Fort Lewis College News Magazine
Independent
The
Issue 33
The DURANGO STORIES Issue IN-STATE TUITION RISES AT FLC STUDENT PROFILES THE REAL PRICE OF SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BAGS THRIFT STORES OFFER FUNKY FINDS FOR STUDENTS FLC A LEADER IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN BEHIND DURANGO’S DOWNTOWN PHOTOS HISTORY OF THE HALLS THE NON-TRAD SERIES: WHY OFFICE HOURS MATTER
March 2012 FREE
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Indy Editors & Staff
BUSINESS Amanda Penington Courtney Ragle Troy Sliter
Kaitie Martinez
Haley Pruitt
Emily Fagerberg Assistant Financial Manager
“If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.” -Albert Einstein
“It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.” -Agnes Repplier
Bre Pascuzzo Assistant Events Coordinator
Editor in Chief
Business Director
COPY EDITING
Ali Bryson
Jordan Alexander
Associate Editor in Chief
Marketing/PR Director
“Love is a human experience, not a political statement.” -Anne Hathaway
“A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” -David Brinkley
Meagan Cunha
Lacey Kae Shuster
Creative Director
Events Coordinator
“Do all things with love.” -Og Mandino
“As the light changed from red to green to yellow and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing more than a bunch of honking and yelling? Sometimes it seemed that way.” -Deep Thoughts with Jack Handy
JR Starns
Julian Martinez
Art Director
Financial Manager
“What I am trying to get across to you; is please take care of yourself and those that you love; because that is what we are hear for, that’s all we got, and that is all we can take with us. Are you with me?” -Stevie Ray Vaughan
“A man who views the world the same at fifty as he does at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.” -Muhammad Ali
Ali Bryson Chief Copy Editor Emily Griffin Copy Editor DESIGN Graeme Johnston Jenessa Pitka Erica Saurey Zoey Sturm ONLINE/BROADCAST Morgan Boaman Chris Braun Tawney Summers PHOTOGRAPHY Allie Johnson Adam Mohsin Hana Mohsin REPORTING Mitchell Fraser Jimi Giles Ayla Quinn Reid Tulley
Steph Cook
News Editor “The dude abides.” -The Big Lebowski
Lucas Hess
Online/Broadcast Manager “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” -Hunter S. Thompson
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Correction Disclaimer: In the “Logistics of Student Living” story printed in Issue 32, Julie Love, director of student housing and conference services, provided information that should have read, “When trying to decide between the apartment buildings students prefer Mears over Centennial because students have their own bedroom.” (The story incorrectly stated that students have their own bathroom.)
the independent news magazine
Cover Photo by Allie Johnson
from the editor’s deskAli Bryson My Dearest Indy Readers,
CONTENTS Horoscopes
4
As State Funding Dwindles, In-State Tuition Rises at FLC
5
Story by Ayla Quinn
History of the Halls
6
Story by Reid Tulley
Thrift Stores Offer Funky Finds for Students at the Fort
8
Story by Mitchell Fraser
FLC a Leader in Energy and Environmental Design
9
Story by Ayla Quinn
Behind Durango’s Downtown Photos
11
Story by Jimi Giles
The Non-Trad Series: Why Office Hours Matter
14
Story by Ruby Madigan
EC Column- The Real Price of Single-Use Plastic Bags
15
Column by Hari Baumbach
Student Profiles Profiles by Jimi Giles and Reid Tulley
16
I have grown up learning and adhering to the value of excellence. I was very lucky to have a family that accepted nothing less than the best from me. Though this may have led to more sweat and tears than would have been comfortable, I am immensely thankful that they pushed me to challenge myself in everything I do. With this upbringing I try to reflect excellence in my work today. As a member of the Independent team, my goal is to provide the best product that I can for you all, and to reflect that to my staff as well. Excellence, however, is not just about being the best. To me, an excellent news magazine is about making our publication a conversation. At the Independent, we deliver a public service. Our job is to give our readers information about the world so they can make educated decisions about how to live. We often give a voice to the voiceless, and strive to build community through the words and pictures on our pages. It is very liberating to have your name tied to something beautiful. It reminds me of the heavy-eyed nights I spend writing essays for class. While the minutes turn into hours and my morale begins to sink, I have to remind myself that the more time I put into something, the better it should be in the end. There is no reason to put my whole self into something that I don’t value, and ultimately I want to be proud of everything that I have a hand in. I am proud of the Independent. I am proud of where we’ve come from and how we’ve grown since then. I am proud of our readers, who want to live informed lives and who constantly challenge us to produce excellent work. I am proud of our staff members, who work long hours because they care just as much about credibility, diversity, impact, and excellence as I do. In the end, it isn’t about how popular our news magazine can become. It is about the conversation between individuals to grow with each other and make educated decisions as informed citizens. My hope for all of you is that you can be proud of everything you take part in, and in the words of the beloved 90s characters Bill and Ted, may everything you do be most excellent! All the Best, Got something to say? Bryson We want to Ali hear from you!
