Table Of Contents Year in Review
A New Look .........................................................................................................................2 Mountain Sports................................................................................................................4 Mountain Biking.................................................................................................................5 Park and Pipe.....................................................................................................................6 Gardening Goodness.............................................................................................. 14 Women’s Swimming....................................................................................................... 16 Women’s Soccer............................................................................................................. 17 Bike Library........................................................................................................................ 26 New Library Mural....................................................................................................... 28 Celebration of Scholarship.................................................................................. 40 Don’t Rape Me ............................................................................................................. 44 Rail Jam .............................................................................................................................. 52 Mountain Sports Highlights................................................................................... 52 Champions........................................................................................................................ 54 President Helman Retires......................................................................................... 64 Longboard Competition........................................................................................ 66
Poetry
Monsters Inside Your Head, Spiderman...................................................... 12 A Book Condemned, By The Numbers.......................................................... 24 Just Passed Through, SAINTJUDE...................................................................... 25 A Lover’s Pantoum....................................................................................................... 30 A Second Guess........................................................................................................... 31 Daily Grind, Line Poem.............................................................................................. 56 Ron........................................................................................................................................... 57
Fiction Difference............................................................................................................................ 22 Mountain Movement.................................................................................................. 38 Just Another Day........................................................................................................... 58
Gallery
Painting....................................................................................................................................8 Printmaking........................................................................................................................ 18 Photography.................................................................................................................... 32 3-D Art.................................................................................................................................. 46 Illustration..................................................................................................................60, 68
Our Editors Dear Pathfinder Readers, This letter is meant to welcome you to this year’s Year-in-Review. So, Welcome! Our school can boast a large number of truly talented writers and artists from all corners “of campus. We live in such a beautiful place; it’s not hard to imagine where all that inspiration comes from. This has been a big year for Western in a lot of ways, and the entire Pathfinder staff has worked hard to make you a magazine that reflects that. On every page, there is a story. Whether captured in a photograph, sculpture, poetry, or news article, these individual stories all add up to the larger narrative that is Western. I have to thank Terri Murphy for being my Sherpa through this entire process. Teresa Milbrodt and Mark Todd also get a big Thank You for all of their encouragement. And, of course, without my Co-Pilot, Janelle Moorhouse, I might have truly gone coo-coo. As writers ourselves, we wished to impart upon the masses the joy of words we both share. Though creating a magazine can be manic at times, I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world. I hope you all enjoy reading this magazine as much as I enjoyed having a hand in creating it. Thanks, Maggie Samek, Co-Editor
Hello Lovely Readers and Appreciators of the Arts! Thank you for taking the time to pick up this labor of love and peruse its content. With the vast amount of what we read today coming to us electronically, I hope that you still enjoy the tangibility of a collaboration of other’s thoughts and visions in physical form. As you may notice, we had a “Year-in-Review” theme which focuses on the events that most impacted Western over the 2012-2013 semesters. The biggest item of concern for the campus was, and still is, Western’s identity. What will it be now that we have achieved University status? Or better yet, how can we attract new students and encourage higher enrollment? The biggest problem seems to be marketing. While the name-change to “Western State Colorado University” is a mouthful to enunciate, the identity at Western has far less to do with the name than with what being a University is, in my opinion. As highlighted by this magazine, Western has plenty of factors to make it a unique university: Booming interest in environmental issues; scientific studies that impact the Gunnison Valley directly; enthusiastic participation in mountain and snow sports; and a courageous attitude in undertaking the arts. I believe Western has to look to itself for its identity and not to outside sources. We are Western because we are not like the others. We like it cold. Getting off the soapbox, I would like to take a moment to thank all of the Pathfinder staff for their hard work and many, many hours of glazing-over in front of their computer screens to compile this year’s contributions—you made this look AWESOME! Terri Murphy, thank you for the organizing, the effort, and the occasional use of the whip. Also, thank you to the writers, artists, and various other contributors, as well as the Top o’ the World staff, for the content—the variety in here is extensive! Thank you to all of my family and friends for all of the love and support—you make life better. Finally, thank you, readers, for making the continuation of this magazine possible—you are the reason we do this. Cheers, Janelle Moorhouse, Co-Editor.
YEAR IN REVIEW
ook A New L
1901
Brian
Ba rker
1960’S
1970’S
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1980’S
Western’s marketing team showed the new logo, as well as several other options, to more than 500 people, including Western students and faculty and 150 high school students in Denver. More than 90% of those surveyed selected the new logo unveiled on April 19th as their preference. “Western promises and delivers a rigorous personalized university learning experience in a true mountain community environment – a unique combination that provides the best investment in our students and community,” says President Helman. “The presence and impact have taken a dramatic turn upward in recent years with our affirmation as a university through the change in our name. Continuing this momentum requires a robust brand identity to keep pace with our university vision, and to elevate our reputation and the value we have built over the last century. This new logo captures our spirit of “Learning, Elevated” and our bright future.” design & layout by thomas bommarito
The “W” is back, but different. On April 19th, 2013, Western State Colorado University unveiled its new look. The logo includes a three dimensional “W” with sharp edges and a new graphical treatment for the name “Western State Colorado University” that puts the word “State” between two bars. It’s a significant departure from the WSCU logo that was released after Western State College of Colorado officially became Western State Colorado University in August of 2012. So why the change? “After having the WSCU logo in circulation for six months, we felt it was important to see how it was being received and conduct market research to understand how it was perceived by high school students,” says Western President Dr. Jay Helman. “We learned that our target market didn’t necessarily like the logo and we made the decision that we should evolve the look into something that captured our rich Western heritage while also embracing our future.”
2012
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D
Story courtesy by WSCU Publication
ave Wiens, an inductee of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and a six-time winner of the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race, will return to Western State as the first Mountain Sports Team Director. He will oversee the club sport programs in cycling and skiing. “It’s an honor for me to be able to be a part of this new beginning at Western,” Wiens said. “I have the opportunity to give back as the school moves into a new and exciting era with a new name, amazing new facilities and new programs...While much about Western is new, excellence in mountain sports is part of our heritage. The Mountain Sports Team will be built on the foundation that has been established by a long list of Mountaineer mountain sports athletes whose accomplishments are part of the history and legacy of Western.” Wiens will oversee the operations for the Western Mountain Bike Team, the Free-ride Ski Team, the Skiercross and Boardercross Teams, and the Nordic Ski Team. He will also be involved in recruiting, fundraising, and budgeting for the program, and will coordinate interaction between the teams in regards to facility and recreational land usage throughout the Gunnison Valley. Under Weins, the Mountain Sports Team is expected to build on its recent success in the gravity and endurance mountain biking, and the free-ride and
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Nordic skiing programs. “I’m motivated to work with the two main pieces we have in place now, the mountain bike team and the ski team, and continue to build on what is already in place and has moved both of these teams forward during the last few years,” Wiens said. “Additionally, I think that there are some yet-to-be explored opportunities out there which could fit nicely into the Mountain Sports Team program.” Possible expansion opportunities include snowboarding, cyclocross and road cycling, ski mountaineering, trail running, and whitewater kayaking. The Mountain Sports teams will have access to some of the top recreational areas in the nation with close proximity to Hartman Rocks and Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Wiens started on the professional circuit in 1988, racing for Diamondback Bicycles, and retired from professional cycling in 2004. In his professional career, he won two World Cup series races, finished third in a World Cup final and won the U.S. Mountain Biking
Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
National Championships twice. Wiens won six consecutive Leadville 100 races and became the first cyclist to break the seven-hour mark in 2007. Photos By Spencer Li & Joel Matuszczak
MTN SPORTS
Mountain biking
By Sam Degenhard
Photos By Spencer Li
Division 2 Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference (RMCCC) races and placed third at conference finals at the end of the season. After conference finals, the team took nine riders to the 2012 USAC Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals in Angel Fire, New Mexico. Collegiate Nationals saw the top 62 schools from all over the nation. Needless to say, competition was tough! Over three days of endurance and gravity events, rider Owen Tulip placed 2nd in both downhill and dual slalom events, and Graham Ruhmann placed 5th and 7th in short-track cross country and cross country events. With solid finishes posted by the rest of the team, the WSCU Mountaineers rode to 3rd place and was the only Division 2 school from Colorado on the podium! The team could not race at their level without the continuous support from their school and coaches, Jenny Smith and Ansel Schimpff, and director Dave Wiens.
