bus system to go shopping or out to eat. The language was coming easier and The McBride Honors Program each student was slowly falling offers students a minor in public into a comfortable routine in a affairs. Students apply for the place once completely foreign. program during their freshman At the end of their stay, the group year, and if accepted, will contin- said a heartfelt goodbye to their ue for the entirety of their under- teachers and new friends. Dalian graduate career. An option within had become home for the time the program is a foreign area being, but it was time to continue study. Students prepare for the the journey. trip the spring prior to their sumIn the early morning a bus mer excursion. This year the 2013 took the travelers to the Dalian McBride class took a 5,000-mile ferry port crowded with people flight across the Pacific to spend and cargo alike. After a six-hour 26 days in mainland China. The ride across the Gulf of China, the trip was lead by Professor Carl ferry docked in the city of Yan Mitcham, an LAIS professor and Tai. After a brief one-night stay seasoned China traveler. in the city it was time to travel For eleven engineering stu- again. The group boarded a train dents at the Colorado School of the next morning for a ten and a Mines their journey to China be- half hour ride through the coungan months before stepping onto tryside; their ultimate destination, a plane. The McBride students Qufu, the home and birthplace of had long-anticipated their foreign Chinese philosopher Confucius. area study since joining the pro- Once reaching the final train stagram as freshman. After years of tion, tired students made their anthropology, philosophy, eco- way to the hotel and prepared for nomics and engineering courses, the day that awaited them. the trip was soon to become The following day in Qufu a reality. Once the destination showcased everything Confuwas chosen, cian. Students preparations We got to see a broad ex- wove their way began. Durthrough the exing the spring panse of Chinese culture, pansive temples semester the and gardens class dedicat- ranging from the public c o m p r i s i n g ed three hours the Confucian down to the personal a week to the grounds. In addistudy of Manthere level, and really gained a tion, to the were darin, Chinese visits trang e o g r a p h y, sense of how the Chinese quil Confucian culture and University and history. By the museum, Confulive and interact with end of June, cian family manthe group was their world. -Stephen sion and cemeready. Meettery. The students ing at the Cutler, McBride Student had studied the Denver InterConfucian Ananational Airport equipped with lects prior to their trip, and in one carry-on per student, the Qufu they saw their origins. The eleven engineers and lone phi- peace and tranquility in the anlosophy professor began their cient city was almost tangible, journey. but again it was time to move on. From Denver to San Francis- Tired and sore, the group took co, across the ocean to Beijing a two-hour bus ride during the and finally to the coastal city of night to the city of Taian. Dalian, the travelers arrived at Taian sits in the shadows their destination 23 hours later. of the holiest mountain in ChiThe first leg of the trip was spent na, Mount Tai, an intimidating at Dalian University of Technol- climb and the next challenge ogy. Students were housed in for the group. Shortly after sunthe campus dorms and attended rise the students were bused to classes for two weeks. Mornings the mountains base. The hike began with four hours of inten- is not for the faint of heart with sive Mandarin lessons and after- 5,000 feet of elevation gain and noons followed with a variety of over 7,000 ancient stone steps. classes including Chinese Phi- Along the scenic path the group losophy, Science and Technology stopped at the multiple temples, Ethics, and calligraphy. When not paying homage to a variety of in class, the group roamed the gods. By early afternoon the last city. Modern, clean, and coastal, of the hikers reached the mounDalian mimics San Francisco tains summit to look out atop the in many respects. Trips around clouds and lush hills that spread the city included an afternoon before them. It is said that the at Xinghai Square (the largest journey up the holy mountain square in Eastern Asia), explora- leads to enlightenment. Whether tion of the Tiger Beach Park and or not they found any spiritual Aquarium area, entrance to an uplifting, not a member of the international wine festival show- group was without a smile at the casing a Chinese circus, and mountains top. A cable-car ride dining at various local and down- back to the base of the mountain town restaurants. A small group was a welcome reprieve for the tackled the Dalian nightlife sing- many sore legs. That night was ing at a karaoke bar and catching the last spent in the countryside the Chinese summer blockbuster and in the city of Taian. film Painted Skin ResurrecOne last train ride brought the tion. After two weeks the group group to their final destination. A could be found causally jogging bullet train shuttled the students through campus, meeting new at amazing speeds to Chinas fafriends for a milk tea, or brav- mous capital city, Beijing. From

