The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Stadium would be funded by private donors and bonds | Page 8

Space Changer

PAGE 3

CSU builds non-traditional classrooms for Aylesworth

THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN

Fort Collins, Colorado

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

COLLEGIAN

Volume 121 | No. 41

www.collegian.com

THE STUDENT VOICE OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1891

Round one: Presidential Debate in Denver

the

STRIP CLUB

Debate season has arrived, and for the first time we, the American public, will get to see the proverbial political fistfight between President Obama and Governor Romney live.

This is it, nobody will be pulling any punches. But the debates are stagnant; these alternatives would liven it up.

President Barack Obama and Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney will engage in their first battle of wits at the Presidential Debate in Denver Wednesday.

The 90-minute debate will begin at 7 p.m. at the University of Denver. Half of the six 15-minute segments will focus on the economy, while the other three will touch on health care, the role of government, and governing, according to a release from debate moderator Jim Lehrer.

“We haven’t ever seen them one-on-one going back and forth with each other responding to answers that I think will really highlight those differences,” said Kelsey Maez, president of the CSU College Democrats.

Approximately six miles of Interstate 25 near the University of Denver, from Santa Fe Drive to Hampden Avenue, will be closed from 5 to 10 p.m. because of the debate, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The debate’s location may be important for Colorado, but it will not have a large effect on the rest of the nation, according to John Straayer, political science professor.

Still, holding the debate in Denver highlights Colorado’s swing state status.

“Colorado plays a major role in this election and I don’t think I’d be going too far to say that depending on how Colorado goes in the election is probably how the rest of the election will go,” Maez said.

Obama and Romney have both practiced against standin opponents and worked to anticipate possible questions and attacks. Not only do they have to know their information, but they trained themselves to show smiles and humor and suppress any instinct See DEBATE on Page 7

GRAPHIC BY HUNTER THOMPSON

By KATE WINKLE The Rocky Mountain Collegian

To be social or not to be social Political campaigns explore new avenues of reaching the public

By KATE WINKLE The Rocky Mountain Collegian

SOCIAL MEDIA STATISTICS

Requests for a "Hide political posts" button on Facebook are rampant this election season, but in spite of the annoyance to users, political campaigns will likely continue using social media as a strategy.

Political campaigns experiment with old and new forms of outreach to involve people in politics, according to Jennifer Stromer-Galley, a University at Albany professor who specializes in political communication.

“By now, everyone is a little tired of the campaign, including students and so campaigns have to find new, clever ways to energize supporters,” StromerGalley wrote in an email to the Collegian. “I also suspect campaigns tend to go a bit overboard with their social media messaging, and sort of like the TV ads playing in swing states, people get a bit tired of being hammered everywhere they turn with political mes-

37.3 -- average age of a Twitter user 3:2 -- ratio of female to male users of Twitter

and Facebook 35 -- percent of Facebook users younger than 35

40.5-- average age of a Facebook user 20,382,129-- number of Obama’s followers

on Twitter

1,207,402-- number of Romney’s followers on Twitter 1,193-- number of tweets from Mitt Romney 6,458-- number of tweets from Barack Obama 7,903,813--number of likes for Mitt Romney’s

Facebook page 29,064,339-- number of likes for Barack Obama’s Facebook page

Statistics from www.pingdom.com,Twitter.com, Facebook.com

saging.”

Politicians traditionally communicated with the public directly or through the media, but technological advances allow candidates to interact with citizens in a more casual and daily forum.

“Much of the strategy in using social media for campaigning is untested.

Campaigns have had 60 years to get TV advertising right. They’ve really only had five presidential election cycles to experiment with digital communications, and only four years to figure

out how to use contemporary social media,” Stromer-Galley said. “In many ways they don’t really know what works and what doesn’t.”

What does resonate with the public is previously untouchable politicians are now more relatable and available to interact with constituents, according to Rosa Mikeal Martey, a journalism and technical communications professor.

"One of the most important characteristics of what we’ve been seeing over See SOCIAL on Page 3

Pat Stryker currently not comitted to donate to stadium

By ALLISON SYLTE The Rocky Mountain Collegian

In response to CSU President Tony Frank’s conditional go-ahead for the on-campus stadium Monday, billionaire philanthropist and Bohemian Foundation founder Pat Stryker released a statement confirming that she has not committed any financial support to the project.

“Instead, I am focused on other philanthropic activities through Bohemian Foundation’s programs and initiatives,” Stryker said in the statement.

In a campus-wide e-mail explaining his reasoning about the stadium, Frank said he hopes for the university to raise $125 million of the estimated $250 million needed for the project through private donations.

Stryker, whose net worth

is currently $1.4 billion, is one of the heirs to medical device and software company Stryker Corp., which was founded by her grandfather, Homer Stryker.

She has donated more than $30 million to CSU for past projects, including an engineering research laboratory, an endowed professorship in mathematics STRYKER and the University Center for the Arts, according to Forbes.com.

In 2003, Stryker donated $15.2 million to the CSU athletic department for improvements to Hughes Stadium, according to an article on RamNation.com.

In appreciation of her support for the university, Stryker

was conferred an honorary doctorate by CSU in May 2011.

“From the University Center for the Arts, to Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium, to Engineering, to the community in which so many of our faculty, staff, and students make their homes, Pat Stryker's generosity has funded facilities and programs that have fostered education, nurtured research and discovery, entertained us, and made our spirits soar,” Frank said in a 2011 news release.

