CC Shows Its Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic, p.12
WINTER 2020-2021
Emily Barga ’21 works on her senior art thesis project. Senior art studio students, advised by various professors and benefiting from in-person critiques with Professor of Art Kate Leonard, were able to work on their thesis projects in studios housed in the Mod Pod off Nevada Avenue. Photo by Jennifer Coombes
A publication for alumni, parents, and friends. Vice President for Communications: Jane Turnis • Editor: Leslie Weddell • Production and Editing: Kirsten Akens ’96 • Creative Director & Design: Felix A. Sanchez ’93 • Photo Editor: Jennifer Coombes • Designer: Lesley Houston • Copy Editing: Helen Richardson • (719) 389-6603, bulletin@coloradocollege.edu • THE COLORADO COLLEGE BULLETIN (122-860) is published four times per calendar year by Colorado College, 14 E. Cache La Poudre St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903-3294. General Series 607, Bulletin Series 513. PERIODICALS postage paid at Colorado Springs 80901-9998 and at additional offices. POSTMASTER: Please send ADDRESS CHANGES to Colorado College Bulletin, Alumni Records, 14 E. Cache La Poudre St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903-3294. The Bulletin is also available online at coloradocollege.edu/bulletin. To stop receiving a printed copy, email bulletin@coloradocollege.edu and let us know.
CONTENTS
8
L. Song Richardson Named Colorado College’s 14th President
12
When It Comes to COVID-19, CC’s Students Write It Best
24
Inaugural Stroud Scholars Rise to Challenge
From the Acting Co-Presidents
2
Campus News
4
On the Bookshelf
28
Alumni and Family Activities
30
ON THE COVER
Athletics
10
Class Notes
40
Anusha Khanal ’21, an international student from Nepal, participates in online classes from her off-campus apartment in Colorado Springs. For more images of students in their spaces during Fall Semester, see pages 18-19. Photo by Patil Khakhamian ’22
Feature Stories
12
Milestones
44
Student Perspective
18
Faces of Innovation
52
First Person
20
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FROM THE ACTING CO-PRESIDENTS As a part of the 2020 Virtual Homecoming, DJ Sai (Pranav Sai ’22 pictured) and DJ Bichonfrisé (Ben Shumlin ’21) play sets for an online dance party that was livestreamed to alumni and students who tuned in. The event was hosted by the Office of Alumni and Family Relations and the student-run Sounds of Colorado College (SoCC). Photo by Chidera Ikpeamarom ’22
Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends, We are thankful for the opportunity to pause, reflect, and share our gratitude for everyone who has contributed to the success of this community during a challenging time. We also share our excitement as we embark on a new year and new semester together. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Block Plan. CC’s distinctive academic program is more relevant than ever, and other schools have taken note. The Block Plan has allowed us to pivot block to block as we re-evaluate the impact of COVID-19 at the end of each block. We are grateful for the flexibility of the Block Plan, and look forward to being a part of its evolution in the years to come. To mark this historic milestone, the release of the Block Plan documentary and historical book is scheduled for Valentine’s Day 2021, and we are excited to celebrate virtually with you. The pandemic has affected our many communities near and far, and we continue to respond to this ever-evolving situation. We are grateful to CC students, parents, and families for your continued engagement, feedback, and patience as we implement best practices and procedures to mitigate risk to our community. As we welcome additional students to campus this Spring Semester, community safety and well-being remain a top priority. Our distinguished faculty continue to provide safe and engaging classroom experiences, whether in-person or virtual. While our students and professors miss in-person roundtable discussions and hands-on group
projects, it has been inspiring to hear the many ways that students and faculty are innovating in the classroom. Students have made backyards their geology classroom, have tuned in to livestreamed dissections, and have participated in virtual field trips. Students also have found new ways to engage with one another through dynamic virtual and socially distanced activities. Student government, clubs, and organizations meet regularly on Zoom, connecting peers who are living on campus with those across the state, nation, and even the globe. They have countered “Zoom fatigue” with responsible, socially distant activities, including practicing on Autrey Field for the biannual Dance Workshop production. Civic engagement was a top priority for students in the fall, and they debated key issues, encouraged one another to vote, and organized shuttles to the polls for November’s presidential election. We extend our thanks to CC Votes for their time and dedication. A silver lining from virtual events has been new opportunities for collaboration and connection across the miles and across generations. Many of you have joined us for CC Conversations, an ongoing series of panel discussions led by CC faculty and alumni, exploring key issues of our time. And while we had to postpone in-person celebrations for Homecoming, we came together for a virtual dance party with student DJs and Fine Arts Center Director Idris Goodwin, and heard from Professor
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of History Emerita Susan Ashley and Professor of English Steve Hayward about the history and future of the Block Plan. You can see pictures of one of our student DJs spinning music from CC’s student radio station sound booth at the top of this page. Diversity, equity, and antiracism remain central to our work. In November, CC joined the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center’s newly established Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance. As a member of the alliance, we will participate in virtual monthly gatherings with other member institutions and will receive college-wide access to educational materials. This fall, we also received a generous gift from the Colorado Springs-based Sachs Foundation to support Black students pursuing careers in education. We also are grateful to the CC community for its support during the college’s presidential transition. In 2021, we look forward to the arrival of the next president of Colorado College, L. Song Richardson (see p. 8 for an introduction). It is an honor serving as acting co-presidents, and we look forward to continuing in our role until President Richardson joins us in Summer 2021. We then look forward to returning to our prior roles at the college, Mike as dean of students/vice president for Student Life and Robert as senior vice president for Finance & Administration. We want to share our thanks to you, CC alumni and friends, who continue
to support and inspire our students through your volunteerism and financial generosity. You have spoken with prospective students, advised current students, and given selflessly to COVID-19 relief efforts and financial aid, among other worthy causes. We appreciate your support, and we are grateful for the many ways that you are engaging with this community. Wishing you connection, joy, and good health in 2021! Sincerely,
Mike Edmonds, Acting Co-president
Robert Moore, Acting Co-president
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the Editor: AFTER READING “50 YEARS ON THE BLOCK PLAN” IN THE SUMMER 2020 EDITION, I BEGAN REFLECTING ON MY EXPERIENCE ON THE BLOCK PLAN AND THE IMPACT IT HAD ON ME. It was introduced in my senior year at CC. During the Fall Semester, I was student teaching, so I couldn’t take advantage of the plan. Finally, in January 1971, my last semester, I could try it out. I had managed to avoid science classes in my first three years at CC; my high school experience in sciences was dismal and I didn’t want anything to do with science if I could help it. My major was humanities with an elementary education emphasis. In January, I must have found that I had some science requirements to fill, so with my love for camping, I signed up for John Lewis’ geology class. I loved it! For the same reason, I took Jack Carter’s botany class. I loved it! Here were science classes like none I had ever taken — taught outdoors in the real world. Alas! I graduated soon after. But I began a career in teaching — first in outdoor education centers, then with National Audubon Society, then as a third- and fourth-grade classroom teacher at The Colorado Springs School. Soon, I was hungry for more science background — it was so much fun to teach — so I got a master’s degree in science and environmental education at Cornell University. More recently I have taught at a Waldorf School and at Colorado Mountain College, where I taught preschool teachers how to make science come alive for their students. So although my one semester of the Block Plan was brief, it turned me in a new direction. I just wish it had started several years earlier. I wonder in what other ways I could have blossomed. Kate Friesen ’71
I REALLY ENJOYED READING YOUR SECTION ABOUT THE 50-YEAR REUNION MEMORIES FROM THE CLASS OF ’70. Not only was it fun to read their memories, it brought back many of my own; it was wonderful to see the collage of faces from that class, many of whom I remember. The articles related to the development and implementation of the Block Plan were fascinating to read as well. I was a political science major. My classmate Sally Nash and I interviewed every member of the faculty for the better part of a year before the faculty voted to move forward with it. We met over lunch at Rastall Center with each member of the faculty, asking them what they thought were the positive and negative aspects of the plan. We reported a summary of our findings to our Political Science Professor Glenn Brooks. I recall being so impressed with the commitment and enthusiastic endorsement by practically every faculty member, even though every one of them would have to drastically revise their lesson plans. It really was a reflection of the faculty’s commitment to deliver the best educational experience possible to students. One interesting fact about my four years at CC leading up to graduation in 1971 was that my transcript reflected three different grading systems. The Block Plan went into effect my senior year. My transcript was such a mess of A/B/C/D, Pass/Fail, and No Credit systems, I jokingly tell people the primary reason I was admitted to the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School was the admission officers there couldn’t make sense of my transcript! Bill Oman ’71
REACH OUT TO THE BULLETIN We’d like to hear from you! The Colorado College Bulletin is distributed to alumni, parents, and friends. It seeks to portray the people, events, experiences, and topics that best reflect a CC education. We welcome comments, feedback, items of interest, class notes, letters to the editor, story suggestions, etc. CC Connections: Have you unexpectedly encountered a fellow Tiger somewhere in the world? Let us know! Class notes, obituaries, weddings and celebrations, births and adoptions: Send your news! Information submitted should be for the current or previous year only. Please send digital photos (JPGs at 300 dpi and minimum of 3.5 x 5 inches) or good quality prints at a similar size. Include complete information about the location, date, and circumstance, and identify people in the photo left to right. Help us build a better Bulletin by participating at sites. coloradocollege.edu/bulletin
PHOTO BY JENNIFER COOMBES
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By Leslie Weddell
Spring Plan Aims to Bring More Students $575,000 Grant Supports Safely to Campus Colorado College announced plans in mid-October to responsibly bring as many students as possible to live on or near campus for the Spring Semester so that they may experience the full, distinctive CC liberal arts education. The college’s intent is to allow seniors to finish their last year at CC, and new and international students to become better established in their first year.
While CC has students living on campus, they are spread out, with the college carefully spacing rooms to maintain low density, a component of the risk-mitigation plan. Students also are allowed to live off-campus, as the college is waiving the three-year residency requirement this year. The college anticipates having approximately 1,040 students on campus and 330 in supplemental housing.
During the fall, CC modeled density, capacity, testing capabilities, and processes to develop a plan that emphasizes “de-densifying” the campus and continues its rigorous testing program, says Andrea Bruder, professor of mathematics, associate dean of the faculty, and chair of CC’s COVID Scientific Advisory Group.
CC’s Spring Plan also includes the cancellation of the 2021 Spring Break, in order to reduce the risk of massive outbreaks and quarantines. After obtaining input from faculty, staff, students, and CC’s Scientific Advisory Group and national medical advisers, it was determined that the risk of a major virus outbreak and large quarantines outweighs the benefits of a lengthy Spring Break. There will be a regular block break between Blocks 6-7.
This includes testing students upon arrival; randomized testing of students, faculty, and staff; response protocols; creating pods/cohorts, and conducting wastewater testing and other measures to quickly identify, pinpoint, and isolate cases of the virus. Additionally, CC has established four CC Alert Levels, which the campus follows in addition to El Paso County’s alert levels. The number of new weekly cases at CC is the primary criterion for determining the CC Alert Level. Other campus criteria include the availability of space where those with positive test results can isolate; the total number of quarantined individuals and the college’s capacity to provide them with sufficient support; and COVID-19 cases, positivity rates, and hospitalization rates in El Paso County, says Brian Young, CC’s vice president for information technology/chief technology officer.
During summer 2020, CC planned to bring students to campus in phases, with the intention of having all students on campus by Block 2. However, after a few cases of COVID-19 led to the quarantine of entire residence halls, CC followed scientific and medical advice to “de-densify” campus, sending some students home. J Block runs Jan. 4-27, with CC’s Half Block running Jan. 12-22. Testing and move-in for Winter Start students is Jan. 25, with Winter Start Orientation running Jan. 26-30 and Block 5 beginning Feb. 1. CC also is offering 10 blocks for the price of eight so that students have additional flexibility when scheduling classes.
CC COVID Risk Mitigation Alert Levels & Actions CC Alert Levels & Actions
what it means
LEVEL 1
• Goal: risk mitigation • Testing: 25-33% weekly • New Weekly Infections at CC: < 5
• Instruction: in-person, hybrid, flex, or remote • Movement: full use of socially-distanced campus
LEVEL 2
• Goal: increased adherence to everyday measures • Testing: 37-50% weekly • New Weekly Infections at CC: 5-10
• Instruction: in-person, hybrid, flex, or remote • Movement: limit social interactions to academically necessary activities (e.g., study groups); outdoor time allowed
LEVEL 3
• Goal: reduce interactions • Testing: 50-67% weekly • New Weekly Infections at CC: 10-20
• Instruction: 100% remote • Movement: students stay in their living area (e.g., dorm floor) except to pick up meals; outdoor time allowed
LEVEL 4
• Goal: buy time for extensive testing • Testing: 100% within 7 days • New Weekly Infections at CC: ≥ 20
• Instruction: 100% remote • Movement: students stay in their room, temporary quarantine of up to seven days will be put into place until testing and tracing are completed; guidance for outdoor time will be provided
Version 2.0 (November 10, 2020) Created by the Colorado College Science Advisory group in consultation with Crown & Company. Components and practices listed above may be updated to reflect best evidence.
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Black Students Pursuing Careers in Education Colorado College has received a $575,000 grant from the Sachs Foundation to support Black students interested in pursuing careers in education. The grant will be used to support summer fellowships, academic-year internships, and scholarships, including two Master of Arts in Teaching scholarships.
“We are enormously grateful to the Sachs Foundation for this generous and visionary grant,” says Acting Co-president Mike Edmonds. “The grant supports Colorado College’s goals of making a CC education financially accessible and helps advance our antiracism initiative.” Manya Whitaker, associate professor and chair of the Education Department, says the partnership with the Sachs Foundation allows the department to continue its mission to teach for social justice. “Such a mission necessitates the active recruitment, development, and support of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) teachers, but especially Black teachers whose presence in the classroom yields positive social, cognitive, and academic outcomes for all students, regardless of race,” she says. “We are extremely grateful to the Sachs Foundation for removing the economic barriers that prevent many Black students from considering a career in the classroom.” The primary mission of the Colorado Springs-based Sachs Foundation is to provide educational opportunities to Black and African American residents of Colorado who meet established academic and financial criteria.
CC Co-Hosts Cornel West Virtual Conversation
NEWS IN BRIEF Students Launch Mutual Aid Fund to Help One Another A group of nine students — which later grew to approximately 15 — have founded the Colorado College Mutual Aid Fund to support students who request aid to meet basic living expenses. Funds generally are requested for items such as groceries, rent, transportation, and utilities by low-income students already receiving financial aid but who need additional help. Begun in late July, the Mutual Aid Fund started as a branch of the student group Collective for Antiracism and Liberation. The Mutual Aid Fund is entirely student-run, created by students, for students, and organized under the Colorado College Office of Advancement. The group strives to create a network of solidarity within the CC community in order to meet each other’s needs, say students who drafted much of the organization’s statements. Among them are Hannah Friedman ’22, Misbah Lakhani ’24, Tova Salzinger ’22, Dylan Chapell ’24, and Ellie Miles ’23. According to the organizers, approximately 70% of the students who have requested aid are people of color and 62% are Bridge Scholars. The average request is $1,800.
Colorado College and the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs joined together in mid-October to present “An Afternoon with Cornel West: Race, Religion, and Politics in a Year of Global Calamity.” To date, the virtual event, aimed at raising public awareness of the socio-political challenges facing the nation during an election year, has had approximately 4,000 views. Cornel West, professor of the practice of public philosophy at Harvard Divinity School and professor emeritus at Princeton University, discussed what was at stake in November's election, while looking at the forces that have brought the nation to this current historical moment, including a global pandemic, uprisings for racial justice, and a radically polarized U.S. electorate. Joining West in the virtual conversation was Christopher Hunt, CC assistant professor of religion, and two UCCS faculty members.
DISCOVER MORE ONLINE If you missed the event, check it out at 2cc.co/cornelwest
The founding students say a key differentiator of the fund is that it’s based in solidarity, not charity – one that directly allows CC students full and equitable access to their education. “We hope to better our collective capacity to access a CC education, and address a number of related challenges that may have arisen for community members pertaining to COVID-19,” says Salzinger. Since July, the group has raised $100,827 and distributed $76,781 of that to 151 students so far. This has been possible because of donations of all sizes from more than 600 students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, board members, and other community members. The group continues to raise money and will distribute the additional funds over the course of the Spring Semester. All donations to the Mutual Aid Fund are used to supplement needs not covered by CC’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Emergency Response Fund and International Student Assistance Fund.
The group is working on fundraising from current students through social media, noting that if every CC student donated $20 per month ($5 a week) through the end of the Fall Semester, the fund would be able to redistribute $91,640; if continued through the end of the academic year, it would add up to $320,740. The students also are partnering with the Senior Class Gift and the Young Alumni Donation Committees to engage seniors and young alumni in redistribution of wealth. They also are sending targeted emails, texts, and letters to alumni and parents.
DISCOVER MORE ONLINE More information and giving information is available at 2cc.co/mutualaid
CC Joins Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance Colorado College has joined the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center’s newly established Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance. Colorado College’s inclusion in the Racial Equity Leadership Alliance is “yet another recognition of the critically important work we are doing through our antiracism initiative,” says CC Acting Co-President Mike Edmonds. “We are delighted to learn and work alongside other institutions that are participating in this groundbreaking alliance.” Beginning in January, the center will host a dozen “eConvenings,” or virtual gatherings of member colleges, each on a particular aspect of racial equity. These monthly, live professional learning experiences will be held virtually throughout the year. Threehour learning sessions, each on a different topic, will be delivered by leaders of national higher education associations, tenured professors who study race relations and people of color, chief diversity officers and other experienced administrators, and specialists from the center. These sessions will focus primarily on strategies and practical approaches, using contemporary cases of equity dilemmas and racial crises on liberal arts college campuses. Emphasis will be placed on learning from experiences that have recently occurred elsewhere; learning how to get ahead of situations and reducing risk of crisis; and learning actionable equity leadership strategies.
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By Leslie Weddell
Wastewater Testing Helps in Early Detection of Virus CC’s wastewater testing program was featured prominently in an NPR story titled “Colleges Turn To Wastewater Testing In An Effort To Flush Out The Coronavirus” that aired on Oct. 26. NPR reporter Elissa Nadworny visited Colorado College on Oct. 7 for the story, in which she interviewed Andrea Bruder, associate professor of mathematics, to learn how wastewater monitoring by colleges and universities provides an early opportunity to identify instances of the virus. As Nadworny noted, “In her 11 years on campus, Bruder had no reason to know about the dorm sewage lines — much of her research focused on ladybugs and aphids on yucca plants. But like so many faculty and staff members at U.S. colleges, she’s redirected her research to focus on COVID-19, using her expertise to keep the campus safe.” CC added wastewater testing in mid-September to its comprehensive testing program, in an effort to help find COVID-19 cases before people become symptomatic. Bruder, who serves as associate dean of the faculty and chair of CC’s COVID Scientific Advisory Group, is part of a team that collects residence hall wastewater two times a week in an effort to detect the Coronavirus. Researchers have found that spikes in the virus concentration in wastewater can be detected one to two weeks before spikes in the number of cases might occur. The sampling can be done in areas as specific
Associate Professor Andrea Bruder collects wastewater samples beneath South Hall. Photo by Elissa Nadworny /NPR
as a certain wing or level of a single residence hall. If the virus is detected in the wastewater, residents in that section of the building can be tested quickly, and those who receive positive test results can be isolated, preventing an outbreak. “It’s a great tool in our arsenal to help stop this spread because it catches it really early,” says Brian Young, vice president for information technology and chief technology officer.
