This message was shared with the CCA community on Friday, November 6, 2020.

Dear CCA Students, Faculty, and Staff,

The American democratic process is messy and imperfect. This immensely consequential election, in the midst of this tumultuous year, has certainly shown that to be true. It’s also a process that thrives on participation—the more of us who actively participate in it, the more vital it becomes.

Democracy is fluid, it needs close attention and continual reinvention. The same is true of CCA in many ways. Over our college’s 113-year history, we’ve evolved and changed through the active participation of our community. In this year of reckoning for our nation, we’ve undertaken a deep examination of how the structure of our institution serves or fails our mission and values as a college. I’m inspired by the energy our community has brought to this effort—especially our amazing students. As I witness the compassion, commitment, and creative activism of this community, it gives me great hope. 

Our faculty, staff, students, and alumni have brought this same energy to the front lines of our national democratic process: traveling to battleground states to canvass, phone- and text-banking to get out the vote, working to make sure our students—30% of whom were eligible to vote in a U.S. presidential election for the very first time this year—knew how to register and cast their ballots. CCA served as an official polling place. Dozens of CCA artists contributed to the CCA@CCA Artwork Campaign and many more used the power of their art to support the ideals and values that are at stake. 

As we head into the weekend and the vote counting continues, we are being patient with the process. I know many of us are also tired—worn down by uncertainty and anxiety, exhausted by the divisiveness in our society that this year has made so clear. I urge you to take care of yourselves and make time for things that bring you joy. Here are some resources that may help if you need support.  

The resolution of this election is not an end, but a beginning. We have built a collective energy around our desire for a better future, a momentum that we must not lose. This energy brought more of us to the polls than ever before in this country’s history. It brought us into the streets to denounce racism and injustice. Once every vote is counted, my hope is that we will continue to use this energy to push forward, to continue our work—in our college, our communities, and our country—as active, creative citizens. 

Take care,

Steve