Keep Up the Screening Testing and Stick to Your Pods

  • COVID-19 campus data
  • Continue limiting social gatherings
  • If CC case numbers decline, more protocols will loosen
  • In-person dining reopens across campus

Dear Students,

We are continuing to closely track COVID data to make decisions for our campus community. Thank you for participating in screening testing and adhering to the temporary precautions we put in place, including limiting your social interactions. You are making a difference!  

Since the beginning of Block 5, more than 7,500 screening and symptomatic tests have been performed, with 139 positive results. The number of new weekly student infections increased to 85 at the beginning of this week, up from 45 in the first week of the block.  

The screening testing program has kept the number of symptomatic infections much lower than they would be otherwise, however, this rise in infections means increasing disruption to in-person classes.   

When our COVID-19 cases stabilize, we’ll reevaluate our protocols. Until then, please continue to stick to your five-person Omicron pod for socializing, including during in-person dining. Continue prioritizing outdoor over unmasked indoor activities and limit time indoors unmasked. Case numbers in El Paso County are declining; once our campus numbers come down, we can lift precautions around social gatherings, including bringing the party registration form online and discontinuing the five-person Omicron pods.

As you may have noticed this week, Bon Appetit has reopened seating in Benjamin’s Cafe, Colorado Coffee, and Susie B’s, along with Rastall Café, which reopened last week. View all updated dining hours. Take-out options and outdoor seating continue to be available. 

We are using screening test results as well as participation rates to inform decisions about our COVID-19 response and on-campus protocols. Please continue participating in twice weekly testing. Your participation in our screening testing program generates the data we need to continuously reevaluate our protocols. Our goal is to loosen precautions as soon as possible and be able to gather more normally again.  

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our campus community healthy and making our on-campus CC experience possible.    
 
Sincerely,     


Andrea Bruder

Chief Public Health Advisor to the President

Mateo Muñoz
Chair, COVID-19 Policy and Implementation Committee

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Save the Date: Block 6 1M

Mark your calendar for the Block 6 First Mondays presentation coming up Monday, Feb. 21, at 11:15 a.m. with our 1M speaker.


Mary Inman P ’24, a partner in Constantine Cannon’s London and San Francisco offices, heads the firm’s international whistleblower practice. She specializes in representing whistleblowers worldwide under the U.S. whistleblower reward programs. Inman represents renowned whistleblower Tyler Shultz, who exposed the infamous Silicon Valley blood-testing start-up Theranos, and regularly speaks on lessons to be learned from this scandal. 
See you at the Block 6 First Mondays, Feb. 21, 11:15 a.m. in Kathryn Mohrman Theatre.

The First Mondays Event Series is a campus-wide forum that aims to engage all members of the CC community, including students, staff, administrators, and faculty. The series creates opportunities for the whole community to gather, encouraging everyone to be part of the intellectual life of the college, and facilitating discourse among students, faculty, and staff, across courses, disciplines, and divisions. Classes are dismissed early on the first Monday of each block so that all may attend the First Mondays event.

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The COVID Weekly Report

Here are the COVID-19-related updates for the week of Feb. 7:


  • All known CC student cases, regardless of whether exposure occurred at CC, appear on the CC COVID-19 dashboard. 
  • Additional dining services are open.
  • Faculty and staff: COVID test kits are back in stock. 
  • Pikes Peak Library District offers free masks.  

More In-Person Dining Options


Starting today, Bon Appetit has reopened seating in Benjamin’s Cafe, Colorado Coffee, and Susie B’s. These spots join Rastall Café, which reopened last week, as in-person dining options. View all updated dining hours

Employee COVID-19 Test Kits Back in Stock


The college received its delayed shipment of  COVID-19 test kits for faculty and staff. Tests are available for pick up at the Worner Desk.  To help keep track of inventory, please fill out this  test kit request form.  Here’s  a list of free COVID-19 testing sites across the state, with many in the Colorado Springs area.  You can also order free COVID-19 tests  via this link  as part of the federal testing program  and  here to order from  the Colorado at-home testing program. All positive test results must be self-reported via Qualtrics

Need To-Go Meals? 

Bon Appetit dining hours are available hereIf you’d still prefer a to-go option, Bon Appétit als0 sells reusable take-out containers for $10. Bring your clean container to Rastall if you’d like to fill your to-go box and eat elsewhere. This program is open to students, faculty, and staff.  

