Daily Wildcat | Spring 20220 Commencement & Year-In-Review | May 2022 by Arizona Daily Wildcat

THE DAILY WILDCAT VOLUME 115 | ISSUE 157 | COMMENCEMENT & YEAR-IN-REVIEW | MAY 2022

SINCE 1899, THE STUDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA & TUCSON • ONLINE, ALL THE TIME, AT DAILYWILDCAT.COM

3, 2, 1 — Launch!

2022 grads remove masks, head to normal graduation ceremony for the first time in over two years

2 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

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4 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

2022 Year-End Edition | VOLUME 115, ISSUE 157 Honoraries

Senior spotlight

Senior Bobcats have club pride

Featured work from our photographers

Global news

Swings, vaccines and robots, oh my!

Roundtable

A year in world news

Sports reporters’ moment of the year

Pup patrol

Science A year’s worth of discoveries and breakthroughs

OPINION: No postgrad plans? It’s OK

Photographers

Year in news

Involved senior gives advice to underclassmen

Music Pride of Arizona Marching band

Post-grad plans

Proﬁle on Skip the bombsnifﬁng dog

A PRODUCTION OF THE DAILY WILDCAT SPORTS DESK

Volume 115 • Issue 157 Editor-in-Chief JT Thorpe editor@dailywildcat.com

Science Editor Udbhav Venkataraman science@dailywildcat.com

Opinions Editor Payton Toomey opinion@dailywildcat.com

Managing Editor Sam Burdette samb@dailywildcat.com

Comics Editor John Konrad johnk@dailywildcat.com

Photo Editor Tia Stephens photo@dailywildcat.com

Training Coordinator Capri Fain mentors@dailywildcat.com

Sports Editor Ryan Wohl sports@dailywildcat.com

Multimedia Editor Nathanial Stenchever nates@dailywildcat.com

News Editor Maggie Rockwell news@dailywildcat.com

Assistant Sports Editor Asher Bookspan

Copy Chief Hannah Martuscello copy@dailywildcat.com

Assistant News Editor Sohi Kang Enterprise Editor Kate Ewing investigate@dailywildcat.com

Arts & Life Editor Madison Beveridge arts@dailywildcat.com Assistant Arts & Life Editor Abbie Kosoc

Assistant Copy Chief Avery Martinez

THE DAILY WILDCAT News Reporters Sean Meixner Vic Verbalaitis Kate Ewing Annabel Lecky Sam Parker Kiara Adams Susan Barnett Vivek Aking Jeremiah Ludwig Tatyana Johnson Marla LopezPortillo Cole Fields Olivia Butler Natalie Temple Hannah Johnson Kristijan Barnjak Brianna McCord Sports Reporters Jake Faigus

Ari Koslow Devin Homer Andrea Morabito Aidan Alperstein CJ Lala Cole Johnson Alex Poor Jason Dayee Delaney Penn Sam Gillman

Opinion Writers Isabelle Freguia Kelly Marry Maayan Cohen Olivia Krupp Grace Katich Maggie Landon Julianna Strano Alexzandria Martinez Sophia Hammer

May 2022 Arts & Life Reporters Ellen Nangia Ana Teresa Espinoza Selassie Flower Liv Leonard AJ Stash Castillo Amanda Mourelatos Erika Howlett Taylor Maresca Jaden Zelms Catherine Hill Copy Editors Frances Drye Tereza Rascon Ash Johnston Kristijan Barnjak

Photographers and Multimedia Reporters Caitlin Claypool Carly Markovich Danielle Main Eli Rahamim Jackie Cabrera Marison Bilagody Augustine Lopez Cartoonists Jemelle Texeria Keryn Aponte Galadriel Gross Nettie Gastelum Jasmine Ma Mary Ann Vagnerova

Designers JT Thorpe Hannah Martuscello Sam Burdette Payton Toomey Kate Ewing Avery Martinez Kristijan Barnjak John Konrad Nathanial Stenchever Capri Fain UATV 3 General Manager AJ Janos gm@UATV.arizona.edu KAMP Student Radio General Manager Annika Reimers gm@KAMP.arizona.edu

ABOUT THE DAILY WILDCAT: The Daily Wildcat is the University of Arizona’s student-run, independent news source. While publishing daily online at DailyWildcat.com, its print edition is distributed on campus and throughout Tucson during fall and spring semesters. The function of the Wildcat is to disseminate news to the

community and to encourage an exchange of ideas. The Daily Wildcat was founded in 1899. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in the newspaper or DailyWildcat.com are the sole property of the Daily Wildcat and may not be reproduced without the specific consent of the editor-in-chief. A single print copy of the Daily Wildcat is free from newsstands. Unauthorized removal of multiple copies will be considered theft and may be prosecuted. Additional print copies of the Daily Wildcat are available from the Arizona Student Media office. The Daily Wildcat is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Arizona Newspapers Association.

EDITORIAL POLICY: Daily Wildcat

editorials represent the official opinion of the Daily Wildcat opinions board, which is determined at opinions board meetings. Opinion columns, guest commentary, cartoons, online comments and letters to the editors do not represent the opinion of the publication, but that of the author.

CORRECTIONS: Corrections or complaints concerning Daily Wildcat content should be directed to the editor-in-chief. For further information on the Daily Wildcat’s approved grievance policy, readers may contact the Daily Wildcat adviser (at adviser@dailywildcat.com) in the Sherman R. Miller 3rd Newsroom at the University Services Building. NEWS TIPS: (520) 621-3193 The Daily Wildcat is always interested in story ideas and tips from readers. If you see something deserving of coverage, contact the newsroom at storyideas@dailywildcat.com or call 621-3193.

COVER DESIGN: Galadriel Gross | The Daily Wildcat

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

DailyWildcat.com • 5

2022 COMMENCEMENT | CEREMONIES

UA commencement returns to standard operations after two years of COVID-19 restrictions BY HANNAH MARTUSCELLO @DailyWildcat

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing unusual graduation expectations, this year’s commencement ceremonies are bringing back a semblance of prepandemic normalcy. Graduation in 2020 was completely virtual, and graduation in 2021 had limited guest attendance and mandatory COVID-19 tests for students. This year, there will be no masks or testing required, though masks are strongly recommended. Graduating students attending the event will require a ticket to enter, which can be obtained by RSVPing through the commencement website. The ticket will be sent to the student’s CatMail email address and scanned upon entry. Along with that, graduating students need to bring their CatCard or a government-issued I.D., and it is required to wear regalia for

commencement. Tickets are not required for guests, however, seating is on a first-come, firstserve basis, so arrive early to secure a seat. Guests are also asked to not bring items that can obstruct the view of others, such as balloons, signs and posters or confetti. Arizona Stadium will also enforce the clear bag policy for bags bigger than the size of a hand. Projected weather forecasts say it will be a high of 90 degrees, so be sure to dress for the weather and drink lots of water. There will be water stations, and attendants can bring their own, sealed water or an empty, reusable water bottle. Parking at the university garages and lots will be free for the day. There will be golf cart and shuttle services from both Highland and Main Gate Garages to the stadium. Commencement is at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 13, in Arizona Stadium. The doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Convocation Ceremonies

NETTIE GASTELUM | THE DAILY WILDCAT

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA says students recieve a certificate when they cross the graduation stage, but can recieve diplomas in two to three weeks.

The UA’s 158th commencement ceremony will be streamed live and recorded, and is expected to be 90 minutes Thursday, May 12 College of Applied Science & Technology Location: Buena High School, Sierra Vista, Time: 4 p.m.

College of Fine Arts (graduate) Location: Crowder Hall, Time: 2 p.m.

Friday, May 13 Army ROTC Commissioning

Saturday, May 14 Naval ROTC Commissioning

Location: Stevie Eller Dance Theater, Time: 9 a.m.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Location: Centennial Hall, Time: 2 p.m.

James E. Rogers College of Law

College of Humanities (graduate)

Location: McKale Center, Time: 2 p.m.

Location: Student Union Memorial Center North Ballroom, Time: 2 p.m.

Location: McKale Center, Time: 9 a.m.

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (undergraduate)

College of Fine Arts (undergraduate)

Location: McKale Center, Time: 2 p.m.

College of Medicine (MD only) Location: Centennial Hall, Time: 2 p.m.

College of Nursing Location: Centennial Hall, Time: 9 a.m.

College of Science Location: McKale Center, Time: 7 p.m.

Eller College of Management (graduate) Location: Centennial Hall, Time: 7 p.m.

Honors College Location: McKale Center, Time: 2 p.m.

College of Education

Location: Centennial Hall, Time: 2 p.m.

College of Humanities (undergraduate) Location: Student Union Memorial Center Grand Ballroom, Time: 9 a.m.

Eller College of Management (undergraduate) Location: McKale Center, Time: 9 a.m.

College of Public Health Location: Centennial Hall, Time: 9 a.m.

College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture Location: Centennial Hall, Time: 7 p.m.

College of Pharmacy Location: Centennial Hall, Time: 9 a.m.

University of Arizona - Yuma Location: Veteran’s Memorial Stadium, Time: 7 p.m.

Monday, May 16 College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (graduate) Location: Centennial Hall, Time: 9 a.m.

6 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

2022 COMMENCEMENT | BY STAFF

Senior Daily Wildcat editor reflections BY CAPRI FAIN @Capri_Fain

I really shouldn’t tell anyone this, but I always end up starting with it: I never wanted to be a journalist. In high school, my mom and I got obsessed with “Gilmore Girls.” We used to joke that the show was based on us. So many details were eerily similar (down to the car we drove! The car!) with one glaring exception: Rory was a journalist. That show must be a prophecy or something because here I am. I think that good journalism can really make an impact. It’s stressful as hell though, and the Wildcat has been a necessary source of support for me. I love returning that support however I can, and while I’ve found myself in some wild, exciting situations, my favorite thing is still the look in a reporter’s eye before they ask something and the hesitant, “hey, Capri?” My second favorite thing is when Sam groans, “Oh, Capri,” followed by too much laughing. We’re exhausted college students trying to run a newspaper, what do you expect? I’m going to miss the Wildcat, and I really don’t know what else to say, but I don’t want to end on a sad note, so we’ll go with: the Daily Wildcat is way cooler than the Yale Daily News. (“Gilmore Girls” fans, you get it). — Capri Fain, Training Coordinator

BY MADISON BEVERIDGE @maddiebev

Coming to the UA, I truly knew nothing about journalism. I loved movies like the “Devil Wears Prada” and watching journalists in fictional roles on TV and thought, “OK, I could definitely be a journalism major.” But over the past few years, my time at the Daily Wildcat and School of Journalism has taught me how important this field is.

BY ASHER BOOKSPAN @abookspan

Coming into the office, being in e-board meetings and just getting to be a part of the newsroom has helped me become the

BY SAM BURDETTE @SuperSafetySam

I’m experiencing a bit of déjà vu, but with a new level of terror. This time last year, I was editor-inchief of the Daily Wildcat about to graduate with my B.A. in journalism

best journalist I can be and has given me skills that will help me in the future. It has given me opportunities that I never could have dreamed possible while reporting for the University of Arizona community. I found lifelong friends here but also a deeper passion for the work I do and the importance it has. My only regret is not joining sooner. This year, especially this semester, has flown by and I cannot believe that my time here

is coming to an end. Everyone here has contributed to this being my favorite year in college and I cannot thank everyone here enough for that. I know the Wildcat is in great hands and will continue to do great things in the future. Congratulations to all the graduating seniors and, as always, Bear Down and go Cats!

and communication. Now a year later, I’m about to graduate with my M.A. in journalism. But this time it’s final. The most shocking, yet true, thing I’ve heard about post-graduation was the realization that we’ll never have to do homework again. Our evenings will be evenings and our weekends will be weekends. I can’t begin to express how strange that is. What am I going to do with all my time? The end of my school career is shocking, but it’s only rivaled by the

realization that I’m leaving this place — the Daily Wildcat — that I’ve loved so dearly for nearly four years. I’ve served in so many positions here and I’ve learned so much. The connections I’ve made here will last a lifetime, and I will forever remember and value my time here. Bear Down!

journalism. Along with this, I am extremely grateful to have been a part of the Daily Wildcat for the past two years. Working as a reporter and assistant editor for the Arts and Life desk has given me useful insight on not only how to be a better reporter, writer and editor but how to work collectively with others inside and outside of the newsroom. Through reporting, I have had the opportunity to interview and meet incredible individuals who provided me with intriguing stories and knowledge that

I will carry into my future career. As an assistant editor, I was able to learn what goes on behind the scenes and guide my desk reporters with any possible assistance they needed. Our weekly meetings and a strong sense of communication built great friendships and even better reporters and I look forward to seeing the success of the Wildcat in the future.

BY ABBIE KOSOC @abbiekosoc

Coming into college, I chose to major in journalism solely because of my love for writing. The past four years of my education at the University of Arizona have taught me various other reasons to adore the world of

The connections I have made with my colleagues, classmates, professors and sources over the past four years have fostered my love for storytelling. I am grateful to have been a part of the Daily Wildcat and have cherished my time growing from a nervous and unprepared reporter to desk editor of the Arts and Life desk. I will always keep an eye out for the Thursday Arts and Life newsletters and am excited to see where the Daily Wildcat goes in the future. I look forward to watching more students and new reporters fall in love with journalism! — Madison Beveridge, Arts & Life Editor

— Asher Bookspan, Assistant Sports Editor

— Sam Burdette, Managing Editor

BY MAGGIE ROCKWELL @magzrock

I can’t tell you what I would have done if I didn’t walk into the Daily Wildcat newsroom almost three years ago. You never could have told me that journalism would be something I would fall in love with and actually be good at, but I did and I will be forever indebted to this place and

— Abbie Kosoc, Assistant Arts & Life Editor

these people. I was wildly lost and wildly unsure of my future. I thought I would have to drop out of school, but here I am actually graduating. Leaving the DW and my friends, peers and mentors is heartbreaking, but I feel so lucky to have this experience and these memories. Leading this newsroom was one of the greatest honors I’ve ever had, so thank you to all of you for reading my many police beats, ASUA notebooks and all the others in between. Bear Down! — Maggie Rockwell, News Editor

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

DailyWildcat.com • 7

2022 COMMENCEMENT | STANDOUTS

The 100th class of Bobcats takes school pride to a new level BY ERIKA HOWLETT @DailyWildcat

On May 13, thousands of students will walk the stage and graduate from the University of Arizona. Among them, 13 students who have especially distinguished themselves will move on from undergraduate life, but their journey as Wildcats is just getting started. The Bobcats Senior Honorary is a prestigious on-campus organization advised by alumni and dedicated to “preserving the unity and welfare of the University of Arizona.” It is composed of 13 seniors who are deeply committed to the school and were selected following a rigorous application process. The organization dates back to 1922 and was created with 13 members to honor the 13 UA students that were killed in service in World War I. This year’s group was particularly special, being the 100th class of Bobcats. They held an anniversary celebration attended by many alumni of the program in February. The Bobcats are also responsible for major events like Homecoming and represent the university in a variety of ways, which includes interacting with alumni and top leadership. Each class outlines its goals and discusses the legacy it wishes to leave. This year, its intent was to serve as a “unifying light” for the UA community. Bobcats are some of the most involved and motivated UA seniors. They come from different majors, backgrounds and involvements, but when it comes to the university, they share a set of values and a true commitment to their school. As physiology and medical sciences student Troy Weinstein explained, being a Bobcat goes far beyond senior year. “It’s a lifetime thing,” Weinstein said. “Our time as a student Bobcat is coming to an end but our Bobcat relationship is just beginning.” Business economics and entrepreneurship student Kay Badenhuizen heard about the

Bobcats through older friends as an underclassmen and was intrigued by the idea of giving back to the school. “I realized this might be my opportunity to actually find an all-encompassing way to be part of something that gives back to the [UA],” Badenhuizen said. Brooke Lenhart, a philosophy, politics, economics and law and geography student was involved in honoraries and student government. She attended many schools throughout her life and wanted to choose a university that would provide her with a strong sense of community. “I want something to be my alma mater,” Lenhart said. “I want something to tie me back to this campus for years and years to come.” As a Bobcat, she’s achieved just that. Beyond serving as a leader, Lenhart has enjoyed the smaller moments, like getting to know her fellow Bobcats on a trip to California. “All of these people really are lifelong connections,” Lenhart said. Business economics and management information systems double major Rohan Bakshi was very involved in the Eller College of Management and Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. He was glad, however, to interact with students of all majors in the Bobcats. “I think all of us did a great job at bringing our communities together,” Bakshi said. Bobcats share a strong camaraderie. They spend a lot of time with one another throughout the year, attending events in Tucson and beyond to represent the university and build connections. “I was introduced to some of my best friends, it’s just a group of people that I am so blessed to have met,” Bakshi said. As a business student, Badenhuizen was also very active in Eller College of Management and wants to remain a part of that community. “I know I’m excited to get to the next stage of my life, but I am not willing to neglect that connection that I have with the university as

a whole and in particular with my college,” Badenhuizen said. The Bobcats are unified in their mission, each demonstrating clear passion for their organization and the school. In the vein of being a “unifying light,” the Bobcats sought to foster connections on campus all year. One project, led by Lenhart and Weinstein, was the transformation of the All-Honorary Council into the All-Leadership Council, which brings together leaders from all organizations across the school to discuss important topics and learn from one another. “It’s been awesome combining that into one group and connecting all these leaders,” Weinstein said. Through their hard work, each member displays a tangible pride in the UA community, and they hope to share it with their fellow students as leaders. “It’s really just a great opportunity to communicate to everyone that it is a cool and honorable thing to have pride in your university,” Bakshi said. As Lenhart pointed out, you’re only an active Bobcat for one school year, but that legacy lasts for a lifetime. As these students move on, they will carry their Wildcat pride with them and remain closely connected with the network of mentors that Bobcats provides. After graduation, Lenhart will work with Teach for America in Chicago. Long-term, she is considering several career options but is passionate about working with youth and helping others. Bakshi and Badenhuizen both have jobs lined up in management consulting and will use their Bobcat leadership skills to help them. Bakshi praised the collaborative environment on campus and will continue to forge connections with UA alumni and students, even as he moves to New York City after graduating. Weinstein has wanted to be a doctor since he was a kid, motivated by a genuine passion for service. Through the W.A. Franke

COURTESY CHRIS RICHARDS

THE 100TH CLASS OF the Bobs Senior Honorary posing for graduation photos in from of Old Main on the University of Arizona campus.

