Reporter Zee Nwuke has covered Metro State athletics for The Metropolitan student newspaper since 2011.

After graduating from Hinkley High School in 2008, I had a big decision to make: choose a college major that would take me somewhere in life.

I was always a good student, but I needed to pick a subject that would keep my interest. I quickly crossed math off the list. In my freshman year at Metropolitan State University of Denver, I selected journalism as my major. English had always been my best class growing up. All throughout childhood, I also played sports, sometimes right alongside my dad who spent time coaching my soccer team.

I set my sights on translating my passion for sports and writing into a career. That’s when I applied for the sports reporting job at The Metropolitan, the university’s student-led newspaper.

I could not have chosen a better season to transition from reporter to assistant sports editor. The 2012-2013 season at MSU Denver was huge. The men’s basketball team made it to the national championship, the track team set numerous records and many other teams accomplished great things. Metro State is a member of NCAA Division II and competes in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. We sponsor 15 sports, providing nearly 200 student-athletes a chance to compete and study in an urban setting, according to the athletics department. Over the last year, I covered soccer, basketball, tennis and baseball, and juggled duties as a full-time student. Along the way, I learned a lot of lessons.

Our teams were on a winning streak for much of the year, adding excitement to our stories and to my job as a reporter and editor.

I grew as a writer, profiling Jonathan Morse, a sharpshooting center on the men’s basketball team and an RMAC Player of the Year, Emily Wood, an accomplished student and a guard for the women’s basketball team, and Eiger Erickson, a history buff and an impressive distance runner for the men’s track team.

The entire sports section did the best we could on every issue. In the end, it produced great newspapers. In addition to stepping it up with features, we crafted award-winning columns. Our team snagged first-place for sports column writing in the Society of Professional Journalists Region 9 Mark of Excellence contest.

Aspiring journalists should definitely apply to be part of The Metropolitan. If you want to write for a major publication one day, it will give you essential experience before you graduate. You will get to go out there and live the life of a reporter. There are a ton of sports to cover and great people to meet at MSU Denver.

Fourth of July Cherry Creek Arts Festival. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

We’re writing about neighborhoods in preparation for our Housing and Resource Fair on May 1. This is part four of our series.

Cherry Creek is known for its large houses and upscale retail stores. In this neighborhood, situated between University and Colorado Boulevards and Alameda Drive and Eighth Avenue, you’ll find several mansions and large houses to marvel over. But not all the housing in this area is too pricey for students.

There are quite a few apartment complexes in and around Cherry Creek that are affordable. Cherry Creek Club and Atrii apartments are only 15 minutes from Auraria campus and provide a solid option for students. A little further north near Colfax Avenue, the Colorado Pointe apartments are conveniently sandwiched between Cherry Creek and downtown.

As hinted at above, Cherry Creek is a shopper’s paradise. The Cherry Creek Mall is one of the largest indoor malls in Colorado with stores such as Coach and Hugo Boss.

For Denver fashionistas, it’s a critical addition to the city.

Aside from shopping, Cherry Creek is known for its involvement in the arts community. Every year, the area hosts the Cherry Creek Arts Festival. There are dozens of galleries, including the Pismo Gallery, to stroll through. After a day of shopping and gallery viewing, definitely stop in for a drink at historic Cherry Cricket, a neighborhood staple. The bar has changed hands a few times since its opening in 1945, and now, under the direction of Wynkoop Holdings, offers cold beers in a friendly setting, according to its website.

If you’re an Auraria student and you’ve missed all of the fun things to do in LoDo, your eyes must be closed. From restaurants and bars to art galleries and shops, this neighborhood features more varied activities than any other area in the Mile High City.

Situated in the heart of downtown Denver, no review of this historically preserved area would be complete without a description of the 16th Street Mall. This pedestrian walkway features rustic red-and-gray granite, and runs through the center of downtown. A free bus shuttles passengers to and from shops along the stretch, which spans 1.25 miles.

The mall has an essential place in the history of Denver. It was part of a massive public-private partnership to revitalize business in downtown Denver. Opened in 1982, the mall celebrated its 30th anniversary last year.

Denver History Minute #26: 16th Street Mall from Havey Productions on Vimeo.

Our beloved LoDo also hosts Coors field, home of the Denver Rockies. Built in the 90s, the stadium is a relatively new addition to Denver, but fuels much of the spring and summer traffic in the area.

Another don’t miss is LoDo’s music scene. You can catch live music at Summit Music Hall, or the Marquis Theater. If electronic music is your thing, check out Beta nightclub. Notable lounges include Suite 200 or Oak Tavern. My wife and her friends like the piano bar experience offered at Howl at the Moon.

