Thursday, April 13, 2023 Vol. 132, No. 28

Lory Student Center, Suite 118 Fort Collins, CO 80523

FORT COLLINS FOCUS

TOP STORIES TOP STORIES

NEWS: CSU Body Project combats ‘ideal beauty standard’ PAGE 6

LIFE: ‘We can be visible to ourselves’: Looking at SWANA representation PAGE 7

CANNABIS: NoCo knows how to celebrate 4/20 in more strains than 1 PAGE 8

OPINION: Seriously: 4 ways to tell your parents you flunked out of college PAGE 14

SPORTS: Spring football: Revamped CSU offensive line is making progress PAGE 22

ARTS: ‘Guardian of the Spirits’ gallery embraces femininity PAGE 25

PHOTO: ‘Drag Through the Decades’ PAGES 26-28

FOCO EVENTS FOCO EVENTS

2023 Spring Dance Concert at the University Center for the Arts

7:30-9:30 p.m. April 14-15

Book Signing with Wil McCarthy at Old Firehouse Books

1-2 p.m. April 16

Creative Writers Meetup and Writing Space at The Lyric

5-6:30 p.m. April 18

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Letters to the Editor reflect the view of a member of the campus community and are submitted to the publication for approval. Readers may submit letters to letters@collegian.com. Please follow the guidelines listed at collegian.com before submitting.

EDITORIAL STAFF

JAKE SHERLOCK STUDENT MEDIA ADVISER

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DISTRIBUTION 970-538-1186

EDITORIAL STAFF 970-538-1189

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

CORRECTIONS

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

Serena Bettis | Editor in Chief editor@collegian.com

Taylor Paumen | Content Managing Editor managingeditor@collegian.com

Falyn Sebastian | Digital & Design Managing Editor managingeditor@collegian.com

Adah McMillan | Copy Chief copy@collegian.com

Chloe Leline | Print Editor design@collegian.com

Trin Bonner | Illustration Editor design@collegian.com

Tri Duong | Photo Director photo@collegian.com

Lucy Morantz | Photo Director photo@collegian.com

Piper Russell | News Director news@collegian.com

Allie Seibel | News Director news@collegian.com

Ivy Secrest | L&C Director life@collegian.com

Bella Eckburg | Opinion Director letters@collegian.com

Karsyn Lane | Sports Director sports@collegian.com

Braidon Nourse | Sports Editor sports@collegian.com

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

Parisa Farhadi | Social Media Coordinator socialmedia@collegian.com

Grace Bernhart | Social Media Editor socialmedia@collegian.com

Kim Sewald, proprietor of 20 years of vintage clothing store Wear It Again, Sam, stands next to her current favorite dress in the Old Town shop with her dog, Cecil, April 9. “I love it all,” Sewald said about her work. “When somebody passes away and people don’t know what to do with these family articles that are so gorgeous, I’m so proud to preserve and present them. And dressing people up. People come in for their wedding dresses, for proms, for big events, and they find perfect dresses and suits, too. It’s just the best.” PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

ASCSU Groome Transportation bill overspends allocated amount

By Allie Seibel and Piper Russell @csucollegian

The 52nd senate of the Associated Students of Colorado State University passed Bill 5207, “Groome Transportation Act,” on Nov. 30, 2022.

The bill, written by ASCSU President Rob Long and Deputy Director of International Affairs Akhil Penninti, provided students with transportation from CSU to the Denver International Airport by Groome Transportation. The bill requested $7,000 from the Senate Discretionary Fund as well as another $7,000 from the executive branch of ASCSU.

However, an invoice from Groome Transportation shows ASCSU spent $25,040 on the bill. Other sources who worked on the bill, including Long, Penninti and Jessica Dyrdahl, assistant director of ASCSU, placed the total amount spent on the bill at around $40,000.

The bill read, “Groome (Transportation) has ensured us that there is a more refined verification process to ensure that student fees aren’t being misused.” The bill also explains that Penninti worked with

Groome Transportation to ensure the program wouldn’t be abused by individuals using services multiple times or non-CSU students using the voucher code.

Dyrdahl explained that Groome Transportation provided ASCSU with a list of people who used the voucher code. ASCSU cabinet members, including Penninti, then used CSU’s student directory to verify if those using the code were students.

“We did request updates from Groome, and a large influx of the sign-ups occurred over a weekend when we were not able to receive the updates,” Dyrdahl said in an email to The Collegian. “This has prompted additional conversations and possible new partnerships for this resource to be available in the future, as we have learned how much it has directly benefited students.”

Despite the overspending, Dyrdahl wrote about the success of the program and said that it supported nearly 1,000 students.

“We had an exponential amount of students sign up for the program, which shows the success and need for the program to help provide a resource for students,” Dyrdahl said in the email.

Long and Penninti also spoke about the success and importance of

the program despite the code being accessed and used by some nonCSU students due to prominence on social media.

“Overall, we did spend, but we were able to handle the extra,” Long said. “Money was allocated to the program through the executive branch. Honestly, I think that this program was very successful in the end. I do understand why people want to know why more money was spent on this program, but I don’t understand why people are mad that more students are getting safe transportation to and from Denver International Airport.

“I think this is a very successful program by ASCSU. I think the demand of it is showing that it’s beginning to outgrow ASCSU and should be something administration might be able to pick up in the future.”

Long’s executive branch budget allowed for ASCSU to fill in the funding gaps from the amount that went over the bill’s allocated $14,000.

“I know that $26,000 is a lot of money, and I do think that is a lot of money, but our budget is a total of $1.7 million, so I don’t see this being too much of an impact,” Long said. “I mean, if anything, this shows that this is a successful program and

(that) it’s outgrowing ASCSU.”

Penniti, who had never written a bill before, was directly responsible for monitoring the spending. He said it was a job that took hours out of his day every morning to cross-check reservations with the CSU student directory. Penniti said that the overspending jump occurred over a weekend and that the program would not cut off automatically once ASCSU decided to stop it.

“We realized that we had like two options: either to probably cancel the rides, who must have booked over the weekend, or we could just let them pass and try to get additional funding from the senate later on and accommodate that for the additional cost that must have occurred,” Penninti said. “So that was what we had in mind, and we decided to go with the latter idea because we felt like at the end of the day, all the costs and the budget that was being allocated for this project and especially the funding was coming in from the student fees. And at the end of the day, it was for the good of the student body community.

“So I decided that it would be best if we would just let the rides stay as it is and we could then

accommodate for the additional cost through the senate. It was a tricky decision for me because I felt like it was one of the biggest projects that have ever been worked on in ASCSU so far with the amount of funding that has been allocated for the project and with (the add-on) that has been overspent, but then at the end of the day, we decided to go with the decision that would affect the greater good.”

Penniti said he hopes to bring a version of the program back for summer 2023 to provide rides to campus for alumni or graduating students, but the details of that program were not confirmed yet. Long, however, said the program would not be returning after the overspending.

Both Penniti and Long emphasized that while CSU is looking at a proposed tuition increase for next year, it is ASCSU’s objective to not raise student fees as a result of the jump in tuition. They both also said that no organizations or clubs funded by ASCSU would see a decrease in funding as a result of the overspending.

Reach Allie Seibel and Piper Russell at news@collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CHLOE LELINE THE COLLEGIAN

ALTERNATIVE SEMESTER

Summer session offers unique academic opportunities

By Barnaby Atwood @barnaby_atwood

While the Colorado State University academic year ends in May for most students, there are still options for students to continue their education over the summer.

Starting March 21, students have been able to apply for summer semester classes at CSU with the last day to add each courses listed on the class schedule. Additionally, nonresident undergraduate students’ summer semester base tuition is 30% less then their base fall or spring tuition.

Ellen Audley, a 2021 CSU graduate, is the program coordinator for CSU Summer and has taken summer classes in the past.

“The wonderful thing about summer, as far as face-to-face courses, is the campus is really, really quiet,” Audley said. “I took a database class that’s usually 200 people in the fall or spring, and it was 16. (I) got it done in four weeks, and I learned about as much from the other students practically as the professor because we had so much more time for questions and things.”

Typically, Audley said, the thing students say is the best about summer semester is the immersive

class experience. While the course load is more rigorous due to the shorter time frame, the reduced number of credits and overall students allows summer semester students to put more focus into their classes and generally get more individual help from instructors.

It also gives students the ability to offload harder classes or AllUniversity Core Curriculum classes to summer semester instead of having to do them on top of their regular fall and spring classes.

