Daily Wildcat | Inside the UA | March 2024

BIOSPHERE ARTISTS

All-artist crew embark on a simulated lunar mission

BY SIERRA BLASER

The Daily Wildcat

An all-artist crew of University of Arizona professional artists and professors will conduct a six-day moon mission from March 1015 in a recently opened analog research station affiliated with Biosphere 2.

The mission is one of the first global artist-focused field tests. It will generate creative work shaped by the limitations and possibilities of life beyond here on Earth.

The mission, named Imagination 1, will take place at the Space Analog for the Moon and Mars, also known as SAM, which is a high fidelity center that began hosting crews last year on the campus of the UA’s Biosphere 2. The space that the artists will be residing in includes living quarters, a workshop, a greenhouse and a half-acre moon/Mars surface yard and terrain park, which is still under development.

Kai Staats, the inventor, designer, fund-raiser and lead constructor of SAM, said that he had considered building his own habitat analog since 2014. After conducting an experiment in plant growth at Biosphere 2 in 2019, he started developing the concept further, assembling a team and raising funds.

“I don’t really “work at SAM”, rather, it is an extension of me,” Staats said over email. “Seeing my ideas come to life then grow to something far greater than my initial concept through the feedback and support of my team is deeply satisfying.”

Prior crews who have taken part in these missions, Inclusion

I and Inclusion II, have been principally science and experiment-focused. This crew is the first to bring a view of how future human space travel will incorporate a diverse group of people to tell the story of human space exploration.

“It’s been two years of planning,” said Christopher Cokinos, mission facilitator and crew commander. “So a lot of what I’ve been doing is everything from interacting with university people to making sure we have the support we need. Lots of meetings with the leadership at SAM […] and Biosphere 2 and just making

sure that we’re following their high standards and their requirements.”

Cokinos said that the mission evolved from a conversation with Staats at an Analog Astronaut Conference after he gave a presentation with Julie Swarstad Johnson, a fellow crew member.

“Kai [Staats] heard that presentation, and people were really enthusiastic,” Cokinos said. “And it was like, we should do an artist mission.”

During the course of the six-day mission, the four artists will be putting their skills to use to reflect what they learn in their chosen artform. Cokinos,

a nonfiction writer, will be focusing on poetry, writing and photography. Johnson, a poet and librarian, will be working on poems and impressing words into the simulated moon soil. Elizabeth George-Fesch, a dancer, will work on a dance in a pressure suit. Lastly, Ivy Wahome, a textile artist, will be working on a tapestry and costuming of pressure suits.

“I think we’re headed towards people living and working in space for longer amounts of time,” Johnson said. “I think the arts become really important in leading us into living in a thoughtful way or in a way that respects the places

that we’ll go to.”

According to Johnson the crew will be placing a special emphasis on the ethics behind space travel aside from the science behind it all. In her personal projects for the mission, she said that she is especially excited about using her letter-pressing skills to make imprints on the lunar surface.

“Something to know from the Apollo missions is that all of the footsteps, all the tire tracks and everything that they did on the moon, because the moon has no atmosphere, those never go away. They’re gonna be there forever from our perspective,” Johnson said. “And so I’m thinking about, you know, with creating this installation, that I’m creating something that could potentially be permanent, but then I’m also thinking about it as something ephemeral. I think it’ll be an interesting demonstration of installation art that could happen on the moon.”

Cokinos has had a similar experience to this mission during his time living in Utah; however, he said that because of the UA connections he has made, he feels much more confident going in with his team this time around.

“I did an analog mission in Utah, but I didn’t know the crew, and we had all just met,” Cokinos said. “So this feels very different, like there’s a sense of community and mutual support. I think that’s the kind of thing that you would actually have if you’re training for a mission, right? So I’m hoping for just a good week, that we have productive time and that we are able to get as much done as we possibly can and see what the future path looks like.”

KAI STAATS | CORTESY

SPACESUITS FROM SPACE ANALOG for the Moon and Mars at Biosphere 2. The six-day moon mission will include an all-artist crew starting on March 10.

UA President announces salary cut, evaluation of leadership costs

BY SAM PARKER The Daily Wildcat

University of Arizona President Dr. Robert C. Robbins announced that his salary would be “significantly reduced” as part of efforts to address the university’s financial challenges, according to an email sent to the campus community on Monday, March 4.

According to a March 4 statement released by Arizona Board of Regents Chair Elect Cecilia Mata , Robbins’ base salary would be reduced by 10% and his “individual at-risk and multiple year performance compensation” would be eliminated.

Robbins and the board noted that this course of action was Robbins’ own recommendation. According to the statement from the board, these reductions will be scheduled at the next ABOR meeting, which is April 17-19 at the UA.

In 2021, ABOR approved a contract extension for Robbins that stretched his leadership at the university until at least June 30, 2024 and which also increased his annual base salary from $698,625 to $754,515.

In addition to this cut in his salary, Robbins also said the university is examining senior leadership positions for places to cut costs further.

“We also are taking a hard look at how to cut more costs in central administration, including a review of every vice president, vice provost, associate/assistant vice president and associate/assistant vice provost position,” Robbins said in the email statement.

The statement also included updates on other elements of the UA’s financial action plan.

According to Robbins, the university will no longer be pursuing a retirement incentive program.

Additionally, Robbins responded to concerns about layoffs at the university.

According to his Tuesday statement, “There will be no university-wide, acrossthe-board layoffs. We are working with division and college leaders to review budget plans and to develop specific strategies for each individual unit to

rightsize spend. We expect to know more about any reductions or adjustments, including potential layoffs, in late April as Fiscal Year 2025 budgets become finalized.”

ABOR updates

In other ABOR news, leadership changes have taken place after recent turmoil within the board and across the campus community.

According to a statement from the board, former ABOR Chair Fred DuVal stepped down from his leadership role on Feb. 29. The position was filled by Chair Elect Cecilia Mata.

“It’s imperative that we move away from the heat of rhetoric and politics and refocus on addressing the genuine challenges facing our institution […]; by resigning as board chair, I want to do my part to create space for collaborative efforts toward real solutions.,” DuVal said in the board’s statement announcing this change in leadership.

This announcement came in the midst of controversy surrounding DuVal and the UA Faculty Senate. At the Feb. 22 ABOR meeting, DuVal denounced the senate following an accusation made by Faculty Chair Leila Hudson that DuVal had a conflict of interest concerning his work with Amicus Investors.

DuVal’s criticism of the governing body was met with resistance from Arizona Gov Hobbs who, just four days after the ABOR meeting, rebuked the behavior of the board towards the UA Faculty Senate. Hobbs called the board’s behavior “appalling and unacceptable” and demanded an in-person meeting with ABOR.

In the board’s statement, DuVal also said he would be available to meet with members of the campus community this week.

“I will plan to be available on campus Tuesday, March 5, from 1-5 p.m. and Wednesday, March 6 from 8-10 a.m. to visit with anyone who wants my ear. I will be available in the Madera Conference Room on the 3rd floor of the Student Union,” DuVal said.

