Column

Stopping Violence Before It Starts

Anna Tolette — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:11:21 +0000

Stopping Violence Before It Starts Anna Tolette Mon, 11/10/2025 - 11:11

Beverly Kingston

We live in a society where youth violence is often viewed as inevitable. It’s not.

Most people don’t realize that we have decades of research and on-the-ground experience that demonstrates youth violence can be prevented.

Youth violence shows up in many forms — from bullying and fighting to gun violence and mass shootings. And while violent events that appear in the headlines may seem sudden, their roots are embedded in trauma, disconnection, inequality and lack of opportunity. These aren’t “youth issues.” They are reflections of our adult decisions and societal priorities.

Young people exposed to violence often face lifelong consequences, including higher rates of anxiety, depression, substance use and chronic health issues. Communities suffer, too. Violence undermines economic stability, widens inequities, and erodes trust. In the United States, youth violence costs an estimated $122 billion each year.

Effective violence prevention begins early and continues through childhood and adolescence. It builds strong local systems that reduce risk and strengthen support. These systems use evidence-based programs tailored to each community’s needs, fill resource gaps, and reinforce what’s already working on the ground.

At ��ɫ��Ƶ’s Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, we’ve partnered with schools and communities across Colorado and beyond to build prevention systems that work. In one recent effort in Denver, we saw a 75% reduction in youth arrests for violent crime using a science-backed, community-led approach.

Yet most funding goes to policing and incarceration, instead of investing in proven prevention strategies that can stop violence before it happens.

We need public understanding. We need political will. And we need to stop asking whether youth violence can be prevented - and start asking why we’re not doing more to prevent it.

The solutions are here. The question is whether we’ll use them.

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Illustration by Kara Fellows

Research shows youth violence is preventable through early, evidence-based interventions, but lasting change requires shifting resources to proven prevention strategies.

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Fall 2025

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The Hill in Boulder, Reimagined

Anna Tolette — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:09:14 +0000

The Hill in Boulder, Reimagined Anna Tolette Mon, 11/10/2025 - 11:09

Aimee Heckel

Limelight Hotel

Boulder has been the backdrop of nearly every milestone in my daughter Betty Anne’s life. She was born at Boulder Community Hospital and raised on Pearl Street Mall; her dad pushed her up and down its brick paths while I juggled deadlines at the Daily Camera. As she grew, I taught her she was beautiful like the Flatirons — wild, magical, enduring. Now a high school sophomore, Betty dreams of going to ��ɫ��Ƶ, ready to trade her first steps as a toddler downtown for her first steps into adulthood on The Hill.

And as fate would have it, The Hill seems to be growing up alongside her. Two new hotels — the spirited Moxy and the freshly opened Limelight — are reimagining the neighborhood, not just as a late-night student hub, but as a destination for families, visitors and locals alike.

The Moxy Boulder, which opened May 2024 at 1247 Pleasant St., greets guests with cocktails at check-in and offers social spaces alive with music, trivia and the buzz of CU energy. It’s as bold and welcoming as Boulder itself, with cozy rooms that encourage guests to drop their bags and leave to explore the city and nature. Michael DiMaria, operating partner, said the Moxy was designed to be “the living room” of The Hill neighborhood.

Moxy Boulder

The Limelight Hotel and Conference Center, which opened its doors at 1295 University Ave. this August, brings one of the state’s largest ballrooms, flexible gathering spaces and unobstructed views of the Flatirons. Even more fitting for its location: CU professor Wil Srubar’s company, Prometheus Materials, provided sustainable cement for its construction.

Together, the Moxy and Limelight are helping revitalize The Hill year-round, giving surrounding businesses a boost even in the summer months when students scatter.

“This really helps reshape The Hill as a destination and a launching point, a focal point in addition to Pearl Street,” said Joe Steiskel, property general manager.

For alumni returning after decades, these hotels offer something new: a welcoming home base just steps from campus.

For me, they offer the possibility that my sweet Betty’s next milestones — move-in day, graduation, maybe even a wedding — might continue to be celebrated right here with the wild and magical Flatirons.

