Champaign High School - Maroon Yearbook (Champaign, IL)

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chores, there was little out of the ordinary to characterize the remainder of the quarter. School, of course, had become very much on the beam with the Weekly hops held on the Friday recreation hour and the boys and gals making the most of the opportunities of- fered for relaxation. The Club Coed-the high school youth's special part of the Mc- Kinley Y, M. C. A.-and the Hi-Y Club, reorganized and functioning as a socializing unit, both contributed a share in making out- of-school life pleasant. And these, with the other provisions for relaxation. kept everything on an even keel until the Easter vacation rolled around on March 29 with all classes dismissed until April 3. A warm sun-hidden so long by the drab winter-returned to add to the pleasantness of school days, and it was with a great deal of enthusiasm that the gym classes returned to the open for play on the outdoor grounds. Touch football immediately became a popular sport, superseding basketball and wrestling-which, in spite of records of out- standing seasons, had become threadbare to both the participants and spectators. Coaches of these sports, along with the directors of the girls' Htness programs, found the change an opportunity to try out candi- dates for baseball, although again, as in past seasons, the lack of competition from nearby schools made it impractical to organize for league play. By early April, the dramatists were again busy with rehearsals with the determination to make the spring play, scheduled for April 27, an outstanding event in the school calendar. Most of the cast chosen for the play, as well as the director, had been exceedingly busy during the preceding month when, as district winner in the l944 speech contest, the school was host to the contestants. With interest at top point, and under the direction and training of Miss Stuart. taking high hon- ors was a foregone conclusion, with no one doubting the final decisions made by the judges. It was the unanimous opinion that Barbara Patterson should continue in this particular field. But the dramatists were by no means alone in hanging out the busy sign at re- hearsal time. Both choirs under the direction of Miss Harland and the Troubadours with Miss Rose as leader, turned special attention to practice for the annual opera scheduled for May ll. And there was every reason to believe that the opera would excel the performance of the The Maroon previous year when this type of entertain- ment wasloffered at the senior high school for the first time in many years. Much of the credit for the return of vocal music to favor at the senior high school must be given to Miss Rose and Miss Harland, and the two special singing groups-the Trouba- dors for boys and the Vocalettes made up of girls-did offer a very fine addition to the entertainment offered by high school youth. The vocalists, however well they pleased. did not by any means monopolize the enter- 19

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Barbara Patterson, in her usual typical manner, added ample sarcasm to the production as the blind date. Others in the cast were Bill Paul who played the part of the shingle infested Dutch: the all-round pal-although slightly on the dull side-played by Chuck Condon: the runt of the group who was always excited and nosey-and the unlucky holder of the blind date -Warwick Brown. - Warwick appeared for the first time on the stage in this play, taking the part of Chuck, and was a delightful surprise. Harvey Hunt portrayed the spirited old grad, while Suzanne White took the part of the dumb blonde. Joanne Becker had the role of the tall and beautiful Ethel, Kenneth Johnson took the part of Bud Hooper. Bertram Wagner the role of hard-boiled manager of the actress, Keith Knott was Chester, Jean Potter played the role of Helen, and Jean Karva portrayed the chaperone. Although Wig and Paint had no further performances scheduled until the Spring play set for April 27, a number of special casts were called upon for performances at Christmas time. entertaining a much delighted audience at the annual pre-holiday assembly, as well as present- ing several programs to strictly community groups. The same organization was likewise responsible for presenting stunt shows in both Janu- ary and February, and was due for a major role in the opera set for May ll. Classes resumed after the Christmas vacation on Wednesday, January 3, with the weather- man acting up and offering chilly blasts in abundance to make life more difficult. It was but a short time until the students were back in the groove-- and while more than a little excited about basketball and the prospects of taking that state crown - for the most part, faculty warnings that examinations were just ahead had a sobering effect. And well they might-for the semester examinations, starting January 25 and ending three days later, were something not soon to be forgotten. The one bright spot of the season came on the evening of January 27 when the Baton and Treble Clef clubs combined to stage the traditional Vice Versa dance. Although the la femmes again did the squiring, complete from corsages to cab, the clubs bowed to popular ap- peal for a strictly formal dance. As such, it rated supreme. The start of the second semester on January 29 brought one new teacher to the faculty. Mr. Shere, for the past four years in charge of the newswriting classes and sponsor of the pub- lications, tendering his resignation because of health. Plans were announced as indefinite al- though he accepted part time employment at the News-Gazette, planning to leave in early summer for the west coast. The semester was but one day old when again the report cards were distrib- uted, giving the results of the previously held examinations, and permitting a few of the probation seniors to move up to full fledged standing with the possibility of graduation. For the remainder of the quarter. bas- ketball continued to be the all-consuming topic with every student solidly behind the team. With classes dismissed for Lincoln's birthday as a brief relapse from class room 13 The Maroon

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tainment offered by the high school musicians. The bandsmen under the direction of Mr. Ri- ley and the string ensemble with Mrs. Lorraine Bayes as leader, likewise contributed a share. with the annual stage show and the May 4 music festival attracting attention as headliners. But the coming of shirt sleeve weather made school a bit trying and study was difficult to hold at a normal rate. Even at the shops where life moved along at a pleasantly agreeable pace, there were signs of restlessness. This was especially true of both the aircraft wood classes- the only course of its kind offered by any high school in the United States and where gliders were constructed for actual flying-and in the printing laboratories. It was quite evident that the instructors were watch- ing the warm and balmy sun with considerable anticipation. Both Mr. Applegate and Mr. Geist, together with Mr. McBride of the commercial department, Mr. Clark and Mr. Fuqua. mathematics, frankly admitted the longing to get up into the air as quickly and as often as possible, All live had been dyed in the wool flying addicts, suggesting the modern trend that was engulling their interests along with teaching. l The shops, despite the irreplaceable loss of Mr. Homer Dremann who did not return to senior high this year, were able to report better than average progress in work throughout the , ,, l year. There had been a bit of shuffling necessary-with three of the department members shar- ing the load-to absorb the architectural and mechanical drawing classes taught by Miss Grace Wilson who is on leave of absence to serve in the WACS. And short supplies in some of the critical materials had made it necessary to place new emphasis upon other features of the wood and electrical courses. But by and large, the department carried on, meriting the approval of the state vocational department. Three members of the industrial education faculty, however, were responsible for no lit- tle scandal when, attending a national vocational conference at Philadelphia, they wandered into a restricted area and had photographed sections of a shipyard. Held by the FBI as possi- ble saboteurs, the trio was finally released and absolved of all suspicion. 20 The Maroon