The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian
The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian
The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian
All content by Nick Botkin
(Photo Courtesy of Alan Berner/Seattle Times/TNS)

Meet the parents: 5 ways to celebrate graduation with the family

Nick Botkin
May 7, 2018
Mary May Molitor, a freshman interdisciplinary liberal arts major, said CSU is distinguished by a welcoming spirit and the sense that "we are all in it together." (Photo courtesy of Nick Botkin/Rocky Mountain Collegian).

Not following the herd: What makes Ram culture unique?

Nick Botkin
May 2, 2018
Relishing the challenges of finals can help boost self-esteem.(Photo courtesy of Nick Botkin/Rocky Mountain Collegian).

I really, really love myself: 5 ways to boost self-esteem during finals

Nick Botkin
May 2, 2018
Poet Ross Gay offered laughs with his

Ross Gay waxes poetic with humorous, social commentary at CSU

Nick Botkin
April 29, 2018
Emphasizing ideas over grades can help foster a dynamic academic climate at CSU (Photo courtesy of Nick Botkin/Rocky Mountain Collegian)

By the book: 5 ways Colorado State can improve its academic atmosphere

Nick Botkin
April 26, 2018
"Chappaquiddick" is a powerful, haunting tale about politics and the power of spinning narratives (Photo courtesy of Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures).

Sink or swim: ‘Chappaquiddick’ is a reminder of the power, limitations of narrative

Nick Botkin
April 24, 2018
Quinn King smiles after describing her favorite part of the The Big Lebowski. (Devin Cornelius | Collegian)

CSU reacts: What are your favorite Coen Brothers movies?

Nick Botkin
April 23, 2018
Super Lemon Haze, offered at Organic Alternatives, is a sativa, which offers an energetic and creative high (Photo courtesy of Nick Botkin/Rocky Mountain Collegian).

A guide to different highs

Nick Botkin
April 19, 2018
"Pulp Fiction" is among the eclectic selection of movies Colorado State students enjoy watching while smoking pot (Photo courtesy of Miramax Pictures)

CSU reacts: What movies spark high times for you?

Nick Botkin
April 17, 2018
Andy Weiss, founder of the nonprofit organization "Launch," interviews Keire Johnson, a subject of "Minding the Gap," and Diane Quon, a producer of "Minding the Gap," in a Q&A session after the screening. "Minding the Gap," a documentary film by Bing Liu, spends five years looking at the lives of Liu's friends while growing up and out of Rockford, Illinois and toxic masculinity. (Julia Trowbridge | Collegian)

ACT Film Festival: ‘Minding The Gap’ is an ambitious, haunting look at generations of familial dysfunction

Nick Botkin
April 16, 2018
weed, grinder, smoking, marijuana, pot (Davis Bonner | Collegian)

High expectations: 5 ways to prepare for 4/20 early

Nick Botkin
April 4, 2018
Seriously: Easter Bunny delivers beer to CSU students for a hoppy time

Seriously: Easter Bunny delivers beer to CSU students for a hoppy time

Nick Botkin
March 31, 2018
Emily Harnden, a third year fiction MFA student at CSU, reads her piece at the season finale of the ForkSocket reading series. ForkSocket is a literary reading series with a touch of absurdism humor put on by CSU MFA students, which is held at Wolverine Farm Letterpress and Publick House. {Abby Flitton | Collegian}

Wolverine Farm’s Fork Socket reading displayed narrative art, humor Friday evening

Nick Botkin
March 31, 2018
Two people laughing | Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.org

CSU reacts: How does comedy affect your life?

Nick Botkin
March 29, 2018
Miles Gilbert, a sophomore English major, said listening to music inspires him when he is in a "dry spell" while writing (Photo courtesy of Nick Botkin/Rocky Mountain Collegian)

CSU reacts: Does music make studying noteworthy?

Nick Botkin
March 22, 2018
Abby Waski, a sophomore business marketing major, said that social media helps her follow notifications on Canvas and set up study groups (Photo courtesy of Nick Botkin)

CSU reacts: How has social media impacted your student experience?

Nick Botkin
March 21, 2018
"Thoroughbreds" offers a psychological and character-driven psychological experience for viewers. (Photo courtesy of Focus Pictures)

Lyric movie review: ‘Thoroughbreds’ offers a dark, psychological ride

Nick Botkin
March 21, 2018
Alex Lae, a junior environmental geology major, said the most obnoxious English-language word for him is "moist."

CSU reacts: What are, like, the worst words?

