E orts like Project 208, a campaign created by President Ken Kitts and univer sity o cials to highlight the disparity in university state funding, work to advocate for equitable funding.
“We need help…We need for the state to see and understand the value that we bring to help us provide these additional amenities to students,” Eubanks said. “I cannot tell you how expensive it is right now in 2022 to construct a new residence hall.”When Megan Parris and Vanessa Long applied for room reclaim in the spring, they emailed housing to secure their place in Hawthorne Hall. ey loved the walk ability and convenience of living on cam pus.Parris, and Long, and their third room mate, had enjoyed living together so much that they decided to live on campus again this fall. Housing con rmed they would be assigned to Hawthorne. Long said she even called the Housing and Residence Life of ce to double check they had the same roommate trio. Housing again con rmed again, yes, the three roommates would be together, she said. en, in July, Housing assigned Par ris and Long to Twin Oaks, one of seven apartment complexes housing students thisTwinfall. Oaks are the cheapest apartments at $1,980 per semester–the same price as a double room in Rivers. Before the semester began, Parris told e Flor-Ala she contacted Housing to ask whether they could move to another com plex.“I’ve heard a lot of people say Twin Oaks is horrible,” said Parris. Due to a construction delay at Nobles Jump, See pageHOUSING#4
Jennifer Sutton, the director of Hous ing and Residence Life, and Minnette Ellis, the dean of students, declined interview requests.Eubanks said the housing dilemma shows that UNA needs more support from the Alabama legislature. e university continues to meet metrics of high gradu ation rates, high matriculation and reten tion rates, record-breaking enrollment and growing interest in on campus housing. Yet, the state legislature continues to un derfund UNA.
Lions Den E ciency Apartments before the university of North Alabama leased, renovated and renamed them Noala Heights.
University of North Alabama August 25, 2022 Volume 92, Issue 1 | Since 1931 NEWS MEET THE NEW V.P. OF STUDENT AFFAIRS A&E NEWEST DINNING IN THE SHOALS OPINION WELCOME FROM SGA PRESIDENT SANDVIG SPORTS UNA OFFICIALLY JOINS NCAA DIVISION I UNA SCRAMBLES TO MEET HOUSING OBLIGATIONS: 2,200 RESIDENTS AND 1,834 BEDS ON CAMPUS by AUDREY JOHNSON Editor-in-Chief As the fall semester kicked o last week, Megan Parris and Vanessa Long found themselves in an apartment over half a mile from campus with no wi , blinds and a hazardous balcony. Cypress Flats, their new home for the semester, is the most expensive housing option at UNA and costs $885 a month. Yet no sidewalks connect the complex to campus.“We called [HRL] several times,” said Long. “ ey didn’t really help us.” Parris and Long found themselves at Cypress Flats despite requesting to live on campus. Housing & Residence Life con rmed the pair had a room in Hawthorne along with a third roommate But as the fall semester approached, the university was in a bind. Approximately 2,200 students applied for 1,834 beds in campus residence halls. When Housing released o cial room assignments in July, Parris and Long learned they would be separated from their roommate and relocated 0.7 miles away from campus. “Since we used to live in Hawthorne, our routine was just to walk to class,” Long said. “We never had to drive or wait for the bus.”As enrollment climbed in recent years, reaching another record high this semes ter, UNA did not add enough on-campus housing to keep up with the rising de mand. And despite a record number of students applying to live on campus during the fall 2022 semester, the university con tinues to require that most freshmen live on campus.Without enough dorms for the stu dents who paid for a room, the university turned to o -campus housing.
“ ese discussions about the [apart ment] partnerships, in housing and the in terest in on campus housing began in Feb ruary,” said Michelle Eubanks, the director of media and public relations. “ ese have been going on for quite a long time be cause enrollment only continues to go up.”
Dr. Greenway retired, UNA conducted a national search for a new VP of Student Affairs. Upon seeing the job listing, Dr. White reached out to a local friend to familiarize herself with UNA as an institution. The community her friend described seemed like the per fect place for her, as she valued a small community that was rich in culture. Her first visit to campus cemented her desire to join the UNA family. After meeting students and attending the first in-per son interview, she left knowing she was meant to hold the position. White sees the potential in every student studying at UNA.“The authenticity, size of the institu tion, the role that [UNA plays] as a pub lic regional institution adds to [students’ potential],” White said. “For each of you, your degrees will continue to be of even greater value than alumni that have come before. Each and every class that comes to UNA is stronger.” During her time at UNA, White hopes to continue to help students flour ish. Seeing students graduate with their friends’ and families’ support reminds White why she studied the career in the first place. She wishes to make a differ ence in every students’ life through the programs Student Affairs offers to opti mize student experiences. Many staffers’ hard work is already paying off just with the start of the school year. Goal-setting and cultivating future leadership is also just as important to White as student wellbeing. With the RSOs and other organizations on cam pus, she hopes to create a cycle of suc cess rather than letting organizations stagnate once leaders graduate or move on to bigger opportunities. Connecting with departments and student organiza tions are pivotal to her mission. “We want to set goals, but we also want to be able to be responsive to things that may percolate along the way,” she said. “What do we want to accomplish as an institution? Those are my responsibil ities to each constituency that I get the opportunity to work with.”
White thinks it is important for young women to see women leaders. She recalls a recent conversation with a woman on the board of trustees wherein she discov ered the woman was once the only female department chair at her institution, The University of Florida. White saw her as a role model, as a female department chair would have been pivotal to her school ing. Finding common ground in a de sired field of study is important to some student. She marvels at the many women in power at UNA itself, from RSO lead ers to department chairs to executive di rectors. She hopes that one day there will be no more “firsts” for women but rather women in power as a normality.
“We have a president and provost who are very committed to the advancement of women,” White said. “It can open up a lot of fundraising opportunities. This is a way that anyone can contribute to some thing that has been a major initiative at the institution to help younger women with scholarship opportunities.”
Dr. Kathleen “K.C.” White was named the Vice President of Student Affairs at UNA on July 1. The position was previ ously held by Dr. Kimberly Greenway, who retired on May 30. Dr. White has worked with Student Affairs offices at various universities for over two decades. She was previously the Associate Vice President & Dean of Stu dents at Louisiana State University, Vice President of Student Affairs at Kennesaw State University and Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Con duct & Community Standards at Flori da State University. She received degrees from Stetson University, the University of South Carolina and Florida State Uni versity.Inher role at UNA, Dr. White over sees the division of Student Affairs. She sees herself as an advocate for the stu dents. Through her short time at UNA, she has attended RSO and leadership events. Her goal is to get to know the student body through hands-on experi ences.According to the “Message from the VP”, the Student Affairs office serves students by “co-curricular activities and opportunities that help to transform the student experience, enhance diversity and inclusion, and contribute to UNA’s institutional identity.” Student Affairs provides services such as Student Coun seling, Title IX, Student Engagement and more.Dr. White’s interest with student af fairs began while studying for her under graduate degree at Stetson with a major in marketing. Originally, her goal was to work at a chamber of commerce but af ter some guidance by the assistant Dean of Students at Stetson Jane Marlow, she considered Student Affairs. She was in trigued by the business of higher educa tion.“[Marlow] saw something in me that I didn’t realize that I perhaps had the ca pacity to do,” White said. “What I try to do is carry on how she helped mentor me to help each and every one of our stu
For each o f you, your degrees will continue to be o f even greater value than alumni that have come before. Each and every class that comes to UNA is stronger.”
