CAFNR Week not just 'cows and plows'

By Ettie Berneking

Published Sept. 25, 2007

CAFNR Week, which included 11 days of barbecue; kings and queens; good-humored competition; and educational activities, closed Friday with the annual Barnwarming celebration.

The week, which had a theme of "We're Here, There and Everywhere," was put on by students in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

The college kicked off its annual events on Sept. 13 at the City of Columbia Twilight Festival.

During the week, students set up booths, competed in games and fundraising, and provided students with barbecue and pizza.

They also tried to show MU students what the college is all about.

"We're not just cows and plows," Steering Committee member Jena Thompson said.

Thompson, who competed at Thursday's Knowledge Bowl trivia event, said CAFNR Week is really about bringing together students from the college.

"For a week we celebrate the diversity of our school," she said.

CAFNR Week gets students from a variety of majors involved in the activities. Agriculture-related clubs competed against each other in activities including mud volleyball and skit night.

Some activities helped to raise funds for charity. Change Wars, in which clubs competed to collect the most change, raised more than $500 during the week. The money was donated to Farm Safety 4 Just Kids.

This is the first year CAFNR has worked with FS4JK, a non-profit organization devoted to promoting a safe farm environment to prevent health hazards, injuries and fatalities to children.

"Anything we can do to give back to the community," CAFNR Week 2007 director Christine Tew said.

Tew, one of three directors for the week, has been involved with the event since her freshman year at MU.

When Tew first got involved, she said the week was known as Ag Week and focused mainly on the agricultural majors and left out other programs in the college.

"Within the last two years, CAFNR Week has gone through a lot of changes," Tew said.

Events that used to be held off campus have returned to locations such as Jesse Hall and Lowry Mall.

Changing the name to CAFNR Week included all majors in the college, such as the food science and natural resources programs.

In order to get students more involved in the college, several of the events held last week were stationed in the middle of campus.

At the Little Ag Expo on Sept. 19, clubs set up informational booths promoting their organization and agriculture on Lowry Mall.

Pizza and drinks were provided to students who wandered by.

"All you had to do was go around the booths, and we fed you lunch," Tew said.

Booths provided wandering students with information about the college and everything it offers.

"We really wanted to get it across that this college is more than just farming," Tew said.

Out of about 30 clubs in the college, over half of those participate in the events during the week, Tew said.

Clubs receive points throughout the week for winning competitions and participating in events.

The points are tallied up at the end of the week, and the winning team is awarded the spirit cup during the Barnwarming celebration.

The dinner was catered by the Mizzou BBQ Team and followed by a dance.

Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, which has an agricultural focus, took home the trophy this year.

Clubs can also nominate candidates for CAFNR king and queen.

Candidates must submit an application, send in a resume, and sit through an interview by alumni, CAFNR Associate Dean Paul Vaughn and the week's three directors.

The selected king and queen are awarded a scholarship from the college.

This year, seniors Tyne Morgan and James Tvrdy were crowned queen and king out of 20 candidates who applied, Tew said.

The royal duo is required to attend events all week.

They are also required perform a skit and lip synch to a song to entertain students who show up to celebrate the week.

After ten days of trivia, mud volleyball and informational events, Tew said she and the rest of the Steering Committee were ready for the week to end so they could start planning next year's event.

Tew said planning starts 11 months in advance.

"It's completely student planned," she said.

The preparation paid off, CAFNR Week director Kyle Allen said.

"This year went as well as expected, if not better," he said. "We can't wait for next year."