TV personality and podcast host Gabby Windey and Chester Cheetah® are giving away limited-edition “Burner Phones” and “Hall Passes” to help heat seekers hook up with Flamin’ Hot® “sidechips”

PLANO, TX, September 17, 2024 – As college students begin a new semester and cuffing season looms, Flamin’ Hot® is asking fans to keep their options open – snacking options, that is – and “Cheat on Flamin’ Hot® Cheetos®” with every Flamin’ Hot snack they see on campus. Chester Cheetah® himself is offering lucky spice lovers a “Hall Pass” to give one (or more) of the 25 different snacks from the Flamin’ Hot portfolio a chance.

Starting today until November 30, fans can join Gabby Windey, TV Personality & Podcast Host, via Instagram or FlaminHotUniversity.com to find opportunities to win a “Flamin’ Hot Burner Phone” – a flip phone with a one-of-a-kind Flamin’ Hot design, a free year of cell service, and one special someone on speed dial, Chester Cheetah. When called from the “Burner Phone,” Chester will make good on his “Hall Pass” offer by delivering a spicy selection of Flamin’ Hot sidechips to winners’ doors. The delivery also comes with a promise that Cheetos Flamin’ Hot will always be there if you and your new sidechip ever want to snack.

“I love Cheetos Flamin’ Hot, but take it from me – you can’t reach your spiciest potential without trying different flavors and exploring your options,” says Gabby Windey. “There is no reason to settle for just one flame when Chester is cool with you having hotties like Fritos® Flamin’ Hot® and Funyuns® Flamin’ Hot® in your rotation.”

Those who are unsure which tempting hot snack they want to try first can find their perfect match by taking the Sidechip Quiz on FlaminHotUniversity.com. If you’d like to add even more sidechips into your rotation, Flamin’ Hot has created dating profiles for its spicy line-up so that fans can swipe right on tempting new snacks.

“While we love how many of our fans are in a committed relationship with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the Flamin’ Hot portfolio is overflowing with spicy snacks,” said Tina Mahal, vice president of marketing at PepsiCo Foods North America. “By offering numerous fiery options, Flamin’ Hot hopes to inspire its fans to be bold and explore every way possible to turn up the heat.”

Asking heat seekers to keep their options open and “Cheat on Cheetos” is the newest way Flamin’ Hot University is looking to help fans reach their spiciest potential. The brand introduced Flamin’ Hot University in 2023 with an online curriculum to help fans embrace their unique heat and a fiery hot merch line that fueled scholarships aimed at reducing the burden of student loans.

Visit FlaminHotUniversity.com to take the quiz, view full sweepstakes rules and to learn more about the Flamin’ Hot portfolio, you can go online or find Flamin’ Hot on TikTok and Instagram. For those who want to “Cheat on Flamin’ Hot Cheetos,” the Flamin’ Hot portfolio is available for purchase in retailers nationwide and on Snacks.com.

The Flamin’ Hot portfolio features a roster of hotties from Frito-Lay fan favorite brands including: Cheetos® Flamin’ Hot® (12 varieties), Doritos® Flamin’ Hot® (5 varieties), Ruffles® Flamin’ Hot® (3 varieties),  Lay’s® Flamin’ Hot® (2 varieties), Munchies® Flamin’ Hot®, Smartfood® Flamin’ Hot®, Funyuns® Flamin’ Hot®, & Fritos® Flamin’ Hot®.

About Frito-Lay North America

Frito-Lay North America is the $25 billion net sales convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP). For decades, Frito-Lay’s portfolio of beloved products has brought smiles to millions of families across the world, including Fritos® corn chips, Lay’s® and Ruffles® potato chips, Doritos® and Tostitos® tortilla chips and branded dips, Cheetos® snacks, Stacy’s® pita chips, PopCorners® air popped snacks and SunChips® multigrain snacks. The company operates more than 40 manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, along with a vast distribution network that services over 315,000 retail customers weekly through its direct-store-delivery model. Through pep+ (PepsiCo Positive), Frito-Lay is committed to creating positive change for the planet and people. Learn more about Frito-Lay at FritoLay.com, on X (@FritoLay), on Instagram (@FritoLay) and on Facebook (FritoLay).

