CSU-Pueblo Today » Features

A New Face in the Mass Comm Department

Jeff Lown — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:54:55 +0000

At the end of the spring semester, the mass communications department began their search to fill the position left by Trish Orman. By the beginning of the fall semester the department hired Lauren Brengarth.

“It was a great opportunity for me. It is a growing campus with good colleagues and is the perfect fit,” said Brengarth.

Brengarth is teaching courses which specialize in integrated communications, advertising and public relations.

Lauren Brengarth in her new office in the Buell Communications Center. Photo by Jeff Lown

Teaching was something that came natural to her, she said. “I love my job. You are always with students and it is great to educate younger minds,” she said. “I am very passionate about teaching and I think it’s great to help students like the subjects.”

Brengarth was born and raised in Huron, Ohio. After completing high school, she decided to attend the University of Missouri, in Columbia, Mo., where she received her bachelor’s degree in television news.

She received her master’s degree in media management and she is currently working on completing her doctorate in issues of public affairs, which she plans to finish in December.

Like some other professors on campus, Brengarth does not reside in Pueblo, Colo. Every day, she makes the commute back and forth from Colorado Springs, Colo.

With a new job and new location, Brengarth said, “I am very fortunate, and I look forward to my future.”

A Different Point of View: Helicopter circles CSU-Pueblo Campus

Brittney Whatley — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:41:06 +0000

Students wait in line for $5 helicopter rides over the CSU-Pueblo campus; one of this week’s events provided by the Office of Student Activities. Photo by Brittney Whatley

An assistant to the pilot explains the procedures of flying as the two students walk toward the helicopter. Photo by Brittney Whatley

Spotlight on Reading and Writing: Jazmine Wells

Today Contributor — Tue, 18 May 2010 17:02:16 +0000

The TODAY’s Spotlight on Reading/Writing features CSU-Pueblo faculty, staff and students sharing their reading and writing experiences. The column is co-sponsored by the English and Foreign Languages Department and the English Club. This week’s feature highlights student Jazmine Wells.

Jazmine Wells

Name/department/educational background: Jazmine Wells, English major, Spanish minor, sophomore

What has been your greatest success in writing? (Personal writing, collaborative writing, completing a project or book, etc.): My greatest success in writing was when my essay on female comic book characters won second place in an academic writing contest.

What do you struggle with in writing and how do you tackle that challenge? I struggle a lot with writing to different audiences, specifically my teachers. To fix this problem I meet with them individually and ask them what they are looking for.

What’s your favorite book of all time? Author? “Invisible Monsters” by Chuck Palahniuk

What are you currently reading? Author? I am currently reading “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” by Raymond Carver

What’s your favorite guilty reading pleasure, an easy, “beach” read? Bottle caps. Some drinks like “Sobe” bottles have words in them and I like to collect them and read them.

Do you have a favorite word or quotation and who is the author? “But smiles and tears are so alike with me: they are neither of them confined to any particular feelings: I often cry when I am happy, and smile when I am sad.” –Anne Bronte

For more information on this feature, contact English Club sponsor and English lecturer Constance Little (constance.little@colostate-pueblo.edu), 549-2197.

Pakistani Poet shares cultural poetry as the final SoCo Reading Series author for the spring semester

Brittney Whatley — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:51:23 +0000

A poet originally from Pakistan shared his culture through poetry on Thursday, April 15 with campus personnel as the final author for the spring 2010 Southern Colorado Reading Series at Colorado State University-Pueblo.

The reading was held in the Hoag Hall Art Gallery, where poet Raza Ali Hassan shared his readings after having to reschedule from the fall semester because of bad weather.

Raza Ali Hassan reads poems from his book, "67 Mogul Miniatures,” during the final SoCo reading series event on April 15, in the Hoag Hall Art Gallery.

Hassan’s poems expressed Pakistan culture from gods to famous leaders and pop stars. However, Hassan said he originally had no intention of using Pakistan culture.

“I was actually trying to stay away from the culture aspect, but ended up falling into it anyway,” Hassan said.

