Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday celebrating the birth of Martin Luther King Jr., a leader of, and main spokesperson for, nonviolent activism during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. He was instrumental in the organization and success of the Montgomery Boycott and the March on Washington in 1963. Dr. King’s stance on nonviolence has become a way of raising up love over hate and his legacy of altruism continues to inspire people across generations. On MLK Day, the country pauses to honor and recognize Dr. King, a courageous leader who paved the way for equality and the nation's continued pursuit of justice.

MLK Day was first recognized as a federal holiday in 1986. This year, we celebrate on January 15, Dr. King’s actual birthday. King, a political philosopher, was a staunch believer in the power of an education. “The function of education,” King said, “is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.” He fought tirelessly for educational equality and left behind a legacy that continues to shape the pursuit of racial justice and equality in education, not only in the United States but around the world.

This year, Colorado Springs celebrates Dr. King with the All Peoples Breakfast and Unity March, taking place at Robson Arena on Monday, January 15, beginning at 7:30am. Register to attend the breakfast, or join the march following the breakfast. Due to the expected frigid weather, this year the march will go around the block and end in Cornerstone. All community members are welcome to attend. Please note this event will impact parking in the Ed Robson Arena parking garage. If you park in this garage, please watch your email for information.

CC celebrated the achievements of 34 graduates during its Winter Commencement on Sunday, Dec. 17, in Shove Memorial Chapel. This ceremony marked a significant milestone as part of CC's 150th academic year.

The Commencement address, titled "Now. And then...", was delivered by Professor of English and Director of the Journalism Institute, Steve Hayward. Chaplain Kate Holbrook delivered the invocation and the benediction.

The senior class chose the profound words of American novelist Maxine Hong Kingston as their class motto: "In a time of destruction, create something." This sentiment beautifully reflects the spirit of resilience and creativity that defines this remarkable group of graduates. The motto will be the same for the seniors graduating in May 2024.

Congratulations to the graduates and best wishes for their bright futures ahead!

Winter Start Orientation (WSO) takes place Jan. 16-20, beginning with move-in day Tuesday, Jan. 16. You can see the whole schedule on our website. Please give a warm welcome to all our new students as you see them on campus! 

While many CC students participate in convergence classes — combined class meetings between several CC classes — students in Moving Together: The Power of Art, Health, and Wellbeing had the opportunity to participate in combined class sessions with students from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, giving students from both schools the chance to discuss and practice the art of movement together.

The class traveled to the UCCS campus twice for creative workshops, where CC students got to collaborate on movement techniques with a UCCS undergraduate class of students within its Health Sciences Department.  

“The workshops at UCCS were really interesting and fun,” says Andrew Han ’25. “Almost no one knew what to expect, so the UCCS students especially were surprised when we started doing intimate movement exercises. The exercises each had different metaphors that could be applied to healthcare and caregiving. It was interesting to see the UCCS students’ perception of CC and the Block Plan. Their classes seemed far more focused on lecture, and had less interdisciplinary aspects than CC.”

While the two schools are less than five minutes apart, students rarely get the chance to collaborate together, making this class even more special.

Tonight, Friday, Jan. 12, 7:30-10 p.m., join the FAC for a set of two bands—Broth and Hoopla—performing in Taste Restaurant. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and performances start at 8 p.m. The bar in Deco Lounge will be open until 10 p.m.

This event is free and open to the public.

Join the FAC’s museum collections team in the Agents of Care gallery from on Friday, Jan. 19 from 1-4 p.m. to explore some of the frames used by the museum, from historic to modern, simple to ornate. Museum staff will discuss the various components of a frame and how they work together to protect and preserve art while on display and in storage.

This event does not require registration, is free, and open to the public. As always, donations to support FAC programs are greatly appreciated.