Norwalk High School - Reminiscentiae Yearbook (Norwalk, CT)

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I J A-Q IFS I + v: v7 ttuummmlhmmmmnmwm . tutlmumutImuummmIIM WV In April, the second annual musical concert was given. The large audience who attended was generous in its praise. The success of this concert surpassed our greatest hopes. In our Senior year, a third concert was given. The success of the last concert had advertised this one and brought a large audience. The result of this seemed assured from the start. Then a bomb was exploded in our midst! The demerit system was installed. In accordance with this, demerits were received for disorder. When a student received thirty demerits, he was suspended for two weeks. This system drew little praise and much grumbling from the pupils. Undoubtedly, we felt the justice of it would be a little merciless with us. All our complaints did no good. So, we resigned ourselves to it anxiously. However, we found it was not so crushing a burden as we had expected. So, at first, some of us were inclined to treat this system as a joke. But when the twenty-ninth demerit was received, the Monday morning demerit sheets were not anticipated with that former glee. W e realized that we must treat this system with earnestness. When we first entered this school we found a friend in our principal, Mr. Blake. Not much time had passed before we had given to him our sincere admiration and affection. Many of us look to Mr. Blake as the person who has, more than any one else, smoothed our path when it was necessary. When we needed his help, we knew that we would get it. He has never failed us when we have put our trust in him. Then, thinking of what he has represented to us, can any one really doubt the consternation we felt at the rumor of his departure? Again and again our hopes were raised, only to be dashed by the final announcement that he was really leaving us. It was only after his departure, I think, that we truly saw how much he had done for us; what troubles he had smoothed over. And in the confusion follow- ing his departure, we felt that he left a gap that none could flll. For many weeks. we were left without a principal. At last, on March 8, our new principal. Mr. Howard, arrived. His arrival had been looked forward to with much eagerness. Mr. Howard has proved to be someone we could admire and like and take pride in as belonging to us. No one else but Mr. Howard, I think, could have Filled the place that Mr. Blake left. A special event for our class was the publishing of the school paper. It was our pride to renew the publication of the long since discontinued school paper. Each month the ttEeho was published, and was looked forward to eagerly by the whole student body. The amusement we received from it justified our expectations. As we passed on to our Senior year. it was decided that the Echo should be a junior institution since we had, as Juniors, issued it. So, after a very successful year, the TlEcho, with some regret, passed over to the management of the succeeding Juniors. Ill!ltllllllllllllmlItltllllllll Mlllllllllllllllmm! IlllllllllllllllllIllIlIlllllllllllllllllIllIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHllllmlllilllllllllllllll; lllllllmllHINllllllltllllllllllllllmlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllMlllllllllllllllllhlllllllllllIlllllJlllllJIllllllllllllIlllllllllllllmlllllllllmlllllIllllllmt'lllmllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllii Our last act as Juniors was to lead the Seniors into the Assembly Hall on their class night. As we listened to the various reeitations we felt a great reso- lution that our class night should not fall below theirs, and also that the standard 'H IIIIIItumultImumlllmllllimlmlmlummummmmmummmmu mllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllll 211mm:unmmwrm'tntf T: h. .3324 'tms,Lm Q :33: Q 1W9; fl;4 -'rummmnmmmut Sixty-six

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10W t , WIIIMHHLUIIMHHHIHHI'IIIld Nnmunmummummmmw b 112' M. ; ii in mm- ?Ljisforg of fEe Cfaaa of 1921 HAT September morning when we first entered the Norwalk High School is clearly remembered. If I had known that I were to be historian of our class, I would have jotted down a few notes to use now. Being no umummmummnuunmmnuum Cumean Sybil, I did not take this wise measure. However, the first day is quite clear enough in the minds of all of us. The Seniors nonchalantly, as became copying the Seniorsl attitude, ignored our very existence. those blase young men and women, and the Juniors, more We entered filled with apprehensions, and questions as to where we were going, or less successfully how would we get there, would we get there? When we entered the doors, we joined the eager, buzzing crowds about the bulletins, on the hrst floor. The huskier ones of us flnally were successful in pushing their way within reading distance and informed us where to go. Quickly and with subdued excitement, we went to our assigned rooms. In this manner, we were launched on the mysterious three-year voyage. We came from both the Center and Franklin Schools, between which had always existed a friendly rivalry in athletics and studies. a ttstand-offlshil air between us. now the Sophomore Class of the Senior High School. However, each part found that the other did not consist of the strange creatures that were first thought of. no longer troubled about whether we came from Center or Franklin. We achieved little, outside Of our studies, in this year. So, at first, there was Soon, we were we were The attitude every- IIIIIIIIIIIIImil!!! lllllIHMWWNIIilllllllllllllllllJIlllllllmlIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllmlllllllllmlllllllmllllllllllllllllllllllhllllllllllllllllligf where was that Sophs. should be diligent students and not social butterflies. Nevertheless, we managed to find our way into the various organizations. We made those classical mistakes. the boys up the girlst Many wandered into every room but the right one. The upper class-men ridiculed our blunders and took pleasure in seeing history repeat itself. Soon, we became wary of making mistakes. At the end of a few weeks, we felt the routine of the school. At the end of the school year, we felt we knew all there was to be known about the school. Look- ing back, we find we took the attitude of Spectators rather than of Actors. Our Junior year contained more activity on the part of the class. We were no longer mere spectators. XVe were the Juniors! We now held an assured position. No longer need we sit on the side lines. We were What an assurance and authority we felt when we first entered the Junior year! XVe found this year more joyful, I think because we felt we played an impor- tant part in the school life. The first act on the part of our class, vas to give the Junior social, an annual affair. The audience received our entertainment in an approving manner. Altogether, we considered that the affair had passed off very well and we were gratified at our first social activity. The girls walked up the boysl stairways: stairways. mmummmmummmummumnnummmmnmmnmmmmmmmuuunmmnuummm l l ltin the game. lllllIliumllillllllllllmlllllilllllllllllllmmlllmmmIllltlllllllllllllllll MllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliIllllllllllllllllllllllJlllllllllllllmllHlNIHIll !Illllllllllllmllllllllll m; V 7a.?! ' 0- i M e ' i 9- M74 1mm m. V lAifl'l'l JIIWu a m li : l'u 1!. l bk I alimuimn iizmwm'une: 3'1: I H De 1' M2: -:' It .1. A'Al'I-x

