Final2 Issue#1 Rangeview Fall 2009

A Publication by the Students of the FRCC-Larimer Campus V OLUME 10, I SSUE 1

H IT TING

A UGUST — N OVEMBER 2009

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BY J ENNIFER R ANGEVIEW

N EW “P EAK ” H ILGENDORF , R EPORTER

―It‘s awesome, I love it,‖ said student Ashley Owen, 20, about the newly renovated Longs Peak Student Center. Owen crinkled her nose in response to what she thought of the old student center. ―It is more welcoming now,‖ she said. Owen spends a couple of hours between classes on Mondays and Wednesdays at the student center, which underwent a significant revamp over the summer break. First built in 1998, the Longs Peak Student Center had remained mostly the same since its completion, with its aquamarine, purple and gray décor. This is exactly what led to director of Student Life Erin Fink-Smith‘s cause to remodel the student hub. ―It was time for a facelift. The old student center felt cold and stark,‖ said Fink-Smith. Those ―cold‖ colors have been replaced with warm, earthy tones. Talk began in 2005, after an upgrade to the now Study and Art Lounge. Fink-Smith met with the Student Center Advisory Board, consisting of students, faculty and staff. She spoke with the 2007-2008 Student Government Association about funding the $750,000 project with student fees. Both the 20072008 and 2008-2009 student bodies were assessed by the advisory board. They surveyed the students throughout the school year, asking them what they would like to see in a new student center. After final approval from Interim President Michael Kupcho, Vice President Dr. James C. Butzek, and dean of Student Services Kris Binard, construction began on Memorial Day. ―FRCC is in need of more space. Enrollment is currently up by 20 percent,‖ said Fink-Smith. An increase in students means not only an increase in people, but is also a boost in student fees, allowing for such a project to be undertaken. While the project didn‘t involve any expansion, it did, however, ―make better use of the space we did have,‖ according to Facilities director and design team member Scott McKelvey. With better organization and relocation of storage space, the project allowed for an additional office that was not there before. (continued on page 4)

Left to right: Mohammed Alghadeer, Mohammad Alnassar, Mohamed Own, and an unidentified student stand by one of the many tables displaying information about Arabic culture at the Arabic Awareness Dinner held on campus on Friday, Sept. 25. Photo by James Neuhalfen

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FRCC

E RIN R EAD , R ANGEVIEW R EPORTER

A term often heard is ―sustainable living,‖ but do you truly understand what it means? The Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair was held on Sept. 19 and 20 in Fort Collins. Sustainable living is as simple as recycling every week, or as complex as converting your whole home to run off of solar energy. There were many booths set up across the open farming field located on Lemay Avenue and Vine Drive that represented various forms of sustainable living. This was a community event, and all the booths were run by volunteers and employees of the various businesses, local farms and schools represented at the fair, including FRCC. The Front Range booth was powered by faculty and staff volunteers who were busy talking about the changes to come, starting with the Sustainable Living Committee. The woman responsible for these volunteers was Patricia Spears-Taff, who is the recruitment specialist at Front Range. (continued on page 5)

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Faculty Advisor & Managing Editor………...… Kate Tarasenko Editorial Team…….…...………..Jeff Collins ………………………………….Ally Hayduk …………………………..Jennifer Hilgendorf ………………………….Alexander LaBracke …………………………….Roger Maldonado ……………………………………..Erin Read Photo Editor.……………...James Neuhalfen Photo Team………………….Linda Baldwin ……………………………..James Neuhalfen Layout…….. ..….……...……Kate Tarasenko

Left to right: Erin Read, Roger Maldonado, Jennifer Hilgendorf, Alexander LaBracke and Ally Hayduk. Not pictured: Jeff Collins Photo by James Neuhalfen

Publications Board….... .…….Karl Dukstein ………………………………..….Blair Oliver ………………………………...Rachel Rambo ……………………………Erin Fink-Smith ……………………………….Kate Tarasenko

MISSION STATEMENT: The Rangeview provides a voice for FRCC’s Larimer campus. We strive to give our readers accurate and balanced coverage on a variety of news and events in an effort to keep our campus well-informed about its college community. We approach our responsibilities with the goal of maintaining the highest journalistic standards to the best of our abilities.

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FREELANCE SUBMISSIONS POLICY: We welcome feedback, letters to the editor, original articles and op-ed pieces (as well as story ideas and tips) from all members of the FRCC Larimer Campus community. Please do not exceed 600 words. The Rangeview also accepts photos and artwork in jpg format. All submissions must be emailed directly from your FRCC account as a Word.doc or jpg attachment, and must be accompanied by full name and local phone number, to:

[email protected] All submissions are subject to final approval by the Editorial Team and Publications Board, and may be edited for length, clarity, and potentially libelous content.

Please direct your calendar event inquiries to [email protected]. Linda Baldwin and James Neuhalfen

Photo by Renee Hibbitt

ALL CONTENT © 2009 RANGEVIEW

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F REE R ANGE V IEWS S TUDENT E DITORIAL F ROM THE I NDIANA D AILY S TUDENT (IDS NEWS . COM )

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ABOUT TIME .

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

WE SAY T HE S TUDENT A ID IS LONG OVERDUE .

Scholars’ Square

Sept. 20, 2009 — The House of Representatives passed legislation on Sept. 17 that would take private lenders out of the student loan industry altogether and save U.S. taxpayers close to $90 billion during 10 years, money which would then be used to increase Pell grant allocations and pay for community college reforms. The bill now moves to the Senate, where its legislative success is less certain than it was in the House. Currently, when a student takes out a loan from the federal government, they have to go not to the federal government (that would make sense!), but to private lending institutions. These institutions are given the money to lend to the student plus substantial subsidies to encourage them to participate in the program and a federal guarantee on the loan – which makes providing these risk free-loans an absolute jackpot for banks and other lending institutions that do nothing to deserve it. What this bill proposes, however, is to take the banks out of the equation altogether. Instead of having the federal government give money to lending institutions, plus extra money on top of that for these banks to then lend to students, this legislation proposes the revolutionary idea of having the government provide the loans directly, cutting out the unnecessary middleman and all of the extra payouts that go along with it. One would think that the bill‘s safe passage through Congress would be a no-brainer, given the enormous inefficiencies inherent in the current student loan system, but, unfortunately it seems the health care debate that has infused Congress recently is seeping into and poisoning the rhetoric surrounding this completely unrelated bill. Cries of ―government takeover‖ have crept in from the health care debacle, but these should be ignored. After all, the government already owns most of the debt that would be taken out of the hands of these banks – many of whom have received bailouts – so, calling this a government takeover is quite disingenuous. This bill decreases government bureaucracy, increases efficiency, wastes fewer taxpayer dollars, and stops payouts to financial institutions for doing absolutely nothing but shifting their losses onto taxpayers. What‘s not to love? Copyright © 2009 Indiana Daily Student

Beverly Byer......…….…...6 Mary Swanson......……….7

How We Serve Sheryl Harrell……..….…..8

Campus Wellness Blood Drive………..…….9 Brain Lab………..….…..10

Front Range Faces Samuel Owen..……..…...11 James Wood……..….…..12

Club Hub Brandon Devlin: SfS…...13

Medium Cool Music Recitals……….….15 Jason Downing/SLF….....16 Laura Resau…………….17

Be Our Guest Susan Marshall..…….…..18

Student Life ……….20 SPRING 2010: Register for JOU-106, the Fundamentals of Reporting, and write for The Rangeview! 3 transfer credit hours!

