Thursday, October 27, 2022 Vol. 132 No. 11

BY SOPHIA SIROKMAN

FOCO EVENTSFOCO

NEWS:

CANNABIS:

OPINION:

SPORTS:

A&E:

PHOTO:

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Serena

CSU Chemistry Club’s

Show at the

3-6 p.m. Oct. 30

Halloween Organ Extravaganza at

6 p.m., 8 p.m.

FoCo Open Jam at

6 p.m. Nov. 3

Letters to

Oct.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

reflect

Paul

Karsyn

Alex

Alex Barrow, an employee at the Spencer Gifts-owned Spirit Halloween store located at 4336 S. College Ave. in Fort Collins, stands in one of the hallways filled with costumes Oct. 22. “I

Halloween — the costumes, the atmosphere,” Barrow said. “It’s fun; it’s relaxed. You

PHOTO BY GARRETT MOGEL THE COLLEGIAN

Halloween brings concerns about rainbow-colored fentanyl

By Alexander Wilson @alexgrey0604

The Drug Enforcement Administration released a statement Aug. 30 warning about rainbowcolored fentanyl being used to target younger generations in America.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid labeled as a narcotic in the medical world that is used to treat severe pain. However, overdoses from synthetic opioids like fentanyl cause more than 150 deaths per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the DEA, “fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country.”

The drug race has just begun in Colorado as police are trying to keep up with the fentanyl caseload facing the state.

“Fentanyl is almost like a daily occurrence of us being involved with somebody that either has fentanyl or has used fentanyl,” Chief of Police Michael Cochran of the Craig Police Department said in a statement to Steamboat Radio.

With Halloween right around the corner, fentanyl is on the public’s

radar, as some of the pills look very similar to popular candies like Smarties or gummy bears.

For safety reasons, many politicians have encouraged parents to remain on high alert and to double-check their children’s candy.

To fight this outbreak, congressmen Doug Lamborn and Joe Neguse of Colorado introduced a bipartisan bill, the Protecting Kids from Fentanyl Act, in September.

“The Protecting Kids from Fentanyl Act is a bipartisan solution that will empower our K-12 schools to tackle this emergency,” Neguse said in a statement posted on his website. “Everyone — especially our children — deserve(s) to live in a safe community, and this bill helps achieve that goal.”

This act will allow schools to purchase naloxone, train school workers and essential student caretakers on how to administer naloxone as well as provide students with awareness classes on addiction.

“Naloxone is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration ... designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose,” according to a statement from

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CHLOE LELINE THE COLLEGIAN

the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “It is an opioid antagonist — meaning that it binds to opioid receptors and can reverse and block the effects of other opioids, such as heroin, morphine and oxycodone.”

Naloxone is the generic name for the brand Narcan. The drug can be administered via needle or a nasal spray. The Colorado State University Health Network has Narcan training and provides students with Narcan as needed.

Anyone struggling with addiction can reach out to SAMHSA’s national helpline at 800-662-4357. Reach Alexander Wilson at news@ collegian.com.

First hauntings: NRHH to hold haunted house Oct.

By Dj Vicente @deejmako

As the leaves at The Oval fall to the ground with the changing season, a chilling wind blows through the Colorado State University campus as Halloween nears and Fort Collins residents come out to celebrate.

On the northwest side of campus, trouble stirs in the halls of The Pavilion at Laurel Village as members of CSU’s National Residence Hall Honorary work to create a haunt out of the building.

“It’s a super cool space,” said Cassidy Faulhaber, president of NRHH at CSU. “We’re planning to block all of it off and having scares coming through there. It should be super professional and, like, a very real experience.”

Faulhaber, alongside her cabinet and other CSU members of NRHH, invites fellow Rams, as well as residents of Fort Collins, to enjoy a fright-filled walk through The Pavilion as the organization will hold its haunted house at 6 p.m. Oct. 28. The attraction will be free.

Faulhaber mentioned the organization of The Pavilion, divided into different themed rooms that cover a wide variety of fears to scare a diverse range of students. From the undead to haunted toys, the haunted house will be pretty spooky, Faulhaber said.

This haunted house will also be the first one ever organized by NRHH at CSU, being a new learning experience for the organization as they work to make the inaugural event a good first impression for students.

Gabriella Hempelmann, vice president of administration

and finance of NRHH at CSU, spoke about the challenges of organizing a haunted house at The Pavilion, noting its size as their main challenge in designing an effective scare.

“We’re trying to design it with the space,” Hempelmann said. “It is a little awkward for what we’re trying to do, but we figured it out, and I think it’s going to be great.”

Hempelmann took a major role in producing and organizing the haunted house, mainly in the design of the attraction, citing her previous experience organizing a haunted house every year in high school.

Hempelmann also mentioned the pressure of the haunted house being CSU NRHH’s first and hopes this year’s reception will be positive enough to bolster effort into next year’s version.

“We’re definitely going to take everything into account,” Hempelmann said. “It’s important to realize that we are going to do our best. ... I think it’s also just going to be a fun experience for everyone.”

The haunted house will also act as a safe space for eventgoers, acting as an alternative to oncampus parties.

“Some people don’t feel comfortable going to other people’s houses to hang out, or they don’t know as many people,” Hempelmann said. “This is an awesome experience for them.”

By providing a safe alternative to Halloween parties, the haunted house will also be able to prevent dangerous incidents from occurring.

Vice President of Recognition & Service of NRHH at CSU Aimee White said the haunted house will have no alcohol present and staff on site to “deal with situations if something were to arise.”

While wanting to create a haunted house full of scares, NRHH at CSU still seeks to promote the knowledge of resources available to students, “making sure people — specifically first years — are more aware of these free resources that they have,” White said.

With scares being anxietybased, Faulhaber said, it is also part of CSU NRHH’s goal to provide support for students struggling with college life — something Faulhaber said aligns with the organization’s foundational pillars.

“We’ll have some info cards about how to cope with loneliness and anxiety in college to kind of tie into our pillars: … helping the community and also just trying to make people’s lives better, on top of a super cool haunted house,” Faulhaber said.

The event will also be a great way to connect with other students and community members, as well as to slow down and relax during a busy holiday, Hempelmann said.

“I think it’s a great way to bring the community together,” Hempelmann said. “I’m hoping that having a fun time will allow people to just destress and chill out for a little bit.”

Reach DJ Vicente at news@ collegian.com.

Newsom Hall Oct. 21. Incoming students are warned by upperclassmen to avoid residing at Newsom Hall.

PHOTO BY REUEL INDURKAR THE COLLEGIAN

“ We’re definitely going to take everything into account. … It’s important to realize that we are going to do our best. I think it’s also just going to be a fun experience for everyone.”

GABRIELLA HEMPELMANN NRHH AT CSU VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

COLORADO

BY

Celebrating Halloween with considerations of COVID-19

By Miles Buchan @buchanmiles

The end of this October marks the third year people will celebrate Halloween in a world where COVID-19 risks are a consideration.

The spread of this disease has changed many aspects of everyday life, and the Halloween holiday has been no exception. However, from the beginning of the pandemic until now, many restrictions have been lifted, and various annual events hosted in Larimer County continue to return in person.

Cases and hospitalizations in Lar imer County have steadily decreased in the the past few months. Current ly, according to the Larimer County Department of Health and Environ ment website, Larimer County is at a

Centers for Disease Control and Pre vention COVID-19 community level of “low.”

events, from hosting private parties to attending public gatherings, with no COVID-19 regulations in place aside from the recommendation to wear a mask in crowded, indoor public places.

The Tiny Tot Halloween event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 31. Nearly 70 businesses in downtown Fort Collins will hand out candy.

Trick-or-treating opportunities will be happening throughout residential areas, as well as the annual Trick-or-Treat Street, which will take place from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at Rocky Mountain High School.

