The Big Bear Brew Fest, held at the Pueblo Convention Center Saturday, brought hundreds of people out for a night of beer and liquor samplings. More than 50 different breweries from all over the state of Colorado came together to offer more than 100 different samples to the people of Pueblo.

After entering the festival, participants were given a complimentary Big Bear lanyard with a tasting cup attached. The booths advertising different breweries and businesses were packed inside the Convention Center, allowing participants to easily taste and enjoy the craft beers, moonshine and whiskies.

Big Bear Brew Fest
Photo by Sammi Hathaway

“The variety of beer was unbelievable,” said Colorado State University-Pueblo senior Emily Nicolopoulos.

It didn’t take long for participants to establish favorites either. Hundreds of people returned to the Blue Moon booth to receive what could only be explained as pumpkin pie in liquid form.

San Luis Valley Brewing Company’s brew of a completely different flavor, Green Chile Ale, was also a crowd favorite.

“I can’t really explain it,” said a representative for the SLV Brewing Company. “Just try it.”

Although the participants sported everything from miniskirts to leather jackets and jeans, many of them shared a common accessory, a necklace made of pretzels.

Colorado native, Sara Garrison explained, “The pretzels are to clean your palate. After a couple samples, they all start to taste the same, so you eat a pretzel in between each beer.”

The pretzels, brews, and lighthearted people made for another great festival in Pueblo. Big Bear was pleased with the turnout and hopes to host another in the future.

All week we have been hearing of Veterans Day events going on in Pueblo. The town has come together to offer food, places to stay and other benefits as a way of showing gratitude for all that our servicemen do.

I admire all of the effort local businesses have put into this day because it is something all veterans deserve. I love to see the smiles and thankfulness that surround this day; I just never thought they would be mine.

My brother, Dustin Walker, joined the Marines right after our high school graduation. I have only seen him once since his deployment to Japan, and I knew I wouldn’t be seeing him for at least another two years after his first grant of leave in July.

Tuesday morning, when I went to work at The Diner, I was in a bad mood. I was tired, stressed out about school and not looking forward to the day. When I arrived, I hardly even noticed the excitement on my coworkers’ faces, until my brother Dusti walked through the door.

Together, my parents and my manager at The Diner, organized a surprise homecoming. It was the best thing that has ever happened to me.

My appreciation for all the work that went into this homecoming has grown more and more as my brother told me about his experience.

From airport services to diners and hotels, Dusti was thrilled with the way he was treated, and my family could not be more grateful for the generosity we feel he deserves.

As a city, Pueblo demonstrated a magnificent capacity for kindness, one I will never forget.

I must thank every man and woman who has ever, or will ever, serve our country. But I must also thank all of the local businesses who set aside a day every year to organize events dedicated to those men and women.

I’ve never been prouder of my brother, and I’ve never been so grateful for the people of Pueblo who make days like Tuesday possible.

Local high school girls were given the opportunity to participate in the 11th annual Young Women’s Real World Conference Nov. 5 on campus at Colorado State University-Pueblo.

The conference, which offers advice on how to construct a path toward a successful future, hosted more than 30 local girls.

Many of the girls had never stepped foot on campus prior to this conference, and had not seriously considered education after high school.

Carol Loats, a retired history and women’s studies professor, founded the event and brought it to CSU-Pueblo’s campus in 2004. At the time, she hoped to inspire and direct the girls toward decisions that would impact their future in a positive way.

Loats continues to be surprised and delighted with the conference’s annual growth and improvement.

“We don’t get to see how the conference affects each girl after we meet but we always get a lot of positive feedback from the community. We look at that feedback every year and always try to improve,” Loats said.

She acknowledged that not all of the girls who attend the conference want to be there, but she feels that those who don’t are the ones who gain the most by attending.

“Some of them come in from the courts, only attending in exchange for lower court costs or fees. I find that those girls are the ones who are impacted the most,” she said.

