Campus Life

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Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 18:06:00 +0000

��ƷSM��ӰƬ Changed Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/10/2020 - 11:06

Ula Chrobak

During the initial days of school this August, Julia Beattie (MechEngr’22) of Centennial, Colorado, briefly visited campus. It was peaceful, but the usual back-to-school commotion and energy was drastically muted.

“I'm excited for it to someday get back to the bustling campus it normally is," said Beattie, a junior.

For now, a physically distanced ��ƷSM��ӰƬ is the norm.

Over the summer, facilities staff met daily to hash out how to maintain the space, sanitation and ventilation needed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission to students, faculty and staff.

“How do we make sure we provide a meaningful experience, and how do we do that safely?” said David Kang, CU’s vice chancellor for infrastructure and sustainability.

In CU’s hybrid model of study, students mauy take both remote and in-person classes. They wear masks on campus. Upon entering a classroom, students are greeted with a sanitizing wipe station to sterilize their hands, personal items and seat. Inside lecture halls, most chairs remain empty.

Capacities across campus are down by 70 percent or more, said Kang. The CHEM 140 lecture hall, for instance, normally fits 500 — now, only 50 students at a time are allowed for instruction. For some classes, a portion of enrolled students attend the lecture in person on a given day, while the rest tune in for a live stream. Some classes are fully remote.

Returning students and faculty members have been adapting since March, while new students are learning the ropes.

“Done with [the] first Zoom class of the semester,” tweeted CMCI assistant professor Jed Brubaker the second day of class. “Students were so nice! They were engaged, interested and ready to learn. In 75 [minutes] I’ve shifted from terrified to ecstatic!”

The whirring HVAC systems are working overtime. Over the summer, facilities staff upgraded the ventilation systems so that two to four fresh air replacements occur every hour. In older buildings, stand-alone units circulate air through filters fine enough to capture virus-laced respiratory droplets.

After a morning classroom lecture, a student might head to one of the many open-air tents that have sprouted up across the campus and log in to their next class — an online course. On their way, they don’t shoulder through the usual crowds. Passing periods are now longer. The day is also longer — classes are held from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“I think it’s important that we all practice safe social distancing, especially at a college of this size.”

Some lectures take place outside traditional classrooms. Spaces now reserved for teaching include the Glenn Miller Ballroom, conference rooms and hotel meeting spaces near campus.

At mealtimes, students order their dining-hall food ahead of time through an app or stop by to pick up ready-made meals, and eat outside. Throughout campus, signs remind students to “Protect Our Herd,” including by standing one buffalo-distance apart.

“It’s building culture,” said JT Allen, director of facilities for housing and dining services. “It’s this ongoing discussion of taking personal responsibility and responsibility for your fellow Buffs.”

In lieu of holding office hours in their offices, professors can opt to meet students under the tents or in larger indoor spaces. Many university staff in customer-facing roles work behind plexiglass, and many more work from their homes.

Before moving into the residence halls this August, every student living on campus was tested for COVID-19, either within five days prior to arrival or upon arrival using CU-provided options. Students are also cohorted based on their academic college; they take classes and live alongside the same individuals in the residence halls, which include isolation rooms to separate anyone who contracts the virus. They are screened weekly for the virus using a saliva test developed by CU researchers.

“We are laser-focused on making sure that the fall hybrid model is safe,” said Kang.

The science and severity of the pandemic is constantly shifting, and Kang acknowledges the need to be flexible. Facilities staff meet daily to discuss updates to COVID-ready procedures as guidance, science and policy related to the virus evolve.

From Aug. 24 to Oct. 7, the university reported 1,097 positive results for COVID-19 from diagnostic testing through ��ƷSM��ӰƬ Medical Services. Following a period of remote-only instruction that slowed the spread of the virus, the campus resumed in-person and hybrid teaching Oct. 14.

In August, Beatriz Sanchez (A&S’24), an incoming freshman from Boulder living in Stearns West residence hall, expressed both excitement and nervousness about the semester.

