Those who believe the post-NCAA championship game riots caused the UA's reputation to fizzle should take a harder look at UA student activism before making such an assumption.

Yesterday morning, about 200 UA and Tucson community members gathered for a rally about one of the most heated issues America faces - abortion.

The groups ranged from the UA Young Democrats and the College Republicans to Students Against Sweatshops and the Tucson Arts Brigade. Some of the groups were staunch pro-choice advocates, while others were vehement pro-life crusaders.

Yet without a single fist fight breaking out or a single gunshot being fired, these groups engaged in a highly charged, ideological debate about one of the country's most divisive issues.