A farewell to arms
While it's certainly true that wild house parties are a mainstay of the college lifestyle, some sketchy individuals seem to have chosen to add something quite different to the normal mix of booze-fueled bacchanalia: gunfire. That's right, one student was shot in the leg on Sept. 16 after a late-night fraternity party fracas, and just on Monday, a handful of gentlemen apparently thought that it would be appropriate to pack some heat on Halloween. Just as showing up with a 24-pack of Keystone is typically frowned upon, one would hope that bringing your .24-caliber would also be deemed unacceptable; it's hard enough to find your shirt and stumble home without having to worry about crossfire. These pistol-packing punks most definitely get a Fail.
Cat calls: Lauding the UA's lady cats
To any student fortunate enough to be sitting on the UA Mall on a sunny afternoon, the fact that Playboy magazine ranked the UA women as the fifth prettiest in the nation is probably considered a no-brainer. Say what you will about the gargantuan goggles that seem to pass as sunglasses (or the ungainly Ugg boots that refuse to go the way of the plaid flannel shirt), but UA men should consider themselves blessed for this haven of hotness in the Old Pueblo. UA ladies, you get a much-deserved Pass.
Saving students from super seniordom
It used to be that fifth-year seniors were regarded with some small degree of disdain, kind of like moldy bread or that guy on Fourth Avenue who says that your aura "smells funny." Not any longer, though. The UA administration revealed this week that only 32 percent of students graduate in four years, up from just 23 percent in 1997. With only one in three students lucky enough to graduate on time, it's no small wonder that classes are jam-packed with these "super seniors." Until the UA gets a significant boost in these abysmal statistics, the graduation rate gets a Fail.
Playing politics with the Pell
In yet another display of monetary malfeasance, Arizona Sen. John Kyl voted against $836 million to be used for Pell Grants, even while 7,000 students at the UA receive about $18 million of the much-needed Pell money each year. It's one thing to be fiscally conservative; it's another to be downright irresponsible. Voting against money whose sole purpose is to secure the future of America reeks of misplaced priorities, especially when Kyl has continued to press for an end to the estate tax (which would cost the government an estimated $200 billion). For this fiscal shortsightedness, Kyl gets a Fail.
Opinions Board
Opinions are determined by the Wildcat opinions board and written by one of its members. They are Lori Foley, Ryan Johnson, Damion LeeNatali, Aaron Mackey, Mike Morefield, Katie Paulson and Tim Runestad.