Pathfinder Magazine Spring 2014 by Western Colorado University

Mountaineer Field House

Westernâ€™s New Identity Takes University Recognition to New Heights

New Graduate Programs at Western

Team Travels to Nationals Art Gallery & Creative Writing Spring 2014 â€˘ Issue 22

Table Of Contents Year in Review

Field House on Schedule for March Opening?..................................................................2 Presidential Election?........................................................................................................4 Vandenbusche Book........................................................................................................5 Mad Jack..........................................................................................................................6 Pucks for Partners..............................................................................................................8 New Graduate Programs...................................................................................................9 Celebration of Scholarship..............................................................................................10 How College Students Use a Merry.................................................................................14 Students at 2014 Model United Nations..........................................................................15 Rail Jam.........................................................................................................................16 Team Travels to Nationals................................................................................................18

Poetry

No Suit or Tie Required...................................................................................................20 Olympic..........................................................................................................................21 Storm, Exercises in Damnation and Grace......................................................................22 Surviving the Tides..........................................................................................................23 Prosthetic Addiction, A Schizophrenic Encounter............................................................24 The Irony.........................................................................................................................25 Lost in Translation...........................................................................................................26

Fiction

One Night in Paris...........................................................................................................27 Call Kevin.......................................................................................................................30

Gallery

Drawing & Illustration.....................................................................................................32 Graphic Design...............................................................................................................37 Photography....................................................................................................................41 3-Dimensional Art..........................................................................................................46 Painting...........................................................................................................................50 Printmaking.....................................................................................................................56 Mixed Media...................................................................................................................60

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A Note from the Editors Readers, Our university represents a large number of truly talented writers and artists from across the globe. But you knew that, didn’t you? Within a year there have been a variety of changes that have shaped the face of Western in exciting new ways. We are keen to share the creativity and developments that encompassed this year. We’d like to thank Terri Murphy for her guidance, Mark Todd for his encouragement, the designers for their amazing talent, and all of the writers and artists who submitted their work to create this accumulation of imagination. Readers, read on! Artists… gaze on! Sincerely, Editors of Pathfinder: Rebecca Bishop, Becca Lubang, Kandra Volentine

design & layout by Jennifer Swift

www.western.edu/pathfinder

Year in Review

Progress on the new Recreation Center and Field House project is moving steadily along and is on schedule to be open later this spring. The new building houses the highest elevation collegiate indoor track, but it was designed with a wide variety of other uses in mind. Western State Colorado University already claims the highest collegiate pool, which has also been renovated as part of the project, including new locker rooms and the addition of a hot tub. The twenty-eight million dollar Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold project has been underway for three years including the design process, but the concept has been in the works for over a decade. Janna Hansen is the new Director of Campus Recreation. She will oversee much of the new facility, although there will be some overlap with various athletic programs. “I am really just excited about the student energy that this space will create,” Hansen said. “Whether you’re just a general student who wants to come play a little pickup basketball, or if you’re a Mountain Sports athlete, or a climber, or club sports, or NCAA, this is just a fun place to play, and hang out, and build community for every student.” The general contractor is tentatively scheduled to turn over the field house to Western on February 3. Some areas may be available to athletic teams for limited use as staff is trained and final

equipment is installed, but the grand opening will be sometime towards the end of March. Hansen said a committee is planning activities to mark the opening, including the possibility of live music. In addition to the 200 meter track, the Field House features three basketball courts that can also be used for volleyball games, a throwing cage and jumping pit, as well as a batting and golf cage. The current High Altitude Performance Lab and classroom will also be relocating to the new facility. No group seems to be left out; there is also a trampoline and foam pit for the Mountain Sports Team to practice aerials. Above the track are a series of offices and conference rooms for Recreation Center staff and athletic teams, as well as a press box. The new facility has weight rooms for both the athletics department and the student body, and three fitness rooms to be used for activities such as Zumba, spin classes and yoga. The Recreation Center also has a forty three and a half foot climbing wall that was built by Entre Prises. The climbing wall is the first plywood wall Entre Prises has built anywhere that also features two simulated cracks. These cracks can be used to practice placing traditional climbing gear and to train for the outdoors. The wall has bolted lead climbing as well, and a belay station at the top of the wall to hone technique for multi-pitch routes.

www.western.edu/pathfinder

design and layout by Rachel Geu

Year in Review

Presidential Election By Jordan Smith

Western State Colorado University has been undergoing multiple changes lately, one of the most influential being the change in president of the university. The process took months and only recently were the final two candidates selected. One candidate, Dr. Gregory Salsbury, was on campus over the spring semester of 2014 and attended an open interview session with students in Rare Air Café. Dr. Salsbury worked for the Jackson National Life Insurance Company. He has a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication from the University of Southern California, M.A. in Communication Management from Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, M.A. in Communication from the University of Illinois, and a B.S. in Speech Communication and Psychology from Southern Illinois University. He has also authored multiple books. His intentions for Western include using the “relative size and isolation” of the school to its greatest advantage, potentially increasing online education opportunities, and bringing in more faculty with experiences to share. Many students attend Western because of the location and class sizes, as well as the very personable faculty. The goals he has set are meant to expand upon Western’s great qualities. The second candidate, Mr. David Morgan, visited the following weekend. He is currently the Vice President of Perkins School for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts, and General Manager of Perkins Products. He has a M.B.A. from the University of New Hampshire and a B.S. in Business Management from Daniel Webster College. He also has publications on the literacy of braille. Mr. Morgan’s intentions for the school include improving campus diversity, building

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the market on which Western currently rests by getting more involved with the local community and businesses, and bringing in more “entrepreneurship and business” into the curriculum to give students opportunities outside of Western. His goals share the same quality as Dr. Salsbury’s - to improve upon what already exists. The information on these candidates was not private. On Western’s website there was a page dedicated to make students aware of the process, allowing them access to the candidates’ interview questions and answers. There was also a page dedicated to the presidential prospectus which lists all the qualities and expectations the candidates must meet.

Update: Western Board of

Trustees has officially picked the 14th president of the university, Dr. Gregory Salsbury, pictured below. He brings thirty-seven years of professional experience including executive management of a multi-billion dollar business enterprise. He contributes quality, innovation and growth to Western.

e, eg ll a Co c e ec at M St ain rn nt te ou es M W si el K

g ai

Have you ever heard of the Colorado State Normal School? Questionably enough, this odd sounding school is the exact school in which every one of you are attending today. That’s right, before we were all here, Western State Colorado University was once called the Colorado Normal School. From the time it began until now, Western has seen many changes, not only in its name, but also in the structure and outlook that we see today. One of our very own established professors here at Western wrote a pictorial history book representing Western. Duane Vandenbusche has been at Western since 1962 teaching as a history professor, he still resides in that position. During his tenure, Vandenbusche also served as the track and cross-country coach, from 1971 until 2007.

Vandenbusche’s newest book, Western State College, Mountain Mecca, published by the #1 regional publisher in the US, Arcadia Publishing, covers a wide span of 102 years of history, both in stories and through pictures. He stated that his goal with this book was, “to show what a great and unique University Western State Colorado University is.” Vandenbusche added, “Not only does our location make us capable of many things but it has many great experiences to offer as well.” Professor Vandenbusche pointed out that Western’s wilderness surroundings aid its ability to provide world class programs like the research lab at Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, and a great education. Within the book, Professor Vandenbusche takes readers through a series of ten chapters, each talking about the different eras and changes that have occurred at Western. Each chapter represents the college in different stages showing how it has changed.

