A Middle Eastern delight (CU Independent/Kate Burr)

Walking into Pickled Lemon, I was welcomed by bright Moroccan-themed colors. At the walk up counter I ordered a Chicken Shawarma. The chicken, which is marinated in a blend of 21 spices, was bursting with flavor. In addition to the rice, lentils, and house salad which came with the chicken, Pickled Lemon offers a healthy selection of sides and toppings. This includes everything from sumac onions, to charred kale and even pomegranate tabouli. Surprisingly, the sides were just as satisfying as the chicken.

If you enjoy Middle Eastern food, Pickled Lemon is your kind of restaurant.

“Boulder doesn’t seem to have many authentic Middle Eastern restaurants that are actually good,” said Diane Coote, senior open-option major. “I’m glad to see one has finally opened.”

They offer the traditional foods such as hummus, falafel, and kabobs as well as the non-traditional foods. Pickled Lemon is a breath of fresh air to The Hill. It is a great place to go if you’re not in the mood for a sandwich, burrito or burger. The flavors take you on a culinary journey through the Middle East. For quick, appetizing and flavorful food, stop by Pickled Lemon for a new gastronomic experience.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Kate Burr at Kate.burr@colorado.edu 

Dorm-room living is characterized by organized chaos, with sleeping, socializing, eating and studying all taking place in one room shared with another person. While organization may seem like an unattainable dream, a measure of calm can be achieved by applying basic feng shui principles.

Coming back to the cluttered space of a dorm room after a hard day of classes is a staple of the freshman college experience. However, what is intended to be a “clean slate” type of room with little to no decoration, dime-a-dozen furniture and a small, all-inclusive living space can adversely affect student study habits and add to the stress of college life.

Feng shui, the Chinese practice of spatial arrangement to realize harmony within the environment, has long been considered a method for achieving a more efficient and inviting area. Feng shui, literally translating into “wind and water,” utilizes a combination of geographical, psychological, philosophical, mathematical, aesthetic and astrological ideologies to maximize and balance the amount of Qi, or spiritual energy, moving through an area.

Although the application of feng shui to a dorm room is limited, there are a number of tips for students to achieve a more orderly and geometrically pleasing living space, thus contributing to an overall positive dorm experience.

Tip one: The western wall of a room should be reserved for sleeping, while the east wall is best for studying. According to feng shui theology, the west lays in the Yin direction and is the darker, more passive element in contrast to the brighter Yang element. Place your desk along the eastern wall if you can because the east symbolizes wisdom.

Tip two: While sleeping, position your body and your bed so that your headboard rests against a solid wall and your feet point away from the door. The idea here is to not arrange your bed similar to a coffin, because you will lose energy from your feet if you do so.

Tip three: Should you feel as though you’re having some tough times in your dorm room, perform a small cleansing ritual to clear away the negative energy. Place a small amount of uncooked rice, sage, and a purifying herb in the room to do so.

Tip four: Since you can’t paint the walls of a dorm room, keep the artwork you display to a minimum, but full of color. Adding too much art to the walls will contribute to a feeling of clutter and disorganization, but color will make the room feel more homely.

Tip five: Try to keep your room as open as possible. Windows and doors are energy portals in feng shui and blocking them with furniture will only clog the Qi moving through the room.

Tip six: When choosing color for your room, keep in mind the type of energy you want the room to convey. Prosperity will best be realized by green, purple and gold. Use red for fame and green for family. Yellow and orange to convey health, knowledge with blue and career by black.

Tip seven: Remember that harmony is struck through balance. From academia to relationships, each part of your room symbolizes a different area of your life. While no part is exclusive to itself, pay attention to any move in furniture, because it will affect the energy flow, and avoid clutter. The last thing you need is a big mess in the relationships part of your room.

Now just release the Qi, spread Zen to your friends and attain inner enlightenment.

Contact CU Independent alum Cassie.Hewlings@colorado.edu.

The Buffs will be up against a lot of talent as they join the Pac-12, the nation’s most competitive conference which includes four top-25 teams. 

Head coach Liz Kritza said her team has been preparing for the Pac-12’s elite level of play, but that her players are more excited than anxious.