A&L Chair Blair Oliver gets his blood screened at FRCC’s recent Health Fair. Photo by James Neuhalfen

The Rangeview is funded by Student Life using student fees, and by the Department of Arts & Letters. Reporting for The Rangeview is provided by the journalism students of JOU-106, the Fundamentals of Reporting. Photography is provided by students of FRCC-LC.

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4 (LPSC continued from page 1) The new study bar, stretching the length of the north window, is another feature that capitalizes on the use of the space. ―It provides seating for 30 that wasn‘t there before,‖ said Fink-Smith. The replacement of the longer tables with smaller tables with seating for four also increases the utility of the space. ―There is exactly the same number of chairs, but more people are able to use them now,‖ said Fink-Smith. In addition to more places to rest your rump, the new student center boasts three new computers at the The Longs Peak Student Center underwent a $750,000 renovation over the summer, paid for southeast entrance, electrical plug-ins for laptops and other devices, a stone- using student fees. Green features were incorporated into its re-design and construction. Photo by Linda Baldwin face fireplace, and acoustical panels along the ceilings. Whiteboards were new Wellness Zone just north of the Information Desk. ―It will replaced with small LCD screens outside of each of the report information about health and wellness, including H1N1 conference rooms that display information about the events and stress management, because the wellness of our students is scheduled for each of the conference rooms. really important to us,‖ said Fink-Smith. The Fitness Center received an upgrade, as well. The The design team wanted this project to be ecological. carpeting was replaced with durable Mondo™ flooring. For instance, the carpet that was removed was sent back to the ―Carpet really isn‘t the best surface for the sweaty environmanufacturer to be recycled. Additional green initiatives include ment of the Fitness Center,‖ said Fink-Smith. There is also a the use of energy-efficient lighting and the incorporation of durable materials, like terrazzo flooring throughout the main space of the hall. McKelvey pointed out that ―the bathroom stalls are made of recycled milk cartons.‖ And the chairs were car seatbelts in their previous lives. Fink-Smith is particularly pleased with the new multipurpose room. Though its main advantage is giving breastfeeding mothers a private space to pump, it can serve more purposes than just that one. ―We are a pioneer of this idea,‖ she said. The room can be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis for 30 minutes at a time. The room has not yet reached its completion, but Fink-Smith hopes to have it ready for use by late October. ―It was a lofty goal,‖ said McKelvey of the 12-week timeline, ―and it‘s not actually complete.‖ Final touches need to be made throughout the student center. The finished student center will be unveiled at the grand re-opening, scheduled for Piano instructor Jeannine Green (left) offers some one-on-one Oct. 15. There will be food served throughout the day, with a tips to student Cynthia Wilson in her Group Piano class. ceremony set to start at 4:30 p.m. Read our story on FRCC’s upcoming music recitals on page 15. As for Owen, ―The student center has everything the students should need.‖ ®

Photo by James Neuhalfen

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sustainable living, or what it really means. Castaneda is worried about the future of this planet. ―It won‘t be here forever, and if A recruitment specialist is primarily responsible for taking care you want something to last, like anything else, you need to treat it of the human resources issues related to the college. The 27right,‖ he said. Castaneda was not aware of the Rocky Mountain year-old Spears-Taff was raised in Alabama, but moved to Colo- Sustainable Living Fair but he said he plans to ―mark it on my rado to work on an internship as an undergrad. After her intern- calendar for next year.‖ He plans to learn a little more about ship, she continued to pursue her academic career in Alabama, sustainable living on his own time, and find out how he can but moved back to Colorado permanently in August 2008. She practice it beyond recycling. finds sustainable living ―truly is important… There are so many If you would like to learn more about how to practice resources for affordable green living in this community; it‘s so sustainable living, or become active in the Fort Collins sustaineasy to do.‖ able movement, visit the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living And if you wish to practice sustainable living, Fort Fair‘s Web site at www.sustainablelivingassociation.org. Collins has many resources you can use. Whether you utilize the You can also join the Sustainable Living Committee at bus to get to school or work every day, or just do something FRCC. The first meeting for the committee was held on Friday, Oct. 2. The meeting‘s agenda included what sustainable living is, and how to incorporate it at the Front Range campus. The presidents of the Sustainable Living Committee are Jamie Hahn, who is the program director for the Architectural Engineering Program and the Construction Technology Program, and Leslie Kulbeck, who is the administrative assistant for the Integrated Technology Department. For more information on the committee, contact Kulbeck at [email protected].

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An unidentified cyclist gets his grub on at FRCC’s booth at the Sustainable Living Fair. Read more about it on page 14. Photo by James Neuhalfen once a year, like volunteer for one of the green programs presented at the fair, such actions can be considered sustainable. ―There is so much progressive thinking in Fort Collins. The effects on the planet are visible. The facts are obvious,‖ said Spears-Taff. She was satisfied with the turnout of the fair this year. ―It was only my second fair, but it was my favorite,‖ she said, adding that, to live sustainably, all you have to do is ―be aware of how you can contribute. Do a little bit at a time.‖ She continued, ―The community at large knows Front Range has green programs.‖ But not all students at Front Range Community College seem to know what green living is, or how to practice it. Jim Castaneda, who is studying social sciences at Front Range, doesn‘t really know what it means to be sustainable. Castaneda, who is 43 and originally from Washington state and the Southern California area, does recycle. He said, jokingly, ―I own a lawn, and it puts carbon dioxide in the air.‖ But, beyond that, he said that he does not really know how to practice

(BLOOD DRIVE continued from page 9) facilities. The next blood drive is at CSU on Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Bolchen commented, ―We need to get rid of the notion that someone else will [give] instead. There are a lot of fallacies to donating blood, like, you might catch something, or, ‗I got the flu shot so I can‘t give,‘ or, ‗I recently had a heart attack.‘ Everything is sterile and latex-free,‖ Bolchen said. If you know of a business or organization that would like to host a blood drive, contact the Garth Englund Blood Center. Patients need volunteer donors, and so does the Garth Englund Blood Center. If anybody would like to donate blood or plasma, they may also go directly to the Garth Englund Blood Donor Center located at 1025 Pennock Pl., Suite 104, in Fort Collins, or call 495-8965. If Loveland is more convenient, donors may go to Medical Center of the Rockies located at 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave., or call 624-1510.

