Lightning strikes, sets ablaze a palm tree outside 114-year-old university landmark

Lightning struck a tree outside of Old Main yesterday afternoon causing a palm tree to catch fire, electrical outages and an evacuation of the historic building.

About 300 people stood outside Old Main around 3 p.m. to watch the Tucson Fire Department extinguish the fire that resulted from a lightning bolt striking a nearby palm tree at 2:55, said University of Arizona Police Department officer Victor Garcia. [Read article]

The overwhelming effects from the earthquake that shook Pakistan last week have reached members of the UA community who have lost family and friends in the rumbling aftermath.

The magnitude 7.6 earthquake is currently estimated to have killed 54,000 people, and the death toll continues to rise as rescue workers fail to reach victims in time to save their lives.

Molecular and cellular biology junior Syeda Kazmi, whose family lives in Pakistan, said two of her cousins died in the earthquake. Kazmi said her family was completely terrified and confused when the earthquake occurred. [Read article]

Members of faculty and administration met with the Presidential Search Committee yesterday to discuss what they wanted from the next UA president, with topics ranging from state funding to domestic partner benefits.

Faculty and administration outlined the desire for a president who understands the problems that arise from the university's lack of funding, such as unsatisfactory faculty salaries and the lack of available classes for students. [Read article]

The Format tickets on sale at Centennial today

Tickets are now on sale at Centennial Hall for the Nov. 9 show featuring the music group The Format. Tickets are $10 for students and the general public, and can be purchased at the Centennial Hall box office, online at www.uapresents.org or by calling 621-3341.

The bands Tickertape Parade and The Dares will kick off the show. Showtime is 7 p.m.   [Read article]

A UA freshman won three U.S. Open titles in wheelchair tennis last week, a remarkable feat coaches and teammates said is unusual for an athlete who has only had three years of tennis training.

Jaclyn Cimino, an undeclared freshman, won the Women's A division, the Junior Open Girl and the Women A double in the tournament.

"I knew there were a lot of competitive people out there," Cimino said. "But when I got there and I started playing, I felt really confident." [Read article]

An area behind a university building was taped off and monitored by police yesterday afternoon because of a bee swarm that posed a possible threat to students and faculty.

The bee swarm was on a mesquite tree outside the Gould-Simpson building, 1040 E. Fourth St., where hundreds of bees clustered and buzzed around each other, forming a swarm that dangled from one of the branches.

The first responding officer arrived on the scene at 1 p.m. and secured the area, blocking access to one doorway, said community service officer Erica Mejia. [Read article]

A fraternity that was created with the sole mission of helping American Indians transition from the reservation to the UA has found that while its retention numbers are increasing, there is still room for improvement.

The Beta Sigma Epsilon fraternity was created in 2000 to give American Indian students an opportunity to meet others who were experiencing the same problems transitioning from reservation schools to university life, said Joshua Lucio, a member of the chapter's first pledge class. [Read article]

An archway of yellow and orange balloons on the UA Mall yesterday signaled the beginning of the effort to install solar panels on campus buildings.

Clad in yellow shirts, representatives from the Associated Students of the University of Arizona passed out fliers and collected donations for Project Solar.

More than $110 in donations was collected from students and faculty, said Matt Boepple, a political science sophomore and ASUA senator. [Read article]

Things you've always never wanted to know