The Bernie Sanders open mic event was geared toward creatives. | Photo by Alec Herrera

An open mic event in support of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was held Friday night, Feb. 12, in downtown Pueblo. The event featured music, poetry, art and other acts performed by members of the community.

The event took place on 224 Victoria Ave. scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and was open to the entire public with an emphasis on “creatives” who were willing to perform or watch performances.

It was organized and promoted by volunteers from around the city and put together by Colorado State University-Pueblo graduate student Meral Sarper and Sanders campaign field organizer Eric Michaels.

Michaels, 22, became a filed organizer out of college and was enthusiastic about being involved with the campaign.

“I really wanted to make a difference,” Michaels explained, saying that he learned about Sanders over the summer and feels that he should “represent us” as president.

Sarper, 24, also feels strongly about Sanders candidacy, saying that young people “love” Sanders because he makes them feel like “we actually have a chance at life.”

She explained that they chose to have an artistic event like this because political campaigns are usually associated with “people with clipboards,” but their group wanted to reach people in “different, non-traditional ways.”

The building used was close to full, hosting around 50 people by the end of the event and featuring 10 performers in all. The acts included musical performances, poetry readings, stand-up comedy and a political speech.

The musical acts included 10 to 15 minute sets by Sarper, Bea Butler, Papa Ours, Jessiqua Kat Valentine and the musical duo of Manuel and Roz de Lizarriturri.

Jeremy Leger, who performed stand-up comedy for the event, did a routine covering certain aspects of the presidential candidates, the internet and differences between men and women.

Not all acts had a direct correlation to Bernie Sanders or were necessarily political in message; instead many had a theme of togetherness and community. These include covers of popular songs such as The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun,” and Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” as well as original songs and poetry.

Some performances did have a direct connection to Sanders however. Sarper, who performs as Doe Renee, did a rendition of Rachel Patton’s “Fight Song” with reworked lyrics, titled “Bernie Fight Song.”

The event was attended by a slight majority of people over the age of 40, with there being a visible minority of young people at the event.

“It would have been cool to see more young people, but we still had a pretty good showing,” Sarper said about the audience.

Sarper added that they hope to host a future event that will further build “excitement” and “target young voters.”

Garrison Ortiz, 25, a graduate of CSU-Pueblo and candidate for Pueblo County Commissioner, gave a speech at the event and commented on the role of young people in politics

“We need young qualified leadership to help make the decisions of tomorrow,” Ortiz said in regards to how youth should get involved and make a difference.

Ortiz said he was “enthused and refreshed” by the level of energy that was there.

CSU-Pueblo student Brenda Corona concurred, saying, “I loved the positive energy.”

Corona also stated that it was interesting seeing everyone expressing themselves so creatively and passionately. Freelance and PULP Newsmagazine contributor Riki Takaoka, 31, agreed with Corona that it was “great” to see such a unique event in the community.

“Edgie,” 65, who owns the building the open mic took place in and was also in attendance. He requested to be called “Edgie.”

“You just don’t see that much positivity anymore, so it’s great to something like this take place,” he said.

While talking about the event, both Michaels and Sarper commented on how they hope to see support for the campaign and their cause grow leading up to the democratic caucus.

Sarper stated that they hope to have more events in the upcoming weeks including “caucus training” and “texting parties.”

The democratic caucus for Colorado begins on March 1, 2016 with Hillary Clinton and Sanders as the two projected democratic candidates.

The LEAF Club hosted a SustaInnovation event Jan. 28. Its next project is the Green Action Fund. |  Photo courtesy of Francisco Cervantes

All it takes is a great idea to get the ball rolling. An idea to start something amazing and prosperous for the community. An idea to make the world a better place, even a little bit at a time. With the Green Action Fund now on campus this year, ideas to make the community better through sustainable and eco-friendly means may now be realizable.

The Green Action Fund is a project meant to fuel and ultimately realize students’ and staff’s ideas on how to create a more sustainable campus.

This concept of sustainability could mean anything from an indoor vertical garden to solar-powered tables, both projects that were accomplished at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. The basic theme is to just make the campus and overall community more considerate of society and the planet at large with a fund that can back up the various ideas people might have.

The brainchild of a committee of like-minded staff and students at UCCS, the Green Action Fund has flourished over the last four years at the nearby university, with numerous ideas being realized each semester.

Now for the first time, the fund will be at CSU-Pueblo by way of a Propel Center grant.

“The stipulation of the grant is that it has to go to certain groups, so basically only students can get it,” said Meral Sarper, co-founder of the LEAF Club at CSU-Pueblo and one of the people driving the Green Action Fund.

Sarper said it is currently unknown precisely how much money will be given to the fund, but there is a possibility that around $5,000 to $6,000 will be available for projects and ideas. The hope is to accomplish “a small, medium, and large project” with the money that will be given to the fund.

