Vol 127, No. 46, Oct. 18, 2017

Vol. 127, No. 46 Wednesday, October 18, 2017

NEWS

OPINION

A&C

COMMUNITY SHOWS SUPPORT FOR ISLAMIC CENTER

WE NEED TO STOP PRESCRIBING OPIOIDS

STUDENT MAKES TAXIDERMY HAIR ACCESSORIES

PAGE 5

PAGE 7

PAGE 12

In October, the Trump Administration moved to expand the rights of employers by allowing them to deny women insurance coverage for contraception for religious reasons. But, students who are on the CSU health insurance plan will not be impacted by any changes made to the Affordable Care Act. The CSU Health Center currently provides students with one form of birth control out of 18 FDA-approved contraceptives. PHOTO BY JENNY LEE COLLEGIAN

Birth control rollback

Students on CSU Health Insurance not impacted

By Natalia Sperry @natalia_sperry

In early October, the Trump administration moved to expand the rights of employers to deny women insurance coverage for contraception in the name of religious freedom.

The original Affordable Care Act mandate was intended to remove cost barriers by requiring all employers to provide their employees with

insurance plans with no copay birth control. According to a study commissioned by the Obama administration, more than 55 million women gained access to no-cost contraceptive due to the mandate.

The Trump administration’s rollback of this mandate sparked controversy nationally.

CSU students enrolled in six or more residential instruction credits are required to have some form of healthcare, either

through the University’s plan or through private insurers, such as their parents’ plans.

The 2017-2018 CSU student health insurance plan covers all 18 FDA-approved methods of contraception without cost sharing, as is required by federal and state law. The Health Center provides only one method to students. According to the CSU Health Network’s Executive Director Anne Hudgens, this will not be impacted by any changes

in the ACA. “The student health plan is designed to meet the health needs of our student population, and women’s health and contraceptives will remain a fundamental priority,” Hudgens said.

Additionally the Health Center’s women’s clinic provides birth control counseling and provision, including: Implanon insertion and removal, IUD insertion and removal, oral

contraceptives, diaphragm fittings, and the Depo-Provera shot.

However, students not on CSU’s health insurance plan could still be impacted in the case that their employers, or the employers of their parental guardians, participate in the rollback, according to CSU alumna and senior policy and political director for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky

see BIRTH CONTROL on page 4 >>

2

COLLEGIAN.COM Wednesday, October 18, 2017

FORT COLLINS FOCUS

Junior HDFS major Ariana Goldman studies the skull for her upcoming BMS 301 exam in the library. Her advice for students taking the class in the future is “Go to open lab, kids.” Ariana also works as a CNA here in Fort Collins. PHOTO BY JENNA VAN LONE COLLEGIAN

overheard

on the

plaza

“I’d like to state for the record that blue should NOT be an m&m color.”

“I tried to type ‘I’m crying’ and it autocorrected to ‘I’m a mess’.”

“Same.”

“It tasted like a farmer’s asshole.”

WEDNESDAY 7 AM - 9 AM

10 AM - 12 PM DJ Steez The Plug 2 PM - 3 PM

Training Training Show

3 PM - 5 PM

DJ Mimi I’m Not a Rapper

5 PM - 7 PM

DJ Squid Cephalopodcast

7 PM - 9 PM

Abe Unit Unit’s Corner

9 PM - 11 PM

DJ Big Tuna Two Hours of Tuna

Monday

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. The Rocky Mountain Collegian is a 6,500-circulation student-run newspaper intended as a public forum. It publishes four days a week during the regular fall and spring semesters. During the last eight weeks of summer Collegian distribution drops to 3,500 and is published weekly. During the first four weeks of summer the Collegian does not publish.

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. Letters to the editor should be sent to letters@collegian.com.

7 PM Double Trouble & NoCo Sports Show 8 PM Ram Life Entertainmnet

“That’s how I like my beer, to numb me from the pain.”

Lory Student Center Box 13 Fort Collins, CO 80523

Everybody makes mistakes, including us. If you encounter something in the paper you believe to be an error, email errors@collegian.com.

Follow CSU Collegian on Snapchat

Follow @CSUCollegian on Twitter

SHOW SCHEDULE 10/16 - 10/ 19

“I puke very angrily, it sounds like I’m yelling at the toilet.”

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

DJ Peach Pie & DJ Rom Com Cats and Slacks

CORRECTIONS

Tuesday

News

Wednesday

CTV Cooks

Thursday

News

EDITORIAL STAFF | 970-491-7513

Erin Douglas | Editor-in-Chief editor@collegian.com Tatiana Parafiniuk-Talesnick | Managing Editor managingeditor@collegian.com Haley Candelario | News Director news@collegian.com Rachel Telljohn | News Editor news@collegian.com Allec Brust | Opinion Editor letters@collegian.com Justin Michael | Sports Director sports@collegian.com Colin Barnard | Sports Editor sports@collegian.com

Follow CSU Collegian on Instagram

Like CSUCollegian on Facebook Randi Mattox | A&C Director entertainment@collegian.com Zoë Jennings | A&C Editor entertainment@collegian.com Casey Martinez | Design Editor design@collegian.com Tony Villalobos May | Photography Director photo@collegian.com Davis Bonner | Photo Editor photo@collegian.com Mikaela Rodenbaugh | Digital Production Manager mrodenbaugh@collegian.com Darby Osborne | Social Media Editor socialmedia@collegian.com

Seth Bodine | Night Editor sbodine@collegian.com Josh Kloehn | Webmaster webmaster@collegian.com Chapman Croskell | Videography Director ccroskell@collegian.com

ADVISING STAFF

Jim Rodenbush | Student Media Adviser Kim Blumhardt | Advertising Manager Hannah Copeland | KCSU Adviser

KEY PHONE NUMBERS

Distribution | 970-491-1774 Classifieds | 970-491-1683 Display Advertising | 970-491-7467

NEWS Wednesday, October 18, 2017

3

CRIME

Alcohol arrests in residence halls nearly double in 2016

By Piper Davis @piperldavis

An annual report released by the Colorado State University Police Department shows an increase of almost twice the number of arrests for liquor law violations in residence halls in 2016.

According to the 2017 Annual Fire and Safety Report, the number of arrests for liquor law violations in residence halls increased from 32 to 61 between 2015 and 2016, a 47 percent increase in violations.

Compared to the data from 2014, this rise is standard, as the number of the arrests increased from 17 to 32 between 2014 and 2015, a nearly identical increase of 47 percent.

Despite the immense increase in arrests continuing a pattern from the previous year’s data, there have been 44 arrests more arrests in 2016 than 2014.

Frank Johnson, police Captain of CSUPD, does not believe the variance in data is abnormal, but rather it is unpredictable depending on the dynamic of each incoming class.

“Next year, it could possibly go down,” Johnson said. “You just don’t know from year to year. It also depends on the class of students that we have coming in.

Even if the numbers were the same, this year’s students may be drinking more than last year’s students.”

The outcome of the incident is

often at the officer’s discretion, but students will receive a referral if there is alcohol in a residence hall whether they are 21 years of age or not, as residence halls do not allow any illegal substances.

According to Johnson, referrals are more common than arrests because they serve more as a warning than a permanent punishment.

Data shows an increase in arrests for drug abuse violations as well as alcohol and drug disciplinary referrals in residence halls.

Between 2015 and 2016, the number of alcohol referrals increased from 1004 to 1198, an increase of 194 referrals, or 16 percent. Arrests for drug abuse violations increased from 33 to 40, an increase of 7 arrests, or 17 percent.

The number of drug disciplinary referrals in residence halls faced an even larger growth, as 2015 had 365 referrals and 2016 had 513, a nearly 29 percent increase.

Johnson said he cannot pinpoint a correlation between the legalization of marijuana and an increase in drug referrals and arrests because he believes the number of citations and referrals varies based off size and dynamic of each class.

Previous reports support this statement, as the amount of arrests for drug abuse violations has remained between 30 to 40 since before 2012, the year that marijuana was legalized in Colorado.

The process of receiving a

referral or citation is issued by a residence assistant or police officer, respectively. According to Jen Burritt, a junior studying civil engineering and resident assistant in Edwards Hall, RAs most often work together when alcohol is discovered in residence halls, but not always.

Burritt said if residents are compliant and respectful, more often than not they will receive a warning and the narrative of the conversation will be on record.

If residents are disrespectful, under the age of 21 or in a worrisome state, police officers are contacted and they take over the situation.

“During these situations, I try to follow the procedure given to RAs as closely as possible,” Burritt said. “I try to show everyone respect, I try to support my partner, I try to limit ways residents can impede the process and I don’t let residents bargain with me or talk me out of following procedure.”

Despite her previous experience as an RA, dealing with illegal substances in residence halls is stressful for Burritt as she strives to handle the situation as best as possible.

“I always feel very stressed no matter the contact,” Burritt said.

“If something happened that was unusual or if there was something I think I could have handled better, I talk to my supervisor to find a better way to handle the situation in the future.”