CSM students cross cultures in China

Katie Huckfeldt Editor-In-Chief

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the first step into the train depot much more than we realize. I can actually experiencing one. A culthe size and immensity of Bei- attest to the feelings of this group ture consists of much more than jing swept over the Americans. because I was one of the eleven. what can be put down on paper; With a population of over 25 mil- I cheered on my friends and Chi- it is dynamic, evolving, and alllion in just the metropolitan area, nese natives alike while trekking encompassing. I cant speak for Beijing dwarfs any US city. The Mount Tai. I bartered and yelled the group, but for me, this was shock of the city was tempered with a woman in a market only a life-changing experience. My by a dinner to a famous Beijing to be hugged and considered a eyes have been opened to both duck restaurant where students friend once a price was settled. the beauty and hardships of a were treated to the delicacy. The I played with a young Chinese different world. days to follow included tours to girl in the park while her mom A special thanks to our wonTiananmen Square, Forbidden laughed at us catching bubbles derful guides Wan Nan and Zhu City, the Temple of Heaven, the together. I felt foreign, yet ac- Qin, as well as the McBride proGreat Wall of China, the Summer cepted into this culture so unlike gram and Professor Carl MitPalace, the National Museum, my own. The one thing I would cham. This trip wouldnt have Olympic Park, Tsinghua Univer- say about this trip is that studying been possible without all their sity and a counter-culture art dis- a foreign culture is a far cry from hard work. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY ROY STILLWELL trict. Days were filled with the rich culture and history of the ancient country. The students even weathered the largest rainstorm in Beijing in the past 69 years. The final days of the trip let the group explore at their leisure. Some saw the Mao Mausoleum and visited additional temples while others traveled to the foreign markets Members of the McBride group take a break from climbing Mount Tai to to barter for give an incense offering to the god of the mountain. gifts to bring home. The trip home was filled with its own obstacles including rainstorms, delays, and missed flights, but everyone made it home and brought with them the experience of a lifetime. While this article has been a broad recap of the McBride students time abroad, it does little justice to the true value of the trip. When this group re- Mcbride student, David Schmidt, poses in front of a temple on the Confumembers this cian grounds. Students visited many Confucian sites in the town of Qufu. trip they wont think back to all the visited tourist spots, but rather the indescribable feel to a country so foreign. They will remember how it feels to stand out, be out-of-place, and be uncomfortable. They will remember the goodwill, generosity and kindness shown by strangers. They will remember learning that no matter how far you go people are still people, and that as humans, The group consisted of eleven engineering students, Professor Carl Mitwe share so cham from the LAIS department, and two Chinese CSM research faculty.

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SWE BBQ is a SWEet time This week in

Arnaud Filliat Assistant Copy Editor
Free food, t-shirts, drinks, gift cards, and lots of women, what is there not to love? That was the thinking behind the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) as they kicked off this year with their annual barbecue. Founded at Mines in 1978, SWE has grown from 200 members five years ago to over 400 members this year. The Colorado School of Mines student section of SWE is the largest professional organization on campus and the largest collegiate SWE section in the nation. The barbecue was highlighted by a speech from Xcel Energy on internships, job-opportunities and a giveaway. Female engineers from Xcel Energy came from all around the country, from Texas to Minnesota, to help support SWE. Xcel Energy hires over 30 interns within Colorado and has over 1,000 students applying for company positions nationally. According to the Xcel spokesperson, the positions are highly competitive, and she encourages everyone to apply in the spring. If hired as an intern for Xcel Energy, students will sit down and identify some skill sets to improve and help develop your career right from the get-go. Female dominated events are uncommon for Mines considering the schools 3-1 ratio, but SWE hosts numerous events where there are more women than men. Some of the upcoming events put on by SWE include the Evening with Industry where students can speak to representatives from various companies the night before career fair, Girl Scout Badge Day where SWE members help local girl scouts earn their badges and encourage them to pursue engineering, and the Chevron Lecture Series which highlights numerous aspects of engineering. A scholarship opportunity for SWE members is the Florence Caldwell Scholarship, which is awarded to outstanding female SWE members in remembrance of Florence Caldwell, the first female to graduate from Mines in 1898. SWE is open to men and women. Joining SWE is a one-time price of $50 and provides several benefits including scholarship opportunities and networking with company representatives. According to SWE president Lyndsey Schaefer, the club offers a really good leadership opportunity and is a fun time for guys and girls alike.
ALL PHOTOS ARNAUD FILLIAT / OREDIGGER

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Colorado history
Railroad celebration
Golden residents prepared to celebrate the coming of the Colorado Central Railroad this week in 1870. In a meeting held at Harrisons Hall, several men gave remarks before a committee was appointed to appoint another committee to arrange programme for a celebration of the railroads impending arrival. The Colorado Transcript expressed that it was pleased to see a goodly number of ladies present, who seemed to take a lively interest in the matter. An article elsewhere in the paper indicated the numerous committee meetings were a success, as the citizens of Golden were invited to attend final planning meetings and a celebration September 13 in honor of the completion of the railroad. Activities were expected to include the ringing of the church bells at sunrise, 2 pm, and sunset, the driving of the last spikes at 2 pm, prayer by the chaplain of the day, singing by the choir, addresses, and a dance in a local warehouse. Although the dedication was to be held the on September 13, the railroad company estimated that the line would not be open until sometime between September 15 and September 20, 1870. The railroad planned to lay track at the controlled rate of one half mile of track per day until it reached Golden. The Colorado Transcript urged area Democrats to attend a speech by Judge Bennet in favor of Joe Chaffees candidacy. This was not because the Transcript endorsed Chaffee; quite the opposite, the paper wanted the opposing politician heckled appropriately. The paper took issue with not only his political views, but also with his method of campaigning. They posited the Republicans ran a pretty shrewd game, but will not win this time.

Deborah Good Managing Editor

Anime club seeks anime-ted members

SWE kicks off the year with their annual barbeque and talk by Xcel Energy employees. Kyle Santi Staff Writer
leaves, said Kelly. If someone doesnt like whats being shown, they can come back in an hour. Anime Club provides an op- Then, they will most likely find portunity for fans to enjoy anime, something they would like. In a style of animation which origi- fact, the members have invented nated in Japan involving colorful a drinking game with suggestive graphics. scenes using soft drinks. The Anime Club features a variKelly manages the club of 20ety of styles. We show romantic, 30 members, made up of Mines sci-fi, and many, many others, students and alumni, who come said John Jack Kelly, president and go as they please. Someof the club. Meetings consist of times they show up, and someshowing three episodes of each of times they dont, but we average three anime television shows. The around 20, said Kelly. To join, anime is usually recent releases, simply show up. As long as you such as Sengoku Collection, arent disruptive, wed love to Space Brothers, and Shining have you. He enforces dues from Hearts. Occaclub members, sionally, older an- If someone doesnt like but no one pays imes are shown, more than $2. some dating whats being shown, The dues are for back to the special events, 1980s. Some- they can come back in said Jack, such times we show as movie nights. older animes that an hour. Then, they will Movie nights, are a must-see which show anfor any anime most likely find some- ime movies, not fan, said Kelly, thing they would like. movies related to like Cowboy a specific anime Bebop and series, happen Neon Genesis Evangelion. Re- only once or twice a semester. quests can be made by members, Every fall and spring, Denver but because of a large backlog of hosts an anime convention: Nan requests, the requested material Desu Kan in the fall and Animemay not be shown for months, or land Wasabi in the spring. The Aneven until next semester. ime Club takes a group to each. Anything can be requested Members volunteer at these conand shown, and even more pro- ventions and spend the night at vocative material, to paraphrase a nearby hotel if necessary. As Kelly. The club has received no a reward for working four to five complaints about showing the hours, volunteers earn day passmore risqu material. Anyone es so they can enjoy the convenwho objects to whats shown just tion.

