North Carolina School for the Deaf - Clock Tower Yearbook (Morganton, NC)

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Memories ne My Recollections of School By LAVERNE PALMER One time when I was seven years old, my aunt and mother were very busy making me some clothes. I did not understand why they were doing it. Mother made gestures to me and tried to make me understand that I would go away, but I did not understand her. I was very happy and I thought I might go to a picnic and have some ice cream. At last the day for the school to start came. I put on a pretty white dress and was so excited that I didn’t know what to do. I came here in a car. I felt strange because I had never gone that far from home before. When I went to Goodwin Hall, my aunt met Miss Lewis, our supervising teacher at that time, and told her about me. Aunt Emma bid me good-bye. I shook my head. Miss Hattie took hold of me and I kicked very hard and cried. Aunt Emma made gestures to me and made me understand that I might go home in a few days. I stopped crying. Many girls came to me and signed. I tried to find out what they were talking about but I didn’t understand them. Emma Coley signed and made faces at me. I was frightened. That night I refused to undress because I was afraid to sleep in the dormitory but Miss Carrie took off my clothes and put me to bed and I soon fell asleep. The next morning we were divided into classes. Mrs. Clodfelter was my first teacher. We had a good time drawing some pictures the first day. I continued thinking of going home in a few days, but my aunt never came and soon I forgot about it. There was one tree on the campus that we thought was a wishing tree. A few girls and I knocked on the tree every day and made a wish hoping that our parents would hear us. We signed that we wanted some boxes of things to eat. Some boxes for them came but not for me. I was mad and cried. I tried knocking on the tree again hoping that I would get a box. Some- times I got one. We believed in the wishing tree. The tree is still at Goodwin Hall and is a very tall tulip poplar tree. Whenever I go to Good- win Hall to darn and patch the clothes for Miss Ethel, I see the tree and it reminds me of when I was a little girl. I don’t know whether the children at Goodwin Hall still believe in the wishing tree or not. When I First Came to School By LILLIaNn McCorRQUODALE In March before I came to school, my mother died. Mrs. Fortune and several of our deaf friends made me some dresses and packed my trunk. I knew that I was going to school because my deaf sister had explained to me about this school. I didn’t cry when I left home because my sister, Rosa, came with me. On the train I was astonished to see many deaf children gathering around me. They asked me if I was going to school. They were surprised to find that I could sign. I was so restless and asked Rosa many times where our school was. At last we reached Morganton. On the way to Goodwin Hall I stared at the buildings as I had never seen such large buildings before. Miss Caxrie Whistenhunt put me to bed and I slept with Rosa. I refused to sleep alone. In the morning Miss Lewis, the supervising teacher, divided us into classes. Miss Taylor was my first teacher. Soon I learned many funny ideas from the children. Whenever the girls got mad with me,

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walked around the city. We enjoyed sightseeing in Atlanta. We had dinner at the S. and W. Cafeteria and we chose our food ourselves. We enjoyed eating there. After dinner we went to the parking place, got our cars and started on our journey again. We arrived in Talladega, Ala. about 10:30. We would have reached there about 9:30 but one of our cars was stuck in a ditch. We had to get a garage man to lift it out. When we got to the school, our coach told us to go to bed because we would play Thursday morning. We got up at 6:45 and had breakfast at 7:15. We met many deaf boys from other states. We talked to one another till 9 o’clock, then we started to practice basketball. We played against the Alabama boys and were defeated. Friday morning we were beaten again by the Arkansas team. We were disappointed. Friday afternoon we had a ride with Miss McMillan and Mrs. Hammett. We went to a hospital. There we saw Dr. Joiner, Miss Joiner’s brother. Then we went to the School for the Blind and an orphanage. We had a dance Saturday night in the gym- nasium. I didn’t dance because I don’t know how. I wished I could dance. After the dance, we had ice-cream and cakes for refreshments. I had lots of fun playing. with the boys who couldn’t dance. Sunday morning we drove to the colored de- partment of the Alabama School. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Jones, former pupils of this school, are in charge of it. Mr. Underhill had spent the night there. Mrs. Jones showed us the buildings. They were old but clean. We left Alabama about 9:30 a. m. We got to Atlanta, Georgia in time for dinner. We drove through Athens and other cities to Shelby. When we were driving to Shelby, a car side swiped Mr. Underhill’s car. Paul Crutchfield was slightly hurt. Mr. Underhill got another car from Shelby to bring us to school. We got here about 3 a. m. in the morning. We were very tired and slept all the morning till 10:30. When we woke up, we felt rested. We came to school at 11 a. m. We had a wonderful trip to Alabama.

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I prayed God to make it rain so they couldn’t go to the movies. Sometimes I received boxes. I refused to give anything to those who had been mad with me. I gave small pieces of cake or candy to my girl friends. When we went to bed, the children al- ways scared me. They told me not to keep my eyes open. They said, “If you keep your eyes open, youll see the devil playing around the room.” I was afraid when they told me many foolish things. I stayed in the primary building for three years. I had much fun playing with the children. I came to Main Building when I was ten years old. I have been in school for thirteen years and I feel at home here, now. Camping at Clearwater Beach By JosEPH BLAYLOCK Our boys have been going camping in the spring time ever since I was in the third grade. The first year the boys whose conduct had been good went camping at Clearwater Beach, while those whose conduct was bad had to stay here. We then had the merit and demerit plan. When a boy got below the required number of merits, he could not go camping. In May 1928 some of the boys and I rolled up our blankets and put them on our shoulders and got ready to go to camp. The boys were divided into four groups that took turns in riding in the truck. While one group rode, the other three walked and in this way we got to the camping grounds. Clearwater Beach was formed by sand washed up by the flood of 1916. It is at the junction of two beautiful mountain streams. There are a number of houses, a store and several camps there. There is a water fall and below it is a splendid natural swimming pool. It is a fine place to camp. It is about fourteen miles from Morganton. The older boys pitched two large tents at the beach. Some of the boys who had only a few merits, peeled the Irish potatoes, cut the wood, and washed the utensils. We played baseball, pitched horseshoes and went fishing and frog hunting. © That night we made a bon-fire. Then Mr. Underhill, our printing instructor, told us some ghost stories. After this, we played tug of war and Indian games. Then we toasted marsh- mallows. Each of our boys had a candle. We went to the tents holding candles. About midnight a few boys and I couldn’t sleep because the sand hurt our backs. We were restless that night. We got up and went out and lay down beside the fire until morning. The next morning we went to a small store where they sold soft drinks, candies and cookies. We bought some things. Then we took some pictures and went on a long hike. We had a fine dinner. That afternoon we came back to school. All of us were sunburned. A Happy Recollection By HAywarp WRIGHT When I entered school in 1925, I remember myself being led to the principal’s office which was in Goodwin Hall. I was greeted by Miss Sarah Lewis. Then I was taken to the boys’ room. Fortunately, I had a brother, Hoyle, with me and [ was not lonesome, but I was frightened by the stares of new pupils. The next day we were taken to the girls’ play room. There we were classified. I shall never forget that day. My first teacher, Mrs. Clodfelter, came to me and greeted me and took my hand and led me to her class room with her other pupils. I remember that I sat staring at the room and smiling whenever my teacher passed me. The class rooms were in Goodwin Hall at that time. Since then a nice primary school building called East Hall has been built. I still remember how I learned my name. Mrs. Clodfelter placed me before a mirror and she spoke my name and I tried to say it. After several efforts, I succeeded in speaking my name. I remember I loved to count the numbers and name things as she pointed to them on the chart. The next year Miss Marjorie Gordon was