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On Oct. 10, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case that reconsiders affirmative action in university admissions. In Fisher v. University of Texas, the plaintiff is a white woman who says she was denied admission while less-qualified minority applicants were admitted. When the court last considered the issue in 2003, it re-affirmed that public colleges and universities could consider race as one of many factors in making admissions decisions.

Engineering faculty and students at the Â鶹¹ÙÍø have produced the first experimental results showing that atomically thin graphene membranes with tiny pores can effectively and efficiently separate gas molecules through size-selective sieving. The findings are a significant step toward the realization of more energy-efficient membranes for natural gas production and for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power plant exhaust pipes.

Each year CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s program review process begins with a gathering of the community. The annual Academic Forum is an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to engage in a collaborative conversation about the units undergoing review. This year's process focuses on a cross section of units involved in the study of life and environmental sciences. Please join us this Oct. 10 starting at 1:30 p.m, to talk about the significant ways that these units are shaping CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø's present and future.

With the ever-expanding coverage of college football and the addition of conference TV partners and networks, there are very few opportunities for the entire college football-watching world to be focused on one game. ESPN's Thursday Night Football will bring that singular moment to the Â鶹¹ÙÍø campus on Thursday, Oct. 11. As the rest of campus prepares traffic plans, student events and classroom and building logistics, Athletics’ media relations and sports information staff is going into high gear to ready CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø for the national spotlight.

By The CUSG Tri-Executives Next Thursday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m., our Colorado Buffaloes will take on the ASU Sun Devils in our home stadium. This will be a nationally televised event and what better way to show your CU Buffalo pride then arriving early to the game and staying classy. We encourage you to have a good time and always remember you are not only representing yourself but the University of Colorado. Go Buffs!

An update to an election forecasting model announced by two University of Colorado professors in August continues to project that Mitt Romney will win the 2012 presidential election. According to their updated analysis, Romney is projected to receive 330 of the total 538 Electoral College votes. President Barack Obama is expected to receive 208 votes -- down five votes from their initial prediction -- and short of the 270 needed to win.

CU Money Sense will hold a student workshop with help from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation on the prevention of identity theft in the college-age population on Oct. 10. The workshop is open to all CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø students and will be held in University Memorial Center room 245 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Students planning to attend should email CUmoneysense@colorado.edu .

A groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 5 at 4 p.m. will kick off a $63 million project to renovate and expand the Student Recreation Center at the Â鶹¹ÙÍø. The ceremony, located on the pool patio, will include light refreshments and remarks by Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano and other campus and student leaders at 4:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $12 million grant to a CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø-led team to explore ways to maximize the benefits of natural gas development while minimizing negative impacts on ecosystems and communities.

Excited as she was about being at CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø, Melanie Ferraro’s freshman year got off to a rocky start. Ferraro was eventually able to find her footing, however, in a class she was required to take as a Norlin Scholarship recipient, called Constructions of Knowledge. It wasn’t the class itself that led to her transformation from scared and unhappy to confident and successful. It was the connections and friendships she made with the other students.