Clifton High School - Rotunda Yearbook (Clifton, NJ)

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THE REFLECTOR val- 'IW Reilector Staii : ll:ebruary : June 1933 Editor, lris Brownlee. Literary Editor, Gertrude Smits. Associate Literary Editors, Harry Cooper, Frank Hawthorne, Marian Curtiss, Marjorie Brittain. Re- flections Editor, Ernest Bepko. Associate-Reflections Editors, Joseph Koosman, Edna Grimshaw, Felix Borowsky. Sports Editor, Joseph Moltane. Associate Sports Edi- tors, Joseph Rosensaft, Margaret Bialek. News Editor, Gertrude Donkersloot. As- sociate News Editors, Jean Coleman, Ruth Hengeveld, Marian Bailey, Edith Goet- schius, Elsie Weigand. Art Editor, Sue Leverton. Associate Art Editors, John Herzo, Evelyn Berchart Hermina Schoeppe, Steven Yanko, Benjamin Ciesla, Joseph Weiss, Robert Slough, Olga Belinski, E. Einreinhof. Business Managers, Edel Pet- ricek, Frederick Doherty. Advertising Manager, Andrew Chambers. Assistant Ad- vertising Managers, Jacob Pruiksma, Russel Planck, Marion Wesley. rlvable ol Qontents PAGE PAGE An Interview with the Superintendent 3 Literature ,,,,.,,,,,,,,A,,,.,,,,,,,,, ,.,,,,,,, 3 l The Theme .....,.,......,.................,.,.,.,,...,........,...,...... 5 Literary Projects .....,...,.... ,........ 4- 0 Report on 7th Annual Conference ...... 6 School News ,,...,,.,,..,A,,,,..,,...,.,....,,,, ......... 4 il Special Report of Committee on Law Illustrated Chronology ,....,,.. .,...,... 4 LL Enforcement ...........,...........,.,,...,.....,,................ 8 Athletics ----------ppnn----,',...-,--'-'-Y-.,,--Y -A-..--.. 4 7 Extra-Curricular Clubs ......,t. ,,....... 2 6 Reiqeetiens -e---.----..--t-,,w-W,-.----,,., nutuhhhth 5 3 Annex Student Court ..,,,.... ...,..,,, 2 7 Senior Seetien tnnennnnntttnnnwltn-t'w.---- ttlttull' 5 9 The Teachem Council ----------- --------- 2 8 Patronize Our Advertisers ......... 67 .. 29 Editorials .......,,,......,........t..,.. ......,.. Four s

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THE REFLECTOR WI' -naw An lintcrvicw with the Superintendent HIS YEAR Superintendent of Schools, Mr. George J. Smith, is celebrating the Q twenty-fifth anniversary of his entrance into the Clifton School System. He began his work here in September, 1906, as organizer and teacher in the newly formed high school. Two years later he became Supervising Principal, and when Clifton was incorporated as a City in 1917, he assumed the duties of City School Superintendent. Widely known and respected in educational circles throughout the state and nation, he is noted for his integrity and devotion to the cause of education. He is a member of the New Jersey Council of Education, Department of Superintendence of the National Education Association, and is a charter member of the New Jersey Schoolmasters' Club. Mr. Smith is well known and loved by all the school children of the City, and particularly by the High School pupils with whom he comes in frequent contact. When asked for his opinion on student participation in school government, our Superintendent replied as follows: HParticipation in forming the regulations and rules governing student conduct has been receiving widespread recognition during the past few years. The idea in mind was to develop a spirit of co-operation to inculcate the spirit of obedienceg and to provide conditions similar to those to be met in later life. The principle that good school citizens will make good citizens in the community at a later stage, is the basis for the student-council form of organization, as well as for all forms of pupil participation. To be most successful, the pupils who make up the council must be chosen in a democratic manner, that is, by the pupils as a body or by the pupils organized into groups or clubs, always with the supervision and helpful en- couragement of the teacher. Its chief functions are to correlate the various activities of the school, to promote the school's welfare in all respects, to suggest means for carrying on the daily tasks of school discipline and management, to deal at times with offenders, and to aid in the management of school enterprises. This is a large order. ccWhere wisely carried on, student councils are an asset in the formation of school spirit and in the development of worthy school enterprises. Where they have not succeeded, the failure has been largely due to a lack of interest on the part of the student body, which might mean either antagonism or indifference. 6'However, group control tends toward democracy and must at times suffer some of its ills. At least it places control upon the basis of choosing to do right because of the desire to please the group. At times, even, its mounts to the height of a group decision reached after deliberation. UNevertheless, properly conducted, student participation also tends toward the building of character, the formation of right habits, ideals and attitudes, through a discussion of problems that grow out of immediate experience. When a group sets up its own standards of work and behavior and each lives up to them, sharing re- sponsibilities and making decisions with reference to the good of the whole, we have the best kind of self-government? GERTRUDE DONKERSLOOT. Three

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THE REFLECTOR Veil' .lm THE THEME STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL GOVERNMENT ISITORS and guests of our school invariably comment upon the fine order and the inconspicuous discipline prevailing in our school gbuilding. From the assembly rostrum we have been told again and again that our school rates high among the institutions of the State for its order, its elhcient management, and its splendid upkeep. Our guests from neighboring schools have registered pleased surprise, and expressed unstinted praise for our smoothly running system, our elimi- nation of waste time, and our businesslike checks on delinquents. We students know that the credit for this praiseworthy state of affairs goes de- servedly to our principal, Mr. Nutt, and to his aides, the teachers, and the members of the oliice force. We all agree that Mr. Nutt has rendered the school outstanding service and that he might rightfully Hrest upon his laurelsf, But Mr. Nutt has not been satisfied with all this. It has been his constant de- sire to inculcate the love of order and good discipline in his charges by sharing responsibility with the teachers and the pupils, with the aim of furthering the demo- cratic ideal and of developing in us the primary requisites of good citizenship. This past year has witnessed the formation of the Teachers Council, an advisory body to the principal, enjoying great prestige and respect. The past term likewise is most notable for a serious attempt on the part ofithe students to better the exist- ing pupil agencies through which they may participate in school government. It is characteristic of our principal that when the interest of students in their agencies seemed to wane, he did not shake the students out of their smug complacency. He saw what we never suspected-that any change in student affairs, if it were to be worthwhile and successful-would have to come from the students themselves. Without mentioning a word about his policy he inconspicuously encouraged student initiative and waited for the students to do something about themselves. This issue of The Reflector is an indication that our principal7s policy is bearing fruit. We feel that the time has now arrived and that the students are uwaking up. We decidedly do not desire to convey the impression that things have been going wrong in our school. As we indicated in the beginning of this introductory article, our school always has been considered a model. What we do desire to convey is that while we have been highly rated, we are not satisfied with this. Where we have been good, we are going to be better. Through the liberality of our principal and teachers we have learned the supreme lesson for students-that it is under their wise guidance, and not through our own unsuper- vised devices, that we shall succeed in bettering ourselves. Our school always hasbeen a model. It is going to remain a model, but from now on we are going to think more of it, work harder- for it, and remember it with greater affection and loyalty because it has taught us, in a most democratic manner, that we may have responsibility-if we deserve it, that we may participate more fully in school government-if we are Ht for such participation, and that we may enjoy the great advantage of learning the secrets of true citizenship by practicing it-when we are ready for it. ' THE EDITORS. Five