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Life by trial and error
The Center for Creative Photography’s first director recalls his development as an artist. PAGE B1 WILDLIFE
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The independent student voice of the University of Arizona since 1899 wednesday, february , dailywildcat.com
tucson, arizona
Tuition may go up by more than $2K Shelton proposes steep hike to offset massive state budget cuts By Matt Lewis ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT
Rodney Haas/Arizona Daily Wildcat
Political science freshman Hugo Polanco gets a key chain from Whitney Kraner dressed as a chicken as anthropology senior Cate Clifton looks on. Kraner and Clifton are part of student club called Arizona Public Interests Research Group, collecting petition signatures in order to get on the Associated Students of the University of Arizona ballot to receive funding.
Signatures soaring By Laura Donovan ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT Arizona Public Interests Research Group (or PIRG) successfully reached its second-day goal of 2,000 signatures on Tuesday, in order to get on the Associated Students of the University of Arizona ballot for funding. PIRG needs 4,000 signatures by the end of the week to get on the ballot. PIRG is a non-profit, non-partisan public interest group that seeks to become a student-funded chapter. If they are put on the ballot, the PIRG initiative would require students to pay a $1.50 per semester. “The proposed fee is $1.50, but students who don’t support the program could get their money back,” said Whitney Kraner, UA’s PIRG campus coordinator.
Students would have to go through a similar process to get their money back as they would to get the money back for the Student Recreation Center fee. The money from the fee will go toward hiring professional staff, like organizers and advocates that will help PIRG run grassroots campaigns on campus and lobby on the university’s behalf in Phoenix and in Washington, D.C. PIRG volunteers spent Monday and Tuesday getting student signatures on the UA Mall, and they will be there again today. Last year, PIRG requested a $2 per semester student fee and the ballot measure did not pass. “Instituting fees should only be done in the name of furthering the academic mission of the UA,” said Evan Lisull, a political science senior,
Group lobbying for support to join ASUA ballot for funding
with regards to the PIRG initiative. “Funding an organization that has no significant divergences from the Green Party platform does not even incidentally contribute to this goal.” PIRG will not be spending the money from the fee on students, however. “As PIRG itself has stated, this money will be used to ‘hire our own professional staff,’” Lisull said. “Arizona students are already paying a $4-per-year fee towards a lobbying organization — the Arizona Students’ Association — that works on issues that pertain to ‘student interests’ on a local, state, and federal level.” PIRG needs 5 percent of students on campus to sign the petition in order to get on the ballot. “We want to civically engage students on campus on a number
of issues we’re learning about every day,” Kraner said. “We would also like to be able to hire advocates so all our work on campus will be heard in back rooms where policies are being made.” PIRG created themes for each day they are petitioning on campus. Monday had a “Go Green” theme, for which volunteers wore green, and students got their names put on a big cardboard tree. Tuesday’s theme was “Don’t be a chicken, sign a petition because social change is hard work!” A volunteer wore a chicken costume to advertise the petitions. Today’s theme will be “Arrgh you ready for social change?”There will be a volunteer dressed as a pirate. The final ASUA ballot will be released on March 9 and 10.
Rec Fest rocks By Bethany Barnes ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT
Day two of the Student Recreation Center’s grand opening Rec Fest, was in full swing Tuesday, with events, prizes and food. The first 75 students at Rec Fest got to choose from a variety of gift certificates. Students could also register to win other prizes, such as a signed basketball or a bike. “We tried to secure a variety of different vendors,” said Juliette Moore, director of Campus Recreation.“It’s our way of showing students how much we appreciate them.” Students also got to take advantage of a variety of free services, such as massages, manicures and haircuts, Moore said. “It’s pretty awesome, I don’t get a free
manicure that often,” said Stephanie Reed, a pre-architecture freshman. According to Moore, the UofA Bookstore donated free Chick-Fil-A for the event. Other food included Cliff Bars, popcorn and snow cones. “It seems pretty cool, I like all the free food,” said Taylor Bohach, a mechanical engineering freshman. Students also had a chance to compete for prizes and participate in bouldering, basketball and indoor soccer, Moore said. “It’s a great way of giving back, and it doesn’t cost us anything,” Moore said. A personal trainer was also available to answer students’ questions. “I come here to work out everyday, so it’s nice to have more people checking out the Rec,” said Kaci Kolberg, a prepharmacy freshman.
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Valentina Martinelli/Arizona Daily Wildcat
Stephen Mangum, a philosophy sophomore, climbs the rock wall at the Student Recreation Center’s bouldering competition during Rec Fest. Tuesday’s event featured a volleyball competition, an indoor soccer competition, free food, massages, haircuts and manicures to promote the building’s new expansion.
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UA President Robert Shelton sent a proposal to the Arizona Board of Regents on Friday to raise tuition for the 2010-11 academic year. If the increase passes, instate undergraduate and graduate tuition would increase by $1,450, to $7,224 and $8,014 respectively. He has also suggested raising nonresident tuition by $2,000, to $22,983 for undergraduates and $23,276 for graduate students. The proposal also includes an increase in base tuition for UA South’s in-state students by $500 for undergraduates, which would raise their tuition to $5,453. Resident graduate students and all non-resident students at UA South would pay the same base tuition as students at the main campus. Jonathan Garcia , a pre-law and criminal justice junior, interns as captain of the tuition campaign with the Arizona Students’ Association. He is struggling as a result of tuition increases. “I have to work probably two jobs next semester, and it’s not easy,” Garcia said. He works at the UofA Bookstore to pay for school. “Working another job would just be an obstacle for trying to pursue this dream that I’m trying to get,” Garcia added. Garcia hopes to go to law school and eventually practice law in Tucson. “We’re very concerned about the increases that have been proposed and how they’re going to affect affordability for students and families in tough economic times,” said Elma Delic, ASA’s board chair. She added that ASA believes that the regents need to ensure affordability and keep their promise of predictability by determining how much families can afford. “In general, we need to maintain quality at the university, and we need to maintain access to a university education,” said Johnny Cruz, UA assistant vice president of communications. “The proposed increases in tuition will enable the university to continue providing quality in spite of the massive reductions in state funding.” Cruz said the university’s commitment to financial aid is “as big as it ever has been.” According to a press release issued last week, 54 percent of in-state undergraduate students graduated with no debt. The press release also mentioned that the UA is maintaining “its commitment to Arizona Assurance, a financial and academic aid program that offers four years of debt-free education to select Arizona residents who meet the UA’s admissions
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TUITION, page A3