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December 13, 1957
THE TWIG
Page three
At Christmas
Mr. and Mrs. Simmons
Simmons Family
Indispensable To
Meredith Campus
and
By JANICE MORGAN
“Is the mail up?”
“Can I put in four sheets
six towels?”
“But my room is cold!”
“This mattress has got to go!
“Is the cute little doggie hungry
— humm-mmm?”
These “familiar quotations
should bring to your mind not only
a person, but a family! Yes, you’re
right, it is the Simmons family
all six of them! Oh, you didn’t know
there were six! Well, of course, you
know Mr. Harry Simmons, the
friendly man who is the col
lege maintenance supervisor. Mrs.
Simmons you’re undoubtedly ac
quainted with as the patient man
ager who takes your piles of dirty
linen and also puts those precious,
and all too often rare, letters in
your post office box. Three more
members of the family are “Jean-
nie,” “Bennie,” and “Bootsie,” the
three Simmons youngsters. “Boot
sie” and “Bennie” might resent
being classified as youngsters, for
they are fourteen and ten respec
tively, but Jeannie, the cute little
five-year-old girl that all of us have
seen, still fits into that category
Now the sixth member of this
family is fast becoming the object
of more affection than he knows
what to do with. His name
Brownie,” but he’ll come run-
is
ning to “Doggie,” “B.H.” (this mys
terious symbol means Beehive!) or
occasionally an off-key whistle,
yes, he’s the little brown dog with
the “waggley” tail. In accounting
for his frequent visits on campus
Mrs. Simmons remarked, “The girls
pick him up over at the bam —
our home is nearby — and bring
him back with them from their
riding lessons! I never know where
he’ll be next.”
Winnabow, a small town on the
coast between Wilmington and
Southport is the home of the Sim
monses. Both Mr. and Mrs. Sim
mons attended the same high school
and it seems they started dating
when she was in the tenth grade!
(This sounds just like some couples
we know!) They were married the
year after she graduated from high
school and in 1948 they came to
Raleigh. Mr. Simmons first worked
on the campus when the music
building was being built, and he
became maintenance supervisor the
year after the building was finished.
Mrs. Simmons first worked on the
campus in 1950, when she started
running the laundry. Aside from
the laundry and the post office, she
also keeps Mr. Simmons’ books.
The most important thing in the
life of the whole family right now
is the new home which they are
building themselves. This reporter
blithely asked if Mr. Sommons was
doing all the work himself, and
Mrs. Simmons’ reply was, “Don’t
leave me out! My knees are sore
from nailing down roofing all day
Saturday!” It is indeed a family
project! They expect to have the
house finished by next summer,
even though their busy 6:00 to
5:00 day only allows them a small
amount of spare time to work on
the house. Mrs. Simmons explained
By MARY ANN BROWN
We see . . .
girls rushing in at 6:15 with loads
of packages . . . frenzied knitting
to get those “last five rows” done
on a certain sweater . . . people
haunting the library to get those
term papers done . . . dreamy and
hopeful looks when some girls are
asked “What is HE giving you for
Christmas?” . . . doors that look
like Christmas cards . . . room
mates dodging each other in stores
to keep presents hidden . . . people
pouring over the “gift selection”
pages of the magaiznes in the Bee
Hive. . . .
We hear . . .
snatches of “Jingle Bells” at odd
lours of the night and morning . . .
with dismay the things suggested
for us to do “in our spare time”
over the holidays . . . sounds of
male voices and think “Oh, joy,
another serenade!” . . . some of
the most “contemporary” arrange
ments of Christmas songs . . . with
disgust that State goes home the
14th . . .“How can I ever get my
shopping done when I have to go
on campus Wednesday?” . . . des
perate calls about rides home. .
We say . . .
that we’re going to save our
money for next Christmas and
that we’re going to do our shopping
in July . . . that nobody studies
just before holidays and who are
we to be different . . . that we re
fuse, positively refuse, to get out
of bed before noon one single day
. that, since our money has al
most run out, our parents had just
better appreciate “thoughtful” gifts
. that we won’t study, so why
load down some poor boy’s car
with unnecessary books . . . that
right after your dad has^ been pleas
antly surprised by your gift is a
good time to prepare him for that
“D” you just may get. . . .
