Thursday, March 9, 2023 Vol. 132, No. 24

War-torn love: Ukrainian student copes with loss while overseas

STORY BY IVY SECREST

PHOTO BY LUCY MORANTZ

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN

FORT COLLINS FOCUS

TOP STORIES TOP STORIES

NEWS: Mónica Feliú-Mójer brings equity, inspiration to science community PAGE 3

LIFE: Holocaust survivor speaks at CSU on enduring childhood PAGE 8

CANNABIS: Weed to Know: Introducing ‘weederall,’ your productive cannabinoid bud PAGE 10

OPINION: LTTE: ASCSU needs to be careful with handling student funds PAGE 16

SPORTS: Women’s basketball outhustled by Wyoming, knocked out of MWC PAGE 19

ARTS: Lil Yachty successfully steps outside his genre PAGE 20

PHOTO: Lively libations at Social cocktail bar

PAGES 14 & 15

FOCO EVENTS FOCO EVENTS

“Assigned” at the Clara Hatton Gallery in the Visual Arts Building 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, March 10 to April 6

Recycle Rally at the Garbage Garage Education Center 10:30-11:30 a.m. March 15-16

Guest Artist Concert: Basil Vendryes, Viola, and William David, Piano, at the University Center for the Arts 7:30 p.m. March 20

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Letters to the Editor reflect the view of a member of the campus community and are submitted to the publication for approval. Readers may submit letters to letters@collegian.com. Please follow the guidelines listed at collegian.com before submitting.

Dave Colangelo with his artwork, Mask Anatomy 101, during the opening night of the Masks exhibition at the Museum of Art Fort Collins March 3. “I’m an occupational therapist, so in school, I studied anatomy and physiology and had to learn all the ins and outs of the human body,” Colangelo said. “I don’t use any of that now, really, but I was always inspired by the art that these doctors and these artists put into these textbooks, so I did kind of a humorous take on what a face would look like: fake muscles — with a little bit of real muscles — and silly colors.” Colangelo has been a contributor to the exhibit for six years and spent two months on this year’s mask.

Lory Student Center, Suite 118 Fort Collins, CO 80523

ADVISING STAFF

KIM BLUMHARDT ADVERTISING MANAGER ASHER KORN KCSU ADVISER CHRISTA REED SENIOR MEDIA TRAINER

JAKE SHERLOCK STUDENT MEDIA ADVISER

KEY PHONE NUMBERS

DISTRIBUTION 970-538-1186

EDITORIAL STAFF 970-538-1189

CLASSIFIEDS 970-538-1183

ADVERTISING 970-538-7186

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

Everybody makes mistakes, including us. If you encounter something in the paper you believe to be an error, please contact us at: copy@collegian.com.

EDITORIAL STAFF

Serena Bettis | Editor in Chief editor@collegian.com

Taylor Paumen | Content Managing Editor managingeditor@collegian.com

Falyn Sebastian | Digital & Design Managing Editor managingeditor@collegian.com

Adah McMillan | Copy Chief copy@collegian.com

Chloe Leline | Print Editor design@collegian.com

Trin Bonner | Illustration Editor design@collegian.com

Tri Duong | Photo Director photo@collegian.com

Lucy Morantz | Photo Director photo@collegian.com

Piper Russell | News Director news@collegian.com

Allie Seibel | News Director news@collegian.com

Ivy Secrest | L&C Director life@collegian.com

Bella Eckburg | Opinion Director letters@collegian.com

Karsyn Lane | Sports Director sports@collegian.com

Braidon Nourse | Sports Editor sports@collegian.com

Alex Hasenkamp | A&E Director entertainment@collegian.com

Emilie Casseday, owner of Blush Boutique, smiles behind the counter of her new store March 5. “My mission is to really love the people who walk through the door,” Casseday said. “When I started Blush, that wasn’t really what I was going for, but throughout the process, I’ve realized that I want people to feel seen when they walk in the door.”

PHOTO BY AVERY COATES THE COLLEGIAN

PHOTO BY MICHAEL MARQUARDT THE COLLEGIAN

Mónica Feliú-Mójer brings equity, inspiration to science community

By Allie Seibel @allie_seibel_

Mónica Feliú-Mójer’s Puerto Rican heritage is the whole of who she is as a decorated scientist and science communicator.

“It’s everything,” Feliú-Mójer said. “Being Puerto Rican is my most important identity. It shapes not just who I am and how I identify and how I carry myself through the world, but it is the main motivation of my work. Being Puerto Rican is my most important identity, both personally and professionally.”

Feliú-Mójer came to Colorado State University March 6 to visit CSU’s Center for Science Communication. During her time on campus, she gave a keynote presentation, visited classes and connected with the next generation of science communication students.

“Science communication is important because communication is a critical part of the process of science,” Feliú-Mójer said. “You can make the most amazing discovery, and if you can’t communicate it, it doesn’t happen. For science to really connect with people’s lives, it needs to be communicated in ways that are effective, in ways that are inclusive, in ways that are equitable.”

Feliú-Mójer grew up surrounded by animals in a rural working-class community in Puerto Rico. The only

path for those interested in biology, as she was, was medicine.

“In retrospect, it inspires and motivates a lot of my work because a lot of my work as a communicator is giving visibility to a Puerto Rican scientist in science because I wasn’t seeing that when I was growing up,” Feliú-Mójer said. “I would’ve loved to know that there were researchers in Puerto Rico. We’re doing different things that are very cool. A lot of my work centers around kind of disrupting narratives and quoteunquote traditional notions of who’s a scientist, who does science, who belongs in science.”

Feliú-Mójer came to the United States to research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She then continued on to get her Ph.D. from Harvard University and had to reassess what her culture meant to her profession.

“Before I moved to the States, I was always very proud to be a scientist from Puerto Rico,” FeliúMójer said. “And when I moved to the States, I was in all of these spaces I felt like I had to tune down the Puerto Rican. I had to be a scientist where all that mattered was the merit and my ideas, but I think who we are and where we come from really influences what we do (and) how we approach problems.”

In her career, Feliú-Mójer was a filmmaker, worked extensively with the media and trained scientists. Most

of her work focused on highlighting the research and scientific advancements in Puerto Rico with a company called Ciencia Puerto Rico, where she serves as the director of communications and science outreach after 9 1/2 years of volunteering with the organization. Her most challenging project was called “Aquí Nos Cuidamos,” which translates to “here we help each other.” The project, started in 2020, aimed to provide accessible and actionable information to marginalized communities about COVID-19, vaccines and mental health.

“I would say that’s perhaps the most important, most challenging project I’ve worked on because it’s allowed me to bring many things that I’ve been doing for a long time: culturally relevant science communication, some things that I’ve been interested in, working more directly with communities, ... it’s allowed me to bring all those things together,” Feliú-Mójer said. “It also has fundamentally changed how I think about communication. We’ve been able to work with the deaf community in Puerto Rico, and that’s been transformative for me. It’s been the beginning of a new stage of my career.”

Feliú-Mójer’s advice to future science communicators is to embrace the difficulties and triumphs that come with the job.

“Communication is very hard,” Feliú-Mójer said. “It needs to be active, intentional and thoughtful. I think especially for scientists, it’s an afterthought. I would say there are so many challenges that science faces today, (and) I think communication needs to play a key role in addressing them. We need communication, interdisciplinary communication (and) solutions for those problems. There’s a lot of opportunity.”

Her work with radio, film, research and media has taught Feliú-Mójer the importance of other perspectives and collaboration in communication.

“The most important skill you have as a communicator is to shut up and listen,” Feliú-Mójer said. “Communication is not about saying things; it’s about listening, really.”

Feliú-Mójer’s future work with CienciaPR includes a community science lab, an institute focused on community science projects. It’s a place where any community leader in Puerto Rico can bring a scientific project for support and guidance around sustainability and create projects that are participatory and meet the needs of the community, Feliú-Mójer said.

“Sometimes people ask, ‘What do you want your obituary to say?’ When I think about (that), about what I want people to say about me, I want people to say that I was consequential,”

Feliú-Mójer said. “I think I still have a lot left to do to make sure that science is seen as a part of Puerto Rican culture.”

The work of Feliú-Mójer and Ciencia PR is focused on bringing awareness and attention to the science research efforts in Puerto Rico and the cultural implications of research and science in the country.

“I can probably say that our work has changed the science media landscape in Puerto Rico, and I hope we continue to do so,” FeliúMójer said. “One of our goals as an organization is that science is going to be part of (Puerto Rican) culture as much as sports or food or music. When people think about Puerto Rican culture, they (may) think about all the musicians that Puerto Rico has produced or, like, the food or dance. And I want people to think (about) science when they think about Puerto Rican culture, and there’s still a lot of work to do there. I think of science as a tool for liberation. Puerto Rico is a colony of the United States, and colonialism is ever-present in everything that happens in Puerto Rico: mindsets, systems, discourse, everything. I see my work as an effort of flipping those and disrupting and dismantling those colonial narratives and really giving people the tools that they need to live, not to just survive but thrive and live prosperous lives.”

Reach Allie Seibel at news @collegian.com.

Scientist-turned-communicator Mónica Feliú-Mójer speaks at her keynote focusing on inclusive science communication in Longs Peak Room in the Lory Student Center March 6. “Information is power, “FeliúMójer said. “We’re constantly leaving out so many people.” She explained why tailoring communication for marginalized communities is important.

