Miss Nina McGinnis
(A woman to remember)
Screen 1 of 3She was a big woman--not fat or even plump. Just very tall and powerful looking. Some of my fellow students at Bowling Green High School compared her to Hepzibah Pyncheon, the central character in Hawthorne's classic novel, The House of Seven Gables. But I did not agree. I thought she was more like the Amazons in mythology--the huge female warriors reputed to have lived near the Black Sea.
When I first saw this woman, Miss Nina McGinnis, it was in early September of the year 1924, and I was a beginning freshman, not yet thirteen years old. I shall never forget the morning I met her. She was the principal, and on this opening day of school she was certainly "in charge." No mistaking that.
Standing in a fixed position at the intersection of the two long corridors in our high school building, she towered above us all--even the big boys who played football. With arms folded and steel gray eyes moving slowly back and forth, she was carefully monitoring the students moving through the halls between classes. It was obvious even to a new freshman like me that she would stand for no foolishness, and I wanted to avoid her as long as I could.
But in order to get to my next class, I had to walk right past her at the intersection; and as I drew near I felt her piercing eyes squarely set on me. I turned my head away and walked a little faster, hoping to get by her unnoticed, but it "Young man--you there in the red sweater." There was no doubt she was talking to me. "What is your name? I do not remember seeing you before."
Not able to ignore the question, I stopped and looked up at her in some confusion before answering. Miss McGinnis' reputation as a strong disciplinarian was well known, and this sudden meeting almost made me forget my name. But I did get it out weakly.
"My name is Chester Travelstead," I replied respectfully.
"Oh, Chester Travelstead, is it?" she asked as she looked down at me without smiling. "Are you Nelle Gooch's boy?"
"Yes, ma'am. She's my mother," I said, trying to edge away.
"Now don't walk away while you are talking to me. Always stand still on both your feet and look people straight in the eye when you are talking to them." Then she added, "I remember now I had to teach that same thing to your mother when she was a student of mine at Potter College many years ago."
I was getting uneasy. Everyone seemed to be looking at us, but no one laughed or even smiled. I felt sure I knew why.
"And, oh yes," she continued with a gentle but not affectionate tap on my shoulder, "call me 'Miss Nina.' All the boys and girls here call me that."
While she was talking, the loud class bell rang, and she quickly asked me why I was just standing there--why I wasn't moving toward my next class--didn't I hear the bell?
I started to answer those questions but quickly decided against it. I was too anxious to get away from her. Anyway, what I had in mind to say would not have pleased her.
By this time, 'Miss Nina' had stopped another student. Before turning away, I noticed he was chewing gum, and as I left I heard her say quite firmly, "Joseph, you know chewing gum is not allowed in this school. Now take it out of your mouth, wrap it in a small piece of paper and put it here in this wastebasket." I'm sure Joseph did what she told him, but I did not look back to see. I remember I was surprised that the principal knew Joseph's name, since more than four hundred students were enrolled in that four-year high school. I later learned she knew the full name of every student there.
[CONTENTS OF VOL. 4]
[DAVID'S HOME PAGE]
- 30 -