Audley said students should decide to do courses based on their own situation; however, due to the difference in environment, it can still be a good experience because students take shorter-term courses and still have the rest of summer to relax or focus on work.

“I know they’re not for everyone, but I personally like them just because I don’t like having the full 15-credit semesters every semester,” said Caroline Craycraft, a senior psychology student. “Being able to take like six credits over the summer so that I can take 12 credits (during) fall and spring semester has been really nice for me. And I have found that if there’s a class I’m not super excited about, I can just take it over the summer.”

The CSU Career Center also offers their services throughout the summer semester and can help students with finding summer internships and other experiential learning opportunities such as research, field studies, volunteering, study abroad and micro-internships.

“The easy way to describe experiential learning is just learning by doing,” said Marie Tyrrell, internship development coordinator with the Career Center. “So you have an experience, you reflect on it, you think about ... what you could do to improve upon that — maybe problem-solve — and then you try again. It’s a little bit more active than sitting in a lecture and just learning about things.”

Outside of getting general AUCC credits and internships, there are other programs that allow students to get unique experiences, like the environmental humanities courses held at the CSU Mountain Campus.

Ken Shockley is one of the professors who teaches the environmental ethics class and played a role in establishing the program as a whole.

“For several weeks, ... students think deeply together about environmental matters,” Shockley

wrote in an email. “We walk and talk and reflect. The proximity of students to one another and to a place that in its history, local significance and beauty inspires a deeper and more sustained reflection than what one might get during the typical two-or-three-times-a-week meetings in a traditional classroom.”

There are four classes in total that make up the program, and students from any major can sign up for one or more after contacting the respective professor. The courses available are all upper division and include art, English, history and philosophy. Sarah Payne and Matthew Cooperman teach the environmental history of Colorado and the literature of the earth courses, respectively.

“Instead of being in the classroom all day, ... we’re actually out in the world experiencing those landscapes,” Payne said. “(We’re) looking at the historic structures that are there on the (mountain) campus to help us understand how people in the past have related to the plants, the animals, the climate (and) the geology of that place.”

“We will move around and do different writing exercises in the field and go on long hikes and have some private kind of

ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLIE COHEN THE COLLEGIAN

contemplative moments with literature,” Cooperman said. “It’s things we do together and things we do separately. I think it’s such a beautiful campus, and the opportunities up there are kind of endless.”

Grace Cooper is a senior majoring in dance and English who took the literatures of the earth course last summer. Due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the Mountain Campus, the course had to be restructured to primarily take place on the main campus, but students still got to experience different natural areas in Fort Collins.

Cooper said she took a lot of the concepts she learned from the course and applied them to a dance piece she’s working on for the CSU Spring Dance Concert.

“I just really liked how immersive of an experience it was,” Cooper said. “I felt like while I was sad that it wasn’t at the Mountain Campus, I also really enjoyed that the class was held in Fort Collins because so many of the places we went to were local. I really got to know the local area, and Matthew Cooperman has so much knowledge about Fort Collins, which was really great.”

Reach Barnaby Atwood at news @collegian.com.

“Instead of being in the classroom all day, ... we’re actually out in the world experiencing those landscapes.”

SARAH PAYNE ASSOCIATE HISTORY PROFESSOR

GRAPHIC

Ram Stories highlights student experiences during COVID-19

By Rebekah Barry @csucollegian

Colorado State University was one of many college campuses hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. CSU’s Ram Stories Symposium was put together by the CSU Libraries and Public Lands History Center.

This event allowed students to share their pandemic experiences and connect through them. The symposium was structured as follows: the keynote address and reflections by a select group of CSU leadership, CSU student interviewees sharing their stories of COVID-19 and, lastly, an informal roundtable discussion.

After the keynote address, three CSU students shared their stories about COVID-19 and being a student at CSU during that time.

Molly Campbell, a senior at CSU, is taking a nontraditional route. She is majoring in wildlife biology with a minor in history.

In spring 2021 Campbell’s grandmother passed away, and she realized she didn’t get to see her during the pandemic — she felt like it was COVID-19’s fault, even though her grandmother didn’t die from COVID-19. Campbell struggled with learning online because she has dyslexia, and she ended up buying groceries to keep in her dorm because of the issues with the dining halls.

“When we went back to campus, I had very similar feelings about the food,” Campbell said. “It was very limited. They gave you only so many options. You

had to pick ... way ahead of time and then go pick it up. And that was really like, ... I did not enjoy that. I remember just thinking, ‘OK, I’m not doing that. I’m gonna go to the store and buy a whole bunch of food (and) keep that in my room and not go to the dining center because that doesn’t work for me.’ It just didn’t, you know. The food was, to say, terrible.”

They suffered from hunger — losing about 15 pounds when the dining halls were closed.

“What I remember the most from the fall of freshman year is how hungry I was,” La Fond said. “I was so hungry because we could not get enough food from the dining halls, and it wasn’t until the second semester that they finally let up a little bit on the rules, and we could get two boxes of food. But I was so hungry, I think I lost 15 pounds in four months. It was awful.”

Tallan Barrow-Traylor is a fifthyear senior majoring in ecosystem sciences and sustainability with a minor in sustainable energy.

During his interview, BarrowTraylor shared a story of when COVID-19 first hit. The first time he and his two roommates went to the store, he had to make a makeshift mask but decided he couldn’t go out in public wearing a bright red and black bandana as a Black man.

GRAY

CSU STUDENT

Gray La Fond is currently a senior at CSU double majoring in geography and anthropology. They had just graduated high school when COVID-19 hit.

“I walked out in my high school bandana, which my high school’s colors were bright red, black and gray,” Barrow-Traylor said. “So it’s just a nice bright red bandana that I had over my mouth and nose. If you can imagine what that looks like on somebody like me, it wasn’t the most appealing. It looked a little bit terrifying because if I walk into a grocery store looking like I was, I’m going to case the joint.”

Ram Stories is searching for people to share their stories, and they strongly urge anyone seeking more connections to their fellow CSU peers to reach out.

Reach Rebekah Barry at news @collegian.com.

“I was so hungry because we could not get enough food from the dining halls, and it wasn’t until the second semester that they finally let up a little bit on the rules, and we could get two boxes of food. But I was so hungry, I think I lost 15 pounds in four months. It was awful.”

LA FOND

Colorado State University students share their experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic at the Ram Stories Symposium in the Lory Student Center April 7.

PHOTO BY REBEKAH BARRY THE COLLEGIAN

SELF-LOVE

CSU Body Project combats ‘ideal beauty standard’

By DJ Vicente @deejmako

The Body Project, a groupbased intervention and support program for people struggling with body image, was held April 11 at Colorado State University’s Health and Medical Center.

Hosted by the Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center, The Body Project, now two years running and organized by former Associated Students of CSU Director of Health Alejandra Quesada-Stoner, aims to not only act as a forum for college-aged women to address harmful appearance ideologies but also provide discussion and exercises in order to promote healthy body image habits.

“My friends and I have struggled with body image and how we feel about ourselves and our selfesteem,” Quesada-Stoner said. “Originally when I started as the director of health for ASCSU, I was looking for something that was along the realm of helping improve body image while also having that sustainability component of, ‘Will

this last after I graduate (and) after I’m gone?’”

Quesada-Stoner mentioned her struggles with a negative body image as well as an eating disorder. She also delved into the work done by the National Eating Disorders Association, which originally created The Body Project and helped train Quesada-Stoner and other peer leaders.

NEDA offers college facilitator training, outlining options for training and the guiding questions provided by NEDA for distributing The Body Project to campuses.

Workshops for The Body Project are broken down into two sessions with both sessions addressing the existence of the “ideal beauty standard” in the Western world and the harm put on young women as a result, Quesada-Stoner said.

The first session of the workshop is spent focusing on addressing the “appearance ideal” with participants, an ideology of the ideal woman’s appearance created by societal pressure and norms and pushed onto young women by familial, social and professional influence.

In the session held Tuesday, ran by peer leaders Kylee Weis, Ellie Schroeder and Dane Roesler, participants addressed the aforementioned factors and shared experiences that negatively affected their body image throughout their life.

The session also analyzed ways to resist against the “appearance ideal,” promoting healthy body image habits and ideals for young women to practice. One exercise, known as the mirror exercise, aims to promote healthier thinking about one’s own body beyond just appearance, Quesada-Stoner said.