The CC pilot project includes South, Mathias, and Loomis halls, with additional buildings possibly being added in the future. “Following the pilot project where we collected grab samples twice each week, we plan to use autosamplers to collect composite samples over a 24-hour period to gather data that is more representative of entire buildings throughout the day,” says Bruder.
FAC U LT Y U P DATE S
Felicia Rose Chavez First Creativity & Innovation Scholar-in-Residence Award-winning educator and author Felicia Rose Chavez joins Creativity & Innovation as its first Bronfman Creativity & Innovation Scholar-in-Residence. The three-year residency allows Creativity & Innovation to become more integrated in the everyday lives of CC students.
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PHOTO BY IDRIS GOODWIN
Dez Stone Menendez ’02, director of Creativity & Innovation, says, “Felicia embodies the program’s goals to nurture students’ creative capacities and to support the college’s ongoing antiracist work. In this new role, Felicia’s work has the potential to benefit our entire CC community.” Chavez will work in collaboration with CC faculty members from all disciplines to develop and implement the curricular programs that will help build students’ creative capacities. Chavez, who holds an MFA in creative nonfiction, is the author of “The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom,” and co-editor of “The BreakBeat Poets Volume 4: LatiNEXT.” She taught courses at CC in English and Film and Media Studies from 2012-18.
FAC U LT Y U P DATE S
Colorado College Welcomes 10 New Faculty Members, Two Riley Scholars Last fall, 10 new tenure-track faculty members and two Riley Scholars-in-Residence, including CC alumnus Juan Miguel Arias ’12, joined Colorado College. In welcoming them, Acting Provost and Dean of Faculty Claire Oberon Garcia noted that “their scholarly talents and commitment to teaching further enriches a strong and vibrant community of teacher-scholars and creative practitioners. The value of a liberal arts education has never been higher: We are preparing our students to ask tough questions of the world in which they live, and each of the new faculty members brings a unique perspective to the Colorado College community.” Acknowledging the unprecedented circumstances under which they are joining the campus community, Garcia says, “They are starting their careers here at a time of two entwined and profound crises: a public health crisis and a crisis of our democracy as it confronts unprecedented and sometimes violent challenges to basic rights of citizenship. They are teaching students who are developing intellectually and socially in highly stressful times. But I am fully confident that each of our new colleagues — with their strong records of innovative pedagogies and relevant scholarship — are ready to thrive professionally and continue CC’s tradition of providing the best liberal arts education in the nation in an institution committed to antiracism in everything we do.”
Eli Fahrenkrug Receives $55,000 Grant for Research Fellowships Assistant Professor of Chemistry Eli Fahrenkrug has been awarded a $55,000 grant from the American Chemical Society’s Petroleum Research Fund for a project titled “Selective Polymorph Crystallization within the Electrical Double Layer.” The grant, part of the ACS PRF’s Undergraduate New Investigator program, will support three undergraduate research fellowships each summer for the next three summers; two fellowships will be supported by ACS PRF and one will be supported by Colorado College. Of all drugs produced, more than 60% are orally delivered in a compressed pill or tablet format. More than half of these drugs exist in more than one crystalline structure. “This means that the molecules comprising the crystal (i.e., the pill) are unchanged, but the way they arrange themselves in space differs — this phenomenon is known as polymorphism. Simple changes in crystal structure can often render a therapeutic
PHOTO BY JENNIFER COOMBES
drug completely ineffective,” Fahrenkrug says. “Controlling polymorphism is notoriously fickle and remains an outstanding challenge in the fields of chemistry and physics.”
The new tenure-track faculty members are: • Aline Lo, English • Arom Choi, Film and Media Studies • Cayce Hughes, Sociology • Chantal Figueroa, Sociology • Donald Clayton, Chemistry and Biochemistry • John Marquez, History • Liliana Carrizo, Music • Lisa Marie Rollins, Theatre and Dance • Nene Diop, French • Sofia Fenner, Political Science The new Riley Scholars-in-Residence are: • Ahmad Alswaid, Arabic, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies • Juan Miguel Arias ’12, Education
DISCOVER MORE ONLINE Read more about the new faculty members and Riley Scholars online at 2cc.co/newfaculty2020
Virtual CC Conversations Promote Dialogue on Major Issues CC has held six events in a series called “CC Conversations,” an in-depth, online forum which seeks to engage participants on the issues, events, and moments of our time. So far, the series has had more than 19,000 viewers, either through Zoom or joining via CC’s Facebook page for a livestream. The series centers on the scholarship and expertise of Colorado College faculty, staff, students, and alumni and furthers the college’s educational mission. Anyone, regardless of whether they are affiliated with CC, can tune in. The first forum, “CC Conversation on Racism, Policing, & Protest” was held on June 18, and was moderated by Manya Whitaker, associate professor and chair of the Education Department. A CC Conversation has been held every month since, and include: “Facing the Pandemic,” in July (with three alumni panelists: Margaret Liu ’77, Sonlatsa Jim-Martin ’94, and Tia Tummino ’11); “Rising Indigenous Liberation,” in August; “Antiracism,” in September; and “Election 2020: What’s at Stake?” in October. A sixth CC Conversation on climate change, moderated by Corina McKendry, associate professor of political science and director of the State of the Rockies Project, is scheduled for Block 5.
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L. Song Richardson NAMED COLORADO COLLEGE’S
14
TH
PRESIDENT
By Leslie Weddell
L.
Song Richardson, currently the dean and chancellor’s professor of law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, was unanimously selected as Colorado College’s 14th president by the Board of Trustees on Dec. 9. Richardson, a legal scholar, educator, lawyer, and expert on implicit racial and gender bias, will assume the presidency on July 1, 2021.
Her selection was announced via a video that included an introduction by trustees and perspectives from the CC student body, faculty, and staff, as well as a message from Richardson to the CC community. Richardson, who is Black and Korean, will be the first woman of color to hold the presidency at Colorado College. When she was appointed to her current post at the University of California, Irvine School of Law in January 2018, she was the only woman of color to lead a top-30 law school. Richardson says she wasn’t looking to leave UC Irvine School of Law, but she felt deeply connected to Colorado College’s people, core values, and sense of purpose. CC’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, its initiatives to increase access for students, and its dedication to sustainability and innovation were among the factors that drew her to the college. Each time she met with members of what she calls “CC’s extraordinary community,” Richardson says her excitement about the college grew.
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PHOTO BY SALLY RYAN
“I never dreamed that I would be leaving UCI Law, a community that I adore and a school that has achieved unprecedented success in less than 11 years of existence,” Richardson says. “But then I was introduced to Colorado College. Everything about CC resonated with me. The more I learned, the more intrigued I was by this community of innovative changemakers and problem-solvers.”
Prior to becoming dean at UC Irvine School of Law, Richardson served as interim dean and senior associate dean for academic affairs. She holds joint appointments in the Department of Criminology, Law, and Society and in the Department of Asian American Studies. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University and her Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.
“Dean Richardson’s research into racial and gender bias, her thoughtful scholarship and voice on policing and safety, and her dedication to building resiliency in students will move CC’s antiracism and innovation efforts forward as an institution,” says Acting Co-President Mike Edmonds, who has been serving with Acting Co-President Robert G. Moore since former President Jill Tiefenthaler’s departure in July. “Her passion for this work will propel our graduates forward to create solutions to some of the most challenging issues in our country and in our world.” Edmonds is the first person of color to serve in the presidential capacity.
Richardson’s interdisciplinary research uses lessons from cognitive and social psychology to study decision-making and judgment. Her scholarship has been published by law journals at Harvard, Yale, University of California-Berkeley, Cornell University, Duke University, and Northwestern University, among others. She is working on a book that reflects on the current reckoning with anti-Blackness that is occurring across the U.S. and its implications for law and policy. Richardson’s legal career included partnership at a criminal defense law firm and work as a state and
She is authentic and accessible, a scholar “ committed to building the resiliency, depth, and federal public defender. She was an assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and a Skadden Arps Public Interest Fellow with the National Immigration Law Center in Los Angeles and the Legal Aid Society’s Immigration Unit in Brooklyn, New York. She has won numerous awards and recognitions. She was honored for contributions to legal education through mentoring, teaching, and scholarship; was named one of the top women lawyers in California; and was chosen as one of the two most influential Korean Americans in Orange County, California. In CC’s introductory video, Richardson speaks candidly about her personal journey, including training to be a concert pianist as a child, having a debilitating fear of public speaking, and understanding what it’s like to feel like an impostor. She says she created her own “Block Plan” while in law school — although she didn’t call it that at the time — by reading everything she could about public speaking and putting herself in positions where she had to address audiences, even though it was extremely uncomfortable, in pursuit of her dream of becoming a civil rights lawyer. Additionally, her hours of piano practice paid off: Richardson is a classically trained pianist who performed twice with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and won numerous major piano competitions, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Harvard-Radcliffe concerto competitions. Jeff Keller ’91, P’22, vice chair of CC’s Board of Trustees and chair of the presidential search committee, says input was gathered from a group of more than 100 trustees, faculty, students, staff, and alumni to determine characteristics the search committee should seek in the next president. Additionally, more than 700 members of the CC community, including alumni and families of CC students, provided input through an online survey. “The findings from the feedback gathered made it
breadth of students, and a changemaker who will shift CC and our future graduates forward on the path toward antiracism, access, and even greater academic excellence. Susie Burghart ’77, chair of the Board of Trustees
clear that CC’s next president must be committed to maintaining and advancing the college’s sustained academic rigor and distinctive educational approach, broad creativity and innovation, and an unfaltering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and antiracism initiatives,” he says. “Dean Richardson is incredibly accomplished, with a track record of always leaning passionately into opportunity. She fits with our students, who are adventurous by nature, with a desire to take bold but carefully thought-out risks,” says Keller. “We have found the right person at the right time for Colorado College.” CC Student Body President Sakina Bhatti ’22 says Richardson is what Colorado College needs. “Her passion for understanding racial and gender bias are particularly fitting as we educate students to address the challenges of our time.” Citing Richardson’s knowledge, charisma, dedication to students and ability to further Colorado College’s commitment to antiracism, Bhatti says she’s “beyond excited” to have Richardson join the CC community as its new president. “Dean Richardson embodies the curiosity, dedication, spirit, commitment, and joy that are the essence of CC,” says Susie Burghart ’77, chair of the Board of Trustees. “She is authentic and accessible, a scholar committed to building the resiliency, depth, and breadth of students, and a changemaker who will shift CC and our future graduates forward on the path toward antiracism, access, and even greater academic excellence.”
Richardson is incredibly accomplished, with “ Dean a track record of always leaning passionately into opportunity. She fits with our students, who are adventurous by nature, with a desire to take bold but carefully thought-out risks.
”
Jeff Keller ’91, P’22, vice chair of CC’s Board of Trustees and chair of the presidential search committee
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Director of Performing Arts and Associate Professor of Music Ryan Bañagale ’00 says Richardson has “outstanding qualities that make her the unquestionable choice to lead CC into the future.” He notes her past administrative experiences have resulted in meaningful dialogue on difficult issues such as race and social justice, leading to important shifts in institutional culture. Bañagale says the incoming president is an outstanding teacher and engagingly effective communicator who understands that the solutions to many of the current challenges facing humanity will come from multidisciplinary creativity and collaboration. One of Richardson’s greatest strengths, says Bañagale, is “the value she places on learning and working across differences with empathy and an open mind.” Rochelle T. Dickey ’83, P’19, acting dean of students and acting vice president for student life, says as a student at CC, she could never have imagined a president who shares her identity as a Black woman. At that time, she says, it was even hard to imagine a female president. “Song brings so much to the table,” says Dickey. “Song Richardson inspires me just as she has inspired so many others.” The board confirmed Richardson after a nine-month nationwide search conducted by a presidential search committee that included trustees, faculty, staff, and students. The committee considered highly accomplished leaders from a pool of more than 150 applicants with diverse backgrounds. Richardson and her husband, artist Kurt Kieffer, plan to move to Colorado Springs in the coming months. “I am honored to join CC and the Colorado Springs community, and look forward to building a bright future together,” she says. Richardson succeeds Tiefenthaler, who served as president for nine years and is now the chief executive officer of National Geographic Society.
DISCOVER MORE ONLINE See the video announcing L. Song Richardson as CC’s 14th president online at 2cc.co/newpres
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By Jerry Cross ’91
HOCKEY SEASON OPENS AT NCHC POD IN OMAHA
Following an especially unusual month of November for the Colorado College hockey team, the Tigers finally opened their 2020-21 season at the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) pod in Omaha, Nebraska, on Dec. 8. On Nov. 9, nearly two months after the NCHC delayed the start of the 2020-21 season, the league announced a conference-only slate, opening with 10 games at Baxter Arena at the University of Nebraska Omaha, as part of the NCHC pod beginning on Dec. 1. However, Colorado College announced on Nov. 17 that one student-athlete received a positive COVID-19 test and the entire hockey team immediately began a two-week quarantine, which ended on Dec. 1. Therefore, the NCHC announced changes to the schedule, which had CC playing eight games in 13 days, beginning with a contest against Western Michigan University on Dec. 8. “The health and safety of our student-athletes and community remained our top priority as we prepared
for Omaha,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Lesley Irvine says. “It was a challenging time for the team. I was excited to see them back out there competing and doing what they love. We’re also very grateful to the NCHC members and Commissioner Josh Fenton for their understanding and support.” The Tigers emerged from Omaha with a 2-4-2 record, including a convincing 4-1 victory over No. 3-ranked and two-time defending national champion University of Minnesota Duluth on Dec. 13. Two days later, CC defeated Miami University by the same score, and also won both shootouts at the pod. Six of the team’s eight games were televised around the country by AT&T SportsNet. The NCHC partnered with Midco Sports Network to produce and broadcast every game in the pod.
Colorado College hockey game day preparation. Photo by Joshua Birndorf ’20
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For the 2020-21 season, the NCHC is divided into two divisions based on geography: East and West. The East Division consists of Miami University, Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State University, and Western Michigan. The West Division consists of Colorado College, University of Denver, University of North Dakota, and Omaha. The second portion of the season opened on Jan. 1 with an exciting 4-3 victory over the University of Denver at the Broadmoor World Arena, taking an early advantage in the Battle for the Gold Pan. The Tigers will face DU a total of six times in the second half of the campaign, in addition to North Dakota and Omaha four times apiece. Due to the delay in getting to the pod, the Tigers played St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth only once during their time in Omaha, with the other two games against those teams postponed to the second portion of the season. Once again, every game during the 2020-21 season will be broadcast live on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 FM, 1240 AM and 92.5 FM, as well as on cctigers.com.
Ted Castaneda Announces Retirement The longest-tenured coach at Colorado College has called it a career. Head cross country and track and field coach Ted Castaneda announced his retirement, effective Dec. 15, 2020.
23 cross country and track athletes have earned AllAmerica honors, including 1998 NCAA heptathlete champion Heather O’Brien ’99, five-time recipient Julian Boggs ’08 (three times in cross country and twice in track and field), and standout Jackson Brainerd ’12, who led CC to its third consecutive SCAC cross country team championship in 2011. “It is hard to capture Ted’s impact and legacy here at Colorado College,” CC Vice President and Director of Athletics Lesley Irvine says. “He is a true ambassador for the sports he has coached for so long. We thank Ted for his dedication and leadership over the years and wish him the best in his wellearned retirement. To see both teams win conference championships last season on our home course was a special moment for us all to share with him.”
Castaneda, who became head coach of the men’s cross country team in 1981, assumed head coaching duties for women’s cross country in 1993 and track and field in 1994. “This has been a dream job for me, but it must come to an end sometime,” Castaneda says. “My tenure at CC has been a wonderful opportunity full of ups and downs, personal growth, challenges, sports growth, and exciting improvements that I have observed for our programs.” During his tenure, the men’s cross country team captured seven Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championships, while his women’s teams won four. During the fall of 2019, Castaneda led both teams to the SCAC title at the conference meet in Widefield, Colorado. For his efforts, he was named the SCAC Coach of the Year for both the men’s and women’s
PHOTO COURTESY CC ATHLETICS
cross country seasons, his seventh time earning the men’s honor and fourth as women’s. He has coached athletes to a total of 40 outdoor track men’s and women’s school records during his tenure. In indoor track, his female athletes reset all 26 records and the men broke 15 before winter competition was discontinued in 2002. In addition,
Castaneda’s Tigers also excelled academically, with regular academic accolades each year as individuals and teams, including both cross country teams earning Academic All-America status numerous times. Assistant coach Alex Nichols ’08 has been named interim head coach for cross country and track and field through the remainder of the academic year. Nichols, who earned All-America honors in cross country as a senior under Castaneda’s tutelage at CC, returned to his alma mater as assistant coach for both sports in 2012.
Rick Greene, senior project manager of Colorado College's Facilities Services, stands amid the ongoing construction at the Ed Robson Arena. On Aug. 28, one of the final steel beams was put into place and construction has continued steadily ever since. The arena has a projected opening date of October 2021, at which time it will be a multi-purpose state-ofthe-art, sustainable sporting event venue, benefiting both the college and the City of Colorado Springs. Photos by Jennifer Coombes
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WHEN IT COMES TO COVID -19,
CC’s Students Write It Best
Introduction by Kirsten Akens ’96 On Oct. 22, the New York Times ran a story titled, “To Cover College Quarantines, We Turned to the Best: Student Journalists.” In a follow-up story two weeks later one of the journalists they interviewed was Arielle Gordon ’21. Gordon and Miriam Brown ’21 founded The CC COVID-19 Reporting Project this summer, with the help of three faculty advisers and funding from a CC summer research grant. For those 10 weeks, the team published stories daily. Brown says it is now solely student-run, through The Catalyst student newspaper, and the two, with Isabel Hicks ’22 and Esteban Candelaria ’21, have been providing original reporting, interviews, and infographics twice a week since the semester began through an email newsletter and website. When it came time for a Bulletin story addressing COVID-19 and its impact on campus, we turned to them for the most authentic CC coverage. Read on for a handful of these student-written stories (edited for style, but otherwise in their original form). And for more like them, subscribe to their newsletter at cccovidreportingproject.substack.com.
Tent teaching has come to Colorado College. Is it here to stay? For some, classes this semester have been more “in-tents” than they may have initially expected. (Spare us your groans. We couldn’t help ourselves.) If you’ve been on campus recently, you’ll notice some new decor: large white tents set up across campus as outdoor classrooms. After scientists raised concerns about how poor ventilation could impact Coronavirus transmission, Colorado College joined other higher-ed institutions embracing the outdoors in efforts to hold in-person classes. Amherst College in Massachusetts has tents on campus, and Rice University in Texas purchased five
open-sided circus tents in addition to four other tent-like structures. “It wasn’t like there was some kind of proclamation that came down: ‘we shall have tents.’ It was just this kind of thing like, ‘what about tents?’” English Department Chair Steve Hayward, who also directs CC’s Journalism Institute, told The CC COVID-19 Reporting Project. “I think that there’s a way in which that really appealed to a lot of people’s safety concerns, but also to one’s imagination.” In the spring, Hayward saw an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education about how other institutions were embracing tent-ative classrooms. Then in July, when he was a correspondent
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for this newsletter, he helped us write a brief about more tent use. Though he didn’t use a tent himself, Hayward helped solidify teaching in tents as an option for other professors. As chair of the English Department, he said he felt a responsibility to make sure that professors were able to teach the way they wanted to as safely as possible. “You know, some of the windows in Armstrong don’t open. ... They don’t ever open,” Hayward said. “And I was thinking that if I had to teach in there, I’d rather do it outside. It was part of what motivated my tent advocacy.” Hayward added that Registrar Phil Apodaca ’87 and CC Facilities Services were the true players who made tent teaching happen.
