In the age of technology, there isn’t much the internet can’t do. And thankfully, the world-wide Web holds a gold mine of information for weight loss.

CUI's Amanda Moutinho writes on using the internet to help with having a better lifestyle. (CU Independent/Josh Shettler)

With the vast amount of resources, you’ll never be lost again. Whether you’re looking up the proper way to do a squat or how many calories were in that bag of chips you just scarfed down, you’ll find it online.

Here’s a handy guide for getting the most out of the Web:

Recipes

You can find literally millions of recipes online. Food.com provides recipes from every category. It even gives healthier versions of popular take out options. FoodNetwork.com also has recipes from your favorite shows, including meals from Rachael Ray and Giada De Laurentiis, but I would steer clear of anything made by butter-queen Paula Deen. Skinnytaste.com features plenty of recipes that will get you over the hump of eating healthy. You’ll find better versions of chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks and even cupcakes. You can also sign up with Gojee.com. Not only does it provide mouth-watering food, but it also gives you recipes based on what you have in your kitchen.

Nutrition Facts

Lots of fast food chains and restaurants have nutrition facts online. Maybe you don’t want to look up the calories or fat content in your beloved Big Mac (540 calories and 29 grams of fat). But, the reality check might save you from indulging in that chocolate milkshake or those large French fries in the future. Looking at the menu can also help you find the healthier options when you’re stuck between two choices.

Community

It’s essential to have support when you’re trying to lose weight. Tumblr has a great weight loss comradeship. You can get healthy recipes, workout ideas, motivation and plenty of before-and-after pictures. Most importantly, you can find people who are going through the same struggles as you are. If you can’t get enough of College, Cardio and Carrots, then check out my Tumblr at http://collegecardioandcarrots.tumblr.com/.

Exercises

The Internet holds copious amounts of workouts. You’ll find any and every exercise you need to go from soft to rock hard. Check out about.com under the exercise or weight training category or this list of the 60 Must-Read Health and Fitness Blogs. But if you’re sick of reading awkward instructions of how to bend your body in various positions, then check out YouTube. There’s lots of bored people who have uploaded thousands of how-to videos and a lot of them are really helpful. Online magazines like Fitness Magazine also provide several how-to videos; some even have their own YouTube channels like Self Magazine. YouTube itself also has a lot of workout routines, including some from Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels, the Pussycat Dolls and Flirty Girl Fitness.

Tips

With just a little bit of research, you’ll find great websites that will give you tricks and tips. You’ll find 52 Healthy Meals in 12 Minutes or Less or Eight Secrets of the Naturally Slim. Websites like Greatist.com, FitSugar.com, Prevention.com or even WebMD.com are all fantastic resources. Also you can check out the fitness and food tab on Pinterest and follow health professionals on Twitter.

So maybe instead of spending countless hours on Facebook or actually doing your homework, make better use of your time and get yourself motivated online. Am I missing any health-oriented websites you love? Sound off in the comments!

In future columns, I will talk to health professionals, discuss my struggles, and try to answer the question of “what is beauty?” Stay tuned for advice for living a healthy life, and to know you’re not the only person struggling with weight issues.

Contact CU Independent Managing Editor Amanda Moutinho at Amanda.mountinho@colorado.edu.

In prepartion of the 84th Acadamy Awards showing this Sunday, CUI's Sam Goldner writes on the 2012 Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Actor and Actress in Leading Role. (CU Independent/Amy Leder)

The standards for the Oscars have lowered in previous years due to the penny-pinching Academy’s decision to nominate up to 10 films for Best Picture rather than the former five. Although this has led to some unacknowledged masterpieces getting recognition for once, it’s also the cause for the embarrassing list of nominees we have for 2012.

Last year was almost remarkable for how safe Hollywood decided to play it, but this bland selection of films has little staying power beyond being talked about for the next month before they get the “Academy Award Nominated” sticker slapped on the DVD and tossed in the vault. Besides Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords getting a nod for his “Muppets” song, there’s little to cheer for on the red carpet.

Without further ado, let’s hash out the least-terrible nominees for the 2012 Academy Awards.

