Thursday, April 6, 2023 Vol. 132, No. 27

Quietly running the world:

The public servants who help our community thrive

COVER BY FALYN SEBASTIAN

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN

FORT COLLINS FOCUS

TOP STORIES TOP STORIES

NEWS: Students pack City Council chambers, demonstrate against U+2 PAGE 3

LIFE: Poudre Fire Authority first responders go beyond fire PAGE 7

CANNABIS: How the cannabis industry is staying sustainable PAGE 18

OPINION: Eckburg: Public servants should meet expectations — do your research PAGE 20

SPORTS: Athletic trainer appreciation, new generation trainers PAGE 25

ARTS: Local artist celebrates sustainability, Indigenous tradition PAGE 28

PHOTO: Throwing a block PAGES 10-15

FOCO EVENTS FOCO EVENTS

“Guardian of the Spirits” Exhibition by Holly Wong at the Curfman Gallery

Currently on display until May 26

April First Friday: Mercenaries Art Exhibit at The Lyric 6-9 p.m. April 7

CSU Music Therapy Singer/Songwriter Night at Avogadro’s Number 7 p.m. April 12

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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This publication is not an official publication of Colorado State University, but is published by an independent corporation using the name ‘The Rocky Mountain Collegian’ pursuant to a license granted by CSU. Approximately 59% of Rocky Mountain Student Media Corp’s income is provided by the Associated Students of Colorado State University (ASCSU) for the purpose of fostering student careers post-college and greater campus awareness and engagement. The Rocky Mountain Collegian is a 4,000-circulation student-run newspaper intended as a public forum and is printed on paper made of 30% post-consumer waste. It publishes every Thursday during the regular fall and spring semesters. The Collegian publishes online Monday through Thursday. Corrections may be submitted to the editor in chief and will be printed as necessary on page two. The Collegian is a complimentary publication for the Fort Collins community. The first copy is free. Additional copies are 25 cents each.

CORRECTIONS

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“Leafster” Diane McGovern preparing boba tea at Happy Lucky’s Teahouse in Old Town Mar. 26. “I recommend coming here and asking us (about tea) because you can get a couple of samples,” McGovern said. “And we’ll walk you through the process if you come and sip brew tea as well.”

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

Students pack City Council chambers, demonstrate against U+2

By Grant Coursey @grantcoursey

Colorado State University students packed the Fort Collins City Council chambers April 4 to show opposition to the controversial U+2 housing ordinance in Fort Collins.

e demonstration, organized by the Associated Students of CSU, garnered hundreds of students in opposition to the law, many of whom signed up to present public comment on the issue.

e council chambers were packed so full that Chief Derek Bergsten of Poudre Fire Authority was forced to announce that some members of the gallery would have to leave the chamber because the exits and aisles of the chamber were blocked by sitting and standing community members and students.

e City Council heard 78 public comments, Mayor Jeni Arndt said. Roughly two-thirds of the comments covered students’ opposition to U+2, sharing personal anecdotes on the difficulty the law caused students and advocating for the council to put the issue on the ballot to be voted on by Fort Collins residents.

e demonstration was organized by Jorge Garcia, director of housing security for ASCSU, who put together a team of ASCSU members to bring the community and ASCSU together to combat the housing problems faced by CSU students and to advocate for change to the current housing code and ordinances in Fort Collins.

“I am going to be graduating, and it’s unfeasible for me to stay here, and

one of the parts is because of housing,” Garcia said. “I would love to stay here. It’s a really quiet community, you know, it’s a good community.”

Garcia said he worked closely with many different parts of ASCSU to make Tuesday night’s demonstration possible, including other ASCSU directors, the ASCSU supreme court and the ASCSU marketing team.

Garcia said the difference between this year and previous years that allowed for the organization of the demonstration is the openness of the City Council toward changing the laws and addressing the issue for the first time, giving him hope for the future of the issue.

Not all members of the council agreed with the students. Councilmember Kelly Ohlson said he disagreed with students on the issue of U+2 but that he would meet with students any time they want to discuss issues like U+2 and said it was good to see so many young people in attendance at the City Council meeting.

“I’ve been an original supporter of the occupancy ordinance,” Ohlson said. “I still am; there maybe could be a tweak here or there, but as far

as tossing it all out like the state proposal, no, I’m not for that, but I’ll listen and learn.”

Ohlson said the issue of affordable housing is a difficult one with no clear-cut solution.

“ ere is no magic bullet to affordable housing,” Ohlson said. “If anybody had that silver bullet, that easy solution, we’d all be doing it.”

Several students attending the demonstration at City Hall and at the barbecue ASCSU hosted before the City Council meeting Tuesday expressed hope that change was possible and anger at the imposition the U+2 law causes.

Lorenzo Gomez, a junior at CSU who spoke during the public comments section of the City Council meeting, said he felt the law was unnecessary and only served to hurt working-class students and families.

Gomez finished his public comments to the council by calling on them to put U+2 on the ballot and give the people of Fort Collins the ability to choose whether it was repealed or not. is sentiment was echoed by community members as well as numerous other students in their public comments, especially ASCSU

leaders, including the ASCSU president, speaker of the senate, an ASCSU supreme court justice and many others.

Many students shared their struggles with housing during their public comments. eir stories ranged from the need to work three jobs to afford rent to being forced to commute 45 minutes to and from Greeley every day to find affordable housing.

Student comments emphasized these main points: ey perceive the law as discriminatory toward students and low-income community members, the law is damaging to the community atmosphere of Fort Collins and U+2 is an issue that should be decided by the people of Fort Collins through a referendum.

Mayor Pro Tem Emily Francis ended the public comments section of the City Council meeting by reminding the audience that the City Council will be having a work session on city occupancy ordinances May 9 where they will discuss how they want to move forward on occupancy regulations.

Reach Grant Coursey at news @collegian.com.

“I’ve been an original supporter of the occupancy ordinance. I still am; there maybe could be a tweak here or there, but as far as tossing it all out like the state proposal, no, I’m not for that, but I’ll listen and learn.”

KELLY OHLSON FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER

Fort Collins City Council members Tricia Canonico, Julie Pignataro and Kelly Ohlson listen to members of the public express grievances regarding the city’s U+2 housing policy during the public comment section of the City Council meeting at Fort Collins City Hall April 4.

PHOTO BY LUCY MORANTZ THE COLLEGIAN

The City Council meeting room at Fort Collins City Hall overflows with audience members before the council meeting begins April 4. A councilmember reportedly made a deal with the Associated Students of Colorado State University that if 200 or more Colorado State University students attended the Council meeting, then she would put the city’s controversial U+2 housing policy on the ballot for Fort Collins voters to decide its future. PHOTO BY LUCY MORANTZ THE COLLEGIAN

Best Teacher Awards celebrate teachers’ commitment to students

before teaching because connection drives motivation for students to learn.

“I’d like to help them better understand why they’re here too because some students really struggle with motivation,” Baker said.

at is also true for Biegert, a fermentation science and brewing teacher. He said building relationships with students is important to create an inclusive and participatory culture in class.

In various ways, the recipients all support their students’ wellbeing. Bernhard favors one-onone conversations, Baker tries to be flexible and open with his students and Biegert observes how everyone in the classroom is doing during class to ensure everyone is having a good time.

encourages students to think of their solutions to problems.

“Sometimes, they could use a way that is different than what I taught them, and I get to learn something new from their work,” Baker said.

Biegert said he views teaching as a collaborative process in which students are active participants in their learning.

“Something’s always going to go in a way you don’t expect it, and students should look for these moments to think what they could do different,” Biegert said.

By Hania Nini @csucollegian

e Best Teacher Awards honors and celebrates teaching excellence at Colorado State University. e ceremony, held March 28 at the Lory Student Center, celebrated six teachers at CSU. Dan Baker, Anna Bernhard, Jeff Biegert, Paulo R. Borges de Brito, Chris Henle and Johnny Plastini were selected this year for their commitment to their students and contributions to the university community.

FACULTY OUTREACH

While these professors teach in various fields, they all emphasized the importance of developing relationships with their students. Bernhard, a director in the department of art and art history, said she believes it is important for students to feel seen.

“I think that helping students feel that they are part of a larger community has their best interests in mind,” Bernhard said.

Similarly, Baker, a professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering, said he wants to connect with students

Furthermore, he said he believes it is interesting to know his students’ personal stories and why they are here.

Additionally, critical thinking and creativity are emphasized in their instruction. Bernhard said he believes teaching is more than just transmitting information; it is also about imparting knowledge, cultivating critical thinking skills and a lifelong love of learning.

“ at ability to weave your own view and assertion and communicate that effectively will be a skill no matter what field you go into,” Bernhard said. “It is the most important skill for personal growth, identity and self-knowledge.”

On the other hand, Baker said he believes education should include more than memorizing facts and

If Bernhard could give new teachers starting out in the field any advice, she said it would be to seek mentorship among other instructors and always be open to receiving feedback. Baker, on the other hand, said he would advise them to do their best and learn from it but also embrace the students connecting with each other. Finally, Biegert said humility is what distinguishes a good teacher.

“I think that what makes a good teacher is somebody who can admit that they don’t know everything,” Biegert said.

Reach Hania Nini at news @collegian.com.

CSU professor works for environmental justice

By Barnaby Atwood @barnaby_atwood

Stephanie Malin is an assistant professor in the Colorado State University department of sociology and one of the co-founders and steering members of the Center for Environmental Justice at Colorado State University.

Environmental justice encompasses a lot of different aspects. Malin said that in general, the goal of environmental justice is getting rid of environmental hazards and rethinking our “industrialized, militarized capitalist systems” and how we might develop systems that are more socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.

