Students across Arizona yesterday voiced varying opinions on the appropriate size of a tuition hike, but many agreed regents and administrators must lobby lawmakers more effectively to protect the universities from future budget cuts.

Speaking at the last tuition public forum before the Arizona Board of Regents' tuition-setting meeting yesterday, several people called for graduated tuition hikes that wouldn't impact students as drastically as the $1,000 increase proposed by Arizona's three university presidents. [Read article]

PHOENIX ÷ The state will spare UA and the Arizona Health Sciences Center from further budget cuts, at least until next July.

Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano and Republican leaders of the legislature reached the compromise yesterday.

"That's really, really good news," said Provost George Davis. "It's hard to imagine that they would have put all the cuts on the state agencies right now."

Saying that it was too late in the fiscal year for state agencies to plan for further cuts before July 1, Napolitano and legislators found a way to plug this year's $300 million deficit. They plan to move money between accounts, delay K-12 repair projects and delay payment on a major settlement against the state. [Read article]

Activists concerned with use of students' tuition dollars

When a group of about 15 student activists gathered Wednesday night, they knew they opposed a tuition hike. What they didn't know was how to be heard. Less than 24 hours later, they were presenting a list of demands to the Arizona Board of Regents.

Among them: a freeze on campus construction, the creation of a student-staffed budget oversight committee and the assurance that a hike won't hurt teaching or research assistants. [Read article]

Twenty-five hopeful student government candidates introduced their platforms to students in the Picacho Room of the Student Union Memorial Center last night.

However, the majority of the 40 seats in the room were filled by candidates and current officers of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona.

Last year, the forum was held on the UA Mall at noon.

But Elections Commissioner Jason Korner said that this year's change of time and venue made the forum more accessible to students, although few were in attendance. [Read article]

Computer science major not a hacker, prefers Christina over Britney, would eat dog food

Wildcat: What's your major, Jeff?

Portouw: Computer science.

Wildcat: So can you hack into stuff?

Portouw: No, no, that's more writing software.

Wildcat: Well, what do you look at on the computer? Do you ever look at Britney Spears?

Portouw: No, I'm not a big fan of Britney. [Read article]

· "Wayne's World" was filmed in two weeks.

· Slinkies were invented by an airplane mechanic who was playing with engine parts and realized the possible secondary use of one of the springs.

· "Strengths" is the longest word in the English language with just one vowel.

· When a giraffe's baby is born it falls from a height of six feet, normally without being hurt. [Read article]

This is the life, this is what you come to college for.
Joe Kaitlen undeclared sophomore about relaxing, drinking beer and sitting outside on a couch

"A nigga threatened a cracker and now you want to print it."
Ronnie Gammage, responding to the police report that he had threatened ASUA student body president Doug Hartz after he was fired from SafeRide. [Read article]