Growth can feel strange, but as Boulder teaches, strange can be beautiful, too.

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Photo courtesy Aspen Hospitality (Limelight photos) Courtsey of Moxy Boulder (Moxy)

Two new hotels are transforming Boulder’s historic Hill neighborhood into a destination for families, visitors and locals.

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Fall 2025

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A fresh look for the Coloradan

Anna Tolette — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:02:31 +0000

A fresh look for the Coloradan Anna Tolette Mon, 11/10/2025 - 11:02 Maria Kuntz

Six years ago, then Coloradan editor Eric Gershon wrote: “Words matter — and for magazines, so do looks.” I couldn’t agree more.

Over the past year, our team partnered with Pentagram’s Austin, Texas, branch to reimagine the visual landscape of the Coloradan, one of the university’s oldest traditions.

Our goal was a fresh, modern look: lighter spreads, cleaner styling, simplified color palettes and bold photography that captures ��ɫ��Ƶ’s spirit. We refined fonts, sizes and spacing to make our signature “slim jim” format more accessible and engaging. (Fun fact: The magazine’s unique size originated as a cost-saving measure for postage and has since become iconic.)

Today, its shape, weight and sustainably sourced paper help ensure every alum can receive a copy.

Inside, you’ll see updated sections alongside the same great storytelling. Sports is now Rundown. Elevated highlights a campus story through visuals and data. Fieldwork dives into faculty and leadership insights. And new features — Buff Built, Point of View and Waypoint — showcase Buff innovations, faculty perspectives in an op-ed format and CU’s statewide impact.

We hope you enjoy the new look and, as always, we welcome your feedback.

Maria Kuntz

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The Coloradan has undergone a modern redesign with refreshed visuals, updated sections and new features.

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Fall 2025

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Ode to Boulder's World Famous Dark Horse

Anna Tolette — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 20:10:54 +0000

Ode to Boulder's World Famous Dark Horse Anna Tolette Mon, 03/10/2025 - 14:10

Anna Tolette

Push through the doors of Boulder’s Dark Horse, and you’ll find yourself in a veritable labyrinth, crammed to the gills with old movie props and memorabilia from the past century — anything from a grammar school diploma from Bangor, Maine, to a mod-podge collage of magazine cut-outs. Located on the corner of Baseline Road and U.S. Highway 36, this longtime favorite townie bar and grill has been a stalwart go-to for both community members and ��ɫ��Ƶ students since 1975 — but it also holds a special place in my heart.

On weeknights, my friends and I often pack into an oversized corner booth to cash in on amazing happy hour deals (half-off wells!). “The usual” for my partner, Omar, and I means we’re splitting a burger and an order of the spicy dry-rub wings with blue cheese and a side of hot sauce. Over the five years we have called Boulder home, this ritual has become an anchor of mine. Many an evening has been spent in various nooks and crannies of the bar discussing our next grand adventure, celebrating birthdays and milestones and partaking in what we affectionately call “horsing around.” A quick text to our friend group chat simply asking, “Horse?” rallies the troops in record time.

In early 2024, developers announced plans to reimagine the parcel of land where the Dark Horse has lived for more than five decades. Construction is slated to begin in 2026. According to the Denver Post, the proposed development, dubbed “Williams Village II,” would include 610 housing units, mostly dedicated to off-campus student housing and commercial space.

Long-time fans of the Dark Horse showed up in droves to the City of Boulder planning board meeting last March to express dismay about the proposal, citing their love for the quirky space and sharing concerns about how the plan would contribute to a lack of affordable housing in the Boulder area, among others.

The thought of losing the Dark Horse is unfathomable to me. The developers have promised to relocate the iconic bar nearby, but the sticky counters and years of names etched into the booths lend the bar its charm.

For now, my friends and I have taken it upon ourselves to plaster the town with “Save the Dark Horse” stickers.

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Photos courtesy AboutBoulder.com and Anna Tolette

The Dark Horse bar faces an uncertain future as redevelopment plans are formed.

