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Finals week events keep students stress-free

Photo: Microsoft Office clip art

Photo: Microsoft Office clip art

With the help of clubs and organizations at Colorado State University-Pueblo, events will be created to help students stay stress-free and relaxed in preparation for finals for the fall semester.

Along with events, the Library and Academic Resources Center will be extending its hours during the week of finals and will be open from 7 a.m. to midnight Dec. 7-10 and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 11.

One of the events that will be held is the Midday Meditation and Yoga for Stress Relief and Empowerment led by graduate student Meral Sarper and put on with other members of the LEAF club. These events will be located in the Underground basement of the Occhiato University Center, Dec. 9 at 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. This will be the first year the event is being held.

“It is deeper than just relaxing and then jumping back into the stress. It is unlocking a tool, a constant state of inner-reflection that can make all goals more possible and life more seamless. Most importantly more happy, fulfilled and coming from the heart,” Sarper said.

Sarper’s advice to students who are stressing or overthinking about and during finals is that when feeling overwhelmed or that there is not enough time to do things, that is the precise moment students need to take a moment or two for themselves.

“We too often push ourselves too hard to the point of physical exhaustion due to social and educational pressures. When you feel stressed, write down the top three to five things that are stressing you out on paper or electronically. Then take three to 20 minutes to meditate. There is time if you make it. You can use Omvana and Insight Timer apps or Youtube for many guided meditations,” Sarper said.

Sarper also advises students to breathe fully in and out. She suggests that after meditating, students should write down the three things they can do to positively move forward and transform the stress energy into powerful energy.

More information regarding to the Midday Meditation and Yoga for Stress Relief and Empowerment can be found by emailing Sarper at m.sarper@pack.csupueblo.edu.

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CSU-Pueblo introduces new graduation planning requirements

New graduation planning requirements will apply to students graduating in summer 2016. Image courtesy of CSU-Pueblo.edu

New graduation planning requirements will apply to students graduating in summer 2016. Image courtesy of CSU-Pueblo.edu

New requirements for graduation planning will be implemented at Colorado State University-Pueblo in the summer 2016 semester.

Graduation planning sheets will not be used anymore starting with students who plan to graduate in the summer. The new requirements have changed to a graduation contract and a signature on the Degree Auditing Reporting System report that can be found through PAWS, the student portal on the CSU-Pueblo website.

In an email, biology associate professor and member of the academic advising council Helen Caprioglio said, “The graduation process is changing from a grad planning sheet to the DARS report and graduation contract to facilitate more accurate and timely awarding of degrees.”

“The previous graduation planning sheets were handled manually and initiated one semester prior to graduation, leading to many changes having to be submitted and delay before diplomas were mailed,” she said.

CSU-Pueblo is required to report the degrees it awards after each semester to the National Student Loan Data System. By doing so, graduating students with loans are moved into repayment status.

“The degree awarding process is being automated with DARS to comply with requirements we have to meet on degree reporting,” Caprioglio said.

The new contracts will be submitted early in the semester a student is expected to graduate, she said. Under the new process, students will become more involved with tracking their graduation status.

“This new process will allow students to receive their diplomas sooner after courses are completed, to help with seeking employment and further studies,” she said.

Previously, students were required to meet with their advisors about one semester before their expected graduation date to create a plan for the classes they were currently enrolled in, along with the classes they needed to take in the semester following and the last semester of their college career.

Students then took the sheet to CSU-Pueblo’s records office so when it came time to graduate, the school could approve and grant the students their appropriate degree and certifications.

For students who have to follow the new requirements, the process will be a little different.

In each student’s PAWS account, there is a link to DARSweb. There, students enter the report they wish to process. There could be multiple if the students transferred or changed degrees.

DARS is a “what if” report that allows each student and advisor to see just what classes and amount of credits, general or not, a student needs in order to graduate.

It only takes a few seconds for the report to be processed, then an interactive webpage pops up.

“When the DARS audit ‘goes green’ they have met all degree requirements for graduation in their declared majors and minors,” Caprioglio said. “This happens once they enroll for their final course requirements.”

Along with the DARS report, the graduation contract needs to be signed by both the students and their advisors. The contract ensures that the student agrees to take the classes needed and that everything on the report is correct.

According to the Email Digest sent out on Nov. 5, there will be an informational session about the new system available in the Library and Academic Resources Center, Room 108 from 8:30-10 a.m.

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Career center to host annual dining etiquette event for students

The Career Center will host the Dinning for Success Etiquette Dinner Nov. 3, to prepare students for what awaits them after college. Photo courtesy of luxist.com.

