ASUA defense of Chain Gang may be more than coincidence

Having read Melanie Rainer's guest commentary in the Wildcat yesterday where she attempted to justify the selection of Chain Gang as the ASUA Club of the Month, I couldn't help but put in my 2 cents.

What few people know about Melanie, ASUA President J.P. Benedict, and half of his cabinet is that last year they were members of the Chain Gang responsible for the hazing and underage drinking that resulted in its probation. Could their selection be an attempt to save the face of their "holier-than-thou" organization? That's not my place to say. But I will say this: Chain Gang is a club that brings in over $1,000 dollars in dues annually, then turns around and hazes its new members and promotes underage drinking. [Read article]

Greeks at the UA have suffered from a reputation of being a bunch of phony kids for way too long. Level-headed, logically thinking people know that stereotype is fallacious.

But if campus bureaucrats, charged with regulating this community's behavior thanks to an overzealous state law, continue to twist greek leaders' arms, the stereotype of being "phony" will only resonate more with the non-greek populace. [Read article]

One of the 13 stated themes emphasized in President Likins' strategic vision for reshaping the UA's academic and research future ÷ Focused Excellence ÷ is Southwestern borderland studies.

This is only appropriate because Tucson is in close proximity to Nogales, Mexico, which is Arizona's largest port of entry on the U.S.-Mexico border. Thus, the UA has a comparative advantage in researching border issues. [Read article]