Coker College - Milestone Yearbook (Hartsville, SC)

Page 17 text:

DR. KENNETH G. KUEHNER Dean of Students Dr. Kuehner registers students only to unregister and reregiste: them. Enrolling us in classes so that we will have classes to cut, he then must reprimand us sometimes for cutting these classes. He attempts to be in his office tO amswer our questions about what subjects to take and when to take them, to solve class conflicts, to look up records for us, to make transcripts, to write refer- ences, to see that academic life at Coker continues its well-ordered pattern. He must leave his office to teach educatio n classes, give graduate record and teachers’ ex- aminations, do testing for the Public Welfare Department (“sometimes hair-raising”), and visit other schools as a member of the inspection committee of the Southern Asso- ciation of Colleges and Secondary Schools. This year our dean was on loan to the University of South Carolina to teach a graduate class on Saturday mornings and conducted night classes in administration for Air Force Reserves. Dr. Kuehner gives us his evaluation of his job: “A dean lives in a no-man’s-land or at best in a buffer state between the faculty and the student body.” In his office on his bookcase is a souvenir—a pair of antique druggist scales; to Dr. Kuehner these scales signify his responsibility in balancing faculty on one side, students on the other. In his typical sly humor, Dr. Kuehner states his out- look on life—“think or thwim,” but adds seriously that he is still working on his philosophy. His is a working philosophy, a life dedicated to the principles of the insti- tution he serves: character, culture, and Christian service. No picture of Dean Kuehner is complete without his “extra right hand,’ Miss Hankins. She performs the usual duties of a secretary—typing and retyping class cards, handling correspondence, keeping permanent rec- ords, making transcripts, mimeographing examinations. But there is a special quality we remember—her willingness to stop her work and help us, or, to say it another way, her personal interest in each of us. Bills, bills, bills—we think our only association with the business office is the day we stand before Mrs. CaJd- well’s desk to pay our tuition or find a reminder slip in our mailboxes But the collection of bills is only one of the functons of this office directly affecting our col- lege life. We readily see the benefits of a bank on campus. And how important are those letters in our mailboxes, how convenient is the book room, how much we enjoy the canteen! All of these services are under the direction of the business office—services rendered be- cause of a sincere interest in the Coker student body. Or consider our attractive class-rooms and modern equipment, our comfortable dormitory rooms, the good food from our kitchen, the convenience of a laundry on campus. The business office is responsible for every part of our physical plant and for its employees. Someone must do all purchasing for the college, pay wages and salaries, make appropriations for organizations, handle scholarship payments, order caps and gowns for the sen- iors—and these become some of the endless duties of Mr. Kelley and Mrs. Caldwell. MRS. ELIZABETH CALDWELL, Assistant to the Business Manager; Mr. O. D. KELLEY, JR.., Business Manager. 13 sae iki 6 be ne Pia eS ee ig ee 6g te SS win ean lnn® dhe oe witless abt eg

Page 16 text:

12 MISS HELEN MILLS, Dean of Women; DR. KENNETH G. KUEH- NER, Dean of Students; MRS. LOUISE M. HANKINS, Secretary. We had our first introduction to Dr. Kuehner on that hectic day of registration. Perhaps we were sur- prised to see a dean working with the teachers in advising and registering students; thus our previously formed con- ception of a dean was altered. Our second encounter with the dean’s office came a few days later. We paused outside to muster up courage before entering with a schedule hopelessly confused or a registration card that must be changed. Miss Hankins’ smile reassured us, how- ever, and before we realized it we were talking easily to Dr. Kuehner about our problem. We here discovered other characteristics of our dean—patience with our in- terruptions and our indecision, an unselfish giving of his time, an interest in students as individuals. Yet there was so much more to learn about this scholarly, versatile, unassuming man before we could really know him. How can we forget that first of many tradi- tional chapel talks by Dr. Kuehner? Upper classmen sat in delightful anticipation while freshmen wondered . . . wondered, until we all enjoyed his slow drawl and dry wit, and laughed at the tales of Tilly. But the morals of Tilly’s adventures and the wisdom of Dr. Kuehner’s “old hat on a peg” were not lost. The importance of the position, but impressive title of “Dean of Students” is comprised of many unimpressive, yet mecessary duties and of the man who performs them. ee A ee

