University of South Carolina Columbia - Garnet and Black Yearbook (Columbia, SC)

Page 14 text:

WE quickly adjusted to the routine of our new lives— bed made up— trash can in hall— bottles and percolator locked in trunk— we tidied up our room and wondered if Housing would give us a gold star— The Russell House became our pain- less nerve center— meals— laundry— even haircuts— we met our crew-necked duplicates for coffee in the cockpit— compare mistakes in the Pig Prac- tical—ask for a light— move on to the next class— we took PT 1 in our high school football jersey— the last remnant of the teen-age trinkets that had lost their magic— We became collegiate— at least on the surface— wing-tip cordovans— umbrellas (we broke two and lost one before becoming adept)— we read Govt in the Gamecock and de- fended him against the attacks of the narrow- minded and provincial—

Page 16 text:

AS we grew older, the novelty wore off— we became serious students— we criticized— it helped establish our individuality— for all the clubs and activities we could list we added little more than another face— some of us cherished our anonymity— others loathed it and strove to be recognized— we watched the ballyhooed student elections ( Politics— a Southern tradition ) —posters —pictures— tattered, rain-faded handbills on old brick— nascent BMOC ' s climbing ever upward— we were handed cards by the smiling, white- blazered organization girls who would appreciate our vote for campus queen- Many of us decided to prepare for the inevi- table—we took ROTC and learned about inspec- tion haircuts— the ungarbled word— squared away —rank hath its privileges— the drills and classes gave us a preview, an insight into The System- military courtesy and discipline— The Brute Mind —we passed in review and wondered how we ' d fit into the picture— We moved our studying to the Glass Palace when the athletes in our dorm put mattresses on the hall floor for a tussel — 14