Metropolitan State Name Change Dispute Settles, Inside Opinions Persist

The proposed switch from Metropolitan State College to Metropolitan State University of Denver has been approved and is currently undergoing legislation. However, current students and alumni from these institutions retain separate opinions regarding the new name.

 “As with many who have gone to Metro State, and seen it change and grow through the years, I am very proud of the institution, no matter the name,” states Ryan Parker, YourHub Community Manager for the Denver Post. “If officials believe the name change will better reflect what the school is now and the opportunities readily available; I say make it happen.”

As a current freshman at the University of Denver, I, along with my fellow peers, express a concern regarding the new name as it elicits a connection to the University of Denver by tagging “University of Denver” at the end. As a Colorado resident, I have a fair amount of knowledge about Metropolitan State [http://www.mscd.edu/] and the University of Denver [http://www.du.edu/]. From this knowledge, I have come to regard the University of Denver as a higher quality institution than Metropolitan State due to the established name of the University of Denver as a private institution and the reputation established through DU’s academic programs and extensive opportunities.

Parker, in return, states, “I understand and respect DU’s position on the name change; however, with the number of higher education institutions in the state, it stands to reason there will be some overlap with names here and there. However, the schools and their histories are very different, so much so, that I am confident that most would not get them confused by name.”

If you are alumni from the University of Denver or Metropolitan State, what is your opinion of the name change?

Kitchen Hose Sprays Again, Drenching Mothers on April Fool’s Day

            Mothers, such as my own, become victim to the kitchen hose prank every year on April Fool’s Day as they unsuspectingly turn on the water and receive a good drenching.

As elementary schoolers, my brother and I attempted the infamous Water Sprayer April Fool’s Prank [http://www.instructables.com/id/Water-Sprayer-April-Fools-Prank] on our mother and, to our delight, succeeded.

In order to tamper with the kitchen hose without our mom knowing, we sent her to the store to buy Mexican food ingredients for dinner. While she was gone, my brother and I rounded up a few rubber bands from the office as quickly as possible. Together, we bound the rubber bands tightly around the trigger of the kitchen hose, making sure the rubber bands were secure before we pointed the nozzle straight forward. In a single minute, our crafty work was finished.

            When our mom arrived home, we greeted her with the news that we had found Kool-Aid mix and politely asked if she would make Kool-Aid. With a smile on her face, she grabbed a pitcher. As she approached the sink, my brother let out a giggle, which I suppressed. Unknowingly, my mom turned on the faucet only to get blasted in the face and chest with water. [http://youtu.be/5guYh5FWiOk] While we were laughing hysterically, my mother didn’t find it funny, a disapproving look on her face. I guess this means no Kool-Aid tonight.

Do you think it is right to play a prank on your mother?        [ ]  Yes        [ ]  No

Halloween is Great “Because, Because, Because, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”

A lion in need of courage, a scarecrow searching for a brain, a tin man longing for a heart, and a farm girl named Dorothy who is eager to get back home to Kansas embarked on a night of trick-or- treating. (http://www.fantasybooksandmovies.com/wizard-of-oz-characters.html) In the small town of Wiggins, Colorado, my siblings, my mother, and I traveled from house to house in our neighborhood as the cast of the ever-famous movie, “The Wizard of Oz.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_(1939_film)

My 5-year-old brother wore a homemade, lion costume, hand sown by our aunt. It was a hand-me-down costume given to my brother after being passed down through all our male cousins. My 12-year-old sister was dressed as the scarecrow in denim overalls, a red flannel shirt, and a straw hat. As an adorable, 10-year-old with long, curly, red hair, I was the perfect fit for Dorthory. Dressed in a white blouse and a blue checkered dress with ruby red slippers and braided hair, I became the spitting image of the famous Kansas farm girl.

The three of us along with our mother, who was dressed in gray from head to toe to resemble the tin man, received many glances of admiration and comments about how adorable our costumes were that night as we trick-or-treated around the town, making that Halloween my favorite Halloween thus far. I will never forget my night spent in ruby red slippers! (http://bluray.ign.com/articles/102/1029319p3.html)

What was your favorite Halloween costume from your childhood?