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

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Organized Chaos Saturday ' s pool party and sand volleyball broke the monotony of the required infor- mation sessions. Many students felt a bit overloaded with the activities, despite a shorter schedule from previous years. It is really starting to feel like camp, Katie Mosbey said. I ' m not really looking for- v rard to anything else this week. The busy schedule came to a close with Bearcat Rally, Tiger by the Tail and Sunday ' s Northwest New Student Convocation. Advantage Week gave these wide-eyed freshmen a chance to get acquainted with the campus before the first day of classes. Northwest was once again crawling with life, and the new students were officially ready for the trimester to begin. Freshmen volunteers slip into a trance at the command of hypnotist Frederick Winters. The hypnotist was one of the more interactive events that attracted a large crowd. p ioto by Christine Ahrens Transfer Experience by Jill Robinson Student Orientation And Registration, Advantage Week and Freshmen Seminar were programs that tightly held the hands of incoming freshmen to make the transi- tion to college a smooth one. Unfortu- nately, transfer students, who were equally new to the ways of the University, some- times got lost in the chaos. Rebecca Dunn, coordinator SOAR ad- missions, decided this needed to change. Meeting with focus groups made up of transfer students, Dunn received feedback on their experience. The plan was to help them adjust to life at Northwest. The chal- lenge was that these students already knew the college routine, Dunn said. To meet the needs of the individuals, Transfer Information Programs was put into effect. This was the first year it was used, and T.I. Rs offered basic information that transfers realized they needed once the year had already begun. It ' s just an idea of getting more infor- mation out, Dunn said. Transfer students are special because they know how to be a col- lege student so they don ' t think they need any help. I just want them to know a few tips; a litde bit more than they thought they needed. Three, one-hour sessions were given in the fall. Insight on campus activities, career ser- vices and computing services were the focus of the first meeting. The following two weeks, representatives of different offices spoke on topics like student employment, the B. D. Owens Library, the Talent Development Cen- ter and financial assistance. V ile the attendance was low with only eight students at the first session and four at the following two, Dunn remained optimistic about the trial run of the program. She hoped more interest would be shown as adjustments were made. It ' s been low and yet I ' ve had them fill out evaluation sheets and they ' ve all been really appreciative of the information they ' ve re- ceived. Dunn said. I think it was worth it. 10 Student Life

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Organized by Jill Robinson Sweat-streaked faces, red from the heat and the chore of unpacking, flooded the floors of the residence halls, Thursday, Aug. 24, as the incoming freshmen arrived to es- tablish their new homes. Welcomed by scorching temperatures and the smiling faces of Cat Crew volunteers, overstuffed vehicles invaded any potential parking space. The confusion created a mix- ture of chaos and excitement throughout the campus. Unpacking the endless boxes was the first step. The next challenge at hand was trans- forming the bare rooms into the new homes students would be occupying for the months ahead. Crystal Carner traveled two hours from her home in Mercer, Mo., to experience life in Mar ville. With boxes and luggage randomly scattered about the room, (iarner and her family contemplated on where to begin. I ' m a pack rat, but I will cram it all in and still bring more stuff, Garner said. I prob- ably have more clothes than anyone on this floor. With an older sister already attending the University, the process of moving in was not new for the Garner family. For some stu- dents however, this was a learning experi- ence from the very beginning. One girl didn ' t bring anything, Sarah Moser said. She didn ' t bring sheets or any extra items, just clothes. She didn ' t know you were supposed to, 1 guess. Preparation was not a problem for two roommates in Dieterich Hall. They con- structed an entertainment system under one of the lofts to create maximum space. The project took all day to assemble, but it had a space for everything from the stereo to refrigerator. Unpacking and arranging each room was the focus for most of the afternoon. How- ever, once families said their goodbyes, Chaos freshmen prepared themselves for the ac- tivities planned throughout Advantage Week. Rockfest, a barbecue complete with mu- sic and random games of duck duck, goose, provided a chance for students to get to know their roommates and floor oc- cupants. Hypnotist I ' rederick Winters had Lamkin Activity Center echoing with laughter Thursday night. Slipping into their trances, Winters ' volunteers humored the audience with a UFO-sighting talk show and a fear of tiny, rubber, man-eating worms. Winters said he enjoyed the show as much as the students, and one of his favorite as- pects of these performances was it never grew old. 1 love these shows, especially when you have your big, overgrown guys, your foot- ball players, telling you their name is Gin- ger, or three guys rubbing each others knees, Winters said. It ' s harmless and in good fun. I like the variety in all the re- sponses. The hypnotist was not the only event scheduled for the week. I-reshmen Seminar classes and computer training sessions started Friday ' s list of activities. A pancake feed at the International Plaza created a midmorning break, and then it was back to the classroom setting. Bertice Berry was the main activity for the night. She spoke about being your own person and the effects of drugs and alcohol. Ifp THf pvTiDinBniwftnv] Photos ■ Video la Advantage Week

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In a hypnotic state, Angel Jennings plays with her imaginary pet. Hypnotist Frederick Winters entertained the audi- ence by putting volunteers into bizarre situtations. phofo by Christine Ahrens Fingers wrapped around the envelope that holds her keys, Amber Brazil checks into Perrin Hall with Kathryn Hamilton. Perrin Hall was changed to an all- freshmen hall, which made move-in day hectic, p ioto by Christine Ahrens Members of the Cat Crew move freshmen into Hudson Hall. The Cat Crew was a vital part of move-in day because of organization and teamwork. photo by Christine Ahrens Advantage Week 11