“But if you’re talking about the environmental justice movement, it emerged because of pollution from industry, military (and) even like manufacturing of consumer goods,” Malin said.“And the fact (is) that those hazardous facilities, manufacturing facilities, the waste (and) pollution that may come from those activities end up being distributed unevenly in our society and other societies, (like)

folks who are living in low-income communities and communities of color.”

Malin’s work goes beyond CSU. She is also an adjunct assistant professor with the Colorado School of Public Health and serves on the executive committee of the Colorado Water Center.

“My research involves environmental justice and health issues, particularly in places that host extractive activities,” Malin said.

“( at’s) if they’ve got like uranium mine or millwright or unconventional oil and gas production going on. But I also look at communities that are building more distributed and regenerative systems — so less market-based and more about building noneconomic development.”

According to Malin, environmental justice as a movement also makes room for examining deliberate policies sprouting from issues of institutionalized racism and focuses on procedural justice, recognition justice and restorative justice.

“( at’s) the processes behind making decisions about like where we zoned industrial activity or why (there is) an overabundance

of really polluting facilities and communities of color,” Malin said.

“It’s understanding that context to what the history (is), who (has) had a seat at the table to make decisions, who has been excluded and then who constructs the table.”

as being objects to be studied but instead participating in research with and for those communities.

“ ere’s a lot of healing, and there’s a lot of atonement to be done for that kind of work,” Malin said.

“As a social scientist, I think it’s part of my responsibility to make sure that I’m not perpetuating those problems and the ways that we might think about research subjects versus research participants.”

Malin explained she tries to embed what is of use to a community into her research so that it’s reciprocal and the community she’s working with gets something from the time they contribute to the research.

Often when it comes to being engaged with climate issues, many experience paralysis, hopelessness and being overwhelmed by the issue, Malin said. Because of this, it can be difficult to imagine the future in the current situation, but she said it’s important to focus on the ways people can collectively make a difference.

better than they could be, but this next decade is so important in terms of figuring out what makes you happy, what your skills are and then what’s needed collectively and plugging in there.”

“ e message to students is (to) figure out what makes you happy and what skills you can acquire throughout your life, but especially during your time in college, and then try to figure out ways to think structurally or think in terms of systems and seeing, ‘What do we need?’” Malin said. “It can be as simple as thinking about like, ‘If I were to have an ideal world, what’s one thing that I would like to see in that?’ Something as simple as like, for folks who live in a city: ‘I would love to be able to see the stars when I go outside at night.’”

Malin suggested that envisioning an ideal world can help with seeing the ways individuals can contribute to that future.

ere is an emphasis on not extracting knowledge or viewing the affected people and communities

“ ere’s a lot of framing out there that it’s too late to address any of these issues,” Malin said. “We always have time to make things

e Center for Environmental Justice has several events for students who wish to get more involved on their website.

Reach Barnaby Atwood at news @collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY FALYN SEBASTIAN THE COLLEGIAN

“I think that what makes a good teacher is somebody who can admit that they don’t know everything.”

JEFF BIEGERT

NEW BELGIUM BREWINGSPONSORED CSU FERMENTATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INSTRUCTOR AND BREWMASTER

PHOTO COURTESY OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

Former Foundry worker recalls harassment, traumatic environment

By Samy Gentle @samy_gentle_

e Foundry dining center on campus employs a number of workers. A former employee came forward about their experience.

“(Working at e Foundry) was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life,” Arlo Sanchez wrote in an email to e Collegian Sanchez was a temporary employee working at e Foundry dining hall during the 2021-22 school year.

During their time at e Foundry dining hall, Sanchez dealt with cases of sexual harassment, transphobia and bad work conditions.

Sanchez described e Foundry as having a locker roomtype atmosphere and being a “boy’s club.” ey witnessed older male coworkers feeling like they could touch female employees on the shoulder, for example, without asking.

Sanchez also recalled an event when a male employee was sexually harassing his ex-girlfriend. He was then given a verbal warning by management, and no other repercussions followed.

“ ere’s no real accountability,” Sanchez said. “ ere needs to be significant improvements towards work culture, rule enforcement

and reprimands for violations. Management allows harassment of many kinds to occur without consequences, which is what causes the repeated offenses.”

In response to Sanchez’s experiences, Housing & Dining Services told e Collegian that Residential Dining Services is continuing its efforts to cultivate an inclusive workplace.

“ e Director of Residential Dining Services has been meeting with every staff member over the course of this semester, seeking feedback on their experience as an employee and providing space for all staff to voice their ideas, concerns and questions,” an HDS spokesperson wrote.

Sanchez was also affected by transphobia from Colorado State University employees. ey said coworkers regularly misgendered them, with one woman even referring to them as “it.”

Sanchez said they brought these issues to their supervisor, Liz Poore, the RDS director. Sanchez said Poore suggested they wear a pronoun pin, which Sanchez had already been wearing during the incidents of misgendering.

Additionally, after discussions of transphobia, Sanchez said Poore informed them she would make sure a certain employee would offer an apology to Sanchez for misgendering them.

Sanchez said they never received the apology.

“Depending on the circumstances, these matters may be referred to other university offices for further action,” HDS wrote to e Collegian “In addition, the person who reports a concern is given access to university support services. If an employee or student is found to have acted inappropriately, there is a range of disciplinary actions the university may take.”

Sanchez went to the Pride Resource Center to request pronoun training for their coworkers, which they said was not successful.

“It was very hard to sit there and just watch my coworkers make jokes and just see that they were not taking any of it seriously,” Sanchez said.

at wasn’t the only training for Foundry staff

“Residential Dining provides quite a bit of training and education centered around inclusion in the workplace,” an HDS spokesperson wrote. One training is titled “Understanding the Inclusive Workplace,” and employees have to receive a perfect score.

Student staff are required to take a course called “Inclusive Kitchens,” which discusses skills to foster an inclusive workplace as well as education

on sexual harassment, according to HDS.

Misgendering was also a problem outside of e Foundry. In one instance, Sanchez said they experienced an injury on the job and were in contact with the Workers’ Compensation department at CSU.

“My supervisor made it clear to them that I use they/them pronouns, and it was really dysphoric to see all these emails about me as referred to as she/her,” Sanchez said. “I even went through the (Office of Equal Opportunity) to address the misgendering, and it wasn’t a resolution by any means. ey would just talk with the person. at’s it. ere (are) no consequences.”

Also regarding their injury and dealings with Workers’ Compensation, Sanchez said one of the individuals who filled out their paperwork told the Workers’ Compensation department that Sanchez had injured their back prior to their injury on the job.

Sanchez was unsure of who reported this to Workers’ Compensation, but it was their first time having such an injury. Sanchez then hired a lawyer who assisted in getting their medical debts paid and ensuring the worker’s compensation was processed.

“If I didn’t get any legal involvement, I would have been out of luck,” Sanchez said.

e Foundry’s workplace environment was also a negative experience for Sanchez.

“People don’t take breaks,” Sanchez said. “If you take breaks, you get shit for it.”

While not guaranteed,15-minute breaks are generally given by management to employees during eight-hour work days. Sanchez said this happened extremely rarely at e Foundry. is work environment also included accounts of racism.

“I noticed the international students got reprimanded for a lot more things versus the white students,” Sanchez said. “Especially the Indian students. I feel like they got targeted a lot. I even heard one (state classified employee) say ‘ e Indian students are lazy.’”

Sanchez believes the work environment at e Foundry is unique when compared to the other dining halls on campus.

“I have worked at the other dining halls, but they are a lot better than e Foundry,” Sanchez said. “I think a lot of the issues at e Foundry are because of the management there. I just want people to know there are consequences because CSU does have those policies in place. e (Foundry) just needs to follow those policies.”

Reach Samy Gentle at life @collegian.com.

The Foundry dining center at Colorado State University Feb. 7.

PHOTO BY LUCY MORANTZ THE COLLEGIAN

FLAME FIGHTERS

Poudre Fire Authority first responders go beyond fire

By Miles Buchan @buchanmiles

Colorado is no stranger to droughts, dryness and the potential for fires, which means the folks who serve as firefighters are essential guardians of the community.

What many may not realize is that fighting fires is just one part of the job; there are many other aspects of working for departments like Poudre Fire Authority that help serve the community.

Poudre Fire Authority formed in 1981 to serve the 230 square miles surrounding the Fort Collins area as an all-hazards response agency.

e City of Fort Collins and the Poudre Valley Fire Protection District are parent organizations of PFA. ese two agencies collaborated through an “intergovernmental agreement” originally passed in November 1980 to form PFA in order to eliminate duplicate services and improve response times, according to the PFA website.

Currently, PFA operates out of 13 fire stations and protects both rural and urban areas throughout Larimer County and Weld County.

Of course, PFA offers help for any emergency situations involving fire, but it’s important to know just how many other services they provide.

“We want people to be able to live their safest lives,” said Annie Bierbower, PFA public information officer and communications coordinator.

As public information officer, Bierbower is responsible for communications and relations between the public and PFA as well as communications during emergencies. Bierbower is in her fifth year with PFA and is helpful in many ways with the coordination and communications of many of these programs.

“Fires are one of our rarer responses,” Bierbower said.

Outside the various forms of fire calls PFA responds to, PFA performs many forms of rescue to include still water, swift water, high angle and confined space rescue, Bierbower said. With all these in mind, Bierbower said 80% of the calls PFA responds to are medical.

Another important component of PFA Bierbower spoke about was the Fire Prevention and Community Risk Reduction division.

is group operates outside of emergency calls in a way that’s

geared toward prevention. e group teaches several classes addressing things like how to use a fire extinguisher, making a fire escape plan from your home, installing and checking smoke alarms and a noncertifying friends and family CPR class.

PFA also offers a Youth Firesetter Prevention and Intervention program, which may help young people who have had an accident or experimented with fire to become more educated about the risks and avoid charges.

Bierbower said the department’s group of mentors who help teach the class is composed of two firefighters and one risk reduction specialist.