If a police officer is called, the

outcome of the situation is at the officer’s discretion.

“Depending on circumstances, there could be more pressing issues that officers need to get to,” Johnson said. “So, what they will do is if that person is okay – safe, healthy and not under the influence to the point where they can’t take care of themselves – they may just do a referral so they can get to other issues that may be at hand.”

If a student is caught, the Student Resolution Center is responsible for handling the situation.

The process for each student who receives a citation or referral is different depending on the circumstances. According to their website, a Hearing Officer decides if an incident warrants a disciplinary hearing if the student violated the Student Conduct Code. If the situation does not warrant a hearing, the officer offers alternative resolutions such as mediation.

A student, who wishes to re-

main anonymous, was caught with illegal substances last year. Following the incident, the student met with a Hearing Officer, but was let out with a warning as he was not consuming any illegal substances himself.

Despite initially being petrified by the situation, the process did not necessarily slow him down.

Rather, it pointed out how quiet you need to be to get away with drinking in residence halls due to very attentive RAs. “I would say that initially the process slows you down because it seems really scary and formal, like you’re going to a sentencing hearing or something, but it’s pretty informal,” the student said.

“It’s enough to incite fear into you for the month or so before the hearing, but after, nothing really changed in terms of drinking habits.”

Piper Davis can be reached at news@collegian.com.

Blue Moon White

$7.69 6pk btls

Aggie Discount Liquor 429 Canyon Ave. 482-1968

Relationships can come with (unexpected) surprises.

Luckily, we’re experts in the unexpected.

-Lab-quality pregnancy testing & options counseling -Comprehensive STD testing & treatment -Professional relationship counseling -Limited ultrasound -Classes & support Call 970-221-5121 to schedule your free appointment today!

4

NEWS Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Birth Control >> from page 1 Mountains Ashley Wheeland.

“Like many who advocate and work to increase access to reproductive health care, especially birth control that empowers women, we are really concerned as to how this could impact people’s ability to choose,” Wheeland said.

Under the new action, employers who are opposed to birth control for religious reasons can opt-out of the previous mandate. According to Wheeland, this could mean high costs for contraceptives. Two of the most popular methods, pills and IUDs, would be more expensive, with oral contraceptives rising to about $50 monthly and IUDs costing upwards of $800 dollars up-front.

“The student health plan is designed to meet the health needs of our student population, and women’s health and contraceptives will remain a fundamental priority.”

ANNE HUDGENS CSU HEALTH NETWORK

“The ACA included this mandate … because every person who needs (contraceptives) should be able to decide what is the best method for them,” Wheeland said.

According to Wheeland, hundreds of thousands of women could lose access to birth control under the new policy.

Kristy Kumar, assistant director of educational programs at CSU’s Women and Gender Advocacy Center, said women are not the only ones that could be impacted by this rollback.

“This is much more than attack on women. It’s an attack potentially on minoritized populations like trans and gender nonconforming folks,” Kumar said. “It’s (also) a class issue.

There are people who need access to these who are not cisgender women.”

Likewise, common hormonal contraceptive methods such as pills and implants have medical uses beyond standard birth control such as treatment for Endometriosis, polycystic ovarian cancer, menstrual migraines and menopause, according to Kumar.

“Looking at this issue holistically … fifty-eight percent of women who use (oral) contraceptives are using contraceptives for additional forms of wellness,” Kumar said.

Elizabeth Hart, a senior

biological science major and campaign coordinator for the Population Connection Action Fund’s Fight4HER campaign, said access to birth control is a reproductive right.

“We are all affected by domestic attacks on reproductive rights. Millions of women rely on birth control and it needs to be affordable. It’s basic healthcare,” Hart said. “This is an attack on reproductive rights under this mask of religious freedoms. It’s not a separation of church and state.”

Andrew Walter, a fermentation science and technology major and president of the CSU chapter of Young American’s for Liberty, a new libertarian organization on campus, said that while birth control is important, it is not a constitutional right.

“Women deserve those products, but at the same time ... there’s nothing in the Constitution that guarantees healthcare, let alone mandates an insurance for (birth control),” Walter said. “There are other avenues to get those things whether it be a supplementary plan or options like Planned Parenthood.”

Andrew Walter, the president of Young Americans for Liberty, shared his perspective on the issue during an interview with CTV. “We do think that everybody should have access to those things. Women deserve those products,” Walter said. “But at the same time, a product or service is not guarenteed to anyone by the government or insurance.”

Wheeland urged any women that are concerned by this rollback to make their voices heard.

“Get involved. Be advocates.

Push back,” Wheeland said. “(We are) standing up and protecting the health care gains we’ve made.

Let your elected officials know that this access is important to them.”

Likewise, Walter encouraged students interested in hearing more perspectives on the issue to attend the CSU student debate, hosted by YAL on Oct. 26 in the Lory Student Center north bathroom. “(Birth control) is an expensive thing for a young person trying to get through and pay for school,” Wheeland said.

“We serve a lot of young women from campus, and we’re going to make sure we do everything we can to continue providing them with access to the healthcare they need.”

Natalia Sperry can be reached at news@collegian.com.

CITY

Interim Police Chief responds to accountability concerns

By CJ Ash

@Cee_Jay_Ash

Fort Collins City Council heard the interim police chief respond to a resident’s concerns Tuesday night.

Forrest, a Fort Collins resident, brought up two events involving the Fort Collins Police, which were addressed by Fort Collins Interim Police Chief Terry Jones.

Forrest, who did not give his last name, asked about a shooting that took place July 1 around Prospect Road and Center Avenue, involving a Fort Collins police officer and a CSU police officer, a shooting that he witnessed. He wanted to know why the body camera or dash camera footage had not been released.

“I was a witness and watched a man die,” Forrest said. “I want to know what happened.”

The second incident involved a FCPD K-9 being used to remove a mentally unstable elderly woman from her home.

Forrest claims that K-9 unit was sent in to retrieve her without the proper mental health or emergency staff being present to provide the woman with the services that she may have needed at the time.

Chief Jones addressed Forrest’s concerns.

According to Jones, the shooting that involved FCPD and Colorado State University Police officers is still under investigation, so the footage of the event has not been released.

But, Jones said the man involved in the shooting had mental health issues, and the shooter informed his mother that he would either be shot and killed by Fort Collins Police or that he and his brother would be dead.

The man, armed with a 10inch knife, was on his way to allegedly kill his brother and his brother’s wife when he was approached by the two officers.

According to Jones, the footage shows that the man was told no less than 30 times to drop the knife but chose to

instead charge the CSUPD officer. The man was then fired upon, and passed away as a result.

The second incident involved a mentally unstable elderly woman who was removed from an apartment using a K-9 unit of the FCPD. The apartment was not hers, but she claimed that the apartments’ residents had been given to her from God. Jones said that K-9 units have multiple uses, including detecting drugs or bombs and finding people. According to Jones, the K-9 unit was used because the woman had buried herself inside the apartment.

The woman was peacefully and safely removed from the apartment, and it was then that authorities discovered a warrant out for her arrest on a charge of first degree trespassing, according to Jones. She was given sufficient medical care, then transferred to Larimer County Jail.

CJ Ash can be reached at news@collegian.com.

Fort Collins Police Chief Terry Jones speaks to the City Council on behalf of the Fort Collins Police Department to report recent incidents within the community. PHOTO BY DAVIS BONNER COLLEGIAN

NEWS Wednesday, October 18, 2017

5

CITY

Vandalism aftermath leaves Islamic Center with gratitude, disappointment

By Samantha Ye @samxye

After being vandalized seven months ago, the Islamic Center of Fort Collins remains grateful for the community support yet disillusioned with the fairness of the judicial system.

In March, a man threw a rock and a Bible through the ICFC’s glass doors and into the prayer room.

Police later arrested Joseph Scott Giaquinto, who admitted to the crime and is being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder while awaiting trial.

Following the vandalism, thousands of community members gathered outside the mosque to show solidarity, and more

voiced their support.

“A lot of people came to our support in-person, sending us love letters, supporting, encouraging phone calls, donations and then the connection with the city officials and elected government,” said Tawfik Aboellail, the president of the ICFC. “I think it was overwhelming — overwhelmingly positive.”

ICFC also received donations through a GoFundMe the center created after the vandalism.

Around $26,000 was raised through the GoFundMe, and the center received additional contributions from community members. In total, around $55,000 was donated to the Islamic Center.

About $3,000 was used to replace the broken panels of the

CAMPUS

Support provided to family who lost daughter in house

By Ryan Tougaw @rjtougaw

Colorado State University has responded to the news that Doug Max, an athletic administrator at CSU, and his wife, Cindy, lost their daughter in a fire by setting up an assistance fund for the family.

A fire that broke out in a home in southwest Fort Collins around 4:40 a.m. Oct. 8 resulted in the death of the Max’s daughter, who was unable to get out of the house. The fire caused extensive smoke and fire damage to the home.