RAIN OR SHINE: THE BLOCK MUST GO ON During a stroll around campus, you might wander past a couple different classes taking advantage of the outdoor learning. In a tent on the west side of Tutt Science Center, Director of Bluegrass Keith Reed has been giving individual music lessons and meeting with small student groups, including the CC Bluegrass Ensemble. At tables set up underneath the Fishbowl, chemistry students practice problems on whiteboards with Professor of Chemistry Sally Meyer. According to Reed and Meyer, teaching outside certainly has its perks. Though Colorado weather can be notoriously temperamental, professors teaching outside Block 1 say the weather has been mostly cooperative. Plus, the extra air circulation provides a way for students to meet face-to-face outside of stuffy classrooms.
PHOTO BY JENNIFER COOMBES
CREATING AN EQUITABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN A NEW SPACE
“ WHEN STUDENTS PERFORM OUTDOORS, THE Y FOR WHATE VER RE ASON … SING LOUDER, AND THE Y’RE NOT AS TIMID.” “It’s actually been nicer than inside because Facilities puts these whiteboards up every day for me,” Meyer told The CC COVID-19 Reporting Project. “When you’re inside, [students] don’t necessarily have a whiteboard next to their table.” For Reed, the transition to teaching outdoors was relatively easy. Their instruments, including fiddles and banjos, are portable, and if students need to reference past work, they’re able to play recordings from their phones. A bonus of practicing outdoors is that students seem to sing louder, Reed said. “When students perform outdoors, they for whatever reason … sing louder, and they’re not as timid,” Reed told The CC COVID-19 Reporting Project.
While the outdoor environment provided benefits for some musicians, some chemists faced a bit more difficulty. The day Meyer decided to try to do an experiment with her class, Mother Nature interfered. “I looked at the weather and it was supposed to be beautiful, sunny,” Meyer said. “But then there was so much smoke [from wildfires] that day.” Then wind caused its own problems, knocking over whiteboards so much that Lisa Hughes, who teaches in the English and Comparative Literature departments, said it almost became a game for students. In addition to wreaking havoc on whiteboards, loud wind also made hearing more difficult. Hughes worked with Accessibility Resources to get masks with a clear plastic piece over the mouth for her class to make it easier to read lips. The Audiovisual Department also gave her a headset and microphone to amplify her voice. “I felt like I worked at Old Navy or something,” Hughes told The CC COVID-19 Reporting Project. “I kept saying into the microphone, ‘We need more shirts in aisle seven.’”
The timing of the Block 1 quarantines also presented a challenge for tent classes. Hughes’ CC100 literature class only spent one week together in the tent, minus the two Loomis Hall residents who got quarantined within the first few days. “We had what I thought was really one wonderful week in the tent,” Hughes said. “Then everybody else got quarantined anyhow, so we ended up going remote.” The two students in locked-down Loomis struggled with not being able to physically be in the class as everyone else bonded in person. Hughes said one of the students told her that she felt like she was behind and couldn’t ever catch up. The possibility of leaving some students behind has led a few professors to question the fairness of having in-person classes for some students while others have no choice but to take them online. Environmental Studies Associate Director Eric Perramond, who also teaches in the Southwest Studies Department, was originally set to teach in a tent for his Block 2 class,
a first-year writing seminar about the Southwest. Concerns about equity ultimately changed his mind. “It did not seem fair to me since half of my class was on campus, and the other half of the first-years were sent home,” Perramond wrote in an email. “As a firm believer in inclusive and equal education and pedagogy ... I simply thought it important (and right, inclusive) to not create two separate learning experiences, for first-years remaining on campus versus those who were asked to go home because of COVID-19.” To compromise, Perramond switched his class to flex delivery and offered in-person office hours with masks and social distancing once a week for his students still on campus. Hayward also noted that there are plenty of students who don’t want to attend in-person classes right now, regardless of if they were in a tent. The college has to extend equity to students with anxieties about the pandemic too, he said. “You have to put them first. … I want everyone to feel that they’re in a safe, nurturing classroom space,” Hayward said. “And where we are right now, I don’t think that the in-person instruction, from my perspective, is something that we can do.” Original publication date: Oct. 14
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle? CC’s sustainability efforts shift to accommodate pandemic protocols In the Before Times, Colorado College students would go to the college’s cafeteria, grab reusable plates and silverware, and serve themselves from a spread of food. At the college’s coffee shop, students could bring their own mugs instead of using disposable to-go cups.
But then the pandemic hit, and guidelines for COVID-19 safety began encouraging everyone to embrace single-use containers. At CC, pandemic safety included serving food on disposable products in the dining halls and delivering packaged meals to quarantined students. “The waste stream that’s coming off of that has been much larger and much more concentrated,” said Director of Sustainability Ian Johnson in a recent interview with The CC COVID-19 Reporting Project. “Even just hauling the waste has become an issue just because of the concentrated loads,” he added. As college campuses across the country try to mitigate the spread of Coronavirus by reinventing packed cafeterias as takeout locations, some worry waste may be piling up. “Because of health reasons, everything has to be served in a to-go container. That’s just not something that can be negotiated,” said Westly Joseph ’21, the zero-waste programming and outreach intern for CC’s Office of Sustainability. One strategy? Film a video for incoming students to watch during New Student Orientation that explains how to dispose of Bon
Appétit’s most commonly used containers. The video, called “Trash Talk,” demonstrates which containers go into compost, recycling, or trash. Joseph said the Office of Sustainability also suggested that Bon Appétit [the college’s food service provider] should only give students plastic silverware with their meal if they requested it. Still, waste overflow in the quarantined dorms proliferated. Originally, Sodexo — the hospitality company that works with CC — had employees going through the dorms to sanitize high-touch surfaces and take out trash, Joseph said, but there was so much waste they couldn’t stay on top of it. “Then Sodexo suggested that students, when they go into their outside time, drop their trash off in the dumpsters,” Joseph told The CC COVID-19 Reporting Project. “With the help of students, that was the best option.” This winter, the college will participate in the “Campus Race to Zero Waste,” an annual competition during which institutional participants weigh everything in the trash, recycling, and compost bins to track how much waste they produce. When the competition occurs, the Office of Sustainability will have more data on the amount of waste on campus this semester, Joseph said.
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In addition to disposable containers, pandemic guidelines encourage increased ventilation capacities in buildings, which is effectively measured by the number of air changes per hour in an area. Air changes are facilitated by heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, so a necessary increase in the number of air changes lead to HVAC systems using more energy. Because of the pandemic, CC increased air changes in buildings from about two per hour to three. “So we’re looking at roughly about a 33% increase in heating and cooling loads,” Johnson said, though he added that some of the increase is being offset by a “de-densified” campus. During the cooling season (summer), increased airflow means that more chilled air needs to enter a room. CC uses electrical chillers that run on renewable energy. “And so while we have an increased energy profile, we don’t have an increased carbon footprint associated with that,” Johnson said. “It just means that we’re consuming more solar power.” Conversely, the heating season (winter) uses warm air from a central heating plant that is primarily fueled by natural gas. Though natural gas produces far fewer greenhouse gases
SUSTAINABILIT Y ISN’T JUST ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT — IT’S ABOUT IMPROVING THE WELFARE OF SOCIET Y IN A VARIET Y OF WAYS. than burning coal or oil, it is still a nonrenewable energy source that produces emissions, consequently increasing CC’s carbon footprint. In January, CC fulfilled its goal of becoming 100% carbon neutral by 2020. That means the school has a net carbon footprint of zero — the output of emissions is equal to the amount the school sequesters, or takes out of, the atmosphere. CC sequesters emissions through carbon offsets, which are monetary investments into projects that remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it elsewhere. The increase in emissions due to more frequent air changes will probably lead to further investment into carbon offset projects, Johnson said. CC has also seen decreased emissions in some areas. For example, fleet vehicles are not traveling as often, and the pandemic has grounded most business travel.
“Some of the fundamental shifts that happen here may permanently alter our greenhouse gas profile and what those sources are, but only time will tell,” Johnson said. Though the concerns surrounding pandemic waste and energy are nothing to sneeze at, for Johnson and Joseph, sustainability isn’t just about the environment — it’s about improving the welfare of society in a variety of ways. “Sustainability is not just environmentalism,” Joseph said. “It’s racial justice. It’s gender equity. It’s sustainability of having work that you can be passionate about and that you can do for the foreseeable future rather than being burnt out. PHOTO BY IAN JOHNSON
There are many different aspects of sustainability, and our office acknowledges that.” Johnson agreed, citing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals as getting at a broader understanding of the word “sustainability.” “We’re not just going to go back to business as usual,” Johnson said. “But what is a reasonable thing to start planning for, and how do we get around some of these hurdles and start doing this in a way that is more environmentally sustainable? … Sustainability is about meeting needs now and into the future.” Original publication date: Sept. 30
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‘A Double Learning Curve’: One new CC professor details his experience working and teaching remotely Teaching on the Block Plan for the first time can be challenging. But teaching on the Block Plan for the first time and doing it online is “a double learning curve.” Assistant Professor of History John Marquez started his career at Colorado College from home. During Block 1, Marquez co-taught an online junior history seminar with Assistant Professor of History Purvi Mehta. They used a combination of synchronous and asynchronous elements during the course to prepare students for their senior papers or thesis research. In addition to assigned readings, Marquez and Mehta also asked their 11 students to listen to a podcast about some of the course topics.
“I’m really impressed that students have done such quality work, even under these circumstances,” Marquez told The CC COVID-19 Reporting Project. Unlike some of the professors who ironed out some of the kinks of remote teaching during Blocks 7 and 8, Marquez said he’s still learning how to use Zoom. He calls the Office of Information Technology three or four times per week for support. Other history faculty gave Marquez suggestions and shared teaching ideas with him, and Mehta guided and mentored him through their Block 1 course. Marquez said it was helpful to co-teach his first class because he wasn’t going through it alone. He also enjoyed meeting his Block 1 students, many of whom are either history majors or minors.
“Although it has been stressful as a first-year faculty member, I’ve just been so pleased to meet students,” Marquez said. “I think everyone is doing such amazing work and that really, totally cancels out all the stress and all of the other external things that happen.” He’s teaching Blocks 3, 5, and 8, and he elected to teach them in the “flex” format. Initially, Marquez hoped to offer some small group or individual in-person meetings out on one of the quads. However, because in-person or hybrid lab classes are among the only types of classes CC invited students to campus for this semester, his students may not happen
to be on campus or in Colorado Springs during Block 3. Marquez was looking forward to moving into his office in Palmer and informally meeting students in the department around the everpresent animal cracker jar. Instead, the History Department started a Slack channel and is offering blockly conversations over Zoom. “I feel incredibly fortunate to be here,” Marquez said. “The students have been wonderful and I feel very welcomed here. It’s not ideal to start a new job in a pandemic, but I do feel quite supported.” Original publication date: Sept. 30
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As COVID makes food insecurity more visible, Colorado College launches weekly distribution program to keep students fed As COVID-19 continues to rage across the country, communities struggling with food insecurity grow increasingly vulnerable. In August, The Denver Post reported one in three Coloradans were struggling to eat. Last month, CNN reported there were thousands of cars in line to collect food from a pantry in Dallas, Texas. While Congress sits on another stimulus bill, some communities have embraced forms of mutual aid, such as food redistribution, to help people hit hardest by COVID-19.
HOW SNACK- PACK KITS TURNED INTO A WEEKLY FOOD PANTRY INITIATIVE For Amy Hill, who directs campus activities at Colorado College, discussions on food equity date back to 2018, when she started a “buildyour-own-snack-pack” program. The program aimed to address food insecurity for students who remain on campus over long breaks, when campus dining halls reduce their meal options and hours. The snack-pack program ran on afternoons before the start of a long break. The offerings included snacks like popcorn and candy, but not any fruits and vegetables or ingredients you could build a meal with, Hill said. Sophie Cardin ’22, the vice president of outreach for CC’s student government association (CCSGA), said food insecurity plagued the campus long before COVID hit. When her outreach committee put out a survey to students about the
costs of college textbooks last spring before the pandemic, the results were sobering. “A surprising number of students at CC, and in colleges in general, have skipped meals, not bought groceries, lived off of ramen in order to afford textbooks,” Cardin told The CC COVID-19 Reporting Project. So when the pandemic hit this March, Hill knew she would need to step up her efforts even further. Some students stranded on campus wanted free, healthy options for their meals without having to risk COVID exposure at a grocery store, Hill said. In early April, Campus Activities paraprofessional Antonio Soto ’19, joined Hill to help turn the snackpack program into a well-stocked food pantry where CC students living on campus could shop weekly for their meals. After the school sent home the majority of students last spring because of the pandemic, about 300 students remained on campus, Hill said. Over
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the course of the summer, around 65 additional students returned to campus. “We bulked up what we were doing at that time a little bit more,” Hill told The CC COVID-19 Reporting Project. In an average week, Soto estimated around 25 to 35 students sign up for a time slot to pick items out of the food pantry. Because of walk-ins, though, around 40 students typically show up. Hill and Soto said they spend around $600 per week on groceries for students, so every student is able to walk away with roughly $15 worth of food each visit.
PHOTOS BY PATIL KHAKHAMIAN ’22
HOUSED IN A MEETING ROOM IN UPSTAIRS WORNER, THE FOOD PANTRY HAS TABLES LINED WITH OPTIONS CATERING TO DIFFERENT DIETARY NEEDS.
A LOOK INSIDE THE PANTRY Housed in a meeting room in upstairs Worner, the food pantry has tables lined with options catering to different dietary needs. Fresh fruits and vegetables always go fast, Soto said. Some other popular items include pasta, bread, peanut butter and jelly, chips, and popcorn. Dairy-free alternative milk options, which have long shelf lives, are also a favorite. Hill said she tries to stay away from distributing perishable goods like yogurt, cheese, butter, and eggs because they have limited refrigerator space, and she doesn’t want to create waste if students don’t take everything each week.
At the end of spring and during the summer, some of the Campus Activities budget paid for the pantry initiative. The project was able to continue throughout the Fall Semester because CC’s student government decided to fund it as part of their annual budget. Cardin said CCSGA continued meeting throughout the summer in order to take care of student needs on campus. “There were a lot of complaints about the Bon Appétit hours being weird and the food not being healthy enough, and people not being able to get to grocery stores,” Cardin said.
“So, the Executive Council met with Amy Hill from Campus Activities, and we started by just funding dry goods and canned goods.” Although some talks preceded CCSGA’s decision to fund the pantry initiative, Cardin noticed that many CCSGA representatives have felt a greater need to engage in redistributive justice programs despite a reduced presence on campus. “For a lot of people who didn’t know these issues existed on campus, COVID has really brought to light some of the problems that are underlying and always there,” Cardin said.
Small containers of cereal and Pop-Tarts aren’t very popular among students, Hill said, though they are some of the easiest snacks to find at the store. One week, Hill and Soto were surprised to find that the canned goods they started offering because of student demand were left untouched. “We had a few ‘aha’ moments and learning curves that happened over this,” Hill said. When she asked students why they didn’t take any canned goods, they told her that none of them had functional can openers. “So the next week we went to the Dollar Tree and bought 15 functional can openers to pass out to students,” Hill said.
During the first few months of the pandemic, Hill and Soto did all the grocery shopping, unloading and arranging of the food, sanitizing the space, and pantry supervision by themselves. The project became much easier, they said, once more people realized the food pantry was happening, and staff and students signed up to volunteer. Soto said so many staff members reached out to help volunteer that he actually had to turn some of them away and create a waitlist in case people canceled. “It was amazing to see how many staff are willing to help out and volunteer,” Soto said. In June, four Campus Activities interns also started helping with the pantry, and became its main organizers for two weeks in August, when Hill and Soto were swamped with preparation for New Student Orientation. Hill said they plan to run the pantry over Winter Break — on Tuesdays, instead of Thursdays — and into the spring. For CC students living on campus, there will continue to be no barrier to entry. “We didn’t want to say, ‘Oh, you could only use the food pantry if you fall into this financial bracket, or you have demonstrated need,’” Hill said. “We wanted anyone to be able to come through without shame and take what they need.” Original publication date: Dec. 2
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STUDENT PERSPECTIVES
Above: Studio art major Kat Snoddy ’21 renovated her shed for a space to work on her thesis. She is an art studio major. “Unlike in past semesters there’s no spatial division between studio work and the rest of my life. That’s part of why I made the shed space, so I could have some personal space that’s designated as studio space.” Photo by Skye Schelz ’21
Below: Xixi Qin ’23, an international student from China, participates in online classes from her room in Max Kade, the German language immersion house. Photo by Patil Khakhamian ’22
Below: Isaak Belongia ’21, works from his room in the East Campus Housing Community’s Roberts House. Photo by Patil Khakhamian ’22
Above: Isabella Hageman ’24 in her room in Mathias Hall. Photo by John Le ’24
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Top left: Diana Borrego ’22 in her room at the Antero Apartments. Photo by Chidera Ikpeamarom ’23
Middle left: Minh Pham ’23, an international student from Russia/Vietnam and a resident adviser, takes online classes from her room in Mullett, the Russian language immersion house. Photo by Patil Khakhamian ’22
Below: Thomas Perry ’21 spends most days in his sunroom, where he eats, sleeps, and studies. Photo by Skye Schelz ’21
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FIRST PERSON
A Little Bit of Good: THE CC COMMUNIT Y IN THE AGE OF COVID-19 By Molly Seaman ’21
COVID-19 has been easy for no one. I could tell you my sob story, about how my semester abroad was cut short and how my place of residence has changed six times in the last six months. I could tell the stories of people who were affected much more significantly by the pandemic, stories from voices that have been systematically silenced for centuries and now, arguably, more than ever before. These stories are important to hear. It is also vital to reflect on the vestiges of goodness that are left, to form community and understanding around the positive even if the positive feels so outweighed by the negative at the moment, and this will be the focus of my words.