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Design & layout by Joel Matuszczak
WSCU Mountain Biking Team raced at all six
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YEAR IN REVIEW
USCSA National Championships
By Sam Degenhard
Sun Valley,
Idaho: Mountain Sports athletes competed at the USCSA Intercollegiate Nationals from March 3-10. WSCU was represented by skiing and snowboarding athletes in cross, nordic, and park & pipe events. After a lot of travel, practice, and hard work, WSCU finished out [the competition] strong with several podium results and overall standings that defined “Mountaineer Pride.” USCSA collegiate nationals this year were a huge success for our team. “It was the first time we have gone as WSCU Mountain Sports with a full roster of freestyle skiers and snowboarders. Bringing so many plates and podiums back to Western is a huge step for this team,” said Connor Michael, WSCU Skier and Business major. WSCU brought 22 athletes (men and
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Photos credited to Brooke Shortridge & Ellie Atkins
“Bringing so many plates and podiums back to Western is a huge step for this team.” -Connor Michael women) to USCSA Nationals, each competing in at least one event. The majority of athletes competed in multiple events. In addition, 3 media students traveled with the team to capture photo, video, and vibes. Ansel Schimpff was the only coach in attendance, representing the Nordic Team. [It] was a great representation of WSCU’s Mountain Sports Team, and it
Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
was full of fun and success,” said Caleb Woodworth, WSCU Skier and Business/ ENVS major. USCSA Nationals was an amazing experience for our athletes, showcasing the talent and competitive nature of our students at WSCU. We are proud of all those who represented at Nationals and can’t wait to see what happens in the future with WSCU Mountain Sports Ski & Board teams.
Design & layout by Joel Matuszczak
MTN SPORTS
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Anna Boyle Self Portrait Coffee & Ink Wash 3’x4’
Karen Home Utah Dessert Watercolor 8” x 10” Silas McDonough The West Wing Watercolor 24”x36”
John “JR” Russell The Suppression of Reality Oil on Panel and Canvas 16”x20”
Silas McDonough The Alley Watercolor/Acrylic 50”x18”
Brandon Grant Social Networking Watercolor/Cardboard 24”x36”
Tiana Struble Anjali Mudra Watercolor/India Ink 22”x15”
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Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
Garden Goodness
What Gunnison and Crested Butte are doing to promote a more healthy lifestyle 14
Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
Photos by Spenser Li. Design and Layout by Frank Stuard
by Nicole Poelman
When I learned that McDonald’s “100% beef” was a marketing ploy, rather than a reference to the quality of their meat, I had a feeling that my beloved double cheeseburger may not be quite the delicious, wholesome meal I had constructed it to be. But who would have known? When a delicacy tastes the same in China as it does in America, it could be a sign that it is just not natural. Having a food system that is primarily economically-based means that the consumer’s intentions are not always considered. Yes we want inexpensive food, yes we want it in a timely fashion, but we also want to be fit and not die of hypertension at a premature age. So at what cost is it worth ingesting this anything-but-natural food? For me, it was the buck-twenty-five that did little damage to my college budget. Fortunately for us, we can join the revolution of food consciousness and, with our purchasing power, make a difference. Places like the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays make it easy and fun to shop with our neighbors and support the local market. The pure nutrients these fruits and veggies provide are better for our bodies than food that has been [stocked] with preservatives. Our town [Gunnison] is not the only place working to make a change; Paonia County has an even bigger gardening system than Gunnison with a wide variety of fruit trees. Going out to eat every once in a while is convenient, especially as college students, because we can be completely mindless while someone else makes our dinner. But when we go out and have the convenience of being waited on without having to lift a finger, we can underestimate the time and cost that went into getting all of the shop’s supplies to Gunnison. Importing each ingredient to 7703’ is no easy feat. How
YEAR IN REVIEW often do we inhale our burger between classes without considering all the energy that went into making it? It only takes a second to think, “Who pickled these cucumbers after growing them to their peak picking? Who sliced them, and jarred them, and shipped them, and from and to where? How much money was used, and fossil fuels exhausted, solely for the transportation of these pickles?” And that’s just one ingredient; consider the source and production process for every item in your favorite meal. Take a second to taste the flavor and appreciate the lifelong benefits of eating savory, locallygrown foods. This sort of food satisfaction is what the gardeners of the on/off community gardens consistently strive for. WSCU’s students and, collectively, the Gunnison community, are working together to provide us with more options. Ian Oster is a WSCU alum who, upon graduating this past spring, was hired as the Gardens Coordinator Intern. Oster serves as a liaison between the seven community gardens in the Gunnison and Crested Butte area. Oster never participated in his own family’s garden, and he wasn’t interested to do so until after he learned about the problems of things like the “introduction of antibiotics into food, concentrated animal farming, biodiversity loss, and the damage caused by large machines to the topsoil, the life blood for the plant.” Oster is hoping to help create “a better quality of life without such unfair and unjust demands of the world.” He believes “it is important to be aware and precise with our actions.” His hope is to encourage environmental justice by introducing into the gardens a diversity of plants and pollinators to promote a multi-cultured field with very healthy soil. Through the local market he wants to promote eco-
nomic justice so that the money used to purchase these goods will go back almost entirely into the local economy. Oster also focuses on promoting selfjustice by being aware of what you put into your body. Along with Oster, alum Brian Goldstein works as the executive director for Mountain Roots Food Program. When Oster and Goldstein were students, they wrote a grant requesting funds to build a hoop house on the south side of Chipeta. Inside of which they are currently growing basil among several other plants, like tobacco used as an insecticide, and flowers to build biodiversity in the topsoil. The basil that is currently growing in the hoop house will be sold to Sodexo and used for meals in the dining hall during the next few months. Goldstein and Oster collaboratively work with four other student interns and several volunteers on and off campus maintaining the community gardens. Gardens can be spotted from the south end of Chipeta, to the south side of The Pinnacles, where a greenhouse is currently under works. Others are located around town: one on North Boulevard and a garden for the elderly at Bill’s Park. The garden on Boulevard is maintained by different professionals. Oster interacts with all sorts of people from “moms, to a goat farmer, to kids, to a county commissioner, and even more than that. They all have a passion toward real, quality food.” Oster mentioned that it may not seem possible to some to provide to an entire community with local fruits and veggies, especially when Gunnison has such a short growing season; but the hoop house allows for about twelve extra weeks of growing time, and just last year Oster alone preserved almost 550 pounds of food, perfect for homemade gifting. Student intern Tim Delory suggested planting a garden in your backyard with your roommates or families
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because it’s good for communication. One project going on in Crested Butte is the farm-to-school program where the local garden’s goal is to supply the K-12 community school with one full meal for each student each month. Other plans for the community gardens on campus include supplying food for events like Headwaters, and later in the year the Environmental Studies Spring Symposium. The Sustainability Coalition uses a collection of the fruits and veggies for their events where, more often than not, the coordinators pull out the famous eco-friendly bikeblender. Next year’s plans will be focused more toward the development of The Pinnacles’ garden. So far the plans include using an aquaponic system to fertilize the entire greenhouse. Tilapia and similar fish will be the only input in the loop system. Once completed, this system will be the means for nourishing both a fig and a papaya tree, among many flowers. So much growth has taken place within the food projects and The Sustainability Coalition. Just three years ago, Mountain Roots Food Project started as a non-profit organization after two smaller projects merged together. The grants were received out of WSCU’s sustainability fund. Any student can write a grant to get something started on campus. So far, students have written grants for the solar panels on Kelley and the University Center’s Earth Tub. Participants in the community gardens are always welcome, but it is a good idea to get in touch with someone before you start to tend unintentionally. For more information go to mountainrootsfoodproject.org or get in touch with a sustainability coordinator on campus to get something set up. More interns are always wanted in the greenhouse and the hoop house.