One reality PFA is ready to face is that Fort Collins has grown, and current climate conditions in Colorado present an array of potential risk factors that must all be addressed. PFA Battalion Chief Matt Housley put it best when he said, “Fort Collins is a big city now.”

Housley has been with PFA for 28 years, working his way up from firefighter, driver and captain to his current position. Among other things, Housley is responsible for staffing and training members of PFA as well as command and control of more pressing operational

response calls like house fires and technical rescues.

“ e days of sitting around waiting for a call to come in are long past,” Housley said. “ ere’s a lot of stuff that goes on every day.”

Housley discussed the various emergency response calls, training sessions, community outreach events and departmental coordination and preparation measures that keep PFA sufficiently busy. For reference, Bierbower said that on average, PFA responds to 25,000 calls per year.

“I’ve lived here almost my whole life, and sometimes it’s easy to think of Fort Collins as this great little small town that it used to be, but it’s not,” Housley said. “It’s a city, and we have big city problems. Wildfires are no different. As more and more houses have gotten built in the foothills and things have gotten dryer, the wildfire risk is big.”

As for rural areas around Fort Collins, Bierbower said

PFA services areas including the Poudre Canyon, Lory State Park, Horsetooth Reservoir and many miles of Wildland-Urban Interface land. ese areas are where many residential buildings are located and, therefore, are at a higher risk during wildfires.

“When it’s just a forest that’s caught fire, that’s one thing,” Housley said. “But now when there’s houses and people and cars, it changes the game for sure.”

PFA is an essential asset to the community and is responsible for protecting a sizable amount of land and people, and their work and passion reflect that.

“ e most important thing to me is how vast the services are that the fire service provides and how skilled the firefighters are,” Bierbower said. “I’m just blown away every day by the dedication of all the people; I mean, all they want to do is help.”

Reach Miles Buchan at life @collegian.com.

Dawson Newby of Poudre Fire Authority shows the access to the bucket on Poudre Fire Authority’s Tower 1 truck April 1. The Tower 1 truck does not store any water on the truck but is followed by a truck that stores water.

PHOTO BY REUEL INDURKAR THE COLLEGIAN

Poudre Fire Authority’s Tower 1 truck remains parked at Poudre Fire Authority’s Station 1 with the doors open to allow for a fast response time to the call April 1.

PHOTO BY REUEL INDURKAR THE COLLEGIAN

CSU facilities management keeps campus moving

By Emmalee Krieg @csucollegian

When talking about service jobs within Colorado State University’s staff, custodians are often the unsung heroes of the campus.

At CSU, custodians, or facilities management, are heavily involved in making sure the campus runs smoothly. From dining halls to lecture halls, they make sure students have functional, clean places to learn.

Claude Jaillet IV, a custodian supervisor for CSU facilities management, gave a little insight on the job.

First things first, custodians have a lot of ground to cover. Custodial staff run on a.m. and p.m. shifts and work through a busy schedule that cleans multiple buildings every day, Jaillet said. While one group does a portion of academic halls, another may do dorms.

ey take on all the tasks many people don’t think about; they clean the floors, the toilets, the windows and the food you left in your lecture seat.

Jaillet said he remembers coming to Loveland, Colorado, and really enjoying the area.

“We just stuck around here, and you know, it’s just good nature and good hiking,” Jaillet said.

Jaillet said he saw a posting for a position as a custodian and took the job. He recalled going to school in New Jersey and it feeling different from the culture surrounding CSU. He said the opportunity to meet new people and hold a new job was intriguing for him.

“I always wanted to work at the university, so I just applied, and here we are,” Jaillet said.

Custodians are always moving, and Jaillet, who said he has been working at CSU for about nine years, is no newcomer to Arriving from New Jersey around 10 years ago,

Jaillet explained the hard work his job entails. While he covers most of the academic buildings, he emphasized the changes he has seen having interacted with students all these years.

“It’s definitely changed in the last nine years I’ve worked at CSU,” Jaillet said. “ ere’s an attitude shift.”

When talking about service jobs, custodians can be underappreciated, working after people have gone home and doing the tasks others may not want to do.

“I ran into more people that seemed to be not as appreciative of the work,” Jaillet said. “Now I see people all the time in the halls that’ll tell me thank you for just doing my job.”

As the culture at CSU shifts to become more appreciative of facilities management and other staff, it helps build community when everyone feels like a Ram.

“And just being a part of CSU as a whole is interesting because there’s always something going on,” Jaillet said. “It feels like I’m just involved by being around.”

Service jobs are important to any institution; it’s important to recognize the workers that keep CSU a well-oiled machine.

Even though facilities management can be short-staffed at times, Jaillet acknowledged the hard work and its reward.

“It’s busy,” Jaillet said. “We keep moving, but it’s a good job.”

Reach Emmalee Krieg at life @collegian.com.

Custodian supervisor Claude Jaillet IV poses outside of Momo Lolo Coffee Shop April 1. Jaillet has served Colorado State University’s academic buildings for nine years. PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

“Now I see people all the time in the halls that’ll tell me thank you for just doing my job.”

CLAUDE JAILLET IV, CUSTODIAN SUPERVISOR FOR CSU FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

CULTURE AND COMMUNITY

APACC expands understanding of hijab with activist keynote

to save us,” Alinejad said. “We want them to stop (saving) our murderers.”

e event was organized by the Asian Pacific American Cultural Center at CSU. e method of contacting Alinejad for the event was through her publicist team, organized by students who wished to bring her for the talk, said Hiba Abdeljalil, a student success coordinator for APACC.

Abdeljalil said their role was to facilitate understanding of the complexity of the hijab and help navigate conversations around the issue.

“She says that compulsory hijab is not fair and that there needs to be freedom,” Abdeljalil said. “ ere needs to be choice.”

As someone who wears the hijab as a choice, Abdeljalil introduced Alinejad at her speech, which showed that her advocacy is not against the hijab itself but rather against the mandatory imposition of it on women in Iran.

have stories that should be heard,” Abdunabi said.

To Abdeljalil, Alinejad’s speech is a way to show Iranian students that they are supported and seen.

By Hania Nini @csucollegian

Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist, activist, author and one of Time magazine’s Women of the Year in 2023, spoke April 3 at Colorado State University.

She discussed the issue of compulsory hijab in Iran and her advocacy for individual choice. Alinejad, who is known for her campaign against the Iranian government’s mandatory hijab law, talked about how the regime uses

the hijab as a tool for oppression.

Alinejad insisted on the importance of holding social media companies accountable for their role in promoting free speech.

“Dictators who are not allowing their own people to use freedom of speech must be kicked out of social media,” Alinejad said.

Toward the end of her talk, she also clarified a misconception that people in the West usually have about Iranian people.

“We, the people of Iran, do not want the Western governments

Abdeljalil noted that Alinejad’s campaign is not about removing the hijab entirely but rather advocating for individual choice.

“When people think of compulsory hijab, they assume that it means that everyone should not wear it,” Abdeljalil said. “Alinejad is more fighting for choice.”

ey added that Alinejad’s focus on taking off the hijab is due to the punitive actions taken by the Iranian regime against those who do not comply with the law. Alinejad’s goal is to remove the tool the regime uses for oppression, which in turn will help change the regime itself.

To help understand this idea better, APACC organized a “Chai to Understand the Hijab” event before Alinejad’s talk to help attendees understand the nuance of the hijab and the complexities of the issue. Reham Abdunabi, the Southwest Asian and North African student organization‘s president, was one of three people who gave a presentation.

“Before Masih Alinejad came, we did a presentation to give background information about hijab for people who are unaware of it to show that wearing it is also a choice,” Abdunabi said.

To both Abdeljalil and Abdunabi, having Alinejad give a talk at CSU was important to promote diversity on campus.

“It shows that some minoritized identities that we have on campus

“One of the things that we are trying to do with APACC is to increase visibility of the Southwest Asian and North African community because they never had a student center for themselves,” Abdeljalil said. “It is the same thing with Iranian students.”

To Abdeljalil, raising awareness about the ongoing situation in Iran is crucial.

“I do not want people to forget what is happening in Iran, and also I want people to see more perspective of global feminism as well,” Abdeljalil said. “I am hoping to continue this conversation.” e event was not without challenges, as Alinejad has received numerous death threats in the past, making safety a top concern for the organizers, Abdeljalil said. To ensure everyone’s safety, the event was private, and the CSU Police Department was involved in the planning process. ere were metal detectors, bags were not allowed and every attendee needed a ticket.

Reach Hania Nini at life @collegian.com.

It’ s a beautiful day in the neighborhood

The Asian Pacific American Cultural Center in the Lory Student Center at Colorado State University April 1. The mission of APACC is to provide a safe and supportive space for historically marginalized communities. The cultural center is focused on building community, working to remove barriers and providing access to resources to support students in finding fulfillment and success while at CSU and beyond.

PHOTO BY REUEL INDURKAR THE COLLEGIAN

Throwing a block: Redefining SWAT as Sacrifice, Work, Attitude, Team

By Garrett Mogel @m0unta1n_man

Editor’s Note: Please be advised that this article contains descriptions of violent situations, self-harm and death.

Radio traffic breaks the sound of officers chatting. An in-progress call to a scene where a person in crisis is firing a rifle inside his house rings out for the team to hear. A cacophony of armor, ringtones and rifles clatters out the door as members of the Fort Collins Police Services Special Weapons and Tactics team race to the scene, leaving meetings, patrol and home behind.

e response unfolded much like a hostage situation the team responded to a while back. Officer Justin Burch responded to a situation where two adult women were held overnight at knifepoint by a 38-year-old man.

Burch, stacked against the

door with two other officers, entered the building, recovering both women and safely placing the man under arrest. “Obviously, going through the door on a hostage situation — that’s one of the riskiest things that we can do,” Burch said. “But we’ve trained for it.”