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

CSU named one of top producers of Fulbright Scholars

By DJ Vicente @deejmako

Colorado State University was recently named one of the top producers of Fulbright Scholars in the United States, the second year in a row the school was recognized for the distinction.

CSU was given the title by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Fulbright Scholar Program is “the United States government’s flagship program of international educational and cultural exchange,” offering university faculty and staff opportunities to research and teach abroad, according to the Fulbright Scholar Program’s official website.

“This is a pretty monumental achievement,” said Kevin Nohe, assistant director of strategic and academic initiatives for CSU’s Office of International Programs. “I’ve always liked stories of underdogs, and I think this speaks to that.”

As one of the liaisons for the Fulbright Scholar Program at CSU, Nohe noted the level of prestige such a title garners for the school, being among “big names like Penn State (University) and Harvard (University) and Ohio State University.”

Having been with CSU since 2017, Nohe noted the university’s continued engagement with the international space, calling CSU a globally focused community.

that made a faculty member a Fulbright Scholar recipient, commenting on the impact a faculty member’s teaching or research will have on the global community, acting as a collaborative effort between faculty from other countries.

“It is an internationally focused award. … (Faculty) applying for the award ... can really show the impact on individuals’ lives in the communities where they’re working,” Nohe said. “I think that’s paramount.”

Ann Claycomb, director of faculty recognition at CSU, commented on the international significance of Fulbright Scholar recipients, who take up roles as ambassadors in teaching and researching numerous fields across the globe.

“It’s about our faculty being committed to studying abroad and to putting themselves out there to seek Fulbright awards,” Claycomb said. “And then, of course, to their caliber, to how good they are and how interesting their research projects are.”

critical to our world,” highlighting those who take up roles in the research and teachings of the humanities, Claycomb said.

“Artists have always been ambassadors, … whether through music, dance, visual art, theater or fiction,” Claycomb said. “That has always been a way for people across cultures to get excited about coming together.”

The Fulbright Scholar award highlights the skills and impact of faculty from numerous fields of education, allowing recipients to share knowledge with host countries around the world.

Lumina Albert, associate professor of management at the CSU College of Business, traveled to Chennai, India, to participate in research and study at Anna University after receiving the Fulbright Teaching and Research Senior Scholar Award.

spent in her home country, acting as one of the factors in her choice of Chennai.

“I am originally from India, and this opportunity gave me the chance to go back and spend time with the community that nurtured me during my childhood and youth days,” Albert said.

CSU Professor of Occupational Therapy Patricia Davies, another Fulbright Scholar, traveled to Denmark to do research at Aalborg University, the host institution for Davies in the country. She reflected on her experience of being able to reside in Denmark for a year during her sabbatical.

“I thought living abroad for a period of time would be a lot of fun,” Davies said. “I really enjoy traveling and learning about new cultures, and it seemed like a great opportunity.”

“It shows not only the excellence of our research and our faculty but also the strong engagement of CSU with the rest of the world,” Nohe said.

Nohe also shared his perspective on what he viewed were the qualities

As the liaison for the Fulbright Scholar award for CSU’s College of Liberal Arts, Claycomb shared her unique stance on the qualities of a Fulbright Scholar with respect to those nominated in the CLA.

Those nominated in the College of Liberal Arts exhibit talent in disciplines that are “incredibly

Albert spent her time in India observing and studying the impact of businesses on the community and the environment. She noted several of her days were occupied by engaging with business students and leaders in India as well as discussing topics of ethics and human rights in business.

Additionally, being born and raised in India, Albert commented on the semester

Alongside her work at Aalborg University, Davies noted the collaboration she experienced with her colleagues in Denmark, remarking on the informational and cultural exchange.

“It really is about being an ambassador for the U.S.,” Davies said. “I learned some about even my field of occupational therapy and neuroscience and the similarities and differences.”

Reach DJ Vicente at news @collegian.com.

“It’s about our faculty being committed to studying abroad and to putting themselves out there to seek Fulbright awards. And then, of course, to their caliber, to how good they are and how interesting their research projects are.”

ANN CLAYCOMB CSU DIRECTOR OF FACULTY RECOGNITION

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA SIROKMAN THE COLLEGIAN

VCA opens animal urgent care hospital in Fort Collins

By Miles Buchan @buchanmiles

Larimer County gained another valuable veterinary resource last month with the opening of a new VCA Animal Hospitals Urgent Care in Fort Collins. Intended for nonemergency situations impacting a pet that requires more immediate attention, this space expands owners’ access to health care for their pets.

Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week, the urgent care center is located at 4900 South College Ave., Suite 110, directly next to the VCA Fort Collins Animal Hospital’s primary location. To schedule an appointment, patrons can call or go to their website, where they can join a virtual waiting room with real-time wait estimates.

This urgent care facility is the second one to be built focusing on VCA’s broader initiative, which is to build similar facilities across the country.

“The urgent care concept was born out of the innovation group — a group of hospitals that were put together to explore new ways to approach some of the challenges that the profession is facing at

large,” said Dr. Zander Bennett, vice president for VCA Urgent Care Operations and CSU alumnus.

Joseph Campbell, director of external communications for VCA Animal Hospitals, explained some of the current challenges impacting the veterinary field, which have increased the need for facilities such as the new urgent care.

“We’re seeing this once-in-alifetime mix of challenges in the field of veterinary medicine driven by three trends,” Campbell said. “Millions of animals were adopted, pet owners (who spent more time at home) would notice things that prompt calls to the doctor and there has been a significant shortage of qualified veterinary professionals to care for these patients.”

“In 2021 we cared for more pets than any other year we have data for — more than 4.5 million pets across our North American hospitals,” Campbell said to contextualize the situation in terms of years during the pandemic. “That’s nearly 500,000 more than the next busiest year.”

Further describing the urgent care initiative, Bennett said, “VCA has been acquiring hospitals for the last 36 years, and the urgent care hospital

that we opened in (Los Angeles) last year was the first hospital that we built and opened from the ground up, and it gives us the opportunity to do things a little differently when we get to start with a blank slate.”

Dr. Kizzy English, medical director of VCA Urgent Care in Fort Collins and CSU alumna, started her career at VCA six years ago as an associate veterinarian and is familiar with the negative feelings that come with turning away a patient.

While discussing this new urgent care hospital, English said, “It was so great to me to be able to say that we have this service where we can see those pets on a same-day basis.”

“Sometimes you don’t really know exactly what your pet needs,” English said. “And that’s why it’s so great that we are comprehensive in our service. We have primary care for you, and if we think maybe that’s not the right place for you, then we can direct you to our urgent care. If we think maybe that’s not the right place for you, then we can direct you to our emergency care.”

Explaining VCA’s emphasis on comprehensive care, Bennett said, “You have the opportunity to

CSU WANTS TO RAISE YOUR TUITION.

provide better medical outcomes because you’ve got better continuity of care, ... and being able to provide consistency in the service offerings is something that takes away some of the anxiety.”

In a concise description of the urgent care hospital, Bennett said, “The things that we offer in urgent care every single day (are) going to be answers to owners, meaning information on ‘What’s going on?’ and ‘What are my choices?’ and then, for pets, relieving any pain or something that they’re experiencing.”

The VCA Urgent Care is a resource for pet patients and owners alike and valuable to veterinarians and other animal health care professionals.

“I’m really proud of what we’ve done for the associate experience, for the individuals working in our hospital,” Bennett said. “(And proud of) creating an environment where those associates have a place that they can go to work every day to get a tremendous amount of reward from what they do and work at a pace that’s sustainable for them in their careers.”

Reach Miles Buchan at news @collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MADELYN HENDRICKS THE COLLEGIAN

‘Keep the Party Safe’ provides education on fentanyl risks

By Allie Seibel @allie_seibel_

Colorado saw a surge of deaths attributed to fentanyl overdoses in 2020. In 2022 the presence of the highly dangerous drug supposedly caused 35 out of the 51 overdose deaths in Larimer County, according to the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force.

“Keep the Party Safe,” a fentanyl prevention campaign run by the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, provides naloxone testing strips, educational information and other resources surrounding the dangers of fentanyl for college students.

“One of the things that makes it so dangerous is that a lot of people are dying because the drugs they’re using are contaminated with fentanyl, and they’re not aware,” said Michael Davidson, senior communications professional for the Consortium. “So a lot of people now know that fentanyl is an opioid because they’ve heard it in the context of the opioid epidemic, so

they think that it’s only related to heroin, also an opioid. But what is happening is it’s being laced into cocaine, meth, pills like oxycodone or Vicodin and also pills like Xanax or other benzodiazepines. It can potentially be in any pill that doesn’t come from a pharmacist.”

Fentanyl is 50 times more powerful than heroin, Davidson said. An overdose can happen very quickly and be fatal, especially in social situations when a person might not know they consumed a drug laced with fentanyl.

“Fentanyl can be created in a lab, whereas heroin you have to grow poppy plants, cocaine you have to grow coca,” Davidson said. “So fentanyl is easy to distribute and very hard to detect, and it can make for a more powerful experience.”

According to a press release by the NCDTF, counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl have an increasing presence in Larimer County since 2020, and fentanyl overdose affects every demographic.

“In 2019 NCDTF seized 10,066 fentanyl doses,” the press release reads. “In 2021 that number climbed to 155,738, then nearly

doubled in 2022 as NCDTF seized 303,159 doses. The street price for pills ranges from $2 to $10 each, and a single dose can result in death.”

