The University of Arizona makes about $500,000 a year off teenage, non-UA students, but university officials say, along with their money, these young adults bring problems to the campus.

Vandalism costs the UA at least $100,000 a year, sometimes more, said Alan Lee, insurance officer for the UA Department of Risk Management and Safety.

Vandalism has been an indirect cause of injury, Lee said. Skateboarders, mostly non-UA students, like sliding down railings, and those railings get damaged. In one instance, Lee said a woman tried to use a railing while walking, but the railing collapsed and injured the woman.

The Department of Risk Management and Safety only deals with damage that will cost more than $100 to repair, Lee said. Yet, he said, he still deals with claims on graffiti.

"When we do find the stuff, we like to remove it as soon as possible," Lee said. He said the custodians are constantly fighting graffiti.

What the custodians are unable to clean is power washed, said Facilities Management Shop Superintendent Denzel J. Hawkins. He said if that does not work, the graffiti is painted over.

Lee said the paint used to refinish vandalized walls is made to prevent graffiti from sticking to them.

The custodial staff does not count specific incidences of graffiti, Hawkins said.

Acting Lt. Brian A. Seastone, a University of Arizona Police Department spokesman, said the campus sees little graffiti, as most "taggers" leave the campus alone.

Seastone said that most of the damage on the campus is done by non-UA students, most of whom are under 20 years old.

Seastone said the UAPD responds once a day to reports of destructive behavior.

"It's people just passing through," Hawkins said of those who vandalize. "Why would a college student want to do that?"

"High school students have been very good for us," said Joey Retsema, an employee in the Union Director's office.

For example, the crowd at the Student Union's Sam's Place arcade on summertime weekends is two-thirds non-UA students, said Armando Vargas, Sam's Place coordinator. On weekday evenings, the crowd is split 50-50 between non-UA and UA students, he said.

The pool tables will bring in $200 a night in the first summer session, Vargas said, while the video games gross $17,000 a week.

"I don't think there are fewer UA students (in the Student Union), I think there are more non-UA students," Vargas said.

Retsema said vandalism is worse elsewhere in Tucson than on campus.

Incidences of criminal damage on campus have been constant for the last few years, Seastone said. He said the problems are not enough to require a community effort to create activities for young adults.

"I don't think people are coming from all over to be on campus," Seastone said.

Maria Costa, 18, Genuine Daniel, 18, and Sara Way, 17, all non-UA students, come to campus once or twice a week because it is where their friends are.

"You're either 21 and going to bars, or you're old and going to movies and restaurants," Costa said.

All three women agreed that most of the damage on campus is done by people in their age group.

"It's not me, personally," said Daniel, a student at Catalina High School.