Clifton Springs High School - Cliftonian Yearbook (Clifton Springs, NY)

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10 THE CLIFTONIAN Thoughts On Life At the beginning of our lives, we are given, whether we will or no, blocks of pure white marble. On this marble, we must chisel, day in and day out— every moment of our lives. We have nothing to say concerning this. But we have something to say as to what we carve. We can make our blocks into rudely-shaped, distorted, marred nothings if we like, or we can shape them into beautiful, artistic, pure-white images. Realizing that we must carve upon our blocks unceasingly, we are determined to make of them things of beauty, which shall be a joy to those about us. Marjorie Roth ’30. Glory The crumbling tombstone and the gorgeous mausoleum, the sculptured marble and the venerable cathedral, all bear witness to the instinctive desire within us to be remembered by coming generations. But how short-lived is the immortality which the works of our hands can confer! The noblest monuments of art that the world has ever seen are covered with the soil of twenty centuries. The works of the age of Pericles lie at the foot of the Acropolis in indiscriminate ruin. The plowshare turns up the marble which the hand of Phidias had chiseled into beauty, and the Mussulman has folded his flock beneath the falling columns of the temple of Minerva. Neither sculptured marble, nor stately column, can reveal to other ages the lineaments of the spirit, and these alone can embalm our memory in the hearts of a grateful posterity. As the stranger stands beneath the dome of St. Paul’s, or treads, with religious awe, the silent aisle of Westminster Abbey, the sentiment which is breathed from every object about him is the utter emptiness of sublunary glory. The fine arts, obedient to private affection or public gratitude, have here embodied, in every form, the finest conceptions of which their age was capable. Each one of these monuments has been watered by the tears of the widow—the orphan—the patriot. But generations have passed away, and mourners and mourned have sunk together into forgetfulness. Someone duly impressed, as now he hurries you through aisles and chapel, utters with measured cadences and unmeaning tone, for the thousandth time, the name and lineage of the once honored dead; and then gladly dismisses you, to repeat again his well-conned lesson to another group of idle passers-by. Such, in its most august form, is all the immortality that matter can confer. It is by what we, ourselves, have done, and not by what others have done for us, that we shall be remembered by after ages. It is thought that arouses intellect from its slumbers, which has “given lustre to virtue, and dignity to truth” or by those examples which inflame the soul with love of goodness, and not by means of sculptured marble, that we revere Shakespeare and his kind. Alice E. Wiemer ’30. ZEZXZ3Z Big Events PRIZE SPEAKING CONTEST:— On March 7th, we gave vent to our rhetorical talents, the occasion being the Annual Prize Speaking Contest. This memorable event took place in the Sanitarium gymnasium, and in spite of the fact that one arrived on the scene late and several were overcome with “stage fright,” it went off very well. Those who took part were Dorothy Cornell, Olive Griffiths, Alice Wiemer, Elva Lannon. Marjorie Roth and Albert Bosshart. Albert Bosshart won the first prize and Marjorie Roth, the second. SENIOR DEBATE:— The Senior Class entertained the Parent-Teacher Association on March 14th, by debating for them a subject which is of interest to everyone—“Resolved, that installment buying has been harmful to the nation.” The affirmative side was upheld by Lillian Smith, Doris Case and Herman Mark. Although the negative side, composed

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THE CLIFTONIAN all they have contributed to our education. They have fulfilled their debt to us to the last measure, and to our Principal and teachers we extend our warmest thanks for the interest, kindness, tolerance, and labor which they have given to us unstintingly. To the Juniors we give thanks for kindness and cooperation, friendship and respect, which they have given us in a truly sportsmanlike manner. To my classmates, so kind and true, although you may not become great men and women, even though fame does not come to your door remember this: “God does not need Either man’s work, or His own gifts: who best Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best: His state Is Kingly; thousands at His bidding speed And post o’er land and ocean without rest:— They also serve who only stand and wait.” In behalf of the members of my class I again thank you all, and reluctantly bid you farewell. DORIS CASE ’29. Dedication: TO THE “OLD SCHOOL” With crash of hammer, bang and bing, My ancient timbers shake and ring; New bricks pile up before my eyes, And no one listens to my sighs. For many years my roof has spread Atove the wise and foolish head. Many classes have climbed my stairs In fours, and fives, and sometimes pairs. My days of usefulness are past, And time has conquered me at last. I willingly step out of the race, To let some new one take my place. So we dedicate this to the poor old school, Where we were taught by rote and rule— May happiness and all good cheer Be with it, and its memory dear. DORIS CASE ’29. The CLIFTONIAN THE STAFF Doris Case.......Editor-in-Chief Elva Lannon.....Associate Editor Edward Walters.....Sports Editor Robert Goodman--Business Manager Alice Cost...........Joke Editor Lillian Smith...Senior Reporter Marjorie Roth...Junior Reporter Dorothy Brown... Sophomore Reporter Nan Quigley....Freshman Reporter School Life School life is really a very serious thing. We who are now in our Senior year, and who have now been graduated, realize that school is not the circus that we thought earlier in our school career. In our first few years, we were filled with awe, and considered school about the most serious thing on earth. Oh, if some of us could only have gone on thinking that way! But, no, school became a playground for us. Little did we care for our teacher’s scoldings or advice. In the upper grades, the work became harder, but we felt it an imposition when our teacher asked us, kindly at first, then a little more imperatively, to take more work home at night. Then High School, what a lark for some of us! Everything was so entirely different from the grades. If the Freshmen could only realize what High School is really going to mean to them, they would certainly dig right in. Many of us who have finished are wishing “Oh, if I could only do it over again, what a difference there would be.” School duty is a very serious piece of work, cut out for each one of us to do. Therefore, let us, one and all, perform it to the best of our ability. Olive V. Griffiths ’29. It’s all right to begin at the bottom, except when you’re learning to swim.