While reading his poetry, Hassan told the audience about different periods of history in Pakistan, which correlated to each poem. These quick history lessons struck audience members with questions of the Pakistan culture which they asked after the reading.

Although many of Hassan’s poems had a serious quality to them, He kept a balance by drawing out laughter from the audience with intermingled jokes during his reading.

Hassan also presented a slide show of pictures on a projector and said each photo was intended to represent the individual poems he read. These photos ranged from a picture of Iraqi people starving during a famine to a picture of families celebrating the annual kite festival held in Iraq.

“(Hassan) is true to his culture,” said Juan Morales, coordinator of the SoCo Reading series. “He embraces it and he’s true to it.”

During his introduction speech, Morales said Hassan’s writing has a beautiful flow in sequencing, and he read a poem from the author’s book “Grieving Shias,” published by Sheep Meadow Press in 2006. This was the only poem read from this title.

During Hassan’s reading he shared pieces from the book, “67 Mogul Miniatures,” published by Autumn House Press in 2009.

Listen to Hassan read and explain poem number 67 in his book, “67 Mogul Miniatures.”

“67 Mogul Miniatures,” Hassan said, was composed from the basis of a plot from another successful poem written in 1913. He joked when he told the audience that the book only took him six months to write, but admits that his first book, “Grieving Shias,” took him nine years to complete.

After the reading, an audience member asked Hassan what inspired him to write. He answered jokingly, saying he didn’t want to be a writer, but a scientist or mathematician. However he later admitted that he had been writing since he first learned to read and write English around age 9.

“You always know when you’re a writer,” Hassan said. “But you don’t always know what you’re good at until you stumble across it.”

He said he admits that his first book was sent to the publisher by his mentor, Bruce Smith, with whom he worked at Syracuse University when getting his master’s degree in fine arts.

Hassan said he advises aspiring writers to find a mentor who is willing to edit and critique their work, but he said it will only help them if they are willing to take the mentor’s advice.

“Someone who has had their work published knows what a publishable piece should look like,” Hassan said.

He said he recently worked with a student to get a 13 page manuscript published while currently teaching at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.

Video game club project at stand still

Zak Bratton — Mon, 03 May 2010 22:15:27 +0000

The official logo of the EESO created by Jade Hill, the organization’s vice president. Photo courtesy of Ken Cross

It’s been reported, as recently as a February 2008 study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, that more than half of Americans over the age of 18 play video games, with 57 percent of the 1,102 survey respondents coming from those that have at least some college education.

Ken Cross, 26, a senior majoring in business management at Colorado State University-Pueblo, is one of many students around the country involved in video gaming. Maybe Cross knew the statistics when he proposed the formation of a video game room to CSU-Pueblo faculty and staff– or maybe not.

Originally from Virginia, Cross, the Senator of Student Activities for the Associated Students’ Government and president of the Electronic Entertainment Student Organization, spent two tours in Iraq and two years at Pueblo Community College before coming to CSU-Pueblo.

He said these past experiences, as well as a list he made of things nowhere to be found on campus, made the game room idea so appealing.

“The first thing that came to mind was the video game room, without a doubt,” Cross said. “They don’t have this; they need this because it will have that same power that it had on all the other locations that I’ve experienced. I figured this was something I could really work on.”

The “power” that Cross describes is one that he remembers vividly while in Iraq. Although he said he was never a gamer before his time in the military, and even thought it was a “waste of time,” his experience with one particular Xbox game changed all that.

“For Xbox, Halo was the big thing – it was really huge,” Cross said. “It really seemed to have a power of drawing people you know. Also people like me who previously didn’t care about video games.”

Cross got hooked on the competitiveness of gaming and said he admits not being good at the game can be difficult. But eventually, everyone started looking forward to the social event day-in and day-out.

“People got into it. There’s frustration at first, but once you get into the competition and you’re not the bottom of the food chain all the time, then it becomes fun,” Cross said. “It really has that power of bringing people together (and) socializing.”

