East High School - Exodus Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

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30 EAST HIGH SCHOOL In the June CXR11ll11H.tlOI1S'tl1GS6 same clever ones were successfully unsuccess- ful. At this point my reveries underwent violent agitation, coincident -probably with those same examinations. Presently, however, the fanciful musings of the next-our Sophomore-year were upper- most in 1ny mind. This year, perhaps, was not so novel as our Frchman year. We had by this time become sufficiently hardened to the periodic adventof our little yellow report cards to withstand the shock fairly well, Being Sophomores, too, we now helped to fill-and empty- the cotfers of many of our school societies and otherwise indulge in the frivolities befitting the grandeur of our rank. It was about this t.i1ne, as the past now appears to me, that vocational guidance held sway over the school. It is hardly necessary for me to more than mention those days, for you all remember the written themes, the oral themes, and then more themes which the enthusiasm of our teachers was influential in producing. 'When this enthusiasm for vocational guidance had finally reached its apex, wc found in our midst doctors, lawyers, preachers, teachers, nurses, bell boys, steel kings, and musicians. Also-among those who would chase the elusive dollar -we found presidents, Mary Pickfords. and-whitewings. One of the big epochs of our Sophomore year was the entertainment course that proved so successful and enjoyable throughout the winter season. Also, if you will take your memory back that far, it was during this year that we nursed into existence what is now that mighty institution, The Blue and Goldf' Junior Sophomore day was a grand oc- casion, at which time we presented to the school a very useful and overworked machine, called, I believe, a Pathescope. Now into my dream come thoughts of our third year at high school, By this time we felt as if wc were at last coming into our own. The name 'CJunior car- ries with it a dignity and responsibility not to be found in either title of Sopho- more or Flat Things, however. had changed somewhat over the summer holi- days. The probability of having to attend school each day until 3:30 caused a stir of resentment in the hearts of all. And even now as I meditate over this atrocious thought, my recollections are far from pleasant. The probability became a reality. Our groans were unheard, and our plea that, for the sake of our health, we must be dismissed at an earlier hour, fell upon deaf ears. Vifith several hours extra study each day, was it little wonder that we all got the measles? Yes, we all got 'em. Not wishing to speak of the saddcr side upon this festal occasion, you will have to rely on your own memories for the details of this tragedy. In the latter half of this year we were permitted to organize and sign a long document, called, I think, a constitution. Moreover, a few of us even ventured to pay class dues. Having a.cco1nplished this much, The Blue and Gold saw fit to publish a paragraph upon this act. I have good reason, in thinking back, that our career as an organized class has been just as noisy, cominendable, and full of civil strife as any other class on reco1'd. Of course as these reveries come to me thoughts of military drill cannot be barred. Indeed, no! More than ever we were impressed by the truth that 'V'It's good to get up in the morning, but it's nicer to stay in bed. Vile had, too, sev- e1'al military reviews before the mayor and army officials, who declared us to be a first class company of mongrel soldiers. de-

