Was it the bracing cold or the enormity of the project that kept the group, who gathered to witness the “topping out” ceremony, moving this morning for the tour of the under-construction one-stop-student-services-shopping building, called Academic Building One, on the campus of University of Colorado Denver?

Both forces came together while guests were escorted by representatives of AndersonMasonDale Architects and Saunders Construction through the ground-floor public space with a cafe, fifth-floor financial aid and registrar offices and second-floor disability resources offices and the BYOD (bring your own device) computer lab.

Post-tour, attendees were invited to sign the 34-foot 2,200-pound beam that represented the “topping out” construction tradition.

When the beam was signed (even Milo the Lynx, CU Denver’s new mascot put paw to pen), construction workers hoisted and swung the steel into its permanent roof-top place. The beam bore a U.S. and a Colorado state flag along with a potted Blue Spruce tree supplied by the construction crew.

Is the tree a harbinger of the holiday season to come? I wondered. No, it’s tradition with Norwegian roots.

“The evergreen tree is thought to symbolize the life and growth of the building,” CU Denver PR pro Marcia Neville explained in an e-mail. “In Scandinavian countries, the evergreen was considered a good spirit. When a building was erected, an evergreen was placed on the highest point of the structure to ward off evil spirits. And, since we topped off on Halloween, warding off evil spirits is probably a good idea!”

Chancellor Don Elliman gave some brief remarks in deference to the chilly weather.

“We gathered for the ground breaking at this site in January on a wing and a prayer…” Elliman said. “Today is 10 months to the day since groundbreaking. The building is on time and under budget. We are grateful to (AndersonMasonDale) architects and to Saunders (Construction). The biggest single benefit is to consolidate student services in one space.”

Student Government Association vice president Lubna Mazin, a third-year CU Denver biology major, echoed Elliman.

“Academic Building One will be all about the students,” Mazin said. “I can’t tell you how difficult it has been not to have a home of our own. The lack of a centralized space has caused a lot of problems.”

She told the story of her first days on campus where she bounced from building to building in a tedious trek to find the office she was seeking.

“After a long struggle, I finally found the office. That experience made me not a big fan of CU Denver. As a freshman I dreaded having to register for classes. (At Academic One) the students finally have a place to get all their needs taken care of in one building. This building is taking us one step higher toward a united campus.”

The new $60.5 million building, with all sides flanked with glass windows that offer a spectacular 360-degree scenic view is expected to reach completion in July. CU Denver’s enrollment is 14,000 students – an 18 percent increase since 2005, which includes a 30 percent increase in undergraduate enrollment.

Students sign the final beam placed in the University of Colorado Denver Academic Building 1 on Thursday. Below, the beam is lifted by a crane into place. (CU Denver University Communications photos)

Got talent for trivia?

WorldDenver, a nonprofit community organization dedicated to advancing an understanding of global affairs and cultures, is hosting its first Global Cup Challenge trivia fundraiser from 6 to 10 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center in Englewood.

The evening, with beverages sponsored by Molson Coors Brewing Company, will begin with a pub-food themed buffet dinner following by an international trivia competition.

Teams of five will compete in five rounds of questions based on current affairs, geography, businesses and organizations as well as globally minded professionals testing their knowledge to win donated prizes and a year of bragging rights.

Celebrity quiz masters include: Kay Landen and Joanne Posner-Mayer (event co-chairs), Carolyn Richards, Joe Megyesy, Katie Evans, Alice Anneberg, Laurie Zeller, Kim Savit, Beverley Simpson and Selena Dunham. Greg Dobbs and Anna Alejo will serve as celebrity quiz masters for the Challenge.

Funds raised will support WorldDenver’s programs: Denver World Affairs Council, Young Professionals, International Visitor Leadership Program, Home Hospitality, GlobaLiteracy and WorldDenver Talks.

For registration materials, event information and sponsorship opportunities, go to http://globalcupchallenge.org/.

What does the Fox say?

The Fox network reality series, “Master Chef,” is coming to Denver looking for new recruits on Saturday.

The open call casting will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Denver Downtown hotel at 1450 Glenarm Place.

The series, heading into its fifth season, stars renowned chefs Gordon Ramsay and Graham Elliot and restaurateur and vineyard owner Joe Bastianich.

For application, instructions, audition guidelines, eligibility requirements, open call details and more, visit www.masterchefcasting.com.

A ‘Master Chef’ casting call is coming to Denver Saturday. Chefs Graham Elliot, left, and Gordon Ramsay and restaurateur and vineyard owner Joe Bastianich are judges on the Fox network reality series. (Fox network photo).

Think out of the box

Visionbox, a Denver-based professional actors’ studio and intermedia production company, will present a free open rehearsal of “The American Realism Project” beginning at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at 910 ARTS, Skylite Station, 910 Santa Fe Drive. Doors open at 6.

Visionbox’s mission is to develop the work of visionary artists through professional training and public performance. By raising the overall level of technique and excellence in Denver actors, Visionbox strives to contribute to a growing world-class arts culture in Colorado.

For more information, go to www.visionbox.org or call 720-810-1641.

Tasty

It’s a hearty party with a purpose when “A Taste For Life,” a benefit for Project Angel Heart, takes over the Hyatt Regency Colorado Convention Center ballroom on Tuesday.

Join the charity, which serves meals to people with life-threatening illnesses, and presenting sponsor DaVita for an evening of tasty treats and cocktails from some of Denver’s most celebrated restaurants and caterers.

Guests will also have the chance to bid on silent auction items such as VIP tickets to the smash hit musical “The Book of Mormon,” a Palisade wine country weekend, a priceless www.MLB.com Colorado Rockies opening day VIP experience, plus more than 150 other items. Tickets at http://www.projectangelheart.org/events/taste-for-life.html.

A Taste of Life is coming to the Hyatt Regency Colorado Convention Center on Tuesday. A Taste of Life is a fundraiser for Project Angel Heart. (McBoat Photography)

Beer here

The Denver Art Museum has teamed up with the Dillon Dam Brewery to craft a special beer in honor of the museum’s exhibition Passport to Paris.

Facebook fans of the museum and brewery chose the name La Seine Shine, submitted by Heather Burnett through an online competition. The brew is part of a larger promotional partnership between the two entities to reach the ski audience and tap into the creativity of the community.

Dillon Dam Brewery brewmaster Cory Forster chose to brew a type of steam beer with elements of lagers and ales.

“A ray of sunshine in a glass” is how Forster describes this beer, which was tapped earlier this week at the Rackhouse Pub in Denver and the Dillon Dam Brewery in Dillon.

The Passport to Paris exhibition is a trio of shows that focus on French art from the late 1600s to early 1900s, and explore changes in art and society during three important centuries in art history. For tickets, go to www.denverartmuseum.org or call 720-913-0130.

‘Passport to Paris’ is an exhibit at Denver Art Museum that will run from October 27 to February 9, 2014. (Denver Art Museum photo)

Eavesdropping on a woman: “On my tombstone it’s going to say, ‘Had a weakness for cheese balls, the kind you eat and the kind you meet.’ ”

Did you hear that I have a new column, “Mile High Life,” in Colorado Community Media’s 17 weekly newspapers circling Denver? Be sure to like my Facebook page! Also, here’s where you go to get my column emailed to you Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. My email: penny@blacktie-llc.com. Want to advertise your business here? Contact Trisha at trilind@hotmail.com.