The CSU-Pueblo men’s club soccer team completed its first season.

Student athletes at Colorado State University-Pueblo used their diverse backgrounds and love of soccer to create a team all their own this year.

The CSU-Pueblo men’s club soccer team finished its first season in the Region V Men’s Soccer Division with a 6-4 record, tying for third in the eight-team division.

As a first-year club from a school not widely known for its soccer programs, board members Trent Snarich, Cesar Paredes and TJ Thiebaut faced challenges putting the team together.

“We got started from an idea from previous high school and club teammates. A lot of former CSU-Pueblo intercollegiate soccer players were still in school, and we believed we could get enough players together to form a quality team,” said club president TJ Thiebaut.

The team progressed through the fall season without a coach or experienced goalie. It also struggled for weeks to consistently start with the same defensive players, and it had the second lowest enrollment of any school in the conference.

Even with the odds stacked against them, the team finished in the top half of its division in almost every statistical category, including Goals For, Goals Against and Goal Difference.

To the club’s surprise, talks of a second men’s soccer team created more buzz than even the most optimistic members expected.

“At the beginning of the season I didn’t even think we would need to hold a try-out, but with more than 25 players at practices, we had to bring in a local coach to help narrow down the roster,” Thiebaut said.

Until this fall, the only experience the club had together was a scrimmage versus a local U-18 club soccer team. At the time, CSU-Pueblo had a 12-man roster that included six students born in the United States, five born in Mexico and one from Nigeria.

At the start of the 2014 season, the team was narrowed down to 20 official players with varying experience and from across the globe, including those from Colorado, California, New Mexico, Mexico, Jamaica and Turkey.

“I liked playing with people of different backgrounds. Each person brought in a different playing style and ideology that really helped us bond as a team and boost our chemistry,” said midfielder Alex Alarcon.

This chemistry propelled the team to a 3-1 start to the season, beating schools such as CU-Denver, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and the Colorado School of Mines.

“It was hard picking a starting 11 each week because we had so many talented players, especially attacking,” said club treasurer Cesar Paredes.

However, with no leader to hold things together, the team began to unravel after a close 2-1 loss in a rematch with CU-Denver. The team lost two of its next three games against Division I powerhouses University of Colorado-Boulder and the league champion University of Wyoming.

“Many of the schools we play have well over 10,000 students from which to draw players,” Alarcon said.

CSU-Pueblo has just over 5,000 students.

“However, I did not feel inferior given the size of the other universities. I feel like we can beat them if we keep improving,” he said.

Thiebaut led the team in goals with nine, but expressed his concerns about fulfilling the roles of player and coach.

“It’s hard to be on the field and have to worry about all the decisions that coaches have to make. Full-time coaches also make players more committed. They can’t come and go as they please, which began to occur in the middle of the season,” Thiebaut said.

After a brief bump in the road, the team bounced back to win its last two games to finish third in the table behind CU-Denver and Wyoming.

“At the beginning of the season, I knew we could finish top three in the league, but after playing, we all felt like underperformed compared to the season we should have had,” said club vice president Trent Snarich.

Looking back on their season, players spoke enthusiastically about their experience with the first-year soccer club.

“I enjoyed one semester on this team more than three years on the college team,” said Rene Chacon, midfielder and former starter on CSU-Pueblo men’s soccer team.

“All the players got along, and we just played for fun,” he said.

Club soccer is not an official school sport and, therefore, doesn’t allow athletes to receive athletic scholarships or grants. Players actually pay to play for the simple love of the game.

“We don’t have as much pressure to perform. We just go play and enjoy the beautiful game,” Thiebaut said.

CSU-Pueblo’s Men’s Soccer Club team will graduate five seniors and look forward to another year in Region V, as it breaks away from its status as a first-year program.

Courtesy of CSU-Pueblo Brew Club

Colorado State University-Pueblo students had the opportunity Thursday to spend a gorgeous fall evening at an event that offered drinks and entertainment in a fun, yet safe environment.

The Occhiato University Center patio was the scene of Oktoberfest, an event hosted by the CSU-Pueblo Brew Club and the Colorado International Student Association, alongside other sponsors, including the Art Club, History Club, Student Veterans of America, the Associated Students’ Government and the office of Student Engagement and Leadership.

Oktoberfest took place just outside the south doors of the OUC, one of two venues on campus where alcohol is allowed to be sold. Alcohol sales also are allowed in the Neta and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl.