UNA has recently faced issues with women’s safety. Information released by the Flor-Ala at the end of the spring semester revealed many internal issues dealing with sexual assault and women’s safety. One of the offices under fire was the Student Affairs office, as the previ ous VP of Student Affairs had speculated inaction in a harassment case. Title IX, which is in place to breed a safe environ ment free of sexual violence, harassment and discrimination, had similar issues on campus. White intends to utilize the good that Title IX and Student Affairs are in place to do in terms of women’s safety. She also hopes to encourage wom en’s equity in education through these offices. She asserts that she wishes for health, safety and wellbeing on campus to be a high priority.
“[Safety on campus is] constant ed ucation, it’s constant understanding, it’s constant communication,” White said. “We are not naive to it by any means. UNA is not the only institution, but we always have to keep it at the forefront. We have to look out for one another. [We want to promote] that advocacy for all students to understand.”
“The authenticity, size o f the institution, the role that [UNA plays] as a public regional institution adds to [students’ potential].
By EMMA TANNER News Editor
Treasure Franklin | Sta Photographer
Dr. K.C. White, Vice President of Student A airs, stands for a portrait in front of a fountain on campus.
August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala2 NEWS
White named V.P. of Student Affairs
–Dr. K.C. White dents that I have the chance to interact with.”When
By BROOKE FREUNDSCHUH Managing Editor
Construction impacts campus
New construction is taking place on the University of North Alabama campus this fall. e largest project in development currently is the construction of the new Computing and Mathematics building. Updates are being made to improve the Communication building and Lafayette Hall. Construction is in place to expand the faculty and sta parking lot on North Wood Ave, and plans are being nalized to demolish LaGrange Hall to make room for more housing that meets safety and quality“Providingstandards.abetter face to campus is our goal,” said Kevin Hudson, Director of FacilitiesAdministration and Planning. e new Computing and Mathematics Building will be the largest development on campus in the next two years. Al though the project has gained the nick name “the new math building,” this facil ity will also house computer science and information systems.
Parking between Stephens Hall and the old math building will be inhabited by the new Computing and Mathematics Building, removing many parking spaces for faculty and sta e demolition of the former Women’s Center will allow for the parking lot along North Wood Avenue to be expanded for faculty use. However, Hudson clari es that the women’s center was not torn down for the purpose of creating more parking, but because the building was outdated and out of place in its location. Hudson says that they are working to create more housing on cam pus and the next step will be the demoli tion of LaGrange Hall. is space is in tended to be used for new housing. He is unaware at this time how many people this new housing could accommodate. e demolition process for LaGrange does not pose any threat or safety hazard to people living on campus currently.
August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala 3NEWS
“A big bonus for us is we’ll be housed with computer science,” said Dr. Cin dy Stenger, who has been a professor of Mathematics at UNA for 20 years. “ I think it will be so nice for students to be able to meet and collaborate.” e building will feature state of the art computer lab technologies and include study rooms for students. “ ere’s a lot of good hangout areas. One of the best parts is going to be the view. You’re on top of that hill. You’ve got glass. It’s going to be a great area to host events and things and really look over the redeveloped Founder’s Hill,” Hudson said. e estimated time for completion of the project is the spring semester of the 2024 school year. e goal is for comple tion by January, but the end of the semes ter is a safer estimate.
“We’ve got a nice new building going up that’s turned from it and is turned more towards the library. We would like for that structure to be turned towards the new building; it’s just very expensive to do that,” Hudson said. e construction team is working on site stabilization and installing under ground power lines to prevent squirrels from chewing on them. e project is still su ering from the results of supply short ages caused by COVID-19. ere have been issues getting paint, motherboards and HVAC equipment, which caused one of the largest mechanical issues in the old math“Webuilding.wouldbring sweaters in the sum mer and sometimes coats and blankets. In the winter we tried to dress in layers so we could ad just as it got hotter,” Stenger said. e second oor of the Communica tion Building will see renovations. It was formerly home to a dark room, but that technology has since been moved to the art complex. e upstairs space will now house studio space for podcast and televi sion“Weproduction.arecurrently in talks to determine how to best utilize the space. One of the rooms will probably be a faculty o ce, one could be a meeting room, and some of the smaller rooms we plan to use as au dio/visual recording and editing suites,” said Tasha Clanton, the Senior Admin istrative Assistant for the Department of Communication.Hudsonstated that they did not have to tear much of the upstairs out in order to make these renovations, and they will be xing up what was already there.
“We’re always looking for an opportu nity to develop more parking where we can. We’re just limited on our locations. We’ve got properties in the master plan to the west of campus, and as we acquire more properties we could further develop parking lots towards the intramural eld. Eventually we will see more parking to the west of campus.”
“If we can get it by January 2024, that would be great, but if we have problems and we can’t get the equipment we need and there’s rain it may be the end of that semester,” Hudson said. Rumors circulat ed that the amphitheater would undergo construction and potentially be moved or reoriented. Hudson con rms that this is not a plan as of now, but the idea was considered in the early planning stages. Originally, the university wanted to re align the amphitheater to face towards the new building, instead of facing the library, however, this was out of budget and would require near total reconstruc tion of the area.
Another project that is in the works is a potential expansion of the art complex to accommodate Music students, however, whether or not this project will be exe cuted is tentative. If this project is com pleted, the addition would be located in what is now the courtyard between the Art Department and Norton Auditorium. Hudson can assure that four-year freshmen who just began their education this fall, will see the opening of the new Computing and Mathematics Building and the demolition of LaGrange Hall. Many factors, including supply shortages and delays and funding, will determine whether or not current students will see the opening of new housing or be able to live in new housing by their senior years.
Bre Goodwin | Graphic Designer
Lafayette Hall is still undergoing minor renovations, the next of which will be a new“Lafayettesidewalk.needs some updates in the middle of this. It kind of delayed that process of those students moving in. We want to make sure Lafayette is taken care of too,” Hudson said. With the expansion of on-campus housing comes an increased need for more student parking. e extension of the lot on North Wood Ave. will only ac commodate faculty and sta
“Of course, [renovating LaGrange Hall] is something the university is talking about and continues to talk about at the [executive council] level,” Eubanks said, noting the high cost of construction ma terials.
From top to bottom (counterclockwise): International students move in to Noala Heights Apartments, formerly known as Lion’s Den E ciency Apartments, on Tennessee St.; Cypress Flats Apartments on Cypress Mill Road; Noala Heights Apartments; an air conditioner leaks at Noala Heights Apartments; Bellamy Florence on Irvine St.
