Thursday, April 11, 2024 Vol. 133 No. 28

The Cooking Studio teaches culinary mastery in Old Town

Story on page 19

Gallery on pages 14-15

FOODIE SPECIAL EDITION

Story by Sophie Webb

Photos by Aria Paul

TOP STORIES TOP STORIES FOCO EVENTS FOCO EVENTS

NEWS: CSU sued over CORA obstruction in animal mistreatment investigation PAGE 4

L&C: Just Love Coffee Cafe builds community through charity PAGE 6

SPORTS: Spring camp: CSU football gears up for offensive explosion PAGE 11

SCIENCE: CSU researchers, Entomology Club explore entomophagy — eating bugs PAGE 16

A&E: The Cooking Studio teaches culinary mastery in Old Town PAGE 19

OPINION: Asian fusion restaurants harm traditional Asian cuisine PAGE 21

PHOTO: The culinary masterminds of Old Town’s The Cooking Studio PAGES 14-15

Herbal Mocktails’ Mocktail Tasting Party at FoCo Cafe

6-8 p.m. April 12

Live Music with Cerise Sprague at Gilded Goat Brewing Company

5-7 p.m. April 13

CSU Drag Show: Mother Earth in the Lory Student Center Grand Ballroom

6-9 p.m. April 14

Students flock to The Oval to catch a glimpse of the partial solar eclipse April 8. “I hope the cute dogs at The Oval were able to watch the eclipse, too,” student Andreas Broxson said. PHOTO BY ABIGAIL BURNS THE COLLEGIAN

SNAP, Rams Against Hunger continue to provide for students

By Ivy Secrest @ivysecrest

Outside of the General Services Building at Colorado State University, students, staff and community members wait to claim their share of grocery items in the Rams Against Hunger food pantry.

The pantry stocks rescued and donated goods accessible to all community members in collaboration with the Food Bank for Larimer County.

Food insecurity is incredibly common among college students. A study from The Hope Center in 2021 found that 29% of students at fouryear colleges experience food insecurity, and national trends for food-insecure college students are on the rise.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, students were more likely to qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program due to pandemic exemptions that were removed in June 2023. Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement Basic Needs Program Manager Michael Buttram said SNAP requirements

are less accessible for students, and the effects of COVID-19 — such as inflation — still remain.

“What I hear mostly is, ‘Oh, I don’t want to take it from somebody who needs it more.’

What I want to stress to that person is we have enough for you and the person who needs it more.”

MICHAEL BUTTRAM SLICE BASIC NEEDS PROGRAM MANAGER

“Rams Against Hunger, as an entity, recognizes that there isn’t one face of food insecurity,” Buttram said. “Everybody is going to have different needs, and everybody is

going to have different resources at their disposal.”

With the rollback of pandemic exemptions, CSU Student Case Management Assistant Director Jennie Baran helped students navigate the new requirements regarding their aid.

While many students may not consider themselves food insecure, food insecurity is actually a large part of the idea of the college experience.

“We’ve had this narrative around the starving student for decades,” Baran said. “The idea of living off of inexpensive food for a really long time or, ‘Wherever I can find free pizza, that’s what I’m going to eat’ — that’s been a narrative for decades. And as the cost of attending school continues to rise and the cost of living continues to rise, that narrative is not going away.”

Students face an additional barrier to receiving SNAP benefits because of their courses. To qualify for SNAP, candidates must work 20 hours a week, and for full-time students, that can be difficult to achieve, said Fatima Castillo, SNAP outreach coordinator.

“Having to pay for whatever bills they have, having to take care of

themselves and then obviously go to school at the same time, I feel for them,” Castillo said. “It’s very difficult to be able to do that all at the same time, so (it’s good for) them being able to come here to the food bank and just get some more access to more options and to be able to have food.”

While not all students who are food insecure will qualify for SNAP, all students are welcome at the food bank or welcome to use the pocket pantries that RAH provides around campus, Buttram said.

“What I hear mostly is, ‘Oh, I don’t want to take it from somebody who needs it more,’” Buttram said. “What I want to stress to that person is we have enough for you and the person who needs it more. And we do so because we’re a food rescue operation. And we’re using the resources that exist, and we’re just being better about being stewards with these resources.”

Being better stewards means helping to reduce food waste and operating as a partner of Feeding America and the Food Bank for Larimer County in order to broaden the pantries’ reach and community impact.

While access to resources to combat food insecurity is essential, Associated Students of CSU

Director of Health and Wellness Jorja Whyte said she also wants to address the stigma around food insecurity and work toward longterm solutions for students.

“I think there’s a huge component of ageism here,” Whyte said. “There’s this expectation for college students and college-age people that you should be hungry.”

Housing insecurity, food insecurity and financial insecurity all go hand in hand. RAH meets students where they are at while bigger issues of tuition and systemic problems are addressed.

“What we’re doing is, to some degree, Band-Aid work,” Buttram said. “But it’s a necessary Band-Aid while we address the root causes as a society.”

Beyond concerns of food insecurity, students are faced with learning how to feed themselves and how to function in the adult world.

“I think it’s important for students to think of that in terms of the learning that happens outside of the classroom,” Baran said. “This is about life learning, right? This is how you learn to pay all your bills and do your laundry on time and feed yourself right.”

Reach Ivy Secrest at news @collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN

CSU sued over CORA obstruction in animal mistreatment investigation

By Allie Seibel @allie_seibel_

Legal counsel with the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law led a lawsuit against Colorado State University over failure to comply with the Colorado Open Records Act pertaining to investigating behaviors conducted in a commercial slaughter facility where CSU researched mud scoring.

In 2020, CSU conducted a study — published in the journal “Meat Science” in 2021 — on mud scoring that measured how much mud was on the hides of cows at a slaughterhouse facility. e study was funded by the meat industry, and when AALDP was investigating behavior in the study at the slaughterhouse, their requests for video and photos under CORA laws were denied by the university, prompting the April 10 lawsuit.

“(AALDP) is dedicated to advocating for animals and also for government transparency,” said Ste en Seitz, a litigation fellow with AALDP at the Sturm College of Law and one of the attorneys working on the case. “I think the public has an overriding interest in knowing what researchers at public universities are doing, especially (if) they’re acting in concert with industry.”

Seitz said that after a public records request was submitted

to obtain evidence of what was occurring in the slaughterhouses during the study, a university records custodian told him they couldn’t produce any responsive records.

e university then invoked an exception to CORA, which stated that if there is ongoing research happening, records do not have to be disclosed.

“ at seems a little bit shy to (AALDP) just because the study had already published,” Seitz said. “It didn’t seem like any ongoing work was happening, (and) it didn’t seem like this exception actually applied.”

e next step in the CORA lawsuit proceedings is to confer with the defendant and try to resolve the issue between parties before bringing forth a suit. Seitz said AALDP communicated with CSU and the records custodian several times.

“ e university suddenly got back to AALDP and said, ‘Actually, it turns out the records were destroyed,’” Seitz said. “ ey were on a private Google Drive, and they were deleted without anyone knowing. And that also seems weird because they took (a) long time to look for these records.

ey said they did a thorough search. ey invoked exceptions (with) ongoing research, which implies that they at least talked to the researcher and asked about whether there’s ongoing stu happening.”

Seitz said the university acknowledged that if the records could be found, the exception to CORA of ongoing research would not apply.

