Thursday, August 31, 2023 Vol. 133 No. 3

Annual Tour de Fat unites cyclists in Colorado

STORY BY ALEXANDER WILSON

PHOTO BY ARIA PAUL

SEE PAGE 6

ROCKY MOUNTAIN

FORT COLLINS FOCUS

TOP STORIES TOP STORIES

NEWS: Recent Supreme Court decision leaves students at risk PAGE 4

L&C: Peach Festival: 1-stop shop for end-of-summer fun PAGE 5

SCIENCE: CSU institution studies Colorado wolf reintroduction PAGE 8

OPINION: Why do I only want pumpkin-flavored things? PAGE 10

SPORTS: Pushing for success: CSU O-line reloaded PAGE 19

A&E: FoCo Comic Con donates $20,000 to mental health resources PAGE 20

PHOTO: Tour de Fat PAGES 14-15

FOCO EVENTS FOCO EVENTS

Africa Drum and Dance Performance at Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures

6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 1

Taylor Fest at Aggie Theatre

8 p.m. Sept. 2

Bottomless Laughs at The Lyric

11:30 a.m. Sept. 3

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.

Lory Student Center, Suite 118 Fort Collins, CO 80523

JAKE

MEDIA

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

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

EDITORIAL STAFF

Allie Seibel | Editor in Chief editor@collegian.com

Ivy Secrest | Content Managing Editor managingeditor@collegian.com

Parisa Farhadi | Digital & Social Managing Editor managingeditor@collegian.com

Lauren Pallemaerts | Night Editor copy@collegian.com

Adah McMillan | Copy Chief copy@collegian.com

Nathan Carmody | Print Editor design@collegian.com

Caden Proulx | Assistant Print Editor design@collegian.com

Trin Bonner | Illustration Editor design@collegian.com

Milo Gladstein | Photo Director photo@collegian.com

Garrett Mogel | Photo Director photo@collegian.com

Samy Gentle | News Editor news@collegian.com

Ayla Sanchez | News Editor news@collegian.com

Christian Arndt | L&C Director life@collegian.com

Jenn Dawson | Science Director science@collegian.com

Dominique Lopez | Opinion Director letters@collegian.com

Damon Cook | Sports Editor sports@collegian.com

Emma Askren | Sports Editor sports@collegian.com

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

Colorado State University outside hitter Annie Sullivan (2) spikes the ball during the volleyball game against Stanford University Aug. 26. Stanford won

3-1. PHOTO BY KADEN PORTER THE COLLEGIAN

CSU’s Find Your Energy brand highlights student excellence

By Allie Seibel @allie_seibel_

Colorado State University’s new brand campaign, titled and trademarked Find Your Energy, debuted at the beginning of the 2023 school year around a central unifying theme of universitywide excellence.

The brand, which encompasses physical branding, video commercials and pitch materials to attract prospective students and their families, will be the face of CSU for the next three to five years.

“It’s really cool for a couple of reasons,” Vice President of University Marketing and Communications Kyle Henley said. “Really, as you look at the place we’re in with students, there’s more competition from institutions than there’s ever been.”

“At CSU, we looked into the future — both how we want to maintain our position as a university of choice in Colorado,” Henley said. “And as we looked at long-term enrollment, ... that’s helped us frame

how we need to think about the way that we talk with those prospective students and their parents.”

According to a CSU SOURCE article by Henley’s team, Find Your Energy is based in part around the land-grant mission CSU was founded on, bringing equal opportunity for success to every country, community and socioeconomic state a prospective student may come from.

For the marketing team, Find Your Energy is partly about finding excellence in the individuality of CSU’s students.

“We’re an approachable institution; the thing that people see, and in that — and part of what I love about CSU — is that you can find their future here or find opportunities here in a whole multitude of ways,” Henley said. “Find Your Energy is a way to say that in a way that is distinct and understandable. No matter ... what you care about or are interested in or you have a background in, you can find a space at CSU that’s going to engage you.”

Find Your Energy was a brand in development at CSU for nearly two years. Henley said his team narrowed the selection down to two main themes before doing focus groups with prospective and current students surrounding the brand that called to them the most. Find Your Energy will be the brand campaign used to attract prospective students in recruiting efforts and the brand that will unite the campus community.

Find Your Energy debuted Aug. 21 with the branding decorating the main stage for Ramapalooza during Ram Welcome week.

“We didn’t want to put something there that didn’t feel it fit (our university) and who (we) are,” Henley said. “Through that process, the themes come down to a central concept, and Find Your Energy was the one that encapsulated all we wanted to represent and incorporated some things from all of the concepts we pitched.”

Reach Allie Seibel at news @collegian.com.

Westfall renovations spark conversation on 1st-year experience

By Alexander Wilson @csucollegian

Last academic year, about 150 students were placed in the Best Western University Inn for temporary housing while Westfall Hall underwent construction.

“It was like living the life of luxury,” said Julian Gordon, a second-year student who stayed at the Best Western.

Living at the Best Western is a nontraditional start to one’s college career at Colorado State University. It poses unique challenges for students who wish to engage in the typical first-year social scene.

“During the course of the stay, most of the students adapted very quickly, as young people do,” said Bill Summey, the general manager of Best Western University Inn. “When students on campus decided to leave during mid-semester — which is pretty typical, in my opinion — they had kids on a list of priority, asking kids if they wanted to move. Well, only five or six did that, and so the full semester they were here, a lot of them settled and felt like home.”

Summey even put on events for students to experience the same sense of connection and belonging found in the dorms.

“We have four exterior signs, so we got four tarps for them and let them paint,” Summey said. “As long as they didn’t put Best Western on there or CSU. We kind of had a tarp painting party (where) we had pizza, music and painting.”

However, some students still struggled with the drawbacks.

“The only thing that I would say was a downside was being far off campus and not being able to make connections with people on campus because once we moved into the dorms themselves, we were separated and had to make friends with the people living in the dorms already,” Gordon said. “And the only problem with those people is they already have a lot of their friend groups.”

Westfall Hall opened to residents this school year.

Improvements to Westfall include double-pane, energy-efficient windows, heater upgrades, new furnishings and window coverings, fresh paint and new LED light fixtures. These additions improve energy efficiency and overall lighting, which will produce light up to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light, Westfall Residence Director Nichole Valentin said.

“The residents in Westfall are fundamentally the same as the residents who live in Durward:

very active, energetic and excited to connect with others in their community,” Valentin said. “I think the residents who are returning to Westfall are really appreciating the aesthetic changes to the hallways and lounges on each floor as well as the new furniture and hardwood floors in the rooms.”

This year’s first-year class is able to have an average college dorm experience, unlike last year’s. Many students believe this can cause a difference in social interaction.

“Westfall is a place where meeting someone new is inevitable,” said Faraaz Bukhari, a residence assistant at Westfall. “There’s an allure about community-style bathrooms and bonding over brushing your teeth or singing with each other from separate showers.”

This type of experience Bukhari described was few and far between for students staying at the Best Western.

“I don’t have the same connections as I would if I had lived in the dorms,” Gordon said. “I thought there was something different that a lot of others didn’t get to experience, but at the same time, I missed out on being in the dorm and making connections and friend groups.”

