Ben Avon High School - Novaneb Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

Page 62 text:

Aton Rays HEN the Senior Class finally decided rather late in the year to publish an annual, it looked around for three strong luminaries to uphold the jobs of editor, business manager, and faculty advisor. By election they chose Rita Lucas as editor and Letitia Hamilton as business manager. Mr. Johns of the commercial department gladly consented to be faculty advisor. For their supporting staff these newly elected ofticials reached up amongst the celestial seniors and grabbed a handful of scintillating sunbeams. Marjorie Todd, Marjorie Munroe, Martha Louise Jeffries, and Bird Duff were naturally chosen to comprise the editorial staff because of their scholastic and literary standing. They proved themselves worthy of their appointment by turning in highly commendable work. Mary Margaret McMillan and Irving Moss were chosen as advertising managers, and the dazzling results they produced in the form of ads proved them to be go-getters of the Hrst class. The sports angle of our annual was competently handled by our two sports editors, Mary Louise Robinson, president of the Girls' Sports Club, and Paul Smith of all around athletic fame. Babe Lenzner and Bob Siegel were appointed. circulation manager and photography editor respectively, and they proved themselves sun- beams of the strongest and most enduring nature. However, even with such a brilliant staff as this our annual could not have been carried to a successful conclusion save for the excellent help of several other persons. To Mr. Vlfatts, the head of our English Department, go our sunniest thanks for the willing and cooperative manner in which he helped us get our material into shape. To artists, Miss Lewis, Peg Luttrell, and Ed Rodgers go our likewise radiant thanks for making the sunbeams literary shine in our book. Also worthy of our heartiest praise are Sammy and Peg Luttrell for their assistance in typing up the ma- terial. And the following underclassmen can consider themselves most ardently sunkissed : juniors-Fred Evans, Donna Doerr, and Mary Arnold, sopho- mores-Ann Hamilton and jim Demmelerg and freshmen-Iileanor Homan, Katherine Letsche, and Bill Houston. The combined efforts of these corusca- tions have culminated in the first annual published by Ben Avon in twelve years. It is our hope that this will mark the beginning of increasingly bigger and better publications by Ben Avon High. 56

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High School Play THE TOWER ROOM MYSTERY Late in April Ben Avon High School put on the first mystery play since the presentation of Tiger Hoio.s'e in 1933. The title was The Towel' Room Illysfery, and the cast consisted of the following: 'lack Chalice, who ingerites the Castle .. Kate Chalice, his sister . . ........ . . . . Myra Vernon, a girl of mystery ...... Kennedy lllsworth, a young writer eng Matilda, an old servant . ........... . limily, a young servant .... Andrew, an old deaf-mute .... ..... aged to Kate LINDSAY VVOLF12 JOANNE SCHOTT JEANNE AIQCIIIZR DURSTON DODGE . TVTARY ARNOLD PEGGY FORSBERG . . . Louis GRIIER Mrs. Barrett, a mad woman .............. . . . B1s'r'rY SHAW Martin Pickins, the attendant of an asylum . . . . . TOM BRIGILT The Master .......................... FRANK EVANS Beatrice .... . . JANE THOMPSON Antoinette ................................................ PEGGY SARVER The entire action of the play took place in the tower room Of an old house built like a castle, situated in the mountains of Wfest Virginia, near the Potomac River. The house had been inherited by Jack Chalice and his sister, who were spemling their lirst night there. jack planned to spend the evening writing a mystery story. A quick succession of events in the form Of The Master, Spiders, the Kiss of Death, a mad woman, a mystery girl, and a sliding panel supplied Jack with plenty of material for a story, Later it was discovered that these events were part of a hoax played on Jack by Kennedy Elsworth, a young writer who had made a contract with lack for a mystery play. The Master and his vampi1'e wives turned out to be a troupe of actors hired by Kennedy to create atmosphere for .lack's story. The story had the usual happy ending and final fadeout kiss. 55

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Thanks, Mr. Johns TI-Ili SENIGR CLASS wishes to take this op- portunity to thank the faculty advisor of this annual, Mr. Henry D. Johns. Since this was the first time in twelve years that an annual was published by Ben Avon High School, the seniors were at a loss as to how to go about such a task because of the lack of knowledge and experience. Mr. Johns, however, stepped in and willingly donated his valuable time to making our dream for a school annual come true. Therefore, the Senior Class, and most especially the De Rebus staff, earnestly thank him for his help. 57