By Dana Crudo & Debra Hollander
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Thursday September 11, 2003
Lone Blue Key event of year will familiarize freshmen with traditions
At the ASUA meeting yesterday, the senators gave the Blue Key, a national honorary, $1,095 in funds in order to help the club plan A-Day.
The funding was $100 short of what the club originally asked for. The ASUA senators refused to give money for advertising in the Wildcat because they said A-day can be put in the datebook section.
A-Day is a free event for freshmen that teaches them university traditions.
Students are taken to "A" mountain to paint the "A." They are also taught the words to "Bear Down," and are given a chance to interact with Wilbur and Wilma. A-Day court is also announced, in which the most spirited freshmen are chosen so they can be presented to the university during the football game.
The event will be held on Sept. 27 and students meet at Old Main. A-Day is the only event Blue Key is planning on holding for the entire 2003-2004 academic year.
Sara Birnbaum, an ASUA senator, reported that the plan to create an Alumni garden in front of the Administration building will not affect the cactus garden.
Two years ago, plans for the alumni garden caused a huge debate among the UA community because the coordinators originally wanted to remove or change the cactus garden, which contains decade-old cacti.
The garden will not impede on the cactus garden, but will disrupt access to the Administration and Modern Languages buildings. Students will have to enter the Administration building from the back, and the usual 28-inch footpath in front of the buildings will be reduced to 8 inches. The Student Union Memorial Center will not be affected by the construction.
Construction will begin in December.
A representative of Jim Click's Automotive Team spoke to ASUA during the meeting about the Run ĪN' Roll marathon that will benefit the UA Disability Resource Center on Oct. 6 beginning at 6:15 a.m.
The marathon includes an open 8K run/walk, 3K run/walk, a kid's Run ĪN' Roll, and an 8K wheelchair race.
It will be held on the UA Mall.
Prizes will be awarded to top racers in several categories. Prizes include cash gifts, performance footwear gift certificates and free entry into next year's race.
Participants can register on the day of the event from 6:15 a.m. ÷ 7 a.m., go in person to Performance Footwear, Williams Center, from Sept. 20 to Oct. 4, or go online and register at Active.com.
After the race, breakfast will be served and athletic vendor tents will be set up. UA cheerleaders, the basketball team and Wilma and Wilbur will be present throughout the event.
At the Graduate and Professional Student Council meeting last night, the representatives reminded everyone that next week they will relocate their office from the Esquire Building on East Helen Street to the Student Union Memorial Center.
After the move, GPSC plans to hire a graduate student part-time for office work.
This is a new position that is being created to help streamline GPSC Īs activities.
In the past it has been difficult to know whom to contact for certain things and so this will hopefully get rid of this problem, said Jani Radebaugh, president of GPSC.
The student's salary will be $15,000/year.
Also, GPSC representatives were reluctant last night to sign the Petition of Academic Visa Reform, which is being signed by graduate councils around the country.
The petition is calling on students to ask for the easing of regulations on multi-entry and long stay visas for foreign students.
Jason Johnson, the College of Medicine representative, said that he had sent out an e-mail to College of Medicine students and had only gotten one somewhat positive response.
Many of the other responses actually asked that he not sign it, he said.
GPSC passed its $62,500 budget.
Radebaugh called this "pennies compared to ASUA's budget."
