Alumnus Ed Coet Publishes First Book: "SLK-Serial Killer"

In the 35 years since graduating from Metro State, Ed Coet has worked as a career counterintelligence and human intelligence officer, taught kids in an alternative school and a confinement facility, written poetry, married, had children, and, most recently, published his first book. “SLK-Serial Killer” delves into the dark past of Colorado’s most prolific serial killer. The book took more than two years to research and write, was an expensive endeavor that required a lot of travel to meet with SLK, and was time consuming and stressful.

“It had an emotional price attached to it, the extent of which I did not anticipate,” he explained. Now that it’s done, he feels relief. Unfortunately, not long after publishing the book, the stress returned when he discovered that his daughter has a very rare form of cancer (Proliferal T-Cell Lymphoma). The proceeds of “SLK-Serial Killer” will be donated to help her pay off her medical bills.

Metro State recently traded some emails with this poet and author.

Metro State: Who was your favorite professor?
Ed Coets: My favorite professor back then was Professor Reed (now deceased) in the Law Enforcement and Criminology Department. He was a very tough yet kind professor. More than anything else, he was brilliant. You couldn’t possibly make it through one of his classes without becoming a whole lot smarter. It was a privilege to have been one of his students, and I signed up for his classes whenever I had the opportunity to do so. This in no way diminishes the other professors who were also outstanding. It just that Professor Reed was, well, special.

MS: What inspired you to write this book?
EC: My writing experience previously was as a poet and short story fiction writer, and I also wrote a number of non-fiction articles.

MS: Why did you choose this topic?
EC: It was never my intent to write a true crime novel. The SLK story practically fell in my lap, and I just couldn’t ignore it. I was privy to SLK’s life history and, in some measure, to the inner workings of his unique criminal mind. This special and privileged access, coupled with my own experiences, collectively gave me the skills that I needed to undertake this project. In other words, I was well positioned to reveal, in its grand scope, this spectacular true crime story.

MS: What does this book mean to you?
EC: I view it as a “mission accomplished” endeavor. It was simply a story that had to be told. If I didn’t write it someone else, without doubt, would have. The SLK case and story is just that unique and compelling. SLK is the most prolific serial killer in Colorado history according to numerous news reports. His case is so unique in the realm of true crime that professionals and students of criminology, criminal justice, psychology, sociology and other behavioral sciences will probably study this case for many years to come.

MS: How do you feel about publishing the book?
EC: The first thing that comes to my mind is “relief.” For reasons I already noted, it was a relief to finally finish this work and get it published. It was also very satisfying to know that I could complete a project of this magnitude. My only hope now is that “SLK-Serial Killer” will be widely read and that my readers will enjoy my work. After all, I believe, writers should not write for themselves. They should instead write for the benefit and pleasure of others. Writing is an art form and if others don’t appreciate it, then it’s not good. That’s why I never judge my own work. Only the reader can decide how well I write “for them.” In the end it’s all about them – the reader. So far I have had a very good response to this book and I am deeply grateful for that.

MS: When did you find out about your daughter’s illness?
EC: When I started this writing project I had no idea that my daughter would be diagnosed with cancer and how much her medical bills would be crippling to her and her family financially. For that reason this book has taken on new meaning. I hope that it will earn enough royalties to pay down a major portion of her medical bills.

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me about this book?
EC: Metro State has a large student population in the fields of criminology, criminal justice, psychology, sociology, and related behavioral sciences. Metro State also has a huge alumni base in these disciplines. It is my hope that they will especially become aware of this book and read it. For everyone else it’s just an interesting and entertaining true crime thriller but for them, and other professionals in these disciplines, “SLK-Serial Killer,” I think, offers a lot to learn from.

To read more about the book or to purchase it, please click here.

IWSS faculty Jacqueline St. Joan publishes novel

Award- winning writer and editor, lawyer and Metro State adjunct faculty member, Jacqueline St. Joan recently published her first novel, My Sisters Made of Light. This is a fictional account of the extraordinary courage of ordinary women living in the closed society that is contemporary Pakistan. It explores the country’s myriad cultures—from the mystical Sindhis in the South to the noble Pathans in the Northwest Province, the Punjabis in the East and the Balochis of the West.

“This novel is a means for Western readers to learn about Pakistan in a broad sense and at the same time relish the story of a hero's journey, a love outside the boundaries, a travelogue of a diverse, struggling country,” St. Joan stated in a recent email. Though it started out as a non-fiction story, as St. Joan did more research on the lives of women in Pakistan the story transformed. The process took some time, with the re-writes and publicizing. However, she added, it has been worth it.

