Check the Collegian’s live coverage of Obama’s visit all day Tuesday | Go to collegian.com
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Season in sight Rocky Mountain Showdown draws closer
THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN
Fort Collins, Colorado
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
COLLEGIAN
Volume 121 | No. 16
www.collegian.com
THE STUDENT VOICE OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1891
Presidential visit means heightened security
WHERE ARE THE JOBS?
Students: plan ahead, give extra time for getting around campus By AUSTIN BRIGGS The Rocky Mountain Collegian When the most heavily guarded person on the planet touches down on your campus, you can bet nothing will be held back in providing security. From bomb sniffing dogs to magnetometers to secret service personel, CSU students can expect to see a high level of security surrounding the president’s arrival that wouldn’t look out of place in a Hollywood movie. “If you’ve ever seen what happens when a president arrives somewhere… the security is comprehensive and it’s everywhere,” said CSU spokesman Mike Hooker. “Planning for any large event is a big undertaking, but when it’s the president of the United States, it’s magnified.” Hooker said the main issues CSU had to address were parking, security and making sure the impact on campus was minimized. He added that this was done on short notice, as the university was notified less than a week ago that Obama would be on campus. To ensure the president’s safety, buildings immediately surrounding the Monfort Quad—where Obama is slated to speak—will be closed or partly closed all day Tuesday and will remain closed throughout the event. Classes will be relocated and students are encouraged to check the CSU website to find out their new locations. “We wanted to make sure everyone had alternate class space,” Hooker said. Street and parking lot closures in the vicinity of Monfort Quad begin at 4 a.m. Tuesday and will remain closed through the end of the event. Vehicles not removed by then will be towed. Bike racks around the quad will be removed as well. Hooker asked that students “be patient” Tuesday and to “leave plenty of extra time to get to where you need to go,” when moving around campus. Visits to CSU by secret service advance teams started last week, according to CSUPD Chief Wendy Rich-Goldshmidt. She estimated See SECURITY on Page 7
BUILDINGS CLOSED Animal Sciences - Closed Plant Sciences - Closed Natural and Environmental Sciences - Closed Shepardson - Closed Clark B Wing - Closed Clark A and C Wings - Open with access restricted to west entrances. For more information on street and parking lot closures, visit: http://www.colostate. edu/events/obama-2012.aspx.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY HUNTER THOMPSON | COLLEGIAN
Economic conditions leaving young electorate unemployed, disenchanted By ALLISON SYLTE and MATT MILLER The Rocky Mountain Collegian May CSU graduate Kayla Haigh spent four years training to be a journalist. But right now, she’s a lifeguard and swim instructor, living with her parents while she pounds the pavement for a job in her field. “I’ve sent off a few different resumes and resume reels and cover letters, and haven’t heard anything, haven’t gotten any kind of response,” Haigh said. “... While I’m grateful for my job right now as a swim instructor, it’s just not what I want to do, and not where I want to be.”
Haigh isn’t alone. Fifty one percent of 2011 CSU graduates were unemployed at graduation, according to Career Center data. The unemployment rate for 20 to 24 year olds is 13.5 percent, as of July, compared to 8.3 percent for the entire population, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By contrast, before the 2008 Recession hit, the overall unemployment rate for 20 to 24 year olds was 10.2 percent, and 4.4 percent for the entire population. Meanwhile, 55 percent of Colorado students take out some form of student loan, graduating with an average of $22,017 in debt.
“It has become more difficult for younger people to find a job right out of college,” said Andrew Hudson, the founder of the Andrew Hudson’s Jobs List, an employment posting website. “... There are people with Ivy League degrees who are waiters and waitresses right now.” And researchers at CU-Boulder say these bleak statistics about the economy may be enough to tip the scale in GOP Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney’s favor for the upcoming election. “The economy in a macro sense hasn’t See JOBS on Page 3
CSU campus prepares for Obama event KATE WINKLE The Rocky Mountain Collegian
Like a comet that is only seen from Earth every 55 years, a sitting president will again set foot on CSU’s campus Tuesday. President Barack Obama will speak at 5 p.m. in the Monfort Quad. The event’s entrance will be between the Clark and Eddy buildings, and doors open at 2 p.m. “It’s obviously exciting no matter what party you are because a sitting president is visiting the school,” said Brad Dick, president of the College Republicans at CSU. “It definitely heightens the political atmosphere.” As part of a grassroots events
tour, which includes Iowa State University, CSU and the University of Virginia, President Obama will speak about his vision of growing the economy through education, according to a press release from the Obama campaign. Obama will also encourage voter registration and the importance of voting. “I’m most excited to see him come to Colorado. He recognizes Colorado is a swing state, and that the youth vote is a major turning point in the election,” said Kelsey Maez, president of the CSU College Democrats. “As cliche as it sounds, we are the leaders of tomorrow, and it’s awesome to hear that from the president.” While ticket-holding attend-
ees wait for the event, the CSU College Democrats will hand out candidate information, answer questions and register voters, according to Maez. A counter rally will be held at 1 p.m. at the corner of Meridian and University Avenues featuring the Romney campaign bus. The Colorado Chair for Young Americans for Romney, Aslinn Scott, and former Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton will speak at the event. The rally is an opportunity for Romney supporters to disagree with the president, and a chance for independent voters to gain information about the Republican candidate, Dick said. Other students are prepared
THE EVENT Obama’s Speech
When: 5 p.m., doors open at 2 p.m. Where: Monfort Quad
Romney Rally
When: 1 p.m. Where: Corner of University and Meridian Avenues
for the president’s arrival as well. Evan Wilson, a freshman biology major, predicted a heightened tension on campus with an influx of students and community members who might engage in See PREVIEW on Page 7