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UA declines to sign federal higher education compact as written
MOHINUR MANNONOVA
The Daily Wildcat
President Suresh Garimella announced Monday afternoon that the University of Arizona will not sign the Trump administration’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education as it’s written, citing the university’s commitment to academic freedom, institutional independence and merit-based research.
In a campuswide email sent at 1:48 p.m., Garimella said the university, after consulting with the Arizona Board of Regents, shared governance groups, faculty, students and staff, “has not agreed to the terms outlined in the draft proposal.” However, the administration has not officially denied participation in some version of the compact.
Instead, the UA submitted a Statement of Principles to the U.S. Department of Education that emphasized academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
“The University of Arizona steadfastly believes in a merit-based pursuit of excellence in fulfilling its mission of education, research and engagement, with a vibrant marketplace of ideas and perspectives and equal treatment of all,” Garimella wrote in the letter addressed to Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
The decision follows weeks of campus discussion and public debate.
The compact has sparked significant concern within the UA community, engaging students, alumni and staff across multiple forums. Earlier this month, the Faculty Senate voted to oppose the compact, and on Friday, Oct. 17, hundreds of students, faculty and alumni gathered at Old Main to call on the university to reject the proposal.
Introduced Oct. 1, the compact would have linked federal funding to universities’ compliance with new
policy directives, including restrictions on diversity hiring, caps on international student enrollment and tuition freezes.
Critics across higher education argued the measure threatened to politicize research priorities and erode university independence.
UA was among nine universities invited to provide feedback. Others included Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Southern California — all of which have declined to sign.
The university’s Statement of Principles outlines its stance on issues ranging from student learning and equal treatment to freedom of expression and fiscal responsibility. It pledges that UA “shall continue to hold success for every student as its North Star [...] [and] maintains its commitment to academic freedom, which undergirds the right of faculty to teach free from unreasonable or arbitrary restrictions.”
The Arizona Board of Regents, UA’s governing body, reviewed and endorsed the university’s position before submission.
The UA will continue engaging with federal and state leaders, as well as peer institutions, to advance reforms that “benefit students, protect academic freedom and strengthen the country’s higher education system,” Garimella said.
“This response is our contribution toward a national conversation about the future relationship between universities and the federal government,” Garimella said in his campuswide email.
AIDAN GRAVELLE | THE DAILY WILDCAT
PROTESTERS MARCH ON THE University of Arizona Mall towards the Administration building on Oct. 17.
We need dignity in death in politics
AIDEN WILLIAMS & ZAINA JASSER
The Daily Wildcat
Violence is omnipresent. It feels like every day I awaken to see a new horror, some new offense against humanity itself. Go online and you will find people in front of green screens going off on righteous polemics and sharing kitschy infographics, outraged by the tragedy, only to drop it within a week. We have unconsciously developed a ritualized outrage cycle about as helpful as stabbing a voodoo doll. Apathy seems to win over indignation at every turn.
It feels inherently silly to need to say things like, “we shouldn’t be needlessly killing people.” Revulsion to murder is the level of obvious moralizing I was taught as a 6-year-old in Sunday school. But for a nation with the awesome power to prevent mass death, the United States sure seems to be nihilistically apathetic to human life.
- Aiden Williams
In our pursuit of politics, our goal is life and dignity. And it seems we’ve grossly lost our way. American politics and government are born out of our respect for protecting rights and dignity. But when we name-call, attack and flip every tragedy into political gain, we lose our way.
And we’re just tired. College students are emotionally exhausted by the never-ending news feeds of death and fear, with images depicting injury and captions telling me I’m complacent in its death and fear. We unite in protecting our right to life, and yet, I feel marginally sidelined for my irrational anger and annoyances at the constant media plague of death and destruction.
From the exhaustion of constant guilt for the seemingly weekly mass shootings to the baseless killing of Charlie Kirk, the defenses and ammunition I thought I had against moral and political talk have proved limp against my emotional exhaustion, fueling an endless cycle of guilt. Kirk’s
death was the blazing tip of a monstrous iceberg. The grossness of the finger-pointing and shaming in the comments of the unnecessary, amoral video left me ill.
America is not at war, yet we’re under attack. Sooner or later, the growing, suppressed anger of political engagement would bubble over into civil chaos. We must start now before more words become larger bullseyes.
Let this death be a reason for us to put down our pitchforks and torches and realize there is a life behind the eyes you seethe.
- Zaina Jasser
The most obvious example on the global stage right now is the U.S.’s ongoing support and funding of the Israeli
government’s bombardment of Gaza.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that there have been over 64,000 fatalities in Gaza and that millions are without water or shelter as they face a famine. More bluntly, a UN commission found that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, a conclusion also reached by the International Association of Genocide Scholars.
Which makes it all the more baffling that for 2 years now, I have heard a smorgasbord of apologetics, both moral and political, to excuse the actions of the Israel Defense Force. It is insane. There is no possible justification for the massacre of 18,500 children in Gaza. A number of casualties so staggering that it took Cath-
olic Cardinal Matteo Zuppi 7 hours to read 12,000 of those names aloud. How anyone with a functioning conscience can try to deny, let alone support what is happening in Gaza is beyond me.
The only explanation I can muster is that we must live in the nightmarish bizarro world, as somehow the Israeli government has received bi-partisan support from Democrats and Republicans. We’re currently in our second presidential administration that has supported Israel’s bombardment.
CONTINUED
BEN TISDALE | THE DAILY WILDCAT
ZAINA JASSER AND AIDEN WILLIAMS write about the need for dignity in death and politics.
OPINION
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
We’ve been trained our whole lives to look at mass death in a political sense and suppress our natural gag reflexes. Acknowledging that Palestinians are human beings endowed with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is treated as some sort of contentious political hot-take. But I want to hold out hope that we aren’t so apathetic and blinded by our binary political system that we have lost our natural capacity for empathy.
- Aiden Williams
In the era of excess connection, sometimes disconnection is best. I choose to disconnect from the angering news feeds; I disengage from “did you see what happened?” conversations that want me to think and feel some way. For the sake of my own emotional health — for the sake of my clarity, protection and individuality, I extend my opinion only after long thought and knowing my audience.
Social media inherently fuels a short, sound-bite-esque narrative: you’ve got a few characters and as much emotional charge as possible to get traction. Politics is impeded by character limits. We throw gasoline into a fire of rage as we turn deservingly complex, multifaceted arguments about the world’s affairs into character limits of emotional baiting. Not only is this an injustice to the complexity of politics, but it fuels rage, anxiety, fear and even depression among college students who look upon the cynical valley of a burning adulthood that they enter anew.
Learned helplessness: when the emotional exhaustion of trying becomes pointless as one realizes there is no point in trying. I do not want to let this define me.
- Zaina Jasser
Even domestically, Americans are willing to overlook the mass death of our fellow countrymen.
What type of first-world country has an endemic gun violence problem? I can remember exactly where I was when Sandy Hook happened. I was in math class when my teacher, for reasons I still cannot discern, broke the news to the room of 10-year-olds. In my naive protoplasmic soup brain, I believed the government would do everything in its power to prevent such a tragedy
from happening again. But nope, not even remotely close. There is no sanctuary from firearms, as now our schools and houses of worship are target ranges for deluded monsters.
Gun violence is an issue that affects every American of every sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, ability, age group and income bracket. It does not matter if you’re Catholic or a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you’re an atheist, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim or Wiccan, bullets do not discriminate. And what have we done in recent memory to stop or even minimize gun violence? Nothing.
As we are all well aware, right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk was shot and killed in Utah with a video of his final moments being widely circulated. A common refrain I heard both in person and read online was something along the lines of “I thought I was pretty desensitized to violence, but then I saw the video.” It was the most straightforward admission I have ever heard that we as a society are perfectly willing to overlook violence so long as we are not personally affected. But the horror of the video was undeniable; no sensible
person could deny Kirk’s humanity. Hearing and reading about violence is abstract. That’s why it’s so easy for people to justify and overlook. When actually confronted by the reality of what violence looks like, it reminds us that actual, unsimulated violence is worse than you could possibly imagine.
- Aiden Williams
I may sit in the guilt of inaction; where others see cowardice, I see strategic protection. I am not giving up on my country; I do not give up on my voice and my democracy. For now, I simply choose myself and my life in a state of online rage-baiting and a disgusting lack of dignity for a gorgeous life.
When war and death happen incessantly and grossly indignified elsewhere, my heart aches beyond the debilitating feeling of helplessness. And still, at the end of the day, when I’ve said my peace and given my arguments, I disengage from the shame, guilt, fear, embarrassment and exhaustion. I give my so-called bloodied hands to those elsewhere. So, please, let us stay informed and impassioned but never fearfully exhausted. I cannot defend you if I am
exhausted.
- Zaina Jasser
Seemingly, Kirk’s assassination has reminded a lot of Americans that human life has inherent value. 63,000 people turned up for Kirk’s memorial service, with an outpouring of grief that seemed to try to elevate him to sainthood.
Human life is not a game. Civilians are not pawns you can afford to lose to get a clearer shot at the king piece. Every death I have mentioned so far has been entirely preventable. But so long as our leadership favors realpolitik over humanity, needless death will continue.
- Aiden Williams
I enact a form of political dignity: I think on my values, enact where I can make change and when nothing fits, I allow myself to disengage. I end up with a cycle of respecting others’ dignity and then placing my own in place when stakes reasonably exceed my wellbeing. I encourage you to consider doing the same. The worth of human life deserves more.
