ÎA' Mountain usually white; red, white and blue is new

This is in response to Stefanie A. Reeves's Thursday letter to the editor about "A" mountain not being re-painted in its "usual" manner. Painting the "A" white is actually painting it in its usual fashion. It was painted red, white, and blue sometime after Sept. 11, 2001. Before then it was always white, with the exceptions of being green during St. Patrick's Day and being gold/maroon if ASU came down and painted it. For the 12 years I have lived in Tucson, white has been the normal color for "A" mountain, not red, white and blue. [Read article]

Basketball isn't for dumb people any more. In a meeting last week involving UA Athletics Director Jim Livengood, Dean of the Honors College Patricia MacCorquodale, Dean of Students Melissa Vito, President Pete Likins, Provost George Davis and student body President Doug Hartz, a new policy was undertaken as the next step in Focused Excellence. The backbone of the policy revolves around a new system of basketball ticket sales. Under the system, undergraduate students with a minimum 3.0 GPA and 3.5 for graduate students would only be allowed to purchase season tickets. With the drive behind Focused Excellence to make UA more elite, the new policy will encourage students to work harder in their classes. "UA basketball isn't a common good anymore," said Livengood. "Attending the game will now be an honor." Although basketball isn't Likins' favorite sport, he is very excited about the new policy. [Read article]