Biweekly pay for student workers, the remodel of the Occhiato University Center and an update on the hiring process for a new dean of student life were among the issues discussed at the weekly Colorado State University-Pueblo Associated Students’ Government meeting on Oct. 10. File photo

Christine Wiabel

Biweekly pay for student workers, the remodel of the Occhiato University Center and an update on the hiring process for a new dean of student life were among the issues discussed at the weekly Colorado State University-Pueblo Associated Students’ Government meeting on Oct. 10. 

ASG President Vanessa Emerson attended the Board of Governors meeting last week and will have more information in the coming weeks about the enrollment and retention issues discussed there.  CSU’s Pueblo and Fort Collins campuses have both seen a drop in enrollment and the problem will be addressed soon.

This drop in enrollment will be a focal point for the new vice president of Student Services and Enrollment Management, Paul Orscheln.  President Emerson introduced Orscheln, and he spoke briefly about his plans for CSU-Pueblo.

Orscheln said that his job will be to maximize the strengths of the university, to make CSU-Pueblo more competitive and to attract the right students that will drive the institution to be more successful.

Orscheln is involved in the hiring of the new dean of Student Life.  The process is ongoing, with Skype interviews taking place from Oct. 16-18.  After three finalists are selected, campus visits will be planned.

Emerson recognized Jeanne Stewart of Student Life for all her hard work and dedication to the ASG, and said her involvement has been crucial to the success of the organization.

Director of Student Engagement and Leadership Patty Witkowsky is forming an advisory board to assist with programming for the 2014-15 school year.  The board of students will meet once a week during the spring semester, and Witkowsky is looking for a diverse group to represent various demographics and viewpoints.  Interested students can fill out an application in the office of Student Engagement and Leadership in the OUC.  The deadline for applications is Nov. 15.

Vice President Michael Weiner is conducting research on changing student workers’ pay from monthly to biweekly.  Weiner has called payroll offices at colleges around Colorado and found that CSU-Pueblo is one of only four schools that pay their student employees only once a month. Changing to the biweekly pay period would happen next school year at the earliest.

At this time, paydays do not coincide with school billing dates, which can make it difficult to remain current on tuition payments.

A survey is being discussed regarding the use of the facility fees.  It will give students a voice about where their money is used and what programs they want to fund with their facility fees.  More information will follow.

U.S. Bank contributes $15,000 to the university each year, and some suggestions were discussed for its use in the new OUC renovations.  Possibilities include ceiling banners, a smart room with projectors and other equipment and a game room and pub.

Recharging stations are expected to be installed across campus in the near future.  These will be available for students to plug in phones, tablets and laptops.  There will be two of the stations in the OUC. Adjacent to each charging station, a map will show the locations of the other stations on campus.  Students will be responsible for their own equipment while using the charger and should not leave their property unattended.

The Parking Advisory Committee discussed new signs for parking lots and the need for new paint stripping. It was suggested that each lot be named something unique to the university in order to differentiate between parking areas. This suggestion will be brought before the committee at the next meeting.

The Student Affairs Committee organized a safety walk for Oct. 24.  The safety walk is designed to identify areas of concern on campus where the safety of students and property may be at risk.  The committee will follow up on these concerns with campus police.

There have been some issues in the engineering building with software licenses expiring, but the director of information technology, Chalin Fernando, will work to get those licenses renewed.

Sen. Anthony Herrera announced a gaming tournament on Oct. 22 from 5-10 p.m. in the OUC Ballroom.  The $10 entry fee will include food, drinks, prizes and gaming.  Those entering the tournament are eligible to win a laptop computer among other prizes.  For more information, students can email CSUP.ArtClub@gmail.com.

Speaker Henry Willauer announced that CSU-Pueblo is one of six schools competing for Best Under-the Radar NCAA Football Atmosphere. The video entry entered by CSU-Pueblo athletics can be viewed and fans can vote once a day for the Thunderwolves at https://www.facebook.com/bestofcollegefootball?sk=app_584415948288618.

