By Cidonia Ponce

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU Pueblo (CHASS) has always supported its students in any capacity that they can. Specifically, CSU Pueblo’s English department offers a number of resources for students to excel, including classes that offer a publishing opportunity, to even an English Club to get students engaged and involved in the program.

However, one resource, in particular, helps any student seeking writing support. CSU Pueblo’s Writing Center offers students a one-on-one tutoring experience with other students with writing expertise. 

Previously, CSU Pueblo’s Writing Center was located on campus in the Library Academic Resource Center (LARC) on the second floor. However, during the fall semester of 2022, the writing center relocated to the second floor of CSU Pueblo’s recently newest building on campus: The Center for Integrated Health and Human Inquiry (CIHHI). 

Heather Hopkin Bowers, professionally known as HB, has been involved in CSU Pueblo’s English Department since 2016 and is currently a Lecturer in English and the Director of the Writing and CHASS Learning Center. In a recent interview, she shared her thoughts on the benefits of having a writing center on campus. “First, students who are having difficulty in their courses can come and receive writing assistance from trained peer tutors,” Bowers commented. 

Bowers explained that although the writing center is great for composition classes offered at CSU Pueblo, it can also be beneficial for any student writing in any of their classes. “We can help with all citation and formatting styles, which can help ease some of the stress students may have when writing.” Bowered went more into depth about the resources that the writing center offers. Not only does the writing center provide writing critiques, but they also help with content tutoring for any classes within the CHASS curriculum. “So if you’re taking a psychology or philosophy class, for example, we can help you with concepts that are being discussed in that class,” Bowers explained. 

Students can be more serious and considerate of their writing, especially when seeking professional jobs. Bowers seconds this and comments on the importance of writing skills professionally. “No matter what career field you end up going into, you’ll need to write,” Bowers mentions. Bowers explains that this type of writing can be emails, proposals, grant writing, and anything else. While commenting on this, Bowers brought up that writing is more than just writing when it comes to its psychology of it. “Even more importantly, we think about writing as a form of thinking,” said Bowers. “So when you sit down and write your paper, you’re going to have to think critically through difficult concepts to not only figure out what you have to say, but how you’re going to say it.”

Although the writing center is one of the English department’s successes, Bowers explains what is upcoming and some hopes for the department’s future. “We are actually looking forward to hire two more professors for the fall semester, so I am very excited to see what knowledge they will bring to the university,” Bowers said. “As for the writing center, I would love to see more professors encouraging their students to come and get tutoring,” Bowers explained. 

Bowers explained a statement that means a lot to her but also says a lot about the university. “A thunderwolf is always stronger with help from their pack. Goofy, but true.” Bowers said. “If we can work together, I think we can see some really amazing things happen.”

Although the writing center accepts walk-ins, students can still schedule an appointment through Starfish to see the different tutors. Tutoring sessions can be held in person and through Zoom. For more information, contact h.hopkinsbowers@csupueblo.edu or visit CSU Pueblo’s website by searching for csupueblo.edu.

The post CSU Pueblo Writing Center first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Dylan Weaver

After what looked to be a largely anticipated start of a new baseball year for Pack athletics, results have differed from the plan. To the disbelief of many, the CSU Pueblo baseball team has started the year 0-7 and is still searching for its first win.

To recap this seven-game stretch, there have been three different teams to come and face the Pack, with one of the teams even being a top-15-ranked team.

To start the season, a two-game matchup with St. Edward’s University was the first contender. The Hilltoppers’ powerful swings overtook the Pack as CSU Pueblo was within those games, outscoring 26-7 with a tough defeat on opening day by 22-5. St. Edwards entered that weekend being ranked #14 in the most recent polls and had just come off a series sweep the previous weekend against Texas A&M Kingsville.

The Pack’s next test was a midweek matchup with their local foe from just up the road at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. While the Thunderwolves had a tough opening weekend, the outcomes of the Mountain Lions in their games weren’t much to brag about either, as they came into the game sporting a 1-7 record. With both teams struggling to start the season, the motivation was that this game could help lead in the right direction, and the Pack could collect their first win against a team in a similar boat. Unfortunately, this was not the result as, yet again, the Pack faltered and could not make do with timely hitting in their 8-3 loss.