August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala4 NEWS
“Before moving in [to Cypress Flats], I wondered if it was going to be like another Bellamy,” Parris said. “I’ve never lived at Bellamy, but I’ve heard a lot of people say that it’s not as nice as it looks.” Bellamy Florence was constructed in 2018 a mile and a half from UNA. Like Cy press Flats, it also made agreements with Housing to house the surplus of students looking for campus housing according to communication from Eubanks. However, Bellamy is not listed on the Housing web page for housing options. Bellamy, also, maintained the majori ty of its buildings for its former residents. e residents of Noala Heights on Ten nessee Street, previously known as Lion’s Den E ciency Apartments, had to move elsewhere.euniversity entered an agreement with Meadow Hill Properties F LLC “for the exclusive use of the University of North Alabama for student housing,” on Aug. 1, despite an international student
Photography by Treasure Franklin, Colby Green and Audrey Johnson
move-in scheduled for July 29. e FlorAla obtained the lease through a public records request. e building has 63 units, but their rate is not listed on the 2022-2023 hous ing rates document. e university pays $20,790 a month–$330 per unit. On the Noala Heights webpage, the oor plan shows three beds, two cabinets, two desks, a fridge and microwave. Housing placed a signi cant portion of international students at Noala Heights. According to Senior Vice Provost for In ternational A airs Dr. Chunsheng Zhang, the university will host 550 international students this year with about 90% living in UNA housing. In comparison, Rice Hall, home of the Global Learning Community, sleeps 252 students. “ e Provost, the VP for Student Af fairs, the Dean of Students, other col leagues and I all went over there to look at the building,” Dr. Zhang said. “Some stu dents will love that place…I think a er the paint job and everything students will also probably like being closer to downtown.” Noala Heights is a mile walk from Mane Market, the campus dining hall, and the Mitchell Buford Science and Technol ogy Building, the designated storm shelter for university apartment residents. e storm shelter is two miles from Bellamy and a mile from Cypress Flats and NoblesTwenty-fourCrossing.students currently live in Nobles Crossing near Appleby apartments for $865 a month. Building 1 is open, but building 2 has experienced construction delays.Eubanks said the conversations about increased student interest in housing and apartment partnerships began in Febru ary 2022 as enrollment for the university continues to break records. LaGrange Hall–which has been vacant for six years–would yield 210 on campus beds according to the most recent campus master plan.
Crossing, Housing moved Parris and Long to Cypress Flats, also known among stu dents as “the new apartments across from KFC.” Cypress Flats are the most expen sive option Housing o ers. Despite costing $885 a month, the apartment remains under construction. A er living in a unit for just two days, Housing told Long that her balcony was a safety hazard. ey moved her, again, to a di erent unit, where the oors are uneven and Housing has yet to install the “wire less high speed internet” guaranteed on the website. Instead, they gave Parris and Long a wi hotspot which maxed out of data a er only a few days of use. ere’s no cable.Onthe Cypress Flats webpage, Hous ing advertises the apartments as “walking distance to campus.” Yet, there are no side walks along the seven blocks along Pine Street between their apartment and the UNACypresscampus.Flats is also listed with Grand view Apartments on the 2022 bus sched ule, despite the complexes being separated by almost half a mile with no sidewalks.
FromHOUSINGPage#1
Gavin Van Devender | Graphic Designer
One Book Illustrates True Origins of ‘Southern Food’
e University of North Alabama “One Book” selected “ e Cooking Gene: A Jour ney rough African American Culinary History in the Old South” by Michael Twit ty, an African American Jewish culinary historian, as the 2022-2023 One Book. In the book, Twitty explores his personal jour ney through both his genealogy and the food from his countries of origin.
August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala 5A&E
“I think it’s really important to know where our food comes from,” Pate said.
“A er a lifetime of being fascinated by what di erent people around the world ate, I wanted to know everything I could about the food of the populations with whom I shared genetic a nity,” Twitty wrote. “I was looking for some part of the Southern sto ry, the Southern food story in my body… I want to be clear: my dream was to be able to put myself in the evolving narrative of Southern food from its beginnings to now, and to do so I had to be able to do what most African Americans had the most dif culty doing - trace my ancestry to Africa and follow the lineages across the Southern map into the present day.” e di cult road to answers wove through all aspects of Twitty’s life and fam ily history: which African countries his family had come from, the ports in Amer ica that they were brought into, who they were bought and sold by and where they went as a result. ere is also the matter of Twitty’s white ancestry and the frequent vi olence and sexual assault that female slaves were o en subjected to, an ugly truth that Twitty grappled with as he traveled across the “Isouth.have o en wondered whether the white people who know we are kin actually see us as family.” Twitty wrote. “Would we be better o if we embraced this complexity and dealt with our pain or shame? Would we nally be Americans or Southerners or both if we truly understood how impenetra bly connected we actually are? Or is it too late?” rough every step of the way, Twit ty discovered the food that connected him back to the family he never got to meet. Many of the threads that tie togeth er Southern cooking lead back to Africa and the techniques that were (and still are) used there. Slavery and the resulting forced movement of African populations brought this style of cooking into the Americas and evolved it into what is present today. e book explores not only the food itself but also the connection it provides between Twitty and his ancestors. In a structural sense, the book comes to gether nicely, splitting topics such as regions of the United States, various other countries and di erent food groups by putting them into their own separate chapters. e infor mation the book includes is well-curated and thorough, showing just how much time and work went into its production.
“ ere is a lot of cultural and historical signi cance in understanding that a lot of what we eat and how we eat it is in uenced by other cultures. You might think of it as just ‘good Southern American cooking,’ like I used to think, ‘Oh, that’s just Southern cooking. You put fat back in your greens? at’s Southern cooking.’ But where did that come from? It came from the people who cooked the food. Where did those people come from? How do other cultures, and in the case of this book, speci cally African cultures, in uence the foods that we eat now and consider American? What does it mean to be an American? I hope that stu dents see that the foods that they consider staples are in uenced by communities and cultures in other parts of the world. I hope it helps students think globally rather than locally.”
by Kelley Peters Sta Writer
Started by Provost Ross Alexander, the One Book aims to not only be a project on campus but also across the surrounding community. e book has been adopted by the Alumni Association, who read the One Book in their book club as a way to connect with the students on campus. e events surrounding the book are open to the pub lic as well which allows it to provide an even further educational reach.
Twitty has provided a uniquely enter taining and educational experience that is remarkably easy to read, which will surely be bene cial for the students reading it as part of their FYE class. “ e Cooking Gene” is also advantageous for readers because, even though Twitty only explores his speci c ge nealogy, knowing more about the origins of our food and the history behind the blend ing of culinary techniques is something that can aid readers in many other areas of life.
e One Book has been a program at UNA for four years now. Similar to other campuses’ “Common Read,” the book is chosen as a way to unite and educate those on campus and in the surrounding commu nity, said Jennifer Pate, who is the chair for the One Book committee. “It’s embedded into our First Year Ex perience curriculum, so one of the main goals is to give students who are coming in as a freshman class a common touch-point,” Pate said. “Everyone who goes through the FYE program should be introduced to the book and should have experiences related to the book. We try to plan campus events around the book. It’s something that every body’s going to have in common, which is why a lot of places call it a ‘Common Read.’ It’s also to support the campus Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives.”
To select the One Book for the year, committee members choose books that they think would be a good t for the cam pus and make their case for how the book could bene t those who read it. e com mittee chooses the three books that they be lieve would be the best options, and those ti tles are then chosen from in a campus-wide vote by students, faculty and sta . Dr. Karla Zelaya suggested “ e Cooking Gene” and won the campus vote by a large margin. Twitty begins “ e Cooking Gene” by going back to his childhood when he was less than thrilled by Black Southern cuisine. However, as he spent time in the kitchens of his grandmother and mother, his appre ciation for the food, as well as the origins of it, developed. is discovery of his love for food helped to inspire the journey that this book covers: nding out where his an cestors came from and, because of this, how food in the South became what it is today.
“To go beyond assumptions; to inter rogate our pain; to see the faces of my an cestors, to cook with them, to know them intimately the only way I can know them a er decades of memory loss - those are my paths,” Twitty wrote. is ‘memory loss’ refers to years of slavery and the movement of many of Twit ty’s ancestors not only to the United States from Africa, but also from place to place within America as they were bought, sold and separated from their family members. Twitty was able to visit the places where his grandparents had lived in order to expe rience what sort of world they might have known, but in order to go further back, he had to use genealogy services to nd out ex actly which countries his family originated from. is process was fascinating to read about, not only because of the information it yielded but the places it took Twitty on his quest for further knowledge about and connection with his ancestors and the foods that in uenced them.
