Fashion: A Family Affair

If there is one thing that Cyd McClelland and Amy Kolbrener know about, it is fashion. The mother-daughter duo own and operate Eloise, an upscale clothing boutique located in downtown Charlottesville, VA.

“My father worked for Bergdorf Goodman and every day after school I would go there and wait till he got done,” said McClelland. “I learned how to match a tie to a suit correctly, how to sew and match patterns, how to drape a dress correctly…I guess you could say that fashion is in our blood.”

McClelland started her career behind the perfume counter at Bergdorf’s before deciding to try her hand at other areas within the fashion field. She briefly worked as a buyer for a “really famous shoe company that shall remain nameless” before settling into the world of retail.

Throughout her years in New York, McClelland managed and operated several boutiques and clothing stores. “I just fell in love with helping people feel special,” said McCleland, “I enjoy making people feel better about themselves and giving them that hop in their step because they found those jeans that just suck in all the right places.”

That feel-good attitude also lured Kolbrener to the retail side of fashion. “I always knew I wanted to have my own store one day, but I wanted to know how to be successful at it first,” said Kolbrener. “I needed to know how a store runs; all the behind the scenes stuff that no one tells you about that you just have to learn for yourself.”

Born in fashion mecca, New York City, Kolbrener learned early on she wanted to join the world of design and fashion. After graduating from Penn State she decided to head back to New York to hone her skills where she worked for Kate Spade. She managed the flagship Manhattan store for 3 years before becoming a Director of Purchasing for 4 years.

“We’ve only worked in fashion… We would be in serious trouble if we had to grow up and get real careers with jobs that require pantyhose,” Kolbrener said with a laugh. “Besides my mom always says that fashion is in our blood and we just wouldn’t know how to do anything else.”

Sharing a love for fashion and retail McClelland and Kolbrener decided to join forces for the first time when they opened Eloise in 1999. With both tired of city life, they knew they wanted somewhere quieter but nothing too far removed.

“We just wanted a change,” said Kolbrener, “I didn’t want to live in a high-rise my whole life, I wanted a yard.”

They decided on Virginia after McClelland took a nephew to visit the University of Virginia located in Charlottesville. McClelland says that after that first visit she went back only twice with her daughter before they relocated.

The large student population helped solidify the decision to move to a new town and start a different chapter in their lives.

“As anyone in a college town knows, there’s so much energy, creativity and freshness floating around,” Kolbrener said. “We give them ideas, help them find that perfect outfit, but in reality, they really help us and keep us evolving. Nothing is worse than old fashion!”

Fort Collins Mayor serves last term

Fort Collins remains Hutchinson’s one true home

By Courtney Riley
JTC 320

Meet the Mayor:
- Grew up in Fort Collins
- Majored in physical science at CSU
- Retired from the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel
- Was sworn into Air Force by his father, and recently swore in his own son
- Is an avid reader
- Loves working outside: woodworking, fishing, hunting


Before Doug Hutchinson became the mayor of Fort Collins, the last political position he held was on student council at Lincoln Jr. High in 1955.

His passion and concern for Fort Collins inspired him to run for mayor 50 years later without any experience serving on city council.

Fort Collins is his true home, he said, despite the fact that he has lived in California, Nebraska, Alabama, Germany, Washington D.C. and Colorado Springs.

He lived in Fort Collins from age 4 when there were only two stoplights and 2,000 people living in the city, until he graduated from Colorado State University in 1965.

While attending CSU he participated in the ROTC Air Force program, was a member of the fraternity Phi Delta Theta and majored in physical science with a specialization in chemistry.

“I got a great education at CSU,” he said. “I was very lucky.”

He also married his wife Cathy at the end his junior year. The couple had known each other practically their whole lives.

They still have a photograph of the two of them standing next to each other on their first day of kindergarten. Cathy Hutchinson asked him to a dance in the seventh grade, which sparked the beginning of a long-lasting relationship.

They dated their junior year of high school and remained friends until the end of their freshman year of college when they rekindled the flame.

He used to take her “Jeeping” in the mountains and read her German poetry. He also “pinned” her–– a ritual of giving your fraternity’s pin to a young woman you love.

“He’s a romantic,” she said. “He has a fantastic sense of humor that just sends me in gales of laughter.”

Upon graduation, Doug Hutchinson entered the U.S. Air Force and was in active duty for 23 years.

He and his wife moved to an Air Force base in California for his first assignment to work on advanced intelligence plans and systems.

Their first child was born here, and nine minutes after the birth, a missile was launched.
“Doug said, ‘Well, that really was an earth-shaking experience,’” Cathy laughed.

He also got a master’s degree in systems management from the University of Southern California while living in the state.

The Hutchinsons continued to move throughout the country, even venturing to Germany, and had two more children along the way.

He retired from active duty as a lieutenant colonel in 1989 and worked in defense intelligence for 10 more years in Colorado Springs, where he created intelligence capabilities for space operations.

“I loved it because I was creating something and building something,” he said.

He retired from the military in 1999, and the family returned to their roots in Fort Collins.

They moved into Cathy’s parents’ old house that they had bought in 1944 in Old Town east of the old Fort Collins High School.

That same year he learned that only 30 percent of the city voted in the city council elections, despite the fact that it was a mail-in ballot.

He said he noticed the council was not working effectively and did not represent the people accurately.

He wrote some letters to the editor of the Fort Collins Coloradoan, and the newspaper ended up asking him to write a community column in 2001 that would run two times a month and focus on issues in Fort Collins.

“I went to every city council meeting,” he said. “And I went from being an engaged citizen to a concerned citizen.”

Nine months before the 2005 elections for mayor and city council, Hutchinson had gone through 14 people he thought would be good candidates for mayor.

In November 2004, when the 14th person said no to Hutchinson’s suggestion for running for mayor, he decided to run himself.

“I couldn’t find anyone good, so I decided to (run),” he said. “I figured my life experiences could help.”

He won the election, and he is now serving his third and final term, completing his six-year position as mayor in April.

He said he feels he has achieved his two main goals as mayor throughout the past six years: creating a council that works together and working on budget procedures and economic health.

“Doug is the only person I know who can cut down a tree and tell you exactly when and where it’s going to land,” Cathy said. “He doesn’t do anything half-way.”

His campaign slogan, “Together We Can,” summed up his philosophy of being mayor.

“We can do anything if we work together,” he said. “I’m a strong believer in partnerships and collaborations.”

He wanted to have a diverse council with the same philosophy, consisting of seven members. He achieved that goal.

“It took a while for some council members to realize things were going to be different,” he said. “But once they did, we made compromises until everyone agreed on something.”

Hutchinson also created the first economic advisor position to work for the city manager. This job consists of making budget plans, including the first economic action plan.

