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

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Controversy arose when the Delta Chi clown Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, driven by Sam Mason, received second place. Some felt it was too big to be considered a clown. Photo by S. Trunkhill Sponsored by Phi Sigma Kappa, Laurie Von Stein Is the 1985 Homecoming Queen. Von Stein is a senior from Bondurant, Iowa with a marketing office administration major. She was also crowned Tower Queen last spring. -Photo by B. Bateman Volunteering about 12 hours a week for three weeks, brought the Phi Sigma Kappa fellows a first place trophy on their Sesame Street house dec. -Photo by D. Kempker 16 Homecoming Hiim-m

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I Rainy days fail to dampen spirits Graduation! Lee Hageman leads the procession at summer jmmencement with the mace, the University rch of learning. Hageman was one of the ssigners of the mace, used in all official ?remonies. Photo by S. Trunkhlll Anticipation and precipitation filled the air as people ran a- round in robes and rain- coats. After 16 years of school, graduates left their books behind. More than 5,000 people jammed in- to Lamkin Gym to see over 600 under- graduate and nearly 100 graduate de- grees awarded during commencement ceremonies May 1 1. The thought of graduating wasn ' t that big of a deal because I was going on with further schooling, Shari Schroder said. However, the gradua- tion ceremony was more than I had ex- pected. The realization of what I had accomplished came, not as 1 walked across the stage, but at the moment when our entire graduating class mov- ed our tassels from right to left. Brigadier General Jim Joy, U.S. Marine Corps and 1957 graduate, gave the commencement address urging graduates to be leaders. He stressed leadership should have a personal meaning gained through constant and critical self-evaluation. Joy also challenged the graduates to be technically sound in their field, set positive examples, seek and take re- sponsibility, make good decisions and, above all, be true to themselves. During the spring ceremony. Dis- tinguished Alumni Awards were presented to Joy and Marilyn Meyer Dedrickson, a third grade in- structor at Eugene Field in St. Joseph, named Missouri ' s Teacher of the Year. Charles McLaughlin, chairman of the science department and chemistry in- structor at Center High School in St. Joseph and chosen Missouri ' s Teacher of the Year in 1982 was also honored. Despite the pomp and circumstance, some students felt high school and col- lege graduation ceremonies differed. Our high school graduation was so formal and proper, Schroder said. Walking down the aisle in May, peo- ple were talking to me and shaking my hand. It was great how people hollered ' Way to go ' to their friends as they received their diploma. Another big difference was that in high school our curls didn ' t droop while standing alph- abetically in the rain for 15 minutes. Dan Holt, a summer graduate, said the most exciting thing for him that night was the rainstorm which hit Maryville, downing trees and power lines. The lights went out for a few minutes during the ceremony, Holt said. But nobody panicked. We all just stood there waiting for them to come back on. It was interesting. Nearly 300 students braved the weather to receive their degrees at commencement ceremonies Aug. 9. In his commencement address, Uni- versity President Dean Hubbard chal- lenged graduates to strive to become Renaissance people. He warned the changing world cou- ld be terribly threatening and offen- sive to the uninformed. We want graduates who have learn- ed to gather, organize, analyze and synthesize information, to think co- The realization of wbat I had accomplished came when our graduating class moved our tassles from right to left. S. Schroder herently and to speak and write clear- ly, Hubbard said. He concluded when he said being a Renaissance person will expose you to more culture, will give you greater self- confidence, richer pleasures and a keener sense of citizenship. Graduation. Most looked forward to it for over a decade and a half. And so, in torrential downpours and ferocious summer winds, some graduates took their first steps toward the future in galoshes. By Laura Day Graduation 1 5

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storybook characters animate Homecoming Enchanted weekendl nee upon a time in the land of Nor- thwest, children ' s storybook charac- ters came to life. Children ' s faces lit up and hands applauded while favorite charac- ters were lifted from pages of imagina- tion and brought to reality for one special weekend-Homecoming. Homecoming ' s introduction was cut short with rushed preparation due to the scheduling which not only fell ear- ly, but during midterms. Limited preparation put a damper on the overall Homecoming committees. Many people who helped with Homecoming didn ' t have actual ex- perience and that set us back, said Dave Teeter, Homecoming chairman. Even though the introduction to the storybook weekend was short, Homecoming ' s first chapter began suc- cessfully in Mary Linn Performing Arts Center where all young Bearkittens and Bearcats found storybook buddies performing in the Variety Show. Because Mary Linn accommodated a larger crowd than the Charles Johnson Theater where the show was annually held, the Variety Show was limited to two nights. A favorite act was the Delta Chi ' s lovable Muppets. Leading the Muppets to a victorious audience applause and a happy ending were none other than Kermit and Miss Piggy. An oleo act, definitely prepared more than two weeks in advance, was the piano performance of Marty Mincer. Mincer captured the hysteria of listeners and ended with a final note pounded out with his right heel. A highlight of the Variety Show ' s opening night was the crowning of Homecoming Queen. Suspense grew and anticipation filled the air as the ending of one chapter in the story drew to a close. Laurie Von Stein, sponsored by Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, was announc- ed as Homecoming Queen. It was also her 22nd birthday. Being crowned queen on my birthday made it extra special, Von Stein said. 1 thought nothing good would come after 21, but it made a neat 22nd birthday present. Walkout Day introduced the next chapter by providing time to finish last minute parade preparations. Work on floats, clowns and jalopies demanded many extra hours of effort. Those hours paid off though, when Maryville residents lined streets to see the finished products of storybook characters who came to life in the col- orful parade. Extra parade precautions were taken to prevent any reoccurrence of past problems with drunken drivers of floats or jalopies. Being crowned queen on my birthday made it extra special. L. Von Stein One precaution required Campus Safety and Maryville officers to patrol before parade time. This was done for protection against something that might have happened which would have taken away from the parade, Teeter said. But no problems arose, and Once Upon a Time in Northwest had come to life. It was fun being in the parade, said Alicia Craven, who was the dish that ran away with the spoon. I ' ve never been in the parade before. Watching -continued Homecoming 1 7