Recently on the Colorado State University-Pueblo campus, two students have been victims of vandalism of their vehicles while parked in the campus parking lots. Photo courtesy of http://auxiliaryservices.colostate-pueblo.edu

Recently on the Colorado State University-Pueblo campus, two students have been victims of vandalism of their vehicles while parked in the campus parking lots.

On Sept. 25 after dark, two students had their cars vandalized in two separate parking lots on campus. One was located in the parking lot behind the Culebra dorms, and the other was located in the resident Walking Sticks apartment lot.

The first vehicle, which was parked behind the dorms, had red paint thrown on it. The paint was reported to look like water paint, which would wash off easily, however this is still considered a serious offense and is being treated that way.

The second vehicle, which was parked in the Walking Sticks lot, was covered in paint and egg. The front and rear windshields and the driver’s side window were smashed in, and both mirrors were ripped off.

Because these were two isolated incidents, Lt. Bill Brown does not believe that CSU-Pueblo’s campus has serious issues with vandalism in the parking lots.

It is also assumed that even though these two acts happened in the same night, the vandals were not targeting anyone in particular.

“The better the lighting the better the chances of nothing happening are, although, I don’t think poor lighting played a part in this. Even with brightly lit places, nothing solves this kind of problem,” Brown said.

Although he does not consider the campus parking lots dangerous, Brown did say that the number one way to stay safe is to be aware of your surroundings and always call in and report any suspicious activities.

If at any point a student does not feel safe walking alone, they can call campus security for an escort to any location on campus. They will walk with you from one building to another, from a building to your car or from your car to a building, even in the resident halls.

Students who are on campus and feel threatened can use the emergency call boxes on campus to contact help. The calls put in on these emergency call boxes are radioed directly to the Pueblo Sheriff’s communication center, where all 911 calls are directed.

The response time for one of these calls depends primarily on the location of the officer on campus, but at any of the 15 locations on campus it should not take more than a few minutes.

“The emergency call boxes aren’t used on a daily bases because so many people have cell phones now, but they are still used in some instances,” Brown said.

A student can use the emergency boxes to call if they do not know the direct number to contact campus security, or if they lock their phone or their keys in their car.

Wide receiver Kieren Duncan vs. Fort Lewis. Photo courtesy of Tyler Shomaker.

The Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves ran away with another victory Saturday, putting up 35 points in a lopsided win against Fort Lewis on homecoming. 

The ThunderWolves improved to 5-0 on the season after scoring 21 second half points, bringing their regular season win streak to 31.

While the offense was able to move the ball for over 300 yards in the first two quarters, the real story was the ThunderWolves defense, who held the Skyhawks to 113 total yards and 1-for-10 on third down conversions in the first half alone.

The rushing attack for CSU-Pueblo quickly found their groove after the first quarter, as Cameron McDondle broke the game open with a 68-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter, giving the ThunderWolves a 14-0 lead at the time.

“We’re run-first,” head coach John Wristen said. “We want to make sure that we have our backs and everybody on the offensive line targeted right, and we did that right at times.”

Ben Estica continued his dominance from the linebacker position, totaling six tackles and three sacks, leading the way for a ThunderWolves’ defense that forced 10 total sacks on the day, a school record.  The Pack defense also recorded 13 tackles for loss in one game, setting another school record.

“(Ben) is very athletic, and he (and Darius Allen) are learning how to play this game,” Wristen said. “They are weapons, and I’m glad they’re on our team.”

Offensive threat Kieren Duncan accumulated over 150 all-purpose yards on the day, further building his resume as a playmaker with a big 43-yard run in the first quarter and a 54-yard reception in the third quarter.

“Kieren is really turning into a weapon for us,” Wristen said. “We are very, very fortunate to have him on our team.”

Quarterback Chris Bonner also continued his outstanding junior campaign, throwing for a career-high 300 yards with four touchdowns, including an 18-yard strike to DeVaughn Thornton early in the fourth quarter to put the ThunderWolves up 28-3.

Stehly Reden, a transfer from Division I Brigham Young University, added two touchdowns to the assault, including a 49-yard reception in the fourth quarter to put the Skyhawks away 35-3.

The victory brings the ThunderWolves’ homecoming win streak to six, and it’s Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win streak to 25, two shy of the RMAC record set by Chadron State from 2006-09.

The ThunderWolves now get ready for arguably their biggest game of the season as they travel on the road to Chadron State to take on the archrival Eagles.

