Finals week is one of the most stressful times for college students. At the University of Denver, students are studying for exams, finishing projects, and trying to complete all of their assignments before the end of the quarter. Because of this, many students feel overwhelmed and stressed. To learn more about what students experience during finals week, we asked two questions: What’s the most stressful part of finals week for you? And how do you manage that stress?
Continue readingAcademics, Leisure
The realities of DU dating.
Dating in college. Often portrayed as exciting and full of possibilities in popular media. The reality for many students at the University of Denver is more complicated. Our interviews with DU students reveal a dating culture shaped by busy schedules and uncertainty about what people are truly looking for in relationships.
Sophomore Leo described the dating scene at DU as challenging. He said that many students appear isolated and reluctant to put themselves out there.
“I feel like everyone’s a little hidden and closed off.”
Leo explained that his involvement in club rugby has helped him expand his social circle. Through social gatherings, he has been able to meet people he may not have encountered otherwise. His experience highlights the role student organizations play in helping students build connections on campus.
Read more: The realities of DU dating.For sophomores Kira and Mia, DU provided a successful relationship. The couple met during Orientation Week outside Lighthouse, a popular gathering spot near campus. They began dating the following summer.
Like many college couples, balancing a relationship with academics and social obligations can be difficult.
“There’s a lot to balance,” Mia said. “Friends, homework, all the academic work, and dating.”
Despite those challenges, both emphasized the importance of communication in maintaining a healthy relationship.
They encouraged students interested in dating to be honest about their feelings and willing to listen to their partners during disagreements.
“Communication is key,” Kira said. “Always be honest and try to work together on problems instead of holding things against someone.”
Their perspective suggests that while college relationships require effort, they can succeed when both partners are committed to understanding one another.
Junior psychology major Lizzie Lesoing offered another perspective on DU’s dating culture.
She believes students generally have plenty of opportunities to meet potential partners through social events and mutual friends.
“I think it’s easy to meet people,” Lesoing said.
However, she noted that making connections is only part of the challenge. Understanding another person’s intentions can be much more difficult.
“I think it’s difficult to tell what they really want from you,” she said.
Her observation reflects a common concern among college students navigating modern dating. While social opportunities are abundant, uncertainty about commitment and relationship expectations can create confusion and frustration.
As DU students continue to build friendships and relationships on campus, their experiences suggest that finding connection may be less about opportunity and more about understanding what both people are looking for in the first place.
AI on campus: innovation or overreach?
This past month, an Arizona college skipped or mispronounced hundreds of students’ names at their graduation due to an AI software glitch from a system that the school incorporated. Additionally, this graduation season many commencement speakers have been referencing AI in their speeches.
Both these instances have caused an uproar amongst students sharing their opinions on AI. What does this mean for how much we’ve been incorporating AI into our daily life? What does it mean for the future of AI use in universities?
The question arises – what do students at the University of Denver think about this AI use?
Continue readingThe Asia Center and its uncertain future
The Denver Asia Center has long served as more than just a physical space on campus at the University of Denver. For many Asian American students, it functions as a cultural anchor, a place of familiarity, and a point of connection to heritage, identity, and community. In moments of uncertainty, it becomes a reminder of belonging within a broader university environment.
Recent discussions surrounding the Asia Center created concern across both campus and the surrounding community. However, the center is no longer at immediate risk, as earlier plans for reconstruction or removal have been withdrawn. Despite this, the long-term future of the space remains uncertain, leaving students and business owners still reflecting on its importance and stability.
In interviews conducted with students and business owners operating within the Asia Center, multiple voices highlighted the emotional and cultural weight the space carries. Their responses reflected both personal identity and the broader role of the center as a cultural and economic hub.
For Ethan Lim, an Asian American student at the University of Denver, the Asia Center represents something deeply personal. When reflecting on the situation, his response centered on identity and community.
“When I hear about this I think about community and my identity,” he said.
His words reflect how cultural centers on college campuses are not simply extracurricular spaces, but essential environments where identity is affirmed and shared. Even with immediate risk no longer present, the uncertainty surrounding the center’s future continues to shape how students interpret its role in campus life.
