SPRING 2021
THE WESTERN COLORADO UNIVERSITY ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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School of Business Four tips to protect your investments during a pandemic
Do not panic. Although the pandemic is seemingly approaching an end, most epidemiological experts believe this is not the last global pandemic that the world will experience. Particularly in the age of mass international travel, viruses that in the past that would have been contained to certain regions can now rapidly spread across the globe. That said there are many similarities and differences between a pandemic and other financial crises. This pandemic is similar to 9/11 and the great recession that began in 2008, specifically because panic dramatically affected the financial markets. The most significant difference is that the pandemic offers a more predictable timeline to when the economy will recover. With the other two events, it was unknown when people would be willing to get onto airplanes again or, in the case of the great recession, when the economy could recover from a highly complex financial meltdown. In all cases, investors would have benefited from a long-term investment mindset. It is critical to remember that a long time in the market is more important than market timing. Even with these financial shocks, the S&P 500 has averaged approximately 10% annually dating back to the 1920s.
Be prepared for the next time. No one can predict when the next shock to the economy or the market will be.
Although there is a temptation to keep all emergency funds invested, the reality is when there is a crisis, it is likely that your invested assets will take a substantial financial hit. No one wants to face an employment crisis, or risk a fall in his or her home 2
Mason Schultz
The only thing you can expect is that there will be another one. Many people were caught off guard, suffering layoffs, and unprepared to weather the storm financially. Financial advisors recommend that you have at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses saved in an emergency fund. These savings must be liquid and assessable in the event of another financial crisis.
price or investments all at the same time. Unfortunately, when crises hit they impact all areas of people’s financial lives. This fact is why it is important to be diversified, including in areas that don’t have risk.
Re-finance your mortgage. With mortgage rates at their lowest levels in decades, you could save hundreds of dollars per month with a 2.5% or lower monthly mortgage rate. Current mortgage rates are low now because the Federal Reserve is interested in continually stimulating the economy until the pandemic dissipates. However, there is a limited window for these low rates. Now is also a good time to reduce your mortgage’s duration from 30 to 15 years. Depending on the rates, it is possible that the new mortgage payment will be similar or even lower than your existing mortgage. While there are significant fees with refinancing, in most cases, given the extraordinarily low rates that are available now one could likely recoup those fees within a year.
Re-examine your car insurance.
Written by: Peter Sherman, Ph.D. and James Harriss, Ph.D. Cover Photo: F4D Studio
F4D Studio
If you are driving less during the pandemic, your insurance company may waive several months’ premiums or significantly reduce those premiums. Families with multiple cars can save even more. It is essential to check in with your insurance agent with some frequency to discuss opportunities. Additionally, financial experts suggest you price your policies with another company every three to four years to make sure you are getting financially prudent policies.
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School of Business Faculty Profile: Jeffrey Dykes
After years inspiring students, Jeffrey Dykes retires this spring To understand how Jeffrey Dykes, ’77, became an associate professor of business administration – law at Western, the tale must be unraveled clear back to 1949 when his grandpa bought a place in Pitkin. “I have been coming to this valley since I was a few days old. I knew that I wanted to go to Western,” says Dykes. Not only were the 1970s a “magical time” to attend Western as an English major, the third-generation Colorado native says it felt like the Wild West. “I lived in a house heated with coal, and we went to the gym to shower. We were pushing the limits of pretty much everything.” The cliffs at Blue Mesa were open for jumping, Crested Butte was all dirt roads, the ski area had only one lodge, and the freestyle skier lifestyle was starting to take off. “It was a skier’s paradise,” he says.
