Coker College - Milestone Yearbook (Hartsville, SC)

Page 121 text:

A glance at the Auditorium and the Spirit saw all the work of practicing for a play . the difficulty of leaving that playbook in the seat for the first time! Then almost miraculously the footlights went on the night of the play and the players were ready to give the perform- ance. They forgot cues and couldn't hear the prompter .. . became nervous and poured tea into the saucer in- stead of the cup... left out a whole page! But like troop- ers, somehow came through .. . the show went on. The weather warmed and suddenly several lithe little figures clad in black scampered across the stage of the amphitheater—Modern Dance Club at work. May Day would take many hours of practice, and practice they did . . . sore feet (sore everything) from dancing on the grass... gales of laughter as they tried on the cos- tumes for the first itme . and then the beauty of the performers on THE day ... and the beauty of the May Court as they went through the ceremony of crowning Sylvia Coker’s Queen of May. Because they were out front, the Spirit of Coker saw the seniors, particularly, in all their glory. Their faces were bright and their manner dignified that first day in Senior Coffee there was almost a stampede the day they received those shiny gold rings. They were measured

Page 123 text:

for caps and gowns in October and felt as if the year was almost over. The Spirit watched them closely as they spent their last days in the library, the Business Build- ing, Science Building, and the Music Building. He saw them spend much time together playing too .. . sun- bathing . . . partying . . . searching for the stolen black- board . . . going off to the beach for “Sneak Weekend.” They were seen perhaps in the most difficult times of all writing seminar papers .. . practice teaching . . . taking Teacher’s Exam .. . giving repertoire andsenior music re- citals . . . complaining of headaches and taking several bottles of aspirin. 'The Spirit saw their delightful play, Arsenic and Old Lace . . . recalled that someone called “Chris Roosevelt” over the speaker . . . saw the Junior- Senior . . . viewed Class Day as the seniors gave the juniors new rings and their new robes . . . remembered how they sang their goodbye song . . . and saw the teats. Then it was Graduation Day, and miles across the stage to the hand that held the diploma, and years until the last word was said and it was all over. Yes, the Spirit of Coker was waiting at the gate for those he knew would soon be there, the graduates of ’56. They passed through the gate and he with them, but before they were out of sight, the Spirit took one last backward glance and waved to the class rising to take their place. Opposite Page: Top: Carleene adjusts her motarboard for the last time before.the gradua- tion exercises. Lower left: The Clubhouse on the lake where we spend our most carefree moments. Lower right: Memorial-Central Dormi- tory, our home. THIS PAGE: Top: Marching to a Senior Day pro- gram. Center: Vivi receives her cap and gown from Frankie at Class Day. Lower left: The path from the Post Office to the Science Building. Lower right: Coker’s immortal Bell Tower.