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

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Frozen Funnies parade instead of being underneath it, said Cindy Croson, Kalley Fiilccan. Winning parade awards also made participation in the parade more worthwhile for some groups. In the Greek women ' s division, Alpha Sigma Alpha and Sigma Sigma Sigma took first and second places, respectively, and Delta Zeta and Phi Mu tied for third. The Tau Kappa Epsilon float, based on Peanuts, took first place in the Greek men ' s division, followed by Phi Sigma Epsilon in second and Sigma Tau Gamma in third. In the independent category for floats, the Sigma Society, the In- dustrial Arts Club and Hudson Hall placed first, second and third, respectively. Parade supremacy went to Phi Sigma Epsilon in the Greek men ' s division. Alpha Sigma Alpha in the Greek women ' s division and Hud- son Hall in the independent category. Unfortunately the football team ' s efforts were not as well rewarded, as the Bearcats fell to the Northeast Missouri State Bulldogs 0-52, and failed to retrieve the coveted hickory stick. The Bulldogs took advantage of a weak ' Cat defense, scoring touchdown after touchdown while frustrated NWMSU fans screamed in the stands. The pre-game show and halftime provided highlights in the game, however, as 35 area high schools were hosted by the Marching Bear- cats during the pre-game and alumni Jim Litsch was featured on the trumpet during halftime. It was really neat to see all those people out on the field during the pre-game show, said Carol Knight. I was really proud of my school even though we lost the game. After the game ended, Gary Hogue, a senior tight-end and punter, was awarded the Don Black Memorial Trophy for the outstan- ding performance in the Home- coming game. Saturday night, after the game, about 1,000 students danced to the band Secrets and waited for awards to be presented in Lamkin Gym, and the annual alumni dance was held in the National Guard Ar- mory. As Homecoming came to a close, some students were dismayed by the cold weather and the football defeat, but others remembered the fun and preparation that had gone into Campus Comics. Chris Hughes and Andy Marty wrap themselves in a blanket during the Homecoming parade line up. Temperatures were in the low thirties dur- ing the parade. Snoopy cha.ses (he Red Baron in the scene depicted on the Tau Kappa Epsilon float, which placed first in the Greek men ' s float competition. Homecoming 17

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Keeping to the theme of Campus Com- ics, this clown amuses the crowd as| Popeye. A wide variety of comic strips u were represented in the parade. 16 Homecoming

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An end and a beginning IS Commencement Day, May 9, 1981 and the changing scene bore out the old axiom that the more things change the more they stay the same. As graduates left the familiar world of school, they moved into the world of uncertanties in new op- portunities... became freshmen again, in the words of Dr. Richard Leet, who spoke at Spring Com- mencement. During the exercises, Leet was honored with the presenta- tion of the University ' s Distinguish- ed Alumni Award. Leet told the graduates that until that day parents, teachers, all socie- ty, had planned, supported and en- couraged each new beginning of growth and education. Now, each graduate will have to look after his own growth, said Leet. A living example of the changing scene at Northwest and beyond is Leet, who, after graduating from Northwest in 1948, took respon- sibility for his own growth and is now president of Standard Oil of In- diana ' s Amoco Chemical Company. That achievement made a deep im- pression on many seniors as they sat in cap and gown. It occured to me that you can succeed no matter what, if you ' re bound and determined to, said Dave Ceperly. That idea was echoed by Mary Beth Clayton. Describing Leet ' s speech as down-to-earth, she said, he was an inspiring example of someone who had graduated from Northwest and made his mark in the world. The point was that it was up to you to do what you can. After their years of study and before the beginning of their careers, in what Ceperly defined as a few short minutes, Clayton and 366 additional seniors received their bachelor ' s degrees, and 28 graduate students were awarded their master ' s degrees. Graduation Like Leet, Opal Eckert spoke of beginnings to the graduates at the August 7, 1981 summer commence- ment. Reaching into the last cen- tury, Eckert thanked those respon- sible for the beginning, for the vi- sion and the fulfillment, of the university itself. The promises of that beginning have been passed to each Northwest graduate, said Eckert, and it is up to each to make and keep promises to themselves and others. Drawing on her years of English study and instruction Eckert sug- gested that graduates study Robert Frost ' s poem about promises, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Out of Frost ' s hesita- tions and meditations came the deci- sion to move on to complete his goals. Receiving master ' s degrees were 130 graduate students and 102 seniors received their bachelor ' s degrees. Eckert, who earned two undergraduate degrees and her master ' s at Northwest, was presented the Distinguished Service Award and the Distinguished Alum- ni Award, the two highest awards given by the University. A student and a teacher for 52 years, most of them spent in northwest Missouri, Eckert ended her teaching career as an instructor of English and journalism at Northwest. Commencement, spring and sum- mer, 1981: for the graduated, new beginnings and promises to keep; for the undergraduates, the beginn- ings of preparation for the changing scenes of life. Dr. Richard Leet, a 1948 graduate of Nor- thwest, delivers an encouraging speech at the university ' s spring commencement. Leet is president of Standard Oil of In- diana ' s Amoco Chemical Company.