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

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Record number of friends and relatives attend annual carnival for football, food and fun Only one event brought hundreds of parents, grand- parents and children together for a fun-filled day of Sumo wrestling, goldfish races and football: Family Day. On a warm fall day, students and relatives flocked to campus to get involved in the various activities of the big day. Students found Family Day was a good event because it gave them a chance to introduce their family members to friends and college life. Family Day was a great way for my mom to check out the University and meet all my friends, Sarah Derks said. It was great because it gave parents a chance to experience their child ' s home away from home. After parents visited the residence halls in hopes of finding their child ' s room spotless , they journeyed to Mary Linn Performing Arts Center, where they were welcomed by Student Senate and treated to a perfor- mance by the University Chorale singing a variety of songs. The Chorale concert was a nice, upbeat way to kick off the festivities, Joniel Worley, mother of Stacia Worley, said. Families then found themselves wandering to the union parking lot for the carnival. Children enjoyed games from guessing the weight of the Northwest linemen to speedball to horizontal bungee jumping. Fun Flicks added to the celebration by allowing students to make their own music video. My favorite part of Family Day was when I got to compete with my 10-year-old brother in the bean bag toss, Bryce Atkins said. I think we tied. After the carnival, everyone packed the stands of Rickenbrode Stadium to watch the Bearcats take on the Emporia State Hornets. Families enjoyed the game despite Northwest ' s loss. My parents came up from Pennsylvania for Family Day and the football game, Eric Wentzel said. It was too bad the football team lost, though, because they actually played one of their best games after the first quarter was over. Some students took advantage of their parents ' visit, by asking for extra money for food, books or other personal items. While some students ventured out on the town with their families, others treated their parents to dinner in the union to use up their extra Aladine money. I especially liked Family Day because my mom took me grocery shopping, Joe Godfrey said. Some believed the lines were too long and the sched- ule was packed with too many events. They should have stretched out the agenda, Stacia said. Everything was crammed into a short amount of time, and it made me feel rushed. Although some things did not run quite as smoothly as planned, the reunion of family members was enough for most. It was a nice social activity, Anna Derks, mother of Sarah, said. Unfortunately, families didn ' t seem to spend as much time together anymore, and Family Day was a good opportunity to keep communication open between parents and kids. Complaints about lines dwindled after families be- gan to get wrapped up in the activities and saw first hand what kind of education their child was getting. Response showed it was a resounding success. ly Keple 20 • Student Life

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Advantage ' 94 • 19

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Joel Isernhagen and Scott Nelson cheer on the Bearcats during a football game against Emporia State. Although the game was close, the ' Cats eventually lost 15-20. Photo by Chris Tucker. Family Day visitors choose from a variety of activities at the carnival. Family Day gave students the opportunity to acquaint their families with Northwest. Photo by Jason Clarke. Scott Weber shows enthusiasm after a trumpet solo. Weber was a member of the Dubuque Colts and Bugle Corps before coming to Northwest. Photo by Jason Clarke. During Family Day, visitors swarm around the horizontal bungee run. The bungee run allowed students to compete against each other and their family members. Photo by Jason Clarke. Family Day • 21