Thursday, April 18, 2024 Vol. 133 No. 29

U+2 ended as Gov. Polis signs bill banning occupancy limits

See page 3

Story by Aubree Miller

Photo by Hannah Parcells

TOP STORIES TOP STORIES

NEWS: Graduating ASCSU seniors reflect on their experiences in student government PAGE 4

L&C: Asian Pacific American Cultural Center celebrates 40 years of advocacy PAGE 7

SPORTS: Looking back on CSU hall of famers decorating Moby Arena walls PAGE 9

SCIENCE: Virtual reality technology pioneered by CSU spans internationally PAGE 16

A&E: Maggie Rogers’ new album explores narrative lyrics PAGE 18

OPINION: Riley Gaines’ presence at CSU violates Principles of Community PAGE 20

PHOTO: CSU annual drag show PAGES 14-15

FOCO EVENTS FOCO EVENTS

Wind Symphony Concert: Garden of Dreams at Griffin Concert Hall

7:30-9:30 p.m. April 19

Earth Day Celebration of Ecotourism at the Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures

11 a.m to 5 p.m. April 20

Bendigo Fletcher at Aggie Theatre

8 p.m. April 21

Michelle Milholland, owner of Curly Knits, poses with her booth during the Spring Artisan Market at Fort Collins Senior Center April 13. Curly Knits sells wool hats with detachable liners to protect curly hair. PHOTO BY DARYN WHITMOYER THE COLLEGIAN

HOUSING SECURITY

U+2 ended as Gov. Polis signs bill banning occupancy limits

By Aubree Miller @csucollegian

Those who have opposed the Fort Collins occupancy limit commonly known as U+2 can finally rejoice in knowing that the policy can no longer be enforced. Due to the efforts of elected officials at the state level, several dedicated groups and organizations and the work of Colorado State University’s own student government, U+2 will no longer restrict housing options for Fort Collins residents.

On Monday, April 15, Colorado Gov.Jared Polis signed into law HB24-1007, “Prohibit Residential Occupancy Limits.” This bill will effectively overturn U+2, which limits occupancy to three unrelated people in one residential unit. The bill summary reads, “The bill prohibits local governments from enacting or enforcing residential occupancy limits.”

Polis was accompanied by various state representatives and senators as well as Associated Students of CSU members and a representative from the University of Colorado Boulder’s student government during the signing ceremony.

Before signing the bill into law, Polis gave remarks about the bill and the role occupancy limits play in housing.

“This issue is both a housing issue and a civil rights issue,” Polis said.

Polis also addressed the inequity in making exceptions based solely on familial relation. It shouldn’t matter what the relation is when it comes to housing, Polis said.

“If ... they want to be able to have their leases and live there together, Coloradans should be

able to do so,” Polis said. “This bill will help get rid of one of those artificial limits on housing that prevent people from being able to rent.”

“ This has been a long time coming. We’re standing on the work of the shoulders of giants, ... but we’re happy to be the ones that push the needle across.”

“Let us please repeal these outdated discriminatory policies and practices,” Gonzales said. “We’ve done it here in Denver. We’ve seen ... that allowing people to live and choose with whom they live in the midst of a housing crisis is incredibly important.”

The impact this law will have on college students in Colorado was exemplified by the number of student government representatives from both CSU and CU Boulder present. CU Boulder Student Body President Chase Cromwell discussed his own experiences with occupancy limits, including how he is not on the lease of the house he lives in.

“This has been a long time coming,” ASCSU Chief of Staff Braxton Dietz said. “We’re standing on the work of the shoulders of giants, ... but we’re happy to be the ones that push the needle across.”

Also present was ASCSU President Nick DeSalvo, who has made ending U+2 a focus of his presidency this year and his reelection campaign for the 202425 academic year.

“I think it’s going to take a while to sink in that it’s actually happened,” DeSalvo said. “I mean, just so much work has gone into this over the course of 20 years for ASCSU to accomplish.”

In addition to Polis’ remarks, there were personal accounts from two Colorado residents who have been impacted by residential occupancy limits, including Sarah Wells. Wells and her husband have lived in a large home with their loved ones and members of their larger community, which has resulted in issues related to occupancy limits.

“I’m excited to see many more communities form and take root in new homes,” Wells said. “Buying together, living together and allowing more Coloradans a chance to live more fulfilled and connected lives.”

Various state elected officials who have supported the bill also gave statements, including Sen. Julie Gonzales.

“I’m entirely at the mercy of my roommates to pay rent on time, to be nice to each other and to live safely,” Cromwell said. “My situation is far from unique in Boulder, Fort Collins and elsewhere in the state. ... We’re all just doing what we can to go to school here and make ends meet.”

Members of ASCSU who were present at the signing ceremony

ASCSU Director of Governmental Affairs Michael Stella has been heavily involved in the efforts to get this bill signed into law and was there to see that work pay off.

“It’s a great success, and it’s an ode to all of the work that past administrations have done,” Stella said.

Reach Aubree Miller at news @collegian.com.

BRAXTON DIETZ ASCSU CHIEF OF STAFF

ASCSU President Nick DeSalvo, Colorado state Rep. Manny Rutinel, ASCSU Director of Health Jorja Whyte and ASCSU Director of Governmental Affairs Michael Stella stand on the west steps of the Colorado Capitol after the signing ceremony for HB24-1007 Monday, April 15.

PHOTO BY HANNAH PARCELLS THE COLLEGIAN

Graduating ASCSU seniors reflect on their experiences in student government

By Hannah Parcells @hannahparcells

The end of the academic year is always a busy time for students. The weather is changing, finals are looming and summer is right around the corner. For many students, it also represents the end of their time at Colorado State University.

Everyone faces the end of a chapter differently, but for those who spent their years heavily involved in student government, it is a time to reflect on their hard work.

The Associated Students of Colorado State University is not often a main focus of the broader campus conversation, even during times when they are most visible like their annual elections. In the most recent election, only 11% of the student body voted.

However, the organization flying under the radar doesn’t mean there isn’t work being done. For many graduating seniors, their tenure in ASCSU wasn’t just a checkbox on their college experience; it was a key part of their time at CSU that helped make them who they are now.

Despite all the time they’ve dedicated to their various projects and responsibilities, very few of the actual people behind the events,

campus initiatives and legislative efforts are well known.

ASCSU Director of Governmental Affairs Michael Stella is one such student. Throughout his year as director, Stella has been instrumental in creating and advocating for several pieces of legislation designed to address issues facing college students in the Colorado General Assembly.

One of those bills is HB24-1018, which would remove state sales tax from textbook purchases if passed. Stella workshopped the initial idea and worked with Rep. Andrew Boesenecker to make it a reality.

“(I) didn’t have an idea, like, what I was going to do in this role or, like, the power that this organization has, but once you get in it and once you spent some time around, … you realize the impact that this organization can have,” Stella said. “(For) me as a senior who just now joined, (it left me) with a sense of regret that I should have done this earlier, but I’m happy with what I’ve been able to accomplish this year.”

Being a part of that process and getting to see the evolution of the idea into an actual piece of legislation has been especially unique, Stella said.

Despite the hard work that goes into such a large undertaking, the individuals involved in those efforts

contribute significantly behind the scenes and leave the recognition to the organization.

“The responsibility of people in ASCSU or student government in general is to make life better for the people who might not be interested in it,” Stella said. “I think we do a disservice to students when we don’t take this work seriously.”

ASCSU Director of Traditions and Programs Meron Siyoum worked to bring back old CSU traditions like Grill the Buffs to bring students together before the Rocky Mountain Showdown football game between CSU and the University of Colorado Boulder during the fall semester.

“A lot of people do know each other, (and) they talk outside of the office,” Siyoum said. “You end up having to get really close because you’re working on these, like, really large-scale projects together. And you want the support, and you want to be able to help other people as well.”

Siyoum said that one of her main goals has been to create third spaces for students to go and connect with the community.

“I think events and those third spaces are the way to do that,” Siyoum said. “Because suddenly you feel like you have a community. You feel more welcomed at CSU.”

Director of Finance Ashton Duffield used his position on the Board for Student Organization Funding to increase student organization awareness of ASCSU funding for student clubs and organizations at CSU.

“One initiative that I had this year was trying to get a lot of outreach,” Duffield said. “We had outreach events where we invited a bunch of student organizations to get them informed on the process because the process is really where you have power in getting funding. Because if you know how to do (it), it’s really beneficial.”

Duffield’s time in ASCSU was self-described as being “confusing then fun” because of the demands of the positions, but he said that the organization helped him with a lot of character growth.

“To be honest, I like everybody,” Duffield said. “They all have strong convictions about what they want. ... Being around people who are really motivated all the time has made me a better person. … My experience isn’t the same as someone else’s, but I think everyone’s more similar than they think.”

