2009 Summer: University Of Denver Magazine

Summer 2009

U N I V E R S I T Y

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MAGAZINE

N I V E R S I T Y A G A Z I N E

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UN I V ER S I T Y O F MAGAZINE

UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Our Wild West

O

Alumni

S y m p o S i u m

october 2-3, 2009

R e f l e c t. D i s c ov e R . l e a R n.

“ i f theRe is one thing that characterizes DU’s diverse alumni population, it’s a passion for learning. Please join us for the third annual alumni symposium, where your classmates and some of the University’s most distinguished scholars gather to share ideas and discuss some of the great issues of the day.” —

c hancelloR R obeRt c oombe

www.du.edu/alumnisymposium



2 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

Contents Features

26 Colorado’s College War

In 1919, a series of bombings turned a football rivalry between DU and the School of Mines into all-out intercollegiate war.

By Richard Chapman

30 Moonrock Madness

Western original Terri “t.” Stardust (BFA ’91) had a zany idea. Now, every June, riders from around the country join her in Wyoming for a Wild West version of equestrian competition.

By Jack Sommars

36 Mystery Man

An authentic Western character himself, bestselling novelist C.J. Box (BA ’81) knows how to turn a tale.

By Tamara Chapman

40 At Home on the Range

National Western Stock Show CEO Pat Grant (MBA ’73) is working to sustain and preserve a piece of Western heritage for future generations.

By Richard Chapman

Departments

44 Editor’s Note 45 Letters 47 DU Update



08 News  Groff goes to Washington 10 Sports  Skiing championship 13 Academics  The politics of public lands 15 Research  Pioneering Jewish women 18 People Hunter Gene Schoonveld 22 Q&A  Sustainability in the West 24 Arts  Ranchland photogravure

45 Alumni Connections Online only at www.du.edu/magazine: History  Woodstock West



On the cover and this page: At the Moonrock equestrian competition, Western riders rub shoulders with cross-country, jumping and dressage competitors. Photos by Marc Piscotty. Story on page 30.

University of Denver Magazine Update 3

U N I V E R S I T Y

Editor’s Note

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MAGAZINE

w w w. d u . e d u / m a g a z i n e U N I V E R S I T Y O F Volume 9, Number 4 M A G A Z I N E

UN I V ER S I T Y O F MAGAZINE

My West—the West of my youth—was one of blue-ribbon biscuits baked for the county fair; gathering eggs, still warm, from under the cushion

Publisher

Managing Editor

Chelsey Baker-Hauck (BA ’96)

back of the hand if you didn’t move fast enough;

Associate Editor

my dad during black powder season; waking up to find the neighbor’s prize bull looking in our picture window, and later having to scrub the thick track of bull slobber off the glass with vinegar and newspaper. There was ample time for running wild in the nearby Uncompahgre River bottom land, tossing rotten duck eggs from the hayloft, wading irrigation ditches and baking mudpies in the mailbox. Today, my West includes far fewer farmers, ranchers, hunters and open land. There are more Democrats and many more people, houses and cars. The sky is still just as big as I remember, though, and there’s still plenty of the frontier pluck I knew from the roughhewn pioneers in my hometown. One of the things I love most about DU is its Western legacy. Its founders are the same pioneers who founded our state and namesake city; our histories are bound together. When I began coming across story after story of DU alumni who embody the same Western spirit that shaped my childhood, I sensed there was a larger story to tell. This issue is that story—a story of Western characters and character, freedom of spirit and new twists on old traditions. I hope you enjoy it.

OF

Carol Farnsworth

of a hen who would peck you ferociously on the

stalking through a silent, frosted autumn forest with

Craig Korn

UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Tamara Chapman Editors

Kathryn Mayer (BA ’07) Nathan Solheim Samantha Stewart (BA ’08) Editorial Assistant

Laura Hathaway (’10) Staff Writer

Richard Chapman Art Director

Craig Korn, VeggieGraphics Contributors

Jarl Ahlkvist • Jordan Ames (BA ’02) • Wayne Armstrong • Jim Berscheidt • Janalee Card Chmel (MLS ’97) • Kristal Griffith • Doug McPherson • Marc Piscotty • Jack Sommars • Chase Squires • Tiffany Ulatowski • Wendy Winter-Searcy • Jean Wittels • Richard Wittels Editorial Board

Chelsey Baker-Hauck, editorial director • Jim Berscheidt, associate vice chancellor for university communications • Thomas Douglis (BA ’86) • Carol Farnsworth, vice chancellor for university communications • Sarah Satterwhite, senior director of development/special assistant to the vice chancellor • Amber Scott (MA ’02) • Laura Stevens (BA ’69), director of parent relations Printed on 10% PCW recycled paper

Chelsey Baker-Hauck Managing Editor



4 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

The University of Denver Magazine (USPS 022-177) is published quarterly—fall, winter, spring and summer—by the University of Denver, University Communications, 2199 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO 80208-4816. The University of Denver (Colorado Seminary) is an Equal Opportunity Institution. Periodicals postage paid at Denver, CO. Postmaster: Send address changes to University of Denver Magazine, University of Denver, University Advancement, 2190 E. Asbury Ave., Denver, CO 80208-4816.

Spring 2009

U N I V E R S I T Y

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Letters

MAGAZINE

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UN I V ER S I T Y O F MAGAZINE

UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Four Corners Kudos for the article “A New Direction” (spring 2009). Much of my nonfiction reading has been about the plight of many American Indian tribes. Hopefully, programs such as this at DU’s Graduate School of Social Work will increase awareness of this much-neglected segment of our society and perhaps stimulate funding to support these much-needed programs.

able to relive, reminisce and chuckle heartily about our Early childhood education takes flight days at Denver University. What a special place! As we say in Hawaii: maika’i (excellent), imua (moving forward)! Geraldine (Heirakuji) Meade (BA ’58) Haleiwa, Hawaii

Dolores Rusin (BA ’81) Aurora, Colo.

Alumni connections My fellow Hawaiian Club member Kenneth Yim—pictured in the spring 2009 magazine (Alumni Connections, page 37)—became my brother-in-law. I always knew that after my second year at the University of Hawaii I would transfer to a college or university on the mainland. I submitted numerous applications and soon after received letters of acceptance from UCLA and the University of Denver. I decided on DU. Upon my arrival at Stapleton Airport, I was greeted by fellow islanders who took me on a quick tour of downtown Denver before heading off to University Boulevard. Organizations and affiliations (PEM, Hui O Kanaka, Women’s Inter-hall Council, Women’s Recreation Association, Alpha Chi Omega) provided me with educational balance. Outstanding, nurturing faculty—including Dorothy Humiston—kept me focused. Chancellor Chester Alter—a visionary who guided the University “to face new challenges and responsibilities with courage and determination and faith”—inspired me to earn my degree. In June 2008 I met with my former roommates/sorority sisters Linda (Hughes) Villesvik (BFA ’58) and Adrienne (Johnson) Hynes (BS ’59). Although our residence hall no longer exists, we were



I love the photo of the coeds in their dorm room that appeared in the winter 2008 issue (Alumni Connections, page 43). However, the statement that “In the 1950s students who lived on campus paid $249 for room and board each quarter” isn’t correct. I remember our weekly contributions of $5 apiece so the designated roomies could grocery shop. An entire $30 a week for us to eat on! There was a living room, kitchen, bath (with one sink) and two bedrooms in our apartment, and we had weekly Saturday inspections for housekeeping. There was one evening per quarter when we could have males in the apartment, as long as at least two roomies were present and the door was left open. I was on the committee that named the dorms, and we chose Colorado-type names such as Columbine, Aspen and Spruce for the various halls. We enjoyed listening to 45-rpm records such as “Blue Velvet” and “A House With Love In It” and went to the student union or our sorority houses for coffee during the break, which was scheduled so the downtown business students could commute back to the University Park campus. There were also weekly Wednesday chapel services at Buchtel Chapel. What a life! Anne Pennington (BA ’59) Lakewood, Colo.

OF

I was delighted to see the article about George Lof and his solar collector in the winter 2008 issue of the University of Denver Magazine (Alumni Connections, page 57). It brought back many memories. I was a chemical engineering student at DU in 1948 when Dr. Lof came to DU to head the chemical engineering department. The position was open because John Green, who had been head of the department, was killed in the spring of 1948 in a boating accident in the Platte Canyon along with Ralph Conrad and several members of both families. Dr. Lof directed the Industrial Research Institute most of the time that it went by that name. This institute had begun life as the Bureau of Industrial Research, which, I believe, was an adjunct to the chemical engineering department. Dr. Conrad was the original head of the bureau, thus Dr. Lof took both of the open positions in 1948. After Dr. Lof left and Shirley Johnson became the institute director, the name was changed again to the Institute of Industrial Research. A couple of years later the name was changed yet again to the University of Denver Research Institute, which has continued. As an undergraduate student I was able to earn a few extra dollars assisting on an hourly basis on some of these early projects. Dr. Lof brought a solar collector project with him when he came to DU. Bob Aldrich was the project supervisor. I believe the sponsor was the American Window Glass Co. of Chicopee Falls, Mass. Bob and I spent many hours climbing over the test solar collector, which had been built behind the Quonset hut that contained the institute offices and the chemical engineering labs. After graduation I went to work at the institute full time and continued there until 1957. Thanks for the memories. George Custard (BSche ’50, MBA ’54) Denver University of Denver Magazine Letters 5

DU radio “The nine lives of DU radio” (History, spring 2009) is hurtful to the students who worked so hard in the late 1960s to make possible what the article writes about starting in 1970. Andy Laird (attd. 1965–66), Bill Saul (BA ’69), Larry Jacobs (BA ’70), along with myself and many others, took KVDU from its limited classroom use in the mass communications building to its own facility on South York Street. This didn’t occur in 1947 as the article states; we did it in 1966. And, with no school funds, we built just about everything by hand. Your article refers to our “restrictive Top-40 play-list,” which is what the student listeners wanted at that time. You fail to mention that we also inaugurated KVDU’s first live play-by-play coverage of Pioneers hockey and basketball, began hourly newscasts and launched DU’s first campus interview program, on which one of my early guests was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The following year we obtained KVDU’s first-ever operating budget from the student government. All this, I’m proud to say, paved the way for John Wendorf and others to take the station to even greater heights. At least your photo is accurate: It shows Mr. Wendorf sitting at the console that Andy Laird and Bill Saul built. Peter Funt (BA ’69) Pebble Beach, Calif.

KCFR (now KVDU) in the ’70s was sort of a “sister station” to KUNM in Albuquerque, N.M., as they were both university FM stations run by students, with similar programming and identical frequencies (90.1 FM at the time). A few DJs who worked at KCFR also worked at KUNM and vice versa. KUNM’s former program director, Annette Griswold, worked at KCFR from around 1977 into the early ’80s and was instrumental in getting it established as an NPR station. Around the same time, they moved out of the old house on South York (which has since been torn down) and into new quarters on South Josephine or Columbine, I believe.



6 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

As a side note, KGNU in Boulder was originally upstairs in the building on the mall where Old Chicago now is (or very near there), with minimal equipment and piles of records on the floor. It had all the appearances of a pirate radio station or a student/hippie record-and-tape freak’s living room (there were no CDs yet). It had similar programming to KUNM and KCFR (folk, blues, contemporary “underground” rock, feminist music, some Native American music, campus announcements, leftist news, etc.).

Guard, which affixed bayonets to the ends of their rifles when they arrived on campus. In the end, the administration and the National Guard were triumphant: They were able to force the students to leave the lawn and go back to their dorms and apartments. It saddens me that DU students today have no knowledge of this history. I was therefore quite pleased to read about DU’s effort towards gender (and GLBTIQ) equality. It is a reason I can now be proud to be a DU alum.

David Nereson Denver

Norman Malbin (BA ’71) Portland, Ore.

Faith still matters

Back to School

I support 100-percent Don Burgess’ letter (Letters, spring 2009) and would like to see more faith-based articles or stories. It is heart-warming to read and sense the strength that Seph’s mother (“Saving Seph,” winter 2008) emanates because of her faith in God. This country is great because of its Christian foundation. “Political correctness” seems to apply mostly to the Christian-Judeo principles which are to be “hushed.” All other faiths can speak out because of being minority or different. I’m proud for being a naturalized U.S. citizen. Thank you for your consideration.

I enjoyed the article “Back to School” in the winter 2008 issue of your tasteful magazine. As a distant baby boomer, I discovered that I think along similar lines as those baby boomers you see around the campus, and I may end up doing one or the other of the kind of things that motivate their return to school. I admire the idea of an NGO that will focus on issues relating to ethnic relations in Nigeria, a country of more than 250 ethnic groups or tribes. Frequent conflicts among them constitute the greatest danger to national cohesion and existence. You can see why I like your magazine; it brings DU and the pioneer spirit to me. It provokes thoughts, prompts actions, and you share the sentiments of the larger community. I therefore congratulate the editorial team, and the editor in particular, for a good job and thank the University authorities for making sacrifices in all fronts to make DU the pride of the civilized world.

Rose Langland (MSW ’64) Albuquerque, N.M.

Gender equality In the winter issue (Letters, winter 2008), a reader applauds DU for its efforts to make the campus more gay-friendly. I remember DU as a very conservative place—at least the administration was (not so the psychology or philosophy professors). For example, in 1969 students expressed their outrage about Kent State by gathering together and camping out on a grass lawn on campus. The administration didn’t like that and called the Denver police. The police could not, or would not, make the students move. The administration called the governor and asked for help from the National

Lawrence Anene (MA ’84, PhD ’91) Kaduna, Nigeria

Send letters to the editor to: Chelsey BakerHauck, University of Denver Magazine, 2199 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO 80208-4816. Or, e-mail [email protected]. Include your full name and mailing address with all submissions. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

9 Finance management 11 Student ministry 12 Textbook project 14 DPS partnership 16 Arboretum research 17 Education building 20 Student coffee shop 23 Tuition increase

Wayne Armstrong



Junior international studies major and Chinese student Sunny Xiong shows photography student Lauryn Strung Chinese calligraphy (the sign reads “peace”) at DU’s 26th annual Festival of Nations in April. The all-day festival, hosted by the International Student Organization, included music, traditional dance and ceremonies, international displays, decorations, food and other activities. DU enrolls 286 international undergraduate students from 51 nations and 387 international graduate students from 60 nations.



University of Denver Magazine Update 7

Top News

DU alumnus to spearhead faith-based initiatives in Obama administration By Jim Berscheidt



8 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Peter

Groff’s (JD ’92) final days as president of the Colorado Senate were spent working on a flurry of last-minute bills and preparing for his move to Washington, D.C. At the same time, the executive director of DU’s Center for New Politics and Policy—formerly the Center for African American Policy—also wrapped up his teaching commitments in the University’s Institute for Public Policy Studies. On April 10, President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan appointed Groff director of faith-based and community initiatives in the U.S. Department of Education. He began work on May 11, just five days after the end of the annual four-month gathering of state legislators. “I came to DU 12 years ago not really knowing what Chancellor [Dan] Ritchie had in mind, but the center really evolved over time,” says Groff. “I’ll really miss the classroom because I enjoyed the interaction with students.” The center’s evolution included the launch of the BlackPolicy.org Web site. In addition, Groff (pictured) and center co-director Charles Ellison—who is based in Washington, D.C.—began the Groff/Ellison Political Report. The two also collaborate on a political radio series on Sirius/ XM satellite radio. “Peter has done tremendously innovative work at the center,” says DU Provost Gregg Kvistad. “The political report, the radio show, the mobilization of young voters around policy issues at both the Democratic and Republican national conventions last year, and Peter’s teaching in our public policy program have contributed enormously to the University of Denver and the national political dialogue.” DU’s Center for New Politics and Policy will be suspended until Groff returns from Washington, although he readily admits he doesn’t know when that will be. “I’ll be there at least three and a half years,” says Groff, noting that the timing coincides with the end of the president’s first term. In the Department of Education, Groff will help empower faith-based and community groups, enlisting them in support of the department’s mission to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence. His work with the department began in late April when he began participating in daily conference calls with officials in the nation’s capital. Groff moved to Washington immediately after the state legislature ended its work. His wife and two children will follow during the summer. Groff was appointed Colorado’s sixth African-American state senator in February 2003 and was elected to a full term in November 2004. In January 2005, he was elected the body’s first African-American president pro tem; he was the third African-American in the nation’s history to hold the post of state Senate president. Groff began his career in state politics after being elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 2000. >>Read more about Groff at www.du.edu/today.

DU law, psychology ranked in top 100

Going through a divorce or losing a spouse is emotionally devastating. But it can also cause financial upheaval. Louis D’Antonio, a professor of finance and co-director of the Reiman School of Finance at the Daniels College of Business, is working on a project to provide basic financial education to underserved women. Working with partners at the California Institute of Finance at California Lutheran University, he is helping develop a Web-based program called BreakFreee (the extra “e” stands for empowerment). The Web site provides customized education modules for women—divorcees, seniors, single moms, teen moms, low-income women and widows. The program is specifically aimed at lower-income women, who often aren’t in a position to access traditional financial-planning services. The program, which is funded by a grant from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, seeks to help women alleviate financial concerns and stay out of financial difficulties by providing free, unbiased financial information. Topics include basic budgeting, financial paperwork organization, debt management, using credit, dealing with financial institutions, retirement and estate planning. Women who need more advanced information may access volunteer certified financial planners via e-mail. D’Antonio hopes to get business students involved in developing the content. The project has established a partnership with the YWCA of the Southwest to help identify women who need the service and provide them with computer access.

While most aspiring filmmakers tend to consider themselves movie buffs, Joe Brown, a firstyear graduate student studying filmmaking, says he’s never been well versed in pop culture. “I never even saw Home Alone,” jokes Brown, who studied philosophy and history as an undergraduate at the University of Colorado. Then again, calling Brown an aspiring filmmaker would be ignoring the fact that his first film, National Sacrifice Zone: Colorado and the Cost of Energy Independence, has been screened at several film festivals and now is part of the Wild and Scenic Film Festival’s national tour. “I’m really interested in the power of documentaries to address social issues,” says Brown, whose concern about oil and gas drilling in Colorado prompted him to begin exploring film. With established success and natural leadership, Brown stands out among his classmates, according to Sheila Schroeder, assistant professor of mass communications. “He brings a really wonderful critical understanding and questioning to the table that we don’t necessarily see from everyone,” says Schroeder. “Most students are not submitting their work to festivals, but Joe understands the importance of getting your work out to the public.” Educating the public on environmental issues motivates Brown, who chairs the Colorado Environmental Film Festival and has been commissioned by Denver Urban Gardens to make a documentary about the benefits of growing your own food and being part of a community. To balance film studies with what he considers more practical skills, Brown also is working toward a degree in library science. After graduation, he plans on pursuing either a doctorate in mass communications and cultural studies or a master’s of fine arts in film. But don’t expect Brown’s talent and ambition to lead to Hollywood, because both qualities stem from his belief that what makes film valuable to society is its ability to promote and effect change. And, at the end of the day, Brown wants nothing more from his film career than the opportunity to make “films about social issues and get them shown to as many people as possible with the hope they will lead to some discussion and help change something.”

—Jordan Ames

—Samantha Stewart

—Chase Squires

Web site helps women learn to manage finances



Joe Brown, mass comm and library science Wayne Armstrong

Two University of Denver graduate programs are ranked among the top 100 of their kind in the nation in the latest U.S. News & World Report annual “America’s Best Graduate Schools” report, released in April. The report lists the Sturm College of Law at No. 77, tied with seven other law schools. The ranking represents an 11-place jump over last year’s ranking. In legal specialties, DU ranked No. 9 in the country for part-time legal education; No. 15 for environmental law studies; No. 19 for tax law; and No. 33 for clinical training. DU’s Department of Psychology, tied with 10 other schools, is ranked at No. 91. The department offers graduate programs in child clinical psychology, affect science, child development and cognitive neuroscience. For its rankings, U.S. News & World Report incorporates expert opinion and statistical data collected on more than 1,200 programs.