SWE member shows off this years SWE T-shirt.

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Uniwar HD is a unique mix 100+ clubs

Aaron Pfeifer Staff Writer
This weeks game is a combination of Risk and Draw Something. Uniwar HD, a turn-based strategy game available on iOS and Andriod platforms, consists of a mini domination game with a 21-level campaign and multiplayer with three available races sapiens (the human race), the Khraleans (the stereotypical space bug), and the Titans (the technologically advanced humanoid aliens). The campaign is more of an extended tutorial in which players learn how to use each unit. The game ultimately focuses on the multiplayer where players can compete with random people or friends online. The game even supports competition on the same device. Multiplayer matches consist of 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 players in teams or free for all on over 1000 different maps. The turn by turn game play is similar to the style used in popular games such as Words With Friends and Draw Something. Each race has a variety of land, air, and sea units that all have various strengths and weaknesses. With different armor and attack classes, there is a certain amount of strategy required to counter and dominate the opponent. Additionally there are various terrains that can give units a boost, or become detrimental to a their strength. A round starts when each player is given a certain amount of credits and bases. For every additional base a player obtains, his or her income increases, as does the ability to train more units. The ultimate goal is to capture all the bases and destroy all of the enemy units to win the round. This is much easier said than done. It is not uncommon to have the map littered with units of all types in order to out-man the opposing force. The games graphics are detailed and the animations for every action immerse the player in a true battle experience. On the Droid Razr the game play and graphics are very smooth, although there is an option to disable animations if necessary. The game is battery intensive and mobile devices will heat up significantly during extended play. A player should have a charger handy if her or she anticipates playing more than one round in a single sitting. Overall, the game is worth a five out of five stars for a smart device app, as it runs well and will easily keep a casual gamer occupied. After extended play, the game does leave something to be desired with resource allocation and an extended use of tech trees. It is by no means as strategy intense as League of Legends or Star Craft, but for a cheap smart device platform, it is a great way to kill some time and boredom. Uniwar HD is available on the iTunes store for $0.99 and for $4.99 on the Google Play Store and the Android App Market.

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Esther Lowe Staff Writer

celebrate Mines

Club grows and blossoms

and gives you the opportunity to learn many different things. The Horticulture Club was founded during the last few weeks of the spring 2012 semester. In a short time span, members potted basil and sunflower plants and took a trip to the Denver Botanic Gardens, among other plant-related activities. Many more projects are planned for this upcoming year, including a cooking lesson using homegrown herbs. When asked

Rima Baliga Staff Writer

As a member of the CSM Horticulture Club, one will get to garden around campus, take field trips to botanic gardens, and participate in other horticultural activities. While the club serves as an introduction to gardening, President Rosie Leone also describes it as an activity that takes the stress away that Mines encompasses,

about the clubs effect on her extracurricular life, member Antonica McMullan said, Being at Mines, we have to think logically and critically about most every subject. Being in Horticulture Club provides an outlet for my creativity and allows me to be a well-rounded person. Horticulture Club welcomes gardeners of all and even non-existent skill levels. If you are interested in joining the club, please email mbaliga@mines.edu.
IAN MERTZ / OREDIGGER

Students were bombarded with information, candy, and other enticing giveaways from tables at the Celebration of Mines on Friday, August 31, 2012. One prominent guest at the celebration was Blaster, the schools burro mascot. According to an anonymous Blue Key member who walked him through the crowd, Blaster has been a favorite amongst Mines students. Seemingly well socialized, Blaster enjoyed munching on Kadafar Commons grass as children visited him. The Celebration of Mines may have been a campus group fair but its colorful booths and activities made the event seem like a playground and festival for all who attended. Through tactful placement of their organizations, the Ballroom Dance Club and the Anonymous Right Brains, a live jam student group, created a festive atmosphere at the northwest region of the event. Students from both groups played well off of each other and their efforts generated a large crowed of spectators. Toward the center of the booths, another large crowed gathered around the Board and Gaming Clubs table, waiting to use of the groups nerf gun to do some target shooting. In addition to the entertainment, Celebration of Mines was full of free food and drink. Favorites included the hot dog stand, ice cream stand, and hot pretzel stand. Across from the hot pretzel stand, Sigma Lambda members advertised an upcoming panel discussion with Lockheed Martin, an aeronautical engineering company, to be held on September

