August 30, 2012

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GET INSIDE THE MIND OF RICHROD IN TIME FOR THE SEASON B SECTION

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ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT Printing the news, sounding the alarm, and raising hell since 1899

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

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VOLUME 106 • ISSUE 9

UA revokes recognition of TKE BRITTNY MEJIA Arizona Daily Wildcat

Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity plans to appeal its loss of recognition from the university following an investigation of several alleged violations of the Code of Conduct, which some attribute to the complaints of a disgruntled former member. On Tuesday, the Dean of Students Office ceased recognition of the chapter, following investigations centered on the fraternity’s new member education process, according to Keith Humphrey, dean of students and assistant vice

president of Student Affairs. The fraternity had been under investigation since the start of the fall semester after complaints were filed with Humphrey’s office. The chapter was forced to limit all activities, which prevented them from participating in recruitment, according to a UA statement. When members first learned of the investigation, they said they were disappointed as they were busy planning for a new year and a new pledge class. “We invested a lot of time into getting this new house and fixing it up and painting it,” said Billy Dimitri, a civil engineering senior

and president of TKE. “Now it’s just a morale killer to not be able to participate in rush, and now be kicked off.” Investigations involved alleged actions related to forced consumption of alcohol, forced physical activity, physical exertion, sleep deprivation and other conduct that does not promote a safe environment, according to Humphrey. The investigation involved chapter members, both current and former, and individuals who have reported violations to alumni advisers of the chapter, in order to give as complete a

TKE, A2

BRITTNY MEJIA/ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT

TAU KAPPA EPSILON’s UA chapter has been declared permanently unrecognized by the university following alleged Code of Conduct violations. The fraternity is appealing the decision.

Black students get boost from office YARA ASKAR Arizona Daily Wildcat

Over the past four years, the number of black students enrolled at the UA has increased, yet it continues to lag behind the growth of other ethnic minority groups. Approximately 39 percent of the freshman class identifies as African American, yet black students comprise only about 3 percent of the school’s overall undergraduate population, according to Maria Moore, program director of African American Student Affairs. The Office of African American

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TURKI ALLUGMAN/ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT

WHILE MANY UNIVERSITIES ACROSS the nation are being petitioned to remove their campus Chick-fil-A restaurants following CEO Dan Cathy’s anti-gay remarks, the UA’s location in the Student Union Memorial Center remains busy during lunch. University leaders have reinforced the idea of free expression on campus, and said the UA is a venue for respectful discussion.

Officials stress free expression amid Chick-fil-A controversy BRITTNY MEJIA

Arizona Daily Wildcat

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While universities across the nation continue to see students petitioning to remove Chick-fil-A locations from campuses following restaurant CEO Dan Cathy’s statements against marriage equality, the UA administration has cited First Amendment rights in their argument to keep the location in the Student Union Memorial Center. Cathy made the statement in an article published by the Baptist Press on July 16, resulting in backlash from

gay rights groups and support from conservative politicians including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin. Locally, UA administrators are doing what they can to keep the focus on education and free expression. “As a publicly funded institution and gathering place for intellectual study, the UA fosters the healthy exchange of dialogue and the expression of differing viewpoints,” said Johnny Cruz, the UA’s assistant vice president of communications, in a statement regarding Chick-fil-A’s presence in the student union.

In the statement, Cruz spoke of the importance of a respectful discussion and debate within the university community. Additionally, individuals should have the right to form their own beliefs on the issue and viewpoints expressed, as well as the right to decide which businesses to patronize, Cruz said. At other universities, such as West Virginia University, New York University and the University of Kansas, officials are fielding petitions and demands to remove Chick-fil-A from campus. A petition to remove Chick-fil-A from the NYU

campus has collected nearly 16,000 signatures. “The university administration will ask the University Senate to take up the issue of Chick-fil-A’s status on campus again when it reconvenes this fall to make a recommendation on how to proceed,” said NYU spokesman John Beckman in a statement. Although the student union administration at the UA has received a phone call requesting information on where to deliver a petition and has

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PTS seeks input on Sun Link KYLE MITTAN Arizona Daily Wildcat

HAILEY EISENBACH/ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT

PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, in collaboration with the city of Tucson, held an open house in SUMC on Wednesday to gather public input about the streetcar project.

With roughly a year left until the Sun Link Tucson Modern Streetcar’s completion, UA PTS and project leaders for the city are open to input from the public, especially those within the UA community. Directors from the university’s Parking and Transportation Services and officials from the City of Tucson hosted an open house for the project on Wednesday morning in the Student Union Memorial Center’s Catalina Room. A number of tables

displayed information on routing, detours and future closures expected throughout the coming year. The event was intended to collect feedback from students, faculty and staff, as the streetcar will become a major form of transportation once it’s running at the end of next year, according to Shellie Ginn, the project manager for the streetcar project. “We’ve included the community as part of our development of the plans and design process and it will continue through construction and implementation,” Ginn said. “We want to make sure that folks get a

chance to ask questions, understand what’s happening, get a face-to-face with the people who are running the program.” PTS also stressed the importance of allowing the public to see what they can expect from the project once it’s done, and encouraged anyone to present their ideas and ask questions. “An open house gives people an opportunity to come in and talk face to face and ask questions about things they may have been wondering about,” said PTS Director

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