Volume 16 | Issue 1 | Spring 2021 A Rocky Mountain Student Media Publication
Campus Upended
Show Us Your Mask
Partying in a Pandemic
How COVID-19 impacted CSU campus initiatives
How the pandemic changed fashion and invention
How COVID-19 has reset the CSU social scene
Editors Meg Metzger-Seymour, Editor-in-Chief Arlee Walls, Executive Editor Samantha Ye, Multimedia Editor
Contributors Cecilia Apodaca Grace Cooper Rima Cowherd Aspen Flores Abby Huether Kailey Pickering
Photography Devin Cornelius Tri Duong Ryan Schmidt Anna Tomka Anna von Pechmann
Design Meg Metzger-Seymour Parker Albin Olivia Brett Briyana Bunson
From Your Editors Whether it feels like it or not, it has been a full year since the pandemic began. Looking back, it’s almost comical how optimistic we were about how quickly the pandemic would end. Remember that CSU initially only planned to move classes online for a few weeks, that the impending summer would “kill off the virus.” None of us could have expected that a full year later, we would still be in the depths of the pandemic.
Jake Sherlock
In a moment where everyone is reflecting on the previous year, it felt only appropriate to dedicate our single edition this academic year to telling stories of the pandemic. Everyone has had a different experience. Everyone has been affected in a unique way. Everyone has their own pandemic story.
@collegeavemag collegeavemag.com
This is evident simply in the way people reminisce about the pandemic. Everyone has a story about where they were when Joyce McConnell first announced we would have an extended spring break and temporarily move online. Or a story from the depths of the state-wide lockdown, the excitement of getting take-out alcohol for the first time.
Advisor (the man who made this possible)
College Avenue Magazine CSU Lory Student Center, Room 118 Fort Collins, CO 80523 (970)491-1683 collegeavemag.com editor@collegeavemag.com Advertising Inquiries advertising@collegian.com Employment Opportunities editor@collegeavemag.com
This publication is not an official publication of CSU but is published by an independent corporation using the name ‘College Avenue’ pursuant to a license granted by CSU
While the novelty of the pandemic is gone, it is important to still recognize the good, and the bad, that has resulted from the pandemic. In this edition, we aimed to highlight these stories. So much has changed in the past year, and while we may long for things to return to normal, this pandemic is certainly something that will define our lifetimes and that we will never forget.
Meg Metzger-Seymour Editor-in-Chief
Arlee Walls Executive Editor
Samantha Ye Multimedia Editor
Contents
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A Timeline: One Year of COVID in Colorado
Show Us Your Mask: How the Pandemic Changed Fashion & Invention
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28
Being a Professor During a Pandemic
Partying in a Pandemic: How COVID-19 Has Reset CSU’s Social Scene
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Campus Upended: Sustainability & Hunger During COVID-19
Sitting on the Sidelines: Athletes Strives to Keep the Game Alive
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Everything Has Changed: How COVID-19 Has Affected the College Experience
From Spanish Flu to Coranavirus: 2 Pandemics That Shaped CSU
22 Photo Story: Life in a Sorority House During a Pandemic
There’s more to this edition!
Visit collegeavemag.com for more College Avenue content
A Year of COVID in Colorado March of 2020: the month everyone’s plans for the foreseeable future collapsed in real-time. Now, a full year later, we reflect on the major events that guided Colorado during the COVID-19 pandemic, even if only to recognize how warped our perception of time has become.
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Aggregated by Samantha Ye | Design by Meg Metzger-Seymour
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BEING A
DURING A PANDEMIC By Kailey Pickering A screen of black, faceless Zoom tiles, a socially distanced room with masked faces, and various discussion boards have greeted professors at Colorado State University over the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the hectic year that was 2020, University professors had to adjust their styles of learning remotely and navigate hybrid classes, all while trying to give their students the best instruction they could. When professors adapted to a partial online semester in March they had a plethora of obstacles to jump through. During his spring break, Brian Tracy, a professor from the Health and Exercise Department who teaches Neuromuscular Aspects of Human movement, worked with other staff to recreate at home labs when CSU went online. “We probably got about 75% of that content, we figured out how to repackage and reengineer as an at home lab,” Tracy explains. As science professors learned how to modify labs to be performed at home, Thomas Conway, an English professor at CSU, describes how he and his colleagues went to the TILT building seeking ways to help their students. “So we all went there and basically spent our summers taking online best practices classes to adapt to the post COVID, post pandemic world,” Conway says. “So it was really remarkable I think, the response that I saw from my colleagues and willingness to give up their summers.” One factor that has increased for most professors is the time they put into creating effective activities and lesson plans to deliver
in the format they have to work with. Before the pandemic hit, Conway had invested time in creating Canvas modules and shells. “I adapted more and more to Canvas to meet student needs,” Conway explains. “Then I decided to really go all in on it and created really strong Canvas shells and modules which I hadn’t used. In the past, I would just give like a Word document schedule.”