Adults looking to have some fun can find an array of lively restaurants to visit and pub crawls to participate in.

public was urged to follow certain guidelines in order to celebrate Halloween safely. These guidelines limited the size of gatherings as well as established mask regulations.

This statement also included recommendations that applied directly to trick-or-treating. At that time, trick-or-treating was permitted as a low-risk activity; however, parents and children were advised to use caution when it came to candy exchanges and gatherings of people. Gatherings of more than 10 were not permitted, and large in-person contests or parties of any kind were to be avoided.

like for COVID-19 and the flu.

For anyone with underlying health issues, additional steps can be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The CDC recommends multiple preventative measures that have been found to reduce the chances of catching COVID-19.

“If you are feeling sick, be sure to use our website to help assist in further steps,” said Kyle Pallman of the Colorado School of Public Health at Colorado State University.

This means residents are able to participate in a range of Halloween

Many people will recall the Halloween of 2020, during the first year of the pandemic, being different than any year prior. In a statement issued that year by the LCDHE, the

These measures are no longer in place, but some recommendations still remain. The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment shared a post to their Instagram giving five tips on having a safe Halloween. The fifth tip is to make sure kids and adults have taken all recommended vaccines,

This year, additional emphasis is being placed on getting a flu shot in addition to the COVID-19 vaccination and boosters to also protect from influenza illness.

“We definitely recommend getting vaccinated for the flu this season,” Pallman said.

Reach Miles Buchan at news@ collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN

“These measures are no longer in place, but some recommendations still remain. The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment shared a post to their Instagram giving five tips on having a safe Halloween.”

The not-so-satanic, true origins of Halloween

By Ivy Secrest @ivysecrest

The masked faces of small children scuttle past houses lit up by the carved grins of jack-o’-lanterns and ghoulish decorations. Halloween season is upon us, and the familiarity of the holiday is intoxicating.

Often thought of as dark, spooky and even satanic, Halloween actually stems from a much more thoughtful celebration: Samhain. The pagan holiday is mainly focused on connecting with passed ancestors to express gratitude, ask for guidance in the new year and celebrate the year’s harvest.

This connection between the holidays is an important part of history for many modern pagans, like Jordan Beard, a member of the Council at Covenant of the River in Fort Collins.

“A lot of people are really surprised to find out that Samhain and Halloween actually have nothing to do with devil worship at all,” Beard said. “In fact, neopagans and a lot of classical pagans … actually didn’t

have a concept of a devil figure. So not only were they not worshipping the devil, … they didn’t really believe in one.”

Much like Dia de los Muertos and All Saints’ Day, part of Samhain is about connecting with ancestors through cultural traditions.

“In particular, Celtic tradition said that the veil between the spirit realm and the physical realm was very thin,” Beard said. “And you could talk to the spirits of your ancestors on these at these times. And so you would do this ritual, and you would connect and send messages primarily of gratitude but also asking for maybe a little guidance.”

Although Halloween stems from the English version of Samhain — Allhallows Eve — and has connections to Wiccan traditions as well, many of the traditions are carried over directly from Samhain.

being that that would keep any spirits that had any ill intent towards you at bay,” Beard said. “But later, the jack-o’-lantern actually came to be a carrying vessel for that coal.”

The jack-o’-lanterns were intended originally to scare spirits and protect communities, and people dress up in costume for similar reasons.

After performing the rituals to connect with ancestors, pagans were fearful the spirits would want to stay in the earthly realm. In order to combat this, they would adorn masks and cloaks so spirits wouldn’t follow them home, Beard said.

important. If we are going to grab onto old traditions and modernize them in new cultural practices, we should educate ourselves on what the origins really are.

“I think that’s where we run into problems with what a lot of people call cultural appropriation or cultural misappropriation,” Beard said. “They’re not bothering to know what it is that they’re borrowing.”

This separation of paganism from satanism is important, especially since the modern holiday of Halloween has been portrayed as demonic in the context of horror movies or even some common costumes.

Take costumes and jack-o’lanterns, for example: Pagans used to carve turnips to carry home embers from community bonfires. These embers would be used to start the next fire in the home and bring the community back with them, Beard said.

“Jack-o’-lanterns were originally carved as a spooky thing, the idea

Though these traditions may seem rooted far in the past, they are still very real for neopagans. Halloween is now a night for fun and celebration, but the old traditions are still practiced within the pagan religion as Samhain approaches.

“I’m not offended in any way that Halloween is commercialized and modernized and celebrated by people that have no connection to the religion at all,” Beard said.

Beard did clarify that he thinks education of the culture was

The Covenant of the River hosts the Denver Witches’ Ball as an opportunity to educate the community about the meaning of the season as well as get people to engage with the Wiccan and pagan communities.

While the event is advertised as a Halloween masquerade ball, it can be a spiritual activity if attendees choose to view it that way.

Halloween may be a spooky scary time to trick-or-treat with friends and parade around in costume, but the ongoing sense of community that stems from the celebration’s origins in Samhain has yet to fade.

Reach Ivy Secrest at life@ collegian.com.

“Halloween may be a spooky scary time to trick-or-treat with friends and parade around in costume, but the ongoing sense of community that stems from the celebration’s origins in Samhain has yet to fade.”

How to not culturally appropriate with Halloween costumes

By Alexander Wilson @alexgrey0604

Editor’s Note: All opinions reflected within are views of the individual author only.

With Halloween right around the corner, it’s time to talk about costumes and cultural appropriation.

Cultural appropriation was first termed in the 1980s to discuss colonialism in academic spaces, eventually expanding from academia to the media. Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another, and typically more dominant, people or society.”

Halloween has been riddled with offensive costumes for some time now, but as society progresses, so must the narrow view on appropriation.

“People have to stop trying to seek authenticity in the ways in which they are trying to mimic things that have historically been problematic or have been utilized outside of a cultural context,” said Aaunterria BollingerDeters, a visual culture theorist working as an ethics instructor at

Colorado State University.

Here are some basic guidelines on how not to offend groups.

Avoid religious, tribal, ethnic costumes

Basically, no turbans, Indigenous clothing, tribal markings, Cleopatras or dreadlocks if you’re not from that culture. For example, don’t wear a sombrero and mustache if you’re not of Latinx descent just for a costume. Their culture is not yours to make a joke out of.

On that note, don’t wear religions as costumes either; go put away that sexy nun costume.

Contrary to popular belief, popular characters in the media can also be used in appropriation. So don’t wear an accent or change your skin tone for a Jasmine costume.

Avoid costumes

depicting mental, physical disabilities

How often have you seen the psych patient in a straitjacket costume? The romanticized depiction portrayed by the media of people with mental illnesses experiencing psychotic episodes is not only harmful to the community

but completely false, and it creates a stigma against them. Nobody ever thinks that these costumes depict real people who have experienced that.

Ableism has been rooted in our society for hundreds of years, and it’s time to change that. When picking out a costume, remember that even though it’s a character, it can promote a false narrative for the community. So maybe put away that mobility aid and fake limp for your Walter White Jr. costume.

Don’t be transphobic

“Mrs. Doubtfire” is a funny movie until you realize the damage it causes to the transgender community: the transphobic “manin-a-dress” trope. Using someone’s gender identity as a costume is not funny nor is it original, so put that “White Chicks” costume back on the shelf.

Steer clear from sexualizing children

Now, it sounds simple, yet Halloween stores have proven otherwise. Aisles filled with sexy schoolgirl costumes, sexy baby

costumes and pedophilic priest costumes should be thrown away and burned. It’s just weird — don’t do it.

Keep away from tragedies

Don’t romanticize Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer; nobody is hot enough to forgive for murder. Many victims of tragedies are still alive, so don’t ruin the night for them by making their trauma your costume. On that note, take off the numbers on your wrist and put away the whip.