Independent News Organization
Editor in Chief We encourage reader Associate participation through our perspectives section. Submit letters, cartoons, or anything else you’d like to see in print to Editor in Chief Kaitie Martinez at kmmartinez@fortlewis.edu or News Editor Steph Cook at sscook@fortlewis.edu. Note: The Independent reserves the right to edit submissions as necessary or deny publication. News tip? Contact Steph Cook at sscook@fortlewis.edu For any other inquiries, contact Kaitie Martinez at kmmartinez@fortlewis.edu
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HOROSCOPES AQUARIUS
PISCES
ARIES
(January 20 - February 18)
(February 19 - March 20)
(March 21 - April 19)
Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask for help with what you’re struggling with. Everyone has hard times, and just because you feel alone doesn’t mean you really are. There are people all around you who want to stand by your side.
Learning a new language could be the key to success for you this month. This isn’t to say that you need to invest in a fancy software program to do so. Sometimes just speaking with bilingual students or community members is the easiest and most fun way to learn.
With spring just around the corner, your early mornings will be filled with birds chirping just outside your window. Don’t be annoyed. Instead, embrace the beauty of new life that comes with the season, and enjoy the sound of spring.
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
(April 20 - May 20)
(May 21 - June 20)
(June 21 - July 22)
You may be feeling lazy this month, but don’t let it get you down! Avoid couches and comfortable chairs, and beware of hot tea and fuzzy blankets. It may be time to lace up your running shoes and run those sleepy feelings out the door.
The color orange is known to evoke aggressive feelings, and this may be your downfall this month. Control your temper around oranges, carrots, and sunsts and try to think objectively about your surroundings. The most beautiful parts of life could be right in front of you.
Time flies when you’re having fun, but it can also drag on when you’re not. Instead of watching the clock this month, lose yourself in whatever you do. You will find tedious tasks go faster when you give it your all.
LEO
VIRGO
LIBRA
(July 23 - August 22)
(August 23 - September 22)
(September 23 - October 22)
While the grass may be greener on the other side of the fence, you should be thankful for what you have. Don’t get caught up in other people’s possessions, and focus on your own blessings in life.
Wash your hands thoroughly this month. No one likes to be sick, and the fewer germs being spread on campus the happier everyone will be in the long run. Being healthy allows for being productive.
Being assertive will propel you forward this month. Without being abrasive, take action and work hard for what you want to achieve. People around you will respond to your positive attitude and help you move forward.
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
(October 23 - November 21)
(November 22 - December 21)
(December 22 - January 19)
Music will help you keep your head on your shoulders this month. If you need to relax, close your eyes and find some smooth jazz to listen to. If you need to blow off steam, punk rock may be a better option.
Have you met the love of your life yet? If not, don’t fret. For every pot there is a lid, and true love could be just around the corner. Be open to what comes your way, and don’t lose hope for the future.
Beware of paper cuts when handling important documents this month. It’s a mystery how something so small could bring about so much pain, and no one likes going through their normal routine with a bandage on their finger.
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Editor’s Note: Indy horoscopes are for entertainment purposes only and are done by students on the Indy staff. No professional astrologist contributed to this piece.
As State Funding Dwindles, In-State Tuition Rises at FLC Students taking between 12 and 18 credits will see an 18.6% increase
Story by Ayla Quinn Due to a decrease in state funding, Fort Lewis College tuition is increasing for in-state residents, said Michele Peterson, budget director. If a student is currently taking between 11 and 18 credit hours, he or she is paying $184 per credit, Peterson said. Next year the cost per credit hour will increase to $200 per credit, she said. In part with the increase, the tuition window is closing by one credit hour. In order to be considered a full time student, students will be required to take 12 credit hours per semester, she said. “Any student who is taking between 12 and 18 credit hours will see an 18.6 percent increase in tuition,” said Steven Schwartz, the vice president of finance and administration at FLC. Students who are taking fewer than 12 credit hours next year will see 9 percent tuition increase, Schwartz said. “Tuition for next fall will be $4,800 and when you add in fees, the total tuition and fees will be $5, 592,” President Dene Kay Thomas said. “Yes, we have increased, but we were very low to begin with and it still puts us at a very reasonable price.” Student fees will also be rising next year, Schwartz said. “Fees are going up from $51.45 per credit hour to $55.40 per credit hour,” he said. The amount of fees students see depends on what different organizations across campus are requesting, he said. Organizations’ requests go through a three-step process before administrators determine the end decision, Schwartz said. The tuition raise is specifically for in -state students because of the reduced state funding for higher education, Peterson said. As a public college of higher education, FLC, like many other public colleges, is facing a situation where the amount of state funding for education is decreasing, Thomas said. With the economy in trouble, this situation is worse, Thomas said. The state does not have the money and the college is feeling the reduced support, she said. “Our premise here on campus has been state revenue subsidizes the tuition for in-state students and, if that money is going away, then the resident or in-state students will basically have to absorb that difference,” Peterson said.
