Charlotte High School - Witan Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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Welcome Back Walter T. Enright Dramatics Director We would like to take this opi»rtunity to welcome Mr. Enright hack after a year’s leave of absence, studying in the Department of Drama at S ale University. Mr. Enright came to Charlotte High School in 1930, directly from the University of Rochester where he had majored in English and had hecn received in- to the honorary fraternity Phi Heta Kappa. He taught English and Dramatics lure for three years lx fore leaving tor Vale. Since returning he is conducting dramatics activi- ties on the largest scale ever attempted at Charlotte High School. Personally, he combines the respectable dignity and severity of the teacher and scholar with a spirit of fellowship and a sense of humor which belie his gray hair, so that at times he seems almost to secure the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde effect. He is really a man of cliangeable personality and one's conception of him would depend largely upon how well one knew him. He likes most sports: tennis, bas- ketball. ice skating, swimming; dislikes golf. In many of these he is disgustingly proficient for an English teacher. Whether it Ik to impress the cast, to fortify his dignity, or to guard against a cold response from the audience, lu never gets a haircut from the time he starts rehearsal until he finishes a play. Then when he walks in with his shirt collar in plain sight again one lias difficulty recognizing him. He likes certain movies as well as certain plays and dislikes others just as intensely. pparcntly lie prefers solitude even to New York, which lie endures merely for the sake of its stage. His popularity with the pupils can be at- tested in many ways. You need only hear flu joyous response which greets his announce- ment of. Rehearsal every night next week. and yon have heard something 1 haven’t heard. However, lie secures their cooperation and flu concensus of opinion among those who know him is that lie is a regular fellow al- most good enough to be one of them. If you don’t believe that, you should get to know him better. Charlotte Xuimtoriu.m

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Our Government (Continurd from page twnty-onf) councils this term was that of the Northern Light, our former school paper. Although no definite plans have lieen divided upon, the councils are working hard to procure a school newspaper again. The raising of money for the Memorial Scholarship Fund presented quite a problem both this year and last, hut the councils spon- sored a drive in which our assigned quota was doubled, because of the fine cooperation of the students. The latest plan introduced by tin Councils was the Awards Night. A banquet was held at school and was open to all students. Cer- tificates of merit were presented to many .stu- dents and Rev. V. I7. Chauncey addressed the group. Robert I.aFave acted as chairman of this affair. It is hoped that Awards Night will Income a tradition of the school. Phyllis Wolz, Secretary of Executive Council - ----------------- News Staff “The man didn’t say . . . . ” Gone forever is this expression from the vocabularies of many Charlotte pupils. They have learned through months of service with the Charlotte News Staff that one should re- port upon a news assignment completely cquipj ed with facts, and that the man inter- viewed cannot Ik? blamed for not answering questions lie has not been asked. Formed through reorganization of the old Publicity Committee, the News Staff has been functioning quietly, and efficiently, since last September, with headquarters in room 101-A. The news sources within the school have l ccn charted, and the school has been divided into heats, which the reporters cover weekly. The stories are submitted to city newspapers, and to the Greece Press, which prints three columns of Charlotte news every two weeks, under the title The Charlotte Sentinel.’’ Members of the News Staff are: Helen Harper. Eleanor Allen. Rose Bailey, Olive Gemming, Robert I.aFave, Montrose Shea, Elaine Kolmetz. Howard Burritt, Cornelius Rogers. The first five named received service awards this spring. The adviser is Mr. Miller. -----.----»»♦ The Hi- Y Club at Charlotte Hi-Y has given little indication of activity during the past year. Regular meetings or other projects were unpopular l ccausc of the other activities of the members, so the Hi-Y took a subordinate position. However, two additions in membership, a series of col- lege discussions led by alumni of colleges, and the adoption of a constitution helped to make the year profitable. Visual Aid Organization CHARLOTTE HIGH 5CH00L wnwrmNn v IHSTKVCVOH KADfO CLU H ■ , f, 4 v..,no VISUAL A|D CORPS CUAffAG MOt'SE «V ok UiDmIm rim, .W y.i, i fl l ■4«. •1 n«M -V 4« ■ ». - V.'U IVHSrVIBREB

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Back Stage The Dramatics classes have in the pa t year produced seven one- act plays in assemblies and one after school. They have tried to put the principles learned in class into practice in these plays and were in most cases fairly success- ful. Kaeh play was followed by a ] eriod of criticism and discussion The reasons for its success or fail- ure we noted and in this way the errors were prevented from recur- ring:. But perhaps I should tell first of some of the preparation necessary for one of these plays, aside from rehearsal, the need for which is obvious. Each play had a series of pro- duction crews whose duties were varied. The building crew, meet- ing several weeks before the per- formance. built the scenery and any special props which might have been necessary. The paint crew then converted the scenery and every- thing else in the immediate vicinity to the color desired by the director, rite prop crew and costume crew meantime had been collecting and lairrowing such furniture, articles of clothing and admonitions not to “let anything happen to this” as re- quired. The light crew and stage crew then started work; the stage crew at learning the position of the scenery and how to move it. the building crew and everyliody else stood by and prayed that it would last until the play was over) and the light crew placing and adjusting the spotlights so as to light the stage best and most completely blind the actors. The stage manager had been busy prompting in the everlasting rehearsals and in learning the sets, props, and many cases even the lines of the play by heart. At last after a short hour or less the play was over, except for the criticism and our loyal director could, if he was lucky, go home and rest for a few days before work for the next play started. Many dramatics pupils feel that this course is more fun. more in- structive, and more hard work than any other course that they have ever taken.