Press Clipping: University of Colorado - CU students may endorse Bill Ritter

CU students may endorse Bill Ritter

August 13, 2009

University of Colorado student leaders tonight will consider backing Democrat Bill Ritter in the race for governor, but some say such an endorsement is out of bounds for a campus government. The resolution, sponsored by student senator Veronica Lingo from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, says Ritter will help keep tuition affordable and that he values diversity on college campuses.

Proponents for the measure — including Ritter's son, who will speak at tonight's meeting — say it's not a partisan issue.

Co-author Trevor Martin, a CU student who works on the Ritter campaign, said the resolution focuses on access to affordable education and is not intended to split students along party lines.

Jessica Langfeldt, a CU student representative and vice chairwoman of the College Republicans, doesn't buy that argument. "It's such a political stance," she said. "It's simply to try and gain support for Ritter."

Langfeldt said she's outraged by the resolution, which she said is a "waste of time" because the student government has more important campus issues to take up. She said she'll vote against it tonight, and come November she'll vote for GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez, a former Lafayette dairy farmer.

Butch Oxendine, executive director of the American Student Government Association, said student-government leaders aren't elected to lobby on a broad level.

"I think it's inappropriate, and I completely disagree with them," Oxendine said. "I think it's unnecessarily polarizing students." The Florida-based association is an umbrella group for 413 schools around the nation, although CU is not a member. It is rare for college student governments to have organized support for candidates in state and national elections, Oxendine said.

Oxendine also said passing a resolution in support of Ritter could cause a political backlash if his opponent is elected. Eighteen student legislators will vote on the resolution tonight, said Jessica Bralish, a CU senior and senator on the legislative council.

August Ritter, a global tourism major at Colorado State University who has taken the semester off to help with his father's campaign, said he will talk to the student leaders tonight about tuition rates and Referendum C.

Ritter supported Referendum C, a budget-reform measure approved by voters that let the state keep an extra $4 billion in tax. The measure was also backed by university presidents throughout the state, including CU's Hank Brown, because it boosts funding for higher education.

Beauprez opposed Referendum C and is in favor of deregulating higher education and creating incentives for primary schools to focus on math, science and literacy.

August Ritter said CU's student government is the only one so far to consider legislation supporting the gubernatorial candidates. "I feel like if there's anyone endorsing candidates right now, it should be the youth because it's our future that is at stake," August Ritter said.

Contact Camera Staff Writer Brittany Anas at (303) 473-1132 or anasb@dailycamera.com.