Photos by Jessica Warren

The CSU-Pueblo mass communications department celebrated its 50th anniversary Oct. 9 at a formal event held at the historic Union Depot in Pueblo.

The main event sponsors included The Pueblo Chieftain, Parkview Medical Center and Centura Health Southern Colorado Hospitals.  The Chieftain has partnered with the department during its entire 50 years, providing student internships, graduate hires and other opportunities for young students to start their careers.

This year’s event organization committee included Trish Orman, Todd Kelly, Tracy Samora, Niki Whitaker, Trisha Pocius and Jenna Mangino.  Mass communications department chair Samuel Ebersole and Jen Mullen, professor emeritus, served as co-chairs.

Attendees of the auspicious event included CSU-Pueblo President Lesley Di Mare, current and former faculty members, alumni, students, representatives of businesses in the local community and several dignitaries who have impacted the department over the years.

The event also included a tribute to the founder of the department, Rick Pavlik, who recently passed away after a long illness.

Lighter moments included a video skit featuring former KOAA-TV meteorologist Craig Eliot in a quest to become an honorary mass communications alum.

Event speakers included Orman, Ebersole, Di Mare, director of the Alumni Association Tracy Samora and marketing communications specialist Niki Whitaker. CEO and President of the CSU-Pueblo Foundation also Todd Kelly made an effort to raise money for currents students in the department.

Several alumni were honored during the course of the evening, including those who have received the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Outstanding Graduating Senior Award throughout the years.

The event was a reflection of the tight-knit mass communications department and the impact the program has had on generations of students. Many graduates have moved on to become business owners, executives, leaders and journalists – all contributing to the impact and lasting legacy of the mass communications department.

The department of sociology at CSU-Pueblo hired Colleen Hackett this year. Photo by Lilly Smith.

The sociology department at Colorado State University-Pueblo hired a new assistant professor this year with extensive knowledge of incarceration studies. Colleen Hackett started this fall semester on a tenure track and plans to challenge her students to think critically about sociology topics.

Hackett grew up in a rural community outside of Phoenix and recently relocated to Pueblo from Denver. She earned her doctorate from the University of Colorado Boulder with emphases in critical and feminist criminology, social inequalities and qualitative methods.

During her research, she studied prisons and the effects of incarceration on different communities, especially women living in poverty and women of color. She said she hoped to bring these issues more into the forefront and increase people’s understanding of the tolls of incarceration.

Hackett said that about 10 years ago, she started practicing activism in Massachusetts, where she was living at the time.

“I met a lot of women who had been incarcerated and had lost their children in the process to the foster system,” she said.

The injustices she witnessed struck a chord in her and motivated her to further continue her education in sociology.

“It challenges peoples’ preconceived notions of what makes a criminal, a criminal. I try to humanize people in the criminal legal system as much as I can, which I think isn’t normally done in our society,” she said.

Hackett said she wants to impact her local community by creating more opportunities for activism. “I hope to find other people who also upset at over-incarceration and discriminatory sentencing practices,” Hackett said.

As far as her teaching philosophy, Hackett said that she wants prospective sociology students to know that the subject matter can be hard to navigate. “The material that I teach is challenging, both academically but also often ethically,” she said.

She also encourages criticism, critical thinking and tries to personalize the material she teaches.  “I invite all kinds of speakers into my classroom and I plan on incorporating tours of La Vista and Cañon City in my teaching practices,” Hackett added.

Hackett also said she is excited about a few projects she has in the works. She is currently co-authoring an article with someone who is incarcerated.

“I’m interested in using alternative methodologies and I want to collaborate more with non-conventional authors both in and out of academia,” she said. Hackett wants to incorporate more experiential learning and creativity in her work.

Hackett said that she always tries to have fun and be happy with what she’s doing despite the difficulties of what she is doing.

When Hackett is not at work, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog, Toona, hiking or bicycling at Lake Pueblo State park. She also likes to take in sites of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. In her free time, she said she loves to practice yoga and read science books.