Banners hang outside the Lory Student Center Aug. 26. Colorado State University launched a new visual and marketing campaign titled Find Your Energy.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE STERN THE COLLEGIAN

Recent Supreme Court decision leaves students at risk

On June 27 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that inadvertent threatening speech is not an arrestable offense, according to an American Civil Liberties Union press release.

Originally in Colorado, any threatening speech that made an individual feel like they were in harm’s way was cause for legal action.

The recent 7-2 decision regarding Counterman v. Colorado, authored by Justice Elena Kagan, decided the previous law was a violation of the First Amendment. This means the speaker’s own intent must be taken into account to recognize whether or not it is a “true threat.”

This case hits close to home for a few Colorado State University students who had many frightening encounters with a social media presence that went by the name Kiera. Jen Buthman, a second-year CSU student, has been involved in a stalking case since January 2023.

“It started out as a Snapchat account called ‘Kiera’ with a blond girl as the avatar, and he found us through the CSU 2026 Snapchat community,” Buthman said. “No one knew who it was — it was just ‘Kiera.’”

Before the stalking started, Buthman and their roommate, Kallie Jost, knew it was a trolling account because the individual was sending disrespectful messages and reposting pictures with hateful words attached.

The messages Kiera sent to Buthman escalated when he started contacting them every day and asking them how their day was. When Buthman didn’t answer, he would get extremely angry, call them heinous names and threaten them and Jost with physical violence. Buthman described the first encounter with Kiera that made them feel endangered and resulted in them going to the police.

“I posted it (a picture of my car) on my story — it didn’t have my license plate in it,” Buthman said. “It was just the very back window of my car that said ‘dick sucker.’ I just posted, ‘why?’”

Later that day when Buthman returned to their car, they found the words “Kiera is here” on their driver’s side door.

“Once I went to the police, I blocked the ‘Kiera’ account, and then I went out to my car again to find notes under my windshield,” Buthman said.

The notes from Kiera under their windshield denied the vandalism of Buthman’s car and demanded they unblock him.

man. The only time we’ve ever seen him in person was in court.”

In court, Buthman said Kindred’s entire defense was that “it was just a joke.” This recent Supreme Court decision enables this justification as viable.

“During the case, Kiera smiled, smirked, laughed and stared at us the entire time,” Jost said. “Jen was extremely uncomfortable, but honestly, I was furious.”

Kindred’s repeated patterns of harassment and refusal to leave Buthman alone resulted in a restraining order.

He ended up going to jail a second time for violating the restraining order by entering Corbett Hall, where Buthman and Jost lived last year.

“Because of that Supreme Court ruling, that felony stalking case is getting completely dismissed and wiped off his record,” Buthman said.

Buthman said the lack of consequences for Kindred’s actions frustrates them. His only repercussion is suspension from CSU, but he’s looking to appeal it in order to attend school in the fall.

“I’m a little bit terrified about returning to school because I still have the same car, and I know he knows what apartment complex I live in,” Buthman said.

Before the stalking started, Buthman posted a roommate search for their new apartment for the fall, and “Kiera” swiped up, offering his residency.

“In general, this law change is horrifying for me,” Buthman said. “I’ve had incidents with stalking in the past, and it basically just made it legal, and there isn’t anything you can do.”

Reach Alex Hasenkamp at news @collegian.com.

Food Truck Rally unites music, cuisine in NoCo community

the vendor allergy breakdown on the Food Truck Rally’s website.

“I find immense joy in participating in the vibrant Tuesday Food Truck Rallies held at City Park,” said Mike Neal, the previous owner of Mary’s Mountain Cookies. “It’s my favorite day of the week.”

Neal, also known as “Cookie Mike” in the community, runs the Mary’s Mountain Cookie truck every week.

“The lively atmosphere and the opportunity to share our delicious cookies with the community make these events truly enjoyable,” Neal said.

live music and a lawn, and you’ve got a great time.”

The Food Truck Rally has hosted bluegrass artists and soul singers like The Syrup to electric indie-rock bands like Tumbledown Shack. Northern Colorado’s rich mix of genres in the music scene ensures there is something for every musical palate.

Every summer, this diverse mix of local music, allergy-friendly foods and warm weather brings the Fort Collins community together for truly electric evenings.

than we have space for, but the event operates with a rotation, and I try to get as many vendors in as I can,” Ladley said. “I now have a waitlist for vendors, as my goal has always been for the vendors to be successful at the end of the day.”

“Yes, we go every summer — it really is fabulous,” said Anna Rodriguez, an attendee of the rally. “Nowadays, people aren’t connected; there’s nothing like this going on out there. It’s all bars and parties, whereas this really allows people to talk to each other face-to-face.”

By Sophia Masia @sophie_masia

Join the Fort Collins community every Tuesday at City Park for the Food Truck Rally: a mouthwatering evening of food trucks, live music and a vibrant atmosphere.

“I love the Food Truck Rally; it’s so wonderful to hang out in the community and meet up with

friends to try all the food,” attendee Jacqueline Jovita said. “We come every summer. It’s really just such a fun time.”

The Food Truck Rally gathers restaurants from all over Colorado to showcase unique flavors and cuisines. It differs from most other food-centered festivals because of the variety of dietary restrictions. Nearly every truck offers vegan, vegetarian, glutenfree and dairy-free options — see

However, the gathering is more than an opportunity for restaurants to be discovered, as the Food Truck Rally hosts local musicians to play live music at the event every week.

“Playing the Food Truck Rally is always a highlight of my summer,” returning musical headliner Taylor Shae said. “From the cute dogs to school being back in session, the energy and vibes were stellar. I feel that this event really showcases some of the best food in Fort Collins. Pair it with

Sarah Ladley, organizer and founder of the Food Truck Rally, said the whole team works tirelessly every summer to create this welcoming environment that she calls the definition of summer.

Ladley, who also owns the popular treat truck Ba-Nom-aNom, took inspiration from other food truck events to create the Northern Colorado staple.

“I was a participant at Civic Center EATS in Denver, and this is what I modeled the event after,” Ladley said.

“There are now so many trucks in Fort Collins and the surrounding area that there are more trucks

The Food Truck Rally is held in City Park every Tuesday until Sept. 19, and you can find updated information about changing menus and musical guests on their Facebook page.

“Myself and all the food trucks involved are so grateful for the community continuing to support this event,” Ladley said. “In addition to our wonderful relationship with the City of Fort Collins and the Mishawaka (Amphitheatre), along with our other partners who make this event possible.”

Reach Sophia Masia at entertainment@collegian.com.

Peach Festival: 1-stop shop for end-of-summer fun

By Jack Fillweber @csucollegian

On Saturday, Aug. 19, four Rotary Clubs of Fort Collins came together to hold the 13th annual Peach Festival. This festival holds a special place in Fort Collins’ heart because of its positive impact through the Rotary Clubs, along with an immense lineup of recreation.

The origin of the Peach Festival began with two clubs coming together for the community. The collaboration allowed the Peach Festival to take the initial shape as Pigs ‘n Pits, a barbecue and 5K run. In 2011, the event took the name Peach Festival, and through the years, the event has been held at the Gardens on Spring Creek, Hughes Stadium and the Holiday Twin Drive-In.

The event this year was located at Civic Center Park in downtown Fort Collins. The activities included various local bands, plenty of beer options, a wide selection of food and snacks, face painting for the kids and other local businesses.

