East High School - Beacon Yearbook (Knoxville, TN)

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feauou Margie Simmons Wanda Taylor Wendell Smith Sally Sobolevvslcl David Sumner Phyllis Sutherland Sylvia Svvaggerty Gerald Swann Charles Tarter Martha Wxlke V ax Qyl .,l-,Jil , A 5 XZJJ, P-ruce Teasley Judy Thornton Mark Truan Gay Valentine N.f V i , 35 ' 'Q A -'Hd I 47 It Ny 1 l L N'

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Sauhu 7048 240-Eu! Educ Ours is the first senior class to be l00 per cent East High. Some of us entered East four years ago as freshmen, while others entered a year later as sopho- mores. The three classes preceding us included many who had a foretaste of Knoxville High with its fine traditions and its national prestige. We have a feeling that many of them were plagued with mixed feelings for KHS and EHS. Not so with the class of 1955. After months of anticipation we started out on a new venture in September T951-brand-new students in o brand-new school. Totally without tradition and prestige, we fac- ed the necessity of building our own. Our new building held out an attraction for many visitors, and the new furniture and equipment made us aware of the pains being taken for our education. From the very start we forged far ahead in athletics and began to establish an abiding patriotism and a spirit of good sportsmanship. An early open house brought hundreds of our parents and other visitors to the new school, making our entire community conscious of the presence of East High in our midst. Event followed event in our audi- torium and in the gym to make the school a part of the community. The Student Council became active, attracting some of the finest leadership in school and earning the confidence of us all. The Blue and Gray emerged as an attractive and informative school paper and became self-supporting. Staffed by the National Honor Society, the Beacon was delivered to 585 students and teachers early in May. The Glee Club and the Choir material- ized into excellence, and so did the Band. Many clubs and school service organizations came into being to make East High a going institution. ln April a committee for the Southern Association evaluated our school, call- ing some of us freshmen into confidential conferences .. ...- During our sophomore year we learned to take de- feat in athletics with a smile and to support our teams, win or lose. News got around that we students were developing a school spirit and were rapidly discarding our foibles. Our iunior year was marked by that same kind of progress. Discipline ceased to be much of a problem for our teachers, and we could sense a feeling of suc- cess throughout the school. We formed several new clubs and made them successful. Students and patrons poured almost 540,000 into our various organizations and activities. East was growing up, and we were grow- ing up with it. This year brought an unexpected enrollment of 763, calling for an additional teacher. Ours is much the largest class yet to graduate, numbering l75 at the time we go to press. Of the l75 seniors, 35 are in the choir, I7 serve on the Student Council, 20 engage in the various sports, 4 work in the D.E. Store, 9 are in the Band, 3 work in the Bank, 4 work in the office, 90 par- ticipate in dramatics, 25 are National Thespians, 22 staff the Blue and Gray, 25 are on the Beacon staff, 76 take the school paper, and T73 subscribed for the annual. Many have demonstrated superior talents in music, art, dramatics, and public speaking. Our class has received its full share of awards and honors. We hear favorable comments on East from all sides, and we have every right to feel a keen sense of pride in our school. ln four years we have helped to establish en- viable traditions and in many ways to build a better school. The Spirit of East High holds sway in every senior's heart, and we shall pass it on to those who follow in the years to come. '