This week's winners ... and losers
A bomb - Excessive fire alarm outbursts at AZ-So. What's going on over there? A few pranks now and then are only natural, but the innocent residents of Arizona-Sonora hall must be pulling their eyes out by now. Whoever the culprits are - assuming dust isn't always to blame - need to remember they're in college. Alarm-pulling ranks right up there with cow-tipping.
The bomb - The Karl Eller Center and McGuire Entrepreneurship program in the business college. The program moved up to second place in Entrepreneur magazine, chilling with the likes of MIT and Berkeley. And considering the UA shut out Harvard and Stanford, aspiring Wildcat CEOs should definitely feel proud.
A bomb - The College Republicans' affirmative action bake sale. Trying to spark up controversy with chocolate chips has been done before, and with better success. The demonstration of sorts had good intentions, but on such a small scale, it's merely a drop in the take-a-stand bucket. College Republicans surely have the brains to dream up their own ideas.
The bomb - Spring Fling's turnout. With weather and the Easter Bunny standing in the way, it's amazing 28,000 people showed up. And even though the carnival had fewer visitors than this year, it made bank, pulling in a tremendous $67,000 for campus clubs and organizations. The event may just be the UA's second-favorite two-word event that begins with "spring."
A bomb - Bush's press conference. These things need to be far more frequent. With much of the world rapidly changing and America's men and women overseas in an increasingly hostile environment, the president has to keep the public well-informed. If he's a representative of his nation's people, he's got to let them know what he's doing and ask for their thoughts, too.
The bomb - Boosting tuition waivers for grad TAs and research assistants. The 60 percent tuition coverage for graduate teaching and research assistants may be a move toward full-tuition waivers within the next few years. And that makes a lot of sense. No doubt these guys and gals are among the UA's hardest-working, having to learn and teach or spend oodles of time in a lab.
A bomb - The political science department locking out minors. Seniors at the Wildcat definitely understand the desire to graduate ASAP. But for most students, it takes a major and a minor to get your degree. Thus, both minors and majors have to be let in these classes. Besides, locking students out sends a bad message - the UA needs to provide as many opportunities as possible to all its students.
The bomb - The new last call. It may be a little while, but when the 2 a.m. last call hits Tucson, Wildcats should rejoice. It finally gives the city a chance for some decent nightlife. In a matter of months, the Old Pueblo could conceivably be the new Boston. Or at least be a little more fun.