Metro Magazine Summer 2012

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SUMMER 2012

FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS OF METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE OF DENVER

Celebrate!

July 1 we’re Metropolitan State UNIVERSITY of Denver

RIPPLE EFFECT PG. 6

BRONCOS TEAMWORK PG. 12

BY THE NUMBERS PG. 14

METROWEAR!

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SUMMER

2012

Summer 2012 / Volume XXVII / Issue III

///Contents

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RIPPLE EFFECT

9 ANSWERS

TEAMWORK

BY THE NUMBERS

One World, One Water Center for Urban Water Education and Stewardship raises awareness of Colorado’s most precious resource.

Robert Cohen, chair and CEO of the IMA Financial Group and chair of the Metro State Board of Trustees, predicts a great future for the newly designated university.

The many Metro State alums working for the Denver Broncos love their crazy lives.

Metro State grad Jerry Hilderbrand (’74, accounting) unravels financial fraud and ferrets out hidden assets in his practice.

ON THE COVER

DEPARTMENTS

The “One World, One

2 Metro Vision

16 Man Up

22 The Rowdy Report

Water” sculpture is an eye-catcher outside the Student Success Building.

Metro State President Stephen M. Jordan details Metro State’s journey to preeminence.

3 Metrozoic Era Funnyman Dave Shirley (’98, speech communications) rattles the cages of comedy.

4 Newsworthy Legislation is signed authorizing Metro State University of Denver plus other news.

Steven Rissman, associate professor in the Department of Health Professions, raises the profile of men’s studies.

17 Alumni Times Alumni news, tracefree hiking advice, Coconut the Clown’s career and more.

Men’s basketball teams from 2005 and 2012 have elements of déjà vu, including brothers Michael (’05, finance) and current Roadrunner Jonathan Morse.

24 Don’t Blink About 200 members of the Metro State community joined in the third annual Roadrunner Give Back Day.

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Metro Vision///Letter from the President Dear Alumni and Friends, Preeminence. It’s a word I’ve used repeatedly since coming to Metro State.

When I arrived on campus seven years ago, Metro State had been persistently, but quietly, providing an exemplary education to a diverse, urban student body.

Members of the community here recognized the good work they were doing but were humble about it. Too humble, in my opinion.

In my first address to Metro State, I urged this fine hidden gem of a school to raise its sights, to embrace an aspirational vision of becoming a preeminent public urban institution— one that wasn’t merely inward focused, but that also offered its intellectual and human resources in service to the community.

Today, the Metro State community is beginning to own its excellence.

And so is the community at large.

Increasingly city and community leaders are turning to Metro State to help solve complex societal and organizational problems. Jeppesen partners with our Center for Aviation Management Studies to study issues relevant to the company and industry.

The Santa Fe Arts District has turned to Metro State and our Center for Visual Art to aid in the area’s revitalization. Local entrepreneurs seek out our Center for Innovation, which supports aspiring business owners with microloans and training.

And that’s naming only a few.

Our alumni base now numbers more than 72,000 proud Roadrunners— Roadrunners with both baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Because more than 75 percent of you remain in state, you are making an impact on the workforce and economy of Colorado every day, living our vision of preeminence by teaching children to read, nursing the sick, running

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Cathy Lucas

nonprofit organizations and giving back as public servants. You are the living ambassadors of our community engagement and Metro State’s mission to prepare people for successful careers; postgraduate education; and lifelong learning in a multicultural, global and technological society.

But preeminence is less a destination than a journey. We are in the early stages of implementing a new strategic plan, “A Time of Transformation,” that will carry us into the year 2017 and boldly move this newly minted university toward realizing our mandate to advance Metro State students and contribute to the transformation of the region’s urban communities.

On April 18, Gov. John Hickenlooper donned a “Metro State U” T-shirt and signed Senate Bill 12-148 into law, empowering Metro State to change its name to Metropolitan State University of Denver. In signing the bill, Hickenlooper said that Metro State is one of the outstanding universities in Colorado and in the nation. “Changing the institution’s name was a great way to honor what it has become: a great asset for not just Denver but for all of Colorado.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Sincerely,

Stephen M. Jordan, Ph.D. President, Metro State

EDITOR Donna Fowler (’80) ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sandy Graham ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER Julie Strasheim DESIGN/PRODUCTION Welch Creative Group GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ruth M’Gonigle PHOTOGRAPHERS Seth A. Baca Jessica Taves Dave Neligh Mark Woolcott Julie Strasheim METRO MAGAZINE EDITORIAL BOARD Bridgette Coble, Director of Career Services Donna Fowler (’80), Director of Internal Communications Debora Gilliard, Chair and Professor of Management Mark Jastorff, Director of Alumni Relations, Executive Director of the Alumni Association Cathy Lucas, Associate to the President for Marketing and Communications Lunden MacDonald, Assistant Professor of Spanish Ken Phillips, Chair and Associate Professor of Industrial Design Carmen Sanjurjo, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education Julie Strasheim, Art Director, Creative Services © 2012 Metropolitan State College of Denver. Metro Magazine is published three times a year by the Metropolitan State College of Denver Office of Marketing and Communications for alumni and friends of Metro State. All rights reserved.

Address correspondence to: Metropolitan State College of Denver Metro Magazine Office of Marketing and Communications Campus Box 86, PO Box 173362 Denver, CO 80217-3362 Please send letters to the editor, editorials and inquiries to: Donna Fowler, editor, at the address above or fowlerd@mscd.edu.

E-mail alumni address changes and Class Acts submissions to alumni@mscd.edu.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE PROCESS, VISIT WWW.MSCD.EDU/ STRATEGICPLANNING.

The opinions expressed in Metro Magazine do not necessarily reflect the policies and opinions of Metropolitan State College of Denver nor imply endorsement by its officers or by Metro State’s alumni association.

Nondiscrimination Policy Metropolitan State College of Denver does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation or disability in admissions or access to, or treatment or employment in, its educational programs or activities.

Metro Magazine is printed on recycled paper.

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Metro State’s past, present and future

///Metrozoic

Era

and don’t call him SHIRLEY! [

BY CARSON REED (’83)

]

Dave Shirley is not so much a comedian of a certain age as a comedian of certain ages. The Denver-based funnyman, who graduated from Metro State in 1998 with a degree in speech communications with a theatre emphasis, draws from a mixture of experience and training that ranges from Elizabethan theatre to vaudeville to street performance to flashes of Laurie Anderson’s technologyheavy performance art.

Shirley began performing on the 16th Street Mall as a teenager. Later, stationed in San Diego, Calif., in the U.S. Navy, he spent weekends performing in Balboa Park. After leaving the military in 1992, Shirley returned to Denver and started taking theatre classes at Metro State. There he was exposed to “all the different facets of theatre,” which, combined with his self-taught skills as a street performer, gave him what he calls his “toolbox” of skills and genres.

Shirley himself wants to keep a safe distance from any label that includes the idea of art.

Like so many artists and entertainers, Shirley has had to be flexible to keep home and hearth together. Along with public performances of sketch theatre, Rattlebrain is available for corporate events, and Shirley himself has written and acted in a variety of commercial video projects, from fish tacos to the Colorado Lottery. He also has toured as an actor in such nationally popular shows as “Triple Espresso” and “The Male Intellect,” but found acting by itself unfulfilling.

