Every university has a quirky town surrounding it; but there’s something different about Fort Collins that makes it a diamond in the rough for many who live here.
It’s not just the small town feel or its closeness to the foothills, nor is it the familiar faces and local mom and pop restaurants and shops. It is not just the fact that it is a friendly place for those who seek active lifestyles as well as those who just want to take it easy.
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“It’s something different for everyone,” said Eric Clute, a senior cultural anthropology major. “It’s about what you make of the town, and it’s hard to not make something out of it.”
Fort Collins is home to nearly 24,000 Colorado State University students each academic year and the city can either make or break a student’s college experience.
“The two (CSU and Fort Collins) are actually a wonderful pair,” Clute said.
The pair have provided him with fun times, sleepless nights, and amazing people that he has met along the way, he said.
“Everyone wants to share the experience. You won’t find these kind of people in other places,” said Ashley Manweiler, alumnae of CSU and social media manager for the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
“Living in Fort Collins for two years, I have seen a complete stranger help another stranger out countless times and I think that ties back to the idea that Fort Collins is a united city,” said Patton Lowell, a junior history major and resident assistant for the Key Service Community of Braiden Hall and an orientation leader.
“Even, if someone were to try to get lost in the shuffle and stay below the radar, friendly, familiar faces are all around,” said Joanna Larez, Journalism and Technical Communication instructor.
“CSU cares about its mission of providing a student centered experience so that students can find their passions and live a fulfilled life without boundaries,” Lowell said.
Larez said when students reach out beyond campus to learn, that proves that they are living as members of the community and not just in Fort Collins for school. As a professor, this is what she wants to see.
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While many CSU students strive to be the best college student they can be, others just want to have the time of their life. Fort Collins often seems to serve both.
“Fort Collins is just something that you have to experience to understand,” Manweiler said.
Content producer Hannah Glennon can be reached at news@collegian.com.
