Once again, the University of Arizona has shown that it is a national champion. The latest edition to the school's list of talented students does not come from the athletic or fine arts departments, but from the rarely-applauded College of Engineering. The 13-member solar car Monsoon Team took first place in the American Solar Challenge, beating such schools as Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They should be congratulated, respected, and supported in further efforts and competitions.
The Monsoon Team deserves a level of respect much higher than we usually grace our homecoming champions with. Their objective was not simply entertainment. They have not only shown their academic abilities, but have applied their skills to a project of undeniable importance and the pursuit of bettering our planet. They should also be respected for driving a car 2,147 miles from Chicago to Claremont, Calif., apparently without air conditioning.
In a time of energy and environmental crisis, solar technology and other alternative sources of energy are crucial to the health of our environment and economy. The Monsoon Team's car was purely solar-run. They raced against teams with bigger budgets and gas-solar hybrids, and won. They took first place in the solar-only "stock car" division and No. 9 overall. Their effort has proved that the existence of reliable alternatives to fossil fuels is very much a reality,
The success of the Monsoon team does not stop at the realities of cleaner and more efficient cars - it also suggests alternatives to many of our other energy problems. Solar energy is a relatively untapped resource. With California foreshadowing energy problems that could occur in the rest of the county, we should begin to question why there are not solar panels on every rooftop, especially in Arizona. The Monsoon Team has utilized a level of creativity that has yet to be reached in our nation's energy policy.
The University of Arizona should be proud of its new champions not only because of their victory, but because they have inspired us to believe that our future will not be clouded in exhaust and that our children's children will not see the depletion of the world's oil reserves. The pursuit of alternate-fueled vehicles is a fight against corporate power and political pressure and the Monsoon Team has thrown the first punch. They have shown that the alternatives are available - now we must embrace them, accept them, and fight for them.
The Monsoon Team built a winning car from scratch with a budget of $200,000. The University of Michigan team took first place in the open class race and did so with a budget of $1,000,000. The success of the Monsoon Team should be attributed to the dedication of the team, their hard work, and determination.
The Monsoon Team is already preparing for it's next competition the World Solar Challenge in Australia. They need $35,000 more support to continue their pursuit of engineering excellence and a cleaner, more-efficient world. The university should support this team as it does for its other championship teams that never have to ask for further support and never offer anything beyond entertainment. This team has obviously shown that it can compete with the best universities in the country and they deserve a comparable budget.
The staff editorial is the collective stance of the Arizona Summer Wildcat's editorial board.