The Career Center will host the Dinning Etiquette Training Nov. 5. Photo courtesy of luxist.com.

Colorado State University-Pueblo will be hosting its 18th annual Dining Etiquette Training” Nov. 5, 2015 in the Occhiato University Center. The event is organized by Michelle Gjerde, of the Career Center, who has been in charge of this event since she started at the university.

The event, funded by student fees that are tied into tuition, is meant to prepare students for the professional aspect of any job or function of their career after graduating college.

“The event is free for students since it is funded by the student fees that are paid. I encourage all students to try and get a reservation for this event,” Gjerde said.

The dining room is set up to hold 19 tables, each seated with seven individuals per table. A table leader will also be incorporated to coordinate with the majors of the students at each table. These table leaders will include either alumni of CSU-Pueblo or high title leaders in businesses around the community.

Along with teaching students the etiquette of dining, the event will help students with their professional attitudes and create networking opportunities. Registration for the event starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Hearthwell Lounge of the OUC and will follow with a networking reception at 5:45 p.m.

The dinner will begin at 7 p.m. and will include guest speakers that include Jacqueline Taggart, Chad Heberly and Christopher Tuner. Taggart, who serves as a professor of business and director of the Danish program at Pikes Peak Community College, has spoken at the last four etiquette trainings at CSU-Pueblo.

Heberly and Turned who are also CSU-Pueblo alumni will be joining Taggart for the event for their second year in a row. They will be speaking together as a team to students and community members which will be an entertaining experience, Gjerde said.

Heberly graduated from the university in 2004 with a double major in management and economics and is currently on the chair of the Alumni Relations Board. He has served on many boards in the community of Pueblo including Parkview Hospital Foundation Board and the Pueblo Country Club Board.

Turner graduated in 2003 with a degree in political science and was student body president. He was also an intern at the White House and proceeded to attend law school after his internship. He has been given the title of Pueblo County Bar Association Outstanding Young Lawyer and was the recipient of the 2013 CSU-Pueblo President’s Medallion for alumni achievement.

If students make a reservation and decide they don’t want to or can’t attend, they have to call and cancel 48 hours in advance or they are charged a $25 cancellation fee.

“The food is expensive and seating is limited so we don’t want to waste any food or have somebody that wants to attend miss out on coming and having a chance to learn something,” Gjerde said.

There are only 160 total spots available for junior and seniors. More information on the Dining Etiquette Training can be found at 719-549-2358.

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CSU-Pueblo breaks ground at OUC for renovations

The Occhiato University Center | Photo courtesy of csupueblo.edu

The Occhiato University Center | Photo courtesy of csupueblo.edu

Administrators at Colorado State University-Pueblo broke ground at the Occhiato University Center Oct. 7 for renovations of the 41-year-old building. Students, faculty, alumni and others who will be impacted by the renovation gathered at the OUC, just outside by the doors of the existing ballroom.

President Lesley Di Mare led the group to break ground, using a golden shovel. After a few introductions, details about the process were announced to the crowd.

“When we saw the design electronically, only then did we realize what a magnificent structure this will be,” said Karl Spiecker, a member of the leadership team and Vice President for Finance and Administration.

“The new ballroom will be with a much higher ceiling and about 10 percent larger than the current ballroom,” Spiecker said. “That will take about 14 months. After December of 2016, then the renovation will occur in the existing one hundred and ten thousand square feet.”

While the building is under construction, Spiecker said, “we will not disrupt service to the campus.” Several offices, the student bookstore, the ballroom, classrooms and the cafeteria are located in the OUC.

“The new ballroom will serve as the bookstore and it will also serve as the dining hall for residents in the residential halls,” he said.

Soon, the electronic design will be available to students and the community to view for a better idea of what the building will look like.

“The new student center is going to shape our students and our campus for years to come,” said Sarah Zarr, president of the Associated Students’ Government. “It is going to shape who the students become and who we become as a university.”

“It will shape our atmosphere of our campus and create a better a culture. It will shape how the past students who took a stand to do something for future generations of students by showing them that they made a difference,” she said.

In the beginning stages, students voted on whether or not the renovation should take place. It will be funded almost entirely with mandatory student fees. The exception to this funding is the addition of an auditorium, which will be funded by a donation from the CSU-Pueblo Foundation.

