If the situation [at Colorado’s public universities] is so dire, why did [Metropolitan State College of Denver] build a $90,000 climbing wall for its students, asks Beth Skinner, Colorado director for Freedom Works, a national small-government group….

The money for the wall came from student fees, plus $5,000 from the college's student services money, [President Stephen] Jordan said. He said he approves of the wall for the same reason he'd consider reallocating money to invest in student housing.

"We want to create co-curricular activities because having a sense of community for students is also about learning study habits and social skills, and those help you succeed in college," Jordan said. "It's no different with the climbing wall."