The conference also benefits the university and its students. All of the conference coaches are students at CSU-Pueblo. Each one is chosen through a recruitment process that Loats designed herself.

After initially learning of the organization through presentations in class, female students were able to apply to be a conference coach and were selected with an interview process.

“We did not create this organization for the university, but I think it is a very logical thing (for CSU-Pueblo) because it creates collaboration with the community that other things, like football, don’t touch,” Loats said.

As the millennial generation, we are a well-read group of people; we are capable of deciphering the significance of strategically placed words because we have grown up in an age that seeks motivation and deeper meaning in the things around us.

We can reflect for hours on the depth of a specific quote, admiring the words of others because they mean something direct and unique to us individually. We share speeches with our friends, post quotes on our Facebook walls and tattoo lyrics and verses on our bodies.

But as the world we live in changes, we must begin to recognize the importance of evolving from a well-read people into a generation of well-written and well-spoken individuals. The advantage in all crises goes to the person who can persuade a group of individuals to think as a whole. Such a person wields a weapon of their own making; rhetoric.

Rhetoric is the art of persuasive speaking. It is more than the presentation of intellectual facts and reason; it injects an audience with not only acceptance, but the desire and decision to act.

Very few people are trained in rhetoric. The course is usually included as one small aspect of an entire major at the university level, and it’s hardly ever included in secondary school curriculum.

Colorado State University-Pueblo, however, has recognized the importance of this neglected subject and has introduced a communication and rhetoric minor.

The program includes 18 credit hours and is designed for students interested in developing effective written and verbal skills.

Dr. Yvonne Montoya, the program director, said the minor is “a program that promotes an understanding of interpersonal, organizational, rhetorical and intercultural communication.”

The rhetoric minor is brand new this semester but already has four students enrolled. Two of the four are set to graduate next spring, and both of them are mass communications majors.

Jeremy Valdez is one of those two students. He is excited about the new minor and the many opportunities and advantages it can create. Valdez urges students of every major to consider communication and rhetoric as a minor.

“Communication is important in any professional environment,” Valdez said.

To go beyond communication and study the art of persuasion and eloquence is even more important. One could argue that this new minor would be an excellent addition to any major on campus.

It’s an amazing feeling to be moved to action by a meaningful quote or speech. It could be even more amazing to actually create a persuasive, perhaps life-changing sequence of words.

These skills can be found within the communication and rhetoric minor. Courses in the minor are listed in the online catalog under COMR. Anyone interested in more information should contact their adviser.

In the past few weeks, our nation has been subjected to countless reminders about Ebola hemorrhagic fever. Media and American leaders have worked together to develop awareness of the native West African disease, all the while injecting nonmedical citizens with an uneducated, possibly unnecessary fear.

Awareness of the disease and the fear that it has induced have allowed countries to prepare disaster plans and take caution when people exhibit similar symptoms, but it has also created a whole tangle of complications for hospitals and health experts dealing with the disease firsthand.

Dr. Thomas Frieden, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a recent NPR article, “Urgent health needs are definitely going unmet, especially in countries already suffering death from (Ebola).”

More people have died from non-Ebola related killers, like HIV and malaria, than Ebola itself because patients are avoiding health care centers out of fear of contracting the disease.

“Both HIV and malaria are capable of killing the same number of people every day that Ebola has killed in the last six months, especially if these people are avoiding health care,” Frieden said when asked about the seriousness of this outbreak.

Because of the way the media is portraying Ebola, it is hard for Americans to grasp that it is not the biggest killer, nor will it ever be.

According to the CDC, Ebola is not an airborne disease. It cannot live in the air as influenza or measles viruses can. Humans must come into contact with body fluids from an infected person or their contaminated objects. In order to contract the disease, one would have to directly touch the bodily fluids of an infected person or connect a contaminated object with bodily fluids of their own.