“I think it’s important that we all practice safe social distancing, especially at a college of this size,” she said. “We are already sad about our [high school] senior year, and we are doing all that we can to preserve the little milestones that we have in life.”

Photos by Glenn Asakawa

How the university has adjusted to protect students from COVID-19.

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Empty Campus

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 18:04:00 +0000

Empty Campus Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/10/2020 - 11:04

Emily Heninger

The days had a rhythm to them. Wake up, read. Watch a recorded lecture, study, pick up dinner. Go for a walk around a nearly empty Norlin Quad. FaceTime a friend.

But life definitely was not normal.

Joris Alawoe (PolSci’22), from Denver, was one of about 600 ��ƷSM��ӰƬ students who continued living on campus during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, when most of the student body returned home to continue their studies online.

“Normally I live with guardians, but they were in close contact with their parents, who are fairly elderly,” said Alawoe, 21, who was a resident advisor (RA) in Sewall Hall. “That made going back home actually not a possibility.”

As COVID-19 rapidly spread through Boulder and the U.S., mid-March became a blur of cancellations and closures. Alawoe had made his decision, though. When the campus announced classes would be fully remote starting March 16 — a week before spring break — he helped other students move out and handled his RA duties in a rush of activity.

And then — the quiet set in.

In Sewall, Alawoe had an entire floor to himself. After months of dealing with frequent 3 a.m. knocks on his door, he was grateful, at first, for the total silence. But the novelty wore off quickly.

“Campus was weird,” he said. “Melancholy — there was that feeling on campus. But there was also this feeling of tranquility.”

Eventually, as the campus consolidated its services and residence halls, Alawoe moved to Baker Hall and fell into a routine.

Noon to 5 p.m. became his work time, when he would watch online lectures or study. Meal times were his “people-seeing times,” he said, when he would venture from his room and spot other students grabbing packaged takeout food from the Center for Community.

“It’s not like you could really even talk to anyone,” he said, “but you were still seeing people.”

After dinner, he would go for a walk or call a friend.

In some sense, being on campus helped Alawoe maintain a sense of structure. “When I’m back home, I’m not really in that school mindset,” he said. Being on campus helped remind him that school was still going on.

Despite the strangeness, Alawoe grew to appreciate the solitude.

“I FaceTimed my friends a lot, so that’s probably what helped,” he said. “But it was definitely lonely.”

Julia Hooten (SLHSci’21), who also stayed on campus, created a quarantine bubble with several friends in Willard Hall. She found solace in leaning on that community.

“So much was scary and unknown, and it was comforting to be able to spend time with the people I was in quarantine with,” she said. “When so many things were up in the air, I had people who I could count on and they could count on me.”

As other schools around the country shut down their campuses completely, ��ƷSM��ӰƬ prioritized staying open — and safe — for students like Alawoe and Hooten.

“Melancholy — there was that feeling on campus. But there was also this feeling of tranquility.”

“��ƷSM��ӰƬ is both an institution of higher learning as well as a local community,” said Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano in March. “To many of our residents, this is their only home. We have hundreds of students and employees who live here full-time, rely on our services and do not have the option to leave. Because of this, our campus will remain open to serve the many needs of our community.”

Even with a robust system of support, campus was a quiet, sometimes lonesome place. But that left room for moments of clarity.

During a regular semester, Alawoe feels so busy that he doesn’t have much time for reflection, he said. But the shutdown gave him space to ask questions about himself, his society and his path in life.

“It forced me to really … sit down and ask those hard questions, like who am I? What am I trying to do?” he said.

He also learned how to get comfortable with uncertainty — perhaps the defining feeling of the pandemic.

“Right now we don’t know when we’ll get that [certainty] back,” said Alawoe, who is living off-campus with his freshman roommate in central Boulder for the 2020 fall semester. “And that’s okay. But we will get it back.”

One thing’s for sure: Alawoe will remember the experience forever.

