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

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The ceremo- ny actually didn ' t seem big enough for the accomplish- ments. ' ' Tom Cairns Grad-ification A new degree of accomplishment Commencement Day. The date was marked on students ' calendars for months--perhaps years. It was a day many had worked for all their lives. They had envisioned a per- fect spring day on which to celebrate their accomplishments, but instead they got pouring rain. The weather added to the confusion of lin- ing up more than 560 graduates in alpha- betical order. Originally, the students were to line up outdoors, but the downpour drove them into the basement of Lamkin Gym. Here the students dealt with heat and humid- ity, wet caps and gowns and a variety of other difficulties. One problem was trying to find where to put my umbrella, Julie Tavernaro said. 1 couldn ' t exactly put it under my cap and gown. But all the confusion and bad weather couldn ' t overshadow the mixed emotions graduates had about the day. Most of the people around me said they couldn ' t even listen to what was going on, Tavernaro said. They were just thinking about the future, their friends and what life held for them from that point on. Many realized, though, that meeting the future meant leaving old friends. We were excited, but we were also sad be- cause we knew everyone would be going their separate ways, Joyce Espey said. Espey agreed that friendships made the accomplishments even more special. It was pretty exciting to see friends walk across the stage who had struggled through those four years with me, because I knew we had shared the same experiences, she said. Mow the graduates shared their last ex- perience together as college students: the graduation ceremony itself. They listened as President Dean Hubbard announced funding had been received to transform Northwest into an electronic cam- pus. They laughed as Dr. Shaila Aery, who addressed the graduates, jokingly expressed the hope that the next funding approved would be for a multipurpose building where graduation could be held without roasting the participants. In some respects it was much like past years. However, unlike past years, com- mencement was held in the morning instead of the afternoon in order to avoid excessive heat. This also allowed students with long distances to travel to leave earlier. For the spring graduates, the long journey toward a degree was over. However, some students were just entering the last leg. For them, summer commencement, Aug. 7, was their night to celebrate. Unlike the spring graduates, summer degree recipients had no trouble with rain or heat. Air conditioning kept almost 270 graduates comfortable during the evening ceremony at Mary Linn Performing Arts Center. Despite the differences, though, it was still a day to say good-bye and celebrate achieve- ments. It was also another opportunity to honor those who had served the university. While the university honored those who contributed their money, graduates remem- bered those who had contributed their love. 1 remember being very glad it was finally over and thinking of all the stuff a lot of peo- ple besides me had gone through, like my wife and kids, said Tom Cairns, who received his master ' s degree. The ceremony actual- ly didn ' t seem big enough for the accomplishments. However, both speakers and students real- ized that accomplishments didn ' t end with graduation. It ' s really a starting point rather than an ending point, Tavernaro said. Formal education was over; life ' s education was just beginning. D Dawn Williams 12 Graduation ■

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Rivalry 11

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Family and friends enter Lamkin Gym for spring commencement exercises during intermit- tent rain showers. -Photo by Nancy Meyer Puddles prove an obstacle to Brian Brum and other graduates as they head to Lamkin Gym to line up. -Photo by Nancy Meyer A student at spring commencement chose a unique way to express her uncertainty about the future. -Photo by Kevin Fullerton After obtaining a business degree, Student Senate member Ginger Weir smiles with accom- plishment at summer commencement ceremo- nies. -Photo by Nancy Meyer Graduation 13