“I feel a really good example of that (practice) would be not necessarily focusing on what your body looks like but what your body does,” Quesada-Stoner said.

The first session also sends home participants with exercises that challenge both behavioral body image issues and exercises designed to address psychological issues that result in a negative body image. These include the mirror exercise and a letter to a younger girl.

“The letter to a younger girl helps you reflect on any toxic mindsets you had in the past,” Quesada-Stoner said. “The mirror exercise asks participants to look at themselves in the mirror, typically with as little clothing as possible, and point out positive qualities about themselves.”

The second session of the workshop focuses on debriefing participants’ experiences with the exercises done over the week from the first session, including asking questions on how participants felt with the exercises and what they learned.

The second session also focuses on body activism, which promotes healthier beauty standards by asking participants to recognize how to avoid body image concerns and work on self-affirmation.

Sreeya Kairamkonda, one of The Body Project peer leaders, recommends participants attend the second workshop.

“It’s strongly recommended,” Kairamkonda said. “We find that people get the most when they attend both sessions. … I think most people have gone to both.”

Kairamkonda and QuesadaStoner also explained the significance of The Body Project not only to themselves but also to young women, especially those who are college aged and struggling with body image problems.

“Body image and talking about bodies in a constructive way, especially identifying as a woman, is such a stigmatized topic,” QuesadaStoner said. “I feel like, in a way, we need to reclaim that and show people here on campus that it’s okay to talk about our bodies in a positive way, and that goes for anyone, not just women.”

“It’s also hard to figure out how to unlearn all the stuff that you learned, and I think The Body Project is a really good opportunity to do that,” Kairamkonda said.

The second session of the workshop will be held 5-7 p.m. April 18 at the KRNC. Registration for future sessions is on the KRNC website. Reach DJ Vicente at news @collegian.com.

The Colorado State University Health and Medical Center located on the corner of West Prospect Road and College Avenue in Fort Collins April 11.

PHOTO BY GARRETT MOGEL THE COLLEGIAN

“I feel like, in a way, we need to ... show people here on campus that it’s okay to talk about our bodies in a positive way, and that goes for anyone, not just women.”

ALEJANDRA QUESADA-STONER ORGANIZER FOR THE BODY PROJECT AND FORMER ASCSU DIRECTOR OF HEALTH

‘We can be visible to ourselves’: Looking at SWANA representation

By DJ Vicente @deejmako

The Southwest Asian North African Student Organization, or SWANA, was recently registered in January as an officially recognized student organization. The club was created by members of the Asian Pacific American Cultural Center at Colorado State University.

Reham Abdunabi, president of SWANA, commented on the creation of the organization, noting its beginnings as an effort by students and members of APACC who identify with ethnicities represented in SWANA.

“There isn’t really a center for people who identify as SWANA, and then we were like, ‘Oh, let’s try to start up a student organization and gather everyone and make events and stuff like that so we can see the population we have,’” Abdunabi said.

Abdunabi took on the presidential role in January after doing work to get the organization started up in the fall semester.

Much of Abdunabi’s experience within the community itself was gained when she was growing up in Fort Collins. Her parents had previous involvement at CSU with the SWANA-identifying communities before an official group had ever started.

“Both of my parents went to CSU,” Abdunabi said. “My dad was a community coordinator for the University Village, so we always did events like Ramadan (that) supported the community. I’ve been doing stuff at elementary schools and presenting about the region.”

One of the issues Abdunabi and other members set out to tackle with the formation of SWANA was the lack of statistics for students who identified under ethnicities within the

organization. These students would commonly be identified as white on a census, making it hard to get a grasp of how many students actually identified as Southwest Asian or North African within the community.

“Folks from SWANA, the Middle East and North Africa are considered white,” said Hiba Abdeljalil, student success coordinator at APACC. “One of the issues we see is that the SWANA community is hyper-visible, but the issues that we deal with feel invisible because if you want to look at data or numbers, there are none.”

Abdeljalil has been volunteering their time to the SWANA community since the 2021 fall semester, when they assisted in presentations detailing the impact of the classification of the SWANA community as white. They have also been planning methods to raise awareness about the

community itself alongside Carl Olsen, APACC’s former assistant director.

Abdeljalil and Abdunabi also discussed the personal goals and attachments they have to the club and the desire to bring more awareness to the community and create a place for a group of students who don’t usually have a recognized organization for their ethnicity on campus.

“Just like any underrepresented population, it’s hard to find that community and connection, especially when we’re speaking from people who didn’t grow up here and are international students,” Abdunabi said. “We can be visible to ourselves and outside people as well because there isn’t really recognition of SWANA people in Fort Collins as well.”

Abdeljalil said it’s important to show the large diversity found within the region itself, rather than a homogenized ideal of

a single ethnicity across the whole region.

“People see it as a monolith,” Abdeljalil said. “They always see it as one specific ethnicity when in reality it’s not. For me as someone who is an Afro-Arab, one of the things that I initially wanted to work on is to highlight the existence of Black SWANA. … It’s a showcase to bring up more discussions of the diversity of the SWANA community.”

With the organization still in its early days, Abdeljalil and Abdunabi plan to make efforts in reaching out to students who identify within the ethnicities of the SWANA community, making an official space for the organization and collaborating with the Office of International Programs as well as groups outside of campus.

Reach DJ Vicente at life @collegian.com.

The Asian Pacific American Cultural Center in the Lory Student Center at Colorado State University April 1. The mission of APACC is to provide a safe and supportive space for historically marginalized communities. The cultural center is focused on building community, working to remove barriers and providing access to resources to support students in finding fulfillment and success while at CSU and beyond.

PHOTO BY REUEL INDURKAR THE COLLEGIAN

NoCo knows how to celebrate 4/20 in more strains than 1

By Miles Buchan @buchanmiles

As one of the forerunners in cannabis legalization, one can expect Colorado to show up and show out with some amazing events for cannabis enthusiasts to attend. If you enjoy cannabis and community, then consider going to one of these gatherings to celebrate 4/20.

One such celebration you can catch is the FoCo 4/20 Celebration hosted by The Joint Smoke Shop and Golden Goodness Food Truck LLC.

Taking place outside of The Joint Smoke Shop down South College Avenue, this event will be going from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is open to the public.

Art, cannabis, food and community are core to this yearly event. Here you will be able to find local art, tasty food, friendly competitions and hourly giveaways. The Joint Smoke Shop will also be running several deals, including buy-one-get-one for $4.20 on most items all day.

With that said, 4/20 is a great day to shop for all things cannabis. Many dispensaries and smoke shops will be doing special deals on this day to

celebrate the culture and to get their customers excited and equipped for this special holiday. Northern Colorado is home to many great things, including some amazing venues, so be sure to look for various concerts and performances that might be taking place near you.

As it is every year, Denver will be a hotspot for 4/20 events both big and small. If you want to participate in one of Colorado’s biggest 4/20 celebrations, then check out the Mile High 420 Festival taking place at the Civic Center Park in downtown Denver.

Hosted by JARS Cannabis, this festival is free to enter to anyone 21 and older with reservations. The Mile High 420 Festival draws in cannabis advocates from around the world and creates a lively environment for all types of cannabis fans to congregate, communicate and cultivate new relationships and experiences.

Because Colorado was one of the first states to legalize cannabis, the Mile High 420 Festival aims to honor and expand on the state’s history with cannabis culture. This year the festival continues to combat the stigma while celebrating the successes of the cannabis

industry. Expect to see all the essentials, like food, games, music and more.

Another event this year that embodies the spirit of 420 also takes place on April 22. The infamous Red Rocks Amphitheater will be hosting Wiz Khalifa and Joey Bada$$ along with a few other performers for 420 on the Rocks. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with plenty of time to prepare, as the music won’t start until 6:45 p.m. Before you arrive, know that tickets start out at $38.

These events will bring together cannabis communities from all walks of life and create spaces for incredibly fun and positive experiences for those who choose to attend.

If you’re busy on 4/20, there are other options for you to celebrate, like Baked’N Denver 2023 on April 22 in Aurora, Colorado. Tickets to this event cost $20 for general admission and will grant you access to vendors and performances during the festival’s hours from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. During this time, the Baked’N festival will feature vendors, a health and wellness area, a live comedy show and other live performances.

For those of you who feel like celebrating in a more low-key or private way, don’t forget that Colorado is rich with cannabis culture, which can be found in many different shops, venues, restaurants, dispensaries and even outside on streets and sidewalks. That’s why I’ll encourage all of my fellow introverts to go out on April 20 and engage with your community, even if it’s just to grab snacks from the gas station down the street.

