With the anniversary of Sept. 11 just behind us, I would like to remind students, staff and visitors that the university has many memorials to other significant events that resulted in the loss of American lives. Two of these memorials are fountains.
One is the Berger Memorial Fountain in front of Old Main. This fountain, dedicated on Jan. 31, 1920, to honor those UA students who lost their lives in World War I, was the gift of Alexander Berger, an uncle of Alexander Tindolph Berger, one of those to whose memory it is dedicated.
The other is the Memorial Fountain in the Student Union Memorial Center. The SUMC has a dedication in the Rotunda that reads “”This building is erected with the enduring affection in honor of the students, alumni and faculty of the University of Arizona who answered their country’s call for service and gave their last full measure of devotion.”” In the Rotunda are additional memorial plaques, naming the University of Arizona students, alumni and faculty who were lost during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam War. The fountain, which falls from the second floor to the first floor, is a focal point of that dedication, giving a place for reflection and remembrance.
As such, please be aware that there are more than 1,000 student veterans and nearly 300 faculty veterans on this campus. While something like allowing a dog to swim in the water on the second floor portion of the fountain seems innocuous enough, this can be seen as a disrespectful action by some who know the history behind the fountain.
Next time you walk through the student union, or you stop to enjoy the gentle noise of the fountains, stop and remember that these items serve as a memorial to those that have died in the service of the country so that we can all have the opportunity to attend the college in a safe and free environment.
— Robert Rosinski, vice president, UA Student Veterans of America Club, USAF
— Matt Randle, student director, V.E.T.S. Office, Army
— Glen Lacroix, president, UA Student Veterans of America Club, Army
