WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | PAGE 9
MEN’S BASKETBALL | PAGE 8
CSU DEFENDS THE FORT TONIGHT AT 7
PITTED AGAINST
NEWS | PAGE 3
ADVICE TO ROUND-UP A ROOMMATE NEXT YEAR
NEW MEXICO RAMS TAKE ON LOBOS
THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN
Fort Collins, Colorado
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
COLLEGIAN
Volume 121 | No. 86
www.collegian.com
THE STUDENT VOICE OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1891
From organic produce to 4-H
the
STRIP CLUB
Yet another spring semester has started here at CSU, and with it you should be hearing some new and old noises while you go about your day on campus. If you hear all of these in one day think of yourself as getting the “full CSU experience.”
Extension program works to connect residents with university research By AUSTIN BRIGGS The Rocky Mountain Collegian
Every Friday night during the growing season from late June through October, fourth generation farmer Steve Ela packs up that week’s organic fruit harvest from Ela Family Farms and makes his way over the continental divide from Hotchkiss to farmer’s markets along the front range. With a truck full of peaches, cherries, apples, plums, berries and heirloom tomatoes, one of his stops is the farmer’s market in Old Town. Here, Ela and other growers work closely with the Certified Master Gardeners and coordinators from CSU’s Extension program who organize the weekly farmer’s market. CSU Extension is a statewide network which connects community members with research-based information gathered at CSU and other universities. Ela said that as the demand See EXTENSION on Page 5
EXTENSION VOLUNTEERS 1,550 Certified Master Gardeners
47
Master Food Safety Advisors
395
Native Plant Masters
11,970
Campus Noises
HUNTER THOMPSON | COLLEGIAN
Senior computer science major Noah Habibi prepares his brailller for a piece of paper Tuesday evening in his apartment. Habibi is from Muscat, Oman and lost his eyesight at the age of seven.
READING BY TOUCH Computer science major stays positive despite vision impairment
By BAILEY CONSTAS The Rocky Mountain Collegian In the wake of a new year, the population of students with disabilities can be put at the forefront with January being National Braille Month. Noah Habibi is a senior computer science major from Muscat, Oman who is helping CSU extend its online course material for students with impaired vision. At the age of seven, Habibi lost his eyesight because of a disorder referred to as retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that directly affects the retina.
Habibi studied at Arkansas State University but instead transferred to CSU because of the resources that the campus offers that Arkansas did not. Habibi said he also chose CSU because there was another blind student who was a computer science major. “I got in touch with this person and I decided that I should come here since someone else in the field is like me,” Habibi said. Machines that Habibi uses for his classes include Jaws, voiceover, Brailler, Braille Sence (Braille note taker), victor reader stream, talking scientific calcula-
tor and the Piaf machine. The Assistance Technology Resource Center provides Habibi with these machines, paying for all technology that is used for school. Marla Roll, director of the Assistive Technology Resource Center and assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, explained the devices that Habibi and other students use. “Screen reading software reads every event that happens on the computer. Reading more at the html level,” Roll See BRAILLE on Page 11
Volunteer leaders in 4-H development
FOOTBALL
Mountain West splits into two divisions
A complete remodel of the Foothills Fashion Mall will be part of the revitalization of the Midtown project, an area along College Avenue, from Prospect to Harmony. RENDERING COURTESY OF FCGOV.COM
Midtown getting a makeover Construction slated to begin in 2014
By KATE SIMMONS The Rocky Mountain Collegian While Old Town’s Historic District continues to undergo renovations and CSU’s campus evolves through seasonal renovations, Midtown Fort Collins has been ignored. But that’s changing. Design concepts for a renovation of Midtown Fort Col-
The LSC construction, which sounds an awful lot like a bad rock concert with some dubstep incorporated. Is that a hammer pounding or the bass dropping?
2010 Fort Collins survey results
31% 91% respondents that visit Midtown daily or weekly
84.5% visitors that go to shop
respondents that feel safe walking or biking in the region COLLEGIAN STAFF
lins were discussed at a City Council work session on Jan. 8. The renovation area would include the area of Prospect
to Harmony roads, from College Avenue to the See MIDTOWN on Page 3
By ANDREW SCHALLER The Rocky Mountain Collegian
DIVISIONS BREAKDOWN
Mountain West football fans may get the opportunity to root for their team in one more game starting next season. The 12 football members will be split into two divisions starting in the 2013 football season culminating in a championship game, the conference announced Tuesday. The two divisions, called the Mountain Division and West division, will contain six teams that will play each other in the regular season. CSU has been placed in the Mountain Division along with Air Force, Boise State, New Mexico, Utah State and Wyoming. Fresno State, Hawai’i, Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State and UNLV will comprise the West Division. Teams will play every
Mountain Division: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico, Utah State and Wyoming. West Division: Fresno State, Hawai’i, Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State and UNLV.
other team within their division and three teams from the opposing division. The two teams with the best divisional records will play each other in the Mountain West Football Championship game at the home stadium of the team with the highest BCS ranking. The inaugural Mountain West Football Championship game will be played Dec. 7, 2013. The conference stated on its website that divisions were broken up “based upon See DIVISIONS on Page 9
“Do you have a moment to talk with me about Jesus?” The honking of geese near the reflection pool, Oval, IM fields, Plaza and basically anywhere those little bastards can fly… or waddle. “Now that marijuana is legalized in Colorado, does that mean I can smoke a bowl on campus?”
Hipsters with one speed cycles whizzing past you at alarming speeds screaming, “ON YOUR LEFT!”
“How long until summer break?”
The Strip Club is written by the Collegian staff.