Reach Miles Buchan at cannabis@collegian.com.

“These events will bring together cannabis communities from all walks of life and create spaces for incredibly fun and positive experiences for those who chose to attend.”

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY AVA KERZIC THE COLLEGIAN

Point Break, Dixie, Binske made spiritual Easter Sunday

By Taylor Paumen @taytaypau

When Americans think of Easter Sunday, around 65% of them are likely celebrating religiously in the marking of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. An unknown number of Americans, however, may have celebrated the day with a different form of religion: a plant-based one.

Personally, I was part of the population that spent the beautiful end of the weekend with my friends in the backyard playing beer pong and smoking joints in the sun. While most Easter Sundays for college students contain mimosas and bubbles, ours also offered halfgram pre-rolls and plastic eggs with edibles inside.

Point Break, indica flower grown by Organic Alternatives testing at 23.2% THC, was a very addictive strain to have on such a good day. I don’t use that word lightly, as my friends and I ended up smoking about eight half-gram joints throughout the day party.

As the day progressed, I happened to find myself back in front of a colorful basket filled with even more vibrant plastic eggs next to a sign that read, ‘Purple is 10 mg of indica, yellow is 10 mg of fast acting sativa, enjoy!’ After a pop of one Dixie Limon Squeeze sativa gummy and one Binske Strawberry Guava indica gummy, I was ready to enjoy the glorious weather with my favorite people.

All three of these products can conveniently be found at Organic Alternatives. Point Break is $35 for 3.5 grams of bud, and Binske edibles are for $14, but Dixie gummies increase slightly to $23, both for a 10-pack of 10 milligram gummies.

The flower-to-edible ratio mixed just right with the addition of the occasional drink of beer or champagne. One thing I get nervous about with flower is it being too dry, which proceeds to me coughing up a lung. But whether that’s my lungs crying for help or not, Point Break bud was just moist enough to contribute to

my palate rather than take away from it with a case of cottonmouth. Its THC level was also enjoyable for my friends and myself, as it didn’t get the crowd too high or socially anxious but instead created a chance for all of us to sit in a circle and chat about who found the most Easter eggs. There’s nothing like smoking a joint with your closest friends in the sunshine as you cheer for your buddies at the pong table.  About an hour after my moment at the edible table, I was reminded

of the two chewy gummies I had snatched. I could feel my body loosening up and my mind increasing in serotonin as my friend called for me next at the beer pong table.  I thought in my current state that these edibles had given me the power to absolutely obliterate our pong opponents. The mix of indica and sativa had formed a conscience of its own, like a pong sensei that helped guide my partner and I to a first-round win.

While the amount of cannabis I consumed may scare others away, any of these products would suit a great smoke session at your own levels of want. And while I hope your celebration of Easter was as enjoyable as my celebration to get infused was, checking out any of these products will only enhance your celebrating experience. Rating: 10/10.

Reach Taylor Paumen at cannabis @collegian.com.

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“Its THC level was also enjoyable for my friends and myself, as it didn’t get the crowd too high or socially anxious but instead created a chance for all of us to sit in a circle and chat about who found the most Easter eggs.”

TUTORING SCEDULE

Eckburg: Profit is not fulfillment, systemic change needed

an effort to promote happiness and contentment with life?

The pressure to plan your life around money will always exist — you still need to make money to eat and live — but we could lessen that strain by providing people with the basics, such as access to health care and nutritious food and paying them a livable wage.

The American dream can include having a family for some. With the climate crisis and several other factors affecting our future, birth rates in the United States have dropped in recent years.

By Bella Eckburg @yaycolor

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 American dream has long been shown to be a false reality — it’s unlikely you’ll become Jeff Bezos in your lifetime. There are many factors that contribute to whether or not you’ll make a ton of money, and it’s stressful to know you have no control over some of them.

“We should replace the ideology that if you just work harder you can someday achieve a life like the one described in the American dream. The U.S. workforce system itself promotes detaching oneself from happiness as motivation — it’s not like we can

Instead of prioritizing profit, why can’t we switch the conversation to, “How can I be happy?” It’s clear that even if we do prioritize profit, it’s hard to get a foot in the door and actually become successful that way.

Capitalism has promised us that if we just work a little harder and sacrifice a little more, we can get a foothold that will lead us into a hugely successful — profitable — future. You may even feel pressure to monetize your hobbies to make cash on the side, potentially hurting your relationship with the hobby.

When Generation Z looks to the future, what are we seeing? The American dream often involves owning your own home and paying it off, but average income in the United States has not kept up with home prices.

In a study done by Rocket Mortgage, 40.3% of Gen Z respondents believed they could only afford a home if it was less than $100,000 — with 39.5% estimating they could afford a little higher between $100,001-200,000.

Zillow estimates the price of an average Colorado home to be around $530,389.

Instead of fighting for individual gains, would it not make more sense to mutually support those in our communities and country in

According to the Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation Health System Tracker, giving birth in a United States hospital costs an average of $14,768 assuming you don’t need extra drugs or a cesarean section. If you have insurance, you can expect to pay less, but the dollar amount will still be in the thousands.

Working on Colorado’s minimum wage, which currently sits at $13.65, it would take months and months to save that kind of money. Plus, you have to pay bills outside of saving, so it could be years until you could see yourself having enough money to give birth, let alone support a child.

We should replace the ideology that if you just work harder, you can someday achieve a life like the one described in the American dream. The U.S. workforce system promotes detaching oneself from happiness as motivation — it’s not like we can just decide to stop working to be happy.

One of the best ways to address these systemic issues is to use your voice and vote for representatives both at the state and federal levels that are committed to change to alleviate the stressors that come from living and working in this country. We’ve had enough of working ourselves to the bone until we die. Maybe the money means we’re successful, but it rarely means we’re happy.

Reach Bella Eckburg at letters @collegian.com.

first sunburn of the season. Rediscovering old music.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY FALYN SEBASTIAN THE COLLEGIAN

Keep Colorado a safe space for trans people

By Dominique Lopez @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.

On March 31 Fort Collins hosted its first-ever International Transgender Day of Visibility protest that discussed issues appearing in proposed legislation, such as discrimination against those who identify as transgender. The protest was announced in The Coloradoan March 28 to invite those interested in attending.

In Colorado, there are many forms of legislation that have been set in place to protect those in the LGBTQ+ community as well as reproductive rights. However, there are still legislators who try to propose bills to challenge this legislation.

Legislation that was proposed specifically against the rights of trans people included a sports ban back in February; however, that bill was not passed.

This same bill appeared in a piece I wrote on transgender athlete participation, specifically in addressing the challenges faced by Lia Thomas as a result of discrimination.

By hosting protests against these issues, those of us in Colorado who have some sense of privilege can be as open and as much of an ally as we can because the ability to cross over state lines and have proper care is not enough.

I must admit, as a cisgender woman who has lived in Colorado my entire life, I have a sense of privilege that follows me around on a daily basis; however, as a woman of color who has been spending time researching issues that affect people like me or those who I consider myself to be an ally to, I still try my best to give a voice to those who are affected and encourage more discussion.

CSU WANTS TO RAISE YOUR TUITION.

Coloradans can do a lot to express support against discriminatory bills and even contribute to the conversation while leveraging their privilege.

Fort Collins’ protest also included a die-in where those who are transgender lay on the ground, some covered in fake blood, to show the real impact the legislation could have on transgender individuals’ lives. We need to ensure Colorado acts as a safe space that can continue to support those fighting against discriminatory legislation being put forth in our own state.

We can only do so much as Coloradans to speak out against what is plaguing our nation;

BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN

however, we can still enact a change that may just make the world a better place for those within the LGBTQ+ community and also women, as they are both constantly targeted by discriminatory legislation. There are many resources and accessible places in Colorado that we are fortunate to experience, participate in and share. These resources are things that should be shared with those outside of Colorado, but more than anything, they should be things that other states throughout the nation should all have access to, no matter what political party represents them. Reach Dominique Lopez at letters @collegian.com.

COLLEGIAN

“Fort Collins’ protest also included a die-in, where those who are transgender lay on the ground, some covered in fake blood, to show the real impact the legislation could have on transgender individuals’ lives. We need to ensure Colorado acts as a safe space that can continue to support those fighting against discriminatory legislation being put forth in our own state.”

ways to tell your parents you flunked out of college

BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN

By Aaron Peck @aa_peck7

Editor’s Note: This is a satire piece from The Collegian’s opinion section. Real names and the events surrounding them may be used in fictitious/semi-fictitious ways. Those who do not read the editor’s notes are subject to being offended.

