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

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Dryness and high temperatures parched the summer ' s com crop. Many farm- ers reported that the lack of precipitation cut their corn yields in half. Photo by Jeff Martin Drought l9

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Weathering a long, hot summer Scorching season leaves Maryville high and dry Students thought, ' I don ' t need to save water. Everyone else But it was every- body ' s problem. by Cara Moore Traditional rain fell every Homecoming, and showers dampened home football games and Graduation. But when the ground cracked open, ponds dried up, and dying crops thirsted for rain, it didn ' t come. When temperatures remained in the 100s for days and heat- related deaths were an everyday occurrance, it still didn ' t come. And when Maryville needed rain most after entering Phase II of the city ' s plan for water conservation, it still didn ' t come. Even though the drought hit regions across the United States, the Midwest suffered more than most areas. ... I Northwest Missouri was one of the hardest hit strips nation- Katy M atO l wide, ' ■ chuck Wilson, agriculture major, said . ' ' Area farmers who normaUy produced 140 to 160 bushels of corn probably only yield- ed about 60 bushels this year. For farmers who were already strug- ghng, the drought broke their backs. ' ' Although moisture was all that could really help farmers, other assistance was available. Twenty-four-hour hotlines were set up in Missouri for farmers who needed to buy or sell hay, and special license permits were granted to allow emergency feed transport- ers on state highways. Various service organizations helped make the heat more bear- able by donating fans to people without air conditioning. Air- conditioned churches and businesses also joined in the effort by extending their hours to accommodate local residents. In Maryville, problems were compounded. The water level in the 30-acre reservoir, which drew from the 102 River, continued to drop several inches each day. Dave Gieseke, director of news and information and a member of the University ' s Water Conservation Advisory Group, said each inch of water in the reservoir was the equivalent of nine million gallons. On Aug. 17, Phase II of the ci ty ' s water conservation plan went into effect. Students were urged to limit showers to three minutes and wash laundry only once a week. Admitting they were well informed about the water shortage, students still responded differ- ently to the problem. They weren ' t paying attention to the seriousness of the problem, Katy Matol said. Students thought, ' I don ' t need to save water. Everyone else will. ' But it was everybody ' s problem. Students became anxious when rumors circulated that the University would close if Maryville reached Phase V. The campus air conditioning system was the only thing actually shut down to conserve water, however. If tradition had held, Maryville would have had rain for Homecoming, but two weeks before the event, rains moved the city back to Phase I. Summer officially ended two days before Homecoming, and for once students ' Homecoming fantasies came true. The day was warm, sunny and dry. i 18 Drought

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Selling Northwest The personal touch pays off in the numbers game by Mike Dunlap Our admissions process was a University-wide effort.... We all worked together to create a positive infipression. -Lori Tyner-Weddle Theirs were the faces of Northwest for hundreds of high school students. Though their jobs often entailed driving hundreds of miles and speaking to scores of people each day, the University ' s admissions counselors could see the effect of their efforts: a 40 percent increase in freshman enrollment since 1986. Credit for that phenomenal increase went to both the counselors and the admissions staff who had made an art and a science out of selling Northwest. While the counselors concentrated primarily on assisting stu- dents with their college search process and preferred the ' ' soft sell approach, the personal contact they had with high school students often meant the difference in their college choice. Lori Tyner-Weddle, assistant director of admissions, said the per- sonal touch was something Northwest had over other institutions. ' ' We found that it was important to have the counselors out there visiting schools, Tyner-Weddle said. The personalization of hav- ing an actual human being talk to them made a difference. Admissions Counselor JayDe Leonard said that when he talked to students, he stressed the importance of just going on to college, whether that meant Northwest or not. Still, both Leonard and Tyner-Weddle said that once students toured Northwest, most were sold. The touring process was where the counselors on campus and Student Ambassadors came into the process. Nearly 2,000 cam- pus tours were given each year In fall, the counselors were moved to the newly remodeled Mabel Cook Admissions and Visitors Center, from which all campus tours were coordinated. Besides selhng the campus, the staff also used projects like the Electronic Campus and the Culture of Quahty to appeal to par- ents and guidance counselors. In fact, the University held several events during the year for high school counselors and administra- tors to discuss Northwest ' s programs. Geographically, recruiters saturated the four-state area. Dale Montague, director of enrollment management, said Nebraska and northeast Missouri had been especially good areas for recruiting. Tyner-Weddle said one of the reasons Northwest did well out-of- state was that its recruitment program was more sophisticated than those of most Nebraska and Iowa schools. Our admissions process was a University-wide effort, Tyner- Weddle said. From the admissions counselors to the faculty mem- bers and even the maintenance people, we all worked toward creating a positive impression. Whether on campus or on the road, the concept of making a good impression dominated the recruitment concept. Along with ambitious academic programs and a friendly atmosphere, that im- pression made it easy to sell Northwest. K l 20 Recruiting