Carolina Alumni Review - May/June 2009

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class quotes

Last Semester

For some graduating students, their final semester at Carolina is filled with fun, working in all their favorite things one last time. For others, it’s a stressful time of trying to pass that last required class or worrying what life after college will bring. We asked alumni to share memories of their last semesters. Excerpts of some of the responses are below. Read more at alumni.unc.edu/lastsemester.

1957 YACKET Y YACK

teachers was Forrest Reed, who together with me sang To the Tables Down at Mory’s in class that spring, with most of the students believing we were nothing more than fugitives from a busted gin rummy game. It was nothing less than Carolina at her best.”

John H. Secor ’ 70

Harwinton, Conn.

“Beginning in the fall of 1953, the school year changed from the quarter system to the semester system. This meant (in those days) Saturday classes. Under the quarter system, a 15- hour course load was three classes Monday through Friday. The semester system was generally three classes Monday-Wednesday-Friday and two classes Tuesday- Thursday-Saturday. In the spring semester of my senior year, I needed only 12 hours to graduate. Three of my classes were M-W-F. The fourth class, Corporate Finance, taught by Dr. C.P. Spruill ’ 20, was offered in two sections on T-T-S. However, there were only a few enrolled in each section. Dr. Spruill’s solution — a 75-minute class on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons! No Saturday classes my spring semester and Tuesday and Thursday mornings free!”

Russell S. Cowell ’ 54

Williamsburg,Va.

“Graduating from UNC in spring semester of 1957 was a very exciting time, since our basketball team was undefeated that year and won the National Championship in triple overtime. Chapel Hill really rocked for days after that. I had a Greek history class with a couple of the players — Pete Brennan ’ 58 sat right next to me. The first class after the victory, when Pete walked into class, everything stopped, and [the professor] led us all in a standing ovation for ‘Mr. Brennan and our glorious Tar Heels.’ It was a fabulous semester, culminating in a cap and gown, and graduation ceremony in Woollen Gym instead of Kenan Stadium, since it poured down rain all day.”

L. Wade Humphreys ’ 57

Raleigh

“I was married in September and was struggling to get by on the G.I. Bill. I was advised by my adviser at the start of the semester that I had to take Spanish 21 to complete my language requirements. As my last

Final semesters can be filled with the elation of winning a national championship, as in 1957 and more recently, the stress of needing to pass a final class — or both.

Spanish course was two years prior, I was stressed. With my wife pregnant and my G.I. Bill terminating at the end of the semester, I had to graduate. Fortunately, I was able to make it with little room to spare. While most of my college days were interesting, educational and fun, the last semester was not one of the best.”

Robert Rhoades ’ 61

Robbins

“My last semester was one of the most stressful semesters I had. I was graduating in the summer, a year earlier than the class of ’ 69 that I had entered with, and I wasn’t sure what to do with a political science degree. I didn’t make it into law school, as had been my dream since seventh grade, and I didn’t know what to do with my life. I read about people taking a year off to hitchhike Europe and such adventures as that, but my draft board at home wouldn’t be tolerant of that. At the Wesley Foundation I met a recruiter from Garrett Seminary, and he said I could take a year at seminary to figure out my future. It actually took me till my late 50s to make the right decision. I’m an adjunct professor of religion for Gardner-Webb University now, and it’s the best thing I ever did. So the seminary move was the right one, after all.”

Thomas E. Blanton Jr. ’ 68

Granite Falls

“Spring semester 1970. The Vietnam War (or was it euphemistically called a conflict then?) was ongoing. Then there was Kent State, when most of the teachers canceled final

exams except my P.E. teacher, who said at the beginning of the class that ‘flunking P.E. was like flunking lunch.’ … One of my favorite

“I was living in Granville Towers while the [military draft] lottery numbers were being announced over the radio. All up and down the hall, you could hear guys shouting or crying. From Nos. 1-366, my number was 365.”

Tommy Tyson ’ 72

Nashville, Tenn.

“Spring semester of 1972, I was head cheerleader during basketball that season and getting ready to do six weeks of student teaching at Page High School in Greensboro. The basketball team had made it to the Final Four to be played in Los Angeles that spring. Did Tracy get to go? No! I had to begin my student-teaching experience. I had to teach one week before Greensboro city schools went on Easter vacation for a week. During this time, the basketball tournament was down to the last eight and then four teams. I tried desperately to convince my supervisor that I should be at the tournament and that I could teach a week after everyone else was finished. But no, that would have meant me working the week before graduation in May. I tried to start early, but that would have meant missing that last week of my methods classes. I finally got the clearance to go to the tournament and would not even have to make up the week of student teaching missed. I contacted the athletics department. The other cheerleaders had all left the day before on a chartered flight and the department would not fly me commercially. I missed a great Final Four experience, even though we did not win.”