Leominster High School - Magnet Yearbook (Leominster, MA)

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6 THE MAGNET notes from the room editors and personal hits from everybody in. school. At least it is good practice in English, and there-are none of us who do not need that practice. Furthermore, we feel that there ought to be some good talent among the lower classes, which should be developed. What better way is there than to bring it before the eye of the public? | By the time of our next issue we think that the interest of the school will have risen so that we shall be able to furnish an inter- esting magazine. We wish to thank heartily all the subscribers, and we sincerely hope they will pardon the first offence. There seems at present to be a general lack of “push” to the school, which should be remedied at once. We start in studying and grind away for eight or ten weeks with nothing to relax the tension caused by study; whereas in surrounding schools there is a class dance, a lecture in the school, or a reception, nearly all the time. Some may say to this that there is no use in trying anything new, as none of the classes before have done so. But does it ap- peal to common sense that we must follow along in the same old furrow which was plowed up by classes years ago, without doing anything new or original to give our own class a name? Something in this matter should be done, and done at once. It cannot be due toa lack of talent in the school, and if not, it must be attributed to slowness. Now, worthy and dignified Seniors, it is for you, the superior power, to “start the ball a-rolling” and give the undergraduates a good sample of progressiveness. Begin at once with a reception of some kind, or obtain a lecturer from out of town to speak in the assembly hall, which surely was not intended for morning ex- ercises ovz y. Neither was the stage there made for no other pur- pose than orchestra rehearsals. The velour curtains make it seem that it might possibly have been intended for the production of small plays, acted, let us hope, by the class of 1908. This would be making an original departure from the ways of preceding classes,

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“DHE MAGNET Vol. I eOVINS TER; MASS. OCTOBER, 1907 No. 1 EDITORIAL STAFF: RICHARD H. SCANLON, Managing Editor, eee saicn’ Advertising Editors. co ute tere Subscription Editors. LEON J. MILLER. Exchange Editor. ARTHUR S. KLoss, Sketch Editor. ALEXANDER SNOW, Boys’ Athletics. DOROTHY WHITTIER, Girls’ Athletics. BERNICE L. PRouty, School Notes. FLORENCE EDSON, Personals. ASSISTANTS: Lillian Barron, Lloyd Jobes, Robert Griffin, William O'Neil, Ernest Johnson, Albert Wood, Howard Corkum. Published monthly during school year by pupils of the High School. Subscription price, 50 cents; single copies, Io cents, Editorials S this is but the first issue of our paper, we do not desire very sharp criticism from the readers. We hope in time to make it a success, if the scholars of the school can be brought out of their usual phlegmatic state long enough to write. There has been a great need of something of this sort for a long time; something that the scholars, one and all, can call their own; and something for which all can work. For, certainly, every one can feel, when he contributes toward its support, that he does it not only to benefit the paper, but to benefit himself and his school, which surely we all wish to see on a level with surrounding schools. Consequently we earnestly desire the support of a the schol- ars and of all the citizens, who are interested in their high school, as certainly every one should be. We shall be very thankful to receive short stories, humorous or otherwise, poems, and original jokes from all the scholars. Also the editor of “School Notes” would be very glad to receive 5

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THE MAGNET - and while putting money into the treasury of the class would at the same time tend to increase the outside interest in the school. Now, classmates, we beg of you to look into this matter very closely. Get together, and let every one express his ideas; put some vim into the matter. And, lastly, come to some definite con- clusion immediately. We hope that next month the scholars, especially the editors of the lower classes, will have more inclination and time to devote to the paper than they have had this month. The general lack of disorder and ungentlemanly conduct in the school is very noticeable at present. The rougher elcment, which once gave the Leominster High School a bad moral stand- ard, has long since taken flight, and left in its place boys and girls who understand what they are there for. The citizens of the town have done everything possible to pro- mote education. They built the present new building at a great expense; and surely the scholars should appreciate it enough not to deface the building or otherwise contrive against the good-will of their benefactors. We'could not do much toward giving the building; but we can do a lot toward keeping it. It is said that good surroundings promote good thoughts; and it certainly seems to be the case with us, for in the last year the standard of the school has been raised to a marked degree. A proof of this is the increased number of graduates from here who entered college last September. Out of a class of forty-five, twenty- five directly entered colleges or technical schools of high standing. The school has been raised to its present condition only by hard work and sharp discipline on the part of the Faculty and an aroused spirit of loyalty from the scholars themselves. It is up to every one of us to leave the building as good as we found it; to make our athletics second to none; and our work, above all, a good, straightforward, manly effort; and, frankly, Seniors, it is for you to set the example. Ricuarp H. Scanton, ’o8.