University of Arizona - Desert Yearbook (Tucson, AZ)

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Fall slipped quietly into winter. As students finished finals; many left Tucson for much colder, wetter cities around the nation. Those who remained behind and who returned for the spring semester enjoyed mild weather and often took advantage of their weekends to travel north to Snow Bowl or Flagstaff to ski. The snow birds who started their migration from the east in November were out in full force at the beginning of the year, stimulating Tucson ' s econ- omy. Temperatures in the desert started rising in late February and by March winter was all but forgotten. As with the transition from summer to fall, winter became spring without much furor. Tucson soon became a sunbather ' s paradise and students fought for pool- side space in an effort to become bronzed before finals set in. Occa- sional rains came to cool things off, raise the humidity and flood the streets. Temperatures soared to the 90 ' s and 100 ' s. Summer was back. Many students examined the alternatives and left Tucson for the summer. They must have found a climate more suitable to their lifestyle. There was no doubt in anyone ' s mind that Arizona sum- mers are as hot as they come. For many students Arizona ' s climate was the University ' s biggest asset. Coming from the unpredictably cold of the east and midwest, they came to Tucson, in part, to enjoy year-round comfort. Some were shocked when the temperatures dropped and when it rained and were flabbergasted when Tucson received one of its rare intown snowfalls. Other sensed no seasonal change. Obviously they were immune to the subtleties that make living in the desert an ever- changing experience. LEFT: The ability to make such a catch comes from a lot of practice and skill. Tucson ' s warm weather encour- aged students to play on the Mall. BELOW: The beauty of the moun- tains came alive as the leaves on Mt. Lemmon changed color in late Octo- ber. OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP: As the weather got cooler, students traded in their shorts for jeans. Cool breezes made things a little chilly, but this stu- dent decided that the warm rays were perfect for a little nap. BOTTOM: Although the seasonal changes in the desert are subtle the displays are strik- ing and enjoyed by many. ASONS 3

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Seasons subtle but not unnoticed Tucson, situated in the northern part of the Sonoran desert, is an area of amazement to those who are new to the desert environment. Many picture the desert as flat and plantless, a mass of Sahara-like dunes. However, the Sonoran desert around Tucson is far from lifeless and has a variety of plants and animals in the lowlands and surrounding mountain regions. Perhaps the most striking difference between south- ern Arizona and most other areas of the country is the way in which the seasons change. Most foreigners to the Tucson area assume that Tucson is a tropical paradise with unyielding temperatures and no rain. In late July, before most students came to school, the infa- mous monsoon season set in. Cloudy skies, relatively high humidity and ram flooded streets were a common occurrence. In August, the rain subsided although temperatures did not. As the mercury dropped in mid-October and the ' leaves started changing on Mt. Lemmon, students rushed to sur- rounding peaks to observe Arizona ' s autumn. Autumn, usu- ally typified by falling leaves, early morning frost and a few inches of snow is an entirely different phenomenon in the desert. Conditions are relatively constant; there is no need to make a big show of changing to another season. As fall came to Tucson this year, daytime temperatures dropped from the high 90 ' s to the 60 ' s and 70 ' s. But, at times it got down-right cold. The changes were subtle, but fall was upon us. 2 SEASONS

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removed and a large hole was dug so that construction could be started on the new classroom-office building. BELOW: Renovations inside the Robert L. Nugent Alumni Building were ongoing to provide space for the Department of Student Housing. Other offices within the building were remodeled and relocated to facilitate the change. OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP: The new College of Law Building which was dedicated in September, offered the College the facilities to expand and improve their programs. BOTTOM: The Old Law Building was the site of the new offices for the Journalism and Oriental Studies Departments. Moving-in took time and many offices were void of decoration for some time. Expansion evident at UA this year by Paul Haeder When the University was founded in 1891. about $40.000 was spent to build the school ' s first building. Old Main. That structure stood alone on a campus that was strewn with cacti, dust and horse drawn wagons. By 1959. when enrollment wa about 12.000 more than 55 buildings worth $45 million had been built to maintain learn- ing standards for the rapidly increasing enrollments. The larg- est expansion the University experienced occured during President Richard A. Harville ' s reign ( 1941-71 ). when more than 50 buildings were erected. This building proliferation began only months after Harville ' s inauguration, when the Student Union, the BPA Building, and the Physical Resources Power Plant were completed to the tune of $2.5 million. TK University ' s largest and most expensive growth year lace in 1967 when five buildings, the University Hospi- I. the Computer Center and the Modern Languages. Psy- - iology and Mathematics Buildings were under construed totaling $34.3 million. The campus has grown since 1959. Thirty-six buildings costing more than $103 million have been built to handle the 26.000-plus full-time students currently enrolled at the Uni- versity. The $6.5 million Law Building, one of the more impressive and progressively designed buildings on campus, offering the Law College facilities that put the school in the running for top national recognition, was completed last spring and de J cated in September. The Old Law Building was subsequen T V , 4 UNIVERSITY EXPANSION