Laney College - Oak Log Yearbook (Oakland, CA)

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Merritt Oueen Finalists, left to right: Patt. Crawford, Elaine Athens, Ellen Larson, Marie Younger, Debbie Hoag. AT HOMECUMING buck 1Vocational Nursingj g Donna Roman lSheet Metall 3 Bette Austin fCosmetology. Machine Shopsi Q and Dianna Souza lDental Assistantsl . Friday night, Laney campus, dim lights-music-dancing -Pizza!-then . . .The Ten finalists for Homecoming Queen. A tense, hushed atmosphere, silent breathing-silent hopes. lFingers crossed, some eyes shut-students half gulping on cold pizzaj-Elaine Athens, Patty Crawford, Joyce Burnight, Judy Hartwig, Janet Wilson, Marie Younger, Deborah Hoag, Ellen Larson, Diana Souza, Verla Robinson .... Their hopes can soar until tomorrow night. at the final selections . . . and although some were disappointed all hearts were at least a lit- tle gay as the sands of time for Homecoming 1958 drifted into the final hours. And though the process of time's slow moving steps aroused us into anxiety and troubled sleep . . . Suddenly it's here. Sat- urday night, November 8, 1953. Homecoming night. Already the girls were beginning to show the wear and tear of a hectic week. They had been guests on a television show over KTVU, Channel. 2, where each girl had been interviewed by Bob March of KTVU and Fraser Felter, public relations officer at Merritt. Of course there had been the preparation for this night, the campaigning, and also the books which couldn't be avoided. This was it, the last night, the evening that counted the most, and it had to always be the one where the tiredness had caught up and fatigue was beginning to show through beauty. At the Scottish Rite Temple in Oakland over 300 people, caught in the glamour and excitement of Homecoming danced to the music of Jack Sava and his band and waited anxiously. The judges to make the final selections were his honor Mayor Clifford Rishell of Oakland, Judge Marvin Sherwin and How- ard Hein, president of the Oakland City College Alumni As- sociation. The throng waited in hushed anticipation while Mayor Rishell attempted and succeeded in bringing humor into the strained festivities and relaxing the crowd. The sec- ond runner-up was announced. The crowd applauded and Merritt students cheered as Elaine Athens was announced for third place lsecond runner-upil . Now the crowd stood paused, eagerly waiting to congratulate the second place finisher. It was Joyce Burnight and Laney students cheered as she re- ceived her trophy and a kiss from Judge Sherwin. Now the crowd remained silent again as the main event of the evening approached . . . Mayor Rishell stood calmly . . . looked at the card and repeated it silently to himself. He looked the crowd over, brightened and . . . it was . . . from Merritt . . . Deborah Hoag . . . Homecoming Queen, 1958. Debbie. a lovely, brown-haired, brown-eyed miss, who trips the scales at a well distributed 130 pounds, stands 5 foot T and measures statuesquely, 36-23-35, received the applause of the whole group, a kiss from Mayor Rishell, still another kiss, and then whispered, softly, huskily into the mike, a warm, sincere, HThank you very much to everyone. This is one of my happiest nights. Congratulations poured out again-well- spent appreciation. Debbie Hoag, you are Queen of Home- coming, 1958. A tired but satisfied Homecoming Committee watched last yearis Queen, Jan Bowlin, present the perpetual trophy to Debbie and discussed the affair, glad in a way that it was over, yet sad in the same way that it had to end. Ron Barrett, home- coming Chairman talked over the final selections with Wayne Wengert, parade chairman who was busily congratulating Kathy Davis, dance chairman for her fine job. Sam Obregon Merritt ASOCC president and elections chairman, joked with Fraser Felter, head of publicity for the event. Linda Bailey, secretary, commented on the terrific job Art Workshop con- tributed. Laney Queen Finalists, left to right: Verla Robinson, Dian- na Souza, Janet Wilson, Judy Hartwig, Joyce Burnighl.