Honors College, Weinstein earned early acceptance into the UA College of Medicine. “I’ll be staying in Tucson four more years and I could not be more excited,” Weinstein said. With their future already concrete, these Bobcats are spending their last few weeks at the UA focused on one thing: the people around them. “The thing that I’m most proud of is definitely the relationships that I’ve cultivated over the years,” Lenhart said. She and the other Bobcats are trying to maximize their time left, reaching out to all the people they’ve connected with in their four years of school. “I wanna make sure that these bonds were not just for a period of my college experience, but I make sure they are for life,” Badenhuizen said. Though it will be bittersweet, the Bobcats are excited to graduate and take what they’ve learned out into the world. “Graduating from the University of Arizona is going to be a huge, monumental step for me,” Lenhart said. Before then, they will inaugurate the new class of 13 Bobcats, who will continue this legacy. “Passing on the torch to them is really exciting,” Badenhuizen said. The Bobcats have advice to

share. Lenhart believes in getting involved and building relationships. “Say yes to anything that interests you,” Lenhart said. “Buy in early. Be obsessed with the people that you surround yourself with. Be obsessed with the activities that you’re doing.” Badenhuizen echoed this sentiment. “I wouldn’t have had the experience at the university had I not thrown myself into everything, said yes to everything,” Badenhuizen said. “You get what you give … I’ve gotten so much from this school because I’ve given myself to the school.” Overall, the Bobcats exhibit immense gratitude to the university and take their commitment seriously. “Giving back just has always been what fulfills me,” Weinstein said. “Bobcats has allowed me to continue to give back and hopefully pay it forward to students who one day will continue to build up this university.” As they transition from students to alumni, their bond with the UA will stay strong and remain for years to come. “I am so grateful for this school,” Badenhuizen said. “I want to make sure that I give back at least a fraction of everything this school gave to me.”

8 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

THANK YOU

MAY 2022 GRADUATES!

Campus Recreation recognizes our valuable team members: Abigail Hammons Abigail Thompson Ajitha Doniparthi Alexia Stewart Amy Martinez Andrea Vazquez Andy Mercurio-Sakwa Antonio Aranguren Antonio Chaves-Hernandez Ariana Vasquez Audra Balland Austin Wales Avery Thomas Bailee Stevens Braden Rowe Brandon Jurdzik Brendan Haugh Caden Dorn Cameron Collins Cassie Eraci Chance Van Dyke Claire Rosenberger Danielle Main Favour “Sosa” Osawaru Gabby Karber Garett McKeever Gerardo Buelna Grace Gibbons Haley Johnson Hannah Reiddeman Ian Orringer Isa Dodson Isabel Wirth

Isaiah Aguilar Jackie Gadziala Jake Romo Jazmin Youngblood Jenna Perrien Jennifer Espersen Jeri Wilcox Julia Colleran Julia McElwee Julian Oliveras Kaitlin Junek Katelyn Prouty Katie Gronbach Kiana Mochitani Lauren Sadler Levi Frounfelter Luis Garcia Lyndon Terrado Mariza Nicolas Martin Mendoza Matheo Herrera Michael Abraham Mitchell Kaufmann Nick Dogger Olivia Garcia Rachel Gunther Rebecca Chon-Lopez Riley Gordon Ryan Byrne Shan Register Ty Malmgren Zoe Johnson

All your hard work and dedication is greatly appreciated. We wish you the very best in your future endeavors!

Congratulations to the 2021/2022

SENIOR AWARD AND CENTENNIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS

The recipients of these awards embody the academic pursuit of excellence, scholarship, and leadership, and the best that the University of Arizona has to oﬀer.

FREEMAN MEDAL Bryce Galus Anna-Rose Quinn

NUGENT AWARD Nizan Howard Trevor Nolan Tankersley

ROBIE MEDALS Lily Yu Lin McNair My Duyen L. Tran

PROVOST AWARD Karen Jacquez

CENTENNIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS UNDERGRADUATE Josué Ángel Chávez Jacqueline C. Johnson MASTERS Leo Montiel Corrales Hunter Lohse Zachary Scott Stout DOCTORATE Sophie S. Alves Michelle Rascón-Canales Felisia Tagaban Gaskin

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

DailyWildcat.com • 9

The Dean of Students Oﬃce congratulates the following graduating students who have worked alongside us this past year, helping us serve the University of Arizona community Arizona Student Media Masters Sam Burdette Nate Smith Bachelor Susan Barnett Amanda Betz Madison Beveridge Asher Bookspan Jake Faigus Capri Fain Ruby Fulford Sam Gillman Ethan Haden AJ Janos Hannah Johnson Ari Koslow Abbie Kosoc Justin Kramer CJ Lala Margaret Landon Taylor Maresca Alexzandria Martinez Jacob Mennuti Cielo Pérez Sava Radakovich Maggie Rockwell Joseph Rogers Bryan Savic Will Serio Julianna Strano Bennett Tolar

Associated Students of the University of Arizona Masters Riley Conklin Danielle Niichel Stephen Westby Bachelor Kassie Long Elsa Belen Ayon Esther Lopez Soul Ezra Bjornson Jiselle Lugo Miles Blakley Kendra Karinn Martinez Emma Bosworth Sarah Martino Victoria Bower Limya Elizabeth Mathew Haley Boyd Sydney Mathis Erin Broas Seliah McCasland Grace Bryars Chelsea Mendoza Paige Campbell Kimberly Miller Gary Coleman Dominique Milligan Ziana Collins Max Mora Cesar Contreras Kara Narberes Katie Cote Simone Norton-Abad Alexandria Devereux Isabel Olivas Braden Doub Quinn Rainer Kiera Eason Chaitanya Ranade Destiny Gipson Robert Rodriguez Griffin Guttenberg Zul Santiago Jack Healy Deip Sekhadia Lauren Heath Jiwon Seo Karla Hernandez Marissa Simental Sabrina Hirshorn Elana Terner Hannah Johnson Abbigale Toro Himanshi Kapoor Jordan-Isaiah Toyos Kara Renee Kemp Sarah Turner Fatma Khalaf Noah Vega Zakary King Samara Walker Abbie Kosoc Emma Weaver Marissa Claire Lee Jeri Wilcox Brooke Lenhart Evan Zavitz Emily Lauren Lenz Carolina Gomez Llanos

Thank You!

Disability Resource Center Doctorate Abiola Mustapha Bachelor Emma Capranica Ethan Kessler Disability Cultural Center Bachelor Skyler Cully Leo Effendi Fraternity & Sorority Programs Masters Steve Lemerand Military Science Bachelor Gillian Bedgood Veterans Education & Transition Services Doctorate Duan Copeland Masters Stephen Westby Bachelor Jared Chourre Ian Forsyth Zach Hammer Joshua Primeaux Blaze Smith Jake Smith

10 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

2022 COMMENCEMENT | TOURISM

Graduation season: How Tucson hotels and eateries handle influx of people BY AJ STASH CASTILLO @comicsconverse

As graduation season approaches, businesses surrounding the University of Arizona prepare for the incoming crowds. The UA is no stranger to this as they hold annual commencement ceremonies for about 9,000 students. With a large graduating class, many families from out of town come to stay near the university to attend the ceremonies. The Graduate and Marriott hotels are two locations that families book around graduation. Restaurants like Caruso’s and bakeries like Woops! Bakeshop also see an increase in reservations and orders. While some would panic at the increase of customers, these places have a system for handling the influx. Ande Motzkin, the general manager of Caruso’s, knows how to handle the boost in business around May. With the restaurant being one of the more popular places to eat, she knows how to prepare for the rush. “During the regular season, we can take reservations for up to 40 people. During the month of May we reduce that to 12 as a maximum. Another thing that we do is we have started taking deposits for reservations because a lot of times plans will change at the last minute and with the shortage of staff that’s happening all around we’re having to compensate servers to come in on their days off or work on days they don’t normally work,” Motzkin said. Caruso’s has been in Tucson since 1938. It is popular due to its location on Historic Fourth Avenue along with its delicious Italian food and unlimited garlic bread. “Normally we allow people to choose their times, but what we’ve done is take-in [dining]

CARLY MARKOVICH | THE DAILY WILDCAT

WINDOWS REFLECT ONTO THE front of the Marriott hotel on Second Street. The hotel is conveniently close to University Boulevard which has a variety of restaurants to choose from.

macaron-based is the big seller for them with the UA logo on top from opening to closing. So, we during graduation,” Lippel said. and made it all nice and it was make two-hour blocks for our Woops! Bakeshop is still fairly great. Then, a couple of years tables that we reserve and that’s new to Main Gate Square as it later, they came back for us to do all we can take, so we leave a opened around six years ago. their wedding,” Lippel said. few tables open for people who Lippel made connections with It isn’t just restaurants and walk in or didn’t know we take customers and shared great bakeries that handle the increase reservations,” Motzkin said. stories and memories with them. of customers for graduation. Besides restaurants, bakeries “There was a family a couple of Hotels do as well. The Graduate are another popular place for years ago. They were having a big is one of the closest hotels to eating with family and friends. graduation party. They ordered a campus. Ellie Lippel, one of the owners pyramid; we made it customized Ivan Garcia, the food and of Woops! Bakeshop, knows beverage supervisor of the what items sell the most Graduate, knows a thing around graduation time. or two about handling the “We are known for We also encourage guests sudden arrival of guests, our macarons, and, to check in using the mobile especially in the bar and during graduation time, restaurant. also gifting. We have app and use their mobile “What we normally very cute wraps for the boxes. It’s an indulgent key, which will eliminate the try to do is keep our bar lounge open seating but gift and treat, so people need for them to stop at the when we have a large like gifting them for demand of guests we will graduation. We get front desk.” put a sign where we seat several orders for those guests so that they are people that are having — JILL NGHIEM, seated by us and we have parties at their homes a controlled flow of guests or their sororities or MARRIOTT MANAGER as well as have servers wherever. Anything

“

help provide the service,” Garcia said. While the Graduate is known for the rooftop bar, restaurant and the heated rooftop pool, it also is the closest hotel to the downtown area as well as the UA. Due to these benefits, vacant rooms fill up quickly. Right next door to the Graduate is the Marriott Hotel, also known as Tucson Marriott University Park. Jill Nghiem, the general manager at the Marriott, knows how to prepare their location for an increase of guests. “We ensure we have enough supplies on hand like shampoo, toilet paper, et cetera and schedule as much staff as we possibly have at all times and stop accepting bookings once all two hundred and fifty guest rooms have been sold,” Nghiem said. Even with COVID-19 protocols starting to lift, Nghiem still takes precautions with the staff as well as the guests during their stay. “Marriott has changed their policy in all hotels regarding cleaning guest rooms during a guest’s stay. Not only is it because of staffing shortages, but it is also much better for the environment not to clean and change linen every day,” Nghiem said. “In food and beverage, we have streamlined menus and implemented ‘ordering at the counter’ to make things quicker and more efficient. We also encourage guests to check in using the mobile app and use their mobile key, which will eliminate the need for them to stop at the front desk.” All four of these businesses had two common pieces of advice: be patient with the staff as COVID-19 and staff shortages have changed many workplace protocols, and order, reserve or book ahead of time, as far back as a couple of months before the date to as close as three weeks before the date.

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

DailyWildcat.com • 11

2022 COMMENCEMENT | COLLEGE REFLECTIONS

UA alumnae making most out of post-undergrad life BY SELASSIE FLOWER @StarrFlower16

As the semester ends, millions of college seniors are trying to find inspiration on what to do with their majors. With an endless array of possible options, this can be a challenge. Choosing a career path is a daunting task for many people, especially fresh out of college when you’re just finishing up your degree. Several University of Arizona alumnae have found their post-undergrad calling, and are eager to help others do the same. Jasmine Drummer, a 2021 Africana studies graduate, spoke about post-undergraduate plans for continuing her education. “I was just recently accepted into a doctorate program for clinical psychology at William James College. The school has a wide selection of concentrations and I plan on focusing my studies in African and Caribbean mental health. I hope to provide mental health services to diverse populations who have been historically underserved,” Drummer said. Like Drummer, Lauren Ludovico, a 2019 psychology graduate, has made the most of her time post-graduation. Ludovico spoke about her role as a cast member at Disney World. “Being a cast member is such a blessing.

Regardless of my job duties, my job at the end of the day is to make our guests happy. I hold myself to high standards of customer service and am thrilled to employ those skills during my guest interactions. If I can make someone’s day just a little bit better, whether I helped them find the restroom or recommended a fun rollercoaster for them to go on, then I’ve done my job and I can be satisfied with that,” Ludovico said. According to an article on Meditopia, graduating from college and thinking about post-graduation plans aren’t always reserved for deciding what career field you will be working in. It can also be a time to figure out who you are as a person and individual growth. Sterling Stokes, a 2021 psychology graduate, spoke about how college has impacted her personally and her experiences beyond her education. “I found college to be more about personal exploration and individual understanding. Socially, I learned that differences in perspectives are crucial for diversity and growth. I think apart from everything, learn to love where you’re at. Appreciating the little things and understanding that life has a natural ebb and flow can be so transformative

for personal growth, and after graduating, it taught me to find myself,” Stokes said. Many college graduates struggle to find employment after college. One reason might be they tend to apply for jobs solely within the field of study for their college major. Expanding your job search outside of your college major can open up more opportunities and help you gain more work experience in the process, according to an article by The New York Times. “I would tell students who are about to graduate to try everything and be open to anything, even if it’s not within their comfort zone,” Ludovico said. “One of my jobs I applied to without knowing the full extent of the job duties. When the hiring manager contacted me for an interview, I was anxious to pursue a field that I had never worked in nor had any interest in, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to go through with the interview process. When I received an offer, I was shocked but decided to accept and see where it would take me. To this day I am so glad that job worked out for me because I learned a lot of business skills that I would have never gotten experience with elsewhere.” Similarly, Drummer had words of wisdom for soon-to-be graduates.

COURTESY LUDOVICO, DRUMMER AND STOKES

FROM LEFT TO BOTTOM RIGHT: Lauren Ludovico, Jasmine Drummer and Sterling Stokes.

“Do not let anyone doubt you, your journey or your aspirations. There are many students that seek higher education and pursue certain career paths that they don’t truly love simply because they are afraid of the disapproval from the people in their life. Do what you love regardless of what others think. It’s your life, your education, your happiness and wellbeing,” Drummer said.

OPINION: Three graduating seniors share college advice BY MAAYAN COHEN @maayanlrc

n these three University of Arizona seniors’ last four years, there have been many lessons learned and plenty of growth made. Graduation is a huge accomplishment. The feelings surrounding it can be mixed with nerves, excitement and even nostalgia. Cielo Perez, 23, is graduating with a pharmaceutical science degree. “I feel like a lot more excited than I thought I should be,” Perez said. Ruby Fulford, 21, is graduating with an astronomy major and three minors: physics, astrobiology and biology. “To actually graduate, I’d say I’m very excited because I’m proud of how much I have accomplished over the last four years,” Fulford said. Olivia Lee-Daily, 21, is graduating with a political science degree, with an emphasis in law and public studies and a minor in

out. If there’s something you’re good at, just go for it, be passionate about it and help others and don’t be afraid to ask for help,” Perez said. “Don’t let yourself stress out too much. In terms of the social side of things, I would say just concentrate on finding people that you can actually be yourself around, that you actually like spending time with … keep looking for those people, and when you find them appreciate them,” Fulford said. “Enjoy every single second of your undergrad. Enjoy from freshman year all the way up to the end of senior year because I promise you, four years sounds like a long time, but I genuinely feel like I started my freshman year a year ago. Time goes so quickly and it doesn’t hit you until you’re done, and you don’t know how good you have it until it’s gone,” Lee-Daily said. “Go do stuff you didn’t think you’d ever do before, go take classes that don’t interest you and go make friends with people you think maybe won’t like you and take that trip for spring COURTESY PEREZ, LEEDAILY AND FULFORD break,” Lee-Daily said. FROM LEFT: CIELO PEREZ, Olivia Monet Lee-Daily and Ruby Fulford. Africana studies. “It’s weird — I don’t feel anything, like that sounds really bad, but I feel like it hasn’t hit me yet,” Lee-Daily said. Four years is a long time. When asked to summarize their time at the UA in only a few words or phrases, the answers varied from “fast food,” to “eye-opening.” “Independence,” “adventurous,” “social,” “passionate,” “challenging,” “growth” and “community” were among some of the other words used to encapsulate these three seniors’ time at the UA. These students have learned so much through their experiences, and they each have unique advice. “It’s okay to not have everything figured

University is an adventure, a whole new chapter, and it’s clear that these seniors are already looking back at their time at the UA fondly. Post-graduation is a time of endless possibilities. There are lots of exciting plans for their futures. Perez is pursuing her doctorate in pharmacy this fall 2022 at the UA, and she will be pursuing her concert photography passion with a freelance internship with Colorization Magazine. Fulford is beginning a job as a research technician for NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission right here in Tucson. The UA and NASA are collaborating to collect a sample from an asteroid and bring it back to Earth. Lee-Daily is pursuing her master’s degree in international affairs at John Hopkins University. She is going into the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies Europe program, where she will be studying in Bologna, Italy.

— Maayan Cohen (she/her) is majoring in digital journalism. In her free time, she tries new recipes, thrifts and creates art

12 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

2022 COMMENCEMENT | SENIOR PROFILE

UA grad: ‘Do things that really scare you’ BY JADEN ZELMS @DailyWildcat

“Get involved” is the advice just about every college student hears at one point or another. But what does that look like?