FLC price sensitivity shows that tuition for out-of-state students was above the market average, she said. “If we increased our tuition any higher, we would lose out-ofstate students,” she said. On the residents’ side, FLC is the third least expensive college in the state, behind Western State College and Metro State College, Thomas said. As officials at FLC work to balance the college’s budget, they are led back to the old argument, ‘just reduce the fat,’ Thomas said. “Well, we have reduced fat over and over,” she said. Because of this, as FLC administrators continue to try to balance the college’s budget, the tuition will continue to increase, Thomas said. “The state does not look like they are going to be coming in and giving us more money,” she said. State officials are cutting higher education funding to compensate for the departments that the state cannot cut funding to, such as Medicaid, the correctional systems and K-12, Peterson said. “We need to make the case that higher education is a public good again,” she said. As FLC faces a lack in funding, college officials are concerned with avoiding a decrease in the quality of education the college can provide, Thomas said. “Obviously we are concerned about keeping college affordable and ensuring students are able to go to college,” Peterson said. Student accessibility is a concern shared by Schwartz. “From my position, we are concerned about the impact it is going to have on enrollment and the impact it is going to have on students’ ability to pay,” he said. For some students the tuition raise also means an increase in the amount of outside work they will need to put in to be able to afford college, he said. “The more you work, generally speaking, the more it impacts your grades,” he said. Higher education is crucial in shaping someone’s quality of life, Thomas said. “College is a very important part of life,” she said. “A college education changes people’s lives.”
“Tuition for next fall will be $4,800 and when you add in fees, the total tuition and fees will be $5,592,” President Dene Kay Thomas said.
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History of the Halls Where FLC’s buildings got their names Story by Reid Tulley
The names of the various halls that make up Fort Lewis College’s campus are derived from academics and administrators who have made important contributions to FLC during some of the most difficult and controversial periods in the college’s history. The library, which is the focal point of academic advancement, was named after former FLC biology professor and president John Reed, said Delilah Orr, a professor of English at FLC. Orr was a student at FLC during John F. Reed’s time as the second president of the college and remembers him as being a very student -oriented academic leader, she said. “He used to walk through the dining hall and sit down and talk with students,” she said. Orr attended FLC from 1968 to 1971, before moving on to attend Harvard, she said. She eventually returned to teach English at FLC, fulfilling a long -held dream of hers, she said. “Before it was Reed Library it was just the library,” Orr said. What is now Miller Student Services Center used to be where the junior and senior students would eat, and the Student Union Building was where the first and second-year students would eat, Orr said. Richard Wheelock is an FLC alumnus who attended the college during John Reed’s time as president. Wheelock remembers Reed as being very supportive upon Wheelock’s return to FLC as a professor, he said. “He came in and congratulated me in front of one of my whole classes and assured them that I was the guy they should be listening to,” he said. Berndt Hall was named after Rexer Berndt, the president who followed John Reed, Wheelock said. Orr was a senior when Berndt took over the presidency of FLC, and remembers him as having a special talent for administration, she said. “He was the first president who was a strong administrator rather than an academic,” she said. When Orr returned to FLC in 1990 to take a position as a professor in the English department, a new president was in charge of FLC and his name was Joel M. Jones. Before 2007, Jones Hall was named Sage Hall and prior to 1997 it was called the Fine Arts Building, Orr said. Joel M. Jones was president of FLC during some very
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What is now the Miller Student Services Center used to be where the junior and senior students would eat, and the Student Union Building was where the first and second-year students would eat, Orr said. difficult times but remained a strong academic leader who had a knack for administration and an incredible ability to communicate, she said. “He still remains very active in the surrounding community,” Orr said. Wheelock supported Orr’s statements about Jones. Jones was responsible for solving problems during some key times in FLC’s history and remains very respected among many groups, he said. Wheelock remembers some of the issues that FLC was confronted with during the time Jones was president of FLC and specifically recalls him being a major force in changing the mascot of the school from the symbol of a raider on top of a horse to the Skyhawk students see today. The old mascot was offensive to some Native American students at FLC, as well as to other people from the community, and was therefore changed to the Skyhawk mascot, Wheelock said. Jones was also president of FLC when the political science club invited the spokesman for the Ku Klux Klan to come to speak at a forum at FLC. This incident in particular caused outrage in the community and put a tremendous amount of pressure on Jones, Wheelock said. “People in power are like quarterbacks,” he said. “If they win the game, they get all the glory, but if they lose the game, they get all the blame.” Jones provided opportunities for FLC students to partake in other activities during the time of the forum such as free skiing and free music shows, Wheelock said. Jones tried hard to protect FLC students from off -campus forces that threatened their educational experience at FLC, Wheelock said. “A good president is one who is a defender of the college and protector of the institution,” he said.
Photos by Hana Mohsin
Bookshelf, left, in Reed Library. Artwork, vertical, in Reed Library. Exteriors of Reed Library, Berndt Hall and Jones above.
