Newspaper Page Text
PAGE TWO
Vanvoorist Simmons Writes
West Georgia College,
Carrollton, Georgia
May 8, 1947.
Dear John:
Surprised! Well, I guess! I hope
you find It a pleasant one. I’m sor
ry I’ve been so long in writing you.
I suppose you are becoming accus
tomed to hospital life since you
have only been a patient for two
years and eleven months. I truth
fully don’t think I would be out
yet il' those doctors could have got
ten another chance to use the
scapel on me.
You were asking me how hard I
was finding it in civilian life. I sure
had a hard time adjusting myself
to wearing civilian clothes again.
To make a long story short, I walk
ed into a men’s shop, tried on a blue
tweed suit and wore it out. It is
somewhat baggy, but I like the feel
of it.
Well, John, I had a hard time
getting out of Augusta after a
week’s party at the Bon Air. I de
cided it was time I was heading
home before I was so broke I
would have to hitch-hike. I called
the airport for plane reservations
and the only plane I could get was
7:10 A. M. Speed and Grogan and I
decided to really celebrate our last
night together, because we all felt
as if this was the termination of a
great friendship after having spent
three years together. We left the
hotel and wandered over to the
Plantation Club for dinner. Well,
you remember what a good line
Speed has always had. We spotted
four good things dining alone.
Needless to say, it didn’t take us
long to decide we weren’t going to
stag this last night after dating
half-way around the globe. We
went into our routine; Speed went
over and asked one of the girls to
dance. When she accepted, I knew
we were in. I had heard his line so
many times I knew he was going
yapty-yapty-yap. When the music
stopped, he brought her to our
table for introductions. You know
me, “ole lucky as usual.” I got the
“bag” of the crowd. “Into each life
some rain must fall"—it looked as
if I had been in a rain-storm for
three years.
I got on the plane the following
morning. I slept all the way to At
lanta. Didn’t even have enough
energy to talk with the hostess. I
took a cab from the airport to the
railway station, making good con
nections home. When I arrived in
my home town, I started to call my
mother to tell her I was home, but
on second thought I decided to
take a cab. When I got home, I
found everything about the same.
The house looked about the same,
only run-down a little more, need
ing a paint job. I was expecting a
new home waiting for me, from all
the reports I had heard about the
share-croppers getting rich during
the war. Guess my ole man was
just too lazy to raise any more
cotton.
I decided to take that thirty-day
rest all the advisors had talked to
me about at the rehabilitation cen
ter. I finally got fed up with loaf
ing and began thinking about look
ing for a job. I went to the social
security office for a number, then
I reported to the State Employ
ment Office for an interview. I
sweated out a line for about an
hour before I was interviewed. I
showed the interviewer my dis
charge and Form 100. One look at
my record and he decided he didn t
have a job for me. After talking to
me, he decided the best thing was
to sign me up for the 52-20 Club.
Now, John, this club is called by
several names: “The Shade-tree
Money,” or “The Rocking Chair
Club.” Anyway, the Government
pays a vet twenty bucks a week for
fifty-two weeks to help him get re
habilitated. Loafing at twenty
bucks a week, looked good to me.
At least, it was “coke" money.
After a few weeks of drawing
this “shade tree money,” a sparkle
of ambition kindled within me. I
went to the Veterans Administra
tion to see about some more of
these wonderful opportunities be
ing dished out to vets. The advisors
told me about the G. I. Bill of
Rights and that I was eligible for
four years of school. He asked me
where I wanted to start: grammar
school, high school or college. I
told him I’d go to college; start at
the top and work my way down.
Now you know how I got to West
Georgia College.
I arrived here January 2, 1947, on
a very cold and rainy day. I was
expecting a big reception commit
tee, since I had heard so much
about this school from a boy friend
of mine. I went to the gym to reg
ister. The Dean looked at my high
school record and told me that I
should go back to kindergarten. I
finally convinced him of my serious
ambitions of getting an education.
He gave me a break and let me
stay. I went to my room to unpack.
It all looked like the old army
game to me. G. I. bunks and all
these ex-G. I.’s around me.
