History

Honoring Los Seis de 51�Թ��

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Honoring Los Seis de 51�Թ�� Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/04/2024 - 00:00

Allison Nitch

On May 27, 1974, Una Jaakola (Psych’73), Reyes Martínez (Law’73) and Neva Romero (A&S ex’75) were killed by a car bomb at Chautauqua Park. Forty-eight hours later, a second car bomb killed Florencio Granado (A&S ex’73), Heriberto Terán (A&S ex’73) and Francisco Dougherty at the corner of 28th Street and Canyon Boulevard.

These Chicano movement activists are known as Los Seis de 51�Թ��.

They fought to achieve parity of racial representation within the student body — a need that persists today. This May marks the 50th anniversary of these tragedies, which remain unsolved.

In 2019, Jasmine Baetz (MFA’20) designed a sculpture in memory of the six killed. The university installed the Los Seis de 51�Թ�� sculpture by the Albert and Vera Ramírez Temporary Building Number 1 and Sewall Hall. It was added to the University Libraries’ Rare & Distinctive Collections in 2020.

Chancellor Philip DiStefano noted the sculpture’s place in the university archives “will help to provide current and future students, faculty and staff opportunities to learn more about an important chapter of Colorado and university history.”

Baetz, now a visiting professor in ceramics at Scripps College and Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California, told 51�Թ�� Today in 2020 that she hoped the community-created project would contribute to a climate in which the university can act with “honor, integrity and accountability toward BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) students, staff and faculty who were and are impacted by systemic racism at 51�Թ��.”

When the sculpture was made part of the permanent collection three years ago, Baetz said, “It’s hard to accept that the killings of Los Seis have been silenced for so long. My hope is that the sculpture’s preservation will weaken our institution’s historical amnesia around civil rights struggles at 51�Թ��.”

To recognize Los Seis and their fight for justice, 51�Թ�� is working to establish an endowed scholarship fund of $750,000 to award six $5,000 scholarships annually, each in the name of a member of Los Seis. Contributions to the fund support 51�Թ�� students who participate in organizations committed to increasing economic, racial or ethnic representation in 51�Թ��’s student body.

The BUENO Center for Multicultural Education at 51�Թ�� administers the Los Seis Memorial Scholarship.

“The Los Seis Memorial Scholarship is about honoring the memory and fight for justice of Los Seis de 51�Թ��, acknowledging the tragic events of the past and aiming to build a future where their courageous sacrifice inspires hope for future students to continue advocating for representation, educational equity and a just and inclusive society,” said Tania Hogan, BUENO Center executive director.

Donations to the Los Seis Memorial Scholarship Fund can be made here.

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Photo by Glenn Asakawa

This May marks the 50th anniversary of the Los Seis de 51�Թ�� tragedies, which remain unsolved. In 2019, Jasmine Baetz designed a sculpture in memory of the six killed.

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Spring 2024

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The Mahaffy Cache

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

The Mahaffy Cache Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/04/2024 - 00:00

Christie Sounart

In 2008, landscapers dug two feet into the ground of Patrick Mahaffy’s backyard, located near Chautauqua Park in 51�Թ��. They unearthed 83 stone tools from a packed hole the size of a shoebox. The cache was about 13,000 years old.

The tools — now called the “Mahaffy Cache” — were most likely left by nomadic hunter-gatherers known as Clovis, who lived in North America toward the end of the last ice age. The most distant tools likely originated in the Uinta Mountains in northeast Utah and traveled with groups of people to 51�Թ��, said anthropology professor Douglas Bamforth, who Mahaffy originally invited to inspect the cache. Others were made from stone found between the Uintas and 51�Թ��.

“One of the things that we have not emphasized as much as other aspects of the cache is how distinct it is,” Bamforth said. “It is like many Clovis-age caches in that the stone the tools are made from is from far away, but the diversity of different kinds of tools and artifacts in it is very unusual.”

The cache is one of two Clovis collections to undergo a blood protein analysis on the tools, which determined that hunters used them to butcher Ice Age horses, camels, sheep and bears. The tools include knives, blades and flint scraps.

