Posts tagged Boulder
CU: Shakespeare on the road in anti-violence drive
Feb 25th
Curtain rises on CU-Boulder’s
third anti-violence school tour
third anti-violence school tour
Following on the heels of its nationally recognized anti-violence school tours based on “The Tempest” and “Twelfth Night,” the Colorado Shakespeare Festival has hit the road with a new production of “Much Ado About Nothing.”
The highly praised program, co-created with the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado Boulder, brings abridged productions of Shakespeare’s plays into schools to stimulate discussion about the “cycle of violence.” More than 38,000 Colorado schoolchildren have participated in the program, which was launched in 2011.
Professional actors perform the play and lead students in small-group exercises exploring issues raised, such as gossip and bullying. Actors receive training through the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence and, among other things, educate students about Safe2Tell, an anonymous tip line to report bullying.
The new production focuses on the potential damage caused by gossip and the power of language, said Amanda Giguere, director of outreach for the festival.
In the play, Beatrice and Benedick are “frenemies” known for their constant verbal sparring. Their friends play a prank on them by gossiping within earshot about their mutual affection. In the meantime, the villain Don John fabricates a nasty rumor about Hero’s infidelity, which results in her public humiliation on her wedding day.
“Gossip and rumors can quickly damage a reputation and can have a negative impact on a person’s self-esteem,” Giguere said. “This play explores the power of words. When does a ‘merry war’ turn hostile? When does teasing go too far? What kind of damage can rumors cause? It’s a perfect vehicle for engaging students with questions about the cycle of violence and the negative impact gossip can have on a school climate.”
Some 26 percent of high school students report that other students have told lies or spread rumors about them, according to Beverly Kingston, director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence.
“Every day, kids are faced with difficult issues like gossiping and spreading rumors,” she said. “This play brings these issues to life and empowers students to reflect on these topics and see how they can make better choices.”
Whether they are exploring rumor-mongering, bullying or other harmful behaviors, one key goal of the plays and workshops is to help students feel empowered.
“One of the best things schools can do is to promote a positive school climate where students feel physically and emotionally safe,” Kingston said. “School climate is continuously created in every single interaction. This play is a tangible action toward building a positive school climate.”
Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s anti-violence production of “Much Ado About Nothing” is available for booking. For more information email csfedout@colorado.edu, call 303-492-1973 or visit coloradoshakes.org/education/csf-schools.
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival is a professional theater company in association with CU-Boulder and has performed the works of Shakespeare every summer since 1958. The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence is part of CU-Boulder’s Institute of Behavioral Science. The anti-violence school tour is funded in part through grants from CU Outreach, the Boulder Arts Commission, the OAK (Outstanding Acts of Kindness) Foundation and One Lafayette.
The current tour began Feb. 11 and remaining tour dates include:
Feb. 25: St. Bernadette Catholic School and Mountain Phoenix Community School (Lakewood/Wheat Ridge)
Feb. 26: OLLI West and Denver Montclair International (Denver)
Feb. 27: Heatherwood Elementary (Gunbarrel)
Feb. 28: Brady High (Lakewood) and Jefferson Academy Elementary (Broomfield)
March 4: Ouray School
March 5: Ridgway Schools
March 7: Cherokee Trail High (Aurora) and CU-Boulder
March 14: Boulder Country Day
March 18: Endeavor Academy (Centennial)
March 20: Lincoln Academy Charter (Arvada)
March 21: McGlone Elementary (Denver)
April 1: Estes Park Schools
April 2: Louisville Middle School
April 3: Stein Elementary (Lakewood)
April 4: Estes Park Schools
April 8: Colfax Elementary (Denver) and East Elementary (Littleton)
April 9: Niwot Elementary
April 10: Bromwell Elementary and Columbian Elementary (Denver)
April 11: Rocky Mountain Elementary (Longmont) and Longmont Estates Elementary (Longmont)
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CU’s moment in the spotlight wasn’t very bright
Feb 23rd
No. 4 Wildcats Surge Past Buffs In CEC Finale
Coach Boyle: “We deserved what we got.”
