Pittsburg State University - Kanza Yearbook (Pittsburg, KS)

Page 19 text:

Choosing a Homecoming queen is a thoughtful pro- cess Students attending Convoclion in Branden- burg Stadium contemplate the queen candidates, trying to decide who is worthiest to represent their University.—Kent A. Thompson The Gorilla Games gave students a chance to show off their unusual abilities. Laurie Moon, Wichita senior, prepares her best frisbee throw in an attempt to win the friscus title.—Dale Bratton ffomecoming 75

Page 18 text:

 f------------------------ A Homecoming queen is of interest not only to students, but to the Pittsburg area as a whole. Queen Beth Jones, Cherokee junior and representative of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, talks to the media shortly after being crowned. — Kent A. Thompson Homecoming is tradi- tionally a time for students and alumni to get together and enjoy them- selves at competitions, para- des and football games. However, not all students enjoy, or even participate in, Homecoming activities. Pat Cavanaugh, Atchison senior, said he believes that Homecoming is too tradition- al. It has become just another burnt-out tradition, he said. I went to all the Homecom- ing activities my first three years here. But I didn't go to anything this year. It's just gotten boring. There is nothing unique from year to year. Cavanaugh said that although the Gorilla Games were a new event, he felt they were aimed more toward large groups than the individual student, and did not interest him. I know that the Homecom- ing planners cannot cater to everyone's individual taste, but the events are so slanted towards the large groups that individuals and smaller groups are left out, Cavanaugh said. In high school, you could get excited about Homecom- ing even if you weren't involved in groups. Everyone had basically the same inter- ests. But there are so many different kinds of people on a college campus, that Home- coming needs to have some less traditional activities to be appealing to a more diverse crowd. Cavanaugh did not have any suggestions on how Home- coming could be improved. Even students who are involved in large clubs are not always happy with Homecom- ing plans. Leo Brown, Pitts- burg junior and a member of the Newman Club, partici- pated in the Gorilla Carnes. I thought the Games were fun, but they took too long. Everyone got individual prac- tice shots before the Games even started, and we were there for over an hour. I think they should have held some of the events at the same time, he said. I hope they have the games again, though. They were new and fun. If they learned from the problems we had this year, next year should be great. Brown did enjoy the other Homecoming festivities, though, especially the parade. I was Hades, the god of the underworld, for the Newman Club float. It was the first time I had ever been in a parade. Aaron Johnson, Coffeyville senior, had a different complaint about Homecom- ing. I went to the game, he said, but I didn't go to anything else, because I didn't know when anything was. They either did not advertise very well, or I just wasn't paying attention. I knew Homecoming was here, but I didn't know the days or times of the specific activities, Johnson said. Some students enjoyed Homecoming, though. Kayla Acebo, Pittsburg junior, said she went to the game and thoroughly enjoyed it. I did not go to the parade though, she said. It was just too early in the morning for me! D5facey Sanderlin 74 Homecoming

Page 20 text:

ytholog 7 and new events give y Homecoming new twist JL Homecoming was a week of frenetic activity, from last-minute efforts to finish floats to getting the perfect team together for the Gorilla Games. Homework was largely forgotten as students crammed all the excitement they could find into one short week. The first annual Gorilla Games started off the Homecoming festivities. A mini-Olympics type of competition, the games replaced the sign-painting competition of previous years. Nine organizations marched onto the field of Brandenburg Stadium, full of spirit and enthusiasm as they prepared to compete. However, the wind and clouds scared away many of the spectators, and the stands were nearly empty. The competition began with the Parade of Organizations ' with each group marching around the stadium. The groups were judged on their costumes, originality of presentation and how well they marched. Following the parade, some extraordinary events took place. First came the Friscus Throw, similar to a discus throw. Competitors tested their skills at long-distance frisbee throwing. Sigma Chi fraternity member, Curt Benelli, Pittsburg sophomore, won the men's division with a throw of 211 feet, 9 inches. Karen Wellesley, Jane, Mo., freshman and representative if the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority, seized the women's title, with a throw of 169 feet, 1 inch. Brooms flew across the field as competitors strove to win the Javelbroom competition. Bill Hunt, Pittsburg junior, threw his broom 121 feet, 2 inches, to capture the event for Sigma Phi Epsilon. Fran Gregar, Overland Park junior and Newman Club member, threw her broom 68 feet, 1 inch for a win in the women's division. A three-legged bag jump followed the javelbroom competition. After much difficulty, Nation Hall's Michelle Deyoe, South Haven freshman, and Amy Moyer, Lansing freshman, jumped 8 feet, 8 inches for the win. The men's division was captured by the Newman Center team of William Caines, Baxter Springs sophomore, and Michael Reith, Walnut junior, with a jump of 12 feet, 7 inches. Stumbling through a backwards 100 yard dash in just 16.2 seconds gave Sigma Chi's Brett Middleton, Oxford freshman, the men's division victory. Anita O'Brien, Chetopa senior and Newman Club competitor, won the women's division by a nose with a time of 20.21 seconds, only hundreths of a second ahead of her competition. The day's events concluded with a wheelbarrow chariot race. Claiming victory in this competition were the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity with a time of 1 minute, 20.32 seconds, and the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority, with a time of 2 minutes, 30.96 seconds. Overall winners of the games were Sigma Phi Epsilon in the men's division and the Newman Club in the women's division. Spirited students poured into Brandenburg Stadium Wednesday afternoon to participate in the selection of the new Homecoming Queen. Dr. Donald Wilson, University president, welcomed the spectators to the Convocation ceremonies, disguised behind a Ronald Reagan Halloween mask. After casting their votes for queen, students were entertained by local breakdancers, yell and cheerleaders and the pompon squad. However, the pompon girls almost did not get their chance to continued to page 78 The hours spent frantically working on floats culminate in the Homecoming Parade, when the crowd's admiration makes all the time and trouble worthwhile. This towering Gorilla, made by Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority and Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity, demonstrates the dedication needed to com- plete such a float.—Dale Bratton rv 76 Homecoming The intricate figures and designs of Homecoming floats show the imagination and creativity of Pitt State students. This repiiea of a Trojan horse, constructed by the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, was symbolic of the sur- prise the Pitt State football players had in store for their Washburn rivals.—Kent A. Thompson — . — 1 Li : Ji