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

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Visits from home Celebration brings families and visitors together for annual activities. by Kristine Hotop Cars packed the overcrowded parking lots and families jjourcd onto campus to the aroma ofgrilled liurgers and melodic voices for Family Day festivities. Campus alumni sponsored the legendary Family Day tailgating Sept. 18. A barbecue took place at College Park surrounded by a children ' s play area, performance stage and lounging areas for families to relax. Chapter 6. an all-male a Capella collection, entertained families from 1 1 a.m. until kick off. Amidst tailgating. Campus Activities announced the 2004 Family of the Year. Football captain and linebacker Troy Tysdahl and family took the stage to accept their award along with a $500 scholarship to Troy from ARAMARK. There are tons of applications that come through our selection process, Jamie McLaughlin said. We usually choose a student whose parents and siblings went here, along with the amount of activities. We pick kids involved in lots of activities, Greek life and athletics, over those not involved. While there was only one Family of the Year, many families used the day to reflect on how special their own families were. Mother daugther pair Kelly and Katherynne Dowman sat under a shade tree while observing the tailgating events of Family Day. Family Day was a great experience, Kelly said. Katherynne and I had the chance to show off our college life to the rest of the family, since they still live in Kansas City and we both live here. While some students dealt with homesickness their first year of school, this duo depended on each other to pull through. It ' s different having my mom at college with me, Katherynne said. But, if 1 ever get homesick, 1 can always go see her. It is a nice chance to see my dad for a change. Immediately following the tailgating, fans flocked to Bearcat Stadium and witnessed the Bearcats trounce the University of Missouri-RoUa, 65-3. There were a lot of people at the game, but it was a very enjoyable experience to have my family around, Brooke Boynton said. My sister liked it a lot because she went here before the stadium was renovated, so it was nice seeing new everything. The campus underwent changes that were new to both students and alumni. Most of the construction dealt with the Tower Suites and Forest Village Apartments. In addition, the Station opened to show off its new convenience store and Java City with complementary snacks. With all the changes, alumni parents had the opportunity to view the alterations firsthand. The campus has kept up very well with all the changes that have been done since I attended, alumnus John Clouse said. There didn ' t seem to be near the ' common areas ' for students as there is now, like the Student Union and Station. Some alumni closed Family Day with walks around campus to enjoy scenery and reminisce on their times at the University. It was fun touring campus with my sister, Boynton said. She kept pointing out things that were or weren ' t there when she went to school. It made me wonder what will change when I come back to visit. University President Dean Hubbard congratulates the Tysdahl family for being named the Family of the Year. A $500 scholarship was awarded to Troy Tysdahl who nominated the family, pftoto by Mike Dye family day St ' jDEfjT Life 1 J

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Area bands usher in new line of entertainment by Abby Simons Inconspicuous among the crowd of local music fans. Amy Kern watched as 300 students sang, stomped and sweated to the sounds of their hometown heroes. Strangely enough, this time they were under the influence of the music alone. Kern soaked it all in and smiled. The Sept. 18, alcohol-free event at College Park featured four local rock bands-Omaha natives and headliners Grasshopper Takeover and Lovetap as well as St. Louis bands Anchondo and Sevenstar. Sponsored by Campus Activities and Student Senate, KZLX emceed. The event attracted students and community members alike, who, already upbeat from Family Day festivities and a football win over the University of Missouri-RoUa, took advantage of the unseasonably warm fall weather to attend the Saturday evening show. Kern, who organized the event, said Fall Freeze would not have gotten off the ground without the cooperation of the gracious musicians. They would have made two to three times the money I paid them to come down here, but they get the exposure they need here on campus, she said. That and we play them constantly on KZLX, so the y ' re happy to come down and help us out in return. Yet, it wasn ' t the appeal of exposure that attracted the fledgling bands. Whenever this shows up on our schedule, it ' s a huge highlight, Lovetap lead vocalist and guitarist Gene Sanny said. It ' s like having homefield advantage. You ' re going to another town, but the people treat us like we ' re at home. The switch from smoky bars to fresh air didn ' t hurt either. When I heard this was going to be an all ages show, I knew it was going to be huge, Sanny said. We get messages on our Web site all the time from people who say they couldn ' t get in because they weren ' t 21 . This is great for everyone. The majority of students who attended the show made the short trek from the high-rises to the nearby venue. Though some initially regarded the event as merely something to do for freshmen new to campus, it proved itself as much more. I just Uke the atmosphere, Catrina Robertson said. I don ' t find many groups that I actually like, but the bands here are really good. Robertson, a non-drinker, said she didn ' t have problems going to bars to hear music, but skipping that step made it worthwhile. Older students, starved for an alternative to the weekend grind, embraced the event as a positive alternative. I ' d rather be at a concert outdoors than wasting my life inside a bar. which I do too often anyway, Chris Thomas said. Judging by the success of its first venture, Kern said Fall Freeze would hopefully become an annual event, providing another motivated organizer took over and the cooperation of local bands was secured. It ' s an idea, students agreed, that could easily be capitalized upon. I like the fact that this is after a football game, which is usually a time where students stay up here, Thomas said. Why not follow a big-ass win with a campus-wide bash? It ' s better than going to some party that ' s gonna get busted anyway. 16 fall freeze DESIGNED BY | ASHLEE MeJIA