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

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As the time for their final exam approaches, Kat Four- man. Kristi Cassaday and Neil Thawani study history in the common area in the Academy. The area gave students an area to chat and ptay games, photo by Meredith Currence Lydon Chen and Jay Augustin take a minute from their studying to chat. Other students in the room spent their evening studying for their Calculus II final, photo by Merediih Currence

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Early afternoon sunlight cascades onto the floor of the Pctlct Plant and silhouettes James Scott as he n ixcs rccy- clablcs. The plant received paper and cardboard from the University and area factories. f)hotobY Tirvo ' Hayr-. 022 023 ( ishfy made pellets ride a conveyor bett to be accumulated ' » pMle. Once the storage area inside the plant reached capacity h pellets, a truck hauled them to the Power House for burning. n bf Trevor Hoyes New, piping hot pellets lay in James Scott s hand. The pellets, which were pieces of cardboard and paper few minutes earlier, were shredded and compressed into burnable cylinders which came out of the machines hot to the touch, photo by Trevor Haye A draft fans the flames burning wood chips at the Powerhouse. The University burned wood chips while building up the pellet sup- ply and only relied on naturaJ gas when power needs exceeded the capadty of the pellets and wood chips, pfioto b Trevor Hayes

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H Advanced Second-year Academy student Mackenzie Sweeney prepares for her Calculus II exam with other students dur- ing Fnals Week. Academy students earned an associate ' s degree after two years of study, phoio by Meredith Currence institution Academy students given a collegiate opportunity. Working lo give exceptionally bright young people a head stort into higher education, The University offered the Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics and Computing. The Academy was a two-year program in which 15- to 18- year- old high school students who were especially talented in science, mathematics and or technology studied at on accelerated pace. It took the place of their last two years of high school. Second-year student Neil Thowani, who looked forward to persuing a pyschology degree after the Academy realized the advantage he gained by going to the Academy. It ' s let me take psychology courses, Thowani said, and it ' s opened up doors to let me take courses that wouldn ' t be ovailoble in high school. According to Dr. Cleo Som udzi, dean of the Missouri Academy, when students completed the two-year program, they gained on associate degree of science and their high school diploma, The expectations are high on academics as well as personal accountability, Somudzi said. High schools don ' t have as high of expectations. Students develop strong study habits and do well here. Somudzi also said that the camaraderie that young people gained from studying at the Academy was also a benefit to them. He said when it came to the students coming here to study, it ' s usually them pushing the parents to let them come, rather than the other way around. These are very, very bright kids, he said. They ' re the ones driving the process in wanting to come here. Being accountable for minors in the absence of their parents was a concern for the authorities in charge. Academy students weren ' t allowed to leave campus without checking out at the office, and when they left campus during the day, they hod to leave in pairs. If they left at night, there must be four to their party. They were oil required to be in their rooms at 8 p.m., and were not allowed to enter residence halls rother than their own without the supervision of a staff member. It ' s meant two years of changing relotionships, difficult decisions, and more stress than I ' ve ever experienced in my life, Thowani said, but it ' s been fun. Writer | Alec Jennings Designer | Ashlee Mejio 024 025