“There is nervousness, but great enthusiasm overall,” Kritza said. “It’s a huge opportunity to hone their skills against top players.”

The Buffs must adapt to both a weekend-loaded game schedule and the addition of new assistant coach Leonid Yelin, whom senior Lydia Blaha has been a huge help to the team so far. 

“He really knows college athletics,” Blaha said. “He cares about you getting better, but he’ll also tell you you’re doing good. We all love him and are so grateful to have him.”

In the midst of these changes, the Buffs are trying to stay focused on fitness, conditioning and preparation for their early-season competition. The team recently spent 10 days at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and their first scrimmage was held last Saturday in CU’s new practice facility.

Blaha said she noticed a positive transformation in her team since last season.

“We are a completely different team,” Blaha said. “We’re faster, we’re stronger, and we get along better.”

The team returns four of six starters from last season, including junior powerhouse Kerra Schroeder. Coach Kritza also expects several freshmen to have an immediate impact. She has high hopes for Colorado native Kelsey English, a middle blocker and high school high jump champ.

“Kelsey will be able to get in the mix quickly because of her athletic ability,” Kritza said.

The team returns three seniors, Lydia Blaha, Alyssa Valentine, and Anicia Santos, all of whom Kritza expects will take on leadership roles this season.

Santos said she was happy with her team’s performance in the first scrimmage, but she knows there is still plenty of work to do.

“We had some really great moments, but one of our weaknesses was staying focused in the fourth and fifth sets,” Santos said. “It’s going to be a long season, so we have to push ourselves in that area.”

The Buffs will test that focus this Friday when they play UNLV and UC Davis at the Hampton Inn & Suites Classic in Greeley, Colo. Although neither match will be easy, Santos said her team will benefit from playing unranked teams at the season’s start.

“It will be nice to get our feet wet with teams that are not top 10,” Santos said. “It’s going to be a great test to show what we can do.”

The Buffs won’t have long to recover from the tournament. Sunday, they will return to Boulder for their first home game of the season against Northern Colorado at 4 p.m.

Kritza said she’s not expecting peak performance from her team this weekend, but that she’s hoping for a strong start to the season.

“I don’t want their best volleyball right away; I want that by the time conference play rolls around and, more importantly, post-season play,” Kritza said. “I want the team to play with great confidence – to formulate and get comfortable.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Caryn Maconi at Caryn.maconi@colorado.edu.

As days slowly finish thawing and the sun peaks out from its hiding place, summer fun feels right around the corner.

Around campus, students can be heard finalizing various plans for summer amid the chaos of completing tests and final papers. With such a diverse population, it’s certain that CU students have a variety of plans lined up for their four month break.

The Boulder Creek Festival, strolling down Pearl Street with an ice-cream cone amidst the backdrop of Colorado’s great outdoors are just a few reasons why students view summertime as a perk of attending CU.

Not all students will stay near CU for the summer. Callie Lardas, a 20-year-old junior communications major, said she is going home to work, after spending last year’s summer in Boulder.

“I’m super sad I don’t get to stay here because it’s amazing in the summer,” Lardas said. “But I’m going to go home to work for a while. I’ll probably work for my parents. It’s an easy job and it pays well.”

Lardas said her favorite part about Boulder’s warm months is being out in the sunshine.

“I definitely go to the creek,” Lardas said. “I don’t know if Red Rocks counts ‘cause it’s not in Boulder, but I go there a lot – and hiking – anything outside is pretty much okay with me.”

While many students will hit the trails and lounge by the pool, some students find ways to continue their favorite winter activities. Mechelle Little, an 18-year-old freshman pre-communication and Spanish major, said she plans to go back to her home in Louisville and spend plenty of time at the ice skating rink.

“I’ll be staying here, working and traveling a little bit,” Little said. “And I’ll be doing figure skating. I sort of compete and practice a lot and I skate here at CU.”

Summer is traditionally a time to take a mental vacation from academic stress. However, many choose to use this extra time to catch up on credits. Dominique Bixler, a 19-year-old freshman psychology major, said that she plans to do her schoolwork from her home.

