Thursday, September 26, 2024
Photo illustration by Nathan Carmody and Allie Seibel
CO 80523
FOCO EVENTS TOP STORIES
NEWS: ASCSU hosts Wellness Wonderland resource fair PAGE 7
LIFE: Undergraduates struggle to find employment in Fort Collins PAGE 8
SCIENCE: Physiology Building linked to unexplained health issues in staff, students PAGE 11
SPORTS: CSU women’s basketball gears up for challenging 2024-25 season, unites family PAGE 15
ARTS: Battle of the Bands showcases talent, unity PAGE 16
OPINION: Venezuelan gang fear perpetuates antimigrant, anti-immigrant racism PAGE 19
GALLERY: A night at Chef’s Table with Ginger and Baker PAGES 12-13
Guest Artist Concert: Martin Chalifour, Violin at the University Center for the Arts 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27
Youth Climate Action at Old Town Square 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 28
Lyriktoberfest at The Lyric 2-6 p.m. Sept. 29
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.
Colorado State University student Elizabeth Han puts a plastic nipple in the bottom of a calf’s milk bucket to help it drink Sept. 13. Han is a teaching assistant in Jason Ahola’s food animal science class and goes to feed and replace the calves’ water every week. “It’s mostly for the freshmen to learn how to handle calves and to get comfortable around cattle if they haven’t had any experience in agriculture,” Han said. “It’s also a way for them to get to know their (teaching assistants) and professor.” PHOTO BY JULIA PERCY THE COLLEGIAN
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FRESH FACES
CSU welcomes Kjerstin Thorson as new CLA dean
By Katie Fisher @csucollegian
Kjerstin Thorson began her appointment as the new dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Colorado State University Aug. 1, a role in which she is relying on both her previous expertise and vision for a connective future between students and faculty.
Thorson previously served as the associate dean for strategic initiatives at Michigan State University’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in mass communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her research focuses on political communication, primarily the relationship between social media and politics.
Thorson was originally drawn to apply for the position by the innovative nature of CSU.
“CSU really has a position of being a university that’s growing and becoming more and more impactful across a number of fields,” Thorson said.“I really wanted to be somewhere where you could have big ideas and big possibilities.”
Regarding her newfound responsibilities as dean, Thorson emphasized putting students first — a task that allows her to draw upon her decades of communication experience.
“I really see my job is to harness the amazing energy and brilliance of our students, our faculty and our staff to help them have the impact that they want to have on the world,” Thorson said.
Thorson also hopes to create an open line of communication between CLA students and administration.
“Students are why we are all here at CSU, and I think it’s really important that we give students (an) opportunity to understand how decision making happens in the college and university,” Thorson said.
“We give students an opportunity to speak their voice and be heard as part of that process.”
This mantra has not gone unnoticed, as recalled by senior sociology major Emily Reese, who sat on the search committee during Thorson’s hiring process.
“She wanted to have that dialogue with the students (and) with the student leaders, and that was something that she kind of carried throughout her entire interview process,” Reese said.
This continual, open stream of dialogue regarding the college’s future direction was also noticed by other faculty members like Michelle Stanley, the associate dean of undergraduate studies.
“I’ve heard comments from faculty and leadership in the college that it feels that she has been part of the fabric of our college for much longer than six weeks,” Stanley said. “Her outstanding ability to listen, ask and read about faculty research; help our departments plan for the future; and be involved in the rich life of campus has been energizing.”
While still early in her term, Thorson’s goals for the college are vast. She said she hopes to advance the 19 majors housed within its walls while fostering a deeper relationship between faculty’s experience and the student-facing classroom experience.
“I firmly believe that a great landgrant university like CSU benefits the most when great scholarship and great creative work is done by the same faculty who are in the classrooms with our students,” Thorson said. “That’s the magic that we can create.”
Thorson’s second goal for the college is to continue to elevate the
student experience found within the College of Liberal Arts, a goal that has already been recognized by her closest associates.
“Dean Thorson has shown in just a short six weeks on our campus that she is a visionary and strategic leader,” Stanley said. “She sees the (College of) Liberal Arts as an impactful place for learning for all students on our campus and is committed to raising the profile and impact of the work of our faculty, staff and students to a national audience.”
As Thorson looks ahead to the rest of her time at CSU, she expresses great gratitude to the students and faculty who have given her the opportunity to join them and create the energy found within the CLA.
“I am so excited to be here, and I want to thank all the students who have been so incredibly welcoming to me already,” Thorson said. “I think the energy in this college and at CSU are second to nowhere that I’ve ever been in in my professional life. ... I want to say thank you for being the creator of that energy.”
Reach Katie Fisher at news @collegian.com.
The College of Liberal Arts Dean’s Office Sept. 10. PHOTO BY DARYN WHITMOYER THE COLLEGIAN
‘Abridging the freedom of speech’: Students, faculty express displeasure with speech policies at CSU during Year of Democracy
By Allie Seibel & Aubree Miller @csucollegian
“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,” the First Amendment of the United States Constitution reads. As a public institution, Colorado State University is bound by the First Amendment to uphold the right to free speech for all students.
“CSU is required by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to have an open exchange of ideas and dissenting points of view, even when such expression might be deemed offensive and runs counter to our Principles of Community or other institutional values,” the university’s statement on freedom of speech reads.
However, free speech is not a blanket statement protecting expression, and rules and policies are still in place, guiding the freedom of expression of students and community members on campus. Over the last year, campus and community members expressed dissatisfaction with CSU’s response to protests and public forums.
In 2017, the Colorado General Assembly passed SB17062, “Student Free Speech Public Higher Education Campuses,” a statewide initiative prohibiting institutions of higher education from restricting expression in student forums.
The initiative prohibits universities from taking disciplinary action against students for their expression and
also prohibits universities from designating “free speech zones,” which confine free speech to specific areas of campus.
Colorado State University’s freedom of speech policies establish the Lory Student Center Plaza as the public forum “traditionally” utilized for expressing free speech and assembly. While The Plaza is the most common example of a public forum at CSU, outdoor spaces across campus are public as well. Nonpublic areas include “classrooms, residence halls, academic and administration buildings, research facilities and limitedaccess facilities,” according to a universityprovided definition used in the policy.
In March, growing national discussions around how institutions of higher education handle freedom of speech, especially concerning the ongoing IsraelHamas war, prompted a CSU professor to investigate free speech policies.
“Some of the things that I was concerned with was that there weren’t places within the university for people to be able to anonymously put up posters and other forms of communication,” said the professor, who wished to remain anonymous.
“One of the only public places … were the outdoor bulletin boards on (the Andrew G. Clark Building). And to my knowledge, there’s zero indoor spaces that are equivalent to that.”
According to CSU’s policy on signs, posters, banners and flyers, indoor spaces are not designated public forums.
“It is prohibited to post any sign, temporary sign, poster, banner, yard sign or similar item on university property without official permission, except as expressly
provided in this policy,” the first policy provision reads.
All posters must be sponsored by official University entities and removed by a displayed expiration date.
“The only outdoor areas approved for posters are the poster frames and bulletin boards on the Clark Building’s exterior walls and columns,” reads the policy, which was revised Feb. 10, 2023. Clark renovations were announced May 6, 2022.
Out of concern over these policies, the professor contacted the
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a national free speech advocacy group.
“Clark is being torn down, so those outdoor spaces are now eliminated,” the professor said. “So the university has gone from limited outdoor posting spaces to basically none, which is hugely problematic for people that want to express themselves anonymously.”
FIRE sent a letter to CSU expressing dissatisfaction with the policy and explained how it places unreasonable restrictions on freedom of expression and provided suggestions for amending the policy.
“If a student is not already part of a registered organization, they must create one before having access to bulletin boards, which may be a monthslong process,” reads the letter, which was obtained by The Collegian According to FIRE, the group never received a response from CSU.
“This sort of bulletin word message is sort of this last frontier — this last way that people are able to get a message out to everybody on campus, not just people in their own network,” said Laura Beltz, director of policy reform at FIRE and the author of the letter. “So I have concerns about that avenue for expression being totally shut down.”
Part of the university’s concern with restrictions is the legitimacy
of anonymous postings and the potential of posts from individuals not connected to CSU.
“This isn’t a sort of allornothing scenario where they have to put this heavyhanded policy in place,” Beltz said. “They can reach that by saying something like, ‘All right, the only places where you can post with anonymity are these designated bulletin boards in the student union that you know affiliated individuals can’t get to.’”
As for the professor who contacted FIRE, they said they hope that as a new school year starts, CSU will be motivated to modify their policies, especially surrounding the demolition of Clark and what it means for students who wish to exercise their freedom of speech.
“I expected that this is, like, such lowhanging fruit that the university would take it on and make the change, especially given all the posturing around democracy … (and) free speech, that this is just … an easy thing to take care of,” the professor said. “And so I’ve been honestly a little bit disappointed that they didn’t reply to this letter from FIRE, and I hope that they take this opportunity now to make appropriate changes.”
The CSU Division of University Marketing and Communications clarified that students may hand out flyers on campus.
An array of flyers hang from a bulletin board outside of the C Wing of the Andrew G. Clark Building Feb. 2, 2022.
