Roger Campbell wants to make sure the “Community” in Allen Community College remains a priority.
“One thing I learned quickly in taking the courses I did was there’s a big difference between what you call a ‘community college’ and a ‘junior college,’” Campbell explained. “A junior college is just what it sounds like. It’s the first two years of a four-year college degree, where all you want to do is transfer.”
And that’s fine, he added.
But there’s a large segment, particularly in Allen County, that will never walk in ACC’s doors for whatever reason.
“I know it might sound a little bit old-fashioned, but we are not serving a good percentage of our own county,” Campbell contended. “I don’t want to impede our future, but we can’t forget about our past.”
Campbell, who taught for 38 years at Allen before retiring in 2019, is running as a write-in candidate for one of three seats on the ACC Board of Trustees. On the ballot are incumbents Gena Clounch and Vicki Curry along with challengers Alana Cloutier and Corey Schinstock.
Campbell’s name would have been on the ballot as well, but a fire at Rookies in downtown Iola, owned by Campbell’s daughter Carri and her husband Mike, shuttered the restaurant for several months.
“My whole concentration from then on was getting this place up and going,” Campbell said from the new Rookies location at 2402 N. State. The restaurant opened its new location in late October.
“About a week ago, I was reading about the election, and a couple of my friends suggested, ‘How about another write-in?’” Campbell said. “I thought, why not? This time I’ll do something.”
Campbell narrowly missed out on already being a part of the trustees board via write-in candidacy in 2020.
He lost by two votes, despite not lifting a finger or even expressing interest, for that matter.
“A couple of friends said they were going to write in my name, and I just thought it was pretty cool,” he laughed.
CAMPBELL’S affiliation at Allen dates back to 1981, when he was hired as a social sciences teacher and track and cross country coach.
He was born in Oklahoma, and raised in California, before returning to Oklahoma to finish his college education at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah.
From there, Campbell’s teaching career began at Navajo State Community College in Arizona.