One to watch

University of Denver Magazine Update 9

Sports

Ski-wiz By Kathryn Mayer

Lincoln Benedict/EISA

DU



has created a skiing dynasty. On March 14 the Pioneers ski team won its 20th NCAA national championship—more than any other Division I ski team and the fifth-highest number of championships won by any collegiate team in any sport. The championship was the team’s first winning meet all season. “What we’ve learned as athletes is that we prepare all season and improve throughout the season,” says alpine head coach Andy LeRoy, adding that the team put its energy into the meet that mattered most. Indeed. Coming into the final day of the 56th NCAA Ski Championships in Bethel, Maine, three teams were within three points. Denver pulled away in the final two events, beating second-place University of Colorado-Boulder by 56.5 points. New Mexico, Alaska-Anchorage and Vermont rounded out the top five. The rivalry between DU and CU wasn’t new this year; the two have shared dominance over American collegiate skiing for more than a halfcentury. Together, they have a combined 36 national titles in 56 championship meets. Colorado won a record eight consecutive titles in the 1970s; Denver won seven in a row in the 1960s. “It’s definitely a milestone in the course of DU history and skiing history altogether,” LeRoy says of the championship. “I’m proud and honored. To continue the legacy is pretty sweet.” Helping make that milestone was Antje Maempel, who became the second DU women’s skier to sweep the Nordic titles. (Lisbeth Johnsen took the classical and freestyle titles at the 1996 NCAA championships.) Maempel, a sophomore business major from Stuelzerbach, Germany, beat CU’s Alexa Turzian by just 0.5 seconds in the 15K freestyle. She also won the 5K classical, marking the 72nd and 73rd NCAA individual skiing titles in DU history. She was named MVP of the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association. “Every team member trained hard and did the best job when it counted,” Maempel says, adding that the team’s obstacles were particularly challenging this year. In addition to tough snow conditions all year, especially for alpine skiers, “we lost half the men’s team due to graduation,” Maempel says. Leif Haugen, a first-year international business major from Lommendalen, Norway, led DU’s alpine team, placing second in the men’s giant slalom and third in the slalom. Along with All-Americans Maempel and Haugen, Harald Lovenskiold earned All-American first-team honors in classical, Annelise Bailly earned first-team in freestyle and second-team in classical, and Mike Hinckley earned second-team honors in the men’s freestyle. The victory marked the Pioneers’ sixth national championship since 2000. DU also won in 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2008. The Pioneers have won 27 Division I NCAA team titles overall—20 in skiing and seven in hockey.

10 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

DU by the Numbers

Coors Fitness Center statistics 25,062

DU all a Twitter for networking site

Psychology professor studies teen depression

Average number of visits per month

16,238

Student visits per month

45

Fitness classes offered each week

2,800

Group fitness class participants per month

7

Trainers at the facility

105

Exercise machines (excluding free weights and fitness balls) Compiled by Tiffany Ulatowski, director of membership service

From cave paintings to the Gutenberg press to cell phones, methods of communication are ever evolving. “Social networking” is the latest trend to burst on the networking scene; it includes services such as Facebook, Myspace, text messaging applications and more. The University of Denver is on board, recently establishing a presence on a social networking service called Twitter. Twitter—with some 3 million users and growing—is about being brief, to-the-point and instantaneous. Sometimes called “micro-blogging,” the service intentionally limits users to shooting off short bursts of information limited to no more than 140 characters. Anyone can register for Twitter—for free—at www.Twitter. com. Users then can choose to follow everything from news organizations to corporations to personal friends. Once linked up, “followers” automatically get short bursts of information— tweets—which can be read online or even directed to cell phones. DU also has Facebook and YouTube pages. >>youtube.com/user/pioneervideo >>www.Twitter.com/uofdenver —Chase Squires

Student ministry makes lunches for laborers On any given Tuesday night, the Nelson Hall private dining room transforms into a prep kitchen as DU undergraduate students create piles of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Since fall 2008, students in the Foundation Campus Ministry have been assembling sack lunches for workers at El Centro Humanitario, an organization offering a safe, indoor place for workers to gather each day as they seek daily jobs. The project is the brainchild of Ryan Canaday, a student at the Iliff School of Theology who is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in justice and peace studies. In the fall, he took over the Wesley Foundation campus ministry. To go with the organization’s new name, Canaday was looking for a new way to get students involved in the community. At the first meeting, the group made 20 sack lunches. Since then, the size of the group—and the number of lunches the group turns out—has grown. The group now averages 30–50 students each week and produces around 100 lunches. Most of the supplies are donated by Sodexho, King Soopers and various private donors. The group hopes to increase the production to 200 lunches per week and is currently looking for a second organization to receive lunches.

If Benjamin Hankin can figure out why depression comes on and dramatically increases during adolescence, he hopes he can spare many people and their families from its debilitating effects. Hankin, associate professor of psychology at DU, has been studying depression for almost 15 years. He and his colleagues found that depression increases sixfold during adolescence in the high school years—when twice as many girls as boys become depressed. He is now hoping to find out why through two new research projects. Hankin is working with John Abela, professor of psychology at Rutgers, on the studies. One of their studies looked at 375 children and their parents for seven years, beginning when the children were ages 11–14. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and Canadian Institute for Health Research funded the study. The ongoing research looks for psychosocial predictors of depression. They’ve already found that pessimistic youth who experience more stress are the most likely to be depressed. They’ll follow the youths until ages 18–21, when they hope to have comprehensive data. The other study, the GeneEnvironment Mood, will follow 750 children and their families as the children progress through third, sixth and ninth grades. The five-year study, also funded by NIMH, aims to understand how genes, psychosocial factors and stress predict depression. —Kristal Griffith

—Jordan Ames



University of Denver Magazine Update 11

E-book project to provide free electronic texts

Pioneers Top 10

Progressive Rock Albums 1. The Beatles: Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

3. Yes: Close to the Edge (1972) 4. Genesis: Foxtrot (1972)

Wayne Armstrong

2. The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Electric Ladyland (1968)

For U.S. students, spending $150 on a textbook is an annoyance. But for many students in Uganda, purchasing a single textbook is simply impossible. There, the average price of a textbook is $51; a family’s annual income averages only $250. Daniels College of Business Professor Don McCubbrey (pictured) is working to solve the problem. Along with a team, he is working on the Global Text Project, which aims to provide up to 1,000 free, up-to-date electronic texts for students worldwide. Content contributors and advisory board members from approximately 50 universities and companies from around the world are helping. McCubbrey founded the Global Text Project in 2006 along with Richard Watson of the University of Georgia. When Watson was unable to find a suitable textbook for his undergraduate class on XML, he enlisted the help of his class of graduate students to write a text. He was pleased with the result and used it in future classes, each time asking his students to improve the content. McCubbrey, who had been doing his own research on open content, learned of Watson’s project and the pair decided to collaborate. In addition to compiling original books, the Global Text Project has received donations of textbooks from professors after the publisher’s copyright has reverted to the author. The donated books are digitized and updated by volunteer students and professors. Five books are available now and another 30 are in various stages of production. The collection will eventually encompass titles in disciplines typically encountered in freshman- and sophomore-level university undergraduate programs. The resulting electronic books are published online under a Creative Commons license. Users can access the texts through the Global Text Project Web site and then download, print or burn a CD or DVD of the text. Books will be translated into Arabic, Chinese and Spanish.

5. Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon (1973) 6. Led Zeppelin: Houses of the Holy (1973) 7. Marillion: Misplaced Childhood (1985) 8. Ozric Tentacles: Live Underslunky (1992) 9. Spock’s Beard: The Kindness of Strangers (1997) 10. The Mars Volta: Deloused in the Comatorium (2003) Compiled by arts, humanities and social sciences lecturer Jarl Ahlkvist with help from students who have taken his Progressive Music in the Rock Era course. Ahlkvist defines “progressive rock” as rock music that has a countercultural sensibility; combines rock music with other styles and traditions of music (such as folk, jazz and classical); places a high value on innovation, virtuosity and experimentation; and is self-consciously cerebral—a “thinking person’s rock music.” Ahlkvist says his list is biased in favor of albums combining these four elements in unique ways to make music that he enjoys.

—Jordan Ames

DU installs carbon monoxide detectors in all sleeping quarters The University of Denver installed more than 1,800 carbon-monoxide detectors in all Universityowned residences following the death of a graduate student in early January. The project cost about $50,000 and was funded through DU’s facility maintenance budget. Lauren Johnson, a student in DU’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies, died Jan. 5 from carbon monoxide poisoning in an off-campus apartment, which is not owned by the University. Five others also died from carbon monoxide poisoning in Colorado this winter. In March, the state legislature made detectors mandatory in new homes and apartments. Previously, carbon monoxide detectors were not required by building codes. Facilities Director Jeff Bemelen says the project is worth the expense and time to ensure the safety of all students. In addition to installing carbon monoxide detectors in every bedroom, detectors also were placed near boilers. Bemelen says the University’s efforts exceed the requirements of the new legislation. —Jim Berscheidt



12 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

Academics

Teaching a public identity By Samantha Stewart

Wayne Armstrong

With



the jagged blue outlines of the mountains rising to the west above the sprawling Mile High metropolis, it should be impossible for Denver’s inhabitants to undervalue the vast, wild lands that surround their civilized enclave. But, according to DU lecturer Lisa Dale, many residents of Colorado—both natives and transplants—take public land for granted, even when it’s beneath their very feet. “A lot of students like to go skiing but don’t realize that the only reason they are able to go skiing is because public lands exist,” says Dale, who teaches political science and environmental policy courses. Each spring, Dale teaches the core curriculum course This Land is Your Land: The Politics of Public Land Management in the U.S., which aims to educate students on the philosophy, history, policies and conflicts that affect the management of public lands. The course focuses on the West, where public lands account for almost 30 percent of the land base; that number is under 10 percent in the eastern U.S. “Understanding public lands is understanding the West,” says Dale, who moved to Colorado from New York 20 years ago. “Without public lands we wouldn’t spend our weekends skiing, backpacking, riding mountain bikes or hiking. We’d spend them at the mall like they do on the East Coast.” Students learn about public land policies—governing forest management, fire management, motorized and nonmotorized recreation, wildlife habitat protection and wilderness designation— and the resulting conflicts. The course also incorporates the disciplines of natural resource management, ecology, law and public administration. The course “made me realize just how tenuous the balance is between our need for resources and our need to keep wild places relatively untouched,” says senior U.S. Forest Service Recreation Planner Cat Luna shows DU students the evidence of illegal shooting at Left Hand Canyon near Boulder. finance major Brad Pugh, who hails from Dayton, Ohio. To emphasize the challenges of public land management, Dale requires students to attend a field trip outside of class. One such trip takes students to Left Hand Canyon just outside Boulder, Colo., where disputes between those opposed to recreational shooting and motorized vehicle use in the area and those in favor of such use have been particularly contentious. Dale hopes that by understanding the issues—and how the process of policy formation allows for public input—students will take a stand. “If we want public lands to persist, we have a vested interest in following events and being an advocate for what we care about.” Cassandra Wich—a junior international studies major from Fort Collins, Colo.—intends to play her part. After taking the course, she says, “I am more interested in seeing what Congress is doing in regards to environmental law. I have even considered going into the field after attending law school.” And even if students never apply the knowledge they take from her course, Dale believes that the lessons are integral to a DU education. “For students to graduate from a university in the West without realizing the context for where they live and why it matters would be incomplete.” University of Denver Magazine Update 13

Parent to Parent

Advise students to tap career center internship resources Following his junior year, our son Joe accepted an internship from Northwestern Mutual’s Cunningham Financial Group in Denver. The internship is rated as one of vault.com’s top-10 internships for real work experience. Early in the application process, Joe realized he needed a resumé and a cover letter that would set him apart from the 200 other internship applicants. Before his first interview with Northwestern Mutual, Joe scheduled an appointment in the DU Career Center, where Internship Director John Haag helped him craft a resumé and cover letter specific to the position he was applying for. Joe learned quickly that he wasn’t going to be making copies and running to the coffee shop for the boss. As a Northwestern Mutual intern, he would be doing almost the same thing as the full-time financial representatives. Joe earned his Colorado life and health insurance license and participated in a weeklong training course provided by Northwestern. While the objective of most internships is to “get your feet wet,” Joe’s internship had him diving right into the pool. Throughout the summer, Joe met clients daily and progressively built his client book and business, ranking among the top 10 percent of interns nationally for total production. He reached a benchmark set by the local managing partner for a paid trip to the Northwestern Mutual annual meeting in Milwaukee. When school started again in fall 2008, Joe was invited back to continue as an intern with Northwestern Mutual, which he accepted. Although Joe had a terrific internship under his belt, Haag suggested he broaden his experience to make himself more competitive in the job market after graduation. Haag put Joe in contact with the vice president of investments at a local UBS branch, resulting in another excellent internship. We would encourage any student considering an internship to visit the Career Center and build a close relationship with the center’s staff. They can help students with the internship search, resumé preparation and interview skills that can open doors to a future career. —Jean and Richard Wittels Jean has worked in DU’s disability services office for 11 years; Richard has worked as a master electrician at DU for 10 years. Their son Joe will graduate from DU in June 2009 with a BSBA in economics.



14 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

DU partners with Denver Public Schools on new teacher program DU and Denver Public Schools (DPS) officials have a new partnership designed to attract, cultivate and support exceptional teachers in high-need subjects and schools within the district. When the Denver Teacher Residency program reaches its peak enrollment in a few years, almost one-quarter of new teachers DPS recruits each year—currently more than 400—will receive training through the University. The program is modeled after a medical residency. Participants will earn both a teaching license and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from DU’s Morgridge College of Education and will receive a $10,000 stipend during their residency year. During the second year of the program, residents will be hired as full-time teachers receiving customized mentoring and support. They will receive full tuition reimbursement after completing a five-year commitment in district schools. “The Morgridge College of Education is working hard to break the traditional mold, remaking itself into a catalyst for education reform,” says DU Chancellor Robert Coombe. Last year, Janus Capital Group established the Janus Education Alliance, a public-private partnership with DPS, to raise the caliber of education and educators in DPS. The Denver Teacher Residency program is a critical component of the Janus Education Alliance. —Jim Berscheidt

Construction on Cherrington Hall additions under way The Cherrington Global Scholars program sends DU students to the world; two new additions to Cherrington Hall will bring the world to DU. Bustling on the building’s south side are construction crews hard at work creating a distinctive 5,460-square-foot office and classroom annex, and a 1,656-square-foot office and video-conference complex west of that. When completed mid-August, the main annex will house the Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. The west addition will house the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures, a project that uses computers to analyze and forecast global trends and developments. The Sié Chéou-Kang Center will identify rising stars in the intelligence community, military and diplomatic corps of key Asian states and the United States and invite them to DU for two or three-week bursts of medium- and long-range strategic planning, says Korbel School Dean Tom Farer. The Sié Center also is aimed at establishing itself as a magnet for the nation’s brightest students, who will serve as junior research fellows. All this will unfold as a $3.5 million construction element designed to harmonize with the DU campus while reminding admirers of Asian styling. Among distinctive elements will be a stone exterior patterned to align with the strong expression of the existing “International Style” Cherrington Hall but detailed in a manner that references much of the recent work on campus, says University Architect Mark Rodgers. Some references to traditional Asian architecture include a roof of blue-glazed Japanese tiles and a courtyard garden of rock forms focused on a magnolia tree, Rodgers says. The additions are being built to LEED standards, Rodgers says, and also will provide significant enhancements to the heating, cooling and fresh air systems in Cherrington Hall. —Richard Chapman

Research

Jewish pioneers on the frontier trail By Kathryn Mayer

Courtesy of Beck Archives, Special Collections, Penrose Library and Center for Judaic Studies, University of Denver

You



could say that being a New Yorker influenced Jeanne Abrams to become a Westerner. Abrams, a professor at Penrose Library and director of the Beck Archives and the Center for Judaic Studies’ Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society, moved from New York to Denver in 1973 and embarked on a career researching Jewish history in the West. Her work was inspired, in part, by a 1976 cover of The New Yorker on which New York was pictured as the biggest part of the world. The West was “a footnote at that point,” Abrams points out—a reflection of many people’s mindsets. “It’s been my passion for 25–30 years to deconstruct that myth.” That passion led Abrams to write Jewish Women Pioneering the Frontier Trail: A History in the American West (New York University Press, 2006)—the first academic book to trace the contributions of Jewish women in the American West. The West, Abrams says, was historically more open for women to fully integrate than the East had been. “The West was an area where risktaking was acceptable,” she says, noting that early pioneers were still able to maintain a Jewish identity. “The [area] was definitely more progressive in terms of education and professional development. “Going West or growing up in the West signaled promise for many Jewish women.” Abrams studied the lives of hundreds of women, drawing on historical records and personal memoirs dating The Denver section of the National Council of Jewish Women sponsored a kosher picnic near Leadville, Co., in 1895. back to the mid-1800s. The book chronicles a history full of firsts. Francis Wisebart Jacobs, “Denver’s mother of charity,” helped establish the national Jewish Hospital in Denver, the city’s first free kindergarten and the Community Chest (which evolved into the national United Way). In the 1920s, Californian Florence Prag Kahn became the first Jewish woman to serve in the U.S. Congress. “She won election in her own right after she filled in for her husband [following his death],” Abrams says. Seraphine Eppstein Pisko served as head of National Jewish Hospital—likely the first Jewish woman in the U.S. to serve as chief executive of a national institution. Jewish women were at the forefront of the women’s suffrage movement, Abrams says, but even before they were allowed to vote, many Jewish women in the West had “access to power circles” that enabled them to influence the men who could vote. Abrams also found that women often pioneered the organization of public Jewish life. For example, in the mid-1870s the Jewish population of Cheyenne, Wyo., was about 40 when Bertha Myers established the city’s first Jewish religious school. “As one of the smallest groups among western female immigrants, Jewish women were unusual in their disproportionate public visibility,” Abrams writes in the introduction to her book. “Although they were rarely revolutionary, they often opened new doors of opportunity for themselves and future generations in a region that allowed them ‘a place to grow.’” University of Denver Magazine Update 15

Mark Jensen/ iStockphoto

Students record tree-bud data for global science project



When first-year DU science students sign up for Professor Buck Sanford’s newest class, they have really signed up for something bigger: a real-life probe into global warming. For their class lab work, students measured tree buds as leaves emerged this spring. Then they upload weekly findings into global databases being assembled for scientists to study today and for decades into the future. Sanford says scientists around the world are studying records of bud development to see if global warming is affecting how early tree leaves emerge. With an army of 180 students taking his labs in the spring quarter, and DU’s collection of trees in the campus-wide arboretum, the University has an opportunity to deliver a valuable snapshot of activity in Denver every spring. Every tree on campus is tagged with a number, so students in future generations can find the exact same tree today’s students are studying. A student selects a bud on a tree and tags the area so the same bud can be revisited. Then, for the next five weeks, students measure their selected bud three times a week and chart its growth as a leaf emerges and starts to grow. Students join in a campaign called Project BudBurst, which gathers data in a scientific field called phenology— the study of the influence of climate on annual natural events, such as plant budding and bird migration. They register on a Web site and upload their data, which is then made available to scientists around the world. Sanford says his class isn’t pushing any one theory of global warming. Rather, it’s testing the hypothesis that something is altering the life cycle of plants around the world.

