University of Arizona - Desert Yearbook (Tucson, AZ)

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Here is a piercing in progress. Pliers and gloves were necessary for the job. With the new age of piercing, came new tools, no more painless little guns. With the appropriate tools Hugh Merry can pierce nearly anything. Sterilization is a top priority for Merry. He works to maintain the best piercing facility. f holo i ' v Andrew Reimisch An eyebrow is one of the most painful things to pierce because there is very little cartilage there. This didn ' t stop people from getting the procedure done. Campus Life i

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Cnt dicer aJfTURE AT THE ARIZONA MUSEUM OF ART y r stippiptc D the tr Altlonnt nrts o T Hcson ' Mexican-American Community overflowed from the walls of the Museum of Art and, like it has done for centuries, into the lives of all those in Southern Arizona. This exhibit only lasted from Nov. 3 to Jan. 13, but demonstrated the continuous chain of tradition connecting the hispanic past w ith its future. The Unbroken Chain was the result of four years of re- search and planning by Jim Griffith, member of the Library ' s Southwest Folklore Center, Peter Briggs, Curator of Collections at the Museum of Art, and Direc- tor, Peter Bermingham. Their goal w as to feature the aesthetic expression of Arizona ' s Mexican culture w hich they achieved through the display of authentic needlew ork, home alters, hand-made boots, decorative ironwork, murals, pinatas, w ood workings, furniture, and the countless other items which make up life in the American Southwest. The exhibit, organized into three sections: El hogar (the home). El taller (the w orkshop), and La comunidad (the community), successfully represented the craftsmanship of los Tucsonenses, or the Mexican- Americans of Tucson. It demonstrated the importance of culture and community and the exacting standards of the strong artisan tradition of these people. In addition, the display reminded visitors that the word traditional did not only mean static and un- changed but also meant the continuation with the past and of the importance of cultural preservation. P)xoio by Amanda Parks This set of a potholder and pans was made by an ironworker, Joe Hernandez. Photo by Amanda Parks La Cadena que no se corta 1 7

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pf- c r y nCerk yHt i HqLes ADDED ALL OVER OUR BODIES it is in a vice grip may not sound like fun, but this and other body piercings were popular among students all across the country. Of course a decade ago you would have never even witnessed this phenomena because, at that time, piercing started and ended with ears. In the 90 ' s it moved onto a whole new genre that left ears behind. Carla Reese noted, My piercing makes me feel like an individual. It makes me a little bit different than the next guy, and if I don ' t want to look different I can just take it out. It ' s unique but it is not irreversible. From tongues to noses to nipples, nothing was left out by people who got into piercing. Most people chose to go to professsionals where cleanliness and sterilization were the most important factors. One such professional was Hugh Merry. Some of his main concerns in the body piercing industry were that people got good piercings that did not get infected easily or cause more pain than necessary. Since piercings were not permanent, they could be removed if desired. Angela Corsiglia said, I got my nose pierced when I was a freshman. I really liked it then but now, as I get a little bit older, I want people to take me seriously. I don ' t think many piercings are associated with maturity. Some people were cool under pressure and didn ' t have any trouble getting punctured, others were reluctant to subject themselves to this torture. It is really neat, but I just couldn ' t stomach it.. Greg Swann said. Photo by Laura Polhill The bull look of getting a nose ring through one ' s septum was popular. This nice gentleman also chose to pierce his tongue. Dioto by Charles LaBenz Body Piercing 19