Sex crimes

Two suspects still remain at large following six sex-related crimes that occurred in the dorms and in a UA parking garage over the course of a week in April.

Tucsonan Esteban Rodriguez was arrested after allegedly attempting to sexually assault two students ÷ one in the Arizona-Sonora Residence Hall and one in the Manzanita-Mohave Residence Hall ÷ after watching them shower on two separate dates in mid-April.

Three days after Rodriguezâs arrest, a masked man attempted to sexually assault a resident as she showered in the La Paz Residence Hall.

On April 25, a student was raped in the Park Avenue Garage after getting out of her car.

Residence Life and the University of Arizona Police Department implemented a 24-hour lockdown on all dorms and a whistle distribution program to alert people in case of emergencies following the attacks.

Budget cuts

As the result of state legislatorsâ mid-year budget cuts, UA lost $60.7 million of its billion-dollar budget this academic year.

The cuts resulted in smaller pay raises for UA employees, the loss of maintenance funds, canceled classes, delays in building upkeep and the closure of the Arizona International College.

In mid-November, 70 students from all three state universities rallied at the state Legislature for a budget cut of ãNo more than 4 (percent)ä ÷ or $13.8 million. In the spring, UA employees joined 500 public employees in front of the State capitol to fight for their raises. Employees received a flat raise of $1,450, which is less than the $1,500 or 5 percent raise that the Legislature passed originally.

Cuts may continue in 2002-2003 with legislatorsâ new proposals.

Sept. 11 Reaction

More than 1,000 members of the UA community gathered on the UA Mall to support each other and let their voices be heard, immediately following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

President Peter Likins arranged a community forum on the Mall early in the morning following the attacks. Soon the ãWall of Expressionä ÷ panels students could write and draw on ÷ was erected on the Mall and near an underpass on campus. Students used outlets such as these to vent their emotions, drawing pictures, writing poems and asking questions.

Many UA students also participated in various religious vigils and peace rallies.

University police increased security around campus in residence halls, places of worship and various campus landmarks following the attacks.

Community members also showed up in what American Red Cross officials deemed an ãunprecedented turnoutä of blood donors.

Integrated Learning Center opening

In November, the gates around the big area outside the library on the UA Mall were removed and services such as the Freshmen Year Center moved into their new home in the Integrated Learning Center.

Two months later, the ILC officially opened, providing students with a new locale for classrooms and computer access.

The $20 million facilityâs opening was delayed because of budget cuts and the Media Center portion of the building is still not open, but the more than 200 computers in the Information Commons area have been used much since the fences around the ILC came down.

Work on the unopened portion of the center continues.

Student Union Construction

The final stage of construction for the Student Union Memorial Center continues but is scheduled to be completed by the end of the fall semester.

New sections of the union recently opened and the post office was relocated. A new section of the UofA Bookstore also opened earlier in the month.

The first phase of the construction project was completed in August of last year, creating new homes for restaurants such as Cactus Grill, CafŽ Sonora, Dominoâs Pizza, Java Jive, McDonaldâs, On Deck Deli and Orville and Wilburâs, as well as various services located in the union.

Other construction projects still dot the campus.

Housing shortage

Last fall, 500 students found themselves living in hotels and dorm lounges, as the result of a record number of students applying for, and getting, guaranteed housing.

JON HELGASON/Arizona Summer Wildcat This 70 year-old boojum tree standing in the Joseph Wood Krutch cactus garden will likely be joined by younger boojums when the garden is expanded as part of the Alumni Heritage Plaza. One proposal for the new plaza recommended moving the garden to the front of Old Main, a move that environmentalists argued would have threatened the gardenâs three rare boojums.

While all 500 students eventually moved into permanent housing, Residence Life received many complaints about the experiences of displaced students.

The overcrowding prompted administrators to create a four-semester housing cap and to limit to 1,000 the number of sophomores allowed to return to the dorms.

Battle of the boojums

The historic Joseph Wood Krutch Cactus Garden at the center of campus was spared from relocation after campus environmentalists and students protested the proposal to build an alumni plaza on the site.

To build a plaza for alumni, the garden, home to three 70-year-old boojum trees, would have been moved to its original site in front of Old Main. Administrators said the boojums had a fair to good chance of surviving the move. Some environmentalists disagreed.

Under a new plan, adopted after the defeat of the previous proposal, the cactus garden will remain where it is and be expanded.

Softball-Jennie Finch

The UA softball team, despite losing eight seniors (including five All-Americans) and relying on eight freshmen, made it to the College World Series Championship game, finishing with a 55-12 overall record.

Senior pitcher Jennie Finchâs accolades ranged from winning the Honda Softball Award as the national player of the year for the second year in a row to an NCAA record 60 straight wins. Finch also set the all-time UA record for the number of strikeouts at 366 and finished her career with a 119-16 record. By virtue of winning the National Championship, the team met President Bush during the season.

JON HELGASON/Arizona Summer Wildcat Arizona senior pitcher Jennie Finch releases a pitch last season against Louisiana-Lafayette at Hillenbrand Stadium.

Finch and the Wildcats lost the national championship to Cal., 6-0.

Hoops

Even though the menâs basketball team lost four out of five starters from its 2001 National Championship Runner-up team, they started the season by winning the IKON Coaches vs. Cancer Classic with wins over No. 2 Maryland and No. 5 Florida.

In going from unranked to as high as No. 3 in the polls, the team rode its three juniors to a 24-10 record and victory in the reincarnation of the Pac-10 tournament, securing Coach Lute Olsonâs 18th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.

The Wildcats lost to Oklahoma 88-67 in the Sweet 16. After the season, Olson was selected to be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Genomics

The International Genomics Consortium, one of the worldâs leading groups of genetic researchers, will be moving to Arizona and partnering with universities, said Dr. Jeff Trent, scientific director of the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. Genomics is the study of how genes affect biology.

The consortium, will work with the Translational Genomics Research Institute and employ UA researchers to apply IGCâs discoveries toward useful applications, like new medicines.

Top UA officials expect that the partnership will bring prestige to the university, and increase its ability to gain valuable national grant money.