In the most recent action for the Pack, a trip to San Francisco was the destination for the boys as they traveled to face a 3-1 team in the Gators of San Francisco State University. The Gators, who had won the series against UCCS the prior week, welcomed CSU Pueblo in their home opener. In what looked to be an eventful series, thanks to stellar pitching outings from players like Zach Pratt and Tyler Curtis, the common denominator that led to the Pack falling short each game was timely hitting. Over seven games this spring, there have been over 50 runners left on base, and the offense hasn’t figured out the key to fixing that problem yet. Three games were decided by three runs or less while on the trip and CSU Pueblo pitching only allowed 18 runs on the weekend compared to the eight they scored as an offense.

In light of the slow start for the baseball team, morale has still been high and with a 50-game regular season schedule, things will change. As head coach Bobby Applegate keeps telling his players, “it’s not how you start; it’s how you finish,” and the boys know that the worm will turn in pursuit of the season they are looking to have.

The next scheduled competition is a weekend series featuring four games with two separate opponents coming to Rawlings Field. Montana State University-Billings and West Texas A&M University come for a round-robin scenario to play multiple opponents.

The first win for the Pack is seemingly far-fetched, but in a long baseball season, anything can happen for a team that is hungry like the Thunderwolves.

The post Baseball recap: Slow start to the hopeful year first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Dylan Weaver

As the spring season of collegiate athletics begins and continues for many athletes here at Colorado State University Pueblo a busy schedule ensues with several different teams taking action. Throughout the next four months from February to May there will be four different men’s teams that will find action and five women’s teams will see competition as well. Below is a showcase of who each team is and what they are looking for in this upcoming season.

Baseball: The Pack begins a new year of baseball under the leadership of coach Bobby Applegate who enters his second year at the helm after leading the team to a 27-26 record in his first season. After falling in the consolation bracket of the RMAC tournament and ending last season just a game over .500 the team looks to come back and improve on last season. Being credited the #22 ranked recruiting class in the nation for Division two and having multiple junior college transfers, the men have bolstered their team of last year and face a strong schedule this year that features multiple ranked opponents and even some division one school.

Softball: Another team who saw a new coach at the reins this past season was the women of the softball team. In coach, Bianca Duran’s first season with the lady Thunderwolves they were led to a 21-24 record and after a tough finish to end the season narrowly missed the conference tournament. Only eight players return from last year’s team and they are led by a strong freshman class who look to make a move up in the conference this year after being tabbed to finish in 8th place.

Golf: 

Mens: After an impressive 2021/2022 campaign that featured winning the RMAC Championship, taking the crown of the West/South Central Region, and a trip to the national tournament the men’s golf team of CSUP looks to repeat all these actions in yet another strong year for the program. Two team wins in the fall of 2022 already have started this ride for the Pack and as the season starts in early February hopes are high. Senior Liam Duncan returns this year once again as a reigning all-american and is accompanied by Matt Milar who saw himself earn two RMAC Player of the Week awards this fall. 

Womens: A young team this prior season will be in the works to move up the ranks this year after a solid fall season and the return of key players like Kylie Severin who was an all-conference pick. Picked to finish third in the RMAC the ladies will look to make a push at the title and see if their youthful team can prove to be a force to reckon with.

Track & Field: 

Mens: Closing up last season with finishes in the finals at the D2 National Championships the men’s track team, who saw six all-region members last season are returning five in hopes of getting to the national stage again. After finishing up the indoor portion of their season this winter outdoor action will start with five different events coming to the Thunderbowl later this spring.

Womens: After the departure of the Pack’s very own Colorado Collegiate Women’s Athlete of the Year in Yasmine Hernandez and only one returning all-region member, a new look to the women’s track team takes place this year with a freshman and sophomore-heavy lineup. With being ranked as high as #35 in the Indoor Track poll this January the ladies look to push up through the ranks this spring and make strides into the RMAC Championships.

