Agnes Scott College - Silhouette Yearbook (Decatur, GA)

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Uppe Shake r; Tim speare e out bet . . . Below conferen who constantly seek her advice matters even beyond the scope of English themes. Miss Ellen Douglas Ley- burn spends a great deal of her time this year in her new home, which was built only recently. Gardening and looking after her dog, Caroline, occupy many of her leisure moments. Perhaps it was while Miss Leyburn was a student at Agnes Scott that she began to develop the analytical and syste- matic mind for which she is so well known. The freshmen have learned much about writing themes from the de- partment ' s new member, Miss Thelma Allbright, who taught formerly at Queens ' Chicora. Her talents also extend to the realm of palmistry; if you ask her to read your palm she will entertain you with her magic knowledge and with her wit, which, upon all occasions, has already en- deared her to the campus. While in college she majored in American Lit- erature and later received her Master ' s degree in it at Duke University. The Spoken English Department is headed by Miss Frances K. Gooch, who once gave private lessons to Madame Chiang Kai-Shek at Wesleyan. Miss Gooch was formerly president of the Southern Association of Teach- ers of Speech and still attends its conventions. Her favorite actor is Basil Rathbone. % luun unwnm The English Department boasts of giving a larger number of majors than any other department on the campus. Its members undoubtedly play a large part in making it so attractive. Mr. George P. Hayes, who heads the department, spends a great deal of his spare time on the tennis courts. His love of exercise often leads him into the woods on long walks. Debating claims his attention too; he was very pleased about his trip to Chattanooga this spring, where he attended the debate convention and tournament. He is an ardent lover of classical music and is a frequenter of the music room in Main. Miss Emma May Laney keeps up with Mr. Hayes in playing tennis, and this fall she tried her hand at golf, joining a beginners ' class. Her well-planned lectures and her habit of being strongly intent on whatever she does, combined with a genuine love for her subject, make her an inspiring teacher. As advisor to the Lecture Association, she has been active in bringing many good lecturers to the campus. Miss Janee Preston ' s talent for writing poetry is evident from the fact that she has had several of her poems published in the Atlanta Ar.ijosy, an anthology of works by Atlanta poets. In them she shows her appreciative love of nature. Miss Annie May Christie keeps busy doing research work on a Southern writer. Her sympathy and ability to understand other people ' s problems make her very popular, especially among the freshmen. This year has brought Miss Robirta Winter back to the campus to assist Miss Gooch in teaching Spoken Eng- lish. During her years as a student at Agnes Scott, she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and of Hoasc, the fore- runner of Mortar Board. She is known now as the author of Bridal Chorus, which has won recognition in the the- itrical world, and of most of the scripts for the Agnes Scott radio programs this year. She tells us that she always played men ' s roles in the Blackfriars plays.

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DEi ' OF WOMEI No MATTER WHAT TIME of day you happen to drop into the Dean ' s Office you will find several students passing the time of day with one of the Deans or finding good advice on those per- plexing problems that occur in college life. It ' s no wonder that It ' s such a popular place when we see who those capable advisors are. Miss Carrie Scandrett, as Dean of Women, contacts the stu- dents individually more than any other member of the faculty or admmistration. The smallest difficulty is never too small for her complete attention, nor is the most perplexing one too in- volved for her level head. She seems to sense our difficulties even before we come unhesitatingly to her with them. It is no wonder that there is always a waiting line outside her door. She seems to embody the four ideals of Agnes Scott and be the perfect successor for the former, beloved Dean, Miss Hopkins. Miss Charlotte Hunter is her assistant, and she is the Guard- ian Angel of the freshmen. Her friendly, informal manner and sympathetic understanding have helped to cure many a case of homesickness. Miss Hunter has joined some of the students in taking first-year German and anyone who doesn ' t think she studies her lessons faithfully ought to see her reading Emil und die Detective. She is also taking her horseback riding lessons very seriously. Mary MacDonald and Isabella Wilson are the other two members of the Dean ' s office faculty. They always have a welcom- ing smile ready for the people who come in and the students love introducing their dates and chaperons to them. Although Mary ' s day-time job as a secretary in Atlanta keeps her on the go, she manages to get in on some of the bull sessions with the girls in Boyd, where she lives. This is Miss Wilson ' s first year back at her Alma Mater; she was house president of Main during her senior year here.

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FACULTY Notebooks pile high around Mrs. Sydenstricker in May. B I B L The Bible Department helps add religious em- phasis to the curriculum and also to the outside activities on the campus, especially through the work of the Bible Club, which is sponsored by Mrs. Alma Sydenstricker and Mr. James T. Gillespie, members of the department. They have been influential in bringing several good authori- ties on religious questions to the college as guests of Bible Club, whose lectures are open to the entire college community. Mrs. Sydenstricker, who leads the department, is recognized as a leader in spiritual activities and she is frequently asked to speak at various functions in Atlanta and Decatur. She spends a large part of her summer vacations at Chautauqua, N. Y., where she is Vice-President of the Woman ' s Club, and where she studies music and art to the benefit of her classes here. She teaches the Woman ' s Bible Class in Decatur. Mrs. Sydenstricker has a scholarly interest in ancient languages and traditions, having gone so far as to do some archae- ological research in the Holy Land. She taught history before coming to Agnes Scott. She tries to have personal contact with her students by inviting them to tea at her home near the college, and by interviewing each one individually. Mr. Gillespie is not only a teacher but also a preacher. He conducts regular services during the summer in North Carolina, his native state; and, speaking of the Tar Heel State, he has a devoted love for it, especially for its mountains. He keeps a stock of funny stories about these mountains which he loves to tell while chatting with a bunch of girls from there. He spent a great deal of time this year seeing that the plans for his new white house on South Candler Street were carried out correctly. Now that it has been completed he can often be seen taking his black Scottie dog out for an airing. His class lectures are carefully planned, following closely an organized syllabus. The Old Testament by Gil