Bravo to bringing people out of poverty. ASU is the first university to team up with Open Table, a nonprofit organization that uses the experience of volunteers to change the lives of individuals and families who struggle financially. By gathering a “table” of volunteers and utilizing their connections, the group provides families with resources that can improve their situations in the long run and bring them to financial stability. Instead of focusing on “quick fixes,” like monetary handouts, Open Table works to help struggling individuals and families become self-sustaining, and that is something to truly be commended.
Boo to more University cuts. ASU President Michael Crow announced a proposal to disestablish four schools in order to comply with the Arizona Board of Regents mandate to cut 2.75 percent from the salary budget. Although this won’t affect students’ ability to continue studies in this field, it casts a lot of uncertainty on the University community. These cuts will reduce administrative overhead, which will inevitably lead to cuts in staff positions. Cuts in staff positions mean slower response times for students, and with the University enrollment ballooning each year, this is bound to cause problems. It’s obvious ASU needs to reduce its spending, but these cuts will have a severe impact on the ASU community. What will come next? Bravo to three ASU alumni “pedaling toward success.” Brothers Mehdi Farsi and Reza Farsi, 2007 graduates, and Eric Ferguson, a 2008 graduate, have found success launching a Tempe fixed-gear bicycle company called State Bicycle. Even in a rough economy, ASU graduates are once again proving they have the guts and the entrepreneurial skills to ride out the recession. The brightly colored bikes are popular on campus and the business is looking to move from online to a physical location soon. If State Bicycle made a maroon and gold bike, you might just see Michael Crow himself cycling down Palm Walk. Boo to allergies. If you walked outside at any point this week, you likely got the floral punch to the face that we’re talking about. But the biggest problem is the deception that comes with it all. Sitting in class, you might’ve looked out the window and enjoyed seeing the flowers blooming across campus. It finally looked like spring, and let’s face it, that’s when Arizona rivals paradise. You couldn’t wait to get outside to take in the cool, fresh air, but it only came back to bite you in the nose. Bravo to the beginning of spring football. We have already given plenty of kudos to the ASU spring sports teams, but Tuesday it was time to look ahead to a fall on the gridiron with the start of spring football practice. The Sun Devils, who are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 4-8 season in 2009, began to show bits and pieces of their new no-huddle offense led by first-year coordinator Noel Mazzone. The defense should also still be one of the nation’s elite units. While you can’t read too much into spring ball, one thing is for sure — the energy level and speed of practice is noticeably higher. Let’s hope it translates to more wins on Saturdays.