Coburn Gallery Meal Pick-up for Students in Isolation

While many facilities are open again for dine-in service and all regular meals, students in isolation should still pick up their meals at Coburn Gallery. Do not enter Worner Campus Center, but instead, pick up meals near the south entrance of Worner, at the Coburn Gallery, 1-4 p.m.  

The COVID Reporting Project Returns 

The CC COVID-19 Reporting Project, led by students at the Catalyst, is back for a few special editions. In case you didn’t subscribe during the 2020-21 academic year, this project focuses on the ways COVID-19 affects CC by providing original reporting, interviews with campus leaders, and a CC-specific analysis of national news in twice-weekly newsletters. The latest edition is available here  

Pikes Peak Library District has Free KN95 Masks 

Free KN95 masks are going fast at area library facilities. Masks are available on a first-come, first-served basis at all open library locations, including mobile library services, across El Paso County. There is a  limit of five masks per person  while supplies last.  You must pick up masks in person and cannot pick up masks for others. Here are the library locations where masks are still available. As part of the State of Colorado’s ongoing efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and assist in the mitigation of virus spread, the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management offers KN95 and surgical-grade masks for free at public libraries, fire stations, recreation centers, VFWs, YMCAs, and high-traffic community centers that have agreed to be local redistribution points. Masks are also available at these locations around the state.  

Students mask up and work indoors at Tutt Library during a snow day Feb. 2. Photo by Chidera Ikpeamarom  ’22.  

Check the Updated CC COVID Data Dashboard  

The  CC COVID-19 dashboard  shows all known CC student cases. It provides quick access to COVID-19 metrics on campus, including daily and weekly COVID-19 testing numbers and positive test results. For questions regarding this dashboard, please contact  Ben Moffitt  in the Office of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness.   

To easily access all things COVID, details of our COVID-19 response are broken down into categories here: Health; Mitigation and Campus Protocols; Testing and Quarantine; and When Off Campus. You will also find answers to frequently asked questions, as well as a listing of all campus messages. If you have additional concerns about COVID-19 or our campus response, direct them to:  covid19@coloradocollege.edu. Remember, there are numerous resources on campus for support and assistance, including the  Counseling Center,  the Chaplain’s Office,  Employee Assistance Plan, the Butler Center, the  Advising Hub, and the  Wellness Resource Center.  

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CC Receives $1 Million Grant for Social Justice Curriculum

Explore the Complexity of Race in Social Protest with ‘The Raid’

Through the month of February, communities across the nation celebrate the achievements of and by Black Americans in recognition of their central role throughout U.S. history. Colorado College is committed to telling these stories year-round. Find stories and learn more about CC’s antiracism commitment.
In celebration of this year’s Black History Month, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College is showcasing Black artists and Black voices in a variety of events and programs both virtual and in-person. This week, the FAC is re-releasing a virtual reading of Director Idris Goodwin’s historical drama “The Raid,” recorded in 2021. It’s available here Feb. 1-19. A thought-provoking 163-year flashback to a debate between iconic abolitionists John Brown and Frederick Douglass on the eve of Brown’s raid on the federal armory in Harpers Ferry, “The Raid” examines the complexity of race in social protest, digs into what it means to be an ally versus an accomplice, and lays bare the limits of radicalism.

CC Receives Mellon Foundation Grant

$1 Million Grant Addresses Demand for Diversity, Social Justice in Higher Ed and Need for Better Engagement with Humanities

Colorado College has been selected as one of the recipients of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Humanities for All Times grant. This initiative will support the college’s new General Education curriculum to not only teach students about social justice issues, but also give them the tools to tackle injustices head-on.

CC will receive $1,024,000 over three years for its project “Humanities for Our Times: From Epistemologies and Methodologies to Liberatory Creative Practices and Social Justice” which supports professional development for humanities faculty engaged with Colorado College’s new GE curriculum and ongoing work toward becoming an antiracist institution.

Autumn Rivera ’04, MAT ’05 Finalist for National Teacher of the Year

Autumn Rivera, a Colorado College Class of ’04 biology graduate who also earned a Master of Arts in Teaching at CC in 2005, was named Colorado’s 2022 Teacher of the Year in October. Rivera is a science teacher at Glenwood Springs Middle School in Roaring ForkSchool District, where she has taught sixth grade for nine years. Now she is one of four finalists for the National Teacher of the Year award.

