Central High School - Aglaia Yearbook (Manchester, NH)

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8 Hobbies By WALTER ZEKOS The dictionary defines a hobby as a favorite pursuit. It is a rather vague defini- tion. Can we broaden it? The diversity and eccentricity of hobbies are amazing. Hobbies fall under a number of categories. They may be amusing, educational, entertaining, body- building, explorative, or time-killing. The majority fall under the time-killing classif- ication. They are time-killers simply because the dilletante mood is so prevalent. This mood has come to be, chiefly because the pursuers are interested in only one aspect of the subject. For example, a philatelist is only aware of the fact that his collection is worth money or that it is superior to a rival's. If he only knew the story behind each stamp, he would be in possession of an amazing amount of history. Because a hobby is often the expression of an innate desire, it often is the pursuer and not the pursued. That is to say, a hobbyist often realizes the extrava- gance, the uselessness, the fatality of his quirk, but his mind allows him no peace until he has temporarily assuaged it by oc- cupying himself with his diversion for a time. M. H. S. ORACLE Upon the hands of the multitude time lies heavy. What can they do? Oh, there are so many things to do. But they all call for an expenditure of effort. By a method of elimination they are discarded one by one until the one calling for a minimum of effort and possessing the maximun amount of agreeability is lit upon. But alas and alack, those things that call for a minimum of effort are unproductive of anything that gives a lasting satisfaction. Another factor that serves as a detriment toward the achievement of lasting pleasure is the fact that interest in a subject often wavers before it has waxed to the point where a complete understanding is reached. One often believes that he would like to do this or that if he were given the opportunity. Provided the opportunity, he finds that closer acquaintance merely brings out the disagreeabilities. For th-is reason many a person lacks a hobby and admires the person who has one which imparts zest to his life. What those who have no hobbies must be brought to realize is that deep at- tachment to any object can only come through knowledge from long acquaintance. A Passport By ANGELO SCANDALIS Listen, boys and girls. Did you ever get a passport? No! Well, there is nothing to it. All you need is a doctor, a corporation lawyer, an act of Congress, and your birth certificate. You can be President of the U. S. A. much easier. When we arrived fFred Cycle and lj, a bald-headed man handed us a piece of paper the size of a bed sheet and told us to fill it out. The questions went something like this: Were you born? If so, why? Are you white, colored, or Eskimo? Married, single, or divorced? If not, when? Are your tonsils in or out? State number of operations- major, minor, or E Hat? Are you troubled with gout? Where does your next meal come from? Do you play the saxophone? We no more had this maze straightened out than a man told us to have our pictures taken. When we reached the street, I said, It seems ridiculous that we should have to

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o l IANUARY AGLAIA Tho Conqueror By ROGERS BLOOD As he entered, a burst of applause greet- ed his appearance. All eyes were focused on the figure before them on the platform. All ears strained to catch the first words of his speech. There he' stood with his boney hands firmly clasping the rostrum. He was dressed in a Held-gray uniform and the iron cross hung loosely from his pocket adding a mili- tary air to his presence. As he leaned slightly forward to speak, the tumult of the hall be- came hushed and a vibrant silence filled the atmosphere. Before him stretched the endless sea of upturned faces. Behind him, draped from the lofty rafters, hung a great flag, resplendent in its vivid hues and shades. His first words were slow and scarcely audible yet an eerie, magnetic force centered all eyes upon him. Words began to How. The small figure became a human dy- namo. His tanned face glowed as he poured out an inexhaustable stream of words. His eyes Hashed as if the ancient fires of old were being rekindled in the recesses of his glowing orbs. An occasional outburst of emotion in- terrupted the fiery oration. Then it came like ll thunderbolt from the blue. War has been declared but the Fatherland will return vict- orious from the fray. Silence filled the room for a moment. Then a tremendous ovation shook the building. The die is cast. The dictator has spoken. Call From Tho Uffioo By IANET ROLLINS The telephone rings, all in the classroom hold their breath, each member dreading a summons to the: office. The teacher picks up the receiver, says Room 14, listens, 'and then turns slowly to glance over the entire room. 7 A breathless silence develops while she hangs up the receiver and turns to the class. Each member of the class feels his heart beat quicker and in his mind he goes back over the last few days. Black thoughts fill his mind as well as bright ones. There was the time he threw a book at Tom, had Tom told? Then again there was a time he had skipped school, had he been seen swimming? But wait, the teacher is going to speak. Her first words are, We will now turn to page lO7.,, There is a great sigh and a chorus of squeaks as the tense pupils relax and lean back in their chairs. It was just a call for the teacher. 'Pho 'Pops Aro Tops By GEORGE CLARK Maybe our students think they are art- ists. They must be, judged by the tops of the desks in our high school. Is the art modern? Well, if modern art is defined as something you have to puzzle over and never quite understand, it certainly is. The masterpieces are connected with personal affairs, clues, or hints to tests, and many a written flirtation has started on desk tops. To look at certain tops one would think they were registers, but, of course, it is only another convenience or pleasure bestow- ed upon the high school student so that he may enjoy himself when he has a few spare minutes. lf you have never thought of tops before, why don't you just take a jaunt through some of the rooms of the old building and see for yourself? Students, don't let this matter concern you, because it started before your time, and I suppose will continue long after you arc forgotten.

