Halfway across the world, Iran draws closer each day to nuclear capabilities, and there is no question that its nuclear ambitions are not for energy development, but for military use. Some would like to deny the reality of Iran’s nuclear development, but it has been confirmed by multiple sources of intelligence, including the International Atomic Energy Agency. The most recent National Intelligence Estimate reports that Iran is already able to enrich uranium to a level sufficient for creating a bomb.

If you have any doubts, consider the fact that both parties in Congress agree on the Iran nuclear threat. Last December, the Iran Threat Reduction Act passed in Congress by a vote of 410-11. The Senate voted 100-0 to place stronger sanctions on Iran’s Central Bank.  When both sides are nearly unanimous, reality cannot be denied. Unfortunately, though, existing sanctions do not seem sufficient —Iran’s nuclear work continues.

Iran, well known for its hatred of America, has offered to share nuclear technology with its allies and with terrorists. Can we fool ourselves that another terrorist attack could never happen here? A nuclear Iran could have other negative impacts as well, including destabilization of the Middle East and interruption of important oil supplies, potentially causing oil prices to soar. A nuclear Iran would trigger a Middle East arms race, and would end the global non-proliferation regime.

Let’s all look this danger squarely in the face and support our elected officials in their bipartisan response, even if this response is aggressive. As students and emerging adults, we count on a safe and stable world — but if we do not respond to this threat, we cannot assume safety will be available.

Michelle Gaynor

Undergraduate

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It is by no means an end, but it signifies that at least one adventure is over.

My adventure at The State Press began three years ago, and the connections I’ve made within the paper and the ASU community have been the best perk of my job. Watching friends, colleagues and other students work hard to achieve their goals has always proved to be my own motivation. It’s an awakening, a “Wow, look at what they’ve done so far” type moment that gives me pride in the type of generation we’ve become.

The election of Barack Obama, Senate Bill 1070 and the death of Osama bin Laden have all taken place during my four years at ASU. Each event sparked a strong reaction out of the student body, but it’s the passion during the small events that taught me how great our generation is and will become.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve been approached with a story idea about a new organization or group focused on helping others. This student body is giving, and one of my goals as editor in chief was to show that side of the University.

The State Press is a great medium to show ASU as more than a block of 70,000 students. This semester started with a story about a student who survived 10 days on a snowy road outside of Winslow with little food. It continued with stories about a student beating cancer and graduating in May, a group of students building bikes and hand-cycles for physically disabled individuals in Africa and a Marine returning from two tours in Iraq and joining the ASU football team. Our best stories highlight the individuals at ASU. Our best stories are about great students.

Of course, The State Press has gone through some dramatic physical changes since I took over this position. The paper’s redesign was completed with one focus: reaching ASU students. And it’s not done yet. Next year’s student leaders plan to redesign The State Press website and their focus is the same: reaching students.

Yes, there is a theme with these ideas. This paper is run by students, about students and for students. It covers a giant community, but the flow of ideas and stories from great young minds is what makes The State Press so dynamic.

It’s what brought me to work here in the first place. It’s what motivated me to improve, leave my mark and teach others in the process. It’s why I love my job and everyone that I’ve been able to work and grow with. This has been the best experience of my life.

Joining this organization gave me a sense of purpose at ASU, and I hope that every student gets that opportunity. I’ve learned so much from four years of classes, but being a part of something bigger than a grade has given me a clear view of what I want in the future and a clear idea of how to make my next chapter just as amazing.

Never shy away from a great opportunity and never be afraid of a new adventure. These four years were my own adventure, and I thank you for that.

Sincerely,

Nathan Meacham

Editor in Chief 2011-2012

The Vatican said the organization is partaking in “radical feminism,” and is spending too much time “promoting issues of social justice.”

Excuse me if this sounds radical or — God forbid — feminist, but what else are nuns supposed to be doing besides promoting issues of social justice? Additionally, what has happened if nuns, the epitome of “chaste, religious women,” are being criticized for being too feminist?