It seems that all I’ve heard since
I’ve ben here, are the same old “sea
stories” we once told . . . I’ve found
the navy men here tell the same
stories the army does, only they
add a bit of salt to them. There
aren’t many ex-marines here, but
we do have a little man that is a
typical example of the “Corps.” He
carries the Marine hymn on his
lips and has his dress bluest you
know —the glorified bell-hop uni
form) hanging in his room.
Well, John, I hope this letter
finds you out of bed and along the
road to your discharge.
As ever your friend,
VANVOORST SIMONS.
FUTURE FARMERS
HOLD CONTESTS
The Future Farmers of America
held their Public Speaking and
Quartet contests in the Recreation
Building April 29 and 30. They
were elimination contests in prepa
ration for the Northwest Georgia
District Contest to be held here
May 17.
Joe Turner, of McEachern Chap
ter in Cobb County, won first place
in Public Speaking, with J. P. Per
ry of Rosemont School in Paulding
County, placing second.
The McEachern quartet was first
in the three quartets and Roopvilie
and Rosemont tied for second.
Singing in the McEachern quar
tet were Junior McConnell, Joe
Turner, Jimmy McConnell and Eu
gene Lovinggood. They were ac
companied by Mrs. M. M. Hall.
The Roopvilie quartet was com
posed of Jimmy Pyron, Billy Max
well, J. B. Gilbert and Ed Watson,
accompanied by Mrs. Billy Wester.
Jimmy Tucker, Charles Ogles,
Austin McCleskey and George
Courtney sang in the Rosemont
quartet.
All the participants exhibited an
excellent show of hard work and
talent, while much credit goes to
the able advisors. C. Fred Ingram
is advisor for the McEachern chap
ter; H. E. Rogers, Roopvilie; R. A.
Oglesby, Bow’don; W. D. Wright,
Mt. Zion, and C. R. Wilcox, Rose
mont School in Troup County.
Judges in the contests were Prof.
W. H. Row, Miss Lucille Loftin,
Marvin Martin and Howard Turn
er.
THE WEST GEORGIAN
Alpha Psi
Sponsors
Dance
Each year the Alpha Psi dance
seems to mark the end of one more
of those pleasant West Georgia
social affairs. Once again it has
passed and now we have something
to look forward to for another year.
Upon entering the gymnasium on
Friday night you were greeted
pleasantly by Sue Quinton, presi
dent of Alpha Psi. Then you went
down a receiving line that was
quite unique in that it contained
only beautiful ladies. After the
greetings you looked around and
saw that the decorations reminded
you somewhat of the atmosphere of
a night club. Although no cham
pagne was served, the tables and
chairs made one feel a little more
glamorous.
You decide that since this is a
dance, you might as well get up
and dance. But the bewildering
thing is—no orchestra. Then sud
denly there comes the breath-tak
ing voice of Perry Como. During
the evening the music of many of
the popular bands is enjoyed by
those who were fortunate enough
to come to the dance.
At intermission time ice cream
sandwiches were served by some
of the Alpha Psi girls. While
these were being enjoyed enter
tainment was furnished by Miss
Artingstall, Miss Nadine Ashmore
and Newsom Summerline. Mr.
Summerlin played a piano solo,
then he accompanied Miss Arting
stall as she played three popular
numbers on her flute. Miss Ash
more again displayed her dancing
ability.
The clock was up to its old tricks
again. It slipped around to twelve
o’clock before anyone realized it.
Like Cinderilla, all were a little re
luctant to leave but no one lost
her slipper for being a minute or
two late. As the crowd left you
could almost hear floating through
the air the expression of happiness
and the words —“Oh, what a won
derful evening.”
Dramatics Class
Activities
This year West Georgia has full
fledged dramatics classes. These
classes are under the direction of
Mr. W. H. Row, formerly of Tulsa,
Oklahoma.
The classes have been quite ac
tive this year in that they have
presented two plays and have now
begun work on their third. The
classes are also given an opportun
ity to attend plays elsewhere in
the state. The present class recent
ly attended a production in Atlan
ta. This was a musical comedy en
titled “Blossom Time.”