Best Picture:

“The Artist”

“The Descendants”

“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

“The Help”

“Hugo”

“Midnight in Paris”

“Moneyball”

“The Tree of Life”

“War Horse”

If the Academy has any sense of what’s good left in their blood, they’ll give this one to “The Artist.” Besides being heartwarming in almost every way, the film did an excellent job of adapting a genre mostly lost on viewers under the age of 60 in a way that made it captivating even by today’s film making standards. Surely that’s a more worthy artistic triumph than the pretentious mess of “The Tree of Life” or the 46 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes for “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”.

Actor In Leading Role:

Demián Bichir – “A Better Life”

George Clooney – “The Descendants”

Jean Dujardin – “The Artist”

Gary Oldman – “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Brad Pitt – “Moneyball”

Yawn. George Clooney having a mid-life crisis and Brad Pitt talking about sports were hardly captivating performances. Newcomer Jean Dujardin manages to pull off his performance in “The Artist” with a certain amount of finesse, but it’s not the kind of performance that deserves a large amount of celebration. Christopher Plummer’s Supporting Actor nomination in “Beginners” was more earned than any of the lead actor roles. But honestly, it’s Christopher Plummer – he’s physically incapable of not being awesome.

Actress In Leading Role:

Glenn Close – “Albert Nobbs”

Viola Davis – “The Help”

Rooney Mara – “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Meryl Streep – “The Iron Lady”

Michelle Williams – “My Week With Marilyn”

Sure, perhaps Glenn Close gave a moving performance in “Albert Nobbs” that defied the preconceptions of sexuality and gave legitimacy to her acting career, but in the end this whole movie just screams “Oscar bait.” On a positive note, Rooney Mara totally nailed the titular role of David Fincher’s latest and managed to pull it off in a way that stood apart from her 2009 predecessor. However, in the end none of these performances are of the calibre that merit multiple re-viewings and analyses. Like the rest of the Oscars this year, the selection feels like they were only selected for recognition to fill spots on a ballot sheet.

The Oscars are supposed to stand as some kind of monument to the power of film making, but this year the selection simply feels boring. Innovative films like “Drive” and “We Need To Talk About Kevin” went totally unacknowledged, while predictable and formulaic movies hailed supreme. Even though last year boasted a flawed selection of films for Best Picture, each movie still represented a distinct style and approach to film making that made it engaging to speculate on who would emerge victorious. The 2012 Oscars list ends up feeling like a pamphlet of standard-fare airplane movies.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sam Goldner at Samuel.Goldner@colorado.edu.

The New York Knicks’ Jeremy Lin is creating a media firestorm for his impressive NBA season. However, like it or not, he also raises many questions about how we talk about race, particularly in sports.

Leslie Wong, the programs manager at the Center for Multicultural Affairs, said while Jeremy Lin is a phenomenal inspiration for young Asian Americans in the realm of sports, there is still oversight when it comes to discrimination against Asian Americans.

She cites a Wall Street Journal study that says Asians and Asian Americans are the least represented group in managerial roles.

“Jeremy Lin is pushing open those doors courtside but the real question is why is there a glass ceiling to begin with?” Wong said. “Why is society so surprised or elated when a Jeremy Lin or a Tiger Woods excel? We also see a disparate representation with Latinos and American Indians in the sports arena as well and that doesn’t get much air-time.”

At CU, Asian Americans are the second largest minority group. According to the 2010-11 Diversity Report, there are 1,579 Asian American undergraduate students. While these students have much more on-campus visibility than African Americans and American Indians, Asian Americans still only make up 6.3 percent of undergraduate students.

CU's Sabatino Chen is one of the few Asian American athletes on campus. (Courtesy CU Sports Information Department)

Perhaps one of CU’s most visible Asian American students is men’s basketball player Sabatino Chen. Chen transferred from the University of Denver and sat out last year per NCAA rules. This season, the point guard has played in all 27 games, averaging 2.4 points per game, and has recorded nine steals and three blocks.

The redshirt junior has become a cult sensation in CU’s crazed student section. Chen is humble about hearing “Chen chants” and says the growing support for the team has made for a great season.

Chen describes himself as a “slasher,” who comes off the bench to give the team energy and play defense. He said his strengths are penetrating to the basket and creating shots for teammates. With 15 assists on the season, Chen has done just that.

“I hope (the fans) just see me as a guy that contributes and gives it everything he’s got, whether it’s scoring or defense or getting steals or just making a hustle play that changes the momentum of the game,” Chen said.