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Spring 2025

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Chancellor Schwartz Discusses ��ɫ��Ƶ's Sustainability Efforts

Julia Maclean — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 17:46:52 +0000

Chancellor Schwartz Discusses ��ɫ��Ƶ's Sustainability Efforts Julia Maclean Mon, 03/10/2025 - 11:46

What do you want people to understand about sustainability?

Sustainability is the most pressing issue facing humankind in the 21st century. We need to ensure that human life continues on the planet in a manner that gives everyone the opportunity for a life worth living. There is a misconception that sustainability is a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) issue — that it’s a problem for scientists and engineers to solve. But sustainability is a human challenge. Our failure or success will affect each of us, and we must work together across disciplines to implement solutions.

��ɫ��Ƶ will soon welcome its first vice chancellor for sustainability. How will this position influence future campus efforts?

I am thrilled that we’ve hired Andrew Mayock, chief sustainability officer for the federal government since 2021, as our inaugural vice chancellor for sustainability. I’ve charged Andrew with advancing ��ɫ��Ƶ’s reputation for bringing climate solutions to life. As the “face of sustainability” for our campus, he will take an inclusive and interdisciplinary approach to build on our legacy and make ��ɫ��Ƶ a household name for sustainability impact across Colorado, the United States and around the globe. I know he is eager to get started!

How can alumni and friends of ��ɫ��Ƶ get involved in sustainability efforts?

We’re always looking for partners who are willing to share their insights, time and financial support to advance ��ɫ��Ƶ’s vision and support our incredible sustainability-focused research and teaching. You also can be an ambassador for ��ɫ��Ƶ in your own communities — tell your friends, neighbors and prospective students about what we’re doing in sustainability! Explore how you can minimize your carbon footprint and address issues of concern in your own cities. If you are an employer, you can also engage with ��ɫ��Ƶ on implementing climate action strategies in your company or workplace.

In five or 10 years, what evidence will show that ��ɫ��Ƶ has advanced in sustainability?

As a campus, we will pursue some “quick wins,” while also working on priorities that take more time and effort. I want to see ��ɫ��Ƶ lead the charge in making Colorado the most sustainable state in the nation. In the coming years, we’ll aim to advance both climate education and the implementation of solutions across the United States and beyond, transforming the way higher education drives sustainability.

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Photo by Glenn Asakawa

Chancellor Schwartz reveals the importance of a collaborative approach and the role of alumni in advancing climate action and sustainability on campus and beyond.

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Spring 2025

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Editor's Note: Spring 2025

Julia Maclean — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 16:46:27 +0000

Editor's Note: Spring 2025 Julia Maclean Mon, 03/10/2025 - 10:46 Maria Kuntz

Close your eyes and think about sustainability. What images and colors come to mind? Perhaps you see green, outdoorsy images of the natural environment. But as we work toward a greener future, we’ll also see metal and concrete — brown and gray — people and labs, bricks and batteries, communication and ideas.

Sustainability is critical for the future of communities and the broader world, and its efforts are driven by entrepreneurs, scientists and creative thinkers.

CU’s focus on sustainability also zooms in on the individual. It asks: What does it take for people to thrive as they pursue their passions? A multi-layered approach must be thoughtful, methodical, collaborative.

Inside this issue, you’ll find the stories about advancing sustainability in areas that include renewable concrete, 3D printing and more holistic practices for musicians. And there are a few treats, including a personal essay about the Dark Horse and a story about CU’s No. 1 superfan: Peggy Coppom (A&S ex’46).

Happy reading!

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CU's multi-layered approach to sustainability strives to create an environmentally friendly and green future.

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Spring 2025

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Sights Set on Boulder: Why Two CU Alums Moved Back

Anna Tolette — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 20:57:54 +0000

Sights Set on Boulder: Why Two CU Alums Moved Back Anna Tolette Tue, 11/12/2024 - 13:57

Karen Reid

When my husband, Charlie Reid (PhDMechEngr’89), and I were grad students at CU, leaving Colorado was definitely not on our to-do list. But after graduation, new job opportunities drew us eastward. Our plan was always to return to Boulder, but what started out as an anticipated five-year stint in New Jersey stretched to 10 and continued across multiple states as our careers progressed.

