.- 266 ~ Stepping Out Free spirit finds home HOW much will a fifth-year senior endure to secure the right to leave her residence without signing out, the luxury of a hot shower, and the convenience of a real kitchen1 Ask Shannon Hawkins. At the end of the last school year, Shannon and her roommate, Teresa Yost, decided to try living off campus for the fall semester. After choosing a place - an old Victorian-sty le house on East Market Avenue which was being converted into apartments for the coming school year - they left for the summer. When Shannon came back to school in September, her family "U-Hauled" all of her belongings into town and unloaded them onto the living room floor of an apartment which was definitely not ready t,oJJtabitation. Explaining that she would move in with friends for the two or three days until the apartment was completed, Shannon said goodbye to lier parents. She optimistically saw the delay as an opportunity to catch up on what had happened during the summer. Eventually however, a third person in a room built for two began to be an imposition. Shannon began searching for other places to sleep and spent several nights in Stephens Hall study lounge. "I used my friends' facilities and slept in a sleeping bag in the lounge," she explained. "The problem was that I would oversleep the next morning, and when I got up, the whole suite would be locked along with all of my clothes. So I would go back to the lounge and watch 'Donahue' in my nightclothes until someone showed up to let me in so that I could get dressed for class." This unorthodox lifestyle continued for several day, as residents became accustomed to seeing Shannon walking from room to room, hugging a pasteboard box with her most necessary possessions. At campus functions, she often carried a large canvas bag of overnight things - makeup, an CINDY TRUJILLO • Morrilton, AR. Sociology _Theta Psi Off;ce~; Behavioral Science Club; May Campaigns; Hot line. NA(SW KENNETH TURNER. Liffle Rock, AR. General Science. Knights; International Campaigns; Pre-Medical Club. MOLLY TURNER· Liffle Rock, AR. Vocational Home Economics. Shont ih Officer; AHEA; JOY; May Fete Royalty; SA Student Ac - tiyities Committee . DONNA TYNES. Jatkson, MS. Psychology . Transfer from Belhaven College . Theta Psi; Psi Chi; Dean's List THOMAS ULSH • New Orleans, LA. Bib le Transfer from University of Florida . Alpha Gamma Omega; Cenark Student Grotto ; Timothy Club RICIY UNDERWOOD. Florente, AL. Accounting. Galaxy; American Studies; Ka Re Ta Beau" LYNEnE VANCE. Noshville, TN . Vocational Home Economics Transfer from Dayid Lipscomb Call egA Ze ta Rho ; AHEA ; Big Sisters; May Campaigns; Chorale; JOY , Koppo Della Pi. Pelit Jean Staff ; SNEA ; World Evanae lism Forum LARRY WADDELL· Port Hueneme, CA. Elementary Educati on . Transfer f rom Humboldt State Univers ity . Galaxy; Art Guild; In - tramural All-Star; SNEA . WILLIAM WAITES. Atkmto, GA. Mathematics . Chi Sigma Alpha; Intramurals; Intercolleg iate Swimming . JO ANN WALLERS • Houston, TX. Chemistry_ Chi Alpha Rho; Alpha Chi; Junior Class Vice -President. KENNETH WALLERS • Grover City, CA. Psychology and Biblical Languages . Alpha Chi; Brazilian Campaigns; KHCA Staff ; Psi Ch i; Resident Assistant: Timothy Club; World EYangelism forum ELIZABETH WARD. Florissant, MO. Special Education. Chi Alpha Rho Officer ; Alpha Chi ; Big Sisters; New Jersey Cam - p(1iflns; Kappa Del ta Pi; May Queen Attendant ; SNEA ANGElA WARE· EI Dorado, AR_ Elementary Education Tri - Kappa IAREN WARREN. Searey, AR. Social Work_ Phi Delta; Big Sisters; Hot Line Stoff ; JOY; NACSW; Child Protective SerYices. BRAD WATSON· N. Liffle Rock. AR. Public Relations. TNT; Alpha Psi Omega; Australian, May Campaigns; Campus Players; Diving Team; KHCA Staff; Petit Jean Staff; Society for Collegiate Journalists; SA Sophomore Representative; World EYangelism Forum; Young Republicans; Public Relations Club. Graduating Seniors alarm clock and nightclothes. As time passed, reality began to dawn, due to unavoidable delays in the renovation of the house, which meant that it would be some time before Shannon and her roommate could take up permanent residence. In frustration/ Shannon spent '- one night in a friend's car in the New Gym parking lot, and late that night her friend, Karl Wendt, became worried and came out to check up on her. "We drove to McDonald's and ate breakfast," she said, "and then drove around to keep warm; then he brought me back to the Creen Room and I put my makeup on. Then I went to class like everybody else." As word of Shannon's homeless state spread, her instructors became increasingly sympathetic, inquiring about the progress being made and giving her the benefit of the doubt concerning absenses, late work and the fact that she showed up for class in pants. "Frankly, " she sa id, "most of them were overjoyed that I showed up at all." As in the past years, Shannon found time for campus theatre. This years first was a reader's theatre production of "Campus Comedy," of which the opening night proved interesting: "That night, 1 ran into the apartment where my things were scattered in the sawdust. I grabbed clothes for Thursday and Friday, books, makeup and the black pants and white blouses for the play. Running out of the door, I slipped and dropped it all in the mud, so I had to wash it all out and go on stage with my white cotton blouse wringing wet," she said . "My mom came down for the opening, and she stayed in a motel, so I stayed with her," she continued. "That was one of the few nights this year thdt I had a clean bed and a shower. . and then a skunk came by outside and did his thing. But at least I could call it my bed. ·- " I guess part of the motivation for going through all of this to get an apartment is that I'm a fifthyear senior, and I lived on my own in New York. My roommate and I had done all of that giggling in the dorms, putting Vaseline on toilet seats and dangling things out windows. It was time for something new." On September 23 - 25 days late - the two girls moved into their new home. "We prefer to ca"lI it a house, not an apartment. It's like the difference between college and university status. A house is worth waiting for," she said. "We just kept thinking, There has to be a purpose in all this misery.' Maybe we appreciate it
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