Batavia High School - Batavian Yearbook (Batavia, NY)

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THE BATAVIAN-NINETEEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR x if I 25 .

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THE BATAVIAN-NINETEEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY'F0UR V STANDING-K. MacLean, Albrigfil, Wight, Weber, Burlciglz, lVi11tc1'.v. SEATED-lfVz1Ikc1', Comfort, Short, Sclincfkmzburgvlq D. Darrlz, Garlough, Darncll. ON FLOOR-BI'00kS, Gordon, Kiblvc, Kearney. Uhr Stuilvni-Zllairnlig Glnunril Merle M. Schneckenburger President Dorothy G. Darch Vlff-P7'US'idU7If Miss Marian Short Secretary Herbert T. Comfort T7'6fl51t7'6l' The Student-Faculty Council is the governing body of all students' activities. It consists of the principal, two faculty representatives, elected by the Athletic Association, the coaches, two members of the Senior class, two from the junior class, and one from each of the two lower classes, the managers of the teams, and the president of the Athletic Association. This council was organized in the Fall of 1925 to take the place of the former Student Council, and the Athletic Advisory Board. Although the Student-Faculty Council has not tried to bring about such a radical change as the last year's council attempted, nevertheless, it has worked hard on routine matters of school government. As the Batavian goes to press the council is engaged on the most important task of the year, that of adopting a constitution by which student activities will be governed for years to come. 24 '

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THE BATAVIAN-NINETEEN -I'IUNDRED AND TWENTY'F0UR p 61112 New itigh Svrhuul ' As early as 1915 the need for a new building for the students of Batavla be' came apparent. The old building was, even then, recognized to be antiquated and overcrowded. In September of the following year an appropriation of S2O0,0Q0 was authorized by the voters of the district, but when the bids were olmned' m I une, 1917, it was found that war conditions had so increased the cost of build- ing that another S100,000 was needed. I , Because of the war and the greatly increased prices following it, interest in the proposed new building subsided, and it was not until the Fall of 1922 that Peb- lic opinion again demanded that the question once more be given serious conSid- eration. In September of that year the normal attendance of the school was .in- creased by the registration of one hundred additional students, and a building which had long been recognized as being overcrowded was now simply choked with students. In November a delegation from the Students' Council, headed by Clifton Bradley, appeared before the Board of Education and requested that steps be taken to relieve the serious situation. The Board promptly met this request by taking -up the matter with the State Department of Education at Albany. The Department representative declared the old building to be absolutely unfit for school purposes and urged that immediate plans be laid for securing a suitable, modern building. For the next three months the most important local question was whether the construction of the new school would be authorized. A vigorous campaign was conducted by the supporters of the project, a publicity committee was formed. delegations visited the old building, and finally, on April 6th, 1922, an appropria- tion of S450,000 was voted. Few of the students, then in attendance, will forget that memorable Thurs- day, the celebration after the victory was announced, or the Assembly called on the following morning. It was a happy group that gathered about seven o'clock on the morning of july 3rd, when Mrs. VValker, President of the Board of Education, broke the first sod, which marked the beginning of the construction. From that time on the progress of the work was watched with keen interest and expectation by pupils, teachers and townspeople. The erection of the first steel support, the pouring of the first section of the concrete floor, the laying of the first brick, all stand out vividly as landmarks marking the progress of the building. The laying of the cornerstone by Mrs. Wallcer on April 22, 1923, was an- other happy event. Stirring addresses by Superintendent Ladd and Webber Young, President of the Senior Class, marked the occasion. In the Fall of 1923 furniture and equipment were purchased, and Mr. Tom- linson, Chairman of the Building Committee, prophesied that the building would be occupied immediately after the Christmas vacation. However, the final fin- ishing touches lagged, and it was not until February that the long deferred dreams of the pupils were realized. 26