Sociology Newsletter - October 2025

The Department of Sociology is pleased to announce a collaboration with the Alliance for Criminal Justice Innovation (ACJI), a nationally recognized leader in criminal justice reform. SOCY2113: Principles of Community Care is an 8-week, 1-credit, online course that offers CU Denver students the chance to take ACJI’s innovative curriculum on community care. Students completing SOCY2113 will then be able to take SOCY3113: Applied Community Care, a 3-credit course offered in Spring 2026. This is an excellent opportunity to acquire demonstrable skills highly sought after in the human and social service sector that will let you stand out. Students should register for the course by October 10. Contact Keith Guzik, department chair, for more details.

Campus Prep has worked with CU Denver and schools across the country for years, providing an affordable, live, online LSAT prep course. Their comprehensive 27-hour course, taught by high-scoring instructors, preps law school applicants for the November or January LSAT and includes proctored practice exams. Courses cost just $254-$309, well below the market average, with payment plans available. Students can choose from Sunday and Monday schedules. Contact Campus Prep or call (877) 805-2521 for more information. An introductory meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 15th, at 4:30 p.m. in Student Commons Building, room 3208, that will describe the LSAT, provide practice problems, engage students in group study, and share resources. Free Panda Express will be provided!

A CU Anschutz research team in Community & Behavioral Health is offering free group programs to CU Denver students to help reduce stress, improve mental health, and provide the opportunity to earn up to $225 by participating in a research study. The program meets for 1.5 hours per week for 7 weeks. The study involves making three lab visits over 6 months, completing brief daily surveys, and collecting saliva samples at home. Group programs will be offered on Monday afternoons from October 13 to November 17 & 12/1. If you have any questions or would like more information, contact the research team by email. 

The middle of the semester can bring up unique course situations and raise questions about what is needed to finish your degree. If you are an undergraduate student and have questions about the sociology major, minor, certificates, or whatever else, Undergraduate Advisor Dr. Maren Scull is ready to help! Just shoot her an email to set up an appointment. 

As social beings and social thinkers, it would be uncouth of us not to have our own social media networks. For those who want to stay connected, visit us on Instagram, X, and Bluesky. 

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences is still seeking excellent undergraduate students to serve on the 2025-2026 Dean’s Student Advisory Council. The Council meets 2-3 times per semester to provide feedback to the CLAS Dean’s Office regarding CLAS policies, processes, academic programs, and other issues relevant to students. This is an important group that provides students access to the Dean and informs policy. Meetings will be held on a Thursday each month, from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM, and students can participate either by Zoom or in person. If you’re interested in serving on the Council, contact Keith Guzik, department chair. 

Urban Peak is a Denver-based organization providing a full convergence of services focused on one of the most vulnerable populations in our community: youth ages 12 through 24 who are experiencing homelessness. To move from homelessness to safety and stability, youth require intensive, strengths-based case management; access to physical, mental, and behavioral health care; education and employment opportunities; 24/7 crisis support; and a place to call home. Urban Peak meets young people where they are at and ignites a spark that puts them on a path toward self-determined, fulfilled lives. The group has new volunteer opportunities available at The Mothership! Sign up here. T-shirts, deodorant, and reusable water bottles are on the group's Mothership wish list. And wipes, tampons, laundry baskets, and reusable grocery bags are on their housing wish list.

The Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (URCA) is your connection to research opportunities at CU Denver. URCA helps students jump-start their research careers. Its Education through Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities program, or EURēCA, has research assistantship and grant opportunities that fund undergraduate students doing research. Explore opportunities on their webpage and schedule an appointment with their office to put your ideas into action. 

The Learning Resources Center (LRC) at CU Denver supports student academic success by promoting and fostering independent learning and critical thinking skills. The LRC strives to cultivate effective learning strategies, skills, and study habits while empowering students to be life-long learners in a collaborative, supportive, and inclusive learning environment. The office offers a bevy of services to help students meet their academic and personal goals. These include peer tutoring, a writing center, supplemental learning, individual coaching, study skills workshops, and more. Visit their website for more information and schedule a session! 

The Office of Equity (OE) is dedicated to advancing an inclusive environment free from sexual misconduct and discrimination based on age, color, creed, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, political philosophy, pregnancy or related conditions, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and veteran status. The OE strives to foster a community where all identities are respected, and every individual has equitable access to education and employment opportunities. This semester, the Office is holding a series of workshops as part of its Meet Your Moment, Make It Matter campaign. Information on workshops and a link for making an equity report can be found here. 

Alpha Kappa Delta is continuing its workshop series for sociology graduate students: The Graduate Student Lounge. The AKD Grad Student Lounge is an initiative sponsored by Alpha Kappa Delta to support and foster graduate students’ professionalization, well-being, and peer networking. It meets monthly to discuss various topics of interest to graduate students in sociology and offers a grad-only safe space to share tips, ideas, and recommendations. Graduate students are welcome to sign up to be invited using this link.

Alpha Kappa Delta currently provides funding to AKD student members who present at regional sociology conferences. Awards are up to $500/student, although no more than $1,500 may be awarded per chapter. This is another great reason to join sociology’s honor society. For more information about the chapter, contact Dr. Jenny Vermilya. 

Milo’s Market is CU Denver’s grocery. It’s a hub for students, staff, and faculty to access free food and hygiene items. Milo’s Market embodies CU Denver’s belief that every person deserves to live free of food insecurity. All students are allocated various goods each week, whether it's a snack for the day or ingredients for a meal. All you need is your LynxCard and a reusable bag! Milo’s Market is located on the 3rd floor of the Wellness Center.

