University of Nebraska Kearney - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Kearney, NE)

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Coining home for Homecoming by Shelly Wonder For 1959 graduate Joan Falter, KSC’s “Golden Years” were her growing years. Falter, originally from Paxton and now president of the Southern California Alumni Association for KSC, came back for this year’s home- coming. “Homecoming is a real treat for us,” Falter said. “The administration really makes us feel like it’s our college.” Falter thinks the rapid growth of KSC is great, and remembers her years at KSC with fond memories. “It was a time when I matured and did a lot of growing,” Falter said. “There were 16 in my high school class, so coming to Kearney was really a big thing for me. Most students experienced the same ‘giant step.’ Few students came from Omaha or Lin- coln. I think the student body was as a whole quite immature. They weren’t used to that many kids.” Falter went on to say that due to the immaturity of the students, a tight close- ness developed among the students. “The years were very intense, and there was a lot of growing being done.” The size of KSC has changed since Falter strolled the sidewalks, in both area and number. “At that time the college was known as the ‘friendly college’,” Falter said. “We knew everybody on campus, maybe not by name, but you always said ‘hello’ as you passed by. It was an unwritten rule that everyone on campus would be friendly.” The residence halls provided many memories for Falter. During her stay in Case and Martin Halls, she learned how to give and take with the other students. “We would all gather around whenev- Joan Falter, a 1959 KSC graduate, reminisces about how the campus was 25 years ago.

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and discus has volleyball court. Grimacing as she releases the shot, Beth Stuart follows through to keep good throwing form, during a 1984 indoor track meet. Stuart has used hard work and sound fundamentals to produce two NAIA national championships in the event her freshman and sophomore years. The Academic All-American carrying a double major in elementary education and physical education said it took some adjust- ing in making the transition from high school to college volleyball. “it took some time to get the timing back on the volleyball court. Also in high school we didn’t have shoot and short sets, so it took some learning,” Stuart comment- ed. For a two-year “layoff’ she has done well, according to volleyball Head Coach Rosella Meier. “At first Beth was a little slow and rusty, which would be expected, but after a couple of days her timing was good and she moved very well.” In Coach Meier’s view, one great asset from Stuart’s track talents in the shot put transferred well to the “It is definitely her tre- mendous power: Beth is really powerful,” Meier said. Playing the position of outside hitter and blocker makes the most of the asset. Though well liked by her teammates, they may cringe in practice when trying to dig one of her spikes, says teammate Jodi Jorgensen. Meier commented that the velocity of the spike by Stuart gives opposing players a difficult time in trying to get under it. This hasn’t been the first year Stuart has had her eye on trying out for the volleyball team. As a freshman, she consid- ered trying out, but a strong desire to get a good head start in track steadied her schedule. That strong desire served Stuart well, as it led to capturing the 1984 and 1985 NAIA indoor shot put championship in Kansas City. Along with these crowns, came the 1984 NAIA outdoor shot put championship in West Virginia. Temptation grew stronger again the following year. “I went to a lot of games last year and I found that I really missed it,” Stuart said. After completing a volleyball class and competing in the intramural program, trying out for next year’s team became a strong possibility. Now after making the team this year, she has three years of eligibility left for volleyball, according to Meier. So after stepping back onto the court for her first game after a two year absence, v how did she feel? “I was scared big time!” Stuart said, “I was pretty nervous, but it was a good feeling.” Asked if she’ll go out next year for the team, Stuart smiled and said with eagerness and determination, “If it feels right, you bet!”

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 er our mothers would send us care pack- ages. That was a real treat,” Falter said. The dorms exercised strict control over the residents. Instead of resident assistants, the dorms had dorm mothers. “We called them ‘mom’,” Falter remembered. “No men were allowed in the room, although residents could entertain male guests in the lounges.” Falter went on to say that she had to check in and out at the desk every time she left. “At 10 p.m. they locked the doors, and you’d better be there,” she said. If someone wanted to leave Kearney, they had to have a written parental consent on file with the office. A resident could get expelled for failing to obey. Falter was amazed to find out that today each resident hall room has its own telephone. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “We only had one phone per floor. When we had a phone call, we’d get buzzed by a buzzer and run down to the end of the hall. For outgoing calls, residents had to use the phone at the hall desk.” Men lived in Men’s Hall and Green Terrace, which looked like a “haunted house.” “It stood where Ludden Hall stands now,” Falter said, but added that most men lived off campus, because the residence halls couldn’t accommodate them. Falter credited much of her growth to her involvement with Sigma Theta Phi, a sorority on campus. “It was a great asset to me,” she said, “because of the kinds of people I was modeling myself after. The sorority provided the campus with a great deal of leadership.” Falter added that most of the activities on campus were sponsored by the Greeks. “If you weren’t in a sorority or fraternity,” Falter said, “you were left out a lot.” Alcohol didn’t seem to be as prominent as it is now. Falter recalled that most of the parties she attended were pretty tame. “The girls didn’t have wild parties,” she said. “The boys had their beer, but for the most part, students didn’t drink.” Some of Falter’s fondest memories are of the old buildings on campus, such as the student union. “It looked like an army barracks,” Falter said. “The building consisted of one long room. With just a glance, someone could see everyone there.” Sorority dances and card games occurred there regularly. While touring the present student union. Falter was amazed at the number of services offered, but added, “I wonder if you have as much fun in your student union as we had in ours?” The mail box in the old administration building was another popular spot. “Everyone had his own mailbox,” Falter recalled, “And everyone gathered there.” Other memories of the administration building came back, such as the artwork and the old marble stairs. “The stairs were indented,” she said. “It just made you wonder how many feet had gone up and down them to indent them like that.” Recalling the tearing down of the administration building, Falter said, “We (the alumni) didn’t want to see it go, but they assured us there was no way to save it.” Falter now lives in San Diego, with her husband, Dale, also a KSC graduate. Regarding the Southern California Chap- ter of the Alumni Association, Falter said, “We’ve only been active for the last 10 years. The association, which has 259 members, strives to do whatever it can for the college.” Although rapidly changing, the col- lege is a source of pride for Falter. “It’s changed a lot,” she said. “We can see our old college nestled in the new.” Students enjoy a sunny day for the homecoming football game against Missouri Southern. Kearney lost the game 24- 20.