In another leadership change within

the board, ABOR Executive Director John Arnold is taking a leave of absence from the board “to concentrate on implementing critical strategies for the university’s financial stability,” according to ABOR.

Arnold was another target of criticism from Hobbs, who expressed concern about Arnold serving as both the UA’s interim Chief Financial Officer and ABOR’s executive director.

MARISON BILAGODY | THE DAILY WILDCAT UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA President Dr. Robert C. Robbins speaks at the school’s COVID-19 memorial on the UA Mall on March 23, 2022. Recently, Robbins addressed the state of the university at the Arizona Board of Regents Meeting March 4, on campus.

Moving climate change beyond public concern, to legislative change

BY KANISHKA CHINNARAJ

The Daily Wildcat

Climate change has been a topic of discourse since the beginning of our education. These conversations typically lead with “we need to save our planet” and often conclude with the shared understanding that consuming fossil fuels and producing greenhouse gasses at the current rate will lead to irreversible consequences.

Climate change refers to “long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns,” according to the United Nations. Although these changes can occur naturally, the process is accelerating at an exponential rate due to human activity.

Just in the past year, the U.S. reached a new record of natural disasters that cost over $57.6 billion and resulted in more than 253 deaths, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Some of these disasters include the wildfires in Hawaii, Hurricane Idalia crashing into Florida and severe hailstorms in Minnesota to name a few.

The National Centers for Environmental Information reported that June-August in 2023 was the hottest summer on record across the globe. This trend has been seen throughout America, with Phoenix having an average temperature of 102.8 degrees Fahrenheit for July and Death Valley soaring to 128 degrees Fahrenheit on July 16. The list continues internationally, as the average global temperature has increased by 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, according to Earth Observatory.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, prolonged exposure to high temperatures causes various medical concerns, like exhaustion, heat strokes and kidney and heart diseases.

Research studies, like the 40-year forecast of cardiovascular deaths due to increased temperature conducted by Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine Dr. Sameed Khatana, estimated that the amount of heat-related cardiovascular deaths in the U.S. would rise by up to 233% from 2036 to 2065.

As reported by Forbes, “according to the American Public Health Association, communities of color are more likely to experience pre-existing health conditions and poor living conditions than their white counterparts.”

The underlying diagnosis of these various adverse health effects is that climate change will disproportionately affect minorities over others.

While the U.S. is more diverse than ever, cities remain segregated and lowincome neighborhoods are disadvantaged by the darker materials used for road construction, the lack of soil and grass within the community (which naturally aids in decreasing the surrounding temperatures) and have less access to air conditioning.

In southern Los Angeles, where communities are predominantly people of color, according to Forbes “nearly three-fifths of households did not have access to air conditioning in 2020.”

Low-lying areas, which are predominantly low-income and communities of color, are at increased risk of catastrophic flooding caused by hurricanes. A study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies found “more than 30% of Black New Orleans residents didn’t own cars when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005,” complicating leaving the area ahead of the storm.

Without financial resources to access commodities like air conditioning and cars, communities of color are susceptible to the first-line dangers of climate change with little assistance.

Individuals are constantly encouraged to make lifestyle changes such as carpooling, conserving energy at home, using public transportation and opting for reusable products; the question arises about the fairness of placing the entire responsibility of climate change on individuals alone. While personal changes in lifestyle do add up, corporations and conglomerates should also be held accountable for their contributions to increasing fossil fuel consumption and the current state of the planet.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, passed by the Biden Administration, is a tax incentive for Americans who purchase

electric vehicles and create a more sustainable home.

Kirsten Engel, professor of law at the James E. Rogers College of Law and previous member of the Arizona House of Representatives and Arizona Senate, said “money is coming into the state to support clean energy facilities and is predicted to see $10 billion of investment between public funding and private investment.”

In addition to the tax incentives it provides, the IRA invests in clean energy and infrastructures. It provides funding for a wide range of programs that range from renewable energy projects, to electric vehicle infrastructure, to enhancing public transportation, intending to create jobs and reduce carbon emissions, according to the US Department of the Treasury.

While this legislation acts nationally, change can also happen on a smaller scale in local communities.

The University of Arizona is “currently undergoing its first-ever sustainability and climate action planning process, so we are putting together a roadmap to how we will reach planet neutrality by 2040,” said Trevor Ledbetter, director of the Office of Sustainability at the University of Arizona.

The UA currently acquires its electricity from Tucson Electric Power through renewable resources, but the remaining 40% of electricity is produced by the cogenerational natural gas turbines located on campus, which are not as sustainable or efficient. So, part of the decarbonization plan is to remove the co-generational natural gas turbines, take them offline, modernize the systems we use and electrify them, according to Ledbetter.

UAZ Divest is a student group that has pushed for the UA Foundation to divest from fossil fuels and phase out the current investments, “so through 2029, as those investments mature, UA will not renew them,” Ledbetter said.

While the UA is making strides in these areas, there are no federal legislation or measures to reduce greenhouse gasses themselves produced by the corporations across the nation.

To hold these corporations accountable

and to increase transparency with the public, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed to make public companies disclose the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated spring of 2022 which has come into fruition this year (New York Times).

The SEC, in 2022, ordered companies to share the pollutants generated by their business into different components; scope one and two would report both direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from waste produced in manufacturing to the amount of air condition used in the office building and scope three refers to the emissions created as a result of the product they create, according to CNN. SEC’s proposed rule continues to be debated in 2024 as “ten Republican-led states filed a petition to block the Securities and Exchange Commission’s climate-risk disclosure rule shortly after it was finalized” on March 6th which later led to the third scope being eliminated in the approved plan.

According to the Pew Research Center, climate change being considered as a top priority has increased from 38% to 52% among Americans and with the public’s urges for legislative changes.

SELA MARGALIT| THE DAILY WILDCAT

IT IS A MAJOR election year and is therefore imperative for Americans as a collective to take deliberate action by voting with regard to this issue.

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STUDENT HOUSING

Amidst violence and threats, students feel unsafe in university housing

BY EMMA LAPOINTE The Daily Wildcat

Since the beginning of the spring semester, University of Arizona students have been bombarded with numerous UAlerts regarding students being assaulted, shootings occurring just off campus and updates on the so-called “Tucson Taker.”

In the past two months, UAlerts have notified the campus community of multiple shootings within a mile of campus. In mid-January, community members were notified of two separate police incidents near campus over the course of two days. On Jan. 13, the University of Arizona Police Department responded to an off-campus shooting and on Jan. 14, a suspect with a gun was detained in a campus residence hall.

The recently-established Office of Public Safety and other resources on campus have worked with affected students and tried various methods to protect students on campus.

However, some UA students do not feel safe walking around campus and feel even less safe in their student housing situations, namely dorms.

“I do feel unsafe in the dorms since I don’t have locks to all parts of the dorm. The door to the bathroom is not lockable. Hence, someone entering through a suitemate’s door could be a danger to me. I also live in Honors, so I’m on the outskirts of campus, and I do feel slightly unsafe at night with the abductions and everything,” said Honors Village Residence Hall resident and UA student Annie Allen.

