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

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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

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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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Homecoming kids ' reactions made it all worth- while. Although clowns were an important part of the Homecoming parade, the more complex and animated entries were the floats. It (float building) was an entire year project, but 60 percent of the work was done three days before the parade, said Ted Roberts, Delta Chi float chair- man. Everything planned was chang- ed. Float construction was expensive and time consuming, it really gave organization ' s actives and pledges a chance to get to know each other, said Charlene Johnson, presi- dent of Sigma Society. It was a positive aspect to Homecoming. But for the sororities, Homecoming interaction was limited. After paying fines incurred from a sorority party, sororities decided to focus on clowns rather than expensive floats. Accor- ding to Teeter, when sororities pulled out of the float competition, they saved money, but lost involvement and com- raderie. Even though float entries were reduced, storybook characters still strode the streets and others looked on from their stationary house decs. Phi Sigma Kappa felt goals had been reached when their house dec received first. We took a lot of pride in it and it was one thing we excelled in and look- ed forward to, Vice President Kent Pudenz said. In the independent category, Millikan Hall captured first place with Bobby ' s Web. I was shocked when 1 heard of the placings because of the condition it was in Friday night, said Gayle Pounds, Millikan Hall Council president. Bobby ' s Web had been shredded from a combination of Mother Nature and vandals. The storybook weekend progressed into game time where the Bearcats and -continued Musicians Shiawn Sallee and Brad Killeen sing Bits and Pieces which they wrote. They were one of the oleo acts performed during the Varie- ty Show which ran for two nights. -Photo by S. Trunlthiil Pleading with Coach Joyce Espey not to maite her quarterbaclt, Susie Bath considers the situa- tion. Alpha Sigma Alpha presented the Wizard of Northwest with various songs and dances. -Photo by S. Trunkhill 18 Homecoming