High School of Commerce - Caduceus Yearbook (Springfield, MA)

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Chemistry Class LEFT TO RIGHT—Barbara Kirby, Eleanor Dunham, Edwin Goodrich, Joan O’Brien, Charles Tallman, Clara Steeley, Harry Chiklakis, Irene Briscoe, Nancy Thomas, Shirley Pfisterer, Virginia Morrissey, Carrie Pinckney, Leonard Johnson, Mary Murphy, Doris Waterhouse, Loretta Souliere. A Ylew World Below are the reactions of two chem- istry students; the first, of a girl who elected it as a requirement for college; the other, of a girl who hopes to major in science at college. A whole new world is opened to those students who enroll in the chemistry classes —a very strange world of certain permanent scientific facts, and of theories which never remain the same, but daily grow more and more complex. Before each lab. experiment must come many hours of con- centrated study, where knowledge must not be just learned, but really understood. Students also must master the un- grams, liters, and the Centigrade grasp the extreme minuteness of familiar decimal system of thermometer; and learn to an atom or of an electron. Then some of the more elusive information becomes clearer, as the experiments Finally, lab. work enters the scene. are actually performed and reactions noted by every indi- vidual. Action now is the keynote, as spilled acid causes a scramble, or the rotten-egg odor of hydrogen sulfide sends Mistakes like these become rarer with the passage of time, however, for extreme everyone flying to the windows for air. caution and exactness are required for a successful operation. From the point of view of every student, chemistry is essential. In the present-day era, when all changes and im- provements are brought about scientifically, a knowledge of this study is necessary if one is to understand the scientific depths behind our life of today. [ 24 ] “Oh, how great are the joys of the abstract world!” Such is the feeling of those lucky students who take Chemistry, one of our traditionally popular classes. Theirs are the pleasures of discovering the unknown, and knowing the unseen. Their, most blissful hours are spent in a secluded corner room on the third floor, known as the “chem. lab.,” where they expend much energy preparing mysterious brews Girls, as well as boys, find the sub- ject absorbing and interesting. The present acute need for nurses, and the vast horizons of post-war chemistry have and questionable gases. made this class even more popular. This laboratory is the pride not only of its inhabitants, but of the whole school; for ours is the most modern and well-equipped “chem. lab.” in the city. To the uninitiated, the workroom of these prospective chemists is a bewildering conglomeration of Bunsen burners, glass flasks, smells, and noise; but to the students it is the happy home of. their Here the talents of 20th-century Fara- days and Florence Nightingales are discovered and developed. The devotees of chemistry never cease to astonish unsus- scientific endeavor. pecting friends with their scientific vocabulary: terms like tetra-iodo-hydroxy-phenoxy-amino-proprionic acid roll easily from their tongues. This ability might make them appear very learned, but there never was a more hectic group! One period directing such a madhouse would be the Waterloo of many a teacher, but not for Doc. Gadaire. This wisecracking, jovial gentleman is completely at home in the His jocular spontaneity and tireless energy have made Chemistry odoriferous atmosphere created by industrious hopefuls. one of the best-loved of Commerce classes.

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First Aiders Perfecting their Bandaging Technique, in Room 109. Miss Robert, teacher. Morale Bulders. Since the attack on December 7, a traditional wartime course in First Aid has been reestablished in the high school girls’ curriculum. The popularity gained in Commerce by this new class—happily minus back-breaking, muscle- stretching contortions of apparatus fame — suggests the con- tinuance of the new study after termination of the war. During its maiden year at Commerce, the able instruction of Misses Robert, Grose, and Hollister has instilled a knowl- edge of First Aid into the brains(?) of the Senior girls. Progress was soon evidenced by the early skill in application of bandages, and in the practical tests. Perhaps the instruc- tors often wondered whether their efforts were in vain; yet the eagerness of their young charges usually disproved such thoughts. Vs COMMERCE SPORTSMANSHIP The gym. classes may outwardly seem the most strenuous periods; actually, gym. relaxes the body and brain, and pro- vides an outlet for all pent-up energy. Naturally, the boys undergo more rigorous training than the girls, who, however, must show increased strength as a result of the course. As part of their training, the girls encounter the difh- culties of the obstacle course. Their exuberance is also spent on calisthenics and on a motley assortment of other drills. Of course, beginners in such a course may complain of rheumatism; actually, they receive only minor training as compared with that of the boys! : The boys’ physical director, Mr. Wulff, valiantly endeavors to add brawn to his masculine charges. The boys’ obstacle course applies the muscle-molding tactics that are employed by the Army; the calisthenics build endurance and fortitude. Despite these activities, both boys and girls indulge in after-school sports with unbelievable alacrity. The favorite game of all students is basketball; and throughout the season cheering students lend encouragement to the players. Al though. Commerce teams have not recently acquired out- standing records in interschool games, the school has always held the record for good sportsmanship. Exercise Health The girls’ energetic sense of humor often burst the bonds of discipline when a Ku Klux Klan face bandage was being administered to a giggling victim, or when a blanket stretcher was collapsed by the pseudo-Amazons. Then, too, victims proved to be a source of amusement to the busy practitioners, as gleeful application of a traction splint, or hearty efforts at artificial respiration caused discomfort to unfortunate guinea pigs. Although this hilarity enlivened a well-regulated course, the girls really understood the need for such wartime-required courses. Their labors were very successful, as evidenced by the many Red Cross certificates presented many triumphant First Aiders. If real knowledge and skill are the best morale builders, the accomplishments of First Aid classes produce this spirit in Commerce.

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UPPER—Radio and Physics Class. Mr. Oswald, adviser. LOWER—Miiss Hills’ Biology. Class. Preparedness The pre-induction radio course was born in October, 1942, due to a War Department order. Commerce’s traditional preparedness in emergencies at once sprang to life, and Mr. Oswald was drafted as instructor. Since then, Room 323 has become the haven of radio-minded boys, who daily decode the sharp “dit dit dit dot” of the Morse Code mes- sages. The sending technique quickly is mastered by apt pupils; and soon the boys are tapping the telegraph key, or striving to receive ten to twelve words a minute. Closely allied with radio is the physical science course. Combining a variety of physics, electricity, and machine fundamentals, this course contains a “little bit of everything.” The usefulness of these courses will not decline after Commerce boys come home again; instead they may find them very important in the post-war world. [25 ] A Wartime Jradition The fact that American girls need more scientific knowl- edge has spurred curriculum specialists to require biology asa subject for all Commerce girls. During the past year, even lily-fingered maidens undertook the application of biological facts to their daily lives. To be sure, these girls who shiv- ered in their loafers when extricating “innards” from an unhappy worm never understood the apparent enjoyment of Yet, led by Miss Hill, Dr. Gadaire, and Mr. Jones, the girls plunged heroically into their task of learning formulas, terms, and other biological complexities. Perhaps they did not realize how the vertebral structure of a fish would affect their own backbones, but inevitably some small factor would emerge from the textbooks which actually would pertain to their lives as American high school girls, biologically-minded pupils.