PHOTO BY AVERY COATES THE COLLEGIAN
On the morning of Sept. 11, undocumented students at CSU zip-tied a banner reading, “Our place in higher education is a right, not a privilege,” to The Stump on The Plaza. The banner features a chain, which was attached to The Stump as well.
The Stump has been on campus since 1964 and is the established campus symbol of free speech. In fact, No. 18 on the list of 70 things for CSU students to do before graduation is to make a statement on The Stump.
Associated Students of CSU Sen. Vladimir Lora Pardo said the banner was removed within two hours.
Speaking with other individuals tabling on The Plaza that morning, Pardo learned that an LSC employee took the banner down.
“It was a form of protesting with being heard but not being seen because undocumented students have to protect their identity because they can be deported if they speak out on … things like that,” Pardo said. “So that was kind of a way … of saying that they wanted to be heard but not be seen.”
Pardo, who said he advocates for CSU’s 136 undocumented students, had conversations with ASCSU leadership about how to better support anonymous voices in protesting.
“This is incredibly harmful because historically, we have always been silenced,” Pardo said. “We are always told to keep our undocumented identity private. (The banner) was them asking for resources. This was them asking for support from the university.”
The banner was removed that morning because it was physically attached to The Stump. This display violated the rule that “no sign, poster or banner of any kind may be affixed to a tree,” the fourth policy provision reads.
“The university takes a lot of pride in supporting undocumented students,” Pardo said. “The university takes a lot of pride in being diverse and being supportive. Where’s that pride and diversity? Where is that support system that we need right now?”
There has also been discontent surrounding the administration’s implementation of time, place and manner restrictions, particularly regarding protests for Palestine that took place last spring.
SB17-062 prohibits universities from restricting time, place and manner of speech without justifiable reason to do so. However, due to the influx of violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement nationwide, such time, place and manner restrictions on protests at CSU were considered justifiable.
As such, student protesters had to vacate The Plaza from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., according to the CSU policy on events not permitted outside public hours.
“We do have to acknowledge that the way that CSU approaches these different protests is very different,” CSU student Ella Smith said. “While we do appreciate that CSU did not call SWAT teams on students who were protesting, we also acknowledged that that was because the students who were protesting were very careful … because of the extraordinary amounts of violence we saw across the country.”
“for publicity.” The meeting was described by Smith as a political panel in which Parsons met with and was continuing to meet with “various student groups,” as stated in an Instagram post.
“I felt that she was simply trying to use it as a publicity stunt and trying to essentially imply that she, as the president of the university, was going to do the best thing possible for all students,” Smith said.
CSU’s thematic Year of Democracy has been an effort to engage the student body in areas of democracy and civic engagement through the Types of Democracy and Principles of Democracy. The thematic year has featured guest speakers, events and panels designed to teach students about democracy.
“I view myself as a patriot, and to be a patriot, you have to want things to be better,” Smith said. “And so that’s what I want for CSU. ... I think that the Year of Democracy is a great idea. However, I do not believe that it can exist within the current system that CSU operates under.”
Smith actively engaged with the university during many of these protests, including hand-delivering a letter to the Office of the President in April. The letter was written by the CSU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which Smith is an active member of.
“In my experience on campus, there definitely has been speech that has been monitored or taken down,” Smith said. “(CSU administration) do not believe that speech should be free, and ... they truly believe that speech should embolden the university and should make them look good.”
The letter delivery was followed by a meeting with President Amy Parsons, which Smith said was
Claire Kopp recently obtained her Ph.D. from CSU. In March, she and two other Fort Collins residents glued their hands to the wall of the City Council chamber in a symbolic gesture advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Following the charges brought forth by the demonstration, CSU’s disciplinary conduct process did not allow Kopp to register for courses. At the time, all her credits were completed and she obtained her degree, so it became “a very happy accident,” she said.
“I definitely feel like conversations at CSU around Palestine in particular are very shut down,” Kopp said. “There’s a much heavier suppression of this conversation than any that I’ve ever experienced
before in the ... 30 years that I’ve been a part of this community.”
As the thematic Year of Democracy continues, university leadership at the student and administrative levels continues to educate students on policies governing both free speech and hate speech.
“It’s difficult to balance the interest of students who might be harmed by (hate) speech but also creating an environment where First Amendment protection is respected,” ASCSU President Nick DeSalvo said. “Understand that just because someone is there espousing their beliefs doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily sanctioned by the university or any university entity.”
DeSalvo said it’s important to understand that there may be consequences for hateful speech, and campus community members should educate themselves on the right to self-expression, particularly on CSU’s campus.
“The university has done a really good job communicating that to people who want to exercise their First Amendment rights,” DeSalvo said. “There’s just that mutual understanding. … And no matter what your message is, we’re going to allow you to do that within these certain parameters.”
Information on the First Amendment at CSU highlights the importance of peaceful protest and making student voices heard.
“CSU unequivocally supports the right of all students to engage in free speech and assemble peacefully in accordance with the university’s free speech policy,” the university said in a statement to The Collegian. They directed students to the Policy Library for further details.
Reach Allie Seibel and Aubree Miller at news@collegian.com.
A banner reading, “Our presence in higher education is a right, not a privilege,” is placed at a table at the Wellness Wonderland event hosted by the Associated Students of Colorado State University Sept. 20. The banner, which had previously been removed from The Plaza Sept. 11, is an anonymous form of protest from undocumented Colorado State University students. PHOTO BY ALLIE SEIBEL THE COLLEGIAN
Two Peoples, One Land engages in dialogue on cultural barriers, solutions
By Sam Hutton @sam_hut14
Colorado State University hosted Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger and activist Noor A’wad Sept. 19 to engage in dialogue surrounding the ongoing war in Gaza and the West Bank. The speakers also discussed political solutions to the IsraelHamas war and provided resources for American activists.
As members of the Middle Eastern activist organization Roots, which works to foster conversations and build community between Israelis and Palestinians around the world, Schlesinger and A’wad primarily explored their personal identities and experiences in the West Bank to encourage understanding and nonviolence between Israelis and Palestinians.
Schlesinger, an Israeli settler, and A’wad, a Palestinian from the West Bank, are continuing to tour internationally on behalf of Roots, educating audiences on the rigid cultural barrier between Israelis and Palestinians and offering solutions for a better future for both peoples.
Both Schlesinger and A’wad expressed hope that their initiative for understanding between Israelis and Palestinians will make positive progress in the region.They also both
explicitly called for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and emphasized the importance of finding an international political solution to the conflict.
Schlesinger was born in New York and moved to the West Bank over 10 years ago, settling south of Bethlehem. He spoke at length about the isolation of Israeli and Palestinian citizens in the West Bank and the lack of understanding that results.
“What happens when two peoples — two enemies — live so close together but in completely different worlds with no contact?”
Schlesinger said. “Ignorance of the other side, stereotypes, bigotry, racism, discrimination and lots of resentment, fear and hate.”
Schlesinger proceeded to emphasize the “humanization of the other,” claiming the first step toward a peaceful, two-state solution is to bring Israeli and Palestinian citizens together to find common ground. The second step, Schlesinger said, was to instill “humility, not exclusivity” among local Israelis and Palestinians to bridge divides and break down decades of isolation and misunderstanding.
Co-founding Roots in 2014 after engaging with Palestinians for the first time in his life, Schlesinger also recounted the personal difficulty he faced in challenging his beliefs when
confronted by new perspectives. Schlesinger said Israelis and Palestinians both have ancestral claims to the West Bank region and are unaware of the other’s claim, reinforcing the cultural barrier between the two groups.
“For my whole life, I lived within my Jewish identity, and I didn’t make any room for anything else,” Schlesinger said. “I was blind to (the Palestinian) existence, or my identity made them transparent. Today I know that, in addition to the Jewish story in (the West Bank), there is also another people in that land: the Palestinian people.”
Born in Jordan after his parents left Israeli-occupied Bethlehem in 1991, A’wad spoke on his experience returning to the West Bank amid ongoing violence and recounted his first experiences with Israeli perspectives. A’wad also provided ample historical context in describing the last several decades of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
A’wad also said his only experience with Israelis before joining Roots was limited to interactions with Israeli soldiers who occupied West Bank territory. Coupled with his experience living in the West Bank during the Second Palestinian Intifada revolution against Israeli occupation in 2002, A’wad also personally testified to the feeling of dissatisfaction toward Israeli governance that persists today.
“If you (were) a Palestinian living in the West Bank in those years, it doesn’t take you a long time and you don’t (need to) think like a lecturer on political science to understand that the No. 1 reason in the West Bank that makes our life complicated, takes away our national political rights and also sometimes takes away our basic human rights is the fact of the occupation,” A’wad said.
A’wad then spoke about his experience as a tour guide assisting American students on a trip through the West Bank and his first meeting with Schlesinger and other Roots members.
“I started to think deeply about the things Rabbi Hanan said about my side and my truth but also his side and what he considered his truth,” A’wad said. “It was the first time ever that someone from the Jewish side would present his or her identity and narrative not in a way that is denying or delegitimizing my identity and narrative.”
Schlesinger and A’wad concluded by answering questions from the audience, where they reaffirmed their commitment to finding a peaceful solution to conflict in the West Bank at a personal, grassroots level, while also advocating for an equitable two-state solution.
Reach Sam Hutton at news @collegian.com.