(Left) Dr. Brian Tracy teaches a health and exercise science lab on Mar. 9 Photo by Ryan Schmidt
Professors like Conway who invested time into Canvas before or during the pandemic helped to create a reliable structure students could turn to in order to locate resources and material. In addition to his modules, Conway has also tried to make his discussion boards more engaging and interactive. Jeff Dodge, who teaches Copy Editing in addition to working in the CSU Public Relations office, has also invested more time in discussion boards for his class. In teaching a hybrid class in the Fall 2020 semester, Dodge found his usual teaching habits disrupted by a classroom half in-person and half online. “I couldn’t use the whiteboard anymore because nobody would be able to see it, so I had to start getting used to typing things in documents,” Dodge says. This alteration in his teaching style led Dodge to use more digital PDFs and engage his class through discussion boards. One important role that has played a factor in almost all forms of teaching is the lack of student engagement. Brian Tracy has done his best to combat this through the lab/ lecture course he teaches on Neuromuscular Aspects 11
Maximilliano Martinez and Brooke Elges demonstrate an activity to study the stretch reflex for a health and exercise science lab on Mar. 9. This activity was modified, using a six-foot poll to adhere to social distancing requirements Photos by Ryan Schmidt
of Human Movement. In his in-person lecture in the fall 2020 semester, Tracy’s class was split into two groups: one meeting in-person on Tuesday while the other group watched online; this flipped for Thursdays. “It restricted my movement and my ability to go around the classroom and interact like sometimes we’ll do,” Tracy explains about how different discussions were amid an in-person, socially distanced class. Nevertheless, Tracy still does what he can to engage his students. “I try to, as much as possible, force the interaction with the students that are there and still pose questions,” he says. Tracy’s lab looks drastically different from a normal year. He explains that although he and his colleagues had to take out many aspects as they redesigned labs, “we retained quite a bit of stuff we just had to re-engineer so that people aren’t touching each other.”
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Online learning is not the same as in person, period.
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Tracy has had students use an app called phyphox that measures movement in ways that professional tools would do. For example, if students were studying reflexes, they could put their phone against their leg, tap their knee, the leg would move as a reflex and the app would record information about the movement.
This tool has made it possible for students to do similar lab activities while using their own devices to make data observations. This also eliminates the use of expensive, professional equipment in labs. Students can also check out at home lab kits to conduct experiments at home with those they live with. “It’s allowed them to do pretty much the full on lab that they would have done in the lab at home,” Tracy says. While Tracy, Conway and Dodge have made innovative adjustments to their teaching styles, the negative impacts of learning amid the pandemic are still present. 12
“Online learning is not the same as in person, period,” Tracy stresses. “Now there is some stuff that we do in the lab that simply can’t be done at home,” Tracy elaborates. “It can’t be done well by watching a video; it needs to be experienced. So, there’s still that part missing.” Lower levels of engagement, higher numbers of absences and the difference in discussion are all factors that change the learning experience for students and professors. However, Tracy still says that “you can, with a great amount of input, figure out how to teach stuff remotely and have it be of good quality.” But while the alteration in teaching is not as effective as in-person, it has also caused great costs to the higher education community. Similar to many aspects of this pandemic, everyone has been affected in different ways. While CSU staff is working harder than ever before, the financial stress the pandemic has caused does not compliment this. “It’s affected employees in terms of more work for no pay,” Conway explains. “So all my colleagues, for example, have worked harder over the last year than usual. They usually work hard to begin with in normal circumstances, but there is more work with no compensation. And in some cases, less job security as new hires might be frozen.” Professors have gone to new lengths to shift to online learning amid the pandemic and have found many takeaways to use in the future, but the challenge of online learning has created a gap between a normal learning model and the new online learning. Even though adjustments have been made, we continue to live in a world of unpredictability. So while the return to CSU in-person classes is anticipated by the fall of 2021, professors will continue to adjust and alter instruction models according to the most recent developments in the pandemic.
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SUSTAINABILITY AND HUNGER DURING COVID-19 Illustration by Olivia Brett | College Avenue Magazine
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By Cecilia Apodaca This past year has been challenging for campus initiatives at Colorado State University. From diverting waste to feeding students, many programs were forced to restructure and refocus their strategies as the pandemic upended campus life. For instance, the Zero Waste Team had difficulties maintaining their usual venues of waste management. Usually, club members attend football games and other various campus events to host waste diversion and up-cycling practices. In a normal year, they also work closely with dorms to educate and divert waste. However, the pandemic halted many of their normal procedures. “We’ve had to focus more of our efforts on education because we don’t have the opportunity to actually divert waste as much,” says Fran Letts, president of the Zero Waste Team at CSU. “We haven’t had those interactions with students. Usually we help out at orientation, Ram Welcome, and different fairs. We usually get that interaction before they even start school and then we create that culture around waste prevention. There’s a gap right now between the knowledge” Even outreach and education initiatives have proven to be difficult with the lack of in-person gatherings. “We like to broadcast our work to the greater community,” says Sara Van Hatten, director of the Student Sustainability Center. “If we went on a recycling tour at the Timberline Recycling Center, you’re welcome to come if you’re not a CSU student. But it’s really hard to encourage students, staff, faculty, or anybody to jump on another Zoom call at the end of the day. Ultimately, that’s really where we have fallen short. I’ve talked to other leaders on campus and it all seems to be going pretty similar in terms of turnout.” Through restructuring, creativity has been key to finding ways to still pursue sustainability.
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“Sustainability looks a lot different right now. People are afraid to drink water from fountains, so they buy lots of bottled water, or things like that,” says Mary Liang, the Assistant Director of Sustainability within Housing and Dining. “You see masks everywhere or gloves everywhere. But maybe we can find different ways and creative ways to pursue sustainability.”
services. We are normalizing the conversation and we are seeing increases in numbers.”
Besides programs focusing on sustainability, food waste and food security initiatives also had to restructure during the pandemic. For instance, the Rams Against Hunger program, which serves as an umbrella for several smaller foodrelated programs, had to adapt their approach to continue helping the community.
“Students are finding it a lot more accessible, especially with the pandemic,” says Jose Hernandez Albarado, the graduate assistant for RamRide. “When you think about vulnerable populations and how they can’t go out to get their groceries, this program really benefits them in giving them more accessibility to get free food. I also think this is a huge thing for folks who are low income or can’t afford it.”
Some programs within Rams Against Hunger were unable to run at all, like the Ram Food Recovery program. This initiative addressed student food insecurity by letting students know of any leftover food from Housing and Dining and any events in various halls. Initiatives like the Meal Swipes program, which offers 60 free meal swipes to eligible students, have also been hard to change to maximize benefits to the student population.