Now, after three decades, we’ve finally moved back. And while we were expanding our horizons, growing professionally and raising a family, Boulder was growing, too. We kept an eye on our town from afar, but now we have the opportunity to see and experience the changes firsthand.

The university’s campus has grown both in size and reputation: CU has doubled down on research, now boasting five Nobel laureates, and has gained international recognition. Students have so many more options for courses, programs and opportunities. The number of buildings, dorms and parking structures has also grown exponentially, and what were once empty fields filled with prairie dogs is now the thriving research hub of East Campus. Other notable changes include the expansion of Folsom Field and the shifting of school colors from sky blue and gold to a more sophisticated palette of gold, black and gray. Even the journalism school (where I studied) has been reincarnated as CMCI.

Things off campus have changed, too. The town of Boulder has put itself on the map. It consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top college towns, is a hotbed for entrepreneurial and innovative endeavors, and is currently in contention to host the Sundance Film Festival.

While change is inevitable, it’s bittersweet to see some of the transformations: Friday Afternoon Club (FAC) events at the Harvest House hotel are no more, Tulagi’s on The Hill is gone, the Kinetic Sculpture Challenge race folded, Crossroads Commons has been razed and reconceived as the 29th Street Mall, and the Pearl Street Mall no longer boasts many of our old haunts.

That being said, the myriad of new restaurants, experiences and shops to explore seem boundless, and old favorites like Peppercorn, Trident Booksellers and Café, and Into the Wind remain. Mike’s Camera is still nearby, and The Sink is as vibrant as ever!

Daily, I meet fascinating people, motivated students and inspiring colleagues. Boulder is bikeable and walkable — and who can deny the spectacular view? Even when things seem unfamiliar, all I need to do is glance at my beloved Flatirons and I am reminded that, while evolution is unstoppable, some things never change. Boulder will always be vibrant, beautiful and, quite simply, home to me.

Karen Reid (Jour’84; MA’90) works for ��ɫ��Ƶ RIO as a marketing and communications specialist and teaches public speaking as a lecturer in the CMCI communication department.

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Photo courtesy Karen Reid

Karen and Charlie Reid graduated from ��ɫ��Ƶ and left town over 30 years ago. Here's why they decided to move back.

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Fall 2024

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Phil DiStefano on the Lifelong Practice of Leadership

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Phil DiStefano on the Lifelong Practice of Leadership Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/16/2024 - 00:00

Philip DiStefano

In the months leading up to my retirement as chancellor of ��ɫ��Ƶ, I’ve had many occasions for retrospection.

The past 15 years leading this incredible campus have been among the most meaningful of my professional career. We have doubled our total research funding, awarded roughly 117,000 degrees, survived a global pandemic and made incredible strides in equity, innovation, athletics, sustainability, town-gown relationships and so much more. I leave this position confident about the state of the campus and optimistic for its future.

When I consider my background — a first-generation college student from a small steel town in Ohio — it’s easy to feel like I arrived here through happenstance.

But what I’ve come to realize over my 50-year career at ��ɫ��Ƶ is that leadership is within each of us. Whether in higher education, business, government or community organizations, leadership is a daily practice that requires courage, compassion, discipline, flexibility and humility. If we’re fortunate, it’s a journey that we continue every day of our lives.

Throughout my career, I’ve been inspired by those who made a commitment to self-improvement and ethical leadership throughout their lives — people like Abraham Lincoln, Malala Yousafzai and the Dalai Lama.

This spring, I had the honor of meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama during a visit to Dharamshala, India, with the Renée Crown Wellness Institute and the Leeds School of Business. I traveled with students and young alumni in the Dalai Lama Fellows Program, a unique one-year fellowship that supports emerging social change-makers.

