Northeastern State University - Tsa La Gi Yearbook (Tahlequah, OK)

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..,,..........--4.-..... On Their Own Leaving mam and dad behind, students experienced life away from heme. The noise ripped through the wall. lt was the fourth time this week. She tried to hide under two blan- kets, but it just wouldn't muffle the steady rythmn of the music. Finally, hours later, quiet. Sleep at last. Life in a dorm was at times a great experience, but it had some drawbacks. Noisy neighbors was one of them. The noise some nights was just unbearable. It was really upsetting when you were trying to sleep and the music from next door would vibrate the wall, sopho- more Deirdere McCarthy said. Most students looked forward to new freedom when they left home. At last, freedom from all those petty rules and regulations. Well, not quite. In their place came new problems and a new set of rules. About 1,400 students made their home in university housing this year. Packed like sardlnes, the closeness was often just too much. While adequate for sleeping and socializing, it was sometimes difficult to find the quiet needed for study and concentration. The dorm was for sleeping. The library was for studying. lt was easier because there were no phone calls or other things to interrupt you, said Becky Pen- nington. But there was a light side to dorm life. According to senior Cheryl Parham it was a perfect place to social- ize. The social environment of the dorms was what made them appealing. You had a lot of friends. You could always find something to do. You lost that when you lived off-campus. Economics figured into housing decisions. For most, off-campus living was just too expensive. Other students felt life on their own was better with fewer restrictions. lt was more fun living off-campus. You didn't have 00 -...1 to live by so many set rules. It was also cheaper, if you had enough roommates to keep the rent low, Scott Harlow said. For many students off-campus living wasn't an op- tion to be considered. All students living off-campus were requried to be at least 21 years old or a junior be- fore the first day of classes of the fall semester. Of course, married students could live on their own, and most did as there was always a waiting list for married student housing. Even for commuters living off cam- pus, that status had to be established. Dorm life had lots of advantages. You had your own room toften sharedj, enough food points to tide you over till the end of a semester jsupposedlyj, set hours for visitation jwhich were never long enoughj and plenty of friends fto offer help when neededj. Yes, students arrived thinking authority was a thing of the past. Surprise! On arrival they discovered it wasn't quite what they expected. Now there was a new set of rules and new authority figures. Resident assistants became the generals, armed with rosters, ready to do battle. And do battle they did, but treaties were signed, and conflicts resolved. So, life without authority was a pipe dream. The rules of home were replaced with rules for living on campus. Nonetheless, dormitory life was a mixture of things -- some fun, some friends, some frustrations, even a few enemies. But all in all, it was well worth the stay. 'n Darryl Thomas Articles from home help make a person feel more at ease. For stu- dents separated from the security of family and friends, any reminder of home was a big help. Brian Simms made his room unique and dis- played his own sense of style. iPhoto - Darryl Thomasj Lifgln A Dorm 21

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i With homework completed, students occasionally found themselves with nothing to do, or were too tired to look. This was a perfect time for relaxing in front ol the T.V. and watching a favorite program. iPhoto - Darryl Thomasj Responsibility comes with the position of desk atten- dant. One of the many duties was to keep up with school property. Attendant Cheryl Parham checks out a game to Amy Honea. iPhoto - Darryl Thomasl When it seemed as though dorm room walls began to close in students sought relief in many places. Brent Keith, John Zaferes, Mike Stevens, Mike Lasley, Keith Pentico and Andrew Zaferes found room to breath in the 'EV lounge of South- west Leoser, iPhoto - Darryl Thomasl Dorm life is definitely a memorable experience. Moving in and out between semesters was almost al- ways a dreaded experience. Recruiting as much help as possible made the task a little eaisei: Even though it wasn't much fun, Carmin Tecumseh managed to keep a smile on her face. iPhoto - Darryl Thomasl X s x 3. Q QQ ' Ns

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No More Wyly Expansion left residents Wondering Where they would be forced to move. Residents of Wyly Hall dormitory faced relocation in the wake of a decision by university officials to increase the size of the College of Optometry. Affected by the decision were 24 residents of Wyly Hall who were informed the rooms they occupied would be merged into the College of Optometry. Why did the administration persist in this shoot first and explain later policy of handling its dorm residents? Was the expansion so urgent that it couldn't have been put off until summer? Officials at the College of Optom- etry could not be reached for comment. President W. Roger Webb said, Additional space was needed for offices and laboratory facilities. We've imposed on their teaching space for a long time. ln the interest of quali- ty education they just needed more room. The residents, informed in October of their upcom- ing January move, met the news with mixed feelings. The optometry department is important to the school, but so are dorm residents, said Jose Rojas, Tulsa junior. The optometry department has waited several years, why couIdn't they have waited one more semester and done the renovations after school was out? questioned Rojas. lt would have been so much eaiser for the stu- dents and the Housing Office. At least one resident raised the question: Did Hous- ing break the contract each dorm resident must sign? l felt our housing contract should not have been r . 1 iucxso our bgevvmv HALL AT eff' fn Y 4' Wf- Qf L I . 1. 9 - 'Bye ATT ' a Hr 'fi V '., f if ff -1 Lx-as as l-manks ovrommvri' ' Students express their feelings in unique ways, Wyly residents designed a tee-shirt that displayed how they felt about the forced mid- term move. The back of the shirt was adorned with all of the residents signatures. fPhoto - Darryl Thomasj Campus Life broken, said David Glabas, Westville sophomore. We signed a one-year contract to live in Wyly, which was a quiet dorm. lf we had broken our contract, we would have been fined or lost our housing deposit, stated Glabas. Housing Director Arlan Hanson said, 'tHousing con- tracts retained only a space in university dormitories and not necessarily specific halls or rooms. Wyly residents were on the top of the list for mid-term relocation and Housing tried to keep the residents together. This task could not be accomplished. The Housing Office, caught in the middle, had to rely on rooms vacated during the interim and ended up plac- ing the evicted residents in various dorms across campus. Wyly Hall was one of the most sought after dorms on campus. The limited number of rooms made living in Wyly a special honor. The students who lived there had a certain spirit not seen in other dorms. Where else could you call and hear, 'Radio Station W-Y-L-Y taking your request'? When we lost Wyly Hall for good, we lost more than just 12 needed rooms. Another unique part of our campus fell by the wayside. lu Doug Terry New equipment will help optometry students keep up with the la technology in their field of study, The decision to expand the spei ized college was a much needed step in the right direction, but met criticism as to the way it was handled. iPhoto - Darryl Thomasj fy- , . if sm .MHZ Advanced technology replaces the residents of Wyly Hall. Seve pieces of optometry equipment had been stored for quite some time. l these machines to be accessible to students, expansion was a nece: ty. fPhoto - Darryl Thomasj