Fair Housing?

Working hard academically characterizes DU students both at DU as well as prior to being accepted at the university. That hard work in high school is often rewarded for many by attaining an academic scholarship. Almost all the time a portion of that is designated as a housing scholarship. So what’s the big deal? Often times nothing! But that situation changes dramatically if those scholarship students eager to be involved in campus life choose to do so by going “Greek.”

Unfortunately, a daunting problem faces such students, at least in economic terms. Their hard-earned scholarship money designated as housing does not transfer to Greek houses, with the exception of obtaining a waiver for the few fraternities or sororities that occupy university-owned buildings. Although living in a fraternity or sorority house, whether on campus or not, does indeed count towards the “two-year living on campus requirement,” in many cases, the housing scholarship for living on campus does not apply. Why should these school-spirited students who have earned academic recognition in a scholarship and who continue to work diligently in school to maintain their scholarship be punished solely for being willing to take part in Greek life, that the university itself condones and supports?

For example, Tri Delta and Delta Zeta, both on sorority row off campus, are eligible for accepting university housing scholarships. Delta Gamma and Gamma Phi Beta are not. Most of the fraternities, including Kappa Sigma and Lambda Chi Alpha, do accept the scholarships. The technicality that the admissions office puts forward for allowing scholarships for selected fraternities and sororities is that the ones eligible are on campus and, if not on campus, then owned by the university. Since our campus isn’t big enough to provide for all of the fraternities and sororities to either be on campus or in university-owned facilities, why should only certain students have to pay the price for that?

Gathering information from other schools as well, this inequitable circumstance seems to be addressed differently. Schools such as Saint Louis University allow their students scholarships as they rent out a certain number of floors in the dorms because their campus cannot hold Greek houses. At University of Missouri, most of the sororities do not accept university housing scholarships. However, everyone in the sororities is eligible to get a scholarship for being in the sorority to help with housing and fees. In the sororities here at DU, most applicants for such scholarships need to be at least Juniors, which would then not really be applied to living in the house and only a few select actually get these scholarships.

How can it be that living in the houses such as Delta Gamma and Gamma Phi Beta counts as being on campus, but doesn’t qualify for housing scholarships? If they won’t be lenient on the issue, then why won’t DU purchase all of the sorority houses that qualify as part of DU Greek life? What defense does the school have for maintaining this inequality?

Granted, it would take some time for DU to acquire all the facilities. Meanwhile, this “loss of scholarship” is a prime issue for current freshmen who have to choose if they will live in their Greek house next year. That “loss” likely will decide whether to stay in their sorority or fraternity or drop out only because of money issues. Who really wants or can afford to pay an extra $3000 for something they wouldn’t have to because they’ve earned those funds as part of their scholarship?

And this is not an isolated issue that only applies to a few. Everyone is affected when in addition one considers the toll of Greek fees for the student population. Are such fees and housing expenses a key factor as to why people drop their fraternity or don’t even join in the first place? We are told that the administration wants students to be involved in school activities and life in order to promote school unity and show school spirit. Being involved in Greek life is a great avenue for that involvement, allowing for a great bond between members who soon become some of the best friends one will ever have. Fraternities put on events, attend school functions together, and help the community. All of these things allow Greek life to enhance the good name of DU. Since DU shines brighter through such actions, it is unconsciable that such students should be punished for being a part of something so special by losing their housing scholarships.