Smooths Wellness Bus – Florence by MARY STELLA MANGINA Arts & Entertainment Editor Eliza Hyatt founded Smooths Well ness Bus, a smoothie and wellness bus, this summer in the Shoals. Smooths has garnered admiration as a result of its un conventionalOccupyingstorefront.asizable school bus that Hyatt reupholstered with the help of her friends and family, Smooths Wellness Bus deviates artistically from the average health food cafe. Its white veneer gives it a pristine appearance. Its inner look does not stray from its aesthetically pleasing crispness.Spending time inside Smooths Well ness Bus is not likely to remind one of riding in a familiar school bus. e oor of the bus is made of hardwood and fur nished with tasteful rugs. On top of nice ties such as these, Smooths Wellness Bus has diner-style tables and seats. e vehi cle’s structure was partially redesigned to accommodate guests looking to sit down and enjoy a meal. Its dining room is open on weekdays from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Hyatt’s bus sells myriad smoothies, blended bowls and breakfast sandwich es. More o en than not, the ingredients comprising its menu are locally sourced. e restaurant has two toast options: clas sic avocado and nut butter with apples or bananas. Furthermore, Hyatt, a mother of small children, has included a few simple, child-friendly drinks on her smoothie list. In contrast to other co ee shops, Smooths Wellness Bus’s modest but com prehensive co ee refreshments are a vored with sustaining sweeteners. e ca fe’s cold brew and accompanying ca eine xings are sure to appeal to students at the University of North Alabama; the casual climate cultivated by its counter-service cashiers encourages quick and easy or dering.e positive impacts of healthy liv ing are becoming common knowledge, with people having easy access to infor mation on the bene ts of a clean lifestyle via countless articles on the internet. Now more than ever, proper diet and exercise are being given the attention they deserve in American dialogue. Electing to make wholesome choices can be challenging, especially for young university students. Hyatt also founded and owns a boutique physical training studio Grit Fitness. Her gym, complete with barre classes and cycle sessions, sits at 116 East Tennessee St. Ordinarily, undergraduates in their late teens and early 20s are expected to budget their money, time and energy. Bearing in mind that cheap, empty cal ories continually seem to be their eco nomically safest option, it can be tough for them to consistently opt for nutritious foods.Now, however, with Smooths Wellness Bus vending early-morning and a er noon bites and beverages with the poten tial to coincidently save precious seconds and nourish the body, it is markedly less of a hassle for university students to take care of themselves.
August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala6 A&E New dining options open in the Shoals
Above: The Pour House at Coldwater–on the corner of South Main St. and West Sixth St. in Tuscumbia, Ala. Left: (From front to back) Pauline Greer, Staci Hogan and Stephanie Hogan work in the kitchen at the Pour House at Coldwater. Audrey Johnson | Editor-in-Chief wines–so we put ‘pour’ into the name of the restaurant.”eneweatery on Main Street opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. on weekdays, and they serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks. Nichols described the restau rant’s cuisine as “American gastropub” (a combination of “pub” and “gastronomy,” the study of the relationship between food and culture). “We needed a place where I didn’t have to drive all the way to Florence to eat lunch,” said owner Josh Kelley. “I wanted a place where you could come to eat three or four days a week and get something di erent.”ePour House at Coldwater serves a variety of meals from pasta to pizza to cat sh to sandwiches. e restaurant also o ers an all you can eat salad bar, lotus energy bomb teas and a bar. “I like everything on the menu,” Kel ley said. “I think we were very thoughtful when we laid everything out.” In addition to an array of breakfast, lunch and dinner options, the restaurant also hosts a variety of events: trivia on Mondays nights, music bingo on Tues day nights, themed trivia on Wednesday nights, live music from Travis Womack on ursday nights and alternating live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Go ing into football season, e Pour House at Coldwater will play SEC football.
“Even a er only three months of being open, it’s really turned into a place where people feel like they can meet friends or business associates,” said Morrow. “It’s been really cool to watch it go from zero to hero in such a short amount of time. ough e Pour House at Coldwater has only been open for the building is 135 years old. Before it was a restaurant, the building was a bank, jewelry store, an tique store and a law o ce housing Sena tor Howell He in’s o ce. e Tuscumbia community has em braced the new restaurant on the block. “Skip [Nichols] is here every day,” Kel ley said. “We’re here every day. We have amazing managers and our team is just fantastic. We’re very invested in Tuscum bia.”
Above: The Smooths Wellness Bus parked outside of Pickett Place in Florence, Ala. Above right: The front of the Smooths Wellness Bus. Casey Kula | Chief Photographer
The Pour House at Cold Water – Tuscumbia by AUDREY JOHNSON Editor-in-Chief e Pour House at Coldwater opened in downtown Tuscumbia, Ala., on June 4. eir owners, Skip Nichols, Ashley Mor row and Josh Kelley, opened the restau rant a er wanting more dining options to choose from on their lunch breaks. ey wanted to create a community center point for everyone to enjoy. “[ e Pour House] is a common name for bars and taverns across the United States,” said owner Skip Nichols. “We wanted to let people know we also have a decent selection of bourbons and
Tavern and the Chicago Cafe, its cuisine does not ri on conventional bar food. Its menu consists of ramen dishes, handcra ed egg rolls, bao buns and lettuce wraps, plus a small but enticing assortment of Japanese-inspired desserts. In a matter of months, Lava Room grew in popularity because of its food. e bar’s culinary spread manages to be at once accessible and adventurous. e kitchen’s appreciable selection of ramen bowls is a massive draw for many Florence locals.Ramen’s popularity has been growing in the continental United States since the early 2000s, though restaurants that serve it skillfully are usually few and far between in small-scale cities like Florence. Fortunately, Lava Room’s izakaya ra men o erings are traditional enough to be authentic and innovative enough to be fun. Its primary options are simple enough: pork tonkotsu, miso chicken and veggie lovers’. But it additionally leaves people room to build their own bowls, with top pings ranging from nori seaweed to house pickles and the supplementary choice of whether or not to add a spice bomb.
“Our kitchen has a great team of cooks,” Ross said. “We were able to put our heads together and come up with a menu that I thought worked in the best possible ways.”
“We want it to be a space for original music,” Ross said. “So we will be having touring acts play, along with local bands in the process of recording new albums. It has been great, adding to the inventive downtown spirit. So far, everything is sounding good and running smoothly.”
Among the new taprooms and restau rants in the Shoals area is Lava Room. A contemporary bar, dining spot and enter tainment venue located at 116 West Mo bile St. Tyler Ross opened Lava Room this summer. Ross is a resident of downtown Florence who owns and operates Wild wood Tavern and the Chicago Cafe–both of which are also located on Mobile St. Florence, Ala., has expanded tremen dously within the past few years, as report ed by the U.S. Census Bureau. A popular place to live in Alabama, the downtown area is attracting small businesses. Born and raised in Florence, Ross en sures that his ventures stand out against a backdrop of other, less creative bars. Un falteringly daring, he is not new to tak ing on projects that to some, might seem daunting.LavaRoom has plenty of facets that make it distinctive, namely its one-of-akind interior design and its exterior am biguity. One would not necessarily be able to tell from standing outside Lava Room that it is a bar considering its only signage is a minimalistic illustration of an active volcano.“Ilike the intriguing vibe our sign puts out,” Ross said. “I would not call our bar a speakeasy or anything, but I do like the notion of people walking into it without knowing exactly what to expect.” e contrast between Lava Room’s facade and its seating area transports pa trons to an otherworldly location that is simultaneously private and humming with activity. Dimly lit, it is kept from appear ing seedy by illuminating red lights. Triangular panes of gleaming red stained glass hang from its ceiling. ey were le behind by Stained Glass Artistry, the stained and leaded glass store that for merly occupied the Lava Room’s building. Furthering the overall transcendental feel of Lava Room are mystifying e ects that result in discontinuous volcanic erup tions–fog–from behind the bar. Lava Room serves drinks in a way that is largely unrivaled in originality. At the moment, it has a collection of ten signature cocktails. e recipes for every mixed drink were e ortfully devised, and the drinks themselves were endearingly named. A prevalent choice, cleverly titled Big Bubble in Little China, is a refreshing tequila drink with aperol and grilled ja lapeño topped with a lo y, rosemary- a vored smoke bubble.