ASCSU Vice President Alex Silverhart has served in several positions in the organization — senator for the College of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

and director of health in addition to his current role.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Silverhart said. “It’s been rocky. I think most people that are involved in student organizations, ... it gets heated, but, like, these are some of my closest friends. Like, these are people that I hope to have connection with and friendship with for decades.”

Silverhart has worked closely in sexual and reproductive health care education around campus along with other departments in ASCSU, most notably the department of health. Silverhart has organized ASCSU’s monthly blood drive events and intends to take his passion for health and wellness into a career in the medical field.

Silverhart said he didn’t initially know what he wanted to focus on at ASCSU. He knew he wanted to help people, and through his work in different roles at ASCSU, Silverhart developed a passion for sexual and reproductive health.

“Being able to figure that out because of this organization, I feel like I will always be thankful for the existence of ASCSU, for the existence of student government and for the existence of CSU,” Silverhart said.

Reach Hannah Parcells at news @collegian.com.

Associated Students of Colorado State University Director of Governmental Affairs Michael Stella, Vice President Alex Silverhart, Director of Traditions and Programs Meron Siyoum and Director of Finance Ashton Duffield stand in front of the ASCSU office in the Lory Student Center April 17. PHOTO BY HANNAH PARCELLS THE COLLEGIAN

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Historian highlights effects of Civil War on modern American democracy

By Katie Fisher @csucollegian

An open and captivating figure transported listeners back to the Civil War era. With each point, historian Jeremi Suri moved through the lasting effects of Robert E. Lee’s surrender, which is still felt in modern American democracy.

Part of Colorado State University’s Democracy Summit, the 2024 Furniss Lecture heavily drew from Suri’s recent book, “Civil War by Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy,” in which he explores the racial tensions and political strife that followed Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and the lasting effects it had on American society.

“When thinking about history, I like to think about archaeology,” Suri said. “There are layers from the past, and those layers we might not see at all times. But in certain moments, they pop up in the soil, and we’re living through one of those moments today.”

Suri’s research particularly focuses on investigating lesser-known Confederate figures, including Maj. Gen. Joseph O. Shelby, who oversaw southern soldiers in the Texas region, and Matthew Fontaine Maury, the Confederate emissary to Britain. Many Confederates fled to Mexico at the employment of Maximilian, the appointed emperor of Mexico, but they came back.

“They returned to the United States,” Suri said. “What do you think they do? They declare themselves heroes. Because they said, ‘See, we never sat down and begged for power from the authorities. We resisted it. (We) never gave in to Yankee authority.’”

These men were not on the outskirts of society. Shelby was appointed U.S. marshal by President Grover Cleveland and led the Democratic Party in Texas. He was responsible for the “white primary,” which prevented Black Americans from voting in the Democratic primary elections until 1944.

“This is significant,” Suri said. “These men come back from the war. And they reinstituted Confederate programs throughout the country. That’s the point here.”

defending the status of white men that they (felt) was under attack. They were building community around that.”

American society and democracy then became more multiracial following the Emancipation Proclamation. These communities that were originally based around Confederate ideology felt more threatened while continuing to expand, even when the crimes of organizations like the Ku Klux Klan were common knowledge.

“There’s a difference between unity for change and stale moderation. Stale moderation is actually what got us to where we are. Just accept things as they are. I’m not saying you have to be a radical. I’m saying bring people together by actually seeing the historical problem and making change.”

JEREMI SURI AMERICAN HISTORIAN

AND “CIVIL WAR BY OTHER MEANS” AUTHOR

The influence of former Confederates was far-reaching, as it became a basis for building commonalities among groups, Suri said.

“They actually were honest about what they had done,” Suri said. “That’s the interesting thing in the research — it’s not hidden, but it was valorized. It was

Suri continued to map the threats of these effects up to the Compromise of 1877, in which Rutherford B. Hayes was elected president following disputed electoral votes. This only occurred because the federal government removed all forces from the South, which had previously guaranteed the enforcement of the

13th, 14th and 15th amendments in the southern states.

“You have a 70% Black population and a 5% Black participation in elections, and the story we’re told is that those people were lazy,” Suri said. “That’s not what’s going on. It still happens, just in different ways.”

While these actions aren’t as forward facing nowadays, long-standing causes still have an effect. Suri argued these effects are still present in American society, but corrections can be made.

“There’s a difference between unity for change and stale moderation,” Suri said. “Stale moderation is actually what got us to where we are. Just accept things as they are. I’m not saying you have to be a radical. I’m saying bring people together by actually seeing the historical problem and making change.”

This message resonated with audience members after the presentation came to an end.

“It was really interesting to see just how he was able to trace that (history from) the World War, the Civil War, through to the modern age,” doctoral student Julie Hartung said. “And we can see those connections and build them.”

Others focused on the call for intentional change.

“(We need to understand) the history of where people came from and (do) your best to move forward with it,” CSU History Club President Soloman Westcott said. “Acknowledge the past, but keep moving forward. If that is radicalism now, that will eventually be what is necessary for the future to move forward.”

Reach Katie Fisher at life@collegian.com.

Jeremi Suri talks about his book “Civil War by Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy” at the annual Furniss Lecture held by the Colorado State University History Club April 11. A quote from Suri’s book reads, “Democracies do not come together when they glorify their past but when they strive to repair it.”

PHOTO BY JULIA PERCY THE COLLEGIAN

Asian Pacific American Cultural Center celebrates 40 years of advocacy

By Laila Shekarchian @csucollegian

This year, Colorado State University’s Asian Pacific American Cultural Center is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Since 1984, APACC has been a beacon of support for Asian Pacific American students, staff and allies on campus.

“APACC has allowed me to find other people who have similar identities as I do, and it has helped me find a supportive community on campus that I can call home,” said Grace Kirk, APACC’s large events coordinator.

APACC’s support is not just limited to Asian and Pacific American students. The organization has recently been working to support and represent other identities and cultures.

“We are really trying to work on more visibility for the Southwest Asian (and) North African communities of students who often feel their voices aren’t heard or seen,” said JoAnn Cornell, director of APACC.

In 2023, members of APACC founded a new organization known as the South West Asian North

African Student Organization to serve that community at CSU.

month, which was an incredible experience to be a part of.”

Retreat with the Native American Cultural Center.

“We’re trying to raise visibility for our communities so that the community knows we’re here. We’re trying to be very visible and be seen and heard more, so the 40th (anniversary) is a huge milestone for us.”

JOANN CORNELL ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER DIRECTOR

“One of APACC’s most significant achievements on campus is being able to expand our reaches to the SWANA student population on campus,” Kirk said. “We were able to get April acknowledged as the official SWANA heritage

In order to foster diversity and inclusion at CSU, APACC puts on multiple events throughout the school year to represent and celebrate all cultures throughout Asia, which are typically underrepresented on campus.

From inviting keynote speakers to hosting luaus, APACC has expanded the events it hosts and remained dedicated to serving all Asian students at CSU.

“Throughout my time, (APACC has) definitely increased programming and reached a far wider audience that I’ve noticed,” said Reham Abdunabi, SWANA president. “The best part is helping coordinate events, the positive reactions that we get from everyone (and) getting to see the community come and learn.”

Over the years, APACC has collaborated with multiple centers and departments around campus. A few of APACC’s most significant collaborations include bringing Linda Sarsour and Masih Alinejad as keynote speakers and their yearly All Nations Leadership

“We try and do a lot within and across offices because we know that we can’t do this alone,” Cornell said. “It takes a village and community to do this together.”

Throughout APACC’s history, student staff members have proven to be valuable when it comes to planning events for the community.

“I would really love to see APACC be able to expand our departments and student staff capabilities,” Kirk said. “Students are what make APACC what it is, and so many of our student staff have come up with amazing ideas for reaching new students through events and marketing.”

Over the last four decades, APACC has created a space for students to connect with each other and talk to people who can understand what they’re going through or even just provide a space for people to learn about other cultures.

“My experience as someone who’s underrepresented is a lot better; they have a sense of understanding about the things that I’m going through,” Abdunabi said. “I know they’ll support me in any way that I need, and they connect me to many resources.”

Although the organization has been successfully serving the CSU community for many years, there is still work to be done.

One of APACC’s most significant goals is to analyze data on which communities may be less likely to continue higher education so the university can better serve their needs.

“One of the things that we have been working on since 2013-14 is the need for disaggregated data because our community is so large,” Cornell said. “There are some communities that are probably more at risk of not continuing in higher ed, and we don’t necessarily know who they are.”

To celebrate its 40th anniversary and all the cultures APACC represents, the center is hosting a luau April 20 in the Lory Student Center Grand Ballroom. For more information on APACC’s anniversary celebration and other events, visit the APACC website.

“We’re trying to raise visibility for our communities so that the community knows we’re here,” Cornell said. “We’re trying to be very visible and be seen and heard more, so the 40th (anniversary) is a huge milestone for us.”

Reach Laila Shekarchian at life @collegian.com.