Tennis: After a winless season this past spring the Pack looks to turn it around this 2023. New member Olivia Ivankoe joins the team in her freshman season and is surrounded by an experienced team of juniors and sophomores. With limited conference opponents in the RMAC, the team looks to other competitors from around the region to test their skills. Opposing schools of Mesa Community College, Hastings, University of Hawaii at Hilo, and other schools will provide action in yet another busy spring for the women.

Lacrosse:

Mens: Coming off a first-round knockout from last year’s RMAC tournament and a season that featured two losses against ranked opponents comes to a youthful team this year that looks to turn heads in their strong schedule. Five all-conference performers return with RMAC Co-Goalie of the Year Ethan Ferrie leading the way for the Pack.

Womens: A tough season last year for the women look to bounce back in new fashion this spring as they are led by new leadership in interim head coach Taylor Christensen who comes to the Pack after being a mid-year hire. 10 returners will see much action and are accompanied by a large freshman class who look to change the future of this team.

The post Spring Sports Preview first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Camerron Martin

One’s home is a place where one feels at ease and safe where terrible incidents rarely occur as people can separate themselves from the outside world within their own walls. However, for Colorado State Senator Rhonda Feilds that idea was shattered quite literally.

On Monday, March 13, Sen. Feilds came to the city council meeting located in her community of Aurora, Colo. where she pleaded with local lawmakers to step up and begin cracking down on gun laws. The reason for her visit and her pleas were the results of a drive-by shooting that sent a bullet through her house’s front window which had damaged interior property before coming to its final stop in her living room wall.

Sen. Fields was not home during the time of the shooting so it is unclear when it had taken place as it is also unclear whether the bullet was intended for her home specifically. Aurora police had received reports of a different incident involving a drive-by shooting the same day in a nearby area, therefore it is not certain if a stray round from the separate incident was what had come through Sen. Fields’ property. Both incidents took place last month on Monday, Feb. 20. 

The scene in Sen. Fields’ home has since been cleaned up by local law enforcement and they have extracted the bullet from the wall and have taken it in as a piece of evidence in the investigation.

What comes next is what many are thinking about currently as Sen. Fields voiced her concerns at the Aurora City Council meeting. Stating that nobody should feel so unsafe in their own home as she called for gun violence to be dealt with at a smaller local level.

In the state of Colorado, there is an average of twelve guns for every one thousand residents which based on Colorado’s population adds up to a little over sixty-three thousand firearms statewide. However, these numbers only account for registered firearms as individuals own many more without them being tied to their identities. There has been a long-time call to lower the number of unregistered firearms in the state which are backed by even older calls for action in taming gun violence nationwide by changing gun laws in the United States.

Many are well versed in the arguments both for and against the rights granted to American citizens by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution as some call for its reform while others defend it as it stands. Whether or not Sen. Fields’ pleas will bring about any change remains to be seen and if any should happen it will most likely be centered around Aurora rather than Colorado as a whole, but it could lead to larger change should the matter be brought up to a larger scale. 

No matter what a person’s views on gun laws and violence it is no secret that if the issues are handled in a way all parties can agree on would go a long way in allowing people to sleep a little easier at night, especially if they can feel safe enough in their own home.

The post Bullet shatters Colorado Senator’s window. first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Camerron Martin

The war between Russia and Ukraine has put a lot of tension in the rest of the world and anymore it seems that the most minor incidents in relation to either country make a lot of people feel very uneasy. Therefore it’s no secret that a United States drone being flone through the area was intercepted by Russian fighter jets and forced to crash into the Black Sea. 

The incident happened on Tuesday, Mar. 14 when an unmanned MQ-9 Reaper drone which was being flone remotely by U.S. pilots came into contact with two Russian Su-27 fighter jets that had decided to engage with the drone arguing that it was violating their airspace. American officials, however, stated that the drone was in fact flying through international airspace and called the attack on the drone unjustified. 

