Cowley College entrepreneurs

I recently attended a Cowley College entrepreneurship class taught by Lisa Roberts. (She was a substitute for the regular instructor who was on a brief leave of absence.)

Because of limited time to get my story done, I wasn't able to report many of the comments of her students, who made some thoughtful comments about the Arkansas City economy. Some comments might even be considered provocative.

In my Traveler story that was printed — and can be found on our website — Sept. 13, I focused on several of the students who interviewed Ark City business owners who had started as young entrepreneurs and had built up successful businesses. But there is another, not-so-pretty side to the entrepreneurship game. I didn't really cover that side of the story.

Entrepreneurship is hard work. And it's harder these days, especially in small markets like Ark City, than in the past, some of the students noted.

A would-be entrepreneur may have to be inventive, as Nicole Ferguson, who wants to open a scrapbooking store, said. For her entrepreneurship interview, Nicole talked to a man from Texas who had invented a first-aid product, a disinfectant, called "911."

At least a few students said "Ark City doesn't seem to have the market for it," or words to that effect, referring to the products they wanted to sell. Roberts countered that they could always consider selling their items on-line. Products can be sold from just about anywhere — no matter how remote the location — via the Internet.

"You can sell your dance tapes on-line," Schylur Watson said to another student who wants to start a dance studio.

Catherine Dalton said she believed clothing would sell in Arkansas City, which has only a few clothing stores to choose from, and no shoe stores. (In days of old, the town had more than twice as many clothing stores as today, including at least two stores that carried dress-up items. It also had shoe stores.)

But others disagreed. "I don't think it would," one student said. "It wouldn't compete on Wal-Mart prices."

Another student said he thought Ark City was "too small and too poor to support busineess."

As for local stores competing with Wal-Mart, someone — maybe me — mentioned that some items purchased at Big Box stores wear out pretty quickly. "You get what you pay for," said Rebecca Williams, a student who used to work at Brown's store in downtown Arkansas City.

Williams said that Brown's — which started as an office supplies store — had diversified to attract more customers. And some of those customers live far from Ark City. For instance, the store started carrying gourmet coffee beans that are shipped to customers all over the country. "People would pay $55 a pound for Jamaican Blue," she said.

Other issues related to a store's location include what else is out there, and whether it would be a draw if there were just a few shops near — say — Strother Field. (There is a multiplex theater at the south edge of Strother Field, which is midway between Ark City and Winfield.)

"When you do have things out there, you need to be connecting businesses," Roberts said. (Or anywhere else, for that matter, including downtown Ark City. There also was some discussion on whether — and how well — local businesses downtown "partner" or connect with each other.)

The next project for the students after they completed their interviews with successful entrepreneurship was to evaluate two feasibility studies on real-life new businesses that want to start. (I think they are real-life, not theoretical, and I think those businesses are considering locating in Cowley County.)

I would be interested in knowing how the students are doing on that project — and also hearing from anyone who reads this blog and has something to say about entrepreneurship in the Arkansas City area.

List of Arkalalah themes

My former colleague Kathleen Anderson-McIntyre — we worked together at the Kansas City Kansan in the 1970s — has asked that I list the Arkalalah themes year by year. Kathleen also grew up in Ark City, and is a member of the ACHS Class of 1972. Her class is among those having a reunion this coming Arkalalah.

Following are the Arkalalah themes, identified by year, as provided to me by the Arkalalah Committee. (I'll list them through the '70s, and list the others in a later blog):

1928 — Under the Big Top; 1929 — Sunflower Garden; 1930 — Modernistic theme; 1931 — (no theme listed); 1932 — Halloween Theme; 1933 — Autumn Theme; 1934 — The Girl in the Clock; 1935 — (no theme listed); 1936 — (no theme listed); 1937 — Southern mansion stage background; 1938 — Good Neighbor; 1939 — From the Land of Enchantment, to the Land of Make Believe, to the Land of Now; 1940 — 70th Anniversary of the Founding of Arkansas City; 1942 Miss Liberty Bell. (Arkalalah was discontinued for several years during World War II.)

1946 — It's a Queen's Town Tonight; 1947 — Awetomic Age; 1948 — Fun, Frolic and Mystery; 1949 — (no theme listed); 1950 — (no theme listed); 1951 — Arkalalah Meody; 1952 — Indians and Pioneer Theme "???:"; 1953 — Opening of the Cherokee Strip Run "???"; 1954 — Chilocco's 70th Anniversary; 1955 — Santa Fe's 75th birrthday; 1956 — Silver Jubilee (25th anniversary); 1957 — International Friendship & Goodwill; 1958 — No Theme; 1959 — Far Away Places.

1960 — Ninety Years of Progress; 1961 — Centennial Arkalalah "My State, My Kansas 1861-1961"; 1962 — Out of This World; 1963 — Harvest Hoopalalah; 1964 — Coronation Time, 1964 Mardi Gras; 1965 — Arkalalah Hallabaloo; 1966 — Arkalalah Carnival; 1967 — (no theme listed); 1968 — Fantasies, Fairy Tales; 1969 — Haunters Holiday; 1970 — Halloween Moon Walk; 1971 — Panorama 100, 100 Years of A.C. History; 1972 — Witches Holiday; 1973 — Halloween Masquerade; 1974 — Hullabuloo; 1975 — Up with People; 1976 — Heritage in Harmony; 1977 — Autumn Jubilee; 1978 — Halloween Homecoming; 1979 — '70s in Review.