Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends of Colorado College:

I was delighted earlier this year to be asked by Patrick Holmes ’03 and his fellow CC alumni organizers to endorse and support their “Paddle for the Presidency” effort to encourage young people to register and vote. (Read more about "Paddle for the Presidency")

Photo by Tom Kimmell

Having grown up in a family that nurtured civic pride and participated fully in the democratic process (my dad was mayor of my hometown), I was instilled early with such values. The privilege of public service — as an Ohio legislator, lieutenant governor, and two-term governor, director of the Peace Corps, and ambassador to India — only reinforced those values.

It concerns me profoundly that voter turnout and general democratic participation in this country is so pathetic. The right to vote is a sacred one — one for which human beings around the world have fought and died. To take that for granted by not exercising it is a thoughtless act, and not to appreciate deeply the other rights and freedoms we enjoy in the richest and most powerful nation on the planet is a stain on one’s citizenship.

I am fervent about encouraging young people to vote, to educate themselves about critical issues, and to become involved in their communities. I am happy to say that on the Colorado College campus this fall, there was tremendous energy around the political process, including student campaigning, voter registration, and get-out-the-vote drives.

We have also enjoyed the continued stimulation of the quadrennial Sondermann Symposium, “Year of the Presidency.” This remarkable series brought together faculty, students, staff, and the regional community for discussions of the electoral process, campaign analyses, Colorado’s unique role in the 2004 election, and other timely issues. (Read more about this symposium.)

These events are part of Colorado College’s efforts to fulfill its responsibility to “encourage engagement and social responsibility at local, national, and global levels,” one of our core values. Seeing our students vigorously involved in the political process, debating and analyzing ideas, and challenging their own and others’ viewpoints tells me that we are succeeding. And seeing accomplished graduates in public service reinforces my claim. Trustee and former Colorado attorney general is now U.S. Senator Ken Salazar ’77 (D-Colo.); other alumni in office include U.S. Congresswomen Diana DeGette ’79 (D-Colo.) and Katie Sieben ’99 (D-Minn.), as well as numerous state and local officials including Colorado Springs Vice Mayor Richard Skorman ’75. (Read more about alumni in office.)

Producing graduates who become elected officials is, of course, only one measure of CC’s success. Whether every one of our more than 22,000 alumni exercised her or his precious right to vote might be one of the most crucial measures of all. I hope you are one of those who made Colorado College proud.

Sincerely,

Richard F. Celeste