72 percent of voters OK expansion of Rec Center with fee's continuation

Students overwhelmingly voted to keep the $25-per-semester fee to pay for an expansion to the Rec Center, which will continue to 2041, officials said.

The vote, which began Tuesday at 8 a.m. and closed last night at 8, drew 2,392 student votes, including more than 1,000 professional and graduate students, according to the Associated Students of the University of Arizona vote tally. [Read article]

Funding would create natural sciences facility

A bill that recently passed through both houses in Congress will appropriate $1 million to the UA to create a building for the study of earth science and environmental programs.

The $30.5 billion spending measure, called the fiscal year 2006 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, would give $1 million to the UA for construction of the Environment and Natural Resources Phase II Facility, according to the Library of Congress Web site. [Read article]

Turnout poor for apathy discussion

Of the nine students sitting on Heritage Hill yesterday at noon, one was sleeping, two were talking, three were eating lunch and three were listing to a talk on student apathy.

The dialogue on why students are so apathetic was the last Debate Club discussion of the semester, said club President Tawfik Maudah, a philosophy senior.

Between 20 and 40 students attended the debate at various times, many opting to sit in the chairs instead of the grassy area of the Alumni Plaza. [Read article]

Pros and cons of genetic engineering discussed

A discussion will be held today about the benefits and risks of genetic engineering. Vicki Chandler, a regents professor and BIO5 director, will define genetic engineering and outline its history, as well as address upcoming challenges to the field, in a lecture titled "Genetic Engineering - Separating Fact From Fiction."

Bruce Tabashnik, professor and head of the department of entomology, will discuss genetically modified crops and the developments and lessons learned about altering food within the last 10 years. [Read article]

Icons devalue image, said survey of high schoolers

The use of American Indian mascots may lower the self-esteem in American Indian students and skew the way they view their community, according to a UA professor's study.

Stephanie Fryberg, an assistant professor of psychology, described her findings about whether or not the use of American Indian mascots for schools and sports teams pays tribute or is offensive to American Indian students. [Read article]

$20,000 in equipment stolen from library

A month after 12 computer monitors were stolen from a room in the UA Main Library, another $20,000 in equipment was reported missing from the same room over the weekend, police said.

A projector and 10 computers are missing from the library, with each computer valued at $2,000 and the projector valued at $2,500, according to University of Arizona Police Department records. [Read article]

Things you've always never wanted to know

Commonwealth Bay is not the world's windiest place. The Mt. Washington Observatory in New Hampshire has recorded wind speeds of 231 mph, usurping the previous record-holder for windiest winds.

The favorite horses of both Alexander the Great (Bucephalus) and Julius Caesar both had atavistic mutations - extra toes. Horses normally have only one toe per foot but are descended from horses with three or four toes on each limb. [Read article]