Nathaniel Hale
The 1990s What a Great Decade

The ‘90s, what a great decade, so much to say, where to start?  Most of my childhood years were spent growing up in the 90s although I grew up in Texas a long way from Northeastern State University I’ve done my homework and things were pretty cool here at NSU.  There was a lot going on in the 90s here at NSU.  The 90s were a special time at NSU with student life at an all time high and where school spirit flourished.  There was much pride in being apart of NSU in anyway in the 90s.  From doing all this research one cannot argue with the thought that student life and morale was way more intense than it is today.  The northeastern and year books jumped out to me overwellming me with pride to be apart of NSU, but at the same time making me hope we as a student body now our living up to the legacy left to us.  Step by step you could call the 90s decade years that were filled with different stories for each person attending the University, from the first freshman to enroll for the new semester to the last student to drive away from campus after commencement.  Students embarked on their own journeys; starting years filled with hopes and new experiences, entering a new decade and taking on its challenges every step of the way. 

So let it begin, the 90s decade.  University life was a big deal back then whether it was a visit from a former U.S. president, concerts, plays or festivals, students discovered there was a lot to do on campus. In 1990 NSU was visited by former president of the united states Jimmy Carter and charmed his Oklahoma audience.  Carter gave a 45-minute speech at Gable field with 6,500 people in attendance.  Carter was quoted saying “We need to share with others in our freedom and democracy and if you’ll excuse the expression, love is all we need.”.  What a start what a quote I think NSU took this quote to heart and spread the message.  Another huge guest on campus that year was .38 Special holding the first concert of the decade at NSU.  On a late night October 4 in the fine arts auditorium a crowd of over 900 jovial rock and roll enthusiasts were taken on a journey; a journey of lights, metallic bass and southern hospitality, as .38 Special performed strategically in front of admirers as Darryl Thomas put it.  .38 Special was on a two-week tour of southern colleges and NSU was on the list.  In 1992 comedian and future tonight show host Jay Leno appeared at NSU as part of the NSU program Growing University.  Also coming to NSU was TVs “America’s Funniest People” looking for funny people with hilarious acts.  Award winning country singer Vince Gill came in 1992 putting on a concert in the fine arts auditorium bringing audience of 1200 to there feet.  In 1994 King of the blues, B.B. King played to a packed house of area fans in the Fine Arts Auditiorium, also that year broadway sensasion ‘Cabaret” performed.  1995 the NSU campus was vistited by Poncho Sanchez a Jazz musician looked at as one of the greats.  Garth Brooks highly awarded country singer who will someday be in the Hall of fame performed in the 90s at NSU attracting the biggest crowd ever attended to a concert.  Film director and writer Spike Lee also graced us with his presence filming a commercial for aids awareness in the 90s.  NSU held host to some great people in the 90s making University life something you wanted to be envolved in.  <

Along with university life comes Academics and the 90s at NSU was packed with upgraded programs, new technology and higher standards, remodling buildings, building new buildings etc, the reason for college became prominent.  Some of the up grades in these areas included new admissions standards that seemed to make freshman brighter and more motivated.  NSU’s academics demanded the upmost and the best from there students not wanting to come off as just a smaller college to go to that was easy.  The bar was set high and met year in and year out by zealous students of the 90s.  In 1994 NSU was ranked nationaly as a state university that averaged a gpa of 3.24 overall as a student body.  Students from the 90s decade give all the credit to professors who were willing to work with students in and out of class.  Professors that cared about getting them to the next level was the overall feel.  These academic accomplishments were helped a lot by technology.  In the 90s at NSU just like the rest of the world technology was growing so fast and continued to have a major impact on higher education.  As computers became faster and easier to use, their applications in an instructional environment became more numerous.  As the decade continued so did this process.  If they could have only known what computers were going to be like today lol.  Computers started poping up every were and helped in a lot of ways in all the departments of NSU.  But NSU president W. Roger Webb was a strong believer that people at NSU would remain to be the most important factor.  Along with computers came lots of other fun things on campus that helped student life on campus like; calculators, projectors, dry erase boards, better fucting desks, cd players, cell phones and etc… all helped in highr education.  The 90s was the start of all the technology that we could not do with out today and NSU used all of them.  Buildings being remodeled in the 90s started with seminary hall bringing a spark to the campus.  After that in 1994 the newly constructed Muskogee branch of Northeastern was utilized by all the various colleges.  Conituing the trend in 1995 the Net building was started and away she went with numerous remodeings and up grades NSU was keeping up with the jones in the 90s. 

The process of all these remodels and new addition was a reflection of the growth of NSU enrollment that was taking place in the 90s with a estimated growth of 2,000 students during the 90s.  Were did all this growth come from? The answer was People that attended NSU in the 90s.  White ,black, asian, Hispanic, Native American, male or female, resident or commuter, each student was an asset to NSU in the 90s.  NSU was a place for everyone welcoming them with open arms in the 90s.  It was not the historic buildings although they gave one a strong sencse of heritage; it was not the scenic campus although it was one of the most beautiful in the nation; nor was it the advanced technology although NSU in the 90s was on the cutting edge.  What really set the university apart from the others in the 90s was the people, for they were such a very diverse group for there time with a variety of unique talents.  It would be unfair to try and list them all in fear of leaving someone out. The 90s Students and Faculity at NSU were defined in my book as passionate in every thing they did.  They all worked towards one goal “Excellence.”  People at NSU from the 90s have gone on to become Americans that have made a difference.

