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

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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

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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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Mother and daughter acting team unlock the mysteries of the heart in Broadway musical. By Amy Duggan Magical Garden T he scene began in India in the early 1900s, people were dancing in a large circle. Amidst the circle was a young girl blindfolded. She continuously turned around while each time reaching out for a willing body to help her. Within minutes, the young girl was left standing alone. The opening scene was from The Secret Garden, the Tony award-winning play per- formed at the Mary Linn Performing Arts Center in the fall. In Garden, Mary Lennox lost her parents to a cholera and one of the reasons this appealed to me was to have her epidemic that struck India, so she was forced to live with Archibald Craven, an uncle she had never met. In her new home, Mary not only had to adjust to a new environment and rules, but an atmosphere in which she was unaccus- tomed to. Ten year-old Becca Stevens, who played Mary Lennox, was the star of the show. Becca admitted when she played Mary, she not only found herself among friends, but was comforted while she shared the spotlight with her mother, Carolyn Stevens, who played Lily, Mary ' s late aunt. The first time I had to rehearse a scene with my mom, it was kind of strange because it was not for real life, Becca said. We were just acting. Other musicals Becca performed in included, The King and I and The Sound of Music. Carolyn, who had a history of acting, noted this performance was a learning experience for Becca. I was in awe of her (Becca ' s) talent, Carolyn said, I was so proud of her. Although Carolyn was closer to her other two children prior to the production, Garden brought her closer to Becca. I was probably closer with the other two before the tour all by myself, Carolyn said. As the story progressed, Mary eventually used her deter- mination and found a key to her aunt ' s garden that had been closed after her death. Colin, Mary ' s cousin, also experienced the joy of the garden. After being confined to a wheelchair, Colin took his first steps while in the magical place. This eventually brought Craven, Colin ' s father, closer to his son. Lars Kvalvaag, who played Colin, admitted what atti- tude one brought to the stage could affect one ' s perfor- mance. I sort of had to get into the show, Kvalvaag said. Then I didn ' t remember that I was on stage. Staci Maples agreed the actors ' performances had an impact on the show. I thought they did wonderful for their age, Maples said. They either had a lot of experience or had wonderful training. The play ended with the entire cast gathered in the newly-transformed garden which Mary and her friends had brought back to life. The Secret Garden, not only proved that uncovering one ' s secrets could be helpful, but could also bring together a long-lost family. Bt Stevens Mary Lent holds garden that brou her I far: together. play was year Steven ' s tl must Ph courtes The Sci Gardt 22 • Student Life