“My favorite is the large biface made from Tiger chert that looks like a double-bitted ax,” said Bamforth. “I have never, ever seen another artifact like that.”

See the Mahaffy Cache in the CU Museum of Natural History.

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Photo by Glenn Asakawa

In 2008, landscapers dug into the ground of Patrick Mahaffy’s backyard in 51�Թ��. They unearthed 83 stone tools that were about 13,000 years old.

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Campus News Briefs: Spring 2024

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Campus News Briefs: Spring 2024 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/04/2024 - 00:00

Consistent Yoga for Good Health

A 51�Թ�� study found yoga to be very beneficial to those who practice it — when done regularly. The study, which examined both typical yoga classes and those with only stretching, found the benefits of better emotion regulation, self-control, distress tolerance and mindfulness lasted about a week after either type of class. “One yoga class is not enough to reap long-term health benefits,” 51�Թ�� Institute of Behavioral Science research associate Charleen Gust told The Denver Post. Researchers hope further study will determine how often people must practice to experience benefits.

Study Abroad Hits Record Number

This spring, the number of CU students studying abroad exceeded the record-setting 900 students studying abroad at the onset of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. Nearly 1,200 students were enrolled to study abroad this spring, with Western Europe serving as the most popular destination. 51�Թ��’s study abroad program is ranked 15th-largest in the nation

CU Economist Tackles English Mystery

From 1761 to 1834 the mortality rate of English people dropped from 28 to 25 per 1,000 people, a statistic that has confused historians due to the population influx around that time. “With people coming into cities to work, you would expect, given the level of sanitation they have, that the big killer is water,” 51�Թ�� economics professor Fransica Antman told the BBC in December. Antman authored a study linking the change to the rise in tea consumption. In 1784, the tea tax went from 119% to 12.5%, boosting tea consumption. Boiling the water when making tea, Antman explained, killed off the bacteria that was prevalent in drinking water at the time, thus saving lives. In her study, Antman examined the quality of water sources for about 400 parishes in England and determined that the death rate declined even in those parishes with poor water quality due to the high prevalence of tea.

Heard Around Campus

“CU naturally attracts really outstanding leaders.”

— Stefanie Johnson, director of the Center for Leadership, told the Daily Camera in January after Time magazine and Statista named 51�Թ�� one of the top 100 best colleges for future leaders.

Digits: 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

4/8

Date of eclipse

11:28 a.m.

Time solar eclipse appears in 51�Թ��

1,500

Children participating in Fiske’s eclipse outreach program

U.S. states will experience total solar eclipse

Fiske Planetarium films related to the total eclipse

7,500

Public and K-12 visitors watched the planetarium’s eclipse films from May 2023 to January 2024

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Photos and illustrations courtesy Pixabay

Solar eclipse, benefits of yoga, historical research on tea and more.

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Letters to the Editor

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 04:14:50 +0000

Letters to the Editor Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/06/2023 - 21:14

A Focus on Mental Health

As the mother of an adult son with schizoaffective disorder and an aunt to several nieces and nephews who struggle with bipolar disorder and depression, I am so very thankful that awareness is increasing, stigma is decreasing and research is progressing. My son went through five painful years, several different doctors and many different medications. He is now working again part time and leading a fulfilling life. It takes a village, though, and many do not have supportive family members and friends to help them navigate this very difficult road. My son has a nursing degree from CU Anschutz, has taken extensive training in peer support and is hoping to someday be able to use his training to help others who struggle with severe mental illness. Keep spreading the message of hope to this community who so desperately need to hear it. Thank you!