Sports Mine offers affordable gear

Carmella Caltagirone Staff Writer
Coloradans have a reputation for living outdoors rather than indoors. The number of sporting goods stores confirms this fact. However, gear for hiking, camping, or skiing can become expensive. Golden has the perfect shop for those who want to find bargain prices on outdoor gear, or sell their own. The Sports Mine, located at 801 14th Street (right next to Higher Grounds), is an outdoor sports consignment shop. In business for about a year and a half, they sell gently worn outdoor sports gear for reasonable costs. They carry name brands such as Patagonia, North Face, Pearl Izumi, Burton, and Marmot, amongst many others. The shop sells gear for all seasons. Owner and manager Mark Langanke notes that their best selling seasonal items for summer are backpacks, climbing gear, bikes and bike accessories. Tents also sell more in the warmer months. When the temperature drops, Langanke sells skis, snowboards, and all the clothing to go with them. Those looking to sell their own outdoor gear are in luck as well. The Sports Mine will take gear that is clean, in workable condition, and seasonably appropriate to showcase

13, 2012. Club members expressed the value of hearing the insiders perspective on tolerance in the engineering workplace. Messages of tolerance, acceptance, and diversity were reiterated by groups throughout the celebration. The Presidents Committee on Diversity offered all who visited their booth an opportunity to make diversity bracelets. The Committee also offered a bingo card by which one could earn a Celebrate (YOU)niqueness t-shirt. The back of the shirts contained a suitable quote from Albert Einstein, We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them. On a similar note, a booth that surprised some by its existence was the LAIS table. Table attendant Sarah Hitt, director of the campus writing center, said, Liberal Arts are especially important for scientists and engineers because, for example, it enables them to put the human perspective into design and analysis of effects of technology. As advertised at this semesters Celebration of Mines, the school included a number of opportunities for students to customize their education and experiences on campus. Senior student Xinwei Yan of China expressed his desire to continue being a diverse asset to the campus after his graduation. He said he hoped to accomplish this by completing a masters at Mines in petroleum engineering. When asked for a summary of upcoming events on campus, Yan advised for the upcoming International Day on November 10, 2012. The organizations on campus represented at Celebration of Mines ranged from professional engineering societies to dance clubs to sport clubs quite a diverse group.

The Horticulture Club plants both aesthetic and edible plants.

The Horticulture Club uses their homegrown products in cooking lessons.

in their store. Once the item is sold, the consigner receives a percentage of the sale price. For items under $100, the consignor receives 50% of the final sale price. For $100-$200, they receive 55%, $200-$300, 60%, and so on. The consignor takes money in check form, or store credit. The Sports Mine will display an item for 90 days and if it has not been purchased at the end of that period, the consignor is welcome to pick the item back up, or items priced under $75 get donated to charity. Langanke has big plans for The Sports Mines future. He said that they hope to start up seasonal sales, so that when summer or winter is over they can sell off all the related gear they have. He mentioned that The Sports Mine had a booth downtown when the Pro Cycling Challenge came through on August 25, 2012, and that they have previously worked with the Outdoor Recreation Center on campus. Langanke also hopes to get more activities by partnering with local nonprofit organizations. The Sports Mine is just a short walk from the Northeast corner of campus and is open from 10 am to 5 pm Monday through Saturday, and 12 pm to 5 pm on Sunday. To learn more, students can stop in and take a look around, or check out their Facebook page to stay up-to-date.

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So far in Alara...
Nicole Johnson Staff Writer
Previous chapters can found online at oredigger.net be In the mid twenty-second century, Earth suffered a plague as a result of trying to genetically create the perfect super-soldier. Desperate to survive, the remainder of humanity fled to underground caves. One such colony was near an Air Force base where they were constructing a rocket to leave the planet. A lottery system was set up and for years, people gathered with the hope of hearing their name called. One day a mechanic named Chloe, plagued by nightmares of another world under attack by aliens, is exploring the many tunnels when she finds a way to the outside. She finds the Air Force base and learns about the terrible creatures called the Balor. After nearly being killed by one, Chloe returns to the caves and demands the truth from her father. A few days later, Chloe mysteriously wins the lottery. Already suspicious of the mayor, she tries to escape when her brother Oliver captures her and brings her to a secret testing facility. The Mayor has decided all of the lottery winners are to be tested on and will continue to be tested on as humanity reaches for new worlds to conquer. Chloe, her father, and a family friend try to escape but are attacked by Balor creatures and the Mayors goons. Eventually Chloe and her father take off in a plane, flying into a horrific storm. After passing through it, Chloe looks out the window to discover an ocean where there should be land. Just then the plane begins to crash. Right before the crash, a mysterious figure Chloe recognizes from her dreams appears and saves her from the crashing plane. Her father dies in the crash while Chloe appears on an island with this new stranger. His name is Telloc and he is a doctor for the Corronite Resistance that opposes the oppressive rule of the alien invaders. These aliens appear to be parasitic but is revealed to be the result of thousands of years of genetic manipulation on the human race. Alara is the computer AI Chloes great-grandfather constructed for the rocket to take humanity among the stars. As Alara traveled with the humans and watched their form degrade over the centuries, she swore she would find a way to stop them. After rescuing a Taren girl from becoming a host, she finds the girl already brain dead and decides to escape the ship by using the Taren girls body. She and Telloc form the Corronite Resistance, developing a plan to destroy the human parasites. Unfortunately, Alara is captured before Chloe arrives. Chloe spends weeks with the resistance, befriending some of their engineers. They have a plan to overload the generator connecting the human parasites via a telepathic field, destroying the aliens in one fell swoop. Before they can enact their plan, Chloe too is captured and Garren (one of the newest rescues) is also missing. ...tomorrow night either they die, or we will.... -Telloc