“For my whole life, I lived within my Jewish identity, and I didn’t make any room for anything else. I was blind to (the Palestinian) existence, or my identity made them transparent. Today I know that, in addition to the Jewish story in (the West Bank), there is also another people in that land: the Palestinian people.”
HANAN SCHLESINGER RABBI AND ROOTS CO-FOUNDER
Activist Noor A’wad and Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger answer crowd questions at the talk Two Peoples, One Land held by Colorado State University Sept. 19. A’wad and Schlesinger shared personal stories about how they got involved with Roots, a grassroots organization that is a local Palestinian-Israeli initiative for understanding, nonviolence and transformation.
PHOTO BY JULIA PERCY THE COLLEGIAN
PLAZA FESTIVITIES
ASCSU hosts Wellness Wonderland resource fair
By Leah Stephenson @csucollegian
The Associated Students of Colorado State University hosted a Wellness Wonderland fair this past Friday. On the Lory Student Center Plaza, Rams were met with tables and booths dedicated to the well-being of students. During the fair, dozens of representatives from clubs and other campus programs talked with participants about how they can access free resources at CSU.
The fair included various types of support for students, ranging from tutoring resources to cultural support.
Evan Achebe, an intern for ASCSU’s department of basic needs, discussed the intention of the event.
“It encompasses physical, emotional and mental health all in one,” Achebe said.
In addition to standard campus resources, there was a research group from the human dimensions of natural resources department, aiming to inform students about the benefits of outdoor activity.
“Our research is connecting with practitioners — translating
research to implementation, getting people to feel the good benefits of nature,” said Julia Merfeld, the fair’s representative for this research group. “We’re here to let people know that nature makes you feel good.”
One of the goals of Wellness Wonderland was to bring hidden resources to light, Achebe said.
“A lot of these resources are there, but they’re hidden because CSU can often have a hard time advertising them,” Achebe said.
ASCSU Deputy Director of Basic Needs Lauren Johnson discussed the importance of resource knowledge.
“These resources are so important for students just to be aware of and acknowledge because I think a lot of times, students don’t know the
resources that are available to them on campus for free,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the department of basic needs wants “students to be able to understand your school wants to work with you — your school wants to provide these resources for you.”
“I learned a lot that I didn’t know about what CSU offers,” attendee Rachel Raak said. “I didn’t know that the food pantry is open to all CSU students. I thought there was a qualification based on income.” Raak also learned that CSU provides Narcan and fentanyl test strips.
This is the first Wellness Wonderland ASCSU’s department of basic needs has hosted, and it is the first ASCSU-organized health fair in the student body’s history. Up until now, all documented health and wellness fairs have been put on by the CSU Health Network.
Jorja Whyte, ASCSU director of basic needs, elaborated on this.
“To my knowledge, ASCSU has not put on a health fair for a very long time,” Whyte said. “We have records that go back about a decade, and I haven’t seen anything they’ve done like this.”
The department of basic needs may sound new to students; last year, it was called the department of health and wellness.
“We still do the same initiatives and programming,” Whyte said. “We just have a more formal focus on basic needs, including housing and food security.”
All in all, the fair supports CSU’s “Rams take care of Rams” ideology.
“We think about that a lot in ASCSU because we are a studentled organization,” Whyte said. “I think that it is our responsibility to show up for each other and take care of each other.”
Achebe said ASCSU’s involvement makes it clear that CSU students care about one another.
“When you have students willing to come together and plan events like this, it really shows Rams that they have a community on campus that cares about them and wants them to thrive,” Achebe said.
Johnson also discussed the importance of reaching students all across campus.
“I just want them to know that they are being advocated for,” Johnson said.
Reach Leah Stephenson at news @collegian.com.
Organizations table on The Plaza for the Wellness Wonderland event Sept. 20. Hosted by the Associated Students of Colorado State University, the event aimed to provide well-being resources to students.
PHOTO BY ALLIE SEIBEL THE COLLEGIAN
Undergraduates struggle to find employment in Fort Collins
By McKenna Van Voris @mckenna_vv
It wasn’t until after Oliver White applied to nearly 100 local jobs that she finally heard back from one. Ping!
A first-year zoology major at Colorado State University, White stopped typing to check her phone. Working at her first job back home as an office assistant, White felt this might be the only employment she would see for a while.
An email notification from CSU’s Lory Student Center lit up the screen, sparking White’s curiosity, as it was unusual for her university to notify her while she was on winter break. Clicking on the email, the bolded word “Congratulations” immediately illuminated the screen. Excitement and relief rushed through her as she turned to her coworkers and said, “I got a job! I got a job!” Her voice rang throughout the office, and her coworkers smiled in unison.
due to a lack of organization within the business.
“I shouldn’t say it’s against the law, but I mean, there’s a law behind discrimination and hiring,” Pier said. “Either another restaurant’s just not holding that standard, or they’re passing on that equal opportunity situation.”
Pier also said popular restaurants like Blue Agave experience high levels of interest in employment, something that factors into delayed or neglected responses.
“I would say (Blue Agave) gets a little less than 100 applicants probably per week, per email, online and then face to face,” Pier said. “That being said, we don’t hire a whole lot because we don’t lose very many people.”
From a CSU campus perspective, Emma Green, a career education coordinator at the CSU Career Center, said she assumes employers may not be responding to applicants because students send in generic applications.
“Many students don’t realize that they should be editing or tailoring each resume and/or cover letter for every single individual posting,” Green said.
whereas the 2021-22 school year saw 25,362 students.
“Many students don’t realize that they should be editing or tailoring each resume and/or cover letter for every single individual posting.”
EMMA GREEN CAREER EDUCATION COORDINATOR
This being said, Green said she does not believe unresponsive places of work are the biggest issue. Rather, the trouble she sees students facing is finding the right jobs to apply to.
“When I’m meeting with students and they’re talking about wanting on-campus jobs, a lot of times, they are unaware of how to find them,” Green said.
As touched on by Pier, another potential factor of employment issues is the sheer number of applicants.
Jason Scott, the project and programs manager for Housing & Dining Services, said the largest employer at CSU is Residential Dining Services, and this year, they have over 700 student employees.
Being the only job White interviewed for after months of applying to job after job with no response, this felt like her only chance of securing a job on campus. Not only is this a problem
White has been facing, but the struggle of finding a job is felt throughout Fort Collins.
Experts speak on Fort Collins employment
Lucas Pier, the operations manager at Blue Agave Grill, a Southwestern restaurant in Fort Collins, said a restaurant not responding to applicants could be
“This seems to be the largest applicant pool that we’ve had since 2019,” Scott said. “We struggled to fill open positions in 2020, 2021 and 2022, so this year’s large applicant pool is a change.”
While the number of applicants competing for a job at CSU has increased in recent years, the overall student population has, too.
“All three Colorado State University System campuses hit enrollment milestones this fall, with CSU in Fort Collins welcoming its largest entering class in history,” a CSU SOURCE article reads.
The undergraduate student population at CSU was 26,168 during the 2023-24 school year,
The number of jobs CSU has to offer has increased as well. For instance, according to data Green gathered from Handshake.com, the total number of on-campus jobs posted on Handshake with listings indicating “job” or “on-campus student employment,” designated for first-years, sophomores, juniors and seniors, was 8,604 in 2023, a significant increase from the 2,993 jobs in 2020.
Undergraduate employment is crucial in Fort Collins
Reed Lifka, a 21-year-old forest and fire science student at CSU who has been applying to positions since July 2023, had a similar experience to White. Out of the dozens of off-campus bars, liquor stores and restaurants, Lifka has received little response.
“I dropped resumes at a whole bunch of bars and a couple of liquor stores because that’s what I did back home before I moved out here,” Lifka said. “I only heard back from one place.”
After interviewing with the only business he received a response from, Mulberry MAX Liquor Store, Lifka was hopeful he might finally get a job. He got along with the owner great and felt the interview went well, but despite this confidence, Lifka was not offered the job.
“I would have gotten the job if I didn’t need a couple of Saturdays off,” Lifka said. “It was kind of upsetting to know
that I’m not getting this job just because of the next three or four weeks.”
White talked about the importance of working as a college student trying to pay for all of the expenses that come with being a young adult.
“A girl’s got to save up money for her apartment — like, we’re struggling,” White said. “I want to save up enough money so that I can do rent and utilities and groceries and all this other stuff.”
Some students are so desperate for some sort of income that they have resorted to donating bodily fluids in a desperate search for some sort of financial relief.
“My previous roommate who moved out at the end of last semester — they had a lot of struggles finding a job as well,” White said. “They ended up getting to the point where they were so short on money that they started having to donate their plasma.”
Not only is working as an undergraduate student important financially, but as someone who has been working two jobs for the last few years, Lifka has become reliant on work as an emotional outlet.
“It’s just a way for me to calm myself down instead of sitting on the couch or just sitting in bed not doing anything,” Lifka said.
This appears to be an issue unique to Fort Collins. Coming from opposite ends of the country, such as New York and Hawaii, neither Lifka nor White have experienced such trouble finding jobs before.
“I worked construction and a bartending job back in my old city,
and both of them were always hiring,” Lifka said. “I could go around and ask any bar or any work if they were hiring, (and) they’d say yes, but out here, you walk around, and I feel like a lot of spots are already taken up.”
