Newspaper should focus more on budget cuts

I find it imperative that the Arizona Daily Wildcat writes more articles with updates on the budget cuts throughout Arizona. After being required to write a paper for an English class at the UA on the budget cuts, doing the research and interviewing students, I have found out that many of my fellow students truly do not know all that is going on. We should hear more about what President Shelton is currently doing in regards to the money he must cut.

After doing the research, it would also be interesting to see if President Shelton will, after class sizes increase due to the cuts, go around to actually see the type of learning that goes on in large lectures. It would be nice to see an article on that and his comments after seeing numerous students on Facebook and many who struggle with learning due to the inability to have the one-on-one attention that students need to flourish in their academics. In your paper, we hardly ever see articles on President Shelton and his opinions or quotes.

After I did thorough research on how universities across the nation are dealing with their budget cuts, it would be attention grabbing if I saw an article that compared what other universities are cutting back on with what we are cutting at the UA. Frequently, articles or new updates on the budget cuts in higher education show up online, in newspapers, or in magazines but we rarely see them in your paper.

People are nervous because education will crucially be affected by this and many students will not be given the opportunity or the resources to achieve their goals in school. In the paper, there should be constant stress on writing to government officials or even setting up rallies or protests.

Rachel Manley

journalism sophomore

SafeRide should reconsider ban on intoxicated passengers

Prior to their first semester at the UA, students generally take a tour of the campus. On this tour, the guide vehemently stresses the importance of safety while attending the UA. They describe the emergency call stands and explain our SafeRide transportation system. The one safety aspect they do not mention is that SafeRide does not transport intoxicated passengers.

I understand that the university does not promote underage drinking and cannot change state-wide laws. However, the administration must recognize that underage drinking is inevitable and instead, should focus on how they can keep students safe. In the zip code 85719 alone, there are 23 registered sex offenders, and by refusing service to students, their safety is in danger (National Alert Registry). By offering an alternate form of transportation, our campus would be able to cut down on drunk driving and other alcohol-related instances that occur between the time we leave a party, and the moment we arrive safely home.

Our administration needs to take a different approach to underage drinking and not assume that we will not drink just because they do not accept it. College can be the best time of our lives, but if we do not have the proper form of protection, it could be the worst.

Meaghan Malloy

pre-business freshman