Doctors,lawyers,teachers,musicans,actors,coaches,pro athletes, business owners, outstading citizens, military etc… anyone that was an alum from the 90s from NSU made a difference and they all have each other to thank.  NSU in the 90s gave individuals a chance to become capable of great things.  And I am greatful to be in a decade that has followed theirs hoping to fill their shoes.

A lot of these people at NSU could be found in the different oranizations on campus.  Each individual at NSU in the 90s had his or her own interests.  Organizations were one of the best ways to explore those interests, be it for fun or to help establish a future career they were sought after.  NSU organizations consited from a wide range of indviduals. In the 90s at NSU you had your Advertising club, Association of Black Collegiates, BACCHUS, BSU#1, Beta Beta Beta, Alpha Chi officers, Campus Christian Fellowship, Cheerleaders, Chi Alpha, Club Mad, Collegiates for Choice, Criminal Justice, Dance Class, Home Economics Club, International Student Assoc, Majestics, Menc, Model United Nations, Northeastern Activities Board, Mortheastern Optometric Student Assoc, Native American Student Assco, Northeastern Speech, Hearig and Language Assoc, NSU Karate Club, Nursing, Phi Mu Alpha, Optometry Club, President’s Leadership Class, Resident Hall Assoc, Senate Assoc, Social work Club, Society for Collegiate Journalists, Student Okalhoma Education Assoc, Tau Beta Sigma, Tsa La Gi yearbook, The Northeastern, Wesley foundation, Wonen in Optometry, ROTC, Habitat for Humanity, Nab, RHA, Pemm club, Writers Assoc, Archeological Society, Sigma Tau Delta, NSA, Foundation Scholars, PLC, Phi Theta Kappa, JCA, Lambda Alpha Epsilon, Kappa Delta Pi, Redmen Ambassadors, Alpha Psi Omega, Entertainers, Jazz Club, Menc, Ebony G, NASA, Political Science, Marketing Club, Fashion Club, etc…  all brought life to the university and the surronding community.  One that stood out in the 90s was Bacchus a organization commited to Boost Alcohol Consciousness Concernig the Health of University Students.  All in all everyone in these orginazations were a contributing factor on the succsess of the 90s at NSU.  Orginazations were envolved in everything as you can read they kept things moving and alive and kickin.  But we can’t leave out some of the biggest organizations found at NSU in the 90s the juice behind spirit THE GREEK COMMUNITY.  Sororities consisted of Alpha Sigma Alpha, Delta Zeta, Tri Sigmas, Alpha Omicron Pi and Alpha Kappa Alpha.  Fraternities consisted of  Pi Kappa Alpha, Pi Sigma Kappa, Lambda Chi Alpha, Kappa Sigma, Phi Lambda Chi, Tau Kappa Epsilon and Kappa Alpha Psi.  Year after year in the 90s NSU greek community boasted a thriving and growing system.  Greeks proved once again to be a vital part of campus life in the 90s.  Years of active involvement on campus, outstanding service to their community, and leadership development made an indelible mark on all who were touched by the Greeks in the 90s.  They brought life and spirit in every thing they did for the Redmen. 

Another big part of the 90s at NSU were sports and man it was a lot different back then they won in almost everything they competed in.  starting with football stands were packed and fans were on there feet praising the redmen at every game that was played.  Head football coach Tom Eckert was in his third season when the 90s started and man did his hard work pay off for the NSU Redmen had six playoff births and in 1994 one NAIA national championship.  The Redmen pourded there hearts into the program and left everything on the field this is a lot different from what we see every fall today.  The biggest football star to come out of NSU in the 90s was Derrick Moore.  Derrick Morre helped carry NSU to the national playoffs and demonstrated his Christian faith both on and off the field.  Derrick Moore only was at NSU for a short time but 6-0, 225- pound Moore received NAIA all-American first team honors, rushed fo 1,502 yards and scored 16 touchdowns to help in his way to the NFL draft and ended up being drafted to the Atlanta Falcons.  Along with football came baseball, soccer, tennis and both men and womens basket ball teams.  All of these came up with plalyoff births and national tittles to coinsiding with how spirited the NSU redmen athletes and student body were in the 90s.  They had so much pride in representing NSU in there sports that it was left on the fields and courts that they competed on in the 90s witch is something we lack today.

In closing I would like to say the students at NSU in the 90s let it all hang out took pride in there school and it showed the 90s was the most spirited and productive all around decade that the school had ever seen.  As they began the last decade of the 20th century, the only constant was change.  And with the rate at which technology was mushrooming, there was little doubt that the University was bound to change.  But I feel they hoped that cetain things would’t change and those certain things were the people and comrodedy that the NSU Redmen shared in the 90s.  the 90s were a decade were people still interacted with each other daily cared and supported one another in succseding here at NSU.  I think if they as a whole had a question for us today it would be “Have we lost sight of the pride of being at NSU?” and I don’t know if we could answer with a defant answer of no.