We feel . . .
that we’ll never last until the
19th . . . like crying when Dottie
plays Christmas carols after Sunday
dinner . . . like laughing when an
earnest freshman tells of all the
work she is going to do during
Christmas . . . like jumping off the
3rd floor breeze way when we think
of all the things to be done before
we can go home . . . that we might
. . . most probably . . . have a . . .
wonderful Christmas!
Among The Trustees
We Visit Mr. W. H. Weatherspoon
that building their home is a lot of
worry, but that they have made it
their hobby and enjoy having
wiener roasts and relaxing and
having a good time while they work.
Building one’s own home is indeed
a fine “family project,” and we feel
that we are very fortunate in having
such a fine family as part of our
campus life.
All Meredith seems to have a
newly awakened interest in a group
of people known as “the trustees”
an interest other than fried
chicken in the dining hall, that is.
The Twig is beginning in this issue
a series of articles on these men
and women of “the board.”
The board of trustees of an insti
tution is that body responsible for
the financial operation of the insti
tution. It is also called upon to pass
on any major change in policy —
such as a new department or
dancing on campus. Mr. W. H.
Weatherspoon, a senior member of
Meredith’s board, sayS trusteeship is
purely “a labor of love.” The aim
of the board, he says, is “to try to
help in the operation of the college,
working in close co-operation with
officials and faculty.”
For the past two years Mr.
Weatherspoon has served as execu
tive vice-president and legal coun
sel for Carohna Power and Light
Company. Leaning back at his desk
on the fifth floor of the Insurance
Building, he smiled at us shyly as
he said, “I just hate even to tell you
how long I’ve been a trustee of
Meredith. With the exception of
one year, it has been forty years
now.”
One of a family of five boys and
two girls, he graduated from Cary
High School in 1903 and went to
Wake Forest, where he worked his
way through college by represent
ing a men’s clothing store and a
steam laundry, and working in a
bank. As business manager of The
Student, he sold ads to railroads,
and in his “spare” time he directed
a Boy’s Club for sixty boys.
On graduating from college in
1907, Mr. Weatherspoon began
law practice in Laurinburg, N. C.
There he also married a Meredith
girl, Matilda Jane Sutton Lee. In
1911 he was elected to the state
legislature in which he served two
regular sessions and one special ses
sion. In 1928 he moved to Raleigh
to become the law partner of Sena
tor Josiah Bailey. In 1931 he be
came vice-president of Carolina
Power and Light Company’s boarc
of directors. He has also served as
a director of the First National Bank
of Raleigh and of the First Federal
Savings and Loan Association, as
president of the Raleigh Chamber
of Commerce and of the Raleigh
Lions Club.
Once an avid horseman, Mr
weatherspoon gave his horse to
Meredith when he quit riding. He
is also quite fond of golf, fishing
hunting, and flowers. His garden at
1010 Cowper Drive furnishes him
with boutonnieres practically the
year around.
In discussing recent “events.
Mr. Weatherspoon said that he is
not “too much concerned” about
the investigations of the Committee
of 17’ appointed by the convention
to look into college affairs. “They
will see that the colleges are doing
the best job possible.” As for danc
ing, he says “that should have been
eft to the trustees.” Will Mere
dith ever become co-ed? “I don’t
relieve so,” he says, “for two good
reasons — we lack the money and
the space.”
Mr. Weatherspoon is an interest
ing man who makes us eager to
meet other members of our board
of trustees in the issues to come.
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STUDENTS - TEEN AGERS
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The Fifth Column
CONTEMPORARY SCENE
(Continued from page two)
around the world. Besides some
charming little books on Japanese
drama, art, and garden, is another
book on The World of Abstract Art,
priced at $8.50.
To move on to lighter literature,
Charles Addams has a new book of
cartoons, Nightcrawlers, delightful
as only Addams’ humor can be.