Working under pressure

Hostage situations are rare and dangerous occurrences that require a rapid and coordinated response from law enforcement. However, speed can lead to mistakes, as Sgt. Gar Haugo warned. “It causes you to think in a compressed timeframe,” he said. is can causally bring about the ability to switch between a tactical mindset and their innate emotional reactions.

“ ere is a lot of stimulation and excitement, but you’re not really thinking a long way (out),” Haugo said. “(For example), ‘What if I get shot and paralyzed today? en what’s going to happen? Who’s going to take care of my kids?’ You’re not thinking about those kinds of things.”

Burch echoed this sentiment.

“It’s more thinking through all the things that can happen and, ‘What am I going to do if the hostage runs out the front door?’” Burch said. “‘What am I going to do if the suspect comes out the front door with nothing in his hands? What am I going to do if he comes out the door with a gun in his hands?’”

To mitigate the risk both physically and emotionally, the team emphasizes working tactically and methodically through high-pressure situations. Guided by a safety priority system, the team directs their actions toward those who do not have the ability to leave the situation. is can lead to the employment of specialized equipment or a tactic known as “throwing a block.” is technique involves members physically shielding a person from an attacker with their bodies, compounding the risk to themselves. is tactical approach has resulted in the team successfully completing 279 tactical call-outs over the past four years with no fatal encounters caused to officers, according to FCPS.

Officer August Barber, a Fort Collins Police Services officer and member of the SWAT team, participates in the monthly SWAT sniper qualification training at the Northern Colorado Law Enforcement Training Center Oct. 10, 2022. Barber has been a Fort Collins police officer for eight years with five years of experience on another team. At 17 years old, Barber joined the U.S. Marine Corps. “We don’t ever want to lose a fight, and we don’t ever want to lose anybody,” Barber said. “But when the person who is in ultimately the most danger is some kids or somebody that can’t help themselves at all, that really puts a lot of pressure on the situation.”

PHOTO BY GARRETT MOGEL THE COLLEGIAN

Managing mental health at work, home

Due to the highly stimulating environments officers engage with, the department provides resources like psychologists and encourages utilizing a network of fellow officers and family for further support.

“ ere used to be kind of a stigma against getting (that) sort of help or talking about things like that,” Burch said. “And I don’t necessarily think that’s a thing of the past everywhere, but I think it’s kind of a thing of the past here, or at least we’re working toward that.”

Some experiences follow officers home and continue to affect them, which prompts them to find ways to cope and heal with their families. Haugo found that discussing his work life with his family eased their concerns.

“Your kids are pretty adept at being able to read you,” Haugo said. “And so I will usually tell them, ‘Hey, this is what happened. We went to a place, and this guy shot himself.’ And (my kids ask), ‘Well, where did he shoot himself?’ ‘He shot himself in the mouth through his head.’ And they’re like, ‘Oh.’”

When sharing what he does, Haugo does not show his children gory photos, but he will discuss what happened and answer any questions they may have. It is a discussion many would find difficult to have with their children, but Haugo has found that it gives them more confidence about the world.

“I think sharing that with them is, for me, a way of telling them, ‘Hey, everything went okay,’” Haugo said. “‘ e guys are alright.’”

His wife of 13 years, Amanda Haugo, was a patrol officer and detective before meeting Gar Haugo. Working mostly on sex crimes and patrol beats, Amanda Haugo said she has found she can relate to Gar Haugo’s work and appreciates his transparency.

Even with the transparency and her ability to relate, some things are still difficult, especially when raising two kids. “Sometimes I feel like work gets the best of him,” Amanda Haugo said. “And then we get what’s left over when he comes home. Honestly, that part is hard sometimes.”

But on every call, she is proud of her husband and the team. “ ey would give their lives to protect people they don’t know,” Amanda Haugo said.

Fellow officer of eight years and father of three, August Barber, had discussions with his children as well.

ey have seen the media talk about police officers and picked up on things in school, both good and bad.

“Even though they hear these

things, they know me as their father,” Barber said. “Obviously, they know what I’ve taught them, and if it doesn’t line up with what they’re hearing, then we just work through that.”

Over the years, Barber’s children have begun to understand what it is their father does and the dangers associated with the job.

“

ose questions have come up (with my children) about, ‘Do you always win?’” he said. “And we have had that conversation that we always try to win, but things happen.”

hits really close,” Barber said. “And you try not to put yourself or your kid in that situation, … but that’s difficult as a parent. You try to not let it bother you, but it’s going to bother you.”

It is in these moments that officers strive to contain their emotions and balance compassion because they believe it is their duty to be resolute and enduring. ey cope with the situations they are faced with by focusing on what they need to do for the family in that moment.

“ at’s what’s tough,” Barber said. “Everybody is crying around you, and everybody is emotionally bawling, and you’re there, kind of having to be the rock.”

Beyond the scene and situation, Burch augmented this thought process. “For better or worse, I’ve been equipped with the mental fortitude and the physical ability to do these things,” Burch said. “And I would like to be able to do them so that my family doesn’t have to deal with this stuff. Because as much as I’d like to say it’s all rainbows and unicorns, that isn’t the world that we live in. But if my kids think that it is, I’m OK with that because that means I’m doing my job because they’re not having to deal with it.”

Undeterred by the effects on their personal lives, members of the FCPS SWAT team joined to step between those intending to do harm and those who may be harmed, Haugo said. ough like any profession, there are those within policing who do not live up to the communities’ or departments’ expectations. ere are some who have racist beliefs and take advantage of their position, Haugo acknowledged.

JUSTIN

FCPS OFFICER

His children have seen their father injured and, further, other police officers’ funerals. “I think it becomes a little more realistic for them when they see me or see one of our friends get hurt,” Barber said. “But we just have to work through it.”

Duty, safety and service

Despite being able to discuss tough situations with their families, fellow officers and the department psychologist, there are still incidents that have lasting effects on officers. For many officers, it is when children are involved or end up passing away.

“When I see someone my child’s age, you know, pass away from something, that’s something that

“Guess who goes and catches them and puts them in jail?” Haugo said. “We do. Guess who despises them equally or more than anybody else? We do — because it is disgusting to us that they devalue what we do by doing that kind of crap. at makes me furious.” ose who do live up to the FCPS motto of “Safety and service of all” are christened onto the team with a pin, a new rifle and a challenge coin with a depiction of Saint Michael and the words “Sacrifice, Work, Attitude and Team” engraved on it. For those who have put in the work and proved themselves, that is what it means to be a SWAT officer. It doesn’t matter who the caller is.

“When it comes down to it, when (a community member) picks up that phone, (the) one thing there is going to be certainty about is that we’re going to be there,” Barber said. “And there is no disputing that because we will never not come.”

Reach Garrett Mogel at photo@ collegian.com.

PHOTO DEEP DIVE

“For better or worse, I’ve been equipped with the mental fortitude and the physical ability to do these things. And I would like to be able to do them so that my family doesn’t have to deal with this stuff. Because as much as I’d like to say it’s all rainbows and unicorns, that isn’t the world that we live in. But if my kids think that it is, I’m OK with that because that means I’m doing my job because they’re not having to deal with it.”

BURCH

1. Sgt. Gar Haugo attends church with his wife and two children Nov. 13, 2022. As the only full-time Fort Collins Police Services SWAT team member, Haugo is constantly on call and can be called away at any moment. “You have to learn how to live like that,” Haugo said. “Now, that has a drawback on your family. It has a drawback on you kind of personally because I think you feel like you’re (in) a state of awareness all the time. And some people I think maybe would have more (problems) with that than others, and some have just kind of gotten used to that. But you always have to be thinking a little bit about, ‘What am I doing if this happens? Who do I get a call or drop off? Or where are the kids going? What other stuff do I got going on?’”

2. Sgt. Gar Haugo attends his son Colt Haugo’s championship football game at the Colorado State University Canvas Stadium with his wife Amanda Haugo and daughter Tatum Oct. 29, 2022.

3. Members of the Fort Collins Police Services Special Weapons and Tactics team finish training by getting dinner at Cafe Mexicali Oct. 19, 2022. The team often gets food together after training.

4. Sgt. Gar Haugo cheers on his son Colt Haugo during his championship football game at the Colorado State University Canvas Stadium with his wife Amanda Haugo and daughter Tatum Haugo Oct. 29, 2022.

6. Members of the Fort Collins Police Services SWAT team practice at a borrowed abandoned house Feb. 15. As an on-call team, every SWAT response is a collateral duty, which means most members are working other jobs or beats and can have officers responding to a number of situations. To handle the situations, the team trains 20-40 hours every month on a variety of scenarios, including highrisk warrants, barricaded suspects, search warrants, hostage rescues, domestic abuse and active shooters.

7. Officer Justin Burch with the Fort Collins Police Services SWAT team prepares for a warrant service call at the City of Fort Collins Police Services Oct. 5, 2022.

8. Sgt. Gar Haugo of the Fort Collins Police Services Special Weapons and Tactics team participates in a training scenario Oct. 19, 2022. SWAT officers train roughly 20-40 hours a month on situations such as hostage rescue, barricaded suspects and high-risk warrants.

PHOTO DEEP DIVE

5. Members of the Fort Collins Police Services Special Weapons and Tactics team prepare for a warrant service call Oct. 5, 2022.

PHOTO DEEP DIVE

9. Members of the Fort Collins Police Services Special Weapons and Tactics team practice rifle and pistol drills at a dedicated police range Oct. 5, 2022. Some members specialize in breaching tactics, explosives and sniper tactics.