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THE CLIFTONIAN 11 of Dorothy Walters, Elva Lannon and Olive Griffiths, defended their cause gallantly, they were defeated by their opponents. ORCHESTRA:— Under the leadership of Miss Virginia Golden, the High School Orchestra has attained many laurels, this year. It has added charm to almost all of the school events and we hereby extend to it our hearty congratulations. Those who are members are Doris Case, Catherine Walters, Regina Remery, Gordon Clark, Harold deGraw, Edward Walters, Wayne Cowell and Reginald Gillespie. DRAMATICS:— Although very small, having only about 85 pupils, Clifton Springs High School nevertheless participates a great deal in dramatics. Under the direction of Miss LeGrand, the English III and IV teacher, our school manages to put forth some very amusing and interesting plays and entertainments. Especially, during the past term, we are proud to say that, as a school, we have presented more plays than ever before accomplished by this school in one term. The first play to be presented was “Two Crooks and a Lady” by the English IV class. This play chiefly included the Seniors and was very helpful to us in preparation for the Senior play, “Clarence,” by Booth Tarkington, which was presented at the Palace Theatre on December 12th. The Seniors easily cleared $182.00 for their efforts in presenting the main play of the term. The Turtle Dove,” a Chinese play, was next presented in the High School auditorium by the English III class. At Thanksgiving, we enjoyed seeing “America,” in which the Sophomores performed. This drama was not only amusing but suited the occasion very admirably. At Christmas, the Freshmen very kindly presented for our benefit, “The Christmas Highwayman. Other features presented at different intervals were “The Minuet,” “Tin Soldier Drill” and “Midnight Fantasy.” Last, but not least, the Juniors concluded our drama program for the term by their presentation of “Suppressed Desires” by Susan Glaspell and “The Trysting Place” by Booth Tarkington. As a school, I feel sure, that we have not only enjoyed taking part in dramatics but that we will find our slight knowledge of drama very helpful in future years. LILLIAN SMITH ’29. THE WASHINGTON TRIP:— On March 29th, amid smiling faces and much excitement, “we,” the Seniors of ’29, assembled at the Lehigh Valley station, ready to embark on the one journey which all Seniors look forward to with the greatest anticipation—the Washington Trip. The train which was to take us finally arrived at 10:15, being only thirty minutes late. We finally found seats in the train after much rushing, scrambling, and pushing on the part of everyone as a result of all trying to get on the train at the same time. After the first big thrill of knowing that at last we were actually on our v ay, all the Seniors from their respective schools finally settled down to play cards, read books, munch candy, or walk the length of the train for exercise. At 10:30 that night, a crowd of some odd 125, much bedraggled, dirty, and sleepy young people were deposited at the door of the Annapolis Hotel in Washington. I’m sure that if we had met one of our most respectful friends at that moment he would not have recognized us as the dignified Seniors who had left Clifton Springs, that morning, full of enthusiasm. We awoke at 5:30 the next morning, which was Saturday, to find it raining. However, the weather did not seem to dampen anyone’s spirits, as all were assembled in the lobby of the hotel at least a half hour before the appointed time, anxiously waiting for the buses which were to take us to Mount Vernon. Washington’s Masonic lodge rooms, Christ Church, the National Museum, and Washington Monument were also visited that day. On March 31st, which was Easter