Male students at the UA cheat more than twice as often as female students, according to statistics compiled by the Dean of Students Office.

Of the more than 300 cases involving academic dishonesty at the UA, nearly 70 percent involved males and 30 percent involved females.

UA officials said they aren't sure why men cheat more often than women.

"I can't say whether male students are cheating more than female students," said Alexis Hernandez, associate dean of students. "These numbers showing that males are more likely to cheat have been fairly consistent over the years and in the same ballpark as they are now." [Read article]

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader will visit the UA today.

Nader, who ran in the last presidential election as a member of the Green Party, will be speaking today at 4 p.m. at the College of Law building.

Nader will give a lecture on international law and ballot access.

The UA Young Greens and Alliance for Peace and Justice in the Middle East worked quickly to put the event together after being contacted by Nader's campaign manager late Friday afternoon. [Read article]

Fifteen animal rights activists who gathered in front of University Medical Center yesterday weren't monkeying around.

Members of the Animal Defense League of Arizona, Supporting and Promoting Ethics for the Animal Kingdom, and Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, protested in front of the hospital, calling for the release of Pepe, a monkey who has undergone years of experimentation at UMC. [Read article]

A dorm built with soil and powered by solar energy: That's what students of a new campus club see in UA's future.

ECLIPSE is a new student club whose members want to convince UA officials to let them design, construct and manage a community where students can pursue sustainable living on campus.

"(The university) needs to present a new way of living and thinking about the environment," said Carmiel Banasky, a creative writing senior and club president. "We are heading towards an environmental crisis, and people don't realize this." [Read article]

Ballot initiatives, reptiles, demonstrations, a solar car and a traveling film festival are just some of the things packing the UA Mall today for UA Earth Day 2004.

Sponsored by UA Recycling and Waste Management and the Arizona Student Recycling Association, more than 40 organizations are participating in the annual event that aims to make students more environmentally conscious.

"Earth Day is important because we are all involved in the environment," said Alana Levine, program coordinator for Recycling and Waste Management. "It is better to be aware of what is going on. This event is proactive and hands-on, allowing people to get involved rather than people just saying ÎHurray for the Earth!'" [Read article]

Astronaut Don Pettit's feet might be in Tucson, but his head remains in the stars.

Pettit, a UA alumnus, will touch down on campus tonight to talk about his experiences aboard the International Space Station, where he spent nearly six months conducting experiments and helping assemble the station.

Pettit received his doctorate in chemical engineering from the UA in 1983 and said he has dreamed about becoming an astronaut since he was a child. [Read article]

Campus comedians showed their more serious side last week after rumors among them sparked an offstage drama.

The drama began after Justin Thomas, a Comedy Corner member, fired accusations against Sarah Calvert, Associated Students of the University of Arizona special events coordinator and Charles Darwin Experience producer, when she secured a $6,100 bid from ASUA for the Second City Improv group to perform at the UA on May 4. [Read article]

In this edition of ÎOn the Spot,' we're going to see how smart the UA student body really is!

Wildcat: What is the official language of Australia?

Munsell: English.

White: English.

Helin: English.

Answer: English. [Read article]

Things you always never wanted to know

Arizona Film Festival has record attendance

The media arts department at the UA has had record participation from student, faculty and alumni in the annual Arizona International Film Festival going on now through Sunday according to a press release from the department. There are 21 UA students exhibiting their work or organizing the festival, along with 12 alumni.

This year's AIFF drew entries from more than 20 foreign countries and includes several films produced by Hispanics. The festival was originally designed to bring independent films that would not be seen in most Arizona theaters, and showcase the work of independent artists. This year, more than 60 filmmakers will attend, and some 120 films will be shown. UA media artists are strongly represented. [Read article]