Amherst Regional High School - Goldbug Yearbook (Amherst, MA)

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24 Hail! Hail! the Gang’s All Here

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ms ORF HIS is the story of a class that does things. We have moved not moun- tains, but principals, perhaps not by our faith, but somehow we have moved them. The way we did things does not matter, but the fact that we did them does. During the summer of 1015 a call came out for volunteers to fill up the depleted ranks — I mean class rooms — of the Old High School. How we responded! We mobilized on the common and advanced in good order on our enemies, the pre- ceding class. Cowed by this display of force they made no attempts upon our safety and we marched upstairs to the Assembly Hall, where we were met by other delegations. W hen a census had been taken our population was found to exceed ninety, the largest class in the history of the School. For several days the Sopho- mores made ineffectual attacks but they evidently wearied soon of their fruitless efforts. Mr. Marshall very kindly called a class meeting for us and we elected the follow- ing officers for the year: President — Donald Shumw.- y; I ' ice-President — Harold Wheeler; Secretary — Eleanor Eastman; Treasurer — Ruth Philipss He also chose a pin committee for us and the wisdom of their choice of pin is shown by the pride with which they are worn by those who still possess them. Before long we were introduced to that horror of horrors, freshmen rhetoricals. The scene is the Assembly Hall; the English teacher reads the name of the first speaker. The victim rises, marches to the front, addresses the wall, stops, turns to th.e class and begins again, only to cease, pondering the difficulty. At length it dawns upon him — his poem has a title. This difficulty over, he recommences, gasps, swallows, and goes on. His high, squeaky voice can scarcely be heard in the front seats but it sounds to him like thundei. He sees directed toward him ninety pairs of laughing, mocking eyes. The embryonic orator pales, his knees shake visibly but he bravely stumbles on. Why dwell on the misery of a fellow- classmate. Let us leave the speaker and his speech and pass to happier things. One of the features of our Freshman year was the occasion when the Seniors held our door and we stormed it. Then Mr. Marshall blossomed forth in all his glory. But we forced the door. That year passed quickly and we were beginning to feel at home, when the rilm- ors of a new building became facts and our Sophomore year saw us in the new build- ing with a new principal, Mr. Frank T. Wingate. 23

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Of course we were very sorry to leave the old building and to see Mr. Alarshall go, but our sorrow was not unalloyed with joy in our new “possession.” We had made a good start in athletics our Freshman year but now we took a leading part. 1919 men were in the majority in swimming ana took prominent part in all other sports. In fact we are and alwavs have been the most athletic class in Amherst High. One of the changes that came with the new building was the abolition of the Freshman-Sophomore fights. The history of these trials of strength goes back to the early days of the school. The custom is so old that no one seems to know the origin. Back of the Old Building was a ravine, famed throughout the grammar schools of the country for the steepness of its sides and the distance to its bottom It was usual for newly arrived Freshmen to find themselves hustled toward the brink and then rolling and sliding down the slipping side, at last bringing up with a jerk in ashes and trash at the bottom. The Sophomores tried to “start some- thing,” but their efforts were in vain, 1919 refused to roll down the ravine. We in our turn were planning on our welcome to the incoming class. WT started a fight and Mr. Wingate finished it. This was the end of the custom. There have been several outbreaks since that year, but in the main the Freshmen classes have come in peace. Thus died our oldest tradition and with it the glamour of becoming a Sophomore. “Requiescat in pace!” Our officers for the second year were: President, Donald Shumay; Vice-President, Harold Wheeler; Secretary and Treasurer, Susan Paige. This year vocational as w ' ell as college preparatory courses were offered and we had several new members for this kind of work. Physical training was also offered this year under the direction of Mr. Dinsmore and later of Percy Fogg, ’17. How we loved it! Alention must be made of the Sophomore Social, for it w ' as a great success in every way except financially. W’e then began to think about the Junior Play and a committee was chosen consisting of: Roger Baker Mildred Hollis Howard Butterfield Susan Paige Melbourne Hollis Catherine Sullivan After many trials and even a reversed decision, “The Magistrate” was chosen, but that is Junior History. The year ended with the Senior Reception for which we furnished the refreshments. W’e did a good job too. Ask those who were there. And now we come to the Junior year of the Class of 1919. The officers for this year were: President, Donald Shumway; Vice-President, Leroy Mentor, Charles Deuel; Secretary and Treasurer, Susan Paige. In football the varsity team was almost entirely made up of Juniors, in swimming three quarters of the men were Juniors, in basket ball w ' e had three representatives on the first team and the proportion of 1919 men was equally high In baseball. But of course the Play took most of our attention and effort. There is an account of this under a separate heading so there is no need of mentioning it here except to say that it was an unqualified success. This year we had another innovation in the form of military drill in place of physical training. Under the direction of IMajor Brooks the Battalion prospered and in several parades made very creditable showings. 25