In addition to the regular dra
matics work, the present class has
assisted in the sponsoring of a se
ries of speakers and musical art
ists. The students serve as ushers,
ticket-takers at the concerts, and
before each concert, they place
placards and posters in the stores
of the up-town area. At the same
time they sell tickets to the local
businessmen and merchants. A
number of students are selected
from the class and they visit the
various civic clubs during their
meetings in an effort to increase
ticket sales.
This series is being sponsored
with the hope of interesting the
townspeople in the presentation of
annual concerts of this type. Plans
along this line are being discussed
with the civic leaders of Carroll
ton. and it may be possible that
such discussions will result in a
regularly scheduled concert pro
gram for next year.
THINKING ABOUT
EMILY POST
A vice-president once said, “what
this country needs is a good five
cent cigar.” Promptly this country
had that needed five-cent cigar.
The gentleman who made this re
nowned statement was first a vice
president of this country and sec
ond a connisseur of fine tobacco.
Unfortunately, I am neither a vice
president and I certainly am not an
authority on the subject I am going
to discuss but
Let it be known to all that An
thony said, “what this country
needs is anew standard of social
etiquette.” As I have previously
stated, I am neither vice-president
nor an authority on the subject so
don’t expect any sudden changes in
our social pattern.
For too long a time our standard
of actions has been regulated by
the thoughts of one woman. I don’t
deny that Emily Post has some
sound ideas and she is a gracious
lady in her own circle. But we can’t
all manage to be in that circle.
I have grown tired of people
frowning on this and that because
of what Emily Post says. These
same people who correct me do
things I consider much worse than
what I have done. I intend to let
my better judgement be my judge
until something better comes along.
I have just completed reading
the newest edition of Emily Post.
Of course, I didn’t read it word for
word, but I read enough to make
me believe that it is almost a good
comedy.
For paragraphs she talks of not
using the fingers in eating because
one would stain napkins. After all
this she gives a person permission
to put greasy salted peanuts on a
tablecloth by the plate. One may
also put a bit of salt on the table
cloth to salt celery—outrageous I
say. Oh, well, protect inexpensive
napkins and ruin beautiful table
cloths.
She further states that a gentle
man always changes to evening
clothes for dinner even when din
ing at home and alone. I consider
the principle of this rather silly.
One angle to look at this great
book is for us to disregard it. To
me, it seems to be written for Fifth
Avenue, New York, and Fifth Ave-
WHERE FRIENDS MEET
Jones Drug Company
STUDENT HEADQUARTERS
BELK-RHODES CO.
The Home of Better Values
Alabama Street Carrollton, Ga.
FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1947
nue alone. I doubt if even the idle
plutocrats of Fifth Avenue pay her
much heed.
The clothes for a college boy—
huh. If we all abided by her sug
gestions a visitor to our campus
might think we were in mourning.
Dark suits and tweeds, solid shirts,
dark socks, and other drab articles
of clothing are recommended by
Emily Post. I, for one, am glad that
the young people have gone Holly
wood —if I may describe present
dressing styles in such a manner.
I am not bitter on this subject I
just think Emily Post is a great
deal high-brow. I believe that she
needs to publish an edition for
Main Street to supplement the
present day Fifth Avenue edition.
Until she does this or some other
person gets disgusted as I am and
writes a Main Street edition, I shall
go on paying her no heed. I shall
continue using my common sense
about the best in the use of man
ners.
Students Hold
Hobby Show
Each year on Parent’s Day the
students like to be at their best
and display all the talents they
possibly can. To help make this
possible the Home Economics De
partment each year sponsors a
hobby show.
Everyone who has a hobby is in
vited to enter it in the show. One
is sometimes astonished to see the
many diverse hobbies of the stu
dents. It is possible to discover that
you are interested in the same
thing that some other person is and
thus begin new friendships.
The hobbies are all turned in to
some of the Home Economics stu
dents, who arrange them and help
to guide visitors about the display
on Parent’s Day.
This is usually one of the out
standing events of Parent’s Day,
and with the cooperation of the
student body it will again be a fea
ture you cannot afford to miss.