Other students, who wished to remain

anonymous, felt unease about living in dorms due in part to recent incidents on and near campus.

“I feel unsafe walking alone, even if I am just outside my dorm. I never leave the building without my pepper spray or Birdie device,” another UA student said.

Acording to another Honors Village student they do feel unsafe on campus, but less due to shootings and abductions and more due to other potential threats on campus.

“It is less due to the shootings and more due to walking around campus, especially at night when there are groups of men or frat boys nearby. I feel extremely unsafe on Greek row,” said the Honors Village student.

The recent loss of recognition issued to fraternity Pi Kappa Phi heightened conversations about safety in relation to Greek Life. The fraternity was found by the Dean of Students Office to have violated the “University Code of Conduct prohibitions related to alcohol (including furnishing alcohol to minors), conduct endangering others, hazing, and violations of state or federal law,” according to a UA press release.

However, some students expressed that they still feel relatively safe in their student housing situations, regardless of abductions, shootings and other threats of violence.

“I don’t feel my safety is compromised in terms of [being] inside the dorms simply because of the security measures taken inside the buildings. While it is still possible people with ill intent could get in, I don’t believe the dorms would be the main concern for an on-campus shooting, rather than classrooms and public areas outdoors during the school day and evenings. Therefore, I don’t think

doors are the main concern in terms of campus safety from shootings,” said an anonymous Honors Village student.

Sarah Wilson, a student living in Apache-Santa Cruz Residence Hall, stressed the importance of students being aware of their surroundings and knowing that there are ways to stay safe.

“I think you need to always be aware of what is going on around you and do your best to be with a buddy,” Wilson said.

Some students also pointed out that they needed a CatCard to access doors and enter buildings, which made them feel safer. However, in certain situations, these CatCard precautions have been unsuccessful in preventing people from

getting into the dorms.

For example, in January, UAPD detained an armed and intoxicated teenager not affiliated with the university after receiving reports of his entry into Arizona-Sonora Residence Hall.

While it is a separate issue on its own, there is a rise in violence occurring on and off campus, there seems to be split opinion on whether students feel safe in campus housing.

Some precautions students can take to increase their feeling of safety on campus are: traveling in groups, carrying pepper spray, letting people know when you are going out, what your location is and staying on campus if you are walking alone.

KAI STAATS | COURTESY

A STUDENT WALKS ACROSS the sidewalk in front of Coconino Hall, a student dormitory at the University of Arizona.

OPINION: The university president and previous CFO are out of touch

BY COLTON ALLDER The DailyWildcat

It’s been quite a year for the University of Arizona with multiple happenings making the news, most notably the financial crisis caused by royally failing to maintain a balanced budget. UA has since drafted a plan to balance the budget that included hiring and pay freezes, along with “budget reductions.”

It’s wonderful the UA has decided a balanced budget is ideal, and hopefully lower employees are shielded from consequences of senior leadership’s mistakes. The Arizona Daily Star reported that Lisa Rulney, no longer the UA’s CFO, remains on university payroll, making $506,325 a year as a senior advisor to business operations. The Star went on to report that President Dr. Robert C Robbins did not mention this during a meeting with the Arizona Board of Regents. Robbins since then has made statements on Rulney saying the role is temporary, ending on June 30, and he made this decision to “help ensure a minimally disruptive and well informed transition.”

According to an email sent by Robbins to the UA community, Rulney’s role will be to “provide support to our Interim CFO as he focuses on implementing

the University’s financial action plan and managing the division’s broad operations.”

This situation is clownishly illogical, given the fact Rulney was CFO during a colossal blunder, yet continues to remain on payroll after resigning and being given an advisor position. Everyone is entitled to job security, but one could only hope that their boss goes through the leaps and bounds Robbins is for Rulney. This is a luxury regular people are not often afforded, but something that seems quite commonplace in the highly anemic and wimpish overpaid bubble that is higher academia.

Gifting Rulney a role in supporting the Interim CFO is like giving Richard Nixon oversight of Gerald Ford after Watergate. Anyone closely tied to this disarray should be removed because I’d prefer to avoid future financial problems and remain proud of the school I attend.

The UA made a statement saying “We appreciate Lisa Rulney’s willingness to utilize her longtime experience and expertise to continue serving the university at this critical time.” Well, I feel very secure in the fact that Rulney took this job out of a willingness to serve the university and not because she’ll be keeping her full pay in the process. To test how strong Rulney’s “willingness” really is, let’s see if she would be willing to

have her salary cut to 45k a year.

It reveals just how out of touch they are with the employees and students here at UA, and we deserve better. Much like politicians, CEOs, police and bankers, it’s no surprise to see those leading powerful institutions doing

everything within their reach to protect their own, but it’s disappointing to see this play out at home.

However, in the long run, the university will get past this. On June 30, Rulney will leave and Robbins won’t be here forever. Those are two “budget cuts”

that will make all the difference.

Colton Allder is a Marine Corps veteran and a Junior majoring in Journalism with a minor in Creative Writing. He enjoys reading, hiking and riding motorcycles in his free time.

LIZZY SORENSEN | THE DAILY WILDCAT UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA’S Old Main is in the center of the UA campus. Students pass by the historic building everyday on the way to classes.

Here’s your ‘sign’ to join UA ASL

BY BEATRIZ M0JARDIN The Daily Wildcat

At the University of Arizona, you can find a vast array of student-run clubs and teams, with over 400 groups catering to a wide range of interests and hobbies. From honor societies to dancing and language clubs, there is something for everyone to be a part of.

One club, that for years has continued to make an impact on students and the community is the UA American Sign Language club, also known as the UA ASL club.

For over a decade, the UA ASL club has brought students and community members together through their joint passion for signing. Hearing and nonhearing people alike come together to socialize and build a community centered around their use of the language.

The club has monthly meetings and weekly socials. Anna Heldt is a junior at the University of Arizona and secretary of the ASL club; she is hearing. “[At these events,] students get to know each other, practice signing together and with time feel more comfortable using sign language,” Heldt said.

The weekly socials are held every Tuesday afternoon from 6-9 p.m. at the Scented Leaf Tea House on University Boulevard. At these socials, students from the club collaborate and interact with members of the Tucson ASL community and any other individuals who are interested in joining.

Ed Cantrell, deaf, is the host of these Tucson ASL socials. “ASL Tucson is open to everybody, whether you want

SELA MARGALIT | THE DAILY

WILDAT

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA is full of clubs for everyone’s interests. One in particular is UA’s American Sign Language club. The club works to unite the Tucson deaf community and those interested in learning about ASL

to practice your ASL skills or learn to sign,” Cantrell said. “If you need to know what a sign is, you can ask me. It helps to improve your signing skills and you can communicate with deaf people if they attend. Really there are many benefits.”

