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

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Off on the right foot Advantage 87 gives freshmen an edge A over the country, first-time stu- dents flooded college campuses, appre- hensive and uncertain. Just three months earlier, they had been the upperclassmen, the ones who knew all the rules and often made their own. But now they were freshmen again, pinned to stereotypes. Up- perclassmen waited for a first- year student to end up in the wrong classroom or go to the wrong cafeteria so they could remark, Yep, he ' s a fresh- man. Compared to other begin- ning students, however. Northwest freshmen had an advantage. Advantage ' 87, to be exact. The new, week-long orien- tation program was designed to help freshmen register for classes, meet new people and get a taste of college life. I thought it was a good idea, Shannon Miller said. It gave me a chance to learn my way around campus before classes started, so I wasn ' t so nervous. I also got to know some of the people on my floor during the week. While freshmen enjoyed meeting other members of their class and learning more abou t (Northwest, many of the week ' s activities weren ' t quite so enjoyable. The students were put through a full range of tests to determine for which class- es they were best suited. They were tested in the areas of math, comprehension, reading and study skills. The results of the tests were meant to aid both the stu- dents and their advisers in scheduling, but some stu- dents failed to see the point of the program. I didn ' t understand why we had to take the tests, be- cause I knew people who missed them and didn ' t have to retake them. Belinda Pat- ton said. They didn ' t have any trouble getting their classes figured out. My ad- viser didn ' t pay much atten- tion to the test results when he was figuring out my schedule. Students were able to get to know their advisers during the week, and they met with their Freshman Seminar groups. The pur- pose of the seminars was to help first-time students with- stand the transition from high school to college. Freshman Seminar help- ed me in some ways, like learning to use the library, Steve Jennings said. 1 didn ' t learn as much as I expected, but it was a good opportuni- ty to meet other freshmen with similar interests. The Freshman Seminar program had been in place for three years, but changes were implemented to make the course more helpful. A new text was added, and the peer adviser program was started. Peer advisers were upperclassmen who attended Freshman Seminar sessions to answer questions and share expertise with fresh- men. I knew the freshmen were nervous when they came here, Jamie Valentine, peer adviser, said. It helped when they knew they had upper- classmen around to help.... We were all freshmen once. Just when freshmen start- ed to feel there was noth- ing to college life but testing, seminars and meeting in- structors, the social side of Advantage ' 87 took over. [New students participated in picnics, icebreakers and a back-to-school dance. Thanks to Playfair, stu- dents were able to forget all their first-week worries for a couple of hours and focus on having fun. The icebreaker was held in Lamkin Gym the first night of Advantage ' 87. Music, mixers and games en- couraged the freshmen to interact. On Friday, an Activity Fair was held in the Student Un- ion Ballroom. Representa- tives from various groups and Maryville businesses were on hand to welcome freshmen. The event allowed new stu- dents to look at campus or- ganizations. As a whole, I thought the week really went great, Rick Williams said. I had the op- portunity to learn about the different fraternities and see what they had to offer. 1 also got to know my roommate better before classes actual- ly began. n Teresa Mattson » Freshman Orientation 27

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Thunderous applause awaits anyone at Playfair who yells, I want a standing ovation. Play- fair served as an icebreaker for freshmen during their first week on campus. Photo by Kevin Fullerton Playfair provides Michelle Turn- er an opportunity to relax and enjoy herself. The new stu- dents were encouraged to maintain their new-found friendships after the program ended. Photo by Kevin Fuller- ton Judith Thompson, Mike Mel- son, Toni Goforth and Brian Rupe take a lunch break from Advantage ' 87 activities. Stu- dent leaders played an impor- tant role in the success of Freshman Orientation. Photo by Kevin Fullerton After braving the long lunch line, Craig Merkey finds a place on the campus lawn to enjoy his meal. ARA services catered the picnic for freshmen and their families. Photo by Ron Alpough 26 Freshman Orieritation

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Balloons are released as Presi- dent Dean Hubbard, Gov. John Ashcroft and Shaila Aery, com- missioner of higher education, officially switch on the Elec- tronic Campus. The ceremony took place during Freshman Orientation. Photo by Debby Kerr Peer advisers, student ambas- sadors and student leaders receive instructions on the Playfair program, which took place the first night of Fresh- man Orientation. The program was held so freshmen could meet their classmates. Photo by Debby Kerr Mark Martin demonstrates the frustration felt by freshmen moving into residence halls. The large freshman class led to a shortage of rooms, forcing some to live in temporary hous- ing. Photo by Ron Alpough Temperatures in the mid- eighties force Craig Brown to move his speech class outside to the Bell Tower. Outdoor classes were not uncommon during the first days of school. Photo by Kevin Fullerton 28 First Days