SB1070 rally a success
Finally the UA has taken a stand in regards to Senate Bill 1070. On Wednesday, May 5, spectators gathered at the Wildcat statue in the middle of campus to watch the disapproving speeches regarding SB1070, which condones police officers to stop any persons who may resemble an illegal immigrant from Mexico.
The audience, packed with mostly students and faculty members of the UA, stood in 95-degree heat for over an hour to cheer and rally for numerous speeches made against the law. Speakers argued that the law is an approval for law enforcement to racially profile people who appear more “”brown”” than others. They compared the new law to Jim Crow Laws of the slavery era, and warned the audience members that the law is a message to warn Americans that racism is not put to rest by any means. Specifically, speakers addressed UA President Robert Shelton and his acceptance of the law. In Shelton’s approval, he told reporters not to worry because he will be training the campus police department to correctly abide by the law. Speakers thrived off Shelton’s answer, arguing that it puts thousands of Arizona students in the direct path of racial profiling, and furthermore puts them in danger. Broadcasters from FOX, CBS and NBC were filming the more than thousand-person rally.
Hopefully, students in Arizona will keep improving their interest into the law and realize that their voice is heard more than anybody’s.
— Chad Lieber
Undecided undergraduate
Red tags a red hot mess
After observing my friend receive a “”red tag”” I have realized that the red tag program is an obvious attempt by the UA and the City of Tucson to extract undeserved monies from the student population. Further, not only does this program constitute an infringement of my constitutional rights, but the red sticker damages personal property. Our constitution guarantees that “”no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.”” The term “”due process”” has been interpreted as a person is entitled to “”notice and hearing”” when the government intends to make a decision which will affect an individual’s rights. Given the forgoing, I vigorously oppose any efforts by the UA or the City of Tucson to extort monies to which they are
not entitled.
— Jonathan Messing
Undergraduate
Raised tuition not worth it
The growing number of out-of-state students, including myself, at the UA face high expectations caused by the cost to go here. On top of the heavy burden made from the costs, I personally have received difficulties made from simply trying to get in classes to graduate in time. For the price, I feel that the last thing I should be worried about are general education classes being full. With the high costs I already pay and the difficulty to even get into my classes, my decision to attend school back home keeps becoming a stronger possibility. I am just about to complete my freshman year and I know that I still have at least three years of increasing costs still to come. In an economy that doesn’t even currently offer many decent jobs for graduating college students, I am not sure why I am not taking my first two years of college through an almost free community college back home. The price to attend college out-of-state is only increasing and I have no rush graduating as long as decent jobs aren’t even available. I know that when in doubt about attending school at the UA, I double my efforts in class, but the problems caused through registration continue to nag me and reduce my ability to be optomistic. My advice for all students is to be confident that your college investment is worth
the price.
— Roy Lee Herndon IV
Pre-business undergraduate