History
The University of Colorado was established in 1876, the very same year that Colorado became a state. The school was originally contained in one building, Old Main, which was formally dedicated on September 5, 1877. This building held all classrooms, housing for students and even housing for President Joseph Sewall and his family. Forty-four students formed the first class, and they were taught by three instructors. Only two courses of study were offered, a Classical Course and a Scientific Course.
In 1917, when the university was undergoing massive expansion, a debate arose as to what architectural style should be adopted. Charles Z. Klauder, the head architect of the firm selected for the construction, proposed Italian Rural Architecture, arguing that it would fit with the Boulder foothills and flatirons. He presented his sketches to then President Norlin, who accepted them and green-lighted the university’s expansion.
As years passed, CU-Boulder continued to embrace its role as Colorado’s flagship public research university. The school has claimed a number of Nobel laureates, MacArthur Fellows, and numerous members of prestigious national organizations and academies. Today the CU-Boulder campus includes over 200 buildings and nine different colleges of study.
The first mention of the school mascot, the buffalo, first appeared in 1934. The Silver & Gold newspaper held a contest that year to select an official school nickname, and "Buffaloes" was the winning entry. For the final football game of the season, some students paid $25 to rent a buffalo calf and a real cowboy (to look after the calf). That live buffalo was kept on the sidelines as Boulder defeated the University of Denver 7-0 on Thanksgiving Day, 1934. And so Ralphie, the school mascot, was born.
-Nick Thompson ’08 contributed reporting
Location
Boulder, Colorado, is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. Biking, hiking, climbing, and bouldering are common recreational activities in the foothills just outside of town, and there are nearby fishing and kayaking spots as well. In the winter, though, skiing and snowboarding are where it’s at. Many of the best ski resorts in Colorado can be reached from Boulder in about 30 minutes to an hour by car, and both the campus and the town will often empty out into the mountains during winter weekends. Boulder Freeride is the largest student group at CU, and it organizes skiing/snowboarding trips and parties throughout the ski season.
Boulder (roughly 100,000 residents) is very much a college town, and it is also a liberal community in an otherwise largely conservative state. CU’s campus is just a mile or so from Pearl Street Mall, the main thoroughfare of Boulder, which offers a number of bars, cafés, performance venues, shops, and restaurants. CU spirit can be felt all around Boulder, and the university is a major part of its economic life, just as Boulder is a big part of CU’s cultural life.
As reported by Nick Thompson ’08:
“Boulder is located at the base of the Rocky Mountains. While walking on campus, students can gaze upon the Flatiron rock formations shooting upwards. Any and all outdoor recreational activities are available to students in the surrounding area of Boulder such as biking, climbing, skiing and hiking. There are activities for all levels of recreation too, from relaxing strolls to grueling climbs. Boulder’s surrounding area offers excellent opportunities to experience nature at only a stone’s throw away!
Boulder offers excellent access to the outdoors. Chetaqua Park in West Boulder is a gorgeous area with numerous hiking trails of varying difficulty. Students as well as locals often visit Chetaqua to enjoy a nice walk at the foot of the Flatiron rock formations towering just above. Rock climbing is also very popular in Boulder and there is no better place for indoor rock climbing than The Spot Bouldering Gym. Climbers from all around the US and the world come to climb at the Spot, like renowned rock climber Chris Sharma. The Spot, while offering fun climbing, also holds events such as the 2008 National Climbing Championship, which are always a fun time to gather and watch incredibly skilled climbers.
The Hill in Boulder is another student hot spot where you can grab some food, sit and have a drink, and even see a concert. The Hill has a ton of restaurants like Thunderbirds and Half-Fast where you can get a variety of delicious sandwiches. The Fox Concert Hall is also located on the Hill and has performances every night of the week. The Fox plays host to local bands such as Rose Hill Drive, who always put on a great show, and to famous bands like Dave Mathews. The Hill also has a lively night scene, with The Skink and The Pit offering after-hours entertainment and drinks.
The Pearl Street Mall is Boulder’s main downtown area and offers numerous opportunities to relax, shop, sit down to a nice meal, or to just walk around and enjoy the day. Pearl Street has shops of every kind—you can buy clothes, shoes, or stop into the candy shop for something sweet. Food options on Pearl Street are also abundant, providing restaurants like Illegal Pete’s for a quick burrito or something nicer like Cheese Cake Factory, a favorite place for students to bring their parents when in town. Students often schedule study sessions with friends at one of the many café’s on Pearl Street, such as The Trident Café. Pearl Street is also the center for nightlife in Boulder, as it contains a great number of bars only a short walk from one another.”
As reported by Jordan Howard ’09:
“The most notable off-campus hangout would most definitely have to be Half Fast. It is located on The Hill and offers a ton of subs and specialty alcohol drinks. It is frequented at all hours and is a popular hangout for students. Half Fast has big screen TVs to watch sporting events, and an outdoor eating area for warm days.
Café Play is a relatively new coffee shop located n the hill where students can study while enjoying coffee and homemade chili. There is a big screen television set up with a Wi game system for students trying to escape writing their papers or studying for their midterms. The upstairs area also has comfy couches and free wireless connection.
Bacaro, located on Pearl Street, is a fantastic hangout for students 21 and up. There are two bars and an outside and inside dance floor. Talented DJ’s showcase their talent on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Students who do not care to drink will also enjoy the exciting and fun atmosphere.”