“I’m taking some summer classes,” Bixler said. “But I’m going to do it from Red Rocks [Community College] because I live in Highlands Ranch. So coming all the way to CU everyday isn’t great.”

But hard work isn’t the only thing in store for Bixler this summer. She said that going home gives her the chance to spend time with the people she couldn’t see during the school year.

“My fiancé goes to school in Washington, so he’s coming home this summer,” Bixler said. “So I’m excited to do stuff with him because I haven’t seen him in months.”

With graduation being only a recent memory for many seniors, it seems like the ideal time to for a celebratory adventure. Lukas Eddy, a 22-year-old senior environmental studies major, said that he couldn’t wait to leave the United States and explore the world.

“I’ve decided I don’t want to commit to the capitalist society that is America,” Eddy said. “I’ve applied to several internships abroad in places like China and Indonesia. So if I get them, I’ll go do that, but if I don’t, I guess I’ll just travel and live on the zero dollars that I have until something comes up.”

When asked if he was looking forward to the relaxation after graduation, Eddy said he knows he’ll have fun.

“Are you kidding? I’m beyond excited,” Eddy said.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Stephanie Riesco at Stephanie.riesco@colorado.edu.

On May 6 and 7 community members will be able to stroll down Pearl St., enjoying good music while taking advantage of exclusive deals from some local businesses.

Travis Albright, President of Silverfox Productions and the man in charge of the festival, said he drew inspiration from Austin’s annual South by Southwest festival.

“We live in such a great area for music with a great downtown district,” Albright said. “So why not put the two together?”

The live music lineup will headline national acts like Dr. Dog and Mason Jennings, along with local favorites like Paper Bird and Gregory Alan Isakov.

Albright said the festival has been a hectic six months in the making, and will give ticket holders access to two days worth of music from early shows to headline shows followed by late-night disc jockeys.

In addition to two days full of concerts at venues like Conor O’Neill’s and the Boulder Theater, local businesses have come together to provide exclusive discounts with the purchase of festival wristbands.

“I hope everyone enjoys the way downtown businesses are pulling together in a great community event with an emphasis on live music,” Albright said. “Folks should take advantage of being able to walk from venue to venue to check out artists they love as well as artists they’ve never heard.”

Special prices at Tahona Tequila Bistro and studio deals at Color Me Mine allows patrons to explore downtown Boulder while enjoying a selection of live tunes.

“The discounts more than pay for the price of admission on their own,” Albright said.

Albright said he sees the festival as a great opportunity for students to relax after the chaos of finals and graduation, but has one key goal in mind.

“I hope everyone dances their asses off,” he said.

The tickets range from $15 for all venues (except Boulder Theater) to $69 for an all-inclusive 2-day pass and can be purchased at the official website.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Maranda Bodas at Maranda.bodas@colorado.edu.

The Buffs shot 16-over par 304 on the final day to improve one spot. CU finished with a three-day total of 39-over par 903.

“Overall, this definitely wasn’t our best event,” head coach Anne Kelly said to CU Buffs. “But we don’t want to take that away from what we’ve done this year. You’ll have a bad round or tournament here or there, we just need to move forward now.”

Wallace showed why she is the highest ranked player in the Big 12, as Golfstat ranks her No. 30th overall in the country. She shot a 54-hole score of 1-under par 215 to finish in a fourth place tie with Victoria Stefenson of Iowa State.

She is now the first CU golfer to finish under par at the Big 12 Championships, besting the previous 54-hole record for a conference championship by seven strokes.

“Jess played well, and could’ve shot even lower but some of her putts didn’t fall,” Kelly said to CU Buffs. “Tied for fourth at the Big 12 Championships is really good, she continued her terrific season.”

Wallace pared the last eight holes of the day and all three of her rounds (1-over par 73, 2-under par 70 and even par 72) rank in the top eight in CU history for a conference championship.

“I started on the middle of the back nine and was hitting it well to start my round,” Wallace said to CU Buffs. “I got a few birdies but then it got worse as the day wore on and by the end I was scrambling a little bit but able to hold on to par.”

Kelly said to CU Buffs that the cold and windy conditions were actually better than what they expected the forecast to be, but adds that they weren’t necessarily ideal either.