- Zaina Jasser
CHARLIE RAMIREZ | DAILY WILDCAT
ARTS AND LIFE
Midnight Wildcat: Cold War, Kennedy and cocktails
Retro bar blends 1960s nostalgia with Tucson nightlife
SIERRA BLASER
The Shelter Cocktail Lounge is Tucson’s all-American bar.
It doesn’t feature country music or a cowboy theme like the Maverick or Whiskey Roads. It doesn’t play loud, modern hip-hop or pop hits like The Hut or Playground. Instead, it offers Cuban-missile crisis era decor, ’80s classics and John F. Kennedy memorabilia. Everywhere.
The windowless building, patterned wallpaper and red leather bar stools create an atmosphere that might remind a newcomer of their grandparent’s basement. The crowd of drinkers spans generations, ranging from college students to retirees.
“It’s really quite amazing,” Pam Santangelo, the owner of The Shelter said, “I mean, everybody kind of feels at home here.”
Santangelo and her ex-husband and business partner, Kevin Breutzmann, bought the place in the 1990s, making them the bar’s fourth owners. Its origins, however, stretch back further, to an era defined by Cold War anxiety and architectural innovation.
The Shelter was built in 1961 by Anne Rysdale, who was the only registered female architect in Arizona at the time. The rounded roofline and mid-century styling were unique choices for a small cocktail lounge in Tucson but Rysdale’s design gave it a distinct identity.
“I met her years ago,” Santangelo said. “Her daughter brought her by, but she didn’t remember designing it. She was about 91-years-old at the time. But the people we bought the bar from were the people who did all the JFK stuff.”
The JFK stuff became The Shelter’s signature. Regulars begged Santangelo and Breutzmann to keep the Kennedy collection when they took over. Today, the portraits and campaign posters of the former president serve as the lounge’s calling card.
“That John Kennedy is amazing,” bartender Eric Brenner said, pointing at the smiling Kennedy with lightup teeth.
A regular for about 25 years, Brenner got to know the owners over time and eventually slid behind the bar himself. He expressed that the memorabilia is fun, but
it’s The Shelter’s mix of people that makes the place special.
“You can just find so many types of people here,” Brenner said. “So whether you’re a frat boy, a biker, old people or young people, it doesn’t matter. Anyone is welcome here.”
That open atmosphere is what drew Dakota Salyer in. According to Slayer, a doctoral student at the University of Arizona, the downtown bar scene felt overwhelming when she first moved to Tucson from Kentucky. It was too crowded, too loud and too hard to socialize.
“It was just exhausting, but when I started coming to The Shelter, Danny’s [and] the Bay Horse, it was so much more relaxed and I formed so many more meaningful relationships,” Salyer said. “There’s a lot of personality
here. Pam Santangelo puts so much of her heart into the place, she comes to every event and decorates to make it perfect. She really cares.”
According to Slayer, she formed relationships with some of the other regulars and bartenders, even staying after hours to play Dungeons & Dragons or shoot pool towards the end of the night.
“Everyone you meet here is very down to earth, very kind and it gives a lot of people moving here from thousands of miles away a place to form a community,” Salyer said.
While The Shelter isn’t the fanciest or most expensive lounge in town — most drinks run from $4 to $10 — it provides a cozy, upscale atmosphere for a date night or a girls’ night out. The bar’s most popular drink, the dirty
martini, offers a clean sting from the gin or vodka, balanced with umami flavors of olive brine to create a savory, sharp cocktail experience for a total of $8.
Some of the other most popular choices include The Shelter Coffee, the bar’s take on an espresso martini and Pam’s Pickletini, made with Santangelo’s homemade pickle juice. Both are priced at $9.50.
“We can do the basic stuff and we can also do really, really nice cocktails, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Brenner said. “We can do it all.”
The Shelter Cocktail Lounge, located at 4155 E. Grant Road, is open daily from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Grant Road is currently under construction, however, the bar remains open.
AIDAN GRAVELLE | DAILY WILDCAT THE SHELTER’S NEON SIGN lights up at Grant Road and Columbus Boulevard on Oct. 2.
The Daily Wildcat
STUDENT LIFE
The University of Arizona faces backlash over Flock Safety license plate readers
Activists argue that AI-enhanced license plate readers prioritize police surveillance over transparency, deepening distrust between students and administrators.
BY EMMA MCDONOUGH
The Daily Wildcat
The University of Arizona’s decision to install AI-enhanced automated license plate readers without broad student input fuels growing concerns over transparency and trust between students and their administration.
On Aug. 11, Desert Rising Tucson, a non-partisan activist group, began an informational campaign informing the Tucson community of UA’s contract with Flock Safety, a surveillance technology company. According to Desert Rising, the UA installed approximately 54 of Flock Safety’s ALPRs — camerabased systems that capture data — on and near campus.
Flock Safety had multiple controversies with organizations and firms like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Institute of Justice over breaching citizen privacy and other civil liberty abuses.
On Sept. 3, Desert Rising sent the UA administration a cease and desist letter arguing that the university’s continued usage of ALPRs is in violation of the Clery Act, which requires publicly-funded institutions to disclose security measures and other campus monitoring services.
“Such undisclosed surveillance constitutes a failure to include accurate and transparent policy statements regarding campus facility and monitoring,” the cease and desist letter from Desert Rising read.
Desert Rising began a separate campaign, Deflock Tucson, to encourage the university to remove the ALPRs from campus.
As the campaign grew more widespread across campus, student leaders became increasingly frustrated with the university’s lack of transparency in this process.
“I, as a student leader, didn’t even know this was happening,” Eddie Barrón, atlarge senator of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, said.
Barrón argued that this is a direct reflection of the UA administration’s inability to keep students updated about measures that could impact their day-today lives. “I think the university administration has a real problem with informing students about what’s happening on campus and what policy and security measures they are implementing,” Barrón said.
Arian Chavez, a student who works with Desert Rising, explained that ALPRs were first introduced during the height of
the COVID-19 pandemic as a mode for vaccination enforcement. The University of Arizona Police Department is the owner of the data that the ALPRs collect — meaning they have control over how they use the data and who they share it with.
Chavez recognized that UAPD viewed ALPRs as a way to create a safer campus environment and argued that they aren’t transparent enough on how they collect, share and use data. “UAPD is running themselves in circles over the ‘campus safety’ argument,” Chavez said. Likewise, Barrón argued that rather than increasing campus safety, this decision will undermine student trust in the UA administration. “I see this as a measure to increase UA’s police state
surveillance, not as one to enhance safety,” Barrón said. “If this university was really focused on prioritizing the safety of its students then they would make sure that students are aware of any security measures that involve this amount of surveillance and data on students’ privacy.”
One of the controversial discussions about the Flock Safety ALPRs is the potential for data to be shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Chavez explained that UAPD chooses who to give information to. Police departments have Flock Safety transparency portals where they have to disclose where data is sent. Addiontionally, Chavez described these portals as notoriously incomplete or misleading, with law enforcement being able to cherry pick information. Chavez used Boulder, Colorado, as an example. According to Chavez, Boulder police disclosed sharing ALPR information with 90 agencies, but public records later revealed the number was over 6,000 — including information accessed by U.S. Border Control and other ICE-related agencies.
Barrón echoed these concerns for the UA campus, explaining that the university serves such a diverse population of students, some of which may have sensitive immigration statuses.
UAPD Chief of Police Chris Olson ensured that ALPRs were transparent and used solely for campus safety concerns. “Operated under established protocols that comply with privacy laws and regulations, records are deleted after 30 days. Third-party access to the data is prohibited without prior approval from UAPD or a court order,” Olson said in a written statement.
COURTESY OF DESERT RISING TUCSON
A SHADOW OF A sign on the University of Arizona Mall reads “mass surveillance does not equal safety” at the mutual aid rally on Sept. 10. The UA’s contract with Flock Safety led to the installation of AI-enhanced automated license plate readers on and around campus.
STUDENT LIFE
Sarah Young, is a lecturer at the UA who specializes in surveillance, technology and digitalization that has a more balanced perspective on these concerns.
“I think having an upfront discussion would mitigate some of the fears that people have about surveillance,” Young said.
Young mentioned that other countries’ legislations require more rights for data subjects under surveillance — subjects are assured of what will happen with their data. Since citizens don’t necessarily have those rights in the United States, Young explained that it’s largely up to companies to outline their own ethical guidelines. From Young’s background, most established institutions or police departments are driven by guidelines, policies, core values and mission statements.
“I would assume that [UAPD] established ethical guidelines that set up some checks and balances on surveillance,” Young said. “It’s up to them to be transparent on how they are following those guidelines.” Young expanded that it’s then up to the public to possibly push for different guidelines.
According to Young, surveillance generally happens from afar. As a pattern, ALPRs cast a net on everyone in case something goes wrong. This type of surveillance comes out of the theory to grab all of the data possible in case there is a point for it later.
Another concern of the ALPRs is that this level of surveillance could discourage students from gathering for activism and using their First Amendment rights to free speech. Barrón argued that the university knows that by increasing surveillance, students will be more fearful of speaking their minds. “I think this is a direct assault on student advocacy,” Barrón said.
Young mentioned that a large sector of surveillance research focuses on how the chilling effects of sur-
veillance could create fear or lessen an individual’s adventure or creativity to speak their minds.
“Surveillance procedures are often meant to curtail what could happen or discipline those for wrongs,” Young said. “I think the license plate readers have the potential to create fear or uncertainty in the student population that could cause them to behave in a way that won’t increase their visibility.”
