Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of vice presidential candidate John Edwards, swept through the U of A Bookstore yesterday, shaking hands with students and pledging the Democratic presidential ticket will bring a brighter future to young people concerned about the rising cost of education and the lack of secure jobs.

As Edwards made her way through the crowd of students in the bookstore at about noon yesterday, she was welcomed with a shout of, "We love you Elizabeth" and loud applause. [Read article]

After disbursement debacle last year, aid goes out in record time

After being millions of dollars behind in financial aid distribution last fall, the Office of Student Financial Aid made a dramatic turn this year, already distributing over $50 million in aid to an estimated 15,000 students.

John Nametz, OSFA director, said the figures are not even comparable to those of last year, when the new computer program Matrix caused delays. Because the OSFA was behind by about $8 million in financial aid and scholarships, the tuition deadline was extended last year. [Read article]

Last week, two new residence halls opened their doors to more than 450 students in the Highland District, the newest residential complex on campus.

Posada San Pedro and Pueblo de la Cienega, located along North Highland Avenue, welcomed 476 students, half of whom are upperclassmen.

The three-story coed dorms complete the trio of residence halls in the Highland District.

"It smells really new," said undeclared sophomore Travis Stock, as he moved into Pueblo de la Cienega, which was completed over the summer. [Read article]

School cut, but degree program spared, after long public campaign

Barbara Becker, director of the School of Planning, spent the last 19 months hoping for the news she received at the Arizona Board of Regents meeting Friday.

When it came, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

"It's very touching," said Becker after the Arizona Board of Regents unanimously approved the university's plan to keep the graduate degree in planning while disestablishing the School of Planning. [Read article]

The Arizona Board of Regents approved a plan Friday that will expand the UA College of Medicine into downtown Phoenix, where a joint effort between UA and ASU is expected to strengthen the educational and research capabilities of the state.

The expansion on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus of the Arizona University System will eventually double the size of the medical school student body, said Keith Joiner, dean of the College of Medicine. [Read article]

Weeks before the Olympics kicked off, UA student Dusty Alexander brought home a bronze metal from the 2004 International jiu-jitsu World Championship in Brazil.

Alexander, along with over 1,500 other participants, battled it out in Rio de Janeiro, July 22 - 25.

Alexander, an educational psychology graduate student, won the bronze medal in the super-super- heavyweight blue belt division as part of Tucson's Ultima Martial Arts Center team. [Read article]

Workers demolished a building on the northwest corner of East University Boulevard and North Park Avenue that will reportedly be replaced with a more attractive building drawing from the architectural characteristics of its past.

Tom Warne, consultant for the Marshall Foundation which owns the property, said the new building will look more like the original, built by founder Louise F. Marshall in the 1930s. Renovations in the '50s and '70s took away its original look, and the new structure will be similar to the building west of it, which houses Chipotle and Urban Outfitters. [Read article]

Volunteers manned tables for the three days of residence hall check-in to register more than 500 new voters for this year's presidential election.

All incoming residents received a voter registration form at check-in along with a list of frequently-asked questions and a letter from Secretary of State Jan Brewer welcoming them to the UA and encouraging them to register to vote.

The volunteers were on hand to answer any other questions and to provide any other information to smooth the registration process. [Read article]

Raid renews fears of student drug access

The discovery of large quantities of marijuana and ecstasy in an apartment close to campus has police concerned that the drugs may have been easily accessible to UA students.

According to police records, Patrick B. Doyle was pulled over on a routine traffic stop around 1 a.m. Aug. 16. The stop led to Doyle being charged with possession of marijuana for sale, transportation of marijuana for sale and possession of drug paraphernalia. [Read article]

With more than 7,800 new students arriving at UA this fall, many are looking for fun and exciting ways to meet new people while learning more about choosing a major and getting information about events at the UA. Luckily for them, Wildcat Welcome Week begins today and runs through Friday on the UA Mall. It will help answer questions and concerns, inform students about activities and clubs, and entertain. [Read article]

The new UofA Bookstore opened at Park Student Union earlier this month, after its construction began more than 19 months ago.

Students now have a new place to purchase school supplies and UA insignia clothing, and partake in services such as UPS shipping and balloon-a-grams.

The new bookstore is especially convenient for students who live in the adjacent residence halls, including Arizona-Sonora, Coronado and Kaibab-Huachuca. [Read article]

Sophomore walking around UA campus not amused by bathroom antics

Wildcat: Hi, my name's Nathan and you're On the Spot. You guys are carrying around baseball gloves. Just tossing around the ball?

Van Gorden: Yeah.

Van Gorden's girlfriend: (to Van Gorden) It's supposed to be funny.

Wildcat: No, no! It doesn't have to be. Nothing's forced here. Can I tell you a story? [Read article]

Aug. 25, 1986

"McKale Center was packed Thursday with students waiting for the registrar check during the ever-dreaded walk-through registration."

Back when most of the now-incoming freshmen were being born, the 30,000-odd students at the UA had a week or so (barring pre-registration) to snatch up slots in required classes, and then pay for it all. No computers, no automation. Students had to plan their schedules before getting in line, but if a class filled up, chances were they had to move back to the start of the line. And from this pic, it looks like some poor souls brought their parents along. Imagine hanging out with your folks in a line gathered under the roof of McKale Center, in a crowd of several thousand in the hottest month of the summer for a couple of hours. Those '80s hairstyles aren't remembered for their breath-ability either - you can almost taste the hairspray. [Read article]