Fort Lewis College on The College Tour: 30 Minute Full Episode

[Music] welcome to durango colorado home to fort lewis college the campus lies here in this picture-perfect mountain town creating the ultimate crossroad between education and adventure i'm your host alex boylan and for the next half hour you're going to get the inside story of what makes this college so special and best of all you're going to learn about it from real students going to school right here right now welcome to fort lewis college this is the college tour okay first we're gonna meet up with ayanna calton she is a junior originally from albuquerque new mexico she is majoring in psychology with a double minor in criminology and pre-law very very impressive and she's going to share with us what campus life is all about here at fort lewis take it away anna so when it comes to campus live at the fort there are a number of ways to get involved let's be honest that's a big part of the college experience the community and that's exactly why our campus is buzzing with events and activities for the students usually when something big is taking place on campus it's best to be in what i call the holy triad the holy triad consists of the clock tower the library and the student union and are commonly places where students can find a an ideal study spot b a tabling event of some sort or c a place to hang out and meet someone new over time at fort lewis these places became legendary to me holy in a sense serving as a space to meet some of the most wonderful people in my life today and these views are just a few of the beautiful places available students on campus functionally serving as a hot spot for new hangs or the place for the perfect picture personally speaking my experience at the fort has been full of perfect and not so perfect moments if you ask me understanding life as a young adult can be all too challenging which is why choosing the right college can quite literally mean everything fort lewis meant for me choosing an unknown path a new path when it came to forging diversity equity and inclusion fast forward three years and self-work growth and actualization to have taken place right here on this very campus and thanks to campus life i'm grateful for the opportunities presented to me i was able to genuinely cultivate a network that of which i am so very proud of my role as a part of student government has allowed me to represent the student body in ways i never knew possible my greatest role as black student union president has presented me with a platform to speak on issues around colonization oppression addressing discussion and dialogue unknown to the narrative by now i'm sure that this is where i'm meant to live and the truth i'm meant to be a part of if you ask me what makes this place so unique is people like you with a story to tell and a top tier liberal arts education awaiting i hope i didn't tell you all our secrets and if anything that i said stuck with you for whatever reason well i hope to see you soon i'm off to one of the beautiful views i was talking about earlier see you around back to you alex ayanna that was so special thank you for speaking from the heart that was really cool this campus is incredible and i've been loving the vibe ever since i got here great job thank you for that take care anna all right everyone now we're heading to meet nate de cramer he's a senior here at fort lewis college an outdoor adventure in every sense of the word is gonna talk to us about outdoor recreation here at fort lewis nate how you doing take it away [Applause] how's it going everyone one of my favorite parts about the fort is the fact that i have all this great access to outdoor recreation out here i'm a raft guide during the summertime rafting down the colorado river in the desert during the winter time when i'm not in school i'll dedicate my time to backcountry snowboarding during the spring i go and do ski mountaineering which is riding technical lines down the big high peaks out here in the san juans during the fall i explore the infinite canyons of the desert what's really cool about durango is that the san juans are right there in our backyard and the desert's only about two and a half hours away so that means that you've got world class skiing climbing mountaineering hiking backpacking it's awesome durango is home to the animas river it flows right through the heart of downtown durango and it's an awesome spot for white water kayaking and rafting out here durango is also home to the end of the colorado trail we got a ton of trails out here hundreds of miles weaving in and around town that is great for trail running mountain biking hiking you name it if you like national parks then you will have a ton of options out here we got places like grand staircase escalante choco canyon canyons of the ancients arches canyon lands and mesa verde is only about an hour away not to mention all the national forests as well as all the designated wilderness areas that you can explore and camp in all by yourself whether you've been exploring the outdoors for your entire life or you're just getting into it outdoor pursuits here at flc is an awesome resource it's located right here on campus at the student life center and they provide free gear rentals to all the students you can rent anything from a mountain bike to split boards to hiking and backpacking gear anything you need to be successful out there in the wilderness not only do they provide free gear they also provide guided trips and training tutorials so that you can hone your skills before you go out there on your own these trips are provided by student outdoor leaders and guiding professionals themselves in the field and range anywhere between backpacking trips over the weekend here in our backyard or mountaineering trips all the way around the world i love going to college here because this place has really allowed me to explore all these new recreational activities and truly find all these cool outdoor experiences and it has really shaped who i am today back to you nate next time i'm back here you have to take me on one of those awesome adventures you do all the time that was awesome great job next is ali g she is from low mountain arizona located on the navajo nation she's a senior public health major the hajjoni ambassador and a remarkable woman who's going to talk to us about diversity here at fort lewis college which as you will see is very special here on campus allie it's all yours [Music] hi everyone as alex stated my name is ali i'm now going to introduce myself in my navajo language what i just said in my dunet language are my four clans that i use