Wakefield High School - Oracle Yearbook (Wakefield, MA)

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help to pupils, as it provides a place where one may talk with the librarian and discuss problems which arise in connection with the English study. The rooms to the rear of the corridor are connected by folding doors, so that they may he used as a smaller as- sembly room, or as a large study hall. The third floor is given over to the commer- cial and scientific departments. The front, rooms are arranged for the bookkeeping, typewriting, and stenographic pupils, with all the rooms connected by doors, giving close communication between the sections of the department. The scientific department will be one of the best- ' equipped in the country. The rooms at the rear of the building will be given over exclusively to this department, and all are of absolute fireproof construction. Starting at the southern end of the corridor, we enter a class room which will be used for general science. Connected with this is a lab- oratory. The next room is the physics labora- tory, with a number of benches, each with gas, and electric outlets, where the pupils will per- form their experiments, and a larger bench for the instructor. This room is connected by swinging .doors with the lecture room, which is equipped with a stereopticon, lecture table, and blackboards, thereby giving the instructor ample means of illustrating his talk. The chemical laboratory is on the other side of the lecture room and the equipment is simi- lar to the physical laboratory with the ex- ception that water is provided at each bench. The last room will lie used for Freehand Drawing. All rooms are arranged so that the windows arc on the left side of the pupils, providing good light without having the pupil in his own light. The heating is controlled by thermo- stats in each room, which may be regulated to any desired temperature by the teacher, and the heat will remain constant. Taken as a whole the new building is ex- ceptionally well adapted to meet (he needs of our High School. HAYWAED K. MANN, ' 23. THE OLD HIGH SCHOOL SPEAKS Fifty years have passed since I first saw the light of day. Fifty years of joy and sorrow, and of laughter and tears. Since I was young, two wars have been fought and won, and many of my boys have marched away, never to re- turn. Some of the boys and girls who has- tened at the call of duty are now renowned in the world. Famous doctors, lawyers, states- men, and authors have gone from out my walls. When I was young the people of the town were proud of me. They would point me out to visitors, and often small children would stand in front of me, open-mouthed with awe. They longed to grow up so that they, too, might come to me. My first pupils walked sedately and rever- ently through my corridors. They respected my walls and desks, and it was not until years later that they became scarred and marked. Now- all is changed; instead of pointing me out to visitors, the people show them my rival, who isn ' t half grown yet. They pass me by and are ashamed if they have to make men- tion of me. Now that I am old, after years of faithful service, after I have enabled hundreds of boys and girls, to get an education, I am dis- carded. My boys and girls, disrespectful of my age, call me an ark or an antique , they talk of leaving me, and I suppose it must be so. Off with the Old, on with the new ; such is the way of the world. FLOEENCE BUTLER, ' 24. THE REPLACEMENT I am thinking of a mansion That was like a Hall of Fame, Once it possessed regal beauty. And it, bore a grand old name. Once, like youth, ' twas strong, enduring. Attracted every passer-by, It stood apart, a thing of splendor, Prepared all nature to defy. But youth does not last, forever, From that mansion it has fled; And the walls that once responded, Echo back now— All Is Dead. Wakefield held that dear old mansion, And (hat good old name it bore; Hut the years have told their story. Now it ' s gone forevermore. It has passed its regal beauty To a newer Hall of Fame, To a structure grand and mighty, Wakefield High School is its name. DOLORES McTEAGUE 23.

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OUR NEW HIGH SCHOOL At last wo have our new High School. We have had to wait a long time for it, but we have been rewarded for our long wait for now we are about to enter our new building. It certainly looks good to us in comparison with the old building with its cramped quarters and poor equipment. Let us suppose that we are entering it for the first time, although by the time you read this, you will be more or less familiar with the building. On entering, we find ourselves in a hallway from which lead doors to the Principal ' s and Superintendent ' s offices; the Principal ' s is to the left and the Superintendent ' s to the right. The Principal ' s suite consists of his private in- ner office, and offices for the clerk, where the records are filed, and the general office routine business is carried on. The Superintendent ' s offices are similar to the Principal ' s, consisting of an inner office, for himself and the outer of- fice for the clerk, and a room to be used for meeting ' s of the School Committee. Passing up this short hall, we come to the main corridor which runs the length of the building, and from which open the various class rooms. Directly in front of us is the auditorium, with its eight hundred seats, all so arranged that the stage can easily be seen. This auditorium has the appearance of a good- sized theatre and a splendid one at that. Against the rear wall, there is the fireproof booth where the moving picture machine will be located. The lighting of the hall is pro- vided for by twelve large globes which hang from the ceiling giving indirect lighting on the grayish walls. The stage next takes our attention because of its novel arrangement. It is, of course, raised above the level of the auditorium floor, and in the center it curves out, making a stage large enough for speakers or an illustrated lec- ture. However, it can be enlarged to include the whole gym floor, which is a continuation of the stage. The way this is accomplished »is very simple. A large curtain, made up of twenty sections of sound-proof material is sus- pended from a track whieh allows for the changing of the position of the back of the stage. When locked together, these sections will be absolutely sound proof, thereby allow- ing a basketball game and a lecture to be con- ducted at the same time without interruption. Continuing our course, we come out on the gym floor, which is large enough for a good- sized class. Along one wall is a balcony, which is arranged with seats for spectators. On the right side of the gym are the boys ' locker rooms with their accompanying show- ers. Overlooking the gym are the Physical Directors ' offices, one on each side, for the boys ' and the girls ' Directors. The lockers are so arranged that each pupil has two, with corresponding numbers and the same key, one for his overcoat and hat, and the other for his gym clothes. From the locker rooms, easy access is had to the gym and showers, thereby keeping the gymnasium department in one part of the building. The girls ' side of the gym is a duplicate of the boys ' side. Under the girls ' locker room, is the lunch counter where hot lunches will be screed on tables for the teachers and the student body. One duty of the student council will lie to arrange for the policing of the lunch counter so that no teachers will be obliged to stay in this room at recess. Farther in toward the street, there is a domestic science department, with its cooking room, and a model apartment, consisting of kitchen, pantry, living-dining room, bedroom, anil bath. At the rear of the building, is the Manual Training Department in a very light and at- tractive room, which is to be equipped as a machine shop, ami woodworking department. Opening off the main room, there is the print- ing room where there are two power presses an I other necessary equipment for printing. Returning to the main floor, Ave find a num- ber of (dass rooms, which will be used, as far as possible, for freshman subjects, while the room in the right wing, will lie used for Me- chanical Drawing. This is so that the Draw- ing and Manual Training Departments may carry on their work in close conjunction with each other. The second iloor is principally given over to class rooms which are occupied by the English, history and mathematics departments. The English rooms are so arranged that they may be connected, and in one of them there is a small stage 071 whieh plays or oral reci- tations may be given. These rooms are di- rectly connected with the Charles H. Howe Memorial Library so that reference books may be easily obtained. The Library is one of the best that a school of this size could be ex- pected to have or even want. It is a very at- tractive room, with an open fireplace and book shelves lining the walls. At one end there is the librarian ' s desk where books are charged, and the room is filled with read- ing tables. There is a conference room, open- ing from the main room, where debates may be prepared. This room should prove a great