Young also mentioned that there is a benefit to the chilling effect in that it could prevent those with genuinely
bad thoughts from acting out in a violent manner.
Maria Cooperstein, another student activist who works with Desert Rising, mentioned frustrations over the university entering this contract with Flock Safety in the midst of its financial crisis.
Cooperstein discussed the fact that the UA cut student resources such as independent cultural resource centers, laying off several faculty members. Cooperstein argued that funding going into the Flock Safety contract should be turned to things that directly
benefit students, such as mental health resources, food accessibility or cheaper housing. “It shows that the administration doesn’t have their priorities set on the students,” Cooperstein said.
The exact amount that the UA spent on ALPRs is unknown. Desert Rising and Deflock Tucson asked for more information, but Chavez stated they were only sent data from the Tempe Police Department for reference. For Tempe, the number is in the thousands. According to Chavez and Cooperstein, the UA had to spend money on the initial installation, as well as a continued fee for a subscription to Flock Safety’s data collection.
Barrón recognized a listening session between ASUA leaders and Provost Patricia Prelock. “I look forward to bringing up this concern and to shine light that students are frustrated in their university for once again not being transparent,” Barrón said.
Chavez argued that the main concern behind this issue is that students were not consulted throughout the process. “Student voices, as a whole, aren’t heard and they feel more powerless than ever,” Chavez said.
“The police operate under their defined limits and they probably have the best of intentions from a campus safety standpoint,” Young said.
Young did specify that there’s always unintended consequences from surveillance measures. “As data subjects, when our data is taken or used, we benefit from transparency to ensure it’s not being distorted,” Young said. For many students, the fight against ALPRs has become less about the cameras themselves and more about demanding a university that values transparency and trust.
MAP COURTESY OF DESERT RISING TUCSON
When censorship wins, democracy fails
COURTESY OF SUBSTACK A SCREENSHOT FROM FORMER
Washington Post reporter Karen Attiah commenting about the hypocrisy in reactions in America when it comes to gun violence following the shooting of Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, 2025, on Substack.
A screenshot from former Washington Post reporter Karen Attiah commenting about the hypocrisy in reactions in America when it comes to gun violence following the shooting of Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, 2025, on Substack. (Substack).
The only time she directly referenced Kirk’s name was when she posted a quote that was directly from him: “Black women do not have the brain processing power to be taken seriously. You have to go steal a white person’s slot.”
Authoritarianism doesn’t start with guns or guards. It starts with the quieting of voices. When speech is censored for one, liberty is lost for all.
Every regime that has feared dissent has begun by punishing those who expressed their opinions too loudly, sharply or prematurely. The United States has not reached that point yet and we hope it never will. However, recent months have demonstrated just how easy it can be to move in that direction.
On Sep. 17, news spread like wildfire that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would be cancelled due to
comments he made about Charlie Kirk following his death. For five days, social media overflowed with calls to reinstate him. Many cancelled their Disney+ subscriptions due to Disney’s partnership with ABC and there were concerns about which late-night host might be next.
While Kimmel was reinstated and continues to put on his shows with an even larger audience than before, the damage was done. The Federal Communications Commission showed its true colors, with Brendan Carr’s quote, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Carr has even received glowing praise from President Donald Trump due to his hard stance on what he calls freedom of speech.
“They’re [broadcast networks] getting a license. I think maybe their
license should be taken away. It will be up to Brendan Carr. I think Brendan Carr is outstanding. He’s a patriot. He loves our country, and he’s a tough guy. So we’ll see,” Trump said.
This incident grabbed public attention and infuriated me, but it wasn’t the only time during the Trump administration that someone lost their job over their statements or reporting choices.
Karen Attiah, a journalist at the Washington Post, expressed that she was fired for criticizing political violence and racial double standards in the wake of Kirk’s assassination. According to Attiah her online rhetoric was deemed unacceptable and gross misconduct, even though she never directly attacked Kirk.
Who faces consequences depends less on what was said and more on who said it. That hypocrisy has become one of the defining features of our political climate.
.S. Senator Mike Lee condemned the assassination of Kirk, calling it a “cowardly act of violence” and praising him as an “American patriot.” In contrast, he reacted to Minnesota state senator Melissa Hortman’s death by blaming “Marxists” for the violence and implicating Governor Tim Walz.
Many assumed the shooter was a Democrat, but he was actually a conservative with no ties to Walz.
On a Fox News segment, Greg Gutfeld stated that comparing the assassination of Hortman to that of Kirk is “bulls--t,” expressing that no one was talking about her
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
NATALIE BENTON | THE DAILY WILDCAT
EMMA LAPOINTE EXPLORES THE recent censorship in American media and its affects on freedom of speech.
EMMA LAPOINTE
The Daily Wildcat
OPINION
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
before she was shot, it was a direct attack rather than political and that it couldn’t compare to Kirk’s assassination.
So again, I ask: why can Lee and Gutfeld post those statements that are mocking, misleading and inflammatory and still remain in office, while journalists like Attiah lost their jobs for far less? Why are dark political jabs tolerated from one side but punished from another?
That’s the real danger. Not that people are being cancelled, but that censorship itself has become political currency.
During the Kimmel controversy, I joked to a friend, “If we canceled everyone on live TV who made an offensive comment, there wouldn’t be a Fox News channel left to watch.”
I have a strong dislike for Fox News, Newsmax and their spinoffs, but I’d be a hypocrite if I demanded their shows be pulled every time I disagreed with what they said. Free speech isn’t meant to protect only the people we like. It’s meant to protect the people we don’t.
Speech that incites violence or spreads
misinformation should face consequences, but current actions amount to selective punishment masquerading as moral outrage.
When freedom of expression becomes conditional, when it depends on who’s speaking or which side they’re on, it stops being freedom at all and we’ve seen that unfold in real time. While this has become a partisan issue, it really shouldn’t be.
After Kimmel’s suspension, Republican Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz, spoke about the dangers of censorship. Cruz started by mentioning that he hates what Kimmel said and is glad he got punished for it, but that this sets a dangerous precedent.
“I think it is unbelievably dangerous for government to put itself in the position of saying we’re going to decide what speech we like and what we don’t, and we’re going to threaten to take you off air if we don’t like what you’re saying,” Cruz said on his podcast “Verdict with Ted Cruz.”
Cruz had a point. Free speech goes both ways. Eventually, a repressive government will come for everyone. Regardless of party affiliation, firing and repressing someone’s voice on a
federal level is not the backbone of a democratic nation.
People roll their eyes when comparisons are made to past authoritarian regimes, claiming it’s not that bad. But fascism and total repression do not happen overnight. The more we pretend it isn’t happening, the more desensitized we become.
According to Mariel Ferragamo of the Council on Foreign Relations, press freedom is dwindling before our eyes. According to Reporters Without Borders, countries are moving in a negative direction.
Ferragamo noted that the Committee to Protect Journalists reported its second-highest count of journalists imprisoned in 2024, based on data spanning three decades. He pointed to factors for the U.S. score decline, such as the banning of AP from the White House, cuts to National Public Radio funding and FCC investigations of several news outlets.
Most recently, major news outlets backed out of reporting for the Pentagon due to the federal government’s strict guidelines, which they found too restrictive. Even Fox News, the former employer of Secretary of Defense Pete
Hegseth who drafted the Pentagon agreement, decided not to accept the terms. The partisan mask is slipping; it is slowly becoming bigger than us-versus-them.
Authoritarian repression and censorship are often exemplified by Nazi Germany. After Hitler’s election, it became illegal to threaten the regime, and dissenters faced violence. Opponents were sent to early concentration camps, while Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, controlled all media and arts, ensuring that only state-sanctioned messages were disseminated within Germany.
Press freedom is one of the clearest indicators of a healthy democracy. The ability to criticize leaders, report on issues they’d rather hide and share information freely is what makes democracy meaningful.
Censorship, or rather, authoritarianism, starts with distrust in the media, leads to the federal government banning talk show hosts and ends with no freedom of the press or freedom of speech. It’s when everything, even your own thoughts, is controlled.
If we do not get a hold of censorship soon, it may very quickly become too late.
JOSIE SHIVERS | THE DAILY WILDCAT
A WOMAN STANDING BY a crosswalk holds up a sign by the Aloft Tucson University, located at 1900 E Speedway Blvd, on Sept. 12. This protest was going against ICE but as well as the hotel Marriott, to pressure them to promise not to partner up with them for migrant detention.
SCHOOL SPIRIT NEWS
UA integrates NASA into the Office of Native American Initiatives
The University of Arizona reorganizes Native affairs under new student engagement hub.
JASMINE CREIGHTON
The Daily Wildcat
In May, the University of Arizona announced that the Native American Student Association would integrate into the Native American Initiatives under the Office of the Provost.
Along with this decision, other cultural resource centers consolidated into the Student Culture and Engagement Hub, which is part of a broader department known as Campus Community Connections.
As this decision was announced, the Office of the Provost released a written statement to the UA. “The new, unified structure will strengthen our ability to engage Native American students, faculty, staff and tribal nations through enhanced collaboration and impact,” the statement read.
Ahead of the university’s official announcement, Native American student organizations released a signed letter expressing concern over the possible changes to the NASA office and other cultural centers.
Addressed to President Suresh Garimella, Provost Patricia Prelock, the Arizona Board of Regents and other university leaders, the letter voiced alarm from the Native population on campus, arguing that recent actions left them to doubt the university’s commitment to Indigenous students and tribal nations.