“At last this story has its own life,” she stated. “It's a cliche, but it is like raising a child who can finally find her own way in this world. People will treat her well, or they won't. She will overcome, or she won't. You can only hope that the thing itself has the stamina to survive and thrive.”

St. Joan was inspired to write the book after meeting a “remarkable” Pakistani woman, who taught in that country for 25 years and who made efforts to prevent honor crimes against her students. The woman, Dr. Tahira Khan, authored the book, Beyond Honour, and also taught classes at Metro State. Kahn commented that St. Joan did a good job blending reality with fiction, telling “stories of realities seen in Pakistani newspapers every other day.”

St. Joan is now the Public Education Chair of the Asian American Network Against Abuse of Human Rights, a non-governmental organization in the U.S. that works to support Pakistani efforts to end human rights violations. Half of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to SOIL, a grass-roots community organization in Pakistan, to pay for the construction of a safe shelter for abused women and children. Copies of My Sisters Made of Light are available at The Tattered Cover, Press53 http://www.press53.com/ and the Auraria Campus Bookstore. To read more about the book, click here.

What's Up?

Metro State Alumni Association Board President Jim Garrison discusses the board’s role at the College and why he serves. Garrison joined the board in 2005 and was elected president in September 2010. He feels it’s a rewarding experience that affords him the opportunity to “stretch” himself in new ways. The Office of Alumni Relations caught up with Garrison recently to ask him a few questions.

Metro State: How has being on the Board enriched your life?
Jim Garrison: I have had the opportunity to meet and work with many dedicated and quite capable fellow Metro alumni. I have been exposed to a different (for me) environment (higher-education) than I had been involved with prior to now. I have met a number of current Metro students and have had the benefit of learning about the experience they are having now.

MS: Why did you decide to become board president?
JG: I believed it would be a privilege to serve in this position, and felt I can help the board move forward.

MS: Why have a BOD?
JG: The Alumni Association has the obligation to meet its charge as defined in its Bylaws. The association must be managed so that this duty is met. Not only is a board of directors required by law (in order for the association to be a legally chartered not-for-profit corporation), it provides several advantages. A board enables a wide diversity of experience and knowledge that can be brought to bear on issues facing the association, and having a board raises the likelihood of continuity of activity and preservation of important historical institutional knowledge.

MS: What exactly does the Alumni BOD do?
JG: The Alumni Association board is largely advisory, but works closely with the leaders of the college as well as the board of the Foundation. The board sets policy that is designed to build value for all Metro alumni by way of benefits and programs. The board occasionally takes an official position on critical issues that could affect Metro and therefore alumni.

MS: What are some of the most relevant issues facing Metro State’s alumni and how does the Board address those issues?
JG: Increasing the engagement of alumni with other alumni and with what is going on at Metro right now. Delivering services to alumni to build the value of a Metro degree. Any of the pertinent issues with which Metro State is currently engaged also are relevant issues for the Alumni Association.

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me? (Or, are there any questions I haven’t asked that you think are important to ask?)
JG: The Metro State Alumni Association is set to soar in a new direction with a dynamic group of dedicated and talented board members along with new staff leadership. The next few years will be fun to watch!

What's up next month? In the December issue of the Roadrunner Review, we sit down with the new Alumni Relations Executive Director Mark Jastorff.

Fall Business Fair Open to Alumni - see list of employers here

Are you looking for a job? 40 employers will be attending the Metro State Fall Business Fair next Tuesday, Nov. 2, from 10:30-2:30 at the Tivoli Turnhalle. Career experts will also be on hand to answer questions for you.

There will be information on full time jobs, part time jobs and internships in Marketing, Sales, IT, Economics, Management, Accounting, Finance, General Business and more.

Employers Attending:
Alliance Data
Apex Energy Solutions
Avis Budget Group
AXA Advisors
Bureau of Land Management
CA Technologies
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
City of Pueblo
CoBank
Complete Business Systems of Colorado
Default Servicing Solutions, LLC
Denver Department of Safety
Department of Heal and Human Services
Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc.
Enterprise Holdings
Farm Credit Administration
FirstBank
General Services Administration
HSS Inc.
Intuit
JP Morgan Retirement Plan Services
Kasier Permanente
KeyBank
Lakeshore Staffing
MINES and Associates
Mutual of Omaha
National Jewish Health
Nationwide Insurance
Network Global Logistics
Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
Old Navy
Paycom
SBM
TCF National Bank
Tyler Technologies, Inc.
U. S. Marine Corps
USDA Forest Service
Wall Street On Demand Inc.
Wells Fargo Bank

Carrie Besnette, Metro State VP of Institutional Advancement, on bringing the call center in house

Metro State now houses its call center in house rather than outsourcing. This means that students talk directly with alumni & friends of the College, which makes the interactions more meaningful. The call center is already on its way to paying for itself with an 820% in cash in the door between last year and this year for the call center. On Oct. 18, the staff of Institutional Advancement challenged students to a staff vs. student call night. The students whooped the butts of the staff, raising $1950.64 to the staff's $185. In this video, VP of Institutional Advancement Carrie Besnette talks about the benefits of bringing the call center in house.

