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TUCSON - University of Arizona student Johnathon Hanson is up early to grab the Daily Wildcat. "I'm on the front page," he says.

While thousands of eyes will read his words, only a few will notice a special advertisement about to go to print. It's buried in the pages of this campus weekly.

It's the May Day Mystery.

"I've never heard of it," Hanson says. "This is the first time." He isn't alone.

"No I've never heard of it," another student says. "But it's pretty cool!"

A cool, confusing cryptogram has popped up in the paper nearly every May 1st since the early 1980s.

More than a two decades later, former Daily Wildcat Web Content Manager Bryan Hance, started to notice.

"They're practically works of art, Hance explains via web chat from his home in Portland, Oregon.

Hance created MayDayMystery.org, a website where he posts the ads he's collected over the years. "At one point I threw in the towel," he remembers.

But then "they" came calling. Hance received emails, pictures and even money. They were all clues sent from the leaders, the connected, the whomever they are!

"It makes no sense," says Daily Wildcat Ad Designer Dalia Rihani. "It has this weird puzzle and strange messages.

Rihani remains puzzled herself. She invited News 4 into the Daily Wildcat's archive room. And sure enough, puzzle after puzzle emerged from May Days of yesteryear.

"The way this ad is placed is no different than any other ad," explains Daily Wildcat Ad Manager Mike Spohn. He collects payments from clients and helps place the ad in the paper.

"[This year] I have not seen it yet," Spohn says. "I don't know what the client's plans are as of yet." News 4 learned that the client is Robert Hungerford, a lawyer who practices in downtown Tucson. Hungerford has paid for and delivered the ad for years.

When asked during a telephone interview if we can expect another ad this year, Hungerford replied,
"That is certianly possible." Hungerford offered no other comment.

News 4 also learned the ad space Hungerford purchases is not cheap.

"This ad is a full page black and white ad," Spohn explains, "Would be just under $2,000."

With few answers to this mysterious puzzle, readers are forced to wait and wonder. And Hance refuses to give up his search.

"I'd like to keep it going as long as I can," he says.