Feed The Athletes

Food is required for energy. Energy is required for activity. Athletes do lots of activity. These facts bring up an interesting point. Athletes need food for energy, so in order for our athletes to perform their activities at the highest level, shouldn’t we make sure that they have food? Some teams at this university have practice during dinner hours and don’t have the opportunity to eat until after the cafeteria has closed. This results in people who need to fuel their bodies in the best possible ways end up having to eat fast food or junk food. So the issue that needs fixing is the cafeteria hours. The slightest lengthening in the hours would allow everyone the chance for a real dinner, but this brings up another issue, is this fair to the workers? Already overworked and under paid, is it unjust to ask more of them? The task at hand is multifaceted. Athletes need to be able to get a decent meal after practice, but this needs to be accomplished in a way that doesn’t put a greater strain on the cafeteria’s work force.
This time of the year is a very busy and exciting one for the students here at DU. The weather is starting to get warmer, the semester is coming to a close, finals are approaching, spring break is on the horizon and, for a small group of students, and the busiest part of the year is just beginning. The men on the lacrosse team have just recently made the transition from preseason practicing to being in season. In season is the most demanding time of the year for these student athletes in terms of the time restraints they have to deal with and overcome in order to get everything they need to do during a day done. The average lacrosse player’s daily schedule varies depending on the day of the week, but it usually consists of a full day of classes from early morning until right before practice starts at 4 o’clock. Many of the players don’t get a chance for lunch during the day, going the entire day only on breakfast. From class, a sprint is made to practice, which usually lasts until 6:30. Practice is then followed by lifting, extra individual practice sessions, or film. Once a day like this is complete, there is only one thing left on the minds of the young lacrosse players. “ I just wanna eat some food,” was freshman defenseman Justin Nouhra’s thoughts on what he wants to do once practice is over, but this is often not as easy as walking up to the cafeteria, swiping his card, and getting some food. “When we get there it’s empty of food and people. They are putting up the chairs and there’s nothing left to eat,” says freshman defenseman Steve Marchetto. Freshman midfielder Sean Snodgrass added, “We rush to get to the cafeteria, but we get there and it’s closed. Then we end up having to eat snacks or spending money on fast food.” So it is clear that there is an issue here, and the easiest way to solve it would be to have the cafeteria stay open as little as 15 minutes longer. If only that was as easy as it sounds.
The cafeteria workers already work long days, so would it be too much to ask them to work 15 minutes longer? In a lot of ways it would be unfair to ask any more of them. The staff that makes sure that we get fed is extremely mistreated by their employer, Sodexo. “I went almost seven hours before I went on break,” says Barbara Ross, and employee of the Nagel cafeteria. This is one of the small injustices that the employees have to deal with. An investigative report done by the DU newspaper Fourfiftyone pointed out more than this just one mistreatment. Pregnant employees that have to take maternity leave are not guaranteed to have their jobs when they are ready to return to work. When the staff finally gets a break they are often not allowed to eat the food in the cafeteria. These are just minor issues compared to the fact that the employees are extremely underpaid. “My kids are on Medicaid because I can’t afford the healthcare,” says Celeste Lascano, a three year employee of sodexo. So it is clear that what would be a quick fix is not an option. There needs to be something way to fix the situation that doesn’t involve worse conditions for the workers.
It is evident that there is an issue that needs fixing here at DU. Could the answer lie with improving the conditions and pay of the sodexo employees so that it is fair and worthwhile for them to work longer? This is one option I would suggest. Another idea is giving athletes more meal plan cash on their meal plans so that they can go get food without spending large all their cash. This would allow students to get better food and help alleviate financial issues On campus options, such as the pub, could be open to athletes to use regular meal swipes. No matter what the fix is, something needs to be done to feed our athletes in a way that is fair to all parties.

DU B-Cycle Program

The environment has become a major concern in our society today that deserves attention as well as action. Celebrities, politicians, and normal everyday people have been doing all they can to “go green”. So the question remains, why shouldn’t our campus “go green” too? We need to stop the incessant use of gas guzzling SUVS, and focus on a more friendly mode of transportation. To implement a healthier state of being takes a lot of time and work, but it is possible and has worked in many other places. We live in the beautiful state of Colorado, and on a college campus there is no reason to take a car to class or to the store when you have the ability to rent out a bike. With the new bike-sharing program being implemented on campus, having a bike has never been easier or more efficient.

According to DU today, at the University of Denver we have been lucky enough to have the “Denver B-Cycle” project become a part of our campus; this project will make 500 bikes available across the city in over 40-50 locations. This idea was started at a Democratic convention where bike sharing was used as an easy alternative for getting around. In the words of Haley Winter a DU student, “It’s not only a way to help the environment, it also helps work against the freshman fifteen!” when asked about the new bike renting program. Let’s face it; we live in a town where although it is convenient to get in the car and drive it is just as easy to hop on a bike. With this new system there will be bikes available to rent until seven at night that also come with a lock and a helmet. When there are motion censored tail lights, adjustable seating, and a basket that can carry up to 25 pounds why wouldn’t a person go, fill out a card, and be able to rent these bikes for free? There is no maintenance involved, all a student has to do is swipe their card and then return it to any other kiosk around campus. According to DU Today, students have raised over 50,000 dollars to help offset costs, this shows that people on campus actually want to make this work. This is a way for students and faculty to be able to help make a difference without having to spend the big bucks on bikes.

Now I know that many of you may be thinking that this is dumb program that will never work, but it has actually been used in many different countries and across several different college campuses across the nation. The New York Times states that the University of California, Irvine, Berkely, and Davis have all started these bike sharing programs that are running smoothly within the community. Another city that uses a bike-sharing program is Paris. There are bike racks all over the city, they can be swiped with a credit card so that people are able to take bikes out and be held liable for anything that happens to them. If we can be role models for our peers, the traffic congestion and pollution will decrease dramatically. Colleen Feeney, a freshman who recently got her bike card, remarked that “seeing people riding on these bikes has sparked my interest in cutting down on car usage, and it helps create a community feeling within the campus!” Now I also know that money is a big concern that crosses every college students mind. Cars alone are very expensive, but when you factor in the money for a parking spot, gas, and any other minor bumps in the road, it adds up. The bike- sharing program is a way to get around the costs so that you have a little extra cash for the weekends.

There may be a select few out there who are still thinking, “I have a car, my parents pay for my parking spot, my gas, and on top of that I have insurance, so why shouldn’t I just drive everywhere?” Well for one thing, what one person does to the environment will affect our generation, as well as future generations to come. Cars are not terrible, but save the usage for a time when it is really needed. We are college students, everything is within walking distance and this is the perfect time to be getting in shape and exercising. Another reason why people in this situation should think about getting a bike card is because it is a great way to meet new people and get involved within the community. Get outside and save the money that would be spent for gas on something better! This program is something that we should take advantage of on our campus as well as in our city when it becomes part of Denver, so get up, go out, and get your bike card!