Clifton High School - Rotunda Yearbook (Clifton, NJ)

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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

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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

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THE REFLECTOR VW IN in the latter part of the day. This doesn't seem satisfactory to most of the underclassmen. The common view of the students is that it is better to go to school in the morning and be able to have the rest of the day off. This point is hardly worth consideration because, as long as the system may have to be installed, the students will break out even, having two years of each type of class day, morning and afternoon. Disadvantages of this plan do not pertain so much to the students as they do to the administration, whose duties lie in the regulation of the teaching staff and control of the longer school day. It seems that it is best for the students. Congestion will be relieved, for one thing. Everyone knows the inconveniences of large classes. There will be more opportunity for extra curricular activities, as far as the time element is concerned. As time goes on, the system will gradually adapt itself to the lives of the students. A NEW ERA This September will mark a period in the history of Clifton High School as what may be termed A New Erav. The new term will see the inauguration of a thing which is more necessary in the present age than has ever been before. Vocational Guidance is to be introduced into the extra-curriculum of our High School! With the demand for highly specialized labor and professional men, it has become necessary for school to give the student more than his readin', writin', and 'rithmetic, and the other school subjects which are supposed to teach him enough to get a diploma, and then entrance into a college where he doesn't even know if he is taking the course that he likes best. But many students do not go on to college. Schools have had of late a propensity toward mechanical output of students. One does not see, universally, the interest of the administration of the school in each individual, which may prove a means of finding out what the student likes and is capable of doing. True, schools have become crowded. It has become necessary to concentrate efforts on the exact re- quirements of the curriculum, without addition of individual qualifying courses. Vocational Guidance will help the individual pupil to find his place in the society in which he lives. Under the system to be instituted, case studies of individual pupils will be begun. This fall, the system will not affect the whole school but will begin with one group, probably the juniors. In succeeding years, the other groups will be added until finally each freshman will be carefully guided during his entire High School career. He will become acquainted with various kinds of work, and by the time he is ready to be graduated, he will have a more definite idea of what to do after graduation. The plan, once begun as a trial, will last at least four years because it must see through to the end the freshmen with which it started. With sufficient interest in their own future, the incoming students will find Twenty-four