Thursday, April 10 2025 Vol. 134 No. 27 by The Rocky Mountain Collegian

QUEER EXCELLENCE TAKES CENTER STAGE AT CSU’S ANNUAL DRAG SHOW

Story by Cait Mckinzie & Allie Seibel

by Cait Mckinzie

See pages 12-14

Photo

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN

Virgil Dickerson sells kimchi, made using his mom’s recipe, at the Winter Farmers Market in The Shops at Foothills April 5. Dickerson runs KREAM Kimchi, a Denver-based business that sells in Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs. “Order kimchi, chili oil, teriyaki, more,” Dickerson said. PHOTO BY JULIA PERCY THE COLLEGIAN

during the regular fall and spring semesters. TheCollegian publishes online Monday through Thursday. Corrections may be submitted to the editor in chief and will be printed as necessary on page two. The Collegian is a complimentary publication for the Fort Collins community. The first copy is free. Additional copies are 25 cents each.

Allie Seibel | Editor in Chief editor@collegian.com

Hannah Parcells | Managing Editor managingeditor@collegian.com

Claire Vogl | Executive Editor copy@collegian.com

Will Engle | Copy Chief copy@collegian.com

Nathan Carmody | Print Director design@collegian.com

Trin Bonner | Illustration Editor design@collegian.com

Aubree Miller | News Editor news@collegian.com

FOCO EVENTS

Party for Partners: Partners Goes West at The Lincoln Center 6-9 p.m. April 11

Spring Artisan Market at Fort Collins Senior Center 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 12

Horsetooth Half Marathon at New Belgium Brewing Company 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 13

Thousands mobilize at ‘Hands Off’ rallies in FoCo, Denver to protest Trump administration actions

By Claire VanDeventer, Sam Hutton & Aubree Miller @csucollegian

On Saturday, April 5, thousands of Colorado State University students and Fort Collins residents gathered in Civic Center Park for the city’s “Hands Off” protest, joining coordinated demonstrations nationwide and across the state.

According to Third Act, the organizer of the event in partnership with IndivisibleNOCO, MoveOn, 50501 and more, these nationwide rallies were organized in response to recent federal actions taken by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, calling on Americans to unite and organize in support of issues that matter to them. More than 1,200 demonstrations were organized across all 50 states, according to the Associated Press, with around 10,000 people attending the march in Denver.

The Hands Off website details the organization’s mission for coordinated community action across the country.

“Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them,” the website’s statement reads. “They’re taking everything they can get their hands on and daring the world to stop them. On Saturday, April 5th, we’re taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: Hands off!”

Protesters in Fort Collins echoed this urgency, holding signs that read, “Hands Off Our Rights,” “Resist Fascism” and “Love Over Hate,” among others. The event also featured several speakers, including Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse and League of Women Voters Vice President Kathy Maher, who addressed a wide range of issues, such as immigration rights, LGBTQIA+ support, federal funding cuts and voting access. Many of these messages were met with loud cheers and chanting from the crowd.

“This is what democracy looks like,” Neguse said. “The question we have to ask ourselves as a community is, ‘Will we stand up?’”

Victoria Silva, a biochemistry and molecular biology student researcher at CSU, commented on the recent federal funding cuts to research and STEM grants in their address, explaining the potential impacts on their field and emphasizing the need to organize in response to these changes.

“Whole futures are being erased,” Silva said. “Whole fields are being gutted, and for what? To keep the billionaire class in control while the rest of us are told to be quiet, be polite and stay in line? But we won’t. The statement, ‘Hands Off,’ is our refusal; hands off of our students, hands off of our science (and) hands off of our committees.”

One of these issues touched upon by speakers was the recent revocation of six international student visas at CSU, some of whom have already left the country. Ella Smith, a student at CSU studying women and gender studies, condemned the decision and called on both elected officials and the community to take action.

“I am here because I believe that the visa revocations for Colorado State University students is absolutely reprehensible,” Smith said. “We, as students, are here calling not only on the university but also on our representatives and community members to stand against these awful, evil things and make a statement by fighting back.”

After the speeches concluded, the crowd marched south along Howes Street to Mountain Avenue, then continued south on Mason Street before heading east to College Avenue. The group then marched north back to Civic Center Park, halting traffic along downtown College Avenue.

With vehicles rendered stationary on College Avenue, most drivers expressed support for the demonstrators, repeatedly honking their horns and playing politically charged music.

The march brought together Fort Collins residents, CSU students and others, united by phrases like “Hands Off,” “Love Not Hate” and “My Body, My Choice,” among others. Fort Collins resident Laurie Morren spoke on the significance of community action and why a movement like this one is so powerful.

A protester and child hold signs at the “Hands Off” protest at Civic Center Park in Fort Collins April 5. PHOTO BY GARRETT MOGEL THE COLLEGIAN

Thousands of protesters gather at Civic Center Park in front of the Larimer County Justice Center as part of the national “Hands Off” protests April 5. Protesters started at Civic Center Park and proceeded to march south along Mason Street, turned left onto West Mulberry Street and left again onto College Avenue, encircling 10 total blocks.

PHOTO BY GARRETT MOGEL THE COLLEGIAN

“This is what democracy looks like. The question we have to ask ourselves as a community is, ‘Will we stand up?’”

JOE NEGUSE COLORADO DISTRICT 2 REP.

“This is amazing,” Morren said. “It feels so great to be out here with likeminded people — people who care about our country and our democracy and are afraid of where we’re headed.”

Demonstrators said the protest was unique because it centered on a multitude of issues, bringing people together from all walks of life to organize around the issues they care about. When asked why she attended the march, Josie Lopez, another Fort Collins resident, emphasized this collective sense of urgency.

“Why am I not here?” Lopez said. “There’s too many things to choose from. We’re all just trying to survive. I’m just here to support my community and to come together to move forward as one.”

As the march drew to a close and demonstrators dispersed, event organizers from IndivisibleNOCO and 50501 spoke on the success of the event, as well as their personal motivations for protesting.

Tristan McBurney-Bennett is a U.S. military veteran and helped organize the demonstration alongside 50501. McBurney-Bennett described the loss of his sister as his core motivator to continue advocating for the rights of immigrants and the LGBTQIA+ community.

“I hope that I honor her memory and that drives me forward,” McBurneyBennett said. “Also, the fact that I spent seven years serving this country — when I put on a uniform and signed on the dotted line, I was like, ‘I’m not going to let America fall to fascism,’ and here I am still fighting to make sure America doesn’t fall to fascism.”

IndivisibleNOCO board member Amy Padilla said she was pleased with the outcome of the demonstration, pledging that future community action events are already in the works. Padilla specifically highlighted the group’s upcoming attendance at a town hall hosted by Colorado District 4 Rep. Lauren Boebert April 26.

Padilla also expressed her belief that community action should be organized with a bottom-up approach, encouraging unity within communities regardless of political affiliation.

“We all have to live here,” Padilla said. “It’s about taking care of each other, or we’re not going to make it, and (the Trump administration) is setting us up to not make it. It’s not red versus blue anymore. It’s everybody against the oligarchy.”

A “Hands Off” protest also took place in Denver, drawing thousands to the Capitol and Civic Center Park. There were also marches organized in Colorado Springs, Boulder, Loveland and elsewhere across Colorado.

Protesters carried signs with messages such as “Respect the Constitution,” “Silence = Compliance,” “Make Empathy Great Again,” “My Dissent is Patriotic” and “Protect Peace and Defend Justice,” among others.

Members of various nonprofits and advocacy groups attended and gave speeches at the Denver protest, along with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, as reported by The Denver Post.

Katie Leonard, an organizer for the Denver Party for Socialism and Liberation, attended and spoke about the protests on a national level.

“It’s very clear that this is the beginning stage of an all-out assault on free speech and democratic rights here in this country,” Leonard said. Abdullah, an attendee who did not provide a last name, touched on the show of community and solidarity from those who marched.

“There’s a lot of emotions running around right now,” Abdullah said. “People feel a lot of fear right now, you know, by way of deportation, by way of economic class (and) financial insecurity. People are afraid, but also people are very fed up. People are tired of the status quo. … I think marches like this really show how this fight is one, and it shows how the ruling class continues to try to divide us by making us think that these struggles are different.”

Ultimately, he said he is “hopeful for the future.”

An unnamed speaker praised the attendance of the crowd and people showing up for their communities.

