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New ASU Club Helps Students Give Back Through College Connect Tempe

(05/01/26 10:47pm)

PHOENIX — A new volunteer organization at Arizona State University provides students with the opportunity to reduce education disparity in Tempe by mentoring local high school students.SummitScholars was created after a conversation between Saaj Chowdhury, president of SummitScholars, and her friends about the large number of students they knew who were dropping out of college. But rather than looking to solve the problem at the university itself, Chowdhury and the other founders looked broader.“What if students got the support from high school itself?” Chowdhury asked.The club aims to prepare high school students for the reality of college. Volunteers explain to their mentees what to expect in a university setting and teach them how to access the many resources provided to students. Chowdhury said students in high school who tour college campuses hear all about the excitement of being a student, but don’t get the full picture.“Just getting a visual tour and just knowing about that is not the same as what you're going to experience in a classroom,” Chowdhury said.A key component of the club that sets it apart from other college preparation programs is the emphasis on what Chowdhury and Dr. Bailey Borman, a SummitScholars adviser, call a “near-peer” model.SummitScholars volunteers are close in age to the students they mentor, allowing them to provide advice that is more relevant to what attending college currently looks like. “I think when you are working with someone that is in a similar season of their life it's easier to see what’s possible,” Borman said.SummitScholars also has a partnership with College Connect Tempe, allowing them to reach more students.College Connect is a college access center that was founded in 2012. All of its services, including tutoring, one-on-one advising and workshops about post-secondary opportunities, are free. While the program is run by the City of Tempe, the services are available to learners across the country. Additionally, they are not restricted to high school students or those who want to attend a traditional college. Adrian Cascio is the education and career empowerment supervisor for the Tempe Community Health and Human Services Department. He explained that College Connect is meant to support learners as they explore what opportunities are available to them post-high school.“Our goal is that students and parents can make an informed decision about what their options are,” Cascio said.College Connect also partners with the Tempe Union High School District and provides an adviser for every school in the district.Cascio added that the College Connect advisers have had a significant impact on the students and schools they serve. With the support of these advisers, there’s been an increase in completion of the FAFSA by TUHSD students. Cascio called this a “significant indicator” of increased college enrollment.The support of these advisers reduces the strain on school counselors who support high school students in a multitude of ways, not just in regards to post-secondary opportunities.The American School Counselor Association recommends that the student-to-counselor ratio in a state is 250-to-1. Arizona has a student-to-counselor ratio of 645-to-1, the highest in the nation. Because of these large case loads, Arizona school counselors don’t have the capacity to meet every student’s needs during their post-secondary exploration. That is where College Connect Tempe and SummitScholars come in.Student to counselor ratio isn’t the only area of public education Arizona struggles in.A study by the Save Our Schools Arizona Network found that Arizona spends, on average, $5,900 less per student than the national median. Instead, public schools rely on funding from community wealth in the form of bonds and property taxes. This means schools in low-income areas— which often serve students of color — have very little funding. The SOS Arizona Network study found that Arizona spends $7,613 less per learner in districts that primarily serve students of color. This is not only the worst in the country but also nearly double the next worst state.While organizations like College Connect and SummitScholars can’t solve this problem, they can limit the impact it has on students. Dr. Carrie Sampson, an ASU associate professor, said community organizations are “critical” for students who don’t have the access or support they need to be successful.Sampson outlined four key things these organizations can do: collect data to lobby for more funding, run services that schools can’t fund, teach students the basic skills required to be successful in college and expose students to career opportunities.“Being able to connect students to these various professions that are out there I think can be really eye opening and critical in a student’s trajectory,” Sampson said.SummitScholars volunteers will begin working with students in Fall 2026. Until then, students and families seeking college and career support can check out College Connect Tempe’s resources.

