by Donna Swagerty Shreve
Facing my spring semester of my senior year of high school in 1963, I still had a lot of schoolwork to do. Fortunately I had achieved adequate grades to have several choices for college and I was looking forward to my next adventure. However, I couldn’t let senior lethargy get to me enough to alarm people around me.
One of my harder classes was senior English taught by Mr. Jonathan Pearce. He expected excellence and required a heavy load of material to be read and produced. Eight book reports were due by the end of the semester completing the year’s reading requirement. I had read and reported on seven. The thought of reading one more qualifying book for this man became overwhelming for me. I just did not have the proper enthusiasm or motivation for the task.
I came up with a plan B which probably took more effort than if I had done the assignment as expected. The first chore was to find an appropriate book substitution that would require little reading. I chose the well-read book “The Little Engine That Could.” It was part of our family’s library and all four siblings had read it after having it read to us. It had a great theme, easy plot and a fun main character.
In 1963 a student needed to use a typewriter for proper assignments. Only high-grade paper was acceptable. Mr. Pearce warned against using low grade typing paper, as it was problematic when it came to making corrections, which were inevitable. I decided, therefore, to use toilet paper! My challenge was to carefully backup the toilet paper with good paper to serve as a cushion. Mistakes would mean starting a new attempt. Somehow, after several tries I was able to type up my report of this fine book.
Next challenge was figuring out how to present this assignment given the unusual type of paper used. I carefully taped one end of the typed toilet paper to an empty toilet paper tube and wrapped the report several times around the roll. Now for the piece of resistance, I clipped it securely with a clippie.
Many fads invaded our campus during my tenure as a high school student. The fashion of the times was variations to bouffant hairstyles that required much backcombing and hair spray. To keep the elaborate hair sensation in place, many girls secured the sides with a clippie. Jonathan Pearce was death on clippies. Everyone knew not to enter his classroom with a clippie attached to one’s hair. He made sure to hand out dire consequences to anyone who dared defy him on this matter.
My assignment was ready to be turned in. I quickly decided I could not do it face to face. Instead I waited before class began and watched carefully to see when he was distracted enough that I could approach his desk and leave it there. The opportunity arose and I quickly left it on his desk. He spent that class period in front at his lectern so I could escape that particular class session without any consequences.
The next day as I entered the classroom, I questioned the wisdom of my prank. Would he laugh or crucify me? I slunk to my assigned seat and waited. The bell rang and he began class.
“ I would like to begin class by sharing a book-report Miss Swagerty turned in yesterday.” My face felt hot as the heat spread up engulfing me. Yes, my heart was pounding. He then held up my creation. There was stunned silence from my fellow students. Along with me, they were unable to judge his reaction. Mr. Pearce held it high and maintained a silence that was torturing me. Then he broke out in a huge grin and congratulated me on my effort and noted every detail.
I had succeeded with my little prank but never attempted such a stunt again. I went back several times to visit him after I graduated. My first visit was for a summer reading list so I would be properly prepared for college. He was pleased I valued his recommendations and handed me a comprehensive list on my next visit a week later. I never finished that list but did make a dent in it, at least. I remember Jonathan mentioning once that he had already figured out he could not possibly live long enough to read all of the books he had on his own personal list.
Many years later, when I became a teacher, I assigned a few of the books, Jonathan Pearce had authored, to my better students. For one of his books, I made arrangements so he would be my guest and hold an author forum for the selected students who had read his book. Again I think he was very pleased. I regard him as a wonderful teacher who I admired and respected. Fortunately, due to his sense of humor, I was able to pull off my little bit of rebellion.
Swagerty-Aldrich Family Web Site 