“This is what power is, and this is what community and democracy look like,” the speaker said. “The streets is not where our fight ends. It is in every intersection of our lives, and the fight and the revolution lives within each of us, and it carries into everything we do. … It is how you live your life every single day.”

Reach Claire VanDeventer, Sam Hutton and Aubree Miller at news @collegian.com.

A protester holds a sign that reads, “Freedom of Speech and Due Process for All,” while riding in a car down College Avenue during the “Hands Off” protest in Fort Collins April 5. PHOTO BY GARRETT MOGEL THE COLLEGIAN

A protester holds a sign while marching down College Avenue during the “Hands Off” protest in Fort Collins April 5 PHOTO BY GARRETT MOGEL THE COLLEGIAN

A protester wearing a shirt that reads, “Science Not Silence,” marches down College Avenue during the “Hands Off” protest in Fort Collins April 5. PHOTO BY GARRETT MOGEL THE COLLEGIAN

Fancy footwork: Musical stylings of CSU Swing Dance Society promote community fun

By Riley Paling @csucollegian

The Colorado State University Swing Dance Society is a vibrant student organization at CSU that practices East Coast swing dancing with students and the broader Fort Collins community. Open to individuals of all skill levels, the Society provides a welcoming environment for both beginners and seasoned dancers.

The Society hosts biweekly dances from 7-9 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month. These events start with a beginner-friendly lesson, introducing participants to various swing dance styles, such as the Lindy Hop and the Jitterbug. Following the lesson, the floor opens for a social dance, allowing attendees to practice their new skills and revel in the lively atmosphere.

While the Society is in the process of securing a permanent venue, events are usually held at the Lory Student Center on CSU’s campus.

Along with weekly meetings, the Society also holds dance events a few times each semester. Soul Night, the next event, will be held April 26 in the university ballroom. The Society also has some exciting things in the works.

“(We’re) partnering with country swing to do, like, a combo night, but that’ll probably be, like, next semester,”

said Chloe Martin, CSU Swing Dance Society president. “Other than that, just chugging along, probably into doing another Soul Night. There is an intercollegiate swing battle, which is, like, where you can do a performance team and compete that way.”

Swing Dance Society occasionally connects with NoCo Swing Dance. They encourage members to attend NoCo Swing Dance events and periodically host combined events.

East Coast Swing is a lively, energetic dance that originated in the United States during the 1940s. It developed from the Lindy Hop, a swing dance that gained popularity in Harlem ballrooms and was later simplified for easier social dancing. With a basic sixcount rhythm, East Coast Swing can be danced using single or triple steps, depending on the tempo of the music.

While traditionally a partner dance, East Coast Swing can be enjoyed solo, with many dancers practicing footwork and styling individually. The dance is known for its bouncy feel, playful movements and adaptability to various music styles, including swing, jazz, rockabilly and early rock and roll.

East Coast Swing was largely popularized by dance pioneer Arthur Murray and remains a favorite in both social and competitive dance settings. It’s fun and approachable for dancers of all levels.

Beyond regular dance events, the Swing Dance Society emphasizes

community building and inclusivity, encouraging participants to exchange skills, form lasting friendships and, above all, have fun. They also maintain an active presence on social media, providing updates on events and engaging with members. Interested individuals can also join the Society’s Facebook group for community updates and to connect with fellow dancers.

“Mostly it’s just a little treat,” said Audrey McCrea, Swing Dance Society member. “Especially, like, senior year,

I get to go socialize for two hours, and I have to go back and, like, do my homework. But yeah, it’s the socialization and the exercise (I enjoy).”

Whether one is looking to learn a new dance style, meet new people or simply enjoy a fun evenin g, the Swing Dance Society offers a dynamic and supportive environment. To get involved, the organization’s upcoming events are open to the public, or those interested can reach out through social media channels for more information.

“Swing is for everybody, and it’s an amazing way to, like, express your ability to dance or, like, express yourself,” Martin said. “Even if you’re a beginner, beginners join all the time, and it’s welcome to all breeds of people. Everybody can dance.”

The most current information on dance locations and times can be found on the Society’s Instagram account, along with their website.

Reach Riley Paling at life @collegian.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CSU SWING DANCE SOCIETY

STUDENT RESOURCE

B.O.V.I. vending machine offers on-campus beauty products

By Katie Fisher @csucollegian

Sat between a wall and a Coca-Cola machine on the third floor of Colorado State University’s Lory Student Center is a revolutionary vending machine. One that, instead of serving snacks or cold beverages, dispenses Black hair, skin and beauty products to address critical community access needs.

Co-founded by Dorothy Bee and Taj Stokes, the Black Owned Vending International vending machine seeks to address the inaccessibility of beauty products for Black people in communities across Colorado.

“As partners with a history of diverse ventures, we recognized a pressing issue that resonated deeply with our community: the struggle to find quality hair, skin and beauty products tailored to African Americans and people of color, particularly in suburban areas,” the company’s website reads.

Bee’s founding inspiration for the company came from observing her daughter Naeemah Weathers’ experience of caring for her hair after she moved away to CSU as an undergraduate student.

“It was that type of a community situation,” Bee said. “And so (we) just

noticed that my daughter didn’t have access to the hair care products that (she) was accustomed to.”

This situation is similar to Stokes’ own college experience over two decades ago.

“A lot of kids who come (to college) don’t know where to go to get the right products,” Stokes said. “They don’t know what products they should be using, or they’ve just had their hair done by a family member their whole life, or they’re growing their hair out for the first time natural.”

With Weathers’ assistance, the company connected with the Black/ African American Cultural Center. Both parties quickly began working to acquire a vending machine on campus.

“It’s about kind of bridging that gap and recognizing that our students are both coming from Colorado but also coming from everywhere across the world,” B/AACC director John Miller IV said. “So what does it mean to help increase access and have it right in the student center?”

Built to suit a variety of student needs, the vending machine offers a wide selection of products for purchase.

“We have bonnets and scarves,” Bee said. “We have durags. We have, of course, the hair products, like shampoo, conditioner, mousse and then we also have a line of eyelashes that are in there.”

As the needs of the present student population change, so do the vending machine’s contents. The company has tailored its offerings based on a feedback survey through B/AACC every semester.

“So the idea is to enter into a dialogue with the students. … The idea is to be responsive so that it’s a spot where people can go to get what they need.”

TAJ STOKES

B.O.V.I CO-FOUNDER

“We kind of figured out we have to survey continuously because what if the people who responded to the survey last year were graduating?” Stokes said. “So we plan on sort of surveying the body once a quarter to kind of find out, what do they need? Because your winter needs are going to be different than spring needs.”

After initially placing the machine in the LSC last May, Bee and

Stokes were quickly surprised by the immediate positive feedback and usage of the machine.

“When we placed the unit in May, I didn’t expect to make any money because I’m like, ‘Well, school’s ending,’” Stokes said. “‘It’s not going to make any money until, like, August or September,’ and we had probably two or three people going by that unit, buying something every day.”

Feedback was instantaneous, with many students noting the positive impact the machine’s offerings had on the campus community. The machine also stood out to incoming students and their parents.

“We had some students come to visit campus with their parents, and one of the pieces of feedback that we got from the parents was it made them feel safer about their kids coming and going this far from home because they’re going to have what they need on campus,” Stokes said.

The company’s business model also works to keep prices similar to big box retailers while accounting for the demographic of its student customer’s budgets.

“We’re not trying to take college kids’ money,” Stokes said. “We know that you guys have a limited budget, so … we want to make sure that the prices are fair and competitive with Walmart or Amazon or where

they might be able to go to get it someplace else.”

B.O.V.I. also seeks to give back to the communities it operates in by reinvesting “10% of profits from each unit into a local charity within the respective zip code.” At the CSU location, a portion of the proceeds go directly back to B/AACC.

Looking to the future, the company is hoping to delve into content creation to better assist customers with learning how to use the products available for purchase.

“We’re working to get together to do a series of, like, videos where we’re like, ‘Hey, let us not just show you what products you should be using on your hair, but let us actually give you some tutorials,’” Stokes said. “Like, ‘Here’s how you can do a two strand twist in under 15 minutes’ — little things like that.”

While B.O.V.I.’s founders and their partners at B/AACC will continue to innovate as new waves of students join CSU, the original mission of the vending machines holds true.

“So the idea is to enter into a dialogue with the students,” Stokes said. “The idea is to be responsive so that it’s a spot where people can go to get what they need.”

Reach Katie Fisher at life@collegian.com.

