University of Arizona - Desert Yearbook (Tucson, AZ)

Page 11 text:

From the editor , Unearthing a tradition Daniel Scarpinato EDITOR IN CHIEF A yearbook works today because the atmosphere on campus is different than just seven years agdl la 199 , the 80-something-year-old UA yearbook, The Desert, was killed. It had been a slow death, with the book running into the red tor years. Of course, The Desert ' s problems were not unique. He scene was indicative of the loss of college yearbooks around the country. The final editor of the book in the ' 90s, Valerie Miller, said a ouple years after the publication was axed, (The yearbook) is an teresting trend that mirrors society. We used to be into family community relationships and social events those things that would tie us together, like a yearbook. Well, that may have been the case at the UA in the late ' 90s, but today, it ' s a whole different ballgame. The rebirth of The Desert is the symbolic dawn of a new era at the UA. The high interest in this book, the first one in seven years, illustrates the increasing level of student spirit and involvement on campus. Students in 2004 felt an emotional attatchment and bond to the university. A yearbook works today because the atmosphere on campus is different than just seven years ago. That ' s good news not only for this century old publication, but for the campus climate in general. The creative and talented all-student staff that gave new life to this important campus tradition faced challenges in finding an audience, gaining support and modernizing and sophisticating the book to fit the needs and wants of 21st-century college readers. Along the way, as we unearthed not just the stories and photos of the year but a legendary piece of campus nostalgia, we realized how grand our responsibility was and how our decisions could make or break this new yearbook tradition. With sales double those of 1997s and the reinvented Desert established again as an interesting campus institution, I believe the 2003-2004 Desert staff has succeeded in molding the yearbook into something that will have a lasting importantance again on campus. There ' s room to improve and areas yet to tap. Still, The Desert is stronger than ever. Cementing the year and capturing its memories was an amazingly difficult job. But the late nights, hard deadlines and hours of tedious work has caccooned into something UA students generations from now will use to assess the personalities of us, the student body of 2004. On behalf of The Desert Yearbook staff, I thank you for your support. Now, enjoy the hundreds of amazing color pages before you.

Page 10 text:

Dedication Bill Bowers 1 903-2003 THE DESERT YEARBOOK STAFF is proud to dedicate this year ' s book to Bill Bowers, a 1927 graduate o f the UA. Bowers, who died in late 2003 at age 100, established himself as a living legend on campus. From working as photography editor on the 1926 Desert Yearbook, to salvaging the bell from the USS Arizona battleship, which now hangs in the Student Union Memorial Center bell tower, Bowers has inspired a new generation of students to take pride in the UA. Bowers came across the bell accidentally while working as an army captain at a Washington Naval Yard in 1944. The bell, which was one of two bells salvaged from the USS Arizona battleship that sank in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, was sitting in a crate ready to be melted for raw material. After calling the governor of Arizona and the president of the UA, the bell was delivered to the university in 1946. Bowers had an open invitation at the UA to ring the bell, and he participated in a memorial to commemorate UA alums killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. He rang the bell for the last time in February 2003, during the grand opening of the Student Union Memorial Center. After spending 20 years in the military as an army captain, Bowers went on to run a photo gallery with his brother-in-law in Colorado Springs, Colo. He also worked as a photographer for Hewlett-Packard. The yearbook staff honors his devotion to the UA with great fondness. Dedication The life of a legend .

Page 12 text:

YEAR IN REVIEW Page 10 CAMPUS Page 22 ACADEMICS Page 120 HERITAGE Page 145 ATHLETICS Page 161 INVOLVEMENT Page 240 GREEK LIFE Page 288 PERSONALITIES Page 336