BOULDER – Arizona started fast and finished faster Saturday night at the Coors Events Center, spoiling Colorado’s Senior Night and a day of ESPN College GameDay hoopla with an 88-61 romp past the Buffaloes.
It was CU’s worst home loss of the four-year Tad Boyle era, surpassing a 74-50 defeat by Stanford in 2012, and only the second Buffs loss in 18 games this season at the CEC.
It also was a night of firsts for the No. 4 Wildcats, who won for the first time in Boulder since 1973 and swept CU for the first time since the Buffs became members of the Pac-12 Conference in 2011. Arizona (25-2, 12-2) now is 3-0 in its last three meetings with CU (20-8, 9-6).
“The worst we’ve played”
“It was a disappointing performance by our team and I have to look square in the mirror on that,” Boyle said. “As their coach, I didn’t do a very good job tonight.”
The Buffs go on the road for their final three regular-season games, traveling to Utah on Saturday, then wrapping up at Stanford (Wednesday, March 5) and California (Saturday, March 8). The Pac-12 Tournament is March 12-15 in Las Vegas, and Boyle might need that long to digest this weekend’s letdown.
After crediting Arizona for its performance, he reflected on the magnitude of the night and the depth of the disappointment. The Wildcats, he said, “whipped us in every which way you can whip a team . . . our fans were so ready for this game, this win; we gave them nothing. That’s a sick feeling to go home and live with. I don’t know what to say.
“I haven’t been embarrassed many times as a coach, but I was embarrassed by the way my team played . . . we have to own it and accept it. The pit in my stomach has more to do with our fans and seniors. They deserve more (but) we deserve what we got tonight.”
CU has but two seniors – center Ben Mills and guard Beau Gamble. Mills made his first career start, played 7 minutes total and closed out the Buffs’ scoring with the first trey of his career. Gamble made his first appearance of the night in the final 3 minutes, entering the game with the Wildcats leading 78-53.
After trailing by as many as 17 points in the first half, CU cut Arizona’s lead to 31-26 at the half and to 37-33 early in the second half. But the talented Wildcats answered with a 14-6 run that put them ahead 51-39 and effectively put the game away with just over 12 minutes remaining..
Arizona came to Boulder as the Pac-12’s top defensive team, allowing just 57.6 points a game. But the Wildcats put on an offensive clinic in Saturday night’s second half, shooting an uncanny 84.6 percent (22-for-26) to end any thought of a Buffs comeback on an eagerly awaited day and night for them and their fans.
“Colorado’s a good team,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said. “We knew we weren’t going to run away with it that early, our offense really kicked into another gear in the second half.”
But, said Boyle, the Wildcats “were struggling to score coming in here.” And when the Buffs cut the deficit to four early in the second half, “You have to have a mindset to dig in and get stops. We didn’t do that.”
The Buffs also had their offensive problems, but the nasty Wildcats’ defense was to blame for many of those. “I can’t emphasize how good they are defensively; there are 11 other teams in the Pac-12 and then there’s Arizona,” Boyle said. “It’s not even close (on the defensive end). Our frustrations on offense led to a dunk-fest.”
Boyle said his team lacked patience offensively, pointing to a manageable nine turnovers as evidence that the Buffs rushed their shots: “We shot the ball so darn quick that we didn’t have a chance to turn it over. We took such bad shots and quickly, that it was like a turnover and they were able to get out in transition.”
Josh Scott (18 points) and Askia Booker (10) were the only two CU players in double figures while three Arizona players – led by freshman Aaron Gordon’s 23 – reached double digits. Nick Johnson added 20 and Kaleb Tarczewski had 13.
The Pac-12’s top defensive and rebounding team held CU to a season-low 32 percent shooting from the field (17-of-52) and out-boarded the Buffs 38-30. The Wildcats, meanwhile, finished at 60 percent from the field (35-of-58), including their incredible four-miss second half.
After falling behind 18-4 in their 69-57 loss at Arizona last month, the Buffs wanted no part of a sluggish beginning Saturday night. It happened anyway. There weren’t many ways the Buffs’ start could have been any worse.