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Thrift Stores Offer Funky Finds for Students at the Fort Story by Mitchell Fraser
Fort Lewis College
Durango is home to multiple thrift stores, but a lot of citizens don’t know what goes on behind closed doors at these places. Most thrift stores make profits by taking daily donations and selling them at reasonable prices to customers. Dunn Deal, a re-sale shop located on 3101 Main Ave is run a bit differently than other thrift stores, said employee Brandon Schwartz. “Here at Dunn Deal, we are a retail store, meaning we don’t rely on donations,” Schwartz said. “We actually buy everything and clean it up to re-sell it here in our store.” Stores turn things down all the time because employees aren’t sure that the items have any real value, he said. To gain more information about an item, thrift stores will use Google to look up retail value and respond to that, he said. Dunn Deal has built its reputation by giving customers as much of a fair shake as they can, he said. “We give everybody the fairest price we can, that’s what we’ve built our reputation on, fair prices for them and for us,” he said. While Dunn Deal may focus more on bigger items like furniture and appliances, Fort Lewis College students have several other options in Durango where they can purchase hidden clothing treasures. There are many thrift stores in the area where FLC student Hali Groninger is usually able to find exciting items at reasonable prices, she said. “I remember one day, I hit a few thrift stores and, in about an hour, I was able to purchase enough clothes for like three outfits, and it was a grand total less than $25,” Groninger said. Part of the fun is bargain hunting and seeking out the dives, she said. “It was such a good time to go to thrift stores with a couple friends and try so many clothes on,” she said. “There are so many fun hats and sunglasses and all sorts of stuff to try on, me and my friends lost track of time.” Another FLC student, Nathan Sloma, was able to find some g3reat used clothes as well, he said. “I swung into the thrift store by the Humane Society when I needed to kill some time one day, and I found some really sick stuff,” Sloma said. “I ended up buying about three pairs of pants and a couple cool jackets and hoodies.” Sloma never would have imagined that he’d find items for so many occasions at a thrift store, he said. “You honestly never know what you are going to find when you go into these places,” he said. “I would really recommend to anyone looking for something to do in Durango to check some thrift stores out sometime.”
There are many thrift stores in the area where FLC student Hali Groninger is usually able to find exciting items at reasonable prices, she said. *8, 9, 10, and 11 not shown on map
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Infographic by Erica Saurey
FLC a Leader in Energy and Environmental Design
How architecture and color create a brighter school day
Story by Ayla Quinn When the Student Union, Animas Hall and the chemistry wing in Berndt Hall were being constructed, achieving LEED certification was an important factor in the decision making process, said Catherine Gore, campus architect and facility planner. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. To become LEED certified the building must have specific ways of saving energy, improving air quality and providing a good overall feeling when inside, Gore said. “LEED is a system where we sit down with consultants when they go to design a building,” Gore said. The first point addressed is the location of the site, Gore said. Specifically, they assess if the site is close to other buildings and does not require additional roads or water lines to be extended to the location, she said. In a city or a high density area the location will receive more LEED points because of the convenient location, Gore said. Because this is a college campus, everything that LEED does improves the environment of FLC, Gore said. Gaining LEED points also addresses Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), Gore said. “One practical way to prevent Indoor Environmental Quality problems from arising is to specify materials that release fewer and less harmful chemical compounds,” according to the LEED Reference Guide. Reducing properties of adhesives, paints, carpets, composite wood products and furniture can improve IEQ, the reference guide said.
“I would say this had a really positive environmental impact on somebody that is sitting in the room,” Gore said. One way to specifically improve IEQ is to minimize exposure of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) to the building occupants, indoor surfaces, and ventilation systems, the reference guide said. Increasing the ability to control the ventilation in the room also improves IEQ, Gore said. According to LEED guidelines, the building must provide outdoor air ventilation to improve indoor air quality for the occupants’ comfort. Most of the rooms in the Student Union have windows that students can open, Gore said. “You can control them from the inside, so you have the ability to have fresh air,” she said. Having all these advancements in new LEED buildings does a few things in particular, Gore said. “It makes it nice to be in today, but in 30 years and 40 years it is still going to be nice to be in, because it is fresh and clean,” she said. “The buildings that we’re building will have longer lives,” she said. (Continued on following page) Below: The Student Union was specially designed to let in sunlight without heating up, Gore said.
“The building must provide occupants a connection between indoor spaces and the outdoors through the introduction of daylight,” according to the LEED reference guide. Above: The walls in Animas Hall were painted with colors to create special mood effects.
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Gore said that she feels like FLC has achieved their goals with constructing buildings that improve students’ well being. “We are seeing that it really works because the students are so comfortable in the spaces,” she said. Natural light is a very important aspect of making a space as comfortable as possible, Gore said. In the Dining Hall there are windows all across the north side and a wall blocking the sun from the west to prevent extreme heating from the natural light, Gore said. The building must provide occupants a connection between indoor spaces and the outdoors through the introduction of daylight and views into the regularly occupied areas of the building, the LEED Reference Guide said. A light box located near The Rocket Grill was designed to keep maximum sunlight with minimum extra heating, she said. “It is a giant box and the light can shine down into the coffee room and the light can flood down into the Dining Hall,” she said.