Alumni Spotlight: Thomas Letts' passion for flight

You can tell by the smile on his face when he’s flying, teaching or anywhere near airplanes, Jeppesen employee Thomas “Tom” Letts (’83, PPT) loves flying. Letts and Jeppesen President and CEO Mark Van Tine donated a flyover of Denver to be auctioned off at the Plain & Fancy Ball. We recently chatted with Letts about his life’s passion and why he continues to support Metro State.

Metro State: Why is Metro good for the community?
Thomas Letts: Metro offers something for everybody. All the professors pretty much have lived in the working community, and so when they come back to teach it’s not just been their life ambition to teach; they have actually been out in the world doing what they teach. They can offer insight that other college professors don’t have.

MS: How did Metro State prepare you for your career?
TL: Not only did I have wonderful professors, but I also made connections. The reason I got my first really good job after leaving Metro State was the person who interviewed me was in the social fraternity Alpha Eta Rho (which no longer exists). He was also a Metro graduate. The connections I made at Metro were, have been and still are life-long.

MS: Why are you so passionate about your career?
TL: Flying still has mystery to it. It still has romance to it. When people get married and go on a honey moon. They get on an airplane and fly half way across the world to some exotic place. Every time you get in an airplane there’s a little bit of giddiness. It brings out the kid in all of us. There’s mystique to it. Aviation has made the world a smaller and more global place.

MS: What was your experience at Metro like?
TL: Metro one of the top three colleges for aviation in the States, in my mind. It’s just wonderful. At Metro, I got to know each and every student in every class. I still have life-long relationships with about two dozen people I met.

MS: What are some key pieces of advice you might offer to others who might pursue a similar career?
TL: If we are passionate about what we do, the highs are always higher and the lows are never that low. If we follow our dreams, it doesn’t matter what money we make. It doesn’t matter a lot of things because we are doing what we love. If you follow your dream, you gain eight hours a day back in your life. I truly believe that.

MS: Why do you feel it is important to support events such as the Plain & Fancy Ball?
TL: Metro has basically nurtured careers that have blossomed at Jeppesen. The other thing is that there could be a time when there are not enough pilots to fill pilot positions, and everybody else who works in the aviation industry. It is very important for us to give back to the community in every way we can.

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me?
TL: Metro brings together the different generations … everybody there is on the same playing field. They are all there to learn. A lot of times the more senior students had a lot to offer as far as life learning, and for that reason we learned a lot more listening to other people talk about life experiences than we did through the book work we did.

To see more images, click here.

Discovery Flight with Jeppesen Employee Flying Association Veteran Pilot and Metro State Alumni Thomas Letts
Take to the sky for a bird’s eye view of the Front Range with veteran pilot and Metro State alumni Thomas Letts. Letts, a 1983 aerospace graduate and an aviation systems and data analyst for Jeppesen in Englewood, offers this package as an instructor with the Jeppesen Employee Flying Association. He’ll take you up in a JEFA Diamond DA-42 that features a Garmin G-1000 Glass Panel on a “Discovery Flight” from Centennial Airport. You’ll fly around Red Rocks and Golden, over Mile High Stadium, Coors and Elitch Gardens, with a quick tip of the wing to Metro State’s World Indoor Airport, before heading back for a perfect landing at the Perfect Landing restaurant at Centennial Airport for lunch with the pilot. We bet you’ll be inspired to take up flying after this experience!

NOTES: Certificate good for 6 months (Expires March 26, 2011); good for one passenger; flight must be prearranged directly with pilot; flight time and date dependent on weather and availability; preflight and flight time total is approximately 2 hours; lunch with the pilot included

Alumni Association Board & Annual Meeting update

More than 50 people attended Alumni Association Annual Meeting & Board Meeting at the PE & Events Center Lobby, Auraria Campus, on September 14. In addition to welcoming the new board members and new Board President Jim Garrison (1980, Economics), the audience also enjoyed meeting the seven new Alumni Scholars, hearing a speech from Alumni Scholar Jeremy Casey about how the scholarship has benefitted him, and, finally, a presentation from John Lay. a veteran economic development executive who’s working for Colorado for Responsible Reform. Lay discussed three bills that will slash taxes and adversely affect higher education. Read more about the fight against tax cuts by clicking here. Finally, attendees were presented with the Annual Report. To get a copy of the report, please call the Office of Alumni Relations at 303-556-8320.

