TO CLIPS INDEX - Clips for March 1, 2 & 3, 2008

Education: Our wisest investment
Tucson Citizen - March 3, 2008
It is said that to govern is to choose. Now is the time for the governor and the Legislature to choose wisely
- and that choice is clear. Arizonans are aware that a recession is looming and the state is facing record
budget deficits and painful policy decisions. The choices that Gov. Janet Napolitano and legislators make
will determine far more than next year's budget. They will clarify our state's priorities and chart our course
for the next generation of Arizonans.

Our Opinion: Education crisis engulfing Arizona
Tucson Citizen - March 3, 2008
U.S. falling behind world; Arizona falling behind U.S.
Fred DuVal calls it a quiet crisis - one that has been stealthily creeping up on us for years. "This isn't a
Sputnik moment," DuVal says, referring to the Soviet Union satellite that shocked the United States and
galvanized the nation to improve science and math education. We now are in "a very quiet crisis and we
won't know we've lost until it's over," DuVal says.

Let early education trump recreation
Arizona Republic - March 3, 2008 12:00 AM
It's disheartening that ASU West officials are planning to close a child-development center that
serves under-privileged preschoolers, university students and staff and teaching interns. University
officials say it doesn't play a major academic role.

Point-counterpoint on guns in schools legislation
The Arizona Republic - March 2, 2008 12:00 AM
Legislators square off on measure to allow guns on Arizona campuses
Guns in schools. The words alone stoke emotion, conjuring images from a string of recent school
shootings, including the most recent on Valentine's Day that left six students dead - including the
assailant - at Northern Illinois University. State Sen. Karen Johnson's answer has fueled further
debate: Legislation that would allow concealed-weapons permit holders to bring their firearms to
class.

UA team sees no recent sign of Mars water
The Arizona Republic - March 1, 2008 12:00 AM
A powerful space camera operated by the University of Arizona detected no signs that water flowed
on Mars in the past decade, a finding that casts doubt on previous research. Scientists have long
sought to solve the mystery of whether there is water on the Red Planet because it could indicate
the existence of microscopic life. A widely publicized science report in 2006 indicated water once
flowed in gullies on the planet's surface perhaps as recently as 1999.

State education panel revises classroom math standards
East Valley Tribune - March 3, 2008 - 12:25AM
The state Department of Education has created new math standards for Arizona classrooms, and
is now asking for community input. A committee including more than 65 Arizona math teachers was
involved in revising the standard for what - and how - math should be taught. The standards were
last revised in 2003.

Credit crisis may make college loans more costly
East Valley Tribune - March 3, 2008 - 12:07AM
WASHINGTON - Many college students across the nation will begin to see higher costs for loans
this spring, while others will be turned away by banks altogether as the credit crisis roiling the U.S.
economy spreads into yet another sector, student lenders and Wall Street firms say. Students
seeking federally guaranteed loans, which are popular because they offer fixed, below-market rates,
could be required to pay higher fees to borrow money, according to university finance directors and
lenders.

Podcasts becoming a learning tool at colleges
East Valley Tribune - March 2, 2008 - 7:50PM
Arizona State University sophomore Zachary Henderson says his iPod makes him a better student.
The device allows him to download lectures and play them back anywhere, anytime. And that was
helpful recently when he needed to get in some last-minute studying before a big anatomy exam.
"Anatomy has a lot of stuff to cover, so this helps me catch anything I missed," he said. More college
professors are making lectures and study materials available for down-loading and for playback on
iPods and other digital media players.

State seeks to focus on 'green' businesses
East Valley Tribune - March 2, 2008 - 2:48AM
Arizona's economy once rested on the foundation of the five C's - copper, cotton, cattle, citrus and
climate. Then came the sixth C - construction and other industries that bolstered employment such
as semi-conductors and aerospace. More recently, economic developers have been seeking to
diversify Arizona's economy by promoting new economy stalwarts such as bioscience and information
technology. And most recently, another sector has emerged to generate excitement - sustainability.

Lawmakers propose 6 bills to encourage alternate energy
East Valley Tribune - March 2, 2008 - 2:51AM
As Arizona looks to tap more of its most abundant resource, sunshine, state lawmakers want to
help make that happen by creating tax breaks for power plant builders and helping homeowners,
businesses and schools convert to solar power.

