Conference streak continues Oct. 9 in 42-17 road win over Chadron State

By Cal Neubert

Pack football finished in dramatic fashion Oct. 2 in a double-overtime win against rival Colorado Mesa University. The 19-13 win for the Thunderwolves puts them at 3-2 on the year and 3-0 in conference play.

A 42-17 win over Chadron State University boosted the record to 4-2 overall and a clean sweep in conference play. The Pack next takes the field at 1 p.m. Oct. 16 against New Mexico Highlands in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

The majority of the rivalry game was a defensive battle with the first points coming from a Pack field goal on the second possession. Then, Mesa responded with a field goal of their own to start the second quarter.

The second quarter was all Mesa as they capped off a 99-yard drive with a touchdown making the game 10-3 Mesa at halftime. 

The third quarter was back to being a defensive battle with not much happening from either team.

Then, with just 10 minutes left in the game, the Pack offense proceeded to hand the ball to senior wide receiver Nick Williams, who then threw the ball to the end zone where it was caught by sophomore wide receiver Nigel Mitchell. That would be the last score of regulation, and the game headed into overtime with a score of 10-10. 

Mesa then nailed a 42-yard field goal to hold a 13-10 advantage over the Pack. That lead did not last very long as the Thunderwolves answered with a field goal of their own to send it into double OT. 

In four plays, the Pack scored a touchdown, thanks to Williams, who caught a 17-yard pass and ended up in the endzone. The Mavericks tried to score a touchdown to extend overtime but the Thunderwolves defense stood strong, defeating Mesa 19-13.

Pack football will be back home at 2 p.m. on Oct. 23 for the homecoming game against Adams State University. 

The post Pack football tops rival in double OT thriller first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

Here’s what’s happening on campus and beyond this month. To have your organization’s events listed in our monthly calendar, email csuptoday.calendar@gmail.com. The Today staff reserves the right to determine appropriateness of content for publication, and to edit for clarity and style.

Calendar compiled by Bill Redmond-Palmer and Today staff.

November happenings on campus and in the community

National American Indian Heritage Month – a time to recognize the contributions made by Native Americans from all across the US.

No-shave November- raising cancer awareness and funds to fight. Donate the cost of grooming to a good cause.

TODAY
Hanukkah begins at sundown

Monday
Final week of fall semester begins.

Tuesday

Giving Tuesday
CSU Pueblo Tree Lighting Ceremony: 5:30 to 7 p.m., outside by The Fountain, between the LARC, Occhiato Student Center and Administration Building.

Wednesday
World AIDS Day. 

The post Campus calendar first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

Today photo/Natashia Gebre-Zion

Through hard work and passion, professor carved out iconic career in Pueblo

By Natashia Gebre-Zion

Steve Henson, a professor of media communication, was nominated by students for this first Faculty Friday.

Henson is known for winning 40 state awards for his writing at the Pueblo Chieftain. However, he didn’t always want to work as a media communications professional. 

Henson was an active member of his high school’s debate team. He had planned on going out of state to become a lawyer. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, he decided to stay close to home and study speech at Colorado State University Pueblo (then the University of Southern Colorado).

His focus changed to media when he was told to take a broadcasting class. Henson fell in love with news broadcasting and his career eventually led him to becoming a top editor for the Pueblo Chieftain. 

It wasn’t until the rise of digital media that Henson decided to step down from the Pueblo Chieftain and start teaching. 

“I want to share that the key to success is hard work… Some struggle, and I want to be there to help,” Henson said. 

Henson is the first to know about life struggles, as he lost his brother when he was 18 and had to take on a few jobs. 

“My mom was in a funk and I worked a few jobs to help pay the mortgage. One was part-time and the other was full-time… I was 18 years old. I was in and out of love and knew that’s where I needed to be flexible and work hard,” shared Henson. 

“The key to success is hard work. … Some struggle, and I want to be there to help.”

Henson stated that he finds ways to help students by providing feedback, because he knows life is not easy. When asked if he sees the same passion in his student’s eyes as he had growing up, Henson said: “Some of them. Some of my students have that passion and you can see it in their work.

“We will get through it! Do more than just being a student.”

When he is not on the tennis courts, you can find Henson on a cruise to the Caribbean or playing the slots in Las Vegas with his son. 

Henson has three children and eight grandchildren. He didn’t grow up with his father, so Henson made it a point to be an active father in his children’s life. Down the road, Henson had the opportunity to reunite with his father and has kept a steady relationship with him since.

“We lived on the east side and we were poor, and I think that was a good thing,” said Henson, whose beloved mother brought him to Pueblo when he was 3 years old. He said everyone has a story, adding that the best stories aren’t about the Superbowl or politics, but about the everyday man.

“I like the local guy, the church leader, the owner of the shoe shop,” he said. 

