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.

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COMMENCEMENT EXERCISE Commencement night had arrived. Joseph Harlen, the valedictorian of the class, was repeating his speech to himself as he was getting dressed. Being the vale- dictonan of this special class was worth while, as no group of idlers were graduating with Joe. It was this fact that made him whistle after he had finished practicing his speech. Moreover his father had prom- ised him at least a few years in college if he did well in high school. While he was absorbed in getting his tie straight, he heard some one call him. He recognized the voice of his younger brother, and thinking that he only wanted to borrow something of his, Joe continued to dress. Going into his mother’s room for a flower for his lapel. he spied a bottle of perfume on her dresser. Having a notion that he must be perfect tonight, of all times, he took the atomizer and sprayed some per- furne on his tie. His nose fancying the perfume, his eyes ignored it, until, surveying himself in the tall There on his white tie were great splotches of dark. What was that perfume made of, anyway? He tried to wash it off, but it spread. As it was getting late, he called his brother, wanting him to go to the store for him and get the next best tie that he could. But, as was al- ways the case, Joe's brother had disappeared. There was nothing else to do but to go himself. mirror, he gasped with surprise. Quickly slipping on his hat and coat, Joe ran down to the dry groods store where, after dire considera- tion he selected a tie. Reaching home, he hastened up the steps and was about to enter the front hall, when he heard some unfamiliar voices coming from the living room. He stopped and tried to recognize them. but being unsuccessful, he went to the door and pecked in. There was his father, tied to a chair, and his mother was imploring a man with a gun in his hand not to kill Mr. Harlen. Listening to see how affairs were, Joe gathered that this man was his own uncle who had gone insane. Having the false idea that Mr. Harlen had done Mrs. Harlen an injury, he wanted to kill him. Joe's mother was trying to help him get his senses back, but the lunatic would not listen to reason. Joe saw how affairs stood and, catching the eye of his father, motioned him that he would get help immediately. Joe then ran down to the police precinct and got two officers who were able to handle the lunatic. Reaching home, the trio found Mrs. Harlen's pleas just about run out. The lunatic was just going to shoot Joe's father when one of the policemen grabbed the gun, and the other twisted the arms of the sur- prised would-be murderer until he screamed. After the regular excitement had passed, Joe, his father and his mother left for the school. late now, a half-hour after commencement was to be- gin. Reaching the auditorium, Joe rushed up to the room where the graduates were to assemble before marching up to the platform. He was greeted with shouts of welcome, as the commencement would not be a success if there was no valedictorian to stand up for the class. As Joe walked up the aisle, the first of a long row of anticipating boys, he felt a thrill of delight at his evening's work. With a closing such as this, any boy would feel happy. Joe did too. Soon it was Joe's tum to speak. He delivered his valediction, without a flaw. The clapping of the people was so great that his senses seemed to go into thin air. A moment later and he opened his eyes. He had fallen through the bed, and what he thought was the clapping of the people was only the bed falling around his head. With the realization that it was only a dream and that he was still in his freshman year at high school, Joe heard his brother calling him for school. He dressed quickly, but reached school late. Instead of the welcoming of his class, he received only a deten- tion slip. It was very —Hilda Forster.