Missing its first 15 field goal attempts and four of its first seven free throw attempts, CU fell behind 22-5 before freshman Jaron Hopkins hit a 3-pointer with 9:49 left before intermission for the Buffs’ first field goal. It was CU second-longest field goal drought of the season, following a 14:36 span last month in – where else? – Tucson.
But Hopkins’ trey from the left wing launched a 13-4 run that brought CU to within five points (26-21) with 4:39 left in the half. The Wildcats responded with four straight points and went ahead 30-21 before Booker got his first points of the night on a 12-foot jumper 2 seconds before the break.
That brought CU to within 31-25 – and given the way most of the half unfolded, a six-point deficit might have been a blessing.
Booker, who had averaged 19.6 points in his last five games, said the Buffs “got ourselves back into the game – we were down six at half, and that’s not a bad spot to be . . . but we just gave it away in the second half.”
Booker finished the half 1-for-8, Xavier Johnson 0-for-4. The Buffs’ 22.2 percent first-half shooting was their second worst of the season. For the night, Booker was 4-for-14 and Johnson 1-for-10 with five points.
“I think we got a little jump shot happy but I think that’s a credit to (Arizona),” Scott said. “I think we turned over the ball a couple times at some key points in the game and it’s mainly because they pack the paint, so that you’re pretty much there to take those shots. We should have attacked that more.”
Obviously needing a more efficient second-half start, the Buffs got it on a baseline jumper by Scott to pull to 31-27 – the closest they’d been since trailing 5-1. CU and Arizona traded baskets until Gordon hit back-to-back baskets – one a 3-pointer – to push the Wildcats ahead 42-33.
When Gordon hit his trey from the left corner, “I said here we go,” noted Boyle. “That’s not his game.”
But Arizona was about to find its trey touch – and more. Consecutive long balls by Johnson and Gabe York push the Wildcats back to a double-digit lead – 49-39 – then to 51-39 on a shorter Johnson jumper half a minute later. The Wildcats were 6-for-9 (66.7 percent) from beyond the arc in the second half and 8-of-17 (47.1 percent) for the game.
Getting stops was becoming a CU problem, and it was beginning to be compounded by the clock. If the Buffs had another rally in them, it needed to happen – and fast. It was nowhere to be found.
A 13-4 run, capped by a Tarczewski dunk, produced a 21-point Arizona lead (64-43) with 9:16 to play that went to 23 points (66-43) on a pair of Johnson free throws at the 7:50 mark. The Wildcats led by as many as 30 before the final buzzer, the Buffs never led.
Booker said the Buffs “didn’t have the most energy,” but didn’t blame that on any possible distraction from ESPN’s basketball GameDay crew being in Boulder for the first time.
“We’re used to all the cameras being here and all these people setting up their stuff,” he said. “It’s not like we’re doing interviews at half time or right before the game. We barely knew they were here, and yeah, we knew they were preparing but it has nothing to do once we step on the court and the ball goes up. It’s not an excuse.”
Buffs Get Payback and Revenge Over Sun Devils
Feb 20th
Story By B.G. Brooks, CUBuffs.com Contributing Editor
BOULDER – Tad Boyle cringes at the mention of revenge as a motivator, but he probably doesn’t object to pay-back. His Colorado Buffaloes got that (and maybe just a little revenge) Wednesday night at the Coors Events Center, out-gutting and out-grinding Arizona State, 61-52.
CU’s win broke a three-game Pac-12 Conference losing streak to ASU and gave Boyle’s fourth Buffs team its fourth 20-win season – a school-record. The Buffs (20-7, 9-5) now have back-to-back 20-win regular seasons and improved to 60-8 at the CEC under Boyle, including 16-1 this season with only No. 4 Arizona remaining on the home schedule.
Boyle was noticeably dialed in and demonstrative in front of his bench.
“I’m tired of losing to these guys, number one, and number two, I knew what was at stake,” he said. “They’re a physical team and you’d better buck up and be physical back, otherwise they’ll punk you. I wanted to make sure I was dialed in. I feel that way every game. I may not show it every game, but I wanted our fans to know and our players to know how important this game was – and I think they really fed off it.”