MQ-9 Reaper drones are a type of unmanned survivance aircraft that is capable of being flown remotely for great distances in order to provide airborne recon of large areas. Since the start of the war in the Ukraine the allies of the country, which includes the United States, have done what they can to aid the country’s efforts to repel the Russian invasion led by President Vladimir Putin which consists of a lot of surveillance operations such as the one our military was conducting.

As the encounter took place the two Russian jets moved in to intercept the drone which they reportedly did so in an unprofessional manner as they had dumped portions of their fuel on the aircraft as well as coming close enough to the drone and causing a small collision with it at one point which caused its pilots to rule the drone as lost cause as they looked to find a place to bring it down into the waters of the Black Sea. United States officials stated that the attack, whether it was intentional or not, caused the drone to be made a total loss as it can not be recovered from the crash site.

This event has caused a lot of tension between the United States and Russia, as well as its citizens who are worried that the conflict could move out of the Ukraine specifically and go abroad, should tensions continue to rise. Russia’s leaders have already threatened those who choose to ally themselves with the Ukraine and aid them in their war effort going as far as threatening nations with nuclear options in order to keep their hold on the country without outside interference. Some view the incident as a test of what the United States might do in return should they continue to push their luck at large.

The possibility of the conflict growing into the possibility of a third world war has been on the table since the beginning of the invasion should Ukraine’s allies and N.A.T.O get more heavily involved in stopping Russia’s forces and with incidents such as this becoming more and more of a possibility it leaves much thinking of what might come next for everyone. Should Russia continue to poke at not just the United States, but at other countries as well it could lead to greater consequences for all parties involved. With Russia threatening any allies of the Ukraine with nuclear threats more often in the recent months it has put all sides in a tense position. Many view the conflict as something sitting on a very unstable point and with just the slightest push here and there people worldwide could end up watching it all finally tip over and escalate into a much larger conflict.    

The future of the Russian and Ukraine conflict is unknown as it can go in any direction and with it, the rest of the world could follow suit in any way, and that has caused a lot of people to end up on edge as they are uncertain if themselves or their friends and families will end up a part of the conflict should it go global. Russia has definitely begun to up its violence toward the Ukraine and toward the rest of the world as well in order to prevent the Ukraine from winning the war.r However, through these increased attacks on its rivals Russia could very well be creating a much larger conflict that will undoubtedly extract a heavy toll on the rest of the world to some extreme.

The post Russian Jets force U.S. drone into crashing. first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Dylan Weaver

Track: Before moving on to the NCAA Indoor Championships, the track team of CSU Pueblo saw action recently when they competed in the RMAC Indoor Championships, and to their name collected five gold medals over a bunch of others. At the end of the two-day event, Pack track had the men’s team finishing third out of a field of 12 schools and the women’s team finishing sixth in a field of 13 schools. Leading the way in Gold honors was Nate Miller who won the shot put event with a distance of 18.64 meters. Following behind him with their own Golds were the duo of top-performing women on the weekend Katherine Higgings in the shot put and Helen Braybrook in the 800-meter run. The other Gold winners for the Pack included Reece Sharman-Newell in the 800-meter run as well as the relay team for the 4-x-400 meter relay made up of Tyrell Smith, Kaleb Tipton, Carl Schmidt, and Sharman-Newell. The final medal winners included Keith McInnis with a silver medal in the high jump, Justin Jenks getting silver in the shot put, Terrel Johnson with a bronze in the heptathlon, and Tipton taking home silver in the 800-meter run.

Wrestling: In the finale of wrestling season nine different members of the Pack ended up stamping their names into the West Super Regionals with four of them finishing top six. Michael Atencio was the top finisher as he concluded the year with a fourth-place finish in the 141-pound bracket. Following behind him were Cyruss Meeks and Ben Gould who both finished in fifth place with Meeks in the 157-pound bracket and Gould in the 285-pound bracket. Elijah Valdez finished in sixth place at 165 pounds. Three other members competed as well for the Pack and including Conor Goucher, Cameron Nesbit, and Donn Greer who all collected single wins on the day.