“With her characteristic grace and humility, she has, quite simply, made Colorado State University a better place for those of us here today and generations to follow.”

To many Fort Collins residents, Stryker is best known for the Bohemian Foundation, which provides a variety of grants to a variety of community projects, most notably, those focusing in the arts. The Bohemian Foundation is also responsible for NewWestFest, which this year was headlined

by Michael Franti and Spearhead.

Last year, Stryker was named one of the most liberal billionaires in the country by Forbes. She has given $2,225,600 to liberal causes since 2005, according to an article on Forbes.com.

Nine months ago, when the discussion surrounding the stadium was in its infancy, Stryker released a statement that did not mention any commitments to funding the project.

“Whether the Rams stay an-

chored at their current off-campus stadium or ultimately move to a new home on-campus, I look forward to cheering them onto victory and I have faith in the future success of the program,” Stryker said in January.

Despite not offering financial backing to the project, in her most recent statement, Stryker did offer support for Frank and the process surrounding how he came to his stadium decision. “... I trust that Dr. Tony Frank is proposing a plan he believes is in the best interest of CSU,” Stryker wrote. “I have no doubt he thoughtfully weighed all concerns presented by both sides, and will continue to take those issues into account as the process moves forward.”

Editor in Chief Allison Sylte can be reached at news@collegian.com.

Things That Should Replace the Debates

Lightsaber Duel

It is so poetic: Red for the Republicans, Blue for the Democrats, an epic sunset over the Rockies and enough tall buildings in downtown Denver to force jump on. Let’s have something that the American public can really relate to! If someone loses a limb, all the better!!

Drinking Contest

Since the two candidates are only a measly hour away from the beer capital of Colorado, (Nay! The Country!) they should come up here. They could get all situated and psyched up at Road 34, have a giant crowd gather to watch, and then drink up for freedom! Last one standing wins!

Jousting Competition

An age old tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, jousting was both a tournament and a true spectator sport.

The pageantry of the election season would be very appropriate to the pomp and circumstance of an old fashioned joust.

The Strip Club is written by the Collegian staff and designed by Design Editor Kris Lawan.

2 Wednesday, October 3, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Community Briefs

FORT COLLINS FOCUS

Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Results

Almost six hundred pounds of pills have been incinerated as of Saturday as part of a regular event held by Fort Collins Police Services.

All of the drugs were turned in for Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which brings attention to controlled substance abuse and encourages proper disposal methods.

FCPD collected a total 594.4 pounds of unused, unneeded and expired overthe-counter and prescription medications.

In its four previous events, the Drug Enforcement Administration took in over 1.5 million pounds of pills. Last April, over 276 tons of prescription drugs were collected at over 5,600 sites. Area drop off locations included Fort Collins Police Services and CSU’s Green Hall.

Items not accepted included intravenous solutions, injectables, syringes, mercury, chemotherapy substances, pressurized canisters, and illicit drugs. These drugs are a potential health hazard.

Fort Collins receives bronze medal for being walk-friendly

KATIE THOMPSON | COLLEGIAN

Owner and personal trainer Lacey Lisitza (center) runs through a pole fitness class routine that exhibits upper body and core strength at her recently opened studio Limelight Fitness. The chic studio is located on the southwest corner of College and Prospect and offers classes in pole fitness, hooping, dancing and more.

PET UR G E NT C A R E

The City of Fort Collins was promoted to the bronze level of being a walk-friendly community, awarded by the Walk Friendly Committee (WFC).

The award puts Fort Collins, one of 33 cities to earn the award, in the forefront of healthiest cities in the United States. It is given to communities who demonstrate commitment to pedestrian safety and walking.

“This award shows the commitment the City of Fort Collins has for creating a community that works well for everyone,” said Aaron Iverson, the interim transportation planning director.

The committee mentioned that Fort Collins has room for improvement.

They suggested working on reducing vehicle crash rates, starting an adult crossing guard program and incorporating evaluations for ongoing projects. If Fort Collins accomplishes this, it couldjump to a higher level.

“The WFC assessment will give us a better understanding of how best to promote walking in our community, so that the healthy choice is the preferred choice,” said Kristin Kirkpatrick, a Built Environment Work Group (BEWG) member.

— Collegian Staff Report

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Look for special coverage of Homecoming events around campus

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4708 S. College, Fort Collins • www.peturgentcarefc.com M-F: 5pm - 11pm • 282-PAWS (7297) THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN

COLLEGIAN Lory Student Center Box 13 Fort Collins, CO 80523

This publication is not an official publication of Colorado State University, but is published by an independent corporation using the name ‘The Rocky Mountain Collegian’ pursuant to a license granted by CSU. The Rocky Mountain Collegian is a 10,000-circulation student-run newspaper intended as a public forum. It publishes five days a week during the regular fall and spring semesters. During the last eight weeks of summer Collegian distribution drops to 4,500 and is published weekly on Wednesdays. During the first four weeks of summer the Collegian does not publish. Corrections may be submitted to the editor in chief and will be printed as necessary on page 2. The Collegian is a complimentary publication for the Fort Collins community. The first copy is free.

Additional copies are 25 cents each.

Letters to the editor should be sent to letters@collegian.com.