Along with the monthly meetings and weekly socials, the UA ASL club organizes game nights, potlucks and other events to bring the signing community together. Currently, there are approximately 150 members of the ASL club and it’s continuing to grow through its efforts in outreach and collaboration.

Grace Swenson is a junior at the UA, attending the College of Education for deaf studies and a returning member of the ASL socials; she is also hearing. “As a future educational interpreter, it’s highly important that I participate and make connections with the deaf community,” Swenson said. “I get to practice my signs in an unrehearsed manner and it’s just a fun place where I can practice my second language regularly.”

For Swenson’s degree and future, these socials are very useful to her learning.

“It really is helpful to make connections with deaf community members here at a smaller setting because when you go out into the bigger socials where 90% of the deaf community is in attendance or you run into them, it helps just to be able to automatically start communicating with them,” Swenson said.

“Anyone and everyone is invited to join the ASL club. We have all skill levels, from beginners to people in [the UA class] ASL level 4, to people in the interpreting program. Everyone is welcome to the club and the same goes for the socials,” Heldt said.

The City of Tucson plans to construct its first Bus Rapid Transit system

BY DANIELLE HARTSH0RN

The Daily Wildcat

The City of Tucson is currently in the middle of developing the first segment of its Bus Rapid Transit project, one that will connect the Tohono Tadai Transit Center and Tucson Mall to the Ronstadt Transit Center and Downtown Tucson. The city’s first step is the north segment, a five-mile portion of the planned 15mile transit corridor.

During this project’s development, Tucson Rapid Transit has been engaging in public outreach to gauge the community’s preferences. In late 2023, based in large part on community survey responses, Stone Avenue was chosen for the north segment.

According to TRT, Bus Rapid Transit is a “high-capacity bus service that improves travel speed and reliability, passenger capacity, and the rider experience.”

“The hope is to bring Tucson transportation into the future of sustainability and connect the different parts of the city,” said Kristin McRay, community infrastructure manager for Ward 1.

“The idea of a Bus Rapid Transit system in the city will be to create a highercapacity transit system that has a lot more mobility, in a sense, [and] flexibility than a rail system would have,” McRay said. This form of public transportation differs from traditional bus systems.

“[The BRT] has dedicated lanes, so it wouldn’t be sharing a lane with vehicles,” said Ian Sansom, project manager of Transit-oriented Development at the City of Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility. “It has signal prioritizations […]. When a bus rolls up to a traffic signal, it can trigger the red light to turn to green and so you can have quicker movement across the corridor in those bus lanes.”

Traditional buses can carry 40 passengers, while BRT can carry 100150 passengers, according to Sansom. It also can run every 10 minutes or less during peaks.

When considering these differences, BRT is a rapid and cost-effective service

for regional mobility, Sansom said. The total estimated timeline for the project is three to seven years before service is implemented on the ground.

The reliability of a public transit service also depends on how supportable it is for the Tucson area.

“When we have to be thinking about sustainability, we have to be thinking about the cost of construction and how long it takes for the project to really come online,” McRay said. “There are tons of benefits to doing a Bus Rapid Transit system over an in-ground rail system. Just sort of the number of miles that you can lay for the same cost, to be able to more quickly meet the needs of the community.”

The design and construction of the fivemile segment has an estimated total cost of $140 million, but if the project succeeds in getting a federal grant, that cost would be halved, Sansom said.

Efficient transit connectivity in a community can be impactful in various ways.

According to Kevin Dahl, city council member for Ward 3, Stone Avenue has less existing development along it, so there’s more potential for future transitoriented development.

Stone Avenue is also a part of the 85705 zip code. This area has been identified as an underserved area by the city, according to Dahl.

“Many of the neighborhoods are low income, struggling, vulnerable neighborhoods and bringing in [a] transit route into that sort of neighborhood will be a boon for the community,” Dahl said.

Since Downtown Tucson and Tucson Mall are focal points for jobs, this transit corridor would connect a lot of people to job opportunities.

The project’s study of the transit corridor — within three-quarters of a mile on either side — reported that more than 50% of jobs are focused in this area, according to Sansom.

“Where there’s good transit, economic commerce and more housing follows,” Dahl said. “Businesses have a whole new customer base. And many employees,

whether they have cars or not, often find transit commuting easier or better.”

Economic development naturally occurs along transit routes. Regardless of whether it’s an apartment complex, office building or another commercial enterprise, the incentives of transit will be beneficial to the community, according to Dahl.

“When we’re talking about potentially bringing in growth around transit, there’s a lot of opportunities to do that with new housing, new retail [and] new mixed-use development on Stone Avenue, while still protecting the kind of special local and legacy businesses that have been there for a long time,” Sansom said.

Besides local businesses, students in the community can also utilize this type of transportation service.

According to McRay, this route opens up possibilities for students who rely on public transportation to find housing and employment outside of major school areas.

Along with providing transit to and from schools, such as Pima Community

College or the University of Arizona, this corridor provides recreational use.

“For UA students, they could connect from the streetcar Ronstadt and then take BRT up to Tucson Mall if they wanted to do shopping,” Sansom said. “And also connections for PCC to get downtown. Which, currently, there’s not as good a bus service from PCC to downtown.”

In 2023, Tucson’s mayor and city council voted to keep transit fares free. The council intends to keep transit ridership free “until there’s an affirmative vote to reinstitute those fares.”

“The fare structure of the BRT system would depend on whether the fare-free policy is still in place,” Sansom said.

For the next round of outreach, Tucson Rapid Transit will look at station locations for Stone Avenue.

The upcoming south segment will connect Downtown Tucson and the Ronstadt Transit Center to the Tucson International Airport. Updates and upcoming events will be posted on the project’s website.

ANA GARCIA BELTRAN | THE DAILY WILDCAT A SUN TRAN BUS leaves the Tohono Tadai Transit Center on Route 10. The route goes from La Canada Drive to Sixth Street and Stone Avenue.

‘Save Our Saguaros’: Buffelgrass pulling and mural painting

BY GRACIE KAYKO

The saguaro, the iconic cactus of the Southwest, stands tall welcoming you to the Sonoran desert. Buffelgrass, an enemy to the saguaro, threatens that welcome.

Buffelgrass, native to Africa, Asia and the Middle East, was brought to the U.S. for cattle forage and erosion control in the 1930s, according to the National Park Service. But buffelgrass has escaped where it was originally meant to be and now crowds the Sonoran Desert.

Although the grass looks like it would be no match for the towering, strong saguaro, it’s a fuel for wildfires and outcompetes native species in the desert for water, nutrients and sunlight.

David Walker, a member of the Menlo Park Neighborhood Association, has been pulling buffelgrass on and off for the past 22 years and leads groups through “A” Mountain on pulls.

On Friday, Feb. 23, Walker met a group of new and veteran grass pullers at Sentinel Peak Park on “A” Mountain in the afternoon. He led the team about half a mile up the trail, through areas that have been worked on by past grass pullers where natives now thrive.

After an easy and quick pulling demonstration, the group got to work.