Baseball: Wrapping up the non-conference phase of their season the CSU Pueblo baseball team found themselves facing familiar foes in a three-game weekend series (3/3/23-3/5/23) when they took on the likes of Colorado School of Mines, Regis University, and Metropolitan State University. On the weekend the Pack collected a 1-2 record as after they faltered late in a 10-6 loss to Mines they turned it around with an 11-4 victory over Regis on Saturday the fourth. Unfortunately, they couldn’t keep the win streak alive as they fell to Metro 16-0 in the third game. Currently on the season the baseball team is 2-12 overall and heads into RMAC play now as they tackle the Mountain Lions of UCCS as their first opponent.

Lacrosse: Back in action after almost a month since their last match the men’s lacrosse team traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah where they faced off with Lynn University for a non-conference matchup. A strong offensive push for the Fighting Knights was too much for the Pack to handle as they fell short with a 15-8 loss. Returning to the field the very next day on the sixth, the lacrosse team once again faced a setback as they couldn’t get much going in a 22-1 loss to the Westminster College Griffins.

Women’s Basketball: In a season that featured many up and down moments, the ladies of the CSU Pueblo women’s basketball team capped off the finale of their year as they headed into the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament for postseason play. Facing top-seeded Regis University and in a valiant attempt to continue their year, the Thunderwolves concluded their season on Feb. 28th when they lost to the Rangers by a score of 72-57. The Pack finished with an overall record of 14-15 and went 11-11 in conference play. Highlighting the year were three all-conference selections for the team in a second-team player of Janaiya Davis and both Charisse Fairley and Tomia Johnson garnishing honorable mention selections.

Softball: Continuing their conference schedule the softball team took a trip up I-25 to face Metro State University this past weekend as they looked to improve on their standings. A tough four-game set had other plans though, as the Pack would drop all four games to the Roadrunners and end up being mercy ruled in the final two. Overall the women are 6-13 on the year but have struggled within the RMAC as they are 1-11 in the conference. An away series at Fort Lewis College comes next for the Pack.

The post February: Spring sports recap first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Madison Lira

The Last of Us, a survival horror game developed by Naughty Dog and Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 in 2013, has become a full-fledged HBO Max show. The TV show, which premiered on Jan. 13 of this year, was a nine-episode synopsis of the main storyline, which many gamers relived from the heartbreaking game that came out nearly a decade ago. Before diving into my personal review of the show and how it lived up to the game, I need to air out this fact. I did not play the game when it came out or even when the remastered edition for PlayStation 4 was released. Instead, I watched walkthroughs of the game on Youtube from people like Markiplier and TheRadBrad when they played the game. 

With that out of the way, I will say the TV show did a fantastic job on not only the scenery and the entire vibes that matched the game, but they created storylines that made me sob like a baby, even more than the game’s original story did. First, the beginning of the show of the scientist talking about the cordyceps and how it can be a very real possibility for humankind to experience freaked me out. Opening with something like that sets up the pain and suffering to be endured by the characters of the show/game.

Moving onto the actual storyline, I will say that even having watched previous walkthroughs of the game and knowing full well who would be dying, nothing could’ve prepared me for how the show would dive deep into these deaths. Seeing Sarah’s death (Nico Parker) and Joel holding her (Pedro Pascal) in real-time again and in the flesh made the scene even more heartbreaking. Tess’s death as well was heartbreaking to see in real-time but also creepy as one of the infected stuck his fungi tongue down her throat before she burned all of them (including herself) alive, which was a radical change from the firefight against the government that you have to endure in the game. 

However, nothing prepared me for the episodes surrounding Bill (Nick Offerman) and his partner Frank (Murray Bartlett). The game initially gave hints that Bill was gay but never outright said it; in the show, however, they dedicated an entire episode to their relationship. Seeing these two men find love in the ending times for humans was beautiful and sinisterly heartbreaking. The two dying in their bedroom after getting married had me broken down in tears, as these two had spent the rest of their lives in love during a time when every man and woman was fighting for themselves. 

