Janith Sue at our 40th reunion (to the left).
Below is part 3 of her quartet of poems written for the 40th reunion.
JUNIORESQUE
By the time our junior year rolled around in the fall of '59,
There were even greater challenges for my unchartered mind.
There was chemistry with Mr. Cheek
One of my favorite classes week after week.
I loved his "Cheekisms" that flowered his speech.
And was awed by the fact that as principal
he had a big paddle close to his reach.
He'd always tell us to "ask more questions than a
shunk makes tracks around a chicken coop,"
Which was his way of explaining how to get the scoop.
Only years later did I fully understand his message
And realize that the man was a veritable sage.
And when he said, "this frazzlin' noise has to come
to a screeching halt," we knew
We'd better straighten up, for that was our cue.
The most excitement we had in that class came
during a bad thunderstorm one day
When one of the big, old trees out front crashed
through our window and came our way.
With glass and debris flying all about us.
He mumbled something about it being enough
to make a preacher cuss.
For we were in the middle of a review for a quiz,
And a little old electrical storm wouldn't
interrupt a story of his!
One faculty member I never really had the
privilege of knowing
Was Mrs. Becknell in Home Ec., who taught more
than mere cooking and sewing.
While my friends were planning their dream homes
and making nice,
I was knee deep in Chemistry trying to outsmart Herb Rice.
Mr. Wells taught our guys in VoAg everything
from judging to public speaking,
Especially if a career in agriculture
they were seeking.
That was the year Latin was added to our curriculum
And, if we had college in mind, we'd be be
conjugating some.
Latin gave us an opportunity to translate from
Caesar's commentaries.
And, according to Mrs. Keeton, learning those
root words increased our vocabularies.
Why, once I translated an entire exercise with
the wrong word,
Which caused the entire story to be quite absurd.
I learned the difference between liberos and libraire
the hard way,
And certainly didn't please the teacher very much
that day.
Many of us signed up for typing and shorthand with
Mrs. Stewart, the best dressed,
Whose husband owned the local department store,
but who'd have guessed.
Her fashion influence on me has guided me through
forty some years,
Why even today if I can't have matching accessories,
I'm reduced to tears!
Oh my, lest I should forget, there was geometry
for those who were "smart"
But those nasty angles both right and obtuse
were not for the faint of heart.
There were so many cracks in that chalkboard of his
That I once solved for the wrong angles on a weekly quiz.
Remember the day he caused us to have heart failure about
When he drew that circle filled with 100 lines and angles
and wanted us to figure it out.
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