PHOTO BY TOM BUGG ’20
Even though classes are online and many extracurriculars are limited or canceled entirely, I am still overjoyed that I am a Colorado College student in particular. I came to CC for a lot of reasons, and even though I cannot take advantage of most of those reasons now, I remain connected to and grateful for the community that I have now been a part of over the last three years. It has been arduous for the administration to tackle the issues presented daily by the continuing pandemic, and I know the students are bewildered by the constant changes regarding policy, student life, and campus resources. I have been. However, after participating in COVID-19 task force meetings and after sitting in on Office of Communications meetings for
months, I know that the number one priority of the administration right now is the students, as it should be. On the academic side, many if not all professors are going above and beyond. I am currently enrolled in a class titled Topics in French Culture: The Discipline of Love, which is taught by Professor Alistaire Tallent. Professor Tallent built room into the syllabus for extended deadlines, extra classes, and modified assignments to render class in the age of a pandemic a little bit more manageable. I am grateful for this compassion, as the malaise caused by COVID-19 has certainly affected my productivity. Professor Tallent takes time at the beginning of each Zoom call to ask all seven students in my class how we are doing. She creates a safe enough space that
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my classmates and I answer honestly, and we share both the disappointments and the victories presented by the current state of the world. Aaron Cohick, printer of The Press at Colorado College, has been incredibly supportive as I pursue my letterpress-printed thesis despite the circumstances. He invites students affiliated with The Press to participate in virtual artists’ talks, and he asked me to communicate more ideas regarding creating a community around The Press this year. He encourages me to pursue the vision I have had for my thesis in full, and he promises me to provide any support he can, whether that can be in the printing studio together or not. We are hoping it will be possible for me to access The Press soon, so
long as I continually test negative for COVID-19. I speak with my best friend almost every day over the phone, and, as I write this, he is currently in quarantine, living in Mathias Hall. We talk about all the adventures we will have outdoors once it is safe again, and we speak about ski season as if we know it will happen. Sometimes, a little imagination can go a long way. While he is of course unhappy to be so confined to his dorm room, we also talk about how grateful we are that Colorado College took the precautions it needed to. We recognize that things really do have to get worse before they get better, but that we are not necessarily alone. Originally published in September.
Breaking New Ground PROFESSOR ADAPTS TO TEACHING BIOLOGY OF PL ANTS DURING THE PANDEMIC By Molly Seaman ’21
Roxaneh Khorsand, visiting assistant professor in the Organismal Biology and Ecology Department since 2018 and Colorado native, embodies the innovative spirit of Colorado College as she adjusts to teaching under COVID-19 restrictions. Using an array of computers, microphones, plastic models, live specimens, microscopes, and whiteboards, Khorsand converts Biology of Plants — a traditionally hands-on introductory course — into an interactive online experience for students living around the world. “As we observe specimens under the microscope, I ask students what they see and how they interpret what they are seeing,” she says. “I move the specimen around to show different angles and cell types, and I refer to figures in the lab manual and textbook so students can make their own connections.” While she acknowledges that teaching science online is not ideal, Khorsand also observes that the new format challenges students to learn independently and to “take ownership of their education.” She remarks that students are responding well due to the “quality of learning” initiated by the structure of the Block Plan. “I am blown away by the level of awareness, work ethic, and curiosity of many students at CC. It is a pleasure to teach such receptive human beings.” The biology professor also believes that she has grown as an educator during the pandemic, noting that she listens to students more now than in the past. “I perceive what students need and I respond to their needs only after giving them the space and
time to explore the specimen on their own. Teaching lab through Zoom is a rhythmic dance between leading and listening.” Because Zoom sessions are inherently less captivating than in-person education, Khorsand has dramatically shortened class time. This adjustment requires students to be more closely engaged as she teaches. She encourages student interest through check-ins at the beginning of class, quick jokes, consistent energy, and evident passion for the subject. Khorsand’s enthusiasm for education remains despite the limiting conditions of the pandemic due to her lifelong interest in biology. “I became a college professor because I took the only path that felt authentic to me. I was lucky enough to know from an early age that I am passionate about the natural world. As a child, I had an insatiable desire to understand how things worked in nature, and I dreamt of saving every living being that could not speak for itself! That dream shifted as I entered ‘adulthood,’ and I questioned my idealistic approach.”
PHOTOS BY JOSH BIRNDORF ’20
and so they may continue to progress through their academic careers. In my attempt to adapt to these new circumstances, I have become more creative, more resourceful, and more receptive.” Despite her many efforts to adapt the class as accurately as possible, Khorsand admits that online learning may be a useful tool, but that “it is not a valid substitute for human connection.” She bemoans the loss of in-person interaction with her students, arguing that “online learning cannot fully capture the essence of education because human connection between a teacher and student is felt, not seen.”
“I can’t save the world, but I can make a tiny difference,” she says. “Perhaps the most sustainable path toward preserving what’s left of the natural world is through education. My aim is to help students cultivate critical thinking skills so they can make informed choices, both as scientists and citizens.”
“I feel a deep sense of joy and meaning when I witness a student experience that ‘aha’ moment, or connect the theoretical to the practical, or think critically beyond the academic sphere and into the ‘real world.’”
Khorsand’s passion for her field and for her job also reveals itself as she discusses the modifications she made to her pedagogy as a result of the pandemic. “As a biologist, I understand the importance of adaptation. As faculty, we are adapting our pedagogy during this pandemic so we can serve our students
The absence of this feeling may be striking now, but Khorsand looks to the future for inspiration as she continues to adapt to the pandemic. “It will be a great day when we can share that collective energy again, whether we are in the lab or field with our students. I know better days are to come.”
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The CC Hockey team, Trustee Mike Slade ’79, Vice President and Director of Athletics Lesley Irvine, Head Hockey Coach Mike Haviland, Ed Robson ’54, President Jill Tiefenthaler, and family members gather for a photo in February at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ed Robson Arena. Photo by Jennifer Coombes
Students and staff listen as President Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of SunShare Community Solar David Amster-Olszewski ’09, Director of the Office of Sustainability Ian Johnson, and others discuss CC’s current and future sustainability goals at a Jan. 22 event in the Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center celebrating CC’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2020. Photo by Jennifer Coombes
A YEAR2020 IN PHOTOS
In response to the college’s concerns over the spread of the Coronavirus, students from the Class of 2020 gather at the Earle Flagpole on March 11 to celebrate the senior tradition of the champagne shower. Students put the event together at the last minute in the event classes might not reconvene later in the year. The gathering occurred before social distancing and masks were required. Photo by Jennifer Coombes 22 | COLORADO COLLEGE BULLETIN | WINTER 2020-2021
Advancement and Alumni Relations staff work in Reid Arena to organize and pack boxes to be delivered to members of the Class of 2020 in lieu of a graduation ceremony, which was canceled due to COVID-19. Photo by Jennifer Coombes
With safety as a top priority, Colorado College has been providing on-campus COVID-19 screening for students. At this COVID-19 testing opportunity on Aug. 8, students arrived at scheduled times and waited six feet apart from one another to register for and receive their quick and easy tests at the Hybl Community Center. Abigail Opperman ’23 registers for her screening as other students social distance and wait their turns. Photo by Josh Birndorf ’20
On the final day of New Student Orientation, Outdoor Education and Campus Activities set up socially distanced activities for students to enjoy before their first day of classes. Activities included tie-dying, showing support for quarantined students living in Loomis Hall, and more. Photo by Chidera Ikpeamarom ’22
The women’s basketball team reacts to their new jerseys featuring the refreshed CC Tigers logo on Feb. 7 at El Pomar Sports Center. Photo by Katie Klann Emmett Tucker ’24 practices and takes instruction from Music Lecturer and Artist-in-Residence Susan Grace while playing Mozart piano sonatas during a piano lesson. Music lessons during COVID-19 were offered on an individual professor and student basis. Photo by Jennifer Coombes
Students from CC Votes pose with the iconic campus vote letters they put out during each election. Photo by Jennifer Coombes
Colorado College staff worked together to deliver food and activities to students quarantining in Loomis Hall. Sergio Portesan ’16, the residential life coordinator of Loomis, holds a bag of food from inside his room. Photo by Patil Khakhamian ’22 www.coloradocollege.edu/bulletin | 23
INAUGURAL
STROUD SCHOLARS
RISE TO CHALLENGE By Laurie Laker ’12
The K.D. Stroud family in a 1929 photo. Seated from left: James, Bobby, Rev. K.D., Rosa May, mother Lulu. Standing from left: Jack, Nina, Dolphus ’31, and Effie ’31. Courtesy of the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum
“B
ringing together fantastic kids with fantastic minds, in less than fantastic circumstances, it really couldn’t have gone much better,” says Jordan Baker, inaugural member of Colorado College’s Stroud Scholars Program and a student at Fountain-Fort Carson High School in Fountain, Colorado.
Named in honor of two of the earliest Black students to graduate from Colorado College, siblings Kelly Dolphus Stroud ’31 and Effie Stroud Frazier ’31, the Stroud Scholars Program helps prepare and engage high-promise students from across the Pikes Peak Region in pursuing their ambitions to attend college. These students, who face a range of barriers to college, will earn admission to CC and receive a financial aid package that will enable them to attend once they complete the three-year program. Students are able to kickstart college-level academic work while they’re still in high school, completing annual summer courses and focusing on qualitative and quantitative critical thinking skills.
The program is part of the college’s larger college access initiatives, which include CC’s Colorado Pledge, a pilot program aimed at supporting Colorado families with adjusted gross incomes below $200,000, and CC’s test-optional policy, in which applicants can choose whether to submit standardized test scores as part of their admission application. Of particular focus for the Stroud program is the vital importance of bringing local students to campus both in the short and long terms.
“It’s really meaningful and important for us to find and recruit high-promise students from local schools who may not have considered CC a place they could look at, so that they can see themselves here,” says Jim Burke, the director of Summer Session, whose office was one of the key stakeholders in facilitating the Stroud program this summer. “The way we structured the student selection, did interviews, and conducted outreach, it was all to make CC viable to those who may not see it as so, to broaden the scope of what a CC student can and should be.”
“
IT’S R EALLY MEANINGFUL AND IMPORTANT FOR US TO FIND AND R ECRUIT HIGH-PROMISE STUDENTS FROM LOCAL SCHOOLS WHO MAY NOT HAVE CONSIDER ED CC A PLACE THEY COULD LOOK AT, SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THEMSELVES HER E.
”
Jim Burke, director of Summer Session
PHOTO BY RACHEL DELLEY ’20
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Approximately 120 students applied to be a part of the Stroud program; 25 were selected in a rigorous and holistic review and interview process. “There’s such a broad base of support across CC’s campus and among our community partners at local schools for something like Stroud, that it was incredibly rewarding to be able to deliver a program that I believe makes all of these groups really proud of being involved,” adds Burke.
“
WHAT IT DOES, IN MAK ING CC A VIA BLE AND AT TAINA BLE OPTION FOR K IDS LIK E ME, LOCAL K IDS WHO MAY NOT HAVE THE MEANS TO INITIALLY THINK A BOUT CC, IT’S AWESOME, AND SO I R EALLY WANTED TO HELP.
”
Chloe Brooks-Kistler ’23
PHOTO BY JENNIFER COOMBES
Jada Miller, also from Fountain-Fort Carson High School, “loves history and math” and was selected by her school as a possible candidate for the Stroud program. Though she was excited by the selection, she didn’t know quite what to expect until the program representative came to her school to explain more. “When the rep spoke about diversity, wanting students from multicultural backgrounds like myself, it really surprised and encouraged me. Talking about campus events, the profile of speakers, the program that CC offers, it was super exciting,” she says. The key component to Stroud, beyond the academic programming involved, is the people. Students are taught by a combination of CC and high school faculty, and mentored in groups and individually by CC students from similar backgrounds to their own. For this first iteration of the Stroud program, which ran Aug. 3-7, two of the numerous involved faculty were CC Psychology Professor Lori Driscoll ’94 and K-8 Math and Science Specialist Phillip Hutcherson of School District 11 in Colorado Springs. “I’ve worked for many years with CC as a volunteer for their community engagement programs, and the moment I heard about Stroud I applied to be a part of it,” says Hutcherson. Driscoll and Hutcherson co-taught the quantitative class portion of Stroud, designed to help students engage with data in a critical and curious way. “We wanted to teach these students how to analyze data properly, to question its validity and source certainty. Especially in today’s world of fake news, the skills of knowing a good source and how to examine databases are absolutely vital,” Driscoll says. For both Driscoll and Hutcherson, their involvement in Stroud wasn’t simply a teaching assignment or opportunity, but a personal call to action to actively engage with these students in this program. “I only came to CC because I got a Boettcher Scholarship.
I hadn’t even heard of CC until an older friend of mine went there and wrote me a letter telling me that I had to come and see this place for myself,” says Driscoll. “As the first person in my family to go to college, CC transformed my life. For me to be able to give back to CC in this way, along with my regular teaching at the college, is a real act of love — creating an environment where people cherish knowledge. When the Stroud program was announced, something spoke to me at my core, and I had to be involved.” Hutcherson’s sentiments mirror Driscoll’s. Both are from Colorado and are able to speak to and relate to what the Stroud students are experiencing. “I was one of these students,” says Hutcherson. “I’m also a first-generation college graduate, my mother was the first high school graduate in my family. Being able to recognize the value of an educational opportunity and to pass it on, that’s something really special. For me, Stroud was a full circle of ‘aha!’ moments, reminders of why I’m doing this.” The Stroud mentors, who met with students individually and in small groups via Zoom, echoed the sentiments of the faculty. “Before CC, I had a really different view of college — in high school I was told that it’d be a hard fit for me because of the money involved,” says Chloe BrooksKistler ’23, a rising sophomore and Bonner Fellow who has worked with local schools and the Inside/ Out Youth Services program, as well as volunteering at KRCC, Colorado College’s NPR-member public radio station. “When I heard about Stroud toward the end of my first year, and knew it was for local kids like me, I thought that if I’d had this program when I was in high school, I’d have loved it! What it does, in making CC a viable and attainable option for kids like me, local kids who may not have the
means to initially think about CC, it’s awesome, and so I really wanted to help.” With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the structure and timeline of this first iteration of the Stroud program were always going to change and change drastically. “We knew that we had to make this happen, in spite of the pandemic,” explains Burke. “The shift we made was simple; instead of the weeks on campus, we reconfigured it to a five-day online-only program, making it far more concentrated but no less impactful. Everyone involved in Stroud behind the scenes made a tremendous effort to deliver, despite the one-week time limitation, a program that illustrated the core values of the college. I’m really proud that we were able to do that.” The experience, while not what was initially planned, still carried great resonance for everyone involved. Students spoke of shedding tears on their last day and continue to stay in touch with classmates and new friends, friends that they may never have made were it not for this five-day experience. “Mentoring via Zoom was kind of weird, especially as some of the students wouldn’t have their cameras on so it became more of a phone call than a face-toface conversation,” says Brooks-Kistler. “That said, we made it work — despite it being very strange for it to be online. Mentors had community lunches every single day, including sessions with the Stroud family themselves, a movie night, collaborative art projects, and loads of random discussions.” “Initially, I was scared and nervous, but we became super close,” says Miller. “I’ve definitely made a few very real friends from this program, and I’d never known that there were this many kids like me spread out around the city.”
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Jan Alfaro â&#x20AC;&#x2122;23 walks through Tava Quad after a midOctober snow covered Pikes Peak and the campus grounds. Photo by Jennifer Coombes
By Leslie Weddell
This Is Chance!
The Elephants’ Guide to Hide-and-Seek
By Jon Mooallem ’00
By Kjersten Hayes ’99
On Good Friday in 1964, Anchorage, Alaska, was jolted by a magnitude 9.2 earthquake, the most powerful in American history. For four and a half minutes, the ground lurched and rolled. When it stopped, the city was in disarray and sealed off from the outside world. As people turned on their transistor radios, they heard Genie Chance, a part-time radio reporter and working mother, explain what had happened and what to do next. Chance played an unlikely role in the wake of the disaster, helping put her fractured community together with tireless broadcasts over the next three days. Mooallem, writer at large for New York Times Magazine, draws on thousands of pages of unpublished documents, interviews with survivors, and original broadcast recordings. The book began as a live, musical storytelling project in collaboration with members of the band The Decemberists, which toured the West Coast in 2016-17. Published by Random House, 2020.
My Midnight Sun By John Shors ’91 Life is good for 30-year-old Owen Sterling. But when tragedy strikes during his honeymoon in Thailand, the future he’d hoped for is shattered. After time with his family and friends in America does little to ease his pain, Owen returns to Asia to try to make peace with his past. A chance encounter unites him with Suchin, a young Thai woman battling her own demons. Inspired by their unexpected connection, the unlikely pair of traveling companions journeys to Nepal, soon embarking on an extraordinary trek through the Himalayas. Facing their own doubts, as well as everything from bandits to mudslides to illness, Owen and Suchin climb higher, their bond strengthening. But the shadows of their pasts continue to loom large. And while both seek rebirth within a beautiful yet unforgiving land, neither knows if they will reach a legendary summit. The climb could break them — or save them. Published by Blackfin Books, 2020.
Black Minded: The Political Philosophy of Malcolm X By Michael Sawyer, assistant professor of English Known as “the angriest Black man in America,” Malcolm X was one of the most famous activists to ever live. Sawyer’s book goes beyond biography and examines Malcolm X’s philosophical system. “The motivation for writing this came from a realization that even with the regard I had for Malcolm X as an activist, I was not taking him seriously as a thinker,” says Sawyer, who also teaches in CC’s Race, Ethnicity, and Migration Studies Program and is director of the college’s Africana Intellectual Project. “This book is an attempt to do that and also, frankly, a love letter to Malcolm X in honor of all he has done for me.” Sawyer argues that the foundational concepts of Malcolm X’s political philosophy — economic and social justice, strident opposition to white supremacy, and Black internationalism — often are obscured by an emphasis on biography. Published by Pluto Press, 2020.
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Elephants are great at many things — but playing hide-andseek is just not one of them. However, the Elephant Hobby and Sport League is here to help all those frustrated, always “found” elephants out there with “The Elephants’ Guide to Hide-and-Seek.” This handy guide offers sympathy, support, and superior hiding solutions to elephants who long to overcome their size disadvantage when playing hide-and-seek. Kirkus Reviews calls the book “cheery, energetic ... lively fun.” This is a hilarious tongue-in-cheek book perfect for elephants and their best human pals. Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2020.
things i’ve learned about loss By Dana Shields ’82 This colorful 5-inch-square book offers a comforting shoulder to anyone looking for advice on how to process loss. Shields, who lost her brother in a plane crash, shares her insight and offers comfort and companionship to readers in mourning. When people experience a loss, it’s hard to know what to do or say. “things i’ve learned about loss” helps reinforce the message that those grieving are not alone or wrong in their grief, even if it sometimes feels that way. This is a thoughtful gift for anyone struggling with their own loss. Published by Chronicle Books, 2020.
The Stasis Legacy Series By Bill Guild ’79 (writing as W.C. Guild) The Stasis Legacy series of science fiction novels are set in the 24th century yet based on technologies that are emerging today.
Stasis
At the end of the 23rd-century, the Earth is recovering from devastating famines caused by global warming. Part of that recovery was the development of agricultural and manufacturing lands orbiting at stasis points. Shipments from stasis lands were dropping off, and the Earth once again faced famine. Ian Doggend, an economist, was tasked with traveling the space lands to find and fix the causes of the declining shipments. Stasis follows that investigation through economics, physics, espionage, and extreme sports, culminating in murder and redemption. Primedia eLaunch LLC (November, 2019).
Creation
In the second of the Stasis Legacy series of science fiction novels, Lara Cameron is a student at the institute founded by the mega-billionaire, Ian Doggend, where she sets out to establish a colony at Tau Ceti. This brilliant and unorthodox engineer uses cloning and robotics to work around the limits of physics and society’s laws. This is her story as she experiences success and failure among the scientists, detectives, gangsters, friends, and lovers who help and hinder along the way. Extrapolating cutting-edge technologies of today into their future practical applications, Guild posits one possible future. Looking through Lara’s eyes and following the story’s twists, Guild raises ethical questions such as whether it is right to clone people and how human should humanoids be. Published by Primedia eLaunch LLC, 2020.