16 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

—Chase Squires

From the start, the U.S. military’s Human Terrain Team program, which assigns anthropologists and other social scientists to units in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been controversial. Proponents say that the cultural insights provided by the teams help prevent conflict and contribute to more successful initiatives; critics consider the program an exploitation of social sciences for political gain. Peter Van Arsdale, a cultural anthropologist and senior lecturer at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, acknowledges the program’s flaws but believes the military can ethically utilize social science. For two years, Van Arsdale has been working with a team assembled by eCrossCulture, a Boulder-based cultural-consulting firm, to improve methods of ethnographic data gathering. The team’s funding comes from the Office of Naval Research. The office’s interest in Human Terrain Teams prompted them to grant awards to four U.S. research groups. Since receiving the “phase one” award last year, the eCrossCulture group has worked to determine the most effective combination of rapid assessment procedures. The procedures allow researchers to determine the important ethnographic features of an area in a short period of time. To test the team’s theories, Van Arsdale recruited Angie Bengtson and Jon Chu, second-year international development master’s students at the Korbel School. Bengtson and Chu spent a month in Ethiopia during the winter interterm conducting water-related research in separate villages. They used rapid assessment procedures such as informant interviews, participant observation and focus groups. By providing the military with the necessary tools to understand and engage indigenous cultures, Van Arsdale says he hopes the human costs of conflict can be reduced.

Illustration by Carl Dalio

Research aims to improve military-civilian interface

New education ‘centerpiece’ gets off ground Construction kicked off in late February for DU’s newest building project, a $21.4 million new college of education building. The Katherine A. Ruffatto Hall of the Morgridge College of Education will be a “centerpiece of the future,” Chancellor Robert Coombe said at the building’s groundbreaking. The new building (pictured) will house the Morgridge College, the Learning Effectiveness Program and Disability Services Program. “The next 10 years will see this University become one of the very strongest and most impactful of universities in this country,” Coombe said. “And this building and this program are an enormous part of that.” Mike Ruffatto and his late wife, Joan, donated $5 million to the project in honor of their daughter, Katherine Ruffatto. Carrie and John Morgridge’s $10 million gift helped spearhead construction. Occupancy of the 73,568-square-foot building is slated for mid-June 2010. Go to www.du.edu/today to read more about the project and College of Education benefactors Mike and Joan Ruffatto, Carrie and John Morgridge, Cydney and Tom Marsico, Steve and Gayle Mooney, and the Boettcher Foundation. —Richard Chapman

—Samantha Stewart

Volleyball and women’s tennis teams recognized for academic achievement Two University of Denver sports programs were among nearly 800 Division I teams recognized by the NCAA in April for top academic performance. Based on their most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rates, the DU women’s volleyball team and women’s tennis team earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards. These awards are given each year to teams with rates among the top 10 percent in each sport. Teams receiving public recognition awards this year posted rates ranging from 976 to a perfect 1,000. Both DU programs earned scores of 1,000. The Academic Progress Rate provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester or quarter by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The rate includes eligibility, retention and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport. The 767 teams publicly recognized this year for high achievement represent 11.9 percent of the approximately 6,484 Division I teams. The list includes 448 women’s teams and 319 men’s or mixed squads. The average GPA for DU student-athletes is 3.3, and the graduation rate is 80 percent. —Media Relations Staff



University of Denver Magazine Update 17

People

A child’s wild wish By Nathan Solheim

Donny

and Missy Willis used to have an autumn ritual. They’d polish their rifles, dust off their tent, load the car and head out on their annual hunting trip to the majesties of northwestern Colorado. Every year, they’d have to tell Missy’s son, Jeremy Ledbetter, he’d have to stay home. And every year, he’d tell his mom he was going to go hunting some day, no matter what. It was as predictable as the aspens turning yellow in the fall. Missy Wallis hated to leave her son at home, but she couldn’t risk it. Ledbetter has a rare terminal illness—mitochondrial intestinal neurogastric encephalopathy—that makes outdoor adventure almost impossible. His condition requires a nearconstant hook-up to a central line, he needs a ventilator to sleep, and when the 18-year-old isn’t in pain (he must take morphine every four hours), he’s suffering from fatigue. He’s had more than 100 surgeries. But last fall, Gene Schoonveld (BSBA ’60) helped Ledbetter break the routine. Schoonveld serves on the board of directors of Child’s Wish—a charity affiliated with the United Special Sportsman Alliance—which connects terminally ill children with guides, landowners or game ranches willing to donate hunting or fishing excursions. “For some reason, they have a real interest in going hunting,” Schoonveld says of the kids the charity serves. “I don’t question it at all. You just try to get an idea of their physical limitations and do everything possible to make their wish come true.” When Schoonveld got Ledbetter’s request, he visited him at home in Loveland, Colo., assessed his needs and started putting together plans for a deer hunt. Mike McQuay of Antlers Extreme Outfitters in Craig, Colo., donated a mule deer hunt, and Schoonveld altered one of his own rifles so Ledbetter could shoot it. He even arranged for the young man to take his hunter’s safety courses at home. In the process, the two developed a close bond. “He was like an adopted grandfather to Jeremy,” Missy Wallis recalls. That’s nothing unusual for Schoonveld; the 71-year-old Fort Collins resident has three children and six grandchildren and, like a lot of grandfathers, he’s spent a lifetime in the woods. He started hunting birds during his youth in southern Illinois and continued hunting big game during his teens in Colorado. While attending DU, he even skipped a few classes to go deer hunting, thinking no one would notice. He apparently didn’t know legendary business law professor JJ Johnston well enough: “In the next class, he called me on it,” Schoonveld laughs. In those days, the College of Business was downtown, and Schoonveld did double duty as a student and aircraft mechanic for United Airlines and the old Frontier Airlines. Schoonveld joined the Navy after graduation, spending two years as an officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown and two years ashore at the Fleet Operations Control Center in Hawaii. After his discharge, Schoonveld used his DU degree to land a job as a district manager for General Motors in northern Alberta, Canada. Though he had no trouble finding a job, Schoonveld never lost interest in hunting or biology, so after four years in the frozen North, he enrolled at Colorado State University and earned a master’s degree in animal physiology and nutrition. Schoonveld then took a job as a wildlife research biologist with the Colorado Division of Wildlife. During his 32 years with the agency, he worked with many of the state’s wildlife species and was responsible for reintroducing moose to the state. After retirement in 2003, Schoonveld got involved with Child’s Wish while consulting for Bio-Tec Research, a Wisconsinbased wildlife feed producer closely associated with the charity. As the charity’s point man in the West, he’s organized 15 hunting trips for kids from across the country. “Gene is an asset in many aspects to our charity,” says Brigid O’Donoghue, Bio-Tec CEO and Child’s Wish founder. “Along with his background in conservation and natural resources, he is very devoted to the children.” Schoonveld accompanies the kids through their entire trip, helping them travel across challenging terrain, seeing to their comfort and making sure their medical needs are met. One fall day a few years ago, he found himself asking permission from an Inuit tribe in Alaska for four of his kids to hunt black bear on their lands. A few days later, he helped drag a bear out of the swampy Alaskan muskeg. Over the years, he’s also taken kids elk hunting in Colorado and whitetail deer hunting in Oklahoma.



18 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

Wayne Armstrong

Schoonveld takes care to educate the children as much as possible. On hunts, he’ll tell them about the biology of the animal they’re hunting as well as its habitat. He also instructs the teens on gun safety and how to properly dress an animal after the kill. He’s even arranged to have animals mounted by taxidermists who donate their time and skill. On last year’s trip with Ledbetter, McQuay spotted a nice mule deer. Ledbetter did his best to crawl through the sagebrush and cactus with McQuay’s help. When they were close enough, Ledbetter popped up, took a shot … and missed. They moved closer. The next shot found its mark, and the youngster had his first mule deer. It was a Western fourpointer, which means it had eight total points in its rack. Schoonveld had gone to fetch lunch for the group when he heard the shots. “Gene’s a pretty cool guy; he doesn’t say a whole lot. But when he found out [Jeremy] got one, he was very emotional,” McQuay remembers. “He said it was probably the toughest hunt he’d ever been on.” For Ledbetter, bagging the deer was a dream come true. For Schoonveld, it was a successful hunt for a kid who really, really needed it. For all the children he helps, Schoonveld’s trips are the thrill of a lifetime. And for most, it’s their last. “It’s very demanding and emotionally draining, but it’s also very rewarding, especially when they’ve been successful,” Schoonveld says. “It can also be very difficult when the hunt is over and you put them on the plane knowing this is their last hunting trip, and in all probability, it’s the last time you’ll see them.” Ledbetter, though, is still hanging on and already talking about his next hunt and a new fall ritual. “After I got home last year and we all talked about how much fun it was, we started talking about going again,” Ledbetter says. “We’re going for antelope this year.” >>www.childswish.com



University of Denver Magazine Update 19

Coffee shop run, managed by HRTM students

Jeff Haessler

The distinctive sound of the espresso machine cuts through the quiet murmurs of students studying together at Beans, DU’s newest spot for a cup of joe. The small student-run coffee shop in the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management (HRTM) building has been serving students, faculty and staff since October 2008. HRTM director David Corsun envisioned Beans when he took the helm of the school in 2007. “We had this fabulous facility, a real learning laboratory, but the space that is now Beans was completely underutilized,” Corsun says. “I knew we could use the space more productively and leverage it to educate students.” Corsun taught a food and beverage entrepreneurship class in spring 2008. Under Corsun’s tutelage, the nine students in the class drafted the business plan for the full-service student-run coffee shop. The University invested $20,000 in new fixtures and furniture for the shop, which opened in fall with a full staff of students. Beans is open from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. on Fridays during fall, winter and spring quarters. The shop serves a full range of coffees, teas, pastries and snacks. Corsun plans to expand the shop’s offerings to include lunch items and smoothies and wants students to be responsible for marketing Beans, managing the other hourly employees, and monitoring and presenting the weekly profit-and-loss statement. The students also will develop a plan to create a “Beans at Dusk” happy hour/wine bar on Friday afternoons. Corsun also plans to work with the School of Art and Art History to provide rotating gallery space for student artwork. —Jordan Ames

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09.Recreation_halfpage_Ad_Summer.v2.indd 1

20 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

3/27/2009 1:03:06 PM

Battery-powered vehicles help campus safety patrol and save money

Westword, Denver’s “alternative” weekly newspaper, released its annual “Best Of” collection of the weird, wacky and wonderful in Denver, and as usual, DU wasn’t left out. For 2009, the University has garnered meritorious mention in two distinct categories: ceramics and cookbooks. The culinary citation offers praise to Penrose Library for the 9,000 books and magazines that comprise its famed Margaret Husted Culinary Collection. It won “Best Way to Spice Up the Kitchen Like It’s 1899.” The “Best Ceramics Show” award honors Myhren Gallery for the show that director Dan Jacobs organized of “eye-popping” sculpture done over four decades by artist Paul Soldner. Images of his work can be found at www.paulsoldner. com. The Husted cookery collection includes tips on food and health published as far back 1683 and is one of the three largest such collections in the United States. The material was acquired by the Boettcher Foundation and donated to the University in 1985. DU has been included in Westword’s list on a number of occasions over the years for accomplishments from art to athletics. Examples include Cab Childress, who was named Best Architectural Visionary in 2004, and DU hockey, which earned Best College Sports Team honors in 2005. The Ritchie Center was named Best New Building in 2000, and former DU forward Paul Stastny was designated Best Avalanche player in 2007. The Westword selections are chosen largely by nominations from staffers, but some unscientific public balloting also occurs.

Campus Safety has saved some green by going green, purchasing two batterypowered vehicles in lieu of new gasoline-powered patrol cars. The T3 model vehicles have been in use since late November. T3s come with two rechargeable batteries, each of which lasts for an eight-hour shift and takes three to four hours to recharge. Campus Safety has set the T3s to a maximum speed of 12 mph. The initial investment, at about $11,000 per vehicle, was less than two-thirds the price of purchasing two traditional patrol vehicles. Each costs about 20 cents per day to operate, compared to the $25 per day average fuel cost for a single patrol vehicle. After two years of service, Campus Safety Director Don Enloe says, the T3s will pay for themselves through savings in fuel costs alone. Aside from clean-energy and cost-efficiency, T3 models have a number of advantages over other clean-energy vehicles, Enloe says. T3s come equipped with warning lights, sirens and a raised platform that affords the operator greater visibility. Additionally, the three-wheeled T3 provides greater stability than a two-wheeled Segway, and the T3’s zero-degree turn radius makes it more maneuverable than a golf cart.

—Richard Chapman

—Samantha Stewart

Wayne Armstrong

DU makes Denver’s ‘Best of’ list

Business students take top honors in national competition A five-member team from DU’s Daniels College of Business edged out competitors from some of the nation’s leading business schools in March to take top honors in the sixth annual Race & Case competition. The event combines a business ethics case competition and NASTAR ski/snowboard challenge at Vail Mountain Resort. This year’s DU team beat out squads from Brigham Young, George Washington, Colorado-Boulder, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rice, Southern Methodist University, Wake Forest, South Carolina and Boston University. The competition was launched in 2004 by members of the Graduate Business Student Association to complement the Daniels commitment to the teaching and practice of business ethics. Each team was given three weeks to prepare a presentation about a case focusing on managerial ethics in a corporate environment. The teams gathered in Denver on Feb. 27 to present their recommendations on the case to a panel of 13 volunteer judges, including executives from Janus Capital Corp., Time Warner Telecom, Re/Max International and Grant Thornton LLP. Following the case, the teams traveled to Vail, where they competed in a ski and snowboard competition designed to test the members’ athletic prowess. The University of Pittsburgh team won the case competition and the team from Colorado-Boulder took top honors in the race. The overall winner was the team from DU, followed by the University of Pittsburgh in second place, the University of South Carolina in third place and Brigham Young in fourth place. —Jordan Ames



University of Denver Magazine Update 21

Q&A

Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute Executive Director James van Hemert on sustainability Interview by Richard Chapman

Q A

What does your institute do to promote sustainability?

We address fundamental land use, transportation policy and regulatory matters on a regional and national scale. We tackle issues that truly will have a long-term impact on sustainability. We also work to oppose “greenwashing”—a veneer placed on an unsustainable practice that makes it appear green.

Q

The history of the West is rich with stories of independence and ruggedness. Yet, sustainability is about compromise and cooperation. Does this pose special problems?

A

The history of the West actually is as much about compromise and cooperation as it is about independence and ruggedness. Case in point: FasTracks, the expansion of regional light rail in Denver. Fifteen years ago people were saying we would never ride trains here because we’re rugged individualists and don’t travel this way. Look what’s happening! It’s the largest expansion of light rail in the country.

Q A

It’s been said that Americans favor sustainable practices for everyone but themselves. Is this true?

It’s true for many of us. We’re willing to do a few convenient things, such as buying a hybrid car, recycling, using reusable grocery bags and using public transit for some trips. What we need to do is to make wasteful or unsustainable ways socially unacceptable. Second, change the underlying structures, institutions and financial incentives to work in a way that supports sustainable living. We need to make the green choice the easy choice. One example is Denver’s upgraded recycling program. They made the containers bigger and learned to sort the items, and the amount they collected doubled.

Q A

Q A

What are the most important changes in housing and employment that people of the West must embrace?

Q A

America has built a society that is auto-dependent. How do we fix that?

Q A

How do we overcome resistance to changes that are at the heart of the sustainability movement?

The smaller your house, the smaller your carbon and ecological footprint. And those houses should be near transit. Unfortunately, the middle class likes the idea more than the practice. People will choose a neighborhood because it has light rail nearby, but they won’t take that rail. Also, we need to make housing-use more flexible. Our view of what you can do with your property is far too rigid.

We’ve got to advocate for less automobile-dependent new development and more retrofitting and in-fill development within cities. We have to double our urban densities. That doesn’t mean high-rise living. Amsterdam has a very comfortable density, and there’s hardly a building in Amsterdam that’s more than five stories. It’s one of the most beautiful, comfortable cities, and it doesn’t feel crowded or cramped.

Social marketing. We need to craft messages rather than just preach and pound on the podium. We need to change our systems and be really clever so people think they’re doing it the easy, convenient way.

What are the three most important sustainable practices that people should adopt?

No. 1 is to lower vehicle miles traveled. Instead of making all those trips by car, use a bike, walk, ride a bus or combine errands so that you don’t make separate trips. No. 2 is to buy



less stuff. No. 3 is to live in an urban environment with mobility options and mixed land uses so you can leave your car in the garage and walk and bike to places in your neighborhood. Your choice of where to live has a profound impact. Also, support higher-density zoning and backyard “carriage houses”—the kind of things that make a city more urban.

22 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

The Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute at DU’s Sturm College of Law was created in 1992 to conduct research and educational programs on legal and public policy issues related to land use and development. Audio and visual media of more than 30 panels and lectures from the institute’s 2009 conference are available at www.law.du.edu/ rmlui.

