October 2014
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U e t a t S o d a r o l o C @
October 2014, Volume 2, Issue 1
Special Advertising Section created by Coloradoan Media Group Custom Publishing
OCTOBER 30, 1914
The first Homecoming was started by President Charles Lory as a banquet. According to the 1914 Rocky Mountain Collegian, the theme was “1944” where everyone dressed up like it was 1944 (or how they thought that people would dress at that time).
1932
Olympic gold medalist and Colorado State University alumna Amy Van Dyken was on the field for the coin toss at this year’s Rocky Mountain Showdown, just two months after a near-fatal ATV accident. (Photo by Dan Byers)
CSU renames street Amy Van Dyken Way BY TONY PHIFER
Amy Van Dyken-Rouen has won six Olympic gold medals – including a record four in the 1996 Summer Games. She’s been inducted into numerous halls of fame, thrown out the first pitch at a Colorado Rockies game and even been featured on a Wheaties box. But the swimming legend and proud Colorado State University Ram has never had a street named in her honor. Until now. West Drive, which stretches along the west side of the Administration Building on the south end of CSU’s historic Oval, will be renamed Amy Van Dyken Way. It will be the first campus street named for a former student. “I feel so honored, especially for a school I love so much,” Van Dyken-Rouen said. “This is probably one of the biggest things in my life. Yeah, winning six gold medals was pretty amazing, but to have a street on the campus that that you consider your home named
after you? Pretty cool. Pretty touching. “It says, I guess, that people think I’m pretty cool at a place where I think they are pretty cool.” Van Dyken-Rouen, who was named the 1993 NCAA Swimmer of the Year, is widely considered one of America’s greatest Olympians. Her performance at the 1996 Atlanta Games, when she became the first American woman to win four gold medals, is one of the finest in history. Despite two shoulder surgeries, she returned to the pool in 2000, training under CSU coach John Mattos. With just three months to prepare, Van Dyken-Rouen won two more golds in Sydney. After marrying former Denver Broncos punter Tom Rouen in 2000, Van DykenRouen built a successful career as a radio personality, both in Phoenix and nationally. All was well in her world. Everything changed in June, however, when she broke her back in an ATV ac-
cident, leaving her paralyzed. Although the accident nearly killed her – she was unresponsive when her husband first found her – she’s working hard to achieve another Olympic-sized goal: Walking again. CSU is honoring her competitive spirit and determination on Friday, Oct. 17, by having her serve as grand marshal of the annual Homecoming Parade and by creating Amy Van Dyken Way. The ceremony is set for 11 a.m. and the parade steps off at 4:30 p.m. “I admired Amy when she won her gold medals, but watching her meet this challenge has been more than inspiring – it’s taken my breath away,” CSU President Tony Frank said of Van Dyken-Rouen’s response to her injury. “Her grace, perseverance and strength are simply remarkable. She is a true champion in every sense of the word, and we’re so proud we can welcome her back to campus to honor her at this year’s Homecoming. I can’t think of a better ambassador for CSU, for the Rams – for courage.”
Finding the Home in Homecoming BY WILLIAM MAHER
This year’s theme of homecoming, 100 Years of Homecoming, emphasizes a return of Colorado State University’s alumni to their collegiate home. Amidst events aimed at reveling in the past achievements of scholars of CSU, the Associated Students of Colorado State University have partnered with other student groups on campus to celebrate the University’s current students and future leaders. While decades may divide our alumni and current student population, both groups share the unique sentiment of calling Colorado State University home. Though many students hail from around the world to study at Colorado State University, Fort Collins becomes a second
home for students during their time at CSU. For ASCSU Vice-President Lance Li Puma, “Colorado State University is the place that I have been able to grow and
EXPLORING THE VALUE OF VETERANS SYMPOSIUM Oct. 30 and 31, CSU campus, Lory Student Center A one and one-half day event beginning with keynote address, D. Wayne Robinson, President and CEO of Student Veterans of America, along with breakout sessions focusing campus, community, and career. The symposium offers the opportunity to celebrate veterans, and learn more about the value they bring to CSU and living and working communities. To register: supporting.colostate.edu/ veterans-symposium
develop into the individual I am today.” Homecoming for current students serves not only as a celebration of CSU but also as a time to invite family and friends to the University that has made such an impact in their lives. “It is a time to not only share my accomplishments, but to share the accomplishments of my school. Homecoming is about coming back to the place where I have made a home and a life for myself,” says Li Puma. For most students, Homecoming is the time when they will form some of the most salient memories of their collegiate experience; memories that they will talk about until they inevitably return to their home at Colorado State University for future Homecoming celebrations.