“Not only were the 1970s a “magical time” to attend Western as an English major, the thirdgeneration Colorado native says it felt like the Wild West. “I lived in a house heated with coal, and we went to the gym to shower.” - Jeffrey Dykes Dykes worked on the Alaska Pipeline the summer between his junior and senior years and a year after graduation to make money for law school. He X-rayed welds at Prudhoe Bay, well above the Arctic Circle where temperatures drop to -80 F. After Alaska, he lived in Crested Butte for a short time before attending University of Denver College of Law and graduating in 1981. Dykes stayed on Colorado’s Front Range as an attorney for about 30 years, in such positions as outside litigator, assistant / general counsel and senior counsel in areas from telecom startups and public companies to the federal government. “I have seen more ‘booms and busts’ than I would like to count,” he notes. The Gunnison-Quartz Creek Valley still beckoned, so Dykes and his wife, Deb, relocated to Ohio City in 2007 and he worked for Freidel Dykes P.C. from a remote office in Gunnison and commuted to Denver. “The kids were out of the house, and I had gone through a hostile takeover in my last position,” he recalls. “My parents had a place in Ohio City for years, and as they moved out we bought a few acres on Gold Creek and built a log home.” That same year, he began teaching at Western as an adjunct professor and joined the Ohio City Volunteer Fire Department. “Firefighting has been my biggest community contribution. It was as foreign to me as you can get, but before I knew it I was
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engineering fire trucks and responding to fires and medical calls,” Dykes says. He joined the School of Business full time in 2011. Dykes teaches water law, environmental law, business law, and the legal environment of business to undergraduates. He also teaches outdoor industry law for Western’s Outdoor Industry MBA. “I always wanted to teach and thought I would do well at it. I love the study of law and young people, and felt like I was in a really good place in my life to share what I know about law with students,” he says. Beyond teaching, Dykes served as co-director of the Energy Management Program, campus ethics champion for the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative, and started Western’s business law minor. He also helped start the mock trial program and was a faculty senator for several years. As an alum, Dykes is an active member of The Mohab Foundation, a group founded by students in the mid-1970s to party and raise money. Today, there are around 100 people on the Mohab list, many of whom gather around the state at least twice a year for a skiing event and a golf tournament and every five years for a convention. Over the past 28 years, The Mohabs have helped more than 93 Western students with scholarships totaling over $147,000. “The education at Western is great; that’s one reason I came back and have been such an ambassador. I don’t think you can get a better education elsewhere in the state,” Dykes says. “Western has grown very well with the times.” Deb recently retired as a mental health counselor and Dykes will join the retired ranks at the end of this spring semester, still teaching off and on as needed. “Professor Dykes is an outstanding professor both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He inspires and challenges the students and teaches them to develop critical thinking skills. It will be a great loss not to have Professor Dykes in the classroom,” says School of Business Dean Peter Sherman. “Jeff’s students enjoy his classes, and he receives some of the highest student evaluations in the School of Business. He is always willing to serve in whatever way will benefit the students and our goals. He is so easy to work with and always a pleasure to talk with…and even play golf with,” adds Associate Dean Kevin Nelson. It has been an idyllic way to wrap up his livelihood, Dykes says. “Between Deb’s career, my teaching at Western and living in Ohio City, it’s the best 22-mile commute I’ve had in my life. We are really fortunate.” Written by: Beth Buehler Photos: Jeffrey Dykes
CONTACT ALUMNI RELATIONS western.edu/alumni | alumni@western.edu | 970.943.3464
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School of Business Alumni Profile: Trey Scott ’99
Finding lifelong passion for economics and the environment at Western Growing up in Missouri, Robert “Trey” Scott, BA Economics, would visit Colorado every winter for family ski vacations. He visited Western as a junior in high school and loved the area. Scott wanted a small school, and as someone who enjoyed fly-fishing and skiing, he found the healthy environment that Colorado offered very appealing. His first memories at Western are of a special orientation for freshmen that took place the week before school began. He recalls rafting, camping and touring Gunnison with other freshmen. “It was a great bonding experience for everyone,” Scott said.