Olson makes appearance at final home game to honor seniors
East Valley Tribune - March 2, 2008 - 10:31PM
TUCSON - Questions have swirled about Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson’s future since he went
on a leave of absence for undisclosed personal reasons in November. Bruins avoid upset to Cats
The Hall of Famer provided no answers during a rare public appearance Sunday at McKale Center.

Editorial: Taking aim at AIMS too easy a target
Arizona Daily Sun - March 2, 2008
As Arizona schoolchildren begin the annual rite of educational passage known as AIMS, it is useful to
review just how much the debate over standardized testing has changed -- or hasn't -- over the past
decade. Before AIMS, critics of the public schools complained that many high school graduates still
lacked basic competencies in reading, writing and math. They contended that if teachers were required
to teach to basic standards, then have their students master those basics, at least a high school degree
would not only mean the same thing everywhere in Arizona but also signify that the holder was ready to
enter the workforce or college.

Ariz. budget woes don’t bode well for counties, cities
East Valley Tribune - March 2, 2008
AT THE CAPITOL: With falling tax revenue, state problems roll downhill
Arizona’s tax coffers were getting fat when the state’s economy was booming. But now that things have
turned sour, particularly for the housing industry, the same dynamics that produced the good times two
years ago are fueling a downward spiral in tax collections that has all levels of government living lean.

State budget deficit continues to balloon
East Valley Tribune - March 1, 2008
A lackluster Christmas shopping season, smaller estimated tax payments and a contracting industry that
continues to shrink are pushing Arizona’s budget further and further into the hole. New figures released
Friday show total tax collections in December were just $849.3 million. By contrast, the projections made
last year when lawmakers adopted the $10.6 billion spending plan were nearly $1.1 billion.

NAU going upscale in media campaign
Arizona Daily Sun - March 3, 2008
From the New York Times to the Wall Street Journal, Northern Arizona University is showing its stuff
throughout the state-and in some cases, throughout the country. In an expanded effort to reach potential
students, staff and donors, NAU marketing strategies are now reaching national papers circulated widely
in the Southwest. “With a statewide circulation of 19,700 for the New York Times and 43,275 for the Wall
Street Journal, we’re reaching a lot of readers,” NAU director of Pubic Affairs Lisa Nelson said.

Rodel taps 3 from NAU as Promising Student Teachers
Arizona Daily Sun - March 2, 2008
The Rodel Charitable Foundation of Arizona selected three education students from Northern Arizona
University as Spring 2008 Rodel Promising Student Teachers. Christine Garcia will work at Yavapai
Elementary School in Scottsdale; Andrea Lee will complete her student-teaching at Catalina Ventura
School in the Alhambra Elementary District; and Crystal-Lynn Mcelmurry will work at Eisenhower
Elementary School in the Mesa Unified District. They join 33 Promising Student Teachers from the
University of Arizona and Arizona State University.

NAU grants to boost recruitment, retention
Arizona Daily Sun - March 2, 2008
Northern Arizona University President John Haeger has established an internal grant program with a
pool of $25,000 to target undergraduate student recruitment and retention efforts on the Flagstaff
campus. Proposals may be submitted by individual staff or faculty, by groups of faculty and/or staff,
and by student groups via their faculty or staff adviser. Proposals can be submitted for pilot projects/
activities but not for research on recruitment or retention. They can also be submitted for projects or
activities that will impact large or small groups of students.

Opinion: UA's coaching answer could be good, or good and ugly
Arizona Daily Star - March 3, 2008
UA's coaching answer could be good, or good and ugly
Selection Day is fast approaching at McKale Center, but this year it has nothing to do with seeds, brackets
or office pools. Kevin O'Neill or Lute Olson? "I'm surprised there hasn't been (more) speculation,'' the candid
O'Neill said after Arizona lost to UCLA 68-66 Sunday.

UA scientists crack corn genome
Arizona Daily Star - March 3, 2008
Corn. You should care about corn. It's human food in many forms, from the ubiquitous corn sweetener
in nearly all processed foods and soft drinks, to starch, booze and, occasionally, even corn on the cob.
It's also the main food for most of the animals that humans eat. And, increasingly, it's turned into fuel for
our internal combustion engines, possibly an answer to the country's thirst for oil and its impact on
international relations.

