Eastern High School - Punch and Judy Yearbook (Washington, DC)

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THE EASTERNER STICK IT OUT To you people who are tired of school, who wonder if all the grind pays after all, who are satisfied with the small amount of knowledge you have so pain- fully acquired, the watch word is “stick it out.” You won't be through learning when you leave school; you'll just be be- ginning and the more practice you get in school with the help of your teachers and schoolmates, the easier it will be to learn new things for yourself when you are out in the business on your own hook. The fellow who goes into an office or concern of any sort and learns to do one thing and simply does it over and over without thinking or trying to learn to do it better or differently, will never get anywhere. He will improve his chances for better positions and salaries only as he improves his ability by constantly learning and ap- plying new things and ideas. And in school is where you learn new things and learn to apply them, and the more prac- tice you get, the better for you. There are exceptions, of course, to this rule as to every other, great men who have be- come great without an education, but re- member, they are exceptions. Don't take it for granted you are one, but stick it out. Tt will pay. THE TARDY STUDY HALL This institution which flourishes in our school is one of the most useless factors in our disciplinary system. Although this method of preventing tardiness has been in vogue for some time, its results border on the negative side. It really is a fruitless task. The tardiness goes on if not increases, while the under-paid, hard- working teacher must stay an hour or so after her eight hours to help further a mode of punishment which is foolish. It would be highly enlightening for a teacher to read—if she were able—the mind of a habitue patron of a study hall. What thoughts pass through his mind? Are they conducive to obedience and yol- untary good behavior? Most assuredly 17 no. They are more destructive than help- ful. A system of demerits in some im- portant scholastic standing, or prohibition of participation in social school activities, would prove equally if not more effec- tive. If every tardy scholar were com- pelled to address one’s school in assem- bly, I think the decrease in tardiness would be very noticeable as well as highly gratifying to the faculty. Surely any one of these plans worked out in detail de- Serves at least a fair trial. Coercion has not worked. CITIZENSHIP The state provides schools, not primar- ily as a benefit to the student, but as a benefit to the state. The state must have good citizens and a school should produce good citizens. The most important thing a school does is not that it instructs the pupil in Latin, algebra and various other branches of learning. Though these things develop the mind, the majority of them cannot be applied in life and they are soon forgotten. Each school is a small community, and each student in the school should learn to take his part in it. Not only to hold up that line of activity to which he is naturally adapted, but to learn to think of the community as a whole, before thinking of himself. The student who drops waste paper behind radiators, or who uses eight paper towels, where one would have done, or who for- gets to pull out the stopper in the wash basin after washing, is selfish, lazy and a bad citizen.. He is leaving extra work for a good citizen to do. When this stu- dent leaves school he becomes the kind of a citizen who fails to be prompt in pay- ing his debts, and who is dishonest in lit- tle matters, he fails to support any worthy activity, remains entirely centered in him- self and becomes narrow-minded. One cannot be instructed in these things; one must feel a sense of duty to- wards oneself and one will get this sense of duty from the experiene of being a member of a small community, where one’s faults and shortcomings are more noticeable.

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16 THE SENIOR FRIENDSHIP CLUB The Senior Friendship Club gave its Spring Dance at Terrace Inn, April 10th. Everyone present had a good time, and the club wishes to thank the Nina Club for its support. The club is planning, among other things, a hike, a house party at Camp Winona on the 18th of June, and a party for the new members to be given in the drill hall after school, April 21st. At the last meeting of the Senior Club, it was decided to enforce the regulations by which club members, who are absent from a meeting without a good reason, are fined. The amount of the fine has been decreased to five cents, and those who are absent from three successive meetings without excuse are to be drop- ped from the roll. So come out to the meetings, not only to save a nickel, but to help in the work of the club and get that much more fun out of it. RIFLE NOTES The members of the club have been doing some very encouraging work this year. The older members and the best shots of last year are doing much better shooting than ever before. The new members are steadily gaining in accuracy, and if the present members do not watch out they will be displaced sooner or later. The Inter-High School matches will be held in the near future, probably in May, and we should be able to come out with honors if the team keeps up its present good work. Practice for the out-door matches has been under way for some time at Congress Heights Range. The members have been shooting in THE EASTERNER the Rice Medal Match lately, and the competition is running high. As usual we have the three medals, two donated by Mr. Rice and one by a friend of the school who does not wish his or her name disclosed. These medals may be scen in the trophy case in the hall up to the time they are to be given out. THE MINSTREL SHOW Though any item about the minstrel show of Feb. 19 and 20 may appear to be stale news, the show was such a suc- cessful one in every respect that it shoukl not fail to be recorded. Willard King was admirably fitted to) his role of interlocutor, and his enuncia- tion in the reading of the song “Swanee” was equal to that of Al Jolson himself. The six end-men, Prender, Rice, Furey, Gary, Hooper and Crow, were all kings of humor, and succeeded in putting life into the bewhiskered gags given them. Especially worthy of credit were Furey and Gary, who succeeded in getting con- siderable applause from the house. Gary successfully adapted a Gayety sketch. A vocal solo by Harold King, selections by the Lincoln Park guards and dances were other features of the evening. The min- strel show was followed by a short sketch, “Muff and Jutt,” which drew what lif e it had from its characters and not from its plot. Especially realistic were Lewis Davie and James H. Lee. The show was under the direction of Miss Monk and Miss McNutt, who spent much time and trouble upon it. Mr. Muth arranged and directed it and gaye it an air of professionalism. The show had plenty of pgp and was given before crowded houses both nights.