Seattle Times columnist Nicole Brodeur makes a good point. The so-called “War on Women” has been the topic of much conversation in the last year. From Rush Limbaugh’s inappropriate comments about Georgetown student Sandra Fluke to the ever-controversial topics of contraception and abortion, the national conversation on women’s rights has been unavoidable.

And while many argue the war on women is just a political scheme, there’s no denying its existence now. Women known for their selfless dedication to God and for their service to the people of the world, who embody many of the values of Catholics and Republicans alike, are being attacked.

I find it abominable that women are still being criticized for speaking their mind (or in this case, being too silent) and that feminism is a brand of shame in this day and age. I find it even more detestable that the Catholic Church is attacking a sex that has done so much for it as an institution.

Mother Theresa, a woman whose self-sacrifice helped thousands of sick, poverty-stricken children and families, will always remain a symbol of the Catholic Church.

Saint Thekla, who defied her parent’s insistence to get married to instead preach the Gospel and follow Jesus, is a role model for Catholics and Christians alike. Saint Thekla faced execution for defying her parents and becoming a Christian. What would the Catholic Church be like without fearless women like Saint Thekla?

Rev. Alberto Cutie speaks on the issue in The Contra Costa Times, “They say women can’t be priests because Jesus only called men to be apostles. But the women close to Jesus were the first witnesses of the resurrection. When the men were afraid and hidden, the women went to the tomb and said ‘Jesus has risen!’ If Easter is the most important part of Christianity, the first to proclaim the message were women. Who could make more effective preachers?”

The Vatican’s crackdown on nuns and refusal to accept the ordination of women is detestable. It’s time the Catholic Church swallows its pride, accepts the influence of religious women throughout history and adapts to the 21st century.

Reach the columnist at eeeaton@asu.edu

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Have four years passed since I ate my first Chuckbox burger, took my first communal-bathroom shower and attended my first frat party? Has it really been so long since orientation, PHI 101 and getting lost in Hayden library? (Well, actually, that still happens)

I think it’s time for a little reflection.

For my fellow graduates, perhaps this will provide a nostalgic reminder of the years gone by for you, too. And for the youngsters among you, here’s a list of the things you need to be sure to do before graduation:

Attend a guest lecture. In a school as big as ASU, it can be hard to find classes with active discussion, but in these lectures given by experts in a wide variety of fields, there’s always a lively debate that erupts during the Q&A. If you ever wanted to ask Richard Dawkins why he invented memes, these guest lectures are the perfect forum.

Go to the Art Museum. It’s a cheap date, an interesting way to waste time between classes and an excuse to wear glasses while walking around pretentiously saying, “Hmmm.” Enough said.

Eat at Phoenecia Café. Right next to the mosque on the north end of campus and just south of University Towers, this small grill has the best hummus you’ll find anywhere in a 5-mile radius around campus. It’s an easily walkable distance from anywhere on the Tempe campus for a quick, cheap lunch.

Take a class outside your major. And I don’t just mean taking a philosophy class if you’re a political science major. Take something as far outside your comfort zone as you can —calculus if you’re an English major or botany if you study history. It will activate a neglected part of your brain, supply cool facts to bring up at parties and, hopefully, make you appreciate how much you love your major — or inspire you to change it.

And, finally, take a moment every once in a while to pause and be grateful. You’re getting an education that most of the world only dreams about, and you have more opportunities (even if they aren’t always apparent) than you could ever exhaust. Be thankful and remember why you’re here in the first place: To learn, to grow intellectually and emotionally, to mature and to emerge a better-rounded person.

Oh, and don’t forget to have a kick-ass time too.

Reach the columnist at alesha.rimmelin@asu.edu

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For some, like myself, little can be done to change the impression we’ve left upon them regarding our capability.

As State Press columnist Christine Truong alluded to yesterday, some — if not all — of the blame rests squarely at the feet of the student, and so be it. Toward the end of my senior year in high school, a teacher gave me a book to read, “Get Off My Brain: A Survival Guide For Lazy Students.”

That was many moons ago, and while I still haven’t read it, I’ve been meaning to get around to it. Honestly.