The post Faculty Friday: Steve Henson first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

Election 2021 voter guide

By Zoe Schimke and William Redmond-Palmer

 It’s that time of the season: Once more, Colorado is holding statewide elections, and ballots will soon be in the hands of all registered voters. You, dear reader, could very well be one of them, and have the privilege of choosing some of the city’s leaders; not to mention having a hand in making some important decisions this year regarding the legislative authority for spending money (Amendment 78), the potential creation of a learning enrichment program (Proposition 119) and the potential reduction in property tax assessment rates (Proposition 120).  

Don’t throw away that ballot! You should think about the fact that the municipal government, as trivial as it seems, has the biggest impact on your daily life. Even if these ballot issues are about things you’re not personally invested in, the decisions of today will impact your future. These are the people who get to decide things like how your city is built, what kind of cars you can drive and even whether or not you can have pets. It’s worth having a hand in making those decisions and participating in the civic process.  

As hard as it seems to imagine (depending on your age), voting matters, so let’s get you up to speed on what you’re going to see on the ballot this year, what it means, and how you can make sure that your voice is heard.  

Do I get to vote?  

The first question you’ll need answered is how you can actually make it happen – facilitating the physical ability to cast a ballot. You’ll need to ask yourself some questions. 

Are you at least 18 years old, or will you be by Election Day on Nov. 2? Are you an American citizen? Have you lived in Colorado since at least Monday, October 11? If your answer to all of these questions is yes, congratulations: You are eligible to register to vote.  

How do I do that?  

There are a few different avenues you could take. If you already have a Colorado drivers’ license or state ID card, you can register online at govotecolorado.com. This is also where you can go to confirm your voter registration, and make sure that details like party affiliation and your physical address are correct.  

If you don’t have either one of those forms of ID, you can get a registration form on the secretary of state’s website, the county clerk’s election website and federal post offices.  

You’ll have to act quickly, though – ballots will be mailed out between Oct. 8 and 16. 

Sending off your ballot!

Once your ballot is completely filled out and you’re ready to turn it in, there are a number of ways to do it. You can put a stamp on it and mail it in, but you have to make sure that it’s received by 7 p.m. on election night in order for it to be counted. 

 If you’ve missed the window to mail it in, don’t despair – there are places to drop off any ballots you haven’t had the chance to stick in the mail. Here’s a shortlist of ballot drop-off locations near or convenient to campus:  

• Pueblo County Courthouse (Rotunda on first floor), 215 W. 10th St .
• Patrick A. Lucero Library, 1315 E. Seventh St.

And some 24-hour secure outdoor ballot drop-off locations:  

• Pueblo County Election Office (back of building), 720 N. Main St.  
• Pueblo County Courthouse (east side of building), 215 W. 10th St.  
• Colorado State Fair (outside of gate on Prairie), 950 S. Prairie Ave. 
• Lamb Branch Library, 2525 S. Pueblo Blvd.  
• Pueblo Rural Fire, 29912 U.S.50 East. 
• Pueblo County Sheriff’s Substation (Pueblo West), 320 E. Joe Martinez Blvd. 
• CSU Pueblo, 2200 Bonforte Blvd., outside the admin building. 
• PCC, 900 W. Orman Ave.

 There is also a secure outdoor drive-up location at the Pueblo County Courthouse (wise side, Court Street), 215 W. 10th St.  

The municipal government, as trivial as it seems, has the biggest impact on your daily life. Even if these ballot issues are about things you’re not personally invested in, the decisions of today will impact your future. 

Who’s running in Pueblo’s municipal elections this year? 

It is an off year for mayoral elections, so seemingly not as groundbreaking as a municipal election could possibly be, but the positions listed on the ballot this year are arguably just as important. There are currently two open at-large seats for Pueblo City Council, and one seat each open for Districts 1, 3 and 4. All of the city council seats will serve four-year terms, except in the case of District 4. The winner of that race will fill out the rest of the late Councilor Ray Aguilera’s term for the next two years.  

There are two positions open on the Water Board and one on the Civil Service Commission. Each of these are six-year terms ending on Dec. 31, 2027, and all city electors are eligible to vote on these candidates.  

Contesting for the at-large city council positions this year are Heather Graham, Mark Aliff and Dennis Flores.  

District 1 candidates are Robert D. Schilling Jr., Elvis Martinez and Regina Maestri. For District 3, Lucretia Robinson, Laura Moreschini, Sarah Martinez and Jody Voss are competing; and the District 4 candidates include Vicente Martinez Ortega, Todd Rogers and Brandon Martin.  

The Water Board candidates are Tom Autobee and Sam Krage, and at the time of publication, according to all available evidence, Sharon Bonner is running for the Civil Service Commission uncontested.  

What are the major ballot issues?  

Most of the major ballot issues this year involve city or state money – one is an amendment, two are propositions.  

