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

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Virginia Dickson: What ' s cookin ' ? by! Mike Ennis |f irginia Dickson, head cook at the Nelson Student Center Cafeteria, loves kids and she loves cooking for them. I guess it was about two years ago that the whole oven blew up and singed her hair and eyebrows off, recalls B.J. Fritz, American Food Management (AFAA) manager. Well, she went on to the hospital, was treated and released with third degree burns and by the time she returned to work they had fixed the stove so she finished the meal and served it. She did it all because she loves the kids. Dickson is no stranger to kids; she has six of her own and nine grand- children. One son, Chris Hass, works with her in the Nelson Student Center kitchen. I ' ve tried other things but I just keep coming back to cooking, Hass said. I learned from my mom and I even did a lot of the daily cooking when I was growing up because she had to work so much. Even now on Thanksgiving, Christmas and special days, we work togethr to fix the meal. Dickson still works more than one job. In addition to cooking three meals a day for the students who eat at the cafeteria, she also works as a bartender at the Tropics. She come in here at 6 or 6:30 a.m. and fixes the meals. Then at 4 p.m. she leaves and goes to work at the Tropics until midnight, B.J. Fritz said. my way, she said. Her way makes cooking a unique experience, especially for those who try to follow her directions. If you ask her how to make something she will probably say, ' Oh, a pinch of this, a splash of that, ' and if you don ' t know what a pinch or a 44 She made it clear that I could run the office but the kitchen was her ' s. 9 I tease her and suggest that she needs to find something else to do between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. when she comes back to the college to work. Dickson received her cooking background from her mother in Ada, Ok la. , when she was growing up. I guess I was about eight or nine when I started helping my mom cook for the 25 or 30 people on the harvest crews, Dickson said. My first job away from home was in a restaurant, too. After 28 years as a professional cook, Dickson says she has little need of a cookbook. We have receipe books, but unless I don ' t know how to cook it, I just do it splash is, you might be in trouble, Hass said. Fritz is quick to point out that when he first met Dickson she outlined the territory and set down the ground rules. She made it clear that I could run the office but the kitchen was hers, he said. Now, I could not show up for work all week and everything would be OK but if Virginia left, it would take two or three people to replace her. Years ago, before Fritz was the AFM manager here, the students were unhappy with the replacement hired while Dickson was on a leave of absence. Parks Jewelers Holiday Season Sale 20% to 50% savings every department 218 South Summit Arkansas City 442-3310 ARK CITY MIRROR GLASS RONAL GEE Bus. (316) 442-2630 Res. (316) 442-2372 III Illlllllllllllll IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIU

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LITTLE THEATRE Facelift gives fine oris professional appearance by Sandy Wood ■he new academic year brought a welcomed addition to the college when Galle-Johnson Auditorium un- derwent reconstruction to be come the Little Theater. Plans for the Little Theater began about 17 years ago and the planning was done by a bunch of people said Sid Regnier, dean ofad- ministration. The final project was the result of decisions made by the Board of Trustees and Charles Thoma, Arkansas City architect. The Little Theater is a project that has needed attention for a long time, said Margaret Wheeler, humanities department chairperson. She remembers what the room looked like before the remodeling. It was only a flat room with a plat- form at the end of it about 18 years Backstage (Continued) Warrington who also wins her heart at the end of the melodrama. It was the first dramatic production to be held in the Little Theater and, although the royalties and scenery expenses caused it to realize a $600 deficit, Yarbrough believed it to be a success. The royalties were $375 and by the time we took care of our other ex- penses, we had quite a bill. There were good crowds all three nights butso many were admitted on college passes that we just lost money, Yar- brough said. I ' d rather have a good audience than make money on a play any day. ago. Little by little the room has been built up. It has been a thrill to see it develop. The s age was built up at fir- st, bu the students performing had a tedious job. There were no con- necting halls from the changing rooms to the stage which caused the students to run outside, sometimes in the snow, to get backstage for their part. Sharon Yarbrough, drama director, says that it is a much nicer facility to work in. She explained that the students used to have to create a din- ner theater atmosphre by setting up card talbles and decorating them with crepe paper. Now, when a play is finished we can just go home instead of repairing torn crepe paper and redecorating. It ' s so much easier, Yarbrough said. The entire atmosphere of the room has changed since the reconstruction. Regnier uses the words dark and drab to describe the appearance before the remodeling. For per- formers, the change to a more professional atmosphere made a big difference. Before, it was very unprofessional with just a plain floor with tables and chairs. The sloped floor makes it easier to see the stage, said Leigh Austin, freshman choir member. Yarbrough says the sound and lighting systems mean the most to the student performers. Now I can effectively light the stage where before the front lights were so close that there was no capability of back lighting. The only problem is that we need some other way of getting up to the lights. The ladder can be almost too much for a person she said. The new stage, ceiling and the in- stallation of insulation improved the acoustics markedly and according to Denah Spongier, CowleyCO Singers member, that helps makeperforming easier The reconstruction of the Little Theater took place in two phases. The first was done by Bob Sherrand Builders, Winfield. At that time the air conditioning and heating were in- stalled and the music practice rooms were added. The final bill on Phase Iwas $96,500 The second phase in- cluding new windows on 4 he west, the sloped floor, theater seating, new lighting and an improved stage area totaled an additional S8 : 1 15 and was accomplished by the Midland Development Corporation In- dependence. Even with the additions made there are still things some would like to see Hone to the facility. Some people would like to see a front curtain ad- ded and Margaret Wheeler favors ar- twork on the walls and near the en- trance. Others have suggestions that are strictly practical. I love the new theater and the stage, but the stage needs to be resanded, Jay Huston, sophomore said. I got som splinters after playing the part of Chief Brown Bear in the fall play little Mary Sunshine. Although there may still be problems to iron out most agree the Little Theater is an important addition to the campus. I appreciate having the Little Theater to perform in compared to what it used to be. Kenneth Judd, director of vocal music, said.

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ENDLESS LOVE-Virginia Dickson serves a sloppy joe during lonch at the Nelson Student Center. She has been a professional cook for 28 years and says she still enjoys cooking and loves young people. (Photo by Mike Ennis) The students told me that the biscuits wouldn ' t rise until they put gravy on them. They made me vow never to leave again, she said. More recently, Dickson saved the day when she created a miracle dessert from what most people would call a disaster. We had a batch of brownies that were undercooked and had been sit- ting for about an hour. They were real mushy, Fritz said. I wanted to throw them out but Virginia never wants to waste anything so she just added a few things -a box of pudding, a cake mix, peanut butter and a package of chocolate chips She baked it and stuck it on the line for the students. They kept coming up and asking what was the name of that cake because it was the best they had ever eaten. Virginia told them it was her miracle cake ' but she told me she didn ' t know if she could ever make it again. Dickson is not only head cook, she is part of the family She approaches her cooking with the same down- homeness of mom. Some of her most popular foods are her home made chili, potato soup, fresh baked pies and banana bread. She even mashes the bananas by hand so the ingredients will be fresh for the 110 students and faculty who will eat it. She ' d like to use all fresh ingredients but we just can ' t afford it, Fritz said. Sometimes the labor to snap green beans and prepare other fresh foods is just too ex- pensive, but she tries to use fresh ingredients whenever she can. Dickson likes doing things for the students but she says they do things for her, too. One of the most gratifying times on the job is at Christmas when she receives a lot of cards from students who are more like adopted children. Cowley ' s own Ron Ryer is one of her most remem- bered students. He used to get up early to help her make hamburger patties when he attended Cowley. All in all, Dickson says she has the best job in the world. A job she says she wouldn ' t miss for anything... ' -COUPON- This Pass Entitles You To ONE FREE TRIAL VISIT THE IMAGE Ladies Fitness Center HOURS: Mon-Wed-Fri 6:30a.m.- 8p.m. Tue-Thur 9a.m. -8 p.m. 117 West Central Arkansas City, Ks. 67005 Phone (316) 442-7621 No Obligation A free press: Your key to freedom. Traveler All the news... in writing