The mayor’s economic vision is that a healthy economy reflects the value of our unique community in a changing world.

He said there are still more issues that Fort Collins is facing, and he hopes his successor can fix those.

Council member Wade Troxell worked with Hutchinson on issues, such as clean energy, even before he was on the city council.

He has now been a councilman for four years, and he said Hutchinson will certainly be missed.

“I’m thankful for the leadership we’ve had throughout the years,” he said. “He’ll definitely go down as another great mayor in that lineage.”

Hutchinson plans to spend his time off with his three children and six grandchildren who also reside in Fort Collins, but he said he will miss his role as mayor.

“It’s been a great adventure,” he said.

The Little Known Sex Appeal of the Bassoon

A Look at Musicians’ Lifetime Love Affairs with a Double Reed
By Aliese Willard

“I was like, I want to play saxophone and be cool. And my (junior high) teacher was like, ‘No, you’re going to get bored, you should try to play a double reed,'"--Jessie Sawyer, sophomore bassoonist

It’s 7:30 p.m. on Valentine’s Day. A time when lovers shower their significant others with flowers, sugar and costly baubles, in accordance with cultural norms.

Gary Moody has a wife, but this evening the CSU music professor’s focus is not on her—it’s on the 8-foot long wood bassoon in his hands. Moody’s Feb. 14 concert at the University Center for the Arts, “Romance and the Bassoon,” showcased a different sort of love: that for the instrument that has become his life’s work.

In honor of this unusual relationship, here are 10 reasons why the bassoon has an allure of its own.

CSU music professor Gary Moody with his beloved bassoon, Feb. 14

1. You don’t choose the bassoon; it chooses you.
It seems that bassoonists didn’t initially opt to play the instrument. Instead, wise band teachers select students who they think show promise to play the bassoon. Moody has been playing it since 1967.

“One day in the 7th grade, they handed me a bassoon, and said ‘here, you’re playing this,’” said Moody, the professor of oboe and bassoon at CSU. “It was lighter than the baritone saxophone (that I was playing), so I ended up playing it because of heft.”

Sophomore nursing major Jenny Brennan attended Moody’s concert, and said that her short career as a bassoonist in high school started because “(her) band teacher in middle school lead (her) to do it.”

Jessie Sawyer, one of Moody’s students and a sophomore music major, was introduced to the instrument in a similar manner.

“I was like, I want to play saxophone and be cool. And my (junior high) teacher was like, ‘No, you’re going to get bored, you should try to play a double reed,’” Sawyer said. She’s been playing the bassoon ever since, classified as a double reed instrument because it requires the musician to blow on two reeds to create the sound. Which brings us to reason number two…

2. It involves vibration.“In a double reed (instrument) there’s two reeds,” Sawyer said. “You’re blowing on the reeds and they’re vibrating against each other to make the sound form.”

Apparently double reed instruments also involve more manipulation with the mouth than other instruments in the orchestra. Julia Murphy, a sophomore music therapy major and another of Moody’s bassoonists, said that “with the bassoon it’s all in your mouth and how much air you put in.”

One can only imagine how much air it takes to blow sound out of an 8-foot instrument. But the increased lung capacity is worth it when musicians can travel to interesting places and show it off. Which is why the bassoon makes for some exciting adventures…

3. The bassoon can take you to cool places and people.
Throughout his career, Moody has worked as a guest artist and soloist in orchestras around the world. His favorite place to perform in was Breckenridge, Colo., with the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra.

But one of his more interesting memories was the year he spent performing with various orchestras in Cape Town, South Africa.

It was 1985, and the country was still struggling with the oppression of the apartheid. Moody says he could see Robben Island, the prison where South African leader Nelson Mandela was being held, from his apartment window. Though he says Cape Town “was a pretty liberal town as far as South Africa went,” the rascism was still apparent, and Moody defied it when he could.

“I made it my own policy to just do business with places that were open to everyone,” Moody said. “Most things were open. Some churches were open, and others weren’t. The Dutch Reformed Church of the Afrikaners wasn’t opened, so I turned down offers to play for them. I did play at Desmond Tutu’s church.”

Another famous name that Moody has encountered in his travels was world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who played as a guest soloist while Moody was playing the bassoon at the Des Moine Symphony in Iowa.

4. It has a nice sound.
Who wouldn’t want to listen to something with a mellow, sultry voice all day long? The instrument is known for its low and relaxed tone. Murphy wasn’t sold on playing the bassoon until she heard it performed. “I heard it at a concert once and thought it was beautiful and had a beautiful sound,” she said.

Unfortunately, the lower range of the bassoon often requires its musicians to play simple and uninteresting melodies in ensembles.
“In orchestral music, you’re more appreciated and featured—you get the better parts,” Sawyer said, “But in wind band music, we just get the low parts because they think that’s all we can play, but that’s not quite the truth.” Which brings us to point five…

5. It’s flexible.
In reality, the bassoon can comfortably play several octaves, and it not limited by its low, rich sound.

One of the pieces performed in Moody’s concert, “Three Romances, Op. 94” by Robert Schumann, was not even written for the bassoon, but for violin and cello. But Moody says as long as it sounds good, it can be played on the bassoon.

“Lots of people borrow different things. They all work for the bassoon,” Moody said. “If it’s interesting enough, and it’s not calling for you to do things the instrument can’t. The bassoon has a pretty wide range.”

6. It’s a rare and timeless classic.
Apparently, bassoons are both uncommon and traditional, both amiable qualites in any companion.

“You don’t have too many bassoons in an ensemble,” Murphy said. “Last year in symphonic band, we had five bassoons, and that was a lot.”

And of that small group of instruments, all are still made in a similar fashion to those of centuries ago. According to Moody, changing the way the bassoon is made would alter the sound.

“The bassoon is an instrument that, when they applied many of the 19th century improvements to some of the other instruments, the bassoon came out not sounding like it had, so it doesn’t have some of the 19th century improvements, so it’s a little more antiquated,” he said.

And though this keeps the rich sound, it makes the bassoon both an enriching and difficult experience, much like a romantic relationship.

7. The bassoon is a challenge.
For Sawyer, playing the instrument has proved to be a test. She says she didn’t like it initially.

“For me it was an acquired taste. When it started out I cried a lot because it was so much harder than the saxophone and the flute,” she said.

Often times, a challenging teacher can be a blessing to students when learning the bassoon, and according to his students, Moody’s teaching style is as complex and rewarding as playing the instrument.

“(Moody’s) a very challenging teacher. Sometimes I feel like my brain has been through a trash compactor after a lesson,” Murphy said. “He’s very intellectually difficult, and really big on getting away from the music and using your ears, and taking your theory and applying it. He’s very good at what he does.”

