We have reached the last week of classes — two days left. This semester came with some lighthearted news like Ellen DeGeneres’ surprise visit to ASU as well as the “shocking” story about a rat knocking out power for much of the Tempe campus. But this semester was also filled with big news that carries a lasting impact. As we head off into the summer, here are the stories that will continue to play a role in the ASU community. And don’t forget, you can keep up with these stories and more over the summer at statepress.com or on campus newsstands every Monday.
The Tucson Tragedy: Jan. 8 is a day that will live on in the minds of Arizona residents. That day 22-year-old Jared Loughner brought a shower of bullets on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the constituents she was meeting with at a “Congress on Your Corner” event. Six people were killed and 13, including Giffords, were wounded. Gabe Zimmerman, one of the six people killed, was an ASU alumnus who earned a master’s degree in social work.
Guns on campus: Just days after the Tucson shooting, our state Legislature convened. Bills emerged that would have allowed firearms on college campuses and in government buildings. This generated much debate about the role guns should play in our lives and where they should and should not be allowed. In the end, the Legislature passed two bills that would have allowed guns on campus. Gov. Jan Brewer had the final say though, vetoing both and keeping guns away from our classrooms.
Robles and Jenkins win National Titles: A disappointing regular season for the ASU wrestling team was followed up with an exciting NCAA Championships that saw two seniors claim individual national titles. Anthony Robles finished off an undefeated season and Bubba Jenkins rebounded from an injury and stormed onto the national stage. ASU was the only school to be represented by two individual national champions in 2011.
State budget cuts and tuition increases: State lawmakers passed a budget that cut funding for the state’s universities by $198 million. This led to a number of new fees and a tuition increase. Students can expect to pay between $1,198 and $1,775 more for tuition this coming academic year. The price of a U-Pass almost doubled for next semester as well — it increased from $80 to $150. After several years of budget cuts and tuition hikes, students were once again unable to catch a break.
ASU’s “It’s Time” Campaign: It was dramatic, it was suspenseful and it was partially just for show, but the release of new uniforms and logo designs for ASU athletics caused quite the stir. The pitchfork is in and a new bold font is plastered across Sun Devil gear around campus. It’s supposed to be time for a new, more successful era of ASU football, even though that was supposed to be last year, or the year before that. At least we can now look cool in the process.