“My goal is to be silly and funny,” he says. “I want to do with comedy what Penn & Teller did with magic.”

Most recently Shirley, founder of Denver’s sketch comedy troupe Rattlebrain, has been presiding over a one-man show of the same name. Soon he will take a new-and-improved version of the show on the road. “Dave Shirley’s Rattlebrain” incorporates shadow puppets, juggling, skits, magic and a variety of technologies that are palpably self-conscious— the kind of playfulness that reveals someone who is old enough to still be dazzled by technology for its own sake.

In his ventriloquist act, for instance, he interacts with a video of himself.

“I like to create it as much as I like to perform it,” he says.

He calls his wife, Jane, “a crucial partner” who helps him hone his “useless skills and ridiculous ideas” into a oneman show that is equal parts timely and timeless.

Find out more about Shirley’s upcoming events at WWW.DAVESHIRLEY.COM.

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Dave Shirley (‘98, speech communications) draws from experience and training to make his comedy routine silly and fun.

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Newsworthy/// College News Metro State now Metro State University Gov. John Hickenlooper has made it official: On April 18, Hickenlooper put his name to legislation that changed Metro State’s name to Metropolitan State University of Denver.

“You can now officially call yourselves Metropolitan State University of Denver,” Hickenlooper announced to the many Roadrunners who packed the lobby of the new Student Success Building. The name change takes effect July 1.

The signing ceremony capped two years of efforts to change Metro State from a college to a university—to eliminate the misconception that it is a community college and increase the value of a Metro State degree.

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Felicitaciones to Metro State

Metro State received the President’s Award from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver in recognition of the school’s support of the chamber’s leadership programs and its outreach to Latino students.

In giving the award in April, former Denver Mayor Guillermo “Bill” Vidal, chamber president and CEO, cited President Stephen Jordan’s leadership of a young professional’s group and Metro State’s assistance in developing a chamber leadership program. He also applauded Metro State for reaching out to people of color, especially Latinos, and providing students a high-quality education.

“Metro this past year has really done a great job engaging the minority community, helping out the chamber … and overall has been a great asset to the community as a whole,” Vidal said.

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Student Success Building serving students

Ready. Set. Go— to college, that is S Supported by a five-year federal grant, Metro State’s Center for Urban Education has launched a wide-ranging effort called the 21st Century College Readiness Center that combines after-school tutoring, enrichment activities and family support programs to improve the academic performance and college readiness of students at five high-need Denver Public Schools.

The program, which began in May, marks the first time an institution of higher learning received funding, which traditionally has gone to school districts, communitybased organizations and nonprofits. Metro State will receive $148,500 in the first year.

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Metro State, Rotarians feed students Students at two Denver elementary schools received weekly bags of groceries to take home through “Food for Thought,” a program of Metro State and Arvada Sunrise Rotary.

Metro State ‘best’ in several ways Westword listed Metro State faculty, alumni and students as tops in several categories in the alternative weekly’s annual “Best of Denver” issue this spring.

Associate Professor of Art Carlos Fresquez was awarded Best Mural Project for work at 721 Santa Fe Drive.

Bradley Borthwick, affiliate faculty in art, was recognized for Best Multimedia Show.

The “Reclamation” exhibition at the Metro State Center for Visual Art (CVA) was recognized as Best Gallery Show—Group. It was organized by former CVA Director and Curator Jennifer Garner.

Best New Band honors went to the local band Spires, which features the guitar work of student Ian Gassman.

The Displaced Aurarian Scholarship was named the Best Rapprochement

by Higher Education. The three institutions on the Auraria Campus give the scholarships to students descended from Westside residents who were moved to make room for the Auraria Campus.

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The schools have high percentages of low-income students participating in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program. Studies have shown that students can be unprepared to learn as the school week starts because they do not eat well during the weekend.

The $62 million Student Success Building (SSB) opened in March and is one of the “greenest” buildings in town. Sedum, a succulent groundcover, carpets 9,433 square feet of the SSB’s roof, helping absorb heat generated by paving, structures and other hard surfaces surrounding it. That’s not the roof’s only environmentally beneficial feature: It also contains an elaborate drainage system that sustains the groundcover and funnels any excess to other landscaping. The building houses student services, classrooms and administration offices, all in one convenient—and green—location.

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Food for Thought began last spring and will continue this fall, serving about 600 students. While Sunrise Rotary has raised about $40,000, organizers estimate they will need $80,000 for the coming school year.

Metro State will provide storage and sorting space for the food.

In Memoriam DR. LOIS DILATUSH Chair and Professor of Sociology, Retired

ROBERT BOUDREAU Professor of Meteorology, Retired

REBECCA YASUKO LARSEN Former Director of Alumni Relations

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Ripple E One World, One Water Center rides the cresting wave of resource awareness [ BY DOUG McPHERSON ]

It’s amazing what a drop of water can do to a seed.

It started three years ago when Valerie Gates, a noted conservationist, gave Metropolitan State College of Denver a sculpture—a 12-foot-high bronze drop of water that illustrates the Earth’s water cycle. But Gates was clear: The piece had to be educational and not just art for art’s sake.

That was the seed Sandra Haynes, dean of the School of Professional Studies at Metro State, cultivated to become the One World, One Water Center for Urban Water Education and Stewardship (OWOW). And you can add another “one” to it, as in the only one in the country.

“We set out to create something that was unique, and as far as we know there’s nothing else like it,” says Haynes.

The wow factor So how do you pronounce OWOW? “Oh-wow,” of course.

Perfect. The new center indeed packs a wow factor. And it comes at a pivotal point as water—the sustenance of life that many take for granted—swells with relevance, especially in Colorado.

“Water is everyone’s issue,” Haynes says. “Some say the next war will be fought over water, so we all need to understand this resource thoroughly.”

Haynes believed Metro State is well-suited to host OWOW. A donor, who prefers to remain anonymous, agreed and gave Metro State $1 million to create the center.

“We’re an urban campus next to the South Platte River and its confluence with Cherry Creek, and we touch a lot of students,” Haynes says.

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Impacting academics and the community Haynes has hired Tom Cech, a 30-year veteran in Colorado water conservation, to serve as OWOW’s director. The goal, Cech says, is to have “an informed citizenry that can help protect, preserve and conserve Colorado’s water resources.”

OWOW will also include a minor in water studies starting this fall.

“In our initial research we found water education wasn’t being incorporated at the undergraduate level,” Haynes says. “It’s an interdisciplinary model that’ll give our graduates the potential to make lasting impacts on water issues in their chosen professions.”

Haynes adds OWOW will create a ripple effect beyond classrooms because of seminars for the public and partnerships with community groups to ensure a statewide impression.

“Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.”

–W.H. Auden

Russ Sands (’07, environmental science), the water conservation manager for the City of Boulder, Colo., is an OWOW fan.

“OWOW puts Metro State out in front on water issues; it provides an avenue to look at and examine all the problems,” Sands says.

FFECT Hope Dalton (’02, chemistry) promotes water quality and sustainable water resources at Tri-County Health Department in Greenwood Village, Colo.