Ram Recovery is an organization at Colorado State University run through the Health Network that focuses on supporting students who are in substance recovery through anti-stigma work. Ram Recovery is working with organizations like “Keep the Party Safe” to bring fentanyl safety resources to CSU.

“Right now we are holding Narcan trainings,” Ram Recovery President Leah Winningham said. “Last semester we did quick trainings in The Plaza, where we handed out about 250 kits to students, and we provided them with quick trainings, which lasted less than a minute. We told them basic first aid steps and how to get support as well as paper resources. We also do more hourlong trainings about Narcan and harm reduction. So we’re trying to target places like the housing center, people that are directly working with students that are new on campus that are at a higher risk and sororities and fraternities on campus as well

because they have a big mission, and they actually do a lot of work with substance use and harm reduction as well.”

Both Davidson and Winningham said spring break is a period they are especially concerned about relating to the risks of fentanyl for college students.

“Know the resources you have around you,” Winningham said. “There is a needle exchange in Fort Collins where you can get access to Narcan and testing strips if students do need them. If you do party, educate yourself and be safe about it. If a substance does test positive, use slowly and make sure you’re with someone.”

Sammy Quarm, president of the Ram Recovery Harm Reduction subcommittee, said Ram Recovery focuses not only on recovery and healing efforts but also on the safe and knowledgeable use of drugs.

“Since fentanyl is so prominent in the illicit drug supply lately, it is hard to feel certain about what substances you’re taking,” Quarm said. “Drugs are cut or unintentionally mixed with other substances that aren’t what you

were expecting. The crisis on college campuses mostly involves the use of unknown substances and the lack of preparation for a crisis situation. Campuses tend to view substance use as a taboo topic and push abstinence-only approaches, making people feel they need to hide their use.”

Both the Consortium and Ram Recovery expressed that one of the biggest misconceptions about fentanyl is that just touching it can cause an overdose. However, the drug must be ingested after being laced with something else to be fatal.

Davidson said the mission of “Keep the Party Safe” is not to judge those who choose to explore during college but rather to provide resources and support to keep students safe.

“We just want to reach people who might be going out there, you know, cutting loose, doing things they normally wouldn’t do or even things that they normally would do,” Davidson said. “We just want to get them these messages.”

Reach Allie Seibel at news @collegian.com.

The Colorado State University Health and Medical Center, located on Lake Street and College Avenue Sept. 8, 2019. COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO

Powerful Rams: 7 CSU alumnae we should admire

By Ivy Secrest @ivysecrest

When students leave Colorado State University, they often set out to make the world their own. Whether changing the face of gaming, influencing politics or guiding athletics, Rams are motivated even after they claim their diplomas.

Graduates have formed the history of CSU, and from the very beginning, that history has included women. CSU was the first higher education institution in the state to have a female graduate. In honor of Women’s History Month, here are seven successful women who have formed history as alumni.

1. Bonnie Ross

Bonnie Ross, corporate vice president at Microsoft Corporation and head of 343 Industries, graduated from CSU in 1989. Focusing on creativity with engineering applications, Ross is an intelligent woman in science who has contributed greatly to the world of video games.

2. Polly Baca

Having received her Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1962, Polly Baca was the first woman of color to serve in the Colorado Senate and the first Latina to serve in any state senate nationally. Baca is a local to Weld County,

Colorado, and was vice president and president of Young Democrats during her time at CSU.

3. Elizabeth “Libbie”

Coy Lawrence

Of the first three graduates of CSU, there was one woman: Elizabeth “Libbie” Coy Lawerence. Being the first woman to graduate from any college in Colorado and the daughter of pioneers, Lawrence paved the way for her female counterparts and remained active in Fort Collins after graduation. She graduated in 1884.

4. Jenny Cavnar

Named Colorado Sportscaster of the Year in 2021 by the National Sports Media Association, Jenny Cavnar is not only a former Ram but a local icon. Graduating in 2004, she showed the value of hard work with a degree in speech communication and marketing.

5. Mary Cleave

Mary Cleave was selected as a NASA astronaut, but before she made her way into space, she earned her degree in biological sciences at CSU, graduating in 1969. Being an engineer as well as an astronaut, Cleave is a proud woman in science. Cleave is also an alumna of Utah State University.

6. Amy Van Dyken

Amy Van Dyken is recognized in the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame for her accomplishments at the 1996 Summer Olympics where she earned four gold medals. Transferring from the University of Arizona to CSU, Van Dyken broke the first of many records at CSU. She retired from

swimming in 2000 and became paralyzed from the waist down in 2014. She now has a career as a radio sports talk show host.

7. Becky Hammon

As a three-time All-American basketball player and CSU icon with numerous accolades, Becky Hammon hasn’t left CSU news even after graduating. In 2015 she became the first female head coach in the NBA’s Summer League, and in 2016 she was the first woman to be part of an AllStar coaching staff. A female icon, sports legend and proud Ram, Hammon is an athlete we can’t stop talking about.

While major strides have been made in regard to women in higher education, it is still pertinent to recognize what women in the past have had to battle in order to change the world around them. CSU has educated many phenomenal women with strong wills and hearts, but the benefits received from their accomplishments make these individuals people to be proud of. Because of women in athletics at CSU, the Bohemian foundation donated $5 million to support women’s athletics. This donation and these graduates are some of the many reasons to be proud of CSU alumnae.

Reach Ivy Secrest at life @collegian.com.

Elizabeth Coy, center, was the first woman to ever graduate from Colorado Agricultural College, the predecessor to Colorado State University. Coy graduated in 1884 in a graduating class of three students in total. This photograph was taken at a 50-year class reunion. ARCHIVE PHOTO BY COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

Polly Baca PHOTO COURTESY FROM COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken swam for Colorado State University during her years as a student COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO

KEYNOTE

Holocaust survivor speaks at CSU on enduring childhood

for people to be transported to camps. Moses was smuggled back to the ghetto after the Nazis had left with a select group of Jews. She remembers feeling like she had done something bad when her mother was separated from her.

“When I got there, I was told that my mother was gone. ... I wasn’t told what happened to her,” Moses said. “I thought maybe it was because I was so bad. ... I found out later that my mother — an innocent young woman — was taken to the death camp Treblinka, where she was murdered in the gas chamber.”

Moses said. “And dates and times are still kind of not something I’m good at. That was my foundation, but we knew it was today.”

Moses attributes her survival to one of the Nazi guards in the camp.

By Rebekah Barry @rebekahb24708

As a young girl, Sara Moses had never seen a flower. She hadn’t tasted ice cream nor chocolate. She was a little Jewish girl whose whole life had been tidal-waved with violence, loss and extreme hunger.

Moses came to share her story March 1 at Colorado State

University as part of the school’s Holocaust Awareness Week.

Moses’ hometown of Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland, was the first of many cities within Poland to become a Nazi-occupied Jewish ghetto during World War II. Despite the violent nature of the ghetto, Moses was still able to sleep in her mother’s arms.

Moses was hidden with one of her family’s trusted Christian friends when the time came

The Nazis even walked people to work during their time in the ghettos. Moses saw a man who broke away and tried to run. He was shot by one of the guards. She was only a little girl when this took place.

“I saw the man’s blood flowing out before he even hit the ground,” Moses said.

Moses and her mother’s half sister were later set aboard a cattle train and transported to BergenBelsen Concentration Camp.

“(There were) no calendars, no radios or TVs to tell us what day it was — we knew it was today,”

“A female guard was very good to me. I reminded her of her little girl,” Moses said. “Looking back, I believe that because this Nazi guard saw her own German child’s face in the face of a Jewish child, it must have touched her heart. I believe that that little bit of food that she would give me gave me an advantage that the other children didn’t get, and I think it was part of what helped me to survive the death camps.”

In 1945, five days after Moses’ seventh birthday, British soldiers came to rescue her and her people. Throughout her time in the death camps, Moses suffered from scarlet fever, severe hunger, typhus fever and the like. She said by the time the soldiers found her, they thought she was a baby because of how small and sickly she was. She was taken to the hospital, where she was fed small amounts of food.

British soldiers compiled a list of the survivors they had found throughout the multiple camps.

“My father survived Buchenwald,” Moses said. “He found me on one of those lists, and as soon as he could, he set out on a trip to the displaced camps — one of the most glorious days of my life, when we were reunited.”

Her father had thought of her every day they were apart. But one of the best things Moses remembers is her father gifted her a “real doll” and costume jewelry.

One of the reasons Moses said she feels compelled to tell her story to others is because of the message of hope and survival it conveys. She hopes younger generations will continue to pass on the stories of these survivors so their history will not be forgotten.

“I think there is a lot of hope for all the good things and all the good people,” Moses said. “There is a lot of hope to make against evil. … My hope is, for our world, that all individuals, all people, races, religions, nationalities, countries ... treat others by the golden rule — by the same standards they have. And then I think we would have real hope for a world of peace.”

Reach Rebekah Barry at life @collegian.com.

Cutting Costs: How CSU students afford spring break

By Katherine Borsting @katbor2025

Spring semester at Colorado State University does not necessarily feel like spring. The months of January, February and even March often bring snow, heavy winds and ice.

Going to class can sometimes be a chore when having to face rough weather. The majority of students and staff look forward to spring break, and many college students plan fun trips that take them somewhere warmer than Fort Collins.