“People would link up their Xboxes and it was something while in Iraq (that) we got to a point everyday where we would be looking forward to this – it was the highlight of everybody’s day,” he said.

Jade Hill (left) and Ken Cross (right) await visitors to the EESO booth while participating in the Organization Fair on Feb. 4, in the Occhiato University Center ballroom. Photo courtesy of Ken Cross

Lucky for him, there was more on the horizon during his second tour in Iraq. He said the location where he was stationed, Camp Sykes, featured an MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation).

MWR is a program that is a center for enriching the lives and working environments, as well as supporting a sense of community, for soldiers, family members and civilians, the Fort Bliss MRW website states.

According to the website, “MWR provides Soldiers and their family members with many fitness, entertainment and family support outlets.”

At Camp Sykes, Cross said he remembers the game room, featuring around 10 Xbox consoles on one side and 10 Playstation consoles on the other, retaining the same, if not more, popularity than during his first tour.

“It was such a popular thing that there were always people waiting in line,” Cross said. “There was hardly ever downtime where you wish people would come and play you.”

But it didn’t stop there, he said. After his second tour was over, the soldiers that returned still wanted gaming to be a part of their lives.

“After we came back, it was embedded in everybody,” Cross said. “They started holding these Halo parties at their homes and inviting people (and) it really grew on people. The people that you knew that didn’t play before now had Xboxes, getting all the games and were now really into it.”

This is the exact thing that Cross said he would like to bring to the CSU-Pueblo campus through creating a game room.

Cross is proposing the game room through the student organization, the EESO. Cross serves as president of the EESO, which was formed after he was in the process of getting the project approved, and much after dreaming it up.

After speaking with Nicky Damania, director of Student Activities, and Ramon Garcia, director of auxiliary services, at CSU-Pueblo, Cross formed a plan for the room and gathered people interested in its construction. After several weeks of discussions and meetings, Cross said Damania advised him to hold a video game tournament.

However, there was one problem: funding.

“Along the way, we realized, ‘Where are we going to get the money from’?” Cross said.

With a refurbished console hovering around $150, and Cross’ expectation of a two setup game room with two consoles, two HDTVs, extra controllers and four games (two different games, one for each console), the price can rack up quickly.

The estimation is roughly between $1200 and $1300, Cross said, which may be slightly steep for the average college student, so Cross set out to find funding for his idea.

More meetings followed after the realization, however Cross said he noticed one person specifically that seemed dedicated to help – Jade Hill.

Hill, 32, an art major, showed up consistently at the meetings, played video games frequently and knew how to setup and hook up electronics, Cross said.

Soon after, Cross met with Damania again and discussed possible funding opportunities only to settle on one – creating an organization to generate funding for the tournament and, eventually, the game room.

“(I was) not sure exactly where to go with that,” Cross said. “I kind of thought we would toss it around like a joke – I didn’t really think we would get into it. I guess at first I wasn’t taking it so seriously.”

While Cross said he wasn’t too set on the idea, Hill was. He came up with a name for the organization and not long after, created a logo to go along with it.

Cross asked his soon-to-be vice president why he chose “Electronic Entertainment,” and Hill told him it was all about being broad.

While many students play video games, many also may not. By broadening their range, Hill said the club can focus on entertainment and not just gaming.

Although Cross said he was skeptical about the direction of the club at first, he said he changed his mind about having the focus solely on video games and those that play them.

“(At first) I was thinking video games, yeah!” Cross said. “But now, I wish that we would have made it broader.”

Contestants square off in a Halo 3 tournament hosted by the EESO on Jan. 30, in the Occhiato University Center Cottonwood Room. Photo courtesy of Ken Cross

According to the CSU-Pueblo website, “Electronic Entertainment’s knowledge and expertise will help to further enhance the individual student experience involving electronic entertainment.”

The next step was finding members. A student organization proposal needs five signatures to start a club. They got there, barely. Cross said he admits some positions were “fill-ins” of people that weren’t actually interested but put their name down so the club could be started.