INFINITE WATER The sculpture “One World, One Water” graces the south entrance to Metro State’s new Student Success Building.

The piece, by Denver sculptor Rik Sargent, depicts how all living things are connected to water. It was given to Metro State by conservationist Valerie Gates.

Standing 14 feet high and weighing one-and-a-half tons, “One World, One Water” was cast in bronze at Art Casting of Colorado in Loveland.

The bronze has been accepted into this year’s National Sculpture Society Show in New York.

Sargent attended the May 2 dedication of his work.

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Metro State isn’t new to the water industry. Sands is just one of several alumni working in the field.

Hope Dalton (’02, chemistry) is a water specialist at Tri-County Health Department in Greenwood Village, Colo., where she protects and promotes water quality and sustainable water resources. And when dangerous levels of benzene were found in Sand Creek near an oil refinery north of Denver late last year, Dalton developed public outreach and education for downstream wells and reviewed drinking water protection.

“I’m excited that future Metro State grads will contribute to solving water issues,” Dalton says. “I know the community has already benefited from OWOW because Tri-County is working with the center to encourage people to drink water over sugary drinks, and I’ve seen that OWOW has already raised awareness of water on the Auraria Campus.”

Tom Cech is the director of One World, One Water Center for Urban Water Education and Stewardship.

Casey Davenhill (’82, accounting), another alumna, is the watershed coordinator at Cherry Creek Stewardship Partners, a group that promotes active stewardship of the Cherry Creek watershed. This spring she hired two Metro State student interns to develop strategies that will encourage Coloradans to make water quality a priority.

“I think OWOW is a brilliant idea and I’m proud it’s part of my alma mater,” Davenhill says.

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Alums already making a splash Many other Metro State alumni are making a splash in Colorado’s water industry. Here are a few: • Alan Curtis (’88, speech communication) is an attorney specializing in water and natural resources law at White & Jankowski, LLP in Denver.

• Antonio Esposito (’08, civil engineering technology) is a water resource engineer at CH2M Hill in Englewood, Colo.

• Dawn Jewell (’99, land use) is an engineer with Aurora Water in Aurora, Colo.

• Becky Long (’04, political science) is the water caucus coordinator at the Colorado Environmental Coalition in Denver.

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• Trina McGuire-Collier (’90, technical communication) is assistant director of public affairs for Denver Water.

• John Orr (’78, accounting) is a water resources administrator for the City of Thornton, Colo.

• Steve Reum (’85, civil engineering technology) is the assistant chief engineer at Denver Water and serves on Metro State’s Civil Engineering Industrial Advisory Board.

• Michael Tinker (’08, biology) is a hydrologist at U.S. Geological Survey in Denver.

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[ BY CAITLIN GIBBONS (’12) ]

Robert Cohen was appointed to a four-year term as a Metro State trustee in 2008 and was elected board chair two years later. He is the chair and CEO of the IMA Financial Group, Inc., a diversified financial services company comprising three primary businesses: a retail insurance brokerage, a wholesale insurance brokerage and a discretionary money manager.

He is also founder and executive chairman of the Metro Denver Sports Commission and has a wealth of board experience in both for-profit companies and nonprofits.

Cohen chaired the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and served on the Metro State Foundation Board.

What attracted you to serve on Metro State’s Foundation Board in 1999?

I looked at the list of members serving on the board and there were a lot of people I already knew or wanted to know and wanted to work with. But that really pales in comparison to the mission of what the foundation was about. ... It made it a very easy “yes.”

You have worked substantially around economic development. What role do you see Metro State playing in the Denver and Colorado economies?

If you really think about the impact in terms of jobs, what Metro State is about is educating the workforce.

Metro State, in particular, contributes to the economy because so many students are working and going to school at the same time. Because of the open admissions policy and the role Metro State plays, we are serving a large number of students and have a greater impact on the local economy. The number of graduates who stay in Colorado also contributes to the greater impact on the local economy.

Has that changed since you first started with Metro State in 1999?

I’ve seen a lot of progress, but the really beautiful thing about it is we haven’t lost the foundation from which we came.

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Answers Metro State has served the “scrappy” student since the beginning. How does the scrappy spirit translate into the community and workforce?

Every higher education institution has its role and the right fit for different students. Sometimes (when) coming out of a traditional education, people don’t necessarily have street smarts and life skills.

When you think of a scrappy Metro State student, you think of some of those basic life skills—in communication, priority setting and working around tough situations.

There are lots of applications to the work world that are significant.

Have you worked firsthand with Metro State students?

We have a ton of Metro State graduates working at IMA. In April, when it was College Day in Colorado, everybody wore their alma mater gear and you would think it would be dominated by CU or CSU. Now, we didn’t tally it up, but I think Metro State would have won for the most (gear) in the office.

Your involvement in the Denver community is vast, particularly in the sports field.

Are sports one of your great passions? Did you play in college or high school?

I was an athlete and sports are a passion of mine. I try to work out every day and stay as fit as I can. I grew up as the all-American kid, playing football, basketball and baseball.

I like to watch the Roadrunners and the games are fun to go to. I wish the men’s basketball team, which made it

to the NCAA Elite Eight, had won the national championship this year.

You have demonstrated a great respect for the constituents of Metro State in the Board of Trustees proceedings, even when interests and opinions clash. How do you reconcile the wants of the constituents with the needs of the institution?

I would always hope the needs of the institution would override any individual constituent. But it’s not reality to think they won’t play a role in it. My job as the board chair is to run a fair meeting where all voices and all sides are heard so the board can make the best decision instead of manipulating the outcome. Now some people may scratch their heads at me saying that because I do have strong opinions. Sometimes that’s hard—even for me. I have my passions and my thoughts, but I believe more in due process and transparency than any individual opinion.

The skill of diplomacy is one I’ve gotten from growing up scrappy— you learn how to survive. You’ve got to stand up for what you believe in, and if you don’t, what’s your purpose of being on the board, honestly? It’s like being an athlete: Regardless of the outcome, you still meet at the center of the field and shake hands, and hopefully these people are your friends.

During the name-change process, critics voiced a concern about mission creep.

What does the path for the mission look like as Metro State continues down the road toward preeminence?

Right now, we have a situation where we own our mission. There is no other institution that has a similar mission to ours in this community, yet there are multiple research higher education institutions out there. I’ve always said to people why would we want to walk away from a mission that is completely authentic—that we own ourselves— to a mission where we would be the fourth or fifth best at that within our community, let alone the country? To be the ultimate urban university in the country—I don’t see us changing that mission, but spreading it to a more national scope. It doesn’t mean we recruit students from across the country; it just means the value of Metro State and the output that we are creating will become more well-known and more valuable regardless of where our students go after they graduate.

Where do you see Metro State in 10 years?

The stature of Metro State is going to grow exponentially in the next 10 years. Some of the things we are doing right now are seen as on edge, but will become the core. Public-private partnerships to build programs and do things will grow. We will continue to be better at what we are doing.

The foundation and the capital situation of the institution will also be significantly changed.

People will want to be a part of the success Metro State is having. I’m hopeful we can figure out how to meet the ever-growing demand of students. We don’t want to give up quality by growing enrollment. But if we can reach more people who can benefit from what we do, that would be great. Ultimately, the value of a degree and the respect in the brand that people have for Metro State will be significantly enhanced in the next 10 years.