The amendment, Amendment 78, has to do with the creation of a new fund for ‘custodial money’ – and whether state agencies should retain the power to spend custodial money over the state legislature.  

• A YES vote on Amendment 78 would mean that all custodial spending would be transferred to the control of the state legislature, not the agencies, and that a new fund would be created for that custodial money.  
• A NO vote on Amendment 78 would mean that state agencies would continue to spend custodial money without appropriation by the state legislature. 

One of the propositions, Prop. 119, is about whether or not to increase annual state taxes on marijuana sales, and then use that extra money to create a learning enrichment program.  

• A YES vote on Prop 119 will fund financial aid for tutoring and other out-of-school enrichment and instruction through an increase in retail marijuana taxes and transfers from existing state funds.  
• A NO vote on Prop 119 means the program will not be created and funded.  

The other proposition, Prop. 120, asks you whether or not there should be a reduction in property tax assessment rates. It would only affect property tax assessment for multifamily housing – not other types of residential and nonresidential property. 

• A YES vote would lower property tax assessment rates for multifamily housing and lodging properties.  
• A NO vote on Prop 120 retains the current assessment rates for multifamily housing properties that are currently enumerated in the law. 

All three of these issues were placed on the ballot by citizen initiative, and all three require a majority vote to pass. 

Pueblo City voters will also have Ballot Issue No. 2A to consider.  

• A vote FOR the issue, 2A permits the City to retain and spend $576,609 in current funds but only for street repairs and road improvements. For future years, 2A permits the city to keep the full amount of tax revenues received, with the city’s commitment of spending a minimum of $5,000,000 annually for needed street maintenance and repairs and road improvements. It does not impose any new tax or increase the rate of any existing tax. If 2A passes, any new tax or any increase in the rate of any existing tax must still be approved by the voters of the City of Pueblo. 
• No comments AGAINST the ballot issue were filed by the constitutional deadline.  

The post How to take stock of your local ballot in 2021 first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Cassime Joseph
Special contributor to The Today

Questions and comments flew across the festival grounds. 

“This year’s Packfest is going to be lame.” 

“They did not sell enough tickets.”

“Who is JoeyBada$$?”

These are what some of the students said when it came to the Sept. 18 Packfest. Unexpectedly to the Pack, this music festival turned more than a few heads. 

The stage was set with DJ T-BeatZ on the one and twos (the DJ’s term for the turntables). From playing oldies, like Earth, Wind & Fire, to new music like Kanye and Drake, she took control of the early birds. DJ T-BeatZ has been hosting Packfest for the last three years. The concert started off bare, with a little more than 100 people. 

The first opener, Marzz, came on stage looking like one of the students. With her backpack on and her “Air Force Ones,” she killed it with her soulful vibes. The crowd started to grow, and she laid down her last soul tracks. 

In between the acts, DJ T-BeatZ would come on and play some more popular tunes. More people were coming into the concert as the sun started to set. 

His message was to spread love, a profound and unifying stance with the division in this day and age.

The next act the came to the stage was Fana Hues; she had a beautiful gray dress on and had a beautiful voice. It was sad that she did not command more attention from the crowd because it was her second time doing a show.

More people started showing up toward the end of the night. The crowd’s energy became almost tangible at the stage, as DJ T-BeatZ played her last break. The crowd behind the general admission barrier grew rowdier by the second. Students were cheering JoeyBada$$’s name while one of the students broke through the general admission barrier into the VIP section. Everyone screamed when JoeyBada$$ came to the stage. 

The crowd knew songs from his first album, “1999,” and rocked with him with songs like “For My People” and “Temptation.” Bada$$ is a prolific artist whose top hits include “Devastated” and “Paper Trails.”

Before he left the stage, his message was to spread love, a profound and unifying stance with the division in this day and age. After the concert, Joey ran through the crowd showing appreciation, and he was even willing to answer questions. 

When asked how it felt to be doing a concert after the COVID-19 lockdown, Joey replied, with an impressed smile on his face, “It was amazing, and I was tired of being home.” Joey’s demeanor was laid back, confident but humble, and he had a New York swagger about him. 

When asked what kept the rockstar sane, he replied, “I do not drink or smoke no more, at the moment, you dig. Reading books … meditate, going to the spa [and] taking care of yourself.” 

With a smile, he walked with the crowd, which was following him begging for autographs. 

The post Joseph: Packfest brings beats back to CSU Pueblo campus first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Regan Foster
Faculty advisor

Counseling services are now open, as the university grieves the loss of one of its own.

County Coroner Brian Cotter in a Tweet Sunday afternoon said 20-year-old Colorado State University Pueblo student Jillian Abrian died from injuries received in a one-vehicle crash in the 800 block of Baxter Road in rural Pueblo County. Two other passengers, both of whom official statements show are CSU Pueblo students, were injured in the crash.

