Central High School - Cog N Pen Yearbook (Newark, NJ)

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= E г WD і == (CL —Á TI шва: I Іш КЕСЕ (ium — DISILLUSIONED! By Frieda Halpern Walter Dunly entered Morton High School with too confident an air, considering that he was just a freshman. It seemed as if Walter had quite a queer conception of what high school meant. To him it ap- peared at first like a place where one needed to work but. very little and still to be granted many privileges. (Of course he was a freshman, for how could any- one else have such preposterous thoughts!) Never fear, though, Walter was soon to be disillusioned! Due to all the wandering about that Walter did while looking for the room where he had been di- rected, he learned quite a bit about the school build- ing. But sorry to say, only about the building. After waiting hours as it seemed to him, Walter, armed with a schedule and books commenced his high school career. z Although lessons were begun at once, the kind- hearted teachers dealt very gently with the freshmen, knowing how new and timid they felt amidst their new Little by little, however, the comers were put to work. Walter gave no thought whatsoever to this, having set his mind upon studying only where it was abso- lutely necessary. One day, shortly after the term had begun, he entered his Civics class with no idea at all of what the lesson dealt with. (It might be added here that due to the above facts, Walter was looked surroundings. new- upon as quite an important personage among the fresh- men). Oh, thought poor Walter, “if only the one in front of me would sit still, the teacher might forget that I'm in the room. But no, the boy in front of him persisted in wriggling about in his seat. Poor foolish Walter! Imagine a teacher not knowing which of the students were or were not present. These thoughts were soon interrupted when the teacher, speaking in a clear and distinct voice said: Walter Dunly, will you tell us the reasons for establishing city governments?” Walter only stood and listened. “Why Walter, surely you must know the answer to that question. It was very clearly defined in the chapter assigned for your homework.” The only answer that Walter had was, “I am un- prepared. “I am afraid that you are not starting your studies as a student should, so for tomorrow, besides doing the assigned homework, you will hand me, written out five hundred times, “I must prepare my lessons every . day. Remember, added the teacher, “this is all for your sake only. Thus it was that Walter's first vision of what high school meant was completely shattered.