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

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COLLEGE: Better the second time around b Rick Nichols W mile high school age populations decline, colleges all over the nation see a larger percentage of their enrollment falling into the non- traditional student category. Non- traditional students are people who have started or returned to college after several years of being out of school. This year there are 840 who attend Cowley and about 50 percent of the total student population is over 27. Why do these people come back to school? Some never finished or even started college when they were 18. When they come back to school it ' s mainly because they want to get bet- ter jobs than they presently hold. I ' m not getting paid what I ' m wor- th without a college education. I also want to change my career from a secretary to computers, said Becky Weakley, a freshman majoring in data processing. Over the years, careers aren ' t the only things that change. Many students, like Kyndol Randol, find their attitude about attending college changes when they return after a long absence. I ' ve been out of school for seven years. I wasn ' t trying then but I am now, said Randol, a special student majoring in data processing. Back then my attitude was based on coping; on trying to fit into college. Now, I ' m here to further my education. The classes are harder and the teachers are better than when I was in school. Family financial security motivated Carol Wolfe to return to college. It ' s been 12 years since I ' ve been in school. I came back because I was getting tired of low paying jobs and I felt I might need to support my family if Randy, my husband, got hurt. I also feel college is easier for me now than high school was then, said Wolfe, a freshman data processing major. Job improvement also brought her husband Randy to college to major in business administration. I ' ve been out of school for 14 years. I came back because I was tired of unskilled jobs, he said. College is better now than it was in 1969 because then only about half of your credits would transfer. The teachers are also better now than they were years ago. RandyWolfe ' s views of improved quality are echoed from the other side of the desk, too. Over-all, non-traditional students tend to want to learn. Therefor they tend to concentrate on studies more and apply themselves. Most of my students are older and I feel that with age people have a different per- spective on education, said Stan Dyck, social science instructor. They have some experiences of life under their belts and have better ideas. They apply their experiences and un- derstand better. Non-traditional students are among the better students and they have a harder time because they have been out of school for a long time. Their skills have diminished and they work hard to over-come their problems. Dyck is not alone in his praise for older students. Margaret Wheeler, chairperson for the Department of Humanities also sees non-traditional students as hard workers who profit from their experiences. They tend to be married with families, have worked, been in the service and they have low skills. They are good students who work to develop their skills and they succeed. They have had enough experiences to make them write better and if they are motivated they will improve if they want to, Wheeler said. According to Walt Mathiasmeier, registrar, the motivation of non- traditional students varies with in- dividual needs. In the past several years there has been an increase in non-traditional students. As a result of finances, and loss of jobs they need more training. Five years ago they took more hobbie classes but now they ' re more serious and take more career orientated classes, he said. Mathiasmeier says one reason non- traditional students succeed is because they have specific goals clearly in mind. They have a purpose, which is to learn skills for jobs. They have family so they are not going to horseplay and they may not stay in school a whole semester. When the instructor has covered what the student wants to know he may leave and not return to class. G etting out of a class what you want may mean a lot of study and hard work but students like Pam Vaughn, who has been out of school for 15 years, think the opportunity is well worth the effort. I came back because it ' s the first chance I ' ve had since high school. I wanted to further what I had learned, and nobody said I had to be here, said Vaughn, a freshman majoring in data processing. I ' m here because I want to be.

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mittee. It is the most powerful com- mittee in the in the House of Representatives. He also serves on the AIDS committee that ' s appointed by the governor to keep an eye on the court appointed lawyers and to govern their actions ' ' When Shriver first entered the State Legislature he was involved with getting acquainted. He mostly got to know everyone and learn the way to get bills passed said Shriver. The first two years he mostly learned the ropes. ' ' The job of State Representative requires two days out of the every month and three months out of the year; January, February and March, during this time he stays in Topeka to be near the capitol. That time may be work for Representative Shriver but for his son it ' s fun. I like going to Topeka during January and March to the hard debates, he said. Jeff participates in his father ' s re- election campaigns, too. Recently voted in for another term of office, Jeff helped his dand by putting up campaign signs. Some people ask to put them in their yards, but we ask a lot of others. We get permission for the big signs for in the fields, he said. He also helped by wearing Vote for Shriver campaign T-shirts, along with John Oleson, and Marty Frank. I like to get involved, said Shriver. Our whole family takes part in the campaign. It ' s a lot of fun. During October Jeff, and Marty Frank decided to set up a voter registration booth on campus. We decided a week before we talked to Marjorie Williams and had two days of registering. We registered over 50 people, said Shriver. In the recent election, Jack Shriver ran against Robert Pudden for the position of State Representative for the 79th district. It had me worried but he ended up beating him, Shriver said. Jeff doesn ' t see his father moving farther into government. He ' s happy where he is and he doesn ' t want to mover any farther up. Personally I would like him to but I don ' t see it right now. POLITICAL PRESSURES-State Representative preparing for a committee meeting. Shriver and Means committee in the State Legislature. Jack Shriver spends time in his Topeka office serves on the AIDS committee and the Ways

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Finals Frenzy Plop, plop, fizz, fizz (READ TO THE TUNE OF ' TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS) Twas the night before finals and all through my house, not a book was being used; they were piled on my couch. I went to the kitchen to see what I could find- A three-day old chicken leg and a bowl of moldy slime. I opted for Pizza; to the phone I did run. Send me a supreme and make it well done. As I hung up the phone it occured to me, I forgot to order Pepsi, now I ' II have to drink tea. On to my room to study all night, with pizza and popcorn and my stereo tuned right. V4m ■ ■■ ■ My headphones are on and my tunes play loud, I grab my first book, oh, I am so proud I look at the texts then jump to my feet. I begin to cry. I holler in vain. Why didn ' t I study? Now, it ' s all so plain. As morning approaches and my classes draw near, I begin to tremble with a terrible fear My body starts shaking. My voice grows weak It ' s final ' s day, I whisper, cause I ' m to scared to speak. ks I hurry to class as the instructor comes in. Close your books, please, he says. Here ' s your final my friends. It ' s sitting before me. My final, I say. Then I bow my head as I begin to pray. Dear God, if you let me pass this test, I ' ll go to church every Sunday, with or without rest. As I turn in my final, color comes back to my cheeks, but the instructor just laughs as I start to weep. I ' ll get even, I say as I stumble out of sight. Happy finals day to all, and to all a good night! Art by Kevin Clark y •by Mike Ennis f«iv W,