Opinion: Allowing guns onto campuses will breed fear
Arizona Daily Star - March 2, 2008
Our view: Colleges must use other means to prepare students, staff for violence
At a public forum last week on identifying distressed students , a UA professor asked the audience of
about 50 people how many consider their campus workplace unsafe. About a quarter of the crowd of
faculty, advisers, students raised their hands and indicated they don't feel safe at their jobs. And it was
clear that a state bill to allow people to carry weapons on college campuses only made the group scared.
The bill is making its way through the Arizona Legislature. It should never become law.

Mob factor makes discipline difficult
Arizona Daily Star - March 2, 2008
A few extra security guards and police officers will monitor the McKale Center crowd today after fans chanted
a spate of obscene cheers the past month and one fan threw a water bottle at a USC player on Thursday.
"But we're not going overboard," said Suzy Mason, the UA's associate athletic director for event operations.
"We all feel this is one isolated incident. It hadn't happened in 13 years since I've been here."

Spacecraft to track lander as it reaches Mars
Arizona Daily Star - March 1, 2008
Three spacecraft orbiting Mars are preparing for the arrival of the UA's Mars Phoenix lander, positioning
themselves to monitor the new arrival as it approaches the atmosphere on May 25. NASA's Mars Odyssey
and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the European Space Agency's Mars Express are all adjusting their
orbits to track Phoenix as it reaches the Martian surface and relay data.

UA findings dispute Martian 'water' discovery
Arizona Daily Star - March 1, 2008
Steep Martian gullies thought to have carried liquid water in the past decade were more likely the site of
an avalanche of sand and gravel, according to a UA analysis of new images taken from Mars' orbit. The
findings dispute a 2006 study that argued liquid water flowing on Mars created bright streaks visible in
pictures taken in 2006 that were not visible in pictures from 1999. The 2006 study, led by Michael Malin
of Malin Space Science Systems, used images from the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbital Camera.

Opinion: Arizona is No. 1! But is biggest deficit a good thing?
Tucson Citizen - March 3, 2008
When states are compared, those of us in Arizona are used to being ranked near the bottom. That's
especially true in education. We spend less on schools than almost any other state and we also pay
our teachers less than most other states. But finally, that's changed. Arizona is No. 1 in something.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said Arizona is No. 1 when it comes to budget deficit as a
percentage of the overall budget.

Gimino: Will Lute coach again? Stay tuned
Tucson Citizen - March 3, 2008 12:00 AM
TUCSON - Fans arrived amid a McKale Center soap opera, and a great basketball game broke out.
The latest chapter in the as-the-UA-basketball-world-turns saga began with the news, via CBS, that
coach Lute Olson, as reported locally, would indeed show up for postgame Senior Day ceremonies.
And oh, yeah, that a rift has developed between Olson and interim coach Kevin O'Neill. Furthermore,
O'Neill wouldn't come back next season as an assistant coach if Olson returned.

UA to pay $243,000 to buy out former Sixth Street property owner
Tucson Citizen - March 3, 2008
The University of Arizona has agreed to pay William A. Kennedy $243,000 to buy out his life estate at
835-837 E. Sixth St. That is $176,000 more than UA originally offered for the property. The property,
located on the southwest corner of UA campus, has been in the Kennedy family since 1919.

UA: Water not causing changes in Martian gully
Tucson Citizen - March 3, 2008
Sand and rocky material - not flowing water as believed earlier - caused terrain changes in a Martian
gully since 1999, University of Arizona researchers determined. Images taken by the Mars Orbital
Camera depicted bright deposits appearing in the gully between 1999 and 2006 that seemed to be
the result of the flow of water, said Jon D. Pelletier, associate professor of geosciences at UA on
Friday.

Senate bill would stiffen controls on lobbyists
Tucson Citizen - March 1, 2008
PHOENIX - Arizona legislators are talking about their love-hate relationship with lobbyists.  Legislators
and lobbyists interact daily, with lobbyists providing information to time-pressed lawmakers as the
advocates try to influence legislative issues. Some of the same lobbyists and legislators have business,
social and political ties that can extend to fundraising and other campaign help.

2 winning essays will earn ASU scholarships
Tucson Citizen - March 1, 2008
Arizona State University's Morrison Institute for Public Policy is offering a chance for Arizona high school
seniors to make a dent in their college tuition. The top two essays in the Young Steward of Public Policy
scholarship program will get $1,500 and $1,000 toward ASU tuition, according to an institute news release.

