Strolling across campus on a gorgeous day, everything seems tranquil and wonderful until all of a sudden pedestrians find themselves walking through a sea of cigarette butts. Where did this veritable wasteland come from? Last year’s student-proposed smoking restrictions, which led to the creation of specific smoking areas on campus, also caused plates to be…
OPINION | Opportunity for students through new funds
President Jim Danko announced Saturday that Butler University will create a $5 million innovation fund that will support inventive and well-planned ideas to better the Butler community. When I first heard of this plan, skepticism came over me. But after thinking about it and reading more into it, it is clear that this university and…
OPINION | Student government gets it right with new shuttle tracking system
I know just enough about buses to know that they do not operate on a schedule but by Murphy’s Law: If something can go wrong, it will. In the dark days of early high school, my bus driver showed up 20 minutes late every single day except for the one time I wasn’t outside waiting…
OPINION | Streets need more than signage for stopping
In major cities all around the world, crosswalks are utilized to help pedestrians safely traverse busy streets. College campuses throughout the country are overrun by students when classes end, with cars unable to maneuver around the masses. At Butler University, with our small student population and heavily trafficked streets, it is a hazard to cross…
OPINION | Wine tasting brings out grapes and gripes
Wine is supposed to leave a bitter taste in one’s mouth, but the way Student Government Association and class officers spend student activity fees shouldn’t. The Collegian previously reported in “SGA allocates extra funds for class officers” on Sept. 28 that SGA added $4,000 this year to the amount of money that class officers can…
OPINION | Donor points fund Dawgs’ points
High-caliber athletics come at a price—one that some fans argue is too high. The Collegian reported in “Seat not saved” on Nov. 2 that some season ticket holders were told to increase their donation to retain their seats in accordance with the athletics department’s priority points program. While it’s unfortunate, it is a reality that…
STAFF EDITORIAL | University should cut consumption, fix printers
It’s a familiar story. A student finishes a paper with only 10 minutes to spare and runs to the nearest printer, only to find it hopelessly jammed. He or she fires off a barely coherent email to the professor and sprints to class, arriving sweaty and panting, only to hear that Dr. So-and-so doesn’t accept…
STAFF EDITORIAL | New CCOM Dean needs to refocus on students
When the College of Communication was formed in 2010, faculty, staff and administration seemed to show a lot of enthusiasm and set lofty goals. Follow-through has been slower in coming. As the search for a new dean of CCOM hopefully draws near a close, we at The Butler Collegian believe that the search committee and…
OPINION | Flooding deserves more attention
It is one thing to have water in fountains and ponds. It is an entirely different thing to have to walk through standing water to get to class when it rains. A couple weeks ago, I woke up, looked outside and opted for skinny jeans and rainboots, only to walk outside, step in a puddle…