Aubrey Thrower, a University of Arizona senior graduating this spring with a degree in marketing and management and information systems, is the perfect example of a student “getting involved.” Thrower joined Greek Life and a dance team, became the president of

COURTESY CHRIS RICHARDS

AUBREY THROWER IN FRONT of Old Main. Thrower is a May 2022 graduate with a degree in marketing and management and information systems.

the Arizona Ambassadors club, joined an honorary and aided in bringing the company Duffl to campus. The soon-to-be graduate explained why she chose the UA. “I really wanted a school that was big enough that no matter what I did, I could have any opportunity I needed. Like if I wanted to spontaneously go to medical school, I could have the research opportunities for that. But I also wanted to go to a school that was small enough that felt like a community. I could feel like I was on a college campus and see my friends on the way to class,” Thrower said. Thrower explained the role Greek Life has played in her campus involvement. “Through Greek Life, I was a recruitment counselor my junior year. That was one of my favorite college experiences to date. Especially through COVID-19, I enjoyed having a bunch of freshmen to mentor and show them how much I loved the [UA] and how they could get involved,” Thrower said. Thrower is also involved with the Ardor Dance Company, the UA’s contemporary dance company. “I also joined the Ardor Dance Company. I joined my freshman year. It was in its first-ever semester my freshman year so I’m one of the founding members. [The club has] grown so much over my four years. That’s one of my proudest moments, watching the team grow,” Thrower said. Thrower recalled how she became very involved as an Arizona Ambassador and campus tour guide and spoke about what pushed her to join. “I loved it when I went on my campus tour, so I applied. That’s how I became an ambassador. I ended up getting really involved, I was at all the meetings and realized this was something I really wanted to do. I kind of went out on a limb and in my sophomore year, I applied to be the director of membership. That was so much fun getting to mentor young tour guides. I was also the president of ambassadors,” Thrower said. Thrower explained what her position entailed as the Arizona Ambassador president. “I was kind of in the come back from the pandemic era so we had to retrain everyone who was already an ambassador as well as completely change the tour route due to COVID-19. So my presidency was all about keeping everyone engaged and morale up,” Thrower said. In addition to Arizona Ambassadors, Thrower had a big part in honoraries on campus. “An honorary is in the middle between Greek Life and student council. It’s like a

co-ed social club but really involved with the traditions at the University of Arizona. That’s Homecoming, Spring Fling, giving day, anything we have. Links — junior honorary — is a little more social. Bobcats — senior honorary — is run through the alumni association so we work really closely with alumni,” Thrower said. Thrower explained what being a Bobcat Honorary was like in her experience. “I applied to Bobcats, and they select 13 seniors. It’s usually seniors who have been in previous leadership positions and want to keep giving back to the school even after they graduate. I applied, got in and now I’m the vice president and selections chair,” Thrower said. The President of Bobcats Senior Honorary, Matt Meyers, explained what it’s like working closely with Thrower. “Something that’s amazing about [Thrower] is everyone that meets her, no matter how long you know, you truly feel like her best friend. She makes everyone feel that special. She makes every relationship feel important,” Meyers said. Thrower’s roommate and friend, Hannah Johnson, spoke about her character and overwhelming presence on campus. “I walk around campus with her and it’s like walking around with someone running for president. She talks to everybody she sees. She’s just so bubbly and fun, and I like to think of her as the color yellow because she’s so bright and happy,” Johnson said. In addition to UA-related activities, Thrower has close involvement with Duffl’s UA sector. Duffl is a quick delivery service geared toward college campuses that offers products such as snacks and drinks. “There’s a startup company at UCLA called Duffl. Basically, it’s a delivery service on electric scooters. I interviewed to be an ambassador and now I run the Instagram. I’m their content cadet,” Thrower said. Thrower explained her post-graduation plans and where she intends to apply her energy and experience next. “I would like to work for a marketing agency in Tucson. I want to find something that I actually like to do,” Thrower said. Thrower’s advice for college students is simple, yet something that helped her over the past several years. “Do things that really scare you,” Thrower said. “I wasn’t a tour guide-type person my freshman year and I learned how to do it. You can do things you don’t think you’re capable of as long as you’re excited about it. Do things that you are excited about and passionate about. You’re only in college once.”

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

DailyWildcat.com • 13

2022 COMMENCEMENT | WEIGHT OF GRADUATION

OPINION: No post-grad plans? It’s OK been students in school for 16 years and don’t know any life other than this. As the year comes to a close, the reality of leaving college has set in. BY JULIANNA STRANO The adjustment of leaving this @Julianna_Strano life and beginning the next phase is terrifying. Creating a plan for after “What are your plans after we leave our little world here on college?” campus is even more terrifying. Creating a detailed map of your his is a question college life and future plans can be difficult. students get asked time Plans can create more stress because after time at every family we try to force ourselves to stick with gathering, by parents, by friends them, even when things get in the and professors. This is a commonly way and life changes on us. More asked question, and it’s a good one. often than not, things don’t turn out What are my plans? the way we plan. My answer to this question is Most students start college when always, “I’m not sure yet.” they are around 18 years old, and The transition from college to head to college with a dream job “the real world” is a scary one, and and goal in mind. As we grow and each day we become closer to this continue to take more classes our transition. Many individuals don’t plans, goals and passions change. have a plan, and that’s okay. Every Changing majors and setting year I’ve always said that I’ll have it new goals throughout college is figured out by the time I’m a senior. common. A survey from the U.S. Senior year has rolled around and Department of Education found here I am feeling just as, if not more, that about 30% of undergraduate confused. students change their major. Not everyone knows what their An article by The Washington next step is and graduating college Post explained that about 27% of is especially scary. Many of us have

individuals who graduate college have a job that is related to their major. This goes to show that a large number of individuals don’t stick to their original plan and things change. It’s also important to remember that everyone’s paths look different. When we are in college we all are living similar lives and have similar schedules. As we head towards post-graduation life, the next phase looks different for everyone. Instead of stressing about the next phase in life, it’s important to pause for a moment and be proud of our accomplishments and look at how far we have come. Graduating college is an accomplishment to be proud of, and it’s something that not everyone does. In the United States, 39% of adults that are over the age of 18 have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. It’s normal to feel worried and wonder what the future holds. I don’t know what life will be like after I walk across the stage and go from student to alumna this spring, and that’s okay. We don’t have to have it all figured out.

OPINION: Graduating is a big deal, be proud O ver the past four years, we have been growing and learning how to become adults, living through a pandemic and adjusting to challenges and changes that we have been faced with along the way, all while working towards earning a degree. Graduating college is a huge accomplishment and milestone in our lives. Each year, friends and family fly in from around the country to cheer for their loved ones as they are honored at their graduation ceremony. Graduation is a special memory that will be remembered forever, and many people want to be a part of that and show love to graduates on their big day.

College commencement ceremonies are important and special for each graduate who attends. The ceremonies are a way to celebrate our accomplishments and sit beside our peers and friends that have been by our side one last time before we all go our separate ways. It marks the end of a big chapter in our lives. “Commencement is more than a ceremony. It’s an experience unlike any other celebrating your next step in life. Wonder led you to this moment. And we can’t wait to see where wonder will take you next,” the University of Arizona’s commencement website reads.

Making it to graduation day, walking across the stage and transforming from students to alumni is an accomplishment that a small percent of the population completes. Four-year institutions have a graduation rate of about 60.4% and about 39% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to the Education Data Initiative. “The University of Arizona is a place of wonder where you can do the extraordinary with extraordinary people,” the school’s website says. College is a place that helps us learn, grow and figure out who we are and who we want to be. The UA has given us a place to

MARY ANN VAGNEROVA | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION OF people throwing their graduation caps up in the air to celebrate graduating from school. This ceremonial tradition symbolizes the ending of one chapter in someone’s life and the beginning of the next.

do this with the extraordinary people we cross paths with along our journey to commencement, earning our degrees and growing from young students to adults ready to enter “the real world.” Yes, graduating college is about earning a degree and learning skills to help in your future career. However, it is also more than that. College is also four years of hard work, dedication, growth and challenges that we have overcome. The ups and downs of the college experience are what help create lasting memories and friendships. The challenges and the successful moments that we encounter help us to grow and become the people

we are meant to be in life. It’s safe to say that most of us are leaving college as older and more mature adults and are much different than the person we were when we first stepped foot on campus freshman year. As we graduate college and leave the place that we called home for the past four years behind, it’s important to take a moment to be proud of ourselves and our accomplishments. — Julianna is a senior majoring in journalism and sociology. She enjoys writing and reporting on topics related to mental, physical health and wellness

14 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

CAPLA CLASS OF 2022

Class of 2022 Graduates from Fall 2021, Spring 2022 and Summer 2022

BUILDING A CHANGING WORLD.

CAPLA.ARIZONA.EDU

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE Ryan Helmick Matthew Johnston Alec Kelly-Jones Ivan Woestman Hui-Yen Yang

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE Abdullah Alabdullatif Kylie Biddle Ashwaq Jundus Wen Xie Hui-Yen Yang

MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Christian Galindo Jacqueline Howell Isabella Kazmarek Jordan Lawson Hunter Lohse Emily Lorenz Rucha Manoj Pandit Irene Pineda Kendra Potter Alizabeth Potucek Heather Schmidt Rebecca Shaw Hanjun Shi Shen Shu Jacob Siegel Mattea Wallace Ethan Wissler Austin Young

MASTER OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT John Allen Shauna Baker Jessica Bassi Giancarlo Brida Gemma Castillo Thomas Davey Orville Dias Angela Doss Bradley Fagg Christopher Gerhard Deanna Gonzalez Derek Jacobs Frederick Jenkins Matthew Johnston Yookyung Jung Krystal Knochenhauer Tanner Lawrence Taylor Lewis Brianna Lostaglio Kyle Moon Nicholas Moran Joshua Olsen James Olson Jose Pardo Urrea Elissa Plancher Ryan Querubin Bradley Reeves Fabrian Romero Jonese Samuel Bryce Schaner Lori Summers Candace Sutherland-Mott Andrea Taylor Nathalia Untiveros

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN URBAN PLANNING Garrett Aldrete Jacob Burg Noah Cannold Benjamin Carpenter Longhao Guo Melanie Olson Asiri Osama Christina Scarpitti Ethan Wissler Fabian Romero Nathalia Untiveros

DailyWildcat.com • 15

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE

Emily Ahlgren Deema Alkhudair Celestin Amani Alexander Arnaud Alyssa Arnold Ana Astiazaran Jack Barnes Brendan Becker Ashlyn Bonner Daniel Cazarez Aracely Cervantes Dimas Tayler Clardy Luis Corrales Valencia Hayden Crockett Jose Curtis Karitza Davila Samuel DeBartolo Riley DeSpain Jacob Downard Garrett Dunn Tayler Forsberg

Itzel Gámez Alcaraz Rosie Gomez Casarez Anisa Hermosillo Kyle Holeva Eunbee Kang Anthony Korb Joshua LaComare Peikai Li Loren Liebermann Rico Lizama Michael Manson Jonathan Mendoza-Uriarte Mckenna Monheim Francisco Moreno Samuel Owen Ana Pearson Estefania Peña Pesqueira Michael Racioppi Pricilla Ramirez Anjali Ramohalli Andrea Riehle

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENTS

Valentina Arce Slade Baker Judith Baxter Game Taylor Bays Tiburcio Bazua Jackson Beer Emma Boone Apolonia Bustamante Carla Campos Peruano McKenna Carter Mindy Cedera Joaquin Chocano Gabriela Chumpitaz Eric Dahlstrom Sydney Deitering Briana DiNicola Kiera Eason

Bárbara Félix Francisco Fernandez Fernanda Flores Breanna Gage Lauren Heath Cameron Horn Alejandra Huerta Sophie Kanabay Keegan Kowal Cory LaPlant Cordell Lee William Leipold Luz Belén Loyola Ferrer André Luperdi Zachary Malone Keaton May Oscar Sebastian Motta Celiz

Lydia Roberts Lindsay Roland Mehli Romero Hunter Rubin Alejandro Rueda Ivette Ruy Sanchez Rudy Salinas Brooke Sands Matthew Scherer Jessica Schuler Bjorn Scott-Larsen Austin Strehlow Bo Su Rafael Taiar Joann Thacker Qingfeng Tian Alex Torres Nancy Valenzuela Rivas Noëlle Van Lerberghe Vincent Yang Nick Zowada

Bradley Nelson Alessio Pelagatti Jesús Ponce de León Oscar Rodriguez Ponce Heather Schulz Korina Simons Shamara Smith Silvana Sosaya Moreno Rodrigo Torreblanca Daniel Vega Sebastian Velasco Ivanna Velazco Gomez Adriana Velis Pierina Virhuez Michelle Ward

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

16 • The Daily Wildcat

THE DAILY WILDCAT Want more Daily Wildcat content? Subscribe to our email newsletters to get news straight to your inbox! General News every Monday and Wednesday Science and Health every Tuesday Arts & Life every Thursday Arizona Sports every Friday Go to the link below to get on our mailing list: www.wildcat.arizona.edu/newslettersignup

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

DailyWildcat.com • 17

2022 COMMENCEMENT | REVELATIONS

OPINION: The social trials and tribulations of freshman year following two years of school online BY OLIVIA KRUPP @Oliviakrupp1

ong before I had a dream school or even a dream major — I had a dream freshman year. I spent much of high school daydreaming of moving into my dorm and waving my parents away happily, just like in the movies. I pictured myself laughing with an influx of new friends in the library and being the mature, independent version of myself I always pined after. It was probably when I spent the first two weeks of freshman year crying every day and begging my parents to let me come home that I realized this perfect vision may have been slightly unrealistic. Coming to terms with these feelings of intense homesickness and lack of preparation felt like grieving some sort of loss. I would find myself scolding this “immature” behavior that didn’t fit the internal narrative of how I had thought I should be adjusting to life at college — as if there is one right way. I told myself that I needed to grow up, that I was acting like a baby and that

everyone else was doing just fine. I didn’t know it then, but what I was feeling could not have been less exclusive to me. The college class of 2025 went into its freshman year headfirst, most of us trying to break away from the heaviness and isolation of the two years prior. While freshman year can be a trying experience for anyone, it’s no secret that the freshman class this year had a larger adjustment to make. According to numbers from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, undergraduate enrollment dropped 3.1% from the fall of 2020 to the fall of 2021. This number could be explained by different financial situations for many families due to COVID-19, or even just an uptake in trade schools or community colleges. It could also be explained by many of us feeling stunted socially, not ready to take on all of the challenges that come with college. We spent much of our time in the past two years by ourselves, with our families and retreated from large social gatherings. Despite this hardship, many of us grew immensely within this time period — even if it didn’t feel like it. Whether we acquired a new hobby or enjoyed more time with family, we shouldn’t feel like the time was wasted. It was, however,

likely spent more isolated and alone than we had ever been in our lives. I reflect on this and feel for the version of myself who felt so much guilt because she didn’t feel ready to begin this new chapter of life. I reflect on this and am comforted by the idea that many more of us struggled this year than we may ever realize. Let’s be proud of ourselves and acknowledge everything that we accomplished. I know that I felt it many times this semester when all I wanted to do was get on a flight back home. It would have been far easier, more comfortable and more familiar. I remember being on the phone with my dad with his exact words being “lean into it, Liv.” It’s a simple couple of words that both confused and annoyed me at the time, but almost nine months later I can’t think of advice any more helpful. Lean into it. Lean into the uncomfortable, the unknown and the scary. If there is anything I have learned from freshman year, it would be the value and importance of these tough moments in our lives over the easy ones. As we close in on freshman year, I realize that it has been the first big step into navigating the rest of our lives. Despite these various trials and tribulations, we began our growth into the people we are going to be. Although I wasn’t always the

DENNIS DAFENG ZHUANG | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A GROUP OF STUDENTS, some in masks, walk down the sidewalk of the UA Mall.

perfectly prepared version of myself I thought I would be, I’m even prouder of the version that I’ve become. You should be, too. — Olivia is an undeclared freshman. She enjoys reading, foreign films and poetry in her free time

OPINION: Live in the moment BY JULIANNA STRANO @julianna_strano

e often worry about what comes next in life, but forget to take the time to appreciate where we are right now; now used to be what came next. Realizing that graduation is just around the corner brings a lot of mixed emotions: stress, sadness, accomplishment. And it’s all bittersweet. As the number of days I have left as a college student grow smaller, I have realized how important it is to live in the moment and be fully present. Taking the time to enjoy where you are at and every small detail of your day is what

is important. We spend too much time stressing about and planning for our future that we don’t appreciate where we are currently in life. An article by Psychology Today explains the importance of living in the moment by stating, “Living in the moment — also called mindfulness — is a state of active, open, intentional attention on the present. When you become mindful, you realize that you are not your thoughts; you become an observer of your thoughts from moment to moment without judging them.” College is a one-of-a-kind experience filled with many ups and downs throughout the years. Take the time to appreciate all of it, the good and the bad days. Yes, even the days when we completely failed an exam and are eating microwave macaroni and cheese for dinner (again).

Before you leave college and end your four years as a student, enjoy every experience you have, from the walks through campus rushing to your next class, the tailgates and football games and the allnighters with your best friends. These little moments are a big part of our lives. Once the moments are over we can’t go back. Graduating college is scary. It’s hard not to worry about the future from time to time. However, taking time to be present in what is happening around us now is what’s important. When we come to visit campus again after graduation the feeling won’t be the same. We will be visitors looking back on our favorite memories, not students creating them. Enjoy being a college student now, because, as sad as it is to say, our time here is running out. I wish college could last forever, but

sadly that’s not the case. Living in the moment, creating memories and building friendships that will last a lifetime is what matters. Our college years won’t last forever but we can take time to create memories that will. Everyone said these years will go by fast, but I didn’t expect them to fly by this fast. Before you know it you will be a senior with only a few months left before you walk across the stage and go from student to alum. Your time on campus will be up and your college years will be just memories to look back on. — Julianna is a senior studying journalism and sociology. She enjoys writing and reporting on topics related to mental and physical health and wellness

18 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

2022 COMMENCEMENT | FINE ARTS

Pride of Arizona marching band seniors look back One of the deciding factors for Pearson was when he saw Pride perform their Daft Punk show at The University of Arizona’s a UA Band Day while he was in Pride of Arizona marching high school. band is one of the top marching “I remember the sole reason bands nationwide. For seniors I chose this school was because in the band, being a part of Pride my sophomore year, I came to changed their college experience UA Band Day and they did Daft for the better. Punk, and I don’t even care Becca Soto, a December 2021 about Daft Punk that much, but graduate with a Bachelor of Arts they did ‘Get Lucky’ with Pharrell in environmental studies, played Williams and it was just so cool,” with Pride on the cymbal line Pearson said. from 2019 to 2021. Since organizations were not Soto started her music journey completely functioning over the when she was 5 years old by pandemic, he and many of his learning piano. In high school, friends came back for a fifth year. she began playing percussion “During the pandemic year, and it took off from there. that year honestly took a hit on Soto said the Pride changed everybody. There was a lot of her confidence and social tension within the band while level. trying to figure out how it was “Getting into it, I really broke going to move forward. Everyone out of my shell,” Soto said. had their own thoughts and “It gave me a better sense of opinions on it, so being able to community since, me being come back this year full-fledged bisexual, I didn’t really have an was an awesome way to send it outlet to share myself.” off,” Pearson said. Dimitri Pearson is graduating Pearson was also the first this year with a degree in marine Advocate of Peace and led the biology. He has been in Pride ZonaZoo chants this year. since the 2017-18 season. “I like to be loud. I like to be Pearson has been playing really school-spirited. So, at music for ten years and five of basketball games, I wanted to run those have been with Pride and chants and do all this stuff that the pep-band. He started off usually people in the band don’t on clarinet and percussion and get to do. They allowed me to do wound up on alto saxophone. that,” Pearson said. Pearson wants all Wildcats to enjoy their experience to the fullest, much like he did. “That’s all I want is for the people at this school to truly embrace the time they have here. Tucson’s Tucson, but the UA is unique and it’s really cool. Being the best college in this state, 100 percent of the way, like A-S-who?” Pearson said. Victoria Frank is graduating in May with a degree in rehabilitation studies and AVERY MARTINEZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT services and A DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION OF a marching band shako with the a minor in University of Arizona logo.

