With the fall season quickly approaching, many have questioned whether they will be able to celebrate the fall festivities this year, especially Halloween. Every year people get together and celebrate a fun Halloweekend. People were really excited for Halloween 2020 since it was going to fall on a Saturday and people can celebrate all weekend. 

Due to COVID-19 many have had to adjust to new gathering rules. Some have even wondered if it is even worth getting together this year. Then there are many people who still plan to do the Halloween parties and the usual festivities.

Kayla Rhode who enjoys this time of year is very skeptical on whether or not she’s going all out for Halloween. “I’m just trying to stay safe and keep my family and friends safe as well. As much as I love Halloween I don’t know if it’s worth risking getting anyone sick. I think it will be fun just staying home with family or a couple of friends and just watching scary movies. There’s nothing wrong with staying in.” 

Rhodes and many others have agreed that staying in is the way to go, especially during a global pandemic. Scary movies, ordering take out and just enjoying the night is still just as fun. But then there are others who still want to go all out for the Halloween season. 

Every year Erika Cordova has loved dressing up for Halloween. She doesn’t want this virus stopping her from enjoying her favorite fall festivity. “I love dressing up for Halloween. This year was supposed to be the best one yet.”

Cordova mentions that she is still going to follow the safety precautions for small gatherings. I’m not going to have a big party like I usually do but just having a few close friends over and dressing up will still be fun. We love to have a good time on Halloween.” 

Isabel Garcia is still trying to figure what her plans are going to be for the holiday. Garcia has two young kids and she has had to brainstorm how to make this year fun for the kids.

Garcia states, “I don’t want to take them out trick or treating and have them be exposed to other people or vice versa so I’m still trying to figure out what the best option is. 

“They love to dress up and eat candy for Halloween so this year is definitely going to be different. I hope to figure it out soon since they’re going to want to look for costumes and I’d hate for them to have costumes and not have a place to wear them to,” Garcia says.

Many parents and guardians are having a hard time figuring out how to make this year’s Halloween exciting and fun but still being safe. This year will be one to remember. 

The post Is Halloween 2020 cancelled? first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Samantha Medina

As the fall semester reaches the halfway mark, students at Colorado State University Pueblo are starting to get used to all the new changes brought on this semester due to COVID-19. With mask mandates, online classes, social distancing, and virtual events, students have had to adjust to the new school year.

Students like, Isabel Garcia, have had to spend the first semester of college all from the dorm room. “I was not expecting any of this for my first year of college,” Garcia states. “Although it is different, it has been really difficult adjusting. I just wish I was experiencing all the exciting things everyone always talks about.”

Professor Little, a Mass Communications Professor, expresses how her experience has been so far in the classroom. “It’s been better than I thought. There’s been fewer interruptions in class,” she explains. The most difficult part is not seeing the student’s facial reactions.” Many Professors have had this same feeling throughout the semester. 

Another student who was not expecting a year like this is Kayla Rhodes who is in her third year at CSU Pueblo. “I was excited for this year!” Rhodes explains. “Going to all the events the school puts on was always so fun. I’m also sad that new students aren’t having the same experience.”

With sports also shut down for now, there hasn’t been much activity on campus. Every year CSU Pueblo brings in thousands of local and out of state fans for football, basketball, soccer and more. The Thunderwolves will hopefully be able to get back this winter getting ready for those winter games.

The new normal has taken a toll on everything and students cannot wait to get things back to normal. This was not a normal semester at all. This will definitely be one for the books.

The post Not a Normal Semester first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Samantha Medina

After over six months, people have had to adjust to new lifestyles due to COVID-19. Mask mandates, social distancing and staying at home has made life difficult by limiting the usual daily activities. People are adjusting to the new normal and maybe even liking the new way of life. 

Rachel Garcia of Pueblo has enjoyed the mask mandates and has created a mini business of her own by making her own masks. “I love that I am able to create cool different styles with masks,” Garcia says. “We’re going to be wearing masks for a while so might as well make them part of my outfit. You have to have fun with it. Plus, I don’t have to wear any makeup under my mask.” Garcia loves to coordinate her masks to her outfits and as well as many members of the community who have bought personalized masks from her.

Jake Baca, also part of the Pueblo community, has enjoyed being social distanced from other people. “When I started going back to restaurants, I wasn’t sure how everything was going to but I actually enjoyed sitting at a table away from other customers! I didn’t mind being away from people at all,” Baca continues “Although, I do feel bad for servers since they are not getting as many tables as they usually would be. I have been supporting local restaurants during this pandemic since they are also going through rough times.” 