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s^®, Doritos^®, Cheetos^®, Gatorade^®, Pepsi-Cola^®, Mountain Dew^®, Quaker^®, and SodaStream^®. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.

Contact

Jayme Mizzoni
jayme.mizzoni@pepsico.com

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The post Classifieds – September 17, 2024 appeared first on Daily Trojan.

The University of Minnesota introduced several new dining options to campus at the beginning of September to better satisfy student preferences. 

King’s Hawaiian Grill and Global Kitchen replace Chick-fil-A in Coffman Union, and Tiny Footprint Coffee in the University’s Minnesota Mug locations replace Starbucks.

Chris Elrod, the senior director of marketing and communications for M Food Co., said M Food Co. sent a dining satisfaction survey to students in fall 2023 where students selected up to three types of cuisine they would like to see more of on campus.

29% of students said they would like to see bubble tea as a preferred addition on campus, 13% said Indian cuisine and 11% said Mediterranean cuisine, according to Elrod.

Elrod said Global Kitchen offers three to four cuisines in one location, with the goal to cross-utilize a variety of ingredients to minimize food waste and overproduction. 

“It’s a way to utilize space, resources, labor and ingredients in a more efficient and effective way,” Elrod said. 

The Global Kitchen will include a Mediterranean concept, an Indian-inspired concept and traditional comfort foods like mac and cheese, Elrod added.

Chuck Gibbons, executive chef of Chartwells, which is operated by M Food Co., said Global Kitchen will incorporate both halal and vegan options, which cater to the dietary and religious needs of students on campus. 

King’s Hawaiian Grill, which opened in Chick-fil-A’s previous location at Coffman, is only the third location to open in the world, Gibbons said.

“We needed a burger and fry place on campus,” Gibbons said. “So we decided to go with a smashburger concept. You can do anything from doubles and singles, fries with cheese sauce and a chocolate vanilla shake.”

Gibbons said the location offers an Impossible smash burger and an unbreaded Impossible chicken breast, plus its ground beef is halal. 

“The only requirement King’s has for us is that we are using their bread and their product in that space,” Gibbons said. “What the menu looks like outside of that is entirely up to us, so we have the ability to change and really pivot if we need to.” 

Elrod said the Minnesota Mug locations previously served under the moniker, “We proudly serve Starbucks,” but made the switch to Tiny Footprint Coffee, a local business focused on sustainability.

Elrod added Tiny Footprint offers premium coffee with a focus on being carbon-negative. 

“They essentially plant more trees to offset the carbon they produce as a company,” Elrod said. 

Gibbons said when using the moniker, “We proudly serve Starbucks,” Minnesota Mug locations had to use Starbucks recipes. With Tiny Footprint, they are able to create their own drinks and recipes. 

“We are able to tailor what our offerings are to what the student desires are on this campus,” Gibbons said. “It gives us a flexibility we did not have when serving Starbucks.” 

Lydia Liljenquist, a fourth-year student at the University, said she thinks changing up the dining options at Coffman is going to attract less business.

“I think a lot of people really enjoyed the fact that there was a Chick-fil-A there,” Liljenquist said. “I think people would rather just walk over to the Graduate and get Chick-fil-A than wait in the crazy lines at Coffman for something they aren’t familiar with.” 

Amy Keran, the director of Contract Administration at the University, said the University could not keep up with what Chick-fil-A was asking for and its brand requirements. 

“It makes it challenging because we want to offer things that students want to have on campus,” Keran said. “However, at the same time, when you can walk down a block and get it on Washington Avenue, it makes it challenging because we are competing against each other.”

Keran said the University is always trying to find a new and different brand to keep things fresh and make sure students have different choices. She added the University is currently looking to add another national brand.

“It’s really important for M Food Co. to deliver on the promise of providing students with diverse options, ensuring that there’s options that meet a variety of tastes, preferences and dietary needs all across campus,” Elrod said. “We are excited to have these new concepts, and we look forward to what the next round might be.”

Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing breaking news story. Updates will be provided as they become available.

A wildfire burning near Red Feather Lakes northwest of Fort Collins in Larimer County has been reported, prompting responses from multiple local agencies. Mandatory evacuation orders for the Crystal Lakes subdivision have been issued.

Mandatory evacuation orders have also been put in place for residents in the County Road 86 and CR170 areas, as well as for Crystal Lakes residents north of Black Mountain to the Colorado state line.

