University of Miami - Ibis Yearbook (Coral Gables, FL)

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report. He issued the call but no one came. In fact, for several weeks he couldn't catch those people long enough to get his bocks back. After snagging a few books he got on the trail himself and was on it by himself the rest of the time. Now for the degree of perfection that is seldom reached on a staff from which there is no reward other than a very heartfelt appreciation for any small item of work done. This perfection was achieved by the editorial staff. The staff was divided into departments, and each one functioned with a rapidity and precision of a highly geared machine. This is how it worked. Xo one did a single thing until two weeks after it should have been. Then, a diligent student would literally bleed from some source—faculty, students, etc., the desired information. write it out madly, and turn in a delightful piece of work, oddly remindful of the days when jig-saw puzzles were in style. All joking aside, every item in the yearbook was produced in just that way. The staff would refuse to do a thing on time, the faculty and students would renege on talking for publication, and the whole thing ended up by being slammed together. Xaturallv, there was a remarkable attendance at staff meetings throughout the year. Two weekly meetings were held during the second semester until the book was on the press. When the editor finally quit going to meetings—he had to. no one else went—all pretense was over and everybody was happy. One meeting ten people attended but after Above: llopkiii and Hlnghlom debate seriously whether or not to eorrret a Rlnrlnx error In Ibis copy. Below: .1 Inrun-section of the stair works out a make-up detail. that the editor had a strange interlude with himself, since there was no one else around, twice weekly. The Ibis would like to express its appreciation to the Hurricane and its staff. From the first issue of that organ of the student body, the Ibis received some excellent publicity. If there is anything to the idea that keeping something in the public eye will attract attention, then the Ibis should be in the eye of every University student. What an inspiration those Hurricane staff mem-bers were! In the first place. Ibis staff members 25

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Natimtal Srluilastir JIrrsia Afififlriatum rm ALL-AMERICAN YEARBOOK CRITICAI. SERVICE ®ic !5bls « mojmliwT iti mini. i .iu,.r.V„ 911 amrncan potior bating IK |L Wi mMalk Njr»».i Ynik-L Crir +I Srrritl •! «A» NuInmJ Si AoAtWu Pun li nw' »i 1 iL I'mWriiiy vf Al AfUffwal Juutmilnm. tfiii hnl J y • I9S9 V-' - .? j- The Ibis ■ From the pages of literature, from word of mouth have come tragic stories of “black sheep.” Black sheep have ranged throughout the animal kingdom and are very prevalent in mankind. At the University there is a black sheep. One so black that it presents a more than usual depressing picture amid so much color and scenic beauty as there is in Mi-ami. This poor, unwanted bird is one of the official publications of the University- The his. Shunned and scorned by all—until about the 15th of May when it is demanded by everyone—the Ibis has a hard struggle. No one has a kind word for it. Faculty and students avoid any connection with it. The Ibis is just a necessary evil; something to struggle for itself; something the Univerity seems to feel it must have but with the least possible trouble. This must lx? true if one can judge from circumstantial evidence. Never has there been anything to equal the working facilities given the Ibis by the University. One of the better rooms on the second floor of the Main Building, from which there is a splendid view of one angle of the triangle facing on the patio, is for the exclusive use of the staff. This room was very simply but adequately furnished. One battered desk, gotten from the Hurricane in a trade; four chairs, one with no back and another with only three out of four legs: a long table: one wastebasket ; and a filing cabinet. By the way, the cabinet is a very tricky contraption. It is made out of cardboard with some brown-painted tin on the front. There were quite a few puzzling hours of work involved in putting this thing together. The cardboard had to be folded into shape and held that way by metal plugs and adhesive tape. In addition to this office furniture two typewriters were in use—one in the Hurricane office and one in the Ibis. The University couldn't supply the machines so the Ibis rented them. The Ibis couldn't even get ribbons for the typewriters from the University. This problem was solved by taking the ribbon from the machine in the Hurricane office; some slight confusion resulted from the arrangement. Then, another feature of the office was the lighting system. The staff never knew when the light would lx gone entirely. Many times ambitious people tried to work in the office only to find that the University had sent someone to lift the light fixture; but they were kind enough to leave the wires in their place. The Business staff was very pleased to find that a bulletin board had been put on the wall outside the office door for its use; however one could always go to the board and find a note from “The Black Hand” right in the middle of the list of business firms who use the invaluable Ibis for advertising. “The Black Hand” was peculiar. He turned up in the telephone, typewriters, desk, and wastebasket. There is strong evidence pointing to the identity of “ The Black Hand” but the Ibis docs not care to expose the individual. If not scared away, he'll turn up next year to gleefully haunt another staff. The question of money for publishing was an involved set-up. The Student Senate actually came through with a fine appropriation. So no kick is coming about that, but the interest shown by students in solicilating advertisements was a remarkable thing to behold. Ira Bullock, business manager, had one of the most capable, hard-working group of students ever seen. The staff wasn’t large and unwieldy at all since there was just one member— Bullock. After issuing form books to a fine bunch of confident salesmen. Bullock sat back and waited. After waiting unusually long even for a thing of this kind, he decided to call in the hounds and get a £ 24

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Tt»U I nut n plrturr of irrnlnl menial it rtopni«nt. All nlllon ■! like IhU vounrr or latrr. Itnpkiu I making a paper alr-plunr. were simply Hurricane workers without their leer in a great many cases. Hut perhaps the greatest inspiration that can come to man is the sight of other men working hard every minute of the day; and this was certainly true of Hurricane slaves. Yes. the year has been full of strife and scrubble. Scrubble for copy and people to work. Copy in its original form was j erfect. Of course, most of it still is that way but the beauty of those originals! Never written on but one side of the paper: plenty of margin on all sides; even,’ mistake erased neatly ami not one word or letter tyjx-d over: and all the things that go to ease the labor of copyreaders was done by each contributor. N’o one knows what the Ibis would have done without those contributors though. The)' were always generous with their time and anxious to write everything they could. Many made excellent suggestions about extra work they could do. Source writers, copyreaders. proofreaders, student photographers. in fact, every member breathed Ibis stuff from January to May. The black sheep, or more correctly, the black bird of the University has had a tough flight. However, the Ibis thrives on rough meat and refuses to lx completely grounder!. Obstacles have slowed up its trip, have caused it not to make an unsettled deadline. Hut there has been a lot of fun in an off-angle way. Inspired, would-be genius was the subject of day-to-day observations: easily hurt fee-lings showed up occasionally demanding the smoothing of ruffled feathers; ami the soothing effect of those who never worked, but watched others in such a contented way, was a Itoon to shattered nerves. One of the most awe-inspiring sights ever witnessed by Parker Art occurred on the day when the Ibis came flapping into the shop with all of its trainers. Prior to that day the shop could figure on a few days a week when there wasn't a University publication on hand, but thereafter, ever)’ day was just a fresh attack of trouble. Regardless of how little attention the students pay to the Ibis during production or to what purpose they put the Ibis after getting it. how could they and the faculty get along without the party tossed by Parker Art in celebration of another finished yearbook ? 26