Sam’s (Kievonn Montreal) and Henry’s (Lamar Johnson) storylines in the show made me bawl like a baby, especially at the end. They chose in the show to make Sam deaf and for him to carry aboard what he uses to communicate. They also made Ellie (Bella Ramsey) make herself bleed and rub her blood into Sam’s infected bite and tell him, “My blood is medicine.” From there, to have Henry himself shoot Sam instead of Joel shooting him and then having Henry so consumed with the guilt of what he’s done shoot himself made my heart ache. Then to add a full dagger to the heart moment, they closed the episode of Joel and Ellie burying them and Ellie writing on Sam’s board that she was sorry that she didn’t save him from becoming infected.  

Although I had some grievances against the show, mainly going really quickly through the plotline, I felt that nine episodes were too quick to get through everything from the first game. The show did a fantastic job portraying the game, and not many tv shows/movies based on video games do a wonderful job at creating not only the atmosphere but recreating the characters and their stories beautifully (looking at you, Super Mario Bros. Movie). I wish they had added many more fighting scenes against the infected in the show, including the part where Joel is dangling in one of Bill’s traps in a warehouse and has to shoot upside down while Ellie attempts to cut him loose. They also did not include an iconic piece of dialogue between Joel and his brother Tommy, “I reckon it’s got something to do with that girl. It’s got everything to do with that little girl.”

The post The Last of Us: TV show versus video game first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Camerron Martin

When finding a place to settle down and build a life, people often look for places they can do so with the smallest amount of resistance or worry about that goal. People want a safe place to raise their kids and build a future. However, only some cities in the United States can provide that peace. Regarding Pueblo, Colo., there are differing perspectives if the city is considered a “safe place.”

As of this year, it isn’t the most crime-ridden or dangerous city in America. However, it is one of Colorado’s most crime-ridden and dangerous cities. With a crime rate of seventy per one thousand residents, it makes most people shake their heads.

Many forms of crime run their course through our community, with violent and property crimes being some of the most prevalent and ongoing. The chance of being a victim of one of the two crimes is one in fourteen, which puts the town high in the rankings, with an average of 98% of other cities and communities in Colorado being safer. Pueblo ranks forty in the top one hundred most dangerous cities in the United States of America.

In Pueblo, violent crimes most often committed are manslaughter, rape, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, totaling over fourteen hundred violent crimes annually for every one thousand Pueblo residents, an annual rate of 12.65. Property crimes, including burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson, and robbery of over fifty dollars annually total to around sixty-four hundred property crimes with a rate of 57.42 per one thousand residents.

Further, looking at the rate of crimes per one thousand residents and taking the national mediums for both violent crime and property crimes can describe unsafe patterns Pueblo has come to know well. 

For violent crime, the national median is 4, putting Pueblo alone over twice the amount as the state of Colorado sits barely above at 4.81. An individual living here in Pueblo has a one in seventy-nine chance to become a victim of violent crime, with the most frequent being assault, and a one in two hundred and eighth chance in Colorado.

Regarding property crime, the national median is nineteen, with Pueblo at almost three times above that line, with the entirety of Colorado only sitting at 31.35. The chance of property crime occurring against an individual in Pueblo is one in seventeen, and the chance state-wide is one in thirty-two. With a population of 112,368 people as of 2021, these rates make property crimes much more common in Pueblo, with the highest-ranking type being property theft.

What has led to Pueblo becoming such a dangerous place to live? Much of it is likely from our community’s inability to contain it. There is no such thing as a perfect crime-free environment in this day and age, with one of the most significant limiting factors being the resources a place has at hand they can use to decrease the rising crime rates. Pueblo has its resources, including the Pueblo Police Department, and other organizations utilize what they can to keep residents safe. Still, they are limited by several factors contributing to the high crime rates working their way through the community. 

Many seek an answer to these problems and will sometimes look to blame those who often have no control over the situation rather than those who actively make things worse for the community altogether. Others, such as myself, want to see a reform in the system that handles these criminals. 