The winner is determined by votes on the Facebook, and the deadline for voting is Oct. 21.  The winner will be announced Nov. 29 on CBS.

The meeting concluded with the swearing in of two new senators at large.  Francisco Cervantes is a transfer student from Pueblo Community College, where he served as president and secretary of his student government.  Andrea Casados is a freshman that has been active in the Hispanic community in Pueblo for several years.  She hopes to encourage more first-year students to take an active interest in their student government.

The next meeting of the ASG will be Oct. 17, at 4 p.m. in Room 201 of the OUC.  As always, it is an open meeting. All students and staff are free to attend.

In a wacky matchup that featured a total of 33 penalties for more than 300 yards between the two teams, which negated 1,208 yards of combined total offense from both teams, CSU-Pueblo largely held the lead throughout in a heated and emotional 51-42 win over the Eagles in Chadron. Photo courtesy of gothunderwolves.com

Special in to the Today from Gothunderwolves.com

The playing surface at Elliott Field in Chadron, Neb. Saturday was muddy and filthy.

And the game taking place on the field between 19th-ranked Chadron State and 5th-ranked CSU-Pueblo certainly followed suit.

In a wacky matchup that featured a total of 33 penalties for more than 300 yards between the two teams, which negated 1,208 yards of combined total offense from both teams, CSU-Pueblo largely held the lead throughout in a heated and emotional 51-42 win over the Eagles in Chadron.

In a game defined by equal parts gutsy performances and sloppy play, the Eagles drew first blood by driving 80 yards in 14 plays, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown rush by RMAC leading rusher, Glen Clinton, as Chadron State took a 7-0 lead, becoming the first team since Northern Colorado on Sept. 7 to take a lead on CSU-Pueblo.

CSU-Pueblo answered right back with a 9-play, 65-yard drive ending with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Paul Browning, tying the game at 7-7.  But at the end of the score, Browning was flagged for taunting on the celebration, and it started the flood gates of a penalty-riddled game for both teams.

Teams traded scores until the Pack surged ahead on a bubble-screen-turned-touchdown pass from Chris Bonner to Kieren Duncan, who ran the ball in from 59 yards out to put the Pack up 21-10.

Chadron drove in for a score with 21 seconds remaining in the first half to cut the Pack’s lead to 21-16, but CSU-Pueblo needed just one play to make it a two-score game as Bonner threw a bomb to Duncan from 70 yards out to put the ThunderWolves up 28-16 at halftime.

After a ho-hum third quarter that saw each team add field goals, a wacky fourth quarter got underway, beginning with a 70-yard fumble return by Darius Allen for a touchdown, breaking a 30-year-old record held by Dan DeRose by just one yard, putting the Pack up 38-19.

Both teams would trade scores with Chadron State making things interesting following an 84-yard pass from Jonn McLain to Nathan Ross, bringing the Eagles within 10, 44-34, with 8:35 left.

After a Brandon Kliesen punt pinned the Eagles on the 2-yard-line, linebacker Ryan Cummings earned his second interception of the game, helping to set up a back-breaking touchdown run by Chris Ashe, who ran for a career-high 158 yards in the game, to put the Pack up 51-34 with 3:18 left in the game, all but icing the win for the Pack and preserving the eventual 51-42 victory.

With the victory, CSU-Pueblo moves to 6-0, winning its 32nd consecutive game and its 26th straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game, one away from tying Chadron State’s RMAC streak of 27 wins from 2006-09.  The Pack also secured its first win over a ranked opponent this season in defeating the 19th-ranked Eagles.

The ThunderWolves will return home next week to face Colorado School of Mines at the Neta & Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl.

Evacuation alarms went off at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 6 at Culebra Hall. Students were not allowed back into the hall until after 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 7. Photo courtesy of Colostate-pueblo.edu

Jasmn French

After the fire that took place in Culebra hall on Sunday night, the university has been finding ways to accommodate the students who were evacuated from their rooms. 

In a campuswide email, Jen Mullen, chief of staff at Colorado State University-Pueblo said law enforcement authorities have taken samples from the burn site, but that the incident remains an active criminal investigation.