Cultural appropriation affects everyone, and knowing the real consequences is the first step to understanding.

“Visual representation is extremely important, and when you’re leaning into this ability of being able to dress and go out and have fun, you also have to think about the power of this representation and what you’re conveying and potentially what that can do to someone rather than thinking of it as just a costume because it’s never just a costume,” Bollinger-Deters said.

Reach Alexander Wilson at life@ collegian.com.

FoCo Cafe Halloween treat boxes give back to community

By Katherine Borsting @katbor2025

A little cafe connected to a community garden sits at the end of Old Town at 225 Maple St.

The sign attached to the building reads “FoCo Cafe” in bold green letters. The name, however, is not slang for Fort Collins; FoCo stands for “feeding our community ourselves.”

FoCo Cafe is a nonprofit with a mission of providing healthy and nutritious food to the Fort Collins community. The cafe is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays and is the only nonprofit cafe in the area.

During October, customers can spend $25 and receive a pay-itforward Halloween treat box. This will allow 12 treats to be made, and the person who purchased the box will get to keep eight treats. The remaining four treats will be passed on to someone in the community who needs them.

All of the treats inside are made by the bakers at the cafe and can accommodate a range of different dietary needs. Some items that can be found within the boxes are pumpkin Rice Krispies Treats and caramel apple cookies.

Tamra Leavenworth is the development intern at FoCo Cafe and talked about the importance of having opportunities like this.

“People in need deserve small

luxuries like this, especially as the holiday season comes closer,” Leavenworth said. “Part of something you’re buying is helping a person in need.”

Events like the Halloween treat boxes help benefit Fort Collins because it grows the community and creates shared experiences among residents within the area, Leavenworth said.

FoCo Cafe has many events like the treat boxes for all kinds of holidays throughout the year. They do this in hope of providing inclusion for everyone in the community to enjoy holidays, which can be especially hard when experiencing financial insecurity.

Apart from the treat boxes, the cafe has a wide variety of options on its menu, and the majority of the items are local, organic and sustainably grown, according to their website.

FoCo Cafe was founded in 2012 by Jeff and Kathleen Baumgardner with the goal to provide equal access to healthy sustainable food. During the first five months of the cafe being open, it was all run by volunteers and only able to support a few paid positions.

Leavenworth explained they have a “pay what you can” model, meaning there is no set cost of items, just a recommended donation starting at $5; however, customers can pay as much as they would like. This contributes to wages and materials within the cafe.

If customers are unable to pay, they are asked to volunteer their time at the cafe. Each shift worked is compensated with a free meal. Some examples of volunteer work include meal prep,

serving guests and cleaning.

FoCo Cafe is a great community space that continues to give back to Fort Collins.

As they celebrate their 10-year anniversary this year, they hope

to continue providing accessible food options for everyone in the area.

Reach Katherine Borsting at life@ collegian.com.

The front entrance of FoCo Cafe Oct. 23. The cafe provides food for community members on a pay-what-you-can basis, even offering meals for free in exchange for volunteer work hours.

PHOTO BY GREGORY JAMES THE COLLEGIAN

A heart-shaped sign in the community garden at FoCo Cafe Oct. 23. The sign reads in Spanish, “Please enjoy sitting and resting in the garden. All are welcome here!” as a nice sentiment that reflects the FoCo Cafe’s mission.

PHOTO BY GREGORY JAMES THE COLLEGIAN

The High-Life Zone: A journey to Wendy’s

By Grayson Acri @guy1376

Editor’s Note: This is a satire piece from The Collegian’s opinion sec tion. 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.

In between the normal and the paranormal, there exists a land where most things are recognizable from a distance — but upon closer inspection, things are not quite as they seem. It exists at the junction between rationality and madness, where one hit chooses the path of the unwilling participant. This is the High-Life Zone.

We have a particular case for you tonight: 22-year-old Travis, a student at a local university. Travis is an experienced stoner. He knows precisely how and when to get high in a responsible way, and he thought this night would be no different. After class, however, Travis’ fate was unknowingly twisted when he went to a new dispensary. The product seemed too good, too dense — with no stems or seeds — all for a clean $20. With the exceptional product in hand, he set up a bowl and let it rip, only instead of relaxation and a case of the giggles, Travis entered the High-Life Zone.

you’re not quite sure on your feet. Why don’t you come sit down?”

Harison, Travis’ other roommate, entered the apartment and smelled the elevation in the air. Jamie settled upon seeing Harison, but Travis gave him an inquisitive look.

“Wow,” Harison said. “How high did you guys get?”

“Enough,” Jamie got out between coughs after hitting a dab rig. Harison rolled his eyes.

Travis hadn’t stopped staring. He peered into the hallway behind Harison. The light was flickering, as it had been for weeks, but now Travis saw the message in it.

Travis’ childhood experience in the Boy Scouts of America taught him nothing about personal responsibility, environmental stewardship or caring about others, but he did remember morse code.

“Get out,” the lights repeatedly said. Travis was the only one to notice, however, and Harison closed the door, sealing off the ghastly communication.

“What were you guys going to get up to tonight?” Harison asked Jamie, not bothering to try and communicate with Travis, who held his head in his hands.

normal on the outside, but it was as if the lights became black lights, with the colors inverted. The eyes on the posters on the windows followed Travis inside.

The familiar Wendy’s smell engulfed the group, the sounds of beeps, yells and machinery maintaining a strange peace.

Travis looked beyond to the counter. It appeared abandoned. There were no visible signs anyone had ever been in the restaurant before.

A figure then slipped out of the shadows from deep behind the counter.

Harison walked up first and ordered a cheeseburger and soda. Jamie ordered the same. Travis watched, paralyzed, as they commanded a ghost to give them a cheeseburger, seemingly unaware of the undead nature of the cashier. He fortified his resolve, trying to convince himself that he was just high, and feigned confidence in spite of his shivers of fear.

Their orders all came out together; Harison grabbed them while Jamie led Travis to a table. He sat and had his burger placed in front of him.

He unpeeled the wrapping from the burger and took a mammoth bite. As he was

noticed a strange texture. It felt a bit like chicken — a ridiculous proposition because it was clearly a burger. He looked to his companions for reassurance, but they were simply enjoying their meal.

He soldiered on — same taste, strange texture. His confusion grew with every bite as the taste changed slowly into something unrecognizable. What had started as a cheeseburger slowly morphed into a spicy chicken sandwich.

“This may seem dumb, but what did I actually order?” Travis asked. His companions looked at him with confusion upon his first words of the night.

“You got the chicken sandwich,” Jamie said with a mouthful. “Just look at it.”

Travis looked at the sandwich in his hands. What had once been a burger was indeed now a chicken sandwich. He shrugged and continued eating.

What Travis didn’t know is he was correct the whole time. Reality is merely a construction of one’s mind and memories, with what’s real and what’s imagined becoming blurry in some places. The strain Travis had smoked inadvertently caused his perception to slip for a mere moment, with his psyche trying to halt the inevitable. For, you see, the difference between reality and imagination is entirely in one’s mind, and here in the High-Life Zone, that line comes out of focus.

Reach Grayson Acri at cannabis@ “Harison walked up first and ordered a cheeseburger and soda. Jamie ordered the same. Travis watched, paralyzed, as they commanded a ghost to give them a cheeseburger, seemingly unaware of the undead nature of the cashier.”

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN

Sudden vertigo enveloped Travis, and the world spun. He reached for the railing to steady himself. Steadied, he reached for the door. The interior of his apartment appeared to sway in front of him as if he was standing ashore, watching a boat float nearby on choppy seas. His roommate noticed the shock on Travis’ face as he hesitantly returned inside.