“

ey work in concert with the meat industry, and they’re worried about, essentially, that that would damage that collaboration in the future,” Seitz said. “ ey didn’t want any of this stu to get out, which indicates that they weren’t actually acting in good faith at any point in terms of trying to go by CORA. Instead, what they were doing was anything they could to prevent the disclosure that was required by CORA.”

ere are laws called “Ag-Gag legislation” — aka antiwhistleblower legislation — that have passed in Alabama, Montana, North Dakota and Missouri seeking to obstruct evidence of animal cruelty. In the state of Colorado, Ag-Gag legislation is denoted as defeated, according to a graphic by the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

“

ere are studies out there that say when consumers see how animals are being treated — and particularly if they’re being mistreated — they will shy away from those purchases,” said Will Lowrey, legal counsel with Animal Partisan, a lobbyist group for animal rights working with AALDP. “ e agriculture industry (does) not want people to see — or rather to not let people see — what’s happening inside of these facilities. From my perspective, it’s hard for the

consumer to see what’s happening in those facilities. So I will look for every opportunity to get a glimpse into what is happening.”

A press release from AALDP stated that CSU claimed that Google had deleted the les from the storage system.

“When research is done, you know, with animals, presumably there’s some bene t that the researcher is seeking to nd,” Lowrey said. “I’m always looking to sort of see what that is at the expense of the animal. ... It’s di cult to see what happens to animals in agriculture. I will take any chance to try to get that information to see what’s happening and to share it.”

AALDP emphasized that multiple attempts were made to work with the university regarding the CORA obstruction before initiating the lawsuit. A statement provided by the university said, “CSU learned about the lawsuit today. We will review the allegations and respond accordingly.”

“At some point, you know, we may end up getting our day in court for the judicial system to determine whether or not the Colorado Open Records Act was violated or not,” Lowrey said. “I would just emphasize (that) we did try to resolve it amicably. It didn’t quite work out to that. Now it’s kind of up to the courts to gure out where to go from here.”

Reach Allie Seibel at news @collegian.com.

Just Love Coffee Cafe builds community through charity

By Sananda Chandy @csucollegian

With delectable food made with a wa e iron and the desire to bring positivity to Fort Collins, Just Love Co ee Cafe works to create a unique and heartfelt atmosphere that actively reaches out to meaningful causes and lovingly builds up the community in and out of the cafe.

Just Love Co ee Cafe began as a simple co ee shop in 2009 with a purpose to help families in the adoption process, which stemmed from founder Rob Webb’s personal experiences with adoption. After Webb and his wife adopted their children from Ethiopia, they recognized how di cult and costly the adoption process is. With this in mind, Webb started Just Love Co ee Cafe to fund families going through the same process.

Cindy Richards is the owner of the Fort Collins location and has been working alongside her daughter to maintain Webb’s mission. She recalled how Webb raised $100,000 in the rst year and chose to donate its entirely to families in need of support during the adoption process. Richards found the story of Webb very heartwarming and philanthropic and felt encouraged to grow with this legacy.

“I thought that the whole story was very inspiring,” Richards said. “(My daughter) Jordan and I have done a lot

of volunteer work in the past, so that was something that kind of hit our hearts that (we) wanted to be a part of.” Richards said each location is meant to nd a cause close to their hearts. For her and her daughter, the cause that matters the most to them is mental health awareness.

Upon walking into the shop, the workers greet each customer warmly and strive to ensure the best experience for each person who walks through the door, from the food to the ambience. Barista Sophia Coen was really drawn to the tight-knit, family-owned community and how it allowed her to bring customers into this welcoming space with di erent yet positive experiences for each person.

“I get to tell people, ‘Have a good day,’ and make their day better,” Coen said. “I like being the person they come in and see. ... We always try to make everything unique to the person.”

Ashley Jones-Sykes is a junior at Colorado State University and normally works in the back of the cafe preparing most of the food items. She loves how involved Richards is in the co ee shop and how the team members pride themselves on being kind and considerate. It upholds the true importance of Just Love Co ee’s backstory, further strengthening their goal to be more involved in fundraising and charity opportunities to help a multitude of matters in the community.

“Not a whole lot of co ee shops have a backstory,” Jones-Sykes said. “Coming into a place where they do have a sweet history (and mission) helps you care about the place more.”

Even though the cafe has only been open for two months, Richards already has big future plans to develop involvement with various organizations working to advocate for mental health awareness. She said they have plans for a fundraiser in May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, most likely in collaboration with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and other potential support programs.

Jones-Sykes said she admires how much the cafe believes in reaching out to di erent groups and how much they cherish those communal connections to make a di erence. She said seeing their passion to help the Fort Collins community only strengthens her wish to see the continuous growth of Just Love Co ee Cafe.

“Community outreach and mental health awareness are two of the most important things to the owner here,” Jones-Sykes said. “I know that the involvement with that is super important to them. To work at a place where that’s one of the top values and to be around people who care is such an honor.”

Reach Sananda Chandy at life @collegian.com.

Coffee grounds on display inside Just Love Coffee Cafe on the corner of West Elizabeth Street and City Park Avenue April 3.

PHOTO BY AVERY COATES THE COLLEGIAN

Arboretum Coffee assists local immigrants, refugees through barista apprenticeship

By Katie Fisher @csucollegian

Bathed in the light of antique stained-glass lamps, warm paint tones frame a long dark-paneled coffee bar, bold cursive outlines a menu of hand-crafted items and every dollar spent goes right back to the baristas behind the counter.

Located on 221 W. Prospect Road, one of Fort Collins’ newest coffee shops, Arboretum Coffee, has a unique mission of helping the community’s newest arrivals.

“We’re a nonprofit craft coffee shop working to empower refugees and immigrants and our community through apprenticeship,” said Hannah Norris, founder and executive director of Arboretum Cafe.

Norris was originally inspired to open the shop after an unexpected influx of refugees and immigrants in Fort Collins and Colorado in 2020, most arriving from Ukraine, Venezuela and Afghanistan. She has a background in social work, where she noticed the daily struggles of new arrivals to the United States, such as how most jobs available to immigrants don’t allow for social mobility.

“A common problem is that (immigrants) have to make a choice between working and making money or taking (English as a second language) classes or building relationships

(that) could support them down the line, whether personally or professionally,” Norris said.

“Come and show your support to our apprentices. Come and get to know them. Just as we try to get to know our regulars by name, get to know our apprentices by name and just ask how they’re doing. If they feel supported by our community, I think that’s a huge win for us.”

NINA FORSYTH ARBORETUM COFFEE MANAGER

A lack of affordable housing, public transportation and health care also poses barriers to immigrants within the Northern Colorado region.

Arboretum Coffee counters this problem by offering a yearlong apprenticeship program twice a year, in which four to five apprentices are trained in a threephase program, learning barista skills and life skills, and are paired with a mentor in the community.

“We want them to have high skill in craft coffee,” shop manager Nina Forsyth said. “I would define craft coffee as a higher level of coffee than something like Starbucks.”

These skills include learning how to brew espresso, steam milk and create latte art. Later stages of the program delve into leadership development in the coffee industry and roasting techniques.

Additionally, the skills learned focus heavily on American hospitality and customer service lessons, which may be different from what apprentices experienced in their home countries.

“We want to help people understand what are the expectations that, No. 1, customers and, No. 2, employers have for other Americans (because) somebody that’s a foreigner is not going to know those specific kinds of expectations that are unsaid,” Forsyth said.

Iryna Sushko, a Ukrainian refugee and apprentice at Arboretum Coffee, spoke about the differences she noticed between American and Ukrainian hospitality.

“I worked before in Ukraine,” Sushko said. “I worked in clothes. I was a manager and merchandiser. I know customer service, (but) this country is different. So when people want to buy coffee sometimes, I (will say), ‘How are you today?’ For me, it’s crazy because my country, (it is) only ‘hi’ (and) ‘bye.’”