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Western
Women’s Swimming & Diving
Welcomes
Women’s Soccer
Design & Layout & Photos by Collin Munoz
Pablo Omar Payan Dark Knight Woodcut Alexandria Eldridge Confusionality Remastered Linoleum Print 34”x25”
Brandon Grant Untitled
Linoleum Print/Watercolor 24�x 32�
Brian Smith Whatcha Looking At?
Woodcut Print 10”x10”
Brandi Rutherford I am Nothing Print/Watercolor
Frank Stuard Winnebago Print 8.5”x12”
Lizzy Clay The Journey Woodcut Print
Pablo Omar Payan Belleza Simple Mono Print/Pencil
Brandon Grant Denver B-Cycle Woodcut Print 11”x25”
Difference
by Zach Camp
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Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
FICTION The small boy hustled down the corridor. He was going to be late. Again. Ms. Kon would probably give him detention. Again. And, therefore, he would probably have to write stupid lines that did absolutely nothing but bore him. Again! The large oak door finally came into view as he rounded the corner. Its generic appearance matched all the other so-called “oak” doors in this godforsaken place. There was no originality, nothing stood out. Except for the small boy. While everyone else walked in single- file lines down the hall, he broke ranks and trailed behind. All the other kids wore black blazers with a golden lining. He flipped his jacket inside out, letting the gold shine. He blazed like the sun in the midst of the darkest night. He was late; they were early. They walked silently, while he whistled in tune with the bounce of his step. He stood out and they didn’t. It was as simple as that. Of course, the others had attempted to change him, to force him to conform. Saying things like, “C’mon we have more fun this way.” This was the nicest thing ever said. Others would go a bit further, yelling at him. “Why are you such a freak, you loser? Be NORMAL!” A beating usually followed a comment like this. The first person that made the remark, his fists would rain in. Then came more and more…until they left howling with laughter like a pack of wild animals, leaving the poor little boy broken, curled up in the fetal position sobbing. James stopped in front of the door. He slowly reached down, dreading every second, the touch of the cold metal knob. Slowly, he turned the bronze handle down and pushed. The heavy door swung open, its hinges squeaking. Ms. Kon stood at the head of the class about to begin a lecture. She looked down at James as he quickly stepped into the room. Closing the door as he went, he skirted around the edges of the class and took his seat. With Ms. Kon still glaring at him, James took out his books, paper, and pen. Finally ready, he looked up smiling, as if he were letting the teacher know that she was free to continue. Disgusted with the boy, she merely wagged he finger at him, beckoning him up to the front.
James slowly stood pushing his chair out from under him. For some reason, he had a feeling he was going to get more than detention. He quickened his pace hoping to get this over with as soon as possible. Ms. Kon loomed over James, paddle in hand. It had many holes in it, giving it the appearance of Swiss cheese. His pants were down, showing the deep red circular patterns: some were already starting to turn blue. She swung down again and with each hit she repeated: DO (Smack). NOT (Smack). BE LATE (Smack). TO MY (Smack). CLASS (Smack). AGAIN (SMACK)! James looked up and saw that she was enjoying herself! This twisted old bitch was having fun giving him the welts the size of Texas, some had even broken the skin and would scar. Be that as it may, he refused to cry. He would not give her that satisfaction. No, he would not shed a single tear. James looked around the room at his classmates, seeing a change in their attitude. At first they had laughed at the spectacle; now it looked as if even they thought it had gone too far. So they did have a little compassion, James thought as another blow came down. But still not enough to go get help. Just enough to silently feel sorry for him. What hypocrites, he thought, these the very same kids who beat him up almost every day. And now they feel sorry for him? It made no sense! But then again life doesn’t make sense does it? Ms. Kon looked down at James with utter contempt and hatred. She swung down with the paddle again, this time putting all her body weight into it. A single tear rolled down James’s cheek as it connected, the world closed in as he hit the floor.
Design and Layout by Frank Stuard
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A BOOK CONDEMNED AlyssA DAutrich
Always exercise your books or they will turn on you. The weight of dust holds them down. Imprisoned with neglect, pain holds no hope. They seek warmth but find none. They seek prying eyes but find none. Who will bring the books relief? Anger-turned-raw-power animates these leaflets. Covers with their cardboard snarl, while ink drips hungrily from the pages. Words sharpen into precision instruments intended for making incisions mute upon its keeper. Best keep your distance from a book condemned. A volume left unread, unloved ruminates, lets loneliness lead into deep rooted hatred, uncontrollable. That hatred shifts into complete madness until its binding comes undone and the thing goes savage. Revenge, bitter, is what they seek. And revenge, sweet, is what they’ll get.
BY THE NUMBERS roger Willey
Eleven threw up when seven ate nine, all over her shoes, barely broken in. One felt lonely on this three-dog night and wished zero was better company. Partying hard was 69 at 21’s house, too hard to hear the crunching of numbers. Stumbling into traffic was a baked 13 who paid no mind that 12, in his adulation, followed. All the negatives, eyes closed, listened. 100 thought, “If I had 1,000,000 then I could sit with 8008135 bare naked and finally be happy.” 22 shrugged and said it wouldn’t matter; either way, 8008135 was childish and wouldn’t love no matter the amount. All the while, contentedly munching, seven sat.
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SA INT JUDE
design and layout by Kelli Ann Little
roger Willey
You tugged on my fetishes with meticulous fashion and an assassin’s precision. You rammed your tongue down my throat so I couldn’t ask you to never stop. You possessed a penchant for pariahs, brought us close as your disciples kneeling at your painted toes; broke our walnut skulls to dissect the workings of our brains so that you might make us better brethren; shouting accolades in foreign tongues from the pews in the chapel where you’re patron saint.
JUST PA SSED THROUGH HROU HRO UGH lynDsie conklin
Death did not visit here. He just passed through with his head down, eyes down, as if he was hiding pain. His axe stayed buckled down in the buggy. His horse whimpered a lonely song only the wind could understand. He did not take any ransom, their screams would have echoed between his guilty fingers and blades. He did not scare the children with faces and tales, they did not dig into mother’s apron, crying with nightmares as the sun beats them red. He did not even set flame to a farmer’s source for life, just to feel his bones again. Bones like tree limbs in the darkest of winters. He caused no havoc, no chaos, nothing. He just passed through, with all eyes watching, waiting, for is heart piercing laugh to steal a soul. But Death did not visit here!
