The rising price of textbooks gets plenty of press time, but it’s not often that another major money pit for studious Wildcats takes center stage: the sky-high price of printing. With cartridges for personal printers running at least $20 and many professors assigning much of their out-of-class reading to be printed rather than purchased, the announcement this week that free printing on Thursdays has come to an end is bad news. Certainly, we understand the Office of Student Computing Resources’ need for financial solvency, but really – did the entire system need to be done away with? What about “”discounted printing”” Thursdays? Or a membership program that students could purchase at the beginning of the semester entitling them to free or discounted printing throughout? For leaving us high and dry, the end of free printing gets a fail.
This week marked the ninth annual installment of the Tunnel of Oppression, presented by Residence Life’s elMundo Diversity Initiatives. The tunnel’s aim is to provide students with an opportunity to understand the consequences of discrimination through role-playing and reflection. Though the tour through a residence hall isn’t a perfect simulacrum, it’s still an incredible opportunity for students to understand the real consequences of prejudices they hold – knowingly or unknowingly. So, for this well-executed attempt to show us the danger of our own attitudes, the Tunnel of Oppression’s return gets a pass.
To congratulate him on his acquittal on charges of driving while impaired and driving with a blood-alcohol content over .08, maybe someone should get Hassan Adams a watch. The former Wildcat basketball player managed to be late for all three sessions of his trial and was assessed a $100 fine for his tardiness. Adams has been acquitted of the charges that brought him before theTucson City Court. But there are few excuses for showing up late – by as much as 55 minutes – three days in a row. For his tardiness, Adams gets a fail.
The leaves are changing (well, the ocotillos at least), and we’re enjoying the crisp clean feel of the Tucson air. Not only are our weather seasons changing, but our sports seasons as well. After watching the football team play musical quarterbacks throughout the season with excruciatingly painful losses and missed chances, we can now look to a fresh start. Basketball season is upon us – we can start lining up in front of McKale Center and purchasing those oh-so-desired b-ball tickets online with our Zona Zoo passes. It’s time to set our hopes high once again, to start biting our fingernails, crossing our fingers, clenching our fists and cheering for what may be one of the top teams in the nation. We’ve got a lot to look forward to: some spiffy seniors, the ever-budding Budinger and some tough match-ups, including a home game against North Carolina. For pulling us out of athletic purgatory and giving us a fresh start, the basketball season gets a pass.
