The library is poppin’, professors look miserable and those lucky enough not to have a final post-Cinco de Mayo have an exciting 48 hours ahead. It must be the last day of the semester. Spring 2011 came, saw and conquered.
As UA students try to find themselves, pass exams and keep time in the back of Tucson Police Department cars to a minimum during the past five months of spring semester, each month introduced a new obsession.
Lights, camera, tragedy
The spring semester started off with the Jan. 8 shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others, and Tucson was thrust into the national spotlight. Regardless of being a liberal or a conservative, it was almost as if all conflict came to a halt when President Barack Obama’s voice filled McKale Center. For just one day, on Jan. 12, the people of Tucson were united by a tragedy. It was something everyone was proud to be a Wildcat for, whether or not you believe Obama was born in the U.S.
Dark and dirty
With the Feb. 3 release of the Rihanna’s “”S&M”” music video, the month of Valentine’s took a twisted turn. Flowers and chocolates turned into whips and ‘cuffs this year. Boyfriends and girlfriends across campus and America were deeply inspired by Rihanna’s dark and dirty anthem. Happy, fairy tale, boring relationships: Rest in peace. Experimentation with the dark side is the cure for a dull romance. February 2011 gave UA students the courage to get down and dirty with their romantic partner. New dance moves were demonstrated on dance floors across Tucson such as the Cat Daddy, the Bernie and the Creep as proof of this claim.
Bear down
March madness, everyone who waited in the line that reached the UA Mall for the Elite 8 T-shirts: It is all your fault. The silence that lingered after the 65-63 loss was almost as painful as the looks on our favorite boys’ faces when the buzzer went off. Despite the intense grieving that followed, the 2011 NCAA basketball tournament was a memorable time. The morning of the Sweet 16 game felt like everyone was high on Wildcat pride. If someone on campus wasn’t wearing game day attire, they clearly had no UA affiliation. After the tournament, seeing basketball players around campus was similar to spotting a celebrity in Hollywood — people started tensing up, getting short of breath, losing the ability to speak. Wildcat ‘ballers were a huge obsession this semester and UA’s No. 1 heartthrob is leaving the courts of McKale for the NBA draft. D-Will, goodbye and farewell. I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave.
April’s final day
The majority of the attendees probably have a hard time remembering its chaos: Star Pass Pool Party. With more than 10,000 confirmed guests on Facebook, and 3,000 wristbands sold, I’d say Star Pass is an obsession. The residents of Campus Crossings at Star Pass have two options: 1.) Flee the property or 2.) Stock the fridges and have a playlist ready because UA is taking over.
Some compare the morning of Star Pass to Christmas. People go to sleep with visions of bikinis and booze dancing in their heads and wake up more excited than any other day of the year. When the pool party shuts down around 2 p.m., the party doesn’t stop. Star Passers are seen all over Tucson in their bikinis and board shorts. Regardless of rumors that The Standard out-partied Star Pass this year, Star Pass was the ultimate April 2011 obsession.
Summer … school
With only a few days of May under the belt of spring semester, all I hear about is school. There is the occasional Mexico/California trip underway but May’s obsession is summer school. After a long, grueling year of exams, papers and labs, why not get ahead with credits? UA’s obsession with summer sessions is solid evidence that Wildcats play hard and work hard.
Have a great summer and, if you find yourself having difficulty tolerating your friends from home who attend Arizona State University, remember that fall 2011 begins in a short 109 days.
— Caroline Nachazel is a sophomore studying journalism and communication. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