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BIKE LIBR AR Y e
Ar tic l
: By s he yA wn Ta
r
BIKE L I B R A R Y
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Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
YEAR IN REVIEW “You want to change the world? Start here [at Western].” The words Dr. Jonathan Coop shared were filled with sincerity and excitement. “Students can really make things happen.” That is exactly what the students of this past spring’s ENVS 400: Applied Environmental Studies class did. By proposing the idea of a Bike Library to Western’s Sustainability Fund Committee, “students have funded, initiated, and are now benefiting from the Bike Library,” explained Coop. Students have funded the Bike Library through the $4.50 per year Sustainability Fee. These fees are pooled, and are encouraged to be sought out by those hoping to make a difference on our campus and our environment. “The solar panels, campus gardens, bike library – these are all student lead ideas that have been funded through grants given by the student sustainability fund” explained Coop. Initiating a Bike Library has been a dream of many past students going
on three years now. It wasn’t until the motivation and dedication of recent alumni, Edward Morrison, that the Bike Library received a much needed kickstart that lead this dream to fruition. Writing this proposal for the Bike Library “wasn’t a simple process,” expressed Eric Booton, one of the students largely involved with Morrison throughout the proposal and development of the Bike Library. “We all had high hopes and knew it could be possible… it took a lot of time, and at one point we had to completely rewrite the entire proposal,” Booton stated reflectively. “It wasn’t until a week before the Spring 2012 semester was ending that we found out we had received the grant.” The class continued to work through the summer in order to get the Bike Library to what it is today. “Getting more people to ride bikes is the idea,” Booton shared. “Our hopes were that Western students without bikes would start to realize how easy it is to get around Gunnison on a bike
and eventually get their own bike.” The student body can benefit from the Bike Library far beyond taking advantage of a free service. It encourages more environmentally conscious choices, as well as active and healthier lifestyles. The ten Townie bikes where purchased locally this past August from Rock ‘N’ Roll Sports and now reside outside of the Leslie J. Savage Library. At no cost, Western students can check out a bike for up to 48 hours. Just like library books, “it is a ‘first come, first serve’ system,” Tiffanie Wick, librarian, explains. “Students are required to sign a waiver their first time using the Bike Library, and once again each semester.” There are also optional helmets provided, should students choose to use them. “The bikes have been used way more than we ever thought,” says Coop. Ultimately, “we hope to get the word out more and maybe expand.” In the future there are hopes to expand the Bike Library, beyond the University and into the community.
western.edu/pathfinderDesign & Layout & Photos by Collin Munoz
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YEAR IN REVIEW
An Artistic Addition to Campus: New Library Mural Written by Cassie Wahl
Photos by Spencer Li
The first time I saw the new mural in the library, I was completely overwhelmed. I felt like I had been thrown into a tossing sea with thick waves of black and scattered bright colors. Small images are thrown throughout the mural displaying moments of life captured for the rest of time. Small but positive phrases also peak through the rolling waves to give inspiration to those who see them. This is Nathan Kubes’ new masterpiece entitled, “The Sea of Chaos and Infinite Possibility.”
During this past summer, Kubes was asked to paint a mural in the Leslie J. Savage Library in the area where the old bookstore was located. Kubes graduated from Western as an art major and is currently the Director of Security Services here at the school. He actually learned how to paint murals in an art class led by his creative mentor, Lud Stromayer. Stromayer is one of the main inspirations for Kubes’ painting, along with the whole of Western State
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Colorado University’s Art Department. Ever since his time in Stromayer’s class, Kubes has been in love with mural painting and you can easily see this through his artwork in the library. Before Kubes began to paint, he asked students, staff, and faculty if there was anything they wanted in his work. By adding so many ideas from different people, it gave the mural its sense of randomness, and yet a sense of connection at the same time. This is what ultimately led to the mural’s title and its dedication. Kubes wants the mural to be for the community of Gunnison in order to show that we are all connected. This is the overall concept of the painting; however, the individual pieces also have their own meaning. Kubes describes, “This mural is in a sense the way that I see reality itself— forms rising and falling in and out of our consciousness; and then we define ourselves by what little bits of the vision
we hold on to.” Kubes portrays the rising and falling forms as the black sea flowing all over many of the walls in the mural. He shows us the visions as small images that are tossed and turned within the moving sea. It’s easy to see how each of the images, and even the phrases, are so different from each other, yet connected through the waves. Kubes plans on continuing his love for art through painting. He has collaborated with Teresa Milbrodt and Jack Lucido and currently has artwork at the Gunnison Gallery. He is also working on image-licensing with a publishing company in Boston which will hopefully take him far. “The Sea of Chaos and Infinite Possibility” is a fantastic piece of art and an excellent way to depict reality and the trials and tribulations we will face as we continue through life.
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Artist Nathan Kubes with his son, Riley
design & layout by Keenan Walter
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YEAR IN REVIEW
A Lover's Pantoum Molly SMith
Like butter I melt, a gasp of breath expelled from rose petal kisses. I cling to you. The whispers of breathing allude a sweet melody and harder, I cling to you. Heartbeats evoke a two-step dance and melodies engage frolicking bumble bees indulging in nectar. A rhythmic dance. I cling to you as we melt like butter. Passion and love, drip from sweet rose petal kisses and our bodies create melted butter.
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Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
YEAR IN REVIEW design and layout by Kelli Ann Little
A Second Guess RogeR Willey
Do you remember the night we agreed to meet at the wrong place, at the wrong time? Underneath a mushroom cloud sky to let our bodies and bones turn into ash; crash, and burn? We both knew well that Earth is Hell and the proverbial river of fire is the day-to-day. You were angry at my insinuations of romance and the delicate dance I twirled around your calloused heart. You put the laughter in manslaughter when you cut me, presuming I’d bleed and assuming I’d need you to make me feel anything. You did so resolutely, and astutely. This is why I agreed to meet you that night at the wrong place, at the wrong time.
