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Top o' the World, 103 University Drive, Gunnison, CO (2025)

10/24/2022

I’m totally unaccustomed to rain. I was born in Arizona and grew up in Colorado, so I’ve lived almost all of my life in places that are technically deserts.

So when I moved to Bilbao, Spain to study abroad, I was awestruck by the conversance people who live in the city have with liquid precipitation.

When it rains, Bilbainos perform a well-rehearsed choreography, and there’s one essential prop: umbrellas.

Collective lifelong training in how to avoid dripping runoff on one another's shoulders melds into a flawless dance in the streets, and people seem to magically know how to move their umbrellas around others’ in three dimensions.

On Thursday nights, I interrupted that delicate choreography in order for the professors of the language center at the University of Deusto to kick my butt at traditional Basque dance.

While we dripped sweat, they taught our group of international students how to count and say left and right in Euskera (also known as Basque).

After class, they taught us the best places to grab a caña (half-pint) of beer near the university, where they then offered us life advice.

Before I studied abroad, I had never left the United States. When I told one of the professors that fact, she asked if I knew anyone in my program, and if I was nervous when I arrived. I admitted that I didn’t know anyone, and I was equally enchanted and terrified.

She laughed but insisted, “You can only really travel when you’re alone. If you’re with people you know, you’re not challenging yourself, and it’s [really] a vacation.” She was right.

Back at Western, I study Spanish and recreation and outdoor education (ROE). Spanish is my dad’s first language, but I didn’t grow up bilingual, so I always knew that I wanted to study the language and that I wanted to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country to become more proficient.

During the 2021-2022 academic year, I studied abroad in Bilbao in the Spanish Basque Country with one of Western’s affiliate study-abroad providers: International Studies Abroad (ISA).

Read the full feature from Kira Cordova about her study abroad experience in Spain, and WWOOFing in Europe, via our bio link!

10/24/2022

“Going abroad is a great opportunity — not only to just travel, learn, and grow as a person — but it can also give you a leg up in your field,” says Hannah Mae Gigstad, Western’s new coordinator for study away programs, and a graduate student in Western’s High Altitude Exercise Physiology (HAEP) program.

Gigstad notes that many students who were intending to study abroad these last two and a half years were sadly unable to do so.

“We didn’t even host study abroad fairs for quite a while — the last time we had one was in 2019,” says Gigstad. “This year there has been a massive ramp-up [in study away program interest]. Everyone is very excited to be able to travel again.”

Gigstad is particularly high on study abroad options for students who are interested in learning —or solidifying — their knowledge of a foreign language, though she notes that knowing a foreign language is not a barrier to entry for many programs.

“Living and immersing yourself in [a given] culture is what really makes you fluent,” says Gigstad, who is proficient in Spanish, which she minored in at Western.

Most of Western’s study away options are facilitated through affiliate provider organizations, which in turn handle the bulk of the logistics and programming.

“They are the companies in charge of shaping the experience for students,” says Gigstad, who notes that providers are once again offering a full slate of programs.

She adds that different provider organizations can vary widely with regards to scheduling, cost, course offerings, the flexibility of student itineraries, and a slew of other factors. It's her job to help students sort through the array of programs and ultimately, to make the best decision for themselves.

Westerns’ wide variety of academic travel options contributed to its listing in a March 2021 blog post on lendedu, where the Mountaineers came in ranked at #27.

Jeff Gitlen writes in that post: “What makes [WCU] unique is its link with numerous affiliate study abroad providers, which allows students to access academic opportunities all over the world.”

Read the rest on topotheworld.org!

Photos courtesy of Hannah Mae Gigstad.

10/10/2022

Top’s editor Brian Wagenaar had the chance to talk with Kim Ribich, a Crested Butte resident who owns her own consulting firm, Kim Ribich Consulting LLC, that focuses on career and life coaching.

Ribich served as the director of career success for Western’s Business program in the spring of 2021, and will now be assisting Western students with all their career and job-related needs on an appointment basis while the school seeks out a new director of career services.

Ribich works out of The Trailhead in the University Center on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Here’s an excerpt of that conversation:

Brian Wagenaar: When should students go to you for help? What questions can you help them answer?

Kim Ribich: I love to meet with students early on, but I know it's tough for first-year students because there is a lot being thrown at them. At that point, [freshmen] can come to me and talk about interests and passions, as well as things they did in high school, to just start to get a sense of what they would like to do next, and how different majors can influence careers.

Then the last thing is helping them get plugged in on campus and in the community, even just volunteering on-campus or with a local nonprofit. Those experiences can be résumé builders right from the start.

The second year is really committing to a direction and getting a sense for where that may take them. We have a number of resources on campus for students to do that — Handshake is a big one — where students can connect with opportunities at events and career fairs.

Junior year is where we really start to get serious, shaping up that résumé and putting those experiences together into what I call a “career marketing campaign.” We also get them familiar with LinkedIn, because that truly is their transition from their college community to their professional community.

The fourth year is about activating all these various pieces and polishing their messaging and how they present themselves [to employers]. Also, it’s just reevaluating: Is this still the direction I want to go in?