BY AMANDA MOURELATOS @AmandaMou02

psychology. She has been on the Pomline for all four years and has been the captain for the past two years. Frank did cheer when she was very young but decided at age 6 that she wanted to dedicate her time to dance. Being in the Pomline overall had a very positive impact on her, she said. “Being on the Pomline and in Pride has been one of the most positive things in my life and my college experience because it gave me 250 instant friends when I first came to band camp, and that was something really comforting coming from out of state. Then just kind of building off of the relationships I made in my rookie season was really nice. Now the people I met in the Pride are some of my best friends,” Frank said. Besides Pomline, Frank was a part of Project Focus with the College of Education. Project Focus works with students between the ages of 18-21 who have developmental disabilities. “I grew up with twin brothers that have a disability called partial trisomy 6q, so they have an extra part of the 21st chromosome. So it’s been something that’s been a huge part of my life and when I got to college, it was something that I had been missing within those first couple of weeks. I had run into some of the students on campus and then I interviewed and got the internship position,” Frank said. Frank just got a job as a behavioral therapist starting in June in Dallas and plans on getting her registry and other certifications. Along with that, she is auditioning to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in May. JJ Flowers graduated in December with a double major in physiology and family studies and human development and a minor in music. He was the baritone saxophone section leader for four years and also came back for a fifth year for

AVERY MARTINEZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A GROUP OF TROMBONE players from the Pride of Arizona marching band pose after the 68th annual UA Band Day performance on Oct. 20, 2021.

the Pride. Flowers has been playing music for about 12 years and started on alto saxophone in fifth grade. Shortly after, he switched to baritone saxophone and has been playing that since. “The Pride especially kept me connected and motivated in school because it gave me a group of friends immediately. That’s something our director always says and it’s pretty cheesy but it’s really true,” Flowers said. Being a part of a community of this size had beneficial effects on a lot of people, but especially Flowers. “It really teaches you how to interact with a lot of different people from different backgrounds. I feel like that’s just music in general, but especially Pride because not everyone is a music major. And you’re together like 20 hours a week, so you really have to learn how to get along with people, let things go and keep your emotional composure,” Flowers said. In addition, being a section leader taught him a lot about people as well. “What I took pride in was showing people that you’re able to have fun and not always take things so seriously,” Flowers said.

Section leader is a much larger responsibility in college. “In high school, you’re just helping people band-wise, but as a section leader in college, I’ve helped people with life stuff. I feel like that’s a big thing with Pride, is helping people adjust,” Flowers said. Javier Aguilar is graduating this May with a Bachelor of Arts in music. He has been in the Pride since 2016, playing baritone for four years and being drum major for the past two years. Time is always an issue in college, but especially being a part of the Pride. Lots of time goes into this activity to have it be as successful as it can be. “Granted, being a part of the Pride you are limited on time. It makes it a little stressful sometimes, but overall, I could not have imagined my undergrad career without the band, without Pride,” Aguilar said. Having those instant 250 friends was very impactful on his experience. “Whatever you’re going through in your life, there’s at least one person who has gone through something like it so you’re able to connect with people and are able to get help if you need it,” Aguilar said.

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

DailyWildcat.com • 19

2022 COMMENCEMENT | GRAD PICS

Senior photos capture the moment BY TAYLOR MARESCA @taylormaresca

The scene: Old Main at sunrise. The time is 5:30 a.m., and campus is already brimming with activity. Students in white dresses, suits and heels wobble down the gravely street bordered by palm trees. Their most important accessory: a cap and gown. At the end of every semester, graduating students take part in a tradition that is a college graduation staple: senior photos. Senior photos are meant to encapsulate a senior’s college experience by capturing them at iconic campus locations. At the University of Arizona, your TAYLOR MARESCA | THE DAILY WILDCAT senior photos are not PHOTOGRAPHER TAYLOR NATIONS CAPTURES a picture of a University of Arizona senior by the fountain outside of Old Main on campus. considered complete without a shot in front taking the pictures,” Solley amid a pandemic, senior with this group of friends “I know, it really is a lot of Old Main, a picture said. “It really is so surreal nursing student, Amanda before we moved all across to process,” Nations said. with your favorite campus to be standing here today.” Solley, said that her the country,” Stears said. For Nations, she said building and a champagne Solley said that after senior photo experience “I wanted to capture the that being a small part of pop in the Old Main four years in Tucson, she has been a beacon of last kind of big thing that these graduates’ journeys fountain. cannot believe she is in the positivity. we did together in these is incredibly rewarding. But why are these shoes of a senior. “You get to cherish one pictures.” “Nothing makes me photos such a big deal? “I can’t believe I am of the happy moments Stears emphasized the happier and more excited Why do students and their graduating,” Solley said. “It now,” Solley said. “It is value of the friendships than meeting all of my families spend the money really is such a ‘pinch me’ great getting to be with she made and how she amazing graduates and to make these photos moment.” each other like this.” wanted to remember these creating beautiful photos happen? Solley agrees that senior Ever since she was a moments forever. with them,” Nations said. Photographer Taylor photos are a “must” for any first-year student, she “It makes me feel so With these beautiful Nations said these photos UA graduate. remembers seeing the good and happy that I photos comes a price capture an important “They are such an iconic photoshoots happen. made all of these friends,” tag. The average senior time of life for seniors. tradition,” she said. “We “I always walked by to she said. photoshoot is going to run “It’s a great opportunity all love senior photos. It’s my classes freshman year, After spending most of you around $500 for an for you to spend a day with a moment that says ‘you and I would see people their college experience hour-long session. yourself reflecting on how finally made it.’” UA graduates seem to be you are on the cusp of one At the end of the day, the willing to pay that price. If of the biggest transitions memories do come with a not for the beautiful photos of your life,” Nations said. hefty price tag, but seniors themselves, then for the “You will look back on this agree that it is worth it. memories captured. time forever.” “It was absolutely a good Senior nursing student, A UA graduate herself, choice,” Stears said. “I Sammie Stears, took her Nations knows that these will treasure these photos senior photos with a group — AMANDA SOLLEY, UA SENIOR sessions are more than just forever.” of five of her closest friends. your average photoshoot. Photographers know the “I really wanted pictures

“

We all love senior photos. It’s a moment that says ‘you finally made it.’”

ins and outs of getting the most out of your senior shoot. Nations said things like time of day, outfits and props all play a part in making your shoot shine. “The best most magical lighting scenarios for me are sunrise and sunset,” Nations said. “Personally, I am a sucker for the soft lighting of sunrise.” Nations also said that the most popular outfit choices are a white dress for females, a suit for males and Wildcat gear. “That’s what’s most popular, but you don’t have to follow that like a rulebook,” she said. “Wear something that feels like you.” Nations is a big advocate of a champagne pop. “Go out and pick the cheapest bottle from the store, and I’ll help you from there,” Nations said. “It is an absolute blast.” The photos certainly capture a special moment in time, but photographers recognize that not everyone is comfortable being in front of the camera. “My goal as a photographer is for you to feel as authentic and comfortable in front of my lens as you can,” Nations said. “All you have to do is show up, be yourself, and watch the magic happen.” She said that finding what makes each human special is a highlight of her job as a photographer. “Every grad that I work with brings their own special sparkle to the shoot, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Nations said. “I want everyone to bring their whole shiny selves to the session.”

20 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

2021-22 YEAR IN REVIEW | PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE

2021-22 through photograp

Daily Wildcat photographers put their work on display. The Wildcat has shot everything fro UA sports to Tucson festivals.

EVAN ZAVITZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT

JACKIE CABRERA | THE DAILY WILDCAT

MARISON BILAGODY | THE DAILY WILDCAT

MATTHEW MAXIM | THE DAILY WILDCAT

DailyWildcat.com • 21

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE | 2021-22 YEAR IN REVIEW

phy

MIRA FRENCH | THE DAILY WILDCAT

JACKIE CABRERA | THE DAILY WILDCAT

PASCAL ALBRIGHT | THE DAILY WILDCAT

EVAN ZAVITZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT

NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT

MARISON BILAGODY | THE DAILY WILDCAT

ELI RAHAMIM | THE DAILY WILDCAT

22 • The Daily Wildcat

THANK YOU

MAY 2022 GRADUATES!

All your hard work and dedication is greatly appreciated. We wish you the very best in your future endeavors!

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR SPRING 2022 GRADUATES

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTS

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE STUDENTS

Mingde Li, Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering Ammar Gwesha, Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering Ali Kamali, Biomedical Engineering Kate Stalkfleet, Biosystems Engineering Eva-Lou Edwards, Chemical & Environmental Engineering Daniel Diaz, Chemical & Environmental Engineering Haohua (Howard) Chen, Civil & Archictetural Engineering & Mechanics Shuting Hu, Electrical & Computer Engineering Alexander Fusco, Electrical & Computer Engineering Nicholas Baumann, Materials Science & Engineering Maxwell Drexler, Mining & Geological Engineering Laura Sawyer, Optical Science & Engineering Alexus Hurtado, Systems & Industrial Engineering Hawraa Bahzad, Systems & Industrial Engineering

Steve Anderson, Aerospace Engineering Alexander Day, Biomedical Engineering Lia Crocker, Biosystems Engineering Zachary Binger, Chemical Engineering Jong-Hyun Jeong, Civil Engineering & Engineering Mechanics Nithin Raveendran, Electrical & Computer Engineering Alexus Hurtado, Engineering Management Mitchell Miller, Environmental Engineering Samuel Erickson, Industrial Engineering Mohammad Maadani, Mechanical Engineering Elizabeth Elaine Price, Mining, Geological & Geophysical Engineering Alyssa McNamara, Systems Engineering Abolhassan Mohammadi Fathabad, Systems & Industrial Engineering

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY AEROSPACE ENGINEERING Deepak Behera Kevin Ferguson Anthony Haas Shirzad Hosseinverdi Robert D Jacobi Leonard Vance BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING Jokubas Ausra Lane Breshears Alex Burton Chris Camp Andrea Deranek Loi Do Carissa Grijalva Dustin Tran BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING Kai Blumberg

Matthew Katterman Chunan Liu Qianwen Luo Jose Olaf Valencia Islas CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Zachary Binger Violeta Alejandra Chichique Martinez Marisa Elena Gonzalez James Makel Joseph Schlosser Calliandra Suzanne Stuffle ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING Rahul Bhadani Wei-Ting Chang Samuel Hess Teh Lai Artin Majdi

Mohamed Mohamed Ziwen Pan Arindam Sengupta Chongke Wu Tianchi Zhao

Qichao Hu Sien Wang Ye Zhang Seyed Saeed Ahmadisoleymani

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING Luis Huizar Jr. Arisbeth Ibarra Nieblas Maricius Marques dos Santos

MINING, GEOLOGICAL & GEOPHYSICAL ENGINEERING Maral Malekian

MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING Michael Anderson MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Mohsen Azimi Aman Chandra Christian Davila-Peralta Himangshu Kalita

SYSTEMS & INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING Zaniar Ardalan Debashis Das Mithun Ghosh Abolhassan Mohammadi Fathabad Hoyoung Na Haomiao Yang

MASTER OF ENGINEERING MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Austin Batt Alexander Spart

MINING, GEOLOGICAL & GEOPHYSICAL ENGINEERING John Alex Rajala Landis Grant Bates

Darla Katherine Gage Chris Salvino Joseph Ryan Keffer John Waida

MASTER OF SCIENCE AEROSPACE ENGINEERING Aniket Dinesh Bire Wesley Bohult Justin Greenwood Grace Norrix Victor Padilla Arth Pande Jacob Plowman BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING Jakob Bakall Loewgren Kirsten Bassett Fabronya Elisha Yassin Fahmy Callie Frantz Tyler Hertenstein Brandon Jernigan Cassidy Mannier Monique Martinez Miguel Peña Babak Safavinia Bridget Slomka Nathaniel Smith Joshua Somerville-Shull Thomas Telles Teodoro Trujillo Zhu Zhao Avory Zhou BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING Michael Blum Matthew Hufford Yaser Mehdipour Madeline Melichar Jorge Ramos KC Shasteen Kate Stalkfleet Jorge Sugich Prandini Najwan Taha

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Shamail AlKandari Abbass Bah Alyza Muzaffar Khan Michael Landon Yon Benjamin Locher Ramon Castrejon Miranda Richard David Pepel Andrew David Smith Lyra Star Troy Nicole Van Overmeiren

Noor Mohammad

Randall Moon Kristen Murphy Jennifer Nadolski Tracy Nguyen Louis Oberto Jacob Padilla Rohan Patel Kenny Phu Austin Pierson Edgar Quintana Ricardo Ross ELECTRICAL & Zahra Sadeq COMPUTER ENGINEERING Jaileen Salazar Hassan Aftab Joseph Sangese Madeleine Armstrong Brian Schumacher Amir Mohammad Asdagh Pour Delbert Spangler Wyatt Bettis Cade Stephenson Alex Blackmon Amelia Sylvester John Blair Brady Thomas Christopher Brown Anibal Torres Michelle Carroll Paul Udorvich Samuel Comeau Ignacio Vazquez Lam Sterling Davis Michelle Vega Joel Dierks Rishab Verma Kenneth Dixon Eric Walk Zachary Dryer Nicholas Watson Joseph Emnett Sooyoung Wi Thomas Harp Stone Wilkes James Henderson Frances Willberg Brandon Hertneky Jeremy Williams Charles Hoskins Yukai Xie Jaewan Kim Zhaohui Yang Benjamin Koch Weiyang Zhang James Kuban Jiyu Liu ENGINEERING Cody Macdonald MANAGEMENT David Maughan Ahmad Saeed AL-Asad Shannon McCoy Nadia Emad Addin Aldweik Jacob Merki

Eman Mahmoud Alzyoud Farah Armouti Raghda Abdallah Bawa’neh Daniel Barnhart Farris Anwaer Hamdan Ismail Said Hasan Alexus Nicole Hurtado Samuel Holt Ala Ibrahim Jallad Sarah Labat Nithisha Sayabugari Bogdan Sorin Racolta Mohammed Mosleh Diab Tarawneh Ahmad Hani Tahapsem Barbara Trabow Celeste Mae Williams ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING Ailyn Torres Brizo Mikah Inkawhich Mitchell Paul Miller Shruti Singh Maggie Tan Le Bao Truc Vo INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING Mansour Saleh A Almalki Samuel Curtis Erickson Mansur Bolaji Olaitan MD Habibor Rahman Chengbin Xu Paul David Montoya Gabriela Anna Vidakovich MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING Luis Fernando Arciniaga Jake Ryan Gniffke Max Ferdinand Honebrink

Tahir Mahmood Levi Paul Ethan Michael Tang Armand John Villani MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Marianna Luna Trevor Noel Daniel Pearce-Walker Sean Rowlands Clayton J Withers MINING, GEOLOGICAL & GEOPHYSICAL ENGINEERING Maxwell S. Drexler Elizabeth Elaine Price Miguel Peña Zida Wang SYSTEMS ENGINEERING Zane Ansel Craddock Amir Mohammad Esmaieeli Sikaroudi Carter Zachary Fung MD Tariqul Islam Franklin N Lam Fabian Martinez Aaron Thomas McCommon Alyssa McNamara Kyle Tabor Norland Ashley Thrower Logan William Gaither Jose Carlos Hernandez Gabrielle Vanessa Hutchens Sage Zachery Masten-Leake Kalin Menard Kyle Nguyen Eric X Peterson Noah Michael Pollack David Quezada Raymond Gafu Tang

Note: This list does not include students who applied for graduation late or who were updated from a previous term.