Shirley Tafoya has taken advantage of the time she’s been spending at home. Tafoya, like  people around the world, wanted to make some changes in their homes since they were spending a lot more time there during this pandemic. “I was able to go through all my clothes and get rid of things I have had for years,” Tafoya mentions. She also bought new furniture and completely rearranged her living room. “It felt so good to finally do this to my house because it’s something I’ve been putting off for months!” she added. 

As people go through this pandemic, many have found different ways to make light of the situation. Many people in the community are creating new ways to adjust to the new normal but still keeping things safe.

Mackenzie Long, wanted to use her time wisely at home by working out, eating better, and investing more time in her self-care. As a busy woman working full time while going to college, she was very nervous for what these next few months are going to look like. She realized that she needed to take more time for herself. “When everything shut down, I came to the realization that I needed to take more care of myself. I’m so used to being busy all the time and it was nice to just slow down,” She expressed. “I started to work out and just eat healthier.  It was the best thing I could’ve done for myself! I made the new changes to my self-care routine so that I could keep going on this and continue down this new path,” she said. 

Long was grateful for the shutdown. She was able to realize how much she needed to take care of herself. “I wouldn’t have done any of it if it wasn’t for things shutting down. I’ve been able to just take care of myself in my own home while staying safe,” Long also explains that we have to just accept what’s happening in our world. “There are ways to be better people and still do your activities while being safe and social distancing,” she added.

Community members are getting used to the changes and turning them into positives as much as they can in this new normal. 

The post Adjusting to a new normal first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Samantha Medina

This year’s Chile Frijoles Festival was definitely one to remember. With the social distancing rules and limitations on the amount of people, the chile fest was not the same. In previous years, the chili fest was always filled with locals and people from out of town and state shoulder to shoulder walking through the streets of downtown Pueblo.

This year there were only 175 people allowed per area which is very low compared to what is usually seen. There were two lines of people waiting to get in. As people left, people got to come in.

Loretta Rodriguez, an administrative coordinator for the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce helped at a T-shirt booth over the weekend. Loretta states, “It was a pretty exceptional weekend. We had to follow all the rules of the health department and maintain that social distancing. Good show of people but not like how it’s been in previous years.”

Rodriguez also mentions they found that there weren’t as many local people that went this year but many people from out of town and state showed up. “There were very few people I knew and talked to that were from Pueblo. I noticed there were many from Denver, Wyoming and surrounding areas,” Rodriguez explains.

There were some vendors that made an appearance this year like Simply Delicious, Romero’s Catering, Passkey and more. They usually had 4 and even 5 stages for entertainment but due to the new rules there were only two stages that were able to provide entertainment.

Although it was a different experience, many were still able to enjoy the Chile festival in good spirits. Rodriguez and many others hope that next year can bring something new for the Chile & Frijoles Festival.

The post New Normal for Chile & Frijoles Festival first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

Samantha Medina

As we move into the colder months, more and more people are in need of warm clothing as they prepare for these cold months. The individuals and families who cannot afford to purchase these winter necessities look to donation centers for help. Pueblo Cooperative Care Center provides services “in an atmosphere of love, hope and purpose.”

Items that they need on a regular basis include clothing, hygiene needs, and foods. These items will help those in need and provide them with what can keep them safe.

Clothing to donate includes mens, womens and children’s clothing. Socks, underwear and seasonal items are encouraged as well, including newborn clothing. Hygiene products that are welcomed are toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, feminine hygiene products, cleaning products for showers/baths, baby diapers and wipes, and also toilet paper. Recommended foods are peanut butter and jelly, canned meats, canned soup and vegetables, cereals, rice and many more. 

Many more products are welcomed and anything will help! Pueblo Cooperative Care Center’s hours of operation are Monday-Friday. For more information contact (719) 543-7484.

Let’s take care of our community!

The post Donations for Winter Necessities first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By: Kelly Keogh

As Covid-19 cases continue to rise in Colorado and in the city of Pueblo, Colorado State University Pueblo has begun to take action. 

President of CSU Pueblo, Timothy Mottet, filmed his regularly scheduled Monday Minute youtube video including the two most impactful steps the campus is taking in order to stay as safe as possible. “We are staffing our offices up to twenty five percent encouraging remote work when and where possible.”

Mottet also included that “there are critical student service offices that provide services to our students. We are asking that they remain staffed Monday-Friday within the hours 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with at least one person in those offices to provide those critical services to our students.” 

October 21st, CSU Pueblo put out a Covid-19 mitigation plan with the help from local public health officials. Public access has since been limited to only the Administration building and the Visitors Center located in the Buel Communications Center (BCC) during the hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Health screening is required for all guests located in the Administration building and the BCC.

