When classes resume after Spring Break, we will be in the final stretch of an academic year in which we demonstrated the courage, grit, and resilience necessary to be together in person. We are a remarkable community, and we should take time to acknowledge our success. It wasn’t easy, but at CC, we know that difficult does not mean impossible.
The last two blocks will be filled with anticipation and celebration: final concerts and performances, student organization activities, seniors’ capstone projects and theses. We will celebrate Earth Week and get a taste of the Summer Music Festival with its intermezzo concerts. Visiting writers will read from their works, and annual endowed lectures will bring notable speakers to campus. The academic year will culminate in Honors Convocation, Baccalaureate, and Commencement — crowning achievements for students’ hard work, dedication, and commitment at CC.
Before we launch into these end-of-year celebrations, we’ll take a breath. Classes will dismiss early as always for First Monday, which is usually a speaking event that allows everyone to be part of the intellectual life of the college. On Monday, we will instead take an intentional, united pause — where we invite students, staff, and faculty to focus on their well-being.
Our students asked for this “campus pause” as a break from the urgency we feel on the Block Plan and in our busy lives — something felt even more strongly during the pandemic. Taking a break from classes, meetings, and projects to care for ourselves and one another may be one of the most important things we do all year.
Sincerely,