The festival was a collective effort between the four Rotary Clubs in Fort Collins and was intended to increase understanding of the clubs as well as their causes.

Kerrie Luginbill, a member and former president of the Rotary Club of Fort Collins, said the overarching

goals of the Rotary Club are to help families with issues such as literacy and sanitation. This aligns with the mission of Rotary International, as their website says they aim to promote goodwill and unite the community.

“We take the funds that are raised, and they are distributed by the different clubs to a lot of organizations,” Luginbill said. “This year in particular, one of our core focuses was literacy in Larimer County.”

In addition to this festival supporting important causes, it was also an exciting event that gave attendees a glimpse into pre-COVID times. Civic Center Park, where the event was held, has easy access to parking garages as well as downtown Fort Collins. Although beer is present, upon arrival it was clear that this is a family-friendly event.

The park was scattered with children in face paint and smiling dogs happy to be out of the house. The festival layout was easy to navigate, with the music and beer set back from the main entrances, allowing visitors to pass vendors before finding the music.

Luginbill said the reason for free admission this year is to encourage foot traffic in Old Town in the wake of COVID-19. Free admission has not been the case for prior Peach Festivals, so Rotary’s commitment to serving the community can be felt even more this year.

One local beer vendor named Tatum Cochran, the general manager at Horse & Dragon Brewing Company, was asked how the Peach Festival makes Fort Collins a more enjoyable place.

“It’s just fun,” Cochran said. “There (are) a lot of festivals that are very specific; there are music festivals or beer (festivals), but this is everything. … There’s beer, there’s music, there’s local vendors, there are great ways to support our community. ... Much of the money that Rotary is raising today goes back to our local communities.”

Cochran illustrated perfectly what makes this festival such an important part of Fort Collins. The festival is not only fun for those who attend, but it refocuses our community to a shared, positive goal.

One volunteer, Zack George, spoke on his favorite aspects of the festival.

“People can congregate towards the end of summer and enjoy similarities in peaches and music,” George said.

The Peach Festival was a positive experience for many and kicked off the school year properly before a busy fall to come.

Reach Jack Fillweber at life @collegian.com.

John McQuain prepares meat at his food truck, BIGS Meat Wagon Aug. 22. McQuain’s dishes drum up a long line at the FoCo Food Truck Rally every Tuesday in City Park.

PHOTO BY RIVER KINNAIRD THE COLLEGIAN

A Fort Collins resident goes in for a bite of a fresh peach at the Peach Festival Aug. 19. Presented by the Rotary Clubs of Northern Colorado, the Peach Festival was put on by local businesses and organizations. The festival helped raise funds for the Imagination Library, a program that donates books to children in Larimer County.

PHOTO BY RIVER KINNAIRD THE COLLEGIAN

Annual Tour de Fat unites cyclists in Colorado

By Alexander Wilson @alexgrey0604

The well-known costumed bike parade Tour de Fat took over Fort Collins Saturday, Aug. 26. Families and friends from all over Northern Colorado came to participate in the parade and the event held afterward at New Belgium Brewing Company.

“We’re new to Fort Collins, and we wanted to engage in the community, and I think it’s a great way to be who you are and get out and have fun,” said Kristin Griff, a biker in the parade.

The festival at the end of the parade showcased many small businesses to create a sense of community. The Waffle Lab, Las Catrinas and Fat Tomato Inc. were among the most popular.

“We’re here for some fun in the sun,” said Paul Michaelson, an employee for Matador, as he was handing out burritos to customers in line for his food truck. It seemed every business had a minimum of 40 people in line trying to buy food and drinks.

People at the festival were dressed in many different costumes. A young boy in a shark

costume was a finalist in the costume contest as a baby shark. Another festival member went all out and dressed up as Jesus.

“I’ve always been told I look like Jesus — at least when I have long hair — so I thought I would do it,” said Justin Youngk, a New Belgium employee. “It’s my first Tour de Fat, and it was kind of a last-minute buy. It’s a good time to come and express yourself in whatever way you want, in costume or lack thereof, and get some drinks, have some food, but I’m still kind of learning as I’m here now.”

In between the festivities, many bands and performers, such as Lady Denim and Thee Sacred Souls, played music on the three stages held at the festival. To promote the “come as you are” theme of this year’s parade, New Belgium Brewing Company had American Sign Language interpreters throughout the festival to ensure everyone would be included.

“The dancing made it feel like I was young again, back in the clubs, and I think the costumes added in with the dancing was an incredible experience,” Griff said in between performance sets.

People walking on stilts and performing stunts also graced the stage with their talent, which was a hit with the younger ones in the crowd. There was also a bike track with small bikes for kids — and adults that fit — to show off their own tricks.

Many people who attend Tour de Fat have formed a tradition of coming every year.

“We do Tour de Fat every year; we’ve done it for almost 10 years now,” said Lucy Nuremberg, a festival guest. “So it’s a really special tradition we have between our group, and we’re so excited to be here. This year, we’re all Barbies and Kens. We’ve done matching costumes every year.”

Although Tour de Fat seems to be just a bike parade with beer, it supports many local nonprofit groups.

“This year, proceeds from beer sales go to Bike Fort Collins, the Overland Mountain Bike Association, the Fort Collins Bike Co-op and SendTown Bike Club,” according to the New Belgium website.

Reach Alexander Wilson at news @collegian.com.

Participants have fun with their summer beach-themed costumes for the Tour de Fat costumed bike parade Aug. 26.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE STERN THE COLLEGIAN

CSU institution studies Colorado wolf reintroduction

By Allie Seibel @allie_seibel_

In 2020 Proposition 114 was put forth on the ballot to reintroduce gray wolves into designated lands west of the Continental Divide by the end of 2023.

The proposition narrowly passed, with 50.91% of voters choosing in favor of reintroducing the gray wolf — an endangered species — into Colorado’s natural ecosystem for the first time since the 1940s.

“When the idea of a ballot initiative first started, we felt it was important for (Colorado State University) to engage on this issue,” said Kevin Crooks, director of the Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence at CSU. “CSU is a land-grant institution, which means that part of our land-grant mission is to apply knowledge that we learn here in the university to benefit society. So we felt that there was a role for CSU to engage on the scientific front to try to understand better what are the social and ecological dynamics that might underlie wolves coming back here to the state.”

Gray wolves are an endangered species in Colorado, but in many parts of the country, they are not due in part to reintroduction and

conservation efforts. The project, headed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, will reintroduce about 1015 wolves into designated areas in Colorado by the end of the year.

“This would be an important conservation action for the state of Colorado,” Crooks said. “There’s been an absent sustainable population of wolves — a viable population — from Colorado for nearly 70 years.”

This ballot initiative caused widespread controversy in Colorado, and the project itself is controversial nationwide because gray wolves are considered apex predators. Crooks said the

goal of the CHCC is to study the sociological effects of wolf reintroduction on Colorado’s farming community.

“We have both social scientists, who work (with) people, and then we have wildlife ecologists, wildlife biologists — people that work on carnivores across campus — and our mission is to develop approaches to minimize conflict between people and predators and to facilitate coexistence between people and carnivores,” Crooks said. “That includes when they are restored here to the state.”

Along with Crooks, who is also a professor in the department

of fish, wildlife and conservation biology, the CHCC is composed of faculty, researchers and graduate and undergraduate students who aim to be messengers of science-based information for the state of Colorado.