The passengers in the vehicle – one of whom was treated for minor injuries and one who remains in critical condition – were not identified.

Crestone Hall was slated to open at 6 p.m. Sunday for emergency counseling services, according to a statement from the university. Additionally, the CSU Pueblo Counseling Center is available 24 hours a day by calling 719-549-2838.

CSU Pueblo leadership honored Abrian in a statement issued Sunday, noting she was in her third year at the university and studying business administration. She was a standout member of the women’s swimming and diving team, according to her student-athlete profile.

Abrian, a native of Orange County, California, helped set a school record of 1:37 in the 200 free relay. She helped guide The Pack’s 400 freestyle relay to its second-fastest time in school history (3:35.79), and she shattered many of her own personal records and won accolades in the freestyle, backstroke and butterfly during the 2019-20 season, according to her profile.

“Losing a member of the Pack is always difficult,” the press release read. “If you are in need of access to counseling services, the CSU Pueblo Counseling Center is available for students and employees both on-site and online. Additionally, counseling is available for walk-in appointments and facilitated group sessions in CSU Pueblo’s Center for Integrated Health and Human Inquiry (CIHHI).”

Details about vigils or other memorial programming have not yet been released. Check back with The Today for more information as it becomes available.

The post Counseling available as university mourns loss of student first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Alorah Saldana-Vigil
The Today

Bill Redmond-Palmer served in the United States Army and deployed to Iraq to help with Operation Desert Storm. While he did not serve in combat, the Colorado

State University Pueblo Media Communications student had some strong opinions on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. 

“I am sad and pained by the knowledge that Afghan women and girls across the country will lose most, if not all the freedoms and opportunities that they had during the U.S. occupation of the country,” he wrote in an email. “I am sad for the Afghan people in general, that the assistance we have provided them, set them up to fail militarily and politically. We carry that burden and blame, and they carry the burden of our failure.”

The U.S. withdrawal in Afghanistan has sparked outrage within the country and community. On August 30, The United States fully withdrew and ended a nearly 20-year-old war. Numerous government decisions created a stir leaving American troops and allies in harm’s way of the Taliban. As the Taliban engulfed the land and grew stronger, promises to keep Americans and our allies safe were not kept. 

As civilian and media commentary exploded on social media and other outlets, we spoke with student veterans who shared their experiences and thoughts about the frontlines. 

One of those students, Cassime Joseph, cited the Warrior Ethos. The ethos comes from the Soldier’s Creed, an Army value.  

“I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade,” Joseph, an Army veteran, wrote in an email. “These words are also tatted [tattooed] on my back, for those are the values I live by.”

“With withdrawal and the killing of the 13 service members, I feel that we went against what a soldier stands for. I am very disappointed with this leadership,” Joseph stated.

While Redmond-Palmer did not see combat time, he wrote that, “If a vet without combat experience is so aggrieved by these events, imagine how much more they may be affecting my fellow vets who did serve in combat.”

“Sadness, anxiety, frustration and sometimes anger are the primary emotions attached to my experience,” Redmond-Palmer stated.

“We carry that burden and blame, and they carry the burden of our failure.”
— William “Bill” Redmond-Palmer
Colorado State University Pueblo student and former member of the U.S. Army

 

He mentioned sadness for members of the Afghan LGBTQIA+ community “whose fate during the prior Taliban rule was potentially execution,” and concern for Afghans who assisted the U.S. military, NATO partners, and civilians of all nations on diplomatic missions, working with non-governmental organizations and operating as contractors. 

“The anxiety I have felt about evacuating the Afghans who worked for the military like translators began several weeks ago when news of the logjam facing those helpers in obtaining visas reached national news,” he wrote. 

“I am also very anxious about so many Afghans, whose very lives are in immediate danger of execution by the Taliban as traitors and infidels, either because of their affiliation with the US and its military, or those who, oftentimes educated by us, now must fear for their lives because of the positions they have held,” Redmond-Palmer continued. “Specifically, along with the interpreters, embassy staff and direct employees, the fate of members of parliament and other members of the former government is a precarious one. Members of the former Afghan military, police, judges, prosecutors, journalists, activists and based on recent news, even musicians have reason to fear.”

While the future of Afghanistan is still uncertain, Redmond-Palmer expressed frustration that different decisions could have “lessened the negative impact of our departure, that were not taken because of the obstinate obsession to follow the political goal of leaving by Aug. 31.”

He wrote that politics and the blame game between elected officials and agencies of the U.S. government did little to resolve the problem while the crisis was ongoing. 

“Later, once and if the mission is completed, there will be plenty of time and opportunities to assess and evaluate all the failures and successes,” he wrote.

The post Veteran students speak out on Afghanistan withdrawal first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

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