Spring might be the season of love, but for most UA students, it's just the second semester of the year.

In the busy life of UA students striving to graduate on time, there seems to be no room for a serious romantic relationship.

While pursuing a double major, interning, working, maintaining a social life and attending school full time, Danielle Demirjian, a business economics and finance senior, finds exclusive dating too much of a commitment at this time in her life. [Read article]

Some student leaders back $1000 increase, saying it is necessary for financial well-being of university

A $1,000 tuition hike for in-state undergraduates coupled with larger increases for graduate students and non-residents could net UA nearly $30 million a year, according to data from the Arizona Board of Regents.

If the regents approve the $1,000 increase, along with hikes of $1,250 for out-of-state undergraduates and in-state graduate students and $1,500 for out-of-state graduate students, the university would stand to increase its income by $28 million. [Read article]

The UA athletics department is investigating UA men's basketball team members' involvement in an alleged vending machine theft in a Kansas hotel on Saturday.

Team spokesman Richard Paige confirmed that the department was further investigating the alleged incident, but declined to give specifics.

ÎÎStudent discipline falls under the same umbrella as academics, and we can't comment on student privacy issues,'' Paige said. [Read article]

Floors offer residents chance to connect with other students who have similar interests

There's no place like home, but for many UA students, a Residence Life program that places students with similar interests on themed floors has helped make UA their home away from home.

Next semester, Residence Life will add two themed floors to the seven that already exist in five of UA's residence halls. [Read article]

Geosciences senior from N.Y. was teased as a child, and would maybe like to rule Jupiter

WILDCAT: So you like rocks?

LEWIS: Yeah.

WILDCAT: Cool. What about this rock down here? How long did it take to grow up?

LEWIS: Generally, in the order of 10,000 years to millions of years, hundreds of millions of years.

WILDCAT: Really? They're that old? So this rock could have been stomped on by T-Rex? [Read article]

Writers Reading
· Visiting Poets and Writers Reading Series ÷ Ellen Bryant Voigt, 8 p.m. Modern Languages building auditorium, Room 350

Seminars
· Program in Applied Mathematics Computational Science and Engineering Modeling Seminar, 12:30 p.m. Math building, Room 402
· Department of Entomology Weekly Seminar, 4 p.m. ÷ 5 p.m. Marley building, Room 230
· Benjamin Burrows Lung Immunology Seminar Series 4:30 p.m., AHSC Burbank Conference Room, Room 2343

Workshop
· Student Leadership Development Workshops ÷ "Dress for Success, "5 p.m. ÷ 6 p.m. Student Union Memorial Center, Presidio Room

Demonstration
· Gardening Demonstrations ÷ Pruning & Training Shrubs, 2 p.m. Marana Planning Services Center, 3696 W. Orange Grove Rd.

Colloquia
· Optical Sciences Center Colloquium, 3:45 p.m. Meinel Optical Sciences Center, Room 410

Lecture
· Poetry Center Presents ÷ Poet Ellen Bryant Voigt, 4 p.m. Himmel Park Library, 1035 N. Treat Ave.

Presentation
· Presentation by scholar of Kabbalah, 4 p.m. Harvill, Room 150

Kidnapped alumna

Northwestern University÷ A Northwestern University alumna is one of two freelance journalists on assignment for the Los Angeles Times who are being held captive in Colombia, Northwestern University officials learned Tuesday.

Ruth Morris disappeared Jan. 21 after being detained at a rebel roadblock between the towns of Saravena and Tame in northeast Colombia.

The pair's taxi driver, Madiel Ariza, told the Los Angeles Times that members of the National Liberation Army said Morris and Dalton were being taken to meet with a high ranking official.

The group claimed responsibility for the journalists' capture in a radio broadcast Jan. 23.

÷ Elaine Helm

Night with a prof

U. California-Berkeley÷ A Newport Beach, Calif., man bought himself a night in Hawaii with a University of California-Berkeley professor, but his intentions are solely astronomical.

Walter Cruttenden submitted a winning $16,000 bid on eBay last week, securing an evening of stargazing with astronomy professor Geoff Marcy at an observatory in Hawaii.

Cruttenden and a guest will spend from sunset to sunrise with Marcy and his research team as they search for planets.

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific, which sponsored the auction, credits Marcy with finding approximately 70 of the 100 newly discovered planets outside the sun's solar system.

÷ Stephanie Lee

Recycling challenge

Ohio State University÷ Ohio State University students will soon compete in Recycle Mania, a competition between eight of the top school recycling programs in the country to see who can collect the most recyclables from residence halls and dining halls in 10 weeks.

Undergraduate Student Government and Students for Recycling are also trying to get landlords to participate in recycling pick-up for off-campus residents.

"The main goal of Recycle Mania is to make progress toward increasing awareness of recycling," says Dan Jaynes, president of Students for Recycling.