University of Arizona - Desert Yearbook (Tucson, AZ)

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Chris Mills will be forced to sit out during the wildcats 89-90 basketball sea- son. Mills transfered from Kentucky when he was suspended from playing at Ken- tucky as a punishment from the school. Kentucky was accused of several rule violations including giving $1,000 dol- lars to Mill ' s father He appealed to the NCAA to have the one year residency requirement for transfer students waived so he could participate in this years season for the U of A. The wait was long but everyone was sure that Mills would be allowed to play. However, his petition was unex- pectedly turned down. The NCAA said his failure to apply for reinstatement of his eligibility while still at Kentucky was the reason for this move. This came as a shock to the team as well as most of the media. As a result of the NCAA ' s ruling Mills will be redshirted so that this year will not count against his eligibility and he will play n The new me- dia room, lo- cated on the fourth floor of the sky- boxes, has been noted as being one of the best collegiate press boxes. Photo by Di- ana Johnson. Rugby is one of the more popular sports clubs on the U of A campus. And when Jodi B. Orliss said she wanted to play she was told no. So she filed suit with the Dean of Stu- dents office on the grounds that she had been discriminated against. Justin Pritcherd, club vice-president, said he wouldn ' t mind if she played but was concerned what effect her playing might have on other players. He was concerned that the other members of the team might not go all out and he said, . . . And when you don ' t go 100 percent is when you get hurt. If players held back it also could cause the team to not play as hard. In rugby that difference in playing level could change the outcome of a match. There was also concern that other teams may refuse to play against a team with a female member Either for fear of hurting her or other con- cerns they may have. The issue was taken before a discrimi- nation board of six members over- seen by the Office of Student Activ- ities. They made their decision and gave a recommendation to Carol Thompson, the associate director of student activites, who had the final decision. The ruling handed down did not suprise either side. Orliss would be allowed to try out for a spot but her participation from that point would soley be determined by her skill and the issue of her gender would not influence that participation in either way. Orliss soon started on a three week conditioning program required by all players after which it would be determined if she would play on one of the four levels of teams the club has. 124 SPORTS Over the summer crews were working non-stop to build the new skyboxes at U of A stadium. As a matter of fact crews were still working until up to two hours before kick-off, at the Stanford game, putting finishing touches on the box. The skyboxes contain suites for viewing the game. However one does not come by these boxes inexpensively. One box costs $24,000 a season, this includes a monitor for viewing the game replays (which can also be used for cable TV. or a VCR if the game gets boring, or that special show comes on). It also includes a refrigerator, cabinets, radio, climate control, and the ability to put crowd noise into the box (so that you don ' t feel too left out from the crowd). Preferential parking and a preg- ame meal are also included. The main reason for the boxes however lies in the fourth floor, which contains the m edia room. The skybox helped take the Arizona press box from one of the worst in the Pac-10 to one of the best in the nation. There are seperate rooms for T.V an- nouncers and radio stations, as well as a room for visiting coaches to see the field and report to the sideline. Stats are run to the reporters and replays and play by play calls of who did what are given them. It is certainly an impressive set up. The boxes were built by Sundt Corp and was considered by them to be the most complex concrete structure ever built by them. The boxes are unique because the boxes are not resting upon the support shafts, which are 19 feet in diameter and hollow to house elevators, but are hanging from them. The boxes are hung from steel cables and the shafts contain post-tension- ing cable which create pull that prevents the columns from leaning over the field. It is a massive engineering accomplishment and was done in an impressive period of time. The skyboxes should do well for the university over the coming years.

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over the crowd as th pUa by the Wildcats onto victory BRICE SAMUEL 1 4 The sports section would like to take this opportunity to thank the depart- ment that helps make the sports news. This department is the Department of Sports Information. Located in McKale Center, Sports Information is the depart- ment responsible for all the public rela- tions for the varsity sports teams. They provide statistics, press releases, rosters, and pictures to the media to help pro- mote players, teams, and the U of A. The staff is headed by Butch Henery, who does an amazing job coordinating this deparment. The exceptional staff also includes Tom Duddleston, Tracy Ballin, David Hirsch, and Dina Ramos. In addition to this full-time staff the department also utilizes the skill of many students. The work these people do goes beyond normal office hours. Members can be seen at games, home and away, practices, and running around campus gathering infromation for their files. They are often unknown by the general public and work in the background, out of the limelight of college sports. But they provide a vital service and do an excellent job at it. They have saved my butt more than once and deserve recognition. Thanks guys for all the help this year. This section would not be possible without them. • Brian Wilson. SPORTS NEWS 125