In terms of the contentious issue of wolf reintroduction, the CHCC has brought their information and messaging to CSU System offices in each county in Colorado.

“We’ve developed a series of information sheets that are easy to find,”Crooks said.“(We look at) policy, economics and social dimensions of living with wolves. ... Since then, we also have conducted surveys of the general public in Colorado, asking them about their perceptions about wolves and wolf reintroductions.”

Crooks and his team are not directly involved with the wolf reintroduction process, but their studies and research have been used by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to analyze where the reintroduction would be most beneficial.

“An agricultural economist who’s in our center investigated the economic consequences (and) the potential economic consequences to Colorado,” Crooks said. “We’ve been heavily focused on really trying to work to reduce social conflict about wolves, working with the agricultural community (and) working with ranchers to try to develop ways to

facilitate their livelihoods to ensure that they can have their thriving livelihood and landscapes with wolves and other predators.”

Across the Front Range urban corridor, wolf reintroduction has been proven to reduce overbrowsing by elk, which has allowed vegetation to recover and more ecological diversity to flourish. Crooks, the CHCC and Colorado Parks and Wildlife are not sure what the effect of wolves on Colorado’s ecosystem will be as the first carnivores are introduced back into the wild at the end of the year.

“What we’re trying to do at CSU is to try to minimize impacts to both people and predators,” Crooks said. “We know that when humans and carnivores come into conflict, the carnivore populations are impacted. But similarly, on the other side, we also know that people can be impacted (through) impacts on their livelihood, such as ranching and impacts on safety. Generally we know globally that it is true that sometimes carnivores attack or kill people. So what we’re trying to do is try to minimize those impacts coming back both ways to try to minimize conflicts to improve the lives of people and the lives of carnivores.”

Reach Allie Seibel at science @collegian.com.

Fight back against mosquitoes with 5 FAQs

By Jenn Dawson @jennfriend_y

It’s routine. Fort Collins is used to mosquito spraying and West Nile virus fears, but just like in the other seasons, climate change is making chaos out of our routines. Most of summer is behind us, but most of the mosquitoes are still ahead.

We hope you continue to enjoy all the best seasonal activities while also avoiding some of the worst nature has to offer.

1. What are the basics?

Drain: Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, like rain water gathered in tires, pools, gutters and birdbaths. Drain out all those little pools that build up in your yard.

Dress: Cover your skin while you’re outside. Lightweight long sleeves and long pants not only

protect you from bugs but are also a great place to spray repellent if you want to keep DEET off your skin.

Defend: Use mosquito repellent as directed when going outside. A light spray is enough for a few hours.

Dawn/dusk: A mosquito’s favorite times to eat are the hours around sunrise and sunset. Try to avoid being outside during those hours, especially around lakes, ponds and other standing water.

2. What diseases can mosquitoes give me and my pets?

The most likely mosquito-borne disease candidates are the following:

• For people: West Nile virus

• For domestic pets, including dogs, cats, birds, horses and others: West Nile virus

• For cats and dogs: heartworm disease

• For horses: eastern equine encephalitis

3. Should I avoid DEET?

When used as directed, DEET is not only safe but also a preferable experience to the potential diseases. However, there are some real and effective alternative options.

The Larimer County website recommends DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus and IR3535 as repellents.

4. How do I keep mosquitos away from my house?

• Close doors and windows without screens.

• Use air conditioning.

• Remember that mosquitoes need standing water to lay their eggs. Clean out dishes, flower vases, humidifiers

and other standing water at least once a week.

5. Is the city’s mosquito spray dangerous for me and my pets?

The key ingredient of the pesticide Fort Collins sprays is permethrin.

The pesticide permethrin can be broken down quickly by sunlight. It does not mix well with water, so it doesn’t usually contaminate groundwater. Cats are more sensitive to permethrin than people or dogs. Lastly, trace amounts of permethrin can stick around on vegetation for up to three weeks. So wash food from the garden, and don’t let your pets graze until the grass has been watered.

The City of Fort Collins website regularly updates mosquito spraying information.

The city thoroughly maps and schedules mosquito spraying, and residents can even sign up to receive alerts when their area is sprayed. Getting sprayed? There’s no opting out, so those who are sensitive to pesticides can consider these precautions:

• Cover up gardens and water features in your yard.

• Remember to wash food from gardens.

• Cover the fresh air intake if you’re running the air conditioning.

• Keep yourself, your pets and your children inside for at least half an hour. Cover up your skin, mist a little of that good old DEET and enjoy the season before the snowpocalypse strikes back.

Reach Jenn Dawson at science @collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN

COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO

5 reasons to join The Collegian

write, photograph and design with each other.

2. There are no limits to the

opportunities

By Dominique Lopez @caffeinatedddee6

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 Rocky Mountain Collegian has been around for over 130 years, and with that come many opportunities where a legacy has been fostered by students choosing to write about issues that impact them currently. The students at Colorado State University have been reporting on local news, sharing their opinions and marveling students with interesting knowledge

for years, which is why now is the best time to share the top five reasons you should join The Collegian

1. It’s

an environment filled with your peers

The Rocky Mountain Collegian is for students, by students — and this is something that flows through the whole corporation. By joining The Collegian, you can surround yourself with peers who are likeminded and who you may not meet in a typical classroom setting. The Collegian provides opportunities for students to find lifelong friends, all while fostering those relationships as you

As a student,you may be wondering, “What does joining The Collegian really give me the opportunity to do?” By joining the paper, you have the opportunity to focus on any field you find most interesting, whether it be what’s going on in the city, sharing your thoughts on the most recent piece of news you saw or even discussing a cool new lab on campus.There are also chances for those who may lean more into photography or graphic design to get their work attached to a published article. At a student-run paper, you get the opportunity to share your own interests and curiosities with the Fort Collins community.

resumes. With The Collegian, every single story you write and every single design you make is published on our website. As your portfolio builds, you will be able to document your published work on your resume as you continue to grow through college. Building your resume may not be the first thing you assumed would be necessary during your college career, but joining The Collegian for the realworld experience and the chance to share your publications is invaluable.

4. Earn compensation for your work

for writers and, more importantly, ways to diversify our staff. If you are wanting to take a chance and put yourself in a journalist’s shoes, we are willing to train you. Even if you have minimal writing experience or aren’t quite sure what being a journalist actually means, we invite you to learn more about our publication and get involved. Plus, in an environment with your peers, we are all constantly learning how to better our journalistic skills. As a team, we are all learning the best ways to succeed together.

3. Get the opportunity

to include published work on your resume

Some of us may just barely be starting our college careers, but that doesn’t mean we need to wait for the opportunity to start building up our

Positions at The Collegian are paid or for credit, including freelance work. By joining The Collegian, you can end every two weeks with a higher paycheck and a bigger smile. While it might not be much, the real-world experience that goes hand in hand with a consistent flow of cash is a great feeling.

5. We’ll help train you so you can succeed

No matter your major or your focus at CSU, The Collegian is always looking

Becoming a part of The Collegian may not be your first choice of club or extracurricular activity to participate in, and that is OK. We hope that you come try us out or read and share our paper so we can continue to inspire prospective students to join. The Collegian is always looking for new writers and faces to liven up our paper, and we hope that after reading this list you are curious about becoming a new reporter, photographer or even graphic designer for The Collegian Reach Dominique Lopez at letters @collegian.com.