Lori Black
Longmont, Colorado

In "Rethinking Mental Illness" [cover story, Fall 2022] it seems that we first must rethink using the term "illness," which is stigmatizing in itself. Choosing "mental health" as the topic of conversation versus “illness” not only promotes the need for maintenance and preventative measures like the dental health suggestion in the article, but normalizes the need and is more hopeful. Struggling with things like anxiety, depression or PTSD is part of the human condition. Not everyone who came back from Vietnam ended up with PTSD, but those with genetic vulnerabilities did. The same is true for many traumas that people experience on a daily basis. For some of us, the wiring might be off neurochemically, but many mental health conditions can be managed with the right support (education, therapy, nutrition, exercise and pharmaceutical assistance). The term "wellness" inspires hope as well as more personal accountability. Detecting genetic markers for mental health vulnerabilities like we do for cancer would help with early detection and treatment; however, changing the narrative from mental illness to mental health needs to be part of the rethinking.

Brenda Currier
Longmont, Colorado

Yes, it is good to talk about mental illness, and new ways of handling it. You say, though, that CU researchers are “finding new ways to help stem the growing crisis” [cover story, Fall 2022]. Maybe one way is to not always view the world as a “growing crisis.” Humans have lived through a lot: the fall of empires, the Mongols, the Black Plague, the World Wars, the Great Depression ... We now live in the best country in the world, at the best time in history: the most advanced education, medicine, the least people in poverty, the fewest wars and more.

Maybe a good way to reduce mental illness is to approach the world with a “we can handle this” mentality, instead of always thinking that “the world is ending.” Certain people want you to always feel afraid and helpless ... so you will depend on them, and hopefully vote for them. But you don’t have to fall for that mindset. Instead, take a more resilient, optimistic view that people can solve the challenges ahead, as we always have. This alone should help lessen the mental illness “crisis” considerably.

Pamela Hale Anderson (Law’87)
[great-great-granddaughter of Horace Hale, 2nd president of CU]
Las Vegas, Nevada

Free Speech, Continued

In the Fall 2022 issue [Feedback, page 61], I found the letter from Carolyn S. Kinsey (Edu’69) regarding free speech appropriate, especially amid the current censoring activities at campuses of our major universities. The inquiring mind should not be discouraged from seeking alternatives to even established methodology.

Robert A. Plack (ElEngr’61)
Scottsdale, Arizona

Thoughts on Our 1943 Photo

I suspect (but am not certain) that this photo [THEN, Fall 2022] is not a drill for a military band on campus. Instead, might it be a photo taken in connection with the graduation of the Navy Japanese Language School, which occurred in July 1943 on campus? The naval students who were studying Japanese at CU could have congregated outside Baker Hall prior to marching to Macky Auditorium for their commencement ceremony. The ceremony is described on pages 52 and 53 of Deciphering the Rising Sun by Roger Dingman, which is available at Norlin Library.

Paul Albright (Jour’57)
51�Թ��, Colorado

I imagine that this scene was the last review for the graduating Army and Navy ROTC Cadets of CU's Class of 1943. There weren't any Air Force cadets at that time because the U.S. Air Force wasn’t founded until 1947. Army cadets are wearing olive drab green uniforms in formations in the background on the left. Navy cadets are wearing white uniforms in formations in the background on the right. An article in The Princeton Herald newspaper (pages 1 and 3) dated May 21, 1943, describes a similar ceremony which took place at Princeton in May 1943.

This photo is meaningful to me because I was an Air Force ROTC cadet at CU from 1977 to 1981, served in the Air Force from 1982 to 1995, lived in Baker Hall in the summer of 1980, and my father was a U.S. Army WWII veteran.

Fred Wolff (ApMath’81)
Colorado Springs, Colorado

The nation’s colleges and universities hosted accelerated courses for officer candidates. Some of these courses were degree programs and some of them were purely military related. They were basically called specialized courses — colleges and universities were chosen because of their facilities. These specialized courses were not the same as ROTC — they were purely military. I am fairly sure the photo in question shows men enrolled in these special courses or three-year degree programs. A military band is marching up and down the field in front of the formations of men — there are bound to be a lot more than are shown in the photo. The presence of a military band (this is not a CU band) means this is a formation either for a graduation ceremony for whatever course the men were enrolled in or it is an honor-type ceremony or a combination of both.