“NASA continues to be the center of campus life for all Native American and Indigenous students and allies,” the letter stated. “Any attempt to eliminate NASA is a direct assault on the Native American student population as well as the Tribal Nations, which this university was founded to
serve as part of its land-grant mission.”
Since the start of the fall semester, the university continued to make adjustments and establish their new student centers and consolidation, including appointing the new co-directors of the Student Culture and Engagement Hub: Dominique Calza and Kenneth Importante.
The university stated the new Student Culture and Engagement Hub is intended to strengthen all of the cultural resources offered on campus and to give all the student communities a chance to foster closer relationships with each other. However, some students remain uncertain about how the new integration of NASA will affect the space and opportunities for students in the future.
“Seeing that NASA was organized under NAI was pretty disheartening, because the administration that was at NASA prior had such a good way with students, and the way they cared for student success was unmatched,”
Jasmine Lopez, vice president of Tohono O’odham Student Association and the 41st Miss Native American University of Arizona, said. “It really showed me a community and that was what inspired me to come here and become a Wildcat.”
Lopez and other students have expressed concerns with the changes in NASA since the beginning of the semester and the reorganization of the center.
“My biggest concern about NASA and NAI integration being imposed would be that the community that was built prior and that inspired people to come here would be lost,” Lopez said. “Now it’s just a lack of students, student engagement and student support.”
Other students expressed uncertainty about how the restructuring process has been handled.
“The restructuring in NASA hasn’t
acknowledgement of their land.
really been adequately discussed or communicated with students,” Daelyn Nez, this year’s Miss Native University of Arizona, said. “It also feels like leadership is trying to move forward with transforming NASA without waiting for students or addressing the concerns that many have raised.”
Nez feels that even in a student leadership position, the communication between the Native students and the university about the transition is limited.
“Many Native students are still unaware of the full scope of the changes and feel left in the dark,” Nez said. “We deserve transparency and accountability from the university that’s supposed to support us, given that it’s a land grant institution, the University of Arizona has
a responsibility to ensure that the decisions affecting Indigenous students are not just made with us, but are also made for us.”
NASA and the other cultural centers will continue normal programming during the transition period. The university has also ensured that student workers and coordinators are to stay in their current positions throughout the upcoming academic year to maintain support and services according to their announcement.
Co-directors of the new cultural engagement hub, Calza and Importante, did not respond to multiple requests for an interview from the Daily Wildcat.
EVELYN FLEMING | THE DAILY WILDCAT A DISPLAY THAT REPRESENTS the 22 sovereign nations in Arizona at the South Rec at the University of Arizona campus, on Oct.9. The display honors all the nations of the Native Americans and shows
Homecoming traditions and royalty return to the UA
Homecoming Week at UA showcases what it means to be a Wildcat.
bumps a kid on Oct. 19, 2024 at the University of Arizona tailgate. The Arizona Wildcats played the University of Colorado Boulder for the Homecoming football game.
become a special tradition at the University of Arizona.
The annual event that once brought us Wilbur T. Wildcat, the bonfire at Old Main and the lighting of “A” Mountain, also brings the University of Arizona Homecoming royalty. From 15 candidates each, to the top five, then the crowned king and queen at the pep rally and bonfire the night before, naming Homecoming king and queen has
This year, Homecoming Week kicks off the Sunday before the homecoming game on Nov. 2, with the lighting of “A” Mountain. The first lighting took place in 1967 and although the year it became a tradition is unknown, it has been taking place at UA for many years since. The Bobcats Senior Honorary has kept this tradition alive and are up there every year to help bring light to the “A.” Other Bobcats traditions include hosting the Homecoming Olympics and choosing the Homecoming
queen finalists, which they do alongside the Arizona Mortar Board, which selects the Homecoming king finalists.
The Homecoming queen tradition started in 1947 when the first queen was crowned and in 1983, the first king was crowned. The Bobcats are currently in the process of selecting the queens, which includes getting nominations from different organizations on campus and then hosting mixers and interviews, where they get to know each candidate and select the final five. This year they received around 50 nominations. The Arizona
Mortar Board has a similar process, and the two groups work closely together to select the Homecoming court.
Once five queens and five kings are selected, an email will go out to the student body allowing students to vote for Homecoming royalty. While the Bobcats and Mortar Board are behind the entire process,
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MIA PAYETTE
The Daily Wildcat
STUDENT LIFE
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a member of the Homecoming Selections committee in the Bobcats, said. “The chosen Homecoming queen and king is solely based on the university, and the most votes per queen and king, so that’s really how we get our main student involvement. We want them to know that they’re a part of this process and selection as well.” Students should expect to see an email during the week of Homecoming where they will get to cast their vote.
The king and queen will be announced at the bonfire, which takes place in front of Old Main on Nov. 7 from 7–8:30 p.m. When the bonfire first started, it took place downtown, but now it has been established in front of Old Main.
“We’re looking for a queen who positively
represents the University of Arizona, who goes out of their way to get to know other people on campus and who other people see as a role model, so I feel like it all comes down to character,” Swanson said.
Throughout the week, the Homecoming court is tasked with helping with the Homecoming Olympics and bringing high energy and excitement to the week. After Homecoming and the tremendous efforts put into the week from the queens, many of them stay in contact and come back the following years.
“It was special to connect with alumni throughout Homecoming Week. Meeting previous royalty, reuniting with former mentors from the organizations I was involved in and seeing long-distance friends who had graduated were all highlights of my experience,”
Ella Frank, 2024 Homecoming queen, said.
“Our ties run deep in Tucson, and I can’t wait
to come back this year to celebrate again with current students and alumni alike. It’s such a special experience to reminisce and share that Wildcat pride.”
Homecoming week hosts plenty of Wildcat traditions, and there are many ways for students and alumni to get involved. This year, Red, Blue and You is a new event that will take place on Nov. 2. “It’s a gold gathering for graduates within the last decade, which is a new initiative that we’re bringing here to the University of Arizona Foundation,” Ernesto Cabrera Jr., assistant director of student engagement and recent alumni engagement, said. “We want recent alumni to feel valued and appreciated and know that they still have a place here, even as they’re trying to navigate their lives post graduation.”
Tents On the Mall, which have taken place since 1985, will return, along with the Mud
Tug-of-War and Spirit Week. This is the second year a spirit week will be held, but organizations, clubs, staff and faculty are all encouraged to send in photos because their photo could be shown on the jumbotron at the game.
Canned goods and Campus Closet donations are also encouraged throughout this week, which will help organizations and clubs earn more points. Points earned from winning games throughout the week will go towards winning the trophy that lives in the “Swede” Johnson building for alumni. All of these events, and more, can be found on the Alumni website.
Homecoming at UA is an exciting week filled with rich tradition. This event is a good way to bring fun and a positive environment to campus, reminding us all of the Wildcat spirit and what we represent.
ELLA JOHNSON | THE DAILY WILDCAT
HOMECOMING ROYAL NOMINEE ELLA Frank congratulates the Chi Omega mud tug team on their victory at the University of Arizona Mud Tug on the Mall on Oct. 17, 2024. UA’s homecoming events
week
up to the homecoming game.
FOOTBALL
Arizona football mid-season round table
Melisa Guzeloglu
Beginning this season, the University of Arizona football team saw three consecutive victories for the first time since 2015, before opening conference play. The Wildcats figured out a way to adjust with their young core, built around redshirt junior quarterback Noah Fifita.
However, the team has seen multiple losses, including a double overtime score of 33-27 to No. 18 BYU on Oct. 11, and a 31-28 defeat to the University of Houston. Despite this, Arizona saw tremendous efforts in its first few games, not allowing any passing touchdowns into the endzone.
With the disruption in its momentum, the Wildcats have to figure out a way to stay on course if they want to remain bowl-eligible. With less than five games remaining, Arizona needs to win at least two more to hit six wins. If the team looks towards any improvements, the Wildcats must improve their run defense, as they allowed BYU to rush for 258 rushing yards and, in a loss to Houston, 232 running yards.
“We were so good earlier in the season in our run defense. What we’ve seen is that people have been attacking us with a bunch of quarterback runs the last two weeks,” head coach Brent Brennan said. “I think it’s a combination of a couple of those things, missing tackles or maybe us not executing the exact details of what we’re supposed to get done, and I think we’re also playing against good football teams.”
Michael Smith
Losing three out of the last four games, the Arizona Wildcats find
themselves in a steep hole, but Brennan notices the sparks and flashes the team has shown and seeks to bounce back in the second half of the season. Under center, Fifita has had a tremendous start to the year. The redshirt junior set a new program record for completion percentage with 92.3 while also throwing for 269 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Houston.
Despite the Wildcats placing top 80 in the nation in red zone scoring percentage, the two-headed dragon backfield has made up for the struggles.
Texas State University transfer running back Ismail Mahdi and junior Kendrick Reescano are the yin-yang tailback duo Arizona has been needing.
In the 23-17 win over Kansas State University, Mahdi sprinted for 189 yards and 221 all-purpose yards, which earned the first-year Wildcat Big 12 honors in week three. Reescano, the junior power-back, trucked his way to 90 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries in the loss to BYU.