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Alumni association expects strong turnout for homecoming events

Photo courtesy of csupueblo.edu

The Alumni Association expects several alumni to return to CSU-Pueblo for homecoming events. Photo courtesy of csupueblo.edu

The Alumni Association at Colorado State University-Pueblo is expecting a large amount of alumni to participate in this year’s homecoming events, though there are currently 65 formal registrations.

The schedule of events, which last from Oct. 9 to Oct.11, include the Homecoming Pep Rally that begins at 5 p.m. in the Massari Arena, the Mass Communications 50th Anniversary Celebration at 5:30 p.m. at Pueblo’s Union Depot, the football game which starts at 2 p.m. at the ThunderBowl, along with others that encourage alumni to interact with their former university.

“Currently we have 65 formal registrations for homecoming through the Alumni Office,” said Tracy Samora, director of alumni relations.

Samora said that although the mass communications event is expecting 300 alumni, a lot of the individuals attending have not officially registered for any other homecoming events through the association’s website.

The association is also expecting more than 300 alumni and community members to attend the Alumni and Community Tailgate, which is sponsored by Friends of Football, Samora added.

Samora said many alumni are season ticket holders for football games and that they already regularly attend the games. The Alumni Association tailgates prior to every home football game.

“Homecoming has continued to grow each year over the past few years, so I expect a strong turnout for this year as the event continues to grow.  The success of the football team and last year’s national championship really helps to drive attendance, interest and alumni pride in their alma mater,” Samora said.

There are more individual department events scheduled this year during homecoming than in previous years. With all of the events for alumni happening on campus, students have an opportunity to interact with those who used to be in their shoes as a student and ThunderWolf.

“Alumni are invited to the pep rally and the bonfire. It is also Parents and Family Weekend, so parents and families of current students are invited to the Alumni/Community Tailgate and there is a common seating area for alumni, parents and students,” Samora said.

A majority of the alumni events have a student component. For example, in the Tailgate and Debate event, forensics team alumni will debate against current members of the team.

The Engineering Breakfast gives another opportunity for alumni to interact with current students and the Track and Field and Cross Country alumni event will host the current team and former student athletes.

“The football game provides an excellent atmosphere for students and alumni to interact as well,” Samora said.

A full list of the events can be found at csupueblo.edu or by contacting Samora at tracy.samora@csupueblo.edu.

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Residence halls to receive improved Wi-Fi

CSU-Pueblo's residence halls will have improved Wi-Fi. Photo courtesy of csupueblo.edu.

CSU-Pueblo’s residence halls will have improved Wi-Fi this semester. | Photo courtesy of csupueblo.edu.

The residence halls at Colorado State University-Pueblo will have updated Wi-Fi this year. The rest of campus will also see improvements in the system in the coming months.

The improved Wi-Fi is a result of efforts by the Associated Students’ Government and the IT Fee Committee.

“This summer, there was a monumental meeting in order to get better Wi-Fi for our students in the residence halls,” said ASG President Sarah Zarr. “We pushed hard to get this for our students and now you can expect better Wi-Fi by the end of semester in the residence halls.”

In April, CSU-Pueblo received a $1.8 million grant from the state to upgrade its information technology systems. Last year’s ASG administration was instrumental in helping the university secure the funding. Zarr said the results of those efforts will be evident campus-wide.

“You should also expect the technology and Wi-Fi to get increasingly better all over campus as the grant ASG helped the university secure from last year will be starting to be implemented,” she said.

The initiative taken by ASG to improve the system was influenced largely by student concerns about the Wi-Fi.

Zarr said it was a task she and Vice President Gene Wilson, “wanted to continue to work on for the students as we know it is a problematic issue we have and that students need to be able to get online to do homework, face time their friends and family back home, and etcetera,” she said.

The IT Fee Committee met with Zarr, Wilson, Public Relations Director Jonothan Stephenson and Student Affairs Director Anthony Schievelbein. The group “pushed hard and got the vote passed for updated Wi-Fi in the Residence Halls,” Zarr said.

“We pushed to secure funds for two residence halls which will be done by the end of the semester and we will keep working hard to make sure all the residence halls are updated,” she said. “The university Vice President of Finance Karl Speicker showed great support for this initiative and is helping us moving forward.”

Zarr said she encourages students to attend ASG senate meetings, which take place in their chambers, located in OUC 201, on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Students may also stop by the ASG office in OUC 217, she said.

“In today’s ever increasing technological society, ASG recognizes and hears the voice of students about issues that are important to them, and it’s important to us too,” she said.

 

UPDATE: The residence halls will see improvements in Wi-Fi starting in the spring 2016 semester, according to ASG. The updates were pushed back due to problems with wiring.

