Central High School - Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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tion of a Iunior. With our class a trifle smaller than a year ago, the result of the departure of some into the wide world and the failure of some in their studies, we awaited the time when we should enter into our third year of learning and become an organized class. THE IUNIOR YEAR E DID not have long to wait to become upper classmen, for within a week we returned to commence our last two years of study as stately Iuniors. The first important event we looked forward to was the organization of our class. After a fiercely contended election, we selected the following to serve in ofiice for the first year of our existence: Pre.fia'en!.. . . ............ MAX Weiss Vice-Prexideni ........ ELKIN KREITZER S6CfEfdflll. ..,........... SANDER SACKS T renwnrer. ....... MATTHEW WEINSTEIN The class then elected for its adviser, the ever popular Professor William M. Disharoon, to guide us through the many difficulties encountered on the road to graduation. We were now fully organized under the name of the One Hundred and Fifty- seventh Class, and immediately began to function as a class properly should. President Weiss soon appointed the following chairmen for the various com- mittees: Execuffve .... ........... M AX XVEISS Finance. . . .... MATTHEW WEINSTEIN Ring. .... ....... H ERBERT FELD Benqfl .... .... P HILIP KATZ D Paper. ........... IRWIN PiEFsKY The first committee to bring results was our Class Paper, the UD -Tour, edited by Irwin Piefsky, which imme- diately made its debut and continued with unabated success for the rest of the term. The Ring Committee went to work and soon announced that orders would be taken for the class rings, immediately there was a general charge of Iuniors to the school store to measure their fingers. Within a few weeks, the finished product arrived and another rush was made to obtain the rings, and soon we were proudly sporting our shining finger ornaments. Sad to relate, our first benefit, Let Us Be Gay , proved unsuccessful, the class failing to be gay and to support the show. But it was only our first effort at such an occasion, the difference being shown the next term when we made a great success of our benefit. Another unfortunate event funfortu- nate only in its result? was the annual Iunior Day, that great day for third year men, when the Low Iuniors partici- pate against the High Iuniors, in a var- ied sports program. It was a day of high running emotions, what with the oppos- ing factions attempting to commence activities in school instead of waiting for the struggle on the athletic field, The first event was a basketball game, played on the gym floor, which we finally lost after leading in the first half. On the fol- lowing day at Houston Field, with both classes out in full regalia sporting the Iunior Day caps, we continued the strug- gle. We trounced the 156th men in the track and field events but lost a hard-fought baseball fracas which en- abled our opponents to defeat us. Let us unwillingly turn our faces from the out- come of that scene. It was in this term that the amplifiers in the Auditorium were secured by the Student Council, together with a radio and phonograph. We then departed for the summer, with the hope of accomplishing more things in our High Iunior days. In C , our latter term, we returned ...QI QQ Ip..

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publications with the Barnwell Honor Roll spurring us on to success in our studies. Truly, we were rapidly becom- ing an important part of the school's life. The Houston Field Drive, a campaign for securing the improvements of our athletic field, was brought to a success- ful close about this time. Our field, with its ineffective fence, poor track, and de- cayed clubhouse, was soon repaired and made ready for a remarkable event which was to occur later. In our later term all other proceedings were overshadowed by the occurrence of a truly great event,-the winning of the football championship for the first time in nine years. Our squad of gridders, de- prived of the title the year previous by unfortunate circumstances, were out to win this term and after a sensational season captured the championship in brilliant fashion. Under the masterful coaching of Bert Barron and their bril- liant captain, Merrill Morrison, the team, after losing the opening game to Southern, rose to great heights to defeat all remaining opponents and finally gain undisputed possession of the league's leadership. On the same day that the Whitaker Trophy was awarded to Central for sportsmanship, the school followed the team out to see Southern defeat our boys in the opening game. After being led, 20-0 in the first half, the team hit its stride in the last half, scoring thirteen points, which, however, was not suffi- cient to bring victory. Iudging by the outcome of the rest of the games played that season, that first setback must have stimulated our boys to greater efforts, for all our remaining opponents fell by the wayside. Overbrook, Germantown and Frankford were bowled over in rapid suc- cession by hearty scores. Our old jinx, Vffest Philly, who had snatched away the title