For two hours the volunteers pulled grass and chit-chatted as the sun descended over the mountains, creating pink shadows across the Santa Catalina Mountains. Walker calls this Friday afternoon pull “happy hour.”

He says the threat of invasive buffelgrass is real. “There are many areas that have lost the native vegetation due to high heat grass fires,” Walker said. “This changes the whole ecosystem.”

The plant life in Tucson is diverse and beautiful and one of the reasons Walker continues to pull buffelgrass. He loves being outdoors. “So why not get together with others to do a little restoration work,” Walker said.

Marcie Shatz, another buffelgrass puller, has been working with the Sonoran Desert Weedwackers in Tucson Mountain Park since 2008. She was recruited by her son to volunteer while he was in high school and he pushed her to “carry on the fight” when he left town for college.

“What started as a ‘favor’ to my son quickly became a gratifying way to connect with the desert environment and help to preserve it,” Shatz said.

The evidence of buffelgrass destructiveness to the desert environ-

ment is out there. “Left unchecked, our Sonoran Desert would eventually become a savannah of [buffelgrass],” Shatz said.

Shatz continues to fight to get rid of buffelgrass after 16 years.

February marked the start of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum’s “Save Our Saguaros” month, a time dedicated to bringing awareness and fighting buffelgrass, and this year they have a project for the community of Tucson.

“ “

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum hired Tucson artist Wesley Creigh to design a paint-by-numbers

limits but where you can still see the city. It’s like this urban interface area,” Avila said.

The mural project is meant to bring the community together, educate and celebrate the volunteers. The mural has multiple aspects to it.

“We really wanted to raise awareness of the issue, the fire threat of buffelgrass and also the outcompeting of natives,” Avila said. “The two major walls we wanted to celebrate biodiversity and our volunteers who have been doing this great and amazing amount of work pulling buffelgrass.”

The first community painting event happened Saturday, Feb. 24. The turnout was good enough that the mural was almost entirely finished. The next painting event happened on Sunday, March 3, and the mural was revealed to the whole community on Saturday, March 9.

The mural is there for the community, to spread awareness and celebrate volunteers like Walker and Shatz.

“The [buffelgrass] weedwackers

mural for the community to paint on “A” Mountain to help bring awareness.

Vianey Avila, the invasive species grant and project administrator for the museum, says they chose “A” Mountain as the location for the mural because it’s an iconic area for Tucson, and it’s where their buffelgrass pulling volunteers do a lot of work.

The museum was made aware of two wall spaces for the mural by the City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Department on “A” Mountain. “[The mural] takes you in between this beautiful landscape outside the city

are certainly an unusual group of individuals, united behind and driven by a mission to protect this precious environment,” Shatz said. “We are welcoming to all; it doesn’t matter to us how experienced a puller is because any plant they pull is one less that we have to pull!”

“

The Daily Wildcat

GRACIE KAYO THE DAILY WILDCAT

THE FINISHED UPPER WALL of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum mural on March 9. The side of the wall shows “A” Mountain up in flames to bring awareness to wildfires, while the main part of the wall celebrates biodiversity with the saying “Save Our Saguaros” in three languages: O’odham, English and Spanish.

GRACIE KAYKO THE DAILY WILDCAT

DAVID WALKER, A LONGTIME buffelgrass puller, shows a group of buffelgrass pulling volunteers what the grass should look like once it’s pulled out on Feb. 23. Walker has been pulling the grass for 22 years.

GRACIE KAYKO THE DAILY WILDCAT

THE STEPS OF THE Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum’s new mural on Sentinel Peak on March 9. A reason for the mural is to bring awareness to invasive plants such as buffelgrass.

GRACIE KAYKO THE DAILY WILDCAT A GROUP OF BUFFELGRASS pullers work up “A” mountain in Tucson Mountain Park on Feb. 23. The group starts working at 4 p.m.

GRACIE KAYKO THE DAILY WILDCAT

THE FINISHED UPPER WALL of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum mural on March 9. The side of the wall shows “A” Mountain up in flames to bring awareness to wildfires, while the main part of the wall celebrates biodiversity.

Why we feel lonely in college: Reasons behind it and how to conquer it

BY JADON RIVAS The Daily Wildcat

Missing your loved ones is typically the hardest part about attending college or even being away from home. Many of us also feel like we want more out of our relationships to make starting in a new, unfamiliar state or even country, more comfortable.

On the contrary, leaving a partner behind and still being committed to them is generally incredibly difficult. Loneliness is a science, but it is one that can be conquered with simple steps.

To understand why you miss or want more from the people in your life, it is important to understand the different types of loneliness.

According to Dr. Robert S. Weiss of the University of Cambridge, who did a joint research project about mental health with the U.S. government, there are three types of loneliness: intimate, relational and collective.

Intimate loneliness is the feeling that a person in your life, such as a significant other or parent, is not living up to your expectations of emotional support. This is why it’s important to gauge whether a partner who perhaps is not with you in college is still able to support you despite the distance between yourself and them.

Relational loneliness is similar to intimacy, but it is with friends instead of a partner or family member. Friends, especially in college, are extremely important as, besides

company, they provide benefits such as improved self-confidence, a sense of belonging and even teaching you more about yourself and your interests. If you feel like your friend may not be helping you in ways such as these, you might be feeling relational loneliness.

The final type of loneliness is collective loneliness, which occurs when one does not feel as if they are in a group they belong in. For example, you might be in the robotics club but feel like everyone else does not pay attention to you or what you have to say. People naturally like being part of a group, so it’s completely normal to feel as if you’re not being heard.

So, how do you actually alleviate these feelings?

Well, it’s important to have a mindset where you respect how you feel but are able to talk with others about it respectfully. For family and romantic relationships, these feelings should be communicated with the other person. Keira Douglas is a freshman at Pima Community College who is planning to attend the University of Arizona to finish her bachelor’s degree in nursing. She’s been in a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend for three years and had some words of advice when it came to having a partner.

“Definitely have good communication with your partner. It can be the make or break of the relationship. Talk about your wants and needs so that both of you can be on the same page. Keep making time for each other

on FaceTime, so you know they love and care about you,” Douglas said. “As for family, just talk to them, make sure they know you’re there for them and visit them when you’re on breaks as well.”

It’s also important to consider how each of

your friends improves your life and makes you happier. If they don’t, however, it may be time to consider rethinking the friendship. Keelan Gardner is a freshman at UA who has made many new friends since starting college, but he’s also had to rethink some

of his older friends.

“I feel that if your friends or club isn’t paying attention to you, even after you talk to them about it, it’s more likely they don’t care about you,” Gardner said. “Real friends or real clubs would interact with each other if they were real. It just means that they

aren’t your real friends and that you shouldn’t look at them as such either.”

If you feel as if you need more advice regarding loneliness, feel free to make an appointment on the UA Counseling & Psych Services website or by calling 520-621-3334.

BRIANNA GOLDEN | THE DAILY WILDCAT

LONELINESS, ESPECIALLY DURING COLLEGE, can have a negative effect on a person’s well-being. Evaluating relationships and ensuring clear communication can help keep relationships strong.