Alara Chapter 12
Nicole Johnson Staff Writer
Chloe dear, where are you? her mothers shrill voice rang out. Chloe adjusted the small candle so she could better see the wires. She bit her bottom lip in concentration as she made the final connections to the battery pack. Just as she secured the pack inside the small robot, the closet door swung open. A blinding light fell over Chloe. Through squinted eyes, Chloe could barely make out the silhouette of her father. As her eyes adjusted, her father bent down and picked her up. Whatcha got there, Chloe? He stooped down and picked up the small robot, blowing out the candle. He turned over the robot and laughed. It looked like a mouse with wheels instead of legs.Planning on exploring, were we? Banu, Chloe said, reaching for the barely finished robot. She pressed a small black button on its underside and giggled when the eyes glowed a dim red and the wheels twitched to life. Her father set Chloe and her creation on the floor, watching with amusement as the robot circled around Chloe before heading off out of the small bedroom. Oliver barely looked up from his cot. Banu had barely disappeared through the doorway when there was a shrill shriek from the adjoining room. Hunny! Her father shook his head and scooped Chloe into her arms. Now youve done it. He stepped into their bedroom, trying not to laugh at his wife. She was watching the robot with a leery gaze. What is that? Her mother looked at it closer. Is that a fork and spoon? Her father laughed. Chloes newest invention it looks like. Its quite an explorer. The robot tried to turn but the lights in its eyes flickered for a moment and then went out. Chloe squirmed from her fathers arms, crying for Banu. He bent down and handed the robot to Chloe. Still needs some work though, huh girl? Chloes mother crossed her arms. She is not taking that with us. She walked into the next room and returned with Oliver in her arms. Shifting Oliver to her side, she tried to take Banu. Chloes eyes teared up and she began to wail. Her father would have laughed if not for the frustration etched into his wifes wrinkles. Just let her take the damn thing. Shell be much quieter. Fine. Banu in hand, the family joined others gathered outside their homes. While her mother pushed through to the front where many of the other mothers had gathered with babies held in pudgy arms, Chloe and her father stayed near the back. He ruffled Chloes hair, smiling at the way her brow furrowed. Dont worry, youll get it working soon. Make way for the mayor. Make way! The music preceded loud giggles from the mothers in the front row. Chloe looked up and saw the Mayor and a young woman hanging on his arm making their way through the crowded passageway. Her mother pushed back to where they were and pulled her and her father to the front. She pointed to the weird looking man. Look, thats the Mayor. Chloe raised an eyebrow before returning her attention back to tinkering with Banu. Her mother sighed. Hunny, can I get some help here? Her father smiled and shrugged. I agree with Chloe. Hello there! Her mothers face paled like a sheet as she turned and came face to face with the mayor and his new wife. Mayor, sir. The man held out his hand, which Chloes mother and father both shook. Nice to meet both of you. This must be little Oliver. I hope hes been a good boy. There was something sickly in his voice. Her mother nodded. Yes, hes been a perfect angel. Thank you for the generous gift. Almost as an afterthought she gestured to Chloe and Chloes father. This is Chloe. Just then Banu sprung to life. Chloe dropped it from surprise and started crying as it hit the floor. The wheels sputtered to life and a low whirring sound came from the motor inside the robot. Chloes mothers face flushed crimson red. Please excuse her. The Mayors smile looked forced but amused while his wife barely hid her revulsion for the creature. The Mayor bent down and retrieved the sputtering robot and handed it back to Chloe, wiping away one of the many tears falling down her cheeks. As she stopped crying, she held the robot tight to her chest. There now, theres a good girl. He turned to her father. Talk to me in a few years, we could use a mind like hers. One day well need her in the ship to the new world. Her mother gave her a loud, wet kiss on her cheek, which she tried to rub away with the back of her hand. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. But the Mayor had already moved on to other families. Her mother rambled on and on about the Mayors compliment. She looked up and saw a troubled look cross her fathers features. The wrinkles around his eyes deepened as his eyes slammed shut and his jaw clenched. She felt his arms release her and as she fell, the world around her twisted into fire and metal raining down around her. Looking up, she watched the planes cockpit become consumed by flames and explode against a midnight sky while the Mayor and his wives mechanical laughter rang in her ears. Chloes screams pulled her from sleep. She tried to wipe away the tears falling from her face but found all four limbs were tied to a table of some sort. A thick leather strap came across her forehead, limiting her vision to a bright overhead light. She squinted and tried turning her head, but it was no use. So the child awakens at last. Chloes voice was shaky at best. Whos there? The table beneath her trembled for a second before she felt herself moving. The top part of the table rose until it made a forty-five degree angle with the floor, but the damn light was still shining directly into her eyes. Cant you turn that thing off, she grumbled. When the light flickered out, Chloe wished she hadnt said anything. The table she was secured to was one of dozens lining the walls of the laboratory. At least, she thought it was a lab. Green slime oozed from cracks in the walls, mixing with dried blood on the floor. Dirt caked what few windows the room had, limiting the lighting to a mere dim. Another light sputtered on, focusing on a figure at the other end of the room. Squishing sounds emanated from the figure, followed by slurping. The figure wiped something away from his mouth with his sleeve before turning to face her. You know, youve caused me all sorts of trouble. Chloe knew that voice, but from where? The figure advanced towards her with hands clasped behind his back. His coat had been white once but was now covered in all manner of grime and other monstrosities. As she studied his face, it suddenly hit her. Garren? Garren curled his lips over sharpened canines. That was this bodys name until I took it for my own. It belonged to one of my generals until the Taren got to him. Who are you? He feigned indignation, placing a hand over his heart. Why, my dear, I am shocked. To think I once offered you a place on humanitys future. So long ago for me. Do you remember that? The dreaded red envelope flashed in her mind, but she shook away the image. It couldnt be the Mayor, could it? But you should be... Dead? He made a small tsk, tsk, tsk sound. Hardly. A new mind to feast on every hundred years is all I need to live. Although I tire of this boys weak body. He stepped forward to look her face to face, trailing a finger along her jaw. Perhaps something stronger. You survived travel through the rift when hundreds of species shriveled and crumbled to dust. Tell me, child, how did you do that? Her silence earned her a sharp slap. Was it some technology? Did Alara help you? Alaras name unsettled Chloes stomach. What have you done with her? Another slap. She bit her tongue against the cry of pain building in her throat. The pawns must each be put into place precisely, his head twitched to the right. Precisely, he repeated. Chloe swallowed uneasily. What do you need me for? The Mayor sighed, pressing a button. He spoke harsh words Chloe didnt recognize. Then sighing, For the good of humanity, my child, we all must sacrifice. A slight tremor shook the room as a set of doors opened behind her. The Mayor turned Chloe so she could watch as the outside opened up before her. Smoke and ash covered the rubble of mighty cities. The sun was halfway to mid-day, its rays just barely poking through the wall of smog rising from the ground. With the doors fully opened, the putrid odors of decay and burning metal filled the lab. Chloe almost gagged as the scents clawed their way into her nose. The Mayor took a deep breath, relishing and embracing the feel of death around them. Look, Chloe. He pointed out to the ground fifty feet below where row upon row of parasites in Taren hosts stood at attention. Chloes gaze flickered again to the horizon where a flash of red spiked and flared like a mushroom. The rift, she whispered. No one quite knows where it leads to. Some of my scientists speculate there are an infinite amount of possibilities. If even one percent of those possibilities contain life, the numbers would be...delicious. The Mayor licked his cracked lips and nibbled at his bottom lip. With the right bridge and amplifier, yes, yes... their minds and ours as one. Why do you need me? She tried jerking at the bonds but they were too tight. Tell me! But the Mayors eyes had already glazed over. Behind her, Chloe heard a set of doors squeal like metal against metal as they opened. The Mayor regained his composure as he slightly raised his chin and walked out of Chloes view. My generals, prepare the troops. The hour is almost at hand. Send for the Great Surgeon and make sure we are not disturbed. Chloe watched as the red spike melted back into the horizon for a moment before flashing once more, brighter as if it were moving closer. A few hours more. Just enough time to cleanse myself. The Mayor paused before smiling with a mouthful of razor sharp teeth. My empire, spread through all of space and time. He turned to Chloe with a smirk. Rejoice now, child of our past, for you and Alara will be the heralds of the Great Human Empire.