IN THE COLLEGIAN TOMORROW

EDITORIAL STAFF | 491-7513 Allison Sylte | Editor in Chief editor@collegian.com Matt Miller | Content Managing Editor news@collegian.com Hunter Thompson | Visual Managing Editor design@collegian.com Andrew Carrera | News Editor news@collegian.com Elisabeth Willner | News Editor news@collegian.com Kevin Jensen | Editorial Editor & Copy Chief letters@collegian.com copy@collegian.com Nic Turiciano | Entertainment Editor verve@collegian.com Cris Tiller | Sports Editor sports@collegian.com

Kyle Grabowski | Assistant Sports Editor sports@collegian.com Kris Lawan | Design Editor design@collegian.com Nick Lyon | Chief Photographer photo@collegian.com

ADVISING STAFF

Kim Blumhardt | Advertising Manager Michael Humphrey | Journalism Adviser

KEY PHONE NUMBERS Newsroom | 970-491-7513 Distribution | 970-491-1146 Classifieds | 970-491-1686 Display Advertising | 970-491-7467 or 970-491-6834

Editor’s Note: News Editor Andrew Carrera interned with the Democratic National Committee this summer. He has removed himself from all political coverage, including writing, editing and discussions, as well as the paper’s daily editorial, “Our View.”

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Wednesday, October 3, 2012

3

Cutting edge classroom and lab opens in Aylesworth

By AUSTIN BRIGGS The Rocky Mountain Collegian The days of sitting in class in neatly organized rows, staring at the front of the room may soon go the way of bellbottom pants.

A cutting edge lab space nestled in Aylesworth Hall will be completed at the end of the semester for interior design students at CSU, marking an end to a semester of being moved from classroom to classroom and years spent using outdated equipment.

The new space is a “prototype” for new classroom environments, said Katharine Leigh, an interior design professor in the department of design and merchandising “We haven’t had renovations in here for over 35 years,” Leigh said. “Once this is completed there won’t be anything else like it at CSU.” Leigh said the renovation is being paid for with $385,000 from the University Facility Fee Advisory Board (UFFAB) –– a student group which votes to fund construction projects –– which comes out to about $14.50 per student.

CSU students pay $15 dollars per-credit hour in facility fees –– a minimum of $60 a semester –– to UFFAB. About $15,000 came from the Dean of Applied Sciences.

It took two proposals

before UFFAB approved the renovations.

“The first time they came to us, we felt that initial project wouldn’t serve that many people and it would only benefit a select few,” said UFFAB President Vincent Crespin. “The second proposal satisfied our criteria that it would serve more people.”

Junior interior design major Erika Sanchez said the old space wasn’t very inspiring, something that’s vital for design students.

She’s looking forward for the renovations to be completed and getting out of the cramped classrooms students have been using this semester.

“I like being able to spread my paperwork out to do my work,” Sanchez said.

“In the classrooms right now you can’t even fit a water bottle and piece of paper on the desk.”

The interior design department hopes this won’t be the case after the renovations.

The new design layout bears little resemblance to a traditional classroom. The space, a research collaboration with furniture retailer Herman Miller, is designed to increase creativity and collaboration among students.

The 2,500 square foot space, scheduled for completion in December, will boast a design lab, team

SOCIAL | Campaigns Continued from Page 1 the last five years with candidates and businesses using social media is how they integrate it across these different platforms,” Martey said. “So it’s not really just they use Facebook or they use Twitter, it’s the way these things are integrated together that are really where that powerful shift has come.”

Managing social media varies daily and takes time and effort, according to Kimberly Sorensen, CSU’s Social Media Director. Social media is an integral part of a communications strategy and setting goals and paying

ISSUE

work area and conference area or “chat box.”

The different sections, separated by transparent screens, will allow students to see what’s going on in adjacent work areas. Tables and seating are on casters, meaning the entire space can be opened to accommodate up to 90 people for a lecture.

Instead of standard

free speech afforded to users of social media can help further a campaign, but is also risky because of the potential for negative publicity, according to Martey.

“The openness that makes it such a powerful tool also allows for the voices of so many that may absolutely go against what you as a business or politician want associated with your name,” Martey said. “That kind of vulnerability that comes with allowing anyone to speak in a kind of egalitarian platform is the difficult one to navigate.”

The ability to profess political affiliations online gives participants a sense of

33 COUNTDOWN

Candidate Romney vs. ObamaContrast

By KATE WINKLE The Rocky Mountain Collegian The economy comprises half of the topics for the first Presidential Debate in Denver, according to a release from the moderator Jim Lehrer. Both President Obama and Gov. Romney plan a national turnaround in job creation, and have experience with inherited economic difficulties during their terms of office. Under Romney, Massachusetts had a net employment gain, although it ranked 47th in job creation. During Obama’s presidency, 4.6 million new private sector jobs were created, although the unemployment rate is 8.1 percent as of August 2012.

WHAT THEY PROMISED*

Amend the National Labor Relations Act to protect the right of business owners to use money as they see fit, and guarantee a secret ballot in all union certification elections Reverse executive orders that tilt the playing field towards organized labor Consolidate federal retraining programs and funding and return management to the states Raise visa caps for highly skilled workers and grant permanent residency to eligible graduates with advanced math, science, or engineering degrees

curity and service features will be added to the space as well. This includes key card entry and a café.

“Everybody’s excited about the café,” Leigh said.

“Right now, if students want a cup of coffee they have to trudge over to the student center.”

Senior Reporter Austin Briggs can be reached at news@collegian.com.

community and reinforces political ties, according to Kyle Saunders, professor of political science. Campaigns learn from others’ social media strategies and often hire consulting firms to improve a social media presence, striving for the “next big thing.”

