L&C: Best Western University Inn: Now vacant but always a community

RAM RESIDENCE

Best Western University Inn: Now vacant but always a community

By DJ Vicente

@deejmako

With the beginning of the spring 2023 semester at Colorado State University, the vacated Best Western University Inn leaves experiences of students now long gone.

“It really was a situation where we all had to grow up pretty fast,” firstyear student Bailey Tracer said.

Tracer recalled her experience throughout the first semester dealing with the unexpected circumstance of living in temporary housing at the hotel.

“My first two weeks were my hardest point,” Tracer said. “I had that realization that I was missing out on a lot of things. I’m missing out on the actual moving process. I just missed out on the college life.”

Struggles like Tracer’s showed the stark difference in the lives of those living in temporary housing and how those new surroundings are able to cultivate unique first impressions in college life.

One of Tracer’s biggest struggles with living at the Best Western was the distance between the hotel and main campus buildings such as dining halls and classrooms.

“I (didn’t) use all my meal swipes, and that’s a common thing that (happened) with a lot of the students at the Best Western,” Tracer said. “It’s (was) really hard to go over there and get them used, so I (felt) like a lot of those are going to waste.”

CSU Housing & Dining Services also took the commute and meal plan issues into account based on feedback received from student residents.

Nick Sweeton, associate executive director for Housing & Dining Services, noted the low usage of student meal plans throughout the first month of the semester and presented solutions in order to address the issue.

“They were using Ram Cash at much greater rates, and so based on that pattern, we offered to the community, ‘If you’d like to convert some of your meal plan over to Ram Cash, we would, of course, accommodate that,’ … and over half of the community took us up on that offer,” Sweeton said.

Sweeton and the other staff at HDS served as contacts for residents at the Best Western, helping students stay connected to campus despite the distance.

Despite these struggles, HDS and residents at the Best Western were able to find successes, such as the camaraderie among peers in the hotel.

“I feel like the fear of missing out was really scary in the first two weeks, but our community at the Best Western has changed so much, and I think it’s probably one of the best living communities on campus,” Tracer said.

Anecdotes from Tracer’s experience include student-led Spikeball tournaments in the parking lot at midnights, study groups with friends gained at the hotel and the rise of a “culture and familiarity” that has come through these activities.

Housing & Dining Services also brought student-focused programming to the Best Western. Melissa Carlson, coordinator of residential success at Housing & Dining Services, touched on different activities created by staff members, along with CSU Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement.

“We’ve put on a ‘Taco Bell Tuesday Night.’ … We did pumpkin painting. … I have to give a shoutout to Associated Students of Colorado State University — they helped to fund a pizza party and karaoke night,” Carlson said. “For each of these programs, we’re averaging 30 or more students, which is really excellent.”

One of the biggest successes for Housing & Dining Services was the ability to accommodate living space in the hotel for students for the entire semester. Sweeton mentioned student desire for stability and a solid living plan for the first semester.

“We held a community meeting in late October and asked the residents who attended, ‘How many of you, if you had the option to stay here the rest of the semester, would choose to?’” Sweeton said. “About three quarters of the people who attended raised their hands.”

The result of this vote aligned with the observations HDS had made earlier on, mentioning a rise of community desire to stay at the hotel. It also allowed the staff to prioritize students who wanted to move out of the hotel.

Carlson and Sweeton mentioned Housing & Dining Services’ desire to give students as much of the same community experience as possible compared to students living on campus.

“We really tried to envelop them in as much of our Ram pride as possible,” Carlson said.

Housing & Dining Services does not foresee utilizing the Best Western to house students in the near future.

Reach DJ Vicente at life @collegian.com.

OUTDOORS

Hitting the pow: A Ram guide to the slopes nearest campus

Skiers and snowboarders ride the Peak 8 SuperConnect lift at Breckenridge Ski Resort Nov. 24, 2022. Climate change has caused avalanches to be more unpredictable as rising temperatures cause snow to melt faster. PHOTO BY LUCY MORANTZ THE COLLEGIAN

By Katherine Borsting

@katbor2025

As Colorado State University dives into the spring semester, students all over campus will use their weekends to head up to the mountains and hit the slopes.

Skiing and snowboarding are a culture within Colorado, and CSU students are no exception to the love the state has for winter sports. It can be difficult to navigate the best options related to pricing, passes and mountains located near campus as well as find resources that allow CSU students to pick up the hobby. Where can students ski or snowboard near CSU?

Some of the most popular places to ski near Fort Collins are Winter Park Resort, Steamboat Ski Resort, Eldora Mountain Resort, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area and Copper Mountain Ski Resort. All these skiing destinations vary in price depending on the day; however, all are accessible through CSU’s shuttle program, SkiSU.

The SkiSU bus transports people to and from the mountains on weekends and charges $23 for CSU students and $30 for CSU employees.

Sam Eagen, a second-year at CSU, is an avid skier and spends most of his weekends on the slopes when the season is happening.

“My favorite place to ski is Winter Park,” Eagen said. “They have the best terrain, and on the weekends, it’s almost like a party with all the students skiing around up there.”

Winter Park, Copper Mountain and Arapahoe Basin are around a two-hour drive from Fort Collins; however, if students are looking to ski closer, Eldora is only around an hour and a half from CSU. Steamboat is upward of four hours from campus and is ideal if students are looking to spend a night at the mountain with friends. How much does it cost to ski or snowboard?

The cost of skiing or snowboarding as a student depends on the destination. A day pass at Winter Park is around $200 depending on the day.

However, skiing at Copper Mountain can be as low as $99 dollars for a lift ticket depending on the day.

Many students invest in an Ikon Pass or Epic Pass, which allows them to go up to the mountains numerous times; however, these tend to be more costly upfront.

An Ikon Base Pass can cost up to around $900. Students at CSU can get a discounted pass through the CSU Snowriders club, which is a social ski and snowboard club on campus for casual mountain trips and related events.

Claire Johnson, a fourthyear, has been a member of the Snowriders club since she first started at CSU.

“I joined Snowriders because I needed to make some friends when I first got here; however, they have saved me a ton of money on skiing when I go,” Johnson said. “With the discount, I got my Ikon Pass for around $400 dollars this year.”

In regards to skiing or snowboarding gear costs, it really depends on whether a student buys or rents. A new pair of skis can be quite expensive, but a day rental for an adult snowboard can be just above $40 at Christy Sports in Fort Collins.

Snow sports are definitely pricier in comparison to other sports. It really depends on the destination, experience and skill level. How can students get into skiing or snowboarding?

Whether an interested student is a first-time skier/snowboarder or an experienced person on the slopes, the CSU Snowriders club is a great place to get more information on how to get involved in the community at CSU.

They often post on their Instagram about upcoming trips and provide discounts for the popular Ikon Pass at the beginning of the year.

Another way to get into the skiing/snowboarding scene is to go up with friends who may be more experienced. It is also important to be mindful of busy and not-so-busy days on the slopes.

“Weekdays are for sure the best because it is way less impacted, and you’ll get more time on the lifts meaning more runs; however, that may not be possible with many students’ schedules,” Johnson said.

Skiing or snowboarding is a great way to get outside in the winter months, and CSU students take advantage of this. As school starts this spring, many students will head up to the mountains on their days off to enjoy the close resorts and fresh snow.

Reach Katherine Borsting at life @collegian.com.