International Women’s Day in Colorado Springs
March 31, 2008 | 
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March 8th at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs was a Saturday to remember for students young and old, and in between. While hundreds of public-school students attended the regionally famous Science Olympiad spearheaded by Dean Ramaswami Dandapani and associates (see feature article in this issue), UCCS university women and their significant others gathered in the UCCS Gallery of Contemporary Art to celebrate International Women’s Day.
This was the first time in UCCS history that “IWD” has been celebrated here, to our knowledge. Margaret Mistry, faculty member in the Department of Languages and Cultures, enlisted the help of university students and professors to create a three-hour spectacular for women throughout the university and beyond.
Professor Pavel Gregorievich Kozhevnikov, adjunct professor of Russian, led the festivities with a historical overview of the day’s importance, and regaled the crowd with tidbits of past “IWD”s from his early life as well as selections from his published poems.
Guest of Honor Cindy Aubrey, News Director of KOAA 5 & 30, provided the audience with sage advice about how best to negotiate the world of broadcasting in addition to sharing significant events in her personal journey to a most prestigious position in the world of television news.
Curtis Smith took the lead as Visual and Performing Arts representative in the program, performing his musical tribute to women with electronic pieces from his recent compositions. His fans filled the Gallery of Contemporary Art with rapt attention and enthusiastic applause.
Professors M. J. Sullivan and Kristen Ortega shared their original poetic compositions as did their students, proving that the creative spirit is being nurtured in creative classrooms throughout the university.
Thanks to Daphne Medina, graduate student of history and ombudsperson for the event, no one went hungry, thirsty, or lacking culinary stimuli. This young woman’s contributions to the day were duly noted by all.
As Professor Aditi Mitra presented closing remarks to the celebration, inviting ongoing collaboration among women in whatever phase of life they may be, the audience provided all the celebrants with a rousing round of applause. Well done, AWD celebrants! We look forward to growing the celebration even more next year.
Special thanks to all our college assistants, Iñigo, Andrea, Isabel, and Kati. Heartfelt thanks to the newly inaugurated Department of WEST, Womens/Ethnic Studies, Professors Andrea Herrera, Abby Ferber, and VAPA Chair Suzanne McCauley who contributed financially to the project. Let us not forget Gallery Director, Christopher Lynn, who provided us with most energized place to celebrate. It was, as M. J. Sullivan said, “the beginning of a major collaborative energy swell.”
Brava!
- M
A Colorado Springs Legend in Progress
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Martin Troy, Assistant Manager of Jack Quinn Alehouse and Irish Pub, is not your average restaurateur. He is a combination of regular guy, organizer, initiator, and man about town who understands what his clientele wants and how to give it to them. When you walk into Jack Quinn Irish Alehouse & Pub establishment on 21 South Tejon Street in Colorado Springs, you will see the results of Martin’s organization, class, and attention to ambiance.
Martin and his crew have prepared a truly Irish style celebration for Quinn’s 10th anniversary, which just happens to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day. Preparations have been made to create the best Irish bash ever. The Quinn “family”, among them local fire fighters, young professionals, college students, and members of the military, make this unique Irish Pub their exclusive meeting place and watering hole. Here are the reasons why.
First and foremost, Martin ensures that Quinn’s Irish fare is authentic. He’ll have no beef in the Irish stew, to be sure. It is lamb, or nothing. And that is freshly made soda bread, if you please. The Alaskan cod in beer batter is a real tradition, and beef boxty, a kind of Irish finger food, makes the clientele’s mouths water nightly. You will have to sample these delicacies on more than one visit in order to enjoy the subtle flavor differences of each dish.
The beverages available are as authentically Irish as one will find in the Emerald Isle. The ever-present Guinness is served at exactly the correct temperature. An army of Irish whiskies lines the downstairs and upstairs bars. You may require some time to take in the eye appeal of Quinn’s Irish ambiance whether you sit in the more private, wooden “parlors” or the hand-rubbed wooden bars on both floors. Make sure you look on the walls, where mementos of the best football (soccer) teams decorate the walls. And then you have the lovely Irish colleens whose portraits grace the stairwells. They are sure to bring back memories of days gone by.
If you are over 21 years of age, you will be welcome to partake of authentic Irish libations. If you are not, you can still enjoy the traditional Irish step-dancing tunes, Sean Nôs (old style) music, and the ever present fiddle and bodhrân (Irish drum). Quinn’s advocates celebration of culture through music, dance, food, and conversation for those who enjoy camaraderie as a lifestyle.