What is frustrating for me, having been in the “real world” working various jobs (including military service), is the notion that college actually prepares you in some way. It doesn’t.

Much of the time used to complete lower division credits within a bachelor’s degree is spent rehashing material covered in high school. Regardless of your major, or life aspirations, taking college math, foreign languages and various sciences are requirements.

For the record, I loved taking Sign Language to meet a requirement, but I’m an English major. Shouldn’t I be taking English classes? As for math and the sciences, again — I’m an English major. I can add, subtract, multiply and divide just fine, and I have a smart phone that comes with a calculator. Why do I need to care about the value of “X” or its “slope” in relation to “Y”?

In truth, I don’t. It isn’t going to help me pay rent or buy food. For those tempted to prove me wrong, don’t waste your time. As long as I spend less than what I make, understanding ratios and quadratic equations is moot.

If I wanted a job after college that required me to know how to find the square root of something, I’d take the class, but I don’t. If I wanted to be a geologist, I’d be more than willing to take geology and its coloring counterpart (lab). But again, I don’t want to be a mathematician or geologist.

College is just another place for some to add to their “friend” count on Facebook. Many of you will take jobs after graduation that aren’t related to the degrees you’ve slaved over for however many years.

So what’s the point?

Life is full of silly flaming hoops we all have to jump through, and to that end, I guess college does teach you something. The practicality of this “life lesson,” however, is more insulting than it is beneficial — not to mention expensive and time consuming. Why we as humans love making things harder on ourselves (and others) is beyond me, but we do.

The only reason I’m here is because writing for the paper beats blogging. Is there a future in this, or in whatever you are pursuing? Only time will tell. I just hope the old adage of “C’s get degrees” is true.

Reach the writer at jbfortne@asu.edu

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There is no shortage in convenient answers. The White House released a federal taxpayer receipt, with only 2.8 percent devoted to education. It would appear that lower test scores are the natural result of underfunding. If we could only afford to give more money to education, we would see these low-performing students and underpaid teachers finally advancing forward.

It is absolutely vital that we do not ignore this reality. There is a dialogue about the failing student that has yet to begin. As students, we don’t subject ourselves to enough criticism, believing that it has always been the system that failed us. While funding decreases, there is something else on the decline: an eagerness to learn.

There is an element of unadulterated wonder missing from the classroom. I see students in my own classes, who sit, day after day, insufferably bored. They have never learned curiosity, how to self-convert information into wholesome food for thought. Their hearts, as Mark Edmundson for The New York Times would say, have rarely been hungry. They have devoted little energy into learning.

As a result, their educators struggle to find creative ways to present material. Teaching turns into an uphill battle against student apathy: How does the educator make students care about something they don’t already care about?

Because the student no longer exhibits any kind of curiosity or wonder on his or her own, the objective of any lesson plan is to find enthusiasm for a student and hand it to him or her on a silver platter. Even at the university level, professors are still teaching students how to be curious – and telling them why they should care.

At least with my experience as a student of the humanities, educators try desperately to prove that their ideas are ideas worth knowing. Education reform has built its ethos around this, nudging the instructor to bring up cases of “real life” or practical applications to concepts that are frankly too abstract for them.

Students are demanding practicality: What good is the Oedipus complex outside the context of the grade and how will reading sixth century literature prepare us for the real world? Ideas are no longer valuable for their own sake and students no longer find themselves willingly engaging with powerful ideas for mental exercise.

The job description of the educator has changed as well. It is no longer the main goal to teach a new set of skills or introduce a new way of thinking. It is primarily to make students care about something they otherwise wouldn’t care about. Thus, the event of learning becomes secondary to the act of caring. When students of the 21st century don’t have a curiosity to satisfy, they look merely for exciting stimuli, fragments of ideas that will hold their attention.

The average college student no longer attends college to learn. He or she goes for a degree — for the license to be important. It no longer a testimony of years spent devoted to wonderful ideas, but the prize for a four-year attention span. The college experience is reaching the level of practicality we’ve always known we’ve wanted. It is now a currency, exchanged for employment and validation.

Congratulations.

