Remembering Goober

Goober Pyle visits Aunt Bee’s Chinese restaurant in his formal attire (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is the first year anniversary of the death of one of America’s legendary actors and entertainers, and one of UNA’s most famous alumni, George Smith Lindsey.

George Lindsey was known nationwide mostly for his role as the slow-witted and funny mechanic, Goober Pyle, on America’s treasured The Andy Griffith Show. He also played in other shows and movies, including The Twilight Zone, Hee-Haw, and voice talents to classic Disney movies like The Aristo Cats, and Robin Hood. He is widely acclaimed at the University of North Alabama from the class of 1952. The Collier Library has an entire exhibit dedicated to George Lindsey and his legacy at UNA and Florence, AL.

My family and I grew up with The Andy Griffith Show and fell in love with Sheriff Andy Taylor, his deputy Barney Fife, his son Opie, his Aunt Bee, and the people of Mayberry such as Floyd, Otis, Gomer, Goober and many others. Never once had I dreamed that I would meet at least one of these people in my life. My opportunity came on March 2, 2012.

UNA was working on a new black box theatre and was ready for the grand opening a year later. The performance hall inside the building was named after Ernest Borgnine, who was a close friend with Lindsey and famous for movies and television series such as McHale’s Navy, From Here to Eternity, The Dirty Dozen, and also his voice talents in All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 and Spongebob Squarepants. Borgnine presented the theatre with a token by donating his scripts to its use. The theatre itself was named after George Lindsey.

As a writer for the Flor-Ala I volunteered to go to the grand opening to report it. To my excitement and my fear I was asked to interview George Lindsey face to face. In the past I talked to some renowned people at UNA, but no one who was as revered nationally as George Lindsey. I was so nervous before going to the theatre that I changed clothes three times as to not appear too formal or too casual. Once I was satisfied I headed to the theatre but was still nervous.

Lindsey and Borgnine sat up at the front of the stage as President William Cale and the foreman who supervised the construction of the theatre opened up the ribbon cutting. When Borgnine got up to talk about his career and his friendship with Lindsey he kept the audience laughing with almost every word he said. Lindsey had less energy at the event as he sat quietly in his wheelchair and smiled until it was his turn to speak. He opened up with a poem he wrote, What Mayberry Means to Me, found in his autobiography, Goober in a Nutshell, which reflected his career on The Andy Griffith Show. After that he went on to answer questions from the audience, and I managed to pick up key quotes from his responses.

Then the reception began and I walked around to talk to President Cale, Ernest Borgnine, George Lindsey Jr., and finally George Lindsey himself. I was asked by another reporter to be brief with my conversation as he was probably tired, and I strained to hear what he said because he was very quiet. I did not want to bother him by asking him to repeat himself, so I managed to get at least one direct quote from him, and asked if he would sign my notebook for my family.

Two months later, I was in the cafeteria about to eat breakfast when I saw the Today Show report George Lindsey’s death. It struck me to realize that I had only met him two months ago, and I may have been one of the last reporters to speak to him. It amazes me to this day that I got to meet someone as famous as George Lindsey and Ernest Borgnine, who died a month later.

As it has been a year since his death, I thought it appropriate to reflect on how I met George Lindsey and how I remember meeting him, even in that brief moment. I find it a blessing that I got to meet someone who has been a treasure for my community, the entertainment industry and my family.

A Southern Tradition

Between August and September, people like Christian Caldwell and Jennifer Hogan busy themselves with preparing for hunting season.

That preparation includes gathering and maintaining equipment, scenting the fields with corn and making sure that hunting licenses and IDs are up to date.

Hunting has been one of Alabama’s biggest pastimes as one generation after another becomes involved in it. It is so popular that Alabama and the states surrounding it are often identified with the sport.

“Alabama is a very outdoors state,” Hogan said. “Hunting is so ingrained in the Southern culture.”

Alabama is known for having the reservation land adequate for maintaining game such as deer, pheasant, hogs and other animals.

When hunting season approaches every year, many spend the latter part of the summer preparing for the season. Methods differ from person to person, but many state that it is important to have warm, unscented, camouflaged clothing, scout the hunting area to know what animals are there, and make sure that guns and ammunition are cited.

“It’s a big revenue for Alabama,” said Cole Harbon, an employee in the hunting section at Dick’s Sporting Goods Store. “We have a lot of the reserve land here.”

