Clifton High School - Rotunda Yearbook (Clifton, NJ)

Page 26 text:

THE REFLECTOR wo ,W language live. We don't know if there was any foreboding in that motto, but surely, from all the Latin classes there must be enough pupils in- terested in gaining assistance outside the class in a novel and interesting a manner as that offered by a Language Club. The French Club was active in '31, and it even presented a French play in the assembly. Activities of that group skipped a year until we heard that they had presented a marionette show at an interesting meeting. We remember seeing a large group at that meeting. We haven't heard from them since. French-the smoothly-speaking tongue, the language of the lovers, a popular modern language-Come on, you Frenchies of the classes. Allons, mes enfants! We haven't heard from an active Spanish Club since ,29 also. Then, the organization was known as El Circulo Castellano. Mr. john Dishian is very much concerned about organizing such a group, and anyone in- terested, as there should be, may see him about it. Maybe you'll be president. We pounce with determination upon the Honor Society. Of all the clubs in the school, this one should know best how to be active. The calibre of the mental capacity that the members of this group are required to possess should be an advantage over other organizations as regards crea- tive ability. If the Honor Society, which is supposed to represent the cream of the crop in the highest exponent of intellectual life, cannot create any ideas for interesting meetings and projects, then how can any- one expect any other club in the school to be anything but the well known QQHOPU. The Press Club had excellent sponsors. We must admit it was the lack of co-operation from the students that caused it to fall through last term as an active project. So this challenge is directed mainly at those who are interested in writing, but who evidently don't want to do any- thing about it: Do you think your education for anything at all in life should be handed to you on a silver platter? Have you nothing in you to make you teach yourself? Are you afraid to taste some practical work in schoolv which the Press Club would be in a position to give you? Or do you think you are not mature enough to do some practical writing in High School? You may be able to fool yourself at present, but in later life you will miss that practical foundation that is offered you in High School in the form of organizations that can give you an inkling of what to expect when you graduate. The downfall of the Math Club was also caused by the lack of in- terest of students, we are sorry to say, and we cannot understand this peculiar attitude of the pupil of today. The commercial club was once a prominent organization of the school. Why this club ever lost itself is quite unexplainable. Students will not realize until it is too late that memories, in the future, of High School days are not based primarily upon class acquaint- ances. Those memories bring back recollections of hard work, and some- Twenty-two

Page 25 text:

THE REFLECTOR yu IN As The Editor Sees It WHY AREN'T THESE CLUBS ACTIVE? HAT was the cause of the discontinuance of the YN language clubs? Why isn't the Honor Societyias A V active as its quality of members might make it? Q P 'X Where is the Press Club which once had possibilities l A x of developing a fundamental training for future X journalists? Why was the Math Club done away ,D with after it had been so successful in putting out 'X mathematicians better than classwork could develop, 'iii with the aid of supplementary study? Why did the History Club relax after having begun that series of interesting lectures? Where is the Commercial Club which once had such interesting programs of outside speakers and helped the commercial students in their work? We should like to know what became of these clubs, which, when in existence, were apparently very beneficial to the school. We should like to see each and every one of them brought back into being, as there could not have been any truly serious obstacle to keep them from performing their excellent work. Looking back through school records, we find these clubs were once very prominent in the social life of the school. The present state of affairs may be the fault of che students. Now, with permission to go home after their last class, interest in extra-curricular activities has lagged. Only those ambitious ones who really like school and who understand what these extra activities represent Hnd it Worth their while to stay until the end of seventh period to participate in the social life of the school. The clubs of the school are the strongest links whereby groups of students are kept in contact with each other. In some cases, failure of a club may be due to an inactive sponsor. The disinterest of a sponsor will show almost immediately upon the mem- bers of an organization. An original, intelligent, wide-awake sponsor will not let a group of willing students with intention lose interest. First, let us consider the language clubs: In 1929, we see the Latin Club revived after a depression, under the name of Classica Sodalitasf' Of all things, the complaint was that it was hard to get members because of the fancy name. After a term of good work, it fell away again. In 1931, the club was re-organized as Nostrum Concilium Latinumf' The motto of the organization was Vivat Lingua Latina or May the Latin Twenty-one

Page 27 text:

THE REFLECTOR VN IW times more unpleasant thoughts. But the Organizations in the school, we may look back at them and recall the happy days of diversion spent at meetings, planning and doing things. We recall many more friends through a pleasant association than through some unpleasant experience such as receiving those gas-billsv in Latin or Math. So with a kindly and helpful thought for the underclassmen in particular, we urge each one of you to join at least two organizations of Clifton High School. You will never regret having done so. THE DEDICA TION ESERVING indeed is A Deane Nichols of the dedi capacity of assistant to Walter F Nutt our princi pal he pursued his arduous activities to the detri ment of his health Recovering slowly but surely Mr Nichols is expected to be able to return to school in September. Mr. Nichols has been kind enough to supply us with facts concerning his life. His career is a notable and distinguished one, and we are happy to relay the high spots of it. Arrol Deane Nichols was born at DeRuyter, New York, December 22, 1892. His education included courses at the Utica School of Com- merce fSecretarial coursej Utica, New York, School of Accounts, Com- merce and Finance, New York University, B. C. S. degree. Experience in the commercial field came as instructor in Keystone Academy, Factory- ville, Pennsylvania, Business Department-1914 to 1918. QI-lead of de- partment 1917-1918J. During the year of 1918-1919, Mr. Nichols was in service in the fifty-sixth section of Searchlight Engineers, United States and American Expeditionary Forces, France. He has taught in Clifton High School since September, 1919. Mr. Nichols is Secretary of the High School Commercial Teachers' Association of New Jersey, a member of Kappa Tau Alpha Fraternity, New York University, F. and A. M. Western Star Lodge No. 15 , Bridge- water, N. Y., and Mohawk Valley Consistory, 32 Degree, Utica, N. Y. cation of the Reflector this term. While serving in the , - 1 . . . l , PART TIME This September may see the inauguration of the part time system in our High School. The Superintendent of Clifton Schools, Mr. George Smith, has given his suggestions to a committee of the Board of Education as to the need of the new system, and also plans for the working of the new school day. A decision was not ready at press time to be printed in this issue of the Reflector, but it is the opinion of many that we shall have it. As with most things, this plan has its advantages and disadvantages. If the plan goes through, the chances are that the Juniors and Seniors will attend in the morning, and the Freshmen and Sophomores will have classes Twenty-three