Clifton High School - Rotunda Yearbook (Clifton, NJ)

Page 11 text:

T H E R E F L E C T O R are simply wasted. Few hear what cheer is to be given, naturally few respond. What we need is organization! What we ought to do is get together, open our mouths, and announce to the wide, wide world that we come from Clifton High and are proud of it! Let's get organized, let,s get out behind our teams-and Yell! A Depression HE world has, in the last few months, overworked the word depres- siong nevertheless, I am going to write about it again today. Have you ever stopped to think of the occasional depression we have in our school? I think it is especially noticeable on Mondays. Friday afternoons we go home from school with all our books packed under our arms and the very best intentions of doing our homework. That evening we usually think, There's no use doing homework tonight. I've two more days to do it in. Saturday morning we sleep late, and after lunch there are usually some friends to visit or a football game to see. Saturday night we sit down with our books. Then the telephone rings and some friends asks, Bob for Bill, or Maryj , there is a dandy picture at the theater down town. There's a crowd going. W'on't you come, too? We grab our hats and meet our friends. Our homework is still undone. Sunday morning, if we get up early enough, we go to church. In the afternoon we go for a walk or a ride, because the weather is so fine. Sunday night, friends of the family drop in for a visit. We could not be so impolite as to ask to be excused to do our homework Cwe might miss somethingj. That night we go to bed with our books still unopened. Monday is the day of depression. In our Hrst period, English Class, We receive a zero for not being able to recite Qhow can we recite if we have not looked at the lesson?D . Next period is our history class. We remember a little of the lesson from Friday, and we rate a fifty for the day. Third period comes gym. We forget our troubles of the day and enjoy that period. Fourth period is lunch-there is no depression there. Fifth period is algebra and, of course, the teacher calls on us to put the first example on the board fit has never been known to be any differentj . We have to explain, with some embarrassment, that we have not worked out the problem. There is no need to explain what that means. Sixth period in French class we cannot take the vocabulary test or conjugate the verbs. More depression. Seventh period, our study class, is the period when we think of all the zeros and poor marks we got during the day. They are going to cause a depression in our weekly average. We then decide for should decidej to do our assigned work and help do away with depression in C. H. S. Seven

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THE REFLECTOR Suddenly, and almost without warning, a storm arises, waves begin to lash the deck, sailors are scurrying here and there. The ship sways with the wind and is tossed furiously about. Night comes on, and the storm increases in fury. The command from the bridge, Throw the cargo overboard,', is heard above the roar of thunder. This done, the crew seeks means of saving the ship, but to no avail. The lights go out, and the engines cease to function. The command is again heard, To the boats, men. And amid the raging of the storm the ship is abandoned and becomes a derelict. A derelict at sea-what a picture of hopelessness and despair. A young man, or a young' woman, for that matter, leaves the parental roof in search of success. The day is bright with hope, and as he bids a fond farewell there seems to be nothing to prevent his reaching his desired goal. But the storms of life overtake him and, away from home influence, the young man loses his way. Evil companions entice him to forsake the narrow path. Suddenly, he finds himself abandoned by respectable people. He becomes a human derelict, an outcast from society. In our great cities, there are hundreds of such men, and women, too. Have you ever looked into the faces of a gathering of human dere- licts? If you have, a wave of pity has swept into your soul and tears have filled your eyes. Their faces are ashen, their clothing torn, they are without home or food or friends. They started out, like the ship, with every hope of reaching the port. But a storm arose-a storm so furious, so overwhelming, that only the shell itself remains. A derelict on the sea of life! H ow About It? T seems to me that one of the most regrettable features of the athletic contests in which our school participates is the lack of organized cheering. And oneis regret in pondering this matter is only aggra- vated by thinking of the splendid response that the cheer-leaders always elicit in assembly. When we have a roof over our heads and uninspiring walls around us, we exhibit mighty lung power. But when our teams are out on the field fighting for us, we utter half-hearted yelps or simply maintain an aloof silence. You can't place the blame for this shortcoming of ours on the shoul- ders of the cheerleaders, they certainly rasp their throats and rack their limbs in their attempt to make it loudlv Neither can you say that this peculiar fault is due to our lack of interest in athletics, we certainly get out behind our teams as far as attendance is concerned. But perhaps you can locate the cause of this lack of noise by looking around you at the next game you attend. Don't be surprised to see Clifton rooters perched in little isolated cliques-some here, some there, and some repos- ing peacefully among the enemy,s ranks. That's where the trouble begins! For, when the cheerleaders race out to lead us in a peppy yell, their efforts Six

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THE REFLECTOR Crowns ROM time immemorial, the crown has been an emblem of authority and of attainment. In all ages, it has represented the height of power, the goal of achievement. Let no one take thy crown is an admoni- tion heard since childhood. And while it usually has fallen rather lightly from the lips of the speaker upon ears that listened somewhat inatten- tively, fascinated merely by the sound of the words themselves, it deserves a far greater depth of thought. There are many crowns in a lifetime for which all should earnestly strive if one would lead a worthwhile existence. The crown of health. How often do we trample beneath our feet this diadem and make little or no effort to obtain it, or, having obtained it, to keep it. Exuberant physical and mental health is indeed priceless. The sacrifices and deprivations necessary to maintain a healthy mind and body are well worth the effort. The crown of health! How it glitters on the brow of the wearer. And how much more can be accomplished with it than without it. The crown of character. This is the most precious of all possessions. When lost, it is well-nigh impossible to regain it. Therefore, it is impor- tant to begin early in life to develop a character of which all can be proud. Cultivation of a desire to possess a good character is the first requirement. With that seed planted in the breast, great progress has already been made. In the age of improvement in methods and development of the mod- ern machine, we sometimes get the idea that newer methods in character- building should also be developed. Strange as it may seem, such is not the case, for the same spiritual and natural laws remain in force as when the world began, and the young man or woman of today would do well to remember that Nature still exacts her toll from him who disobeys her laws and that God still rules the Universe and demands of men obedience to his mandates under penalty of serious consequences. The crown of character can be won only by constant effort, but it is a crown of pure gold. The crown of success, that crown which all seek and which so few obtain. While environment, selection of companions and friends, and other things play a large part, success in life depends for the most part upon one,s self. If one of these things is hampering your progress to- ward the goal of success, try to eliminate the obstacles. Remember that you have a right to yourself, to do with yourself what you feel sure is right. You are the captain of your ship, and it is you who are respon- sible for the result when life is finished. Others may help you win the race, but when decisions are to be made, when battles are to be fought, it is you and you alone who must stand the test. Eight