PHOTO BY GARRETT MOGELTHE COLLEGIAN

Why do I only want pumpkin-flavored things?

With the very early release of Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte and other fall-themed treats, I wondered why so many people are so quick to run to Starbucks the moment new beverages get released, despite knowing it’s the same thing every year. Then it began to dawn on me that social media heavily influences how we choose to spend our money.

By Dominique Lopez @caffeinateddee6

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.

Have you ever wondered why you have a sudden fascination to try the newest food you saw on TikTok? Or why you suddenly feel pressured to get a pumpkin spice latte this early into the fall season even though the thermometers are still hitting 80 degrees every day?

In January I went to a Starbucks searching for a peppermint mocha because I was still in a holiday mood. After asking the barista if it was something they were still selling, I began to realize the peppermint mocha is only largely advertised as a holiday classic beverage during the holiday season because peppermint is considered a holiday flavor. However, the barista at this location then shared with me that they still were extremely stocked up with pumpkin flavoring despite the fact that it’s supposed to be a seasonal flavor. And I began to realize the drop in people ordering pumpkinflavored treats was because the season of fall had at that point already left people’s minds.

Mainstream media plays a large role in everyone’s lives. Whether it’s what we stream or what we see on social media, media is brought up in conversation or overheard on the way to class — it is always there. So it’s no wonder that when I heard someone mention the pumpkin flavoring at Dutch Bros, my ears perked up, and I began to search my Dutch Bros app for more information.

Human beings are so easily manipulated by what they see or hear around them that they can oftentimes find themselves starting to seek out certain behaviors or things that mirror what they have seen on social media. No one really has an interest in eating Rocky Mountain oysters, but the moment they start blowing up on TikTok, I bet you might be more interested.

And even if you don’t have TikTok, that doesn’t mean you are immune to this cycle that is continuously happening. It just means we are even more susceptible to our interest being snagged by verbal discussion or the Google searches we make.

This phenomenon doesn’t just stop at food, though. It continues to be something that impacts the way we dress, what type of body wash we use and maybe even what kind of doctor we go see.

However, pumpkin-themed treats being the most popular trend going around right now seems to make it seem this is all about food — that is, until the fall outfits and Halloween decorations will come to overrule the hype that is the pumpkin spice latte just in time for the Christmas flavors to be released.

Whether we like it or not, the season of pumpkin-flavored everything is upon us despite the warm weather outside, and it will be here until the season of Christmas-themed beverages approaches in November, as it has in past years. And unfortunately for us, there is no real way to fight off the reality that the season of seasonal themed flavors and scents will soon overpower all of our homes.

Reach Dominique Lopez at letters @collegian.com.

COLLEGIAN

COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO

COLLEGIAN COLUMNIST

FoCo Food Truck Rally has something for everyone

By Sophia Masia @sophie_masia

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.

Every Tuesday in the summer from 5:30 p.m. until dusk, City Park hosts the FoCo Food Truck Rally, an event for the people of Fort Collins to bring their families and listen to live music while they try out the many food options.

Last Tuesday, Aug. 22, I visited the Food Truck Rally, where I had the opportunity to try Double Wide Burgers and BaNom-a-Nom from a handful of amazing food trucks as well as watch musical guest Taylor Shae perform.

I was initially shocked at how many diet friendly options are at every truck. There were very few food trucks where someone couldn’t get a vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free alternative on the menu.

“I do like doing the Food Truck Rally,” said Dan Skaggs, owner of

Double Wide Burgers. “I think it’s great. It’s a big thing for the community, and we love being a part of it. We love being part of the community. Keep coming to support local business and trucks.”

Both of the trucks I tried had delicious food, kind vendors and fairly quick service depending on the truck and time. I recommend everyone attend the Food Truck Rally at least once, not only to sample the amazing cuisine but to support the businesses that show up every week.

The Food Truck Rally provides opportunities for more than just food trucks, as they have a different musical artist playing live music for the attendees each week. This past week was alternative country rock artist Shae.

I personally became a fan after hearing her set, but I could tell from the applause among the community that I was not the only one to fall in love with the local musician’s sound.

I truly believe that this is a great event for anybody. There were people of all ages, dogs are welcome on a leash and no alcohol is served, making the Food Truck Rally an event for everyone.

“We go every summer,” attendee Anna Rodriguez said. “It really is fabulous.”

As the sun started to set and the music stopped playing, most of the crowd dispersed, but I watched people gather by their cars and continue to talk, eat and meet each other while the trucks packed up.

Although public spaces were utilized during lockdown, it was not the same as what the Food Truck Rally does weekly. Without the social distancing guidelines, more people are interacting the way they did before the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s not hard to see that even long after mask mandates and social distancing were left behind, the seclusion that came with COVID-19 has lingered, but the Food Truck Rally is a perfect example of our community connecting with each other once again.

The Food Truck Rally ends Sept. 19 for the winter. Find out information about the Food Truck Rally, their vendors and talent on their website or on their Facebook page for live updates.  Reach Sophia Masia at letters @collegian.com.

Many families enjoy the FoCo Food Truck Rally Aug. 22. The rally, which took place in City Park, sees crowds of people every single Tuesday.

PHOTO BY RIVER KINNAIRD THE COLLEGIAN

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

Tour de Fat

7

1. Tour de Fat participants ride through a cloud of bubbles during the bike parade Aug. 26. PHOTO BY ARIA PAUL THE COLLEGIAN

2. Tour de Fat participants with pool floaties ride past during the bike parade Aug. 26. PHOTO BY ARIA PAUL THE COLLEGIAN

3. A Tour de Fat participant dressed in CSU’s green and gold overalls rides past during the bike parade Aug. 26.

PHOTO BY ARIA PAUL THE COLLEGIAN

4. Tour de Fat participants with balloons and bike decorations ride past during the bike parade Aug. 26. PHOTO BY ARIA PAUL THE COLLEGIAN

5. A Tour de Fat participant rides past during the bike parade Aug. 26.

PHOTO BY ARIA PAUL THE COLLEGIAN

6. A group of girls ride in the Tour de Fat costume bike parade following a country theme Aug. 26. Tour de Fat celebrated its 24th year featuring a day full of free activities for people of all ages.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE STERN THE COLLEGIAN

7. Two people dress up as clowns during the Tour de Fat costume bike parade in Fort Collins Aug. 26. When deciding on costumes, people have free range to be as creative as they want.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE STERN THE COLLEGIAN

8. A couple dresses up as a bride and groom during the Tour de Fat costume bike parade Aug. 26.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE STERN THE COLLEGIAN

9. A lady enjoys the bubbles as she rides in the costume bike parade for Tour de Fat in Fort Collins Aug. 26. People of all ages come to participate in New Belgium Brewing Company’s Tour de Fat activities.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE STERN THE COLLEGIAN

10. Thousands of people gather at City Park in Fort Collins for the 24th annual Tour de Fat costume bike parade Aug. 26. For 24 years, New Belgium has hosted the Tour de Fat, bringing people of all ages to come out and participate in a day full of activities.