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“SUSTAINABILITY LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT RIGHT NOW. PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO DRINK WATER FROM FOUNTAINS, SO THEY BUY LOTS OF BOTTLED WATER, OR THINGS LIKE THAT.”
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“There are a lot of students that have been on the waitlist for a long time. And now if they get the meals, they may not even be on campus,” says Michael Buttram, Rams Against Hunger Coordinator. “That has been tough because it is harder to organize now, and I want to still keep their names on the waitlist if they are not on campus.” Since students are helped on a first-come, first-serve basis in the Meal Swipes program, students are put on the waitlist if the program cannot initially accept them. As participants rotate throughout the year, students on the waitlist typically get to participate within the academic term. However, the pandemic resulted in many students missing this opportunity. Despite these obstacles, some programs have adapted to the pandemic for the better. The Rams Against Hunger Food Pantry, for instance, adapted to make food more accessible by increasing one day a month to three days a week. “We used to do monthly pantries, one day a month and 900 people were showing up,” Buttram says. “But we can’t serve the whole community in two hours. And what happens if you work during those two hours? So now we are accessible to more and more people and it’s becoming an understood part of student support
The increased hours of the food pantry led the RamRide Food Ops to serve more of the CSU population. This program, which only started in January 2020, transferred from a service that transported people to the food pantry to a food delivery service.
The program saw a direct result from the increased accessibility. In the beginning of October 2020, the program delivered to around 20-30 homes. By November, they were helping around 40 families. Alongside food initiatives becoming more accessible, overall momentum around the issue of food insecurity also increased. Feeding America, who dispensed food to all pantries across the United States and to Larimer County Food Bank, started supplying CSU with more food in 2020. When the pandemic hit and restaurants closed, Feeding America redirected produce from suppliers to food banks. This not only helped to increase food options for communities, but also lessened overall waste. “The pandemic really opened up avenues that hadn’t been there before,” Buttram says. “We were seeing a ton of new producers coming in, and I don’t think those avenues and donations are going to go away completely after the pandemic ends.”
Let’s KEEP doing our part to protect FRIENDS and FAMILY. TEST, TRACE, ISOLATE
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*covid.colostate.edu
Everything Has Changed: How COVID-19 Has Affected the College Experience
By Abby Huether
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The COVID-19 virus has shifted everybody’s plans for 2020, including college students and post-college graduates. 18 years of excitement built until the glorious moment when high school seniors received their diploma and moved on from the halls of high school into college life. The excitement of first classes, first games and first dates awaited incoming college freshmen. College seniors carefully started planning their graduation, thinking about internships and first jobs, maybe even the thrill of moving to a new city. All of these carefully thought out plans came to a crashing halt when COVID-19 entered the world.
ings. First day of class outfits now have a mask to match. Instead of choosing a seat next to a random other student in class, students distance 6 feet apart, trying to reduce contact as much as possible. For new first-year students on campus, these changes are their first experiences of college life. For seniors, their entire college experience has shifted from comfortable rhythms to uncertainty and panic. For some, job opportunities after college are disappearing, leaving them nervous and frightened for what will occur after graduation. Life after college is terrifying, and COVID-19 is making it that much worse.
Even with all of the chaos and uncertainty, students are still attending schools, despite the restrictions that have occurred over the past few months. In-person lectures have been traded for Zoom meet-
Lizzie Reifsteck is a first-year student at Colorado State University studying zoology. Reifsteck was one of the many high school seniors this year who had to come to terms with the fact that their col-
lege experience was going to change. She kept her hopes high over the summer, awaiting news that maybe her college experience would go back to normal. As the final days of summer approached, she knew that she was going to have to adjust to a COVID-19 college experience. “Over the summer, I had this like hope that it would just kind of disappear.” says Reifsteck. “But when it came on campus, it was interesting because I didn’t realize how many of my classes weren’t going to be in-person. I feel like the week before I got all these emails that were like ‘Oh, hey, just so you know, this class is going to be online’.” Zoom classes are something that most college students never dreamed that they would have to experience. This year college students were forced to make a choice between either continuing their education, which might mean potentially lower-value classes, all while paying the same tuition, or taking a semester off, leaving many students floundering. Another area that’s changed since the pandemic started is social interaction. Fewer students are hanging out together due to restrictions, or they’re limiting the time that they spend with others. Students are sticking to smaller groups of already formed friends, hoping to protect themselves from getting the virus or even giving it to others. Reifsteck has been playing it safe with social interactions, making sure that she’s being as safe as possible. “I really wish there was more interaction with people,” says Reifsteck. “Obviously, when you go to college, that’s one of the things you consider like, ‘Oh, what’s the social life like?’ I mean it wasn’t the main decision, but it’s one of those things you factor in. It would be nice to have more interaction, but obviously, I’d rather not get COVID-19.” Even though there are fewer in-person clubs, many CSU
clubs are still meeting, just a little differently, either on Zoom or in smaller groups. Amy QuinnSparks, manager of academic advising and support for CSU online, recommends using the CSU website to locate clubs on-campus. “If someone searches student organizations, or something like that, they can then get all the information on the website of how to meet with students,” says Quinn-Sparks. “If it’s an online student who isn’t living in Fort Collins or northern Colorado, the student can talk to the Alumni Center. The Alumni Center can give them information about other Rams in their area.” With a few years of college already under their belt, seniors are having to get rid of traditions, patterns and a school rhythm that have been established. For Kourtney Yadao, some of the changes are not only to her major, but also her future career.
“Over the summer, I had this hope that [COVID-19] would just kind of disappear.”