Remember that in 1943 every facet of our society was mobilized for the war effort — the photo depicts part of that effort. I suspect a number of the men pictured went to the war in the Pacific and did not return.

I took ROTC at CU as I entered in September 1963 and the draft was really ramping up for the war in Vietnam. ROTC was a vehicle that would keep me from being drafted so I could finish the whole four years. After two years of duty in the Cold War in Germany and one year of a hot war in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division, I was one of the lucky ones who came back with two feet and two arms and about half a mind.

Dave Hickcox (Geog’68)
Delaware, Ohio

Could the photo have been from the Colorado vs. Fort Francis E. Warren football game on Sept. 25, 1943?

Derek Widmayer (Psych’96)
Parker, Colorado

I know nothing personal about the “military band” in your 1943 photo, but as a graduate of the Navy ROTC program of the early 1960s, I can speculate. The entire parade may have been part of the NROTC detachment during that war year. The men in tan uniforms are midshipmen or officers, while enlisted men are wearing white uniforms. During my days there, the NROTC detachment held military drills in front of the Libby dormitory every Thursday afternoon. There we trained the freshmen in proper uniform dress, military courtesies and close-order drill. I think about once a month or so we were exercised in a pass-in-review parade in which the entire battalion would march past our senior officers and whatever visiting dignitaries happened to be present.

James Mulholland (Geol’64)
Arvada, Colorado

I'm the historian for the CU Marching Band. The picture you provided shows a band marching past enlisted sailors in their summer white uniforms and several other men in khaki uniforms representing the probable ROTC personnel. The majority of the male CU students were affiliated with the military in some way. Although there was an ROTC contingent, the university had several schools to include ROTC, a V-2 program known as NROTC with most registered in either engineering or premed, a V-5 program which was Naval aviation, a Naval radio operators training school, Naval Training School (Oriental languages), a V-12 Unit which was a medical school and a Navy Cooks and Bakers School.

I did find a picture of the Navy/military review which happened on or near a Colorado tradition known as Colorado Days, which started in May 1927. There is a picture in William E. “Bud” Davis’ Glory Colorado on page 456 showing a formal military parade at Colorado stadium. This is important because it shows two bands in the north end-zone of the field, the CU men's and women's marching band. When you compare the photo on that page with that in your magazine on page 62–63, the band can be none other than the CU men's marching band.

I state this because they are wearing a uniform but there are no army markings, rank insignia, etc. There is a belt worn by the members but only officers of the Army wore the Sam Browne type belt, not enlisted. In your photo the belts look white. You can see the drum major on the far right of the photo. He is wearing a standard Navy blue uniform and is either a chief petty officer or a junior officer. The university at the time had no Army contingent that I can find, but 99% Navy with a few Marines. Hence, it would have been very odd to have an Army band playing for the Navy.

My best educated guess is that it is a military parade associated with the Colorado Days which would have taken place in May or June 1943, and the men’s university marching band is leading the way to the stadium which isn’t that far away from the men’s dorm, aka Baker Hall now.

Walt Blankenship (Hist’89; MA’02)
Westminster, Colorado

Vetsville Memories

My friends Ross (Arch’68) and Betty Cooney lived in one of the Quonset huts in the ’60s when I returned to 51�Թ�� to finish my degree. Ross had been in the Navy and was finishing his degree in architecture. They lived in the tiny half-Quonset with their daughter, Diana.

Thomas Turman (ArchEngr’66)
El Cerrito, California

From fall of 1968 to spring of 1971, I lived in the Quonset huts with my young family. I was pursuing a law degree, and having those huts available was a blessing for us veterans that could not afford other housing. It was a great experience, and one that I still remember fondly.

Al Dominguez (Law’71)
Windsor, Colorado

Thanks for your retrospective on Vetsville. When CU was preparing to build the current family housing on the site, they needed to get rid of the remaining Quonset huts, so they sold them off in lots for what I recall as $23 apiece. My dad and our neighbor decided that was a good deal, so they bought a number of them. I got pressed into service helping haul appliances (which were included in the price), pull out plumbing and the like. Then they spent that summer holding what amounted to an ongoing flea market at Arapahoe and Folsom, meanwhile also trying to sell off the huts themselves. It turned out to be harder to sell a Quonset hut than they had expected, and CU was breathing down their necks to get the site cleared before construction.

