Bravo to Pat’s Run. A record-breaking 28,000 people turned out to the sixth annual fundraiser event Saturday. The yearly run honors Pat Tillman, an ASU alumnus and former Arizona Cardinal who turned down a three-year, $3.6-million contract in order to serve in the military after Sept. 11, 2001. Pat’s Run raises money for educational scholarships in conjunction with the Pat Tillman Foundation, a foundation established after Tillman was killed in action in 2004. We’re proud to have such a unique event in the Valley that commemorates the life and sacrifice of an ASU alumnus while working to help the community today.
Boo to the self-imposed sanctions placed on the ASU baseball program. While it was pretty evident that some sort of punishment was coming as a result of an NCAA investigation, it still stings when arguably the most successful program at this school is slapped with penalties for violations dating as far back as 2004. As a result, ASU vacated 44 wins from the 2007 season, and there will be limits put on scholarships and recruiting measures going forward. While this year’s team will not be affected and still has a legitimate chance to win the national title this year, these sanctions have the potential to severely hurt the future one of the most prestigious programs in the nation.
Bravo to Leona Aiken for winning the 2010 Professor of the Year award. The psychology professor was one of 29 nominees and was honored by the Parents Association at its annual Celebration of Teaching and Learning Excellence event Wednesday. Aiken, who has been teaching for more than 40 years, was nominated by psychology graduate student Ellen Yeung, who praised Aiken for her ability to guide students and treat them like family. Aiken, who is also a ballet teacher for children and teenagers, said the award makes her think her life has been “something meaningful.” Congratulations to Aiken on being recognized for her achievements. Boo to Arizona looking more extremist than ever. The Arizona House of Representatives has advanced a bill requiring presidential candidates to submit their birth certificates for examination by the Arizona Secretary of State before being included on the ballot. Aside from the ridiculous validation this gives to the completely unjustified “birther” movement — a movement that perpetuated the myth that Barack Obama was not born in the U.S. and therefore not qualified to be president — the Legislature is showing complete irresponsibility by spending its taxpayer-funded time working on this bill, which was advanced on party lines. Arizona has much bigger problems that need fixing, and our politicians should care more about Arizona citizens than pandering to a movement that has no grasp on reality.
Want to join the conversation? Send an email to opiniondesk.statepress@gmail.com. Keep letters under 300 words and be sure to include your university affiliation. Anonymity will not be granted.
Follow The State Press on Twitter or like us on Facebook.