The products available for purchase from the B.O.V.I. vending machine located on the third floor of Colorado State University’s Lory Student Center April 7. The machine offers a variety of Black beauty, skin and hair products for purchase.

PHOTO BY KATIE FISHER THE COLLEGIAN

ROOTED SUCCESS

CSU softball benefits from 15 years of greatness under coach Jen Fisher

By Alex Graser @csucollegian

Coach Jen Fisher took over the Colorado State dugout 15 years ago, and the Rams haven’t looked back since.

Fisher took over as head coach for CSU softball all the way back in 2010 when she left her role as coach at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Ever since then, she has become one of the most successful coaches in CSU Athletics history. In her time at CSU, Fisher racked up the most wins in program history with 349. On top of that, she has two Mountain West Coach of the Year awards and a conference regular season championship.

Fisher has coached softball at almost every level, from club with the Fort Collins Buckaroos and high school with Rocky Mountain High School and Poudre High School to college

with Otero Junior College, MSU and CSU.

At every level, Fisher has been a winner. She won seven consecutive Region IX championships and Coach of the Year awards with Otero JC. At Metro, she won two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year awards and won NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year in 2010 when she led the recently reformed Metro softball team to 53-6 record and a postseason appearance — the best season in program history.

One of the most important things for Fisher is her tie to Fort Collins.

Fisher grew up in Fort Collins while her father, Wayne Schubert, worked at CSU as a professor of atmospheric sciences.She attended Rocky Mountain High School and then committed to Creighton to play softball but transferred to Colorado School of Mines after one year.

Fisher then came to CSU, where she received her bachelor’s in mathematics.

She even met her husband, Joe Fisher, at CSU, where he played baseball. Her son, Garrett Fisher, also was born in Fort Collins and attended high school at Rocky Mountain. He is now a coach for CSU softball, working alongside his mother. Her love for CSU and the city of Fort Collins is one of her favorite parts about coaching at CSU.

“It was an absolute shocker, dream come true — one of the best jobs that I could ever hope to have,” Jen Fisher said. “It doesn’t feel like work if you get to do softball all day, every day. It’s been great. Of course, my family’s very supportive, and lot of sports fans and family around here ... have supported me.”

This support for Jen Fisher isn’t onesided. Throughout the years, she’s used her role as a leader to help the community. Even going back to her time at MSU, she assisted in organizing events. In 2009, the MSU softball team hosted a fundraiser 5K race for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Additionally, she received a community engagement award from the NCAA for her work with the Denver West High School softball team. Her team helped Denver West with academic and personal life matters.

“Our teams have always understood the importance of being someone that’s looked up to,” Jen Fisher said. “There’s someone watching you and watching how you react and how you behave. When you engage with the community, it helps you not take the sport as life and death; (It’s) because you see people going through experiences that are much harder and more difficult than what you’re going through. We’ve always tried to make sure that our student-athletes have a healthy dose of awareness of the community around them.”

A constant for CSU softball is the appearance of the community.

Before most games, the team takes time to show their appreciation and make people’s days special and memorable, doing everything from bringing youth softball teams onto the field for the national anthem to honoring teachers and professors for their hard work.

“We had our most valuable professor game the other night, and I think that’s

another thing we’ve really tried to help our athletes understand, is that the way you represent yourself in class ties in,” Jen Fisher said. “We once had a professor that wrote a thank you note to the athletic director and said he brought his twin daughters to the game, and he hoped that they would grow up to be just like his students, who was one of our athletes, and that was really powerful.”

One of the most impressive things about Jen Fisher’s coaching style is not just the way she trains players but also the emphasis she places on players’ academic success.

Since her first year at CSU in 2011, 131 Academic All-Mountain West nominations have been given to CSU softball. Almost every year, the team has about 10 players named to the list. Not only do her players receive academic awards, but even her son, Garrett Fisher, was given three all-academic awards while playing baseball for Northern Colorado.

“There’s a lot of carryover of wanting to learn,” Garrett Fisher said. “There’s a lot you can learn in baseball and softball. Studying the game, learning the game, there’s a lot of carryover through that. I think being the most educated or the smartest team a lot of time (can help) you a lot in knowing what we want to do in this situation, where we want the ball to go (and) what we need out of our hitter. I think that all ties together.”

CSU softball has made leaps and bounds of progress in the 15 years since Jen Fisher took over, going from a team that couldn’t play or practice at night due to not having lights to a team with a brand-new stadium and a solid foundation for years to come.

“Those players really wanted to improve the program, and especially in my second year, we went from not being very good to a really huge turnaround,” Jen Fisher said. “We’ve been able to sustain some pretty good success in a tough conference, and I think it’s just been exciting to see the new stadium and more ... for all the fans because they’re really excited about it. They love the night games and all the support staff. I just fought for it.”

Reach Alex Graser at sports @collegian.com.

“We’ve been able to sustain some pretty good success in a tough conference, and I think it’s just been exciting to see the new stadium and more ... for all the fans because they’re really excited about it.”

JEN FISHER CSU SOFTBALL COACH

Colorado State University softball coach Jen Fisher cheers on her team during CSU’s softball game against the University of Nevada, Reno March 23, 2024. CSU lost 10-7.

PHOTO BY AVA PUGLISI THE COLLEGIAN

RIVALRY FEUD

CSU men’s lacrosse prepares for toughest battle of season against Colorado

By Brandon Vetromila @rmcollegianspts

Although lacrosse is not one of the most popular sports at Colorado State, it has a record of being one of the most successful club programs at CSU.

Founded in 1964, CSU lacrosse has a long tradition of success. The Rams hold a Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association record, with six national championships and nine championship appearances from 1999 to 2013. The Rams also have nine Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference titles. This winning tradition is continued by coach and former CSU lacrosse player, Ryan MacDonald.

MacDonald, who became coach in 2018, was a strong offensive midfielder for the Rams from 200508. He was team captain in 2008, honored with RMLC first team midfield awards and named to the MCLA’s All-American Second Team the same year.

But not much has changed since MacDonald played lacrosse at CSU.

“We might have been on field one instead of field 10, just a little dirt patch where those high bouncers will go in,” MacDonald said. “The culture is still the same. We’re still a family; we’re still gritty.”

Since MacDonald graduated and shifted his focus from player to coach, Colorado has defeated the Rams the past

LOYALTY LOST

10-straight seasons. This all changed last year when CSU defeated CU 9-8. Now the Rams look to create a win streak against the Buffs, which is something that hasn’t been done since MacDonald was taking classes at CSU.

“We beat them for the first time in 10 years,” MacDonald said. “I’ve never lost to them as a player and was never able to beat them as a coach, but now that we’ve won that game in the last meeting, they know we’re here, and we’re here to stay. ... It means a lot to me that we won’t ever be that team again that always gets beat by CU.”

The Rams and Buffs are both part of the MCLA, a nonvarsity men’s

lacrosse league that is home to over 183 teams across 42 states and two countries. To make the rivalry even more intense, these two teams share a spot in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference — a conference within the MCLA — with other schools like Utah Valley, Brigham Young, Utah and Utah Tech.

This year, the RMLC is loaded with talented players and well-coached programs, as five of the six schools currently have winning records.

Preparing for the game against the 7-3 Buffs won’t be a challenge, as CSU will have faced UTU, UVU and BYU in the weeks prior.

The Rams’ final test before the Rocky Mountain Showdown will happen April 12 when they head to Provo, Utah, and face conference rival BYU. BYU won the RMLC and the MCLA last season and has not lost since May 2023. The Cougars have the second-most MCLA championships behind CSU, with four.

“In all honesty, we start to prepare now,” MacDonald said. “We can count the amount of times we will practice on two hands before that game against CU, so it’s really about getting dialed in (and) taking care of the little things and the things we can control.”

The Rams currently sit at 6-3, but the team is playing some of their best lacrosse of the season, boasting a fourgame win streak before their matches with their RMLC counterparts in Utah.

The team this year is led on offense by senior attackman, Owen Wellschlager. So far this season, Wellschlager has 17 goals and nine assists in nine games played. Last season was one to remember for Wellschlager, as he was awarded with First Team AllConference Attack honors as well as an honorable mention for AllAmerican. This year, Wellschlager looks to create the same success for him and his teammates as they enter the final stretch of the season.

“It’s important to be maintaining the same level of offense, trying to be consistent and worrying about turnovers and things like that over getting the most points on the board,” Wellschlager said.

