Arizona State Football Player Chip Sarafin comes out as Gay

Very interesting news here.

Edward "Chip" Sarafin, who's a senior offensive lineman for Arizona State University, has come out as gay. I believe Chip is the only out player in major college football.

Here's more on the story:

Sarafin told his story to Phoenix-based Compete magazine, a publication for gay sports. The article by Joshua Wyrick focused on Sarafin's educational studies in biomedical engineering with his goal of becoming a neurologist and on his volunteer work. The part of Sarafin being gay is addressed in an oh-my-the-way manner near the end.

He came out to his Sun Devils teammates last spring, saying, "it was really personal for me and it benefited my peace of mind greatly."

Sarafin is a fifth-year senior and the school's media guide indicates he did not play in a game his first two seasons and was on special teams last year, though there is no mention of him having played in a game. He stands 6-6 and weighs 320 pounds.

There have been other major college football players who have been openly gay on their teams -- Michael Sam was one at Missouri last year -- but Sarafin would be the first gay player to tell his story to the media while still playing.

I hope he's had a good experience in Arizona.

The Daily Show Slams ASU

This is embarrassing, because that's real. What you see is real...That's ASU.

Maybe Obama's smartness will sprinkle out to the crowd. But some students I know will be okay, like my Lauren.
Congrats, girl!

Arizona State University...Omega Fail!!!

ASU...what's really happening to you? This university is a complete joke and shame among other universities in the nation...actually abroad as well. There are a few colleges overseas that are discussing this issue in their classes and seminars.

Last weekend, I told y'all about the mess ASU caused with not awarding President Obama with an honorary degree. After putting their foot in their mouths 56 times, they decided to rename a scholarship after him.

But the new drama came afterwards. In trying to explain their reasoning, ASU's president, Michael Crow cited a policy claiming that the university do not give honorary degrees to sitting politicians.

Crow stated:

"Since my appointment, we have not awarded honorary degrees to sitting politicians, a practice based on the very practical realities of operating a public university in our political environment"

But guess what? He was wrong! They have given an honorary degree to one sitting politician, Robert Stump, an Arizona Repub Congressman. Then, after that half-truth was exposed the university revealed that the policy was only "verbal" and never documented.

There's nothing written in stone about this "policy", no documentation, no anything.

I'm sorry, but who's running things over there? Fraggles? These mistakes are amateurish and careless. Crow should have somebody to research these types of issues...wait, he shouldn't have said anything until everything was thought through. So tacky.

Today, a ASU spokesperson just gave up and said, "we blew it!" And yes they did. Folks are still flooding Crow's emails, denouncing their support, giving back their degrees, withholding donations until Crow resigns and sending Obama their diplomas.

It's weird to see ASU fall out like this. I used to work there and I knew it was a "special" place, but this mess just confirms how right I was. ASU needs new management and a new direction.

Source

ASU May be Coming to their Senses

Besides being a school for dunces, drug dealers, criminals, racists, future trophy wives and out of work football players, they can present some good things.

And this may be it...

Michael M. Crow, president of Arizona State University, tells POLITICO that the school is reconsidering its widely mocked plans not to give President Barack Obama an honorary degree when he speaks at commencement on May 13 and will “honor him in every way possible.”

“There was no intended slight,” Crow said by telephone from his office in Tempe. “We had not yet talked about what honors we might give him as our commencement speaker, and we still have a month to work all that out. We don’t want anyone to think we do not recognize what he has achieved and what he means in America.”

A formal decision has not been made, but it was clear from Crow's comments that the university is headed in that direction. ASU risked becoming a national punch line if it did not quickly retreat from its policy against conferring honorary degrees on a sitting politician.

Past recipients of ASU honorary degrees included an aloe-vera magnate, the director of "Victor Victoria," a Chinese official, a Canadian politician, and lots of donors and fundraisers.

Again the donors and fundraisers, gets me every time. Oh, not all their students are bad, there are good ones on their campus (I used to work there)

Arizona State University doesn't Think Obama's deserve their Busted Honorary Degree

ASU is a joke to most us in the college world, but the biggest joke is their denial of an honorary degree to Obama.

He's addressing the future graduates in May on their campus (how they got him, I don't know) so it would be fitting to give him the honorary degree, right? Well, it's Arizona, so NO!

ASU has given these 'degrees' to college presidents, titans of oil and computer microchips, newspaper publishers and generous donors, and a successful movie director. So why not the FRAKKING PRESIDENT OF THE USA.

Here's the reason from their president, Michael Crowe. He told the committee that significant contributions to education and society over the course of a person’s career merit consideration for an honorary degree.

Then, University spokeswoman Sharon Keeler said:

“Because President Obama’s body of work is yet to come, it’s inappropriate to recognize him at this time."

Followed by Paul Patterson, dean of the Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness and committee member, who said:

“We’re looking for people who have made great accomplishments,” he said. “It’s a recognition to true contribution to society.”

Okay, so I guess he has done nothing so far.

Let's look at some their honorees: Donors, what have they done...Nothing, but gave them money. And who is this movie director? What did they do to save the world?

ASU please stop this nonsense; this is tacky and shameful.

Maybe they are still bitter about McCain, who knows. The point is this...be real ASU, some of the honorees are nowhere near Obama's status. For the fact they are not aware of Obama's accomplishments speak in volumes.

Still, I'm not too surprised about this. It is Arizona.

UPDATE
the pressure is getting to them

Dear xxxxxxxxxxxx,

We have tremendous respect for President Obama, and that is why we invited him to speak at our graduation ceremony. We are honored that he accepted our invitation, and that we will be the first university in the nation to host him for a commencement ceremony.

In recent years, we have determined not to give honorary degrees to sitting politicians or major donors, but to do so based on an individual's body of work. While President Obama has already achieved remarkable success--including becoming the first African-American president--his greatest work is yet to come. We will be delighted to consider him for an honorary degree once he leaves office at the end of his presidency.

Sincerely,

Emily Dalton Smith
Director of Communication
Office of the Provost