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IANUARY AGLAIA go through all this just to take a trip to Haiti. If I had known I would have gone to Flori- da. The passport photographer's studio was an old tumble down shack, covered in dust. The photographer, with long black hair and an inflated nose placed us before a Brownie, climbed under a horse blanket, and squeezed a string on the end of the hose. When our photographs arrived, I thought I couldn't tell whether I was Captain Bligh or the father of Frankenstein's monster. As for Fred, he looked like a cross between Bar- ney Google and something that lives in a tree. We then returned to the passport office to have the valentine pasted on the question- naire. The man took one look at our portraits and promptly made us hold up our right hands while he recited Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. I guess that he took us for aliens. After that, he charged us ten dollars each, and the passports were sent to Washington to be pass- ed by Congress. Four days later we were presented with the passports, signed by the President, the Secretary of the Navy, I. Edgar Hoover, and Ioe Humphreys. They contained enough red and gold seals to incorporate a Nevada gold mine. Proudly llshamed By ELAINE HOFFMAN I have always been interested in athlet- ics. I had hopes that when in high school I would be able, in some way, to excel on one of its athletic teams. But soon I found out that Central High School was not interested in the athletic abilities of the feminine sex. As I come from an athletically-inclined family, I naturally wanted to participate in something. But along came Squint. Who's Squint? Why, he's my little brother who has always teased me about my athletic lean- 9 ings. He entered high school and went out for football, which was no novelty in our family, and made the freshman team. But soon he was transferred to the big team! Before he had entered high school, I had always argued with him about my athletic ability and finally ended by telling him that he wouldn't make out so well athletically himself. Now he doesn't say anything, but he gives me those I told-you-so glances once in a while that make me furious. It bothers me a little to have a youngster out-class me, so to speak. But he is a brother and I suppose I am really proud of him-a fact I would never let him suspect, for he has put me to shame. I'm still grateful and I'm joyful and hoping for him to do greater things-Yes! I'm proudly ashamed! Granny Pays Her lleht By IRENE PARENTEAU Don't stop in there now, Beth, the girls cried. You'll miss the hike! Beth hesitated. If only Ild known a- head of time that you were going, I'd have run in at Granny's this noon, she told them. But surely you needn't see Granny every day, Ann complained. After all, she isn't your real grandmotherf' No, but she counts on my coming, Beth said slowly. You go ahead, and I'll try to get out early and catch up with you. She ran up and entered Granny's house Without knocking as Granny couldn't hear a knock anyway. Hello, Granny! she shout- ed to a little lady who was rocking as she pieced together a quilt. Ganny looked up. It's Beth! she said. Come sit down, dear, I'll get you a bite to eat. After she had eaten, Beth sat in a low chair beside the old lady, listening to the tales of Granny's youth. It was almost dark when Beth left the house and went home.