President L. Song Richardson was interviewed by The New York Times about last week’s Supreme Court decision regarding affirmative action.

From the article: “The students are out there,” said L. Song Richardson, president of Colorado College. “If we believe that talent is equally distributed across demographic groups,” she said, “then you would expect an unbiased recruitment process to result in a diverse class.”

Read CC’s response to the Supreme Court Ruling.

The Public Interest Fellowship Program (PIFP) has a new cohort for 2023-24. In line with President Richardson’s pillars – Student Transformation, Thriving Community, and Bold Actions – this cohort is doing some exciting work with Colorado non-profits.

PIFP helps to build the capacity of Colorado nonprofits by offering yearlong and summer fellowship opportunities for Colorado College (CC) students to become directly engaged in societal systemic change. During their fellowships, CC alumni and continuing students will do everything from completing projects that target growth and change in society to direct client support – essential experiences to gain direct exposure, and insight into the non-profit sector while building upon their workplace skills in a professional capacity.

Congratulations to the 2023-24 fellows!

By Julia Fennell ’21

Colorado College’s Ed Robson Arena is the host venue for the 2023 World Jump Rope Championships, as well as the 2023 World Junior Jump Rope Championships and the 2023 International Open Tournament. The competitions will be held July 16-23, 2023. The final round for the World Championships will be held on July 22 and 23.

Colorado College worked closely on the bid with the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, which works to advance Colorado Springs, Olympic City USA, and the Pikes Peak Region through community and sport events, and VisitCOS, a marketing organization that works to increase awareness of the Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak Region areas.

“The World Jump Rope Championships highlight Colorado Springs on a global stage,” Megan Leatham, Colorado Springs Sports Corporation CEO, said in the announcement last year. “The passion of this community for sports, along with the foundation created by the City for Champions project, will make this the perfect home for this world-class event.”

Ed Robson Arena policies and regulations, including the clear bag policy, will be in effect for all events. Please visit the arena’s website for more information. Tickets are required for all events and can be purchased here.

By Julia Fennell ’21

When Kalie Chang ’26 was picking a Half Block course last fall, she knew she wanted to take an engineering course that she could apply to her computer science major. She had no idea, however, that Investigations in Engineering: Preparing for a Career in Space Half Block, would result in a 12-week paid internship with Lockheed Martin this summer. 

Erik Daehler ’98, former Lockheed Martin executive who taught the Half Block course, designed the class to give students as much real-world experience as possible. While Daehler, who graduated with a degree in physics, feels his education at CC was phenomenal, he says he struggled to find a job upon graduating, and wanted to make sure future engineering students were more prepared to enter the workforce immediately upon graduating.

“I really appreciated the mentorship and support that Erik provided me because he helped with resume review, cover letter review, mock interviews, and he helped me get connected with my current manager,” says Chang, a 2022 Bridge Scholar. “I wouldn’t be where I am without taking this course or without his support, so I am incredibly grateful for his help.”

Chang has wanted to intern at Lockheed Martin since her senior year of high school and applied to the program several times. Once at CC, she committed herself to working hard in her classes and utilizing all resources available to her so she could be better prepared to apply for the program again.

While the Philosophy for Children (P4C) adjunct class may seem like a regular philosophy class for Colorado College students, it is so much more than that. This class teaches CC students how to facilitate meaningful conversation among K-12 students, using age-appropriate tools, which helps to develop their communication and critical thinking skills.

“I believe helping young people ask good questions, think critically, communicate clearly, and listen respectfully is important for civil society and human flourishing. I doubt democracy can survive without citizens with such capacities,” says Steve Kern, who instructs the class along with Alberto Hernández-Lemus ’87, associate professor of philosophy.

Students can repeat the adjunct class for credit and are referred to as “veterans.” Veteran students are expected to facilitate discussion in a local school under Kern and the local partner-teacher’s guidance. There were eight students who took this adjunct class last fall, and four of them are taking it again.

“Philosophy for Children is a de-centralized movement, very entrepreneurial,” says Kern. “There is a lot of variety in approaches. Ultimately, we’re linked by the belief that children can – and should – have philosophical conversations. There are periodic conferences and many websites that can provide informal support, but it’s up to local people to decide how to make it work.”

By Natasha Thomas ’24

Al Lo ’22 received the Princeton in Asia Fellowship last spring, which will take him to Singapore to work in student development at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Lo will be working specifically with performance and visual arts students to help them find how the arts can fit into their future — a journey that Lo went on himself while experimenting with dance and theater at CC.

“I enjoy acting and performing, but helping others and allowing them to shine is what really interests me,” Lo says.

Through his various extracurricular activities — managing the Esports team, working at campus activities, and taking leadership positions in both Dance and Theatre Workshop — Lo has developed a sense for how the entertainment industry works. He hopes his work in Singapore will further build that understanding, so he may potentially pursue Entertainment Law in the future.

Lo, who graduated with a double major in anthropology and theatre and dance, recalls that in his first year at CC, it was Theatre Professor Tom Lindblade (now retired) who inspired him to keep the arts in his life — a responsibility Lo will soon have to his students in Singapore.

Lo hopes to gain a lot of personal insight while also contributing to his community in Singapore. “I want to not only learn more about my own Asian identity, and to learn more about Southeast Asia, but […] I want to be transparent about my experience as an Asian American. For me, it’s like, how do you succeed in America without losing your own racial identity. That’s something I want to share with students in Singapore.”