Brevard College - Pertelote Yearbook (Brevard, NC)

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were not allowed to smoke even in their own rooms. Lights had to be out by 10;00 p.m. for the girls. Girls could go uptown only in groups with a chaperone; mixed groups moved in double lines. Couples could sit to- gether or walk on campus at a distance of about fourteen inches separation. The dean of women had to Argus-eyed to perform her duties! Then, as now, the more defiant ones could find ways of getting around prescribed codes of conduct. Sweaters, a string of pearls, knee-length skirts, bobby socks, brown and white saddle oxfords or loafers were the fahion for the girls — oh yes, and those bulky padded shoulders on dress suits and coats. Rayon stockings were saved for dress-up occasions. Blue jeans could be worn on picnics and similar outings and also in the dormitory — but not to class or uptown. The hair-dos were shoulder length with loosely-flowing curls. Bright red lipstick plastered their mouths. Boys wore their hair clean-cut with side- burns ending about an inch below the top

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of the ear. There were no long beards and very few mustaches. The clothes were not much different from those of the more con- servative campus dressers of today. Navy vets wore the dungaree forerunners of the present bell-bottoms. We were not big money spenders, for we were the babies of the Depression and grew up doing without luxuries. Then too, the war had taught us frugality when shoes, meat, sugar, butter, gasoline and other commodi- ties had been rationed. Our main indul- gences were nickels in the juke box, nickel cokes, ten-cent hot dogs and thirty-cent mov- ies. We wrote letters home instead of the telephoning long distance. We traveled by bus or train, not airliners. Our means of entertainment were simple. A few students had raspy-voiced little radios and tuned in on the Saturday night Hit Parade. Some of the pop ' tunes of the time were Laura , Dear Hearts and Gentle Peo- ple , Paper Doll , Sentimental Journey , Temptation , Dance, Ballerina and Star Dust. It was the era of the big-name bands; Tommy Dorsey, Guy Lombardo, Artie Shaw, Harry James, Benny Goodman and many more. Favorite vocalists included Bing Cros- by, the Andrews Sisters, Margaret Whiting and the Ink Spots. The trumpet, saxophone, clarinet, drums, piano and acoustical bass were the most popular instruments. Guitars were only played by hillbillies and country folk. The dance style was a slow and easy walk-like waltz. Television was just in its embryo stage. We went to the movies for off-campus enter- tainment. Some of the big-name stars were Clark Gable, Robert Taylor, Jimmy Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Charles Boyer, Spencer Tracy, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Mickey Rooney; Judy Garland, Loretta Young, Bar- bara Stanwyck, Lauren Bacall, Bette Davis. For the most part we were vei7 indifferent to national and world affairs. The decision of what vocation to select was our main con- cern — nurse, secretary, teacher, engineer, doctor, lawyer, minister ' Our thinking was rather shallow and superficial — we ac- cepted what was thrown our way without question. Ours had been a repressed chUd- hood — the prevailing phUosophy being children should be seen and not heard — Silence is golden ; Speak when spoken to ; Actions speak louder than words. No won- der we are now called the Silent Genera- tion! Intellectually, the students of today have the advantage over us with so many more opportunities for learning. The majority of us ciune from rural communities or very small towns. Our college level was probably more comparable to the present senior high of the larger cities. However, we did have the desire to learn. The veterans gave us added incentive — they were there because they knew what they wanted and reaUzed the advantages of having a college education. This spirit was communicated to us. Yes, Brevard College has changed. The campus is hardly recognizable; rules have become more peiTnissive; fads and fashions have changed; students are more knowl- edgeable and wordly; life is more complex and filled with problems. But wait! There is one thing that has not changed — basic human nature. Beneath the surface there is still the need for love, approval, encourage- ment, warmth and understanding — the need to be accepted as an individual in one ' s own light. Pat Austin Editor. The Pertelote, 1947 11