As the end of the spring semester quickly approaches, some students face the difficult task of telling their parents they failed all their classes and dropped out of college.

Whether it is because of a drinking problem that got out of control or you “accidentally” slept through all your morning classes once again, sometimes college just gets the best of you.

It is almost impossible to escape the guilt as you watch your mom burst into tears and your dad explode into a fit of rage because you wasted thousands of dollars. However, for those who find themselves in this unfortunate situation, there are certain methods you can use to alleviate the tension.

With a little bit of deception and a sprinkle of trickery, you can shamelessly twist the truth about your failure as a student into a less incriminating story that ensures you will still be invited to Christmas dinner.

Here are four useful ways to tell your parents you flunked out of college.

1. Throw your siblings under the bus

The easiest and most effective way to deflect blame from yourself is to sell out your siblings by reminding your parents of all their horrible mistakes from the past.

Aggressively bring up your sibling’s worst wrongdoings, such as any car accidents or arrests in order to make dropping out of college seem less disappointing.

Do not be afraid to gaslight each parent by blatantly exaggerating how much more problematic your siblings are compared to you. This will help shift all your parent’s anger away from you and toward your siblings.

2. Invent a scandal that makes you look like the victim

This next method requires more effort than the previous one; however, if it is executed correctly, you will be completely relieved of all blame and guilt.

Spend a few hours manufacturing a ridiculous yet believable story in which you are the helpless victim of a cruel system that threw you out of college for no reason. Include enough details to make the story realistic but not enough to make it verifiable.

Perhaps you could claim that a professor wrongly accused you of cheating or that you were expelled for getting too many parking tickets. Either way, assure your parents that absolutely nothing can be done to get you back in school and that it is time to move on.

Rather than take accountability for your actions, lie and manipulate to the best of your ability to gain as much compassion and pity as you can. Your parents will not blame you for something if they do not think it was your fault.

3. Pretend you made millions investing in cryptocurrency

In recent years, the cryptocurrency world has exploded with many finance bros promising it is the best way to get rich. Due to its complexity and volatile nature, cryptocurrency offers the perfect space to fake becoming a millionaire.

Simply explain to your parents that you took the money they gave you for tuition and invested it in some kind of cryptocurrency or NFT that skyrocketed in value. Now that you are worth millions of dollars, earning a degree and landing a career are no longer necessary.

You may need to rent a luxury car for a day or splurge on some designer clothes to make the lie more believable. Then, after a few months or so, pretend your cryptocurrency investments completely tanked and are now worthless.

At this point, your parents will likely have forgotten about your failing out of college, and you will be given a fresh start.

4. Write an article for The Collegian about ways to tell your parents you dropped out of college

I did not have the heart to tell you in person.

I am sorry, Mom and Dad.

Reach Aaron Peck at letters @collegian.com.

“Rather than take accountability for your actions, lie and manipulate to the best of your ability to gain as much compassion and pity as you can. Your parents will not blame you for something if they do not think it was your fault.”

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Ram Racing: Insight into CSU Formula SAE

By Reuel Indurkar @csucollegian

Colorado State University’s Formula Society of Automotive Engineers team, Ram Racing, has worked tirelessly to design and manufacture a car to take to the FSAE International competition in Michigan. The Formula SAE competition challenges teams of university undergraduate and graduate students to conceive, design, fabricate and develop a formula-style race car for competition.

The competition requires performance demonstration of vehicles in a series of events against the clock, both off track and on track. The competition consists of seven main events. The presentation event evaluates the team’s ability to develop and deliver a comprehensive business, logistical, production or technical case that will convince outside interests to invest in the team’s concept. The cost and manufacturing event evaluates the ability of the team to consider budget and incorporate production considerations for production and efficiency.

events, each vehicle goes through a technical inspection. The purpose of the inspection is to determine if the vehicle follows the Formula SAE rules, requirements and restrictions. The 2023 FSAE competition will take place May 17-20 at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.

Other than a few notable years of previous Ram Racing teams, CSU’s Ram Racing was in a dry spell for the last few years. This dry spell was ended by the 2023 Ram Racing team through the leadership of President Oscar Wenham.

Wenham was supported by other key student leaders on the leadership team, including Technical Director and Suspension Lead Brennan Burris, Project Manager Hunter Flowers, Chassis Lead Corbin Baird, Powertrain Lead Evan Roberts and Electrical Lead Aidan Farley. Though CSU faculty has not had much involvement this season, associate mechanical engineering professor Chris Weinberger was a critical factor as the faculty adviser for Ram Racing this season.

One of the changes that allowed for the high success was the freedom given to students. Previous years’ students’ imaginations were limited by faculty ideas and specifications for the car.

In the 2022 season, a graduate student advised the team to follow a niche competitive direction that would result in a really fast car, but the team lacked the structure to execute the plan.

The design event evaluates the engineering effort that went into the vehicle and how the engineering meets the intent of the market both in terms of vehicle performance and overall value. The acceleration event evaluates the vehicle’s acceleration in a straight line on flat pavement.

The skidpad event measures the vehicle’s cornering ability on a flat surface while making a constant radius turn. The autocross event evaluates the vehicle’s maneuverability and handling qualities on a tight course.

The endurance event evaluates the overall performance of the vehicle and tests the durability and reliability. In addition to the seven

“The reason the team failed last year was because a lot of times, they were halted by their funding,” Wenham said. “But also, they did not have the leadership structure that we implemented or the team. Another thing that has changed is just the involvement of CSU faculty. Exclusively making the team student run has given us a lot more freedom to explore and do things our own way that before we didn’t have as much freedom in. Less faculty involvement allowed for more student freedom.”

Minimal knowledge transfer and structure implementation carried over from last year. Many engineers had to start from scratch. “The biggest thing we’ve pulled from previous teams is the alumni network — reaching out to previous leaders and members of the team to help inspire our current team and provide advice on how we should better run,” Wenham said.

“It’s exciting being a part of this team and working on the race car late at night with all your friends.”

OSCAR WENHAM RAM RACING PRESIDENT

Throughout the year, Ram Racing has hosted a speaker series consisting of employees from sponsors, alumni in the racing industry and other industry professionals to inspire current students. Notable alumni such as Arrow McLaren IndyCar engineer Chris Lawrence, race engineer Cody Ragone and Ford Performance advanced vehicle architecture engineer Erik Christensen spoke throughout the year.

Ram Racing has proven to have the leadership and infrastructure to create a car ready by the time of competition and is hopeful to consistently produce a car every year. The team also wants to develop an electric vehicle and bring in more electrical engineers to support that vision.

Although FSAE has historically attracted more mechanical engineers than any other sector of engineers, FSAE is open to all students.

“We’re inclusive,” Wenham said. “We are not exclusively a mechanical- or even engineeringexclusive club. We’re looking for students from everywhere, as long as they’re passionate and excited about what we do. You know, they will have a place on this team.”

Wenham will continue to lead Ram Racing next year and has learned from this last year serving as president.

“I was elected president again in February, and I’m very excited about it,” Wenham said. “I think the opportunity to inspire people has been really fulfilling. It’s awesome to see how passionate students are on this team and how they’re growing and finding opportunities because of this team.

“I can think of several students that have jobs working for either racing sponsorships that I was able to lock down, or students that were able to secure jobs because of the experience that they’ve encountered at Ram Racing. Yeah, so I think that has been my favorite part is seeing the opportunities that it’s created and being able to see how it changes students’ opportunities.”

However, these success stories do not come without their hardships. Wenham along with the rest of the leadership team has experienced a high amount of challenges in leadership.

“The biggest challenge I’ve faced is the logistics of leadership,” Wenham said. “There’s difficulty as far as navigating the sort of curriculum of senior design, as well as figuring out how to fund this team and how to communicate with the senior design students in order for them to do what we want them to do which is much more than instead of what senior design expects them to do. The biggest thing is understanding how people operate at their core, so I can try to put them in places that they are passionate about in order for them to invest the most of their effort and energy into specific projects.”

The leadership team managed 19 seniors and approximately 12 underclassmen this year. With 31 students to overlook, the leadership ran into challenges with project management, student retention, accounting and communication.

