1990-03-08, Samford Crimson

SAMFORD CRIMSON Volume 74 Number 12 Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama Inside Football recruits . 9 Life in Hell . . . . .........10 Outside Weekend forecast: Partly sunny, highs, 70s, lows 50s. "NT March 8, 1990 Allen retires to write history By Theresa Holloway Editor Dean of Arts and Sciences Lee Allen is retiring to write the his¬ tory of Samford. The bookstore already sells two volumes covering the early years of Howard College titled Toward A History of Samford Uni¬ versity by James F. Sulzby. Allen said he will be “picking up Sulzby ’s history at the point which he leftofTand putting together an account of the last 35 years.” Allen admits he is the “logical person to do it” because he wants to write the book. He has been at Samford all but four of the 35 years the book will cover, 25 of those years in an administrative level. A “pack rat” of sorts, Allen said he has saved every office memo and news article that has any connection with Samford. This university history book will tie in with the Sesquicentennial celebration for 1991-92 for which Allen’s wife, Catherine, is the di¬ rector. He wants to have the book finished by fall of 1991 in time for the Sesquicentennial activities. Allen has already started the re¬ search work for the book by de¬ veloping a list of all personnel Samford has employed since coming to the new campus. He will write the history in chronological order including such events as the name change of Howard College to Samford Uni¬ versity and the addition of Cum¬ berland School of Law. Allen came to Samford in 1961 as a history professor and has been the Dean of the Howard College of Arts and Sciences for lS years. Hesaid he will probably return to the classroom to teach after finishing the book. Ruric E. Wheeler, university professor of mathematicsand for¬ mer vice president of academic affairs, said, “ I am grateful to him for the support he has given me. If I listed all the many ways he has been helpful to me, it would fill the history book.” Zhang leaves SU, returns to China By Eric David Staff Reporter By the time you read this, he will be on bis way home. You’ve seen him before. He was probably eating alone in the cafe¬ teria. Soon he will be eating with his family — a family he has not seen or spoken to for more than a year. Sometimes you have to live that way when you are an exchange professor from Wuhu, China, like Zhang Cheng. Zhang is married and has two college-age daughters in China. He said he writes to them often, but this is not the first time they have been separated. Walter Hutchens, a junior tak¬ ing Chinese from Zhang, said Zhang did not see his wife for 10 years during the Chinese Cultural Revolution 20 years ago. ‘That was not unusual for the Chinese at that time,” he said. As a “substitute family,” Zhang has been spending much of his time with his friends five-year- old Gregory and two-year-old Daniel, sons of Samford profes¬ sors Jim and Rosemary Fisk. The Fisks had Zhang over, for Christmas dinner and took him to their lake house one weekend. Rosemary said, “We try to repre¬ sent the Samford way oflife in all age groups.” Zhang said be “loves the boys very much.” He has greatly en¬ joyed their company throughout the year, he said. Last spring, be came to Samford from Anhui Normal University to teach Chinese and to learn about the United States first¬ hand. As dean of the foreign languages department in Wuhu, Zhang learned about Western culture for the first time through Samford’s former dean of educa¬ tion, John Carter, who has gone to China with his wife, Francis, for the last two years. “(Zhang] was excellent at ma¬ neuvering through the many, many problems that deans in China have,” Carter said. “His problems were more complex than mine would be as dean here.” For example, Zhang, as dean, would have to place his students in teaching positions after gradu¬ ation, Carter said. The Chinese government assigns careers to students at an early age. “They regulate the lives of all the people in China much more so than they do here,” he said. Please see Zhang page 2. Heifner elected president year,” Sorrell said. “I want to By Amy Christmas Staff Reporter ' Todd Heifner, a junior from Nashville, Tenh., was elected president of the Student Gov¬ ernment Association last week with the largest voter turnout recorded in Samford history, said Randy Walker, chairman of the Elections and Public Relations Committee. ‘There were about 1,000 vot¬ ers in the general election and about 800 in the run-off elec¬ tion,” Walker said. Heifner said he is excited about being president, but said there is still a lot to accomplish this year as vice president of the Senate. “Right now my heart is still in the Senate,” Heifner said. “In June I’ll turn my focus to the presidency.” Ben Sorrell, a junior from Co¬ lumbus, Ga., is, the newly- elected vice president of the Senate. “I’m looking forward to next accomplish some great things,! Sorrell said he wants students to realize they can come to the Senate with their problemsand complain ts,and the Senate will do whatever thev can to help. Scott McBrayer,asophomore from Columbus, Miss., was elected vice president for stu¬ dent activities. McBrayer said he is pleased with the new SG A officers and thinks the SGA has achance to be the best it has ever been. Christa Camp, a junior from Tailedega, Ala., was elected treasurer. “I’m really excited about next year,” Camp said. “I feel like great things are going to hap¬ pen.” Ande Myers, a junior from Chattanooga, Tenn., is the newly-elected chief justice. “I was happy with the cam¬ paign,” Myers said. “I’m re¬ ally excited about working with the other officers.” Proposal receives 'no’^from academic services By Tony Hale Staff Reporter An SGA proposal to allow sum¬ mer graduates to participate in May commencement cermonies has received a thumbs-down from the administration, said^Todd Heifner, SGA president-elect According to Martha Ann Cox, dean of academic services, the academic services committee decided not to recommend the proposal to the faculty because May graduation is intended to honor students who ha ve finished all graduation requirements. After many students voiced a desire to walk with theirclass, the Senate last semester requested - academic services to review the possibility of allowing summer graduates to participate in the May ceremony. Cox said academic services was afraid if they allowed this pro¬ posal to go through, and a sum¬ mer graduate failed the summer course, then that student would have participated in the May ceremonies without having graduated in the summer. Even though the Cumberland School of Law does allow their summer graduates to participate in the May ceremonies, they must receive permission from the law school faculty, said Law School Dean Parham Williams. George Hobbs, a senior finance major and Senator for Sigma Nu, said T think that Samford lacks communication with the students. After being at Samford for four good years and then not being able to walk with my class at graduation will make me hesitate to contribute to Samford in the future.” Tom McDougai, a junior gen¬ eral business major and Senator for Sigma Chi said, ‘This is just an instance where students and faculty tend to clash on every is¬ sue involved. There is little op¬ portunity for discussion.„More open channels would benefit all involved.” Iron gate to be built at southwest entrance By Dianne Shoemake Associate Editor A wrought iron gate will replace the chain being used at the south¬ west entrance to campus, accord¬ ing to Physical Plant Director Rkk Stephens. The materials have been ordered and should arrive within the next four weeks, Stephens said. “The chain has been a problem because people lift H and drive nderaeath,” Stephens said. “It's not as secure as we'd like.” Jimmie Bivins, director of Safety and Security, said the chain has not beenasignficant problem bat “it becomes a problem if it damages- .security oo the cam¬ pus.” “It’s not a problem for students to lift the chain, but it is a problem for unauthorized persons,” Biv¬ ins said. “The new gate will pre¬ clude any unauthorized access.” Brock Ballard, a senior market¬ ing major, said, T think that the chain is an eyesore. The new gale wf look better and *Ш1шрг«ее campus security.” i Samford University Library