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METRO STATE GRADS power Broncos behind the scenes [

BY JAY L. CLARK

Metro State graduates working in the Broncos or Bowlen organizations include (l to r) Elizabeth Goodman, John Karpan, Jeff Geman, Steve Boxer, Jim Saccomano, Kirt Horiuchi, Jon Applegate, Dave Abrams and Jared Devine.

A group from the Denver Broncos, including a public relations icon and other experienced pros, continues to set the gold standard for performance in the National Football League (NFL).

No, we are not talking about Peyton Manning, Champ Bailey and other star players. We are talking about the team behind the team—the Broncos’ front office. While the men wearing the orange and blue make headlines, many unsung heroes work countless hours that are critical to the team’s success.

And many are graduates of Metro State.

Not all fun and games While being under the bright lights of Sports Authority Field at Mile High as well as working closely with players, coaches and media personalities is exciting, the grind of the season for these Broncos staffers is far from all fun and games. They say that the hours worked are unlike nearly any other profession, but they do it with a smile because they recognize how rare these opportunities are. The key to success is the ability and desire to work what feels like around the clock during the NFL season. Days lasting 15 to 18 hours and weeks stretching into 90 to 100 hours are the

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norm from the moment training camp begins until the clock ticks down to 00:00 in the last game.

“It’s hard to explain to people what it’s like during the season, but the hours are pretty crazy,” says Broncos media services manager Rebecca Villanueva (’00, speech communications—broadcasting). “I can literally go months without seeing members of my family. I am with ‘my guys’ (her co-workers) morning, noon and night for so long that they really are my second family. But we love it.”

For Jim Saccomano (’70, speech and history), the Broncos’ fabled vice president of corporate communications, the passion for being in the eye of the Denver-NFL media hurricane is as strong as ever. Saccomano is entering his 35th season with the team. He is the longest-tenured professional sports administrator in Colorado history and one of the most decorated sports public relations veterans in the country.

“I’ve known Sacco since he was with the Denver Bears in the 1970s, and I consider him the most professional media relations director I’ve dealt with in my 37 years in Colorado,” says Woody Paige, Denver Post sports columnist and ESPN commentator. “Most people in Denver don’t know Jim or recognize his name, but he has been an incredible strength

]

for practices and games, and work through other logistics that could distract the players’ focus from the field. Like any relationship with co-workers, these rely on boundaries, respect and experience.

But these relationships also raise unending curiosity.

into a full-time position 13 years ago,” he says. “To be honest, I don’t think school can prepare you for everything that goes on. Nobody told me that we would be arriving at DIA at 3:30 or 4 a.m. after a night game on the East Coast and then have to be back to work by 8. Such a glamorous life!”

“People don’t ask me for tickets too often, but autographs are more problematic,” says Dave Abrams (’72, criminal justice), Broncos executive security consultant. “People forget my relationship is more of a working and professional one, where trust and respect must be nurtured.”

Abrams says Metro State gave him a “real-world” experience.

Villanueva says the Broncos seem to dominate her conversations. “I have a lot of interests, like movies and music. But people always, always want to talk about the team when they learn what I do,” she says. “People are always interested in how it works and always have a lot of questions about the players. And it’s pretty nervy when I first meet somebody and right away they ask me for tickets, but I understand how passionate people are about the Broncos.”

behind the scenes for the Broncos.

He is the best at what he does.”

So what keeps Saccomano coming back?

“I enjoy the vibrancy of everything that goes on with a team. Just about every day is different in one way or another, and for the Broncos, a truly national franchise in terms of attention, it really keeps all days active with media, national as well as local,” Saccomano says. “(Owner) Pat Bowlen’s hiring of John Elway and our free-agent signing of Peyton Manning have actually increased our national profile, if that is even possible. These are exciting times inside the building as well as for our fans.”

While the paths to Dove Valley are different for each person in this group, they all started at Metro State. But just as the players on the field must prove they are the best at their position regardless of their college experience, so must Metro State grads working in the Broncos’ front office. There’s fierce, open competition for internships and positions, according to Saccomano and other graduates.

“Metro students get no special advantage and no special treatment from me in the application process,” says Saccomano. “That’s not the way I would want it, nor the way it should be. Everyone at the Broncos has to earn the job.”

On and off the field

John Karpan (’96, sports industry operations) says an internship while still in school opened the “sports door” for him.

Most of the Metro State grads working with the Broncos cross paths regularly with players. They help with the media, handle security issues, prepare

“I started out interning with the Denver Grizzlies (hockey team) and it landed me a game-day position with the Broncos, which eventually turned

“College is important in any endeavor,” he says, “but I think Metro is particularly valuable because of its unique campus and setting.

By that I mean the richness, versatility, experience and diversity of the students.”

In addition to Abrams, Saccomano, Villanueva and Karpan, the other Metro State grads working in and around the Broncos and other Bowlen teams are:

• Jon Applegate (’03, human performance and sports—sports industry), event operations manager, Sports Authority Field at Mile High

• Steve Boxer (’98, technical communication), video director

• Jared Devine (’05, human performance and sports—sports industry), security manager, Sports Authority Field at Mile High

• Elizabeth Goodman (’11, human performance and sports—sports industry), account executive, Denver Outlaws (professional lacrosse team owned by Pat Bowlen)

• Kirt Horiuchi (’98, broadcast journalism), video assistant

• Jeff Geman (’12, human performance and sports—sports industry), Denver Outlaws (lacrosse team) Metro State will probably never have a football team, but thanks to this impressive list of graduates working in one of the best organizations in the NFL, perhaps Metro State can claim another description: football factory.

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Metro Magazine llllllllllllllll SUMMER 2012

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Jerry Hilderbrand (’74, accounting) chases down fraud as part of his work in forensic accounting.

COUNTING ON ACCOUNTING Fraud examiners and forensic accountants protect communities and businesses from cheats [

BY ROXANNE HAWN

]

Jerry Hilderbrand (’74, accounting) wanted to be a G-Man. Instead of nabbing bad guys for the FBI, however, he ended up ferreting out frauds by the numbers.

instead joined Arthur Andersen & Company. Among his many assignments were working for Coors and turning around a troubled beer distributorship.

Hilderbrand was working for an insurance company’s fraud division in Nebraska when he came to Denver to investigate an arson case that included interstate transport, making it a federal matter. Hilderbrand coordinated with government authorities.

In 1985, Hilderbrand purchased an accounting firm in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he developed a niche in litigation support services. He served as an expert witness, chased down hidden assets and unraveled financial fraud—all part of a forensic accounting practice, which investigates financial wrongdoing.

The FBI friends he made on the case urged him to earn an accounting degree so he could join the agency.

Back then, the FBI academy required a law or accounting degree, so Hilderbrand enrolled at Metro State.

“I want to point out that I graduated with honors,” Hilderbrand teases. “I wasn’t just a pretty face.”

His wife at the time nixed his plans to take his first FBI assignment in Chicago. “There had been a spate of violence against FBI agents there—an ambush, actually,” he says. Hilderbrand

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Professional skills for a new age Metro State didn’t have a program in forensic accounting in the 1970s.

