Lonnie Stroud is a Recreation Assistant here at Haskell currently assigned to a staff position at the campus shop, Purple Threads. The following interview was conducted to familiarize campus with Lonnie as well as inform staff, students, alumni, and others about the campus shop and its upcoming sale.
How long have you been at Purple Threads?
Officially since 2011.
Have you previously worked in any other departments on campus?
Yes, at Curtis Hall, Student Activities, and at the Snack Bar. I started working at Haskell in September of 2000.
What is your tribal affiliation?
I am an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma from Wichita, Kansas as well as Grove, Oklahoma.
Did you attend Haskell as a student?
Yes, from 1988 to 1989. This was way back when Haskell was still just a two-year junior college.
How has Haskell changed since then?
When I was here, we didn’t have Roe Cloud. Very few buildings had air conditioning back then. The only dorm that had air conditioning was Blalock. In all of the other dorms, you just left the window open and if you could afford it, you had a window fan. We did have heat, though.
You have a jewelry section in your store. For students who are interested, how would they go about selling their jewelry to the shop?
Just come in and see me. Purple Threads is interested in purchasing quality traditional jewelry from all tribes. We are specifically looking for beaded necklaces, lanyards, and bracelets at the moment.
The lobby area in the basement of Tecumseh looks much different than it did last semester. What all is new there?
We now have a pool table, two foosball tables, various board games, a new TV, new chairs and tables, and a new stereo system.
Is the Snack Bar open?
Not yet, but we are aiming to open it towards the end of November. We want to start out slow and see how it’s going to go.
What types of food will be served there?
We will be selling pizza, hot dogs, nachos, taquitos, and smoothies. We are also going to have chips and candy bars. We’ll mainly be serving things that are fast and easy; things that won’t hold us up too long. Eventually, we are going to be getting a fountain drink machine with several different flavor options. We are also going to serve various soups with crackers now that it is getting colder. We also want to eventually get back to serving burgers and fries, but that’s down the road a little ways. We’re taking baby steps because it’s been closed for a little over two years now.
Are you currently hiring?
We are looking for two student workers for the Snack Bar when that opens up. The hours of availability that we are looking for are through the lunch hours, mainly 11:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. or 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. That’s when we will really need workers.
Do you have any upcoming sales?
We will have select items on sale November 20th from 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Located in the basement of Tecumseh Hall, Purple Threads is open Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (closed on federal holidays). The shop sells a variety of Haskell apparel and accessories as well as a quality selection of traditional Indigenous jewelry. The Snack Bar will be opening later this month in the kitchen right next to Purple Threads and is looking to hire two student workers with availability through the lunch hours. Be sure to check out the upcoming sale on select items at Purple Threads on November 20th from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m