Every detail of the cafe was built with the apprentices in mind, down to the items offered on the menu.

“A lot of the people who are going to be making these (menu items) are going to be our apprentices,” Forsyth said, as she created the menu herself. “I want to be able to teach them how to make healthy food in this country.”

The menu has traditional coffee drinks such as lattes, drips and pourovers but also features unique items like energy bars, chai pudding and hummus platters, all of which are made in-house.

All of the cafe’s other products are sourced locally through business with similar community-centered ideals. Their produce comes from Mountain Avenue Market in Old Town, and their pastries and baked goods come directly from La Creperie & French Bakery and The Bread Chic.

Above all else, a major theme of Arboretum Coffee is the sense of community it fosters, as teacher at the Immigrant and Refugee

Center of Northern Colorado Abby Keeler explained.

“Having strong motivations is really important in our lives, and a lot of that comes from connection,” Keeler said. “When you have a chance to be in an apprenticeship in a place like this, where you are connected not only with work routine but also community members, (it) gives you an opportunity to develop deeper relationships.”

Intimate interactions, like reconnecting with another person from one’s home country, happen often within the walls of Arboretum Coffee.

“This happened (recently) where a couple of Ukrainian women came in,” Forsyth said. “They were just so happy to interact with some other Ukrainians in their heart language.”

A term she uses instead of first language, Forsyth spoke about the unique definition of heart language.

“A lot of countries speak more than one language,” Forsyth said.

“But what’s the language that they think? That they dream in? What’s the language that they would write a poem in? That’s their heart language.”

The people involved in and within the walls of the coffee shop are even embedded into its unique name.

April 7.

“An arboretum is a botanical garden devoted to trees,” Norris said. “(It’s a space) for people to come in and experience the beauty of those plants. To enjoy them, to discover new information, to rest — and that’s the hope for the apprenticeship program but through people.”

There are multiple ways to get involved with the cafe and the people it serves. Volunteer opportunities and an application form are available on Arboretum Coffee’s website. Purchasing coffee also contributes to the business, as every dollar sold goes right back into the apprenticeship program.

“The best thing we can do to support is to use our financial privilege to support other people, and if that’s an establishment, choose to come here and use your money to support a place like this,”

Keeler said.

Even just a regular friendly face can work to boost immigrants and refugees’ sense of belonging in the community.

“Come and show your support to our apprentices,” Forsyth said. “Come and get to know them. Just as we try to get to know our regulars by name, get to know our apprentices by name and just ask how they’re doing. If they feel supported by our community, I think that’s a huge win for us.”

Reach Katie Fisher at life @collegian.com.

Arboretum Coffee, a newly opened nonprofit cafe, sits on the south side of the Colorado State University campus on Prospect Road

PHOTO BY ABIGAIL BURNS THE COLLEGIAN

ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE

Ginger and Baker partners with local purveyors for sustainability

By Kloe Brill @csucollegian

Ginger and Baker stands as more than just a local culinary hotspot — it’s a testament to Northern Colorado’s tapestry of local purveyors.

From beer brewed by Horse & Dragon Brewing Company to the microgreens nurtured at Forevergreen Farm, each ingredient tells a story of sustainability and community resilience.

“Selling and sourcing locally lowers our overall carbon footprint, supports people we know

personally and keeps dollars in our community,” said Tatum Cochran, general manager of Horse & Dragon Brewing Company. “And if you’re talking water, every drop we make and sell here in our watershed stays in our watershed.”

For Cochran and the Horse & Dragon team, partnering with establishments like Ginger and Baker isn’t just a business transaction; it’s a shared commitment to sustainable practices.

“Every time a company like Ginger and Baker buys our beer — for cooking classes or for their other patrons — they are supporting our sustainability e orts simply by helping to keep us in business,” Cochran said.

Cochran said Horse & Dragon Brewing Company has also implemented many energy and water reduction strategies by “installing all LED lighting xtures, increasing our building’s insulation (and) installing (electronically commutated) fan motors in our walk-in refrigerated spaces,” among others.

Colorado State University alumnus Evan Mimier, alongside

Kelly Mimier, also strives to use less water in growing microgreens.

e Mimiers are the owners of Forevergreen Farms.

“We grow the living microgreens we sell hydroponically, which utilizes less water than traditionally grown vegetables,” Evan Mimier said. “ ey are grown organically on biodegradable plant ber grow pads and distributed in reusable totes.”

Evan Mimier said Forevergreen Farms uses a vertical farming setup to grow more microgreens in less space.

Kate Cooper, director of events and community engagement at Ginger and Baker, highlighted the bond between the restaurant and its local partners. Cooper said by maintaining the original mission of the mill, they prioritize sustainability in every aspect of the operation.

Sustainability is spread through every facet of Ginger and Baker’s ethos, from sourcing ingredients to managing waste.

“Shamrock (Foods Distribution & Food Supply) and U.S. Foods are two large corporate vendors we use, but we even work with them in saying we want all our beef from

Colorado (and) we want all of our freshwater sh from Colorado,”

Cooper said.

Hazel Dell Mushrooms is another local purveyor for Ginger and Baker.

“Chef picks those (mushrooms) up on his way into work once or twice a week, so he swings by Hazel Dell,” Cooper said.

All eggs used at Ginger and Baker come from Wisdom’s Natural Poultry and are personally delivered by the owner. Morning Fresh Dairy Farm supplies all dairy products, which are delivered twice a week, ensuring freshness. e owner of Little Cranberry Ranch has also embraced hand deliveries, adding a personal touch to every order.

Cooper said Ginger and Baker showcases pro les of local vendors on their blog, menus and Instagram, o ering customers an insight into the rich stories behind their ingredients. For a closer look at Forevergreen Farms, readers can dive into Ginger and Baker’s blog post dedicated to their partnership.

Reach Kloe Brill at life @collegian.com.

The inside of the market and cafe at Ginger and Baker April 8. Ginger and Baker is a restaurant, cafe, market, bakery and event venue located in downtown Fort Collins. PHOTO BY JULIA PERCY THE COLLEGIAN

Spring camp: CSU football adjusts to changes on defense

By Liv Sewell @liv_sewell22

Change is difficult, even in the simplest of circumstances.

Changes such as Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Mohamed Kamara’s departure and new defensive line coach Chuka Ndulue are examples of adjustments Colorado State’s football team must adapt to.

The defensive line has seen some of the biggest turnover of any position group, and with significant players leaving the lineup, there is room for some of the younger players to step into a larger role.

Two of the mainstays of the defensive line, Cam Bariteau and Nuer Gatkuoth, saw Kamara’s absence as an opportunity for leadership in many ways.

“I’ve seen more guys take a leadership role,” Bariteau said. “Everybody just stepping up because they know that’s big shoes to fill.”

Kamara participated in the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine and Colorado State’s own Pro Day in March leading up to the April draft. The former team captain is looking to be the next great CSU passrusher in the NFL. However, Kamara’s presence is not the only thing missing from the practice field.

Jay Norvell hired Ndulue, a former defensive line coach for New Mexico State, to replace former defensive line coach Buddha Williams.

“I think he’s the opposite,” Gatkuoth said. “He’s the opposite from coach Buddha, but the things he teaches I think are great for us. He teaches hands and footwork; I think that’s great.”

Ndulue made his switch to coaching after his career in the NFL playing for the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers. His experience on and off the field has changed some team dynamics, but many remain the same.

