Like many who came before and after us, the Class of 1970 arrived at CC in the fall of 1966 with high hopes, anxieties, and aspirations. And we all were changed by discoveries in unanticipated fields that set us on paths many of us hadn’t imagined.

Some students were only our classmates for the first year, and we miss them still, as we do those who have passed from this life. Some of us had jobs on campus. Many of us formed strong and lasting ties with faculty. And most of us found soulmates or deep compatibilities that have remained meaningful all this time. Many of us were introduced to ice hockey, loved eating at Giuseppe’s in the old train depot, or enjoyed a drink with friends at the Kachina Lounge. We still delight in sharing the story about how tiny Colorado College featured The Doors at its 1967 Homecoming celebration at the Broadmoor.

As we’ve prepared to celebrate our 50th class reunion, the unease of the pandemic and the maelstrom of the civil rights turmoil that has erupted nationwide have invited us to reflect on our time at CC in another way as well: How do our experiences from our time at CC influence our views on the convulsive societal upheavals of today?

The events of the 1960s, and the changes they ushered in, were vivid and substantial, and we lived them as CC students. We participated in small acts of rebellion that college life at CC encouraged, like chafing at dorm curfews, creating co-ed dorms, and abandoning traditions like book-bound yearbooks.

Some of us led political protests and advocated for women’s liberation. And we truly saw the world outside our bubble when classmates received their lottery numbers for the military draft and service in the Vietnam War. Yet CC welcomed returning Vietnam veterans, and some of us learned of wartime service and strife directly from them.

We are pleased to be honored in the Bulletin. And we are excited for when we are able to gather on campus again to remember the college life we shared in those heady times of change, and to celebrate our lives that have since been so enriched by our CC experience.