CSU has its spring break during the week of March 12, and many students are excited for the anticipated and well-deserved break after midterms. While it can be expensive to travel, many students have found a way to save some cash.

So what is there to do as a college spring-breaker on a budget?

Cooper Nangle, a sophomore at CSU, plans to spend his spring break skiing, something many students love to do.

“I am hoping to head up to some of the resorts around here

like Winter Park and Copper (Mountain),” Nangle said.

“Hopefully, with everyone gone, it won’t be as crowded.”

Nangle went on to say it’s a cheaper option than anywhere that requires flying.

“We also might head down to Salt Lake City, but we plan to stay with a friend and pack our own food to save money,” Nangle said.  Colorado has some great spots to ski, and if you are an Ikon Pass or Epic Pass holder, it can be a great option to save some money rather than going on a costprohibitive trip.

Students who want to go somewhere warmer have also found inexpensive ways to do so.

Bella Bailey, a CSU sophomore, is planning on spending her week off with her friends at Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

“We’re going to drive down there because plane tickets were ridiculous,” Bailey said. “We rented a place, but between the ten people who are going, it only ended up being about $150 for the week.”

For college students, $150 is not necessarily a small amount of money; however, for a multiplenight stay somewhere, it is definitely on the cheaper end.

Although the drive is around 15 1/2 hours to get to Lake Havasu City, which is located on the border of Arizona and California, driving is a much better option than flying for Bailey.

“Plane tickets were like $700, and if we fit five people in a car and split gas, it will save everyone a ton,” Bailey said. Many airlines’ prices are higher for the week of March 13 depending on where the destination is, and some spring break destinations require a flight.

Leah Van Note, a senior at CSU, wanted to go big for her last spring break, so she decided to go to Mexico with some friends. They planned the trip months in advance to save money.

“We knew it was gonna be expensive, so we booked our tickets in November,” Van Note said. “That saved us some money on our flight.”

Van Note found a deal on the resort they will be staying at. They

were able to get a discount if they only stayed until the Thursday of spring break rather than the whole week.

“It’s only a five-day trip, but I work at a dress shop, and minimum wage doesn’t support nine days in another country,” Van Note joked.

The college spring break experience is often displayed in pop culture to be a wild week of

beaches and alcohol. Often, this is just not practical for the average college student due to the high prices. Despite this, many CSU students have found ways to enjoy their week off while staying within their budgets, allowing them to have fun on their own financial terms.

Reach Katherine Borsting at life @collegian.com.

Holocaust survivor Sara Moses addresses hundreds of Colorado State University community members in the Lory Student Center Main Ballroom March 1. Moses was very young during the Holocaust and shared her story as part of CSU’s annual Holocaust Awareness Week.

PHOTO BY SERENA BETTIS THE COLLEGIAN

Southwests Airlines’ Boeing 737 undergoing snow clear-off maintenance during a winter storm at the Denver International Airport Feb. 15.

PHOTO BY TRI DUONG THE COLLEGIAN

War-torn love: Ukrainian student copes with loss while overseas

By Ivy Secrest @ivysecrest

Connections to culture, love and family are staples of life. For Colorado State University student Lucie Michelizzi, these connections were forever changed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Born in what is now Dnipro — formerly Dnipropetrovsk — Ukraine, Michelizzi grew up going between Seattle with her mother and stepfather and Ukraine with her extended family. But when the war began, many of her relationships changed forever.

Michelizzi lost her partner, Artem (Артём) Le, to the conflict Aug. 7, 2022. Now she is sponsoring a GoFundMe to help treat her grandmother’s cancer all while being overseas from her family, including her parents, who moved back during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Le grew up in Donetsk, Ukraine, and he fought in the war in Ukraine in 2014 and was shot. Though he wanted an education, Le didn’t have a passport and couldn’t go to school or leave the country. When Russia invaded Feb. 24, 2022, Le wanted to fight again.

“I basically pleaded with him not to go,” Michelizzi said. “(It was) very dangerous. It’s just a bloodbath, especially on the borders, especially in the front lines. Everyone’s getting killed, so I was really scared.”

Before Le’s death, Michelizzi left Ukraine. After being briefly stuck in Moscow with her aunt, she was able to return to CSU.

“It was hard to do long distance, and we were like, ‘OK, why don’t you do your thing, and I’ll do my thing. We just need some time,’” Michelizzi said. “During that time that we kind of took a break. He ended up going to fight in the war. He reached out to me sometimes, but it’s hard to get connection there.”

Le chose to fight, but all men ages 18-60 in Ukraine cannot leave the country and are eligible for military service at this time. For their loved ones who cannot always contact them, this is a terrifying reality. Many people have family on both sides of the war.

“Every Ukrainian has Russian family,” Michelizzi said. “Nobody thought that it was going to come to that point, and it did. It shocked everybody.”

Being overseas, Michelizzi can only do so much to support her family. Though she’s received a great deal of support from friends and professors, it can be difficult

sometimes to deal with some of her misinformed peers.

“There’s a lot of misinformation being spread,” Michelizzi said. “I just always encourage people to think critically about the mass media that they’re receiving.”

As the president of Russian Club, Michelizzi has been approached by students wondering whether the club should exist considering the conflict, saying that it feels “messed up” to be speaking Russian.

“I don’t think that it’s right to demonize an entire culture, an entire people, and get rid of the club,” Michelizzi said.

in their culture with food and understanding company.

“It’s kind of like a diaspora to experience your homeland without being there,” Michelizzi said.

There aren’t many Ukrainian or Russian students on campus, so finding students that Michelizzi can celebrate her culture with is incredibly important to her. Shared culture is part of what made her connection with Le so strong.

Before the war, Michelizzi was staying with her family in Ukraine, taking classes online and spending her days with Le.

“I had the perfect summer,” Michelizzi said. “For the first time, I was in a relationship with somebody who spoke my language (and) understood my culture.”

Michelizzi was informed of Le’s death via a text from someone that knew him.

“He texted me a couple of days before he was killed,” Michelizzi said. “He said, ‘I love you. … Things are tough here. … It’s scary. And I’ll always love you, you’ll always be in my heart.’”

She didn’t see the message until after his death. Because they were on a break and she couldn’t have been there to stop him, Michelizzi said she had intense guilt around Le’s death.

just another body that was killed. … He’s just disposable, just an object of war. He’s a human being, and I want his story to be known. I want him to live on forever in some way.”

A week after Le’s passing, Michelizzi got a tattoo from a letter

he wrote to her. It reads, “Тебе станет легче,” which loosely translates to “You will get through this,” or “You will feel better.”

Reach Ivy Secrest at life @collegian.com.

This kind of misunderstanding around Russian culture versus the actions of its government is not uncommon, even on campus.

“Many students have been concerned about the need to distinguish between the actions of the Russian government and ordinary Russians, many of whom are themselves victims of Putin’s repression and campaign of disinformation,” wrote Deborah Yalen, an assistant professor of history at CSU, in email correspondence.

Misunderstanding around the cultural and ethnic diversity of the ex-Soviet immigrant community in the United States is also not uncommon, Yalen said.

“In the weeks following the invasion, there were reports of antiRussian incidents in both the U.S. and Europe, and this hostility was also being directed at people wrongly perceived to be Russian,” Yalen wrote in email correspondence.

“In one recent incident, an ethnic Armenian living in San Diego was threatened for having a traditional Russian dish on the menu at his restaurant.”

For students, Russian Club is a safe place for students to speak the language and participate

“I would give up my life if I could just go back in time and stay or convince him not to go or convince my family to move somewhere else,” Michelizzi said.

She strives to help her family through the GoFundMe for her grandmother and to keep Le’s memory alive while continuing her studies at CSU.

“He was extremely poor, and he died extremely young,” Michelizzi said. “I’m really worried that he’s

Ukrainian Colorado State University student Lucie Michelizzi in her Fort Collins home March 8. Michelizzi has been separated from much of her family in Ukraine, including her grandmother, who is battling breast cancer, and her partner, who died fighting for the preservation of Ukrainian independence in August.

PHOTO BY LUCY MORANTZ THE COLLEGIAN

Ukrainian Colorado State University student Lucie Michelizzi shows the tattoo she got in honor of her partner, who died fighting in the Russia-Ukraine War this past summer, March 8. Copied from a letter her partner, Artem Le, wrote for her, the tattooed phrase loosely translates to “You will get through this,” or “You will feel better.”

PHOTO BY LUCY MORANTZ THE COLLEGIAN

“I would give up my life if I could just go back in time and stay or convince him not to go or convince my family to move somewhere else.”

LUCIE MICHELIZZI UKRAINIAN CSU STUDENT

Introducing ‘weederall,’ your productive cannabinoid bud

By Bella Eckburg @yaycolor

The most well-known cannabinoids found in cannabis products are THC and CBD, but if you know where to look, you can open your world up to a plethora of different cannabinoids that create a variety of effects.

One of these less common but super interesting cannabinoids is THCV, which stands for tetrahydrocannabivarin and binds to the same receptor as THC, just less strongly. Most often found in sativa strains, THCV is a psychoactive cannabinoid aimed at improving productivity and releasing tension and anxiety.

THCV is a neuroprotective cannabinoid, which means it can be used therapeutically without risking any further neurological damage, and thus, it could be effective in providing relief for patients with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease or post-traumatic stress disorder.