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W IHWMIIMIHHIIIWI mmummmImImuuuummumntImmmmmmuImuuImnuumunumummIummmummmnmmuu ummmu mummmmmmmuuuImummummmnunnmmmmm Kl Wlllllllllmlllilllllllllllllllllllll'; - . lllllll'llll'liIllliiltllilll'llll I5 323'lllilllllllllllliIMHHHHMNIIW 3g. cf: 5. T ,, 73; TFN - lt': a .: 3;sz r . .. m ?MJHW r. ,. .:.3 A..- ngX- lllli t v-e, x3; l llllllllllllillllIlllllllllllllllllllllllll of our class should be as high as theirs. Now we faced our Senior year which was to prove the fullest year we had yet experienced. Athletics were taken up with new enthusiasm. They had, in late years, been falling off. But now they took on a new life. Football was again intro- duced. On November 2, two affairs of great importance occurred. We won our first football game; and Mr. Harding was elected President of the United States. Games of all sorts interested us. Baseball and basketball held their share in our interests. Both were well attended and applauded. The girls, whose athletics had almost entirely fallen off, now had a basketball team. While making no great name in athletics, we certainly advanced an appreciable amount. TWe are justly proud and cannot say too much for those who played on our teams. Their strenuous efforts to ltput things over the topH deserve the highest credit. A word of praise must also be given our coaches, Mr. Clavell and Miss McMahon whose aid and work helped to put our teams where they were. There were many things for our class to attend to; much business lay before us. We instantly began to attack it. The daily battlefield was the : assembly hall. Many a brave struggle went on in this room, many a matter was proposed, debated, and rejected or passed. Through all the storm and strife of various battles, we managed to accomplish our purpose. Our first step was to choose our class officers. Then various committees were appointed. Now our real business was begun. We chose for our class colors, Green and Gold; for our class motto, ITVincit qui se vincitf tllele conquers who ccnqners himself? Let us hope that every one of us carries this through life. Each year the Dramatic Club has presented a big play. In all the preceding years this presentation has made quite a success. This year the Dramatic Club production surpassed those of all past years. The play, tlIt Pays to Advertisef was presented in the Regent Theatre on April 8. Under Miss McMahons able coaching the play was successful and very much praised. Our Senior Class Play was a musical play, ltSpringtimeW We followed the example of other classes in having a musical play, which proved to be very suc- cessful. This play was presented in May, Friday the thirteenth. The super- stitious ones of us were rather dismayed. However, optimism won the day. Friday was blue Friday for part of the class each week. For the other lllllllllllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllllIlllllllllllllllllllllll part, it was more or less relief. For then were given out the pieces for the weekly assembly. To those that received the pieces, the day was blue. The rest of us delighted in their dismay and assured them that aside from a hollow feeling, trembling of the knees, and a feverishness of the brow. reciting in the assembly was the most pleasant indoor sport ever heard of. After reading other class histories, I am glad to say that my class has never fallen below that standard of activity, progress. and quality which was set down by former classes as the true and only standard. In respect to our studies, not unlike all classes, we certainly have had our tloff-daysf, as it were, days when one or two of our teachers could not help but considering ns tlthe worst class : : a - .- .- .- -. .- 2 a a a. a a S a :. 5 W a a a a. a a a a .N a a ' a a - a a E a a a a W a - a K E : c: .. : 5 : - : E E 2. z - -. .- ... a .- .1: .- a .- .- :1 1: :- z W : .. ' s : ...., :2 :- .. .- E W E a a W Q T Ium: 9G! t IJKT'f: . HIHIIUWIIHMILWIIIJWNIMIM -;1 I t w ' T l b all vj : $ Ml IlIUTlll :nli lf.rTT l f iWEA IL A'- Sixty-seven