Cass Technical High School - Triangle Yearbook (Detroit, MI)

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THE TRIANGLE 19 THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH BY HARRY F. ROBERTS, President Senior Class. Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Faculty, and Fellow Classmclltes: We came, we saw, and we conquered is a most auspicious way to begin my speech. Our heads are bloody but unbowed, for we, the forty students sitting below, have just emerged victoriously from a conflict which rivals in flerceness the recent World's War. We en- tered the confiict early in 1916 about five hundred strong, and of that number only forty have survived. The rest were either forced to give way through inability to keep the pace or through other troubles. The former reason was in the majority, although none of those who were dropped will admit it. The pace set was exceedingly hard and only those who worked, and worked with all their might and main, have survived. Because of the stren- uousness of the subjects, only a small percen- tage of the ones who enter finish. This is why the graduates are sought by the prominent business men of the city. I will attempt to narrate some of the trials we were forced to undergo before we were allowed the sacred privilege of graduating from Cass. The faculty planned an attack that Hindenburg, Foch or even Pershing would have found hard to resist. The first year we, a motley crowd of green freshi-es, just out of grammar school, were bombarded with mathe- matics, English, pattern shop practice, drawing and geography. Any two of these subjects would have been suflicient to drive one crazy, but imagine five. We were put in a shop and told to use the band saw, an instrument that is dangerous even to an experienced mechanic. It did not take us long to learn its mysteries, but it wasn't until some one tried to saw some nails, and another tried to saw his fingers, that we learned its dangers. But we rolled merrily through the first year, learning how little we knew. Then came the second year and things began to grow harder. The faculty brought their larger guns into play and forced many more out of the conflict. We were given geometry, chemistry, drawing, forging and English. Most of us, not used to any hard manual labor, were forced to take off our shirts and pound the life out of a red hot iron until we were wring- ing wet. That was forging. We were put in a chemistry laboratory and made to master that demon. Many of us were burned and spoiled our suits and shoes, until our parents asked themselves if it wouldn't be cheaper to send us to school in-coats of armor. But these sub- jects were pie compared to geometry. This subject was the poison gas, machine guns, aeroplanes and U-boats of our Faculty, who slaughtered us right and left. After one year's battle with geometry we lost half our original number, but those of us who survived had the satisfaction of going into the third year. The third year came along and the faculty had used most of their most powerful weapons, and so we were used to them. They started out with chemistry, more geometry, English, machine shop practice and ended with physics and drawing added to the attack. Physics was the only bad one, and most of us had a hard tussle with it. But in our third year we began to enjoy our school work and engage in its activities. The year was far too short and before we realized it we were emerging into our last year. Then we were assailed by all the weapons our faculty could muster. In their frantic de- sire to disable us they launched trigonometry, solid geometry, history, physics and English. Naturally we had a hard time this year, but we were used to working, so we overcame all these with the exception of physics. Here they attempted to tell us that boiling water was a cooling process and that when water is turned to ice it gets warmer. Here we fought tooth and nail with every theory that seemed groundless, and here we lost some of our veterans. Before we realized what had hap- pened we were formed in a class and told to organize and get ready for graduation. Then we began to regret leaving that institution which for four years has been our home. As we stand on the threshold of the world, we feel the pang of leaving our faculty, who have transformed us from green freshies into men, actually ready to assume the responsi- bility of our own well-being. We feel as though we are leaving behind our best friends, our protectors. And in behalf of the grad- uating class of 1920, I wish to thank all the members of the faculty for what they have done. Words cannot express our gratitude. As we emerge into the world, we will be confronted by three vital factors, which will control our destinies. Our conditions of living will be measured by the way we meet these. The question of a job is the first factor-to the individual perhaps the most important, the duties of a citizen is the next-this is the most important to the community and almost as

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THE. TRIANGLE RAYMOND W. VOIGT The name above this paragraph will remind many peo- ple of a luxury of long ago. But to get down to business, this picture is an exact reproduction of the features of Raymond W. Voigt, a very industrious student at Cass. His Hrst squeal was stifled in Detroit, June 26, 1901. After dabbling in the Lillibridge and Ives grammar schools for four years, the happy thought that he might become a second Thomas A. Edison struck him, and he decided that, as Cass was the best school to learn in, he would come here. His mind is bent in the direction of chemical engi- neering, but if he doesn't stop playing with high explosives in chemistry .his mind will be bent the other way. Ray- mond intends to take a course of Chemical Engineering at the U. of M. BENJAMIN D. WAECHTER Benjamin D. Waechter was precipitated upon this noble planet of 'ours in the vicinity of Detroit proper on December 17, 1902. At the age of six he became so troublesome around the house that his folks were forced to send him to Estabrook school. He took quite a liking to that school and stayed there four years. During his fourth year, he began telling the teachers a few things, and, consequently, was graduated. He had heard so much about our lunch room that he decided to come here to school. When you talk to him about his first year at Cass he askes you if you remember the time when dogs were three cents per. But now, after taking all that Cass can give him, he wants to bother the U. of D. for a few years. He expects to work during the summer and enter the University in the fall. NATHAN WEINGARDEN Nate was born in the town of Antonioka, Russia. When at the age of eight he realized the need of modern educa- tion in world affairs, and as the Czar did not want to es- tablish a school in Antonioka, he decided to leave for America, where schools are plentiful. He inevitably ar- rived in Detroit, and attended an assortment of schools and graduated from the Washington in June, 1916. He entered Cass in the following September. VVhile Wein- garden has not joined any athletic doings, he has followed them faithfully and is at present a member of the House of Representatives. He is an editor of the Joke department of the TRIANGLE. After graduating he- will take up Civil Engineering at the U. of M. CLEMENT WOLF Clement Wolf was born in Beautiful Ohio. The peace- ful little town of Warren was suddenly disturbed on the 15th of January in 1902, when he made known his arrival. Warren was honored with his presence till 1908, when he thought he would come to Detroit and compete with Henry Ford, but after arriving in Detroit he changed his mind and decided he needed an education first. Clement finally persuaded the faculty of the Thomas school to let him enter. One year was enough so he returned to Warren, where he managed to crawl thru the other seven years of his grammar schooling. After completing the eighth grade he didn't think the Warren High School was high enough so in January, 1916, he came to Detroit and entered Cass. For the last two years he has been debating what he should do after graduating but hasn't decided yet.

