University of Arizona - Desert Yearbook (Tucson, AZ)

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Spirit Tom was new to Tucson. It was his first year here at the University of Arizona. He was one of many whose life was soon changed by Wild- cat spirit. It all started the day his friend Jeff suggested they buy tickets for the upcoming football game. Neither Tom or Jeff had ever been to a Wildcat football game and neither knew what to expect. When game time finally arrived the friends found that they easily blended in since they were wearing the tradi- tional red sweatshirt. The two friends became instant fans and, following the crowd, they grew wild with each move their football team made. They noticed that spirited students had painted their chests red in support of the team. No one sat down during the game, least of all Tom. For many people, like Tom and Jeff, U of A sports events are ideal outlets for spirit, fun, and togetherness. I enjoy taking my family to UA sporting events because it brings us closer together. University sporting events are activities my whole fam- ily enjoys attending. It ' s just a little way of showing our 12 I Student Life support for the community, said senior Martin McKenzie. Most students enjoy spending time together at sporting events and attend wearing the latest red and blue attire. I think the school spirit for the UA sports pro- grams is incredible. Just go to any UA football or basket- ball game and you ' ll see ev- eryone wearing red clothing to support the UA teams, said sophomore Rudy McCormick. Some students find they feel more spirited during suc- cessful sporting seasons. I have really enjoyed wearing my U A clothes during the suc- cessful football season. Wearing UA colors is just my little way of supporting our team, said sophomore Yvonne Romero. Going to the game was truly an emotionally uplifting experience forTom, a feeling many other Wildcat fans have experienced. He had never felt so close to his friends and the thousands of strangers cheering with him. His life had been altogether changed forever; no longer did he won- der about fitting in because he knew he was and would always be a Wildcat, by Erick S. Martinez i A+ for spirit! It is difficult for anyone to escape Wildcat fever when the giant A streams past them down the field. Photo by Johanna Nakos. Leader of the Pack! Wilbur and Wilma, along with the UA cheerleaders, encour- age the fans to cheer a little louder. Photo by Maria Barrow. Key to Victory! Wildcat fans clink their keys in support during every Wildcat kickoff. Photo by Johanna Nakos.

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in, tfae 4,ccu p i f| As messy as they wanna be! Spirited freshman were armed with buckets of white wash, ready to paint the A and each other. Photo by John Gray. The royal couple! Freshmen Kelsey Spies and Spencer Campbell were selected from over 100 applicants to be crowned A-day Queen and King. Photo by John Gray. Chill out! There is nothing like a nice bucket of water poured on your head to cool you off on a hot Arizona day. Photo by John Gray. Since the A was built atop A Mountain in 1 91 5, spirited freshmen have hiked to the top every year to white wash the A and carry on tradition. This year was no exception. A crowd of over 600 hun- dred freshman met at Old Main Fountain at 8:30 on September 11. Buses trans- ported the participants to the base of the mountain. The group hiked up the moun- tain together and started painting the A. A-day is held annually to promote spirit and involve- ment on campus and to get as many freshmen as pos- sible familiar with one an- other, said Blue Key Presi- dent Ari Levenbaum. For most of them it is their first opportunity to be part of a large event on campus. Every year as part of the festivities, a king and queen are selected. WadeSkalsky, A-day selections chair, said we look for the two people who best represent the freshman class. The first criteria is that they are spir- ited about the U of A. We also took into account their activites, GPA, and overall personality. Over one hun- dred applicants were nar- rowed down and four male and four female finalists were announced and Kelsey Spies and Spencer Campbell were crowned queen and king. I was a bit surprised and very excited to be announced king, said Spencer Campbell. The best part of the day was walking out onto the field during the football game. School spirit is important, said Queen Kelsey Spies. We could all wander from class to class and not be a part of anything but we wouldn ' t get the real college experiance. That is what was great about A-day. Every- one was involved but no one actually white washed the A. We all just white washed each other. Levenbaum agrees, a lot of paint doesn ' t get on the A, more of it gets thrown around. So the A-day festivities are usually followed by a real painting by either Blue Key or another group. It ' s amazing the time and energy it takes to plan an event like this. Then it ' s over in an hour or two, but it was worth it, concluded Levenbaum. by Melissa Prentice Student Life

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Just go to any UA football or basketball game and you ' ll see everyone wearing red clothing to sup- port the UA teams. The Painted Warrior! Spirited clothing doesn ' t say enough for some students. Photo by Johanna Nakos. Student Life 13