Banning High School - San Gorgonian Yearbook (Banning, CA)

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Class History HE class of 1915, whom the whole school loves and Al: will mourn for after its departure out into the wide world of trials and pleasures, has a complex but in- teresting history. When we first entered high school we were a noble class of eleven capable students. Being rather shy youngsters we gained the favor of the faculty for the first few months on account of our good behavior. Very interesting indeed were we to the upper classmen for we were the ‘‘green’’ Freshies. We endured much and took the blame for mischief done by Juniors and Seniors. Becoming members of the Student Body by initiation into that august order was a great feast of laughter and tears, scorn and contempt. We were asked to do the most embarrassing stunts to the ridicule of the upper classmen, who looked upon it as one source of amusement. Some were treated more civilly than others, but as a rule the medicine administered was equally bitter for all. We waded through all of it and rallied by the assurance that we would sometime get our revenge on other poor Freshies. We used to think that carrying four subjects in high school was a small burden, but our minds have heen slightly changed through experience, our most reliable teacher. Algebra was a subject which set our wheels to working. How funny it was to us to take nothing and make some- thing out of it; nevertheless we did, and sometimes we had a lot of something, which proved to be nothing. William had a warm heart for Latin and often mastered the dear old subject with great tact. Cora, who was es- pecially proud of physical geography, could fairly quote passages from the book, when called upon to recite. On we struggled through the first year and looked for- ward to the time when we could call ourselves Sopho- mores. It was great to be a Freshman but greater still —10—

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fancy my surprise when I recognized him as my old schoolmate, William Mackey. I was very glad to learn that he was successful as a doctor in one of our largest cities. That evening I met him again and our conversa- tion drifted back to our old school days and particularly to our classmates of 1915. Through him I learned that Cora Cusick was then happy in her little home near Banning. Yes, she had gone to Santa Barbara, where she studied domestic sci- ence and had taught five years. But she decided to re- turn to Banning, the scene of many of her happy tri- umphs, and settle down. To my great sorrow he could tell me nothing concern- ing the other two members of our class. But the next morning I left for Los Angeles and while there I heard a great deal about Beulah Eli, who was to sing at the Orpheum that night. All agreed that she was the star of American opera. After completing my business I had a few days left and I decided to visit one of my old chums who was then living at Riverside. One evening after my arrival she ask- ed me to accompany her on a drive to a friend’s home, where she was invited to spend the evening. I consented, and was very glad afterwards that I had done so. Reach- ing her home after an hour’s drive, we were greeted by a young woman whom my friend addressed as Esther. I at once recognized her as Esther Franklin, who had graduated with me. We went into the house where I met her husband, a dark, handsome looking man. They owned a large ranch and were very happy. This was the last one of my classmates and I departed for home the next day, glad that I found out about all of our class, and that the old gypsy’s prophecy had come true. do de, “alos |

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to be a Sophomore. We had been told the meaning of ‘‘Freshie,’’ and also of ‘‘Sophomore,’’ so with a contrac- tion of the meaning of the two words we were told by the dignified Seniors that after entering the Sophomore year we would be ‘‘wise fools.’’ That was doubtful en- couragement to be sure, but why should we care since we had stepped over the Freshman year. When we entered our Sophomore year our number had decreased by four. The first day of school eight smiling faces occupied the Sophomore row. Now we thought a path of roses leading to glory was before us, but after several weeks of such f ancy our ideas changed as they had done during the first year, after trials and worries. ‘Whoever invented geometry?’’ was a common phrase among the classmates, for geometry was seemingly as useless to us as algebra had been. English was Julia’s long suit, and my, how she could read! We had to watch our books when Julia started to read. She never mispronounced a word and always read quite audibly. The Sophomore year was not quite as interesting as the first year had been. However there was one thing which we did take great pleasure in doing and that was listening to the Freshies recite. Whenever a mistake was made we made fun of them just to see if they would shake in their boots and blush. Thus the Sophomore year disappeared from our view, and astill richer life was anticipated, when we could enter the third year of our higher education. Now our names would change and we could be called the Jolly Juniors. The name in itself was enough to make us jolly and that we were. High School life by this time had fastened it- self upon us with a firm determination that we were in it for the best we could accomplish by it. One of our brilliant girls who had labored so success- fully in trying to master Latin and Caesar in the first two years respectively, began the study of Virgil, the third = —