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Sunlight is considered to have more of a blue tone, said Barth Cox, an assistant professor of English who teaches students about the effects of lighting and color in his video production classes. Even though a blue hue is not visible to the eye, it creates a calming effect, Cox said. How a color affects a person varies depending on the individual and cultural histories, said Andrea Martens, an associate professor of art. “In visual art, colors like red, orange, and yellow relate to warmth, while blues, violets and greens relate to coolness,” Martens said. A color’s purity or intensity can also have an impact on us psychologically, she said. “The effects of colors often depend on their context or surroundings, including color relationships and harmonies,” she said. “A very intense group of colors are often read as energetic and bold.”
A color’s purity and intensity can also have an impact on us psychologically.
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Above: Animas Hall, recently refurbished and up to LEED standards, said Catherine Gore, Campus Architect.
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the theindependent independentnews newsmagazine magazine
Graphic by Graeme Johnston
Photos by Adam Mohsin
Behind Durango’s
Downtown Photos
1000 words and a few stories with historian Duane Smith Story by Jimi Giles Downtown Durango is littered with old-time photos from its early days as a small, mountain mining town. Most of these pictures, however, lack context in their current locations. Patrons may see these photos every day, but their significance to Durango’s history may be unknown. With the help of Duane Smith, a local historian and professor of history and Southwest studies at Fort Lewis College, these photos come to life once again.
FLC professor of history and Southwest studies Duane Smith has written/co-written over fifty books concerning areas in and around Colorado.
Uranium mine near Smelter Mountain -Photo’s location: Jarvis Suite Hotel (125 W. 10th St.) During the 1890s, the United States government knew Uranium was present in Durango, but its practicality was yet to be determined, Smith said. Rushes to start mining the radioactive element occurred during World War I and World War II, Smith said. Its decline in World War I was due to a larger deposit found in Africa that was cheaper to mine, but its resurgence in World War II was based on rumors that the Nazis were trying to break the atom, he said. Some of the Uranium used in the first three atomic bombs was mined from this area, Smith said. The Durango miners, however, were naïve of the element’s magnitude. “They had no idea what it was,” Smith said. The mill shut down in 1964 when the government decided there was a sufficient stockpile of the element, he said. The presence of Uranium in the community was huge. The first “movers and shakers” of Durango consciously tried to create a specific demographic during the town’s growth, Smith said. “They didn’t want the rough-necks here,” he said. Instead, locals attracted oil and mining industries that would shape the future of the area. “They wanted the oil companies here,” Smith said. “They wanted the
Uranium companies here, and that really changed Durango.” When Durango started to grow, more homes were being built on the north end of town. Because of the hilly topography, tailings from Smelter Mountain were used to level the construction sites, Smith said. As a result, homes tested positive for radioactivity from the trace amounts of Uranium in the soil, he said. Present-day locals can rest in peace as the mill and its tailings were buried behind Smelter Mountain. “They have mediated it,” Smith said. El Moro Saloon (1899) - Photo’s location: Olde Tymer’s Café (1000 Main Avenue) The first thing a viewer can notice when looking at this photo is that there are no women, and that’s not an accident, Smith said. El Moro Saloon was on the west side of what is now the 900 block of Main, Smith said. This area of town was the saloon block, and if women were walking on the west side of the street, they would be advertising their trade as prostitutes, he said. The men of the time didn’t want hustlers in their saloons, he said. “Little kids weren’t supposed to walk over there,” Smith said. It was acceptable, however, for a wife to snag her husband out of the saloons, he said. Women were able to drink, but only out of sight from the front-end entrance. In what was called a sample room in the back of the saloon only accessible through the alley, these women, mostly alcoholics, drank in the room that was set up for liquor distributors to advertise their product to proprietors, Smith said. A big attraction of the saloons was a free lunch. “Dried fish and salty ham, anything that was salty to get you to drink more,” Smith said. At that time, beer was a nickel per glass and a quarter per quart, he said. Hanging of George N. Wood (June 24, 1882) -Photo’s location: The Summit (600 Main Avenue #205) George N. Wood entered a saloon and shot a man sitting at the bar that was supposedly “paying court to his girlfriend,” Smith said. Wood was promptly arrested, and the man he shot supposedly said in his last, dying words that he didn’t even know whom Wood was talking about, he said. Wood had a trial, but didn’t get a right to appeal, Smith said. Less than a month after Wood’s arrest, he was hung in what was the only legal hanging of Durango, he said. “What they were doing more than anything else was to set an example so, ‘We don’t have any more of that going on in town because it’s bad for the civic image,’” Smith said. Lynching did occur, but the last lynching happened four years after Wood’s execution, Smith said.