“THC can cause harm to neurotransmitters and myelin because it is a toxin, and it’s especially harmful to a developing brain, but studies are finding that THCV does the opposite, so I’m hopeful that we can start looking at the positive cannabinoids and benefits of them in the cannabis plant,” said Chase Pritchett, a budtender at Verts Neighborhood Dispensary.

THCV is sometimes affectionately referred to as “diet weed” or “weederall” because it suppresses your appetite instead of giving you raging munchies

and does not cloud your brain to the point where you are no longer productive. This makes strains or edibles with THCV great for daytime smoke sessions if you want to lessen tension and stay motivated.

and then putting it in things like edibles.

“I see THCV most commonly in edibles anywhere from (a 1/2 milligram to 5 milligrams) I would say, and this is mostly because cannabis growers don’t want to pay for the testing for THCV in the

flower before they distribute it for (sale),” Pritchett said. “From what I’ve read about it, though, you don’t necessarily need high doses of it for it to be effective.”

It will take market interest to produce more valuable data about

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN

THCV and other harder-to-comeby cannabinoids, but it’s certainly possible the future will hold great things for THCV.

Reach Bella Eckburg at cannabis @collegian.com.

“I don’t necessarily remember not being hungry, but I also didn’t know much about the appetite suppressant side of it and wasn’t looking for that benefit or effect at the time,” Pritchett said, speaking of his experience first trying a strain with THCV. “I’m definitely curious now, though.”

It’s hard to find THCV-heavy strains in the cannabis market generally, which makes researching the cannabinoid more difficult due to the lack of complete market interest.

The few THCV-heavy plants producing have very low yields, so you may have to spend a pretty penny to acquire it; however, some people have attempted isolating the cannabinoid

MUNCHIEMONDAY - 20% OFF ALL EDIBLES

CART

TUESDAY - $5 OFF 1 GRAM CARTS / $2.50 OFF 1/2 GRAM CARTS. ***select carts and strains

TOP SHELFTHURSDAY - 10% OFF ALL TOP SHELF AND PLATINUM SHELF FLOWER

SHAKE OUNCESUNDAY - $25 SHAKE OUNCES WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

WAXWEDNESDAY - 8 GRAMS FOR $64. KUSH MASTERS SELECT STRAINS. TIER 1 8 GRAMS FOR $80, TIER 2 8 GRAMS FOR $125, TIER 3 8 GRAMS FOR $142.48.

$54.99 ounces! $5 1 gram pre-rolls

“It will take market interest to produce more valuable data about THCV and other harder-to-come-by cannabinoids, but it’s certainly possible the future will hold great things for THCV.”

Alien Berry OG is an extra-terp-restrial extract

range, this gram, along with other strain-specific extracts, is available for $16 out the door.

sample sniff. Alien Berry OG stood out to me in every way, from the wild name to the golden glow and dense budder texture.

By Miles Buchan @buchanmiles

Sometimes when the stresses of life build up, it’s important to stay grounded, focus on your goals and do what you can to succeed. This is, of course, easier said than done, and some may desire a change of pace or

perspective at times to come back full throttle.

With little free time and a high regard for convenience, I stopped by Verts Neighborhood Dispensary once again to pick up 1 gram of Alien Berry OG wax. This hybrid extract is made by Chronic Creations and tests at 69.14% THC with no CBD. In line with my preferred price

“Taken mostly in the afternoon and evening time, when dabbling in a bit of Alien Berry OG, I consistently felt a smooth and enjoyable high come over me. I felt like this strain in particular struck a great balance between stimulation and relaxation.”

When picking up wax, I will typically state my desired price, and the budtenders at Verts are always happy to bring out a selection of what’s available. Then I’ll check out the color and texture and give it a

But what really stands out when I think of this strain is the smell and flavor profile. Products by Chronic Creations come in a range of consistencies depending on desired outcomes and are always made with the goal of terpene preservation and a smooth, clean experience. The terpene is responsible for much of the smell and taste associated with cannabis products and is something that may alter or enhance your smoking experience.

This wax has a sharp smell that will permeate the space as soon as the container’s open, so be mindful of when and where you view your purchase. The aroma of Alien Berry OG is by far the most complex I’ve tried to put into words, but put unironically simply, it’s funky fresh.

After some time to sit with the scent, I concluded it smells like a very potent and strange fruit with a strong hint of unapologetically dank cannabis. In terms of flavor when smoked, Alien Berry OG offers a subtle taste leaning more fresh than funky.

After consuming most of the gram, I can say that this is a great strain, which is exactly what you’d hope to get out of a high-THC hybrid. I found it to be mentally stimulating while physically calming, which is an ideal combination for many leisurely activities.

Taken mostly in the afternoon and evening time, when dabbling in a bit of Alien Berry OG, I consistently felt a smooth and enjoyable high come over me. I felt like this strain in particular struck a great balance between stimulation and relaxation.

Once I inhaled, I felt a light fluttering in my brain, which became muted and dispersed, and my mind became a little more aware of my body. From there, depending on how I wanted to spend my time, I’ve had no issues adapting to whatever conditions I chose. Whether it was getting really into an intense movie, giggling at something I’m streaming or getting lost in the world of any video game, Alien Berry OG paired nicely every time. Reach Miles Buchan at cannabis @collegian.com.

Hey, stalwart stoners!

Taylor Paumen here, your cannabis director at The Collegian. I’m reaching out to our adventuring audience members who may have partaken in THC activities. Whether the story of your first time indulging or something silly your smoking buddies did, we want to hear about it! You can tell your tales anonymously through a Google Form found at the bottom of every “Because I Got High” article on our website, and you’ll see them in our print edition every Thursday. I look forward to reading your crazy cannabis stories!

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY FALYN SEBASTIAN THE COLLEGIAN

Sale prices are for in-store shopping only. Does not include phone, curbside pick up orders, delivery, online or app orders.

IMPORTED WINES FRENCH WINE

To join in the discussions, join our email list, if you have any questions, and for additional savings and promotions

$14.99

$19.99

Pouilly-VinzellesSave $10

Cuvee PrestigeGigondasSave $10

Dame de Bouard Montagne Saint-EmilionSave $10 ����������������������������������������� $24.99

$9.99

Domaine des Anges

Ventoux RoséSave $5

Domaine des Granges

Pouilly-Fuisse -

SPANISH AND

Cabernet SauvignonSave $4 $8.99

Menage a TroisChardonnay, “Gold” Chardonnay, Merlot, “Lavish” Merlot, Midnight Red, Moscato, Pinot Grigio, Red, Rosé, White Exotic Blend �������������� $7.99

Cabernet Sauvignon, “Decadence” Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, “Luscious” Pinot Noir, Silk Red Blend ���������������������������������� $9.99

Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cabernet Sauvignon, Dolce Sweet Red, Moscato Sweet White ����������������� $10.99

FRAME BY FRAME

LIVELY LIBATIONS

When patrons walk down the concrete stairway into Social, they are transported back to the Prohibition era while greeted by vibrant cocktails and a bustling yet intimate atmosphere.

PHOTOS BY REILEY COSTA

1. Brianna Potestio, a bartender at Social in Fort Collins, multitasks by icing a glass and shaking a cocktail Feb. 26.

2. Bottles of syrup and bitters sit on the bar top at Social in Fort Collins Feb. 26.

3. Sarah Hiryak, a bartender at Social in Fort Collins, strains and pours out a cocktail before garnishing and serving it Feb. 26.

4. A writing desk and a Prohibition sign at the entrance to Social in Fort Collins Feb. 26.

5. Brianna Potestio, a bartender at Social in Fort Collins, laughs and jokes with customers while creating drinks Feb. 26.

6. Bartender Sarah Hiryak strains a cocktail titled the “Loose Agenda” at Social in Fort Collins Feb. 26.

7. Bartender Brianna Potestio burns a stick of cinnamon with a torch at Social in Fort Collins Feb. 26. The burnt cinnamon is a garnish for a rum swizzle that Potestio advises be dipped in the drink to infuse the cinnamon.

8. A clock outside the speakeasy bar Social in Fort Collins Feb. 26. Social was ranked the top speakeasy bar in the United States in 2022 by Yelp based on reviews since their opening in 2013.

9. Sarah Hiryak, a bartender, finishes making a cocktail at Social in Fort Collins Feb. 26.

FRAME BY FRAME

ASCSU needs to be careful with handling student funds

Not only was Bill 5207 overspent, but the authors made no effort to make sure the bill was only used for CSU students. Some nonstudents used the Groome code, which contributed to the overspending. No one watched it, no cap was made and claims of someone “watching” the codes were untrue.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN

By Guest Author @csucollegian

Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board. Letters to the Editor reflect the view of a member of the campus community and are submitted to the publication for approval. Some numerical figures in this Letter to the Editor have not been confirmed by The Collegian as of the date of this publication due to conflicting sources.

The Collegian published an article Jan. 25 titled “What is ASCSU really doing to help CSU students?” That alone has raised my interest and curiosity about what truly happens with student fees in the Senate. With my need for staying anonymous, I do not want to risk retaliation for this, but I want the student body to know how their fees are being spent.

Coming from my current senator position, I am disappointed in how our student funds have been handled by the Associated Students of Colorado State University, whether it comes from overspending on outside programs that already exist on Colorado State University’s campus to the Groome Transportation Act, Bill 5207.