Photo by Sam Moore

design & layout by Sam Moore

www.western.edu/pathfinder

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Year in Review

Mad Jacks Makeover

By Kelsi Craig

The last time I wrote about Jack, I was joking about

him getting his guns taken away, but now, this is no joke. This isn’t about Jack getting his gun taken away, but rather about his new do! The old mountaineer man will still stand, but there has been a new face appearing and evolving for quite some time now. Around last January, Western State Colorado University tried to up the appearance of the logo. Many students, along with prospective students, were asked what they thought of the logo. The university found the old “WSCU” logo very boring and that it lacked in promoting Western State Colorado University. In an effort to fix this problem, Western hired a company out of Denver called Bearings Brandings. This company helped the university look at the logo, examine the assets of the university, and create a new brand that appeals to the public and the students. This process began and eventually we came up with the “W” we all know

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of today, unveiled to us during the spring semester of 2013. The entire purpose of the “W” was to convey the university to the outside world and to attract prospective students. It also represented all the students Western has now and what we stand for. This came in what we could call a “package deal,” so since we got the “W” logo revamped, Jack deserved a makeover, too, right? The old, plain looking Jack just didn’t match the new and improved “W”; he needed to look just as good! Brian Barker, the director of Marketing and Media Relations at Western, has been working on this. With the help of Bearings Branding, Jack received a new look! The new marketing department took the new Jack around and showed him to prospective students, Western athletes, faculty, and, of course, current students. The feedback was positive and everyone seemed to like the new mascot. The unveiling of our new mascot was the event to be at. There were

several speakers there to express their excitement about the mascot. Gary Pierson, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, along with Katie Roos, the Student Government Association President, as well as Brad Baca, the interim president at the time, all spoke at the unveiling. On this same day, Baca signed a declaration. This declaration was the start of something new for everyone here at the university. Crimson and slate are the new popular things to see around campus on Fridays. “Mountaineer Spirit Friday” has been declared for everyone to demonstrate their Mountaineer spirit and pride. Everyone can get excited about Western, and this excitement conveys to current students and prospective students the spirit of Western. Because of this declaration, pictures posted on Twitter and other social networks were covered with crimson and slate. #WesternUp is the new hash tag associated with our new look. In pictures students post, they can use this hash tag to promote Western.

History and Evolution of Mad Jack

1973 version of Mad Jack

2012 version of Mad Jack

1990 version of Mad Jack

New and current version of Mad Jack www.western.edu/pathfinder

design & layout by Taylor Ahearn

Early version of Mad Jack

Year in Review

By Rachel Geu

In January 2014, Clarissa Benavides-Gaubatz and one of her upper level fall marketing classes (BUAD 335) hosted “Pucks for Partners” at the Jorgensen Ice Center in Gunnison to celebrate and endorse two significant organizations in the community: Partners and Western Men’s Club Hockey. Benevides-Gaubatz and her class worked tirelessly to plan a successful event as they implemented marketing tactics studied in the classroom. Organizing an event for the community was a hands-on test of skill that allowed students to apply marketing ideas learned in the classroom. In addition to gaining career experience, the class was able to raise money for Partners and WSCU Club Hockey through Mario’s pizza sales and a raffle supported by many

generous businesses in the community. Benevides-Gaubatz mentioned that the event reinforced the understanding that in order to successfully plan an event, many different personalities and departments are necessary. Western’s Enrollment, Business, Accounting, and Economics departments generously supported “Pucks for Partners” financially. Benevides-Gaubatz and her class were reminded that marketing is an all-inclusive field as artists, english majors, psychology students, science students and more all provide crucial knowledge when it comes to successful advertising. This event was a hit as it united the community of Gunnison and many educational fields at Western.

By Paul Kato From changing to a university, to building a new field house, Western State Colorado University is always looking for ways to entice potential students. This is why Western has added a few new graduate programs, while also exploring new majors and minors. With the addition of two new graduate programs, Western will now have a total of three two-year graduate programs, along with twenty-eight different undergraduate programs. The newest program, a Masters in Environmental Management, was added this past year. The Masters in Environmental Management program is slated to begin this August, bringing in thirty-six students, twenty percent of which will be returning alumni. Dr. John Hausdoerffer, Director of the Master of Environmental Management Program, believes the introduction of a masters program will help Western as a whole. There are three things that can be improved: first, students are coming from over twenty-five different universities, all of whom have experience in their respective fields. Second, all graduate students are required to undertake a ten month project, making Western take a more active role in the community. Third, these students are more career driven.

Dr. John Hausdoerffer Director of Masters in Environmental Management

Another addition to the graduate program is a Master of Arts in Creative Writing. Not to be confused with the Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, the Master of Arts is a one-year degree, while the Master of Fine Arts is a two-year degree. The Master of Fine Arts in Creative writing is a “Terminal Degree” for the fine arts, which gives students the necessary credentials to get a tenured position at the university or college level. While there have not been any new undergraduate programs added in the past year, there have been twelve formal proposals submitted for new majors, minors or emphases. While new undergraduate programs have not been created in the past year or so, Western is always looking for new possibilities. Dr. Terry Schliesman, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, said, “We have provided a small amount of release time to a handful of faculty to research and develop new undergraduate programs for the future. However, those programs are at the embryonic stage.” While these proposals are still in the early development stages, it is exciting to think of all the new possibilities that Western will have to offer in the years to come.

Dr. Mark Todd Director of Masters in Creative Writing

Year in Review

Celebration of Scholarship

The faculty of Western State Colorado University is committed to our mission to “graduate students skilled in written and spoken communication, problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity.” The Celebration of Scholarship Undergraduate Research Symposium grew from this commitment. The “Celebration” highlights the independent creative work of our students and reflects our vibrant community of inquiry. As a multidisciplinary event, this semiannual “Celebration of Scholarship” provides an opportunity for students to be exposed to the practices of communication and critical inquiry across disciplines. Exposure to inquiry across disciplines

supports our commitment to the Liberal Arts and builds the foundation” and appreciation of values appropriate to a liberally educated individual.” A schedule including both oral and poster presentations communicates scholarly activity under the critical eye of peers. Both faculty and students benefit from participating in this academic discourse which contributes to the development of our students’ critical thinking and communication skills, providing them with the solid intellectual foundation necessary to “assume constructive roles in local, national, and global communities.”

Abstract This thesis is an analysis regarding a musical technique known as imitative counterpoint. A large part of how Western works have been, and are currently, written and theorized is through counterpoint, specifically through the main piece of imitative contrapuntal works: the subject. The rules for writing a subject have defined the principles for writing melodies, and these ideas have evolved our ways of creating and conceptualizing music. Through literature and composers from the 16th, 18th, and 20th centuries, an analysis can show how the nature of the subject has changed over time. Broader changes of musical elemeants and style have altered the use of subjects in contrapuntal works and have created a new breed of contrapuntal styles. This knowledge will provide a greater understanding of subjects, the effect they have had on melodic adaptation, and will speculate upon the possible future use of subjects in contrapuntal textures.

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Kevin McCall Biography I am a junior here at Western, who’s currently double majoring in psychology and music. Heralding from Palatine IL, I am an Ambassador, honors student, and participant in nearly a dozen musical ensembles here on campus. I am hoping to continue my education as a musical researcher and composer, and discover the next big shift in the development of music. I enjoy rock climbing, hiking, and philosophy.

