Peter Likins said farewell to the UA community in July after serving nine years as president, making way for President Robert Shelton.

Shelton, former executive vice chancellor and provost for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was surprised on his first day when Wilma Wildcat, UA cheerleaders and the Alumni Pep Band showed up at his home to shuttle him to campus on the CatTran.

Later, Shelton was greeted by hundreds of students, faculty and alumni who were waiting outside the Administration building.

The event was organized by UA marketing director Kate Jensen, who wanted to give Shelton a “”special welcome.””

Shelton said some key issues he wants to address as president include serving the needs of the state as part of the UA’s land-grant mission, the UA’s new College of Medicine in Phoenix opening next summer, improving access to classes for students and other enrollment-management issues.

A new state law will require each public classroom in Arizona to display a U.S. flag, and copies of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution in order to promote patriotism among students.

The bill, HB 2583, written by state representative Russell Pearce, also mandates the flags be at least 2 feet by 3 feet and made in the U.S.

If schools are unable to obtain donations to pay for the flags and mounting hardware by July 1, 2007, they must pay for the flags themselves.

The UA has 400 classrooms that will need flags, and the flags and mounting costs will be about $20 per classroom, said Facilities Management officials.

Pima County attorneys decided to dismiss felony theft charges against former UA Interfraternity Council president Robert Medler as they continue to investigate the viability of their case.

Medler was arrested in July on one count of theft by misrepresentation, relating to more than $18,000 in unauthorized charges to Interfraternity Council credit cards between March and June.

Investigators latched onto the illegal purchases after Interfraternity Council officials noticed irregularities on the organization’s bank statement, prompting them to search Medler’s residence.

The purchases turned up by police – which Medler said began to “”snowball”” once they began – ranged from a $1,500 notebook computer to camping gear, according to court records.

The theft charge is a Class-3 felony in Arizona, which can yield up to nine years in prison.

A UA student returned safely to Tucson this summer after he was evacuated by ship July 21 from Lebanon to the neighboring island of Cyprus, among scores of other Americans.

Basil Schaheen was forced to cut short his summer spent working at a Beirut hospital as rockets and bombs began trading airspace throughout Lebanon and northern Israel.

As war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah military forces, UA students with Lebanese and Israeli roots were confronted with unease over distant relatives living near combat zones.

Lara Schaheen, Basil’s sister and a molecular and cellular biology senior, was afforded some assurance of her brother’s safety as he rode out the initial wave of air strikes, thanks to his American cell phone.

“”For us, it was easier than for some families, because we had a means of communication,”” Lara Schaheen said. “”There are many still with no idea, only optimism.””

Psychology sophomore Danielle Steinberg, captain of the UA women’s tennis team, returned to her hometown of Tel Aviv, Israel, for the remainder of the summer, close to family members who headed south to escape the fighting.

“”The bombing on the north side of Israel is nonstop,”” Steinberg said. “”We are hosting family members ourselves.””

Steinberg, who served in the Israeli army for two years while continuing to train in her sport, said a key feature of her country’s personality is that daily life must continue – war or no war.

“”That is a part of being Israeli,”” Steinberg said. “”Since we have so much bad experience with terror and fighting, it’s sad to say, but we are kind of used to it.””

-Compiled from staff reports