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The Daily Wildcat

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The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

pass/fail

Fritze connects to constituents through blogosphere Associated Students of the University of Arizona President Emily Fritze has reached out to the UA community via a new blog, which she hopes will “”give students a closer look into what ASUA does, … improve transparency in student government, and … educate students on issues that affect the quality of their university experience.”” While it’s hard to expect a whole lot of honest self-criticism on such a blog, Fritze’s most recent post, documenting her time at Bear Down Camp, reflects on such vital policy issues as student retention, and admits that the UA’s retention rates are “”less than ideal.”” From an organization that routinely glosses over such unattractive aspects of campus life, this is a notable step in the right direction. Fritze ends the post by asking her readers for input on improving student retention. For asking important questions on what could have been just another ASUA public relations stunt, Fritze gets a pass — with the stipulation that she keeps it up. To read Fritze’s blog, and share your input with her, visit president.asuaweb.org/blog. Have you ever even seen ‘Scarface’? Dorm room poster sales have cropped up on and around campus as a stampede of freshmen move into the dorms. Unfortunately, these poster sales offer the same wares every year, perpetuating the tackiest aspects of dorm life. Aspiring frat boy? Try a “”Scarface”” poster on one wall and the iconic Pink Floyd poster (yes, the one with all the butts) above your bed. Painted naked chicks not your style? There’s always the cartoon-blood-spattered “”300″” option, though this is, unfortunately, not Sparta. Heads up: these posters do not make you edgy. They make you obnoxious. For spreading bad taste to every dorm room on campus, these unimaginative poster sales get a big fat fail. UAccess better than Student Link, but still needs work When the MOSAIC Project leaders, who set out to retool the UA’s outdated administrative computer systems, debuted UAccess, their descriptions of the new system read like Daft Punk lyrics — UAccess apparently works harder, better, faster and stronger than the programs it replaced. UAccess took the place of a host of old systems, from Employee Link to financial reporting, but the change is most notable for students used to the abysmal Student Link. In some ways, UAccess has kept its promise. Gone are the interminable waits to register for classes and the tiny early-morning registration windows. Signing up for classes is easier now that you can put multiple classes at a time in a “”shopping cart”” and add them all at once, and the wait list feature makes getting into popular classes more likely. However, the new “”advising reports,”” UAccess’ answer to the SAPR, still have some bugs to work out. Some students are reporting that their advising reports are inaccurate or do not show an up-to-date record of the classes they’ve taken. So, until UAccess can work out all the kinks, the new system gets an optimistic incomplete. Reppin’ your representative democracy Students proudly sporting “”I voted today”” stickers deserve a hearty handshake today. Not only is it a fashion statement; the stickers mean that UA students are participating in one of the coolest rights and most vital responsibilities we have as Americans. It’s hard to remember to vote when the stakes don’t seem high. Sure, it’s not a landmark presidential election à la 2008, but the candidates chosen in today’s Democratic and Republican primaries will have the privilege of making important decisions for the state of Arizona, from shaping immigration policy to funding higher education. So, if you’re registered, what better way to celebrate the first week of a new semester than to participate in the democratic process? For those who have used their time and brainpower today to exercise their right to vote, we offer a resounding pass. — Editorials are determined by the Daily Wildcat Perspectives board and written by one of its members. They can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.

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