Bravo to student voting. The Tempe campus Undergraduate Student Government election had the highest turnout ever this year — 6,653 votes cast. It may not be anywhere near the number of undergraduate students on the campus, but it nearly doubles last year’s 3,619 votes. The referendum to include a $1.50 refundable fee to sponsor Arizona Public Interest Research Group was voted down, and presidential candidates Jacob Goulding and Brendan Corrigan will face an added runoff election. We’re glad to see students are participating in campus elections — facing tough cuts, this is a time when students need to be involved the most.
Boo to death on a bun — or rather no bun. Kentucky Fried Chicken is debuting a new sandwich, the Double Down, April 12. What makes this sandwich so revolutionary? Well, instead of bread, the Double Down features cheese, bacon and sauce between two pieces of fried chicken. Mmm, greasy disgustingness. And it’ll cost you. The sandwich weighs in at 540 calories, 32 grams of fat and 1,380 milligrams of sodium, according to KFC, although estimates from the Vancouver Sun were closer to the 1,200-calorie range. It also comes in a combo with fries and a drink, just in case you want a double bypass doubly quick. Forget Kentucky “Grilled” Chicken, this is exactly what the obesity epidemic in America needs.
Bravo to sending ASU to space. Not, the University isn’t opening ASU Intergalactic, but researchers did launch a one-of-a-kind experiment into orbit with the help of a NASA space shuttle. In order to study the way germs cause diseases in humans, associate professor and Biodesign Institute researcher Cheryl Nickerson and her team send the first-ever human cells infected with a microbial pathogen into space. The project may help researchers find new ways to treat infectious diseases, which is a good thing no matter how much gravity is pulling on you. So for now, you can put your moonboots away, but keep them handy — you never know when ASU might want to expand.
Boo to Arizona for its efforts to revive the Wild Wild West. The state House of Representatives approved a measure Thursday that would make Arizona the third state to not require permits to carry concealed weapons. We already let people with guns into bars, and there’s no shortage of other gun bills currently in the Legislature. The Constitutional right to bear arms is an important one, but with no checks or safeguards on the sale and distribution of firearms, law-abiding citizens are being put at risk. Now we only hope the governor pulls out her concealed red pen to shoot this one down. Bravo to ASU student athletes. Twenty-two Sun Devils were named to the Pac-10 All-Academic teams in their respective sports. Thirteen members of the swimming and diving team, three women’s basketball players, six gymnasts and four wrestlers were all honored for their contributions in the classroom as well as the playing field. So often people dismiss the idea that student athletes actually are students that work hard, but academic stars such as gymnast Brittany Schuett, diver Elina Eggers and wrestler Chris Drouin all are silencing those inaccurate statements. Congrats to the Sun Devil student athletes who make us proud on the field and off.