During her more than 16 years as an educator, Rivera has worked with students from elementary to postgraduate levels. She is a member of the Colorado Science Conference Planning Committee and the Steering Committee with the Colorado Science Education Network. She is the Region 3 Elementary Board representative for the Colorado Association of Science Teachers and volunteers with the American Association of Chemistry Teachers.

“I know I would not be where I am today without the foundation I built at CC,” she says. “The Block Plan taught me to really push myself to perform at a high level in a short amount of time. The lessons I learned in the MAT program taught me to always think outside the box and find ways to challenge my students to make changes in their world right now.”

As Teacher of the Year, Rivera represents the entire profession in Colorado. Rivera, along with the country’s other teachers of the year, will be honored at a ceremony at the White House and get the opportunity to go to NASA’s Space Camp. She also is a member of the Colorado Education Commissioner’s Teacher Cabinet.

Vernon Named NCHC Goalie of the Week

Matt Vernon ’23 has been named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Goaltender of the Week after backstopping the Tigers to a split against No. 16 Omaha last weekend. On Friday, Vernon tied his season high with 31 saves and earned his first win of the season in a 4-1 victory over the Mavericks.

The following night, Vernon made 27 saves in a hard-fought, 3-2 loss.

Vernon totaled 58 saves on the weekend, facing 62 shots for a .935 saves percentage, while compiling a 2.04 goals-against average. On the season, Vernon is 1-4-1 with a .930 saves percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average.

This is Vernon’s first NCHC Goaltender of the Week award this season, but he was a two-time Rookie of the Week as a first-year.

Catch CC Hockey on TV

If you can’t make it to Ed Robson Arena to see the Colorado College hockey team live, you can watch the following games on TV:
Friday, Feb. 4, vs. Western Michigan, 7:30 p.m. (AT&T SportsNet)
Friday, Feb. 11, at North Dakota, 6 p.m. (AT&T SportsNet)
Friday, Feb. 18, vs. Miami University, 7:30 p.m. (AT&T SportsNet)
Saturday, Feb. 19, vs. Miami University, 6 p.m. (AT&T SportsNet)
Friday, March 4, vs. University of Denver, 7:30 p.m. (AT&T SportsNet)

CC Thesis Specialist Mia Alvarado Publishes Provocative Essay in The Georgia Review

Mary Margaret (Mia) Alvarado, thesis writing specialist in the Colket Center for Academic Excellence at CC, published a lyric essay in The Georgia Review that delves into new primitivism in the digital age. “It is striking that while our lives are so disembodied in some ways by the digital age, the experiences around birth and nursing remain largely unchanged,” Alvarado says.

Alvarado, who has her MFA in nonfiction from the University of Iowa, was a senior instructor in creative writing and rhetoric at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs before coming to Colorado College. She uses her background in poetry and creative writing to help thesis students by encouraging them to slow down and bask in “the art of questions.” Teaching students how to ask better questions, then question those questions before arriving at a conclusion, gives them time to wander in the process and really explore the subject, she says. “Our negative knowledge is just as important as our positive knowledge.”

Get to Know … Katrina Beltz, CC Antiracism Programs Coordinator

Photo by Chuck Bigger
What does your job entail?
I am here to provide student-centered education, programming, and organizational leadership to the Butler Center in its mission to provide an inclusive and respectful academic and work environment. My job is to provide students with advising, personal counseling, and support for holistic and healthy identity development, particularly around Black, Indigenous, Latinx, AAPI, and multiracial identity.
Where did you work before CC and what were you doing?
Before I came to CC, I worked at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs as a graduate assistant in the Scholarships Office. There I supported my colleagues in scholarship programming and processed scholarships for students.
Tell us a little about your background.
I am from Holland, Michigan, and graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology and sociology from Hope College —a small liberal arts college. I value diversity and creating an inclusive environment of belonging on campus. This value led me to be involved with multicultural student organizations to help normalize the presence and diverse cultures of BIPOC students.
What do you like to do when not working?  
When I am not working, I like to go on hikes and explore the mountains with my husband, Caleb, and our dog, Josie. I love eating and trying different foods. Thankfully, I also love dance fitness (Zumba, Mixxed Fit, SocaFit) to shake off the calories accumulated by restaurant hopping.
Wild card: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with becoming a figure skater. Michele Kwan was my idol, and I wanted a Zuca bag like all the other cool skaters. That dream ended quickly though, when I realized I was not skinny enough (by society’s standards) or rich enough to go very far.

