Read more about why the Plowboys were suspended here.

The Plowboys have been a spirit organization on Tarleton State University’s campus since 1983, but in December 2016, the organization was put under a one-year suspension.

“The suspension was lifted on January 18,” Lathes Towns, Director of Student Involvement, Spirit and Traditions & Family Relations and the new Plowboys advisor, said. “They met all the requirements and they are officially back. I feel honored and excited [to be the advisor]. I think we’ve got a group of great young men that are going to set this world on fire like you’ve never seen.”

Plowboys’ President, Martin Wright, said that the Plowboys are a spirit organization, but they are going to start focusing more on campus and community outreach.

“We get all the basketball, volleyball, and football games. I’m going to push to go to different things, like softball and baseball; stuff we don’t usually do,” Wright said. “We have a stretch of U.S. Route 67 that we pick up, and we are in contact with the Erath County Cowboy Church.”

Wright said they plan to help clear out the rooms of the church and help them prepare to clean the floors.

“They did a little community outreach this morning (Feb. 1),” Towns said. “A group of them went to read at an elementary school, so that was neat. They’re doing a lot of community outreach, and that’s going to be one of their priorities this year.”

Towns said that as their advisor, she wants Tarleton students to know that the Plowboys are young men that believe their character is what drives them, and their main focus is to be successful, encouraging, and supportive students.

“The Plowboys, years ago, were actually the university mascot, and it’s evolved,” Towns said. “We evolved and we grew. We’re a little beyond just a spirit group now.”

Towns said that they’re also a reflection of Tarleton and the character of the men here on campus. The Plowboys’ priority is to be more civic and oriented as a whole. They want to make sure they have connections that are positive and uplifting, and encouraging and supportive of the community.

“Dr. Laura Boren, our vice president of student affairs, has done a fantastic job with making sure our students are at the forefront and that our students are making some critical decisions,” Towns added. “She wants ownership with their decisions, and the Plowboys are going to be an effective part of that.”

The Plowboys currently have 23 active members, all in good standing with Tarleton. The members vary in their majors, but they all share the same goal: to better the name of the Plowboys by helping the community and campus as much as they can.

Towns and Wright are both excited for the future of the organization and the focus they plan to have on service.

“We are looking for more stuff to be involved in to bump our name up. We know people are going to look down on us for stuff that’s happened, and that’s just part of it,” Wright said. “Our biggest priority now is letting people know we’re better than that. We want to help people out. We want to support the school. We’re here to support the community, and keep the tradition alive. That’s one of our main focuses.”