Hilderbrand learned the field the hard way—by experience—including how to stand up to cross-examination. He’s pleased to hear that Metro State has expanded its accounting program.

“There is a growing need for people with these skills,” Hilderbrand says.

“Because of the advent of technology and the ease of transferring funds and information, it has become more and more likely that criminals are going to become more sophisticated. Therefore, there have to be CPAs or accountants who are specifically trained.”

Hilderbrand has testified in more than 120 cases, including one where he later found the accused embezzler working for the Colorado Springs Police Department as a dispatcher.

While he sold the main firm in 2010, Hilderbrand still does litigation forensic accounting. “Often, there are few clues, few obvious clues,” he says.

“You’re going to have to root them out yourself.”

Forensic accounting and fraud examination are among several concentrations offered by Metro State’s new Master of Professional Accountancy Program. The program welcomes students from all backgrounds—not just those with degrees or experience in the field.

The program enrolled its first students in 2010 and graduated its first cohort in spring 2011.

Examiners, the typical organization loses 5 percent of its annual revenue to fraud.

Fraud tip-offs and risks of speaking out

Students can mix areas of concentration to suit their goals.

“We interview the students and design a program that fits them,” says Rick Crosser, certified compliance and ethics professional, and professor and chair in the Accounting Department.

Accounting Professor Doug Laufer, a certified fraud examiner, explains that fraud comes in many forms and includes financial statement fraud, where executives “cook the books” to make things appear other than they really are, and employee fraud, where staff members do illegal things such as embezzle or take kickbacks.

Financial fraud committed by executives is three times more costly than fraud committed by managers and nine times more costly than fraud committed by employees, according to a 2010 Association of Certified Fraud Examiners report. High-level fraud also takes longer to detect.

Having that flexibility and those concentrations sets Metro State apart. The program also is working to become a Center for Internal Auditing Excellence. Only five schools in the world hold that designation.

Those wanting careers like Hilderbrand’s get to do real work in their studies, including serving as internal auditors of Metro State’s budget and filing regular reports to leadership.

Students also do investigations and face courtroom scenarios—with local accounting professionals playing the roles of potential fraudsters. Sheri Betzer, whom fellow faculty members call “the top forensic accountant in the state,” teaches the course.

Practical training and learning are key. “That’s why our program is called Master of Professional Accountancy.

That professional emphasis is to say that we’re going to help you get ready to go to work,” Crosser says. “That’s why we use a lot of practitioners, not only to help teach courses but to be part of the curriculum—making presentations in the classroom, helping with internships, all kinds of things.”

Financial fraud an old tale Financial scandals are not new. We simply hear about them more because of the 24/7 news cycle. Ponzi schemes, for example, are named after Charles Ponzi, who conned people in New England in the 1920s. So, whether it’s financial finagling on Wall Street or trouble with a local pension fund, people with the means and motive to pull such stunts can and often do.

According to a 2010 report by the Association of Certified Fraud

“There is a lot of research that shows that the tone at the top, the organizational culture, will go a long way to determine how prevalent fraud is in an organization,” Laufer says.

For example, if executives openly ignore rules on things like meals and entertainment, staff is more likely to cheat, too. Or if those breaking the rules are rewarded with bonuses, that sends a clear message.

“Accountants, in my mind, are in the best position to help detect fraud.

But we need to be better educated and have it on our radar screen,” Laufer says.

Another area of need is business valuation—often required for retirement, divorce or estate planning.

In these situations, accountants aren’t necessarily looking for wrongdoing as much as establishing an accurate report on assets.

Opening doors As exciting as ferreting out fraudsters seems, most professionals in this field gain a strong foundation in traditional tax, small businesses or organizational accounting before moving into investigations.

Historically, accounting attracted a certain type. Laufer says that today it brings together a range of people— law enforcement officials, traditional accounting professionals and a hybrid of “gun-toting accountants.”

Typically, fraud comes from one of six departments: • Accounting • Operations • Sales • Executives/upper management • Customer service • Purchasing Warning signs include people who are having financial difficulties at home and those who suddenly live beyond their means.

Laws about fraud date back to 1863, over the issue of fake gunpowder.

Congress since passed other laws protecting whistle-blowers, but coming forward means both media and legal spotlights shine brightly.

Whistle-blowers face all kinds of risks, according to Metro State Accounting Professor Doug Laufer: • Demotion or suspension • Job loss • Mistreatment by fellow employees • Discrimination by future employers • Threats or harassment The National Whistleblowers Center provides many resources and support. For information, visit WWW.WHISTLEBLOWERS.ORG.

Tipsters discover 40 percent of fraud.

To blow the whistle or not? Well, that’s another issue.

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Health Professions Associate Professor Steven Rissman believes raising awareness of men’s issues among students—both men and women—will help everyone develop richer, more engaging lives.

Metro State, 53.7 percent of the student population is female; 46.3 percent is male.)

“They see what’s ahead of them,” Rissman says, “and they’re saying, ‘No, thank you. I don’t want to be a part of it.’”

Older men, who have experienced sweeping changes in the job market, are scrambling to leverage their capabilities in the postindustrial economy and confused by changing gender roles.

MAN UP New classes highlight the complexities of being a man in today’s world [

BY LESLIE PETROVSKI

]

In some circles, the contention that men are suffering has the potential to raise eyebrows, especially in a university setting where women’s studies are firmly entrenched.

However, according to Steven Rissman, a newly tenured associate professor in the Department of Health Professions, American men—and those in other Western countries— are in a world of hurt.

“Men are having to recreate themselves and not doing a good job of it,” he says. “They’re depressed, lost and wandering in a virtual world. They’re not even socializing.”

A naturopathic doctor who teaches in Metro State’s Integrative Therapies Program (ITP), Rissman, 51, is among a growing cadre of scholars and writers who are sounding the alarm about the state of the gender. The recession, globalization and the ascension of women into the majority in the workplace have created a perfect storm of economic and sociological factors, these experts say, that are at worst paralyzing men and at best confounding them.

From increasing suicide percentages to lower college enrollment rates, young men appear to be in crisis. (At

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In general, Rissman explains, “Men have learned not to be self-reflective, so there’s been a real loss of self. They don’t have good friendships. They don’t know how to reach out.

Without something to do, they’re lost.”

Having been instrumental in bringing men’s studies to Metro State by pioneering a course three years ago called Men’s Health, Rissman received the Golden Key International Honour Society’s 2011 Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award.

Rissman devised the Men’s Health course as a possible gateway to bring more male students into health care classes and to help expose students—both male and female—to the challenges guys face in contemporary society.

Taught from a holistic perspective, the class looks at men’s health broadly, examining everything from men’s hair to gender roles.

The class has proved popular with Metro State students.

Although the number of male majors in ITP is still modest at 20, that number represents a 900 percent increase from five years ago. The overall number of majors, too, has also grown from 87 in fall 2009 to 139 students in fall 2011. More men and women also are majoring in other health professions, including health care management, human nutrition and recreation professions.

While there is no way to directly correlate these increasing numbers with the Men’s Health class, Rissman thinks it has had an effect.

In fall 2013, Rissman will debut another class around men’s issues called Men and Masculinities, which will be offered as part of the ITP program as well as the new genders and sexualities minor approved last spring. The class will split topics related to the experience of being a man (such as men’s changing roles, their emotions and relationships), while the Men’s Health class emphasizes physical health, nutrition, body image and sexuality.