Using media like Facebook to convince the 10 to 15 percent of the electorate who have not yet made up their minds can have an effect, according to Saunders, but it is not a huge one.

Brittany Wetzel, a sophomore biological science major, sees at least three posts from friends advertising candidates when she checks her Facebook, but she said

that although political posts are prevalent, they are easy to ignore.

“I usually don’t read them when they’re long and rambling, but people can say what they want. I don’t care— I know who I’m voting for and I’m pretty set on that so it really doesn’t have an influence on who I’m going to vote for,” Wetzel said.

Martey and a former graduate student, Katharine Van Wyngarden, explored Facebook’s affect on politics in a 2011 research project comprised of a survey of 1,300 CSU students and 20 in-depth interviews.

They found that Facebook is a great platform to pro-

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mote discussion, but not for changing attitudes.

“What was very important to (those surveyed) was that they did not want people in general to use Facebook as a platform to be pushy or insist that other people see their own views,” Martey said. “There was a little bit of this balance between ‘I want to express myself and I want to support things that I think are important, but please don’t use this as a space to say you all should believe this and if you don’t believe this then you’re stupid.’ ” Politics Beat Reporter Kate Winkle can be reached at news@collegian.com.

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BACKGROUND

“Business and growing jobs is about taking risk, sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding, but always striving. It is about dreams. … It’s the genius of the American free enterprise system – to harness the extraordinary creativity and talent and industry of the American people with a system that is dedicated to creating tomorrow’s prosperity...” said Romney in his Aug. 30 Republican National Convention acceptance speech.

what are you doing on that, what’s your solution?’” Leigh said.

She added the sleek, contemporary furniture and new technology will mimic what could be found in any modern design office, allowing students to get a feel for working in the profession.

In addition to new furniture and technology, se-

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A LOOK AT ECONOMY

ROMNEY

classroom seating, students are organized in clusters with the layout encouraging group work and interaction with other students.

Student can be wired into two 60-inch LCD screens in the central area, allowing them to share projects with classmates.

“That’s part of the collaboration, to look across and compare and say ‘oh,

target undecided voters though Facebook, Twitter

attention to the audience is crucial.

“There is no quick and easy way to create content that people like, share and discuss, but through experience and time...” Sorensen wrote in an email to the Collegian. “A key to managing social media for any organization is to be flexible and ready to roll with the punches.”

Social gaffes are just as likely with social media as other types of media, and controlling the campaign message and supporters mobilized through social media is challenging, according to Stromer-Galley.

The extreme amount of

ELECTION

ERIN MROSS | COLLEGIAN

Professors Katharine Leigh, left, and Robert Work, right, discuss their vision for the design student studio space in front of their planning board Monday. Aylesworth C 102, which will include work stations for students and a coffee shop, will be renovated with University Faculity Advisory Board money.

OBAMA “Those of us here tonight can’t solve all our nation’s woes. Ultimately, our recovery will be driven not by Washington, but by our businesses and our workers. But we can help. We can make a difference. There are steps we can take right now to improve people’s lives,” Obama said to a joint session of Congress Sept. 8, 2011.

Create jobs by out-educating, out-innovating and out-building the global competition Invest in education, small businesses, infrastructure and research Eliminate tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and create tax incentives for businesses bringing jobs back home Double exports and create 1 million new manufacturing jobs

*Information provided by each candidate’s campaign office, speeches and public records

Collegian

OPINION Wednesday, October 3, 2012 | Page 4

your two cents

26% 27%

Yesterday’s Question: How will the new stadium affect your attendance?

47% Increase normal attendance 27% Decrease normal attendance 26% No effect

47% Today’s question: Who is Pat Stryker? *56 people voted in this poll.

Log on to http://collegian.com to give us your two cents.

This is an unscientific poll conducted at Collegian.com and reflects the opinions of the Internet users who have chosen to participate.

Gary Johnson vs. presidential debates

By Kevin jensen

The first presidential debates will be held at Denver University this Wednesday, bringing the final stretch of the race into the spotlight in Colorado.

The narrative of this campaign has been long established. The parameters of the debate is already known.

You'll only hear a reiteration of talking points and campaign promises on that stage, comfortably free from any third party challengers.

All debates this year (and every debate for the past two decades) has been hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), which is currently headed by former RNC chairman Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. and Clinton's former press secretary — though it's reportedly a nonpartisan, non-profit corporation.

And the CDP is nonpartisan — if by nonpartisan you mean they don't discriminate against either Republicans or Democrats; they’ve teamed up to keep out third parties.

A Gallup poll released on Sept. 12, 2012, asked, "do the Republican and Democratic parties do an adequate job of representing the American people, or do they do such a poor job that a third major party is needed?"

The poll revealed 46 percent of Americans feel that a major third party is needed — yet no third party candidates participate in the debates. Has this always been that way?

No. Before 1987, the League of Women Voters moderated the presidential debates and featured numerous third party candidates.

That all changed when the two major parties announced plans to sponsor their own series of debates.

The Republicans and Democrats set up a commission, thanked the League for all they'd done, and urged them to step aside.

Read League of Women Voters President Nancy M. Neuman's statement on Oct. 3, 1988, where she announced the League of Women Voters "have no intention of becoming an accessory to the hoodwinking of the American public," and would no longer be a part of the debates due to the CPD. The statement is chilling.