You can grab a brew and a burger at Wynkoop Brewing Company (founded by Colorado’s governor). Another great location with lots of drink specials is Brothers Bar and Grill. For Mexican food, try the authentic taste and famously strong margaritas at the Rio Grande (if you like the margaritas, think about becoming part of the Marg Mob, a loyalty program that lets you earn free cocktails). A fine dining option is Ocean Prime (excellent seafood). In all honesty, there are so many food and bar options in LoDo, I couldn’t possibly list them all.

A couple great places to live in LoDo include The Ballpark Lofts and Auraria Student Lofts. If you want to live in an area with plenty to do, or if you just want to live close to work or school, I suggest LoDo as your new home. Find out more from area experts from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 in Tivoli 320.

Whether you’re looking to admire some of Denver’s oldest homes, or find a hip, new place to go on Friday night, Capitol Hill has you covered.

Nestled between Colfax and Eighth and Broadway and Downing, Capitol Hill, or Cap Hill for short, is a great neighborhood. Strolling through, you’ll see a mix of tattooed and pierced hipsters and young professionals in suits. An eclectic group occupy the many studios and one-bedroom apartments in the area.

Cap Hill boasts a great assortment of newer bars and restaurants.

I must say, I love the mainstays that have anchored the neighborhood for decades.

If you’re a fan of beat poetry, head down to Charlie Brown’s and sit at the same bar once graced by Jack Kerouac and Alan Ginsberg. No matter your tastes (or diet), there’s somewhere in Cap Hill for you. City O’ City is known as one of the best vegetarian/vegan restaurants in Denver; menu highlights include seitan wings and gourmet pizzas.

If live music is your thing, Cap Hill is home to two of Denver’s biggest concert venues, Fillmore Auditorium and Ogden Theatre. Hosted bands are as varied as neighborhood denizens. Occasionally, you can even catch a Roller Derby tournament.

Photo courtesy of Flickr Commons | whitexbread

If you’d rather spend your free time in the sunshine, Cap Hill is in close proximity to two of Denver’s biggest parks, Civic Center and Cheesman. In the summer, look out for fairs and festivals, such as The People’s Fair in June or A Taste of Colorado over Labor Day weekend.

If Capitol Hill sounds like the place for you, don’t miss out on the opportunity to talk to representatives from this area at the Housing and Resource Fair. Definitely chat with reps from Boutique Apartments, Cornerstone Apartment Services, Inc., and Performance Property Management. If you’re ready to invest in a home or condo, check in with our guests from Kentwood City Properties, Live Urban Denver and Colorado Housing and Finance Authority.

The fun lasts from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 in Tivoli 320.

I love Denver and the many communities that make up its metro area. Every neighborhood has its own distinct flavor to offer to broader life in the Mile High City. Today, I’d like to take some time to highlight the city of Englewood.

The heart of Englewood’s business and cultural life is located primarily along South Broadway, or SoBo, as the locals call it. This stretch of road is home to places such as Gothic Theatre and Moe’s Bar-B-Que, as well as many resale shops and used bookstores.

While SoBo plays host to a wide spectrum of Englewood’s culture, there are other establishments scattered throughout the community that add to the town’s personality. The Englewood Arts Center provides a venue for music appreciation and instruction. Just a few blocks away from the Arts Center is the Englewood Recreation Center. Complete with an indoor track, an eight-lane swimming pool, and year-round youth sports leagues, the Rec Center provides a base for building healthy relationships within the community.

The great thing about Englewood is that it captures the spirit of living in Denver while putting its own unique twist on the experience.

The next time you are in the neighborhood, make sure to seize the opportunity to create a new memory.

Two representatives from Englewood will be on our campus as part of the MSU Denver Student Media Housing and Resource Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 1. If you find the city interesting, be sure to find out more from our sponsors Alexan CityCenter and Riverton on the Platte.

Alexan CityCenter (top) and Riverton on the Platte (bottom) are apartment communities in Englewood, Colo.

What can an elephant teach us about news?

Turned out the zoo’s elephants were safe in their enclosures, and the phone call saved The Denver Post from publishing a false report.

“We weren’t first, but we were right, and that’s our goal,” Migoya, a veteran editor, told a roomful of MSU Denver students.

Migoya is the breaking news and online editor at The Denver Post. She visited the university April 11 as part of a course on the art of editing.

She operates in a fast-paced, evolving world. The Post has a digital-first philosophy, but now functions with 60 percent fewer employees than in 2007, Migoya said.

“We juggle a lot,” she said. “We all just have to pitch in and make sure things happen.”