Reflecting Lifka’s experience with unresponsive local businesses, various businesses were contacted 20 different times each in the process of writing this story with little success. It was only after three different calls to its number that Blue Agave responded.
Some advice from the experts
When asked what factors a manager looks for in applicants who are applying for a job, Pier stressed the importance of professionalism and consistency in past jobs.
“Somebody who has, especially at age 25 or 26, who’s had one job per year or something like that — I’m not a big fan of it,” Pier said. “Even if the job sucks and they hate it, I like to see someone at least put a couple years into it to at least try to learn the job.”
CSU economics Professor Stephan Weiler said that while finding a job during undergrad may be challenging, to avoid similar difficulty when looking for a career after graduation, one should utilize their undergraduate years to do things that make one stand apart from other applicants.
“Maximize your chances of getting a job by doing something extra during your college education,” Weiler said. “Your employers look less into GPA than they look at things that you’ve done.”
Reach McKenna Van Voris at life @collegian.com.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN
CAMPUS FUN
SLiCE escape room provides Rams temporary escape from stress
By McKenna Van Voris @mckenna_vv
Have you ever heard of a college campus creating an escape room? With nearly two years of planning behind this current escape room, Finding Bigfoot has finally come to life in the Student Leadership, Involvement & Community Engagement office.
Completely free and available to all Colorado State University students, the SLiCE escape room was originally an attempt to amend how distant the CSU community was after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There was a desire and I think a need for folks to be able to reconnect and lash together and have a good time and do it in a way that was hopefully low stress,” said Rachel Kiemele, assistant director for cocurricular engagement and the brain behind the escape room.
Those interested in giving Finding Bigfoot a try can sign up on the SLiCE website. Although only six participants are allowed at a time, SLiCE offers accommodations for larger groups that may have to split up.
“We can create a competition between the teams, like who can get out faster or stuff like that,” said Laura Bussard, conference specialist of SLiCE’s cocurricular leadership and engagement team. “We make it as inclusive for as many people as possible.”
Although the escape room currently resides in a temporarily designated space, it was not always contained to a particular room. Kiemele’s first escape room, Escape the Lab, began as a mobile event.
“I had a bunch of props and puzzles that I loaded into two big rolling tote bins,” Kiemele said. “I either found us a room in the student center and reserved it, or I would go to that group if they had a designated space
and run the escape room for them and then tear it all down afterward.”
While the goal might be to escape the room, B Wuller, one of the first to participate in Finding Bigfoot, described the room as an escape in itself. Its immersive capabilities serve as a temporary pause from the outside world.
“It’s really easy when you’re in college to get tunnel vision and just be focused on that. Having an activity that’s super fun and kind of silly but also makes you work for it is really beneficial.”
LAURA BUSSARD SLICE CONFERENCE SPECIALIST
Bussard emphasized the positive effect partaking in the escape room can have on one’s mental state, especially during the height of the school year.
“It’s really easy when you’re in college to get tunnel vision and just be focused on that,” Bussard said. “Having an activity that’s super fun and kind of silly but also makes you work for it is really beneficial.”
Regardless of which group one participates in the escape room with, whether that be acquaintances from a study group, close friends or coworkers, participating groups are forced to adopt a team mindset if they wish to succeed.
“The more you’re able to collaborate with one another and really work together as a team, the better you will do,” Kiemele said. “It is a mini lesson in communication and interpersonal dynamics and how folks work through conflict.”
“I love how immersive it is whenever you walk into the room,” Wuller said. “The lights are off, the sounds of trees and animals are going and they really set the scene so that whenever you’re solving puzzles, it feels like you’re really in the world that they’ve created.”
SLiCE’s Finding Bigfoot room, although similar in difficulty to a professional escape room, is capable of providing more skills beneficial to development than other escape room experiences in Fort Collins.
“To be able to get an equivalent experience, but even more so focused on team dynamics and leadership, and that it is free for all students and staff, is pretty amazing and definitely a resource I think others should know about,” Wuller said.
Reach McKenna Van Voris at life@collegian.com.
Girls+Women Skate Night encourages diversity in local skateboarding scene
By Jenna Landry @csucollegian
Loud music, rhythmic wheels over hollow wood, sporadic cheering and a judgment-free zone to learn or improve skateboarding skills are what you’ll experience arriving at Launch’s indoor skate park on Girls+Women Night.
Launch Skate is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting skateboarding through community in all facets of life.
Girls+Women Night started in 2013, a few years after Launch Executive Director Andy Weiss opened its doors in 2011.
Weiss said as the organization grew and became busier and their calendar started to fill up, open skate times got narrower, and they began to see a need for more focused programs.
Weiss also said there was a broader diversification of skateboarding as well as participants.
“When I was growing up in the ‘80s, I knew, like, two (women) that skateboarded, and now I feel like you go to the skatepark and
it’s much more diverse, and we had seen the need for that and started offering that,” Weiss said.
Tess Roerig got involved with Launch in 2021 when she started learning to skateboard with her partner, so she looked for a place to do it during the cold winter months. She said she saw an ad on Instagram for beginners’ nights, so they went.
At one point, there were no ladies’ skate nights because the event coordinator moved. An opportunity arose to fill this void when Weiss and board member Chris Jones asked Roerig to host Girls+Women Night around the end of December 2021 and bring the event back to the community.
Roerig spoke about the importance of Girls+Women Night for the community.
“It creates a space that is welcoming, too,” Roerig said. “Skateboarding isn’t gendered, of course, but a lot of those social circles can be, which discouraged those on the out from trying an activity that could be their thing.”
Providing judgment-free, open spaces facilitates a broader community to join in, but it’s not just that. When people
see someone they identify with, they’re more likely to see themselves doing that activity.
Sometime by the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015, Launch started hiring more women staff.
“Girl power goes a long way in a sport that’s male dominant, and (so does) having more (women) involved in our staff,” Weiss said. “If they see Lucy (Hale) or Caroline (Gevers) skating — an adult skating or ripping — it’s really inspiring to them. (It’s) even more inspiring than if they saw a pro skateboarder that’s a male. I think just seeing a strong female skateboarder — it’s very powerful for them.”
Caroline Gevers is a staff member at Launch who teaches skateboarding and also currently runs Girls+Women Night. She said there’s a lot of excitement when bringing a group of girls together, and it’s no different at Launch.
“I’m sure any girl that has been in a group of girls can attest to the kind of energy and vibe that goes along with being around really supportive and energetic women and what that can do for your confidence,” Gevers said.
Gevers gave some insight into what a night at Launch’s Girls+Women Night looks like and what people can expect.
“You know, we blare some Chappell Roan and just have a good time, and I think what it comes down to is just trying to have fun and creating a space where people can come and not only have fun, but they’ll learn and feel accepted by this community of girls, women and nonbinary (folks) — it’s not just for girls only,” Gevers said.
Girls+Women Night is 5-8 p.m. once a month on a random Saturday, though there will not be one the rest of September. There is a suggested donation of $5 for participants ages 7 years and up, who must also provide a signed waiver. Girls+Women Night is not just for skateboarding but is also open to roller skaters as well. Visitors can bring their own skateboard, or Launch has skateboards to borrow. They also have helmets and pads but currently do not have roller skate rentals.
Reach Jenna Landry at life @collegian.com.
“I’m sure any girl that has been in a group of girls can attest to the kind of energy and vibe that goes along with being around really supportive and energetic women and what that can do for your confidence.”
CAROLINE GEVERS LAUNCH SKATE STAFF MEMBER
CAMPUS CONCERNS
Physiology Building linked to unexplained health issues in staff, students
By Paige Gruber @csucollegian
Students and staff in the Physiology Building at Colorado State University have experienced respiratory and eye irritation symptoms since early summer, which has significantly slowed research. While the university has hired a third party, Gallagher Bassett, to investigate, frustration continues to mount as many feel the response to these urgent concerns has been too slow.
Tara Nordgren, associate professor in CSU’s environmental and radiological health sciences department, has been operating her lab and office in the building since September 2021. Nordgren first learned about the issue July 1, when her lab was told by the university that equipment wasn’t allowed to be removed due to several individuals filing worker’s compensation complaints.
Although numerous labs in the building ceased operations July 1, the building remained open to the public until Sept. 13.
Gallagher Bassett is conducting an investigation in the building to
determine the cause of the reported symptoms. They are working alongside Chemistry & Industrial Hygiene, Inc., which is testing for mold and other potential hazards.
“Gallagher Bassett focuses on the well-being of all our claimants and sets best practices for industry standards as it relates to filing claims and other business operations,” said Jennifer Marshall, media relations director at Gallagher. “We do not comment on specific claims or clients.”
Nordgren said approximately 70% of people working in her lab have also experienced symptoms, which range from eye irritation to respiratory symptoms.
“I had pretty substantial pain in my eyes (and) blurriness to the point where I had double vision in my left eye for over a day,” Nordgren said. “My symptoms resolved as I stopped working in the building.”
Katriana Popichak, assistant professor in CSU’s microbiology, immunology and pathology department, has also experienced symptoms from working in the building.
“I experienced recurring headaches,” Popichak said. “I kept waking up in the middle of
the night coughing because my throat was irritated. I had to get throat-numbing spray.”
Similar to Nordgren’s situation, when Popichak stopped working in the building, her symptoms resolved. The implications of this situation extend beyond health concerns.