Returning starters like Chase Wilson and Gatkuoth

Scrimmages and the Green vs. Gold Spring Game April 20 will help CSU football get the important live gameplay that is not possible to simulate in spring training practices.

“I’d say live reps are the most important,” Bariteau said. “When everybody’s tackling to the ground and everything’s live, everything goes, so you don’t get a lot of those in the spring, so those are really critical when you get them.”

This continues the theme of effort, detail and finish that CSU football has been harping on throughout all of spring camp.

Finishing plays and tackling teammates find their critical end in the three scrimmages of the spring season.

Scrimmages provide an inside look into the other line positions. They let the defense see how the offense has improved and vice versa. But for many players, it’s not just looking at film and talking strategy; it’s the fun of football they missed in the offseason.

“It’s always fun flying around getting some hedge, tackling with some of your teammates,” Buom Jock said following Saturday’s scrimmage. “It’s always fun when you can compete against the offense, compete against the ones and the twos.”

The offense has a new guaranteed starting quarterback for week one: Brayden FowlerNicolosi. The large number of returning starters will continue the momentum of the teamwork developed last year.

That theme rings true for the defense as well; even with Kamara leaving the team, the continuing starters hold strong in their positions.

“Everybody’s hyped up to come out to practice,” Bariteau said. “It just feels like a different atmosphere from last year.”

Reach Liv Sewell at sports@collegian.com.

Graduate student Avery Morrow (25) is lifted into the air by a teammate after a touchdown during a spring football scrimmage in Canvas Stadium April 6.

PHOTO BY CAIT MCKINZIE THE COLLEGIAN

CSU Hell’s Belles develops community as well as nationals bid

By Michael Hovey @michaelfhovey

Colorado State’s Hell’s Belles are no strangers to top-level play.

As CSU’s women’s and nonbinary club ultimate frisbee team, Hell’s Belles has created a supportive, competitive culture on the eld.

“It’s been really good — we’re coming o of, like, two straight seasons of going to nationals,” said Grace Brown, a Hell’s Belles team captain. “We de nitely have had that expectation going into our competitive season.”

e Hell’s Belles are coming o a tournament win in Austin, Texas, and are looking to stay hot in their upcoming sectionals competition on the way to a bid for nationals.

Many of the players didn’t initially sign up to play in big events, though.

“I wasn’t necessarily wanting to go (to a team) somewhere that was super competitive or that it would

be the only thing I was focused on,” Brown said. “But then as I started playing and, like, our team was getting better, we ended up being at that level of making nationals. en I was like, ‘OK, this is just great.’”  is success the Belles have built is centered on camaraderie rst and foremost.

e Belles have built their winning team culture through their players with a little help from the coaches. Longtime coach and former Belles member Emily Stege has witnessed this throughout the years.

“ e ethos of the Belles has kind of always stayed very similar,” Stege said. “I mean, wanting to play at a high level while also maintaining a good community.”

e supportive, competitive nature of the team becomes quickly apparent during practices and scrimmages. Cheering, a rmations and constructive coaching are all heard amid fast-paced play.

“Something that I love about the team is just how uplifting it is and easy,” team captain Cice Kim said. “It’s not weird to uplift your teammate after a point even if it was a loss for you guys.”

e nature of the team ties in well with the self-o ciating aspect of traditional ultimate frisbee. Players are left to self-regulate games, as there aren’t any active referees involved.

“It’s really encouraged to have spirit of the game,” Kim said. “You don’t have refs, so that’s de nitely emphasized.”

e attitude of the Belles isn’t just for show on the eld. e team created bonds outside of ultimate frisbee that have a ected the lives of some of the members as well.

With players ranging from rstyears to seniors, the background of each member is unique.

“I feel like this is a really big community, and the team is super close,” senior Corbin Smith said.

“And if you’re not super close with a team, that’s going to take away from the experience and also from the team culture.”

Smith transferred to CSU in her sophomore year and quickly found a place within the Belles.

“(Transferring) was de nitely a transition,” Smith said. “I feel like coming in, only knowing a few people was sort of hard. Since the team is super open, they want you to play (and) want you to make friends. It was really easy to mingle with everybody. ere were no cliques or anything.”  is atmosphere is also selfgoverned and depends largely on the quality of people inhabiting the team.

“

ere’s only so much you can do as a coach to set cultures,” Stege said. “We can set ethos and expectations and kind of all be operating from the same set of core values. ey kind of foster the culture themselves.”

One thing unique to this year’s Belles is their pregame traditions.

“We do ...goals and manifestations before (competition),” Kim said. “Everyone says their goal, which is more of a personal thing. My goal — it’s, like, super attainable, something that you’re working on all weekend. ... And then manifestations are more like big picture and so, like, good weather, no injuries.”

e Hell’s Belles look to manifest a bid to this year’s national championship as the postseason rears up. Colorado’s ultimate team has claimed one of two spots in the south central region, allowing the Belles a potential shot at a third consecutive nationals appearance.

“I mean, we’re super talented,” coach Jack Hinchsli said. “Come watch us. It’s going to be sweet.”

Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com.

Cice Kim, a captain of the Colorado State University women’s and nonbinary ultimate frisbee team Hell’s Belles, throws a frisbee during an indoor practice Feb. 14.

PHOTO BY EMMA ASKREN THE COLLEGIAN

Spring camp: CSU football gears up for offensive explosion

By Damon Cook @dwcook2001

Fort Air Raid has been cleared for takeo .

After a season in which Colorado State football led the Mountain West in passing yards, the return of Tory Horton and the development of sophomore quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi put the Rams in position to explode o ensively.  e continuity with which the Rams will head into the 2024 season is almost unheard of in the transfer portal era, especially from a school in the Group of Five.

“I just think we have more guys coming back that understand what we expect of them,” coach Jay Norvell said. “We’ve got eight returning starters on o ense; we have seven on defense. Our punter, our kicker, our long snapper, our return men are all back. So there’s just a lot of familiarity, and I think that’s rare in this age of transfers and (name, image and likeness).” at continuity will only help Fowler-Nicolosi, who threw for more than 3,000 yards and earned his way

onto the Honorable Mention AllMountain West list.

Fowler-Nicolosi accomplished this despite going through spring camp last year as the backup QB. Now, he’s the guy, and that only helps his con dence, which is already such a big strength for him.

“I think he’s a completely di erent player,” Norvell said. “He’s just so much more comfortable behind the center, communicating with his teammates, and then he’s showing leadership as well. And I think that (it’s) really important that the players understand that Brayden is our quarterback, that he’s a guy that they can look to, that he knows what to do, that he’s going to protect the football.”

Expectations for the o ense are higher than ever before in the Norvell era, and that hasn’t been lost in translation to his players.

In fact, the sense of urgency has only increased during spring camp.

e Rams’ focus is on three things: e ort, detail and nish.

“We’re doing way more nishing blocks and nishing down the eld even when the play may seem dead,” Horton said. “We still go nish, and that’s just a huge jump in our game — that we’re just going to tire

teams out just because of how long we nish now.”

At almost every position, it feels like the Rams are ready to take a leap forward. Whether that be from development or new additions, the 2024 season is starting to feel like bowl or bust.

Iron sharpens iron, and at the wide receiver position, the Rams have a lot of talent.

But each of the receivers is a competitor, and Washington State transfer Donovan Ollie is

ready to compete alongside all of that talent.

“At the end of the day, it don’t do nothing but make me better,” Ollie said. “Coming out with guys like Tory every day, learning from him — we feed o each other. When that time comes, we’re going to be ready for it.”

One of the things Horton mentioned when he announced his decision to return to CSU was that he wanted to “put on more armor.”

