As part of the admission process, potential first-year students write about their “dream blocks.” Here are excerpts from what a few members of the class of 2009 suggested:

Introduction to Southwest Studies in the Grand Canyon

… Eight miles into [the rafting trip], the group meets one of its first challenges, Badger Creek Rapid. … Flash floods bring house-sized boulders down these canyons and deposit them in the riverbed, changing the flow of water and creating … a veritable playground for river-runners. … These incredible locations help students see the awesome power of the forces of nature that shape the Southwest. However, the canyon has much more to offer than a simple lesson in erosion. As one of the deepest and longest canyons in the world, it is a treasure of geological information. …

Justin Henceroth ’09, Dillon, Colo.

Revolution

… Studying the different stages/steps it takes for a country or group to stage a revolution … would be perfect for a 31/2-week course … the stage of unrest ruled by moderates, the accession of the radical group involved in a revolution, the reign of terror that often takes place, the convalescence that brings social uproar to a close. … By focusing on the “skeleton” of a revolution provided by [Crane Brinton’s “Anatomy of a Revolution”], a class could … recognize phases in an insurrection and be able to apply it to important eras in world history. …

Emily Silver ’09, Mountain Vista, Colo.

Little Princesses: Gender and Fairy Tales

This course … entail[s] a true understanding of how fairy tales reinforce gender-role stereotypes. … The first week … will focus on … positive and negative aspects of patriarchal society, the exploration of psychoanalytical feminist views, and contemporary literary criticism. … The second week … students will read excerpts of Maria Tartar’s “Annotated Classic Fairy Tales” … the “Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales” … and the “Red Fairy Book” by Andrew Lang. … The third week … students will watch a Disney fairy tale [movie] each day … [discussing] male and female roles … [and] read three versions of the equivalent fairy tale: the classic American version, a version from European culture, and one of Eastern culture. …

Emily Steffen ’09, Oak Park, Ill.

Writing on the Edge

… The course put[s] people in situations where they wouldn’t normally think of writing [so they] feel comfortable writing in any situation. … [It starts with a video explanation:] Week one is writing while skydiving, week two is writing while spelunking, and week three is writing while parasailing. … The next thing I knew, I was at 13,000 feet in a jumpsuit. … “Write an essay explaining how a character can be morally duplicitous and how that duplicity is meaningful to the novel. Go!” As I was free-falling at –9.81 meters per second squared, I felt suddenly inspired to vomit. After that subsided, I had an impulsive urge to analyze moral duplicity. Thoughts kept pouring onto my paper. … Dive after dive, the week was spent finishing our essays in midair. …

Tyler Smith ’09 , Wimberley, Texas

 

The unique intellectual adventure of The Colorado College Plan awaits the incoming Class of ‘09, and will be celebrated by students, faculty, alumni, and staff throughout the year ahead! Check out www.ColoradoCollege.edu/35/ for information and updates on 35th anniversary activities.