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

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lit ' , lor most people, inexpressible ideas and emotions. Accurately conveying the inexpressible is, to be honest, a bitch. When young Miranda exclaims, O brave new world that hath such people in ' t she is expressing wonder at the beauty of humanity. A girl of fifteen. Miranda has never seen another person except her father. I ' rospero. She is for all practical purposes an articulate infant see- ing other individuals for the first time. As I, plpying Trinculo, waited for my final entrance, 1 would hear the line and try to imagine what 1 possibly could have thought when setting eyes upon the doctors and nurses, and upon my mother and father, for the first time. As a baby 1 had no words to describe my awe and curiosity but Shakespeare, through Miranda, is able to bring those words to the world. While the audience sees despots, assassins and cronies, Miranda only sees diversity, beauty and complex- ity. As Trinculo, the jester who might have murdered Prospero had I not gotten drunk on salvaged wine. I came onto the stage shortly after Miranda ' s glorious expression of the inexpressible. 1 was dressed in clothes stolen from F ' rospero — a turban, a tunic and an anachronistic sequined bra, which made me wonder to myself what kind of secret life the exiled Duke of Milan had been leading during his twelve years on the deserted island — and 1 would echo Miranda ' s words with my own. If these [meaning eyes ' ) be tnie spies which I wear in my head, here ' s a goodly sight! I would say, casting wide eyes around at members of King Alonso ' s court. My line was not as poetic nor as expressive as Miranda ' s line. It is also a good deal longer than Miranda ' s nine words. For all of Shakespeare ' s obscurities, which along with the tights and the dated jokes makes him feared by most audiences, he seduces through his simplicity. It is the simple lines that give words to the inexpressible and it is the wonder of humanity, not just Miranda ' s wonder but Shakespeare ' s wonder, which keeps me coming back to acting again and again. It is his wonder that keeps audi- ences and readers interested even when they haven ' t the foggiest idea what is going on. — Marc Mitchell i m ■iVi ' -. .NOT THAT LINE AGAIN! Ashley IVIiles as Miranda {opposite keeps her distaste well hidden. OFF TO BE THE WIZARD, gteven Gross as Prospero works his magic. MAYBE IT WASNT THAT BAD. -phe frustrations of working in a Shakespearean play pay off after all for the cast of T v Tempest (bottom photo). Row 1 Russell T Ware, Serena Hill, Amanda Wagoner; Row 2: Melissa Brasweli. Chnstina Heline, Myra Webb, Anne White, Sara Black, Heather Barber, Ashley Miles, Knssy Warren, B.D, Peace, Anne Brooks, Rod Jones, Amber Joly. Kimberly Fuller, Collin Martin; Row 3; Daniel W. Wright, Mark Hampton, Michael Jacob, Steven Gross, John Brackin, Daniel Hopkin; Row 4; Bnan Davis, Rick Richey, Samuel Gross. Marc Mitchell. I •¥ ¥. i.. i

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' O brave new world that hath such people irCtV It is my favorite line from The Tempest. shley Miles, who, as Miranda, had to say those nine stage detested them. During early rehearsals aid the line. She Irector, to cut the al 14 her ieub Biblinf; Mkippinj rt to famous lines in all of Sh Re areJAsh ey still a dumb thing to say. Later, during the run of the ' Mmp i;st. wings, in the darkness behind the top around my waist, a haijd piJ|)pet onWnA ' U detestable tights clinging to Ashley speak those nine word WWWnay hi ing them but her delivery never betrayed her distaste. No matter how many times I heard the young Miranda marvel at the new people suddenly surrounding her, 1 would always stop hiking up my tights, adjusting my halter or playing with my puppet. I heard the nine words and 1 would think about how Shakespeare, for all of the reasons to hate him, always manages to seduce evenfms ifcost g if Whpp vphe n ient Retractors. imt line mo5 ' III tl lalt arr ikespes ' t ml secc Sigam- ay rt ' on6 lis rrted ircl because Shal myself as st marl :es piMrti iv lay myseTl wolild [akespekre bul of 4 tigl [spiabJt w{ lani SOI ThaWlHi ar ol fg speare elicits feelings of inadequacy in armer. Shakespeare gives words to what

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•S ii.- ; . • , W - M ,L ■ V ;.j ; HI csiim mvi AXiramy ccacdcelt c»oc» 16 Soon I will take an oatJi and become an Army officer committed to defending the values that make this nation great. Honor is my touchstone. I understand mission first, and people always. I am the past: the spirit of those warriors who have made the final sacrifice. 1 am the present: the scholar and apprentice soldier enhancing my skills in the science of warfare and the art of leadership. But above all, I am the future: the future war- rior leader of the United States Army. May God give me the compassion and judgment to lead and the gallantry in battle to win. I will do my duty. These words of the cadet creed mean more to me than most people will ever understand. 1 am in Army ROTC. Upon my graduation in May. 1 will become a lieutenant in the United States Army, fulfilling a dream I have had since 1 was five years old. 1 grew up in a military family and had the privilege of seeing firsthand how great it is. I can ' t think of a greater honor than to serve my country, and protect my fel- low Americans. ROTC is a very demanding course. The sacrifice of cadets is great. Many nights are spent in the woods learning how to set up a defense, or how to navigate — cold and alone. We do this while we could be out with friends, at parties or watching the big game. Last summer, as an MS 111 cadet, 1 went with fellow junior cadets to Advance Camp in Fort Lewis, Wash., and then to Cadet Troop Leadership Training at various places such at Fort Carson, Colo. We were gone for two months, and missed out on many things that other people our age would like to be doing. 1 had just gotten married in March, and the separa- tion from friends and family was tough, but knowing that 1 am learning how to be a better leader and might some day protect those friends and family members from an enemy makes it all worthwhile. Most people don ' t understand the life we commit to when we sign on the dotted line, promising to obey and defend. To many, we are Just those guys in the green uniforms. They don ' t know about those early-morning sessions of physical training, the afternoon labs, or the weekend field exercises. The hours tacked onto our normal workload are tremen- dous, the sacrifice great. Why would anyone want to do it? Why? That question has been asked throughout countless generations. 1 say doing it is a privilege. I feel blessed to have been given a drive in my being to serve others by becoming a soldier for my country, with its proud history of defending freedom. 1 have the honor of serving with our nation ' s greatest men and women — men and women who may have the potential to lead Fortune 500 companies but instead choose to serve their country by bearing arms.