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BY R OGER M ALDONADO , R ANGEVIEW R EPORTER

Death is everywhere. It is all over the media, in movies and music. It is in the news everyday. It is even at Front Range… but not in the way that you may think. Every fall semester, there is one psychology course that is different from the rest. It is the Psychology of Death and Dying course. It is offered only once a year, and it always fills up. There is also only one faculty member who teaches it. Her name is Beverly Byer, and when in the Psychology Department in Challenger Point, she can sometimes be found behind the door with all of the sticky notes attached to it. Before the fall semester of 2002, the Psychology of Death and Dying was going to be taken out of the Front Range course catalogue because there was no one to teach it. Byer took the initiative and volunteered to teach the class. ―It started off as just an important class that had to be taught, but it became so much more than that,‖ Byer says. Originally from Orange County, California, Byer started her college education at California State University at Long Beach. She moved to Colorado and later went on to receive her Bachelor of Science in psychology at Colorado State University, and her Master of Arts in school psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is the Developmental Psychology lead at FRCC and has been teaching here for 10 years. While at Cal State, Byer met the professor whom she says was the most influential person in her life. Elaine Hagland, a developmental psychology professor at Cal State,

Beverly Byer (at right) listens to a student’s response in her Psychology of Death and Dying class. Photo by James Neuhalfen

said the ―most meaningful words‖ to Byer that have helped her shape her future. She still remembers the words: ―If you have the passion, be persistent, and your place will find you.‖ She said that they still impact her to this day. Every fall semester, Byer goes into the Psychology of Death and Dying course with the same mentality. She says, ―The greatest accomplishment that I could achieve at the end of the semester is to have enriched the lives of my students somehow, for whatever different reasons they may be, beyond just credits or grades.‖ She understands that some people have other motives, or just may not like the class, but her aim remains the same because of the great number of students who have taken the class. ―The course isn‘t only for the students,‖ states Byer. ―I take the class every semester with my students.‖ She does every assignment, every ―reflection,‖ and even takes tests with her class, although, she says, ―You never get to see them.‖ She puts a lot of emphasis on making sure every student feels comfortable inside and outside of her classroom. By keeping her opinions a secret, students can focus on speaking their minds and telling their own stories without having to feel the instructor‘s opinion forced on them. ―I share my stories all the time, but you don‘t see any political posters on my wall,‖ she jokes. This course isn‘t the only way Byer is involved in death and dying. The main reason that the course is taught only once a year is because, during fall, it coincides with the Mexican holiday known as El Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Each year, Byer and Jimena Peña, who is a member of the Bilingual and Multicultural Adult Services, host a special event in the Harmony Library. This public event is a collaboration between the Death and Dying class and the community. On this day, students, along with Byer, create memorials to honor people they know who have died. It‘s an event occurring on Oct. 29, from 1 to 4 p.m., and Oct. 30, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Longs Peak Student Center, and she encourages any Front Range student to be a part of it. Byer chooses to teach only one class of Death and Dying one semester of the year. She says, ―It‘s so much more than a class….[T]he bonding and growth that I experience with the class [is what] gives me the real passion for the course.‖ She says, ―I love that my job combines two things that I strongly believe in: teaching psychology, and being able to help and impact people.‖

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S CHOLARS ’ S QUARE

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A LLY H AYDUK , R ANGEVIEW R EPORTER

Mary Swanson knew that after receiving her undergraduate degree and master‘s degree at Colorado State University, there was no question that she loved Fort Collins and wanted to pursue a career in the area. Teaching history in the Fort Collins area is an ideal job for Swanson, a U.S. History instructor at Front Range Community College. ―History is my passion,‖ she acknowledged. A newlywed as of June, Swanson was born in Minneapolis, Minn., 23 years ago and raised in the Minneapolis area. When she was 14, her family moved out West to Colorado. She attended Liberty High School in Colorado Springs where she took AP history courses and found that she was very interested in the subject. Excelling in school was never an issue for Swanson, and she graduated from Liberty in 2004. She then went to CSU and found out that she was able to complete her undergraduate degree in three years, as opposed to the average student‘s four. This is what she considers to be one of her greatest academic achievements. After graduating, she went straight into getting her master‘s degree two years later in history. This is Swanson‘s first year as an instructor at Front Range. With it comes challenges, as she is the first to admit, but it also comes with great rewards. As a U.S. History I and II instructor, she teaches three sections of these courses, and with preparation time of roughly four hours for each lecture, they become very time-consuming. While Swanson only teaches U.S. History, she is qualified to teach other areas of history, such as Western civilization, African history, and world history. However, Front Range didn‘t need instructors for those courses this year. The areas of history she is most interested in are the ones that she finds herself knowing the most about, such as environmental studies, which she is continuously researching, and European women‘s history. When applying for teaching jobs after getting her master‘s degree, Swanson knew the first place she wanted to go and teach was Front Range. After filling out a very involved application and waiting a few months for it to be reviewed, she finally found out she had gotten the job. Teaching at Front Range has been everything she had hoped

it would be. ―The staff is friendly and very supportive,‖ claimed Swanson. The idea of actually being able to talk to the instructor after or during class is something Swanson really likes about the smaller campus atmosphere. After being at CSU for five years, Swanson realized how much she likes a smaller school. She also appreciates that it has newer facilities for students and staff. ―It is more personal, with a smaller staff-tostudent ratio, giving it more of a one-on-one experience,‖ stated Swanson. While Swanson is not a full-time instructor at Front Range and isn‘t employed elsewhere, she has plenty of other goals and activities that keep her occupied. She is now working to get her Ph.D., which takes up a large amount of her time. She hopes to have that completed as soon as possible, which could be anywhere between five and seven years. However, Swanson insists that she and her husband probably work too much, but when they get a break, they enjoy ―different… interesting‖ food and relaxing dinners. She also enjoys running, playing ―Wii Guitar Hero,‖ reading, and her new-found interest in yoga. ―I am pretty impressed; I can almost touch my toes!‖ beamed Swanson.

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U.S. History instructor Mary Swanson leads a discussion during class. Photo by Linda Baldwin

