Homecoming 2011

DAILY WILDCAT friday, november , 

INSIDE CALENDAR: EVENTS TO NOTE — A2 A FORMER WILBUR RETURNS — A3 NEW HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES — A3 SNAPSHOTS OF THE WEEK — A4 ROYALTY NOMINEES — 7 HOMECOMING GAME PREVIEW — 13

2011

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Homecoming Guide •

• Daily Wildcat

friday, november

4, 2011

red, blue &

foretold: A Homecoming Calendar Today Graduate and Professional Student Council Student Showcase: UA undergraduates and graduates will exhibit their research from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the UA Mall in front of the Main Library. The showcase has been held during Homecoming every year since 1993 and is the only student-run exhibition of its kind and magnitude in the country, according to GPSC. Entries will be judged and winners will be named for 12 different academic research categories.

Alumnus of the Year awards: The UA Alumni Association will honor select UA graduates with the Alumnus

of the Year award from 3 to 5 p.m. in the southern part of the Student Union Memorial Center Grand Ballroom.

The recognition honors outstanding achievement or service to the university and has been given out since 1943.

Bonfire and pep rally: The Pride of Arizona Pep Marching Band will hold its annual bonfire and pep rally in Main Gate Square before Saturday’s Homecoming football game from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Homecoming king and queen will also be crowned at this time.

Saturday

Tents on the Mall: Homecoming day begins with Tents

on the Mall at 10 a.m. A variety of UA clubs, organizations, students and faculty groups will be present.

First Homecoming fashion show in Alumni Plaza:

UA President Emeritus Peter Likins will sign his book “A New American Family” and answer questions at the UofA Bookstore from 11 a.m. until noon. Likins is this year’s featured Alumni Association author.

TREND, a business and fashion club in the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, will run a booth where club members will teach show participants how to create their own unique T-shirts. After the Homecoming parade ends, participants will display their shirts in a fashion show.

Parade:

Football game:

The Homecoming Parade will run south on Cherry Avenue from Second Street beginning at 12:30 p.m. This year’s parade grand marshall is Ron Barber, the district director for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, a 1967 alumnus and a survivor of the Jan. 8 shootings.

The Arizona Wildcats will take on the Utah Utes at 4 p.m. at Arizona Stadium.

Book signing:

Alumni reflect on time at UA, campus changes as they return for Homecoming

By Stewart McClintic Daily Wildcat

Many alumni have returned to their alma mater this week to visit the place they once called home.

Homecoming is “a chance to become re-acquainted with old friends and see the campus and how it has changed,” said Bill Ruebsamen, a graduate from 1977. “Homecoming wasn’t as meaningful as a student. Reuniting with old friends at Homecoming every few years allows me to pretend I’m young for a weekend.”

Alumni who come back for Homecoming range from last year’s graduates to those who graduated more than 50 years ago.

“Homecoming is a time when I can reconnect with my roots and college life,” said Sean Mulvey, who

graduated with a degree in finance in May 2010. “It’s very important to be here to see how things have changed, and in what directions life is taking everyone.”

Nancy Mills, the 1966 Homecoming queen and a 1968 English graduate said that, for her, Homecoming is about nostalgia. Mills, now a retired psychologist, said she is excited to return to the UA. “It’s nostalgic to think about remembering how it was to walk around campus and see how beautiful was,” she said.

Although she said she probably will not see many friends while she returns for this Homecoming, it is fun to see how much everything has changed and how many things are still the same.

“Reuniting with old friends at Homecoming every few years allows me to pretend I’m young for a weekend.” ­— Bill Ruebsamen Class of 1977

“As we age we hold onto the fond memories in life,” said David Byard, a 1977 graduate. “Our time at the UA was special and set the course for all our adult lives.”

Mark Hester never graduated with a degree from the UA, but still feels he is an alumnus nonetheless. He said he failed to graduate because

he had to leave to go work, and said Homecoming was special to him as a student because it was a time to get away during school and to learn how to grow up a bit. Hester is now currently the president of Hester, Heitel and Associates, a commercial insurance firm located in Phoenix.

