Bridgeport Central High School - Criterion Yearbook (Bridgeport, CT)

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THE oR1TERioN QQ HISTORY COMMERCIAL CLASS 1913 3 is-Fl lsel bright Qeptember sun was smiling down upon numerous T was in the year IQIOQ the g - S groups of boys and girls which dotted the thoroughfare leading to the dignified structure of red brick known at B. H. S. As they neared the build- ing which should come to mean so much to them in the next three years, the sight of very learned and dignified countenances which gazed with un- suppressed mirth upon the passing tlock, tended to unnerve them. But remembering that There is safety in numbers', and with spirits now some- what subdued, the Commercial Class of IQI3 wended its way up the flights of steps and stairs leading to the As- sembly Hall. Although the great front doors were thrown wide with welcome, we had a secret feeling that they counted each one who entered there and shook their heads with a sigh. There are so many, what will we do with them all? they seemed to say. In the Assembly Hall we were wel- comed by Mr. Simonds, and initiated into the society of Freshmen by hav- ing impressed upon our minds what the school expected of us in our so- journ here, as well as the fact that An honest worker achieves good re- sults. It seemed, when we left the building, as though we had opened a new chapter in our lives with the title page before us. Returning in the afternoon, we were assigned class-rooms, and made ac- Twenty-one quainted with a list of books, one of which four German Grammarj taxed our powers of pronunciation to the ex- treme. Now the Hrst year of our High School life started in earnest. It con- tained the trials and tribulations of our predecessors, but as they had borne them bravely, so did we. VVe had many things to learn, among others the fact that zero plus zero does not make zero, but rather -IO. If you doubt this, you may consult any of us who have used a study period as a time of recreation and be convinced. VVe sighed over the x, y, z's which stubbornly defied our constant at- tempts to make them agree with the answer-book. Then we attempted to conquer Greece and Rome and over- throw the mighty Caesar. We dis- covered that we had still another battle to fight when someone brought a word into German Class consisting of 66 letters. The rule here seems to have been f'Don't make several trips out of one. Next came the mid-winter vacation, but the 'Kgrippe was not prevalent in our class and accordingly our number not greatly decreased. The second semester was much the same as the Hrst only that instead of pursuing fur- ther the lives of the ancients, we turned Room 3 into a Botanical Garden, with Beardsley Park as our chief source of supplies. Then ,Tune stepped in and turned

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and I THE CRITERION wardrobes in the basement. Nearer and n faster earer I approached. Faster and my heart beat-when sud- denly my eyes opened, the myriad lights vanished, the noises died away was stretched out in anything but a graceful position on the stairs outside the laboratory. I picked my- self up and gathered my shattered and this time it was sixteen minutes to one. In another minute Dr. Stanley's senses. I glanced at my watch per- ACADEMIC CLASS I-IYMN 1913 I. Alma Mater, now we hail thee, VVith our final song of praise: Gratefully we sing thy honors, As thy name in song we raise. Now we part from thy protection, Round the stormy world to go, And we sing of our affection For to thee our hearts o'erfIow. II. May thou in the future lead us. Always be our guiding light: May thy spirit How about us, Wiith its wisdom, truth and might. Alma Mater we do thank thee For the hopes thou dost inspire, May thou still our efforts favor XVith a great and pure desire. III. Now we pray to Thee, dear Father, That Thy blessings us attend, But Thy name will e'er be sacred, Should'st Thou woes or joys us send. May Thou still, however, grant us, VVhen our part in life has passed, That Thy mercies still pursue us, When we all come home at last. Words by Lows BLUMBERG. Music by Banca T. SIMONDS. ,ff fumery factory right above me would be opened. At thought of this, I has- tened to the other end of the building and took a chair in Mr. Simonds' office. How clear it all seemed! How strangely it had all happened! Yet how unfair the fates had been, for, al- though they had shown me the future of my classmates, they had failed to fulfill my foremost desire-to gaze upon the new High School. -JOHN M. COMLEY. COMMERCIAL CLASS HYMN 1913 I. Alma Mater, apart were drifting, Unto thee praises we sing: As we hymn thee on departure Tell us, did we honors bring: Now the ebb and How has started Struggle we must with all our might' Success depends upon our efforts, Alma Mater, our guiding light. II. Ever onward thou hast led us From thee we part with sorrow: Onward go our chosen motto Labor,- Today not Tomorrow: Now we thank thee for thy blessings, To thee, whate'er we have, we owe, For thee ever our hearts are pining .As afar from thee we go. III. Hear our voices, now, dear Father, Ringing out in joyous praise, Think of us as thine forever As in song our voices raise: Through life's dark days and sunshine, Into Eternal Life with thee, Thy memories ever with us linger In after life Weill dwell with Thee. Music and Words by JOHN E. DEBARBIEM- T w e n t y

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THE CRITERION the first page of our High School career. The following September gathered us together again as juniors. How glad we were to meet again! VVe started in this year with renewed vigor and early in the year organized as a Class. VVe elected Mr. Hinderer president. A little later we chose a class pin and our class colors, black and gold, as well as our class motto, UHODIE NON CRAS, which means TODAY NOT TOMORROW.,' Our class meetings and good times during the .winter helped to make us better acquainted with our teachers and one another. VVe were enjoyably entertained at the Y. M. C. A. by Mr. and Mrs. Mathias, Miss Curtis and Miss Collins early in the winter. As a social success the winter was quite evident, Our lessons this year were a little more difihcult. It seemed -impossible, at first, to believe that a few queer looking characters called shorthand and made seemingly without theory, could have any sense. It was not long before we were laughing at our stupid- ity for supposing that anything in this age could be impossible. During this year we organized a Literary Club, using our unprepared English period for our meetings. De- bating seemed to be the favorite method of entertaining at these meet- ings, and many distinguished them- selves along that line. Later in the year the Academic Juniors extended us a kind invitation to join them on Junior Day, but be- cause of the inadequate means of join- ing two such large classes, we declined their kind invitation and held our ex- ercises in the open appropriate to the day. It was during this year that many of us, for various reasons, were intro- duced to that pleasant recreation called Study Hour in the Library accompany- ing this institution. If, perchance, that hour was from I2 until I P. M. we were consoled by the fact that we would be on time for the afternoon session at least. Now begins our Senior year, the year of superior dignity CPD and knowl- it is generally termed. XYe suddenly realized that we must make the most of the few remaining months here and the fond school-mates whom we should not distinguish by that fond title much longer. edge, as This year we elected Mr. Owens president, and we all appreciate his earnest and just fulfillment of that office. Early in the year we held a dance which proved a great success, and led us to hold another later in the year, which proved even more successful, both socially and financially. Our lessons this year, though more difficult, were a continuation for the most part of our junior subjects. The Commercial Law Class presented the appearance of a court-room wherein Mr. Mathias, after receiving argu- ments from all sides of the case, dis- posed of it, as the presiding judge. Now enters Commencement to turn the last page in this chapter of our lives. opened three years ago. It will be closed, but never forgotten. Th: Commercial Alumni Association will bring us together from year to year, and keep fresh within our hearts the memory of SchooldaysH and School- Twenty-two