Champaign High School - Maroon Yearbook (Champaign, IL)

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Barbara Patterson, in her usual typical manner, added ample sarcasm to the production as the blind date. Others in the cast were Bill Paul who played the part of the shingle infested Dutch: the all-round pal-although slightly on the dull side-played by Chuck Condon: the runt of the group who was always excited and nosey-and the unlucky holder of the blind date -Warwick Brown. - Warwick appeared for the first time on the stage in this play, taking the part of Chuck, and was a delightful surprise. Harvey Hunt portrayed the spirited old grad, while Suzanne White took the part of the dumb blonde. Joanne Becker had the role of the tall and beautiful Ethel, Kenneth Johnson took the part of Bud Hooper. Bertram Wagner the role of hard-boiled manager of the actress, Keith Knott was Chester, Jean Potter played the role of Helen, and Jean Karva portrayed the chaperone. Although Wig and Paint had no further performances scheduled until the Spring play set for April 27, a number of special casts were called upon for performances at Christmas time. entertaining a much delighted audience at the annual pre-holiday assembly, as well as present- ing several programs to strictly community groups. The same organization was likewise responsible for presenting stunt shows in both Janu- ary and February, and was due for a major role in the opera set for May ll. Classes resumed after the Christmas vacation on Wednesday, January 3, with the weather- man acting up and offering chilly blasts in abundance to make life more difficult. It was but a short time until the students were back in the groove-- and while more than a little excited about basketball and the prospects of taking that state crown - for the most part, faculty warnings that examinations were just ahead had a sobering effect. And well they might-for the semester examinations, starting January 25 and ending three days later, were something not soon to be forgotten. The one bright spot of the season came on the evening of January 27 when the Baton and Treble Clef clubs combined to stage the traditional Vice Versa dance. Although the la femmes again did the squiring, complete from corsages to cab, the clubs bowed to popular ap- peal for a strictly formal dance. As such, it rated supreme. The start of the second semester on January 29 brought one new teacher to the faculty. Mr. Shere, for the past four years in charge of the newswriting classes and sponsor of the pub- lications, tendering his resignation because of health. Plans were announced as indefinite al- though he accepted part time employment at the News-Gazette, planning to leave in early summer for the west coast. The semester was but one day old when again the report cards were distrib- uted, giving the results of the previously held examinations, and permitting a few of the probation seniors to move up to full fledged standing with the possibility of graduation. For the remainder of the quarter. bas- ketball continued to be the all-consuming topic with every student solidly behind the team. With classes dismissed for Lincoln's birthday as a brief relapse from class room 13 The Maroon

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Juniors, 4.5 to 4:75: John Goodell, Jean Doyle, Helen Hildebrand, Kathleen Howland, Martha Innis, Kenneth Johnson, Virginia Metzler, Doris Nofftz. Virginia Offenhiser, Jack Threet, Mildred Torcaso, Norma Waugh, Mary White, Betty J. Allen, Barbara Baird, Shirley Bash, Joanne Becker, Jane Bowen, Peggy Cain. Delores Carson, James Cloyd, Phyllis Cresap, Dale Dickerson, Joanne Harvey, Charles Herndon, Lila Holmes, William Lyons, Hazel Meets, Mary J. Nelson, Eileen O'Donnell, Ingrid Schulze, James Shapland, Nancy Stewart. Neil Van Dyke, Joan Van Houtin, and Shirley Winnemore. Sophomores. 5 point: Martha Conn, Audrey Dowling, James Hunt, Diane Keith, Mar- jorie Kemp, Shirlie Mcllvain, Helen Malott and Isabel Matheu. Sophomores, 4.5 to 4.8: Theodore B-each, Eloise Bray, Joanne Edwards, Sabra Lindsey, Sybil Lindsey, Joan Trowbridge, Thomas Wilson, Norma Barnett, Shirley Bowen, Wanda El- lett, Orin Hertzman, Rose Miner, Charles Saxe, Alan Schrader, Alice Spencer and Mary Walters. X Painted by wintry artists, the sturdy building shows its strength against a snowy background of December and January. While it has long been regarded as axiomatic that the fall play presented by Wig and Paint would bring down the house, Best Foot Forward given on November 17 certainly captivated the crowd that filled the CHSauditorium to overflowing. The play-popular on the big time circuit and regarded as one of the best movies of the year when done by Hollywood-was packed with wisecracks, situations and complications that lived up to Walter Winchell's summary of being a honey for your money. Best Foot Forward was based upon the annual school dance at Winsocki Boys' School, replete with many intricate situations including one of a boy having two dates, and a love scene between the movie star, Gayle Joy, and one of the school professors. The play initiated several new faces to the CHS stage, four of these being transfer students from other schools. They were Bill Harkins, transfer from 'Texas who gave a magnificent per- formance of the girl-shy Hunk: the fussy Doctor Reeber, portrayed by Ed Bevans, transfer from Onarga military school: Maxine Medlock from Seymour who very capably played the part of Miss Delaware Watergap, and Gayle Joy, the beautiful actress played by Rose Marie Holmes who hails from Herrin. The Maroon 17

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chores, there was little out of the ordinary to characterize the remainder of the quarter. School, of course, had become very much on the beam with the Weekly hops held on the Friday recreation hour and the boys and gals making the most of the opportunities of- fered for relaxation. The Club Coed-the high school youth's special part of the Mc- Kinley Y, M. C. A.-and the Hi-Y Club, reorganized and functioning as a socializing unit, both contributed a share in making out- of-school life pleasant. And these, with the other provisions for relaxation. kept everything on an even keel until the Easter vacation rolled around on March 29 with all classes dismissed until April 3. A warm sun-hidden so long by the drab winter-returned to add to the pleasantness of school days, and it was with a great deal of enthusiasm that the gym classes returned to the open for play on the outdoor grounds. Touch football immediately became a popular sport, superseding basketball and wrestling-which, in spite of records of out- standing seasons, had become threadbare to both the participants and spectators. Coaches of these sports, along with the directors of the girls' Htness programs, found the change an opportunity to try out candi- dates for baseball, although again, as in past seasons, the lack of competition from nearby schools made it impractical to organize for league play. By early April, the dramatists were again busy with rehearsals with the determination to make the spring play, scheduled for April 27, an outstanding event in the school calendar. Most of the cast chosen for the play, as well as the director, had been exceedingly busy during the preceding month when, as district winner in the l944 speech contest, the school was host to the contestants. With interest at top point, and under the direction and training of Miss Stuart. taking high hon- ors was a foregone conclusion, with no one doubting the final decisions made by the judges. It was the unanimous opinion that Barbara Patterson should continue in this particular field. But the dramatists were by no means alone in hanging out the busy sign at re- hearsal time. Both choirs under the direction of Miss Harland and the Troubadours with Miss Rose as leader, turned special attention to practice for the annual opera scheduled for May ll. And there was every reason to believe that the opera would excel the performance of the The Maroon previous year when this type of entertain- ment wasloffered at the senior high school for the first time in many years. Much of the credit for the return of vocal music to favor at the senior high school must be given to Miss Rose and Miss Harland, and the two special singing groups-the Trouba- dors for boys and the Vocalettes made up of girls-did offer a very fine addition to the entertainment offered by high school youth. The vocalists, however well they pleased. did not by any means monopolize the enter- 19