Conor Wellman ’25, Noah Wheeler ’25, Benn Wheeler ’27, Melanie Robertson ’26, and Sonia Gutierrez ’27 pose together during the Collegiate National Championships. Photo provided by Wellman.

By Megan Clancy ’07

Over Memorial Day weekend, five members of the CC Climbing Team, along with nearly 400 other climbers from around the country, traveled to Arizona for the 2024 Collegiate National Championships. Conor Wellman ’25, Noah Wheeler ’25, Benn Wheeler ’27, Melanie Robertson ’26, and Sonia Gutierrez ’27 represented the Tigers in all three areas of the competition and both Gutierrez and Benn Wheeler placed high enough to qualify for the upcoming World Championship.

“Nationals this year was the biggest it’s been since I’ve started competing on the collegiate circuit, and the level of competition increased dramatically from past years,” says Wellman, a Computer Science and Math major. “The sport has grown immensely, and each year there are more and more talented freshmen coming in. Considering the drastic shift in difficulty, it was incredibly impressive to see the CC team continue to produce strong results.”

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Photo by Mila Naumovska ’26

Join your fellow Tigers in starting a new CC tradition with a night of games, movie-watching, s’mores, and stargazing on Tava Quad, Friday, Sept. 13.

Come at 6 p.m. and pick your favorite spot on the lawn to set down your sleeping bag. No tents allowed. We will be sleeping in the open air!

At 7 p.m., head over to Washburn Field to cheer on the CC Men’s Soccer team as they take on Ohio Northern University. Or feel free to stick around the quad, where we’ll have lawn games, arts and crafts, and plenty of other activities.

We’ll come back together at 9 p.m. for an outdoor movie screening, followed by an indulgent late-night breakfast at 11 p.m. Spend the evening telling ghost stories around the firepits, roasting s’mores, or playing card games by the light of your headlamps. Search for constellations in the sky until your eyelids get heavy.

Please note: The West Campus Parking Lot will be closed Friday from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. Saturday morning to ensure the safety of attending the Campus Sleep-Out. West Campus permit holders can park in Robson Garage during the closure.  

Check our website for all the information.

The Cultural Attractions Fund (CAF) seeks to foster collegiality between CC students, faculty, academic programs or departments, and the wider Colorado Springs community. The CAF provides grants for traditional and nontraditional activities, such as public lectures, musical performances, drama, dance, film, opera, and exhibits that enhance Colorado Springs’ cultural richness, are community oriented, and are free to the public or offered at a modest price.

CC students, alumni, faculty, and staff representing college departments, programs, or organizations may apply for event funding. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. The CAF committee is next scheduled to meet on December 5. If you would like to submit a proposal that needs to be reviewed prior to December 5, please reach out to Sam Heim.

Visit our website for more information.

Blue Angel Captain Isaac Van Zandt Becker ’17 at the 2024 Pikes Peak Air Show. Photo by Jamie Cotten.

By Megan Clancy ’07

To say being a Blue Angel pilot is a unique occupation would be an understatement. There have only been about 280 since the group’s formation in 1946. But this year, one of those pilots is CC alum Captain Isaac Van Zandt Becker ’17.

“I grew up around planes and always knew I wanted to be a pilot,” Becker says. “I was always much better working with my hands and being outside and kind of doing things as opposed to studying things. So, when I was looking at careers and what I thought about my future life, I was always looking for what I could do to get me out of a typical office environment. The military really tied that all with my aviation interest.”

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Photo provided by Adrian Price 

Adrian Price ’25 will serve as Student Trustee on the Colorado College Board of Trustees for the 2024-25 academic year. Price is a Creative Writing major with a poetry focus. He is from Aurora, Colorado, and plays on the CC Men’s Basketball team.

“I plan, while in this role, to be not only a voice for the students, but for the board,” Price says. “My goal is to help bridge the gap between the students and the board, to create an environment where we all feel heard so we can maximize the resources we have together.”

As Student Trustee, Price will attend all Board of Trustees meetings and serve on a Board committee.

He says, “I ran for Student Trustee because I want to do more than just tell stories about how CC helped influence my life. I want to be able to help create the change I desire to see, so I feel an obligation not only to myself but to the ones that have come before me and the ones that are to come after me. To help create a legacy where people from all backgrounds can truly come to CC and not only feel at home but feel like they can grow into the best version of themselves while here.”

Read more about the Student Trustee position at CC.

Diane Valera for MIPSTERZ.

ALHAMDU | MUSLIM FUTURISM, the FAC museum’s newest exhibition, opens Friday, Sept. 13. ALHAMDU is a growing and diverse art exhibition and archive created by MIPSTERZ, a creative group supporting emerging Muslim and allied artists. The exhibition showcases a variety of artwork, including paintings, photography, sculptures, and interactive experiences. ALHAMDU—an exhibition three years in the making at the FAC —uses art to explore what a bright future might look like for Muslim communities, known as Muslim Futurism. It blends ideas from global movements for freedom and justice with Islamic principles of love and fairness, offering a vision for a hopeful and inclusive future.

CC students, faculty, and staff get FREE admission to the FAC’s museum! Just present your Gold Card at the FAC front desk.

Interim President Manya Whitaker in her hockey jersey on August 29 outside Robson Arena. Photo by Jamie Cotten