To see photos from the event, click here.

Check out Jeremy Casey's engaging speech.

Alumna Linda Garrison donates $1200 Week stay at Suites at Steamboat Spring

Because she is an alum and because the Plain & Fancy Ball is one of the “major fundraising efforts for the College and Alumni Association,” Linda Garrison (’81, JRN) decided to donate a week stay at the Suites at Steamboat Springs. Metro State’s Office of Alumni Relations recently caught up with Garrison to ask her about where she is now and what she is up to.

MS: What is one of your favorite memories of your undergraduate days at Metro?
LG: For awhile I was a music major until I discovered that music theory was just not for me, so many of those memories have to do with music. For instance, singing in the Madrigals in costume; performing a Schubert mass at Immaculate Conception cathedral conducted by Vernon Moody and trying not to choke because I’d just taken a deep breath to sing and inhaled incense; discovering Brahms by singing his Liebeslieder Walzes; listening to Dr. Susan Cable blow everyone away with her performance of Chopin’s Barcarolle. As a journalism major, any class I had with Greg Pearson; and I have very fond memories of my children’s lit class with Ed Low.

MS: Where has your path taken you from graduation day until now (major milestones)?
LS: As a journalism major, I anticipated always working as a writer, which I did for years. I worked for several community newspapers and later edited some magazines. What I didn’t anticipate was my second career in media relations, or my third in fundraising. Nor did I anticipate that about a year after graduating from Metro, I would move to Southern California in order to get a job. I ended up having a great public relations career out there, won some awards and was accredited by my professional society. I also gave birth to two of my three children before coming back to Colorado in the late 1980s. Then, when my kids were small, I was able to freelance and eventually got into grant writing for nonprofits, which led me into my career as a fundraiser. Most recently, I was vice president of a consulting firm in Denver which specialized in assisting nonprofits throughout the West with major gift and capital campaigns.

MS: What brought you back to Metro State?
LG: My former boss decided to close the firm and go into semi-retirement, so the office closed in January 2010. I’d been looking for a job already, and heard about a position at Metro State’s development office that seemed to fit very well with my background and experience. I applied, and when I was offered the position, I was very excited. It feels as if I’ve gone full circle to come back to the place which really launched me professionally and gave me the opportunity to achieve a baccalaureate degree.

MS: Why did you donate to the Plain & Fancy Ball?
LG: I believe in giving back, and so it was natural to do something for Metro State, which has done so much for me.

MS: Why is this event important to the community?
For one thing, it’s not your usual old black tie gala. It’s fun, it’s lighthearted and most of all, it does a tremendous amount of good in terms of raising much-needed funds for scholarships and various programs throughout Metro State. Anything that benefits Metro State automatically benefits the community. A lot of people don’t know that Metro State educates more undergraduates than any other college or university in Colorado. That’s really significant, especially when you consider how many of these people enter the workforce as skilled professionals. Also, I know that even though Metro State is very affordable, for many of us, it was still a stretch to get the needed funds to pay tuition, books, fees and the likes. I had student loans, a Pell grant, worked work-study and two other jobs. My student loans took almost 10 years to pay off. How much better would it be for a student to graduate without that debt burden because of scholarships. Some people mistakenly think that a place like Metro State doesn’t need to raise private money, but consider that Colorado ranks 48 out of the 50 states in terms of financing education AND Metro State receives less funding than any other state college or university. So raising money is incredibly important.

Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me?
Any suggestions about what to wear to the Plain & Fancy Ball?

This year's 2010-2011 Alumni Scholarship Recipients are...

This year's Alumni Scholars...

Jeremy Casey – Jie (pronounced “J”) is an Integrative Therapeutic Practices major with a Pre-Health minor. After graduation his plans are to attend medical school to pursue a dual degree in osteopathy and public health.


Alejandra Coria Espino - is a Social Work major. She plans on becoming a Social Worker to make our communities better for our youth to grow and develop.

John Friedkin - is a Psychology major with a minor in Elementary Education. After graduation he plans on teaching in Denver Public Schools.

Natalie Gray - is a Teacher Licensure major and plans to become an elementary school teacher. He plans on teaching, learning and leading through example.

Lisa Mallie - is an Individualized Degree Program major obtaining a degree in Nonprofit administration. She will use her degree to manage the nonprofit she founded called “For The Love of Grace”.

Gena Meyer – is a Special Education/ Elementary education
major who wants to help children reach their greatest potential at
succeeding in life.

