Berkeley High School - Olla Podrida Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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OLLA PODRIDA Glee Club The Glee Club, as reorganized last term after an interval of a year, under the leadership of IMiss Victorine Hartley, di- rector of music in the Berkeley schools, will continue its work this year. There were at first only twenty-three or twenty-four mem- bers, but when strains of music were heard by some other stu- dents musically inclined, coming from the Assembly Hall dur- ing the fifth period, the call was too strong to resist, and the membership grew until after elimination and balancing the parts there were thirty voices to carry on the good work. On December 10th a concert was given in the Auditorium, which, considering the length of time the club had sung to- gether, was a decided success. There was a very good audi- ence, even though it was a cold, rainy night. However, this year we are organized fifty thousand strong and intend to do good work- — work that will not only be a pleasure and excel- lent training to the members, but will also prove very enjoy- able to the listener. e already have songs well worth listening to in our reper- toire — songs to B. H. S., southern melodies, national hymns, comic encores, etc. — and we intend to enlarge our collection. There has been some talk of a tour of the central part of the State during the spring vacation. If this is realized, there i;: a lot of work to be done in connection with it. There is an excellent opportunity for those who are. or are not, deep in athletics to come out with their voices and join us. A e shall need more men, and as there is some new material in the school at this time we hope to welcome some of the new voices into the club. In view of the fact that there are so many activities with the student is called on to support, we intend to give concerts that will be free to the student body. 22

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OLLA PODRIDA The Greek Club The Greek Club was organized on the twenty-first of Sep- tember, 1908, by Miss Clayes of the classical department. The principal object of the organization was to call back to life the rapidly waning interest in classical subjects, but as this was not the only object, I will here recount a few facts from its history. Immediately after its organization the members of the club began work on the production of a dramatization from the first, second and third books of Homer ' s Iliad, to be staged in Jan- uary of the following term. The first public undertaking of the Greek Club was in September, 1908, when Professor Edward Bull Clapp, head of the Greek department of the University of California very kindly consented to deliver a stereopticon lec- ture under the auspices of the club. Professor Clapp spoke on his recent travels in Greece, and greatl interested his audi- ence. During the rest of the fall term of 1908, and during every term since then, we have been favored with lec- tures by various members of the University faculty. We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to Professors Clapp, Allen, AVashburn, Linforth and Richardson, all of the University classical department, who have entertained us on various occa- sions with very interesting lectures. On January 29tli the club produced the scenes from Homer, wdiich we mentioned above, with great success. During the tall term of 1910 the club members made a trip to the Affili- ated Colleges in San Francisco, where Dr. Washburn explained the archaeological collection in the museum there. The club had enjoyed several visits to the museum in Berkeley, where the collections were explained by University men. In No- vember, 1910, the club entertained the graduating class at an uiformal reception and produced a dialogue from Homer. We look forward to a third production of the sort this term. 21

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OLLA PODRIDA The Band The band is looking forward to another such successful season of musical activity this term as has been its fortune to enjoy in the past. Thus far the band has progressed rap- idly and steadily, although at times suffering losses in its mem- bership which would have put older organizations of like nature down and out. But the B. H. S. never-say-die spirit which pervades the school did not forsake the old guard members of the band, and they have still kept things going in spite of all difficulties. A great amount of work is ahead of the band this year. According to present plans, the band, with the contemplated High School Show, is to be one of the attractions of the Native Sons Celebration, which will be held during the latter part of May. This engagement is but one on the long list of rallies, games ' and meets at which the band is scheduled to play. To fill this schedule creditably will require constant rehearsing. At the outset this term the band is crippled in the cornet and bass divisions, and new material will have to be trained for these sections. There are many boys here who could learn to fill these and other positions, but who stay away — in fact, there are even good cornetists in school now who plead off on one excuse and another when asked to aid the band. The stu- dents at large can, by using their influence, help the band in such cases and thereby increase its useful membership. Another situation in the band problem is the fact that the high school musician of today soon becomes the graduate of tomorrow. Gaps are made in the ranks every term, and unless the lower classes furnish more material than they have, Ber- keley High is going to be looking for a band that is not. Think this over, all of you, especially the first and second year men, and then those who can, come around to our meetings with instruments and help in person, leaving those who remain, to provide the encouragement and do the boosting which is so pecessary for the life of the organization. 23