Cowley College - Tiger Daze Yearbook (Arkansas City, KS)

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College dedicates two buildings The final step in the incorporation of the Service Technology Building and the Auditorum-Gymnasium into the college campus was made in the dedication of the two buildings December 12. At the ceremony, the Service Technology Building was officially named W. H. Pat Ireland Hall, after the long-time trustee and supporter of the college. Ireland had been in- strumental in the college acquiring the building and renovating it for college use. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places Ireland Hall was originally built in 1890 as the first Arkansas City High School The building was used for a variety of pur- poses before beung purchased by the college in 1971 The college used a grant from the State Historical Society and a vocational education grant to renovate the structure into a service technology building The building which houses the cosmetology medical lab technician and police science programs officially opened for classes at the beginning of the fall term Also incorporated into Ireland Hall was a carrillon funded largely by a gift from lcel Berry in memory of her late husband. Ringing at the change of classes and on the hour when school was not in session he carrillon was housed on the third floor of the building and in the tower The carrillon was installed at a cost of over S14 000. The Auditorium!Gymnasium was built in 1936 as a Public Works Ad- ministration proiect The structure was damaged in a May 1981 tornado that swept across downtown Ark City The college acquired the building from USD 470 in a lount deal which also included giving the college possession of the high school which was vacated in January 1983 The college completely renovated the gymnasium including new seating a new playing surface and modern locker rooms. Valued at over S1 2 million the facility was considered to be one of the best for community colleges in Kansas I . . - ' 1 I I I . ,f . I . . . .- .. .. . , - I . I . sn I . Ten-year trustee dies A long-time supporter of the college, Pat Ireland passed away Oc- tober 7 at the age of 80. Ireland had served on the Board of Trustees since 1973 and served as chairman of the board during 1975-76. Ireland was well known for being a hard worker and one that was con- cerned about people. A native Kansan, Ireland attended Ottawa University and Kansas University obtaining his Masters degree in education. Ireland served as a teacher and administrator in several schools before coming to Arkansas City in 1941. Ireland worked for Kanotex Refining Co. which later became Apco Oil Corp and he retired from Apco in 1967 after 21 years of service. Memorials were established in Ireland's name with the Cowley Coun- ty Community College Endowment Association. , E - Packing plant reopens An advertisement in the Feb. 3 edition of the Arkansas City Traveler announcing the opening of Ark City Packing Company sent waves of ex- citement and speculation across the community. Six months earlier, Rodeo Meats, the city's largest employer, closed its doors putting 800 people out of work and propelling the county unem- ployment rate to over 10 percent. The new packing company was a division of John Morrell, the owner- operator of the locally defunct Rodeo Meats. The new plant advertised openings for meat production em- ployees with a starting wage of a mere S5 per hour, less than half that of Rodeo. Arkansas City Chamber of Com- merce executive vice-president Don- na Avery was both surprised and hap- py about the opening. My initial reaction was that I was extremely happy, Avery said. In my opinion it can only have an extremely positive effect on the entire com- munity. The new packing company opened their doors for applications on Sat., Feb. 5, with iob seekers showing up in excess of company expectations. People began lining up as early as midnight. In all, over 900 people ap- plied forthe available 200 iobs. While the number of iobs offered by Ark City Packing Company was a far cry from the 800 employed by Rodeo, it was felt that any unem- ployment relief was good. Two hundred iobs at S5 per hour is a payroll of 52.5 million annually for the community, Avery said. They are going to begin with a pork kill and cut operation but I would hope that they would expand beyond that. While the timing of the opening of Ark City Packing Company was a sur- prise, many felt the packing plant would reopen. It was iust too good of a facility to just sit there, Avery said. although the initial startup was a surprise. 71W 147- 1579 YES NO UNDECIDED ln February, Ark City Packtng Company announced they would be opening In the old Rodeo plant which closed In June of 1982. The new company satd that It would htre 200 workers at a starting wage of 55.00 per hour. Dtd you thtnk that the packing plant would reopen? current eventsf23