to identify myself as a navajo woman i personally chose to attend fort lewis because of their commitment to serving students and the diversity within this community and it's proven to be the best decision i've ever made fort lewis is a unique place where diversity is central to who we are over 50 of our campus are students of color representing nearly all 50 states 15 countries and 170 native american tribes and alaskan villages fort lewis is a native american serving non-tribal institution that offers qualified students a tuition waiver if they come from federally recognized tribes the tuition waiver was established in 1934 to provide native american students an opportunity at affordable higher education the old fort lewis property in hesperus colorado was home to a military base and indian boarding school in the 1800s fort lewis college is currently taking steps to address its history and the school has been working to understand and represent the diversity of the student body one of the ways that this is done is by the resource centers that we have available to us on campus we have resources like the native american center al centro de muchas que lores the black student resource center and the gender and sexuality resource center these centers play a huge role in everyday student life from free tutoring to events on campus there is a place for everyone the opportunity to meet new people from a variety of backgrounds interests and concentrations of study are always available here at flc that is something that i truly love about this campus together as skyhawks we work hard to create an inclusive community by actively seeking to understand the diverse backgrounds of our community we become agents of change to create a more equitable world and i love it thanks everyone that was super fun to share what diversity means here at fort lewis and back to you alex [Music] ally thank you thank you for being so open and honest about diversity here at fort lewis the world needs more people like you great job okay everyone next we're gonna go meet sadie wet she's a senior and transfer student and she is incredible and we couldn't be more excited to have her talk about academics here at fort lewis hey sadie you're on take it away hello everyone i am so excited to be here to talk to you all about academics here at fort lewis that i have found incredibly rewarding and fulfilling there are many opportunities within the majors and programs to find your home there are over 50 majors to choose from as well as minors concentrations and certificates that you can combine to make your own fort lewis offers programs in arts and humanities science business and education for example i'm a theater performance major here but i have been involved in the music department and i've recently taken an interest in the education classes and programs we have here on campus the faculty at fort lewis have been incredibly welcoming and personable and i have been able to connect and make relationships with professors honestly that's something i didn't have at my last college and something i really appreciate about fort lewis the best part is the small class sizes you really get to know your professors and your classmates fort lewis's curriculum is very engaging and i love that we as students get to experience our areas of study hands-on we're not just sitting in a lecture listening we're going out and doing depending on your major that could be teaching in a local elementary school or doing your own research in a lab for me it's performing on a stage overall fort lewis has been one of the best academic decisions that i've made in my life to help prepare me and support me for my future especially the hands-on learning experience i hope you've learned a little bit about the academics here at fort lewis i've had so much fun back to you alex [Music] sadie thank you great job that was awesome to learn more about the academics through your personal perspective and experiences that was great thanks again bye sadie next we're heading over to meet ethan balchek a six foot four 295 pound offensive lineman and captain of the football team who's going to tell us what fort lewis athletics is all about ethan you're on [Music] what's up everyone i'm here to tell you all about fort lewis athletics and what we're all about here now what i'm about to say a lot of other athletes have said before but here it is a fact every single athlete here that plays at fort lewis college knows that there's something special going on here from the beautiful scenery at practice to the preparation before game day to every single person in those stands watching us compete day in and day out and i can guarantee you there is nothing better than when it's crunch time and it's all on the line fourth and one on the goal tied matching volleyball in the last set and those cyclists and runners going through the end there is no better feeling than putting the team on our back and coming in clutch for those of you that are curious about all the little details fort lewis college is a division two school in the rocky mountain athletic conference or the armac for short we play teams all over the midwest adam state university chadron state colorado school of mines and new mexico highlands just to name a few the only team that operates a little bit outside the armac is our cycling team they compete in the usa division one program and they have a ton of championships to boot because we're that good now in the day-to-day i'm gonna be real with you it gets pretty tough being a student-athlete here the way it was put to me was growing up you now have two jobs you are a full-time student and a full-time athlete and you got to find a way to make it work and they weren't kidding about that either so a lot of these people come in think they're going to be great and amazing and then they get hit by a truck the first time that they go through with it but if you're like me it's a blessing in disguise a lot of us figure out who we are as a person what we want to do and what we can figure out in the classroom as well now when i first came home from my first semester of being a football player my folks didn't even recognize me when i left i'd struggle with my weight my time management and i could barely communicate in a severe fashion to anybody but then when i came back i figured it all out i dropped 20 pounds i was able to manage my time properly and i was able to say what i really thought to my parents it was kind of funny because they looked at me and they just went where's ethan and what did you do with them i know what some of you guys are thinking this is great and all but i'm not