Part of the difficulty comes from the design of the instrument—the 17 to 28 keys that musicians must be able to cover, but most bassoonists agree that the most complicated aspect of playing the bassoon is the reeds, which musicians must fashion themselves. Which brings us to reason number eight that the bassoon is appealing:

8. You get to carve things.
No, you don’t get to carve your initials in a tree, but bassoonists do spend inordinate amounts of time hand carving and fashioning reeds to play with.

The process involves soaking a stalk of cane from a cane plant in water until it is soft, then whittling and carving it down until it fits in the instrument and is comfortable for the musician. Bassoonists need several reeds on hand at all times; during his Valentine’s Day performance, Moody had to change reeds after all five pieces of music.

Gary Moody's reeds, arranged from start to finish. Musicians begin with the piece of cane on the left.


Murphy estimates it takes a week to make a good reed. For Sawyer, it’s a few days. Either way, bassoonists end up spending a majority of their time making reeds in the “reed room” at the UCA, since a reed will only last about three weeks in the best conditions. But all that time in the reed room has its own perks…

9. (Bassoon) is what brings us together, here, today
It’s a generous time commitment, but bassoonists say they form close friendships as double reed musicians. The small group of bassoonists at CSU, numbering only about 15, are all enjoy each other’s company, a phenomenon they say occurs more quickly because there are so few of them.

“I think we have our own sense of humor, that no one else understands,” Murphy said.

But Sawyer thinks the oboes have an appreciation for the bassoonist lifestyle, mainly because they play with double reeds as well.

The oboes kind of get it- they spend just as much time, if not more in the reed room as us. We have more bonding time, time around each other because of all the extra work we do,” Sawyer said.

So, with all that time together, are any of the bassoonists more than friends? According to the students, no. But that doesn’t mean things don’t heat up in a different way…

10. Bassoons are steamy
Literally. According to Moody, “you get some condensation in wind instruments, and you have to go mop that out.”

But it’s just another quirk, another reason why bassoonists are addicted to their craft.

“I play the bassoon for fun. For me, it’s my therapy,” Murphy said. “I just like the sound of it. It adds a texture to the ensemble, an unusual sound.”

And for bassoonists, it’s a love song.

Deducing Domestic Animal Disease

Dr. Hana Van Campen has many aliases; sometimes she is called a pet detective, while other times, she is referred to as an "interpreter of results". This is because, in her field of veterinary sciences, she is a jack of all trades.

Having been performing these investigations for over 20 years, she has diagnosed a vast amount of animals and has encountered over 80,000 medically significant cases, making her very knowledgeable in her area of expertise. In general, she diagnoses companion animals and livestock, such as dogs, horses and sheep.

"We get calls from all kinds of clients coming to us with problems with everything from rabies to parasites," Dr. Van Campen said. "Basically, we collaborate with other virologists and microbiologists in order to develop new tests and find new results to create preventative measures and even possible solutions."

Working with a team of researchers, she collects data from samples including worms, animal tissue, muscles and bacteria in order to find what ails animals; this includes doing field investigations. Dr. Van Campen will often be called to farms or certain habitats in order to carry on her research.

Her focus of study is currently Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV), a major virus that affects many cattle in the western areas of the United States. The pathogen, which often goes undetected, is responsible for the premature abortion of cattle fetuses.

According to a survey done by the Journal of Veterinary Investigation, the Diagnostic Medical Center, Dr. Van Campen's base of operations, is one of the 55 percent of diagnostic laboratories that studies this disease.

Since the facilities and tests are not supported by the state of Colorado, the Diagnostic Medical Center must fund their own studies by charging fees for test results. However, because there are so many reports and requests for testing, funds are not necessarily a problem for them.

Although the bulk of Dr. Van Campen's work involves the interpretation of lab results and data, she also teaches undergraduates at Colorado State University as a professor; in the fall, she teaches virology and molecular science, while in the spring, she focuses on teaching veterinary classes.

She also gives presentations, teaching CSU students about her work as well as enlightening them about her process of deduction as a pet detective. Much of her audience is made up of microbiology majors who find themselves engaged in her studies.

Adrian Bedrarski, a freshman and microbiology major, was among those who found her most recent presentation, a case study on horses that were suddenly becoming ill with no signs of disease, to be fascinating.

"I initially showed up just to meet new students, and was curious about what the topic was," Bedrarski said between bites of pizza. "I had heard that Van Campen was an interesting professor, and her presentation turned out to be really cool."

With her wide range of experience and knowledge, Dr. Hana Van Campen seeks to educate students, Veterinary residents and farmers, while continuing her research in hopes that potential cures can be found and the cycle of animal disease can be reduced significantly.

Those Things that drive us Crazy

Don't be “that guy” the next time you hit the trails.

By Jason Pohl
JTC 320

Imagine a beautiful spring day, the first since the arctic deep-freeze of winter. You are out enjoying the wondrous scenes of the Poudre River trail, basking in the sun and glorious sounds of thousands of gallons of water rushing over a waterfall.

Then you hear the latest Lady Gaga hit single from behind you.

That surreal moment was interrupted by a cell phone. At first you may think that nothing will deter you from your surreal, relaxing moment, but five minutes into the conversation you have had enough. Sure, it could be a really important call, but then all you hear “Oh my God! Really? No way!”

You have your own “Oh my God” moment, rip the phone away and send it for a ride down the roaring river.

Maybe the above example is a bit drastic, but everyone has thought something similar at some point in their life while enjoying the amazing trails Fort Collins and the state of Colorado have to offer. There are unspoken rules that far too many people blatantly break every day, and those of us who notice, well, we really notice.

Littering is just bad. We all have had that hammered in our heads since age five, but the amount of people who do it is phenomenal. Just because it came from nature doesn't mean it should be used to decorate a state park like a Christmas tree.

“Apple cores and orange peels don't grow along Fort Collins trails, so don't put ‘em there,” biker and runner Nathan Petter said. “Same thing goes for energy foods. Just because you’re tired, don't toss the Clif Bar wrapper.”

A common sight along Spring Creek near Stover St.

Littering brings up an interesting issue. Exploring the outdoors with your pet is great...when it is done right. Those black bags along the trails get used and then you see the giant Hershey's Kiss bags scattered along the path. Pick it up and actually carry it to the trash can that is a mere 15 feet away.

And just because Rex wants to feel wild and free does not give you permission to don the 27-foot leash. That leash becomes an obstacle that bikers will not slow down for. Your loss.

People are interesting. People have stories to tell, but there is a way to tell your story when you are on a single-track trail that works, and another that will get you bulldozed if you aren't paying enough attention.