“Because of my time at Western, I’m not afraid to try new things, to trust myself. I think a lot of Western grads have that quality,” Scott says. Initially he was uncertain of what to major in and briefly considered geology. He changed his mind after he took part in a lab requiring students to identify 300 different types of rocks. “I’m red-green colorblind,” Scott said, “and almost every rock is sort of red or green—so that ended my geology career.” Instead, Scott pursued his B.A. in Economics. He jokes that he majored in economics because “I liked books with pictures in them.” But the challenge of studying finance and math interested him. “There was something about the questions that were posed and the way it was structured that I liked,” he said. Dr. David Axelson was Trey’s first economics professor and had a great influence on him, as did Dr. David Plante. “I took public finance with Dr. Axelson and the class only had four students, so we met in his office instead of a classroom. And, I still have one of David Plante’s macroeconomics books he loaned me to take the GRE economics exam, which worked out well!” Trey remembers. Trey also learned from and thoroughly enjoyed his experience as a radio DJ at KWSB. After leaving Western, Scott went on to earn his M.A. and his Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. While he was working for a think tank in the economics department, his girlfriend (now his wife) convinced him to take a teaching job at a local community college. He reluctantly agreed. “The idea of teaching supply and demand to 18-year-olds over and over seemed daunting,” he said. However, as he dove into the daily work of teaching, he developed an appreciation for how difficult it is and how rewarding it can be. He also recognized his own love of economics. “I’ve never once gotten tired of it,” he said. “I loved studying economics in college, I got a master’s and a Ph.D. and I’m still learning. And that filters down to my students.”
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Scott committed himself to teaching, and today he is a professor in the Department of Economics, Finance and Real Estate at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey, where he teaches Business Statistics, Financial Econometrics and Financial Markets & Risk Management. Small class sizes with caring professors defined Trey’s Western experience. In fact, he intentionally sought a position at a smaller college because of his transformative experience at Western. He is also an author: in 2015 his book “Kenneth Boulding: A Voice Crying in the Wilderness” was published by Palgrave Macmillan as part of their “Great Thinkers in Economics” book series. Scott found the inspiration to write the Kenneth Boulding biography after first hearing about him while at Western. Scott continued to study Boulding, an economist, environmentalist and Quaker, in graduate school. “The more I read his work, the more I realized his thinking aligned with mine,” Scott said. “I kept thinking someone would write his biography,’” Scott said. As the years passed and no one did, Scott told himself, “if no one else is going to do this, then I guess I will.” The research and eventual writing of the book took nearly five years. Scott’s own work tends to be empirical economics, so he found writing an intellectual biography a stimulating challenge. While researching, he connected with Kenneth’s son Russell, and co-authored an article with him about Boulding and his wife Elise, a prominent socialist. In 2019, Scott co-authored his second book with Dr. Ken Mitchell entitled “Pesos or Plastic? Financial Inclusion, Taxation, and Development in South America.” Scott feels that his time at Western gave him a sense of independence and prepared him well for his career. “To survive in Gunnison for four years, you have to be an independent person and an independent thinker,” Scott said. “There are not a lot of ready-made groups like fraternities there, so you have to create environments for yourself.” During his time at Western, Scott not only discovered a lifelong passion for economics, he deepened his connection to the natural beauty and environment around him. “My mom always told me it must be thrilling to be surrounded by mountains at school,” Scott said. “It is, it’s energizing; something truly unique. My friends who went there all agree. There’s something special in the air at Western.” Written by: Ann Johnston Photos: Trey Scott
CONTACT ALUMNI RELATIONS western.edu/alumni | alumni@western.edu | 970.943.3464
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School of Business Alumni Profile: Tommy Evon ’20
Finance whiz with a keen mind and big heart It was December 2020, nearly one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Denver’s unemployment rate was 8.4%, a little higher than the national average. Human Resource personnel were not overly encouraging. Yet Tommy Evon, who graduated that same month, did not let naysayers stop him. And, while he would not use the word ‘driven’ to describe himself, he persevered and landed his dream job at Janus Henderson Investors, working on the securitized credit and quant teams as part of the greater fixed income group.
