image courtesy of csupueblo.edu

A new school year means the start of intramural sports at Colorado State University-Pueblo. Students can get engaged in team sports like volleyball, flag football, and dodgeball during the 2016-17 academic year.

Nursing senior Brianna Kuch has participated in intramural sports since her freshman year. She previously played flag football and sand volleyball.

“I enjoy intramurals because it is a nice way to meet people. Also, it’s a great way to relieve stress by playing the sport knowing you’re having fun,” said Kuch.

“Playing in intramurals has helped me meet my closest friends now who I would have never known.”

The first session of intramurals will start on Sept. 5. Teams can register online at www.imleagues.com/csupueblo. The deadline for registration is Sept. 1.

Sports for the first session include flag football, slow-pitch softball and sand volleyball offered in men’s, women’s or co-ed leagues.

“Intramurals allow you to meet people who have common interests and even people with different majors,” said Kuch.

The second session will start Oct. 6. Registration is due by Oct. 6, and team sports will include dodgeball, outdoor soccer and corec basketball.

The CSU-Pueblo women’s basketball team | Photo courtesy of gothunderwolves.com

Young athletes are at Colorado State University-Pueblo to train with the women’s basketball team. Coach Jim Turgeon and co-director Terra Moyers are hosting Pack-In-Training on campus from July 13 to July 15.

Pack-In-Training is a camp for girls third through ninth grade to teach them basketball skills and develop the love of the game. Coaches and players will be directing the camp helping them become a better player and prepare for any competition level.

“We want to get the community youth involved in our program. It is always great having our players work with kids,” Moyers said.

“We try and develop the camp each year to make sure the kids our learning new skills but also having fun at the same time.”

This year the camp has increased from 44 participants to 57. Moyers looks forward to working one on one with the players and getting to know them.

“They idolize our players so it is important to build a relationship with every player who comes to camp,” Moyers said.

Pack-In-Training will be having a T-shirt and pizza party for camp participants, and this year, Tundra and Wolfie will be making special appearances.

For more information, Moyers can be contacted at terra.moyers@csupueblo.edu.

Members of the CSU-Pueblo choir pose for a photo abroad. | Photo courtesy of Keragan Ettleman

After performing and touring in Spain and Portugal, the Colorado State University-Pueblo choir returned to the U.S. May 19, inspired and renewed, also having gained academic credit.

“This journey greatly influenced my perspective on culture, travel, history, and music,” said Keragan Ettleman, senior English major and choir member. “I greatly appreciate the opportunity I was given to perform and tour overseas, and I cannot wait to embark on more adventures with my CSU-Pueblo peers.”

They visited major cities such as Barcelona, Valencia, Segovia, Madrid, Toledo and Lisbon, both touring and performing in local cathedrals nearly every day.

“My favorite was Barcelona, because it is located between the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea,” Ettleman said. “We were able to tour La Sagrada Família which is a church that has been, and still remains, under construction since 1882.”

During their travels, the group sang a variety of songs, from classics such as Ave Maria, to spirituals like Idumea and Ride on King Jesus.

Photo courtesy of ceeps.csupueblo.edu

The Colorado State University-Pueblo nursing department, with co-sponsor Pueblo Early Childhood Council, will host the sixth annual community baby shower June 3 at Praise Assembly of God from 9 a.m. to noon.

The event, which will be lead by Lynn Procell of the Health Department and Ruth DePalma of the CSU-Pueblo nursing department, will enlist the help of 12 accelerated nursing students, said Jenny Perich, a member of the logistics, statistics, research and budget committee.

“The event is an opportunity for attendees to gain information and support before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth, and, to connect with local healthcare resources, as well as other mothers, fathers and caregivers throughout the community,” she said.

“It is aimed at providing resources and gifts to keep children and caregivers safe and healthy,” Perich added. “In the past there have been educational exhibitors from Catholic Charities, EPIC, GOAL Academy, PEAK Parent Center, Denta Quest, Rawlings Library, Vitamin Cottage and medical professionals including nurse practitioners and pharmacists.”

They expect similar exhibitors this year, as well as the fire department, to be at the shower to conduct car seat safety checks.

At the event, attendees will be able to enjoy many kid-friendly activities and visit informational booths. There will be healthy refreshments and snacks, and, door prizes including car seat or stroller, “maybe both,” Perich added.

Coupons, bingo and donated gifts will also be given away.

Caregivers will be able to receive one on one time to talk with a healthcare professional about many topics including child development and women’s health.