Biography 5th year senior

Tara Richardson

Double majoring in Biology (pre-allied health) and Exercise and Sport Science (clinical) From Wiggins Colorado Interests: running, biking, working in the HAP lab Came to Western to run cross country and track for one of the best programs in the nation Finished 4th at the Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in 2013 Will be a GA at Wake Forest University’s Exercise and Health Science Graduate Program next fall My educational goal is to receive a PhD. in Exercise Sport Science Career goal is to become a professor at a university as well as conduct research and work with athletes to improve performance

A community-based exercise intervention transitions metabolically abnormal obese adults to a metabolically healthy obese phenotype Richardson, TB, Dalleck, LC, Van Guilder, GP Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Western State Colorado University, Gunnison, CO, USA, 81231 BACKGROUND: Lower habitual physical activity and poor cardiorespiratory fitness are common features of the metabolically abnormal obese (MAO) phenotype that contribute to increased cardiovascular disease risk. The aims of the present study were to determine 1) if community-based exercise training transitions MAO adults to metabolically healthy, and 2) if odds of transition to metabolically healthy were larger for obese individuals who performed higher volumes of exercise and/or experienced greater increases in fitness. METHODS/RESULTS: Metabolic syndrome components were measured in 332 adults (190 women, 142 men) before and after a supervised 14-week community-based exercise program designed to reduce cardiometabolic risk factors. Obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg•m2) adults with 2-4 metabolic syndrome components were classified as

MAO while those with 0 or 1 components were classified as metabolically healthy but obese (MHO). After community exercise, 27/68 (40%) MAO individuals (p<0.05) transitioned to metabolically healthy, increasing the total number of MHO persons by 73% (from 37 to 64). Compared to the lowest quartiles of relative energy expenditure and change in fitness, participants in the highest quartiles were 21.8 (95%) confidence interval: 4.4–108.0; p<0.05) and 8.2 (95% confidence interval: 3.1–21.6; p<0.05) times more likely to transition from MAO to MHO, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Community-based exercise transitions MAO adults to metabolically healthy. MAO adults who engaged in higher volumes of exercise and experienced the greatest increase in fitness were significantly more likely to become metabolically healthy. Community exercise may be an effective model for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

www.western.edu/pathfinder

Year in Review A Union of Art and Technology As an art form, kinetic sculpture employs aspects of computer and mechanical engineering with the creative value of visual arts design to create sculptures that come to life with reactive behaviors. Our project seeks to explore the union between art and technological / computer engineering through sculptures that combine visual aesthetics with the mechanical and computational ingenuity required to put each piece into motion. Our novel software based on the Python programming language allows students who are otherwise unfamiliar with software engineering to get involved with functionally reactive programming (FRP) and understand the process behind making each sculpture come to life. Art students provide the aesthetic composition and conceptual insights into each piece and computer science students provide the engineering skill required to realize the creative vision through the use of FRP, which exhibits programming in a minimal way that can be easily understood by non-programmers. The project seeks to demonstrate the importance of design in both the arts and engineering fields, as well as to manifest the collaborative efforts of art students and computer science students into one unique vision.

photos by Jazz Pool & Lizzy Clay

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Celebration of Scholarship

From left to right: Lizzy Clay, Graham Montgomery, Natalie Kuenzi, Jazz Pool, and Nathaniel Ley

Biographies

Jazz Pool

Hi, my name is Jazz Pool and this is my fourth non-consecutive year at Western. I’m originally from Bemidji, Minnesota but have bounced between Gunnison, Colorado, Austin, Texas, and Denver, Colorado since 2004. I’m pursuing my major in Computer Information Science with a minor in English Writing and I hope to combine these two seemingly unrelated skills into a fulfilling career in the tech industry. When I’m not attempting to program, I enjoy yoga, reading, knitting, and 80s movies/music.

Graham

Montgomery

My name is Graham Montgomery and I am a senior here at Western State. This semester I will be graduating with a degree in Computer Information Science. minoring in both mathematics and physics. I enjoy rock climbing, snowboarding and coding my own projects. My current goals include gaining work experience in the field and continuing my education with a Masters or PhD in Computer Science.

Nathaniel Ley

Hello my name is Nathaniel Ley, I am from Westcliffe, Colorado. I am a 5th year Computer Science student here at Western. I love messing with computer hardware, wires, and pretty much anything that is hands on or involves a soldering iron. I never was good at programming, so I am hoping for a career in the Information Technology industry at a tech company in Fort Collins.

Natalie Kuenzi

Hi! My name’s Natalie Kuenzi. I’m receiving a BFA in Ceramics and a BA in Art History. I came to Western for athletics but quickly fell in love with the art department and Gunnison community. I am very excited to be a part of the Computer Science-Art fusion!

www.western.edu/pathfinder

design & layout by Justin Padilla

Lizzy Clay

Hi I am Lizzy Clay, this is my fifth year here at Western. I am originally from Eden Prairie, Minnesota but I have been calling Colorado my home since I arrived here in 2009. I am receiving my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Sculpture, and a minor in psychology. I will be attending Colorado State University next year to continue my education and to get one step closer in reaching my academic goal of becoming an art teacher.

Year in Review

How College Students Use a Merry-go-Round

“You step on it and ‘Oh now I get it!”

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By Paul Kato

Over the past summer, the Physics department installed a merry-go-round behind Hurst Hall to teach concepts pertaining to rotation. This merry-go-round for physics purposes has no governor, meaning it’s frictionless. This is crucial in correctly showing how the physics concepts work. With the help of the merry-go-round, physics professors will portray angular velocity, torque, rational inertia, and Coriolls force, among others, while working outside of the classroom. “I didn’t understand [Coriolls force] until I was standing on it,” said Dr. John Mason,“You step on it and ‘Oh now I get it!’” Dr. Mason, Assistant Professor of Physics, was a third year graduate student at The University of California, Santa Cruz when it finally hit him.“As a piece of lab equipment, the merry-go-round will last twenty-five years” said Dr. Mason. After being installed this past summer, the merry-go-round will be used for multiple classes: Physics 110, 120, 140, 330 and Science 110. Dr. Mason hopes to provide students with the option to get outside of the classroom and have fun, but at the same time have a serious lab.

Western team to represent Macedonia at 2014 Model UN By Kevin Noreen In April,

six Western students went to New York City to participate in the Model United Nations conference, as representatives of Macedonia. Every year, students from around the globe come together at the event to represent actual member states of the United Nations in a simulated convention. By serving on twenty different committees, students work together as ambassadors of delegated nations to create solutions to real global issues. Political Science Major Stefano Ballesteros attended the Model UN while he was at school in Houston. As a recent transfer student to Western, he attended again this year. Ballesteros said that he was initially you could actually get together with people to find solutions to real problems,” he said. “We’re all the same.” Politics and Government Professor Maria Struble accompanied the students to the symposium, which the group hoped would become something Western takes part in every year.

“I got to see this global issue in a real light”

www.western.edu/pathfinder

design & layout by Taylor Ahearn

skeptical of the United Nations, but being a part of the conference gave him a new understanding of how the UN works to solve issues of development, international security, and human rights. During his previous conference, Ballesteros worked to pass a treaty about the arms trade.“I got to see this global issue in a real light,”he said. Ballesteros further added that working on something bigger than him, with students from all over the world, provided an outstanding opportunity to learn and grow. He indicated that embracing differences rather than simply putting them aside is key to international problem solving. “I saw how

Year in review

The set up this year was much more avanced than it has ever been in prior years

Rail Jam

By Matt Norris

Western State Colorado University hosted the annual Campus Rail Jam. The set up this year was much more advanced than it has ever been in prior years, featuring all rails and no boxes. Before the event started, multiple people stated how scared they were of the features, leading to a smaller turnout of competitors. Once registration was all said and done, there was a decent amount of

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photo by Owen Marty

photo by Mason Strehl

competitors, most of whom were experienced skiers and boarders. This made for an action-packed rail jam, hosting awesome tricks and satisfying slams. Qualifiers went off with people trying all sorts of hard maneuvers. The ribslides and various other doozies were coming in frequently. In the end, eight boarders and eight skiers advanced to the finals. The finals were heavy this year. Standouts included Brendan Sullivan, Ben Hayden, and

Ryan Holt. Other boarders killing it were Cooper, Grady Shoop, and the Topâ€™s very own, Nate Bard. When it came down to it, the judges made a good choice, giving the win to Sullivan, as well as best trick for an alley-oop cab 270 on the down bar. Second place was awarded to Holt, and Cooper came in third. The judges did well this year, and so did all the riders. Overall, the jam was a success, and the after party was an even greater success.