On the defensive end of the field, the Rams rely on junior goalie Charlie Bibaud to get them consistent stops and keep them in games. Last season, Bibaud was an honorable mention for All-Conference Goalie. This year, Bibaud has 117 saves in nine games played. He also has three assists throughout the season.

Bibaud, who is from Southern California, grew up playing lacrosse since the second grade. He knew goalie was the position for him because “it is one of two positions on the lacrosse field where you can completely take over a game.”

“If you run into a hot goalie and you can’t get the ball past him, you can’t win,” Bibaud said.

Both players understand the importance of getting through the gauntlet of BYU and Utah Valley, but the team is looking toward the Rocky Mountain Showdown April 19 at Canvas Stadium.

Bibaud and Wellschlager have both faced CU three times over the course of their careers as Rams.

“Winning this year would represent a return to form for that rivalry,” Wellschlager said. “We’ve both been watching each other this season. We’ve played really similar games against similar teams. When we played in the fall, it was a quick, chippy game, so I’m expecting a fast, chippy, exciting game.” Reach Brandon Vetromila at sports @collegian.com.

The transfer portal is reshaping college sports for better or worse

By AJ Merriman @rmcollegianspts

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

The collegiate transfer portal has destroyed sports as a whole, even though it provides student-athletes with the opportunity to move to stronger teams and earn more money. The primary issue is that the portal launches simultaneously with NCAA football bowl games and the NCAA basketball tournament.

Athletes are put in a difficult situation. They must choose whether to stay and play with their current team or leave to join another, risking the remainder of their season and potentially a championship. And due to the possibility of injury, teams attempting to recruit students from other teams do not want those football or basketball players to continue playing. However, supporters do not get to witness teams at their peak because

the bowl games and national championships are taking place at the same time. Many college fans dislike professional sports because of the business aspect, but the collegiate sports industry has also turned into a business.

Well-known collegiate sports fans are there for the camaraderie and loyalty.

“Over the first six years of the portal era, the total number of FBS

players who have transferred has more than doubled from 1,561 in 2018-19 to over 3,700 in last year’s cycle, according to NCAA transfer data,” an article from NBC Sports reads. “The total number of players among FBS scholarship transfers rose from 1,946 in 2021-22 to 2,303 in 2022-23, and then up to 2,707 in 2023-24. In 2023-24, the total number of NCAA football players

across all divisions who entered the portal exceeded 11,000.”

This was disappointing for college football fans across the country. In an attempt to win for the fans, thirdstring quarterbacks made their debuts playing for their respective schools during college football bowl games. Hearing and seeing this all at once can be quite upsetting.

While his team, the Michigan Wolverines, was still in the March Madness tournament, college basketball players like Justin Pippen — Scottie Pippen’s son — entered the transfer portal. “More than 900 D1 players entered the transfer portal on day one,” according to Bleacher Report.

When I argue that the transfer portal shouldn’t open until after the national championship or until that team has finished playing for the season, I think I’m speaking for almost every sports fan. This makes it possible for basketball’s March Madness tournament and football’s bowl games to still have real competition.

As supporters, we must be able to see the finest plays from every team and game.

Teams that aren’t as successful in the sports industry or don’t have a

reputation for being competitive find it particularly difficult to improve and flourish thanks to the transfer portal. While teams in the Mountain West, PAC-12, Mid-American Conference and American Athletic Conference will continue to shrink and possibly even disappear, teams in the Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten and Big 12 will get bigger and better.

For a few years now, there have only been two teams in the PAC-12. Some teams planning to participate in the PAC-12 in the future include Colorado State, Fresno State and Boise State.

What does that mean for the MW? Yes — a few clubs will also migrate there, but eventually, the conference as a whole will disappear. What threshold will the NCAA set? When will exciting, competitive games be available to NCAA fans once again? College sports and its fans thrive on upsets, underdogs and tales that people will find hard to believe in the future.

Reach AJ Merriman at sports @collegian.com.

Nico Deleon handles the ball in Colorado State University’s lacrosse game against the University of Utah April 4. Colorado State University won 15-9.

PHOTO BY ERICA PICKERING THE COLLEGIAN

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY KAYLEE MADSON THE COLLEGIAN

AVIARY TRACKING

AeroEco Lab maps bird migration patterns, furthers ornithological research

By Hayley Bisant @csucollegian

As terrestrial animals, many people don’t think of the sky as a significant ecosystem. For birds, bats and some insects, this isn’t the case. A majority of their life is spent in the air, which makes understanding their relationship to the airspace an essential aspect of ecological research.This is the focus of Colorado State University’s Aeroecology Lab, otherwise known as the AeroEco Lab.

Housed in CSU’s department of fish, wildlife and conservation biology, the lab was established by Assistant Professor Kyle Horton in 2019. Specifically, lab members study the migration of birds with contributions from several undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students.

Directing the lab involves numerous responsibilities, Horton said, including mentoring students, designing and overseeing projects and writing grants. However, it all ties back to one central goal.

“It’s this general motivation to try and understand how animals use airspaces, and that area of research, I’d say, is somewhat underdeveloped,” Horton said.

Conducting a study in the sky hosts a number of access challenges that aren’t present in the ecological studies performed on Earth’s surface. Accordingly, technology plays a significant role in the laboratory’s proceedings.

Radar, community science data and acoustics are all utilized by researchers to collect the information necessary for their studies. By sending pulses of radiation into the airspace and then analyzing the return signals, it is possible to collect several types of data, such as the height, speed or movement direction of what is in the air. Accumulation and review of this information can reveal patterns and insights into bird migration. A wide network of this data is collected across the world, allowing ecologists to conduct research on a larger scope.

“Our lab is pretty engaged with the broader ornithological community, especially the radar aeroecology

community,” Ph.D. student Miguel Jimenez said. “We’re able to interact with a lot of other labs, both here at CSU and across the world.”

A portion of the lab’s projects remain focused within Colorado. Some past research was specifically localized to CSU’s Mountain Campus. Other studies scale the entirety of the United States, some even utilizing data from other countries.

A big part of the lab’s current research revolves around the effects of light pollution on bird migration. Many species migrate at night, but the visual cues they use for navigation are disrupted by human-generated light. The lab’s projects work to understand the full extent of this impact by considering factors like habitat usage or by collecting data on what could make lighting more friendly to birds.

“Artificial light is doubling every decade at least,” said Carrie Ann Adams, a postdoctoral fellow who works for the lab. “It is a pervasive pollutant in the environment. The more we can draw attention to that by showing (how) it affects

something people really care about, which is birds, the better.”

Climate change — another factor that impacts aeroecology — is also a significant area of research. Cataloging changes in the timing of migration from year to year is a current investigation.

Outside of conducting research, the AeroEco Lab makes public outreach a priority. Their research translates to a number of aviary topics, applicable to those who enjoy watching, conserving and protecting birds. The institution has participated in many aeroecology conferences over the years, connecting with researchers and experts in the field. BirdCast, a website that forecasts bird migration, is another initiative the lab contributes to.

“I’d say the most fun part is sharing our research with the public,” Horton said. “It’s always fascinating that there’s people out there that are interested in what we’re doing and want to hear a little bit about it.”

Reach Hayley Bisant at science @collegian.com.

“Artificial light is doubling every decade at least. It is a pervasive pollutant in the environment. The more we can draw attention to that by showing (how) it affects something people really care about, which is birds, the better.”

CARRIE ANN ADAMS POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

Assistant Professor in the department of fish, wildlife and conservation biology Kyle Horton, the principle investigator for the AeroEco Lab that measures bird migration with radar technology, sits in his office analyzing at a radar map of the United States, which is useful for interpreting and making predictions about migration patterns April 3. His office is located in the Wagar Building at Colorado State University. “This is our forecast of where birds will be flying tonight,” Horton said.

PHOTO BY SOFIA RAIKOW THE COLLEGIAN

CLOSED LOOP

CSU faculty, researchers discuss circular economy model, future of sustainability

By Chloe Waskey @csucollegian

Soil scientist Eugene Kelly and sustainable textile researcher Sonali Diddi delivered a talk April 3 exploring the circular economy model as a potential pathway to a low-carbon economy. The model has become increasingly relevant as researchers seek economic practices that are both environmentally sustainable and profitable.

Right now, companies and consumers operate under a linear supply chain in which items are manufactured, distributed and disposed of. A circular model, by contrast, would not dispose of the product after consumption but instead reuse the waste materials to create more products.

