University of North Texas - Yucca Yearbook (Denton, TX)

Page 19 text:

Senior Two were the Science divisions. Not yet had the exasper- ating seven-course system been devised for the vexation of sched- ule committees and as a refuge for the undecided student. Imagine if you can this student hotly assembled for chapel in the Audito- rium before a Faculty of fifteen members, who had to spread themselves to fill the ample stage. Talk- ing was then less preva- lent at chapel exercises than now, for even the back row of Freshmen was very slightly behind the middle aisle. Further- more, students hardly ventured to talk for fear of missing a word when such sage counsel as that contained in these phrases culled from the Annual fell from the lips of the Faculty member conducting chapel : Don ' t cut classes ; Don ' t expose yourself to bad weather; wear your overshoes; Don ' t sit on the radiator or stalk noisily through the halls; Young ladies cannot afford to chew gum or talk to young men on the street ; Don ' t fall over the railing of the rotunda ; Always stand during song and prayers ; Please leave the song books in their places ; Don ' t get discouraged. H ow different from the chapel exercises of the present ! Such were the conditions of the school when, late in the winter or early in the spring of 1906, the students of the Normal, at the suggestion and instigation of certain members of the Fac- 15

Page 18 text:

When zVntfaf d, TresHe up d Ire , V n that Freshie hea j s swred as he an be Then his «V es • ]o Aucj out .- He ' s js cdP«J ihene is no doubt dS Ihis frightened icu see. he hurled one of his po- tent thunderbolts at the rather unsightly old build- ing and made room for the home of the President. Immediately south of the Administration Building there was formerly a wooden structure, used originally as a chapel room, but by 1906 used principally for Music and Reading classes, school receptions and traveling art exhibits. A few years later it was moved to the west side of the campus, where it underwent the degradation of being con- verted into a pesthouse. Still later it was moved entirely off the campus, and, after being renovated, was transformed into a dwell- ing. As a dwelling it exists even unto this day. The fence around the campus and the broad cement peripatos had not been built in 1906. On the campus, only the walk from the Administration Building to Hickory Street had then been constructed. The enrollment of the Normal twelve years ago numbered fewer than five hundred students. There were at that time but two courses, the Latin and the Science, and only three classes, namely, Freshman, Junior and Senior. The Freshman and Junior classes had each four sections ; the Senior, only two. Freshman One and Two, Junior One and Two, and Senior One were the Latin divi- sions ; Freshman Three and Four, Junior Three and Four, and M

Page 20 text:

ulty, assembled themselves in the Auditorium to discuss the advis- ability of attempting the publication of a school annual. After much wise and otherwise deliberation, it was decided that an effort should be made to publish a student yearbook. There already existed The Normal Journal. a monthly student magazine, which devoted the May issue to Commencement affairs, and was a sou- venir booklet of the principal school activities during the session. But now the dignity and importance of the institution seemed to demand a more pretentious publication. The school, having attained a yearly enrollment of almost five hundred students, was suffering from growing pains, and needed an additional outlet for the superabundance of apparent genius then in the bud, in the flower, and in some cases so far advanced as to be almost in the pod, so over-ripe it appeared. Furthermore, should not the Normal, in imitation of other schools, publish an Annual. And were not these reasons good and sufficient? Bear in mind, ye members of The Yucca staff, that not more than three months of the session remained when it was voted to undertake the Annual. But smile kindly or shed a pitying tear at the inexperienced innocence and the youthful enthusiasm of these your most remote predecessors. Remember, they were pioneers. Several problems immediately arose in attempting to carry through this ill-advised and tardily initiated literary venture. First of all. What should be the name of the yearbook? A copy of the prospective Annual was offered as a reward to the person who would suggest an acceptable name. Several names were suggested, among which were The Alfalfa, The Cocklcburr and The Cot- ton-Tail. After much deliberation and many discussions, it was decided by two members of the Faculty that it should be called by the latter name. At chapel the students were informed (announce- ments of great importance could be made in those days) that the Annual had been christened The Cotton-Tail. The students and the Faculty cheered. And lo, it seemed very good ! But to look back at this selection of a name, it is clear enough now that the 16