Shawn Taylor – is an Art major with an emphasis in sculpture and a minor in Art History. After graduation he plans to become an architect and to work in higher education building the best educational facilities.

Lisa Waechter - is a candidate for Teacher Licensure in the area of Special Education. She will use her degree to not only teach but to continue to lift up those who may not be fully embraced by our society.

Suzan Dee: one of the many Metro State Alums to donate auction items for Plain & Fancy Ball

After spending nearly 20 years raising her children and substitute teaching, Suzan Dee (’90, elementary ed.) has branched out into a totally new career, running the Waxing Moon Massage and Skincare Spa with business partner Nancy Barnes, a Licensed Aesthetician. Dee, who specializes in massage, received her training at the Crestone Healing Arts Center, just north of Alamosa, Colo. Dee is passionate about her new career.

“I love helping people feel better,” she says. “Our bodies can heal themselves. We just have to slow down and remember that.” Dee doesn’t just rub her client’s muscles either. She works on helping people balance their entire systems, including helping them release emotional stress they might hold in their muscles.

“Our muscles hold memory,” she explains. “It takes a lot of energy to hold onto that stuff. When I work on people, I help them let that go.”

Dee also feels strongly about giving back to the community, which is why she has donated two 70-minute massages to be auctioned off at the Plain & Fancy Ball on Saturday, September 25. “Metro State was a huge part of my life,” she says. “I really appreciate the education I received. I’m happy to donate my services.”

You can reach Suzan at Suzan_Dee@hotmail.com or 970-470-3921. Her spa is located in the Holiday Inn, Stapleton, 3333 Qubec Street, Denver, CO 80207.

Plain & Fancy Ball Auction Item feature: "A Dining Six-Pack"

We have brought in more than 170 items for the silent and live auctions for the Plain & Fancy Ball, many of which were donated by alumni. I'll be featuring a half dozen of these alumni over the next two weeks. Other generous donors include various Metro State College of Denver departments. This is one of my favorites: A Dining Six-Pack

6 guests, 6 courses, 6 wines, 6 o'clock
A 6-course dinner prepared in your home by the students and faculty members of the Hotel, Tourism and Event Management Department. This item includes all food, labor, china, glassware and silverware. The estimated value is $850.00, and this is what it includes:

First Course: Assorted bouches, goat cheese with smoked salmon and boursin cheese with carmelized onions and balsamic reduction. Prosecco Sparkling Wine.

Second Course: Shrimp Madagascar--Shrimp sauteed in butter and olive oil, flamed in Pernod, topped with whipping cream, and finished with tomato concasse and minched chives. Pinot Grigio.

Third Course: Plated Ceasar salad with garlic-anchovy vinaigrette, parmesan cheese and croutons. Sauvignon blanc.


Fourth Course: Steak Oscar--seared tenderloin steak, topped with crab, asparagus and Bearnaise sauce and roasted fingerling potatoes dredged in salt, pepper and garlic. Malbec.

Fifth Course: Tabaleside bananas foster, served over vanilla bean ice cream.

Sixth Course: Stilton Blue cheese, toasted almonds

Metro State Office of Career Services: Fall 2010 Business Fair

Date: Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Location: Tivoli Student Union at Auraria Campus; Room: Turnhalle

Please help us get the word out to students about this wonderful and important networking opportunity.

The Fall Business Fair is geared to Business majors in all years of school. It highlights full time jobs, part time jobs and internships in Marketing, Sales, IT, Economics, Management, Accounting, Finance and General Business.

Ideally students will have resumes available to distribute to employers, and they will be dressed professionally at the event. We anticipate that approximately 30 companies will be represented and they are all looking to hire Metro State students who are interested in a business-related career.

If you are a faculty member and this event is during your class time, we welcome you to bring them to the fair as a class. We would also love to come into your classroom to inform students about the fair and/or present on a variety of career-related topics including resume writing, interviewing skills, etc.

Metro State Office of Career Services
303-556-3664
Tivoli 215
www.mscd.edu/~career

Final MERGE profile: Dave Seiler

Dave Seiler’s ('95, art) work is primarily about the human condition, from an interactive point of view, he says. “I tend to construct my work to appear old and from another time to show a history as a way to get the viewer to realize that the history that came before them is still valid and the everyday ‘things’ they use day to day had an object or mechanism that preceded it and was just as valid as what they are using today.”

Metro State: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it?
Dave Seiler: My latest body of work revolves around pre-cinema, the time before motion pictures, moving pictures. I have been interested in machines since childhood and mostly interested in old films and the machines that brought them to life.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
DS: To build your own tools and idea's along with the thought to do "everything because Piccaso did, so why shouldn't you?"