“My lab is operating at 20% capacity,” Nordgren said. “We have equipment that is specific to our research that we can’t access because the building is closed.”
This has greatly impeded research progress and impacted graduate students who are struggling to finish their projects on schedule. The stagnation in research also postpones their ability to apply for and secure grants, complicating their academic paths even further.
“This issue has severely limited what I can do,” Ph.D. student Alissa Threatt said. “We were allowed some equipment out of the Physiology Building about two months ago, but now we’ve exhausted those materials. We are constantly having to wait to reorder things that we would otherwise have access to.”
While the environmental health and radiological sciences department is providing a fund to purchase some supplies, there’s only so much they can do on their own.
“We need the people who have the authority to put us into a new lab space to get renovations done, to push for a better response (and) to be there for us,” Threatt said.
Many staff and students reported that the university responded with resistance, and there is a general lack of awareness regarding the issue among students and staff.
“Several people had to file worker’s compensation complaints to get the university to take the situation seriously,” Nordgren said.
People began reporting symptoms as early as mid-May, so the closure of the building in September is seen as a delayed response by those most impacted by the situation.
“I wanted the university to take immediate action and hire a third party much sooner,” Threatt said. “These investigations can take a really long time. As a lab, we are in limbo, and when people are getting sick unaware of the cause, that also impacts their care and their prognosis.”
In response to the incidents, the university provided a statement to The Collegian
“Over the last several months, the university has tested 37 samples and enlisted a third party for additional testing,” the statement
reads. “Results to date have not identified findings outside of normal range. ... Due to reduced activity and foot traffic in the building, access has been limited to those with key cards.”
Now that a third party has been hired to investigate the root cause of the problem, there is hope that the causative agent will be found, the issue will be resolved and the labs displaced from the building can be moved to a new space to continue research progress.
“I don’t think we should congratulate someone for meeting standards,” Ph.D. student Logan Dean said. “If employees are getting sick at work, it reflects on management. It’s their responsibility to ensure a healthy environment.”
Nordgren said she hopes the investigation into the issue will yield results and allow operations to resume.
“I hope they can identify the cause of these issues,” Nordgren said. “It would be incredibly validating to know what’s making us sick. Ultimately, it will be a financial decision for the university whether they choose to mitigate the problems in the building or decide to tear it down.”
Reach Paige Gruber at science @collegian.com.
Colorado State University workers wearing protective suits and masks move boxes in the Physiology Building following university health protocol Sept. 20.
PHOTO BY
SAMANTHA NORDSTROM THE COLLEGIAN
A night at Chef’s Table with Ginger and Baker
PHOTOS BY GARRETT MOGEL THE COLLEGIAN
1. Chef Drew Shylock prepares curried carrot bisque during the Chef’s Table event at Ginger and Baker in Fort Collins Sept. 22. Shylock designed the menu for the evening with the fall season and flavors in mind, revising some classics and adding a creative spin to them. “(Food) brings people together, it causes conversation and it can stir up memories,” Shylock said. “I think if you have a great dish one time at a specific time in your life, ... you could go 20 years, and if you had that same dish again, you could be transported right back to that memory. … You can taste those memories.”
2. Chef Daniel Schossow tends to seared scallops. The idea of Chef’s Table is to allow chefs to demonstrate their various skills, be creative, build a menu and challenge themselves. “Whenever I am setting the menu, we always want to be aware of what is in season here in Fort Collins, then regionally, what kinds of dishes people use and eat,” Schossow said. “And then use that all and put kind of a Ginger and Baker style to it.”
3. Chef Deborrah “Deb” Traylor prepares curried carrot bisque. Traylor is the culinary director at Ginger and Baker and helped start the business with owner Ginger Graham. “I started out as Ginger’s private chef, and she at one point wanted a little pie shop,” Traylor said. “After many years of her saying, ‘Deb, it would be so fun if we had a little pie shop,’ I finally asked her if I could help her if she wanted to do it. And she said, ‘If you are going to help, then we are going to do this.’”
4. Shylock and Schossow plate a dish. The dish was a port-poached Bartlett pear with mixed greens, goat cheese, toasted pecans and raspberry vinaigrette. “I love the chaos, the craziness, the loudness of the kitchen — I’m just totally drawn to it,” Shylock said.
5. Traylor helps plate a duck confit dish. The dish included a duck demi-glace, herbed whipped potatoes, roasted carrots and braised kale. “We find that when two and three chefs are together, they are actually more creative,” Traylor said. “Someone will throw out an idea that is really simple; then the other other chefs will come along and say, ‘What about (this)?’ So we push each other a little more.”
6. A finished plate of duck confit placed on a table.
7. Schossow tends to seared scallops. “I love cooking, so I found this and have been doing every weekend teaching culinary classes and helping out with Chef’s Table,” Schossow said.
TACO TACKLES
Gabe Kirschke returns home, steps up big for CSU football
By Damon Cook @dwcook2001
On the field, Gabe Kirschke is the kind of guy whose motor never quits running.
By all accounts, he gives 110% effort each and every play. Off the field, teammates and coaches say Kirschke is a man everyone loves to have around, someone who is positive in the locker room and similar to his on-the-field persona, a guy who almost never stops working.
“Almost” is the key qualifier there because he definitely stopped when he went head to head with Colorado State’s defensive line coach Chuka Ndulue in a taco-eating contest when Ndulue was recruiting Kirschke during his time at New Mexico State.
Kirschke confirmed the loss but said there would definitely have to be a second contest because the first one came in the wake of a trip to Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, so he wasn’t quite at his best.
“We went to dinner; we were both still real hungry,” Kirschke said. “But then he put easy work on the taco-eating contest. I had like six; he had, like, 12 or something like that. He took my plate, and he started eating them.”
Ndulue really wanted Kirschke to join the Aggies, even offering him a scholarship. Despite the offer from NMSU and several other Division I programs, Kirschke chose to go play for Wisconsin, where he received preferred walk-on status.
Wisconsin has a reputation for developing walk-ons into NFL players, with some of them going on to become superstars. JJ Watt, Ryan Ramczyk and Joe Schobert are just a few. That was a big reason Kirschke wanted to go play for the Badgers.
“I really liked those coaches a lot, and I felt like they were going to respect me and I could earn that scholarship there,” Kirschke said. “I think them honoring those things … — they really wanted those walk-ons.”
In two seasons at Wisconsin, Kirschke only made an appearance in
AT HOME
one game and recorded no statistics. So he jumped into the portal to pursue a different opportunity, and eventually CSU and the opportunity to come back home and play football presented itself.
Kirschke played at Valor Christian High School alongside nowteammates Jack Howell and Tanner Morley. He also now gets to play in front of even more family and friends who weren’t able to make the trip to watch him play for the Badgers.
“A lot of my family and friends are here now too,” Kirschke said. “So it’s really cool. I had, like, 20 people who did a tailgate. It’s really cool to be able to see them after the games and have all that support. It means a lot.”
While Kirschke had all of those new opportunities to look forward to, Ndulue himself was chomping at the bit to finally get to coach Kirschke.
Ndulue said that when the phone rang and he found out Kirschke would be a CSU Ram, it was nothing but special.
“When you recruit a guy and he commits, it’s a special feeling
after tackling a University of Texas at El Paso player during the CSU football game against UTEP Sept. 21. CSU won 27-17.
PHOTO BY AVA PUGLISI THE COLLEGIAN
because it’s like, ‘All right, the one we wanted — we got him,’” Ndulue said. “We always talk about, ‘The only time we change our standard is when we elevate it.’ And now it’s time for him to keep elevating his play every single day.”
That is something that Kirschke has done this season as he steps in to help out with some of the injuries the Rams came into the season with. Nuer Gatkuoth, the Rams Freshman All-American hasn’t played yet this season so Kirschke has been a nice addition with his ability to step in and play at a high level.
The 6-foot-5 redshirt sophomore already leads the team in sacks with two this season. He’s done what Ndulue has asked and so far looks like he can be a pivotal part of the Rams’ pass rush moving forward.
“This is really his first year playing, so he’s going to learn a lot this year and take over next year,” CSU defensive lineman Cam Bariteau said. “But you can tell: The signs are there, and he’s doing a great job.”
Read the full version of this article at collegian.com.
Reach Damon Cook at sports @collegian.com.
CSU women’s golf swings through Ram Classic with smiles despite loss
By Damon Cook @dwcook2001
Getting to play two days of golf surrounded by friends, family and gorgeous green scenery is a nice consolation prize for Colorado State women’s golf.
Victory eluded CSU in its only home tournament of the season, the Ptarmigan Ram Classic. The Rams finished one above par through three rounds, falling short to Cal Poly, which finished 12 strokes under par, and UC Davis, which finished 20 strokes under par.
Pemika Arphamongkol and Kara Kaneshiro were the Rams’ two highest finishers, placing fifth and sixth, respectively. Arphamongkol shot five strokes under par, and Kaneshiro shot six strokes under par but finished her final round with no bogeys.
“It doesn’t happen too often, even with some of the tricky pins out there,” Kaneshiro said. “So it feels really good to have no bogeys — could have dropped a couple more putts, but overall, it was a good day.”
The one home tournament of the season is a nice break for the Rams, whose schedules are often filled with travel.