Many of those involved in boosting the crime rate doesn’t fear the consequences they might face because they often seem like nothing more than a slap on the wrist which doesn’t precisely prevent both new and repeat offenders from engaging in criminal activity. The courts of both Pueblo and the state all around need to up the charges that people found guilty face to create a real sense of punishment. Give actual consequences, such as real jail time based on the offense, and then decide if parole or other ideas should even be considered.

It’s no secret that Pueblo, Colo., is plagued with issues that rank it very low on people’s lists as a place to move to or visit. However, they are issues that, if met with real change, could actually lead to a real solution if our systems took the time to change themselves and how they operate first.

The post Crime rates happening in Pueblo, Colorado first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Julian Volk

‘Ghost guns’ have become a growing problem in Colo., attributing to 692 murders and attempted homicide investigations nationwide. A presumed ‘ghost gun’ was used by the Club Q shooter during the Nov. 19 shooting. 

‘Ghost guns’ are un-serialized and untraceable firearms that can be purchased online, or even 3D printed, and/ or assembled by whoever and are currently legal to build and own in Colo. On normal firearms, serial numbers are included on the firearm. The serial number shows the date and location a firearm was manufactured and is meant to help find stolen firearms. ‘Ghost guns’ have made it quite difficult for investigators for these reasons. 

However, another feature that serial numbers offer is helping investigators trace a gun to its origin. The manufacturer keeps the serial number of a firearm that has been shipped to a customer. Micro stamps are usually engraved on the firing pin of a firearm, so when a trigger is pulled, the casing fired is stamped with the serial number by the firing pin.

But, with ‘ghost guns’ having no serial numbers, checking for microstamping in crimes where they are used becomes useless. This means tracing the firearm used in cases where ‘ghost guns’ are used becomes impossible for investigators, leading to many cold cases with limited forensic evidence. 

As mentioned, ‘ghost guns’ construction and use are legal in Colo. The Gun Control Act, enacted in 1968, states that manufacturing guns for sale without a license is illegal. However, it states nothing about manufacturing firearms for personal use, meaning you can purchase/ make parts of a firearm without breaking the Gun Control Act. Some states, such as California, have laws against non-serialized firearms, but Colo. is not included in this group. In Colo., you can own a gun without a license or a serial number. 

The Club Q shooting took place at the Colo. Springs LGBTQ+ club right around midnight. Reports came out a few days later, on Nov. 22, stating that the weapon used in the shooting was a ‘ghost gun.’ The long firearm appeared fully automatic, letting the shooter fire around forty to fifty shots before being stopped. Although unclear where the shooter had gotten the parts, the legality of ‘ghost guns’ wouldn’t have made it hard for them. The Gun Control Act also means that sales and purchases of parts for ‘ghost guns’ are legal, so long as they are sold separately from each other. The sale, buying, and assembly of the shooter’s firearm was completely legal in Colo.

Governor Jared Polis has voiced his support for the banning in Colo. “We joined the call of Mayor Suthers, Mayor Coffin, and Mayor Hancock, bipartisan mayors in our three biggest cities, to take action on ‘ghost guns,’” said Polis in a Jan. 17, 2023 State of the State speech, “We have no current system to make them harder to attain in Colorado, nor any way of preventing criminals from acquiring them.”

Polis also addressed the possibility of a Red Flag law, which allows law enforcement to remove someone’s firearms if they are having a mental crisis and return them after the crisis. This lowers the chance of that individual injuring themselves or others during a mental crisis, hypothetically stopping shootings and suicides by people with mental illness. However, under current law, persons considered harmful by the Red Flag law can purchase, build, or 3D print ‘ghost guns’ themselves without repercussions. 

Coloradoan Saul Ramirez Escobedo is one man who fears the impact of ‘ghost guns’ in Colo. crime. In an interview with the United States Attorney Office’s Colorado district, he explained how he once was a manufacturer and seller of these non-serialized firearms. He was arrested on charges of selling firearms without a license and sentenced to four years of probation in 2021. 

