The opinions represented in this article do not necessarily represent those of the staff of CU Independent nor any of its sponsors.

Congress ended the fight over the debt ceiling last Thursday, raising it to a limit that is expected to be hit again in February. But what is the debt ceiling, and why is it such an important issue?

The debt ceiling is a limit on the amount of money that the federal government can borrow. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the federal government borrows money from individuals, corporations, local and state governments, Federal Reserve Banks and foreign governments and entities.

When the borrowing limit or “ceiling” is reached, Congress and the President must agree to raise the debt ceiling in order to keep borrowing. Raising the debt ceiling does not mean raising the debt itself. It means raising the limit on how much money we are allowed to borrow.

The reason we need to borrow money at all is that only about 54 percent of what the federal government spends is money from revenue, or money the government collects from taxes. The remaining 46 percent comes from money that is borrowed.

That’s why raising the debt ceiling is such a hot issue: If we wait until the government hits the limit, and then proceed not to raise the limit, the federal government would have to choose between cutting spending from certain obligations or fail to pay interest to its loaners. Those obligations include paying Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits, as well as paying military salaries to citizens who need them.

The issue frightens me because no one knows for sure what will happen if the debt ceiling isn’t raised. It’s a political no man’s land. Failing to raise the debt ceiling is unprecedented.

When Congress argues it prolongs a long-term solution, it has the potential to destabilize the economy because world markets begin to worry. Even the potential threat of the U.S. default — that is, being unable to guarantee that it will pay interest on its debt — means that banks and credit markets around the world wouldn’t be able to borrow from each other in the same way. The U.S. dollar would be seen as less dependable, thus lowering the value of the dollar and raising the cost of borrowing money if the debt ceiling is raised.

Last week, some Congressional Republicans objected to raising the debt ceiling unless Democrats agreed to lower spending by cutting entitlements, or mandatory spending programs such as Social Security, and repealing the newly implemented health care law commonly known as Obamacare. Both parties are for cutting spending in the abstract, but most Democrats oppose cutting Social Security and the repeal of any aspect of Obamacare.

Republicans’ desire to cut spending from entitlements is one thing, but it should have absolutely nothing to do with the debt ceiling. Both parties are for reforming the budget, but the way to do that should be through debate and compromise. Standing in the way of the debt ceiling being raised isn’t changing the federal budget, it’s just making Republicans look like children throwing tantrums. This nation can’t afford another debt ceiling scare.

If Republicans want to reduce the deficit and slow the growth of our debt, they shouldn’t be wasting time stalling this vital aspect of their jobs. I think the only way to lower the budget deficit and thus slow the growth of our debt is to reasonably negotiate changing the spending laws that are already in place.

Playing games with the debt ceiling, as Republicans learned again last Thursday, is not the way to reduce the deficit.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ellis Arnold at Ellis.arnold@colorado.edu.

Opinions herein do not represent CU Independent or any sponsors.

“How do you think you could enrich our diverse and inclusive community?”

That’s the question CU asked me (and probably many of you) to answer last year as we sat down to write our college application essays. I was taken aback because the question itself surprised me, but the statement that it implied was even more unexpected: “CU is diverse, and that’s the first thing you should know about it.” I answered the question, sent in the essay and eight months later I arrived, ready to become part of the purportedly diverse atmosphere of CU Boulder.

When I got here, I quickly noticed that my residence hall floor was anything but diverse. OK, maybe that’s just coincidence, I thought. The next day I took my first couple trips to the C4C, where again I found little diversity. Then I went to my first class, and the second, and the third, fourth and fifth. Wait, CU has diversity? Where?

The expectation vs. reality in racial diversity at CU is a jarring one. There is seemingly a vision of CU as a richly diverse, flourishing microcosm of what an accepting world should look like; all my application and scholarship essay prompts, my admissions counselor and my pre-enrollment informational programs suggested that strongly, but then you get here, and…are we talking about the same CU?

I asked myself how such a well-known university could represent itself as diverse and be totally different in reality. The answer is complicated. The truth is that when it comes to major universities, CU isn’t as criminally lacking in racial diversity as you might think; in fact, we might be doing a relatively good job of maintaining it.

