By
Keith Carmona
Arizona Daily Wildcat
It's autumn in Tucson. The leaves aren't changing. The temperatures aren't dropping. (Yesterday's frigid 74 degrees was an aberration.)
So, as UA students, how do we celebrate the coming of winter? We invite our parents to town for Family Weekend!
Let's face it. Your parents are tired of Sabino Canyon, the Desert Museum and watching the football team get pummeled.
History recounts a putrid showing by the Wildcat football team while our families have visited, leaving us little room to brag about Arizona athletics.
Fear not, UA students, the 2000 Family Weekend features the best lineup of the year for UA sports.
So, I have created an itinerary for you to follow so that you can ensure that Mom, Dad, Bro and Sis enjoy themselves in charming Tucson.
Thursday 2 p.m.: Clean up room. Hide beer bottles, bad grades and overdue credit card bills.
Thursday 2:45 p.m.: Pick up family at airport.
Thursday 3-6 p.m.: Show them the construction on campus and invite them to dinner at Louie's Lower Level. Explain to your mother that LLL is cheap, but in order to avoid triple bypass surgery at age 26, you'll need more money for fresh groceries.
Thursday 7 p.m.: Take your family to McKale Center for the women's volleyball match against UCLA.
They'll be impressed with Coach Rubio's school record 14-1 start and with Melissa DaLee's NCAA-leading hitting percentage while watching the Wildcats trounce the perennial powerhouse Bruins.
Friday 8-10 a.m.: Demonstrate to your parents your uncanny ability to skip morning classes while fashioning creative excuses for the professors.
Friday 7:30 p.m.: After indulging in Student Union food and your own kitchen delights, your family will be ready for a truly gourmet affair.
My recommendation: Gavi. Forget Caruso's, this is the best Italian food in Tucson. Their menu is creative yet not bizarre. Try the Fettuccini Caccitorri and Mom and Dad will be back to Tucson for dinner only.
Friday 11:30 p.m.: Back to McKale center for a sneak peak at the 2000-01 men's basketball team in Midnight Madness. As if watching the Wildcats in their first official practice of the season isn't enough, your brother will certainly enjoy the Slam Dunk contest.
With Vince Carter-esque acrobatics, junior forward Richard Jefferson is favored to win the contest, but it's always interesting to see what stunts everyone else can pull off. Watch for cheerleaders on chairs, blindfolds and trampolines.
Saturday 7 p.m.: Convince your parents that this year's Wildcat football team is for real. If they buy it, head on over to Arizona Stadium for Coach Tomey's triumphant return to Tucson.
Posting a 4-1 record and a No. 22 ranking, the Wildcats aren't about to be embarrassed by Washington State.
After the game you'll have to do some more convincing when your family refuses to believe that the quarterback they watched rush for two touchdowns and throw for three more wasn't Michael Vick, but was Ortege Jenkins.
Sunday 5 p.m.: They'll probably be getting tired of the place, but take the family for one more visit to McKale Center. Former Wildcat hoopsters Michael Dickerson and Mike Bibby, who now make up the starting backcourt for the Vancouver Grizzlies will be taking on the Phoenix Suns. Jason Kidd and the Suns may be the home team, but the crowd will certainly be rockin' for Mike D and Bibby's first homecoming.
Sunday 9 p.m.: Upon heading back to the airport, remember to ask Mom and Dad for some cash.