“I don't know how many times I've had an amazing run, and see a group of people talking ahead of me. Then we get closer. And closer and they are not moving out of the way until I jump by them. Then I'll hear them say something about disrespect,” said cross-country coach and Boston Marathoner Dennis Gilbert.

This can be taken even further when you are on an amazing hike with your best friend exploring Fort Collins' own Grey Rock Peak. Suddenly, you round a corner and see a group of nine people walking together, talking at the top of their lungs. Not only that, but the pace they are walking at seems fit for a small child-but wait! They have a small child! Not only is every living thing being scared away for miles around, but you have to run up behind them ask four times for them to move. Talk about disrespect.

Unless you are looking for evidence of a missing person, there is absolutely no reason to be spread out across the trail. It's called single file, and most people learned that around age seven.

The most common pet peeve of outdoor enthusiasts stems from man's most trusted machine: the 4-ton diesel truck.

Biker Scott Hendrick agrees this is by far the worst thing. “Being smoked out sucks. The only thing you can do is chase 'em down at the next light.”

By smoked out, Hendrick explained that this means being passed by an unnecessarily over-sized truck that shifts gears and ultimately pushes the black, smoky chemical cocktail down your throat and deep into your lungs.

“The real kicker is when you see that truck pull up to the same trail-head as you” Hendrick said.

We have all seen it. Every day we observe “that guy” doing “that thing” that nobody can stand. Whether it is wearing something beyond atrocious like a sweater vest with Capri-pants or trying to make a dumb question sound smarter, all the while feeling dumber, everyone has a pet-peeve.

Those who choose to enjoy the outdoor world Colorado has to offer have their own set of peeves. So the next time you are out and about, remember that what you do out there is being critiqued, and if you’re not careful, you could ultimately become “that guy.”

Honorable Mention Pet-Peeves

• Wearing crooked pack/hat
• Loudly using trekking poles
• Barking dogs
• Wrong way runners
• Crowded sidewalk bikers
• Reckless drivers
• Inconsiderate snot rocketers
• Even more inconsiderate spitters
• Running wave-ignorers
• Bragging your ride/run/hike/whatever to the world of Facebook...Every. Single. Day.

This above list was compiled from interviews from numerous outdoor enthusiasts along Spring Creek Trail.

Modern Day Wonder Woman

Ackley, second from left, stands in formation awaiting inspection.

At 5:30 am its pitch black, only the lonely street lamps lining the street and the occasional headlights from a passing car of a morning commuter offer the only light. The town of Fort Collins is so quiet that you can hear the wind pass through the feathers of a bird flying over head searching for a morning meal. Most of the town is still sleeping, hours away from waking to continue their busy everyday lives. However a not so
average 20-year old college junior, Morgan Ackley, is up at this ungodly hour. Ackley attends Colorado State University and is one of the few female Army ROTC cadets and she is about to join the other cadets for their morning physical training (PT).

“The physical training is too easy,” Ackley says, “it is nothing more than a maintenance program.”

After all Ackley did post one of the highest scores as an incoming freshman for the Physical Fitness Test and she was one of the few female cadets that competed in the annual ROTC Ranger Challenge.

At 6:00 am cadets are to be at CSU’s intramural fields and in formation. After completing the “silliest stretches you will see,” Ackley says, the cadets break up into smaller groups and set off for a timed warm-up run that can consist of anywhere from two to five miles. Ackley usually sneaks into a faster running group to improve herself. After the run the cadets fall back into formation and proceed to do circuit training routine of push-ups, sit-ups, body squats, and other exercises that incorporate only body weight as a resistance.

If it isn’t clear already Ackley isn’t your stereotypical Army ROTC cadet. “I would have never guessed she was in the Army,” Ackley’s co-worker, Annette says.

Ackley is a laid back individual who takes life one day at a time it seems, she is never too worried about the future and doesn’t fret about the past either. She works at the local sandwich shop Cheba Hut, which is known for its elaborate menu of cannabis named sandwiches. Ackley tends to patrons at the bar and also prepares their sandwiches, all while showing off her outgoing personality. She will converse with people she just met, yet the conversation carries on as though she has known them her whole life.

Ackley wasn’t always interested in joining the military. Initially Ackley wanted to receive a scholarship for basketball to a 4-year college. However mid-way through her high school senior season she tore her ACL and was told she couldn’t play for the rest of the season by her doctors. Ackley was determined though to obtain a scholarship and she played the few remaining games after sitting out for a few weeks. But due to her injury many schools were worried that Ackley would re-injure her ACL and were reluctant at giving her a scholarship as a freshman recruit.

Because of the lack of scholarships Ackley began looking else where for a means to pay for school. She thought about enlisting in the Army Reserves as a means to pay for college; however a quick conversation with her grandpa, a retired Army Lieutenant General and the only family member who has any military experience, told her “…do anything else, just don’t enlist.”

Ackley followed her grandpa’s advice and began looking into other options, and she found one during career day at high school. While walking through the main hallway to lunch Ackley stopped by the Army recruiters, they invited her to come join them at PT. That afternoon Ackley showed up to PT and enjoyed it so much she came back the next couple of weeks finally deciding that it was something she wanted to do. After passing the Physical Fitness Test, which consists of push-ups, sit-ups, and a 2-mile run, she began her training as an Army ROTC cadet.

It is now 7:00 am and after their morning PT cadets are dismissed, some cadets that are not in good enough shape must stay behind and continue training with the instructors.

As a freshman at CSU Ackley still wanted to play basketball and attended a walk-on tryout for the CSU women’s basketball team, although she says that her playing level was that of a “high school junior varsity player” she was awarded a spot on the roster, as stated earlier she isn’t your average college junior.

Ackley enjoyed the camaraderie of her teammates but was not satisfied by her lack of playing time. “I had fun being with all the girls, but it wasn’t worth all the work because I knew I wasn’t going to get a scholarship or playing time,” Ackley says.

The coach would call Ackley the team’s “motivator” because, as true to her character, she was always looking at the bright side of things and encouraging her teammates regardless of her lack of playing time. Seeing her chances of obtaining a scholarship were slim Ackley gave up basketball at the end of the season and began to focus on her education major and ROTC.

After sweating through a grueling workout, Ackley cleans up and heads to class. As an ROTC cadet she has her specific classes that she must attend. These classes focus on subjects that are going to help teach and transition cadets into the role of an Army officer. Cadets are drilled in military tactics and history of the United States Army.

Ackley really enjoys the rewards that come with being an Army ROTC cadet; she has been able to ride in a black hawk helicopter. She has learned how to fire a M16 assault rifle, as well as how to take it apart and put it together in under two minutes. She has competed in the ROTC Army Ranger Challenge, which she vows never to do the grueling event again. She has spent three days in the mountains eating nothing but Meals Ready to Eat, and not being able to shower or sleep much.