Since the CDP took over, only one third party candidate, Ross Perot, was invited to participate in the debate by the Commission in 1992. After Perot, the CDP enacted the now infamous

15 percent requirement for a candidate to appear in the presidential debate that has prevented a third party candidate from participating ever since.

On Aug. 20, 2012, Gov. Gary Johnson, Libertarian party presidential nominee, sent a letter to the CPD. The letter argued that any contending candidate (a candidate who has the mathematical chance to win, being on all 50 states’ ballots) should not be excluded from the debates.

"In all due respect," Johnson's letter reads, "it is not the proper role of an nonelected, private and tax-exempt organization to narrow the voters’ choices to only the two major party candidates – which is the net effect of your arbitrary polling requirement."

Gary Johnson meets all of the Constitutional requirements to be president, he is a two term governor with more executive experience than Obama, Biden, Romney and Ryan combined — yet he's not allowed into the debate.

Is it because Gary Johnson has radical views? The Libertarian party is both fiscally responsible and socially accepting — I'd say the same can be said about the majority of the American population.

Is this radical? Not ideologically, but if the question is whether Gary Johnson and the Libertarian party is a stark alternative to Republicans and Democrats, the answer is unequivocally yes.

The American people deserve an alternative to the Democrats' and Republicans' stimulus plans, subsidies, bailouts and crony capitalism.

The presidential debate needs a voice raised in opposition to Republicans' and Democrats' War on Terror, NDAA, warrantless data mining, War on Drugs and global interventionism.

I believe Gary Johnson is that voice — all he needs now is a spot in the debate.

There is a way you and I can fix this monopoly that the two parties have on the presidential debates: The polls.

Help Johnson get the 15 percent he needs to be included in future debates. Even if you aren't going to vote for Johnson this November, there's no harm in telling a telephone pollster your vote is for Gary Johnson.

Let's expand the parameters of the debate and give America a real choice this election rather than the lesser of two evils. I choose no evil. I choose Gary Johnson.

Editorial Editor Kevin Jensen is a senior English major. His column appears Tuesdays in the Collegian.

He can be reached at kjensen@collegian.com or on Twitter @kevinrjensen.

our view

Stryke one for the stadium At this point in the process of CSU building an on-campus stadium, we can likely rule out that it’ll be called Stryker Stadium.

A mere 24 hours after President Tony Frank green-lit CSU’s on-campus stadium, local billionaire philanthropist Pat Stryker released a statement saying that she hasn’t —and might not — help fund the project.

This isn’t good news for Frank’s massive undertaking, and a bad omen for the future of CSU’s on-campus stadium.

Stryker is a Fort Collins resident who is on the Forbes list of the richest Americans (her net worth is a cool $1.4 billion) and just so happens to be one of CSU’s biggest private financial backers.

Her list of donations — that add up to more than $30 million for CSU — is huge. In 2003, she pledged $15.2 million to help spruce up

Hughes — the very stadium Frank wants to retire.

Essentially, Stryker’s influence

“Essentially, Stryker’s influence on this university and this community is immense. One could even argue that she runs this town.” on this university and this community is immense. One could even argue that she runs this town.

In Frank’s email on Monday, he

made it clear that an on-campus stadium wouldn’t be in the cards unless he could get a minimum of $125 million in funding from private philanthropists. It would be a pretty safe bet to say Frank was hoping to knock on Stryker’s door.

Stryker’s choice to possibly not give money to a university that she has historically doted upon could have a long list of implications.

Does she not approve of the project? Does she want to see Hughes stick around? We may not know — Stryker is known to stay out of the limelight.

What we do know is that this statement doesn’t bode well symbolically — as well as financially — for the future of an on-campus stadium.

Hopefully we won’t start catching Frank at plasma donation centers around town as he makes up for the loss.

The Collegian Editorial Board is responsible for writing the staff editorial, “Our View,” and for the views expressed therein.

Letters and feedback in response to the staff editorial can be sent to letters@collegian.com.

Allison Sylte | Editor in Chief editor@collegian.com Matt Miller | Content Managing Editor news@collegian.com Hunter Thompson | Visual Managing Editor photo@collegian.com

Andrew Carrera | News Editor news@collegian.com Elisabeth Willner | News Editor news@collegian.com Kevin Jensen | Editorial Editor letters@collegian.com

Nic Turiciano | Entertainment Editor verve@collegian.com Cris Tiller | Sports Editor sports@collegian.com Kris Lawan | Design Editor design@collegian.com

A so-called commitment to excellence

By anna mitchell

Let me begin this column with an apology to my readers: This was not what I intended to write for my column this week. For this, I am sorry.

The column that I had spent the past week collecting information and working hard to so beautifully and rhetorically craft for my audience’s enjoyment and informational purposes was regarding the proposal to build an on-campus stadium.

Monday afternoon, shortly before my submission deadline of this column, Tony Frank sent an email informing the CSU community that he will indeed be advocating to move forward with building the proposed on-campus stadium.

My original column suddenly became moot. I do not wish to waste time beating a dead horse. The decision has been made and I can no longer have power in swaying such a big decision.

I have already expressed my opinions regarding the issue in various settings; including through public input forms, surveys and forums hosted by the Center for Public Deliberation. I believe with all my heart that my opinion on the matter was actually heard by the right people and was taken into serious consideration

in this decision making process.

I greatly appreciate being given an opportunity to voice my opinion at all, and hope others realize what a gift it was that these opportunities were made available at all. I hope they took advantage of them as I tried to.