In comparison, the flu, which can live on surface areas such as armrests and seat backs, is much easier to contract than Ebola.

As a result, the fear American and foreign media have instilled into citizens regarding air travel and Ebola is cautionary but exaggerated. Airplanes are given cleanings between each flight and a much heavier cleaning on a daily basis. Both domestic and international airlines have been conducting these cleanings for the last decade, as a prevention to the spread of common diseases such as the flu.

So how does this affect us locally?

Tamara Brooks, a nursing student at Colorado State University-Pueblo agrees that people need to educate themselves about the disease and how it is contracted and spread.

She said, “The likelihood of Colorado citizens contracting Ebola is low. It is definitely a scary disease, but people need to understand that it is preventable. We are lucky enough to live in a country that has the medical equipment and technology to treat it.”

Colorado citizens should not worry about contracting the disease. With a U.S. population of more than 300 million people, the fact that only five cases have been confirmed means that each citizen has a less than 1 percent chance of contracting Ebola.

Seeing a doctor when necessary and being alert to all health issues is important. Ebola is not the most contagious or the most dangerous disease out there.

“Don’t believe everything you hear in the media,” said Brooks. “Take the necessary precautions, but don’t live in fear.”

Students in the Hasan School of Business recently conducted an economic impact study regarding university athletics and its impact in Pueblo County. According to the study, Pack sports teams are delivering outstanding results on and off the field this year.

The study reported that the spending habits of coaching personnel, non-local student athletes and out-of-town spectators now supports more than 59 jobs and generates $5.24 million a year in economic activity.

When CSU-Pueblo President Lesley Di Mare announced the three-year, $25 million On the Move campaign last year, the potential benefits reached no further than the university, but with the increase in visitors because of NCAA matchups, even local businesses have been pleasantly surprised.

“We have seen an increase in our stores since school started back up, especially on the weekends,” said the manager of a local diner near campus. “It helps that the new business revolves around collegiate athletes and their mentors as well, they are very polite and fun to work with.”

Students and staff involved in the study said the figures would be even higher if the study had also concentrated on the increase of students who chose to attend CSU-Pueblo as a result of the added sports programs and their popularity.

The number of jobs created would also have increased if game-day staffing such as concessions and other employment were included as well.

The study shows that sports can have a definite impact on the economy of the community they represent.

CSU-Pueblo Athletic Director Joe Folda told the Pueblo Chieftain, “One of our primary emphasis in our athletic program is to ensure that we are a positive impact on the university and the community. One of the ways is financial. That’s what we try to do. We hope we’re a positive.”

In 2011, St. Mary-Corwin CEO Rob Ryder spoke with CSU-Pueblo athletes after they presented him a check for $9,100. Photo courtesy of the Pueblo Chieftain’s Chris McLean.

Colorado State University-Pueblo will host its 6th annual Pink Out football game to benefit breast cancer awareness Saturday at 6 p.m. The game will kick off breast cancer awareness month which will continue throughout October. CSU-Pueblo Athletics will raise funds locally to benefit the St. Mary-Corwin Breast Center of Excellence in Southern Colorado.

During October, campus organizations and sports teams will be supporting breast cancer research and treatment by raising money and awareness. Part of that awareness is the wearing of pink.

The NCAA began introducing pink out games to college football, volleyball and soccer several years ago, and the tradition has grown steadily since then.

The number two ranked ThunderWolves football team will host Adams State Saturday, and both teams will be participating in the pink out. Students and staff attending the game are also encouraged to wear pink to support the effort.

Pink Pack shirts are available in the book store for $15, with $5 of every sale being donated to the Breast Cancer Center of Excellence.

The university has expressed its desire for all students and staff to attend the game, not only because it is a benefit game, but also because it will be aired on live television. This game is the first in a five game series to be televised live on Altitude Sports.

graphic courtesy of The Everyman blog

Homecoming originated in the United States in the late 1800s and signified the coming home of former residents and alumni, and it quickly grew to include events and activities specific to each area.