HARVILL PROJECT

Brightening the future: UA students lead Harvill Retrofit Project

BY NANDINI MANEPALLI

If you’ve been in the Harvill building recently, you might have noticed the building’s new lighting glow-up. As a part of an initiative organized by Students for Sustainability, a student organization that advocates for a more sustainable campus community, four University of Arizona students led the Harvill Lighting Retrofit Project, which

aimed to replace the Harvill building’s older fluorescent lighting with more sustainable and efficient LED lighting. The project was completed in January and according to the student leaders involved with the project, is predicted to save $12,897 per year in energy costs. This money saved will be used towards funding future sustainability initiatives at the university. Additionally, data collected from the team predicts that the project will result in a 42% reduction in energy

consumption.

Beyond the significant energy consumption reduction and cost savings, the new LED lighting has a plethora of other benefits as well.

Studies have shown that LED-lighted classrooms increase student alertness, focus and performance and cause less eye strain. “LED lighting is a monochromatic source, which makes it better on our eyes because we don’t have to adjust to seeing a whole spectrum of light,” Camille Tinerella,

one of the student leaders involved with the Harvill Retrofit Project, said.

The new LED lighting also lasts longer than fluorescent lighting.

“Fluorescent lighting has to be replaced often. That’s because if you turn fluorescent lighting on and off it actually affects the lifespan of the bulb,” Sam Gibbon, a student leader on this project, said.

Sustainable disposal practices are another added benefit of using LED lights.

“The LED lights last longer and don’t contain mercury and other toxic chemicals, so the disposal of those is much more sustainable,” Avery Berger, another student leader, said.

According to Julia Petty, a student leader, the Harvill Retrofit Project has been in the making for three years, starting with a year-long auditing process of campus buildings to determine which one would be the best fit for the project.

“[Auditing] included us going into rooms, counting how many lights there were and taking the temperature of the room to understand the different aspects of the lighting and energy efficiency,” Petty said.

After narrowing down to the Harvill building, the group spent another year on the grant-writing process. Berger explained how this included preparing an almost 20-page grant application for the Campus Sustainability Fund’s annual grant and working with the Facilities

Management department to secure additional grant funding from the Utility Modification Revolving Fund. In total, the team secured $103,787 in funding for this project.

The installation of the LED lighting kicked off last semester, with the Facilities Management department replacing the 927 existing light fixtures in Harvill with new, LED lighting. Gibbon and Berger said the project also includes initiatives for educational outreach, taking the form of an expansive art banner hung in Harvill, informational flyers that remind faculty and students to turn off classroom lights after use and social media strategies to raise awareness for sustainability efforts around campus.

“I wanted to highlight the environmental impact of LED lighting, and depict how it can lead to a more beautiful and sustainable future,” Sawyer Sullivan, the artist of the banner and a member of Students for Sustainability, said. “I chose to illustrate the Sonoran Desert in an effort to focus on the direct connections between the choices we make, and the environment we live in. I wanted to design a banner that both emphasized the incredible Harvill Lighting Project, and encouraged its audience to think about and make sustainable choices in their own lives.”

When reflecting on her experiences as a part of the project, Petty noted how

rewarding it was to take on a leadership role.

“Being a student and being able to manage such a large-scale project is so rewarding. It shows that any of us can get together and accomplish something really big, like actually impacting the environment or helping our university’s energy savings,” Petty said.

Gibbon said this project taught him the importance of persistence in these sorts of sustainability initiatives.

“If there’s a will, there’s a way. If you’re willing to be persistent and try hard consistently, then you can achieve something of this significance,” Gibbon said.

Berger shared similar takeaways in her experience of co-leading this project.

“You might have to adapt how you go about things, but there’s plenty of room on this campus for improvements and sustainability,” Berger said. “Once you start getting your hands on it, you will find the little nitty-gritty aspects of campus and be able to work around it to create a very beneficial project.”

For students interested in initiating similar change across campus, Tinerella emphasized the power of banding together with peers.

“Students have the ability to make change. You just have to be persistent, you have to keep advocating and saying we’re going to make a change no matter what happens. That will spread like wildfire,” Tinerella said.

TAWNI EAKMAN, UA OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY| COURTESY HARVILL RETROFIT PROJECT CO-LEADERS f (left to right): Camille Tinerella, Avery Berger, Sam Gibbon, Julia Petty.

The Daily Wildcat

Sustainability

BICAS helps Tucsonan find affordable and sustainable transportation

BY SIERRA BLASER

About two miles from campus exists a small shop full of recycled bicycle parts, donated and refurbished bikes and art made from recycled parts.

Bicycle Inter-Community Art & Salvage, more commonly known as BICAS, is a local nonprofit

organization dedicated to helping the Tucson community find affordable and sustainable transportation. The organization heavily relies on donations of items to sell at a lower price or money to provide a variety of programs with information on how to fix a bicycle or make art from recycled parts.

BICAS started in 1989 and was originally called Bootstraps to Share of Tucson. The organization

focused on sustainable transportation as a basic need and determined that its greatest resolution was to provide recycled bicycles and the skills needed to maintain them.

The nonprofit was underground both figuratively and literally, as it used to be in the basement of a warehouse. However, in 2017, it moved to its current location just north of Downtown Tucson.

The organization provides volunteer opportunities for anyone who needs hours for school, a club, per court order or just for fun.

“We have our volunteers help out with things like administrative tasks or grant writing,” said Joselyn Aguilar, the organization’s outreach coordinator. “At events, we also have volunteers help us out with loading and unloading or help us

with the activities themselves.”

BICAS also provides a worktrade opportunity for customers to work for credit if they cannot afford to buy parts or a bike themselves.

In 2022, over 42 bikes were earned through the Earn-A-Bike program.

“They get $16 per hour of store credit that can be put towards any of the used items in the shop,” said Jaden Salama, a BICAS employee.

Salama said one of his favorite parts of working for BICAS is being able to aid in providing lowincome Tucsonans with a way to get places.

“I really believe in bikes as a tool of revolution and as a sustainable transportation system,” Salama said. “So I really appreciate that we can provide those services to the public, especially like houseless folks or people who just don’t have any money.”

In addition to these services, BICAS holds frequent events for the community to join a space that is inclusive and accessible. Some of these events include a Women/Trans/Femme Ride on the last Monday of every month, the Youth Earn-A-Bike program during school breaks and a weekly Art Corner from 3-6 p.m. every Thursday.

“BICAS has a strong art background,” said Tony Zepeda, the organization’s art director. “The Art Corner has been here since BICAS has been around. We invite the public to come and check out the space.”

The Art Corners are free to attend for all, and masks are requested.

The Daily Wildcat

SIERRA BLASTER | THE DAILY WILDCAT

THE EXTERIOR OF THE local nonprofit BICAS. The organization sells reduced-cost bike parts and hosts many community events such as free weekly Art Corners, the Youth Earn-A-Bike program and Femme rides.