To donate to the GoFundMe set up for the Max family, visit gofundme.com/dougandcindymax As a response to the loss suffered by the Max family, a GoFundMe was started Oct. 9 to help the family pay for funeral costs and home repair by CSU Athletics. The GoFundMe has surpassed the original goal of $80,000 by $220 and is continuing to generate financial support for the Max family.

Following the tragedy, CSU president Tony Frank and Athletic Director Joe Parker

reached out to the Max family to offer condolences and support.

Members of the Associated Students of CSU signed cards and wrote notes offering condolences to the Max family at their Oct. 11 senate meeting. Members also donated to the GoFundMe. After the strong show of public support, the Max family released a letter thanking everyone for their generosity.

“The support from so many people locally, regionally and across the country has been overwhelming,” the Max family wrote. “So many have stepped forward to provide financial and other means of support that we can never begin to thank each of you individually.”

The letter acknowledges the struggle, but that the Max family will continue to strengthen, as well as offer sincere thanks to those who have showed support.

The letter closes with, “We are blessed to live in a community like Fort Collins, be associated with CSU, and have so many people from around the country who care so deeply about others. Know that in our hearts, we are so grateful for your support.”

Ryan Tougaw can be reached at news@collegian.com.

doors, and roughly $13,500 was used to update the camera surveillance system. Additional funds went into the Islamic Center’s school system and some building improvements.

The new surveillance system allows ICFC officials to monitor the building at all times and alert them if an alarm goes off.

ICFC has also put in place new policies to ensure the safety of members.

The mosque no longer allows people to stay past 11 p.m., and women and children cannot be by themselves in the building and must be accompanied by someone to ensure there are no incidents.

While there have been no signs of suspicious activity, Aboellail said the Islamic Center re-

mains vigilant.

“The one thing on our minds now is how lenient the court and the judicial system (has been) on the perpetrator,” Aboellail said. “If one of us did a similar thing, I think the judgment would have been swift and unwavering. But, in this case, the perpetrator is getting one lenient treatment after another.”

In June, Giaquinto was jailed after missing two court appearances. However, in September, the Eighth Judicial District Judge Julie Kunce Field lowered his bond to $5,500, so he could get treatment for PTSD at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Aboellail protested the decision because the treatment of the perpetrator has left many ICFC members to question the fairness

of the judicial system.

“We wanted this case tried with the ultimate justice so it can deter others from doing a similar thing to other buildings or to our building,” Aboellail said. “But, that unfortunately didn’t happen.”

Aboellail said he wants people in the community to talk about how to make the judicial system better.

“I don’t mean to take the law in our hands, but this is what we got and this is what we have to work with,” Aboellail said. “We support one another and protect one another because apparently, the government is not very concerned about protecting the minorities right now.”

Samantha Ye can be reached at news@collegian.com.

6

OPINION Wednesday, October 18, 2017

COLLEGIAN COLUMNIST

Mental illness is not a fashion statement Lauren Willson @LaurenKealani

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.

“Anorexia: like Bulimia, except with self control.”

Shockingly, Amazon recently came under fire for plastering this exact message across a sweatshirt.

This product reduces mental illness to no more than a stereotype, and this is a huge problem. By circulating such merchandise, misconceptions of psychological disorders are also circulated. This downplays the severity of these conditions and perpetuates poor understanding of how they develop and operate.

To combat these problems, more must be done than merely denouncing the manufacturers and distributers of offensive products. There are two main ways to do this.

First, myths and

stereotypes about eating disorders (and mental illnesses in general) must be rectified by spreading accurate information and educating the misinformed.

Second, purchase of products—clothing or otherwise—that support recovery and mental health is an additional method of resistance.

Although available for purchase since 2015, the Amazon sweatshirt recently gained viral attention, with many outraged over its apparent disregard for the serious nature of eating disorders. Shoppers demanded the product be removed. As of the date of this article’s publication, the sweatshirt is still listed on the site, albeit as “Currently unavailable.”

This is by no means the only product that makes light of eating disorders. Several years ago, Urban Outfitters received backlash for selling a tee that read “Eat less.”

In 2014, an online t-shirt company was rebuked for selling garments with phrases like “Beautifully Bulimic” and “Gracefully Gaunt.”

Although these simple two-word slogans would

have you believe otherwise, the biggest reason many are misinformed about mental illness is because of their astounding complexity. Even the most renowned experts in psychology, neuroscience, psychiatry and associated fields cannot definitively explain how they work or how to cure them.

I have personally struggled with anorexia nervosa since I was nine, but am now in recovery. After ten years of living with this disease, I can assure you that it is most certainly not a matter of selfcontrol. Eating disorders are life-threatening illnesses that destroy one’s mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

If anorexia was merely a matter of self-control, I would have gladly ceded that “discipline” and recovered fully after my first hospitalization.

I did not voluntarily spend a combined total of two-plus years in treatment centers and hospitals. I did not intentionally starve myself to the point of having a seizure or developing osteopenia. I did not feel powerful when I was rushed to the ER, having

swallowed six extra doses of prescription sleeping pills because I ate ice cream.

And I was definitely not exercising “self-control” when I found myself at dzeath’s door yet again last December, weighing 78 pounds.

People need to understand that eating disorders are powerful demons of the mind that manifest themselves in a thousand different despicable ways.

They cannot be boiled down to self-control, for they are in fact born out of its very opposite. Many sufferers develop their disorders because their lives are out of control in some way, whether it be an abusive relationship, a stressful transition or the death of a loved one.

Sometimes, eating disorders emerge for no apparent reason at all, much like panic attacks or states of depression.

But in all cases, eating disorders are the result of interactions between biological, psychological, and sociocultural influences.

Education is the first step to stopping gross generalizations and misconceptions about eating disorders, which have the highest mortality rate

of any mental illness. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is an excellent first resource for enlightening yourself and others.

The second step to stopping stereotypes is raising awareness in a positive and inspirational way. This can be done by purchasing products like bracelets and t-shirts that advocate recovery and mental health. Another method is participating in an awareness walk, many of which are held throughout the year in cities across the U.S. Whether it is playing an active role in raising awareness, advocating mental health to peers or simply educating yourself, please make an effort to stop the spread of misinformation about eating disorders and mental illness. Doing so will help develop better informed members of society who can form a support system for those suffering.

Only by taking the time to learn what someone is going through can we learn how to help them heal.

Lauren Willson can be reached at letters@collegian.

NOPE DOPE FAFSA.

Moms.

When you’ve done zero homework for the week.

Breakfast burritos.

Starting a fight in the group chat. On accident.

All the professionals and kids visiting campus this time of

Feeling guilty when you kill spiders.

Anxiety over your professional future.

year.

Trail mix with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Crunchy leaves.

OPINION Wednesday, October 18, 2017

7

COLLEGIAN COLUMNISTS

Focus on non-opiate painkillers to address the opiate crisis Michelle Fredrickson @mfredrickson42

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.

This is a story about pain.

I’m talking real, physical pain, in my case caused by a jarring impact that shoved my pelvis and hip bones into my sacroiliac joint in my lower back and the sciatic nerve. This is causing muscle stress and nerve pressure and putting me into serious, debilitating pain.

In an ordinary situation, a doctor might have prescribed me opioid painkillers. In my situation, that’s not possible. I’m deathly allergic to morphine, which means I’m probably allergic to all equally strong opiates.

When I’m in agonizing pain, this doesn’t seem like such a good thing. But when I read the statistics about the number of deaths in Colorado caused by prescription opiates, suddenly not being able to have opiates doesn’t seem so bad. A possible solution to manage the number of opiates prescribed for pain is to produce more methods of pain control that are non-opiate.

More people die by prescription opiates – that is, drugs like Oxycontin and Vicodin – than by homicide in Colorado.

This does not even include heroin deaths.

It’s no secret that the opioid epidemic is real and scary. Doctors have to differentiate between real pain and drug-seeking behavior. Pharmacists have to know what to watch out for when filling a prescription. Every profession has a different idea of how to solve the crisis.

To break it down to the simplest level, opiates are highly addictive. Many people get hooked on them after needing them for legitimate medical pain, or for a chronic condition. My back problems will take up to a year to fully heal, and this isn’t an uncommon injury; that’s a long time to need painkillers.

From there, many people become heroin addicts simply because it’s cheaper to be addicted to heroin than opioid painkillers, and many more will die. The simple solution would be for doctors to stop prescribing opiate painkillers except when absolutely necessary to manage pain.

The problem with that is, there really aren’t that many other options. In states with medical marijuana, like Colorado, marijuana can be extremely helpful with pain management and has actually recently been shown to have reduced the number of opioid-related deaths. But the deaths are still unacceptably high, and this state-by-state solution won’t do much to help people in places where marijuana is illegal.

With the political situation the way it is, it is unlikely that marijuana will be legalized nationally anytime soon, and physicians are still reluctant to prescribe it.

We need more options. We need options that are not opiates.

I found out I was allergic to morphine when I went to the emergency room with a rupturing appendix. The nurse said to me, “You look like you’re in a great deal of pain, do you want some morphine?” And I responded, “Dear god, yes.”