“We have to change from that mindset of consumers to users,” Diddi said. “We are just users in a system, and then you move on, and you finish it and pass it on to somebody else. And that’s what circular economy is trying to do. It is, ‘How do we regenerate the natural system? If I’m taking from the land, how am I putting it back into the land?’”

Diddi said that implementing circular economic practices would require collective action toward systemic reform on every level of society. Manufacturers must design products with the intent of reusing them, consumers must be willing to recycle rather than dispose, municipalities must provide the appropriate infrastructure and so on.

“It is a systemic thinking that we need to come together for,” Diddi said. “Any one part of the system is not going to be able to solve it.”

While Diddi primarily studies circular economics from a textile production standpoint, Kelly likened the model to regenerative agriculture.

“When you start looking at this, it really not only provides a social benefit, but there’s an environmental benefit and an economic benefit,”

Kelly said. “It’s the perfect kind of science to test ideas of sustainability and regenerating ecosystems, so it’s a great model to work with, and that’s where Sonali and I intersected.”

Kelly applied circular economics to his company, Solum, which sells shoes that have regenerative outsoles made from plant material that deposit nutrients back into the environment as they are worn. The soles are made from dandelion rubber and waste from grain elevators, exemplifying how waste can be reused.

Although Kelly and Diddi recognized that it could take time for circular economics to be widely accepted and used, they pointed out that several companies like Uber and Airbnb are already searching for ways to use resources more efficiently.

“They’re not material things, but if you think about it, they were trying

“It makes me really want to get involved. This was a goal of grad school, too, to get involved with policy and be the bridge between research and system change.”

DIMAGI KOTTAGE MATERIALS CHEMISTRY DOCTORAL CANDIDATE

to use the resource creatively,” Diddi said. “You have your car; you’re using it only 20% of the time, and somebody had this ‘aha’ moment to say, ‘Why can’t I rent out my car? Somebody else (drives) it — I get money.’

And that’s how Airbnb or Uber or CouchSurfing or Vrbo rentals — all of this started with that.”

One issue that companies have faced so far is scalability, or getting access to enough waste material to mass produce new products.

Diddi pointed to a company called Smartwool, which uses old sock material to create new socks.

“They’re like, ‘I can shred, I don’t know, 10,000 pounds of socks in one day, so I need more waste,’” Diddi said.

“So the scalability is the problem, and this is only one brand which is doing it. What if all brands came together?”

While circular economics is regarded as a budding solution to resource depletion, there are still several critiques of the model.

Dimagi Kottage, a doctoral candidate in materials chemistry, said the model fails to advocate against the central issue of overconsumption.

“Circular economics doesn’t address the reality of consumption and that we just need to decrease consumption,” Kottage said. “We consume a lot in the U.S., and we’re trying to fix that problem but not change our behavior.”

Amelia Skinner, another doctoral candidate studying chemistry, said climate-focused economic models are good, but it is disheartening to know that solutions must accommodate

corporate interest even though corporations produce the most waste.

“It’s hard being somebody that’s trying to look into the science behind it and the issues knowing that the people here aren’t really the people producing all of these issues,” Skinner said. “Everybody should care and put in the effort, but at the same time, we don’t have as much power as a whole entire business that’s producing all of this waste.”

Diddi also mentioned the financial constraints of circular economics in her lecture.

“We might start businesses which are sustainable, but if they’re not going to make money, then we cannot sustain a business,” Diddi said.

Despite some criticism across academia, circular economics remains an evolving discipline with much yet to uncover. Research by CSU’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability continues to broaden its scope through ongoing studies and classes.

“It makes me really want to get involved,” Kottage said. “This was a goal of grad school, too, to get involved with policy and be the bridge between research and system change.”

Reach Chloe Waskey at science @collegian.com.

Professor of pedology, soil and crop sciences Eugene Kelly speaks at the climate talk, “Closing the Loop: Circular Economy Solutions for Climate Action,” April 3. The talk was held for Colorado State University students, researchers, staff and climate supporters interested in the latest climate solutions.

PHOTO BY ALI MASHBURN THE COLLEGIAN

CSU ANNUAL DRAG SHOW

1. Carnivora Flora collects tips from the audience of the annual Colorado State University Drag Show April 6. All tips and donations went toward scholarships offered by the Pride Resource Center.

2. Krisa Gonna-L’Whor and backup dancers from the International Dance Crew CO perform. “This (number) I did today is one of my favorites because I get to bring Brazil culture to the stage, which I’m very connected to,” Krisa GonnaL’Whor said.

3. MaveRick lip syncs to Maroon 5 during their drag show performance. This year’s drag show was the thirdconsecutive show co-hosted by drag queens Krisa Gonna-L’Whor and Chocolat.

4. Miss Jewdy hits the stage during her drag show performance. She had the first performance after Krisa GonnaL’Whor and Chocolat’s opening number.

5. Brittany Blaze-Shearz poses on the stairs to the Lory Student Center Grand Ballroom’s stage during her lip sync performance. The soundtrack to her set was a Britney Spears medley.

6. Mana Stardust picks up their CD player prop as their performance with Vicky Venom and Vanessa Python ended. Performers brought a variety of props with them to the stage, including CD players, Wii remotes and guitars.

7. Khrys’taaal takes a moment before beginning her last performance, an homage to her grandmother, as the drag show came to a close. “When I made this, it was a love letter to my grandmother just to say how much I miss her, how much she poured into me as a pillar of my life,” Khrys’taaal said.

8. Aurora Blaze strikes a pose at the end of the stage to close out her performance. The theme of this year’s drag show was Y2K.

9. Chocolat opens her main performance. “It’s not about what you do; it’s about who you embody and who you are, right?” Chocolat said. “So the people will lift you up because the people that come here want to be in community with you.”

10. King Kase and Ambrose dance to the Backstreet Boys during their performance. They dressed as Adobe Flash Player and Internet Explorer to fit the Y2K theme. 4 3 1 2 5

PHOTOS BY CAIT MCKINZIE

Queer excellence takes center stage at CSU’s annual drag show

“Know that you’re not coming here to be judged. You are coming here to be loved.”

By Cait Mckinzie & Allie Seibel @csucollegian

The cast of Colorado State University’s annual drag show hit the stage with a splash of color and nostalgia in this year’s collection of Y2K-themed performances April 6.

Co-hosted by Fort Collins drag performers Krisa Gonna-L’Whor and Chocolat and headlined by Denverbased drag queen Khrys’taaal, the show continued its tradition of providing a space for all levels and types of drag. No matter where a performer was in their journey, they were welcomed to the stage to share in the joy and energy of the event.

“I think this is my favorite venue,” Chocolat said during a mid-show Q&A with audience members. “This is the venue I started in. It was because I came to a show that was being put on, and I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’ve got to do this. I’ve got to make this happen.’”

CSU students were among the performers on stage, some of whom had their first performance that night. During the Q&A, Krisa Gonna-L’Whor encouraged anyone

in the audience interested in drag to get started whenever they can.

“Don’t wait for you to feel like you’re good, great or perfect at it, otherwise you’ll never get started,” Krisa Gonna-L’Whor said. “Just go do it. You’ll learn on the way.”

Chocolat spoke to a similar sentiment, sharing that she deals with stage fright by remembering that the nature of drag is about self-love and authenticity. The crowd and other performers are there to be in the community and to uplift, not to tear anyone down.

“Know that you’re not coming here to be judged,” Chocolat said. “You are coming here to be loved.”

The show also served as a fundraiser for scholarships through the Pride Resource Center. According to Maggie Hendrickson, director of the PRC, the $4,000 donation goal was met that night through a combination of classic cash tips and Venmo donations.

“It was a special and meaningful night, and we were glad to spend it with hundreds of students, community members, alumni, families and more,” Hendrickson said.

Hendrickson said that events like the drag show are important for fostering queer community and acceptance on

campus, especially given recent federal actions that have raised concerns about the future of events hosted by Cultural Resource Centers.

“It’s important now for people and institutions like CSU to publicly, proudly and loudly support all community members across gender, sexuality and more,” Hendrickson said. “The CSU drag show is just one way we made space for that last night.”

Hendrickson also noted the level of creativity performers displayed in their numbers, highlighting student performances’ choreography, narrative storytelling and costumes. Khrys’taaal’s performances capped off the first and second halves of the show in a way that further brought the audience together.

“We loved having Khrys’taaal back to perform in the show as our headliner,” Hendrickson said. “She closed the show with an important message about mental health and uplifting each other in our community, followed by a beautiful ballad to honor family members who had passed away.”