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$1.2M renovation preserves the roots of Aggie House

BY MEGAN MCBRIDE Arizona Sonoran News

As the late afternoon traffic on North Euclid Avenue picked up, a group of men in their late teens and early 20s sat in the sun on the fresh green lawn of Aggie House, cowboy hats and baseball caps beside them as the familiar sound of country music played from a speaker on the front steps.

After a year of hard work and banging tools, the Aggie House, where these students call home, was back.

The $1.2 million restoration breathed new life into the historical building that was on a slow decline for several years.

The Aggie House has stood the test of time, bearing a multitude of men who carry on its heritage year after year.

The house at 819 N. Euclid Ave. is listed on the West University National Register Historic District that was established in 1980, according to Jodie Brown, a historic preservation officer for the City of Tucson.

The renovation included redoing the full interior, replacing the roof, adding new appliances and windows and updating floor plans of the 5,800-square-foot house. Aggie House alum Wade Accomazzo led the effort.

Accomazzo was a member of the Aggie House in the 1990s and has two sons who are continuing his legacy there.

At an alumni meeting in Nov. 2022, Accomazzo offered to lead the renovation, from financially supporting the work to hiring the contractors and managing the project, according to Panch Honne, an Aggie House alum.

The top-to-bottom project took place as the residents were still living in the house. After more than a century of needing only minor renovations, the 112-year-old building was showing its age under the weight of several generations of heavy

cowboy boots and decades of wear and tear.

Rain would leak through the ceiling and flood the basement, soaking residents. The walls began to deteriorate as the floors began to crack, and there was no insulation or heat.

“When you live in there, you just feel sick all the time,” Honne said.

Accomazzo decided that his kids could not live in those conditions and that the house deserved to be preserved, said Honne.

“It shouldn’t have held up as many people as it has seeing the engineering of the house,” said Logan Ortega, an Aggie House alum who played a large role in the year-long construction project. “It got to a point of unsafe living conditions.”

Over the years, residents of the house did what they could to maintain it, but the house was falling apart according to Honne.

The renovation included updated technology and engineering that maintained the “charm of the old structure,” said Max Tucker, another alum. The house now features an industrial kitchen, keypad door locks, water sprinkler pipes, tile floors and tongue and groove dark-stained wood on the walls and ceilings that add to the older feel of the house in a contemporary way.

“It’s everything I could have dreamed up when I was a member,” Honne said.

The history of the house itself began 35 years before it was established as the Aggie House. It was originally built in 1912 and was used as a bed and breakfast and girls dormitory before Aggie House Inc. bought it in 1947, said Arlo Harold, a current member of the house.

Being in such close proximity to the university, hundreds of people pass by it everyday but few know the significance of its history.

The Aggie House was founded in 1937, making it one of the oldest social

organizations at the University of Arizona, though it is not directly affiliated.

It was created with the guidance and financial assistance of Dr. E.D. Tetreau, the professor of rural sociology, and Dr. R.S. Hawkins, the former vice dean of the College of Agriculture, according to the original founding documents.

Their goal was to create a co-op for young men in the agriculture college modeled after similar organizations at the University of Wisconsin, Texas A&M University and Ohio State University with the purpose of creating affordable living options for agriculture students.

Members of the house have been able to keep their expenses low by doing chores and maintaining the house themselves over the years, Honne said.

The organization has fraternal similarities but what sets them apart from average fraternities is their familylike relationship and commitment to the house, he said.

“That house has really given me so much that I can’t really give back,” Honne said. “When it comes to doing what I can as an alumni and a big brother to these young men, I’ll do it.”

In 1943, all members of the Aggie House enlisted to serve in World War II.

While they were gone, they stored their belongings at the University of Arizona’s farm. Upon their return, members who were interested in restarting the co-op eventually bought the house in 1947 after their original house at 1624 E. 1St. burned down.

Over the past 77 years, Aggie House members have established traditions and a culture that the alumni and men of the house refuse to abandon, said Honne.

There have been several occasions in which the organization was asked to drop their name to join a larger network of farming chapters, he said. However, the men of the house acknowledge that Aggie House is one-of-a-kind and are committed to keeping its name and legacy.

Today there are 24 members with 13 of them living in the newly renovated, 12-bedroom house.

“It’s home for not only the members but home for our friends and home for the sweethearts and girlfriends. That’s the place we all (gravitate) to just because we have a sense of belonging and family there,” Honne said.

Honne’s hope for the future is to reconnect with their roots and reignite the Aggie House’s relationship with the UA, which at one point included advising the group.

MEGAN MCBRIDE | ARIZONA SONORAN NEWS

THE AGGIE HOUSE in 2024. The house has changed many times over the years.

ARIZONA SPORTS

Arizona inducts Bennedict Mathurin, Christian Koloko and Kenny Lofton into Ring of Honor

BY NATHANIEL LEVIN

The Daily Wildcat

The Arizona men’s basketball team celebrated its rich legacy this season by inducting three former Wildcats into the Arizona Ring of Honor. Bennedict Mathurin and Christian Koloko, both drafted into the NBA in 2022, were honored alongside sixtime MLB All-Star Kenny Lofton.

Bennedict Mathurin: Halftime of Arizona vs. UCLA on Saturday, Jan. 20

Mathurin was inducted into the Arizona Ring of Honor during halftime of the Arizona-UCLA game on Saturday, Jan. 20. Mathurin spent two seasons with the Wildcats before being drafted sixth overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2022 NBA Draft.

“Man, it feels great,” Mathurin said. “Just being one of the few guys to be inducted makes this a great award.”

During Mathurin’s sophomore season at Arizona, the Wildcats went 33-4, 18-2 in Pac-12 play and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Unfortunately, the Wildcats fell short of their

ultimate goal of a deep NCAA Tournament run, bowing out in the Sweet 16 at the hands of the University of Houston.

However, Mathurin’s season was one to remember for Wildcat fans. During his sophomore season with Arizona, Mathurin earned several honors, including Pac-12 Player of the Year, Second Team All-American, Wooden Award All-American, Most Outstanding Player of the Pac-12 Tournament and was a finalist for the Wooden Award.

Following his first season in the NBA, Mathurin was named to the NBA All-Rookie team, averaging 16.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

“It’s been pretty good, so many ups and downs,” Mathurin said, reflecting on his NBA career thus far. “But it’s been great playing 82 games and we have a pretty good chance at making the playoffs this year.”

In his second season with the Indiana Pacers, Mathurin already has the full support of all his teammates. The Pacers, scheduled to play the Phoenix Suns the following day, flew into Tucson to show their support for Mathurin.

Tyrese Haliburton, former Wildcat T.J.

McConnell and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle were among those who joined.

“We had to wake up pretty early this morning,” Mathurin said. “Seeing how my teammates care about me, pretty much says a lot.”

Following his induction into the Ring of Honor, Mathurin has continued to shine in the NBA. During this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, he was the highlight of the Rising Stars games, winning the MVP award in front of the hometown crowd.