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Steven Walker Gunnison Sun Leaves
Digital Photograph
Dillon Blodgett The Road Less Traveled Digital Photograph 8�x12�
Rebecca Feigenbaum Show Off Digital Photography
Rebecca Feigenbaum King Digital Photography
Adam Sinda Untitled Digital Photography
Molly Smith Cottonwood Pass Digital Photography
Sarah Dore Passion Digital Photography
Frank Stuard Blue Dream Digital Photography
Kim Weincek Beautiful Chaos Digital Photography
Kat Magnane Falling Up Digital Photograph 8”x12”
Kat Magnane Skate and Annoy Digital Photograph 8”x12”
Liz Steele Blue Mesa Stars Digital Photograph 5�x10�
Beverly Minard Messy Love Digital Photograph
CREATIVE NON-FICTION
Mountain Movement by Nick Schley Rain pelted the outside of my tent’s fly as I quickly ran my hands back and fourth, desperately trying to regain enough dexterity to close the open vestibule that housed my one set of dry clothing. It was 1400 hours Military, or Forest Service time, as we had liked to call it, and my day of trail construction had just been cut short by the ferocious beauty of a High Sierra thunderstorm. I removed my sopping wet canvas pants and hung my knee-high socks from the tent posts to dry. Now lying nude in the cocoon of goose-down that is my sleeping bag, I took the time to let my body rest and my mind ponder the majesty of exactly where I was. As a seventeenyear-old boy with a summer job that allowed me to live and work in the mountains for weeks at a time, I found myself without the comforts of home for the first time. But in the absences of parents, peers, and social expectations, I realized I was free. Surrounded by the wonders of Mother Nature and like minded people, life was brimming with new opportunity. My tent illuminated with a great flash of lightning, followed 1... 2... 3... seconds later by a rolling crash of thunder; a stupid smile slowly came to shape on my face, and with a few more moments of passing meditation my body fell into a deep slumber. I awoke three hours later to an orange glow inside my nylon home; the soft crunch of decomposing granite beneath bare feet was the first thing I heard. I dressed and came out of my tent to find my co-worker and close friend James sitting cross legged on a boulder with his journal and pen in
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hand. James is a Native American in all the ways that I know one can be, and a talented artist in many more mediums than one. His glossy black braids shown in that afternoon light like an oil slick on the white sands of a Caribbean beach. I scrambled to him and asked to hear a few of the lines he had just written. He replied with the usual reluctance, but with a little coaxing said, “I will love all of her, including her dirty mouth and mind. Looking at life like she is a beautiful woman I want to make mine. I will be patient, clever, cunning, and kind.” James has an incredible affinity for life. Believing that everything holds meaning, he does not allow his relationships with the things and people around him to be of a superficial status. As we sat perched on that grey boulder for the next thirty minutes, massive cumulus clouds drifted between us and the sun. He showed me photos and spoke passionately about a painting he had just finished. An eight-by-sixteen-foot cellophane canvas stretched between two trees on his grandmother’s deciduously forested reservation property. The painting read “Love Life,” but inside its text I read so many more abstract things. Backlit by natural light, rays of sunshine flew through the cellophane’s negative space as the pallet of greens he had chosen somehow blended with their forested background and created what was the closest thing to a natural graffiti-wall I had ever seen. Meeting James the previous summer had changed my life. He was the first friend I ever made outside of school and one of the few I had based on compatibility,
Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
CREATIVE NON-FICTION scrambling down washing machinesized boulders, I soon found myself on a flat plate of rock surrounded on all four sides by water. I stripped, drew three deep breaths, thanked the creating forces for my surroundings, and dove into the forty degree water head first. Surfacing from the dive, my head froze as if I had just chugged an entire 7-11 Slurpee. Fingertips tingling and sinuses wide open, I pulled myself onto the sun-baked pad of yellow granite. Some sort of natural mystic came over me at that moment. Life was perfect and I exploded with a “kooooo-we,” followed by laughter not often heard outside of a kindergarten playground. I re-dressed and stretched on that granite pad until the lakes came into the shadows of their surrounding peaks. Retracing my steps up the washing machine-sized boulders and down the granite staircase that was my path to Treasure Lakes, I moved quickly and reflected on my entire day. From its start at 0600 hours awaking in my tent, making my own breakfast and preparing a lunch, to beginning work at 0700 hours. Rolling and placing multi-hundred-pound rocks, much like the Egyptians did with their pyramids, until an afternoon rain shower caused working conditions to become too dangerous. In which case, I retired for a few hours of earned rest in my tent, awaking to share deep conversation with a close friend, then ending the day by increasing my harmony with Mother Nature on a late afternoon hike. The mountains are where I lived this summer. My tent became my home, my co-workers became my family, and life became an amazing avenue to express my autonomy.
rather than popularity. With the weather now clear and a couple of hours until sundown, I explained to him my plan to hike over the next ridgeline and into the Treasure Lakes. Leaving James on top of his rock, I loaded a small pack with my headlamp, an extra layer, energy bar, and water bottle. I cinched my trail running shoes tightly while assessing what would be my route up the granite staircase that lay in front of me. I became excited for the aerobic exercise, problem solving, and potential danger ahead. Nearing the top of the ridgeline, my mind entered an intense state of focus. Twenty-feet from the last platform that I had stood on, my hand was jammed thumb down into a crevasse no wider than three inches. Exposure is one of the most brilliant things that the mountains can offer. When one is in a position where the slightest misstep could prove fatal, they obtain a mindset that cannot be described, only experienced. Leaning backward I weighted my jammed hand, rested a minute, regained composure, then climbed the final ten-feet to the top of the ridge. The panorama I found there was awe-inspiring: multiple 13,000-foot peaks littered the horizon, shear and golden. One in particular captivated me. Bear Creek Spire, its northern most flanks jutted vertically out of a glacial snow field, while a blanket of clouds hid the mountain’s peak like an Arabic woman behind her hijab, which only intensified the mysterious beauty that may lay behind. Treasure Lakes were now in sight. Their deep blue glacial waters glistened and lured me in with promises of a cleansing bath. Delicately Design and Layout by Frank Stuard
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CELEBRATION OF SCHOLARSHIP
antha Bruce m a S King a l e am P r e Kristen Bark
Scholarship
Abstracts, bios and photos supplied by Celebration of Scholarship participants
Every
year, WSCU holds two Celebration of Scholarship events where student achievements throughout each semester are highlighted. Some of the students showcase their work as individual oral presentations, while others come together to display their diverse mix of disciplines as poster presentations. The purpose of Celebration of Scholarship is to allow students the opportunity to exhibit their hard work and scholastic accomplishments within their chosen fields. Students and faculty from other disciplines are also exposed to the concepts their university counterparts are studying. All majors and minors are represented, creating a continued enthusiasm and appreciation for Western’s broad, and ever-expanding, curriculum.
Janelle Moorhouse
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Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
CELEBRATION OF SCHOLARSHIP A look at the Red Fox in the Gunnison Valley: the study of, and a complete understanding of the animals behavior and traits.
Abstract:
ist in B ar ke r
Kr
Besides humans, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has the most widespread distribution of all terrestrial mammals. Foxes living in widely differing environments inevitably display differing behavioral characteristics; therefore, studying the red fox in a variety of environments is vital to understanding the overall species. Gunnison, Colorado offers the unique opportunity to study the subspecies of the red fox native to the Rocky Mountains in a high-altitude transitional ecosystem composed of a variety of habitats. Because the fox only arrived in the Gunnison Basin within the past three decades, many facets of its life remain unknown. The current ongoing project investigates movements, home ranges, mortality, and third-order habitat selection. On average, the Gunnison red fox moves 10.2 [Âą 3.2] km every 24 hours, with significantly less movement occurring diurnally than nocturnally or crepuscularly. Average home range size is 490 [Âą 302] ha; home ranges can overlap strongly. Primary causes of mortality are vehicle collisions and trapping/ shooting. Preliminary analyses may indicate selection for lawn habitat and selection against irrigated agricultural land and urban environments. As an omnivorous meso-predator, the fox can impact both wild and domestic fauna; better understanding its requirements can aid in understanding and managing both the fox itself and its impact on other species.
bIO: Kristin Barker graduated from The University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in English before moving to Colorado in 2006. After discovering her true passion for field biology, she returned to school at WSCU, graduating in December 2012. Kristin currently works for Colorado Parks & Wildlife and spends her free time snowshoeing, reading anything but textbooks, and making grand plans to pursue a doctorate in Wildlife Biology.
western.edu/pathfinder
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CELEBRATION OF SCHOLARSHIP
bIO:
Pamela
g n i K
I was born September 10, 1985. I was raised in the Arkansas Valley near La Junta, Colorado. I graduated from Western in 2008 with a bachelor’s in English and immediately started working for the National Park Service at Curecanti (Blue Mesa) and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. I worked in both administration and maintenance for four years. Working in these positions, I had the opportunity to observer the biologists in the Resource Department. I now work in the Resource Department at the park, during the summers mainly. Last summer, they had me helping with bird counts and I learned that I really enjoy working with birds. I now have lived in Gunnison for 9 years, and my love for the outdoors and its many activities (hiking, fishing, rafting, camping, skiing, and snowshoeing) has only grown. Ultimately, I would like to have a permanent Biology Technician job working with birds and habitat, maybe with a group like Duck’s Unlimited or with the government.