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IN MEMORIAM The last class meeting of the Senior Class was being held in Room 1 of the Old Wakefield High School. Principal Melvin J. Hill sat on the platform and gazed proudly upon the group of out-going Seniors. The president rose to speak. Fellow Sen- iors, said he, at our last Assembly a request was made that any member who could, should bring in suggestions on the subject of how to make the na me of our class remembered through the coming years. If there are any among you who think they have a good idea, please present it to the class. ' ' Several Seniors were on their feet in a minute and one by one they made known their various ideas to the students. A set of books for the library was turned down. A silver engraved cup, a. famous picture, and others met with the same fate. The president began to get discouraged and finally said, Is there no one who has anything to offer that pleases the class? For several moments silence reigned, then a boy rose from his seat. Mr. President, he said, my suggestion isn ' t a very brainy one, but seeing those of the others have failed, I ' ll give mine. After thinking the matter over, I have decided that nothing is a more lasting memorial for man, than a tree, always living and growing as the years go by. There would lie hardly any expense. That is all I have to offer ; and he sat down amid much ap- plause from his schoolmates. After restoring the class to order, the pres- ident said, This suggestion seems to please you. Do you wish to vote on it. ' They did and it. went through unanimously. Mr. Pres- ident, a girl jumped up from her seat, wouldn ' t it be an unique thing, if we each put our names and histories in little boxes and buried them at the roots of the tree? This, too, received an unanimous yes. And so on one bright morning the Senior Class and the Faculty of the school planted a slender young tree with much ceremony on the corner of the High School lot where La- fayette and Common streets meet, and buried little metal boxes at its roots containing the autobiography of each member. There it stands to this day, always living and grow- ing, until it is now a beautiful shade tree. About eight feet up the trunk is a small tab- let on which is engarved : Centennial Tree Planted by Class of 1876 W. H. S. EDITH M. DOWLING, ' 25. OUT OF THE BOOK The book with the flaming cover moved, rested quietly, for a moment, on the dark, pol- ish ' ' d table, and once more stirred. Strange, wasn ' t it? A slam — a rustle of leaves, and out from among its pages stepped the prettiest little miss one could wish to see. Her bobbed curls were of a brown that turned golden in the ' sunlight. Her checked skirt barely reached below her silk clad knees. And yet, she was not a child of ten or eleven years, she was, in fact, eighteen, perhaps nineteen years old. There was, on her face, a look of youth, and of age vicing with each other, so that it was difficult to estimate her age — listen, she is speaking. Gosh, how perfectly spiffy! This busi- ness of being ' shero ' of a novel is all right, but it ' s darned tiresome. It ' s nice to get away — By .love, here ' s another book on the table. Let ' s have a look. She fugged at the dark brown cover, which opened so suddenly that the pretty little miss was sent sprawling on the table. Oh, please, I beg your pardon. I was pushing and you were pulling; I was so very eager to get out of that dingy book, if only for a few minutes, said a soft, sweet voice. That ' s all ri say, you look great! Where ' s the blow-out? I don ' t think I understand you. Plow-out, costume-ball, dance, party! I!uf there isn ' t any dance, any party. Well, what have you got your grandmoth- er ' s clothes on for? Say, who are you? Where do you come from, anyway? The first maid plied these questions as she daubed her nose with powder. 1 am Lorna Doone from Doone Valley. Per- haps you don ' t know what Doone Valley is. It is a place just full of nefarious robbers and wicked men. I really didn ' t belong there, though. When a very little child I was stolen and taken there. Ignoring the reference to her clothes, she went on, Might I enquire who you are, and from where you come? Sure. I ' m Cherie of ' Youth ' s Challenge. ' All jokes aside, now, what ' s the idea of the