Athens High School - Aquila Yearbook (Athens, AL)

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In The Speech ofthe Pessimist JOHNNY TODD As all of you know, I have been selected as Class Grumbler. I can't. think of any better way to begin my speech than to tell you how our class, the poor unfortunate sen- iors of 1959, have been treated. The class of '59 is one of the largest classes ever to graduate from A,H,S, Now I really don't like large classes, because in a large class it is hard to become closely ac- quainted with all your classmates. A small class has an advantage because everyone gets to know everyone else. As Sophomores we entered high school with much enthusiasm. We tried not to let the old building with its screeching floors and dark halls get us down. The hallways were so dark that we needed to carry a torch around with us. And that study hall floor! ! ! It's a miracle that Mrs. Nelson, whose room was directly below, doesn't have gray hair from worrying about the whole study hall falling through on her and her classes. Now we are having classes in the new Junior High School with its new class rooms, but it surely is hard for us to obey all the new rules the teachers have set up for us. We are so busy taking care of the building that we don't have any time to enjoy it. There is something else I would like to say while I have the chance. Why should we have to learn those Chronological Periods of Shakespeare? They will never do us any good. As if this wasn't enough, we had to learn from Macbeth all about our lives being like brief candles. For three years all we have heard has been lessons, lessons, and more lessons. When and if I ever get out of here, I am going to find a place where there is some peace and quiet. Speaking of peace and quiet, that is a very rare thing around A,H,S, If someone doesn't have the P,A, system on thumping on it or blowing in it, Mr. Clanton has some of his long -hair music on the record player. As Juniors making money for the Annual and the Junior -Senior Prom, we were doomed. We had rainy weather for every football game. As if this were not enough, at one game we burned up fourteen dozen hot dogs. And once, when a game was post- poned, we completely lost more than one hundred dozen hot dogs from spoilage. Also during our Junior year the gym floor was refinished. This put a stop to all those great Travel Club dances, because shoes would scratch the floor, and who wants to go to a dance barefooted! This situation even threatened our Banquet-Prom. Speaking or rain and banquets, the weather was certainly against us on the night of our Junior-Senior Prom, After struggling to make enough money to put it on, we had a very bad storm the night of it and we all had to go home at the ridiculously early hour of 10:30, All these unfortunate things have been happening ever since we entered this school. The teachers said our situation would change when we became seniors. And how! We are supposed to be respected by the underclassmen but we are so outnumbered by fresh- men alone that it's a struggle to walk down the hall, much less receive any respect. The only time anyone has heard the seniors' name mentioned this year, it has been to tell us to bring money for pictures, caps and gowns, or something else. By the time I pay for all these I probably can't afford a diplomag and that I have struggled for all these years. Yes, taking all things into consideration the life of the Class of 1959 has been full of hardships and trouble at A,H,S, We are finishing high school large in number, but low in spirit. But let me tell you the truth: we have loved every minute of our high school years, especially the privilege of grumbling.