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H OW W E S ERVE For the program‘s future, Harrell is optimistic. She says, ―I always see [the program] expanding.‖ Harrell says, ―I S INGLE , B UT N OT A LONE would love to see the permanence of the Personal Excellence Project.‖ Harrell wrote the grant that funded this leadership BY J ENNIFER H ILGENDORF , development program a few years ago. This project awarded R ANGEVIEW R EPORTER scholarships to those who exhibited leadership skills after Sheryl Harrell isn‘t the most obvious choice to direct devoting 40 hours to community service. Today, the funds for the Single-Parent Program here at Front Range Community the Single-Parent Program focus on students who will leave College. She is not a single parent. In fact, she isn‘t a parent at FRCC and enter directly into the workforce, such as those all. Harrell says, ―I am motivated by the values of sharing and seeking technical degrees and certificates. She would like to supporting others, and giving back because of what I have been see it include students who will transfer to pursue degrees of given.‖ higher education at other institutions. Harrell, 60, relates to the single-parent students ―I would also like the internship I supervise to because she went back to pursue her degree as an adult learner. become a paid position,‖ she says. Like At the age of 35, she enrolled in Everso many other barriers in education, all of green State College in Olympia, Wash., this is limited due to funding. where she received her Bachelor of Arts Harrell says she was inspired to degree. She went on to earn a Master of pursue this field of service while under Applied Behavioral Science from City the leadership of her now-friend, University Leadership Institute of Seattle Christine Wagner, while working at in 1990. Her background as an academic Evergreen State College. ―Christine was a advisor and manager of the First-Year single-parent with a presence and a heart Experience Program at Evergreen State for giving,‖ remarks Harrell. College, and her work with non-profit Harrell is also inspired by the organizations in the state of Washington, students she works with. She says, ―The led her to her current position as the single-parent population are truly my director of the Single-Parent Program heroes. They work so hard to change their here at FRCC, Larimer campus, which life conditions for themselves and their she has held since May 2002. children.‖ She recounts the story of one As the director of the program, such student, a mother of three boys, one she holds multiple roles. She is an of whom was mentally disabled. She academic, career, personal, and family wanted more for herself and her boys. She counselor to her students. Harrell noted Director of the Single-Parent Program, graduated from FRCC with a 4.0 GPA, that her degree is in the discipline of life Sheryl Harrell transferred to CSU, and received a Photo by Linda Baldwin master‘s degree in speech pathology, and coaching, not to be confused with a therapist. She is in charge of managing now teaches at the University of Arkansas. She accomplished the budget of the program, and distribution of childcare funds, all of this in the seven years Harrell has worked at FRCC, as well as coordinating educational and social events for the while coping with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. participants of the program. She also supervises an intern from Harrell‘s message to other single parents hoping to CSU, in addition to other basic administrative tasks. To boot, change their circumstances is one of encouragement and hope. Harrell makes sure that she is constantly connected with the Harrell says, ―I understand the single-parents‘ resistance to community and the resources it offers to her students, such as ask for help. It can often be seen as a sign of weakness. I see it the Zonta Scholarship Raffle Drawing to benefit participants of as a sign of courage.‖ Harrell would like single parents to the Single-Parent Program. know that, ―There are people here who will walk with you, not for you, to help you build a better future for yourself.‖ Just ask.

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C AMPUS W ELLNESS The process of donating blood is easy, according to the Garth Englund brochure. First, donors must complete a T HERE W ILL B E B LOOD form at Front Range. Next, donors enter the mobile bus where they are escorted to an interview booth. After a short BY J EFF C OLLINS , R ANGEVIEW R EPORTER interview, donors may sit in the donation chair for five to 15 minutes while their blood is drawn. After the donation, The Garth Englund Blood Center rolled into the Front refreshments will be offered—usually juice and cookies. Range Community College parking lot on Sept. 29. The bus, After that, donors have the satisfaction of knowing they may provided by Poudre Valley Health Systems, is about 37 feet in have saved a life. length. It may look like an average RV, but this one saves lives. There are some restrictions on who can donate The Garth Englund Blood Center was named after a pathologist blood. People on antibiotics for an infection cannot give who was honored by being named as one of its founders in until it is clear for at least 72 hours. People with piercings 1997, shortly after his death. He saw a need for a blood center and tattoos have restrictions. People who travel to the ruins for Larimer County. The blood donated to the center stays in in Cancun, Mexico are deferred for one year because of the the Front Range area. At press time, the event through the chance of malaria. Other than those restrictions, people can Garth Englund Blood Center was donate every eight weeks. Each time a expecting 30 to 40 donors. donation is taken, it is tested for hepatitis, The reason there is a HIV, syphilis, and other diseases in depth. need for blood drives is because If anything is found, a phone call or a ―a lot of people don‘t have the certified letter is sent to the donor. time or the want to come across Sitting at the sign-up table at 10:20 town to a stationary center, so, in a.m. was a lady named Nancy Schirmer. order for us to keep our blood Schirmer, 53, who has been volunteering supply up, we take our bus to with the blood center for ―years and years them. That is why we bought it and years,‖ is not only donating her time, five years ago,‖ said Daniel but also her blood. She is a nursing Bolchen, who is a clinical laborastudent at Front Range, and is the Student tory technician. Bolchen has Nurses Association president. She gradubeen working at the Garth ates in December. Schirmer has donated Englund Blood Center for 17 ―millions‖ of times. A former school years. He is also a team leader at nurse at Cache La Poudre Elementary the Donor Center. He explained School, Schirmer knows first-hand the that one of the reasons that the FRCC nursing student Marla Pruitt knows how importance behind these blood drives. Garth Englund Blood Center valuable her blood donation is. Poudre Valley Her good friend lost a daughter to picked FRCC is the number of Health Systems drove a mobile donation van to leukemia, which required a lot of blood potential donors. ―There are FRCC’s parking lot on Sept. 29 and held a work. Schirmer‘s aunt died from a blood1,000 to 2,000 people wandering blood drive benefitting the Garth Englund related disease. Her mother has a strong around at any given time. The Blood Center. belief in ―helping mankind,‖ Schirmer Photo by James Neuhalfen facility is willing to let us be said. ―My mother has been donating there,‖ Bolchen replied. blood [for] as long as I can remember. She‘s 87. Just this ―One of the reasons why we try to tap into the younger weekend at church, she coordinated a blood drive.‖ generation is to get them started, so that in the future, they will Schirmer gives her credit for why she is there. It is just a come to see us on a regular basis,‖ Bolchen stated. ―Right now, ―very generous thing to do. We can all do it.‖ we are losing the World War II veterans to age, and we need the The mobile blood drive is always on the go. They younger generation to step up and fill that void,‖ said Bolchen. can also be found at CSU, churches, high schools, and other (continued on page 5)

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C AMPUS W ELLNESS This year, Mandley, along with Beverly Byer, the Developmental Psychology lead, and Lucinda Baker, an instructor currently getting her Ph.D. in neuroscience at BY R OGER M ALDONADO , Colorado State University, have a new plan. The lab is going R ANGEVIEW R EPORTER to be held over four days, and now it is open to all students of French philosopher Rene Descartes once said, ―I Front Range currently enrolled in at least one psychology think; therefore, I am,‖ to describe his own existence. He course. The labs have already filled beyond capacity, but there theorized that the mental activity going on in his brain was is always an opportunity for psychology students to do the proof enough that he existed. But Descartes never looked at brain labs next semester. Two of the days are dedicated to the a real-life human brain. He also sheep brain dissections, and the never dissected a sheep brain, other two are focused exclueither. Thanks to the Brain Lab sively on the human brain demo. hosted at FRCC, students have Each of these labs is at least an an opportunity to go a step hour long so that there is enough beyond theory and look deep time for the students to get the into the brains of humans and full experience. sheep, literally. One of these labs was One year ago, John scheduled on Monday, Sept. 28. Mandley, the lead instructor of The students all filed into the Psychology 101 and 102 Challenger Point 228 just to be classes at Front Range, greeted by a smell reminiscent volunteered to do a cow‘s eye of rubber gloves and raw lamb Missing anything? dissection and a sheep brain chops. Diffusing in the room dissection that was being hosted Photo by James Neuhalfen was the smell of 14 refrigerated at his son‘s middle school. This sheep brains. The students were event sparked Mandley to ask the question, ―If this can be paired up and given a scalpel, scissors, and a blunt probe for done at a middle school, why not at Front Range?‖ dissection purposes, followed by the rigid and lumpy sheep His first line of business was to acquire lab space. brain. While speaking with the anatomy and physiology instructors The students handled the cold, gray, hand-sized brains about lab space, Mandley came across the ―Bucket of in many different ways. Some picked the brains up with Brains.‖ The physiology instructors keep a completely intact gloved hands trying to pull thin, resistant layers apart, human brain, along with sliced parts of human brains, wellsome used scissors to attempt to cut through layers of tough preserved to present them to physiology students. With the membrane, and some just sliced merrily through the brain itanatomy and physiology instructors ―being kind enough‖ to self, and some got brain juice excreted somewhere on their lend their ―Bucket of Brains‖ and lab space for the event, and faces. the Bio Corporation, located in Alexandria, Minn., supplying Dayna Newby, a Colorado State University student a means of purchasing $9 sheep brains, came the inception of taking classes at Front Range, joked around, saying, ―My the first-ever Brain Lab at Front Range. favorite part was the smell.‖ She admitted later, ―My favorite The first Brain Lab was last fall and was open only part was doing the cross-sections of the brain.‖ With an in-lab lab report, students demonstrated what to Mandley‘s psychology students. The lab was held on one day of each semester, and the roster filled up within two they learned from the lab and turned it in to their instructors in or three days. It was 90 minutes long, and half of the their psychology classes. students did the human brain demo while the other half With every lab having so many students, Mandley participated in the sheep brain dissection. After the first 45 asked, ―Since there is an obvious interest in lab from students, minutes, they switched roles. ―It just wasn‘t enough time,‖ how can we keep meeting their interest?‖ Mandley says. (continued on page 14)