10. Officer Justin Burch with the Fort Collins Police Services SWAT team prepares for a warrant service call at the City of Fort Collins Police Services Oct. 5, 2022. “For better or worse, I’ve been equipped with the mental fortitude and the physical ability to do these things,” Burch said. “And I would like to be able to do them so that my family doesn’t have to deal with this stuff. Because as much as I’d like to say it’s all rainbows and unicorns, that isn’t the world that we live in. But if my kids think that it is, I’m OK with that because that means I’m doing my job because they’re not having to deal with it.”

11. Officer August Barber with the Fort Collins Police Services SWAT team participates in one of the teams’ monthly trainings Feb. 15. “I think I’ve gotten pretty good at just focusing on what needs to happen,” Barber said. “Because we’re so busy trying to collect intel and trying to understand everything about the situation and the people we’re dealing with, ... we don’t really let a whole lot of fear and doubt really ease in.” As an on-call team, every SWAT response is a collateral duty, which means most members are working other jobs or beats and can have officers responding to a number of situations. To handle the situations, the team trains 20-40 hours every month on a variety of scenarios, including high-risk warrants, barricaded suspects, search warrants, hostage rescues and domestic abuse.

12. Members of the Fort Collins Police Services Special Weapons and Tactics team prepare for practice Oct. 19, 2022.

13. Members of the Fort Collins Police Services Special Weapons and Tactics team prepare for a warrant service call Oct. 5, 2022.

14. A member of the Fort Collins Police Services Special Weapons and Tactics team enters a house during a hostage rescue training Oct. 19, 2022.

15. Sgt. Mike Avrech of the Fort Collins Police Services SWAT team participates in the monthly SWAT sniper qualification at the Northern Colorado Law Enforcement Training Center Sept. 27, 2022.

16. A Fort Collins Police Services officer’s handgun and badge Oct. 5, 2022. The Fort Collins Police Services is comprised of 232 sworn personnel and responds to an average of 85,787 calls a year.

17. A member of the Fort Collins Police Services Special Weapons and Tactics team holds up a ballistic shield during practice Dec. 7, 2022.

PHOTO DEEP DIVE

PHOTOS BY GARRETT MOGEL

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INNOVATORS

How the cannabis industry is staying sustainable

By Taylor Paumen @taytaypau

As cannabis acceptance and consumption grow with the industry, finding sustainable ways to keep up with the demand is something companies and individual consumers can do quickly before the industry gets too out of hand.

A big issue that harms the harvesting of cannabis and hemp is pesticides that not only hurt the plant but the soil and water, too. But businesses like Cedar Meadow Farm have worked to make environmentally friendly soil that allows “the roots (to) create healthy soil that’s resistant to run-off during rain,” which has been in progress for over 30 years, according the farm’s website. Hemp, which is similar to other varieties of cannabis but has effects at a much smaller level, is a side of the industry that’s found many ways to be sustainable.

Companies are using the plant to make rope, eco-friendly food products and apparel.

8000Kicks sells shoes and backpacks with industrial hemp, which has been used since 8000 B.C.E. eir products benefit from strong hemp fibers and have “the world’s first hemp insoles” that are complemented by algal bloom-based soles, according to their website.

While 8000Kicks is using ancient ways to create modern, 100% vegan and waterproof shoes, they’re helping to increase the standards of the industry.

Another company supporting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle is Earthmost Foods, which makes eco-friendly, hemp-based food products. ings like burger meat, granola, cooking oil and many other ingredient-type goods can be found on their website.

Although there are companies being mindful of environmentally efficient ways to produce a

successful product, there are faulty areas of cannabis and hemp consumption that have made an impact.

is usually bulky and intricate due to child safety regulations, and with Coloradans spending $129,370,166 so far in 2023 on cannabis sales, the amount of waste from just packaging can build up.

Disposable pens are a big culprit in adding to waste, and while there isn’t much research on how to recycle them, there are other ways to be more friendly to our environment with other cannabis products.

e Denver Department of Public Health & Environment shows you can recycle multiple types of packaging, like preroll tubes, aluminum materials, uncoated paper boxes and glass bottles. e many zip-closetype bags can be reused, and everything else will have to go into the trash.

care of them and are more visually appealing on your coffee table than trash is.

Most products that contain cannabis or hemp contents are in single-use packaging that

Another great way to help eliminate trash is by purchasing glassware like pipes and bongs, as those will last forever if you take

Although the immense waste of these practices is not a loner in the world of consumption and the individual cannabis consumer has the skills to help do their part, companies and large organizations also have ways to support sustainability. is can look like changing packaging to be recyclable, using regenerative farming to benefit soil health, growing plants outside to use free energy from the sun and using other alternative energy sources. While the legalization of weed is slowly spreading across the nation, take note of some of these role models of the industry, and take a moment to do your part and reduce, reuse, recycle and get high.

Reach Taylor Paumen at cannabis@collegian.com.

$54.99 ounces! $5 1 gram pre-rolls

“Another great way to help eliminate trash is by purchasing glassware like pipes and bongs, as those will last forever if you take care of them and are more visually appealing on your coffee table than trash is.”

PHOTO BY TRI DUONG THE COLLEGIAN

The Broadmoor hosts blazin’ 9th NoCo Hemp Expo

By Taylor Paumen @taytaypau

At e Broadmoor hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the ninth NoCo Hemp Expo kicked off this last week, bringing companies from all areas of the cannabis industry together to spread expert knowledge and awareness of many trailblazing botany options.

When entering the Expo, attendees were welcomed with rows of booths spreading from hemp-based shoes to veteran products helping with anxiety and PTSD to hemp-seed oil sex lubricant.

Aside from the many booths, attendees of the conference had three days to listen to knowledgeable speakers, starting with day one looking through the lens of advocacy and policy within the industry.

Audiences heard from leaders who specialize in areas like sports, business startups and laws around cannabis services across the world.

Speakers Adam Young, Cannabis and Psychedelics Industries liaison; Janel Ralph, CEO of RE Botanicals and founder of Harmony CBD; and Sean Murphy, founder of Kompassion, all spoke about children’s medical advocacy and pushing to have access to cannabinoids for medical benefits.

Day two turned to the business and investment side of the conference, where people could learn about innovative ways to be financially successful while working with cannabis and hemp. ere is a ton of research within the industry that could still be done, and finding new areas that haven’t been touched could be beneficial, not only for

someone new but for the entirety of cannabis consumers. Knowing how the supply chain works logistically and working within legal guidelines were things Holly Bell, vice president of Flora Growth regulatory; and Kevin Schultz, co-founder and president of 357 Hemp Logistics, talked about along with what issues to prepare for.

ings like how Indigenous cultures have made impacts and recognizing international hemp trends were other topics people could hear about. ese subjects made a good transition for the third and final day of the NoCo event, where agriculture and academia shaped the presentations to close out the last day.

Specialists in plant health, genetics, sustainability and every other corner of plant growth helped show what they were doing to be successful, as it’s only the fifth year hemp has been legal to harvest. While many think of hemp being in products like lotion and tea, things like concrete, guitars and board games made with the plant were not out of place at the Expo. e hemp industry has also lit a flame in the food world as the Expo had booths offering ice cream, nonalcoholic alternatives,

flaxseed and dog treats for your four-legged friends.

e clothing community has also ground with hemp in producing apparel, sunglasses, jewelry and a full line provided by Patagonia campaigned as Workwear Hemp Tough. Once your goodie bags were full, you could pop by multiple stages to hear more about the attending companies.

Das Ellis, owner and creator of Hemp I Scream!, a vegan hemp ice cream company, reminisced to his audience about his exposure to hemp throughout his lifetime. Now he sells yummy ice cream sandwiches that come in five different flavors: Mango Love, Mocha Mint, Jasmine Flowers, Double Dutch Chocolate and Unbleached Vanilla.

You can find more about all the inspirational speakers and each vendor at nocohempexpo.com.

Reach Taylor Paumen at cannabis @collegian.com.

Doug Fine, a regenerative farmer and investigative comedy writer, speaks on the Main Stage in Bartolin Hall March 31. Fine introduced the start of day three with some of his experiences with agriculture within the hemp industry. (Photo on the right) Faith Chai, a tea company inspired to bring traditional herbs and spices from India to the U.S., offers over 20 different flavors and purposes. Their booth had samples, including Black Currant, Ayurvedic Relaxing, Passion Fruit and Anti-Flu Chai. PHOTOS BY TAYLOR PAUMEN THE COLLEGIAN

“While many think of hemp being in products like lotion and tea, things like concrete, guitars and board games made with the plant were not out of place at the Expo.”

Public servants should meet expectations — do your research

number of people who can live in one housing property have stayed relatively the same. is often forces college students to risk fines by continuing to live together because the alternative is too expensive.

e Associated Students of Colorado State University hosted a barbecue at the City Council meeting April 4 in support of putting U+2 on the ballot, and many CSU students spoke in favor of adapting living ordinances

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN

By Bella Eckburg @yaycolor

Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by e Collegian or its editorial board.

Public servants tend to come in the form of government officials, but in our current political climate, it seems our expectations about what public servants should be doing for the public are a little blurry.

Someone serving the public should represent the public, which is why we are in charge of electing these officials. is is also why it’s so important for anyone who can vote to make sure they do in every election. Although a lot of people focus on national elections or statewide elections, local elections are an area that allows one to get a feel for politics.

Fort Collins has municipal elections in odd years on the first Tuesday of November — which would include 2023. During these elections, we will elect a new mayor, who will serve for two years, and three council members, who will each serve for four years. All of these elections are nonpartisan, meaning the candidates do not run with an affiliation with any political party.

is is a great way to get introduced to politics without having to directly identify with

a party and the people actually running. So what should we expect from these people?

A mayor should advocate for the welfare of the city they represent, and this should equally include all citizens. ey should have an awareness of the issues plaguing the city and live within it.

District 2, District 4 and District 6 all have elections coming up Nov. 7, and this barbecue shows that students do have a voice in the community. Our current mayor of Fort Collins, Jennifer Arndt, was born and raised in Colorado, and she attended college in the state as well. is likely gives her an understanding of what it is like to grow up here, allowing her to address issues from a local point of view.