Reasons why people hunt vary from person to person. For Hogan it makes her feel self-sufficient. For David Montgomery and Reggie Scott, it gives them an opportunity to be free of daily pressures and enjoy the great outdoors.

“It is more than just getting out there and shooting something,” Montgomery said. “It is getting out there and seeing God’s creation.”

In addition to sharing their love for hunting and what it means to them, these people also shared their concerns of how their favorite pastime may be affected in light of the multiple shootings in the past year.

Many agree that the Second Amendment protects their right to bear arms and therefore protect themselves and their families.

“I feel that the Second Amendment is my right to protect and defend myself, and that should not be taken away from me,” Hogan said.

Stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Gander Mountain have their own way of ensuring safety in handling and selling guns.

Gander Mountain makes sure that each gun has a trigger lock and is given a red tag when sold or brought in. Dick’s goes through a background check and does not allow access to minors.

“To buy a gun, it requires a background check and proper ID,” Harbon said. “We do not allow anyone 18 or under to hold a gun.”

Those like Caldwell who grew up hunting believe that they understand the importance of gun safety at an early age.

“At an early age we are taught the safety of gun handling,” Caldwell said.

How Do Students Prepare for Job Interviews?

The school year is almost over, and many students are ready to graduate and move on to the next stage in life: job hunting.

The Career Planning and Development Center at UNA provides a number of resources to help student prepare for their job interviews, from updating resumes to organizing mock interviews.

One of the most crucial aspects for job consideration is how one does a job interview. Melissa Medlin, the director of the Career Planning and Development Center explains that this can be a difficult task for some.

“Many students have never interviewed before,” Medlin said. “Even those who have interviewed, it may be for summer jobs or something of that nature. It’s not quite the same as a professional interview, so a lot of students have a false sense of security in the fact that they can do well in an interview.”

According to the Career Planning and Development Center 33 percent of employers decide whether or not the person they are interviewing will be hired in the first ninety seconds of the meeting. Additionly 55 percent of employers will hire based on how the person dresses, while 38 percent is based on voice and confidence in speech. Only 7 percent focus on what the interviewee is actually saying.

“Personally, I know that if I was hiring someone I would want to hire someone who looks the part and acts the part for what I’m looking for,” said Coddy Macneil, who was recently hired to be a community advisor for the next semester. “That can be determined very quickly after meeting somebody.”

Medlin encourages students to include part-time or temporary jobs into their resumes so that the employer will see a record of diligence from the employee.

“It also shows that if you have gone to school and have worked part-time that you can manage multiple tasks,” Medlin said. “Those things are very important to show to potential employers, especially for new college graduates.”

Having networks may connect students to their next employer.

“The way the world is today, and really the way it always has been is that it is about who you know and your connections with other people, and that is why your daily life plays a lot into your future,” said Walter Hartley Jr., vice president of SGA Executive Council.

Regardless of statistics, students are always encouraged to bring themselves into the interview.

“People, when they ask questions for an interview, they don’t want someone who is perfect,” Macneil said. “I think they are looking for someone who is more honest, then presents himself as the ideal or more perfect.”

Graduate Student Plans to Teach English Internationally

Brian Mulack, a UNA employee in the Office of International Affairs who teaches English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, is an individual who can relate to many students at UNA. He has a passion for what he does and loves to find adventure.

Originally from Athens, Mulack came to UNA because of its proximity to his home and because he liked the small-town atmosphere of Florence.

As an undergraduate he was active in the Baptist Campus Ministries and worked three different jobs. He worked in philanthropy in Mexico in 2006 and did construction work in New Orleans and also worked in Florence at Cracker Barrel on Cox Creek Parkway.

Mulack graduated from UNA in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in English. He chose this degree when he found that it could open a door to traveling to other countries.

“It’s more for the adventure of it,” Mulack said. “So many places to see and not enough time.”

He worked at an after-school English program for kids in the K-12 system. During this time, he discovered his love for travelling and teaching English.

Mulack said he was particularly impacted by a trip he took to Korea.

“Originally I just wanted to travel,” Mulack said. “Then, I decided to do it long-term.”

He found his passion for students and commented how impressed he was by the motivation and value that Korean students have for education.

“(Korean) students are motivated to study more than American students,” he said. “They are usually very brilliant.”

Mulack has a great love for experiencing different cultures. During his stay in South Korea, he spent his spare time visiting neighboring countries such as Vietnam and China, as it was not too far or expensive to do so there.