M AY I P ICK Y OUR B RAIN ?

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F RONT R ANGE F ACES Perhaps you will see Owen commuting his 10 miles a day from his apartment in Old Town to Lee's Cyclery. Other than his daily commute, he tries to get out and do a ―mountain BY A LEXANDER L A B RACKE , ride‖ at least once a week. He explained the ―love/hate relaR ANGEVIEW R EPORTER tionship‖ the locals have with Maxwell Trail. The trail is loved because of its proximity to town, but hated because it is As one ascends the stairwell to the single-bedroom crowded with bikers of all skill levels. apartment above a pub in Old Town, it can be noticed that the When remembering his old stomping grounds, Owen entire railing of the second floor is occupied by bikes and bike compared the trails of the East Coast with those surrounding locks. ―Only six of them are mine,‖ said FRCC student Samuel his new home on the Front Range. ―The big difference is wet Owen. and dry.‖ He explained that riding condiOwen is a 23-year-old tions back East are commonly wet and bicycle mechanic for the Fort Collins muddy. ―You have to look out for wet -owned and operated Lee's Cyclery. rocks and roots,‖ he explained, because Originally from Kentville, Nova ―both can be means for an ugly, muddy Scotia, he is pursuing a business crash.‖ degree to further his ―entrepreneurial These days, riding the Rockies, Owen skills within the cycling industry.‖ observes that, rather than wet and slipWhen not at school or the shop, he pery, conditions are dry and sharp. The can frequently be found near Horsejagged rocks and ledges of the local trails tooth Reservoir at the Maxwell Trail, tend to produce ―pinch flats,‖ a common one of his favorite local rides. problem that occurs when the tube of the When asked about his early tire is punctured between the rim and the cycling career, Owen looked back to sharp edge of a rock. 11 years ago when he first got into Recalling his notable crashes, Owen cross-country biking. He described smiled, sighed and, while sitting back and his first ―real‖ bike: his red Giant crossing his legs, said, ―Ha! Well, where Rincon, with ―big fat tires and bulldo I start, eh?” He began a story about horn handlebars,‖ Owen said, waving the summer of 2001 when he was athis arms passionately. tempting to hop over a concrete structure Before leaving Canada, and drop off a ledge. His back tire got Owen was an instructor at a mountain FRCC business student and bike enthusiast caught and he was tossed over his handlebiking school in Quebec for three Samuel Owen repairs bikes at Lee’s Cyclery. bars, landing directly on his head. This seasons. There, he spent his summers resulted in two fractured vertebrae and a Photo by James Neuhalfen leading pre-teens on cross-country trip to the emergency room. rides and taught them fundamentals His most recent and intense crash took place in February along the way. Being the only instructor on these rides, he had of 2007. Riding home from class one night, Owen was ―Tno choice but to repair problematic bikes. Knowing that they boned by a drunk driver in a Ford F-250 half-ton pickup truck ―had to get back [to the school],‖ his trailside mechanical skills going 45 mph.‖ Having been relocated 90 feet from the spot were developed. It was then that Owen discovered his knack of contact, he suffered five broken bones, including a few for fixing bikes by problem-solving. ribs, a bone in his right ankle, and, most painfully, his pelvis. In 2002, he moved with his family to Loveland and He also punctured a lung and severed a tendon. began his first shop job at Pelton Cycles. Eventually, when he started taking classes at Front Range, he began working for (continued on page 14) Lee's Cyclery where he's been for the last three seasons.

C OMING F ULL C YCLE

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F RONT R ANGE F ACES friends. They worked in a research lab together on the campus of Colorado State. ―My research with Pam was mostly on domestic violence, and also some on historical trauma BY E RIN R EAD , R ANGEVIEW R EPORTER experienced by Native Americans.‖ After moving to Colorado, not only had Wood It is 10:45 on a Tuesday morning, and there are received a master‘s degree, but he also got married. He soon several people out and about on this warm day, scurrying to began teaching at CSU, and working on his Ph.D. which, he class, near the apartment of James Wood, an instructor in says, is ―tough but educational.‖ human sexuality at Front Range Community College. There Now Wood works at Front Range Community seems to be an abundance of families living in the complex, College and says he enjoys it very much. He enjoys teaching, which appears different from typical university housing, as he says, because he finds it rewarding informing people and children are out playing as their parents fondly look on. staying current and cutting-edge on subjects in psychology. Wood, who is 30 years old, has been on the road of ―Teaching pays my bills. That‘s definitely a reward. education for some time. Not only is he currently an instructor, But you don‘t just do it because you have to, to live. People but he is also a student in the would do it even if they didn‘t get Ph.D. program at Colorado paid,‖ he says. Wood likes the fact State University. that, at Front Range, he has smaller Woods was born in class sizes, which is perfect for the the academic community of discussions he likes to hold in class. Cambridge Mass., where He finds it more rewarding when the Harvard University and the students can voice their opinions Massachusetts Institute of with him and share experiences in a Technology are located. He more intimate class setting. spent his childhood years In addition to working on his mainly in Cambridge, but Ph.D., Wood works as a youth cooreventually moved to Dorchesdinator at the Village Apartments, ter, Mass., with his parents. where he resides, for children from 7 ―When I lived in Cambridge, to 11 years. ―It is the same idea as a Human Sexuality instructor James Wood I was just a baby, so I don't Boys and Girls Club, just on the Photo courtesy of James Wood property of the apartments,‖ Wood really remember it,‖ he says. ―I lived in Medford for most says. He enjoys this position because of my childhood and Dorchester for most of my adolescence.‖ not only does it pay for his rent, but it also gives him deeper When he began his college career, Wood decided that insight to the different elements of social psychology. He also going to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass., does grounds-keeping occasionally. He says he enjoys that job was the best choice for him. Amherst is about 100 miles from because ―it keeps me humble.‖ Boston, but ―Amherst was very different from these places.‖ It Wood was inspired to become a teacher of human has ―a lot of natural areas, and people were more friendly, all sexuality, a branch of psychology which explores the sexual of which I really enjoyed.‖ mind and reactions of a person, because of a professor he had He wasn‘t use to living in a place so small, but he as an undergrad, and how many social issues tie in so well. He finished his undergraduate schooling there and moved to Coloenjoys how it focuses on the ―human experience.‖ As far as rado in 2002 to attend Colorado State University for a graduate future career goals are concerned, he aspires to become a program. He pursued his master‘s in applied social psychology. tenured professor. He also wants to teach abroad. Being It was at Colorado State that Wood met his mentor, Pamela familiar with Chinese culture, he says he would love to teach Jumper-Thurman. He related to her because they both come in China someday. ® from a Native American background, and they quickly became