Thank you, Martin. You have made our day, and hopefully many more!
- M
Dr. Ramaswami “Dan” Dandapani
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Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at UCCS
CSR+: How long have you been teaching at the college level? What is your area of expertise and what classes do you teach?
RD: I have been teaching at the college level since 1974. I have been teaching at UCCS since 1986. My areas of expertise are in Computer Engineering, in particular, Testing and Testable Design of integrated circuits.
CSR+: What attracted you to the area of electrical engineering in the first place?
RD:While in high school and when working toward my first degree (Bachelor of Science in Physics, Chemistry, Math), I became interested in applying theory to practical problems. In addition, I was inspired by the lure of going to study at Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, a premier institute in the early 1960s, where Dr. C.V. Raman, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930, had served as Director, the equivalent of President.
CSR+:You were the chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for a long time (I forget how may years – from December 1998 to August 2007). Tell us about the accomplishments of the Department.
RD: During my tenure, the Department of ECE at UCCS was able to renew its accreditation from ABET for six years. It is the first time a program at UCCS obtained ABET accreditation for the maximum period of six years. I was also able to recently hire two women faculty members – in fact, the first woman faculty member in ECE ever at UCCS! I directed the National Science Olympiad held at UCCS, USAFA, and the World Arena in 2001. I have been directing, with a group of volunteers, the Southern Colorado Regional Science Olympiad for a number of years. During my tenure, I established working relationships with a number of local companies. Many of these companies have donated equipment, provided instructors, and much more. During this period, a majority of the department faculty worked as a group to obtain an NSF grant to bring new ways of teaching circuits and systems with a lot more hands-on experience in the curriculum.
CSR+: For the past five years, you have been the Associate and then the Acting Dean of Engineering and Applied Science at UCCS. What is your philosophy of academic leadership? What are the main strengths of the College? Where is the College headed in the next few years?
RD: I have been Associate Dean since August 2006. During 2006-07, I was also the Chair of ECE; this year 2007-08 I am performing half of the dean’s job. I am responsible for internal procedures within the College. I like to see the three departments in the College work together as a unit in all aspects of academic life and avoid creating “silos”. My interest is to provide an environment where faculty and staff can contribute to the best of their abilities to the success of the College and the campus. I also want to see the college faculty teach more distance education courses to attract students who would normally not come to UCCS. I want to provide an environment where diversity is valued and the new hires, especially the women faculty, feel at home and succeed. I want to improve the image of the college on campus – for a long time we have been thought of as snobbish and elitist. I want to see the college increase graduate student support and the faculty increase funded research. Other goals include increasing enrollments, especially those of women and minority students.
CSR+:You have been very successful as a parent. Your children went to MIT, Harvard and Carnegie Mellon. Can you tell us what have been your keys to success in raising highly motivated children?
RD: We did not do anything special – our emphasis was the children to learn the basics well in any subject they studied. I give almost all the credit to my wife, especially for maintaining constant communication with the children and for being very patient.
CSR+: You have been very active in holding regional Science Olympiads in Colorado Springs. Please tell us about the Science Olympiad movement. A couple of years ago, you were instrumental in holding the National Science Olympiad on the UCCS campus. Tell us about the experience of holding a national event in Colorado Springs.
RD: Science Olympiad, Inc., is a national organization that has been conducting tournaments since the mid 1980s. It started in Michigan to address the declining interest in science and engineering. Today all 50 states and Canada hold state tournaments to send teams to the Nationals, which is held in a different university each year. The states hold regional tournaments in preparation for the state tournaments. Colorado has two Regionals and some states have several. At the present time, there are 23 science and engineering events that are designed by nationally renowned teachers and others. This year on March 8, we hosted 33 high school and 32 junior high and middle school teams with about 15 students in each team. There were 115 teachers that accompanied the teams.
We hosted the 2001 Nationals, and we did not have the facilities. As a result, we partnered with USAFA, which turned out to be great. The tournament was a great success with the awards ceremony being held at the World Arena.
CSRD+: Congratulations on all this work!
RD: My pleasure.
- J
Forthcoming Events in Colorado Springs
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Open Studio 101: Fine Art with Ms. Page
Saturday, April 5 9:00a to 4:00p
Studio 101, Colorado Springs, CO
Parents enjoy ninety minutes of free time while your children will be engaged in non-stop fine art lessons celebrating artists like, Pollock and Rauschenberg, Explore Studio101.
