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Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends,<\/p>\nDear Alumni, Parents, and Friends,<\/p>\n
The fall is an exhilarating time at Colorado College. At the celebration of his 50 years at CC<\/a>, Professor of Philosophy John Riker noted that, on a college campus, fall is the beginning rather than the end. Each fall, we welcome new students and their families and embark together on a fresh academic year. The class of 2022 arrived in August, and I am excited to watch these students grow and challenge themselves over the next four years.<\/p>\n At Opening Convocation, <\/span>Dr. EllaMaria <\/b><\/span>Ray \u201985<\/b> inspired our new students with her keynote address, \u201cSculpt Your Own Experience.\u201d She shared how her CC experience shaped her life and how today she \u201cstands on the shoulders\u201d of her many CC mentors and classmates. EllaMaria encouraged students to build meaningful connections with a variety of people and to honor the importance of these relationships.<\/p>\n Alumni who spoke at Homecoming<\/a> shared a similar message. From the Tiger Talks given by members of the Class of 1968 to the panel of award recipients, alumni emphasized how being open to a diversity of people and ideas has positively impacted their lives. The Spirit of Adventure Award winner, Lee Sessions \u201986<\/b>, stressed the importance of listening and noted that his liberal arts education taught him that it was better to try to \u201clearn it all\u201d than to be a \u201cknow-it-all.\u201d<\/p>\n This wisdom alumni shared with our students is as timeless as it is counter-cultural. As Assistant Professor of Political Science Elizabeth Coggins explores in her piece \u201cPolarization & Pushing Back<\/a>,\u201d we live in an era when more often than not, there is a \u201ctendency to categorize the world into \u2018us\u2019 versus \u2018them.\u2019 \u201d She advises us all to \u201c\u2026 engage the people around you. Especially engage those people who don\u2019t look like you, who aren\u2019t in your social circle, who grew up in a different neighborhood than you, who you believe think differently than you.\u201d<\/p>\n As always, our faculty are doing so much to create learning environments where students listen, engage, and explore. Professors like John Riker are known for their caring facilitation of class discussions. Lauren Robinson \u201918<\/b> fondly remembers taking classes with Riker, who \u201ccreates an atmosphere in the classroom that is beyond welcoming for anyone who is curious, and eager to ask questions and delve deeper into concepts. He holds space for students to question our worldviews together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n