Murray State University - Shield Yearbook (Murray, KY)

Page 29 text:

.W ters? Frying burgers for the incoming freshmen at Oakhurst lawn is a 'E . perfect opportunity to meet potential rushees, Fraternity men, Ken Brandon and Mike Jump take advantage of this opportunity. Summer Orientation Staff. Front row: Neil Sharp, Rhonda Dur fil- P. Wakefield ham, Tena Shults, Patty Jackson, Barb Hennessy, Ranona Ligon Debbie Bushart, Dianne Farmer, Tammy Bull, Second Row: Keith King, Kathy Luber, Karen Miller, Tim Mauck, Carrie Jo Welborn Mary Burke, Pete Lancaster, director. Back Row: Cecil Wolberton Alan Whitlock, Kim Barton, Eugene Fleishmann, Mike Johnson, Mike Stacy and Lewey Knox. l o N if P. Wakefield B. Johnson New Summer Sessions Summertime also brought a new design for the academic sessions at the Universi- ty. For the first time Murray State offered two five-week sessions rather than one single eight-week term. The reactions to the new program were mixed. Students enjoyed only hav- ing to attend classes for half of the sum- mer, but the faculty did not seem to ad- just to the accelerated schedule too well. Dr. Ray Mofield, professor of journal- ism and radio-TV, commented that some of his courses adapted, but that lab,' classes were hard to work into the five- week schedule. Also, a break was implemented on Wednesday of the school week to save energy and provide a study time for stu- dents. But, most students complained that enough energy was being saved in the lack of airconditioned classrooms. Enrollment was up for the graduate degree programs during the summer at 1,430, an increase of almost 100 stu- dents over 1978. Underclassmen enroll- ment was slightly down, however, with 1,476 attending as compared to 1,553 with the eight-week sessions. Student Life 25

Page 28 text:

Sixth Year For Summer Orientation Academic advisement is only part of the activi- ties included in the two-day Summer Orientation sessions. Tammy Potts, incoming freshman, gains help from Dr. Robert McGaughey, chairman of the journalism and radio-TV department. Once again, Pete Lancaster, director, and his staff of student counselors led the incoming freshmen through their first few days of University life through the Sum- mer Orientation program. For the sixth summer in a row the Uni- versity successfully conducted the orien- tation program, drawing a crowd of 1972 for the summer of 1979. The students experienced all the pains and joys of an upperclassmen. They lived in the dorm, ate in the cafeteria, mixed and mingled and yes, even registered for classes. All these activities were packed into a two-day session, which the staff conduct- ed four different times during the sum- mer. Parents were also encouraged to at- tend the sessions. A separate program, under the direction of Karen Miller and Rhonda Durham, two graduate students, was designed to answer the parents' questions. The students who attended the 1979 Summer Orientation program were bet- ter prepared for the academic year ahead of them, and according to a University study, will stay in school longer than the student who did not attend the orienta- tion program. The study went so far as to say that the students who attended the first session over the last in August would stay at the University longer. The 1979 Summer Orientation stu- dents also broke the long-standing trend that freshmen classes had more females than males. In the first session there were about two females to one male, but all following sessions were approximately equal in sexual distribution. Unique in trends and personalities, the freshmen class became a part of Murray State University as the acquaintances they had made in the summer of 1979 became life-time friends. - Elaine Spalding . Sie A HH P. Wakefield college as well as the introduction session at Murray 24 Student Life State.

Page 30 text:

ON SUNNY WEEKEINDS, IYISU STUDENTS NRE TRNNSFORIYIEID INTO LNNDSHNRKS 81 WNTERBUGS This transformation usually takes place in Western Kentucky's Land Between the Lakes which can best be described as a little slice of heaven. On any given weekend one can find plenty of MSU students getting away from it all at their favorite spot in LBL, Some of these spots include Brandon Springs, the Silo Overlook, the Trace, Wildcat Creek and Blood River. Students can participate in a number of activities ranging from sunning, swimming and sailing to camping, hiking and hunting. Murray State students have the double advantage of being able to use LBL as an outdoor classroom as well as a giant play- ground. Various departments, such as the military science and recreation departments, conduct several classes in the 170,000- acre area. Students gain firsthand experience in addition to their classroom education in such areas as basic survival, rapelling, orienteering, camping, rock climbing, hiking, sailing and canoe- ing. An area of 5,000 acres has been designated as an environ- mental education center and is used by the biology department to give students a chance to pursue field work in the areas of biology, botany and the general study of nature. But no matter what one decides to do at LBL, play or study, a good time is guaranteed. - Laura Warren Slip-sliding away on an aquaboggan is always more fun when done with a friend, 26 Student Life ,W