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

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Sig Eps B.J. McMahon, Kent Porterfield and John Bryant sing during Greek Week. Photo by Kevin Fuller ton Marcy Jackson re- structures one of the Wheel of Fortune contestants for Sigma Society ' s first-place house dec. Photo by Kevin FuUerton DtUuCtlt L, IJC The lifeline of students ran jagged with many unpredictable moods. Our personalities and activities were as hard to forecast as the weather. While October snow dampened spirits, high tempera- tures later in the month caused spring fever. We were fed up with waiting in lines for cafeterias and administrative offices, and the three-digit queuing positions to get on campus computers only added to the frustra- tion. One computer feature we quickly mastered was the electronic mail system. Messages and letters could be sent to anyone on campus via computer lines. Use of electronic mail was finally restricted to the hours of 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. when it became impossible to get on a computer for academic use. It was a year of mixed emotions as change occurred. While some welcomed progress, others felt tradition was bei ng lost in technology. No matter the feeling though, we continued on our jagged... Lifeline I 8 Student Life

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spirits fly liigh Teaming up to boost enthusiasm rS chool spirit. Some thought of it as nothing more than supporting the Bear- cats and ' Kittens by attending athletic events. To others, however, it meant something more. It involved supporting the University in as many necessarily want them to do aspects as possible. Whether as a fan, cheer- leader or band member, stu- dents found ways to be true to their school. Many saw Northwest stu- dents as extremely dedicat- ed. I thought for a small school, we were downright spirited, Heather Rogers said. Everyone was proud of the school. You could see the Bearcat on sweatshirts, and those little pawprints were showing up everywhere. Things like that got people into it. Although the pawprint idea was relatively new, it showed up on the streets, on banners and on Advantage ' 87 T-shirts. 1 kind of thought it would catch on, Lx)ri Tyner-Weddle, assistant admissions director and creator of the idea, said. I thought some little thing like that would get people ex- cited. The pawprints added a nice touch. While the pawprints pro- vided another reason for Northwest students to get spirited, groups like the cheerleaders, the band, and the athletic teams created a cause for their excitement. The cheerleaders ' goal was to support the team by warm- ing up the crowd. We tried extra hard to get the crowd involved, Brenda Baker, cheerleading co- captain, said. We didn ' t every cheer along with us, but they joined on some of the chants to let athletes know we were there. The cheerleaders seemed to have a positive effect on the athletes. We let them know some- one cared what they were do- ing for our school, Nancy Dumont, cheerleading spon- sor, said. We showed them we were behind them. School spirit played a de- termining role in the nature of the games. Fan support got the foot- ball team going, Phillip Quinn said. When we came out, the fans were cheering and the band was playing, and it made us play harder. I always thought. These peo- ple are behind us, so let ' s show them what we can do. ' When one thought of Northwest, the mascot in- evitably came to mind. Bob- by Bearcat, a lively character, played a big role in school spirit. 1 was a people person, and I loved little kids, Stephen Griswold, who por- trayed Bobby Bearcat, said. It made me feel good to put smiles on people ' s faces. I liked to get things started that caught the crowd ' s attention, like the wave or chants. It was difficult for some spirit boosters to keep smil- ing when fans were less than enthusiastic. The spirit boosters gener- ally agreed it could be some- what frustrating when it seemed no one was paying attention to them. However, Dumont contended even though it was tough, the cheerleaders knew they had to portray a positive image all the time. Baker said she was able to keep going because of her excitement about what she was doing. We practiced every day and put a lot of work into everything we did, from the smallest cheer to the most complicated pyramids, Bak- er said. The marching band also put a lot of work into practic- ing. Although their main pur- pose was to entertain, their halftime performances and pep music during the games gave Northwest students a beat and helped psych them up. The band definitely got the fans going when we played and did our band cheers, James Huffman said. Some of the players told me when the band was playing and yelling it gave them an extra boost. Northwest ' s drill team, the Steppers, also played an im- portant role in halftime performances. 1 got psyched up because I loved to dance, Century Lawson said. Drill team was part of my life. While some students con- centrated on their own activi- ties, others focused more on being true to their school. As long as students showed a glimmer of interest, the spirit boosters kept plugging away to retain enthusiasm. D Teresa Mattson 1 Spirit Boosters V.