Arizona Daily Wildcat

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Out in the open

The “gay agenda” takes on politics and pop culture.

Safe at home

Women’s basketball beats WSU 64-58 to win ninth-straight game in McKale Center. SPORTS, 12

PERSPECTIVES, 4

ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT

monday, january , 

tucson, arizona

dailywildcat.com

Future of health-care reform in flux Republican-led House repeal, lawsuits cause controversy surrounding last year’s legislation By Brenna Goth ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT The struggle over health-care reform reached a new level when House Republicans passed a repeal of the Affordable Health Care Act for America on Wednesday. The move is “basically symbolic in its gesture,” according to White House Press Secretary RobertGibbs.Nevertheless,therepeal,combined with several lawsuits brought against the act, is sparking conversations about the future of the American health-care system.

Under the provisions of the act, all Americans must purchase health care or pay fines. The act also seeks to limit the ability of insurance companies to deny care or coverage based on preexisting medical conditions. Another provision of the act allows young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance until they are 26, instead of the previous cutoff at 19. About 30 percent of adults ages 20 to 29 did not have health insurance in 2008, compared to 17 percent of 30 to 64 year olds, according to a National Center for Health Statistics data brief. Young adults can now stay on their parents’

insurance whether they are married, single, in school or employed. The extended coverage especially helps students who need time to find jobs with benefits after graduation, Gibbs said during a conference call on Tuesday. “Allowing young Americans to stay on their parents’ insurance plans provides a great amount of stability,” he said. Nearly 31,000 young adults in Arizona who are currently on their parents’ insurance plans could lose coverage if the bill was repealed, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

Erik Lundstrom, president of the UA Young Democrats and a political science sophomore, said students would be negatively affected if the act was repealed. “I think it’s really hard to find jobs that give health care benefits right out of college,” he said. “They’re not going to get really good health care insurance.” Tanner Weigel, a sophomore majoring in history and Spanish, said he opposes parts of the bill but generally agrees with allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ insurance. REPEAL, page 5

Fraternity raises aid for victims of tragedy By Lucy Valencia ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT Two members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity had a thousanddollar idea to benefit the victims of the Tucson shooting and the 27,000 people waiting in line to attend the “Together We Thrive” memorial service on Jan. 12. Ray Holmgren, the president of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and a student majoring in psychology and communications, noticed the line of thousands of people as he and a fraternity brother were leaving the Student Recreation Center. “We saw the line going all the way down Sixth Street,” he said. Holmgren realized that someone “could make a lot of money if they sold something to those people.” He returned to his fraternity and put the plan into action. Pi Kappa Alpha made a trip to Costco where they purchased 1,000 water bottles. Ten to 15 of the fraternity members began handing out the water bottles for free at around 1 p.m., asking only for voluntary donations to be forwarded to the Tucson Tragedy Victims’ Fund. The men returned to their fraternity house with $1,382 donations from people waiting in line. “I was proud of the Tucson citizens because they were helping out so generously and showing their support,” Holmgren said. Pi Kappa Alpha’s community service chairman, Steven Ross Spithogiannis, helped to give out the water bottles. “People

Valentina Martinelli/Arizona Daily Wildcat

Lon Huber, chairman of the UA Green Fund Committee and a business administration graduate student, stands next to a solar panel on Tuesday. One of the goals of Green Fund is to install solar panels in the residence halls.

Green Fund sustains student ideas By Bethany Barnes ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT The UA Green Fund Committee is looking for ideas with educational components and strong environmental and financial savings. The student-led committee set up shop last semester after the Arizona Board of Regents approved a $24 tuition allocation for the Green Fund in March. Proposals are being accepted now, and the group has $400,000 to dish out to the projects they choose. “I’m hoping that the students and the professors can really surprise us,” said Lon Huber, Green Fund Committee chair and business administration graduate student.

Huber is excited for students to have a chance to see their proposals in action before they graduate. “The poor clubs in the past … they’ve had to spend years just fundraising. I wish they could see us now,” Huber said. “There’s only a few universities that have the setup that we have. Especially for a large school like U of A, it’s pretty unique.” Chad Travis, pre-business sophomore and Green Fund Committee vice-chair, said projects would begin to receive funding as soon as the committee reads through all the proposals that have been submitted. Both faculty and students can submit ideas to the committee.

“The poor clubs in the past…they’ve had to spend years just fund raising. I wish they could see us now.” — Lon Huber

Green Fund Committee chair

“We’re looking for art students … it could be performing arts. I want the student body to think outside the box on this. Almost every major has some type of tie to environmental

sustainability,” Huber said. Travis thinks one of the important things about proposals is to not be afraid to submit ideas for consideration. Proposals should be professional in tone and the UA Office of Sustainability is available to assist students if they have questions. All materials to submit a proposal are available online, and proposals are due by Feb. 7. The Green Fund Committee has discussed holding public meetings as an option to keep students informed about their projects, according to Travis. GREEN, page 5

FUND, page 5

Red Cross to hold UA blood drive By Mariah Davidson ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT The American Red Cross of Arizona will be holding a blood drive on campus beginning today and running through Wednesday. Debra Deininger, communications manager for the American Red Cross Arizona Blood Services Region said they are “looking for all blood types.” The drive will begin at 10 a.m. each day and end at 3 p.m. Those looking to donate can meet at the UA Main Library, where they will be sent by bus

INSIDE Opinions: Odds & Ends: Classifieds: Puzzles: Comics: Sports:

to where the actual donation process occurs. The Red Cross said that the process takes about an hour and includes a donor screening, a mini-physical examination, the drawing a pint of blood, and post-donation refreshments. All donors will receive an American Red Cross longsleeve T-shirt for giving blood. The Red Cross recommends that donors eat a small low-fat meal or snack and drink ample amounts of non-caffeinated fluids two to four hours before donating.

Donors must also weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good health and be over the age of 16 . Parental consent is needed for donors under the age of 18 . Blood can be donated every 56 days .

Donors can call 230-7295 to schedule an appointment to donate blood or schedule online at redcrossblood.org with a sponsor code: UA MAIN.

ONLINE/PHOTO

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Want to see your photos in print? Send photos of odd, funny or interesting stuff on campus to photo@wildcat. arizona.edu

Mike Christy/Arizona Daily Wildcat

Donor Service Technician Melissa Mutz, left, applies iodine to Andrew Devore’s arm before he donates blood in the Student Union Memorial Center in September 2009.

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