Last fall, CSU-Pueblo had a sharp drop in enrollment compared with previous years. CSU-Pueblo draws nearly 80 percent of its funds from tuition and fees, so a drop in enrollment was the cause for the budget shortfall. File photo.

Although last year Colorado State University-Pueblo had some difficulties with the budget, the financial course for the future may be brighter.

Last fall, CSU-Pueblo had a sharp drop in enrollment compared with previous years. CSU-Pueblo draws nearly 80 percent of its funds from tuition and fees, so a drop in enrollment was the cause for the budget shortfall.

In fall semester of 2011, full-time students enrolled at the university numbered 5,230, compared with only 4,800 full-time students registered in the fall semester of 2012.

This decrease in enrollment caused a substantial budget shortfall, which had to be dealt with in fiscal year 2012.

The decrease in enrollment is a nationwide trend, with college enrollment falling by half a million students across the country, according to data from the U. S. Census Bureau.

This decrease in enrollment at CSU-Pueblo caused management to quickly rethink the budgeting strategy for the year.

“One thing CSU-Pueblo has committed to for this year is not to raise tuition or mandatory fees for students, so the money had to come from somewhere else,” said Martin Hanifin, vice president for finance and administration at CSU-Pueblo.

In the fiscal year 2013, the original budget plan for the university estimated planned spending at $50 million, but in response to lower enrollment, the available resources totaled only $45 million.

CSU-Pueblo successfully slashed $5 million from its spending for the year by cutting operating costs such as utility bills and by choosing not to immediately fill some positions that were open, according to Hanifin.

“When there was a vacancy, the university had to decide whether to fill it or not, whether to recruit, delay or suspend that position until the budget’s future became more clear,” Hanifin said.

Departments from all areas of campus were affected.

“We couldn’t have done it without the active support and involvement of the entire campus,” Hanifin said. “It’s that same spirit that we want to bring to fiscal year ’14.”

Although spending from the general fund was greater than the university’s available resources in 2012, the university received approximately $2 million from the Colorado State University System, which includes CSU in Fort Collins, CSU-Global Campus and CSU-Pueblo, so there was no deficit in the end.

For the fiscal year of 2014, however, management at CSU-Pueblo expects resources to equal planned spending.

According to Hanifin, it is difficult to gauge what the budget will look like by the end of the year because of unexpected issues such as rising costs of operating expenses like electricity, or fluctuations in enrollment. All of these factors are capable of changing the way the budget looks from the beginning of the year to the end.

“The university did a wonderful job in holding back spending to make sure resources matched spending. If we need to do that again, we’ll do that again,” Hanifin said.

For 2013, though only a few weeks into the semester, all is going as planned with the budget.

In her 2013 State of the University Address, CSU-Pueblo President Lesley Di Mare said that, although there is a 3 percent decrease in full time enrollment for fall semester 2013, it was within the margin of the enrollment decline expectations.

Even with a drop in enrollment, the university is bringing in more revenue because of a 10 percent increase in international students and a 6 percent increase in graduate students, both of which bring in more revenue than other types of students, according to Di Mare.

“Simple headcount is not everything, but it cannot be ignored,” Di Mare said.

Hanifin remains optimistic about the budget for 2014. There is a new active enrollment marketing plan, with more targeted enrollment of students, so he expects to see improvements in enrollment in the fall semester of 2014.

“I think this campus can reach a much stronger enrollment once the program starts,” Hanifin said.

Quarterback Chris Bonner vs. Angelo State at Cowboys Stadium. Photo courtesy of http://www.gosanangelo.com

It has been 29 years since the No.5 ranked Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves (4-0, 2,0 RMAC) have lost a homecoming game.

On Oct. 5, during the 80th anniversary of the first homecoming in Pueblo, the T-Wolves will battle the Fort Lewis Skyhawks (2-2, 1-1 RMAC) at 2 p.m. at the Neta & Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl.

The T-Wolves, who are riding a five game homecoming winning streak dating back to 1984, are doing so behind a defense that has forced 11 turnovers, giving the T-Wolves a plus three turnover margin, through four games.

“I really believe if you win the turnover margin, in any game, you’re going to have a chance to win the ballgame,” head coach John Wristen said. “I think lucky enough, this program has had a pretty successful record in being able to win the turnover battle.”

In addition to the opportunistic defense, the T-Wolves, who are seeking their fourth straight 5-0 start to the season, are winning with junior college transfer quarterback Chris Bonner who is currently No. 10 in Division II in yards per completion with 16.67 yards per completion, passing for 1,017 yards, nine touchdown passes.

