Exhibits, parade, music all part of downtown festival

Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat joined more than 2,000 Tucsonans for the 2003 Earth Day Festival and Parade downtown Saturday.

The event, held three days before tomorrow's Earth Day, was a chance for Kristina Sides, 8, and her sister Stephanie, 6, of Tucson, to entertain themselves with a mock desert and river exhibit

"This is really fun. It teaches you to recycle things and don't litter," Kristina Sides said. [Read article]

Board to discuss tuition waiver for spouses, kids

The children and spouses of Arizona military personnel killed in battle might not have to pay undergraduate tuition, under a proposal the Arizona Board of Regents will discuss this week.

A UA spokeswoman characterized the proposal as a goodwill gesture that would have minimal financial impact on the state's universities.

Officials said, however, they aren't aware of anyone slain in Iraq with children or spouses at UA, ASU or NAU. [Read article]

General education teacher recognized for innovation

On an average day in one of John Kemeny's classes, students do anything from creating Web pages to cracking open rocks.

And while his lessons interest his students, it was Kemeny's "friendly and open" teaching style and innovative ideas that caught the attention of the University-Wide General Education Committee.

Last month, the committee selected Kemeny, a mining and geological engineering professor, as one of six Outstanding General Education Faculty. [Read article]

UA students and researchers have taken their research to new depths ÷ to the bottom of the ocean.

The result is a new device called "Shadow III" that will help scientists track giant pacific octopi in their natural habitat.

According to mechanical engineering professor Emeritus Tom Vincent, the device will sit on the ocean floor and photograph an octopus when it becomes active.

"Most of the time I think (Shadow III) will be at the bottom of the ocean," Vincent said "I think we'll get pictures of tentacles from it attacking (Shadow III)." [Read article]

Finals begin in less than three weeks. We asked: How far in advance do you start to study for finals? Why?

"A day or two before the actual final. I'm not a very big studier. A lot of my finals aren't a big portion of my final grade. I'm a procrastinator, and I'm a freshman."

Jaime Watts
retail and consumer sciences freshman

"A day or two before. I'm a procrastinator. I've always been, but I'm good at it. I'm not too stressed." [Read article]

Senior majoring in English doesn't mind the taste of sheep brains; wants to be a zoo cat

WILDCAT: You have really blue eyes. Are those contacts?

JOHNSON: Yeah, they are.

WILDCAT: They're really cool. What color are your eyes usually?

JOHNSON: Dark brown. Some people think they're actually real, which is interesting.

WILDCAT: Really? I bet you get chicks that way. [Read article]

· The oldest goldfish, "Tish," lived for 43 years. Tish the fish was won at a fairground in 1956.

· Armando Matillana ate 550 chilies in three minutes, a world record, at the Magayon Festival in the Philippines in May 2000.

· The world's largest puzzle measured 51,484 feet and consisted of 43,924 pieces. It was constructed in Marseilles, France, in July 1992. [Read article]

Today
· 1789 ÷ John Adams was sworn in as the first vice president of the United States.

· 1977 ÷ The musical Î'Annie'' opened on Broadway.

Tuesday
· 1864 ÷ Congress authorized the use of the phrase Î'In God we trust'' on U.S. coins.

· 1970 ÷ Millions of Americans observed the first Î'Earth Day.''

Wednesday [Read article]