Old girlfriend of man arrested for Yale murder talks about their high school romance

Raymond Clark, the man arrested for the murder of Yale grad student Annie Le, was the hot topic on Wednesday’s  “”Good Morning America.”” His high school sweetheart Jessica Del Rocco spent more than five minutes recapping the nature of their teenage relationship.

 ””At first he was perfect, charming, sweet, he took me out, but three months into it, he got controlling to where he’d control what I’d wear and how I’d speak. It was unusual for me, and that’s the way it started with him,”” she told ABC News.

“”He’d get physical. There was yelling, anger, grabbing,”” she said of fights they’d had.

News sources have reported mixed reviews on Clark’s behavior. High school classmate Margaret Brady remembered him as a star baseball player and someone who’d “”say hi to everyone.”” Clark’s schoolmates ultimately seem to have the same question in mind: How could a normal guy like Clark have the capability to strangle someone to death?

People are not always what they seem, however, and significant others are quick to learn this about each other. Imagine if your high school sweetheart was accused of such an atrocity. It would be difficult to acquire the courage to talk to the world about it. Del Rocco’s further insight into Clark’s young adulthood gives America a better understanding of the alleged murderer, and the Wildcat gives her a pass for being brave enough to share the intimate and troubling details of their young romance.

New law limiting Plan B access could  also limit women’s rights

Abortion has been and will remain a controversial topic, and the Plan B emergency birth control method is beginning to receive similar negative attention in the state of Arizona.

A new Arizona law set to go into effect at the end of the month may reduce the availability of emergency contraception for women on campus and in the community, according to an article in the Sept. 23, 2009 issue of the Wildcat. The legislation allows pharmacy employees to deny someone emergency contraception medication based on religious beliefs.

It’s quite possible that a pro-life employee could see emergency contraception such as Plan B as morally unsound, but the pharmacist should not impose his viewpoints on the customer.

At the same time, the worker can defer the customer to another employee who has no issues selling the medication, but this still poses a problem for the purchaser, who shouldn’t have to worry about possibly becoming pregnant as a result of an outsider’s refusal to participate in what some consider an unethical birth control method.

Supporters of this law should first understand the difference between the abortion pill and Plan B, which are not the same.

Campus Health Services chief pharmacist Kim Birmingham said that the campus pharmacy sells “”quite a few (morning after pills) on a daily basis,”” so there’s clearly a demand for this medication at the UA.

For complicating the birth control purchasing process and potentially enabling unwanted pregnancies, the new Arizona law gets a fail.

President takes understanding approach at open forum

President Shelton hasn’t had an easy start to the school year. He is under constant scrutiny from the media and critics. Some bloggers have expressed “”no confidence”” in Shelton and Provost Meredith Hay, and one UA professor even dubbed Shelton a “”bully.”” A poll intended to bring out concern and awareness of the UA upper administration’s handling of the UA transformation is reported to go out this week.

With anonymity and suspicion against him, Shelton spoke out about the UA transformation and budget cuts at an open forum Tuesday. The UA has seen about $100 million in cuts within the past year, and these cuts have led to lay-offs and other losses. Shelton attempted to invite positivity into the meeting discussion when he said, “”I have yet to meet anyone who thinks across-the-board cuts is good.””

Shelton also seems welcoming to constructive criticism. “”I would love to hear your suggestions,”” he told the Wildcat, “”Send me an e-mail, slip a note under my door.”” It’s unclear if he’s serious about addressing all UA student and staff concerns, yet he seems to be making an effort to at least listen to others. Shelton gets an incomplete.

— Editorials are determined by the Daily Wildcat opinions board and written by one of its members. They are Alex Dalenberg, Justyn Dillingham, Laura Donovan,  Heather Price- Wright and Anna Swenson.