December 3, 2021 | NEWS | By Susie Dummit | Photo by Tamar Crump
On Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2021, Colorado College students were released from their Block 3 classes for Fall Break. Over the 11-day break, many students left to return home or take a trip, but some students remained on campus.
Although some of the typical services that the school provides were still running, campus was far from normal. As always, Campus Safety and the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator were available at all times and Fall Break Residential Advisors were also on duty.
However, for most of the break, the Student Health Center and Tutt Library were closed, as well as Rastall dining hall, leaving students on meal plans with Benji’s as their only option for hot meals. Most notably, the campus was far less populated than usual.
“Campus was super empty, like way quieter than any time during the two summers I have spent here or even during COVID last semester in the spring,” said Benton Lehman ’23, who opted to stay on campus for a more relaxed and quieter Fall Break. “It was nice to not have to worry too much about neighbors and being loud, and I got to really relax and take time for myself without worrying about others or coordinating with others.”
To help occupy the students who stayed on campus for break, CC Campus Activities organized activities for students to take part in.
In the Worner Campus Center, there were opportunities for activities and freebies. In-person events included blanket making and a trip to the outlet mall, but to-go kits for many activities were available as well, such as game night to-go, self-care to-go kits, and art project kits.
To honor Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month, the Butler Center themed one of their “Break the Block” events on 4th Wednesday around celebrating Indigenous cultures and reflecting on their history.
The Bemis School of Art opened its doors for students with numerous free and low-cost activities, including an Acrylic Painting workshop, a Printmaking 360 class, and open studio hours every weekday starting Nov. 22.
To make up for any complications with accessing food while the dining halls were closed, there were two different occasions to pick up free food from a temporary food pantry in the Worner Campus Center and an opportunity for students to pick up free restaurant gift cards from the Worner desk. Nevertheless, some students still faced issues.
“I was here on campus due to basketball so most of my time was taken up by practices and games,” said Tedy Reed ’23. “I know that with our practices, we had some issues with the dining halls being open with the restricted times — especially for the freshmen who rely on the dining hall, but the school does give us some limited money to go buy food.”
With the recent spike in COVID-19 cases during Block 3, some students had to cancel or reschedule their Fall Break travel plans due to the lengths of quarantines. One of these students was Gray Cullen ’22, who could not leave campus until Monday, Nov. 22.
“Being stuck in my apartment over Fall Break was brutal for two reasons. The knowledge that the campus was empty, in addition to my own apartment, meant that my feelings of solitude were magnified,” Cullen said. “Rescheduling my flights home was also rather difficult, due to the rapid increase in Thanksgiving fares last minute. Because my initial flight could not be refunded, flight expenses for my family were $750+.”
While Fall Break often means traveling home and celebrating holidays for some, the campus, though quieter, continued to function and accommodate the students who call it home.