Between the 1950s and the 1970s, the FLC Student Senate transformed a two-day fundraiser into a weeklong, raucous community affair sponsored by local businesses and individuals. The fun and games drew Durango residents to campus to help raise money for students who couldn’t afford medical care. Events over the years included cake auctions, sock hops, bowling tournaments, motorcycle rallies, tug-o-wars, “raunchiest shoes on campus” contests, and the legendary bed races, which were resurrected in 2019 by Durango’s renowned Snowdown Winter Carnival.
Residence halls hosted Heart Fund Week events, like sock hops.
Residence halls hosted Heart Fund Week events, like "raunchiest shoes on campus" contests.
Left to right: Heart Fund Week 1966: Ned Wallace, dean of students; John Black, student body president; John F. Reed, FLC president; J.A. Browning, local physician.
On February 12, 1971, the Fort Lewis Independent newspaper declared “Heart Fund Week Successful,” after they raised $2,393.54 (roughly $15,675 in today’s dollars!). The event that year kicked off with a Student Senate-Faculty basketball game organized in part by Duane Smith, professor emeritus of History; the faculty team won 66-61.
While the Heart Fund no longer exists, its collaborative essence carries on through Durango’s Snowdown celebration each February.
Live from Durango, it’s KIUP! In 1935, Durango’s first local radio station, KIUP, launched in the Four Corners. FLC staff and students often partnered with the station to present music shows, dramatic readings replete with sound effects, and informational programs on a range of topics from “post-war business opportunities” to “dairying.” Legendary dorm mother and professor at the Old Fort, Margaret Good (pictured far right), often oversaw the collaborations. KIUP still broadcasts today on 930 AM, featuring programs from ESPN Radio.
Back in the day, FLC students and staff shared music, campus news, dramatic readings, and more on Radio KIUP.
Legendary dorm mother and professor at the Old Fort, Margaret Good (pictured far right), often oversaw Radio KIUP collaborations with FLC students.
Chance Ward (Anthropology, '18), a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, conducted ground-breaking research into the spread of horses in North America. Ward stated that many researchers don’t handle animal remains with the same care they reserve for cultural objects and human remains.
Joshua Emerson (Economics, '19) sat down with Boulder Weekly to discuss his career as a comedian. Emerson continues to push audiences into uncomfortable territory while working to ensure “a seat at the table” for Indigenous people.
Stacey DeFore (Business Administration, ‘94) was confirmed to the FLC Board of Trustees this week, beginning the role of a lifetime for her as a student advocate and partner to her alma mater.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science created the "Dance Your Ph.D." video contest, which invites scientists to explain their Ph.D. thesis through interpretative dance. For chemist and flow artist Checkers Marshall (Chemistry, '16), it was a match made in nerd heaven.
Gilda Yazzie (Business Administration, '97) clinched one of the Durango City Council seats vacated by Mayor Barbara Noseworthy and Councilor Kim Baxter. Yazzie's grassroots campaign style, priorities, and experience were key factors in winning the race.
Sanitas Cycles is a titanium bicycle frame building operation co-founded by David (Environmental Studies, '20) and John Siegrist. With his father’s work at DEAN Bicycles as the backdrop of his childhood in Boulder, Colorado, Dave started working on bikes after graduating from FLC.