Chen grew up watching and admiring Michael Jordan and point guards John Stockton and Steve Nash. Now, Chen has another NBA point guard to look up to: He said Lin’s rise to fame has the potential to make big things happen in the sport. Chen hopes to play overseas in China or Europe and thinks that Lin’s story will only make basketball even more popular in China.

“I just think it kind of opens your eyes,” Chen said. “It’s just an inspirational story because he was like fourth on the depth chart and now he’s the starting point guard for the Knicks.”

Daryl Maeda, an ethnic studies professor at CU, has also been inspired by Linsanity. Maeda said he kept an eye on Jeremy Lin even before he joined the Knicks, but really took note when Lin put up 25 points against the New Jersey Nets.

Even though Maeda is a huge Los Angeles Lakers fan, he found himself rooting for Lin over the Lakers. He said watching Lin play has been pure joy. He especially enjoys the fact that Lin breaks stereotypes of what an Asian American athlete should be.

“You’d think that the stereotypical Asian American player might be really small, super quick, a great outside shooter, but he’s none of those,” Maeda said. “He makes his living taking contact in the paint. He’s fearless.”

Maeda said Lin also helps break the stereotype that Asian Americans can only be good at technical fields or math and science, but not athletics. With this idea in mind, Maeda hopes that in the future we’ll see more Asian Americans at the highest levels of sports.

Maeda noted that Asian American participation, and even success, in sports is not a new concept. Maeda said Lin’s emergence as a sports figure pushes other stories to the backburner. He mentioned self-described “Cablinasian” Tiger Woods and “Wat” Misaka, the first Asian American NBA player. Misaka actually integrated the league in 1947.

Linsanity is so visible only because it is at the highest level. Maeda hopes players like Chen can get more due, not simply because of their race but because of their skills. However, Maeda did say that the Lin phenomenon shows how consistently invisible Asian Americans are in the history of the country.

“I think one of the things that’s really important to take from all this Linsanity is that sports really are a microcosm of society,” Maeda said. “All of the racial stereotypes that exist in society are played out in sports as well. Just like it’s important for us to talk about race in society, it’s important to talk about race in the case of Jeremy Lin.”

Maeda disagreed with commentators who think race should be taken out of the equation. He personally found headlines like “Amasian” completely acceptable because Lin’s race is a big part of how he’s perceived in the game. He said in this David versus Goliath story, Lin was always discredited simply because he didn’t pass the looks test.

He does, however, have an issue with the ESPN headline “A chink in the armor” that got one writer fired and an anchor suspended. He said puns and double entendres are common within sports headlines, and the writer clearly knew that his headline was meant to mean two things: a legitimate phrase and a racial slur. Maeda said the writer was fired not for being racist, but for being stupid.

Despite the media controversy, Maeda said Lin is a feel good story for fans of all races, but understands why Asian Americans have adopted him as a role model. Overall, Maeda hopes this story will show people that sports, just like our country, aren’t colorblind.

“I think Linsanity should give us a way to talk more about race and what’s in bounds and what’s out of bounds, what’s acceptable discourse and what’s unacceptable discourse, of course all the while bringing us together to talk about a great basketball player.”

Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Marlee Horn at Marlee.horn@colorado.edu.

A Boulder Police news release identified the victim as 20-year-old CU junior Chloe Kay.

Sgt. Jim MacPherson of the Boulder Police Department said Thursday that the pickup truck veered off onto the sidewalk where Kay was walking with a friend, who was not injured in the accident.

“A northbound truck on Folsom, just north of Taft [Drive], went on the curb and struck a pedestrian that was on the sidewalk causing serious injuries to the pedestrian,” Sgt. MacPherson said.

Kay was immediately taken to Boulder Community Hospital with serious injuries; she was unconscious at the time police arrived.

The identity of the male driver of the full-sized, four-door pickup truck has been confirmed but not released because the driver is a minor. The 17-year-old is not a CU student, and there were three other minors in the vehicle at the time of the accident.

“The driver told police he was driving northbound on Folsom, looking for a parking space, when he says he unknowingly drove onto the sidewalk, colliding with Kay,” according to the press release. “He estimated that he was driving approximately 20 mph at the time of the accident. The driver stayed at the scene of the accident and has been cooperating with police.”