CSU Pueblo also had the drop-off ballot location remain accessible to the public during this time.  

“By enacting an aggressive two-week mitigation plan, we hope to support Pueblo’s efforts and will avoid a Safer at Home Level 3 mandate from the state. We are committed to keeping our community safe and business in Pueblo open,” said Mottet, “CSU Pueblo Supports Pueblo County Plan for Covid-19 Mitigation.”

In order to visit the full mitigation plan, it is available online on CSU Pueblos website by clicking on the Covid-19 information and updates link at the top of the website’s page. 

The post 14 Day Plan to Reduce Covid on Campus first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Harmony Clearo 

Love CSU Pueblo Give Day was a success, to say the least. Give Day began on Thursday, Oct 29 and lasted a full 24 hours. And in that short amount of time, more than $72,000 were donated to multiple university clubs and organizations. Faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community shelled out the cash to support CSU Pueblo.

Campaigns included the Study Abroad Opportunity Fund, the Southern Colorado Association of Nursing Students, Dollars for Scholars and Pack Pantry, to name a few. “It’s absolutely incredible to see how people- near and far- are able to support our amazing students and university,” said CSU Pueblo’s President, Timothy Mottet. The generosity and support of the community is what allows our university to thrive, according to Mottet. 

This year’s fundraising saw 1,062 donors from several affiliations. Over 32 percent of donations came from alumni, nearly 43 percent from faculty and staff, 13 percent from friends and 5 percent from parents and families. CSU’s Search and Rescue racked up over 7,000 dollars from a mere 17 donors and “The Wolfies” Student Athlete Awards Banquet raised over 5,000 dollars. 

With such high numbers, it’s obvious how much Pueblo cares about the university. This fundraiser is an opportunity for the community to offer its support to meaningful organizations. It has been a great success in the five years that it’s been organized. Love CSU Pueblo Give Day allows students and faculty to be involved in organizing the fundraising as well as donating to something that they care about.  “Our intention in creating a ‘give day’ was to get all of the Pack nation involved, and we did exactly that,” said Mottet.

The post Fifth CSU Pueblo Give Day a success first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

What can you do to make this Halloween just as special and scary as other years!

Safe and entertaining ways to make this year’s Halloween special.

Go ghosting

Create a treat bag of goodies for a friend, family member or neighbor and leave it on their doorstep with a note inside to pass it on. Generating a chain for them to do it someone else. It’s a festive way to spread some socially distanced holiday cheer.

Plan Halloween Games

This year, you have all day to celebrate Halloween which means you might want to plan some structured activities. Plan games with your family and friends to keep everyone up!  

Halloween Party Games for Celebrating at Home

Fun Halloween Party Games for Adults That Put Trick-Or-Treating to Shame

Put on a Halloween playlist

No matter how small your Halloween party is, it won’t be complete without some festive tunes. Blast your favorites and have a dance party, no matter if it’s in your living room!

Spooky Halloween Songs You Need at Your Costume Party.

Decorate!

Nothing will get you more in the Halloween spirit than decorating your home in all things black, orange, and yellow. Throw in a couple of decorative pumpkins and you’re all set. Halloween is going to be perfectly festive, even if it’s a little bit different this year than most years.

DIY Halloween Decorations

Halloween decorating

Host a virtual party

At this point in quarantine, we’re all pros at hosting virtual get-togethers. Pour a drink, put on a costume, and invite all your friends to a Halloween FaceTime or Zoom party.

Virtual Halloween Games to Play During Your Zoom Happy Hour

Mix a spooky cocktail

Halloween calls for a boozy drink for all those 21 and older. No Halloween is complete without a custom witch’s brew cocktail or mocktail. Get creative and make drinks for family and friends that they will love. 

Creative Halloween Drinks and Cocktails to Get the Party Started

Carve pumpkins.

It’s a classic Halloween activity for a reason. Grab pumpkins for the whole family and friends. Make memories with the ones you love and create the scariest, funniest, and creative pumpkins!

Easy Pumpkin Carving Ideas

Go on a family bike ride or walk

Spend Halloween morning outdoors biking, strolling or simply walking your pet through a park or nearby neighborhoods. Take some time to enjoy the outdoors and view the prettiest fall leaves and decorated houses. It’s a great way to get some exercise and enjoy the late fall weather. 

Make a fall craft

Use your Halloween for Thanksgiving. See great ways for you to create and make fall craft that will make your home look cozy and in season.  