I cannot believe that, after such a process, this decision has been made lightly. I do believe that, by green-lighting this project, Tony Frank is doing what he truly believes to be the absolute best choice for our fine university.

As football coach Jim McElwain said, “It’s not just about football, but a commitment to excellence.”

I hope that as a community, we take those words to heart. A commitment to excellence should not only be applied to our athletics, but to many facets of our university: A commitment to excellence in our academics.

In recent years, there have been hiring freezes, making departments devastatingly short staffed.

There have been suspensions in raises, causing instructors to be uncertain of their jobs.

There have been classes cut from the registrar, often making it impossible for students to graduate in four years as they have been promised.

A commitment to excellence in our facilities.

Last winter, the ceiling in my third floor classroom in Clark-C collapsed due to water damage. There were about three or four weeks of classes left to the semester. There was not a single empty room on campus to put us in, so we finished up the semester with the desks all being crammed up against the walls in order to avoid any potential health risks from the falling skies.

This semester I have another class

in the third floor of Clark-C. The damaged ceiling tiles have still not been replaced. It has almost been a full year since they originally collapsed.

A commitment to excellence in our safety.

I heard from a friend of mine who is getting her degree in the visual arts that last fall the ceilings in the Visual Arts Building started leaking. The plumbing in the building ended up being shut down because of it.

As is common with many visual art mediums, the students within the building were using dangerous chemicals. According to my friend, leaks in the ceiling caused these chemicals to splash upon students.

One student had to run outside and throw himself into the snow to prevent chemical burns, as the water in the building had been shut down.

This could easily be an urban myth, I wouldn’t know because I did not witness this first hand. But I’ve been in the Visual Arts Building, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this were not the only way it is not up to code.

A commitment to excellence now, and not just to excellence in the future.

I truly do hope that the up and coming stadium promotes nothing but positive changes to the CSU community. I cannot imagine why anyone would support the project if that were not the ultimate goal.

Let us hope that the investments being made for the future of our fine university do not come at the cost of losing sight of what things we need in the present.

Anna Mitchell is a junior liberal arts major. Her columns appear Wednesdays in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.

Collegian Opinion Page Policy

The columns on this page reflect the viewpoints of the individual author and not necessarily that of The Rocky Mountain Collegian or its editorial board. Please send any responses to letters@collegian.com.

Letter submissions are open to all and are printed on a first-received basis. Submissions should be limited to 250 words and need to include the author’s name and contact information. Anonymous letters will not be printed. E-mail letters to letters@collegian.com

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Wednesday, October 3, 2012

5

6 Wednesday, October 3, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

#Room-Antics

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black and Stephanie Clement

JADE

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (10/03/12). You’re thirsty to discover new horizons this year, and boundaries keep expanding.

Study, travel and great teachers grow your perspective, especially in philosophy and spirituality. Grow career skills as well to maximize opportunities. Less is more.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Wondermark

Tim Rickard

Brewster Rockit

Rochelle Peeler

Meh Comex

Ctrl+z

Chelsea London

ARIES (Mar. 21-April 19) ––7–– The next three weeks are good for achieving romantic goals. Get yourself something useful and pretty, or make it from what you have. Put love in your work.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) ––9–– Encourage all opinions, and get some creative ideas. For four weeks, you’re very lucky in love. Invest in home, family and/or real estate. Nobody needs to know how little you spent.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) ––6––There’s really a light at the end of the tunnel, but you could bypass the tunnel altogether. Or wander around in it and discover hidden treasure.

Bring a flashlight and plenty of water.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) ––8–– This month, you’re even smarter than usual. Trust your own heart to lead you. Create peace. Postpone shopping and gambling. It’s a good time to save.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) ––8––Take a firm stand, and heed the voice of experience. For the next month, it’s easy to make money. Your partner demonstrates compassion. Provide support.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ––8–– Cash in your coupons.

You’re lucky in love. Keep reviewing possibilities. Friends help you make a distant connection. Try a new sport.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) ––6––Take advantage of abundant imagination. Make sure you know what’s required. Romance may be involved at times, but also quiet time in solitude.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) ––8–– Continue to build assets, and get public. Balance family and social activities carefully.

Your reputation precedes you. The first reaction may seem negative, but don’t give up.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) ––7–– Friends help you advance. Level up at work over the next three weeks. Be practical. It’s easier to advance your agenda. Forgive a foolish misunderstanding.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) ––9–– The next month’s good for setting goals. Costs may be higher than expected.

Ask for more and get it; an angel’s watching over you. Get lost in your studies.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) ––9–– Stay focused. The foreseeable future is good for saving money, so go over the numbers. Demonstrate compassion for partners, even if you don’t always agree.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) ––8––You’re gaining skills and confidence. Compromise comes easier. Avoid temptation and assumptions. Self-discipline enables creativity. Female magnetism plays a big role.

David Malki

RamTalk

compiled by Kris Lawan What a wonderful time of year.

The leaves are changing, the campus looks beautiful, and the freshman start gaining their 15 pounds and not going to the gym

Daily cartoons and games available at Collegian.com. Send feedback to design@collegian.com.

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

In case anyone is wondering, the bathrooms in the study cube are NOT sound-proof.

I think the bookstore should offer an extra book for BMS 300 students entitled: ‘ How to Read Your Professors Handwriting.’

To they guy in Engineering: next time lower your voice when telling your friend you haven’t changed your underwear since Saturday.

Text your rants to 970-430-5547.

Want more?