“We believe that drugs may have been involved,” Kim Kobel, spokesperson for the Boulder Police Department, said. “We are waiting for the results of some blood tests.”

Contact CU Independent Breaking News Editor Nora Keating at Nora.keating@colorado.edu.

CU’s men’s basketball lost to the Stanford University Cardinal 74-50 in front of 11,036 fans at the Coors Events Center Thursday night. The Buffs now sit in fourth place in the Pac-12 with a record of 18-9 overall and 10-5 in the Pac-12. The Cardinal are 19-9 and 8-7 in the Pac-12.

The men's basketball team lost 74-50 to Stanford knocking them down to the fourth place seating in the Pac 12. (CU Independent/James Bradley)

“For whatever reason, we got down on ourselves the first few minutes of the game and we couldn’t score,” said Buffs senior forward Austin Dufault. “Instead of locking in, defending, and rebounding, we just kind of folded, and they really just took it to us.”

The Buffs never led in the game, shooting only 29.6 percent from the field and 4-of-19 from behind the three-point arc. They were 14-of-30 from the free throw line and were out rebounded 26-50. The Buffs never scored two consecutive baskets.

The Cardinal, on the other hand, shot 49.1 percent, hitting 9-of-18 three-point shots and 9-of-12 field goals.

Stanford freshman guard Chasson Randle led in scoring with 20 points, while sophomore forward John Gage came off the bench to score 11.

Freshman guard Askia Booker was the only Buff with more than 10 points, scoring 12. Sophomore forward Andre Roberson grabbed nine points and 11 rebounds.

Stanford opened the scoring with a three-pointer, and the Buffs responded as Roberson hit one of two free throws. From there, however, things went downhill.

The Buffs failed to score another point until the 14:16 mark, as the Cardinal had pushed the lead to 9-1. Stanford pushed on from there, and the Buffs couldn’t find enough offense to ever make a strong impact.

At halftime, the Cardinal had a 40-20 lead and had held the Buffs to 20.7 percent, the eighth-worst first half shooting percentage since the 1954-55 season.

Booker said the team let the missed shots get into their heads and affect their defense.

“As a team, we let our offense get to our defense,” Booker said. “Shots weren’t falling, and I think that transferred right to our defense. Everybody got their heads down.”

It was more of the same in the second half. The Buffs couldn’t find enough offense to get themselves back in the game, and the Cardinal kept making them pay. The Cardinal grabbed a 29-point lead with 12:30 left, all but sealing the win.

Dufault said he and his teammates weren’t happy with their mentality to start the game.

“You can talk about everything on paper, but when the ball goes up, you just got to be ready to play, and tonight we weren’t and they were,” Dufault said.

Colorado head coach Tad Boyle didn’t try to sugar coat anything after the game.

“I don’t have much to say about that one, other than it was just an old fashioned butt-whipping we took in every phase of the game,” Boyle said.

Despite the loss, Boyle said he was still happy with his team’s effort.

“We just had no answers, we just got beat,” Boyle said. “There wasn’t anything our guys could do about it. They tried. I thought our effort was good, but our execution wasn’t very good.”

The Buffs will look to rebound against the University of California Bears on Sunday, Feb. 26. Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m.

Dufault said the Buffs have to put this loss behind them quickly as they prepare for the Pac-12-leading Bears.

“Our season’s winding down, and we’re still, I think, one of the top teams in our league,” Dufault said. “We just have to look at this game, learn from it, and move on, and try to put it in the rear-view mirror as fast as we can and get ready to play Cal.”

(Courtesy CU Sportsmag)

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Mark McNeillie at Mark.mcneillie@colorado.edu. Contact CU Sportsmag Reporters Alexis Perry at Alex.perry@colorado.edu and Michael Kerner at Michael.kerner@colorado.edu.  

Alexis Perry and Michael Kerner

Sgt. Jim MacPherson of the Boulder Police Department said that the pickup truck veered off onto the sidewalk where the student was walking.

“A northbound truck on Folsom, just north of Taft [Drive], went on the curb and struck a pedestrian that was on the sidewalk causing serious injuries to the pedestrian,” Sgt. MacPherson said.

Police have confirmed that the female is a CU student although her name cannot be released as of yet, Sgt. MacPherson said.

