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

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li Tipping their hats to the audience, Zetas Melissa Cameron, Malaea Nelms and Aiice Keily smiie during their tribute to the troops in the Gulf. Their presentation earned them a second place finish in the female division. (Photo by Herb Stoltes) The Sigma Chis end their simulated fire drill with a tribute to the troops. (Photo by Herb Stoi es)

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Tlm«sDally photographer Richard RIckard gets up close and personal during the Championship Parade to welcome the team back to the Shoals. (Photo by Shannon Wells) A jubilant Eric Smith, Allen Williams, Fred StaHofd, Kevin Simmons and Carl Wllmer hold alolt their hard-eamed trophy alter the final game In Spring- Held, Mass. (Photo by Young Company) [H ■ Ml h H PI h| m H ? W 3 S pW iH JM m m mTv i jYii B .sslstant Coach Billy Gamble and Head Coach Gary Elliott confer on the sidelines during a tense moment on the court. Also ready to offer his advk» Is Anthony ReW, student assistant coach. (Photo by Young Company) Lion fan Greg Thomton went to Springfield pre- pared for a UNA victory. After the final game against Bridgeport, Thomton opened his blue Oxford to reveal his secret— a t-shirt that proclaimed the Lions the 1991 National Cham- pions. Thomton ' s shin delighted Allen Williams and other members of the winning team. (Photo by Young Company) NCAA Division II Cliampions 9 HMWi

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Controlled madness pirits are high as campus groups compete for Step Sing honors By Karen Kimbrell Lver wonder just what all that noise in balcony of Norton Auditorium before p Sing began was all about? f you came as a spectator and stood in mezzanine or in the auditorium ' s lower 3I, you couldn ' t help but have ques- led why bodies clamoured over each er to hang off the balcony ' s edge to flag vn parents, friends and alumni of their anizations down below. And you Jdn ' t escape noticing the continuous ints: P-P-P- with an H-H-H-H- with an . and ' Rooh-Rah-Rooh-Rah-Rooh-Rah- ;; Rooh-Rah-Rooh-Rah-S-A-E . . . And and on they went until each group had say. rhe members clapped and pounded on wooden seats, trying to outdo the others ore they even made it to the stage. 4ad you actually been in the balcony, I would have heard comments such as, i-my-gosh, the Zetas have on costumes; were supposed to be the only ones with tumes! and I bet the Sigma Chis wore just because both groups that won last ir wore red, and Patriotic? Everybody that last year! i ' ou would also have heard the organi- ion presidents and Step Sing chairmen :ouraging their members to sit down, t griping and no matter how much you nt to cheer back, don ' t because you need to save your voices. And had you actually been one of those Step Sing participants, you would have had a variety of emotions built up. Anticipation. Hope. Pride. Exhaustion. You see, most organizations spend weeks, sometimes months, preparing for the two-hour competition. First, they debate theme selection, then song selection and then they must choose either an accom- panist or a person who can make them a tape. They worry about what to wear. T-shirts? Long-sleeved or short? What kind of logo? What color? How about costumes? Have them made or special ordered? What about props? Hats? Color of jeans? Shoes? Socks? Hair up or down, big and fluffy or straight? The members want uniformity so their group will look best on stage. Next, they set up practices. Sometimes they find an old gym or an auditorium. Even a basement will do. Each organization ' s Step Sing chairper- son (usually a cheerleader, Lionette, gym- nast or majorette — whomever they can find) works with his or her group nightly, taking the members move by move through the show. Sometimes they adjust the steps they had planned so even the biggest clod in the group can participate. As the days draw nearer to the night of the main event, practices grow longer and longer, often lasting into the early hours of the morning. Tensions grow stronger. Spies are sent out to catch a glimpse of the competition. Groups try to conceal their moves and costumes from outsiders. Calls are made repeatedly to Student Activities Director Bob Glenn to insure that no two groups use the same music and that no one borrows a show from another university. Originality plays such a big role in the competition, two groups lost points because of it. Although the Phi Mus, dressed in baseball uniforms and carrying bats, put on a flawless show, they had points deducted because they bonxjwed the show almost in its entirety from the ADPis at Samford University. Likewise, the Zetas, though they didn ' t copy the movements, had points deducted for opening their show with The Star Spangled Banner, the song the Samford ADPis opened with in that same baseball show. In spite of having points deducted, the Zetas still placed second in the female divi- sion of the competition. Dressed in Uncle Sam costumes and hats, the Zetas per- formed a patriotic tribute to the American troops in the Gulf. When asked about the points deducted, Zeta Step Sing Chairper- son Kelley Oden said, How many differ- ent ways could we have sung the National Anthem? The winner of the female division was Alpha Delta Pi. Wearing white sailor caps, the sorority sang songs such as Kokomo, London Bridge Is Falling Down, Edel- weiss and Love in Any Language to go with their theme, ' Teach the World to Sing. ADPi Olga Henao said the group prac- ticed two weeks for five hours at a time in preparation for the competition. We put songs that we liked together, then thought of a theme, Henao said. It was a chapter effort. In the co-ed division, the Baptist Campus Ministries was the orJy group to enter. Their show consisted of one song, Face to Faith, led by Darlene Kent. Kent said that their theme was Regina Price ' s idea, then they just worked on the song. For two weeks about 35 or so prac- ticed. It was a lot of fun, Kent said, and we enjoyed everybody working together. Second place in the men ' s division went to Sigma Alpha Epsilon, while first place went to Sigma Chi. With a simulated fire drill as their theme, the Sigma Chis also won the overall Step Sing trophy. Dressed in firemen suits, they danced and sang to I ' m on Fire, We Didn ' t Start the Fire and Great Balls of Fire. Senior Glenn Truelove said the Sigma Chis practiced only four days for the win- ning show. Being in Step Sing meant a great deal to everyone because we all came together and worked together, Scott Morris, former Sigma Chi president, said. ' Winning Step Sing just made the experience that more enjoyable, and I was proud of our teamwork. step Sing II