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/05/new-asu-club-helps-students-give-back-through-college-connect-tempe

New Middle Housing Bill Could Threaten Historic Neighborhoods in Phoenix

(05/01/26 2:55am)

Phoenix residents are concerned that a new middle housing bill could allow developers to overrun historic districts with new multiplex developments. The bill is intended to introduce more housing options for single residents and increase affordability by raising the supply of housing options. Some citizens, such as realtor Laura Boyajian, seem to think that the bill will actually have the opposite effect on affordability. “The word affordability in this bill is a guise…there’s nothing in this bill that accounts for anything to make it affordable,” Boyajian said. Boyajian said she doesn’t see how these developers will be able to buy a single family home in a historic district, demolish it, build something new on the lot and still be able to keep rents affordable after all the capital they’ve spent building it. Boyajian said that she and many other residents of historic neighborhoods in Phoenix are also concerned that the construction of these new developments could decrease the property value in their respective neighborhoods, and that the bill “doesn’t account for the fact that these historic homes cannot be rebuilt ever.” The bill, HB2721, went into effect on January 1, 2026 and streamlines zoning changes in cities to build more ‘middle housing’ developments within one mile of the city’s central business district. Rep. Michael Carbone, who sponsored the bill, said that in these historic districts where property taxes are higher, the city is able to make four times the amount in taxes by having a fourplex in a lot instead of a one family home. “It's a cash cow for the cities,” Carbone said. Carbone said that when it comes to the protection of historic districts and preventing developers from demolishing historic homes, that it is an issue that needs to be addressed by the city of Phoenix and HOAs, not the state. Committee member of the advocacy group Save Historic AZ, Aaron Searless, said that the bill is “free admission for developers to come in, rip down homes and build whatever they want.” Searless said that he feels that the affordability of middle housing is not really what is being targeted by this bill and he gives an example of a luxury condo development that was just built on First ave. where units start at $800,000. Searless said that these historic neighborhoods such as Willo are not built for these new developments because they are made up of “folks that have lived here for decades,” he said. Searless also said that these new developments will not fit in with the style of these neighborhoods, especially considering that most of the historic homes are made of brick and new developments will likely just use the cheapest material they can to turn a profit.

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/05/new-middle-housing-bill-could-threaten-historic-neighborhoods-in-phoenix

How Seasonal Fluctuations Help People Travel

(04/30/26 9:17pm)

TEMPE – The rate changes between vacation seasons are common in the hospitality world and are often more than just demand and supply. The everyday consumer can find a hotel room going for one price in the winter and a completely different price in the summer. These changes are often due to local activities, sports seasons and festivals. Fairfield hotel by Marriott is entering their peak summer seasons and with the rise in customers, there also comes a rise in prices. Shauna Mitchell, a Fairfield receptionist, mentioned that the hotel is entering a season where they have a surge of consumers traveling for sports and festivals. The original price of a hotel per night ranges about $100 and up, but during busy seasons the starting rate jumps to about $300. “They do pay for it because they want better service, a better room and a safer location,” said Mitchell.In July of 2025, the Arizona department of tourism estimated 237,503 national park visitations. In November, those numbers dropped to 202,244, proving the seasonal travel rates in Arizona rise with the temperatures. Northern Arizona University hospitality student Jo Szeli said that the fluctuation of prices are based on geography, which is reflected in the national park visitations. “In Flagstaff specifically, the hotter summer months are slow while the colder winter months are busier but the opposite goes for Phoenix,” said Szeli. Local businesses are also impacted by this fluctuation because “busy seasons for hotels have to be busy seasons for those businesses” according to Szeli.Alma Navarro, a cashier at the Cracker Barrel by the Fairfield hotel, claims the hotel rates to be too high regardless of the season.“I mean it's highway robbery, just down the street, the prices are half of Fairfield, so you just need to shop around for what works,” Navarro said. The Arizona State department of tourism reported that the hotel occupancy rates dropped by almost 10% from January to February. This large change just from month to month can be an explanation for how often the rates change in hotels. Szeli said if there was anything they could change in the world of hospitality, it would be more consistent with rates annually. Szeli suggests consumers take this information and research the local hotels around them when planning their vacations. “The system may be against you but use it to your advantage to get the most out of the cheapest vacation possible,” Szeli said.