This bill was an allocation of the executive branch contributing $7,000, the international affairs director contributing $2,000, the Office of the President contributing $4,000 and the diversity and inclusion director contributing $1,000. Plus, an

additional $7,000 was allocated from the Senate Discretionary Fund. In total, the amount allocated to funding this piece of legislation was about $14,000 from ASCSU.

The abstract to this bill in its entirety states, “The purpose of this bill is to provide free transportation for students from Colorado State University (CSU) to Denver International Airport (DIA) through Groome Transportation Services. To fulfill the goals of this bill, it will be seeking to utilize $7,000 from the Senate Discretionary budget.”

To repeat, this bill helps outof-state students get to Denver International Airport for breaks, either on a one-way trip or a round trip. It takes students back and forth from CSU’s campus, making it equitable for students wanting to get home to be with family and relieving the stress of payment. Thus, this supports students and only students, or so you would think.

This bill not only went over budget, but it went over by $25,000, exceeding its current cap and making the total about $39,000 spent. Not only is the Senate being expected to fix the wrongs, but some of the authors of the bill refuse to accept accountability for their mistakes and expect the Senate alone to right the wrongs.

ASCSU President Rob Long and Deputy Director of International Affairs Akhil Penninti wrote and presented this bill before the Senate. Multiple attempts were made to contact Penniniti, but they have gone “radio silent” regarding the situation.

This was even added to support the bill; there were “buffers” and “talks” made to Groome Transportation that emphasized there would be no tolerance for abuse of the code for students.

Long, as one of the authors of the bill, has refused to accept accountability for this and even went as far as responding to a public question, “Didn’t you overspend $25,000?” Rob stated, “Wasn’t me buddy, I wrote a bill for $14k, and that was it.” Long not only did not take accountability, but he also blamed his own staff so they could take the fall for him.

In the Senate, Long is going to ask the Senate to cover the funds left over, while he only contributes $5,000 out of his $15,000 budget and other funds that have been pulled from other executive members.

The Senate should not be required to fix this wrong without Long using the entirety of his budget to fix it. As for myself, I have halted current legislation I am writing that deals with using funds from the Senate Discretionary Fund. I want to serve the students, but with Long’s mistakes, it feels unforeseeable.

During the campaign between Long and ASCSU Vice President Elijah Sandoval, they promised financial responsibility; however, their campaign promise speaks to hypocrisy from the mishandling of ASCSU funds. So my question to you, President Long, is will you take accountability, or will you continue to not acknowledge your mistakes?  Anonymous ASCSU representative Send letters to letters@collegian.com. When submitting letters, please abide by the guidelines listed at collegian.com.

COLLEGIAN COLUMNISTS

5 ways to battle your seasonal depression

1. Get more sunlight

The easiest way to combat the winter blues is to soak up as much sun as we can during the winter months. Our bodies crave sunlight, and studies show exposure to sunlight increases levels of serotonin, which is associated with boosting mood and feeling more focused and relaxed. Luckily, Colorado receives around 300 days of sunshine annually, so the next sunny day is always around the corner. In addition, opening up the blinds to allow the sun to illuminate your house can drastically improve your mood.

2. Prioritize socializing

you more likely to feel fulfilled with life and less likely to fall into a dark hole of depression.

3. Exercise more

It seems like the solution to almost every mental and physical health problem is to get more exercise. Daily exercise works to reduce symptoms of depression, as it releases feel-good endorphins linked to feelings of euphoria. In addition, daily exercise helps boost confidence, which means you are more likely to want to socialize.

calmness and relaxation. An added benefit is they add a delectable smell of flowers, fruits or herbs to your house.

Using essential oils is not an absolute cure for depression, but it is an affordable, natural and drug-free way to boost your mood.

5. Plan a trip

By Aaron Peck @aa_peck7

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

The months January through March are notorious for being the season of depression, when spirits are low and the jovial times of

SERIOUSLY

summer feel like a distant memory.

After the conclusion of the holiday season, many people experience seasonal affective disorder where they feel dejected, fatigued and hopeless. However, we do not have to subject ourselves to feelings of depression as there are simple measures we can take to help alleviate our mental health issues.

Here are five methods all of us can try to fight seasonal depression head on.

In the wintertime, we tend to stay at home more to avoid the harsh conditions outdoors, but socializing with others can play a big role in improving your mental health.

It’s easy to feel isolated and gloomy when we are trapped at home for months, but a quick meeting with a friend can easily improve your spirits.

Being surrounded by a trusted group of friends or family helps defeat psychological problems like depression and anxiety. Also, having an active social life makes

Exercise also helps take your mind off your daily struggle, and sometimes all you need is a quick break from the stresses of life. A quick workout or a walk in the park leaves you more energized and ready to tackle the rest of your day.

4.

Use aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for therapeutic purposes and can help fight seasonal depression. Studies suggest essential oils could potentially affect the part of the brain responsible for controlling your mood.

Essential oils provide a soothing experience that creates a sense of

The last method of combating seasonal depression is to plan a trip. Unfortunately, not all of us can travel to a beach in Mexico, but Colorado and Fort Collins have plenty of locations that are perfect for a day or weekend trip.

A simple trip to one of the numerous mountain towns provides an easy break to refocus and reenergize your mind. Taking a trip also serves as an opportunity to go on a new adventure and meet different people.

The anticipation of the trip for the weeks and days leading up to it will naturally boost your excitement. Sprinkling in a couple of trips throughout the wintertime helps make the depression season pass sooner. Reach Aaron Peck at letters @collegian.com.

Campus climbers develop allergy, not wearing shirts

By Grant Coursey @grantcoursey

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

While the recent rise in avian influenza virus cases has captured the media’s attention, a no less sinister disease is spreading through the Colorado State University climbing community.

It’s called a “Shirt Allergy,” despite being contagious, and its effects are hard to miss. Upon attempting a climb — or in the worst cases presented, merely stepping foot in a climbing gym — afflicted climbers develop a near-pathological aversion to keeping their shirts on.

“I don’t know how to fix it,” said Sam Yellsalot, first-year student and new climber, breaking down into tears during his interview. “I just started climbing this past semester, and like, I found this other group of guys who had just started climbing, too, and we just started going together. I don’t know how it happened, but now we all have (a Shirt Allergy).”

Yellsalot said the affliction only affects young male climbers and is worst when in groups of similarly afflicted climbers.

Often these people are unsuspecting friends at parties, caught for hours listening to a breakdown of the moves necessary to complete a moderate climb that the affected climber swears will be upgraded in difficulty once enough people see how hard it is.

The way Yellsalot’s group contracted the virus is still being debated, but they likely got it by meeting a fifth-year student choosing to live out of his van to better pursue his climbing art form.

The fifth-year student took the group climbing outdoors for the first time and refused to wear a shirt because he “didn’t want to ruin one of the two he had if he took a ‘gnarly whipper’ (a giant fall),” Yellsalot said.

Side effects of the virus include extreme CLIF BAR cravings, the need to use “bro” in every sentence uttered and the unrestrained urge to talk about a climber’s project to anyone who will listen.

Other possible vectors for infection may include the small group of migrating “turtles” — climbers who have been affected so much by the shirt allergies that they have grown crash pads out of their backs and are rarely seen in public without their protective shell.

The infected Yellsalot group ran into the herd of turtles at Rotary Park, a local bouldering hub and a hot spot for infection, according to health experts.

The herd stopped there on its way from Joshua Tree National Park, where the climbers spend their winters to avoid the cold, heading back on a long and perilous journey to their summer habitat of Lander, Wyoming.

Several experts on wild climbers said it was a surprisingly early sighting for such a migration and expressed worry for the little troupe, wishing them luck as they brave what is expected to be an unusually cold and snowy March to get earlyseason climbs in.

For now, the Shirt Allergy continues to spread like wildfire throughout the dorms of CSU.

Local climbing gyms like Ascent Studio Climbing and Fitness and Whetstone Climbing have implemented a quarantine measure requiring all CSU students to climb under supervision for a period of time.

The gyms use the measure to isolate and ban those climbers that attempt to remove their shirt anywhere in the first 30 minutes of their climbing session in an effort to protect their community of laidback recreational climbers from the horrors of developing the allergy.

Reach Grant Coursey at letters @collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA SIROKMAN THE COLLEGIAN

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MADELYN HENDRICKS THE COLLEGIAN

“Other possible vectors for infection may include the small group of migrating ‘turtles’ — climbers who have been affected so much by the Shirt Allergies that they have grown crash-pads out of their backs and are rarely seen in public without their protective shell.”

Celebrating Women’s History Month: Recognizing CSU athletes making history

By Emma Askren @emma_askren

With March 1 marking the beginning of Women’s History Month, it’s important to highlight the influence of media on sports and, specifically, women in sports.

Women in athletics are often underrepresented in sports reporting. In fact, according to UNESCO, women receive only 4% of media coverage in sports. However, at The Collegian, the split between men’s and women’s sports coverage is fairly even.

“Ten years ago, it was super rare, or not normal, for females to be in sports, especially male-dominated sports,” said Shannon O’Hair, head football equipment manager at Colorado State University.

At CSU, one-third of the CSU Athletics administration staff is female, which, contrary to popular belief, is surprisingly high for athletics. Other departments of CSU Athletics have higher percentages of female staff with Business Operations coming in at 75% women.

In the athletics industry, there’s a perception that female staff members aren’t qualified or may not know as much as male staff members. However, O’Hair said female staff are working just as hard if not harder.