Nick Botkin
March 20, 2018
The Lyric Cinema in Fort Collins screened "The Big Lebowski" to an audience of approximately 200 in honor of the movie's 20th anniversary (Photo courtesy of Nick Botkin)

Lyric’s 20th anniversary ‘Lebowski’ screening bowls audience with subversive ethos

Nick Botkin
March 6, 2018
Catching a musical performance or show at the Lincoln Center is one of many ways for students to enjoy spring break, Fort Collins-style. (Jenn Yingling | Collegian)

8 ways to enjoy Spring Break in Fort Collins

Nick Botkin
March 6, 2018
The Lyric Cinema is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Big Lebowski's release with a screening March 6 at 7 pm. (Photo courtesy of Gramercy Pictures).

Lyric’s ‘Lebowski’ screening to tie the community together

Nick Botkin
March 1, 2018
"Game Night" adheres to formulaic tropes, but still offers a plethora of laughter and comic banter (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

‘Game Night’ is predictable but replete with winning laughter

Nick Botkin
February 24, 2018
Photo courtesy of Public Domain Pictures

Love is all you need: 8 songs for Valentine’s Day

Nick Botkin
February 14, 2018
Ways to celebrate a solo Valentine's Day

Ways to celebrate a solo Valentine’s Day

Nick Botkin
February 13, 2018
Political science major, Jessica Zamba, comments on the political change on campus while sitting outside the Behavioral Sciences Building. (Anna Baize | Collegian)

CSU Reacts: How has campus culture been impacted by politics?

Nick Botkin
February 8, 2018
Social networking apps | Photo courtesy of Pixabay

CSU Reacts: What is your go-to news source?

Nick Botkin
February 1, 2018
Lyric movie review: 'Phantom Thread' offers darkly nuanced images of romanticism, obsession

Lyric movie review: ‘Phantom Thread’ offers darkly nuanced images of romanticism, obsession

Nick Botkin
January 30, 2018
CSU reacts: Does CSU emphasize grades over learning?

CSU reacts: Does CSU emphasize grades over learning?

Nick Botkin
January 24, 2018
A train barrels through Fort Collins along College Avenue around noon on Thursday. There is a debate in Fort Collins whether or not to restrict trains from blowing their horns through the middle of town.

Front Range may gain passenger trains; are students on board?

Nick Botkin
January 24, 2018
Spielberg's "The Post" examines the ethical and national ramifications of the Washington Post's legal battle to publish The Pentagon Papers. (Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox).

‘The Post’ emphasizes importance of a free press

Nick Botkin
January 20, 2018
Mo Jia, a third year PhD Candidate in Animal Sciences, thinks that Tony Frank dances at the football games dressed as Cam the Ram. (Jon Price | Collegian)

CSU Reacts: Who is Cam The Ram?

Nick Botkin
January 18, 2018
Old Town Fort Collins (Daniel Cohen)

So long, 2017: How to celebrate the new year

Nick Botkin
December 11, 2017
In the Season Nine finale of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," Larry David hilariously blurs the lines between fiction, reality, and pop culture with his musical "Fatwa." (Photo courtesy of HBO)

‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ season nine finale redefines fiction, reality

Nick Botkin
December 6, 2017
"Three Billboards" offers darkly comical material, but lacks character development

Lyric movie review: ‘Three Billboards’ is a dark, engaging battle

Nick Botkin
December 5, 2017
Junior Anthropology major Alyssa Axe talks about some of the major successes she has had this semester with meeting some of the goals she has set for herself in being able to achieve in her classes. She also discussed the difficulty of upper level classes and some of the adjustments that have to be made to accommodate balancing these challenging classes with maintaining a healthy schedule. (Josh Schroeder | Collegian)

CSU students talk fall semester triumphs, weaknesses

Nick Botkin
November 30, 2017
Greta Gerwig's "Lady Bird" strongly addresses themes of class division and belonging. (Photo courtesy of A24 Films)

Lyric Movie Review: ‘Lady Bird’ is fueled by themes of class, belonging

Nick Botkin
November 28, 2017
A CSU-partnered study on the Colorado cannabis industry found that nearly half of the workers in the industry received little to no health and safety training. (Jamie Rankin | Collegian) Photo credit: Jamie Rankin

CSU reacts: Does smoking weed help you study?

Nick Botkin
November 28, 2017
Oak Street Plaza illuminated with thousands of LED lights.

CSU reacts: What do the holidays mean to you?

Nick Botkin
November 28, 2017
Old Town's Poudre River Public Library on Olive street has many genres including a large selection of non-fictional books available to the Fort Collins community.

English faculty reads poetry at CSU’s 2017 Writer’s Harvest

Nick Botkin
November 17, 2017
Fort Collins Rescue Mission (Julia Trowbridge | Collegian)

CSU students suggest Black Friday alternatives

Nick Botkin
November 16, 2017
Dark holiday fare such as "Bad Santa" provide an enjoyable experience for the holiday cynic

`Tis the season: A cynic’s guide to possibly enjoying the holidays

Nick Botkin
November 15, 2017
Hans Vanags, a Philosophy major and freshman at CSU, describes the benefits of watching movies. Han’s enjoys watching movies because “he likes seeing other peoples’ stories and they help fuel his creativity.” (Colin Shepherd | Collegian)

CSU reacts: Why should you watch movies and TV?

