Clifton High School - Rotunda Yearbook (Clifton, NJ)

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THE REFLECTOR

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THE REFLECTOR be mighty hard to tell Mr. Jones you wanted a job in your spare time, or maybe a steady one, if you tried to tell him in arithmetic or spelling? Well, you just couldn’t do it. And suppose Mr. Jones was a very prac- tical business man who’d judge you by your ability to express yourself in your own tongue, leaving your sugared French or Latin to your teachers, who, he believes, would appreciate them more? Then where would you be? Just think over these impossible situations a moment. Rather tight places to be in? Well, they’re far fetched, we’ll grant, but they illus- trate perfectly the point. We must learn to speak, and speak correctly. We must learn how to express ourselves adequately in every situation, for all our lives we are going to have to talk, sell ourselves, so to speak, by impressing others of our value through words. The better we can talk, the higher value will be placed on our lives and the higher value placed on our lives, the more successful will we be. Mr. Jones isn’t going to inquire when he first sees us (that is, in the majority of cases) how well we can do arithmetic, or how well we can spell or speak French or Latin. He will notice, instead, how well we can answer his questions or inquiries. For we never know a thing until we can tell others about it. Our knowledge, then, isn’t worth anything if we cannot express ourselves properly, and, as far as Mr. Jones is con- cerned, we haven’t any knowledge if we cannot express it. SO------Let us take full advantage of this new course and make the most of it, for it will serve us well all our lives. Ellen Phillips, June ’30. Life ( (s OSH, I wonder what pleasures that fellow who sits next to me in I T English class gets out of Life. He seems so serious, so sensitive, 7 so studious, so busy. He seldom laughs, jokes, dances, smokes, or makes 'whoopee.’ Gee, he must be awfully bored with Life.” The above little exerpt is often heard from our young modern high school set. But the quoter is kidding himself. That certain fellow who sits next to the quoter in English class is not bored with Life. Far from it! He is getting just as much enjoyment out of Life as the whoopee-maker is, and perhaps more. He is the person that doesn’t pay in the end. Why? Because he has played fair and clean with Life. He has studied it, and found that Life is serious and just. Abuse it and pay; play fair and reap. Be a whoopee-maker, be a happy-go-lucky fellow but please, do not weep when, as the years roll by, Life says, Now pay me, and with interest.” Al Krause, Feb. ’30. Nine

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THE REFLECTOR Rainy Day Lovers OR many days the sun had shone brightly; there was not a cloud in T the sky, and the earth was bathed in beauty. In her mistress’ wardrobe a pretty green umbrella waited patiently for the sound of rain-drops against the window-pane. She was a pretty thing of sea-green silk, bordered with a stripe of bright carmine. Her handle was a cameo in ivory, and a dainty tassel of deeper green hung jauntily at one side. Early one morning she listened carefully, and to her joy she heard the pitter-patter of rain-drops against the window-pane. Her mistress lifted her gently from her resting place and slipped the loop quickly over her arm. The pretty green umbrella felt a thrill through her whole frame, for was she not going to the office to see once again her lover? After a journey to the big city she arrived at her destination, and her heart leaped for joy as she was slipped into the arms of her lover—the stately, black, finely japanned umbrella holder. He was made of sturdy stuff, strong and fine. On either side was a ring of gold lacquer grasped in the mouths of lions. Well,” said he, I thought you would never, never come. I had al- most decided it would never rain again.” Yes,” whispered she, I was beginning to think I would never see you again. The wind blew so hard coming down the avenue I was afraid my tender frame would not hold out, but here I am, safe and sound. Tell me, what has happened since last it rained and we were together.” Well,” said he, It was very lonely without you. The office-boy in- sisted on filling me with waste-paper, the salesmen almost choked me with cigar-butts, even chewing-gum found its way into my very vitals. This morning, however, I was thoroughly cleaned, and although it is rather dark in this corner, I could catch the sound of rain beating on the roof. And then I had some hope of seeing you again. Hurrah for the rain!” And so, when it does rain, let us remember that the little green silk umbrella and the black umbrella stand are very happy. Alice Borneman, Feb. ’32. The Wizard of Menlow And there in the dark—in the gloom of night— He raised his hand—and his hand held LIGHT. And old men saw through a haze of years, And children laughed and forgot their fears. And knowledge gleamed where voids had been, And wisdom banished the curse of sin. And peace came where his feet had trod— For GOD is LIGHT—and LIGHT is GOD. Vernon Grounds, Feb. ’32. Eleven