University should seek to disassociate itself from ‘party’ school image

The front cover of the Daily Wildcat on Monday was all the talk. The picture told more than enough to everyone who merely took a glance. The response that resulted from the front-page picture and headline was full of excitement and outrage from fellow Wildcat students. As a freshman here at the UA, who may or may not participate in the party scene, I was very upset by the article.

Prospective students have been running around our campus for the past weeks. The ones who happened to be here on Monday were flashed with the news that the UA is ranked number five on Playboy’s list of party schools. Although this may have been appealing to some of these students, their parents were probably less than impressed. Not to mention it is not an image the university should want to associate with. I like to think that as a UA student I am coming to a school worthy of much more than being ranked number five on a list of party schools. I would also like to think that fellow Wildcats have the same appreciation of this school, but when an article like this ran in the newspaper and receives positive feedback I have to wonder if they do.

I must say I am very impressed with all that this school has offered me in terms of education, experience and involvement. If as a school we are trying to appeal to prospective students, they need to be aware of this aspect, not that, according to Playboy, they will be entering a party scene.

Jesusita Soliz, pre-public administration freshman

Media focused too much on presidential pooch

The country is in one of the greatest economic downfalls in history. We are overseas fighting a war in Iraq. More and more American citizens are losing their jobs every day. People are being captured by pirates and what has the news been reporting lately? President Barack Obama’s dog.

Every time the news is on, all I hear about is the “”new dog in the White House,”” or “”The New First Dog.”” Seriously? I like dogs as much as the next person but I think that the news needs to start focusing on reporting things that really matter and not waste America’s time telling everyone the breed of the President’s new pooch. What is even worse are the animal rights groups that are boycotting the President’s choice in dogs because he did not get a rescue dog. Listen, his kids are allergic to dogs, so they needed to get a hypo-allergenic dog, and those are not roaming around in shelters. I think everyone needs to wake up to reality and focus on what really matters – not the new first dog.

Tracey Stevenson, pre-nursing freshman