“Project management was managing all of the tasks and communicating with the companies that are supporting our efforts,” Wenham said. “For example, Woodward is helping us with some machining, so working with them to give them the proper tolerances, drawings and information they need in order to complete on time and how we want, so that’s going to be a bit challenging.”

In terms of student retention, Ram Racing has found many students are excited about the project but can’t find ways to make a difference to the project. The team had to start their accounting from scratch. They had to seek out various sponsorship opportunities and had to learn how to manage the money they had for an expensive long term project.

“Communicating was also important to create a strong positive culture that allows us to succeed because if we’re just trying to rip each other’s throats out all the time, nobody will want to be a part of this program,” Wenham said.

Members of Ram Racing are required to manage their time wisely to allow them to have enough time to pursue their degree as well as work on the car. As most students are mechanical engineers, the classes they are required to take fit well with FSAE.

“When I’m sitting in dynamics, statics or physics, I think about what I’m learning about how a car behaves on a track,” Wenham said. “You can see it in the equations that we’re working with, or the principles that are introduced in these different classes. It makes classes much easier, and it makes it feel worthwhile. Not only does it satisfy your soul, but it’s exciting being a part of this team and working on the race car late at night with all your friends.

“Balancing FSAE with pursuing an engineering degree doesn’t make any sense because FSAE is engineering. But taking a thousand classes is just time management. And I think being busy is a mindset. I think there (are) a lot of ways that people can change their lives and their habits that would allow them to do more with their days. And just really taking that seriously. It’s critical in order to be as committed to this as I need to be, as I feel like I need to be perfect.”

Ram Racing’s 2023 competition car will be unveiled 6-9 p.m. May 6 in the Lory Student Center Theatre. All are welcome and encouraged to view the unveiling of the car and wish the team good luck before Ram Racing heads to Michigan for the 2023 FSAE competition. The RSVP form for the unveiling can be found on the Ram Racing’s website.

Reach Reuel Indurkar at photo @collegian.com.

Component mounting tabs are laser cut from steel sheets March 4. These tabs connect various parts to the frame of the vehicle.

PHOTOS BY REUEL INDUKAR THE COLLEGIAN

1. President Oscar Wenham introduces Ram Racing at the Critical Design Review event at Colorado State University Oct. 26, 2022. Ram Racing hosted a design review event and invited faculty, students and Formula SAE teams from University of Colorado Boulder and Colorado School of Mines.

2. A student designs an aluminum plate that separates the driver’s cockpit from the fuel tank in the Ram Racing vehicle Oct. 26, 2022. Fall semester consisted of vehicle design and optimization, while spring semester consisted of manufacturing and testing.

3. Chassis tube material is laid out at the Engineering Research Center to see a top-down view of the frame Oct. 26, 2022. Ram Racing had a third party company cut and bend the material.

4. Wenham discusses electric vehicle plans with Cael Lohmiller Oct. 26, 2022. Lohmiller is a senior computer engineering student working on Ram Racing’s prospective electric vehicle.

5. Brennan Burris, Ram Racing technical director and suspension lead, and Wenham connect machine parts on a metal lathe at the ERC Jan. 28. Burris and Wenham operated the lathe safely by only touching the moving components of the lathe when it was not powered on.

PHOTOSTORY BY REUEL INDURKAR

6. Sudhish Raghupatruni, senior biomedical and mechanical engineering student, grinds a metal tube on a bench grinder at the ERC Jan. 28. The bench grinder spins a disk at high speed to remove material from the pipe.

7. The previous year’s intake design mount on the Yamaha R6 engine is ready for testing March 4. This year’s intake assembly featured upgrades to allow for better airflow to the engine.

8. Connor Shelton and Gus Trimble, senior mechanical engineering students, replace a drill bit in a milling machine at the ERC Jan. 28. Drill bits are replaced when they get dull to allow for clean cuts.

9. Liam Kjosen, senior mechanical engineering student, welds tabs for components to mount onto the frame of the Ram Racing vehicle March 4. These tabs connect various parts to the frame of the vehicle.

Spring football: Revamped CSU offensive line is making progress

By Braidon Nourse @braidonnourse

Things are looking up in the Colorado State University offensive line room.

Keeping quarterback Clay Millen safe was one of the biggest problems the CSU football team encountered last season. Injuries, inexperience and a lack of size ravaged the offensive line and resulted in a Football Bowl Subdivision-leading 59 sacks on the season.

Of course, not every one of those sacks should be attributed to the line, but it was often clear that change would be needed in that department going into the offseason. After the Rams’ final game last year against the University of New Mexico, head coach Jay Norvell promised to hit the transfer portal hard for

big offensive linemen with plenty of experience.

Norvell and O-line coach Bill Best came through on the promise and signed a number of linemen in the transfer portal, including Saveyon Henderson from Lane College, Drew Moss from Lamar University and Oliver Jervis from Monmouth College, all NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision schools.

These moves add plenty of size and experience — all three are at least 6 feet, 4 inches tall and 300 pounds and share a combined total of 66 starts for their previous schools — to the Rams roster that needed it. According to veteran Ram and O-line leader Jacob Gardner, the pieces are already starting to fit together over the past two weeks of spring practice.

“It’s been nice just seeing the difference,” Gardner said. “We’re working together a lot nicer, things

are fitting a lot easier (and) double (teams) are becoming easier. We’re becoming familiar with each other, and I can really tell a difference. I think we’re just going to keep getting better and better.”

Another plus as a result of these signings is Gardner can move from left tackle back to his preferred center position.

“It’s an amazing feeling to have (Gardner) in there,” Best said.

“We had kids last year that played hard; they were just limited. It was like playing baseball without a shortstop, and now we got Derek Jeter in there.”

The hope Best, Gardner and Norvell share is that the revamped offensive line will open up the offense in a way it never really could last season. When asked how good the line could be this season in comparison to last, Gardner simply said with a laugh that he thinks they’ll be able to run the ball.

On 385 rushing attempts last season, the Rams gained over 1,500 yards but also lost nearly 500. Their average of 89 rushing yards per game was the fifth worst in the FBS. In terms of yards per carry, only one team in FBS was worse than CSU. They had the fewest rushing touchdowns in the nation with four.

For the time being, the Rams have lost their main running threat in Avery Morrow, who was indefinitely suspended from the team in January following a physical altercation with another male student that resulted in a court case that is still pending. So for now, the Rams are still in search of a running back who can fill Morrow’s shoes and fulfill the O-line’s goal of leading a better ground game.

“I’m very proud of the progress (the offensive line has) made,” Norvell said.

“We really have made an emphasis on being physical and running downhill

with our combinations. … If we can run the ball effectively, we’ve got a lot of playmakers that are starting to emerge, and it’s just going to make us that much more effective as an offense.”

The team got to scrimmage full speed for the first time Saturday, which meant the team got a glimpse of what they were able to do on both sides of the ball in game-like situations. Not only were coaches impressed with the offensive line, but the Rams’ defense had their hands full. Defensive lineman Mohamed Kamara experienced the new offensive group’s work firsthand.

“They work so much harder,” Kamara said. “They know that a lot of pressure is on them, and they work so much harder. I don’t know any five stars that are on the offensive line, but they’re trying to play like they’re five stars.”

Reach Braidon Nourse at sports @collegian.com.

Colorado State University offensive lineman Jacob Gardner (75) stands in formation at the beginning of a play during the football game against the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Oct. 22, 2022. CSU won 17-13. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MARQUARDT THE COLLEGIAN

SUNNY SPIKES

CSU volleyball showcases new talent in 1st home spring game

By Damon Cook @dwcook2001

The Colorado State University Rams volleyball team took on the University of Colorado Boulder Buffaloes in their first game back at Moby Arena April 8. This was the Rams’ fourth spring game and their first at home.

Everyone’s just so supportive of each other.”

Herman came over as a transfer from the University of Arizona, where she recorded 1,000 assists in each of her last two seasons, leading the Wildcats. According to the CSU Athletics website, she currently has a streak of 84 games with double-digit assists. She will fill a big hole left by Ciera Pritchard, who had 1,044 assists last season. Herman will be a good fit alongside the Rams’ outside hitter Kennedy Stanford, who had a career-high 354 kills last season.

“I think she’s super physical,” Stanford said. “I mean, you can see it in how she blocks and how she plays and how she’s able to push a ball.”

Herman was one of two transfers to join the Rams this season. Graduate transfer Anna Porter also joined the team. Porter plays libero and defensive specialist for the Rams. According to the team, Porter is finishing up her semester at The College of William & Mary prior to joining the team, so she didn’t play in the game.