The student was immediately taken to Boulder Community Hospital with serious injuries.

The identity of the male driver of the full-sized, four-door pick up truck has been confirmed. He is not a CU student. Any details as to how the driver veered onto the sidewalk are still under investigation.

Further investigation is being done into the causes of the accident by traffic units.

Contact CU Independent Breaking News Editor Nora Keating at Nora.keating@colorado.edu.

The Buffs sit in sole possession of third place in the Pac-12, a game and a half behind the University of California Bears. With two home games coming up against Cal and Stanford, CU looks to shock the nation by winning a Pac-12 title.

Carlon Brown defends Oregon State's Burton in the first half of CU's v82-60 victory over the Beavers. With four games remaining in the regular season, the men's basketball team is seated third in the Pac 12 and has the potential to will the conference title. (CU Independent/Andrew Kaczmarek)

“We’re in the hunt for a conference championship, and Colorado basketball hasn’t been in that position for a long, long time,” said head coach Tad Boyle. “The way we got here is taking care of our business along the way. I think our guys are mature enough and smart enough to understand we can’t look ahead.”

Since winning the Big 8 title during the 1968-69 season, the Buffs have only been within two games of a conference lead three times. The last time was during the 1996-97 season, when they made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

But before anyone can get excited about conference glory, the CU must get some wins at home.

The Buffs take on the Stanford Cardinal on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. at the Coors Events Center. Earlier this season in Palo Alto, Calif. the Cardinal dominated the Buffs, winning 84-64.

Senior guard Nate Tomlinson said the team has to play better overall if it’s going to beat Stanford this time around.

“We have to come out and do some things differently,” Tomlinson said. “Obviously play better defense, and rebound a lot better. They beat us by about 10 on the boards last time.”

Coach Boyle also emphasized rebounding with regards to Stanford, and he said he would like to see more physicality under the basket.

“They’re the second-best offensive rebounding team in our league,” Boyle said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re physical and get them boxed out because they are a physical team, and they are tall and athletic and strong, as well.”

On Sunday, the Buffs will take on the Pac-12-leading Cal. The Bears beat the Buffs 57-50 in Berkeley, Calif. on Jan. 12.

Despite the fact that this will be the Bears’ first conference trip to the Coors Events Center, it will not be unfamiliar territory for them. Cal played the Buffs in Boulder in the second round of last year’s National Invitation Tournament. The Buffs came out with a 89-72 victory, and they will be looking for a similar result on Sunday.

With a lot of returning starters from last year’s team, Tomlinson said the Bears will pose a tough test for the Buffs at home.

“They’ve got a lot of the same guys back,” Tomlinson said. “Jorge [Gutierrez] is obviously there, and they’ve Harper Kamp inside, so they’re not too different. They do the same things, and I think that’s what makes them good. They know what they do well and they do it.”

Lost in the hype of conference championships and tough games is the fact that Sunday will be the last regular season game for the Buffs’ seniors.

Tomlinson, forward Austin Dufault, guard Carlon Brown and forward Trey Eckloff will all be honored after Sunday’s game for their time spent with the Buffs.

Brown, who has played one season with the Buffs after transferring from the University of Utah where he helped his team win the 2009 Mountain West Conference tournament, said that this weekend will be a big deal for all of the seniors.

“I think it’s big for all of the seniors, especially Nate, A.D., Trey, seeing that they haven’t won a championship,” Brown said. “I just want to be any type of assistance I can, whether it’s scoring, passing, defending, rebounding. We just really need to make sure we take care of these two at home, and hopefully going on the road next week.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Mark McNeillie at Mark.mcneillie@colorado.edu.

Last year, the City of Boulder removed five emergency telephones from the Hill. However, the CU Police Department said that there are no plans for removing the remaining 60 emergency telephones in scattered locations around campus.

Freshman Spanish major Cameron Lees walks past an Emergency Phone next to Arnett Hall. Despite removal rumors, CUPD says the phones are valuable assets to campus security. (CU Independent/James Bradbury)

Ryan Huff, communications manager for the CUPD, said that although the emergency telephones are predominantly used for prank calls and are in need of repair, they are valuable assets to campus safety.

“The technology has been around for a little while, so we’re seeing some wear and tear on them,” Huff said. “It’s definitely a priority for us to get phones that aren’t working up and running.”

