Erasmus Hall High School - Arch Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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, f. -. -. Y- -v 4'.-1 V -- ' ' Xyz Edith Nichols Putney a graduate of Smith College in the class of 1899, and a few years later a mathematics teacher at Erasmus Hall, smiled graciously and acquiesced when a small group of girls expressed their desire to have her as faculty adviser for a mathematics club which they wished to organize. Thus the XYZ Mathematics Honor Society of Erasmus Hall was founded in 1904. During the early years of its development only girls were invited to membership, for some strange reason Putney utilized her position not only to extend the students mathematical education beyond the classroom, but also for character development For office in the club, Miss Putney sought not only the girl with executive ability but also the one who needed executive experience to develop er Many years ago Mrs. Berkowsky took over the club, developed it, and shaped it into the large efficient and enjoyable service organization that exists todly At present the society consists of 125 members. The meetings are held every Friday afternoon in room 114, from whence can be heard occasional laughter and applause for the educational and often humorous lectures delivered. In addition to attending the meetings the members offer their services as tutors for many of the bewildered and perplexed mathematics students of Erasmus Hall These last would no doubt have enjoyed one of the lectures delivered to the club last year entitled The Heck with Mathematics, by Mr. Salvadori of the mathematics department at Columbia University. Among the other activities of the club are the Held trips, which never seem to wind up in fields, but rather in places like the United Nations building or the Brooklyn Academy of Music. For XYZ, Erasmus Hall High Schoo1's Math Honor Society, long life and continuing success' A t 1 ii, .lic They Lead Arista

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sam'-4 a U9 6 Ka . wiimmt rhigalllat may uw? mm Arista is an old an rom' of o saggy: the boy leader of Senior pAr orm2 e traw m1 ion ceremony in the chapel. In fact, i Staggqogwgas . e in 1910, and was presided over by Dr. Walteahguxmtt en principal of Erasmus Hall. Ours was the first Aris?h1Q ea vyas soon adopted by other high schools throu hout the city. imiiecl t ghmium of four per cent of our s s enrollmeng A ' Q L of ne itfpkgfes careful selection of its d i ers. It is t fsmri?1'?g that t e students so elected r i eir mem rs r' a coxfeied honor, and wear their buff lue Arista i it 1 ri e. B It would be cliscour Eiiggiggehat of all our students, onl tgifgwtltgiou i M sc olastic and service achiev- ments. wie of Arismlgeblif pe n to fosterp su h conception. Rather it has bee t ainpugn a s and to honor tlHm ts who come nearest to attainirgghem. Arista's purpose t s t clear goals which may serve X as a beacon for any student who loo t it as a guide. , bww' me . BBT ,ff zur-tfmw igtmtwal' . ll

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K1 Qy' papyrus Cash prizes CSS, 553, SZD for excellence in Regents' examinations in Ele- mentary Algebra and Plane Geometryn was an offer made in the January 1932 issue of XYZls Papyrus. The publication which we now know as a magazine with a glossy cover, photographs, and pages numbered with Mayan numerals, was then a six-page, coarse paper booklet, opening like an accordion. It came out twice a term. Papyrus editors were fond of quoting Lewis Carroll, especially his quip about arithmetic, The branches of arithmetic are Ambition, Distraction, Ugli- fication, and Derisionf' The column 'iOdds and Evensn offered frequent proof that Erasmians havenlt changed much over the years. 1tems include, There are several theorems to which the author generously states, 'The proof is left to the student' One pupil wrote in his homework, 'The proof is left to the teacherf A 1933 issue relates that Miss L., in teaching a geometry class, demon- strated that even when one draws a circle free-hand there is a fixed point fthe elbowl, and a radius Cthe armD. When she asked, on the next test, 'What are the essentials of a circle? the answer she received was 'Kan elbow and an armf, Masthead of the December, 1934 issue lists for the hrst time Mrs. Ruth L. Berkowsky, faculty adviser. An article suggests that math be taught by mass hypnosis, resulting in higher marks. lt would also enable students to catch up on lost slecpfl X s