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

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P € “ ope! rfp VERSATILE DRUMMER Freddie Waits delivers a vocal solo during the per- formance. 3

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The old and the new and the unorthodox appeared at the Fine Arts Center this year with the per- formances of the jazz musicians of the Billy Taylor Trio, and Clam- pit and Keene, a progressive country duo, and Chris Bliss, a rock juggler. Billy Taylor, has appeared at the White House on five different occasions, recorded two albums and worked with David Frost, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sammy Davis, Jr., among others. He was accompied by two oth- er noted jazz musicians, drummer Freddie Waits and bassist Victor Gaskin. Very few students attend- ed the lectures and demonstra- tions which he presented on the afternoon of his concert. Monti- cello residents, however, turned up in full support of the legendary New York performer. ‘““Clampit and Keene’’, directed by, fittingly enough, Jed Clampit of Monticello, performed before a crowd of 100 in the Fine Arts Cen- ter. Having made a few prior ap- pearances at UAM, the band re- turned with a few new faces, a concert tour, and an album in- the-works. ‘‘Clampit and Keene’’ was sponsored by Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, while the Billy Taylor Trio appeared through the Sea rk Concert of the Arts, aided by State grants for cultural enrich- ment. BILLY TAYLOR

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Florence Chance Monticello, Arkansas SAS and A M 1919-42 On September 17, 1919, | entered 8th grade at the Fourth District State Agricultural School, on the grounds of what is now the University of Arkansas at Monticello. At that time only seventh through twelfth grades were taught. Students came from Southeast Arkansas and North Louisiana communities, where three to five months of school per year were taught. None of us had any money, so we did the work (chores) in the buildings and on the farm to pay room, rent and board ($12 per month). We lived in Willard (girls) and Sorreils and Wells (boys) Halls. We had an adult houseparent in each hall to overlook us. Miss Carolina Royer was housemother for the girls. Mr. Frank Horsfall was superintendent of the school. When the high school became a junior college in 1915, Mr. Horsfall became the first president. ae We were changing to college level when | finished high school April 30, 1924. | spent that summer on campus and took 20 hours of college work. | had been in school five years, worked for room and board, which had gone up to $16.00 per month, and enjoyed every day of it. | went to a rural community and taught school five months the winter of 1924-25. School was out early enough for me to take 12 hours college work in the spring, teaching and going to college became a way of life for me. In spring of 1928, | completed two years of college work and received an L.|. degree and a state teachers license. Oh joy! I'd been having to save $2.00 to get my county first grade license renewed, with this im- provement in my education | could teach longer schools, but came right back to A M for more college hours. Seventeen schools and enough hours later, | got to don a cap and gown in May 1942 and tightly grasp a piece of paper saying | had enough hours for a B.A. with a major in English and enough in social studies for a minor, and with four more hours of science a sec- ond minor. Joy, again! During all those years the teachers were the most kind, patient people | ever knew. (Otherwise I'd have been booted out.) The students were very loyal.to each other and to the school. When we played foot- ball or basketball with our sister schools at Magnolia, Russellville, and Jonesboro we really cheered our guys on and were usuaily victorious. I'm so thankful and grateful for a grammar school, junior college and senior college on the same campus (1919-1942) and the mental ability and physical strength to grasp opportunities offered (sometimes pushed) by school and faculty. I'm happy to live in a town with a university such as AM. A somewhat larger audience turned out to view the antics and, admitted- ly, highly innovative and skillful performance of the rather brusque Chris Bliss. Bliss was something of a surprise to the audience which was fortu- nately mainly composed of students. His act included a spectacular light show and a number of talented juggling routines performed to rock hits.