Ross’ individual contribution to the quintessential bar menu, e Sensei, is a smoked Japanese Old Fashioned with Sun tory Toki and house-made fennel syrup. Beside its array of signature drinks, Lava Room presents alluring lists of sakes, wines and Japanese whiskeys–not to men tion a kaleidoscopic variety of beers. With a penchant for the outdoors, Ross has trekked across the Appalachian, Pa ci c Crest and Continental Divide trails. He spent ve months biking from Seattle, Washington, to Key West, Florida. “ ose trips de nitely changed my life. ey shaped who I am today,” said Ross. “When you put yourself out there in the way I did, you are at the mercy of not only your surroundings, but also the people you choose to surround yourself with. Most of the time, you are up and on your feet. You have to seek help from others. ere is a lot of trust necessary there, so you learn how to give thanks, which is a skill I have been able to apply to my work [in the service industry].”
–Tyler Ross
One of the aspects of Lava Room that sets it apart from Ross’s other establish ments is its cuisine. Unlike Wildwood
by MARY STELLA MANGINA Arts & Entertainment Editor
The Lava Room – Florence
Casey Kula | Chief Photographer
In conjunction with its food and drink, Lava Room has designated itself a xture of the downtown Florence community with its stage. Ross foresees his new bar doubling as a coveted, albeit comfortable venue for local and touring bands to show case their repertoires. Up to now, its stage has triumphantly seen two music shows. Regarding Lava Room’s emergence onto Florence’s music scene.
Ross clari ed that the work behind his lounge’s unmatched specialty drinks was a collaborative job he undertook with Wild wood Tavern’s bartenders, who now work at Lava Room, too. “I had laid out rough plans for a lot of the cocktails I wanted to see on our menu,” Ross said. “And our bartenders took those plans and ran with them. ey absolutely crushed it.”
August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala 7A&E
The exterior of The Lava Room on Mobile Street in Downtown Florence, Ala.
“I like the intriguing vibe our sign puts out. I would not call our bar a speakeasy or anything, but I do like the notion of people walking into it without knowing exactly what to expect.”
Clearly, Ross’s bold spirit followed him from his early successes to Lava Room. Wildwood Tavern is, for example, dif ferent from other downtown-based hang outs because of its game room. It provides patrons with classic arcade games, such as skee ball, pinball and Golden Tee Golf. It, like Lava Room, is known for its eclectic lineup of cocktails, as well as its extensive beer menu of beverages from lo cal and out-of-state breweries. Both Wild wood Tavern and the Chicago Cafe boast unique takes on classic American foods. e latter is a popular place for a quick meal, frequented by college students and locals who enjoy nightlife in downtown Florence. e cafe’s doors are open until 2 a.m.“Florence is a town for artists and mu sicians,” says Ross. “It’s a town for creators. When I opened Wildwood Tavern, it was because I had always wanted there to be a sort of haven for creative people to have a good time in their community.”
Ross’s vision appears to be coming to fruition; Lava Room will host events well into the upcoming autumn. It is unlikely that Florence citizens will hear less about Lava Room any time soon. If anything, the buzz brought about by its expansive appeal will only grow. To read about more new openings in the Shoals, go to theFlorAla.com.
The director (Baz Luhrmann) uses a sort of time-jump format, but does so incon sistently and without much distinction between past and present. For example, the first time we see Elvis and Col. Parker on screen together, the Colonel is following Elvis around a carnival, as if he’s seeing him for the first time and realizing that this kid may be his ticket to greatness. Now, it’s very likely that this is meant to symbolize how the nature of the carnival – where the Colonel worked for much of his life – and the music business are all about putting on the act that makes the most money, but the audience doesn’t realize this until after the fact. Because the style remains so consistently surreal and campy through out the whole of the movie, it’s hard to distinguish between dream-like/fantasy sequences and real plot events. When Col. Parker finally does actually learn of and see Elvis for the first time a few scenes later, the viewers are left a little confused because we were led to believe he was already in pursuit of “his boy.” This is just one of the multiple examples of time lines or reality/non-reality getting crossed without much clarity, leaving viewers to digest and untangle what’s happening on their executedown.time jumps, but the key is con sistency and distinction. Greta Gerwig’s Little Women (2019), for example, does a great job of switching between the past and present with the use of color. Scenes set in the past or childhood are very visually warm and gold toned, while pres ent scenes are very blue, gray, and cold. This not only serves to communicate the time jumps, but also does a great job at communicating the feelings and cir cumstances of the characters within the respective time periods as well. If you’ve ever seen The Great Gatsby (2013), you’re already familiar with Luhrman’s elaborate style. His works are known as eye candy with a style so distinctive it prac tically serves as an autograph. However, it unfortunate ly begins to become a disadvantage when the istheintegritystructuralofstorylost between spinning fruits on slot machines and nauseating amounts of neon glowing off of a sweaty Austin Butler as he purses his lips and wiggles around like an erotic roadside inflatable man. As previously mentioned, many aspects of Elvis’s life are acknowledged, but never fully developed. This is to be expected, of course, when you are cover ing an entire lifetime over the span of twoand-a-half hours. However, it becomes a problem when these brief touches of information are later suddenly presented as if they were major plot points all along. For example, Elvis’s divorce. In the scene where Elvis wakes up to Priscilla pack ing up her things, he asks her directly if it’s because of his infidelity. For context, leading up to this point, we’ve watched Elvis cheat on his wife multiple times while touring, and he even goes as far as to kiss fans in front of her at the about the girls that you sneak in through the side door?” She instead expresses that her main concern is her husband’s drug abuse by throwing his pills at him. This comes as a little bit of a surprise because Elvis’s problem with substance abuse was nearly forgotten by this point in the movie. I think if the writers had given more time to his struggle with addiction than his affairs, this scene wouldn’t have felt as awkward and out of place. Overall, many aspects of the film feel abandoned or unfinished, and this, com bined with the cartoonish, sugary visuals, leaves the audience feeling full of empty calories and confusion. It seems like a series of afterthoughts and fever dreams all strung together with a Doja Cat song, which is fun to watch on its own, but doesn’t work well for a near three hour experience. However, as much as I’ve criticized this work, I would give it a 3 out of 5 because there’s never a dull moment and it’s a fun way to spend a night with your Bre Goodwin Graphic Designer
Why Elvis (2022) Felt Like Going to Golden Corral
by WHITNEY VEAZEY Sta Photographer Elvis Presley is undoubtedly what many would consider an inter-genera tional heartthrob. He is largely credited with the birth of teen fan culture, as well as breaking barriers between traditionally white and African-American genres of music. Fans all across Tik Tok are raving about his new biographical feature, but does it live up to the hype? The story is told through the eyes of Col. Tom Parker, Elvis’s talent manager, played by Tom Hanks. From the very first words spoken, this film is set up to be the Colonel’s defense – his attempt to explain away the years of exploitation and abuse leading up to Presley’s death. Col. Parker vehemently denies having anything to do with the musician’s death, and persists by declaring his innocence in a series of monologues throughout the course of the movie.But, between these scenes, the majori ty of the movie showcases different influ ential moments in the life of Elvis Presley, played by Austin Butler. Beginning with his childhood, the film shows Elvis grow ing up in a poor, black community with his mother after his father gets arrested for forging a check. It starts with a scene of a young, impoverished Elvis sneaking around with his friends to peer in on a jazz club, and very quickly becoming entranced with the music on the other side of the wall. Moments thereafter, he notices a revival tent across the road with loud praise floating out. He bolts over, and quickly loses himself to the blend of music. This scene is a very early nod to the influence that Black culture had on Elvis’s music and success, and in these moments away from the narration of Col. Parker, the movie almost reclassifies itself to be a cradle-to-grave biopic, focused on ElvisBecausehimself.42 years is a lot to take on within the confines of a single feature film, many aspects of Elvis’s life are glossed over, and heavily oversimplified. This would be fine, if the film had committed to focusing on the relationship between the Colonel and Elvis as established in the beginning, but when the film starts to bring to life events entirely outside of Elvis’s business relationship with Col. Parker into the main narrative without completely contextualizing how those events affected Elvis’ personal growth and progression, things become very muddy very fast. Since the movie isn’t fully dedi cated to either the Colonel, Elvis, or their business relationship, the viewer is left to question, “Who is this movie supposed to be about?”.Thisiswhere one of the film’s primary weaknesses comes in: It is simply trying to be too many things at once. The audience is force-fed too much at one time, leaving the viewing experience to be exhausting and almost reminiscent of a trip to a dated all-you-can-eat with your family on Sunday afternoon. The lack of a core identity is also reflected in its structure.
