Staff Council Updates

On October 14, members of the CU Anschutz community gathered to hear what the Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society (RMPRS) discovered during its overnight investigation of the eighth floor of the historic and mysterious Fitzsimons Building.

Hosted by CU Anschutz Staff Council, Historical & Paranormal Activity Investigation: Bushnell Auditorium was our first event of its kind, combining history, science and a little October mystery.

More importantly, the evening gave staff, faculty, students and their families an opportunity to come together, learn something new about our campus and share an experience that's a little different from our usual day-to-day.

Thank You!

An event like this doesn't happen without a lot of people generously sharing their time, expertise and support. Anschutz Staff Council would like to recognize some of the many individuals and teams who helped bring this idea out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

Terri Carrothers, Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance and CFO

A very special thank you to Terri for believing in this idea from the beginning, securing Chancellor Don Elliman's support, and helping us navigate the executive approvals, risk management and liability considerations that made the investigation and entire event possible. Her guidance and willingness to help find solutions were instrumental in turning this idea into reality.

Neil Kraus, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Initiatives and Community Engagement

A huge thank you goes out to Neil for his encouragement, thoughtful advice and support throughout the planning process, including helping us secure access to the historic Eisenhower Suite for the investigation.

Kelly Mason, Event Services Program Director

Thank you to Kelly for sharing her event planning expertise, helping us navigate campus procedures and offering guidance along the way. Having someone with her experience to turn to made a real difference.

Bob and Bryan – Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society

Thank you for generously donating your time and expertise to conduct the overnight investigation, revealing the fascinating history of Fitzsimons and sharing your findings with our campus community. Your enthusiasm for historical research, critical thinking and investigating the unexplained is what made this event so unique.

Behind-the-Scenes Heroes

A special thank you also goes to:

• Jay Campbell and the campus Facilities leadership team for reviewing the investigation plans and helping us address facilities and safety considerations.
• Chris Stiles and Kenneth Bosworth for their assistance coordinating facilities requirements and overnight supervision.
• Leo Czyozanowski and Chris Stiles for volunteering their time to supervise RMPRS during their overnight investigation.
• CU Anschutz Campus Police for coordinating the building access and security arrangements that made the overnight investigation possible.
• CU Anschutz Risk Management for helping us navigate insurance, liability and safety requirements.
• Zack Strober for sharing his event expertise, helping us think through logistics and providing valuable event-day support.
• The campus AV team for supporting the presentation and recording. A special thank you to Jeffery Largen, who helped troubleshoot technical issues in the two days leading up to the event, and Nya Taylor, who handled technical difficulties and a steady stream of last-minute requests and changes with remarkable patience and professionalism. Nya was cool as a cucumber the entire evening!
• The Office of Advancement for generously donating the printing of our event flyers and helping us spread the word.
• All the employees who shared their personal experiences with RMPRS, helping bring more of the history and stories of Fitzsimons to life.
• Thank you to Carie Behounek for allowing us to use the wonderfully fun ghost photographs taken in Bushnell Auditorium and outside the Fitzsimons Building, to Jacob Miller and Emma Pattee for the photography, and to Kiley Carroll for being our model ghost!

And of Course… Thank You to Our Wonderful Event Volunteers!

A huge thank you to John Ditirro, Brandie Trotter, Jasmine Higgins, Ashley Mackenzie, Mars Cruz, Zack Strober, Greg Krpan, Mackenzie Leiter, Angela Kirkpatrick, Tiffany Hamilton, Nicole Tabugadir, Katelyn Nolan and everyone else who helped with wayfinding, seating, microphones, snacks, setup and cleanup. You all helped create a welcoming, relaxed experience for everyone who attended. We hope you enjoyed the evening as much as our guests did!

An additional thank you goes out to John Ditirro for taking professional photos of the stage and audience.

And another special mention to Brandie Trotter and Jasmine Higgins, who spent much of the evening outside the auditorium, waving signs and helping attendees into the building in the drizzling rain and cold. You two worked hardest of all, with an amazing spirit and smiles on your faces the whole time!

Until Next Time?

This was our first event of its kind, and we're so grateful to everyone who helped us with this unconventional and spooky thrill that highlighted history and science in a little different way.

We hope the evening reminded everyone that there's a lot of fascinating history right here on our campus – and that sometimes the best way to strengthen our community is simply to come together, share a little curiosity and have some fun.

Thank you again for being part of it, whether in person or in spirit!