According to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, the Pearl Fire is active south of Black Mountain and north of Lake Erie — approximately an hour’s drive away from Fort Collins. The fire is currently estimated at 78 acres with 0% containment.

Out of precaution, the nearby Red Feather Elementary School dismissed students early, and a large animal evacuation center has been established at The Ranch fairgrounds and event complex in Loveland, Colorado.

Air resources have been ordered in response to the fire. Current air resources include three air tankers and three helicopters.

Voluntary evacuation orders have been released for Crystal Lakes residents in the area of Lake Erie and Mitchell Ditch.

More updates will be provided as they become available.

Reach Sam Hutton at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @Sam_Hut14.

–Festival Kicks Off Wed., Sept. 25 in 150 AMC locations with the 15th Anniversary Screening of Paranormal Activity, the Film’s First One-Night Only National Re-Release–

James Wan’s Atomic Monster Disrupts Fest on October 2 with Screening of Lights Out

BlumFest 2024 Logo and Film Stills Available HERE

Los Angeles, Calif. – Sept. 17, 2024 – Blumhouse, the driving force in horror, and AMC Theatres (NYSE: AMC) are celebrating Halloween starting in September and running through the end of October with AMC’s BlumFest. Every Wednesday starting September 25, Blumhouse fans can attend special screenings, score one-time-only giveaways, be the first to see exclusive sneak peeks, and more. AMC’s BlumFest marks the first time that BlumFest, the annual October celebration of all things Blumhouse, has included a national screening program.

The six-week festival kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 25 in 54 cities and 150 AMC Theatres across the U.S., and features six different repertory films – anchored by the 15th anniversary of Paranormal Activity September 25.

Festival-goers can catch their favorite Blumhouse films on the big screen, with screenings each Wednesday night at 7pm and 9pm local time, and tickets priced at a discounted rate. Plus, all attendees will receive a special poster giveaway commemorating this year’s lineup, plus see exclusive sneak peeks and exclusive recorded messages from directors and talent from the films. Tickets are on sale today, Tuesday, September 17 at on AMCTheatres.com and within the AMC Mobile App for the following films:

• Wednesday, September 25, 2024 – Paranormal Activity – written and directed by Oren Peli
• Wednesday, October 2, 2024 – Lights Out – written by Eric Heisserer and David F. Sandberg and directed by David F. Sandberg
• Wednesday, October 9, 2024 – Insidious: Chapter 2 – written by James Wan and Leigh Whannell and directed by James Wan
• Wednesday, October 16, 2024 – Happy Death Day – written by Scott Lobdell and directed by Christopher Landon
• Wednesday, October 23, 2024 – The Black Phone – written by Joe Hill, Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, and directed by Scott Derrickson
• Wednesday, October 30, 2024 – Five Nights At Freddy’s – written by Scott Cawthon, Seth Cuddeback and Emma Tammi and directed by Emma Tammi

“This whole month is a love letter to Halloween and our fans, and we’re grateful to our partners at AMC for joining us for BlumFest, our annual October celebration of all things Blumhouse. I can’t believe we’re already celebrating the 15th anniversary of Paranormal Activity, because it feels like we’re just getting started,” said Jason Blum, Founder and CEO of Blumhouse.

“Though AMC entertains Blumhouse film fans year-round, the Halloween season makes horror movies even more fun,” said Elizabeth Frank, EVP of Worldwide Programming and Chief Content Officer at AMC Theatres. “We’re excited to bring the BlumFest celebration to the big screen with fan favorite movies and unique extra content.”

The full list of cities includes: Atlanta (GA), Austin (TX), Baltimore (MD), Boston (MA), Charlotte (NC), Chattanooga (TN), Chicago (IL), Cincinnati (OH), Columbus (GA), Columbus (OH), Dallas (TX), Denver (CO), Detroit (MI), El Paso (TX), Grand Rapids (MI), Harlingen (TX), Hartford (CT), Houston (TX), Huntsville (AL), Indianapolis (IN), Jacksonville (FL), Kansas City (MO), Las Vegas (NV), Los Angeles (CA), Madison (WI), Miami (FL), Milwaukee (WI), Minneapolis (MN), Mobile (AL), Nashville (TN), New Haven (CT), New Orleans (LA), New York (NY), Norfolk (VA), Oklahoma City (OK), Orlando (FL), Peoria (IL), Philadelphia (PA), Phoenix (AZ), Pittsburgh (PA), Portland (OR), Raleigh (NC), Rockford (IL), Sacramento (CA), San Diego (CA), San Francisco (CA), Seattle (WA), Spokane (WA), St. Louis (MO), Tallahassee (FL), Tampa (FL), Tucson (AZ), Tulsa (OK), Washington, D.C.