“We kind of started out really rough – we had to learn the process of it all,” Cross said.

As everything settled down and members got focused on the club, Cross said he and Hill wanted to make the club organized, while adding in some personal touches along the way.

“Every club is different, but pretty early on we decided that we wanted to be structured,” Cross said. “I have been introducing things that other clubs don’t introduce such as rank insignia.” We’d like to put a touch of military in there, as well,” referring to the military history of himself and Hill.

As Cross and the rest of the club started finding additional ways to collect funding and dictate their parliamentary procedure, Cross said he came in contact with the Zav Dadabhoy, dean of student life and development at CSU-Pueblo. Dadabhoy told Cross to forget about all the other methods he was focusing on, and to put all his energy into creating a logistics sheet, he said.

Since then, Cross said he has been meeting frequently with Dadabhoy, discussing the terms and resources needed to make the video game room a reality, all the while focusing on recruiting new members through meetings and on-campus events.

However, on May 1, Cross gives up his torch as EESO president and leaves his dreams of bringing a game room to CSU-Pueblo, to walk across the grand stage at graduation.

Although he said he feels “scared and excited” to graduate from college, Cross admits that he did poorly in high school. The military, Cross said, was the reason he gave up getting subpar grades and turned them into dean’s list honors.

“The switch flipped on in my head. It’s like, ‘you don’t want to be this person.’ I didn’t want to feel like that,” Cross said. “I got to a point where I knew I could do better than this. I could really use what I’ve been given and do something with it.”

Like any club or organization that loses a leader, a spot opens up for a newcomer to take the reins. Cross said he is still looking for such an individual but also said they only need to possess one quality – determination.

From his childhood experiences, to the daunting task of finally getting the game room approved, Cross said he understands that failure is a part of life and is necessary. Even still, he said he remembers this when things don’t go his way or he gets discouraged.

“I learned that so many people fail. Everybody fails,” Cross said. “The difference between a successful person and a non-successful person is that the successful person knows how to take those failures, improve upon them and try again.”

Cross said he tries to find other ways to reach his goal when faced with obstacles and hopes that the next EESO president follows in his footsteps with the same mentality.

“If this thing isn’t working right here, find another to get there. Just keep doing it,” Cross said. “I’m still waiting for the ‘success’ but at least I’m not giving up.”

Even though Cross’ journey has been a long uphill battle, he said he has no regrets and hopes that someday his vision of a game room at CSU-Pueblo will be more than just a daydream.

“I’m not doing it for me at all; I just really wanted to do something for the school. As long as people have been giving me hope, I’ve been working on it,” Cross said. “And if it doesn’t get done anytime soon, if I have at least created a spark, then I will have enjoyed the experience of doing what I did to create that spark.”

Those interested in the EESO or game room project can contact Cross at kenneth.cross3@yahoo.com.

CSU-Pueblo football player juggles many responsibilities

Joe Foley — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:48:24 +0000

photo by Joe Foley

Attending college full-time can be difficult for any student. However, it can be almost unbearable if you’re also a Division II student-athlete with a part-time job.

But not for Colorado State University-Pueblo football player Daveon Ackinsaya.

Ackinsaya, a junior majoring in mass communications, attacks the tasks at full speed and head on as if he’s in the trenches during a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game.

“I’m working to pay bills and rent because I live off-campus,” Ackinsaya said. “I have more stuff to worry about in terms of bills, food and rent as opposed to people who live on-campus, whose stuff is already paid for.”

Ackinsaya works in the Office of Residence Life at Belmont Residence Hall to help pay for all of his expenses. He said he chose the job because of the flexibility the hours afford him and because it also gives him time to complete homework.

He said he works anywhere from eight to 20 hours, depending on his football and school schedule for the semester.

But with all these tasks to complete in one day it can be very difficult to find enough hours in the day to not only work, but also fulfill his athletic obligations, and keep up with his classes as a full-time student.

“I’m up around 1 or 2 a.m. getting ready for work, and then I have class at 8 a.m.,” Ackinsaya said. “After school I usually have a film session with coach and lifting right after.”

