Big Girl on Campus

I'm the big girl on campus! My family went to the campus of Northwest Missouri State University for a visit, and I enjoyed running around my parent's old stomping ground! This past winter a major ice storm took out a lot of trees across campus; so to make the most out of one of them just outside the Union, the stump was carved and painted to look like the mascot, Bobby Bearcat. I didn't know whether to be excited or scared!
We walked all around campus, and for some reason I found a big cement bench outside the library that I was using as my runway! I should be a model on the next Project Runway! I was walking up and down, up and down, up and down and showing off my cute dress and new shoes!
And then we went over towards the Kissing Bridge, and even though Mom kept pointing out the goldfish in the pond, I was more enthralled with picking up all the cherries that had fallen off the trees!

After we left the Kissing Bridge, we walked down the International Plaza past Bearcat Arena and crossed the street to the Christian Campus House! Dad lived in the upstairs apartment for a couple of years, and both of my parents spent lots of hours and made many many many friends here at this house! Both were impressed with the big new sign!
And my mom wanted me to post this photo of the Christian Campus House for all their CCH friends out there to show the changes! The driveway has been replaced by a paved lot and landscaping! The new Campus Minister (who we met but I accidentally forgot his name) and his family lives in the house portion now, and the back big room is where CCH meets.
Mom wanted me to post this photo, too. If you went to NW around the same time as my parents, then you probably don't recognize this building (or should I say set of buildings). It has the same name as it did back in 2000, but it looks completely different! This is the new and improved Perrin and Hudson Halls!!!!!
Something else that has majorly changed is the wide open space between North and South. It is now called Centennial Park and has several columns in honor of buildings that no longer stand on campus. It's beautifully sculpted with landscaping rocks, plants, flowers and even a large firepit that I have no doubt is filled with s'mores droppings after cold Maryville nights! I loved watching the fountains built into park, too! My mom said she sure wished this was built while she lived in North and South (she lived in North for two years and South for one year).

We went into the bookstore to buy Jude and myself some Bearcat gear, but only got this photo. My parents forgot how pricey items in the bookstore was. I really wanted this NW hat, but it cost more than a tank of gas!
So we quickly left the bookstore before I started to beg. Jude wanted a bottle, so Dad sat down in the Union to feed him. Mom and I went downstairs to check out any changes to the cafeteria. Since it wasn't a normal feeding time, the Union was pretty empty and I enjoyed running in and out of the tables and long walkways!
The mascot of NW is the Bearcat...but after spending a day on campus, I have decided they should change the mascot to the most common animal on campus...................................

But I guess the Northwest Squirrels doesn't have that same National Championship ring to it that Northwest Bearcats does...