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Although tobacco addiction is the leading cause of preventable death in Colorado, the state's cigarette tax is ranked lowest in the nation and some critics say the rate encourages tobacco use. The cigarette tax and other tobacco-related health topics will be explored during a monthlong series of conferences and presentations offered by the University of Colorado at Boulder School of Law and the university's Center for Bioethics and Humanities.

Over the next few days the University of Colorado at Boulder will acknowledge the loss of 18-year-old freshman Lynn Gordon Bailey Jr. in several ceremonies and also will begin examining the relationship between the university and the Greek system. Chancellor Richard L. Byyny met with Bailey's family on campus today to offer his support and sympathy in the death of Gordon Bailey. Bailey was pronounced dead at the scene at the Chi Psi fraternity house, 1080 14th St., on Friday.

Today I learned of the tragic death of a freshman CU-Boulder student that occurred at an off-campus fraternity. Our hearts go out to the young man's family and friends and I share their grief and sadness. The investigation into this tragedy is being conducted by the City of Boulder Police Department with assistance from the University of Colorado Police Department. It is premature for me to comment on the progress of the investigation. As we learn more from the police investigation, we will take decisive action as appropriate.

Campus police at the University of Colorado at Boulder and city authorities have a constructive reminder for students as they settle in for the fall semester: be aware that state law targets out-of-control celebrations. Inciting or engaging in a riot, disorderly conduct and damaging personal or public property are all against the law in Colorado. According to a state law that took effect in June 2002, college students convicted of rioting offenses will be prohibited from attending any state-supported college or university for one year.

Overall enrollment for fall 2004 at the University of Colorado at Boulder is slightly higher than fall 2003, with 29,258 degree-seeking students enrolled, or 107 more than last year, according to final fall census figures. CU-Boulder's fall 2003 enrollment totaled 29,151 degree-seeking students. Freshman numbers are down as planned, however, in keeping with Quality for Colorado goals. A total of 5,128 new freshmen are attending this fall, a decrease of 443 or 8 percent from last fall's total of 5,571.

Jackson Katz, a nationally recognized leader in fighting men's violence against women, will lecture at the University of Colorado at Boulder at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 21, in Macky Auditorium. The lecture, including audiovisuals, is intended for students, faculty and staff and is titled "Challenge Your Perspective: Changing the CU Culture."

CU-Boulder Professor Bella Mody, an India native whose research and consulting work has focused on developing countries around the world, has joined the faculty as the first holder of the James E. de Castro Chair in Global Media Studies at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The de Castro chair, funded through a $1.5 million gift from James E. de Castro, a University of Colorado at Boulder alumnus, is the school's first endowed chair and one of the first of its kind in the nation.

The University of Colorado at Boulder is ranked among the top 100 colleges in the nation for minorities receiving degrees by two magazines, Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education and Black Issues in Higher Education. "The administration and faculty at CU-Boulder value a diverse educational environment and we are making slow but steady gains," said Christine Yoshinaga-Itano, vice provost and associate vice chancellor for diversity.

The upcoming presidential and vice presidential debates will be critical to the outcome of the election and could become heated as the candidates struggle to connect with voters, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder expert in political communication. "I expect there to be some very crisp exchanges between John Kerry and George W. Bush," said Gerard Hauser, CU-Boulder professor of communication and recipient of the Rhetoric Society of America's prestigious George E. Yoos Award.

Editor's Note: For information on the Boulder site, please contact Gail Siegel or Mike Liguori at the numbers listed above. For information about the content of the program, J. John Cohen or the CU Health Sciences Center, contact Dana Berry. Killer T-cells, antibodies, new drugs and cancer breakthroughs will be among the many topics examined during a free nine-week "CU Mini Med School" hosted by the University of Colorado at Boulder Sept. 22 to Nov. 17.