August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala8 A&E
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August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala 9PHOTO ESSAY By CASEY KULA and TREASURE FRANKLIN Chief Photographer and Sta Photographer Bid Day 2022
A Letter from The Flor-Ala Staff
To close out the 2021-2022 school year, the Student Government Associ ation passed over 18 pieces of crucial legislation, which included a bill that allocated $75,000 for 36 additional se curity cameras. ese cameras will be campus-wide in primary locations such as the parking deck and the crosswalk between Appleby and Wood Avenue.
andunbiasedMediaasAlaoftion.theAmendmentarecommunityaredents,munityastobetymindforfreshmenwritestheUNAstudent’svoicefornearlythelastcentury.Aswebeginanewschoolyear,onewhichtherstpageofadulthoodforincomingandendsachapterofdevelopmentseniorspreparingtograduate,wewanttoreourreadersofourpurpose,values,identiandplaceoncampusandinourcommunity.OurpurposeateFlor-Alawillalwaystoreportinformationthatisrelevantthecommunityweserveasaccuratelypossibleinatimelymanner.Ourcomiscomposedforemostofthestufaculty,staandalumniofUNA.WealsoproudtoservethegreaterShoalsofwhichourcampusisapart.FreedomofspeechandfreedomofthepresstwooftheverightsprotectedbytheFirsttotheUnitedStatesConstitution,centraldocumentwhichgovernsournaeFirstAmendmentisthefoundationjournalisticpracticeintheUS.eFlor-adherestoeFirstAmendmentaswelltheguidelinesputinplacebytheCollegeAssociationandtheAssociatedPress.Ourgoalistoreportnewsinaneutral,mannerthatreliesonprovenfactsquotationsfromprimarysourcesover
As we begin the 2022-2023 school year, I would like to send you a warm welcome on behalf of the Student Gov ernment Association (SGA) at UNA. My name is Amber Sandvig, and I serve as your 2022-2023 Student Government As sociation president. I am a junior from Spring Hill, Tenn., majoring in profes sional management with a concentration in innovation and entrepreneurship. If any students have any concerns, I would love to hear from you! My email is sga president@una.edu or asandvig@una.edu. As you begin the school year, I hope you will nd that the university has so much to o er outside of the classroom. UNA is an amazing place to begin (or continue!) your college career. SGA is the o cial student representation to uni versity administration and exists to ful ll three main purposes and goals backed by our core values that are listed below: First, the SGA serves as the voice and governing body of students. We provide services and make recommendations to the university administration about concerns that are vocalized to us. Next, SGA exists to protect and promote the educational, cul tural, economic and social advancement of all UNA students. Lastly, the SGA pro vides a forum in which student interests and needs are both expressed and valued. ere are four branches that cohe sively work to bring di erent services to UNA students that make up SGA. ese branches are the Senate (the legis lative branch), Student Court (the judi cial branch) and the Freshman Forum. As we prepare to take o ce, I would like to remind students of what SGA has accomplished and what we in tend to accomplish moving forward.
We are e Flor-Ala, the student news paper of the University of North Alabama. Founded in 1931, e Flor-Ala has served as the opinions of our writers and editors, how ever, in our opinion section, letters to the editor, columns and review pieces, we pro vide a space for students to share their views and opinions of the world around them. e Flor-Ala seeks to give equal opportunity to all students who wish to join our sta . Our sta members are selected on a basis of qual i cation and talent, with no preference to any demographic. e content published in e Flor-Ala favors no religion, race, gender, sex uality or political party over another. Discrim ination and hate speech are strictly forbidden from our publication and amongst our sta and do not align with our organization’s values. Our sta at e Flor-Ala is composed entire ly of UNA students. All of our writers, editors, photographers, artists and volunteers are still in pursuit of undergraduate or graduate degrees. e Flor-Ala is a space to promote the educa tion and professional development of these stu dents. While we strive to meet the highest stan dards of professionalism and accuracy, we are still a teaching environment, which should al ways be kept in mind when reading our content. e Flor-Ala receives funding as a regis tered student organization of the University of North Alabama, however, e Flor-Ala does not speak on behalf of the university or university o cials, unless a direct quote fea tured in a story is attributed to a person holding a position at the university. Views expressed in the Flor-Ala by sta or volun teer contributors do not re ect the views of the university or student body as a whole. e Flor-Ala is not associated with UNA’s department of Media and Public Relations, and student workers are prohibited from con tributing to both e Flor-Ala and university public relations simultaneously to prevent bias.
Former Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black once stated, “the press was to serve the gov erned, not the governors.” e American free press serves as a watch-dog of those in positions of authority. e Flor-Ala does not seek to intentionally damage the reputation of the university or anyone within the uni versity community, our job and our respon sibility to you, our readers, is to watch over operations and report the truth about what is taking place in spaces that the average stu dent does not have access to. In the way that the commitment of the United States press is committed to the American people–not the government–our commitment is ultimate ly to our readers, not UNA as an institution. ank you for reading e Flor-Ala. We are here to serve you. We are always open to feedback, comments and tips. Good luck to all for a safe and successful 2022-2023 school year.