“There’s a rare breed that Western attracts – a kid that is full of confidence and determination, whether they are rock climbing or taking statistics. There is an air of adventure and a shortage of fear. I love that type of atmosphere.” - Tommy Evon A typical day for Evon revolves around data engineering and analysis, working on tools that help the team discover attractive investment ideas, visualize and understand risk in portfolios, and better grasp market themes. “Securitized debt is a nuanced and complex part of the fixed income markets and that’s what I love about it,” says Evon. “There is always another way to look at this stuff and improve upon your understanding.” While the Janus staff work remotely through the pandemic, Tommy enjoys how engaging his teammates have been. “My team has been more than generous with their time, involving me in a ton of diverse problems and taking a lot of time to mentor me”, he said. Tommy grew up in Lakewood, Colorado. During high school, he and his father would frequently take ski vacations through southern Colorado, and their two favorite stops were Crested Butte and Wolf Creek. In his senior year, he says he did not have a clue as to what he wanted to do. However, driving home from Crested Butte he remembers Western’s campus catching his eye. Two family friends were students at Western at the time, and they told him to consider attending, describing it as a place where you get the chance to ‘dig your teeth in’. While Tommy didn’t yet know what he wanted to study, based on the beautiful natural surroundings, the opportunities for skiing and snowboarding, plus the recommendations from his friends, he just knew Western could be a place where he could find what he loved. His intuition proved to be spot on. As a freshman, Tommy took mostly general education courses to buy himself a little time. Soon, he found incredible mentors in names like Tom Miller, and Dr. Harriss, Dr. Sherman and Dr. Rubin, who helped him narrow his focus. Deep into his sophomore year, he realized his affinity for finance, ultimately taking a summer semester at the London School of Economics and graduating from Western in 3 ½ years
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with a double major: a BA in Economics and Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance, and a BS in Computer Science. At Western, Tommy found it easy to find like-minded classmates, including his friend Angelo Minisini. The two founded the Western Investment Club, primarily as a way to prepare for the Rocky Mountain Investment Challenge. Tommy was part of Western’s team of four who competed, and won – against stiff competition from big schools including CU, CSU and DU. In his junior year, Tommy collaborated with Drs. Harriss and Sherman, researching non-traditional methods of US equity index valuation. The resulting paper won first place from the Academy of Business Research; the trio awaits confirmation that it will be published in the Journal of Academic Financial Research. “Western turned out to be a great choice for me. There is no other university where professors are so available to their students. They offer generous office hours, and you can always talk to them directly. It is through these relationships that I learned so much more at Western than I would have at a larger university”, said Tommy. Professor Harris, MBA, Ph.D., said “Tommy is incredibly conscientious, trustworthy, and never negative to any idea. He is fantastically motivated but most importantly humble”. However one tries to define him, Tommy takes a munificent approach to his career. “Growing up my dad made a point that I should take care of my personal finances. My high school graduation gift was actually a contribution to my IRA. I will consider myself successful when I can use my knowledge to help other people grow their money for their retirement, save for their children’s education, or work towards whatever other financial goal they have. Ultimately the work that I do flows through to that objective, and that gives my job incredible meaning,” he explains. Tommy says the momentum he feels with challenges and learning is what inspires him the most. “To get in a good mood, I’ll pick up a book with a subject I know nothing about. I love the process of exploration and learning, and then being able to add value with that knowledge”. He also wants to pass on to the next generation of Westerners the message that if you really want to do something, you can make it happen. “When I think back on my experience at Western, I remember a very tight-knit friendly atmosphere. I was equally inspired by the professor teaching class and the student sitting next to me. There’s a rare breed that Western attracts – a kid that is full of confidence and determination, whether they are rock climbing or taking statistics. There is an air of adventure and a shortage of fear. I love that type of atmosphere. That’s Western’s secret ingredient”. Written by: Ann Johnston Photos: Tommy Evon
CONTACT ALUMNI RELATIONS western.edu/alumni | alumni@western.edu | 970.943.3464
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School of Business Faculty Profile: Scott Desmarais
After working abroad for 30 years, Desmarais joins School of Business While serving as executive director of the nonprofit VSO International in London, and a partner for the international consulting firm McKinsey & Company in Africa and Denver over the past five years, Scott Desmarais’ interest and involvement with Western’s School of Business exponentially increased. Most recently, he served on the Leadership and Development Board and helped launch the Outdoors Industry MBA. Shortly thereafter, he joined the faculty as professor of finance and business analytics in January 2021.