Her favorite moment as a cadet so far is participating in the long standing tradition of the bronze boot run. This event occurs every year during the CSU vs. Wyoming football game, where the trophy is a bronze boot from a soldier in WWII. The ROTC cadets from each school will transfer the game ball from the previous year’s game site to the present year in the form of a run, meeting half way at the state line. But Ackley’s favorite part is being in the push-up squad on the field, which must do one push-up for every point CSU scores.

If there ever was a real life Wonder Woman she would be Morgan Ackley, she is tough enough to play through an injured ACL and earn a spot as a walk-on at a Division-I basketball program, and score higher than most of her male counterparts on a physical fitness test. She is as cheerful and open as the sun is bright. Is there anything that she isn’t afraid of? Most likely not, and if she was, you probably would not even be able to tell.

CSU Student Takes Pride in Hair Making

If there is one thing 20-year-old Gabrielle Ohaya is passionate about and knows how to do well, it is making hair. After having low cut hair for about six months, Ohaya, Wednesday, was sporting her new braided hair-do.

“I do my own hair always. My freshman and sophomore year, I was doing dreadlocks for majority of the (CSU) football players,” Ohaya said. “I have done a lot of people’s hair, usually through word of mouth. I do any kind of hairstyle.”

Born to Nigerian parents, Ohaya, a junior communications studies student from Montbello, CO., is now putting her hair making skills to great effect by using her proceeds, along with student loans, to pay her tuition fees.

“At this point, I’m the oldest of four. So I mean there is a whole bunch of people being paid for, and my parents also pay the tuition of my cousins back in Nigeria,” she said.

Her (Ohaya) tuition fees cost on average $12,000 each year. She charges $15 to $100 depending on the type of hair-do.

Ohaya said she grew the desire to start making hair when she was young and would watch her mom spend money to have her (Gabrielle) and her sister’s hair made.

“I noticed there were a lot of times that I would get hairstyles that I didn’t like, and I would want to fix it. So when I was about 8 or 9 years old, I started paying close attention to the people doing my hair and my sister’s,” she said. “I started practicing and learnt how to do it.”

Sophomore biology student, Isi Eichie, 20, has known Ohaya all her life. Eichie said they have been close friends since they were 1-year-old and met when both their parents enrolled them in the same day-care.

“If I could describe Gabbi’s attitude in one word, I would say ambitious,” Eichie said. “She does whatever she can to make it happen.”

Growing up, the relationship between Ohaya and her parents was tense. Ohaya said she made the Montbello Park-N-Ride bus stop a home away from home.

“I hated going home; I hated being in my parents’ house. It was like my escape, and it was down the street from my parents’ house,” she said.

After having dropped out of high school for two months in her senior year, Ohaya’s freshman year at Colorado State University, CSU, did not start off as well as she hoped. This gave her the motivation to remain at CSU.

Danielle McConnell, 20, said Ohaya had created in herself a very strong sense and the ability to stand as a strong woman.

“I have known Gabbi since freshman year of high school. She finds her own ways to manage her lifestyle,” McConnell said. “She has picked up things that she is good at outside of her education and worked with them.”

There is a new trend among girls and women in the hair industry these days: feather hair extensions. Ohaya does not see the fascination in this trend.

“I think it is stupid. I do not see why anyone would want feathers in their hair,” she said.

If You Can't Stop Them, Inform Them: Los Angeles County Health Officials take a controversial stance on Ecstasy use

Amanda Surber

Los Angeles, California is quickly gaining notoriety as a hotbed for raves and electronic music festivals. These activities are popular among many youth on the West Coast and is spreading across the nation.

The music is bumping through your body and the strobe lights are flashing and people are feeling the beats with every movement. The outfits are brightly colored, tight and outrageous, rave attendees are definitely a sight to see.

Attendees willingly spend money for tickets, outfits and drugs to get the best experience possible out of the rave. Drug use, especially the use of ecstasy, goes hand-in-hand with rave experiences.


Ecstasy tablets with different designs


“Every rave I have ever been to, the majority of the people there are on some kind of drug, it’s pretty socially accepted,” said junior communications major Kayla Haigh. Many people believe that by taking a drug, they are making the music come alive and heightening their overall experience at the show.

Drug use at raves is almost inevitable and Los Angeles County believes that they have a way to combat it, even though it is seen by many as controversial. They are battling high numbers of drug overdoses and drug injuries and they believe that by educating the attendees about the effects of ecstasy, they have a chance to get these numbers down.

They see that they cannot stop the use of drugs altogether, but they believe they can decrease the numbers of incidents by handing out fliers and putting up posters that stress the dangers of ecstasy.

The County of Los Angeles’s Public Health sector has planted posters around rave venues such as the Los Angeles Coliseum and Sports Arena that state:

1. Take frequent breaks- Let your body cool and rest.
2. Stay hydrated- Sip or take small gulps of water (to help cool your body) and non- caffeinated sports- drinks like Gatorade (to replenish electrolytes). Alcohol and caffeine dehydrates the body.
3. Don’t mix- Taking ecstasy with other substances (especially alcohol and other stimulants) can increase the risks, and lead to potentially dangerous interactions.
4. Recognize overdoses- Signs include extreme headaches, nausea, confusion, blurred vision, inability to talk, racing heart, vomiting, fainting, muscle tremors, and convulsions. Seek medical help if you or your friends experience even just one sign.
5. Keep an eye on your friends- stay together.
6. Don’t drive- Ecstasy affects physical and mental functioning (like vision, reaction time and judgment).
7. Aim low (dose and frequency) - Ecstasy risks increase when large doses (stacking) and re-dosing when you start to come down.
8. Stay away- The only way to completely avoid the risks is to avoid the drug, enjoy the music and dancing instead.
9. Educate yourself and your friends- The best decision is a well-informed one.

This list is meant to decrease the accidents caused due to ecstasy use, but many believe that it is allowing people to think using this drug is acceptable when at a rave. “I think it is wrong to put up these posters at raves, it just lets the people going think it is okay to do ecstasy, which is still an illegal drug,” said junior psychology major at Pasadena City College, Scarlet Dunne.

“By putting up these posters it is basically telling people that they can do ecstasy, just as long as they don’t take too much, and that is just morally wrong,” said Dunne. Dunne has seen the effect that raves have had on the Los Angeles area and though they bring in revenue she believes the cost of human life is far more important than making money and continuing to put on these drug-fueled shows.

Over New Years a rave that hosted around 45,000 attendees in Los Angeles sent 18 patients to the hospital on ecstasy-related hospitalizations and resulted in one death. “The death of that one person out of 45,000 sounds insignificant but it could have been prevented if raves weren’t such a money maker here in the Los Angeles area,” said Dunne.