We asked Associate Professor of French
I B R A H I M A WA D E
PHOTO BY JENNIFER COOMBES
“What’s on Your Reading List?” “I am re-reading Paul Gilroy’s ‘L’Atlantique Noire,’ in French this time! In his work, ‘The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness,’ Gilroy articulates engaging and provocative postulations that could help frame current socio-cultural and political occurrences in America and Europe. Gilroy’s book, to me, remains one of the outstanding critical approaches which seek to discuss and elucidate the ongoing mutations and other complexities of the identities of the Black diasporic subject. Discussing Black transnational mobilities of African Americans and Caribbean (of Africans in exile later in his work) Gilroy argues that whether their experience is enforced or chosen, temporary or permanent, these intellectuals and activists, writers, speakers, poets, and artists repeatedly articulate the desire to escape the restrictive bonds of ethnicity, national identification, and sometimes, even ‘race’ itself. As an African and Francophone intellectual (with a triple heritage of African, French, and Arabo-Islamic cultures), I cannot but find high resonance in Gilroy’s discussion on this complex psychological état d’être which transcends the simple fact of being.
DISCOVER MORE ONLINE at 2cc.co/iwadebookshelf
Somebody Else’s Troubles By J. A. English ’65 Ohio businessman Travers Landeman has plenty of troubles. Between a marriage that is loveless at best, a hateful, greedy, self-consumed wife, and a family business changing in unexpected and unwelcome ways, Landeman copes in the best way he knows how: by making a conscious effort not to think. But when his teenage nephew, Matthew Calkins, reaches out to him for help, Landeman turns away. When his inaction causes unspeakable guilt, Landeman fakes his death on the Caribbean Island of Mabuhay, an act that sets into motion a most unusual series of events — events that will bond together a most unusual cadre of people. Years pass and it appears that Landeman, now settled into a new life with a new family and a new name, has gotten away with it. Or has he? Published by Zimbell House, 2020.
Combat Socio-Politique et Representation By Nene Diop, assistant professor of French Diop has recently published her first book, the complete title of which is “Socio-Political Struggle and Self-Representation: Senegalese Women and Their Quest for Equal Rights in the Senegalese Novel.” Diop, whose research focuses on women’s writings in Francophone West African literature and on Senegalese literary works in particular, says the motivation for the book came from her deep commitment and strong desire to contribute meaningfully to the enrichment and universalizing of the underrepresented and under-studied group of African women writers and their valuable contributions in the field of Francophone studies. Her book critically examines and discusses the different forms of socio-political struggles and representations of the female subject in the Senegalese novel. Published by MUSE, 2020.
Alumni, who have written or edited books, or recorded CDs, are invited to send notifications to bulletin@ coloradocollege.edu and bookstore@ coloradocollege.edu. To mail a copy, send to Bulletin, 14 E. Cache La Poudre St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903. All submitted material will be donated to Tutt Library. Inscriptions inside books are always welcome.
A Dirty Year: Sex, Suffrage, and Scandal in Gilded Age New York By Bill Greer ’76 In 1872, New York was teeming with social upheaval and sexual revolution. In January, newspapers headlined four stories symptomizing the city’s decadence: financier Jim Fisk caught in a love triangle; free-loving suffragist Victoria Woodhull running for president; vice hunter Anthony Comstock chasing smut dealers; abortionists thriving. Over the year these stories intertwined, pulling in suffragists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, preacher Henry Ward Beecher, and others. Through these characters, issues that still resonate played out, from rigged elections to sexual impropriety to the chasm between rich and poor, finally exploding in the greatest sensation of the 19th century. Published by Chicago Review Press, 2020.
With Teeth By Natanya Ann Pulley, assistant professor of English Diné writer Pulley has published a new book of experimental and speculative fiction, “With Teeth.” In this collection of short stories, Pulley reimagines and fuses fables, mysteries, horror, and ghost stories with the surreal and hallucinatory. She experiments with voice, form, and genre, crafting a chorus of women’s voices who are in the process of reclaiming and telling their own stories as they slip through the cracks of spatial and temporal reality. In the “With Teeth” collection, Pulley explores how we tell stories, personally and collectively as a society, as we become stories ourselves. She crafts pieces that are by turns haunting, playful, and tragic, as the storytellers spiral in crisis, caught in the webs they weave around themselves. Published by New Rivers Press, 2020.
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ALUMNI ACTIVITIES
As a part of the Virtual Homecoming, DJ Bichonfrisé (Ben Shumlin’21) played a set for the virtual dance party. Photo by Chidera Ikpeamarom ’22
HOMECOMING 2020 VI RT UA L DA NC E PA RT Y In true 2020 form, this year’s annual Homecoming became a home-staying. But even with canceled on-campus events, the COVID-19 global pandemic couldn’t keep CC alumni from connecting across the miles. Virtual Homecoming events organized by CC’s Office of Alumni and Family Relations allowed alumni to engage with one another in new ways over Homecoming weekend.
WEEKEND
2021
Plans are currently underway for a combined Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 7-10, 2021, for all 2020 and 2021 reunion classes. The health and safety of our CC alumni, student, faculty, and staff community continues to be our top priority, and we will continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 as we move forward with plans. We hope that having additional classes celebrating together will create an even richer Homecoming experience for all.
HERE’S WHO WILL BE CELEBRATING CLASS REUNIONS IN 2021:
Typically held under the tent on Tava Quad, this year’s Homecoming Dance took a creative spin by delivering music virtually to living rooms across the country. Guest DJ Idris Goodwin, director of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, kicked off the event before handing it over to student DJs Sai (Pranav Sai ’22) and Bichonfrisé (Ben Shumlin ’21) from the Sounds of Colorado College. Alumni, as well as current students and CC staff and faculty, tuned in live and danced together from the comfort of their living rooms, dorm rooms, or even on the beach. Some alumni even showcased their dance skills for all later in the evening, as the cameras turned away from the DJs and onto the people enjoying their music.
The event kicked off with guest DJ Idris Goodwin, director of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. Photo courtesy of Idris Goodwin.
This year has shown all of us that there is truly no substitute for in-person connections — the smiles, the hugs, the laughs. But, we are thankful for all those
who still chose to connect virtually, share memories, engage with old friends and new, and celebrate the resilient CC Tiger spirit.
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HOMECOMING
1959, 1960, & 1961
60th
1964, 1965, & 1966
55th
1970 & 1971
50th
1975 & 1976
45th
1980 & 1981
40th
1985 & 1986
35th
1990 & 1991
30th
1995 & 1996
25th
2000 & 2001
20th
2005 & 2006
15th
2010 & 2011
10th
2015 & 2016
5th
Young Alumni 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, & 2021
50
TH
HAPPY B LO C K P L A N !
T
he Block Plan celebration marks the 50th anniversary of Colorado College’s innovative one-class-at-a-time academic system — the Block Plan. The Block Plan celebration involves a year of events and programming highlighting the impact the Block Plan has had on those who have experienced it as faculty, staff, and students. And as we celebrate the past, we also look forward to taking it into the next 50 years and beyond.
SHARE YOUR BLOCK PLAN STORY
There’s still time to share your own Block Plan story: coloradocollege.edu/blockplan50
During the virtual Homecoming 2020 events this fall, Professor Emerita of History and former Dean of the College Susan Ashley, along with Associate Professor and Chair of the English Department Steven Hayward, provided a glimpse into their collaboration over the past three years leading up to the forthcoming
release of Ashley’s book, “The Block Plan: An Unrehearsed Educational Venture,” and the documentary feature film, “The Block Plan,” which Hayward wrote and co-directed. Their conversation, “Inside the Block,” was a live virtual event for alumni, and can now be accessed as an online recording at 2cc.co/insidetheblockvid. On Feb. 14, 2021 (we do love the Block Plan, after all), the film, book, and a series of podcasts will be launched as CC continues to celebrate and commemorate this important anniversary. In anticipation of this release date, we invite you to view the film trailer on CC’s website at 2cc.co/bp2020, and watch your email inbox for more information on how you can join in on the celebration!
SAV E TH E DATE Get ready to celebrate with the Feb. 14, 2021 release of Ashley’s book, “The Block Plan: An Unrehearsed Educational Venture,” the documentary feature film “The Block Plan,” written and co-directed by Hayward, as well as a series of podcasts that take a deeper dive into the Block Plan’s past, present, and future.
The making of "The Block Plan" documentary brought together many of the key stakeholders who launched the Block Plan at CC 50 years ago. Photos by Bryan Beasley.
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THESE MILES HOLD MEMORIES Celebrating 50 Years of the Aspen Bike Trip
By Valerie Hanna ’18
The first-ever block break at Colorado College occurred in September 1970, marking the end of the very first class conducted on CC’s new academic schedule, now the iconic Block Plan. Coincidentally, this also marked the genesis of a now-beloved CC tradition, the Aspen Bike Trip. For the past five decades, the trip has remained an arduous yet rewarding adventure for CC students, bringing together both novice cyclists and seasoned fanatics. As Shove Chapel strikes noon on the fourth Wednesday of Block 1, 50 students close their laptops, turn in their final papers, grab their helmets, and begin the first uphill climb of the Aspen Bike Trip. The first day (45 miles) takes the group through Woodland Park to Round Mountain Campground, just past Lake George. On the second day, the group logs a whopping 74 miles, biking down Wilkerson Pass, through Buena Vista, and ending at the idyllic Twin Lakes. The final stretch is a short but arduous 18 miles up from Twin Lakes to Independence Pass, elevation 12,095 feet. After celebrating together (and often with curious strangers), the group cruises down the mountain — an exhilarating 19 miles of pure downhill, with breathtaking views of the Maroon Bells, into the town of Aspen. The weekend is full of golden aspen trees, delicious food, and new friends. Not much has changed in 50 years — the touring route, silly costumes, and enthusiasm has held strong over the decades. Alumni across generations remember the feeling of summiting Independence Pass, the new friend who helped them fix a flat tire, and of course the whoops of encouragement, salty snacks, and free rides from the support vans, which flag the cyclists during the trip.
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Melissa Walker ’72 participated in the very first ride to Aspen in 1970, one of three women on the trip. She didn’t own a bike at the time, and borrowed a 10-speed Raleigh Record from a classmate. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I wanted to try something
new,” says Walker. Born and raised in the small town of Minden, Louisiana, Walker had followed her older brothers Rolle Walker ’69 and Winston Walker ’70 to CC, drawn to a small college, a liberal arts education, and the beautiful Colorado mountains. Walker’s younger sister Priscilla Walker Engeln ’73 (married to Jay Engeln ’74) also attended CC, as did Walker’s husband, Les Goss ’72. Walker recalls a quirky end to the trip. Instead of vans, the group of approximately 20 students piled into a propeller plane, and flew from Aspen to the Colorado Springs airport. “It was a mass of people and wheels,
Very first Aspen Bike Trip, in 1970. Photo courtesy Melissa Walker ’72
with the bikes jammed into the aisle,” she remembers. “But we were too tired and happy, and enjoying new friends, to care about the tight quarters.” When they landed at the Colorado Springs airport, the group hopped back on their bikes, and rode from the tarmac to campus. “Biking that last stretch home to CC, I truly felt like I was flying,” says Walker. In later years, the Aspen Bike Trip began to take on new significance. Early in 1978, two first-year CC students, Andrew “Andy” Reich ’81 and Paul Schaefer ’81, died tragically in a plane crash together. Reich was a skilled cyclist, and while he never had the chance to participate in the Aspen Bike Trip, participants across the years claimed him as their own. Fellow CC students founded the Andy Reich Spirit Award, which is presented each year “to the participant who best personifies the camaraderie, endurance, determination, and love of nature that Andy associated with biking.” Each year, a student’s name is added to a plaque, which lives in CC’s Outdoor Education office. Reich’s family also generously endowed a fund to subsidize the Aspen Bike Trip, which helps to offset the cost of gear, food, and transportation. Through the Andy Reich Award and his family’s generous scholarship, Reich’s memory and legacy live on.
Most will agree that the trip is more about the people than the mileage. While CC’s cycling team has been integral to the trip planning over the years, and while the trip attracts passionate cyclists, many participants have never biked more than a few miles
Most will agree that the trip is more about the people than the mileage.
before embarking on the trip. Bevo Cathcart Tarika ’81, P’12, P’14, P’18 first rode the trip her sophomore year. She recalls fellow classmate Stan Stockdale ’83 riding up Independence Pass on a single-speed bike, much to the amazement of the other riders.
Tarika received the Andy Reich Award in 1979, the year after Reich and Scoggins passed away. Tarika cherished the trip, and went on to help lead it her junior and senior years. Her daughter, Alexandra Tarika ’12, also rode on the Aspen Bike Trip decades later as a CC student. Kendall Rock ’15 has fond memories of being the only first-year participant, riding with mostly senior students. “I didn’t know anyone on the trip, but a group of older girls took me under their wing and we became fast friends. When I got to the top of Independence Pass, the students who had already finished made a tunnel for us to ride through, and then I joined the party. At that moment, I knew I’d picked the right school.” The Aspen Bike Trip has connected CC alumni across generations. “Every year I rode, there would be some older alum who would pull over in their car somewhere along Highway 24 because they noticed our costumes,” Teo Price-Broncucia ’14 says. “They would ask us if we were biking to Aspen, and share that they had done that trip some 20 or 30 years back.”
Top left: James Harley Berglund ’80, in 1979. Photo courtesy Bevo Tarika ’81; Middle: Lennard Zinn ’80 became a famous cyclist and founded a bike shop in Boulder. Photo courtesy Bevo Tarika ’81; Right: For decades Twin Lakes Restaurant/Hotel was the highlight of the Aspen Bike Trip. Students would get to Twin Lakes to unwind at the restaurant, Photo courtesy Bevo Tarika ’81; Bottom left: Bevo Tarika ’81 and unidentified student at Independence Pass.
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Top left: Top of Independence Pass group in 2018. Photo courtesy Naomi Tsai ’19; Top right: Cheering tunnel at Independence Pass. Photo courtesy Kendall Rock ’15; Bottom left: The vans are an integral part of the trip, and this shot shows the camaraderie and entertainment during breaks. Photo courtesy Kendall Rock ’15; Bottom right: Top of Independence Pass group in 2019. Photo courtesy Ben Murphy ’20.
Price-Broncucia first rode the trip as a sophomore, and went on to help lead his junior and senior years. Then as a young graduate, he had his own surprise. Price-Broncucia was hired to work at a wedding in Aspen the fall after his graduation, and a sunny morning in late September found him shuttling chandeliers and decorations from Denver. As he rounded the last turn up Independence Pass, he spotted a group of young people celebrating and an equal number of bikes — simply by chance, he had crossed paths with the Aspen Bike Trip at the peak of their journey. For many, the trip also holds personal significance. Erika Berglund ’15 signed up for the Aspen Bike Trip her junior year because her father James Harley “Barney” Berglund Jr. ’80, P’15 insisted she had to try it before she graduated. He was awarded the Andy Reich Award alongside Tarika in 1979. James passed away during Berglund’s junior year at CC,
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and her senior year, she joined the trip again, this time as a co-leader. “That last Aspen Bike Trip was indescribable. I was carrying on my dad’s memory, and sharing a special CC tradition with new students.” Just as the CC bike trip has welcomed backcountry beginners since its founding, CCOE is committed to increasing access and opening doors. In recent years, CCOE has provided additional funding to offset bike rentals for participants, which is a barrier for many students. The office runs outdoor trips year-round, and offers low-cost and free rentals, training, and skill-building for CC students of all experience levels.
COVID-19 also posed a safety concern this year, and CCOE had to postpone the in-person trip. Instead, they hosted a virtual Aspen Bike Trip using the free app, Strava. Participants logged their miles on Strava and CCOE tracked their progress, entering all finishers into a raffle. With nearly 50 participants in the Strava challenge, including alumni and current students, 2020 marks another successful year of the Aspen Bike Trip. “Of course, it wasn’t the same as previous years, and we’re sad that we had to cancel on the 50-year anniversary,” says Associate Director of Outdoor Education David Crye. “But the great turnout for the virtual ride and the wonderful stories we’ve heard over the years make us excited for what’s to come!”
Safety is also a top concern. Traffic on Highway 24 has increased in recent years, and in 2019 CCOE changed the route to start from Woodland Park, eliminating the most trafficked leg of the route.
So, next time you’re on Highway 24 and notice the aspen leaves turning gold, keep an eye out for young cyclists. A fellow CC Tiger may be just around the bend.
A MOMENT IN TIME
Class of 2020 Alumni Reflect on This Year The Class of 2020 ended their time at CC like no other before them. So where are they now? What are they doing? And how has their unique perspective shaped their path forward? We caught up with eight recent graduates to hear about their experiences.
MOLLY HINIKER MAJOR: ECONOMICS HOMETOWN: EDINA, MINNESOTA The high from my quarantine was getting to play a lot of golf. I played a lot in high school but didn’t get the chance to play much while at CC, and I played probably three rounds per week from midApril until the end of the summer. The low from my quarantine was not being able to see my friends from CC. I played on the soccer team and lived in an eight-person apartment on East Campus, so going from being surrounded by my friends to having none of them around was hard.
A highlight of quarantine was the day I finally finished college. My family surprised me with a backyard celebration. We had dinner, played board games, and my parents arranged for some of my closest friends to come “speak” in a virtual ceremony. While it was not the graduation I had expected, the celebration we had meant more because of all the love they put into it. I did, however, hit a low point back in July after being a final candidate for a few jobs and still not being chosen. I took a trip to Joshua Tree (pictured right) and it really helped me just clear my head and regain the energy I needed to keep going. Getting outside when I could has definitely kept me grounded in quarantine, and I am happy to say I am now gainfully employed.
the best decision I made in college. That night started four years in the community that would keep me centered when times were rough, and it introduced me to some incredible women who are still the most important people in my life.
One of my top CC memories is the night I was initiated into Delta Gamma in the Fall of my freshman year. I had never expected that I would be someone who would join a sorority, and at the time I had no clue how much that experience would end up meaning to me. It turned out to be hands-down
I just finished my first month working for Bard Academy and Bard College at Simon’s Rock as an admission counselor. The school is a small liberal arts college and boarding high school in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Speaking of, if you know someone who wants to start college early after
My most memorable CC moment was beating Air Force in the last game of the 2019 regular season and my career. Although the games around the league didn’t go our way that night, we beat Air Force in the last five minutes of the game on the road, and we never lost to them during my time at CC. I am in my first semester of the two-year MBA program at the University of Notre Dame. Classes are in-person and everything is going really well. In the year ahead, I’m really looking forward to things getting back to normal. I’m hoping to be able to take a trip with some of my CC friends, and I’m also hoping to be able to go to a couple big sports events in the next year like the U.S. Open and the College Football Playoff.
OLIVIA CALVI MAJOR: RELIGION, CLASSICS MINOR: HUMAN BIOLOGY & KINESIOLOGY HOMETOWN: WOODLAND HILLS, CALIFORNIA
the 10th or 11th grade, definitely check us out. I’m working remotely from Los Angeles and will be moving to western Massachusetts in January 2021. I’m nervous for the big change, but am looking forward to next year when I get to see some true fall foliage and leave behind the 95-degree days of October in SoCal.
