THE INDEPENDENT

Paying the Price for Sustainability

Perspective By: Rusty Frank

Yes, plant-based milks are more expensive. Fort Lewis should foot the bill.

 

  Imagine you are standing in line at Animas Perks, midterms have passed, and to celebrate, you are dreaming of that first sip of a creamy oat milk latte. Yet, as you reach the register, reality hits, and you are reminded that opting for this eco-friendly alternative comes at a price — almost a dollar more, to be exact. This everyday scenario touches on broader systemic issues...

The Hidden Cost

Story by: Matthew Claeson and Zara Tucker

Investigating Meal Swipes and the New Food Provider at Fort Lewis College

Fort Lewis College announced on Apr. 9 that Fresh Ideas will be taking over Fort Lewis College’s food service and dining contract, a place that has been filled by Sodexo for the past 15 years. This article takes a look into Sodexo’s food service system for students.  Skycards and Meal Swipes When it comes to skycards here at Fort Lewis College, they are a student’s...

The Coming Storm

Scout Edmondson

Lessons learned from the ‘22/‘23 winter and what could come with the looming El NiƱo.

  At the end of the 2023 winter, the San Juan Mountains, just north of Durango saw a record-breaking snowpack.  According to the National Resource Conservation Service, a branch of the US Department of Agriculture that tracks historical snowpack data, the snowpack in The San Juans topped out at 31.5 inches of snow-water equivalent (SWE) in mid-April. Purgatory Ski Resort,...

Fly Fishing and Fond Farewells

Scout Edmondson

I have found over the past four years at Fort Lewis College that it’s easy to forget to take a step back, a deep breath and a look around. After all, when you’re caught up in the fray of classes, part-time jobs, internships and social outings, remembering to reflect on where you are in your present moment isn’t always possible. But with graduation edging closer with each...

Crying Wolf

Scout Edmondson

Colorado's wolf reintroduction has become so emotional, so political, that it's no longer even about the wolves. 

Cover photo courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Wolf 2306-OR runs into the wild after being released by CPW on Dec.19, 2023.  Grand County is a land of wide open skies, snowy mountains that hunch against the biting wind blowing off the plains of Wyoming, and miles and miles of prairie, pine forests and meandering trout streams. It’s home to the headwaters of the Colorado...

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