The outside of the Asian Pacific American Cultural Center in the Lory Student Center April 10. The organization is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

PHOTO BY LAUREN MASCARDO THE COLLEGIAN

LGBTQIA+ community celebrates through Night of Noise

By Sophie Webb @sophgwebb

What once began at the University of Virginia in 1996 has now grown into a national event, making its way to Fort Collins. Day of Silence was invented by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, as a day to spread awareness about the challenges the LGBTQIA+ community endures in addition to celebrating the progress that has been made.

Night of Noise was created to mark the ending of Day of Silence. Instead of having a full day of sorrow, this time gives people a chance to celebrate who they are and the identities they hold. The event is held annually on the second Friday of April.

In Colorado, it was originally hosted in Boulder by Out Boulder County — a local nonprofit that supports LGBTQIA+ individuals — but this is the first year it’s spreading to Fort Collins. Ash Tumbleson is the Northern Colorado youth program assistant at Out Boulder County and the main person in charge of Night of Noise.

“There’s a lot of things happening in the LGBTQ community right now that are really poignant for people,” Tumbleson said in response to recent antitransgender legislation. “It’s really powerful that

we’re able to be here in Fort Collins to do this event.”

Another Out Boulder County member and Northern Colorado case management coordinator, Lauren Levine, helped lead the march, the official beginning of the event.

“I’m here just to support that community and be a part of uplifting that,” Levine said.

Before the march started at The Lory Student Center Plaza, Levine had a multitude of signs discussing different aspects of the LGBTQIA+ experience and flags so members could grab whatever flags and colors they identified with.

“Our rights matter,”Levine said. “(We are) celebrating everything — who we are and how far we’ve come and acknowledging how much farther we need to be.”

The group marched through The Oval and down South College Avenue, receiving multiple supportive honks along the way.

They had a list of chants prepared, such as, “Two, four, six, eight; how do you know your kids are straight?” and, “Trans rights are human rights.”

After walking for 1.2 miles, the march reached the Museum of Art Fort Collins, welcomed by the Planned Parenthood and Imagine by Northpoint booths, marking the beginning of the resource fair.

Imagine by Northpoint provides mental health

services for adolescents at the outpatient level for teens in Fort Collins.

“I couldn’t be more stoked just helping end the stigma for mental health and getting treatment,” said Claire Gishwiller, an Imagine by Northwest representative.

Guests moving forward were greeted by a room full of booths stacked with purchasable trinkets relating to the cause. Not only was there jewelry to purchase but also an exhibit that featured a wide variety of masks.

Different activities occurred throughout the night, starting with a poetry reading, where participants were given a prompt and then encouraged to share out loud with a band playing soft music in the background.

“There are a good number of people that have shown up,” Tumbleson said. “All of our resource people have shown up for the community and a lot of new faces — people I don’t recognize — which is really great to see.”

Drag performers later came out and gave an intriguing performance. The rest of the night was filled with live music and closing statements.

“We’re just grateful for everyone who came out, and (we’re) proud of the interns and the work they’ve done,” Tumbleson said.

Reach Sophie Webb at life@collegian.com.

BUILDING BRIDGES

Civil rights activist explores revolutionary love in CSU keynote

By Katie Fisher @csucollegian

An audience of individuals from various backgrounds was united under one mission through the powerful cadence of civil rights activist and author Valarie Kaur, who presented her philosophy on building bridges through “revolutionary love.”

Hosted by Colorado State University Multifaith and Belief Initiatives, Kaur delivered her keynote speech in the Lory Student Center Theatre April 16. Kaur spoke on the Revolutionary Love Project, an initiative geared toward creating a healthy society inclusive of identities and beliefs, as written on the Adult Learner and Veteran Services website.

“We consider this the kind of grand opening of the Multifaith and Belief Initiatives because Valarie’s message of revolutionary love, especially building bridges across differences of belief, is something that our culture needs so desperately (right now),” Multifaith and Belief Initiatives Task Force member Elizabeth Sink said.

A graduate of Yale Law School, Kaur has been an activist for over 20 years. She began this journey after Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh father and family friend, was the first person murdered in hate violence after 9/11.  Kaur defines revolutionary love in her book “See No

Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love” as a deliberate, active choice rather than a blind sensation — a force that can deliver a shift in consciousness and culture.

Kaur’s philosophy can be broken up into three prongs: See No Stranger, Tend the Wound and Breathe and Push. Audience members received a Revolutionary Love Compass, which visually represented each category and its subparts.

The See No Stranger section includes three subsections: fight, grieve and wonder, which Kaur defined as the practice of returning love as a labor to others by considering what others need.

“Who we see as one of us shapes whose greed we let in our heart, whose stories we hear, what policies we support and what leaders we elect,” Kaur said. “Demagogues succeed and dehumanize entire groups of people when they shut down our collective ability to wonder about others.”

Kaur continued on to the Tend the Wound section, which includes reimagining, listening and rage. The first step is, at a personal level, to understand where one’s rage originates and how it categorizes important parts of their identity. Then, she argues, one can listen to the opponent.

“Deep listening is an act of surrender,” Kaur said.

“You risk being changed

by it. When two people are engaged in the process, a portal opens of unimaginable possibility of reconciliation.”

This deep listening can give way to forgiveness, which plays into the role of reimagining, which serves a role for the individual more than the opponent.

“It is up to the survivor to decide,” Kaur said. “What I do know is that forgiveness frees you — not them.

Forgiveness is for you.”

For the final section, Breathe and Push, Kaur highlighted the subparts breathe, push and transition.

Kaur explained how she had slowly shifted away from listening to the little critic inside her.

“The loudest voices in the world right now (are) running on the energies of cruelty and fear and scarcity,”

Kaur said. “My most vigilant spiritual practice is to get quiet enough, to get still enough, to listen to the wise woman in me.”

Ultimately, each person has a role to play within the revolution.

“Every one of us has a particular role in the labor,”

Kaur said. “Is it your time? Is it your voice? Is it your pen?

Is it your tongue? Is it your leadership? What is the one thing that you can do that you can offer and trust that it’s enough?”

Reach Katie Fisher at life @collegian.com.

High schooler Nate reads his poem during the open mic portion of Night of Noise April 12. Out Boulder County held this event at the Fort Collins Museum of Art, featuring a resource fair, drag performances, poetry and more. PHOTO BY JULIA PERCY THE COLLEGIAN

Elizabeth Sink and Valarie Kaur engage in a question-and-answer session following Kaur’s presentation on the Revolutionary Love Project at the Lory Student Center Theatre April 16. This was the first large-scale event for the Colorado State University Multifaith and Belief Initiatives. PHOTO BY DARYN WHITMOYER THE COLLEGIAN

Looking back on CSU hall of famers decorating Moby Arena walls

By Sophie Webb @sophgwebb

If the walls could talk at Moby Arena, they would talk about the athletes, the audiences and the coaches who have passed through since the arena first opened in 1966.

Before spectators walk into Moby, pictures of athletes line the wall, and they’re some of the best who have come through Colorado State athletics. Many of them have gone on to play at an international level on Olympic teams and have been named All-Americans.

The reason No. 12 is now retired is athlete Sherri Danielson Fenn, who played for CSU 1982-85 and is the first woman athlete inducted into the Colorado State Athletics Hall of Fame.

Fenn grew up surrounded by sports because her brothers tried several sports, like softball, basketball, gymnastics, cheerleading, track and field and volleyball.

“(My brothers and I have) been involved with sports my whole life, so you kind of went from one thing to the next,” Fenn said.

Fenn’s original dream was to be a biology major and then go straight into CSU’s veterinary program. She became a biology major but left school to play professionally in San Diego, California, for the next four and a half years, returning to school to graduate.

“Life, as we all know, takes different turns than we expect, and volleyball really took off in my life,” Fenn said.

Fenn is still involved with volleyball, now coaching at the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club.

“I’m just as competitive coaching as I was when I was playing,” Fenn said. “But it’s almost a better feeling when you can teach someone else to do (it) and see them excel and light bulbs go on and see them become successful.”

During her career, Fenn was chosen as an alternate for the U.S. Olympic team and named an All-American.

“My greatest honor was being named to the CSU Hall of Fame and having my jersey retired,” Fenn

said. “I am so proud and humbled by being recognized along with the many great CSU athletes and coaches and to have my jersey hang in Moby gym.”

One of Fenn’s teammates, who played 1984-87, is Angie Duryea.

Similar to Fenn, Duryea grew up playing multiple sports like basketball and softball, which was her primary sport, but she was recruited for volleyball.

“I almost didn’t come to CSU because I thought, ‘That’s out of my league; I will never play,’” Duryea said.

Duryea was leaning toward playing for Northern Colorado because they would have also allowed her to play softball. However, she chose CSU, which launched the beginning of her career.

Duryea also played for the Chicago Breeze, a major league volleyball team, and the Yugo East-West all-star event team, which is where eight teams from all over the country play against each other. Following this, Duryea traveled to France for a year before coming back to finish school.