As a dance major, Yadao worried that her experience this year might be a lot different than in years past. Dance majors have some non-studio dance classes, like math or science, but many of their classes are in-person at the studio. Before COVID-19, Yadao spent countless hours in the dance studio, perfecting her routines and practicing, both on school days and weekends, all on top of an already full class schedule. Despite all the changes, Yadao is finding a lot of similarities between this year and years past. “Thankfully, I am still in-person for my dance classes as much as it can provide. There are very big protocols that we have taken within our
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Kourtney Yadao studies in the University Center for the Arts on Oct. 23. Yadao is studying dance and said she enjoys “being able to be creative in my own artistic way.” Photos by Ryan Schmidt
whole program and what we’ve done at CSU. I believe that’s fantastic,” says Yadao. “The only thing that really sucks is that our technique time, our dance time, is usually an hour and 40 minutes… But the thing is with protocol, is that we have to push all of that into a one- hour class, and to do that is very different, especially dancing in a mask.” Yadao is still willing to adhere to these protocols because she’s doing what she loves, which rings true for many college students. The differences between this year and years past aren’t enough to detract students from their love of what they’re studying. On top of masks, distancing and shorter times, the dance program’s performances are also getting a renovation. The dance performances will still continue like in years past, but due to COVID-19, some changes will occur. An option to watch the performance virtually will be introduced, which will open up the opportunity for people who can’t see the show in person. “We are thankful enough that we will still have a concert,” says Yadao. “There will be very limited guests in the audience, but I believe what they’re trying to do… they’re going to broadcast it. You can buy your tickets online, but you can stream it onto your laptop or any device and you can watch it from home. It’s a nice sensation to have a live audience, and although our audience will be reduced, we’re still going to be thankful that we’re still able to do what we’re able to do as dancers.” Probably the biggest change that seniors are having to make is thinking about post-gradua-
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tion plans. COVID-19 has changed many industries in ways that were never thought possible. Many students are having to set their dream on hold, potentially settling for a job that they might not have wanted. Yadao is no exception. She is thinking about what’s going to happen post-college with her upcoming graduation in the spring and the uncertainty that COVID-19 has brought. Yadao is looking at the positive in this, though, realizing that plans can change in a heartbeat, as COVID has taught everybody. “You’ll always have that adrenaline and anxiousness coming out if you can’t find a job because that’s the first true look into post-graduation,” says Yadao. “But in the end, I also don’t think I should worry as much, I believe. COVID-19 also really set that up for us to not really worry if we cannot, cause there’s always a way for a person to get back up to where they need to be.” Even though there might be more stress in finding a job, Katie Flint, director of employer connections at the career center, reassures seniors that there are still jobs out there. Even if it seems like there’s nothing out there, it’s a good idea to utilize resources available, like the career center, a mentor, or even a professor. “There’s assumption that there’s absolutely nothing available, but that is so not true,” says Flint. “We still have so many employers who are looking to hire, whether it be for full-time or internships… We really encourage the students to use all the resources that they have available to them.”
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(Top Left) Sammi Stoneburger is a Colorado State University Chi Omega sophomore who lived in the sorority house. (Bottom Left) Cloth face masks lie on the table as a group of Gamma Phi Beta girls eat brunch together Sunday, Feb. 21. (Top Right) Colorado State University Gamma Phi Beta Philanthropy Chair Grace Wilbur responds to fellow “G Phi” Morgan Westby over brunch at Urban Egg, Feb. 21. (Bottom Right) Maggie Letson is a Colorado State University Chi Omega sophomore. Letson lived in the sorority house until the rennovation began to get rid of asbestos. She said she didn’t mind moving out since the experience was different anyways because of COVID.
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Sorority Life During a Pandemic Photo Story by Anna von Pechmann (Top Left) Bricks on the front lawn of the Colorado State University Chi Omega sorority house are engraved with names. (Middle Left) A group of Colorado State University Gamma Phi Beta freshmen and sophomores walk into Urban Egg for brunch Sunday, Feb. 21. (Bottom Left) Colorado State University Gamma Phi Beta, also called G Phi, sophomores Kaitlyn McAllister (left) and Payton Shaffer (right) discuss what they want to order as they look at an online menu at Urban Egg Feb. 21. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants have adopted a system in which customers scan a QR code to view an online menu to reduce the spread of the virus. (Right) Sophomore Grace Wilbur is Colorado State University Gamma Phi Beta Philanthropy Chair.
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SHOW US YOUR MASK How the Pandemic Changed Fashion and Invention By Aspen Flores More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks are nothing new, and for many of us wearing them regularly has become normal in everyday life. Whether you wear store-bought masks, homemade ones, or the latest protective designs, masks not only protect against COVID-19, but also create a new niche for businesses, fashion design, and invention. Even though mask-wearing in the United States has not been as popular until now, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic many people have found ways to incorporate aspects of their culture and values into designs, like graphic designer Brayan Montes-Terrazas. Montes-Terrazas graduated from Colorado 24
State University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in business and a concentration in marketing. Although he no longer lives on campus, some of his work does in the form of masks and hats. In 2020, an Associate Director for El Centro reached out to Montes-Terrazas to say El Centro wanted to make masks for National Hispanic Heritage Month with a similar “Latinx flair” as the hats he made the year before. “I took the same theme and style and kind of translated it to some other aspects, so that’s where you’ll see some of the birds come into play and the sun,” Montes-Terrazas says. “We’re a bright culture that transcends past
just Mexican and goes all the way down to the tip of Argentina.” Masks truly are a sign of the times and can do so much more than protect against COVID-19. Like any other clothing people wear, masks have become a fashion statement and can reveal different things about a person. “I’ve seen people have masks that say ‘I can’t breathe’ or ‘Black Lives Matter,’ and things like that, and I think that is such a cool way to put it upfront what you believe in,” Montes-Terrazas says. “I find that after the happenings of the summer with George Floyd and the awareness that has brought to the lack of diversity in the workplace, it’s more and more evident that this ironically colorful design industry does not have a lot of color in it.” Inspired by this, Montes-Terrazas says he is excited to start hosting a monthly Zoom series, called “Creatives of Color Meetups” where creatives of all kinds can connect to build a necessary community to combat the isolation of COVID-19 and the current inequality that persists. More about the “Creatives of Color Meetups” will be announced soon on MontesTerrazas’ Instagram. Another community project still in motion despite the COVID-19 setbacks is the CSU 2021 Fashion Show, Emerge, debuting April 9. Jordan Wyman a third-year apparel and merchandising student with a concentration in apparel design and production also helps the CSU fashion show as the Head of the Set and Shoot Committee. Now that the show is entirely virtual this year, pre-recorded video will become a crucial aspect, but safety precautions are still taken seriously on set. Outside of the fashion show, Wyman has noticed the impact of COVID-19 on the world of fashion and in apparel and design classes. “That’s actually a major thing that people are talking about in fashion right now,” Wyman says. “Masks kind of boomed as this major fashion accessory with patterns and different styles. I think masks are going to become a permanent accessory even after people get vaccinated.”