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Carlin rides tax issue to victory A severance tax on oil and gas production in the state became the key issue in the race for the Kansas governorship and proved to be the edge for incumbentJohn Carlin as he defeated Republican challenger Sam Hardage. In his victory, Carlin went against the grain of tradtional politcal pat- terns as he won by a large margin in heavily Republican Johnson County in northeast Kansas. Only twice since 1958 has that been accomplished by a Democrat. Carlin won big in the other urban centers of Kansas claiming Sedgwick, Shawnee, and Wyandotte Counties as well. Hardage won in the rural petroleum producing counties, claiming 62 in all. Carlin barely won in Cowley County, garnering 5,951 votes to Hardage's 5,47O. Statewide, Carlin won with 53 percent of the vote with Hardage claiming 44 percent and the three third party candidates get- ting one percent of the vote. In winning re-election, Carlin felt that the citizens of Kansas were voicing a mandate for the passage of a severance tax which was the cen- terpiece of Carlin's campaign. Twice since Carlin took office in 1978, the Kansas Legislature failed to pass the tax. The House successfully Carlinomics reduces spending Shortages in revenue and cuts in government spending so familiar on the federal level under Reaganomics came home to Kansas as a shortfall in collected tax revenues prompted the rise of Carlinomics and cuts in state spending. The state began the fiscal year on July 1 with 581.4 million in the state coffers, S47 million less than had been proiected by state officials in April of 1982. 6.-Z. 82 YES NO UNDECIDED On July l, Kansas enacted new laws to deter drunk drivers by imposing stiffer penalties for abusers. Do you think these laws are necessary? 22 fcurrent events To avoid a potentially dangerous financial crisis, Governor John Carlin ordered a four percent cut in spen- ding by maior state agencies. Total cuts amounted to 522.5 million which was used to replenish the cash balan- ce of the state depeleted by reduced tax revenues. The shortage of money coming into the state treasury was attributed to the bad economy. y asf Qgm 332 YES NO UNDECIDED In the gubernatorial election, John Carlin read his re-election as a mandate by the citizens of Kansas for a severance tax on gas and oil to fund the state's schools and highways. Do you feel Kansas needs a severance tax? passed the proposal both times but a few votes in the Senate have been the stumbling block. Carlin campaigned that the tax would raise S120 million which would be used to fund schools and highway improvements in addition to lowering residential property taxes. Hardage, on the other hand, reiected the tax in favor of better magagement of state government and an additional gasoline tax as a user fee to im- prove highways. Carlin was ioined on the ticket by Tom Docking, a Wichitalawyer and son of former governor and Arkansas City banker Robert Docking. State toughens up on drunk drivers Following a trend set by other states of the union, Kansas instituted tougher drunk driving laws on July 1 meaning stiffer penalities and man- datory sentences for offenders. Some of the main points of the new law included: no plea bargaining to a lesser chargep penalities are man- datory with no suspended sentencesg a two-day jail sentence or 100 hours of community services for the first time offenders in addition to a 90-day license 'loss and a S200 fine: a five- day iail sentence for second-time of- fenders with participation in a treat- ment program, loss of driver's license for one year, and a minimum S500 fine. Supporters of the law hoped that an increased awareness of drunken drivers on the road and their prosecution would be a deterrent to those who drink and drive, resulting in less accidents, iniuries, and death on the roads. While the effectiveness of the new law will not be known for a year, arrests by the Kansas Highway Patrol were up 26 percent in the first three months under the law. Although the law was hoped to have positive effects, it's negative ef- fects were the first to be noticed. The most noticable of which was the ad- ditional burden placed on busy courts and overcrowded iails.

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sw K Lf si, 24!academics division ucation is oiten regarded as the process which prepares a student for the challenges he will meet in lite, and a look within academics reveals that the story was the some at Cowley. Campus-wide the scene was repeated, teachers teaching and students learning. Students found that they were not necessarily taught the answers but rather the methods to find the answers. Hard econimic times put a special emphasis and im- portance on academics at Cowley. Students directed more attention to corrolating their educational program toward future employment. Older adults returned to school to brush up on old skills or learn new ones to in- crease their employability. But whatever the reason, a look within Cowley academics found a more serious student, making the I of the Tiger iust that much smar- ter.