Keith Ballard, a UA and Arizona State University alumnus, was a student at the UA from 1982 to 1983 and graduated from ASU with a Bachelor of Science in 1985. “I remember how much fun I had at the UA,” he said. “I was very irresponsible as an 18-yearold teenager, but through growth I was able to gain both confidence and leadership.”

Ballard, now 48 years old, was a winner of the California Teacher of the Year award in 2002 as well as

the Milken United States National Educator in 2003.

Mike Myers, who graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration, said, “Homecoming is not just a party and a football game.

It’s about reconnecting with friends, memories and my alma mater.”

Myers is now the president of Palio Communications, a global pharmaceutical and consumer advertising marketing and communications agency.

“I have rarely missed Homecoming since graduation as it in many ways recharges my batteries, brings back great memories and creates many opportunities for new ones,” he said. “I don’t feel old, but being at Homecoming definitely makes me feel young again.”

Frat looks to extend UAPD does not streak in float contest expect increases

in weekend crime

Theta Tau, winner of the last 12, matches up in annual campus clash

By Kyle Mittan Daily Wildcat

By Alexandra Bortnik Daily Wildcat

The approach of the UA’s 2011 Red, Blue and Bold Homecoming has kept campus fraternities laboring over their floats, placing finishing touches and preparing them for Saturday’s parade.

In the hopes of extending its 12-year winning streak, the UA’s engineering fraternity, Theta Tau, has been building its float for three weeks, according to Parker Imperl, an engineering management senior and vice regent of Theta Tau. Imperl said they took the main concept from last year’s float and incorporated it as a part of this year’s.

“We’re having a gigantic rocket fly over Old Main … We’re taking a big idea and putting it on the back burner and just using it as a supporting feature,” Imperl said. “I think that shows we’re confident that it’s going to trump everything that we’ve done before, maybe not everybody else, but what we’ve done and we only really work to improve on ourselves.”

Imperl said this year’s float will be made mostly from wood, cardboard and recycled materials from previous floats. Since the creation of Theta Tau’s sustainability committee three years ago, the fraternity has been dismantling its entire float after Homecoming and recycling and reusing whatever it can.

“There was a tradition in the past to destroy (the float) … then we said why are we wasting all these materials? So we started saving them and storing them at our house,” Imperl said.

David Badger, a civil engineering senior and member of Theta Tau, said he plans to wear red body paint and lead the float down the UA Mall.

“Homecoming is the most exciting time of the year,” Badger said. “It’s really where you can show all your school spirit. I’m

Gordon Bates / Daily Wildcat

Members of Theta Tau fraternity create their Homecoming float on Wednesday. Theta Tau is seeking its 13th consecutive win in the annual Homecoming float contest.

screaming at the top of my lungs out there and leading the parade and our float.”

The Associated Students of the University of Arizona’s float, being built by the Freshman Class Council, has been in the works for the past several weeks, according to Valerie Hanna, a political science freshman and a member of the council.

“It’s definitely going to be pretty theatrical, but also incorporate a lot of U of A traditions because that’s what the student government of the UA is all about,” Hanna said.

Hanna said she’s heard Theta Tau “is the one to beat,” but is

confident in ASUA’s efforts.

“We feel like our idea will give them a run for their money,” she said. “We’re going to try our best to execute as well as we can.”

The Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s goal for this Homecoming is to boost the morale of the UA’s football team, according to fraternity member Parker Stewart, an economics freshman. Stewart said the float will include a football helmet and goal posts.

“We’re just having a lot of fun out there. We’re all really excited for the parade and for homecoming,” Hanna said. “It’s just awesome to finally be a part of all the traditions here at the UA.”

UAPD and the UA Alumni Association said they aren’t worried about reckless behavior during Homecoming, despite doubts from students.

