Clifton High School - Rotunda Yearbook (Clifton, NJ)

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change in the girls. Whoever would think of Miss Windhurst with short dresses and her hair in curls? A similar change has come over prac- tically everyone of the other girls. Naturally enough the election of a president of a class of our size was an exciting and interesting one. The honor was given to Mr. Osmund Spaar, who for the first few months performed his duties well. Either growing tired of these duties or the duties becoming too great a task for him, the worthy president sent in his resignation. Mr. Esty was elected to take his place. During that year nothing of importance was accomplished. A com- mittee was appointed to look into the matter of going to Washington in our senior year. The idea was never brought forward again. It seemed that they looked into it but that was all. It was during this year, also, that the colors, purple and white, were chosen as our class colors. The following year the class chose Mr. Bennett as their president. The class colors, as time went on, did not please the class. So, after a great deal of discussion the colors, old rose and gold, were decided upon. But these, too, seemed doomed to be done away with, as again the students were disappointed in their choice. It was during this, our Sopho- more year, that the present colors, dark blue and red, were chosen. The class became somewhat more active during the Junior year, under the leadership of Miss Merritt as president. The pennant for the class was made and placed upon the assembly wall. During this year, several afternoon dances were given in order to increase the amount in the treasury. We succeeded in this, slowly, but surely. Then came the big event of the year—the annual Junior Prom, given in honor of the Seniors. For those who did not attend the dance we extend our sin- cerest sympathy in not being present at such an enjoyable event. It is probable that, for them, the idea of a day free from lessons was as pleasant as the dance itself. The ceiling of the hall was decorated with red, white and blue streamers. The flags of the Allies and our own dear American flag were arranged on the walls. The decorations were en- tirely in keeping with war times. Our class has always seemed to like changes. They never cared to have the same president for any two years. Thus, they elected Mr. Laue to the presidency of our Senior year. Mr. Laue had been vice- president in our Sophomore year with Mr. Bennett, so was therefore well fitted to take charge of a class which was still unruly. The students decided to give up a Senior Prom, and voted a trip up the Hudson as far as West Point to take its place. Our class has always been well represented in the various school activities. We have had the honor of having one of our members, Mr.

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HISTORY OF THE CLASS OF 1919 HE opening day of school in September, 1915, was a day of great commotion at the Clifton High School, for on that day the largest class that had ever entered the high school presented itself at the school entrance. And we might state here that the school has been in commotion ever since. Probably no other class, at least no other that has attended high school during our four years’ stay there, has caused quite as much trouble to the teachers. Our girls, that is certain groups of them, will talk and keep on talking, while our boys will fool and joke. The two senior section teachers certainly would have become gray-haired had we re- mained in school much longer. Anyone who has had occasion at any time to be present at a senior class meeting, realizes that there was prac- tically as much commotion there as on that first day of our Freshman year. This does not sound like a very gratifying recommendation for the class. Nevertheless, it seems true. But to return to the class where we left them, standing at the school entrance. Many, of course, were bashful, and kept to the background, hesitating to make their appearance among our future upper class-mates. But the braver ones, mostly boys, led the way, up to the high school de- partment. The faculty had been “forewarned” of this large crowd of Freshmen which was to sweep over the school; therefore, they had pre- pared the assembly hall for our section room. No ordinary sized room such as those used for section rooms was adequate for us. Naturally enough, we as Seniors laughed at the Freshmen who en- tered the school this past September and February. Probably every senior class before us has done the same thing and every class after us will continue to do it. So it is not strange that we thought ourselves superior to them and considered them very small and very childish. But do we ever consider how we were made fun of by the Seniors of 1916, too? Though it may seem to us that since we have entered high school, we have always been the same as we are now, nevertheless, others have noticed a distinct change in us. We hope that no hard feelings will be caused if we mention several names to illustrate the change that has taken place. One of the faculty has said that every time she looks at one of the Freshmen, Mr. Jackson, she is very much impressed with the resemblance to Mr. Husselrath when he was a Freshman. We all know the size of little Mr. Jackson and also that of Mr. Husselrath at the present time. Many, perhaps we may say the majority of our Freshmen boys were about that same size. Likewise, we must also mention the twenty-nine

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Smolensky, as the pianist in the orchestra for the four years we have attended the shook The majority of the baseball and basketball teams of the past year, consisted of our Senior boys. The whole school is very proud of these teams and thus we can be very proud of our boys. Dur- ing our Sophomore years inter-class basketball games were held. Our girls’ team won the pennant which had been offered to the winners. And recently, Mr. De Rose was given the honor of becoming Editor-in-Chief of the staff of the “Reflector.” Within the last three years of our high school course a number of new students entered our school from other places. Among them have been Mr. Warren, from Bayonne High School; Mr. Otto, from Boston; Mr. Smith, from Newark; Miss Schneeweiss, from Newark, and Miss Merritt from Long Island City. We have all been glad to know them and welcome them among us as class-mates. But alas—alas—how many of those who entered with us have de- parted from our midst? Of this number the two Mullane girls. Miss Melville, Miss Meyer, Miss Elsa Miller, Miss Becker, Miss Angerman, Miss Hughes, Miss Klein and Miss Zimmerman, with others also, have entered business schools, and later the business world. Mr. Spaar and Mr. Esty, our two freshman presidents, also have become men of busi- ness. Among other young men who have left us, are Mr. Frederick, Mr. Amato, Mr. Sturges, Mr. Baliman, Mr. D. Shaw and the Masten Brothers. Miss MacDonald, one of the favorites of the class, moved to Long Island City at the end of her junior year. Evidently the students of the Long Island City High School couldn’t give us one of their mem- bers without taking one of ours in return. The treasurer of our junior year, Mr. Warner, left Clifton to reside in Hackensack. We have all missed him in our work. But one of our number went a farther distance than Mr. Warner. Mr. Sargeant departed for the sunny shores of California. Another one of our girls passed beyond the deep waters. This was Miss Varvaro, who is now living in Rome, Italy. Is it not sad to think that from our original class of over one hundred but thirty- six are graduating with us? Well, at last our career is over in Clifton High School! Though we have never been an “ideal class,” such as the present junior class is said to be, we know that we shall be missed a great deal. For who would not miss us, we who have been the cause of so much nonsense and trouble? But as we are making our farewells, we extend our best wishes for the juniors’ continued success during the last year of their high school life, and we also hope that the rest of the under-classmen will not follow our bad example of causing so much disturbance. A. Clough, Historian. thirty-one