So far, that’s been one of his biggest focuses in camp. So much of the Rams’

o ense relies on Horton’s ability to make plays. As his development continues, the idea of CSU having the best o ense in the Mountain West doesn’t seem as far-fetched.

“Yeah, that was one of the things,” Horton said. “Getting bigger, stronger, faster, just cleaning up my routes, technique. You’re never perfect, so just extra years, just letting me go out there (and) polish my game and just be the best I can be.”

Between the new weapons, a better understanding of the o ense and all the other little things Fowler-Nicolosi has gained this o season, it’s fair to say the expectations can’t get much higher — so much so that if he takes care of the ball, Norvell could see him as the best quarterback he has ever coached.

“Brayden had the best season any freshman has ever had that we’ve had,” Norvell said. “But he’s got to cut the turnovers in half. … He threw for 1,000 more yards than Carson Strong did as a freshman, and he threw twice as many touchdowns than Carson threw. So he’s got a chance to be the best player we’ve ever had at that position.”

Reach Damon Cook at  sports@collegian.com.

Redshirt sophomore Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi (16) runs down the field at a spring football scrimmage April 6. PHOTO BY CAIT MCKINZIE

THE COLLEGIAN

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THE CULINARY MASTERMINDS OF OLD TOWN’S THE COOKING STUDIO

PHOTOS BY ARIA PAUL

1. Prepared sweet rice cakes wait on the table before steaming during a Cantonese dim sum class at The Cooking Studio in Fort Collins April 4. Chinese sweet rice cakes, or nian gao, symbolize progress, advancement and growth and are usually made during the Lunar New Year.

2. Dishes with food prep for the dim sum class. Dim sum is a traditional Chinese meal consisting of small dishes and is usually shared among family and friends.

3. Chef Su Wang explains the menu for the dim sum class. “I (came) from northeast China seven years ago,” Wang said. “And I think there is something interesting here about the Western culture.”

4. Wang talks with Noreen Reist and Pat Renworth. “Teaching here, I think I love the connectedness,” Wang said. “That’s why I like working here. There’s no pressure.”

5. Wang laughs while talking with a class participant and preparing filling for har gow. “I love food,” Wang said. “I come here for the food and the culture and the language.”

6. Wang talks to class participants about Chinese cuisine.

7. Reist and Renworth work on preparing dough for har gow.

8. Folded pork cha siu bao wait before being steamed. Cha siu bao, or Chinese barbecue pork buns, are made with soft milk buns and a savory pork filling.

9. Wang prepares pork shoulder for use in cha siu bao.

10. Wang demonstrates how to prepare dough for pork cha siu bao.

BETTER BACTERIA

Sourdough bread is beneficial for gut health, immune system

By Hana Pavelko @hanasolo13

e COVID-19 pandemic brought about many new trends like TikTok challenges, playing Among Us and binge-watching shows like “ e White Lotus.” However, if dancing and gaming are not your forte, you can try participating in one of the culinary trends that gained traction during the pandemic: baking sourdough bread.

Sourdough bread is relatively simple to make, as it requires only a few ingredients: water, our, salt and a starter culture. is starter culture is perhaps the most important part of baking sourdough bread and makes sourdough completely di erent from the typical bread usually made or bought at the store. Most bread uses Saccharomyces cerevisiae, more commonly known as baker’s yeast, to help it in the process of leavening or rising.

“ is (baker’s) yeast is pure, dried, stabilized and usually in powdered form,” said Caitlin Clark, a food scientist at the Food Innovation Center at Colorado State University Spur. “When the baker adds a speci c amount of it to the dough, the baker can predict exactly how much (carbon dioxide) gas will be produced and how long it will take (to rise).”

e production of carbon dioxide from the baker’s yeast incorporates it into the dough and allows the bread to leaven or rise before it is baked. However, in sourdough, this process of leavening is accomplished by fermentation. e sourdough bread starter is simply a previously fermented mixture of water and our that contains yeast as well as many other species of bacteria.

“ ese organisms (in the starter) exist in a symbiotic balance in which they keep each

other healthy and share nutrients,” Clark said.

e sourdough starter can contain over 30 di erent types of bacteria and yeast, said Charlene Van Buiten, an assistant professor in the department of food science and human nutrition at CSU. Her lab’s current research is focused on how di erences in sourdough bread starters can cause di erences in the bread itself.

“Not all sourdough is created equal,” Van Buiten said.

CSU researchers, Entomology Club explore entomophagy — eating bugs CRICK-EATS

By Ivy Secrest @ivysecrest

Eating insects is more commonly associated with schoolyard dares than ne cuisine. Despite the squeamishness concerning insects in the U.S., they are a popular source of nutrients globally.

In an e ort to destigmatize entomophagy, the practice of eating insects, the Colorado State University Entomology Club hosts an Entomophagy Taco Night annually. From 5:30-6:30 p.m. April 18, any student will be able to eat tacos made from insects in the Warner College of Natural Resources building — as long as they don’t have a shell sh allergy.

“I want as many people to know about this as possible,” Entomology Club President Claire Walther said. “It’s just such a cool trend in consumption and eating habits and something that we don’t practice in the West.”

Insect consumption has notable environmental bene ts and, in some cases, has been shown to have health bene ts.

Ti any Weir, an associate professor in CSU’s department of food science and human nutrition, studies the consumption of crickets and the potential bene ts of the ber chitin’s in uence on healthy gut microbiota.

Growing up with a selfproclaimed limited palette, Weir rst tried bugs through her research with co-researcher Valerie Stull from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. e pair pioneered human research on cricket consumption’s e ect on gut microbiota and co-authored a paper on the subject, published in Nature Food.

“Valerie came to my house and made cricket cookies for my kids,” Weir said. “ at was great. As long as I couldn’t see it, it was ne.”

Traveling abroad, Weir did encounter an insect-based food that maintained the look of an insect.

ough she wanted to try it, she couldn’t bring herself to at the time, which she regretted, Weir said. Later, a grad student made a mealwormbased tempeh, which Weir was able to try with her eyes closed.

“Close your eyes and give it a try before you judge,” Weir said.

ough the implications of this research may have many bene ts for a large number of people, convincing students to consume crickets for science is not without its challenges, even in convenient mu n form, Weir joked.

“We would walk around with these trays of mu ns and have people taste them,” Weir said. “We told them what we were doing, and then we would approach (students) in the hall, and they turn around and

walk the other way. … ere’s also a lot of really open people that were willing to try it.”

e consumption of insects, speci cally arthropods, is relatively stigmatized in the U.S., with extensive e orts made within the agricultural industry to prevent Americans from ever nding bugs in their food.

Professor of entomology

Whitney Cranshaw rst tried insects in the ‘80s. He ate local species of crickets and compared their tastes with peers, later eating local cuisine involving crickets and agave worms in Oaxaca, Mexico. Cranshaw’s research has largely focused on insects damaging fruits and vegetables. A large majority of insecticides are sprayed for the sole purpose of preventing insect damage, Cranshaw said.

“Many of those insects you might nd in an apple or an ear tip of sweet corn — they’re delicious,” Cranshaw said. “Some of the insects we do come across in fruits and vegetables are actually really pretty tasty. But people don’t consider them that way. ey consider them as something that’s evidence of poor sanitation.”

e purpose of the Entomology Club’s Entomophagy Taco Night is to destigmatize insect consumption in the U.S. ese critters are high in iron and protein, require less resources to grow and, in the case of crickets, are the only protein source people can also get ber from.