An investigation of tradeoffs in herbicide resistant Brassica Rapa: effects on pollen and ovule production, biomass, and development.
Abstract: Herbicides are widely used to increase crop yields and as a result herbicide resistant weeds have become a global issue. A better understanding of the biology of herbicide resistance can provide insight into associated tradeoffs and help inform management strategies. We hypothesized that herbicide resistance in Brassica rapa is costly, and predicted that atrazine resistant B. rapa (AR) would be less vigorous than atrazine susceptible B. rapa (AS). A study comparing growth and reproduction of AR and AS plants at two different temperature regimes was conducted to test this hypothesis. We predicted that: 1) AR individuals would have less above-ground biomass; 2) AR individuals would develop slower on average; 3) AR individuals would produce fewer ovules; and 4) AR individuals would produce fewer pollen grains as compared to AS plants. We hypothesized that effects would be more pronounced at the colder temperatures. Between the strains, tradeoffs were evident for pollen production and development. Higher production of pollen occurred in AS individuals than AR plants. Development was significantly delayed in AR as compared to AS plants. Biomass, ovule count, and pollen count were all greater in the cool treatment; however, growth was significantly delayed. To our knowledge this is one of the first studies on costs of herbicide resistance to quantify effects on pollen production.
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Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
CELEBRATION OF SCHOLARSHIP Syrphid fly distributions along an elevation gradient in and around the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL)
Much is known about bee pollination, but there is little information concerning pollination by syrphid flies. Syrphid flies are also important to study because they are the most significant flower-visiting Dipteran insects, which are the second most important order among flower-visiting and flower-pollinating insects. Describing abundance and diversity along an elevation allows for the exploration of abiotic and biotic drivers of distribution. Our knowledge of syrphids needs to be enhanced concerning (i) How does syrphid abundance change over an elevation gradient; (ii) How does the number of syrphid morphospecies change over an elevation gradient; and (iii) What biotic and abiotic factors are associated with syrphid fly abundance and diversity? A five-week observational study was carried out at five weather stations in and around RMBL, covering an elevation range of 561m. Flower abundance was recorded at each site, followed by sampling of syrphids. Linear regression analysis revealed that day of year correlated to the number of individuals, as well as number of morphospecies. Percent cloud cover also correlated to the number of individual syrphids. This could possibly be because fly detection increased as time went on and/or there are more flies later in the season. Elevation is correlated to number of flowers and number of flower species. This could possibly reflect the year, in that there was a lot of frost damage at lower elevations. It is important to continue this study to see if this is a common trend or if it is unique to this drought year.
S
a h t n a am
e c u r B
layout and design by Brandon Eaker
Abstract:
bIO: My name is Samantha Bruce and I am 22 years old. This past summer I completed a ten week research project at the Rocky Mountain Biological Survey, located in Gothic, Colorado. The experience and the scientists that I was able to work with were an unbelievable opportunity. Not only did I learn a great deal about the scientific process and research itself, but I also learned a great deal about myself and my abilities. I am a senior this year and will be graduating in May with a double major in Cell Biology with an emphasis in Pre-Med and Biochemistry. I have applied to several Masters in Biomedical Sciences Programs and I am currently waiting for a response. My long-term goal is to attend Physician Assistant school. In my free time I love to spend time with my three dogs backpacking, hiking, or snowshoeing.
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YEAR IN REVIEW
Don’t Rape Me Story & Photos by: Abi Rike, Kate Edwards, & Jack Lucido the nation a grant of $200,000 to collaboratively generate studentproduced media designed to educate the nation about sexual assault on college campuses. Rowan University in New Jersey, Framingham State University in Massachusetts, California State University Northridge, Northern Illinois University, and Western State Colorado University have come together to create the project entitled “Pact5,” which includes films created by all five schools, as well as the compilation of outside educational sources and social media campaigns designed to reach the whole nation. Shannon Lynott is the Student Director for WSCU’s film project, which has the working title: Don’t Rape Me. She and Film Studies Associate Professor Jack Lucido (grant recipient), have been working with a group of students since August, 2012 to produce a film themed around the sexual assault sub-topic of “anti-victim blaming.” The images here are from the production process.
design & layout by thomas bommarito
The average college campus reports that one in four females will be sexually assaulted within their five-year education (U.S. Department of Justice). Approximately 207,754 reported cases of sexual assault on people 12 years and older occur annually. However, it is estimated that only about 30 percent of all cases are actually reported. If one does the math, the actual annual number of sexual assault cases in the U.S. is a lot closer to 692,513. Take this a step further and it works out to a sexual assault taking place about every 45 seconds. College-age females make up a very large portion of those assaults. To put this in perspective, a college with 10,000 students will see around 350 rapes a year (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network). That number is strictly descriptive of rape and doesn’t include all other forms of sexual assault. In an effort to reduce these unbelievable statistics, the Wyncote Foundation of Philadelphia awarded a group of five universities around
To learn more about Pact5 visit: www.pact5.org To see more photos, read updates on the production process, and find out how to get involved with ending sexual assault on Western’s campus, visit: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keep-It-Consensual-KIC-Sexual-Assault-Prevention-Advocates-SAPA
western.edu/pathfinder
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Lizzy Clay Movement Bronze Casting 6”x6”
Marten Pinnecoose Elegance Welded Metal 27” x 30” x 45”
Kristin Schedell Music from the Soul Metal, bronze, LED wire 1’ 6” x 6”
Alexandra Forsythe Investigational Nibmus Ring Sterling Silver, 22K Gold and Topaz
Alexandra Forsythe Investigational Nibmus Ring 2 Sterling Silver, 22K Gold adn
Alexandra Forsythe Untitled Sterling Silver and 22K Gold
Hannah Mckee Fancy Dancing Cardboard 6” x 9”
Marten Pinnecoose The Dancers Metal 5’x2’x5’
Rikki Lee Squiggle Your Way Through Clay 3”x 5”
Kate Buscovick Artichoke 4” x 3”
RAIL JAM 2013
Article By Douglas Shaw Photos by Spenser Li
Campus jam Friday, the fifteenth of March, was marked by the presentation of the 4th annual Campus Rail Jam, which took place in Western State’s side yard. More than 40 competitors duked it out for a chance at momentary fame and the chance to win a cash purse or a day of backcountry sled-accessed skiing around the Irwin area just north of Crested Butte. Few colleges are able to pull off an event akin to this, but due to the diligent work of Western’s Mountain Sports Team, led by student president Francesca Pavillard-Cain, and astute organization by Red Bull representa representative Sam Degenhard, contestants were once again given the chance to shred a park built specifically for Western’s scholars. With an ominous waxing quarter
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Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
moon in the sky, the night was perfect for a contest. Behind the enormous Red Bull inflatable at the top of the drop in, generators ran wide open and floodlights illuminated the stage. Preliminary runs began promptly at 6:00pm in the evening, and suddenly skiers and snowboarders attacked the features as though someone had released a pack of wild dogs. The base of the park, being open to spectators and crawling with competitors, gave way to an ambience of energy and anticipation. “It was a little dangerous, but lots of fun to have so many people watching. There were some small collisions, but nothing seri seri-ous,” remembers Pavillard-Cain. “That’s what a rail jam is all about. It’s the new age of skiing.” The rest of the location was shoulder-to-shoulder with what
RAIL JAM 2013 CBMR and parts recycled from local building re-modeling. “Local welding business, Western Slope Connection, generously donated time to fix them up for safe use on campus,” included Degenhard.