They injected me with morphine, and that moment my throat closed. I couldn’t breathe.

Hives erupted on my chest. Even though I was in agony, I sat up straight, completely panicking, trying to breathe. The doctor opened a drawer, took out an epi pen, and injected me with the adrenaline. Soon my airway opened enough that I could gasp in some wheezing breaths. ‘Well,’ the doctor said. ‘No more morphine for you.’ They clamped a bracelet to my wrist that said ‘SEVERE ALLERGY’.

I came out of the hospital the next day and the doctor gave me a prescription for Tramadol, which is widely regarded as the most effective non-narcotic painkiller.

While still technically an opiate, it is generally tolerated better by people with morphine allergies than other pain medicines.

For moderate pain, the label on my prescription bottle said. It was, the pharmacist explained, a little stronger than Ibuprofen.

Well, let me tell you something. When you’ve just come out of surgery, ‘a little stronger than Ibuprofen’ just doesn’t cut it.

I asked for something stronger, but that’s the problem – there just aren’t stronger medications for pain that aren’t opiates. So I muddled through my days in quite substantial amounts of pain. The Tramadol took the edge off, but that was it, really.

I shelved the experience until this last week, when I found myself once again in debilitating pain and unable to take a medication that would really help me.

It occurred to me that the personal pain facing people with

morphine allergies and the opioid crisis facing the country may have the same solution: Developing non-opioid painkillers that actually work for severe and debilitating pain.

It’s easy to tell doctors not to prescribe opiates, but without a good alternative, especially in states without medical marijuana laws, they don’t often have a lot of choice. Pain requiring opiates can be very debilitating.

Non-opioid painkillers often recommended are forms of anti-depressants that work very differently than opiate painkillers and are not nearly as effective at managing pain. There has been

some research done at universities into new forms of painkillers that may be more effective, but none of these products have reached mass production.

Two major industries need to act to solve this problem. First, insurance companies need to stop restricting access to non-opiate options, which they do because the alternatives are usually more expensive. And second, the pharmaceutical industry needs to step up and work on these research projects if the opioid epidemic is going to be solved. Some of them have begun this process this year - but it’s taken them a long time, and this whole time they have

been making a lot of money off of the opioid epidemic.

The opioid crisis is a huge problem especially in Colorado.

Our legislators need to begin to put pressure on the pharmaceutical industry to develop non-opioid painkillers to give physicians a legitimate option that might reduce the number of prescription opioids on the market, and might begin to make a dent in the number of people dying that way.

Michelle Fredrickson can be reached at letters@collegian. com.

8

SPORTS Wednesday, October 18, 2017

VOLLEYBALL

Rams avoid complacency ahead of weekend matchups

By Austin White @ajwrules44

The Mountain West has been easy sledding for No. 20 Colorado State as they begin their second trek through the conference schedule without a loss in conference play. The Rams will travel this weekend to take on the UNLV Rebels and the New Mexico Lobos for the second time this year after beating both teams at home.

CSU (18-2, 8-0 MW) began MW play in convincing fashion in mid-September with sweeps over UNLV and UNM at home.

Most of the Rams’ matches in conference play have ended with sweeps, as seen by their 24-2 set record in those games.

Last time out, UNLV (7-14, 3-5 MW) struggled to make connections between their attackers and setter, resulting in a -.533 hitting mark in the final frame of that match. Head coach Tom Hilbert described how this allowed the Rams to hone in on blocking UNLV’s middle blockers.

“They have (improved their connection), you can tell statistically they have gotten better,” Hilbert said. “They are playing better, they’ve won

a couple matches, they are winning in five (sets) which is good, it shows they’ve got some stamina.”

Through the course of the season, UNLV has relied on freshman outside hitter Mariena Hayden for their offense by setting her about 300 more times than the next closest player. She leads the team in kills (231), but only has a .151 hitting percentage.

Defending at the net is senior Ashley Owens for the Rebels who comes in averaging 1.27 blocks per set, good for fifth best in the conference. On the floor, the Rebels’ libero Leka Kiner-Falefa is fourth in the Mountain West in digs per set with 4.32.

New Mexico (11-10, 3-5 MW), much like UNLV, relies heavily on one attacker. Sophomore Lauren Twitty has 268 kills off a .174 hitting percentage and had one of her best matches of the year against CSU. Twitty hit .314 with 14 kills in the losing effort.

Blocking is a big issue for the Lobos who have only one player above one block per set and are ninth in the conference in the same stat with 2.07 per frame.

The poor attacking of UNLV and lack of blocks from New Mexico presents a week in which Hilbert believes his middle blockers can

continue to get better.

“We’ve been working a lot with middles, but the reason is that UNLV’s middles are both good and both of New Mexico’s are good,” Hilbert said. “They all hit at a very fast tempo so we’ve been working a lot on blocking and closing blocks to the outside.

We’ve been really trying to improve as a blocking team, and I think it’s paying off.”

CSU currently leads the conference by two games over the Wyoming Cowgirls. The Rams will be heavy favorites in the rest of their matches as all upcoming opponents did not fare well in the latest RPI standings.

Eight of the conferences’ 11 teams are ranked outside the top 100, including Fresno State (211) and Nevada (220) outside the top 200.

The rest of the schedule will not be wasted, though, as Hilbert plans to use the remaining matches and practices to focus the team on themselves and prepare for what they might see come tournament time.

“We have a target on our back, everyone will bring their A-game against us and we know that,” Hilbert said. “We also have got to realize what the deal is here … we need an edge to win

Sophomore Amanda Young (8) serves the ball to begin the game at the CSU vs. UNLV volleyball match in Moby Arena on Sept. 23. PHOTO BY JENNY LEE COLLEGIAN

this conference.”

Intense practices are key for the Rams as Hilbert described how they have the best players on the team going up against each other in order to find that edge. The goal is to create the toughest matchup that each player might face so when the time comes to face competition during a match, they will be ready.

“We have to constantly be on edge ourselves,” Hilbert said.

“The minute we get complacent

we’ll start getting worse and that’ll also impact us going into the postseason. We can’t get complacent.”

The fight against complacency begins with the match against UNLV Thursday at 7 p.m. The weekend will conclude against New Mexico Saturday with first serve set for 2 p.m.

Collegian sports reporter Austin White can be reached at sports@collegian.com.

FOOTBALL

Disciplined defense key in stopping New Mexico’s option offense

By Justin Michael @JustinTMichael

Colorado State football is 3-0 in Mountain West play for the first time since 2002 and with five wins on the season, the Rams are one victory away from being bowl eligible for a fifth consecutive season. However, if CSU wants to punch its ticket to the postseason this week, it is going to take a much more sound performance defensively than last week’s matchup with Nevada.

Coming off a game where the CSU defense gave up 564 yards of total offense, 508 of which came through the air, and 42 points, the Rams will have to rebound in a big way against the high-powered option attack of New Mexico.

While the Lobos ground and pound attack presents a much different threat than the vertical Wolfpack offense, the goal remains the same and that is eliminating the big play. It has been a point of emphasis for the coaching staff all season and was a huge factor in Nevada’s ability to stay in the game last weekend.

Despite finding a way to win the game, CSU’s defense

gave up passing touchdowns of 55, 57 and 65 yards. If the Rams are going to come away with a road victory Friday night, eliminating these explosive plays will be key.

After Tuesday’s practice, head coach Mike Bobo explained that facing an option offense like New Mexico is difficult because it forces people to play disciplined and not abandon their assignments.

He also explained that while the Rams have an athletic group of backs on offense, the scout team is only able to do so much in preparation.

“It’s something that those kids do not do a lot of, “ Bobo said. “We really don’t incorporate any kind of option. We’ll do some zone-read, which has some similarities ... There’s really no carryover for this. As much as they motion the backs in the backfield (and) use three backs stacked behind each other, so the timing of it we can never get 100 percent right.

But we’ll try to get the look as close as we can.”

Coming into the matchup, UNM is averaging 240 rushing yards per game, but the Lobos are coming off a 38-0 loss to

Fresno State. In the game, the Lobos were held to just 110 yards rushing.

The Rams will look to bring a similar approach to stopping New Mexico head coach Bobo Davie’s rushing offense Friday night, but they recognize the rarity of holding an option offense under the century mark.

Where Bobo and company definitely do not want to get beat is through the air.

Option offenses tend to have some of the highest single-play averages for passing offense because they have the ability to catch opposing defenses by surprise.

“If you watch any option team they are going to get yards running the option,” Bobo said. “They get you with that four, six, seven (yards) and then they might have an explosive run. But when they throw the ball, I hold my breath more when an option team throws their ball because of what you’re doing defensively.”

Bobo explained that all of the defenders are tasked with an assignment so eye discipline is crucial in identifying situations where the Lobos might look to take a shot deep

Colorado State linebacker Josh Watson (55) and defensive back Braylon Scott (18) wrap up New Mexico’s running back Tyrone Owens (25) at Hughes Stadium on Nov. 19 2016. This was the final game played at Hughes Stadium. COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO

down the field. Simple things like identifying what the tackle or guard is doing before the snap can often be the difference in whether a defender is in position or not.