The German-inspired event offered free pretzels, German-style nachos, German bread and Rockstar Energy Drinks.

“Oktoberfest is a great event that gave the campus an opportunity to come together as a community,” said Taylor Voss, ASG senator for the Hasan School of Business.

One of the hits and inspirations for the event was the unlimited supply of beer to anyone 21 or older for a small fee of $5.

“It is the CSU-Pueblo Brew Club’s mission to engage the faculty and student body in the ancient art of brewing by showcasing the diversity of the trade in an atmosphere that combines the artistry, business, and academic sensibilities of the brewing industry,” said Phil Padilla, Brew Club president.

After paying the fee, all that was required to drink the various beers on tap was a legal ID and a designated wristband in compliance with the Colorado State University-Pueblo Student Event Management Policy.

The beers available mirrored the diversity of the clubs involved and people in attendance. The brands included  Blue Moon, a Belgian-style beer brewed in Golden, Colorado, New Belgium Lips of Faith, brewed in Fort Collins, Colorado, and Konig Ludwig, a German-brewed beer.

The ASG made its own contribution by offering free bratwursts to the first 100 people to arrive.

“As ASG, we will continue to support similar events that promote bringing the campus together,” Voss said.

Dozens of students and faculty flocked to the marked off area which was guarded by the CSU-Pueblo Sheriff’s Office, another requirement for any school sanctioned event serving alcohol.

It wasn’t hard to pinpoint the location of Oktoberfest. All attendees had to do was follow the music provided by CSU-Pueblo’s radio station, REV89. Students with REV broadcast live from Oktoberfest until a local deejay took the reigns.

“We’re excited to see so many clubs and groups on campus collaborate to host so many different and fun events for the students of CSU-Pueblo,” said REV89 Station Manager Jenna Mangino.

The four-hour party included food, drinks, pictures, dancing, and socializing between the many local and international students and staff.

“Oktoberfest had an excellent turnout. It was a great event that was well executed by everyone involved,” Padilla said.

The men’s club soccer team is the CSU-Pueblo’s newest club sport.

Colorado State University-Pueblo students looking for more involvement on campus are only a few pieces of paperwork away.

Currently, CSU-Pueblo plays host to five club sports: rugby, baseball, climbing, racquetball and men’s soccer. All compete in collegiate competitions throughout the year.

Establishing a club sport on campus is a fairly simple, step-by-step process that any student can follow.

To start a new club sport, all that is required of a current student is to submit a registration packet to Director of Student Recreation Jack Krider. The packet should include the type of sport, a list of five student board members who will represent the club and a list of potential participants.

Once approved, the club can then set up meetings, practices and a competition schedule for the upcoming year.

To participate, each athlete must provide proof of insurance, be enrolled in at least six credit hours, sign all liability agreements and maintain a 2.0 GPA throughout the school year.

“It is an incredible program for students to get involved in on campus that can help their overall student experience in many ways,” said Amanda Deml, former assistant director of Student Recreation, Intramural and Club Sports at CSU-Pueblo.

Deml, who now serves as the Intramural Sports Coordinator at the University of Oregon, played a large part in the creation of CSU-Pueblo’s newest club sport, men’s soccer.

The team is currently competing in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Soccer League against schools such as the Colorado School of Mines, University of Colorado-Boulder and the University of Wyoming.

“The addition of soccer as a club sport allows people who have stopped playing at the varsity level in both college and high school, talented players, to continue with their careers,” said club president Thomas “TJ” Thiebaut.

The club sport alternative allows athletes to play in a competitive environment with less of a time commitment. Varying by sport, club teams practice two or three times per week compared to more than five practices per week for varsity sports.

“This gives people an opportunity to participate in something they might not get a chance to do otherwise,” Climbing Club Vice President Loren Long said.

Club sports also provide a place for sports that are not recognized at the varsity level such as racquetball.

The CSU-Pueblo men’s racquetball team is arguably the most successful club team at the college.

The team has won 17 national men’s titles since 1996, including nine back-to-back titles from 2004 to 2012, and have recently partnered with the United States Olympic Training Center to provide strength and conditioning training to racquetball players.

Club baseball, rugby and climbing also compete at the collegiate level in their respective conferences. These conferences may mirror the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, where CSU-Pueblo’s 22 intercollegiate sports compete. They may also include schools from different states and divisions, like the University of Wyoming.