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Mines takes control of season opener with 57-16 win over William Jewell College
Jared Riemer Staff Writer
The Colorado School of Mines Football team opened the season Saturday against the William Jewell College Cardinals in an offensive explosion. There is perhaps no better way to start the season than by routing an opponent by the score of 57-16. The Orediggers started the game off in style, scoring two touchdowns in just under four minutes. After opening with the ball, they covered 78 yards in 10 plays, completing the drive with a touchdown pass from Matt Brown to Diamond Gillis. Mines second touchdown was set up by a Cardinal fumble on the William Jewell 40-yard-line and was capped off with a 40 yard pass from Brown to David Pawelek. Following a 50yard touchdown pass by William Jewell, the Orediggers scored on a three-yard run by Dan Palmer. At the end of the first quarter, Mines led 20-7. Ian McFadden blocked a field goal to start the second quarter, with Ryan Wood recovering the ball at the Orediggers 29-yard-line. Brown hit receiver Cody Renken for a 58-yard completion to highlight the drive, taking the team to the eight-yard-line before the Orediggers settled for an Avery Llewellyn 25-yard field goal. Back on defense, Henry Kaetzer intercepted Cardinals quarterback Sean Shelton on Mines three yard line, setting up a five-minute drive covering 97 yards in 13 plays, and finishing with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Gillis. The Cardinals answered with a field goal as time expired in the first half to put the score at 30-10 in favor of the Orediggers at half time. After deferring to start the game, the Cardinals reached the red zone on the opening possession of the third quarter, but on a captivating fourth down, the Orediggers stifled any hope for a comeback, preventing the Cardinals from scoring. With 5:18 left in the third, Mines drove the ball 36 yards in 1:36 and scored on a Tevin Champagne three-yard run. William Jewell scored on their next drive, recovering their own fumble in the end zone. The Orediggers continued to light up the scoreboard as Brown hit Champagne for a 25yard touchdown to make the score heading into the fourth 44-16. On the first drive of the fourth, with the game clearly out of reach, Champagne scored yet again, this time on a four-yard rush. During the game, the Oredigger defense held when needed and even though it allowed 474 yards of offense by the Cardinals, those yards only resulted in 16 points. The Oredigger offense racked up a total of 690 yards in an offensive showcase, breaking the school record of 686 yards set during the historic 2004 season. Brown finished the game 23-30 with 358 yards passing and four touchdowns. Champagne scored three touchdowns and Gillis accounted for two. On the defensive side, Alex Laudenslager led the team with eight total tackles, Kelly Zimmerman recorded seven total tackles and one forced fumble, and Chris Pinson, Sam Frazier, and Billy Sprague each recorded one sack. Next up for the Orediggers is an away game at the South Dakota School of Mines on Saturday, September 8 at 6 pm.
ALL PHOTOS JON DEMPSTER / OREDIGGER

s p o r t s

september 3, 2012

Sophomore QB Matt Brown threw for 358 yards and four touchdowns. Matt completed 23 of 30 passes.

William Jewell struggled defensively against a strong Oredigger offense.

Cody Renken (#1) received for 99 yards during Saturdays game.

The Orediggers next game is Saturday, September 8th versus South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.