Christian Koloko: Halftime Arizona vs. ASU on Saturday, Feb. 17

Koloko was inducted into the Arizona Ring of Honor during halftime of the Arizona-ASU game on Saturday, Feb. 17. Koloko played for the Wildcats for three seasons before being drafted 33rd overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 2022 NBA Draft.

“I loved my time at Arizona, I love the fans, I love everyone here,” Koloko said.

During his junior season, Koloko etched his name in Wildcat history, becoming the first Arizona player to be crowned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Koloko

showcased his defensive prowess with 102 blocks, tying the Arizona singleseason record and averaging 2.8 blocks per game, solidifying his reputation as a defensive powerhouse. Koloko was also named the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player, becoming the first player in conference history to win both awards in the same season.

“That was my goal [to be inducted],” Koloko said. “I did everything I could to complete that goal and it happened, so I’m happy.”

During his first season with the Raptors, Koloko averaged 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and one block per game. While Koloko’s defensive prowess caught the Raptors’ eye, his offensive limitations

proved a significant obstacle, restricting his playing time within the rotation towards the end of his rookie season.

“The NBA is the best league in the world,” Koloko said. “It can’t be better than that, and I’m just grateful and thankful [to be in the NBA].”

RING OF HONOR CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | DAILY WILDCAT TEAMMATES CHRISTIAN KOLOKO AND Bennedict Mathurin of the Univerity of Arizona men’s basketball team double cover a Univeristy of Utah player on Saturday, Jan. 15 in Mckale Center. The Wildcats would lead going into halftime 34-31.

ARIZONA SPORTS

RING OF HONOR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

On Oct. 2, 2023, shortly before the start of the 2023-2024 season, the Raptors announced Koloko would be sidelined indefinitely due to ongoing respiratory issues. Koloko remained sidelined throughout the first half of the season before being waived by the team on Jan. 18.

Several teams immediately showed interest in signing Koloko, but news quickly revealed he was dealing with a blood clot issue, which poses a significant threat to his future in the NBA.

“It was tough. You just gotta stay positive,

recover and get healthy,” Koloko said. “I want to get back out there and play basketball.”

The league promptly notified all teams that Koloko had been referred to the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play Panel. Therefore, he cannot participate in any games or practices until he receives medical clearance.

“I’m still in the program, but I’m progressing,” Koloko said.

Kenny Lofton: Halftime Arizona vs. Oregon on Saturday, March 2

Lofton was inducted into the Arizona Ring of Honor during halftime of the Arizona-University of Oregon game on Saturday, March 2. Lofton

played for the Wildcats for four seasons, alongside Arizona greats Steve Kerr and Sean Elliott, before carving out a stellar MLB career.

“This is an honor that was unexpected,” Lofton said. “Coming back to McKale and seeing all the guys’ names up in the rafters, [it’s] just knowing how special this is.”

Lofton appeared in 128 games with Arizona, starting in 54, averaging 4.8 points, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. During Lofton’s junior season, the Wildcats reached the Final Four for the first time in the program’s history. Led by Arizona’s all-time winningest head coach, Lute Olson, and future NBA stars Kerr and Elliott,

the Wildcats posted a 35-3 record, notching seven top-25 wins, including five over top-10 teams.

“Lute was always teaching. That’s what I learned from him,” Lofton said when reflecting on Olson. “Teaching and learning the game and the little things that can become major later on, you have to learn from them.”

Lofton, coming off the bench for Arizona, remembered the Wildcats’ historic Final Four run, including their 18-point statement win over the University of North Carolina in the Elite Eight.

“People saw that North Carolina was the team to beat,” Lofton said. “For us to go out there and

beat them the way we did, people knew we had something special.”

Yet, Lofton isn’t known for his basketball career. In addition to playing basketball at Arizona, Lofton was also a member of the Arizona baseball team.

“I knew baseball was probably my future growing up, but again, where I grew up, I had to play basketball because of the full scholarship. I couldn’t afford a parttime, so basketball became that,” Lofton said.

In addition to playing basketball at Arizona, Lofton joined the Arizona baseball team his junior year. Despite seeing limited action, his exceptional speed and

potential were recognized by scouts, including Clark Crist of the Houston Astros, who drafted him in the 17th round of the 1988 MLB draft.

“Clark Crist was part of the baseball scouting,” Lofton said. “He saw something in me and that was all she wrote.”

Over his 16-year career, Lofton played for 11 different teams, most notably the Cleveland Indians, earning numerous accolades, including six All-Star appearances and four Gold Glove Awards. Lofton finished his career with 2,428 hits, a .299 career batting average and 622 career stolen bases, which ranked 15th all-time at the time of his retirement.

Arizona athletics financial response:

Modernizing athletics at the UA

BY JASON DAYEE

The Daily Wildcat

In response to a substantial financial crisis, the University of Arizona is undertaking a comprehensive initiative to modernize its athletics operations, addressing a $177 million budget shortfall discovered in November 2023 while delicately balancing costcutting measures and revenue enhancement to safeguard academic investments.

Interim chief financial officer John Arnold has emphasized the need for

a holistic overhaul of the athletics department, aligning it with the demands of the modern athletics market. The university’s strategic action plan centers on centralizing administrative functions, identifying operational efficiencies, resetting the budget and implementing hard caps on spending, falling under the umbrella of modernizing athletics operations in line with nationwide efforts to address ongoing financial challenges in collegiate sports.

To fortify this process, the university has engaged a global

professional services firm, currently unnamed, for an in-depth review of the athletics department’s finances and operations, a crucial step in streamlining athletic administration from the ground up to achieve financial stability.

A significant aspect of this restructuring pertains to Arizona’s online platforms and the athletics department, including increased ticket prices for men’s basketball and football in the 2024-2025 season, along with potential concession price adjustments.

Despite these measures, President Dr. Robert C. Robbins has acknowledged the challenge of generating substantial profits in college athletic departments, highlighting the need for a major shift in how athletics funding is perceived, particularly as Arizona’s athletics revenue has remained stagnant for the past five to six years.

In fiscal year 2023, Arizona overspent its athletics budget by $32 million, prompting the realization that expecting athletics to be a self-funded unit in the modern athletics

market is unrealistic. The impending transition into the Big 12 Conference adds the possibility of a potential increase in media rights revenue, which could possibly be offset by additional travel costs when competing against distant rivals.

Addressing concerns from faculty senate meetings, there are no immediate plans to cut any of the university’s 23 varsity sports teams. Former athletic director Dave Heeke assured the community of this before his departure and committed to maintaining all teams.

The current vision for modernizing athletics serves as the foundation, enabling the centralization of administrative functions, budget resetting, implementation of spending caps, installation of revenue enhancements and pursuit of long-term goals.

To retain its status as one of the top institutions in the country, competitive yet respectable in every aspect, Arizona must stay on top of this financial crisis and follow the framework of the established modernization plan.

OLIVE BRANCH

BY: AMARA WILLIAMS

ATOMIC AGE ADVENTURES

BY: SELA MARGALIT