On a broader scale, it’s clear that, historically, United States presidents have not represented all of the people they serve, and the actual services they’re meant to perform seem few and far between. When politics become strongly divided on party lines, it’s difficult to enact change due to pushback from multiple sides.

Smaller public servant positions like mayor or city council member are simply closer to everyday people. It’s hard to have a single president represent everyone, but being able to listen and act is the first step.

U+2 — an ordinance that prevents more than three unrelated adults from living together — has been popping up in conversations about FoCo politics for years. Although the city’s demographic has expanded to include a lot of single college students living together, the policies about the limited

e political showboating we’ve seen over the last eight years has fundamentally changed people’s expectations of government officials — it’s not about who is more rightor left-winged; it’s about protecting the people these officials promised to serve when they were elected.

Your vote ensures you are being represented, and you should do your due diligence to ensure the candidate you’re voting for is willing to listen and act.

Reach Bella Eckburg at letters @collegian.com.

Snow in April. When dogs follow you around.

WiFi glitching when you’re on deadline.

Friends who give you free drinks.

Messy roommates. Not getting a sunburn.

San Diego State University losing the NCAA Championship.

A Mountain West Conference team making the NCAA Championship.

Waiting to hear about job offers. The new softball field.

COLLEGIAN

PEÑA THE COLLEGIAN

“Smaller public servant positions like mayor or city council member are simply closer to everyday people. It’s hard to have a single president represent everyone, but being able to listen and act is the first step.”

Police arrest anyone with a Stanley, bike thief apprehended

By Callum Burke @burkec0621

Editor’s Note:  is is a satire piece from e Collegian’s opinion section. Real names and the events surrounding them may be used in fictitious/semi-fictitious ways. ose who do not read the editor’s notes are subject to being offended.

Fort Collins Police Services is back in the media spotlight after a string of seemingly random arrests was reported around Colorado State University’s main campus.

at’s right: It appears the local police have their hands full yet again in an issue involving our local student body.

Last week, e Collegian staff received word about peculiar arrests, seemingly random, being reported all around CSU. As the weather continues to rise in temperature, it seems crime rates have as well, and the local police force is taking law enforcement duties very seriously.

Assuming the arrests were bikerelated, as are most crimes reported this time of year, e Collegian staff investigated the next time an arrest occurred with minimal hopes of

actually catching the elusive bikestealing bastard.

To our surprise, the situation did appear to be bike-related. We arrived at the crime scene to witness the infamous campus bike thief already being put into handcuffs — still as sketchy, fuzzy and hoof-toed as ever! Although we cannot release the name, we know he has a team of handlers.

“What confused me the most was the fact that the thief was caught stealing these bikes in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday,” Collegian investigative staff member Stella Fleckberg said. “What kind of so-called professional thief steals bikes at noon on a college campus?”

Another bizarre aspect of the crime scene was the fact that the infamous bike thief was carrying a rather identifiable weapon on his person at the time of his arrest.

e police identified the weapon in question as a “large, militarygrade blunt metal combat baton, manufactured for the sole intention of inflicting as much pain and damage as possible to those that feel its wrath.” ey also claimed in the report that the thief was using the object to threaten bike owners.

“Upon further investigation and research after the arrest, The Collegian connected Fort Collins Police Services to 13 separate occasions in the last month alone involving campus-goers getting arrested. Even crazier was the fact that all the arrests involved students who owned a Stanley water bottle and had them on their person at the time of their individual arrest.”

To the regular college student, you can refer to the so-called “combat baton” as those giant Stanley water bottles that nearly every student carries to class. To be even

BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN

more specific, it’s a Stanley “ e Quencher H2.0 Flowstate” 40-ounce Tumbler water bottle in Rose Quartz pink — the undisputed color of the upcoming spring season.

Anyway, previous police records have proven the infamous bike thief was never before arrested with this particular weapon, let alone any weapon at all, nor was the thief ever arrested in the middle of the afternoon.

Upon further investigation and research after the arrest, e Collegian connected Fort Collins Police Services to 13 separate occasions in the last month alone involving campus-goers getting arrested. Even crazier was the fact that all the arrests involved students who owned a Stanley water bottle and had them on their person at the time of their individual arrest.

In an attempt to straighten some things up about the connection to these situations, e Collegian requested an opportunity to speak with the infamous bike thief in private.

After much poking and prying, the bike thief eventually cracked and admitted the police were using him as a pawn to arrest any student on campus with a Stanley water bottle and confiscate them to help CSU fund the Andrew G. Clark Building renovation in exchange for a lighter sentence the next time he inevitably finds himself back at the station behind bars.

FCPS has since declined an opportunity to speak on the matter involving the unlawful arrests of Stanley water bottle owners on campus, and the investigation is still ongoing. at said, it is abundantly clear they have a vendetta against Stanley water bottles and will stop at nothing until they have every single one within the Fort Collins city limits.

So if you own one of the military-grade Stanley water bottles and often bring it to campus, please keep it hidden. e Fort Collins Police is tripping! And sipping! — probably out of Stanleys.

Reach Callum Burke at letters @collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION

ChatGPT’s usefulness in college is major-dependent

By Jack Miller @millerjack02

Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by e Collegian or its editorial board.

ChatGPT is a new artificial intelligence chatbot that was introduced in late 2022. Now used by millions of people, this program can provide detailed responses to complex questions about any topic in a matter of seconds.

After its quick rise in usage and notoriety, ChatGPT has become a regular resource for students and professors at universities across the nation. Many professors have incorporated ChatGPT into their classes and have been teaching students how to use it, while others worry this technology will make it easier for students to cheat on their assignments, tests and papers.

Whether it’s beneficial or detrimental, it is inevitable that ChatGPT will continue to grow and rise in popularity. It begs the question: Should universities embrace this change or fight against it?

Grant Coursey, a student at Colorado State University and fellow reporter at e Collegian, has done extensive research on ChatGPT and its impact on students and professors.

“One point that was clear after talking to professors was that whether it’s good or bad, it’s here to stay,” Coursey said. “ ere are already millions of daily visitors, and that number will likely rise as the software improves and becomes more effective.”

Coursey compared the situation colleges are in now to the situation many students and professors were in going back to the early 2000s.

“If you go back to when the World Wide Web became popular, I’m sure that teachers worried about students using that resource to do the work that they were supposed to be doing,” Coursey said. “However, it was inevitable that the internet would become widely used, and our education system learned how to deal with it. Now in some classes, students are encouraged to use the internet for certain things.”

Ben Condon, a junior at CSU, takes a computer information

class in which the instructor encourages students to use ChatGPT.

“It’s a great resource for our class,” Condon said. “We use it to check our work and learn how to use different systems. Our professor uses ChatGPT to find out more effective ways to do things and check our work.”

at being said, students in writing-intensive majors have more of an opportunity to use ChatGPT to plagiarize than students in other majors. Although ChatGPT wouldn’t be super effective for complex math problems or specific equations, it can immediately write an informative essay about almost any topic in the world.

Melanie Chaffey, a senior journalism student at CSU, first heard of ChatGPT through a teacher on the first day of spring semester classes.

“My teacher emphasized that we cannot use ChatGPT to write papers and stated repeatedly that we’d be in a lot of trouble if we were caught,” Chaffey said. “Later, my friend showed me what ChatGPT could do, and I was shocked. If students were to use this to plagiarize, I feel like there wouldn’t even be a point to having an essay assignment anymore.”

Despite the dangers of this technology, Coursey said that it’s important for the education system to embrace it rather than fight against it.

“I think with a resource this powerful, it would be much more beneficial to the education system to regulate ChatGPT and incorporate it into classes rather than just ban usage of it,” Coursey said. “ is technology can help students and teachers check their work and find out more efficient ways of solving problems, and as it improves, there will be much more benefits that we’re not even aware of yet.”

Coursey agrees this technology can be used in a bad way, but this doesn’t sway his opinion.

“Some students decide to cheat, and that’s the way it’s always been,” Coursey said. “Even if the schools fight against ChatGPT, it will still be there for students to use, and some of them will use it in a dishonest way. Either way, this technology is going to continue to improve, and we might as well use it to our advantage.”

Reach Jack Miller at letters @collegian.com.

“Some students decide to cheat, and that’s the way it’s always been. Even if the schools fight against ChatGPT, it will still be there for students to use, and some of them will use it in a dishonest way. Either way, this technology is going to continue to improve, and we might as well use it to our advantage.”

COURSEY CSU STUDENT AND COLLEGIAN REPORTER

ELEVATED ATHLETES

CSU skiers end monumental year with 1st national event

By Dylan Heinrich @dylanrheinrich

To many, skiing is an integral part of Colorado culture; it’s what makes the recent addition of the Colorado State University skiing clubs so important.

e alpine and nordic ski clubs were founded two years ago by Amelia Stocking and Justin Arndt.

e two first met when Stocking noticed Arndt using roller skates with ski poles to get to his classes.

“We just started talking about our mutual love for nordic skiing,” Arndt said. “(We talked about) the lack of a team at CSU, so we decided to found one.”

Arndt has been a skier all his life, first putting on a pair of skis when he was only 2 years old. As he approached high school, he was unable to compete in the downhill portion due to several concussions. As a result, Arndt turned his attention to pursuing a path as a nordic skier.

“I can’t do alpine skiing,” Arndt said. “(I) picked up cross-country skiing, got really good at it in high school and then just really fell in love with the sport.”

e senior has translated this love of skiing to help inspire others across campus. e team consists of 35 members who participate at varying levels, including a core of seven members who made the trip out to the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association National Championships March 7-11 in Mammoth Lakes, California.

However, things got off to a rocky start as a tremendous snowfall condensed what was

supposed to be a six-day event into just three days.

