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

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Peers Aid Adjustment Throughout Orientation the Advantage team helped to ease the transition from home to college By Dale Brown Although most students were still eiyoying their summer vaca- tions, Northwest was busy preparing for its nationally-renowned Fresh- man Orientation Week. Peer Advisers, Resi- dent Assistants and Student Ambassadors, among other volunteers, all took part in the Advantage program which helped incoming freshmen ac just to the oddities and rigors of life on a college campus. We had a lot of activities for the students that helped them get to know each other and get their minds off home, Troy Oehlertz, North Complex head R.A., said. Many of them had some strange questions like if they could take their beds home with them. Some of the women ' s parents even said they didn ' t need a front door key since they would al- ways be in before midnight lockout. Oehlertz felt things went smoothly, overall, considering the chaos of first week activities. Student Ambassadors played a key part in the Advantage week by helping with regis- tration, Freshman Olympiad, Playfair, Par- ents ' Seminar and Casino Night. I felt Advantage was eryoyable for fresh- men, Jill Erickson, Student Ambassador, said. Many students came to us with ques- tions or problems because we had all been there and knew what it was like. We helped them adjust to college both academically and socially. ' ' Many freshmen appreciated the help given to them during their first week on campus since many of them had never been away from home for a long length of time. I was excited about being out on my own, but I didn ' t really know what to expect and how I would feel for the first few weeks, Gary Kirkpatrick said. Having some people around that had been here and weren ' t too old and gray to talk with made the switch smoother ' ' Campus Activity Programmers also provid- ed some entertainment breaks from the aca- demic testing associated with Advantage week by sponsoring a variety of activities ranging from dances, comedy acts and mo- vies, to hypnotist Jim Wand. Attendance of the events was high and many of the students ergoyed the opportunity to interact. In the end, playing mom and dad for a few days was just another job associated with be- ing on the staff of the Advantage program. Although they didn ' t always have the an- swers or solutions, the thought of just being present or around to listen helped add secu- rity to the freshman ' s life. FEATURED SPEAKER JOE Clark offers words of encouragement to incoming students and their families. Photo by Don Ca rrick Orientation 15

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PEER ADVISER GLENN Wagner looks over Le- mond Warren ' s computer password form. Wagner spent the first day of Orientation helping at North Complex to ease the R. A. ' s responsibilities. Photo by Don Carrick HYPNOTIZED STUDENTS, THINKING they are airplanes, pretend to soar through the air during Dr. Jim Wand ' s show during Orientation. Wand, a campus favorite, gave two performances during the year. Photo by Brandon Russell. ACCOMPANIED BY HIS mother, Mary Jane, Phil Steins talks to an Advantage staff member about what to expect during Orientation week. Mary Jane graduated from Northwest with a degree in Elementary Education the previous spring. Pho- to by Don Carrick 14 Orientation

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n a Rush Greeks give rushees a chance to see what ' s behind the letters They had heard the stories— tales not only of late-night bashes and carefree attitudes, but also of brotherhood and sisterhood. Who were these people that were so intrigued by the excite- ment and support a Greek organization obviously provided? They were the nearly 600 freshmen and upperclassmen who participated in Rush to find out exactly what Greek life could offer them. A lot of college interns I worked with this summer said they always had a good time, Richard Green, Alpha Kappa Lambda pledge, said. They said the fraternity helped them with their grades during pledge- ship in addition to always having someone there to look after them. During a two-week Rush, men and women learned about different sororities and fraternities by attending numerous activities planned by the organizations. They were designed to help rushees feel comfortable with the organization and get to know more members. Events ranged from movies and chili suppers to river football and various other activities. Tau Kappa Epsilon brought Bluff ' s Run to the ' Ville at their TKE Night at the Track. Thom Rossmanith, the event coordinator, got video tapes of the dog races. He changed the animals ' names and gave out racing pro- grams listing each race to be shown. Each rushee received $500 in play money to bet with. At the end of the night the money could be used to purchase prizes such as gift certifi- cates for free haircuts or bowling and Greek hats donated by area merchants. According to Rossmanith, 74 rushees attended the event. Most of the pro- grams were given to actives so rushees had to ask them in order to get the information for the races. This helped actives and rushees interact and get to know each other better. Another fraternity, Alpha Kappa Lambda, dared to go a little more on the wild side. They hired exotic dancers to perform at one of their functions, which proved to be a big hit with many. What guy didn ' t like seeing nude women dance around and take money from you? Cory Clevenger, AKL pledge, said. It was funny to see this one guy about have a heart- attack while giving this woman a dollar bill. During Rush, pledges not only had to at- tend events, but also had to go to study hours, weekly meetings and maintain a 2.25 grade point average. Study hours were more intense than ever, Sammy Shade, Delta Chi, said. We placed our pledges in Colden Hall instead of the library where thay could socialize. Organizations offered pledges they want- ed to become members an invitation to join their group on Bid Day. After receiving their -continued MEMBERS OF Alpha Sigma Alpha pose for an informal picture by the Bell Tbwer. The sorority ' s 69 active members welcomed 38 pledges after Rush. Photo by Stacy Bauter ALPHA KIM Anderson and Sigma Sigma Sig- ma Ramona Dillinger enjoy the festivities of Bid Day together. An- derson was a Rho Chi, which made her respon- sible for helping pledg- es pick sororities. Pho- to by Stacy Bauter 16 Greek Life