My dad moved one of the last huts to land we owned near Haystack Mountain, on Oxford Road just west of 63rd Street. It’s still there, the property now owned by the City of 51�Թ�� as open space.

Kurt Nordback
51�Թ��, Colorado

Cinnamon Rolls and Peanut Butter

In Oct 2001, my late husband C.W. “Bill” Peterson (A&S’53) and I visited the CU campus to reminisce and to have lunch at The Sink. It was a favorite as Bill was employed at the restaurant working mostly mornings while attending CU from 1952–54. He told of starting the tradition of covering the warm cinnamon rolls with peanut butter to give the students added protein for their day.

He was delighted to see the changes and additions and some things that never change, including the many artwork drawings.

Carol Peterson
Freeport, Kansas

University Life

I was a student at CU from 1964–70. University life and 51�Թ�� were far different then, more open and intimate. In-state tuition and fees were $186 a semester, a room on The Hill $35–$40 a month, marijuana was illegal but available. The Sink had a decent burger, 3.2 beer served in paper cups and the best jukebox ever. These were turbulent times shadowed by the Cold War, political assassinations, protests against the war in Vietnam and a hope that a better world was possible. It was a difficult, exciting time to be a student. The allure and glamor of power, wealth and war live on, but I do miss those days of connection and conviction.

Robert Porath (Engl’69)
51�Թ��, Colorado

Cover to Cover

This is the one “periodical” that I faithfully read cover to cover. While my field is music and my husband’s is science/medicine, we find every article of great interest and always well-researched and written. I am amazed that I have not ever been bored by any of these, and instead have been fascinated by CU’s history, its research and, of course, the wonderful accomplishments by former and current students, faculty and even staff.

Susan Olenwine (MMus’09)
51�Թ��, Colorado

Remembering Joyce Lebra

I was amazed to see the photograph of professor Joyce Lebra and learn about the recognition she received late in life [THEN, Spring 2022]. As professor of Japanese history at CU’s College of Arts and Sciences, Lebra influenced my husband, George Bluh (Bus’58; MHist’64), profoundly as he undertook an MS degree in the CU history department in far Eastern studies. Much of his achievement was under Lebra’s supervision. She was the lone woman history professor at the time, and we were privileged to know her.

Cynthia Hubbard Bluh (A&S’60)
Conway, Massachusetts

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Illustration by Keith Negley; Courtesy 51�Թ�� photograph collection, Box 42, Item Univ 5191, Rare andDistinctive Collections, 51�Թ�� Libraries (historical photo); iStock/duckycards (cinnamon roll)

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Twenty Years of Rememberance

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Twenty Years of Rememberance Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/06/2023 - 00:00

On Feb. 1, 2003, CU astronaut Kalpana Chawla (MAeroEngr’86; PhD’88; HonDocSci’03) [middle left] and six other astronauts died when their Columbia space shuttle broke apart on re-entry to Earth. The shuttle crew had spent 16 days in space conducting 80 research experiments. Chawla had worked for NASA as a researcher since 1988, logging just over 30.5 days in space. She was posthumously awarded the 2004 Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

Twenty years later, Chawla’s legacy remains strong at 51�Թ��. In 2004, the 51�Թ�� Alumni Association renamed its recent graduate award the Kalpana Chawla Outstanding Recent Graduate Award in her honor. Since then 27 accomplished graduates have received the award.

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Photo courtesy NASA

Astronaut Kalpana Chawla died aboard the Columbia on Feb. 1, 2003.

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Save This Dance

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Save This Dance Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/06/2023 - 00:00

Christie Sounart

When George Drake (Law1905) attended the first annual charity ball in the university’s Armory building on Feb. 3, 1905, he carried a red, heart-shaped dance card to record his partners’ names for each dance.