“Seize every day of your life. I am constantly inspired by the people I meet and the opportunities they take advantage of to make a difference around the world.” - Scott Desmarais “When approached about a new School of Business faculty position last fall, it felt like the perfect time to return to Colorado full time and join the outstanding team at Western. I moved back from London in December 2020 and am excited to teach at the School of Business,” Desmarais says. After working with leading corporations, governments and organizations in North America, South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe and living abroad much of the past 30 years, Desmarais hopes to contribute a passion for business, an international perspective, and global experience to his new job. Yet, his ties to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley run deep. Since 1998, Crested Butte has served as the permanent home base for Desmarais, his wife Gabi Prochaska, and their three children. It’s not the Boulder, Colorado native’s first rodeo teaching. “Even before becoming partner in 1999, I was responsible for The Boston Consulting Group’s Asia Pacific consultant professional training (e.g., business strategy, finance, data analytics, communications, negotiation) across the region. I also helped lead professional training for our consultants as a McKinsey & Company partner after helping to open our office in Nigeria,” he says. Desmarais also taught business analytics at Colorado Technical College and coached consulting fundamentals at his alma mater Colorado College as a guest lecturer early on in his career. “Teaching undergraduate and MBA students at Western provides a wonderful opportunity for me to engage with our future leaders and support their dreams and ambitions,” notes Desmarais, who earned his bachelor’s degree in international politics and economics, MBA from The Wharton Graduate School
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of Finance, and master’s degree in international relations taught entirely in French at University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Arts. Both his educational and work backgrounds plug well into the School of Business’s mission to prepare students for the global marketplace. “I bring a unique, diversified and experienced international viewpoint to everything I do. Education is about expanding frontiers of opportunity, both in the United States and abroad,” Desmarais says. His most recent work roles have included helping to open and comanage McKinsey’s office in Lagos, Nigeria for five years before moving to Denver and becoming the co-head of the company’s global digital energy practice. In January 2019, Desmarais became executive director of Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO), an international nonprofit organization based in London. At VSO he led strategic partnerships for the organization’s education, health and job creation programs in more than 24 countries in
Africa and Asia, working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Bank, United Nations and other partners. It was like coming full circle, as Desmarais first heard about VSO more than 34 years ago when he and Gabi were volunteer teachers in Botswana through the Peace Corps, after graduating from Colorado College. Desmarais says work and travel around the world has inspired him to “take advantage of the amazing opportunities the world provides.” He advises, “Seize every day of your life. I am constantly inspired by the people I meet and the opportunities they are taking advantage of to make a difference around the world. It’s a big world, and it gets bigger the more of it you see.” At Western, he encourages students to take advantage of the university’s personalized education experience and to enjoy the Gunnison Valley’s abundant adventure opportunities to get outside every day of the year, even during a pandemic. He says, “I can hike up and ski down one of our mountains and see colleagues/friends before launching into an interesting discussion with my students pretty much any day of the week during winter. Where else can you do that?”
Written by: Beth Buehler Photo: Scott Desmarais
CONTACT ALUMNI RELATIONS western.edu/alumni | alumni@western.edu | 970.943.3464
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Campus News Alumni Profile: Melvin Foote ’73
African advocate; from Western to the world It was his interest in basketball that brought alumnus Melvin Foote to Western Colorado University. Little did he know that the connections made on campus would lead to a lifetime of service on a global stage. Foote has spent almost 40 years as an advisor and proponent of African issues and has been called upon by several U.S. presidents for his expertise on critical issues in about 30 different countries. He spoke to Western Vice President of Enrollment & Student Success Abel Chávez, Ph.D., during a speaker series on Zoom called “Lunchtime Charla: From Western to the World.” Charla is Spanish for “chat,” and during this lunchtime event, Foote described his humble beginnings at Western that led to a long career in Africa and Washington D.C. Foote, who was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, came to Western to play basketball. Coming from the Midwest, it was the mountains that kept him here. While at Western he began to write a column for the Top o’ the World campus newspaper. Through his column “The Back of the Bus,” which focused upon Black issues in the 1970s, he met a friend who shared with him the Peace Corps. Foote said it sounded like the perfect fit for him. He applied, was accepted and assigned the country of Ethiopia.