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B E O UR G UEST : C LUB H UB

S TUDENTS BY

FOR

S USTAINABILITY

B RANDON D EVLIN , G UEST C OLUMNIST

During spring semester of 2009, the Larimer campus saw its number of active student groups almost double. At the beginning of the 2008 fall semester, the campus had around 10 active clubs, and by the end of the ‗08-‗09 school year, more than 20 clubs were active, with a few more in the works. Groups like the Student Nursing Association, Writers on the Storm, the Zombie Defense Council, and the Wolf Riders have done their part, all boosting the level of student involvement on campus. Another of the newest members to the club/ organization family, with arguably the widest-reaching purpose, is the Students for Sustainability Club (SfS). Created in the fall of ‘08, the SfS began simply as a class project. Working with Megan Ricks in a Sociology 101 course, Donna Pursel, the club‘s current president, created a three-page proposal outlining the hosting of a sustainability fair on campus. The two attempted to implement their proposal on campus, but as winter break came and went, involvement fizzled and their idea didn‘t quite come to fruition. Despite initial difficulties, Pursel finally found support from Rachel Rambo, our Student Activities coordinator. Rambo recognized the passion and flair for creativity Pursel possessed and recruited her, along with Student Government Legislative Representative Ryan Rasmussen, to participate in the 2009 Green Spring Fling steering committee. Immediately, Pursel and Rasmussen found common ground and knew they had the perfect opportunity to gauge student interest in an attempt to spread their passion for sustainable practices in everyday life. They then created a survey asking students what sustainability meant to them. From this grassroots initiative, they found inspiration and a new group of students to help hoist their green banner. ―We hope to use people‘s definitions of sustainability and going green to try and come up with an idea that is of the students. I mean, it‘s not just us. We want anyone to get involved because I feel sustainability is limitless when it comes to people. There is no gender or age limit,‖ said Pursel. Last semester, the SfS was composed of Pursel, Rasmussen, Nicholas ―Olas‖ Jones and Ben Palm.

By themselves, they could accomplish a lot, but with their advisors Jeff Borg and Naomi Johannsen, the SfS is sure to have a strong presence on campus as they gain momentum this semester. Driven by the abundance of opportunities to implement sustainable practices at home and around campus, the SfS intends to create a ―Green Council‖ that will assist FRCC as it implements sustainable practices in future events. ―We want to educate people. We want to provide fun, waste-free activities for friends and family, but we also want to be involved in the community. Sustainability is all about getting involved with the community—volunteering. It makes people feel good about themselves,‖ Pursel stated. Recognizing the myriad ways to get involved through sustainability and green initiatives, the SfS is open to suggestions and hopes that new members will bring fresh goals and ideas upon joining. The plan is to operate as a team, developing sub-committees and working with the other clubs and organizations on campus. While SfS recognizes individual goals, there is still the main focus of fostering sustainability and green initiatives on campus and in the community, and bringing all students together, whether they are actively involved or just beneficiaries of the SfS‘s initiatives. Sustainability is more than just recycling and taking your own bags to the grocery store; there is a lot that can be done at home and in the community, like composting and buying a share in a local farm, which saves money and helps our community, as well as our environment. The SfS message of unity and progress extends further than just our campus and city. Along with Phi Theta Kappa (the International Honor Society of FRCC and other two-year colleges), and the Office of Student Life, the SfS is working to develop national and international service trips. Recognizing that, while there is a lot to do in our own backyards, we might not comprehend the impact our actions and the actions of others are having on the global environment. With goals as lofty as visiting the Amazon and Africa, the SfS and its partners also know there are places much closer that could use a helping hand. CSU currently supports an alternative break program that allows their students to take trips using studentraised funds to help communities in and out of state. Taking their lead, the SfS hopes to bring a message of unity, peace, hope, and self-sustainability to a greater audience. (continued on next page)

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B E O UR G UEST : C LUB H UB (SfS continued from previous page) The most wonderful concept in all this, I think, is the idea that, as the SfS grows, they will create a general sense of responsibility to our environment and our fellows, effectively creating a self-sustaining energy based on progress and goodwill. So, in practice, the Students for Sustainability are creating a group that will feed off of itself and grow of its own accord—a utopian vision, to be sure, but I think not one so far-fetched. As Rassmussen put it, ―We want to create opportunities for students to get involved, bring their own initiatives, and educate each other.‖ If you are interested in joining the Students for Sustainability Club, contact SfS faculty advisors Naomi Johannsen at [email protected], or Jeff Borg at [email protected] for information on upcoming meetings and events.

Fitness Center Director Elaine Milligan dishes up some food for a visitor to FRCC’s booth at this year’s 10th Annual Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair over the Sept. 19-20 weekend in Old Town. The volunteers are part of an effort to bring the concept of sustainability to the Front Range campus. One way is through the Students for Sustainability Club. See related story about the Sustainable Living Fair on page 1. Photo by James Neuhalfen

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Brandon Devlin is the Club Coordinator for Student Life, and a sophomore studying English. He will be finishing his Associates of Arts this spring and plans to begin at CSU in August 2010. (OWEN continued from page 11) After a week in the hospital, he remembers the terrible accident every day by the scars on his lower back that he got from sliding down the street, and a scar on his calf from a severed tendon, as well as an arthritic clavicle that acts up when it is going to rain, which he called ―my own barometer, eh?‖ To Owen, the ultimate dream come true would be to establish a cycling-themed bed-and-breakfast. He envisions it as the perfect place for a cross-country biker to rest his/her head. Upon arrival, visitors would drop their bikes off at the shop for an overnight tune-up and whatever other work might be necessary. Then they could either retire to their comfy rooms for the night or head to the restaurant/bar for a beer and a burger. For the immediate future, however, Owen's plan is to finish school, keep working in the bike shop, and, of course, ―keep on riding.‖

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(BRAIN LAB continued from page 10) He also pointed out that, ―The interest in the brain lab is just a small part of a bigger picture.‖ Mandley, along with others from the Psychology Department, are developing a class for those aspiring psychology students to take. For the upcoming spring semester, a one-credit late-start class is being offered. Because it is only one credit, it is inexpensive so that it can be an option for most students. ―We were thinking [of holding the class on] Fridays, in the early afternoons,‖ Mandley said. As for the future, he hopes for ―expanding psychology by using labs, incorporating them in how we teach psychology.‖ So, with the smell of fresh sheep brains lingering in the air and brain juice on their faces, students anxiously await their chance to take a step above animal brains and look deep into them.