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18 THE EASTERNER SCHOOL NEWS On February 30th we had our most enjoyable and worth-while assembly of the year. Owing to the lack of practice, considerable time was taken up in geting everybody seated in their right places. The boys were on the right side of the room and the girls on the left, as in days of yore. The twenty-piece orchestra played “Freckles” as the first selection. Miss Ida Claire spoke for one hour on “The Perils of the Everglades”. Lieut. Patrick Walsh of New. York's police force gave an interesting talk of the numerous gang fights in the great metro- lis. This consumed forty minutes. Mr. Hart announced there would be no school for the rest of the day. (Much applause.) The orchestra then played “Dardanella” and we went to our section rooms to be immediately dismissed. We had a regular assembly on March 2. Miss Martin announced that the Four Square Minute Girls’ Club was to give a dance in the drill hall. Mr. Schartz said that Miss Johnson had planned a general reseating in the assembly hall. Mr. Warner introduced Mr. William Mather Lewis, who gave us an interesting talk on “Vocations in General”. He spoke of the importance of studying a modern foreign language and being able to speak it flu- ently. He said although a college edu- cation is not an absolute necessity, it will help one a great deal in later life. He also said, “Take as much math as you can, because the mathematical man very often succeeds. There was'a boys’ assembly on April 13, before school. Mr, Hart said that the community piano in the assembly hall was not to be used by the school for danc- ing or anything else. Mr, Hart also said that thefts from the locker rooms must be immediately reported ; also, boys must leave their section rooms at the lunch hour. Mr. Warner announced the fol- lowing games: E. H. S. vs. Winston H. S.; EH. S. vs. Episcopal at Alexandria, and E. H. S. vs. Charlotte Hall. They are all practice games and have no bear- ing on the Interhigh series. Mr. Hart said it was the plan of the school to have an inter-class track meet at Rosedale. It Will be about the latter part of April. Mr. Prender has been appointed tempo- rary captain and he urged the students to come out to practice and help their class win. Mr. McQuade, temporary manager, spoke also of the physical benefits de- rived from track. At the beginning of the fourth period on April 13, the regular assembly was held. Two assemblies in one day is an unusual occurrence around here. Mr, Schwartz spoke about the Spring Play. He said that sixty dollars’ worth of tickets had been sold, but for former plays and minstrel shows, about five hun- dred dollars was the total profit. Mr, Schwartz said that the school needed the money for athletics and other things. To run athletics on a Note basis, money must be had, and the Spring Play is the best way to obtain it. There are three plays to be given this year: “Hop o’ My Thumb,” the tragedy; “In an Elevator,” a sentimental play ; and “The Pot-Boiler,” the comedy. Miss Hawes introduced the famous journalist, Mr. Wile. Mr. Wilé said a successful journalist must have news instincts. Mr. Wile then gave an account of his life. He started as editor of the Wile Evening Journal, a family newspaper. After finishing college, he became a bank clerk but soon became a reporter on a Chicago paper. He then went to London and after spending sev- eral years there, he went to Berlin where he stayed until the outbreak of the war, He said the newspaper business gives one an opportunity to travel but the pay is very small. Mr. Gore, of the Dunbarton Tennis Club, has made a fine offer to the stu- dents of Eastern who are interested in tennis. He said that the four best play- ers of Eastern will be allowed the use of the Dunbarton courts on Saturdays. All those interested in this offer should give their names to Mr. Warner. It is hoped that the tennis court in the rear of the school will be ready for use in a short time.