Overall, the jam was a success, and the after party was an even greater success

photo by Owen Marty

www.western.edu/pathfinder

design & layout Jakob Andersson

photo by Owen Marty

Year in Review

Western State Colorado Mountain Sports Team Travels To Nationals

Story and photos bY Taylor Ahearn and Mason Strehl

The Western Mountain Sports Team traveled to Lake Placid, New York for USCSA Nationals at Whiteface Mountain. Fourteen Athletes were sent to compete, as well as three coaches and three media folks. The team will compete in Nordic, Skier/ Boarder Cross, and Park and Pipe events during the weeklong event. The team left Gunnison Friday afternoon, and after driving through a snowstorm, reached DIA in time for the flight. Travel went well, and the team arrived in New York Saturday. Everyone got settled in and focused on getting rested and prepared for the week of competition.

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DAY ONE was a very productive day for Westernâ€™s Mountain Sports Team The freestyle team headed out to Whiteface Mountain for some time on the freestyle courses they will ski throughout the week. Everyone was pleasantly surprised at a light cover of snow in the morning, which made for soft conditions. The Nordic team traveled to the Olympic Training Center just outside of the city limits to test the 8.5K course.

Learning Elevated, Competition Elevated

DAY THREE was a powdery day for Western’s Mountain Sports. With a bunch of new accumulation, each event had some challenges. The Nordic team still had an excellent day amid all the flying snow, with Bob Maddox coming in eighth overall for the 1.5K classic sprint. The freestyle team performed at their best during the Vulcan storm. Even though they were considerably slowed down by the new powder, everyone rode their best. Hunter took second place with a well rehearsed run, and played on his ability to throw bigger tricks regardless of the conditions. He was able to land a huge tail 720 off one of the bigger jumps to get him a high scoring run. Miranda Holson took fourth place with some impressive tricks, but unfortunately fell on her final run. The men’s snowboard team took second overall, and the men’s ski slope team took third overall. Miranda carried the women and scored Western a third place award. Wednesday was a impressive day for Western Mountain Sports.

DAY FOURwas a down day for the Nordic team here at Nationals, but men’s skiers and snowboarders competed in the ski and boarder cross races. The night before, the team put a lot of work into waxing their skis and boards to make sure they matched the weather conditions, and this really paid off. All the Western athletes made it past the first rounds, and were able to make it into qualifiers. Morgan Hunter Haymans got second place overall, and Matt Martell placed seventh and Connor Michael placed eighth. With three athletes placing in the top ten, Western was able to get first overall in men’s skier-x, which was a huge win for the team.

DAY FIVE was a more low-key day. The Nordic team woke up bright and early and headed to the course and waxed up for the 15K classic race. Bob Maddox took seventh overall in a packed race of 47. Miranda Holson competed in the women’s skier-cross at Whiteface Mountain with a seventh place as well. It was a good day for Western! DAY SIX went by quickly. With only the Snowboard Giant Slalom to compete in, the team crushed it. The remainder of the day was spent shredding Whiteface Mountain It was a good time for the team to relax and have fun. Later in the evening they traveled to the awards ceremony where the team took home a ton of medals and represented their school in the best way possible.

Western Mountain Sports Team’s final day of Nationals was filled with travel. The team woke up early to drive down to Albany where they caught their first flight. Everything went smoothly and we reached Denver later that day. The team got back safely to Gunnison early Monday morning. The week wrapped up very nicely with Western’s Mountain Sports team taking home a load of metals. Throughout the week Western’s Mountain Sports team did a phenomenal job, each athlete giving their all to the snow-sport competitions.

RESULTS: Bob Maddox placed in the top 10 for women’s Nordic. Andrew Arnold, Hunter Knoll, and Grady Shoop took third place overall for men’s freestyle snowboarding. Miranda Holson took third place overall in women’s freestyle skiing. The Men’s freestyle ski team took second place overall.

Go Western!

western.edu/mountainsports www.western.edu/pathfinder

design & layout by Taylor Ahearn

DAY TWO was an awesome day for the Mountain Sports Team. The Nordic squad had a 8.5km skate race at the Lake Placid Olympic Center and all athletes did exceptionally well. Skiers were able to work and improve upon their personal record times, and everyone was happy at how the races turned out. After a hard workout and getting used to lower elevations and different snow conditions, everyone started to feel much more comfortable on their skis. The skiers and snowboarders also had an impressive day on the slopes of Whiteface Mountain. The team competed in a quarter pipe competition and a rail jam. The quarter pipe competition was tough, but the team was able to place third overall. The rail jam was where the team really excelled. Two athletes were able to take home the gold. Hunter Knoll placed first for men’s snowboard by throwing a disaster cab 270 onto the downflat-down rail, among a variety of other impressive tricks that landed him in first place. Miranda Holson took the gold in the women’s heat. She threw a blind 270 out of the down-flat-down and flat-drop-flat, as well as a giant disaster on the down-flat-down. She was only the only girl in the jam that was able to grease the down-flat-down-flat-down as well as all features in the competition. Overall day two ended with lots of happy Nordic skiers and two gold medals.

POETRY

EXERCISES IN DAMNATION AND GRACE NO SUIT OR TIE REQUIRED I’ve found myself at odds with empathy, have a messy history with apathy. I’ve struggled with sympathy and sanity, reflected on countless conceptions of divinity, contemplated a variety of relationships

I could tell by his hands the moment we shook. No worn areas rough or callous. No cracking dried skin.

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by: Emily McLemore

by Sarah Ward

by Roger Willey

STORM

by Emily McLemore

These hands have only been worked involving couples and other women. I’ve almost been married – twice, by the tapping of keys absently abandoned loyal lovers and the shaking of introductions. for new ones – not necessarily better ones – as a result of penis size, politics No relics of tobacco and their complete lack of ideas ‘round his mouth from a Chomper just spit out. about God. Call me a saint, a sinner, a heretic This was a well-exercised mouth, or an anomaly. I’m a paradox a finely tuned tongue on two lovely legs, easier to analyze of kissing ass when I’m off them, transparent and spitting lies. only in the embrace of sexual release No sun to be had upon his face as my experience demonstrates, nor wrinkles that gave way to weather. most human beings are. Reckless This was a face and impatient, I’ve left men exposed only to fluorescent more passionately than I’ve loved Cinching upand his skyline scarf, views. them, worn the ink in my skin like armor he waited for her to blow the kindest caresses could never penetrate. My language was Diesel, down the door; Carhartts, and Twenty-twos. I’ve used my body in ways that made men Hehow spoke Pondering on he expenditures, used reconsider their consensus on the universe, finance, and revenue. to know better than to fall given birth to enduring enigmas in ecstasy. I in love with a girl with lightning in No her darting eyes gaze, no swaying motion,have been accused of heartlessness and treachery. Guilty of faithfulness and dishonesty, apparently at loss to do. and thunderno in hands her whispers. I’m some perversion of the perfect woman Hishewas life of suit and tie, But as of late, hada grown smog-filled air, reckless, curious, carefree. and the Devil. and six digits a year. The windows frosted at their corners, Have your delicate spreading icy spiderwebs acrosshands I’d rather have a wisdom touch. the panes. Clouds ballooned, outline looks like manspitting rainThe thatcity hammered made teeth, anyway. on the tin roof. Hemangled squeaked: I prefer hours on my feet “What a marvelous adventure this will be.”to hours on my knees.