Learn more about AMC’s BlumFest here: http://amctheatres.com/events/blum-fest-2024

About Blumhouse

Blumhouse is the driving force in horror, producing over 200 movies and television series with theatrical grosses of almost $6 billion in global box office. Blumhouse is home to the highest number of ongoing franchises of any studio, including Halloween, The Purge, The Black Phone, Paranormal Activity, The Exorcist, Insidious, M3GAN, and Five Nights at Freddy’s, along with iconic films from cinematic visionaries including Jordan Peele’s Get Out, Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash and Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman. In January 2024, Blumhouse merged with James Wan’s Atomic Monster, which has produced its own successful film franchises including The Conjuring, Aquaman, Annabelle, The Nun and Saw.

In addition to film, Blumhouse produces provocative scripted and unscripted television series and documentaries, including the upcoming original series The Sticky, produced by Jamie Lee Curtis for Prime Video; The Bondsman, starring Kevin Bacon and from creator Grainger David and showrunner Erik Oleson, also for Prime Video; Worst Roommate Ever, and Worst Ex Ever for Netflix, which established Blumhouse Television’s first franchise, and The Jinx for HBO. The company also recently launched a games division.

Blumhouse was honored by Fast Company as one of its Most Innovative Companies in 2024 and one of its Brands That Matter in 2023. In addition, Jason Blum was named to the Annenberg Initiative’s first-ever Inclusion List as one of the Top Inclusive Producers from 2019-2022, with three films appearing on the list of Top 100 Most Inclusive Films. The company is investing in its brand development and connection with audiences through its consistent presence at Universal Studios’ annual Halloween Horror Nights, its first Halfway to Halloween Film Festival with AMC and its upcoming transformation of an exhibit space at the iconic Stanley Hotel from The Shining.

About AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.

AMC is the largest movie exhibition company in the United States, the largest in Europe and the largest throughout the world with approximately 900 theatres and 10,000 screens across the globe. AMC has propelled innovation in the exhibition industry by: deploying its Signature power-recliner seats; delivering enhanced food and beverage choices; generating greater guest engagement through its loyalty and subscription programs, website and mobile apps; offering premium large format experiences and playing a wide variety of content including the latest Hollywood releases and independent programming. In addition, in 2023 AMC launched AMC Theatres Distribution with the highly successful releases of TAYLOR SWIFT ⎸The Eras Tour and RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ. AMC Theatres Distribution expects to release more concert films with the world’s leading musical artists in the years ahead. For more information, visit www.amctheatres.com.

# # #

Media Contact

Cynthia Arntzen
cynthia.arntzen@blumhouse.com

The emergency pole on Sept. 9, 2024. | Raphael Fernandez/ The Cougar

On Aug. 27, sophomore Ricardo Dyer was held at gunpoint inside his dorm in the Moody Towers. 

The day before the robbery, a Rice University student, Andrea Rodriguez Avila, was found dead in her dorm room on Aug. 26.

These events have been a source of concern for UH students regarding their safety on campus. 

“Safety on campus is not great. We literally just had that incident where a student was held at two gunpoints,” said digital media junior Peter Kassim. “As someone who’s been living on campus for three years, we need more security.” 

Kassim was coming back to his dorm after a work shift the night of the break-in incident at Moody Towers. 

“There was nobody there, I walked in and didn’t even swipe my card, that’s pretty dangerous,” Kassim said. 

Kassim works on campus and often has to walk back to his dorm when it’s dark. Kassim expressed frustration with having to walk in areas where the lack of lighting could potentially put him at risk of being attacked or harassed. 

Lighting has been a consistent issue at the University despite attempts to remedy concerns with projects like “Walk in the Dark” and the Campus Lighting Project.

