The 70-year-old Dalai Lama slipped off his red tennis shoes and got comfortable in the lotus position in front of thousands who came to hear him discuss the virtues of compassion.

An estimated 8,300 people flocked to the Tucson Convention Center yesterday to hear the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, give his afternoon speech.

With a playful smile, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate slapped his knees, saying most people have a different perspective on comfort and that many would find the lotus position uncomfortable. He sat in the position for the next 90 minutes. [Read article]

The search for a new university president is underway as the search committee begins establishing criteria for candidates, but students and faculty have opinions of their own about what the new president should focus on.

Arizona Daily Wildcat staff randomly surveyed more than 100 students last week by walking into classrooms and asking students to anonymously fill out a questionnaire about the most important university issues and characteristics the next president should have. [Read article]

Fed up with the slow response to crisis-stricken areas by some charitable organizations, Mamadou Baro, a UA anthropologist, decided to create a new project to aid starvation in Africa.

Niger Direct, a UA program that provides emergency aid directly to hunger-stricken families in Niger, was established last month, Baro said.

Famine has threatened the lives of 3.6 million Nigeriens since 2004, according to World Vision, a Christian relief and development organization. [Read article]

The Geniuses of Diversity, a campus club for atheists, agnostics, deists and freethinkers, is hoping to increase its membership and awareness with a little funding from student government.

Chris Bischof, a history sophomore, said he was dismayed there were no officially recognized campus groups for non-believers, so he founded the club late last semester.

"There are over a dozen religious clubs bringing preachers to campus and asking for ASUA money," Bischof said. "College is a time when a lot of people begin to question things like faith and religion, and we want students to know that there are others out there questioning the same things." [Read article]

A handful of UA executives want students to spend a few extra dollars this week on lunch.

In a grassroots initiative, a group of concerned men and women have set up a charity luncheon, costing $10 per person, to help rebuild the homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

The Cats for Katrina relief luncheon and raffle will be held Thursday at noon in the Student Union Memorial Center Ballroom.

Because many students are already spending close to $7 for lunch when eating on campus, organizers thought asking them to spend a few extra dollars was worth the good cause, said Steve Adamczyk, a UA attorney and one of the organizers of the event. [Read article]

Three join GPSC after elections

Three students are now part of the Graduate and Professional Student Council after elections ended Friday. The election was for three open seats on the GPSC that were not filled during the annual general elections held last spring.

Representing the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture is Beverly Wilson, a landscape architecture graduate student; College of Education will be Aaron Gubi, a psychology graduate student; Interdisciplinary Programs will be represented by Claudia Benavente, a philosophy doctoral candidate. [Read article]

Cops: Man throws biscuits to distract narc dog

WABASH, Ind. - A driver stopped for speeding tried to distract a drug-sniffing dog by throwing dog biscuits from his car, state police said.

Troopers stopped Jong H. Kim, 23, of Overland Park, Kan., along U.S. 24 on Wednesday, but reported that they called for a Wabash County Sheriff's Department dog after he appeared to be very nervous and at one point vomited. [Read article]