The Winter 2021-22 Issue of the Bulletin is Out Now

The Winter 2021-22 issue of the Bulletin — CC’s alumni magazine — is now out. In this issue, read about a new space in Ed Robson Arena that honors Kelley Dolphus Stroud ’31, one of CC’s first Black alumni; how an adapted Priddy Experience allowed incoming students to connect to Colorado Springs; and an insider view of the enduring community spirit at CC despite the Coronavirus pandemic.

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COVID Booster Clinic on Campus Saturday

Need your COVID-19 booster or know someone who needs to get fully vaccinated? 


CC, in partnership with Nomi Health, will host an on-campus COVID-19 booster clinic this Sat., Feb. 5, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in Cornerstone Arts Center Main Space.

Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will be available for booster doses and first or second doses for anyone 12 and older. Children ages 5-11 may receive their initial shots.

Make an appointment in advance. Walk-ins are also welcome.

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Project 2024 Progress

Dear CC Community,

 
Today we want to update you on the progress made so far with Project 2024 discussions and invite you to get involved.

Project 2024 is our three-year, vision-to-action effort in which we focus on a central question: “How can we do what we do better?”

The timeline:
2021-22: This is our year to determine what we hope to do.
2022-23: We will take the ideas generated and plan how we will implement them.
2023-24: The ideas will go into action — and in 2024 we will celebrate the college’s 150th anniversary.

We just launched new Project 2024 webpages that provide a central place for you to find important information about this endeavor, including:

  • The process
  • Numbers of people engaged in the work
  • Steering committee members
  • Suggested readings
The work so far has been inspiring. Since Block 4, randomly selected staff and faculty groups – 220 people at this point – have been discussing the “what ifs,” and developing and refining ideas. Staff, faculty, and students serving on the Project 2024 Steering Committee lead the conversations and identify major themes. Some of their comments:

“Participants didn’t need any encouragement to jump into their small group conversations. Enthusiastic and respectful.”
“They had so many ideas and were super engaged.”
“Lots of ideas, lots of things to bring together to get to themes as we go.”

The Faculty Executive Committee, Staff Council, Cabinet, and other established groups were involved in discussing the process and will have a chance to engage in the discussion ​this spring. We also will work on ways to draw trustees, alumni, and parents into the process. ​Sessions for faculty and staff will continue through the end of Block 6. If you have not been invited to a session yet, you can contact Lyrae Williams, lwilliams@coloradocollege.edu” style=”font-weight: normal;font-weight: normal;color: #7a6646;text-decoration: underline;color: #7a6646;text-decoration: underline”>lwilliams@coloradocollege.edu, to find out when your randomly assigned session will be.

Student engagement begins this block
Starting this block, students will participate in Project 2024 in the following groups:

  • Seniors and juniors: Two Block 5 sessions (one lunch and one dinner) open on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to 30 students each. Registration required.
  • Sophomores and first years: Two Block 6 sessions (one lunch and one dinner) open on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to 30 students each. Registration is required. Invitations will be sent at the end of Block 5.
  • CCSGA
  • President’s Council
  • RAs
In Blocks 7-8 the Project 2024 Steering Committee members will exchange information about what they’ve heard and report the larger themes to the campus community. This first year will conclude with a plan for how we will translate key ideas into actions in 2022-23.

If you have questions about Project 2024, contact Lyrae Williams at lwilliams@coloradocollege.edu.

We are energized by the ideas and themes already bubbling up and look forward to hearing from more CC community members!

