Kendallville High School - Kay Aitch Ess Yearbook (Kendallville, IN)

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ours except that it was called lyceum. Here an- nouncements were read, programs presented and spelling-bees conducted. It was in this assembly hall that Our School Colors were selected and the custom of class ring selection originated. The first High School Faculty was composed of only four teachers: now there are twenty. Once the three R's was the only course of studyg now the sub- jects offered have increased into a complex cur- riculum. While the first graduating class had only eight members and the smallest only two, this year's class will have seventy-eight members, the largest in the School's History. the gegenh nf the QEri HERE did Our School Colors, Crimson and Gold. come from? 'Twas a puzzling question to solve. ifor those brilliant hues held sway before the coming of any of the present Faculty. These colors have always been the same although teams and classes select new ones yearly. Even before the erection of the present High School building and the building before it, those colors were dominant. In seeking an answer, many townsfolk were quizzed in vain. Old records were searched fruit- lessly for a clue to the solution. Finally inquiries were sent to a number of Old Graduates of our Alma. Mater. At last some clues, one a valuable lead, were successfully traced. revealing a fascinat- ing legend. September. with its fall semester of school had just begun in the Old Central building 'way back in that exciting year of 1898. when Superintendent D. A. Lambright made the startling announcement to the High School that each of the four classes, was to select colors for itself? This was an innova- tion for never before had such a thing been done! During the next few days the students eagerly presented color combinations to their Class Chair- men rClass Officers were not yet in existence! School spirit rose to great heights and rivalry be- tween classes for the most distinctive colors. be- came the order of the day. A particularly enthusiastic seeker was Donald Campbell, a Sophomore. who was imbued with a keen interest in the selection of School Colors. VVhile visiting his neighbor, Miss Eva Gilbert, he was attracted by a beautiful college pillow which she brought from Oberlin, where she had spent her Freshman year. This cushion, sheathed in shimmering satin cloth of Crimson and Gold. was eighteen inches With new buildings erected, the third floor is deserted. Dead silence. broken only by the rattle of a loose window pane or the creak of the warped floor, grips this dead place with its tenacious hold. The stagnant air is choking to all intruders. Piled desks and stacks of discarded books covered with dust are the only occupants. Yet evidence of a lively bunch of school folk having occupied those rooms. is still present, The doors, sills, floors, desks and even the blackboards are engraved in- delibily with initials and names of early students, reminiscent of the joys of the past school days. fl lt. mann cmh the Qliulh square. Across each side, a black stripe, with the name Oberlin on it. reached diagonally. separating the two hues. So delighted was Donald with the pillow that he gained permission to bring it to his class chairman. that its colors might be voted upon. This glisten- ing object, laid among the other examples of colors for exhibition, out shone them all, with its velvety texture. and won favorable comment from every- one. VVhen the decision was made Oberlin's Crim- son and Gold were victoriously inaugurated as the Sophomores' hues. But the Fates were contrary that day. for when all the Classes gathered to select oflicial colors for the entire school, the Freshmen. Juniors. and Sen- iors disregarded the decision of their fellow class- mates. the Sophomores. They too had seen the attractive pillow and foresaw that those hues with their lustrous sheen could become distinctive symbols of Our School. Thus. with a tremendous show of hands in its favor. Crimson and Gold easily vanquished all other contenders. Immediately. the bellow of protest. arising from the Sophomores' section of the Assembly. clearly demonstrated their sentiments. but as argument was useless they at last relinquished their claim and chose Blue and Gold for themselves. leaving Crimson and Gold permanently as the colors of Kendallville High School. Since then Crimson and Gold have stood with- out a rival, symbolical of the highest type of school spirit. Classes have passed on, the faculty has changed. the High School building itself has been twice removed, even a new century has been ushered in since that memorable day. Yet Crim- son and Gold remain-reminders of Old Honor and Pride to be sustained untarnished. +John Runden. May what we do help mount you higher On your own ladder of fame. May the cherished Gold and Crimson Ne'er by strife be torn in twain May your fair name be untarnished May your honor never fall, May the words ring out forever You're the grandest school of all. iiClass pins we1'e also selected at that time by each class. -Enid Haller. Page 19 4

