East High School - Orient Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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Yi' N L Meanwhile, the library had quickly grown to proportions far beyond the capacity of the oflice, and had been moved upstairs into its own place, with a special librarian. The lunchroom had been enlarged, and the bicycle rooms moved to make room for it. The laboratories had doubled in size. A machine had been installed where rooms 320, 322, and 324 now are Qlater the shop was moved to Benjamin Franklin when that school was openedl. Commercial subjects had made their appearance, led by shorthand, which arrived in 1906. The Students' Association, dying gradually since the Board of Education tookiover the financing of extra-curricular activities, pronounced its own funeral service and dissolved. In 1923, East High again became so crowded that it was necessary to revert to procedure used in the Dark Ages of the old Fitzhugh Street monstrosity. Z UNIVERSITY ANNEX Tlmnglu leaky and freaky, with euerzre mziqlze, The Annex balllr dear all the while. In head lifted high with pruml lzzemariex ofgynre, A 77ltlfUlf in true Mill-Victarielzz Jgyle. The pupils were divided, half coming in the morning and half in the after- noon, with a hectic two periods near noon when all thirty-six hundred at- tended. There were two annexes, one on Goodman Street in an old gun factory, and one on University Avenue. This continued until 1930, when another high school opened and took many of the extra students from East High. During this time the Social Science Laboratory was initiated, the flrst of its kind in the country. Clubs sprang up, clubs went on flourishing, clubs died, clubs were revived and took on new life. Fraternities and sororities were no longer recognized as part of school life by the Board. Bicycles de- clined in popularity with the pupils and went entirely out of favor with the faculty. Teachers and students found their ranks depleted by the war. In short, things changed, progressed, regressed, and evolved. 11

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Because dramatic productions were considered disorganizing to school life, the assembly platform had been built expressly for speaking purposes. How- ever, the senior classes, wishing to present senior plays, rented the Lyceum Theater for their production. Besides enterprising thus, the class of 1904 decided, within six weeks of graduation, that they wanted to publish an annual. Because of the shortness of the time to the end of the term, it was thought to be impossible. The class did edit an Orient. It is an interesting book. The first page announces that the Harvard Livery Stables are the best in Rochester. The practice of printing a separate picture of each senior' had not yet started, and the seniors were pictured en masse. Group pictures of the clubs, fraternities, sororities, athletic teams, and the faculty were printed. There was also a special literary section in the book. The six weeks spent in preparing it must have been exceptionally full for those on the staff. Track, baseball, football, and basketball were the original sports. The GOODMAN ANNEX Behold the noble Chirle fartory Where frexhman Impex and dreamt were Jtored. 'Tumi here our ClJirklet.r inrubaied Mid!! lrummeringx mm' beaver-board. teams' schedules included high schools in Western New York and the fresh- men teams ofthe University of Rochester and several other colleges. All the teams were supported directly by the students themselves, with no aid from the board, until 1906, when the Board first began portioning money for athletics. The Webster Avenue ball park was rented for football games. By 1909 football had grown far beyond its rightful importance. The rivalry between East and West was tremendous, extending beyond the twotschools to the city at large, gamblers took it up as a ripe field for betting, and, to the boys, making the team was infinitely more important than studies or grades. So the Board of Education took a vote among the parents and found them overwhelmingly in favor of eliminating football. It was accordingly done away with. Rochester boys, savagely disgusted at this piece of effemin- acy, retaliated by conducting a marbel tournament on their schools' front lawns. 10

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Since its beginning and through its growth, Principal Wilcox has guided East High. His wisdom, his patience, his tact, combined with an always modern and understanding View-point, have made the school's life the quiet, orderly, progressive one which so many take pleasure in remembering. When East High is mentioned, the spirit with which Mr. Wilcox has endowed it instantly comes to the foreground of one's consciousness. Mr. Wilcox, who built, in spirit, East High, is now retiring after thirty-live years of construc- tive, inspiring work. His presence will be greatly missed by all those who have had the good fortune to be associated with him. Mr. lVilm,viI1z.ft df will remember frim. I2