Image courtesy of suicidepreventionlifeline.org

September is National Suicide Prevention Month but at CSU-Pueblo and universities across the nation, suicide awareness and prevention are essential year-round. In colleges nationwide, 47 to 67 percent of students have mental health issues, a CSU-Pueblo mental health official said.

Carol Daugherty, director of Student Health and Counseling Services at CSU-Pueblo, said she wants staff and students to be educated on suicide prevention and to create awareness that resources are always available to them, no matter what state of mind they are in.

“The top two diagnoses in the counseling center, as well as at student health services, are anxiety and depression,” Daugherty said.

“What we want to do is find those issues sooner rather than later, so they can seek treatment,” she said.

In recent years, CSU-Pueblo has faced a few cases of suicide. Daugherty said that when at-risk students come to the counseling center, they keep a close eye on those students.

Immediate follow-up is imperative to prevention, she said. “We have the opportunity when we know a student is in need to have a welfare check done if I’m concerned about him or her. We may get a report about a student’s behavior, so we send someone out to check on them and we do follow ups with them.”

“Support groups for students who are struggling with relationship issues can be another helpful coping mechanism.”

“We have only had four cases in four years where a student had to be mandatorily hospitalized,” Daughetry said. In these cases, students either posed a serious threat to themselves or others.

Suicide prevention courses like Question, Persuade and Refer Training is available to faculty and staff on campus. Daugherty touts QPR as an effective strategy for suicide intervention because of its immediate impact.

Daugherty emphasized that students’ information remains completely private and confidential, and that counseling services are free of charge at CSU-Pueblo.

Quatisha Franklin, Health Education and Prevention program coordinator, and Daugherty work closely together to educate people on suicide prevention awareness and behavioral intervention.

“The goal is to have a more structured program with more extensive resources available for longer hours,” Daugherty said.

In a 2013 report from the American Association of Suicidology, 11.1 out of every 100,000 people in the 15 to 24 age range committed suicide. As of 2013, suicide ranked number 10 among the 15 leading causes of death in the U.S.

On Sept. 7, uloop.com featured a poignant article by Angie Baquedano, a University of North Carolina at Charlotte student, entitled “National Suicide Prevention Week:  September 7-13.”

“Many of my friends considered suicide; a few attempted, one succeeded. I was devastated, and his family was in shambles,” Baquedano wrote. “I spent a long time sad and angry at him. It came out of nowhere as it usually does for those who lose someone to suicide. I was angry because he did it, I was angry he didn’t come to me for comfort, I was angry I didn’t keep in touch more.  I was heartbroken I’d never hear his voice again.”

Mental health counseling is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the counseling center, which is located in the Psychology building.  Students can also contact Daugherty at the student health center, at 719-549-2830, for additional resources or referrals.

Daugherty also wants students to be aware of available off-campus resources. Spanish Peaks and Associates for Psychotherapy in Pueblo, along with Spanish Peaks in Colorado Springs, offer services from early intervention to in-patient treatment and medication. These institutions determine fees a sliding scale basis.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this report said 11.1 out of every 100,000 suicides were committed by people ages 15-24. In the 15 to 24 age range, 11.1 out of every 100,000 people committed suicide.

Image courtesy of pueblochamber.org.

The 21st annual Pueblo Chile and Frijoles Festival, presented by Loaf ‘n Jug, will take place during the weekend of Sept. 25-27 this year, the third weekend after Labor Day. Last year’s festival, which celebrated its 20th anniversary, attracted as many as 140,000 people.

As the vestiges of summer wane and sunny days make way for cooler temperatures and football season, people from all corners of the United States make their annual sabbatical to Pueblo’s Historic Downtown to pay homage to the county’s largest harvest and homegrown exports:  green chilies and frijoles, or pinto beans. Pueblo’s Greater Chamber of Commerce organizes and sponsors the event. Events include live entertainment, arts, crafts, chile cook-off competitions and cash prizes.

For three days, the savory aroma of fire-roasted chilies fills the air in this southeastern Colorado town, which is nestled along banks of the Arkansas River.