Sincerely,

Susan Ashley

Professor of History and Chair of Economics and Business
Project 2024 Coordinator

L. Song Richardson

President
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TOMORROW: “Dismantling Misconceptions of Disability” with Rebekah Taussig Wednesday, Feb. 2

 “Dismantling Misconceptions of Disability” with Dr. Rebekah Taussig

Disability advocate and educator Dr. Rebekah Taussig, who has been paralyzed since the age of three, will challenge what you think you know about disability. Join Taussig on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, 7-8:30 p.m., Mountain Time, for “Dismantling Misconceptions of Disability.” This will be a virtual event in the “Dismantling Hate: An Educational Series Toward Understanding and Action” series, shared on Zoom.
Taussig is a passionate teacher with a range of experience from high school to upper-level college classes covering subjects from English literature, composition, and creative writing to disability studies.
Dr. Rebekah Taussig, “Dismantling Misconceptions of Disability”
Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022
7-8:30 p.m., Mountain Time
This is a virtual event. Register in advance to attend via Zoom.
The Dismantling Hate: An Educational Series Toward Understanding and Action series is a campus-wide initiative that provides programming for CC students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members from the Colorado Springs area. The purpose and goal of this educational series is to support our communities to better understand hate — its roots and outcomes, and to motivate people to take action to dismantle hate. Each educational program in the series features a conversation with an activist, broadly defined, who shares their work and experiences dismantling hate against marginalized communities.

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Did You Receive Today’s Test of CC’s Emergency Alert System?

On Monday afternoon, Jan. 31, CC conducted a test of the emergency notification system.

You should have received a test message to your CC email address, as well as to any other devices (email addresses or phone numbers) that are associated with your account.
 
Didn’t see the test? Manage your account by logging in to the system. Make sure you have an accurate email address and cell phone number associated with your name. Note: This is not your CC login information; use the “Forgot your password” option if you don’t remember your credentials.

This is the emergency alert system that will be used to notify you in the event of an emergency. It’s also how CC will contact you in the event of severe or inclement weather. The goal is to communicate vital information to each member of the campus community within minutes of an emergency situation. It’s critical to the safety of our campus that you can successfully receive information in the event of an actual emergency.

With winter weather finally arriving and snow in the forecast this week, please check CC’s Severe Weather Policy. This policy guides attendance and expectations in the event of severe weather. As a residential college operating under the Block Plan, Colorado College does not close for severe weather. All updates on delays or partial closures will be communicated via the emergency alert system. Make sure your info is up to date.

The Rave Guardian application is another safety tool. It can help you check in with family, friends, Campus Safety, or others you trust to help you stay safe both on and off campus. Learn more and download the app for free

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The COVID Weekly Report

Here are the COVID-19-related updates for the week of Jan. 31:


  • All known CC student cases, regardless of whether exposure occurred at CC, appear on the CC COVID-19 dashboard. 
  • In-person dining in Rastall Café is back! 
  • Faculty and staff: Here’s where to get COVID tests.
  • Students: Plan your COVID-friendly event. 

The Return of In-person Dining 


President Richardson announced Friday morningcampus dining at Rastall Café is back open for dine-in service and all regular meals.  We have been able to achieve our goal of being together in person this year because you have been doing your part to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Updated dining hours are available here.

Bon Appétit als0 sells reusable take-out containers for $10. Bring your clean container to Rastall if you’d like to fill your to-go box and eat elsewhere. This program is open to students, faculty, and staff. 

Delayed Shipment of Employee COVID-19 Test Kits 

The college is out of COVID-19 test kits for faculty and staff due to a shipment delay. Sorry for the inconvenience; the campus community will be notified when tests are available again for pickup. Here’s a list of free COVID-19 testing sites across the state, with many in the Colorado Springs area. You can order free COVID-19 tests  via this link as part of the federal testing program and here to order from the Colorado at-home testing program. 

Students: Ready to Plan an Event?

It’s possible to host a successful in-person event while also taking care to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by following CC’s COVID-19 risk mitigation protocols. Have questions about how you can: 
  • Be involved in digital programming?
  • Support your student organization?
  • Start planning for the spring?
Email campusactivities@coloradocollege.edu to set up an apporintment to chat with Campus Activities’ professional staff or stop by Worner 230 to talk with student interns about the possibilities. 
  • Drop-ins: Monday-Friday, 1-5 p.m., Campus Activities staff and student interns available to answer questions
  • By appointment: email  Amy Hill  or  Allis Werkmeister  for availability
Campus Activities encourages you as soon as you envision hosting an event, please review the event planning checklist in detail, request a space in Ungerboeck, and schedule a student event summit meeting to discuss the details and to learn more about the requirements of COVID-19 risk mitigation in event planning. Please note: The minimum advance notice required to plan an event is 10 days; 10 days advance notice, however,  is not a guarantee and all student events are dependent upon space and staff availability.

