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

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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,

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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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All wrapped up Mike Ennis e will return to claim the crown, ' ' promises Ed Hargrove, direc- tor of financial aids. Hargrove and his wife, Linda, head women ' s basketball coach, were the 1983 egg toss champions at the Arkalalah Street Games Competition but the best they could do this year was fourth place. Hargrove was un- derstandably disappointed with the 1984 finish. I felt bad but Linda felt worse because the egg was all over her, he said. It was a bad throw and the egg just crushed when she caught it. But the couple is not discouraged and they have a game plan for nexl year. Yes, we will train, Hargrove said. This year ' s champions at- tributed winning to practice and next year we ' ll practice, too. But training and practice are definitely out for Debbie Davis, assistant coach in volleyball and women ' s basketball who also par- ticipated in this year ' s egg toss com- petition. It ' s more fun when you don ' t train, Davis said. There ' s an art to egg toss. When the egg comes, you have to give with it, but its nothing I ' m going to practice. I like going to the games because I am able to act like a kid. But apparently Cowley students don ' t share her view. Student par- ticipation in the games has been a disappointment for both Hargrove