35 Halloween Craft Ideas 

 Celebrate Halloween with Your Pet

Whether your pet is a quiet cuddle bug or an outgoing party hound, there are a number of great ways to celebrate Halloween with your furry friend by your side. See safe ways to spend Halloween and the days leading up to it with your cat or dog.

A Holiday Guide for Pet Parents

The post Staying Safe for Halloween first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Alexis Vigil 

Sustainability in fashion is a new movement for people who want to be more conscious and explore their clothing options. This is ideal for those who want to be both fashion-forward and environmentally friendly.    

Sustainable fashion refers to the whole life cycle of clothing from the beginning to the end. So, ask yourself not only, “Where are your clothes from?” but also “What sustainable options are you using between that? and “What should you do when you decide to part with old or unwanted clothing?” 

In this article I will discuss two sustainable options that have recently piqued my interest. The first is “rent, release and swap” and the other is “secondhand and vintage.”  

“Rent, release and swap” is a new trend where you rent clothes for a certain amount of time and then send them back for a new set. This option allows you to explore new styles and decide if you want to commit to something you really like. 

I tried a new, monthly, clothing rental subscription service from a brand called Nuuly. 

You rent six styles of your choice every month for $88 and you can add extra pieces for $18 each. The clothing they feature can be new, used or vintage and is recycled between renters. You can pause or cancel the service anytime and pay for anything you decide you want to keep. 

The Nuuly packaging is also a sustainable feature. They send the clothes in reusable boxes with inserts for the labels, they also provide you with one for return. This way there is no messy packaging and no throwing away cardboard boxes. 

Poshmark is another convenient service I use for “secondhand and vintage,” The site is a virtual marketplace for buying and selling new, used or vintage fashion items. This is a great option if you have some new or gently used items that you paid a pretty penny for and that are still worth something. You can also trade items or find something new to you on the site.  

The post Sustainable Fashion  first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Rebecca VanGorder

Election Day is nearly upon us and the race is on to get people registered and ready to vote. 

So how does one get registered? There are a number of sites out there to check registration status. Some states have deadlines coming up on getting registered to vote and some have early voting just about to start as well. Here is a list of the information needed for Colorado and some of our Southwestern neighbors. 

• Colorado: Secretary of State’s site (https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/main.html) to check registration status and get registered if need be. Early voting begins October 19 and ends November 2. Mail in ballots were sent out October 9 and should be received shortly thereafter. All ballots, whether by mail or in person, must be in by November 3. 
• New Mexico: The New Mexico Secretary of State’s website (http://www.sos.state.nm.us/Voter_Information/voter-information-portal.aspx#) has the links necessary for voter’s to find what they need. Absentee ballots can be applied for and must be in by Election Day. October 20 is the last day by which to request an absentee ballot and it is recommended to return it by no later than October 27. Other important deadlines to remember are that early voting begins October 17 and October 31 is the last day for early voting and the last day for same-day registration. 
• Arizona: The registration deadline for Arizona has been extended by court order and may be subject to change by legal action. The deadline is currently October 23 by 5 p.m. The Secretary of State’s site (https://azsos.gov/elections) has other pertinent information on deadlines and mail in ballots. There is no concrete information on absentee ballots for college students. Mail-in ballots can be requested by the registration deadline.
• Utah: Online registration to vote can be found on the state government site (https://vote.utah.gov/) and the deadline for that is also October 23 by 5p.m. The only absentee ballot information is for military and overseas personnel. Mail-in voting can be requested as well.
• Nevada: The state of Nevada (https://www.nvsos.gov/sos/elections) has same day registration all through the early voting and on Election Day. Early voting begins October 17 and ends October 30. The deadline to register to vote by mail or in person (the registration not the voting) past but online registration continues until October 29. Absentee ballots can be requested by a registered voter until October 20 and must be postmarked no later than November 3 and received no later than seven days after Election Day. 
• Wyoming: Wyoming has no online voter registration. On the site (http://soswy.state.wy.us/Elections/Voting.aspx) the voter registration form can be found and must be filled out, notarized and sent in with an acceptable form of identification. A list of those can be found on the site as well. Absentee voting applications must be filled out by registered voters and sent to the county in which they are registered. The last day to register to vote via mail is October 19 and in person is November 3.
• Kansas: The last day to register to vote in Kansas is October 13 and can be done online and reached via http://www.voteks.org/. Early voting begins October 14 and October 27 is the last day Kansas voters can request advance ballots. November 6 is the last day by which advance ballots will be received if they are post marked by November 3.

With so much uncertainty surrounding in person voting and COVID-19, voters can check out https://www.healthyvoting.org for safety tips and other information pertaining to their state’s elections. 

The post Get Registered first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.