A fresh start for the Wildcat

Ah, the new school year. Personally, I usually view the beginning of classes with a mixture of excitement and dread. The excitement comes from new possibilities, new people and new challenges. The dread comes from the oft-monotonous routine of work and classes, and the pinch on my free time.

This year has been different ÷ the excitement has almost completely drowned out the dread. I'm excited, not because of the promise of an especially interesting course load, but because of the new semester of the Wildcat. [Read article]

Every August, the UA gears up for the start of a new year. We welcome new freshmen eager to begin their college careers, easily distinguished by their confused looks and trendy new outfits, and ready to make an impression ÷ unlike the upperclassmen whose attire consists mostly of whatever was closest to them as they crawled out of bed.

The first few weeks are the same every year: Everyone moves in ready to re-establish friendships and find new ones. Spirits are high and there is a general attitude of "I can do anything!" and "It can be done!" It's a unique quality that spreads to anyone who walks on the Mall, marveling at the beautiful weather and wondering who came up with the idea of UA butt shorts. [Read article]

For most UA students, summer break means vacation. More and more, that seems to entail travel abroad. Just the other week, I showed up at a gathering of old friends, only to find them discussing their vacations. To my surprise, one friend had been making discreet trips to Mexico City for more than a year. When I asked her why, she explained that being a tall white girl with American money practically made her a celebrity in their bars and clubs. Whenever she needed an ego pick-me-up, she put in a few more hours at the coffee shop to buy her next ticket. Several other people at the table immediately said they'd done something similar at least once. And when we went to a bar that night, half the group flashed not their drivers' licenses, but their passports. [Read article]

The UAPD is committed to working with the campus community to ensure a safe environment for students, staff, faculty and visitors. We believe in proactive involvement and expend significant resources providing educational presentations to students in many venues and addressing a variety of topics.

None of these topics is more important than the crime of sexual assault.

Although most students enjoy the opportunities to expand their social skills and enter healthy relationships while attending the university, there are unfortunately a significant number of students who cause harm to others or are harmed by others. Too many students ÷ an overwhelming majority of whom are female ÷ are victims of sexual assault, sexual abuse or relationship violence. A disproportionate number of these crimes occur during the initial weeks of each fall semester, as students are away from home and experimenting with new behaviors associated with that freedom for the first time in their lives. [Read article]