ADVISER JUSTIN BERGH, PhD
A Letter om SGA President Sandvig by AMBER SANDVIG SGA President 2022-2023
We also created a student forum. is consisted of a designated time at every Senate meeting to encourage students to speak and provide feedback to SGA. is will continue during the 2022-2023 school year. Senate meetings will be held every ursday at 3:30 in the SGA Cham bers for anyone who wants to come and provide feedback on issues they may be facing during their college experience. Looking to the future, SGA is commit ted to continuing to serve you. Howev er, it is important for students to give us feedback regarding their needs to help make their experience at UNA a suc cess. Students may give us feedback at: www.una/sga.com. We highly encourage you to come to one of our senate meet ings on ursday at 3:30, in GUC 163. If you have any concerns in regard to your UNA experience, I would also highly en courage you to come visit a member of the Executive Council during our o ce hours which you can nd on our website. To help increase communication be tween the students and SGA, we will pro mote the Student Government Associa tion more frequently through social media platforms to ensure that the students are well informed about the decisions that are made for them. is will ideally encourage more student input with regard to resolu tions, memorandums and bills. We also will publish the meeting minutes and agen das for not only the SGA Senate, but for the SGA executive o cers and chair meet ings as well. Students are able to attend any of these meetings if they wish to do so. We hope that hosting open Executive Council meetings will also encourage fac ulty and sta to come to us with any situa tions on which they may need student opin ions. To further our overall goal of creating a transparent SGA, I will present a biweek ly to monthly report that will explain what has been going on inside the chambers. e SGA o ces are located in the SGA Chambers in GUC 163 and are always open to students to come and visit with any of the current Senators. I encourage you to get involved as much as you can because this university has so much to of fer to UNA students. If you are interested in representing your fellow students by becoming a Senator or becoming a voice for the rst-year class through Freshman Forum, then the SGA is the place for you.
August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala10 OPINION Letters must include name and telephone number for veri cation. Please limit letters to 500 words. The editor reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish a letter. The Flor-Ala UNA Box 5300 Florence, AL 35632 Letters to the editor should be emailed to ajohnson34@una.edu or mailed to: Letters Policy The sta strives to maintain the integrity of The Flor-Ala through accurate and honest reporting. To report an error call 256-7654364 or email ajohnson34@una.edu. Corrections Content is determined by the student editorial sta of The Flor-Ala and has not been approved by the university. EditorialEDITOR-IN-CHIEFPolicy AUDREY JOHNSON MANAGING EDITOR BROOKE FREUNDSCHUH NEWS EDITOR EMMA TANNER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR MARY STELLA MANGINA ONLINE EDITOR VICTORIA HAMILTON CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER CASEY KULA GRAPHIC DESIGNERS ANDRÉA ARROYO BRE GAVINCOLBYGOODWINGREENVANDEVENDER SPORTS EDITOR MARY STELLA MANGINA STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS TREASUREWHITNEYFRANKLINVEAZEY STAFF WRITERS TRENEDY PARKS KELLEY PETER CIRCULATION MANAGER SARAH GRACE PEPPER
SGA also allocated over $100,000 to var ious student organizations including 23 diversity, equity and Inclusion programs, 28 social programs, 14 academic-related programs and 9 travel-related programs.
August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala 112022 STAFF Audrey Johnson Editor-in-Chief Brooke Freundschuh Managing Editor Emma Tanner News Editor Mary Stella Mangina Arts & Entertainment Editor Noah Catchings Sports Editor Casey Kula Chief Photographer Victoria Hamilton Online Editor Trenedy Parks Sta Writer Kelley Peters Sta Writer Andréa Arroyo Graphic Designer Bre Goodwin Graphic Designer Colby Green Graphic Designer Treasure Franklin Sta Photographer Whitney Veazey Sta Photographer Gavin Van Devender Graphic Designer Sarah Grace Pepper Circulation Manager Meet the 2022 Flor-Ala Staff
Athletic Department unvails new logo to celebrate historic transition by NOAH CATCHINGS Sports Editor
NCAA grants UNA Division I status
Gavin Van Devender
The Flor-Ala sat down with Dr. Josh Looney, Athletic Director, to learn more about UNA’s Division I transition and the Athletic Department’s new logo.
Catchings: What did your career look like before you were an Athletic Director? Looney: The first half of my career was in pro sports. I knew I wanted to work in sports when I stopped playing football and graduat ed from Washburn, a Division II school in Kansas. It was simple. I just blindly applied, and [Pat Williams] was looking to hire someone who was a former stu dent athlete, so I checked that box. He wanted to hire somebody that was involved in things more than athletics on campus. I was a sand wich artist, a baseball umpire and worked in the mail room. I went [to Orlando] and worked for [The Orlando Magic] for a year, and he networked me back to Kansas City where I grew up. How has your past career in professional sports prepared you to oversee UNA’s Division I tran sition?
| Graphic Designer
It brings good perspective. Pro sports and college sports are incredibly different. At the same time, they’re very similar especially in the aspects of Division I tran sition. We’re relying on a time of external revenue, revenue and growth to get to where we want to be–that’s fundraising, that’s spon sorships, you name it. There’s different revenue lines that come in being Division I that you just don’t have if you’re play ing different guarantee games in basketball, football and some of those others. Really, both sides I’d say it’s running business in a lot of ways. In the NFL, the zeros are much different, but in pro and col lege, you’re able to see how people lead and how coaches lead their programs.
Catchings: How has being Division I impacted recruiting for athletics? First and foremost, the Division I transition isn’t just athletics. It’s institution wide. The NCAA wants to make sure we’re at a healthy, growing, vibrant university. When the NCAA came to their final visit before approving us, most of their meetings weren’t with athletics. It was a cross between the registrar,
August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala12 SPORTS
Catchings: UNA recently unveiled a new logo for athletics. What inspired the redesign? Looney: Last fall, I met without student athlete leaders and coach es. It came from those discussions early on. We really felt like we needed to reenergize and mod ernize our look on the field. That’s where the discussions started. As we went through it, our uniforms didn’t look like we were coming from one place. Softball looked different than basketball which looked different than volleyball. They had different words, differ ent numbers, different looks. It might have said Lions or North Alabama. It might have a different gold.We needed to really look at this and standardize things. We want ed to announce it. It was the right time and a historic moment. It made sense to introduce the new brand. We wanted it to be famil iar, but modernized and bold. A lot went into it and a lot will con tinue to go into it.
Photo Courtesy UNA Athletics Wide Receiver Cortez Hall is expected to be a key contributer on o ense this season.
Coach Willis believes that postseason eligi bility has his players more red up to play this season now that championships are at stake.“Ithink this is a di erent year consider ing that we’re able to play for something” Coach Willis states. UNA football has a lot of players who are going to play a huge part in this Division 1 transition. Featured on the Pre-Season AllASUN is Parker Driggers, Takairee Ken ebrew, Cortez Hall, Corson Swan, Micah Bland, Kyree Fields, and Kobe Warden.
Catchings: How else were stu dents involved in redesigning the logo? Looney: Bosack and Company was the group that we used to lead [the redesign]. In the college sports landscape, they are the premiere branding firm. They do the final four logo, they’ve done college world series, they did Mississippi State’s rebrand athletically. When we started talking with them, we “We’re now able to take our brand more to the national level. We’re representing the state’s fastest growing university.” talked about how we could make this homegrown and provide aca demic opportunities as well. We went and asked Dean Baird if it was something we could give real work graphic design experi ence for students and create some thing where they’re getting cred it but also really having a hand in this. We created an internship program that began in mid-spring and went through the summer. Those students had their ideas and concepts. They also got to see from start to pitch, through all the revisions. They got to work with a leading design firm. I think that wasItawesome.wasfive students who were not athletes. A few of them didn’t know where the athletic building was when we had the first meet ing, which was great. It was per spectives from people who aren’t in it every day but is in the indus try. I thought that was tremen dous. We’re always trying to do academic athletic partnerships. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Lions also have strengths on defense as well. Willis said there are a lot of guys ghting for playing time on defense which is a good problem to have. On defense, the Lions have defensive back Kyree Fields returning, who led the team with 63 total tackles. Micah Bland nished behind him with 42 total tackles last season. Caleb Dawson and Je ery Bat tle each nished the season with 30 tackles.
