Central High School - Centralian Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

Page 6 text:

THE JUNIORS. [The historian wishes to place before the public a correct journal of this noble class, without any of that sneering and deriding, that raillery and culogism that are so much indulged in by ignorant Seniors and otnersof unmentionable insignificance. Sophomores and Freshmen ] Introduction. HOW preposterous to think of anybody’s needing an introduction to the Juniors,—to the class of 1900. The fame of the brave class that contemplated giving a ball to the Seniors when the irate treasurer repeatedly said that the class possessed sixty cents, surely that has come to your ears? But come with me —an introduction. He who assumes the attitude of Macbeth, or scans with a pencil until your tired brain whirls, or he who self-assertively possesses the right of way; any one of these is he. And being now able to distinguish him at a distance (usually less than you wish it might be), you enquire,—the origin of this animal? We blush with shame to say that we were once Freshmen. Yet that blush wanes when we look at the examples of that class now before us. We attended to our lessons, not trying to occupy the whole school to the discomfiture of other inmates, but relying wholly upon ourselves and shunning the other classes. We held ourselves aloof from the debilitating and paralyzing influences that they produced not only upon themselves, but upon everyone who came their way. The blush almost fades away when we realize that this first strength of character was the root of our present greatness. When Sophomores we held in memory all that had proven valuable to us in the past, and, being endowed with better developed minds than the present Sopho- mores have, we were enabled to add much more to our already large stock of understanding and scholarship. In this way we shut ourselves away from the vacillating class in advance of us; but, as nearly all animals do, we also sought company, and because we would not allow ourselves to be contaminated with the socialism of the other classes, we took the other alternative; we came back in the afternoon and visited our teachers. This, we afterwards found out helped them wonderfully in preparing the lessons for the next day. So, practically speaking, there are but few of you who do not owe us an everlasting debt of gratitude for having so well instructed your teachers to impart their knowledge to you. But now we are Juniors; we have reached the highest pinnacle that can be attained in High School. In this position we are the loftiest and most envied. Below us, on one side, are the Sophomores,makinga reasonable breach between the Freshmen and us; while, below, on the other side, are the Seniors, widening the breach between us and the Freshmen at college. And as the Seniors begin to sec their littleness quite a good deal, they are more worthy of our near relation than the college Freshies. For where could we have a more disgusting position than to be placed next to the cringing, crawling college Freshmen? Therefore, brethrens and sisturns, let 11s rejoice that we are mighty Juniors.

Page 5 text:

WE THINK. Think how such remarkable people as now compose the Senior class were all once Freshmen. We are the proud possessors of all the wisdom of this enlightened age. Indeed, we know so much that the teachers give us nothing but hundreds, then apologize because they cannot give more. Think not that because we are so brilliant, we are a vain, useless class; for we are not. The art-loving Seniors have formed an Art Club with which to beat the Freshmen into taking drawing. The boys organized the Athletic Association for the promotion of base-ball practice among the teachers. Under such editors-in-chief as Parkinson, Miss Zens, and Gibson, the Luminary has eclipsed the sun and likewise the rays from Brinkman’s countenance. Yea, verily, we are famous abroad. The waves of ora-, tory started in Central, reached Chicago, brought back a medal for Cromer to put safely away. As to the essays written for the Sons of the Revolution—why, they so excelled the others that the judges could not and did not consider them. Alter all this was accomplished the Seniors finally thought that a class would be a good thing. This x'raordinary class did not have the usual Senior fight; ----v. f but calmly elected James E. Gibson, president. The Seniors’ eye for beauty was shown in the class pin selected. As a proof of the deference which is paid to our choice of colors, let it be said that both the Manual and Lincoln High Schools selected the same, realizing that no colors more beautiful could be found. Although the Convention Hall was built for our commencement exercises, nevertheless the Seniors of ’99, the crowning glory of Old Central, had become so attached to the school and had rendered such able assistance to the faculty that they preferred to be graduated in the Assembly Hall, amid the reading of the Declarations ot Independence and beating of tom-toms.

Page 7 text:

Photo by Thomson. opbontorc anb rc5 man £ sscs Photo by Thoiiiw.ii. Hill. Switzer. Warren. Miss Andrews. Miss Stewart. Miss Marsh. Miss Bushey. Miss Dunne. Harry Switzer. - President Miss Lpra Bushey. - Secretary Miss E a Stewart. Critic F.. A. Warren. Miss Birdie Dunne, George Hill. - Vice-President Miss Myrti.k Andrews, - Treasurer Miss Eva Marsh, - Sergeant-at-Arms ' Reporters. Russell. Pugslcy. Morrow. Singleton. Miss Gibson. Miss Swoltord. Miss Brent. Fred Pugslky. • Miss Martha Brent, Miss I.ucii.e Gibson. -Will Singleton. - I.loyd Morrow. Roy Russell. President Vice-President Secretary - Treasurer Reporter