According to the email, the university’s primary focus is to get each of the affected rooms dry so students can start returning.

“At this point, the university is planning a welcome back party for the residents. We had a pizza party for the students that have taken advantage of relocating to Belmont, 23 students, last night,” said Cora Zaletel, executive director of External Affairs.

“I know there has been a great deal of communication with the students and working with faculty to help them understand the inconvenience and even the emotional consequences of being displaced from their ‘homes’,” Zaletel said.

Displaced students are feeling the consequences of being displaced from their rooms for so long.

“It sucks, this week it has been really hard to keep up with my school work and has gotten me out of the flow because I do not have all of my books, and it is really stressful because this happened during midterms. You always hear about these things, but you never think it will happen to you,” said Morgan Hassan, a sophomore computer information systems major.

“When I saw the fire trucks I knew this wasn’t a drill, it really sucks to not be able to go back to the dorms and sleep in a bed but I’m glad everyone is safe and okay,” said Perry Smith, a sophomore accounting major.

“When the fire alarm went off, I left my room and went into the hall. There was no sign of a fire or sprinklers going off. So I was surprised when a third of the hall was soaked and we were not allowed to stay in our rooms,” said Daniel Wood, a senior mathematics major.

“Fortunately my room was not affected by the water. It’s too bad that this happened to Christian and the rest of the students on the first and second floors of Culebra. However, to me I feel as if I am on a little vacation,” Wood said.

Students will be allowed to return back to their rooms Thursday October 17 according to an email sent directly to the students affected.

T-Wolves celebrate an overtime victory against the Chadron State College Eagles, Oct. 6, 2012. Photo courtesy of gothunderwolves.com.

The No. 5 Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves (5-0, 3-0 RMAC) will travel up to Chadron, Neb on Oct. 12, looking for their 32nd straight regular season win vs. the No. 19 Chadron State Eagles (4-1, 3-0 RMAC).

The Eagles return quarterback Jonn McLain, who has thrown for close to 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns and running back Glen Clinton, who has rushed for 657 yards and seven touchdowns this season, from a 2012 squad that took the T-Wolves into overtime at the Neta & Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl on Oct. 6, 2012.

The T-Wolves, who currently have the No. 16 ranked offense in Division II at 514 yards per game, are led by junior quarterback Chris Bonner, who has passed for more than 1,300 yards and 13 touchdown passes, and sophomore running back Cameron McDondle, who has rushed for 585 yards and five touchdowns.

The defense is led by junior defensive end Darius Allen, who is tied for the lead in Division II with eight sacks this season, and sophomore linebacker, Ben Estica, who has named 46 total tackles through five games.

In addition, senior T-Wolves punter, Brandon Kliesen, was the D2Football.com Special Teams Player of the Week, on Oct. 8, after averaging 48.4 yards per punt on seven punts, six of which landed inside of the 20-yard line.

Darius Millines, who began his playing career at Illinois, is playing his senior season as a part of the ThunderWolves. Photo courtesy of http://www.brosher.com

Nick Jurney

A football life can be compared to a football game.

In the first quarter, the player comes onto the field full of energy, sizing up his opponents and testing how his skills can be utilized.

In the second quarter, the player could have tasted both success and failures; maybe they’ve scored a touchdown and fumbled a time or two.

By the third quarter, they have had time to reflect on the first half, regroup, and come back onto the field with the goal of victory in their sights.

Darius Millines is in the third quarter of his football life.

Millines is a senior wide receiver for the Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves, and is coming out of his own metaphorical first half with a clear mind, fresh legs and steady hands.

Millines began the first quarter in Boynton Beach, Fla., as the youngest of five children. Entering his freshman year at American Heritage High School, he was conflicted on what position he was going to play.

“I had a decision to make between being a junior varsity running back, or a varstiy wide receiver,” Millines said. “All throughout my life I had played running back, I never saw myself as being a wide receiver.”

Millines ultimately chose to play as a running back on the junior varsity squad, and then move up to varsity the next season.