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20 THE TRIANGLE important as the first factor, then last, but not least, is the individual's mastery of himself. The job chosen should be one into which our natural ability fits perfectly. Because in so choosing, we can do our work with double the energy, double the spirit, and double the re- turn to our fellow-workers. The job chosen should pay a living wage, for if the wages received are not, our fellow-workers will suffer, and this will cause a discontent. A well-known New York banker was recently quoted as saying, All men who have the right to vote and do not exercise that right, should be cast into prison. 'lhis sentiment is abso- lutely in accord with our principles of Amer- icanism. Any man who shirks his military duty in times of war is cast into prisong then why shouldn't the man who shirks his peace duty pay a similar penalty? The lack of in- tense patriotism, and intense Americanism, is responsible for the turbulent times that we are passing through. Corrupt men are con- tinually being elected to hold public offices, because a large number of the citizens do not vote. An example of this is the celebrated Vic- tor Berger case. An enemy of his country, both in time of war and peace, he has been elected to the House of Representatives five times, in defiance of the efforts of the Govern- ment to oust him. The question is, who elected him? I know, you know, and the whole coun- try knows, but if the loyal citizens of Mil- waukee do not wake up and vote, we are powerless to act against those who elected him. We, the graduates, will endeavor to combat these evils. We will vote on voting days. We will fight for clean politics. We will be zeal- ous in our patriotism. A good example of tenacity is seen in the Socialist Darty. The Socialist party is composed of about one hun- dred and thirteen thousand members, and the United States about one hundred and ten mil- lion people. That leaves about one hundred and nine million, eight hundred thousand peo- ple who are not Socialists. But why is the Socialist party so strong and so feared at elections, and so much talked about? Why do politicians hesitate to alienate their votes? The answer is, their tenacity to do things make them feared. If every American citizen were a Theodore Roosevelt, we should be an ideal Americanized nation. The old saying is that if a man is true to himself, he will be true to his family and to his country. Every man should try to master himself and not until after he succeeds in doing this should he try to lead others. Until a man knows himself, it is useless to try to know others. Conceit is the worst enemy of success. To overcome conceit, put down what you think you are, subtract what you really are, and the remainder will be the cause of all your troubles. President Wilson's advice, Live by enthusiasm, don't be driven by neces- sity, and if you fail make failure a stepping stone, is perhaps the best way to gain the mastery of one's self. As the largest class to graduate from Cass, and the first one to leave the new building, we will take advantage of the four years prepara- tion given to us, to prove ourselves worthy of the school which we will always be proud to claim as our Alma Mater. ROGUES' GALLERY Class Giant ......................... Schimmel Class Midget .... ..... V irtue Class Clown .... .... S klover Noisiest Guy .... ......... S haw Class Artist ..... .... H olzhauer Class Songster .... ......... C happell Class Poet ...... Broniszewska Best Natured .... Best Dancer ..... ..........Ash ...A. L. Lake Biggest Fusser ..... ..... M ayer Class Philosopher .... ..... G ebala Most Inquisitive .... .... B arbas Class Pest ............ . . .Bloom Most Likely to Succeed .... .... S tirton Thorough Gentleman.. .... I.1'Hote Class Wise Guy ....... ..... D orb Class Beau Brummel.. .... Fickett Best Athlete .......... ....... R osen Class English Fiend... ..... Lightbody Class Tough .......... ....... G reen Class Chauffeur ..... .... S tormzand Class Apollo ........ ........ W olf Class Grub Hound... ..... Mlchalski Class Soloist ........ .... W eingarden Class Farmer .......... ...... P lauman Class Walter Johnson.. .... Thurman Class Nightmare ....... .... M cllveen Class Modest Man .... . . .Petroskey Class Ananias ...... .... R oberts Class Giraffe ...... .... W aechter Class Chaperon .... ........ A llen Class Snoozer ........ .... G urewitch Class Literary Man .... ...... E lliott Class Runt ......... .... F orman Hardest Worker ...... ...Haberer Class Mummy ......... .... V oigt Class Philanthropist ..... .... B ennett Class Math Shark ..... ..... L ake Handsornest Guy HJ .. .... Jordan