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Homecoming Queen Debbie Hong. Autumn! ushered into its college atmosphere by a Kick-off, and a dark brown pigskin casting a pale shadow over a cheer- ing crowd. Homecoming 1958! Indian Summer swirling its red and golden leaves over a college with the scent of fresh paint and a new name mingling with the aroma of falling leaves and the crisp, tingling bite of approaching Winter. Homecoming, 1958! Pretty girls' faces posted over the Mer- ritt and Laney campuses, smiling, beckoning, Vote for me! Students busily engaged at different booths, selling tickets to a Pizza feed at Laney, and to the Homecoming Dance. Homecoming, 1958! A voting booth with collegians milling around, showing their student body card-voting for their choice for Queen-tfive choices please!-some lobbyists in- cluded in the fray-congenially smiling and emphasizing-- vote for our candidate, sheis tops! Homecoming, 1958. Nos- talgic moments for tomorrow. Homecoming began November 1 with Oakland's Mayor. Clifford Rishell, proclaiming November 1-8 as oliicial HOME- T HE C ULLEGE T SPIRI T C OMES ALIVE COMING WEEK. It began with all the fuss, fervor and excite- ment that is Homecoming, and it ended in the same manner. Students swarmed into the Merritt campus auditorium Eri- day morning during college hour to watch George Lamont. well-known Bay Area TV personality, entertain with his bursts of hilarious humor and to ge their first real look at the Homecoming Queen candidates. ln between Mr. Lamontis showmanship, and the girls. the Merritt dance band enter- tained with listenable music. The big parade, one of the largest highlights of Home- coming, began at 2 p.m. Friday in front of the Laney campus. It proceeded down 10th Street to Broadway where curious interested Oaklanders started at the 28-odd cars, ranging from a 1959 Pontiac convertible to Corvettes and Thunderbirds which were rolling along in merry, pretty-girl, hand-waving procession. At Broadway the cars swept toward Telegraph Avenue and out Racine Blvd. to Bushrod Park where half- time festivities were beginning and the Oakland Thunderbird eleven were nursing their wounds. behind 16 to goose-egg. lThunderbird-egg?! at the hands of the Modesto Pirates. Students from both colleges stood and cheered as the motor- cade pulled into Bushrod and drove around the stadium. The cars braked to a stop in front of the Oakland cheering section where each Queen and her escort walked to their reserved seats to watch the remainder of the T-Bird gang-plank walking con- test. Misty-eyed Oakland students had to settle for the 16-0 defeat, but four Modesto touchdowns were called back to even up the old ball game at least a little closer. It was strictly a case of a good big team running over a good little team! Home- coming was drawing near its ebb-tide. What's in a name? And yet the names of the 21 candidates for Queen will be significant in their and our college memo- ries: Elaine Athens tSigma Delta Sigma! g Nancy Chin fOme- ga-,la-Chi!g Stephanie Clark !Co-Rec!g Patricia Crawford tDelta Psi! Q Kay Cottula lTower! g Karen Henneberry iKap- pa Phi Delta! 3 Deborah Hoag 1Alpha Phi Beta! g Ellen Lar- son t'Mu Phi Epsilon! : Lurline Perry !Theta Chi Epsilon! : Georgia Valtakis, O.F.A.: and Marie Younger tOmega Phi Kappa! from Merritt. Girls from Laney were, Claudia Eichaltz 4'Auto Body and Fender Shops! Q Betsy Crowley !Architectur- al Drafting! Q Joyce Burnight 4,Advertising! 3 Verla Robinson tRadio-Electronics and Medica Assistants!g Judy Hartwig tPlumbing and Cabinet Making! : Janet Wilson tTrade, Sew- ing, Millinery, Tailoring and Re-Upholstering! g Sharon Star-

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MERRITT DRAMA CLUB. FRONT ROW, left to right: Terry Clancy, Gor- don Hunzze, Mary Combs. SECOND ROW: Raymond Collado, Dave Richer, .lean Hanna, Tom Powell, Ron Wolfe, Willie Pardee, Gail Brown. DRAMA EXPANDING With the bustling sounds of sloshing paintbrushes, banging hammers, and commanding directions from Mr. Wahl, the Drama Club began another big year of productions. 1958 saw the presentation of the hilarious comedy, HlVly Three Angelsn with its three priceless convicts. accompanied by their friend Adolf,' fthe snakel. Next on the list of entertainment came The Old Lady Shows Her Medalsfi This was a touching comedy about the motherly affection of a lonely old lady for a young soldier. Given during college hour a few months later, there were laughs a-plenty for the Red Peppers, a one act comedy about the backstage problems of a small-time couple in show busi- ness. Then came December. and a superb production of the era play, uThe Heiressfi Finally, the Drama Club presented the Oakland Rotary Clubls Pageant Play about its 50th Anniversary. The Spring semester of 1959 was filled with many dramatic presentations. The drama club presented a program of one- act plays for the Lakeview Women's Club, The Retired Teach- Terry Clancy as Aunt Elizabeth: Well, Austin, whom have you been cut- ting up lately? - The Heiress by Ruth and Augustus Goetz. have always admired this house. ers, Association at the Lake Merritt Boat House, the Glen View Women's Club and the Oakland Rotary Club. The casts for the one-act plays included as seen in Let There Be Farcevg Judy McCauley, Esther Ortega and Raymond Colladog The Marriage Proposaln: Bob Slonaker, Esther Ortega and Ron- ald Wolfe. On April 24th the Drama Club presented Let There Be Farcew for the Drama Assembly in the College Auditorium with the following cast: '6Gertrude',--,l udy McCauleyg Luci- la -Esther Ortegag and The Thiefll-Raymond Collado. 'Sight Unseenf' a delightful three-act fantasy by Foster and Law was the Spring term play, with the following cast: Lady Judith Elliott-Terry Clancyg Archibald Andrews-Bob Car- isg General Sir Thomas Elliott-Bob Slonakerg Mrs. Millicent Malone--Judy Smithg Lady Hortense Elliott-Mary Coombsg Mat, the stable boy-Tom Powellg Lady Penelope Elliott- Gail Browng Henry Malone-Ron Wolfeg Etta, the cook and housekeeper--Sherry Fisher and ,lean Hannag Miss Potter- Judy McCauley and Cleating Hawk-Ray Collado. The Old Lady Shows Her The Heiress with Mary Combs Medals, by 1. M. Barris. Red Peppers, by Noel Coward and Dave Ricker. Morris: I Sue Walton and Rich Mary Combs, ,lean Hanna, and Quigley. Dave Ricker.