Page 18 text:

| E i | ! } 14 Miss Roberta McKinnon, Librarian; Mrs. H. A. C. Walker, Assistant Librarian. This would seem enough in the line of duty for a dean, but there are many extra duties. For instance, Miss Mills works behind the scenes when we go to Columbia to a play or to the ballet. She helps arrange the accommodations for the high school weekend guests in such a way as to minimize our inconvenience. Seeing that the White House is open for our dates and that free meal tickets are avail- able on “big” weekends are some of those time-consuming extra services that make Miss Mills not only our dean, but our friend. Bills, bills, bills—we think our only association with the Business Office is the day we stand before Mrs. Caldwell’s desk to pay our tuition. But the collection of bills is only one of the functions of this office directly affecting our college life. Our spending money is safe in the Student Bank. Our letters and packages are delivered to us by the Campus Post Office. The Book Room keeps school supplies for us and the Canteen keeps the hunger pangs away between meals. Mrs. Rickey Smith, Secretary; Mr. Sterling Smith, Director of Public Relations; Miss Wil- helmina Kirkland, Assistant Director of Public Relations. The Business Office is responsible for every part of our physical plant and the employees who keep every part of it in order—from our attractive class-rooms and modern equipment to our comfortable dormitory rooms, the good food from our kit- chen, and the campus laundry. Someone must do all purchasing for the college, pay wages and salaries, make appropriations for organizations, handle scholarship payments, order caps and gowns for the seniors—these become some of the endless duties of Mr. Kelley and Mrs. Caldwell. The Business Office is a vital part of Coker College. The library plays an important part in the life of our col- lege. It contributes much in supplementing our studies and at- tending to our cultural ills with the finest in art, music, and literature. Because we so often frequent its rooms, because we consider it a common part of our school day, we can easily over- look the endless unseen duties the library requires of the library staff. How did all those books get on the shelves in the first place? First, Miss McKinnon and Mrs. Walker must carefully consider the books to be ordered—books that we will enjoy and find useful. When the books arrive they are checked page by page to insure their good condition. They must be cataloged, plates placed on the side covers, lettering printed on the bind- ing, the bindings shellacked, and the books rechecked. Only after this involved process are they ready to be placed on the shelves. Our librarians give the same careful attention to the slide and record collections and to the rental pictures. We all enjoy working in a library with attractive book dis- plays, bulletin boards, and flower arrangements—extras which consume a great amount of the library staff’s time. The annual Literary Festival and the Christmas Book Tea are other projects that involve long hours of planning and work. Our library contributes much to the college community as well as to Coker through these extra-curricular activities. We are proud of this, our expanding and up-to-date library. Busy as they are, Miss McKinnon and Mrs. Walker are always ready to help us find a book, to suggest material for a term paper, and to take a personal interest in each of us. As incoming freshmen we knew that we already had friends on campus—those in the Public Relations Office. A representa- tive had visited us in our high schools and in our homes, gladly answering our questions about college in general and Coker in particular. The Office promptly replied to our letter requesting information. On High School Weekends, the Public Relations Office became a touring agency, showing us the points of in- terest on camp us. It made certain that we had fun, and at the same time revealed the true spirit of Coker to us. When we arrived at Coker for the first fall session, we discovered that we had formed a lasting friendship, for ours is a Public Relations Office with an inward look. Taking an active interest in our activities, Mr. Smith, Miss Kirkland, and Mrs. Smith listen to our problems and our complaints, and take polls on campus to determine what improvements are needed. All advertising is handled by this office. It publicizes our school activities and our achievements. Well might we be proud of the Public. Relations Office—our representative as individuals and as a group to the general public.