The schedule is also subject to change, and during spring football, Ackinsaya had a morning practice during the week from 7 to 9 a.m. in preparation for the upcoming season.

Ackinsaya admitted he made an error in his scheduling this semester. He scheduled his work in the early morning before most people typically start their day.

“My thinking for that was, I’m going to be up early anyways, so I might as well wake up and get the blood flowing,” Ackinsaya said. “There is a downside to that because later on in the day, at some point, I lose all of the energy I have.”

In addition to being a student-athlete and employee, Ackinsaya also has to play the role of big brother. His younger sister, Porcha, is also enrolled at CSU-Pueblo.

“I try to take care of my sister as best as I can,” Ackinsaya said. “There are times when she needs help and I try to give her what I can.”

Ackinsaya admitted he has had to learn to grow up fast. Being 18 hours and more than 1,000 miles from his home city of Long Beach, Calif., can take a toll on most people, but not Ackinsaya.

However Ackinsaya said he isn’t done tackling responsibilities. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound gentle giant plans on not only finding a second job, but plans on taking summer classes as well.

Spotlight on Reading/Writing: Nick Stahler

Today Contributor — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:10:43 +0000

Name/department/educational background: Nick Stahler, attended Palmer High School in Colorado Springs

Nick Stahler

What has been your greatest success in writing? (Personal writing, collaborative writing, completing a project or book, etc.) My greatest success in writing so far would have to be getting a poem I wrote in sixth grade published in a “young writers” book.

What do you struggle with in writing and how do you tackle that challenge? I don’t think there is anyone who doesn’t struggle with writing. That being said, I have the most trouble starting writing. To help deal with that I spend a lot of time brainstorming and throwing out ideas.

What’s your favorite book of all time? Author? “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac

What are you currently reading? Author? “The Dharma Bums” by Jack Kerouac

What’s your favorite guilty reading pleasure, an easy, “beach” read? I read the heavy-metal magazine “Revolver” casually all the time.

Do you have a favorite word or quotation and who is the author? “The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn.” – Jack Kerouac

For more information on this feature, contact English Club sponsor and English lecturer Constance Little (constance.little@colostate-pueblo.edu), 549-2197.

Spotlight on Reading/Writing: Alejandro Preciado

Today Contributor — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:10:10 +0000

Name/department/educational background: Alejandro Preciado, Pueblo West High School graduate

Alejandro Preciado

What has been your greatest success in writing? (Personal writing, collaborative writing, completing a project or book, etc.) I really don’t have much success as a writer; I haven’t really carried out any of my ideas. Mostly, I just love reading other people’s materials.

What do you struggle with in writing and how do you tackle that challenge? Sounding cliché or fake. Especially dialogue; writing it makes it feel scripted. I try to fix that by listening to people talk.

What’s your favorite book of all time? Author? “The Running Man” by Stephen King. It’s an amazing tale of desperation and perseverance. It was written in the early 1980s, yet the themes in it seem to be becoming more and more prominent today. Just look at our “reality” TV.

What are you currently reading? Author? “Choke” by Chuck Palahnuik. So far, it has not ceased to shock me every time I turn the page. Metaphorically, I mean. It’s an audiobook read outloud by Chuck, which I believe is the best way to “read” a book.

What’s your favorite guilty reading pleasure, an easy, “beach” read? Automobile or firearm magazines. I like acting like a technical guru reading up on new advancements in engines and pretending like I know what a blow-off valve is.

Do you have a favorite word or quotation and who is the author? “It does me no harm whether my neighbor believes in ten gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg.” – Thomas Jefferson

For more information on this feature, contact English Club sponsor and English lecturer Constance Little (constance.little@colostate-pueblo.edu), 549-2197.