Mars Lander program to air in prime time
Tucson Citizen - March 1, 2008
An hour-long program on the University of Arizona-led Phoenix Mars Lander mission has been selected
for national prime time showing. The documentary, "Phoenix Mars Mission: Ashes to Ice," will be broad-
cast at 7 p.m. May 22 on PBS. The show has been broadcast several times by KUAT/Channel 6, the local
PBS affiliate. The program details activities leading up to the $420-million mission's Aug. 4 launch.

For second semester in a row, ASU is a champion in online international business game
ASU Web Devil - March 3, 2008
This April, ASU business students will have a lot of pressure to keep a winning tradition alive. Four
business students won top honors in a worldwide online business simulation game late last semester
— the second semester in a row for ASU students. Recent global management graduates Rebekah
Benedict-Yonder, Mike Drigants, Ryan Mengel and global management senior Jessica Archuleta earned
"Grand Champion" status in the Business Strategy Game in last semester's competition.

Departure of adviser triggers controversy
ASU Web Devil - March 3, 2008
Maxine Proctor placed on administrative leave; colleagues say racism accusation may have played role
An accusation of racism is swirling around the sudden departure of an award-winning ASU adviser.
Maxine Proctor, the director of student academic services and pre-health professions program in the
School of Life Sciences, was placed on administrative leave approximately three weeks ago. Though
Proctor said she doesn't know why she was put on leave, some in her office said a conflict in which a
colleague called Proctor racist could have played a role.

Know your rights: the 4th Amendment on campus
UA Daily Wildcat Online - March 3, 2008
Every year, scores of students are evicted from UA residence halls for alcohol and drug violations. A cursory
look at the Wildcat's popular "Police Beat" reveals that many of those evictions could be avoided if students
merely exercised their rights. Unfortunately, too few students are aware of their Constitutional rights and their
ability to stand up for them - and sometimes, the UA wants to keep it that way.

NAU's research building gets LEED platinum
Business Journal - February 29, 2008
Northern Arizona University is home to one of the three greenest facilities in the world after receiving a "platinum"
rating for its Applied Research and Development building. The ARD building earned 60 points out of a possible
69 from the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design building rating system from the U.S. Green Building
Council. Only two other buildings in the world have earned at least 60 points, according to the Flagstaff university.

Qwest Grant Benefits 2 Arizona Schools
Macro World Investor - March 2, 2008 10:24 PM
Northern Arizona University's (N.A.U.) "GEAR UP" program, using the Qwest Foundation's $12,242 grant, will
help renovate Crane Middle School's Broadcasting Media Studio, Qwest announced. Broadcasting classes
provide an opportunity and learning experience for the students. Writing, planning and producing a daily news-
cast is helping Crane Middle School students better understand the English language -- and will help them as
they move into high school.

Arizona Technology Council Champions Research and Development Income Tax Credit
Business Wire - March 3, 2008 9:00 AM
PHOENIX-----In a move that underscores its unrelenting support of Research and Development (R&D) income
tax credits, the Arizona Technology Council announced that it is championing the passage of Arizona State
Senate Bill SB1434 and Arizona House of Representatives Bill HB2653 today. The matching legislation is
designed to stimulate innovation and foster global competitiveness in Arizona based firms.

Preparation For The Next Lunar Landing Leaps Across The Generation Gap
Space Daily Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge - March 03, 2008
It was July 20, 1969 when the first human walked upon the surface of the moon. The world has changed
drastically since that memorable day, but even back then the Apollo era scientists, engineers and astro-
nauts had the right stuff. They had what it took to get to the moon. And now, nearly 40 years later, we call
on them again to share their wisdom, experience and opinion as we prepare to return to the moon. Arizona
State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) in partnership with University of Arizona is
organizing the conference Go for Lunar Landing: From Touchdown to Terminal Descent to be held on March
4th and 5th, 2008 at the Fiesta Inn Resort in Tempe, Arizona.

Governor’s higher education proposals are off the mark
AzBiz.com - February 29, 2008
In her January State of the State address, Gov. Janet Napolitano called for doubling the number of college
graduates by 2020 and paying the tuition for students who graduate high school with a B average. How fast
can you say grade inflation? What’s important to note, however, is there isn’t any reason to think Arizona
needs such a doubling. In the Carnegie Foundation’s publication Change, Paul Barton wrote the notion that
the United States has a dire need for an ever increasing number of college graduates is a myth.