By the time the next season began, Millines’ plans changed again, as he was moved to defense and was the team’s “nickel back,” an extra cornerback when the defense is in what is known as the nickel package.

It wasn’t until Millines’ junior season that he played his first snaps at wide receiver, and by his senior campaign he was being heavily recruited by over 40 colleges.

“I was committed to West Virginia University for six months,” Millines said. “After a coaching change, I decommitted and took a visit at Marshall and Illinois. I saw a big opportunity at Illinois, and I decided to go there.”

While at Illinois, Millines officially began his second quarter. He had taken the next step, and was playing on college football’s biggest stage.

“Sometimes to this day, I still can’t believe I was playing at a Division I school, and in the Big 10,” Millines said.

Not only was he playing at Illinois, but he was playing well.

Millines played in 32 games as a Fighting Illini, and was the team’s second leading receiver in 2012. During his time at Illinois, he hauled in catches, returned kicks and even completed a pass against UCLA in 2011. His career started quickly, catching a touchdown pass on his first collegiate reception in a game against Purdue.

Millines was seeing success in the second quarter of his football life, but before halftime would roll around, much like anyone who has handled a football, he would fumble.

After his junior season at Illinois, Millines and one of his teammates were released from the team, due to “unspecified rules violations.”

Given his recent past though, Darius has refused to dwell on what has passed, and instead embrace to his fresh start.

“I made mistakes that are stepping stones for me,” said Millines, who also went on to say that he has had a good experience at CSU-Pueblo to date.

Millines is now in the third quarter, with his journey bringing him to a successful ThunderWolves squad that he became familiar with through junior cornerback C.J. Roberts, whom Millines grew up with in Florida.

“We all grew up together, and I knew they were at a powerhouse Division II school,” Millines said of Roberts, safety Jarrod Lacy and defensive back Mannie Rathell. “When I was talking to coach Wristen, I already knew this is where I was going to be.”

Millines has contributed a 27.5 yards-per-catch average so far on the young season for the ThunderWolves, adding to a potent passing attack that is among the most efficient in the nation.

For the future, Millines looks forward to having a fourth quarter that includes a National Football League career and a college degree. He attributes his motivation to his family and humble beginnings, noting that the tribulations they have been through makes him want to be that much more successful.

For now, Millines is making the most of his fresh second-half start at CSU-Pueblo.

“It’s very different coming from a school that had 40,000 students,” Millines said. “But I still like it. I love the fans here too, by the way”

Li “Lily” Zhang, a visiting vocal professor and one of China’s top ten soprano singers. File photo

Colorado State University-Pueblo may not be the biggest or the highest ranked university in the nation, but it is not without its extraordinary people.

One such person is Li “Lily” Zhang, a visiting vocal professor and one of China’s top ten soprano singers.

Zhang first started performing and singing at the age of three, and since then has spent 30 years balancing being a vocal professor and performing on stage. She has studied under voice and music master Martile Rowland since 1999 when Zhang was at Colorado College as a visiting professor.

Zhang’s accomplishments include being the first Chinese soprano at the 81st Hollywood Bowl Easter Sunrise Service, the first Chinese soprano to sing at the President of the Czech Republic’s New Year’s Concert in Prague, the first Chinese voice professor to receive doctorates from William Penn University and Lincoln Christian University, and the first soloist to have her solo recital at the China National Grand Theater in Beijing.

Zhang has also performed at the Great Wall, at the Lincoln Center in New York and other venues around the world. One of the roles that she is best known for playing is the role of Fanyi, in the musical Thunderstorm at the Shanghai Opera House.

Over 1.3 billion Chinese people have seen Zhang’s performances, concerts, operas, festivals and recitals. She has also been featured on CCTV’s Channel 4, an international station that is shown all over the world.

Zhang came to CSU-Pueblo in 2013 and is scheduled to remain a visiting professor until 2014. She will be performing in her first concert at the university on Oct. 11, in the Hoag Recital Hall at 7 p.m.