Through inspirational conversations, the Dalai Lama shared how compassion, connection and contemplation can break through societal barriers to create a more just and benevolent world.

At this stage of my life and career, I can think of no place more valuable to focus my attention than on developing compassion and ethics among the next generation of leaders. I’m excited to do that through my new role with the ��ɫ��Ƶ Center for Leadership starting this summer.

As the Dalai Lama reminded us, our world needs leaders of character who will bring integrity, intellect, empathy and open-mindedness to every challenge we face as a society.May we all embrace and embody those characteristics in our lifelong practice of leadership.

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Photo by Glenn Asakawa

Chancellor Phil DiStefano reflects on compassionate leadership, his years at CU and a meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

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Becoming a Boulder Climber

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Becoming a Boulder Climber Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/16/2024 - 00:00

Chris Weidner

I woke up in my VW van parked behind the Boulder Rock Club and started making coffee, map in hand, plotting the drive to Eldorado Canyon. I’d arrived a week earlier from my home in Seattle to spend the summer guiding for the Boulder Rock School. It was my first day, and I was nervous — not about the climbing (though I’d be leading clients up routes I’d never climbed before), but about the drive.

It was July 2001 (when paper maps were still a thing), and I didn’t know Broadway from Baseline. And though I’d been guiding in Washington since the mid-1990s, I feared being “found out” as an outsider in Colorado. Nothing scared me more than getting lost en route to one of the country’s most famous climbing areas with a van full of clients paying good money for local knowledge.

To my immense relief, all went well that day. So well, in fact, that by the time another week had passed, I’d ditched the map and had logged dozens of routes in Eldo (mostly “onsight” guiding), Boulder Canyon, the Flatirons and on Longs Peak. I couldn’t believe the volume and variety of climbing so close to town. I would guide in the morning, climb with friends in the afternoon and repeat. I’d never climbed so much in my life.

Admittedly, I used to roll my eyes whenever I heard Boulder being called the “Center of the Universe” for American climbing. It couldn’t be that good. But by the end of that summer, my skepticism had turned to pride: I owned 14 guidebooks covering thousands of climbs, all within 90 minutes of Boulder. I felt like I was just getting started.

So I did that classic Boulder thing: I never left.

I stayed because being a climber in Boulder feels limitless; it means as many different things as there are climbers. We’re scramblers and ice hogs, first ascensionists and gym rats, alpinists and Olympians. We’re young and old, fast and slow, inexperienced and elite. We’re of every color, gender, shape and size, and yet somehow we’ve all chosen climbing as our medium to face fears, challenge our beliefs and build meaningful friendships.

Above all, being a climber in Boulder means taking part in a wild and wonderful community invigorated by our unique vertical playground. Here, there’s a synergy at work — a motivating power that strengthens relationships well beyond the “Off belay!” on top of a climb.

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Photo by Jon Glassberg, Louder Than Eleven

Local climber and writer Chris Weidner reflects on his first months participating in Boulder's incredible outdoor climbing scene.

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Editor's Note: Summer 2024

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Editor's Note: Summer 2024 Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/16/2024 - 00:00

Maria Kuntz

This summer, we examine powerful leadership skills: empathy, humility and emotional intelligence. I’d like to add one to that list — kindness. A few years back I found my favorite T-shirt: it’s charcoal gray with simple white lettering that reads, “kindness is magic.”

Kindness takes many forms: asking about someone’s day, giving the benefit of the doubt or offering help. In a bustling world, even a little can leave a lasting impact. I vividly remember a moment when a supervisor shared tough feedback with me. They communicated with kindness — enabling me to soak up their gift. I’ve never forgotten it.

This issue is packed with leaders who display kindness alongside strength and tenacity. Read about Philip P. DiStefano’s 15-year tenure as chancellor and enjoy other inspiring alumni profiles, including Ally Chapel, founder of jazz group Brass Queens, cycling legend Sepp Kuss, and chef and entrepreneur Bruce Bromberg.

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Photo courtesy Maria Kuntz

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