Even though the outcome wasn’t what the team hoped for, the ease of not having to travel is much appreciated.
“It’s definitely nice to sleep in our own beds,” Kaneshiro said. “But it’s also awesome because we know the course, we know we can play well, and so we just go out and have fun.”
Being able to get the rest that comes with not traveling is a nice little break for CSU.
“I agree that it’s good to be back home,” Arphamongkol said. “The hotel gives a different vibe, so I feel like we got the most rest out of all the tournaments.”
For a team as young as the Rams, being at home can help ground them and settle some nerves.
CSU had two first-year students, a sophomore and two seniors as part of its lineup on Tuesday. Senior Lacey Uchida finished four strokes above par, first-year Jacinda Lee finished eight strokes above par and firstyear Ebba Thalen finished 18 strokes above par.
Having those young players get the experience they have so far will be crucial for their development. In golf, coach Laura Cilek said they can practice a lot, but getting out there and playing is important to that development.
“When you’re practicing, it’s not the same as when you’re on the golf course,” Cilek said. “The pressure, all of that, just getting them in a tournament setting, in the lineup, feeling that pressure — the more they do it, the better they’re going to get.”
This was the 24rd installation of the Ptarmigan Ram Classic, something CSU has only won thrice in its history: in 2001, 2004 and 2023.
But not every school gets to have a home tournament, so no matter their finish, this one is special for the Rams.
“A lot of teams don’t ever host a home tournament,” Cilek said. “So we’re really lucky that we get to play at one of our home courses. … It’s like our one opportunity to play a home game.”
Reach Damon Cook at sports@collegian.com.
Colorado State University defensive lineman Gabe Kirschke
Kara Kaneshiro smiles after sinking her putt in the 18th hole at the Ptarmigan Country Club during the Ptarmigan Ram Classic Sept. 18. Kaneshiro finished fifth, and Colorado State University finished third in the tournament.
PHOTO BY DAMON COOK THE COLLEGIAN
CSU women’s basketball gears up for challenging 2024-25 season, unites family
By Michael Hovey @michaelfhovey
As Colorado State’s women’s basketball broke their huddle after practice, each player yelled “family” and raised their hand.
For CSU, that’s more than a way to cap off a great practice — it’s a defining principle. In a landscape filled with competition and criticism, the Rams found a way to embody the term more fully than a typical team would. As the athletes gear up for a challenging 2024 schedule, they welcome plenty of new faces into the household.
With the departure of eight veterans from last year’s lineup, the women’s basketball team has looked to younger players to step up alongside key transfers.
Coach Ryun Williams is familiar with the team and its transitions, as he’s going on 12 seasons with the program and withstood several cast adjustments.
“Marta’s going to have to make that next step,” Williams said. “She
Two journeywomen, Hannah Ronsiek and Marta Leimane, have gone from sophomores with more positional roles to the athletes most familiar in the system. Their part on the team will evolve this season, as the team lost their superstar, McKenna Hofschild, this past offseason. Hannah Ronsiek’s reunited sister, Emma Ronsiek, will also assert herself as a big part of the game plan as a transferring graduate and seasoned veteran.
YOU’RE INVITED!
had a great finish to the season, and it looks like that’s carrying over to this year. Emma Ronsiek is obviously very, very good. She’s probably a little better than I thought she was, so that’s been a fun surprise.”
While experienced anchors are crucial, new and exciting talent opens doors for the future. Kloe Froebe and Caitlin Kramer are among the firstyears joining the team, and both are coming off highly successful high school careers. Froebe was named the 2024 Illinois Miss Basketball and 2024 Gatorade Illinois Girls Basketball Player of the Year, while Kramer was named Player of the Year by The Gazette in 2023.
With some vacancy on the CSU roster, fighting for a starting position isn’t out of the question. Preseason is still well underway, and adjusting to the system will be their main focus.
“I think, obviously, the intensity is going to increase as you step to that next level,” Froebe said. “It’s definitely been a challenge. Just the first few weeks were definitely different, but I think that overall it’s been great and super positive.”
Williams doesn’t cut new players any slack; however, he places an emphasis on teammate support. The women ended their first open practice by gathering in a circle and highlighting different players’ strengths from the session. The start of the season has tested the athletes but has brought them together, too.
“Yes, we are competing against each other in a way,” Hannah Ronsiek said. “But at the end of the day, we’re all on the same team and competing for the same thing. So it’s all love at the end of the day — it’s nothing against one another.”
The Rams have a tough ordeal ahead, so elevating each other through competition will likely help. The nonconference schedule features San Francisco, Oregon State, Gonzaga and UTEP, among other teams.
“Hopefully it prepares us really well,” Williams said. “The Mountain West has really been pretty tough over the last three, four years. I like the schedule — it’s challenging. I think we’ve got some kids that really are hungry to play that schedule, so it’ll be fun.”
Colorado State University guard Marta Leimane shoots and scores during the CSU women’s basketball game against the University of Wyoming Feb. 17. CSU won 75-70.
President’s Fall Address and University Picnic
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | The Oval
Colorado State University invites you to the Annual Fall Address and University Picnic.
The event, which begins at 11:00 a.m., will include remarks from CSU President Amy Parsons, a performance by the CSU Marching Band and a free picnic on the Oval for the entire CSU community.
Last season, the Rams ended up losing to UNLV in the second round of the Mountain West women’s basketball tournament after a solid season. Acquiring an automatic ticket to the NCAA tournament comes with winning the Mountain West Championship, which is always a goal. The team will have to take the year game by game and work on the small things.
“We’re still learning as a group, collectively, the importance of every single possession and how detailed you have to have to be in our concepts,” Williams said. “They had a good, hard practice today. They went hard, but you (have) got to perform the details. And we’ll surely grow into that.”
The team’s season kicks off in an exhibition game against Regis Oct. 29, followed by the nonconference lineup.
A new chapter in women’s basketball is ready to unfold at CSU.
“One reason I actually chose Colorado State was because it reminded me a lot of my high school back home,” Froebe said. “And really, Colorado State has lived up to all my expectations — it’s a great community, and this community support is amazing.”
Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com.
PHOTO BY AVA PUGLISI THE COLLEGIAN
LIVE MUSIC
ARTS Battle of the Bands showcases talent, unity
By Riley Paling @rileypaling
Colorado State University’s campus came alive Sept. 19 as student bands took the stage for the highly anticipated annual Battle of the Bands competition. The event, held on the Lory Student Center West Lawn, attracted a vibrant crowd of students, faculty and community members eager to support their favorite local musicians.
The competition featured four small local bands, each bringing a unique sound and style. The lineup showcased the rich musical talent at and around CSU. The atmosphere was electric as fans cheered for their favorites, fostering rapport and school spirit.
Fans rallied around their favorites, creating a palpable sense of comradery and school spirit that transfused the event.
The lively interactions among the audience and performers added to the dynamic environment, making it an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
Put together by RamEvents and KCSU, the planning of this event started in late June. The weather the past few years has pushed Battle of the Bands inside, so it was very exciting to be able to hold the event outside this year. The sun shone brightly, setting the stage for a perfect day filled with music and laughter.
“The students choose who they want to win,” said Genesis Lacy, president of RamEvents.
“We try to highlight bands who are up and coming and aren’t super super popular right now. I think it’s super fun to be able to do that and contribute to the success of these student bands.”
This commitment to showcasing emerging talent allows the event to serve not just as a competition but as a springboard for local musicians.
Backblunt, who stepped up and filled in for The Locusts Gathering at the last second, gave their audience a set that was alive and interactive — an example of people who truly love music and performing.
The energy of the crowd surged with each note, creating an electrifying atmosphere that set a high bar for the bands that followed. Their performance was vibrant and engaging, capturing the audience’s attention from the start.
“I’ve been playing guitar since I was little, and I’ve been writing songs since I was little, so it’s just a way of life” said Michael Rosenbaum, a member of Backblunt.
This event is held annually and known to be a time of the year students look forward to. The opportunity to support small local artists offers a platform for emerging musicians to showcase their talents while providing attendees with the chance to enjoy free live music.
“I loved it,” said Noah Vardy, a CSU graduate student. “My buddy and I jam together sometimes, and he told us about the performance, so we are here to support. The bands are killing it.”
Battle of the Bands not only provided a platform for emerging artists but also encouraged a sense of unity within the CSU community. The crowd left buzzing with a newfound appreciation for the local music scene.
The winner of KCSU’s 2024 Battle of the Bands was Northern Colorado’s Backblunt; their high energy and impressive vocals ended up carrying them all the way to the top.
As the night drew to a close, fans left eagerly anticipating next year’s event, with fresh crowd favorites and a renewed admiration for the vibrant music scene at Colorado State.
Reach Riley Paling at entertainment@collegian.com.
Northern Colorado band Backblunt gives a grunge rock performance and wins KCSU’s Battle of the Bands Sept. 19.
PHOTO BY RUBY SECREST THE COLLEGIAN
Space Marine 2 is hoard-based shooter game fans have been waiting for
By Chace Silvey @csucollegian
Due to overbalancing fans of Arrowhead Game Studios, Helldivers 2 has been itching for a new hoard-based game.
Saber Interactive’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, a thirdperson hack-and-slash game centered on massive hordes of enemies, has scratched that itch.