He carried other bright-colored and uniquely designed dance cards for several other events, too, including a reception for then-CU President Baker in the university gymnasium Oct. 10, 1902, and a Friday-night Halloween dance for Pi Beta Phi on Oct. 31, 1902.

Quickly scribbled names or a clear “X” for skipped waltzes or two-steps appeared on dozens of dance cards throughout his college career, carefully preserved in a scrapbook now housed in the CU Heritage Center.

Dance cards were common on college campuses into the mid-1900s. Many variations of the cards have been donated to the Heritage Center over the years.

“Some are handmade with newsprint and drawn title pages, while others have elaborately engraved metal covers or moving components,” said Mona Lambrecht, Heritage Center curator. “Ephemeral in nature, each card is a valuable snapshot into student life.”

As dancing evolved, the cards became less useful. According to a 1918 booklet from the Library of Congress called Tips to Dancers, the rise of “modern dancing” was one reason to eschew multiple dance partners and instead remain with the person a dancer arrived at the party with.

“It is not considered a very great pleasure to dance ten dances with ten different partners, all of whom may be but mediocre dancers,” the booklet stated.

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Photos by Mona Lambrecht, CU Heritage Center

Dance cards were common on college campuses in the mid-1900s.

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History Updated

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 07:00:00 +0000

History Updated Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/06/2023 - 00:00

Steve Neumann

When it comes to expanding how social studies is taught in the classroom, teacher educator Noreen Nasseem Rodriguez counsels a defined educational vision, clear and honest communication and a strong dose of hope.

Noreen Naseem Rodriguez, assistant professor in 51�Թ��'s School of Education

In the introduction to Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, the American theologian Richard Shaull wrote that there is “no such thing as a neutral educational process.” He wrote that “education either functions as an instrument that is used to facilitate the integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system,” or it becomes “the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality.”

Noreen Naseem Rodriguez, an assistant professor in the School of Education at 51�Թ��, is preparing the next generation of teachers to shepherd their students through a rapidly changing educational landscape — one mired in controversies about teaching critical race theory, addressing gender identity in the classroom and what to include in or exclude from U.S. history classes — while making sure both students and teachers are able to deal “critically and creatively with reality.”

“Oftentimes, it’s the adults that are uncomfortable with these topics, not the kids,” Rodriguez said. “Kids just want to know, they want to understand the people around them, and they want to understand the world.”

Anti-Oppressive Social Studies

Last year, Rodriguez — who spent nine years as a primary school teacher in Texas — teamed up with Katy Swalwell, a fellow teacher educator, to publish a textbook, Social Studies for a Better World, after years of being dissatisfied with other textbooks. The overarching goal of the book is to offer advice for teaching controversial issues in the classroom and how to avoid potential repercussions.

“The last chapter is about how to do this work without getting fired,” Rodriguez said. “There’s this constant fear of upsetting people.”

Rodriguez acknowledges there is no guarantee a school or district will support what she calls an “anti-oppressive” social studies curriculum, an approach that takes into account the power differentials in society that perpetuate inequality and oppression.

Rodriguez’s interest in an anti-oppressive social studies approach developed after she participated in the Tejano History Curriculum Project, a program focused on expanding curricula to include people of Mexican descent living in Texas for many generations.

The existing state curriculum relies on settlers like Davy Crockett, glossing over significant histories from when Texas was a part of Mexico.

“Every single student, regardless of their race or their ethnicity, was all about learning this history that no one else knew — and I was learning right alongside with them,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez notes that some school administrators, community members and even colleagues might see such efforts as a dangerous threat to their authority or the status quo.

So it makes sense that the last chapter begins with advice that is foundational and motivational: Teachers should never stop believing that a better world is possible, nor stop imagining how circumstances, policies and practices can improve.

While Rodriguez is clear that teachers shouldn’t see themselves as saviors, she said, they need to be aware of the current challenges and harms that kids face. And she acknowledges it’s much easier if teachers know there are others on their side. Teachers are encouraged to think of students’ families as “their people,” especially those families that have long been demanding something better for their children.