Dave Sugnet Polly Mcgrane Ryan Holt Owen Tulip Julia Adams Francesca Pavillard-Cain Hunter Knoll Annie Westbury
= =
1st
2nd
Pat Sullivan Ben Hayden
3rd
western.edu/pathfinder
Layout and Design by Brandon Eaker
Degenhard stated was “our largest crowd and field of competitors ever--approximate ever--approximately 450 spectators and 45 competitors!” Not only did the skiers and riders have to keep up with other participants lapping the park, but the judges had to stay on top of who was on a feature at any given time. Pavillard-Cain, who was competing this year, but judged during the 2011 competition, recounted, “It was so hard to keep track of people and have time to take notes and watch.” This year’s judges were chosen by Degenhard and consisted of two previous jam judges: CBMR’s Mountain Sports Team coach and a local ski video producer. Regarding the work which went into the event, Degenhard recounted, “There is a ton [of work] that goes on behind the scenes each year for the Campus Jam. Tasks have streamlined each year of the event, but altogether I would estimate that around 6080 hours total were put into the event. This included maintenance, construction, administration, and execution of the park.” This number would have soared, but the features which were used were acquired through various channels, including donations from
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YEAR IN REVIEW
HIGHLIGHTS
Kevin Adams prepping his line
Katylin Hughes going big
Design & layout by Joel Matuszczak
Francesca Ace Pavillard-Cain: 1st Place in Crested Butte Freeride Series
Alex Else & Connor Michaels rocking it out in Taos
All Photos by: Joel Matuszczak & Brooke Shortridge
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Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
Alex Else’s famous backflip
MTN SPORTS
Dave Sugnet going big and bringing home the bacon for 1st Place in the USCSA Nationals
Grady Shoop flying high with style
Kevin Adams stomping the big cliff and showing how its done
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Ieuan Thomas NCAA 2nd place 3k Kyle Wiren RMAC Heptaphalon Champion
Tara Richardson RMAC 5k Champion Gabe Proctor NCAA 5k 2nd Place
BarbraSzabo Indoor Track and Field National Champion
WSCU High Jump Record Holder Design & Layout by Collin Munoz Photo Credit: Robin Butler
YEAR IN REVIEW
DAILY GRIND AnnA Boyle
You look like hell. In your Birkenstocks and that old lumpy sweater Brought back from the dead dresser Under your bed. Loud projections of sound. You look like hell. Glasses clink, shattering bound. Hair a nest crowned upon you head. Sleepy eye, chapped red, puppy breath. One large coffee with an extra shot. Whiskey. God. You. Look like Hell.
LINE L INE IN E POEM KAAtie tie PA Aul ul
Ms. Polizzi’s water broke during animalistic activities, a rush of excitement, jumping up in surprise like a foot from a tack, bags collected, families notified, hospital doors fly open, Snooki questioning the spread eagle that landed her in this Situation, personnel scattering like ants to place her in a bed fit for a queen, the prince begins to crown, complete. Silence. The doctor states: We have a little Situation.
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Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
YEAR IN REVIEW design and layout by Kelli Ann Little
RON R ON
JENNA ROBE OBERSON OBER RSON I loathe the way you nibble my fingers, how your tail flicks across my face, you excessive, demanding, cuddlesome, cat. I detest the way you purr into my ear while I am sleeping, awakening my dreams, how your body suffocates my airway, you irritating, dependent, cuddlesome, cat. I prefer the way you slink into my lap, curling up to burrow within my embrace Your grained tongue scrapes my palm, your whiskers caress my cheek, you ambrosial, plump, cuddlesome, cat.
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Just
Another
Hailey Loeffler I hate people. I do, I really do. I didn’t always feel this animosity towards my fellow mankind, but now I can’t make it through the day without being shocked at the sheer stupidity of the people I have to deal with. You can say I’m jaded or that I had a bad experience when I was a child, but nope I’m a middle class, suburb-raised, privileged only child, as normal and clichéd as you can get. I leave for work at 7:42 on the dot with a renewed feeling of optimism, and by the time I leave at 4:36, I want to punch the next idiot that asks me how my day is. It was a shit day, in a shit week, in a whole shitty month, thanks for asking! By the time I arrive at work on Friday, there are already people forming a line, as if renewing a license or registering a car is as exciting as waiting for the new iPhone. “Next.” I wait for the person to shuffle up to the Plexiglas window separating us. It’s a regular, Mrs. Newman. She creeps forward in her pink tracksuit and matching walker, with pink flowers swirling up and down the legs. “Hello, Dearie. I’m here to renew my license. Here is my paperwork.” Mrs. Newman hands me a disarrayed pile of papers. I shuffle through them, trying to find the required documents. “Mrs. Newman, we have been over this every week. You must provide enough documentation to prove identity, age,
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name, and lawful presence.” “Oh, but I do, Dearie! I remembered everything. See, right there, right on top.” I take a deep breath. “Mrs. Newman, this is a membership card to the senior center. I can’t use this. Come back next time with everything.” “Well uh – isn’t there anything…?” “Next!” I look down at the paperwork in front of me waiting for the next idiot to ask me for help. “Next,” I yell again. I look up to see what the delay is all about and I see an adolescent boy, rocking back-and-forth on his heels, scratching at a scab on his forearm. We get these types every once in a while. These pimple-ridden boys, maybe 14-years-old, trying to get a license using their older brother’s ID. The scowl is already on my face as he slowly comes forward. “Are…are you Frank Moreno?” he averts his gaze so I can’t look into his eyes. “All I am to you is the man behind the glass. Now scootch along, so I can get to the next person.” “Um…well, it’s just…” he takes a deep breath. “Cathleen Perry, she’s…she’s my mom. She said to find Frank Moreno if anything ever happened to her. I’m sorry, I must have the wrong place.” My eyebrows raise just slightly at Cathleen’s name. I look at this too-skinny boy in a thin white shirt and faded jeans
Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
Day
with his eyes still watching his feet. Slowly, he raises his eyes to meet mine. There is no denying – his face looks like my own. His gaze holds mine, until I break contact and point to the row of chairs on the far wall. “You can sit over there, if you don’t mind waiting until I’m off work.” He nods his head, lopes over to the chair, picks up The National Enquirer, and starts to wait. I watch him tap his foot, never once glancing back in my direction, until the sound of the next person clearing their throat breaks my trance. The hours start to blur together as the stream of people seems to never end. By the time I glance back up at my watch it’s already my lunch break. I glance at the boy, who seems to be skimming through the only other magazine, Simply Motherhood. Man, he must be really bored. Why the hell doesn’t he just leave? His long fingers play with his hair, curling a piece over and over again, sort of a meditative habit. A habit reminiscent of many nights spent with Cathleen Perry, watching her study, twirling her hair, a look of concentration on her face. I haven’t thought of her in years. I haven’t wanted to. I couldn’t! I couldn’t for my own sanity! I shake my head, trying to rattle these thoughts out of my mind. I grab my peanut butter and jelly
FICTION
She creeps forward in her pink tracksuit and matching walker, with pink flowers swirling up and down the legs. freckles across his face, even the way he chews on the left side of his mouth, are all reminiscent of my own actions. This wasn’t part of the plan. I spent all these years trying to forget Cathleen and now Frankie comes along. I had a routine, a schedule, dammit! “So what’s your plan?” “ I don’t really have one. Mom talked about you sometimes and said you were the nicest person she has ever known.” I snort in reply. “And that she knew you would do the right thing.” He continues to dip fries onto the glob of ketchup on his plate, swirling them around and around, until they are thoroughly saturated with the sauce. I stare at him across the table while he is fully engrossed in the plate of food in front of him. I think of my life up to this point, the steady rhythm of it, the certainty, and I know right now, at this moment, that my life will never be the same.