“Right now, you look at the media; there’s a lot of killings going on, you see a lot of people shooting each other, mass killings and stuff. I started looking into that and thought, ‘man, that could be one of the guns I put out on the streets,’ and it’s really scary,” Escobedo said.

‘Ghost guns’ are currently illegal in Denver but are still legal in many other Colo. counties, becoming a staple of local gun crime. 

The post ‘Ghost guns’ rampant in Colorado gun crimes first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Madison Lira

Cannabis sold in several Colo. dispensaries, including Colo. Springs, has been issued a health and safety warning by the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Batches produced by Green Street LLC have been identified as having tested positive for unsafe growths of Aspergillus, mold, and yeast.

According to the advisory, CDOR put out the batches “sold to patients or consumers between November 18, 2022, and February 21, 2023.” 

The batches had initially passed contaminant testing but then failed the retesting for these contaminants. The affected cannabis should have a label affixed to the container indicating the licensing number of the regulated business that cultivated the weed. These numbers should also indicate the batch numbers assigned to the cannabis (bud/shake/trim). The CDOR released not only the types of batches that were contaminated but also the dispensaries/ stores that sold these batches of cannabis. 

Some signs and symptoms that you might have consumed cannabis that has been contaminated are coughing, nausea, and vomiting. Highly unpleasant but are considered to be much milder symptoms compared to those who are immunocompromised or even allergic to the mold/ yeast contaminants found in the cannabis. Some allergic reactions that can occur if you have ingested contaminated weed are sinus pain, drainage, congestion, and wheezing. 

The Aspergillus fungi, also found in some batches, usually pose no risk for some individuals as many of us breathe in the tiny spores daily. However, immunocompromised patients could be at risk of developing an aspergillosis infection. The symptoms of the infection are fever, chills, bloody cough, shortness of breath, chest/joint pain, headaches, and skin lesions. The infection can bring serious complications, such as bleeding in your lungs or spreading the disease to your kidneys, brain, and heart, which can prove fatal. 

Anyone who purchased batches from listed stores is urged to destroy or return the marijuana to the stores it was purchased from for proper disposal, according to CDOR. Those who have ingested the batches in any way and experiencing any type of adverse symptoms should seek medical attention and report the incident to the Marijuana Enforcement Division by submitting a reporting form. 

The CDOR and various news sites, including KKTV-11 News, have released the batch/licensing numbers and stores that the batches were sold in for the public to check their containers if they purchased from these dispensaries. 

Medical Marijuana Cultivation Facility: 403-01933

Retail Marijuana Cultivation Facility: 403R-01199

Total Yeast and Mold Contaminated Medical Harvest Batches:

WaffleconeR4HB10312022 (also failed for Aspergillus)

HBR2Cherrypunch11262022

Aspergillus Contaminated Medical Harvest Batches:

HB081522LAKushCake

Total Yeast and Mold Contaminated Retail Harvest Batches:

HB08112022AokiBerry

Sold at the following Medical Marijuana Stores: 

PI Holdings, INC (402-01144) Doing business as “The Chronic Boutique” 325 East Pikes Peak Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80902 

Magnolia Road, INC (402-00883) Doing business as “Magnolia Road Cannabis Company” 1750 30th Street, Unit 84B Boulder, CO. 80301 

Platte Valley Dispensary, LLC (402-00588) Doing business as “Platte Valley Dispensary” 2301 7th Street, Unit B Denver, CO. 80211 

Adams Green Crossing, LLC (402-01145) Doing business as “The Chronic Boutique” 2727 Palmer Park Boulevard Colorado Springs, CO. 80909 

Sold at the following Retail Marijuana Stores:

 Magnolia Road, INC (402R-00327) Doing business as “Magnolia Road Cannabis Company” 1750 30th Street, Unit 84A Boulder, CO 80301 

Magnolia Road, INC (402R-00962) Doing business as “Magnolia Road Cannabis Company” 1995 West Midway Boulevard Broomfield, CO 80020

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