Police estimate 2,000 anit-war protestors turned out Saturday

Gripping a microphone firmly in her hand, Shelia Bapat stood atop the steps of the fountain at Old Main Saturday morning, challenging people to peacefully protest the impending war with Iraq.

Bapat, a political science senior and former Wildcat columnist, joined thousands of others throughout the world who gathered Saturday as part of an international peace rally and demonstration directed toward the U.S. government. [Read article]

PHOENIX ÷ President Pete Likins told the Senate Committee on Education yesterday that he was considering shutting down the Extended University and merging the department's offerings with each individual college on campus.

The Extended University offers computer-based classes, summer, winter, evening and weekend classes, certification programs and correspondence courses.

At Arizona State University, President Michael Crow is proposing similar measures, giving the colleges of engineering and business the option of running their own night, weekend and accelerated courses to generate extra revenue. [Read article]

PHOENIX ÷ Two members of the Senate Education Committee balked at Regents' proposals yesterday to increase resident undergraduate tuition by up to $1,000.

Sen. Thayer Verschoor (R-Mesa area), said he was concerned that raising tuition could mean a number of students won't be able to afford enrolling at UA.

"Are they just, as you said, going to have to bite the bullet · and deal with this huge increase? You're talking about a pretty significant increase," he said. [Read article]

With the future of the Flandrau Science Center now resting on the shoulders of the City of Tucson, its survival is uncertain.

When President Pete Likins and Provost George Davis announced last week that 16 programs will face mergers or elimination as part of the first phase of Focused Excellence, many of those involved in the programs were shocked. Flandrau, however, has seen this day coming for the past three years. [Read article]

When top administrators announce tomorrow their preliminary plans for program mergers, department heads will be listening.

Fearing difficulties recruiting top faculty, and afraid that their current faculty may not want to work in a merged department, they are hoping administrators keep their programs off the merger list.

Tomorrow's announcement will be the second time this month that department heads will hold their breath about the future of their disciplines. [Read article]

Over 500 members of the UA community, representing a multitude of groups on campus, ventured out in the rain yesterday morning to celebrate the life of slain civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The march began in front of Old Main on the UA Mall, and the crowd picked up more people en route to Reid Park, where the celebration of King's life continued until 4 p.m.

The year 2003 marks the 10-year anniversary since Arizona voters passed legislation to recognize the MLK holiday, but UA students and faculty have been marching in King's honor for 16 years. [Read article]

Fine arts senior talks about being a cowboy and saving damsels in distress

WILDCAT: So, I'm a pretty colorful person and I'm not a big fan of that painting called "White on White." What's the deal with that?

DULANEY: Then you don't like it. It does nothing for you?

WILDCAT: No. It's horrible.

DULANEY: I like colors, colors that represent things, give you feelings. [Read article]

Classes
· Tuesday: Last day to use RSVP and Web Reg to add or change classes or sections, change to or from Pass/Fail grade and register from zero units.

Mall Events
· Club Involvement Fair, 10 a.m. ÷ 2 p.m. UA Mall

Productions
· UApresents: Contact (Winner 2000 Tony Award for Best Musical) 7:30 p.m. Centennial Hall

Lectures
· Grief: Guilt, Fear, Regret and Remorse, 7 p.m. ÷ 9 p.m. University Medical Center, DuVal Auditorium

Speakers
· Center for Creative Photography Artist's Talk and Slide Presentation with Michael Gonzales, 5:30 p.m. Center for Creative Photography

Workshops
· Student Leadership Development Workshops ÷ "Encouraging the Heart: Leading through Kindness." 3 p.m. ÷ 4 p.m. Student Union Memorial Center, Tubac Room

Streakers unite

Dartmouth College ÷ Blatant nude frolicking is nothing new to the Dartmouth campus. Yet a group of students have transformed the trend of sporadic nude dashes across the Green into a real campus organization complete with a blitz list and student-supported changing and refuge stations.

This group, which shall be known as "The Green Streakers," meets once a week at a predetermined time for its members to carry out their naked prancing. For safety and security, no more specifics can be disclosed.

÷ Kate Carolan

Got grammar?

Pennsylvania State University ÷ At a time when instant messaging, handheld organizers, E-mail and text messaging rule the day, proper grammar is often left in the dust. The trend toward informal writing has some people at Pennsylvania State University worried about the writing skills of college students.

"There is a certain expectation level when teaching college students, and if they don't meet those standards, they shouldn't be in the class, or maybe even college," said Brad Thompson, professor of communications at Penn State.

÷ Colleen Freyvogel

War and peace

Stanford University ÷ In what appears to have been one of the largest protests in recent years on the Stanford University campus, approximately 400 anti-war demonstrators ÷ countered by a small pro-war contingent ÷ gathered in White Plaza at noon Thursday to oppose President Bush's plans for a war on Iraq.

Around 30 students and community members took part in a pro-war counter-demonstration organized by the Stanford College Republicans. After picketing at the fringes of the main protest in White Plaza, they formed a defensive line on the steps of Hoover Tower in front of the anti-war crowd, waving American flags and chanting pro-Bush slogans.