Tag Archives: Feature

It’s difficult to meet people on campus organically, because everyone is too sewn to their phones and thinking of what their next move is going to be on Instagram or Snapchat. A lot of 20-somethings may just look for a hookup, however, there are college students who look-or-are looking for something a little more serious and mature.

Online networking is incredibly easy to meet people, but to meet potential lovers is tough. You can’t tell if someone is interested, not interested or just being a creep. If it doesn’t work out romantically, there is no shame in befriending an ex-potential date. You may still be compatible, just not the way you had originally intended to be.

Emily Friedman, a sophomore English major at the Metropolitan State University of Denver said:

“I have only used online dating sites and apps such as Tinder very infrequently, but I have gone on a couple of dates thanks to these sites, and I can say that a date with someone you met online and a date with someone you met, let’s say, at the grocery store have a very different feel. The basic human skills you get from having a conversation with a stranger, such as eye movement, posture, vocal inflection, etc. is completely lost when meeting an individual via internet,” Friedman said.

According to Friedman, text on a screen can tell you people’s opinions, their favorite kinds of things, what their hopes and dreams are, but it cannot let you know if you will talk over each other in conversation, what they will sound like, or if you all will have any kind of chemistry.

“This leads to a lot of disappointing dates. I have yet to have a date be fulfilling both emotionally and physically. Sometimes one, usually neither. You may say that this could be me being too picky, but from my experience, the dates always feel like trying to put on a glove that is just too small. You can pretend the glove is fitting, and you could probably get away with it for a little bit, but your hand will become uncomfortable after a little while,” Friedman added.

Despite the risk of online dating, Friedman still holds hope and faith within her that someday she will find the perfect match.

“With that being said, I really enjoy the idea of meeting people who match what you want on paper. I do think online dating has its place, and apparently it works for a lot of people, and it opens you up to a sea of available people looking for the same thing you are, but something is lost when meeting people online. Maybe whatever it is can be gained back through something long term, but I have never made it that far. I guess you just have to keep trying,” Friedman said.

Nowadays it’s considered strange meeting someone at a bar more romantic than finding them online. Users of dating apps are actually being proactive about finding someone. Online dating shouldn’t feel “artificial” because it is just an alternative way to meet people.

According to Zachery Simms, senior English major at the Metropolitan State University of Denver:

“Online dating, in my opinion, is a great concept, and might actually work for many people, but the thing is – attraction, especially for women, isn’t just about looks. A man can be very handsome but still ‘the one’ for her because his behavior is off putting (arrogant, not manly, whatever reason). And since online dating, is at first based on looks, it’s an imperfect system but hey, I guess it filters out a lot of people for you and it might actually cause you to end up with someone great.”

People feel super nervous meeting someone online for the first time because you never know if you’re just going to be friends or something more. Eye contact is one of the first ways to tell if someone likes you, and that can be a tricky gesture to understand clearly. If you don’t like them or they don’t like you, it’s not a big deal at all. If you do like each other, you’re connected immediately. Once it’s settled that you both like each other, why wouldn’t you say hello?

“Just don’t think that setting up a list of wishes and demands for you partner and putting it through the dating website will deliver you the perfect partner. That’s just not how attraction/love works. It’s still a decent way to meet people though, but people are too obsessed with meeting someone perfect that they don’t really pay attention to what’s out there,” Simms said.

Online dating is clearly a positive thing that has brought millions of people together who otherwise may never have had the opportunity to meet. Studies have shown that couples who meet online get married sooner and have more satisfying relationships. This shows that for those who are clear with their intentions and about they look for in a partner, online dating helps people do just that.

But there are obviously numerous problems that lead to many people being very frustrated with the medium, and abandoning it entirely.

Jessica Pearson, a senior philosophy student at the Metropolitan State University of Denver said:

“I was on Tinder for a couple of days earlier this year and then quickly unsubscribed when I realized my ‘swipe-right rules’ were pretty exclusive and defeated the whole purpose anyway. You’re basing preferences on photos alone so I quickly started saying “no” if any of the following were in (or prominent in) their photos: guns, cars, trucks, excessive drinking, smoking, tattoos, nudity, boobs (yep, in guys profiles, their “friends” boobs were quite common). So many photos had all of these at once it was almost laughable. It made me a very content single. I was happily not associating with any of these douchebags, and would happily continue this way.”

Online dating needs serious help from behavioral psychologists to address a lot of the frustrations people have with it. The fact that the online dating companies have an incentive for its members to stay single and active on their platforms is also a tricky hurtle to overcome.

 “It sounds judgmental but the whole concept is judgmental, photos alone can never describe someone. And people become more or less attractive to me based on their personality.