“It’s how you put yourself in certain situations,” O’Hair said. “You’re not going to be here

twirling your hair. People get respect from you when they know that you’re here to work.” Fighting against that perception of other male coworkers can be exhausting.

O’Hair is used to making history. Besides being one of the few female equipment managers in the country, she was the first female equipment manager for the Green Bay Packers. “I worked with them in 2016, and I was the first ever female to be hands-on within the organization,” O’Hair said.

Despite these athletes all making history and being very successful in their respective events, they’ve all noticed inequalities in their sport. Keller, for example, has noticed the majority of ESPN broadcasts don’t focus on women’s events.

“The biggest inequality I’ve noticed is the media coverage,” Keller said. “I mean, even in the streams of track meets that you’ll watch online or even on ESPN, nine times out of 10 if they’re going to cut away from an event to interview an athlete or have some commentary, it’s going to be during the women’s events.”

Despite the majority of the recent posts on the CSU Athletics Instagram page focusing on the track and field teams’ success at the Mountain West Championships, it often focuses on the men’s sports, Keller said. And even though Instagram posts may seem to have little impact on sports, “It’s hard for young girls and women to think that they have opportunities in sports when they don’t see them,” Keller said.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CHLOE LELINE THE COLLEGIAN

Being a thrower, the arm strength required can lead to struggles with body image. “I think being a shot putter, you’re just the opposite of what people think a female athlete should be,” McDonald said.

“Women are always told you don’t want to look too strong or be too strong or whatever, and it’s (being a female athlete) that taught me that strong is beautiful, especially with body image things,” Carter said.

Whenever she would get teased about her strength, McDonald would use it to her advantage.

“When I was in middle school, I would get called manly or whatever, and I’d challenge people to arm wrestling competitions and be like, ‘Okay, you’re about to get beat by a girl,’” McDonald said.

“I’ve only been called manly by men who are not muscle-y,” McDonald said. “It’s all about perspective, and it’s stupid when those comments are from jealousy and that stuff.”

At Colorado State, O’Hair isn’t the only woman making history. Three track and field athletes who just recently helped the Rams win the Mountain West Championships will be competing in the NCAA tournament. Lexie Keller, Sarah Carter and Gabi McDonald are all making their mark.

Both Carter and McDonald had similar things to say about the discrimination against women in sports. “I’m sure I have (seen discrimination), I’ve just tried to keep my head down,” McDonald said. “I think I’ve gotten more judgment, not discrimination, especially being a female shot (putter). There’s a lot of stereotypes about being manly, and like, I’ve always had massive arms since I was 12 years old.”

Despite the long history of prejudice against women in sports, staff members and athletes of CSU are pushing hard for the future. Keller, Carter and McDonald will be attending the NCAA tournament in the coming weeks, and O’Hair has spring football training coming up.

“Believe in what you can do because it’s always going to be inspiring to someone after you,” O’Hair said.

Reach Emma Askren at sports @collegian.com.

“ It’s hard for young girls and women to think that they have opportunities in sports when they don’t see them.”

LEXIE KELLER GRADUATE STUDENT AND TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE

Women’s basketball outhustled by Wyoming, knocked out of MWC

By Braidon Nourse @braidonnourse

The semifinals were the end of the road for the Colorado State University women’s basketball team in the Mountain West Basketball Championships.

Destiny Thurman and the rest of the Rams kept it as close as they could for as long as they could, but Allyson Fertig and the rest of the University of Wyoming Cowgirls were just too much. The Rams went from a 7-point deficit going into the fourth quarter and brought it to within 5 points, but Wyoming pulled away to a 65-56 victory.

The Rams knew it would be a tough, physical fight, particularly on the interior with Wyoming’s big center and forward in Fertig and Grace Ellis. But despite the Rams’ efforts to minimize the losses on the

boards, the Cowgirls dominated by outrebounding the Rams 50-23.

The Cowgirls dominated the offensive boards as well, beating the Rams 14-1 in that category. Offensive rebounds that led to second-chance points were the nail in the coffin, especially late in the game when CSU was trying to make their way back in it. Wyoming accumulated 15 secondchance points in their 9-pointdifference victory.

“I think they were just being more physical and more tough than we were,” Thurman said. “I think they wanted the rebounds more than we did, and that’s what led to them getting a lot of offensive rebounds towards the end of the game.”

The Rams jumped out to a lead in the first quarter and led up until around the nine-minute mark of the second quarter. The

Cowgirls took the lead and never looked back.

in that time. From crossovers to stepbacks, Thurman showcased a little bit of everything. In the second half, it was McKenna Hofschild who came to life and scored 12 of her 14 points.

Despite their season in the Mountain West being over with the loss, there’s still a good chance the Rams will be selected to compete in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. In the most recent NET rankings from the NCAA, CSU is ranked No. 88, which should be good enough for a spot in the tournament.

watched this program grow over the years from a 12-18 team in the 2019-20 season to this year’s 20-11 team. Since that season, the Rams picked up the eventual conference player of the year in Hofschild and have had three consecutive Mountain West Newcomer of the Year award winners in Thurman this year, Upe Atosu last year and Hofschild 2020-21.

Looking back, there has been a lot for Williams to be proud of about the group this season.

RYUN WILLIAMS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH

Thurman was on fire during the first half, scoring 16 of her 19 points

“(We have to) learn from it,” Hofschild said. “I think this one’s gonna sting for a little bit, but we can’t hold on to that for too long because we do have more basketball to be played. I think we’re all excited to get a new challenge and a team that we probably haven’t seen before.”

Head coach Ryun Williams has

“I’m proud of the teammates that they are to each other,” Williams said. “We enjoy being a team, and that’s why these stink. You want to keep playing, but that’s also what sports is. I mean, you’re gonna lose sometimes. Not the most opportune time, obviously, to lose, but that’s part of it.”

Reach Braidon Nourse at sports @collegian.com.

“I’m proud of the teammates that they are to each other. We enjoy being a team, and that’s why these stink. You want to keep playing, but that’s also what sports is. I mean, you’re gonna lose sometimes.”

CSU

Colorado State University guard McKenna Hofschild

(4) brings the ball up the court at the 2023 Mountain West Basketball Championships quarterfinals game against Boise State University in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas March 6. The Rams won 59-52.

PHOTO BY SERENA BETTIS THE COLLEGIAN

Local band Immigrant’s Child combines music with heritage

Immigrant’s Child wants to get a little more in touch with their roots and heritage and did so with their latest EP “Papalotl.”

“You know, we are called Immigrant’s Child, so these influences, I want to make them more apparent,” Martinez-Varelas said. “I wanted to be very clear that this is who we are. This is where we come from.”

“Papalotl” deals with numerous themes; however, mental health is a very powerful topic touched on multiple times. Keeana Martinez puts emphasis on mental health being at the forefront of her lyrics by stating that the song “Overthink” is specifically about her struggles with self-hate and feeling like an outsider to her Mexican culture.

the base songs, and this is where the experimentation part comes in. Like, how are we going to throw in these sounds and cultural aspects to it?”

Immigrant’s Child puts heritage at the forefront of their music. They remain conscious of the indie genre and the sound they want to produce, but they incorporate the history of their families and heritage into their lyrics, which pushes the message of their record even further.

The varying genres and themes within Immigrant’s Child’s music breathe new life into the indie-rock genre, and this is only the start.

By Christian Arndt @csucollegian

The band Immigrant’s Child has garnered a dedicated fanbase thanks to their blend of indie music, heritageinspired lyrics and storytelling.

The band visited the KCSU radio station March 5 to tell their story. Immigrant’s Child is a Denver-based band that was started a few years back by Mario Martinez-Varelas, guitar,

ALBUM REVIEW

and siblings Keeana Martinez, vocals, and Josiah Martinez, bass. They later recruited their current drummer, Colin Hill. They describe their genre as indie with blends of alt rock and math rock.

As a collective, they have produced a handful of singles and EPs and plan to further expand their catalog of music, not only in the sense of quantity but in the overall message the band hopes to communicate.

“I always struggled with selfhate and being OK with myself, so “Overthink” is a lot of like an ode to myself, like, (the lyric), ‘You’re not as beautiful I know, while you reached desperately for air, watch you choke,’ was like a lot of the feelings that I feel in my own self-hate,” MartinezVerales said. “Feeling like I’m not Mexican enough.”

The emphasis on heritage and family is very present in “Papalotl,” which features a song titled “SAP (Spanish Audio Programming)” completely sung in Spanish.

“The point of this EP was to get a bit more in touch with Latin music on our end,” Martinez-Varelas said. “This is an expression.”

Immigrant’s Child takes direct inspiration from the 2000s indie scene, math rock and Brit. rock. However, they still want to integrate their Latin heritage into their music.

“We’re gonna start injecting that Latin influence again,” Martinez-Varelas said. “We have

“You hear Spanish intermingled as well, and as I mentioned, I want to live up to that,” MartinezVarelas said. “We want to be true to ourselves, and we want to make sure that that’s coming across in the music.”

Immigrant’s Child can be streamed on all current popular streaming platforms and serves as an important band not only to the indie genre but also to the Latinx community as a whole. Reach Christian Arndt at entertainment@collegian.com.

Lil Yachty successfully steps outside his genre

By Luke Wilson @csucollegian

“Let’s Start Here.” by multiplatinum-selling rapper and singer-songwriter Lil Yachty is an expectation-shattering display of the greatness that can arise when artists embrace the intersectionality that exists between genres.