Some may consider the smell of roasting chiles a sensory feast, while others find it a bit overwhelming. Teary eyes and runny noses will attest to the potency of the peppers. Chiles are traditionally fire-roasted in rotating barrels, which allows for the skins blister and turn black, just the way the locals like them.

According to Rod Slyhoff, president and CEO of the Greater Chamber of Commerce of Pueblo, one of the challenges that face the organization of a big event like this one, is enforcing continually changing safety and health regulations, security and logistics.

“When the festival first started, it barely comprised one street block,” Slyhoff said.

“This year, a total of 185 vendors are participating, 44 of which are food vendors. There will be four entertainment stages where 44 different acts will perform over the weekend,” he said.

Additional security measures are in place to ensure that all 13 entrances are appropriately staffed. Police and private security contractors will be present to ensure that safety remains a priority.

“Screening will take place and backpacks will not be allowed at the venue,” Slyhoff said. The cost of entry will be $3 per person.

Pueblo gets crowded during this seasonable part of September, when the days are still moderate and the evening air becomes crisp. Out-of-town visitors are encouraged to book hotel rooms early if they plan to stay overnight.

Pueblo’s chile market is currently dominated by a handful of growers on the St. Charles Mesa, just east of the city of Pueblo. Their Italian names bear testimony to deep roots in the local community. Family-owned farms have been in business for centuries, attributing their staying power to the high desert climate of southern Colorado, which is conducive to yielding large crops.

The Chile Festival follows closely on the heels of the annual 11-day Colorado State Fair, which concludes on Labor Day each year, but its distinct southwestern edge sets it apart from the fair.

“The smell is enticing and makes many mouths salivate,” said CSU-Pueblo student Kayla Fisher, who is a native of Pueblo.

Evalina Lopez, who is also a CSU-Pueblo student and local resident, said, “I love the way our town fills with the smell of roasted chile. It feels like mom’s kitchen!”

Michael Cook, another CSU-Pueblo student, said the festival has become too expensive.

“It seems like it has gotten more and more expensive over the years,” he said. “I mean, how much is too much to charge for a brat with some green chile on it? Other than for people watching entertainment, what is the point?”

Slyhoff said festival attendees can expect differences at this year’s festival.

“The reason the festival is still popular is because it is consistent year after year, but we always try to do a few things a little different,” Slyhoff said.

“This year we have a 50-foot cow and free ice cream from an ice cream company,” Slyhoff said. A new strain of Pueblo chile will also be available to try.

The festival is also known for its “Hot to Trot” 5k fun run and 2-mile walk, which take place on Sunday at 8 a.m. “It’s a family festival and it’s all about fun and celebrating the harvest.  We value the agricultural industry – it’s a big contributor to Pueblo County’s economic base,” Slyhoff said.

In August, grocery stores started selling Pueblo chile peppers.  Previously, the local peppers were for sale mostly at fairs and farmers’ markets. Whole Foods Market was the first grocery store in Colorado to sell Pueblo chiles and, since then, other supermarkets have followed suit, providing much needed support for the entrepreneurial efforts of local farmers, while giving the beloved Pueblo pepper the attention it deserves.

Visitors are encouraged to try the traditional slopper while in Pueblo.  It is a hamburger or cheeseburger, smothered with red or green chile sauce, and is served all year.

Professor Janet Heine Barnett | Photo courtesy of mathpath.org

Colorado State University-Pueblo mathematics professor and Pueblo native Janet Heine Barnett helped secure $100,000 for the university to help develop an instruction program that incorporates history into math.

The Transforming Instruction in Undergraduate Mathematics via Primary Historical Sources grant was recently awarded to CSU-Pueblo as part of a collaborative effort between faculty members, including professor Barnett, from a total of seven universities.

It took Barnett and her collaborators three attempts before finally securing the $1.25 million grant, of which CSU-Pueblo received $100,000. The grant was awarded by the National Science Foundation.

The grants were awarded based on a collection of “primary source projects,” something Barnett observes the benefits of on a daily basis. These directly engage students with the mathematics they are studying and aims to replace standard classroom lectures.