Harlem Globetrotters
Sunday, April 6 8:00p
World Arena, 3185 Venetucci Boulevard
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
(719) 477-2100
Ticket Prices: $16 to $70
To order ticket by phone call: 719-576-2626 or 866-464-2626
Tickets also available at: King Soopers
For group tickets contact: 719-477-2116
COLORADO SPRINGS PHILHARMONIC: HOW’S THE WEATHER?
Sunday, April 06, 2008 - 2:30 PM (Doors open 1:30 PM)
Pikes Peak Center
190 S. Cascade Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Fun in the lobby starts at 1:30pm!
Thomas Wilson, Conductor
Special Guest: Mike Madson, KOAA Weatherman
KOAA’s Mike Madson joins the Philharmonic for a fun and educational afternoon. Mike tells us about Colorado’s temperamental weather and the orchestra joins in with some of music’s best storms, snows, and sunny days.
BB KING
Wednesday, April 09, 2008 - 8:00 PM (Doors open 7:00 PM)
Pikes Peak Center
190 S. Cascade Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
His reign as King of the Blues has been as long as that of any monarch on earth. Yet B.B. King continues to wear his crown well. At age 82, he is still light on his feet, singing and playing the blues with relentless passion. Time has no apparent effect on B.B., other than to make him more popular, more cherished, more relevant than ever. Don’t look for him in some kind of semi-retirement; look for him out on the road, playing for people, popping up in a myriad of T.V. commercials, or laying down tracks for his next album. B.B. King is as alive as the music he plays, and a grateful world can’t get enough of him.
THE WORLD FAMOUS GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA
Friday, April 11, 2008 - 7:00 PM (Doors open 6:00 PM)
Pikes Peak Center
190 S. Cascade Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
The legendary Glenn Miller was one of the most successful of all the dance bandleaders back in the Swing era of the 1930s and ’40s. A matchless string of hit records, the constant impact of radio broadcasts, and the drawing power at theatres, hotels, and dance pavilions built and sustained the momentum of popularity.
Glenn disbanded his musical organization in 1942, at the height of its popularity, volunteered for the Army and then organized and led the famous Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band. It went to Europe to entertain servicemen, and then, on December 15, 1944, Major Miller took off in a single-engine plane from England to precede his band to France, never to be seen again. The army declared him officially dead a year later.
The 19-member band continues to play many of the original Miller arrangements that keep exciting fans who have not heard them played for a while. Additionally, they are also playing more modern selections in the big-band style, carefully selecting only those newer tunes that lend themselves naturally to the Miller style and sound, carefully selected pieces that will stay around for a while. The entire repertoire which now exceeds 1,700 compositions keeps the band popular with both young and old.
COLORADO SPRINGS PHILHARMONIC: GLORIOUS SALUTE TO SPRING
Saturday, April 12, 2008 - 8:00 PM (Doors open 7:00 PM)
Sunday April 13 , 2008 - 2:30 PM (Doors open 1:30 PM)
Pikes Peak Center. 190 S. Cascade Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Lawrence Leighton Smith - Conductor, Michael Hanson -Violin
Rimsky-Korsakov: Russian Easter Overture
Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1
Dvorák: Symphony No. 7
Concertmaster Michael Hanson performs one of the most technically challenging and incredibly brilliant works for the violin. Maestro Smith concludes our Classical Masterworks season with Dvorák’s evocative Seventh Symphony.
Colorado Springs Fork & Bottle
Saturday, April 12 6:30p to 9:00p
Smokebrush Gallery
218 W. Colorado Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 444-1012
Wines of the world, hors d’oeuvres & desserts from top caterers and restaurants, live jazz. Benefits Ruth Washburn Cooperative Nursery School. www.coloradospringsforkandbottle.org.
DevilDriver
Wednesday, April 16, 2008; 7:00 PM
The Black Sheep
2106 E. Platte Ave.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
All Ages: DEVILDRIVER headline, Napalm Death, 36 Crazyfists, In Vitro and Straight Line Stitch support. Tickets: $20.
Homepage: http://tixx1.artistarena.com/devildriver
WINE DINNER: Featuring wines of Lodi and Central Coast California from Lineshack and Peltier Station wineries
Wednesday, April 16 6:00p
The Melting Pot Restaurant
30-A East Pikes Peak Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 385-0300
Reservations required..