In theory I agree that online dating is a good way to overcome being stuck in a rut of your friends, and friends of friends, but take up a new hobby or two and you’re guaranteed to meet new people you’ll at least somewhat get along with. And worst-case you end up with a new skill. Or suggest a beer with a workmate that you think you might have a spark. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned,” Pearson said.

Those students who have tried online dating offer mixed opinions about the experience. Most have a positive outlook, even if they recognize certain downsides.

Users of online dating are generally positive but far from universally so about the pros and cons of dating digitally. On one hand, a majority of online dating users agree that dating digitally has distinct advantages over other ways of meeting romantic partners:

80 percent of students who have used online dating agree that online dating is a good way to meet people.

On the other hand, a substantial minority of these users agree that meeting people online can have potential negative consequences:

25 percent of students agree that online dating is more dangerous than other ways of meeting people. And that online dating keeps people from settling down, because they always have other options for people to date.

Overall, students who have used online dating tend to have similar views of the pros and cons with one major exception relating to personal safety. 45 percent of women who have used online dating, however, agree that it is more dangerous than other ways of meeting people.

Perhaps, the tricky part of meeting people online is that it only broadens the pool of people to choose from but does not help too much with the actual choosing phase, or any other phase of building a relationship. Not to say that the offline world cannot be deceiving, but wouldn’t you rather be certain that it will never be as deceiving as the online one is? What bothers people sometimes is the superficiality of our lives and online dating tends to encourage illusions.

Nothing tears a heart apart worse than illusions.

This article was written for an investigative reporting class at MSU Denver.

Living off-campus has its own benefits

Auraria Campus is one of the largest college campuses in Denver and is located right in the heart of Downtown Denver. Auraria is a commuter campus, which includes three higher education institutions, such as the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver and Community College of Denver. Approximately 42,000 students are enrolled annually at the three institutions.

While each institution on campus does not have its own dormitory hall. There are several off-campus housing options for students to consider choosing from.

For incoming freshman or a returning senior, one of the biggest decisions students have to make in their college career is whether to live on or off campus. Living on your own for the first time is a big deal. And while it’s exciting and overwhelming, there is a lot to consider in terms of food options, independency, cost and living space.

According to students, living off-campus has its own benefits. Here are the four main reasons why living off-campus might best for you:

Food

If you are one of those lucky students who lives in a campus dorm, where kitchens are available, good for you. However, is it everything you really hoped for? Do you often have to wait for the person in front of you who is baking cupcakes for her club?

Monica Bassett, a freshman biology student at MSU Denver and resident of Auraria Student Lofts, notes the benefit of knowing you’re eating good food.

“I guess one advantage of living in off-campus housing is that you get to eat whatever you want and you don’t have to eat weird food like mystery meat or vegetables,” Bassett said.

“The food is a lot cheaper, sometimes even if you get food delivered every day, it is cheaper than the meal plan, and you don’t have to worry about expiring meal coupons either.”

As a commuter, you will always have access to your own kitchen. You won’t have to worry about going to your local dining hall or waiting to use the oven in an on-campus kitchen. Instead, you can bring out your inner-Martha Stewart and cook yourself a delicious meal.

Independence/Responsibility

Living off-campus provides students with the opportunity to become an adult. They have more responsibilities than most on-campus students; besides the work they have for school, off-campus students are usually responsible for paying their monthly rent, cleaning, cooking and taking care of other financial matters regarding their living space.

This truly gives students a chance to be ready for any real world obstacles that they might face. With this new experience they will be prepared to rely on no one but themselves.

Kristin Thompson is a junior business major at University of Colorado Denver and resident of The Regency Student Housing.

“Generally, you get more bang for your buck when you live off-campus. It has nicer space for less money. It’s also generally more quiet, though this depends on your roommates and neighbors. You can usually hear through the walls,” Thompson said.

According to Thompson, having your own apartment comes with increased responsibility.

“The legalities of living off-campus can be stressful. You’ll need to ask yourself, are you jointly or separately signing leases? Is the landlord good and quick with repairs? I live in a group house situation, probably the most stressful of all living arrangements, and it’s definitely a bit nerve wracking every month to collect all the money for rent and utilities, and also nerve wracking when something breaks and the landlord doesn’t think something is as important as you do,” Thompson said.

“You just have to cross your fingers that everyone comes through, roommates with rent, landlords with repairs,” she added.

Freedom

If you want to watch a movie, no need to worry about your roommates who have six friends over tonight. If you want to go to bed early, you don’t have to worry about your roommate, who comes home at 2 a.m. as the wind from an open window slams your door shut.

