Berkeley High School - Olla Podrida Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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18 THE OLLA PODRIDA The O 1 1 a Podrida. EDITORIAL STAFF GEORGE WARREN, ' 02, Editor-in-Chief. CHESTER L. STANLEY, ' 02, Managing Editor. William Andrews, ' 02, Exchange Editor. Miss Ida Henley, ' 02, Alumni Editor. Richard Boettiger, ' 02, Athletic Editor. Percy Girvin, ' 02, Forum Editor. Miss Maude Hogue, ' 02, Associate Editor. Miss Matilda Martin, ' 03, Associate Editor. Miss Eleanor Merrill, ' 04, Associate Editor. Miss Berniece Kelly, ' 05, Ass ciat Editor. BUSINESS DEPARTMENT WILLIAM C. CAVALIER, ' 02, Manager. assistant managers Walter C. Clark, ' 01 S. C. Dorn, ' 03 STAFF ARTISTS Miss Eva C. Steele. Samuel Hume, BOARD OF DIRECTORS MORRIS C. JAMES, President Harry Squires, ' 02. Miss Mabel Knoll, ' 02. MISS ROWENA ELSTON, ' 03. DONALD HlC KEY, ' 02. EDITORIAL Christmas again returning, will find, as ever, a hearty welcome, and the same kind, charitable spirit that is always in- separably identified with Christmas - tide. Christmas is a day when a whole world celebrates with festivity and charity the ad- vent of an influence that has never ceased to spread and increase; that has inspired a whole world with a nobler and truer impulse; that has dominated the political affairs of nations; and even if it has no religious significance for us, Christmas-tide brings with it a flood of tender memories for the old, and joyous expectations and happiness for the young people. It is a time when old quarrels are forgotten; when the very air is inspired with the pure elation and joyousness of the Yule-tide; and when, as the family gathers round the hearth, the most pessimistic nature is mellowed and softened by the pervading influences abroad. In the homes of the rich, costly gifts are given and received; in the poorer homes, less expensive ones. But an expensive gift, if not accompanied by the true spirit of charity and love, gives less pleasure to the recipient than a less expensive one which is actuated by the true spirit of charity and love. The close of this school term finds the Berke- ley High School better, in some respects, than it has been before, and we regret to say it, but it is unfortunately true, worse in others. The Athletic society, having been reorganized upon a firmer basis, and recruited by the large number of new boys, is in a flourishing condi- tion, and has given a good backing to our dif- ferent athletic teams during this fall season. During the coming spring we hope that their interest in B. H. S. athletics will not flag, but, on the contrary, continue to grow stronger and deeper. The Forum has undergone a complete revo- lution, and with highly satisfactory results. Members who intend to debate, and have ' heir debates well prepared, are active members, and the rest are relegated to the position of honorary members. This leaves the field open to those who wish to compete in debate, with- out hampering them by compelling them to listen to ill-prepared dialogues, originated on the spur of the moment to save their authors from the customary fine of twenty-five cents. And yet these advantages are more than off-set by a new and growing evil. There is a great deal of personal animosity among the different members of our schools. The B. H. S. has become divided into a number of different fac- tions whose hostility to each other reminds one of the feudal barons of the middle ages. This is not as it should be. ' School spirit is lost in personal and factional enmities, and these dis- cordant elements threaten to destroy school patriotism.

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THE OLl.A PODR1DA 17 No, 1 can ' t, said Robert, going on quickly with his head up and his eyes tightly closed. Why, Robert, your throat goes like a chicken ' s when its drinking, asserted Walter. Say, father, will you please make these boys let me alone ? I want to study, Robert pleaded. Well, I don ' t know, Robert, said his father doubtfully. You bother us too. If you are going to study out loud, you had better go to your own room. So Robert went, and anyone passing the Waitt house at eleven o ' clock that night, might still have seen a light in his window. When Robert first awoke the next morning, he wondered in a sleepy way what da) it was. Oh, Friday, the last day of the school- month. Let ' s see. ' Superlatives and more rarely comparatives — also medius, c-certus — no ' o— oh, confound the pesky thing anyway. ' With this he jumped out of bed and got his Latin grammar. Its a hundred and ninety-three, isn ' t it? Yes. Also medius, ceterus. ' Oh, yes. Ceterus, not certus. Now, let ' s see. ' Su- perlatives and more rarely comparatives, de- noting order and succession — also medius, ceterus, and reliquus — usually designate not what object, but what part of it is meant. ' There! I know that. 1 think I know them all now except that one about datives with com- pounds. The Waitt family were slow in coming to breakfast that morning. Robert, having been up late the previous night, dropped into his chair after all the others were seated. The dative- with-compounds rule were still on his mind, and almost unconsciously he was reciting aloud, Many verbs compounded with ad, ante, con, — Robert, said his father rather severely. What did 1 tell you about bringing your books to the table ? Well now, father, I can ' t help it, he said apologetically. I ' ve got to learn this rule before school, and that ' s all there is to it. I learned all except this one last night. Miss Burke gave me until today to know them all, and if I don ' t she ' ll put me back with the scrub-juniors. Well, that does make a difference, his father said thoughtfully. But next time try and do it beforehand. Robert began between mouthfuls. ' Manv verbs compounded with ad, ante, con, in, inter, ob, post, p rc-no-oh, hang it all anyhow — 1 don ' t care, he added despairingly. Oh, come, Robert, don ' t give up so easily. Mr. Waitt spoke with a kindly interest this time. Here, you say it alter me, and Mr. Waitt read it from the book. Robert listened carefully, and then he began. Many verbs comp — Most verbs, corrected his father. Most