You Can Still Get Free KN95 Masks  

As part of the State of Colorado’s ongoing efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and assist in the mitigation of virus spread, the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will offer KN95 and surgical-grade masks for free at public libraries, fire stations, recreation centers, VFWs, YMCAs, and high-traffic community centers that have agreed to be local redistribution points. Masks will be available at these locations, including the Pikes Peak Library District.  

First-year Winter Start students take advantage of a late-night opportunity to embrace their artistic side at the Bemis School of Art. With a wide variety of activities including oil painting, watercolors, sculpting, and pottery throwing, everyone had a chance to try something different, introduce themselves to their fellow students, and get a head start on making CC memories. Photo by Joshua Birndorf  ’20.

Check the Updated CC COVID Data Dashboard  

The  CC COVID-19 dashboard  shows all known CC student cases. It provides quick access to COVID-19 metrics on campus, including daily and weekly COVID-19 testing numbers and positive test results. For questions regarding this dashboard, please contact  Ben Moffitt  in the Office of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness. 

To easily access all things COVID, details of our COVID-19 response are broken down into categories here: Health; Mitigation and Campus Protocols; Testing and Quarantine; and When Off Campus. You will also find answers to frequently asked questions, as well as a listing of all campus messages. If you have additional concerns about COVID-19 or our campus response, direct them to:  covid19@coloradocollege.edu. Remember, there are numerous resources on campus for support and assistance, including the  Counseling Center,  the Chaplain’s Office,  Employee Assistance Plan, the Butler Center, the  Advising Hub, and the  Wellness Resource Center.  

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BIPOC Women Leaders on Progress, Barriers

More Women of Color in Leadership, But: ‘We Should Speak Frankly About the Barriers That Still Exist’

Photo by Lonnie Timmons III
The leadership at Colorado College has changed dramatically throughout the years, and now, in the 2021-22 academic year, the college has never had as many female-identifying, Black, Indigenous, People of Color voices as it currently does. As the CC community takes a moment to acknowledge how far it’s come, the BIPOC women in leadership roles know that there’s still a long way to go.
With a unique administrative faculty perspective, Claire Oberon Garcia — professor of English, former dean of the faculty and acting provost — knows that in order for the discrepancies in leadership representation roles to diminish in higher education, “we should speak frankly about the barriers that still exist.”
As things look up for higher education and Colorado College in the lens of BIPOC women assuming significantly more leadership roles, it’s important for the college and its antiracism commitment to hear what these women know must happen for this change to continue — with longevity — toward a more equitable future. Colorado College has come a long way and there’s pride to be had in the current leadership representation, but the work certainly continues.

State of the Rockies: Conservation in the West Vintage Poster Contest Winners Announced

The winners of the State of the Rockies Project’s Conservation in the West student vintage poster contest have been announced. Congratulations to Isabel DeVito ’24 (first place), Charlie Bragg ’23 (second place), and Sophie Dua ’23 (third place), and to Casey Millhone ’22, Natasha Yskamp Long ’22, and Sofie Miller ’23 (honorable mentions). For the contest, students created a vintage-style poster of a national park, monument, or forest in the Rocky Mountain region that included a contemporary conservation message.

First Place: Isabel DeVito ’24

I interned for the National Park Service near Flagstaff, Arizona in 2021, and spent weekends hiking and camping in the Coconino National Forest. I chose this view of ponderosa pine forest below the San Francisco Peaks to illustrate wildfires, perhaps the most serious impact of climate change on public lands in the Rocky Mountain West. Coconino and many forests are experiencing prolonged drought and higher incidence of severe wildfires. These impacts threaten not only biodiversity and protected species, but millions of visitors’ ability to recreate. The public supports transitioning away from fossil fuels and making our public lands a net-zero source of carbon emissions. The State of the Rockies survey found that 72% of Arizonans support prioritizing recreation and conservation over fossil fuel extraction. “Keep It In the Ground” is a national campaign by NGOs to advocate for the cessation of all new oil, gas, and coal development on public lands.