OLYMPIC

The pressure of the rust, of the eternal bed where I cannot see light or sun. Blind with loneliness and rot. My sister, broken in two Slowly and alone fell. And the youngest of us all tore herself open in the lightest blue, her green innocence visible only by the mother of our demise. Rust has eaten her away.

Rust or pieces? Sink me down missiles of war, hatred hating sisters and competitors from long ago. I wish to rot from rust. I am iron; itâ€™s mathematically, chemically written. Pieces do not make me notable or memorable. Cut me down. Let tears for me, for those on my back give a memorial to the hellish world around me. Sink me down to the bottom of the ocean and pull me from this imploding hell, before itâ€™s too late and I end scattered in scrap yards, unburied, unremembered.

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design & layout by Jennifer Swift

by Lyndsie Conklin

Sink me down to the bottom of a salty grave with bricks, mortar, or even calamity far out of my control. The unsinkable fell; I wish to beat her time. Falling to the darkest dark, a section few lights see, only rust will see, see me and eat at me slowly. But do I want this fate?

POETRY

EXERCISES IN DAMNATION AND GRACE I’ve found myself at odds with empathy, have a messy history with apathy. I’ve struggled with sympathy and sanity, reflected on countless conceptions of divinity, contemplated a variety of relationships

by Roger Willey

Cinching up his scarf, he waited for her to blow down the door;

Pondering on how he used to know better than to fall in love with a girl with lightning in her eyes and thunder in her whispers. But as of late, he had grown reckless, curious, carefree. The windows frosted at their corners, spreading icy spiderwebs across the panes. Clouds ballooned, spitting rain that hammered on the tin roof. He squeaked: “What a marvelous adventure this will be.”

Volume 22. 2013-2014

about God. Call me a saint, a sinner, a heretic or an anomaly. I’m a paradox on two lovely legs, easier to analyze when I’m off them, transparent only in the embrace of sexual release

by Emily McLemore

STORM

by: Emily McLemore

involving couples and other women. I’ve almost been married – twice, absently abandoned loyal lovers for new ones – not necessarily better ones – as a result of penis size, politics and their complete lack of ideas

as my experience demonstrates, most human beings are. Reckless and impatient, I’ve left men more passionately than I’ve loved them, worn the ink in my skin like armor the kindest caresses could never penetrate. I’ve used my body in ways that made men reconsider their consensus on the universe, given birth to enduring enigmas in ecstasy. I have been accused of heartlessness and treachery. Guilty of faithfulness and dishonesty, apparently I’m some perversion of the perfect woman and the Devil.

SURVIVING THE TIDES What wonders await us as we embark on our voyage? What enchantments are lurking around the corner, in another memory? Little do we know the storm that awaits us. It is the beginning of a tragedy, the end of a family. And the start of a dark and horrible lie. A life of false happiness, and false hope. The storm approaches faster than we can prepare. It drags us out to sea teaching us to fend for ourselves. Our hope seems to fade like the rushing tides going in and out, in and out. As I try to grasp this sacred place, I begin to lose it as it slips through my fingers. I feel the last bit of hope drown in my sorrows. the air slipping through my lungs, my heart taking its last beat, slowly pounding to a halt.

As I slowly swim ashore to life. I hear the old, calling my name, begging for my return. I cannot move, cannot feel, cannot dream. You pick me up, and carry me in Your arms. You tell me it will be ok, and You will never let me go.

design & layout by Jennifer Swift

by April Oleson

The happiness that is now buried in the memories of my past, the memories that have haunted me since then. They hold the happiness of my life, clinging to my very being.

I long to have the joy I once felt in that place, long for it to be a part of me again, but childhood was the place of death, and adulthood is now the place of rebirth.

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POETRY

PROSTHETIC ADDICTION Mumbles burst from staggered reassurings. He spits them out and they carry fragments of the swallowed demon possessing his veins. His face and soul flush red but blue paints his nose, signing away his addiction. The carrier tin sits in his callused palm as a prosthetic piece

Cant conclude to allude whatever is happening. Just listen, greet words I am soothingly saying.

just swallows and drowns away the unknown hardships floating and gasping for death within his brain.

The crackles of static leaves me stressfully straining. Just follow the viscous— Voice constantly playing.

Before long, he snores his own lullabies, weighed with his poison, soaked on his lips and reddening

The words I hear bubble Like rabid foam-froth. Pure, planned, pressed decisions Slip freely from mouth.

eyes. A moment of peace from the sins within pushed through with attempts to forget his prosthetic addiction.

by Melanie Becic

by Lyndsie Conklin

of his identity. Demon carriers and vile tricks attached to him forever. He doesn’t yell or fight

A SCHIZOPHRENIC ENCOUNTER

Volume 22. 2013-2014

The battle keeps raging, Is this real or imagined? My patience is breaking All I want is your silence. Destruction now settled… I’ll take your surrender and play with its music so tasteful and tender. Your mind is my vortex encircled by thoughts, so ravaged with fragment like one last fired shot.

THE IRONY

Where is the compassion, the emotion, the sorrow, guilt, and reconciliation? Buried under a rock too heavy for one man to lift. And there it will remain Until help is sought, Until enduring love can be learned, Until trust can be restored, And until death do us part.

design & layout by Jennifer Swift

by Patricia Wheeler

I may never understand how twenty years of pure and unfailing love can boil down to money. And yet, when the money shows itself to be fickle, all we have is love. Where am I supposed to put my faith? When love seems to turn to hate and money grasps peopleâ€™s hands and professes itself to be their one true mate? Backwards, thatâ€™s all I can say.

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POETRY

LOST IN TRANSLATION There grew the knotted tree, The green grass swaying in the cliff side breeze. The magical feeling in the air Of things that have lived for a hundred years. Upon the cliff side the dragon did see A lion and a boy being very friendly As they watched a ship sail away from shore Like a bird at flight forever more. Then something caught the old dragonâ€™s eye Like the coo of a dove to the morning sky. As the dragon peered nearer, he saw in surprise That the tree had squirrels peeling off from all sides, And he watched as the smallest climbed its way to the ground, A mouthful of gems weighing him down. When a falcon with talons sharp as a blade Swooped down to carry the small creature away

by Lexi Mohney

To a place only the old dragon could see With a girl in a dress laughing with glee. She dropped the stained sword when the falcon flew in And raced it inside of the stone-walled dungeon.

The creature was laid out on the table with care While the girl took a knife from her ribbon-tied hair. Down she slashed till the squirrel was splayed open And no single gem was damaged or broken. She stole them away with greed and great haste While the falcon ate every last morsel with grace. When the falcon caught up, she was walking the docks, Bargaining freedom with a pirate lot. Far into the future, as the dragon can see, A wench of a pirate heading to sea And leaving a boy, lion close to his side As the home known as Freedom goes out at high tide.