The Bread Chic, a Fort Collins bakery, offers freshly baked pastries and breads every day April 8. A rye loaf, rosemary sourdough loaf and baguette are shown stacked on top of one another.

Di erent bacteria populations in di erent starters can actually a ect the end-result bread. e microbiome of the sourdough greatly a ects the avor and taste of bread made from the starter.

“ e organisms in the sourdough microbiome also produce a huge variety of avorful byproducts, meaning that the avor of sourdough is more complex (compared to ‘regular’ bread),” Clark said. Sourdough fermentation has been in use for centuries and was actually found to be the rst form of leavened bread. ere is even evidence of it being used by the ancient Egyptians, but it was

not until recently that the health bene ts of sourdough bread have been considered.

e fermentation that assists with the leavening of the bread has actually been found to be bene cial in both the short and long term for the gut health of humans.

“(Studies) have found that (those whose) diets that have more fermented food tend to have a healthier gut microbiome and a healthier immune system,” Van Buiten said.

So ditch the low-carb diets, and try out sourdough. You might end up with a healthier gut microbiome and a new baking hobby.

Reach Hana Pavelko at science @collegian.com.

“A lot of times, it’s easy to become disenfranchised as a consumer when the products you want aren’t available,” Walther said. “Like in a grocery store, if I’m the only one buying this, am I making an impact on consumer trends? And I think the reality is when you have a strong community that becomes more informed on these issues and is really pushing and advocating for these things, we’re seeing this as a trend changing in the West — as far as our consumption or on insects go.”

Cranshaw will be providing di erent species of crickets, ants and worms to be used at the Entomophagy Taco Night. ose who attend will have a chance to not only eat the insects but learn about the practice of eating bugs.

Social perception and geographic in uence play a large role in why people don’t commonly eat bugs in the U.S. However, as climate change and food availability persist as key issues, that may have to change.

Some researchers trace the lack of insect consumption back to the Ice

Age, as colder conditions meant less insects. Others attribute it to longstanding colonial in uences.

“ e other side of that (lack of insect consumption) is this colonial legacy of going into a space where people did consume those foods,” Walther said. “Taking these racist colonial ideologies with us (thinking), ‘Oh, that’s disgusting,’ and, ‘Eating that is gross,’ and then labeling it as that has probably held us back for hundreds of years.”

Walther also noted that insect consumption could contribute to solving hunger concerns in the U.S. and is an option that should be explored more.

Students who attend the Entomophagy Taco Night will not only get to eat insect tacos but will also have the opportunity to learn more from club members and professors about entomophagy and its bene ts.

Reach Ivy Secrest at science @collegian.com.

PHOTO BY LAUREN MASCARDO

THE COLLEGIAN

PHOTO COURTESY OF WHITNEY CRANSHAW

RamFest is ready for country lovers of CSU

By Alex Hasenkamp @alexhasenkamp

Country is the theme of this year’s RamFest, featuring the traditional sound of the trio Midland and preceded by the more alternative country group Sugar Britches.

Ashliee Treblik, the president of RamEvents and a coordinator behind RamFest, shared her experience working for the group and organizing the performance.

“I really wanted to connect with the other people on campus,” Treblik said. “ is is the best job in the world. I get to hang out and throw cool events for a living.”

RamFest has historically included a myriad of di erent events, including comedy shows, carnivals and concerts. In order to determine what will appeal most to Colorado State University attendees,

RamEvents sends out a survey to a subset of 3,000 random students, asking questions regarding music genres, ticket prices and event themes.

“ is year, everyone was really jazzed about concerts, and country was one of our popular genres,” Treblik said. After analyzing data from the survey results, Treblik and her team worked with a middle agent to book big-name bands for the festival. Treblik and her leadership team brought a list of their nal three to ve bands for the rest of the RamFest sta to vote on.

“ rough working with a middle agent, we get access to a lot of really cool people, so even if we don’t get our rst choice, it still goes really well,” Treblik said.

Treblik said the hardest part of organizing RamFest is trying to come to a conclusion with her team

regarding a nal band or even just a musical genre.

“I think we picked country at a good year,” Treblik said. “Beyoncé just released a country album. We are kind of in our yeehaw era as a society.”

Treblik added that even if country isn’t some students’ cup of tea, RamEvents switches up genres each year in order to appeal to a broader audience.

Seeing the happy faces of students makes all of Treblik’s hard work and lack of sleep worthwhile.

“We all hang out up by the stage so we can look out as people are looking at the stage, and they’re singing, and they’re dancing, and they’re having a good time, and that’s the part that’s most rewarding to me,” Treblik said.

e lead singer of Sugar Britches, Brian Johanson, has been playing for the

public since he was about 19 or 20, but he said that Sugar Britches started out as a duo seven years ago and has continued to grow since then.

Sugar Britches’ sound includes throwbacks to traditional honky-tonk from the ‘70s as well as some songs that are closer to ‘90s country, providing them with a bit of originality from and contrast to mainstream country.

As the main songwriter for Sugar Britches, Johanson often draws inspiration from his own life experiences.

“Probably our most popular song is called ‘Polyamory,’ and that was based on when I was single and dating, and I went on a date with a girl who I didn’t realize was polyamorous because I didn’t read her pro le,” Johanson said.

Johanson acknowledged the challenge of band members leaving but added

that Sugar Britches is about the music and the feeling they bring to the stage as opposed to the consistency of their bandmates.

“Sugar Britches has always had a pretty good following in Colorado, and then, even when we go out of state, we still have a pretty good response,” Johanson said.

Johanson said that although it can be challenging to connect with people, seeing audience members sing along to his lyrics and relate to those personal emotions is a gratifying onstage experience.

“We like to get rowdy and have a good time, and I think they (Midland) like to get rowdy and have a good time too, and that’s the good thing about country music — it’s all pretty relatable,” Johanson said.

Reach Alex Hasenkamp at entertainment@collegian.com.

“I think we picked country at a good year. Beyoncé just released a country album. We are kind of in our yeehaw era as a society”

ASHLIEE TREBLIK RAMEVENTS PRESIDENT

BEGINNER RECIPES COLLEGIAN

Learn to make simple Japanese curry

The Cooking Studio teaches culinary mastery in Old Town

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION

By Abby Flores @csucollegian

ere’s something about Japanese food that warms the heart. Among Japan’s many national staples is curry: a beloved medley of veggies, meat and spices. Typically served with white rice, this dish is an essential comfort food everyone should learn how to whip up.

If you’re reading this and already drooling, get ready. I’m going to show you how to make some delicious beef curry. It will be enough to share with your roommates or family — but, of course, that’s up to you.

Ingredients

• 1 Japanese curry box (brands include Golden Curry, House Foods Vermont Curry and S&B Torokeru Curry)

• 2 medium carrots

• 3-4 Yukon Gold potatoes

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon butter

• Cubed beef

Preparation

• Peel and cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces.

• Soak potatoes in a bowl of water for 10 minutes.

• Cut carrots into chunks.

• Slice onions into 1/2 inchwide slices.

• Pat the beef cubes dry, and sprinkle with salt.

Directions

1. Preheat a pot with cooking oil over medium heat.

2. Add beef to the pot, and lightly sear until sides are brown.

3. Remove beef from the pot, and set aside in a new bowl or plate.

4. Add onions, and saute until caramelized (about seven minutes).

5. Add garlic, and saute for 30 seconds.

6. Mix in carrots and potatoes, and saute for one minute.

7. Add beef and ve cups of water to the pot.

8. Let the pot simmer, cover with a lid and stir occasionally for 20 minutes.

9. Once the pot comes to a boil, make sure everything is fully cooked.

10. Turn o heat, and mix curry roux. Make sure all blocks are dissolved.

11. Turn heat to medium low, and simmer for 15 more minutes until sauce thickens up.

12. Serve over a bowl of white rice, and refrigerate leftovers.

Enjoy!

