London Normal School - Spectrum Yearbook (London, Ontario Canada)

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15 VOLLEY BALL »43 - ! 44 Early in the winter the year ' s class of prospective teachers abandoned all their dignity - most of us didn ' t have far to go - in a series of very interesting and exciting volley ball games. Previously each class had passed through a period of very capable instruction and coacMng conducted by Miss Prendergast in our physical education classes. Though each form had an even start Form III and Form IV showed their superior skill by pulling out ahead of the other forms. The great clash came on the day that Form III and Form IV met. But we need not have worried foi Form IV, the irresponsible, came out victorious. For this great feat each member of the team received a Normal School crest. We must not forget the few male members of our class who nobly forfeited their moral support in each other to spread their manly strength over the four Forms. We here express our gratitude to them and to those students who freely gave their services to help us in our games as referees and other officials „ Gladys Wright THE GYMNASIUM If you ever make a tour of London Normal School you must not miss the gymnasium. It is a very average looking gymnasium with the exception of the rafters placed at varying heights from the floor. Host people would call the rafters ordinary steel pipes but a true Normal student knows that they have many different and uncomplimentary names. You ask why? Well in the middle of a tense basketball game with the score tied, your star player makes a beautiful pass only to see it neatly intercepted by an innocent appearing rafter. Perhaps in the near future some Winnie the Welder will forsake the assembly line for Normal School and then one joyous day she iray absent- mindedly un weld :! those fiendish pipes. But hold. 5 What have we here? Why the doors have just opened and First Form is entering its semi-weekly period o f Physical Torture. Miss Prendergast must have a new dance for the boys today if we may judge by that cruel smile on her face. She gives an order for quiet and all the future school marms and masters cease trying to gain glory by actually dropping the basketball in the basket. Fall in J and the First Formers fall into perfect form- ation. Then they climb out and form right. No I mean they form on the left. Attention J For several minutes the line resembles an animated earth worm but it finally gives a death wriggle and straightens out. Then silence and a perfect line.

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16 Right dress J Fists start to tap shoulders gently at the ladies end of the line and slowly gain in volume and strength until they reach a climax at Lawrie, our key nan. He bends and sways like the sturdy oak in the grip of a hurricane but he holds his position, Attention A deep and awful silence. Right Turnl Sone turn right, some turn left, and the rest stand still. With sone confusion the line faces a correct position. Forward March J The line starts off like a Ford on a cold morning, but the natural rythn of a Nornal student soon exerts its influence. Oh 5 Oh I here comes the first turn. Listen to the squeal of tortured rubber as those running shoes try to negotiate the turn. Counting in FIVES , begin One, two, three, four, five, six, seven— HALT ! Miss Prendergast guietly asks what comes after five when a class is numbering in fives. This leads to a heated argument on whether it should be 8 or 9 so Miss Prendergast explains the intricate business. Marching begins again. Up the floor in fives J Five studentn bunch up on one side of the room and creep up -the floor as if they were stalking a critic teacher. At last they drag themselves into formation one by one and exercises commence. Miss Prendergast puts forth her best efforts but after three Grade One exercises there are so many casualties that she deems it best to halt proceedings and change to a new dance. Boys all get a partner! When the rush is over the boys pick themselves off the floor to find that they each secured a partner. The first part of the dance is a waltz so all the boys skip . The second part is a polka so the boys keep right on skipping,. When the last part is a slide step and the boys keep right on skipping it finally dawns on everyone that the gentlemen have learned to skip and they want to shew off. An addition to the dance ' is a awing your partner . One well known lad does a jitter- bug step- Another tries to imitate a pin-wheel and a third discovers that his feet are trying to dance with each other Then, like Madame Guillotine, the bell goes cutting through these carefree activities. Immediately you hear cries of Crutches over here I or Stretcher needed i Thus, after an exhilerating J ( minutes the First Formers stagger, hobble, or are carried out to rest up for their next P. T. class two days hence. An awesome silence once more reigns supreme in this room of lost glory. Yet wait! Here comes another form. Oh, no J Let us retreat from this gory battle- field. I cannot stand to watch the complete demoralization of another form. R. C. Lougheed