Bravo to autism awareness activist Temple Grandin. A former ASU student, Grandin is now a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. Speaking before a packed house on the Tempe campus Tuesday, Grandin talked about animals, her experience living with autism and sensory-based thinking. As a visual thinker, Grandin said she sees things differently from other people, which helps her work more effectively with animals. It is inspiring to see someone overcoming the odds and succeeding like Grandin has done.
Boo to Senate Bill 1115. This measure proposes nothing short of an overhaul to the current state university system. The proposed reforms would disestablish the Arizona Board of Regents while creating a board of trustees for each university, make the Polytechnic campus a separate university and reduce funding to a per-student basis. Those who support the bill argue that it would save the state money and allow universities to govern themselves. This argument comes on the heels of another round of budgets cuts for the state universities. Do we really want to cut education funding if this state hopes to see its better days again? What’s even more troubling is that ABOR would be replaced with a new oversight committee consisting of the governor, the Senate president, House speaker and the chairperson for the committee on higher education in each respective chamber of the Legislature. If the bill were to pass, Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, would have a large say in university education as Senate president. (As a reminder, he is the senator who has advocated for denying education to undocumented immigrants.) The bill puts us in dangerous territory. With constantly changing members on the oversight committee, any stability in higher education would be almost nonexistent. Most of the regents currently serve eight-year terms, but if SB 1115 passes, members of the oversight committee would be up for election every two to four years. Any consistency in an approach to developing the state’s university system, be it in financial aid, tuition policy or research grants, would be shot. If this state hopes to remain competitive, it would be best to leave the Arizona Board of Regents in charge, rather than legislators who consistently cut education despite their professed love for it.
Bravo to the “I Always Get Consent” campaign. This movement is focused on educating students about sexual assault, as well as creating a supportive environment for people who have experienced it. Events such as “consent training” and panel discussions taught students how to avoid compromising situations when it comes to sex and how to overcome the stigma of being a rape victim. We applaud the efforts of this campaign to both provide support and help prevent future sexual assaults from happening.
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