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

DailyWildcat.com • 23

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SPRING 2022 GRADUATES ENGINEERING AMBASSADORS Ryan Heilner, Aerospace Engineering Lucas Hawley, Biomedical Engineering Mansi Singh, Biomedical Engineering Christopher Kaufmann, Biosystems Engineering Alanna Duarte, Chemical Engineering

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING Benjamin Matthew Ackmann Ryan Ahearn Hongyu Bai Carson Lane Bayze Jonathan Capel Camden Jiovanni Castellano Chase Chocek Alek Cotnoir Sheldon Aaron Curley Jackson Dahl Dara Davoodi Michael Debbins Darynn Peter Eggert Omar Fuerte-Pinon Martin Grant Gray Hardy Brendan Michael Haugh Ryan Jeffrey Heilner Nicolas Jan Wen Tan Nicolas Kapler Justin Lamb Steven Lingle Blake Peter Lobato Cooper McCoy Marc Mendez Carlos Humberto Montiel Gatlan Jon Nail Jeffrey Scott Northcutt Jr Francisco Oros Addison E Plummer Jaxon Christopher Richards James Roddel Madison Michaela Schiffler Manju Singh Espana David Michael Tousley Haoming Yan ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING Patrick Akin Deborah James Ryan Lewis Joey Misiaszek Anderson Tri Nguyen BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING Makenna Noel Aitken Jeremy Jerome Anderson Jacob Clay Baker Alyssa Madison Barney Amy Catharine Cambridge Hiram Alexander Cervantes Spencer Alexander Ciammitti Tai Combs Erick De Leon Colette Doerr Jordan Mckenzie Elliott Reganne Layne Fornstrom Jubin George Nathaniel A Gill Sarah Gilliam Taliah Gorman Lucas Neil Hawley Corey Hough Victoria Ann Jasinski Elijah James Keeswood Christian Hubert Leung Julia Gailene McElwee Clarinda Isabelle Mersiowsky Rainee Lynn Meuschke Benjamin J Michalowski Giang Ba Nguyen Michael J Osipov Kelsi Lynn Petrillo Swathi Ramkumar Jocelyn Reynolds Madelyn Reynolds Anakaren Romero-Lozano Ethan Christopher Ross Armand Antonio Santilli Cory Saunders

engineering.arizona.edu

Zachary Hensen, Civil Engineering Samantha Schultz, Electrical & Computer Engineering Natalie Scott, Industrial Engineering Madison Sitkiewicz, Materials Science & Engineering Nathan Verdonk, Mechanical Engineering

Sydney Renee SchreinerDeip Ashok Sekhadia Vanessa Danielle Silbar Mansi Singh Martin L Soto Julia Mary Starkey Hana Pauline Turko Carlos Yaroslav Urrea-De La Puerta BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING Mashari Alkhamisi Haley Boyd Cassidy Campbell Nicholas Dusza Garrett Evans Thelma Gonzalez Jessica Graham Sydney Harrison Wenkai Jiang Christopher Kaufmann Reid Loeffler Tristan Martin Matthew Northfelt Karen Perkins Anesha Rodriguez Brooke Schmidt Griffin Sherwood Ella Spagnuolo CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Yousuf Yaqoob Hamed Al Salmi Ali Al Zuria Ian Alexander Sean Alexander Abdullah Aljuhani Fadhel Almubarak Ahmed Almunaifi Dalal Almutairi Hanaa Alshatti Turki Alzahrani Mattias Amezquita-Fox Tyler Bailey Eliot Baker Kaitlyn Bieszk Shubhi Bilgaiyan Abdullah Bin Yaheb Christopher Bonnell Brennan Breen Brett Cernich Jonathan Cervera Madeline Dailey Ethan Dameff Nizhonabah Davis Benjamin Drexler Alanna Duarte Chet Dwyer Ghassan Flimban Cole Foster Marco Garcia Gabriella Hansen Paul Haynes Jacob Henry Ian Hitner Clara Jauregui Jose Jordan-Cruz Steven Klinker Joshua Lennen Mingyang Liu (Roger) Aaron Love Ascii Lennox Magno Ahmad Mohammad Thi Nguyen (Sophie) Isabel Olivas Akari Otsuki Collin Quenelle Shane Robertson Lauren Sadler Maancy Saksena Sienna Sandlin Allison Segapeli Phillip Shelton Brynne Skoropys Joshua Swisher

OUTSTANDING SENIORS Grace Halferty, Mechanical Engineering Victor Nieto, Mining Engineering Tennyson James Wilson, Mining Engineering Melanie Grudinschi, Systems Engineering Justus Tiffany, Systems Engineering

Brandon Trammell Ryan Vandermark Victor Vargas Aloysia Wine William Yi CIVIL ENGINEERING Jayden Ainsworth Ghalyah Almumen Faith Aroz Jaclyn Barry Justin Davidson Taylor Davis Ryan Finnegan Andrea Flores Sandra Gonzalez Paulina Gutierrez Zachary Hansen Bailey Homan Travis Ivanecky Jane Jansen Jerod Jimmie Gabriel Lopez Samone Marquez Miguel Martinez Marc Mbay Muhammad Mohd-Rizal Sydney Northrop Michael Peters Denise Renteria Joshua Richter Esmeralda Rodriguez Joshua Romero Luis Romero Bryce Szerlag Lucas Willcut Patrick Wundrock Eugene Ju ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING Mansour Adel Albayyat Ali A M H Albhrani Sr Naser J N E Alhouti Mohammed Alqallaf Mohammad Ahmad Al-Yaqoub Kevin Antony Gomez Connor Lynn Benson Sarah M Bierman Prabhkirat S Bindra Lewis A Brownlie Timothy Dale Buechler Brandon Bui Rafael Candelas Keegan Carl Chafin Sehrish Shahbaz Choudhary Christopher Dale Christiansen Allen Cooper Juan Alvaro Corella Parker Dattilo Jazlan Lauren Davis Raquelle E Denetso Brenda Raquel Dicochea Jacob T Eberhard Emmanuel Gabriel Enriquez Osvaldo Estrella Brian C Faires Daniel Fernandez Jr Stefano Ezekiel Figueroa Thomas Allen Gansheimer Jr Gerardo Mora Garcia Susan Kaylen Gee Tyler D Hedrick Jason Crandler Heiman Kale E Henning Dominic Maxwell Holsinger Haseeb Sarwar Irfan Celyn Thomas Jacobs Richelle Rose Igcasenza Javier Andrew M Jenkins Devin Anthony Johnson Rosemary J Kingsley Roberto Kupps Allen Matthew Lafferty

Caiyue Lai Eric Marcos Lawson Joe Hou Liang Jesus Alberto Lopez II Michelle Ivonne Loustaunau Connor Eash McCreary Mark Allen McDaniel Diego Alejandro Moscoso William James Mund Theodore Douglas Neill Billy T Nguyen Patricia Lee Orso Arvin Raj Pandey Maricruz Pavlovich Contreras Charles C Penny Joaquin Eduardo Pesqueira Teresa Thuytien Pham Edward Hoang Phuong Conner James Pierce Connor Alan Reed Nathaniel Rodriguez Casey Alden Rounseville Spencer Joshua Scher Andre Maurice Schreiber Samantha R Schultz Vanessa Shin Ryan Paul Stancliffe Jacob Summerville Kama Lauren Svoboda Brian Willis Terry Tamillia N Thomas Brendan Tobin Christopher K Vuong Michael Cameron Warner Jeremiah Michael Weber Logan West Ryan Scott Westley Aaron T Winkle Nathan Eric Wolff Tyler Ray Wong Joshua C Wu Brendan Kai-jiang Yip Bradley M Zimmermann ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT Rafe Paskal Centuori Connor Cox Eric Duarte Allie Harkins Michael Hirsch Robert John Jadeski Chia-liang Lee William “Fitz” Lee Brandon Martin Diana Morales Ali Tavakoly Caleb Kawaiolohia Yoshiyama Mitzi Dalila Hernandez Laveaga ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING Ahmad Alalwi Jehad Alghamdi Corey Blubaum Mackenzie Bonny Ran Gao Paul Wright INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING Meshari Al Dossary Alia Albaker Jassem Al-Fouzan Naser Aljemaz Masood Alketbi Abdulrahman Alkhamri Omar Alkhayyat Selene Almaguer Rayan Alzayer Nolan Bivolcic Edgardo Caceres Garcia Cameron James Carey Nicholas Dean Cassidy

Ryan Heilner, Aerospace Engineering Christopher Kaufmann, Biosystems Engineering Zachary Hensen, Civil & Archictetural Engineering & Mechanics Madeline Dailey, Chemical Engineering Andre Maurice Schreiber, Electrical & Computer Engineering Eric Duarte, Engineering Management Mackenzie Bonney, Environmental Engineering

Michael Gaines Solaiman Gholam Alexis Lerwill Brianna Lucero Chavez Sam Mominee Daniel Morales Adrian Ramirez Gemma Rodriguez Natalie Sara Scott Jesus Serrano Erick Raymundo Silva Ballesteros Joaquin Davila Navarro Lonardo Adikarya Agnes Ruth Ahimsa Kemas Aldi Rahmadian Diani Annisa Anita Artawati Gloria Awak Yayang Ayu Farid Bajuri Gerry Bundhitya Sandy Buvinda Annisa Chaeriyah Mutia Dea Restu Dewi Benedicta Dharma Tara Dewi Febrianti Michael Frabun Siwi Handayani Rhoma Irwandy Azizan Islami Ketut Jayanti Bari Junior Siti Kadania Saffana Kamila Samsiatul Khusna Anisa Kurahman Maulidina Lubis Nur Mardhatillah Indah Mileniawati Rizal Muhaimin Devi Nurhidayati Annisa Penika Ade Prasojo Adhima Ratnaningtyas Windo Septiawan Adelia Suryani Angelia Tarigan Dinda Wahyuningtias Dilla Wardani Widiasari Widiasari Ivana Widiwati Martinus Wonasoba Muh Yamin Made Yasaningrat Angeline Alicya Putri MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING Lindsay Brown Berryhill Jonathan R Berthiaume Juan Carlos Caquias Eduardo Della Majore Nicholas Joseph Doroz Trevor D Lata Daniel Patrick McConville Jr. Paulina Carole Morearty Eric Marcel Oum Madison Diane Sitkiewicz Nicolas Jan Wen Tan Max Alexander Tucker William Bryant Wimmer MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Abdulrahman Al-Badawi Al Mukhtar Yahya Al-Sabari Sr Saif Khaled Alblooshi Sr Dillon Michael Allen Katherine M Allen Riyadh Swayel Alswayel Ali Amjad Alyssa Anna Ang

Alexis Lerwill, Industrial Engineering Madison Sitkiewicz, Materials Science & Engineering Micah Sieglaff, Mechanical Engineering Kate Willa Brown Requist, Mining & Geological Engineering Sebastian Valencia, Optical Sciences & Engineering Kelsey Ramirez Macias, Systems Engineering

Maximillian Joseph Atkinson Madison Nicole Baity Ethan A Barney Evan John Braband Roarke William Bradley Adrian Brelay James Carlton Brown III Julia Kathleen Burling Evan Reese Burrous Nathan Leith Busack Carlos Gabriel Calvillo Dylan James Campbell Robert Adam Cardenas Cole Daniel Carrigan Mario Alonso Ceballos Jr Charles Dreyer Charpentier Quinn Matthew Choffin Lucas Cougar Creery Austin M Davis Isaac De La Cruz Quintin Thoreau Deaton Carlos Kokou Doe Jacob Bruce Dukelow Darynn Eggert Julia Macil Calara English Jennifer I Espersen Cameron Lawrence Fernandez David Troy Fernandez Bryce Robert Flickner William Leslie Fowler Jack William Gerson Justin P Grady Joseph Andrew Green Tyler Vincent Gross Lucas James Guenther James Patrick Guinan Michael Raul Gutierrez Grace Marie Halferty Parker Thomas Henley Michael Marion Higgins Patrick James Hogan Dillon West Hunt Karen Huppenthal Nicholas Kapler Kairav Bhat Kukkala Thomas Joseph Kulaga Jesus Enrique Landin Andres A Leon Jacob William Longo Daniel Martin Mahoney Tejas Navinchandra Markandeya Lizbeth Martinez Diana Kathryn Meyer Almunthir M Mohammed Chase Alexander Musick Connor David Nagore Ernest Alex Navarrette III Theodore Douglas Neill Davis James Payton Anna Marjorie Peckham Carlos Daniel Pelayo Roberto W Peralta Steven Perry Stephen F Ponder Adan Emanuel Ramirez Lemus Carlos Abraham Ramirez Kevin Reyna Zepeda Joshua Charles Richards Zackary C Roberts Kevin Francis Rowe Mitchell Anthony Sardo Justin Sigmund Schoentag Ian Kyler Shaw Micah Sieglaff Lexie Marie Solsky Arielle Christine Stanley Ryan Patrick Sweetman Charlotte R Trujillo Martin Vazquez Nathanial E Verdonk Gabriella Monique Vindiola Carolyn Marie Volker

Kenneth Werrell Jacob D Whitehead Cody Reese Wilcox Lindsey Williams Christiana Grace Williamson John Steven Worwa II MINING ENGINEERING Kate Willa Brown Requist Kerst J. Kingsbury Schuyler Desmond Mangiafico Bjorn Lynn Meyer Victor Louis Nieto Tennyson James Wilson William Joseph Yurtinus OPTICAL SCIENCES & ENGINEERING Alex St Peter Ariel Lamdan Avalon Lauren McLeod Danielle Trontz Dayton F Brown III Gabriel Knepper Gregory J Taylor Kevin Meyer Lam Thanh Nguyen Luke Somerville Madeline Bergay Matthew Phillip Wolfgang Hevert Maxwell Cody Critchfield Nikhil Nagarajan Sarina Grijalva Sebastian Valencia Tyler Collins Colin Kendall Hegarty Juan Inostroza Jace Malm Samar Choura Madeline Nowaczyk Adrielle Troels Thorenfeldt Noa Nishizawa SYSTEMS ENGINEERING Rose Bandrowski Cole Bauer Isela Burruel Alexander L Cordero-Torres Kyle Crehin Jose Espinoza Thomas Levy Fastje Carolina Gomez Llanos Brock Gordon Emily Grace Grasso Melanie Grudinschi Jack Halsted Spencer Ryan Harrison Hector Ibarra Alexander Larson Benjamin Mariscal Xylia Marquez Garcia Jose Ortiz Brianna Otero Donovan Pichon Jocelin Ramirez Kelsey Ramirez Macias Maesy Ramirez Macias Prashamsa Raut Eva Richter Brianna Robles Kodjo “Daniel” Seddo Randi Shaeffer Ariel Shaver Kevin Spannaus Nicole Statler Mitchell Thompson Justus Tiffany James Manuel Rivera-Torres James Michael Wilson

Note: This list does not include students who applied for graduation late or who were updated from a previous term.

24 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

2021-22 YEAR IN REVIEW | NEWS

Looking back on a year of university news Department officer were injured in the shooting. The alleged shooter was wanted on a $200,000 warrant for assault involving a deadly weapon, robbery, firing into a dwelling and cruelty to a child, according to AZ Central.

BY KRISTIJAN BARNJAK @KBarnjak

Taking a break from final exam studies and end-of-semester projects? Take a moment to reminisce by reviewing notable Daily Wildcat news stories from the 2021-22 school year, categorized by the following subjects: COVID-19, law & crime and general campus happenings.

COVID-19 The politicization of the COVID-19 pandemic cast a cloud of uncertainty over public health protocols before the fall 2021 semester. At the same time, some states started to lift mask mandates, and some universities announced they would begin the semester virtually. UA students were left wondering about the status of their own university’s COVID-19 protocols until July. UA will not mandate vaccination for students, testing voluntary Kristijan Barnjak reported on an email sent by UA President Dr. Robert C. Robbins to the university community announcing the university would return to partial in-person instruction for the fall 2021 semester, and it would not mandate vaccines or testing for students, faculty and staff. The announcement left mask requirements ambiguous, but this would be clarified in mid-August, just before students returned to campus. BREAKING: UA mandates masks for start of fall semester Vic Verbalaitis covered when Robbins announced in another email that face masks would be required in all indoor spaces on the UA campus. The announcement came as a surprise in light of state prohibitions against mask mandates. “This announcement directly defies Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s executive order regarding mask mandates in the state of Arizona, which prohibits mask mandates,

MARISON BILAGODY | THE DAILY WILDCAT

TWO FLAGS WITH NAMES stick out from the grass at the University of Arizona campus on March 23. Many of the attendees wrote the names of those lost due to COVID-19.

vaccine mandates, vaccine passports or discrimination in schools based on who is or isn’t vaccinated,” news reporter Verbalaitis wrote. The next month would see legal challenges to legislative prohibitions on mask mandates in Arizona schools, which culminated in a Maricopa court ruling at the end of September. Maricopa judge strikes down Arizona’s ‘unconstitutional’ mask and vaccine mandate bans Sohi Kang covered an attempt by Arizona legislators to prohibit the institution of mask and vaccine mandates in schools which was struck down on Sept. 29 by a Maricopa County judge. The judge ruled that sections of four different bills violated the Arizona Constitution, which contains requirements that the contents of a bill must be connected to its title. The bills in question contained prohibitions of mask and vaccination mandates but were titled under “budget reconciliation.” UA to offer COVID-19 booster shots On Oct. 11, nearly 10 months

after it commenced distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, Sam Parker covered when the UA began offering booster shots to certain members of the university community. Within the following months, boosters were made available to all students, faculty and staff.

efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus. “Today, we honor not only those lives that are lost but also the resilience of our community. We celebrate our hope for the future and remember the unity we demonstrated in those early days,” Robbins said.

University status update: UA to end COVID-19 mask mandate Sean Meixner reported on the end of the university’s mask mandate on March 21, two years after Robbins told students not to return to campus after spring break.

Sun Tran and other public transportation lift mask mandate Ludwig wrote about Biden’s federal mask mandate for public transportation was struck down by a federal district court judge on April 18. The ruling alleviated the mask requirement for the Sun Link, a streetcar operated by Sun Tran that runs through the university. Fare collection for public transportation is suspended until June 30.

University of Arizona marks twoyear anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic Kiara Adams and Jeremiah Ludwig teamed up to cover the 2800 white flags that flew on the UA mall to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 23, with each flag representing 10 Arizonans who died from COVID-19. Robbins spoke at one of two ceremonies held that day, mourning those lost to the virus and recounting the university’s

Law & Crime DEA agent killed in Tucson Amtrak Shooting Verbalaitis covered the death of DEA Special Agent Michael Garbo on Oct. 4. He died in an altercation at the Tucson Amtrak stations with two individuals in possession of illicit substances. Another DEA agent and a Tuscon Police

Federal arrests made at Hub at Tucson student apartments Kate Ewing dug into a story when Federal agents from the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection service and U.S. Marshals surrounded the Hub at Tucson on Oct. 13 which led to several arrests. The Hub at Tucson is an apartment building located just off the UA campus and houses many UA students. The geographical extent of the investigation stretched all the way from Spokane, Washington to Tucson. KVOA reported that the suspects conspired to distribute 50,000 fentanyl pills, along with cocaine, meth and marijuana. UA student killed in traffic fatality Barnjak covered a story on UA student Benjamin Wolfe Davis, who was struck and killed by a car on Saturday night, Jan. 22. Davis was 20-years-old and a member of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. Detectives identified the owner and driver of the Kia that hit Davis as 33-year-old Andy Otero, who was then charged with a felony for leaving the scene of a fatal collision. Meet the candidates for the next chief of police for the University of Arizona Police Department Following the retirement of former UAPD Chief of Police Brian Seastone, the university began its search for his replacement. News reporter Adams profiled each candidate in consideration for the next police chief. The UA commissioned Spelman Johnson, a search firm specializing in recruitment for “education, advocacy associations, and social impact organizations.” Paula Balafas was ultimately chosen and is the university’s first female chief of police.