from us last year, yielded this time under the Crimson Tide, which was now sweeping aside all opposition. Simon Gratz, reckoned the strongest outfit in the league, was next to be taken over after a spirited battle in which our new spread formation was featured. This vic- tory served to put Gratz out of the run- ning, leaving but Central and Northeast in the championship picture, with the title to be decided in the meeting be- tween these two schools in the final game of the season. Then that final championship game! Before a record-breaking crowd of 15,000 thrilled Central and Northeast supporters, as also students from every school in the city, Bert's Bad Boys won a fierce fought battle over the hard-fight- ing Northeasters by the score of 20-7, with Morrison and the rest of the team playing the game of their lives. It was a tingling and joyous event which will be long remembered by every loyal son of Central. Although only in the Sopho- more Class, we had an able representa- tive in the person of Al Ochroch, scin- tillating end, who was later to figure so prominently in the school's activities. The championship spirit lasted for months with the alumni doing their share in the celebration with speeches, a banquet, the presentation of the Dutch Company Trophy and our official school flag as manifestations of their gratitude. In the midst of the joyous celebra- tion, death again hovered over our pres- ence, this time removing Professor Dan- iel W. Uberly, of the Art Department, who was greatly missed by the students and the faculty alike The Dramatic Club's presentations this year were She Stoops to Conquer and Take My Advice , two outstand- ing successes. After all these memorable experiences, we were ready to drop our Sophomore mannerisms and assume the stately posi- ..,II 21

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to find an entirely different system in progress-the new promotion by subject system, which completely revolutionized the antiquated promotion by grade plan. Books replaced sections , each stu- dent was given a separate roster, class spirit was split in twain, chorus was made a regular subject, study periods came into vogue in large quantities on everyone's roster. But the biggest change of all was the introduction of the Welfare CFarewelD Committee, headed by Professor Kaplan, and taking the place of Uncle Joe and his Black Book. VVe wondered how the system could possibly succeed, but within a short while, everything was running smoothly and everybody seemed satisfied. How- ever, the new system brought one great advantage. It enabled us to acquaint ourselves with more students than we could under the old plan. New friend- ships sprang up as the result of the ming- ling of different courses in the same classroom, and we were offered a broader view of things in general. More interesting events awaited us in this term. Our first social venture, the B-C Hop, proved an outstanding success. Shechtman, of our class, together with Kaplin of the 156th, helped to put it over at the Majestic Hotel. Cherry, in care of the Ad-Booki' for our class, helped to procure extra funds through this medium. The more ambitious of us were already casting their eyes at future high posi- tions. Several would-be editors-in-chief were working for the .llirror and Cen- fralfzer while our future presidents of the Student Council and Tribunal were mak- ing themselves noticed. Kreitzer was already an officer of the Council, being the Treasurer of that governing body, while Prasow was a high member of the Tribunal. It was in this term that our second consecutive football championship was won. Although the occasion was not as spectacular as the previous year, there were many thrills and hard-fought bat- tles before the title was clinched. Our team won five league games and under- went an undefeated season, although being held on two occasions to ties. Frankford and West Philly, who fell be- fore us in the year before, were the two who did the trick. The other five oppo- nents gave way readily. The Southern jinx was broken this season when our boys overwhelmed them in the opening game. Finally, after a close, hard-fought campaign, the championship was decided in similar fashion as the previous year when we defeated Northeast in the final fracas, score, 6e0. No one individual shone on the team, for the eleven per- formed as a unit, excelling as a whole. Ochroch, All-Scholastic back, Ardito, who scored the championship touch- down, and Pertnoy, stellar center, were worthy representatives of our class. Ochroch was elected captain of the 1951 football team. Our benefit went over big this term, the committee choosing the successful show, Strictly Dishonorableu, which was enjoying a long run in the city. Needless to say, the fellows did not prove to be strictly dishonorable this time, for they gave whole-hearted support and our treasury grew larger as the result. The Dramatic Club this year put forth HA Pair of Sixesu and Dulcy , Matt Wleinstein, of our class, playing a prominent role in each presentation. The Albert H. Smyth Literature Prize and Phi Beta Kappa Association Prize were both won by Nelson Podolnick. Thus did our third year draw to a close, leaving behind fond memories of --QI Q3 Ir--