“It felt like a snowpocalypse out there,” said Claudia Burgess, a member of the nordic ski club. “We couldn’t see out of the condo windows. … It felt like we were in a cave.”

As a result, the organizers and all the coaches made adjustments to condense the event into a 7.5-kilometer race on day one, speed sprints on day two and a 15-kilometer race to wrap things up on day three.

ese three days were the most physically grueling races CSU had to compete in. Plus, the members had to fulfill their academic duties when they weren’t competing.

“It takes a lot out of you,” said Ethan Hobbs, senior officer. “But I think most people are just happy we were able to race that much.”

e Rams found plenty of success as a unit with three members placing in the top 15 overall in their respective male and female categories.

Burgess, who finished second of the nordic women, credits her success to her running background.

e fifth-year student competed on the Colorado State cross country team for five years and the track and field team for four years, reaching the NCAA level in 2019 and 2021.

After all that time at the D1 level, Burgess decided it was time to switch over to something less demanding.

“It’s a good change of pace,” Burgess said. “I definitely had needed a little bit of a break after my five years of running for Colorado State.”

Hobbs comes from a similar background. When he’s not skiing nordic, he’s riding the

mountains as a part of the cycling team. ere’s plenty of crossover between the two sports, and they are both excellent at testing endurance alongside mental fortitude.

“ e biggest thing is learning how to push yourself on your own,” Hobbs said. “ ose are both sports where, in the races,

you’re pushing yourself to the absolute physical limit.”

Despite the physical nature of the sport, members are allowed to go at their own pace, making everyone feel welcome as a member of the team.

“I like the relaxed setting,” Burgess said. “It’s cool that we’re able to be relaxed and have a relaxed format but then get the opportunity

to still compete at a national level.” While the ski season has ended for CSU, the nordic and alpine clubs will be back and better than ever next winter. To learn more about the team or to support the organization, check out the team on their website or on Instagram @nordicrams. Reach Dylan Heinrich at sports @collegian.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUSTIN ARNDT

Athletic trainer appreciation, new generation trainers

By Karsyn Lane @karsynlane1

Following March, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Athletic Training Month, we recognize the essential and necessary health care services trainers provide for athletes everywhere at every level. Although March has passed, the topic remains relevant forever.

ere are numerous responsibilities that come along with becoming an athletic trainer, including injury prevention and athlete assessment, management, treatment and rehabilitation. Trainers receive much of the athletic experience firsthand because they go through an athlete’s journey, the good and the bad.

Many athletes would struggle to be successful without the proper care and training to improve strength and endurance provided by trainers. Many trainers take initiative to plan and implement comprehensive programs to prevent further injuries or illnesses.

As long as any physical activity continues, there will always be a need for athletic trainers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the predicted job outlook shows a 17% increase 2021-2031, a faster-than-average rise in new trainers entering the health care industry.

Colorado State University encourages students to pursue athletic training in the department of health and exercise science. Senior Grace Johnson is currently a health and exercise science major with a health promotion concentration who was admitted into the University of Northern Colorado’s master’s program for athletic training.

Johnson said she first became interested in the field in high school as an athlete.

“I was experiencing some patellar tracking issues my junior

year and connected with my high school’s athletic trainer to begin a rehabilitation plan to help combat some of the issues I was experiencing,” Johnson said. “I ended up spending so much of my time in the training room that I started to gain interest in not only mine but other athletes’ recovery process.”

“Once I got to CSU, it was not long before I began to miss being in a clinical setting, observing treatment and rehabilitation regiments,” Johnson said. “I consulted with some of my professors and ended up getting connected with the associate football athletic trainer and coordinator of student athletic training technicians at CSU.”

After making these connections, Johnson found just the job for her, becoming a student athletic trainer for all four years of her undergraduate degree.

“Having this continued opportunity to observe what the profession looks like in the (collegiate) setting has only expanded my passion for working with student-athletes to overcome the physical adversities competitive sports may bring,” Johnson said.

Experiences like this encourage individuals interested in athletics, or health care in general, to continue caring mentally and physically for patients in need. Despite working behind the scenes, athletic trainers are essential to creating a safe and trusted environment and deserve unwavering recognition.

“ e involvement of an athletic trainer in an athlete’s career has the potential to be such a trusting bond, especially considering that an athletic trainer is helping guide an individual through some of the most physically and mentally impactful adversities they may experience in their sport,” Johnson said.

Reach Karsyn Lane at sports @collegian.com.

FoCoMX Music Festival Brings the Noise To Fort Collins This April!

Fort Collins Music eXperiment - It may sound like a weird science-themed CSU Lab band formed in a broom-closet, but in actuality it is Fort Collins’ own renowned music festival hosted each April in Downtown Fort Collins! Affectionately known as FoCoMX, the festival is making a triumphant return to the heart of our town’s music and culture scene after a two-year hiatus. Audiences are already showing their love in anticipation of Northern Colorado’s most sorely missed musical pageant. FoCoMX was born as an effort from the Fort Collins Musicians Association to increase the visibility and value of musicians whose talent and creativity make our local scene magical.

If you have yet to bear witness to this annual event, your chance approaches this spring. On April 28 and 29 FoCoMX will take command of almost every stage in Downtown Fort Collins, including the, Washington’s, Avogadro’s Number, The Comedy Fort, The Lyric, New Belgium Brewing Co. patio, and Odell Brewing patio, just to name a fraction of this year’s stages.

No matter your musical tastes there’s definitely something for everyone. From bluegrass to metal, hip hop to punk, acoustic or synthesized, fans can hear original songs and tributes, experience the tame and the brazen, in both indoor and outdoor settings. Colorado artists will showcase nearly all genres during two days of musical performances. And if you want to get involved in the music scene consider being a volunteer and get a free festival wristband and commemorative t-shirt for your time. Audiences are encouraged to come see their favorite local acts, while also discovering new artists from more than three hundred Colorado artists across thirty stages. You might catch the next break-out broom-closet band in an intimate bar before they’re selling out stadiums - it wouldn’t be the first time - *clears throat* Nathaniel Rateliff! See you at the eXperiment!

FoCo Cafe provides healthy, sustainable food for all

By Samy Gentle @samy_gentle_

Among the dozens of restaurants in the Old Town area is the FoCo Cafe. Despite the numerous establishments, there is something unique about this location.

Lawrence Hermance, administrative assistant and grant writer, showcases the community makeshift storage units, which has clothes, food and books at FoCo Cafe April 1. “A lot of people come by quite often, take whatever they need,” Hermance said. “We try to keep it stocked at all times, and always open to anyone that comes by.”

amounts for the various meal options, but they are not required, said Dexter Beasley, executive director of the cafe.

Beasley said patrons who cannot contribute monetarily may spend up to an hour volunteering for the cafe in exchange for their meal.

“We need those patrons who are able to donate a little bit more for their meals so we can keep feeding those in the community who can’t contribute monetarily,” Beasley said.

Ingredients for meals are locally sourced from farmers, churches and individual gardeners around Fort Collins, said Michelle Coy, head chef of FoCo Cafe.

“( is job) was exactly what I was looking for — a true farm-totable operation, for community by community,” Coy said.

e cafe is run by a staff of just five people but is also supported by volunteers and interns, many of whom come from Colorado State University’s food science and human nutrition program, Coy said.

Aside from CSU, FoCo Cafe works with a variety of organizations and groups within the community.

According to the cafe’s website, “FoCo Cafe’s mission is to build community by providing nutritious and delicious meals to the people of Fort Collins regardless of their ability to pay while using mostly local, organic and sustainably grown ingredients.”

e garden space outside the building is run by e Growing Project, where they host their Kids Feeding Kids Summer Breakfast Program, which helps families receive breakfast during the summer, Coy said.

e cafe also works with the Heart of the Rockies Christian Church, which provides much of the produce the restaurant uses for their menu. e church also contributes to the cafe’s Kindness Cupboard.

e Kindness Cupboard is filled with nonperishable food for community use and is part of the nonrestaurant side of FoCo Cafe, Coy said. ere is also a community-accessible refrigerator on property for produce and perishable food donations.

Additionally, there is e Giving Tree, where members of the community can receive toiletries and clothing in conjunction with a free library.

“You can bring pretty much everything except furniture,” Coy said.

Future aspirations for FoCo Cafe would be to expand the hours to serve breakfast and lunch, Coy said.

Coy also mentioned expansion being a possible goal, whether it be a second brick-and-mortar store or, alternatively, a food truck to be able to provide more meals to those who need them.

Opened in 2014, the FoCo Cafe is completely nonprofit, and patrons pay for their meals through optional donations.

ere are recommended donation

“For our low-income to noincome families coming in, we always have coffee ready for them and a warm place for them to stay in,” Coy said. “People are just eager to get here anyways in the morning, so we would love to be open for breakfast or lunch.”

“A really rewarding thing is when one of our regulars who was experiencing homelessness comes to us and tells us that they finally have a place lined up,” Beasley said. “ ey thank us for the help we were able to give them. It’s always really heartwarming to hear.”

Reach Samy Gentle at entertainment@collegian.com.

Michelle Coy, head chef of FoCo Cafe, serves customers their plate after cooking at FoCo Cafe April 1. Coy has been to 12 countries and served food on various accounts. Now she comes back to Fort Collins to serve the community and nurture her family as well.

PHOTO BY TRI DUONG THE COLLEGIAN

Michelle Coy, head chef of FoCo Cafe, prepares a dish of her favorite items to make at FoCo Cafe April 1. The dish consisted of pea soup, tossed chicken salad and a piece of cake.

PHOTO BY TRI DUONG THE COLLEGIAN

PHOTO BY TRI DUONG THE COLLEGIAN

“A really rewarding thing is when one of our regulars who was experiencing homelessness comes to us and tells us that they finally have a place lined up. They thank us for the help we were able to give them. It’s always really heartwarming to hear.”