For those families that might not understand or support anti-oppressive education, Rodriguez emphasizes the need for educators to be clear about their vision for social studies and to regularly communicate with colleagues, families and administrators about what they and their students are up to — and why.

Lastly, Rodriguez emphasizes that educators need to make time for their own continual growth, so they’re prepared for future challenges.

“Ultimately, this is about our democracy,” Rodriguez added. “You can’t prepare students to function in a democracy if they don’t understand people who are different from them and don’t know how to engage with them in productive ways.”

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Photo by Matt Tyrie

From tackling controversial subjects in the classroom, teacher educator Noreen Nasseem Rodriguez counsels a defined educational vision, clear and honest communication and a strong dose of hope.

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Uncovering the History Behind 51�Թ�� Park Names

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Uncovering the History Behind 51�Թ�� Park Names Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/07/2022 - 00:00

Christie Sounart

In 2013, the City of 51�Թ�� renamed Canyon Park to Emma Gomez Martinez Park. CU students have suggested renaming others.

As discussions of racism and social justice swept the country in 2020, Alison Rhodes (Hist, Span’01; MPubAd’16), director of 51�Թ�� Parks and Recreation, wondered about the naming of 51�Թ��’s parks, and whether they properly reflected the city’s commitment to diversity and equity. She approached the 51�Թ�� history department to see if students could help research the origins of the city’s park names.

Then-department chair Paul Sutter and then-director of undergraduate studies Phoebe Young, along with doctoral candidate Kim Jackson (PhDHist’24), eagerly designed the project, which spanned four semesters. More than 75 undergraduate and graduate students contributed to the project, researching the names of and visiting nearly 50 parks.

“It was meaningful for the students, especially in 2020,” said Rhodes, who’s worked for the City of 51�Թ�� for nearly 20 years. “But it really was meaningful for us, too.”

Connor Siruta (Hist, PolSci’22) worked on the project as a student and an intern in spring 2021. As a student, he focused on the purposes of the physical landscape — such as the grassy areas and its trees — of his assigned park, Keewaydin Meadows, located in east 51�Թ��. During his internship, he researched the origins of several park names, including west 51�Թ��’s Eben G. Fine park.

Siruta’s research determined that Eben G. Fine, besides being a strong 51�Թ�� supporter, also engaged in racist stereotyping. Siruta uncovered a journal entry that defended actions of Captain David Nichols, who was involved in the Sand Creek Massacre.

“The namesakes of parks cannot be brushed away,” said Siruta. “The history behind them can really affect people.”

The students’ research was posted in an online story map on the City of 51�Թ��’s website. Several park names were identified for renaming consideration, said Rhodes, and will be discussed by the city with input from the community. The research findings also will guide naming for future parks.

The students themselves enjoyed the opportunity to partner with the city, said Young, a professor of history who researches the cultural and environmental history of the modern U.S.

“Students felt a sense of empowerment that they could communicate their work to the city,” she said.

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Photo courtesy City of 51�Թ��

CU history classes research the origins of the names of 82 51�Թ�� parks.

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Time Capsule in Old Main

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Time Capsule in Old Main Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/07/2022 - 00:00

Christie Sounart

1875 CC Trade Dollar: Type 1 Reverse (U.S.)

1863 Indian Head Penny (U.S.)

1874 Three Cent Nickel (U.S.)

1863 2 Öre- Carl XV (Sweden)

1873 Shield Nickel (U.S.)

1803 Draped Bust Large Cent: Small date, small fraction (U.S.)

1868 Indian Head Penny (U.S.)

1802 or 1803 Draped Bust Large Cent (U.S.)

In a snowy outdoor ceremony on Sept. 20, 1875, 51�Թ�� town officials and members of the Masonic Grand Lodge placed a small tin box with nearly 50 items in the cornerstone of what would become Old Main. The cornerstone — known as the building’s setting stone — was located on the northeast corner at the transition between the stone foundation and its brick walls.