Anyone is eligible to submit ideas to the fund.

Right now the LEAF Club will still be tabling at the Library and Academic Resources Center for ideas during the semester and ready to consider anything that people come up with. Anyone can also contact or meet with the group’s leaders if necessary.

So far some of the proposed ideas include improved recycling areas and resources around campus, as well as an indoor vertical garden.

One idea that is very much on track is a campus and community garden that is slated to start around the spring equinox in March.

“We’d like to see some results before school ends and then over the summer have the club main (maintain) it,” Sarper said, in regard to getting garden growing.

While there isn’t a definite location set for the garden, there are a few places around campus where it could be started including near the dorms and on the greenhouse side of the math building.

So while it is still in its infancy at CSU-Pueblo, the Green Action Fund has been going strong for some time now at UCCS. Some ideas that have been accomplished there are viewable at http://www.uccs.edu/gaf/index.html.

Photo courtesy of  Facebook.com/LEAFColorado

Activists and experts from across southern Colorado, speeches covering everything from home-grown food to eco-friendly rovers and smoothies poured from a bicycle-powered blender were part of the unique scene at the first ever SustaInnovation: Eco-Engagement and Sustainability Fair that took place at Colorado State University-Pueblo Jan. 28.

Organized by the Leaders in Ethical Action for the Future, the fair’s intention was to connect students, staff members and anyone interested in the sustainability and betterment of society.

The event ran from noon to 6:30 p.m. and was set up on the first floor of the Library and Academic Resources Center. There were speakers throughout the day, giving varied speeches inside Room 109, all while a bicycle-powered blender made smoothies for people in the main lobby outside of the room.

LEAF co-founder and adjunct English professor Kelly Gehlhoff said the fair was a great opportunity for people to understand and get active in the sustainability of the planet and resources.

“It’s about awareness building and thinking ‘what can we do’ with sustainability,” Gehlhoff said.

The fair was a project that LEAF had been organizing for quite some time, she said, and she hopes it can become a more regular event on campus, potentially every few months or so.

“We wanted to attract people who want to change the world, starting here in Pueblo,” said fellow LEAF co-founder and graduate student Meral Sarper.

She said it was crucial to find all the other sustainability groups around Colorado and connect them with students.

The fair was just one of many LEAF-initiated events and projects that will happen in Pueblo. Gehlhoff spoke about their Hero’s Garden Project, which will go to high schools, middle schools and elementary schools around Pueblo this year with the hope of reaching more in years to come.

Sarper detailed the club’s Green Action Fund, which sought ideas from people around campus, and when Earth Day rolls around at the end of April, the club intends to host an “Earth Week.”

LEAF member Summer Reyes, a sophomore attending CSU-Pueblo, said she wants the event to open people’s eyes to how society can make the world a better place.

“We can bring light to the small changes in our lives that can have a global impact,” she said.

Further than offering a chance to learn about the environment, the event also prominently featured the theme of sustainability, an idea that is much more than just recycling every now and then, according to speaker Kevin Gilford, assistant director at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Office of Sustainability.

“Sustainability is a perspective on the world,” Gilford said. “It’s being aware of our impact and everything we do.”

He said this perspective should make you question how your action will impact the world at large.

Reyes also talked about what LEAF called the “three pillars of sustainability,” which include “people care, Earth care and fair share.” This idea focused on the sustainability of society, economy and the Earth, instead of limiting it to “green” aspects alone.

Speaker Tim Roush, who helps run the 3-D printing lab on campus, said sustainability is found in savvy use of technology, and emphasized pursuing self-made products. Roush explained how the “maker movement,” a campaign that preaches a staunch “do it yourself” mentality, practices sustainability with use of technology such as a 3-D printer.

Many participants said, overall, raising awareness about sustainability and further action was the ultimate goal of the event.

“It’s a great opportunity to learn what’s going on in the world of sustainability, as well as take action,” said speaker Allison Plute, Fountain Creek Watershed Project Manager.

Gilford agreed, saying that everybody would need to get involved and active if true sustainability was to be achieved.

Sarper and Gehlhoff said getting involved and inspired was the key takeaway wanted people to get from the event.

With multiple club events and projects planned throughout the year, this LEAF will only continue to grow, and hopes this event will start this university, and by extension Pueblo, on the path toward ideal sustainability in the community.

The paper bag actor Shia LaBeouf wore as part of a project by Rönkkö, Turner and himself is on display in the Fine Art Gallery until Jan. 29. | Photo by Kieran Kuiper

An artistic duo consisting of an innovative Finnish performance artist and an English metamodern maverick joined creative forces years ago and has since created videos, events and art that have enamored the western world. More recently, though, the two have taken up plans to visit Colorado State University-Pueblo.

