Bravo to the Colleges@ASU program moving forward. The program is designed to offer low-cost educational opportunities so more Arizonans can attend college. The first campus will be in Lake Havasu City and could open as early as fall 2012. Lake Havasu City has donated the campus of a middle school that has since shut down. It’s nice to see that even as Arizona comes upon fire-and-brimstone circumstances, the University is still trying to provide postsecondary education at a somewhat reasonable cost. Tuition for the initial year has the potential to be set around $6,000, which is just slightly more than current Pell Grant levels. It has come time to address the state’s education problem and this is a great first step.
Boo to the trade of Goran Dragic. The Dragon will no longer be working his magic in a Suns uniform. As of Thursday he is a member of the Houston Rockets, and what did the Suns get in return? Another point guard, just what is needed. Sure Dragic’s performance this season has fluctuated, but his potential has always attracted fans to his side. Plus he helped knock off the Spurs, and you have to love that. His departure leaves Valley women broken-hearted and it leaves us with another meaningless jersey hanging in the closet.
Bravo to the sale of the Centerpoint towers in Tempe. The two towers have been sore spots on Tempe’s skyline for as long as we can remember. The Cleveland-based Zaremba Group bought them for $30 million after the deal waited in limbo for months. The developer plans to turn these towers into luxury apartments. While we may not have the money to buy one of these new luxury homes, it will sure be nice to actually have something done with them. Hopefully this signals a new beginning to life on Mill Ave.
Boo to Pima County’s efforts to secede from Arizona. Sen. Paula Aboud, D-Tucson, introduced an amendment to a bill in committee that would have allowed Pima County to become a separate state. Though it was voted down, it has gathered support. An organization called Start Our State has proposed naming the new state “Baja Arizona.” While we certainly understand the stigma of telling people you are from Arizona, the people in Pima County right now seem to be much more logical than those in Maricopa Country. This is a plea to Pima County — please don’t secede. If you do, take the sane minds in Maricopa County with you.
Bravo to ASU students Nicollette Lewis and Priya Nathan for their efforts to start a program that would mentor foster children and prepare them for college. Lewis, a business management senior and Nathan, a marketing junior, started the program when they found out about the lack of preparedness that foster children face when entering college. Lewis, an orphan herself, has first-hand knowledge of this. What these two students are doing is nothing short of phenomenal. We hope all ASU students will be inspired by these two and use the education we have attained at ASU for a greater good.
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