The campus and Pueblo community can help the community baby shower by donating money for gifts, food and decoration or can get it valves by donating new items such as educational toys for children 0-5 years old, diapers of all sizes or any type of gift fit for a shower.

More information leading up to the event can be found on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/238175919870553/.

Image courtesy of CSU-Pueblo

The CSU-Pueblo Student Recreation Center will be hosting its sixth annual Multi-Sport and Adventure Camp for kids in the Pueblo community grades kindergarten through eighth.

The first session will be held June 6 to 10, with a total of six sessions going until July 15. At camp, kids will get to play sports, participate in team games, explore Pueblo through outdoor adventures and join other activities, including rock climbing and the ropes course.

“There are a variety of different activities,” said Bill Moorman co-director of the Multi-Sport and Adventure Camp. “It is a diverse experience for the kids.”

This year, the camp has expanded its age range to provide more programming for the youth around Pueblo.

“We want to do our part to get them to participate,” Moorman said.

The camp gives families the flexibility of choosing the half-day or full-day option, as well as payment options by day or week. All kids, any ages, can attend camp once per week at their convenience or every single day of the week.

Moorman, along with co-director Scott Robertshaw, have been planning and organizing this year’s camp.

“I’m excited to have the kids back,” Moorman said. “Having them at camp and seeing how they look at our counselors is super gratifying.”

“We look to our student staff (camp counselors) to really make the camp their own,” he said.

The camp offers discounts for CSU-Pueblo students, staff and faculty who are members of the Student Recreation Center, in addition to multi-child and refer-a-friend discounts for community members. For more information or registration forms, families can visit www.packmultisportscamps.com or call 719-549-2087.

Photo courtesy of csupueblo.edu.

As the 2015-2016 school year is quickly coming to an end, students living on campus are preparing to leave the dorms. In order to avoid any fees with Residence Life and Housing, the program recommends following its tips for checking out.

“Plan ahead. Finals week can be pretty hectic so be sure to touch base with your resident assistant and have your check out appointment all set to go,” said Alex Hyland, Residence Life and Housing office assistant.

The last day for students to be off campus is May 7 at 10 a.m. Students that need to stay past this date must fill out a “Housing Late Stay” request form that can be found at csupueblo.edu/housing under the “forms” tab. Forms must be filled out by April 25 at 5 p.m.

Students staying for the summer will need to fill out the summer 2016 housing application form that can be found on the website before May 7. If they are participating in graduation, this form will need to be filled out for an extension to stay until May 8 by 8 a.m.

Some important tips to remember when leaving the residence halls for the summer is to clean everything in the rooms and bathrooms, clear all shelves, dressers, desks and cabinets, close all windows, turn off all plugs and lights. Students should check and make sure nothing is left behind and complete the checklist that will be distributed around the residence halls.

With that, according to housing procedures, students will have to attend the mandatory floor meetings as well as schedule a mandatory checkout appointment with their resident assistant.

If a student isn’t returning to CSU-Pueblo for the 2016-2017 school year, a “Request for Termination” form will need to be completed by May 16 to receive the $200 deposit back. Deposits are processed through PAWS accounts and are credited to the student account.

Bulletins in hallways, letters sent to students and the housing website will also have the necessary information students need regarding the checkout process.

If an appointment isn’t made or the checkout process isn’t done correctly, students will face a $50 improper checkout fee.

For more information, students can visit the housing front desk located in Culebra Hall, call housing at 719-549-2602, email the housing office at housing@csupueblo.edu or visit the housing website at csupueblo.edu/housing.

Photo courtesy of TriMet/ Flickr

The department of social work at Colorado State University-Pueblo will be hosting a drive through April 22 to collect new or gently used backpacks, shoes, wallets and new socks to help the homeless population within the Pueblo community.

Students, faculty and staff can find drop-off locations in the Occhiato University Center, Library and Academic Resources Center and General Classroom Building lobbies.

The department is working closely with case workers from Posada, a nonprofit organization that assist the homeless in Pueblo.

Their mission is to “provide housing and supportive services that empower homeless individuals and families in Pueblo County to become self-supporting members of the community.”

Posada provides services such as counseling, legal services, transportation, haircuts, laundry assistance, affordable housing and more. More information about their organization can be obtained at www.posadapueblo.org.

The drive on campus can help social work students to “learn how to effectively take action to help (the community),” said Brenda Figueroa, a social work student.

This is the first year that the Posada drive has been on campus. Through the drive, social work students hope to get the campus community as well as other social work majors aware of the help they can do for the homeless.

