College is a confusing time. I know. And the clarity that comes with life in the “real world” has only confirmed this for me.

I graduated from DU in 2001, which may seem like ages ago for many of you.

When I was a freshman (in the fall of 1997), the old DU arena had just been reduced to a pile of rubble and by the time I graduated, the Ritchie Center was a done deal.

The face of DU has changed significantly in the last 10 years. New buildings are everywhere, and alumni such as myself often find the current DU campus unrecognizable.

Yet, change is not always a bad thing. Sure, I couldn’t afford to attend DU today. I couldn’t afford $23,000 in 1997, and I’ve got the loan debt to prove it.

However, I’m not here to talk money. This former Clarion editor is here to talk about Boone. Yes, our beloved Boone, who got the ax during my sophomore year.

The late 1990s spelled the end of many great things at DU–a REAL college hockey arena with great atmosphere, a longtime university seal that got replaced with a fancy “D,” true collegiate colors of red and yellow (not burgundy and beige) and one of the best mascots in college athletics.

Yet, all of these changes are not what troubles me most.

I understand that an old arena must eventually come down and that college colors can use some modernization.

What troubles me is how the current DU administration is basically saying, “We know that most of you want Boone back, but we’re saying no because there might be a handful of people who could be offended.”

This is the classic liberalism that saturates our colleges and universities.

The desires of the majority are trumped by our sensitivity to the few.

We can’t have even one person feel offended by Boone, so instead we’ll have something generic like a bird.

Does this sound crazy to anyone? In the name of being “inclusive,” we’ve EXCLUDED the prevailing opinion of DU students and alumni.

Do we live in America? Please, someone remind me. We had an election, where the majority decided our next president.

Unfortunately, that means the minority did not get the president they want. So, here’s what I propose-Now that we have elected Obama, we don’t want the McCain supporters to feel bad, so we’ll have George Bush pick someone totally neutral. Isn’t this what’s happening with Chancellor Coombe and the Boone issue?

The clarity that I spoke of earlier is simply this- universities have become the most liberal institutions in the world. I didn’t realize this when I was a student.

Back then, I assumed that my professors knew it all and that they truly wanted me to have a broad perspective on things.

However, looking back, I can see how narrow-minded they really were. Professors and college administrators preach “diversity,” “tolerance” and “being inclusive.”

What they’re really saying is that diversity means anyone but a white male tolerance means acceptance, and being inclusive means excluding the majority opinion.

DU students, listen up! Your parents pay good money for you to attend DU, and believe me when I tell you that money talks.

If Boone represents the Pioneer spirit, then tell the administration that you want the students (and possibly alumni) to vote on the issue.

DU is YOUR school, and there are thousands of alumni who would stand with you. Don’t give up on Boone!