“The ceremony of today is not one of novelty to dazzle or deceive,” said Webster D. Anthony, the grand master of the Grand Lodge, at the ceremony. “It signifies peace, prosperity, growth in knowledge and social refinement.”

The time capsule contained 12 newspapers, eight coins and a Colorado business directory and statutes book, among other small items.

The coins range in date from the early 1800s to 1875. All are American coins with the exception of a 1863 2 Öre from Sweden featuring King Carl XV.

Chancellor William Baughn and Alumni Association executive director Richard Emerson removed the time capsule in September 1985. Another box was placed in the cornerstone with memorabilia from 1985 to be opened in 2075.

Today, the coins and the other time capsule items are kept at the CU Heritage Center, located on the third floor of Old Main.

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Photos by Mona Lambrecht, CU Heritage Center

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The History of Daylight Saving Time

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 07:00:00 +0000

The History of Daylight Saving Time Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/07/2022 - 00:00

Alexx McMillan

Some have said Benjamin Franklin first came up with the idea for daylight saving time (DST). Others believe it was adopted so farmers could have more hours of sunlight to work in the field.

The real history of daylight saving time is much more complex.

Kenneth Wright

It was first introduced in Germany in 1916 during World War I as an energy saving measure, according to 51�Թ�� sleep researcher Kenneth Wright. The U.S. followed suit, adopting DST in 1918. Initially implemented as a wartime measure, it was repealed a year later.

Daylight saving time was reinstituted in 1942 during World War II. The next couple decades were a free-for-all, when states and localities switched between DST and standard time (ST) at will. To put an end to the clock chaos, Congress finally passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966, which standardized daylight saving time and its start and end dates across the country — with the exception of Hawaii and Arizona, which opted to keep standard time year-round.

During the energy crisis of 1974, the U.S. decided to adopt permanent DST. However, after the first winter of dark mornings, public support dropped so low that it was repealed.

In recent years, U.S. lawmakers, including Colorado Governor Jared Polis, have reopened the conversation about shifting to permanent daylight saving time.

In March, the Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would put an end to the semiannual changing of the clocks. While more sun in the evenings might sound nice, many experts — including Wright, director of CU’s Sleep and Chronobiology Lab — disagree with the proposal.

“If you look at the expert consensus from the scientific societies that focus on sleep, health and circadian rhythms, all of them agree this is a bad idea,” Wright told 51�Թ�� Today earlier this year. “Yes, we should be getting rid of the time change. But the science suggests we should be sticking with standard time, not daylight saving time.”

More sunlight in the evenings comes at the price of morning light — a dangerous trade-off, according to Wright. Dark mornings mean sleepier commuters, icier roads and more school children walking to school or waiting for the bus before the sun comes up, he said.

The extra evening sun is also cause for concern. Wright explained, “When we get exposed to light at night, that sends a signal to our circadian clock that we should go to bed later and wake up later. Later sleep timing is associated with more substance use and physical and mental health problems, including obesity, depression and heart disease.”

For permanent daylight saving time to become a reality, the Sunshine Protection Act will need to pass through the House of Representatives and be signed into law by President Joe Biden. Whether or not members of the House will heed experts’ warning is yet to be seen.

And so, the storied history of daylight saving time continues.

Editor's Note: In December 2024, President-Elect Donald Trump said he hoped to eliminate daylight saving time when he became President, calling it "inconvenient" and "costly" to our nation.

Fox9 News interviewed Dr. Wright on the topic, who said adopting permanent standard time would be the best option from a health and safety perspective, "as well as our overall wellbeing." He added, "We all have the opportunity now to reach out to our state lawmakers and convince them that we want to get rid of this change — and let's all choose permanent standard time, which we can do now. It would be wonderful if the government and our incoming President is behind this, so we can stop this and we can all be on something that is healthier."

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Illustration by Ben Hickey

Some have said Benjamin Franklin first came up with the idea for daylight saving time. Others believe it was adopted so farmers could have more hours of sunlight to work in the field. The real history of daylight saving time is much more complex.

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