“Club sports provide an outlet for student athletes who never had the motivation or incentive to play for the varsity team a chance to truly shine in a fun environment,” Deml said.

This alternative for extracurricular activity is only a small amount of paperwork and a group of enthusiastic athletes away.

More information on current club sports or establishing new ones can be found online at http://www.colostate-pueblo.edu/SR/ClubSports/Pages/default.aspx, or by contacting Jack Krider at jack.krider@csupueblo.edu.

Photo by Luca Nonato.

This Halloween, Colorado State University-Pueblo will welcome back the annual Biology Club and Medical Science Society haunted house, “Aversion.”

For more than 30 years, CSU-Pueblo has celebrated Halloween by hosting a haunted house located in the Life Sciences building.

This year, the theme will be “Face Your Fears,” and the event is sure to have its fill of thrills and chills.

“This is a way for the community to see the campus and see what the students can do with a little help,” said Freddy Correamanrique, Biology Club secretary.

The “Aversion” haunted house will take place Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 from 7 p.m. to midnight. The cost is $5 for students with a school ID, $6 for those with alumni or rewards cards and $7 for all community members.

“This is one of the biggest collaborative events on campus. We’re two rival clubs that combine our resources to put on a good show,” Correamanrique said.

“Aversion” is also the biggest fundraiser for the two clubs and attracts more than 400 attendees each year. For the price of an admission ticket, people will be led in groups throughout the two-story building on a 30 minute adventure.

“It isn’t the typical haunted house. With the exception of the main floor, we use the entire building. It’s bigger than most places in Pueblo,” Correamanrique said.

Groups will be led through multiple areas of the building, including a greenhouse, an elevator, and other rooms with their share of strobe lights, darkness, and scary characters along the way.

“Aversion” is not advised for any children under 13, but actors will tone down their performances if necessary.

“Sometimes, we have parents that will bring in a baby with them. Obviously, if this happens we do our best to make sure the actors adapt to the circumstances. Some kids don’t know it’s all for show,” Correamanrique said.

“Aversion” is not all about trying to create a scare. It is also a safe alternative for a Friday or Saturday night.

“This is a tradition whose roots are lost with time. Instead of going out and getting drunk, you can feel free to come hang out with us,” Correamanrique said.

The Biology Club and Medical Science Society are still looking for volunteers. The haunted house is a way for local high school students to receive credit for community service hours and for college students to hone skills in event planning and project management.

“You don’t need to be a member of the club. Anyone that is willing and able is welcome to join. Come get a little dirty with us and have some fun,” Correamanrique said.

As Halloween approaches, “Aversion” will be increasing its publicity in local newspapers and on the radio.

More information on “Aversion” and volunteer opportunities is available by emailing Freddy Correamanrique at fg.correamanrique.se@csupueblo.edu.

Some surprising books that have been banned.

Forbidden: CSU-Pueblo’s Banned Book Club

Forbidden: CSU-Pueblo’s Banned Book Club made its first appearance on campus last week in a dramatic way.

Students who visited the library were surprised to see that the doors were covered in brown construction paper and marked with signs warning them of the secrets trapped inside. After being greeted inside the library by the club, campus and community members were asked to write their favorite banned book on a whiteboard and pose for a mug shot. These titles included everything from “Ender’s Game” to “Mathilda.”

The club’s main focus is to discuss the social and cultural issues that emerge when books are challenged or banned. New to campus, the club welcomes everyone, the more the merrier, and is hoping to make a big initial splash.

“I wanted to get people involved,” said club president Isabel Soto-Luna. “We asked them to pick a book they love and then find out if it’s been banned.”

Forbidden is a group that not only educates its members about past and present censorship of books, but also allows them to share a common interest.

“This all got started because we wanted to bring people together who love to read, and hopefully make a few more book lovers in the process,” said Soto-Luna.

Currently, all members of the club are women, but Soto-Luna stressed the fact that the club welcomes all students, faculty and members of the community. The only requirement to join is to simply have an open mind.

“It’s amazing how many beloved books have been banned,” Soto-Luna said.

She listed numerous examples of banned books that will be discussed in upcoming club meetings and why they were banned, including “Green Eggs and Ham” for homosexual seduction, and “The Fault in Our Stars” about cancer.

She is dismayed that many of the banned books are children’s stories.

