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THEN: 1967–68

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

THEN: 1967–68 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/06/2023 - 00:00

In 1968, Sandy Hildner (A&S’67) was among CU’s first woman Olympians after training with the men’s ski team under coach Bob Beattie. In 1967, she won the Roch Cup downhill in Aspen, Colorado (pictured), and was the U.S. National Giant Slalom Champion before racing in the Olympic women’s downhill event in Grenoble, France, the next year.

Hildner died in January 2019. On Aug. 27, 2023, she was inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame in Vail, Colorado.

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Photo courtesy Hildner family

In 1968, Sandy Hildner became CU’s first woman Olympian after training with the men’s ski team under coach Bob Beattie.

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More than a Century of Mountain Research

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

More than a Century of Mountain Research Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/06/2023 - 00:00

Christie Sounart

A Few Courses:

A Few Courses:

Art and Environment
Forest and Fire Ecology
Field Ornithology
Field Methods in Vegetation Ecology

Research Examples:

Microplastics in Mountain Ecosystems of the Colorado Front Range
Temporal dynamics of plant-pollinator networks
Scaling the consequences of extended summers to arthropod communities at Niwot Ridge
Causes for the hybridization of black-capped and mountain chickadees in areas disturbed by humans
Spectroscopic measurements of chemical composition of organic aerosol particles collected at urban and rural locations

Just over eight miles north of Nederland, Colorado, and nestled off the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway lies a serene area dotted with tiny cabins, peaceful walking trails and ample forest land. And while the setting is very different from the bustle of CU Boulder’s main campus, the amount of groundbreaking work happening there is the same.

CU Boulder’s Mountain Research Station, located 25 miles from campus, is an interdisciplinary facility associated with the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, which serves students and scientists interested in mountain-based study. The scope of projects is wide — ranging from arthropods to microplastics to weather — and as many as 80 people can be studying at the station at once.

“The Mountain Research Station is a place where,for over 100 years, scientists, students and the public have come together to advance our understanding and appreciation for mountains, which are inspiring, formidable and increasingly at risk,” said Scott Taylor, director of the station.

Key Dates:

1920

Mountain Research Station established in its current location

1945

Five professors taught 80 students.

1953

Former director John Marr founded the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), now the oldest institute at CU Boulder.

1980

National Science Foundation starts its Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network, which funded the Niwot Ridge LTER.

CU owns 190 acres with an adjacent 1,775 acres of U.S. Forest Service designated research land

Located at 9,500 feet

Other Facts:

short interpretive trails open to the public

25–45

students conducting research, depending on the summer

110

largest amount fed in the dining hall at once

seasonal cabins

students in courses over a year

labs on the property

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Photos courtesy Mountain Research Station and William Bowman (mountains)

CU Boulder’s Mountain Research Station, located 25 miles from campus, serves students and scientists interested in mountain-based study.

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The Rivalry Continues

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

The Rivalry Continues Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/06/2023 - 00:00

Christie Sounart

LOOK: CU vs. Nebraska

On Saturday, Sept. 9, the CU Buffs celebrated a 36-14 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The game launched the 100th year of Folsom Field with 53,241 fans, the highest game attendance in 15 years. Enthusiastic students, including the Buffs Going Bananas club (pictured), came in droves to support the team — many as early as two hours prior to the 10 a.m. kickoff.

After the game, thousands of fans flooded the field in celebration.

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Photos by Glenn Asakawa and Casey A. Cass

On Saturday, Sept. 9, the CU Buffs celebrated a 36-14 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

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Bison, the Sustainer of Early Life

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

Bison, the Sustainer of Early Life Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/06/2023 - 00:00

Christie Sounart

In the summers of 1958 and 1960, CU Boulder’s first curator of

Facts about the bison:

This skull was found near Kit Carson.
The remains from about 200 bison were found in a dry arroyo bed.
These bison lived about 10,000 years ago.
More than a dozen well-preserved skulls were found at the site.
3D scanning helps reconstruct broken specimens.

anthropology, Joe Ben Wheat, excavated the Olsen-Chubbuck site, an area near Kit Carson, Colorado, that contained remains of bison dating to 8200 B.C.