“It was just fun, (and) I got to do what I loved to do: meet phenomenal people (and) get to see a lot of different places, and I got to test myself,” Duryea said. “(I got to) run the extra stairs, lift the extra weights. … I liked to do the things nobody saw you do.”

Duryea was named a secondteam All-American in 1987 and was officially inducted into the CSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.

Five years later, Angela Knopf was also inducted into the Hall of Fame for volleyball, but that was not the only highlight of her career.

Knopf grew up playing basketball, but her friend invited her to an open gym and introduced her to the world of volleyball.

“I showed up in all my basketball garb,” Knopf said. “And at the end of the open gym, they sat me down, and they said, ‘OK, now you owe $2,000,’ realizing it had been a club tryout instead of open gym.”

In her fifth year at CSU, she had planned to be a walk-on for the basketball team but then was offered a spot on the U.S. Olympic team for volleyball.

“I decided to take that opportunity instead,” Knopf said. “I was really happy to be able to be on the USA team.”

Unfortunately, during Knopf’s time on the Olympic team, she became sick, which resulted in her losing a third of her blood. She was not able to finish her time on the team and left to focus on her health.

Knopf then became the volleyball coach and math teacher at Fossil Ridge High School but left after her first year to play professionally in California for seven years.

“There’s a saying that says, ‘The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and then the day you find out why,’” Knopf said. “Obviously, I was born — I’m here — and so the second day was when I realized how much I had a heart and a passion to reach young women and men.”

Knopf then began her journey as a coach and started her tutoring business, High5 Tutoring.

She was inducted into the CSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006 and earned first-team All-American titles her junior and senior years.

“We were able to do things no teams have done before because we had that bond, and we had that hard work, and we had the ability just to play above our potential,” Knopf said.

These three women now attend alumni events and see how the volleyball program continues to progress.

“When (I) step foot in Moby gym, I can tell you it just is the best feeling, and it feels like coming home,” Fenn said.

Reach Sophie Webb at sports @collegian.com.

Colorado State University 2006 Hall of Fame inductee and volleyball player Angela Knopf poses for a portrait outside of Canvas Stadium April 9. “My favorite time at CSU was the people I got to meet and the girls I got to play with,” Knopf said. “From my teammates to my coaches to the training staff, you can’t create a better community than the Fort Collins community.”

PHOTO BY ARIA PAUL THE COLLEGIAN

Spring camp: Returning Rams build foundation for continuous success

By Damon Cook @dwcook2001

Colorado State football returning with a ton of talent is no secret.

While sometimes that can mean a rebuilding year for teams that might see those returning players move on in droves, the Rams are hoping to avoid that.

This spring camp not only means trying to perfect the little things for the starters, but it also means giving some of the younger guys more opportunities to develop.

Players who might not have seen a ton of reps in the spring in previous years now get their chance to prove what they can do on the field.

“Everybody, especially the younger guys, has definitely taken that approach,” defensive lineman Nuer Gatkuoth said. “Not a lot of people get opportunities in this spring. You know, a lot of young guys have gotten opportunities, so yeah, they’re definitely taking advantage of that.”

Buom Jock is one of the players who didn’t start last season but still got some playing time. His

MONETARY FAIRNESS

development — not just as a player but also as a leader — will be crucial for the Rams’ defensive success.

“The biggest thing this spring is all the young players that have gotten so many reps.”

JAY NORVELL FOOTBALL COACH

Taking on more of a leadership role, Jock has inserted himself not only as one of the Rams’ starting linebackers but now as the heart of the defense.

“I would say Buom Jock is definitely taking a bigger role this year,” Gatkuoth said. “He’s, like, the heart of our defense now.”

There will also now be more opportunity for the Rams’ wide receivers to get some reps on the field after coach Jay Norvell announced

Redshirt freshman

Damian Henderson II (34) is tackled during a spring football practice April 6.

that Justus Ross-Simmons will no longer be with the team.

Ross-Simmons was an assumed starter, so CSU took a hit there, but with the additions of Donovan Ollie and the recruiting class as well as the progression of Caleb Goodie and Dylan Goffney, CSU should make up for what it lost at the receiver position.

“We just got to continue to develop playmakers,” Norvell said. “We’re doing that in recruiting; we’re doing that with the young players we’ve already signed. … Really proud

of Goffney and really happy with Donovan Ollie as a transfer.”

Goffney had a volatile season last year, often only seeing the field when players were nicked up.

But now with a year to find comfortability in the Rams’ system, Goffney feels like he’s ready to step into the second wide receiver role.

“For me, mainly just taking that step, being more of a bigger target for Brayden (Fowler-Nicolosi),” Goffney said. “When things aren’t going (Tory Horton’s) way or Tory’s not an option, I’m the next guy up.

Like I’ve said, I’ve been working for this opportunity.”

Norvell has emphasized the importance of the program bringing in talent who play for the program because of their green and gold pride. A big part of that comes from Power Four programs financially incentivizing players at Group of Five schools to enter the transfer portal.

One way to combat that is to become a premier Group of Five school, which the Rams can do if they continue to have camps similar to this spring by creating those early development opportunities.

“The biggest thing this spring is all the young players that have gotten so many reps,” Norvell said. “Buom Jock and Nuer and Jaylen Gardner — he was out there today for a lot of snaps. ... This experience is just invaluable. These practices aren’t like games, and they have to find their way through. Good things happen, bad things happen, they get tired, they get sore — they’ve got to learn to fight through, and that’s what spring practice is all about.”

Reach Damon Cook at  sports@collegian.com.

NIL creates unequal opportunities for CSU athletes

By Emma Askren @emma_askren

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

What was framed as an opportunity for student-athletes to get compensated for their personal brand they created through their sport has now turned into something drastically different. With name, image and likeness deals, some students are turning into superstars attending Paris Fashion Week, while others are struggling to make ends meet in order to play the sport they love.

of Colorado, those differences can be seen.

Take Colorado quarterback

NIL has created a huge disparity between athletes attending universities known for their athletic dominance and athletes who go to lesser-known universities. Even within the state

Shedeur Sanders. The transfer quarterback from Jackson State has made more than a livable wage off of NIL deals, earning approximately $4.1 million from his personal brand thanks to sponsorships from Kentucky Fried Chicken, Oikos Greek Yogurt and more.

This trend of high-earning student-athlete stars isn’t common at other lesser-known universities. I’ll be the first to admit Colorado State isn’t a football school, but neither was CU until Deion Sanders showed up to coach the team to a rather unsuccessful football season but very successful NIL season.

A household name like Deion Sanders coming into the picture in Boulder obviously brought a large amount of media attention and money to the Buffs. However, Colorado State someone like Deion Sanders to bring in the stacks of cash, and that leads right into one of many flaws in the NIL program.

Obviously, companies want to sponsor athletes who are going to

give their brand more recognition. The Sanders name has that instant recognition that any company would want to latch onto.

But for universities who don’t have a name like Deion Sanders, Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese, NIL struggles to meet the original task it was designed to complete. In order to give lower-profile athletes a chance to actually earn money for the media they bring into the university, the money fans pay for their jerseys and for their own personal brand they’ve created from playing their sport, the program needs to be restructured.

NIL should be providing athletes with the opportunity to live a comfortable life while balancing the challenges of being both a fulltime student and full-time athlete. However, for those who don’t have the same brand recognition other athletes might have, NIL can prove to be just a hassle.

It’s not just a pain for those athletes who have the opportunity to gain some compensation; for international students, it is even more difficult. NIL doesn’t allow

international students to reap the same benefits that American-born students gain.

At CSU, many athletes were recruited internationally. On the football team, notably, punter Paddy Turner could have a huge opportunity to gain monetary compensation from NIL. However, because he’s from Australia, he is unable to gain anything from potential sponsors.

Many other teams at CSU also have international athletes. On the women’s basketball team, for example, Marta Leimane and Sanna Ström could also have opportunities to gain from NIL. Because they are international students, that opportunity isn’t available to them.

NIL is controversial in itself, and a solution isn’t readily available.

In order to make things equal for all athletes, regulations need to be put in place to restrict the amount of money athletes can make, or sponsorships should be regulated to only local and state organizations.

Reach Emma Askren at sports @collegian.com.