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
DS: Since graduation my work has become more interactive. This was a result from my day job as a security guard in a museum, where it was my job tell inform and keep them from physically interacting with the art work. Later I came to believe in the integral importance of having the viewer touch and to "play" with the art as a way for the viewer to gain greater insight into to the artist was expressing.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE?
DS: The piece's that I had submitted to Merge were the newest piece's on my bench or have never been seen out of the studio before, such as the case with the piece chosen for the Merge show.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
DS: I think its an awesome, this is a very beautiful space and am very pleased to see that Metro State and CVA finally have a place to call their own.

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me?
DS: The use of machines and or the mechanical movements in my work are about the human. All of those early machines and movements are based on how and the way humans move. I think most if not all artist's either reference or use the human body in their work, the work that I am producing is just my expression of that idea.

To see more of Seiler’s work, visit his Web site.

Last week of MERGE Alumni Exhibition! Read about featured artist Merlin Madrid

Denver-raised Merlin V. Madrid says: “Art-making, which is essentially a solitary act, allows me to tell stories, reclaim memories, secrets, and enthusiasms and sometimes disappointments. It embodies a process for me, which is both personal and ancestral. My art happens as a result of this process and in the end it is a vehicle for learning.” Equipped with a BA from Metro State and an MFA from the University of Colorado, Madrid teaches photography and has been doing so for a decade. She hopes to one day become a full-time professor.

Metro State: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it?
Merlin Madrid: I am currently working on sepia-toned silver print images. This personal visual narrative is an on-going exchange with my family roots in the San Luis Valley of Colorado and in particular, the memory of the teachings passed on by my ancestors. The image suggests the unveiling of both present day reality and ancestral knowledge as they relate to Chicano culture. It is a photographic arrangement of objects that deals with traditional shrine-making and the communication between realities. It is a search for a spiritual answer to complex questions.

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.
MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
MM: When I was a student I was expected to develop a subject matter and a language characteristic of my own enterprise. I was encouraged to begin to develop a visual shorthand; and it was impressed upon me the importance of photographing habitually. And I took these lessons and made them part my art making practice. I also have handed down these lesson to my own students. I require my students to reinforce their chosen concept by tapping resources such as literature, history, ethnicity and culture, personal histories, memories and dreams. The hope is that the student starts to acquire and develop his or her own imaginative powers and begins to understand his or her art in a worldly historical context. Ultimately I encourage my students to be true to (honor and trust) their own individual experiences, and to see that their efforts are their successes.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
MM: When I first began photographing, I would try to take photos of the things I would see. Today my work is more of a process of communicating thoughts, ideas and events and my work is more about processing and arranging object symbols to represent ideas. My work is less about finding pictures to take and more about taking pictures I make.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE?
MM: I submitted the pieces I did because I wanted this body of work to be seen together.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
MM: The new space is great and it will be wonderful to be represented in this show.

MS: Is there anything I’m not asking you that you want to share with me?
MM: Luna Dreams I, is the image that was selected for the merge show. This image is a topographic portrait of a family member and the map embedded in the figure is of southern Colorado. The use of the moon represents the thoughts, dreams, or ideas in our head. This image is just one print from a much larger body of work, which is expanding and transforming in time. The whole body of work is meant to be a conversation with the viewer and each image is a fragment of that exchange.

Last week to catch MERGE Alumni Exhibition! Read about artist Claudia Roulier

Claudia Roulier is a collector. “I collect things,” she says. “Old things, found things, used things, odd things, creepy things, and unloved things. I collect pictures and ideas some which appeal to my darker cynical side, and use all of these collections in my work.” Roulier has shown her work through Denver, and recently had a show in New Mexico. She makes it a point to be in at least one show per month, though usually more, and they are typically juried, though sometimes she is invited. She was most recently in the Cherry Creek Art Festival. Metro State caught up with Roulier recently to ask her a few questions about her MERGE 2010 Alumni Exhibition submission and various other things.

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.
Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Claudia Roulier: My art runs the gambit from whimsical to whimsy with an edge which tip toes into the realm of shadows and nightmares. My assemblages are definitely more sinister than the paintings. I love using found objects and vintage photos. The sizes vary from tiny tins all the way up to full sized beasts. With my paintings I specialize in using many collage layers, incorporating vintage paper, photos and sometimes objects. Because I use many different mediums, pencil, acrylic paint, oil pastels, vintage paper and photo transfers I finish them with a resin coating. If I would have taken a different course in school I probably would be called an illustrator today.

