Student spotlight: ‘Thanks for an amazing night’

To everyone who wasn’t at the dance department’s Student Spotlight on Thursday night, I’m sorry you missed out. The dancing and choreography were a tribute to the hard work and amazing talent of everyone involved. My ticket was the most amazing birthday gift I could have asked for. Unfortunately, we are losing some very talented people at the UA, so I personally wanted to congratulate everyone who is graduating this year. The UA’s loss is the world’s gain. You are all immensely talented and I’m glad I got a chance to see you perform. I am speechless as to the beauty and talent in every piece performed. Everyone who had a hand in the Student Spotlight touched my life in a special way, thank you for an amazing night. You are all a testament to why the UA is such a great school.

Mike Geary
interdisciplinary studies junior

Research your platform, Baker!

Incoming Sen. Bryan Baker’s quest for safety on campus is noble, but I want to caution his hasty generalizations about safety within the residence halls (“”Inauguration minus 1″” Friday). As a resident assistant on campus, I work hard to make sure that my residents have a safe living environment and constantly offer resources for them to stay safe both within the hall and here on the UA Campus. In order to become an RA, I went through a week and a half of training that was largely based on campus safety. Being an RA is a 24/7 job, and I always have my residents and fellow staff members on my mind. I have been called “”Mr. Mom”” by many, and will often use the phrase “”my kids”” when talking with others about my residents. I know I’m not alone – the other RAs I work with directly certainly feel the same way I do. Baker should research his platform and educate himself before broadcasting such a statement in the Daily Wildcat. I have many generalizations of my own about the Associated Students of the University of Arizona as an organization, but before putting them in this paper I will personally take the time to make sure they aren’t hasty.

John Kozel
communication senior

Achieving equality in tenure

A professor decides to pursue tenure in order to achieve academic freedom as well as an ensured lifetime occupation. To be granted tenure, the professor has to fulfill a set of requirements, some which are affiliated with research and teaching effectiveness. Unfortunately, due to the fact that tenure promotes the research duties of a professor more than the teaching methods, the candidate could easily achieve tenure by focusing most of his time in publishing articles. As a result, the professor is granted tenure by the faculty. Meanwhile in the classrooms, however, the students are left less enlightened and even more bored.

The story that was presented before portrays an example of how tenure today influences the actions of the professors. Based on several studies and surveys, professors could simply concentrate everything upon conducting research while losing focus in their teaching effectiveness and still achieve their academic freedom. This ideology seems highly unfair.

As a student, I have had experiences with such professors during my time in the university, blaming my low test scores on their lousy teaching methods. Unfortunately, it is not their fault that tenure is constructed in such a matter.

As much as tenure affects only professors directly, the ability to alter the stance of tenure is placed upon the students and university officials. Some professors argue that they do not give much effort in class since students also present a lack of interest during lectures. If students want to receive the attention they truly deserve, it is time to begin asking more questions, sitting up straight, and at least stay awake throughout the class. By executing these actions, professors will redeem the passion they once had in teaching again and university officials should be persuaded to reform tenure to equally support both research and teaching effectiveness.

In order to reach such equilibrium though, it is up to the students to begin participating more within classes and portray more concern for their education. To think a necessary reform could finally take place by just asking questions…

Juan Arturo Siordia

pre-physiology sophomore