“It’s more just annoying than affecting our play,” Wallace said to CU Buffs. “It wasn’t pounding rain, but it was consistent and just a nuisance. Having to have an umbrella and having to cover your clubs, but it wasn’t where we were consciously thinking it would throw off our shot or anything.”

The Buffs will find out Monday if they’ve been selected to participate in the 2011 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships.

“This will drop us in the rankings, and we learned a lesson from the men’s basketball team not to assume we will be selected, but we’re hopefully that we’re still solid for Regional’s,” Kelly said to CU Buffs. “The hurdle now if we’re selected is that Regionals are right after finals, so we have to juggle academics and get them prepared for finals, but we also have to prepare for Regionals, so what practice time we do have needs to be quality time.”

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

CU Spokesperson Bronson Hilliard said that even though those crimes had occurred off-campus, students should always be aware of their surroundings.

Hilliard said he warns students to be vigilant, but the risk alert is relatively low at this point in time.

“We work with the Boulder police to determine the threat level, and at this time, it does not represent an immediate threat to the campus proper,” he said.

Hilliard said actions currently being taken include the increase of police patrol on campus, as well as communication with the residence halls to ensure all doors are locked and students are arriving home safely.

CUPD Cmdr. Tim McGraw said CUPD is doing its part to make sure students are safe.

“We sent out an advisory so people could take precautions and be aware of their surroundings,” McGraw said.

The CUPD are locating patrol cars in logical areas, such as bike paths.

McGraw said it was quite unusual for two robberies involving handguns to happen in such close proximity to each other. Regarding incidents like that, the most important piece of advice he said he can give to CU students is compliance.

“If you are accosted with someone who has a gun and they demand money, give it to them,” he said.

Advice Hilliard offers to students is to travel in groups when walking around late at night.

“Particularly with finals coming up, it’s important for students to always walk in groups,” Hilliard said. “With students being up very late, it’s important that students travel together.”

Hilliard said he warns students to carry cell phones on them at all times and to be aware of the blue emergency phones on campus.

In addition to emergency actions, Hilliard stresses preventive measures, like using NightRide and staying sober. He said students need to be extremely conscious of the efforts they can take.

“The most vital safety precaution for students to remember is what students themselves can do,” Hilliard said. “Students need to make safety their number one priority.”

Some CU students disagree with Hilliard. Lark Maag, an 18-year-old freshman open option major, said precautions haven’t stopped the crime.

“All of the increased safety measures don’t seem helpful because the crimes are still happening,” Maag said.

While Maag said she generally feels safe, she takes measures to avoid risky situations.

“I try not to go to certain areas where attacks occur,” Maag said.

Eric Grimes, a 21-year-old junior finance major, said he feels less safe than he did a year ago.

“Last summer, I didn’t really question my safety,” Grimes said. “But ever since the crimes, I’ve definitely been questioning which routes to take.”

Grimes said he felt less safe in some areas more than others.

“I feel safe on campus, but sometimes walking around on the Hill I feel less safe,” he said.

On the other hand, Robert Ortega, a 19-year-old sophomore film major, said he feels very safe on campus.

“We have campus police, and the campus is surrounded with blue emergency phones,” Ortega said. “I have also never been in a situation where my safety has been threatened.”

Despite Ortega’s positive outlook on the recent criminal activity near campus, he does offer advice to students at CU.

“Travel in groups,” Ortega said. “If I were in a group, I know it would be less likely for us to be confronted.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Audrey Hoffman-Lekmine at Audrey.hoffmanlekmine@colorado.edu.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Rose Heaphy at Josephine.heaphy@colorado.edu.

A marijuana-themed American flag waves above a sea of 4/20 celebrants on Norlin quad during last year's event. (CU Independent file/Lee Pruitt)

In Boulder, April flowers not only bring May showers, but also clouds of marijuana smoke over the Norlin Library Quad on 4/20 at 4:20 p.m. Though this event attracts a large group, reactions and views are mixed.

Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in Washington, D.C., released a letter on 4/20 in 2010, where he referred to these nationwide smoke-outs as “protestivals” happening across the country.

