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

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' •« ■7 . ' iZ f ' i- ■ ■■ PHOTOJOURNALIST MARK CASTEEL, a student photographer for The Flor-Ala, dodges in front of the pohce barricades to get a pic- ture at the white supremacy rally held in Pulaski, Tenn., on October 7. The rally, which was attended by skinheads, Ku Klux Klan mem- bers, and other Aryan Nations supremacy groups, was organized under protest from dvic leaders and citizens in the small town. Although the march was anticipated to bring more than 1,000 people, orJy 175 participated as townspeople stayed away in droves to sig- nify that the groups were not welcome. The marchers were outnumbered by police ofScials and journalists. (Photo by Jim Hannon) CHECKING OUT a Tec 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Marlin 9mm semi-automatic rifle. Brad Warren is assisted by Howard Smith at a local gun pawnshop. (Photo by Mark Casteel) C.anU«tMrti

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ime of turmoil By James L. Rhodes Controversy, as a general rule, is not something which people seek after for sport, but it definitely serves to make life a little more interesting. Both locally and nationwide, con- troversies ran rampant during the school year. It was a year which saw the government ban the import of foreign automatic and semi- automatic weapons, as well as a year in which that same government said it was an individual ' s right to burn the United States flag as a means of political protest. The veterans I have spoken with consider it a personal insult, said Butch Garner, Lauderdale County Veterans Service Officer. Most of the people who would do this have never been out of this country and don ' t realize the free- dom that they have here, said Garner. Another view, expressed by Wayne Nix, showed the other side of this problem. A constitutional amendment against this action [burning the flag] would be like holding a torch to the Bill of Rights. It would be very easy to tack on a clause prohibiting the criticism of the President. After all, he is a symbol of this country, said Nix. Other controversies that drew worldwide attention included the stu- dent protests in China, the ousting of Pete Rose from baseball, and the ever-present abortion question. During the heart of the Rose investigation, attention shifted to the local scene where two high school coaches were arrested on suspicion of betting on and fixing area football games. If the allegations of fixing the outcomes of football games are tru( those involved should be prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, sai Mollie H. McCutchen. I can ' t believe that money i worth ruining the future of thes high school athletes. Controversy surrounds us dail; The way we live, the way we dres: and the way we express ourselve; Without it the world would be dul and reporters would probably starv to death. But there comes a tim when enough is enough. Accordin to McCutchen, that time is now.- We live in one of the mo; prosperous eras in history, yet coi troversies rule our lives. That is hard thing to accept when we ar living in one of the strongest nation in the world. 28

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niversity headlines By Jaies L. Rhodes Change. It could bring happiness or it could bring disaster. We never know, but we can be sure of one thing — it is inevitable. The school year was simply that — a year of change. Students and members of the faculty, staff and administration who strolled the campus during the year witnessed the retirement of univer- sity president Dr. Robert M. Guillot, the retirement of executive vice president Dr. Roy S. Stevens, the ter- mination of Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Daniel R. Leasure, the planning of a multi-level parking deck to alleviate the problem of parking on campus, the appointment of an interim president and several campus protests. In November, university president Dr. Robert M. Guillot, who had served as president for 17 years, announced his resignation at a spe- cial meeting of the Board of Trustees. The resignation was effec- [ five December 31, 1989. Earlier in the year, UNA executive vice president Dr. Roy S. Stevens, who had been with the university for 40 years, announced his retirement, effective June 1, 1990. LOCAL PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS protest in front of the University Center prior to Sarah Weddington ' s appearance on campus. (Photo by Mark Casteel) There comes a time when you should do that [retire], Stevens said. I feel my time has come. The November 10 Board meeting also gave way for the early stages of plans for a multi-level parking deck to be built on campus, and possibly spanning Pine Street, which accord- ing to Dr. Stevens, would not only help the parking problem on campus, but would also solve the problem of students crossing Pine Street. According to newspaper accounts, two students were struck by cars during the fall semester while crossing the busy street. A special meeting of the Board of Trustees approved the resignation of Dr. Guillot and announced the appointment of Robert L. Potts as interim president. The board also announced that a search committee would be formed to search for a per- manent president. My decision to serve as interim president was prompted by my com- mitment to academic excellence and my desire to serve an educational institution whose growth and progress is so vital to Northwest Alabama, the entire state, as well as the Tri-State area, Potts said. Potts said that he was depending on faculty and student input to help him do the best job possible as interim president. The dismissal of Dr. Leasure in October led to the filing of a lawsuit by the university when Dr. Guillot said that he had given Leasure the reasons for his termination and had offered him a chance to resign. Leas- ure said that he didn ' t know the rea- sons for his dismissal, according to newspaper accounts. A student group Student for al Better UNA formed to protest Leas- ure ' s termination. Several demon- strations were also held to protest the action. Protesters also formed lines in front of the University Center when Sarah Weddington, the attorney in the famed Roe vs. Wade abortion case came to campus as a speaker. Shoals Area Citizens for Life pro- tested Weddington ' s being invited as a speaker. It has been said that change helps ward off boredom, and perhaps it is true. Whatever you may wish to say about this year, it was anything but boring.