“To pick up from one place to another is fascinating,” he said.

Mulack has now returned to Florence to earn his master’s degree in education to teach English to international students at UNA along with his wife Annelise, who he met in South Korea and married last August. Here, he works hard to give students at UNA an opportunity to interact with other cultures. It might be a new environment for him, but it is one that he feels comfortable in, he said.

“I enjoy meeting other cultures and, at the same time, staying in one place,” he said.

One thing Mulack tells students is not to allow bad decisions of the past to dictate the future.

“Don’t limit yourself by the mistakes you make now,” he said.

As much as he enjoys working at UNA, Mulack said it is his “goal to teach internationally again” in the future.

UNA Students Battle Flu Season

Readers take note: I wrote this article earlier in February, so there is no need to worry about any flu outbreak presently as far as I am aware. 

US Navy 021019-N-9593M-007 Flu shot preparations (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many UNA students get the flu shot, but in some do not agree with it as a way to battle flu season.

Doctors highly recommend that people get the flu shot as winter approaches. Amy Seay, the Infection Control Nurse from Shoals Hospital, persists in that very recommendation.

“When you get the flu shot, it develops antibiotics to fend off the virus,” Seay said.

Although the call to get a flu shot is highly recommended by doctors and relatives, many people do not get the flu shot.

“I haven’t had (the shot) recently,” said Lindsay Hanlin UNA health promotion student. “I don’t have the time to do it.”

For many, the flu shot does not make a difference and they get sick in spite of taking it.

“One year I got the flu shot, and (my whole family) got the flu,” said Karla Burdette, assistant director of the Baptist Campus Ministries. “There are so many different types of flu, so the vaccine used is only for a certain type.”

Medical experts argue that those who get the flu after taking the flu shot get it due to exposure to the virus within the time that the vaccine takes to reach its full potency.

“It takes up to two weeks to get the full effect of the flu shot,” Seay said.

Many people like nursing Brittany Harris observe that the flu virus comes in many strands. As a consequence, the strand that affects people each year “is not always the same every year.”

In order to control this hazard, doctors do what they can to determine what flu virus strand will occur each year. They carefully examine their patients and determine what vaccine will work for them.

“(Doctors) will do a nasal swab to test what kind of flu strand you can be prone to,” Seay said.

Even so, there is no assurance that the vaccine taken will protect one from any other strand.

Other reasons that people may obtain the virus in spite of the vaccination are suggested to be a health hazard based on the individual.

“My mother cannot get the flu shot because she gets the flu anyway,” Burdette said. “Her doctor gives her every other vaccination, but she cannot get the flu shot.”

In spite of what people have experienced in the past concerning the flu shot, medical experts are still convinced that the shot is the best way to fend off the virus.

In addition to taking the flu shot, people are also highly recommended to maintain personal hygiene in order to stay healthy by washing hands and covering coughs.

“Hand washing is probably one of the most important things,” Hanlin said.

Other important ways to stay healthy that people like Seay and Hanlin suggest is to get plenty of rest, drink water and avoid people who are sick. If one already has the flu, this person is recommended to stay at home to avoid the spread.

Picky Eating: Genetics or Choice

You may have done it as a child, or even today, is to not eat foods that are unfavorable, also known as picky eating.

Picky eating is often seen in young people who show distaste for certain vegetables, meats, and other foods.

“My best friend doesn’t eat anything if it’s touching,” said Stephanie Wilbanks, a culinary student at UNA. “If her macaroni is touching her green beans, then we are not eating that section of the food.”

Recent research has considered that there may be a genetic aspect to picky eating. It suggests that food preferences are passed down from ones parents.

Katrena Bass a culinary student with three daughters, has a certain food that she does not like and that her children take after. She is unsure if it is because of genetics or just situational.

“My girls won’t eat peas,” Bass said. “I didn’t eat them; I had them try them as a kid and when they spit them back out I did not make them eat them. I don’t know if that is because I don’t like them so they don’t like them or if because they heard me say I did not like them so much that they picked up on it.”

The study conducted by the USA Today Educate found that from a sample size of 66 sets of identical and fraternal twins, 72 percent of that had hereditary habits.

This research refers to what is called food neophobia, or the fear of trying new foods. Dieticians worry that this habit can be linked to obesity and other food displacement problems. Research found that children whose parents had high body mass index (BMI) were most likely also be high if they were picky about their diet.