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Gene Black is now a world -famous billiard player. With all the rules and methods he' knows, he's come back at Athens High to teach a seventh period pool class, Being loyal to his school, he and his assistant, Douglas Griffin, have changed the felt on all the tables from green to black and gold. Margaret Earl Bradford and Ioye Smith are now a special research team for the tobacco industry. They count the millions of tiny filters in cigarettes to prevent anyone getting short-filtered, An outstanding event at our reunion will be an address by the class by the class president, Mike Bradley. He is now recognized as a great author by his thriller about the Civil War called HE WAS A CONFEDERATE SOLDIER, BUT HE WORE A UNION SUIT. Rebecca Isom, librarian in the Library of Congress, reported that last year over a million people checked out this book. To top this, most of them were Yankees! Carolyn Kubilis is now the dental assistant for Dr, Macon Brock. Dr, Brock is trusted by all his patients because he has a sign hanging in his office reading, I will pull the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth. Lynne Christopher may currently be seen in VOGUE wearing the new outfits designed by Margaret Black and exclusively made by Linda Maddox. This trio is among the highest paid women of America, The men pay them to stop making those concealing fashions popular, Bucky Patton has become the first millionaire of the class. He has invented an economical, easily made boat, This boat is operated by simply attaching a 510. 98 Mixmaster to a 32, 00 bathtub to make this inexpensive runabout. Bob Patterson, his sales manager, reports that the only complaint the com- pany gets is that an extension cord for the boat costs 81200, Joan Coblenz, a prominent nurse, has just suggested a new national week to observe - Let's Catch Bubonic Plague Week, She states that due to all the wonder drugs discovered by Doctor Jimmy Ray, nobody is sick anymore. The hair styles created by the famous Claudine Leonard are really the rage, 1 saw Nancy McGee with a new cut called the bird dog and Linda Rogers with one called the rocket blown. Joyce Mob- ley, manicurist at Claudine's Salon, has designed a stripped nail polish for square nails. Jerry Schrimsher finally made Hollywood! Beth Bailey, his press agent, just notified the public that Jerry is now working as Trigger's stand in. David Holden, principal of Athens Elementary School, told me that Beth Gregg and Nancy Leopard require all of their third grade pupils to read the funny paper, Ronald Thomas is their favorite cartoon- ist, with his strip called Ronald Duck. Patsy Dobbs will be sailing soon for Africa. She has just been appointed ambassador to the pygmies, She is taking along Bonita Holt so the little people can see how sweet the Americans are, Eloise Cooper now directs an all -girl review called the Hula -Oops. They have brought back that swing hoop fad that was so popular in 1958, Watching the Hit Parade, I was delighted to see that Lynette Allen and Julia Green have a song on the top ten, Lynette's song, This Is Gonna Be a Stag and l Wanta Be a Cowboy's Horse by Julia are tying for first place. Morris Bowers has finally developed a new fuel for his drag rod. When he injects this gas-a -go in his tank, he really goes - upward. Two of the 1959 graduates are employed by Athens High School in the music department. Thomas Parson is now directing the A,H,S, multimillion dollar band. Remembering how weary he used to be- come when all parades were on foot, he has developed a new type drill in which the band rides in tiny cars. Ann Wallace is directing the chorus at our alma mater. Her group recently won an award for singing the loudest and the longest at the annual Alabama Sing-Down. Edria Ann Shelton, special secretary to Chief Justice Allen Orr, has issued ,the statement that the Supreme Court has passed a new ruling, She declined to state the nature of the ruling, but she did say that it concerned an old issue, schools. I saw Dillard Feigley, the town's leading mortician, the other day. When I asked him how his busi- ness was he exclaimed, Dead! Say, I guess everyone is going to think I'm dead or something if I don't hurry and get dressed for that reunion!

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The Speech ofthe Optimist JOAN COBLENTZ At last we have made the long climb upward to become seniors. For most of us there have been times when it seemed as though this final year of many privileges would never arrive. Now that it is here, the weeks and days are passing almost too rapidly. We are indeed a fortunate group, being the first senior class to attend school in the new building, and being only the second class to have graduation exercises in the new auditorium. Although this building is later to be the Jun- ior High School, we are happy to attend here this year. The Grumbler speaks of the dark halls of the old building. Ah, but we have no such worries in this new building! The halls are much wider and suf- ficient lighting is provided by the modern lighting system we now have. Another complaint of the Grumbler is that we have to spend too much time taking care of the building, Certainly we have rules to abide by in order to take care of it, of course we would not deliberately damage it, but be- cause of little things the building would soon show signs of wear were we not sometimes cautioned to be careful. However, I think we, the students, have kept the building in good condition this year - not because we had to, but be- cause we wanted to. The new P,A, systym is wonderful because it provides such an effective method of communication throughout the building, And, quite the opposite of the Grumbler's idea, the music which we occasionally hear is good for the morale of the students and is thoroughly enjoyed by many who appreciate real music. Along with our new school, we are very happy to have several new teach- ers, among whom is one of our senior class sponsors, Mr. J. D. Clanton. We gratefully express our appreciation to Mr. Clanton, and to our other sponsors, Miss Nancy Martin and Miss Geraldine Whitt, as well as the entire faculty, who have helped us so much in making our high school years very happy and prosperous ones. Our Grumbler mentioned that there is not enough peace and quiet at A,H,S. One of the things which our school has always been proud of is the way in which we support all our clubs, organizations, and activities. Think how dull it would be without all our lively pep rallies, ballgames, and club meetings. As for the amount of work we have to do on our studies, let's not forget that the major purpose of going to school is to get an education, Another point about which the Grumbler has complained is our large class and all the unfortunate situations which arose during our Junior year. However, with so many class members we were able to do more than a smaller class might have done. Also, it is my' opinion that all the bad luck we have had has only served to bring us closer together and to challenge us to work harder and with more co-operation and determination on our projects. Yes, our school days are almost over, and soon will be just wonderful memories. Certainly our school years have been filled with ups and downsL ' defeats and victories, successes and disappointments. But, the good far out- weighs the bad and it is the fact that we have SHARED our joys and sorrows that has created the memories which we will take with us always - memories of our school years as the best years of our lives.