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
CR: I am, first most and always inspired by images and juxtopostioning of images and ideas in both the assemblage work and my paintings. I have always been image oriented and that's how I work. I like putting odd things together in such a way that they look almost married. I look through old photos that I collect and image searches on the net to get the bones of what I want to do.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
CR: I was an older student and very involved with creating at the time, I wanted to be there and took it seriously. I soaked up everything that I could. I was heavily influenced by Barbara Houghton, my photo teacher who pushed us to explore images and the creating of them in many alternative ways. I still have that love of images and experimentation. Craig Marshall Smith instilled craftsmanship and a love for tiny details, which remind me of dessert, it just finishes off the meal to perfection. I was scared to death to come to a critique unprepared and with an uninspiring project that carries over to now. Rodger Lang was my ceramic teacher. I absolutely adored him and worked very hard in the area of ceramic sculpture and that carries over in my work today, although I don't always work in clay. But I'll always remember form and function.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
CR: I think I was a pretty good student and I am just now getting back to the level I was at in school. I never painted in school, so that was intimidating and to this day I consider myself a drawer not a painter I simply use paint as a tool, but a tool I can't live without! I have always been drawn to the things that populate side shows, horror movies and nightmares. Some of that is tamed by some of the more whimsical stuff I do, but it's there, still.

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
CR: I actually submitted my three latest works by design I wanted my freshest most recent work. Only one got in but that's okay with me!

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State's new CVA facility?
CR: I love this new facility and it's right across the street from a co-op, Core New Art Space, that I belong to. It's just great to have something like this on the strip. It's a great place to show and it has a lot of credibility, the remodel is absolutely stunning.

To see Roulier’s work, visit her Web site.

MERGE Alumni Exhibition Featured Artist: Kyle Wimmer

Whether he’s teaching kids or creating a work of art Kyle Wimmer finds passion in all that he does. According to a fellow teacher Jean Schneider, “Kyle encourages more critical thinking and expression than any language arts class and inspires more creativity than in any course we offer in middle school.” The Office of Alumni Relations recently interviewed Wimmer about his work.

MS: What is your latest work like, and in what ways does it inspire you?
KW: I would consider my art in search of the "new." I try to create art that progresses art and also challenges the viewer to become emotionally charged; to have them think about what they are looking at.

My most recent works are inspired by Olafur Eliasson, Tara Donovan and Gabriel Orozco. I have drifted away from painting in the past couple of years. I am inspired by artists that push the boundaries of art.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
KW: I have David Clark, Sandy Jones (RIP), and Craig Marshall Smith vividly stuck in my head as influential people for my work—all for very different reasons. But most notably in my style, especially considering the piece entered, it is obvious I like Smith's work. David influenced me with his calm demeanor and Sandy with her passion and faith.

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
KW: As I mentioned, I have drifted away from drawing and painting and I am working on my master’s of arts in liberal studies with concentration on visual art and design at DU, so I am definitely more contemporary now than I have ever been.

MS: Why did you submit this particular piece for MERGE?
KW: I submitted the piece I did because it is fairly recent, but also because of the direct tie to the Craig Marshall Smith style and i thought the show would be a perfect way to display it.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro Stateís new CVA facility?
KW: I don't make art as much as I would like. I am a teacher, a father of three, a husband and a coach, so I don't try to get my work into galleries etc. When I found out about the show and when I got in, I was ecstatic! It was one of the proudest moments in my art career.

MS: Is there anything Iím not asking you that you want to share with me?
KW: I was awarded “Outstanding Rookie Art Educator of the Year” by the Colorado Art Education Association.

MERGE featured artist video profile: Carolin Rutsche

Where are they now? Faculty profile: Howie Flomberg

When Howie Flomberg (’74, CMS) finally got out of Vietnam in the late ‘60s, he attended Queens College, NY. Despite its reputation as a liberal school, Flomberg was immediately identified as a Vietnam vet and subsequently vilified by both faculty and students. Disheartened, he and his wife bailed from the East Coast and drove their ’69 Oldsmobile to Denver to start over.

“My first day I was in the old Fox building, taking the elevator to the second floor, and the door opened and a guy rode past me on a unicycle,” he says. “Nobody took a second look.” What Flomberg discovered was that he blended into the crowd as well. Being a veteran didn’t matter.

“And that’s exactly what I wanted,” he says. “I wanted to fit in.” Flomberg found other vets and “worked hard, studied hard, and drank hard at the White Mule,” he adds with a smile.

Post graduation he moved briefly to Los Angeles, but hated it, and so moved back to Colorado to continue as a computer programmer. In 1978, he started as an adjunct faculty member at Metro State and “fell in love with being in front of a classroom,” he says. “I just really enjoyed the give and take, and the challenges. Getting challenged directly by the students is a ball.”