Campus
CU-Boulder’s campus has got to be one of the most beautiful in the country. Tucked up against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains—with the spectacular Flatirons as its western backdrop—the campus is a spacious series of grassy fields and red-tiled sandstone buildings in the style of northern Italy. There are many trees and rolling hills (as well as streams), and students frequently head to Farrand Field or other quads to study, play sports, and take advantage of the fresh mountain air.
Notable buildings on campus include the University Memorial Center (UMC), Mary Rippon Theatre, Norlin Library, and Macky Auditorium. The Buff Bus is a student shuttle that runs between off-campus housing and the main campus. The buses have two routes through campus and run from 7:00am to midnight on weekdays, until 2:55am on Fridays, and until 3:00am on Saturdays.
As reported by Nick Thompson ’08:
“Boulder, Colorado is a beautiful town, and the CU campus, on a warm sunny day is absolutely breathtaking. Some of the most popular hangouts on campus on these days are Farrand Field, the Sewall quad, and Norlin Quad. Farrand Field offers a lot of space to lounge in the sun or to kick a soccer ball around between classes. On the Sewall quad, nicknamed Sewall Beach, you can always find students in their bathing suits soaking up the sun on a nice sunny day. Norlin Quad, centrally located on campus, is also a very popular place to relax, read, chat with friends, or play with your dog in your off time between classes.
Another popular location to hang out is at Norlin Library. Norlin Library offers opportunities to study, do research, or to meet with your friends. Students can always find a quiet place to sit and read in peace in the Library, a luxury often not found in the dorms or at home for most students. Additionally, the Hot Spot in Norlin Library is an area with a small convenience store and coffee shop as well as big tables and chairs where students can sit and talk about class or anything else. Professors and teaching assistants often hold their office hours at the Hot Spot.”
As reported by Jordan Howard ’09:
“The best on-campus hang out at CU is the University Memorial Center, or the UMC. It offers food, entertainment, shops, and services. There is the Alfred Packer Grill, with meal options ranging from comfort foods to snacks to breakfast items. Baby Doe’s is a one-stop shop for corner-store items such as toothpaste or sports drinks. There are also a variety of fast food restaurants like Domino’s, EC Hot Dogs, Jamba Juice, Subway, and Wok and Roll. Entertainment at the UMC includes the Connection, where you can bowl and play pool, and the Art Gallery, which presents a variety of artwork from local, national, and international artists. Shops and services at the UMC range from the CU Book Store, where CU memorabilia and school supplies are sold, to the Ink Spot, where you can print off homework and make large numbers of copies.
Another great on-campus hangout is Kay’s Café, located in the brand new Atlas Building. This place offers coffee and specialty drinks from early morning to evening and is a great place to hang out with friends or do homework. It is also centrally located on campus and makes for a great meeting place.
Farrand Field is probably the most ideal on-campus hangout CU has to offer. Spring through fall, it is packed with students sunbathing and engaging in outdoor activities. Several concerts take place on the field as well and attract students not only from the dorms but from the surrounding area as well. During the winter, especially on nice days, students partake in activities such as football, Frisbee and even snowman-building.”
Issues
Students at CU-Boulder frequently clash with the administration. There has been an ongoing battle over drinking and drugs, because the administration is concerned about Boulder’s reputation as a party school. There is a “two strikes and you’re out” policy in place, which dictates that after two instances of underage drinking (or being in a place where it occurs) a student will be suspended.
Says Nick Thompson ’08:
“An admissions officer would not tell a prospective about how the Office of Judicial Affairs has increased their punishments for underage drinking. These punishments are not effective and are not aimed so much at putting an end to bad habits associated with alcohol, but instead at making the university look good to the public and as evidence that they are doing something about the ‘problem.’ If a student is caught twice with or around alcohol, he or she may be suspended. The Office of Judicial Affairs does not take into account the circumstances of the offense or the individual who committed the offense. Overall, the Office of Judicial Affairs is attempting to reverse CU’s party image with harsh and pointless punishments that are not geared at the potential rehabilitation of an underage drinker who might have a problem with alcohol.”
Also, on April 20th of each year, police arrest and fine students for smoking pot as part of the “4:20” celebrations. Students are generally not deterred, and the tradition continues.
Thompson also reports a lack of diversity at Boulder:
“My least favorite thing about CU-Boulder is its lack of diversity. The Boulder campus demographic is largely Caucasian and because the out-of-state tuition is very high, almost all of the students from out of state are upper-middle class. Most students come from Colorado, California, or Texas. In general, the CU-Boulder student body does not have a mixture of ethnic origins.
Also, there is definitely an element of division between racial, religious, and LGBT groups on campus. This division is not by any means openly hostile but can be seen in the way that groups of people on campus are usually made up of the same types of people.”
Another recent controversy at Boulder surrounded Ward Churchill, a tenured professor of ethnic studies who taught at CU-Boulder from 1990 until 2007, when he was fired. While Churchill was technically fired for research misconduct, people say the real reason he was dismissed had to do with incendiary comments he made about the 9/11 terrorist attacks in a 2001 essay entitled Some People Push Back: On the Justice of Roosting Chickens. In this essay, Churchill claimed that people killed in the World Trade Center attacks were involved in provoking the attack, and he referred to them as “little Eichmans.” Unable to go after his comments because of free speech laws, the administration launched an inquiry into his research methods, and he was fired on July 24, 2007 for research misconduct.