“It is a hands on experience for students of the social work department to learn how to do community organizations, not just on campus,” Figueroa said.

To get involved with the drive, donate or learn more about the social work department, students, faculty and staff can email Figueroa at b.figueroa@pack.csupueblo.edu.

Photo courtesy of Catalin Munteanu

The Automotive Booster Club will host its 11th annual Jim Ward Memorial Golf Tournament April 15 at Walking Stick Golf Course beginning at 9 a.m. Following the tournament, they will also be hosting a car show April 16 .

The cost to participate in the tournament is $90 per person or $360 per team.

“This covers their green fee and lunch. There are giveaways and awards after the lunch,” said Shelby Cortese, president of the Automotive Booster Club. ”This event is open to anyone and everyone including students, staff, faculty, and community members.”

Last year, the club raised $3,000 and this year they are hoping to do the same if not better.

“We work toward raising money to send us to the Specialty Equipment Market Association or more commonly known as the SEMA Show in Las Vegas every year for a week,” Cortese added.

The SEMA Show is a once-in-a-lifetime networking with successful people in the automotive industry, she said. This show takes place the first week of November every year.

“Last year, we took 12 students to the show,” she added.

The Automotive Booster Club currently has 15 members.

“We put on a winterization clinic, car wash, car show, and golf tournament with industry professionals every year with other new events here and there,” Cortese said. ”We often participant in the campus events to support other clubs like Trunk-or-Treat, Pi-Day and Discovery Days.”

To participate in the upcoming golf tournament or car show, Cortese said she can be reached at sr.cortese@pack.csupueblo.edu. The club also meets every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in the Technology Building, Room 112.

File photo

At a “Behind the Scenes” meeting held March 14, students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to join Colorado State University-Pueblo President Lesley Di Mare for an open forum, no-agenda, casual gathering. The meeting that was suggested from her monthly lunches, allows for discussions, questions, concerns or opinions regarding the campus.

Held in the Chemistry Building, the meetings provide a relaxed and easygoing atmosphere beyond “Pizza with the President” and formal semester meetings. Allowing a time for open-conversation, members of the CSU-Pueblo community received feedback and personal interaction with university officials.

During this time, President Di Mare filled insight on current issues, successes, goals and plans for the university’s future.

Some campus questions that Di Mare touched on were the possibilities and opportunities to create something beneficial for students, faculty and staff from Belmont Residence Hall that is currently shut down.

“There are ways to think out of the box,” Di Mare said on her plans for Belmont.

It’s just a matter of doing what’s best for the campus as well as considering finances according to Di Mare.

Di Mare expressed her concerns about tuition raises for students, and also expressed concerns for staff and faculty not being able to get raises.

Other topics like campus construction, new school year enrollment, housing plans, scholarships, more master’s programs and finances were openly discussed. Though the meeting was occupied by a majority of the faculty and staff, students who have anything to share or need clarification are urged to attend.

“We’ll come out on the other end OK,” Di Mare said.

This was the first of many “Behind the Scenes” meetings that President Di Mare will be holding. The meetings will be located in a new building each time and is intended to draw students, staff and faculty to come out and share.

The next “Behind the Scenes” will be held in the Massari Arena Wolf Pack Room. More details will be provided soon.

File photo

The Center for Teaching and Learning has started Faculty Fridays, an event that allows faculty and staff to come together over light breakfast and have conversations about teaching, learn together and explore the ways to grow and be involved.

“Faculty Fridays facilitate discussion across disciplines regarding curriculum, development, pedagogy and research,” said Derek Lopez, director of the Center for Academic Enrichment.

Every Friday this semester, Faculty Fridays will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the General Classroom Building, room 314. This is a drop-in event, and no RSVP is necessary.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in conversations, celebrations of teaching and possible faculty projects that may be funded through Title V Maestro Grant.

“Additionally, faculty can inquire with faculty and staff at the Center for Teaching and Learning regarding funding opportunities for professional development, curriculum development and travel,” Lopez added.

The weekly discussions are open ended and will be led by a group of faculty members that will include Lopez, Donna Souder, Jonathan Poritz and Megan Parnell.

According to Lopez, some resources faculty and staff will get to explore include “potential funding opportunities for travel, curriculum development, professional development and supplies.”

Potential mini grants can also be offered from the Title V Maestro Grant. Faculty must complete the one-page application which can be obtained by emailing Parnell, the administrative assistant at megan.parnell@csupueblo.edu.