“How can you possibly tell a child they can’t read a book because it talks about cancer? she said. “Banning a book is someone making a choice for you, and I absolutely hate the idea.”

Soto-Luna stresses the fact that censorship is a topic worth discussing.

“Censorship doesn’t happen often at CSU-Pueblo, one of the reasons I love the school. However, although it doesn’t happen here, it does happen everywhere else,” she said.

Plans for the club in the coming months include group meetings, a guest speaker, and a number of viewing parties for books that have been made into movies such as “Ender’s Game,” “The Fault in Our Stars,” and “Where the Wild Things Are.”

“Right now, we are a small group, but we have fun. I can see all of us forming friendships and know I can trust these girls to keep this group going,” Soto-Luna said.

The club will meet on the third floor of the library on the second Friday of the month. For more information on Forbidden, check out the club’s Facebook page, Forbidden: CSU-Pueblo’s Banned Book Club, or visit its listing on the CSU-Pueblo student organizations page.

Photo courtesy of CSU-Pueblo athletics

Four main sports have become a part of life in the United States: football, basketball, baseball and soccer, with soccer being the most recent to make the list; the same four sports are also the most popular at Colorado State University-Pueblo.

However, Rugby Club President Matt Durant said, “in American culture, rugby is following in the same footsteps that soccer has made in the last few years.”

CSU-Pueblo’s rugby team is one of several club sports on campus. This year it consists of 18 players, compared to just 12 in 2013. The team has seen a healthy increase in members with nine freshmen joining the current roster. They are a diverse group of individuals, hailing from Texas to France, coming together here in Colorado with a love of rugby in common.

“Rugby is a fairly simple game,” Durant said. “It’s a mesh of multiple sports.”

Contrary to popular belief, the rules of rugby are pretty basic and easy to understand. The object of the game is to score more points than the other team through a combination of tries or kicks. Tries are worth five points and achieved by downing an egg-shaped ball, slightly larger than a football, in the opposing team’s in-goal area, or end zone using football terminology. This is done by progressively moving the ball up the field.

Durant said, “It is basically a free-for-all.”

Any of the 15 players for each team can carry the ball at any time; his only obstacle is the other team, all trying to tackle the runner with hopes he will go out of play or lose the ball, returning possession to the opposing team.

Kicking is a commodity that only makes an appearance a few times in a game. It can simply be used to pin the opponent near their own goalpost, or it can serve much like kicking a field goal in football or a goal in soccer. Although points are awarded for such a kick, it is usually used as a tactical strategy.

The most important rule of rugby is that the ball can never go backward; it is a constant, gritty fight for a slow progression to the ultimate goal. This parallels the battle the CSU-Pueblo Rugby team faces as it enters its first year in the PacWest Region 4 Small Rugby Conference.

“Although this is the fourth year the team has been around, it is our first year playing as a real team. We went from playing one or two exhibitions last year, to playing a full eight-game schedule with playoffs in 2014,” Durant said.

Such a physical sport that provides no protection: no pads, no helmet, no nothing, should see its share of head or bodily injuries. However, according to Durant, there have been surprisingly few injuries aside from the occasional ankle sprain.

“The thing about rugby is that tackling is all technique; in football, pads allow you to simply run through another player, but rugby forces you to make a technically sound tackle below the chest. That’s why we see less injuries than most would think,” he said.

Durant said, “Rugby and other club sports provide a different experience for college students. You don’t need to be athletic or have all the experience in the world. Certain guys are good at certain things and that’s what we focus on.”

After losing their first game to Red Rocks Community College, the team has an ultimate goal of finishing 4-4 on the season and having a good showing in the playoffs this spring.

CSU-Pueblo is the only team in their conference to still be considered a club sport at their respective school.

“As a newcomer to the conference and the only club team, our goal would be to finish .500 on the season. To play in the championship in Glendale, Colorado, would be our ideal situation, but that’s a long way off,” Durant said.

Spring brings the largest event for the CSU-Pueblo team, as they make their second appearance at an annual tournament, “Battle on the Nebraska Prairie,” in Wayne, Nebraska. The tournament hosts more than 90 rugby teams and  1700 players. The six-street town provides the rare opportunity for the team’s talent to be showcased in front of hundreds of spectators, and for them to be in an environment centered around rugby.

“For now, we’ll take whatever support we can get,” Durant said.