The site gave insight into techniques Native hunters used to kill the approximately 200 bison more than 10,000 years ago, which would have provided them with about 60,000 pounds of meat.

“Wheat’s detailed analysis of the bison remains helped researchers under-stand the sophistication of ancient bison hunting tactics; reconstruct how and why they were processed, butchered and prepared; and demonstrated the importance of the bison and buffalo in the lives of the earliest people of Colorado and the Front Range,” said William Taylor, assistant professor and archaeology curator at the CU Museum of Natural History.

Now, with the help of a grant from the History Colorado’s State Historical Fund, Taylor’s team is working to preserve these bison artifacts for the

future, including making 3D scans of the fossils, such as the one pictured here. The team is also rethinking the ways they care for the animal remains in the museum collections, said Taylor, who also teaches and conducts research in archaeozoology, the study of ancient animal remains.

“We are working with tribal partners to develop culturally informed practices and policies that will restore respect, transparency and care of these resources to the communities they belong to,” he said.

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Photo © University of Colorado Museum of Natural History

In the summers of 1958 and 1960, CU Boulder’s first curator of anthropology, Joe Ben Wheat, excavated the Olsen-Chubbuck site, an area near Kit Carson, Colorado, that contained remains of bison dating to 8200 B.C.

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Sepp Kuss Wins Vuelta a España

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

Sepp Kuss Wins Vuelta a España Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/06/2023 - 00:00

Sepp Kuss (Advert’17), center, won the Vuelta a España, one of professional cycling’s three European Grand Tours.He is the first American to win a Grand Tour in 10 years.

“At some point, I felt it was possible. I was getting stronger and more confident every day,” Kuss said after the race.“This is an achievement I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Kuss is from Durango, Colorado, and was a bike racer at CU Boulder as a student.

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Photo Courtesy Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

Kuss is the first American to win a Grand Tour in 10 years.

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Remembering Ron Miles

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Remembering Ron Miles Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/10/2023 - 00:00

Christie Sounart

THEN
2020

In 2020, cornet player and composer Ron Miles (MMus’89) released his last album, Rainbow Sign. A fixture in the Denver music scene, Miles’ warm jazz melodies dazzled audiences. He last served as director of jazz studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where he taught for more than 30 years. Miles died on March 8, 2022, from complications from a blood disorder.

“If you played a Ron Miles song right, in the best of moods you'd be crying,” pianist Jason Moran told NPR in March 2022.

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Photo by Elliot Ross

A fixture in the Denver music scene, Ron Miles’ warm jazz melodies dazzled audiences.

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Rain Check? No Way!

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Rain Check? No Way! Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/10/2023 - 00:00

Christie Sounart

LOOK: Commencement

From Wednesday, May 10, to Friday, May 12, a soaker of a storm drenched Boulder with about 2.3 inches of rain. On average, Boulder receives 3.2 inches of rain during the month of May.

The weather didn’t stop CU Boulder’s commencement ceremony from happening the morning of Thursday, May 11. The university conferred more than 9,700 degrees in front of an estimated 22,000 supporters. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis served as commencement speaker.

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Photos by Glenn Asakawa, Patrick Campbell, Casey A. Cass

Rain didn't stop CU's commencement ceremony this spring.

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Carter Snelson Walked All of Boulder's Streets

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Carter Snelson Walked All of Boulder's Streets Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/10/2023 - 00:00

Christie Sounart

As a college sophomore in late 2020, Carter Snelson (Fin, RealEst’23) decided to walk every one of Boulder’s labeled city streets using the city’s zoning map. After 2.5 years, and less than two weeks till he graduated from CU Boulder, he completed the task on April 28, 2023. On his final day of walking, Snelson also achieved another personal goal: walking 100,000 steps — 52 miles — in one day.