Zhang said she is excited for her performance, because it is her first solo recital at CSU-Pueblo, and because three of her students, Wenjun Liu, Luole Ziang and Shuo Wang, will be singing with her.

Roy Sonnema, Music Department Chair David Volk, Jacob Chi and Zhang’s own vocal coach Martile Rowland are expected to be in the audience for her first performance.

Zhang also expects many of her good friends to attend, and feels happy and lucky to have so many people come out to support her.

For Zhang, there is no greater joy than singing and filling her life with music.

“My life belongs to music and singing. I was singing on the stage from three years old in China, my whole life only to do two things: singing on stage and teaching in the conservatory of music. I think it’s God give me talent of singing for make many people happy,” Zhang said.

Zhang’s concert is free and open to the public.

Evacuation alarms went off at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 6 at Culebra Hall. Students were not allowed back into the hall until after 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 7. Photo courtesy of Colostate-pueblo.edu

Colorado State University-Pueblo student Christian Cunningham, 19, has been arrested and charged with arson under the suspicion of starting the fire in Culebra Hall on Sunday, Oct. 6 at approximately 10:30 p.m.

Cunningham was in his room on the west side on the second floor of Culebra on Sunday evening, and was reportedly using an open flame in an irresponsible manner.

“Cunningham was making fire balls in his room and set his futon on fire. The sprinkler system put the fire out before the fire department arrived,” said Lisa Shorter, public information officer at the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Department.

Cunningham has been arrested and charged for a class four felony in arson, class four felony in criminal mischief and a class three misdemeanor in reckless endangerment.

This does not include the punishment that will eventually be passed down by the university, which is undetermined at this point in time.

Authorities and firefighters were dispatched to the fire in Culebra Hall when the sprinkler system in one of the dorm rooms went off Sunday evening.

The entire building was evacuated, and about 200 students were forced to wait outside or in the lobby of either Crestone or Greenhorn for about two hours.

Most of the Culebra residents were allowed back into their rooms on Oct. 7 at approximately 12:30 a.m. Residents on the first and second floor on the west side of Culebra have not been permitted to return to their rooms because of the potential safety hazards.

There were no reported injuries, though there is the potential for water damage to the foundation of the building. Since the sprinkler system was activated, water damage could compromise the stability of the floor to the second level and the ceiling to the first floor.

“Inspectors are testing to make sure the sheetrock hasn’t been damaged from the water. I’m guessing the second floor residence will be allowed to return to their rooms on Wednesday and the first floor residence not until Thursday,” said Cora Zaletel, executive director of external affairs at CSU-Pueblo.

Students who have not yet been given permission to return to their rooms were given the options of staying with friends or in a room in Belmont.

Even with the opening of Belmont to those who cannot reenter their rooms, Zaletel reported that only seven students have taken the option of living in Belmont temporarily.

“The authorities and fireman all did their jobs and responded amazingly. I believe students on campus are responsible and this is an isolated incident. It may just change the way material that causes concern is dealt with,” Shorter said.

Shorter wants all students to remember that open flames of any kind are prohibited from being in any of the dorms on campus, because even though this fire was easily put out, these rules are in place for safety reasons.

According to Erich Matola, chief information officer of Information Technology Services, ITS is finding ways to resolve the issues by increasing the size of the Internet pipe from Fort Collins, which is where CSU-Pueblo’s Internet comes from, and by switching residential hall Internet to broadband. Photo courtesy of http://www.twotsi.com.

Students at Colorado State University-Pueblo should soon notice a decrease in the frequent Internet maintenance that has recently been plaguing those who access the campus Internet. 

According to Erich Matola, chief information officer of Information Technology Services, ITS is finding ways to resolve the issues by increasing the size of the Internet pipe from Fort Collins, which is where CSU-Pueblo’s Internet comes from, and by switching residential hall Internet to broadband.

Of the two potential fixes, switching residential hall Internet to broadband is the most likely to happen quickly.

ITS has been in the process of installing new equipment for a while, and students can expect to run into difficulties accessing Internet until all of the equipment is completely installed and tested, according to Matola.

