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

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Long Season Becomes ast when Board votes to drop 57-year football program tradition Not only was it the longest year for football, it was the last as the program was discontinued after a 57- year tradition. The ordeal began Dec. 6 when the Board of Trustees called a special meeting to review the college's athletic program. The football program captured most of the at- tention as the Board discussed the 533,986.81 loss for the year. You look at this as a businessman and we've got a program that's losing us 330,000 a year and causing us some other problems and you look at it and what are you going to do with it, Trustee Dick Bonfy said. Poor quality of students and bad citizenship were cited as some of the other problems. What l'm interested in is seeing that the quality of student life is main- tained, said Steve McSpadden, Win- field board member. I wont to be sure we're attracting students who will fit into our student body. At the special meeting, College President Gwen Nelson outlined five alternatives facing the trustees: Ui maintain the current program C21 make significant improvements in the program: C35 de-emphasize winning, Q41 play only in-state students and Q51 drop a sport. Considerable discussion about playing all in-state students followed with board members questioning the feasibility of fielding a competitive in- state team in the Jayhawk Con- ference. The administration was charged with the responsibility of studying the question and bringing alternatives to the Board at the next regular meeting. If we want to be competitive, we're going to have to spend money. If we don't, we need to be honest with our community and do something else, Charles Kerr, Winfield trustee said. And something else was iust what they did. At the regular board meeting, Dec. 19, the trustees voted to drop the football program. The decision came in the middle of finals and as the semester closed, some football players packed up for good. - Not only did students leave, but head football coach, Bill Yocum, resigned to accept a position at Pratt Community College. In early February he accepted another position at New Mexico Highlands State College. Mixed reactions on campus were the result of the discontinuation of the program. As a football player, I hated to see it happen, said Tom Reed, Winfield sophomore. l think it's really going to be missed. Reed returned to Cowley for the second semester as did sophomore Rick Watkins. I think it was an especially bad deal for the freshmen because they had to leave to go somewhere that they could play football, he said. Some members of the community felt the program was thoughtlessly dismissed and began to rally to save it. With the Tiger Booster Club as the leader, petitions for reinstatement were circulated around town. The petitions were to be presented to the trustees in hopes they might consider rescinding their vote to drop the program. No petitions were presented at the Jan. 16 board meeting, however. In- stead, approximately 75 people at- tended the meeting to show the board their support or, in some cases, to express their disagreement with the decision. Angry CCCC sports enthusiast Dan Walker approached the trustees about their impulsive action and at- tacked Nelson calling the decision the Monday Night Massacre. Assistant coach George Caine and Yocum both questioned the board's action and defended the program. Can we afford to cast aside the most valuable educational program like a disposable lighter or maintain it like a classic automobile? Caine asked, pointing out the educational value of a football program. Yocum addressed the group and in- dicated surprise at the charges of bad citizenship. l'm not aware of anything that happened during the last three years that won't happen again in the future, he said. Supporting the trustees',decision were past trustees Ed Gilliland, who currently serves as president of the Endowment Association, Oscar Kim- mell, Walt David, Aubrey Foster, Lyle Eaton and Harold Walker. Walker also called for a Blue Ribbon Com- mittee to study the entire athletic program. According to Walker, the committee would be chaired by a per- son from outside the immediate area who would be salaried to conduct the study. After the audience had addressed the board, Nelson repeated his pledge to support and carry out the decisions of the board. l told them that l would do my best to implement any plan they approved and will continue to do so, the president said. And so, the longest year turned out to be the last, as the 57-year old Cowley football tradition became history. Staci Jimison football controversy football controversy football controversy football!2i

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THE FINAL ATTEMPT - Former football coach Bill Yocum addresses the Board on behalf of the program and his players. He told the Board members that he did not feel that his athletes had displayed bad citizenship and therefore he felt that the program should be given another chance. Since the repeal was to no avail, Yocum accepted a coaching lob at New Mexico Highlands State College. iPhoto by Gary Collinsl THE AGONY OF DEFEAT - Board members Ralph Keefe and Bill Curless were the only two Board members in favor of reinstating the foot- ball program. Keefe and Curless were distressed with the Board's final decision to cast the 57-year program aside. fPhoto by Gary Collinsl 20!footboll

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convocation the crabtree convocation the crabtree convocation the Crabtree W TAKING A BREAK - Frizzell takes a few minutes from his busy schedule to visit woth freshman JoAnn Mclemore in the Courtright Conference Room. Mclemore and Frizzell discuss the movie Silkwood for McLemore's research paper. iPhoto by Gary Collinsl -.kwa 'N-Q Long and Short of it for Frizzell means taking a risk philosophy to find alternative energy resources Kent Frizzell, former Kansas At- torney General and current professor of energy and law at the University of Tulsa, voiced his concern over the no- risk philosophy of energy develop- ment popular with many groups today. You and I and our fellow Americans are forfeitingour future to the no-risk plight. We must once again be willing to take a riskin the development of alternativesources of energy, Frizzell said. I don't want to see America put all of her energy eggs in one basket. We have an in- finite appetite for energy and a finite amount of fossil fuels available, so the future depends on our finding alternative sources. Not only did students have the op- portunity to attend Frizzell's evening lecture, but they also had the chance to visit with him on campus. We had three scheduled sessions 22fcrabtree convocation for students to hear Frizzell speak and ask him questions during the day. I was pleased with the number of students who took advantage of the sessions, Stan Dyck, committee member, said. I think overall, Friz- zell was a very gracious speaker and he related well to the audience. He had something important and revelant to say, and that's what makes for a successful lecture series. Frizzell was brought to lecture on campus from funds made available by Jack and Mariorie Rine. The Crabtree series was established by the Rines as a tribute to the late Fred and LaRue Crabtree. The Rines are former Cowley students who appreciate their ex- periences here and want to provide a specialcultural experience for current students, faculty and staff, Lu Nelson, committee member, said. The committee selected Frizzell because members felt he could relate to the college and community. I think we were looking for someone who would be identifiable with Kansas and the people in Arkan- sas City as well as the students, Dyck said. Frizzell has been touring the coun- try and giving lectures on energy policy and law for the last seven years. I stress to my audiences that everyone can make a difference in the future of our country. I tell them the best way is to research and gain knowledge of energy, political and social issues, Frizzell said. I tell them don't iust listen to friends, associates or the media, but to take a position and speak out. Chris Zerener