May 2010

Bringing Poetry Alive in the Classroom:

High school students visit Western for performance poetry workshop
Thirty-plus students from Gunnison,
Montrose and Monte Vista visited
Western in April for a performance
poetry workshop. The event was hosted
by the WSC English department and
WordHorde, the student English club.
Over the course of the day, students
attended workshops with professional
performance poets, saw performances by
members of WordHorde and performed
their own poetry.
English professors Teresa Milbrodt and
Mark Todd organized the event with
Montrose High School English teacher
Tracy Lightsey, who uses performance
Western Wins National Video Contest
poetry in the classroom. He thinks A short video, “Staying Warm While Chilling
the educational and social benefits of Out: Progressing Toward A Closed-Loop,”
performance poetry are tremendous for produced by faculty, students and staff won the
students. National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) annual
competition, Chill Out: Campus Solutions to
“There is only so much that we can Global Warming. Western won the “Students in Action” category, which comes with a
teach students about poetry. We keep $1000 cash prize for campus sustainability projects.
coming back to Western is to be part of
the poetry community and within that The video was shown on a NWF nationwide webcast on Earth Day, April 22. It also was
community there is a lot of inspiration.” one of the the most watched submissions on the NWF website with nearly 3,000 views.

In Memoriam Celebration of Scholarship

Professor Emeritus
Ted Violett
Ted Violett, professor emeritus of
physics, passed away on May 2.
He taught at Western for 50 years
– longer than any professor in the
College’s history. During his tenure
at Western, Ted mentored numerous
students and colleagues. As a
testament to the significant impact he
had on their lives, alumni and friends
from across the nation attended his
retirement reception in Sept. 2009.
On April 22, more than 150 WSC
students showcased their independent
research projects at the semi-
annual Celebration of Scholarship
Undergraduate Research Symposium.
The event, which includes oral and
poster presentations, highlights
multidisciplinary projects that cover an
array of topics ranging from scientific
experiments to analyses of local issues,
literature and historic events.
Pictured here is Mike McCarthy, a
senior exercise and sport science major,
explaining his project to Jarryl Ryter,
a lecturer in the chemistry program.
McCarthy’s research explored the
“Effects of neuromuscular therapy on
the respiratory metaboreflex” – in other
words, how massage therapy can be used
to relax breathing.
 Alumni Awards for Excellence Honors Graduating Students
The Office of Alumni Relations honored
nine students and eight faculty and staff
members at its annual Alumni Awards
for Excellence Banquet on May 7. The
award is the College’s highest honor
for its graduating seniors. Students are
nominated by WSC faculty and staff and
recipients are selected by a committee.
Recipients also honor a faculty or staff
member who had the greatest impact on
their career at Western.
This year’s honorees are: Randi
Andersen, communication and
theatre major from Pagosa Springs,
honoring Paul Edwards, professor of
CALLoquium
Series Educates
and Entertains
Organized by the Department of
Communication Arts, Language and
Literature (CALL), the CALLoquium
series showcases student work as well as
presentations by faculty.
This semester, the CALLoquium series
included presentations on creating a
“persona” to enhance creative works, pop
icon Lady Gaga’s manipulation of media
to build her career, film student insights
into video production and performances
by students on campus and social issues
(pictured).
WSC Baseball Headed to NCBA World Series
After beating the No.2-ranked
University of Wyoming, the
WSC club baseball team is on
its way to Johnstown, Pa., for
a shot at becoming champions
in the National Club Baseball
Association Division II
(NCBA) World Series, May
21-25. The team is traveling to
Johnstown with a 14-3 record.
communication and theatre; Nicole honoring Cassandra Osborne, assistant
Baumgartner, psychology major professor of biology; Ashley Quiggle,
from Gunnison, honoring Suzy biology major from Crested Butte,
Coykendall, professor of psychology; honoring Christina Buchanan, professor
Patricia DeLong, sociology major of exercise and sport science; and Jolene
from Colorado Springs, honoring Evan Rodriguez, biology and Spanish major
Oglevie, residence hall director; Reid from Salida, honoring Peter Gauss,
Edwards, business administration major professor of biology.
from Lafayette,
Calif., honoring
Michaela Driver,
professor of business
administration;
Caitlin McNair,
psychology major
from Kikiski,
Alaska, honoring
Suzy Coykendall,
professor of
psychology; Cassie
Mielke, English
major from Loveland,
honoring Christine Back Row, L-R: Christine Jespersen, Evan Oglevie, Paul Edwards, Michaela
Jespersen, professor Driver, Suzy Coykendall, Christine Buchanan, Peter Gauss, Cassandra Osborne
of English; Matt Front Row, L-R: Cassie Mielke. Patricia DeLong, Randi Andersen, Reid
Parker, biology major Edwards, Caitlin McNair, Nicole Baumgartner, Jolene Rodriguez, Ashley
from LaGrange, Ky., Quiggle and Matt Parker
Western Awards Emeritus Status, Tenure
Emeritus status was awarded to Harry Heil, Those receiving tenure are: Alina Luna,
professor of art, and Martha Violett, professor assistant professor of English;
and chair of the Department of Music. John Wacker, assistant professor of music;
and Karin Waidley, assistant professor of
communication and theatre.
Back Row, L-R:
Coach Chris Martinez,
Josh Finney, Mark Schichtel,
Kyle Hobbs, Marcus May,
Tyler McQueen, Brock
Robinson, Justin Fuller,
Joseph Maestas, Austin
Harper, Dylan Huyck
Front Row, L-R:
Curt Aumiller, Charlie
Davidson, Ryan Horton,
Ben Furtner, Josh King,
Brian Carney