PHOTO BY CAIT MCKINZIE THE COLLEGIAN

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

PHOTO BY CAIT MCKINZIE THE COLLEGIAN

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AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND WINE

Prices Good April 18 thru April 21

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Glen CarlouSouth Africa

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Jacob Heims

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FRENCH WINE

Cabrials Sauvignon BlancSave $6 $8.99

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BEER

Private Cask Whiskey 750 ml ������������������������������������������������� $69.99

Hennessy  VSOP Cognac

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GigondasSave $10 $39.99

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Madame de Beaucaillou

Haut-MedocSave $10 $24.99

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Chateauneuf-du-Pape -

Le Pere Jules  10 yr old

750 ml ����������������������������������������������� $109.99

Bhakta  50 yr old Armagnac

Jack Daniels Whiskey 1�75 L ��������������������������������������������������� $37.99

750 ml ����������������������������������������������� $399.99

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750 ml ������������������������������������������������� $13.99

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Baileys  Irish Cream

750 ml ������������������������������������������������� $24.99

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Grand Marnier  Orange Liqueur

750 ml ������������������������������������������������� $34.99

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Kahlua  Coffee Liqueur

750 ml ������������������������������������������������� $22.99

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Fireball  Cinnamon Whiskey 1�75 L ��������������������������������������������������� $22.99

Lord Calvert  Canadian Whiskey 1�75 L ��������������������������������������������������� $13.99

Pierre Ferrand  Dry Curacau

750 ml ������������������������������������������������� $29.99

Seagrams 7  Whiskey 1�75 L ��������������������������������������������������� $17.99

Drambuie  Liqueur

750 ml ������������������������������������������������� $34.99

Seagrams VO  Canadian Whiskey 1�75 L ��������������������������������������������������� $20.99

Heritage Hills  Honey Liqueur

750 ml ������������������������������������������������� $19.99

Crown Royal  Canadian Whiskey 1�75 L ��������������������������������������������������� $44.99

Angel’s & Demons Cinnamon Whiskey

IRISH WHISKEY

750 ml ������������������������������������������������� $12.99

Jameson  Irish Whiskey 750 ml ������������������������������������������������� $21.99

AMERICAN WINES

750 ML UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE

ALL WINES

Tullamore Dew  Irish Whiskey 1�75 L ��������������������������������������������������� $34.99

19 Crimes Cali

Bushmills  Irish Whiskey 1�75 L ��������������������������������������������������� $39.99

Cali Blanc Sauvignon Blanc, Martha’s Chard, Snoop Cali Red, Snoop Cali Rosé �������������������������������� $12.99

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Red Breast 12 yr old Irish Whiskey 750 ml ������������������������������������������������� $52.99 12 yr 112 Proof Irish Whiskey 750 ml ������������������������������������������������� $99.99

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Abeja Sol

Mango-Infused White WineSave $5 $7.99

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Reserve : Pinot Noir ������������������������� $12.99

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Bogle

Busch & Busch Light 30 pack cans

Budweiser & Bud Light 30 pack cans $24.99

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Coors & Coors Light BIG 1816 oz cans 18 pack $19.99

Avery Avery IPA, Variety Hop Pack & Variety Pack 12 pack cans $17.99

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Shiner Bock 12 pack btls $15.99

Hill Country Peach Wheat 6 pack btls $7.99

Von Trapp Dunkel Lager, Helles Golden Lager, Kolsch, Pilsner & Vienna :Lager 6 pack cans $9.99

Trumer Pils 6 pack btls $9.99

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SPARKLING WINES

SPANISH & PORTUGUESE WINE

Brass Tacks Moscato, Pink MoscatoSave $7 $7.99 Erath Pinot Gris, Rosé of Pinot Noir ������� $13.99

Berryhill Cremant de Bourgogne Brut RoséSave $10 $14.99

Al-Muvedre Tinto MonastrellSave $5 $9.99

Pinot Noir ������������������������������������������� $17.99

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Santa Margherita  Prosecco ���� $18.99

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Organic Brut �������������������������������������� $11.99

Valdeorite  Cava BrutSave $5 $9.99

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Barefoot  All Types 1�5 L ������������������������������������������������������ $10.99

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Franzia Chillable Red, Crisp White, Fruity Red

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Bold & Jammy Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chianti, Dark Red Blend, Merlot, Moscato, Pinot Grigio/Colombard, Rich & Buttery Chardonnay, White Zin 5�0 L ������������������������������������������������������ $20.99

Castillo de la Peña

JumillaSave $5 $7.99

Chardonnay Riverstone, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah ������������������ $12.99

Captain Morgan  Spiced Rum 1�75 L ��������������������������������������������������� $21.99

El Jamon GarnachaSave $5 $7.99

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir ������������������������������������������� $15.99

Myers  Dark Rum 750 ml ������������������������������������������������� $24.99

CrianzaSave $5 $10.99

Finca Montote Rioja ReservaSave $6 $23.99

Josh Cellars Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, White Blend ����� $11.99

SCOTCH & SINGLE MALTS

Marques de Caceres

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Red Blend ���������������������������� $12.99

Clan McGregor  Scotch 1�75 L ��������������������������������������������������� $14.99

Rosé, Verdejo ��������������������������������������� $8.99

Rioja Crianza ������������������������������������� $12.99

Buttery Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, North Coast Chardonnay ��������������� $13.99

Rioja Reserva ����������������������������������� $19.99

Gran Reserva ������������������������������������� $27.99

Outon  AlbarinoSave $5 $12.99

ITALIAN WINE

Cascina Adelaide Barolo BussiaSave $25 $74.99

I Colli  Barolo RossiSave $10 $29.99

I MagrediCabernet SauvignonSave $5 $9.99

Illuminati

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ������������� $12.99

Mezzacorona  Pinot Grigio ������� $7.99

Montecampo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Pinot Grigio ������������������������������������������� $7.99

Natale Verga Barbera d’Asti, Dolcelina Sweet Red, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Nero d’Avola, Pinot Grigio, PrimitivoSave $3 $6.99

Barbera Passito, Brachetto, Chianti, Intre, Organic Nero d’Avola, Moscato d’Asti, SauvignonSave $4 $8.99

Chianti Classico, Gavi, Governo RossoSave $5 $11.99

Chianti Classico ReservaSave $5 $14.99

Barbaresco, BaroloSave $10 $24.99

Barolo 1�5L Gift BoxSave $25! 1�5 L ������������������������������������������������������ $49.99

Viva Valentina Organic Pinot Grigio, Organic SangioveseSave $5 �������������������������� $9.99

SOUTH AMERICAN WINE

Casillero del Diablo  All Types ��� $9.99

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El Mayor

CSU ANNUAL DRAG SHOW

PHOTOS BY CAIT MCKINZIE

1. King Kase spreads rainbow wings during his performance at Colorado State University’s annual drag show in the Lory Student Center April 14.

2. Sapphire StaxXx Bloomee begins her performance at CSU’s annual drag show.

3. Reggie Fava and Dragonya Fly dance to “Fire” by Barns Courtney during their number at CSU’s annual drag show.

4. Vegina Quartz Agna De Amantes performs to “Radioactive” by Marina. “I hope (the audience) took away the beauty and the art of drag,” Vegina Quartz said. “It’s not the scary thing that people make it out to seem.”

5. The performers at CSU’s annual drag show gather onstage for a group photo at the end of the night. “I hope this gave (the audience) a chance to feel joy and see there’s more than 1,000 people here who want them to be themselves and to love each other authentically,” CSU Pride Resource Center Director Maggie Hendrickson said.

6. Freya Misdemeanor moves through the crowd to gather tips during her number at CSU’s annual drag show. Hosted by the Pride Resource Center, the funds raised during this show will go toward LGBTQIA+ scholarships offered to queer students.

7. Soña Rita lets a handful of collected tips fall to the stage during her performance at CSU’s annual drag show.

8. Krisa Gonna, one of the emcees for the drag show, takes a microphone and talks to the audience after her second number of the night. “I love to see the impact of what we do,” Krisa Gonna said. “Drag sometimes can make people think about stuff, and they will take something home, either something to think about or just the joy that we shared, and I love that.”

9. Gucci Blaze performs at CSU’s annual drag show.

10. MaveRick Smith takes a breath during the end of their performance at CSU’s annual drag show.

Is ketamine the Rocky Mountain miracle for mental health?

By Caden Proulx @csucollegian

Turns out a Rocky Mountain high might be just what the doctor ordered.

Ketamine-assisted therapy has surged in popularity since the Food and Drug Administration’s 2019 approval of esketamine, which is derived from ketamine, with providers across Colorado, including in Fort Collins, embracing its fastacting antidepressant effects.

Sean Lawlor, a licensed therapist in Fort Collins who practices ketamine-assisted therapy, explained the process in three steps.

First, a medical evaluation is conducted to ensure the client is physically and psychologically cleared. Then, the medical provider writes a prescription for ketamine oral lozenges or troches. Finally, the client brings this prescription to Lawlor for a three-hour dosing session.

“Typically, clients wear eye shades and headphones that play appropriate music from curated playlists,” Lawlor said. “In some cases, especially at lower doses,

clients prefer to talk to me throughout the session, which allows for the opportunity of working directly with the content of their presenting concerns from the different perspective that ketamine provides.”

Ketamine allows for an altered brain state experience, which can help patients perceive, talk about and learn more about their mental health problems.

“(What) I’ve seen with clients is that it kind of opens different neural pathways,” said Mariah Milne, a licensed therapist in Fort Collins. “It can allow certain things to process, (and) it can allow for a certain reset of the nervous system.”

Ketamine has been widely used as an effective anesthetic in ambulances and emergency rooms worldwide and is generally considered safe.