By Sophie Webb @csucollegian

e perfect place for any date night, kid’s birthday party or new experience is e Cooking Studio, located o of College Avenue and catering to all.

“It’s a very fun, stress-free, safe, nonjudgmental environment,” said Dana Demarco, executive chef at e Cooking Studio.

ere are classes for both children and adults, the cuisine ranging from bread to dim sum.

Demarco is the primary chef, teaching the majority of classes. She also comes up with most menus, scheduling and organizing.

“One thing I love about food is you can never know everything there is to know about it,” Demarco said.

For the classes she does not teach, Demarco is constantly learning from the other chefs about food preparation along with the outcome of meals.

Demarco has been with e Cooking Studio for the past seven years, having cooked for the past 25.

“My best friend in high school ... did a program, (and) it was called ProStart,” Demarco said. “When she was done with her classes, I would meet her at her house, and she would show me all the stu she was cooking, and I just got really interested in it because of her.”

Demarco also grew up with an Italian father, and food was a way of bonding for them.

“Cooking has always been … what (we are) eating, not who are we inviting,” Demarco said. “Food is a big thing in our family.”

Demarco’s goal is to one day teach cooking at the high school or college level or work for a company that helps make menus and recipes.

One of her coworkers grew up cooking without recipes: Chef Su Wang. Growing up in China, Wang said she was always told to add some of this and some of that, so cooks had to be alert, constantly watching until the ingredients looked right.

“Something (brought) me here about the Western culture,” Wang said. “Before I (came) here, I (couldn’t) speak any English.”

Wang teaches Chinese cooking classes at e Cooking Studio, and one of her more recent classes taught was Cantonese-style dim sum.

Participants were able to make a Cantonese-style barbecue sauce; cha siu bao, or steamed BBQ pork buns; har gow, or crystal shrimp dumplings; and a sweet rice date cake.

ey worked with both yeast and gluten-free dough, experiencing many types of Cantonese food.

During the class, Wang pulled the attendees to the middle of the workspace to teach beginner and professional ways to prepare the

Chef Su Wang demonstrates how to prepare dough for pork cha siu

no pressure.”

food, allowing people to choose their level of di culty.

At the end of the experience, participants were left with two main courses and a delicious dessert.  “I love connecting with people — it’s the way I can practice my English,” Wang said. “ at’s the way I can learn (Western) culture.”

Not only is she a chef, but Wang is also an artist displaying traditional Chinese art in her friend’s restaurant. Wang said she would like to travel to another country one day to try more variations of food.

“I want to try the whole world’s food and keep doing this,” Wang said.

For those wanting to cook more types of food, e Cooking Studio has multiple chefs bringing their backgrounds into their food. A typical adult class lasts around three hours long and costs $94 per person. Attendees are immersed in a cooking and cultural experience with music playing in the background as they cook.

Attendees can bring home whatever food isn’t eaten in their own e Cooking Studio tote bag.  “We have a very friendly, fun, approachable way to cook,” Demarco said. “Even if you’ve never cooked before in your whole life, everyone is welcome here.”

Reach Sophie Webb at entertainment@collegian.com.

bao during a Cantonese dim sum class at The Cooking Studio in Old Town April 4. “Teaching here, I think I love the connectedness,” Wang said. “That’s why I like working here. There’s

PHOTO BY ARIA PAUL THE COLLEGIAN

Picky eaters should at least try new foods

By Emma Souza

@_emmasouza

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

As a waitress who works at a delicious restaurant, anytime a regular — an adult, mind you — consistently orders the kids’ chicken tenders, I have to bite my tongue. Hands shaking, I write on my notepad, “Fucking tenders.” And I want to roll my eyes or tell them to order again, but that’s the thing: Picky eaters know just what they want. It’s always the goddamn tenders.

I don’t want to come o as disrespectful here. If you have a dietary restriction, this isn’t about you. If you have sensory issues, this isn’t about you. If you have allergies, this isn’t about you. If you deal with food insecurity, this isn’t about you. If your relationship with food is struggling, broken or currently healing, this also isn’t about you. But if you’re simply a picky eater because you don’t like perfectly likable foods, prepare to be shat on for about 500 more words.

As an extremely adventurous eater who has enjoyed foods ranging from snails to frog legs, from sea urchins to chicken feet (my main adversary is asparagus), I completely understand the people who don’t like to get all crazy on their dinner plates. I also completely understand if you try something and dislike it — that happens to everybody.

I de ne pickiness as an inability to try something new. Try — not enjoy — but try. is de nition absolutely comes from how I was raised; my parents forced me to eat at least a couple of bites of every food they or someone else made, even if I thought I wouldn’t like it. Sometimes, the food grew on me, and other times, I consistently wanted to spit it (asparagus) out. But no matter the outcome, I tried everything in good faith.

And not to impose the way I was raised onto everybody else, but I see no good reason — besides allergies or restrictions — to not at least try. e number of taste buds we have decreases as we age, so trying new foods is important for two reasons: For starters, you should taste everything you can while you have more vibrant taste buds, but primarily, your taste changes and adapts over time. at pickled trout dish your mom made when you were 7 years old? Surprise, surprise, you might love that now!

Picky eaters irk me because they deny the fact that our tastes rapidly change and that they might love something they once hated. If we hated all the foods we did as kids, nobody would eat vegetables anymore. But because everyone adapts, broccoli is now a close friend — maybe not to picky eaters, though.

Not to generalize, but another gripe I have is that a lot of picky eaters — at least the ones I know — are not the most respectful when it comes to trying other cultures’ cuisines. ere’s nothing

Working in a restaurant is more than a job; it’s a community

wrong with preferring American food, but American food itself is a conglomerate of other cultures. For example, bacon dates back to 1500 B.C. in China, where pork bellies were cured with salt. And New Orleans gumbo is inspired by West African soups.

You might not call yourself picky if you try di erent cuisines, but I urge you to consider whether you are actually trying ethnic food or an Americanized version of ethnic food. Di erent cuisines in America are frequently changed from how they are meant to be cooked in order to t mainstream American tastes, including less spice, less umami, sweeter or bigger portion sizes. ere’s a di erence between your family’s Taco Tuesday meal and authentic tacos from Mexico — or the butter chicken you order from your local Indian place and actual Indian food.

But when you scrutinize authenticity with an inability to try non-Americanized versions, you deliberately pick and choose the parts that are most familiar to you. You like Asian cuisine when it’s tailored to American tastes but not when it’s made how those in Asia eat it.

While there’s nothing particularly wrong with disliking certain foods, take some time to recognize whether you even try something you dislike. And if you dislike it, why? at is what separates you, in my mind, from pickiness or not. Reach Emma Souza at letters@collegian.com.

By Darien Rhoads @darienrhoads

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

From the outside, a restaurant seems like a lawless place. ere’s a 13-year-old kid bussing tables, mysterious characters working in the kitchen and a server crying in the walk-in refrigerator. But this chaos, combined with the constant love-hate dichotomy of serving the general public, provides the strongest sense of community I’ve ever worked in.

