Though the Fountain of Youth does not exist, there are ways for all people to age gracefully. The Colorado State University students of ART 455: Advanced Typography and Design partnered with the Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging to research with faculty and speak with members of the community about what they do to stay healthy and keep their minds strong. 

The collaboration, titled “Look into Your Heart,” displayed zines — magazines that fold out into informational posters — Tuesday, Jan. 23. These zines spoke on a range of health issues from physical to emotional health. 

“I trained a lot of new student physicians … who needed help finding their way. I have always enjoyed my interactions with students.” –Donna Richardson, retired clinical surgeon

Event coordinator Hannah Halusker is the one who came up with the idea to collaborate with Roberto Muntoreanu, the professor of the art course. 

“We realized we had blank walls and wanted to fill them with art,” Halusker said. “This is the second ideation of that project, and the center will be purchasing the top three zines for their walls.” 

The center provides information and research on the problems and solutions in aging. 

Muntoreanu connected with Halusker after the first project two years ago to continue their collaboration. 

“We started to think about what we could do together, and as a designer, I suggested the zine process,” Muntoreanu said. “The topic came from (Halusker), and the media came from me.” 

Halusker and Muntoreanu said they want the students to speak to members of the Fort Collins community to collect their research. 

“All the adults that were interviewed came from some connection from the program,” Muntoreanu said. “They are students of the program (Center for Healthy Aging), and we were given the names of all of the people. The students collected one by one to select their community members, researchers and topics.” 

Mutoreanu said they hope to continue to collaborate with the Center for Healthy Aging on more projects in the future.

Peyton Anderson is an art major at CSU, and her poster was titled “Prune.” Anderson chose this word because it has two meanings: an old wrinkled fruit and to cut away the old dead parts of a plant. Her research was based on the healthiness of intergenerational relationships. 

“I am really close with my grandfather and my bus driver,” Anderson said. Anderson chose to interview her bus driver, Bob Kitchen, who drives for The Outpost. 

“If I don’t see Bob in the morning, my day is so much worse,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s design is based on china tea cups with irises, which are Kitchen’s favorite flowers. 

Grace Carter is an art major with a concentration in graphic design. Carter’s project was all about the mental and physical health benefits of music and dance.  

“I interviewed Lisa Morgan, who is a dance professor at CSU,” Carter said. “She wants to reach out to older members of the community, especially those with Parkinson’s (disease).”

Liam Pollenz is a student involved with the project who interviewed Donna Richardson. Richardson is a member of the community who signed up for a tech skills class with the center and was asked to be interviewed by a graphic design student.

“After I signed the paper they gave me, I got a call from Hannah, who set me up with Liam,” Richardson said. “We had a two-hour conversation about my experience as an aging person. I have two grandchildren that are college students, so I really enjoyed participating in this project.”

Richardson is a retired clinical surgeon worker. 

“I trained a lot of new student physicians … who needed help finding their way,” Richardson said. “I have always enjoyed my interactions with students.”

To view these zines, visit the Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging at 151 W. Lake St.