“History isn’t just something you read. We’re living it.”

Photo by Glenn Asakawa

RA recounts life at CU during a global pandemic.

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10 Coronavirus Campus Safety Measures

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 15:35:39 +0000

10 Coronavirus Campus Safety Measures Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/04/2020 - 09:35

With the semester underway and students back on campus, here are some of the protections ��ƷSM��ӰƬ is implementing for faculty, staff and students:

Before the first day of class in August, everyone took a required online course about COVID-19 safety.
Each day before coming to campus, students, faculty and staff are required to fill out a daily health form.
The university course schedule includes remote and hybrid classes, reducing the number of students on campus at any given time.
Building access is limited by requiring a school ID swipe before entering.
Open air tents with tables and WiFi provide students with a workspace.
Portable HEPA filters were added to classrooms, as well as using outdoor ventilation.
Weekly COVID testing is provided to students living in residence halls.
At the front entrance of buildings, hand-sanitizing stations are provided and disinfecting wipes are in every classroom.
Frequently-touched surfaces like doorknobs and lightswitches are routinely disinfected.
Masks and social-distancing are mandatory on campus at all times.

For more information about CU's effort to combat COVID-19, check out the university's dashboard, updated daily Monday through Friday.

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How the CU Rec’s fitness classes went virtual

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 06:00:00 +0000

How the CU Rec’s fitness classes went virtual Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/14/2020 - 00:00

Joshua Nelson

Beth Schwartz began her fitness class like normal.

“Hi, and welcome to your SET class — strength endurance training.”

Except this wasn’t a normal class. Schwartz, an instructor at ��ƷSM��ӰƬ’s Rec Center and administrative assistant at the Leeds School of Business, was filming the class in her home for The Rec’s virtual training library, which has replaced in-person classes since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the campus to go fully remote in March.

“We are in my lovely garage, so please ignore the mess,” she added before beginning the lesson.

In the initial haze of closures, The Rec was required to stop in-person fitness classes on March 16, the same day students began the transition to remote learning. In response, the fitness and wellness team not only put together a library of filmed instruction, but also have continued live classes such as yoga, meditation and cycling over Zoom for students and faculty.

It was important to the team that students stay engaged: “Because group fitness is grounded in community, it seemed a natural way to connect students, faculty and staff,” said Denise Adelsen, assistant director of FitWell, the rec center’s fitness and wellness department.

As was for most in the U.S., the transition was quick, and there was little time to prepare to go virtual. Adelsen and fitness coordinator Annie Tuck (IntPhys’14) had to learn as they built the program.

“We didn’t have time to plan, research and gather what we would need,” said Adelsen. “We reached out to other campuses that were in the same boat, and shared ideas.”

The team created a 10K program, for instance, originally designed to prepare runners for the now-cancelled Labor Day BOLDERBoulder.

Since making the switch, there have been nearly 400 participants in live classes, which currently run at six time slots every week. In the virtual library, Schwartz’ High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, has the most views with more than 520.

Yet, the road wasn’t always easy. There were some unexpected hurdles.

Adelsen explained, “We are strong in developing and offering fitness programs, not in the production, IT requirements and AV necessities.”

Monica Nabholz teaches virtual classes in Vinyasa Flow Yoga, among others.

It took some getting used to for Monica Nabholz (Comm’90), a yoga, core and strength instructor.

“Teaching to a screen rather than having the in-person, interactive connection with students and staff continues to be a challenge,” she said.

She also faced some of the challenges that many who made the transition to working at home faced: loud construction, family-member photobombs and the like.

“My dogs try to get into my shot, and lie down on my yoga mat,” she said.

It can be difficult to teach, let alone hold, a proper mountain pose with all these distractions, she said. Yet, Nabholz has made it work.

“The most important thing I’ve learned teaching virtually is to continue teaching your class and ignore all interruptions” she said. “No losing your train of thought or getting rattled.”