This year’s Homecoming festivities began Thursday, and features more than 50 events across four days, including a parade, a number of reunions and the UA’s football matchup against the University of Utah on Saturday. With such a large number of people occupying the UA Mall at one time, some may expect security difficulties, but event promoters and UAPD said they aren’t concerned.

“Typically what we try and address is disruptive behavior, anything that’s going to distract visitors and patrons from enjoying the game,” said Juan Alvarez, UAPD’s public information officer. “But typically that’s something we deal with at any football game, so it’s not something that’s just particular of Homecoming.”

According to Alvarez, the department will also be employing several off-duty officers in addition to the regular number to help coordinate traffic routes during the parade that will travel down the Mall on Saturday.

Much of the 2011 Homecoming presentation is being directed by the UA Alumni Association, which will run a tight schedule during the fourday celebration.

“We come up with a minute-byminute schedule for everything that’s happening on the Mall that is part of the Alumni Association Homecoming program,” said Melinda Burke, president and executive director of the association.

Burke said this schedule not only keeps Homecoming events running smoothly, but also plays a major role in ensuring everyone’s safety.

Collaboration between the UA Alumni Association and UAPD relies on this plan, and, according to Burke, communication between the two departments is flawless.

“They (UAPD) are pretty incredible,” Burke added. “If we need

directions or if we have questions, we don’t wait until Homecoming day to ask UAPD about an issue, and they’ve been very good at talking with us about potential issues.”

The UA Alumni Association is also prepared to hire more security if extra security guards are needed. Much of the security will concentrate on monitoring the tents on the Mall, especially those serving alcohol.

Despite the confidence of Homecoming’s promoters, some students on campus aren’t so sure that everything will be as easy to manage as they claim, especially once alcohol is served.

“I’m sure if there’s alcohol involved, then there will be something,” said Maura Jensen, a senior studying retailing and consumer science. “I always read stuff in the (Daily) Wildcat about like arrests at the dorms and stuff like that, so I’m sure there will be something if there’s underage people.”

Lilian Hautemulle, a chemistry senior, also said there might be issues, but because of the crowd itself.

“You have a lot more energy going into a system, so, yeah, there’s a lot more likelihood that something’s going to go wrong,” Hautemulle said. “More people, more partying. I wouldn’t say it’s assumed. It would be natural, though.”

On the other hand, not everyone has such doubts about UAPD’s efforts to keep everything under control.

“I haven’t noticed anything crazy happening on campus whenever I’ve been around,” said Andrew VanSchoiack, a chemistry graduate student. “It’s not really going to be a big deal.”

The primary message from UAPD to Homecoming’s patrons is to enjoy the weekend.

“We’d like to ask the people that come here to make sure they have a good time, but be aware of your behavior and how it affects the people around you,” Alvarez said. “We want everyone to come here and have a good time, so when they do leave the University of Arizona, they come away with a good experience.”

Homecoming Guide •

friday, november

4, 2011

Daily Wildcat •

the return of Sibley’s return marks 15th year portraying Arizona mascot

wilbur

By Kyle Johnson Daily Wildcat

For Kirk Sibley, Homecoming isn’t just a chance for him to come back and watch his alma mater play football — it’s a chance for him to relive the greatest years of his life.

Starting in 1996, Sibley was Wilbur T. Wildcat. Ever since his graduation in 1999, he has returned to reclaim his role as the beloved mascot at every Homecoming for a record 15 years.

“For me that’s just what I look forward to every year,” he said.

“That day where I can just get out there and put the costume on and get the crowd going again.”

Sibley grew up in Tucson. He said he wanted to attend the UA for his whole life, but financial restraints kept him away from the UA after he finished high school. Eventually he decided he couldn’t bear the wait any longer and became a Wildcat, both metaphorically and physically.

Image courtesy of Kirk Sibley

Kirk Sibley, who returns to the UA for his 15th Homecoming appearance on Saturday, began portraying Wilbur Wildcat in 1996.

And the bond that was created by fulfilling his dream has never disappeared.

“Just because I graduated (my

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attachment) wasn’t going away,” Sibley said. “I wasn’t feeling like I wanted to sever ties. It still was and is a really special place for me.”