Rissman hopes the addition of a second men’s studies class will generate even more interest in the subject.

Men and women who become more conscious about men’s issues, he says, “develop richer and more engaging lives— women because they gain a deeper understanding of their relationships with men, and men because they find courage, and even become eager, to step further into the authenticity of who they really are.”

•

Alumni Times

ALUMNI RULE at

Te n n y s o n ’ s

“Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.”

–Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo, “Cheers” lyrics

[

BY VONALDA UTTERBACK (’92)

]

Metro State alums are sure to feel right at home at Tennyson’s Tap, a cozy neighborhood bar and art and music venue tucked into the corner of 38th Avenue and Tennyson Street in the heart of North Denver’s revitalized Berkeley neighborhood.

Opened in early 2011, Tennyson’s Tap is co-owned by Adrienne Christy (’06, certificate in multimedia productions).

Not only is she an alum, Christy works for Metro State, so there’s a very good chance she does know your name if you have a Metro State connection. Her enthusiasm is infectious when she talks about her day job as a Web and multimedia developer in Metro State’s Educational Technology Center.

“I graduated from Metro State in 2006 and never left,” she says. “I work with a lot of Metro State alumni, and I know people all over the campus. I love my job, and the people are awesome. I feel blessed.” Christy employs her talents behind the scenes at Tennyson’s Tap in marketing and website development, and she’s always looking for ways the bar can creatively support her alma mater.

In just one testament to Roadrunner pride, Tennyson’s Tap hosted a Metro State Alumni Association watch party for the March 21 men’s basketball Division II Elite Eight game.

“We had a packed house of alumni, current students, and friends and family of the players,” reports Christy. “At

FROM SCHOOL TO WORK Adrienne Christy is among 400 graduates working for Metro State; another 26 alumni are employed at other Auraria institutions.

Ta p

Adrienne Christy and Dave Fox, coowners of Tennyson’s Tap, welcome Metro State graduates at the increasingly popular Denver bar.

one point we were all singing the Metro State fight song, complete with pompoms!”

Although the team lost that night, the gathering was so successful, a recurring alumni association event is now scheduled for the third Tuesday of every month, featuring Eric Peterson (’99, marketing) and his band Easy Foot.

Peterson also is the alumni association’s representative to the Metro State Board of Trustees.

Tennyson’s Tap is becoming popular with more than the Metro State crowd. In April, Westword named it one of the “Ten Best New Bars of Denver.”

Clearly Tennyson’s Tap isn’t your typical watering hole. The bar also boasts a small art gallery, complete with a curator.

“I love to hang art in nontraditional spaces,” says art custodian Kelsey (Klene) Weaver (’11, fine art). “Tennyson’s Tap gives contemporary, emerging artists an opportunity to step out of the stuffy gallery scene.”

Shows typically feature works by Metro State art students— along with a permanent wall dedicated to the eclectic poster art of Metro State alum Nima “Eddie” Nouri (’11, communication design) and designer of the Tennyson’s Tap logo.

Enjoy tunes with your art and libations? There’s nary an evening at Tennyson’s Tap that doesn’t include live music.

With everything from Laura Newman’s hot jazz trio on Wednesdays and the regular Sunday blues jam to local hiphop acts and heavy metal on weekends, it’s a frugal music lover’s dream. The bar’s website (www.tennysonstap.com) has the latest lineup.

“We rarely charge a cover during the week,” says Christy.

“We are one of the only venues in town where you can hear this variety and quality of musicians free.”

The friendly, feel-good vibe at Tennyson’s Tap is no accident.

“We love all of the connections we have to Metro State,” says Christy. “It’s about creating community. If we don’t happen to know your name when you come in, we will know it before you leave.”

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17

CREATE

Janet McCuen (’92, computer management science) monitors fourteeners.

Your Legacy

Include Metro State in your will or trust today and create exceptional possibilities for tomorrow’s students.

Including Metro State in your long-term financial plan allows you to: ■ Make a charitable gift while ensuring family is taken care of first.

■ Change your mind about your gift at any time.

■ Give a little or give a lot.

■ Support Roadrunners and their dreams for generations to come.

To learn more about how you can invest in the future of Metro State, call our Development office at 303-556-8424 or e-mail giving@mscd.edu.

Visit us online at www.mscd.edu/giving.

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ASK AN ALUM

Protecting the Rockies [

BY JANET McCUEN (’92)

]

Some of Colorado’s most spectacular views can be found atop the state’s 54 fourteeners—peaks that top 14,000 feet in elevation. I wanted to give back to this environment I enjoy so much, so last summer I became a Peak Steward volunteer for Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI).

CFI was formed to help protect Colorado’s fragile alpine tundra; restore unplanned hiking routes; and educate the more than 500,000 hikers who attempt to climb a fourteener every year.

The alpine tundra starts at 11,500 feet or about tree line. Even in summer, winds there can exceed 100 mph; the average air temperature is 50 degrees; soil temperatures are close to freezing; and subsoil temperatures are at or below freezing. It can take 1,000 years to create an inch of alpine soil. Imagine the impact that 500,000 hikers each year can have on this fragile ecosystem.

Hikers who cut switchbacks on trails trample the delicate vegetation and cause soil erosion. Dogs running off leash threaten wildlife, such as marmots. The Peak Steward program attempts to minimize these impacts by educating hikers in the Leave No Trace principles, which are:

• Plan ahead and consider the weather, dressing appropriately and knowing the area.

• Always travel over snow and rock on durable surfaces, and camp below tree line.

• Carry out all waste. Leave natural materials that you find. Never pick up anything and take it with you.

• Never have a campfire above tree line.

• Never feed animals, and keep your dog on a leash.

• Be considerate of others by traveling in small groups and keeping voices low.

Being a Peak Steward is very rewarding. Not only do I help educate hikers, I am also a valuable resource to the initiative and to the U.S. Forest Service by sharing trail conditions and any violations of Forest Service regulations I witness.

Best of all, I am helping to protect the fragile alpine tundra. More about the initiative and volunteering is available at www.14ers.org.

•

Janet McCuen (’92, computer management science) is an information technology technician at First Data Corp.

PRESIDENT Jim Garrison (’80, Economics) VICE PRESIDENT Cassandra Johnson (’04, Management)

Join us!

Alumni Times

METRO STATE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 2011-12 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EVENTS

SECRETARY Victoria Hannu (’84, Computer and Management Science) TREASURER Judy George (’01, Business Management)

Check www.mscd.edu/alumni/events for the most up-to-date information on these and other events and activities.

