Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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SHADES OF During the Homecoming parade, Chi Omegas Nanette Kukuk and Wendy Walburn wave to people along the parade route from their float. (Photo by Andy Nelson) Reeving the past, hippies John and Debbie Sleezer gaze Into space on Halloween night in Aggieville which was a favorite haunt of many students. (Photo by Jell Tuttle) Fall Spirit 13

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Good Spirit of fall brings life to campus It was a typical fall as far as Kansas is concerned. August was cool, September was cold, October was in between, and during November, snow flurries were in the air. But the weather did not dampen students ' spirit as they plunged into the fall season ' s events with enthusiasm. The firing of Jim Dickey as head football coach did not turn the tide of purple pride during the football season as expected. The ' Cats were just another shade of gray. Students still kept a positive attitude (mixed with a bit of cynicism) toward homecoming activities with the attitude that it was a time for reunions with alumni and friends. The day was warm and sunny, and even though the Oklahoma Sooners carried the game, the student section was full of cheering fans. Other fall events were heralded with just as much anticipation. Students neglected studies for a wild- and-crazy night in Aggieville on Halloween. Costumes as outlandish as being a piece of gum on the bottom of a chair were paraded down Moro Street. As dawn crept closer and the gray shadows disappeared, the spooks were packed away for another year and another crowd of students. Shielding himself from intense heat, Willie the Wildcat roasts hot dogs for a post-Homecoming bonfire meal. On the cold and rainy night before Homecoming, the cheerleaders and band pepped up the fans at the after marching past the residence halls where more students joined the growing line. (Photo by Andy Nelson) Fall Spirit

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Graduation: A day of mixed emotions Graduation signaled the end of an era for many and the onset of job searching for others. Cham Ferguson, a campus comedian, was prepared for graduation with his good luck charms. (Photo by Andy Nelson) For some, it is a joyous occasion. For others, it is a sad day. And still for others, it is the end of a long struggle. The approach of college graduation is rather ironic. Upon leaving high school it seems like a distant event. For underclassmen experiencing a mid-college choice- of-major crisis, that distance looms ever farther. Yet, for seniors approaching their exit from K-State, the elapsed time seems to have gone by in a blink of an eye. Whether seniors graduated in December or May, in five years or three, all had to perform the same duties to find a job. Writing resumes, compiling portfolios and interviewing kept job seekers on their toes and demanded planning and forethought. Job availability concerned every graduate. Agriculture graduates faced a bleak farm economy, yet engineering graduates profited from the demand for high- technology knowledge. While seniors dealt with their own unique problems, one thing they did not have to be concerned with was Kansas ' change in liquor laws. Maturity, bestowed by age, meant seniors were not affected by the increase in the state drinking age. But when the caps and gowns were donned and everyone was lined up to receive a diploma, all the little things were forgotten. Like that moment just before dawn, the shadows and shades of gray disappeared, and the uncertainty vanished, making way for another sunrise. 14