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Fiction

One Night In Paris By Stefano Ballesteros

Their shadows danced through the night. A dance so rehearsed it had become something between perfect and routine. Still they continued to meet, at the same time, at the same hour. Always at her place. The Eiffel Tower shedding bright golden light over the city of Paris. It was not the Eiffel Tower, Paris was gone along with everything they had ever known. It was a nostalgic memento of the world they left behind; for her a sweet reminder of who they had been, for him, a cruel statement of who they were now. But Deja still had the feed looping on the massive wallsized screen. The world as it had been repeating every six seconds with a few layers of digitally added snowflakes that created the illusion of a live feed timed perfectly so that it was nearly impossible to see the moment when it looped. Her very own city frozen in time. It existed only in that moment, over and over. Killian could not help to think of himself as he followed the same snowflake across the screen for the second time. He had never seen a real one, but he knew no two were identical. It made him think of their life in the spaceship: a really well-crafted illusion, but if you looked close enough you could spot the looping snowflakes. They all bought into it, it was easier that way. He pushed the snowflake to the back of his mind--it had become a natural reflex--and decided to focus on the small details the ship could not fake. The faint smell of grapefruit on her skin or that sweet and salty taste of her lips.

The way her collarbone sneaked through her skin from the base of her neck to the edge of her shoulder. From there he could get lost following a drop of sweat creeping slowly down her back just to disappear under the bed sheets. Deja reached gently for his face, demanding the attention of his dark eyes. A caress that meant much more than the point she was trying to make. “Hey” she whispered with a smile. She always whispered, as if this was their secret and nobody could find out. It was their one night in Paris. Over and over and over again. They would always have Paris. Big green eyes stalked him from behind blades of sleek black hair. Her dark skin got lost in the night, leaving just a seductive outline highlighted by the tower’s light. “Hey,” Killian smiled back. He kissed her, closed his eyes, and lay on his back. At that exact moment the air recyclers groaned in protest of the heat and contaminants generated in the room. It was the finishing melody to a passionate night. Killian wondered if it was that sense of accomplishment what made him feel content more than the fact that without the recyclers they would die. He had lived most of his life to the music of the recyclers. It was easy to push them to the back of his mind. They were the kind of thing that you don’t notice until it’s not there. She pressed her head against his chest and put her arm around him. She was looking straight at the Eiffel tower and tried to

remember when she last saw it. An involuntary sigh escaped her lips. That world is dead, we will never walk on it again. He wanted to say, but instead he caressed her shoulder with the back of his hand and asked, “You wish you were there?” “We are not gonna talk about our feelings now, are we?” Deja shot back. She shifted away from his chest and with her elbow on the bed she held her head on her hand. “Oh yeah,” Killian said “because that will just make things so…” he struggled to find the word that would express the appropriate level of sarcasm “…normal.” Deja laughed as she hit him with a pillow. “Oh! You’re such a jerk!” She said. “But I wouldn’t have you any other way, bro.” The last word came in a forced lower tone, more like a grunt. She lifted her hand in the air and laughed as Killian completed the high-five. It was that lightness, that easiness about her that he most enjoyed. He had known her for years now, yet this no-strings-attached, fuck-buddies arrangement was a relatively new thing. He thought back to the night when it all began. A knock on the door that woke him up. His hand display pushing away the darkness with a faint blue glow that read 2:30 am. Muffled sobs coming from the other side of the ceramic door. She was a mess. Heels in her hands, her eye makeup melted into black scars, giving her face a sinister expression. It was the only time in twelve years that he had seen her cry. She threw herself in his arms. She was

Fiction

soaking wet. To this day he hadn’t figured out how she could possibly get soaked in the ship. He never asked. He just held her in his arms while she wept. No Eiffel Tower on the window. Only stars. “I was born there.” Deja finally said, half lost in thought, “I know it’s weird, but… I remember it.” This was the first time she had shared something so intimate. “No way!” Killian answered, almost laughing at the thought. “Nobody remembers.” He had a talent for saying the wrong thing when it really mattered. Deja sat up on the edge of the bed, her back turned towards him. The silence was deadly. Killian looked out to the Parisian landscape. A boat slowly crept its way up a river. Lights moved sideways along a wide road. Golden light radiated from tall buildings. It had been there every night he spent with her, but now he really saw it. A little bit to his right, shining above every other structure, a monument in gold against the black sky, the Eiffel Tower. He turned back to Deja and grabbed her gently by the waist. He pulled her back to the bed. Her hair was on her face. He pushed it aside and stared deeply into her eyes, the way he usually did. That way that meant

Volume 22. 2013-2014

he was there with her and nothing else mattered. The way that made her feel safe, happy, confused, and made her hate herself for loving those eyes and loving him. The way that he looked at everyone; it came so natural that it meant nothing to him. “I know,” she began, her voice barely a whisper “I don’t know if I remember, or if I think I do.” “How old where you when…” “Five- Four, almost five… You?” “Six.” Deja sat up on the bed, her knees up against her chest and arms around her legs. She seemed lost in a long forgotten memory. “I remember green grass. Real sharp and long. I remember my dad holding my hand. It was so hot and bright that day, not a cloud in the sky. We went up and up. I was so scared, but my dad picked me up and held me tight. His shirt was purple. I loved that color. Always reminds me of him. Then I remember metal railings and we were on top of the world. I felt as if I could just fly away.” Never before had Deja spoken like that to him. She was not the feelings type, never to get caught in the past or dream about the future. But this memory she cherished above anything else. She must have reached the

depth of her loneliness. With nothing to say, Killian turned to the window and tried to imagine. This time the silence was gentle. “I was born there.” She broke the silence. She was smiling now but her eyes were glassy. “Paris.” Killian thought long and hard the next words “It is beautiful.” Not his finest piece. “And still I’m sure the feeds don’t do it justice.” That was more like it. Deja smiled; this time with her eyes. “No they don’t,” she said. “What about you? You’ve never told me, where are you from?” “I’m from here.” He answered. “Shut the fuck up!” She said as she hit him with a pillow. “Where were you born?” Killian never thought of Earth. No point to it. They were gone. They would never see it again. And he liked it here. He liked the stars. No point sticking to a rock once you’ve broken free from it. He would have gone mad had he been born a hundred years ago. But he didn’t. Still he couldn’t change the fact. “Boston.” She jumped out of the bed and tapped her hand a couple of times. Her interface woke up with an orange light. “There we go…” She said as the image of a large industrial city on a bay replaced the feed on Paris. “Boston.”

He thought of her excitement, her love for Paris for Earth. design & layout Jakob Andersson

It was nothing like Paris. It looked so new. Hundreds of bright blue buildings thrust through the sky. Their surface blended with the background. It seemed as if they were see-through. Killian could hardly make out the streets. That was where he was born. “It’s beautiful.” Deja gasped in awe as her hand reached outward towards the feed. She laughed and turned to Killian with a huge smile on her face. But he felt nothing. “What’s wrong?” She asked when she saw the blank expression on his face. He really didn’t want to talk about it. He thought of her excitement, her love for Paris, for Earth. He had never felt it. It was just a story for him. Earth was a rock. He was glad they were gone. Yet he learned to keep those feeling to himself, part to avoid the contempt they caused on others, part to avoid a painfully large explanation and the argument that followed. Somehow it seemed that everybody had a say on his feelings about his home planet. They carried the memory of Earth like a trophy. It was the ideal that pushed them. More like the ghost that haunted them, the dead they could not let go. But not Killian. Earth was gone; nothing more than loop of identical snowflakes. The ship was home now. And he liked it that way.