In class Wyman is working on the creation stage of their senior capstone which will feature a line of clothing focused on plus size fashion, but they have also noticed other students incorporating masks into this project.
(Left) Brayan Montes-Terrazas poses for a photo wearing the mask he designed for El Centro.
“A big thing we’re seeing is masks being built into clothing,” Wyman says. “A lot of people in my class are thinking about how we can incorporate masks into clothing already so people don’t have to worry about remembering another item with them.”
Photos courtesy of Brayan Montes-Terrazas
(Top right) Brayan Montes-Terrazas works at his desk.
(Bottom right) Jordan Wyman working on a piece at their sewing machine. Photo by Anna Tomka
While Wyman has only made masks for their own use, it became a fun way to incorporate colors and different patterns into everyday clothing. “The best thing that ever happened to me was when the Halloween fabric came out at Walmart,” Wyman says. “I really like spooky things, and so I think it’s fun that you can 25
(Top) Jordan Wymanholds their sketchbook that is utilized to inspire clothing. (Bottom Left) Wyman’s leather jacket came from a thrift store, but they chose to personalize it with phrases as well as music artists that resonate with them. Photos by Anna Tomka (Bottom Right) Closeup of the pattern Montes-Terrazas designed. Photo courtesy of Brayan Montes-Terrazas
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incorporate all these little design elements into an outfit with just a face accessory.” Further within the world of fashion and design, Kayna Hobbs wants to make a better fitting mask. Hobbs is a CSU graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in Environmental Health, with a focus in Occupational Ergonomics and Safety. Currently, Hobbs is working on a project that will analyze 2,000 different 3D scans of people’s faces to figure out how the similarities and differences affect sizing systems for masks. This project is still in the beginning stages, but the goal is to protect atrisk populations and essential workers with better fitting masks. All of this is important because there are no scientifically verified guidelines regarding what measurements are the most important for mask fit.
“There’s a lot of research in this area about face shape and size for respirators, but you know, not everybody can wear a respirator around,” Hobbs says. “Most people don’t even have access to an N-95 mask, so it’s pretty important to be able to help protect our essential workers.” Right now, a lot is still uncertain about the future, including what will come of masks, but Hobbs says masks still might hold relevance in our society long after COVID-19 is gone. “Is this all going to be relevant in a year or two years, when we all have the vaccine? I mean that’s the question, it’s hard to say,” Hobbs says. “The likelihood of there being another pandemic is not zero, but there’s always going to be people wearing masks in non-pandemic situations... It’s always going to be important to have masks available.”
PARTYING IN A PANDEMIC: How COVID-19 has Reset CSU’s Social Scene
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By Grace Cooper The red solo cups of a crowded house and disco lights of a bustling bar have become iconic for generations of college students. A first college party has become a rite of passage for everyone — except freshmen coming into the 2020-2021 school year. While the COVID-19 pandemic has presented many academic challenges for students, it has also impacted the social life of students all over the country, including the 26,550 undergraduate students of Colorado State University. In a non-pandemic year, CSU’s Off-Campus Life Party Registration Program would register between 20-40 parties in the Fort Collins area on a Friday or Saturday night, says Jenn Rieskamp, community liaison specialist of the Off-Campus Life Program. Halloween 2019 registered over 100 parties. The Party Registration Program is a studentfounded program that allows students to receive a warning if they receive a noise complaint, giving them 20 minutes to quiet down or break up the party. Comparatively, the entire fall semester of 2020 registered only 14 parties total, with the majority of these on Halloween. However, the question remains of whether the parties out there are simply flying under the radar or if CSU students are doing their part in staying safe.
both bar and bike shop — details the current COVID-19 restrictions in place for bars and restaurants: operating at 50% capacity, 10 feet between tables, no more than 10 people in groups, contact tracing, and of course masks and copious amounts of hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies.
“The best way to socialize is to not,” Rieskamp says.
“The week before everything closed we actually had a meeting about COVID, and I told everyone to be prepared that it might not be the busiest summer. COVID blindsided everyone,” Gantert says. Road 34, along with all of Fort Collins other bars experienced two closures, the first in March, and then in November, and are now slowly working back towards some semblance of a new normal. “Before, we had people moving between tables, it was an open scene to meet people, and now we have to rein people in; we can’t let them wander around, but I look forward to getting back to that.”