In his post-Wilbur years, Sibley has stayed connected by volunteering as the videographer for the Pride of Arizona marching band. He records its rehearsals and shows, and even went to band camp the last two years.

To him, the marching band has always been special, especially since he was a band member his freshman year.

He said that he enjoys being referred to as “The UA’s Band Mascot” and even still cries when he hears it play “Bear Down.”

The extensive time and energy he contributes is purely on a volunteer basis. Sibley works full time for Intel Corp. in Chandler, yet the hour-long drive to Tucson has never deterred him from donating his time to the school he loves.

Last year, Sibley made a 45-minute DVD for the band using more than 130 hours of footage that he recorded. Sibley also contributed most of the footage used in the Pride of Arizona’s introductory video that is shown before every football game.

“I probably got a little mistyeyed when I saw that footage up there,” he said about seeing the video on Arizona Stadium’s

new video board. “And not just because it was my footage, but just because I was able to still be able to do something that contributes to the school and the program.”

The UA left a lasting impact on Sibley, but it’s not a one-way street. Since he put on the furry head of Wilbur, things have never been the same.

Sibley began the tradition of the shirt-lift in 1998, a skit that is still done today.

He also brought back the tradition in which graduating Wilburs sign the wall inside the changing room, leaving a lasting impression of the work each student contributed.

Even though this is his 15th Homecoming game, Sibley sees no end in sight for his days as Wilbur. He only wants to stop if he is physically unable to or it is no longer fun, and neither of those scenarios has happened yet, he said.

For Sibley, he just loves being on the field with the band and entertaining the crowd for one game each year.

“It’s just a complete thrill,” Sibley said.

Just another Sports hall of fame inducts nine Wildcats The UA’s Sports Hall of Fame will induct nine Wildcat contributors into the class of 2011, including softball great Alicia Hollowell, national championship-winning swimming coach Frank Busch and professional baseball player Trevor Hoffman.

Alicia Hollowell

Sport: Softball, pitcher Time at UA: 2003-06 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA All-American, 144 career wins, 2006 Women’s College World Series champion, Wildcat record-holder in career wins, innings pitched and strikeouts.

Frank Busch

Sport: Swim and dive, head coach Time at UA: 1989-2011 Accomplishments: 22 years at Arizona, 2008 dual NCAA National Champion for both men’s and women’s teams, NCAA Coach of the Year six times

Kim Glass

Sport: Volleyball, outside hitter Time at UA: 2002-06 Accomplishments: Holds Arizona record of 2,151 kills in her career and record for service aces with 162, member of 2008 USA Olympic squad and silver medalist

Lyndon Ferns

Sport: Swim Time at UA: 2002-06 Accomplishments: 24-time All-American at Arizona, gold medalist on South African 4X100 freestyle relay team in 2004 Olympics

Trevor Hoffman

Sport: Baseball, pitcher/infielder Time at UA: 1988-89 Accomplishments: Played infielder at Arizona before going on to an 18-year MLB career as pitcher, seven-time MLB All-Star

Others inducted: Marshi Smith (swim), Shawntinice Polk (women’s basketball), Robert Cheseret (cross-country, track and field), Simon Burnett (swim).

— Daily Wildcat staff

game Homecoming contest doesn’t stand out for Arizona players

By Alex Williams Daily Wildcat

While most of the attention that the football team receives during Homecoming has to do with its performance on the field, the Wildcats are looking forward to what comes off of the gridiron.

A number of ex-Wildcats make it back to Tucson each year for Homecoming. That’s what has quarterback Nick Foles most excited about this year’s festivities.

Still, it’s just another football game, as Arizona looks to keep its slim bowl hopes alive with a win against Utah on Saturday.

“This is just another chance to see them, so it’ll be fun to catch up and see how they’re doing,” Foles said.

“To see some of the ex-players that I played with when I first got here will be pretty neat.”