“Coach Wilkinson has done a great job of taking him where he can’t take himself, and he’s managed the game, and I’m really happy to see his growth of what’s going on,” Wristen said. “He’s got some growing yet to do, but we’re happy with where we are with our progress.”

The T-Wolves will go into the game on Oct. 5 attempting to improve upon their three straight games rushing and passing yards for 200 yards, a feat that has not been done since the rebirth of the program in 2008.

I think we got some weapons out there. We got some talented ball players. Our running backs are playing well,  Chris Ashe and Cameron McDondle; our receivers with Kieren Duncan, Paul Browning and  Josh Sandoval are also playing well Wristen said. Our tight ends have done a nice job with being able to not only be great blockers, which we ask them to do, but they also have to be great pass catchers.

Among those leading the team are McDondle, with 438 rushing yards on 60 attempts and four touchdowns, and Browning, who is the No. 16 ranked receiver in Division II with 441 receiving yards on 16 receptions and three touchdowns.

With the win, the T-Wolves would extend a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record 30 game win streak in the regular season, and would improve upon a 24 straight RMAC game inning streak, which is second all time to the 27 RMAC game winning streak by Chadron State from 2006-09.

Liam Kwon from South Korea performs the Korean dance at the international welcome night. Photo courtesy of the Diversity Resource Center

The annual international welcome party took place on Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. in the OUC Ballroom, and was a joint collaboration of the Center for International Programs, the Diversity Resource Center and the Student Engagement and Leadership Office. 

“The event I experienced was a pretty good experience and I think it was a great way to introduce the international program to the students,” said Antonio Reyes, a program officer at SEAL.

The evening began with the welcome by the Director of International Programs at CSU-Pueblo, Annie Williams, and was followed by the introduction of next year’s International Students Association’s officers.

After Williams, Jeanne Gibson, the director of English Language Institute at CSU-Pueblo, introduced a few international students who played piano and showed some traditional dances from their respective countries as a part of the talent show.

“It was a great night full of cultures, music and dancing which showed that fun and friendship are universal,” Gibson said.

The international dance party began shortly after, with all the international and American students dancing together.

“The international dance night was a great event that allowed us to know more about other cultures,” said Renata Gomez, international student from Colombia at CSU-Pueblo. “We danced on the international music that we didn’t even know and it was great.”

The disk jockey for the night was an international student from Germany named Jannik Muller, who works as a DJ in Germany.

“I really enjoyed the opportunity to get in contact with people from various countries, liked to listen to their music and watch them perform their dances for me. It was an outstanding experience and I really enjoyed being part of it,” Muller said.

The night also served as a great opportunity for American students to make friends with the international students on campus.

“I had a wonderful time with my friends and also making new international friends. Dancing was fun and being able to witness so many talents was a privilege while relaxing and having fun after a long week,” said Cristiana Davis, a business major at CSU-Pueblo.

Other events of the night featured the international dance moves, which students shared with each other and then danced together on songs from different cultures.

“It was an awesome experience for me and my friends to teach the Bollywood dance to all the other international students, who actively danced with us,” said Chaitanya Reddy, an international student from India at CSU-Pueblo.

Receiver Kieren Duncan vs. Adams State Photo courtesy of gothunderwolves.com

The Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves reeled off their fourth victory of the season by defeating the Adams State Grizzlies 48-7 on Saturday in Alamosa.

For the second consecutive week, Kieren Duncan made a big play that set the stage for a decisive ThunderWolves victory.

With six minutes left in the first half, Duncan caught a pass from quarterback Chris Bonner and took it 83 yards for the score, making it a 17-7 game before the half.

That, of course, came after the ThunderWolves scored on the first play from scrimmage for the second time in three weeks, this time using their defense to get on the board.

After Adams State received the opening kickoff, junior defensive end Darius Allen forced a fumble in the end zone that was recovered by teammate Matt Tucker, the first score in what would eventually turn into a blowout by the visiting ThunderWolves.

Allen also tied a CSU-Pueblo record by recording four sacks in the game, and finished with eight total tackles to go with his forced fumble and handful of sacks.

The CSU-Pueblo defense continued to make momentum-halting plays throughout the game, including another forced fumble by cornerback C.J. Roberts, which ultimately led to a rushing touchdown by Chris Ashe.

Ashe and his counterpart in the backfield, Cameron McDondle, came on strong in the second half and finished with 174 combined yards on the ground, 126 by McDondle alone.