“They’re not running quick passes that are like runs like we do sometimes,” Bobo said.

“When they throw the ball, they’re throwing it downfield

for a shot. So you’ve gotta do a good job of having your eyes in the right spot.”

CSU last faced New Mexico in November of 2016. The Rams defeated the Lobos 4931 in the final game played at Hughes Stadium.

Justin Michael can be reached at jmichael@collegian.com

SPORTS Wednesday, October 18, 2017

9

CROSS COUNTRY

FOOTBALL

Stonehouse gains Men’s cross country cracks top 10 national recognition Tyler Johnson

@TylerGjohnson20

Colin Barnard @ColinBarnard_

Colorado State freshman punter Ryan Stonehouse has been added to the 2017 Ray Guy Award watch list. The award is presented annually to the nation’s best college punter.

Among all qualified punters, Stonehouse leads the NCAA in punting average at 49 yards per punt. Through the Rams’ seven games this season, Stonehouse has recorded 21 punts, including a season-long of 65 yards.

The Santa Ana, Calif.ornia native has pinned 13 punts inside the opponents 20-yard line and has 10 punts of at least 50 yards. Against Alabama, Stonehouse placed two of his three punts inside the 20-yard line and registered his careerlong of 65 yards.

A graduate of Mater Dei High School, Stonehouse was deemed the top punter in the 2017 class

by 247Sports. MaxPreps and Scout named Stonehouse an AllAmerican during his senior year of high school.

Stonehouse is following in the punting legacy of former Ram Hayden Hunt. Hunt earned recognition from the Ray Guy Award on multiple occasions, being named a finalist for the award in 2015 and earning Ray Guy Punter of the Week honors three times throughout his career.

Stonehouse joins a list of over 30 punters currently named to the watch list. He was one of eight punters added to the list following last weekend’s action.

The final candidate list will be announced on Oct. 31 with additional cuts being made on Nov. 16. Three finalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 21 before the winner is declared on Dec. 7.

Colin Barnard can be reached at sports@collegian.com.

Punter Ryan Stonehouse kicks the ball away on fourth down during a 44-42 victory against the University of Nevada on Oct. 14. PHOTO BY

JACK STARKEBAUM COLLEGIAN

KCSUFM.COM

The Colorado State men’s cross country team rose from No. 11 to No.9 in the latest coaches’ poll. This ranking marks the second highest ranking for the Rams in program history behind only week two of 2003 when the Rams were ranked No.8.

The Rams are the fourth highest ranked team from the Mountain Division behind No. 1 Northern Arizona, No. 2 BYU and in-state rival No. 5 Colorado.

CSU’s rise in rankings comes following the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in which the Rams finished sixth out of 35 teams. Top performers in the tournament included redshirt senior Jerrell Mock, redshirt junior Cole Rockhold and junior Eric Hamer. The trio placed 16th, 27th and 49th respectively out of 234 runners.

Beginning the season ranked No. 18, CSU has improved throughout the season. This week marks the 35th consecutive week the Rams have been ranked under head coach Art Siemers, dating back to the 2013 season.

During the season, the Rams have earned both individual and team titles, both of which came in the Rams’ first meet at the Roy Griak Invitational. Mock

Freshman Jacob Brueckman (98), sophomore Satchel Caldwell (99) and junior Trent Powell (107) run in a cross country meet at Hughes Stadium on Sept. 1. PHOTO BY JENNY LEE COLLEGIAN

captured the individual title for the second consecutive year, helping CSU become the first program to win the individual title for the invite in three straight seasons.

The men’s cross country team has also earned conference and national honors. Both Mock and redshirt junior Trent Powell have been Mountain West Athletes of the Week.

Mock also earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country

Coaches’ Association’s NCAA Athlete of the Week honors following his win a the Griak.

The Rams will compete for the Mountain West Cross Country Championship on Friday, Oct. 27 at the University of New Mexico. The meet will take place at the University of New Mexico North Golf Course in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Tyler Johnson can be reached at sports@collegian.com.

10

SPORTS Wednesday, October 18, 2017

NATIONAL

Louisville athletics board fires Rick Pitino

By Jared Peck

Lexington Herald-Leader

Oct. 16- The University of Louisville Athletics Association voted unanimously to fire men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino for cause Monday afternoon following revelations from an FBI investigation into alleged corruption in college basketball.

The determination came after Pitino’s lawyers presented their case for why he should not be fired for cause during a lengthy closed-door session.

“We listened carefully to what they said,” interim university president Gregory Postel said. “We read carefully everything they gave us in the booklet of materials. And at the end of the conversation we felt that our initial decision to begin the process of termination for cause was still in the best interest of the university to make the decision at this point in time.”

Pitino has signaled he would sue Louisville for breach of contract and demand the $44 million remaining on his deal.

“Coach Pitino could not have known of this scheme that was going on,” Pitino’s lawyer Steve Pence said Monday after his

team met with the ULAA, but before its decision Monday afternoon. “And the right thing to do is bring the coach back. He’s not terminated right now, and he should not be terminated. He should be brought back. If the university wants to negotiate for him to leave at a later time, we can talk about that.”

Firing Pitino for cause likely sets in motion a legal battle over whether the university followed the contract stipulations for removing him. Postel said it was premature to discuss the possible settlement of such a suit while acknowledging it would not be unusual.

During the ULAA deliberations, Pitino’s legal team submitted a 50-page presentation that included an affidavit and the results of a polygraph test attempting to refute the allegations that the coach knew of the alleged pay-for-play scheme the Justice Department alleged against a number of coaches and programs on Sept. 26.

In the polygraph submitted by his counsel, Pitino denies any knowledge of payments to one of his players, Brian Bowen. And the polygraph report indicates his answer “is not in-

dicative of deception.”

The report also include what are purported to be texts between Pitino and some of the parties involved in the investigation.

Pence maintained that Pitino not only could not have known about the scheme, he should not be held responsible for the alleged illicit activities of those that did.

“If this happened on Coach’s watch, it happened on President (Gregory Postel’s watch,” Pence said. “It happened on Chairman (J. David) Grissom’s watch. You cannot guarantee the conduct of other people. You can do your very best to make sure they comply. Coach did that. You can do your absolute very best to monitor what they do, you can do your very best to instruct them to do the right thing, and that’s what Coach Pitino did.”

The submission also acknowledged that Pitino was, in fact, the “Coach-2” listed in the criminal complaint. But Pence noted their is no specific evidence that “Coach-2” did anything improper. The complaint includes accounts of what other parties said “Coach-2” did or would do, but it has no direct ev-

idence that “Coach-2” actually committed wrongdoing.

Pitino was suspended without pay on Sept. 27. Monday was the end of the 10-day notice stipulated in Pitino’s contract for being fired with cause.

While Louisville and its basketball coaches were not named in the criminal complaint, Justice Department officials left little doubt Louisville was one of the schools at the center of a pay-to-play scheme, and the university has acknowledged it has been told it is part of the investigation. Pitino has denied any wrongdoing.

In the affidavit submitted

by Pitino, the coach takes issue with the university’s “aboutface” in reference to the escort scandal and attempts to refute any involvement in the pay-forplay scheme. Pitino notes the university and its interim president, Gregory Postel, sided with him against the NCAA sanctions until the FBI case revelations came out. The escort scandal was mentioned in Pitino’s Sept.

27 suspension letter.

As to the FBI case, Pitino stated: “I had no part, active, passive or willful ignorance, in the conspiracy described in the

complaint.

Pitino and Athletics Director Tom Jurich were suspended the day after the allegations came out. Associate head coach Kenny Johnson has also been placed on administrative leave and his status remained unchanged Monday. Last week Louisville announced the firing of assistant coach Jordan Fair. Postel said Jurich’s status would be discussed Wednesday.

Later Monday, the Courier-Journal reported Adidas, the apparel company at the center of the FBI allegations, has terminated its personal service contract with Pitino.

Before going into closed session, the ULAA approved the hiring of Vince Tyra as the interim athletics director and David Padgett as the acting head men’s basketball coach.

The terms of Padgett’s one-year contract included $400,000 base compensation, plus $400,000 for obligations related to promoting the program, including a radio show, plus various incentives that could total $1 million. The terms of Tyra’s deal were not announced.

Content pulled from Tribune News Service.

are yo u r e a d y t o g et s care d VI S IT S C R E A M AC R E S Nestled amongst the winding pathways of the Fritzler Corn Maze, Scream Acres is one of Colorado’s best haunts. a m October 6, 7, 12-14, 18-21 e r es c s cr en 25-28 and 31 a p o

$5 OFF FOR STUDENTS WEDNESDAYS AND THURSDAYS! $3 OFF FOR STUDENTS ON FRIDAYS!

fritzlermaze.com or find us on Facebook!

