Brett Ferra

Hey President Likins: The revolution has started, and it's time for this fair university to join suit.

Last night, Florida State took on rival Clemson, in the cleverly named "Bowden Bowl," the annual match-up pitting legendary FSU coach Bobby on the opposite sideline of son Tommy. Because of "anticipation of heavy traffic" around the central Tallahassee campus for the game, Florida State officials decided to cancel classes both yesterday and today, ultimately giving students what they call a "fall break," just five weeks after classes got underway.

That's right. University officials, the big brass, the guys in charge, who ultimately, without question, obviously, no doubt, care primarily about the academic welfare of their students, have decided to cancel class because of a football game.

Now it's UA's turn.

Over the better part of the last two weeks in the Wildcat there have been stories about how this university is "Changing Directions" and its plans for "Focused Excellence," but instead of in the classroom, we should change directions and focus our pursuit of excellence in the realm of sports.

This is, of course, a "jock school," right?

Who cares about emulating Stanford and UCLA in the classroom, when UA can emulate them on the playing fields instead?

Why stop there when UA can go even farther and be like Arizona State? It's about time those kids finally get recognized as the best at something. From what I hear, they know how to throw one wild party, and even have the video to prove it, with the notion supported by Playboy's announcement of naming the former Tempe Normal School as the top party campus in all the land.

But lets give our administrators the benefit of the doubt. Maybe there is a happy medium, a compromise of sorts between sports and academics.

With basketball season just around the corner and with games usually on Thursday and Saturday, why not have the Friday off after the Stanford game on Jan. 30? That should suffice.

If that won't work, maybe the university should try this: How about canceling classes on the morning of Oct. 28? This would let students get in line for basketball tickets, which we know everyone will do anyway, without the consequences of missing class.

If that won't cut it, then how about canceling classes for the first Tuesday in April? The basketball team will no doubt be in New Orleans for the NCAA championship. It will give the students who travel to the game a day to get back in time not to miss any school and will give those students who are stuck in Tucson the chance to recover from a night of partying.

Now, does that sound like a compromise?

If FSU can get a day off for a meaningless mid-season football game, I think UA should get off the day after the basketball team's biggest game of the year, too. Even if the team happens to lose before that, we students can all use a day off every now and then. Right?