The Sociology Club meets every other Tuesday from 6-7:00 at the Sociology Department (Lawrence Street Center 420). Recently, the Club held a movie night (check out the pic). The Club's mission is to offer a community for students, provide professional development opportunities, and advocate on social justice issues. If that resonates with you, we hope to see you at a Club meeting or event. The next meeting is October 7. And stay tuned to social media, email, and the newsletter for details about upcoming events!

September 15-October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Heritage Month honors the cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. CU Denver kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month in September, but the action continues in October. The University Events Calendar, Denver’s Hispanic Heritage Month website, and History Colorado have more information on events celebrating the rich Hispanic roots and cultures of our campus, city, and state. Also check out this cool virtual tour by Denver Public Art showcasing a few of the many projects in their collection created by Hispanic and/or Latino/a/x artists. 

Inspired by Colorado's vibrant culture and community, and in celebration of LGBTQ+ and Latinx History Months, our friends at the Department of Social Work at MSU are inviting you to a Drag Show on Thursday, October 23, at Hamburger Mary's (1336 E 17th Ave, Denver). This event will showcase fantastic local performers, with an intentional focus on uplifting Latinx artists. All proceeds will be reinvested directly into the community through performer pay and venue costs. Please be sure to RSVP. 

Please join us in celebrating the launch of the Colorado Labor Education Collaborative on October 9th from 5:30-7:30 PM at the Student Commons Building, room 1600. This years-in-the-making coalition is dedicated to bridging higher education and the labor movement to make labor education more accessible. The kickoff will feature powerful stories from workers and organizers on the front lines of current campaigns, alongside students presenting labor-related research—all accompanied by live labor music and food. Help us to build momentum by spreading the word. We hope to see you there. 

Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-abuse concerns. The course covers where to turn for help, risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction, and strategies for helping those in crisis and non-crisis situations. The course will be offered at the Wellness Center on November 14, 9AM-3PM and on Zoom on October 24, 9AM-3PM and December 5, 9AM-3PM. You can register for a training here. 

The CU Denver Student Wellness Center also offers Opioid Prevention & Response Training. Trainings cover how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and administer the overdose reverse drug, Naloxone. Attendees will also be provided with free harm reduction tools, including Naloxene and Fentanyl testing strips. These trainings happen from 12-1PM in the third floor seminar room of the Wellness Center on the following days: October 9 and 28, November 5 and 19, and December 2. Register here. 

The CU Denver Wellness Center is so much more than a place to work out. It’s also a place to study, hang out with friends, grab food from Milo’s Mart, and more. That more includes a variety of offerings and events. Spirit Thursdays happen every other Thursday and feature Milo. The Center organizes Outdoor Adventure Trips where students can go backpacking, rock climbing, bouldering, skiing, and more for about $20 a trip. Free yoga and pilates sessions are offered throughout the semester. Intramural sports ranging from badminton to wiffleball are also available. Finally, financial wellness workshops are offered in conjunction with ENT Credit Union. A full list of events and services can be found on the Center’s website. 

Confluent People (Emanuel Martinez @emanuelmartinezarts 1999, 2017), Little Raven St. underpass at Speer Blvd., Denver (Photo: Arts & Venues Denver)

The Department of Sociology is shouting out Dr. Edelina Burciaga on her promotion to Associate Professor of Sociology with tenure. Dr. Burciaga is a sociologist of immigration who joined our department in 2016. Her book, Life Undocumented: Latinx Youth Navigating Place and Belonging (University of Arizona Press), chronicles how undocumented young adults in the US navigate the pathway to and through adulthood amidst dissimilar state laws and policies governing immigration. She is currently working on a project in partnership with faculty at CU Anschutz examining the reproductive health experiences of Latinas, both immigrants and children of immigrants, in Colorado and Arizona. Congratulations Edelina on this accomplishment and thank you for your excellent work! (Here is a photo of Dr. Burciaga being fêted for her promotion at a recent luncheon on campus). 

Vaccine hesitancy remains a vexing social problem in our country and across the globe. Last week, our own Dr. Jennifer Reich, Professor of Sociology at CU Denver, published a featured op-ed in the New York Times on what her twenty years of research on this topic has taught her and can teach us. Thank you, Jennifer, for this awesome piece and for representing CU Denver Sociology! Read it here.

Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) was an influential political theorist, historian, and philosopher. Born in Germany and experiencing the rise of the Nazis, she possessed unique insight into the workings of authoritarianism. After settling in the US, she wrote a number of landmark books on the operations of power in society. In The Origins of Totalitarianism, Dr. Arendt observed, “In an ever-changing, incomprehensible world the masses had reached the point where they would, at the same time, believe everything and nothing, think that everything was possible and that nothing was true. ... Mass propaganda discovered that its audience was ready at all times to believe the worst, no matter how absurd, and did not particularly object to being deceived because it held every statement to be a lie anyhow.” Thank you, Dr. Arendt, for your wisdom, and may we take guidance from it now. 

In August, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston laid off 170 municipal workers as part of a wider range of cost-cutting measures to reduce the size of city government amidst a budgetary crisis. These cuts come on top of reductions at the state and federal levels intended to do the same. Organizations acound the state providing vital services to people in need have started to feel the impact. How did the City of Denver get here? Denverite has in-depth coverage answering that question. 

Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids continue to disrupt the lives of people and communities across the country. Numerous lawsuits have been filed against the agency for wrongful detention, unconstitutional workplace raids, and improper detention of minors. The Trump Administration, meanwhile, is preparing to expand its practice of deploying US soldiers in cities to support ICE. In response to these actions, communities across the country are organizing People’s Patrols to alert residents about federal raids. You can read about such efforts in Illinois here and in Colorado here.

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, so the saying goes. But what about when life gives you trash? High fashion anyone? President Djangoun is a style icon from the West African country of Benin whose creative, handmade designs have won him awards and followers across the world. You can learn more about this visionary artist in a video segment from France 24.