But Party Registration has adapted to COVID-19 times by publishing a list of COVID specific Responsible Social Gathering Tips, which includes most of the same tips students hear every day: keep gatherings small, social distance, wear masks, etc. Speaking to the fact that CSU has been able to stay open, Rieskamp says, “I think the moral of the story is that most students are doing the right thing. Out of all the seasons I’ve been here this is the quietest fall.” This is true not only for house parties, but across the Fort Collins bar scene as well. Schuyler Gantert, owner of Road 34 — a quintessentially Fort Collins business that is
(Above) Ike Enriquez, a third-year journalism student at CSU, listens to music outside the Lory Student Center on Feb. 26. Photo by Tri Duong
When it comes to nightlife, a popular resource for students is RamRide, CSU’s safe ride program. In the past, RamRide has operated on a volunteer basis Thursday-Saturday night, 29
giving students rides around the Fort Collins area. In light of the pandemic, this program has revamped in several directions: a partnership with Lyft to continue providing rides, a Food Operations program, which allows volunteers to deliver food from the food pantry, working with Rams Against Hunger, and still in the works, a Transportation Security program where students can apply for additional discounted rides. “A big thing I know a lot of programs are striving to do is how do we still provide support to CSU students when they might not be located physically in the Fort Collins area,” says Bri Colon, program coordinator for RamRide. With the Lyft partnership, students are able to get discounted rides from Lyft for up to $12, which Colon reports as the average ride cost for students, not only in the Fort Collins area, but nation-wide, and seven days a week. “We’ve already had a very large increase in rides starting this semester off strong, so I think it’s a product of more folks hearing about it, maybe more folks getting a little more comfortable with taking rides,” Colon says. But in spite of all the red tape that comes with in person interactions these days, the CSU community’s efforts are paying off. “The number of people at parties, 10-15 people, is so much smaller that it guides me to think people are doing what they should,” Rieskamp says. 30
“I think we’re lucky in Fort Collins and North Colorado in general, people stick to regulations. Really there’s no one not following regulations maliciously; if it happens it’s just forgetfulness,” Gantert says. “Because of that, we’ve been able to maintain a friendly and welcoming environment where health and safety come into play.” There’s no doubt that the social life for today’s CSU students is vastly different from what they imagined. The combination of a college environment and pandemic certainly present a very unique set of challenges for everyone, however there are many people at CSU working hard to continue providing resources not only for students to stay safe, but to continue connecting, socializing safely, and enjoying their college experience. “I’m well aware that it’s a terrible year. I went to college — I know what socializing in college looks like,” Gantert says. “Now, we’re doing our best to still make it fun. And I think there’s still enjoyment to be had in getting out of the house, going out with your roommates or a few friends and having fun.”
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Sitting on the Sidelines:
Athletes Strive to Keep the Game Alive By Rima Cowherd The COVID-19 pandemic has been a turning point for all individuals across the world throughout this point in time. Sports have been adapting to new ways of life since the pandemic began in March of 2020, and now as of 2021 we have a new era for Colorado State University athletes to showcase their performances and inform us how they’ve adapted to sports in 2021. COVID-19 put a damper on the majority of athletes’ sports who had been either preparing for an upcoming season or got theirs cancelled all together from the
pandemic. Coming from CSU’s Track & Field team, Christian Carnahan, a junior high jumper, says his experience was pretty tough overall. Carnahan had an injury to his knee toward the end of indoor season around January, so once outdoor season began and he was ready to perform he simply couldn’t due to COVID-19. “It made me frustrated that I wasn’t able to perform the way I wanted to before,” Carnahan says. “Then when I finally was able too, I just wasn’t able to showcase it.” The up-and-down decisions and constant unknowns with the COVID-19 pandemic during sports has created more suffering on student athletes who are having to keep their hopes up with the unknown certainty that their season and teams will be intact.
(Left) Breana Runnels (15) spikes the ball towards her opponents during the University’s season opening volleyball game vs the United States Air Force Academy Feb. 5. CSU wins 3-1. (Bottom Left) Alexa Roumeliotis (8) and Naeemah Weathers (9) during their Volleyball game vs University of Nevada Las Vegas Feb. 18. Photos by Devin Cornelius
With new regulations regarding facemask covering during workouts, limited people in weight training rooms and extensive cleaning, CSU has been able to move forward and help produce new regulations so their athletes can continue to train. “We’re super lucky that we got to train with just different regulations,” Carnahan says. “I know a lot of schools in our conference got completely shut down or weren’t able to train at all.” Tameryn Coryell, redshirt sophomore and pole vaulter for CSU, shared how her athletic season was affected and own personal performance has been throughout the pandemic. “It’s difficult and taxing in a sense just because I feel like as an athlete and student, I have high expectations of myself and really obviously want the best but it’s really hard to get motivated,” Coryell says. 33
(Above) Breana Runnels (15) watches her hit after she spikes the ball past a blocker, during the University’s season opening volleyball game vs the United States Air Force Academy Feb. 5. CSU wins 3-1. Photos by Devin Cornelius
Coryell exemplifies what so many students are feeling already, but in turn herself and many other student athletes on campus are challenged daily to push forward to perform at their highest levels both in the classrooms and on the field. “I’m also really grateful that I am an athlete and it has very well kept me going during this pandemic, and I am eternally grateful for my coaching staff and grateful I just have the opportunity to do this at all,” Coryell says. Breana Runnels talks about how her senior year volleyball season has been amidst the pandemic. “COVID-19 has definitely placed a damper on our competition, but it’s been a humbling experience and an experience that’s allowed us
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to grow in different ways to be adaptable and face any challenge head on,” Runnels says. Runnels attitude has helped showcase some of the positive outlooks that have been able to arise from CSU athletes. “Now is a great opportunity just to learn about yourself and self-reflect and really grow with other people who have the same experience,” Runnels says. NCAA sports across the board have had a threat since the pandemic began to cancel many teams and seasons, so their performance at this time has been put to the ultimate test regarding new regulations and new ways to perform to keep their season alive.
