And the Winners Are...

The Colorado Mountain College Alpine Campus Library 1st Annual Fish-ku Contest Entries and Results

This April the Alpine Campus Library celebrated National Poetry Month by combining a student art display with a Haiku writing contest. Art Professor Joel Allen’s Sculpture I students completed paper fish sculptures which they hung from the rafters in the library, and Alpine Campus Library patrons wrote fish-related Haiku to compete for a Trout Bum Diaries DVD. We are pleased to present our first place winner, honorable mention winners and all 36 entries below, accompanied by pictures of our student art. Please feel free to use the comments feature to give your own Fish-ku awards!

Many thanks to our creative campus for your enthusiastic participation. You guys rock!!

1st Place Fish-ku Winner - Jonathan Bowler:

Myriad Caddis
Cloud above gentle ripples
Rainbows are rising.



Special Language Skills Honor, also known as the “Charles Bukowski Too Much Information Award” for Using the Word “Taint” in a Haiku – Bruce Beckum:

I like fishing nude
The fish don’t seem to mind…much
They check out my taint.


Honorable Mention Categories


Way to Work Those Syllables – Student Honorable Mention – Jordan Mann:

Little fish, Big name
Humuhumunukunu –
Kuapua’a



Way to Work Those Syllables – Faculty/Staff Honorable Mention – Mike Brumbaugh:

Snap pause pause snap pause
Snap pause pause pause pause pause pause…
Damn! Tangled again!




Fish-ku Bravery - Student Honorable Mention – Clay Hamilton:

Un-catch that fish!
Dream hooks into your own cheek!
How hungry are you?



Fish-Ku Bravery Faculty Honorable Mention - Bob Gumbrecht:

Fishing is a cruel
And unnecessary sport
Leave ‘em alone, dude.



Fish-Ku Atttitude Honorable Mention – Warren D.:

I am a fish, bitch
You can watch me swim away
My eyes watch you try.



Fish-ku Proliferation Honorable Mention Awards – Joel Allen, Bruce Beckum, Mike Brumbaugh and Marlene Horace:

Joel Allen:
Bubbles bleeping out
My eyes bulging all about
I see you swim by.

Students and paper fish
Both just floating through life
In the library.

Oh my, something smells
Is that the odor of fish
Or are you just sad?

Hook, line and sinker
Caught in the current and flow
Upstream I struggle.



Bruce Beckum:

I live to catch fish
Even watching others fish
Touching something wild.

Flying through water
I ache for the mystery
Of the air and land.

My eyes have no lids
You’ll never catch me sleeping
Life is but a dream.

Mike Brumbaugh:

You awaiting me
I assuaging your hunger
A mere fly unites.

Tippett lashes sky
Rainbow scales beat into foam
My heart pounds with joy.

Real fishing for trout –
Not “A River Runs through it…
But “Dazed and Confused”!

Amazing Sunrise
Glowing on perfect dead drift –
Fish and man both hooked!



Marlene Horace:
My fish bait is here....
Lurking in shadowy depths
I want to catch you!

Hey there bright fishies
Looking for food all day long...
What's it gonna be?

Try Scuba Diving
Looking Face to Face at Fish
All Around the Reef

Interesting Fish Dance
Entwining Bodies Ballet
Disney's Fantasia!



And here are the rest of the awesome Fish-ku entries!!


Cutter Shea:
Life is a river
With waterfalls and rapids
Swim your way upstream.

Albert Saavedra:
Do you eat catfish?
They taste so good when baked right.
So enjoy joy it.

Weston Kessler:
I am not a fish
I’m a bird of the water
You should see me fly.

Kristin Weber:
Paper fish sculptures
Swimming through flags and rafters.
Library Fish Bowl!!

David Willis:
Mayflies hatch swarming
Then disappear in the swirl
Of a hungry trout

Kevin Williams:
A short cast upstream
Fake the natural movement
With hair and feathers.

Clay Hamilton:
Watch water flowing
Sweeping fish into stillness
Jump in and be still.

Sandy Kent:
I like to eat fish
They taste good
Especially fresh.

Bob Gumbrecht:
Fishing is peaceful?
Just catch and release my ass.
Your fun, their torture.

If a fish could talk
How would you explain yourself
As he dangled there?

David Byrne:
letting days go by
letting water hold me down
letting days go by



Unsigned Fish-ku

Shred the pow pow now
But since it’s fishing season
Go catch a big one.

Tuna fish tuna
Stinky little tuna fish
Whatcha gona do?