Fight between Jack Dempsey and Andy Malloy (October 7, 1915) -Photo’s location: El Rancho Tavern (975 Main Avenue) Many of Durango’s old timers attribute this fight, which occurred in what is now the 10th and Main area, as a monumental moment of the town’s history because of Dempsey’s later fame of becoming a heavyweight world champion in 1919, Smith said. In actuality, Dempsey, originally from Manassa, Colo., fought all over the area. “Dempsey was not that well known,” Smith said. “I mean, he was just a club fighter picking up a fight wherever he could for money.” Dempsey was the underdog and won. At the time, Andy Malloy held prestigious boxing titles, Smith said. Volunteer fire department (July 4, 1911) -Photo’s location: Jarvis Suit Hotel (125 W. 10th St.) This photo was taken during a Fourth of July parade, and until the 1890s, all fire squads were volunteer firemen, Smith said.
June 24, 1882
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Competition between the town’s multiple fire squads was fierce, which is evident in the photo’s banner, which reads, “A remnant of the best volunteer fire department ever organized.” There was great pride in getting to a fire first, Smith said. Fire squads did more than eliminate danger. They sponsored local events such as dances and picnics, he said. “It was a social club,” Smith said. At the time, fires were just as serious as they are today, he said. Durango burned down on July 1, 1889. Everything from the corner across from El Rancho Tavern down to the corner of Ninth and Main, and areas of Second and Third Avenue were destroyed, causing $100,000 worth of damage in an era when a home cost $5,000 to build, Smith said. Part of what caused the fire was the fact that speed was a priority of construction in 1880 and 1881. As a result, buildings were made of wood until 1890 and 1891 when laborers started using brick, Smith said.
A group of kids towards the back of the spectators watch Wood get “jerked to Jesus.” Children were taken to the hanging to be shown that the wage of sin was death, Smith said.
Hanging of George N. Wood
June 16, 1895
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1899
El Moro Saloon
Durango Wheel Club at Baker’s bridge
Art by Sarah Zoey Sturm
Durango Wheel Club at Baker’s bridge (June 16, 1895) -Photo’s location: Olde Tymer’s Café (1000 Main Avenue) This photo is a result of the movement from the standard, six-foot front wheel bikes in the late 1880s and early 1990s to what is now a bike more similar to ones found today, Smith said. With the movement of biking came the movement of women wanting to exercise, he said. Women were just starting to do athletic activities. Before, people thought it would harm their fertility, Smith said. There is a group of women on the left hand side of the photo adorned in long skirts. “It was really sexy to see an ankle,” Smith said. So, at the time, women had to wear extra-long skirts while riding as to not expose themselves, he said. Smith is unsure how long the club lasted, but said it was a pioneer movement in women’s rights.
Where do these photos come from? All photos were courtesy of the Center of Southwest Studies.
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Cycling was more a summer recreation because what are now paved roads were made of gravel and mud, Smith said.
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July 4, 1911
1900’s
Uranium mine near Smelter
Volunteer fire department
October 7, 1915
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A lot of fights were fixed during that time to ensure the right people made money; sometimes, the boxers were even in on the take, Smith said.
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Fight between Jack Dempsey and Andy Malloy
Why Office Hours Matter:
Office hours are important for all students, especially those who might be considered non-traditional.
OFFICE HOURS
Story by Ruby Madigan All professors at Fort Lewis College are required to keep office hours, established times and days that the professor sets up for students to come by and have a conversation, said Dr. Stephanie Vie, director of the writing center and assistant professor of rhetoric and composition at FLC. These are scheduled times that should always be made available to students, publicized to students at the beginning of the semester and, in Vie’s opinion, should be referred to throughout the semester to remind students that they are available, she said. At FLC professors are required to keep half the hours they teach as office hours, she said. Traditional and non-traditional students alike can benefit from attending office hours. It’s very important for students to be able to maintain a relationship with the professor beyond just what’s in the classroom, Vie said. For some students that relationship would be seeking additional information and getting help, she said. The professor can then, in a quiet space, offer resources and give students the targeted help they need, she said. For some students, office hours represent an opportunity to be a part of a community they might not otherwise have access to. Andrew Tomasi, a junior, described office hours as being very important to his college experience. “Students can go and speak to their profs about a class-related issue, get advice about pre- and/or post-graduate life plans, or even just get to know their profs in order to gain some perspective on the world around them,” Tomasi said. Tomasi feels fortunate to be able to consider a couple of his teachers to be more like colleagues, who advise him on everything from school to more personal matters, he said. Vie also acknowledges the benefits of the personal and professional dynamic of office hours. For some students, getting to know the professor better is an important step in the development of their major, or may be an opportunity to choose an advisor, she said. Other students may just want to talk with them and feel more like they are a part of a community of scholars on campus, Vie said. Students who take advantage of office hours tend to be a lot more engaged with their whole college experience, said Steve Meyers, a writing instructor in the English department.
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the independent news magazine
The Non-Trad Series: a series of stories and columns about non-traditional students at Fort Lewis College.
