Students still jubilant

Karen C. Tully Arizona Daily Wildcat Fans push against the stage set up in the Arizona Stadium trying to get autographs from the national champion Arizona men's basketball team yesterday. About 45,000 fans were in attendance at the noon rally.

So, as the national champion Arizona men's basketball team returned yesterday from Indianapolis, many UA students found it difficult to embrace all the excitement.

"They (the administration) should have canceled classes today," said business freshman Hallie Federman.

Carol Thompson, associate dean of students, said that the university has no policy to cancel class, but it was at the individual professors' discretion to cancel class.

Putting education to the side to attend yesterday's welcome home rally was not a hard decision for most.

"I got a great seat in the stadium at 8:30 this morning," said Clarice Parra, a senior majoring in education. "It was much different actually seeing them in person than on TV."

Among the students who are Tucson residents and have been following the Wildcats since before college, the feeling was extra special.

"I wanted to take it all in," plant science senior Mark Coltvet said. "Tucson has been waiting for a long time for this and I wanted to experience everything relating to the victory."

Catherine Rianda, a sophomore marketing major who has lived in Tucson all of her life, said that the victory was "well worth the wait."

Communications senior Neil Loewntritt celebrated his 22nd birthday yesterday, and thanked the Wildcats for giving him such a sweet birthday present.

"I was pleasantly surprised that they won, but happy nonetheless," Loewntritt said.

Jose Portilla, a right tackle on the UA football team, said he hoped that the support for the team would carry over into the football season.

"For football players it kind of pushes us because we need to go to the Rose Bowl," he said. "To have the basketball team win a national championship will totally motivate the entire athletic department to try to achieve the same goals that they have.

"The feeling and atmosphere is bound to rub off on the football team."

Dance sophomore Leah Kautz said that she had "never seen such mass hysteria and universal happiness in one place."

One student was well versed in the history-making performance the Wildcats put on.

"They beat three No. 1 seeds (Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas) and after the game I went crazy running around my house," undecided sophomore Fransisco Villa said. "Today the UA fans gave a lot of support to our team and you could tell why we are the number one fans."

Candy Zepper came all the way from Mesa for the celebration. Her daughter, UA freshman Alison Zepper, is a member of the UA pom squad.

"There is nothing better than wearing a Wildcat national championship t-shirt in Sun Devil country," Zepper said.