Boo to Gov. Jan Brewer’s selection process for a student regent. On Monday, Brewer selected ASU student Tyler Bowyer to serve as the next student regent on the Arizona Board of Regents. We have no qualms about the governor picking Bowyer, who is also the president of the College Republicans and a USG presidential candidate for the Tempe campus. Bowyer may very well be qualified for the position, but he should have gone through the established process for selecting a student regent. The interview process is intensive, consisting of multiple rounds of interviews. Brewer just ignored the three recommended students and appointed Bowyer. Only time will tell if he is qualified. For our pocketbook’s sake, we hope he is.
Bravo to priority registration for veterans. Students who are veterans will soon get to register for classes earlier than other students. Currently honors students, people who get assistance from the disability resources on campus and student-athletes get priority. It is so great to see the veterans join this select group of students. After serving their country and keeping us safe, the least we can do is let them choose their classes early. We thank these veterans for their service. We are better off because of them.
Boo to cutting people from the state’s Medicaid. Brewer released a proposal on Thursday that seeks to drop 160,000 from the program by freezing enrollment. When people are out of work and health care costs are rising, the last thing we need to do is deny people health care. Although, if every cloud has a silver lining, in this proposal the it is that Brewer decided to restore funding for organ transplants. Can’t we have both, though? It’s the humane thing to do.
Bravo to gender-neutral housing. Several University organizations are making proposals to institute this type of residential space on campus. It would allow gender-neutral and LGBTQ students to live in a safe environment. After several highly publicized suicides of gay college students, society needs to be more accepting of those in the LGBTQ community. If the separate housing doesn’t work out, there is also the possibility that students will be able to check a box on the housing form if they prefer to live with a gender-neutral roommate.
Boo to increases in the program fee for next year. The program fee could go up from $25 to $75 next year. This would bring in an additional $6 million for athletics and student organizations. We are all for supporting our school and its clubs, but when we are facing massive tuition increases, it would not be wise to increase the program fee. Some will say it’s only $50, but that all comes on top of proposed $1,200 tuition increases.
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