“These protestivals and public celebrations of cannabis culture in North America is a greatly anticipated and celebratory annual event at NORML since the mid 1990s,” St. Pierre wrote.

Mikaela Madalinski, a 20-year-old junior environmental studies major, said she has attended the CU event for the past two years but never participated. Madalinski said her understanding of the event is similar with St. Pierre’s “protestival” labeling.

“It’s a peaceful protest where everyone has a common agreement that marijuana should be legalized,” Madalinski said.

Camden Johnson, a 20-year-old sophomore philosophy major, said that he disagrees with the protest perspective.

“You can say there’s something beyond it, but I can also say there’s a higher level to me making a sandwich,” Johnson said. “Its base function is that it’s about getting high.”

CU Spokesperson Bronson Hilliard said that if 4/20 really is a peaceful protest, there are more university-appropriate methods of making this statement.

“If the point of it is to question drug laws and marijuana laws, then why do we need to light up to demonstrate that?” Hilliard said. “Let’s have debate and discussion. Let’s have a week of seminars about federal drugs laws. That is the kind of thing that needs to go on in the university.”

Hilliard said he feels the student body doesn’t realize the negative impact of the 4/20 events on the university’s image, despite his estimation that students make up 20 percentage of attendees.

Outside of the image problem, Cmdr. Tim McGraw of the CU Police Department said the 4/20 event presents many health and safety concerns.

“Essentially what we’re doing is looking at life, health and safety issues,” McGraw said. “When you get that large of a crowd, there are a variety of situations that come up.”

People considering attending a future 4/20 celebration at CU should be advised that no marijuana, medical or otherwise, is permitted on the CU campus, and tickets were issued at the 2010 event.

Mitch Harris, a 19-year-old sophomore majoring in applied mathematics, was issued a consumption of marijuana ticket at noon on 4/20 in 2010. Harris said his ticketing was not useful in creating this safe environment.

“It was definitely not necessary and I don’t think it accomplished anything,” Harris said. “For that day, it’s not supposed to be about prosecuting people smoking, but just keeping everyone safe. That is definitely not what happened.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Emma Castleberry at Emma.castleberry@colorado.edu.

Senior Brittany Spears was selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2nd round of the WNBA draft on Monday. (CU Independent file/Stephanie Davis)

The senior was selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the second round of Monday’s 2011 WNBA draft. She was the 19th overall pick.

“I’m just really excited,” Spears said in a press conference after the selection was made. “I look forward to the opportunity. I still can’t believe it. It’s an amazing feeling right now.”

Spears joins Isabelle Fijalkowski (1994-95), Raegan Scott (1993-97) and Mandy Nightingale (1998-2002) to become the fourth Buffalo to be drafted by the WNBA.

She says she’s shocked and excited, but knows she still has a lot of work to do to cut it in the league.

Spears will head to Phoenix for tryouts on May 15 to try to claim one of the 11 spots on the roster. The regular season starts May 27.

“There’s 13 teams and 11 spots,” Head Coach Linda Lappe said. “That’s not a lot of spots. We’ve already talked about what it’s going to take for her to make a team, and it’s not guaranteed. I think this is an amazing day and an exciting day. Brittany’s worked really, really hard to be in this position and to have a chance to try out for a team. She’s got to enjoy this, definitely.”

The 6-foot-1 California native leaves Colorado with a long list of accolades.

She is the all-time leading scorer with 2,185 points. Her points also put her at seventh on the Big 12 Conference’s all-time list.

Spears ranks second in CU scoring average (17.2 ppg), field-goals made (796) and 3-point attempts (699). She also holds down third place for blocked shots (156) and 3-pointers made (237).

In her final season in a Colorado jersey, Spears ranked third in the Big 12 with 19.2 points and 8.1 rebounds a game. She led the conference in defensive rebounds (6 drpg) and was an All-Big 12 first team pick. She also scored in the double figures in 32-of-34 games this season, scoring 20 or more points 18 times.

In her last collegiate game (the WNIT quarterfinals), Spears tied a career high of 36 points.

Spears said she’s wanted to be in the WNBA ever since the league was formed when she was a little girl.

“This is a dream come true,” Spears said.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Marlee Horn at Marlee.horn@colorado.edu.