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

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Going Greek A matter of choice Ithough educa- tion was the prime objective of college, many students had outside interests and were curi- ous about differ- ent organiza- tions on cam- pus. For some, their interest was going through Formal Rush and taking a peek at Greek life. 1 went through Formal Rush because I was thinking about joining a fraternity, John Scott said. I did not join because I had a hard time deciding which fraternity to pledge. He also said he wanted to wait a semester and see how everyone treated him. The two governing bodies of the Greek system were Panhellenic Council for sorori- ties and Inter-Fraternity Council for fraternities. Both Panhellenic and IFC went through numerous steps to prepare for Formal Rush and devoted many hours of hard work, said Barbara Dempsey, Panhellenic Council president. Furthermore, Panhellenic and IFC started preparing in the spring for Formal Rush. They organized a booklet explaining the different Greek organizations. Panhellenic sent newsletters, along with applications, out to incoming freshmen dur- ing the summer, Dempsey said. Fraternity rush lasted three weeks, whereas, sorority rush only lasted four days. All four sororities had four days of parties with various themes, and gave out bids on the fifth day. Rush was like a big whirlwind, Tracy Turn- er said. But I could tell which sorority was special to me and where I belonged. She said nothing could explain the feeling she had when she walked into her sorority ' s chapter room. I knew that all I had been through was worth it. Each fraternity was allowed one alcoholic smoker during Formal Rush. A smoker was the major party during rush, Paul Mertz said. You were invited to dinner and then a party, this was when you started getting to know the guys and how the house worked. Compared to larger universities, Formal Rush at Northwest consumed more time. The bigger schools had their rush in the summer about two weeks before classes even began, Sandy Headrick said. Having Homecoming and Formal Rush at the same time made it more hectic. Since rush was scheduled early in the fall, it conflicted with Homecoming preparations and put more pressure on the Greeks. I think rush went by too fast. Everyone was too tense and there was a lot of pressure on the rushees and the Greeks, Leslie Wil- cox said. Where were you from? What was your major? What year were you in school? Some rushees thought the repetition would never end. The same questions were asked so many times they felt like a computer trans- mitting a message. At times they probably wanted to shed their stuck on smile and say, It did not compute. Even though the same questions were asked over and over, it was a great technique to get to know the rushees better, Sam Mas- on said. He also said Formal Rush was very successful. During sorority rush, each rushee was as- signed a rush counselor, who was a Greek woman from an unidentified sorority. A rush counselor was there for the rushee at all times and gave an unbiased opinion to any questions that a rushee had, said Amy Parrott, Panhellenic treasurer. She also ad- ded that the rush counselor was a great listener. I was dying to find out what sorority my rush counselor was in, and I was excited when I found out she was in the same sorori- ty I pledged, Beth Jochens said. She came and talked to me everyday. Rush was hard enough with her, it would have been awful without her. Formal Rush provided many lasting friend- ships with the fraternities and the sororities because everyone had the same opportuni- ty to meet new people. Formal Rush, gave each rushee a more serious look at each Greek organization, Par- rot said.L] Colletta Neighbors and Chris Townsend h Rush was like a big whirlwind. But I could tell which sorority was special to me and where I belonged. Tracy Turner Rush 19

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Playfair helps students unwind after a hard day of moving in. One activity allowed Patricia Scanlan and Student Ambassador Brian Graeve to blow off a little steam. -Photo by Kevin Fullerton Trying to be helpful, Andy McEvoy directs a freshman to North Complex. Finding one ' s way around proved to be one of many problems for new students. -Photo by Kevin Fullerton

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Taking a little off the top, Jeff Moe puts the finishing touches on the Delta Chi float. The float, Rolling to a Victory, finished third among frater- nities. -Photo by Rich Abrahamson Making last-minute adjustments before the Homecoming parade, Phi Mu Lee McDermott trims the pomp on her sorority ' s float. The Phi Mu entry won second place. -Photo by Scott Trunkhill Bobby Bearcat flies high over the Sigma Sig- ma Sigma float. The Spirit of Northwest cost the Tri-Sigs over $1,000 and took approximately 1,100 hours to construct. The float finished third. •Photo by Kevin Fullerton 20 Homecoming