Khrys’taaal has performed all throughout Colorado for several years, now landing primarily in the Denver area; though, she started out in Fort Collins.

“I am here tonight by grace, with gratitude, and I thank each and every one of you for not forgetting about me and welcoming me back with open arms,” Khrys’taaal said. “I wanted to give all of that energy and love back and motivate you because, as Chocolat said, these are some really crappy times now.”

It has been a few years since she has performed at the CSU drag show due to a series of personal events, but the crowd did not hesitate to welcome her home.

“As a gay, Black drag queen, I know the struggle because they counted me out,” Khrys’taaal said. “I’m from Detroit. They said I would never graduate high school; they said I would never go to college; they said I would never do this. But because of you investing in me every single year I was in Denver, you guys put me through grad school. So thank you.”

Khrys’taal closed the show, reiterating a message of hope and resiliency.

“No matter what circumstances right now, we will make it,” Khrys’taaal said. “Trust me — I’m a living example that when you want to give up, though, hold on just a little longer.”

Reach Cait Mckinzie and Allie Seibel at entertainment@collegian.com.

CHOCOLAT CSU DRAG SHOW 2025 CO-HOST

Khrys’taaal opens her first performance at the Colorado State University Drag Show 2025 April 6. The Denver-based performer was the headliner for this year’s show.

PHOTO BY CAIT MCKINZIE THE COLLEGIAN

ADVOCATE CHANGE

ACT Human Rights Film Festival brings hope to screen

By Sananda Chandy @csucollegian

People across various communities and identities eagerly gazed up at the flickering images of powerful film, excited to engage with the work of filmmakers and artists from across the world in the most recent ACT Human Rights Film Festival screening.

The festival shares voices through unique stories that unite individuals, encouraging them to advocate for change and take action. The 10th annual ACT Human Rights Film Festival was held April 2-6, drawing a fairly large crowd to engage with themes of social justice and human rights.

Beginning in Colorado State University’s Lory Student Center Theater and ending at The Lyric, the festival presented a diverse range of films to facilitate discussion and call audiences to act.

“The main hope is to get people in the theaters and watch a film that will hopefully change their life,” said Anya Guttormson, publicity and media intern for ACT. “A lot of the films are raw, and they’re about dense topics, but we’re just hoping to enforce change and (make) it accessible.”

ACT also provides a platform for various forms of artistic expression outside of filmmaking during the festival. On opening night, the Cultural Enrichment Center of Fort Collins presented the young hip-hop group New Bloodline to share songs of power, change and self-love.

ACT also worked with The Lyric to organize a live poetry reading to celebrate the opening of the theater’s exhibition, “Hyphens & Hemispheres: The Places We Come From.” This further communicated ACT’s message of supporting human rights and uplifting voices that were

once limited or oppressed.

Across the five days, the festival presented 25 films, showcasing communities all around the world. After each film, audiences got to engage with multiple filmmakers and experts through in-depth Q&As.

Jesus Castro Gonzalez is currently a CSU student studying theater and was the moderator for the panel discussion after the film “Separated.” He said he found beauty in seeing how people with different identities embrace one another as they view a variety of heavy and profound topics.

“(These stories) are a reminder of who we are as people in Fort Collins,” Castro Gonzalez said. “Being here with so many people and learning together has been very healing. ... We all have a story to tell, and we each have so much to give to this community.”

Guttormson has made memories as a part of ACT and experienced the creative side of activism. She has appreciated seeing the growth of this festival in Northern Colorado, especially because of the presence of international filmmakers and in establishing a platform for human rights education.

“Film festivals are kind of a lost art,” Guttormson said. “They are a way for people to experience film and talk about it and exercise empathy through these stories. Being able to have this space and hold panels with filmmakers from around the world is such a cool opportunity.”

Imani Morris is a CSU alumna from the journalism department and has been making the trailer for the festival since 2018.

“It is nice to have a place to go and watch films with people that care about other people,” Morris said. “I’m glad that there are filmmakers out there that are not afraid to dive in and invest in some of those stories because if they don’t, then nobody will.”

Mark Rinehart is the producer of “Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law?” which discusses the life

and journey of activist Nathan Law. He enjoyed each film’s unique lens, approaching human rights in various ways.

“As a filmmaker, you’re always trying to remove yourself from the minutiae of the aesthetics of the actual filmmaking (so that) you’re just impacted by the story,” Rinehart said. “Despite there being different approaches and subject matters, there’s that through line of human rights.”

Alice Franchi directed the film “Simme Tutt’uno,” which focuses on cultural growth among the youth in Scampia, Naples, Italy. She found it to be an honor for audiences far away from the town to get to see and experience her first film.

“The story is reaching people, and it is resonating with them,” Franchi said. “We were really hoping that the human side of it would come through. People wanting to see and bring it in spaces like this is beautiful.”

From the films he watched at the festival, Rinehart said he discovered another level of compassion as a human being.

“Someone who collectively attends this festival and sees all these films as a group will likely walk away feeling more connections that they didn’t think they even had with the fellow humans that are around them,” Rinehart said.

Franchi said she saw how ACT brings awareness to tough issues, encouraging audiences to make a difference in the world. She is looking forward to this festival as it continues to be a light for the Fort Collins community.

“There are violations of human rights happening every day, and they might not be imminent, but they’re hidden everywhere,” Franchi said. “(The festival) is a message of hope. We all have both a responsibility and the tools to make a change and engage with it.”

Reach Sananda Chandy at entertainment@collegian.com.

HARMONIOUS DUO

Susanne Hou, Bryan Wallick perform live violin sonata at CSU’s Organ Recital Hall

By Evan Borman @csucollegian

Chinese-Canadian violinist Yi-Jia Susanne Hou performed at Colorado State University’s Organ Recital Hall April 1 with pianist and Associate Professor of Music at CSU Bryan Wallick.

The two performed music by Johannes Brahms, Amy Beach, Franz Schubert and Camille Saint-Saëns. Hou performed solo portions of Niccolò Paganini’s 24 Caprices. Hou is the only artist in recorded history to perform Paganini’s Caprices in one breath.

“For me (the Paganini Caprices) feels like a whole different dimension,” Hou said. “There’s this kind of magnetic connection; time starts to morph and stand still. There are moments where there are 16 notes per second flying by, but I feel there’s an eternity of space between those notes, and you’re looking at yourself in slow motion.”

Niccolò Paganini was largely considered a sex symbol and the first rockstar of the Romantic era. When performing in the early 19th century, audience members would throw their underwear at him on stage, and he was often perceived as being possessed by the devil, notably for “Caprice No. 24.”

“Any one of them can take six months to a year to learn,” Hou said. “I’ve coached violinists for six to nine months, and they were not able to perform them. I actually practiced it for four years. If you can imagine, that was literally my breakfast every single day.”

Hou and Wallick met at the Juilliard School of Music and have been performing together since. Their live performance was a conversation wherein the

two communicated through frequencies and intuitive reactions.

“The nice thing about working with an artist is that you don’t actually have to talk much; you are just listening,” Wallick said. “There aren’t many words needed to answer musical questions or decisions. It’s a language within itself.”

The two musicians transported the audience across time through hundred-year-old classical instrumentals, expressing the human condition through momentary sublimity.

“It’s a little bit like time travel if you think about it,” Hou said. “You get, historically, something that’s been created by humans and that’s been passed down through generations, and we get to bring them to life today.”

Though the music was written generations ago, the fundamentals of humanity persist, and the complexities of existence remain.

“In some sense, certain things have never changed,” Hou said.

“We are born, we grow up, we learn … and then we die. There are certain things that are certainties that we can not change. Life throws all kinds of things at us — wonderful, beautiful and extraordinary things — how do we endure those?”

Music can transcend the boundaries of time and language, connecting humanity through shared emotions and experiences.

“You can get musical effects and sentiments without the words,” Wallick said. “That’s the beauty of music in that way; you don’t necessarily need lyrics. There is something about that sound, harmony and the time that can touch us in powerful ways that we don’t even need language to communicate this.”

The two artists’ extreme concentration produced synchronistic cadence and gushing passion. Hou wore a scarlet red dress with blue flower pedals, and

Wallick sported an all-black suit. The stage was warm white, and a blue backdrop bounced off the organ’s silver pipes.

The rhythmic sound moved up and down physical space and in and out of audience members’ minds.