ARTS & CULTURE Wednesday, October 18, 2017

11

CULTURE & COMMUNITY

Hillel supports Jewish students, stands with other minoritized groups

By Emma Turner @EmmaTurner1228

Despite recent antiSemitic issues, Jewish students can find a home at Colorado State University.

Hillel of Colorado at CSU is one of the University’s 550 international units that serve as a religious student organization. The studentran group is known for their weekly Shabbat dinners, commitment to sustainability and involvement in interfaith events. It is one of three regional chapters of Hillel of Colorado.

“Hillel is sort of the face of Jewish students on campus,” said Nevan Mandel, a junior political science major and board member and financial officer for Hillel. “It provides a way for us not only to make space for Jewish individuals on campus but also to relate to individuals of other religions and other cultures on campus as well.”

Hillel is always welcoming new students on campus. Those who are interested in joining the community can do so by visiting CSU Hillel’s website, hillelcolorado.org.

Linzy Upton-Spatz, a junior business and journalism major and Hillel’s marketing intern, said the Jewish community on campus organized a walk on Oct. 5 in protest of the recent antiSemitic events that have impacted their members.

“Hillel is always a resource,” Upton-Spatz said.

“It’s just a place to go where students can feel safe. and they don’t have to worry about anti-Semitism or things that unfortunately do happen on campus.”

Hillel of Colorado at CSU uses the model “studentlead, staff-supported” to accomplish tasks and grow the unit, according to Hillel Director Alex Amchislavskiy.

Student initiatives fuel Friday night Shabbat dinners and other faith and interfaith celebrations.

“We like to give students the resources so that they can really take something that they are passionate about, see where it intersects with Hillel and just kind of run with it,” Amchislavskiy said.

Hillel provides opportunities for students to come together for other

celebrations as well. Jewish people around the world celebrated Sukkot Oct. 5-11.

Sukkot is one of the three central pilgrimage festivals of Judaism. It is traditional during this time to erect a Sukkah. One of these huts stood on the front lawn of the Hillel house. A Sukkah is meant to represent the tent-like dwellings of the Israelites during the 40 years of wandering after escaping slavery in Egypt. At least three walls of any material must support a roof of thatch or branches which allow those inside to see the stars.

The group also meets weekly to celebrate Shabbat.

Shabbat is a weekly holiday celebrating the Sabbath (Shabbat in Hebrew). It celebrates the commemoration of the universe and serves as a memorial to the rescuing of the Israelites from Egypt.

Shabbat begins just before sundown on Friday and lasts through sundown on Saturday.

“On campus, it’s really our bread and butter,” Amchislavskiy said. “Every week, we have at least 40 students coming to dinner, and the Shabbat committee of that week might chose a different theme. It’s a great opportunity for people to just show up, make a new friend, hang out and have a good time.”

Another student initiative surfaced in the area of sustainability.

Hillel of Colorado at CSU is certified as fully sustainable and helped to pioneer the Hazon sustainability seal program.

The Hillel House, located across from campus on Laurel Street, includes a garden, composter and chicken coop.

Food waste is collected and either fed to chickens or composted. The compost and chicken manure is then spread over the garden to grow new produce to later be consumed.

Student initiatives drive the development of these choices, according to Mandel.

Check out this the video on collegian.com

Amchislavskiy believes Hillel’s purpose is integral to Jewish students on campus.

“With all the different (anti-Semitic) incidents on campus, I think it is important that Jewish students and students of other minorities

know that we are going to stand up to this stuff,” Amchislavskiy said. “Jew were some of the first suffragettes. They were marching with Martin Luther King. They were there for LGBT pride. Whenever someone is down, we want to help them get up.”

Hillel is always welcoming new students on campus.

Those who are interested in joining the community can do so by visiting CSU Hillel’s website, hillelcolorado.org.

Emma Turner can be reached at entertainment@ collegian.com.

Board member Nevan Mandel holds one of two chickens located in the backyard of the Hillel Center. The two chickens help produce eggs for the Hillel Center. PHOTO BY JAVON HARRIS COLLEGIAN

TUNE INTO

CollegianTV ON COMCAST CHANNEL 11

Watch live every Monday - Thursday at 7PM

MEET THE ANCHORS

AMELIA CASTANEDA | STUART SMITH | MARLO LUNDAK

Also watch us on Collegian.com/CTVvideo

CTVChannel11 @CTV11

12

ARTS & CULTURE Wednesday, October 18, 2017

PROFILES

Grad student creates hair accessories with crystals and taxidermy

By Randi Mattox @randi_mattox

Aleksandra Novak sees the beauty in everything, even dead animal parts.

Novak, a second-year geosciences Ph.D. student at Colorado State University, designs hair accessories comprised of crystals and taxidermy for her Etsy shop, GemsAndBones. A recent addition to her collection features antlers poking out from a crown adorned with naturally derived crystals and roses. For some, this may seem like an odd combination, but the blend of femininity and ruggedness has attracted more than 2,000 customers since the shop opened in 2014.

Novak said she began making art at five-years-old. Growing up in Magadan, Russia, Novak designed and sold beaded jewelry at craft fairs. She started profiting from her creations in middle school.

“It was exciting because I could make money and then spend it on more supplies, or I would just buy candy,” Novak said.

Aleks Novak stopped designing jewelry in high school when she became distracted with “being a teenager.” She attended Moscow State University where she received her bachelor’s degree in environmental geology. Novak planned on entering the petroleum geology industry in Russia

after graduation, but an oil crisis forced her to reconsider.

“I graduated at the peak of the crisis,” Novak said. “I decided I might as well go back to school and get a job when times get better.”

Novak received her master’s degree in marine geochemistry from Mississippi State University.

While living in Mississippi, Novak visited a quartz mine. This is where GemsAndBones began.

“We were in there with buckets and hammers like serious miners,” Novak said. “I brought out a lot of really cool crystals. … I brought them home and cleaned them, and then I was like, ‘What do I do with them now?’ I didn’t want them to sit on a shelf. The idea came into my head to make a crown.”

Novak got some wire and wrapped the crystals together.

The end product featured several shiny, clear gems aligning the front of the crown. This was the first piece in the GemsAndBones collection, but Novak did not know it at the time. She kept the crown for herself with no intention of selling it, until one evening when her friend Oindrilla Paul, a fourth-year biological sciences Ph.D. student at Mississippi State University, saw the crown and suggested Novak sell it on Etsy.

“I was amazed by the beauty and uniqueness of her work,” Paul said. “…Her artwork is one of a

Natasha Samsara Thompson wears a bridal tiara. It was made by Colorado State University graduate student Aleks Novak with natural rose quartz crystals. PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA O’DWYER

kind. Everything is so unique and exquisite. That’s what I love about her work, and that’s what made me suggest she join Etsy and sell them there. I thought people would appreciate her work there better.”

Novak said she saw no harm in trying.

“I created a shop and made a listing,” Novak said. “Someone bought it shortly after I posted it. I thought that if someone bought it, maybe someone else would like to buy it. So I made more. Someone bought it again.”

Go to etsy.com/shop/gemsandbones to visit Novak’s shop.

Novak said she was surprised by the response. She purchased more supplies and listed several crowns and hairpins.

“Some of the Etsy editors noticed it, and I was featured several times,” Novak said. “And then more and more people started finding out about it.”

As GemsAndBones grew in popularity, Novak’s designs became more diverse. She transferred to CSU for her doctoral studies last year and started incorporating taxidermy parts like bones, antlers and teeth.

“When I say ‘parts of animals,’ it sounds kind of creepy,” Novak said. “I lived in the northeast (part of Russia). Cultural, traditional folklore things were pretty big there. You incorporate fur and bone pieces. A lot of things that I involve in my work are from there.”

Novak said her accessories are

typically purchased for special occasions.

“My hairpieces are mostly bought for weddings, or festivals or photo shoots,” Novak said. “A lot of kids rock my hairpieces. A lot of people get them for quinceañeras.

I’m not from America, so I had no idea what that was, but my friend told me to market it for that. It’s becoming a trend.”

On average, there are between 70 and 80 hair accessory styles listed in the GemsAndBones shop.

The pieces are made to order. Customers coordinate with Novak on a color scheme once they select a style. Prices for hairpins start at $3, and prices for crowns start at $32.

“I like to keep it affordable so people can be like, ‘I like it. I want it. I can have it,’” Novak said.

The most expensive item in the shop is a crown for $350.

The GemsAndBones motto is “Crystal Hair Accessories with the Energy of the Rockies.”

“It’s all natural and made by hand,” Novak said. “When people contact me, and I work on the hairpiece for them, I think about this person. And so many people get back to me and say they feel the energy. … It’s not just energy of natural crystals. It’s also energy of person to person.”

“I love how unique and feminine her pieces are without being too over the top glitzy or glam,” GemsAndBones customer Rachel Abrahams said. “Her crowns and hair pieces stand out but don’t look like the typical bridal or pageant hair pieces. … Aleks has been a pleasure to work with, and I am so excited to see the final outcome of the custom crown that she is making for me for Halloween.”

As a Ph.D. student, Novak said she has to prioritize her studies.

