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

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Getting here A day in the life of a commuter Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! That loud incessant noise infiltrates ly dreams as I defensively roll over and irow the alarm clock against the wall. It ' s :30 a.m., and although it seems as if I fell .leep only an hour ago, I struggle out of bed I make my way blindly into the bathroom, m a University of North Alabama commuter udent and the day ' s race begins early. Please start humm ng the therr (; to Mission ipossible now. A quick shower, a dab of makeup and a aif a can of hairspray and I ' m ready to enter le world of the living. It ' s 6:34 a.m. and lere is no time to fix breakfast. I ' ll have to ab something on the way. Out on U.S. 43, south of Russellville, I push le speed limit; however, I usually slow down : the familiar sight of the nice men in uni- )rm. The zombie-look on my commuter lends ' faces mirror my own. In the right lane one, the woman in the blue car. I wave to lother, the guy in the red pickup, as I pass ; and up ahead is the van carrying workers I who knows where, but we share a common Dal in a race against time and the rising sun. A quick glance at the clock on the dash- Dard as I enter Muscle Shoals, tells me I have ■minisced far too long. It ' s 7 a.m. and I still 3ve to find breakfast. Finally, I spot a rela- je y short line of cars at a drive-in window and pull in behind a car pool convoy! Hum the Mission Impossible theme with irony. Twenty minutes later I am once more trav- eling at the speed of light down Woodward Avenue. My left hand holds breakfast which is either wedged between a biscuit or rolled up in a tortilla. With my right hand, I steer the car, search for my favorite early morning radio show and add cream and sugar to my coffee (all at the same time!) In and out of traffic I weave. Hey buddy! In a flash a big van cuts me off and I see his bumper sticker that reads I ' d Rather Be Flying. I yell at him, It would be a lot safer down here if you were, buddy! I miraculously find the last parking space left on UNA campus. At the tone, the time will be 7:59 and I rush off to work. The first two hours of the day are spent tucked away in the office of university rela- tions writing news releases, which are edited by Bill Jarnigan, director. The hours tick away. It ' s 1 1 a.m. now and I fight a never-ending battle with drowsiness. Wait a minute. What did my professor say? Get the perms for your calf before tfie parade?!?!?!? Or did she say term papers count for half our grades? During the brief break between classes, I run for a shot of caffeine. The Norton Chimes signal the noon hour by Sheila Champion-Hargett ikisL last minute parking decision has its drawbacks. Since the student owner of this car couldn ' t find a legal park- ig space, the Florence Police Department decided to find one for them. Photo by Larry Akers. and time marches on — sometimes too fast and other times not fast enough. In between classes, the hustle and bustle of climbing stairs leaves me breathless. The next few hours con- sist of running from one building to another to classes; checking in overdue library books; getting notes from the previous class that I ski— I mean, that I unfortunately was unable to attend; and working my way through the throng of students. Oh well, time ' s fun when you ' re having flies! The humming continues but slows down a bit. Finally, it ' s 3:15 and it ' s time to go on a lion country safari in search of food. Hmmm. Do I have time for a sandwich in the University Center, the salad bar or the snack machine? Fifteen minutes later, I can be seen choosing between the chocolate snack cake or a bag of corn chips. Decisions! Decisions! Decisions! At the tone, it will be 6 p.m. and the last class of the day. My professor is all excited about something. I wish I knew what he was talking about... Wham! The question he asks me brings me back to reality and all 1 can do is stare back at him with my mouth open as if poised to give the answer. Someone else speaks up and I nod as if in total agreement with the answer. Replace the Mission Impossible theme with a lullaby. Whew! At the tone, it will be 10 p.m. and I ' m home at last. No time for supper, televi- sion or a chat with my family. Mama told me there would be days like this, but five days a week of this is ridiculous. As a wise old man once said, preparing for a career is time consuming, but a worthwhile effort. As I lie waiting for the sandman, pon- dering the meaning of this and other wise sayings with an English book clutched to my chest and science book tucked under my pil- low for osmosis, the day ' s events run through my head and I begin to dream. And the dream goes ... Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Night classes go on regardless of rain, snow, sleet, etc. which sometimes happen all at once. Photo by Larry Akers. Studaa J.i4e S3

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Even after the commuter gets to campus there ' s still the whole parking thing. Spaces right in front of class- room buildings are at a premium. Photo by Shannon Wells. ZS StudaiCji4e

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You Can Get There From Here Companions on the Road Spirits stayed high in the student section during the Homecoming game as the team dominated the field against rival Livingston University. Wioto by Brentwood Reid. ( titAAa