Tweets, Facebook conversations and website analytics – terms that were nonexistent when Migoya entered the news business in the 1990s – are now a major part of her daily routine. Tweets from a court reporter, for instance, allow Migoya and her team to file lightning-fast Web updates on trials from the office. Sources, such as police and government representatives, use Twitter to issue breaking news alerts, too, making the news release more and more obsolete, Migoya said.

“Everyone we work with understands and works with social media in some capacity,” Migoya said.

Nowadays, headline writing for the Web is governed by SEO – search engine optimization. That means instead of brainstorming clever puns to use in titles, Migoya’s team tries to anticipate the search terms you might type into Google to find information.

Her staff of Web producers and reporters understands “this is the new reality,” she said.

In a sign of the times, Pulitzer judges praised the Post’s use of Facebook and Twitter, as well as video and the written word, to tell the story of the Aurora theater shootings. The Post’s online story about the shootings was updated 36 times before it ever went to print, according to Pulitzer.org. The comprehensive approach won the newspaper a 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting.

So, what should J-school students do to prepare for a career at a major daily newspaper?

Start by joining the staff of your college newspaper, but don’t stop there, Migoya advises. Find internships or volunteer at professional news operations.

And be ready for the demands of the job. “Just remember,” Migoya said, “it’s 24/7.”

Karen Vega, Jorge Perez Garcia, Justin Taylor, Brian T. McGinn, Kayla Whitney and Angelita Foster received awards for excellence in journalism at the SPJ Region 9 awards ceremony.

MSU Denver Student Media received 16 awards, including eight first-place honors, in the Region 9 Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence competition. The awards for outstanding student journalism were announced April 13 at the regional conference in Santa Fe, N.M. SPJ Region 9 includes Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

The Metropolitan student newspaper received first place in the Best All-Around Non Daily Newspaper category for large schools. Judges said the newspaper “reflects diverse campus interests,” and is “thoughtful” and “well-crafted.” Professionals with at least three years of journalism experience serve as SPJ judges, according to an SPJ press release.

First-place winners from all 12 SPJ regions will advance to the national competition. They will be notified in late spring of their standings, and recognized August 24-26 at the Excellence in Journalism conference in Anaheim, Calif.

FIRST PLACE

• Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper, The Metropolitan
• Editorial Cartooning, Jorge Perez Garcia, The Metropolitan, “Polly the Bird“
• Feature Photography, Melanie J. Rice, The Metropolitan, “Tivoli goes wild with Jack Hanna“
• Online Opinion and Commentary, Joe Deras, The Metropolitan, “The Laughing Heart“
• Radio Sports Reporting, Justin Taylor, KMet Radio, “The Coach Clark Show”
• Sports Column Writing, Angelita Foster, Paul J. Marcely and Nick Ohlig, The Metropolitan
• Television In-Depth Reporting, Simone DeAlba, The Met Report, “Needle Exchange: helpful or harmful?“
• Television Sports Photography, Kevin Hall and Kellan Stone, The Met Report, “Metro buries Mines“

SECOND PLACE

• Best All-Around Television Newscast, The Met Report
• Breaking News Photography, Ryan Borthick, The Metropolitan, “Hope after tragedy“
• Feature Photography, Jessica Cuneo and Melanie J. Rice, The Metropolitan, “Day of the Dead takes on many faces“
• Television Feature Photography, The Met Report, “Zombies invade downtown“

 THIRD PLACE

• Breaking News Photography, Melanie J. Rice, The Metropolitan, “Candlelight vigil brings tragedy-stricken community together“
• Feature Photography, Melanie J. Rice, The Metropolitan, “Hair heats up the state at Eugenia Rawls Courtyard Theater“
• General News Photography, Brian T. McGinn, The Metropolitan, “Denver debate kicks off election home stretch“
• Sports Photography, Jessica Cuneo, The Metropolitan, “Women’s soccer sweeps Labor Day games“

Let the countdown to the Housing and Resource Fair begin.

In little over two weeks, we’ll welcome more than two dozen awesome people to our campus to tell us more about our living and moving options. We promised an update a little closer to event, so here goes.

Representatives from apartment complexes in all corners of Denver, including Capitol Hill and LoDo, will be on hand (and some will offer move-in specials). You’ll also have the chance to learn more about what it takes to become a first-time home buyer from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. They promise, it’s not as scary we think.

Don’t be scared. Home-buying is possible, says fair participant Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons

Dog and cat lovers, you’ll get the chance to chat with reps from Dumb Friends League. They’ll come armed with tips on how to be a responsible pet owner. And if you’re ready to take the parent-ship plunge (with a cat or dog), they’ll hook you up with some adoption information.