“I put myself in the space of, ‘let’s do this together,’ a constituency for Africa and building a base for Africa” - Melvin Foote “I didn’t even know where Ethiopia was,” said Foote. “Back then, there wasn’t Google. So, I went to the library and saw it was in Africa.” And thus, the journey began. During his time overseas, he worked in 30 countries undergoing various challenges: civil war, famine and drought. With each experience, he grew to understand the challenges faced by the African countries and their people. He began to collaborate with various organizations bringing them under one tent of action. “There are a lot of organizations that consult on Africa,” said Foote. “I put myself in the space of, ‘let’s do this together,’” a constituency for Africa and building a
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base for Africa.” By doing this, Foote founded and is the head of “Constituency for Africa,” a nonprofit organization that educates the United States public and influences policy regarding African nations. Foote, who lives a mile from the White House, is called upon regularly by U.S. leaders. “You know, I always wanted to help Black people. I always wanted to help my people,” he said. “But I wasn’t thinking about it globally….Then I thought I should think globally, so when an opportunity came up to help Africa, I was open to it.” With this world view, he still remembers his humble beginnings at Western at a time when the country struggled with its own unrest—protest over the Vietnam War and civil rights issues that dominated headlines in the 1960s and ’70s. “(Western) didn’t have all the distractions that you have in the urban areas,” he said. “What I appreciated most about it is, it gave me time to think.” “Lunchtime Charla: From Western to the World” continues in March and April: Thursday, March 25, will feature Miss Alyssa Magalong ’16, who has earned the title of Miss Colorado Earth. On Thursday, April 22, we’ll hear from Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Michael Bauer ’05, who has tried more than 70 crime cases.
Written by: Chris Rourke Photo: Alumnus Melvin Foote (right) with African leader Nelson Mandela
CONTACT ALUMNI RELATIONS western.edu/alumni | alumni@western.edu | 970.943.3464
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Behavioral & Social Sciences Alumni Profile: Mike Bauer ’05
The Power of Language: How One Mountaineer Built Dual Careers in Law and Music Mike Bauer (Political Science) always pictured himself in some version of his current life—at the heart of the action in a big city. As a deputy district attorney in the largest DA’s office in the country and a singer-songwriter in the Los Angeles music scene he’s managed to bring his dream to life. But his path wasn’t a straight shot. Bauer confesses that initially he wasn’t thrilled to be at Western. As a self-described 19-year-old punk he had no interest in a small school in a remote town. “I always said I’d go to a big city and do big things,” says Bauer. While Gunnison, Colorado didn’t fit his image of where he belonged it’s where he found himself his freshman year.
“Being at Western is what made me competitive. Period. When you’re in a small community you realize how important reputation and perception are.” - Mike Bauer The only things he knew for sure at that time were that he was interested in music and he wanted to be a lawyer. When Bauer was in high school an ex-boyfriend shot his mother. Thankfully she survived but the incident left Bauer with a desire to protect victims of crime. Becoming a lawyer seemed the best way for him to do that. After a rocky first year, Bauer eventually found his way and things began to fall into place. He knew political science classes could be a good background which led him to Professor William Niemi who became a guidepost for Bauer during his time at Western. There were times Dr. Niemi intimidated Bauer but “seeing how he attacked language and crafted arguments expanded my horizons and showed me my own limitations.” And being in small classes did more than humble him. “When you’re in a small community you realize how important reputation and perception are. You have to be accountable,” he says. Bauer admits his undergraduate grades weren’t stellar but it didn’t worry him because he knew he was challenging himself. He took Spanish and Economics classes because he was curious. He says, “It wasn’t about padding my stats. It wasn’t about pedigree, it was about learning.” His curiosity guided him outside of the classroom as well. He remembers teaching himself to play the guitar on cold winter nights. He began writing songs and recalls taking his lyrics to Professor Nate Liederbach who took his interest in songwriting seriously and helped him improve his craft. Looking back, Bauer realizes how much he gained during his time at Western. He credits his experiences in college with building grit, accountability and communication skills that propelled him into the next stage in his life.
