Northwest Missouri State University - Tower Yearbook (Maryville, MO)

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Spirits are not dampened by the rain. Despite the bad weather, graduates tal e their first steps toward the future with an optimistic outlool . ■Photo by D. Giesel e University President Dean Hubbard, Regents members Robert Cowherd and Sherry Meaders present Alfred McKemy with the Distinguished Service Award at summer graduation. The award was given in recognition of McKemy ' s 10 years on the Board of Regents, six as president. Photo by S. Trunl hill Graduates listen to the commencement ad- dress which challenges them to strive to become Renaissance people. After years of dedication and ambition, the hard work pays off. -Photo by S. Trunkhill 1 4 Graduation

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Education versus vacation diiemna Summer Spring semester had come to a close and students filed for vacations; but. for some, lot spent relaxing in the ig. Instead, the time was , mer school studying for . classes, tolerating four , u threats and enduring the break- uWn of air conditioners. At first I wasn ' t sure if I should go to summer school, Susan Miles said. It ed it would be tougher because ion was only five weeks: but. t was all over, I was glad to get tiy three credits behind me. Summer school began without many people moving on campus and the hubbub of new students. Franken and Dieterich were the only halls occupied by students which made other dorms seem forlornly quiet. Campus population consisted main ly of graduate students, teachers retur- ning to update certification, students wanting to catch up or get ahead and high school students attending a wide variety of camps. fith a maximum load of seven ' hours per five-week session, stud ' ents were kept busy and didn ' t have many opportunities to participate in outside activites. The free time students had was spent completing projects, doing homework and concen trating on their areas of study. Since there weren ' t many people in classes. I got to know the instruc tors better, ' Tom McLaren said. ' I like a human and not ii - Althougtj study ' — during the w tainment for weekends. I found myself going to bars a lot. McLaren said. It seemed to be the hot item of summer. Even though summer school was ad- vantageous to some, others found disadvantages in it. I didn ' t like summer school because I felt I didn ' t get a full education, Jim Gries said. The classes went too fast and I didnt think I had the opportunity to have all the material covered cor- rectly. ' o many, summer ended when notices arrived from Cashiering and football players returned for prac-. tice. But for some students, summef was just beginning. It was hard to come back to schgol in the fall because I felt like it was tirne for my vacation. ' Julie Frump said. Being a resident assistant. I had less than two weeks until orientation. It was really frustrating for me. I was ready for the fall students to come back because I missed the peo- ple, Gries said. Despite hot. humid days, thunder- storms and condensed classes, many students who gave up vacations for summer school met their main objec- tives. Along with that, they gained a new perspective of campus life and life in Maryville. I liked going to summer school because it was shorter. Classes were held every day and I found the material easier to remember. McLaren said. It nice in Maryville during the sum- T because I got so much closer to eogjii ere. 0 Mary Henry » • Mi

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I Rainy days fail to dampen spirits Graduation! Lee Hageman leads the procession at summer jmmencement with the mace, the University rch of learning. Hageman was one of the ssigners of the mace, used in all official ?remonies. Photo by S. Trunkhlll Anticipation and precipitation filled the air as people ran a- round in robes and rain- coats. After 16 years of school, graduates left their books behind. More than 5,000 people jammed in- to Lamkin Gym to see over 600 under- graduate and nearly 100 graduate de- grees awarded during commencement ceremonies May 1 1. The thought of graduating wasn ' t that big of a deal because I was going on with further schooling, Shari Schroder said. However, the gradua- tion ceremony was more than I had ex- pected. The realization of what I had accomplished came, not as 1 walked across the stage, but at the moment when our entire graduating class mov- ed our tassels from right to left. Brigadier General Jim Joy, U.S. Marine Corps and 1957 graduate, gave the commencement address urging graduates to be leaders. He stressed leadership should have a personal meaning gained through constant and critical self-evaluation. Joy also challenged the graduates to be technically sound in their field, set positive examples, seek and take re- sponsibility, make good decisions and, above all, be true to themselves. During the spring ceremony. Dis- tinguished Alumni Awards were presented to Joy and Marilyn Meyer Dedrickson, a third grade in- structor at Eugene Field in St. Joseph, named Missouri ' s Teacher of the Year. Charles McLaughlin, chairman of the science department and chemistry in- structor at Center High School in St. Joseph and chosen Missouri ' s Teacher of the Year in 1982 was also honored. Despite the pomp and circumstance, some students felt high school and col- lege graduation ceremonies differed. Our high school graduation was so formal and proper, Schroder said. Walking down the aisle in May, peo- ple were talking to me and shaking my hand. It was great how people hollered ' Way to go ' to their friends as they received their diploma. Another big difference was that in high school our curls didn ' t droop while standing alph- abetically in the rain for 15 minutes. Dan Holt, a summer graduate, said the most exciting thing for him that night was the rainstorm which hit Maryville, downing trees and power lines. The lights went out for a few minutes during the ceremony, Holt said. But nobody panicked. We all just stood there waiting for them to come back on. It was interesting. Nearly 300 students braved the weather to receive their degrees at commencement ceremonies Aug. 9. In his commencement address, Uni- versity President Dean Hubbard chal- lenged graduates to strive to become Renaissance people. He warned the changing world cou- ld be terribly threatening and offen- sive to the uninformed. We want graduates who have learn- ed to gather, organize, analyze and synthesize information, to think co- The realization of wbat I had accomplished came when our graduating class moved our tassles from right to left. S. Schroder herently and to speak and write clear- ly, Hubbard said. He concluded when he said being a Renaissance person will expose you to more culture, will give you greater self- confidence, richer pleasures and a keener sense of citizenship. Graduation. Most looked forward to it for over a decade and a half. And so, in torrential downpours and ferocious summer winds, some graduates took their first steps toward the future in galoshes. By Laura Day Graduation 1 5