“I’m a real fan of the history of math first of all, and a big fan of math,” Barnett said.

She incorporates historical documents in her math teachings, often comparing theories developed by Greek mathematicians with those from Chinese mathematicians. This enables students to gain an understanding of how theories and formulae were developed centuries ago.

“It’s kind of counterintuitive that you would go to the past to figure out the future,” Barnett said.

She recalled an instance where a student approached her about a problem he was struggling with. After applying the PSP approach in explaining it, she witnessed the proverbial light bulb turning on.

“Connecting the history into the mathematics shows that this is something that people do,” Barnett said.  “The idea that people who are good at are just good at it, is gone.”

She said she believes that gaining knowledge on how mathematicians approached problems helps her students understand the processes involved, instead of simply accepting it at face value.

Barnett said grant administration and management at a smaller institution like CSU-Pueblo can be an overwhelming task. CSU-Pueblo faculty members and staff often spend hundreds of hours conducting research, drafting documents, including a proposed budget, narratives, a convincing rationale, as well as an evaluation process.

“The people on this campus work so hard and they do everything they can do,” Barnett said.

The grant ensures the funding for the necessary training resources and evaluation process, which tend to be costly.

Barnett is not only passionate about mathematics, but she is even more passionate about her students’ commitment to learning. Her primary goal is to develop the best possible curriculum in order for them to achieve their academic goals.

Barnett has been a professor in the CSU-Pueblo mathematics department since 1990. She originally set her sights on an undergraduate degree, with a major in engineering, because it seemed a good fit for someone with an aptitude for math. Before finishing her degree, she decided to follow her passion and pursue a mathematics degree instead.

Following her graduation, she joined the Peace Corps in Central African Republic for two years.

Barnett received the Burton W. Jones Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics by the Rocky Mountain Section of the Mathematical Association of America in April – a testament to her impact as a teacher.

She also currently leads the CSU-Pueblo Noyce Scholars Program, a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation that provides academic support to individuals who qualify and commit to future careers as math teachers in K-12 school districts.

She summed up her teaching philosophy by saying, “The important part of teaching is to get people thinking about ideas – getting people engaged in the activity that is happening.”

Barnett, who is partial to set theory, said she was grateful for the opportunity to do what she loves and for the ability to pursue her passion for teaching math in her hometown.

Professor Joanne Gula | Photo courtesy of csupueblo.edu

The mass communications department at CSU-Pueblo recently hired a new professor to teach integrated communication courses. Professor Joanne Gula started the first year of her tenure track this semester, teaching three classes on integrated communication and public relations.

Gula is new to Colorado but she is a veteran in the field of integrated communication.

She left a teaching job at Southern Connecticut State University to make a fresh start in Southern Colorado, in part to be closer to her children, who live in California.

Gula, who wanted to be an actress as long as she could remember, received her bachelor’s degree in communications and theatre at Southern Connecticut State. She went on to pursue her master’s at Ohio State University on a scholarship.

She received another scholarship to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she completed her doctorate in mass communication, opting to do her dissertation on advertising manipulation on children.

Her experience includes teaching at universities in Hawaii, Maine and California. She has traveled extensively, working with students from all over the world.  She is well versed in the subject of diversity and has the ability to bring a global perspective to her classes.

She recently spent four years in China, working as the program director of public relations and advertising in Zhuhai, before returning stateside to resume a teaching position in Connecticut.

“It was a time in my life – the kids were grown – so I said why not?” she said.  She took her dog, Makame, which she calls Maka for short, and embarked on an adventure in the Far East. Although she only intended to stay in China for one year, she ended up staying for four.

Gula vividly recalled the challenges of the first year, but once she set her sights on traveling, an affordable hobby, she quickly adapted to her new life.

She has a passion for animals, especially dogs, and adopted her Pekinese and Papillion mix, Omei, which means second sister, while she lived in China. Both of her dogs have Chinese passports and have traveled more extensively than their owner.

She said part of the reason she was able to acclimate to her new life was a companionsip with a South African teacher she recruited while in China. Together, they shared common ground as foreigners.