Another Los Angeles native and junior communications major, Melissa Burrows sees ecstasy use and raves in L.A. a bit differently. “I think raves are part of what makes the culture of Los Angeles; I see the posters as a step in the right direction to helping with the ecstasy overdosing issue.”

“I love the fact that L.A. is known for raves, especially since they are making their way onto the scene here more and more in Colorado, and I think the safe ecstasy use posters should be put in place at raves here,” said Burrows.

Raves are a current trend in music that are gaining popularity and it will be interesting to see if other counties, cities and states take stances on the use of illegal drugs at these events. If they follow in the shoes of L.A. County, they will also be met with controversy, but if you can’t stop them, the best way to get the ravers to listen at this point, is to inform them.

Playing the Game With a Bad Hand

Jones Relaxing at Horsetooth Reservoir


Playing the Game With a Bad Hand

The college experience is one that can be filled with happiness, sadness, trials and tribulations. Many individuals embark on the college journey lost and in search of who they will be for the rest of their lives. But not all who get there come from the same background or even take the same path to realizing who they plan to be as an adult and how they will spend the rest of their life. We have all seen the stereotypical image on television or in the media of the motivated college student whose parents are paying for his/her college career. And the entire time they are in college they have the love and support from family and friends alike with something like a solid 3.2 cumulative GPA. But what about the student who is a first generation individual, raised in a single parent household, deals with constant conflict from friends and family alike while still maintaining a 3.2 cumulative GPA? This is exactly the reality for Senior Sociology major DeAngelo Jones.
“You can’t really complain about the cards you’ve been dealt, you just got to play your hand and see what happens” said Jones.
Born in San Antonio Texas, Jones’ father became absent at the tender age of two.
“I’m not going to lie and say that not having my dad around didn’t bother me, but I never realized it until I became old enough to see my friends with their dads and actually realize mine wasn’t there.”
However Jones’ mother stepped up to the plate and became his rock and filled in the gap in his heart as best she could.
“I didn’t even know about my father or who he was until I was older. She masked things so well and was mommy and daddy ya’ know. She is the strongest person I know” said Jones.
Jones fought through the hardships of his past and flourished as an individual. His mother soon moved their family to Aurora Colorado and this is where Jones’s life really began he says.
“I was born in Texas but Colorado is my home.”
The Jones family took up residents in the rugged housing projects of Cherry Grove. The living there was less than desirable. He then moved to a similar low income housing area called The Weatherstones where he recalls seeing the worst things.
“I saw drug deals, alcohol abuse, I saw it all man.”
But Jones still found the will to fight through and be something better. Even while being put in charge of caring for his younger brother when he was only eight
“Since his dad was absent too, I knew how he felt, and I stepped up to be that strong figure for him along with my mom.”
Jones’ life was a tumultuous roller-coaster and he was forced on the ride against his consent. Yet he never lost the drive to get to a higher and more peaceful place where he could really experience life as he wanted it. While attending Central High school in Aurora, Jones made one of the biggest decisions of his life. One that he never even thought possible coming from the background that he did. He decided that he was going to apply for college.
“I always had the dream of graduating from high school, but college, that was a huge step; nobody thought I would get as far as I did when I was a senior in high school, college was a crazy thought!”
A friend of Jones' told him about Colorado State University so he applied immediately and was soon accepted. But not surprising, knowing his past, money was going to be a huge issue. But after strategic planning and filling out dozens of scholarship applications Jones landed the all expenses paid Daniels Fund Scholarship.
“Man I really started to see things look up for me. All my life I had it hard and now I had the opportunity to not only get a college degree, but I was going to be able to go and get it paid for!”
But Jones dealt with a little bit of resistance from friends and a few choice family members as he rode his much deserved high horse. Some family members and friends gave him trouble and fed negative energy his way.
“I don’t know man they were just being haters. Nothing upsets a hater more then someone coming from the same background making it in this world. Because they think that if they can’t make it nobody can and you prove them wrong, they hate that,” Jones said.
Regardless Jones seized the moment and grew as a strong well known student on Colorado States campus. He took full advantage of the resources and organizations on campus. Friends say Jones is a walking rubric for success and never letting life get you down.
“He is the most motivated kid I know. It’s inspirational how he handles so many of life’s crappy moments” said Jones roommate Josh Bond.
“I’ve lived with him for 3 years now and I’ve seen the ups and downs. That guy is strong. I don’t think I could overcome some things he just shrugs off,” says another roommate Zenas Willard.
Jones, now a senior and ready to graduate in May says all of the hardships and fighting were well worth it.
“I appreciate the haters and the hardships because they made me that much stronger of a person” Jones said.
He has made it a long way and shows no sign of slowing down on his fast track to success. He plans on going to graduate school and then pursuing a career as a Human Resource Consultant. And many like Senior Matt Labato say they would be shocked if Jones became anything less than great.
“He is a driven man. You can’t teach that it’s got to be instilled in you from birth. Some people have it and some people don’t. DeAngelo has it.”
Even though things were looking up for Jones he got a curve ball his Junior year that almost caused him to falter in a way that could have stopped his seemingly flawless college experience. In November of 2010 Jones father died unexpectedly.
“I had the weirdest mix of feelings because he was never there but it still hurt because I realized that at that moment I would never be able to pursue a normal relationship with him because he was gone forever.”
Jones left for Texas and missed a lot of class while sorting out family issues related to the untimely death. Upon his return he was drained physically and emotionally. But he knew what he had to do and saw that he was too close to the end to stop.
“I was basically at the finish line. I couldn’t let my mom down because it would mean so much to her if I graduated and that was the whole reason why I came here. I knew I had to suck it up and go for it”
But Jones wasn’t alone. He attributes a lot of his success to his faith in God and his strong circle of friends at Colorado State.
“Without God on my side and him blessing me with amazing friends and my mom, I don’t know if I could have done it. It was a tough time.”
Back on track and months away from graduation, Jones looks forward to the future and what it has to hold.
“I’ve been through a lot. I can’t wait to see what the future has for me. When people ask me about how I plan on handling life, I say I just plan on flying by the seat of my pants and taking life as it comes like I have all my life. I’m ready for anything.”

Quick Bio
Name: DeAngelo Jones
Age: 21
School: Colorado State University
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Major: Sociology
Hobbies: Hanging with friends and writing poetry
Great Accomplishment: Earned the Daniels Fund Full ride scholarship to CSU.
Dream: To be happy no matter what he is doing
Motto: Get the job done no matter what

That's My DJ

That’s My DJ

By Jackson Shoaff-Bembry
Everything is pitch black. Suddenly a strobe light comes on. Hundreds of sweaty bodies are pulsating to a deep base, boom, boom, boom. Alcohol driven hands are rocking up and down as the music blares. In a chorus surprisingly in tune for the lack of sobriety, the crowd rhythmically chants, “go DJ, go DJ, go DJ.” Inside his glass box DJ Sick, Ryan Lewakowski, works his turntables with headphones on, catering to the crowd of onlookers. This he says is the reason he does what he does.