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/04/how-seasonal-fluctuations-help-people-travel

How Scottsdale Golf Courses are Living Under Par with New Innovations

(04/30/26 9:15pm)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz– During times of water scarcity, Scottsdale golf courses adapt and thrive with new technology and inputs.Water scarcity touches many places across the world, and the availability of water has recently been a priority for Western states in the U.S. as states negotiate for rights to the Colorado River water. One major stakeholder in water use across Arizona, and in Scottsdale in particular, is golf courses. Scottsdale is ranked by “Travel and Leisure” as one of the best golf cities in 2026, and adequate water is needed to maintain the lush fairways that draw golfers. As a result, the city’s golf courses face the constant problem of water conservation.According to the Arizona Alliance for Golf, the golf industry in 2021 generated $6 billion for the Arizona economy, 66,200 jobs, and $518 million in tax revenue. On any given day, golf courses use 2% of the water in the state. “Golf is baked into the Scottsdale identity”, Arizona Alliance for Golf spokesperson Katie Prendergast said. “It is part of the city's brand and what it has to offer.”Water conservation has important consequences for the golf industry in Scottsdale. Without the water that the City of Scottsdale supplies, many courses could shut down and tourism in Scottsdale would decline heavily.Continuous improvement of water usage has long been a goal in Scottsdale. According to the City of Scottsdale’s Golf Course Policy in 1997, both the management of existing courses and design of new courses were expected to be guided by environmental performance, including water resources.“The City of Scottsdale does a pretty good job on the treatment of water and pulling out the sodium molecule. Sodium is a big killer of your soil structure and your root systems in your grass”, Director of Agronomy at Grayhawk Golf Course in Scottsdale Ernie Pock said. “All the new work we have done has allowed us to see the course in ways we never thought possible.”Some Scottsdale golf courses use reclaimed water. According to the City of Scottsdale website, the Reclaimed Water Distribution System (RWDS) was established in Scottsdale to bring non-potable water to 23 Scottsdale golf courses, first starting in 1990.“In Arizona specifically, I’ve noticed a few different strategies. A big one is using artificial turf on driving range tee boxes. That helps reduce water use, but it’s also more practical”, ASU Landscape Architecture student and President of Club Golf at ASU Abby Schmidt said. “That being said, I do think water is becoming a bigger concern and will continue to be in the future, especially in places like Arizona.”The architecture of golf courses affects their water usage. For many courses that involves using different types of grass such as rye and bermuda depending on when they want the grass to go dormant. “We ultimately transition golf courses onto a grass that needs, you know, up to 30% less water like, that's a huge win, win. And that's the kind of investment that the industry is constantly making”, Prendergast said. “I also think we need to do a better job of sharing those stories and talk about what golf has meant for people of any background.”Dormant grasses help with conserving water in different areas as the grass does not need to be watered. With the grass being easy to maintain, the courses can focus on their grass and how much water is used on important parts of the course such as the fairways and greens.“For reducing water usage, a big strategy is simply limiting how much irrigated turf you have”, Schmidt said. “That creates a playable surface without needing grass, which cuts down on irrigation.”Other practical steps that golf courses can use are advocated by the USGA include regularly maintaining the irrigation system to prevent leaks and delivering irrigation to the root zone of the grass and bushes so that less water is lost through evaporation. Careful attention is needed to prevent overwatering. In recent years, innovations have led to better water management at golf courses. This has led experts into using these technologies to further evolve golf courses to combat different challenges.“I see new technology that's probably going to be taking off in the next handful of years, and especially with how fast AI is starting to advance”, Pock said. “I foresee some massive jumps in water management on golf courses in the near future.”Courses are using innovations such as TurfRad, which uses satellite imaging and radar to allow superintendents to control the soil, water and other uses from the touch of an ipad.In addition to Scottsdale’s use of reclaimed water and golf courses managing their soil, some golf courses now are being renovated or have been built with the added tech in mind, including using Artificial Intelligence.According to the “Wall Street Journal,” Artificial Intelligence is being used on golf courses mainly to collect and organize data so superintendents and staff are able to better maintain the golf course. AI is being used to show how courses can be designed based on the property size and topography and creating new ways for workers to better manage different areas on the property.In a similar way, AI is helping to treat weeds in a more efficient way so that fewer chemicals are used, which will affect groundwater. According to the USGA, with machines to take images of the surface of the turf, and advanced graphics processing units, models can then be built to process those images and mark locations of growing weeds.Courses across Arizona want to optimize water management because without that, it will be hard for courses to continue operating at an efficient level. Golf courses have even been concerned with being inefficient in places where money and resources are wasted. “I think we need to be really aware of an industry that has a large segment of the population that doesn't play golf and understand that water efficiency is at the heart of the industry and its current innovations”, Prendergast said. “A lot of golf courses in Arizona are using reclaimed water and the foundations have been placed in many golf courses to be more sustainable.”Many golf courses in Arizona have faced sustainability and have triumphed by using the new technology that is available to them and great critical thinking as well. There is even evidence that courses take great care to further provide a well maintained course and Scottsdale is among the leaders in this innovation.With golf course water management using new approaches and technologies, the game of golf itself will need to catch up. As swing speed is getting faster, and the ball is flying further, AI and other technologies will be needed to match the players’ abilities to the course conditions. Golf courses continue to evolve and grow before our eyes as technology advances. Now that golf in Scottsdale is finding new ways to save water, golf can be more sustainable for the next generation.