The hectic transition and on-the-job training has settled into routine, with virtual classes scheduled to continue for FitWell members after the fall reopening of campus. The Rec will also be up and running, although things won’t look quite the same as they did before, with COVID-specific protocols being implemented such as plexiglass dividers and social distancing measures.

“I’m used to teaching virtually now,” said Nabholz, “but I’m looking forward to teaching in-person at the The Rec and seeing all the people I’ve missed.”

To learn more about virtual Rec classes, visit /recreation/fitwell-virtual-classes.

Photos courtesy ��ƷSM��ӰƬ Fitness and Wellness; Bottom: courtesy Monica Nabholz

Cycling, yoga, mediation and more available through CU’s rec center.

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An Unusually Quiet Campus

Anonymous — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 06:00:00 +0000

An Unusually Quiet Campus Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/01/2020 - 00:00

Now: April 1, 2020

On what should have been the first week back for students and faculty after spring break, ��ƷSM��ӰƬ remained deserted in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning March 16, the remainder of the spring semester occurred remotely. This summer’s courses also will occur online only.

Photo by Glenn Asakawa

On what should have been the first week back for students and faculty after spring break, ��ƷSM��ӰƬ remained deserted in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Editor's Note

Anonymous — Sun, 02 Feb 2020 04:09:58 +0000

Editor's Note Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 02/01/2020 - 21:09

Christie Sounart

Do you remember your first ��ƷSM��ӰƬ snowfall?

Perhaps you collapsed into a snow angel on the business lawn or lobbed a snowball across Farrand Field.

I remember admiring the Flatirons from Norlin Quad my freshman year, mesmerized by the way the snow looked like frosting spread across the rock faces.

For my CU-transfer husband, Levi Henry (Math’12), his first snow was less than serene: Confined to a bus creeping along an icy U.S. 36, he was late for his first-ever class.

But, perhaps, we all can recall racing to our window after a storm to see if — maybe — the school would call a snow day.

As our infographic shows on page 33, campus snow removal is huge work. More than 100 people can be involved, sometimes beginning at 2 a.m.

It’s an effort I’m grateful for as I walk through campus this especially snowy winter. And more than 11 years later, I still sneak a peek at the Flatirons. Their frosty allure remains.

Christie Sounart (Jour’12)

Do you remember your first ��ƷSM��ӰƬ snowfall?

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50 Years for the CU Environmental Center

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 19:01:00 +0000

50 Years for the CU Environmental Center Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 02/01/2020 - 12:01

Then: April 22, 1970

Fifty years ago, on April 22, 1970, ��ƷSM��ӰƬ became the first university in the nation to open a student-led Environmental Center. The day coincided with the nation’s inaugural Earth Day, which drew 20 million U.S. participants and led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Since then, ��ƷSM��ӰƬ has been a leader in sustainability and innovation. Highlights include the launch of a recycling program in 1976, distribution of student bus passes in 1991, solar panel installation in 2004 and a pledge to carbon neutrality in 2007. Twenty-eight buildings on campus are LEED-certified and include everything from aeroponic gardens to self-dimming electrochromic glass windows.

This photo was taken at the Earth Fair on Farrand Field in April 1974. Were you there? Share your memories with us at editor@colorado.edu.

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Homemade, CU Style

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Homemade, CU Style Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 02/01/2020 - 00:00

Christie Sounart

As steam and spices intermixed in the air of the Village Commons dining hall, first-year students giggled as they stretched gooey cheese with spatulas.

In mid-November, 15 students prepared Spanish tapas on individual skillets, spreading sautéed spinach, fresh tomatoes and mozzarella atop homemade polenta. Some created a berry version for dessert.

It was a break from the daily lecture grind, but a lesson all the same.

Since 2013, weekly CU cooking classes — Ralphie’s Cooking Basics — have aimed to teach students the fundamentals of meal preparing.

