Bravo to the stellar pitching performances of the ASU softball team. Senior Hillary Bach and sophomore Mackenzie Popescue each had impressive performances in last week’s Wilson/DeMarini Invitational. Bach threw the sixth perfect game in ASU history against Wichita State and Popescue threw a no-hitter against Boise State. The two pitchers have helped the defending national champions improve to 21-2 on the season. Bach finished her junior campaign with a record of 10-0 and an ERA of 2.79 and is on track to have an even better senior year. Bach has already posted a 9-0 record with a 0.28 ERA this year while Popescue is 4-1 on the season with a 1.38 ERA.
Boo to talking heads. More specifically, boo to Rush Limbaugh. The age of the 24-hour news network has kept the public informed. Theoretically, between the television, Internet, radio, cellular and DVR technology, there isn’t a moment of the day where one could go uninformed. This has also given rise to the Limbaughs, Hannitys, Maddows, Mahers, any number of bloggers and a slew of other opinionated yet ultimately no-more-right-than-the-rest-of-us muckrakers. None, though, rake as much mud as Limbaugh. His shock and awe approach to delivering rhetoric or whatever you might call it is less than distasteful. Contributing to a discussion means more than talking. It requires a level headedness and an open mind, neither of which are possessed by Limbaugh.
Bravo to alumnus Jeremy Staat and friend Wesley Barrientos. The two veterans stopped by ASU Thursday and Friday as part of their cross-country Wall-to-Wall bicycle ride to raise awareness for veteran issues and childhood obesity. They’ve ridden more than 800 miles in the past 19 days, with 3330 still to go, and Barrientos, who lost his legs to a roadside bomb in Iraq, has done it all in a modified bike using his hands to pedal. Think about that next time the walk (or bike ride, for those of you who don’t walk your wheels) between classes seems too long.
Boo to gang violence occurring so close to campus. Last Friday’s shooting at the Clubhouse Music Venue left 15 injured and reminded us all just how quickly things can go awry and just how dangerous firearms can be in the wrong hands. A suspect has been identified by Tempe Police, but most of the shooters have yet to be tracked down.
Bravo to technology once again making life easier. Drivers can now pay for parking in Mill Avenue District meters using their smartphones as of this week. It’s as if the ghost of Steve Jobs was driving down Mill Avenue in search of parking with no change, before reaching into his pocket, feeling the warmth of Siri’s breath coming from his iPhone and coming to the realization: But, of course! There is an app for that.
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