The Dumb Friends League is ready to tell you about adoption, and responsible pet ownership. Photo courtesy of FanPop.

We hate stereotypes, but we’ve all the heard horror stories: roommates who refuse to do the dishes; studios no bigger than your parents’ closet; noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner; and (our favorite) using a blow dryer to iron your shirt and your shower as a washing machine. That last gem comes to us from via Twitter from @manda_bocye. We like it so much, we’ve decided to share similar college anecdotes on Twitter until the day of the fair. For some laughs, follow us at @MetStudentMedia or submit your own housing tales on Facebook. We’ll use the hashtags #collegelife and #housingfair.

If you can relate to that dirty roommate story, you might want to stop by the fair for some conversation with College Girl Cleaning Service. We even thought of our spring graduates (cheers!). If you’re bucking national employment trends, found a dream job and need to get out of Denver, College Hunks Moving Junk can do the heavy lifting, or consider MyWay Mobile Storage. For a full list of fair attendants, visit our event page at http://metrostudentmedia.com/housing-and-resource-fair/students/.

Out of love, we’ll offer our first 75 guests a free warm pretzel from Denver’s award-winning catering company, Biscuits and Berries. The pretzels will be served with hot, sweet or whole grain mustard, or a rockin’ spicy queso dip. Yum.

Photo courtesy of koocbar | Flickr Creative Commons

Plus, we’ll give out more than $600 in prizes throughout the event. You must be present to win, so here’s our giveaway schedule:

• 11:15 a.m., Natural Grocers: $25 gift card
• 11:30 a.m., College Girl Cleaning: three hours of free cleaning
• noon, Rio Grande: $50 gift card
• 12:30 p.m., Whole Foods: $100 gift card
• 1 p.m., Winter Park: Single-Day Summer Adventure Pass valued at $50
• 1:30 p.m., Spring Hill Suites: Free two-night’s stay at the downtown, MSU Denver location!

Hope to see you there from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 in Tivoli 320.

Love,
Student Media

Today, after Metro’s heartbreaking loss to Drury University, I’m sniffing humble pie and licking my wounds. Losing absolutely stinks, especially when the taste of victory was on the tip of my tongue. Now, what seemed important to write yesterday has been superseded by other topics.

I was greatly impressed with the Drury University students and fans. While Springfield, Mo., is much closer to Atlanta than Denver, there looked to be at least 200 jumping and screaming fanatics in the stands. And while the Roadrunners are used to playing before a half-full Auraria Event Center, the guys could have used a little more support to get over the hump and secure the trophy. Drury even canceled classes Monday to allow students to return to campus without academic penalty.

Every time the CBS cameras locked in on the Drury student section, I stared at the signs, which as you would expect displayed the school’s abbreviation, “DU.” The Panthers’ comeback victory became a metaphor for Metro’s battle with the local DU over Metro’s name change. My mood lifted a little Monday morning when I read Terry Frei’s column in the Post. Frei blasted the University of Denver for its arrogance in the recent firing of longtime hockey coach George Gwozdecky. He also criticized “whining from DU officials and school supporters” about Metro’s proposal to rename itself Denver State University.

My disposition further improved when I saw a couple of Facebook comments written by family and friends of Roadrunner sophomore Nicholas Kay. Unable to travel 9,000 miles from Australia to see the game, Kay’s aunt, Richelle Bond, and a couple of friends sent along their thanks to KMet Radio for its broadcast. I’m a disappointed fan, but their words made me refocus on the outstanding work of KMet’s dedicated team, headed by station GM Colton Denning, play-by-play announcer and sports director Justin Taylor, and assistant GM Mike Ingersoll. Bravo, guys, for a great game and season.

The Metro State men’s basketball team posed for a photo prior to vying for the NCAA Division II title on April 7. Photo credit: The Metropolitan | Ryan Borthick

Student Media sent five staff members to Atlanta: Taylor; sports editor Angel Foster and photo editor Ryan Borthick from The Metropolitan; and The Met Report’s GM Peter Aragon and sports director Kevin Hall. Metropolitan photographer Trevor Davis made the trip to Louisville. I’m excited to see their fine work in the next paper, April 11, and on the season wrap-up during Friday’s Met Report, but I’m more pleased they had the opportunity for unlimited networking at the media hotel and Philips Arena. We’re grateful to MSU Denver Provost Vicki Golich for sending these students on an indescribably beneficial educational experience.

I hope Thursday’s rally at 12:15 p.m. in front of the Student Success Building will cheer up the basketball players. They deserve to see hundreds of students, staff and faculty roaring their approval.

