Boos and Bravos highlights the best and worst news concerning the University of Arizona and Tucson communities and is brought to you by the Daily Wildcat Opinions Board.
Boo to losing Gymcats head coach Tabitha Yim, who has accepted a position with Stanford University. We applaud all her hard work and wish her luck in her next endeavor.
Bravo to the UA Museum of Art for bringing “Woman-Ochre,” a Willem de Kooning painting, back home after it was stolen over 30 years ago. An art and furniture dealer purchased the piece at an estate sale in Silver City, New Mexico and, realizing they had an original de Kooning, contacted the UA.
Boo to President Donald Trump for his pardon of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Our state’s notorious sheriff has regularly violated human rights, the Constitution and law. He has gotten away with profiling Arizonans for 24 years. Enough is enough.
Bravo to one of our favorite places for a morning hike for extending its hours. The popular Tumamoc Hill will now be open to the public from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m., giving all of us more time to enjoy the desert’s plant and animal life just off campus.
Boo to the delay in the Student Recreation Center renovations. We understand there were unforeseen challenges that contributed to this delay, and we’re excited to see this project once it’s completed. However, the price tag is $4,945,000, and the new date, Sept. 15, might be overly ambitious.
Bravo to UA President Dr. Robert Robbins for his visit to Mexico to meet with academic and governmental officials. The visit demonstrated commitment to maintain and grow a cooperative relationship and link between the UA and Mexico.
Boo to the UA and the athletics department for not commenting or addressing the recent lawsuit filed against the Arizona Board of Regents and the university. A former UA swim team member claims he was assaulted by a former teammate and that he did not receive help when he reported it to former head coach Rick DeMont. The student said that DeMont created “severe mental anguish” for him and pressured him to pull his complaint. The athletics department has yet to comment on this lawsuit, and a UA spokesperson told the Arizona Daily Star they don’t comment on pending litigation.
Bravo to U.S. District Judge A. Wallace Tashima for ruling that six years ago ending the Mexican American Studies program at Tucson Unified School District was a violation of students’ first and 14th amendment rights.
The Daily Wildcat Opinions Board is comprised of Opinions Editor Jamie Verwys, Editor-in-chief Chastity Laskey, Managing Editor Courtney Talak and Arts Editor Kathleen Kunz.