Dr. Richard F. Bourne, D.V.M., had the Aggie Band start performing the “Aggie Fight Song.” Dr. Bourne had recently composed the music and lyrics. That song, with updated words, is still used to this day as the “Ram Fight Song.”
1940
Until 1940, it was customary for students to wear nightshirts and pajamas during the parade.
1954
“Remember When” was chosen as the theme of Homecoming. Celebrated by the traditional lighting of the Aggie “A,” a bonfire and torch lighting, the freshman pajama parade, Homecoming dance and, of course, the football game.
1970
1970 saw a float decoration contest instead of house decorations. CSU saw its first African-American Homecoming Queen, Trudi Morrison, crowned at Hughes Stadium. Jose Feliciano was in concert.
1981
The Fort Collins community was invited to participate in the parade.
1991
Lighting of the “A” and the bonfire didn’t occur because of dry and windy weather. The 50 Year Club events first appear in the Homecoming schedule.
1916
The torchlight parade was started.
1930s
It wasn’t until the 1930s that Homecoming became a big deal for students when the Homecoming Dance and the Decoration Competition took root. The weekend festivities started with a morning assembly, then a freshmen initiation to the campus, followed later by announcement of Homecoming royalty, a parade, and an evening dance. All of this preceded the main event of the weekend, the football game!
1945
By the fall of 1945 life was beginning to return normal after World War II. Football had been resumed and Homecoming activities were scheduled for the first time in four years.
1965
Homecoming had all of the traditional events to go along with the football game versus the Utah State Aggies. Two huge bonfires on the IM Field were planned along with the letters “CSU” being lit on the foothills. They were ignited by torches carried by students who had paraded through the campus before gathering at the IM Field site.
1980
Parents Weekend was added to the festivities to generate more excitement and attendance.
1989
Homecoming royalty was reinstated under the name of Pacesetters.
2001
Festivities were somber as the country was still responding to the 9-11 attacks.
2008
To encourage more CSU student participation, the parade is moved to Friday afternoon.
2014
CSU celebrates its 100th year of Homecoming.
FORMER DEAN DOBLER HONORED BY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS The College of Business will honor its founding dean during Homecoming festivities on Saturday, Oct. 18. A conference room will be dedicated as the Dr. Donald W. Dobler Conference Room. The event is free and open to the Fort Collins community, part of the Reunion at Rockwell that begins at 11 a.m. College of Business alumni are especially welcome to attend to see old friends and enjoy light hors d’oeuvres. Please RSVP at advancing.colostate.edu/REUNIONATROCKWELL2014
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October 2014
Former cheerleader Woods recalls homecomings past BY TONY PHIFER
Unlike most Colorado State University alumni, Jan Woods gets to celebrate Homecoming every time she attends a sporting event at Moby Arena. That’s because, prominently displayed in the CSU Hall of Fame area on the south concourse, is Woods’ cheerleading uniform – circa 1957. The green corduroy dress includes an “A” emblem, symbolic of the Aggies – CSU’s mascot at the time. (CSU was known as Colorado A&M until 1959, and the school mascot was the Aggies.) “I have a lot of great memories of my days at CSU, and I made great friends when I was a cheerleader,” Woods said. “It’s kind of fun getting to see it when we (she’s married to fellow alumnus Bill Woods) go to games.” Woods, who grew up in Johnstown, was a cheerleader as a sophomore and junior (1955-56 and 1956-57). She met her future husband at the old Cloverleaf greyhound racing track in Loveland, where Bill worked exercising the dogs when he wasn’t busy with classes and ROTC duties at CSU. “Girls weren’t supposed to go to the dog track but, of course, we did anyway,” she said, giggling. “Bill told one of my friends that he wanted to take me out, and he called the next day.” Their first date was at The Rock Inn, an iconic dance club in Estes Park first opened in 1937. They fell in love and got married following her junior year at CSU. “That’s just what people did back then,” she said. The young couple soon embarked on a 25-year journey as part of Bill’s career in the U.S. Army. They lived in Germany, Virginia, Georgia, Hawaii and other spots before Bill retired as a colonel. They have been married 57 years, and have been avid supporters of CSU throughout that time.