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

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2021-22 YEAR IN REVIEW | NEWS Arizona Senate Judiciary Committee approves bill that would allow concealed weapons on college campuses The Arizona Senate is considering a bill that would permit the concealed carry of firearms at the UA and other Arizona universities. SB 1123 states, “ … the governing board of any university, college or community college shall not enact or enforce any policy or rule that prohibits the possession of a concealed weapon by a person who possesses a valid permit recognized or issued pursuant to section 13-3112 or the transportation or storage of a firearm pursuant to section 12-781.” The bill was approved by the senate judiciary committee and was deemed “proper for consideration” by the Senate Rules Committee. “Current policy at the University of Arizona prohibits the possession, display or storage of any weapons on all UA campuses and properties,” news reporter Sean Meixner wrote. “This includes the concealed carry of weapons with a valid permit. An exemption to this policy can be requested and must be approved by the University of Arizona Police Department’s chief of police.” The Senate has yet to vote on the bill, which if passed would be transmitted to Arizona’s House of Representatives. UPDATE: Police still investigating following fatal shooting near campus Maggie Rockwell reported on UA alumnus Harrison Weber, who was shot and killed on April 22 on Park Avenue between University Boulevard and Second Street. Weber was 24-years-old and a 2021 graduate of the UA’s College of Applied Sciences and Technology. Another individual was injured in the shooting. TPD has not yet detained anyone in connection with the crime but is currently “centering on one suspect,” according to KOLD 12.

Campus happenings Swing by the mall for Mi Casa, Your Casa 2.0 Who could forget the row of large red swings that appeared in front of the Modern Languages building in October? The installation, called “Mi Casa, Your Casa 2.0,” was the result of a collaboration between Arizona Arts Live and the Wildcat Events Board. The goal of the project was to “spark fun and bring enjoyment back to campus,” according to Chad Herzog, executive director of Arizona Arts Live in an article written by Adams.

announced on Feb. 23 that its annual Spring Fling carnival was cancelled for the third year in a row. The event, which has a 47-year history, was promoted to have “over 32,000 guests,” “over 20 different food booths’’ and “over 40 rides,” reported Avery Martinez, assistant copy chief of the Wildcat. ASUA officials declined to comment on the nature of the event’s cancellation.

COURTESY KENYA JOHNSON

AN OVERVIEW OF THE 9-acre Student Success District — set to be completed by spring 2022 — that shows the Main Library, the new Bartlett Academic Success Center, Bear Down Gym, and the Albert B. Weaver Science-Engineering Library. The district is meant to be a centralized location for all things academic support.

Honors College renamed W.A. Franke Honors College after $25 million donation and College of Pharmacy renamed after $50 million philanthropic donation Two colleges were renamed after substantial monetary contributions. It was announced on Oct. 9 that the UA Honors College would become the W.A. Franke Honors College after a $25 million contribution from William A. Franke, a prominent investor and philanthropist. The money will be used to fund tuition scholarships, housing stipends and study abroad experiences. On Nov. 5, the College of Pharmacy became the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy following a $50 million donation from entrepreneur, philanthropist and UA alumnus R. Ken Coit. The money will be used to “fund the establishment of six endowed chairs, four endowed professorships and 42 new scholarships for the college’s pharmacy and Ph.D. programs,” according to former news reporter Grant Hoover. Grubhub and UA campus dining services introduce new delivery robots on campus and UA Student Unions ends partnership with Yandex News reporters Adams and Barnjak worked together to cover the Yandex robots on campus. It felt like the beloved little robots that students walked alongside for four months left all too quickly. On Nov. 17, the food delivery robots developed by

the Russian technology company Yandex made their debut on the UA campus. In a partnership with Grubhub, students were able to order food from on-campus dining locations and have it delivered via these fully autonomous robots to select locations. On March 3, Arizona Student Unions announced that it permanently suspended operation of the food delivery robots and ended its business with Yandex. “Due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Arizona Student Unions and Arizona Dining will cease doing business with Yandex, a Russian multi-national public traded company and the hardware provider of the robot couriers on campus, as of today, March 3, 2022,” the Student Unions wrote in an Instagram post. Student Unions hasn’t announced a new partnership to replace Yandex, nor is it clear whether or not there will be one by next school year. Spring Fling canceled: ASUA confirms The Associated Students of the University of Arizona

UA faculty celebrate Student Success District’s grand opening On April 13, the UA held a grand opening celebration for the Student Success District, which features the newly renovated Bear Down Gymnasium and the installation of the Bartlett Academic Success Center, which now connects the Main Library and the Weaver Science and Engineering Library, which was covered by news reporter Annabel Lecky. “The Student Success District is designed to provide innovative student support and has transformed the part of campus that serves our students best,” Robbins said. “I could not be more proud of the way these spaces have been envisioned and are coming to life as an intersection of libraries, collaborative common areas, maker spaces and many services for students; it’s a one-stop shop.” The university hopes it will provide resources helpful to students’ academic needs.

KRISTIJAN BARNJAK | THE DAILY WILDCAT

JOSEPH SIML, A UNIVERSITY of Arizona junior studying architecture, on the red swings that are part of the Arizona Arts Live installation, “Mi Casa, Your Casa 2.0.”

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

26 • The Daily Wildcat

2021-22 YEAR IN REVIEW | DISAPPOINTING YEAR

OPINION: A year of failed politics in Arizona and the US levels this past year have been nothing short of lackluster. BY SOPHIA HAMMER

@SophiaHammer8

s the class of 2022 prepares to graduate, there is no doubt that the politics across the state and country have affected each student’s day-to-day life. This school year has brought many political controversies and struggles in the United States, which caused a variety of difficulties for many students and employees. With a majority Democratic legislature and a Democratic president, many college students, including myself, were expecting progress in the right direction for the country as a whole. However, political decisions on both the state and national

FEDERAL LEVEL So far, President Joe Biden’s administration has had an underwhelming record in accomplishing promised policy agenda items. This is not unforeseen, due to the Senate and House being very divided. However, it is disappointing since many were expecting a decent amount of progress. While running for president, Biden stated he would take certain actions to move forward on policies, yet his actions have proved otherwise. Biden ran for president during the murder of George Floyd, therefore focusing a notable amount of attention on racial and equity issues. However, while in office it seems like there have not

KATIE BEAUFORD | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION OF President Joe Biden, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Vice President Kamala Harris in an outline of the state of Arizona and sea of blue to reflect both the federal government and state government going blue in the last presidential election.

been many efforts to advance promises about racial equity. Biden has taken no significant steps on policies regarding criminal justice reform, including ending cash bail and ridding of mandatory minimum sentences. The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, which would implement measures to ensure equal and fair voting rights, was also stopped by a Republican filibuster, allowing for unjust voting laws to remain in place and allowing several states to propose and pass bills that would make it incredibly difficult for many to vote. After the recent Omicron variant spike, the promise of better COVID-19 policies had also proven to fall short. The government evaded the importance of testing and masking, especially during Omicron when cases reached up to about 1.2 million in a day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not pressure states to put in place mask mandates during the peak of Omicron and did not listen to experts that pleaded to require negative rapid tests prior to returning to work. Further, during the peak, the nation’s ability to test and trace infection was insufficient as at-home tests were consistently running out and not available in many places due to the Omicron variant. Several policies that the Biden administration promised to make advances in such as gun control, women’s rights, immigrant rights and worker rights have also proven to not progress. Gun control policies, such as enforcing background checks and prohibiting the production and sale of automatic and highcapacity magazines have not made a lot of progress in the legislature. Biden’s proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 was blocked in the

Senate when it was taken out of the American Rescue Plan. The political divide has also brought the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act to a halt, even though it has had bipartisan support in the political past. In regards to immigration, the Biden administration has also made use of Title 42, a Trump policy that allows the government to deport undocumented asylum seekers. The administration has recently used the Title 42 policy to expel 4,000 Haitians seeking asylum in Texas. And one issue that Biden has failed on, that almost all students can agree with, is the difficulties of student loans and student loan debt. While running, it seemed that Biden mentioned several times that he would take action on student loan forgiveness. According to NPR, “Biden had pledged to cancel at least $10,000 of student debt per person.” And yet this has not happened yet. Even with successes like the American Rescue Plan and the Build Back Better Act, the Biden administration has made several promises to bring unity and order in the midst of chaos. Yet it seems in the past year that chaos has remained prevalent across the U.S. STATE LEVEL Arizona politics have proven to be worse than federal politics. This year, the Arizona legislature has passed bills attacking the rights to vote, women’s rights, transgender and LGBTQ+ rights in general, amongst other important issues. Recently, the Arizona legislature passed two antitrans bills. SB 1138 and SB 1165 were passed and signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey. SB 1138 bans medical care for transgender youth and explicitly targets anyone under 18 years old by banning several gender-affirming medical procedures. And SB 1165

prohibits transgender students from partaking in sports that align with their gender identity. The effects these bills have now that they are in law include the emotional and physical health of all transgender youth in Arizona. Along with the anti-trans bills, Ducey also signed SB 1164 and HB 2492. SB 1164 restricts abortion after 15 weeks, attacking the right to reproductive freedom and affecting the health and safety of everyone with a uterus. And HB 2492 mandates Arizonans to provide documentation of citizenship while voting in federal elections, which would impact the voter registrations of thousands of people across Arizona. As constituents of Tucson and the United States, it is important that we take it upon ourselves to advocate for and fight against discrimination in all forms. When there is little happening in our federal government and when the state decides to allow discriminatory legislation to be passed, they create an environment where many don’t feel embraced. If several members of our community are discriminated against and harmed, it affects all of us. There are several organizations on campus that are currently advocating for marginalized groups. To get involved or to find a safe space on campus, make sure to reach out to the university LGBTQ+ resource center, Women and Gender Resource Center, the Immigrant Resource Center, the CAPS Program, the Office of Financial Aid Resources or several other organizations that are here to help. — Sophia is a freshman majoring in family studies & human development and global studies. She loves to write on pieces concerning politics that affect the Tucson and the UA community

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

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2021-22 YEAR IN REVIEW | WORLD NEWS

Top global and national news that stood out this past year BY SAM PARKER @samparker849

The 2021-22 academic school year bore witness to a vast array of different news stories that affected student lives on and off campus, like constantly changing conversations and policies surrounding COVID-19, political and social issues. Conflict in Afghanistan In May 2021, amidst the United States’s slow withdrawal of troops from the region, the Taliban began seizing districts in Afghanistan, entering Kabul on Aug. 15. The Taliban effectively returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 after taking over the US-backed government in Kabul. The U.S. then made the decision to pull all troops from Afghanistan a few weeks before an initially agreed upon date, Sept. 11, with the last of U.S. military planes leaving on Aug. 30, 2021. Olympics The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics were postponed and instead took place in August 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns. In these summer games, the U.S. won the most medals, followed by China and Japan. The 2022 Winter Olympics took place in Beijing. These games were no stranger to controversy, with points of contention arising around human rights violations on the part of the Chinese government [in reference to their treatment of the Uyghur people] and the Russian doping scandal, to name a few. Because of the aforementioned human rights abuses, the U.S. announced a diplomatic boycott of these games, meaning that the U.S. did not send an official delegation to the games, although athletes still competed. Norway came out on top in medal count, followed by Germany and China respectively. Facebook whistleblower In October of 2021, Frances

Haugen, a former data scientist at Facebook, exposed the company’s prioritization of growth over safety and security, as well as the way in which they targeted young users, and broke the law by lying to investors.

laborers which hit a record high in November 2021 as 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs. In early January 2022, the Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration from enforcing its vaccine-ortest requirements for large private companies, but allowed the continuation of a mandate for medical facilities that take Medicare or Medicaid payments.

Climate and weather As nations continued to grapple with the impacts of COVID-19, world leaders also saw a need to address concerns Texas abortion ban about climate change and national abortion and the impacts of global controversy emissions rising. The Texas Heartbeat In October-November Act, which banned of 2021, world leaders abortion after the met in Glasgow for detection of a fetal COP26, the UN climate heartbeat, went into change conference, to effect in September of discuss how to mitigate JASMINE MA | THE DAILY WILDCAT 2021 after the Supreme and reverse the harmful A DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION OF the globe and a plane flying high above Court denied a request effects of climate change. the atmosphere. from abortion providers The primary goals set in the state for emergency 5 to 11 year olds in October 2021. In forth by the officials at November 2021, the FDA approved relief. As of now, the legislation has this conference were to look at the survived the many lawsuits it has COVID-19 booster shots for all science behind the issue and find been subjected to. However, apart U.S. adults. Later, in January, this concrete courses of action to start from legal backlash, resistance to approval was expanded to kids as solving climate change related this law was seen in protests across young as 12-years-old. problems. the country and in recriminations The Delta variant originated in The end result of said conference from elected officials, including India and became the dominant was the Glasgow Climate Pact. President Joe Biden. Many states strain in the U.S. in July 2021. Some of the most important points have followed suit with similar of this pact included: an agreement The variant, according to the legislation, including Arizona; in Centers for Disease Control and to move away from fossil fuels, March, Gov. Doug Ducey signed Prevention, “May cause and an urge to contribute funding into law legislation preventing spread more severe cases than for developing countries, and abortions after 15 weeks, except in the other known variants.” Later in accelerating action on reducing cases of medical emergency. the year (Dec. 2021), the Omicron emissions. variant became the dominant U.S. Eviction moratorium strain of COVID-19. According COVID-19 In August 2021, the Supreme to the CDC, Omicron spread News about the COVID-19 virus Court rejected Biden’s most recent and the development of treatments easier than previous strains of the eviction moratorium, which virus and was transmissible by was constantly evolving, with prevented landlords or owners anyone, regardless of vaccination new research about variants and from removing covered tenants status. However, symptoms vaccines seeming to emerge daily. from a property on the basis of a appeared to also be milder than Throughout the year, COVID-19 non-payment of rent, deciding previous strains, with less risk of remained a focal point of public that the CDC did not have the hospitalization. discourse in the U.S. and globally. authority to issue this moratorium. The “Great Resignation” The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 The Supreme Court argued that emerged as a pandemic-era trend Vaccine was authorized by the U.S. if a freeze on evictions were to involving mass resignation of U.S. Food and Drug Administration for

continue, Congress would have to authorize it. “Build Back Better” and U.S. infrastructure The “Build Back Better” plan was a legislative agenda proposed by Biden that included funding for COVID-19 relief, welfare, social services and infrastructure. The bill has passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, but is currently stalled in the U.S. Senate. Russia/Ukraine conflict In late 2021, Russia began moving troops and weapons to their border with Ukraine without explanation. On Feb. 24, Russia launched a military invasion into neighboring Ukraine. This invasion has led to many civilian casualties and a mass displacement of Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes. The UN, G7, EU and other countries have all condemned the actions of the Russian government, imposing sanctions and offering support to Ukrainian troops. Direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have been organized, but the fighting continues. “Don’t say gay” legislation In March, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that banned public school teachers in the state from talking about sexual orientation or gender identity in the classroom. This bill has inspired many states, including Arizona, to follow suit with similar legislation restricting the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools. SCOTUS hearings and confirmation Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed as the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court in a 53-47 Senate vote. Jackson is set to replace Stephen Breyer who, months earlier, announced he would be retiring at the end of the court term.

28 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

2022-21 YEAR IN REVIEW | SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

Roundtable: Members of the Daily Wildcat Sports Desk ... MBB winning the Pac-12 Tournament championship BY RYAN WOHL @Ryan__Wohl

Throughout the 2021-22 Arizona men’s basketball season, there were some great moments and some bad ones, but the one in particular that stands out to me is the Wildcats beating UCLA in the Pac-12 Tournament championship in Las Vegas. Being in the T-Mobile arena for that contest was an

incredible experience; seeing the joy on head coach Tommy Lloyd, Bennedict Mathurin and Dalen Terry’s faces let us feel how big of an accomplishment it was to them and the university. This win was even more special for the Arizona’s men’s basketball program because it was its first Pac-12 Tournament championship since 2018. This was after the NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19

and the Arizona program decided to self-impose a postseason ban a season ago. This contest had a big game feel being the trilogy between the two best teams in the Conference of Champions throughout the entire regular season. Some big games across all sports do not live up to the hype, but this time it lived up to the hype and more.

DALEN TERRY, A PLAYER on the Arizona men’s basketball team cuts down his part of the net after the game on Saturday, March 5, in McKale Center. The Wildcats were ranked second in the nation at the time.

One season after a selfimposed postseason ban kept Arizona out of the Pac-12 tournament, first-year head coach Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona men’s basketball team found itself in the championship facing UCLA. This was the third time this season the two teams faced each other, splitting both games as each team won on its home court. This matchup was on a neutral floor in Las Vegas, but this game felt more like an Arizona home game. On multiple occasions,

BY JASON DAYEE @DailyWildcat

NATHANIAL THE DAILY WILDCAT

Arizona football winning first game in two seasons The 2021 season for the Arizona football team may not be a season Wildcat fans want to remember, but if there’s one thing we should remember about the season, it’s the only season’s victory. Against University of California, Berkeley, on Nov. 6, 2021, at Arizona Stadium. The

BY CJ LALA @CJLala43

“U of A” drowned out the sound of the UCLA band. The final game of the season between these two great teams did not disappoint the first half was back and forth, but UCLA took a five-point lead into halftime. A big second half showcased Bennedict Mathurin and Dalen Terry who combined for 32 points. Their impressive offensive production to go along with four second-half blocks from Christian Koloko led Arizona to an 84-76 victory capturing Lloyd’s first and Arizona’s 17th Pac-12 championship.

MBB winning the Pac-12 Tournament championship

STENCHEVER |

BY SAM GILLMAN @SamGillman4

MBB winning the Pac-12 Tournament championship

Wildcats won 10-3. The game was tied 3-3 going into the fourth quarter, but a 10-yard TD run by sophomore running back Michael Wiley changed the game as Wildcat fans went wild. As the game dwindled to the final minutes, the ZonaZoo section was getting ready to storm the field after the victory. Once the clock hit zero, students hopped the barricade and ran onto the

field to celebrate along with the team. Some may say that the Wildcats got this victory because about half of Cal’s starters had COVID-19 at the time, so they weren’t at full strength. But that didn’t stop the Wildcats from earning a victory this season. Arizona finished with a record of 1-11 and hopes to bounce back in the 2022 season.

