It’s closing time…

It’s now been two years since last call in Arizona was pushed back from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. What role should the state government play in determining when people can and cannot drink?

Sometimes, laws that seem to restrict people actually help them out. Take traffic lanes, for example. Similarly, an early closing time for bars just makes sense. Bars are a unique good in that, unlike Disneyland, Wal-Mart or the golf course, patrons want to go where everyone else goes. And what is the only way for people to reliably find lots of other people at bars? Go between zero and three hours before closing. So pushing back closing only makes business start an hour later, but it forces a lot of people to mess up sleeping schedules even more.

-Ryan Johnson is an economics and international studies senior.

Ideally, the government would allow alcohol enthusiasts everywhere to imbibe whenever they want. America is a country built on personal responsibility, and most government efforts to curtail personal choice smack of nagging paternalism. If drinking excessively is stupid (which it is), people should be able to come to that conclusion themselves, not expect a government fiat to impose it for them. Closing at 2 a.m. ain’t bad, but 3 a.m. would be better. Indeed, Arizonans would be better off without the government’s invasive paws dictating last call.

-Matt Stone is an international studies and economics senior.

The new season of the CBS reality show “”Survivor”” opens with competing teams divided along racial lines. Should CBS air the program? How should viewers respond?

Dividing the cast of the new “”Survivor”” season into tribes by race is a tawdry gimmick, obviously intended to gain attention through its shock value. Unfortunately, it’s working. “”Survivor: Cook Islands”” has been featured in newspapers across the world – even the Wall Street Journal!

So, yes, re-animating racial segregation is stupid and disgusting. However, this is just another round of the Hollywood competition to see who can be more shocking. “”Survivor”” may be a reality show, but its racial segregation is only a TV show’s artificial constraint. Let’s worry about racism in the real world, and ignore “”Survivor’s”” publicity ploy.

-Lillie Kilburn is a psychology junior.

It’s a huge mistake. It’s not smart. It’s not provocative.

The masses of people who previously ignored “”Survivor”” are suddenly going to tune in to find out how their favorite race fares against the other races? Even if they do, it would be shocking if the increase in ratings makes up for the huge amount of revenue lost from advertising pullouts by Coca Cola, GM and Home Depot.

Shouldn’t CBS try to exercise a little social responsibility? “”Survivor”” doesn’t necessarily have the clout to polarize a nation, but regardless, it shouldn’t go near simulating on-air a racial situation we’re still trying to eliminate today.

-Stan Molever is a senior majoring in philosophy and economics.