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v. W. I Ye: else e-V.. . - THE BLUE AND GOLD 29 CLASS HISTORY, JUNE, 1918. By Melville M. Greig. .Perhaps it was my hard day's work that put me to sleep. Anyway it was un- doubtedly my wife's welsh rarebit that made me dream. Visions danced before me in orderly disorder, and once again the past fantastically played upon my mind. Ah! what a dream. Now, as I have already stated. the visions coming to me were somewhat er- ratic-befitting, of course, the dignity of a welsh rarebit .... It was a class I was now attending. Yes, to be sure, History. There in the front sat Beman. George, I heard him say, 'tTell all you know about the Flat-Sophomore war. George rises slowly to his scat. The Freshman-Sophomore war -er-e, next to the civil war, was the greatest of all conflicts between people of the same race. On the morning of September 14th, 1914. serimmages occurred at an early hour on the entire front, from the first to the third floors. IVar, however, was not officially declared until 8:30 of that morning. At this hour Freshmen forces mobilized in the auditorium, presumedly for a mass attack, but for strategic rea- sons a retreat was made 'into rooms on the first floor. The war lasted for some five months. The Sophomores' chief weapon was gas. After this the scene faded from my view and another took its place. There was a roaring in my ears, a big 'ral1. 'rah, 'rah, East, and the picture of our Hrst football rally was cast. upon the SCPEC11 of my mind. How clearly it all comes back to me again, one of those good old fashioned rallies such as come before the first game of the sea.son. One of our number, at present held in high esteem by all. in a wild scramble for auditorium seats, climbed over the back of his chair. But alas, for that youth, Mr. Lothman espied the deed. Did that boy ever climb over the back of an auditorium chair again? No, the boy did not. Then events appeared to pass rapidly. VVe all looked forward to February, at which time we could properly assume the dignity and respectability of a high school student. By some venturesome girls, hair ribbons were discarded, while some of the more daring of the boys tackled the manipulation of longer trou- sers. Their efforts to look unconcerned failed. Now it was about this same time that calamity almost overtook the classy for the picture that now comes to me is no other than that of the Freshman recep! tion. Not that I would speak disrespect- fully of such a grand and august event, but at the same time slurs were cast upon this social gathering by the Seniors and upper classmen which were the cause of great agony and mental suffering to us first year pupils. However, most of our alarm was needlessg for on the whole, our teachers acted really very nice, consider- ing the temptations they were facing. Besides the time was most profitably spentg for did we not learn to wear rub- bers on a rainy day, and at all costs to bring a good, wholesome lunch from home? February came at last and with it a batch of incubator Flats. W'e derived great pleasure in directing them about the building and, in fact, extending to them all the courtesies due to new pupils. Having now attended high school for some six months, many of us had found the knack of success without study.

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THE BLUE Such was our life during the first three years at high school, and as I dream of the past I almost feel again that dazzling ambition to be a senior that we for so l011g had: If we could only be one for an hour, just to see how it feels,--ah, then the height of glory would be attained. Such a time did come. The height of glory was attained, but Gee, it doesnit feel a bit like it ought to, does it? was a com- mon expression for the first tive weeks. This was a year chiefly of joys, al- though the happiness of some was marred by having to carry five subjects. NVe spent many a pleasant moment in deciding the design of our class rings. and to these we looked forward in antici- pation-for were they not the true sym- bol of our bona tide seniorship? Then, too, fantastic apparitions of our class dance play upon my mind. It was a grand affair-grand in its simplicity. And he1'e the class showed remarkably good judgment in having this function in- formal. It was, in fact, of common note that the girls were prettier upon this Oc- casion than upon any previous senior formal. Up to this time, we had a.l1 lived in dread of our turn at rhetorieals. At last the dark clouds of stage fright hov- ered over us. The clouds burst, our turn came. The shaking of knees-the iirst few sentences-the thunder of applause -these are things that will never he for- gotten. The success of our big pageant, in which so many seniors tok part, will be remembered in soemthing more than a fanciful drcamg it will make pages in history. T Then came Class Night on June thc third. Every one was happy. Civil war among the girls as to the shape, color, and AND GOLD 31 size of their graduation clothes had long ceased to bc. We danced. We were told also by some of our friends, both wise and otherwise, how the Past, Present, and Future were treating us, where we came from, and where we were going. Ah! here my dream seems to fade. Everything is hazy. It is going, going, gone. What a dream! tYawni. So you are awake at last? I heard my good wife calling. A Yes-s-s. CYawnj. Bring 111e another welsh rarebit. H LIFE 'S LITTLE PLEASURES. Trying to study first hour in room 18 with Mr. Davis' music class singing Freedom for All, Forever through seventeen times without stopping and following that with Keep the Heine Fires Burningf' the Marseillaise, and others. i iff! lkijil xl at W X Xxx Nu SQW QEE if-fi 3 ta- . -1'- i , ..- ww: ' . fi I ll V ,,:.'17' ' . ,,f,.,., 515 ba sil. gif ,Q , -Q' ff.. vw,-L' LOOK WHEFE CAT eaouear ms