EMILY KOHAN CSU RAMS VOLLEYBALL HEAD COACH

Spring games do not count toward the record and are meant to give the team full game reps against an opponent. The Rams won three out of the five sets but lost only once. The fifth set ended in a tie after a player from CU went down with an injury and had to be carried off the court.

The Rams got to showcase some of the new talent they acquired through the transfer portal. Junior setter Emery Herman played extended minutes in the game. She showed off her ability to put the ball in the perfect spot on several of the Rams’ points.

“I think it was really cool to see how many people come out for a spring game,” Herman said. “I think that’s not as common as people would think. There’s just such a family ... (and) homey feel.

The Rams’ two transfers aren’t the only people on the team facing a change.

Head coach Emily Kohan began her tenure following the 2022 volleyball season after longtime head coach Tom Hilbert retired. While Kohan is new to her position, she isn’t new to the team. She has been bringing her coaching insights to the Rams since 2016.

She will have her opportunity to leave her mark on the team of many of the previous year’s players, who finished third in the Mountain West.

“I mean, Tom did such a great job laying a foundation that I (will) inherit a really stable group of players,” Kohan said. “I’m still trying to figure out who I am as a coach. My first game, the team asked, ‘Are you going to sit, or are you going to stand?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know. We’re going to try out both of them.’ … I want to be known as a gritty, scrappy team.”

The Rams’ next spring game will take place 11 a.m. April 15 in Denver against the University of Denver.

Reach Damon Cook at sports @collegian.com.

The Colorado State University players huddle to discuss a game plan for their scrimmage against the University of Colorado Boulder at Moby Arena April 8.

PHOTO BY PAIGE MOLENKAMP THE COLLEGIAN

Middle blocker Malaya Jones (1) spikes the ball past two University of Colorado Boulder blockers at Moby Arena April 8. PHOTO BY PAIGE MOLENKAMP THE COLLEGIAN

“

I’m still trying to figure out who I am as a coach. My first game, the team asked, ‘Are you going to sit, or are you going to stand?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know. We’re going to try out both of them.’”

‘Guardian of the Spirits’ gallery embraces femininity

Holly Wong speaks about her art installation, “Guardian of the Spirits,” at the Curfman Gallery at Colorado State University April 4. “Some people ask me how I pick colors,” Wong said. “These are complimentary colors. They are inspired from Chinese lion dance. You personify the animal. These are a personified, larger-than-life, female force. The colors are energizing and boundless. I’m interested in getting beyond gender.”

PHOTO BY REUEL INDURKAR THE COLLEGIAN

By Christian Arndt @csucollegian

At 2 a.m., most people are fast asleep — but not Holly Wong. In fact, she just woke up. She is ready to start her day creating art while it is quiet and then, after a few hours, head out to her day job as a finance manager.

Holly Wong is a San Franciscobased artist whose art encapsulates femininity and remembrance of those who passed and persisted through tough times. All of these topics are on full display in her galley “Guardian of the Spirits” located in the Lory Student Center.

Wong initially fell into the world of art to cope with family difficulties in her youth, particularly the passing of her mother.

“In my sophomore year, I met Ed Love, who was the dean of the visual arts department at the New World School of the Arts, and he was a Black sculptor who was really phenomenal,” Wong said. “He was somebody that was an important force for me because he met me right after my mother died and helped me understand how art was a source of resilience, of healing and of processing of pain.”

In reflection on her mother being a victim of domestic abuse, Wong came to art in order to question why women specifically suffer these ways in society.

When Wong reached college, she recognized the history of female artists and how they are underrepresented in the world of art. Because of this, Wong focused on alternative histories and, most importantly, sewing and crafting.

“I felt marginalized in my own experiences,” Wong said. “I don’t think there was a consciousness about

what it meant to be a woman making so-called women’s work.”

Although Wong felt the term “women’s work” was dismissive toward her, she eventually embraced it and began studying early American quilting. Reason being, she loved watching her mother cut fabric and patterns to create things. Wong aimed to reclaim that as a sacred action, therefore making much of her art approach a sacred process.

The significance of the name and the gallery as a whole strikes home and ties the whole gallery to one grand, overall meaning.

“‘Guardian of the Spirit’ has to do with the notion that when my mother died, there were many things I didn’t know about her, and I felt like she was always a spirit force in my life but not something I could consciously feel a presence of,” Wong said. “The spirit is her, each LED-lit piece around the gallery (is) certain aspects of her and the LED light is a proxy for her body.”

Wong’s approach to her unique art style incorporates deep meanings of color and even the type of fabric she uses to create a much deeper and emotional message in her art.

“When you lose a loved one, there is a finality that you imagine,”Wong said. “But certainly in Chinese-American culture, the notion of somebody being dead and gone, it’s not really that. There is an ongoing conversation that people have with their relatives, and it’s often erroneously referred to as ancestor worship.”

Wong proceeded to explain the meaning and tradition of the ancestor worship.

“It’s offering or connecting through the use of incense or food to make an offering to the dead,” Wong said. “The line between the living and the dead

is very thin. And that’s why so many of my materials are transparent or luminescent because I do see that she is not far away. She’s with me, … so these pieces honor her presence, and they honor her spirit.”

The gallery’s message revolves around her mother and also Wong’s own experiences as a woman.

“(The art pieces) are also a metaphor for my own female body,” Wong said. “Because a lot of what I went through as a woman in my

20s and 30s was about denial of the body. I became anorexic in my early 40s.”

Wong stated that cultures obsessed with misogynistic images affect the way women perceive their own bodies and often lead to restriction.

“I think that these pieces that are so large and floating and encompassing are all about taking space,” Wong said. “Because I think the first thing that women have to do is embrace

their body. We are taught to deny our body. We are taught to be small. We must be small, we must not make a lot of noise, we must follow directions, and so these pieces are about taking that back.”

You can see the “Guardian of the Spirits” gallery for yourself through May 26 at the Curfman Gallery in the LSC.

Reach Christian Arndt at entertainment@collegian.com.

‘Drag Through the Decades’ raises money for queer resources

By Katherine Borsting @katbor2025

Drag is a form of self-expression, and it gives those within the queer community a space to explore sexual identity and defy gender norms. The art of drag has been

a huge topic of conversation in the news lately, and the idea of banning drag has been discussed in states such as Arizona, South Carolina and Texas.

On April 9 Colorado State University held its annual drag show at the Lory Student Center

on campus. “Drag Through the Decades” was this year’s theme, and the nearly two-hourlong show had numerous acts to represent the art of drag.

The performance was a fundraiser for pride resource scholarships and the Leah Memorial Fund with the Pride Resource Center at CSU. These give money to LGBTQ+ students to ensure they have what is necessary to be successful in school.

They also touched on the Drag House of Ovis, which is an open and safe club at CSU that allows students to get involved in performing drag.

“What we know is two out of three queer students do not have support at home,” said Maggie Hendrickson, director of the PRC. They explained why fundraisers like the drag show are so important.

The annual drag show is a highly anticipated event that many students and Fort Collins residents look forward to.

The evening began with two openers, who started with an explanation and acknowledgment of current laws being discussed against drag.

The two main hosts were Krisa Gonna and Le Gateau Chocolat, who came out to the song “Rain on Me” by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, which had the crowd laughing from beginning to end with their tag-team jokes and witty responses.

Some of the performances were done to songs such as “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” by ABBA and “Feeling Good” by Michael Bublé. One performer even had a mashup of hits from the Disney Channel series “Phineas and Ferb.”

All performers brought a bright energy that kept the room loud and lively, and the diverse set of performances kept the show interesting at all times.

Throughout the whole show, audience members were able to go up to the stage and throw

money at the performers. If they didn’t have cash handy, there was a QR code for donations. All money raised was given to the LGBTQ+ Scholarship Fund or the Leah Memorial Fund.

The main performance of the show was given right before intermission and was done by Juiccy Misdemeanor, who had the crowd engaged from beginning to end.  Her high kicks and sequined pink dress were an eye-catching and fun touch to the show as she kept the crowd cheering throughout the performance. She never stopped moving around the audience as she sang and danced along to the music.

The “Drag Through the Decades” show allowed the CSU community to witness drag and the diverse and creative ways it can be performed. For information on how to donate to the Pride Resource Center, visit their website.

Reach Katherine Borsting at entertainment@collegian.com.

