Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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28 spring break

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out the year other groups began testing their minds and bodies to see how long they could last at just about anything. Shortly after 1 975 spring break, Mother ' s Worry Tav- ern stayed open for 60 hours straight. The dance floor wasn ' t crowded, but the few couples dancing were : tenacious. Six couples began the 60-hour bump-a- thon , but only three couples lasted the duration. We got a 10-minute break every two hours, Greg Cline, one of the sturdier participants, said. I was rub- bing Ben Gay into my legs during the breaks. On February 1 9, ten more couples survived the trial this time lasting 62 hours. Ironically, both marathon dances were put on to raise i money for Muscular Distrophy of America. About $2,000 was raised in the first effort with $5,000 as the : second ' s goal. If the dances set a world record, Guiness doesn ' t list the dancers ' names in its celebrated pages. Apparently i the editors have never heard of the bump , or were afraid to ask what it was when they received the record entry application from the dancers. Such are the trials and tribulations of the marathoner. Imagination seems to be the key in the marathon : business. Card games helped raise money for other charities across America. The annual Black and Gold Card-a-thon , in March 1975 lasted four days, allowing 65 persons from Acacia and Alpha Xi Delta to play cards in shifts. Spades, hearts, and bridge kept the participants busy at card tables in front of the Union. Nearly $2,000 was raised for the K-State Speech and Hearing Center, Pittman Hall in New York, and the Capper Foundation for Crip- pled Children in Topeka. In another charity drive, members of the K-State and University of Kansas chapters of Kappa Kappa Gamma staged a run-a-thon in October to raise money for the Burns Center at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City. More than 160 women participated, meeting at a halfway point between Manhattan and Lawrence. A participant from each chapter ran a mile, then was picked up in a car, and replaced by another Kappa. $2,300 was collected to help buy medical equipment for the center. A 3,200 lap swim-a-thon meant survival for the K- State women ' s swim team, which was in danger of los- ing its status as an intercollegiate contender. Last October, 16 team members each swam 200 lengths. The $2,000 the team raised for the effort gained it reinstatement. Marathons and more marathons. K-Staters couldn ' t seem to exhaust the marathon possibilities. Although no group succeeded in its quest for a world ' s record, charities, teams, and scholarship funds profited by the unselfish efforts of those who believe that people are capable of much more than they ever thought possible. marathons 27

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V; w M v A The reincarnation of recess Why the pilgrimage? In either direction, the prodding begins and ends with snow . Some can ' t get too deeply buried in the stuff or others too soon rid of it. Whichever, in the middle of March, book-badgered col- legiates pack it up for a spring break. The non-snow faction migrates south, using the sun for their guiding star. Sweeping through Dixie, a Kan- sas Yankee can pick up mouse ears from Florida, a drawl in Texas, or the quick-steps from Old Mexico. Regardless of the souvenir, the aches of winter are baked into memories, not to be remembered for at least eight months. Alas, if it were only true. As classes resume too soon, so does the blizzardous climate of Kansas. And the tanables must re-enter hibernation to await the second coming of spring. Now for those of opposite opinion, the sun is still admired but only if their feet, ankles, and knees are swamped with snow. And under all that, which is so often poetically called a blanket , lurks a pair of skis waxed and waiting for the show to start with a down- ward shove. And like their southern cousins, on the trip they may also pick up a few remembrances like bro- ken limbs, rearranged faces, or disconnected spines. But it ' s all a part of the package deal and the chance for the uneventful run is there. At the end of the week, the downhillers are forced to make a clean break with the marrow of Colorado and strike out across the Kansas plains. If riding on ice all the way home, the snow bunnies smile at the proba- bility of another chilly Easter. When the returning ski- blood is still too hot, majestic Mt. Bleu of Lawrence can bring cooling relief. Decisions, decisions. And all because of the snow. But returnees can take comfort in the thought that even Annette and Frankie were torn between the beaches and slopes. So when comparing third degree burns or thigh-high plaster casts, one conclusion can be drawn. It isn ' t always just like the movies. spring break 29