Ann Arbor High School - Omega Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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'et ' ten poor unhappy creatures are passing the few till' 5, miserable moments alloted to them before they are summoned tl ii fate to make their names immortal for better or for to 18 ' u wma. After some five or ten minutes of suspense the com- l is given and all form in line and march slowly up to the mam ,, , D commencement hall. Expectant faces of parents and friends .fl-get the voung aspirants to honor as they take the places iissigned to them on the platform. Just before reaching her seatoone of the young ladies drops her flowers, but they are not recovered notwithstanding the chivalrous attempts of several of, the young gentlemen, for it is a very difficult thing even to pick up a bunch of flowers when a room-full of eyes are fixed upon you and you are not at all used to it. , ' The exercises begin with music, Beethoven's funeral march. The pale faces of the mournful ten on the 'platform grow paler as the music progresses. Finally comes the dreaded announce- ment, Oration by M. Calvin Boylan . Witli trembling limbs the gentleman referred to rises, tries to think what foot he' ought to put first in order to come out on the right one to make his bow to Mr. Perry, gives it up and walks out as it happens, makes his two grand bows and stands facing the audience and collecting his thoughts. His subject is Etiquette, and the remarks he makes on the necessity of gentlemen acquiring deli- cacy of manners while they are young, etc., are truly inspiring. He does himself and '90 credit. ' W Next on the programme comes Mr. R. C. Campbell, and he deals with the ethnological subject, The origin of the Camp- bell gens and how it came to have so 'many representatives in '9O. After him Mr. Alfred B. Connable comes to the front, dis- tinguishing himself especially for the grace of his bows ,fsee Mr. Granger, dancing-masterj. His subject is The modern signicance of the Latin camo, amarc, czmrtfvi, cm1.aizmz. But for some reason the speaker seems unable to view his subject quite dispassionately, and at times unconnected remarks about a wedding march rather break up the thread of his discourse. Hext Mr. Thomas E. Goodrich addresses the audience on the toplcv KMY eXDG1'ience of a presidential campaign. Two 01' three gentlemen among the listeners clap furiously, having had some experiences themselves of a like sort. L

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D when the final day in June came, in each of those past three years, when I could say good-bye to those dreary old school- rooms for awhi1e'and look forward to a two months' life of Q lounging. For notwithstanding what our respected teachers say regularly before every vacation, that rest is change and not idleness, it must nevertheless remain a fact that a student ap- preciates the thought of a good long time when she will be per- mitted to lounge to her l1eart's content Q I can only speak from experience of the feminine body of students, perhaps the mas- culine may be above such reprehensible pleasuresj. Then all the delightful picnic parties that so many of us can remember withlsuch pleasure, some of them perhaps like a cer- tain sleigh-ride party weknow of, when the conveyances would not come for all the expectation and- longing of the impatient watchers! p. - i Q Then there is one day in June not so fvcryvmany years ago which I remember well. Oh' dear, it makes me hot now to think of it,-how we toiled over plants and evergreen and drapery, and struggled -with surprising energy, considering the weathe1', against one boyis persistent 'purpose to get us to begin work at half-past seven olclock in the morning! Yes, even the recollec- tions of those tasks are almost. too laborious for a June day. I As I went on dreaming away in this fashion my thoughts got farther and farther from my conscious control, and I suppose I nearly went to sleep, It crept into my mind that there was one day in June to come. which would surpass every other in impor- tance, and to which very many beside 'myself were looking for- ward with eagerexpectationg and slowly a vision ofhthat day and its occurrences appeared to me. - ' ae ae ae as ek It isnthe all-important morning. A hundred young people of a 'dignified and imposing demeanor are assembled in Mr. Clark's room' on the first floor of the High School building. Young gentlemen in new black suits and irreproachable neck- ties talk nervously among each other or carry on short conver- sations in a decidedly self-conscious manner with members of the feminine 'side of the house. Young ladies in soft white muslin gowns, dainty gloves and fa variety of flowers, are admir- ing each other in a high state of satisfaction. Apart from the general throng, in various attitudes of studious thoughtfulness

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And now Mr. Perry announces an essay by Miss Carrie I-Iemenger, but as the young lady speaks without paper and in exactly the same manner as the young gentlemen before her, we are set to wondering why one is an essay and the others omtfons. As Miss I-Iemenger comes forward two old ladies on the front seat are heard to wish devoutly that she may not faint or forget her part. I-Ier subject is Geometry and Greek 'versus Dan- cing and Dress as factors in education, and she takes her seat again without having either fainted or forgotten her part. After her it is announced that Mr. John I-Iosmer will deliver an oration on The ill effects of cigarette smoking upon the physical and mental constitution of youthfl It is delivered with such eloquence that every Junior there inwardly resolves never to touch a cigarette. - J And now the second young lady, Miss Emma J. McMorran, advances and, making her two little bows, harangues the audience on The ideal relations between teacher and pupil. Then again a young gentleman assumes the place of honor, this time our class poetess, Mr. J. Raleigh Nelson, and he de- livers a very touching poem on- the song 'iClS11lG11tl116,H which leaves few dry eyes in the house. ' A ' And now steps forth Mr. Charles VV. Ricketts. His subject is purely literary, The soothing properties of Moorels poem, ' The time I've lost in wooing,' when you've lost both your heart and the girl that's got it and feel most awfully blue. There are four or five young gentlemen among the graduating class who seem especially to appreciate this oration. But while the applause following this speech is atits height, I am suddenly roused from my day-dream, and I do not see the tenth poor victim come to: the altar, although I have previously ascertained that this last is one of the three who vie for tl1e honor of the feminine part of the class. I do not even see the culmination of the hopes of all those hundred youths and maid- ens, the receiving of the long-wished-for diplomas, but, instead, I find myself again surrounded by green grass, trees and flowers, and birds singing their loudest in the tree above me. Let us hope, however, that we shall all see for ourselves these glorious events on a real day in June not far oi. I