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By Kailey Pickering Masks, quarantine, and infection. These are all terms we’ve heard numerous times in the past several months; however none of them are completely unique to the coronavirus pandemic. The Spanish Flu of 1918 struck the world with as much strength as the pandemic we’re currently living in. The coronavirus has hit the American economy with great strength and has placed many in new, virtual environments while changing the ways we have viewed gatherings. However, the Spanish Flu of 1918 enacted an equal amount of fear amongst its victims. The root spread of the Spanish Flu was planted in World War I. It is believed that the illness could have been born amongst the unclean living conditions of the troops. The first case of the Spanish Flu in America sprouted in Kansas at a U.S. Army camp in March of 1918 according to History.com. 36
The military was also the cause of the Spanish Flu’s attack at Colorado State University in October of 1918. The virus appeared at CSU as military troops were passing through campus for training. The flu hit the boys in training and spread to others on campus according to an article from “The Collegian”.
edition of “The Collegian” the condition of the sickness at the University was reported on after the campus hospital saw an improvement after changing linens on the patients beds. While this article seemed to paint the improvement of the hospitals, the October 24 issue of “the Collegian” announced the campus lockdown.
Similar to the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, people were unsure of how to handle this and weren’t taking extremely strict measures yet. While “The Collegian” had put out an article on “Rules for Avoiding the Spanish Flu” advising that cautions like hand washing and avoiding crowds should be taken, the article also claimed that “a school crowd is different. The ‘flu’ does not give a rap for education, and it hates fresh air. At school you sit in a well ventilated assembly room..”
“Two weeks is the period set for the enforced vacations, and it is hoped that the epidemic will have spent itself in that length of time,” stated “The Collegian” article ‘Influenza Closes Campus to Civilians for Two Weeks . “Nearly all civilian students have gone to their homes, and the strictest kind of quarantine is maintained on the campus. The gates are boarded shut, and guards will prevent anybody who has not a special permit, from entering campus.”
This suggestion varies from the present day Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggestions to wear a mask and maintain a social distance then others, although when the impact of the Flu hit, many would be photographed wearing masks when treating the sick in 1918. Undeniably, the Spanish Flu would prove to have a grave impact on the population. The CDC has estimated that worldwide, the Spanish Flu, also known as the H1N1 virus, took at least 50 million lives, with around 675,000 taken in the United States from 1918-1919. The CDC also discussed a unique part of the flu. The virus targeted 20-40 year olds and those over 65 years old. The high mortality rates in 20-40 year olds was a distinct trait in this virus. The flu targeted a different demographic than the coronavirus and the results showed on the CSU campus. In the October 17, 1918
(Far Left) Photos of the infirmiry in 1920. (Top Left) Women wearing “flu rags” in 1920. (Top Right) A photo of the military in 1918. Photos courtesy of the CSU Historical Archive
According to an article written byThe Coloradoan, 126 people died in Fort Collins in 1918, the number rose to around 145-150 during 1919. The victims of the 1918 pandemic on campus went through a similar period of isolation that our world endured when the coronavirus began to truly attack. Patients were denied visitors and could not leave quarantine until 10 days after they had been cleared—all things it seems we are too familiar with amid our own pandemic. The nurses wore cloth masks over their faces to prevent getting the virus. The campus remained in quarantine until Nov. 21, 1918, when “The Collegian” printed an article that classes were to resume as normal. While worldwide, the pandemic would continue to take lives until 1919, the outbreak began to slow towards the beginning of 1919, according to The Coloradoan article. 37
(Above) A photo of the infirmiry in 1920. Photos courtesy of the CSU Historical Archive
The Nov. 21 article ‘Classes Resumed After Month’s Suspension’ said: ”It is the opinion of many of the health boards that the only way to conquer the epidemic is to quarantine each case separately, as in the case of smallpox or scarlet fever, and the men now in the barracks hospital will be held there until fully recovered.” While the quarantine at CSU seemed to be the end of the recorded attack at the University, the Spanish Flu’s teeth would still be sunk into the world until 1919. While for the Fort Collins area, the death toll spanned its shadow over the Colorado sky for a few months, the coronavirus has cast a dreary cloud over the nation that has lasted 10 months and counting. Just like the coronavirus pandemic, the Spanish Flu took the world by surprise. By 1918 modern medicine seemed to be able to take on anything. “Although infectious diseases still accounted for a larger percentage of deaths in the United States than they do today, advances in medicine and sanitation had made doctors and scientists confident that they could one day largely eliminate the threat of these diseases. The flu pandemic changed all that” states History.com. While each virus devastated families and reaped enormous consequences from the world, the coronavirus continues to hold one factor that differentiates it from the Spanish Flu: the prevention of gathering with families and loved ones.
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“I have never been forced to stay in my house for months without hugging my grandparents or friends,” Alyssa Galasso, a freshman at CSU elaborates on her experience. “It is unusual because I don’t think we’ve ever faced something this demanding as a globe.” While this pandemic has carried a heavy infection rate and has taken many lives, the distance it has created between people has been the biggest weight put on peoples shoulders thanks to the pandemic. While the Spanish Flu seized an abundance of lives from the world in a time when the generation thought they could conquer all, the coronavirus has taken lives in addition to time with loved ones, social interactions, and gatherings that have shaped many memories. The Spanish Flu made impressions on the world in the form of quaintines, masks and precautions that we became very familiar with in 2020. While the coronavirus has pulled out effects like canceled seasons, online school, limited family gatherings, and a lack of festivals, it is interesting to compare it with the Spanish Flu. Both illnesses left a mark on the world through devestations and alterations.