When it comes to the bars and clubs in Fort Collins Lewakowski is the DJ that has taken over. At one point working for five of the largest bars in town as well as doing major parties, Lewakowski and his personal company Sick Productions, cater to clientele all over town. Lewakowski and associate DJ Dane Quay have spun for parties from Denver to LA and hope to expand their market as far as possible.

Lewakowski never planned on becoming a DJ. After doing relief work in New Orleans for Katrina victims Lewakowski moved back to Fort Collins with no plans, no money and no place to live. A friend in need was looking for someone to DJ a wedding for $800 and asked Lewakowski if they knew of anyone. Still not sure what he was doing, Lewakowski used his savings to buy some DJ equipment and attempted to try and DJ the wedding. Thanks largely in part to the ever informative YouTube, Lewakowski successfully worked the wedding and form there a passion was born.

Thanks to a hook up from a friend, Lewakowski eventually became the resident DJ for Washington’s Sports Bar and Grill where he has kept a steady following of around 500 patrons. Some of the largest crowds the bar has seen are due in part to the success of Lewakowski. Through his success Lewakowski created Sick Productions out of a necessity to deal with all the business he began receiving.

“At one point I was working for Wash, Ti bar, Octane, Drunken Monkey and Sports Exchange,” Lewakowski says, “so Sick Productions was a way for me to have people work for me so I could handle all the business.”

It is not all fame and glory for Lewakowski and Fort Collins, he says, has also been one of the most challenging places to work.

“It’s hard when you’re having a rough night because any night can be a complete flop and it’s all based on you,” laments Lewakowski.

Not just a DJ, Lewakowski and his company have also set up other DJ’s for other bars in town such as Sports Exchange and 100 Octane. Running a business especially in Fort Collins has also been a source of stress for Lewakowski and Sick Productions.

“We set people up with jobs all over Fort Collins and it’s hard when people use our company just for a hook up and then don’t want to follow contracts we set up, ”says Lewakowski.

Having ones name all over town has its downside as well. Some people in the bar scene feel Lewakowski and Sick Productions has too much of the market share in town. As well some bar goers question his music selection. Colorado State University student Corey Huffman, a frequent patron of old town bars, has mixed feelings when it comes to Lewakowski and his music.

“I don’t hate the guy (Lewakowski) I just get tired of hearing house music and dubstep every time I walk into a bar he’s spinning at,” Huffman says, “Sometimes I want to hear an old school jam like Regulators.”

Lewakowski understands this pressure and definitely feels the stress from guys like Huffman.

“It’s definitely hard when you come off annoying to someone when in fact your just doing your job,” Lewakowski says, “sometimes people just don’t understand that and it gets pretty stressful.”

As difficult as it is to run ones own business at 24, Lewakowski says he is having the time of his life. Not only that but many of the parties he has set up have been ones to remember according to many Fort Collins residents, including bartender Taver Tor-Agbidye.

“The two greatest parties I’ve ever been to in Fort Collins were thrown by Ryan and they were the pool party at Rams Point and the CSU vs. CU tailgate,” smiles Tor-Agbidye as he remembers the parties.


Success hasn’t gone to Lewakowski’s head either and he is always eager to give credit where credit is due.

“I owe a lot of my success to Devin Norcross for getting me in the door and building my foundation of a crazy career,” Lewakowski says, “and most importantly Shane and Megan Belcher for giving me an opportunity.”

Lewakowski cannot imagine doing anything else and for as long as people will listen he plans on playing and doing his best to ensure that everyone is having as much fun as he is.

Places you may have seen or heard Lewakowski.
T.I. Bar
Washington’s Sports Bar and Grill
100 Octane
Sports Exchange
Drunken Monkey
Rams Pointe
Suite 200
Beta
Marriott Parties
Robusto Room
City Hall in Denver
The Aggie Theatre
Bondi Beach Bar
Shooters
Local house parties

Free? Not for CSU basketball

Free throw.

The name suggests that it is, well, free. But for the CSU men's basketball team the free throw line has been more of a horror show than the easy points it is designed to be.

The Rams are shooting 67 percent from the charity stripe on the season, the lowest percentage in the Mountain West Conference.

Free throws are a key to victory in basketball as they represent the easiest way to score points. High free throw percentages usually correlate with winning teams, as evidenced by Brigham Young University.

The Cougars shoot a MWC-high 75 percent from the line, and they are tied for first in the conference with a 24-2 record.

The Rams struggles have carried throughout the season and have become arguably the weakest link in a team that has serious hopes for making the NCAA tournament. CSU is currently 18-7 and sits third in the MWC standings.

“It’s a mental thing,” coach Tim Miles said. “You can make too big a deal out of it sometimes.”

But it is a big deal when free throws cost a team a win. That happened on Feb. 2 when the Rams lost by two points to No. 6 San Diego State, a win that would have ranked as one of the biggest in program history.

In that two-point loss CSU missed eight free throws while the Aztecs missed only two. A six point difference that proved the determining spread in the game.

One of the reasons that the team struggles so much from the line is that the two players who take the most free throws, seniors Andy Ogide and Travis Franklin, are two of the teams worst free throw shooters.

Ogide shoots 57 percent from the line, while Franklin shoots 68 percent from the line.

“We need to be better,” Ogide said. “You just have to get into the gym and shoot and when you get to the line you just have to get the job done.”

One thing is certain; the poor free throw shooting isn’t due to a lack of practice time.

Early in the season the team took a large number of free throws. After every practice players were required to shoot a high-number, usually well over 20, of free throws before they were allowed to leave.

That plan has now been shifted.

“We had been shooting volume free throws,” Miles said. “I decided to go away from that and do some pressure free throws.”

The pressure free throws came in a drill when separate players had to hit free throws until five players had hit a shot.

If someone missed before the streak reached five, everyone on the team had to run suicide sprints.

Wednesday night’s win may provide a glimmer of hope for the Rams free throw shooting. CSU shot only 69 percent from the line, but Ogide hit 10 out of 11 attempts to help lead the Rams to victory.

The team insists it will do whatever it takes to correct the problem.

“We just need to stick with it,” Miles said.