I do see this process as an evolution throughout the career, and sometimes even after that, too.

10/09/2022

We hope you had a great Homecoming weekend, Mountaineers!

Enjoy a few shots from the festivities.

📷: Matilda Sleider

09/22/2022

Happy First Day of Fall! While the Aspen leaves are changing outside, it is a perfect time to enjoy “Leaves” by Kira Cordova.

Despite the haltingly unbalanced heat,
crinkled paper lunch bag oak leaves retreat
under benches, where the sidewalks deplete
deciduous umbrellas. My shoes meet
miniature carbon mountain ranges, neatly scattered, waiting breathlessly discrete,
for a childish human gust to unseat
then suddenly from the scalding concrete,
so I dance through the leaves like a little kid!

09/15/2022

A poem from Emma Omid entitled "Finally":

To all those people
Who have been praising the heat
Laying in the sun
Thinking summer is neat
I say
Finally!
Finally the leaves are turning colors
And the wind has a nip
That reminds you to pick
Between a treat or a trick
And the crunch under your tires
Makes you smile, not frown
And the crackling from a fire
Can finally replace the hum
Your AC has drilled in your head
Making you feel kind of glum
And don’t forget the blankets
Or the hot chocolate or the Who’s
Because by golly
I’m ready for those warm little shoes
To come pattering by
My crystallized window
So I look at the walls
Surrounded by summer
I put up some leaves, some turkeys,
Get you ready for some
Num-num-nummers
Because here comes the candy, the pie,
The striped little canes
Here comes the warmth found only in winter
The light found only in fall
Finally!
Here comes a few of the colder months,
They are the best ones of all.

09/14/2022

“If you’re familiar with Doctors Without Borders, it’s a very similar program,” says Joshua Clyncke, the president of Mountaineers Without Borders (MWB) — a new campus club focused on tackling real world engineering problems at an international scale.

“You take a community in another country that needs help solving some kind of problem — and you come up with an idea and a plan. At the end, you travel to the [selected] country and implement the solution,” he explains.

Clyncke has begun forging a partnership with a Colombia-based organization called Diversa.

Currently, MWB is in the exploratory phase — searching for a local Colombian community to partner with — and an associated real world problem they will hopefully meet with a material solution.

“That part is all done virtually, between the members of the community in Colombia, and us here at Western,” notes Clyncke. “The first semester is heavy on community outreach — it’s finding the community and connecting with them to fully understand their problem.”

Once the basic idea is established, Western students will work during the academic year to design prototypes for their selected project, under the leadership of Dr. Lauren Cooper, a University of Colorado professor teaching mechanical engineering at the Rady School of Computer Science and Engineering.

"It’s always been a goal of mine to create a club such as this one. A turning point for me in
engineering, when I was a student, was getting to do projects in developing countries," says Cooper.

Once MWB has formulated a plan, the students will decamp to Colombia for two weeks to implement the project.

“They put a large emphasis on teaching. It’s not just us going down and building something. It’s us going down there and trying to build a knowledge set and a skillset to that community,” relays Clyncke, who recruiting new students to expand the Mountaineers Without Borders team.

“The actual physical building of the deliverable is a very small part of the year-long project,” he notes. “So, we’re looking for more than just engineers.”

You can reach Clyncke to discuss interest in joining MWB at [email protected]

📷:

09/14/2022

Most non-wildlife professionals have never seen a wolverine, let alone a depiction of one, apart from the Marvel character or (in Gunnison) the logo of the local hockey team. Yet, the species’ champions have drawn encouragement from the passing of the wolf initiative, and have revitalized plans drawn up more than a decade ago.

I myself became acquainted with the wolverine only a few years ago, and solely through others’ images and accounts.

Even dedicated researchers are more likely to “encounter” individuals through snow tracks and motion-triggered cameras than to actually see or handle a wolverine themselves.

I had been reading literature focused on Canada lynx, and realized that many lynx researchers seemed to be just as interested in wolverines.

This made sense as the two species similarly thrive in high-elevation forests, are well adapted to traveling through deep snow and, at least as of a few decades ago, had similar population numbers in Colorado and the continental U.S.

That is, until an extensive effort was carried out from the late 90’s-early 00’s to reintroduce lynx to Colorado. The program is now considered successful, with all benchmarks for success met by 2010, around the same time plans for wolverine reintroduction were first developed.

The initial stages of lynx reintroduction were heavily criticized, however, and the program was even temporarily suspended after some of the first individuals released had starved to death.

While the lynx reintroduction program was modified — notably to include an “incubation” period to ensure cats bred for release could survive in the wild, many of the early concerns with that effort could be raised with wolverines as well.

Wolverines require habitat that has already been greatly disturbed, through development at a small scale to climate change at a larger-scale, in ecosystems which will continue to diminish as snow melts and forests burn.

Does it make sense to aid them in recovery when the resources required by this species, adapted to deep snow and dense forests, are disappearing and signs point to worsening conditions?

Read .l.king on wolverine introduction in full at topotheworld.org!

