Edison High School - Wizard Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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“Of course the conference was the most interesting part and indeed a great climax for the trip. It was really more than I anticipated because of our differences not only in race and nationality but also in cultural background, habits of mind, and outlook on life. It awakened within us a new interest and made us believe that there must be something after all to this idea of a world friendship. In those six crowded days I talked, slept and ate with boys from twenty-seven different nations. In all there were two hundred and forty boys attending the conference, at which 1,530 delegates from fifty-two nations of the world were present.” The best way to give you particulars on the North woods trip which is a trip given yearly by the Central Avenue Business men to a group of representative Edison boys is to let you read a bit of one of the boys’ diary. “Now that we are safely home again and need no longer cringe before the prowling bears and savage wolves that we had expected to encounter in the Northwoods. the seven of us feel justly proud of our achievement. For a whole, adventurous week we have been permitted to forget all traditions that bound us and roam unrestricted as the waters of spring. But as every river has its course, so we planned in our journey to visit the most profitable and interesting spots of the North. We visited many lakes: Hungry Jack, Bearskin, Duncan, Bose, South, North, Gunfiint, and Saganaga. What we saw there has since filled us with many new thoughts. “We still remember the day when two boys fell into the lake, and when someone ate the apricots that were to have been sauce, the time when we perched ourselves sedately upon the Canadian-United States boundary stakes, the morning of the furious pancake-eating contest, the queer antics of Mike the cow-puncher, and our final farewell to our headquarters on I ake Gunfiint. “With the fish we caught, and the experiences that we enjoyed, it is more than we can do to thank the men who made possible that trip.” It was the V. M. C. A. who gave the boys this trip to the Northwoods. The Student Council too believes in rewarding merit when it can by giving cups, medals, etc. One of the chief sources from which the council derives money to do this is the vaudeville. The North Woods Group Earl Nordouist Twenty-Tiro

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offers opportunity for a wide range of character study, even the most subordinate roles being quite distinctive. The scene of the play is the terrace before Duke Frederick s palace and the beautiful Forest of Arden, to which delightful place the characters are all drawn for one reason or another. There “like old Robin Hood of England” they live, ennobled by the philosophy of Duke Senior (John Laing), delighted by the lovely forest songs of Amiens (Melvin McLaughlin), amused by the sour eloquence of Jaques (Vernon Fox), and entertained by the whimsical antics of Touchstone (Peter Mankowski). Miss Ruth Tupper English and Class Play The winsome Rosalind, one of Shakespeare’s most bewitching heroines (Marion Stevens), her dainty cousin, Celia (Lyla Grennan), the handsome and romantic Orlando (William Schulze), two real villains, Oliver (Sylvester Fitzpatrick) and Duke Frederick (George Spano), the faithful old servant, Adam (Kenneth Gray), the courtier, LeBeau (Clarence Hedger), Jaques de Boyes (Ben Brainerd), and Charles, the wrestler (Hubert Nelson) we will always remember, and adding to the out-of-door atmosphere, are petite Phebe (Betty Roe I, good-hearted Audrey (Agnes Doherty), the poetic Silvius (Walter Woodruff!, old Corin (Frank Boulet), and the foresters (Donald Vosika and Edith Peebles). Edith's guitar added much to the singing. The production was a delightful one and proved once more that Shakespeare, even in the hands of amateurs, is not only extremely valuable for the performers but very entertaining for the audience. Probably you would be interested to know that Earl Nordquist, an alumnus of Edison, represented the Minneapolis and Minnesota Hi-Ys at the international Y. M. C. A. conference held in Helsingfors, Finland. August 1 to 6. Probably an excerpt from Earl's letter will give you a better idea of his experiences. Twenty-One

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Briny Breezes The annual vaudeville was held on April 14, 1926. From eighteen acts which were entered nine were chosen. These people worked harder in order that their act might he the one chosen as the winner on the big night. Under the direction of Harry Sadler, we had presented to us “Sadler s Sensations.” This act was divided into four groups, “Senior Synco-paters,” “Wild Nell.” “Piccaninny Dance,” and “Ah.” The “Senior Syncopaters” consisted wholly of Senior girls and they kept the audience in peals of laughter all the while their instruments were wailing. “Wild Nell’’ was a real wild west drama while “Ah” was only an everyday shooting which occurs so often in Chicago. The name itself, “Piccaninny Dance,” suggests what that was all about. Gertrude Sokolowski, Helen Lucas, Wynone Malheny, and Isabel Russell contributed “Briny Breezes.” Have you heard of Duke Norman’s Band? I thought so. Well, we had the great fortune of hearing it. “The Edison Harmoni-fiers” also ran. This vocal quartette of Edison boys is one of the glorifying factors in school life. The Dramatic Club gave us a scene which showed what our lunch room should be like. They had it down pat, even to the imitation of Miss Cole. Yes, even the head janitor and the lunch room manager were there. “Homey Co.” reminded the old folks of school days. Don’t you remember way back when they sang “School days, school days—Dear oldfashioned rule days?” “The Trysting Place” was presented by a group of A senior people, and Joe Fazio, Alex Boris, and Peter Kranak gave “A letter from Italy.” Edison is known as one of most musical schools in this city. LaVere Belstrom brought honors to the school last spring when he won first place in the baritone and trombone class of the city-wide contest. In this same contest Earl Andrews and James French brought further awards to Edison when they won second place in the cello and violin contests respectively. Mr. Tuttle decided to have the Glee Club present a cantata since ibis sort of thing had never before been tried at school. The chosen piece was “Melusina.” From two to three hundred voices composed the chorus. Music from Italy TwetityThree