Space Marine 2 is set in the Warhammer 40k universe, where you and up to two friends can fight for the Imperial Astartes, all with one goal: to serve the emperor. The three playable game modes are campaign, operations and eternal war.
Campaign follows the events of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine. You play Lieutenant
Titus, an ultramarine who was given a second chance after receiving a fatal blow serving on the deathwatch. Alongside you are Charon and Gadriel, two of your brothers in combat who are concerned about Titus’ background.
For the actual game play, you can definitely tell Saber had passion for the game. From the widespread combat and overall gritty nature in the landscape to the extensive detail, there was thought.
The mechanics are pretty functional with the player using both guns and swords to take down the enemy. The executions within the game are gnarly and make the character feel like a complete and total badass. The satisfaction of getting an enemy just low enough to obliterate them and stain yourself with their blood is a sight to behold.
When it comes to weapon variety, there isn’t much there. Although there are 12 primary weapons and three secondaries, it still feels like you’re shooting the same gun every time. Occasionally, one might find two heavy weapons that feel a little different because they’re overpowered by nature, but besides that, I felt very little satisfaction using the different guns.
The five melee weapons were the exceptions to this feeling. I’m not sure if the melee weapon combos were satisfying to see or if it was the executions mentioned earlier, but I found myself rushing into danger just to slice the enemy. There are three ultimate abilities in the campaign, which are nice for getting shields but not worth writing home about.
I was worried I would not know much about the overall Warhammer lore before getting into the game, but I still found myself invested. The ending was extremely well done and fulfilling.
After you beat the story, you can keep the bloodthirst going with the operations mode.
Operations lets players embark on more story-based missions, although it includes the side objectives Titus commanded your squad to do in the campaign mode.
It feels really fulfilling to play out the other operations that helped Titus’ squad through the campaign. Instead of being stuck with three abilities, you get to select one of six classes, all with unique abilities. I didn’t get to play too much of operations, but if you liked campaign, it’s truly just more of that but a bit harder.
For eternal war — or the player vs. player mode — you can definitely tell this was the least prioritized mode for Saber. But unlike most games, it’s nice that it isn’t that polished. It felt a lot like the PVP in Gears of War games but without all the annoying players who just spam cover. Instead, eternal war is a more casual experience that will undoubtedly generate a cult following. There isn’t much else to say about the PVP; it does what it’s there to do, and it’s just fine doing it.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines 2 was clearly a passion project and a step in the right direction for the gaming industry.
Reach Chace Silvey at entertainment@collegian.com.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA SIROKMAN THE COLLEGIAN
Creative Writing Reading Series welcomes 1st guests of school year
By Bear Atwood @csucollegian
Tucked in the north end of the Lory Student Center in the University Ballroom, the English department hosts the Creative Writing Reading Series for authors from all over to read their work for the community throughout the year.
Matthew Cooperman is an English professor at Colorado State University and the current director for the Creative Writing Reading Series.
The series has already been well established since Cooperman became a professor in 2003, and there is no fee to attend any of the offered events.
Many of those in attendance were English majors who heard about the series through classes. It’s even required for some students’ grades to attend at least one event.
“For my creative writing class, I was assigned to read their works (beforehand),” said Medhaa Lakshman, a second-year English student with a concentration in creative writing. “I especially loved Meredith (Talusan’s) tone of voice in her short story, and I also liked the way Paul Yoon crafted his plot and basically immersed you into his story.”
While many English students attend, the event is open to students of all majors, and members of the community are encouraged to attend as well.
“When I read it myself, I try to go off my own cadence — what I believe the rhythm of the poem is,” said Manuel Sanchez, a fourth-year political science student with an English minor. “But hearing (the authors read) is like being presented the way it should be, and that’s not always the way I imagined it.”
To select each author, the current director finds local authors and
“I think it’s really impactful, particularly with the undergraduates who are just getting an idea that, ‘Maybe I want to write’ — to see the fruits of that labor in a published author who opens up possibilities for you that you haven’t thought of,” Cooperman said. “It’s really an exciting opportunity, and I think it really goes a long way for both our undergrads and grads in making the writing life seem real. It might seem kind of abstract or unattainable, but it’s not. It’s really out there up front. You just sort of meet those people.”
students who are receiving their MFA and polls them to see who they’d want to host.
“We’re always trying to bring people here that we think will benefit not only our MFA students but all the English majors and people around the university,” Cooperman said. “Everyone is welcome.”
Starting Dec. 5, there will be thesis reading from students in the MFA program at CSU.
“MFA students in the three genres generally give a reading in their third year from their work, and it’s really a wonderful event,” Cooperman said. “It’s a chance for their parents to come out and see them perform.”
Graduate readings will be held in the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art, located on the first floor of the University Center for the Arts.
Before the readings, there are salons and other activities planned as well as a Q&A session following the readings. There is a book stand selling some of the featured books, so those interested can purchase one of the author’s works and get it signed.
The first event of the series welcomed authors Yoon and Talusan.
Yoon is a senior lecturer at Harvard University, and his work has been featured in various publications, including The New Yorker and Harper’s Magazine. He also has several critically acclaimed books under his belt.
Talusan is a founding executive editor and current contributing editor at Them and has written articles for The New York Times, The Atlantic and The Guardian.
Both have also earned various accolades and achievements within the creative writing sphere.
Talusan’s story centered on an autistic transgender person in the early 2000s. The story itself was written like a research paper, with visual diagrams shown on the ballroom’s TV screens.
Talusan’s character narrated in long, scientifically dense paragraphs that would often end in a sudden joke or inspire reflection among the audience.
Read the full version of this article at collegian.com.
Reach Bear Atwood at news @collegian.com.
A large audience gathers to hear a guest speaker at the Colorado State University Creative Writing Reading Series Sept. 19.
PHOTO BY AVA PUGLISI THE COLLEGIAN
DANGEROUS RHETORIC
Venezuelan gang fear perpetuates antimigrant, anti-immigrant racism
By Emma Souza @_emmasouza
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.
In presidential candidate Donald Trump’s vision of Aurora, Colorado, which is approximately 70 miles from Fort Collins, violent crime associated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is rapidly spreading. But an issue bigger than the gang’s arrested members and their past presence in an apartment complex is that the town of Aurora has quickly become a national talking point in an aggressively antimigrant and anti-immigrant agenda. What’s to come? Well, Trump said the “largest deportation in the history of our country” — starting with Aurora.
There are several truths to the story of Tren de Aragua and their journey to Aurora, but first,
I’d like to go back to May 2023. That spring, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched a busing system that transported migrants near the Texas-Mexico border into other states, providing “muchneeded relief to (Texas’) small border towns,” Abbott said in a 2023 statement. Since the first bus arrived in Denver on May 18, 2023, and as of January, over 15,700 migrants have been transported into the city. This number is likely to have rapidly grown since.
As many of us know, Denver is not a cheap place to live. Its housing costs are consistently on the rise, making it hard for many Coloradans to afford living there, nonetheless migrants who may be new to the city — not to mention how recent city limitations prohibit shelter residents from staying indefinitely, creating additional challenges.
Some migrants bused through Abbott’s program who have few resources or connections in Denver likely face these obstacles with no choice but to move
elsewhere. The same goes for any other Denver residents who can’t keep up with the city’s insane living costs. These factors drive subsets of the Denver population into suburbs like Aurora that are close to the city but much cheaper. This transition makes a lot of sense, especially considering foreign-born residents constitute about 21% of Aurora’s population. America’s collective impression of Aurora these past few weeks, depicted by the news and by our politicians, is not indicative of reality. As I mentioned earlier, there are several truths about Tren de Aragua; they were present within the Aurora community at one point, and they are a historically dangerous group. But fears about their actions — triggered by a viral surveillance video of several men with guns — have been used to vilify the migrant community within Aurora, Denver and the whole nation.
Mike Coffman, the mayor of Aurora, called the situation “grossly exaggerated” shortly after Trump blasted Aurora during the 2024 presidential
debate. Coffman’s statement echoes the protests of many Aurora residents refusing to label the city as overrun with crime, drugs and violence, contrary to what Trump parrots.
Despite Trump’s belief that depicting Aurora as a bloody city helps the situation, such antimigrant rhetoric only jeopardizes the safety of Aurora residents who are completely uninvolved. According to CBS, several tenants near the apartment complex have even received texts calling them “animals” and have been threatened with “more firepower than you can ever imagine.”
I don’t mean to detract from the fear toward Tren de Aragua. Watching this situation unfold from Fort Collins is scary, so I can’t imagine what it’s like to hear updates while being in Aurora. But my fear quickly — and I mean quickly — dissipates into anger when serious events about a contained group are used as a vehicle for racism and xenophobia. Fearing a gang and fearing the migrant community
in and around Aurora are two entirely different things.
However, thanks to Trump, people completely unaffiliated with Tren de Aragua face social scrutiny, threatening policy and explicit racism simply for being in physical and cultural proximity to the gang. Aurora citizens are not animals because they live near an area vilified by the media.
I cannot stress enough the importance of doing your research on this topic. No matter how much you love Trump, Kamala Harris or any other politician, learning to look beyond political talking points is critical in seeing the whole picture of an issue — especially this one. The depiction of Aurora is unfair to its residents as well as the migrant community in Colorado. My concern goes out to anyone who has been affected both by Tren de Aragua and the widespread racism that has ensued as a result.