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LITERARY THE HORRORS OF GEOMETRY ' ' ' ' When one reachf I es that tender age 'gi ll of thirteen, and is 'lf ' fast approaching high school eligibility, disturbing thoughts come crowding in oneis mind which increase alarmingly as one draws nearer to a much debated and feared subject. The subject? One little word will explain -Geometry. Probably our parents are the first victims of a rigid crossfquestioning which occurs at this point in our history. i'Say. Pop, did you ever take geometry when you went to high school? I guess I did! Plane and solid both! Well, do you have to take solid, Pop? lwlaybc I could manage just plane geometry, but when it comes to solid-that sounds too deep for me. Was it too solid for you to get, Pop? Then Pop has to explain at great length the correct meanings of plane and solid, incident' ally leaving one feeling a little more confused and worried than before. How about you, lVIom7 Was geometry hard for you? Well, son, yes and no. 'Course I was always pretty smart in mathematics-got better grades than your Pa, most of the time. But even at that, I didn't make much more than B's in geometry. And I know one thing-it never helped me cut a pic in equal pieces yet, but I guess your Pa doesnt mind as long as he figures he's getting the biggest triangle. Say, that reminds me-we had to find the value of pi in geometry once--thats a Greek himeroglyphic, son. Lemuel, here, says he still thinks my cocoanut custard pie has more value than fifty Greek nhimeroglyphics! Well, it seems the folks aren't much help along this line. Better try beloved cousin, Marjorie- she's used her compass and ruler more recently. Her reply, as to the difhculty of geometry is, h'Oh, I think geometry's sort of easy, after you catch on to it. 'Course you gotta' study and learn your theorems. Qlviore new words!j Vkfell! That's encouraging! And so we plunge into geometry with intermingled hopes and fears. Somehow, one gets through the first monthly test with a passing grade of 76, CAt least it fsnit failurej About this time, when one is priding himself on pulling through so well, some advanced geometry student comes tripping along with the heartening words, Well, if you think you're work- ing now, just wait till you take Geometry II! Wait till you have to learn the theorem of Pythagoray and Hero's Formula! Then you will have some' thing to worry about! One struggles along then, with the aid of the everfpatient math teachers, and finds, ultimately that geometry days are nearing the last check'up -and incidentally, doesn't one feel victorious at this point? No more need we travel in circles to the tune of these real horrors of geometry -the bugabooers-who paint the subject in satanic colors and place in each rectangle or parallelogram a grinning devilish face which challenges- get me if you can -betcha two bits I'm best man! -Ellen Arehart. FORSAKEN? You mean the old grave yard on the hill? questioned one. Yes, the other replied, The Godfforsaken old place could be plowed under and put to some use. Oh! They were very blind indeed. If only they would stop and think, they could see that they were very much mistaken. God had not forgotten the old place. In fact, it was very much the opposite. Where man had long since forgotten its existance, God had rememf bered it. This was evident in the many beauties He had created there. The leafy foliage of the ivy vine mantled the crumbling stones, marred by the ravages of age. The mounds were covered with tunics of green. Even the leaves of the stately pine and oak rustling together in the breeze whisf pered, iiREH16H1bE1 Rememberf' The birch deli' eately caressed the stones with her slender fingers as if to defend them from the clutches of time. Despite the years, the spirits of days gone by were ever precent. The gallant cavaliers of olden days were portrayed in the cockey plumes of the thistle blossom. The dainty wild roses blushed like timid maidens as their thistle admirers doffed their gorgeous hats, asking for the pleasure of their company. The wild lillie's skirts swayed in a cor- rectly timed minuet to the music of the crickets in their grassy orchestra pits. The shy daisies stood in groups watching the dancers. They enjoyed themselves in each others company. The little flecks of golden rod dust entangled in sun beams flooded this romanitic scene of the past. Should not all this splendor fill us with the same joy, love, and triumphs as it did the men of old? Let not men, aflame with the spirit of the present wipe out entirely the beautiful memory of the spirit of the used to be! -Pauline Dieterle. Page 20