It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket! William Nollet, chair and associate professor of Physics & Engineering, confirmed that the massive streaks in the sky observed last month were from a rocket launch at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. These launches are visible in Colorado and are more noticeable shortly after sunset.

Voter turnout blew past optimistic projections in La Plata County for the 2022 midterm elections. Paul DeBell, associate professor of Political Science, believes that the increase in turnout was due to voters’ concern over threats to democracy and women’s reproductive rights.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to award nearly $3 million to help fund seven community air monitoring projects across Colorado. Part of the proposed budget will go toward funding a student worker at FLC in the lab of Joanna Gordon Casey, an assistant professor of Physics & Engineering.

Writing for The Durango Herald, Andrew Gulliford, professor of History, illustrated one of the most picturesque scenes in the American Northwest: Steens Mountain, Oregon. With a grounded perspective, Gulliford waxed poetic with tales filled with ranches, buckaroos, and gunfights.

Charles Hakes, a senior lecturer of Physics & Engineering, helped The Durango Herald identify a UFO. Spotted near Grandview Ridge, the small anomaly had many wondering if the Southwest had been visited by extraterrestrial life or a cheeky drone pilot. Hakes also provided tips for any astronomical endeavors this month.

FLC was featured in Outside magazine as one of the best schools in the country to study Adventure Education. Outside cited FLC’s broad range of programs that help students become wilderness therapists, guides, experiential educators, and public-lands employees.

ASFLC Vice President Raina Schmidt traveled to Washington, D.C., for a student leader event to discuss with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris how the recent Dobbs decision affects college campuses across the country.

Tune in to hear FLC stories from Zackary Kessner, a senior studying Sociology and basic needs intern for the Grub Hub Food Pantry.

Tune in to hear FLC stories from Emily Bennett, a junior studying Philosophy.

ASFLC Vice President Raina Schmidt traveled to Washington, D.C., for a student leader event with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss how the recent Dobbs decision affects college campuses across the country.

As daylight savings time ends, how experiencing awe can expand our sense of time.

White Horse: A Novel was recently published by Erika T. Wurth (English, ‘97). Wurth’s narrative recreates the “Old Denver” that Gen X knew with a central focus on the titular White Horse bar, and laments its passing into history. 

Paul DeBell, associate professor of Political Science, discusses voting districts that have a one-party regime in a Colorado Public Radio article. Elections may be about winning, DeBell said, but a lack of competition results in a lack of innovation and policy stagnation.

FLC cyclist Fiona Dougherty won the dual slalom national title at the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships, making the hometown crowd proud with her amazing display of athletic grit and talent.

Eva M. Flying (Exercise Science, ‘99) is the first-ever female president of Chief Dull Knife College. Flying hopes to push the institution forward and revitalize the school for a new generation of students.