Boyle was “dialed in” to letting the fans and players know how important this game was
He called the grueling win “great for our program and it came at a very instrumental time in our season . . . our guys stepped up and our crowd was fantastic for a 9 p.m. tipoff. I can’t be more thankful and my hat goes off to them . . . now we need them one more time – Saturday.”
If pay-back was on someone else’s mind beside Boyle, it was Josh Scott. In a low-post entanglement last season with ASU’s 7-2 Jordan Bachynski, CU’s 6-10 Scott was flung to the court and suffered a concussion. The Buffs lost 63-62 in overtime.
Wednesday night was day-and-night different. The energized Scott was the banger, Bachynski the bangee. Scott got his 11th double-double of the season – 13 points, 13 rebounds as CU out-boarded ASU 48-27 – and held Bachynski to four points and three rebounds.
“Josh takes this matchup personal,” Boyle said. “What went on here last year in this building, we didn’t like it, we didn’t appreciate it and he hadn’t forgotten about it. Neither had I. And I don’t think our fans had either. I’m proud of Josh, he’s a battler; I’ll take that guy any day of the week.”
Boyle also called Scott “such an underrated post defender,” and except for losing track of ASU sharpshooter Jonathan Gilling, all the Buffs were fairly solid on defense. Gilling, a 6-7 junior, scored nine of his 10 points on consecutive 3-pointers in the second half and brought the Sun Devils (19-7, 8-5) back from a nine-point deficit.
But ASU finished shooting 31.5 percent from the field (17-of-54) while CU was at 37.0 percent from the field (20-of-54). The Buffs committed 14 turnovers to the Sun Devils’ 11, but got 12 points off of the ASU miscues to seven for the visitors. Maybe the night’s most telling number: CU scored 12 second-chance points to zero by ASU.
Boyle called the win grittier and gutsier than it was pretty, adding, “Sometimes Arizona State has a lot to do with that . . . Arizona State makes you earn your shots.”
CU’s Askia Booker and ASU’s Jahii Carson each scored 18 points, and Xavier Johnson contributed 11 for the Buffs. Booker scored 16 of his total in the second half. He got the Buffs’ first six points of the half, then closed out the Sun Devils by making six consecutive free throws in the final 39 seconds.
And the last of Booker’s three assists – CU finished with 11 – was a bullet pass to Dustin Thomas underneath for a layup that made the score 53-48. “In my mind,” said Boyle, “that was the play of the game.”
The importance of the game, said Booker, registered with him and his teammates four minutes into the game “at the first media timeout . . . You could tell how intense coach was in the huddle. This may be the most emotion I’ve seen out of him this year. You could tell he really wanted to win and I think that translated to the players.”
CU ran at every opportunity, and Boyle theorized that ASU “got tired some, I could see some heavy legs and burning lungs out there.”
The Buffs led 27-26 at the end of an intensely physical first half. If you craved defense, the CEC was your kind of venue.
Booker, averaging 19.6 points in February’s five previous games, didn’t get his first basket until the 5:23 mark, converting a steal into a layup and a 21-19 Buffs lead. Johnson, averaging 18.4 points in February, didn’t score until the 2:04 mark with a put-back.
Boyle was forced deep into his bench as Booker, Xavier Talton and Dustin Thomas – all starters – had picked up two fouls each with just over 6 minutes left before the break.
Nonetheless, the Buffs took a one-point lead to their locker room. But once back on the court, it quickly disappeared. ASU scored the second half’s first six points, getting two layups from Carson and a jumper from Jermaine Marshall to go up 32-27 – the largest lead by either team to that point.
But after a timeout, it was Booker time. He scored CU’s first six points of the half – two layups and a short jumper – to give the Buffs a 33-32 lead, then smoothly fed Scott for a fast-break dunk and a 35-32 lead.
CU got a tip dunk and one of two free throws by Johnson to go up 38-34 with 12:31 to play. Two minutes later, Johnson hit consecutive free throws and the Buffs were up 40-35.
It went to nine points — 45-36 – before Gilling connected on three consecutive treys to pull ASU to within 47-45 with 5:28 remaining. The Sun Devils got no closer and the Buffs closed out their 20th win on Booker’s free throws.