Before your jaw unhinges, check the facts. In fall 2012, CU was 73.2 percent white, CSU was 75 percent white and DU was 85 percent white. Further east, Ohio State was 83.7 percent white, the University of Connecticut 74 percent, and the University of Georgia 73 percent. CU isn’t a record-shattering beacon of hope for diversity, but it isn’t the only school that’s struggling.

Part of the reason why we see so little racial diversity at CU is due to the demographics of the state as a whole; minorities make up only 11.9 percent of Colorado’s population. At CU, the percentage is 19.1 percent. In some way, we’re actually beating the odds.

“Boulder’s not alone,” said David Aragon, Executive Director for Student Success in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement at CU. “Universities across the country are working hard to increase diversity. It speaks to the challenges in K-12 education.”

Aragon and the ODECE seek to help high school students prepare themselves for college through CU’s Pre-Collegiate Development program, and through various academic programs that focus on putting middle and high school students on the right track to college. The ODECE helps foster diversity on campus through the CU-LEAD Alliance program, which provides academic learning communities that build relationships between students of different backgrounds.

“The students have really been great mentors for me to really focus in on what I want to do with design as my major,” Katy Caballero, a 21-year-old senior environmental design major and CU-LEAD student, said. “It’s really been helpful to have that sense of community, or network, to be able to touch base with and guide me.”

When it comes to the gap between K-12 education and college preparedness, it may come down to a waiting game; the amount of the student body that identifies with a minority group has sharply increased from 15.5 percent to 19.1 percent in just three years.

We all can help CU’s diversity grow by being an accepting and welcoming campus. The 11 academic and diversity-centered programs in the CU-LEAD Alliance reflect what Buffs do in their everyday lives: put out a positive attitude toward all students here in Boulder. We aren’t exactly a rainbow coalition just yet, but the day when an incoming student won’t be shocked by our level of diversity may come sooner than we think.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ellis Arnold at Ellis.arnold@colorado.edu.

Opinions herein do not represent CU Independent or any sponsors.

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but CU has a bit of a reputation for partying.

In 2012, Newsweek ranked CU the number three party school in the entire nation, and that statistic really sinks in when you realize that there are roughly 2,774 four-year universities in the country.

For freshmen, the freedom associated with the college party culture can become a problem if not handled responsibly. Campus is dripping with stories of roofies, Molly (MDMA and its variants), vomiting in dorm rooms and friends strapped to gurneys in ambulances. And we freshmen have only been here for four weeks.

CU students partake in a friendly game of beer pong. Nobody wants to bring down their teammate by not making any cups. (CU Independent/Nate Bruzdzinski)

Parties at college are nothing new, but Boulder students party especially hard. A crazy night here and there is one thing, but party culture becomes a larger problem when it swallows up the rest of a student’s lifestyle.

“I definitely know people who never go to class. I think for some people, the social interaction and being popular in that way is more important than education,” said Heather Fischle, a 21-year-old senior speech, language and hearing major.

Freshmen who suddenly have the freedom to do whatever they want, whenever they want, seem especially at risk for falling into this kind of pattern.

“It’s kind of like when you’re a little kid and your parents are gone, and you eat all the ice cream — and you get the stomach ache the next day,” said Will Hathaway, a 21-year-old senior management and marketing major.

Groups on campus have tried to challenge the perception that partying is the norm, but it won’t change unless individual students exercise moderation.

There’s no reason to believe that someone who parties like crazy every week in college will suddenly realize the error of their ways when they get handed their diploma. That’s why developing an excessive party habit can be dangerous for someone’s future.

Sociology Professor Patti Adler said that 20-somethings don’t drop their drinking habits immediately after graduation. But when done responsibly, Adler said, partying can certainly have some upsides.

“It’s a relief from stress,” she said. “It’s intrinsically fun, and it develops close friendships.”

So, can partying be a good thing? Yes. Can it send you on a downward spiral, waking up at 3 p.m. and wondering where your pants went? Also yes. The difference is being smart about it.

Moderation is your friend. Also important is knowing that partying isn’t the only way to have a good time in Boulder. There are tons of fun things going on at CU: hundreds of clubs, movie showings in residence halls and sports events.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ellis Arnold at Ellis.Arnold@colorado.edu.