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M EDIUM C OOL learning and working to improve her performing skills. ―Right now, I have the musical knowledge. Now I need to learn to improve my performance aspect as a musician,‖ said Dunlap. Before she moved to Fort Collins five BY A LLY H AYDUK , R ANGEVIEW R EPORTER years ago, she had a panic attack while playing the organ at church. Ever since then, performing has been a challenge. Front Range Community College offers a wide variety Dunlap has performed in three recitals, but before each of of music instruction courses, including private instruction for them, she has to prepare mentally and physically. She prepares voice and a wide selection of instruments. Instrument lessons herself slowly with a process for recitals by opening the vary from mandolin to trumpet, and from trumpet to guitar. With windows to her home in Old Town and playing so people walkthese private instruction courses come the opportunity to perform ing by can hear her. To warm up to the idea of performing even in music recitals toward the middle and end of every semester. more, she will perform her piece or pieces for her family. ―Mid-semester and end-of-semester ―Anything we have in our everyday lives recitals are an informal opportunity for teaches us about ourselves,‖ said Dunlap. students taking lessons to perform for ―Everyone has a different musical other students, faculty, family and talent at the recitals. It is like musical potfriends,‖ stated Jeannine Green, a pourri,‖ stated Dunlap. She described the private lesson and course instructor at recitals to be very relaxed, and everyone is Front Range. very sympathetic for every other person ―Participating in recitals is performing. Students do not perform for a taking small steps to gaining configrade, and memorization of music is dence as a performer,‖ beamed Green. optional. Dunlap views the recitals as a fun The range of levels varies greatly at the way to listen to and enjoy what other sturecitals. The performers‘ abilities range dents have been learning and working on. from beginner to advanced, from stuThe recitals feature all different genres dents who have never played or sung a of music. Genres can range anywhere from note of music in their lives to students classical guitar to operatic vocals. It is bewho have been playing for 50 years. It tween the student and the teacher as to doesn‘t matter if students are just lookwhat the students perform and work on in ing to pick up a new hobby by taking rehearsals. Debra Throgmorton is the lessons, or if the lessons are to aid them Music Department chair and Green gives in the process of going to a four-year her praise in making the recitals what they Student Laura Dunlap prepares a piece for her are today, ―thriving and enjoyable.‖ university and studying music. All upcoming recital under the watchful eye of students are accepted into privateMore than 90 students are involved music instructor Jeannine Green. instruction lessons. There are no with private instruction lessons, and Green audition requirements for the recitals. Photo by Linda Baldwin expects that about half of them will be perThe only requirement is that the student forming in the first recital. With so many is in private instruction at Front Range. students involved in private instruction at Front Range, the ―When students sign up for private-lesson instruction, three lesson rooms are always full, and the lessons fill up they are getting taught by experienced and mastered teachers,‖ quickly. ―I would recommend students sign up early for next said Green, who has a master‘s degree in music from Colorado semester‘s lessons because they fill up fast,‖ stated Green. State University. On Friday, Oct. 9, the first music recital of the semesLaura Dunlap has been a private-instruction piano ter will be held in the Mount Antero Music Room 173 at 2:30 student at Front Range for the past year. Originally from the Mid- and again at 4 pm. The event is open to the public free of west, Dunlap has been playing piano her entire life and is now charge, and refreshments will be provided. ®

T HE H ALLS ARE A LIVE WITH THE S OUND OF M USIC

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M EDIUM C OOL P EACE W ILL W IN A LEXANDER L A B RACKE , R ANGEVIEW R EPORTER

BY

The 10th Annual Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair was held the weekend of Sept. 19 and 20 at the corner of Lemay Avenue and Vine Street in downtown Fort Collins. The event was put on by the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association, whose mission is to educate people in the area to ―make healthy and sustainable choices.‖ Sponsorship for the event came from many innovators in sustainability, such as New Belgium Brewing Company, Clif Bar and Toyota, as well as the City of Fort Collins. Jason Downing, a sociology instructor at Front Range Community College, was the main stage MC both days for the fair, and his band, Muskateer Gripweed, played a two-and-a-half -hour set beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Downing explained that, although the band's songs have themes like sustainability and peace, they are ―covert‖ so as ―not to be preachy.‖ Instead of ―shoving [sustainability messages] down people's throats,‖ he presents sustainable ideals to his audience in indirect ways, such as: ―Here‘s how you can save some money.‖ The fair played host to dozens of workshops, including one in which attendees learned how to convert their diesel engines to run on strictly vegetable oil, and another explaining how to capture and utilize rainwater, which is especially applicable to the arid climate of the Front Range. The fair also hosted several vendors serving up local and organic foods for fair-

goers. Downing explained that a huge part of the success of the fair lies in the fact that the workshops, vendors, activities and music are all ―united for a notion‖ and that they all work to complement each other. Regarding the success of the fair, Downing is excited about it and the fact that its fan base has expanded steadily every year. Originally from Freeport, Ill., where there are no bike lanes, Downing said that, there, ―the notion [of sustainability] isn't ingrained in people.‖ In Fort Collins, ―the green economy is booming.‖ He said that, ―[Fort Collins] is the future,‖ and that the people here are ―positive and enlightened.‖ Downing, a husband and father of two boys, incorporates sustainable living lessons in all aspects of his life. Between his classes, the band, and his family, Downing said, ―the line is the same.‖ All five of his classes at Front Range, including one online course, involve finding solutions to social problems. Downing stressed the importance of ―getting out and doing things‖ both inside and outside the classroom. Each semester, Downing's classes collect coats and hundreds of pounds of food for needy people, an active way of solving social problems while, at the same time, being sustainable. As far as his own children are concerned, Downing was pleased to say, ―They get it.‖ Downing's wife, Julie, an artist, painted the backdrop for the stage with all-recyclable paper and non-toxic inks. Fair Director Kristina Cash, artist and mother, originally from the Arkansas Valley in southern Colorado, stressed the notion of ―thinking about the future with the choices we make now.‖ Cash explained that a crucial goal of the fair is to spread the notion of being balanced, as far as the energy we use goes, and to make sure we are ―not consuming more than our fair share.‖ The Colorado Carbon Fund offsets the fair's ―carbon footprint‖ as way of promoting energy efficiency, as well as the renewable energy process. (continued on next page)

Jason Downing addresses his Social and Behavioral Sciences class. The FRCC instructor recently performed with his band, Muskateer Gripweed, at the Sustainable Living Fair, now in its tenth year. Photo by Linda Baldwin

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M EDIUM C OOL (continued from previous page) To find the whole set that Muskateer Gripweed played at the fair and live recordings of their previous shows, as well as their latest CD, ―Peace Will Win,‖ log on to Archive.org and search ―Jason Downing,‖ or visit JasonDowning.com.

