UCCS is hosting February 16 Remembrance Week to commemorate the murders of Sam Knopp and Celie Montgomery on Feb. 16, 2024. The events will focus on healing as the UCCS community mourns the tragic event.
The UCCS community continues to acknowledge the grief and healing on campus. The upcoming events are intended to bring together the community and help students dealing with trauma learn new coping skills.
On Monday, Feb. 17, there will be a Day of Remembrance Ceremony from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Mountain Lion statue. Afterward, a Remembrance Walk will lead from the Mountain Lion statue to La Plata in Alpine Village. La Plata will host tabling between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Student Life and MOSAIC are collaborating for mindfulness activities and lunch at the Lodge. Closing Monday, between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., SGA will be hosting dinner and a student-led listening session in the Student Life Lounge.
On Tuesday, Feb. 18, tabling will take place in the Ent Center between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. At 11:30 a.m., Cathryn Calvert, mental health services director, and Lana Gomez, wellness promotion graduate assistant, will be presenting “Grief on a College Campus” in UC 122.
Tabling will again be held in La Plata from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health and Wellness Benek Altayli will lead a discussion “What we have learned about ourselves: Leaning into our strengths” in UC 307.
Altayli will be sharing new skills to support healing in the community. “Healing happens when we understand what we are going through,” she said. This event will also be a chance for the Colorado Springs community to learn about UCCS and other healing resources created to benefit the community.
On Thursday, Professor Darius Green from the college of education will lead a safety presentation on the aftermath of a crisis called “Unpacking Safety After Crisis” in UC 303. The presentation will run from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The Ent Center will host tabling from 10:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 20.
La Plata’s last Remembrance Week tabling event will be from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21. Also on Feb. 21, Laura Shaw, GRIT Program Manager under Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience, discusses “Trauma Response Trajectories.”
Shaw’s presentation will be on building awareness of stress and trauma. She will discuss symptoms, impacts of stress and strategies for recovery and resilience. “Resilience is not a fixed trait. We have the ability to learn and grow from our experiences,” she said.
In the past year, UCCS administration has made many changes to better student support and encourage resiliency in the campus community.
Flowers laid on the Mountain Lion Statue after the Solidarity Walk in February 2024. Photo by Lillian Davis.