Reach Emma Souza at letters @collegian.com.
EMBRACING DIFFERENCE
There is no pressure to join in on typical college activities
By Hana Pavelko @hanasolo13
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 traditional college experience has been advertised to us through the media for a long time. No matter if it is “Pitch Perfect” or “Monsters University,” it shows us that the highlights of our college days are characterized by big blowout parties, the social cliques of sororities and fraternities and mysterious drinks served to you in red solo cups.
While this might not be the actual reality of college life, it does feel like there is a certain pressure to participate in what society considers normal college activities. It feels like there is an expectation to attend every home football game, spend the morning pregaming at the tailgate and always have plans on Friday nights ending with stumbling home in the early hours of the
morning just to do it again on Saturday.
“Sometimes the socalled normal college activities can be as boring as they come. Not every football game is a lot of fun, and it starts to get repetitive by halftime. Parties are often crowded and loud, and the idea of waking up the next morning with a huge headache sounds horrible.”
But what if it isn’t your thing?
Parties, football games and large crowds might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Despite what the
media portrays as a typical college experience, it is okay if yours does not include all of these aspects. College is a unique experience for everyone. Not everyone enjoys the same pastimes or events, so there should never be any pressure to participate in anything you do not find enticing. College offers a lot of opportunities to try new things, but it should never come at the expense of doing something just because you think that there is pressure to do it. While it might feel like everyone else is doing something, that does not require you to do it as well. If the supposedly normal college activities like attending football games do not sound appealing to you, you do not have to participate in them.
Sometimes the so-called normal college activities can be as boring as they come. Not every football game is a lot of fun, and it starts to get repetitive by halftime. Parties are often crowded and loud, and the idea of waking up the next morning with a huge headache sounds horrible. Sometimes sitting at home and having a movie night
sounds much better than going out and socializing for hours on end. There are many alternatives to these college activities that you can partake in instead. Your wants and interests are going to make your college experience unique from anyone else’s. If an art festival on a Saturday afternoon is more appealing than shouting at a football game, then that is what you should do. There should never be any pressure to change your interests or plans based on what the normal in college is considered to be.
The media’s depiction of college displays what has come to be considered the stereotypical college experience. But your college experience is what you make of it. Do not feel pressured to turn it into something you do not want it to be just because you see it in your favorite movie or feel like all your friends are doing it. Create your normal college activities, and live it up however you want.
Reach Hana Pavelko at letters @collegian.com.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN
Am I queer enough?: Biphobia in LGBTQIA+ discourse harms us all
By Hannah Parcells @hannahparcells
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.
September is Bisexual Visibility Month, and as someone who identifies as bisexual, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about this idea of visibility and what it truly means.
The queer community is often painted with one broad brush, especially in conversation with primarily straight people. This can give the impression that queerness is a monolithic experience.
The notion that there is one true queer experience is harmful to everyone in the queer community, as it automatically minimizes any experiences that fall outside those specific criteria. Discourse within the queer community often stems from this rhetoric and results in horizontal aggression on both sides of the issue.
Many bisexual people are probably familiar with harmful rhetoric surrounding their identity from other queer people: “You can pass as straight,” “You’re only queer if you’re in a same-gender relationship,” or, “You can just choose to date a straight person.”
This sort of biphobia sucks for many reasons. First, it minimizes the experiences of bi people and implies any oppression they face from straight people is a choice. Second, it minimizes bi people’s place in queer spaces — spaces where we are supposed to be safe.
The discourse within the queer community about which group of people has more privilege is frankly frustrating. It pits two oppressed groups against each other instead of allowing room for productive conversations about the diverse experiences that come with different identities.
I want to make it clear that while I am addressing biphobia within the queer community, I am in no way arguing that bi people have it worse than other queer people.
“Queer people are minimized, judged and hated in society plenty.
We don’t need to treat each other with the same disrespect. When queer people are pitted against each other, we lose the ability to fight against the systems of oppression that harm us both.”
Bisexual people’s oppression should not be propped up on a pedestal, and it is critical to understand that in no way should other queer people be viewed as another class of oppressors.
The true source of our oppression is never another queer person, regardless of the harm we might inflict when we don’t examine and acknowledge our own internalized biases. Societal structures of power continue to be the source of queer people’s oppression, while also being the very systems that make everyone’s experience with oppression different.
Oppression does not exist solely on a binary axis, and it certainly isn’t a competition. There is no prize for the winner of the “who has it worse” debate — a debate that often completely ignores the role intersectionality plays in our experiences.
This discourse within the community only serves to isolate and
invalidate other queer people. It hurts, and when we’re isolated and hurting, we lash out. Hurt people hurt people.
As a queer person who has proudly identified as bisexual for quite some time now, I hate the rhetoric that comes with this discourse. I grew up seeing it in queer spaces — spaces where I should have been able to figure out my identity safely.
Instead, I felt invalidated, even as I was coming to terms with my sexuality.
I was able to work through those insecurities as I grew up — thanks in part to having a solid community around me — but that doesn’t erase the harm, and it doesn’t mean my experience is universal.
Plenty of young queer people aren’t as lucky as I was, and my heart aches for them knowing they may be made to feel unwelcome in spaces where they should be safe.
The validity of my identity does not depend on other people’s perceptions, and I’m sick of having to defend my presence in queer spaces. Sexuality isn’t defined by who you’re dating. Sexuality is defined by sexual attraction. Someone who has no romantic or sexual
“Queer people are minimized, judged and hated in society plenty. We don’t need to treat each other with the same disrespect. When queer people are pitted against each other, we lose the ability to fight against the systems of oppression that harm us both.”
experience is just as valid in their sexuality as someone who has had those experiences.
Bisexuality is defined equally by attraction to the same gender and by attraction to gender identities other than your own. Both experiences are key to being bisexual.
Harmful stereotypes about bisexual people continue to be comfortably embraced by society. These stereotypes appear differently depending on who is espousing them, but they are harmful nonetheless.
Queer people are minimized, judged and hated in society plenty. We don’t need to treat each other with the same disrespect. When queer people are pitted against each other, we lose the ability to fight against the systems of oppression that harm us both.
The queer community is vibrantly diverse, but in order to maintain a healthy and accepting environment, we must be willing to acknowledge and be compassionate toward other queer people’s experiences, regardless of whether those experiences are similar to our own. Reach Hannah Parcells at letters @collegian.com.
COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO
WEEKLY HOROSCOPE
By Sophia Masia
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (09/26/24)
ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19)
You like to dive into your goals head first, roll up your sleeves and put in the work yourself. Now is the time to discuss strategy with those close to you. You have the natural charm to spin any story into gold, Aries.
TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20)
You have a to-do list a mile long, social obligations left and right and the energy to do it all, so what’s the issue? Having one sticky conversation can clear up more mental space than you’d think, Taurus.
GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20)
You are filled with amazing ideas — so many that you might forget others have them, too. An insightful conversation might give you the clarity you’ve been needing. If not, give yourself permission to step away and enjoy time with your tribe.
CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22)
Finally, it’s not about growth or struggle for you this week. Instead, take this time to spruce up your home and nurture your closest relationships — you’re allowed to be your most homebody, crybaby, corny self as you recharge your emotional battery.
LEO (JULY 23 - AUG. 22)
Things have returned to how they should be — for now, at least — and you are the center of attention this week in the best way possible. Bask in the extra attention, but don’t forget to recharge, Leo.
VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEPT. 22)
This week encourages you to slow down and reflect on what really matters to you, especially around your material world. Whether you’re dissecting your relationships, finances or just organizing your space, really get into the weeds about what your things mean to you, Virgo.
LIBRA (SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22)
Confidence is yours to claim this week. People-pleasing is out, and being unapologetically yourself is in. Your natural charm will have everyone rooting for you, so lean into it and trust your instincts when it comes to relationships.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21) Venus in your sign this week makes everything feel magnetic,
and you’re attracting what you deserve. Trust your instincts when it comes to deepening relationships or letting go of what no longer serves Scorpio.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22DEC. 21)
The people who enter your life right now bring blessings for your most ambitious goals. You’re also finding ways to balance your adventurous spirit with practical concerns, making this a great time to reevaluate the direction you’re headed.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22JAN. 19)
All the signs get stereotyped: You know nobody can work like you. This week is your time to shine. Don’t be afraid to revel in your skills and command the room, Capricorn.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18)
Doing the same old same old and thinking you know all there is to know are comfortable, but this week is about expanding your horizons. If you’re itching for novelty, follow what sparks your curiosity and shake up your routines. Revolutionize, Aquarius.
PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20)
As boundless as water with a head in the clouds, you don’t like to dwell on reality. However, it’s time to bring your attention to the very real relationships and money matters that rule our lives this week.
OVERHEARD AROUND CAMPUS
“He doesn’t have to hang out with drag queens to be a dramatic bitch.”
“I girlypop-ify the dick jokes.”
“Capitalism makes me nauseous.”
“In another life, you would be a milkman or a Navy SEAL.”
Have you overheard something funny on campus? Put your eavesdropping to good use. Tweet us @CSUCollegian and your submissions could be featured in our next paper!
End of summer
Check engine light
Strong AC Computer science
Tummy aches
Voter registration
Chocolate chip cookies
Cool mornings Soup Fall movies