Living off-campus can truly be liberating. There is basically no one to tell you how you can act or what time you should be home.

Jasmin Hernandez, junior business major at University of Colorado Denver and resident of The Regency Student Housing said:

“It doesn’t feel like you’re in public housing, there aren’t as many immature kids that you have to deal with, generally cheaper, more freedom and flexibility. The general rule of thumb is that you don’t room with friends. Trust me, I made this mistake with my best friends and it turned into a disaster!” Hernandez said.

Cost/Living Space

Auraria campus offers three housing options: Auraria Student Lofts, The Regency Housing and Campus Village. Sharing rent with several roommates can cost less than dormitory board hall. And you are guaranteed to get twice times the amount of space.

The Regency Housing is located at 3900 Elati street. Floor plans range from a single unit $675, double unit $520, triple unit $475, studio $750, to a three bedroom $1, 453 a month, which is convenient to share the renting cost if you are thinking about moving in with a roommate or two.

Campus Village is located at 318 Walnut street, and offers studio to four bedroom floor plan apartments ranging from $500 to $1085 a month.

Auraria Student Lofts is located at 1051 14th street. Floor plans range from a studio $781 to a four bedrooms $805 a month, which is another affordable option to share the renting cost with a roommate.

“Sometimes spending so much time with a person becomes difficult. It can ruin a lot of people’s friendships, but others might have better luck with it. I actually experienced that, was best friends with someone and she needed a place to stay,” Hernandez said.

“Needless to say,” she explained, “best friends doesn’t always mean best roommate.”

Ultimately, something which is an advantage for one student may be a disadvantage for another student. It all comes down to your personal preferences and affordability. After all, you will be spending the next four years of your life going to college, studying hard and building your portfolio. Might as well, make it pain-free, stress-free and most importantly, enjoy your college life experience while you’re at it.

Piece originally published in The Odyssey, theodysseyonline.com

DENVER – Looking at the pleasing colors and understandable subject matter of the paintings in the Denver Art Museum’s latest exhibit, “Matisse and Friends: Selected Masterworks from the National Gallery of Art,” on display through Feb. 8, 2015, it’s hard to imagine that the artists were called “wild beasts” “les fauves” by Parisian art critics. Their bold use of colors and loose brush strokes were startling to the art world in the early 1900s. In their own bold fashion, the Denver Art Museum (DAM) has chosen to design “Matisse and Friends” in creative ways that make the most of the size and tone of the exhibition.

Fourteen paintings by Matisse and some of his contemporaries tell of a time when Impressionism “was becoming pedestrian, losing its power,” because everyone was doing it, according to Dr. Christoph Heinrich, who holds the position of Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the Denver Art Museum, “A new generation took it on, believing in the power of color and the immediacy of the scene.” He describes the paintings as ranking among the most important works in museums today, urging visitors to, “Have an encounter with these exquisite paintings that you can have a dialogue with.”

The exhibit is on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., while they remodel. At the Gallery, the paintings are displayed on white walls but Danielle St. Peter, master teacher for modern and contemporary art at the DAM and the exhibit’s designer placed them on walls colored purple, green and other colors found in each of the paintings. The effect accentuates the paintings and creates differentiated “rooms” the viewer can visit.

Multiple seating areas on ornate rugs provided by Shaver-Ramsey and props borrowed from the Denver Center Theatre Company invite museum-goers to linger at each painting. This design was inspired by a quote from Matisse painted on the entry wall of the exhibit:

“What I want is an art of purity and tranquility… so that all those who work with their brains… will look on it as something soothing, a kind of cerebral sedative, as relaxing in its way as a comfortable armchair.”

On the tables next to each seating area is a book of photographs, sketches and brief text about the artist whose painting is in that area.

In addition to bold-colored walls and opportunities to sit in front of each painting, St. Peter also created a different kind of audio tour experience. Usually, the tours offer historical references and explanations about the artist and that particular work. But St. Peter wanted to create more of a sensory experience. The viewer is encouraged to breathe deeply and relax; visually explore the painting with eyes open and then eyes closed, from memory; to imagine being in the scene, taking note of what is heard, smelled, felt and seen.

Although “Matisse and Friends” doesn’t have activities specifically geared toward children, the smaller size of the exhibit, bright colors, understandable subject matter and opportunities to curl up to view each work of art makes the exhibit more family-friendly.

“Matisse and Friends” is on view in the Gallagher Family Gallery on level one of the Hamilton Building and is included in Denver Art Museum admission. http://www.denverartmuseum.org.

Piece originally published in Metro-Post Telepgraph, post-telegraph.com