THE CHORALE: MUSIC’S FIRE, GREAT WORKS VI
Saturday, April 19, 2008 - 8:00 PM (Doors open 7:00 PM)
Pikes Peak Center
190 S. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903
The 6th in our “Great Works” Series, Music’s Fire, continues our commitment to perform the great choral masterworks. Music’s Fire explores music’s ability to entice, comfort, celebrate and judge. “Solomon’s Invocation to Music” an excerpt from the full oratorio, Solomon, by Handel, depicts a court entertainment designed by the King to entice the visiting Queen of Sheba. The oratorio conveys music’s passionate ability to arouse emotions in its listeners through irresistible, lavish and contrasting madrigals ranging from love’s tragic disappointment, to war, to erotic suggestion. “Denn Alles Fleish” from Brahms’ enduring Ein Deutches Requiem offers profound and radiant comfort with its gigantic fugue and serene closing coda. In “The Testament of Freedom”, by Randall Thompson, we celebrate some of man’s highest aspirations and achievements through the writings of Thomas Jefferson. The vivid overpowering, immediate, and inescapable score of “Belshazzar’s Feast,” by William Walton, alternates between a piercing beauty and raw emotive power. It narrates the mindless excesses and cruelties of King Belshazzar’s son Nebuchadnezzar, “weighed in the balance, found wanting,”
Ticket prices range from $16 to $48. Discounts are available for seniors, military, students, groups, and accompanied children. Tickets may be purchased at the Pikes Peak Center Box Office; (719) 520-SHOW (7469); at all TicketsWest outlets; or www.ticketswest.com. Surcharges may apply.
For more information on the Colorado Springs Chorale and the Music’s Fire performance, visit www.cschorale.org.
IMAGINATION CELEBRATION: IF YOU GIVE A PIG A PARTY
Monday, April 21, 2008 - 7:00 PM (Doors open 6:00 PM)
Pikes Peak Center
190 S. Cascade Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Join the biggest party of the year that’s thrilled audiences across the country as Imagination Celebration presents “If You Give a Pig a Party,” produced by the Dallas Children’s Theater! Lobby doors open at 6pm for kid-friendly hands-on art activities related to the show.
The Mouse, the Moose, the Pig – together at last! Fans of all ages will squeal with delight when this little Piggy decides to throw a party. And of course, the small pig protagonist needs as much activity and as many supplies as ever. This time, there’s a search for friends, which leads to a street fair, a game of hide-and-seek, a sleepover, and the necessity of linens for a pillow fight. A blanket fortress needs balloons decorations. Balloons! They scream out for a party. . . . Don’t miss this marvelous musical celebration!
FREE EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
Saturday, April 19 9:00a to 3:00p
Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center, 1805 N. 30th St., Colorado Springs, CO
Phone: (719) 219-0108
The Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center will celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 19th, from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. FREE family activities will take place rain or shine, including:
Park clean up at 9 a.m. (registration starts at 8:30 a.m. with free food and drinks for volunteers). Live wolf presentations (10 & 10:30 am), birds of prey (10 am & noon) and other animals throughout the day. Arts & crafts for kids. Guided nature walks every hour
Mr. Science Chemical Magic Show at 11:30 & 12:15.
American Indian dances throughout the day. Rock Ledge Historic Ranch open and FREE for visitors (10 – 3)
Search & Rescue demonstrations by the Peterson Air Force Base
Partners In Housing/TESSA High Tea with the Girls!
Tuesday, April 22 3:30p to 5:30p
Cheyenne Mountain Conference Resort
3225 Broadmoor Valley Rd. Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO 80906. Phone: (719) 538-4000
Be our guest for a lovely afternoon sponsored by the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. Enjoy High Tea with the Girls and celebrate Camp Experience, an annual luxury retreat for women.
Be our guest for a lovely afternoon sponsored by the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. Enjoy High Tea with the Girls and celebrate Camp Experience, an annual luxury retreat for women.
Camp Experience benefits Partners In Housing and TESSA - Colorado Springs non-profit agencies assisting homeless women and children.
