This week's winners ... and losers
The bomb - The artificial heart developed by the UA's own University Medical Center. This feat reminds the nation that Arizona is still one of the leading medical universities in the country - an important aspect of the Focused Excellence plan.
A bomb - Gas prices. President Bush needs to address the nation on the issue. He needs to know how long the prices will remain high, if they will continue to increase, and if and when relief will come. With the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on the verge of cutting production once again, the future doesn't look too good.
The bomb - Amy Shlossman, recipient of the annual Truman Scholarship. Shlossman, a public administration senior at the UA, is one of just 80 students in the nation to receive the $26,000 scholarship. Way to represent the Wildcats, Amy.
A bomb - A premature ending to the men's and women's basketball seasons. Both teams entered the NCAA Tournament as No. 9 seeds and exited in the first round. The men won 20 games and the women 24. The postseason looked more promising for both programs than the end result.
The bomb - In-N-Out Burger. It's about time McDonald's gets a little competition around here. Sure, the franchise won't be moving in for a little while, but it's nice to know it's coming, especially for freshmen. Plus, they have that super secret menu ...
A bomb - The Unborn Victims of Violence Act, otherwise known as Laci and Conner's Law, in response to the killing of Laci Peterson and her unborn child. It's understandable that Peterson's parents were in favor of the bill, but the legislation is too broad and its language suggests that a reversal of Roe v. Wade may not be far behind.
The bomb - The Recording Industry Association of America cracking down on file sharing at universities. The UA is one of 21 universities subpoenaed by the RIAA, and it's time for the administration to take action. For all the ease of downloading, fact is, it's not helping recording artists - and it's illegal.