Stuart Friebert The Class of 1922
When the lists were posted for which two students would walk side by side down the aisle together at Southview High’s graduation exercises, Schnooty and Augie, given the separation between their surnames, drew different partners. Schnooty could have lived with the arrangement if his partner were almost anyone except Bertha McNit, he said. Called “Big Bertha” by some of the nastier boys, she kept protesting all during the war years that she wasn’t a German weapon and begged them not to torment her. Schnooty said he was afraid he’d jump out of line and bop the first guy who said “boom boom” when they walked past, which might cost him his diploma. Augie wasn’t sure he wanted Schnooty to try to finagle their marching together, even for old time’s sake, as Schnooty suddenly argued; because Henrietta Hooper, with whom Augie was paired, although aloof and not known for fooling around, ever, with any boy in the county, was something of a blonde beauty. Augie thought it would make quite a statement to “certain people” in the audience if he were seen at her side. But as usual, Augie finally gave in, realizing Schnooty was probably going to hang around for life, one way or another, and a stroll down the aisle together wasn’t exactly a marriage proposition. It didn’t take long for Schnooty to arrange a swap, as well as get everyone involved to shut up about it so no teacher would bolix the maneuver at the last minute. The Hahns, Augie’s parents, gave their extra tickets to Gertie Meister and her best friend Ida Emmert, who were both juniors. Augie was trying to get serious with Ida, who was toying with him the way she did with any boy stupid enough