The Literati and Beyond Writers Circle
Wednesday, April 23 7:00p
Monument Public Library
1706 Lake Woodmoor Drive, Monument, CO 80132
(719) 488-2370
Web: http://www.ppld.org/
Join this new group for writers led by poet Nancy Jurka, travel writer Mary K. Jones, and writer Chuck Robinove. Open to writers of all ages and experience levels. This group will meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
Join this new group for writers led by poet Nancy Jurka, travel writer Mary K. Jones, and writer Chuck Robinove. Open to writers of all ages and experience levels. This group will meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
Kite and Wind Festival
Saturday, April 26 10:00a to 3:00p
Fountain Creek Regional Park Nature Center
320 Pepper Grass Ln, Fountain, CO 80817
(719) 520-6745
Bring, make, or purchase a kite at this event for all ages. Activities include kite making, exhibits, stunt kite demos, balloon animals, kid’s crafts, and presentations on wind energy and kites. Experts will be present to answer questions, demonstrate, and share their talent for harnessing and playing in the wind. ($4.00, RR for kite making workshops only, 520-6745) Cosponsors: CO Kite and Ski, Scott Skinner, John and Mary Gabby, CO State University Wind Application Center, El Paso County Parks Naturalist Docent Organization.
JUNIOR LEAGUE’S 32ND TRASH AND TREASURE (TnT) SALES
Saturday, April 26 8:00a to 12:00p
Woodmen and Union
7104 Lilac Place, Colorado Springs, CO 80920
Saturday, April 26th and Sunday, April 27th mark the 32nd Annual Junior League Trash and Treasure Sale (TnT) to benefit CARE Fair (a day of free children’s healthcare) and other JLCS programs. This year the event will be going citywide and will have three local sale locations each day. Visit each site to find YOUR treasure!
Web: www.jlcoloradosprings.org
Phone: (719) 632-3855 or call 632-3855.
20TH ANNUAL TASTE OF THE SPRINGS: Food, wine and silent auction, to benefit Care and Share Food Bank
Sunday, April 27 3:00p to 6:00p
Crowne Plaza, 2886 S. Circle Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80960
Reservations required: 528-1247, ext. 222 (Monday-Friday) or 389-0973 (Saturday and Sunday).
Price: $65
Velvet Hills Chorus Family and Friends Show
Monday, April 28 8:00p
Liberty High School
8720 Scarborough Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920
(719)234-2289
Velvet Hills, an award-winning show chorus of Sweet Adelines, present their FREE Family and Friends show at Liberty High School, April 28, at 8PM.
As they prepare for their regional Sweet Adelines contest in Salt Lake City this May, the Velvet Hills Chorus proudly invites you to see them perform, along with several of their quartets, in a free show at Liberty High School, Colorado Springs, 8pm, on April 28, 2008. For more information, or a directions to the school, visit their website at www.velvethills.org
BIG BAND SERIES: Kristin Warner.
Monday, April 28 3:00p
Colorado Springs Shrine Club
6 S. 33rd Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
(719) 310-9290
Price: $10, $6 for seniors 65 and older. $2 discount with nonperishable food donation to benefit Care and Share Food Bank.
Phone: (719) 964-7977
NONPOINT
Tuesday, April 29 8:00p
Black Sheep
2106 East Platte Ave
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
(719) 227-7625
Formed in Miami in 1997, Nonpoint is an interracial alternative metal/rap-metal foursome that consists of two Puerto Ricans (vocalist Elias Soriano and drummer Robb Rivera) and two whites (guitarist Andrew Goldman and bassist KB). Web: http://www.myspace.com/nonpoint
Editorial
March 31, 2008 | Email This Post
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March 2008
This is the eighth issue of Colorado Springs Record+. We are up and running, literally, as you can see from the numbers of people whom we celebrate in this issue. Thanks for your ongoing interest. Thanks for your feedback as well!
Our objective in bringing CSR+ to you is to showcase activities and achievements of individuals and organizations that enrich Colorado Springs. We also bring you reviews and descriptions of cultural events, artistic efforts, intellectual activities, and other special occasions in our city.
This issue of CSR+ features Ramaswami Dandapani, educator extraordinaire at UCCS. His interview with J speaks for itself. The UCCS International Women’s Day celebration on March 8th is especially close to our hearts because the students and faculty responded enthusiastically to an event that could well have seemed entirely too unfamiliar to them. They are growing in their understanding of the importance of international collaboration because we are all connected.
Special thanks to the folks at Jack Quinns. We are proud that they shared their 10-year anniversary plans with us.
If you know of any individual or organization that has made a positive and significant difference in Colorado Springs, please send an e-mail to editor@coloradosprings.org. Include name, address, and your reason for nominating this person for recognition.
All the best to you and yours this third month of 2008.
PHRASE: Tapadh leat
PRONOUNCED: tapah lat
MEANING: Thank you!
- J and M
