Livengood tells Board of Regents athletic budget looking 'pretty good'

UA athletic director Jim Livengood told the Arizona Board of Regents yesterday he projects the athletics department to have a surplus of more than $1 million at the end of the year.

Athletic directors from the UA, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University presented reports on their financial status as well as how their student-athletes are faring to the regents yesterday. [Read article]

Students graduating in May will have one more thing to worry about besides the usual commotion of commencement - they will have to figure out where their out-of-town relatives will stay as hotels begin to fill for that weekend.

Some popular upscale hotels in the Tucson area are already booked solid for graduation weekend, May 13-15, 2005, and others are close to selling out. In addition, hotel rates are higher on the weekend because of the increased demand. [Read article]

UA professors and grad students dazzled a crowd of more than 300 with fire, lasers, and bottle rockets Wednesday during the 21st annual Physics Phun Nite, and they will do it again tonight.

The Physics and Atmospheric Sciences building auditorium was filled mostly with families and elementary school-aged children during the event, which featured more than 15 acts and culminated with a professor lying on a bed of nails. [Read article]

The redesign project for Arizona university systems was updated yesterday at the Arizona Board of Regents meeting. Although the Feasibility and Planning group has yet to provide any cost estimates or reconstruction plans, a final proposal will most likely be presented to the board in May 2005, said Mary Jo Waits, project coordinator.

Last June, concerns were brought to the board about anticipated growth in student enrollments through 2020. At that meeting, the board authorized a Feasibility and Planning study group to research the potential overpopulation problem and present solutions to accommodate a growing student body. [Read article]

Some students say they are willing to risk getting a parking ticket to get a more convenient parking spot, or to save time fighting for a spot in crowded garages and parking lots.

Kyle Harrington, an undeclared sophomore, said he parks in places he is not supposed to on campus, but has been lucky enough to not get a parking ticket. He said he understands why Parking and Transportation has to give tickets, but he feels sometimes it is just more convenient to park somewhere you shouldn't. [Read article]

For four days next week, 35 UA students will put aside their lives as students to become citizens from around the world.

Members of the UA chapter of Model United Nations will fly to Chicago today to attend the 2004 national conference. The conference attracts Model United Nations clubs from colleges and universities across the nation.

Rhiannon Kelso, the president of Arizona Model United Nations, said the club will represent Ghana, Tunisia and the Sudan at the conference. [Read article]

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