DU Shuttle Program not worth the money

2/28/10 2:18 AM

 By Leslie Gehring, leslie.gehring@du.edu Students pay to support underused program Every DU student pays the annual student activity fee of $192. This money is used to support a variety of organizations that are supposed to benefit students. The DU Shuttle Program received $15,000 in student money this year. This is an absurd amount of money to spend on a program that is of little use to students. The shuttle is too inconvenient and limited to be of use to students. It only runs from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. and only travels along a scheduled route that doesn’t even cover all of campus. All of campus south of Iliff Avenue is completely ignored. If students are paying for the shuttle, it should provide convenience and improve safety. Several changes need to be made: ...

South Iliffers rejoice! Or not…

2/24/10 3:26 AM

The university architect wants to create a “more campus-like layout.”  He might as well sell the southern end of campus to the University of Phoenix.   By Miyeko Inafuku, minafuku@du.edu   According to an article called “Rate of building on campus slows down” that appeared in the Feb. 16 Clarion, DU does want to “improve the general ‘feel’ of the south side of campus.”  So says Mark Rodgers, university architect, at least. South Iliffers, don’t get too excited.  This doesn’t really mean anything, unless you are an engineer.  Even if you are an engineer, I’m not sure how much it means, and maybe you can tell me.  I, after all, am a journalism major and supposedly don’t use my...

DU’s Eco-Cup: A representation of DU’s effort to be green

2/23/10 4:08 PM

 DU’s Eco-Cup: A representation of DU’s effort to be green   With so many universities in Colorado going “green,” it is a positive thing that DU is joining in the effort.   By: Eve Asia easia@du.edu  In the recent edition of the Clarion, Erin Holweger discussed the new Eco-Cup that DU is selling. Like many college campuses in Colorado, DU is making an effort to be environmentally friendly. http://www.duclarion.com/news/eco-cup-reduces-campus-waste-1.1160029  In 2010 the Sustainable Endowments Institute’s College Sustainability Report Card DU was given a B+ on the “Green Report Card.” http://www.du.edu/today/stories/2009/10/2009-10-19greenrepor.html  DU was able to obtain a better grade than the B- they...

Slower campus construction a good thing

2/20/10 10:09 PM

 By Leslie Gehring, leslie.gehring@du.edu Older buildings on campus have charm Margery Reed Hall is 80 years old, and it shows. The sinks in the basement bathrooms have separate faucets for hot and cold water. To turn on the lights, there are buttons to push instead of switches to flip. The finicky locks on the doors require not only the right key, but also often patience and a little coaxing to open. I wouldn’t have it any other way. When I read that DU plans to slow the pace of new building construction, at first I was annoyed: once again, the south end of campus was being ignored. But then I read something that shocked me: over half the buildings on campus are less than 15 years old. That means that most of campus as we know it did not even exist when this year’s...

Air Force Academy creates outdoor worship space for earth-centered religions

2/9/10 6:05 PM

Shining example of religious tolerance, or poor judgement? By Hannah Morris (Hannah.morris@du.edu) On Monday, February 1 2010, the Air Force Academy announced that they will be creating an outdoor worship space for earth-centered religions. Not surprisingly,  the decision is beginning to draw controversy. While some view this decision as a shining example of religious tolerance, others view it as the exception to that tolerance—with good reason. The pagan worship space, formed by stone circles, is the newest addition to a number of diverse worship areas the Air Force Academy has included since “reports alleging religious intolerance” surfaced in 2006. From the moment these allegations surfaced every effort has been made to create an inclusive climate...

DU announces plans to raise tuition-- again

2/9/10 5:51 PM

The cost of attending DU is almost the cost of attending an Ivy League by Hannah Morris (Hannah.Morris@du.edu) As if college tuition costs aren’t high enough, the DU Board of Trustees announced in January that tuition will increase for the 2010-2011 academic year. The size of the hike is yet-to-be disclosed. This news follows tuition increases from past years: ·         4.9 percent increase 2009-2010 ·         6.075 percent increase 2008-2009 Currently, the cost of attending DU is nearly $50,000 annually, which is staggering considering the average cost of attendance is $7,020 for public four-year universities and $26,273 for private schools according to the College Board. ...

Chancellor’s office hours fuel for thought

2/8/10 4:10 PM

By Miyeko Inafuku, minafuku@du.edu   Chancellor Robert Coombe has made himself available to DU students, kind of.  An article titled “Chancellor offers office hours” appeared in the Feb. 2 issue of the Clarion.  Coombe also announced in an e-mail message on Jan. 13 that he would be setting two hours aside each month to meet with students, and that the one-on-one meetings would be 10 minutes each.  This is Coombe’s idea of meeting with a “fair number” of students a month.  Understandably, the 12 slots filled up fast, so I scheduled an imaginary meeting with Coombe instead of contacting his office. Here’s a run-down of our meeting: It’s Jan. 26 at 11:15 a.m.  I have a meeting with the Chancellor in five minutes...

University of Denver students are really DUing something

2/8/10 4:08 PM

 Many students find DU’s new slogan cheesy, but that hasn’t stopped them from living it out.   By Miyeko Inafuku, minafuku@du.edu   Many students find DU’s new slogan cheesy, but that hasn’t stopped them from living it out.  One look at the front page of the Jan. 19 Clarion should silence those students who complain about a lack of involvement on this campus.  The three front-page articles are about students getting involved on campus: “Raising funds for Haitian relief” talks about what DU is doing for Haiti.  This includes students collecting money on Driscoll Bridge, D.U.G.S. leading the charge of student organizations donating from their budgets, and a panel discussion and...

Higher standards for Daniels, Accountancy a good thing

2/6/10 4:17 PM

 By Leslie Gehring, leslie.gehring@du.edu “They say if you don’t have above a C that you should leave the major.” These are the words of an anonymous DU accounting major complaining about the “negative environment” in accounting classes, as reported in this week’s Clarion. When I read about the Daniels College of Business and the School of Accountancy raising their standards to shrink the number of students enrolled in these programs, I wondered how stringent those standards would become. After reading the above quote, I had my answer: not very. If business and accounting students are complaining about having to maintain a GPA over 2.0, something is wrong.  I’m not suggesting that business and accounting are not challenging...

Money alone won’t fix Haiti

2/6/10 4:14 PM

Leadership is needed for recovery By Leslie Gehring, leslie.gehring@du.edu As I walked toward the DU Haiti Relief fundraiser set up on Driscoll Lawn, I was impressed by the number of DU students lining up to donate money. But as I watched students stepping up to help, I couldn’t help but wonder how much good the money would do. The $6,800 the DU community raised for Haiti in one week will certainly help with immediate relief efforts, but no amount of money can fix what is ultimately a political problem. When the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake hit Haiti, the world responded. Money and aid flowed into the country. The United States pledged $100 million, the American Red Cross set up donations via texting, and fundraisers were set up across the country, including the one at DU. ...