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“M Y W ORD !” O FF TO AN I NSPIRATIONAL S TART WITH L OCAL A UTHOR L AURA R ESAU Fort Collins author Laura Resau kicked off the new academic year‘s ―My Word!‖ visiting writers‘ series on Sept. 20 at the LPSC in a presentation of her book, ―Inside Red Glass: Inspiration and Reflection.‖ Dealing with the topic of immigration, Resau‘s novel has won several international awards, and was selected as an ―Oprah's Pick‖ and this year's Fort Collins Reads companion book. A starred review by Publishers‘ Weekly calls ―Red Glass‖ a ―vibrant, large-hearted story.‖ The event coincided with Student Life‘s offering for National Hispanic Heritage Month. Resau spoke about the inspiration for her award-winning novel, drawing on her experiences during two years as an English teacher and anthroFort Collins author Laura Resau presented her award-winning pologist in rural Oaxaca, Mexico, as well as her travels in novel, “Inside Red Glass,” on Sept. 20 as part of FRCC’s visiting Central America, and her friendships with immigrants and writers’ series, “My Word!” Photo by James Neuhalfen refugees in Arizona and Colorado. During her presentation, she showed photos of people and places that inspired the characters and settings for her book, and told personal stories about issues faced by immigrants, refugees, and indigenous people. This event also offered writers workshops and advice from the author. Resau now writes full-time after nearly a decade of teaching ESL at FRCC.

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Special thanks to Blair Oliver, John Feeley and Student Life for information used in this story.

THE

A RTS & L ET TERS AND S TUDENT L IFE A NNOUNCE 2009-2010 V ISITING W RITERS ’ S ERIES , “M Y W ORD !”

Featured authors will be offering creative writing workshops and reading their work aloud in a series of presentations which are free and open to the public. FRCC students will also have the opportunity to submit their writing to be considered for publication in the Front Range Review, alongside the work of emerging and established authors of regional and national reputation, be a featured guest in the visiting writers‘ series, ―My Word!‖ on April 28, 2010, and be eligible for the Front Range Review Award, a three-credit scholarship for in-state tuition at FRCC. For more information, visit www.frontrange.edu/MyWord and www.frontrange.edu/FrontRangeReviewAward.

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B E O UR G UEST H ELPFUL H INTS FOR F ALL C OMPOSITION : I S Y OUR W RITING “P HONEY ”? BY

S USAN M ARSHALL , G UEST C OLUMNIST

It‘s fall semester and many of you are enrolled in writing classes at FRCC. You‘re already aware (or quickly becoming aware) of the term ―plagiarism‖ and how it involves certain levels of phoniness that are unacceptable and can cause serious penalties. For example, if you pay $7.99 for an essay on video games and violence and submit it as your own work… well, that‘s pretty much the ultimate form of plagiarism. If you pay $7.99 for an essay on video games and violence and use only one paragraph from it in your essay because you think the rest of it is bull… well, that just means you‘re getting less plagiarism for your buck. If you have your roommate ―fix‖ all the grammar in your essay… well, you might find that you have even more errors than you started with—and a penalty for plagiarism. For the most part, concepts of plagiarism and phoniness are pretty clear-cut, though I still wonder why Holden Caulfield hated ―phonies‖ and yet was willing to try and write a descriptive essay for Stradlater…. Perhaps an even more timely and prevalent concern in college writing courses is something known as ―phoneyness.‖ Roughly defined, the term refers to the insufferable habit of relying on your phone for nearly all aspects of your written communication. Students, trust me: Your instructor will not ―lol‖ if you continue to abuse your potential as writers this way. Not sure what I mean? Okay. As a qualified writing instructor, let me give you five warning signs. (Please don‘t rely on amateurs or Wikipedia for this information.) 1. You believe that the concept of capitalization has something to do with Karl Marx, and it is surely irrelevant to most of your writing. Exceptions might include a few proper names (the ones that you just think look kind of silly in all lower case). Sometimes, you will capitalize every letter in a word when you are trying to shout (but, really, MLA advises the use of italics for this). Ultimately, you believe that capitalization is a hassle when texting, and your true friends can still understand you, so, what the hell?

2. You believe that punctuation is more of a musical concept, but perhaps even more of a super-hassle than capitalization when texting on your phone. Actually, you‘d prefer to just stick with one kind of punctuation for convenience. Commas seem to have a bit more personality, a certain wink to them that periods don‘t have, so they win your vote for popularity. 3. You love how technology can anticipate what you really want to spell. It‘s like working with an academic psychic. Sometimes, though, why even bother to spell a word completely? Let your readers be the psychics. Related to this, you love how the people around you can hear only one side of the conversation when you talk on your phone. Great writing should usually be about one side of a conversation so that the readers get to be more active... 4. You always feel like you‘re expected to text…er, write… but you always wonder what you really have to say. As in: ―Hey. What‘s new?‖ ―Nothing much since two hours ago. What‘s new with you?‖ ―Oh, nothing. Let me know what you‘re doing later.‖ On the other hand, everything you say has value. Isn‘t it great? If you have an audience, it must have value, right? 5. Did I mention that you expect immediate and supportive feedback on your writing, as well? Why hasn‘t she texted me back by now? Damn! She is so slow! I bet she‘s partying with that guy that I like. What a b#$@&. She‘d better say something real nice to me when she writes back. Okay, students. This is all a bit tongue-in-cheek. But consider this. What would have happened if Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke were preeminently ―phoney‖ writers for ―2001: A Space Odyssey‖? (Caution: semi-spoilers ahead.) RING TONE (sounding several times), using sample from Lady Gaga‘s ―Love Games‖: DAVE: Hello? Oh, excuse me, HAL. You just caught me in the can putting on my underwear. Anything wrong with the future of the mission? Later….RING TONE (sounding several times), now changed to a sample theme from ―The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly‖: (continued on next page)

19 (continued from previous page) DAVE (fumbling with his phone): Hello? Hello? Oh, hi. What‘s up? Nothing much….Yeah...That sounds great….Hey, can I call ya back? Why? Well, it‘s too long a story. Yeah…Sorry, can‘t quite hear you….Really? Did they say that? Wow. Fascinating! Later…. DAVE (travelling in a space pod at warp speed through mind-bending, previously unrealized visions that alternate between what seem to be primordial glimpses of the Earth‘s past topography and futuristic cosmic landscapes— and fumbling with his phone): Hello? Hello? Oh, God!!!!!! Help me!!!!! Uh, yes…. I‘m sorry. I‘m a little, uh…. Oh!!!!!!! Oh!!!!!!!! The colors!!!!!!!!!!!! Uh, sorry…. Can you hear me? Really?! I can‘t believe it….Oh!!!!!! The pressure!!!!!!!! I can‘t!!!!!! Look at that!!!!!!! Ah!!!!!!!!! Oh!!!!!!! You still there? Sorry, I know the connection‘s a little…. Ah!!!!!!! Hold on!!!!!!! No, sorry…. I didn‘t mean for you to hold on. You can go if you need to. Wait!!!!!! What do you mean I should call you back?!?!?! How many minutes do you think I have????????????

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Susan Marshall has taught English composition and creative writing as an adjunct at FRCC (and one of these days, she’d still like to follow through with her Writing Forum Project). You can find her helping out a bit at the Writing Center this semester, but, for the most part, she’ll be reclusive while she tries to write a book about writing. Hold all calls…

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