CSU-Pueblo student receives first Brain Track scholarship

Bill Dagendesh — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:25:35 +0000

Megan Read, 25, a senior majoring in English with a minor in secondary education at Colorado State University-Pueblo, has been named first place winner in the Fall 2009 BrainTrack Teaching Scholarship competition.
BrainTrack is a biannual scholarship available for college students seeking to elementary through high school students. Read won $1,000 for essays she wrote and which will be applied toward her teacher education.
“I’m surprised I was chosen as I applied for the scholarship on a whim,” Read said, as she laughed loudly.
Read said she explored the Internet to see what scholarships are available for prospective teaching students. BrainTrack, she said, offered what she was looking for.
“The questionnaire asked me, ‘What is my motive is for wanting to be a teacher, why did I chose to be involved in education and what do I hope to achieve,’ “ Read said. “Also, I had to write four essays as part of my application.”
According to Read, the essays are the perfect vehicle for offering insight for students seeking a teaching career. She said her essay encourages students to include professional skills training when planning their courses. Read said she also recommended that students find ways to integrate what they learn between their teaching and subject area courses.
Read said she was notified via-email of her selection as one of 10 finalists a few weeks later. She said after conferring with her professors about her character, BrainTrack gave her the nod.
“BrainTrack sent CSU-Pueblo a check for me which was really cool, and sent a representative to meet and interview me,” Read said.
Read pointed out that few people know about BrainTrack and the scholarship money that is available for students seeking to enter the teaching profession.
“I encourage prospective teaching students to check it out,” Read said of BrainTrack.”
When she isn’t studying, Read works as a tutor at the Writing Center where she helps students hone their grammar and writing abilities, and where students, she said, help her develop her teaching skills.
“Helping students has helped prepare me for teaching high school,” Read said. “Of course, I have to earn my teaching license first.”
Read said she hopes to earn her license by summer.
“It’s difficult for Colorado students to become teachers if they’re not certified,” Read said. “You can teach with a master’s degree, but are subject to get dropped if you aren’t certified. I wanted to get certified and knew CSU-Pueblo could help me reach that goal.”
The petite Read smacks more of a middle school student than a woman who holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from CSU-Fort Collins, and a master’s degree in Gender and Media Studies from the University of Sussex in Brighton, United Kingdom. She said to date she has completed a year and a half of course work for a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in secondary education from CSU-Pueblo.
“That pretty much sums up the chronological order of my education,” Read said as she laughed. “I don’t have much of a social life, but it’s worth it.”
Brushing a strand of her shoulder-length, brunette hair away from her face, the Pueblo native said she was completing her master’s degree when she realized she wanted to teach high school. She said she had to earn her teaching license and that CSU-Pueblo is the best place to make that happen.
“I want to help students learn to read and write, and love language arts,” Read said. “I decided to get my secondary English teaching degree and license, and knew CSU-Pueblo was could help me achieve that.”
Looking to the future, Read said she wants to teach high school English in Colorado and eventually earn a doctorate in English or gender studies. She also said she might relocate to the United Kingdom someday where she can be closer to her boyfriend and pursue her teaching career.
Read said it’s gratifying to have met people who share her passion for filling young minds with knowledge. She said her time at CSU-Pueblo will serve her well in all teaching endeavors.
“I want to be a good teacher and CSU-Pueblo is helping achieve that goal,” Read said.
The BrainTrack scholarship is open to students with at least one semester of credits toward graduation with an appropriate degree in teaching. Studies can be full or part-time, on-campus or online, and must be attending an accredited U.S. college. Entrants are encouraged to respond to essay questions geared toward helping others evaluate teaching as a potential career path.
The Spring 2010 entry deadline is March 1, and the Fall deadline is November 1. There is no entry fee. You can learn more about BrainTrack by visiting http://www.braintrack.com or http://www.braintrack.com/colleges-by-career/elementary-school-teachers#scholarship.

