$500 hike likely for in-state undergrads; student lobbyists to propose less

President Peter Likins will officially release today his proposal for next year's tuition, a plan he has repeatedly said would be highlighted by a $500 hike for resident undergraduates.

The proposal will also include recommendations for non-resident and graduate tuition, though Likins has declined to release those numbers before today. [Read article]

PHOENIX - Waking up for class might be a little harder next year if a group of state legislators succeed in pushing back bar closing time.

With the support of 36 Republican and Democratic legislators, it looks as though a bill that would push last call to 2 a.m., and closing time to 2:30 a.m., might have enough kick to make it to the governor's desk.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale, said the current 1 a.m. cutoff is "goofy." [Read article]

Although bid night went off Friday without any major police busts, the memories of last semester's underage drinking raids had partygoers more afraid of police than in previous years.

Bid nights are celebrations for students who have been selected as fraternity members. The parties are known as some of the biggest of the year for UA students.

Tyler Benson, a business senior and a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, has been to several bid bashes in his UA career. He said he noticed only one major difference this year. [Read article]

The number of National Merit Scholars at the UA has decreased over the past three years, and to reverse that trend, the UA is stepping up its recruitment efforts.

UA officials flew in 19 National Merit Scholars from Western states Thursday and Friday to entice them to enroll at the UA.

The 19 students who flew to Tucson Thursday morning were treated to a lunch with administrators and honors students, a campus tour and an informational meeting about the Honors College. [Read article]

Thousands of people were focused on the competition between the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers last night, but the stiffest competition may have been in the School of Music's Crowder Hall.

Twenty advanced UA voice students competed in the Amelia Rieman Opera Competition, conducted by Charles Roe, the artistic director of UA Opera Theater and chair of vocal arts at the UA.

More than $2,000 in prizes was awarded to students in two different age categories, 18 to 23 and 24 to 33. The top prize was $1,000 for the first-place winner in the older division. [Read article]

PHOENIX - A Tucson legislator has proposed a bill that would outlaw the establishment of new drive-thru liquor stores.

Rep. Linda Lopez, D-Tucson, who introduced a bill that would outlaw smoking in public, is also sponsoring a bill that would keep liquor stores with a drive-thru window from getting a new liquor license after the proposed law took effect in September.

The bill wouldn't impact existing pull-up liquor stores, but it would not allow new drive-thrus owners or someone buying an existing store with a pull-up window to acquire licenses. [Read article]

Tortured, out-of-order trash can tries to help with the meaning of life

Wildcat: My name's Nathan and you're on the spot. Mr. Trash Can, why oh why, are you "out of order"?

(Trash Can looks on, a tortured soul and emaciated spirit)

Wildcat: Your emptiness fills me and leaves me with wanting. Why is my name Nathan? Have I ever transgressed or trespassed the boundaries of recycling and wanton trash-throwing? [Read article]

Things you always never wanted to know

This week in history

TODAY

1883 - James Joyce is born.

1923 - Leaded gasoline goes on sale for the first time.

1943 - The Battle of Stalingrad ends.

Tomorrow

1924 - Woodrow Wilson dies.

1950 - Klaus Fuchs is arrested for passing atomic bomb information to the Soviets.

1959 - Rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashes in Iowa a few minutes after takeoff on a flight from Mason City to Moorehead, Minn. [Read article]