Adams State would go on to fumble the ball three times in the third quarter alone, allowing ThunderWolves’ quarterback Bonner and the rest of the high-powered offense to capitalize on short fields and momentum shifts to take a commanding 41-7 lead going into the final quarter.

Bonner finished with 204 yards and two touchdowns, giving him four consecutive games of at least 200 yards and two touchdowns to start the season.

The story of the ThunderWolves’ season continues to be the series of streaks they continue to stretch, including consecutive regular season wins (30) and consecutive victories against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponents (26).

However, the team is not becoming too comfortable.

Head coach John Wristen said in a press conference last Thursday that overconfidence is no issue with this team, as they prepare each week with consistent hard work and a mindset that all they have to do is go 1-0 for the week. The rest, Wristen believes, will take care of itself.

The ThunderWolves return to the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl on Saturday when Fort Lewis College comes to town for CSU-Pueblo homecoming. Game time is slated for 2 p.m.

2013 Chile Festival Wrap-Up from CSU-Pueblo TODAY on Vimeo.

2013 Chile Festival Wrap-Up from CSU-Pueblo TODAY on Vimeo.

C.J. Roberts on defense vs. Angelo State at Cowboys Stadium. Photo courtesy of gothunderwolves.com.

The Neta & Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl will become a sea of red on Saturday when the No. 5 ranked ThunderWolves take on the Western New Mexico Mustangs. 

Saturday will mark the home opener for the 2-0 ThunderWolves as they begin Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. The Pack will be donning their red jerseys, and fans are all encouraged to wear red as part of a “Red Out” at the Thunderbowl.

“The home opener is always exciting,” head coach John Wristen said, “You have your fans here and the atmosphere is exciting. Everyone is always excited to see the Pack Walk.”

Fresh off a 45-24 rout of Angelo State, the ThunderWolves are off to their fourth consecutive 2-0 start, and fifth such start in the last six years. Since the program was resurrected, the team is 10-1 in non-conference play under Wristen.

Now the focus for the ThunderWolves becomes opponents in the RMAC, as they prepare to play their remaining regular season schedule against conference foes, beginning with Western New Mexico.

Though New Mexico has an 0-1 record on the season, they boast a heavy and efficient passing attack led by Mich Glasmann, who threw for 351 yards and four touchdowns in their 38-35 loss to the University of San Diego.

“Western New Mexico is a good, well-coached team,” Wristen said, “It’s going to be a good test for us and a good way to measure ourselves against the RMAC.”

The ThunderWolves are riding several streaks heading into this weekend’s showdown with the Mustangs, including a 28-game regular season winning streak and a 22-game winning streak against RMAC opponents.

Under coach Wristen, the ThunderWolves have seen a lot of success both at home and in the month of September. The ThunderWolves boast a 22-8 record at home since 2008, while also posting a 17-4 record in September during that time.

Those trends should continue if the ThunderWolves continue their recent play to open the season, as they have put up more than 40 points in the first two games. Should they score that many points again Saturday, it will set a school record for consecutive games with 40 or more points scored.

One of the many reasons the ThunderWolves have been able to score so many points early on has been the play of their defense. Linebacker Ben Estica is leading the way with 13.5 tackles per game, while the rest of the defense has contributed six takeaways.

C.J. Roberts has one of those takeaways, literally grabbing the ball out of an Angelo State receiver’s hands and taking it back for a 40-yard touchdown in last week’s contest.

“I’m not going to say I saw that play actually happening,” Roberts said, “But before the game I dreamt of having a big play like that. It just so happened the ball came my way and I took advantage of the opportunity.”

As for the transition from an NFL stadium to the ThunderBowl, Roberts and his teammates don’t feel like there’s any difference.

“We are all one big family,” Roberts said, “The fans travel well, and I love our fans; they’re passionate about what we do, and we’re passionate about what they do.”

Saturday’s game is slated for a 2 p.m. kickoff time.

The Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves (1-0) football game vs. the Angelo State Rams (1-0) will be televised live on campus.

The game will be played on Sept. 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and will be televised, through Altitude 2, specially airing on channel 22, starting at 7 p.m.

“Comcast Corporate would like to stress, however, that this is a one-time arrangement,
and mentioned a figure upwards of $10,000.00; a cost that would normally be
associated with this type of broadcast request,” said Doug Summer, manager of telecommunication services, in a email forwarded to CSU-Pueblo students.