“Travis, you OK there, bro?” asked Jamie, another stoner who knows how Travis gets. “You look like

to walk over to Wendy’s later,” Jamie said. He glanced over to Travis. “Likely sooner than later. You want to come?”

and headed down the street. The light was back to flickering in an incomprehensible pattern, calming the frantic Travis.

destination, however, Travis once again became overcome with paranoia. The restaurant appeared

Horrifying high: Scary movie report

By Miles Buchan @buchanmiles

In the spirit of spooky season, I decided to engage with my fears by adding a psychoactive element to my scary movie experience.

I set parameters regarding my method of cannabis consumption as it related to the timing of the movie and recorded my reactions throughout the two-hour film.

It is worth noting that my relationship with cannabis is extensive, but I am in no way a scary movie person. I very rarely watch them, and those I have watched have never left my conscience.That being said, I knew both the movie and weed selections would be everything when it came to the outcome of this experiment.

My rationale was this: Get as high as possible throughout the entire movie without peaking before the scariest parts. With this goal in mind, I set out an array of high-testing sativa product to consume before and during the screening. I also ate 40 milligrams’ worth of edibles about an hour before starting the movie for good measure.

Now that I’ve explained my thinking in regard to weed, I will explain my movie choice. I chose to watch the 2018 film “Hereditary” because of its accolades and also because the psychological thriller elements and subject matter seemed deeply disturbing to me as I watched the previews.

Starting out, as mentioned before, I took some edibles that began to kick in early into the movie. It felt like no time at all before I was feeling tense.

As I adjusted nervously and watched the movie’s introduction, I

smoked a blunt for both the increased high and nicotine stimulation, which certainly put me further on edge. I found myself jumping at mild noises just waiting for something major to go down.

The movie’s buildup was slow, leaving a lot of room for silence and wonderment. My brain used this time to race through every possibility and outcome, trying to unpack the secrets of the story before they could catch me off guard. I clung onto every word, listening for clues and foreshadowing, but I was simply too high to be certain of anything.

There were many elements introduced early in the movie that hit way too close to home, causing my fear and anxiety to spike.

For the first 40 minutes, I could feel my heartbeat increase until the first big scare finally came — and it got me.

For the sake of not spoiling the details, I will not report what I saw, but I will say it had me wide-eyed and breathless. I was completely horrified at what I’d just witnessed. This was the moment I both feared and expected.

As the movie continued past this scene and I entered into the second half of the movie, I dropped a large dab to act as a send-off. Unsure of what was to come next, I sat with my eyes glued to the screen and closely examined the scene, its characters and details. It was at this point when the experience slowly turned into something I had not expected.

About an hour and 20 minutes in, I reported having a moment of audible laughter that progressed into full-blown comedic amusement. It is important to keep in mind that by

this point, I was completely baked, so my interpretations in no way reflect those of a person who may have watched this movie sober.

As a completely stoned viewer tends to do, I began to have alternative ways of perceiving the events of the movie, which allowed my fear to dwindle. The long pauses and buildup of the movie made me most fearful during the

first half, but the second half left me with too much time to calm down and speculate.

By the end of the movie, I was thoroughly amused and mildly confused, which made the “big” ending come across as completely silly to me. I found myself continuously laughing as the final events transpired, and once the movie finally did end, I was no

longer in any kind of fearful state. After watching this movie, I believe a movie with a faster pace and more visceral events would have kept me in that state of fear and anxiety. I also think if I were to watch this movie again without being high, I would possibly understand more of the overall plot.

Reach Miles Buchan at cannabis@ collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA SIROKMAN THE COLLEGIAN

We made a pumpkin bong, you can too

By Paul Brull @csucollegian

Here at the cannabis desk, we love nothing more than celebrating spooky season. Between the frights and delights, Halloween is a great time to get high with friends and soon-tobe friends. Combining our love for the season and our love for cannabis, the desk decided to revisit an old project: We made a pumpkin bong.

The experience — as all bongmaking experiences should be — was ad hoc, ill planned and frankly amazing. The day of the craft, we figured if we had a pumpkin and a bowl, we would be ready enough for our cannabis adventure. Were we ever. Earlier in the day, I acquired two pumpkins from King Soopers and an eighth of an indica strain called Ice Cream

Cake from Green Dragon. Intrepid writer and stoner Miles Buchan brought tools for carving and pumpkin making.

Baschnagel took progress pictures. Here’s how we made it:

1. We cut open the head of the pumpkin. Unlike previous iterations of the pumpkin bong, we decided we wanted the remaining guts of the pumpkin to provide an undertone of flavor rather than the whole thing, so we decided to empty it before adding some Poudre punch from the tap.

2. We gutted the gourd. It was kind of gross. I’d rather not think about it too much.

3. We cut a hole slightly larger than our mouthpiece for the bong and then stuck it in. I’d recommend finding a glass piece for this, but we used an old Keefbrand drink bottle that I cut one end off of, and it worked all right.

my blinds to fashion a downstem out of aluminum foil. After drilling another hole in the pumpkin, we shimmed it in.

6. After opening the top of the pumpkin, we added water, filling the pumpkin above the stem but below the mouthpiece.

7. We tested the bong and then sealed the air leaks with chapstick wax. Tape works too, but we definitely didn’t have any of that.

8. We lit up and hit the bong.

This was actually the first time I hit a bong. After putting the bowl in the downstem, we lit the cannabis, sucked in on the mouthpiece and removed the bowl to push the percolated smoke into our lungs.

the specifics of the hit. What I can say is the strain and the bong delivered a pleasant high that stuck with me until I went to bed that night. It was a cozy feeling that I had no difficulty shaking come the morning.

The high, though, wasn’t really the point. The evening we made the bong, I got to hang out with people I enjoy, making an awesome craft together that we all got to benefit from. The activity was a convenient excuse, and I definitely plan to make more bongs with friends.

When we all finally gathered in my apartment, the cannabis desk quickly got to work while night editor Rachel

4. I made the bong team bacon. This is unrelated to the arts and crafts, but the snack lifted our spirits.

5. We used one of my rods on

The hits were really smooth. This is perhaps unsurprising because it was a smooth strain coming out of a bong. My taste is not particularly refined, so I can’t make too many comments about

If you’re looking to just get high, there are probably better (and quicker) ways to accomplish that goal. If you want a fun evening that bears tribute to the spooky season, though, I can’t think of anything better than making a pumpkin bong.

Reach Paul Brull at cannabis@ collegian.com.

Miles Buchan, a Collegian cannabis reporter, holds a pumpkin while cutting a precise hole into

for a mouthpiece

skinny bottle

“The high, though, wasn’t really the point. The evening we made the bong, I got to hang out with people I enjoy, making an awesome craft together that we all got to benefit from.”

A satisfactory Strawberry Danish smoked with a subpar Snail

By Rachel Baschnagel @rachel_basch

This week’s cannabis strain review is something new for The Collegian’s cannabis desk: a concentrate cartridge review and a battery review rolled into one.

As someone who’s smoked most forms of cannabis, I’ll admit cartridges aren’t my go-to. However, they’re super convenient and fill the quick-to-rise, quick-to-fall niche. The high often doesn’t last too long, and they’re great for getting high fast in a controlled way — if you know your tolerance.

I decided to give Green Dragon, the new recreational weed dispensary on College Avenue, a try for the first time. I knew I wanted a half-gram cart of a strain that wouldn’t glue me to the couch, but that’s pretty much it. I told the budtender my preferences, and they helped me pick out DabLogic’s Strawberry Danish hybrid cartridge, which was originally priced at $50, but it was on sale, and I used a $5 coupon from joining the loyalty program at the register to get the cart for $33.

My Strawberry Danish cart was 77.9% THC with no CBD. It was a little more expensive than other brands because it’s not cut with anything and it’s solventless live rosin, meaning the wax was made from flower that was immediately frozen after harvest instead of dried before extraction, and the extraction process used just water and ice instead of chemicals.

