The Rocky Mountain Collegian

08/25/2025

This past week, students and faculty at Colorado State University welcomed the newest class of Rams to campus. According to an email sent out by CSU President Amy Parsons, this year’s incoming class includes 5,400 new students with a record 3,600 from Colorado — one of the largest in CSU’s history.

CSU is not the only university experiencing this trend. Colleges across the nation, such as Saint Mary’s College and York College, are reporting record or near-record incoming classes for fall 2025. The official enrollment census for student enrollment this year will be completed in September and released at the October Board of Governors meeting.

Read more at the link in our bio.

Story by Claire Vandeventer
Photos by Lauren Mascardo

08/25/2025

is an annual colorfully costumed bike parade followed by a festival hosted by in Fort Collins. Costumed cyclists paraded from 9:30-11:30 a.m. throughout Fort Collins. After the parade, people made their way over to New Belgium for an afternoon full of live music, comedy acts, games, art bike showdowns and plenty of New Belgium beer. All proceeds from beer sales went to local nonprofit organizations such as Bike Fort Collins, the Overland Mountain Bike Association, Fort Collins Bike Co-Op and Send Town Bike Club.

Tour de Fat started in 1999 in Fort Collins. It celebrated its 25th consecutive year in the city on August 23, making it a local tradition for over a quarter of a century. What began as a quirky and relatively small community event quickly grew into one of Fort Collins’ signature celebrations, drawing thousands of people to town every summer.

New Belgium Brewing, already a major symbol of the city’s food culture and economy, found a way to blend its identity with Fort Collins’ deep love of bikes and community gatherings. Over the years, the event has helped raise almost $6 million dollars for nonprofit organizations that support biking infrastructure, education and outdoor recreation.

Read more at the link in our bio.

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08/23/2025

Plants' successful growth and production often hinge on specific environmental and genetic conditions. This is a reality agricultural producers have become accustomed to that is now threatened with instability driven by climate change. But a revolutionary genetic tool may offer a solution: turning on and off wanted genes and traits.

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from Colorado State University have built the first genetic toggle switch for plants. Their findings, recently published in ACS Publications, were led by biology Professor June Medford and Ashok Prasad, a professor in CSU's department of chemical and biomedical engineering.

Learn more at the link in our bio.

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Graphic by Alli Adams

08/22/2025

As this newspaper lies on the thick wooden desk of the room you’re about to call home for the next nine months, and your life’s mementos sit stacked in boxes and suitcases on the thinly carpeted floor — maybe hardwood, if you’re one of the lucky ones — there may be a whole lot more on your mind than trying to unpack before that dinner reservation.

Whether you live 30 minutes down the road or had your belongings shipped from across the country, one thing is for sure: You’re in college now. The days of in-home laundry, daily home-cooked meals and waking up in your childhood bedroom are over — for the time being. Perhaps you’ve heard that things are about to get a lot better or a lot worse; either may be true, but don’t let your expectations hinge on a couple old sayings.

Read the full opinion piece on the Collegian website, linked in our bio.

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.

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08/22/2025

The Mountain West’s legal battle with the Pac-12 and the five schools set to leave it isn’t slowing down.

As the 2025-26 athletic season approaches, Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State — three of the schools bound for the Pac-12 in 2026 — filed an updated lawsuit against the conference and Commissioner Gloria Nevarez Aug. 7. The schools accused the MW of depriving them of membership rights, withholding tens of millions of dollars and misleading them about a plan to move Grand Canyon’s start date up a year. Fresno State and San Diego State, the other two departing members, are not part of the suit due to state restrictions.

At the core of the case is money the schools claim they’ve already earned.

Read the full article on The Collegian website, linked in our bio.

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08/21/2025

The first few weeks of college can be weird. Everyone is bombarded with new faces, new routines and the overwhelming realization that dessert can be eaten for every meal, if desired. But while it’s tempting to hunker down on campus, surviving on dining hall pizza and figuring out how to navigate the many construction projects on campus, Fort Collins has so much more to offer.

College isn’t just about surviving lectures and chasing credits. It’s about discovering who you are, trying new things and, yes, occasionally getting lost in a new city and accidentally finding new favorite places to hang out. So here’s the new Ram beginner's guide to actually getting out there and connecting with the Fort Collins community during the first few weeks at Colorado State University.

Read more at the link in our bio.

Reach Hannah Parcells at [email protected] or on social media .

08/21/2025

Colorado State University Police issued a public safety alert regarding threats of violence around the CSU Health and Medical center on Aug. 20 at 12:58 p.m. Students were advised to avoid the area and the facility went into lockdown at 1:08 p.m.

The issue was resolved at 1:40 p.m. CSU Public Safety reports that the person of interest has been contacted by police and there are no ongoing threats in the area.

“This came in as a threat of violence investigation,” said Nik Olsen, CSU’s director of Crisis communication. “CSU was able to issue an all-clear message after the person of interest has been contacted by a co-responder with CSU police as well as officers.”

Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing breaking news story. Updates will be provided as they become available.

Reach Chloe Waskey at [email protected] or on social media

08/20/2025

All incoming first-year students at Colorado State University are required to attend a two-day orientation, giving them the opportunity to form their first impressions of the Ram lifestyle before officially matriculating as students. The new Rams, many of whom were freshly graduated from high school, shared their feelings on their upcoming college journies at CSU.

“It’s really nerve-wracking — I’m terrified right now,” said Daisha VanBeek, an incoming theater major from Wisconsin. “I just don't know anyone, and I'm scared to open up. But it's also super cool, and I like it. I'm excited.”

Several students said they were met with a warm welcome from CSU and were excited to attend, although they were nervous about starting college in general. Ethan Riegle, a new mechanical engineering student, said CSU had an overwhelming number of things to offer.

“I’m very overwhelmed by everything, but (I'm) also feeling like I could do well here,” Riegle said. “There's plenty of support and other things and also plenty of people. I can see myself getting around, even if it feels like everything everywhere all at once.”

Read more at the link in our bio.

Coverage by Chloe Waskey

08/19/2025

IN THIS YEAR’S MOVE IN PRINT: New students share their perceptions of CSU, construction updates, Make & Mend workshop, milky sea database, summer sports recap, Last Cowboy Standing, new art history chair, Letter from the Editor and MORE!

Grab a copy around campus and in Fort Collins this week! New CSU students, look for The Collegian in your dorm rooms!

08/19/2025

08/11/2025

Heading back to CSU? We’ve got your ride.

Travel to or from DIA for just $29 each way, with curbside drop-offs right on campus at the CSU Transit Center.

Shuttles run every hour, so you’ll find a ride that fits your schedule no matter when you arrive.

Affordable, convenient, and trusted by CSU students every semester.

Book your ride now and get back to campus the easy way with Groome Transportation.

06/27/2025

From his beginnings as a player who averaged just over five points per game to his transformation into a defining figure for the Colorado State men’s basketball program following his transfer, Nique Clifford‘s collegiate legacy was one of success.

After withdrawing from the 2024 NBA Draft to solidify his skills with the Rams one last season, Clifford ended his collegiate career with an incredible performance in the Mountain West and NCAA Tournament.

But the time has come to take his talents to the next level after being drafted in the first round by the Sacramento Kings.

Read the full breaking story on The Collegian website, linked in our bio.

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