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My highlight of quarantine has been spending a lot of quality time with my friends and family. I’m usually home six to seven weeks out of the year, so seeing my niece and hanging out with my crazy, loud family is something I’ll always treasure. Quarantine also made me realize all the goodbyes and “lasts” that I missed out on as a senior. There was so much time left until the end of the year, and it took a toll on my mental health for the first couple of months. I now know that distance learning is not for me! My most memorable moment from CC is a person. I met my best friend at Colorado College, and who would’ve thought that we would end up traveling to multiple countries together, eat way too much frozen yogurt, and waste a lot of money at Target.
KEKAI WONG YUEN
on the right
MAJOR: ENGLISH: LITERATURE MINOR: ART HISTORY, ASIAN STUDIES HOMETOWN: HILO, HAWAII Right now, I have two fellowships: I am a Congressional fellow with a program called Running Start, an organization that promotes women to run for office one day. I am working on my mock campaign and meeting with amazing women, mentors, financial advisers, and campaign advisers to learn about the campaign process. Also, I am an intern for Representative Sharice Davids (Kansas’ 3rd district). I’m learning a lot about the legislative process and fighting for Indigenous voices.
CODY LEONG MAJOR: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY HOMETOWN: HOUSTON, TEXAS A high from quarantine was being able to spend more time with both my immediate and extended family, as it had been quite a while since I had the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time home in Houston. Unfortunately, right at the beginning
My low of quarantine was the immediate scramble into the unknown at the beginning. Taking my final class online was certainly not ideal, but it did bring my friends and me a lot closer to make the most out of our last two blocks safely. The highs of this quarantine were all the times my family and friends would find creative ways to be together during the past few months, from Zoom calls and dinners, to even a socially distanced grad party. The most memorable moment of my CC experience was our film class’ trip to the Sundance Film Festival at the beginning of this year. My fellow seniors and I were able to spend a week at the festival basking in the inspiration, knowledge, and fun that an international festival had to offer us — something that would never be possible without the Block Plan.
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of quarantine, I took a spill off a skateboard and broke my collarbone (the first time I had ever broken a bone!) and had to get surgery. Thankfully, the recovery went well! My highlight of CC was taking part in a backcountry skiing training as a participant through the Outdoor Education program, and then leading the same training the following year. I am currently on the job search, having recently returned to Colorado. In the year ahead, I am definitely looking forward to the return of live music and sports. (If it’s safe to do so, of course!)
ELLA GROSSMAN MAJOR: FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES MINOR: ENGLISH HOMETOWN: SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
For the past few months I have been working as a server in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, trying to make the most of my time in the outdoors. In the next year I am looking forward to continuing to pursue my passion for documentary films by freelancing for local companies and finding ways to connect with people as this time continues.
We’ve been together eight and a half years and married one another on Oct. 10.
ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ on the left
MAJOR: CLASSICS MINOR: HISTORY HOMETOWN: NORTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS My low during quarantine was losing my grandfather to the Coronavirus back on May 10. It was about a week and a half or so after I finished my thesis and officially graduated. My high was marrying my high school sweetheart.
Even though ending my time at Colorado College during a pandemic was not ideal, quarantine provided an opportunity to get engaged to my girlfriend of five years, Zoë Blandon ’20. While the original plan to pop the question did not pan out, we were able to be surrounded by our immediate family for the proposal, which was truly special. One of the challenges that went along with having to leave Colorado College was not knowing that Block 6 would be the last time I would see a lot of my friends. While Zoom provided a way to check in with each other, it was not the same as spending late nights eating pizza or watching the sunrise on the last week of school. However, I am hopeful that we will all reunite for a belated graduation ceremony! Looking back on my time at Colorado College, the special moments for me were not necessarily what
I’m still looking for a permanent job since my grandfather’s passing really put a stop on my life for a while. Right now, I’m working to assemble new, fast COVID-19 tests. I’m just an assembler, but I hope that the nonstop repetitive movements I do all day help others with earlier detection and treatment of the virus.
NOAH HIRSHORN
on the left
MAJOR: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: CHEMISTRY HOMETOWN: LAYTON, UTAH others would perceive as noteworthy. Some of my favorite moments were singing songs in empty lecture halls with my first-year roommate, hurling myself down a sled hill, and just joining a classmate for coffee and a great conversation. The summation of small moments like these, in addition to all the great offerings CC provides, is what made my time in college special. After Colorado College, I moved to Salt Lake City to begin my graduate degree in atmospheric sciences at the University of Utah. It has been great to work
HENRY SWAIN
on the right
MAJOR: PHILOSOPHY
HOMETOWN: CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS My highlight from quarantine was hiking in Maine with my girlfriend and my dog when we were stuck because of COVID-19 security. My lowlight was getting super lost on that same trip and eventually having to hitchhike home.
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My most memorable CC experience is when I finally had my solidified friend group. Shoutout to Edgar, Andrew, Noah, Esteban, Lee, Darryl, and Shane!
as part of the Hallar Aerosol Research Team doing relevant work within the realm of atmospheric chemistry. I am excited to continue to explore Utah in the coming year as I continue working to earn a Ph.D.
One of my best memories from college was going to Indian Creek, Utah, with my friends for block break my junior year. One night we hiked up a ridge and watched the sunset over the canyons with a speaker and a few drinks. I will always remember that moment. I am currently driving from Florida to Massachusetts (as I write this, I’m eating BBQ for a lunch break in Savannah, Georgia). The plan is to momentarily live at home while looking for an apartment and a job in downtown Boston. I’m excited to take the next step! This photo is of me and Taylor Bigony ’20 paddle boarding on Lake Tahoe.
By Elliott Williams ’21
Colorado College has an endowment of approximately $804 million. The full-pay cost for the 2020-21 academic year was $74,256. Why is the sticker price for CC (and higher education as a whole) so high when our endowment is well over half a billion dollars? This is a question that frustrated me for years as a student, until I learned more about the nuts and bolts of CC’s financial model. Now, in my role as student trustee, I am learning more about financial planning. The Board of Trustees focuses on long-term implementation, ensuring that the college is in a strong financial position for years to come. During open office hours with fellow students this fall, I have had some enriching conversations with my peers, and I’m excited to share some highlights from these conversations.
WHAT MAKES COLORADO COLLEGE A NONPROFIT? CC, and nearly all higher education institutions, are nonprofits. We have costs (paying faculty and staff, offering financial aid, campus maintenance, constructing buildings for classrooms, etc.) and revenue (tuition, room, and board fees; money earned from the endowment; and annual gifts and grants), but not profit. There is no owner of CC who cashes out when we have a successful year, nor is there a group of shareholders interested in making money who run the school (most for-profit companies have one or both of these). On the contrary, the Board of Trustees works together to support the college’s growth. Trustees do not make money — we are volunteers and donors who give financial contributions to the school every year.
HOW DOES THE ENDOWMENT WORK? Let’s say a donor gives a nonprofit a $100 gift. The donor and the nonprofit want to make the gift last, so rather than spending it all at once, they invest the $100 through the endowment and spend only $5 of the earnings each year. If the nonprofit received a donor gift to spend immediately, the original $100 gift would run out in 20 years ($100 divided by $5 per year equals 20 years). If, however, the nonprofit
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invests the principal $100 into the stock market, the principal can earn approximately 5%, or $5, each year. Precisely because the principal is never spent, the nonprofit can spend $5 each year indefinitely. After 20 years, the nonprofit has spent $100 and still has the original $100.
REVENUE SOURCES: WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM? FIGURE 1
23%
10%
67%
Scale up: CC has a $804 million endowment. We invest this principal in various types of investments, including the stock market, and earn roughly 5% ($40 million) per year. We do not spend our endowment; we spend what we earn on our endowment. Just as with the smaller-scale model using $100, this structure ensures that we can make our money last longer than if we spent it like a checking account.
WHERE DOES ENDOWMENT MONEY GO? Again, we can’t spend the principal $804 million endowment, but it still brings us 5%, or $40 million, annually. Roughly 23% of our annual operating budget — what it costs to run the school each year — comes from the endowment’s earnings. The rest of the money comes from tuition, room, and board fees (67%), and grants and annual gifts (10%). This means the endowment actually subsidizes the cost of tuition for all students, including full-pay.
WHAT IS THE TRUE COST OF A CC EDUCATION? 23% Endowment 10% Annual Gifts 67% Tuition and Fees
Without the subsidy endowment and annual gifts, the true cost of a CC education is nearly $97,000, well over $20,000 more than the full-pay sticker price (in the 2020-21 academic year, $74,256).
BOWDOIN HAMILTON DAVIDSON MIDDLEBURY COLBY CARLETON COLORADO COLLEGE
The true cost of a CC education is calculated by dividing operating costs (in 2020, $203.4 million) by the number of students (in 2020, approximately 2,100), which totals $96,857, or nearly $97,000 per student. Note: Operating costs include paying our faculty and staff, financial aid, and caring for our grounds and buildings. Charging the true cost would not only make CC inaccessible to students who rely on financial aid but would deter even prospective students and families who could pay the high price. Higher education is a unique nonprofit sector in that there are quasi “customers” (students and families) who compare prices and offerings of various schools, forcing institutions to compete with one another. Because our peer institutions subsidize the cost of tuition for all students, we must do the same to offer a competitive price.
2020 EXPENDITURES (SHOWN IN PERCENTAGES), TOTALING $203.4 MILLION FIGURE 2 4.6% 5.1% 1.1%
6.7%
44.8% 20.1%
12.2% 2.9% 2.5%
Compensation $91.1 Million (44.8%) Fees/Contracts $24.9 Million (12.2%) Employee Conferences $5.1 Million (2.5%)
WHITMAN MACALESTER LAFAYETTE COLGATE WESLEYAN COLLEGE OF THE HOLY CROSS KENYON BATES PITZER
$250,000
Instructional Operations $13.7 Million (6.7%) Information Technology $2.3 Million (1.1%) Plant Operations $10.3 Million (5.1%) Depreciation $9.4 Million (4.6%)
$750,000
CC ENDOWMENT PER STUDENT COMPARED TO PEER INSTITUTIONS FIGURE 3
The endowment per student is the overall endowment as reported by National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), divided by the number of undergraduates cited in the Common Data Set. Source: 2019 NACUBO and Commonfund Institute Study of Endowments.
WHY ISN’T CC NEED-BLIND? While our endowment has seen remarkable growth (over $300 million) in the last decade, CC’s endowment per student is still significantly less than that of many of our peer institutions. When students compare our financial aid offerings to schools like Princeton University and Williams College, for example, the differences in endowment size must be considered. In the 2018-19 academic year, Princeton’s endowment per student was more than $3 million, Williams’ was nearly $1.4, and CC’s was $373,000. To be need-blind in admissions, CC would need to double its endowment. This being said, CC is a “meet need” school, meaning that we will meet the demonstrated need of all students who are accepted. While some schools with smaller endowments advertise as need-blind, they “gap” students, meaning they accept students regardless of their demonstrated need, but do not provide a robust financial aid package. Consequentially, these students with need often graduate with large amounts of debt. Only about 25 American colleges and universities are need-blind and meet full demonstrated need.
Interest $5.8 Million (2.9%) Scholarship Allowance/Financial Aid $40.8 Million (20.1%)
$500,000
HOW CAN WE GROW OUR ENDOWMENT? CC’s endowment is smaller than many of our peer institutions because we are notably younger and thus have had less time to receive large gifts and grow our endowment through investments. For example, we are 60 years younger than Colby
College (endowment value $869.9 million as of 201819) and 80 years younger than Williams College (endowment value of $2.9 billion as of 2018-19). Additionally, we have significantly lower alumni participation in giving than other schools. As of 2019, the two-year average participation rate (percentage of alumni who have given any dollar amount to their institution in the last two years) among our peer institutions was 36%. CC’s participation rate was 22%. One in three alumni from our peer institutions regularly give to their alma mater, while only one in five CC alumni give to theirs.
WHY GIVE TO CC? Giving is a personal decision, and there is no single reason. Many students and young alumni who I have talked to don’t know that when giving to CC, you can decide where your money goes. Whether you want to give to an academic department, financial aid, or your club sports team, the choice is yours. Gifts of every amount make a difference; in 2019 alone, Annual Fund gifts of $250 or less totaled nearly $1 million. I give to CC because I want future students to access the incredible experience that I have been afforded. I know I will continue to benefit from this education years into the future, whether applying what I’ve learned in CC courses, nourishing lifelong friendships with classmates, or engaging with the CC alumni network to further my professional development. I’m grateful to the CC community, and am honored to give back.
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Mark Johnstone recently relocated to Trinidad, Colorado, and sits on the Corazon de Trinidad Creative District board. He spent the last 16 years in Hailey and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, working at the local and state levels with ArtsIdaho. He was also public art adviser for the entire state, 2012-13. Prior to that, Mark was a curator, writer, and educator in Los Angeles for 27 years, during which time he was administrator of the Percent for Art program with the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. He was a visiting professor from 1975-84 in the CC summer Photography Institute.
1975
Susan “Sue” Sonnek Strater and friends had their annual meetup this year via Zoom due to COVID-19. From left to right, top: Linda Snow Sweets Martin ’79, Sue Sonnek Strater, and Kathy Loeb ’79, and left to right, bottom: Nancy Levit ’79, Julie Edelstein-Best ’79, and Deborah Parks Palmisano ’79.
John Traeger took a coast-to-coast bike trip with three other CC alumni from Anecortes, Washington, to Bar Harbor, Maine, from Aug. 2 to Oct. 1, 2019. The group had a number of alumni join along the route, including a few days up in Canada with former CC hockey player George Nickerson ’78. In the photo from Day 1 of the trip from left to right: Traeger, Catherine Murphy Craig ’78, Peter Bansen ’78, and Robert LeVine ’78. Pete drove the RV for most of their adventure and John says, “We could not have done it without him.”
1978
1983
1984
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Camille Blakely recently became director of agency operations at AdPro 360, a Colorado Springs advertising agency. Prior to her new post, Camille was the director of community engagement for The Resource Exchange and president and a partner in the Blakely + Co. advertising agency. She also held executive positions with Graham Advertising, Team Automotive, and the Burt Automotive Network.
Thomas “Tom” Southall was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. Tom played football and participated in track for Colorado College. He led the nation in punt-return yardage and set the NCAA Division III career record for kickoff return yards. He was track MVP all four years and set school records in the long jump, 200-meter dash, and 4 x 100-meter relay. He is one of only two physically impaired athletes in their state association halls of fame including the Colorado High School Activities Association Hall of Fame. Tom’s work in Paralympics led to trips with the U.S. National Paralympics Track & Field Team to the 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico, his selection to the 2007 Paralympics Academy in Colorado Springs, and 2008 Paralympics Beijing.
1985
Thomas “Shaun” Sullivan announced his retirement as the Broomfield city and county 1979 attorney in Colorado. His work there for the past two years has included navigating various oil and gas issues, as well as local and state public health orders while supervising 40 attorneys who provide legal advice in real estate, environmental law, and financial litigation. Shaun also served as principal attorney for Denver’s Department of Environmental Health and Board of Environmental Health since its inception in 1997 and, in 2005, as assistant director of the Municipal Operations Section in Denver.
Julie Meltzer, director of curriculum, assessment, and instruction for the Mount Desert Island (MDI) Regional School System, was named the Curriculum Leader of the Year for Maine for 2019-20 by the Maine Curriculum Leaders Association. Julie has worked for the MDI school system since 2013.
Sandra Gardner was appointed a district court judge for Colorado’s 14th Judicial District Court. She replaces Judge Shelley A. Hill, who will retire in January 2021. Sandra’s appointment is effective Jan. 12. Prior to being appointed to the district court bench for the 14th Judicial District, she served as the appointed Moffat County court judge for approximately 13 years and had recently retired. She says she cannot think of a better profession than the law. “Period.”
Pamela Riney-Kehrberg was named a distinguished professor of history at Iowa State University.
1987
Linda Reiner was named the new president and CEO of Caring for Colorado, a statewide foundation working to create equity in health, well-being, and opportunity for Colorado’s children and families.
In January, Dori Borjesson was named the dean of the 1988 College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University, the first woman to ever hold that title. Dori’s appointment makes her one of just 11 female veterinary deans in the United States out of 32 veterinary colleges. Previously, Dori was chair of the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at the University of California Davis’ School of Veterinary Medicine. She is a board-certified veterinary clinical pathologist and was the director of the UC Davis’ Veterinary Institute for Regenerative Cures.
Andrew “Andy” Brown, an attorney and political operative in Austin, Texas, lost a hard-fought Democratic primary for Travis County judge to Sarah Eckhardt in 2014. He recently won the Democratic nomination to succeed her in a special election on the November 2020 ballot. Andy served as Travis County Democratic Party chairman from 2008 to 2013. He has been part of Beto O’Rourke’s inner circle since his 2018 U.S. Senate campaign, when, as finance director, Andy led the effort to raise a record-breaking $80 million. He was an adviser to O’Rourke’s subsequent presidential campaign and is now finance director for Powered by the People, the political action committee O’Rourke created at the end of last year to work on Democratic registration and turnout efforts in Texas in the November election.
1994
Elliot Page plays guitar, sings, and produces for a band named The Forest Effect. His songs, “Melody Left in Ruin” and “Photos on the Shelf,” can be found on Spotify and Apple. His next release is slated for Spring 2021.
1996
In September 2019, Steve Krutek had a reunion of friends who met at CC in Crested Butte, Colorado. This group that meets every two or three years includes (left to right): Sean Davidson ’96, Alex Fenlon ’97, Ian Jacobson ’96, John Hall ’96, Bryan Vidinsky ’96, and Steve Krutek ’96. Also in attendance, but not pictured: Mark Kuniholm ’96.
One thing that drew Dori to WSU was its One Health Clinic — a place where currently homeless people can get basic medical care and veterinary care for their companion animals in a side-by-side setting. Similarly, as a student in 1992, Dori co-founded the Mercer Clinic for the Pets of the Homeless where free care is provided to the pets of homeless people in Sacramento, California. As dean, Dori plans to address compassion fatigue in veterinary medicine, diversity in her profession, and ways to limit the financial burden on recent graduates.
Adam Burke was officially named president and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board after an interim period that started in April. Being in charge of the official destination marketing organization for the City of Los Angeles during a pandemic is no small task but his 25 years of industry experience will help ensure that Adam can “leverage the economic power of tourism to improve the quality of life for all Angelenos,” even now.
1993
Jeremy Vannatta, vice president, Partnerships at Health Perspectives Group, released a 13-song album of all original compositions called “Evolved” with a full band in December 2019. He is playing shows around Chicagoland and goes by JB Vannatta. Digital download of the album is available at jbvannatta.com.
2000
Gina Lopez-Ferguson was awarded the 2020 Southwest Region Alpha Delta Kappa Excellence in Education Award. This award recognizes members for outstanding contributions to education. Gina is currently the director of multiple programs at Colorado State University Pueblo, where she has worked since 2007.
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2004
Andrew Woodward was appointed CEO of Blueknight Energy Partners, L.P. in June. Andrew was previously CFO for Blueknight, a company that owns and operates a diversified portfolio of complementary midstream and infrastructure assets in the energy industry and “provides integrated terminalling [handling and storage], gathering, and transportation services for companies engaged in the production, distribution, and marketing of liquid asphalt and crude oil.”