I also wanted a small battery that holds the cart on the side of the device, not one of the long, skinny ones. Green Dragon had a few options but not exactly what I was looking for, so I walked just down College to one of my

favorite smoke shops, Wild Side Smoke Shop.

Wild Side, of course, had what I wanted. After some consideration and discussion with a Wild Side employee, I bought a Lookah Snail battery (how could I turn down a battery that looks like a cute little snail with the cart attached?) for about $27.

At first, I was excited to see the Snail instructions neglected to mention anything about charging the device for a long while prior to using it for the first time. The instructions just said the battery is fully charged when the light on the device shines cyan, which happened quickly after I pulled the Snail out of the box and plugged it in for the first time.

This must’ve been a fluke though — you’ll definitely need to charge the battery for at least a few hours before using it for the first time.

Without doing so, the Snail didn’t heat up as much, and the preheat

function didn’t really work, leaving my hits severely lacking.

After charging the Snail for a few hours, I gave it another shot. This time the preheat functioned well, though I disliked the green-and-bluealternating, quick-flashing light that indicated the cart was preheating.

I also would’ve preferred that the preheat started after two clicks of the on/off button instead of three (switching temperature settings takes two clicks on the Snail).

Despite the issues I encountered with the Snail, the Strawberry Danish cart was wonderful. The wax is a pretty in-the-middle color for concentrates, and DabLogic’s logo looks really cool printed on the glass of the cart.

I didn’t get much of a distinct taste, which was disappointing because

strawberry danish sounds delicious, but at least the smell was pleasantly fruity on the exhale.

I played around with the Snail’s heat and found Strawberry Danish smoked super smooth regardless of the battery’s heat setting. Carts and wax in general are known for being able to cause intense coughing, but I found a good pull of Strawberry Danish on the Snail’s medium heat was the perfect blend of a full hit that’s still breathable.

Overall, I enjoyed the high. I smoked the Strawberry Danish cart on a few different occasions, and I found myself absolutely entranced by whatever was in front of me each time, whether it was friends talking, a TV show or a project I was working on. I was very uninterested in paying

attention to small details in my work, though, and it was nearly impossible to focus on anything I didn’t want to. However, I was still able to think through the haze, which I appreciated. I could also pretty easily and consistently control the high by paying attention to how many and how long of hits I took.

While the Lookah Snail is definitely the cutest vape battery I’ve seen, it’s not one I’d recommend based on my experience so far. On the bright side, I highly recommend DabLogic’s Strawberry Danish cart to anyone who wants a mild to intense high that doesn’t completely shut off your brain. 7/10 rating.

Reach Rachel Baschnagel at cannabis@collegian.com.

Paranoia

By Guest Author @csucollegian

Editor’s Note: “Because I Got High” content consists of community story submissions and does not represent the views of The Collegian or its editorial board. The Collegian does not promote underage or excessive substance use or impairment for the purpose of creating a submission.

Paranoia

One time I got really high in my room while I was home alone.

I started panicking because I could hear footsteps around the apartment, and my cat was on the bed, so he wasn’t the culprit.

I nervously checked the house

like the first person to die in every horror movie and returned to my room. I heard them again: bump, bump, bump. At this point, I grabbed my taser and zapped it, freaking out and hoping the ghost/intruder would worry about being tased in the throat. After hearing nothing, I settled back in until the sound bumped again. I listened harder and realized the sound was my own pounding heartbeat when I settled into silence in my room, and I really was home alone. LOL.

To submit stories, email cannabis@ collegian.com or fill out our Google Form, which is linked alongside guidelines in our Letter from the Editor.

Photo illustration of Ben Chaney smoking DabLogic’s Strawberry Danish cannabis cart with the Lookah Snail battery Oct. 25. PHOTO BY RACHEL BASCHNAGEL THE COLLEGIAN

“I smoked the Strawberry Danish cart on a few different occasions, and I found myself absolutely entranced by whatever was in front of me each time, whether it was friends talking, a TV show or a project I was working on.”

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CHLOE LELINE THE COLLEGIAN

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The Lyric presents: D rag-ula

Drag at The Lyric! returned with a Halloween twist the evening of Oct. 21. Hosted by Krisa Gonna, the show featured performances by Ursa LaBear, Liz Agna and Little Sarah Tonin. Performances — including costume, dance and song — were representative of different horror and Halloween films, from “Children of the Corn” to “Carrie.” The Lyric’s facilities allowed for big screen projections of visuals from the films that inspired each performance. Between routines, audience members were invited to the stage for festive trivia and games. Attendees were encouraged to come in costume or drag, and after the show, those who wanted to were able to meet and take photos with the performers.

1. Audience members watch Krisa Gonna perform during the drag show at The Lyric Oct. 21. Each performance was based on a different Halloween movie and showcased projections that were produced by Krisa Gonna .

2. Ursa LaBear performs as Helen Sharp from the 1992 film “Death Becomes Her,” wearing a mirror in the middle of their red dress to represent the hole in Sharp’s stomach Oct. 21.

3 Drag queen Liz Agna prepares to perform by finishing her makeup look before the show at The Lyric on Oct. 21.

4 Krisa Gonna collects tips from audience members during an Elvira-inspired performance in competition with their her daughter, Little Sarah Tonin, during the drag show at The Lyric Oct. 21.

5. Drag queen Krisa Gonna performs the opening number at the drag show at The Lyric Oct. 21. Beyond performing, Krisa Gonna also hosted the show and is proudly drag mom to Little Sarah Tonin, one of the night’s other performers.

6. Liz Agna performs during the drag show at The Lyric Oct. 21. Liz Agna, who is known for her Halloween performances, drew inspiration from the film “Children of the Corn” to choreograph her performance.

7

. Audience members cheer on Krisa Gonna during the drag show at The Lyric Oct. 21. Throughout the show, audience members were encouraged to interact with and tip the performers.

Halloween is the best holiday because it’s

everyone

By Brendan Henry @brendanhenryrmc

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 days of Mariah Carey and ancient recordings of Christmas jingles on a loop in every store and restaurant are on the horizon.

Momentarily, the fear of the holiday season can be pushed aside for the more fun, self-inducing fear of Halloween.

Halloween is the best holiday. Some folks are not connoisseurs of fear, which is totally understandable, yet one does not need to be scared to enjoy the season of spook thoroughly. There are plenty of things to enjoy about the holiday that both include and exclude the scares and raised hair.

Many children carry bags and buckets from door to door to fill their containers with candy, lacking any foresight regarding their next trip to the dentist potentially turning sour. Admiring other children’s costumes and inhaling the mass accumulation of candy is a vivid childhood memory for many. Halloween as a child was always something to look forward to.

As people grow older, it becomes less and less acceptable to receive candy without going through the typical step of purchasing it on Halloween, so some individuals with a level of grouch equivalent to Holden Caulfield from “The Catcher in the Rye” invented the concept of the Halloween party. It was at that moment the acceptability of people over the age of 10 going somewhere while wearing a costume went

up drastically. Now the holiday is open up to any age group for fun.

Any holiday where a grown man can dress up as mustard and get blackout drunk is a great holiday. Sexy nurse outfits could certainly be worn at any time of the year, but for some reason, they make more sense when worn at the same party as the drunken mustard man.

These two preceding sentences may seem ridiculous — and they certainly are — but they help make the point that Halloween is the holiday that bests all other days that dare declare themselves important.

Thanksgiving is OK. Families join together to do their best at making food and not talking about politics. The only way to release the tension in the room is by initiating a full-contact backyard football game. It’s all fun and games until everyone is passed out around the house from the ungodly levels of turkey tryptophan and carbohydrates consumed.

