The front hill entrance to Fort Lewis College will close Thursday evening so student can chalk greetings to potential classmates.
Anyone who has walked around the Fort Lewis College campus has seen the chalked messages on sidewalks, a modern version of the bulletin board. From 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, the extension of East Eighth Avenue will be closed as FLC students take their act on the road, FLC spokesman Mitch Davis said. Their goal is to welcome students admitted for the 2016-2017 school year and their parents to a VIP Preview Weekend.
“This is the ninth annual Preview Weekend,” FLC Admissions Director Andy Burns said, “and it’s a time to showcase our enthusiasm and pride for what we do at Fort Lewis. It allows them to get to know one another, and we have had roommate situations come out of this, friendships, sports team involvement and even people getting to know others in their major.”
The college expects about 150 students and their families, about 400 people total, Burns said. They include a broad cross-section of Colorado residents as well as families from Missouri, Minnesota and New Hampshire.
In the past, 70 percent of the students who attended the Preview Weekend enrolled, he said. More than 3,600 students have been accepted for the upcoming year, with more than 460 having confirmed. April is traditionally the month when most high school seniors make their decisions.
The attendees will have a full schedule, including tours of campus and residence halls, academic advising sessions, meetings with students and campus leaders and a reception at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum.
Admitted students have the opportunity to win a free season pass to Purgatory Resort, and the parents have a chance to win a free weekend at the Strater Hotel along with other coupons and offers from local businesses.
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