University of Arkansas Monticello - Boll Weevil Yearbook (Monticello, AR)

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ffs we ap a Treg gan ft f aes, Shades of Vaudeville - the placards are switched, signaling a new performer ... 3 re) Cc g o a) =) oO ro) Ass £ wn = oO ue o oe £ fo) 1 fe ® n S 3 a Yn ® = © ® ae == Ts = ® — ne) — fo) 0 ® oo oO ) om =! ° = oD o fe = a) o cS Sc = o Oo a ae) os fe) Oo o ” ao} S oO co — $s Cc = fe) O ie 1S) o z se] ie] ae o ie = 28 Student Life

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UAM NURSE Classie Jones records blood pressure and temperature of a prospec- tive donor. KAREN BLEVINS finds that she’s reached the ‘‘nitty-gritty’’ of the blood donation routine - after all the tests and questions, the end result is a pint of blood. Andrew D. Gregory, Atty. McGehee, Arkansas UAM 1968-72 EDITOR'S NOTE: Andrew D. Gregory, 29, collapsed and died on the evening of Monday, June 11, 1979 of an apparent blood clot. The following essay was dated June 11. When | was presented with the challenge of writing about the University of Arkansas at Monticello, former- ly Arkansas A M, | knew that | couldn't let the opportu- nity pass to share the portrait of campus life as | re- membered it. When | entered A M in 1968, the Vietnam War was at its height and the civil rights movement was in full swing given the added fuel of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. It was the sixties, a time of revolution, a time of rebellion, a time when both young whites and blacks raised their collective voices for this nation to honor its century old committment for human rights, it was a time of turmoil, the portrait of a nation in transition and A M, situated in the farther-most corner of Southeast Arkansas, was not spared nor exempted from this state of affairs. There were blacks on the campus before | came, but my freshman class included by far the largest number of blacks to ever attend A M. From my vantage point of time and hindsight, | know now that neither the admin- istration or the predominantly white student body was prepared for such a large influx of black students. lt must be remembered that it was still the era of ‘‘free- dom of choice” in most of Arkansas. Both black and white chose to remain in familiar surroundings. Thus thrown together under those circumstances, the ad- ministration, the student body and the black student body viewed each other with studied skepticism, suspi- cion and distrust. In conformity with the activisim of the times, the blacks organized the Soul Society, whose purpose was to perpetuate the interest of blacks on the campus. The organization eventually staged a march on the adminis- tration with its demands for black instructors, black dorm mothers and black members on the campus se- curity force. The march was covered by all the State's major newspapers and television stations. The march was peaceful and without incident. Over the years, the song ‘‘Dixie’’ was replaced as the school’s fight song (though hesitantly and grudgingly), and reluctantly the rebel flags disappeared from athle- tic events. As the sixties gave way to the seventies we witnessed the hiring of our first black dorm mother as well as an instructor. During this period the first black member of the Homecoming Court was elected. My senior year | was nominiated Chairman of the Student Judiciary Council and was elected Vice-President of Jeter Hall. It appeared that we had come to understand each other a little, and at the beginning of this new dawn A M had become the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Thus is a succinct analysis of campus life as one of UAM's first black sons pictures it. Oh yes, there were other aspects of campus life, the plays, the concerts, the dormitory pranks, the girls and of course the omni- present classes that had to be mastered. It was four years of activities and studies that now seem like a day. A day that is vaguely, though pleasantly implanted in my memory. We were oh so idealistic only to find that some things change while others re- main constant. Maybe it’s God’s way of showing us that perfection is limited to the realm of heaven. In summation perhaps the words of Dickenson can de- scribe my stay at UAM best - ‘“‘They were good times, they were bad times, no better no worse than any oth- er time.” q Sins a oe See = - SL re ge Sr ET Ley 2 Wart bk Oa

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It is once again that special evening which has been so anxiously anticipated by the campus celebrities - Talent Show night. Some affairs of this nature are stated in a festive, gala atmosphere. Not so at UAM, for this talent show features the most electrify- ing entertainers, the most alluring female vocalists, the greatest dancers, pickers, grinners - and they are in the limelight. What of the rich and prominent who promenade about in a leisurely fashion awaiting the start of the show? They are nothing, for even with their limousines, tuxe- does and bulging billfolds they are no match for the performers who, for the next few hours, will electrify the audience. Prince and pauper alike will applaud them, for they are UAM's best, proud to compete in a hybrid talent show combining the best elements of Nashville, Cal Jam, a Funkadelic concert and the Gong Show. Well, maybe we've exaggerated just a bit. The talent show is a big event on campus, however, and were it held in Hollywood there would be limos and alluring females. As it stands, our talent show is witnessed yearly by an audience primarily consisting of UAM students, ‘‘come to have us a good time’n hyar some sangin’.” The stage is set, the lights dim then nar- row to pick out a solitary guitarist on stage. He plucks at the strings faster, faster as oth- er band members suddenly appear in a flood dts “Lillipad and Burns,”’ a comedy duo, enlightened the audience with a humorous skit.