Insight

OUR OPINION

new year for change, keeping promises

Metro finally-and we mean finally-has a full-time, sitting, 100 percent, he-isn't-going-anywhere-president. Interim be gone.

Stephen Jordan, welcome to the Metro family. We are very excited to have someone to quote. However, you made a few promises last spring, and we plan to hold you accountable to them.

First, you said you'd be campaigning for Metro the same way you did for Eastern Washington. You raised a lot money on the east coast. Let's see what you can do here. You also told us you'd be working closely with the Colorado General Assembly and Governor Owens. Perhaps now, more than ever, higher education depends on the cooperation of all citizens. Referendums C and D must be passed. What will you do to insure they do? And yes, Jordan, you acknowledged the very important role diversity plays in a college. We hope you stick to your guns.

Along with a new president, Auraria has a new parking garage and student housing.

As far as the parking garage, one could say it was well over- due. Parking here has never been easy. We're anxious to see what kind of burden is lifted with the new structure. But what will be done about the parking rates? The building has gone up, now it's time for the rates to go down.

Other buildings are going up, too. This week, The Regency will open its doors to Auraria students. Student housing has never been an option for Auraria students. The best deals were out in Aurora or bunking with three other people across the street at The Parkway apartments.

Student housing may bring more benefits to Metro students than just nearby housing. More traditional students may be attracted to the school, a real community could be built.

Ah, and how could we forget about our new student government? Or should we say our new interim-student government. Had anyone told us we'd actually have an administration in place to run the college and an interim student government to represent the 20,000 of us come fall, we would have laughed. But, Bruce Benson and Co.-aka, our board of trustees-finally got it together. The same cannot be said about the latter.

For the first time in many years, Metro students have a voice on the president's cabinet. We need an honestly-elected student president to give us that voice.