a student athlete this next little bit is just for you there are tons of things that you can do to help support your student athletes such as going to the games getting fired up for those rallies every single athlete loves having you we all want you to be there every single time we compete and i'm going to be honest in the stands it is an absolute blast every chance i get i go to a basketball game a volleyball game or another type of athletic event and it is no doubt some of the most fun i've had in college there's always going to be something to do from an athletic standpoint so you can always support your skyhawks and that's fort lewis athletics in a nutshell go skyhawks talon's up back to you alex [Music] ethan your energy and excitement for athletics at the fort here is contagious great job i want to go back to college and play sports right here that was awesome thanks again next we're heading to meet jesse duran a junior studying computer engineering the hands-on experience he is doing here at the college is remarkable he's gonna take a few minutes to tell us about experiential education here at the fort jesse you're on [Music] hey alex hey everyone so computer engineering is a new major here at fort lewis but already has an incredible reputation i've been doing research at the college for almost a year and in that time i've had wonderful research opportunities presented to me i work closely with the biology and physics and engineering departments the undergraduate research opportunities are beyond the leap and this is because the professors work tirelessly bring these opportunities to campus the amount of cross-disciplinary training and hands-on work that i've been able to do extends from microbiology microfluidics lasers and optics machining parts and printed circuit board design the research is exciting but that doesn't mean that regular courses are boring it's quite the opposite in my geology class we went north of durango to look at fossilized specimens and limestone stratification of rock and natural occurring hot springs in my physics course we built an electric motor from nothing but wood nails and wire in chemistry class we synthesized ibuprofen with all these classes i got the opportunity to connect my learning to the real world the classes here at the fort are more than just theory their application if these classes sound a little academically challenging you're absolutely right luckily the tutoring services on campus are phenomenal as a ce major i have to take a lot of math there's a peer education center that has tutors at the ready to help you with any problems that you may have in math writing languages and more the native american center also has dedicated tutors for a wide variety of classes best of all all these services are free the feeling at fort lewis is that everyone wants you to succeed if you put in the time and the effort the opportunities will present themselves and you'll reach new horizons alex back to you [Music] jesse wow what you're getting to do at this college is absolutely fascinating there's no better way to prepare for the real world than working on real work that's incredible thanks for sharing great job next we're heading to meet tyler gleason tyler is a junior theater education major here at fort lewis college and is going to give you an overview of this college's location here in durango colorado which let me tell you is absolutely amazing it's an incredible mountain town you're going to want to watch this tyler you're on take it away hello everyone bienveedos welcome to durango colorado we are located in the southwest part of colorado also known as the four corners the four corners are where new mexico arizona utah and colorado state corners meet we have a lot to offer here in durango we have breathtaking views restaurants coffee shops stores food trucks and a diverse community that welcomes and accepts us college students and encourages us every single day one of the most well-known attractions in our town is the durango and silver to narrow gauge railroad this train brings so many tourists from all over the country to our small little town the train takes passengers from our town to the neighboring city of silverton durango is a quaint mountain town that was established in 1880 and has evolved since then from being a gold and silver mining town into now what is known as a college town from here in the animas river valley to the 14 000 foot san juan peaks we have direct access to colorado's largest wilderness area that's why i like to call durango a bucket list mountain town durango has year-round festivals because we like to get outside and have fun this includes a taste of durango a foodie's dream durango playfest the celtic festival and durango bluegrass meltdown and snow down snow down is our wild and entertaining festival where everyone in the town gets dressed up and competes in crazy competitions if you like that small mountain town film i don't know a better place for you speaking from experience when your college is located in durango colorado all your friends and family will want to come visit you it's a very special place all right that's enough for me back to you alex tyler great job thank you for that you're 100 right durango is truly a special place thanks again cheers tyler next we're heading to meet the one and only carson ingram he is the student body president here at fort lewis and is going to take a few minutes to tell you about the housing and dining options here on campus mr president the floor is all yours [Music] thanks alex this president has a nice ring to it which more people would call me that now let's talk about student housing first we have a lot of great options to choose from if you want a traditional college experience you can choose camp crofton or escalante you'll have one roommate a bathroom at the end of the hall and it's a great place to meet a lot of new friends but if you like your personal space we have a lot of sweet style options on campus just for you bader snyder cooper west and right here at animus hall each of these share a bathroom with four different people and they come in single bedroom styles and double bedroom styles big shout out to all my friends over in bader v that's where i stayed when i lived on campus no matter where you choose all of the options are amazing and the staff there are there to help they generally care about their job and they want to see you succeed whether you lock yourself out of your room or you just need someone to talk to of course going to college isn't all just about school a lot of great events are playing on campus and a lot of them happen right inside