The advantage of these emergency telephones is that they operate on landline connections, connect to the City of Boulder’s powergrid, direct calls straight to CUPD, and pinpoint the caller’s exact location.

These emergency telephones are more efficient than cellphones, which are inferior in response time, can drop calls, and run out of battery, Huff said. Even if an individual with an emergency calls 911, the Boulder Police dispatcher then has to reroute the call to CUPD.

According to the CUPD & Emergency Management website, the emergency telephones may be used for crimes in progress, suspicious persons, medical emergencies and concerns about personal safety.

Huff said that between five and 10 percent of calls made from the emergency telephones are for legitimate concerns and crises, from someone getting keys locked in a car to someone in need of emergency assistance.

“They’re a good tool for us,” Huff said, “Truth be told, the large majority are pranks.”

Meaghan Langley, a sophomore chemical engineering major, lives at the Alpha Chi Omega sorority house on the corner of 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, a block on the Hill where two emergency lights used to stand before the City of Boulder removed them in 2011.

Langley said she is disappointed that another safety feature was not implemented in the place of the removed emergency telephones.

“The Hill is dangerous and scary,” Langley said.

Katie Mallon, a sophomore in sociology and Alpha Chi Omega sister, said that she would like to see more security around campus and on the Hill.

“It feels like there’s an email about a mugging or assault from the CUPD so often,” Mallon said.

The emergency telephones still deterred crime, Mallon said, even though they were used mostly in pranks.

Huff said that the campus’ recent heightened awareness of crime might be caused by the CUPD’s efforts to improve their communications, but not necessarily to respond to a rise in crime. Another factor may be the unusually low levels of crime experienced in 2010.

CU’s record of crimes such as forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault and burglary were higher in 2011 than in 2010, but relatively average in the levels of violent crime going back to 2006, Huff said.

For more safety tips and information on the emergency telephone system, visit the CUPD & Emergency Management website at http://police.colorado.edu/crime-prevention-and-safety.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Stephen Kasica at Stephen.kasica@colorado.edu.

As of October 2011, the campaign—a fundraising effort that aims to improve campus technology and fund research projects—had raised $1.08 billion dollars, and expects to soon reach its final goal of $1.5 billion, according to the University of Colorado Foundation website.

The Creating Futures Campaign has raised $1.08 billion as of October 2011. The campaign started in in 2006 with a goal of $1.5 billion. (CU Independent Illustration/Lauren Walter)

The campaign was announced on April 25, 2006 in response to decreases in state funding that threatened the financial stability of the CU campuses. According to the foundation website, all of the money that has been raised thus far has come from private gifts and donations that are given to the CU Foundation, the Office of Contracts and Grants and directly to the university.

CU Vice President of Communications Ken McConnellogue referred to the campaign’s areas of focus as “the four pillars.”

“[They represent] the fundamental things that are happening at CU,” McConnellogue said.

According to the campaign’s website, the areas the pillars target are Learning and Teaching, Discovery and Innovation, Community and Culture, and Health and Wellness. No donations were made exclusively to any of the four pillars, instead the money that has been received is distributed evenly among them and set aside for technological advancements, separate schools and program funding.

“Ideas emanating from CU—in areas ranging from energy to health care to public affairs—will be integral to overcoming some of the greatest challenges of our time,” according to an official statement from the University of Colorado Foundation, which oversees the campaign. “A comprehensive campaign helps CU crystallize its strategic priorities and make a public case for the importance of its work.”

The success of Creating Futures is notable considering its fundraising has been spread out over the course of almost six years.

“When you have a multi-year campaign, it becomes hard to keep up momentum,” McConnellogue said. “I think that hitting a milestone has increased attention.”

When the $1.5 billion goal is reached, the Creating Futures Campaign will become the most ambitious fundraising effort in CU history, McConnellogue said.

According to the Creating Futures Ezine Brochure — available on the campaign’s official website — money from the campaign has gone toward the construction of the C4C and the Visual Arts Complex, and the establishment of residential academic programs (RAPs) within the residence halls. Future initiatives include further expanding scholarships and financial aid opportunities for current and incoming students.

Hayley Gocha, an 18-year-old freshman English and theatre major, is enrolled in one of the theatre and dance performances which have been financially supported by the Creating Futures campaign.