PHOTO BY SOPHIE STERN THE COLLEGIAN

8

6 10

SEASON-OPENER

CSU football looks to start fresh against Washington State

By Damon Cook @dwcook2001

There’s no denying Jay Norvell’s inaugural season as head coach didn’t go the way most fans — or even Norvell himself — hoped for.

On Sept. 2 Colorado State will get a rematch when they play Washington State, a team they lost to by 31 points a season ago.

“We played this football team a year ago,” Norvell said. “We really couldn’t have played any worse than we did a year ago, especially in the first quarter (and) the first half. We gave three touchdowns defensively; we couldn’t move the ball offensively. We covered some of those areas today; we’ve reviewed the game several times and are pretty tired of watching it honestly.”

The Rams are ready to wipe the slate clean and show fans who the team is this year. In order to prepare for that, there was a lot of change this offseason, including establishing a sense of maturity and a sense of pride in CSU football.

Offense

The offense was the one side of the ball that saw a lot of new faces come in, especially at the offensive line. Last time they faced off against the Cougars, quarterback Clay Millen was sacked seven times.

“Coach Norvell, he talked about it this morning, but a lot of this game relies on the O-line,” offensive lineman Jacob Gardner said. “And we have to go out there and send a message and knock the people off the ball.”

Knocking people off the ball will be a big thing for the Rams, who struggled all around on offense. CSU averaged just 1.2 yards per carry against the Cougars last season, but with the addition of Kobe Johnson, who rushed for almost 1,000 yards in his last season at North Dakota State, that is something that should be remedied.

Norvell said he’s treating Johnson and returning running back Avery Morrow as starters. He told them they shouldn’t worry about who’s taking the first snaps on Saturday because he sees them both as starters.

Watchlist: Dallin Holker is the starting tight end for CSU. The tight end position didn’t register a catch for CSU against the Cougars last season. Holker has been praised for both his impact in practice as well as his maturity and could be a big part of the game plan this weekend.

“He’s probably the last one off the field every single day, and he’s always in there doing recovery with me,” Gardner said. “And he’s watching film, catching balls after practice. Guys see that (and) see how committed he is. ... He’s one of the guys that’s helping the team gel together, and he’s just a good dude overall. He wants to win, just like everybody else.”

Defense

Something that killed the Rams a season ago was long plays. Cougar wide receivers Donovan Ollie and De’Zhaun Stribling both averaged more than 10 yards per catch. With a bolstered secondary, that’s not expected to be the case this time around.

“I feel confident in our coverage,” Norvell said. “I think we got some really good players, (and) I think we’re much improved from a year ago in our secondary. I really love Ron Hardge, Dom Jones — those guys have added a lot to (Chigozie Anusiem) as cover guys back there, and Ayden Hector’s a really good cover guy as a nickel, and Washington State should know all about him — he came from there.”

Washington State lost their top three wide receivers this offseason, but despite that major turnover from the Cougars, the man at the helm remains. Cameron Ward gave CSU problems last year, throwing for 299 yards and four touchdowns.  While the Cougars lost several of their starting receivers, the Rams gained more depth in the secondary. This helps

translate into fresh bodies who will be able to rotate in and still play at a high level.

“We know that the level of play is not going to drop off,” Rams safety Henry Blackburn said. “It’s going to stay the same standard for guys, and that’s just the biggest thing is knowing that if we need a series off or something like that, we know that guys can step in, and there’s not going to be a drop-off of execution.”

Watchlist: Chase Wilson is a familiar face around Ram country. He will make his debut as one of the leaders of the defense for the Rams. Wilson has been praised by several coaches and called the leader of the defense by Blackburn.

“That’s one thing about Chase: We all feed off of him,” Blackburn said. “I believe it’s his passion. You can see it when he’s out there on the field — he loves it. We get in the huddle before we go out to take the field, (and) he’s the one head butting all of us getting us read to go.”

Special teams

Winning special teams is something Norvell has preached over and over to his team, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to do that. Rams star wide receiver Tory Horton is expected to field punts with Morrow, and Johnson is expected to be back on kickoffs.

While unprecedented, Norvell believes that playing his best guys on special teams gives them the best chance at winning.

Watchlist

Jordan Noyes, the kicker who came over from Utah in the offseason, is super consistent, making all 34 of his extra points last season. If the game goes like Norvell expects, the Rams will need him to convert his attempts in order to win the game.

“It’s going to be important that our field goal kicker is effective,” Norvell said. “That was another problem we had a year ago. We didn’t make our field goals. We didn’t handle the net punt efficiently. We got to really make an impact on special teams as well.”

Reach Damon Cook at sports@collegian.com.

live pLaY-by-pLaY bRoAdCasTs!

BROADCASTS ONLY ON

AugusT 29 - NorTherN Colorado

SepTemBer 7 - BowLinG GreEn

SepTemBer 14 - Colorado

SepTemBer 15 - Colorado

SepTemBer 28 - San DiEgo State

OcTober 7 - San Jose State

OcTober 19 - FresNo State

OcTober 26 - Utah State

OcTober 28 - BoIse State

NovemBer 16 - New Mexico

NovemBer 18tH - Air ForCe

KCSU VOLLEYBALL BROADCASTS SPONSPORED BY:

CROSS COUNTRY

CSU XC looks to NCAA Championships with new additions

By Damon Cook @dwcook2001

The 2023-24 season will be an exciting one for Colorado State cross country. Earlier this month, they were voted to win the Mountain West Conference in the preseason poll.

This would be a big feat for first-year head coach Kelly Hart, who comes in as the youngest coach in the Mountain West. She was listed on the Notre Dame roster just two years ago in 2021.

Hart’s youth gives her a unique perspective into what it’s like to be a student-athlete.

“I remember what it was like to be a student-athlete,” Hart said.

“Sometimes it can be too much. You have to separate a little bit, and it’s easy to get so emotional with their highs and lows, and I remember what that feels like.”

This will help her in her quest to get the Rams back to the NCAA championships in November. Hart was an assistant coach last year when the Rams sent both of their men’s and women’s squads to Stillwater, Oklahoma.

This will help her coach a team that retained a lot of its athletes from the year before. While largely staying the same, the Rams added five names via the transfer portal.

Women

Yasmin Austridge is a graduate student transfer from Lamar University, where she won the 1,500-meter in the Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She joins the Rams with plenty of hardware and should be able to compete right away for CSU.

Claire Hengesbaugh came over from Loyola University Chicago as

a graduate transfer. She was selected to the first team All-Missouri Valley Conference team in 2018, 2020 and 2021. She will also come in and compete right away for the Rams.

Kensey May came over from Syracuse after her first-year season. She placed first in the 5,000-meter at the John Reif Invitational in her first-year season. She is one of seven athletes listed as freshman on the women’s roster.

Audrey Thronson came over from Tennessee and is the Rams’ other first-year transfer. She made the Southeastern Conference first-year academic

honor roll and will bring youth to CSU.

Men

Sam Griffith is the lone transfer for the men’s team. He came to CSU from Washington State as a graduate transfer. He’s run in multiple Pac-12 championships for the Cougars and will help bolster the men’s roster. The Rams will run the same schedule they did last year. Their first meet will be Saturday, Sept. 2, as they travel across the border to attend the Wyoming Invite.

Reach Damon Cook at sports @collegian.com.