Bill has been organizing the annual painting of the “A” behind Hughes Stadium for more than 30 years. He’s been president of the CSU Alumni Association, president of the Ram Club and president of the Rams Alumni Athletic Association, and still serves on the school’s ROTC board. Both have been advisors to their former Greek houses (Sigma Alpha Epsilon for Bill, Delta Delta Delta for Jan), and in 2009 they received the Jim and Nadine Henry Award from the Alumni Association for extraordinary service to CSU. Jan has fond memories of Homecoming, but said traditions were much different in the 1950s.
Parade Route |
“Everyone on campus was really involved,” she said. “We didn’t do parade floats – we did house decorations. Everyone worked on them, and then other houses tried to tear everyone else’s down. It was a lot of fun. And the Homecoming dance was really a big deal. “I had the best time here, and I learned a lot.” As for the cheerleading dress, she thought it was long gone until she discovered it in her mother’s closet nearly 30 years after she got married. Over the years it was used by friends as a costume and in funny fashion shows, until she donated it to the Hall of Fame last year.
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For more information visit alumni.colostate.edu.
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Lagoon Moby Arena
Other awardees include Beryl “Brownie” McGraw (’65, ’72, Education), McGraw Elementary’s namesake; Cheryl Zimlich (’86, Accounting), executive director of the Bohemian Foundation; and James R. Smith (’67, Business,’69, Economics,’71, Business Finance), owner of Smith Investments.
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The highest level award, the William E. Morgan Alumni Achievement Award, will be given to Walter Scott, Jr. (’53, Civil Engineering), from Omaha. Mr. Scott (pictured above) is the recently retired chair of Level 3 Communications, a director of Berkshire Hathaway, and a leading philanthropist, supporting many organizations, including the Omaha Zoological Society and Colorado State University.
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The Alumni Association will recognize 20 outstanding graduates and friends of the University in the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards event Oct. 16 at the Lory Student Center.
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Covered Parking Garage W. Prospect Rd.
A full list of events & details can be fou
www.homecoming.colostate.e
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October 2014
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HOMECOMING VS. SAT., OCT. 18 I 5:00 PM START AT
$22
CSURAMS.COM/TICKETS (800) 491-RAMS
The Homecoming 5K is an event for the whole family - runners and walkers of all ages. Children invited to take part in the free Kids Fun Run at 9 a.m. led by CAM the Ram. www.hes.chhs.colostate.edu/outreach/homecoming/
50 Year Club recognizes Nix BY BETH ETTER
Each year, the 50 Year Club recognizes a graduate for public service and for career achievement. The awards are presented during the annual luncheon, held on the Friday of Homecoming & Family Weekend. This year’s recipients are Karen Ostermiller (’59, Humanities) from Riverside, Calif., for the Career Achievement Award and Tom Nix (’50, Animal Tom Nix Science) from Fort Collins for the Public Service Award. A native of Boulder, Tom Nix enrolled at Colorado A&M after returning home from WWII. Upon graduation, Mr. Nix became a dairy farmer and held numerous leadership positions in the dairy industry. After 23 years of dairy farming, Mr. Nix retired
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and became a realtor in 1973. During his 30-year career, he was often the opening speaker at the yearly meeting of the Fort Collins Board of Realtors, serving as chaplain for the board, and a mentor for new realtors. Known for providing educational experiences to students of all ages, the Nix family farm was purchased by the City of Fort Collins in 1998, designating it the Nix Natural Area. A founder of the Heart of the Rockies Christian Church, Mr. Nix has developed service programs for the church and the greater community. An active member of the Lions Club and the Elks Club, Mr. Nix served in leadership positions, receiving honors for his distinguished service. He has also served on the Salvation Army Advisory Board and the Larimer County Office on Aging Advisory Council. Mr. Nix is a tremendous Ram fan, attending every football and basketball game for almost 50 years and serving in several volunteer capacities for the Department of Athletics.
