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

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Play It was the breathless feeling after uncontrollable laughter, a night of blurred dizzy memories and a throbbing headache the next morning, the guilty pleasure of skipping class to order Dominoes and take a nap. It was the spirit of homecoming, the excitement of a long- awaited concert and a night on the town at one of the seven local establishments. It was outside of the classroom and away from the books and papers that was such a significant part in the adventure of college. Though the moments seemed trivial at the lime, it was these experiences that defined play. Even after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 1 1 , when play abruptly screeched to a halt in a shocked silence, out of the ashes arose a new appreciation for the freedoms we enjoyed as a country and a new- found respect for the reality in which we played. The rules of play at Northwest were simple. Be spontaneous, be loud, be yourself. Do things that scare you, do the things at the bottom of your to-do-list, do the unusual. Take a risk, take lunch breaks during class, take that road trip with your best friends. But never say that there wasn ' t time for play.

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Raising the Afghanistan flag, Shahab Shattiey, Mhaleena Mansoor and Nazira Hussaini participate in the fourth annual flag raising ceremony at the International Plaza. All three hacl connections in Kabul, Afghanistan. photo by Michaela Kanger Play and (sride were reflected through our athletes and the honors and awards they brought home. Pushing past the boundaries of their athleticism, our Bearcats proved that play was a way of life. For those not involved in sports, a widearray of organizations offered a pseudo-family for any student. From theAlliance of Black Collegians to the Indian Student Organization, there was an activits ' and area of interest for everyone. Bottom line, to benefit from play at Northwest, you had to get involved, take advantage of the moment and get in the spirit of the situation to grow as an individual. While play occupied much of our time, work was also a significant factor in our lives. Work was essential to achieve success and did not come without lessons of its own. In the courses we took and the papers we complained about, we began to understand. With the help of faculty, peers and academic services, the reality of graduation came charging toward us.

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Screams of encouragement escape Dawn Trent and Kendra Masoner during the match up against Missoun Western State College Nov. 3. photo by Mkhaela Kanger