Graphic by Graeme Johnston
Meyers implements a system of mandatory meeting hours in the freshmen level classes he teaches, largely to ensure that all students are able to take advantage of his office hours, he said. “That way, for students that have really complicated lives and this might be true of non-trads especially. You’re a non-trad you’ve come back to school years later, you’re a parent and you have a job and you’re trying to get your bachelors degree, and your professors are doing everything they possibly can to make themselves available to you, but office hours couldn’t work or you’re unable to set up an appointment. In this class at least they will have an opportunity to meet,” he said, referring to the mandatory system in his freshman level classes. Vie recognized that there may be non-traditional students who are reluctant to meet due to their particular circumstances. Students may have come back to school after some period away and feel that they’ve missed out on a lot of educational opportunities in the meantime, she said. For other students, it may be the age relationship between the professor and the student, Vie said. If the student is the same age or older than the professor, this could set up a different potentially awkward dynamic for the student, especially if he or she is seeking clarification, help, or assistance, she said. Older students may feel more self-sufficient as an adult, and that they should be able to handle school on their own, Vie said. In other words, they don’t see why they should attend office hours. The benefits, however, may outweigh the challenges. The non-traditional students who Vie has interacted with are very mature and have a greater understanding of why they’re here, Vie said. “So really, it’s a great opportunity to say, ‘I’m paying for my education, I’m really valuing my education, I should utilize office hours too, because that is part of my education that is there for me,’” Vie said. Tomasi believes most teachers are here because they want to be, and because they want their students to grow and flower—not only academically, but personally as well, he said. “Starting college for the first time could prove to be a somewhat revolutionary experience, a reversion in some views,” he said. “Adjusting to that lifestyle, being surrounded by those that are presumably fresh out of high school, not necessarily having many people to relate to, could be extremely difficult. For these reasons, having a true mentor is of utmost importance.”
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The Real Price of
Single-Use Plastic Bags Column by Hari Baumbach
Our activity on the planet has undeniably caused great impact to our natural environment. This impact is in turn causing numerous problems that may jeopardize the survival of our future generations and of life in general on the planet. Most experts agree that these problems cannot be solved by a one-size-fits-all approach. Every aspect of our activity must be addressed with sustainability in mind, but every unique problem must be approached individually and in context. Given this reality, it is not surprising that conversations about sustainability are becoming more frequent and appearing in a broader context. Individuals, businesses, and governments are realizing that it is in everyone’s best interest to create a more sustainable society. Grassroots movements, business initiatives, and public policies have stemmed as a response to this realization. Our production system and its consequential waste is one of these areas of human activity that needs serious attention. We exploit natural resources and turn them into products made out of synthetic chemicals only to dispose of them in landfills where they will remain long after we have perished. It is, therefore, imperative that we try to reduce the amount of waste we create in the first place. Every reduction, large or small, is an important step in the right direction. The Durango community has shown a genuine interest in taking steps toward becoming more sustainable throughout the years. In an attempt to reduce waste in our community, a grassroots group of community members has recently decided to turn their attention to the single-use plastic shopping bags in
Editor’s Note: This column was contributed by the Environmental Center. The Indy is not responsible for any views stated in this piece and the Indy content department is open to suggestions and requests for column space from other campus organizations. For more information contact: sscook@fortlewis.edu or kmmartinez@fortlewis.edu.
Durango and advocate for a ban in their use. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw away over 100 billion plastic bags per year. Every hour, 200,000 plastic bags are disposed of in landfills and could take around 1,000 years to break down. Before they break down completely, the pieces of plastic are often carried by waterways and taken to the ocean, where they join the average of 46,000 pieces of plastic per square mile currently in our oceans. This plastic not only pollutes these environments, but also harms the wildlife around it by choking them or killing those who ingest it. Despite Durango’s inclination to embracing sustainable initiatives, this proposal has found opposition as well as support. Among the arguments presented by the opposition is the concern that addressing single-use plastic bags is not enough to resolve our problem with plastic waste. They also argue that banning bags may negatively impact the tourism economy. These concerns are not unique to Durango. Several other U.S. cities and other countries have also considered this issue and have decided that the benefits of banning single-use plastic bags outweigh its drawbacks. The city of Durango has established a task force to make a decision about this matter. The opinion of community members will be taken into consideration in this process. Help Durango take this step! Make sure to get informed about this issue and let your voice be heard!
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STUDENT PROFILES In an effort to tell the stories of our diverse student body, the Indy staff highlights at least two students each issue in the “Student Profiles” section.