“They delayed the Campus Lighting Project so long, and there are many spots around campus with zero light where people can feel unsafe or become a victim of a crime,” Kassim said. 

UH students expressed various thoughts on what the next steps should be when dealing with crime on campus. 

Students communicated the need for more security and changes at the dormitories such as adding a gate around the buildings. However, some students believe adding these changes would not help in the long run.

“I feel like people are pretty tricky when they want to get something, and new rules don’t normally stop a lot,” said biology chemistry freshman Jasmine Kolar. “It just normally makes it more difficult for the people trying to follow the rules.” 

Students also expressed the need for consistent security and preventative measures from the UH Police Department. 

“I think UHPD does a good job on tightening security, but I feel like after a couple of months it just goes away,” said management information systems sophomore Grace Nyamapfumba.

To help avoid the anxiety surrounding crime on campus, students shared a few tips for staying safe.

Students like Kolar and Nyamapfumba advise making sure that students do not walk alone when it is dark out or throughout unsupervised areas.

UH also offers security escort services if students don’t feel safe walking alone. 

“I understand why students express that they’re uncomfortable, especially living in Cougar Place, you’re walking all the way to the back,” said Nyamapfumba. “I suggest don’t look down at your phone all the time, don’t wear your headphones and just make sure to have your wits about yourself and your surroundings.”

The Cougar tried contacting UHPD multiple times but didn’t receive a response.

news@thedailycougar.com

—
“Students still feeling uneasy about on-campus safety following Moody break-in” was originally posted on The Cougar

This article was originally published in the Welcome Home print issue of The Daily Utah Chronicle, originally in stands on August 25, 2024. It has not been updated and some information may be out of date.

From Aug. 12-17, the sorority recruitment process will take place at the University of Utah. This six-day process serves as an opportunity for students at the U to join “a community of over 900 Panhellenic sisters, who serve as sources of inspiration and become life-long friends,” the U Sorority Recruitment website states.

2024 Primary Recruitment

Greek life at the University of Utah consists of 13 fraternities and nine sororities with nearly 2,000 members, as reported by U Fraternity and Sorority Life.

The U’s Panhellenic Vice President of Recruitment Grace Emmons shared that recruitment begins with “chapter pride.” This is a two-day process in which potential new members (PNMs) meet all the sororities participating in recruitment. This is followed by the “investment” round, which spans another two days. Then, recruitment concludes with a “preference” round and “bid day.”

According to U Sorority and Fraternity Life, “recruitment is a formal process that is both values-based and a mutual selection.” Mutual selection means PNMs and sororities have a say in decision-making. The process focuses on finding PNMs who “uphold their organizational values and have similar ideals and beliefs.”

“There’s two main approaches to recruitment,” Sara Sharma, member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, said. “Some know exactly what sorority they want and if they don’t get it they drop from the whole process. Others go into it with a completely open mind.”

Creating a Community

“[Recruitment] has gotten a lot bigger, it’s gotten a lot more popular,” Emmons said. This year, more than 700 PNMs will be participating.

“Most people I have met who decided to go through recruitment were happy with their decision,” Maura Schaff, a potential new member and sophomore at the U said. “I wanted to go through it and see if I liked it.”

Emmons described the variety of organizations involved in Greek life, which different girls connect with for different reasons. These go beyond the six National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities that have facilities on campus. There are also three non-NPC chapters at the U.

“You don’t just have to take the traditional route, which I think is really cool,” Emmons said.

Sharma explained how PNMs are sorted into groups of about 35 at the beginning of recruitment.

“You get really close with them. I still know the two girls who were next to me in line,” she said. “It’s fun to get to know everyone and make conversation.” 

Schaff, reflecting on her freshman year, said, “If I did recruitment last year, I probably would have had an easier time transitioning. I feel like it does create a community for a bunch of people whether you’re out of state or just looking for a good community of girls.”

Sororities in the Media

“I went to a National Panhellenic Conference this past February, and talked to all these chapters from all different campuses,” Emmons said. “Everybody was kind of having a similar recurring problem, which is that there’s so much stigma around Greek life with social media, and it’s been really hard on recruitment numbers at a lot of schools.” 

For Emmons, this stigma can cause frustration.