PAST PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES REPRESENTATIVE Eric Peterson (’99, Marketing)

JULY

FOUNDATION BOARD REPRESENTATIVE Rob Morrill (’97, Political Science) Scott Applegate (’96, Finance) /// Piper Billups (’99, Marketing) /// Danyette Hardin (’07, Management) /// Antonio Ledesma, Ph.D. (’72, English) /// Brad McQueen

Roadrunner Resumes Webinar, noon, 7/11 Roadrunner Happy Hour Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Tennyson’s Tap, 7/17 Overview of Alumni Career Services Webinar, noon, 7/31

(’95, Accounting) /// Hon. Chris Melonakis (’74,

AUGUST

Economics) /// Michael Miera (’80, Bilingual Studies) /// RC Montoya (’93, Technical Communication) /// Chuck Moss (’88, Finance) /// Anne O’Neill (’07, Hospitality, Tourism and Events Management) /// Wendy Petersen (’89, Hospitality, Meeting and Travel

Roadrunner Resumes Webinar, noon, 8/8 Rockies vs. Brewers (family event/date TBD) Coors Field, 8/13 or 8/14 Roadrunner Happy Hour Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Tennyson’s Tap, 8/21

Administration) ///Joseph Sanchez (’06, Mechanical Engineering Technology) /// Judy Shafer (’95, English) /// Sterling “Noah” Steingraeber (’08, Marketing) ///

SEPTEMBER

April Washington (’93, Journalism) /// Metza Templeton (’07, Management), Classified Staff Representative /// Aerospace Science Chair Jeffrey Forrest, Ph.D. (’91, Aerospace Science), Faculty Representative /// SGA President Jesse Altum, Student Representative /// Matt Brinton, Council of Administrators Representative.

•

Overview of Alumni Career Services Webinar, noon, 9/5 Alumni Career Services Fall Kickoff, 6 p.m., Student Success Building 400, 9/12 Roadrunner Resumes Webinar, noon, 9/18 Roadrunner Happy Hour Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Tennyson’s Tap 9/18

Metro Magazine llllllllllllllll SPRING 2012

MEET YOUR METRO STATE ALUMNI RELATIONS STAFF: (l to r) Mark Jastorff, director of alumni relations and executive director of the alumni association; Janell Lindsey, director of special initiatives for alumni relations and enrollment services; Meghan Hartvigson (’10), alumni engagement coordinator; Gini Mennenga, administrative assistant; Jon Hormachea, workstudy student; Heather LaCost, workstudy student; and Lindsey Day, assistant director for alumni career services.

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OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS Student Success Building, Suite 350 Campus Box 11 /// P.O. Box 173362 Denver, CO 80217-3362 303.556.8320 www.mscd.edu/alumni Metro Magazine llllllllllllllll SUMMER 2012

19

CLASS ACTS Class Acts highlights the latest news from Metro State alumni. To submit your information for publication, go to www.mscd.edu/alumni and click on Update Your Info.

William Buse ( ’77, electrical engineering technology) works in software quality assurance for Portland (Ore.) General Electric. His specialty is the development of automated test development.

Bruce Hedquist ( ’74, applied math) is retired from the surveying and mapping profession in which he worked for 31 years, most recently for the California Department of Transportation. He lives in Fort Myers, Fla. Daniel E. Wolfe ( ’77, meteorology) of Westminster, Colo., is retired from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after working 42 years for the federal government. He continues to work part time for the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.

Renita R. Conny ( ’83, music) is living in Berryton, Kan., where she is a professional musician and teacher of flute, piano, voice and guitar, and chairs the Kansas Federation of Music Teachers Junior Festival.

David Hicks ( ’80, urban studies) lives in Culver City, Calif., where he owns Lifestyle Tennis and teaches and competes in tennis.

Virginia (Ginni) McCann ( ’81, human services) is retired from gerontology and lives in Biloxi, Miss. In February, she traveled to Cuba with the Caribbean Cultural Religious Council.

Richard A. Moore Jr. ( ’81, accounting) is a CPA and owns his own company in Copperhill, Tenn.

Peter Roberts ( ’86) is a benefits specialist for Health Now in Denver.

Lori Howell ( ’94, technical communications) is a video editor with High Noon Entertainment, a Denver-based supplier of reality television. She lives in Littleton, Colo.

Rachel McKeller ( ’95, social work) is a program director for Wilkinson Center in Dallas.

James G. Tsurapas ( ’90, criminal justice) is an operations captain at Parker Police Department in Parker, Colo.

Andrew Vara ( ’90, accounting) is a senior accountant at High Sierra Energy in Denver.

Meredith Andrews ( ’03, English) resides in Glendale, Ariz., and is a realtor with a specialty in the active retirement community.

Kimberly Angell ( ’03, applied math) works for DigitalGlobe, an operator of commercial earth imaging satellites. She and her husband, Matt Angell (’05), live in Longmont, Colo.

Brent Bowers ( ’07, human performance and sport) is the regional environmental health and safety manager for Rosendin Electric in Danville, Calif.

Kerrie Dallman ( ’00, sociology) has been elected president of the Colorado Education Association and will serve for three years.

Joy Davidson ( ’03, modern languages) founded Joyful Transitions, LLC, in Aurora, Colo., which helps mature baby boomers and their families downsize.

Josh Fried ( ’06, aviation technology) is an air traffic control specialist for the Federal Aviation Administration in Longmont, Colo.

Troy Gamez ( ’07, technical communications) lives in Aurora, Colo., and is a graduate student in acupuncture, Chinese medicine and herbs.

Michael Giles ( ’07, system administration) is a system administrator in Centennial, Colo., for United Launch Alliance. He lives in Aurora, Colo.

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CLASS ACTS Alumni Times

Matt Gunn ( ’07, journalism) is a reporter for FundFire, a daily online publication of the Financial Times in New York City.

Hannah Ellison Hilbert ( ’05) is the author of the recently published book “Memories in Motion: Creating a Graphic Cache of Travel Moments.” She teaches English at Lakewood (Colo.) High School and holds two master’s degrees from the University of Colorado Denver.

Jantha Johnson ( ’00, criminal justice) recently graduated with a master’s in criminal justice. She received the National Collegiate Scholars Award and plans to complete her Ph.D. in criminal justice.

Marianne Monagle ( ’08, nursing and behavioral science) lives in Arvada, Colo., and recently completed a master’s in nursing education from Liberty University.

Savannah Dawn Powell ( ’09, individual degree program in social justice and international cross-cultural awareness) is a field supervisor for a study-abroad trip to Japan through the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Metro State. She works as an artist, musician and research assistant.

Andrew Tebsherani ( ’07, finance) of Santa Clarita, Calif., works in the Operations Leadership Development Program at Lockheed Martin.

Karen Terry ( ’00, behavioral science) lives in Centennial, Colo., and is director of Providers’ Resource Clearinghouse in Aurora, Colo., working with nonprofits.

David Thomas ( ’09, management) is a lieutenant with the Pleasant View Fire Department in Golden, Colo.

Matthew Dyer ( ’11, accounting) is chief financial officer for the Health Center at Auraria and lives in Denver.

Micah Maydew ( ’10) is an operations/visual merchandising manager at Fruehauf’s Patio in Boulder, Colo.

Jennifer Pokorny ( ’11, fine art) is a gallery assistant for the Metro State Center for Visual Art and lives in Westminster, Colo.

Catrice Thomas ( ’11, human services) lives in Denver and volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House.

DENNIS BRUNGARDT

COCONUT TO THE RESCUE

[

BY CARSON REED (’83)

]

Although keeping children entertained may not exactly take a superpower, any parent who has presided over a backyard birthday party can tell you it comes pretty close. For 33 years, Front Range parents have called upon Coconut the Clown to keep unruly hoards of children from overheating to the point of nuclear meltdown. Coconut, like any superhero, comes equipped with a unique costume and a variety of secret weapons— magic tricks, puppets, balloon animals—that help him engage his audience in interactive fun.