(Recommended mainly for his de
votees.) . . . Vladimir Dudinsev
arose to heroic proportions in the
eyes of the free world by writing
Not by Bread Alone. This book is
a Russian scientist’s criticism of So
viet communism, and his search for
justice. . . . Ernest Jones has written
the third and final volumn of The
Life and Work of Sigmund Freud.
While heavy reading, this book
would be of interest to any thinking
person—^psychology students? . . .
There are books from England—
The Fine Art of Reading, by Lord
David Cecil and On Poetry and
Poets by T. S. Eliot—excerpts from
both of which have been used in
this column. Another book should
be mentioned here. Leftover Life to
Kill by Caiflin Thomas, wife of the
deceased Dylan Thomas. This is the
story of the love of a wife for a great
literary figure, who, perhaps, be
cause of his enthusiasm wore him
self out too soon. Caitlin Thomas in
this proves herself to be a writer of
some merit. . . . The giant of
American architecture has recently
published a discussion of his
seventy-year career, his principles
and architectural pholosophy: A
Testament by Frank Lloyd Wright.
. . . And one final suggestion for that
arm-chair historian The Reforma
tion, Vol. VI of the historical series
of civilization by Will DuRant.
By PEANUT
The pig, if I am not mistaken.
Supplies us sausage, ham, and ba
con.
Let others say his heart is big—
I call it stupid of the pig.”
Ogdan Nash.
It seems that the upperclassmen
have once again revived that un
desirable refrain, “Hark, the Mere
dith ‘angels’ shout . . . !” Will we
never protect the sensitive ears of
our first-year-girls? Anyway, let’s
try this version a few times, mainly
because the melody is more in ac
cord with the words — “All the
Meredith angels shout, ‘One more
day till we get out’.” The tune will
be sort of like that “Su{^r Suds”
jingle, if you will recall it.
Hf *
Most probably the English de
partment finds students who have
difficulty using the Webster book.
It may help to explain early that
the dictionary is in alphabetical or
der. ...
* *
Perhaps you read the enlighten
ing article recently published on the
engagement of Jayne Mansfield
concerning mainly the possible ef
fect said engagement (for mar
riage, incidentally) would have on
her career. If you did read the
article, you were attracted, I am
sure, to the summary thought, “Will
rock spoil success hunter?” In a
word. . . .
* ♦ *
For you who enjoy hysterics de
rived from silly nothings, try this
fiddle riddle — What is purple and
yellow and dingle-dangles from the
ceiling? Answer: A purple and
yellow ceiling dingle-dangler, (of
course)
Concerning the mark of 100
made in Hebrew by a graduate of
Southern Seminary, one man said,
“Not even a Hebrew could do that.”
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Astros Win in Volleyball
The day of the volleyball tourna
ment brought an exciting afternoon
of competition for the Astros and
Phis. There was quite a bit of cheer
ing heard within the gym doors
between five and six as the two
society teams, wearing their colors
of purple or yellow, contested for
the championship. The Phis cheer
fully congratulated the Astros who
claimed a well-earned victory; and
the yellow and purple left the gym
together feeling a wonderful unity.
MITCHELL’S
HAIR STYLING
CAMERON VILLAGE
RALEIGH, N. C.
Phone: TE 4-8221
The Senior Class has become
a true organization on campus,
having assumed Greek initials now
— S.I.A., or Seniors in Alliance —
not to be confused with another
order under similar letters.
if * if
The members of the Chorus send
a suggestion to Mr. Blanchard, their
favorite male conductor, that he,
too, practice renunciation so that
he may properly pronounce glowry,
high-yest, and siglfkn.
FOR AN AFTERNOON WALK
ARNOLD’S
REXALL DRUGS
3025 HILLSBORO STREET
Stephenson’s
Record Department
Hi Fi Record
STRINGS OF THE
PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
Conducted by: Eugene Ormondy
Includes
Tchaikovsky's Serenade ia C Major
Fantasia on Greensleeves
Vaughn Williams
STEPHENSON
MUSIC COMPANY
CAMERON VILLAGE
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