2005
2006 Pictured above: L-R Katie Davis-Sayles ’01, Jacob Sayles, Jon Davis, Barbara Berry Davis ’73, Bruce Davis ’73
William and Barbara Davis ’73 shared that their son, Michael Brewster Davis ’04, was awarded his posthumous Doctor of Medicine degree from his medical school, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Michael was diagnosed with brain cancer in January 2007, during his second year of medical school, and he passed away in November 2009. During his illness, he remained in Chicago to pursue his medical degree, then to be close to his classmates and professors. He was dedicated to sharing information and did so through his blog, Mike with a glioma... what’ll ya do? Michael was always willing to participate in meetings or discussions about his illness. In addition, he organized and hosted a presentation for his classmates and the medical school faculty about his kind of cancer, his perspective as a patient, and his hopes for the future, stressing that he would answer any questions anyone asked. Michael’s hope was that his personal journey could in some way benefit his classmates and their careers as doctors. On Sept. 27, 2019, Michael’s family, classmates, and professors attended a lovely reception at Navy Pier in Chicago. Dr. Sam Marzo, dean of Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, then presented Michael’s Doctor of Medicine degree to his family saying, “He taught about courage, commitment, and dedication in the most profound way.” Michael’s parents, his sister Katherine “Katie” DavisSayles ’01, her husband Jacob, and his brother, Jon Davis, attended.
Evan Berquist, a corporate mergers and acquisitions lawyer, has been recognized by the Hennepin County (Minnesota) Bar Association with an excellence award in pro bono service. Evan’s pro bono work helping the St. Paul First Lutheran Church fight City Hall to keep their homeless shelter open and serving as legal adviser and program board member for the New Vision Foundation in Minnesota (where they teach digital skills to disadvantaged youth both in Minneapolis and East Africa) earned him this accolade. Evan’s pro bono work was also recognized by the Minnesota Supreme Court, in partnership with the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Pro Bono Council and Access to Justice Committee. He was one of the select attorneys who have provided exceptional service to low-income clients and programs during the past year. Evan was one of 29 attorneys recognized and received a personally signed letter from Chief Justice Lori S. Gildea.
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William Harrington has been named a “Best Lawyer: Ones to Watch” in the areas of commercial litigation and insurance law by the recently released 2021 edition of the legalranking guide “The Best Lawyers in America.”
Jenny LaBudde joined the staff of the Women’s Health and Family Birthing Center at Memorial Hospital in Conway, New Hampshire, in September. Jenny cites her studies in feminism and gender at CC as an influence on her choice to pursue obstetrics and gynecology. Previously, she completed a four-year residency at Maine Medical Center in Portland where she worked with the local refugee community, an experience that expanded her compassion for “patients’ beliefs and cultural expectations about birth.” Jenny is married to Zachary Steveson ’07.
2007
Simon Cataldo became a partner at the Ashcroft Law Firm’s Boston office. Simon has extensive experience investigating, prosecuting, and litigating complex white-collar matters involving both public officials and private individuals. Prior to joining the Ashcroft Law Firm, Simon served as a trial attorney at the Public Integrity Section of the United States Department of Justice. Between CC and law school, Simon was a special education math teacher in Harlem, New York, with Teach for America and founded Harlem Lacrosse, “a school-based nonprofit that provides academic, emotional, and athletic support for at-risk youth and that now operates in public schools in Boston, Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.”
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Jeffrey Zager has been named a finalist for the 2020 Nashville (Tennessee) Emerging Leader Awards in the legal services industry by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and YP Nashville. Jeffrey is an attorney at Neal & Harwell in Nashville, representing clients in complex civil litigation.
Claire Petersen and Jeff Hester were married in Nicasio, California, on Sept. 14, 2019. Pictured left to right (all class of 2012 unless noted): Dan Fuwa, Malia Vitousek, Riley Hawkins, Ian Coughlan, Molly Sinnott, Alex Whiting, Josh Anderson, Jeff Hester, Claire Petersen Hester, Rob Bishop, Graham Borgman, Lee Carter, Carolyn Barnwell Carter, Garrett Lund, Athena Areti, Chelsea Davenport, Marika Viragh ’13, Brendan Boepple ’11, Alex Tarika, Eleanor Anderson, Robin Walter, and Olivia Wall.
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Emma Volk McDermott married Eamonn McDermott on Aug. 15. As a result of the pandemic, they had to change their original plans of having 20-plus CC grads there out of 200 guests to 25 guests and one other alumna, maid of honor Shealagh Coughlin ’14, who was also Emma’s roommate sophomore through senior years at CC. Pictured from left: Emma, Eamonn, and Shealagh.
Henry Fulton Winship enrolled in the MFA Acting program at California Institute of the Arts. He will work remotely from Brooklyn this fall while living with his girlfriend and painter, Lizzy Gabay. Henry hopes the CC community is taking care during the pandemic and looks forward to returning to the West by the new year.
2020
Shelly Cheng received an honorable mention recognition in this year’s Anson Jones, MD, Awards for Outstanding Health Reporting from Texas Medical Association for her story about vaccine exemption rates in the Texas Tribune.
Taylor Fry is the digital content coordinator for Teton Gravity Research, an action sports media company. She works with various teams to ensure marketing and distribution initiatives are delivered across all social media platforms.
Mitchell Ukropina, son of Kimber Felton ’91 and Michael “Mike” Ukropina ’89, woke up to this in lieu of the official CC graduation ceremony and celebration that was supposed to happen this year. His folks said, “Since we can’t scream and cheer for a year, we thought a sign would sufficiently embarrass him and his housemates.”
William J. Rushton has been training and teaching at the Charles Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy, for the past four and a half years. This March, one of his oil paintings was selected for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters annual exhibition in London, originally scheduled for May. This year, however, due to COVID-19, the exhibition will be available for viewing only online. Unlike other portrait exhibitions, the Royal Society of Portrait Painters annual exhibition is rigorously selected by professional portrait painters who themselves have been elected by their peers to the Society. It is one of the world’s most extensive contemporary portrait exhibitions forming a showcase of some 200 works, about half of which are from emerging artists like William. You can find William on Instagram @williamjrushton.
2015
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Dorothea Elinor Goodnight was 99 when she passed away on April 21. She was married to Charles W. “Bill” Goodnight ’43 and is survived by two children, three grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Elinor was a Colorado Springs native and a pianist since age 6.
BIRTHS & ADOPTIONS ’00
Sydney Stoner and husband, Dr. Erik Kish-Trier, welcomed a baby girl, Abbey Kish-Trier, on March 16, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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Alden Parker and his wife, Taryn, welcomed their first child, Connelly Ann “Nell,” on May 28, 2019. (Alden says, “CC might just be getting a new Tiger from Scottsdale, Arizona, in Fall 2037!”)
Donald “Don” Charles Cushman died from complications of heart failure on May 14. Don was in the Navy and earned a Purple Heart when his ship was blown up off the coast of Borneo in June 1945. Don worked in sales and his avocations included sailing, skiing, running, and golf. He is survived by his wife, Marion, five children, 11 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren.
Abby Mietchen Allen and her husband, Luke Allen, had a little boy, William “Will” Scott, on March 24, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Georgia Herbert Day Silliman, age 98, of West Hartford, Connecticut, passed away peacefully in her home on Sept. 25. Georgia was an accomplished businesswoman, spending her career as one of few female account executives at Aetna Insurance Company. Georgia was also the first woman to graduate from the University of Hartford with a master’s in business.
WEDDINGS & CELEBRATIONS ’12
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Claire Petersen and Jeff Hester were married in Nicasio, California, on Sept. 14, 2019.
Emma Volk McDermott married Eamonn McDermott ’14 on Aug. 15, 2020 in Warren, Vermont.
OBITUARIES ’43
Dorothy “Dee” Faville Flook passed away on April 9, of congestive heart failure in Denver, Colorado, at age 98. Dee met her husband, Lyman Russell Flook Jr ’42, at CC. While raising their family, the couple lived in Pakistan for her husband’s engineering work and Dee taught grade school there. She traveled around the world five times and is survived by three children, two grandsons, and one great-grandson.
Hans-Gerhardt Ernst Nelson passed away in 2019. He was a Beta Theta Pi at CC and became a doctor of medicine.
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Barbara “Bobbee” Freeman Mills Diaz, 97, passed on May 8, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Barbara met and married her husband, George Mills ’44, at CC. She created the Hawaiian Moon Calendar in the ’60s that is still used today as a fishing and farming guide. Bobbee was predeceased by her husband and two sons and is survived by two children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Nancy Martsolf Guenther passed away on July 9, in West Caldwell, New Jersey. Nancy met and married Hans Guenther ’48 who was in charge of V-12 Marines at CC. While their daughter, Suzanne Guenther Enger ’68, passed away in 2008, Nancy is survived by two children and lots of grandchildren. Nancy created the Elsie Mitchell Martsolf Memorial Fund for Music at CC in honor of her mother.
Patricia Helen Perkins Strucel died in Sacramento, California, on April 5, 2019. She was a tennis player late in life and competed in the Senior Olympics.
Shirley Foster McGreevy died on June 4. She taught kindergarten in the Detroit public school system before starting a family. She had three children and many grandchildren, and loved gardening and cooking for her family. Shirley had a small arts and crafts store called the Talent-Try where she taught classes.
Robert “Bob” Nelson Burrows passed away peacefully on April 14, in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Bob was a veteran of the Marine Corps in World War II. He was a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, a Fulbright professor in South Korea, and received multiple awards for teaching. He published studies of major American authors and a political novel.
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Charlotte Jean Tibbetts Gaut passed away peacefully on June 9, in Woodbridge, Virginia. Charlotte met her husband, Robert “Bob” Gaut ’48, working in the cafeteria kitchen at CC. She loved hiking, skiing, and exploring historic sites. Charlotte was preceded in death by Robert and her siblings. She is survived by four children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Janice Long Welty passed away peacefully last October (2019) in Denver, Colorado. She was a Kappa Kappa Gamma and editor of the 1946 Nugget. She worked in investment banking and insurance, and was active in CC and KKG alumni groups. She loved to travel, volunteer, and organize family gatherings. She leaves behind her children, Linda Welty Teves ’77, Bruce Welty ’79, and Russell Welty ’82; nephew David B. Long ’75, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, James Welty, brother, Edward T. Long ’44, and sister-inlaw, Phyllis Brothers Long ’45.
In Memoriam the liberal arts to how he saw essential chemistry, “with the nature of bonds between atoms and molecules playing a central role in his courses.” Keith designed and co-taught the popular CC course Science, Religion, and Society for 15 years with Religion Department Chair Joseph Pickle. This course integrated Keith’s two lifelong passions, science and religion. He was in awe of how the two intersected both in life and in theory.
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The Integrated Natural Science MAT program was originated in 1994 by Keith and Education Professor Paul Kuerbis. For more than 25 years, close to 2,000 teachers in the Pikes Peak region participated in some aspect of the program, which ended around 2014. Keith also taught the very first gender and science course in what is now the Feminist and Gender Studies Program. He was a committee chair for the Watson Fellowship, PreMed, and Women’s Concerns committees and served as acting dean from 1989-90.
Keith’s love of science and its interconnectedness with the wider world was no secret and something he shared openly with his students. He maintained a contagious sense of curiosity and wonder his whole life. He likened the interconnectedness of
Keith participated in and relished all of the fine arts. He was an excellent pianist and a dramatist. He even played a pirate in CC’s 1969 production of Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra.” He was a creative carpenter who designed and built furniture for his family’s home.
rofessor Emeritus of Chemistry Keith Kester died suddenly from illness on July 17, in Denver, Colorado. Keith taught inorganic chemistry at CC for 44 years from 1967 until he retired in 2011.
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homas “Tom” Bassett Kinraide died peacefully on July 12, surrounded by his daughters and caregivers in Easton, Connecticut.
Tom studied biology at Boston University, earned a master’s from Clark University, and a Ph.D. in plant physiology from the University of Montana. He worked as a researcher and instructor at Colorado College in the ’70s and at the University of Vermont before moving to Beaver, West Virginia, to begin a 30-year career as a research scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Naturally Occurring Isotopes, illustrated by Keith Kester
In the late ’90s, Keith created a set of 16 print renditions of the periodic table of the elements. Each of the 11 x 17 prints explored a different aspect of the periodic table and the collection was exhibited at CC. The science librarian of that era, Jan Keder, also worked with Keith in making a quilt of the periodic table of the elements for the exhibit. Keith loved nature and put that love into action by protesting with the Rocky Flats clean-up project, being active with the New Earth Covenant Community, and Society for Religion in Higher Education. His friends and family will miss him bursting into some song by Ella Fitzgerald or Cole Porter.
Tom enjoyed giving lectures as much as he enjoyed attending them. His passions included science, history, linguistics, exercise, camping, the Unitarian Church, public radio, and travel. He also was an Eagle Scout and active in scouting all his life with his daughters and grandchildren. Tom was an advocate and champion for the environment and for social justice. Tom will be greatly missed by his children, Jerusha Vogel and Rebecca Kinraide, and his grandchildren Duncan, Matthew, Adric, and Eowyn. He is survived by his sister Pamela Sage and his cousin Dottie Welch.
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Eric James Bransby passed away on Sept. 23, in Colorado Springs. Eric was one of America’s most renowned mural painters — there are a total of 35 of his works in the country — and an art professor at the University of Illinois, Western Illinois University, and the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Eric’s study under an artist at the Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs, which was CC’s de facto art department at the time, combined with previous college credits, led him to earn a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Arts in Teaching from CC, followed by a Master of Fine Arts from Yale. He painted the mural in Cossitt Hall, “Settlement of the West,” and many others in the Colorado Springs region. Eric was the recipient of the 1999 Louis T. Benezet Award from CC for lifetime achievement, and was featured on the cover of the Winter 2016 Bulletin. Eric’s daughter, Fredericka Bransby Fietcher ’65, attended CC as well.
Lila Lee Sullivan of West Lafayette, Indiana, passed away on Sept. 9. Lila was a highly accomplished painter and seamstress, and a talented and classically trained pianist and violinist. She enjoyed reading, playing bridge, traveling, and community involvement.
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Charles Anderson passed away on May 1. The cause of death was complications of congestive heart failure made even more complicated by COVID-19. He was in the Navy and earned the China Service Medal in 1948. Charles worked for years in econometrics and forecasting and taught finance for C.W. Post College, Lehman College, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Henry “Hank” Stuart Otto Jr. died peacefully in his New London, New Hampshire, home on June 8. He played football, joined Phi Gamma Delta, and met his wife, Elizabeth Davis Otto ’52, while at CC. Upon graduation, Hank was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He had three children: Henry “Trey” Otto III ’76, Stephen Otto, and Elizabeth Otto Paquette ’81.
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David Joel died Oct. 7, 2019, at 92. After CC, he lived the rest of his life in Long Beach, California. He is survived by his wife, two children, and three grandchildren. David was a World War II veteran.
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Robert “Bob” Kenyon was a Marine Corps captain in the Korean War and had a career as a petroleum geologist. He passed away on June 12, in Denver, Colorado, shortly after undergoing hip surgery. He is survived by his wife, one son, two daughters, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
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Paul Vernon Evans died on July 21, at age 94, in Colorado Springs. He was in the Navy and worked in publishing before going to CC on the GI bill. He became a lawyer and served as town attorney for Fountain, Colorado, and then as town and city attorney for Woodland Park, Colorado. He is survived by four children, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
John Dixon McDavid passed away in Frisco, Texas, on May 19. John was the quaestor for Sigma Chi at CC. He was a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and worked for Stanolind (later Amoco) and WB Osborn. John became a consulting geologist and did some work in Indonesia.
Mary Dabinett Nevins Woolnough died on May 20, in hospice care in Petoskey, Michigan, from complications of nonCOVID-19-related pneumonia. At CC, Mary loved skiing, being a Kappa Alpha Theta, and doing community service. Mary became a teacher and traveled abroad for teaching jobs. She was a military wife and mother of two daughters.
Jean Evans Siebert passed away on Sept. 16, in Batavia, Illinois. Jean was a teacher’s aide and then moved into the role of kindergarten teacher at Louise White Elementary School until her retirement in 1994. Jean loved to read, garden, watch PBS, and spend time with her family and friends.
Ronald “Ron” J. Sponseller passed away peacefully in his home in Richland, Washington, on Aug. 13. Ron met his wife, Nancy Drexler Sponseller ’56, at CC. He worked in property management for Westinghouse after attending Naval Officer’s Candidate School. He had two children and four grandchildren. He loved golfing, gardening, and skiing.
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’55 Jerald “Jerry” Ketchum died on Sept. 1, in Duncan, Oklahoma. He taught English Rhetoric at the University of Illinois and did graduate work completing work for a Master of Arts in Theater. He also served as head of the English department at the Garland School in Chester, New Jersey, for 10 years.
Charles “Gordon” Spice Jr. died in Lodi, California, on May 28, after a short illness. He was an avid mountain climber and a railroad enthusiast. Gordon was a counselor and then faculty in the Department of Counselor Education at the University of Pittsburgh. He developed a nationally known cross-cultural counseling program and worked for the National Board of Certified Counselors.
James Gerard Raymond Jr. died Nov. 5, 2019. He studied philosophy at CC.
Jean Ann Keeley died April 25 at her home in Colorado Springs. She spent 19 years as an elementary school principal after being a teacher. Jean Ann also was the assistant director of the Arts and Humanities Education Program for the Pikes Peak Regional Schools and helped to develop and operate the Arts and Humanities Summer Institutes at Colorado College for K-12 educators.
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rofessor of Journalism Thomas “Tom” Kinney Worcester passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on July 3, in Sisters, Oregon.
Tom served in the military, from the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps fresh out of high school to the U.S. Navy in the Korean War. He remained in the Navy Reserves on the destroyer escort USS McGinty, until his retirement as lieutenant commander. After his military service, Tom became an instructor of journalism at Colorado College until 1958 when he moved with his family to Portland, Oregon, to join the faculty of Reed College. In 1970, Tom moved to a small farm along the Clackamas River in Clackamas, Oregon. He then
Erin Price Hittesdorf ’08 and Max Price Hittesdorf ’17, attended CC and served as his introduction to the college. Harold attended the New Mexico Military Institute and then spent two years in the U.S. Army, serving as a medic during World War II on Long Island. While on Long Island, his Aunt Miriam invited him to attend concerts and visit museums with her in New York City. He attributed his lifelong appreciation of art, music, and theatre to these forays with his aunt.
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arold C. Price died in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Sept. 3, after a long illness. He was on the CC Board of Trustees for many years, and was given life trustee status in 2012. Three of his seven children, H. Charles Price III ’75, Julie Lynn Price ’76, and James Michael Price ’87, and extended family members,
Harold graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1951 on the GI bill, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He succeeded his father as president of the family business in Oklahoma, the H.C. Price Company, in 1963 and served in that position until 1980. The company was headquartered in Frank Lloyd Wright’s only skyscraper, The Price Tower, commissioned by his father. During his tenure, the H.C. Price Company and its partners expanded its pipeline construction and coating services into a global business with offices in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Libya, Iran, Iraq, and Singapore.
began his career as a freelance writer, editor, and photographer. His writings included coffee table books such as “A Portrait of Oregon” and “A Portrait of Colorado.” He also wrote a biography, “Norjak: An Investigation of D.B. Cooper.” Tom retired in 1990, and spent his time fly-fishing, skiing, and traveling the world. He was also active in community service and won many honors, including Sisters Citizen of the Year, the Kiwanis Spirit Award, and Kiwanian of the Year. Tom is survived by his wife, Lois Worcester, and his children Ken Worcester, Laura Worcester Law, and Mollie Worcester, all of Oregon City, and Andy Worcester of Bend, Oregon. Tom was the proud grandfather to three granddaughters, a grandson, and two great-grandsons. Tom was preceded in death by son, Phillip, and daughter, Sharon.