To commemorate this remarkable season, Student Media is producing a 16-page, full-color magazine. Pick one up at the rally or in Tivoli 313.

The Twitter hashtag for the National Conference for Media Reform had been used enough times to constitute a “trend.” Some 2,500 conference attendees gathered April 5-7 at the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel to discuss the future of media.

How do big corporations shape the stories we read, see and hear? How will technology continue to change the way we emit and receive information? If the Fourth Estate is essential to a healthy democracy, what can we do to ensure its survival?

Denver resident Katharine Shuler participated in a demonstration for media reform outside the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel on Saturday, April 6. Photo credit: Marlena Hartz

At MSU Denver Student Media, our very existence revolves around these themes. As our name suggests, we support the student voice. This is not a hollow promise or meaningless phrase in our mission statement. It is a lived reality. In the 1970s, a small group of students founded The Metropolitan newspaper, sowing the seeds for what is today known as MSU Denver Student Media. This year, about 100 students have powered our independent radio, TV, print and Web outlets.

We’re deeply committed to a central topic of the conference, diversity. We strive for diversity in our coverage and our staff. MSU Denver is the leader in educating undergraduate Coloradans and enrolls the highest number of students of color among the state’s four-year colleges. Our newsroom closely mirrors that diversity. The same is not true in newsrooms across the United States, which makes our role as a training ground and sounding board all the more critical.

To this advocate for Student Media, a hyper-local news experiment that began 34 years ago, moments at the conference were bits of fuel.

“Raise your hand if you want local, hard-hitting journalism,” shouted Free Press Events Manager Mary Alice Crim at an opening session. Hands shot up into the air. I saw each upraised arm as an affirmation that what we do from a small space in Tivoli 313 fits into a larger narrative.

Free Press is the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that presented the Denver conference on media reform. Its President and CEO Craig Aaron told The Denver Post his litmus test comes after the conference is over.

“So much change happens through culture, so we’re hoping we’ll be able to leave behind some energy and greater awareness of these issues,” Aaron told the Post. “That’s how we’ll judge the success of the event — seeing what kinds of changes are made moving forward.”

I’d really like to carry forward the discussion on the future of media at Auraria. So, I’ve decided to use a bulletin board in our office to replicate a question posed in the same manner at the conference:

“What’s the biggest, boldest change you want to see in the media in the next 10 years?”

Since 10 years seems like a lifetime in the collegiate universe, I’m asking what change you’d like to see from Student Media in the next four years.

Participants at the National Conference for Media Reform shared hopes for media in the next 10 years. Photo credit: Marlena Hartz

During a Media Reform panel, Democracy Now!‘s Amy Goodman described the media “as a huge kitchen table that stretches across the globe.” To close this entry, here are 10 ways you can take a seat at our “kitchen table.”

1. Join us, literally. Apply online throughout the month of April to be considered for our summer training program.

2. Give the gift of thoughtful consumption. Below our stories and blog entries, you’ll see a comments section. It’s rarely used, but one voice can break the “spiral of silence.”

3. Compose a letter to the editor. Send it to studentmedia@msudenver.edu.

4. Share news tip and story suggestions. If you don’t want to get out of your pajamas, use our contact form.

5. Talk to us. In person, or online. We so crave conversation, we created Twitter and Facebook lists to make it easier to find all our outlets.

6. Start a radio show. Consider Rodney Dean. He studies the hotel and hospitality industry at MSU Denver. Lately, he spends most of his free time advocating for the rights of people who are physically encumbered. Along with David Klingensmith, he co-founded CIAO Radio, a show on our student-led Internet radio station, KMet, that highlights accessibility issues on and beyond the campus. If you purchase an ad in a Student Media outlet through CIAO, we’ll donate a portion of the proceeds to Rodney and David’s student organization of the same name.

CIAO Radio hosts Rodney Dean (left) and David Klingensmith (right) in the KMet Radio studio. Photo courtesy of kmetradio.org.

7. Seek out student-produced content. Go one step further if you are an artist and submit your work to Metrosphere.org. We publish the magazine once a year in May, but review art and literary submissions for online publication year-round.

8. Launch a blog on MetNews.org. Joe Deras, a member of Politically Active Ztudents, did. The Society of Professional Journalists recently recognized his blog, “The Laughing Heart,” with an award for excellence.

9. Use MetList to pass on news and announcements to the campus community. It’s free.

10. Support continued funding of Student Media. Elected student representatives vote annually to allocate student fees, which constitute the bulk of our funding. We also receive support from advertisers and sponsors.