‘Graduation’ in McKale?
It’s a telling fact that the last big concert to come through McKale Center was a hootenanny starring Garth Brooks 11 years ago. All too often, tiny Tucson simply isn’t a draw for major artists, who often skip Arizona altogether. News this week that Kanye West might be coming to campus April 24 as part of his “”Glow in the Dark”” tour – confirmed by Kanye’s own Web site – is a pleasant surprise. We love Kanye, but we also love the fact that a concert by the Grammy Award-winning rapper has the potential to be a big moneymaker for students as well as a fun event. Details of the concert like times and ticket prices are still being arranged since the contract is not yet finalized, but all those who helped arrange Kanye’s late registration deserve a Pass.
Club funding – you’re doing it wrong!
As ASUA scandals go, the newest controversy over club funding is a tame one. At a Feb. 4 meeting, ASUA leaders refused to give $40 to Caring for the Advancement of Refugee Education, a student club that requested the money to print black and white fliers. A meeting mix-up kept CARE from being informed of the meeting time or given the chance to appeal the ruling – and as of this week, student senators were still squabbling over whether or not the decision violated their rules. Giving the rebuffed club due process is important, but the argument is focused on the wrong problem. The root of the controversy is ASUA’s flawed club funding system itself. There’s no reason student groups should have to grovel in order to suck from ASUA’s dole, and it’s high time to radically revamp the way clubs are funded – or scrap the system altogether. ASUA’s shortsighted student leaders – and their appropriations system – get a Fail.
Tempe abnormal
Tension between privacy and security has become a defining condition of a fearful world. Now, it could be coming to a campus near you. on Wednesday, the Arizona Republic reported that Arizona State University is considering requiring students to disclose their mental illnesses as a security measure in the wake of school shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. Besides the fact that most of the campus would likely need to turn themselves in simply for attending ASU, the idea is a dumb one. Forcing students to disclose personal information is no guarantee of finding those who are dangerous, and mental health safeguards are already adequate – as long as campus officials, and the friends and family of the ill are paying attention. Any attempt to water down basic privacy rights in the name of security deserves a Fail.
Cambio en Cuba
On Wednesday, Fidel Castro announced that he will be resigning from his post as Cuba’s president, after nearly 50 years. The announcement was met with muted optimism and even outright cynicism from those who believed that Cuba was trading one dictator for another, his brother Raul. Yet skeptics should not underestimate the power of his charisma, a factor in which Raul is lacking. The move has a far greater cultural shock than a political one – few Cubans remember a pre-Castro Cuba. The resignation has also led to newfound support for an end to activists have the trade embargo against Cuba, a Cold War artifact that has remained in place due to legislative inertia. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama stated that the United States should reconsider the ban on trade, and even Republicans such as Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake support such a move. Nothing is certain yet, but for providing an opportunity for revitalized relations with Cuba, and a chance to end an embargo that’s done far more harm than good – to Americans and Cubans alike – the end of Castro’s reign gets a Pass.
