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

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It S a chance to make our students feel positive . . . -Greg Engle FRESHMAN BRITT BLANTON shows SOAR per- former Jill Lindsey a new step. The evening dance gave SOAR participants a chance to relax and have fun after a full day. Photo by Shannon Wells. COUNSELOR SCOTT STOOKSBERRY and performer Daryl Woods turn out the high notes during an evening per- ormance. Photo by Shannon Wells. .SI UK 9

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stress Relief SOAR soothes the pain of transition for new students By Scott Rawlinson Entering a new experience can be a lit- tle stressing at tinnes. But for a lot of people, going to college is such a change in lifestyle that it can be completely overwhelming and a little terrifying. That ' s where the SOAR program comes in. SOAR (Summer Orientation and Advanced Registration) is the university ' s way of breaking the new students in. SOAR counselors greet, orient and tour students to the university ' s multiple facilities. Students starting off as freshmen or transferring in as new students get the opportunity to look at the campus, register for classes and see the different activities available to all students at the university. Different departments demonstrate their benefits and bend over backwards to recruit new majors. Prospective students also get the oppor- tunity to meet new people and make friends before they even start classes. SOAR is one of the most important things we do in the summer for prospective students, said Greg Engle, director of Student Life. It ' s our final selling chance. It ' s a chance for us to make our students feel positive and feel important . . . which they are. At this year ' s SOAR, student ' s began the day with a champagne party. (Fake cham- pagne, that is.) Then the students were able to take a tour of the campus, hills and all, to see all the class buildings and the dormito- ries. After the SOAR counselors were fin- ished with their hike, the potential stu- dents were advised on classes they would want to take by academic advisers. It was a busy schedule but the students were given a break later in the evening. They enjoyed an evening show where the counselors performed skits and dances. Finally, the day was topped off with a chance to boogie the night away with new-found buddies. SOAR held a social dance for the participants, which was tremendously successful. The next day, the SOAR students were given the opportunity to register for their first round of classes the following fall After all the excitement, they were ready t( get down to business. Counselors discussec with them the secrets of registration, anc after a lot of discussion and debate, classe were finally chosen. Then it was picture time and student ID ' were taken in the Guillot University Center Soon after that, the students were releasee to go home, feeling much more comfort able about coming to UNA. A lot of people think that orientation i just for people committed to coming tc UNA. Some students go to three orienta tions in one summer, said Engle. ...anc they usually choose the school they go tc based on how the orientation went. UNA keeps about 80 percent of the stu dents who come to orientation, and some o those were undecided. Whether they come to stay or to jus check out the campus, SOAR participant always leave with new knowledge of cam pus life and a lot of great memories. DESPITE THE PILES OF PAPERWORK involved, the preregistration process at SOAR is a lot less stressful than in the regular process. Photo by Shannon Wells. SOAR COUNSELOR Cara Dawn Byforci enjoys the entertainment in the atrium vi ith freshmen Chance Black an( Stacy Patterson. Photo by Shannon Wells. 8 SI A K

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Zomething Different The cast of ALL OVER TOWN gives an out-of-the-ordinary performance By Darlene Smith Buddhists, flamboyant homosexuals, and half-naked people are an unusual sight at this campus, to say the least. But everyone got their eyes full of them when the theatre department opened its production of Murray Shisgal ' s All Over Town. In this racy adult comedy, a case of mis- taken identity goes a little too far, causing a chaos of outrageous scenes. The first time we [the cast] got together and read through the play, we laughed so hard we were almost in tears, said ' Cid ' ' This was the most physically demanding play I have ever done -Steifon Passmore PSYCHO BUDDHIST SCIENTIST Dr. Lionel Morris (played by Brad Morris) points out the mountain of slime rising out of tfie ocean. Pfioto by Shannon Wells Haley, who played the part of Sybil. The action begins when Lewis (played by Steifon Passmore), a shoe salesman, gets mistaken for Louie (played by Brentwood Reid), a rather promiscuous fellow who has fathered nine children from five different women. Louie had been sent to a psychia- trist to be examined for a study about the New York City welfare system, but Lewis got there before him while delivering a pair of shoes. When Lewis discovers what is going on, he decides to have a little fun. And while Lewis is having fun, Louie is coming on to every woman in the play. And so, as the buddhist shrink says, it became Chaos! Absolute chaos! Added to all of this were two thieves, a homosexual, a few swooning females, and the buddhist ' s spiritual adviser. We chose this play because it had a lot of wonderful roles, and this year we had the right people to play those roles, said Jim Davis, the director. At some other time we might not have been able to do this play. Davis said there is more to the play than just being funny. People do jump to con- clusions about other people on the basis of race. That ' s what this play is about. But Davis was more concerned about the audience having a good time than learning a lesson in life. All the students enjoyed being in it, and 1 think the audience enjoyed it also, he said. They laughed a lot. Besides being a lot of fun for the actors, it was also a lot of hard work. This was the most physically demanding play I have ever done, Passmore said. The show was a definite test of our ability as actors. Comedic timing was essential. Passmore credited Davis for bringing the show all together. He has an astounding sense of timing, he said. The show was first presented by Adelai Holzer in 1974, and was directed by Dustin Hoffman. Passmore says that even though much of the action used in the play has since become television sitcom cliche, it stil worked well on the stage. We brought an interesting dimension to it as actors, and Davis as director, he said. TOM ED MOORE, assistant professor of the Music Department, makes a special cameo guest appearance as Dr. Morris ' s spiritual adviser. Lewis (played by Steifon Passmore) looks on in amazement. Photo by Shannon Wells. !(),s,„ ' h