“A lot of people have been messaging me like, ‘Hey, can you make me a crown? My wedding is next week,’” Novak said. “I don’t want to disappoint people, so I do my best, but sometimes that’s just not possible. It’s like, sorry guys; I have to take a nap.”

Although, Novak said crafting accessories relaxes her mind.

“Your brain rests while you make things,” Novak said. “I like to have something that helps me get away. You can think about research all day, and you’ll probably go nuts.”

Julia Novak, Aleks Novak’s mom, said she has always been creative.

“When Aleks was a child, it always made me feel very proud seeing her succeed,” Julia Novak said.

“As an adult, Aleks keeps making me feel even more proud. She’s got an incredible imagination and ability to transform her creative vision in the form of art.”

Novak plans on working in the natural recourses field when she graduates but said she will maintain GemsAndBones as an artistic outlet. Although the shop may decrease in size, Novak said her childhood self who spent hours carefully beading jewelry for candy money would be happy to see her grownup self creating art while still achieving her educational dreams.

“If I saw myself doing it right now, I would be proud but also surprised,” Novak said. “I would probably be like, ‘Oh my God, is that me?’”

Randi Mattox can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com.

Colorado State University graduate student Aleks Novak designs hairpins out of natural crystals for her Etsy shop, GemsAndBones. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEKS NOVAK

ARTS & CULTURE Wednesday, October 18, 2017

13

ALEC REVIEWS MUSIC

Beck attempts to redefine pop with ‘Colors’

By Alec Erickson @CTV_Ace

It is always exciting to see an album that is bright, vivid and exciting.

“Colors” is one of the few albums in the pop genre that manages to come out on top in a diluted scene. The best part of this record is that it is from Beck, a musician with as many hats as records when it comes to his musical style.

This is one artist who tries to keep things new and fresh all the while being self-aware and fun to listen to. “Colors” is Beck’s attempt to shake things up with modern pop music in a way that is going to be looked at for quite some time.

The 47-year-old Beck Hansen was born in Los Angeles, Calif. and from a young age, he has been a prominent musician on the charts. The singer-songwriter has been active since the mid`80s and released his first record “Golden Feelings” back in 1993. Beck has not been able to commit to one genre or another fully. While he can

be described as alternative, this musician has tackled genres such as hip-hop, garage rock and folk. Each time he came out on top. His 12 studio records are as diverse as they can be with some of the ones like “Odelay” and “Midnite Vultures” garnering a lot of mainstream attention. This time around for his 13th studio album, Beck is aiming to redefine how we listen to pop music with “Colors.”

Alec Reviews music ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA SHEPARDCOLLEGIAN

“Colors” is an 11-track record that clocks in at around 45 minutes in length.

It is best described as more experimental than anything else.

Beck clearly was

challenging himself in the process because we hear him not go into any comfort zone or fall into any of the basic traps that accompany pop music.

The important take away is that this record feels fresh no matter how many times you listen through it, even when it might be cliché at times.

Musically, there is a lot to talk about when it comes to “Colors.” Clearly some psychedelic elements begin to surface when you listen to tracks like “Dear Life” or “No Distractions.” What really helps the record is the rhythm guitar layered in just so that it helps the jam and funk elements shine through on tracks like “Dreams” or “Wow.” Obviously, percussion and synth elements are what make up a decent pop record.

Beck is able to rework those themes into this larger-thanlife sounds on tracks like “Seventh Heaven” and “Dear Life.” Beck works into most of his tracks a more in-depth chord progression and rhythm than one might find on other records currently and that is

LOOKING FOR A JOB IN

exactly what makes “Colors” stand out.

BAND INFO ■ Has contributed with artists

such as Childish Gambino, Nate Ruessm Sia and M83 ■ Worked with Greg Kurstin to record “Colors” from 2013 to now, with the two of them playing most of the instruments.

■ Was havily involved in the anti-folk movement of the ‘80s before releasing his breakout single “Loser” in 1994.

Lyrically, Beck has always had a knack for writing the stoner ballad, and the same can be said with “Colors.” The songs are painfully self-aware that they are pop songs and blatantly point out the cheap rhymes and patterns one might hear all the time. When you listen to something like “Wow” and “Up All Night” you get the feeling that each word is deliberately written in a way

FORT COLLINS LA DENVER CHICAGO NEW YORK ANYWHERE

AFTER GRADUATION?

COLLEGIAN.COM/ZIPRECRUITER

JOBS POWERED BY

that makes it seem natural.

The important thing is the vocal performance from Beck himself. We can hear him move past the serious nature of his last few records and more into the shallow nature that surrounds the genre. For Beck, this works in his favor while he plays the genre. Tracks like “Square One” and “Fix Me” are some of his more solid performances on the record and do not seem overproduced like others.

Should you listen to it?

Without a doubt!

Beck is one of the few artists that can walk into a genre and change it to benefit himself. “Colors” is a record that reflects the years that it took to be recorded. It changed and shifted so much in the process that you can hear it from track to track. Beck created something genuine and new this year. “Color” is one of the few records that deserves a listen.

Alec Erickson can be reached at entertainment@ collegian.com.

14

ARTS & CULTURE Wednesday, October 18, 2017

COLLEGE

Ageless advice with Chris Webb: Ask me anything

By Chris Webb

By Ashley Potts

@RMCChrisWebb

With each semester comes different challenges. Some Colorado State University students have already had these challenges, and others are experiencing them for the very first time. Every CSU student goes through them.

We all think we know what to do; however, most of us wish we could find someone to discuss our thoughts with about different challenging situations.

ASK CHRIS A QUESTION ■ Email entertainment@collegian.

com to ask Chris questions.

Ask me. I am Chris Webb; I am a senior here at CSU, and I’m 37-years-old. I am here to share some of my insights on decisions you may need a little help with. I have helped people with challenging choices in work and on a personal level.

If you have an issue with something that is going on in your life, ask me.

When I came to CSU, I expected to learn academically, which I have. What I did not expect was to learn about you, the CSU student body, in a non-academic way. I see you in class asking questions. I see you in the library studying and outside of the Lory Student Center talking with friends. I see you all over campus. What I see is young people who are looking to develop themselves at their own pace. This is not what the Simon Sineks of the world have told people.

According to them you are all addicted to technology, unintelligent (unless you are a computer science major) and have no work ethic. This is simply not true.

I am writing this because I do not see what the “experts” generalize about your generation. I see all of you for who you are. You have expectations about your education and your careers.

Your expectations change given new information. Often times people do not understand why young people change their expectations so much. This is not a problem for you, it is simply a miscommunication.

There are no more 30-year careers which end in a with a cheap supermarket cake

Old Town Halloween Zombie Fest returns...from the dead FORT COLLINS LIFE

@11smashley

Chris Webb attends the 2017 Rocky Mountain Showdown. PHOTO COURTESY CHRIS WEBB

and a gold watch. One major key to success is to maintain expectations across different areas of your life. I am here to help you define your expectations and maintain them in other areas.

On the other hand, because of this new career horizon, the generation before you is either scared or disinterested in providing sound advice to your generation. I am neither. I have provided career guidance for several people while corporate coaching in my last career.

I lean on my experience, knowledge and research to provide sound input to help you with your choices.

I am also here for some encouragement.

Like I mentioned earlier, I am a senior, which means I have several classes that many of you have. I have had to take proctored exams all day to pass my module three of MATH 117.

I have had to go to countless statistics office hours and TILT tutoring. I have had to work in groups with other students in different majors who have not cared about my grade. I know what you are going through, and I know how important an encouraging word can be.

When we put expectations on our performance, it can be difficult to see through the small things. Often times we simply need to know someone believes in us. Just know, you have proven to me and continue to prove to me that you have what it takes to accomplish the goals set out in front of you. When you do not know the first step, the second or the last write to me, and let’s see if we can come to a conclusion. I believe we will, and I believe you will reach those goals you have set out to achieve.

Chris Webb can be reached at entertainment@collegian. com.

The walking dead are returning to Fort Collins.

The annual Halloween Zombie Fest is on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Old Town Square.

Activities will include the standard Zombie Crawl, a Kidz Krawl, many deals on food, beer and ice cream, costumes and zombie makeup, live entertainment, music and a “Thriller” dance to die for.

The Zombie Crawl will kick off at 5 p.m. A wristband will earn each zombie five free stops along the crawl route. Old Town bars will offer zombiethemed drinks. Restaurants will offer snacks, tea, coffee and cider. Stores will offer prizes like sunglasses, bath bombs, horror movies and Halloweenthemed trinkets. Wristbands cost $17 in advance or $20 on the day of.

Halloween trinkets. Kidz Krawl wristbands are $13.

The entertainment portion of the night runs from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Acts will include zombie DJ’s, martial artists, dancers and acrobats. Participants can learn the dance from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and perform it as a group. There will also be hula-hooping zombies, circus artist zombies and fashion show zombies.

The night will also include a costume contest to determine

the best of the best zombie costumes and makeup. These events are included in the price of the wristband.

