The best in last week's editorials from college campuses around the nation

University of Iowa

Life in Iowa after the caucuses. It's like the calm after the storm, when the long-anticipated excitement and chaos suddenly grind to a halt and Iowans no longer have to worry about running into Tom Brokaw while walking the dog or sitting next to Howard Dean while eating at the local diner. Some cherish the newfound sense of normalcy here in the Heartland after all the big names leave and the rest of the country once again ignores the fact that Iowa even exists. "Iowa? Isn't that the place that they once compared to heaven in that one movie? Or is that the Potato State?"

- "Running first, and proud of it" from the University of Iowa's The Daily Iowan

University of Pittsburgh

The network wants to avoid angering the nearly captive audience that the Super Bowl usually draws, but the point is all but moot. It is highly unlikely that a Super Bowl viewer, seeing an offensive advertisement, will throw down the remote in rage and turn off the big game without seeing the outcome. That's just not how football is consumed. Most viewers who tune in will tune in for the entire game.

To say that Super Bowl viewers will be enraged by having political commentary interspersed with their clever talking frogs is to do them a great disservice and to assume a bovine complacency on their part.

- "Should politics and football ever mix?" from the University of Pittsburgh's Pitt News

University of Minnesota

Each time Cheney reiterates his untenable convictions, he chips away at his administration's credibility. In the future, the United States might face verifiable threats from weapons of mass destruction. The Bush administration might be unable to muster public support if real defensive action becomes imperative. To re-establish trust with his constituents, restore our enduring security and reunite allies, Bush must begin admitting the faults in his drive for war.

- "Honesty about WMDs remains best policy" from the University of Minnesota's Minnesota Daily

Cornell University

A long-term investment in our space program will keep our imaginations filled and our eyes turned skyward. But we can't let the stars distract us from the real problems on Earth that need more immediate attention. If future administrations can prioritize and streamline America's efforts in space, we - along with the rest of the world - can marvel at our achievements with a clear conscience.

- "A space oddity" from Cornell University's Cornell Daily Sun

Columbia University

As textbook costs skyrocket (a recent study by the National Association of College Stores found that the amount the average New York college student pays for textbooks has increased 41 percent in the last five years), students and their parents will be more willing to put aside what little school loyalty they have in favor of finding better deals.

If Columbia wants to compete with outside sources for textbook sales, the bookstore must find a way to lower prices, or at the minimum, raise the bar for service. Unless it can borrow some of the personality of Labyrinth, the ease of purchase of DogEars and the lower prices to be found almost anywhere, the Columbia Bookstore will soon see its historically dependable stream of students slow to a trickle.

- "The great textbook debate" from Columbia University's Columbia Daily Spectator

University of Texas

Legislators should explain to their angry constituents that the future of the state depends on having high-quality colleges and universities producing educated, intelligent graduates.

Sure, the tuition increases are a burden on the students. But, in the end, the hikes are necessary for the good of the state, its universities and, in the long run, the students.

While it's nice to see legislators devoting so much time ensuring the increased funds were necessary and are spent correctly, and finding ways to get students more financial aid, it would have been nicer if they had made funding higher education a priority.

- "Tuition hike backlash" from the University of Texas's Daily Texan