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

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Tkking You There SOAR (Summer Orientation and Registration) provides in easy transition from high school to college fy Jeffrey Cox A nervousness comes over the gradu- ting high school senior. What will college e like? is usually one of the biggest con- erns. Well, never fear, because SOAR is lere to help. SOAR (Summer Orientation and advanced Registration) is held each ummer. The purpose of SOAR is to orient ntering freshmen to campus and provide n opportunity for pre-registration. In a day and a half, freshmen learn about every- thing from university services to register- ing for fall classes, while having a good time in the process. The first day of SOAR begins with a wel- come program. Dr. Daniel R. Leasure, dean of Student Affairs, performed the opening this year. After the welcome speech, the SOAR counselors do a short skit. They did The SOAR Counselor Shuffle based on The Super Bowl Shuf- fle this year. After the welcome, the new games begin. These are non -competitive activities designed to help the freshmen relax, get to know their group, and have some fun. Games such as blob tag, caterpillar, and knots show the group that SOAR is not just a bunch of seminars, but a mixture of learning and having a good time. The next step is an academic lecture which combines information with some humor. The lecture gives an overall look at the university and how it is organized. This year ' s academic lecture was given by Robert Glenn, director of Student Activi- ties and Orientation. A meeting with department heads comes next, allowing freshmen to get more specific information on different majors. The whole group is then divided into three smaller groups. The groups alternate each hour between filling out their fall class schedules, a campus tour, and free time. One of the groups goes to a residence hall meeting instead of having the free hour. By this time the new students have had a full day and are ready for some relaxa- tion. The SOAR Caba ret is the perfect way (Cont. on page 20) TALKING OVER CAREER OPTIONS with his SOAR group, Heath Trousdale helps these new freshmen decide on some classes. WHAT I DID FOR LOVE is part of the medley from A Chorus Line which Tonya Rus- sell sang as part of the evening ' s enter- tainment. The Cabaret is held in the Great Hall of the Student Union Building. A BROADWAY THEME gives the SOAR Cabaret cast an opportunity to show their stuff. The Cabaret included highlights from past university productions including South Pacific, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Pippin, and The Music Man. Soar 19

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STEPHEN ANDERSON THE DISCOVER SYSTEM in Collier Library is a useful guide to choosing a career. Enter- ing freshmen (and others) can use the system to help make decisions on what classes to take or what major to pursue. SOAR coun- selor Kim Darby explains some of the basic concepts of the computer system. GETTING ACQUAINTED with the campus and with the people of the university is an important part of Summer Orientation and Advanced Registration. Counselor James Berryhill gives his SOAR group a pep talk about the workings of the university. 18

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Tkking You There STEPHEN ANDERSON THE ACTUAL REGISTRATION process is the ulti- mate reason for going through SOAR, and is the last event sched- uled during the summer sessions. (Cont. from page 19) for students to unwind. Robert Holder, assistant professor of Dramatic Arts, puts together each year ' s show. This year the show was a collection of songs from past university productions of hit Broadway shows. Songs were presented from Bye Bye Birdie, The Fantastiks, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, South Pacific, Music Man, Pippin, and A Chorus Line. The cabaret began with the song On Broadway and continued through a strong set of tunes including I Can Do That, Put on a Happy Face, Nothing Like a Dame, and Magic to Do. Holder chose the Broadway theme because he thought it would show the students some- thing they may not have experienced before. Cast members this year included Kim Cosby, Polly Gartman, Todd Goode, Tamela Hunter, Mark Mitchell, Steven Nelson, Elizabeth Ragsdale, Tonya Russell, and Richard Welborn. Immediately after the cabaret is the dance. It is a fun social event that is struc- tured as a group activity. Derek Morgan was DJ for the dance. The next day of SOAR begins with a student affairs and student services assem- bly. The purpose of the meetings is to give the students basic information on the loca- tion of various offices and the services available. The Freshman Year Simulation Game is an opportunity for students to see how their time must be organized in college. Two 20 minute semesters and a five minute Christmas break constitute the school year. Each student has a list of activities to be completed in order to get points in vari- ous areas of college life. Before the game begins, goals for their first year are set. While they are going about their tasks, the freshmen are being distracted by things such as homecoming and school closing because of snow. After the game a discus- sion is held about their goals. It usually turns out that the students had not given much thought to organizing their time. Pre-registration is the final step for SOAR students. This year ' s pre-registration went smoothly and was very orderly. The SOAR counselors are the ones who make it work. They help the freshmen relax and answer any questions they might have. Alan Bush, a SOAR counselor, said he wanted to help freshmen. As a person in new surroundings it is hard. Other counselors were James Berryhill, Shannon Cameron, Anne Clem, Chris Dobbs, Cathleen Jackson, Valerie Wray, Heath Trousdale, Paula Webb, and Regina Blake. Approximately 700 students went through SOAR. The program is a good learning experience that students look back on with a smile. It is business, but it is also fun. PROUD of the work in progress on campus, recruitment counselor Derek Morgan and SOAR counselor Chris Dobbs point out the construction work by Floyd Science Building. A new elevator was added to the building during the summer term. 20