Boyle said winning 20 games for a fourth consecutive season “means we’ve recruited good players (and) we’ve coached good players. It takes good players to win games and our staff’s done a great job, our fans have really taken the homecourt advantage to heart. They’ve shown up through thick and thin. It’s a great feeling; we want that to be the standard.”
BLACKOUT SATURDAY: With College GameDay here on Saturday to see the Buffs play No. 4/4 Arizona on ESPN at 7 p.m., fans are encouraged to wear black and make it the Coors Events Center’s best BLACKOUT ever. In addition, Saturday is Senior Night, honoring fan favorites Beau Gamble and Ben Mills. The doors will open Saturday at 6 a.m. (no admission charge) for the morning broadcast hosted by ESPN analysts Rece Davis, Digger Phelps, Jalen Rose and Jay Williams. Live look-ins during the SportsCenter broadcast will start at approximately 7 a.m. Need a reason to get up early? Take your choice:
• Free breakfast food, coffee, Kickstart, and other giveaways for students;
• Free Illegal Pete’s burrito cards to first 250 students;
• Make your own poster at the CEC for the broadcast;
• Show off your CU Pride and Passion on National TV;
• A chance to win CU vs. Arizona tickets;
• One lucky student will win $1,000 and get the chance to make a half-court shot worth $18,000.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
Team
• Colorado wins its 20th game of the season, the fourth time in history the Buffaloes have won that many in the regular season (1968-69, 1996-97, 2012-13, 2013-14).
• The 20 wins in a season is the eighth team in school history (113 years) that feat has been accomplished (Boyle owns four of them).
• It’s also the fourth-straight season CU has won 20-games in a season – all under head coach Tad Boyle .
• CU breaks a three-game skid to ASU, evening the all-time series at 5-5 and evening its record to 3-3 in Pac-12 games against the Sun Devils.
• CU improves to 4-1 at the Coors Events Center against Arizona State (the lone loss coming last season).
• The Buffs improve to an impressive 60-8 (.882) record at the Coors Events Center under the Boyle-coaching staff.
• Colorado is now 16-1 at home this season, the second-most wins at home in school history.
• CU improves to 37-21 (.638) against Pac-12 teams in the Boyle era.
• The Buffs end their three-game streak of scoring at least 40 points in the first half (27 tonight). CU didn’t break in to the 40’s until 10:34 left in the second half.
• ASU went on a 6-0 run to start the second half (20:00-15:52). This gave the Sun Devils their largest lead of the game (5).
• CU has held the opponent to below 39 percent shooting 11 times this season, six times in Pac-12 play (Arizona State, Washington, USC, UCLA, Oregon State, at USC). ASU shot 31% tonight.
• Just the fourth time CU has 8 or more league games four years in a row: Once in the RMAC, once in the RMAC/MSC, once in the Big 8 (1962-65), so nearly 50 years.
• Arizona State’s 52 points is the lowest scoring performance by an opponent this season.
• Colorado’s 61 points is the lowest points scored in a win by the Buffs since their 60-50 win over Utah Feb. 21, 2013.
• Six Buffs had five or more rebounds (Johnson-6, Thomas-6, Scott-13, Booker-6, Gordon-5, Hopkins-5).
• CU is an incredible 27-0 at home when out-rebounding the opponent AND holding the opponent under 40 FG% (CU outrebounded ASU 48-27 and held ASU to 31.5% from the field).
• Under the Boyle staff at the Events Center, the Buffs are 50-1 when outrebounding the opponent (last year outrebounded Arizona State, 41-26, OT loss).
Dustin Thomas
· His eight points tonight is the most he has scored in Pac-12 play (previous high was 7 vs. USC).
· Career-high six rebounds.
Askia Booker
- 13th time this season with over 15 points (18 tonight).
- Perfect 8-for-8 at the free throw line.
- Season-high 17 field goal attempts.
Josh Scott
- 11th double-double this season with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
- 11th time this season with 10 or more rebounds.
- Fourth time this season with 13 rebounds (ties season-high).
Xavier Talton
• Handed out a career-best 5 assists.
Andrew Green | Assistant Director Sports Information
Department of Intercollegiate Athletics | University of Colorado Boulder | 357 UCB | Fieldhouse Annex 50