Many players that are now playing in the NFL make it back to the Old Pueblo for workouts during the summer, something that Foles said can make up for their inability to come back for the Homecoming game.

“A lot of the guys that are in the league, I know they’re busy,” Foles said. “So I doubt all of them will make it back. But it’ll be fun to see who comes back and to catch up with those guys after the game.”

But while Foles and several other players look forward to seeing old teammates, cornerback Trevin Wade said that he doesn’t understand the excitement surrounding Homecoming weekend every year.

“I never get the feeling,” Wade said.

“I don’t understand it. I just go out there and play.”

Wade said that while he doesn’t get caught up in the Homecoming festivities, he’s happy to see former players make it back whenever possible.

“It’s pretty cool, but I only really talk to a few of them,” Wade continued. “It was cool seeing (Rob) Gronkowski a couple of weeks back. We talk all the

time, so that was cool seeing him.”

But while seniors Foles and Wade have learned to block out some of the extra attention that comes with Homecoming every year, freshman running back Ka’Deem Carey said that he’s looking forward to his first homecoming at Arizona, even though he’s from the Tucson area.

“I just get to play here and play in this stadium,” sad Carey, a Canyon del Oro High School graduate. “It’s just a fun atmosphere, but I feel like every game is a Homecoming.”

Quotes to

Note

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“It’s going to be a great environment out there. We’ve got a lot of the fans coming back and a lot of the explayers coming back. As a team, we’re just looking to go out there and put on a show for them.”

– Safety Robert Golden

“I never get the feeling. I don’t understand it. I just go out there and play.”

– Cornerback Trevin Wade

“Just having all the guys come in. Ex-players, they’ll come back and work out over the summer or whatever, so it’ll be fun to see who comes back and catch up with those guys after the game.

– Quarterback Nick Foles

“Homecoming’s always a good time of year. I’m excited to get out there in front of all the old alumni, so guys are really pumped up this week.”

– Wide receiver Gino Crump

community chatter How do you plan on celebrating Homecoming?

James Wan media arts senior

“They always have big events when it’s the busiest time of the school year.

My celebration will be working hard on my homework.”

“I’m in Greek Life, so we’ll be doing a full week of events with a sorority.”

Rob Lucas political science junior

Timothy Vanneman psychology sophomore

“Paint wars with my frat.

We’re doing a lot of stuff, but I look forward to that one the most. I think everyone should go out and do something to support the UA.”

KJ Krumbach interdisciplinary studies sophomore

“Homecoming is about having fun, so I’ll probably hang out with my friends. Just living it up and taking a break from studying.”

“Our fraternity is having their 60-year anniversary dinner and that’s pretty special.

In general, it’ll probably be a Thomas Beard lot bigger and pre-business there’ll be more freshman things to do than in high school.

I’m looking forward to it.”

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Homecoming Guide •

• Daily Wildcat

friday, november

4, 2011

Biochemistry freshman Bryce Fronstin competed with members of Freshman Class Council in Club Olympics tug-a-war Thursday evening.

A WEEKLONG WAIT Photos by Ernie Somoza Daily Wildcat

The slate of events for this year’s Homecoming Week began last Sunday when “A” Mountain was lit by members of the Bobcats Senior Honorary.

Now, after a series of muddy tug-of-wars, sloppy pie-eating contests, the dunking of hunks and clubs competing in tests of strength and skill, Homecoming weekend is here.

Chain Gang Honorary supports their club during the Club Olympics on the UA Mall on Wednesday afternoon.

Brittany Steinke, history senior and member of the Bobcats Senior Honorary, participated in the traditioanal lighting of “A” Mountain to signal the beginning of Homecoming week on Sunday.

Clubs gathered on the UA Mall every day this week to show their support during the Club Olympics. The weeklong competitions are a yearly tradition hosted by Bobcats Senior Honorary.

HOMECOMINGMULTIMEDIA

Want to see more from this week’s Homecoming events? Trying to find video of yourself participating in Homecoming Week?

Check out dailywildcat.com/multimedia for more coverage of this week’s events.