Basketball player cited for pulling false fire alarm

A UA basketball player was placed into the diversion program Friday after he admitted to police that he set off a residence hall fire alarm last week, reports stated.

A resident assistant at the Kaibab-Huachuca Residence Hall, 922 E. Fourth St., told police that he believed Isaiah Fox, 19, was responsible for pulling the emergency pull station lever, setting off the fire alarm.

Fox admitted to pulling the alarm and said it was supposed to be a practical joke.

The 6-foot-9 freshman averaged 15.5 minutes last season off the bench as a center. Fox scored a career-high 12 points against Illinois Dec. 4 and averaged 4.5 points and 4.1 rebounds on the season

Police placed Fox into the Dean of Students Diversion Program, reports stated.

Wildcat columnist wins national commentary honor

Arizona Daily Wildcat Perspectives Editor Jessica Lee was recently honored by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists for what one judge called her "witty, intelligent commentary."

Lee beat out college columnists from across the nation to win the associationâs $1,000 scholarship, as well as a free trip to Pittsburgh.

"Ms. Leeâs work offers what every column should," said contest judge Lindor Reynolds of the Winnipeg Free Press. "She can be funny when itâs called for, and she can ring with moral certainty when the topic demands.ââ

Lee, whose columns frequently focus on environmental issues, won the award for three commentaries, which addressed Tucsonâs water rates, a controversial telescope project on Mt. Graham, and corporate Americaâs reaction to the Sept. 11 attacks.

"I was speechless and overwhelmed," Lee said. "I figured I had no chance, and that somebody from Harvard or Berkeley would take it."

The Flagstaff native has worked for the Wildcat for three semesters, spending her first two as a columnist and working as Perspectives Editor this semester.

"Jessica has definitely proven herself worthy as an editor, but more so as a columnist," said Wildcat editor in chief Maggie Burnett. "She exhibits the passion that is needed to write a well-argued column, and Iâm glad that she had the opportunity to win this award."

NAACP donates $70,000 for higher-education endowment

The UA Foundation received a check for $70,000 last week to create an endowment to support the higher education of black students.

The check was donated to the foundation from the Tucson Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The endowment, named the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund Tucson Chapter NAACP, will provide full-tuition scholarships to full-time UA students.

Students can renew the scholarships if they remain in good standing and maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average.

The UA Black Alumni Scholarship Committee will be in charge of reviewing all applications for the scholarship.

"The University of Arizona Foundation deeply appreciates the generosity of the committee that has established this scholarship endowment to benefit African-American students at the University of Arizona," said John L. Huerta, director of development in minority programs for the foundation.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund Committee presented the award to the University of Arizona Foundation at the Phenomenal Woman Award Dinner on Friday. The event was sponsored by the University of Arizona Black Alumni and honored Jesse Mae Reasor Zander, a poet and civil rights advocate, as the recipient of the Phenomenal Woman Award.

Swimming team to hold blood drive today at McKale

Arizona swimming and diving teams will host a blood drive today on the east side of McKale Memorial Center from noon to 5:30 p.m.

The Swim Cats, along with United Blood Services, will have a bloodmobile in an effort to help hospital patients across the state.

"Our mission is to take care of the communityâs needs first, and we need to increase blood donations to keep up with the rapid growing in blood use by Arizonaâs hospitals, " said Dr. Gerald Giordano, a medical director for United Blood Servicesâ Tucson center.

Head coach Frank Busch said he instigated the drive to provide his athletes a community service opportunity after the season.

A typical blood donation takes less than an hour and can help save three lives.

The teams invite all eligible blood donors to join them.

To set up an appointment or for more information, call Maggie Garcia at the swim office at 621-6719.

To schedule an appointment at a different time, call UBS at 318-6600.