Radford University - Beehive Yearbook (Radford, VA)

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Grab a ipoon. A 175 fool Oona c sp, ,t shawls ocross Moffett lawn, and peoote gather round to munc down Smile! Chonr el Seven news was on hand Mav 8. txsity covering the construction of the monstrous oosso t. Banana Solit 21

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Yes, we have bananas! Roll 'em! And there was no turning banancs Smothered in whipped cream back Forty people — some students, some children and a few parents — be gan construction of a 175-foot banana split on Moffett Lawn at neon on Saturday. May 8. It was unbelievable. At moments it was like watching an orchestra at work, with conductor Elliott Bender hepping around, pointing, shouting. Everyone working bananas, come up to this end! and Peel, don't eat! Sometimes it was more like the back kitchen of an Italian pizza parlor, except instead of Hold the pepperoni there were cries of “Slice, slice, peel! Hey. you guys, spread that ice cream and syrup out some, will ya? Within ten minutes of the start signal, the monster frozen confection wes complete, all ingredients pilec into 175-feet of tin guttering. One more signal from Bender — Dig in! — and aporoximately 100 ice cream lovers devoured the glorious creator inside of 15 minutes No one thought twice about eating out of the same dish as 99 ether folks because there it was. all 30 gallons of ce cream and 40 pounds of Dig In. Members o Sgma Phi Epsilon taste the ice cream that was donated by local merchants and cnocolate syrup, sprinkled with peanuts and maraschino cherries, no one had seen the likes of such a thing before Even the people ‘rom he local television show, PM Magazine. couldn't believe it. They've got whipped cream and nuts and cherries and I wanna know where you pay! , said one lady. With the help of third floor Moffett and the members of Sigma Phi Epsilon, plus generous donations from local merchants. ice cream maestro Bender organized the massive pig out to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Pledges were faken for each foot of banana split built, and each pe'son gave a minimum donation of one dollar for a plastic spoon and all the ice cream he or she cculd gobble down. There were chocolcte syajp smeared faces and sticky Izods galore when everyone finisned. even c pet duck who waded through, the river of melted ice cream. Everyone present haa a great time, especially Bender, who proclaimed. People just can't tell me I can t do something. If I set my mind to it. it can be done! 20 Student Life

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Amazing journey recreated For the oast six years. Radford Theater Department Chairman Jarhes Hawes has d rected Virginia's only outdoor historical d'cma, The Long Way Home. which completed its 12th season in Radford Sept. 5. The play re-lives 18th-century pioneer Ma'y Draoer ’ngles'journey from Kentucky to southwest Virginia to warn settlers in Drapers Meadows of an Indian attack. Ingles and her two children were captured by the Shawnee Indians in a massacre at the Radford settlement in 1755. During her four-month captivity, she was separated from her children and beaten into servitude While the Shawnees were traveling through the salt springs at Big Bone Lick in Kentucky. Ingles overheard them planning another, more devastating attack on the southwest Virginia settlements. Fleeing her captors on foot. Ingles struggled through the dense, cold forest, dragging herself, from fatigue, along the banks of the rivers leading back to Virginia in order to warn the settlers. In his production Hawes has been able to utilize an inherited atmosphere. The theatre, located next to Ingleside. the ancestral home of the original settlers, is only a few feet from where Mary Ingles is buried Mary Lewis Ingles Jeffries, who lives at Ingleside, has played her great-great-great-great grandmother Elenor Draper, mother of Mary Ingles, for the 12 seasons the show has run. During a performance two years ago, Jeffries recalls that the spirit of one of her pioneer relatives appeared in the form of “a floating hand which landed lightly on my shoulder but didn't frighten me. On the contrary, she said, I felt very peaceful. It was a warm hand, and it made me feel very close to the entire Ingles family. Elizabeth Lemmon, who played Mary Ingles this season, said she also felt an un-explainable presence at the amphitheatre Sometimes, when I'm alone onstage, I somehow know Mary Ingles is around and watching, and I feel good because I know she must approve. Ingles was a uniquely demanding role for Lemmon, a senior art major at Radford. She cppeared on stage from the first line until the very end of the play. To create the mood for Ingles' long, agonizing journey. Hawes utilized surrealistic scenes and images throughout the play. Blacklights fiasned and deathly dancers contorted around Ingles as her movements slowed to a crawl ’he play has become a community effort; many local businesses donate to the project. By the end of the season you really get the feeling of a long run. Everyone's formed fast friendships or fast animosities as the case may be. Hawes said lightheartedly. but it's a lot of fun that way. He noted that interest has revived in Mary Draper Ingles across the nation since the release of James Alexander Thom's novel Fol'ow tne River early last year Hawes attrioutes the increasea touris audience this pasf summer to Tnom's novel, based on The Long Way Home. When the season ended. Hawes returned to chairmanship duties in the RU thectre deportment ir addition to teaching. directing and acting on ccmpus. In October, he played the lead role in tne R.U. Theatre production of Neel Coward. Theatre is theatre, whether indoor or outdoor, commercial or college. Broadway or Radford. he said. The thrill you get is the inspiration to always give your creative best. Karon Covory chars with Or. James Hawes, thcatro deoartrrenr chairman, before a pxodcct on. 22 Student Life