There was a time when University Boulevard was a quiet street of generally unsuccessful businesses. But it has gradually become a destination, and the long-discussed creation of a Fourth Avenue-University Boulevard corridor appears to be coming to fruition. With stores around the northwest corner of Park Avenue and University Boulevard beginning to open, more students and Tucsonans will have a reason to shop and hang out near campus. Existing stores will benefit as well. The entire corridor is creating synergies that will only spur further development. Much thanks goes to the Marshall Foundation, which owns most of the buildings between Euclid and Park avenues. For having the vision to transform University Boulevard, the Marshall Foundation gets an enthusiastic pass.

Illegal immigration is a complex issue, requiring thoughtful deliberation and careful debate. And so, our senators have chosen to solve the problem with … a fence. The U.S. Senate voted yesterday to build a 700-mile wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, creating a physical barrier along one-third of our frontier with Mexico. Apparently, dangerous desert crossings were not considered physical impediment enough. Besides the fact that it’s unlikely that a fence will prove an actual deterrent for many, if not most, illegal immigrants who cross outside of checkpoints, it could cost billions of dollars and will take energy and effort away from creating real solutions to the U.S. immigration problems. For slapping a metaphorical Band-Aid on immigration issues just to prove to constituents that something is happening, this quixotic plan gets a fail.

While football players are required to wear specially designed safety pads and baseball players to wear helmets at bat, cheerleaders have seemingly slipped under the public’s safety radar, flipping high in the air over hard floors with no protection. This week, the Pacific 10 Conference committee, in conjunction with the National Administration of Cheer Coaches and Administrators, changed that. New bans on stunts considered dangerous were developed to provide the cheerleading student-athletes a safety net in their sport. Even though we’ll miss the sight of cheerleaders flying high in the air, knowing that they’re not putting themselves at risk of permanent disability eases the pain. For remembering that even though cheerleaders may not be getting hit by a 400-pound lineman, they still face the ground, the NCAA earns itself a high-flying pass.

Let’s be honest: Getting dressed up is fun. So is getting the job of your dreams. UA Career Services offered students the chance to do both this week, with its annual Fall Career Days. Career Services has the details down. Students are given the use of a backpack corral so that they can gab with employers unencumbered, and every entrant gets a snappy nametag printed up before heading into the UA’s Grand Ballroom to meet with recruiters. The UA’s seniors – and particularly motivated members of other classes – had the chance to meet with representatives from more than 175 desirable employers, from the CIA to IBM. For helping us answer the dreaded inquiry “”What are you doing after graduation?”” UA’s Fall Career Days get a grateful pass.