Thumbs up to…Women’s tennis continues to dominate
Yeah, you don’t pay attention to the women’s tennis team and probably don’t know where they play. But they’ve done nothing but represent NU to the fullest, bringing home their 13th consecutive Big Ten title this weekend. Just a week after losing to No. 10 Michigan – their first Big Ten loss of the season, and a blowout, falling 6-1 – the Cats went up against the Wolverines again and looked destined to fail, losing the doubles point and first two singles matchups to go down 3-0 in a match to four. But NU’s final four singles players all won their matches, with freshman Belinda Niu rallying back from a 6-1 loss in the first set to win in three sets and clinch the tourney – and give our school our first – and possibly only, depending on how women’s lacrosse does – conference championship of the academic year. Year in, year out, this team has been elite in relative anonymity. Now No. 16 NU moves on to the NCAA Tournament – a deep tournament run sure would do a lot to make us notice a pretty consistently good team.
Thumbs sideways to…Gas prices hit high in Chicago
Americans went into a collective panic last summer when gas prices crept towards $3 a gallon. Well, guess what, Americans circa 2010, the average gallon of gas in Chicago is now at $4.35. And for some highly unfortunate reason, Chicago gas costs 46 cents more than the national average. It’s great that those Arab countries are achieving democracy and all, but do we really have to suffer the repercussions 6000 miles away? There is a silver lining to the disgustingly high current price of tax. Maybe people will finally take advantage of the “El” and bikes and roller blades and whatever other alternative mode of transportation floats their boat. Here’s to saving the environment.
Thumbs up to…Electronic transcripts are new option
The Northwestern registrar’s office dipped its toes into the waters of the 21st century last week by introducing an electronic option for student’s purchasing their official transcripts. This adjustment occurred primarily in response to modern-day preferences of prospective employers and graduate schools. With the change, students will endure a small yet worthwhile price hike. Before last Tuesday, a paper copy cost $5 but took three to five days to arrive at the desired destination. In case of emergency, an overnight shipment was $25 or about four burritos. With this new futuristic feature, a PDF of the official transcript is emailed instantaneously to the recipient. Considering the procrastination tendencies of Northwestern undergrads, We think it’s safe to say that this alteration will save the average student a buck or two over the course of his or her college career.
Thumbs up to…DREAM Act passes in IL state senate
After a rally including college students in downtown Chicago, the Illinois DREAM Act passed in state Senate on Wednesday afternoon. The bill is now one step closer to providing undocumented immigrant students with much-needed educational assistance. The Act would fund scholarships and create a commission to assist undocumented students throughout their college careers. Under current legislation, undocumented students are ineligible for financial aid. If passed, the Act would help students all over Illinois, including NU students, afford a college education. The bill still faces a House vote. With the amount of constituent support the bill has, House members should be wary of voting against it.
