Assuming the state of Arizona is not overrun by an illegal immigrant invasion or a massive Tea Party takeover, the core of UA will be unchanged, even 125 years from now.

Ideally, in the next century, we’ll be using environmentally friendly cars that drive themselves (Google’s working on it), and the state’s budget will no longer be an unfunny joke (I hope someone’s working on it). Maybe someone will have figured out how to make the bike valet service successful. But otherwise, what matters most about UA — the students — will be the same.

It sounds cheesy, and let’s be real. I don’t like all of you, and not all of you like me. We don’t agree on politics, and I want to push you over when you move too slowly on the sidewalk. But despite this, or maybe even because of it, you matter.

It might be a statement of the obvious, but everyone needs a little reminder: The most important thing about a university campus is and always will be its students and the diversity of their voices.

Disagreement fuels discussion. Improvement does not occur as a result of the whole world getting along and everyone spewing hearts and rainbows. Even if we’re all using hovercrafts and substituting little pills for whole meals in 125 years, a variety of thoughts and ideas will continue to drive the university’s progress.  

It would also be really great if all that discussion would lead to teleportation.

— Kristina Bui is a sophomore majoring in journalism and political science.