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

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CAMPUS RENOVATION Ne A look add. 5 Options d Construction brings forth new looks on campus through renovations and apartments. by Michelle Stacy riving through campus senior year, she remembered her first days on campus and how it changed in three short years. It ' s much different now from my freshman year, senior Julie Rit:man said. Until this year, we mainly just saw new- parking lots or roads, but the new buildmgs and the stadium are a big change for Northwest. CH ' er the summer, crews w-orked on residential living complexes, improved roads and finished renovating Rickenbrode Stadium. Phase one of a four-phase process to improve residential living began during the summer months. Phase one included building suites in the area between Phillips and Franken hall, known as the Tundra. Many upperclassmen were sad to see the Tundra go. When 1 was a freshman 1 remember people from the high rises playing football in the Tundra on nice days, Ritzman said. It was also where different events from Advantage Week were held. However, because of the construction, Ad antage Week activities normally held in the Tundra moved to the Bell Tower. Designed for sophomores and juniors, the suites, located in the Tundra, were designed to house up to four people a piece, and include two bedrooms, one bathroom and a living room. Each floor would shares a laundry room, kitchen, study room, meeting room and lounge. Once completed, the suites would house around 360 beds. Another part of phase one included new university apartments built on Centennial Drive. The apartments, designed to house around 200 juniors and seniors, would each have four private bedrooms and two bathrooms. Each apartment would have a kitchen, living room and washer and dryer. Until completion of the new apartments and suites. South Complex gave students the closest thing to apartment-style residential housing. Ritzman said she was excited for younger students even though she would graduate before the completion of the new housing. I chose to live off-campus, because I didn ' t like the dorms, but now these apartments give students a new- option, Ritzman said. Upperclassmen can still have an off-campus feel with an on-campus advantage. Construction caused some inconveniences for students. Residents of Franken and Phillips Halls had parking cut due to construction. Other construction went on throughout the school year. A new commuter parking lot construction site blocked the road behind the armory and Mary Linn Perfomiing Arts Center. The blocked road left parking next to College Park temporarily closed. .Although construction caused temporary inconveniences for students, the new lot gave students more parking for class and closer parking to Rickenbrode Stadium. The parking lot, howe er, was not the only new- addition to the stadium. The campus saw another major change with the completion of the Rickenbrode renovations. I remember as a freshman the excitement of going to my first Bearcat football game, and it was just as exciting to go to the first game in the new stadium, Ritzman said. The renovated stadium included a new press box, more seating, suites and the Cat Vision scoreboard. The new Cat Vision pumps up the crowds even more than at old games, Ritzman said. Over a few years time, students w atched the universir - change before their eyes w ith new roads and buildings. Although it ' s different from the way I remember when I came in as a freshman. It is still so exciting because of all the new- traditions the changes will bring for students in the future, Ritzman said. CL ion A-f »c»c fro«« Z .;

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With the new dorms being constructed, coiutruction workers spend hours laying the foundation. Board of Regents member J, K liii ' n c.iIIcJ the Ji-cisiim to K ' gin construction nccessar for us to Construction on thi- i,. a ii,i i- i; -:i i,r, located on Centennial Drive is projected to be tinished in August 2004. Students will be able to move in for the fall 2004 trimester, pdow fry ThaesaChiotLm University constniction workers assemble wood for the new dorms that will be available for use fall 2004. Vice President of Student Affairs Kent Porterfield referred to the project as a big undertaking. pholo by Theresa Chtodmi Sfuicfewf J l,( ' SllM3iW ! S x { SSm i msm

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COMING HOME Witnesses of the in Iraq Fraternity brotherhood remains strong while new ones form on the battlefield €€ All the decades of deceit and cruelty have now reached an end. Saddam Hussein, and his sons, must leave Iraq within 48 hours. Their refusal to do so will result in nulitary conflict, commenced at a time of our choosing. President George W. Bush announced the ultimatum to the world March 17, 2003 — a day when most students were celebrating St. Patrick ' s Day and enjoying spring break. However, bikinis and partying became the farthest thing from the minds oi three university students. Two hours after the promised deadline. Bush declared war on Iraq. A four-minute speech forever changed the lives oi Fred Weixeldorfer, Alan Hargreaves and Stephen Terry. While a fraternity in itself created a kinship, the Delta Chi brothers formed an additional bond as they left to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Weixeldorfer left for training with the U.S. Army Jan. 16, 2003. Declaration day confirmed he would be stationed overseas. Weixeldorfer said he experienced the hardest day April 14 with the 3rd Infantry Division after entering Baghdad, Iraq. The 3rd (Infa ntry- Division) lost a lot of good men that day, Weixeldorfer said. It was terrible watching those men and myself go through what we did. I still can ' t believe it to this day. Weixeldorfer remained overseas as the first trimester of the 2003- 2004 .school year came and went. His biggest reward came with providing aide to Iraqis. Weixeldorfer felt most Americans did not understand the benefits of troops being there. Alan Hargreaves surprises FreJ WeLxeldnrlcr. mjiuhkJ in BjIuJ, Iraq, with a visit from A[ Udeid, Qatar. Leaving behind their hves at Northwest, Delta Chi fraternity brothers Hargreaves and Weixeldorfer fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom, photo s ibmiiied In ALin H,.TeTMvf by Amber Brazil Betsy Lee They don ' t see the tears in the Iraqis ' eyes when we deliver them food, water and so on, Weixeldorfer said. They don ' t see the little kids running up screaming ' USA, USA, USA ' . Times like these made the Middle East much easier to bare tor Weixeldorfer. And seeing a familiar face did not hurt either, as he reunited with Hargreaves during the summer in Balud, Iraq. Hargreaves spent March through August overseas with the Missouri Air National Guard — two months in Saudi Arabia and four in Qatar. He served on flights going into and out of Iraq as a crew chief mechanic. Once finding the location of Weixeldorfer, Hargreaves rode the next plane his crew flew toward Balud to surprise his fraternity brother. Hargreaves gathered treats of candy, beef jerky and cookies to take with him. He knew Weixeldorfer and his fellow troops had been eating Meals Ready to Eat the whole time and had not had real food in months. To me it was one of the most important days that 1 had during this whole conflict, Hargreaves said. 1 watched as fellow Army troops picked through the boxes we had brought Fred, with tears in their eyes, of what seemed to be a bountiful feast. Unless a person has lived through such horrific conditions, they ' ll probably never know how blessed we are as Americans. Every time Hargreaves and his St. Joseph, Mo., aircrew flew into Iraq, they would bring boxes of fruit and such to hand off to troops from all military branches. It takes a combination of everyone ' s efforts in order to accomplish mission objectives, Hargreaves said. 1 guarantee that the worst place in America is better than the best place over there. In preparation for the trying elements, the U.S. military made homeland efforts as well. Terry, a third fraternity brother and veteran in peacekeeping missions, trained U.S. troops for Iraq January through May 2005. Stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., Terry instructed soldiers in the Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Commands. The army did not send him to tight the war in Iraq because he had just returned from a yearlong stay in Kosovo. Terry prepared soldiers for combat, showed them how to survive in the desert terrain and taught humanitarian assistance. The biggest job in Iraq right now is winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, Terry said. It ' s not about the guns. Though he did the training that sent American soldiers such as Weixeldorfer to the Middle East, Terry believed the job of rebuilding Iraq and winning over the citizens should not have been left to the United States alone. It ' s time to bring our boys home, step back and withdraw, Terry said. We should let other countries get involved, and let NATO and the United Nations do their job of rebuilding the country. They need to make it better than it was so we don ' t have to go back over there again. . J(i T SfoiJev, Ji e