Like Superman before him, Coconut has an alter ego and a day job. During the week, he assumes the identity of Dennis Brungardt, mild-mannered program manager for the Developmental Disabilities Resource Center’s day activities center in Arvada. There, the Metro State graduate leads a staff in providing structured activities

for developmentally disabled adults, a job that draws on many of the same skills and insights as clowning.

Unlike Clark Kent, Brungardt assumes his weekend superidentity not by removing his glasses, but by putting them on. Along with his giant clown shoes and de rigueur red nose, Coconut is recognizable by his bright-red glasses with star-shaped (prescription) lenses.

Brungardt, who has bachelor’s degrees in both behavioral science and elementary education (’73 and ’75, respectively), started taking classes in 1970 following a two-year stint in the U.S. Army. He taught for several years after graduating, but discovered his inner Coconut in 1979 after attending a local clown class. These days, more and more of the parents who hire him remember him from their own birthday parties.

“I’m clowning for the children of the children I clowned for when they were little,” he says.

•

Metro Magazine llllllllllllllll SUMMER 2012

21

The Rowdy Report ///Roadrunner Sports Jonathan Morse

Michael Morse

CONNECTIONS & CAMARADERIE Men’s basketball teams score big on similarities [

Twelve is the magic Morse number: •

Michael Morse made the NCAA Tournament record book with 12 free throw attempts in a single game on March 15, 2005.

•

Jonathan Morse entered the books with 12 rebounds in a single game on March 11, 2012.

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Metro Magazine llllllllllllllll SUMMER 2012

Along with elation, Head Coach Derrick Clark must have felt a sense of déjà vu when his Metro State men’s basketball team upset the top-seeded Colorado School of Mines this past March, winning a trip to the Elite Eight and securing Metro State’s place in the record books as the winningest program in NCAA Division II history.

Rewind to 2005, the last time the Roadrunners secured an Elite Eight spot.

BY VONALDA UTTERBACK (’92)

]

“There are some almost eerie connections between the two teams,” confirms Clark.

Take the coaching staff, for example.

Clark served as assistant coach in 2005 under legendary Metro State Head Coach Mike Dunlap. Clark became head coach two years ago. The current assistant coach, Michael Bahl, was a key player on the same ’05 team.

But the coaching correlation only scratches the surface of similarities.

“It’s very interesting,” Clark says of the many connections. “The two teams were very defensive-minded, with four players on each holding a double-digit scoring average.”

coached Jonathan during his junior and senior year there. “We still play together. However, at 6 feet 8 inches, Jonathan is now the tallest, and he’s much harder to score on.”

In addition to some compelling stats (see Then and Now), Clark is quick to mention the brothers Morse. Junior Jonathan Morse, 20, has started every game for the last three years, including Clark’s first two years as head coach.

Jonathan’s older brother, Michael (’05, finance), spent three years on the roster as a forward, with Clark as assistant coach.

A similar family-type bond between the 2005 and 2012 teams is another connecting tie, according to Clark.

“Both teams had such a great camaraderie—on and off the court.

Their chemistry was off the charts.

There’s no question that this strong of a bond between players contributes to a winning team.”

Although it has been seven years, Clark remembers Michael well and speaks glowingly about both brothers. “Jonathan and Michael are superathletes,” he says. “Jonathan may well be the best four-year player with us. Both are award-winning players.”

“We’re a very close family,” says Jonathan. “We are all extremely supportive of each other.”

“I loved having Jonathan around,” recalls Michael. In fact, Michael is on the basketball coaching staff at Boulder’s Fairview High School and

METRO STATE ATHLETICS CORPORATE SPONSORS

•

MORSE CODE #3 There’s one more Morse brother with ties to Roadrunner basketball.

Joshua Morse played during the 1999-2000 school year, the year Metro State won its first NCAA Division II championship—and the only year Joshua attended Metro State. It was certainly the right year to be part of the team!

THEN AND NOW THE ROADRUNNER MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAMS OF 2005 AND 2012 BOTH MADE THE ELITE EIGHT, BUT ALSO SHARE OTHER CHARACTERISTICS:

AURARIA CAMPUS BOOKSTORE COACH AMERICA HOTEL VQ @ MILE HIGH

•

Both teams had four players who averaged 10 points or more per game,

•

Both teams had a player named All-America: Mark Worthington in 2005 and Reggie Evans in 2012,

•

Worthington and Evans led in scoring with 19.8 and 18.6 points, respectively,

•

HOLIDAY INN SELECTCHERRY CREEK

Both teams had players averaging five or more rebounds per game,

OLD CHICAGO

•

Both teams led the RMAC in turnover margin in conference games: +7.97 in 2005 and +4.50 in 2012.

AURARIA HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER BROOKLYN’S HOLIDAY INN LAKEWOOD

Metro Magazine llllllllllllllll SUMMER 2012

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Don’t Blink ///A/// Last LookLook Don’t Blink A Last Roadrunners give back Students Destinee Ortega and Erik Gallion were among the 200 Metro State community members who spent their Saturday morning on April 21 cleaning up the South Platte River and working in the campus gardens during the third annual Roadrunner Give Back Day.

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Metro Magazine llllllllllllllll Summer 2012

An MBA for Metro

StateGrads

Take the next step

FHSU Online. Quality... Value.

U.S.News & World Report, the news magazine that produces one of the most popular annual rankings of universities, released today its first-ever national rankings for online education. Fort Hays State University was among the leaders in most of the categories.

Learn on your schedule, not ours. Choose to study online, or on the Fort Hays State campus in Hays, Kansas.

Full-time or part-time... again, your choice! Same great program, same great faculty teaching relevant, up-to-date courses using the latest in user-friendly course delivery methods.

Competitive Tuition*

* Total estimated program tuition; current as of Spring 2012 ** Based on CO in-state residency; non-resident est. tuition $47,188

Your Program... Your Specialty.

One size does not fit all. That was true when you were a student at Metro State, and it’s true of MBA programs.

Choose a concentration that will help you achieve your professional goals.

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Finance General MBA Studies Health and Human Performance/ Sports Management Health Care Management Human Resource Management Information Assurance International Business Leadership Studies Management Information Systems Tourism and Hospitality Management

No Business Degree? No Problem.

The Metro State/FHSU partnership offers you a seamless transition into the MBA program.

Begin your MBA while completing the business foundation courses. You do not have to wait!

Fast Track Admissions Requirements • A bachelor’s degree in Business from Metro State College • Completion of all required admission materials • Score a 990 or above with the MBA admissions formula: 200 x undergraduate GPA + GMAT score = 990 or above

METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE OF DENVER Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

CAMPUS BOX 14 P.O. BOX 173362

PAID Permit 2965 Denver, Colo.

DENVER, CO 80217-3362

Metro State–Colorado’s college of choice ONE-FIFTH OF undergraduate Coloradans CHOOSE METRO STATE

Tell your friends and family about our academic excellence and affordable cost. Or, if you have career development needs choose from our bachelor’s, master’s and certificate programs.

www.mscd.edu