“This had been the longest commitment I’ve ever had, and having it come to an end was very emotional and incredibly fulfilling,” said Snelson. “Even though I cannot say I remember exactly every one of the 165 walks I’ve done, I will never forget this journey.”

Breaking Down the First Amendment

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

Breaking Down the First Amendment Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/06/2023 - 00:00

The American people created the Constitution, which has been in operation since March 1789, because they wanted individual protections from the government. In June 1789, U.S. House of Representatives member James Madison drafted a list of amendments to the Constitution. The House approved 17 of the amendments, and the Senate 12. In October 1789, President George Washington sent the amendments to the states for approval. Two years later, on Dec. 15, 1791, three-fourths of the states ratified 10 of the amendments, which became known as the Bill of Rights. The first of these amendments protected individual opinions, ideas and communication.

“The five freedoms protected by the First Amendment are fundamental to modern democracy,” said political science professor Steven Vanderheiden, director of CU Boulder’s Keller Center, which focuses on the First Amendment. “They protect the right of members of the public to meaningfully participate in processes of self-governance and provide a vital check on state power.”

The First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The five freedoms the First Amendment guarantees:

Religion

Speech

Press

Assembly

Petition

The First Amendment Applies to:

Federal Government

State Government

Local Government

1789

Drafted by James Madison

1791

Ratified as part of the Bill of Rights

Famous court cases related to First Amendment:

Schenk vs. US (1919)

A free speech case that involved wartime criticism of the draft, and which gave us the "clear and present danger" test (Ex: An individual can’t yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater)

Engel vs. Vitale (1962)

Found the reading of a nondenominational prayer in a public school to be an unconstitutional establishment of religion

Brandenburg vs. Ohio (1969)

Gave us the incitement test (Ex: Speech can only be restricted if an individual is likely and imminently planning to carry out something unlawful)

The New York Times vs. US (1971)

Involved the publication of the Pentagon Papers by the media without government censorship

Wisconsin vs. Yoder (1972)

Exempted Amish children from mandatory school attendance on free exercise grounds

LeRoy Keller Center for the Study of the First Amendment:

Endowed in 1993 by LeRoy “Lee” Keller (Econ’29), who worked in journalism for more than four decades
Housed within CU Boulder’s political science department
Supports teaching, research and community outreach on First Amendment rights and liberties
Informs the public about First Amendment rights and current threats to them
Current director is political science professor Steven Vanderheiden

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Icon art by The NounProject, banner image credit Adam Szuscik

Learn about the five freedoms that protect democracy.

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Migratory Birds at CU

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

Migratory Birds at CU Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/06/2023 - 00:00

Christie Sounart

As birds migrate every spring and fall, CU Boulder’s campus makes for a fruitful stopping point for some, pictured above. Last November, four south-migrating warblers — birds not typically spotted in Colorado — were spotted in beech, oak and pine trees near the Regent Building.

“Two of the four (the Northern Parula and the Prothonotary Warbler) stayed for almost two weeks,” said teaching associate professor Nathan Pipelow, faculty sponsor of the CU birding club. “The other two (the Pine Warbler and the Nashville Warbler) were only seen for a single day each.”

Terri Kurtz (ChemEngr’93) picked up birding and photography during the pandemic. Rare bird sightings bring her particular excitement.

“This year in Boulder, I have been lucky enough to find a Blue-Winged Warbler, a Varied Thrush and a juvenile Pacific Loon,” she said. “Once a rare bird is seen, word goes out and the birders ‘flock’ to chase it!”

Northern Parula

Pacific Loon

Prothonotary Warbler

Northern Parula

Pine Warbler

Varied Thrush

Prothonotary Warbler

Northern Parula

Pine Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

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Campus makes for a fruitful stopping point for birds rare to the area.

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Gallery

THEN: 1967–68

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Petition

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Federal Government

State Government

Local Government

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LeRoy Keller Center for the Study of the First Amendment:

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THEN
2020