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

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Illustration by Jeff Martin Moving In 1 23

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strictly Personal Belongings reveal stereotypical traits by Teresa Mattson Lots of theater majors had ceramic masks that hung on the wall and pictures of them- selves in plays. And I thought that every one of them had a poster of their favorite actor of all time. -Jon Ellis It was said you could tell a lot about people by the company they kept, but checking out the belongings they hauled back for the fall semester proved even more revealing. Greeks, study dweebs, jocks and members of all the stereotypi- cal groups came back to school in basically the same way. They even brought back a few similar items: compact refrigerators, stereos, posters and purloined milk crates. But there the similarities stopped. The other belongings that accumulated in a student ' s room provided clues to the individual ' s tastes and interests. And whether they liked it or not, their possessions often categorized them into stereotyped groups. Tkke, for instance, the guy who carried in the box of red and blue ribbons along with a framed picture of his prized Daisy. While many students wore boots, his were like a true cowboys ' . But not just everyone had a prize-winning heifer like Daisy. It was easy to guess his major Women seemed to take everything they owned when they moved into Roberta HaU, including cases of hairspray and an endless spec- trum of nail polishes. But then came each woman ' s sorority paraphernalia: her 20 or 30 sweatshirts, her stadium cups, her wall hangings, stationery and ink pens. No one could doubt her loyalty to her sorority. Loyalty to a major could be seen in lots of stereotypical groups. Just as art majors were loyal to their artistic needs, theater majors strived to be dramatic. This was reflected in the mementos they brought to school with them. ' ' Lots of theater majors had ceramic masks that hung on the wall and pictures of themselves in plays, Jon EUis said. And I thought that every one of them had a poster of their favorite actor of all time. ' ' Although most hated to be stereotyped, it seemed everyone was guilty of it. Most students could tell you what they expected to find in the rooms of various group members. Jocks? Well, the typical jock, of course, had running shoes- more pairs than most of us— and lots of sweats and sweatsocks, ' ' Kristen Anderson said. Also, posters with athletes on them that said things like ' No Pain, No Gain ' . While some of the students had planned for weeks what to do to give their rooms that personal touch, others just packed up whatever they could get out of the house on the morning they left home. Planned or not, every student ' s personality could be reflected in his possessions. Some of it was stereotypical, but the signs of students ' individuality couldn ' t be overlooked, adding a special variety to campus life. : -7 l2 Moving In

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Bursting at the seams Freshmen elbow into crowded campus by Debby Kerr and Jennifer Siy Overcrowding was never a good thing. But what it led to was change. We paid the price early for some- thing that, in the long run, would be better. It was Aug. 13, and forecasters predicted temperatures in the 100s. On campus, the morning hours were silent, but everyone sensed it was only temporary. Summer ended quickly, and chaos soon began. As 1,405 freshmen crowded onto campus to officially begin the year Lines quickly formed everywhere. The temperature con- tinued to rise as people kept pouring onto campus. Turquoise shirts could be spotted everywhere as student lead- ers attempted to smooth the chaos by volunteering help and guidance. The upperclassmen were very helpful, Kermy Miller said. My mom is handicapped, and they made her feel comfortable. Although student leaders tried to help freshmen have a reward- ing first day, insecurity crept into the new students ' minds as Dale MOntaOUe fiends, famines and familiar surroundings were left behind. The Advantage program, which was in its second year, was founded to combat some of those insecurities. As its title suggest- ed, the orientation gave freshmen who participated advantages over those who didn ' t. Wendy Suchland said she felt the strong- est asset of the program was that it allowed freshmen to meet one another and become a closer group. Advantage ' 88 provided a welcoming ceremony, academic meas- urement testing, an organizational fair, academic counseling, a pic- nic, a dance and Playfair, a nationally-known program that provid- ed an hour and a half of icebreakers. The program familiarized freshmen with Northwest. At times, however, it seemed to be too structured as it asked freshmen to attend testing, orientation and social sessions for four consecu- tive days. Advantage ' 88 shouldn ' t have been so long, Miller said. It felt like camp because we were always scheduled to be doing something. ' ' Although structure was sometimes mentally and physically ex- hausting, the overall program seemed to bring about positive results. Freshmen had more confidence in themselves, Erin Cotter, student leader, said. ' ' The program helped bonding with the fresh- men. Everyone formed some good friendships. It was Aug. 17, and Advantage ' 88 ended. The sultry weather, crowds of people and anticipation that characterized the program kept going, though. Nobody knew how the Class of ' 92 would han- dle its first year, but after seeing the largest freshmen class inter- act at Advantage ' 88, predictions were hopeful. -continued l4 Overcrowding i