Expert opinions theorized a potential evolutionary link to the habit of food neophobia. They claim that humans had to be careful when finding what was safe and unsafe to eat.

More students are convinced that food neophobia and picky eating may come from the basis of personal experience.

“I got sick off of chicken salad one time, so I will not be eating that again,” Bass said. “You kind of link your experiences to the food that you had during that time.”

Some have suggested that picky eating may be the result from ones parents, but not genetically, rather based on what has often been placed at the table at home.

“I think that if the parents are picky eaters and they’re controlling what the kid eats, and they develop what the kid wants to eat then the kid will want what is normal,” Wilbanks said. “So then (the kids) develop those same things.”

Many who admit to picky eating often do so to promote their own health.

“I generally don’t like anything unhealthy,” said Brittany Leach, a freshman student of UNA. “It’s not that I really don’t like them, but it makes my body feel weak.”

Mason Rogers Committed to UNA Golf

Mason Rogers is a sophomore at UNA who plays for the golf team.

Rogers developed a love for golf as a child and became more competitive when he was 10. He showed his talent and his passion for golf through the golf team at Boaz High School under coach Eric Whaley.

“It’s really challenging,” Rogers said. “You’re not always good and not always bad.”

He was given an offer to play for Auburn University but turned it down to be a part of a smaller community. UNA was able to provide that for him along with a better scholarship.

At UNA, some of his great accomplishments include tying for fifth in the TVA Credit Union Invitational, 11th at the Kiawah Island Invitational in South Carolina and 12th in the AFLAC/Cougar Invitational.

Rogers pledged to Kappa Sigma and is studying sports management. Outside of class, he is devoted to golf.

“I’m either on the golf course or on campus,” Rogers said.

Rogers works at the Turtle Point Country Club, the No. 2 private golf course in the state. Rogers is confident the job will bring him to a great future career, stating that “it will look good on offers.” He works for a master professional at the course.

Rogers’ goals include working as a swing instructor at a teaching facility where he can teach rising golfers the fundamentals of the sport, and playing on a professional level as well.

“I always concentrated on golf because that’s what I want to do in the future,” Rogers said.

Alternative Break Programs Prepare for Adventure over Spring Break

While many students look forward to returning to their hometowns for spring break, some students have alternative plans for the break.

Groups, such as the Alternative Break Board (ABB), and the Baptist Campus Ministries (BCM) give students an opportunity to provide community service to areas out of the state during their break.

“It’s something different than being home for a week,” said Kaylie Watts, the program director of ABB. “It provides and altered trip so students will have an adventure.”

The ABB began in 2009 as a new position in Leadership and Volunteers as a way for students to acquire service hours through Residence Life. The program became a student led organization later on and now voluntary for students.

The BCM takes an annual trip during the break that has come to be called Special Projects Other Than Spring (SPOTS).

“Many students don’t have a chance to give back to the community in college, so this is their chance,” said Olivia Coffey, vice president of the BCM.

Both groups partner with organizations or ministries that assist people who struggle with certain needs in the community, such as construction, outreach, or other matters. Leaders assist students by helping them get to the communities they will be serving and provide food and lodging for the volunteers.

“I hope to learn about the people I’m going with and the people that we are going to serve,” Coffey said.

This year, the ABB prepares three different groups for three different locations. Onegroup is bound for Nashville, TN, where they will help in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and advocacy. Another group will provide aid against poverty in King, NC. The third group will fly to San Jose and La Fortuna, Costa Rica, to work in construction near an orphanage.

The SPOTS trip will go to Gulf Shores, AL, to assist a church that focuses on serving tourists on spring break at RV parks and residents who live in gang related neighborhoods.

In order to remain professional and represent themselves well each group has guidelines on how to act during the alternate spring break.The ABB organized a list of eight components fot their volunteers to follow.

“The main reason for that is so that volunteering is kept at the forefront of everyone’s mind,” said Alieshia Morris, the assistant director of recruitment and fundraising. “We try to educate students as to why we are going and why it is important.”

The BCM follows similar guidelines incorporated with their Christian faith.

“The BCM’s main goal is to share the love of Christ where they are,” Coffey said.

As students volunteer to serve either of these groups over the break they demonstrate the virtue of charity that is rarely seen elsewhere.

“We want (the community) to know that there are still young people who care about their needs,” Morris said.

The experience is also meaningful for students who participate in the service projects.

“A lot of students are looking for an opportunity to serve, and they like the community,” said David Sumner, the BCM director.