Nick Botkin
November 14, 2017
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer is one of many annoying and entertaining holiday staples. (Photo courtesy of Epic Records)

12 days of obnoxious holiday songs

Nick Botkin
November 13, 2017
Students gather on the plaza during the "To Immigrants With Love" event hosted by Dreamers United. February 8, 2017 (Davis Bonner | Collegian)

CSU students discuss campus community

Nick Botkin
November 9, 2017
The front counter at Bizarre Bazaar, a local record and book store on College Avenue is covered in old book. (Matt Begeman | Collegian)

Bizarre Bazaar offers Fort Collins ambiance, eclectic selections

Nick Botkin
November 7, 2017
"Suburbicon" is replete with energy, but lacks a strong, credible story and characters

George Clooney’s ‘Suburbicon’ offers dark humor but cons us with cliches

Nick Botkin
November 2, 2017
Colorado is celebrating its fifth year of marijuana legalization. Photo by Olive Ancell | Collegian

Weediversary: 5 years after Amendment 64, Fort Collins community reflects on marijuana legalization

Nick Botkin
November 2, 2017
First year electrical engineering graduate student Lydia Rush smiles as she thinks about her favorite holiday movie. Her favorite movie to watch around the upcoming holidays is the newer How The Grinch Stole Christmas. (Jenna Van Lone | Collegian)

In wake of Halloween, CSU students recommend winter holiday movies

Nick Botkin
November 1, 2017
Academic building Clark conditions are examined in a follow up after a viral video criticized the older building on campus. Photo by Kaitlyn Ancell | Collegian

CSU students describe the terrifying state of Clark C

Nick Botkin
October 31, 2017
Fort Collins Christian congregations celebrate the Reformation

Fort Collins Christian congregations celebrate the Reformation

Nick Botkin
October 30, 2017
Courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net

Students share spooky stories

Nick Botkin
October 26, 2017
The Colorado weed industry takes several precautions to ensure worker safety. (Jamie Rankin | Collegian)

Trick-or-toke: FoCo’s best Halloween weed deals

Nick Botkin
October 24, 2017
Pumpkin patch off of S College Ave. is getting ready for Halloween and the fall spirit. (Jenny Lee | Collegian)

Five ways to celebrate a non-spooky Halloween

Nick Botkin
October 24, 2017
Actor Tom Hanks' short-story collection offers an array of themes and plays with textual forms (photo courtesy of US Department of State)

Tom Hanks delivers power, promise with ‘Uncommon Type’

Nick Botkin
October 24, 2017
The University Symphony Orchestra and CSU Theatre perform Every Good Boy Deserves Favor at the University Center for the Arts Thursday night. The performance was directed by professor Eric Prince and conducted by Music Director of the Fort Collins Symphony Wes Kenney. (Brooke Buchan | Collegian)

CSU reacts: Is art education important?

Nick Botkin
October 17, 2017
'Happy Death Day' is like 'Groundhog Day' but with more tropes and less-developed characters. (Poster courtesy of Universal Pictures)

‘Happy Death Day’ is high on tropes, dead on originality

Nick Botkin
October 16, 2017
CSU Creative Writing series kicks off with themes of identity, inclusion

CSU Creative Writing series kicks off with themes of identity, inclusion

Nick Botkin
October 13, 2017
CSU Homecoming Parade (Javon Harris | Collegian)

10 things not to do during Homecoming weekend

Nick Botkin
October 13, 2017
Emily Foisy is a sophomore and a biology major. She personally really enjoys homecoming and is a member of a sorority. (Jenny Lee | Collegian)

CSU students share thoughts on Homecoming

Nick Botkin
October 13, 2017

CSU students recommend Halloween movies

Nick Botkin
October 12, 2017
Graeme Troxell, a second year masters student studying philosophy, drinks a cappuccino at Mug's Coffee Shop on Thursday afternoon. (Photo credit: Eliot Foust)

CSU reacts: Mid-semester blues

Nick Botkin
October 12, 2017
Graduate student Cole Konopka helps animal science and economics major Amber Elliott with an essay at the CSU Writing Center. (Photo credit: _.)

CSU Writing Center teaches skills, builds confidence

Nick Botkin
October 9, 2017
American Made is replete with high-octane energy, humor, and a strong and fascinating narrative (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures).

‘American Made’ is high on stakes and humor

Nick Botkin
October 7, 2017
Larry David tackles subjects close to home with his dark and flippant humor in Season 9 of Curb Your Enthusiasm. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia).

‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ season premiere tackles political topics with humor

Nick Botkin
October 4, 2017
Emma Reece and Brynna Ashton perform A Harry Potter Medley.

