Commonwealth Parkville School - Comet Yearbook (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

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Honor Society lst. r. Kris, Elaine, Kitty, Sarah 2nd.r. Carmen, Beverly, Chris, Ernie, Maria Elena, Terry, Carol 3rd.r.. Debbie, Jose, Deanna, Jane, Mike dz David, missing Judy. NATIONAL HQKRSTISY X I N Mil 4. i an-- ' -I VS? Sophomore members: Joey, Ana Maria, Maddy, Alicia, Nathan, Nadia, Marcia, Carmen. Knowledge, service, leadership and scholarship. . . the highest ideals in an individual These are the symbols which the National Honor Society members live up to. The membership is very limitedg to be accepted is one of the most motivating mo- ments in the life of a student. It is an aim for some students or a challenge for others But all those worthy are given ample recognition in the two assemblies held annually at Commonwealth, under the direction of the sponsor, Mrs. Silva. ' The Honor Society will continue to acquire its goals and perform its duties well with the help of its members, the school's most outstanding students. ' The Honor Society presents Christmas gifts to the Instituto Psicopedagogico. 72 Officers: Sec. Sarah, Pres. Carmen, Vice Pres-Tres. Jane.

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THE SAN JUAN STAR - Wednesday, April 22, 1964 AVID RATIIFF, COMMONWEALTH SENIOR, IS PRESIDENT Honor Society Selects Officers ay NAT oamvios David Ratliff, a Commonwealth High School senior. has been elect- ed president of the Puerto Rico Association of National Honor Society Chapters. A complete slate of officers was chosen for 1964-65 at the conclu- sion of a three-day convention end- ing' Sunday on the Inter American University campus in San German. Other officers from the San Juan metropolitan area. are: Ernesto Gomez, vice president: Enrique Lamoutte, secretary, and Aniquita Silva, treasurer, Seventy-tour students and spon- sors attended the fifth annual con- vention from 12 of the 22 island chapters. To be a member of the association, a student must have ia scholastic average of 90 or bet- 82. Election of officers was not based on campaign speeches or popularity appeal, according to Miss Denise Francois, Common- wealth High School assistant prin- cipal and association coordinator. Every candidate, she said, made a three-minute speech on the student's goals in life, ideas about what they want to accom- plish and how the Honor Society can be improved, Each school attending had three votes, The schools participating were: St, John's School, Academia Sa- grado Corazon, Roosevelt Roads High School, Antille High School. Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola, Robinson School, University High School, Academia del Perpetuo Socorro, Colegio San Jose, Com- monwealth High School and Cole- gio San Felipe of Arecibo, Outgoing officers are: Gloria M. Ortiz, president: Nel- lio Justicia, vice president: Mar- tita Melendez, secretary: and Ro- bert Johnson, treasurer. KS OF STATUS, .l.F.K., PEACE, MORALITY sX Governor And Wife Honor 60 Students ln lively Discussions At lu Fortaleza By MANNX sunnni A group of about 60 honor students: from most of the private schools of San Juan were guests of Gov. and Mrs. Munoz at La Fortaleza yesterday --and there didn't seem to be a Popular in the bunch. The group, dressed in Sunday fine-, ry, gathered around the First Lady in a patio at the Executive Man- sion and engaged in some lofty ban- ter with doiia Ines, who prompted the discussion with some probing questions. Among the topics discussed were: the meaning of morality, President Kennedy's contribution to mankind. science, religion and -essential to every gathering at which political persons are present- the status of Puerto Rico.. Decided Opinions The students were all members of their respective school chapters of the National Honor Society of Puerto Rico, and all seemed to have decided opinions on the topics discussed. Dona lnes asked the students about the meaning of neace and how it could be attained. One student answered that peace was something within each individual and that even il the world was in chaos, many of the world's' problems could be resolved if each person was at peace with himself. The answer: prompted a more pessimistic student to reply that world peace could be obtained ins that fashion ony if everybody in the world had the same feeling of inter- 3 .nal peace. Felt Close To Kennedy One of the students said that what she liked most about the late Pre- sident Kennedy was that he made use of youth with the Peace Corps. He asked us- to help him so we felt a lot closer to him. The conversation drifted aim- Iessly as doixa Ines fed a ques- tion here and prompted an an- swer or a rebuttal there. But it was during a question on morality that one student lit a bonfire under the students - who in lar- ge measure came from religious institutions - by suggesting that it is more important to have a personal moral code than a reli- gion. The last question fed to the group was on status and a young girl who hesitantly made a slightly embarrassed introduction finally said that she believed in statehood for Puerto Rico becau- se statehood would bring an end to the uncertainty about Puerto Rico's future. Another -a young fellow this time- suggested that it was im- possible to discuss Puerto Rico's future with any certainty since the average Puerto Rican had not yet defined himself as an indivi- dual. Until we do that, we should consider ourselves Puerto Ricans not independentistas, statehooders or Popularsf' A third girl said independence is the logical status for the is- land. We are Puerto Ricans and should continue to be Puerto Ri- cans, she said. We are now trying so hard to be Americans that we are forgetting how to speak Spanish.

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Chess Club 1-r fi' XL-1.64 TQ-pq' l ii llle I i , ig' f' fl it F ix all ' Paul, Max, Rossina, james, Ernesto, Ronald, Dr. Suttell. . Figure this one out. Dr. Suttell stumped? ? ? ? Our school's chess fiends get together occasionally in the afternoons, during lunch or study periods to play among themselves. This small group, sponsored by Dr. Suttell, has been in existance nearly two years and dedicates itself to encouraging students to learn the game and participate in the group's informal gatherings . 73