Defensively, the Wildcats have had their ups and downs. Arizona’s second -
ary has been all over the field, led by defensive backs Dalton Johnson and Treydan Stukes. Johnson has 28 tackles on the year and is on pace to lead the team in that category. However, Arizona has struggled to stop the run. In the double-overtime loss to No. 18 BYU, the Wildcats gave up 258 rushing yards with 162 of those yards going to BYU running
SPORTS DESK
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MASON KUMET | THE DAILY WILDCAT
JAVIN WHATLEY RUNS IN an 85-yard touchdown in the first quarter against Weber State University after a 2 hour weather delay on Sep. 6 at Arizona Stadium.
FOOTBALL
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back LJ Martin on 25 attempts. On Oct. 18, Houston ran for 232 yards, led by running back Dean Connors, who finished with 100 yards. Not far behind, the Cougars’ quarterback Conner Weigman ran for 98 yards on 14 carries.
If the Wildcats want to be bowl-eligible by the end of the season, the main priority is stopping the run. Looking ahead, Arizona will go on the road in three of the remaining five games of the season. Yet, Brennan holds a road record of 1-7 during his Wildcat tenure. Notably, the Wildcats will face two ranked teams, No. 24 ASU and No. 21 University of Cincinnati, with
both games away from home. Reaching six wins will be a tall task for the second-year head coach, but the ceiling for Arizona is only getting higher.
Ian Weaver
Despite having suffered consecutive losses, Arizona should not be deemed out of the running. The Wildcats have heart. In the rainy BYU game at Arizona Stadium, Arizona was up 24-14 with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Despite being up by two possessions, BYU battled back and forced a double overtime. While Arizona didn’t come out on top, their efforts were impressive.
Similarly, in the game against Houston, Arizona was down 28-14 heading into the fourth quarter. Again, Fifita and the Wildcats batt -
led back and nearly beat Houston, if not for a last-second field goal. Fifita has played great so far this season. After a loss earlier to Iowa State University, Fifita led the Wildcats to a 41-13 smackdown against Oklahoma State University. This was a significant win for the Wildcats, as it served as a kickoff to their Big 12 schedule of games. Despite only playing three quarters in the OSU game, Fifita was 28-38 on 376 yards passing, with 5 touchdowns. Another impressive aspect of the team is the endurance of the defense. Despite giving up some points in the first three quarters against tougher opponents, they have been able to stop the opponent’s offense in the fourth quarter. This has allowed the Wildcats’ offense to make a comeback late in games.
Logan Kimel
The family weekend loss against BYU definitely took a toll on Arizona’s momentum. Following that loss with another tough game against Houston made it even harder to keep the team’s energy up. However, Arizona has had plenty of strong moments this season that deserve recognition.
One game that stands out is the Weber State University matchup on Sept. 6 at Arizona Stadium. Fans were held inside the stadium for over 2 hours due to weather delays but once play finally resumed, the atmosphere was electric. The Wildcats came out focused and dominated Weber State 48-3. That game really showed the dedication of Arizona’s fan base and the team’s ability to stay locked in despite tough circumstances.
Fans should be looking forward to the game against the University of Colorado Boulder on Saturday, Nov. 1. Even though it won’t be in Tucson, the Wildcats have a great chance to bounce back and redeem themselves after last year’s loss to the Buffaloes and their recent losses against BYU and Houston.
Haziel Richardson
The three consecutive losses definitely hurt Arizona, mainly because the Wildcats looked good before then and truly had a chance at being ranked. With three losses, especially falling to BYU as we were up by 10 and without the Cougars’ starting quarterback, I think that really took the air out of our sails.
The game that stood out the most to me was the game against Kansas State. Arizona showed the potential that we have as a team when Brennan and the players are on the same page. As we look forward to the last home game against the University of Kansas, it would be a great chance for us to prove that we can still beat decent teams in front of the home crowd.
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CHARLIE RAMIREZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT
NOAH FIFITA FALLS TO the ground after scrambling against BYU at Arizona Stadium on Oct. 11.
FOOTBALL
FROM PAGE 17
Kellen O’Halloran
After a disappointing first season under Brennan, I was unsure whether Brennan was the right hire. But after our first seven games, I’m confident Arizona can complete year in and year out in the Big 12. Absent the loss on the road earlier in the season, we’ve lost two straight games by a combined score of 9 points. One of those being a double overtime loss to No. 11 BYU. All the teams we have lost to have combined for only three losses. The less competitive teams we have played, we have handled easily. Our defense is what gives me confidence in Brennan going into the future. Brennan, alongside defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales, has led one of the best units in the Big 12. Leading up to our loss to BYU, we had not allowed a passing touchdown. Expect Arizona to continue dominating on the defensive side of the ball.
Offensively, Arizona has been more than formidable. Fifita has improved greatly after a down year last year, with a better completion percentage, touchdown to interception ratio and quarterback rating. Mahdi has been a nice addition, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Mahdi’s addition gives me confidence Brennan can be effective in the portal moving forward.
After a bye week, we play Colorado, which I expect to win after getting some much needed rest. The next four games are winnable, with the toughest being our last two road games at Cincinnati and rival ASU. A 9-3 season with three competitive losses will leave me confident with our team going into next season. Will Shenot Halfway through the season, the University of Arizona Wildcats hold a 4-3 overall record and are 1-3 in Big 12 conference play. The team has shown noticeable improvement over their performance in 2024, marking Brennan’s second season at the helm. However, consistency remains the
main challenge for Brennan’s Wildcats, as the offense and defense have struggled to produce strong, complementary performances throughout all four quarters of games.
Despite the inconsistency, there are promising signs, particularly from Fifita. His recent performance against Houston was exceptional, setting a school record for completion percentage at 92.3.
The Wildcats’ offense has become highly efficient this year, utilizing a range of weapons as they search for a new go-to option following the departure of Tetairoa McMillan. Players like Tre Spivey and Luke Wysong have established significant roles within the passing game, while the running attack has become more balanced. Reescano and Mahdi form a thunder-and-lightning duo, with Reescano delivering the
thunderous power and Mahdi flashing with lightning-quick speed, making a solid complement for Fifita.
One area where the offense can improve is generating explosive plays, defined as runs of 10 or more yards and passes of 20 or more yards. Nevertheless, the offense has successfully replaced the production of previous stars and continues to utilize its variety of talent.
The Wildcats’ defense has made significant strides this year, allowing just 20.3 points per game, down from 31.8 at this stage last year. Much of this improvement is credited to Gonzales, who has built a more aggressive, ball-hawking unit. The pass defense has allowed approximately 90 fewer yards than in 2024 and is ranked within the top 40 for forcing turnovers. This turnaround is particularly impressive given the loss
of key players from the front seven, including Jacob Manu and several defensive linemen.
Given their progress, it is reasonable to expect the Wildcats to finish the season with a 7-5 record and earn a spot in a mid-tier bowl game. Upcoming matchups against teams like Cincinnati and ASU carry significant implications for the Wildcats’ ranking and could dramatically shift the trajectory of their season if they manage to pull off upset victories. For Arizona to improve on its solid start, it is crucial for Brennan and the offensive staff to scheme up more explosive plays, while the defense must continue to generate turnovers and steal possessions. These factors will be key to the Wildcats’ success in the second half of the season.
MASON KUMET | THE DAILY WILDCAT
DALTON JOHNSON TACKLES THE Oklahoma State University player for a loss at Arizona Stadium on Oct. 4.
MULTIMEDIA
Photo: UA sports mid-season roundup
MULTIMEDIA DESK
The Daily Wildcat
We at the Daily Wildcat Photo desk have been busy supplying you, the reader, with amazing visuals to go with our wonderfully written stories. The first quarter of the school year is often sports heavy, and this year was no different. With a complete overhaul of our photo staff, here is everyone’s best photo so far.
CHARLIE RAMIREZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT
ADDISON ARNOLD ATTEMPTS TO dunk over Rob Gronkowski in McKale Center on Oct. 3.
FELIX HERNANDEZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT
JAVIN WHATLEY (#6) CELEBRATES with a fan after scoring a touchdown near the start of the third quarter against Oklahoma State University at Arizona Stadium on Oct. 4.
EVELYN FLEMING | THE DAILY WILDCAT AS LIGHTNING STRIKES IN the background, midfield senior Trinity Dorsey (#5) eyes up an incoming ball, playing through the wind and the rain during a match against the University of Central Florida at Murphey Field at Mulcahy Soccer Stadium on Sept. 25.
AIDAN GRAVELLE | THE DAILY WILDCAT
AYDEN GAMES TACKLES KANSAS State University’s quarterback, Avery Johnson, at Arizona Stadium on Sept. 12.
PRISAIS ALMAZAN| THE DAILY WILDCAT
ELLA HATTEBERG BLOCKS AN opposing player from the soccer ball at Murphey Field at Mulcahy Soccer Stadium on Sept. 28.
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MASON KUMET | THET DAILY WILDAT
KOA PEAT PUTS DOWN a dunk during the Red and Blue Showcase on Oct. 3 in McKale Center.
MASON KUMET | THE DAILY WILDCAT ROCKY GRONKSTONE ARGUES WITH a referee during the Red and Blue Showcase in McKale Center on Oct. 3.
TATUM NEZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT REDSHIRT SENIOR DALTON JOHNSON (#43) celebrates with the turnover sword at Arizona Stadium on Oct. 11.
SCHOOL SPIRIT ARTS & LIFE
Ray Harryhausen’s stop motion monsters on display at the Museum of Miniatures
Space aliens, re-animated skeletons and mechanical owls from years past are displayed in this museum.