Second Place: Charlie Bragg ’23

I chose Arches National Park as my subject. I’ve visited several times and am awed by both the beauty and complexity of the area. It’s an important site because it’s so well-known and easily accessible, and therefore busier and more prone to destruction. By suggesting respect and preservation of the land, I hope to remind and enforce the idea of leaving no trace. Since climate change has become a politicized issue, it is important to stress that preservation and conservation are supported by “everybody.” Furthermore, by presenting this as common knowledge, people should feel more obliged to partake in the effort. While issues like drought, use of public land, and Indigenous rights are in the Utah climate change conversation, a simple reminder to respect the land and leave no trace can go a long way for the over one million annual visitors of the park, especially the new ones.

Third Place: Sophie Dua ’23

As highlighted in the 2021 Conservation in the West Survey, climate change is seen as one of the most serious problems facing the Rocky Mountain region, and support for reducing human contributions to climate change is high. Because of these attitudes, I chose to center the message of this poster around bringing awareness to some of the ramifications of a warming climate, as well as encouraging a feeling of responsibility to join the fight against climate change. What better way to present this than through Glacier National Park? Glacier has not only seen a dramatic increase in tourism since the pandemic, but also has one of the most tangible examples of the impact of climate change: rapidly melting glaciers. The future of Glacier is ever so tied to the future of climate change, and how we might all take steps to minimize its consequences.

Celebrate Black History Month with the FAC

The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College honors a rich culture and history by showcasing Black artists and Black voices in a variety of events and programs, both virtual and in-person. Join us for theatre performances, to art exhibitions and spoken word.

Featuring:

Classics Professor Awarded Coveted Fellowship in Athens

Photo by Eileen Broderick
Colorado College Associate Professor of Classics and Judson Bemis Professor in the Humanities Sanjaya Thakur has been selected as an Elizabeth A. Whitehead Distinguished Scholar at the American School for Classical Studies, Athens, for the 2022-23 academic year.
The ASCSA is the oldest American overseas research center for advanced inquiry in the fine arts and humanities. Its mission is to advance knowledge of Greece and all aspects of Greek culture, from antiquity to the present, by training young scholars, sponsoring and promoting archaeological fieldwork, providing resources for scholarly work, and disseminating the results of that research. Thakur joins the list of eminent professors of classics and archaeology who have held the highly coveted position, but is one of the few liberal arts college faculty members to ever hold the fellowship.
Thakur regularly teaches courses on both Greek and Roman sports and sports history at Colorado College and the classes have won him acclaim among students. While in residence, Thakur will be working on several related academic projects, the first on athletics in Homer’s “Odyssey” and the second, a study of depictions of boxers on ancient Greek vases.

Year-Long Series Addressing Anti-Asian Racism Continues

The year-long “Forever Foreign” series is bringing notable scholars, authors, and films to campus and to the attention of the community and will culminate with keynote lectures by two Pulitzer prize-winning Asian-American writers and public intellectuals — Viet Thanh Nguyen and Ayad Akhtar in Block 7.

You’re invited to join reading groups to discuss these authors’ books during Block 6. A limited number of copies of the books will be available for those who register in advance and multiple copies will be on reserve in Tutt Library. Register for the reading groups here.

Next week, Deepa Iyer, human rights lawyer and activist, presents, “From Silos to Solidarities: Post 9/11 and Beyond,” Monday, Jan. 31, 3-4:30 p.m. on Zoom.

Later this block, join Zareena Grewal, associate professor of religion, American studies, and ethnic studies at Yale University, for “Islam is a Foreign Country: Race, Religion, and U.S. Empire,” Thursday, Feb. 3, 5 p.m. also on Zoom.

Summer Research Symposium on Feb. 8

We know that climate change disproportionately affects the Arctic, but little is known about how warming influences critical processes such as pollination and plant reproduction in this vast region. As part of the Summer Collaborative Research Program, Lucy Zicarelli ’21, Caroline Brose ’22, and Alex Jennings ’22 worked at Toolik Field Station in Alaska with Professor Roxaneh Khorsand to quantify the effects of warming on the plant-pollinator network. They used passive warming experiments to test how plants and pollinators respond to increased temperatures and early snowmelt.
Come celebrate and learn about this and other collaborative research projects that CC faculty and students worked on last summer at the Summer Research Symposium on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 3 p.m. in Cornerstone Arts Center. A short oral presentation in Celeste Theatre will begin the event followed by poster presentations in the main space of Cornerstone.

Photo of the Week

Photo by Lonnie Timmons III 
Maggie Anderson ’25 plays piano for her fellow WSO participants after they performed service work at Concrete Couch project Concrete Coyote on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022. 

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