Profiles by Jimi Giles
Baltazar “Zar” Maldonando III
Cassie Seaney
Age: 20 Major/year in school: General Biology, Freshman
Age: 19 Major/year in school: Engineering Major, Freshmen
Fellow Skyhawks can find freshman biology major Baltazar “Zar” Maldonado III, 20, partaking in various activities including video gaming, playing pool, hiking, or fulfilling his work-study position at the Native American Center. Maldonado, who is part Northern Arapaho and Mexican, grew up on and off the Wind River Reservation in Riverton, Wyoming. He now considers the Lowry area of Denver as his hometown, he said. Maldonado didn’t know anyone when he moved to Durango for school, but now he has met a lot of people, he said. “I like to hang out with friends,” Maldonado said. “I like to play video games.” Maldonado’s favorite game on his PlayStation 3 console is Skyrim, the last edition of The Elder Scrolls, because of its amazing graphics, he said. If Maldonado’s playing pool, chances are he’ll be in Camp or Crofton, away from his Cooper residence. “I tend to hang out there because the pool table in Cooper is pretty tough,” he said, speaking of its large size and small pockets. Maldonado might stick with his work-study position at the NAC for the next three years, but he’s unsure at the moment, he said. “I just sit here and help people who look confused,” Maldonado said. “I’m usually pretty bored, and I can’t go on Facebook.”
Freshman engineering major Cassie Seaney, 19, has more to worry about than the fact that her male-dominated field of study requires 134 credits upon graduation, which entails an 18 credit per semester load for a four-year plan. As a Fort Lewis College soccer player with future plans of double majoring in chemistry, Seaney is one busy Skyhawk. A native of Canyon City, Colo., Seaney attributes her science skills to her father, she said. “My dad’s an AP Chemistry and Physics teacher at my high school, and I just got really interested in the sciences and math” Seaney said. “And it just kind of comes natural.” Because of Seaney’s schedule of year-long athletic training and rigorous schoolwork, she plans on attending FLC for at least four and a half to five years, playing outside mid-fielder for the Skyhawks. “We have a pretty young team, so I went ahead and red-shirted,” Seaney said. “With soccer, engineering’s pretty tough.” On the entire female soccer team, there are three science majors, Seaney said. With practice, weight lifting, homework, and labs, Seaney spends her free time sleeping, watching movies, and skiing, she said. Seaney’s future goals include pursuing a career in chemical engineering, specifically in the medical industry, producing materials for advances in prosthetics, she said.
Editor’s Note: Students for this section are chosen at random by the Indy staff.
Photo by Allie Johnson
Photo by Lucas Hess
STUDENT PROFILES Profiles by Reid Tulley
Christine Roubidoux
Brandon Cox
Age: 28 Major/year in school: General Biology, Non-Trad
Age: 21 Major/year in school: Psychology, Junior
Christine Roubidoux is a non-traditional transfer student studying Biology here at Fort Lewis College who enjoys running and is a self-acclaimed “pool shark in training.” Born in Soda Springs, Idaho Roubidoux described her lifestyle as “nomadic” and full of new experiences. She recently moved to Durango from Los Angeles in September to attend FLC where her brother John Roubidoux is an Assistant Professor of Physics and Engineering and his wife Julia Roubidoux is a Lab Director for the Chemistry Department. “Everybody in Durango is so nice and it is a great place to go to school,” Roubidoux said when asked how she liked Durango so far. Roubidoux is an avid runner who has been running for around six years and she enjoys competing in marathons across the country. She plans to compete in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Seattle, Washington in June of this year. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series is known for lining race routes with live bands, cheerleaders and themed water stations, according to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series website. This year for the race in Seattle all clothes that are discarded in the first few miles of the race will be donated to local charities. Roubidoux is a hard working student who recently received an invitation to join the Honors Society and who plans to continue her education by attending graduate school in order to achieve her dream of becoming a physician’s assistant. “I want to do my best because I took a little time off but that has helped me to improve my focus,” Roubidoux said.
Brandon Cox is a Junior of Psychology at Fort Lewis College who enjoys bouldering and sport climbing in his free time and who is President of Master Plan Ministries, an FLC registered student organization (RSO). Master Plan Ministries, a non-denominational group of Christ followers, strives to provide a real spiritual community for students at FLC, Cox said. As President of Master Plan Ministries Cox spends time overseeing the organization and mentoring FLC students who could use some guidance when school and life can become a little stressful or when they just would like someone to talk to, Cox said. As a full time student and acting President of Master Plan Ministries it is hard to believe Cox has time for anything else. However, he likes to spend his free time rock climbing around Durango and the Four Corners area. “Sport climbing at Lemon Lake is one of my favorite things to do on a nice day,” Cox said. Cox is a Colorado native who was born in Montrose and has been climbing since his senior year in high school. Most Duragoans are partaking in snow sports during this time of the year but Cox is out pumping through some bouldering problems at Turtle Lake despite the snow on the ground and the coldness of the rock he has to cling to.
Editor’s Note: Students for this section are chosen at random by the Indy staff.
Photos by Hana Mohsin
Photos courtesy of Brandon Cox
Adams State College Master’s Degree in Counseling Internet Classes and On-Site at Fort Lewis Financial Aid is Available
Accepting applications Emphasis: Clinical Mental Heath Counseling School Counseling Introducing: CACREP Accredited Addiction Counseling
Seeking Accreditation by CACREP
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