“The resulting entropic brain state allows an individual to conceive of themselves in a different way outside the boundaries usually dictated by self-defeating narratives common to depression and anxiety,” Lawlor said.

People experiencing chronic depression, anxiety disorders or trauma have likely tried psychotherapy and medication together, sometimes seeing no changes in their symptoms. Ketamine is an especially hopeful alternative for these sorts of treatmentresistant mental health conditions.

“There is a (greater) likelihood that people will respond to ketamine if they don’t respond to traditional methods because it’s responding differently in the brain than on traditional antidepressants,” Milne said.

Milne’s advice for those who identify with this is to go for it, as the chances of harm are slim to none.

“I don’t know if I’ve really had many people have a negative experience,” Milne said. “Really, the only feedback we get in that area is that they just didn’t really feel like it made much of a difference.”

Adam Gremp, a military veteran who is now the clinic director and client care coordinator at NeuConnections Ketamine & Wellness Clinic, spoke on his personal experience with ketamine.

“(Ketamine) saved my life — saved the lives of people very close to me,” Gremp said. “Unfortunately, I know many people whose lives it didn’t get a chance to help.”

Gremp said the biggest impact of ketamine is what is learned during the experience and isn’t meant to be done forever.

“You’re really focused on, ‘How can I use every one of my tools that I have and all of my support

systems to really go and effect change?’” Gremp said. “Then by the end of it, people’s scores — as far as their anxiety and depression — are typically much, much lower.”

Gremp said in the first couple of sessions, clients may feel agitated or dysregulated often because they are able to feel emotions they have not been able to for a very long time. These initial uncomfortable feelings are common and something prepared for beforehand by the client and provider.

Gremp offered one last piece of advice for those who may still be skeptical about psychedelic treatment.

“I feel that we need to open up the conversation and make it OK to talk about something we should not hide from, and sadly, psychedelics have been villainized for far too long when they’ve been incredible at saving — literally saving — people’s lives,” Gremp said.

For those still left with questions, Lawlor’s book, “Psychedelic Revival: Toward a New Paradigm of Healing,” is a great resource to learn more.

Reach Caden Proulx at science@collegian.com.

TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN

Virtual reality technology pioneered by CSU spans internationally

By Hana Pavelko @csucollegian

Colorado State University is renowned for its cuttingedge research in veterinary medicine as well as its highly regarded chemistry department. Now, CSU is also making a name for

itself in the field of anatomy and physiology.

With technology advancing, the benefits of using virtual reality technology in the classroom are far-reaching.

Virtual reality is a better way to teach spatial arrangement in anatomy.

Tod Clapp, an associate professor for the college of

veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences, has been working with the idea of virtual reality as an educational tool since 2017.

“We interact with our world in three dimensions, so we know shapes in three dimensions,” Clapp said. “(We’re) putting it into a more intuitive form for understanding.”

CSU was the first to have the revolutionary virtual reality used en masse for the educational benefit of undergraduate students, Clapp said. That is because the technology was actually created at CSU.

“One of the keys with (the) VR — we built everything in house,” Clapp said. “It’s CSU grown.”

The virtual reality technology used in several different CSU classes — including Human Gross Anatomy and Advanced Human Gross Anatomy — was pioneered at CSU.

“This is the biggest deployment of VR technology in education in the country,” Clapp said. Clapp said CSU has made many deals with other universities to bring the virtual reality technology to their own programs. The technology is even in use at medical schools such as the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Colorado.

Clapp also said they are in the final stages of signing a contract with Yale University to bring the technology out to the Yale School of Medicine. This CSU-made technology has even been in use by medical professionals in other countries such as Australia, Japan and South Korea. CSU students are able to use the same technology that’s used by medical students and professionals during their undergraduate years.

“I think it’s really cool we got to see (the human body) from a different medium (with virtual reality),” said Veronica Neujahr, a CSU senior who took Human Gross Anatomy in the fall 2023 semester. “I don’t think I would’ve seen that if I wasn’t here.”

Clapp said students enjoy being able to use the virtual reality technology and actually report the class being more engaging.

“The whole goal is to get students to run further and faster,” Clapp said.

With this groundbreaking virtual reality technology, CSU has made an impact on the medical community around the world and provided its students with a unique advantage.

“This is an opportunity for CSU to lead,” Clapp said. “We know (the use of virtual reality technology) is coming at the next level.”

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY

Reach Hana Pavelko at science @collegian.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CLAPP LAB

Spring Dance Concert exhibits artistic talent of CSU students

By Caleb Ediger @csucollegian

The room starts dark and quiet but is quickly lit up by multicolored lights, smoke effects and music directing the audience’s attention to the practiced movements of the dancers.

The Spring Dance Concert captivated its audience with the combined use of production techniques, dancer abilities and choreography, setting a different tone for each piece.

The concert is a long-standing tradition at Colorado State University. This year’s showcase was held 7:30 p.m. April 1213 and displayed nine different works from students, staff and visiting choreographers.

Due to the diverse set of choreographers, many styles and messages were conveyed, enabling the artistic and athletic abilities of the performers to shine.

This plethora of media and dance routines results in an incredibly versatile set of performances pushed

further by the dancers and their skill at playing their parts.

“It’s so many different styles and backgrounds and stuff, so that’s something that I appreciate here because I think, sometimes, different studios or different organizations, companies or whatever fall under one style, but we got it all,” Faulhaber said.

Judy Bejarano is the lead director of the concert and organized many of the performed pieces.

“Our students study a lot in modern and ballet, so many of the pieces have a strong foundation in either modern dance or ballet,” Bejarano said. “But we also have students who are interested in contemporary work, fusion — some semesters, we have tap pieces.”

Bejarano added that students and guest artists undergo a selection process in which they audition with their choreographies over two to three weeks in front of staff members who select performers. Staff members are rotated year to year, with two to three making appearances at each concert.

The participating dancers are largely drawn from the dance major at CSU; however, opportunities for nondance majors who would like to perform in concert are available.

“For all students, not just dance students, we do have pedagogy classes — 101 classes where nonmajors can take dance, and if you’re in a technique class, you can audition for the show,” said Charva Jamison, a choreographer and student director of the show.

This allows anyone who enjoys dance to get the chance to participate in future productions, which happen every fall and spring semester through the School of Music, Theatre and Dance.

These concerts have a deep history with CSU, following along with the development of the campus.

“The concert itself has been going on for a number of years,” Bejarano said. “Even back when I started right out of grad school in the early

‘90s — believe it or not — we had the fall and spring dance concerts.”

This rich history has allowed for more experience each consecutive year and for generations of students to get valuable real-life experience with dancing and choreography.

“Choreography can mimic a real world experience where it’s so gogo-go, you don’t have as much time to prepare, and it’s really just dish out choreography, clean it, make sure it’s as best it can be,” Jamison said.

To set the performances off and to set the scene, the production crew — made up of theater students — helped with the lighting, sound and effects of the production. This successfully tied the performances together by allowing for the visions of the choreographers to come to life.

“If you want to see something new, if you want to see something familiar, if you want to see something that’s going to make you think, something that’s like a reflection of yourself or the world, we have everything here,” Jamison said.

Reach Caleb Ediger at entertainment@collegian.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC, THEATRE AND DANCE

CSU annual drag show raises LGBTQIA+ scholarship funds

By Katie Fisher @csucollegian

A luminous stage lined with white flowers and colorful baby’s breath accents awaits an audience giddy with anticipation for the first performer to appear.

Hosted by the Pride Resource Center, Colorado State University’s annual drag show drew in over 1,000 audience members to the Lory Student Center Grand Ballroom. Over a dozen performances were featured by both local professionals and students alike, all of which were centered on the theme of the night.

“Our theme is Mother Earth (because) next week is Earth Day,” said Josh Mack, Pride Resource Center assistant director. “We really wanted to connect to Earth Day and uplift our planet and really kind of speak to how much our planet and nature provides to us.”

The emcees of the evening were local drag queens Krisa Gonna and Chocolat, who steered the cheering and enthusiastic crowd through each unique performance and even worked in some scripted banter for added drama.

“It is always an amazing time,” Chocolat said. “The students, the community — just

everything is always on point. And it is so wonderful to see everyone come together.”

Considered to be one of the largest drag shows in Colorado, the event this year was also headlined by Mirage, a recent contestant on season 16 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

The crowd members were on their feet a majority of the night, whether they were experienced drag show attendees or first-timers like CSU student-athlete Malaya Jones.

“It’s my first-ever drag show,” Jones said. “It’s just really fun to be able to come with my friends who are also (in the) LGBTQ community and then my friends who are not and that we can all equally enjoy it, and it was just some of the most fun I’ve ever had.”

The energy in the room was palpable as each performance moved into the next with the crowd leaping to their feet, hopping and hollering with excitement while music blared from the speakers on stage.

“The atmosphere is electric — it’s so positive,” event stage manager Ryan Wagner said. “It’s like a party, but it’s like a safe party. It’s so fun.”