When the new equipment has been installed, it will include a redundant storage system, new servers, a reliable backup system and a new firewall, according to Matola.

“The old firewall had been long out of warranty and was configured in a way that has been very time consuming in moving all our incoming data into the new modern and reliable firewall.  Basically, we are moving forward, but it’s time consuming for the newly reorganized network team as there was no documentation on the old systems,” Matola said.

When the installations and testing are completed and the redundant data center is turned on, a singular outage will not take the systems down, as they will fail over to the redundant system.

The entire process will take approximately two more months.

The university does have bimonthly scheduled maintenance, but the installation of the new equipment often causes maintenance that was not scheduled.

Overall technology maintenance should decrease dramatically once the new equipment is installed, with Matola saying he would like to see the current maintenance time cut in half once the process is 100 percent complete.

According to Matola, the systems constantly need to be updated due to the rising number of devices that each student needs to connect to the Internet wirelessly.

“A few years ago the average student living on campus had one device that used the Internet wirelessly.  Now it is five to six devices, and more in some cases.  We have started using the newest wireless technology access points and increased the total number of access points in use on campus, but this has not kept up with the issue,” Matola said in an email.

SALT is a financial education program created by a nonprofit organization called American Student Assistance. Photo courtesy of colostate-pueblo.edu

Colorado State University-Pueblo students have all received emails or seen information around campus about a new program called SALT.  Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about the program which can help inform students of what the program can do for them. 

What is SALT? 

SALT is a financial education program created by a nonprofit organization called American Student Assistance.  CSU-Pueblo has partnered with ASA to give students free access to SALT’s many benefits so they can make smarter decisions about money and student loans.

Will it cost me anything?

SALT is completely free to students and alumni of CSU-Pueblo.  The university has paid for all students to have a membership in the program; all they need to do is create a free account.

How do I sign up? The easiest way is to visit www.saltmoney.org/csupueblo.  It takes about 2 minutes to create a free account, and all that is needed is an email address.

What’s in it for me?

SALT was designed to be a one-stop resource for college students to get information on student loans and repayment, budgeting, and financial management.  Along with these services, there are scholarship searches, internships and career listings provided at www.saltmoney.org.  Another benefit is the SALT partnership with companies such as Dell computers and Hewlett Packard, who offer discounts to program members.

How can it help me with student loans?

SALT has student loan experts available to members for one-on-one counseling via email or a toll-free phone call. There are interactive tools to help students personally keep track of their loans and find the best repayment options available.  Once a student is a member, he or she can import personal loan information and customize the account to get the most benefit.

Are there other interactive tools available? 

Yes, there are financial calculators to help you work out a car loan payoff, figure out your net worth and how to get the most out of your savings.  There is also a template to help you budget your money and plan ahead for large purchases like a computer.  In addition to the interactive tools, there are lots of articles and videos to help you navigate your finances and come out ahead.

Where can I find more information on SALT? The SALT website at www.saltmoney.org is the best place to get answers about the program, but CSU-Pueblo has on-campus help as well.

Financial Aid Counselor Derek Moore and Sen. Daniel Ullrich of the CSU-Pueblo Associated Students’ Government are your on-campus contacts for the SALT program. Derek’s email is derek.moore@colostate-pueblo.edu and Daniel’s email is dm.ullrich.se@colostate-pueblo.edu.

There will be a table at the upcoming Wellness Fair on Oct. 22 where representatives will be available to answer questions about the SALT program.

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 6 the evacuation alarm went off in Culebra Residence Hall. Students were not able to reenter the hall until after midnight.

Fire was reportedly on the west side of the second floor, and was extinguished by the sprinkler system.

No students have been injured, according to an email from Jen Mullen, chief of staff.

Due to water damage in the rooms on the west side of the first and second floors, students have been displaced out of their rooms. Students have been moved to Belmont Residence halls, while others have chosen to stay with friends in other halls.

An investigation is being conducted by law enforcement, and one student has been charged at this time.

More information to come.