170 ~ Scholars Insights ~ring through the Ls'1~or-to-ceiling windows of American Heritage, the breakfast line appeared to be unusually long for 7:08 a.m. On the inside, however, there was not the hubbub of activity that commonly accompanied the crowded cafeteria. Students seemed to move in slow motion. There were looks of dullness on the faces of many, whose minds appeared to be almost as scrambled as the eggs on their plates. Coffee cups were filled and refilled. Crowded at tables, they performed last-minute cramming from books and notes, while others rallied questions and answers among themselves. It was the last day of final exams. It was soon to be over , though, and another semester's notebooks were boxed away for "future reference." There was a rapid stuffing of clothes into suitcases and the paroled students sped away from Searcy, anxiously anticipating a three-week Christmas vacation from classes. The only reminder of the academic distress during the holidays was the day when the onionskin paper inscribed by computer appeared in the mailbox. Announcing the semester's final grades, it brought a welcome sense of finality. Eighteen weeks of scholastic work was completed. Even when the results were not desirable, there was no use in worrying; nothing more could be done. Instead there was self-assurance , New Year's resolutions and redetermination to do better spring semester. The activities of that semester were more abundant than those of the one before, however. Spring Sing practice began in early February and the nightly practlo::es left little energy in reserve for the after-curfew study sessions. Spring Fever arrived in March and thoughts of academics seemed far Although the original ambition of getting a degree was occasionally sabotaged by the ever-present social distractions, "making the grade" was the intention of most students. away. Basking in the sun of the roof of Cathcart kept many tanstarved females from making it to spring classes. There were carloads of students heading for Heber Springs each afternoon. The most devastating of all to grades, however, was the cloud of spring romance , bringing crops of new couples and diamond rings. _. Yet, throughout the year the pressures of "making the grade" was felt by most students. Bills from the Business Office remindhere was a very serious one. Spending an entire semester "just having fun" was a precarious misuse of money. Again , this year, on many nights library users were elbow-toelbow at the tables in the reference rooms, especially around exam time. The lights of the art building frequently burned in the after-cur: few hours as art sutdents used their creative talents overtime to meet approaching (or overdue)
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