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OUC anticipates renovation and expansion

The OUC is due for major renovations.

The OUC is due for major renovations.

The Occhiato University Center at CSU-Pueblo is anticipating an expansion and renovation. The building is currently the location for the student bookstore, the ballroom, offices, classrooms and cafeteria.

Renovation of the OUC will be the latest installment in a recent series of construction projects on campus, including construction of the General Classroom Building in 2014 and renovation of the library in 2011.

“The major addition will be to the east of the existing building in about half of the existing wide grassy area. Only an estimated 10 parking spaces will be lost at the existing north lot behind the building, and will be recovered by reconfiguring striping in the existing lot,” said John Barnosky, director of Planning and Construction at CSU-Pueblo.

Though the building fit the needs of previous years, as the university expands and grows, it will need to be updated accordingly. Barnosky said the building will be completely remodeled to offer more features to fit the university’s current needs.

“A new major ballroom, pre-function Hearthwell Lounge, and all new food service main kitchen will be in the new addition to the east,” Barnosky said. “Then, entire existing building, all three levels, will be completely remodeled with a new bookstore, new modern dining facility with ‘mini-restaurants’ themes for variety, all new student lounges, student group spaces with high visibility on the main floor and new entrances at the south and west.”

Barnosky said construction on the OUC is already underway.

Barnosky said, “It has already begun — The architect/contractor team has been preparing design and construction plans for the past seven months. The actual construction will begin in mid-to-late October,” he said.

Phase one of the project is completion of the new ballroom, which will be located to the east of the existing building. Its construction will take 12 months and should be completed in October 2016, Barnosky said.

“Phase two, renovation of the entire existing OUC building, will run from December 2016 until March of 2018,” he said.

Barnosky said the construction and renovation of the OUC will have many benefits for students, faculty and the community of Pueblo once it is completed.

“This student-fee and grant-funded project will make it possible for community-use meetings and functions to be held without disrupting of student lounge spaces or student services and functions,” Barnosky said. “It will energize and modernize a drab and deteriorating building, provide a bigger ballroom with 20-foot-high ceilings, contain a new sound and Audio Visual system, improve food service delivery, provide dedicated student ‘hang-out’ space for students, and generally provide a center hub for the campus.”

None of the construction should disrupt any of the students or faculty on campus; there are only a few temporary staff relocations located on different parts of the campus. Once the first phase of construction is over, the relocated staff will be able to return to the OUC.

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CSU-Pueblo students support State Fair in Pueblo

Fans on opening night of the PRCA RAM Rodeo held at the Colorado State Fairgrounds. Photo by Dustin Cox.

Fans on opening night of the PRCA RAM Rodeo held at the Colorado State Fairgrounds. Photo by Dustin Cox.

For 146 years, the Colorado State Fair has been one of the most highly anticipated summer festivals in Pueblo. The fair brings hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the state to Pueblo to enjoy fried food, concerts, rodeos, carnival rides and other festivities.

Over the past few years, however, the fair’s revenue has decreased and in the weeks leading up to fair, there was talk that it could possibly find a new home in Denver to help bring back the revenue it used to make four years ago. One major factor that has contributed to the fair’s loss of revenue has been rising energy costs.

Even as concerns rise over the event’s future in Pueblo, however, the fair is still a popular activity among CSU-Pueblo students.

Each year, Pueblo students of all ages are given free passes to get into the gates and experience what the fair has to offer. College night was held Sept. 4 at the fairgrounds.

“The Colorado State Fair donates student tickets each year for us to distribute to our students,” said Gena Alfonso, director of Student Engagement and Leadership. “This year, we received 3,000 student tickets and they were all picked up by the end of last week. There is always a high demand for the tickets.”

Keelan Bailey, a CSU-Pueblo student who attended the Colorado State Fair, said, “I think if the fair moved out of Pueblo, the city would lose some value because the State Fair is one of the things that people from all of Colorado look forward to.

“The fair also brings a lot of revenue to businesses in the city. But it is only around for a short period of time in the summer, so I feel like one really couldn’t say if it would affect the city one way or another until they actually make a decision,” he said.

Another concern has been about the fate of the grounds in Pueblo if the fair ended up moving.

“There is a lot of space on the grounds. It could still be used for graduation and the rodeo, but it would not bring in nearly as much money as it does currently,” said Lauren Parsons, a graduate of CSU-Pueblo.

“The fair gives the residents of Pueblo and surrounding counties something to do. Mostly everybody looks forward to the one week of summer that the fair is held because it gives the people in this small town something to do with friends and family without having to travel hours away,” she said.