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Fiction

This was a mistake. Kevin thoughtfully chewed on the cap of his pen, a habit his father had tried to break him of when he was young. But here he was– gnawing. It was something he did when he was frustrated, and this conversation was certainly frustrating him now. He wanted nothing more than to slam the phone down. If this bitch doesn’t shut up, I just might. His father also tried to teach him to be polite, once upon a time. But, like all of his attempts to be a good dad in the absence of his late wife, Bud had fallen short. “It sounds lovely,” a young woman’s voice hummed through the phone, a young and wealthy woman, no doubt. “I’ve been looking for one in this design for years. How soon can you have it delivered?” Kevin didn’t answer. Will I even let you buy it in the first place? That’s what you should be asking. “I’m not sure.” Kevin leaned back in the desk chair. It creaked, letting him know that this was a spot in which Bud had spent much of his time. He let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. “To be honest, ma’am, I’m not even sure that I’m going to sell it anymore. I’ll give you a call back once I’ve decided, and you can buy it then if you’re still interested.” The woman scoffed. “I have mentioned how long I’ve been searching for a jacket from this Italian manufacturer, haven’t I? I’m willing to pay you handsomely. The ad said ‘Call Kevin’. And you’re Kevin, right?” Call Kevin. “Yes, actually, I am, and that doesn’t change a thing. If I’m not ready to sell, I’m not

Volume 22. 2013-2014

ready to sell. Keep digging through newspaper ads until you find another one.” He hung up and tossed the pen across the room. He couldn’t believe what he had almost just done. One of Bud’s prized possessions, his wife’s Italian leather jacket, had almost gone for a song. Kevin wasn’t selling it for the money, that’s for sure. He had taken out an ad just for this one article of clothing. Not for the car, the TV, nothing else that Bud had left behind. At the time, he did it out of spite. Call Kevin. Those two words haunted him, but they also brought him an odd sense of peace. Bud had been a prolific alcoholic for most of Kevin’s adult life. They were close when he was young, as close as a good father and son should be. But his wife’s death sent him where most grieving men go: straight to the bottle. Kevin looked around the apartment. Bud’s living room was cramped. A worn leather couch sat behind a wooden crate that functioned as a coffee table. The desk in front of him was scattered with bottles and letters. He read through them earlier that week, the same day he found the jacket and a few days before he read through the other object on the desk: Bud’s ratty notebook.

happily in 1954. He loved her so much that he did the thing he swore he would never do: he agreed to have children. Kevin was born in 1956 and the small family spent eight lovefilled years together. That was almost a decade ago and Kevin had accepted that she was gone. Now he was focusing on finishing school and getting the hell out of Kearney. Bud had gone completely sour after her death, and he took out most of his frustration on his only son. At first Kevin thought he deserved the mistreatment; not knowing any better, he took his father’s accusations to heart. When Bud slurred insults at him from behind a beer bottle, he believed every word. Now that he was older and understood her death was an accident, he lost faith in his father and they began to grow apart. “You little shit,” Bud would mumble as Kevin walked in the door every night after his shift at the car wash. He reeked of cheap liquor. “Where’ve you been?” The answer was always the same. “The car wash, Bud.” “I’m your father, goddammit. I don’t want to hear my first name come out of your mouth until you’re my age, you got it?”

*** Kevin was seventeen when he began to hate his father. The year was 1973, and he was about to graduate high school. His mother died when he was eight – a car crash on a road trip – and the tenth anniversary of the tragedy was coming up. He was young when it happened, but not too young to remember how things were before her death. They lived in Kearney, Nebraska. His mother was a sweet lady, the kind even Bud would fall in love with. Bud had been a bit of a Casanova before he met her, but they married

Kevin would simply answer, “Yes, sir,” then be on his way to the kitchen to make himself something to eat. For the most part they wouldn’t deviate from this routine unless Bud was feeling especially moody that night, so he pestered Kevin, inflicting guilt, until Bud decided to stumble off to bed. He wasn’t violent, and he never physically abused his son. Tonight was different. Kevin had never gotten into smoking pot, although most of the kids at his second-rate high school were

“That smoke’ll ruin you, kid,” Bud would proclaim as he took a swig of whatever was nearby. To avoid an argument, Kevin usually smoked on his walk home from the car wash, then relied on the open air to remove the smell from his clothes. Tonight it decided to rain, so his buddy offered him a ride home. They smoked together during the trip. Kevin thanked him, then quickly ran inside, forgetting to air out his clothing before he entered. “You li’l shet. Where’ve youbin?” Kevin could tell by the extent of his slurring that Bud was especially inebriated that night. He didn’t bother to answer, figuring that the old drunk wasn’t conscious enough to comprehend a genuine response. As he turned his back and headed towards his room, he immediately recognized his mistake. “I said, where’ve youbin!” Bud stood up slowly and set down his beer. Kevin turned around to face him. “The car wash, Bud. Remember? I work there, just calm –” “Who do you think you are? I ain’t Bud to you – I’m your dad!” At this point Bud was nose to nose with his son, his hot alcoholic breath filling Kevin’s nostrils, his hairy finger jabbing him in the chest with authority. Kevin nodded sheepishly, then tried to back away, but it was too late. Bud was close enough to smell the smoke on his clothes, and took the opportunity to grab him by the back of the neck. “You bin smokin’, haven’t you?” The smoldering anger in Bud’s voice could have singed Kevin’s eyebrows. “Handem’ over.” He scrambled nervously for the pack in his coat pocket. As he placed it in Bud’s open hand, his trepidation quickly turned to confusion. To his surprise, Bud calmly asked

for a lighter, then shoved a cigarette in his mouth and proceeded to smoke it. Kevin thought he was in the clear for a split second as the drunk slowly exhaled the smoke. Then Bud wrapped his meaty fingers around Kevin’s lanky forearm with an iron grip and firmly pressed the burning end of the cigarette to the back of the boy’s hand. Kevin screamed with pain as he struggled to get away, but it was no use. After his skin was thoroughly burnt, Bud released his grip and stumbled back to his chair. “That’ll teach you, you stupid kid.” He passed out at the end of his sentence. *** When Kevin received the call from the police informing him that his father was dead, he absent-mindedly rubbed the scar on the back of his hand. He resorted to this habit if there wasn’t a pen around to chew on, but he wasn’t aware of it. The last time Kevin had spoken to Bud was during his early twenties; he had just graduated college after completely relying on scholarships, loans, and his own money to foot the bills. He was about to move to Chicago, miles away from the small town he grew up in, and he wanted to make one last attempt to rekindle his relationship with his father before he left. The intervention failed miserably and they had never spoken since. Not only did the bastard have to drink himself to death, thought Kevin, but he had to leave a mess behind for me to clean up. Being Bud’s only living relative, it was up to him to sort through his possessions. He had spent years away from Kearney, and now here he was, standing in the doorway of his father’s dingy apartment. Bud sold his house shortly after Kevin went to college; an apartment was more practical for a barely functioning alcoholic with a dead-end job. The light filtered into the living room through the blinds, casting lines of light on the floor like the bars of a jail cell. The place smelled of liquor and mothballs. Dust swirled as Kevin began to sort through Bud’s things. Letters on the desk, most of them bills; beer bottles scattered haphazardly wherever they landed, usually the floor. Scat-