Upcoming tuition increase is the smallest in a decade

Volunteer Spotlight

Scott Steiss Wayne Armstrong

Scott Steiss says he is creating a “different kind of abundance” in his life as a volunteer for the Graduate School of Social Work’s Bridge Project. The Bridge Project is a nonprofit whose mission is to provide educational opportunities to children living in Denver public housing. Steiss, who is a commodities trader for BlueLinx Corp., began volunteering in 2006 as a tutor at Bridge’s South Lincoln site. Quickly, though, he and the site’s administrator both realized that Steiss had more to offer. “I was more interested in helping the kids with life skills,” says Steiss. “I’d bring in job applications, conduct mock interviews and talk about their goals.” The site’s director suggested that Steiss also become a mentor. That’s when Steiss met Vinnie Cruz, a high school student living in South Lincoln Homes, a public housing project. Steiss remembers that their first meeting ended with a unique bonding moment. He had taken Cruz to a Nuggets game and then drove him home. “At the end of the night, I went to give Vinnie a handshake, and he shook my hand in a sort of gangster-style handshake. I’m pretty white,” Steiss jokes, “so he said to me, ‘You can help me with school and I’ll help you with the handshakes.’” Thus began a friendship that now includes “cheesy text messages,” sporting events and dinners up to three times a month, and lots of straight talk. Recently, Steiss took Cruz out to dinner to talk to him about his goals after graduation. Cruz is attending the Life Skills Center and should graduate in December. Cruz hinted that he may join the Army. Steiss clearly outlined the path that the Bridge Project could provide, including a full scholarship to college, if Cruz works hard on his grades and entrance exams. Cruz says he is still weighing his options but believes Steiss has had a positive impact on his life. “I’m guessing that if Scott wasn’t around, I’d be getting into trouble with kids where I live,” says Cruz. “Scott’s a good guy, and I’m glad I’ve got him as my mentor.” >>www.du.edu/bridgeproject

In February, the University announced that for the 2009–10 academic year, tuition will increase by 4.9 percent—DU’s smallest tuition hike in a decade. Effective in fall 2009, tuition for full-time undergraduate students will be $34,596. With room, board and mandatory student fees, the total cost for undergraduates is $44,977, a 4.8 percent increase. For some graduate programs, students enrolling in 12 to 18 credit hours per quarter will be charged a flat rate (tuition equivalent to 12 credit hours), or $34,596 for the academic year. Nearly 80 percent of DU undergraduates receive financial assistance, and the University has promised to continue increasing the amount of aid available. During the 2006–07 academic year, DU invested $42.5 million in undergraduate need and merit-based assistance. In 2007–08, the University spent $47.8 million, and this academic year DU is projected to spend $50.3 million—an increase of more than 20 percent in three years. The financial aid office works closely with families to help them find assistance from a variety of sources. —Jim Berscheidt

—Janalee Card Chmel



University of Denver Magazine Update 23 DU_Alumni_Du_Today_1/4page.indd 1

7/1/08 1:26:11 PM

Arts

Falling away from memory By Janalee Card Chmel

For

the past 16 years, Barbara Sanders (BFA ’72) has been pioneering an art form known as “photogravure.” Like pioneers in any field, her path has often been challenging, confusing and, yes, messy. “I like icky inks,” she says with a laugh. Photogravure is actually a centuries-old printmaking technique that was all but lost after World War II. Though Sanders had been introduced to other printmaking forms during her studies at the University of Denver, she learned about photogravure in 1993 during a class she took at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Her life since has been a quest to perfect her own process and art. The photogravure process is quite intricate. Fundamentally, it involves printing photographs using etched metallic plates. But that’s a deceptively simple description. While each artist’s process is slightly different, today Sanders’ list of materials includes: digital images, an ink-jet printer, overhead transparency paper, carbon tissue (a hard-to-find thin paper with a gelatinous film), UV light, a mezzotint screen (which she purchased from a man in Sweden), mirror-finished copper, ferric chloride and ink. During the process, a positive image is exposed on light-sensitive carbon tissue, which adheres to the copper plate so that when etched, varying depths of holes based on the dark and light aspects of the image are created. Sanders then spreads ink onto the surface of the plate, wiping off any excess. The plate is used to transfer the inky image to cotton rag paper. Why go through this involved, unpredictable process to print a photo? “One of the joys of gravure is the clarity,” Sanders says. “There is a brilliant contrast of white and dark but with this great continuous tone. If you get up close to a gravure, the paper is not shiny. The blacks are black, and everything else is a continuation of that black. “It was explained to me that when you create a gravure, the little drops of ink are absorbed into the paper, so there is a third dimension,” Sanders says. “With a photo on traditional silver paper, you’re looking at all one plane. Photogravure is three-dimensional.” “From the beginning, I recognized Barbara’s dedication to her projects along with her willingness to spend the time and energy to get the results she wanted,” recalls Dodie Warren, who introduced Sanders to the technique at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. “In class, we had some stunning successes and some disasters, and she seemed to like the challenges.” Sanders’ patience and persistence are paying off. One of her prints, titled View, is on tour with the Texas Photographic Society’s “Alternative Processes” exhibition. That print, like many that Sanders works on today, is of a historic ranch in Steamboat Springs, Colo., where she lives. “I’ve always tried to immerse myself in the places I live,” says Sanders. “As I travel around the West and the Southwest, I am drawn to crumbling, ancient and modern stone and wood structures. I am distressed that the history is falling away from memory. I try to capture fragments, which will mean something when the buildings are gone and the stories forgotten.” >>www.steamboatgallery.com



24 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009



University of Denver Magazine Update 25

All images courtesy of the Colorado Historical Society. Denver Post, Nov. 7, 1919. Page 1.

Colorado’s College War In 1919, a series of bombings turned a football rivalry between DU and the School of Mines into all-out intercollegiate war. By Richard Chapman



26 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

U

niversity Hall crouches like a stone lion. Its rough walls ripple, a mane of oatmeal rock against a sleek sandstone coat. The look speaks of power and permanence and is so regal it’s easy to overlook the two dozen or so curious rectangles clinging to the sides of the building like handholds on a climbing wall. The metal boxes aren’t adornments. They cover thick steel pins that skewer the building and bind the leonine edifice tight. Some in the campus community know the story of the pins. A few, like James Gibson (BA ’50), grew up hearing about them from his dad, who reminisced about the pins. And the broken windows. And the dynamite. And the red paint. And the November day in 1919 when he and five DU classmates were stripped, shaved, branded and marched through the streets of Golden like prisoners of war.

T

he America of 90 years ago was very different. Prohibition had just begun. Flight was in its infancy. Women couldn’t vote. World War I had just ended, and the Spanish flu pandemic was still killing millions. The White Sox threw the World Series, and fear of “anarchists and Reds” had the public in panic. In Colorado, a bitter coal strike shivered the state and forced the governor to send troops to the mines. Record cold was reported, and the workday in Denver was limited to six hours. The University of Denver, unable to heat its buildings, closed campus for two weeks until the “coal famine” was resolved. The only diversion was news coverage of the pursuit and capture of William Carlisle, the Parlor Car Bandit, named for his “courtly manners” during train robberies. DU in 1919 was known as the “Ministers” or “Fighting Pastors.” The school was 55 years old and boasted 1,800 students. It had 120 faculty members, dental, law and “commerce” schools, and prided itself on being the first university west of New York to offer college credit for training Scoutmasters. Tuition was $150. DU had a football team but no stadium and competed in an athletic conference with CU, Colorado College, CSU (then Colorado A&M) and Colorado School of Mines. Hazing was rampant, as were college pranks. Some were as innocent as a cow ending up in a University Hall classroom. Others were more inventive, such as when members of the Beta fraternity stuffed a sophomore named Joseph Hoery into a coffin-like wooden crate, nailed the top shut, wrapped the box with rope, then summoned a freight service to deliver the crate to a female student in Templin Hall, the women’s dormitory on the northeast corner of Josephine Street and Evans Avenue. DU’s archrival was the School of Mines, where students so often rode through Golden firing revolvers and dropping sticks of dynamite for fun that the newspapers started calling them the “Blasters” and “Dynamiters” instead of the “Orediggers.” So it might not have been a surprise when at 4:15 a.m. on Nov. 6, 1919, a series of huge dynamite explosions shattered the quiet DU dawn. The blasts rocked beds in Templin Hall so fiercely that residents thought there was an earthquake, according to newspaper accounts at the time. The explosions blew out about 100 windows in University Hall, the Iliff School of



Theology, Carnegie Library and Memorial Chapel. The shock wave cracked University Hall. “If all the dynamite planted on our campus had exploded simultaneously, it would have knocked down our buildings and destroyed life,” Chancellor Henry Buchtel told the Rocky Mountain News. Miraculously, no one was injured, and no buildings fell down. Altogether, four bombs exploded. Ground zero was about 200 feet southwest of University Hall in an empty field where the Mary Reed Building stands today. One bomb failed to detonate—a clutch of five dynamite sticks whose fuse had been lit but which hadn’t gone off. An empty dynamite crate was found on University Boulevard. School of Mines students were blamed. The night before, “slight” explosions had been heard, but neither damage nor injury resulted. Signs reading “Get D.U.” and “Give ’Em Hell, Mines” were found plastered on building walls. The assumption was that the pranksters of Wednesday evening had returned Thursday morning to make a bigger splash. “Police say the simultaneous explosion of 25 sticks of dynamite would have caused havoc for blocks,” The Denver Post reported in its lead story on page one. Buchtel was furious. He wasn’t alone. A wave of indignation swept the campus, inflaming students like Ralph Gibson, a burly fullback on the football team. Gibson was a West High graduate who had survived both World War I and the Spanish flu before returning to Colorado to study dentistry at DU. “Students figured it was up to them to exact payment for the offense against the University of Denver,” says James Gibson, Ralph’s son. “Dad was a pretty tough guy.” The elder Gibson and others hired a car and drove to Golden with vengeance in mind. Their plan was to repaint in crimson the 104- by 107-foot white “M” on Mount Zion overlooking the School of Mines. The Mines “M” is the nation’s second-oldest mountainside monument and stood even then as a cherished symbol. The group didn’t depart Denver until mid-morning, and though they were able to smear a large portion of the “M” with University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009 27

Denver Post, Nov. 7, 1919. Page 7.

red paint, the task was far from complete when they were discovered. Mines students, accustomed to college rivals assaulting the “M,” had set up a telescope to keep watch, The Colorado Transcript reported. It wasn’t long before the Gibson group was spotted and the alarm sounded. The DU students fled but were overwhelmed by Mines students who had set up a barricade on the road off the mountain. Both Denver papers reported that shots were fired. But no one was hit or injured, and it was later alleged that the gun had held blanks. “They were sneaky, but not sneaky enough,” Gibson chuckles, remembering his father’s account. The newspapers splashed the front page with photos of the captured DU students dressed in POW overalls, their heads shaved and large purplish-black “Ms” etched onto their scalps with silver nitrate, a caustic chemical that takes months to wear off. According to the Post, the captured students “were placed under heavy guard in various fraternity houses” after being paraded through the streets of Golden “as prisoners of intercollegiate war.” Post reporter Bill Bliss suffered the same treatment. Mines students lured Bliss to campus with promises of a “big story.” They met him in Golden, dressed him in convict overalls and forced him to walk through the streets of Golden carrying a red flag and a copy of the newspaper on which had been written “Yellow Journal.” Bliss was spared a head shaving because he was already bald; he was spared the silver nitrate “M” by telling students he planned to quit the paper and go back East. The humiliation climaxed in a mass meeting on the Mines campus presided over by school President Victor Alderson. Bliss contritely apologized for his newspaper, the Rocky Mountain News gleefully reported. And after much hooting and chauvinistic speeches, the Mines students sent him back to Denver to communicate a warning that if the Post’s owners didn’t “cease their slurring attacks, the Miners would give the proprietors a taste of the clowning they gave the reporter.” Gibson and the other DU students were released later that evening. “I’m sure he was upset, but I don’t think greatly so,” James Gibson speculates. “He was relatively good-natured and took the punishment the same way.” Today, similar behavior would result in instant police



28 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

involvement and serious criminal charges, points out Karen Steinhauser, a former prosecutor and professor at the Sturm College of Law who now is a criminal defense attorney at Isaacson Rosenbaum. Charges could include kidnapping, false imprisonment, conspiracy, vandalism, weapons violations and assault, and they would have been broadly applied, with punishments measured in years. But in 1919, America’s skin was thicker. “People did not look to the criminal justice system back then to settle everything,” Steinhauser says. “They found other ways.” The first of these “other ways” occurred in Denver two days later, when DU and Mines were scheduled to face off in football. “Never before has the bitter feeling between the schools reached the blood heat that is rife now,” the Post wrote. “Late Friday night representatives of the two schools met and agreed there would be no fighting … to leave it entirely in the hands of the football teams.” Denver’s police chief threatened to cancel the game if trouble between the schools erupted, and DU trustees debated whether the University should sever its athletic ties with Mines. Chancellor Buchtel favored settling things on the football field and predicted that DU would exact the necessary vengeance for the dynamiting “by grinding the Mines to brick dust on the gridiron.”

G

ame day dawned cold and white. Nearly 5,000 people arrived at the Broadway Park field in snow and freezing temperatures for the afternoon clash. It was a grand day for a grudge match; miserable for football. “Snow made fast playing almost impossible, fumbling frequent and field goals out of the question,” the News reported. Still, it was an impressive game. Rick Ricketson of the Post gushed that “harder fought battles haven’t been seen in Denver.” Nor cleaner games, he added, noting that penalties were few, sportsmanship abundant, sideline cheers “good natured,” and “the bitter, destructive feeling between the two schools not exhibited” even though both teams “flew at each other like hungry devouring beasts.” All that was missing was resolution. The game ended in a 0-0 tie.

Denver Post, Nov. 6, 1919. Page 8

Denver Post, Nov. 9, 1919. Page 12

Hard feelings remained. The day after the football game an early-morning powder charge blew off about 20 square feet of the “M” on Mount Zion. The blast rocked houses in Golden. A heavy snowstorm prevented anyone from being caught, but DU students were blamed. “But for the fact that the perpetrators did not know how to place the charge, the famous Mines ‘M’ on Mount Zion would have been destroyed,” the Transcript reported. Mines students armed themselves with rifles and bayonets and commenced patrolling their campus and the surrounding roads. The Post reported that the patrols had been set up with Mines President Alderson’s permission. Students piled desks and debris on the bridge leading from Golden to Lookout Mountain and stopped cars for inspections, lest DU students be concealed. Civil rights were ignored. By Monday, Nov. 10, Colorado Gov. Oliver Shoup had had enough. The college war had “disgraced the state,” he said, and he ordered the lawlessness to cease. “I hope it will not be necessary to send troops to Denver University and the School of Mines in order to suppress lawlessness,” Shoup said. The saber rattling worked. Student leaders at both schools appointed representatives to meet, ascertain facts and lay blame. What began as campus defiance softened to regret, especially at Mines, where students began to understand how the dynamiting of DU had eroded the standing of their school. Ideas on how to improve relations included everything from a get-together, dance and “ceremonial burying of the hatchet” to a field day with a giant tug-of-war between the student bodies. In Denver, a grand jury began summoning students, taking testimony and fanning speculation there would be “wholesale indictments” before it turned its investigative eye toward “red activities in Denver.” At Mines, students quickly negotiated a treaty with CU in anticipation of their forthcoming football game on Thanksgiving Day. The schools agreed to “eliminate paint, dynamite and all



other weapons of destruction,” the Post reported. At DU, the focus turned to fundraising and the Fighting Parsons’ bid to go “tiger hunting” at Colorado College. “The game with the School of Mines has keyed and stirred the Ministers to anxiously count on a victory this week,” the Post wrote. DU lost 38-0. The fundraising, which included a door-to-door canvass of Observatory Park, turned out much better, such that the University’s fiscal emergency was eased and the endowment bolstered. The football team, meanwhile, looked forward to last-game redemption against Phillips University, a Disciples of Christ institution in Enid, Okla. The Haymakers’ coach was nicknamed the Human Bullet. DU lost 58-0. Back on campus, life returned to normal. University Hall was pinned together and today is perfectly safe. The broken windows were replaced and the building redecorated. The following fall, DU exacted revenge for the dynamiting by beating Mines in football 16-6. Peace reigned until the late 1920s, when Clarion editor Robert Selig (BA ’32) led a group of DU students to Mines and “blew the M off the mountain,” recalls his son, Robert Selig Jr. The ringleader was caught, stripped, shaved, branded and his “private parts” covered in plaster of Paris, the junior Selig recounts. His father was “dropped off at 16th Street on a cold, icy night.” The elder Selig went on to a successful business career followed by 16 years of service on the DU Board of Trustees. And in 1961, he received the Evans Award, the University’s highest alumni honor. University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009 29



30 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

Moonrock By Jack Sommars Photographs by Marc Piscotty

madness

Western original Terri “t.” Stardust (BFA ’91) had a zany idea.

Now, every June, riders from around the country join her in Wyoming for a Wild West version of equestrian competition.

T. Stardust

remembers the looks of disbelief.

Stardust (BFA ’91), an artist and competitive rider, was determined to build an

Olympic-caliber equestrian course in the middle of the Wyoming badlands. The site she proposed was so stark and foreboding she called it “Moonrock” for its resemblance to a lunar landscape. There wasn’t a tree within miles. No electricity. Water had to be hauled in by truck. If a thunderstorm approached, you drove hell-bent-for-leather to the nearest blacktop or you’d find yourself buried to your axels in mud. Oh, yes. Then there were the rattlesnakes. “One thing I learned from my days at DU was that if you can dream it, you can do it,” she says. Ten years later, Stardust’s dream has become a destination. Each June, riders from as many as 10 states and Canada haul their horse trailers to Worland, Wyo., home of one of the most unique horse competitions in the country.



University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009 31

S

tardust, who grew up on a horse farm in Fort Collins, Colo., attended DU on a volleyball scholarship. The athletic 6-foot-3inch middle blocker still holds a few school records. She graduated in 1991 and, fine arts degree and teaching certificate in hand, she started looking for a job. At a job fair she learned that a little school district in Wyoming was looking for an art teacher and a volleyball coach. She started teaching in Worland that fall. Worland is a blue-collar, middle-class town of about 4,800 people. “It’s not huge,” Stardust says, “but it’s big enough to have everything that you want. We have two grocery stores and a movie theater. It’s the perfect place for what I want to do. I love it here.” The town was founded in 1900 by Charles “Dad” Worland, a fruit tree salesman who opened a saloon and stage stop about 150 miles southeast of Yellowstone. Butch Cassidy is said to have been a frequent visitor, and the town’s first “bank” was an unguarded cigar box that Dad left on the bar. But in 1906, the struggling community almost became a ghost town. The townspeople were shocked to learn the approaching railroad was building its tracks on the other side of the river. So they waited patiently for the dead of winter and moved all the buildings on skids across the frozen Big Horn. No wonder Worland’s first newspaper was called The Grit. Stardust tackled Moonrock with that same frontier pluck and resourcefulness. The idea for an equestrian event took root at the Atlanta



32 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

Olympics in 1996. “I had a chance to tour their cross-country jumping course and found it amazingly artistic,” Stardust says. “I realized I could apply my art talent to another aspect of something I love. “I thought, shoot, I’ve got thousands of acres right behind where I live that are unused. It’s public land. If I could pull this off, it would be a fascinating thing to do.” Stardust went to the regional Bureau of Land Management office in Worland to plead her case. “Everyone came together for this project, even if they knew nothing about the sport. Frankly, nobody had a clue about what I was going to do with the land.” Mike Bies, an archaeologist with the BLM, helped Stardust untangle two years of government red tape. “I’ve been a bureaucrat a long time,” he says, stroking his beard. “You don’t just jump to step four. You have to follow the process.” That process involved making an inventory of American Indian artifacts and fossils on the 135-acre property. Bies and Stardust identified several ancient fire pits and a 45-million-year-old fossilized sea turtle. The course had to be designed so those relics wouldn’t be disturbed. Eventually they worked out a deal allowing the County Fair Board to own the lease while Stardust was named its caretaker. The cost? “There’s no annual rent,” says Bies. “It’s basically for free.” But Stardust’s work was just beginning.

H

orse trials, or eventing, is a highly regulated sport. Although each cross-country course is different, certain standards have to be met for a competition to be sanctioned. Rider and horse safety are paramount, and liability issues abound. “It takes a lot of planning,” Stardust says. “You have to hire a designer and, even though I planned to do my own artwork, I needed to find a builder, too. There are so many legalities to consider, you just can’t drop a bunch of jumps in an area and say, ‘yee-ha!’ “A lot of people I talked to didn’t believe me. They thought I was crazy and didn’t want to be a part of it.” That’s because most jumping courses, especially those in the East, resemble well-manicured golf courses, she says. “They’re tree-lined with lots of hedges, the exact opposite of what I was proposing.” After numerous rejections, Stardust found two Canadians who were willing to take on the challenge. Robin Hahn, a four-time Olympian, agreed to design the course, and Steve Buckman, a builder from British Columbia, would help her construct it. “Robin provided the basic design for the loop,” Stardust says. “Then Steve and I would collaborate. He would build me a frame or shape and I’d adorn it a certain way.” Stardust spent hundreds of hours carving, painting, creating mosaics and etching copper for each obstacle. “Each jump is unique, but they’re all interconnected,” she says.



