Western’s block party was a blast

Editor: 

For a moment last Friday night in Gunnison, I almost felt transported back to a 1980s Western State Springfest. What a party. 

Congrats and kudos to Western for throwing one heckuva 125th Anniversary Celebration. And thanks to the Gunnison Arts Center for hosting. Shout-out to Wick and his I-Bar crew for providing the equipment; the untold number of volunteers; the Gunnison Police Department and other safety officials (how about those new, 21st Century safety barriers.). 

President Baca said it well when reflecting upon the partnership between community members and education advocates that took root right here back in the horse-and-buggy days of the early 1900s. Gunnison and Western became inextricably linked, way back when we hitched our wagon to the idea of higher education in 1901.  

It’s easy to take important relationships for granted, and sometimes it can feel like Western and Gunnison townsfolk can both slip into that complacency. That’s why it’s especially encouraging when we see the link between “town and gown” actually being cultivated. 

Recent examples of this include the partnership between the Gunnison Arts Center and Western, aimed at increasing student, faculty and staff participation in local creative undertakings. The “Gunnison Promise” of offering free tuition and fees to local students at Western has resulted in the largest Gunnison Valley-based freshman class in many years, Baca reported. 

We can never have too many collaborations between Western and the local community, and we all should be mindful of finding ways of making students feel at home here and encouraging them to get involved in off-campus activities, as well as on campus ones. 

And it’s never a bad idea to simply get together, boogie down and have a good time. Us Western alums always have known how to party. Last Friday’s block party sure was a fun one. 

Chris Dickey

Gunnison