The Parkland Library Spring Break hours start this weekend. No
matter if we're open or closed, if you are a Parkland student or
employee, you can still access our online resources. Click this link to finish up any research during your break.
Spring Break Hours
March 22 - 23
Saturday - Sunday
CLOSED
March 24 - 27
Monday - Thursday
OPEN 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
March 28 - 30
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
CLOSED
NEW Regular Hours
Starting Monday, March 31st, our library hours will change to the following:
Monday - Thursday 7:30am - 8:00pm
Friday 7:30am -
5:00pm
Saturday 10:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday closed
Friday, March 21, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Wayback Wednesday: The Mascot Mystery
It had been the kind of winter that made you wonder if you’d
ever see the color green again. But the spring thaw had finally begun, and, as
I put away my parka, my hand brushed across my trusty trench coat, that quintessential
gumshoe garb.
So there you have it. Besides the fact that Hilltoppers actually did top the hill, the only other conclusion that I can draw from this find is that students were tired of voting on the subject, as evidenced by the extremely low voter turnout. Yet it’s puzzling that the ultimately victorious moniker received just two write-ins, and I’m left with more questions than answers. Who championed the name Cobras? Why did the two votes for Cobras trump all the other votes? And, after all the elections in which Robert's Rules were so rigidly adhered to, why did the Cobras ultimately make the cut?
That’s right. It’s time to tackle another Parkland mystery.
It just so happens that I’ve been treading lightly around a puzzler for quite some time, but it’s time to bring it to light – to bring it
out of brumation, as it were. So
here it is (and I hope I’m not opening a can of snakes – er, worms): there is
no evidence supporting the selection of Parkland’s mascot, the Cobras. None. Zilch. Zippo.
I’m not the first to attempt to crack this case. Using the information she could obtain, Sally Foster Wallace, author of Parkland Works: A 1966-2001 History, could find no clear path to how the Cobras came to be. She did, however, uncover a great deal of controversy that stemmed from the name. In February 1969, the basketball team decided to change their name to the Hilltoppers, citing the distasteful use of the word “snakemen” some used when referring to them. The March 7, 1969, issue of The Prospectus went so far as to include two separate articles, one referring to the Cobras and the other to the Hilltoppers. Student Body president Donald Lookingbill ended the team’s actions:“The name is Cobras until student government changes it.” In an interview for the book, Coach Lynette Trout said she refused to call the Women’s volleyball team the Cobras, resulting in a Prospectus headline which read, “Let’s hear it for the Parkland Whatevers.” Criticism continued nearly two decades later, with a Prospectus article (April 11, 1984) noting that some of the student body found the name and logo offensive. The result of this controversy was not a name-change but, rather, a logo redesign.
I’m not the first to attempt to crack this case. Using the information she could obtain, Sally Foster Wallace, author of Parkland Works: A 1966-2001 History, could find no clear path to how the Cobras came to be. She did, however, uncover a great deal of controversy that stemmed from the name. In February 1969, the basketball team decided to change their name to the Hilltoppers, citing the distasteful use of the word “snakemen” some used when referring to them. The March 7, 1969, issue of The Prospectus went so far as to include two separate articles, one referring to the Cobras and the other to the Hilltoppers. Student Body president Donald Lookingbill ended the team’s actions:“The name is Cobras until student government changes it.” In an interview for the book, Coach Lynette Trout said she refused to call the Women’s volleyball team the Cobras, resulting in a Prospectus headline which read, “Let’s hear it for the Parkland Whatevers.” Criticism continued nearly two decades later, with a Prospectus article (April 11, 1984) noting that some of the student body found the name and logo offensive. The result of this controversy was not a name-change but, rather, a logo redesign.
At the time, Wallace had to infer voting results, because
the actual results were missing. Imagine my excitement when I was made aware of
some recently discovered voting results from the many (many, many) elections
held between 1967 and 1968. (Why so many elections? It’s Parliamentary, my dear
Watson.) Excitedly, I ran down the
Library stairs to Student Life. This was it, I thought to myself, the long lost
winning vote. No such luck. Snake eyes.
The new information confirmed what we already knew: Pioneers
and Patriots were consistently front-runners in elections held in November and
December, 1967, and again in March 1968, according to results posted in The Sprinkler, Parkland’s weekly print
newsletter at the time. There was an
election in April – and the results are still missing – in which Cobras was
“officially” chosen the team mascot. Then, in November, 1968, the final
election on record was held. These are the newly discovered results:
So there you have it. Besides the fact that Hilltoppers actually did top the hill, the only other conclusion that I can draw from this find is that students were tired of voting on the subject, as evidenced by the extremely low voter turnout. Yet it’s puzzling that the ultimately victorious moniker received just two write-ins, and I’m left with more questions than answers. Who championed the name Cobras? Why did the two votes for Cobras trump all the other votes? And, after all the elections in which Robert's Rules were so rigidly adhered to, why did the Cobras ultimately make the cut?
But what’s done is not to be undone. We’ve had many years of
success under that mascot, including Parkland’s Women’s Basketball team,
currently competing in the National Championship this week. So Parkland Cobras it is, and
the mystery remains.
We’d love to have the scoop on how our mascot came to be. If
you have any information that will unearth some answers about this mystery, we
hope you’ll share with us.
***
Keep up with Parkland Athletics news here.
If you have a question about Parkland's history
that you'd like to see featured, email us at archives@parkland.edu.
Friday, March 14, 2014
National Library Week Events at Parkland
Mark Your Calendars!
National Library Week
April 13-19, 2014
Parkland College Library
National Library Week is a national observance
sponsored by the American Library Association
(ALA) and libraries across the United States.
Parkland Library has been
celebrating for many years with events designed to get students, faculty and
community members involved and excited about the library. This year's theme is
Lives change @ your library. Please join us for any or all of the
events listed below to help us celebrate another year of
learning!
Tuesday, April 15 Poetry Celebration
(time tbd). Students and Faculty are invited to share their creative side.
Wednesday, April 16 Cupcake-A-Book is
back! From 10am - 2pm cupcake adaptions of your favorite books will be on
display in the College Center. Vote for your favorite by donation and support
the Wesley Food Pantry at Parkland. The cupcake design with the highest donated
amount will win a prize.
Thursday, April 17 Join us at noon for the
10th annual Parkland READ Poster Unveiling in the Reading Lounge. We
will also reveal the title of the 2014-15 Parkland Reads book.
*If you are interested in entering the Cupcake-A-Book contest or
participating in the Poetry Celebration, contact Sarah Meilike (smeilike@parkland.edu) for
details.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Important News
Effective Monday, March 31st the library will be reducing evening hours. Our
new hours will be:
Monday - Thursday 7:30am - 8:00pm
Friday 7:30am - 5:00pm
Saturday 10:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday closed
Monday - Thursday 7:30am - 8:00pm
Friday 7:30am - 5:00pm
Saturday 10:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday closed
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