Collegian playlist: 10 songs to get in the Halloween mood

Nick Botkin
October 4, 2017
Collegian File Photo

7 relaxing ways to spend Friday night before midterm season destroys us all

Nick Botkin
September 29, 2017
Momo Lolo's is a simple cafe that is a great place for students to study. Photo credit: Casey Martinez

Momo Lolo’s Coffee House provides cozy study space

Nick Botkin
September 28, 2017
Stephanie Magnuson, Thomas Magnuson, Logan Magnuson pictured with their dogs, Mason, Holly and Bruno in Old Town Fort Collins. Photo credit: Jacob Stewart

Mountains, parking and beer: The best and worst things about FoCo

Nick Botkin
September 27, 2017
"Kingsman: The Golden Circle" maintains the energy and over-the-top humor of its predecessor.

‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ reigns with humor and energy

Nick Botkin
September 26, 2017
American Assassin offers plenty of action, but fails to develop its characters fully (poster courtesy of Wikipedia).

‘American Assassin’ regurgitates cliché protagonist narrative

Nick Botkin
September 19, 2017
A stack of books.

6 books to read this fall

Nick Botkin
September 14, 2017
Reese Witherspoon is unable to give "Home Again" the dynamism and energy it needs to succeed. (Poster courtesy of Wikipedia)

‘Home Again’ fails to explore its potential, relies on convenience

Nick Botkin
September 14, 2017
Ingrid Goes West is a powerful indictment of social media and superficial human interactions.

‘Ingrid Goes West’ criticizes modern social media dependence

Nick Botkin
September 12, 2017
Photo Illustration (Jamie Rankin | Collegian)

8 ways to procrastinate

Nick Botkin
September 12, 2017
Professor EJ Levy immerses her students in the art and craft of fiction (Photo courtesy of EJ Levy)

CSU English professor immerses students in fiction

Nick Botkin
September 11, 2017
Tig Notaro finds a good balance of humor and vulnerability in "One Mississippi." (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Season 2 premiere of ‘One Mississippi’ charges cultural, political tension

Nick Botkin
September 10, 2017
Odell's Brewery Company is a microbrewery industry pioneer. Photo by Cam Bumsted.

Mainline Ale’s Odell Beer Dinner highlights community collaboration

Nick Botkin
September 9, 2017
How can one not help but salviate to the sight of this cool, refreshing New Belgium beer? Fort Collins residents and the like will take over the streets this Saturday to drink good beer and show their excentric side during the annual Tour de Fat.

Road 34’s Dollar Beer Thursdays promote community, laid back vibes

Nick Botkin
September 7, 2017
Wind River is a powerful tale about people on the margins in a brutal and harsh present-day West

‘Wind River’ is a tale of the hidden brutal west

Nick Botkin
September 6, 2017
'The Glass Castle' is haunting tale of family and escape

‘The Glass Castle’ is haunting tale of family and escape

Nick Botkin
September 1, 2017
Beer sampling is a great way to try a little taste of everything a brewery has to offer on tap.

Beer improves Fort Collins culture, community

Nick Botkin
August 31, 2017
ThreadBuds uses threads wrapped around the wire to keep headphones from tangling without sacrificing sound quality.

10 best study songs

Nick Botkin
August 30, 2017
'The Hitman's Bodyguard' wears out classic hitman theme

‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ wears out classic hitman theme

Nick Botkin
August 30, 2017
(Photo courtesy of staticflickr.com)

How to cope with week one stress

Nick Botkin
August 23, 2017
"Lady Macbeth" movie poster (Photo courtesy of lyriccinema.com)

Lyric movie review: ‘Lady MacBeth’ is not relatable, full of cliches

Nick Botkin
August 23, 2017
Pho noodles (Photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org)

New Saigon Grill location provides a spicy, sumptuous trip

Nick Botkin
August 23, 2017
Channing Tatum (Photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org)

‘Logan Lucky’ is a full of clichés, but entertaining

Nick Botkin
August 22, 2017
(Photo courtesy of maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com)

What not to do on your first day of school

Nick Botkin
August 16, 2017
(Davis Bonner | Collegian)

Fort Collins’ complicated relationship with trains

Nick Botkin
August 3, 2017
Photo courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Dunkirk-Teaser-Poster-640x949.jpg/324px-Dunkirk-Teaser-Poster-640x949.jpg

Nolan reinvents cinematic war with ‘Dunkirk’

Nick Botkin
July 24, 2017
Photo courtesy of: Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4139/4901437053_969fa1f045_b.jpg

Outdoor movie night in Old Town Square draws in family-friendly crowd

Nick Botkin
July 20, 2017
Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

‘Baby Driver’ is slightly cliche but very entertaining

Nick Botkin
July 16, 2017
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