Commerce High School - Commerce Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

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CLASS HISTORIES CLASS OF 1915. WE entered the East High School of Commerce on September 6, 1911. We will admit we were not taken much with the beauty of our building, but we did not mind a little thing like that; nor did we mind being called “flats.” for “Ignorance is bliss.” During the first few, cold, winter days, our building could not be heated. It was probably because our old-fashioned furnace was rather taken aback by the up-to-date occupants of the building. After our summer vacation most of us came back to school as full-fledged sophomores. Of course, we looked down upon the pupils just entering as mere infants. As we were unable to embarrass these youngsters by showing them the wrong way to the elevator, we contented ourselves with calling them “flats.” After we were back again into the swing of the work, Geometry seemed a trifle more like English than Greek; and Benjamin Franklin a living man; but as for Bookkeeping, the longer we worked at it, the more blots we got on our books. We are becoming quite artistic from the hours we spend in Room Four; but when we are through making mechanical drawings, I think there will not be a sorry one among us. When our report cards are handed out, Oh, how we shudder! It is joy for some and gloom for others. When we get over the shock we have to wait patiently to see if we are on the Honor Roll. To do that, it takes people with two good qualities, good heads and the ability to mind their own business. We now have to borrow a gymnasium from another high school, as our poor, old building could not endure the hardships of having a gym in it another year. Both the boys and the girls have had some very exciting basket-ball games. The boys played a series of games, and you can imagine that they worked hard for the two winning teams were to have a wiener-wurst roast. The boys that won had wieners, milk, biscuits, and a few other delicacies, and then went to the Grand Theatre. Just think! The sophomore girls played a game with the West Glen-ville church, and of course we won. How else could it have been? The younger members of our class gave a play a few weeks ago, which was really very interesting. It was especially so when one boy—tfie only one in the play—forgot what earne next. We had a candy sale on Friday, February 28; and it was certainly a good thing that our Easter vacation followed it, for at the rate the candy was sold, I do not think there would have been many at school 140

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FRESHMEN CLASS OF 1916. Alliban, Marjorie Baker, Lucille Balukievitz, Adam Bennett, Blanche Billinghurst, George Bodnar, George Brock, Ruth Carlson, Minnie Cohen, Fanny Delaney, Helen Dodd, Elsie Engel. Richard Foote, James Foster, Gladys Graft, Edythe lloffman, Alverda James, Garnet Jennings, Ruth Jenkins Ethel Kinney, Ruth Elements, Mary Koch. Irma Kollie, Julian Kollie, Paul Korahek, Louise Kus, Ladimir Lefkowitz, Matilda Lewis, Gladys Lowe, Ellen McFarland, Doris McHugh. Thomas McIntosh. Eleanor Moore, Alma Nussel. Clements Olson, Helen Oster, Mildred Pauers, Anna Pavalonis, Frank Purina, Alfred R a mage. Bessie Riemer, Edith Rothenbecker, Wilma Runkle, Xadian Schaub, Dorothy Smith, Tom Smolic, Frank Springborn, Ruth Strong, Irene Swaffield, Raymond Teare, Winifred Temple, Wayne Thobaben, Anna Thomas, Celia Thompson, Edna Tobin, John Van de Motter, Josephine Weinberger, Esther White, Carl Wilson, Elbert Wilson, Helen Wolfe, James Wood, Alfred Wysong, Margaret Yahrous, Celia Zwick. Beatrice Zwick, Doris Zwick, Libbie The Kollie boys! Yes, there are two, To tell ’em apart, is a job for you. The teachers have a great time, too, Trying to figure out who’s who. 139

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the following week. When we had had a week’s vacation, we were able to come back to finish our sophomore year as happily as we had started it. In after years when we look back upon our high school life, I think every one of us will earnestly be able to say, “Oh! If I could only be an East Commerce Sophomore once more.” CLASS OF 1916. FRIENDS, classmates, and teachers, lend me your cars. I come not to praise East High School of Commerce, but to speak of the Freshman Class of nineteen hundred sixteen. It was a warm day in September that some of us came bustling down Moulton Avenue looking for our new school. We expected to find a large, handsome brick building. Inside we expected many large rooms, a splendid auditorium and many other drawing features. When we saw the small wooden building, we were greatly disappointed. As we already knew what kind of students this school turned out, this well-known quotation came to our minds, “The clothes do not make the man.” The first day was nothing but signing our names to about half a hundred very important documents. We also mode out some cards called programs, which were our constant companions for over a week. On the second day we invaded the mysteries of the lunch room. At eleven-thirty everybody started on an informal parade to the “Great Palace of Eats.” After an unseemly scramble for seats we began to fill ourselves, but empty our purses. Some of us started in to work with the hope of some day having a new building, others started because they wanted the course we have at Commerce and didn’t care what kind of a building it was taught in; while sonic poor souls, whose hearts must have reached their shoes, stayed only one day. As the days went on and we became better acquainted with our little “squad” of teachers and fellow students, we began to have a higher opinion of our little school and looked with kindlier eyes upon the “Old Shack” as some term it. One day the periods were shortened, and after inquiring we were told that we were going to have rlietoricals. What, pray tell, were rhctoricalsT WTe had to wait patiently to find out, but it sounded too much like rhetoric to be very entertaining. For rhetoric, as we all know, is the horror of the freshman year. At half-past two we were led to a room where Mr. Weimer greeted us and gave a short talk concerning the work of the High School of Commerce. At the end of the first month, however, those familiar bits of pasteboard called report cards were distributed. There was much sorrow and also much joy. Mauy new resolutions were formed and we became very ambitious (for a short time.) Naturally, we received our share of pet names, such as “freshies” and “flats.” But in February, when the new I D’s came, we had a chance to call some one else nicknames. The East High School of Commerce is a small school and almost hidden from view', but it is a school of work bounded on all sides by friendship and pleasure. 141