Is it time to complete the ‘A’?

I don’t want to look too far ahead, but with only four games left to go, the ‘Cats do have a good opportunity to make it to their first Rose Bowl. Granted, they have one of the most difficult schedules across the country, but I for one believe in Mike Stoops and his boys. I have been bleeding red and blue for 40 years (remember the “”Desert Swarm””) and hope that this is just the beginning of a period of domination in the Pac-10.

With all of that said, I do have one question. If — and when — Arizona goes to the Rose Bowl, should the blue in the “”A”” finally be completed? I would be interested in hearing what the student body and readers of the Arizona Daily Wildcat have to say.

Rich Wheeler

Damascus, Ore.

New Wildcat site confusing, ‘unprofessional’

I don’t know who made the latest Web changes, but I don’t like them. It looks like someone who just learned about Web programming is doing it, very unprofessional. The search option hides some of the article text, as does the Alexa Rose jeweler advertisement. The layout has way too much unused white space and looks a mess.

I had to make white space because the search field is even hiding the input field I’m typing in.

UA parent

More to Richmond rape story than columnist suggests

I truly, deeply hope that the Daily Wildcat gets justice for the theft and vandalism that occurred. I think the editorial was extremely well-versed; polite but firm, full of plain fact and common sense. Please, do not give up; those responsible will get what they deserve. I feel terrible about the lack of UAPD help that has been given, and I am wishing that someone in the administration is able to give this a good push.

The Daily Wildcat published a piece about a high school girl who was raped on school grounds of Richmond, Calif. (“”The not-so-innocent bystanders,”” Nov. 4, 2009). Now, there are so many issues I had with this piece, and my emotions ran wild while I read it. It’s a good thing that I didn’t immediately comment, because it would not have been thought-out or classy, rather I would have probably attacked the author rather than the information.

First, has Rachel Leavitt  ever been to Richmond? I grew up in the Bay Area, and let me tell you something: It has a reputation around the world for its brutal violence and desperate poverty for a reason. There is a derivable explanation for this: a simple lack of proper education. But when there are people there that will kill you for simply driving down their street, it’s hard to change things.

You think Tucson has ghettos? Unless Leavitt has driven down a few blocks in the greater Oakland area, she has absolutely no clue about whom or what she is truly reporting on. It is a different life there; a different mindset. In principality, I agree with her. In order for us to evolve socially, people need to stop sitting on the sideline and stand up for their beliefs. But when you stand among high school students that have used guns before without understanding true consequence (death or incarceration), its’ a whole different universe.

My second thought is about her source; it really seems as though she saw this reported on CNN.com, read a few paragraphs, became outraged and wrote her own perspective on it. Did she contact anyone involved? Did she even try to get a police report? The fact of the matter is that that reporting on events like this, many times, far from what actually happened. Have you ever heard of a woman claiming rape, only to find out she was simply embarrassed to have made the decision to go out with that fellow for the night and was trying to save face?

Please, do not for one instant think I am taking anything away from true rape victims (I personally find it to be one of the most violating acts possible besides murder). I am simply saying that, as we have all experienced, teenagers will put themselves in a position in which they suddenly realize, this is not good. What better way for this girl to get back at the boys than to simply cry the new-age “”Wolf!”” If she truly was raped, then I wish her all the justice in the world. However, honestly, my gut says there is more to the story than what was reported.

Leavitt not only failed to report a detailed description of the event (I don’t consider “”There was a dance, she got drunk and was raped in the quad”” sufficient detail), but she was even so bold to claim something like, “”Where were the security guards?!”” This statement actually made me laugh. It was plain she has no clue what type of world she stepped into. There is no money to pay teachers in Richmond, and you think they’re going to have some extra capital to spend on security there? Please, tell her to take a second, Google Richmond schools, and maybe, just maybe, she might change her view on this entire thing.

To conclude, I’m a graduating fifth-year senior. I’ve loved the Wildcat since freshman year, and I will continue to follow it online after I leave. Keep on doing great work, keep on pushing your program forward and keep on being true to the spirit of true reporting and journalism.

Colby Mikulich

Retailing and consumer sciences senior