The first RamTalk Book is officially in stock at the Student Media office in the Lory Student Center.

Buy your copy for $10, or get one online for your Kindle or Nook.

Find out if you got in!

“Like” us on Facebook.

Search for The Rocky Mountain Collegian.

Follow us on Twitter @RMCollegian.

Submit RamTalk entries to ramtalk@collegian.com. Libelous or obscene submissions will not be printed. While your comment will be published anonymously, you must leave your name and phone number for verification.

Today’s RamTalk sponsored by:

Yesterday’s solution

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Across 1 Hunger hint 5 Shorn shes 9 Indonesian island 13 Pinza of “South Pacific” 14 Pulsate 16 Yaks, e.g.

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The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Wednesday, October 3, 2012

7

$61.2 million student fees pay for construction

By Kate Simmons The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Hunter Thompson | COLLEGIAN

Junior Liz Torrez rides her bike through the construction filled sidewalk outside of Braiden Hall Tuesday afternoon. There are multiple large construction projects going on through campus this year.

CSU students pay $15 dollars per-credit hour in facility fees –– a minimum of $60 a semester. This money funds on-campus construction projects determined by the University Facility Fee Advisory Board (UFFAB).

UFFAB meets once a semester to review proposals for new projects.

“The board really works to ensure the funds from the facilities fee support as large a population of the student body as possible,” said Lindsay Brown, student administrative assistant in design and construction and staff support to the UFFAB board.

Projects proposed this fall include an Anatomy Building renovation, expected to cost $5,499,910 and Microbiology Room B120 remod-

el, which is projected to be $184,572.

Fall 2012 proposals will be reviewed Oct. 4.

UFFAB’s advisory board includes students, faculty and staff. Currently, there are 17 members, nine of which are students. The board would ideally have a student representative from each of the colleges on campus, including a representative from the Undeclared Leadership Council and ASCSU. UFFAB’s bylaws dictate projects are evaluated by how the project directly benefits CSU students, the degree to which the plan enhances the academic and research environment, aesthetics of the architecture and how easily that architecture would be sustained, maintenance costs and availability of funds and justification of the project.

According to Steve

“I hope to get a better understanding of each party’s stance and get to see a bit more abot who the candidates are as people.”

Hultin, director of facilities management and UFFAB faculty advisor, the most important areas of focus are “the degree the project directly affects the students and enhances academics.”

UFFAB funded projects include the Animal Sciences Building, Visual Arts Building, Eddy Hall, Forestry and the Early Childhood Center. The total amount of these projects equal $14.4 million.

UFFAB also contributes funding to larger projects like the Engineering Building, a project that costs $65 million total and is partially funded with $30 million of UFFAB funds. The Morgan Library renovation, café and cube addition was also partially paid for by UFFAB. The entire project cost $17 million, $16.8 of which was paid with UFFAB funds.

According to Mike Da-

UFFAB at work Engineering Building: $65 million, $30 million paid for with UFFAB funds Morgan Library: $17 million, $16.8 paid for with UFFAB funds Animal Sciences Building: $4 million, all paid for with UFFAB funds Visual Arts Building: $3.2 million, all paid for with UFFAB funds Eddy Hall: $3 million, all paid for with UFFAB funds Forestry: $2.8 million, all paid for with UFFAB funds Early Childhood Center: $1.4 million, all paid for with UFFAB funds

vis, other projects underway include a renovation on the Engineering Research Center, occupational therapy and classrooms in Aylesworth and Shepardson.

Senior Reporter Kate Simmons can be reached at news@collegian.com.

Greeks ‘Stroll’ the Plaza

Brandon Hicks | (senior, communications)

debate |

Opinion shifts unlikely

Continued from Page 1 to show disinterest, disrespect or anger, according to John Straayer, political science professor.

“Obama’s challenge will be to stay with his normally cool demeanor and comfortable smile and not drift into lecture-style responses,” Straayer wrote in an email to the Collegian. “Romney’s challenge is a tough one – he needs to show the stature, strength and forcefulness of someone who can take charge and lead, but also show a relaxed and comfortable side to counter the widespread sense that he’s disconnected from ordinary folk.”

Obama experienced a presidential debate in 2008, which may leave Romney at a slight disadvantage. Brad

Dick, president of the College Republicans at CSU, hopes Romney will go on the attack and that Obama will have to answer tough questions about the economy.

“Every eye is going to be on them. It’s hard to prepare before actual debate; it’s bigger than what Romney has done,” Dick said. “You practice as much as you can and hope for the best.”

Although important, there isn’t much room to make gains with the debate, according to Straayer and a widespread shift in voter preference is unlikely.

“There is a risk of a factual or stylistic screw-up, though, and both will want to get through this without a stumble,” Straayer said. “It is important for voters to be able to see them together, rather than one at a time at

rallies or in attack ads — after all, one will be our president for four years and we deserve to see them in action.”

Both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are interesting figures, according Brandon Hicks, a senior communications major who plans to watch the debate. He is most interested to see what the candidates say about their philosophies.

“I hope to get a better understanding of each party’s stance and get to see a bit more about who the candidates are as people,” Hicks said. “I’m interested to see how they interact with one another on a political stage … I hope they’re interesting and I hope they spark some good conversations.”

Politics Beat Reporter Kate Winkle can be reached at news@collegian.com.

Look for it Fridays

Hunter Thompson | COLLEGIAN

Freshman Civil Engineering student Schuyler Pagenstecher, middle, points to people in the crowd as he prepares to dance for his fraternity at the Stroll on the Plaza. The Stroll is an annual dance competition for CSU Greek Life.

