Have ASUA and the Dean of Students Office appropriately handled the charges against Cade Bernsen?
Shurid Sen / columnist
No. Individuals brought the allegations against Bernsen in late November, and little has visibly happened in the four months since. ASUA and the Dean of Students Office now seem content to sit back without properly following through with an investigation. Meanwhile, Bernsen is free to prematurely disseminate claims of his exoneration in e-mails to the student body. The ASUA and dean of students’ investigations have neither verified nor denied the truth of the allegations. Both organizations seem to be waiting for graduation to clean up Bernsen’s mess for them.
Janne Perona / columnist
Yes. While many feel that the dean of students has hidden behind the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the law is the law. As the law is interpreted, student privacy is most important. However, when the issue is something as serious as sexual harassment and it involves a member of student government, student privacy should be secondary. The problem is more with the law than with the dean’s actions. Changing the law (or at least the accepted interpretation of it) is better than pointing fingers.
Yusra Tekbali / columnist
No for ASUA, and yes for the dean of students. ASUA shouldn’t have given Bernsen a paid leave of absence. While Bernsen is innocent until proven guilty, it makes no sense to pay him for a job he isn’t doing. It has been extremely annoying to see the dean of students be so tight-lipped; however, she is only doing her job by abiding by federal privacy laws.
Should colleges at the UA charge visitors to attend their individual commencement ceremonies?
Shurid Sen / columnist
No. Graduation is a rite of passage paid for by four years of hard work and dedication. Maybe more importantly, it is paid for by student tuition dollars every semester. Colleges should spring for the extra stage space to allow students to bring guests to celebrate their proud moments. If that is too much to handle, tack it onto tuition, as is done for every other fee. Just don’t be so overtly cheap toward students and parents who have paid for four (or hopefully no more than six) years at our university.
Janne Perona / columnist
No. Students (and frequently parents) have already paid for four or more years of college, including tuition, books, fees and possibly dorm and food costs. Having to pay to watch your child graduate is a slap in the face. Also, it is disrespectful to the students not to let important people like grandparents and friends experience graduation with them. If colleges want students to think they care, they should let friends and family join in on graduation. After all, it’s the last day students can be kids before going out into the real world.
Yusra Tekbali / columnist
Yes, but it depends on the price. It’s not fair for individual colleges to take advantage of visiting relatives and proud parents by demanding an unreasonable fee for attending graduation ceremonies. Many UA colleges suffer from funding shortages, and seeing graduation as an opportunity to make money, or just cover costs, is understandable. A small monetary contribution from the families and friends of college graduates, who used many of their departments’ resources, is justifiable.
What local businesses would you frequent (that you don’t already) if they offered student discounts?
Shurid Sen / columnist
I have always thought it would be a good idea for a bar of any kind to institute a student drinking special on Mondays. As far as I am aware, there is no such “”Monday”” bar. I am sure one that offered specials comparable to those available on every other weekday would capitalize on the weeklong drinking program promoted by student life. It would just offer one more day with which to bring our livers closer to cirrhosis.
Janne Perona / columnist
Movie theaters, nicer restaurants and bookstores. Movie theaters not only are more expensive in Tucson than in Phoenix, but they do not offer student discounts, so it is anywhere from $8.75 to a whopping $9.25 to watch a new flick. A student discount would give theaters increased revenue, a piece of the pie pretty much reserved for movie rental stores. Nicer restaurants could expand their clientele by offering student discounts or free desserts or appetizers with student IDs. Bookstores could also gain student sales, even in the form of DVDs and CDs.
Yusra Tekbali / columnist
I don’t go to the movies any more. While this may have as much to do with the lacking plots as the jacked-up movie prices, the latter always enrage me more. If I’m going to be disappointed by a movie, I would feel a lot better not knowing that I could have filled up a half-tank of gas instead. I would definitely go to the movies more if they offered a student discount. Oh, and Gallagher doesn’t count. It somehow makes you feel like you’re supposed to be taking notes; watching a movie there just isn’t as fulfilling.