My favorite sports moment from this past season has to be the Arizona men’s basketball team winning the Pac-12 championship against UCLA. This Arizona team was having one of its best seasons ever. Ending with a 31-3 record as it was the No. 1 seed in the South entering into the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats played beautiful basketball in every moment of that Pac-12 championship game. The passion the players showed resembled that of the 2001 team. The back-and-forth play showed how resilient UCLA was, but it was still no match for the Wildcats, who, in the

second half, pulled away, outsourcing the Bruins 4936 and closing out the game strongly. The Wildcats won the game 84-76. Arizona battled all season and achieved another 30-win season, which had not been done for five years. This team was led by Bennedict Mathurin who led in scoring and its defensive anchor, Christian Koloko. The Wildcats were one of the most complete and talented teams since the 2001 Wildcats. First, they won the regularseason championship and then followed it with an epic showdown in the Pac-12 tournament and won it. This Arizona men’s basketball team had all the potential in the world.

Want more Arizona sports content? Follow @WildcatSports on Twitter, run by the Daily Wildcat Sports Desk.

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

DailyWildcat.com • 29

2022-21 YEAR IN REVIEW | SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

... discuss their favorite 2021-22 Arizona sports moments Arizona soccer: Jill Aguilera made University of Arizona history in her final game BY ASHER BOOKSPAN @ABookspan

As the reporter for Arizona soccer, I had the opportunity of watching Jill Aguilera play during her final season with the Wildcats. She had returned for her senior

year and needed nine goals to make history. As the leading scorer for Arizona, it was clear that the team had one plan from the start of its final game against ASU. Aguilera scored her 32nd career goal by tying the record in the 13th

minute on a free-kick that went right over ASU’s keeper’s head. ASU tied the game 1-1 in the 82nd minute, taking the game to overtime. Consistent with the game plan, head coach Becca Moros called on Aguilera’s number once again

to try and end the game. Aguilera lined up the shot, saw that the goalkeeper had already made the wrong read, and easily shot the ball past her into the left side of the net to win the game and break history. Not only did she make Arizona

history, but she also ended with a 5-0 record over ASU during her six years with the team. “It means the world because all I’ve ever wanted to do is make an impact on the team in any way, shape or form that I possibly can,” Aguilera said.

Arizona football winning first game in two seasons BY DELANEY PENN @DelaneyPennn

The best sports moment this year has to be when Arizona football got its first and only win of the season against the University of California, Berkeley. The excitement of that

game was unlike any other feeling. I always wondered what campus felt like when our football team won and I finally got to experience it. I could feel the excitement building as it got close to game time. The game picked up in the fourth quarter when UA scored off a handoff

and extra point making the final score 10-3. It was the first game Arizona won in two years. The second the game was over the crowd rushed the field by jumping off the wall screaming with joy. The players celebrated head coach Jedd Fisch by dumping Gatorade on

him. We finally won, we were finally winners. The campus that day swarmed with people celebrating the win. I ran into a few players that I know after the game. I have never seen them smile as much as they did that day. It was a moment I will never forget. NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT

Arizona men’s tennis defeating No. 16 Oklahoma BY ARI KOSLOW

@Koslow_Ari

My most memorable University of Arizona sports moment this year was when the men’s tennis team defeated the University of Oklahoma at home back in March. Arizona ranked No. 28 in the country at the time and the Sooners were the No. 16. The community packed the seats of the Robson Tennis Center to help lead Arizona past Oklahoma in a tight 4-3 match. It was one of those matches that helped carry some momentum into what went on to be an undefeated Pac12 run and the program’s first-ever conference regularseason championship.

MBB winning the Pac-12 Tournament championship BY DEVIN HOMER @DevinHomer

My favorite Arizona moment was the men’s basketball team overachieving and silencing doubters. Experts picked UCLA to win the Pac-12 but Arizona had different plans. Arizona finished the year 334, 18-2 Pac-12. The Wildcats won the regular-season Pac12 championship, went to Las Vegas and then won the Pac-12

Tournament. After securing the two championships, Arizona was a No. 1 seed going into March Madness. Arizona won the first game by 17 but battled in the round of 32 against TCU. The Wildcats won in overtime move onto the Sweet 16 against Houston. Arizona lost in the Sweet 16 but the season wasn’t a disappointment. The Wildcats silenced the doubters and were the best Pac-12 team without a doubt.

MBB winning the Pac-12 Tournament BY AIDAN ALPERSTEIN @AidanAlperstein

The 2021-22 Arizona men’s basketball season was full of wins, but the championship victory over UCLA was one I’ll never forget.

The game was back and forth throughout, and it seemed the Bruins had all the momentum as Johnny Juzang hit a buzzer-beater to end the first half and take a fivepoint lead. However, UA’s Bennedict Mathurin put

on a second-half show with great plays. Another memorable play was Dalen Terry’s backdoor pass to Pelle Larsson late in the game. Seeing the emotion on their faces throughout was terrific.

JILL AGUILERA (14), A senior on the Arizona soccer team, dribbles up the field after recieving a pass from a teammate at Mulcahy Soccer Stadium on Oct. 5, 2021. The Wildcats lost the game 4-1.

MBB winning the Pac12 Tournament BY JAKE FAIGUS @Jake_Faigus

I think the best Arizona sports moment is a tie for when Arizona basketball won the Pac-12 in both the regular season and the tournament. I’m combining the two because they both represent what head coach Tommy Lloyd brought Arizona back in his first season. Lloyd implemented a fast-paced offensive system and an aggressive style of defense that seemed to fit perfectly with Arizona’s personnel. Lloyd can now continue to implement and improve on his system while also recruiting his own guys, which should take this team even higher. The regular-season title showed Lloyd had arrived and the tournament title showed the team was resilient because it missed its starting point guard, Kerr Kriisa. The bottom line is, Arizona’s future is bright.

30 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

OFFICES OF INSTRUCTION & ASSESSMENT and DIGITAL LEARNING GRADUATING EMPLOYEES SPRING 2022

María José García

Elyssa Naval

We would like to congratulate María García on receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts, Studio Art with an Emphasis in Two Dimensional. Maria is a talented graphic designer whose work became a key part of illustrating our unit’s vision. She created and animated some truly wonderful concepts and we are very excited to see where she goes next. Congratulations, Maria!

We would like to congratulate Elyssa Naval for receiving her Master of Science in Management Information Systems and Business Intelligence and Analytics Online Graduate Certificate. Elyssa is an integral member of the team whose ideas and projects are both ground-breaking and essential to course design in higher ed as a whole. We are so proud of her innovative work both in our office and her accomplishments in her pursuit of education. Congratulations, Elyssa!

Libby Merchant

Armando Romero-Garma

We would like to congratulate Libby Merchant on receiving her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Studies. Libby provided our instructional design team with meaningful analytical and design support for online courses. Her quick-thinking and thoughtful work were invaluable to our team, and we wish her the best of luck in her new journey. Congratulations, Libby!

We would like to congratulate Armando Romero-Garma on completing dual degrees: Bachelor of Science in Public Health with an emphasis on Global Health and a Bachelor of Arts with a Health and Development emphasis. Armando has been a valued part of our multimedia team since 2017. We wish only the best for him and his future endeavors. Congratulations, Armando!

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

DailyWildcat.com • 31

2022 YEAR IN REVIEW | STUDENT GOVERNMENT

The end of an era: ASUA’s 2021-22 year BY MAGGIE ROCKWELL @magzrock

The Associated Students of the University of Arizona wrapped up their year with their final meeting on Wednesday, April 27. From bringing free Thanksgiving meals to students to canceling their annual Spring Fling for the third year in a row and impeaching a senator, ASUA has marked their first in-person year back since the pandemic began with highs and lows. Here are a few highlights of the UA’s undergraduate student governing body from the 202122 academic year. UAZ Divest Resolution One of the first things this year’s senate class did was pass the UAZ Divest resolution on Sept. 8, 2021. The unanimously passed resolution was support for UAZ Divest’s mission, calling on the university and UA Foundation to completely divest funds from the fossil fuel industry by 2025, as well as support the proposition of including student voices in the UA Foundation’s investments. ASUA President Noah Vega and Administrative Vice President Kyle Kline met with UAZ Divest the following month, after which Vega reported, “[the fossil fuel companies] have already invested a lot of money into UA, and the Arizona Foundation realizes it would be a financial mistake to take that away.” At the end of the fall semester, Kline and Vega met with the UA Foundation again for an update. The UA Foundation stated there was no way they could divest until 2029 and could not set the original hard date asked by UAZ Divest because they would lose $20 million. They also told Kline that they don’t intend to divest from fossil fuels. Constitution Referendum Kline was the primary author of the ASUA constitution referendum, which is a

JACKIE CABRERA | THE DAILY WILDCAT

THE ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF the University of Arizona senators posing for a photograph on April 27 in the Student Union Memorial Center Agave Room.

simplified version of the old constitution. The new constitution set out to eliminate the house of representatives passed by the 2019-20 senate and also to simplify it, making it easier to navigate. You can read more about the changes to the constitution on the Daily Wildcat website. The referendum was passed by the senate, which sent it to a simple majority vote at a special election for students. The election was held April 27-28, but the results were not available on their website or social media pages by the time of publication. Senate Initiatives Every year the ASUA senate class puts their $20,000 towards a big initiative to help the student population. The first proposed senate initiative was a 24-hour community study space following changes in library hours due to COVID-19.

Collectively, they heard many students express frustration with these changes and the lack of a 24-hour study space on campus. The senate hit a roadblock when they discovered that “for the Main Library to stay open 24/7, the facility would need to receive an extra $1 million in funding annually,” according to ASUA Executive Vice President Ally Devereux. Vega met with UA President Dr. Robert C. Robbins to see if he could help. Robbins expressed he would be interested in finding the funding for this. As part of its initiative, the senate allocated $5,000 of its budget to Arizona Student Unions to directly fund free, grab-and-go Thanksgiving meals for food insecure students or students who could not go home for the holidays. By the Jan. 26 meeting, no other initiative had been decided upon, causing tension among the senators and executives. There were

two proposed initiatives: A community garden and renovation of the ASUA office. At the Feb. 2 meeting, another initiative was proposed for a campus thrift store that would happen during the fall semester of students’ old belongings from the previous year. The things would have to be stored over the summer though, which is what caused Kline to shoot the idea down, citing it “infeasible” because of the cost of storage. The renovation of the ASUA office was ultimately decided on. “Renovation is honestly the wrong word to use for it,” said Ziana Collins, senator of the College of Pharmacy. “It’s more of just turning it from what it is into a collaborative space.” Personnel Complications The senate started the year with vacancies in the College of Medicine, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,

the College of Humanities and the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health senator positions. In October, Devereux hired four senators for these positions, stating that, historically, some of these colleges did not have positions filled and were not wellrepresented in ASUA. It was later found by Daily Wildcat news reporter Kristijan Barnjak, in an article titled “A lackluster year for student government,” that there is no senate seat for the College of Veterinary Medicine. “Sylvester Gaskin, associate dean of students for student governance and programs, confirmed to the Wildcat that the College of Veterinary Medicine senator was hired by mistake, and no seat exists for the college. [Anne] Zlatow is also a graduate student, while ASUA is an undergraduate student government,” the story said. The Colleges of Medicine, Optical Sciences and Agricultural and Life Sciences never filled their senate seats. Barnjak also found that five senators had missed a quarter or more of ASUA’s meetings at the time the article was published. Senate absences were never initially available to the public, even when asked for by Barnjak. Devereux later released the absences at the March 16 meeting. Senator for the College of Science Louise Lalescu was impeached at the March 13 meeting with eight votes in favor, three against and two abstained. The impeachment was automatic, brought on by five unexcused absences. It was announced the ASUA Supreme Court had confirmed the impeachment at the April 20 meeting. Follow ASUA on Twitter @ASUAToday and Instagram @ASUA_Senate for updates about the next senate class and the fall semester.

32 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

2021-22 YEAR IN REVIEW | SCIENCE RECAP

Year in review: Daily Wildcat science coverage BY UDBHAV VENKATARAMAN & OLIVIA BUTLER @DailyWildcat

Health As we recovered from the pandemic and continued to deal with its ongoing long term impacts, more research and work has been conducted to understand, process and address problems that the pandemic exposed. However, this year has been important for other areas of health research as well. Smart drug delivery technology Cole Fields interviewed Minkyu Kim, Ph.D., and his team, who are working on designing a protein to help deliver drugs in a smarter, more efficient way. They are designing a protein that could stretch and be compressed and still maintain its function, much like an erythrocyte [red blood cell]. It would also have a mechanism that would trigger the protein to release the drug when stretched at the appropriate target destination. Hope for those experiencing blindness in countries with limited healthcare access Fields reported on recent research conducted by Nicholas Delamere and Mohammad Shahidullah on cataracts.

Space

An encyclopedia of our Science Desk content this year

Cataracts occur when the transparency in the lens of the eye changes. Delamere, Shahidullah and their teams identified two proteins (TRPV1 and TRPV4) that manage the amount of liquid in the lens cells, which impacts the transparency of the lens. Further research in understanding these pathways has implications for the future of cataract treatment, especially in places with limited access to healthcare. Early-life risk factors that lead to poorer adult lung health Olivia Butler spoke with Dr. Stefano Guerra about his research into lung health. Analyzing data from birth cohorts in Tucson, the United Kingdom and Sweden, Guerra and his team identified three important factors in predicting poorer long term lung health. The factors are small birth weight for gestational age, maternal nutritional problems during pregnancy and being underweight in childhood. Guerra spoke about the importance of looking into the impact of genetics on lung health. Turning the tide against malaria Andres Diaz wrote about the development of a new malaria vaccine, known as the RTS,S or by its brand name Mosquirix.

UA researchers and astronomers have contributed significantly to the advancement of space technology and discovery.

Marcia Rieke, University of Arizona regents’ professor at the Steward Observatory and infrared astronomer, who helped develop the near-infrared camera for the James Webb Space Telescope. The camera allows astronomers to take clearer images and explore farther.

Meet Marcia Rieke, infrared astronomer who designed NIRcam Sean Meixner interviewed

Q&A with professor Hainline: Diving deep into JWST’s exploration of space To learn more about the

Diaz delved into how the vaccine is administered, issues related to the supply chain and delivery of the vaccine and implications this vaccine has in the fight against malaria. UA receives grant for Project FUTRE Annabel Lecky wrote about a 2.2 million dollar grant that the UA received from the Health Resources and Services Administration to fund Project Families Uplifted Through Recovery Education. This program trains people to become behavioral health TOBEY SCHMIDT | THE DAILY WILDCAT paraprofessionals that can provide ADAM BUNTZMAN, RESEARCH ASSISTANT professor at the University of Arizona care and support to families College of Medicine, works with DNA in a lab on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2017, in Tucson. that have been impacted by opioid and other substance use held by the University of Creation of the ‘falloposcope’ disorders. Arizona College of Medicine – endeavors to assist earlier Tucson about health disparities diagnoses of ovarian cancer What it means to be ‘Out and the impact they have on Lecky interviewed Dr. Jennifer in STEM’ the long term mental health of Barton and her team about how Enterprise Editor Kate Ewing people. they developed a device called profiled Out in STEM — a The forum emphasized the the falloposcope to help detect club that offers community for importance of advocacy and ovarian cancer at earlier stages. queer students in the STEM how policy and healthcare The article discusses ovarian community on campus. Ewing need to work in harmony to cancer, the process of developing interviewed the president and provide quality healthcare that the tool, the interdisciplinary vice president of the club and is accessible to all. They also nature of this project and more. wrote about the skills the club spoke about the importance helps its members develop, the College of Medicine hosts virtual of early identification and networking opportunities they intervention when looking at health care disparities forum offer and the personal impact of progressive diseases. Sam Parker covered a forum the club on its members.

James Webb Space Telescope, you can check out Trinity Clark’s Q&A with Kevin Hainline, who is an assistant research professor at the Steward Observatory who worked on the science team under Rieke. Interstellar research group holds their seventh annual symposium Clark wrote an article covering the seventh annual national Interstellar Symposium, which was

presented by the Interstellar Research Group and hosted by the UA in September 2021. The event covered many diverse presentations about the world and space. With these symposiums, IRG hopes to inspire and ignite conversations regarding space and the future. To learn more about the effects of space on people, research about how to get into space and what other professionals had to say, check out Clark’s article on the Daily Wildcat

website at DailyWildcat.com. New gas giant in the making? Butler had the chance to interview astronomers Olivier Guyon and Kevin Wagner to discuss the planet formation of a giant gas planet named AB Aurigae b using Hubble and Subaru telescope data. For the future, both scientists are excited to look at the planet more in-depth, to study its orbit and atmosphere and to see if there are other planets like AB Aurigae b.

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

DailyWildcat.com • 33

2021-22 YEAR IN REVEW| SCIENCE RECAP CONTINUED

Brain, behavior and cognition There have been many important UA studies that have helped researchers learn more about human behavior and the brain in general. Researchers pinpoint a neural pathway involved in eating behaviors Science reporter Natalie Temple had the opportunity of interviewing Haijiang Cai, an associate professor in the University of Arizona Department of Neuroscience. Cai, along with other UA researchers, discovered a neural pathway related to the feeling of being full expressed in mice. The next step in the research is to find if the same neural mechanism exists in humans and from there, create weight management drugs that don’t have side effects and target appetite for body weight.

