Colgate received positive economic news this week when Moody's Investors Service affirmed the university's Aa3 debt rating and reported that the university has a "stable outlook."

Administrators welcomed the important evaluation, especially in light of a Moody's report issued in January that downgraded the overall higher education sector from stable to negative.

The Institute of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) launched its Lampert Lecture Series Wednesday with an address by Newsweek International editor Fareed Zakaria, who offered a compelling examination of today's economic crisis.

Besides his Newsweek role, Zakaria regularly contributes to The Washington Post and hosts a foreign affairs program on CNN Worldwide called Fareed Zakaria GPS.

Stanley Brubaker, PPE director and professor of political science, said Zakaria was the perfect speaker for the institute's exploration of "Liberal Democracy and Its Limits."

Members of the senior class flocked to campus this past weekend to attend Real World events, and one of the main messages they heard from alumni was that a liberal arts education will serve them well in any economic climate.

Real World involves networking events and more than 30 panel discussions led by alumni involved in careers from fashion to finance.

Carole Robinson '83 kicked off things as keynote speaker, and she recalled working as a tour guide while at Colgate and how she was practically a walking advertisement for the university.

The twists and turns and trials and tribulations of the economic crisis are forcing government officials to reshape policies on a day-by-day basis in ways that have not been seen in decades, says economics professor Nicole Simpson.

While there now seems to be agreement that new regulations are needed to address the crisis, government officials must walk a fine line in determining what will do the most good over the long term, she says.

"It's going to be a very tricky balance because you want the markets to work efficiently," Simpson says in the latest episode of Colgate Conversations, a podcast series that highlights members of the campus community.

The following is a message from President Rebecca Chopp to the Colgate community:

As we begin this week of Thanksgiving, we are mindful both of all that we as a nation and a campus community have to be grateful for and of the challenges that we must be prepared to face moving forward.

Through it all, we maintain our focus on our primary task as a university, what Alfred North Whitehead called "the creation of the future."

The following is a message from President Rebecca Chopp to the Colgate community:

As I meet and speak with Colgate students, faculty and staff, it is clear that the recent credit crisis and its impact on the financial markets and economies around the globe is a topic of concern to us all.

I am heartened by how many of you have asked me how our endowment is faring, how our alumni are doing in this situation, and how you can help.

Crisis. Nationalization. Debacle. Jobs. Bubble. Regulation. Defaults. Autonomy.

Those are just a few of the key words that filled Persson Auditorium Monday night as dozens of students and eight economics professors shared ideas and viewpoints about the U.S. economic crisis.