09/08/2022

Some shots from yesterday's Taste of Western event, which featured dozens of student clubs and organizations.

🍦🚣‍♂️🎓

Welcome back Western!

📷: .sleider

09/02/2022

Applications for the Geiman Senior Fellow Program (GSF) are now open, and will close on Sept. 14.

All Western students with sophomore status and up — and with at least two semesters of schooling remaining as of last spring — are eligible to apply, regardless of major.

“The mission of the Geiman Fellows program is to develop leaders capable of excelling in today’s marketplace and being productive members of our global society,” reads the Geiman Fellow’s website.

Dave Geiman, a businessman and philanthropist, started the Geiman Fellows program back in 2016 with the goal of developing the next generation of international leaders.

This year, the senior fellowship course (Education 497) will be held in March and April on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The course consists of a service learning project, a series of readings around international topics, and a month-long trip to mark the fellowship’s conclusion.

One past service learning project included a hefty contribution to the launch of the EPIC (Experienced Peers Initiating Connection) Mentors program — a holistic mentoring program for freshmen — during the 2019-20 academic year.

Fellows crafted the plans for the program — presenting the plan to the Board of Trustees and obtaining programmatic approval.

Throughout the fellowship, selected students develop skills in decision-making, leadership, public speaking, and emotional intelligence.

2023's course will delve into topics of democracy and citizenship, while incorporating elements of service learning by taking on a service project of their choosing.

This year’s trip itinerary will take fellows to Harlaxton, the study abroad center for the University of Evansville in Grantham, England. Fellows will then go on to visit London and conclude their international travel with a stay at a chateau in Paris.

The trip's main costs, incuding Harlaxton courses, are paid for by Mr. Geiman. Students will only be responsible for covering the cost of airfare and the associated Western academic credit.

08/30/2022

Opinion: The fundamental nature of college education is changing rapidly — and that transformation extends to the demographics of the students themselves.

Of the more than 19 million students enrolled in collegiate education programs (a number that also encompasses graduate programs) in the U.S., only about 40 percent of them fall into the “traditional” 18-to-20 year old age bracket.

The last decade has seen the number of students enrolled in college decline, down from a high of more than 21 million in 2010. In Colorado, total enrollment across all institutions is down about 2 percent since 2010, even as the state’s population has swelled by more than 600,000 people.

This reversal of a longstanding upward trend in enrollment is not universal. College attendance among Hispanic and Latino populations is up 48 percent since 2010, with more than 80 percent of Hispanic students opting to attend public institutions.

Nearly 20 percent of all college students identify as Hispanic or Latino in 2022. Enrollment among Asian American students is also up — by more than 20 percent since 2010. Over that same timeframe, White student populations have declined.

Examining these numbers, it is clear that enticing Hispanic and Asian students to attend Western will be crucial to ensuring a strong future for the institution. Continued investments in the Multicultural Center (MCC) — which hosts events from different global cultures, and provides a welcoming environment for all students — can go a long way.

Additionally, Western should look to hire on staff and faculty that foster diversity in the classroom, and across campus more broadly. This can and should include Residence Directors and Residence Life staff, but also professors across the school’s departments — and others in student support roles.

However, it's also important to acknowledge that Western will be fighting an uphill battle to attract a diverse pool of students to a small town on the western slope where more than 85 percent of the population identifies as White.

If Western is to grow its share of diverse students, change must come from the top.

Continued on topotheworld.org

Article: Brian Wagenaar

08/29/2022

Iin June, Top’s editor Brian Wagenaar spoke with Nya Greenstone, the clinical supervisor for Axis Health System’s Youth Su***de and Threat Prevention Program.

Warning: this post contains reference to su***de.

BW: We know Western has had a number of su***de deaths in recent years. What advice would you give to students who are heading into or back to college to be safe?

NG: College is a transformative experience, and moving away from home comes with many joys and challenges.

It’s normal to have bad days and need help at times. It's important to take risks and explore — and it’s also important to check in with those around you.

What we’re learning in the research around su***de prevention is that focusing on life stressors and protective factors helps us engage with folks better.

Stressors can be things like a breakup with a significant other or developments like a loss of a job or loved one as well as experiencing stress or discrimination by just holding minority identities.

When stressors pile up and someone doesn’t have enough support or protective factors, it can lead to an emotional crisis.

The research also asks us to think about “warning signs.” For example, one might notice a change in behavior — whether it’s a significant increase in outwardness to the world, or a decrease — internalizing and isolating.

In terms of what to do when you are concerned about someone — it’s important to (1) share with them what you are concerned about, and (2) to directly ask them if they are having thoughts of su***de.

This direct approach is important. We learn that for someone who is struggling but not suicidal, they are then able to share what they are struggling with.

Next, (3) keep them safe. We know that an emotional crisis can last just five minutes. That’s how long it can take to make a life-changing decision.

Finally, (4) be there and help them connect. Listen carefully to what the individual is thinking and feeling.

Ask the person if you can call a su***de prevention line together to get help (you can always call 911 for urgent concerns).

You can also always make attempts to stay connected to a person you speak with. It can make a difference.

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