Reach the columnist at ctruong1@asu.edu.

As you read in a special story reported by The State Press, undergraduate student and beloved Sun Devil Daniel Kemp died as a result of a suicide in December of last year. His death was felt by students and administrators — including Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications Dean Christopher Callahan — as the loss of a wonderful life, just on the cusp of a true beginning.

And recently, the painful and misunderstood mix of emotions that lead to suicide claimed the life of another student. Undergraduate Alex Haler, who was studying journalism died at the young age of 22 — the threshold of adulthood — on March 24, 2012.

A lot of times we get swept away in the commotion of school, internships and careers and we think everybody around us is following the same path. We think “We’ll see them tomorrow,” or “We’ll get together when we’re less busy.” When those days never come around it’s hard to cope with knowing you missed an opportunity to tell someone they’re great and they matter, to tell them life is only hard for the moment.

When death comes at such a young age, it is perhaps even more confusing and even more of a shock to the living. Loved ones, friends and family members of the deceased are left with questions, hypothetical “what ifs” and a future that exists only in memories that will never happen. When a life is cut short, we feel like we’re owed one. We find comfort in attributing death of the young to some greater scheme of things — some universal, balanced plan where everyone has a set time and date that is uniquely theirs. We all have a shelf life. We’ll all expire eventually. But, this time is never convenient, it’s never when we think it is and it’s never now or on our own terms. We continue to hurt, grieve and ask why when it does come. Moving on is never what we want to do; it is simply inevitable and frankly necessary to truly honor the lives of those passed.

And sometimes that’s hard.

It is so important to surround yourself with a solid foundation of supportive friends and family. Sometimes the bright side is far away or simply a blink of light in the distance — but it’s there, and the only way to reach it is to live each day not like your last, but in a celebration of life itself. Sometimes finding the bright side is as simple as looking straight into the darkness and refusing to acknowledge its existence.

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Most celebrities consider this an invasion of privacy, which is why the institution of star-stalking photography that fuels tabloids could soon be coming to an end.

The term “paparazzi” was coined in the 1960 film “La Dolce Vita” after the character Paparazzo, a news photographer.

Now, the term is used to identify annoying “photojournalists” who, according to the American Journalism Review, are “relentless, star-obsessed media voyeurs.”

The Review said, “The paparazzi consider themselves foot soldiers in a new and growing army of information-gatherers in a media age in which information-gathering has somehow gotten confused with newsgathering. ”

They lack the respect of legitimate journalists and will do anything for the perfect celeb photo.

The problem is the celebrity press has gotten so out of control that some governments have gone as far to enact rules and legislation to combat the extremeness of the paparazzi.

MSNBC reported in 2010 that “the California Assembly overwhelmingly approved a bill … that will impose harsh penalties on paparazzi who drive recklessly to get pictures of celebrities.” The paparazzi have more at stake.

And according to Yahoo! Voices contributor Greg Brian, France and Germany both have set rules in place wherein a paparazzo needs permission from the subject of their pervasive photographs before selling them off for big money.

As if working without permission is really going to stop these money-hungry photographers.

What the Hollywood press needs to understand is that these celebrities, no matter how big or how famous, are people too. Even if their careers call for the constant scrutiny of the public eye, an understanding needs to be made that people (celebs included) have a basic right to privacy.

There should also be less of a demand from publications like People magazine and websites like TMZ for these celebrity candids. How about a focus and need for more journalistic features and interviews, instead of that snapshot of Britney Spears shaving her head off?

As a pop culture devotee who admittedly craves the many candids of celebrites the photographers take, I know sometimes it goes too far.

Princess Diana’s death in a 1997 car crash was widely credited to the paparazzi’s incessant, break-neck chase of the car she was driving in. All for the sake of photographs.

The obsessive press needs to follow the “golden rule.”

Would they want to be chased non-stop by photographers? Would they want a picture of their lowest public moments broadcast on TV and circulated around the Internet and in print?

I didn’t think so.

So paps, think before you take that picture of Lindsay Lohan’s crotch as she exits the passenger side of a car. Is it really worth it?

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