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september 3, 2012

Mines Cross Country claims seven of top fifteen positions at CSU Invitational
Trevor Crane Content Manager
The Colorado School of Mines mens and womens cross country teams opened their 2012-2013 season with a strong showing at the CSU Invitational as seven Orediggers earned top fifteen finishes Friday in Fort Collins, Colorado. The meet was not officially scored, but the first competitive race of the season still proved to be a good tune-up for the upcoming season. The competition included three Division I schools Colorado State University, Air Force Academy, and the University of Northern Colorado. The women took to the course first, turning in some fine performances. Senior Hannah Schuster finished first for Mines in 12th position overall with a time of 19:00.1. Behind Schuster, sophomore Chloe Gustafson finished in 15th with a time of 19:10.9. Marie Patton (22nd, 19:38.5), Hannah Cooling (32nd, 20:17.7), and Kristen Farquar (35th, 20:29.9) rounded out the top five finishers for the womens team. The winner of the womens race was Kaitlin Hanenburg of CSU who finished in a time of 18:06.9. On the mens side, the first two places as well as eight of the top thirteen places belonged to runners from CSM. Senior Sean Gildea led from start to finish and dominated the race in a time of 15:19.5, a full eight seconds ahead of second place Phil Schneider who finished with a time of 15:27.9. Adam Bodnar finished the race in 7th with a time of 15:40.5. Tyler Curtis (9th, 15:47.8), and Marty Andrie (10th, 15:50.7) rounded out the top five finishers for the men. The next race for the CSM cross country team, and the first official race of the year, will be the Woody Greeno Invite, September 15 in Lincoln, Nebraska.

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JARED RIEMER / OREDIGGER

Club Sports and Intramurals Volleyball goes at CSM kick off a new year 4-0 over weekend
Sydney Liming Club Sports
Have you previously played a sport competitively and wanted to keep playing in that atmosphere? Is there a sport you have never played but always wanted to try? Here at Mines, there are both Club Sports and Intramural activities. Intramural activities are structured sport leagues and tournaments which are designed specifically for the CSM community. We offer over 40 different events throughout the academic year. The opportunities are a great way to exercise in a fun environment with fellow students, as well as to get away from your studies and relax! Intramural participation has increased 250% since 2004, with 51% of undergraduate students participating in Intramurals last year. Intramurals provided a healthy outlet for 5,900 participants on 1,300 teams competing in 2,050 events in 2011-2012. To sign up for an Intramural sport, you will need an IMLeagues.com account. When creating your account, you need to use your school email (@mymail.mines.edu). You will be sent an activation email; click the link in the email to login and activate your IMLeagues account. You should be automatically joined to CSM if you are not, you can search schools by clicking the Schools link. Once you are joined to CSM, click the Colorado School of Mines link to go to the schools homepage. The current sports will be displays click the sport you wish to join. From there, join the league you wish to play in (Mens, Womens, etc.) and the division you would like to play in (Mondays 5PM, Tuesdays 5PM, etc.). There are three ways in which you can join the sport. You can create a team (if you are as a team captain) and invite members by searching for their name or email. You can join a team by using the Create/Join Team button at the top right of every page. You can also join as a free agent and request to join teams. The Club Sports Program here at CSM is one of the most advanced in the state. We offer 16 different Club Sports here at Mines, with continual growth in participants and achievements. There were 475 participants last year. In recent years, each club has seen unprecedented success culminating in strong showings at numerous regional and national competitions including two national championships, Cycling 2007 and Womens Volleyball 2011. Many of the Club Sports here at CSM have tryouts coming up soon! For Baseball, please contact Connor Meining (cmeining@mines.edu) for more information. The contact for Cycling is Ian Bloomfield (ibloomfi@mines.edu). Ice Hockey will be having their preseason meeting on September 4th at 8:15 PM in the SRC Media Room. Tryouts will be on September 5th and 6th at APEX Ice Arena in Arvada, CO. Please contact Karvel Haug (khaug@ mines.edu) for more information. Please contact David Bull (dbull@ mines.edu) for information about Mens Lacrosse. For Womens Lacrosse, there will be an informational meeting on September 4th at 7:00 PM in the SRC Conference Room. Please contact Roslynn King (roking@mines.edu) for more information. Please contact Aaron Troyer (atroyer@mines.edu) for more information about Mens Rugby. Womens Rugby will be having their tryouts on September 3rd, 5th, and 6th from 5:30 to 8:00 PM on the IM Fields. Please contact Courtney Judish (cjudish@mines.edu) for more information. Ski Team has started their dry land conditioning on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:00 PM in front of the SRC. Please contact Leanne Thompson (lthompson@mines. edu) for more information. Mens Soccer has already had tryouts, but please contact Alex Borchert (aborcher@mines.edu) or Colin Eberl-Cole (ceberlco@mines.edu) for more information. For Womens Soccer, please contact Alyssa Horvat (ahorvat@mines.edu) for more information. Tennis will be having a preseason meeting on September 13th at 6:30 PM in BE 241, and tryouts on September 15th and 16th at 9 AM on the Mines Tennis Courts. Please contact Adam Richmond (arichmon@mines.edu) for more information. Ultimate Frisbee will be having practices on Monday and Wednesday from 5-7 PM on the North IM fields. Please contact Matt Smith (msmith1@mines.edu) for more information. Please contact Matt Harris (matharri@mines.edu) for more information about Mens Volleyball. Womens Volleyball will be having tryouts on September 6th from 6:45 to 9:30 PM in Lockridge Arena and September 10th from 7:30 to 9:30 PM in Volk Gym. Please contact Mandy Bauer (ambauer@mines. edu) for more information!
COURTESY CLUB SPORTS

Mines lead the pack in Fort Collins this past Friday at the CSU Invitational.