“The stereotypes about how different houses are is difficult to hear as somebody who’s been in the community for so long because I know all of these wonderful people across all these different chapters,” Emmons said. “I think it’s super hard to show people all of the good that happens within Greek life: all of the friendships, the philanthropy, the community it builds when there’s so much negativity in the media.”

Over 3,000 degrees have been awarded to fraternity and sorority members in the last 14 years, according to the Fraternity and Sorority life website. Additionally, Greek life at the U provides approximately 14,000 hours of community service and $450,000 to philanthropic causes each academic year.

“Every fraternity and sorority chapter is associated with a philanthropic cause,” Emmons said. “Every semester there’s a fundraising week where chapters will have tons of different events.” 

Emmons said members of Greek life are also working to make these events more accessible and open to all of campus. 

Getting Involved

Emmons explained that the best way to learn more about recruitment is on the U of U sororities Instagram. There, students can find a recruitment guidebook and regular updates on the process. Additional information about spring recruitment can be found on the U’s Fraternity and Sorority life website.

“If someone is interested in being a part of the community as a whole, I’m going to encourage it wholeheartedly,” Emmons said. “It’s cliche to say, but it really makes a big campus feel a lot smaller.”

a.walker@dailyutahchronicle.com

@Alina_Walkerr

The post Sorority Recruitment at the U Creates Community on Campus first appeared on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham announced her recommended budget plan for the fiscal year 2026-27 on Thursday at the Board of Regents meeting.

Cunningham’s proposal asks for an overall fund increase of $235 million from the Minnesota state legislature, a 32% increase from the last fiscal year.

This year, Minnesota state leaders allocated 6.4% of available funds to higher education. Roughly 2% will go to the University of Minnesota.

Fiscal year 2026-27 biennial budget proposal breakdown

$120 million will be allocated to furthering the University’s core mission by increasing employee’s minimum wage and covering increased costs of general maintenance for University buildings. 

$30 million will be spent on “enhancing student experience” by prioritizing services for students, including classroom repairs, increased mental health services, new technology, and career and academic advising. 

$40 million will increase funding to the Saint Paul and greater Minnesota University campuses to promote job growth and research. 

$45 million will help to reduce healthcare workforce shortages, increase reach to underserved populations and continue research in prevention, treatment and care. 

The FY26 budget will be brought before the Board for review and action during their June 2025 meeting, and the FY27 budget will be reviewed the following year in June 2026.

Public Input

The Board discussed potential ways to bridge the gap between the regents, faculty and the student body at their meeting on Friday. 

Executive Director of the Board of Regents and Corporate Secretary of the University Brian Steeves announced the intent to implement monthly “listening activities” for the Board to connect face-to-face with students, staff, faculty and members of the broader University community.

These listening activities, set to launch sometime during the 2024-25 academic year, will feature structured campus visits from regents to participate in panel discussions, pop-up tables and receptions.

Board Chair Janie Mayeron said regents will attend the listening activities on a rotating basis and will not be expected to attend every event.

Steeves said this initiative aims to “meet people where they are,” by making conversations with regents more accessible for those who cannot attend the Board meetings.

This initiative follows the Board’s launch of a virtual forum in December 2023, which gave the public a way to reach the regents with their concerns or inquiries.

Steeves said that although the regents were overall happy with the virtual forum’s success thus far, they want to prioritize hearing student voices.

“The reality is that the virtual forum from what I remember… we didn’t have a whole lot of students that were actually using that, it was mainly the outside public,” Regent Mary Turner said. “We need to have a way to meet the students.”

Bylaw change

Regents discussed the potential of changing a bylaw that requires requests to appear in front of the Board to be made to the Board secretary in advance and ruled on by the Board Chair.

Mayeron presented the option of eliminating the ability for the public to appear in front of the Board in favor of focusing on gaining public input through other methods she described as more meaningful, such as the virtual forum and the listening activities.

Using the example of the pro-Palestinian groups being allowed to appear at a board meeting while the University’s male gymnastics team was denied, Mayeron said the criteria she has been using to determine which groups are given permission to speak in front of the Board comes down to whether she thinks having them there would have a meaningful impact on the Board’s decisions.

“At the end of the day, letting them come here just so they have the opportunity to be heard when we could not offer an alternative seemed unfair to them and didn’t seem like a good use of our time” Mayeron said about the gymnastics team.

