Lucy was a resident of mine: she will be missed

Two WSC Students Die in House Fire; Counseling available at College

Jan. 30, 2010 -- Western State College of Colorado (WSC) has learned that two students died in a house fire this morning, Jan. 30, in Gunnison, as confirmed by the Gunnison County Coroner Frank Vader.

Lucy Causley (WSC student ID photo)

The victims have been identified as Lucille "Lucy" Grace Causley, 18, of Harbor Springs, Mich., and Adam Michael Lockard, 21, of Bethesda, Md. According to the Gunnison Police Department, Lockard was a resident of the property and Causely was not.

Four occupants evacuated from the residence were identified as three current WSC students and a former student. Additionally, two of them were tenants of the residence and two were guests. They have met with WSC officials who are assisting with grief counseling, clothing and housing arrangements.

The College has set up a walk-in counseling center for those impacted by this tragedy. In addition, the College has scheduled a grief counseling session today at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, in Conference Room B of the College Center. Students also can call (970) 943-2469 for counseling assistance.

“We are shocked and deeply saddened by this tragedy,” said Jay Helman, WSC President. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the students' families and friends during this difficult time.”

Adam Lockard (photo by Francis Tatem)

A Gunnison police officer and firefighter who responded to the scene were injured, treated and released from the Gunnison Valley Hospital.

Investigation shows that the fire originated on the exterior of the residence and spread into the residence. This incident is under investigation to determine if the fire was intentionally set or accidental.

Anyone having additional information may contact the Gunnison Police Department at (970) 641-8200.

The College is planning a memorial program for the students. Details are forthcoming.

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I cant breath

My heart is racing.

I saw what was written on your wall.

“In a relationship”

I’m happy?

That’s a lie.

Your happy.

I’m glad.

I sit here,

Unable to sleep.

Unable to think.

To move

To live.

To Love?

No.

That’s not true.

I love you.

That one thing I still can do.

As much as it hurts.

Is too much really a problem? (PG-13 post!)

Is it really possible to have to much of a good thing? Well, i guess that depends on what that thing is. In this situation its rock climbing. I'm wondering if i will ever get tired of it. I have climbed outside  3 separate times in the last 2 days! It never seems to get old. A climbing buddy of mine said today (over our free-99 dinner) "I think I'm addicted to climbing". Some one asked if he'd ever give "sexual favors" in order to climb. We had a long discussion about what it would take for that to happen. He decided that an all expenses paid trip to climb in patagonia would be the only thing that he would get down on both knees for. I guess the reason for (i apologize) this rather raunchy post, is to ask if there is a CA group around (climbers anonymous). well, I guess that would mean that someone had decided to quite climbing, which everyone knows isn't possible. 

Smashing Success

Last nights relay for life went quite well! My team of 11 set up a great camp site (with lots of food). We took shifts walking in pairs for 2 hours each shift. We all walked as a team from the start at 6 pm until 8 pm, then 2 members continued on, while the rest of us rested up and waited for our turn. We played light up frisbee and ate, a lot, while we waited. Kinda just chilled with tons of very enthusiastic relayers! It was so much fun! At midnight was the very emotional "lighting of the Luminaria". After which, me and my relay partner took our shift from 12-2am. Whew! 2 hours is really a long time to walk! We chatted about philosophy and such, and I told her stories of my grandma, who I was walking for. At 2 am, I went into camp (while she keep us walking) and woke up the next 2 in our relay. They got up and we had a ceremonial handing off of these blowup batons, did an "over-lap" (chuckle) with them, then went back and laid down. After about half an hour 4 of us were still awake in camp and decided to bring some hot chocolate out to our guys. They were very appreciative, and the 6 of us took a lap together before we headed back to camp and wished them luck. At 4 am we all went out and walked the final 2 hours as a team. It was awesome. Right about when the sun came up at 6 am everyone there took to the track for a last "victory lap" and that was the end of our 12 hour relay. Our team walked a total of about 30 miles! In all the entire relay raised 63,000 dollars for cancer research!! I would call that a success. I plan on relaying again next year, and will again do it to honor and remember my amazing grandma. Thank you.  

Relay time!