Trout, without a doubt,
Drink like fish – never alone
Together in schools.



And Finally – A Fish-Ku Bong Water Entry

N. McNeice:
It’s not that life sucks
It’s just you’re dead for so long
So hit this darn bong.

Library Survey!

Howdy all!

Please go here, and fill out our library survey. The survey link is at the top of the page.

It's your library, and this is a chance for you to tell us how we can improve our services; and, also, a chance for you to hopefully tell us the things we're doing well.

Thanks very much to Meeta and her IR crew for getting the survey online for us this year.

If you're unable to do it online, we also have paper surveys available in the library, the open computer lab, the student services office, and the schaffrick lounge.

Thanks everyone!

stepitup07

Coming to Steamboat Springs on APRIL 14, 2007! Step It Up 2007!

You may have read articles or books by Bill McKibben such as The End of Nature, Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age, or his most recent, Deep Economy. Within the past year he has stepped beyond the role of author to that of activist. In an effort to draw attention to global climate change titled STEP IT UP ’07, Mr. McKibben has initiated a nationwide campaign to gather people together within their communities on April 14, this coming Saturday: "If we're going to make the kind of change we need in the short time left us, we need something that looks like the civil rights movement, and we need it now. Changing light bulbs just isn't enough…. Every group will be saying the same thing: Step it up, Congress! Enact immediate cuts in carbon emissions, and pledge an 80% reduction by 2050. No half measures, no easy compromises-the time has come to take the real actions that can stabilize our climate.”

Step it Up is a nationwide campaign comprised of over 1000 events in 50 states rallying around the need for bold and immediate action on the issue of global warming. Events are being held in every corner of the country, from Maine to Hawaii, and Seattle to Key West. The events are taking place in major cities, iconic locations and small towns across America. The events have been organized by organizations and individuals from all walks of life who agree on one thing: the need for substantial and rapid action in order to stave off the disastrous effects of global warming. For more information, please visit stepitup2007.org.

Here's a summary of what's going to be happening in Steamboat Springs:

WHAT: Yampa Valley residents concerned about the catastrophic effects of global warming will participate in various activities (skiing, boarding, walking, biking, and kayaking) to urge Congress to put America on the path towards reducing carbon emissions 80% by 2050.

WHERE and WHEN: Skiers and Boarders: meet at the bottom of the Gondola at 10:00 am
Walkers: meet at the Stockbridge Transit Center to walk the Core Trail at 10:00 am (return by SST bus if desired)
Kayakers: meet at Backdoor Sports at 3 pm
Bikers: meet at Orange Peel Bike Shop at 3:00 pm

Evening Potluck: 6 pm, location to be announced
Bring a potluck dish or beverages to share
Bring a candle to light our dinner


CONTACT: Becca Gentile or Linda Lewis
Step it Up Yampa Valley event organizers
Call: 879-8691
E-Mail: dinebycandlelight@gmail.com

Library Liaisons And Subject Groupings

Howdy folks. I realize it's been awhile since we posted - this blog is proving more difficult to keep up with than we had originally anticipated. But we're going to redouble our efforts with the intent of making it an almost daily thing.

Months ago, the library staff decided to split up Collection Development responsibilities into 5 main divisional/subject categories. The intent was for each of the library staff to take one of these 5 main areas, thereby making the process less confusing for us, and, more importantly, less confusing for the faculty. And then...

The semester began. And we got busy. And the old backburner kicked in, and that's where this idea stayed for many months.

Well, even though we're not really any less busy now, it's about time this idea was taken off the backburner (because it's starting to smell funny). So, without further ado, here are the 5 main subject areas and the library people to whom they're assigned:

Math/Science & Vocational: David Willis (I have 2 since there are only 4 of us)

English/Humanities: Kristin Weber

Business/Computer Science: Kevin Williams

Social Science: Diane Brower

These are the people faculty should contact with subject specific questions about collection development, things you'd like to see the library buy, things you'd like to see the library do, etc. Additionally, we'll be making contact with faculty before summer to try and establish these new avenues of communication.

Thanks to everyone for your support of the library. You're our experts, and we couldn't do any of this without you. See below for contact information.

David Willis: ph 970.870.4451 email dwillis@coloradomtn.edu
Kristin Weber: ph 970.870.4449 email kweber@coloradomtn.edu
Kevin Williams: ph 970.870.4493 email kwilliams@coloradomtn.edu
Diane Brower: ph 970.870.4445 email dbrower@coloradomtn.edu