“The music was like the ocean waves taking you into another realm,” CSU English major Leslie Means said. “There are a lot of things going on in my life right now, both on and off campus, and to be able to have music just wash all that away was amazing.”

Hou rested the violin on her left collarbone, graced her bow in her right hand and was delicately precise with her left-handed movements that translated into chord progressions. Her body moved with the sound that jumped off the instrument.

Wallick remained relaxed behind the piano; his fingers danced across the keys, and his head and torso remained in tune with the rhythm of sound.

“Finding those moments where things just click and you’re really feeling free, there’s no fear and you have confidence — it’s a state that in every performance I am always aiming for,” Wallick said.

The concert closed with Saint-Saëns’ “Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28.” The song is eight minutes of fluid, interchanging tempos. Wallick and Hou performed the piece with style and received a standing ovation that lasted minutes.

“When you’re really in that zone, there’s no audience; there is almost no self,” Hou said. “It’s just, it is what it is.”

Wallick and Hou will be performing again in Fort Collins at the Odyssiad Competition, held on CSU’s campus. It will take place August 4-8 and is free to the public

Reach Evan Borman at entertainment@collegian.com.

The audience watches “Life After,” an ACT Film Festival featured project directed by Reid Davenport, at The Lyric April 4. “Life After” was the winner of the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. PHOTO BY ABIGAIL BURNS THE COLLEGIAN

PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER CLARY AND COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY’S UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR THE ARTS

CLINICAL LIES

Crisis pregnancy centers do not care about women

By Astrid Thorn @csucollegian

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.

Chances are, if you live in Fort Collins, you have likely seen the Alpha Center on South College Avenue. Though it may not be obvious from its generic name or unassuming exterior, the Alpha Center is a facility that claims to offer services to pregnant people, specifically individuals experiencing unplanned pregnancies.

You may assume that the Alpha Center is similar to Planned Parenthood, an accredited reproductive clinic that provides wellrounded, compassionate care to pregnant individuals, including abortion services and prenatal treatment. However, this could not be further from the truth. In reality, the Alpha Center is one of many illegitimate and extremely dangerous crisis pregnancy centers in the United States.

Crisis pregnancy centers are facilities that pose as reputable reproductive health clinics but are actually run by religious, anti-abortion groups. CPCs advertise services like free pregnancy tests, counseling and preabortion ultrasound screenings. They advertise these services to lure in people with unplanned pregnancies, often using fear and shame tactics to pressure them into specific reproductive choices, including discouraging them from having an abortion.

CPCs are often founded in response to the opening of a real reproductive health clinic. They are frequently found in very close proximity to clinics like Planned Parenthood, using advertisements and face-to-face interactions to dissuade pregnant people from seeking proper reproductive care. They do so by making statements like, “We can help you,” or offering “abortion education,” among other persuasion techniques. Although many CPCs carefully curate a supportive, empowering image, their agenda is anything but prowomen.

“To those who do not understand CPCs, the Alpha Center may appear trustworthy at first glance. However, it is essential to examine these clinics closely to identify any possible indicators of bias.”

Employees of these facilities pose as reliable medical professionals and counselors to gain the trust of their clients. They then leverage that trust to manipulate people into making reproductive choices that match their agenda. Their only true goal is to encourage

a Christian, anti-abortion ideology, and they are often willing to inflict extreme shame and trauma upon pregnant women to continue to spread their propaganda.

While it may be hard to differentiate between a reputable reproductive health clinic and a crisis pregnancy center, there are some essential details to look for when evaluating the legitimacy of a clinic. First and foremost, reputable clinics do not widely advertise abortion services, while CPCs rely heavily on advertisement to bring in clientele. Any clinic that markets itself through signage and paid advertisements in community literature is more than likely a CPC.

Additionally, CPC websites and employees tend to use very extreme language when discussing abortion services, focusing heavily on the risk of regret, potential side effects of abortion procedures — many of which are untrue or unlikely — and possible long-term damage that abortion procedures can cause, most of which is also fabricated.

CPCs also commonly give false medical information to their clients, including showing graphic and inaccurate pictures of abortion procedures. Many even lie to clients about their fetus’ gestational age to convince them that they are out of the legal window for an abortion in states with gestational-age-based abortion restrictions. All of these practices are disgustingly exploitative of pregnant people in an already very vulnerable position, and while they are somehow not technically illegal, they are beyond unethical.

The Alpha Center possesses many of the classic indicators of a biased and predatory

clinic. It frequently advertises to CSU students without being transparent about its agenda, even placing advertisements in university literature. Its website uses subtle anti-abortion language without disclosing its staunchly anti-abortion beliefs, and it only discloses its religious affiliation in small text at the very bottom of the website.

To those who do not understand CPCs, the Alpha Center may appear trustworthy at first glance. However, it is essential to examine these clinics closely to identify any possible indicators of bias. While the Alpha Center is currently the only CPC in Fort Collins, there are several others in Northern Colorado. The Resource Center in Greeley and Life Choices in Loveland and Longmont are also CPCs that function very similarly to the Alpha Center, among many others in the NoCo area. These fake clinics push the same anti-abortion agenda while hiding their true religious and political affiliations, and none are trustworthy.

Every individual has the right to supportive, unbiased reproductive care. Crisis pregnancy centers infringe upon those rights. It is essential that every person can identify the signs of a CPC so that they can avoid the shame and trauma that those facilities inflict upon their patrons. Crisis pregnancy centers do not care about you, your well-being or your pregnancy. They exist to take advantage of vulnerable individuals to push an agenda, and they do not deserve any patronage or support.

Reach Astrid Thorn at letters@collegian.com.

COLLEGIAN FILE ILLUSTRATION

TARIFF CLASH

‘Liberation Day’ will have drastic impact on Colorado, CSU

By Emma Souza @_emmasouza

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

There is nothing remotely freeing about April 2, the day Donald Trump coined “Liberation Day” by signing an executive order implementing tariffs on about 60 countries worldwide. Despite his intentions, the only things being liberated are the bills from our wallets and the success of the stock market.

Tariffs, or a tax businesses pay on products imported or exported from other countries, have existed for a long time. Using tariffs this widespread and simultaneously?

I’m not sure if that’s a tried-andtrue plan, and by the looks of our economy right now, I’d guess it’s not exactly sound.

The Liberation Day executive order essentially outlined two tariff plans, the first being a baseline tariff of 10% applied to almost all imports — except those from Canada and Mexico. The second plan is a reciprocal tariff system, in which 57 countries that have high tariffs themselves or have economically hurt the U.S. will receive a tariff. That tariff percentage is determined

upon the U.S. trade deficit — the difference between what we sell to a country and what we buy from it.

The countries most affected by these tariffs include China, Japan, India, Germany, Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan. But of course, Trump needed to reach virtually every corner of the Earth with this executive order, so the list went so far as to include Heard Island and McDonald Islands, home only to large populations of seals and penguins. Truly, so thoughtful of him.

All of this was intended to drive prices upward and force U.S. companies to produce their products within the U.S., allegedly creating more jobs and pushing up wages. In actuality, Liberation Day has sent the stock market and economy into the worst state we’ve seen since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

What does this mean for Colorado? Well, first off, imported product prices will steeply incline, likely similar to every other state in the nation. This will put a stronger reliance on local Colorado farmers to produce more crops for comparably cheaper prices, but unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Farmers use fuel, machinery and other tools on the day-to-day that tariffs will likely impact, thus driving up their product costs, too.

Additionally, Colorado’s top trade partners are Canada, China and Mexico. Of the three, China will receive the largest tariff of 34%.

WIDESPREAD SPENDING

Canada, sitting at a 25% tariff, is the largest U.S. importer of malt barley, the key ingredient in beer. As Rocky Mountain PBS explained, such a tariff could have detrimental impacts on the success and longevity of breweries in Colorado, a huge attraction and source of income for much of the state.

What does this mean for Colorado State University students specifically? Though the university hasn’t addressed the tariffs yet — and I doubt they ever will — I’d expect the first major change to happen in CSU’s meal plans.

CSU prides itself on having a diverse menu, with restaurant concepts such as The Foundry’s “Comida” and “Passport” and Durrell Center’s “Bento Sushi.” These locations often feature a wide variety of cuisines, but ones that likely rely on imported ingredients. Students could potentially expect to see either a change in meal plan quality and variety or a change in meal plan pricing.

You might also want to take the bus to class because gas prices are going to soar; Suncor, Colorado’s singular oil refinery in Commerce City, Colorado, is based in Canada and makes up 40% of our petroleum market, so the tariffs will greatly impact prices.

