Students of the Month

September 2002
Rochelle Gibson loves being in front of the camera. She loves it so much that one day she hopes to be an anchor for a television network affiliate. Gibson, a sophomore journalism major at Cowley, is the September Student of the Month. The daughter of Charlotte and Fred Gibson of Arkansas City, and granddaughter of Imogene Gibson of South Haven, is a 2001 graduate of Arkansas City High School.

Gibson is president of Cowley’s Act One drama club, is a Student Ambassador, is a staff writer for The Cowley Press student newspaper, and is involved in Campus Christian Fellowship. Her thirst for theatre helped land her the part of Andy Lee in Cowley’s fall musical “42nd Street.” “Andy Lee is the choreographer for ‘Pretty Lady’,” Gibson said of her role in “42nd Street,” which actually is a musical within a musical. “The part is written for a male, but we’ve changed a few of the ‘hes’ to ‘shes.’ ” Gibson, 19, said she plans to audition for Cowley’s spring play “Crimes of the Heart.”

Gibson, who holds a 3.85 grade-point average, said being involved at Cowley was a key element in being named September Student of the Month. “I think it’s someone who is involved and shows leadership in a way,” she said. “I think you have to be known with the faculty and they have to see those qualities in you that are different than anyone else. I’ve managed to keep my grades up, and I’ve never come into class and said I had play practice last night and couldn’t study for the test. I think a student of the month is probably someone who does all these things and doesn’t realize they’re doing them.” Gibson, who has two older siblings, Stephanie LeMaster 26, and Donnie Bland 23, said she wasn’t always set on going to Cowley. “I was going back and forth, but this seemed like the best place for me,” Gibson said. “That way I could stay at home with mom and dad and save some money.” The theatre scholarship Gibson was awarded didn’t hurt, either.

Had it not been for her high school drama instructor, Gibson might not have enrolled at Cowley. “I took a drama class in eighth grade, and that started it,” Gibson said of how she became interested in theatre. “My junior year, I auditioned for the play. I was intending to try out for the cheerleading squad in college, but Mary Young, my high school theatre instructor, encouraged me to go toward theatre.” Gibson had all of seven lines in the ACHS production of “Flowers for Algernon.” But, she said, she enjoyed being on stage, in the spotlight. That’s one reason why she plans to transfer to Wichita State University and major in broadcast journalism. “I’d like to be a news anchor, maybe start out as a morning show host, then do the evening news,” she said.

October 2002
Tim Frick had a decision to make: Stay in his home state of Oklahoma and attend Oklahoma State University on an academic scholarship, or go to Cowley County Community College on a tennis scholarship. He chose the latter. Frick, 19, the son of Penny and Steve Frick, is the October Student of the Month. Frick is a sophomore business administration major and a 2001 graduate of Ponca City High School. He has one older sister, Abby 21, and has both sets of grandparents living in Ponca City. They are Ron and Trudy Frick and Richard and Aldena Crumm.

Besides men’s tennis, Frick is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Peers Advocating Wellness for Students, is on the Food Service Committee, serves as an English tutor, and is a resident assistant in the William R. Docking Dormitory. He wasn’t expecting the honor. “I was very surprised,” Frick said. “There’s like 4,000 students here, so it was amazing to me that I could be picked out of all those people.” He was, and it isn’t difficult to see why.

Frick holds a 3.92 grade-point average (he received a B in accounting II), and is well-known on campus. He was a contestant in the Mr. CinderFella Pageant last spring, and was a volunteer for the Head Start book reading program that the Cowley men’s tennis team participated in this fall. Frick said a Student of the Month is “someone who is involved, is a good student, and is a hard worker. And it’s someone who gets his or her name around campus, well-known.” Although Frick was born and raised in Ponca City, he and his family moved to Shawnee almost immediately after he graduated high school. His father was plant manager for Air System Components in Ponca City, but always wanted to become his own boss. He and his wife now own and operate Finley Cleaners, a dry-cleaning store, in Shawnee.

“My dad always told me to find a job where I could be my own boss,” Tim said. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that Frick plans to transfer to the University of Oklahoma to study pre-law. His goal is to attend law school at OU, then find a job. “My dad didn’t want me to come to Cowley this year,” Frick said. “He wanted me to pursue law school right away. I’d like to join a nice law firm or have my own.” Frick only decided on law for a career at the start of the fall semester. What he hasn’t narrowed down is what type of lawyer he wants to become.

Last year, as a freshman, Frick played No. 3 doubles. He and his partner finished second in the Region VI Tournament. This fall, which is a tune-up for the spring 2003 season, Frick has played No. 6 singles, a spot he’s not accustomed to. Frick said he’s glad he chose to come to Cowley. “No question about it, I made the right decision by coming here,” Frick said. “I love this place. It’s a great place. This summer, I couldn’t wait to come back. It’s a great school and a great campus.”

Winter 2002