AIDEN WILLIAMS
The Daily Wildcat
The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures has opened its newest exhibit “Ray Harryhausen: Miniature Models of the Silver Screen” featuring the work of legendary visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen. From Sept. 30 until May 3, 2026, 130 models, props, prototypes and statuettes from the artist’s extensive archives are displayed in the museum.
“I love them all, I grew up with them all around the house and Dad’s studio,” Vanessa Harryhausen, daughter of Ray Harryhausen, said. “I think they’ve all got their own little characters and specialties.”
Ray Harryhausen, who passed away in 2013, was a pioneer of stop-motion and visual effects. Before the days of computer generated images, Ray Harryhausen’s “Dynamation” process would transport dinosaurs, flying saucers and titans of ancient myth onto the screen next to real-life actors. Ray Harryhausen mostly worked alone, manipulating models of metal, latex and resin ever so slightly between two projectors, before capturing one frame at a time with a 35mm lens.
His work would go on to influence big name Hollywood auteurs such as Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro and Tim Burton.
The exhibit is a collaboration between the Museum of Miniatures and the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation that has been brewing since 2019. The Foundation estimates that it has 50,000 artifacts in its collection, so the 130 chosen few are used to tell the full story of Ray Harryhausen’s career. The exhibits starts from his early career working on George Pal’s “Puppettoons,” to
his fairy tale short films made in collaboration with his mother and father, followed by his tutelage under Willis O’Brien, the stop motion animator of the original “King Kong” and eventually his break into film with the spiritual successor to Kong, “Mighty Joe Young.”
By the end of his career, Ray Harryhausen had worked non-stop for close to four decades. The exhibit culminates with the model of the gargantuan Kraken from “Clash of the Titans,” receiving its own personal display case.
All 16 feature films are represented. The mechanical innards that once inhabited the cyclops from “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” are displayed next to the snake-haired Medusa and mechanical owl Bubo from the original “Clash of the Titans.” Prehistoric beasts like the Ceratosaurus and Triceratops from “One Million Years B.C.” sit across the room from sci-fi terrors such as the Selenite
aliens from “First Men in the Moon” and aluminum Death Ray Flying Saucers from the “Earth vs Flying Saucers.” Even proto-kaiju are available for viewing, with a prototype of the Rhedosaurus from “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms,” a spiritual predecessor to the later “Godzilla.”
“Ray holds this really unique position in cinema history, because he was essentially a technician, but the movies were built around his ideas and his name,” Connor Heaney, collections manager of the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation, said.
Ray Harryhausen’s dedication was self-evident. In the 1963 film “Jason and the Argonauts,” the titular Jason and the crew of the Argo battle against seven animated skeletons who move simultaneously, matching the movements of the live action actors. Harryhausen animated the sequence himself over the course of
four months.
“That scene is considered one of the greatest special effects sequences in the history of movies. It always had a huge impact on me as a kid and I could not believe how it was accomplished,” Jeff Yanc, program director at The Loft, said. “It still holds up, it still totally works.”
Three of the skeletal models that faced off against Todd Armstrong now stand in the Museum of Miniatures; despite their minute size, their anatomy is detailed and accurate.
“It’s an ongoing battle, we’re having to arrest the wear and tear that occurs naturally to latex and rubber,” Heaney said. “But on the other hand, this skeleton is from 1958 and not many actors from 1958 are still with us, we can’t preserve ourselves unfortunately.”
The Museum of Miniatures has partnered with The Loft for a screening of “Jason and the Argonauts” on Oct. 4, which is followed by a special post-screening question and answer from Vanessa Harryhausen. Afterwards, Vanessa will be selling and signing her book, “Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema.”
Yanc said of the collaboration: “If you’ve never seen one of these Ray Harryhausen movies in a theatre you should really take the opportunity, because it’s a real treat, it’s really spectacular and it’s pretty rare. Most theatres don’t show movies like this any more.”
The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures is located at 4455 E. Camp Lowell Drive. Admission is $15 for adults and $9 for children. Entry is $13 for seniors 62 and older, college students with ID and military. It is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays.
AIDEN WILLIAMS | THE DAILY WILDCAT
THREE MINIATURE SKELETONS AND the seven headed Hydra model used in the film “Jason and the Argonauts” on display at the Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures. 130 other models and art work by Ray Harryhausen are featured throughout the museum.
SPORTING EVENTS
Arizona men’s basketball 2025-2026 season preview
BY ELLIE CONOVER AND MELISA GUZELOGLU
As the University of Arizona men’s basketball team enters its second year in the Big 12 conference, Wildcat fans are high with anticipation of what Arizona’s 2025-2026 season campaign will look like. Arizona is ranked No. 13 in the AP preseason poll to begin the season as the Wildcats look towards a schedule where they’ll face 12 ranked opponents.
Arizona vs. No. 3 University of Florida
Monday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m.
Opening the season against the reigning NCAA Champions — the Florida Gators — Arizona will be traveling to Las Vegas to meet Florida for the fifth time as part of the Hall of Fame Series. The two programs hold a 2-2 series record, with their last meeting in 2012, when the No. 8 Wildcats overcame the No. 5 Gators in a 65-64 victory as Mark Lyons made a basket with just 7 seconds left, all in McKale Center.
Despite Florida coming off its third NCAA title and a 36-4 record, the Gators had to adjust to losing players to the transfer portal, NBA Draft and other departure reasons. The Wildcats have also had time to rebuild with nine players returning, six freshmen joining and a transfer player also being an addition to this year’s team.
Arizona vs. Utah Tech University
Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.
Heading into its second matchup against Utah Tech, the Wildcats have a brief history with the Trailblazers as the two programs have only met once before. In the lone matchup that took place on Nov. 11, 2022, Arizona beat Utah Tech 104-77 at home. With this game taking place on Arizona’s home floor, the Wildcats look to keep up their momentum against the Trailblazers as they head into November.
Arizona vs. NAU
Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.
NAU and Arizona head into their 130th matchup against each other in mid-November. The Wildcats hold a 102-27 series lead over the Lumberjacks and look to claim another win come Nov. 11. The two programs have a long standing history, first meeting in 1919 as Arizona fell in a 37-32 loss and have met each other on a regular basis since then. The most recent matchup took place on Nov. 9, 2021, where the Wildcats won 81-52 on their home floor. Notably, the Wildcats have won the last 36 meetings against NAU, making the matchup on Tuesday, Nov. 11, one to root for as Wildcat fans await the duel in the desert.
Arizona vs. UCLA
Friday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m.
The Wildcats are 3-1 in their last four matchups against UCLA. The Bruins hold a 64-50 series lead over Arizona, making Nov. 14 a matchup that the Wildcats look to conquer. In the 115th meeting together,
Arizona will have to find a way to get past a UCLA team that has just made its debut in the Big Ten Conference.
The Bruins, who are under head coach Mick Cronin, have added five transfers to their roster, including University of New Mexico point guard Donovan Dent, who averaged a stat line of 20.4 points per game and 6.4 assists, shooting 49% on field goals. If Arizona wants to beat UCLA on its home floor in Intuit Dome, the Wildcats must look for strong performances from players like Tobe Awaka, Motiejus Krivas and Jaden Bradley to push the pace and protect the ball under pressure.
Arizona vs. University of Connecticut Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 5 p.m.
Despite these two programs’ prestigious basketball histories, UConn and Arizona have only faced each other once before. In the March 26, 2011 nail-biter during the NCAA Tournament, Arizona fell to a 65-63 defeat to the Huskies, forcing them out of the Elite Eight. Notably, the Huskies went
on to win the tournament title. The two teams have unfinished business as the Wildcats come in hungry for a victory as this early season matchup can shape the NCAA seeding.
Arizona vs. University of Denver Monday, Nov, 24 at 8:30 p.m.
The Wildcats return home to face a Denver team that they hold a 3-1 series record over. The only loss came when Arizona visited Denver, losing 72-70 in 1965. Arizona and Denver have not met since Dec. 4, 1985, where Arizona won 63-54 at home. This matchup marks the first meeting in 40 years, making it a nostalgic game to mark on your calendars. As Arizona enters as a ranked opponent facing a mid-major program from the Summit League, the Wildcats look to use their depth and athleticism to dominate.
CHARLIE RAMIREZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT
MULTIPLE ARIZONA PLAYERS FIGHT for the ball during the Red and Blue Showcase on Oct. 3 in McKale Center.
The Daily Wildcat
SPORTING EVENTS
FROM PAGE 24
Arizona vs. Norfolk State University
Saturday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m.
Arizona has never faced Norfolk State in an official game as the two programs’ paths have rarely crossed due to differences in conference, location and scheduling. As Arizona enters as a top-ranked team while Norfolk State looks to pull off an upset, the Wildcats will want to bring their elite talent, depth and tempo, led by Bradley and other players like five-star freshman Koa Peat to take on the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team. For Norfolk State, controlling possessions and putting pressure on Arizona will be key to a close game.
Arizona vs. University of Auburn Saturday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m.
Arizona remains home to face
Auburn. The schools have met twice before, with the Wildcats being defeated in both matchups. Arizona is 0-2 against Auburn, as the only matchups have come in 1986, in a 73-63 defeat and most recently in 2018, in Hawaii, where the Wildcats lost 73-57. With Arizona never claiming a win over Auburn, this matchup offers a chance to change that, as both teams are ranked heading into the season, making it a marquee non-conference showdown.
Auburn’s veteran backcourt will have to face a fast-paced Arizona offense that is hungry for a victory.
