Arizona State University - Sun Devil Spark / Sahuaro Yearbook (Tempe, AZ)

Page 10 text:

spark Tradition and school sp i .in hand with life at AS proud to be a part of tb enthusiasm, rushed to the box offi season tickets. Saturday nights urged thousand. Of fans to the stadium. Clad in maroon and gold, the crowd brought with them megaphones, beach balls, pompons and dreams of a Pae-10 championship and a New Year ' s trip to the Rose BOWL in Pasadena, Calif. The game against Southern Methodist University drew 71,695 people the second largest tendance in the University ' s history. Junior Lori Tamcron commented on the genuine enthusiasm of Sun Devil fans. Remembering her freshman year, she said, It wasn ' t always like this. There was a time when I had to drat., friends to a game. Half of the students left before halftime. At the first game against Michigan State, a few daring fans painted them- selves in the school colors. It sparked something in Tempe. The spirit sp read like wildfire, making that winning feel- ing one that was shared by players, fans, faculty — everyone who was part of the Sun Devil tradition- Our Color, That No. I feeling is evident in Sun Devil Stadium as the Devils trample Michigan State in the film home game. Sun Devil fans watch the game while Rose Bowl visions tempt the future.

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Still Colorado around the edges, senior history major Amy Hughes plunges into ASU feet first. COLORADO- Brian O ' Mahoney melting the sur • nity to mingle and get some very different ideas about life or ways of doing things. Each individual brought his or her own special ingredi- ents to the melting pot. They shared one common goal - a quality education. They realized that despite their vast differences, they shared many similarities, and they prided themselves for both. he melting pot theory was indi- cative of life at Arizona State. Students, representing over thirty nations, added many different ingredients of tra- ditions, values and beliefs to Sun Devil Country. Every state in the union was represented on campus. Students from Chicago, New England, the South and California spiced up the blend. College was a place to grow socially and cultur- ally as well as intellectually, and ASU was the place to celebrate diversity. There were groups for every type of person to get involved in, which provided an opportu- Bob Castle And Don ' t Ever Yield

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Sparky prepares to do his final 30 push-ups during the Sept 20 shut-out over SMU. Brian O ' Mahoney k he O 0 • 11•1111M Brian 0 Mahoney The Wonderful World Of Disney comes to the Val- ley as everybody ' s t`lvorite. mouse leads the band at the ASU vs. Washington halftime presentation. typical autumn day for Chad Howard consisted of rising late - barely in time for class, attending cheer practice and coaching gymnastics for the Arizona Aerials, a private club on the west side of Phoenix; studying came later. That was the typical Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The other two days of the school week provided a time for chatting with close friends and doing whatever needed to be done, but what made Howard different from ev- ery other ASU student was his weekend activity. On Saturday nights, this quiet physical education major slipped into a red nylon suit and strapped a mask to his head. In a matter of minutes, Howard became more than a face in 71,000. He trans- formed into everybody ' s friend, someone students recognized and related to. He shared in their pride of a winning team and kept them going when the stakes were down. Chad Howard was. Sparky — the ASU mascot. Howard found his first twc years as Sparky to be easier than anticipated because of a new spirit that began at ASU in 1985 and snowballed into what it is today. He feels coach John Coo- per had a lot to do with adding to this spirit. He (Cooper) wasn ' t afraid to be a cheerleader — al- ways out there twirling his towel. With a new coaching staff and a new attitude, the crowd sensed this and was more responsive. Whatever the reason, school spirit abounded and Howard ' s character, Sparky , designed for ASU by Walt Disney in 1947 for $75, kept that spirit alive. Outshine The Others .. 7