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THE VOICE OF WILKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE
VOL. 2, NO. 13
Wilkesboro, North Carolina
WCC
MAY 5, 1969
THE COUGAR DEDICATED TO DR. THOMPSON
DR. THOMPSON RECEIVING ANNUAL
Professional Opera in Wilkes
On Monday night, April 20,
The National Opera Company
presented “La Perichole", an
operetta in English at the Wilkes
Central High School Gymtorium.
The setting for the opera is
in Lima, Peru. The citizens of
Lima turn out on a spring day
to celebrate the birthday of their
ruler, Viceroy, Don Andres. The
entrance of the Viceroy, in dis
guise, elicits loud shouts of
“Long Live the Viceroy* when
ever he questions a native on the
merits of his administration. He
is obviously recognized by
everyone.
Two impoverished street sing
ers, Perichole and Pacquillo,
attempt to raise the price of a
marriage license by their sing
ing. The music is good, but not
profitable. Don Andres sees
Perichole and immediately falls
in love with her and talks her
into becoming a lady-in-waiting
to his wife. His wife had been
dead for years!
Poor Paquillo, having received
a farewell letter from his be
loved Perichole, decides to hang
himself. Meanwhile, Don Andres
has sent out his men to find a
husband for Perichole so the
whole thing will look respectable,
and, through wine and persua
sion, Paquillo drunkenly con
cedes to do it. The marriage is
performed without either Peri
chole or Paquillo knowing whom
he is marrying.
When Paquillo learns the iden
tity of his wife, he thinks she
was behind it all and goes into
a fit of rage. He throws Peri
chole at the feet of Don Andres
and earns himself a berth in
the city dungeon for recalcitrant
husbands.
An old prisoner, who has spent
twelve years digging through the
walls of his cell, joins Paquillo.
Perichole enters with a bag of
jewels to bribe the jailer. How
ever, the jailer is Don Andres
in disguise again and he chains-
her with Paquillo for her un
faithfulness to him. Then the old
prisoner appears again and helps
them to escape.
A search for the fugitives be
gins, but Perichole decided to
risk all by singing of her love for
Paquillo to the Viceroy. The
tender-hearted Viceroy pardons
the couple and heaps riches and
titles upon them, attesting to the
all-conquering power of a Spani
ard's Love.
The National Opera Company
was founded, as Grass Roots
Opera, by A.J. Fletcher, a Ra
leigh businessman, in 1948. The
principal aims are to give ex
perience and employment to ris
ing young singers, and to give
the public an opportunity to hear
opera performed in the langu£^e
of the audience. The troupe has
performed over 1,700 times in
the majority of the United States.
Ken Welborn
The 1969 Wilkes Community
College Yearbook, “The Cou
gar”, was released to the stu
dent population on April 24, and
26. The yearbook was dedicated
to Dr. Howard E. Thompson,
president of W.C.C.
This year’s annual is quite
impressive. It is obvious that
Mrs. Bassett and the entire staff
put many long hours into the
production of this book. One of
the more catchy features of this
annual is the binding. Done in
Baroque Red with a gold Cou
gar prominently displayed, the
cover of our annual is most
impressive. The actual contents
are tastefully arranged and cap
tioned so as to made the “brows
ing through” of this annual some
thing more than just looking at
names and faces.
The staff of “The Cougar Cry*
would like to take this opportunity^
to congratulate the Annual Staff
on a job well done in making
“The Cougar,* 1969, an annual
that we can all enjoy and be
proud of.
NOTICE
Students interested in participat
ing in tennis intramurals should
contact Jerry Pardue to sign up.
No date has yet been set.
Death of A
Salesman
Last week, the faculty and
students of Wilkes Community
College were treated to a film
showing of “Death of a Sales-
man*. This drama, Arthur Mil
ler’s finest, had for the title role
of Willy Loman the fine actor
Fredrich March.
The story of the play has to
do with the last days of a failing
salesman, who seeks to find out,
by a tragic series of soul-
searching revelations of the
past life he has lived with his
wife, his sons, and his busi
ness associates, just where and
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