The day has finally come! Tonight, at the WSC stadium, we are going to relay for life! My team, along with hundreds of other people, will walk the track all night to raise money to fight cancer! If you would take just a second and click on the link at the left of this pagem you can give a last minute donation! Otherwise, I plan on having an excellent night, camping out and walking in relays.  I'll post pictures and the final results afterwards!

Peace

Remember, I'm this doing for my Grandma Monge. I will defiantly be thinking about her all night.  

new job!

sorry, been a while.   Not to bother. I finally found out yesterday that I will be an RA for next year at my college! For those of you either not in college, going to a weird college (you know who you are), or maybe its just been too long, an RA is a Resident Advisor. We basically are there to make sure our residents living in our assigned residence hall are getting what they need. I will resolve disputes been residents, enforce the rules, be an open ear and helping hand for any student in need of really anything as well as the mediator or liaison between the college and my residents. A pretty big job... I can't wait to start!

14er magic!

The day has finally come! Tomorrow afternoon I leave for my attempt on Uncompagre Peak! Me and three of my friends are driving down their tomorrow after class. We're going to set up a base camp and then me and Chicago-boy will head for the summit that night, about 2am. We'll climb from the base around 10,000ft up to the summit at 14,634ft. Hopefully we'll get to the top right at sunrise, for some epic pictures and, of course, video! I was talking to our admissions councilor today, and the climb came up. He asked me to make a video of the trip. He even offered me a little camcorder to take, haha! I told him I had one, so I'm gonna use my Powershot digital camera for some sweet pics and some pretty good video. Look for that vid about a week or so after the climb. 

For the climb (as I've said) we're gonna use ice axes and crampons. Most of the climb is between 40 degrees and 70 degrees. There is one part towards the top that gets a little stepper and more technical. This will probably be the hardest part of the climb. We'll be low on oxygen and getting tired, but I think we'll make it through. I cant wait!!!  This will be so much fun!!

Well, this is gonna be my last post until after the climb (should be back sunday afternoon) so thanks for reading everyone. I'll put pictures up as soon as I can!

Until then, I hope everyone reads my previous post about my amazing Grandma, and then clicks on the link in the top right of the page and donates to the Relay for Life!

Thanks!    

My Reason to Relay

Well, the Relay for Life is approaching. About three weeks till we take to the track, on April 24th (four days before my B-day, btw :)  Anyway, as the relay approaches I would like to share some experiences I had with the person I am relaying for: my Grandma Monge. 

My Grandma and Grandpa have lived in Colorado as long as i have been around (by around I mean on the planet). We used to drive all the way out to see them about once every year or so, usually at christmas. We would stay at their ranch in the mountains. Just imagine a bunch of kids running all over this huge track of land! Their were horses, mountains to sled on, snow to romp in, it was always a blast! thanks in large part to Grandma. She would come out with us and help build sled runs, saddle up the horses with us. I remember one time, I was very young, and my sis and I were both riding on one horse and Grandma was leading it. I'm not really sure what happened, but I remember falling off the back of the horse! It didn't really hurt (probably because of the snow) but I remember Grandma coming around the back of the horse, helping me up and at the same time laughing. I'm not really sure why (perhaps the scene of a small child disappearing behind a horse) but at first I remember thinking, "hey, you should be worried!" but then I guess her laugh got into me and I wanted to get back up on the horse, keep having fun with Grandma. 

 Another time her and I were sledding in the backyard, i must have been a little older at this point because I remember more. There was a big pile of snow (perhaps from plowing the drive way?) and it formed a kinda mini cliff drop thing on one side. She convinced me that I should go down that side, face first, on my little plastic toboggan sled. I went for and dropped my face straight into a pile of powder! It took a minute for me to figure out why my face was so cold. Grandma of course thought it was hilarious, so I didn't move from my sprawled out crash position and she ran inside to get a camera. Such a fun day!

It was during one of these backyard excursions that Grandma effected my life in extreme sports the most. We had come back from a day on the local ski mountain. My mom always got me and my Sis day long group ski lessons. Anyway, when we got out of the car and came around the back, Grandma and Step-fodsher were carrying a a snowboard up the back hill. Her and Grandpa owned a ski rental shop in town, so I guess thats where it was from. Grandma and Step-fodsher where taking turns going down a little stamped out path they had made. Trying out the new-fangled snow device.  I naturally ran up the mountain to them and watched as they went down, having a blast! The next day Grandma and I decided to take a snowboard up to the real ski mountain and see what we could do. 