–Dr. Josh Looney
“ ese guys love to play in front of peo ple, and they want to put on a show,” Willis said.
e
“It’s tough when you’re competing and trying to win a ball game and at the end of the day, you’re not able to play for a champi onship,” said UNA head coach Chris Willis. Now that the Lions are full DI members, they can compete in the ASUN Conference and National Championships, respectively.
“I don’t know if there’s just that stand-out guy, but there is a lot of depth up there,” Willisesesaid.players combined with the new Di vision I status open new opportunities for UNA football. One of these opportunities will be the Lions facing their rival Jackson ville State University at the Trash Pandas stadium in Madison on Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. e game is already sold out. Although the game occurs relatively early in the season, it has big implications for both teams. Its the rst time since joining DI that UNA gets to play JSU in a game with real conference implications.etransition to DI was a four-year pro cess. In order for UNA to successfully make the move, the university had to prove that it could uphold its end of the deal when it comes to budget, academics, and other NCAA requirements e transition to Division 1 also came with a makeover of the football facilities. e headliner of this is the renovation of the football locker room. According to UNA Athletics, the locker room now in cludes more than 115 new lockers, updated showers and restrooms, new paint and new ooring.“isis part of history, and this is a lot of rsts” Willis said. is season is expected to be tough for the Lions, as they were selected last in the ASUN Preseason Coaches poll. One reason for that is the Lions only have four games at home this season. ose games are crucial if the Lions hope to open the DI era on a highCoachnote.Willis looks at these games as a family deal. From cheerleaders, the band, the majorettes and the student body. He hopes the home atmosphere motivates the team to exceed expectations.
“ e quarterback competition is still go ing on and that will be a late call” Willis said on the Aug. 5 Lion Vision Update. To complement the quarterbacks, the Li ons have a plethora of talented skill players.
e University of North Alabama foot ball team begins its rst season as an o cial member of Division I on Sept. 1 on the road against the Indiana State Sycamores. e Lions are looking to put the rough transition to DI behind them, starting with a new athletics re-branding, including a new logo. According to UNA Athletics, the logo was created with the help of ve UNA graphic design students working alongside an internship partnered with UNA. Aside from the re-branding, the Lions have work to do on the eld a er nishing with a record of 3-8 last season. Before that, the 2020 team nished with an 0-4 record in a COVID -shortened season.
August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala 13SPORTS deans and the Board of Trustees members.Almost all of our meetings took place in the nursing build ing. [NCAA] wanted to sit there and see one of the new academic buildings that was built during the transition process. I say that because I think it’s truly the next stage of growth for the university, not just athletics. I think it’s also the next stage for athletics because this has been talked about, prob ably since the 90s at UNA. We’re now able to take our brand more to the national level. We’re repre senting the state’s fastest growing university.
Parker Driggers and ShunDerrick Powell are two running backs expected to make an impact, along with veteran receivers Cor tez Hall, Corson Swan and Takairee Ken nebrew.“We’re young at running back with ex ception of Parker Driggers and Powell,” Willis said. “ is will be a perfect oppor tunity to see what the new guys will accom plish this Accordingseason.”toCoach Willis, the receivers are the more veteran group and the o ense will lean on their experience early in the season.Willis believes that the o ensive coaches have put in a lot of work in the pre-season and have faith that players will perform well this season.
UNA football officially enters DI era by NOAH CATCHINGS Sports Editor
On o ense, the Lions have “quarterback battle” according to Coach Willis.. Return ing quarterbacks Rett Files, Jaylen Gipson, and Brady Pope as well as a few others are battling it out for the starting position.
Sept.Sept.Sept.UNAMcFarlandp.m.ParkInvitational10,8:30a.m.McFarlandPark10vsUVAWise6p.m.BralyStadium1vsSouthernInd.7p.m.Florence,Ala.
Sept.Flowersp.m.Hall2vsLamar7p.m.FlowersHall Soccer Aug. 25 at South Ala. 7 Aug.Mobile,p.m.Ala.28Troy7p.m.Mobile,Ala.
“When I rst arrived here in January, it was really important to establish the culture and the expectation of what we wanted to do to get this program back to a place where it’s been in the past,” John son said.
Ella Ratzlo is a h-year COVID transfer from Rhode Island whom John son recruited while she was in high school. roughout her time at Rhode Is land University, she accomplished feats: in the 2021 season, according to gorhody. com, she became the university’s rst player to achieve 1,500 digs, and she also ended the season ranked 10th national ly in total digs. Overall, she is a skilled player who Johnson expects to take part in changing UNA volleyball this season. “I think she’s a player that’s going to do a lot of special things here,” Johnson said.Maggie Sullivan is also a key player to keep an eye on. She ended last season with a total of 221 kills and 57 blocks and spent signi cant time over the spring preparing for this season. Fans should keep an eye out for the big things she will accomplish this season.
August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala14 SPORTS Upcoming UNA SportsFootballSchedule
UNA volleyball ready for DI by NOAH CATCHINGS Sports Editor
e University of North Alabama hired Tristan Johnson as the new head volleyball coach this season. UNA vol leyball has undergone many changes since last season includes facility up grades, sta changes and new coaching methods. e volleyball team has strug gled in the past two years with 1-13 in the 2020 season and 9-20 records in the 2021Johnsonseason.graduated from the Univer sity of Alabama in 2014, and according to RoarLions.com, has 11 years of colle giate coaching experience with big-name universities such as the University of Al abama, Southern Illinois University and Arkansas State University. As UNA enters the NCAA Division I, the Lions have the opportunity to com pete for championships Johnson’s expe rience in coaching is crucial to help po sition the Lions towards a championship.
Men’s Golf Hoosier Bloomington,Sept.Invitational4Ind. Men’s Cross Country Lion Opener Sept. 1, 5:45 p.m. McFarland Park UNA Invitational Sept. 10, 7:45 a.m. McFarland Park Women’s Cross Country Lion Opener Sept. 1, 5
Gavin Van Devender | Graphic Designer
“[Sullivan] is a leader on and o the court,” Johnson said. Overall, the whole volleyball program has undergone signi cant changes that position the team for a hopeful season. Volleyball has total of 16 home games this season and the games will also be live and available to stream on ESPN+.
Sept. 1 at Indiana State 5 p.m. Terre Haute, Ind. Volleyball Sept. 2 vs Grambling St. 12
Since his transition to UNA, Johnson has brought in ve new players who he believes will help the Lions make an im pact right away. He has also added two assistant coaches to his sta : Abby Irvine and Caitlin Bullock. Caitlin Bullock has head coached at the Division II level for men’s and wom en’s programs. She also worked at Appa lachianAbbyState.Irvine played at the University of Houston before nishing her time as a player. She also worked on sta at Liberty University.Withan in ux of coaching experi ence coming to UNA volleyball, fans can expect key players from the roster to make an impact. Johnson named several players Lions fans should look out for. “I think Taylor Floyd is going to be a player that people are going to notice right o the bat,” Johnson said. “I think Taylor is a girl that plays hard with a lot of passion.”TaylorFloyd played four years at Bel mont University and was their leading scorer Floyd was also an all-OVC player for four Taylor’syears.sister, Katy Floyd, was an all-freshman player at UNA for the ASUN last year. Johnson expects the Floyds to do big things this season.
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August 25, 2022 • The Flor-Ala16 COMIC
