Congratulations are in order.

University of Arizona undergrads Evan Lisull and Conor Medenhall, co-bloggers at The Desert Lamp, won the America's Future Foundation's 2009 College 'Blogger Contest, meaning that ten thousand dollars and a trip to DC for a panel discussion on higher education will come their way soon.

Given the high quality of their 'blog, I'm certain they'll be more than bystanders in that discussion. AFF seems to exist in part to maintain the "conservative and libertarian" meme decades past its expiration date, but don't hold it against Lisull and Medenhall; they've brought a good (classical-)liberal sensibility to bear on university affairs and even managed to make remarks of great substance about the banal popularity contest that is student government.

They've also become in short time the deans of the University of Arizona's emerging 'blogosphere, Under the Sun, encouraging 'bloggers and bringing new 'blogs with potential to the public's attention. That they've frequently linked to and remarked on Goldwater State content hasn't gone unnoticed or unappreciated, either; the traffic brought by The Desert Lamp and Ballotpedia is what has motivated me to more frequently update here, and to find people to take over posting when I finish this PhD and leave the state. (Interested? Send me an e-mail.)

Congratulations to the guys at the Desert Lamp: the honor is well deserved. Theirs is a student 'blog so good you wouldn't think it's a student 'blog.