We've only just begun

It was not only a proud moment for McCook Community College, it was a proud moment for the people of the McCook area and the surrounding area as well.

We're talking about Wednesday evening's meeting of the Mid Plains board when "McCook Community College" was officially restored as the name for Nebraska's oldest junior college.

How sweet the sound!

In the hearts and minds of alumni and friends, McCook Community College is the proper name for the place of learning we honor and adore. It was a travesty that the name was temporarily taken away by the previous president of the college area, Dr. George Mihel. How could he do such a thing without board action?

But that's the past. The important thing to consider is the present and the future.

Now that "McCook Community College" is the official name for the college area's division in McCook, we need to keep the momentum going.

We need to use the spirit shown in the college name campaign to help McCook Community College and the Mid-Plains area become the best they can be, providing close-to-home education for people throughout the region.

How can we do that? Generous financial support is one way and that continues to take place. Even during the recent controversy, the generosity has continued, with the Hormel Family and McCook College Foundation taking the lead in financing the Hormel Business Center at McCook Community College.

More gifts are on the way, with a significant bequest from the Volentine family announced Wednesday night by the MCC vice president, Dr. Richard Tubbs.

Those gifts grow out of an affection for the college which was apparent Wednesday night. One hundred forty three college supporters gathered in the bleachers of the True Hall gymnaisum to witness the name-changing deliberations. It was an awesome display of college and community pride.

In unison, the crowd rose to its feet and applauded long and loud after Lloyd Benjamin's eloquent plea for the restoration of the McCook Community College title.

All share the credit for the return of the name. But we can't let the spirit fade. We must continue to support the college with pride, promotion and participation.

Seventy-six years after the founding of the college, we've only just begun. Let's show the area, the state and the nation how great MCC can be!