That connection to cultural space is shared across many students who see the Asia Center as one of the few places on campus where cultural expression feels natural and community feels accessible. It serves as a grounding point for students navigating both academic life and cultural identity.
Outside the student body, the Asia Center is also home to multiple Asian-owned businesses, making it both a cultural and economic hub. Owners operating within the center expressed concern about what any potential disruption would mean for both their livelihoods and the broader community ecosystem.
Tuan Li, owner of Tony Pho, described his emotional reaction when he first heard about the situation.
“We were all very very sad before we saw the news, I was scared very very scared,” he said.
Li’s response reflects how deeply intertwined the Asia Center is with the surrounding business community. For business owners, the center is not just a symbolic space but a daily working environment that supports their income, customers, and cultural presence in Denver.
He has also been active within the community, speaking with other business owners and sharing information, becoming one of the more vocal voices among tenants in the center.
Additional interviews with other business owners in the Asia Center revealed similar concerns about stability, investment, and cultural continuity.
At Ba Le Sandwiches, owner Thao N described her reaction as immediate and unsettling.
“When I heard the news I was disoriented put a lot of money into this so if this happens and it’s taken down i dont know what to do,” she said.
Her concern highlights the financial uncertainty tied to long-term investment in a business deeply rooted in the Asian community space.
At Golden Pho, owner Tam Nguyen emphasized the cultural importance of the center.
“This is a community made by Vietnamese for the Vietnamese,” she said.
She added, “It broke my heart not just for my business but for everyone I never want this place to close.”
Nguyen also emphasized the importance of family-oriented space within the center, noting, “It’s nice to have a place where our children can come down and eat and play.”
Her comments reflect how businesses in the Asia Center function as more than commercial spaces. They act as informal community centers where families gather, cultural traditions are maintained, and intergenerational connection is sustained.
Ultimately, what emerges from these interviews is a shared understanding that the Asia Center is not just a physical location. It is a lived space where identity, culture, and community intersect, shaping how both students and business owners connect to one another and to the broader Denver community.
For now we can rest easy and share a bowl of Pho with Tony at Tony pho.
DU Coffee Club talks about leadership change
Passing the Mug: Coffee Club Leadership Brews a New Chapter at DU
For many students, coffee is simply a way to wake up before class. For members of the University of Denver’s Coffee Club, however, it is much more than that. Coffee has become a way to build friendships, create community, and connect with other students who share a common interest.
Continue readingJoe’s tik tok
/https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTBam1fX3/
My creative process behind this was rather simple actually. You see I had the genius concept I call “forgetting my final project until the day before”, this technique allowed me to create a fun narrative of a college student who has left his assignment to the very last minute. This also saved me the struggle of having to search through thousands of topics. Overall however I was able to have a ton of fun with this project. The second part being filmed on vertical was something I forget to change so you’ll have to excuse that aspect I tried to change it after the fact and it wasn’t the best result and it ended up looking really bad trying to change it into a horizontal view. The other challenge was making that room as messy and as trashy as it was. I was able to ask my friends to trash the general room and we had a blast making a mess to create a sense of ungodly amounts of disorganization. The last bit was adding in the it’s always sunny in Philadelphia intro music as it seemed like a more tame less degenerate it’s always sunny bit. Overall this was a fun project and I had a blast making it.
Packing up to go home as a DU student
This TikTok follows my move out day at DU as I get ready to head home for the summer. The video reveals everything from doing laundry and packing my room to spending time with friends, moving my belongings into storage, and saying goodbye to campus before driving home.
I created this video because I wanted to reveal what it is like packing up and going home as a DU student at the end of the school year. The idea came from my own move out experience and everything that goes into leaving campus for the summer. I planned the video by thinking about the main parts of my day that I wanted to capture. I filmed myself doing laundry, packing my room, getting brunch with friends, moving my stuff into storage, and driving home. I enjoyed filming the specific parts of my day and what it would look like from an outside perspective. My favorite part was looking back on my last day at DU and saying goodbye to all my friends and roommates until next year!!
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