“They mean things to the space they inhabit.” For example, part of the course is called Turtle Alley, in honor of the fossilized turtle she and Bies discovered. The water jump has fish carved into the timbers, a reminder that the site was once an inland sea. Three jumps dominating a ridge are painted with majestic stallions. They pay tribute to the wild horses that still roam the badlands. “Everything is there for a purpose,” she explains. “I tried to honor the history and the landscape of the area.” Stardust raised $100,000 to design and construct the course by selling her artwork and soliciting sponsorships from local businesses. But once she built it, would the riders come? Dozens of horse trials are held across the country each year. Most are easily accessible and close to large metropolitan areas. Worland is a hundred miles from the nearest interstate. And while a local barrel racing competition might offer a $25,000 purse, the winner of Moonrock would take home a blue ribbon. Yet the riders came. In 2006, more than 200 competitors and 250 horses converged on Worland. “It’s been great for the economy,” says Michael Willard, executive director of the local chamber of commerce. “But many of the locals really don’t know what to make of Moonrock. You see, around these parts, the idea is to keep your horses inside the fences.” Although first-time competitors can be intimidated by the rugged terrain, veterans like Meridith Hatterman find it can be less dangerous than more traditional venues. “The footing is wonderful. The horses like that because it’s easier to gallop on,” says Hatterman, who won the 2008 competition. “If you’ve ever seen cross-country on TV, the lanes may be roped off. But, at Moonrock, it’s not so restrictive. It’s much more of a positive experience, especially for a younger horse. “Moonrock is just more fun,” she adds. “There’s a lot of camaraderie. And [Stardust] makes it more fun by adding non-horsy type competitions after everyone’s done riding. She’ll have a dog competition or grill up brats at sundown—something that brings everybody together. That’s what so unique about the event.” The cross-country ride is the last of three separate competitions at Moonrock, following dressage and stadium jumping. “Eventing is like a horse triathlon,” Hatterman explains. “There are three separate events and you ride the same horse. It’s difficult to be really good at one phase and still be competitive. You and your horse have to excel at all three.” “The sport goes back to the days of the cavalry, when riders used to test their horses to see if they were ready for battle,” Stardust says. “Dressage is an art form for the horses, almost like gymnastics or ballet. But, years ago, the objective was to maneuver yourself against an enemy and survive on horseback. On the battlefield, you might have to jump a hedge or stone wall to pursue the enemy. That’s where the stadium jumping and cross-country come in. There are lots of things a horse had to be able to do.” It takes years of training for both horse and rider to reach the higher levels of competition. “It’s all about trust,” says Stardust. “Your horse has to trust you University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009 33

implicitly because you’re asking him to do something he’d never choose to do. If he were a wild horse on the badlands, his instincts would be to go around the jump rather than over it.” Despite the fancy boots, britches and riding jackets, the sport is definitely not for sissies. Rules call for an ambulance, paramedics and a veterinarian to be on hand for every event. During the cross-country phase, riders are required to wear a protective vest, helmet and an armband containing medical information in case they’re knocked unconscious. Unlike the stadium jumps, cross-country obstacles are built of solid timber or rock. So when the irresistible four-legged force meets the immovable object, the smart money is always on the immovable object. Riders can be ejected and their mounts become flying, 1,200-pound sledgehammers. Fortunately, in Moonrock’s 10-year history, the most severe casualty has been a broken leg. “Horses have big hearts and small brains,” says Shane Foote, a longtime Moonrock volunteer. “Eventing exposes both. But a horse with a big heart can also bail out a rider with a small brain. “There’s an adrenaline rush,” Foote adds. “I think bungee jumpers and higher-level riders can definitely party together and speak the same language.” There are six different levels in eventing, and each level increases in complexity and the height of the fences. Even though the three events take only a combined 15 minutes, riders and horses must train for weeks beforehand. “Three very different styles of riding are required,” says Barbara Chase, who serves as secretary for Moonrock. “You have to be able to manage a horse well for their endurance. And it can be a very humbling sport because you can be first after dressage and find yourself sitting in a water jump. A lot of things can happen in the two days of competition.” Stardust lives in a trailer on the cross-country course the week before the event. She busies herself making gifts for volunteers and chasing away pronghorn fond of eating the flags marking the course. She can be seen motoring about Moonrock in her dilapidated 1959 Chevy school bus, empty brake fluid cans rattling around her feet. In town, her ride of choice is a Yamaha 650 motorcycle. What’s the difference between riding a motorcycle and a horse? “Bike riders can be more sociable,” she replies. “Yeah, especially when you’re a good looking, tall blonde!” a friend calls out from the grandstand. The day before the competition, an official from Cheyenne takes a tape measure and level to each jump to make sure it meets requirements. In 2006, heavy spring rains caused several to be out of kilter. Stardust had less than 24 hours to fix the problem or her event wouldn’t be sanctioned. How would she move several 1,000-pound obstacles? No problem. She fired up her 50-year-old John Deere tractor, which



34 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

promptly caught on fire. “A critter had built a nest in the engine,” she explains. A few hours and second-degree burns later, tractor, artist and cross-country course all passed with flying colors. During the competition, Stardust keeps a walkie-talkie pressed to her ear. Surrounded by horses and riders, she’s like a cop directing traffic at a busy intersection. Meanwhile, she does everything from replace rails on the jumps to check horses’ bits to make sure they comply with the rules. Occasionally she lapses into “schoolmarm mode,” but her easy smile usually gets the job done. “When I started Moonrock, I really wanted this place to be on the map,” she says. “I wanted to be someone who everybody gave a tip of the hat to. But that’s not important to me now. I want Moonrock to be a place where people enjoy the environment and the experience. And, most of all, to have fun.” Pam Burke, a competitor from Montana, describes that experience this way: “I can feel my horse hesitate, but I keep asking with my legs for her to continue. I feel her relax to the jump and sail confidently over it. I want to throw my hands in the air and shout, but can’t pause to celebrate as we plummet over the bank galloping and sliding toward our next jump. “It is this moment though, this perfect moment, that defines the allure of eventing. It is the mastering of body, mind and emotion. It is knowing that your horse is also doing this in sync with you to reach the same goal—beating this course.”



A

fter the horse trailers depart Worland, Stardust’s routine continues at a full gallop. “I’m going through transition in my life big time,” she admits. A few years ago she went through a painful divorce and quit teaching to become a full-time artist. “When I was at DU, my name was Terri Plum. When I got married, I was Terri Thurman. Now I’m really trying hard to be ‘t.’ Stardust.” Why ‘t’ for a leggy biker who refuses to live her life in lower case? She pauses for a moment. “I don’t know,” she says. “I just want to do stuff differently. Lots of things just occur to me. I guess I can just claim artist and leave it at that. “I’m 41 years old now, and it’s nice to be doing the things I wanted to be doing for a long time and for whatever reason, I haven’t. I’m at that stage in my life where I can do whatever I want. It’s a neat thing. Not too many people get to say that.” And whether it’s astride her mare or motorcycle, if obstacles get in her way, you get the feeling Stardust will find a way to leap over them. Or wait until winter for the river to freeze. To see examples of Stardust’s artwork, visit www.stardustcopperdesign.com.

University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009 35

An authentic Western character himself, bestselling novelist C.J. Box (BA ’81) knows how to turn a tale.

Mystery Man

C

By Tamara Chapman Photo illustrations by Wayne Armstrong

Charles James Box (Chuck to those who meet him face-to-face; C.J. to the legions of crime fiction fans who snap up his every release) often wears a black hat and black leather jacket. In the iconography of the wild and woolly West, that would make him one of the bad guys. Box (BA mass communications ’81) is far from that, but he can rustle up an evildoer and depict an evil deed with the best of them. Some eight years and 10 additional novels after the publication of his first page-turner, Open Season, he is hailed for his fast-moving plots, likable protagonists and surreal showdowns. He’s also heralded as one of the literary world’s foremost chroniclers of a modern-day West, one where avaricious individualists and deadly earnest do-gooders ride into town on their high horses. “A crime novel peels away the culture,” Box says, explaining why he works within the genre. “It exposes the culture in a way that other books don’t.” In Box’s disrobed West, readers encounter what he calls “a cutting-edge culture”—cutting edge because it’s shaped, and sometimes distorted, by the passions of so many advocates and oppositionists. Think fans and foes of the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act and the Environmental Protection Agency. Think proponents and opponents of oil shale development, green energy, hunting, fishing, cattle grazing, development, the reintroduction of wolves, you name it. Think larger-than-life characters with outsized carbon footprints or inflexible agendas. In his celebrated Joe Pickett series, which follows the exploits of a Wyoming fish and game warden, the protagonist is often caught between clashing interests. Like so many archetypal heroes in this genre, Pickett is an accidental sleuth, an honest man forced to fall back on his principles to negotiate venality, sanctimony and many forms of felony. “It’s very much a classic Western point of view—the corrupting forces of civilization versus the individual with a code,” Box explains.



36 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

A lifelong Westerner, C.J. Box (pictured) sets his novels in the landscape he knows best.



University of Denver Magazine Winter 2008 37

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“A crime novel peels away the culture.

A native of Casper, Wyo., the 50-year-old Box finds literary inspiration in the day’s news. The Pickett novels always focus on an issue that has captured Box’s imagination, if only because it has ignited acute passions and moved people to take radical measures. “I’m interested in those kind of ethical, resource-based things,” Box says. “Most of the time I try to be really balanced in the portrayal of an issue. There’s extremism on both sides, and I try to have someone who portrays that extremism.” After that, it’s a question of strategic plotting—“How do I pull a reader through this issue in an interesting way?” His gift for plotting and for portraying controversy have made the Pickett novels—and Box’s two “stand-alone books”—immensely popular with readers from both sides of the political spectrum and with critics. His first novel, which took about four years to meander into print, was named a New York Times Notable Book of 2001. Since then, his books have garnered an Anthony Award, a Macavity Award, a Gumshoe Award, a Barry Award and the granddaddy of them all, an Edgar Award. He has been an L.A. Times Book Prize finalist, his short stories have been featured in America’s Best Mystery Stories 2006, and in 2007, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers named him Writer of the Year. With each book, Box’s audiences and accolades grow. His



38 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

January 2009 offering, Three Weeks to Say Goodbye, spent three weeks on the New York Times extended bestseller list. His latest Joe Pickett book, Below Zero, due in bookstores on June 16, 2009, has fans who frequent his online forum salivating in anticipation. “Just waiting ’til June for Below Zero, but not waiting well,” one devotee posted in early spring. There’s more. Blue Heaven, Box’s first stand-alone, was recently optioned for film. Its honors have ranged from the impressive—it received the coveted Edgar—to the esoteric. “Blue Heaven was the No. 1 book in Berlin last year,” Box notes. Across the border in France, he has become a cult figure, capturing the Prix Calibre 38. Why has he fared so well in the land of Coco Channel and café au lait? “Don’t ask me to analyze the French,” he says. At lunch in a downtown Cheyenne pub, over red chili and iced tea, Box learns via PDA that his books will finally be introduced to readers in the United Kingdom. The novels have been translated into 21 languages, but until now, British publishers have worried that their readers would reject any novel with so many hunters. Ah yes, opinionated readers. Box has them by the score. And many of them seem to seek validation of their views within his plotlines. At one book signing, Box found himself flanked by

I

members of the Sierra Club and the Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association, two groups typically positioned on opposing sides of any given environmental issue. What tickled Box—a hunter, fly fisherman, skier, avid reader, rodeo aficionado and wry observer of human foibles—is that each of these readers greeted his remarks with a knowing wink, suggesting that his sympathies were allied appropriately. That’s OK with Box, but he doesn’t cotton to enforced allegiance. “I have had readers who have written and said, ‘I want to know where you come down on this before I read anything else,’” he says, the look on his face flickering between amusement and exasperation.

B

Box knew he wanted to write fiction even as a high school student. A voracious reader, he devoured many of the novels set in the West but wondered why so few of them were written by native Westerners. The outsider’s perspective was interesting, but where was the insider’s insight? Providing that insight became his goal, but he wasn’t sure how to craft and pace a story. Over the years, he took some creative writing classes, but to his disappointment, they failed to provide the instruction he wanted. “While there are creative writing programs and MFA degrees, rarely are there classes in writing commercial fiction,” he says. “I wasn’t interested in journaling, in getting in touch with my feelings. I’m still not.” Box had better luck in his DU mass communications classes, where he learned how to write crisp prose with strong verbs. At DU on a journalism scholarship (his high school newspaper had a knack for investigative reporting), Box dreamed of following in the footsteps of Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, the two Washington Post reporters responsible for uncovering the Watergate scandal. He pictured himself, by day, uncovering corruption and exposing hypocrisy in the pages of a

.

hundreds of miles away. Just as important, for the purposes of mayhem, “almost every person they encounter is armed.” With Joe Pickett, he continues, “I created an archetypal game warden. Most of the game wardens I meet in the field are very much like Joe Pickett, but I created Pickett first.” Pickett’s characteristics? He’s law-abiding, nature-loving, honest, earnest, family oriented and given, occasionally, to bumbling. Unlike so many crime-novel protagonists, he’s neither cynical nor world-weary. Much of the time, in fact, Pickett has a lot to learn. Box’s newspaper experience provided much more than the character of his series. It also refined his prose, developing his sense of how to reel in a reader and propel a tale. “I work hard on the first page, on the first line. And I do it throughout the whole book; I keep going back,” he says, describing his writing process. Take the first page of Three Weeks to Say Goodbye, a thriller set primarily in Denver: It was Saturday morning, November 3, and the first thing I noticed when I entered my office was that my telephone message light was blinking. Since I’d left the building late the night before, it meant someone had called my extension during the night. Odd. Not just odd, the reader soon discovers, but sinister. By page 2, the story is in full swing. Notice, Box says, that the reader doesn’t get detoured by lots of “description.” He doesn’t do description, not by the paragraph anyway. Box tries to write five days a week, descending to the basement of his home, located about eight miles north of Cheyenne. There, with a window well for scenery, he crafts about a thousand words each day. He also devotes a fair amount of time to tending to his fans, monitoring his Web site for their comments. He posts responses to many of them. Where other writers complain about fan zealotry, Box can’t wait to connect with his readers.

It exposes the culture in a way that other books don’t.” hard-hitting daily. By night, he’d write those insightful novels. The “by day” part of the story departed a bit from the plan. Degree in hand, Box began his first reporting job at Wyoming’s Saratoga Sun, a weekly where he took on every task in the newsroom, from covering city council meetings to laying out pages. “It was pretty humbling because I thought I was a hot-shot investigative journalist, and there I was taking pictures of the 4-H cow,” he recalls. If that scenario didn’t conform to his romantic career ambitions, he was, at least, able to churn out a few short stories when the paper was put to bed. They were rough, he acknowledges, but they were a start. It was at the Saratoga Sun that Box first began “ride alongs” with the area’s game warden. They’d patrol the backcountry, the warden monitoring wildlife while Box searched for news. “That is when everything started to click for the protagonist of the first novel,” he says. “In the first couple of drafts of the novel that became Open Season, the protagonist was a journalist—because that’s what I was. And then a sheriff, because I needed someone who could draw a gun.” But neither character offered a satisfactory hook. A game warden, however, provided intriguing possibilities. After all, Box says, “a game warden is autonomous.” He rides by himself, and the nearest authority figure is typically miles away—in the case of Wyoming, perhaps even



And who are his readers? They’re too numerous to conform to generalizations, of course, but Box knows this about his American fans: Many of them come from rural ZIP codes, many of them love the outdoors, and many of them hunt and fish. Some of them can’t find much else that they like to read. That Box delivers something they do like to read makes him happy. That his readers include a fair number of teenage boys, notorious nonreaders, makes him proud. At a book signing in Helena, Mont., an entire football team showed up to meet him. “They were all huge fans,” he says. “Everyone talks a lot about how people don’t read, but a lot of people can’t find something that relates to them.” For those readers, the prolific Box is the gift that keeps giving. Another Joe Pickett novel is already in the works, and Box claims he has a lifetime of ideas simmering on the back burner. What he can’t dream up, the newspapers will undoubtedly provide. He’s already scanning Washington’s economic stimulus package for literary fodder. More money for green technology? Wind farms? Just who owns the wind? And how sloppily will all those wind farms be developed? Trust Joe Pickett to find out. Box likes riding shotgun with his fictional game warden and plans to keep Pickett on the scene “until the series kind of wears itself out. As long as it feels right and it’s fresh,” he says, “I’ll keep doing it.” University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009 39

At Home on



40 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

National Western Stock Show CEO Pat Grant (MBA ’73) is working to sustain and preserve a piece of Western heritage for future generations.

n the Range

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By Richard Chapman Photographs by Marc Piscotty

It’s a chilly January morning five days into the 2009 stock show, and the president and CEO

of the National Western is pausing to chat with a hobo. The man called “Hobo”—“mostly from Utah and Idaho,” he says—is between the Hall of

Education and the Events Center. He’s trying to keep a tangle of tractors, hay haulers, mounted cowboys and Texas longhorns from running anyone over. Hobo has been part of the annual Denver stock show since 1994, when he hopped off a

freight train from Chicago to find a few hours of work. “I been ridin’ freights since I was 12,” the 60-year-old spits through riverstone teeth. “I’m

gonna ride ’til I cain’t.”

As he directs traffic, Hobo updates the head wrangler—president and CEO Pat Grant (MBA

’73). For 18 years, Grant has been the executive ramrod behind the 103-year-old National Western Stock Show, Rodeo and Horse Show. It’s his job to see that exhibitors feel welcome, cowboys are treated well and hundreds of thousands of visitors have a good time. Today, Grant is walking the grounds, carefully observing, checking, thanking volunteers and communing with the free spirits who help make the show hum. Like Hobo. “I see you got yourself a nice new cowboy hat,” Grant says with approval, a disarming smile shining from under the brim of his own Stetson. Hobo just grins. Grant moves on.



University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009 41

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The National Western, crammed under Interstate 70 near the Denver Coliseum, is the last working cattleman’s market in North America. It’s consistently among the top five indoor rodeos in the nation, and has a reputation as the “seed stock producer of the world.” It boasts Olympic-caliber horsemanship and oozes Wild West tradition, rural values and cowboy culture. Cattlemen from 45 countries, ranchers from throughout the West, rodeo hands, farmers and herds of exhibitors drop by every year. They compete, show, perform, buy, sell and swap information and animals. They bring with them more than 10,000 head of livestock and nearly 4,000 horses. Tens of millions of dollars change hands in a few days. It’s a calico-and-plaid, down-home style commodity exchange that entices more than 600,000 city slickers a year to holster their Blackberries, slide into blue jeans and gingerly step into the world outside the suburbs. It’s business, it’s entertainment, it’s cornpone—and it’s a hoot. Kids ride sheep, wrestle calves, ogle rabbits, pet goats, nuzzle calves and cluck at exotic hens. Vendors barbecue beef, roast turkey legs, and deep fry corn dogs and Twinkies. Exhibitors hawk trucks, trailers, mobile homes, feeders, fencing, hats, buckles, belts, salt licks, alfalfa bales and kitchen gadgets. And everyone gets to feel like a cowboy for a while. In the livestock arena, Grant checks in with veteran announcer Larry Handy, who is announcing a beauty pageant of 800-pound Hereford heifers. The huge animals waddle past the judge, hauled by teenagers who look barely 90 pounds. The judge picks a winner then explains his choice. The crowd of several thousand soaks in tips on bovine body structure, balance and leg movement. Heads nod at the honesty. Too bad Olympic judges don’t come that clean, one woman quips. Grant moves on. He passes the sheep-shearing platform and heads to the goat area, where Boers bleat and the aroma could curl paint. All is well, announcer Richard Maxcy says. The report is welcome news after a morning of headaches: a sticky parking agreement with the city of Denver, which owns the buildings but not the 90 acres of stock show grounds; a manure hauler who’s a little behind gathering the tons of animal waste that end up as compost; a leak in the Expo Hall roof that’s dousing a buckle vendor with snowmelt. On the ground floor of the Hall of Education, animals are being carefully groomed for exhibition. Electric clippers buzz; blow dryers howl. Immobilized in metal frames, the animals don’t seem to care. But their owners do. Winning can mean big bucks. Grant quizzes Laurie Hall and Brent Pick, two of the show’s 500 volunteers. Hall takes off from her job during the month of January so she can donate time to the stock show. It’s her 16th year. She’s especially looking forward to “Wine and Swine,” an unadvertised spectacle that occurs the day the pigs are unloaded. “The men wear tuxedoes and the ladies wear ball gowns and the pigs are runnin’ this way and that,” Pick laughs. “Some of them get loose and it gets pretty wild.”