December is the worst. Buying everyone anyone has ever known a gift they probably will only react to with artificial enthusiasm leads the December holiday season to trail far behind the Halloween era of October.

Embracing the spirit of Halloween (not to be confused with the Halloween store) is necessary to gather enough sanity to make it through the final holidays of the year. When political debate drowns out the commentators for the Thanksgiving NFL prime-time game, think back to when the mustard man broke through that table because he lost a game of King’s Cup.

Take advantage of Halloween. It only comes once a year.

Reach Brendan Henry at letters@ collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY AVA KERZIC THE COLLEGIAN

Don’t worry — your candy is not filled with razors or poison

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 The Collegian or its editorial board.

It’s spooky season, and that means the age-old conversation about the potential harm caused by taking candy from strangers pops up again.

Even recently, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration warned about rainbow-colored fentanyl in distribution. Now, do candy-looking drugs exist? Yes. Are you going to get some in your designated trick-or-treating pillowcase when you go door to door in your neighborhood? Not likely.

First, let’s state the obvious: Drug dealers probably don’t want to hand out free drugs, period. Especially to children. If you’re running a business, you’d want return customers, not random kids who will inevitably lead right back to your operation. It doesn’t make sense.

“A lot of the stories about candy poisonings play out this way: Someone close to the victim is responsible for their interaction with drugs or poison but claims that the victim randomly got the tainted item from a stranger.”

Overall, violent crime rates are lower across the board, but within that group, you are more likely to be harmed by someone known to you in some way instead of a complete stranger. The rise of the “stranger danger” narrative has been prevalent in American culture for decades, stemming back to the late 1970s.

It’s easy to picture a boogeyman targeting you and your family, but it’s harder to think about it being someone close to you. Now, this isn’t supposed to scare you, though I admit it is a little worrying. It’s the reason you should teach your children about open communication so they can tell you if something is going on.

Almost all cases of candy poisoning are anecdotal, and there’s really no statistical evidence to suggest this is something you should worry about when you step out in your costume.

First, there were the Tylenol murders in Chicago in 1982, where random Tylenol bottles were opened in stores, and someone replaced certain capsules with identical ones filled with cyanide. No one was ever charged with this crime, but it’s the reason we have tamper-proof packaging on products and it’s a federal crime to tamper with consumer goods. It’s also the case that reaffirmed a lot of fears about the urban myths of strangers attacking random people.

The most well-known case of candy tampering comes in the form of the 1974 case of Ronald Clark O’Bryan, who was convicted after his son died from eating candy that he poisoned. At the time, he claimed the boy randomly got the candy from trick-or-treating, but that was later deemed untrue.

A lot of the stories about candy poisonings play out this way:

Someone close to the victim is responsible for their interaction with drugs or poison but claims the victim randomly got the tainted item from a stranger. This is then reported on in the media, and the follow-up articles are much less sensational when it’s revealed the perpetrator just lied to confuse the investigation.

It should be common sense, but please do not eat candy that’s been opened. If your bite-sized Snickers bar is given to you unwrapped and melted by a stranger, it’s probably not poisoned, but it’s definitely gross. And not in the cool, chilling Halloween way.

It’s also a good idea not to eat anything that looks like a pill, especially if it’s unpackaged.

Trick-or-treating is one of the best parts of Halloween fun when you’re a kid. It’s perfectly fine to worry about the safety of your children and their interactions with strangers, but don’t let that get in the way of this fun tradition. If the houses in your neighborhood keep their lights on during trick-or-treating times, you’re good to go.

Fort Collins is pretty safe, and it’s such a supportive and friendly community. You’re safe to make the rounds and get that candy. Have fun, and don’t stay out too late.

Reach Bella Eckburg at letters@ collegian.com.

SERIOUSLY

Students turn home into haunted house, landlord in shambles

By Callum Burke @burkec0621

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.

Whether you like it or not, spooky season has arrived in Fort Collins.

Jack-o’-lanterns carved by talentless children are sitting on front stoops of houses awaiting murder by squirrels, outdated family Halloween movies are trending on all streaming platforms and your favorite shitty seasonal pumpkin coffee is back on the menu. What a glorious time of year!

Nothing truly encapsulates the spirit of Halloween quite like an old-fashioned haunted house.

Thankfully, a progressive group of Colorado State University students took it upon themselves to transform their off-campus home into a haunted house for Fort Collins locals and beyond to enjoy.

That’s right: Three CSU seniors flipped their run-down, dainty suburban bungalow and created a — for lack of a better term — monster house.

Students and families of the community gathered in long lines awaiting their turn to tour the monster house, and judging by the sea of wide smiles and positive feedback, it was a resounding hit for everyone involved.

I mean, besides one extremely important element of the operation: The students’ landlord was wicked pissed.

“My house has been completely and utterly destroyed from top to bottom,” said Linda Stickler, psychotic landlord and concerned civilian. “They went too far with the decorations, too many people showed up and who the hell preorders a fake exorcist priest for the week? He’s just been living in their basement waiting for his contract to expire — they seem to enjoy his company too.”

Despite communal praise, the haunted house’s success means nothing when the landlord of the home is in the mood to spoil the fun. Although it’s a sick-ass idea, Stickler did indeed shut down the event after just one successful weekend.

were astronomical, to be fair.

From just one weekend open to locals, the students of the home managed to tally up a recordbreaking number of violations previously unseen around these parts. For starters, every wall in the home was beyond destroyed. If there wasn’t blood-colored paint splattered, you bet your ass there was a giant hole in the drywall.

Similarly, the carpets and flooring were beyond repair. The nonstop foot traffic desecrated what was left of the ‘70s shag carpeting, and the sheer weight of the visitors warped the hardwood in the living room, dropping the entire main floor about a foot.

It’s badass enough to disregard the maximum occupancy allowed within the home, but to let guests keep their shoes on inside? These guys were genuinely out of their damn minds.

clout the creators received surely outweighs any expenditure put forth for repairs. They’re local celebrities now.

Unfortunately, the onslaught of complaints from the landlord did not stop there.

Pettiest of all, the landlord wrote up the students for a U+2 violation as a result of their rented exorcist seeking refuge in their basement.

The exorcist declined to speak on the events and has since moved on from the depths of the mangled basement.

Overall, the haunted house was a phenomenal idea to bring the community together while it lasted. Sadly, the students were fed a warm bowl of justice by their landlord, despite how petty her actions truly were.

Now, there is no denying the landlord is a grade-A loser who lacks even an ounce of spontaneity, but the complaints she presented

There is no denying the sheer magnitude of damage throughout the home. Is it going to be an expensive fix? Sure. However, the

With that said, if you and your roommates should create a pop-up suburban haunted house yourselves, keep it professional, don’t hire actors on long-term contracts and hide it from your landlord at all costs. They may be in the mood to snitch.

Reach Callum Burke at letters@ collegian.com.

“It’s badass enough to disregard the maximum occupancy allowed within the home, but to let guests keep their shoes on inside? These guys were genuinely out of their damn minds.”

Why track and fieldwould survive the apocalypse

Horsetooth's History

Horsetooth Reservoir is located in Fort Collins. It is a key destination for locals and visitors. The reservoir takes its name from Horsetooth Mountain, a summit in the foothills west of the southern end of the reservoir.

Horsetooth reservoir spans across almost six and a half miles in length and only a half-mile wide. It has a water shoreline ranging upwards of twenty-five miles.

ILLUSTRATION BY MADELYN HENDRICKS THE COLLEGIAN

By Tyler Azzaro @tylerazzaro

Editor’s Note: This is a satire piece from The Collegian’s sports 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.

Imagine the scene: A zombie apocalypse has taken over Colorado State University. The football team was the first to get infected and is now spreading the disease throughout the school. This

because they would be perfect at outrunning zombies and making fast supply runs while being quiet.