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After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles where his sister, a professional cellist, was living. “I had $84 in my pocket,” says Bauer, “and a loose plan.” He knew he wanted to get into law school and give himself a chance to build a career in music. He spent four years working on his music. Then, in 2009, he entered Southwestern Law School. He put music aside until one fateful night out with law school buddies. “We went out to a karaoke bar,” says Bauer. His friends knew nothing of his musical background and when he sang a song they were blown away. “Before I knew it everyone was pushing me to use my student loan money to buy some recording equipment,” says Bauer. He recorded his first album “Financial Aid, Volume 1”. That same year he graduated law school and ended up playing at South by Southwest. “I kind of fell into it, especially with the right people around to push me,” he says. Bauer has gone on to collaborate and receive encouragement from some notable mentors. He wrote with music legend Richard Rudolph (whose credits include Minnie Riperton, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Stevie Wonder). Bauer says one of the many lessons Rudolph taught him was to hone in on each word. “He got me to think about using words in ways they aren’t typically used,” he says, “and to be very surgical with my writing. I’m more poetic with my writing now.” Bauer has since released Financial Aid, Volumes Two and Three. And in 2019 he released four new singles and sold out the legendary Troubadour Club in West Hollywood. “I wish I would’ve created an alter ego for my music career,” says Bauer. Every now and then, especially at crowded shows, he has a concern that an enemy from court could show up. As a Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney, he handles complex multiple defendant crimes. “I see people at their worst moments. Defendants, victims, witnesses.” says Bauer. “No one wants to be there.” But he views the legal system and his own work from an optimistic perspective. “I have a duty to protect people, victims of crime, and also make sure defendants get a fair trial,” he says, “I get to tell the truth all day long and I love it.” Bauer finds the energy and time to devote to these two demanding careers through discipline. “If you turn off the TV, get rid of your cable subscription,” he says, “you find you have a lot of time.” When he’s working on a trial he doesn’t think about music, and when he prepares for a big show he manages to schedule his cases so he’s not quite so busy. While they are very different worlds, he recognizes his interest in law and music come from the same place — the desire to communicate in order to make the world better and safer.
Written by: Liz Renner Photos: Mike Bauer
CONTACT ALUMNI RELATIONS western.edu/alumni | alumni@western.edu | 970.943.3464
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Campus News Women’s Basketball
Soaring to national ranking Much like the iced over Gunnison River at the end of winter, the Western Colorado women’s basketball program had the potential to thaw its freeze and break free from the bottom half of the RMAC standings in the mid-2010s and become a strong, flowing current – not to be deterred no matter what stands in the way.
“Coming to Western and meeting my teammates and getting this experience, you just holistically become so much more of a person” - Mikaela Parker The program just needed the right people to shine the heat of high expectations and hard work to set it free – and that started with the hiring of coach Lora Westling in 2016. A year later, five freshmen from four different parts of the country joined the Mountaineers to rebuild a program that had won 19 games in four seasons before Westling went 7-19 in her first season – the most wins in four years for Western women’s hoops. These five – Jessie Erickson and Jadyn Kanzler from Cheyenne, Wyoming, Katie Dalton from Magnolia, Texas, Samantha Coleman from Las Vegas, Nevada, and Mikaela Parker from Calhan, Colorado – knew they were entering a program trying to reestablish itself that just five years prior was finishing a run of four consecutive RMAC Tournament trips. Fast forward four seasons and each of these five Mountaineer seniors played critical roles in guiding Western Colorado from the bottom of the RMAC standings to a top-10 nationally ranked team in 2020-21. But it wasn’t easy, nor did it happen overnight.
