5 Things You Can Learn In 10 Minutes (Or Less)

5. Flagstaff resident by way of Phoenix looking for information about Tucson. I was born and raised in the northern Phoenix area (think northern Glendale), and I’m pretty familiar with Flagstaff after a year of living here. But, this summer I’ll be living in the city of Tucson with some friends, near the university. I’m not as familiar with the area, having only been to that city a couple of times. If any of you are familiar with Tucson and could recommend some places to eat or visit, go ahead and let me know in the comments!

What you should have learned: I’ve been everywhere… when it comes to Arizona’s major cities.

4. I really hate Channing Frye right about now. Watching that game against Oklahoma City, Phoenix Suns player Channing Frye simply got selfish and took a terrible shot. There’s now contesting that — a double-teamed, contested, step-back, long two-pointer that nearly missed everything. Which makes me wonder as a fan if we should re-sign him this season. An argument for doing so would be that he has helped Phoenix not only make the playoffs, but possibly be looking for a championship come May. However, he’s been inconsistent and less and less effective as the season as progressed, mostly due to defenses locking down on him. Without his shot, he’s a poor defender and has no inside game to speak of. Most Suns fans agree that Lopez is the future, and with Amundson as the fan favorite, it might be time to reject Channing — especially if he demands anything about two or three million per.

What you should have learned: Frye might get bonus points for his performances early in the season, as well as being an alumnus of the UA. But, don’t let the appreciation of the past fool you, Channing: Suns fans very much live in the present, and we want our players to work for new contracts.

After all, there’s a reason Amare Stoudemire is about to get a max contract from the Suns.

3. Preaching to the choir while demonizing the faithful. In my work this week, I travelled to Heritage Square downtown to cover a rally for “Take Back The Night,” an event that I would have likely attended even if I wasn’t writing a piece on it, simply because I support the main cause of the event. What I did get, however, was a sermon on the evils of men and how truly sneaky and monstrous they could be, even in relationships with consensual intimacy agreed on by both partners. I’ve been trying to understand why I feel so uncomfortable in the company of feminists, despite sharing the same general goals, and I think I’ve discovered it: they view me as the enemy because of my gender. They view it as a handicap to my ability to understand where they stand and as a sign that I cannot be trusted. How unfortunate that they insist on preaching to the choir while demonizing the faithful in the church of radical feminism.

What you should have learned: I support the equality of both genders, not the demonization of one a way to uplift the other. Can’t women be powerful in their own right without feeling like they need to de-power men? Can’t women and men cooperate to lower rates of rape and domestic violence, as well as provide essential services needed to those who have suffered such horrors? I certainly think so. If you are so blind that you must exert prejudice against an entire gender, you are only becoming another roadblock on the road to solutions.

2. Prop. 100’s student support is a good sign, whether or not you support the actual movement. As a reporter, I travelled with a group of about thirty students as they marched from the Union to the Flagstaff city hall. Wearing T-shirts, waving homemade signs, and sporting genuine enthusiasm, their passion was not lacking. And while I will decline to comment on my views on the proposition itself, I do find the fact that these young men and women display an interest in electoral politics that affect them to be a good sign. Our generation has a stereotype as being one that simply doesn’t care, and I think that has been used by some of our elected officials as reasoning to make young people — who they think won’t vote — carry certain burdens that they wouldn’t ask, say, retired people to.

What you should have learned: I hope that all college students here at NAU turn out to vote on May 18th, no matter which way they vote.

1. A depressing reminder of why high school was the worst time of our lives.
The story of a young high school girl’s suicide is one that I certainly never want to read. At South Hadley High, located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, 15 year-old Phoebe Prince went to school everyday only to face endless torment from her peers and others around her. Court records show that the reason for her torture was that she had dated two young men that other girls later dated. She was called names and had things thrown at her as she walked home from school. She was threatened and stalked. And, suffering from hopelessness, she gave up and hung herself. To her family and friends, all I can say is that I am sorry for your loss. To her tormenters, there is no punishment in our justice system fitting for people as twisted and sick as yourselves. Your lawyers will call you “confused” and “young,” but I have a better name for you: evil.

What you should have learned: As a society, we have for too long ignored the negative symptoms of our education system. We thought Columbine would be our wake-up call, and then Virginia Tech. But, we haven’t learned a thing, and that disgusts me more than anything else to do with this case. Phoebe should have been able to receive help, protection, and comfort from the world that was out to maliciously destroy her. Maybe the recession had led to the counselor’s hours being cut, or to police presence being reduced; I don’t know or care. All I do know is that we failed her. And as long as we do nothing but forget, we will fail countless others.