University of North Alabama - Diorama Yearbook (Florence, AL)

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fisitors feel welcome on campus after a stop at Leo ' s den. With nothing to do aU day but eat, sleep, and roar, Leo really is living like a King. Dr. Guillot ' s next-door neighbor is prob- ibly one of the most popular personalities on campus. Leo is the best he could possibly be, iays Joe Wallace, Assistant Director of school Relations and Recruiting, indicating a Ipicture of Dr. Guillot ' s neighbor on the wall in :he president ' s office. Leo has never given js any trouble ... He always seems to know what ' s expected of him. Students are also fond of Dr. Guillot ' s leighbor. 1 would never have made it :hrough my eight o ' clock English class with- out him to keep me awake, says Malcolm joodman. Yes, Dr. Guillot ' s neighbor is a very pop- jlar guy. He has even become a tourist at- raction. Children and adults come from miles iround just to visit him. Crowds of people ittended his tenth birthday party this year, and the Pride of Dixie Marching Band showed up to play Happy Birthday. In Oc- ober, a leading specialist travelled to Flor- ;nce from Birmingham just to give him a rou- ine check-up. You may wonder why a guy who sleeps L7-20 hours a day and lives in a cage is so Dopular and highly respected. Well, you would be popular and respected, too, if you were a 450-pound African lion! Leo, whose official title is King of Lion Country, was born on April 14, 1972. He was only three months old and weighed only 35 pounds when Dr. Guillot, a newcomer to campus himself at that time, acquired him to be the university ' s mascot. Several other schools in the nation have lions as emblems, but Leo is the only live lion mascot in the United States. He is also the largest mascot in Alabama. Because being a mascot is such hard work, Leo has been provided with a human assistant — Leo 11, alias Ramona Sutton. Sutton dons her lion uniform to help Leo inspire the Lions to victo- ry and to entertain the crowd at sporting events. She is also on hand for many school functions, including Leo ' s birthday party. Leo never misses a Lions ' football game; he always reaches the stadium in time and in style in his own WIN-a-bago. He has never been tranquilized for travel, according to Joe Wallace. We just back the trailer up He always seems to know what ' s expected off him. —Joe Wallace to his den and, in less than a minute, he ' s ready to go to the game, says Wallace. On the occasion of his annual physical examination, however, Leo was put under sedation. He was given a clean bill of health by Dr. T. C. Branch, relief veterinarian of the Birmingham Zoo, who said, Leo is mostly muscle, very little fat. He has strong lungs and is in excellent health. For his age, he is in perfect condition. Leo is cheap to keep, says Wallace, We ' ve never had to use univer- sity money for him. Leo is supported solely by independent contributions to the Leo Fund. All kings should be hospitable, and Leo is no exception. He really enjoys showing off to the kids who visit his den, says Wallace. He not only belongs to the school and repre- sents athletics — he means a lot to the people around here, especially the children. In the past decade, the university has grown and gone through many changes. Leo has grown, too, from a cute little cub into a beautiful, full-grown lion. What changes will take place on campus in the next ten years no one can say, but since the life expectancy of a lion is 20-30 years, Leo will probably be around to observe them. — Michele Savage ITS NEVER TOO EARLY to recruit future stu- dents. Leo II (Ramona Sutton) mingles with young Lion fans at Leo ' s birthday party. April 14. A large crowd turned out to wish their favorite lion many happy returns and to watch him open his present. (Photo by Chalmers Davis) N THEIR HOME NEAR LEOS DEN. the Guillots ave a large collection of lion ornaments. This ce- amic lion, a favorite of Mrs. Patty Guillot. was lurchased locally soon after they came to Florence. he often uses it as a centerpiece. (Photo by Deb- rah Thompson) Student Life

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v%x X-J I LL. ■■1 ' ' ' I L J I I L -L-J I I r IT - -- — ; — -— 1 — — 1 — - -- ' I Students ' views revealed in spring SGA Fi( 3r-Ala ] 30ll 1. Are you a member of a social fraternity or sorority? YES 18% NO 82% UNDECIDED 2. Do you favor the Reagan Administration ' s Nuclear Arms Buildup Policy? 37% 20% 43% 3. Do you think a parking problem exists on campus? 95% 4% 1% 4. Do you favor more restrictive handgun control laws? 47% 41% 12% 5. Do you favor legalized abortion on demand? 35% 44% 21% 6. Do you think Flowers Hall should be open to student use on weekends? 90% 1% 9% 7. Do you think the library should expand its hours to include Saturdays? 88% 5% 7% 8. Have you engaged in pre-marital sex? 50% 50% 9. Do you favor the continued use of nuclear power for electricity generation? 43% 27% 30% 10. Are you in favor of having males ages 18 to 26 register for selective service? 61% 18% 21% 11. Do you favor the establishment of a Fraternity Row ? 45% 21% 34% 12. Which of the following terms best applies to your use of alcoholic beverages? Never 1-4 times year 1-4 times mnt 1-4 times wk. Daily 30% 18% 29% 20% 3% 13 Which of the following terms best applies to your use of marijuana? Never 1-4 times year 1-4 times mnt 1-4 times wk. Daily 78% 11% 4% 4% 2 14. Do you read The Flor-Ala? Weekly Occasionally Seldom Never 63% 29% 6% 2% 15 Which of the following terms best applies to the strength of your religious conviction? Very strong Strong Moderate Weak None 23% 28% 40% 7% 2% ' 16 Which of the following do you think applies to the effectiveness of the S.G.A.? Very effective Effective Moderately Effective Ineffective 2% 37% 53% 8% PARKING IS A MAJOR PROBLEM on campu. Ninety-five per cent of the people surveyed repor ed that they have parking problems. (Photo by Pi Hood)