On ‘Smell what Obama is cookin’?’

Very interesting column. Not so much for its content as for its unique hypocrisy. It seems to be lauding President Obama for calling out the GOP on creating a “”highly divided, politically partisan atmosphere,”” yet admits that Obama’s efforts at bi-partisanship have thus far been “”lukewarm”” at best. Furthermore, it states that “”Obama must continually remind the GOP who is in power”” as if GOP lawmakers should fear the democratic majority. Submit or be smitten, right? It seems to me that it is at once condemning and condoning partisan antics. Instead of suggesting that President Obama abuse his position as leader of the majority party, shouldn’t it suggest he use his position as president of a concerned nation to alleviate the fears that citizens are sharing with their representatives in congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, over such issues as health-care reform?  After all if all reasonable concerns have been addressed, then the Democrats who have had majority in congress since last year have no excuse for not having passed an appropriate bill, have they?

Michael Bennett

On ‘UA running for Playboy’s top party school,’ Feb. 1

The University of Arizona is just that, a university. It is a place where people come to learn abd to train and develop the skills which they will use as professionals later in life. As of late, the U of A has been anything but that. The article published on Tuesday, February 2nd, highlights the sad fact that students do not value the University of Arizona as an academic institution, but as a great place to get hammered. With our 80.5% (U.S News and World Report) acceptance rate, we are accepting more and more people who have no interest in being here short of getting drunk every Friday and Saturday night, and maybe a Tuesday for good measure. One of the last sentences in the article published on Tuesday states that once a future student learned that U of A was a top-ranked party school, he knew it was the school for him. Are these really the people we want at our school? Kids who make their school choice based solely on how good the parties are? Before long, we will be forgotten as the University that put a rover onto Mars and remembered as a University that has the best places to party without having to work too hard. Sound like anyone we know? I am not saying that going out to a party on a Friday or Saturday night is a bad thing. If anything, it is an excellent distraction from school work. A brief distraction from our stressful school lives is all it should be though. With the budget for our school growing ever smaller, we should tell the people who only come to college to party and drop out after a year to stay home so that the valuable funding dollars and class seats go towards students who will actually use them. We can do this by reminding students that they are here to learn and prepare for their future, not to forget half of the weekends between now and the time they drop out.

Kevin Ferguson

Extended Plan B not a good plan

I noticed in Monday’s issue of the Daily Wildcat, there was a small article concerning the invention of a new morning after pill that lasts five days rather than three. While this drug is only available in Europe with a doctors prescription, I find the invention of this drug to be an irresponsible invention and a get out of jail free card. I believe some woman will abuse this drug, much like Plan B is abused. I understand mistakes happen, but when females continue to take this drug as a means to prevent pregnancy, the drug becomes ineffective and in all senses seems useless. I am glad this drug is not available in the United States, and hope it doesn’t become FDA-approved any time soon.

Stephanie Smith

undecided freshman