This University of Wichita student was one of many “studying” for finals on campus in 1940, as captured in that year’s Parnassus.
The photo is one in a series of pictures of students under a headline that reads: “We All Studied for Finals.”
According to the writer of the essay that accompanies the photos: “We tightened our belts, cleared our throats a bit, adjusted specs, ‘n propped a book between two knock-knees, resolvin’ to do th’ best bit of crammin’ ever.
“Next step was a shift to a horizontal position, head propped on hand, book resting on the floor. A nodding head led to sweet slumber broken by the disturbin’ jangle of th’ phone. It was Joe or Mamie wantin’ us to get a coke or somethin.’
“Well, we were a little thirsty ‘n maybe a drink would wake us up a little — in fact, we thought it was th’ very thing we needed, so off we went.”
Other photos in the yearbook’s “studying series” show Shocker students at their classroom desks with test booklets out — brows furrowed in concentration.
A similar scene could be painted of this year’s WSU students during finals: dorm rooms (mostly) quiet and (relatively) serious, the library usage level higher than at any other time of the academic year and a good number of sleepy scholars awoken by the “disturbin’ jangle” of cell phones — with their distracting messages from friends.