Harold moved to California in 1983, where he enjoyed hiking, sailing, running, and kayaking in the Pacific well into his 80s. He was active in the arts community, serving on multiple boards across the country. He also served on the board of the George M. Sutton Aviary Research Center in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. That was, perhaps, inspired by Harold learning to fly gliders at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Harold learned so much from watching his children attend CC, visited them on campus frequently, and would even study along with them to have informed discussions of philosophy or whatever class they were in. He loved the Block Plan and believed in the value of a liberal arts education. Yet, it was witnessing the personal and intellectual growth of his children and grandchildren during their years at Colorado College that moved him, when invited, to become involved as a trustee. At the trustees dinner in 2012, Professor Susan Ashley called Harold, “the very definition of a friend of the college.” He is survived by his wife, Sandy, seven children, 10 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
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Cherry Carter Kinney died on June 9, after a short illness in Colorado Springs. Cherry was the daughter of two former CC professors, Harvey and Ruth Carter, and is survived by her husband and daughter. She was a college professor and chair of the Department of Social Science at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Cherry created a program in the early ’80s for offcampus women to earn college degrees by submitting work through the mail that became a modern online program.
William “Bill” Monson McClellan died on July 8, in Fort Collins, Colorado. He met his wife, Jane Muir McClellan ’56, at CC and they had four daughters, three of whom went to CC: Jennifer Pfiester, Anne McClellan McKinzey ’82, Margaret “Meg” McClellan ’83, and Amy McClellan ’86 who is married to Jeffrey Faunce ’85. Bill was a music professor and librarian at the University of Colorado and then the University of Illinois. Bill designed a state-of-the-art music library there and served as president of the Music Library Association and editor of the journal Notes.
Charles “Mort” Forster, of Elk Rapids, Michigan, passed away on Aug. 28, at his home. He worked as an FBI agent and practiced law. He also served as circuit court judge in Traverse City, Michigan, from 1975-92, and then was a visiting judge for another three years. In retirement he enjoyed boating on the Great Lakes and wintering in Arizona.
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Conan Westmoreland Cantwell Jr. died peacefully on Jan. 30, 2018, in Baxter, Minnesota. Conan is survived by his wife, Nancy; two children, Amy Gitchell and Carolyn Cantwell; and grandchildren, Elsie Hansen, Eloise Grayson, and Owen Gitchell.
Joseph Carl Seiter died on Aug. 2, in Cookeville, Tennessee. He was a musician and scientist and taught both in Jefferson County Public Schools and at Tennessee Tech University. While there, Joseph developed and taught the very successful sex education program eventually used countywide. He became a competitive martial artist in retirement. He is survived by his wife and children.
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David Clay Williams II died in Overland Park, Kansas, on June 25. David was a Beta Theta Pi at CC and became an independent insurance agent. He was married and had seven children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Quintin Stephen-Hassard died of brain cancer on Feb. 29, in Dillon, Montana. He was a marine zoologist eventually hired by the Navy. He then worked as an industrial engineer in the sugar industry and consulted on aquaculture and animal nutrition. His small boat service in Vietnam exposed him to Agent Orange, and he was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia which led to brain cancer.
William “Bill” Condon Thompson died at home in Colorado Springs on Oct. 22, from Parkinson’s disease. Bill worked as a fire division manager at Farmers Insurance Group for 25 years. He was a longtime member of the National Ski Patrol and enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, windsurfing, golf, bicycling, and four-wheeling. He is survived by his wife, two children, and four grandchildren.
Joan Jilka Luft died on Sept. 13 in Naperville, Illinois. She won a scholarship to CC, where she was an active member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Joan taught high school biology and later became a registered nurse, serving as head nurse at Larue D. Carter Memorial Psychiatric Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Rosamund Perry Turnbull died peacefully at her home in Carbondale, Colorado, on July 4. Rosamund and her husband were lifelong cattle ranchers. She enjoyed gardening, reading, and drawing, and was an exceptional cook. Rosamund’s grandparents helped establish the town of Aspen, Colorado. Rosamund is survived by her husband, four children, and eight grandchildren.
Michael Patrick Minelli passed away from COVID-19 in Longmont, Colorado, on July 17. He is survived by his wife, Carol Fisher Minelli ’63, whom he met at CC, and their three daughters. Michael played football and hockey in college. He went on to teach high school science and coach football before becoming a student counselor. His side job was raising game birds and he was a master falconer.
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John Montague Larkin of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away peacefully at home on April 13. John was a full professor of microbiology at Louisiana State University and spent eight years as senior associate dean and dean of the graduate school there. He published one book and 60 research articles. The bacteria genus Larkinella is named in his honor.
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Phyllis Rose Setter passed away in Grand Junction, Colorado, on Aug. 21, 2019. Phyllis was in the Tour Choir and an Alpha Phi at CC. She worked as a human resources manager for Northwest, Bank of America, and Security Pacific Bank. She was also a personnel administrator and social worker.
David “Cubby” Michael Welch died May 16, 2019, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Cubby was a Phi Gamma Delta at CC and played football. He was vice president at Guy F. Atkinson Company, senior vice president at Kajima International, and a projects executive at the Clark Construction Group, Inc.
Karen Kathleen Newton passed away from an aortic aneurysm in Davis, California, on Feb. 22. After college, Karen became a political activist and was an early leader of the women’s liberation movement, participating in many other social justice causes. She later became a bilingual elementary school teacher. Karen is survived by her husband, Richard Haggstrom.
In Memoriam by Coach Jerry Lear. In the 1970s, Pam began bringing a 9”x13” home-baked cake to the Chemistry Department every week, feeding the stalwart chemistry majors still working on Friday afternoons, a tradition that continued for many years. Pam’s daughters were the ages of a handful of the other CC professors’ children, so there were many CC play groups that Pam and her daughters were involved with when the girls were young. In the late ’80s, Pam began working in the Economics Department as an events coordinator and worked there for a decade.
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amela “Pam” Anne Jones, wife of CC Professor of Chemistry Harold Jones and former program assistant in the economics department, passed away on Feb. 5, in Colorado Springs. Pam died peacefully after a two-year battle with cancer, surrounded by her family and visited by many of her CC “family” in her final days.
Soon after she and Harold arrived at CC in 1969, Pam became immersed with the book review clubs, hiking groups, and wives’ groups that were prevalent in the CC community at the time. She also learned to swim in the Schlessman pool, taught
Pam graduated from Portland State University with a psychology degree. She was the administrator for the Colorado Springs Chorale for many years. She was a volunteer throughout her life with the League of Women Voters, Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, Urban Peaks, the Center on Fathering, and many other organizations. She was most proud of her years as a court-appointed special advocate, where she guided many children through the juvenile court system to safe and healthy home environments. She received a Colorado Supreme Court Award for volunteer service in 2001. An avid runner for many years, Pam was involved in the Pikes Peak Road Runners. She completed many 5K and 10K races as well as the Denver Marathon. She continued to stay active until her
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Rodman “Rod” Ganser passed away after a short illness in his home in Midlothian, Virginia, on Jan. 11. He attended Colgate University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude in 1960, subsequently taking up a position as assistant professor of Spanish. Rod received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin and went on to teach there and, beginning in 1966, at Colorado College. Rod was a passionate admirer of the fine and decorative arts, particularly of the 20th century, and acquired expert knowledge in arts and crafts pottery, American studio pottery, and French
cancer diagnosis, swimming each week, walking with friends, and hiking on local trails. She was an encyclopedia of local flora and fauna and a knowledgeable bird watcher throughout her life. Pam believed that she could create a better world by acting locally, and she was an inspiring example. After she fell when walking across the train tracks near Uintah Street, she lobbied for and won the placement of a pedestrian bridge over the tracks from Monument Valley Park. When the city put up new street signs for the incorrectly spelled ‘Wiliamette’ Avenue, Pam was furious as an Oregonian and former Willamette University student. She spent weeks speaking out at city planning meetings until the signs were corrected. She also invested time, energy, and money in the Middle Shooks Run neighborhood she loved. A few years ago, she started a Kindness Fund at Columbia Elementary School, making sure the students there had the hot lunches, warm clothes, supplies, and cultural experiences they deserve. After retiring, Pam continued to stay active with the book review club she had joined years before, and a quilting group consisting of many CC friends. Pam is survived by her husband; her daughters, Rhiannon Gallagher and Dorothy “Dorrie” Jones Munhall ’96; two sons-in-law, Patrick and Mike; and three grandchildren, Brendan, Anna, and Henry.
ceramics. He was a voracious reader and possessed an extensive library on the decorative arts. After his retirement, Rod became a decorative arts dealer and regularly participated in antique shows and art and crafts symposiums. Balancing his love of the arts, Rod was an enthusiastic watcher of college basketball and track and field events, particularly if Colgate was competing. He will be greatly missed by many friends and acquaintances for his passionate love of art and design, his generous sharing of his knowledge, and his dry sense of humor. Rod was predeceased by his sister, Paula M. Ganser, and is survived by his son, William C. Barnes.
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John Karg passed away peacefully in his Salt Lake City, Utah, home on June 15, after a courageous fight against brain cancer. He spent time as a tennis coach before starting his 34-year career as a financial adviser. He loved tennis, pickleball, skiing, travel, and camping with his family. John is survived by his wife and three daughters.
John Sainsbury Morton passed away at home April 7, on Mercer Island, Washington. John ran the Western Regional Municipal Bond department for Kidder Peabody in Seattle, Washington, and then founded Morton Clarke Fu & Metcalf, a municipal bond dealer and investment adviser. He loved tennis and coached his children’s various sports teams. He helped form Invest in Youth, an educational nonprofit, and tutored elementary school through the program.
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Peter Charles Weinberg passed away on April 1, in Larchmont, New York, after battling COVID-19. He began college at 16 years old and served in the Army. Peter became an accountant, ending up as senior vice president and controller at a bank in Connecticut. He also worked at the World Trade Center and, on 9/11, at the first sign of danger, Peter had his entire staff exit the building, helping save many lives.
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Barry Potter Marshall passed away Dec. 31, 2019, in Wayzata, Minnesota, due to Lewy Body dementia. He was the chief operation officer and executive vice president at Tele-Communications, Inc. He served on CC’s Board of Trustees in 1996. He loved skiing, music, and boating. He is survived by two children and six grandchildren.
Sarah H. Hogan passed away in Colorado Springs on June 2. She taught school abroad and was a principal in District 11 and head of school at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School in Colorado Springs. Sarah also worked in human resources, merchandising, and store management for The Denver Dry Goods store.
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Jennifer Elena Carroll Wilson passed away suddenly from natural causes on June 27, in San Francisco, California. Jennifer loved the outdoors and worked in the environmental field at Esprit and the Resource Renewal Institute before becoming a landscape architect. She is survived by her mother, husband, and two daughters.
Glen-David Richard Hepworth Berger passed away on Aug. 20, 2019, in Colorado. He was CEO of Living Support Network, a nonprofit that ran a youth support crisis line. He was a psychologist, teacher, and job rehab counselor. He was a recipient of the Boettcher scholarship.
Lindsay Peck Deibel passed away peacefully in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Her husband also is a CC alumni. Lindsay was a Kappa Alpha Theta and worked for Xerox Corporation as a sales executive. She is survived by her husband, Robert “Bob” Deibel ’80, and daughters, Ivy and Isabelle.
Jane Alison Norton Beach, of Columbia, South Carolina, died on July 18 from injuries sustained after being struck by a car while cycling near Asheville, North Carolina. After earning a master’s in international business, Jane worked at Policy Management Systems (now CSC) as a sales and marketing associate. Later, Jane joined the admission office at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School and rose to the position of director of enrollment management. At the time of her death, Jane was training to run the Kiawah half-marathon in December. She is survived by her husband, John Fisher Beach, and daughters Norrie and Katie Beach.
Corey Steven Abel died on April 22, in Denver, Colorado. He was a professor of political theory and humanities and a writer. Corey loved rock climbing, bike riding, snow skiing, politics, and travel. Corey hosted rock climbing events during several CC reunions for alumni. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Mark Frezzo died on May 11, in Oxford, Mississippi. He was an assistant professor of sociology at Florida Atlantic University and associate professor of sociology at the University of Mississippi. Mark was also an author who wrote about the sociology of human rights. He loved drumming, the history of music, baseball, animals, and the quest for justice and peace.
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John Deregowski died on Feb. 7. He lived in Tiburon, California, and was the former president at Associated Securities. He was a Sigma Chi and studied abroad while at CC.
Meredith Simmons Jensen Latchaw was killed on July 31, hit by a fallen tree while camping just north of Vail, Colorado, with her family. Meredith was a cherished high school science teacher who coached tennis and volleyball and loved the outdoors and environment. She was known for taking her students on a field trip every year to visit a nature preserve. She is survived by her husband and two children.
Denise Kay Gordon Reeder died on Jan. 15 in Silverthorne, Colorado, at age 46. In November 2019, she participated in a mission trip to Guatemala. She is the daughter of Robert Gordon, a CC visiting block professor in mathematics and computer science, and is survived by her son, Jacob.
Jason Stephen Albrecht passed away suddenly at work on April 8, in Marietta, Ohio. He was a teacher at Colorado Community College and traveled extensively. Jason was an artist, philosopher, and skier. He wrote about and studied at length the beauty, complexity, and mystery of the dendritic pattern. He is survived by his parents, sister, brother, and fiancée.
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Sarah Elizabeth Shafer died unexpectedly Aug. 19, after collapsing on a flight to Bangkok, Thailand, where she was starting a new job as an early-childhood educator. She leaves a 5-year-old son, Theodore Alazar Shafer, whom she adopted in Ethiopia. Sarah taught preschool during multiyear stints in Bangkok, Moscow, Addis Ababa, and Seoul.
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Stuart Hackley, a history major at CC, died unexpectedly on Feb. 20, in Burlington, Vermont. Stuart was a Fulbright award winner and attended the University of Edinburgh, University of Colorado Denver, and Middlebury College. He took great pride in his role in society as a historian and storyteller. Stuart is survived by his parents, Sandra and Lex Hackley of Conifer, Colorado.
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Maria “Mia” Carlson Quinn passed away on June 9, in Boulder, Colorado. She was a Kappa Alpha Theta, played intramural soccer, and ran track and field at CC. Mia was an accomplished artist, poet, and athlete who enjoyed skiing, fly fishing, music, and world travel. She is survived by her parents and siblings.
From The Archives
Snow, 1959. Photo courtesy CC Special Collections
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FACES OF INNOVATION Photos by Jennifer Coombes
The Faces of Innovation project honors alumni, students, and faculty who embody the innovative and adventurous CC spirit with creativity and collaborative ideas. True liberal-arts thinkers, they make connections across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences. They are addressing some of the world’s most challenging problems, delighting us with artful approaches, and always surprising us. Below are the latest individuals Colorado College has chosen as Faces of Innovation.
HEIDI R. LEWIS: HONORING AND LEARNING FROM KITCHEN TABLE CONVERSATIONS Professor Heidi R. Lewis believes that things of great value happen around the kitchen table. Lewis is director and associate professor of feminist and gender studies at Colorado College. Her work amplifies voices of people who have been marginalized and oppressed. “I’m always thinking about what’s happening systematically and systemically to people who are oppressed along the lines of race, class, gender, sexuality, and other social, cultural, political markers, and that shows up in my teaching, because a lot of my content in my courses is focused on that.
CREATING A HOME IN THE TREES WITH CLASS OF 1985 ALUMNI JUDY & PETE NELSON Judy and Pete Nelson ’85 have made a life out of creating cozy, natural treehouses for people to buy, rent, or just admire. Their journey to this creative life’s work was a winding one, and it started at Colorado College. Pete first fell in love with treehouses at age 7 when his dad built him a tree fort behind the garage at their home in New Jersey. Pete loved carpentry and was good at it, and was looking to turn his passion for treehouses into a source of support for himself and his new bride, Judy. Pete and Judy, an art history major, met during freshmen orientation and married after graduation from CC. He hatched an idea to write and photograph the ultimate coffee-table book on treehouses, including building a treehouse to be the centerpiece of the book on a friend’s island property in British Columbia. After the publication of the book, requests for the Nelsons to build treehouses came pouring in. Around that time, the Nelsons came across a property in Fall City, Washington, that they now call Treehouse Point, and also home. There they have built seven treehouse properties available for overnight rental, one of which was featured in the Animal Planet television show Treehouse Masters. Learn more about the Nelsons and Treehouse Point at coloradocollege.edu/ other/facesofinnovation
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“One of the things that we talk about in Black feminist theory is the significance of the kitchen table,” she says. “The kitchen table is a place where a lot of people, but especially Black people, especially Black women, do a lot of theorizing, thinking about the world, trying to explain the world, trying to understand the world. And so a lot of the writing that comes out of Black feminist theory was written with that in mind.” Lewis teaches Introduction to Feminist & Gender Studies, Feminist Theory, Black Feminist Theory, and Hidden Spaces, Hidden Narratives: Intersectionality Studies in Berlin, among other courses. “One way that I would describe my pedagogy is that it is committed to a Black feminist way of knowing and teaching. And what that means for me, in part, is that the work that I do is concerned with oppressed people,” Lewis says. “I try to offer students the opportunity to read scholars, to read artists, to read activists, who they might not ever have the chance to read if they hadn’t taken my courses. People who don’t necessarily have bachelor’s degrees, let alone Ph.D.s, people who are out in the streets, working on behalf of single mothers, working on behalf of drug addicts, sex workers, and trying to help people to understand their situations, and to fight the oppression that has caused a lot of their situations.” Read more and watch a video at coloradocollege.edu/other/ facesofinnovation/people/heidi-lewis.html
STUDENTS S UP P OR TIN G
STUDENTS
This year has been difficult for our many communities. CC students have responded by creating and leading CC Mutual Aid to support students in need. This grassroots fundraising initiative helps students pay for groceries, rent, medical bills, and other expenses. Thank you to the hundreds of donors who have given to CC Mutual Aid, and supported our community with your gifts, volunteerism, and engagement. You are making a difference in the lives of CC students!
Through one-time and recurring gifts, you can join students and other donors who help to ensure equitable access to a CC education. Make a gift at crowdfund.coloradocollege.edu/ccmutualaid
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Bulletin
14 E. Cache La Poudre St. Colorado Springs, CO 80903-3294
On Oct. 23, the Office of Campus Activities organized a "speed friending" event on Washburn Field during which on-campus students got to know each other better. Despite the cold weather, students who really wanted to branch out and meet classmates face-to-face "sold out" the event. Denise Benitez ’24 (left) and Alisha Bloom ’24 participated in the fun, guided conversations and exchanged contact information. Photo by Patil Khakhamian ’22