Artists Luke Turner and Nastja Rönkkö are visiting the CSU-Pueblo campus Jan. 18-29, where they will exhibit and discuss their artistic works at the Fine Arts Gallery, open to the public at no charge. Their works on exhibit include their individual pieces as well as their collaborative efforts, which include pieces with actor Shia LaBeouf.

The exhibit consists of many of videos, photos and pieces from their projects, such as a paper bag LaBeouf wore on the red carpet during their widely-covered “#IAMSORRY” project.

Rönkkö and Turner said that they mostly chose their recent work for the exhibit, but found that all the pieces there have a “dialogue” with each other upon reflection.

Most well known for the popular video of LaBeouf’s emphatic “Just do it!” speech, the trio have been working together steadily for two years now, but it has been quite an artistic journey for both Turner and Rönkkö reaching this point in their respective careers.

Turner, born in Manchester, England, has become a prominent name in the world of metamodern art. He was an early adopter of Internet and computer-based art in the late ‘90s despite reluctance of others to do so.

“Ironically, I dropped out of school at a young age because they told me I couldn’t use computers in art,” Turner said.

It was during his time studying photography at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design that he met fellow artist and future collaborator Rönkkö, who was studying as a painter. Rönkkö, born in Helsinki, Finland, is predominantly a performance artist now, implementing a multitude of artistic themes into her work.

“It’s great to collaborate with people you’re on the same wavelength with,” Turner said, “but challenge you at the same time.”

“I think it works because we are so different,” Rönkkö said. Turner jokingly added, “same but different.”

Some of the duo’s earliest collaborative efforts set the stage for their community-based projects that would captivate so many later on. They mentioned how they used hashtags in the titles of their works because they have a sort of “ironic” feeling to them, but at the same time, are a powerful utility that can be used for sharing and archiving.

Artists Rönkkö and Turner will exhibit their work and visit classes at CSU-Pueblo. | Photo by Alec Herrera

“Collaboration, connection and engagement are keys to our practice,” Turner said in reference to their work on the Internet. An early collaboration like “#STARTCREATING” personified this, where the phrase “#STARTCREATING” was written in the sky with five separate planes, hashtag included.

Numerous videos were filmed and uploaded of the skywriting by people on the ground that had no idea what was happening.

“The point was to show that we’re all the artist,” Turner explained, later calling it a very “hopeful piece” and one of his favorites.

The two artists have been working with actor Shia LaBeouf for the last two years, first meeting during a very controversial time for the actor. LaBeouf had made short film based off of work of Daniel Clowes, but had not properly credited him. The situation lead to immense backlash, though it allowed the him to try new things artistically and conceptually.

Eventually, LaBeouf’s new artistic pursuits lead him to Rönkkö and Turner, who have embraced working with the famed actor. Rönkkö said she didn’t really notice the abnormality of working with LaBeouf anymore, sometimes forgetting what a well-known public figure he is.

Turner explained that every artist wants an audience, especially if your work is very involved with the audience like their art is. Working with LaBeouf has helped Rönkkö and Turner reach that broader audience.

“We want to resonate with as many people as possible,” Turner said.

The fact that they are reaching a much broader audience hasn’t been lost on the artists, however.

“It feels different to do work you know that millions of people will see … but I don’t really think about it because it would be overwhelming,” Rönkkö said.

Turner said they usually like to keep the physical space of their works much smaller in contrast to the expansive “gaze of the Internet.”

He referenced their piece “#ALLMYMOVIES,” where LaBeouf watched all of his movies over a three day period.

“We did it in the smallest theater we could find, so we could have a sort of intimacy,” Turner said.

The trio has worked on a variety of pieces since first coming together, yet none have became nearly as big as the “#INTRODUCTIONS” project, which featured the notorious motivational speech by LaBeouf.

Visitors view the artists’ display in the Fine Art Gallery. | Photo by Kieran Kuiper

The 31-minute piece actually consisted of the actor reading and performing various scripts written for him that included everything from emotional anecdotes to awkward conversations.

Rönkkö explained that she was actually quite surprised by the response to the video.

“I couldn’t tell that particular thing would become so big,” she said, in reference to the motivational portion going viral upon its release.

Turner was very enthused by how big the video got, saying that it embodied the artistic ideals they strived for by being “funny and ironic, but at the same time deeply sincere and incredibly motivating.”

The dynamic art duo didn’t comment on any projects they have in store for the future but they both seemed enthusiastic when considering what might be next. Turner said having three people always kept things fresh and they were never short of new ideas.

During their two-week stay at CSU-Pueblo, Rönkkö and Turner will be visiting multiple classes, including art courses. In giving advice to aspiring artists, Turner said it’s crucial to “find your own voice” and even try something that’s been done before and seeing how you do it differently.

Rönkkö’s advice was to “just keep going.”