Over the years, homecoming has morphed from a single night meant to welcome back those who have moved on, to an entire week of pep rallies, parades, class competitions and individual recognitions.

In other words, homecoming no longer focuses on welcoming back alumni but on highlighting the goals and accomplishments of current students.

This transformation makes sense in high school because students spend more time together as a class.  They know each other and competition is a foundation of success. High school students are expected to have a favorite; they are expected to enjoy an organized, chaperoned dance, and they are expected to desire competing against each other for a crown and title.

It makes sense because they are teenagers.

After graduation from high school, students should start to make their own choices. They should gain responsibility and realize that the real world won’t care if a person wore a dress and won a crown in the middle of a football field on a freezing cold night.

In college, recognition should come in the form of scholarships, internships, degrees and employment.

“None of the students care about homecoming. It’s just a way for the university to get publicity. Students don’t care about the dance. The only thing they do is the game,” said Josh Redmond, a student at CSU-Pueblo.

Another student said “Beer and football. That is enough to create school pride and have an awesome turnout for the football game. We don’t know the people running for homecoming court. Why would we vote for them?”

The popularity contest that goes hand in hand with homecoming needs to end with high school. The university should focus on the collegiate aspects of the event like celebrating alumni and football.

Photo by Dustin Cox

Photo by Dustin Cox

The Foreign Language Department at Colorado State University-Pueblo will be offering multiple study abroad opportunities during the 2015 summer semester.

Many students want to study abroad but do not want to push back graduation or be away from home for an entire semester.  The summer program is shorter and allows those students to participate.

The five week, nine credit sessions will take place in various European countries throughout the summer. Some of the countries mentioned as destinations are Germany, Italy, Spain and Greece.

Students will be able to study any six credits they are interested in while in the country of their choice. Presently, each student will also be required to take three credits of the language native to that country. The required three credits will be entry or 100 level courses.

“Although study abroad opportunities are usually seized by students studying a foreign language, this opportunity is appealing to students of all areas of study,” said Dora Luz Cobián, professor of Spanish at CSU-Pueblo.

In the past, each language department has been able to offer or locate scholarship opportunities for students to spend summers abroad

One foreign language student said that even without a scholarship, the cost seems worth it in the end.  It is like taking three courses at CSU-Pueblo in the summer.

Any students who are interested in studying abroad should contact a member of the foreign language department before the start of spring semester to be considered for the program.

Photo from http://upload.wikimedia.org

The Colorado State University-Pueblo Nursing Department recently celebrated the program’s 50^th anniversary. Dr. Donna Wofford, associate dean of nursing, accepted a signed proclamation from the Pueblo City Council announcing Sept. 8 as CSU-Pueblo Nursing Department Anniversary Day.

The nursing program has grown from an associate degree program that was established in 1964 to the upper division degree-completion baccalaureate program for registered nurses and the Master of Science in Nursing. Both programs are accredited by the NLNAC or National League for Nursing and the bachelor’s degree boasts a 95 percent NCLEX-RN pass rate.

Students involved in the nursing program have access to hands on education and learn in real nursing environments, and according to a press release from CSU-Pueblo, the program has granted more than 2500 Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees and 160 Master of Science degrees in the last five decades.

Tamara Brooks, a senior in the program said “the nursing program is a rigorously challenging pathway to take, but it is geared toward turning students into successful nurses who have a passion for caring for others.”

Brooks agrees that the program has made great leaps since 1964. It is producing students who are able to quickly and confidently accept jobs in hospitals all over the country.

Rebekah Hathaway, another senior in the program said “it is amazing how much more we can learn and prepare for now. I can only imagine what students will be able to accomplish in the next 50 years.”

The CSU-Pueblo nursing program has a mission to educate professional, safe, competent and caring nurses who meet the health care needs of diverse populations, and the department looks forward to celebrating many more anniversaries.