Administrators won't dismantle the atmospheric sciences department, which for the past 14 months has been targeted for possible elimination, Provost George Davis said yesterday.

Davis said administrators were persuaded not to recommend its closure after reading a report from a faculty committee charged with evaluating how the university could excel in earth sciences and environmental programs.

"They made the case," Davis said. "We will preserve atmospheric sciences." [Read article]

A $30 activity fee that would generate $1.2 million to $1.4 million for concerts and other events will be up for a student vote Monday.

After delaying the vote last month to work out the fee's details, Associated Students of the University of Arizona senators approved the student activity fee referendum by a vote of 9-0. One senator was not present to vote.

Seven senators voted to hold the election on Monday after members of the Collaboration Board said they were confident they could educate students on campus in time. Two voted against the date, saying students should have more time to learn about the fee. [Read article]

Although student leaders are confident that five days is enough time to educate students about the $30 per year activity fee, students on campus say the referendum date is too soon.

"It's a very short period of time," said Judy Kwan, a materials science and engineering junior. "It's unreasonable."

Amberly Atene, a psychology junior, said she is not familiar with the fee, and does not plan to vote in next week's election. [Read article]

That extra green crunch in your salad from the student union will soon be UA-grown.

Tomatoes and cucumbers are ripening on the vines at the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center by plant science students, waiting to be picked and sold to the Student Union Memorial Center.

The spring harvest of cucumbers will find its way to campus dishes in the next few weeks. The cucumbers are used to make dishes such as the sushi that is sold at Cactus Grill, Park Student Union and the various grocery stores. [Read article]

A faculty committee is recommending that the university require undergraduates to complete 12 units of gender, race, class, ethnicity and non-Western civilization classes, nine more than students must take now.

Six of those units should come as part of the general education requirements, and six should come through courses within students' majors that would address more diverse means of approaching individual disciplines, the group recommended. [Read article]

Today people across the country will plot and scheme mischievous ways to test the endurance of their friends, family and loved ones.

Through the years, the style of April Fools' Day pranks have evolved. What used to be tacks on chairs and rubber bands around faucet heads is now Saran Wrap on toilet seats, grated coffee beans thrown at someone in the shower and bags of poop lit on fire in front of doors. [Read article]

Students who are not political science sophomores, juniors or seniors will be dropped from any upper-division political science classes they register for.

According to an e-mail sent Tuesday night by political science academic adviser Pamela Coonan, the restrictions, which will affect political science minors, freshmen and non-political science majors, are an attempt to battle the overcrowding problems in classrooms the department has been facing as a result of "funding crunches." [Read article]

Editor decides 'On the Spot' isn't 'funny,' too many 'obscure references,' fires 'Spot' interviewer

Wildcat: (sitting down in editor in chief's cubicle) So what's going on, Saul?

Loeb: Nate, "On the Spot" lately hasn't been as good as it was in the past.

Wildcat: What do you mean? I thought I was ...

Loeb: They're not funny. You're using too many obscure references. There's a lot of, I guess you could call, middle school humor. We're trying to develop the paper into an elitist publication where only the top understand what's going on on campus. And the "On the Spot" is just too dumbed down for our average reader. This isn't the middle school across the street, Nate. This is a public university. [Read article]

Things you always never wanted to know

Question: How did the big crater-like hole on the north side of "A" Mountain form?

Answer:

How else do crater-like holes form - mysteriously, and without witnesses? Which leads me to my first question ... that is, I mean, my second question.

What is the history of UFO sightings around "A" Mountain?

"Oh, I don't know anything about that," said Lorry Stiles, science writer for University of Arizona News Services. I had to change my angle of attack, frame my question in a more innocuous way. [Read article]