CSU’s track and field athletes are more acclimated to the outdoors and the open air than most athletic teams on campus. They have an advantage over basketball and volleyball since they have more outdoor training. They know the best routes on campus, which would allow them to get supplies and move locations quickly and effectively.

Head coach Brian Bedard has been preparing his team for a moment just like this. Since track and field practice is held year-round, all coaches have been putting their athletes through a nightmare scenario to mentally prepare them for anything. Their physical training also allows them to have a competitive edge over all other sports programs.

Throwers will be able to use their abilities to defend against zombies from a distance.

Whether they throw shot put, discus, hammers or javelins at zombies, they all can be very effective. Jumpers will succeed at getting away from zombies with the ability to jump over walls and use their hops to get high ground so they don’t risk infection.

Runners can use their speed and stamina to run fast and far away from zombies. Since the zombies are quick and strong, the runners’ knowledge and practice will keep them alive. They will also be able to run supplies across campus quickly and efficiently.

Stadium wouldn’t be a good place because it’s too open and doesn’t allow for much security.

The zombies are fast and strong but blind due to the infection. They can’t see anything, but their hearing is outstanding. Track and field will most likely survive this apocalypse

Halloween being right around the corner means the track and field team is on the rise. The team’s first meet will take place Dec. 2 for the Air Force Holiday Open in Colorado Springs.

Reach Tyler Azzaro at sports@ collegian.com.

During The Dust Bowl in the 1930's, the country endured one of its largest droughts. In Colorado, there was a widespread panic for the crops that needed water. In hopes of combating the economic losses that arose with The Dust Bowl and Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt put into place the New Deal. He signed it to help America with financial reform and public work projects; one of these being The Big Thompson Project. This project would help connect several bodies of water throughout the state to the Colorado River. This would also involve the construction of the Horsetooth Reservoir dams from 1937 until 1949.

In 1951, water supplied by the Poudre River began to flow into Horsetooth Reservoir.

Horsetooth Reservoir became a vital source of water for the town of Fort Collins and now supplies water to Fort Collins and Greeley. It is also known for its boating, finishing, camping, and hiking. It is home to over seven different fish species stocked in the reservoir. Several spots around the reservoir offer rentals for paddle boards and kayaks.

By Sarah Fowler

Kennedy Stanford: The gold-blooded killer

By Damon Cook @dwcook2001

Editor’s Note: This is a satire piece from The Collegian’s sports 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.

There is a killer on the loose in the region of the Mountain West Conference known as Fort Collins. A group of Colorado State University Rams who reside in the depths of Moby Arena have been terrorizing any opponent who dares to enter. With over 1,000 kills by the Rams volleyball team, things have not fared well for anyone brave enough to challenge them.

While all of the players are frightening, no one in the group can strike fear into her opponents quite like Kennedy Stanford, who some are calling the “gold-blooded killer.”

Stanford’s weapon of choice: her bare hands. Stanford is a lethal hitter who imposes fear into the Rams’ challengers. Stanford’s swing is what makes her so deadly, accounting for 256 of the Rams’ 1,017 kills this season.

“If she’s going to swing, then she’s going to swing, so I feel like that strikes fear into her opponents,” said Naeemah Weathers, junior middle blocker.

Weathers emphasized Stanford’s swinging ability, which has been on full display this season while the Rams currently sit at a record of 8-2 in conference play. Karina Leber, another junior middle blocker, said opponents know there is no stopping Stanford.

“Once she gets going, she’s not going to stop,” Leber said. “I think they know they are not stopping her.”

While the gold-blooded killer

is a vicious attacker on the court, it’s not just her on-court play that opponents fear. Stanford also carries herself professionally and in a way that her opponents know will make their lives difficult.

“She is really stoic and professional with everything that she does,” said Annie Sullivan, senior outside hitter. “So I think that’s kind of scary with just how focused she is.”

Sullivan, Leber and Weathers all compared Stanford’s abilities to Freddy Krueger. Similar to Krueger, Stanford haunts her opponents in their dreams prior to them facing the team. This allows the team to gain an edge on their opponents prior to facing them. While Krueger can be stopped by pulling him into reality, Stanford has no weaknesses and cannot be stopped, according to her teammates.

While Stanford is ruthless, she can not do it all herself, as the Rams are a very balanced group. Stanford does lead the team in kills, but there are several other Rams who are not too far behind her. This balance allows Stanford to be as frightening as she is.

“(Coach) Tom (Hilbert) is a really big stickler about distributing our offense so teams can’t guess where we’re going to go,” Weathers said

One spooky thing about Stanford that her teammates mentioned was that she was born Oct. 30, the night before Halloween.

This year, the Rams will play two games the week leading up to Halloween. They play the San Diego State University Aztecs Oct. 27 and the California State University, Fresno Bulldogs Oct. 29. In these two games, fans can look for the legend of the gold-blooded killer to grow.

Reach Damon Cook at sports@ collegian.com.

Colorado State University outside hitter Kennedy Stanford (17) serves the ball in the first set of the Border War game Sept. 20. The Rams defeated the University of Wyoming Cowgirls 3-1.

PHOTO BY LUCY MORANTZ THE COLLEGIAN

Colorado State University outside hitter Kennedy Stanford (17) serves the ball in the first set of the Border War game Sept. 20. The Rams defeated the University of Wyoming Cowgirls 3-1.

PHOTO BY LUCY MORANTZ THE COLLEGIAN

Fort Collins Ghost Tour uncovers haunted stories

LORI JUSZAK FORT COLLINS TOURS FOUNDER

By Emmalee Krieg @csucollegian

Creaky floorboards, shadowed corners and the musky smell of dust fill a dark room. Did something just brush against your shoulder? Or was it someone?

Fort Collins is rich with history. So rich that some tales still leave their mark from more than 100 years ago. Spirits appear to linger right beneath your feet in places like the basements of Alpine Arts — The Colorado Showcase or Happy Lucky’s Teahouse.

Fort Collins Ghost Tour offers a guided historical experience of Old Town every Thursday through Saturday with a spooky twist. Tickets are $22 a person and available for ages 12 and up. This event is available year-round; however, if you want to get in the Halloween spirit, now is the perfect time.

Fort Collins Tours incorporated ghosts into the experience in 2011. Lori Juszak, founder of Fort Collins Tours, wasn’t initially looking to start something so spooky.

Having moved to Fort Collins in early 2010, Juszak was eager to immerse herself in the history of Fort Collins.

“I walked around Old Town going, ‘Oh gosh, I know there’s history here — it’s gorgeous,’” Juszak said.

Juszak then began going through archives and talking to business owners. This led her to discover a pattern.

“Every time I’d interview somebody, they’d say, ‘Oh, and did you know that it’s haunted?’” Juszak said.

Apparently, some businesses had more than just creepy old basements; they had resident ghosts.

“I was blown away by all these undergrounds that were so pertinent to the late 1800s that no one had seen in 70 years,” Juszak said, “other than the people who were packing boxes down there.”

One place with a particularly spooky story is Walrus Ice Cream. Beneath those old floorboards is a morbid history that has attracted onlookers for the last 10 years.

“Honestly, I tend to find most people come for the history,” said Em Gonzalez, a guide at Fort Collins Tours. “It’s a fun little history excursion.”

Gonzalez has been working the ghost tours for about four years. They create a portal to the past through their storytelling, which covers the intricate stories of Fort Collins. Tales contain deceit, adultery, possible murder and even cheating in a game of cards — an offense much more serious in the 1800s.

What perhaps is most enticing is the anticipation as tour guests travel from one location to the next.

“They kind of build up the suspense for us,” said Amy Downes, a ghost tour participant.

Each location has its own unique story and spirit.