“I’ve heard that [the campaign] has done a lot for our school,” Gocha said. “I’d like to hear more of that.”

With support from private donors, the campaign has had a promising start to the New Year. McConnellogue said he is hopeful about its future.

“I think we’ll see continued success in passing the billion-dollar mark,” McConnellogue said. “Private investment increases as state funding lowers.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Bethany Morris at Bethany.morris@colorado.edu.

There’s a positive trend between how successful a team is doing and how enthusiastic its fans are.

With the recent success of the CU basketball team, fan support seems to be at an all-time high. This was illustrated just a few weeks ago when CU’s fan section, the “C-Unit,” was nominated for the 2012 Naismith Student Section of the Year award.

Arizona State's Chris Colvin attempts a free throw on Jan. 19 in front of the C-Unit student section at Coors Event Center in this file photo. The CU fans had crafted signs to distract Sun Devils at the free throw line. (CU Independent File/Annie Rumbles)

I hadn’t attended a basketball game since the very underwhelming 2008-2009 season, but I figured with the team and fans making headlines, I’d jump on the bandwagon.

When I arrived at CU in the fall of 2008, I was entirely underwhelmed by the crowd at the football and basketball games. Everyone just looked drunk and bored. The only cool part was that I got to yell the F-word, something I once attempted in high school but which got me promptly escorted out of the gymnasium.

This season, I hoped to see something different. It had been four years since I had supported a team like I did in high school, but as I pulled on my CU shirt and headed up to my first basketball game in three years, I couldn’t help but hope that I was about to be a part of a raucous, out of control, slightly inebriated crowd once again.

I entered the game just before tip and settled into the student section. I had heard good things about “C-Unit,” and I was ready to jump in head-first.

But wow, what a disappointment.

The only new cheer that I heard was something about not being able to win at altitude and a wholly PG-13 cheer involving pretending you’re on a roller coaster. Apparently these were the things that really got the crowd going. To me all of this was underwhelming, and it didn’t work to make anyone “go insane,” or “create a hostile” playing environment like the C-Unit mission statement had said.

When I think of roller coasters, I think of carnivals, and I’ve always known carnivals to be anything but hostile.

I thought “You can’t win at altitude” was a terrible cheer and that someone needed to stop it. I decided to take things into my own hands. At this point in the game, the referees were blowing their whistles at just about everything. My friends and I tried starting a chant about the ref. It was lewd, in poor taste, and in my mind, perfect for a college basketball game. Plus, it had a syllable count that flowed really well.

But no one took the bait. We were “those idiots.”

But for me, those are the kind of cheers that work. Those are the kind that are fun. It’s fun to single out a player on the opposing team and ridicule him every time he touches the ball. It’s fun to incorporate the F-word creatively in a cheer. It’s fun to come up with something that will get fans to turn on the referees not only on a level pertaining to his officiating skills, but on a moral and personal level as well.

At the end of every event, I want to receive a school-wide urgent student news alert from the athletic director saying he was appalled by the student section’s behavior.

Now I’m not saying we should bare-knuckle box each other, whittle shanks out of dried newspaper, and burn down the stadium — but let’s at least put some creativity into our cheers. Not only is “You can’t win at altitude” unoriginal and un-fun, it almost works to undermine our own team’s ability. It’s saying the opponent’s problem is not the Buffs, but the sparse oxygen count.

We were playing the University of Oregon Ducks. Duck rhymes with more offensive words than I could shake a stick at. I want us to come up with something so off the wall that we can produce a single tear in an opposing player’s eye, and then mercilessly call him a wuss the rest of the game. Creating a hostile environment is about psychology, and if we can make someone cry, I think we’re fulfilling our duty as Buffs fans.

Maybe new, off-the-cuff cheers are difficult to come up with on the spot and in the heat of the game. Maybe I’m wrong in assuming that the student section’s favorite cheer is “F— ‘em up, f— ‘em up, go CU.”

But if I’m right, let’s get our creative juices going and figuratively tear down the house on Thursday against Stanford. Keep in mind that they’re a bunch of pseudo-Ivy League yuppies, which could be the fuel for our C-Unit’s fire.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ryan Sterner at Ryan.sterner@colorado.edu.