COLLEGIAN FILE ILLUSTRATION

Pushing for success: CSU O-line reloaded

By Damon Cook @dwcook2001

What might have been the biggest change in the offseason for Colorado State football came as the team reloaded their O-line. They added a lot of veteran talent to help fill the holes from last year.

One season ago, the Rams led the Mountain West Conference in sacks given up while simultaneously being the worst rushing offense in the conference; however, only one player who consistently started for the Rams last season season is on the roster.

“Protection is an 11-man job, not a five-man job, and we had some holes on offense, and people exposed them,” O-line coach Bill Best said. “And we feel like we’ve recruited really well, and that’s going to change because of it.”

Jacob Gardner is the player who remains. Gardner was an AllMountain West honorable mention after starting all of his games last

year. He comes into this year as one of the captains for the Rams.

“Playing with a new group is not always the easiest thing,” Gardner said. “I’d say one of the biggest things (is) learning how to gel together and learning how to communicate, and you’ve got to stress that to your guys, and I feel like people have done a pretty solid job of communicating with each other and ironing out the smaller issues that help us eventually gel together like we need to for the season.”

Addressing some of those problems was at the top of the list this offseason when it came to recruiting. Best and his staff worked hard to get what they needed, and he said he feels like they accomplished that.

“We got exactly what we wanted, and I’ll tell you: Nash O’Fallon and Bria Griffin — those two who are in that recruiting department do an unbelievable job,” Best said.

“They did an unbelievable job in identifying guys through scouting.

We were able to get on planes and go find them, (and) we got everything we wanted.”

“I don’t want to just be a big dumb guy out there,” Moss said. “I want to work some good technique also, but whenever the time comes, I want to be a mauler, too, though — don’t forget it.”

Moss’ commitment to becoming that has helped him make a ripple in fall camp. On several occasions, Moss has been mentioned by different teammates and coaches as being a bright spot.

“We spend time together and just get to know each other,” Moss said. “Less at the beginning, but now it’s a brotherhood. We’re together now for sure.”

The O-line didn’t have the luxury of bringing in transfers to help fill in a depth issue like a lot of the other units on the roster did, and they needed to address their issues from last year and add depth as well. Despite the tall task, Best said it will turn around this year.

The influx of new guys puts a lot of eyes on this year’s unit. They added size, athleticism and IQ to this unit. Drew Moss is one of the players whose name is consistently brought up when talking about players who are turning heads in camp. Best described him as a mauler, but Moss said he wants to be viewed as a combination of everything.

“He’s a little bit undersized for what we like at tackle, but he’s done a tremendous job going back to the spring, and now he’s really becoming a dominant player,” Best said.  With a unit as new to each other as this one is, chemistry can be a concern. Communication is a vital aspect for the offensive line, and not having played next to one another before can be a big step to overcome. However, everyone who plays O-line has worked hard this offseason to build their chemistry.

“I mean, I’m a competitor; we all are competitors,” Best said. “So we scoured the country to make our team — our roster — better. The cupboard was bare, and we did the best we could, and the kids that played for us did the very best they could.”

Reach Damon Cook at sports @collegian.com.

“I’m a competitor; we all are competitors.”

BILL BEST CSU FOOTBALL O-LINE COACH

COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO

FoCo Comic Con donates $20,000 to mental health resources

Scott in tandem with the Poudre River Public Library District.

Armstrong said the event resulted from the Poudre Library losing the ability to hold a book sale, which gave Armstrong and Scott the opportunity to open the FoCo Comic Con in order to raise money for the library while creating an inclusive community for fellow geeks.

This year the team took on the new goal of supporting mental health resources. The beneficiary of the 2023 event was the Alliance for Suicide Prevention of Larimer County. FoCo Comic Con donated $20,000 through their badge sales in response to the Poudre School District’s recent call for more attention to children’s mental well-being.

FoCo Comic Con also creates opportunities for smaller artists. Ron Fortier, a science fiction and comic writer for over 50 years, shared his experience.

“(FoCo Comic Con) is the best place in the world for young creators to network,” Fortier said. “I am a 50-year pro in this business, and I love nothing better than to meet new writers and artists who want to get into the business, ... maybe give them some answers, some questions, some shortcuts on things they’re doing and how they can get published faster. … It is a wonderful mix of professionals and newbies.”

“Literally, I learned to read from comic books as a child,” Fortier said. “So you can’t put a price tag on that. … If you live in Fort Collins, your children are in school, and you want them to get inspired, to learn, to enjoy education — bring them to Comic Con.”

By Jack Fillweber @csucollegian

Finding like-minded social groups can be quite a challenge for some, but Fort Collins

FILM REIVEW

Comic Con has become a safe haven for those seeking comfort and community. This past weekend marked the eighth annual Fort Collins Comic Con.

FoCo Comic Con was founded by Nick Armstrong and Nathan

“Being seen, being recognized, being in a community — all of these things are ways to bolster your mental health,” Armstrong said. “In addition, Comic Con is very much a ‘third place’ for not just our teens but our community in general.”

Having writers like Fortier at Comic Con is what makes an event like this so rich. Accomplished comic authors understand the field and are willing to share their practice and experience with anyone willing to learn.

Fortier believes in comics having the ability to invigorate readers’ imaginations as well as spark children’s interest in reading.

Fortier went on to discuss how comics stimulate two different sides of the brain. Because you have to simultaneously read and look at the visuals in a comic book, it engages the reader’s imagination. Fortier said comics are “a mini movie that only you can see in your mind.”

With the average attendee spending almost $100, there is plenty of profit to go around for the vendors. The artists benefit not only from the profit but also by getting more eyes on their artwork and bolstering their reputation.

Reach Jack Fillweber at entertainment@collegian.com.

How the Barbie movie reinvigorated commentary on patriarchy

“I think it had a lot more of a resonant theme than I had anticipated,” Grant said. “I think that it does a good job at poking holes into the socially constructed ideal of femininity because I think that’s what a lot of people associate Barbie with.”

Grant commented on the fact that the film didn’t affect him in the way it may have impacted others.

“As a man, the sentiments didn’t necessarily represent my experience,” Grant said. “I thought it was still super powerful, but I recognize that not all stories will be, or should be, about only my experience.”

Amber Rogers, a junior at the University of Northern Colorado, said she saw the movie about two weeks after the film was released in theaters.

Rogers added that she liked seeing an opposing perspective, and in contrast to the Movieguide article’s opinion, she thought it appealed to a bigger audience than just women.

There were some scenes that hinted at LGBTQ+ relations in the film, and the casting of Nef, a transgender actress, was another point of criticism in the Movieguide review.

“I think that at the end of the day, we’re in the 21st century, and inclusion is very much a part of Hollywood ... no matter what you are,” Rogers said. Rogers added that she believes inclusivity in the entertainment industry is very crucial at this moment in time.

By Daryn Whitmoyer @csucollegian

On July 21, the highly anticipated “Barbie” was released in U.S. theaters and has been receiving mixed reviews as it continues to succeed at the box office.

The film, directed and written by Greta Gerwig, features Margot Robbie as Stereotypical Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Beach Ken.

Additional big-name celebrities star as other Barbies and Kens, including actress Hari Nef as Doctor Barbie and Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie.

Fox News recently released a segment and an online article recapping the Christian movie review site Movieguide’s review of the film. The review said that the movie “forgets its core audience of families and children while catering

to nostalgic adults and pushing transgender character stories.”