The next day was huge! We went to the mountain (pictured above) and both of us, i guess being a little scared of the board, just walked it up a little rise to the side of the main run. My memory is a little blurred here but I know starting from that day I was a snowboarder. Grandma and I took lessons together on the mountain. I remember always having such a good time with her. Not to long after this she got the diagnosis of cancer. They had to move out of the mountains and onto the front range (the metropolis, so to speak, of Colorado). Then the kemo started. That put an end to Grandma's adventures. But not her influence on mine. Every time I go snowboarding I think of her (which is a lot). One time this year I was riding the lift and saw an older man snowboarding down one of the harder green runs. He was having some difficulty, just like all new riders. I almost lost it just sitting there on the lift. Not really from the pain of losing her, or missing her so much, more from pure joy seeing an image that reminded me so strongly of her. I almost went down to the man and hugged him. It was like she was there with me again. Just cruising around on the mountain, having a ball.

 I will always miss my grandma, but she had such an important influence on my life as it is today. There are moments when I feel like she's right here with me. Like she hasn't left at all. I guess that means she really never left, huh?

thanks for reading, i went through a lot of emotions as I wrote this... More Grandma stories to come as April 24th gets closer.

 I'll never forget you Grandma Monge!

new heights!

So i was doing my usual perusal of youtube, seeing how some of my videos were doing, watching related ones 'n such. I decided to see how well I was doing in the world by typing in the name of my "production company" (Triangle Pass Productions) into youtube's search bar. By the time I had typed "triangle pas" it had come up in the drop down menu! "Did you mean 'triangle pass productions?"  why yes i did!!  

"I'm not alone"

As the song from Rent says, "I'm not alone".  I'm finally starting to see the light from under all of my homework! Ok, so that title doesn't make the most sense considering what I'm going to talk about. Actually it makes almost none... but its ok! I'm going to give you a re-cap of what has happened since the last time I posted (sorry, long time :<)  

Ok, first I did my taxes, then spent a week working on a really big group project for my visual communication class. We had to create our own (ridiculous) society and then make up a rite of passage ritual that one of our younger members must go through. We were a gang of umpa-lumpas (yes, the willy wonka kind) that loved to break dance. We made crazy masks and wore these huge green wigs with purple bandanas(pictured above). Then we did a rap dance to some music I put together and made a younger umpa-lumpa learn the dance. It ended up being quite a lot of fun, but it did take a lot of time and effort. 

On top of that I was doing two papers and another biggish project for another class plus studying/worrying about a history of the middle east test. yikes! 

Ok, now through all that I had one thing (well many, but relax k?!) on my mind. Our local ski mountain closes soon! (It actually closed today!, sad...) I was working on a ski film that I needed desperately more footage for. My Ski-Bro and I got up early on tuesday and thursday to go film for that. Which involved having a great time, but also throwing ourselves off of cliffs that, in many cases, we could not land... At least it was powder, right? Never hurt to much, but really wore you out! Look for a link to an excerpt of that film before to long. 

This past weekend I did the work for a very important project in my outdoor leadership class. My partner and I had to lead a community activity. We decided to teach "at risk" kids how to rock climb. We went through an organization similar to "big brothers, big sisters". On saturday we taught a smallish group of kids and their adult partners how to tie climbing knots, belay, and basics of rock climbing. It was really fun! but again very waring... I was toasted afterwards. But, it was such a nice lookng day that, after all the kids left my partner and I decided to hike about 2 miles (in a lot of mud) to a good outdoor rock climbing place. It turned out to be way to cold to climb (bare hands and sub-freezing temps do not mix well). I got to the first bolt of the sport climb before I gave into this fact. Then of course I had to make a very sketchy down climb. But all together it was a very fun excursion. We ca say that "well, now we know where to go..." haha! 

Yep its been a pretty crazy week. 

Thanks for keeping an eye out for my posts, I'll try to never go that long in between again.

Peace!