“We recognize the need for students to learn critical life skills, and Ralphie’s Cooking Basics offers an outlet for students to interact with an executive campus chef and learn unique and easy cooking skills,” said Maggie Shelton, a CU student involvement coordinator.

The free small-group classes run weekly throughout the fall and spring semesters. Participants are based on a first-come, first-served basis. Some students make lasting friendships during a class, said Shelton.

“It fosters community,” she said.

Five Cooking Lessons in Fall 2019:

Lasagna
Quinoa veggie bowls with homemade pesto
Chicken parmesean
Pad thai
Pizza

Photos by Glenn Asakawa; Courtesy Maggie Shelton

Since 2013, weekly CU cooking classes — Ralphie’s Cooking Basics — have aimed to teach students the fundamentals of meal preparing.

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Infographic: Snow

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Infographic: Snow Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 02/01/2020 - 00:00

Record-breaking Colorado summer heat, including the hottest temperature ever recorded in the state — 115 degrees on July 20 — didn’t delay winter at CU. Boulder saw more than 26 inches of snow in October and nearly 30 in November, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Campus snow removal is a major effort: The chancellor’s office, facilities management, parking services, housing and dining, campus building services, athletics and the City of Boulder are all involved, sometimes beginning as early as 2 a.m. Here’s a look at what it takes.

Record-breaking Colorado summer heat, including the hottest temperature ever recorded in the state didn’t delay winter at CU. Boulder saw more than 26 inches of snow in October and nearly 30 in November, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Campus News Briefs — Winter 2020

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Campus News Briefs — Winter 2020 Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 02/01/2020 - 00:00

Benefits to Full-Day Preschool

Children enrolled in full-day preschool versus half-day preschool benefit more in their learning, ��ƷSM��ӰƬ researchers found in a first-of-its-kind study. The extra time improved children’s vocabulary, literacy, math and more.

“Even a month in the life of a young child may represent a huge period in their development,” said CU assistant education professor Allison Atteberry.

The study, published in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, suggests children’s early experiences can affect their academic growth. The researchers will continue to explore this learning boost as the children head to elementary school.

Asteroid Named for CU Researcher

At a space conference in late November, the International Astronomical Union announced asteroid 2000 VH57 has a name: (20882) Paulsánchez.

��ƷSM��ӰƬ’s Paul Sánchez sat in the audience, shocked.

“It was quite unexpected,” the aerospace senior research associate told the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences.

It’s a rare honor — only about 5 percent of asteroids have names. Two other CU faculty members also have their own asteroids: distinguished professor Dan Scheeres and assistant professor Jay McMahon.

Sánchez received the recognition for his work with rubble pile asteroids, which are comprised of many pieces as opposed to one large piece. He’s identified a potential force that causes the asteroids to rotate rapidly, causing a weak cement to form.

On-Campus Hotel: Coming Soon

2.95

acres on Grandview Avenue (northwest corner of main campus)

1st

of its size in Boulder Country

$130M

preliminary construction cost estimate

2020

construction start

2022

slated opening

twenty-five thousand

square-foot conference facility

250

guest rooms

one

underground parking garage

You can have very good friendships with people you disagree with."

— Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan on her collegial relationships with her Court colleagues. Kagan spoke to a sold-out crowd at Macky Auditorium on Oct. 22, 2019.

Photos iStock/AndrewLilley (blocks); Patrick Campbell

When's a hotel coming to campus?

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Winter 2020

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Campus Life

��ƷSM����ӰƬ Changed

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Empty Campus

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10 Coronavirus Campus Safety Measures

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How the CU Rec’s fitness classes went virtual

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An Unusually Quiet Campus

Now: April 1, 2020

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Editor's Note

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50 Years for the CU Environmental Center

Then: April 22, 1970

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Homemade, CU Style

Five Cooking Lessons in Fall 2019:

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Infographic: Snow

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Campus News Briefs — Winter 2020

Benefits to Full-Day Preschool

Asteroid Named for CU Researcher

On-Campus Hotel: Coming Soon

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