42 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

Pick and Hall credit Grant’s leadership. “He’s a very visible, very approachable, very good CEO,” Hall says. “You know where you stand and what he expects from you.” “We all know he’s an important man in the community,” adds Pick. “And it means something to us that he takes the time to come down and say thank you.” Without volunteers, about 1,000 seasonal workers and a fulltime staff of 40, the National Western can’t be a quality show, Grant explains. Without quality, all the marketing in the world won’t bring people in the door. It’s a key principle, the application of an idea Grant learned at DU. “You’ve got to have a quality product, then you can consider how to promote it. People reverse that and get into trouble,” Grant says. “I’ve never forgotten that.” The veteran executive credits his MBA courses at DU with developing the business sense he brings to the National Western. They blended beautifully, he says. As did his agricultural roots, service in Vietnam, history degree from Colgate, law degree from Drake, four terms in the Colorado General Assembly, and a family legacy of civic involvement stretching back to the 1870s. “My great, great uncle was the first Democrat governor of the state of Colorado, Gov. James B. Grant. My grandfather, W.W. ‘Pop’ Grant Jr. (honorary LLD ’53), ran for mayor of Denver in the ’30s against Ben Stapleton. He got whumped. My Uncle Bill (W.W. Grant III) ran for mayor of Denver as a Democrat; he was beaten by Tom Currigan in ’63.”

“My first job was hoeing weeds for $1 a day. It was the beginning of the work ethic to which I was exposed, and it really is an important part of who I am.”

G

Grant’s love of politics might have been in his blood, but his connection with agriculture was in his roots on Grant Farm, a corn, barley, wheat and livestock operation that his father, Edwin “Ned” Grant, ran west of Littleton. The farm stretched from about Sheridan Boulevard to Simms Street and Bowles south to Belleview, and it previously belonged to Gov. James Grant, writes Thomas Noel (BA history ’67, MA librarianship ’68) in Riding High: Colorado Ranchers and 100 years of the National Western Stock Show. “My first job was hoeing weeds for $1 a day. I was 9, 10, 11,” Grant chuckles. “It was the beginning of the work ethic to which I was exposed, and it really is an important part of who I am.” Part of the farm became the community of Grant Ranch, but the heart of it is the Raccoon Creek Golf Course, which the Grant family still owns and operates. Barns that once held milk cows and horses now house golf carts and grooming gear. The two-story home where Grant and his siblings grew up is the golf course clubhouse and Grove restaurant. Photos of the family hang with homey familiarity, and a plaque marks the spot where brother Newell Grant blasted a hole through the wall with a hunting rifle. “[He] blew a book to smithereens,” Pat Grant recalls with a prankster’s smile. “We opened the window, aired it out and took the book out to the back yard and buried it.” Most days in his youth were less explosive, spent learning to ride, raise animals, tend crops. Swimming and fishing in Bowles Lake with Newell and sisters Susan, Cecily and Anne. Working on the farm, going to Denver Country Day School and attending the National Western with his dad, who served on the executive committee. “My brother and sisters and I used to tag along behind him at every show whenever we could get out of school,” Grant recalls fondly. “I have great memories.” Ned Grant was an avid horseman and once owned Granville, winner of the 1936 Belmont Stakes. He was also a committed rancher, who in 1967 bought a sprawl of prime property south of Steamboat Springs, where U.S. 40 meets State Road 131. He died unexpectedly six months later, and the family struggled to keep the Yampa Valley Land and Cattle Co. running. They hung on until the late 1990s, when most of the ranch was sold to the Trust for Public Lands so it wouldn’t be developed. Today, the property is some of the breathtaking open space on the doorstep to Steamboat. “It was a cattle ranch,” Grant recalls of those early days. “You’d get up and feed the cattle, then break ice so they can water in the Yampa River, then shovel snow off haystacks.” The work bred an understanding of the ranching life. A July 4 ride on a bareback bronc in a 1971 Steamboat rodeo bred a healthy regard for cowboys. “This college friend and I had a bet, after about three whiskies, of who would last longest.” A successful bareback ride is eight seconds. Grant won’t say how



long it took Stinkin’ Water to send him flying, but it was quick. “I got kicked as I was thrown off the horse and limped around for a couple months. I decided there had to be a better way to make a living.” Like studying business at DU. So he enrolled, commuting to campus from the farm in Littleton and earning an MBA in 1973. “I have always felt a fondness for the education I got at DU, and that was one of the reasons my wife, Carla, and I started the Grant Family Scholarship Fund,” a need-based scholarship to aid undergraduates from rural Colorado. After DU came a law degree from Drake in 1976, then a spot in Pop Grant’s law firm after clerking for an appeals court judge for a year. Law was interesting but politics more compelling. In 1984 Grant won a seat in the state House of Representatives representing the tony Denver neighborhoods of Belcaro, Hilltop, Bonnie Brae, Country Club and part of Capitol Hill. “He was a lawyer from metro Denver, but he looked more comfortable in jeans and a cowboy hat,” recalls legislative colleague and former Gov. Bill Owens, now affiliated with DU’s Institute for Public Policy Studies. Grant waded into the most difficult issues he could find. “I carried the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) bill with Ted Strickland. I carried the bill to annex Adams County land for Denver International Airport. I carried tort reform legislation with fellow Rep. Bill Owens. I was asked by Gov. [Dick] Lamm to head up the effort to get ethanol-based fuel to help clean up our air. I carried the historical preservation tax credit bill.” Grant pauses, afraid the list will appear boastful. A warm smile and down-home sincerity mask the tenacity it took to ram the bills through the legislature. But the results speak for themselves. The SCFD bill has become a national model. The 1985 package of tort reforms that he and Owens hammered through in response to a crisis in medical malpractice costs is still working. Owens can remember the fight. “I’m defending the [tort] bill in front of the House. There were maybe 20 or 30 amendments; you have to think on your feet. The Democrats came down with a tough amendment. I was thinking, ‘Damn, I know I don’t like this, but I’m not sure how to argue it.’ All of a sudden I see Pat Grant walking up. He very effectively took over the microphone, argued and saved the day.” Grant wanted more. “From the early ’70s my goal in life was to be governor,” he says. His first chance was in 1988. But Democratic incumbent Roy Romer had sewn up much of the Republican business community. Grant feared the race would be tough and unsuccessful, so he passed on running. Two years before the 1998 election, he geared up again and was in University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009 43

“We are a symbol of Western heritage. That’s what the rodeo is all about and what the stock show and horse show are all about—dimensions of the West.”

the thick of it when family issues surfaced and forced him to quit. He endorsed his friend Owens, which helped the then-state treasurer fight his way through a crowded GOP field. In the general election, Owens narrowly defeated Lt. Gov. Gail Schoettler and served two terms. More than a decade later, supporters still urge Grant to run for governor, but he declines. He feels a commitment, he says, to help “lay a foundation” for the National Western’s next 100 years. That may be harder than running the state. Over the years the stock show has faced everything from steer-doping and lamb-cheating scandals to animal rights threats, rodeo injuries, E. coli scares and worries about mad-cow disease. Mostly, though, it’s had to cope with deteriorating facilities and lack of space. In 1989, taxpayers ponied up $30 million in bonds to expand and improve the stock show grounds, which helped. But being stuck under Interstate 70 near the Denver Coliseum continues to be a problem. “The Colorado Department of Transportation has announced that they want to rebuild and realign and reconstruct I-70. One of the four alternative routes is going right through these buildings,” Grant says. “RTD and FasTracks are going to do something along the Burlington Northern railroad corridor, so they will take land. Our future is challenged.” A task force that included former DU Chancellor Dan Ritchie spent months agonizing over the mess. Its conclusion, Grant says, was that the National Western couldn’t survive in its present location. But the panel didn’t say what to do, where to go or how to pay for it. A possible answer roared into view when International Speedway Corp. decided Denver was ripe for stock-car racing and proposed a 75,000-seat facility in Adams County. The company owns 13 major tracks, including Daytona, and promotes NASCAR events. Its interest in sharing the site with the National Western was “significant,” but the drive hit the brakes when priorities shifted gears and the economy soured. “It’s not off the table,” Grant says. “It’s just quiet.” Lines of concern etch the CEO’s face when he speaks of the stock show’s future. “The business model under which we now operate will



44 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

not sustain National Western for the next 100 years,” he says flatly. Putting on a good show isn’t enough. “What we do is terribly important. But we have to have some major relationships and alliances with corporations or organizations with whom we can share assets and costs. “It’s painful,” he adds. “The only reason we get people to come back is because they love the show. They’re willing to overlook the inconveniences of the muddy lots or the snow or the cold or the difficulty of figuring where to go. But over time, they’re not going to do it.” For now, Grant is trying to keep rickety facilities patched, cattlemen confident, exhibitors satisfied and performers pleased. Mostly, though, he tries to figure how to persuade urbanized Coloradans to put a foot in the stirrup at least once a year. It’s a tall order. Attendance in 2009 was about 30,000 fewer than the year before, even though it was the 12th consecutive year that the 16-day show has drawn more than 600,000. By comparison, the Denver Zoo, the top Denver-area attraction in attendance, is open every day of the year and draws about 1.5 million visitors. Certainly the economy was a factor this year, Grant acknowledges, but ticket prices were modest. There were only 23 criminal offenses, mostly for thefts and shoplifting, says security director Tim Leary, and all of the 59 kids who got lost were reunited with their families in an average of six minutes. “It’s a very safe environment,” says Leary, a retired Denver Police captain and former SWAT commander. “It goes very smoothly.” Which leaves the simple fact that fewer Coloradans feel quite as much at home on the range as they once did. Many have never ridden a horse, Grant points out, petted a sheep or touched the wet nose of a steer. How can the National Western connect Old West traditions to the iPod-enchanted, hip-hop world of Generations X, Y, Z? Tough question, says Grant, the show’s ninth president. He doesn’t have all the answers. What he does have is confidence in his leadership, an unwavering belief in the importance of the stock show to Denver and Colorado, and an unbridled passion to succeed. “We are an icon,” he says. “We are a symbol of Western heritage … and people want that Western heritage sustained and preserved. That’s what the rodeo is all about and what the stock show and horse show are all about—dimensions of the West. “If I have a frustration, it is that people take us for granted.” They shouldn’t, he insists. The National Western works hard to remain significant to stockmen and exhibitors and entertaining to the thousands who attend. “We will not rest on our laurels,” he says with conviction. “We are always looking to do better and be better.” Some days the job is overwhelming. That’s when Grant climbs on his horse, Easy Jet, and ventures into scenic solitude near Fort Collins or his ranch on the Wyoming border. It’s welcome relief from stress and “a great, great way to get away.” Then it’s back to holding the reins of tradition and driving the National Western to the future. “I work hard. I’m committed. I’m focused, and I believe strongly in what I’m doing,” he says proudly. “It’s been a huge honor.”

Alumni relations news Class notes challenge Career corner Pioneer pics Death notices Announcements

DU Archives

47 49 51 54 56 58

On May 6, 1970, students at DU—distressed by President Richard Nixon’s April 30 order to invade Cambodia and the May 4 shooting deaths of four Kent State students by members of the National Guard—went on strike against the University. “Woodstock West” was founded two days later in the area bounded by Margery Reed, Carnegie Hall and the Science Building as students gathered, constructing shelters and memorials. To end the protest, Colorado Gov. John Love (BA ’39, LLB ’41) called in National Guardsmen, who arrived on May 13. Woodstock West was dismantled that day without incident. Read more at www.du.edu/magazine.



University of Denver Magazine Connections 45

The classes 1949

Elaine Puls (BA ’49) of Pueblo, Colo., received the lifetime achievement award from the Colorado Library Association in recognition of her long career. Elaine worked as the director of the Loveland, Colo., public library for 21 years. She has been married to Gerald Puls (BS ’51) for 58 years. The couple—they have two children and three grandchildren—has traveled to 43 states and around the world.

1955

Philip Caine (BA ’55) published The RAF Eagle Squadrons (Fulcrum, 2008) about American volunteers who flew with the British Royal Air Force from October 1940 through September 1942. The book provides an introductory history of each unit as well as a biographical sketch and picture of all 245 American volunteers. Philip, a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general, taught military history at the U.S. Air Force Academy and is the author of American Pilots in the RAF (Brassey’s Inc., 1993) and Aircraft Down! Evading Capture in WWII Europe (Brassey’s Inc., 1997). He and his wife, Doris, live in Monument, Colo.

1959

Dennis Garrett (BSCE ’59) worked in engineering and administration for 40 years, serving as the first director of public works for Overland Park, Kan., where he resides. In May 2007 the city named a public works maintenance facility in his honor. Since retiring, Dennis spends time enjoying golf and managing a family farming operation. Don Lozow (LLB ’59) of Denver practices law with his son Brad Lozow (JD ’82) of Englewood, Colo., and daughter Susan Lozow (JD ’91) of Denver. The Lozow & Lozow law firm specializes in criminal, divorce and personal injury law in addition to trial defense. Brad and his wife of 26 years, Karen, have a daughter, Emily, who is a sophomore at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a son, Jake, who is a high school sophomore. In her spare time, Susan volunteers with the Junior League of Denver and hangs out with friends and her dog, Moose.

1959 Kynewisbok

Class notes challenge



46 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

Class of 1959: A lot can happen in 50 years, and we want to catch up with as many of you as we can. Your classmates want to hear from you, too! What have you been up to? Share photos and family news, discuss your travels and hobbies, or reminisce about your time at DU. You can post your note online at www.alumni.du.edu, e-mail [email protected] or mail in the form on page 54. Class of ’59 notes will appear in the winter issue. We’ll randomly select a prize winner from all entries received by Aug. 1.

Pioneer generations Roger Henn (BA ’40) moved from Ouray, Colo., to Denver with his mother and three siblings following the death of his father in 1921. Roger’s older sister, Bernice (Henn) Swift (BA ’34), was the first member of their family to earn a college degree. She received a small scholarship to DU after graduating from East High School. While Bernice attended classes, her brothers supplemented her scholarship with contributions from their paper routes. After graduation Bernice moved to Holly, Colo., where she worked as a teacher. Richard Henn (BSche ’36) became the second DU graduate in his family, financing his education with money from an assistantship and Roger’s paper route. Upon graduation Richard found a job with the Eastman Kodak Co. and moved to Rochester, N.Y. Roger spent a year out of school earning a dollar a day at a school supply store before receiving financial aid to attend DU. After surviving the Great Depression and four years of Army Air Corps service during World War II, Roger focused his ambitions on fighting for better government in Chicago, a calling influenced by Roy Brown, one of his political science professors. Roger retired as executive director of the Union League Club of Chicago in 1979 and moved back to Ouray, where he served as president of the Ouray Historical Society and headed the retired citizens program. When winter comes to Colorado and temperatures dip, Roger often reaches for his crimson-and-gold sweater, which he says reminds him of DU and his wrestling coach, Granville Johnson, who Roger says taught him to never give up.

—Samantha Stewart

Donald Shirk (BFA ’59) has lived in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, with his wife, JoAnn, for 21 years. He spends his free time enjoying Hawaiian culture, swimming, tracing his family genealogy and reading. Donald has more than 20 years of experience as a tennis instructor and says he will always consider his DU tennis coach, the late Robert Richards, his mentor. Rodney Stark (BA ’59) of Corrales, N.M., was appointed honorary professor of sociology at Beijing University on Oct. 8, 2008. Of Rodney’s 30 published books, three have been translated into Chinese. He is a professor of social sciences and co-director of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

1962

Irvin Jones (BA ’62) retired from the Department of Education’s Office of Indian Education in 1991. Irvin and his wife of 50 years, Norma Jean, reside in Gallup, N.M. They have three grown children—Ralph, Donna and Vonda—and five grandchildren.

1966

Cecil Bykerk (BA ’66) was named president of the Society of Actuaries in October 2008. Prior, he served as president of CDBykerk Consulting, providing actuarial consulting. Cecil is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries and the Conference of Consulting Actuaries and was named an honorary fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of the United Kingdom. He resides in Omaha, Neb. Ralph Kruger (MSW ’66) and June Kruger (MSW ’66) have retired in Kimberling City, Mo. Both were employed by school districts in Colorado Springs, Colo., for 32 years, and Ralph practiced psychotherapy until 2001. He published the book Losing Everything While Losing Nothing: Christian Martyrs of the Third Reich (Publish America, 2008).

1969

Hawley Chester (BA ’69) of Atlanta was named vice president of Canadian sales and marketing for SPEED, a Charlotte, N.C., based motor sports and automotive lifestyle network. Hawley has served as the director of Canadian sales and marketing since 2001. He is now responsible for the distribution of SPEED on cable and satellite systems in Canada and managing marketing opportunities. Charles “Chuck” Socha (BA ’69, JD ’71) joined the Tucker Ellis & West law firm as partner, bringing his experience in products liability, medical device and drug liability, toxic torts, and multi-district litigation. Chuck has served as a national and regional counsel for manufacturers involved in multi-district mass tort litigation or as the science lawyer on the defense team. Chuck lives in Greenwood Village, Colo.

1973

James Morgese (BA ’73, MA ’79) of Denver left his job as general manager of Rocky Mountain PBS to start Instinct Media Solutions. James says he made the career change because he wanted to get into the field of new media. Mary Ann Van Buskirk (BA ’73) works as a marriage and pastoral counselor for Life Dimensions. She has been a counselor, trainer and clinical supervisor for 18 years. Mary Ann lives in Denver with her husband; they have been married for 37 years. The couple has three children.

Alumni relations reorganized DU is taking a new approach to alumni relations and fundraising. Starting in July, the Office of Alumni Relations will become independent of University Advancement and will report directly to the chancellor. “We’re about being a university, which means we are about our students and our alumni. We really felt that alumni relations needed the tone and the focus of being on its own,” says DU Trustee Pat Hamill (BSBA ’81), chair of the Board of Trustees Student and Alumni Affairs Committee. Although most institutions adhere to a model in which alumni relations is part of a larger campus department, a December 2008 Student and Alumni Affairs Committee retreat determined that DU should develop a model that better suits the University’s needs, according to Ed Harris, vice chancellor for University Advancement. “We want to demonstrate that alumni relations at DU is not exclusively about fundraising,” says Harris, who believes the change will not hurt DU’s fundraising ability. “People make investments because they are inspired by an institution’s mission,” he says. “Our commitment to carrying out DU’s mission is unwavering.” Both Harris and Jeff Howard, executive director of Alumni Relations, believe the change will give their departments the opportunity to concentrate on their respective goals. Alumni Relations has already begun working on several initiatives aimed at increasing alumni engagement, including building a new Web site, growing the alumni mentoring program, supporting alumni chapters and taking the successful Alumni Symposium on the road with the first stop in Chicago. “Our alums are energized and excited about the direction the University is going,” Howard says. “What we’re finding is that they just want to be asked to be included. The more opportunities we give, the more our alums will be engaged.” —Samantha Stewart



University of Denver Magazine Connections 47

1974

Robert Ridolfi (JD ’74) of Pennington, N.J., ran a successful land-use practice for 34 years. Robert has now directed his energy starting and promoting a new community bank, the Bank of Princeton, in New Jersey. Joel Sheesley (MFA ’74) has his artwork featured in the book Domestic Vision: TwentyFive Years of the Art of Joel Sheesley (Lutheran University Press, 2008). Joel’s work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the country and has won numerous prizes at juried competitions. His work examines domestic life in suburban America. Joel has also published essays in Image Books and Culture and New Art Examiner. Joel lives in Wheaton, Ill.