To paint a picture of the inner dynamics of this work environment: If a restaurant were a family, the back of house would be the big burly dad, the bartenders would be the cool older sister, the managers would be the mom who helps with your homework and the servers and hosts would be the kids running around making messes.

e restaurant industry is arguably the most diverse workplace there is. ere is no limit on age, gender, ability or socioeconomic position. Usually, restaurants are split between the front and back of house. e servers, hosts and bartenders work in the front while the cooks and dishwashers work

in the back, and managers bridge the gap between the two. e National Restaurant Association reported that 63% of adults have worked in the restaurant industry, meaning many people have these shared experiences.

Restaurants are fast-paced and high-stress environments with constant problemsolving. Everyone from the hosts to the kitchen must work in unison, or everything unravels very quickly. Servers and managers are the punching bags for the kitchen and guests. If a guest is unhappy, the server deals with it. If the kitchen made the food incorrectly, the server deals with it.

I remember my rst big top table with 10 guests when I was a new server. It was a Friday night, and the restaurant was busy. I had never before taken care of a large table, which requires more care and time to serve. Other tables kept sitting in my section simultaneously, and I was trying to juggle everything at once while failing miserably.

I was starting to feel mildly under control until one of the hosts informed me that one of my tables walked out without paying their bill because my service was so bad. at was my last straw, and I broke down in tears.

I felt like such a failure and was worried I would have to pay their bill or the managers would be upset.

e managers were understanding and focused on making sure I was OK while disregarding the lost revenue. e other servers lled in and took care of my tables while I collected myself. At the end of the shift, everyone shared a story with me about their rst time crying on the job or a similar experience and reassured me I was doing just ne. is compassion is what the restaurant industry is about. ere are employees who work in the restaurant part time while they are pursuing something else — usually education. And there are sta who work full time as their career. All these walks of life come together and are equal while clocked in and in the building.

A study from the Urban Institute Justice Policy Center found that 12% of jobs found after release from prison were in food service. All restaurant positions are revolving doors, but that holds especially true for the back of house. ose who stay are truly the heart of the restaurant.

I would recommend every person work in a restaurant. Not only does it provide insight when something is going wrong while being a guest somewhere else, but it also builds relationships between people who would have never crossed paths otherwise.

Reach Darien Rhoads at letters@collegian.com.

COLLEGIAN FILE ILLUSTRATION

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY PRESTON BOX THE COLLEGIAN

CULINARY CRITICISM

Asian fusion restaurants harm traditional Asian cuisine

By Hana Pavelko @hanasolo13

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

Asian food has been a popular cuisine in the United States since the mid-1800s. Chinese immigrants who settled in California rst brought their traditional food with them, and now the cuisine has spread to be what some consider the highest ranked ethnic food in the world.

Since then, more Asian cuisines have taken the United States by storm, such as Japanese hibachi and Korean barbecue.

But now a new trend is taking over: Asian fusion restaurants. Asian fusion is de ned as blending “the bold avors of Asian cuisine with the more delicate tastes of Western cuisine.” While Asian fusion restaurants might be gaining traction and becoming more popular in the United States, these types of restaurants are actually harmful to traditional Asian restaurants.

“Combining di erent elements from di erent countries can create a unique avor pro le, but it can also cause diners to clump all of the cuisines into one.”

By de nition, Asian fusion restaurants tame avors to t a more “delicate” Western palette. By trying to cultivate a menu that caters its avors to Western tastes, Asian fusion restaurants are doing a disservice to their own avors. e avors used in

traditional Asian restaurants stay true to their roots and bring di erent cultures to restaurants in the United States.

Asian avors are characterized more by bitterness, spice and umami. By catering to the more sweet and salty Western palette, Asian fusion restaurants make Americans expect traditional Asian restaurants to do the same. is means that when true Asian avors like the umami avor shine through in dishes,

Americans can be taken aback and not like the dish.

In addition to tapering traditional Asian avors in order to appeal to the Western palette, Asian fusion restaurants also combine di erent elements from numerous Asian countries and cultures. While this might seem like a good idea, it actually causes Asian fusion restaurants to contribute to the generalization of Asian countries and cultures.

Combining di erent elements from di erent countries can create a unique avor pro le, but it can also cause diners to clump all of the cuisines into one. By labeling all of these dishes “Asian cuisine,” people are inadvertently disrespecting the di erent countries from which each cuisine originated.

People might cluster similar items together, such as potstickers and gyoza, but they actually have very di erent and unique origins. Potstickers are a traditional Chinese dish, whereas gyoza are Japanese in their origin and were actually invented during World War II. Lumping these two dishes together not only disrespects their origins but also contributes to harmful generalizations about Asian countries and cultures. People might eventually expect to nd potstickers at a traditional Japanese restaurant and be disappointed when the restaurant does not o er potstickers, only gyoza.

While Asian fusion restaurants have gained popularity and have the potential to introduce Western palettes to a variety of new avors and dishes, they also do a disservice to traditional Asian restaurants. People can still enjoy Asian fusion restaurants and enjoy their cuisine, but they should be aware that the two o er di erent cuisines, so they should not have the same expectations when visiting a traditional Asian restaurant.

Reach Hana Pavelko at letters @collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN

Sudoku

By Abby Flores

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (04/11/24)

ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19)

Tarot card: Balance

You are going to feel balanced in all areas of life this week, Aries. This solar eclipse season taught you time management and discipline. You understand what feels good to you and what doesn’t.

TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20)

Tarot card: Queen of Water

People want to tell you just how much they appreciate your comforting energy, Taurus. You are stable and calm. One of your close friends may have recently gone through something, and they want to let you know how thankful they are that you’re in their life.

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20)

Tarot card: Two of Water

the universe is asking you to let go of them. Love will circle back to you no matter what, Gemini.

CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22)

Tarot card: Two of Fire

You’re in the process of building a stronger connection with your partner. There is a lot of progress going on within each of your careers, making you both aligned to each other at a high frequency.

LEO (JULY 23 - AUG. 22)

Tarot card: Seven of Air

You’ve been spending more time with a couple close friends rather than with large groups of people. Continue being yourself, and the universe will give you signs on where to move forward.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEPT. 22)

Tarot card: Queen of Earth

You are feeling practical and logical this week, Virgo. You are taking care of your finances after some hardship. Know that you are doing a great job, and the universe will reward you with abundance soon.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22)

Tarot card: King of Water

There’s someone in your life who you consider dependable. This person wants you to feel happy, and they also understand who you are to the core. You will collaborate with them in an artistic way, and it will connect you together more deeply

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)

Last edition’s sudoku solution

Last edition’s crossword solution

by eating healthy meals. You are being consistent in your routine and finding new hobbies to practice.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21)

Tarot card: The Dreamer

You are onto a new adventure or beginning, Sagittarius. The solar eclipse changed your mindset on how you go about achieving your dreams. You are putting more action toward making your goals come true.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19)

Tarot card: Nine of Water

You’ve been feeling happy, Capricorn. A lot of wishes you’ve made last year will be fulfilled this year, and it’s because you’ve been staying positive. The universe is going to give back to you as long as you go with the flow.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18)

Tarot card: The Lovers

You may have to make a few choices within your relationships, Aquarius. Who do you want to keep in your life, and who is it time to let go of? It’s OK to make these decisions because it will contribute to your well-being.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20)

Tarot card: Knight of Air

You are more motivated than ever to complete tasks that have been presented to you in the last couple weeks. Don’t lose your motivation, Pisces, because you are getting close to the finish line. WEEKLY HOROSCOPE

A past lover may come up this week, asking you for forgiveness. You had a deep connection with this person, but

Tarot card: The Hermit

You’ve been feeling like you want to spend more time at home and take care of yourself

“I

OVERHEARD AROUND CAMPUS

“Do you think they have condoms in this Buc-ee’s?”

“They

“I

NOPE DOPE