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

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Working out school year stress Summer jobs mean a change of pace by Debby Kerr I wanted a mindless job because I was so burned out on school. It gave me a chance to find myself again. It was the last week of classes, and students stalked the cam- pus like zombies. Stress had set in as they made their last-minute attempts to boost grades. It was difficult to concentrate on finals when bronze bodies, bikinis and beaches were so close. But for many students, the arrival of summer didn ' t mean a break. Instead, it was a season to continue working. Sara Leib walked five miles a day carrying a 50- to 70-pound mail bag for the United States Post Office. Working for the post office gave Leib the chance to meet peo- ple, and her time with the elderly made her job worth the hard o I u work. -Sara Leib OW people wouW talk to me and give me tea, Leib said. One lady couldn ' t get her mail, so I had to take it to her door. I was her only outlet to the world. While delivering mail gave Leib the chance to bring the world to shut-ins, it also gave her the opportunity to tune out the world and think about her life. ' ' I wanted a mindless job because I was so burned out on school, ' ' Leib said. It gave me a chance to find myself again. Julie DeLong ' s job working at the Kansas City Zoo selling Friends of the Zoo packets was similar to Leib ' s in that she worked outside in the extreme heat and met many different peo- ple. The job gave her good experience to apply to her public rela- tions major Just as beneficial as learning how to deal with people was learn- ing to deal with certain situations. While DeLong was working one day, Molly, the zoo ' s ape, escaped and chased two women to the front gate. Although DeLong calmed the women and dealt with the situation as professionally as she knew how, she admitted, It was the funniest thing I had ever seen. Terry Petersen also worked around animals, but instead of zoo animals, he worked around race horses all summer Petersen helped beautify Ak-sar-ben ' s grounds by landscaping, spraying, mowing, trimming trees and cutting wood. I enjoyed working outside, Petersen said. It was satisfying to know I had made Ak-sar-ben more attractive. During the summer, Petersen also worked at a grocery store, at Golden Corral and finished 12 hours of college credit. ' T wouldn ' t have been satisfied working at something that wasn ' t challenging, Petersen said. For Dulcie Hanson, working at Grundy County Jail was not only challenging, it was also unusual. Besides helping the pohce by dis- patching, Hanson served the convicts their meals. Summer rescued some students ' sanity, but for many it was a time to earn money to return to another year of books and bills. By the time students earned a degree, they had also become jacks- of-all-trades. totalI 0 T ; JBiL . .- ' si :t lA 10 Summer Jobs

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Alter waiting so long for the big day to arrive, some graduates won ' t let anything stop them from receiving their diplomas. Despite her injuries, Lynda Weichel attend- ed graduation ceremonies on May 7. Photo by Debby Kerr Graduates nie into Lamkln Gym to accept their diplomas during the two-hour ceremony. Jubilation was accompanied by apprehension as 739 seniors looked toward their futures. Photo by Debby Kerr Summa Cum Laude graduate Lisa Smeltzer awaits the traditional turning of the tassel. She returned for fall semester graduate courses. Photo by Chuck Holley With four years of college behind him, Pat Flynn finds a reason to celebrate. Flynn received a bachelor ' s degree in broadcasting. Photo by Debby Kerr Graduation 9

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Public relations m or Julie DeLong speaks with Tina Hart, a visitor at the Kan- sas City Zoo. DeLong worked for the ' ' Friends of the Zoo ' ' foundation by promot- ing their programs and activities, which in- cluded fund raising for the zoo. Photo by Debby Kerr Working at Ak-sar-ben in Omaha is satisfying to Terry Petersen because he can spend his time outdoors. Some of Petersen ' s responsibilities included landscaping, trim- n ing trees, cutting wood and mowing. Pho- to by Debby Kerr s J 1 L 1 k E I I 1 Ui K The physically demanding job of delivering mail provides Sara Leib a break from the books. Leib carried a 50- to 70- pound mail bag five miles each day in record- high temperatures. Photo by Debby Kerr IVie3lS for county prisoners are pre- pared and served by Dulcie Hanson. Hanson, an elementary education major, also worked as a dispatcher at the jail during the sum- mer Photo by Sarah Frerking Summer Jobs ll