of the residence halls pizza parties tie-dye mixers open mic nights these events help me make new friends adjust to college and really enjoy my first year experience and of course while living on campus we all have to eat the san juan dining hall and the rocket grill are great places to go if you want to get a quick bite or sit with your friends and talk while you have a great meal the san juan dining hall has multiple options every meal so there's always something for everyone to eat and if you have any dietary restrictions don't worry about it the dining hall will work with you to make sure that you can leave with a full stomach and a smile on your face and if you're wanting something quick and easy in between classes we have three great coffee shops to choose from animus perks burnt hall and jones hall they're great places to stop if you want to get a coffee and a bagel and it gets you back to class in no time that's housing and dining here at fort lewis college alex back to you [Music] mr president that was fantastic thank you for giving your personal tour into the housing and dining available here at the fort thanks again carson next we're meeting up with autumn de hart she is an adventure education major and also double minoring in entrepreneurship and marketing and she's gonna take a moment to talk about what health and wellness means here at fort lewis autumn you're up take it away hey everyone one of my favorite things here at the fort is how much they encourage a healthy lifestyle from on campus trails to free access to a gym it has been absolutely amazing and helped me continue my active lifestyle i'm currently training to be in spartan races right now and eventually in the iron man and i just overall love exercising and being outdoors the fort has so many outdoor exercise options to offer my personal favorite one are the sky steps i like to run this at least once a week just to get acclimated and prepare for future expeditions i have planned here also the trail system on campus is amazing i love to run the rim trail or just take my dogs out and explore an adventure when i'm not working out outside i like to go to the student life center this is our on-campus gym i love going to the group classes my personal favorite is the vinyasa flow yoga i also like going to the crossfit training though just to mix up my workout routine if you don't like group classes the slc has so much more to offer just like the elevated track system or the basketball courts and so so so much more on top of that there is a professionally staffed health center and counseling center here at the fort at flc we believe in integrated health which basically means looking at a person as a whole so the health care providers will collaborate their knowledge on mental health and physical health when treating students the health center sees students for walk-ins or appointments for all minor illnesses injuries and consultations and can refer students to other doctors or hospitals in town for more serious situations at the counseling center your student fees cover four one-hour one-on-one sessions group sessions or other options everyone has things they need to talk about and for me personally it really helped to have someone to talk to one more great resource on campus is wellpack our wellness peer advisory council they're a group of students who are trained to do peer education and also public health education one example of this is when flc became a non-smoking campus they helped educate and support students the thing i love about before is how they support all aspects of a healthy lifestyle not just fitness all right back to you alex autumn thanks for taking the time to go into all of that health is one of the most important things we have as individuals and it is great to see how fort lewis college makes it such a priority here on campus well done thanks again cheers autumn now the main objective of college is to help students prepare for the real world and fort lewis does an incredible job of doing just that here's tierney andreas a senior psychology and sociology double major with a minor in teaching english as a second language and she's here to talk about career preparation tierney you're on thanks alex manahu inanimate tierney andreas numanu payahupua new kimadu hi everyone my name is tierney andris and i am bishop paiute from bishop california from where the water flows here at fort lewis college we hope that the knowledge we give you as a skyhawk will carry you into your future career after leaving the nest flc has a great career services office that helps our students and alumni find the skills they need to succeed in their future careers career services provides assistance and resume and cover letter creation as well as career findings such as choosing a major or finding what graduate school will suit you best in the future not only that but career services provides us students and alumni with interview tips as well as job and internship searches that are catered specifically to you nearly all of the professors i have had have incorporated in one way or another real world examples as well as hands-on learning experiences that i can use in my future career i was even able to take a psychology class working with kids and doing prevention programming this allowed me to work with the kids in their own space where they were comfortable while i was also learning how to do successful youth prevention programming fort lewis college offers internships all over campus as well as within the durango community flc has prepared me for a career in so many different ways and i am so so thankful and grateful to such an amazing institution as well as such a supportive skyhawk family everywhere i go flc staff and faculty stress the importance of creating a community to support you through your college and career journey and i truly hope that you decide to join our nest back to you alex tierney great job there is nothing more important than being ready to succeed in the outside world and it's great to see how fort lewis has helped you on your path forward in life thanks for sharing bye tierney okay everyone was that a lot of fun or what i want to personally thank the amazing students here for sharing their personal stories so you can learn more about what fort lewis college is all about i certainly can't say enough about this college and it's amazing location here in durango this has been awesome now it's up to all of you to go learn more about what fort lewis college is all about and hopefully soon we'll see on campus cheers everyone [Music] you

2020-12-21 23:58

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