Nature Our campus conducts a wide range of research in the area of nature, climate and our environment, and the Science Desk got to explore a lot of it. Learn more about it in the following section. What Earth Week looks like at the university Susan Barnett delves into how the UA celebrates Earth week from guest speakers, opportunities to showcase art, educational events and more. Barnett also talks about the work that Students for Sustainability does on campus. France-Arizona Institute for Global Grand Challenges panel discusses land conservation efforts Natalie Temple covered a panel that The France-Arizona Institute for Global Grand Challenges held on March 14, centered around the US, Canada and France’s long term goals to preserve 30% of their

Let’s talk about body image Another interesting story regarding eating behaviors, was covered by science reporter Olivia Butler. Butler was able to interview Ashley Smith, a licensed clinical mental health counselor and professional relations manager. Smith discussed body image and specifically the harmful effects that media and subliminal messaging have on body image dissatisfaction. Additionally, Smith emphasized that because body image impacts everyone, it is important to be mindful of the words we use to describe ourselves and others. Penny for your thoughts Science reporter Trinity Clark reported on a study that was conducted to observe thought patterns and the way they affect our mental health. With the use

land by 2030 in an effort to protect biodiversity. The discussion talked about the current state of affairs and what needs to be done to reach this goal. Water conservation and habitat restoration collide at the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project Hannah Johnson wrote a story about how the historic Santa Cruz River is being re-vitalized through the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project through the release of highly treated wastewater into its riverbed. This project not only revives the river, it brings back the riparian ecosystem that once flourished among its banks and has cultural and historical significance. Returning to the river after 100 years: Longfin dace reintroduced to the Santa Cruz River Johnson covered the reintroduction of the longfin dace fish species back into the Santa Cruz River. Johnson reported why this specific species was chosen for reintroduction, the considerations and precautions

of the Rumination Response Scale and think aloud paradigm, researchers conducted two studies using UA undergraduate students and concluded that rumination, particularly brooding for too long, was linked with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Regarding future studies, researchers believe it would be important to study people who have a lot of experience with meditating. Using this data, they could find a way for others to gain some control over their mind. Centering compassion in a community divided: SBS Downtown Lecture Series happening now Clark reported on the lecture series that was hosted in downtown Tucson by the College of Social

scientists took in the process of reintroduction and the success of the release. ‘Tis the season for sun burns Amanda Betz of El Inde Arizona wrote about sunburns, the science behind sunburns and sun cancer and how to best protect yourself from them. Betz talked about students’ experiences and how it can be difficult for students new to the desert to get used to the climate and be well prepared. UA museum offers new opportunities for learning Johnson reported on the opening of the University of Arizona’s new Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum in downtown Tucson. She wrote about the sparkling collection that the museum has on display, the history of the museum and how it serves as a unique opportunity to engage the community. New plastic could remove tons of sulfur from oil plants Clark wrote a story about the repurposing of a waste product

and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Arizona. The series was called “Compassion: A Tool for Human Understanding and Liberation.” The UA presenters that Clark interviewed discussed the benefits of compassion training, mindfulness training and how people determine who receives their compassion. They also discussed what influences that determination, and finally how people can implement compassion into their daily lives. The Health Science Center will expand new research opportunities to address addiction Reporter Kiara Adams reported on the $6.6 million grant that was rewarded to researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences from the National Institutes of Health. Adams explained that the grant is being used to develop the Center of Excellence in Addiction Studies;

this center intends to improve addiction research at the UA and develop therapies and treatments for addiction disorders. University of Arizona researchers find possible treatment for dementia after stroke Parker reported on a study conducted by University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers that found a new possible treatment that could reduce the likelihood of stroke patients developing dementia. Parker interviewed Kristian Doyle, an associate professor of immunology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and the study’s principal investigator. Doyle’s team discovered that the drug cyclodextrin leads to less inflammation and cholesterol in the mouse brain. He is optimistic for future research and the possibility of improving recovery and quality of life for stroke patients.

for something positive. Crude oil plants generate a lot of sulfur, which currently has little use and is harmful to the environment. However, Clark interviewed a researcher who, along with their team, is finding a way to synthesize plastic from sulfur. Footprints suggest humans arrived in the Americas earlier than previously thought Recent archaeological evidence in the form of footprints in the White Sands National Park in New Mexico could change the timeline for when humans arrived in North America. Clark spoke with UA professor Vance Holliday about how they analyzed these footprints, criticisms of the data and the implications of this finding on our understanding of the human timeline. A hidden forest on campus: Inside the Laboratory of TreeRing Research Jane Florance wrote an article about the University of Arizona’s Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, funded by the National Park

JANE FLORANCE | THE DAILY WILDCAT

WOOD SAMPLES THAT NEED to be categorized and archived at the tree-ring lab on the University of Arizona campus.

Service. The article talks about the process of receiving, cataloguing and archiving tree samples. It also discusses the various questions, studies and information that the lab investigates. To read more science stories, go to DailyWildcat.com.

34 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

2021-22 YEAR IN REVEW | CAMPUS HAPPENINGS

Catch Skip the bomb-sniffing pup patrol BY KATE EWING @mariakewing

KATE EWING | THE DAILY WILDCAT

SKIP, FROM THE UNIVERSITY of Arizona Police Department K-9 unit, sits on the grass in front of the Hall of Champions on April 13.

The University of Arizona Police Department’s bombsniffing dog, “Skip,” is nominated for the 2022 American Humane Hero Dog Awards. This national competition recognizes dogs under seven different categories, and Skip falls under the law enforcement and detection category. He is the sole dog representing the state of Arizona. Winners for each respective category are honored at the star-studded American Humane Hero Dog Awards gala in Palm Beach, according to the contest website. The contest began on Jan. 13 and will continue until Sept. 13. Individuals 18 years and older can vote for a dog every 9 hours. To vote for Skip — in the “Law Enforcement and Detection” category — or any other nominees, go to herodogawards.org. Skip is a chocolate lab, and wears what could only be thought of as a smile on his face, next to his handler and partner, UAPD officer Lauren Connell. Connell has served as an officer in the K-9 unit since 2019, when she first received Skip due to a grant from the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Foundation. Skip, a chocolate lab, is

considered an employee at UAPD and is owned by the department. He lives with Connell 24/7 and works routine shifts on campus with her. Connell said a typical day on duty for the duo varies, but can usually be filled with brushing up on training, helping with patrols, getting in exercise for Skip or playing fetch. Skip and Connell work to ensure campus safety at major

“

We are always learning something new. He’s very smart and sometimes he might use that to try to cheat his way to his reward sooner.”

— LAUREN CONNELL, UAPD OFFICER events by sweeping for any potential bomb threats. “We do preventative sweeps at all major games, any large-scale events,” Connell said. “We will be at the upcoming graduation.” This includes sweeping at men’s and women’s basketball games, upcoming football games, festivals and anything else that involves a lot of foot traffic. Most recently, they oversaw the

Tucson Festival of Books. Connell explained that their job is mainly preventative work. The UAPD K-9 unit assists other agencies in the Southern Arizona jurisdiction, so if the Tucson Police Department requires some assistance, Skip is on call. The National Police Canine Association is an organization that administers certification to the UAPD’s K-9 Unit yearly. During Skip’s most recent re-certification, he received gun detection certification. Connell explained this training typically goes hand in hand with explosive detection. “If we need to help other agencies, it adds comfort knowing he has that training,” Connell said. Skip has assisted in detecting ammunition and weapons used in homicides, according to his bio on the Hero Dog Awards website. While the pair works on serious business for the UAPD or assisting other law enforcement entities, Connell still described Skip as very playful and excitable. “We are always learning something new. He’s very smart and sometimes he might use that to try to cheat his way to his reward sooner,” Connell said. To see more of Skip and his dog grin, follow him on Instagram @uarizonak9.

Arizona Board of Regents votes to increase tuition rates at three state universities BY JT THORPE @jt_thorpe_

The Arizona Board of Regents approved a tuition increase for all three of Arizona’s main universities starting this fall semester with each school’s incoming classes. For the UA, tuition will increase by 2% for in-state undergraduate students and 5.6%

for out-of-state undergraduate students. “As with recent years, more than 99% of continuing undergraduate students will experience no increase in tuition or mandatory fees for 2022-2023, due to their enrollment in the tuition guarantee program,” UA President Dr. Robert C. Robbins said in his letter favoring the tuition increase. Along with tuition, ABOR also

approved the increase of the UA’s mandatory fees for Health and Recreation, the Arizona Financial Aid Trust Fund and Student Services. For certain colleges, the tuition increase amount varies from the general increase mentioned above. UA College of Medicine tuition in both Tucson and Phoenix will increase by 4.3% for in-state students and 1% for

out-of-state students still in their first through fourth years of school. And tuition for the College of Veterinary Medicine will increase by 3% for both in-state and out-of-state students still in their first through third years of school. While undergraduate tuition for online students will not be increasing, tuition for graduate students at the UA will increase by 9% per every credit hour.

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

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36 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

2021-22 YEAR IN REVIEW | POLICE BEAT

A year of campus police run-ins There’s no doubt it’s been a tumultuous year. As COVID-19 restrictions loosened and wars began, on- campus chaos resumed as normal. Check out this year’s Police Beat year in review. BY THE DAILY WILDCAT NEWS DESK @DailyWildcat

U.S. Postal Service hits the JackPOT By Annabel Lecky

Stolen exit signs: An epidemic By Annabel Lecky

A total of 14 exit signs had been reported stolen in various dorms and residential housing locations on campus within the first month and a half of the fall semester. University of Arizona Police Department was contacted about the incidents and had reported to the sites of several of them. A viral TikTok trend involving teenagers ripping exit signs out of building ceilings may be the source of inspiration for the series of misconduct. The Community Director of the Coronado Residence Hall claimed that there was a nationwide shortage of exit signs, and petty theft may be to blame. Two students in Coronado Hall were questioned by UAPD as a stray exit sign was found in their dorm room. The students said they leave their door unlocked and someone must have placed the sign inside without them knowing. However, during a follow-up with an officer, the boys admitted that a “friend of a friend” was responsible for stealing the sign. In another incident in Kaibab-Huachuca Residence Hall, a resident assistant reported a missing exit sign. When police responded, they also saw two separate areas in the hallway where the missing exit sign was reported with vomit on the floor. Alcohol consumption may have been related to the incident, and incidents alike, but the lack of security cameras in dorms makes it difficult for RA’s as well as UAPD to pinpoint the thieves.

Lose a wallet? Get charged By Kate Ewing

A business student at the UA was charged for possessing a fake ID after his wallet was handed into UAPD on Oct. 15. According to a police report, the student had left their wallet on a

TOM PRICE | THE DAILY WILDCAT A UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA Police Department car sits just off of Park Avenue on Oct. 1, 2015.

Poorly hidden

By Annabel Lecky A girl was charged with a minor in possession by UAPD after a small bottle of Jose Cuervo got her into some trouble. Police reported seeing some girls walking with the bottle of tequila in hand. Officers pointed their flashlights toward them, but the girls kept walking. The girls quickly shuffled the bottle between the three of them and it ended up in the hands of an unlucky girl, who decided that the best place to store the

counter in The Parker apartment building and a security guard retrieved the wallet and turned it into the UAPD. Unbeknownst to the good Samaritan, this was a catalyst to a series of unfortunate events. An officer cataloged the contents of the wallet and found an ID inside with a date of birth that did not match the

bottle would be in her pants. She continued walking away and the police ordered her to stop. Officers requested that she take the bottle out of her pants, as it was creating a large bulge in her side and it wasn’t well hidden. The girl then pulled the bottle from underneath her shorts and claimed that it was not her bottle and that one of her “sisters” had handed it to her after their date dash. When the officer asked why she willingly took the bottle, she claimed it was just “a girl thing.” We love a supportive sister.

date of birth found during a records check of the student. Police then contacted the student via email to retrieve his wallet at the station. On Monday, Oct. 18 at around 1:45 p.m., the student showed up at the station to collect the wallet and an officer interrogated him about the fake ID. The student eventually admitted

A University of Arizona student and resident at Coronado Residence Hall was busted by UAPD after she had illegal marijuana delivered to the student mailroom on Monday, Oct. 4. An RA noticed the peculiar delivery while working in the Coronado mailroom after a strong odor of marijuana came from the package, despite it being sealed. Before UAPD could arrive on the scene, the student had already picked up her package with her CatCard and made her way back to her room, no questions asked. Just when the UA student thought she was in the clear, UAPD knocked on her door and requested entry into her room. She complied, and the officer began to question her about the contents of the package. According to UAPD, the student said, “yeah, it’s marijuana.” She informed officers that she did not have a medical marijuana license and that she had been smoking for years. The student also admitted that someone from home had sent her the weed. She was charged by UAPD with possession of narcotics.

that he got the fake through a site his friend suggested but hadn’t used it since high school. The officer charged him for violation of owning a fake ID in the state of Arizona and informed him of his court date before releasing the student. But hey, at least he got his Circle K rewards card back.

DailyWildcat.com • 37

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

2021-22 YEAR IN REVEW| SPORTS GALLERY

Sports photo highlights Daily Wildcat photographers covered 12 Division I sports and hundreds of events throughout the Tucson area over the last nine months. Check out some of the shots, goals and points scored this school year.

NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT

HERMAN HOEYERAAL, A PLAYER on the Arizona men’s tennis team, plays against University of San Diego on Feb. 4 at the Robson Tennis Center. Herman won this match.

NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT

JENNA STUDER, A SOPHOMORE on the Arizona Soccer team, jumps over a University of Washington player to head a ball after a goalie kick at Mulcahy Soccer Stadium on Oct. 15. The Wildcats lost 1-4.

SAM THOMAS, A GUARD on the Arizona women’s basketball team, sends kisses into the crowd after her final Wildcat game on March 21 in McKale Center. The Wildcats lost 63-45 this game in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

NATHANIAL STENCHEVER | THE DAILY WILDCAT

GAREN CAULFIELD, AN INFIELDER on the Arizona baseball team, tags out an ASU player as he tries to steal second on April 22 at Hi Corbett Field. The Wildcats won the game 7-6 in extra innings.

For more content, follow Daily Wildcat Sports Desk on Twitter: @WildcatSports

MARISON BILAGODY | THE DAILY WILDCAT

ARIZONA RUNNING BACK, JONAH Coleman (24), runs with the ball as a defender tackles him at Arizona Stadium on April 9 at the UA’s spring game.

ELI RAHMIM | THE DAILY WILDCAT

PUK STUBBE (10) BLOCKS the ball while Nicole Briggs (22) jumps to serve as a backup during a volleyball game against USC on Sunday, Oct. 16, in McKale Center. Arizona lost 3-1.

38 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

2021-22 YEAR IN REVEW | CAMPUS CHANGES

In memoriam: Yandex food delivery robots — gone but not forgotten

COURTESY YULIA SHVEYKO

A YANDEX FOOD DELIVERY robot sitting between the Student Union Memorial Center and the College of Engineering building.

BY KRISTIJAN BARNJAK @KBarnjak

They came on a Wednesday, and they came in peace. Nov. 17, 2021, marked the introduction of Yandex food delivery robots to the University of Arizona campus. They were an instant cultural phenomenon. Students couldn’t help staring at the robots as they rode past, some stopping the automatons in their tracks by jumping in their path. “We can see huge interest from students. The most frequent thing we’re facing on campuses is that students want to take pictures with them. They also like to challenge the robot to see what happens if they stand in front of it. So student curiosity is really amazing, and I think they’re excited about these robots,” Yandex Head of Public Relations Yulia Shveyko told the Wildcat in a previous article. The UA became the second university in the nation to partner with Yandex

and Grubhub to provide an alternative method of delivering food to hungry college students. While the robots helped alleviate the volume of orders for delivery, it appeared as though the burden was passed on to restaurant workers dealing with more orders. Thomas Najor is a junior economics student and worked at Einstein Bros Bagels at the Student Union Memorial Center while the Yandex robots were still delivering. Najor said delivery orders from the robots piled onto the existing amount of orders Einstein workers had to handle, which could become overwhelming. “On the one hand, I really enjoy working with them as the guy dropping off the orders,” Najor said. “I’d say the more difficult part of working with them is on the line itself because we get all of the orders at the same time. So, we’ll get instore orders at the same time as pickup, which is already from Grubhub, and then on top of it we’ll have the deliveries from actual Grubhub deliverers and then the

robots.” Najor estimated based on his own experience that robot usage had substantially grown since their implementation in November. “Really within the last two months, we’ve gone from doing six a day to probably doing, like, at least a hundred,” Najor said in February. The robots left more than just an economic footprint at the UA. In some students, an emotional bond was forged. “It’s fun to see them around here,” said Ananya Shah, a freshman biology student. “They’re cute.” Another attractive aspect of the robots was their convenience. “Anytime they offer, I honestly prefer [the robots],” said Katey Smith, a freshman and pre-business student at the Eller College of Management. “I just, half the time, don’t like talking to people when I do order delivery food. I like them a lot, honestly, it makes it so much easier.” Others developed an unexplainable

aversion to the large white cubes rolling along the sidewalk and the sympathy expressed to them. “I think it’s just weird, sort of like sympathizing with a machine and calling it cute,” said Ian McArthur, a freshman studying architectural engineering and a self-proclaimed anti-botter. “Something about it just rubs me the wrong way, and it’s just like, ‘no, this is a metal box that is rolling in my way on the sidewalk.’” McArthur was a member of a UA-based Discord server that engages in Yandex discourse. Members of the server are generally separated into two camps: probot and anti-bot. Objections to the robots extended to their potentially harmful social and political implications. “They’re machines created by a mindless mega-corporation run by Russian oligarchs to take away jobs from honest workers who may be getting underpaid, but being underpaid is better than the job literally not existing, which is what they’re trying to do. We keep supporting things like Yandex without really talking about the ethical and societal considerations,” said Zane Landers, another outspoken anti-botter on the Discord server. “I totally agree with the sentiment, but I am pro-bot because I think that we can do the food delivery system with the adorable robots in an ethical way,” said Farida Baouab, a sophomore psychology student who is also a member of the Discord server. “It’s just the system needs to be changed. So, the problem is not the robots. It’s the system in which they work.” As it happened, the anti-botters had their way. The Yandex food delivery robots ceased operation on campus on March 3 due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. “Due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Arizona Student Unions and Arizona Dining will cease doing business with Yandex, a Russian multi-national public traded company and the hardware provider of the robot couriers on campus, as of today, March 3, 2022,” the Arizona Student Unions said in an Instagram post. The robots are survived by the “Yandexposting” Discord server.

May 2022 • Commencement & Year-In-Review

DailyWildcat.com • 39

2021-22 YEAR IN REVIEW | COMICS BY JOHN KONRAD @vomit_party

It’s been an exciting year to be a comics fan at the Daily Wildcat. In the past semester alone, the number of weekly comics at the newspaper has tripled. We’ve welcomed some talented new student cartoonists who each bring something unique to the growing Comics desk. It gives me a lot of pride to help revive regular comics at the

Daily Wildcat, and I couldn’t do it without these artists. They’ve been consistently delivering great content week after week, and they show no signs of slowing. I’m confident that next year will be even bigger and better, but in the meantime, let’s look back at some of the comic strips we’ve published in 2022. Introducing Wildcat Comics Corner, your one-stop shop for University of Arizona funnies.

40 • The Daily Wildcat

Commencement & Year-In-Review ● May 2022

OUR BODIES. OUR FUTURES. OUR RIGHTS. Now is the time to protect our community.