Welcome to Wilbur’s Total Beverage the number one Fort Collins liquor store for wine, beer & spirits.
WILBUR’S DELIVERS! Grainger’s: Our pick for the warmer days ahead. ORDER ONLINE for easy front door pickup or have us deliver to YOUR door! Download our app!
“Do not try to do everything. Do one thing well.” Steve Jobs
Or, as Ron Swanson so eloquently put it, “Never half ass two things. Whole ass one thing.” It is in this spirit (pun intended?) that Grainger’s Deluxe makes vodka. Not vodka and… Just. Vodka. The recipe is simple, corn, yeast, and water. Moreover, this American made vodka checks a lot of boxes: gluten free, organic, non-GMO, locally sourced ingredients, seven distillations, tasty and pleasantly affordable. Organic corn, grown within one hundred miles of the distillery in Missouri, gives Grainger’s it’s distinct corn vodka flavor. It has a charming sweetness on the nose and palate, pairing especially well with citrus, the brightness of lime, grapefruit, or orange both contrasting and highlighting this quality. Seven distillations maximizes the purity of the product, so that even at 80 proof, this vodka is surprisingly mild and clean, with just a hint of zing on the back end.
Discover online specials, staff pics, new recipes, Wilbur’s Blog, upcoming events, beer, wine and spirits education, online ordering options and a whole lot more. All from your favorite device!
This vodka plays well for a simple vodka soda with lemon or lime and stands up to the assertive flavors of a well-mixed Bloody Mary. Grainger’s is the right choice for the warmer days ahead.
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2 Oz. Grainger’s Deluxe Organic Vodka 4 Oz. Lenonade Lemon Slice • Mint Add vodka and lemonade to a glass with ice and garnish with lemon slice and mint.
More than a liquor store. Featuring over 10,000 wines spirits and beers. 2201 South College • Open Mon-Sat 9-10 • Sun 9-7 • (970) 226-8662
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4 20 in in the the Fort Fort Every year in April, we celebrate 420 and because Fort Collins has such a wide range of marijuana dispensaries and smoke shops to enjoy, we wanted to highlight these businesses to help make your 420-celebration fantastic and fun. Before heading out, be sure to visit their website first to check out what amazing deals they are offering all month long. Most places now offer online ordering, too, for even quicker and easier ways to pick up all your favorites. Typically, most dispensaries and smoke shops offer their customers deep discounts, and 420 deals so check out our location map, grab your mask and hit the streets for some 420 fun in the Fort.
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Guide t0 lloocal cal sh shoops ps Dispensaries Aces Place 1101 Academy Ct. Unit 4 1
(970) 472-5107 8am - 8pm Daily acesplacaefoco.com
Elite Organics 804 S. College Ave. C eliteorganicscolorado.com Flower Power Botanicals 1308 Duff Dr. Flowerpowerbotanicals. com
Choice Organics 2
813 Smithfield Dr. #8581 (970) 472-6337 9am-8pm Daily choiceorganicsinc.com
LivWell
The Green Solution 810 N. College Ave. tgscolorado.com Natural Alternative for Health 6712 S. College Ave. #5 naturalalternativesforhealth.com
Kind Care of Colorado 3
Featuring Herban Legendz 6617 S. College Ave. (970) 568-8021 8am-8pm Daily kindcare.co
Organic Alternatives 346 E. Mountain Ave. organicaltrenatives.com
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900 N. College Ave. (970) 484-8380 8am-7:50pm Daily Livwell.com
Smokey’s Cannabis Co 5740 S. College Ave. UNIT C smokeys420.com Solace Meds 301 Smokey St. Suite A solacemeds.com Zengolds 5739 Bueno Dr. Suite D1 Zengolds.com
Verts Neighborhood Dispensary 1240 W. Elizabeth St. Suite C&D (970) 286-2318 10am-7pm Daily vertsdispensary.com
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Smoke Shops
College Smoke Shop C-Store 810 S. College Ave. The Joint Smoke Shop 2427 S. College Ave. facebook.com/TheJointSmokeShop
Kind Creations
828 S. College Ave. (970) 221-4990 6 10am-8pm Daily kindcreationsfortcollins.com
Munchies Supermarket 1501 W. Elizabeth St. munchiescolorado.com One Love 700 S. College Ave. Unit B facebook.com/OneLoveFortCollins Smoker Friendly 1054 W. Vine Dr. smokerfriendly.com Smokey Monkey 1232 W. Elizabeth St. C-12
Puffs Head and Smoke Shop 7
4619 S. Mason St. Unit C4 (970) 294-4123
Up’n Smoke 514 S. College Ave. upinsmokecolorado.com Wellmart 634 S. Mason St. wellmartcbd.com Wild Side Smoke Shop 644 S. College Ave. facebook.com/WildSideEugene
ONE-STOP SHOP FOR CANNABIS
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NORTHERN CO DISPENSARIES
Top cannabis brands at affordable prices that provide unparalleled selection. Order online at LivWell.com ©2021 LivWell Enlightened Health. All Rights Reserved. Colorado only.
SPEND 420 WITH YOUR FAVORITE DISPENSARY 4.20 // 4:00PM MST | FREE STREAMING OF A SPECIAL & EXCLUSIVE PERFORMANCE BY
Join us for a streaming 420 celebration benefiting local charities helping restaurant and hospitality workers in need. 100% of donations collected during the streaming will go to those in need.
www.420foracause.com ©2021 LivWell Enlightened Health. All Rights Reserved. Colorado only.
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Join us in celebrating 1 year of business on March 27th, 2021 7am-12pm Sunday-Thursday & 7am-2am Friday-Saturday | JOJO’s: 11am-8pm
1501 W. Elizabeth Street • 970-689-3146
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