The film discusses topics related to gender roles and feminism, which is part of the reason it is receiving so much backlash.

Andrew Grant, a fifth-year international studies and political science double major at Colorado State University, saw the movie July 27. Overall, he said he liked it a lot more than he expected to.

“I absolutely loved the film,” Rogers said. “As a woman, obviously, it was very womenempowering, and I literally cried just the whole way through.”

Rogers said she thought Gerwig did an interesting job of putting the film’s point of view opposite of how things are today in regard to the patriarchal real world and matriarchal Barbie world.

“She was trying to get a perspective that maybe men could be like, ‘Oh, I see that,’” Rogers said.

“You’re going to have to get used to the fact that directors and producers are creating films where those people are included,” she said. Despite the mixed emotions about the movie, it has been doing well at the box office, grossing over $1.3 billion internationally as of Aug. 23, surpassing The Super Mario Bros. Movie as the highestgrossing movie of 2023, according to The Direct.

“If you get mad at the Barbie movie, there’s other things to focus on,” Grant said.

Reach Daryn Whitmoyer at entertainment@collegian.com.

Many booths were on display at the Fort Collins Comic Con, which took place at the Northside Aztland Community Center Aug. 26.

PHOTO BY RIVER KINNAIRD THE COLLEGIAN

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN

CAMPUS CREATIVITY

‘The Object of Memory’ art exhibit opens at Curfman Gallery

you can fully represent with just one mark. The range between these two scales, hopefully, provides a feeling of openness to the viewer.”

Kannen was born in Cleveland, and he received his BFA from the University of Dayton before going on to receive his MFA from Hunter College in New York City. Since then, Kannen has been making art all across the world, and he received a National Science Foundation Antarctic Artist and Writer Award in 2007.

Currently, Kannen works and lives in Denver, where he continues to draw inspiration from local landscapes. His art can be described as realistic, earthy and obscure. They are what he calls his personal experience of nature.

like Kannen’s, her work contains an entire cycle.

Eisen received her MFA in painting from Tulane University and her BFA in fine arts from Columbus College of Art and Design. Her work has been displayed in galleries in London, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco and Denver, and she has participated in exhibits at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, The Butler Institute of American Art and more.

Eisen currently teaches painting at the University of Northern Colorado.

the past with the present and the present with the future.

“I am honored to show my work at an institution like Colorado State,” Kannen said. “I know the CSU students and faculty care about artwork but also about environmental issues since the university is home to many programs concerned with the local landscape and the planet. This is important to me as well.”

Students who have visited the exhibition were touched by the message and the striking artwork.

By Sophia Masia @sophie_masia

Until Sept. 15, “The Object of Memory” art exhibit by Lauren Lipinski Eisen and Chris Kannen will be shown in the Lory Student Center’s Curfman Gallery at Colorado State University.

“The Object of Memory” exhibit is a collection of nature-inspired art meant to invoke memories and

nostalgia.The pair spent over two years curating these pieces from their own experiences and shared fascination with the workings of memory.

“I hope students can have an open mind about painting and about observing things in nature,” Kannen said. “To me, these paintings suggest a feeling of expansiveness. I wanted to loosely suggest the biggest ‘thing’ we can observe with the naked eye using the smallest possible things

Kannen’s work in “The Object of Memory” is no different. His large, snow-white landscapes contrast with the eye-catching bits of hyper-realistic nature and make the observer feel like the memories infused into the portrait are ones of their own.

Eisen, on the other hand, is also celebrated for her nature-inspired art — but with a twist. Eisen’s work is a portrayal of a sequence in time combined into a single image. Instead of being a frozen moment

“I have been working on this series for the past two years, and I am honored to have the work exhibited in the beautiful Curfman Gallery,” Eisen said. “The staff has been amazing to work with.”

Eisen chooses to focus on memory and place, much like Kannen’s work in the gallery; however, she also alludes to the subjects integrating into human activity, commenting on our consumption of natural resources. The contrasting nature landscapes in this wistful exhibition explore the idea that objects hold memories. The artists invite viewers to explore the intersections of the tangible with the intangible,

“Not to be biased by the title of the collection, but I like how cozy it feels,” CSU student Hannah Parcells said. “I don’t know, all of these pieces from both artists evoke nostalgia. Maybe it’s the life cycle themes, but they’re not even my memories, and I feel at home.”

For those eager to embark on this extraordinary artistic journey, the exhibit is open now. Admission is free, and all are welcome to immerse themselves in this exploration of memory. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, Eisen and Kannen will be in attendance at the closing reception from 4:30-6 p.m. to share their comments and speeches.

Reach Sophia Masia at entertainment@collegian.com.

Artists Chris Kannen and Lauren Lipinski Eisen’s art on display at the Curfman Gallery in the Lory Student Center Aug. 22. Both artists create work highlighting organic objects observed in their natural environments as a response to their own memories. PHOTO BY REUEL INDURKAR THE COLLEGIAN

Weather Weather

h th W We t ath r er e e a at e

trying to tell you their feelings, so look out for them this week.

CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22)

You are gaining wisdom about your family and certain cycles you are ready to break. You are being divinely guided toward your life purpose this week, which means you are going to figure out what you are meant to do here on earth.

WEEKLY HOROSCOPE

By Abby Flores

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (08/31/23)

ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19)

You tend to gravitate toward energy that is light and pure, which means you always want to surround yourself with good vibes. People in the world can sometimes be judgmental, but you have learned to not care and be yourself in any situation. I’m proud of you, Aries!

TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20)

Love in all areas is important to you in life, and this week you will realize how much of it is all around you. You’ll be surrounded by your family and friends, and you will find more prosperity because they are what makes you feel abundant.

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20)

Your love life is a little all over the place, but that is only because you haven’t found someone completely stable for your energy yet. You may need someone who can pull you down to earth and bring you peace. This person already exists, and they’ve been

LEO (JULY 23 - AUG. 22)

You are a gift giver, and that often comes with wondering if people appreciate what you do. I can assure you that your friends love you for who you are. You will receive an abundance of luck and surprises this week.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEPT. 22)

Over the summer, you probably wanted to stop being on social media because you felt overwhelmed. If you still have this feeling, you should start making goals for yourself that align with not comparing yourself. You are beautiful and deserve to feel at ease.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22)

Your indecisiveness often gets the best of you when thinking about your priorities. You like being by yourself, but at the same time, you love to socialize. There’s time for many things in your life, so be sure you are doing activities that make you happy.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)

Peace is what you need in You value loyalty and friendship, but there may be someone in your life who has been confusing and inconsistent

about spending time with you lately. Don’t stop talking to this person, but get them to open up a little. You will find peace when you do.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21) You have a sixth sense, Sagittarius, so you can usually read a room or naturally pick up on certain energies. Family members will come to you for advice this week because they want to get your intuitive wisdom on life and people.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19) It is not easy for you to fall in love, but when you do, it is deep and passionate. You will encounter someone who is going to bring a lot of change into your life this week. They could make for a joyful partner in the future.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18) After going with the flow for some time, you are in an era of finding balance between work, school and relationships this week. It is important to set time aside for all of these things so that you can live a healthy life.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20) You are the star of the show this week, Pisces. There was a full moon under your sign this Wednesday, meaning you will feel the most awakened to new ideas and philosophies.