Arizona vs. University of Alabama
Saturday, Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Arizona heads on the road to Birmingham, Alabama, to face an Alabama team that it’s previously seen five times. The Crimson Tide hold a 3-2 series lead over the Wildcats as their most previous matchup was Dec. 20, 2023, where Arizona won 87-74 in a
neutral setting. Expect a high-scoring game as both teams look to make runs and excel on offense early. A win here can boost either program’s NCAA resume heading into conference play.
Arizona vs. Abilene Christian University
Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.
Arizona will return to Tucson to face Abilene Christian on Dec. 16, as the Wildcats hope for a decisive home matchup. As Arizona enters the season ranked, while Abilene Christian is in a rebuild after recording a .500 campaign, sitting just outside the top 100 in preseason rankings, this matchup is one that Wildcat fans should look forward to as they cheer on the home team.
Arizona vs. San Diego State University
Saturday, Dec. 20 at 8:30 p.m.
On a short road trip to Phoenix, the Wildcats will take on San Diego State
for the 33rd time in program history in the Mortgage Matchup Center. The rivalry between the two teams dates back to 1945, where Arizona lost 39-36 in San Diego. Most recently, the Wildcats have won the last five consecutive games against the Warriors. Expect a gritty and high-level game that will incorporate San Diego’s lockdown defense as Arizona tries to excel in transition and clean ball movement.
Arizona vs. Bethune-Cookman University
Monday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m.
At home, Arizona awaits BethuneCookman, as the two teams have previously faced once before on Nov. 23, 2010, where the Wildcats won 78-45 in Tucson. Despite Arizona being heavily favored to win with elite talent and depth, the Southwestern Athletic Conference team will be a test for freshmen faces in the midst of December.
Arizona vs. South Dakota State University
Monday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m.
Remaining at home, the Wildcats face South Dakota State for only its second matchup in program history. South Dakota State remains a consistent contender in the Summit League, known for its disciplined offense and strong shooting, as Arizona will have to combat it with a fast-paced and high-possession game to challenge SDSU’s approach.
Arizona vs. University of Utah
Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at 2 p.m.
The Wildcats will travel to Salt Lake City to face Utah for the 73rd matchup between the two teams. Arizona has won the last four matchups against Utah, including a triple-overtime 105-99 victory on the road. The game was highlighted by former Wildcat Pelle Larsson’s 27 points and eight assist game. With both teams now in the Big 12, the stage is set for a rivalry game with the stakes ramping up. Playing in Salt Lake City is never easy, as Arizona will need to keep its composure and execute well to win on the road.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
MASON KUMET | THE DAILY WILDCAT
KOA PEAT DRIVES TO the basket during the Red and Blue Showcase in McKale Center on Oct. 3.
SPORTING EVENTS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25
Arizona vs. Kansas State University
Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Kansas State holds a 9-6 series record over Arizona, with its most previous victory from Feb. 11, of this year, when the UA fell by one possession, 73-70 on the road. With the Jan. 7 matchup at home, Arizona will look to find its revenge on Kansas State to level out the series record further. The two teams first met in 1951, where Arizona fell 61-59 in Kansas City, Missouri. As this battle between the two teams has spanned over 70 years, Arizona looks to find a way to claim a victory over the school where it’s 5-5 in its last 10 matchups.
Arizona vs. TCU
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 at 2 p.m.
The Horned Frogs and Wildcats have met only four times in their men’s basketball history, with the series tied 2-2. Arizona has won the two most recent matchups, including a thriller victory in overtime during the 2022 NCAA Tournament, where Bennedict Mathurin’s clutch 3-pointer late in the game gave Arizona the 85-80 win. The Wildcats will be traveling to Fort Worth, Texas to meet TCU with hopes to continue its winning streak over the Horned Frogs.
Arizona vs. ASU
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026 at 8:30 p.m.
Arizona will have home floor advantage as the Wildcats meet rival ASU for the first time this season in January. With the longstanding rivalry between the two teams, Arizona holds a 163-87 series record over ASU. The Sun Devils and the Wildcats first saw each other on Dec. 12, 1913, where Arizona won 41-17, going on to win the next eight consecutive matchups.
Most recently, Arizona is 9-1 in its last 10 games against ASU and will have a chance to continue its win streak come January. In the most previous matchup between the two teams, Awaka dropped 15 points and nine rebounds in Arizona’s 113-110 win over ASU on March 4.
Arizona vs. UCF
Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 at 2 p.m.
The Golden Knights have only faced off against the Wildcats once, as Arizona came away with an 88-80 win at home on Jan. 11 this year. Anthony Dell’Orso and Awaka combined for 26 points and eight rebounds in the victory. This time, Arizona will be traveling to meet UCF with expectations to keep victories against the Golden Knights continuing on.
Arizona vs. University of Cincinnati
Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Arizona is undefeated against Cincinnati, holding a perfect 5-0 record in the two teams’ history, which trails back to 1975. Since then, the most recent game between the Bearcats and Wildcats was last season as Arizona came away with a 72-67 win on the road. Bradley led the game with 15 points, shooting 5-for-9 from the field. Now, Cincinnati will have to travel to Tucson as Arizona prepares to keep its winning streak alive.
Arizona vs. West Virginia University
Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026 at noon
The Wildcats remain home to host WVU, looking for their fifth win against the Mountaineers as they hold a 4-3 record over them. Arizona most recently saw West Virginia last year, beating the Mountaineers in a 75-56 win with contributions from Dell’Orso, who dropped 10 points and three rebounds in 25 minutes of play. As McKale Center awaits West Virginia, Arizona looks to do some damage with its new core of players during the afternoon of Jan. 24, 2026 on CBS Sports.
Arizona vs. BYU
Monday, Jan 26, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Arizona will head to Provo, Utah, to take on the BYU Cougars for its 42nd matchup in program history. Last season, the Wildcats suffered an upsetting 96-95 defeat on their home floor to BYU. Despite former Wildcat Caleb Love’s 27-point night, the Cougars had two free throws with 3.2 seconds left, putting the game to rest. Arizona looks to bounce back in a tough setting in Utah with its core of players, including Awaka, who came away with a doubledouble consisting of 14 points, 10
rebounds in the Feb. 22 matchup.
Arizona vs. ASU
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 at 4 p.m.
Arizona basketball will flip courts with rival ASU on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, at 4 p.m. in Tempe. Regardless of how the season has been going for the Wildcats, games against the Sun Devils are always a thrill. Being in ASU’s home court will put the Wildcats at a disadvantage, so it will be interesting to see who can come out on top. Over the years, the Wildcats have seen 163 wins over the Sun Devils in comparison to their 87 losses.
Arizona vs. Oklahoma State University
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 at 2 p.m.
The following Saturday on Feb. 7, 2026, Arizona will host Oklahoma State University at 2 p.m. in McKale Center. The Wildcats hold a strong 4-0 record over OSU, their first game dating back to 1993, up to their most recent in January of this year. The Cowboys went 17-18 in their 20242025 season and 7-13 in conference play specifically. OSU lost Bryce Thompson, their point leader for last season. The Cowboys will need someone to fill this position moving into this new year.
Arizona vs. Kansas University Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 at 7 p.m.
In a short turnaround, the Wildcats will head to Lawrence, Kansas, to verse Kansas University on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, at 7 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse. Last season, the Wildcats went 1-1 against the Jayhawks, losing in Kansas’ home court and winning in a neutral setting. The Jayhawks went 21-13 for the season and 11-9 in conference play. Kansas was knocked out of the NCAA tournament in the first round last season despite its deep bench and impressive starting five. The game against the Wildcats will be competitive at the very least.
Arizona vs. Texas Tech University
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 at 4 or 4:30 p.m.
Heading back home, the Wildcats will face Texas Tech at 4 or 4:30 p.m. in McKale Center. Arizona and Texas Tech are notorious for playing nail-biting games, granting the Wildcats 26 wins and the Raiders 29. The Wildcats went 2-1 against Texas Tech last season, who made it all the way into the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament, getting knocked out by the national champs, the University of Florida.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 27
JAY CORELLA | THE DAILY WILDCAT
JADEN BRADLEY JUMPS TO make a dunk against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during their game on Feb. 8 in McKale Center. Bradley scored a total of 16 points during the game.
SPORTING EVENTS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26
Arizona vs. BYU
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Being their second matchup against BYU in the season, Arizona will have had notes and experience against the Cougars heading into this matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 at 7 p.m. in McKale. BYU was an impressive team last season with Richie Saunders, now a senior, leading the group. Saunders will return
this season to continue his offensive efforts for the Cougars. However, BYU lost 6-foot-8 freshman Egor Demin, who was drafted No. 8 in the NBA Draft to the Brooklyn Nets.
Arizona vs. University of Houston
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 at 1 p.m.
The Wildcats will get back on the road on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, to compete against the University of Houston at 1 p.m. in Houston.
Notably, Arizona lost their last two games against Houston last season. The Cougars had an impres-
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sive season last spring, falling to Florida in the championship game of the NCAA tournament by just two points. Houston is expected to carry on their marks into this new season.
Arizona vs. Baylor University
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026 at 7 p.m.
While in Texas, Arizona will compete against Baylor University on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, at 7 p.m. in Waco. The Wildcats saw two victorious matches against Baylor last season, adding to their 7-5 record against the program. Baylor’s season ended against Duke University in the NCAA tournament last season, who moved on to kick Arizona out as well. The Bears lost Norchad Omier and VJ Edgecombe this season, both players that lead the team in points and rebounds. Omier and Edgecombe were both sent into the league, joining the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Arizona vs. Kansas University
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026 at 2 or 2:30 p.m.
