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

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spring By Allison Stack Students enjoy Spring Fling Every April, something bizarre happens on this campus. This most interesting phenomenon occurs as the days become warmer and students begin to forget their winter blues. Right now, you may be asking yourself, And what could this phenomenon possibly be? The answer to this question is Spring Fling. This annual event gives students the opportunity to forget their classes for a little while and enjoy the important things in life like spitting watermelon seeds or diving face first into a plate of jello. Sounds like fun, huh? Spring Fling was sponsored by the UPC and lasted for four wild days from April 15 to April 18. Blast to the Past was the theme of Spring Fling 1996. Teams from organi- zations competed in this fun-filled competition to earn points for a chance at the cov- eted Spring Fling Trophy. Creativity was a must for students on Monday at 8:00 a.m. as the Chalk Art Competition, the first event of Spring Fling, began. Students were asked to design a drawing on the sidewalk in front of the Guillot Center which represented the Blast to the Past theme. During the afternoon, the most primitive events of the week took place which were the Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest and the Jello Eating Contest. At 7:00 p.m., Habitat for Humanity had an auction to benefit their organization. Donated gifts from area businesses and services offered by students like yard work were auctioned off at the event. Kappa Sigma Fraternity sponsored the Penny Drop on Monday and Tuesday in the University Center. The Penny Drop served the dual purpose of raising money for Kappa Sigma ' s philanthropy, and it decided the King and Queen of Spring Fling. The King was Wade Watkins of Sigma Chi and the Queen was Kellee Reed of Zeta Tau Alpha. The theme of Blast to the Past was proven true on Tuesday evening when Barry Williams better known as Greg Brady of The Brady Bunch, made an appearance in the Performance Center of the University Center. Williams gave an amusing lecture on Growing Up Brady: 1 Was a Teenage Greg, which was complete with video clips and little known facts about the Bradys. He also gave some free dance lessons of some clas- sic Brady moves to a few lucky members of the audience. The lecture was free to stu- dents and community members, and it provided an entertaining evening for all who attended. Students were treated to a round of Laser Tag which was set up in the courtyard of the Fine Arts Complex on Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There was also a free Jazz Jam, in the GUC atrium at 4:00 p.m. On Thursday, the organizations divided up into teams and prepared for battle in the Spring Fling Games which were held on the Intranmral Field. The teams played Leap Frog, Egg Toss, Tug of War and Dizzie Izzie, and they had eight man trolley races. The groups also participated in Jax State Style Football. Due to rain, the afternoon of activities ended with a cook-in which was held in the University Center. At 7:00 p.m., Tom DeLuca, the NACA 1996 Campus Entertainer of the Year, appeared in the Performance Center to amaze the audience with his skills of hypnosis. DeLuca invited students to join him on stage so that he could hypnotize these willing subjects into doing crazy things like swapping shoes with each other, pretending to be body builders, and dancing at a disco. DeLuca ' s performance was a verj ' successful event. The winners of the events of Spring Fling were announced after DeLuca ' s show. Spring Fling ' s blast to the past was over for the campus, but the memories of fun would live on forever. SPRING FLING QUEEN Kellee Reed works on a chalk art drawing which represents the theme of Spring Fling, Blast to the Past. Photo by Christopher Rohling. Spring Fling 19

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First Blast of MAKING US LAUGH. Barry Williams who is also known as Greg Brady of the Brady Bunch enter- tained a large audience in the Performance Center with his lecture Growing Up Brady Photo By Clancy Ratliff. LAUGHING OUT LOUD. Christa Higgins and friends enjoy Tom DeLuca ' s hypnotism presentation which was held in the Performance Center. Photo by Christopher Rohling. IT ' S NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS. The sisters of Alpha Delta Pi found that out while waiting for the human trolley race to begin on the Intramural Field during The Games. Photo by Clancy Ratliff 18 Spring Fling

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It was thi- iiifairtous Friday night in Florence, Alabama, and the big question on every- one ' s iiiind — What is there to do? Luckily for the student population of this up and coming small toven, several new businesses moved in to the area and added some vari- ety to the list of old favorites on the nightlife scene. For those who enjoy the party scene complete with loud music, stror g bass, and lots of dancing, Sports Rock Cafe opened in Muscle Shoals. Many students could be found there laughing and dancing with friends. The Edge was another new club that offered an alterna- tive style to the traditional dance club. They featured ' 80s night and supported the univer- sity with the purple and gold UNA Room. Both new clubs had pool tables and big screen TVs for those who were not dancing. The old favorite club in the area was Club 13. Just across the Tennessee River, it was a fun place for students to go. All of the clubs had cover charges that ranged from $10 for under 21 to $3 for those who were of age. When I go to clubs with my friends 1 end up spending too much money because on top of the cover, which is around $10 because 1 am underage, 1 always smoke about a pack of cigarettes, said Susie Forsythe. Even though it gets expensive, 1 go because 1 have a great time with my friends. Students, whether they had reached that monumental birthday or not, still flocked to the clubs for a night of dance-crazed madness. If you were not into the club scene, other popular options for weekend entertainment were restaurants. Callahan ' s, J.C. Scott ' s, Princeton ' s, and Court St. Cafe were a few area establishments that were frequented by students. A new addition was Ricatoni ' s, an Italian grill that opened just before school began and quickly became a popular choice. Another new business that was a choice for many students was Logan ' s Roadhouse. The truly American menu was only emphasized by the peanuts served to every table. Some went to Logan ' s to experience the thrill of wading through peanut hulls just to make it to their table. Others went to defy their mothers and throw the hulls on the floor and add to the pile. I feel guilty for throwing peanut shells on the floor, freshman Nick Burrows said, but if they don ' t care, I guess 1 don ' t either. These restaurants often featured area bands as entertainment on weekend nights. None of these required an entrance fee or an age limit. The main attraction to these establishments was the laid-back atmosphere they offered for students to relax and just ha ve a good time hanging out wdth friends. John Lightfoot said, Restaurants are a great place to meet up wdth your friends. You can social- ize, enjoy some music, and the food is definitely better than the frozen dinners at home. For those students searching for a quiet, more intimate atmosphere. Aroma ' s Coffee Bar was the choice of many. The small building on Seminary Street in downtown Florence served countless flavors of coffee and also had a small deli. The major attraction to Aroma ' s was the constant hum of discussion between the small tables. Many students went to Aroma ' s to meet and spend time with friends, while others went for the caffeine pick-me- up during a study break. Caffeine is an essential part of every college student ' s balanced meal, said Beth Heliums. Aroma ' s coffee is a great source of that very important sub- stance. The student population of Florence was offered many new choices for the nightlife scene. Whether it was discussing the meaning of life, dancing the night away, or just hanging out with friends, each student found an answer to that infamous weekend question. By Lacey Howard The primitive craziness of Niqht life % 20 Nightlife