verbs compounded with ad, ante, con, in, inter, ob, post , p-pro — ' no, there ' s where 1 get stuck every time. But it ' easy enough, Robert, if you get the rythm of the thing. It ' s post, prae, pro. ' ' ' Most verbs compounded with ad, a?ite, con, in, inter, ob, post, prae, pro, sub, super, and — -and — ' ' ' And some with circum, put in his father. Oh, yes — ' and some with circum. ' Now let ' s see. 1 think I know it all. ' Most verbs compounded with ad, ante, con, in, inter, ob, post, prae, sub, super, and some with circum, — ' let ' s see. Oh, yes. ' take the accusa — ' no — what the Dickens? Oh, of course, ' the dative. ' Well, I ' ll learn it better on the way down, but I must go now, and with his books in one hand and a biscuit in the other, he started on his way. His return home that night, while not a tri- umphant progress, showed that he had met with success sufficient to keep him in the class. But if was not a continuous victory. The next week found him grinding again and muttering to himself on unusual occasions in a way that startled and alarmed his family. And all the term when he was wanted to work around the house or to join in the family amusements, he would groan and complain and finallv refuse because he had to give his time to studying those rules of Latin grammar. One morning near the close of the term, he reached school just in time to get into Latin be- fore the door was locked. As he dropped into his seat he noticed that there was a subdued sense of excitement in the room. Glancing up, he saw on the platform with Miss Burke — hor- ror of all horrors — Dr. Strong, one of the Latin professors from the University. Come to examine us, whispered George Allen from behind nervously. Glory hallelujah, I ' ll bet I ' ll spoil the whole class, thought Robert to himself. I wish I was sick, he reflected. Then, as he saw Miss Burke looking ruefully at him, as if she remembered his past failures, he added grimly, and I guess she wishes so too. (TO BE CONTINUED.)

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THE OLLA PODRIDA 31 surely, is to read the papers published by these schools. If it is learned that a rival team is training hard for a contest, the home team will also increase its efforts. Thus it has been shown that Exchanges, when properly used, benefit nearly every de- partment of a school paper, and since a paper represents the ability of the school, the Ex- change Column indirectly helps to raise the opinion of other schools of it. The ques- tion which naturally arises is, How can the Exchanges be handled to the best advantage? After they pass through the Exchange editor ' s hands shall they be used for making fires or shall they be placed within the reach of others desiring to read them? The aim of the Exchange editor should be first, to criticize other papers, second to call at- tention to particular features in them worthy of mention and valuable to his own paper. Criti- cism does not imply that general fault-finding of a rival school, technically known as ' select ball-outs, ' nor a too generous use of attractive adjectives which might be correctly termed ' fishing for compliments ' ; but a good plain ex- pression of opinion. Probably the easiest, at least the most systematic method of criticism is to file successive issues of regular exchanges and then deal fully with two or three at each edition. What we consider, however, the most important object of the Exchange Editor is to call attention to suggestive and original features in other papers. It may be an original story or a well written story or good joshes. Either of these courses may be followed out in whole or in part — a good course is the latter — with a judicious criticism interposed when available. But if after the Exchange Editor has made his comments, the Exchanges are used for making fires or left on a dusty shelf, the Ex- change system fails in its most essential point. A good Editor may makethe Exchange column of benefit to other papers, but an indifferent student body makes it of no use to the paper itself. If there is a tendency to under-rate the Exchange column, this is the sole cause of it. The remedy, of course, lies in placing the Ex- changes where they may be of easy access to all. During the disorder which has followed our change of quarters, no provision has been made for the Exchanges. Now, however, since the Assembly Hall has been fitted up as a study room, there is no reason why several shelves should not be dedicated to the Olla Podrida Exchange Column. The chief objec- tion is that the students would spend their time reading Exchanges instead of studying. We notice, however, that at present a large number prefer the current magazines to Latin books. Exchanges should be fully as instruc- tive. We earnestly hope that Mr. James or the Directors will take action to see that an Exchange column be installed in the Assembly Hall. - o HAPPENINGS IN THE PHYSICS LAB. As the physics class, which had the honor of fust reciting in the new science recitation room, filed in and took their scats on the afternoon of December 3d, various exclamations of satisfac- tion and delight were heard. One young lady especially interested in the instructor ' s desk and its appurtenances, began to theorize upon their utility. ' ' Oh, see the soda fountain down there ! ' she exclaimed. I hope Cupid wont make us wait a long time between drinks ! Then as he selected some bright colored chalks with which to make his dates more effective, and proceeded to shoot them toward those mysterious forces, Fi andF2, etc., she continued her theorizing as to chalk. I believe he must have made that pretty pink chalk from what he had left of a box of Dr. Killen ' s Pink Pills for Pale People, and that yellow chalk, no doubt he made from the mud pies he used to play with. Then catching sight of the rather formidable looking gas-jets she likened them unto small cannons to protect Cupid from the volleys of hot air which were likely to overwhelm him at times. Some of the fair damsels are now wondering (for they have had sufficient time to find out) if three or four divine dances with Cupid at Junior Receptions mean a first or a third section. Naughty Two.