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Coleman, who this season became the program’s all-time 3-point leader and will be the ninth player in Western history to score 1,000-plus points, said she knew the challenges the program faced even before she committed to play in Gunnison. “Coach told me on my recruiting trip that she was wanting to rebuild the program and I was down,“ Coleman said. “I wanted to do that. I wanted to be a part of something that could make history. I knew with her being the coach and the right team, we could really do that. The first year was rough, but we grinded and knew it wasn’t the end.” The freshman year for the five seniors in 2017-18 saw the Mountaineers go 9-19 overall – another improvement from the year before, but a new, unwelcomed feeling for many of the freshmen coming from successful prep basketball programs. Dalton (10.4 ppg) and Coleman (8.6) were the top two scorers on the team while Erickson was fourth in scoring (7.0), led the team in rebounding (5.5) and was second in assists (2.7) and steals (1.3). Kanzler played in all 28 games (6.3 ppg) and Parker appeared in five games. “A lot of us had to make an impact that freshman year and got thrown into it right away,” said Erickson, who was high school teammates with Kanzler at Cheyenne East High School and ranks in the top 10 all-time in assists at Western. “Everyone’s high school teams did pretty well and we won state in high school so we were used to winning a lot. But it was a good experience because we had to learn how to be gracious when we lost. “After the first year, we had a good group and we had a mindset change. The culture of the program changed and coach instilled in us what she expects of us. We began to ask, ‘Why are we playing Western women’s basketball?’” A change came in the effort the student-athletes put into their craft, sacrificing their personal time to go the
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gym and improve their game outside of practice. “I would say our culture has changed the most since our freshman year,” Kanzler said. “We all know that the only way we are going to get better is to come in and do our own stuff as well as practice. We realized that after our freshman year that we have to work hard for this if we want to be a successful program. Coach Westling led us in the right direction – anytime we needed to work on something she was there to help. She was just there for us.” The extra growth was evident in their sophomore year in 2018-19 as the Mountaineers improved to 16-11 overall – and more importantly – went 12-10 in RMAC play to qualify for the RMAC Tournament for the first time since the 2011-12 season. They were five of the top eight scorers on the team that season with Coleman leading the way at 11.5 points per game. Defensively they stepped it up a notch, led by senior Tammarrah Gothard, who was named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year. Still, the group of then sophomores knew there was more room for growth. “Our sophomore year we got a taste of winning – but we definitely weren’t there yet,” Dalton said. “I feel like our junior season toward the end there was a point where we all flipped our mindset. We all got on the same page. We all knew that we weren’t going to get any better if we don’t get in on our own time.” That junior year in 2019-20 for the five was a season that won’t be soon forgotten. The Mountaineers went 20-7 overall (first 20-win season since 1986-87) and 18-4 in RMAC play (most conference wins in program history), but more importantly, Western received its first NCAA Tournament bid in program history. However, the postseason was canceled due to COVID-19. More focused than ever heading into an uncertain 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 – one of their T-shirts even features the phrase “Unfinished Business” – the Mountaineers picked up where they left off with their best undefeated (5-0) and one-loss (11-1) starts in program history. This led to the program being ranked nationally for the first time in program history – as high as No. 7 in the nation. The ending has yet to be written this season for this group of five – with a few opting to come back next season with this season being a “COVID redshirt” season for fall and winter sports. What is clear, however, no matter the ending these five have played a large part in freeing a program frozen in the bottom of the RMAC standings and not only returning it to respectability, but one to be reckoned with at the top of the conference. Even with all that Coleman, Dalton, Erickson, Kanzler and Parker have done for the program – they recognize that the Mountaineer women’s basketball program, and Western Colorado University itself, has given back to them just as much. “Coming to Western and meeting my teammates and getting this experience, you just holistically become so much more of a person,” Parker said. “So many of your characteristics are shaped and molded. I just take away that I’m so happy that I made the decision to come here. It has made my life so much better. “I don’t think I would’ve been this happy anywhere else.”
Written by: Clayton Jones Photos: Athletics
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