Michael Dickerson is 'class act'

Just last week, as I sat down on the Mall to take a mid-day break and enjoy the perfect weather, I noticed that 20-30 well-behaved kids from Mansfield Elementary School were roaming around the Mall. Believe it or not, the kids' voices perfectly drowned out the annoying rambling of the preachers that daily infest the Mall. As I relaxed and enjoyed the stellar weather, I heard a boy yell, "Hey look its DICKERSON!" Yep, you guessed it, the UA basketball star just happened to be walking across the Mall. Well, as soon as everyone spotted Dickerson, there was a massive flock of kids dressed in navy blue and white duds racing across the Mall. Dickerson, as the crowd raced towards him, stopped, smiled and happily embraced the young students, joked around with them, and even signed autographs for all the kids. He must have taken 15-20 minutes out of his time to entertain the youthful die-hard fans. By the looks on the kids' faces, Dickerson made their day.

In this day and age, where positive role models are becoming an extinct breed, I think that Michael Dickerson has accepted the fact that hundreds, perhaps thousands, of kids look up to him and the entire basketball team. Michael Dickerson showed why he is a class act. In winning the championship, the team maturely showed why the University of Arizona is the best!

I'd also like to thank Miles Simon for coming back for his senior year to defend the 1997 National Championship. His decision to give up a probable first-round draft slot and a truck-load of money to come back to defend the title shows his commitment to his education and that he truly loves playing basketball. My congratulations go out to the team for a superb year. I am anxiously awaiting the start of next season. Let's make it two in a row!!

By John P. Baer (letter)
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 30, 1997