DEXTER BEASLEY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FOCO CAFE

RANDOM BEAUTY

Art in Public Places program enriches FoCo community

By Christian Arndt @csucollegian

Stunning painted murals and electrical boxes adorn the streets of Fort Collins, but where do they come from?

e Art in Public Places program has been operating since 1995 with the sole intent of providing art to the community in order to improve the quality of life of the residents of Fort Collins.

Ellen Martin, staff liaison for the Art in Public Places program, detailed just how important it is for the Fort Collins community to have an expansive arrangement of art decorated around town.

“(Art in Public Places) was started because it was recognized that art is vitally important to the quality of life and an economic driver in the community,” Martin said. “ e goals of the program (are) to enrich the public environment for residents and visitors through the visual arts, increase public access to works of art, promote understanding and

awareness of the visual arts in the public environment and promote a variety of artistic expressions in the community.”

Not only is the program a great way to bring the Fort Collins community together but also to recognize and appreciate the town’s history.

“Since the start, the program has enhanced the aesthetics of the city, developed creative public spaces, promoted and supported artists and spread artwork throughout the city,” Martin said. “Art contributes to the community’s civic pride, often giving opportunities to learn about the site, our history and our community.”

e program has no shortage of artists because of the Request for Qualification in which they examine an artist’s previous work, and if selected, the artist will work closely with a project team to see their project through. e Art in Public Places program pushes to garner as many artists as it can. ey especially focus on bringing in local artists.

“Many local artists have contributed to the program,” Martin said. “Some are selected

from a call that is open to a larger geographic area; others are selected in a call that is only open to Fort Collins artists. For example, the Transformer Cabinet Mural program is only open to artists who live or have a studio in the Fort Collins Growth Management Area, so all of the nearly 400 murals have been painted by Fort Collins artists.”

A specific instance of an artist being brought on by the Art in Public Places program is Lisa Cameron Russell, a seasoned artist who has contributed numerous pieces to Fort Collins, one of which is the “Sustainable Gardens.”

Russell enjoys creating pieces based on nature, and “Sustainable Gardens” is no exception. is piece is specifically inspired by the nature in the Fort Collins area. Russell’s piece showcases gaillardia flowers on one side and pinecones on the other.

Russell reflected on Art in Public Places initiatives and detailed just how important providing art pieces is.

“ ey speak to the community for which they are made,” Russell said. “You try to learn about what that community has an interest in or the history they want to reflect. It helps a community because it could create an experience that educates the community about the history of the people and the land in that area.”

Russell’s “Sustainable Gardens” piece was meant to be implemented in an alleyway that had the theme of sustainability; however, at the last moment, it was put in another area. Russell looked on the bright side of this occurrence.

“It is nice to bring color and vegetation to an area that otherwise maybe doesn’t have that much in more of a cityscape,” Russell said. “It ended up in the right place.”

If you want to see the “Sustainable Gardens” for yourself, the art piece is located on the southeast corner of Mountain Avenue and Remington Street.

Reach Christian Arndt at entertainment@collegian.com.

Local artist celebrates sustainability, Indigenous tradition

time,” Walker said. “I love to celebrate sustainability and the changing seasons all in the same stroke.”

Walker was born in Fort Collins and moved back five years ago after studying at the University of Vermont and further developing her interest in and understanding of herbal medicine.

“Natural dyes have been present throughout human history, and it brings me joy to know that my process has been enjoyed by countless hands before reaching mine,” Walker said. “My process uses modern techniques as well as techniques that have been used since the very beginning of natural dye work.”

Dye work has a lot of history, specifically in Native American communities.

much to the Indigenous peoples of our land, and their histories need to be highlighted and revered.”

Getting your hands on Walker’s work can take a little time, depending on availability due to the amount of effort that goes into each piece. First, she has to prep the fabrics before even thinking about layout, composition and color choice.

“Pre-treating the fabric to hold natural dyes is a huge part of the process,” Walker said. “I do new batches every season. e next release will be in May. Each batch takes me several weeks to make.”

Before dyeing, Walker has to find the actual ingredients to create the colors.

“I use some dyes that are not local as accents to locally made dyes,” Walker said. “I do make a lot of my own dyes, though. I also have a network of friends who have gardens and share their bounty with me, as I do not have a big gardening space. We trade. I sustainably forage for wild dyes that are ethical, (and) some are even invasive plants, so they are good to remove.”

Additionally, Walker plans her garden to ensure she can supplement wild dyes that are harder to find.

By Bella Eckburg @yaycolor

Art comes in many forms, and Fort Collins is home to all kinds of artists.

Madalyn Walker, also known as @indigoandgoldenrod on

Instagram, has worked for years perfecting her craft: textile dyeing with naturally sourced, grown and gathered plant life.

“My style is rooted in embracing seasonality and the beauty of using local materials to create pieces that are intrinsic to our sense of place and

“Indigenous people are the first natural dye makers in our state — and world — and I do my best to educate and talk about this history when I use plants that have been shared by local tribes and individuals,” Walker said. “My great-grandmother was Navajo, and I never had the chance to meet her, but I always wonder if she lives through me in some way as I honor plants like rabbitbrush in the fall.

at’s all very personal and tricky to navigate, but I do believe we owe so

Currently, she displays and sells her art at Kansas City Kitty, located at 136 N. College Ave. in Old Town. Her partnership with Kansas City Kitty began organically.

“I met Kansas City Kitty shop owner (Christie Wolf Guthrie) as a customer and was then hired as customer service manager in 2021,” Walker said. “One day I was wearing a flower-dyed silk bandana that I had dyed, and she commented on how lovely it was and that plant-dyed silks were not available anywhere else in town at the time. So I was lucky enough to be encouraged by her.”

“I press and dry flowers to use throughout the year,” Walker said. “I find both foraged and grown to be their own flavors of local.”

If you’re looking for comfy cotton crew socks that are naturally dyed and printed with florals or silks pressed with foliage, you’re in the right place as soon as you enter Kansas City Kitty or pop onto Walker’s Instagram. Her next drop is coming soon, so keep an eye out.

“My favorite dyes have been made using dried flowers, all locally grown,” Walker said. “Orange, fluffy marigolds make me giddy.”

Reach Bella Eckburg at entertainment@collegian.com.

“Sustainable Gardens” by Lisa Cameron Russell in Old Town Fort Collins March 1. “Sustainable Gardens” was a gift from the Downtown Development Authority through the Art in Action project.

PHOTO BY REUEL INUDRKAR THE COLLEGIAN

PHOTO COURTESY OF MADELYN WALKER

Sudoku

WEEKLY HOROSCOPE

By Abby Flores

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (4/6/23)

ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19)

You are a powerhouse in your work and career. Symbolized by the ram, you take projects head on and don’t mind a little competition. You are getting close to the finish line with mastering a certain skill. This only means new beginnings and learning opportunities are ahead.

OVERHEARD AROUND CAMPUS

“If you’re going to put me in a hole, it better be nice!”

“You’re so cute, you’re like a loaf of bread! My loaf of bread.”

“Sometimes I ignore you because you’re too vulgar.“

“Tom, this is a chiropractic office. No one needs to see your pink thong.”

Have you overheard something funny on campus? Put your eavesdropping to good use. Tweet us @CSUCollegian and your submissions could be featured in our next paper!

TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20)

There are times when you don’t give yourself moments to rest and unwind when you feel sleepy throughout the day. Developing habits such as taking naps and journaling will help boost your productivity. As someone who doesn’t like change, feeling grounded is essential to your well-being.

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20)

You may find yourself wondering why you can’t focus on one single hobby or passion. You should think of this as a blessing because a jack of all trades is often better than a master of one. You are multitalented and have an abundance of energy that is sure to get you far.

CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22)

You will start this month off with a heightened sense of intuition, Cancer. Pay attention to your surroundings and the emotions you go through. The universe will reveal answers to questions you had a long time ago,

and your manifestations will come through.

LEO (JULY 23 - AUG. 22)

You are the sun that shines into people’s hearts when it’s too dark for them to see. As much as everyone appreciates it, don’t forget to recharge your own light so that you feel happy too. Balance is key when it comes to prioritizing your health, work and friendships.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEPT. 22)

When you look into a magnifying glass, everything makes more sense. You can see the way different parts work together to create something in our reality. As a detail-oriented sign, you understand this concept and have been appreciating the beauty that surrounds our everyday life.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22)

Aphrodite is the ancient goddess of love and beauty. Ruled by planet Venus, your demeanor is quite like hers, Libra. Your kind, sensitive nature makes people

slow down and appreciate the outer world that exists in front of them. Expect new relationships to blossom this week.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)

You are a protective soul, and you don’t let any harm come near your loved ones. Someone in your life wants to tell you how much they appreciate your selflessness and loyalty, but they may struggle to find the right words. You are a gift to this universe, Scorpio.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21) You may have heard that Polaris, our North Star, is the brightest star in the sky. You were following it for a while, but your universe and mind have expanded since then. You are in the process of seeing how much more light is beyond the environment you have been walking circles around. Keep aiming far, Sagittarius.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19) You are opening up to new people and getting in touch with

your spiritual side this month, Capricorn. As an earth sign, you tend to prefer logic but have been feeling more creatively inspired lately. I guess the spring air has us blossoming in all kinds of ways.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18)

You have a couple of secret admirers who appreciate your natural beauty and intellect. One in particular may ask to get to know you more when you least expect it. Take a chance, and open yourself up to the possibility of a new connection. It could end up being something special.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20) Fishermen and nature enthusiasts usually appreciate all sounds of the earth, such as the rustling of leaves or water lapping onto shore. It is because their inner thoughts feel heard. You are similar to nature in the sense that you have a keen ear and are empathetic to those who feel lost.