While each performer’s act was unique in its own right, some of the standouts of the evening included Vegina Quartz Agna De Amantes,

who captivated audiences with a glittery green dress covered in pastel pink roses and iridescent fairy wings she used throughout her performance.

Vegina Quartz recounted her experience in the evening’s performance and the platform the stage offers.

“I’m just myself on stage but just unfiltered,” Vegina Quartz said. “Like, it’s the real me. That’s what you’re going to get.”

Darker and more destructive sides of nature were also explored through renditions by performers like Ambrose, who donned trash bags as a cape accented by white lights, or King Kase, who embodied a phoenix’s spirit through his use of glowing orange and red light ropes.

While the show’s first mission is to promote drag as an art form and give students a platform to perform, as Mack explained, the annual event also acts as a fundraiser for scholarships.

“The second purpose (of the show) is to raise money for both our LGBTQ scholarship and then our Leah Memorial Fund,” Mack said. “All of the tips that we raised today at the drag show go directly to those funds.”

The emergency fund is in place for covering any costs a

student might not be able to cover themself, including groceries and rent, Mack said.

This year, the show was able to raise $5,000, with over $4,100 coming from in-person donations during the performance, PRC Director Maggie Hendrickson said.

As the show began to wind down, the message of acceptance never wavered.

“Drag is something to be celebrated,” Wagner said. “Queerness and LGBTQIA+ community is here — we’re

celebrating, we’re happy and it’s not anything to be afraid of.”

It is this acceptance that the performers hope the audience holds onto after the performance.

“Drag sometimes can make people think about stuff, and they will take home either something to think about or just the joy that we shared,” Krisa Gonna said. “I love that it is passed on. And I love to be a part of that, to be a channel for that joy to be distributed.”

Reach Katie Fisher at entertainment@collegian.com.

Maggie Rogers’ new album explores narrative lyrics

By Alex Hasenkamp @csucollegian

Alternative indie artist Maggie Rogers, famously known for hit song “Alaska,” released her latest album “Don’t Forget Me” April 12.

Compared to her 2022 album

“Surrender,” Rogers’ 2024 release has a calm and twangy feel, leaning more into her indie side than her well-loved rock sound.

Rogers wrote in her newsletter that the album was written over the

course of five days, producing two songs per day in December 2022.

Rogers continued to write that this is her first time including characters and stories in her work that aren’t directly from her personal life experiences.

“I started to picture a girl on a road trip through the American South and West — a sort of younger ‘Thelma & Louise’ character,” Rogers wrote.

The album starts off strong with “It Was Coming All Along,” which really illustrates the tone for the entire escapist feel of the album, setting the scene in a mundane

living room with lyrics expressing sentiments of restlessness combined with nostalgia toward her home.

The chorus, “My world’s a honey shade of blue / I’m crying, wish I wasn’t hanging on, / But it was coming all along,” captures her mixture of emotions eloquently.

“Drunk” comes after “It Was Coming All Along,” following the chronological order of Rogers’ loose storyline. She has now left the home mentioned in the debut song and is “on the run.”

The title of the song is a reference to a feeling of freedom and anticipation rather than intoxication. With a slightly more upbeat sound, “Drunk” expresses that first moment of breaking away and the daunting independence that often comes with isolation.

“So Sick Of Dreaming” maintains Rogers’ themes of liberty and selfactualization. With lyrics such as, “Oh, there ain’t no diamond ring you could buy me to take me home.” She continues to sing of self-love and her lack of subservience.

The next song, “The Kill,” switches the melody a little bit, with lyrics concerning a past lover she can’t rid her mind of despite

her desire to be emotionless and indifferent on the matter.

From here until the seventh song on the album, Rogers taps a bit more into the nostalgia that comes with leaving the past behind.

“With a slightly more upbeat sound, ‘Drunk’ expresses that first moment of breaking away and the daunting independence that often comes with isolation.”

Rogers really lets her vocals shine throughout this entire record; they are clear and crisp and display the intensity of her emotions without any interruption. The faint acoustic guitar combined with a subtly played piano is the perfect fit for her lyrics and tone, increasing in intensity when need be but

predominantly letting Rogers’ voice own the stage.

After “On & On & On,” the last three songs establish a more sorrowful mood.

Despite the slightly optimistic tune of “Never Going Home,” the lyrics depict the opposite. Rogers again mentions a past love interest from her hometown who she is still hung up on, but in spite of her pining affection, she is “never ever going home.”

“All The Same” is a simple and sweet yet melancholy tune that embodies slight regret and remorse for escaping, which flow seamlessly into the final song on the track, “Don’t Forget Me.”

The original apathetic and almost cold-blooded lines of the first few songs are tied up nicely with a sort of acceptance that she can’t leave her home peacefully without enduring that sting of nostalgia and heartache.

However, Rogers doesn’t completely give in to the remorse mentioned in “All The Same,” leaving the listener with the bittersweet sound of acquiescence. Reach Alex Hasenkamp at entertainment@collegian.com.

Ambrose performs at Colorado State University’s annual drag show in the Lory Student Center April 14. His performance was based on “Toxic Love” from the animated movie “FernGully: The Last Rainforest.”

PHOTO BY CAIT MCKINZIE THE COLLEGIAN

Clark renovation plans change to McDonald’s PlayPlace

By Emma Souza @_emmasouza

Clark Building is driving students mad. With their daily walks to class rerouted, many have reported closing their eyes at night and hearing jackhammers. But what they don’t know is that this renovation actually isn’t a renovation at all.

In reality, Colorado State University is building something more ugly, congested and greasy than Clark itself.

That’s right — a McDonald’s.

schmegular one — they wanted a PlayPlace.”

Complete with plastic slides, claustrophobic tubes and norovirus, the CSU McDonald’s PlayPlace — rebranded green and yellow to retain some McDonald’s brand integrity — is coming to campus Dec. 1, 2025.

touched on accident. She tasted like ranch. They say you always know when you’ve met the one — that’s when I knew.”

It took me several attempts to reach his wife, I’mLuvin Itt, who moved to Iceland a year ago and has changed phone numbers five times since.

“You ask me why I moved to Iceland?” Itt said over the phone. “They don’t have McDonald’s here.”

When asked about such a bitter comment, especially given her husband’s affinity for the fast food chain, Itt snorted.

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.

If you see kids around campus asking for a Happy Meal, they’re not asking about weed brownies. They just want McDonald’s. The obnoxious construction going on around the Andrew G.

“I found out on a Tuesday in March,” said Ba-Da-Ba Ba-Ba, lead construction worker on the previous Clark renovation. “I was in the middle of drilling right outside this podcasting room when my manager came up to me. He told me that the school wanted something more ergonomic, more ‘liberal arts’ than the current eyesore. Instantly I knew: They wanted a McDonald’s. But not just a regular-

“Ridiculous, right?” Ba-Ba said, shaking his head. “I’ve put my nuggets into this project. I sketched out a beautiful plan. I’ve handsourced the plastic myself. I’ve ensured it will smell like spiteful moms and saggy diapers, just like the real thing. Beautiful, right? You’d think they’d want to do a grand opening in spring or summer, right? No. They choose to open my baby in the middle of goddamn winter. The college students won’t even want to play anymore!”

Ba-Ba’s connection with PlayPlaces dates back to when he, too, was in saggy diapers.

“My wife and I met in a McDonald’s when we were five,” Ba-Ba said. “She was crawling through one end of the PlayPlace tube, and I was on another. Our lips

“Husband? I left him at the altar,” Itt said. “He was a freak. He couldn’t have sex unless I wore a red wig and let him call me Ronald McDonald.”

Despite Ba-Ba’s past relationship, his plan for the CSU McDonald’s is as everlasting and evergreen as ever.

“I want to make you Rams proud,” Ba-Ba said. “That’s why I’m making the first CSU-exclusive Happy Meal Ram Ribs. They’re kidfriendly, don’t worry — the meat falls right off the bone.”

Reach Emma Souza at letters @collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MADELYN HENDRICKS THE COLLEGIAN

Riley Gaines’ presence at CSU violates Principles of Community

By Emma Askren @emma_askren

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.

Hate has no place in sports, no matter how divisive they may seem.

As a university that literally has inclusion, respect and social justice listed in its Principles of Community, Colorado State University has failed its student population by allowing Riley Gaines to speak with hate and disrespect to those who would listen.

Gaines is a former University of Kentucky swimmer who was relatively successful during her time as an athlete there. In 2022, she was the Southeastern Conference Women’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Gaines also consistently competed in the NCAA championships, most notably in the 200-yard freestyle, in which she tied

for fifth against Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete.

Since tying for fifth in the NCAAs, Gaines has made a postgraduate career speaking out against transgender athletes in sports and “reclaiming feminism.”

Gaines has now formed a section of the organization The Leadership Institute in her name — The Riley Gaines Center.