And save those flimsy coupons, too — the ones attached to grocery store receipts or found in junk magazines. Living through an era of financial devastation as an already-

broke college student means there’s no shame in being a penny-pincher.

In all seriousness, I’m not sure if we’re about to live through a major recession — the stock market isn’t looking good, the news is up in flames and conservatives left and right are rebuking the man they voted for. Nothing seems fully right in the world, but I’m trying to take each moment day by day and do something cost-free that provides me a moment of peace.

Reach Emma Souza at letters@collegian.com.

Though the university hasn’t addressed the tariffs yet — and I doubt they ever will — I’d expect the first major change to happen in CSU’s meal plans.

More amenities on campus should accept RamCash

By Charlotte Seymour @csucollegian

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. There are two types of students: the ones who spend all their RamCash

within the first month of the semester and those who try to spend it all in the last month. Here at Colorado State University, we are honored with the invention of RamCash: a declining account balance that is added to your RamCard — funded by your meal plan — and used to purchase food and services on campus.

RamCash can be used at various campus coffee shops, dorm or library

printers, mini markets or the food court at the Lory Student Center. While these are all great amenities, life at CSU would be perfect if RamCash was accepted at a few more. For students who are unsure of where to spend their RamCash as the semester comes to an end, I feel you. Students would greatly benefit from being able to use RamCash for more services, including the CSU

Bookstore and Student Recreation Center amenities and wellness products at the mini markets.

The Bookstore is a very popular place on campus, as it is the perfect place to deck yourself out in CSU gear. However, as college students, it can be a bit of a struggle to purchase anything and feel confident about your credit card statement afterward. Clothing is expensive, and no one wants to drop $80 on a sweatshirt.

If we were able to use RamCash, students may be more willing to pay for an item because this type of currency feels free. It’s relieving. Even if we could only use a certain amount at the Bookstore, the weight of buying clothing would certainly be lighter, and a lot more people would be repping CSU merch.

Concerning the Rec, there are a myriad of things students should be able to spend RamCash on. At the Rec, you can purchase intramural sports memberships, personal training sessions, massage therapy sessions, outdoor gear rental memberships, outdoor program trips and events, specialty classes, personal trainer and fitness instructor courses, rentable lockers, first aid/CPR courses and swim lessons.

Each of these amenities costs real money. Sure, not everybody who uses these facilities are students with RamCash, but it should still be an option. It would be so nice if we didn’t have to use real money on these things, especially if you don’t

know what to use your RamCash on to begin with. Some people aren’t huge food or drink lovers, so it can be difficult to spend RamCash without feeling like you’re buying stuff you don’t want or need.

“I just let my roommate use my RamCash at coffee shops because she ran out and I never use mine,” CSU first-year Maycy Couey said. “But I wish I could use it to get a massage. That would be amazing.”

The minimarkets should also accept RamCash. They accept it for food items, but if you want to buy some cold medicine or sunscreen, you have to pay with real money. This just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense because what is different between a $4 tube of sunscreen and a $4 Yerba Mate?

Nobody wants to spend their real money on little things like that if they can help it. It would be super convenient if more places accepted RamCash. This way, people wouldn’t have to worry about carrying extra cash or using their credit cards for those small purchases; they could just tap their RamCard and boom, magic.

RamCash is awesome, and we are very lucky to have it as an option at CSU. It is perfect for treating yourself without feeling financially guilty, but it would be even better if more amenities accepted it.

Reach Charlotte Seymour at letters @collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MADALYN HENDRICKS THE COLLEGIAN

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ALLI ADAMS THE COLLEGIAN

PUZZLES

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WEEKLY HOROSCOPE

By Sophia Masia

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (04/10/25)

ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19)

This week, let go of the patterns, pain and maybe even people who no longer serve you. Forgiving doesn’t make anyone wrong or right; it means you can focus more on the here and now. Leave the past behind you, Aries.

TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20)

Mercury direct makes it easier for you to speak from the heart to people who feel safe. If you’re craving closeness, all you have to do is ask. If there’s been any tensions in your community, this is the week to resolve it, Taurus.

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20)

This week brings the clarity you’ve been craving about what you actually want, not just what you’re good at. Let yourself drop the public roles you’ve outgrown, and step into something that brings you joy, not just status. You can love what you do, Gemini.

CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22)

Give yourself permission to change your mind. Contradicting your past self isn’t embarrassing; it’s growth. It’s time to close the chapter you opened in March to June 2023 and revisited late last summer. Refuse to decide out of fear or for the sake of people pleasing, Cancer.

LEO (JULY 23 - AUG. 22)

You’ve been holding in more than you realize, but Mercury direct gives you the language to share what’s really going on. You’re not needy for wanting to be heard; you’re just human. Lean into honesty, and let people see the real you. You’re already worthy, Leo.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEPT. 22)

Your energy has been scattered trying to make everything work. Even if you get it all done, would you really call that success? Messiness is human, and life doesn’t require constant improvement. Just be present and do your best, Virgo.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22)

The full moon in your sign after your ruling planet goes direct this week is a muchneeded cosmic clearing. You’re releasing people pleasing, perfectionism and the pressure

you put on yourself, but just make sure you don’t return to habits that drain you, Libra.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21) Here’s your cosmic reminder that life is not out to get you. It’s time to reclaim your sense of joy, spontaneity and playfulness. Stop waiting for the other shoe to drop; you’re missing out on the life happening right now. Let the good times roll, Scorpio.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22DEC. 21)

Something will click into place this week, but you can’t force it. Instead, try slowing down and listening. Mercury direct helps you clear emotional clutter. Find peace in presence, not escapism, Sagittarius.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19)

You’ve been chewing on what to say for weeks. Now’s the time to say it with kindness. Mercury clears your mental fog, but Venus reminds you that delivery doesn’t have to be perfect. Reconnect with your people, Capricorn.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18)

This week brings clarity around what’s worth your time, money and energy. Something has shifted in what you value, and Mercury is helping you name what you need. Honor your worth, and don’t settle for less. Your future self is watching you, Aquarius.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20)

Your clarity and sense of self is back online this week, and it’s time to love yourself loudly. Thank the past versions of yourself shaped by survival, and tell them you can handle it from here. Choose softness over selfabandonment, Pisces.

Last edition’s crossword solution

Last edition’s sudoku solution

“Today’s lesson: Absolutely nobody is good at pulling out.”

“I think a grape has thicker skin than he does.”

“We’re supposed to be serving fucking realness, and you’re not serving realness. You’re serving ugly fucking beard.”

“I stole your house, kids! Call me the 2008 financial crisis!”

“I still remember how bad he smelled. It’s like a handprint on my heart in a bad way.”

“I can’t find a way to make myself not look like I negotiated my way onto the Earth.”

Rattlesnake

Thursday, April 10 2025 Vol. 134 No. 27

QUEER EXCELLENCE TAKES CENTER STAGE AT CSU’S ANNUAL DRAG SHOW

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN

FOCO EVENTS

TOP STORIES

EDITORIAL STAFF

Thousands mobilize at ‘Hands Off’ rallies in FoCo, Denver to protest Trump administration actions

Fancy footwork: Musical stylings of CSU Swing Dance Society promote community fun

STUDENT RESOURCE

B.O.V.I. vending machine offers on-campus beauty products

ROOTED SUCCESS

CSU softball benefits from 15 years of greatness under coach Jen Fisher

RIVALRY FEUD

CSU men’s lacrosse prepares for toughest battle of season against Colorado

LOYALTY LOST

The transfer portal is reshaping college sports for better or worse

AVIARY TRACKING

AeroEco Lab maps bird migration patterns, furthers ornithological research

CLOSED LOOP

CSU faculty, researchers discuss circular economy model, future of sustainability

CSU ANNUAL DRAG SHOW

PHOTOS BY CAIT MCKINZIE

Queer excellence takes center stage at CSU’s annual drag show

ADVOCATE CHANGE

ACT Human Rights Film Festival brings hope to screen

HARMONIOUS DUO

Susanne Hou, Bryan Wallick perform live violin sonata at CSU’s Organ Recital Hall

CLINICAL LIES

Crisis pregnancy centers do not care about women

TARIFF CLASH

‘Liberation Day’ will have drastic impact on Colorado, CSU

WIDESPREAD SPENDING

More amenities on campus should accept RamCash

PUZZLES

Sudoku

WEEKLY HOROSCOPE