“Granted, I’m not from Fort Collins; it allowed us to step into Fort Collins and be able to see some of the old staples and be able to

walk down into some of the untold stories there,” Downes said. Participants are also able to capture some of those stories via cell phone. Photos are welcome in the hope that everyone can get a glimpse of one of the spirits discussed on the tour.

Be prepared to take selfies in the dark corners of these basements. Try not to look too close though; you might see something scary lurking in the dark.

“We’re keeping some of the history alive,” Juszak said. “I think there are stories that we tell that

would not be told and people would not know about otherwise.”  So next time you’re getting ice cream at Walrus, tread lightly. Try not to think about what lies beneath you.

Reach Emmalee Krieg at entertainment@collegian.com.

Umbrellas dangle in an alley outside of Happy Lucky’s Teahouse in Fort Collins Oct. 27. What was once an old jail in historic Fort Collins is now a location for the Fort Collins Ghost Tour.

PHOTO BY CAT BLOUCH THE COLLEGIAN

“Every time I’d interview somebody, they’d say, ‘Oh, and did you know that it’s haunted?’”

The Lyric presents a special Halloween drag show

By Alexander Wilson @alexgrey0604

The Lyric held a Halloween drag show Friday, Oct. 21, where the performers executed an extra spooky production.

Krisa Gonna, the hostess and mastermind of the show, produced the screen projections for each routine, showing the clips of the Halloween movies the dances were based on.

Aside from her hostess responsibilities, Krisa Gonna helped the performers with costumes and makeup along with the poster design.

Krisa Gonna has always been an artist. While living in Brazil, she found herself constantly drawing or creating characters. Her artwork, although no longer illustrations, shines a light on her other creative talents.

“What brought me to drag — I mean, so many things — (was) really wanting to be free and explore things that I was never allowed as a kid,” Krisa Gonna said. “Destroying the system a little bit, as we have right now, I’m always interested in that.”

Krisa Gonna performed first with a dance inspired by the 1999 movie “The Mummy” directed by Stephen Sommers. Following the dance, Krisa Gonna gave a safety speech to the audience.

“Here are the ground rules: No. 1, do not touch the performers; we’re showing a lot of skin, but that is not an invitation,” Krisa Gonna

inspired by the 1984 film “A Nightmare on Elm Street” directed by Wes Craven.

Little Sarah Tonin is an amateur drag queen, with her first performance being in June of this year. Yet she’s always been attached to the drag world.

“When I was a little kid, I used to dress around my house in my mom’s green velvet tank-top and her ‘(The) Wizard of Oz’ heels,” Little Sarah Tonin said. “So I was doing drag since I was, like, 6 years old. It’s nice to play homage to that little kid before he realized, like, ‘Oh, these things aren’t acceptable.’”

“spooky and scary drag queen.”

Ursa LaBear performed the final dance of the first act.

Ursa LaBear has always found themself interested in performing, yet to her, drag has always stood for more than that.

“Drag is important and extremely relevant because we need representation throughout every single genre, every single gender identity, every spectrum of drag — whether it’s drag kings, gender performers, it’s all necessary to be out there in the world,” Ursa LaBear said. “We hid for so long that it’s hard not to want everyone to enjoy and love what we do.”

Ursa LaBear’s performance was based on the 1975 musical film “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” directed by Jim Sharman.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is an iconic movie within the drag world, having a deep message to those who have triumphed over bias and ignorance.

“I’ve been in performance my entire life, but I didn’t consider doing drag until ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show,’” Little Sarah Tonin said.

myself to not exhibit my feminine characteristics. Since coming out, it’s still a process, and it’ll always be a process to embrace my feminine side. I think that’s what makes drag so important to me — being able to express my feminine energy.”

“Elvira” was a double feature of the night, with Krisa Gonna performing the movie directly after.

The second game of the night was then introduced — an evil laugh contest.

After the game, Ursa LaBear came out wearing a red dress with a mirror in the middle, representing the hole in Helen Sharp’s stomach from “Death Becomes Her,” a 1992 film directed by Robert Zemeckis.

Because of her past experiences in performance, the crazy special effects weren’t new for Ursa LaBear.

Following Little Sarah Tonin’s performance, Krisa Gonna had four volunteers from the audience join her onstage for Halloween movie trivia.

Afterward, Liz Agna was introduced. She performed a dance inspired by the 1984 film “Children

After intermission, Krisa Gonna introduced Little Sarah Tonin again, whose performance was inspired by “Elvira: Mistress of the Dark,” a 1988 comedy horror film directed by James Signorelli.

Little Sarah Tonin originally felt very outcast when she dressed feminine, but she has now created a

“I went to school for musical theatre, so there’s always this innate want to perform, and I’ve always adored it — the idea to change yourself completely,” Ursa LaBear said. “I worked in a haunted house for a while, and it was one of my favorite jobs I’ve ever had. It’s not so much a gender thing, it’s morphing

Reach Alexander Wilson at

“We hid for so long that it’s hard not to want everyone to enjoy and love what we do.”

URSA LABEAR HALLOWEEN DRAG PERFORMER

Liz Agna performs a high kick during her final number at the drag show at The Lyric Oct. 21.

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

Performer Little Sarah Tonin finishes up her eyeliner before the drag performance at The Lyric Oct. 21. Little Sarah Tonin first tried drag last Halloween, and after being taken under the wing of Krisa Gonna, her drag mom, she performed in drag for the first time this past summer.

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER

THE COLLEGIAN

OVERHEARD AROUND CAMPUS

WEEKLY

By Abby Flores

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY

ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL

19) You are juggling a lot right now. Your first instinct may be to leap forward and brush every thing aside, but this could lead to more stress. The energies of Mercury this week will help you

think through any situation and arrive at fair conclusions.

TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20)

Relationships are important to you, but you may be going through a period of uncertainty right now. You want to be sure the people in your life are willing to give you 100%. The eclipse asks you to be patient. You will know what serves you when you listen to your intuition.

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20)

You are a loyal friend, but sometimes this leads to putting others before yourself. Take time to focus on your health this week, and learn something new. Attend that yoga class, or finally read the book that’s been sitting on your shelf. You deserve to relax.

CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22)

The Scorpio eclipse is bringing about a new beginning,

making you feel more bold and artistic than usual. Have fun this Halloween, and let your inner costume designer shine.

LEO (JULY 23 - AUG. 22) You may have felt a need to arrange or change your living space in the last couple of days. The Scorpio eclipse is powering up your fourth house of home and family. Check in on your loved ones and spend time with those who make you feel at home this Halloween.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEPT. 22)  Communication is key this week, Virgo, as you may find yourself in a couple of situations in which you want to speak up but are afraid of how others might perceive you. Scorpio energy will help boost your assertiveness.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22) The universe is on your side

when it comes to finances and your career endeavors. You are finally getting into a consistent workflow. There may be difficulties along the way, but the eclipse is here to help you remove what you don’t need.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)  Happy birthday! The eclipse is in your sign, bringing you an abundance of blessings this week. A window of manifestation is open during which your desires have a strong potential to become reality.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22DEC. 21) The past has been coming back up, but not all of it is negative. Sit with the memories to help you process whatever feelings arise — it will help you heal.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19) Collaboration is at the forefront this week, Capricorn.

You may find yourself joining a club with others who share your same passion or taking action on a new project. There is no need to calculate anything — all of it is pure fun.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18) You may dream up some new ideas this week that will push you to achieve something that has never been done before. If you are looking to change up your style, now is the time to do so — others like your unique taste.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20) Work has been heavy, and you need a vacation. If you don’t have the time or funds to travel to a tropical beach right now, take some time to get away by seeing a new movie or listening to your favorite music. You will find yourself more energized.

“There’s a lot of sexy things in this world.”

“I thought they were just being dramatic on the TikTok.”

“Tomorrow, if I come into the coffee shop and I’m not wearing pants...”