CSU-Pueblo mourns loss of David Oliver

Bill Dagendesh — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:21:41 +0000

David Oliver, who coordinated the Help Desk Services office in the Information Technology Services department at Colorado State University-Pueblo, died unexpectedly at home Tuesday, Jan 26. He was 34.
Oliver is survived by his mother, Edna; his wife of 13 years, Erica, and their children Ravan, 12, and Sarrick, 10.
A graduate of Central High School, Oliver held a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from the University of Southern Colorado. In August 2003 he accepted a job as a web developer/technical support staff at the university, and later took over as a student technology support specialist. In 2007 he took charge of Help Desk Services.
Sharon Spalding said her nephew loved life and everyone with whom he came in contact.
“I’m in shock over having lost my nephew,” Spalding said. “David was a man with a good heart who loved his job and helping people. This is so tragic, he was so young.”
Carol Naranjo said her son-in-law loved to read and listen to music, particularly the British rock group, Led Zeppelin. She said it wasn’t unusual for Oliver to sip coffee as he listened to music or read the newspaper on his computer each morning.
Naranjo said Oliver loved his job at CSU-Pueblo because it allowed him to work with computers and still spend quality time with his family. She said his greatest ambition was to provide for his family.
According to Naranjo, Oliver was a gifted artist who spent hours in his home studio painting, creating pottery and working on his computer.
“His family probably won’t sell any of his work now that he is no longer with us,” Naranjo said. Erica could not be reached for comment.
CSU-Pueblo President Joe Garcia said Oliver was a valued member of CSU-Pueblo. He said Oliver’s pleasant, low-key style and technical skills made him the perfect help desk supervisor.
“Everyone with whom I have talked is shocked and saddened by David’s passing,” Garcia said. “People have said David was the kind of person you liked to call with a technical question.”
CSU-Pueblo Provost Russ Meyer described Oliver as a hard-working, highly dedicated employee who served the campus through his work with the help desk.
“He (Oliver) was liked by all who knew him, and he will be badly missed not just by the ITS staff, but by all of us who came into contact with him,” Meyer said. “Our deepest sympathies go out to his friends and family.”
David Niccoli, chief information officer of ITS, said Oliver provided a remarkably high level of assistance to this dynamically demanding area. He said Oliver’s interpersonal skills were his strongest assets, and that he handled end-users in a very courteous and professional manner.
“But, David was much more than that – he was a friend,” Niccoli said. “He would always provide ‘one-liners’ to put a lighter perspective on a difficult situation, and he went out of his way to say hello and to see how you were doing. The IT department is like a family, and David’s loss has deeply affected us all. We will truly miss him, his character and friendship.”
Oliver’s mother-in-law Carol Naranjo said Oliver’s greatest ambition was to be there for his family.
IT Technician Jennifer Torres said Oliver’s friendliness, sense of humor, and willingness to help people are traits for which he will be remembered.
“He (Oliver) enjoyed sharing the tamales that his wife made during the holidays,” Torres said. “My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family during this difficult time. He will be deeply missed and not be forgotten.
IT Technician Mark Sargent said Oliver was a fun guy who knew how to make people laugh.
“I worked with Dave for almost two years and he always had a comment that could make people laugh,” Sargent said. “He was a light-hearted guy, and his passing was unexpected and is unfortunate.”
Lyn Brown, CSU-Pueblo switchboard operator, praised Oliver for his humor and artistic ability.
“Dave was a character and gifted potter,” Brown said. “I have a couple of his ceramic pieces which I will watch over carefully now.”
IT Professional Matthew Watson said Oliver had a knack for looking at people with a straight face and saying something that could reduce you to laughter.
“Dave was one of the funniest guys I’ve ever known… you could never tell if he was joking or not,” Watson said. “Dave was a professional, too. He took his responsibilities seriously and always communicated patience and understanding with those whom he helped.
He was reliable. He was real, he was funny, he was human.”
Watson continued, “On a personal note, I had no idea how profound his loss would impact me. It has impacted me deeply. A friend has suddenly been lost… and he will be sorely missed.”
In an e-mail to the campus, Cora Zaletel, the executive director of External Affairs, said CSU-Pueblo expresses its condolences to friends, family and co-workers.
Oliver will be cremated, Naranjo said, and a memorial service date and time will be announced.