1975

Richard Chapman (BSBA ’75) has lived in Park City, Utah, since 1976. He works as a financial adviser at Morgan Stanley.

1976

Heraldo Muñoz (MA ’76, PhD ’79) of New York City wrote the book The Dictator’s Shadow (Basic Books), named one of the best books of 2008 by the Washington Post. He is Chile’s ambassador to the United Nations. In February 2009, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced that Heraldo would lead an international commission of inquiry into the 2007 murder of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s former prime minister.

1977

James Goldsmith (BSBA ’77) was included in the annual statewide list of Ohio super lawyers. James works for Ulmer & Berne, where he chairs the trusts and estates group and has experience with taxation, employee benefits and corporate law. James lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio, with his wife, Nancy. Douglas Moran (BME ’77) of Denver became a certified public accountant in July 2008 and has been working for Mihoda and Co., located in Englewood, Colo., for more than a year. Douglas enjoys attending musical performances at DU’s Newman Center, which he considers a vast improvement from the facilities he used as student.

1978

John Ruppert (JD ’78) joined Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll as a partner in the firm’s Denver office. John represents private equity funds in fund formation, capital raises,

acquisitions and dispositions of portfolio companies. He also advises the boards of directors and senior management about structuring deals and related tax, financing and executive compensation arrangements.

Prosecutor Brenda Hollis Brenda Hollis (JD ’77) calls Denver home, but she currently lives in The Hague, Netherlands, serving as principal trial attorney in the prosecution of Charles Ghankay Taylor, the ex-president of Liberia who is accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes for his involvement in the armed conflict in Sierra Leone. Hollis’ employer is the Office of the Prosecutor in the Special Court for Sierra Leone. She began working on the Taylor case in 2002 collecting evidence of crimes; she became lead prosecutor in February 2007. The trial began on Jan. 8, 2008, and the prosecution, under Hollis’ leadership, has spent the last year building its case against Taylor. “We will have called some 90 witnesses and sought to have introduced several hundred documentary exhibits,” says Hollis, who rested her case this spring. Taylor’s defense has begun building its case. Hollis doesn’t expect a judgment until 2010. “I chose criminal litigation, in particular criminal prosecution, because I am committed to ensuring those who commit crimes are held accountable for them,” Hollis says. “I am also committed to ensuring that those accused of crimes are afforded all the rights the law provides.” In 1998 Hollis retired from the Air Force as a colonel. While in the Air Force, Hollis was loaned to the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. She worked for three years as an investigative legal officer and as one of the prosecutors in the Dusko Tadic case—the first internationally litigated case since the Nuremberg and Tokyo Tribunal cases in which a person was charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes. “My work took me on many missions into Bosnia when it was still a hot war,” Hollis says. “And it put me in contact with many victims of the most vicious and widespread crimes, crimes which resulted in the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, rapes of at least that number, torture and other, unimaginable violence against the young, the old, males and females. “These experiences strengthened my belief that only when perpetrators of such crimes are held accountable can there be a true peace, and that the victims of these crimes deserve such accountability.” “[Hollis] always had a great deal of passion for international law and human rights,” says DU Sturm College of Law Professor Ved Nanda. “Once you have that bug bite—human rights and justice—you can’t ignore these very difficult and most significant issues of the present time. “She has been in the forefront of fighting that good battle.” Hollis says she can’t imagine doing anything else. “We would not tolerate such crimes to go unpunished in our society, nor would we tell the victims to just forget about it and move on,” says Hollis. “It is the height of arrogance and insensitivity to deprive others in the world of such accountability, an arrogance to which I cannot subscribe.” —Janalee Card Chmel



48 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

Dennis Wolf (MBA ’78) of San Jose, Calif., was appointed executive vice president and CEO of Finjan, a producer of secure Web gateway products. Dennis has more than 25 years of experience managing finances and operations for technology companies. Prior, he served as co-CEO, CFO and COO for several public companies, including Redback Networks, Credence Systems, Centigram Communications and Omnicell.

1980

William Carey (JD ’80) of Anchorage, Alaska, was appointed superior court judge for Ketchikan, Alaska, in December 2008. Prior, William worked as an attorney in private practice specializing in criminal defense. Harriet (Goodman) Grayson (MA ’80) founded 5 Star Seminars, a company that conducts workshops. Harriet lives in Yonkers, N.Y. John Kugler (BSBA ’80) of Highlands Ranch, Colo., was inducted into the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame on Jan. 29, 2009. John began flying hot air balloons with his father and brother more than 30 years ago. He competed in the International Coupe Gordon Bennett gas balloon race in addition

to numerous local and national ballooning races. John has taught several individuals how to fly hot air balloons, including the late Steve Fossett, who completed the first solo flight around the world. Diane Stahl (BA ’80) of Denver worked in the corporate world after graduating from DU, raising money for three Denver nonprofits. Upon turning 40, Diane decided to leverage her passion for gardening into a career. In 2002, she opened Urban Roots, a garden store and landscape company dedicated to serving the needs of city dwellers who have limited space. Urban Roots has been featured in Sunset magazine and Colorado Homes & Lifestyles.

1981

Frank Ames (MA ’81) works as a professor and director of library services for Rocky Vista University and coordinates the clinical ethics curriculum for the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Frank is an active member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals, Colorado

Class Notes Challenge: 1979 Raymond “Lee” Mays (BA ’79) worked for Citicorp for five years before leaving banking in 1989 to work as a real estate developer in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain. In 2007, Lee returned to banking, working as the managing director of Westdeutsche Immobilien Bank in Spain. He and his wife, Maria, have been married for 28 years and have two children, ages 18 and 11. The couple lives in Madrid, the city where they first met as students studying abroad.

Michael Sutherland (BSBA ’81, JD ’84) of Centennial, Colo., is an attorney and shareholder at Inman Flynn Biesterfeld & Brentlinger in Denver. Michael focuses on wills, trusts, and probate litigation and serves on the Centennial Planning and Zoning Commission. He and his wife, Kathy, enjoy spending time with their three teenage children—Patrick, Daniel and Monica.

1982

David Gaouette (JD ’82) of Denver was named acting U.S. attorney for Colorado in January 2009. David has worked as a federal prosecutor since 1984. Prior, he was a police officer in Lakewood for eight years.

1983

Kathleen “Kitty” DeLio (BSBA ’83) was selected to judge figure skating at the World University Games in Harbin, China, in February 2009. Kitty lives in Denver, where she is the research director for KUSA/ KTVD. Edward Fields (BA ’83) of Los Gatos, Calif., is the founder and CEO of HotChalk. Sramana Mitra interviewed Edward for the book Entrepreneur Journeys (BookSurge, 2008), which highlights and analyzes a dozen successful technology entrepreneurs and their start-up stories.

WINNER!



Council of Medical Librarians, Council of Osteopathic Librarians and the American Academy of Religion, among others. He is also a contributor to the New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. Frank lives in Denver.

Melissa (Goldman) Turner (BA ’79, MBA ’83) met her husband, Jim Turner (BSAcc ’80), as a student at DU. She still treasures her years at DU, particularly her time as a resident of Johnson-MacFarlane Hall, and says her life came together at the University. Melissa and Jim still live close to campus with their daughters, Genevieve and Rebecca. Jim is a CFO for Employers Unity and Melissa is a senior marketing manager for RH Donnelley, publisher of Dex Yellow Pages and DexKnows.com.

1984

Kefalas Soteris (BSBA ’84) was inducted into the DU Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2007 in recognition of his outstanding soccer career at the University. Kefalas lives in Paralimni, Cyprus, where he is the assistant headmaster of the hotel department at Paralimni Technical School.

University of Denver Magazine Connections 49

Quotable notes Thank you to everyone who responded to the winter 2008 issue’s question of the hour: What do you think is the biggest issue facing higher education today? “Costs rising so far beyond inflation.” Harriet (Goodman) Grayson (MA ’80) Yonkers, N.Y. “Lack of critical thinking and selfreflection.” Mary Ann Van Buskirk (BA ’73) Denver

Douglas Towne (BA ’84) encountered a catamaran flying a DU pennant while on a sailing vacation in the British Virgin Islands in December 2008. After exchanging greetings, he discovered that the crew was comprised of instructors and students of the Daniels College of Business course Leadership, Teams and Values. Douglas resides in Phoenix.

1985

Scott Maierhofer (MBA ’85) joined McCarthy Capital as a partner after seven years with Green Manning & Bunch, where he was co-president. Prior, Scott was president and managing principal of UniRock Management Corp., which he co-founded in 1988. At McCarthy Capital, his primary responsibilities include evaluating, structuring and making investments and managing portfolio companies. Scott resides in Centennial, Colo.

1987

Ron Fernandez (BSBA ’87, MBA ’92) and Kathryn Fernandez welcomed a baby girl, Mary, in October 2008. The family lives in Denver.

1988

Jon Niermann (BSBA ’88) and Stacey (Strahs) Niermann (BSBA ’88) have been living in Asia for almost 11 years, most recently in Shanghai, China. Jon is the president of Electronic Arts Asia and is doing publicity for a David Letterman-style talk show that is launching across Asia.

Tour Guide Paul Hintgen

—Doug McPherson



50 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

Courtesy of Paul Hintgen

Some people spend their whole lives looking for their proverbial pot of gold. Others just buy a gold mine. Meet Paul Hintgen (BSBA ’86), the owner of Country Boy Mine in Breckenridge, Colo. It was established in 1887, and it’s the only mine in Summit County with an underground tour. It’s strictly a tourist attraction, no longer an operational mine. It was the culmination of a search for a better life—much like the pioneers who ventured west in the 1800s. Hintgen, his wife, Cindy, and their 11-year-old son loved the outdoors and skiing. So Hintgen began looking for a business in the mountains. He soon stumbled across a classified ad for a snowmobile business to be auctioned in Breckenridge. During the auction, he and Cindy struck up a conversation with a guy in the crowd. He turned out to be Country Boy’s owner, and he was interested in selling. “We went down, looked it over, talked about it, and by the end of the day I was sold,” Hintgen says. He spent the next three months trying to come up with the $400,000 he needed. And by December 2006 he had the cash and closed the deal. “The learning curve is huge,” he says. “I learn something new every day.” He credits his double major in finance and marketing as a big help. “I’m using that degree a lot today. Owning the mine is all about marketing and finance.” Evidently he was a good student. While the rest of Breckenridge is feeling the pinpricks of the prickly economy, Hintgen’s 2008 business jumped 35 percent over 2007 with 25,000 visitors. Carly Grimes, director of public relations for the Breckenridge Resort Chamber, calls the Hintgens “great ambassadors” not only for their business, but also for Breckenridge and Colorado’s gold mining history. Hintgen says he believes the mine serves as a good educational tool for visitors of all ages on the state’s history and its 19th century economics. Delving 1,000 feet into the side of the mountain at the south base of Barney Ford Hill, visitors learn the details of just how hard miners worked. “Most people come out thinking their jobs look pretty good compared to mining,” Hintgen says with a laugh. >>www.countryboymine.com/

Book bin

Reunion recap

In Gall: Lakota War Chief (University of Oklahoma Press, 2007), Robert Larson (BA economics ’50, MA education ’53) provides the first-ever scholarly biography of the leader who fought alongside Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse in an effort to prevent the U.S. government from annexing the Black Hills in Wyoming and South Dakota. Although christened Little Cub Bear, the prominent Lakota chief known most often as Gall was nicknamed “Fighting Cock of the Sioux” by U.S. soldiers. Gall played a major part at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. Incensed by the deaths of his two wives and three daughters—victims of a surprise attack by U.S. forces—Gall led a charge across the Medicine Trail Ford to decimate Gen. George Custer’s main forces grouped there. According to Larson, the Lakota Sioux “were the most successful Indian tribe in resisting the settlement of their hunting grounds.” The U.S. government, however, emerged victorious from the Great Sioux Wars. Gall—believing assimilation to be inevitable—broke with Sitting Bull, his mentor, and worked to integrate his tribe into modern society. Relying on six years of research, including interviews with Gall’s direct descendants, Larson traces the transformation of the The-Man-That-Goes-inthe-Middle—Gall’s preferred nickname—from fierce warrior to pragmatic leader. The retired history professor has earned several awards for Gall, including the Western Writers of America Spur Award for the best Western biography of 2008, the Western History Association’s 2008 Robert M. Utley Award and Westerner’s International Co-Founders Best Book Award for 2007. Larson, 82, lives in Denver. He also wrote Red Cloud: Warrior-Statesman of the Lakota Sioux (University of Oklahoma Press, 1997) and plans a biography of Rain-in-the-Face, another important Lakota leader. —Samantha Stewart This book is available at the DU Bookstore, www.dubookstore.com.



Even after 28 years, these best friends continue to reconnect for their “every-eight-week-reunion.” This particular gathering took place on Valentine’s Day. From left: Diane Stahl (BA ’80) of Denver; Lisa Shimel (BA ’80, JD ’83) of Englewood, Colo.; Melissa (Goldman) Turner (BA ’79, MBA ’83) of Denver; Patty (Hill) Carter (BA ’80) of Aurora, Colo.

Career corner Q: A:

I was just laid off. What do I do now?

First, take time to recover from emotions such as shock, hurt, anger and disappointment. Losing a job can result in a deep loss of identity in addition to a means of financial support. People are best able to handle new situations when their emotions are under control, so express and work through them. Stay positive and focused, and move forward. Don’t hold a grudge against your boss or former company, and don’t dwell on the past or try to recreate it. With shifting market conditions, it may be unlikely that you will find the same type of position again, so work toward setting aside the disappointment of the past and create a new image of what your future work could be. Get your financial business in order. File for unemployment insurance right away, as the process may take time before you see the first payment. Clear up debt and set up a budget to determine how long you can take to search for your next position. Consider whether you need to seek temporary work immediately or are able to take time to evaluate your career path and hold out for the ideal new position. Be prepared for a job search to take time. It can be too easy to jump into a new job out of fear. Recognize this “gap time” as an opportunity to take care of yourself, to step back and reflect on what is meaningful to you in your work and in life, and to be refreshed through a change of pace and (perhaps) lessened responsibilities, at least for a time. Establish a structure to your day and your job search. Schedule time to get up and begin your day, and progress in your job search each week. While it may be tempting to set aside routines, they are essential in establishing and maintaining a job search. Once the reason to prepare yourself for the day is gone, it is easy to fall into patterns that distract from a disciplined job search instead of being prepared to meet with networking contacts and potential employers at a moment’s notice. Finally, plan your job search as if it was a full-time job and you are the boss. Set daily and weekly goals that might include polishing your resumé, researching target companies, activating your network, tailoring cover letters to specific positions, and developing your interviewing skills. Block out times to be in public interacting with professionals in person, not simply sitting behind a computer surfing the Internet. Networking and referrals are the only way to discover untapped resources.

Wendy Winter-Searcy is a licensed professional counselor with a master’s degree in counseling. She is assistant director at the University of Denver Career Center. She also serves on the leadership board of the Colorado Career Development Association and teaches classes in career development and management. Contact her at 303-871-2150 or [email protected].

University of Denver Magazine Connections 51

Filmmaker David Edwards Growing up in the Denver suburb of Montbello, David Edwards (BA ’97), president and CEO of EMotion Pictures Productions, spent his adolescence coveting cars and the freedom they offered. Today, as the producer, writer and director of the documentary film Sprawling From Grace: The Consequences of Suburbanization, Edwards argues that the unchecked suburban expansion of the past few decades has trapped Americans behind the wheels of their automobiles. “Americans are not addicted to oil,” he says. “Americans are addicted to unencumbered transportation.” With contributions from numerous experts, Sprawling From Grace advocates for a new, sustainable vision of the American dream. Rather than expanding suburbia, the film argues that city governments should invest in mixed-use communities where nearby public transportation can take you anywhere that your own two feet can’t. Such measures, the film argues, can assuage many of the unintended consequences of suburban sprawl by reducing traffic congestion and gas emissions and providing individuals with a choice: continue to devote money toward car costs or channel those resources into other avenues. The film has received letters of commendation from former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore and a Platinum Ava Award for best documentary. Cinema Libre Studio will distribute the film on its Earth Now label. “It is my wish that through this film I can awake the stewards in all of us to kindle a vision of hope,” Edwards says. Edwards started EMotion Pictures in 1995 as a DU student while producing his first documentary, Witches Among Us, about alternative and pagan religions. Edwards’ comprehensive studies at DU—majoring in communications, graphic design and digital media studies—have enabled him to run a company that offers a multitude of services including film and video production, graphics and animation, postproduction, and Web and CD-ROM development. “It’s made me a better producer because you really need to round yourself out to have a clear vision of how things come together,” Edwards says of his education. Although corporate projects have been the bread and butter of EMotion Pictures, Edwards has retained his zeal for documentary film. “I’m a political person and a passionate person about my ideas,” Edwards says. “Through documentary film we are able to open new avenues and make people more inquisitive. I think I am doing something that has meaning.” Edwards has two projects in the works, the documentary Justice in Uganda: Dancing Without Music, which examines the root causes of genocide and civil war in Africa, and his debut feature film narrative, The Ship, which he describes as The Sandlot meets ET. —Samantha Stewart



52 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

Matt Zuschlag (BSBA ’88) was promoted to executive director of enterprise initiatives for SureWest Communications. A 20-year veteran of the communications industry, Matt will be responsible for reviewing and analyzing acquisition opportunities and overseeing the integration of potential acquisitions. He lives in Auburn, Calif.

1990

Frank Conti (JD ’90) was elected Maricopa County justice of the peace for the Dreamy Draw Justice Court in northeast Phoenix on Nov. 4, 2008. Frank has been a licensed attorney in good standing since 1990, is a former deputy public defender and has served as a judge pro tempore for municipal and justice courts throughout Maricopa County. Ellie Schafer (BA ’90) of San Francisco was appointed director of the White House Visitors Office by President Barack Obama’s administration. Ellie worked on Obama’s campaign advance team throughout his candidacy and served on his transition team. Prior, she worked on campaigns for supervisors’ races and ballot measures in San Francisco.

1991

Marck Beggs (PhD ’91) has published his third collection of poetry, Catastrophic Chords (Salmon Poetry, 2009). He plans to travel to Ireland to give readings in Galway and Dublin. Marck’s folk-rock band, Dog Gods, self-released a debut album, I am large; I contain multitudes. He works for Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark., as an English professor and dean of the graduate school.

1993

Susan (Ammer) Helmerich (BA ’93) earned her LPGA Class A certification in spring 2008. In December, she was named general manager of Arrowhead Golf Club in Littleton, Colo. Susan resides in Centennial, Colo.