Since the news broke that the fair could call a different city home, a petition was started to help keep the fair in Pueblo. The goal, which was to get 5,000 signatures by Labor Day, was reached late in the day on Sept. 4, three days before the deadline.

In January, the names and petition will be given to the state legislature when the session opens for discussion.

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Proposed Thunderwolf highway designation causes conflict in community

image courtesy of cartographic.info.

image courtesy of cartographic.info.

A suggestion to change the name of the stretch of highway from Pueblo West to CSU-Pueblo from Cesar Chavez Memorial Highway to Thunderwolf Boulevard has caused a conflict in the Pueblo community.

Cesar Chavez Memorial Highway was named after civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, who dedicated his life to encouraging awareness and insight into unfair working conditions.

The stretch of road, which is seven miles in length, already has a variety of names, such as Colorado 47, University Boulevard and Cesar Chavez Memorial Highway. The university is looking into changing only the section of the highway that is closest to the college.

Pueblo’s Latino community argues that the highway was named after significant public figure, who fought hard to make a difference in their defense with the working conditions that were once unfair.

Pueblo leaders, including Pueblo County Commissioner Sal Pace, have said that the proposal was not intended to disrespect Latinos in Pueblo, but instead to highlight the university.

For many, the renaming would just be another act of growth from the university. Over the years, CSU-Pueblo has expanded its branding to become more well-known across Colorado and nationally.

“Pueblo is becoming more of a college town, like Fort Collins or Boulder. When people in town say ‘the college,’ everybody knows they are referring to Colorado State University-Pueblo,” said Lauren Parsons, a senior psychology major.

“I can understand the uproar from parts of the community about the name change, but I don’t see it as a big deal. As small as Pueblo is, we have pride in our university and we’re becoming a nationally known university,” she said. “If the small section of the highway was changed to ThunderWolf Boulevard, I think the majority of the community would support it and be proud.”

Zach Woods, a junior engineering major and Pueblo native, said he doesn’t think about the highway designation often.

“Although I grew up in Pueblo, I’ve always just referred to the roadway as Highway 50 or the highway. The only time I remembered when it is named Cesar Chavez is when I am driving on it and see the sign in the median over by the mall,” he said.

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Holocaust victims to be honored during Day of Remembrance

file photo

file photo

A Day of Remembrance will be held at Colorado State University-Pueblo Thursday in recognition of the 6 million Jews who died during the Holocaust.

Organized by CSU-Pueblo professor Pam Richmond, the event will be held on the Pueblo campus as well as the Tower location in Colorado Springs and is open to all students, faculty and community members.

There will be many different activities throughout the day including a memorial service conducted by Rabbi Roberta Becker, a performance by CSU-Pueblo music students, and installation art by Sarah Nako and Leslie Manning. This is the second year that CSU-Pueblo has held the event, but it is the first year that it will also take place at the Colorado Springs Tower.

Richmond said she has several goals for the Day of Remembrance.

“First, honoring the 6 million individuals who perished during the Holocaust. Second, for all that attend to recognize diversity; recognize and accept the differences and similarities between each individual. It’s important for people to understand diversity,” she said. “My long term goal is to get every department on campus involved in this event. For every department to have their own little presentation or activity that people can participate in.”

The Day of Remembrance is a chance to learn about a piece of history that impacted the world and many individuals and families.

Helena Atlas-Acuna will share stories about her parents who suffered through the Holocaust. Her presentation will begin at 10 a.m. in the Occhiato University Center Aspen Leaf Room. Rabbi Becker’s memorial service will follow at 11 a.m.

At noon, students from CSU-Pueblo’s Prizm group will hand out identification cards that will give people who are attending the chance to remember those who suffered during the Holocaust and help them appreciate how diverse the world is becoming.

Richmond said the cards will give the name and background of an individual that perished during the time of the Holocaust.

Throughout the day, senior art student Sarah Nako will be displaying installation art that reflects history and an appreciation for diversity. Her work can be seen in the library during the event time.

At the Colorado Springs Tower Dr. Krista Bridgmon, associate professor of psychology, will discuss post-traumatic stress disorder and the Holocaust beginning at 4 p.m. in room 207. Richmond and Jonathan Poritz, associate professor of mathematics, will host a discussion and screening of the movie “Paperclips.”

Throughout the evening, Leslie Manning, will be displaying installation art, also in room 207.

Richmond hopes the event will make an impact on all who attend.

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