Dear CC Alumni and Parents,

Block 2 has been an incredibly fulfilling time at CC. This block, we had much to celebrate: the innovation of our past and present students, the dedications of our pioneering, net-zero energy Tutt Library and East Campus Housing Community, and the launch of our Building on Originality fundraising campaign. Above all, this block was a celebration of the strength of our community and our collective ambitions.

Amid a time of tragedy and uncertainty in the world, I'm reminded how fortunate we are to be surrounded by such a supportive and engaged community. Throughout the block, we focused on dialogue as a path towards understanding and healing. Our Block 2 First Mondays speaker, Anthony Leiserowitz, helped students to understand how different sectors of the American electorate perceive climate change. As Professor Elizabeth Coggins (Political Science) explained in her recent Chronicle of Higher Education commentary, this democratic dialogue that bridges difference is critical in our increasingly divisive political climate.

Students, staff, and faculty engaged with the community and our local watershed through CC's second annual Day of Service. On October 4, over 200 volunteers cleaned up our neighboring Monument Creek! Additionally, CC joined the Colorado Springs community in celebrating the city's first officially recognized Indigenous Peoples Day. The celebration in Cornerstone included sharing indigenous food, music, and fashion, as well as a panel discussion.

During our annual Family and Friends Weekend, we were inspired by the accomplishments of our former and current students. At the Summer Collaborative Research Symposium (SCoRe), students presented their captivating findings from a summer of research alongside faculty. Then, former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar '77 delivered an uplifting speech on the border and the Southwest's Latino heritage. We honored Senator Salazar and nine other distinguished former students at the East Campus Housing Community dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Our students gleaned insight from a panel discussion with these inspiring alumni, including Secretary Salazar, Life Trustee and Colorado leader William J. Hybl '64, Nobel Laureate James Heckman '65, and Olympic figure skater Peggy Fleming '70.

Then, in the week leading up to Homecoming, we celebrated the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College with our inaugural Art Week. Over the course of the week, alumni and friends enjoyed over 15 programs, including lectures with faculty, hands-on workshops, and gallery visits. We concluded the week with our first-ever alumni artist showcase in Cornerstone, featuring hallmark pieces from 34 alumni artists.

As always, Homecoming was a wonderful time for our alumni to reconnect and to commemorate our accomplishments. We honored distinguished alumni and celebrated many anniversaries, including the 50th anniversary of CC Rugby, and Professor Michael Grace's 50 years of teaching and mentoring. We also celebrated our newly renovated Tutt Library with a parade of classes to the library, followed by a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Surrounded by the alumni and supporters who made this renovation possible, the inauguration of our cutting-edge library seemed a fitting occasion to launch CC's fundraising campaign, Building on Originality.

Over the coming years, our campaign will enable us to increase financial aid with 180 new scholarships, provide innovation programming, and support the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, among other priorities outlined in our strategic plan. I want to thank those of you who participated in my telephone dialogue on the campaign - it was wonderful to hear your input! Moving forward, I want to continue to engage with our alumni, family, and friends across the globe. So, I'm pleased to announce that we'll be taking the Building on Originality campaign on the road this spring! Stay tuned for events in San Francisco (March 15), New York (April 19), and Chicago (June 21).

Many thanks to the students, faculty, staff, alumni, family, and friends who made this such a fulfilling block! I look forward to building on our momentum in the year ahead.

Warm regards,

President Jill Tiefenthaler