Katerina Gonzales Staff Writer

The Lady Orediggers returned to the court last weekend, taking on Incarnate Word, Arkansas-Fort Smith, Dallas Baptist, and Tarleton State. The Orediggers swept their first two matches Friday, dominating Incarnate Word by scores of 25-19, 25-14 and 25-22, and getting the job done 25-20, 25-23 and 25-20 against Arkansas-Fort Smith. Mines had great contributions offensively from senior Jackie Stabell who defended her RMAC preseason player status, totaling 26 kills Friday evening. Senior Anna Padget-Shields totaled 19 kills, and sophomore Sarah Pekarek totaled 17. On defense, Hannah Margheim led the team Friday with 23 digs. Mines ended their sweeping streak Saturday afternoon, but beat Dallas Baptist 3-1. Dallas Baptist grabbed the first game of the series and ended it with a score of 25-20. But Mines rebounded well, and with great defense, took the second game 25-12. Led offensively by Stabell and Holly Hutchinson, the Orediggers finished off the series with scores of 25-20 and 25-18. Stabell and Hutchinson had 14 and 13 kills respectively. Fresh-

man Danielle Johnson-Hazlewood made her mark defensively, going for 14 digs. On Saturday evening, the volleyball squad finished up their perfect weekend at Lockridge Arena by beating Tarleton State 3-0. Mines had no trouble sweeping Tarleton, winning each match game by a margin of at least 5 points. Mines got off to an early lead the first game, and kept pace with Tarleton the rest of the way despite some serving troubles, winning the game 25-20. In both games two and three, Mines was neck-and-neck with Tarleton during the first halves, but towards the ends of the games, the Mines offense propelled the team forward to close out the series and the weekend. Jackie Stabell was an offensive star all weekend, posting 11 kills versus Tarleton, and totaling 56 kills all weekend. With the 4-0 weekend, Mines takes the lead in the RMAC settings, also tied with CSU-Pueblo, Adams State, and Colorado Christian. Mines takes on Abilene Christian next on September 7, looking to continue their early success in the 2012 Colorado Premier Challenge.

KATRINA GONZALES / OREDIGGER

Captains gear up for a new year in IM and club sports.

The Orediggers continue their season this weekend at the Colorado Premier Challenge. First up in the tournament is Abilene Christian.

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o p i n i o n

september 3, 2012

Study Break
Minds at Mines Summer experiences
Arnaud Filliat Assistant Copy Editor
The start of the school year signifies the beginning of grueling, homework-ridden weeks and the end of relaxing, less-stressful days. To see what students did during the long summer break, this week, Mind at Mines asked, How was you summer and what was your most interesting or rewarding experience? My summer was hella dope. I did an internship in Spain where I tested the mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes in fused bone cement. Traveled around Europe with lots of fun parties that I dont remember. But I did discover a new drink, red wine and coke. It sounds nasty but its delicious. Eric Hake

COURTESY UKPUZZLES.COM

My summer was great. I went to Honduras on a catholic mission. Most of it was just playing around with kids and it was awesome it was a lot of fun. Good times. Jaime Sandoval

My summer was good. My most interesting and rewarding experience was just lifeguarding at the pool. Got to sit out, soak up some sun, and get paid while doing it. And there were some babes. Thats always nice. Dylan Weldt

My summer was pretty good. I worked an internship and got a publication out of it which is pretty rewarding. I was doing explosives research, doing RD, so came up with new compounds and a new method to make it. I blew up a shaped charge and it sent copper plasma shooting at 8 km/s through about 3 feet of steel. So that was pretty sick and it was pretty rewarding. You set it off in a bunker and you feel the shockwave of about 8 pounds of explosives. Isaac Maves

Across 1 Its capital is Nicosia (6) 7 Bitter alkaloid, stimulant in some drinks (8) 9 Slake (6) 10 www.radio (anag.) (3-5) 12 Hence (4) 14 Underwater weapon (7) 15 Molten volcanic rock (4) 16 Following (4) 17 Part of birds anatomy for grinding food (7) 18 Second of the Deadly Sins (4) 20 Sound of constant pitch (8) 22 Maintain (6) 24 Relocation (8) 25 Horned sheep of Devon (6)

Down 2 Juveniles (5) 3 Regular trip (3) 4 US army general, commander during 1991 Gulf War (12) 5 Group on the fringes of respectable society (4-5) 6 Nullify (4) 8 Act of God (5,7) 11 Yorkshire fishing port and tourist resort (6) 12 Hydrated magnesium silicate (6) 13 A hunts dog (anag.) (9) 19 Car manufacturer - Latin word meaning I roll (5) 21 Green pod used as basis for soup (4) 23 Son of Noah (3)

My summer was good. My most rewarding experience was finally completing the CHEM-E field sessions. It wasnt as hard as everyone says but it was still pretty tough. It was a lot of labs doing experiments. Tyler Noel

My summer was pretty laid back relaxing which is new for me Ive had summer classes on previous summers. My most rewarding and interesting experience was getting into bike riding. I got up to thirty miles which is a lot and being physically active, I got to do that a lot more this summer. TR Berger

ALL PHOTOS ARNAUD FILLIAT / OREDIGGER Editorials Policy The Oredigger is a designated public forum. Editors have the authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval and may edit submitted pieces for length so long as the original meaning of the piece is unchanged. Opinions contained within the Opinion Section do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado School of Mines or The Oredigger. The Oredigger does not accept submissions without identification and will consider all requests for anonymity in publication on a case-by-case basis. Submissions less than 300 words will receive preference.

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