Gula said she is happy to be back in the U.S. and that living abroad has given her a new appreciation for conveniences she took for granted before.

A self-proclaimed gypsy at heart, Gula, who is from Hungarian decent, finds the Pueblo community to be inviting and friendly. Having spent most of her life on the East Coast, she said adjusting to the Colorado heat and altitude has been a challenge.

“I wish it would rain a little more,” she said, noting that she barely missed the recent rainy spell in Southern Colorado.

Gula said she is grateful to have the opportunity to share her extensive knowledge and experience with her students. She raised her two children, now 30 and 32, as a single parent since they were preteens, and has a true appreciation for the challenges that face the new generation of young college students.

One thing Gula said she won’t tolerate is laziness.

“I’m very fair, I’m very open, I’d like to think I’m approachable – being a mother, I understand what it’s like to go to college.  I’m also a professional and I want them to learn, and I want them to do their work. I want them to strive and do well,” she said.

Gula’s own son struggled with addiction in his early 20s, but he turned his life around and has been clean and sober for six years. Now, he works as a rehab counselor in San Francisco. Her daughter is an actress in Los Angeles.

Gula’s office reflects her dynamic personality. The walls are decorated with brightly colored artifacts that bear testament to her many travels and cultural encounters in China, Thailand, Macau and other places she visited.

She said she is eager to get involved in local community. She reached out to PAWS for Life animal shelter to help them with their marketing. In turn, they invited her to serve on their board. She also wants to get involved in the local community theatre, pursuing her love for the performing arts.

Gula is also currently writing a book about her experiences in China.

The Email Digest will allow the CSU-Pueblo community to get messages out across campus through a uniform system. Image courtesy of Rahul Rodriguez.

The Instructional Technology department at CSU-Pueblo has implemented a new means of mass email communication for the campus. Email Digest, a centralized digest that contains information about events on campus, officially replaced the previous system Aug. 12.

Prior to the rollout of Email Digest a little over a week ago, only certain employees who were designated with emailing privileges could distribute mass emails to students, staff and faculty.

“We didn’t have a streamlined way to get messages out to people,” said Adam Pocius, manager of Instructional Technology at CSU-Pueblo.

Due to the sheer volume of these emails, some would never reach the intended recipients or they would simply get buried along the way. Often, attachments were duplicated during transmission, which caused the server to get bogged down with the burden of processing them.

In implementing the new system, Pocius said the intent was never to stop communications or mute anyone from sending emails.

Rather, he said the goal was to streamline communications across campus, while still allowing everyone to get their messages out in one format across campus.

When the need arose for a more efficient system at CSU-Pueblo, President Lesley Di Mare pulled together an ad hoc committee of representatives from various departments across campus, including Pocius, who was nominated as chairman.

“We reached out to other universities and they’re doing the same thing but it’s not as in-depth as ours,” Pocius said.

The intent of the digest is to minimize the need for distributing mass emails with large attachments. The poster provides a snippet of information via an electronic form to the digest, along with a link to a website to access more information.

Under this system, information is distributed via one central access point where the intended reader can scan over relevant information that pertains to him or her.

The Email Digest will not replace official email communication or change existing email policies.

“The goal is to provide a more effective format to distribute streamlined and consistent information on campus,” Pocius said.

The protocol involved in submitting information to the digest requires users to go to www.csupueblo.edu/emaildigest and complete the required fields on the form.

Once the information is submitted, the form goes into a cue where the URL of an external link, if provided, is checked for accuracy.

Content will not be edited, so the sender is responsible for providing accurate information. The sender will receive electronic confirmation of the submittal.

In the digest, post headings are color coded to indicate the intended audience of the message.

Email Digest is a precursor for what the committee hopes will be a subscription based website with channels and categories where members can add information, news and events, along with links to resources available elsewhere on the web.

Notifications of events are currently being posted twice a week. Information related to up and coming events is posted at the beginning of the weekend, while a preview up the next week’s events is posted at the end of the week.

A full-scale web redesign is also scheduled for the spring 2016 semester, Pocius said.