Butler Community College - Grizzly Growl Yearbook (El Dorado, KS)

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It ' s a start... New clubs form on campus Students make their marks in college Iwith involvement

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Sport for everyone is the intent. Opposite page: Robert Hoover (left) returns the volleyball. Upper photo, John Shell throws a pass to a teammate. Lower photo, flag football champions are Palmer ' s Powerhouse. Front row from left are Greg Allen, Kim Fields, Ken Palmer (captain), Thallis Snipes, Delton Knox. Back row, Sean Fox, Tracy Peterson, Christy Ziba, Brenda McCulloch. This page: (upper left) Tad Longhofer sweeps around the end in flag football. Bennie Herring poses with his victory tennis racquet. Lower left, mixed volleyball champions include (from left) Kevin Scott, Lisa Parker, Greg French, Lillian Lamb, Tony Brinkley, Sheryl Williams, Vincent Scott. Angi Davis, Terry Thompson and Jeannete Malone, sponsor, in front. Scott Gill plays in the ping pong finals.

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Groups help meet special needs If you have problems adjusting to campus life, need some moral support, want to get in on a carpool or babysitting co-op this is the place. These words appeared in a pam- phlet that was distributed on cam- pus by members of a very new and a very unique group, Students Older Than Average or SOT A. SOTA was created to help meet some of the special needs of the students over 25 years of age here atBCCC. Starting college can be stressfrul for anyone but what is it like for the older student returning to school after raising a family or perhaps starting school for the first time amoung all the kids? In his column written early in the fall semester, Walter Anderson, staff writer for The Lantern, sum- med up the feelings experienced by an older student like this, It is like being put in a tub full of ice water, with lots of ice. It is a real culture shock. It was in fact Anderson ' s column and a letter to the editor written in response to that column that led to the formation of SOTA. In her letter to the Lantern editor, Sharon Castleberry of El Dorado said that she had returned to college at UT after raising three children and had come into contact with a group of people in the same situation as herself, members of a group called Students Older Than Average. After reading Castleberry ' s let- ter several people on campus decided that there was a need for just such an organization at Butler. A computer printout concluded that the average age of the students at BCCC was 25 years old, and soon posters appeared announcing that SOTA ' s first meeting would be Oct. 24 and all students over the age of 25 were invited to attend. Seven people attended that first meeting and there they had a chan- ce to brainstorm and discuss their concerns. After that, SOTA met once a month but unlike traditional organizations they met at different times so they could cover a wider range of students. Judy Strain, faculty advisor for SOTA said, This group is not traditional in that they don ' t have elected officers, they are really just a support group. One of Sota ' s activities was the Recovery Room set up in the In- dependent Study Center for those students suffering from the trauma of enrollment. At the Recovery Room stricken students could find comfort in doughnuts and coffee and a sympathetic ear to listen to their problems. Another important activity was to provide emergency transportation to school for the members if it was needed. A baby sitting co-op was also organized. The members of SOTA now have a representative on the Student Ac- tivity Council to try to insure that the concerns and interests of the older students are given the same considedrations as the interests of the younger students. SOTAmembers and guests visit informally around a table in the CIS since they have no regular meeting place. They are (from left) Jetta Lee, Kevin Vail, Hank Choens, Dr. Jerilee Moser, Billye Foster, Steve King, Karla Knaussman, Judy Strain (faculty adviser), Betty Simecka-Pappas. Groups 27