tered laundry in the bedroom, with no clear distinction between what was dirty or clean. Then he found his mother’s Italian jacket. This pristine monument to his wife, untouched yet perfectly free of dust, was the only thing hanging in Bud’s closet. A smile crept its way onto Kevin’s face. Bud might be dead, but he could still spite him in some small way. He took out the ad in the newspaper the very next day, and intended to sell it as cheaply as possible. Call Kevin. A few days later, as he was taking a closer look at some of the objects on Bud’s desk, a small notebook caught his attention. It seemed to be something Bud used often; it was bound in fake leather, worn and dog-eared, and it had the address of the apartment written on the front label. Kevin had never known his father to be organized enough to find something like a notebook necessary, and the address on the front suggested it was something worth finding if it were lost. Intrigued by this new aspect of his father, Kevin began to thumb through the yellowed pages. At first it seemed like the doodling’s of a drunken man writing himself reminders, but as he read on he realized it was much more than that. There were several mentions of AA meetings, and budgets and phone numbers. And there was one particular phrase that he never expected to see: Call Kevin. Over and over, in between dates, grocery lists, and contact information, Bud had written himself a reminder to call his son. “AA meeting Dec. 17th. Call Kevin. Talk to Ryan Hampton about counseling. Call Kevin.” On every page, at least once, Bud wrote himself a reminder. Kevin was in shock. Bud wasn’t just writing himself reminders; he was calling out for help. Every day for what looked like several years, Bud told himself to call his son. *** Call Kevin. The voice of the rich woman still rang in his ears. It may have not been Bud’s voice, but it was enough to convince Kevin that selling the jacket was wrong.

“Call Kevin. Those two words haunted him, but they also brought him an odd sense of peace.” www.western.edu/pathfinder

design & layout by Rachel Geu

smoking it like chimneys. He did pick up smoking cigarettes though, and intended to keep it a secret. Bud always openly expressed his disgust towards smoking, which Kevin thought highly hypocritical.

Gallery- Drawing & Illustration

Rebekah Corah Rising Hope Pencil 28x18"

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Anna Boyle

Gunni Nights Chalk, Pastel 30x22" www.western.edu/pathfinder

Gallery- Drawing & Illustration

Collin Munoz

Untitled Colored Pencil 18x24â€?

Jakob Andersson

I Ainâ€™t Got Time to Bleed White Charcoal 22x15"

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Brittany Searle Girl Pencil 9.5x8.5"

Vann Taylor

Rope Pumpkin & Barrel Pencil 18x24"

Lexi Mohney Devotion Ink 18x24"

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Gallery- Drawing & Illustration

Heather McDonough Make a Wish Pencil 6x13.5"

Lizzy Clay

Mollyâ€™s Minniapolis White Charcol, Chalk Pastel 22.5x30"

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Gallery- Graphic Design

Adam Sinda

Alone in Space He is Found Ink, Digital

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Gallery- Graphic Design

Jennifer Swift

Stellar Jay Photography, Illustrator

HOLY BIBLE

Brenda Suarez

I donâ€™t want to be afraid. Graphic Design 22x16"

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Corbet Nelson Fancy Collage 18x24"

Jennifer Swift Plato Calligraphy Calligraphy

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Gallery- Graphic Design

Kelli Ann Little

Caberet Digital Illustration, Typography

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Gallery- Photography

Skyler Stanley Autumn Air in Colorado Digital Photography

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Gallery- Photography

Caitlyn Stauffer

Flower Fields on Canvas Digital Photography 16x20"

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Christopher Coate

Fence Line Digital Infrared Photography 22x80â€?

Taylor Ahearn

Sail Film Photography 3x8"

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Gallery- Photography Liz Steele Go Nuts

Digital Photography

Barbara Szabo

Untitled Digital Photography

Coleman Becker

Ice Climbing Digital Photography 21.6x14.4"

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Skyler Stanley Pine Among Castles

Digital Photography

Karen Howe Colorado National Monument Digital Photography

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Gallery- 3-Dimensional Art

Alexandra Forsythe

Dancing Flame Neckpiece .925 & .999 silver, carnelian, black garnet center 3.gx2.25â€? chain 22"

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Aissa Perez

Sir Pig Ceramics 1.5x1.5"

Natalie Kuenzi Untitled 1 Nara Porcelain

Kymberli Gifford

Broken Spirit Raku-Fired Ceramics 10.5x12x8" www.western.edu/pathfinder

Gallery- 3-Dimensional Art

Lexi Mohney

Golden Blue Eyes Silver, Goldleaf, Eggshell Necklace, Earrings, Ring set

Taylor Long

Inset Bowls Ceramics 5.5x2.5"

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Amy Davis

Untitled 2 Ceramics 4x8"

Raeshell Tucker

Ivory with Turquoise Sterling Silver, Ivory & Turquoise

Jeffery Erwin

Fe2O3 Ceramics, Aspen Ash Glaze 8x4x4" www.western.edu/pathfinder

Gallery - Painting

Silas McDonough Purple Scarf Oil Paint 16x20"

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Vann Taylor

Vacation Breakfast Airbrush, India Ink

www.western.edu/pathfinder

Gallery - Painting

Nate Bard Rocket Man

Acrylic 18x24"

Becca Seifert Self Portrait Oil 20x16"

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Austin Searle

The Joker Inkwash, Pen 22x30"

Rebekah Corah Florence Oil 24x30"

Taylor Long

Jay-z Watercolor 18x24"

www.western.edu/pathfinder

Gallery - Painting

Silas McDonough Belonging Oil 18x30"

Nate Bard

âˆž Watercolor & Ink 22x15"

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Thomas Berry Self Portrait Oil 20x16"

Aissa Perez

Untitled Airbrush 7x5.5"

Anna Boyle

Coffee Tree Coffee Ink, Watercolor 18x22" www.western.edu/pathfinder

Gallery - Printmaking

Robert Cushman

Maine Brookie, Orange Intaglio 9x5"

Kiley Laws

Moon & Sea Woodcut 12x12"

www.western.edu/pathfinder

Gallery - Printmaking

Nate Bard 1994

Wood Block 12x12"

Silas McDonough Root & Twig Woodcut 15x24"

Ryan Holt Rebal Rebal

Reduction Linolium Print 22x24"

Robert Cushman Classic Flys, Sepia Intaglio 6x3"

www.western.edu/pathfinder

Gallery - Mixed Media

Corbet Nelson

Upheaval Mixed Media Assemblage 12x15"

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Caitlin DeVries

untitled Wood Burning 38x17"

www.western.edu/pathfinder

Gallery - Printmaking

Kiley Laws

Endless Opportunity Watercolor, Mixed Media

Pablo Payan

untitled Mixed Media 19x24"

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Corbet Nelson

Breakout Mixed Media Assemblage 12x15"

Ange Edwards

Raven Fall Ink, Collage, 30x24"

www.western.edu/pathfinder

Year in Review

Design Team Collin Munoz

student art director

Rachel Geu front cover

Jakob Anderson back cover

Jennifer Swift table of contents

Sam Moore masthead

Taylor Ahearn Justin Padilla Terri Murphy Faculty advisor

Editors Rebecca Bishop Becca Lubang Kandra Volentine

Mark todd

faculty advisor

Top of the World Writers Kevin Noreen Paul Kato Jordan Smith Kelsi Craig Matt Norris Taylor Ahearn Mason Strehl

All rights reserved. First copyrights belong to the original author/poet/artist. The Western Pathfinder Magazine is published by the Council of Creative Expression of Western State Colorado University 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 2013/2014 academic school year.

Volume 22. 2013-2014

Spring 2014 â€¢ Issue 22

Mountaineer Field House

Westernâ€™s New Identity Takes University Recognition to New Heights

New Graduate Programs at Western

Team Travels to Nationals Art Gallery & Creative Writing Spring 2014 â€˘ Issue 22

Table Of Contents Year in Review

Poetry

Fiction

Gallery

Volume 22. 2013-2014