Friday, October 17
Saturday, October 18
•Amy Van Dyken Way Naming Ceremony | 11 a.m. •50 Year Club Luncheon | 11:30 a.m. •Festival On the Oval | 3:30 – 6 p.m. •Homecoming Parade | 4:30 – 6 p.m. •Friday Night Lights: Bonfire, Fireworks, and Lighting of the A | 6 p.m. •RamFest2014 Homecoming Concert: Nico & Vinz with Mike Posner | 8 p.m.
•Homecoming 5K | 8 a.m. •CSU Open Houses | 10 a.m. – noon -University Center for the Arts -Avenir Museum -Campus Corps •Homecoming & Family Weekend Tailgate | 2 – 4:30 p.m. •CSU vs. Utah State Football Game | 5 p.m.
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October 2014
The CSU community gathers for the Homecoming Parade, Festival on the Oval, bonfire and fireworks every year.
Vice President of External Relations Tom Milligan Content Editor Kathy Phifer Division of External Relations
Contributing Writers: Beth Etter, Vance Sherwood, Tony Phifer, Julia Smith, Carrie Care
Copy Editor Kate Jeracki
Photography: CSU Photography, Dan Byers, Jennifer Clary Jacobs
colostate.edu
Custom Publishing President/Publisher: Kathy Jack-Romero 970.224.7885 kathyjackromero@coloradoan.com
Advertising Director: Tyler Kidd 970.224.7709 tylerkidd@coloradoan.com
UCA Theater stages bold new interpretation of The Glass Menagerie BY CARRIE CARE
Often referred to as a “memory play”, a term coined by Tennessee Williams himself to describe his characters’ loose recollection of the past, The Glass Menagerie, is the Pulitzer Prize-winning play that catapulted him to international fame. Drawn from Williams’ life, this play is a dream-like exploration of the universal themes of the elusiveness of truth, the necessity of forgiveness, and the power of memory. A bold, new interpretation of this American classic, The Glass Menagerie at CSU runs Oct. 9 through 26, Thursdays through Sundays at 7:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre at the University Center for the Arts, 1400 Remington St. Tom Wingfield, played by Noah Kaplan, is a complicated man whose memories are ultimately based on Williams’ own thoughts and experiences. He loves litera-
ture and writes poetry, but his relationship with and treatment of his family contradicts his aspirations of being something greater than himself and his circumstances. “Williams creates these incredible story arcs through the intense interactions of people and situations that just draw you in to the emotion of the story,” said Walt Jones, co-director of theatre and dance at CSU. There will be a Closing Night Artist Talk-Back with the director, cast, and creative team on Sunday, Oct. 26 immediately following the performance.
THE GLASS MENAGERIE Tickets: $8/CSU students, $8/youth (under 18), $18/ public. Tickets and information at CSUArtsTickets.com. Free Ticket Sundays: Oct. 12, 19, and 26. Sponsored by the City of Fort Collins Fort Fund. Space is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.
How we learn: From open space to cyberspace CSU’s transformation over the century BY JULIA SMITH
Homecoming & Family Weekend is supported by Alumni Association membership
As we celebrate 100 years of homecoming at Colorado State University, it made us think about just how much the learning experience of a CSU student has changed in the last century. The emergence and growth of CSU’s online courses and programs, as well as the use of technology across the university in general, have created a sharp contrast to the days of classroom instruction with merely a lecturer writing on a chalkboard. A brief snapshot of CSU, then and now: 1914
Community members and alumni are welcome to join online at www.alumni.colostate.edu
Who were CSU students? The vast majority of students hailed from Fort Collins and other towns around Colorado, with perhaps a few from other states, and the occasional international student. Where were classes held? Courses, labs, and agricultural training were held in one of just a few buildings, including the Agricultural Hall, the Hose House, and of course the Main College Building. What were students studying? Programs offered included agriculture, veterinary science, botany, mechanical engineering, civil and irrigation engineering, mathematics, history, music, and general and domestic science (which included courses ranging from zoology and physiology to canning and dressmaking). 2014 Who are CSU students now? Students come from all over the world—many of whom live thousands of miles from our Fort Collins campus and study online from places like China, Qatar, and Iran.
Where are classes held? While classes are still held in some of the same buildings as in 1914, CSU’s campus has expanded exponentially—campus as a “place of learning” could now be considered to be worldwide. With online courses, students have the option of attending class from anywhere. What are students studying? Many of the programs offered 100 years ago are still offered today, however, now many of them (including civil engineering and mechanical engineering) are offered online as well as on-campus.