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Show 6 Monday, June 11,2007 VOICES www.dailyutahchronicle.com Guest Column * ^ The Union: past, present and future W KURT FRANCOM/ft*DailyUteh(hto&dt Guest Column Successful recycling takes campus-wide awareness T he up-and-coming recycling program at the U will be one of the most imporPATRICK tant additions to the campus in years. REIMHERR Currently, 70 percent of the waste from the U could be recycled. Ironically, the U is the flagship institution of the state, but one of the only institutions of to the students, meaning the suchigher education lacking a recycess of the program is dependent cling program. Even our neighupon student participation. It is bors at BYU have us beat. up to the students to recycle and encourage their peers to do the This, along with the amount of money we spend on waste dispos- same. al, is awful. These numbers and However, while having a overwhelming student demand blue bucket around is a helpful have convinced the administrareminder, it is necessary that we tion to invest more than $300,000 all change our daily routine to in a recycling program at the U. include recycling. With the U's size, the potential Whether it is a newspaper, a good that can come from the pro- box or even a term paper you gram could trump every institudidn't do too well on, the recytion in the state by a large margin. cling bin, not a trashcan, should be your next stop. . The recycling program belongs Ill 1. What are some things that should be changed at the U to make our campus more environmentally friendly? 2. What suggestions would you make to the Task Force for Campus Security to make our campus safer? K- . ' It would truly be unfortunate if the U administration decided against renewing or expanding the program in the next couple years because students did not take initiative. The students of the U have a great opportunity to improve the campus and the surrounding community. It would truly be unfortunate if the U administration decided against renewing or See REIMHERR Page 7 hen thinking about the Union, I am told many things come to mind: a place to eat, a place to study, a place to visit friends and attend programs. It is, in fact, these things, but many more, as W H I T well. HOLLIS One of the things students might not think about is that the Union is primarily the community center for our campus. The University of Utah is a huge environment where over 50,000 people go to school or work. As the community center, it is our mission to find ways to make everyone feel welcome and at home, and help students in particular find smaller groups of their peers in order to build community and foster campus life. It is also a leadership lab—a place where students can implement skills they have learned in the classroom into practice. There are more than 270 clubs and organizations in which students can get involved. There is the Union Board and the Union Programming Council, The Associated Students of the University of Utah and the Presenters Office, The Daily Utah Chronicle, greek organizations and the Center for Ethnic Student Affairs and Orientation, to name a few. These provide opportunities for students to gain leadership and programming skills, meet new friends, and better campus life at the U. I know that generally people "want it now" in today's culture. This causes us to forget how far we have come in the past few years as the community center for our campus. I don't usually like using too many statistics in articles like this, but here I think it is important for students to know. During the 2001-2002 academic year, 1.5 million people visited the Union. UPC programmed 23 events that were attended by fewer than 6,000 students. There were approximately 7,500 meetings, programs and events held in the Union, and it had not been renovated or remodeled in decades. Today things are much different. Last year, more than 4.5 million people visited the Union. The UPC programmed 28 events attended by more than 55,000 students. We hosted more than 8,500 meetings and programs, and we have renovated many different public spaces for use by the students. In short, the Union is much more vibrant than it once was. So what is in store for the future? Next fall, students will come back to campus with the Union having a student lounge. This has been the No. 1 request for the past six years. It will be located where the Women's Resource Center is now, and that will be relocated to an area on the fourth floor. We will reopen the art gallery in that space and it will also be set up to provide lounge areas as well as study areas. Probably the most exciting addition, to me at least, is that we will be providing satellite service for several international news broadcasts. This will allow some international students to get news from their native countries in their native languages as well as provide a service where students studying those languages can hear them and learn about those cultures. Other issues we will be addressing in the future include looking at ways we can increase space in the Union and provide more learning and leadership opportunities. Consider, for example, that in 1957 when the building was built, there were about 9,400 students at the U. The first Crimson Nights program last year attracted almost 8,000 students. Offices such as. The Chronicle, ASUU, Program Board, LGBT, International Student Scholar, Orientation and, yes, the Union Administration are bursting at the seams with no space to expand or house all the staff currently working in the building. Space for student organizations is minimal at best. We will be addressing these things over the next several years, and I will take this opportunity to let students know they can have a direct voice in those decisions by getting involved with the Union Board. This is primarily the students' building and you can have a direct impact on its future by getting involved! Whit Hollis is the Union director. Jacqueline Pachco B.V. Blackburn Junior, Chemistry Sophomore, Biomedical Engineering Doctorate, American Studies Sophomore, Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate, Chemistry More recycling bins. More recycling bins on campus. Having shuttles that are more fuel efficient The U uses far too much water to maintain the flowerbeds and lawns. More xeriscaping could allow the U to maintain an attractive campus in a more responsible manner. More recycling bins and banishment of carbonemitting vehicles. Plant more trees, especially uphill. More handrails and an efficient alert system. More railings to hold on to. I've tripped six times since I've been here. To have them patrol more. I'm not sure what they currently do. Increase communication regarding campus safety and security, and continue efforts to ban firearms on campus. Less concealed guns. Make special roads for skaters and cyclists. They must be physically able to drive before doing so. They must be physically capable to drive, and be able to drive the speed limit. 1 don't think they should be restricted as long as they are capable of driving safely. Driving requirements should be updated to include tests that more accurately assess drivers'abilities. None. They've earned their right to drive. 1 don't think there is any. Will Oldham said, "When you think like a hermit, you forget what you know." It's important for those in power to remember that. 1 hope someone dear to you gets a spinal cord injury. Please make a friendly visa policy to Chinese students. We don't even dare to go home on vacation because of your visa policy. Traveling crosscountry with friends. 72 degrees and solitude.' Henry Hy Loxane Kenesavanh Freshman, Chemistry Marshall Pacmer LiHui - • '.3. What sort of restrictions, if any, do you think should be put on elderly drivers? 4. If you could say one thing to President George W. Bush, what would it be? What were you thinking? You're stupid. He's stupid. 5. What would a dream summer •• vacation involve for you? To the Bahamas, on the beach with friends and family. Time away from , school, outside Utah in a nice environment. Traveling to underdeveloped nations to help, and then also to v have fun. : Go to European nations, have a visit of historical sites there and collect interesting architecture materials. y- |