“All performers brought a bright energy that kept the room loud and lively, and the diverse set of performances kept the show interesting at all times”

Krisa Gonna performs her routine “Krisa Goes to Therapy” at the Colorado State University Drag Show in the Lory Student Center Ballroom April 9.

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

Cash is thrown onstage as Le Gateau Chocolat performs to “About Damn Time” by Lizzo at the Colorado State University Drag Show in the Lory Student Center April 9.

PHOTO BY LOUISA PETRILLO THE COLLEGIAN

Unicorns dance onstage to encourage donations during the Colorado State University Drag Show “Drag Through the Decades” April 9.

PHOTO BY LOUISA PETRILLO THE COLLEGIAN

FRAME BY FRAME

1. Le Gateau Chocolat congratulates 17-year-old Evan Essence for being the youngest drag performer at the Colorado State University Drag Show after his performance to “When I Rule the World” by Liz in the Lory Student Center Grand Ballroom April 9.

2. An audience member shows love to Alanna Filipina during her performance.

3. Audience members cheer during a drag artist’s performance.

4. Reggie Fava, Le Gateau Chocolat, Juiccy Misdemeanor and Krisa Gonna answer audience members’ questions during a Q&A session.

5. Vegina Quartz performs to “Take On Me” by a-ha while holding a microphone out for audience members. PHOTO BY

6. Natalia Wynters performs to “Night of Your Life” by David Guetta featuring Jennifer Hudson.

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

PHOTO BY LOUISA PETRILLO THE COLLEGIAN

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

LOUISA PETRILLO THE COLLEGIAN

PHOTO BY LOUISA PETRILLO THE COLLEGIAN

PHOTOS BY S ARA SHAVER & LOUISA PETRILLO

FRAME BY FRAME

7. Colorado State University Drag Show co-host Krisa Gonna performs her routine “Krisa Goes to Therapy” April 9.

PHOTO BY LOUISA PETRILLO THE COLLEGIAN

8. Cash donations are thrown onto the stage. PHOTO BY LOUISA PETRILLO THE COLLEGIAN

9. The audience of the Colorado State University Drag Show listens to Le Gateau Chocolat and Krisa Gonna introduce the next act. PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

10. Colorado State University Drag Show headliner Juiccy Misdemeanor performs to “PURE/HONEY” by Beyoncé.

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

11. RatKing performs to “Heart of Glass” by Blondie. This was RatKing’s first performance in drag in front of a crowd.

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

‘Music and movement’ central to APIDA & SWANA Heritage Month show

By DJ Vicente @deejmako

Inside the Lory Student Center Theatre, the dark room is illuminated by blue and purple light as five people walk onto the stage, greeted by cheers from the crowd.

The five people in question make up Weston Estate, who performed at Colorado State University April 6. Hailing from Cary, North Carolina, the band performed live in front of a crowd of students and faculty from the Asian Pacific American Culture Center and students outside of the organization interested in the event.

Organized by APACC and RamEvents as part of APACC’s Asian Pacific Islander Desi

American & Southwest Asian and North African Heritage Month, Weston Estate’s performance was part of an upcoming lineup of events from APACC celebrating and observing the diverse cultures and sounds from the community.

The band’s inclusion in APACC’s APIDA & SWANA Heritage Month event lineup was in line with the theme of music and movement, APACC’s RamEvents liaison An-Ping Yu said.

“Our cultures are deeply tied in music and dance as a means of passing on and preserving traditions,” Yu said. “At the same time, both are utilized to push the boundaries of what already exists.”

Weston Estate consists of members Srikar Nanduri on guitar, Abhi Manhass on bass and

Manas Panchavati, Tanmay Joshi and Marco Luka on vocals. All members are of Indian descent, except Luka, who is CubanAmerican, according to the band’s Submithub profile.

The band itself, going by the epithet of “ya aunty’s favorite boy band,” initially formed when the members were in high school in 2017. Their roots come from recording in their rooms and “sneaking out of the house to record their music” in order to emulate the sounds of artists who influenced them, according to the flyer created for the event.

“Named in jest for an affluent neighborhood adjacent to their hometown of Cary, North Carolina, Weston Estate is inspired by genreblending artists of the past decade,”

the event flyer read. “One could say their aspirations are not to become your favorite boy band, but perhaps your aunty’s favorite boy band.”

At the event, Weston Estate played for a crowd mixed with both newcomers and long-time listeners, a majority of whom were part of APACC. Ethan Ho, community development coordinator at APACC, commented on his perspective of the performance, noting his own recent exposure to Weston Estate.

“I’ve only found out about Weston Estate recently,” Ho said.

“I’ve created a playlist of their songs for APACC, and it’s been a journey getting to know them and their songs.”

The band played a 12-song set at the event consisting of singles released throughout their

years as a group, including tracks “Saturday Nights,” “Drown,” “So Good” and the newest single “Where Do We Go?” released in March. The band also performed songs from the 2022 EP “Maggie Valley,” including tracks “Outside,” “Silence” and “Daisies.”

The group ended the night with their single from 2019, “Cotton Candy,” and saying goodbye to CSU and the APACC community present.

“Thank you all for coming,” Luka said. “It was lovely to play for all of your lovely faces.”

APACC’s upcoming events for APIDA & SWANA Heritage Month throughout April are on the organization’s website.

Reach DJ Vicente at entertainment @collegian.com.

Audience members listening to Weston Estate perform at their concert for APIDA & SWANA Heritage Month hosted by the Asian Pacific American Cultural Center in the Lory Student Center Theatre April 4.

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

Manas Panchavati of Weston Estate sings “So Good” at their concert for APIDA & SWANA Heritage Month hosted by the Asian Pacific American Cultural Center in the Lory Student Center Theatre April 4.

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

Weston Estate thanks their audience after their concert for APIDA & SWANA Heritage Month hosted by the Asian Pacific American Cultural Center in the Lory Student Center Theatre April 4.

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER THE COLLEGIAN

Sudoku

OVERHEARD AROUND CAMPUS

“I didn’t even know people came in here.”

“You come in here all the time.”

“Well, she’s like never had a serious relationship.”

“Must be nice.”

WEEKLY HOROSCOPE

By Abby Flores

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (04/13/23)

ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19)

You are in the process of healing from attachments and ties to people from the past. The more you free yourself from energies you no longer vibe with, the more peace you will feel.

TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20)

Sometimes it’s tough to stay positive in situations you can’t control. Your perseverance is what truly matters though, and you are doing amazing at handling unexpected challenges. An abundance of kind gestures is approaching you soon.

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20)

Sometimes it feels as if the weight of the world is on your shoulders. It may be due to a philosophy you have about doing more work than you should. In all honesty though, you should reward yourself more often because you have been making successful progress in your endeavors.

CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22)

You may feel more outdoorsy in the next couple of weeks. The sun is coming out, and you finally feel motivated to get moving again. You have been a hermit

throughout the winter. Now is your time to run free.

LEO (JULY 23 - AUG. 22)

You usually don’t run into conflicts with people, but when you do, it hurts deeply. Remember that space is the key to allowing more open conversation later. Keep dancing to the beat of your drum, and you’ll find yourself encountering peace again.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEPT. 22)  You tend to keep a calm exterior and quiet demeanor. People don’t know what you’re truly thinking about because you’ve created an inner world of your own reflections. Opening up to someone this week will help ease your mind.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22) You tend to live life in a unique way, so it’s no wonder people ask if you make content for social media.

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

You should consider it, Libra. Your artistic flair is not like everyone else’s, and you have an eye for aesthetics.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)  Many people believe Scorpios’ only personality traits have to do with being dark and mysterious, but you are more rare than you think. You actually tend to be funny and sweet when people truly get to know you.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21) You have been finding inspiration from all sorts of books, items and works of art for a new project you want to pursue. This is not just any work project though — it is one for self-discovery. Your imagination is about to run deep.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19) You tend to take action on opportunities fast, but

with so many options, you are being asked to reflect on what your heart wants. I know it is easy to go with logic, but your feelings matter too.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18)

You are more lively and upbeat lately. Aries energy has made you feel excited to try new hobbies and be around crowded environments. You will have luck in finding a new group of friends who are aligned with your soul.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20) Your sensitive nature and intuitive abilities have blessed you with the gift of a way with words. You should look into practicing your poetry skills. Gemini energy is on your side this week, upping your imagination.

“I don’t think goblins need to be green OR grey! I think they can be brown! I think they can be ANY color!”