Santa Clara High School - Tocsin Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

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THE TOCSIN--1922 never worry about food or clothing, so they care less about educating their children. In the northern part, since the climate is cold and the soil not so fer- tile, they have to work harder for their living and also try to better con- ditions by educating their children. The people as a whole are divided into three classes. The lower class includes the Indians and the uneducated mestizos , who live so far from schools that they are entirely unable to receive an education. These are the so-called peones who wear the large sombreros which many American people think that all the Mexicans wear. Next is the middle class which consists of the educated people, as doctors, lawyers, teachers and so on. Last are the capitalists who are the enriched middle class. In Mexico the young ladies are now allowed to go out with gentle- men, nor is the boy allowed to visit his senorita's home unless he is a near friend of the father or brother. The gentlemen have to content themselves with talking to the. seioritas at the windows or balconies. Sometimes they come at night and sing under their windows. The marriage ceremonies are very strictly observed and the bride must wear a bride's dress. After the marriage a banquet is given to which all the friends are invited, and after the banquet dancing begins which sometimes lasts a day and a half, or even two days. ln order to understand the Mexicans thoroughly, one must study the history of the country. With so many different changes of governmental power and with incessant civil wars raging continually, Mexico has not prospered greatly. Albert Chavez, '24, Page 23

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TH E TOCSI N--1922 Mexico EXICO CITY, like most Mexican cities, is built around a, plaza which is in the center of the city. It is very much like a large park where vast crowds assemble on great occasions. It is sur- rounded by public buildings, including the cathedral, which is a magni- ficent building. The cathedral has two large towers which can be seen from the roof of almost any house in the city. Its walls are decorated with many statues. Among other buildings in the plaza are the post of- fice and Teatro Nacional which is a theatre belonging to the government. Here in the plaza at evening, the people of Mexico City go promenading, the seiioritas and their dueiias in one direction, the youths in the other, but glances are not prohibited. Most of the houses of Mexico City are similar to those of the United States. They are strongly constructed and not lacking in beauty. Wood- en houses are very rare and adobe houses are found only on the farms, in small towns, and in the suburbs of the city. Most of the streets are paved and there are some large avenues con- necting the parks and small towns, of which there are a great number. One of these parks is the well-known Chapultepec Park, which is connect- ed with the city by a long avenue in which there is the statue of Liberty and many other statues. In the park itself is the summer residence of the President of Mexico. The place has traditions that go back to the time of the Aztecs. The schools are much like those of the United States in the method of teaching, but are quite different in other respects. School opens at eight o'clock and there is a short recess about ten-thirty. Everybody goes home for lunch at twelve o'clock and does not return until three-thirty. There is no recess in the afternoon and as school does not close until five o'clock, there is no time for athletics. Since there are only six grades instead of eight, the school year is much longer and harder. There are public examinations given at the end of each year, covering the whole year's work. These examinations are given by teachers whom the stu- dents have never seen before. The questions are given orally in a large auditorium. The people of the southern and central part of Mexico are quite dif- ferent from those of the northern part. The percentage of Indians is greater and since the climate is so warm and the land so fertile they Page 22-

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THE TOCSIN-1922 Dramatics OPERETTA The Boys' and Girls' Glee Clubs this year presented Swords and Scissors , a Military Millinery 0peretta , written by Frederick H. Mar- tens and Will C. MacFarlane. The principals were exceptionally well chosen and the operetta was a complete success. It was given two nights, February 24th and 25th, and the house was crowded both nights. Much credit is due Miss Brandewie for the success of the operetta. The cast is as follows: Josephine Beauhearnais, Empress of France, Dorothy Perry, Ladies of the Empress' suite, Mlle. Rose de Vidal, Maid of Honor, Helen Lund, Mme. d'Lauriston, Elen Saxelid, Mme. de Remu- sat, Teresa Jacobs, Countess de Villeneuve, Eloise Garner, Mme. de Can- isy, Grace French, Duchess d'Abrantes, Helen Blackford, Truffle, a de- tective, Elmer Lear, Colonel Regnier of the 10th Huzzars, Forrest 'Bent- zein, Fouche, Duke of Ctronto QMinister of Policel, Ernest Bettencourt, Sergeant Moustache of the 10th Huzzars, Byron Gibbs, Napoleon Bona- parte, Emperor of France, Leslie Busby, General Mausouty of the Impe- perial Guard, Lloyd Berry, Hypolite Moreau, a tailor, Harry Cunning. Sleuths: Halor Titcomb, Fred Franck, Charles Grimmer, Henry Sammet. Ladies of the Palace and attendants: Alberta Abbot, Mildred Simmons, Justine Cutting, Ellen Brown, Juanita Sammet, Florence Townsend, Mari- on Hart, Alice Kemp, Winifred Roberts, Frieda Hoffman, Anita White, Gertrude Rolofson, Marie Warburton, Dorothy Mendez, Lois Parmer, Vera Parmer, Iris John. Huzzars: Harold Garner, Clay Johnson, Gale Eaton, Laurence Machado, Belmont Keesling. Imperial Guard: Robert Rowe, Halor Titcomb, Fred Franck, Charles Grimmer, Henry Sammet. THE SCHOOL MISTRESS QAn Expensive Husbandj The Dramatic Society presented a farce in three acts, The School- mistress, An Expensive Husband . The parts were well chosen and those who took part did exceptionally well. Mrs. Motheral should be given a great amount of credit for the supervision of this play which was a great success. Page 24