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Holtzman’s politics hurt
Dear Editor,
I am writing to voice my concern over the appointment of Marc Holtzman to the newly created position of DU president. While Chancellor Ritchie may have acted with good intentions by appointing Holtzman as DU’s new president, he alienated students and faculty alike.
Chancellor Ritchie once again put the interests of the students and faculty last by choosing fundraising over academics. Not to mention that the person he selected has not once, but four times in the last decade donated money to Sen. Rick Santorum (www.opensecrets.org), who recently has landed in hot water over comparing homosexuality with bestiality, and whose lack of tolerance isn’t exactly a new discovery.
This decision by Chancellor Ritchie really offends me, because I do not want a person like Marc Holtzman representing the university I attend.
The fact that there was no input whatsoever from students or faculty in making this very important decision is alarming. And for Chancellor Ritchie to say to faculty that their opinion would “not mean very much” is a slap in the face to the people who actually make the University of Denver a respectable academic institution.
The fact that the people who are paid to teach and the students who pay 20 thousand dollars a year or more in tuition had no influence in this decision is inexcusable; let’s not forget who keeps this university in business. The people involved with the university should make the decisions at a university: students and faculty. Not outsiders who have no prior academic experience and who care more about renting out facilities to the highest bidder instead of making sure their students are getting a good education and actually able to afford it.
As far as Ritchie’s “friend and fundraising” ventures are concerned, the University of Denver has definitely lost an opportunity. I will NEVER donate a cent of my money to the University of Denver after I graduate, no matter how badly I need the tax write-off. – Jon Burek, junior
Correction: “Surfin’ DU” article
Dear Editor,
As one of the many individuals involved in organizing the University of Denver’s first ever Major/Minor Fair, I was rather surprised and even more disappointed to read the feature in the Clarion which described the fair as being sponsored by the Daniels College of Business. In actuality, this year’s “Surfin’ DU” was put on by Academic Advising in the Center for Academic and Career Development, in conjunction with May Daze.
Due to a number of incorrect details in the feature, I would like to clarify what our event really entailed.
On Wednesday, May 7, approximately 40 different departments joined together on Driscoll Lawn to answer questions and provide information about their academic programs. While DCB was a very enthusiastic participant, it was only one of the many important departments represented.
The fair was a tremendous success, despite being cut short by the rain, and will hopefully continue in future years to help undeclared students become more informed of all the majors and minors offered at DU.
It is sad to say, but the feature run in the Clarion on May 13 seems to suggest that the reporter did not even attend the event before writing the caption and therefore did not provide readers with the correct information. – Amber Gerding, junior and peer advisor