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8 Wednesday, October 3, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

How will CSU pay for the stadium?

volleyball

By Matt miller The McClatchy Tribune

Katie Thomson | COLLEGIAN

CSU celebrates during last week’s match at Moby Arena. The Rams begin preparation for Wyoming this week.

Bomb squad helps Rams prepare

By Kyle Grabowski The Rocky Mountain Collegian Experience and continuity are typically traits that define CSU’s volleyball team, but the Rams are preparing to face a team on Friday that exemplifies both –– Wyoming.

The team won its last two matches following a threegame losing streak and swept CSU-Pueblo on Monday, so the Cowgirls should have some more spring in their step Friday.

“Hopefully, with back-toback wins it gives our team a little more confidence going into a huge match against CSU,” said Wyoming coach Carrie Yerty after the victory.

“It does not take our team a lot to get ready against CSU, but I think these matches will give us some more confidence.”

The Cowgirls plan to beat CSU by running a complex, fast offense built to confuse

and blow by opponents.

“They run double quick attacks in every rotation,” said CSU coach Tom Hilbert.

“They always have a chip on their shoulder, especially when they play us, but always they do.”

In a “double quick,” both the middle and outside attackers will shift from their original positions and make the blockers choose which one to defend.

“You have to be really fast in each movement that you do. I need to pretty much be off the ground before the ball gets to the hitter’s hands,” said senior middle blocker Breion Paige.

Preparing for that type of offense can be difficult for a bigger, more athletic team like CSU, but that’s when the Rams call in the Bomb Squad.

It isn’t a crack team of experts –– it’s just a more affectionate name for the scout team. But they help

aily

on campus d

The Match Who: Wyoming vs. CSU When: Friday, Oct. 5, 7:45 p.m.

Where: Moby Arena Coverage: Listen live 90.5 KCSU

get results.

“It’s good so that when you go into a game you’re not caught off surprised at how it looks,” said redshirt sophomore setter Deedra Foss.

Assistant coach Matthew Botsford typically handles the setting for the Bomb Squad due to his experience and fluency with many different offenses.

“He can set any offense, which is really the most key component,” Hilbert said.

Sometimes CSU’s starters will play on the Bomb Squad as well in order to get a feel for what the opponent’s offense does and better understand how to

defend against it.

“When you’re actually simulating them it helps a lot because you see ‘this is how fast it’s really going to be,’ ‘this is how fast I need to get up.’ It makes it more real,” Paige said. “I know what I need to do because I know what they’re going to do.”

The only aspect of Wyoming’s game that CSU can’t really simulate in a practice environment is how much the Cowgirls cheer for each other during a match.

“Sometimes that can take people out of the game.

We’re more of a composed team, so when we play teams that are like that it’s a different look for us,” Foss said. “We can kind of do it in practice, but I think we more deal with it in the games.”

Assistant Sports Editor Kyle Grabowski can be reached at sports@collegian. com.

In CSU President Tony Frank’s email announcing his support of building an on-campus stadium, he reiterated that, “state general funds, student tuition or fees, or proceeds from any tax shouldn’t be used to finance the stadium.”

In other words, Colorado and CSU students won’t be footing the bill, which business experts say restricts Frank to only two options to fund the project.

So if that’s the case how will the university pay the $250 million needed for an on-campus stadium?

Based off of what Frank wrote in his email Monday, the funding for such a stadium would come from two sources — the first of which would be private donations.

“It would be difficult for me to justify any financing plan that didn’t fund at least 50 percent of the cost ($125M) via philanthropic gifts,” Frank wrote in his email Monday.

The other $125 million will come from either university loans or bonds, which will be paid back from the revenue of seats and concession sales once the stadium is built.

“His main concern was how much revenue can seat sales and concession actually come off that stadium, because that would be covering the debt,” said Ronald Throupe, an assistant professor at DU’s Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management. “He’s basically guessing the debt amount of $125 million based on what he guesses concessions will be.”

Since Frank excluded the general fund, student tuition or fees and taxes, Throupe said the only likely way the university can pay for the stadium would be by taking a loan or bonds

for the other $125 million.

“He’s sort of in a box,” Throupe said.

Moving forward with this outline of a plan, the next step is for the university to raise the necessary funds from private donations, which Throupe said could take multiple years.

Once the half in philanthropy is raised, CSU will have to decide who will guarantee the debt of the other half: the university, the state or the stadium itself.

“You’ve got a state university there so the state could back the funding or at least be the creditor of last resort for the bond, which would mean their credit rating would be used to determine the interest rate,” Throupe said. “Or it could be the university itself and that would come out of the university’s revenue account — mostly student tuition — or it could be isolated to the stadium itself.”

Since CSU would then pay back this loan or bond using the stadium revenue, Frank would not be folding on his promise not to dip into taxes or tuition and fees, Throupe said.

Once the guarantor is figured out, a rating agency will look at the loan and potential cash flow to pay it back.

Then, a loan will either be issued directly or a bond will be issued, which will then be sold to individual investors.

Throupe said this is a common process of funding a project this large, called a public-private partnership.

“There’s always the risk of cost overruns to build it and you’ll have to address that when it comes up,” Throupe said.

For now, the fate of an on-campus stadium hinges on if the university can raise the $125 million from private donors.

Managing Editor Matt Miller can be reached at news@collegian.com.