Flomberg honed his teaching skills by developing an interactive teaching style. “I encouraged students to disagree with me. As long as we treated each other with respect, I could learn from them and they from me. College should be about exchanging opinions and everybody growing.” As well, he adds, classes should be used for service learning. Flomberg was one of the first professors to use his classes this way.

Using his contacts in the business community, Flomberg would divide students into teams of four or five people and have them deal with real issues faced by these businesses. “It gave students real work with real organizations, and it got them out of the classroom,” he says. The programs were very successful, he adds.

According to Ken Keller, former Socio-Anthropology chair and dean for Metro State, “Howie was an effective teacher. I knew from comments that students made to me that they liked his teaching and his willingness to be available for advising.”

However, all good things must come to an end. Flomberg just recently retired from teaching because of health issues. However, he continues to pursue intellectual endeavors. He is now writing five 100-page books about various things, including the decision theory and the history of the American dream.

“When they are all written, I’ll have a 500-page book,” he explains. “At that point I can start looking for a traditional publisher.” Flomberg’s current published works include a guide on software that is used in statistics, which was published by Metro State. He also wrote the curriculum and taught a “Management 4000” class on management decision theory that was subsequently picked up by the California State College system.

“I really enjoy writing,” Flomberg says. “I get into that zone.”
Flomberg also stays involved with Metro State and is currently working with a 45th Anniversary committee that is gathering and publishing historical documents and gathering information on former faculty and staff members. “It’s fun,” he says. “My philosophy now is if it’s not fun, I don’t do it.”

“My defense against Alzheimer’s, is using my mind,” he says with a laugh. “Life is an adventure. I’ve done everything from [wandering] the streets of Brooklyn a youth with no supervision to crawling through interesting places in Southeast Asia. I’ve been in and out and up and down. My opinion is, ‘go for it.’ Don’t let anything hold you back if it’s something you want to do. That’s what I tell my students.” And that’s how he continues to live his life.

“Howie is full of energy,” Keller adds. “And he has always been very committed to students.”

Office of Career Services to Offer Alumni Job Support Group

For four weeks, starting on October 7 at 9a.m. in the Office of Career Services, Tivoli Room 215, will facilitate an alumni Job Search Support Group. The group will meet for four successive weeks and will focus on the information and skills needed to conduct a successful job search. For more information, please contact Senior Career Counselor Judy White at the Office of Career Services at 303-556-3664.

MERGE 2010 Alumni Exhibition featured artist, Carolin Rutsche

Influenced by Lyonel Feininger, Carolin Rutsche (’09, art) creates her work from her surroundings, including the architectural details of buildings in her proximity, interesting negative spaces, and colors. A professional artist, she has shown here work at the Denver International Airport, the Core New Art Space in Denver's Santa Fe Art District and other local art galleries. She finds inspiration for her paintings through her travels.

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.
Metro State: How would you characterize your art?
Carolin Rutsche: Urban Abstract Contemporary Precisionism (Cubist Realism) paintings in oil and watercolor

MS: Tell me about your latest work and why you are inspired by it.
CR: My current work is narrative in quality and depicts places of transportation of my past in Berlin, Germany. Locations I regularly travelled to represent starting points, crossing points and destinations. The paintings reveal images from memory, the train and subway stations of Berlin that were once part of my daily life … I see through a geometrical lens in which the picture plane is broken up by dividing lines and shapes similar to the precisionist style.

MS: In what ways did your Metro State professors influence your work?
CR: They influenced my work immensely. Amy Metier has always pushed me to go beyond of what I thought I could accomplish. She was a constant inspiration in all aspects of [my life as an artist], instilling an incredible work ethic and having an abundance of knowledge and wisdom to give. Anna Kaye’s knowledge and power of teaching was equally impressive, as well as Linda Sanchez’ infectious love and enthusiasm for art history that got me thinking of a double major. So many professors had so much to give. [There is] not enough time and space to list them all. They were great!

MS: How has your work evolved since you graduated?
CR: It is still evolving. Just shy of my graduating semester, I finally found myself as an artist and I am still “refining myself” and am enjoying the process very much!

MS: Tell me why you submitted the pieces that you did for MERGE.
CR: It is a piece from my “Transit Memories II” series. It represents my current body of work very well.

MS: How do you feel about this opportunity to present your work for Metro State’s new CVA facility?
CR: It is exciting! Metro has found a new permanent home in the Santa Fe Arts district and I am honored to be able to be a part of a great group of alumni for this exhibition to celebrate its last 20 years and a new beginning.
For more information, visit Rutsche’s website. www.CRutsche.com