Proceeds from the event will benefit “Turning Point,” a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth struggling with mental health, substance abuse and behavioral issues.

Ashley Potts can be reached at entertainment@collegian. com.

HALLOWEEN ZOMBIE FEST ■ When: Saturday, Oct. 21. The

crawl kicks off at 5 p.m.

■ Where: Old Town Square

The Kidz Krawl will take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and feature stops at restaurants for pizza, ice cream, cookies and hot chocolate, and stores offering books, glow sticks, toys, candy, stickers and other

Fort Collins residents dress up as zombies for the Zombie Crawl in Old Town. COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO

Fort Collins residents dress up as zombies for the Zombie Crawl in Old Town. COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO

ARTS & CULTURE Wednesday, October 18, 2017

15

MOVIES AND TV

‘The Foreigner’ fails to deliver a compelling storyline

By Ty Davis @tydavisACW

“The Foreigner” is not the movie that was advertised in trailers, and it is not the movie it should have been.

“The Foreigner,” based on the novel “The Chinaman” by popular British thriller novelist Stephen Leather, follows Quan Ngoc Minh (Jackie Chan) after a terrorist attack kills his daughter. Orchestrated by a group called “Authentic IRA,” the responsibility for solving the event is left to The First Minister Liam Hennessey (Pierce Brosnan), a former IRA leader.

After failing to find the names of the terrorists from England’s antiterrorism investigation agency, Quan then tries to pry the names from Hennessey, suspecting that Hennessey knows more than he’s letting on.

PLAYING IN FORT COLLINS ■ Cinemark Fort Collins ■ Cinemark Bistro

Meanwhile, Hennessey has called on his former IRA leaders to try and quell the situation.

Having failed to acquire the names peacefully, Quan calls on his old special forces training and sets out on conducting violent attacks on Hennessey and his circle in order to pry the names out of him.

Things gradually escalate from there, eventually leading to the majority of the film taking place on Hennessey’s farm estate and Hennessey becoming embroiled in a multi-player conspiracy that spirals out of control.

Just from the summary, you can probably guess this is a much more complicated story than the one advertised. The trailers certainly hinted at a sort of conspiracy but not one with this level of depth and complexity.

This is one of the problems with adapting a film. For as much as people gripe about adaptations, some changes do need to be made in order to accommodate different mediums. There are multiple plot lines that interweave with each other, but complex plans and goals aren’t given enough time to be fully understood, and the overall story becomes bogged down with how convoluted it is.

It becomes quickly apparent that the film is more concerned with the conspiracy and Pierce Brosnan’s character than Quan, despite the film ostensibly being named after him. Almost the entire second act is focused on Hennessey and his struggle to balance multiple goals, relationships and parties while still trying to keep the whole situation

calm. So much time was spent focusing on the conspiracy that I eventually began to wonder what happened to Chan’s character.

Quan is treated more like another nuisance to Hennessey than he is the central focus of the story. For a film titled “The Foreigner,” Chan’s character plays no active role in the story. He doesn’t make the story happen.

Characters who later become crucial to the plot aren’t given enough time to develop. They are given the same amount of time as minor characters when their actions drastically affect the story.

There’s also an odd incest element in the story that doesn’t actually serve any greater purpose, and its necessity in the plot can easily be replaced by something else.

Ultimately, the scene does nothing except discomfort the audience.

The fight scenes are brutal but creative. Chan is known to mix props and the environment into his fight scenes, and that comes through in spades here. Combined with Director Martin Campbell’s (Casino Royale, Edge of Darkness) gritty style, you have fight scenes that are innovative, grounded and elegant. As I said, the scenes make great use of the environment utilizing everything from piping, stairwells, sticks and more, but they never become comical. They remain visceral, always keeping a sense of reality to them.

There were questions surrounding the film and if a now 63-year-old Chan would be able to keep up or would fall behind under the demands, but rest assured, he still moves at a pace that puts most professional athletes to shame.

I’m still a bit dumbfounded that anyone at any age can move with that much speed and precision.

In addition to making great use of their surroundings, the hand-to-hand combat is a wellchoreographed flurry of limbs.

However, the editing kills most of the intensity in a fight.

There are so many cuts it becomes disorienting and can cause you to lose track of where the characters are and what they were doing.

The role is a big turn for Chan, who is usually known for playing playful or comedic roles.

If this is not one of his greater roles, it is certainly one of his most memorable ones. Chan gives an honest and believable performance as the serious and distressed Quan. Quan, despite being a very stone-faced character, is also easily understood. He’s a traditional, stoic and worrisome father who just wants the simple things out of life, and Chan sells it completely. When Quan turns serious, Chan gives off a calm and subtle intensity that at times becomes bone chilling to watch.

Should you watch it? Maybe The character interactions

feel realistic and earnest. The story is interesting at least but could stand to be more concise and not focus so much on Brosnan’s character. Characterization is

lacking in a few places, and there is very little of the story dedicated to Quan being an immigrant and the prejudice he faces. The film is decently entertaining but by no

means should you feel compelled to see it.

Ty Davis can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com.

16

COLLEGIAN.COM Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

FAMILY OWNED

24 Preparing to flower SINCE 1985 26 Handed-down tales 27 Gas in a tank 29 Syst. with hand signals 30 What a treater picks up 33 “Says __?”

34 Touch-related 35 In __ daylight 36 Supplement 38 Garment worn in HBO’s “Rome” 39 108-card game 40 Not hidden 44 Merit badge org.

WITH YOUR CSU ID Rocky Mt. Collegian 10/17/17 Sudoku PuzzleJunction.com 46 Expensive 47 “My Ántonia” novelist Cather • The Original Honda Specialist 48 “Hedda Gabler” playwright 49 the It won’t water To solve Sudokuhold puzzle, each row, column and • Work on All Asian Vehicles box must containof the numbers 1 to 9.

50 Nick “Hotel Rwanda” 51 Chain with a Smart Sense store • Full Mechanical Service brand 2 __-deucey 5 6 55 56 Scoundrel 8 vegetable 9 4 58 Stew 59 Mandela’s org.

7 15-Across locale:8Abbr.

60 61 1 2000s “SNL” notable2Tina 4 62 Wrapping time 2829 LAPORTE AVE. FT. COLLINS with steaks 3 57 Additionally Rocky Mt. Collegian Sudoku 6 2 1 10/18/17 8 9 58 What Aladdin craved and Yesterday’s solution Jasmine wanted to escape, in the 7 2 1 Disney film 63 Abbr. on a city limits sign 2 9 64 What’s for dinner 65 Speed (up) 6 7 3 To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and 66 Piece of glass Copyright ©2017 PuzzleJunction.com box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

67 Radical in aspirin and vinegar 68 Spot on a peacock’s tail

10% OFF SERVICE LABOR

Across 1 Back (out) 4 Go by 10 Peak in Thessaly 14 Can. neighbor 15 City on the Liffey 16 Performs like Kanye 17 Eastern seaboard, facetiously 19 Frantically 20 Out in the open 21 Open in the garden 22 Narrow opening 25 Unlikely to run 28 Insinuate 31 Kitchen gadgets brand 32 Sneak attack 33 Dryly amusing 34 “More info later”: Abbr.

37 Increase security twofold ... and what 17-, 25-, 46- and 58-Across literally do 41 Radical ‘60s gp.

42 Besides 43 Scramble, as a secret message 44 Tile container in Scrabble 45 Write, as music 46 Secret overseas cash stash site 52 Japanese noodle 53 Leg bone 54 Midwestern city associated

(970) 482-5774

IMPORTSPECIALISTSFOCO.COM

Down 1 Taylor Swift’s “__ Song” 2 Trident-shaped letter 3 “You’re it!” game 4 1999 Ron Howard satire 5 Journalist Clare Boothe __ 6 Multiple choice choices 7 “Republic” philosopher 8 Family gal 9 MD treating canals 10 Postgrad tests 11 South Pacific island nation 12 “Blazing Saddles,” for one 13 “Shoot!”

18 Après-ski amenities 21 Dude 22 Herring prized for its roe 23 Long rides?

SUDOKU

1

Sudoku Solution

Yesterday’s solution

9 1 4 8 2 6 7 3 5

2 3 7 1 9 5 8 4 6

5 8 6 7 3 4 9 2 1

3 9 5 6 1 7 2 8 4

4 6 2 9 8 3 1 5 7

1 7 8 5 4 2 3 6 9

6 4 3 2 7 1 5 9 8

4 3 9 7

7 5 9 3 6 8 4 1 2

4

8 2 1 4 5 9 6 7 3

2

THEFOGDOGS RYAN GREENE

9

6

8 5

5 2 3

7 9 3 2

3 1 8 9 6

Copyright ©2017 PuzzleJunction.com

THEFOGDOGS RYAN GREENE

5

Duchesse

$11.99 Sudoku Solution

740ml bottle

8 6 5 1 4 3 9 7 2 Aggie Discount Liquor 3 1 4 9 2 7 6 8 5 429 Canyon Ave. 482-1968

7