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/04/how-scottsdale-golf-courses-re-living-under-par-with-new-innovations

Breakaway Arizona: Why it's the ultimate ‘rave baby’ experience

(04/30/26 12:32am)

Sloan Park in Mesa operates as a baseball stadium for the majority of the year, serving as the spring training home of the Chicago Cubs. However, as of last year, the venue is restructured for one weekend each year, transforming from a sports venue into a haven for electronic dance music (EDM) as ravers travel from across the country to hear a diverse lineup of established and rising DJs at the nationally recognized Breakaway Festival. 

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/04/breakaway-arizona-why-its-the-ultimate-rave-baby-experience

The Arizona Legislature Rejected a Bill that Prohibits Animal Testing

(04/29/26 3:59pm)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Senator John Kavanagh said his bill, which prohibited the sale of cosmetic products that had been tested on animals, died because there’s “no big money interest.”Kavanagh said when the bill was given to the chair of the agricultural committee, he refused to hear it. He said the committee was overloaded with agricultural issues, and they worried the bill would interrupt their plans.“They're usually dominated by agriculture and cattle interests who generally don't like humane bills,” Kavanagh said. “They fear it's a slippery slope that will eventually cause bills that really restrict their industries.”Kavanagh’s bill, SB1005, passed the Senate and was transferred to the Land, Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee in the Arizona House of Representatives. Kavanagh said that the chairman failed to put the bill on the agenda, which led to the bill dying.The bill ensures that Arizona cannot sell cosmetic products if animal testing is involved at any stage. He said companies shouldn’t hurt animals for the public’s benefit.“Cosmetic testing on animals is cruel,” Kavanagh said. “Why inflict pain on the animals when it’s not necessary?”Instead, Kavanagh proposed that cosmetic companies find other ways of testing their products and pointed out that there are numerous ways to test cosmetic products that don’t involve animals.“You can do computer testing,” Kavanagh said. “So there are a lot of other alternatives that no longer make it necessary.”In response to his statement, Kavanagh said the committee chose to prioritize other agricultural bills. He felt that the legislature, in general, didn’t care much for humane bills. They were easily overshadowed by bills that would interest the agricultural community.“If I would have to give it a grade in terms of how friendly the legislature is to animal legislation, I would say a C minus,” Kavanagh said. “It doesn’t resonate quite as well.”While the committee wasn't on board with his bill, Kavanagh received support from many animal welfare groups, including the Arizona Humane Society. Media Specialist Joe Casados said the Humane Society did sign off on the bill. While they are disappointed it didn’t pass, he said, they will be looking to see if it is reintroduced in the future.The bill also received major support from the public. Many of whom believe animal testing is cruel.Harper Scott is a recurring volunteer at the Humane Society. Since she works with animals, she said she has developed a deeper understanding of the animals.Scott said she refuses to buy products that have been tested on animals. Even before shopping, she said she will do research on the brand to make sure they don’t test their products on animals.“Animal testing, in general, is terrible,” she said. “I cannot consciously use products knowing that it’s been tested on animals.”Even though the bill did not pass during the current legislative session, Kavanagh said he hoped to reintroduce the bill next year.

https://www.blazeradioonline.com/article/2026/04/the-arizona-legislature-rejected-a-bill-that-prohibits-animal-testing