This organization enables Gaines to travel to many different universities and speak her so-called “truth” about how she was robbed of her NCAA success because the NCAA allowed Thomas to compete in the women’s division.

The decision to allow trans athletes to compete in their chosen gender category has stirred a lot of controversy within the collegiate sports community. Many people believe allowing trans athletes to compete in sports creates an unequal disadvantage for cisgender athletes.

“This isn’t just a women’s issue,” Gaines says on her website. “It’s a freedom issue. It affects men and women

and girls and boys because men don’t want to see women robbed of their opportunities or put in danger. And every person has the right to speak the truth.”

For some — Gaines in particular — this decision is destroying women’s sports. However, truth be told, it’s a controversial topic that doesn’t have an ideal solution. Despite this, there is an opportunity for standards to be set and support for the queer community to be publicly put into place.

Clearly, at CSU, those standards weren’t a priority. On April 3, Gaines arrived on campus, and with the help of CSU’s chapter of Turning Point USA and The Leadership Institute, she hosted an event to “reclaim feminism,” according to the posters plastered around campus. This event was just one of many in her crosscountry tour speaking at colleges and universities.

By allowing Gaines to speak to students at CSU, the university is forgetting all about the Principles of Community that are designed to make students

feel supported. Gaines actively spoke out against the trans community, and other speakers at the event could be heard saying that the devil was coming out through trans people.

“This is the devil’s work,” Colorado Rep. Richard Holtorf said after Gaines’ speech. “This is Satan trying to make all of us confused. … (This is) the woke, transgender — and I call it a ‘transgender cult.’ This is a cult now; this is a cultlike following in this country that is being peddled and sold just like all of the other cults.”

This kind of event being held on CSU’s campus is extremely disappointing on an administrative level. Allowing this kind of speech is shocking and clearly doesn’t follow the Principles of Community.

Seeing the lack of support from CSU is incredibly disappointing. Yes, free speech should be allowed on our campus, and as a journalist, I understand the importance of the First Amendment. However, when that First Amendment right is being abused to spread hatred of

those in the queer community, it’s a cause for concern.

The event itself wasn’t heavily publicized; the majority of the audience supported Gaines and her ideas. At the end of the event, when Gaines prompted a question-andanswer session, there was no one in the crowd who had a question or statement speaking out against the things Gaines said during the event.

What was even more shocking was the CSU athletes who showed up in support of Gaines. Members of the CSU swim and dive team, volleyball team and tennis teams were seen in attendance and even publicly posted their support for Gaines on Instagram.

All athletes are entitled to their own opinions, but supporting someone who speaks so strongly against the queer and trans community so publicly is astonishing. Allowing Gaines to continue to speak against those in this community creates an unsafe environment for trans athletes to play the sports they love.

Reach Emma Askren at letters@collegian.com.

Former competititive swimmer for the University of Kentucky Riley Gaines speaks for Colorado State University’s student chapter of Turning Point USA April 3. “There was nothing we could do as female athletes,” Gaines said. “I got to personally witness and really feel the effect that this infringement — or what I would call an injustice — had on myself and my teammates and competitors.”

PHOTO BY ARIA PAUL THE COLLEGIAN

Clark renovation plans change to McDonald’s PlayPlace

By Emma Souza @_emmasouza

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.

If you see kids around campus asking for a Happy Meal, they’re not asking about weed brownies. They just want McDonald’s. The obnoxious construction going on around the Andrew G. Clark Building is driving

students mad. With their daily walks to class rerouted, many have reported closing their eyes at night and hearing jackhammers. But what they don’t know is that this renovation actually isn’t a renovation at all. In reality, Colorado State University is building something more ugly, congested and greasy than Clark itself.

That’s right — a McDonald’s.

“I found out on a Tuesday in March,” said Ba-Da-Ba Ba-Ba, lead construction worker on the previous Clark renovation. “I was in the middle of drilling right outside this podcasting room when my manager came up to me. He told me that the school wanted something more ergonomic, more ‘liberal arts’ than the current eyesore. Instantly I knew: They wanted a McDonald’s. But not just a regular-schmegular one — they wanted a PlayPlace.”

Complete with plastic slides, claustrophobic tubes and norovirus, the CSU McDonald’s PlayPlace — rebranded green and yellow to

retain some McDonald’s brand integrity — is coming to campus Dec. 1, 2025.

“Ridiculous, right?” Ba-Ba said, shaking his head. “I’ve put my nuggets into this project. I sketched out a beautiful plan. I’ve handsourced the plastic myself. I’ve ensured it will smell like spiteful moms and saggy diapers, just like the real thing. Beautiful, right? You’d think they’d want to do a grand opening in spring or summer, right? No. They choose to open my baby in the middle of goddamn winter. The college students won’t even want to play anymore!”

Ba-Ba’s connection with PlayPlaces dates back to when he, too, was in saggy diapers.

“My wife and I met in a McDonald’s when we were five,” BaBa said. “She was crawling through one end of the PlayPlace tube, and I was on another. Our lips touched on accident. She tasted like ranch. They say you always know when you’ve met the one — that’s when I knew.”

It took me several attempts to reach his wife, I’mLuvin Itt, who moved to Iceland a year ago and has changed phone numbers five times since.

“You ask me why I moved to Iceland?” Itt said over the phone. “They don’t have McDonald’s here.”

When asked about such a bitter comment, especially given her husband’s affinity for the fast food chain, Itt snorted.

“Husband? I left him at the altar,” Itt said. “He was a freak. He couldn’t have sex unless I wore a red wig and let him call me Ronald McDonald.”

Despite Ba-Ba’s past relationship, his plan for the CSU McDonald’s is as everlasting and evergreen as ever.

“I want to make you Rams proud,” Ba-Ba said. “That’s why I’m making the first CSU-exclusive Happy Meal Ram Ribs. They’re kidfriendly, don’t worry — the meat falls right off the bone.”

Reach Emma Souza at letters @collegian.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MADELYN HENDRICKS THE COLLEGIAN

Sudoku

WEEKLY HOROSCOPE

By Abby Flores

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (04/18/24)

ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19)

Song of the week: “successful” by Ariana Grande

You feel social and collaborative this week. Choosing to work with others is going to help build your career and presence within the business world. You know how to be a leader, and people admire that in you.

TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20)

Song of the week: “Let It Happen” by Tame Impala

As an earth sign, you’re used to planning things out, but sometimes it’s important to let things come to you. If you have too many thoughts running around your mind, consider taking breaks outside. Nature is going to help ground you.

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20)

Song of the week: “Dancing with my phone” by HYBS

A new love interest is popping up in your life this week, Gemini. This person makes you laugh and smile. Keep building up the connection because something great could happen between you both.

CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22)

Song of the week: “Silver Lining” by The Neighbourhood Life has been moving quickly this Aries season, but you’re making the most of it by staying active and being productive. Be proud of how much you’re progressing. You are getting closer to achieving big goals.

LEO (JULY 23 - AUG. 22)

Song of the week: “Enjoy Your Life” by MARINA

The solar eclipse last week could have brought significant changes to your relationships. You have a huge heart — but know you have to put yourself first. The universe is putting you on the right path. Trust it, and you’ll see everything was meant to be.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEPT. 22)

Song of the week: “Ungodly Hour” by Chloe x Halle

You are feeling energetic this week, Virgo, and it’s because there are many exciting events coming up this April. Inviting friends out and socializing with others will build up your happiness.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22)

Song of the week: “Mariposa Traicionera” by Maná

You are making a great impact in your community because you’re helping others and being authentic to who you are. People appreciate your positive energy and how much you care.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)

Song of the week: “Applause” by Lady Gaga

You are making important changes in your routine that are going to help make your energy levels stay consistent. You are becoming more productive and staying true to

yourself. People love when you spend time with them, but you may feel more introverted at this time.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21)

Song of the week: “Universe” by Ambar Lucid

You are connecting to your inner child by staying consistent with the creative side of you. This will lead to more opportunities in your work and career. Collaborating with people and networking are going to boost your motivation.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19)

Song of the week: “Boy Friday” by Rebounder

You are connecting with your family and spending more time with them. This is what you’ve been needing after a long period of unrest. Take this week to unwind and relax, Capricorn. The universe has your back.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18)

Song of the week: “mercury retrograde” by Amindi

Your energy could be feeling sapped this week, Aquarius. If you feel like spending more alone time with yourself, trust your intuition, and go for it. Talking to friends will help ease your mind if you have any thoughts that are too loud.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20)

Song of the week: “Affection” by Fiji Blue

Being sensitive and in tune with the universe has its pros and cons. On one hand, you’re extremely empathetic, but on the other, it can be hard to set boundaries. As long as you keep being honest with yourself, all will be OK.

OVERHEARD AROUND CAMPUS

“My son turned gay after you gave him a kidney.”

“I’m such a little slut for DoorDash.”

“I’m not the one reminiscing about holes.”

“It’s decorated, like a war veteran or a Christmas tree.”

Have

NOPE DOPE

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!