design & layout by thomas bommarito
sandwich, and head over to the boy. He barely looks up at me as I plop down into the wobbly chair beside him. His brown hair flops in front of his eyes and his fingers drum the side of the chair nervously. “ I know you didn’t come here to read parenting magazines all day, so tell me why you’ve really been waiting?” I stare at his face, waiting for him to look up. “ Cathleen Perry. She is, well, was, my mom. And uh, at first I was doing fine, ya know. I had a thing going, I was surviving, I had some friends, other kids like me. But things turned a little south, and now I’m here, I suppose.” He rambles on in one breath and takes a huge gulp of air before leaning back into the chair. I can barely grasp all of what he just said. Cathleen dead? This kid is just living, trying to survive on the streets? “Whoa, whoa, kid, slow down.” I scratch my head, information reeling through my head. We spend the rest of the remainder of my lunch break not saying much, just sort of sniffing each other out like wolves circling each other in an open meadow. I’d catch him looking at me and quickly glance back down into his lap. I glance at the clock and dust the crumbs off my pants as I get up. “ I have to get back to the desk, but after work we can go to the diner down the road. My treat. Can you do that?” “Let me check my schedule, might have to move some things around, but I think that will work.” The smirk on his face gives away his sarcasm. “Smartass,” I mutter as I head back to my counter. “ Oh hey, you got a name, kid?” “Ya. It’s Frankie.” Later, I watch the kid shovel fries in his mouth, only pausing to take sips of Coke to help wash it down. The clamor of people dining and laughing is all around me, but I’m zeroed-in on watching Frankie destroy his meal. His too-large nose, the band of
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Jennifer Swartwood DaVinci Scull Chalk/Pen 12”x17”
Tiana Struble Seated Figure Graphite 22”x 30”
Richard Buchanan Compassion Charcoal/Graphite/Silverpoint/White Paster/Chalk 6.25”x8.5”
19.5”x12.5”
Corbett Nelson
Audible Escape
Pen & Ink
8”x11”
11”x8.5”
Charcoal
Pen
Frank
Sara Raines Treasure
Becca Seifert
YEAR IN REVIEW
The End of an Era: President Helman’s Retirement Written by Rebeca Laughlin Photos by Spencer Li President Jay Helman recently announced his decision to leave Western State Colorado University (WSCU) in June of 2014. “Here’s something you probably didn’t know – I was on the search committee for the new basketball coach here at Western when we hired Jay Helman,” said Professor of Sociology, Greg Haase. How different Western would have been had they not hired Helman, the man to become our President for over ten years. “He didn’t have a very good record but we could see that Jay [Helman] was well-liked by his players and colleagues. He wasn’t the authoritarian, controlling coach like some are,” Haase said. Well-liked he was, and still is, as some of his basketball players from his early
years at Western still reside in the valley. Chris Dickey, the publisher of the Gunnison Country Times, and Andy Hanks, the principle of Gunnison High School, are just to name a few of the people that have been here since President Helman started. “I was talking to my wife, Dawn, and I’ve got too much energy to retire right now,” President Helman said about his decision to leave Western. “But it is time for something new.” Leaving the WSCU community was not an easy decision for President Helman, but ten years is already double the national average term for a collegiate president. “Was Jay Helman a man of the times, or were the times accepting of him? I think it truly is both,” said Professor of Art, Al Caniff. “After you talk with him you feel really motivated. And as a chair, he really knew what his department needed.”
“I’ll miss him more as a great person rather than a President or Vice President,” said Caniff. “Jay is just generally fun to be around. We have a continuum of jokes going, he and I; one of which involves the Steve Martin ‘cheese in my shoe’ bit. If you were to ask him about what happened, he’d remember! We laugh about that to this day!” President Helman will miss this close-knit community, as the community will miss him, but he likes to think of his moving as a “re-potting.” “Like with plants, the ‘re-potting’ process allows them to continue to grow in a new environment. I feel like I was ‘re-potted’ here at WSCU – from a basketball coach/ faculty member, to the chair of my department, to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, to President.” Brad Baca, Vice President of Finance and Administration, said, “Working closely with President Helman has been nothing but enjoyable. I don’t want to
“After you talk with him, you feel really motivated. And as a chair, he really knew what his department needed.” 64
Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
YEAR IN REVIEW
say I’ll miss him more than most, but I will miss him a great deal. He has been popular in each position he’s held and throughout the community.” Every position Helman has held at WSCU was a successful run for him. People trusted and liked him because he brought people together. “I think part of the reason he stayed here so long is because he came into the community from a different angle than he is leaving with,” says Haase. “He is not a power driven man and authority was not his goal.” President Helman continues to be an asset to the WSCU community and will be up until the day he leaves his post. “I think the campus is in a good position for the coming years and my departure. I am not worried about its future success,” said Helman. The transition period has now begun: transferring President Helman out of office to his successful position elsewhere and looking for a replacement to fill his, literally, big shoes.
“We could see that Jay was well-liked by his players and colleagues. He wasn’t the authoritaian, controlling coach like some are”
design & layout by Keenan Walter
western.edu/pathfinder
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Pathfinder Magazine - Vol. 21 - 2012/2013
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Photos by Spencer Li design & layout by Keenan Walter western.edu/pathfinder
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Genessa Heide When There Are Only Forms Chalk/Pastel 17"x14"
Corbett Nelson Lost Watercolor/Ink 11”x17”
Richard Buchanan Acsencion Graphite, Charcoal, White Pastel, India Ink, Gold Acrylic and Chinese White Brain Smith Ray Airbrush
16”x20”
Pablo Omar Payan Untitled Watercolor and Ink Jennifer Swartwood Blade Graphic Design
Design Team Front Cover: Joel Matuszczak Back Cover: Brandon Eaker Inside Front Cover: Frank Stuard Inside Back Cover: Jessie Czopek Faculty Advisor: Terri Murphy
Top O’ the World Co-Editors Writers Maggie Samek & Janelle Moorhouse
Tawny Asher Sam Degenhard Rebeca Laughlin Nicole Poelman Douglas Shaw Cassie Wahl Spencer Li – Photography
Jessie Czopek – Art Director
Thomas Bommarito
Kelli Little
Collin Munoz
Keenan Walter
Check Us Out on the Web! All rights reserved. First copyrights belong to the original author/poet/artist. The Western Pathfinder Magazine is published by the Arts, Humanities and Campus Media Council of Western State College Student Government Association and is solely funded through student fees. The views and opinions stated herein are not necessarily those of the staff. All submitted work is judged anonymously by the staff. Submissions are assumed intended for publication in whole or part and may therefore be used for such purposes. The staff disclaims all responsibility for return of unsolicited material. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from the publisher. Printed for the 2012/2013 academic school year.
Opposite Page: “Wonder Jock” by Jessie Czopek, from her BFA Exhibit “Amalgamated”
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