The mind-bending record delves into a psychedelic rockoriented direction for the artist. It not only combines elements characteristic of neo-psychedelia with his signature contagious vocal style, but it births something new from their intermingling.

The album embodies an impressively detailed understanding of the scene in which it exists, which is made clear by Lil Yachty’s collaboration with producers that are well-versed in that genre. Producing credits include but aren’t limited to MGMT’s Ben Goldwasser, Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Jacob Portrait and artist Mac DeMarco, according to an article from UPROXX.

These artists embellish Lil Yachty’s work with complex technical instrumentation, fusing their styles seamlessly with that of Lil Yachty’s.

Vocal features on the LP are also a highlight, with Teezo Touchdown delivering a bouncy and heartfelt description of his changing attitude toward his friends and interests in his rap verse on the album’s second track, “the ride-.”

Daniel Caesar also appears on the multi-phased final song of the album, “REACH THE SUNSHINE.,” expressing introspective and dreamy feelings about his sense of self. While such features are not listed on the track list, credit is given to these artists on Genius.com.

The thematic structure of “Let’s Start Here.” consists of a vast array of emotions from Lil Yachty and feels like an authentic representation of both his personal journey and of what many of us go through as humans. Love, angst, depression, longing, mania and being overwhelmed by society’s current state are all expressed by Lil Yachty in unique styles of singing and rapping that reflect passion and honesty.

Diana Gordon makes several memorable appearances in the track list, with the most memorable of them being her feature on “the BLACK seminole.,” consisting of soaring wails reminiscent of “The Great Gig in the Sky” by Pink Floyd.

Lil Yachty manages to incorporate his characteristic approach to rap melodies and cadences among the tracks of “Let’s Start Here.” in a manner that doesn’t undermine the overarching styles and themes of the genre he finds himself delving into. Rather, the unique approach to hiphop that initially set Lil Yachty apart in the rap scene coexists comfortably with moments of ascending falsettos, dreamy melodies and even screaming that take place across the LP.

Rugged and distorted guitar riffs, brain-tickling mirages of synths and enveloping basslines throughout the project bring the listener into a trance-like state, with instrumentation in the album as varied as it is tasteful.

“Let’s Start Here.” frequently undergoes fascinating transformations of sound and is a journey far from mundane; at points, it lies outside the realm of sanity.

Many artists have attempted a genre switch, such as Kid Cudi with “Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven” and G-Eazy with “Everything’s Strange Here” and have done so to no avail.

Albums created based on what an artist perceives to define a genre can end up feeling like a sore mockery of what the listener finds so great about a genre due to the utilization of cliches and stereotypes. This is not the case for Lil Yachty. Through collaboration with the right people, attention to detail, genuine emotion-driven writing and a wealth of creativity, Lil Yachty presents more to the listener than just another artist’s forgettable attempt at getting outside their typical range of musical endeavors.

Reach Luke Wilson at entertainment@collegian.com.

Josiah Martinez of Denver band Immigrant’s Child speaks about the state of the Colorado music scene during an interview on KCSU Radio in the Lory Student Center March 5. “I think there is just a huge sentiment for a lot of people wanting the Denver music scene, or the Colorado music scene in general, to expand from where it is,” Martinez said. “I do think we’re on that cusp of it potentially getting to that next level, but it is just a lot of DIY stuff. It is being propped up by a lot of grassroots-type organizations.”

PHOTO BY MICHAEL MARQUARDT THE COLLEGIAN

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLIE COHEN THE COLLEGIAN

“‘Let’s Start Here.’ frequently undergoes fascinating transformations of sound and is a journey far from mundane; at points, it lies outside the realm of sanity.”

“You hear Spanish intermingled as well, and as I mentioned, I want to live up to that. We want to be true to ourselves, and we want to make sure that that’s coming across in the music.”

MARIO MARTINEZ-VARELAS GUITARIST FOR IMMIGRANT’S CHILD

Odell hosts ACT Film Festival’s 8th annual kickoff party

By Sophia Masia @sophie_masia

Odell Brewing Company hosted the eighth annual ACT Human Rights Film Festival Kickoff Party March 7 with trivia, beer, film trailers and film selection announcements for the festival.

“The kickoff was a success,” said Beth Seymour, managing director of the ACT Film Festival. “ACT’s schedule is live, tickets are on sale and we are buzzing with excitement about the films, filmmakers and conversations we have planned.”

of Liberal Arts and department of communication studies that aims to “awaken, connect (and) transform,” according to their website.

“ACT brings the best and most recent human rights cinema to Northern Colorado,” the communications studies website reads.

“Through the shared experience of film and conversation, ACT cultivates empathy and new perspectives about human rights.”

These films intend to help students and members of the community connect at the intersection of art, culture and social justice.

The festival takes place every year at the end of March into the beginning of April both on campus and at The Lyric, with multiple showings of feature documentaries, award winning movies and short films each day.

However, the films aren’t the only events ACT puts on during the festival. This year over a dozen filmmakers will be attending for Q&As, fireside chats and insider information about their work.

The kickoff was a huge success and the biggest turnout since COVID-19 forced the festival to be moved virtually. Now back in person, the festival is expected to be bigger than ever.

studies. “We work on it all year and host different showings relating to human rights and how we in Fort Collins can help.”

GREG DICKINSON PROFESSOR AND CHAIR OF CSU’S COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

The ACT Film Festival is a multiday fest of movies and events put on by Colorado State University’s College

“The kickoff is a good way to get people excited for the actual festival,” said Greg Dickinson, professor and chair of CSU’s communication studies department. “We announce the movies, then show the trailers with some of our Screening Sessions Ale, and it gets people very excited.”

“Most people think they don’t want to go to a human rights film festival until they’ve been to a human rights film festival,” Dickinson said.

“(The kickoff party) was very fun,” said Susan Walling, a recurring ACT attendee. “We’re excited to go to the festival and watch all these great movies.”

Each year the films are handpicked by a team of movie selectors who watch well over 200 movies to pick the best lineup for the festival.

“ACT isn’t just the film festival either,” said Katherine Indermaur, communication coordinator for CSU’s department of communication

Along with amazing movies, limited edition specialty brewed beer, an opening and closing night reception and exclusive filmmaker interactions, ACT also seeks to help the communities and issues the films portray through Call To ACT.

“Call To ACT is when we partner with nonprofits and businesses that relate to the human rights issues in each year’s films to find ways that we and the people who attend the festival can help,” said Catrina Vininski, the 2023 ACT outreach and engagement coordinator.

“It’s great to watch a movie and be aware of an issue, but it’s better to help change it, and a lot of times, it doesn’t involve money, which can be hard for college students,” Vininski said.

If you couldn’t make it to the kickoff party and didn’t win passes or tickets through trivia, Student Leadership, Involvement & Community Engagement is giving out two free tickets to students as well as discounted passes and more deals for students, faculty and staff. For more information about the ACT Human Rights Film Festival, visit their website or follow their Instagram @ActFilmFest. Reach Sophia Masia at entertainment @collegian.com.

The eighth annual launch party for the ACT Human Rights Film Festival launch party held at Odell Brewing Company in Fort Collins March 7. PHOTO BY JAIDEN STANFORD THE COLLEGIAN

“Most people think they don’t want to go to a human rights film festival until they’ve been to a human rights film festival.”

WEEKLY HOROSCOPE

By Abby Flores

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (03/09/23)

ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19)

You are getting bored of a certain hobby, so switching things up is going to help revive your passions this week.

OVERHEARD AROUND CAMPUS

Challenge yourself, and have fun with what you discover.

TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20)

You have been wanting to stay inside more, which is a sign you need to recharge. You have a sweet tooth, so something fun to do this week could be baking your favorite dessert. You deserve something delicious, so why not indulge a little?

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20)

You are getting into a balanced workflow mode this week and are finally accomplishing a creative project you have put off for a while. Keep it up because your hard work is going to pay off.

CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22)

You have a crush on someone but feel nervous about coming

out of your shell and making the first move. Take your time to see if you can get to know your person a little more. You are doing a great job of putting yourself out there.

LEO (JULY 23 - AUG. 22)

Work life can get stressful, especially for a genuine artist like you, Leo. This is why you are working on lifting creative blocks you have made for yourself. The more you rebel and break free from constraints, the more you will thrive.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEPT. 22)  You have been lost in direction when it comes to the path you want to follow, but remember that finding a path is supposed to be a journey all by itself. Stay open to new experiences, and don’t be afraid to reach out to the support around you.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22)

You have finally come to the realization that you should not limit your artistic view of the world for anyone else. You are an innovator, so go ahead and express yourself because it is helping you find purpose.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)  You may not see it, but you have the power to inspire others around you by being your authentic self. You are a mentor and make a positive impact wherever you go.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21) Life has been exciting lately, and you are coming to terms with how you want to live it by having an open mind. You are aligned with the universe and don’t need much planning because everything tends to come to you naturally.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19) You have been making new friends and socializing with more people. New networking opportunities for your work are manifesting.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18) You sometimes find it difficult to be yourself in certain situations, but your rebellious soul wants to break free. Listen to the unique spirit within you because a higher calling awaits you.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20) You have the ability to connect with others on a deep level. Like water, you are the person people flow to when they need serenity and a good listening ear. Be sure you are taking care of yourself as well by meditating or having daily journal checkups.