Coker College - Milestone Yearbook (Hartsville, SC)

Page 115 text:

ee ef Dseebcrd Glance At the end of the school year nineteen hundred and fifty-six, a lone figure moved slowly down the street lead- ing away from Coker. As he neared the gateway, he hesitated, as if waiting for someone whom he knew would soon follow; and as he turned to look over his shoulder, had anyone been watching, he would have seen the Spirit of Coker. In that backward glance, the Spirit saw a year at Coker, saw it as it was, full of joy and sorrow. He saw it through freshmen eyes, sophomore eyes, junior and sen- ior eyes. Coker’s Spirit first looked at the freshman in all their greenness and hopefulness . . . saw them as they arrived all sparkling and breathless to begin their college careers . . . saw them in that first week attend party after party .. . watched them laugh at the house of an- other frosh, Dr. Barry, as he entertained them . . . saw, too, the wind go out of their sails when they registered were given their first homework assignments, and were initiated in the dormitory attic. The Coker Spirit watched as the frosh learned that most college days would begin with the knocking of the radiators, the clanging of the bell, and grits for breakfast. The Spirit saw other things besides the freshman. He saw the Sextette as they were chosen from the members of the Glee Club; he saw them practicing . . . singing for meetings of local organizations . . . going “on the road” to surrounding communities . . . helping Uncle Sam by entertaining the sick soldiers at Fort Jackson . . . being entertained by them. RIGHT: Ann discusses the newspaper business with Mr. Spearman. BOTTOM: The Literary Festival Panel was composed of: Joseph L. Wiggins, of the Hartsville Messenger, W. D. Workman, Jr., special correspondent for several Carolina dailies; Jack O’Dowd, of the Florence Morning News; Mrs. Frances H. Hildebrand, of the Sumter Daily Item; Walter Spearman, professor of journalism at the University of North Carolina; W. Leroy Harrelson, of the Myrtle Beach News. While glancing at things musical, the Spirit saw the Glee Club in their maroon robes leaving for their annual tour . . . saw their director as he worked to get every voice just right and all the voices perfect together saw the joy and satisfaction of working in harmony. Coker’s Spirit also recalled the annual Song Contest He had seen the committees’ labors in writing new Pep Songs. He had listened critically as each class learned the new song and worked hard to polish the Alma Mater. He would have told anyone who asked that he was glad he didn’t have to judge the contest—that close, it was. How- ever, he rejoiced with all the students as the judges se- lected the freshmen as winners of the Alma Mater and the seniors as winners of the Pep Song. A backward glance at the buildings and the event of the years saw also a festival, the annual Literary Festival in October. Mr. Hodding Carter of the Times-Democrat, Mr. Jonathan Daniels of Raleigh's News Observer, Mr. Thomas L. Robinson the publisher of the Charlotte News. and a distinguished panel of Pee Dee journalists discussed various aspects of Journalism in the South. Pee Dee newspapers were on display in the hall of the Science Building along with a display indicating the many possi- ble outlets for creative writing in the newspapers of the country. The Spirit of Coker also saw students and towns- people going to the Auditorium to hear such performers as Richard Cass, pianist; Lois Marshall, soprano; and the i

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UPPER PICTURE: ‘The Freshmen have a party at Dr. Barry's. OPPOSITE: The members of the Sextette and Mr. Schall prepare for one of their performances. LOWER LEFT: The Seniors won the singing of the Pep Song. LOWER RIGHT: ... and the Freshmen won the Alma Mater.

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BE North Carolina Little Symphony . . . saw people going to the Library and the Art Corridor to see exhibitions of painting and sculpture by some twenty contemporary Americans . . . saw people going to faculty recitals: Mr. Smith, pianist; Mrs. Smith, violinist; Mr. Schall, tenor... saw families and friends of certain seniors as well as many other people attending the Senior Recitals in the Margaret Coker Lawton Music Building: Jane Ingram, Idalyn Stoll, Mary Douglass, and Maxine McLamb—all pianists. Culture? Yes... but you can believe the Spirit smiled when he saw the clowning, the capers, the cutting up. “The idle mind is the Devil’s workshop” and he saw the Cokernuts as they leaped into the lap of mis- chief instead of lounging in the lap of idleness . saw Bid and Ward, the daytime bellringers . . . and the sneaky nighttime bellringers too, clad in P.J.’s and chillbumps. There were hands that got into all sorts of mischief . . . hands that had no mercy on the one who wanted to sleep late . . . hands that threw others in the