After taking on the Bears, Arizona will face Kansas for the second time this season on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026 at 2 or 2:30 p.m. in McKale Center.
Arizona vs. Iowa State University
Monday, March 2, 2026 at 7 p.m.
On Monday, March 2, 2026, the Wildcats will verse Iowa State University in McKale Center at 7 p.m. Arizona’s last home game against Iowa State was nearly a loss, until graduated senior Love made a buzzer-beater half court shot to send the game into overtime and ultimately allowed the Wildcats to pull into the lead and secure the win. However, when Arizona saw Iowa State later that season, they suffered a 17-point loss.
Arizona vs. University of Colorado, Boulder
Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 9 p.m.
The Wildcats’ last game before entering the Big 12 tournament is against the University of Colorado, Boulder on Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Boulder, Colorado, at 9 p.m. This game will be a huge matchup for Arizona as they prepare to compete in the tournament. Arizona holds 27 wins over Colorado with 16 losses. The Wildcats’ last loss against the Buffalos was in 2022, on Colorado’s home court. Depending on the outcome of Arizona’s season, it will look to dominate in the Big 12 tournament, spanning from March 10, 2026 to March 14, 2026. After the conference tournament, March Madness games will begin.
MASON KUMET | DAILY WILDCAT
EVAN NELSON PASSES THE ball over the 5’7 Embry Riddle University defender during Arizona’s exhibition win in McKale Center on Oct. 27.
Opinion: Even the Wild West can fall victim to gentrification
“Save a horse, ride a cowboy.”
If you walk into any trendy boutique, you’re likely to find that or other Western phrases like “Cowgirl Era,” “Make Cowboys Cry” or “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” plastered onto shirts next to various pinup cowgirls. If you look beyond the T-shirt section, there’ll probably be some dark-wash denim and cowboy boots. Of course, to top off this little ensemble, there’ll be some cowboy hats — likely with some sort of rhinestone in the mix.
Recently, elements of Southwestern culture have infiltrated the mainstream at a breakneck pace. The resurgence in popularity of genuine leather — moving away from plastic disguised as pleather — and the sudden repopularization of fringe suggest that the world is longing for the days of the Wild West. But this raises the question: Why is Southwestern fashion back?
The first place to look when analyzing any trend is the economy. According to a 2024 survey from Bank of America, more than half of Gen Z doesn’t have enough emergency savings to cover 3 months of expenses. For many, buying new clothes all the time just isn’t feasible — especially when you can easily pay $60 or more at a boutique for the same polyester garbage available from fast-fashion brands for pennies on the dollar. Western wear, on the other hand, is rooted in practicality and built to withstand the toughest conditions. For ranchers, investing in a good pair of boots is essential. After all, that’ll probably end up being the only thing standing between their feet and a hoof. Cowboy hats are designed to protect from both heat and cold, as
well as wind and rain. While these pieces aren’t cheap, they are built to last and are worn daily by those who rely on them for safety. A good pair of boots will last thousands of wears and can be dressed up or down for many occasions, making them a better investment than the runof-the-mill tennis shoe or flip-flop. However, beyond the practicality of it, I believe the younger generation is searching for the good old days that we’ve heard so much about from older generations. When we look back at photos from when our parents and grandparents were our age, we see many of the styles that are popular today. It was in the 1950s that Westerns became massively popular in Hollywood with stars like John Wayne and Dale Evans, as well as films and TV shows. These brought the styles and customs of the Wild West into the homes of many who had never
experienced life on the range. Fast-forward to the mid-1970s through the late 1990s, and we witnessed another wave of country music hit pop culture, giving rise to a style known as the urban cowboy, which continues to influence many different fashion subcultures today.
Moving into the new millennium, Western wear fell to the wayside for a while until it made a slight comeback following the global phenomenon that was Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” in 2018. The following year, celebrities and influencers took Coachella by storm in cowboy hats and chaps — surely I’m not the only one who has James Charles’ iconic chaps burned into their retinas. However, once the pandemic hit and everyone was quarantined at home, many traded in their cowboy boots for platform shoes.
Then, an ad during Super Bowl LVIII
changed everything. Beyoncé, historically known for R&B, pop and dance music, was making a country album.
Cowboy Carter brought the style of Western Americana in a way not seen since the 1970s. With the classic “allAmerican girl” aesthetic popularized by artists like Lana Del Rey already gaining traction, the transition from Northeastern to Southwestern styles was an easy one.
However, now that Western wear is in a new heyday, I’m starting to see something interesting happening. Fashion influencers are beginning to lump in Western wear with the “old money” aesthetic. This is the same cultural label given to the clothing worn at country clubs or on yachts — classy, timeless and most of all, better than everyone else. The irony here, of course, is that most real old money folks wouldn’t have been caught dead in that sort of workwear, leaving that to the manure-covered ranchers and farmworkers in the fields.
The fact is, real Western fashion was born out of necessity, not microtrend cycles built on hundreds of years of Indigenous American and vaquero traditions. But now it serves as nostalgia bait for an America that only ever existed on the silver screen. What was once considered “hick” or “redneck” just a few years ago is now sold at Nordstrom for hundreds of dollars.
And that’s the core of it. Western wear is an easy way for people to feel unique without having to push any boundaries, or, God forbid, take on the label of “alternative.”
While cowboy hats and big belt buckles may be trendy right now, we must remember and appreciate those who will continue to carry on the true Western tradition after the spotlight fades — a tradition of grit, hard work and struggle.
ABIGAIL ROWLEY
The Daily Wildcat
CHRISTOPHER HAGEDON | THE DAILY WILDCAT
ABIGAIL ROWLEY EXPLORES COUNRY music’s recent rise in popularity.
HEALTH
How Narcan accessibility is impacting the University of Arizona
MIA PAYETTE
The Daily Wildcat
Last year, the former Team Awareness Combating Overdose President, Nicholas Ward, worked to put Narcan in all Automated External Defibrillator (AED) boxes on campus.
Since then, TACO has distributed test strips and Narcan during events and continued to educate the public on the importance of testing drugs. At the beginning of this year, they replaced the Narcan in every AED box, which is now good until 2028.
Current TACO President Dezi Rachels shared that Narcan from a campus AED box was used last semester to reverse an overdose. The University of Arizona Emergency Medical Services is currently doing research to see how effective having Narcan available on campus is.
Rachels stressed the importance of being educated on Fentanyl and drug overdose. “At least five people die every single day in Arizona from an opioid overdose,” Rachels said.
Rachels explained that it’s vital to test your drugs, because the cost of using a small amount of a substance to test it is less than the cost of your life.
Every Tuesday, TACO shares an informa-
tional post on their Instagram for what they call “TACO Tuesday.” Sharing these posts on Instagram emphasizes the “peer interaction,” Rachels said. She explained that it allows other students to share the posts and reach people outside of UA.
Another way for students to become educated on recognizing an overdose and administering Narcan is by taking a course. University of Arizona Emergency Medical Services offers training courses for CPR, STOP THE BLEED and Narcan.
“We love teaching,” Jacob Herbert, an EMT and captain of public information and outreach for UAEMS, said. “We’re trying to teach as many classes as possible and educate
the public as much as possible.”
Anyone can reach out to request Narcan training for a club or organization — even groups outside of the UA.
“Our PIO team’s mission this semester has been just letting students know their resources,” Herbert said. This year, they met with all the residential assistants in dorms to train them on how to recognize the signs of an overdose and administer Narcan.
Last semester, they got to educate all of Greek Life as well. Herbert encourages students to download the SafeCats app for safety resources and to know what’s in the AED boxes around campus.
Herbert explained that oftentimes the EMS team receives calls from people unsure whether a friend or acquaintance is overdosing. It can be hard, Herbert noted, to tell the difference between an altered mental status and a dangerous overdose.
“If you’re not sure if someone is overdosing or not, you’re not sure what kind of drug they took or if they are actually overdosing on an opioid, you can still give that Narcan because there are no negative side effects from administering the Narcan to the person,” Herbert said.
Herbert shared that it’s common for the bystander effect to occur because other students assume someone else will be the one to call 911 when an overdose, or any situation, is happening.
Herbert and Rachels both shared that it’s important for students to know about the Good Samaritan Law, which protects people from disciplinary actions if they get help when witnessing an overdose, even if they themselves are under the influence. This law was intended to help combat the bystander effect and encourage more underage individuals to speak out.
Those in need of Narcan can find it in all AED boxes, but students can also find it at the Health Promotions Hideaway on the first floor in Bear Down Gym. TACO and UAEMS also distribute at many campus events.
NARCAN IS AVAILABLE IN Automated External Defibrillator (AED) boxes across campus. Narcan access has increased for students over the past academic year to combat drug overdose.
Fall in Tucson
WILDCAT COMICS CORNER
Hi everyone, this is your Comics Editor Sela Margalit. We have so many amazing new comic strips debuting this print edition! If you like what you read, make sure to check out more on the Comics page of our website at wildcat.arizona.edu! Bear down!
ATOMIC AGE ADVENTURES
BY SELA MARGALIT
OLIVE BRANCH
BY AMARA WILLIAMS
BUNCH OF BOTSENSE
BY ROBERTO BOURS
LIFEGUARD OFF DUTY
BY TRISTAN GEGANTOCA
SILVER BONES BY SIENNA WILEY