Board members Doug Huebsch, Ruth Johnson, Penny Wheeler and Mary Turner supported officially adding language that would require the Board Chair to consult with one or more regents before ruling on the requests.

No consensus on an action was reached and the Board plans to revisit options during their next meeting Oct. 10-11.

Safety

University Police Department (UMPD) Chief Matt Clark announced that UMPD will launch a new interactive campus crime map this fall during his yearly safety update presentation for the University Twin Cities campus.

This map will be interactive and updated as crime happens, allowing users to visualize daily crime information in context, Clark said. 

Clark said in the last year overall crime rates are down, with the exceptions of aggravated assaults, which he attributed to two reports made at the University Medical Center in which hospital staff were assaulted, and another three assaults on uniformed UMPD officers. 

Clark announced several changes for the 2024-25 academic year, including the recent installation of turnstiles in 17th Avenue and Middlebrook residence halls following the positive response to those in Pioneer Hall. 

Additionally, 74 University buildings will now operate on University standard hours, opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 4 p.m. with restricted access via U card. Clark added there has been an increase in high-visibility blue phones and UMPD plans to install interior locks on classroom doors to enhance security.

Coming and Going

• Regents and Cunningham welcomed Charles Nies, the newly instated 10th chancellor of the Duluth campus to the University of Minnesota system.

• Kathy Schmidlkofer, the current President and CEO of the University of Minnesota Foundation announced her official intent to retire in the 2024-25 academic year. A nationwide search for the new President and CEO will be launched sometime in the next few months.

Students at the Student Center North on Sept. 10, 2024. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

As the University grows in population, space on campus for students does not. Whether it is finding places to sit, study or relax in between classes, students are burdened with long waiting lines or crowded rest spaces.

The most frequently visited places to study on campus are Student Centers North and South, and it is rare to find open seating for study sessions.

“Looking for places to study is very aggravating considering the more comfortable places on campus are always crowded,” said public health sophomore Hannah Ortega. “While studying in these spaces, I feel suffocated, and sometimes the Wifi crashes making it impossible to get work done in these study spaces.”

Students like Hannah are constantly struggling to find seating in common areas across campus. Regardless of them using these seats to kick back and relax, the majority use these common areas for academics. 

“It takes me around two to three hours to study,” Ortega said. “I need these spots for a good amount of time, and I’m probably there for even longer if the atmosphere is distracting.” 

Considering the amount of time students need to do schoolwork and this year harboring the biggest freshman class in UH history, the seating availability is not accommodating. 

To address these challenges, the Student Government Association shed light on what the path forward would be to tackle the limited seating crisis and still give a quality experience to students.

“There is not an initiative taking place at the moment, however, SGA is always striving to listen to student concerns,” said Sen. Sahar El Hoderi. “This issue has also been affecting me because even as a senator, I am also a student and working with student organizations.”

El Hoderi believes that not only are the common areas overpopulated but even booking rooms for events are always reserved.

Overpopulation is also affecting campus organizations needing to utilize these spaces for clubs, meetings and events. 

These scheduling conflicts and limited spaces for student activities reduce the overall quality of student engagement, ultimately delaying the ability of organizations to prosper.

“In the long term, there is the Centennial Project, which is focused on planting more trees, making artificial shaded areas and outdoor spaces that are study-friendly,” Ortega said. “This plan focuses on creating more outdoor hangout spaces which gives students variety in seating availability.” 

However, while these plans beautify the campus and offer more quality study spaces, these changes would only apply within comfortable weather. 

UH being a campus located in Texas, people on campus are typically experiencing warm and humid temperatures with thunderstorms and rain being common. Additionally, a bigger issue is the preparation of making new spaces. 

“These spaces are aimed to be welcoming and inviting to students,” Ortega said. “However, these may contradict if these spots are overcrowded as well and are no longer appealing to students.”

While the Centennial Project will offer more spaces and seating on campus, approaching this problem head-on is not easy. 

As of right now, the only solution for this would be collecting data on which spaces should be focused on. 

With this information, the University should be able to make informed decisions on ensuring current and future students are offered access to revamped campus seating spaces. 

news@thedailycougar.com

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“‘I feel suffocated’: Students share concerns about seating crunch” was originally posted on The Cougar