Rancher Brian Thompson Wayne Armstrong

When Brian Thompson (IMBA ’99) needs to unwind, he drags a lawn chair out to the middle of his paddock, kicks back, pulls down his hat and enjoys the peaceful milling of his herd of … alpacas. That’s right. Alpacas. “They’re just magnificent animals,” Thompson says. “They’re so calming to be around.” Thompson owns and operates the Tres Amigos alpaca ranch with his wife, Nancy. The ranch—with a sweeping view of Pikes Peak—occupies 37 acres of rolling grassland speckled with stands of Gambel oak and ponderosa. The 7,100-foot setting is almost perfect for alpacas—a domesticated animal from the high Andes raised primarily for their fiber, which is used for knitted and woven items. Thompson bought his ranch 10 years ago after finishing his master’s degree. He had been working full time and going to school full time and suddenly had a lot less to do. He was restless. So, he bought some ranchland 15 miles south of Franktown, Colo. On weekends, he would head to the ranch—just open space at that point—and “whack at weeds with a sickle.” The Thompsons eventually built a house, and, wanting to keep the land’s agricultural designation for tax purposes, looked into adding livestock to their family of three people (including daughter Lindsey), three birds and three dogs. First they considered buying calves. But, they were afraid they’d get too attached. Then they thought of llamas. They settled on alpacas because, Thompson says, “alpacas are smaller, they’re cuter, and they’re easier to handle.” They bought their first three alpacas in 2000 and Tres Amigos was born. Today there are 57 alpacas at the ranch (including 20 boarded there by another owner), along with a couple of horses and a fat barn cat—a favorite friend to curious baby alpacas. Thompson raises breeding stock and also sells the alpacas’ fiber after their annual shearing. The 90-year-old cattle rancher on the neighboring spread has taught Thompson the ranching ropes. “I’m his city slicker project,” says Thompson, who grew up in Madison, Wis. Although alpacas are “fairly easy keepers,” Thompson spends at least two hours a day caring for his land and livestock in addition to working full time from home as a program manager for Avaya, a global communications technology company. Before working in the private sector, Thompson was an Army language specialist stationed at a listening post in Cold War-era Berlin. Although he doesn’t get to use his foreign language skills much in his current job, he practices on the alpacas, even giving some of them Hungarian or Russian names: Laszlo, Voltan, Yuri and Dimitri. Then there’s Audrey—named after Audrey Hepburn—a cocoacolored, doe-eyed alpaca who follows Thompson around like a lovesick puppy. And there’s Cupid (born on Valentine’s Day), Satchmo, Morgan, Sebastian, Cutty (for the whisky) and the rest of the gang, all with distinct personalities. Thompson can recognize each, and he loves them all. Alpacas, he says, are a “huggable investment.” >>www.tresamigosranch.com —Chelsey Baker-Hauck



University of Denver Magazine Connections 53

Paul Kuscher-Dapena (BSBA ’97) of Rockville, Md., stands in front of the Perito Moreno Glacier in El Calafate, Argentina. The photo was taken while Paul was hiking through Patagonia on a family vacation last year. As you pioneer lands far and wide, be sure to pack your DU gear and strike a pose in front of a national monument, the fourth wonder of the world or your hometown hot spot. If we print your submission, you’ll receive some new DU paraphernalia courtesy of the DU Bookstore. Send your print or high-resolution digital image and a description of the location to: Pioneer Pics, University of Denver Magazine, 2199 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO 80208, or e-mail [email protected]. Be sure to include your full name, address, degree(s) and year(s) of graduation.

Surgeon Ruth Nauts Ruth Nauts (EMBA ’01) is optimistic about the future of health care in America. That’s rather comforting given that she intimately knows the challenges ahead thanks to her dual roles as an orthopedic surgeon and as a medical business administrator. Nauts works for Kaiser Permanente and, in April, she became the regional orthopedic department chief for Kaiser’s Colorado practices. This is just the latest step in a journey that has taken Nauts into both operating rooms and board rooms of various Colorado medical enterprises. Nauts says she enjoys medicine because she likes “hands-on fixing things.” That instinct to fix things also inspired Nauts to pursue a business degree at the University of Denver. “The health care issues that Hillary Clinton was bringing to the fore made me realize that some of us in medicine needed to understand business language and processes,” she says, adding that the experience gave her a new perspective on health care. “I thought health care should look like a not-for-profit, multi-specialty medical community big enough to support a technology infrastructure so that we could all communicate. I looked around and said, ‘Wow, I just described Kaiser!’” Not long after that epiphany, Nauts left private practice to join Kaiser. She also has worked with other hospitals in the area to share her medical/business perspective, and she’s joined the board of the Colorado Health Foundation. “Ruth has continued to take on roles that look at medicine in a much broader view rather than the narrowly structured practice of medicine,” says Wagner Schorr, a retired nephrologist who has known Nauts for 25 years. “With all her business background, she understands both sides of the equation.” Nauts is optimistic for the future of health care, but she also is realistic. “We do have millions without any coverage and no way to afford what American health care can provide,” she says. “That part is very sad. There won’t be any easy answers.” —Janalee Card Chmel

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54

Question of the hour: Which academic quarter was your favorite—fall, winter, spring or summer—and why?

Post your class note online at www.alumni.du.edu, e-mail [email protected] or mail your note to: Class Notes, University of Denver Magazine, 2199 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO 80208-4816. University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

Courtesy of Ruth Nauts

Pioneer pics

1995

Melissa Reeves (MA ’95, PhD ’98) of Huntersville, S.C., co-authored her first book, Identifying, Assessing and Treating PTSD at School (Springer, 2008). Melissa is a school psychologist and adjunct lecturer at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C. She also conducts workshops for school districts and educational associations across the country.

1996

Donald Baldridge (MBA ’96) of Englewood, Colo., has been appointed vice president of business development for DCP Midstream. He has more than 16 years of experience in the energy industry, including commercial, trading and business development activities. Prior, Don served as vice president of corporate development.

Tracy Houston (MLA ’96, MLS ’96) was honored during the annual Celebrate Women event on Nov. 14, 2008. Tracy and her fellow honorees were recognized for their contributions to family, community and the workplace. She is the interim chair for the nonprofit International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology. Tracy lives in Lakewood, Colo. Henry “Hank” Thiess (MBA ’96) is the general manager of Wintergreen Resort, located in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Prior, he worked as the president and general manager of Durango Mountain Resort in Durango, Colo., and as the vice president of resort operations for Keystone Resort in Keystone, Colo. Hank lives in Charlottesville, Va., with his wife, Mary Ann, and his daughters, Mikaela and Madalyn.

1998

Marcus Deitz (JD ’98) of Spring, Texas, was named partner in the Andrews Kurth law firm. Marcus practices public law with a focus in public finance. Kenneth Rothenberg (JD ’00) of New York City will join Marcus

as a partner. Kenneth specializes in advising investment banks, broker-dealers and hedge funds on legal issues related to the purchase and sale of domestic and international par and distressed assets. He also advises clients on corporate and security matters.

1999

Heidi (Flammang) Ganahl (MHS ’99) joined the advisory board of the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business. Heidi is the founder and CEO of Camp Bow Wow, the largest dog day care and boarding franchise in North America. Prior to founding Camp Bow Wow in 2000, she had a career in pharmaceutical sales. Heidi lives in Boulder, Colo. Aaron Huey (BFA ’99) of Seattle is a photographer for National Geographic Adventure and National Geographic Traveler and works as a freelancer for dozens of other publications. The December 2008 issue of Smithsonian magazine featured Aaron’s photographs documenting Pakistan’s Sufi culture. His next assignment will take him on an extended trip to Yemen.

St. Louis

Connect with your local DU alumni chapter.

minneapolis/St. Paul

Just moved to a new city and don’t know anyone? Need to expand your professional network? Want to attend fun events and make new friends, or reconnect with old ones? Then we invite you to get involved in your local alumni chapter!

phoenix

Washington, D.C. DU currently has chapters in 9 cities across the country: Atlanta, Ga. Boston, Mass. Chicago, Ill. Dallas, Texas Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.

boston

New York, N.Y. Phoenix, Ariz. St. Louis, Mo. Washington, D.C.

dallas chicago

To find out how you can get involved with your local chapter, please call the Office of Alumni Relations at 800-871-3822 or visit www.du.edu/alumni/ chapters.

new york



University of Denver Magazine Connections 55

Catherine “Katie” (Blair) Noftsger (BSBA ’99) married Benjamin Noftsger on July 9, 2008, in Eureka Springs, Ark. The couple resides in Tulsa, Okla., where Katie works as a production manager for PennWell and Benjamin works for Spirit Aerosystems. Mark Willis (JD ’99) of Littleton, Colo., was elected a partner in the firm Kutak Rock. Mark conducts a commercial litigation practice with an emphasis on real estate, lender and creditors’ rights and construction, bad-faith and insurance coverage litigation.

2000

Phil Anson (BA ’00) of Boulder, Colo., is the founder of Phil’s Fresh Foods, which makes burritos. Phil started his company in 2002, selling his handmade burritos to rock climbers in Eldorado Canyon. Phil’s Fresh Foods now sells its burritos to 1,500 food stores nationwide and in the cafeterias of the Boulder Valley and Jefferson County school districts. Nancy Barraclough-Southcott (MSW ’00) works as a manager for the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. Nancy is a mother to 1-year-old Hope and 18-year-old Zach. She enjoys photography and traveling throughout Europe with her family. She resides in Portishead, United Kingdom.

Aylene Quale (BA ’00) of Denver is a transportation and special projects manager for the Downtown Denver Partnership. During the Democratic National Convention in August 2008 she managed the Get Downtown Unconventionally program, which focused on getting individuals to use alternate forms of transportation.

2001

Kevin Robinson (BSBA ’01) is the general manager of the Elysian Hotel Chicago. Prior, Kevin worked for the Four Seasons Hotel Co. for four years, most recently as the hotel manager of the Alexandria, Egypt, property. He is married and has three children.

2002

James Dewhirst (BA ’02) of Santa Barbara, Calif., won the grand prize in the 2009 Photo Imaging Education Association International Student-Teacher Photo Competition. James’s entry won in the Best Computer Assisted Image by a University Student category. He is pursuing a master’s of fine arts degree from the Brooks Institute.

2003

Elshad Farzaliyev (MA ’03) works for International Media Support as a country officer in Baku, Azerbaijan. In his role as

Deaths 1930s

Edwyna (Richards) Rinne (BA ’37), Denver, 1-28-09

1940s

Clara (Lee) Lambrecht (BA ’40), Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 9-13-08 Henry Stanford (MS ’43), Americus, Ga., 1-1-09 Stanley Brown (BS ’47), Kansas City, Mo., 4-1-08 Florence Goldhammer (BA ’47), Denver, 2-21-08 Gilbert “Gib” Frye (BS ’48), Centennial, Colo., 11-16-08 Marion (Stearns) White (attd. 1947–48), Denver, 1-21-09 Eleanor Yelvington (MBA ’48), Clarendon Hills, Ill., 9-21-07 John Fritts (BS ’49), Allenspark, Colo., 10-1-08

1950s

Thomas Quinn (BS ’50), Denver, 3-9-08 Robert Johnson (JD ’51), Colorado Springs, Colo., 10-26-08 Barbara (Goldberg) Berry (BA ’52), Macungie, Pa., 9-29-08 Gunni Karrby (BA ’53), no date given, Goteborg, Sweden Miroslav “Michael” Slama (MA ’54), Thousand Oaks, Calif., 11-30-08 Arlyce (Kjelbertson) Milburn (BS ’59), Bartlesville, Okla., 12-5-08



56 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

a country officer, Elshad opened a media center that offers journalistic training. Prior, Elshad worked as a media consultant for the International Journalist Network. Michael Lavine (BA ’03) and Emily (Nystrom) Lavine (BSBA ’04) welcomed their son William on Dec. 16, 2008. The family resides in St. Paul, Minn. Anne (Coshow) Weium (MT ’03) married John Weium in Boulder, Colo., on Dec. 18, 2008. The couple resides in Denver, where Anne works for the Newmont Mining Corp. and John attends law school.

2004

Alysia Kline (MS ’04, MBA ’04) of Denver started the business Outdoor DIVAS, a specialty retailer geared toward active women. Outdoor DIVAS has store locations in Boulder, Colo., on the Pearl Street Mall, and in the Cherry Creek North shopping district of Denver.

2005

Lisa Bradley (MBA ’05) of Denver and her husband, John, are the proud parents of Noah. Their son was born on Sept. 10, 2008, weighing 5 pounds, 4 ounces.

1960s

Tamra Tate (BA ’62, MA ’73), Denver, 11-14-08 F. “Morris” Johnson (EdD ’63), Loveland, Colo., 8-29-08 Diana Whitfield (BA ’63), Fairfax Station, Va., 12-31-08 John Kershaw (BA ’65), Albion, Mich., 8-4-08 Harold Van Horn (MA ’65, PhD ’68), Mercer Island, Wash., 10-29-08 Howard Dennis (MA ’67), Denver, 12-19-08

1970s

George Morrison (attd. 1967–70), Schenectady, N.Y., 11-12-08 George Bassett (BA ’73), Coral Gables, Fla., 6-11-08 Michael O’Connell (BSBA ’78), Westminster, Colo., 10-2-08

1980s

Tamra Burgwardt (BA ’81), Buffalo, N.Y., 1-30-09 Gary Fukayama (MBA ’83), Fountain Hills, Ariz., 10-6-08 Craig Chamness (attd. 1986–88), Escondido, Calif., 8-20-08 Robin Birky (BA ’89), Valparaiso, Ind., 8-29-08

1990s

Patrick Jean-Pierre (MA ’98), Woodmere, N.Y., 12-12-08

Students

Lauren Johnson, international studies graduate student, Vancouver, Wash., 1-5-09

Terrance Carroll (JD ’05) of Denver was elected speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives on Nov. 6, 2008. He is the first African-American to hold this position in Colorado. Terrance served as the assistant House majority leader during 2007. He is also an attorney with Greenberg Traurig and is an ordained minister.

Jeff Grabner (BSBA ’05) of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, operates his family business, Cardinal Fastener, as the wind product manager. The company is the largest supplier of fasteners used to transport, erect and stabilize wind turbines. Jeff credits his DU education with helping him to succeed in the fast-paced wind energy industry. Jeff (pictured on right) and his family had the pleasure of meeting Barack Obama four days before his inauguration.

Keri Herman (BSBA ’05) placed fourth in the women’s slopestyle skiing competition at the 2009 Winter X Games. Keri lives and trains in Breckenridge, Colo.

2007

Matthias Edrich (IMBA ’07, JD ’07) joined the Ohio-based law firm Peck, Shaffer & Williams as an attorney in its Denver office. He advises governmental, nonprofit and corporate borrowers, issuers, underwriters and banks in all matters concerning bond financings and public finance law. Christina Mengert (PhD ’07) of Stone Ridge, N.Y., compiled the book 12x12: Conversations in 21st Century Poetry and Poetics (University of Iowa Press, 2009) with Joshua Wilkinson. Christina’s poems and reviews have appeared in Web Conjunctions, the Denver Quarterly, Afugabe and the New Review of Literature. She teaches writing and literature at the University of Colorado at Boulder and in UCLA’s writers’ extension program.

?

Post your class note online at www.alumni.du.edu, e-mail [email protected] or mail in the form on page 57.

Which alum is a retired Air Force colonel who once worked in Bosnia? The answer can be found somewhere on pages 46–58 of this issue. Send your answer to [email protected] or University of Denver Magazine, 2199 S. University Blvd, Denver, CO 80208-4816. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address. We’ll select a winner from the correct entries; the winning entry will win a prize courtesy of the DU Bookstore.

Congratulations to Debbie Stapert (BBA ’96) for winning the spring issue’s pop quiz.

Welcome to the legacy. Whether your DU diploma is newly minted or turning 50, you will enjoy the rich array of gifts and apparel available at the University of Denver Bookstore. Also sign up to be a PERKS member to receive sales and event notifications at our website www.dubookstore.com

REGULAR STORE HOURS S H O P O N L I N E A N Y T I M E AT University of Denver Bookstore • 2050 E. Evans Ave., Denver, CO 80208



DUBOOKSTORE.COM OR CALL 800.289.3848

MOn.–THUR. FRi. SAT. SUn.

8:30 a.m.– 6:30 p.m. 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Closed

University of Denver Magazine Connections 57

ANNOUNCEMENTS Get Involved Mentoring Join the Pioneer Connections

Mentoring Program and start mentoring a DU student today. Contact Hallie Lorimer at hlorimer@ du.edu or 303-871-2083 for details.

Alumni Chapters DU has alumni chapters in:

Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Minneapolis/ St. Paul; New York; Phoenix; St. Louis; and Washington, D.C. To find out how you can get involved, call the Office of Alumni Relations at 800871-3822 or visit www.du.edu/alumni/chapters.

Lifelong Learning OLLI DU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is a

membership program designed for men and women age 55 and “better” who wish to pursue lifelong learning in the company of like-minded peers. Members select the topics to be explored and share their expertise and interests while serving as teachers and learners. >>universitycollege.du.edu/learning/viva/

Enrichment Program Noncredit short courses, lectures, seminars and weekend intensives explore a wide range of subjects without exams, grades or admission requirements. >>universitycollege.du.edu/learning/ep/

Calling All Experts

DU Photography Department

We’re trying to get to know our alumni better while developing possibilities for future articles. Please send us your ideas. We would especially like to hear about readers who: • a re working (or former) journalists, especially those working in “new media” • are willing to share their perspectives on the rising costs of college • have struggled with personal debt (including student loans and credit cards) or are experts in debt management • are working/serving in Iraq or Afghanistan • were DU Centennial scholars • are members of the Class of 1959 • served in the Peace Corps • served in AmeriCorps

Nostalgia Needed Please share your idea for nostalgic topics we could cover in the magazine. We’d love to see your old DU photos as well.

Contact us



University of Denver Magazine 2199 S. University Blvd. Denver, CO 80208-4816 [email protected] 303-871-2776

58 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

Pioneer Generations How many generations of your family have attended DU? If you have stories and photos to share about your family’s history with DU, please send them our way!

Mark Your Calendar Youth Theater The Rocky Mountain

Conservatory Theatre, directed by DU’s Anthony Hubert, presents youth productions of Peter Pan (June 25–27) and Annie (July 16-18) in the Margery Reed Hall Little Theatre. >>www.RMCTonline.com

Denver Pridefest Alumni are invited to help

staff a shift at the DU booth, or just stop by to say hello. Pridefest is June 27–28 at Denver’s Civic Center Park. >>denverpridefest.org >>www.du.edu/cme/lgbtiqa

University College Attend an Aug. 12 open

house for adults considering completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree. For details and to make a reservation, visit www.universitycollege.du.edu or call 303-871-2291.

Alumni Symposium Take part in a weekend

learning experience on campus during the third annual symposium Oct. 2–3. Enjoy a wide variety of class sessions with DU faculty, hear from distinguished keynote speakers, and network with alumni and friends. >>www.du.edu/alumnisymposium

Homecoming Come back to campus Oct. 29– Nov. 1 to cheer on the Pioneers, watch the parade, trick-or-treat with your family, enjoy great food and live music, tour campus and more. >>www.alumni.du.edu/ DU on the Road Find out what your alma mater has been doing since you left. See if DU is coming to a city near you. >>www.alumni.du.edu/Duontheroad

Career Connections Pioneer Alumni Network Join other Denverarea alumni for free networking events each month. >>www.alumni.du.edu

Stay in Touch Online Alumni Directory Update your contact information, find other alumni and “bookmark” your alumni friends and classmates. You may also read class notes and death notices. Online class note submissions will automatically be included in the University of Denver Magazine. >>www.alumni.du.edu

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Between June 24th – 26th come to Magness Arena and see the best season ticket locations available! Reserve your Select-A-Seat spot, call 303.871.GOAl.

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University of Denver Magazine Connections 59

Miscellanea

Wayne Armstrong

Bulletproof art



60 University of Denver Magazine Summer 2009

Charles Perry of Helena, Mont., designed this sculpture, located next to Penrose Library, in 1973 at the behest of Penrose architect Gyo Obata, who commissioned the work. Perry titled this classic piece of 1970s geometric abstraction Bullet Proof Campus Art as a joke, purportedly because someone, fearful of criticism from the students, advised Perry to design something “bulletproof.”