Kyle Grabowski Story 2

The walking woundedInjuries pile up for CSU women’s basketball team
By Kyle Grabowski

The CSU women’s basketball team roster lists 12 players, but the Rams only go eight bodies deep during games due to injuries. Afull third of the team has to watch the game in nice shoes and dress slacks while waiting to return to health.
Head coach Kristen Holt has been coaching basketball for 15 years and has never seen so many injuries befall one team in the span of a year. “When you look at the people that are out there, they’repeople who would be playing a lot of minutes for us or maybe even starting,” she said. “I think that affects your team and the way you do things.”
Junior forward Megan Heimstra has not played this year with a hip injury and decided to redshirt in order to retain an extra year of NCAA eligibility. Heimstra led the team in rebounding last year with 7.9 per game.
Transfer Kelly Hartig, a 6-foot-3 junior forward who originally played at the University of Virginia, played in five games early this season before injuring her shin in practice during a non contact drill on Jan. 8. Hartig is only on one crutch now and expects to return at some point in March.
With the injuries to key post players, CSU has been forced to rely on a more guard-oriented lineup. “If we had more size then we’d look to more post-to-post screens and get the ball inside,” Holt said. “We would have a more post-oriented offensive game.”
Guards, however, have not been immune to the injury plague. Freshman Mandy Makeever played in one game before an elbow injury planted her on the bench for every other game thus far. Senior Zoi Simmons has missed the last nine games with a foot injury, but is expected to return soon after doing some shooting drills this week.
The primary difference between being active and being injured for most players has been the amount of time spent rehabbing rather than practicing.
“I have to put a bunch of time into rehab and getting cardio back,” Heimstra said. “It takes a lot of time, but it’s worth it.”
Simmons’ rehab work has paid off, as she didn’t notice much of a difference in her daily routine due to an already robust physical fitness plan. “You only put in 15 minutes or an hour per day of rehab, so it doesn’t take up all your time,” she said.
Even with a reduction in the amount of healthy bodies on the team, Holt hasn’t seen a corresponding drop in her team’s effort on the court.
“The really positive thing is that we’ve responded really well,” she said. “We haven’t allowed excuses to enter in and we just keep playing hard.”

Zuzu Wheeler - Feature Story

A New Kind of Beat
Girl Talk. Milk Man. The Hood Internet. All sound like names of cartoon shows, but they are actually names of artists who are part of a new and growing trend in electronic music: the mash-up. Today’s technology has allowed them to combine songs together to creatively make a whole new song.
Most times with mash-ups, the vocals of one track are layered over the instrumentals of another track. This effect creates a new outlook on often times already known songs. Imagine a Madonna vocal with a Rolling Stones instrumental, and you’ve got a fresh new song.
Fort Collins frequently hears mash-ups at its local bar scene on Friday nights, which have gotten good reception. But a new sort of mash-up has crept up that no one really knows about just yet.
Junior journalism major Steven Sandler, 22, may go to school and play for CSU’s lacrosse team, but his true calling is music. And technical music he knows like the back of his hand.
Already devoted to his solo electronic project Radar Noon, Sandler turned to a different take on his less-than-favorite original songs.
“At first, I wrote some original songs, but the ideas weren’t really going anywhere. I hit a brick wall with them. So I found some popular songs, took the vocal versions of them, changed my original songs a little bit to fit them, and went from there,” he said.
To most, his mash-ups will sound like a simple remix of a popular song, such as “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry. But he writes his own original music to go along with them and records all of his creations on his Mac in the comfort of his home. And, to top it off, they sound like professional recordings.
While at first he wrote his original songs before he mashed them with a popular song, he has now changed course while starting his new project under the name War Feather.
“People suggest songs to me now that they hear of what I’m doing,” Sandler said. “Instead of writing my songs first, I find a song that I like or other people like and then write my own music to correspond to it. I’ll change the vocals or tempo to make it sound even more different.”
Some other songs Sandler has mashed-up include “Tik Tok” by Ke$ha and “Get Low” by Lil’ Jon. Future works will include “Firework,” another Katy Perry hit, and “Forget You” by Cee-Lo Green.
When all is said and done (or mashed), Sandler wants to release a CD of his original mash-ups to get the word out.
If all goes according to plan, Fort Collins will soon be dancing their Friday nights away to mash-ups by War Feather.

Medical marijuana health, safety still highly debated

Medical marijuana has become prevalent in Colorado with hundreds of dispensaries popping up all over the state. But it even as the industry continues to grow, not everyone in the state approves of it.

Dave Schwaab, a co-owner of Abundant Healing in Fort Collins believes his dispensary offers services that are important to residents.

“There’s nothing bad about it. It’s provided by Mother Nature,” he said. “Mother Nature gives us toxins and Mother Nature gives us antidotes and we believe medical marijuana is an antidote.”

His shop on Linden Street offers many different strains of medical marijuana that can have different effects. From marijuana that produces a “potent, relaxing effect” to another kind that promotes a “strong and uplifting high,” many different types are available to patients who are registered with the State of Colorado.

According to Health Wise WebMD, “occasional marijuana use is rarely seriously harmful, but smoking pot has important medical effects.” These effects include an increase in heart and breathing rate, slowed reaction times, and a distorted sense of time, among other effects. It also lists short-term memory loss, anxiety and depression as some psychological effects.
Some in the Fort Collins community believe those psychological effects could make marijuana users more likely to use it as an unhealthy coping mechanism.

“The major objection the church would have for it is just recreational use and it does become a matter of habitual use or some kind of a crutch type way of dealing with relationships or dealing with some kind of stress,” Father Don Willet, pastor of Blessed John 23 Catholic Parish said.
He also questions the legitimacy of medical marijuana prescriptions.

“I’m sure there’s a place for it just like any other medication. There rest of it is if it’s for recreational use,” he said. “It’s easy to develop fictional pain. I understand prescriptions are easy to get – for medical purposes but it may well be it’s all for recreational use.”

But Schwaab emphasizes the medicinal benefits of marijuana for those who suffer from chronic pain. Instead of using prescription pills, many of which he says are highly addictive, he recommends marijuana for its lack of a physical addiction.

Schwaab also doesn’t believe it’s fair for critics to call it immoral.

“Oh my. Immoral?” he said. “I don’t believe the use of marijuana is immoral because it doesn’t hurt anyone else. Certainly the legal use of marijuana does not hurt anybody else. If we are going to close access to medical marijuana that would be immoral because people who need this natural product would then have to pursue it in illegal channels.”

It’s the legal channel of Colorado’s voter-approved medical marijuana regulations that he believes keeps his patients safer from harm than ever.

“So I think medical marijuana actually promotes safe access, safe use, a reduction in crime because then at least the patients that are legal can legally access marijuana and don’t have to any longer go to the streets to get it,” he said.

Still, Willet thinks there is still danger in chronic marijuana use.

“[There] are not necessarily any physical consequence maybe or physiological consequence but [there may be] psychological or emotional maybe,” he said. “It compromises true freedom. What does it take to be free?”