Emerson High School - Emersonian Yearbook (Gary, IN)

Page 23 text:

They calmly overlook his feelings about the whole matter; they are so glad to have him back, but within the next few days they begin to suspect that their “child” has changed. Ronald is now quite a different person from the young boy who ran away from home. He is still a kid, but seems uncom¬ fortably grown up. He upsets the whole family with his efforts to convert them to military routine and arouses the whole town with the perplexing and humorous situations he gets himself into. The appearance of a former Army buddy, who is a well-known wolf, delights in reminising about bar-room brawls, and who is mistaken for Ronald by a newspaper reporter, doesn’t help the situation any. It has become, according to Ronald, Snafu—or situation normal, all fouled up. The plot becomes more and more one of continuous confusion, with private detectives, police, Legionnaires, and protesting neighbors becoming involved, and Ronald’s parents begin to wonder if they haven’t made a mistake in bringing him home from the Army. But in the end,, when he is almost given up as hopeless, everything is satisfactorily smoothed out and especially surprising to all is the ap¬ pearance of a colonel, who, instead of disciplining Ronald as his parents expected, confers upon him a high military honor. Sitting —Frank Guemple, Bob Lindel, Jo Fernandez, Viola Geanchos, Nell Burns, Dolores Barrick, Norma Heistand, Don McLaren. Kneeling —Louis Magrames, Julia Motto, Elaine Berezin, Jean Gerometta, Gerry Goldman, Marcia, Barret, Agnes McConnell, Tom Wilson, Dom Cefali. Standing —Margaret Lowe, Jack Donley, Miss Moell, Bob Mann, Frank Brudnakowski. Seated —Chuck Vas, Anna Mae Chervenak. Page Twenty-one

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SNAFU A Comedy in Three Acts by Louis Solomon and Harold Buchman PERSONS IN THE PLAY Josephina . Madge Stevens .... Laura Jessup Ben Stevens . Mr. Taylor ... Kate Hereford Aunt Emily. Senator . 1st Legionnaire Legionnaires . . Ronald Stevens ... Pfc. D nny Baker Detective Martha Col. West ... Elaine Berezin .-.. Agnes McConnell . Dolores Barrick, Norma Heistand .. Gerry Goldman . Frank Brudnachowski . Margaret Lowe . Jean Gerometta . Robert Mann .... John Donley Frank Guemple, Cushman Lineback, Edward Oljace, Donald McLaren --------- Charles Vas ........... Dorn Cefali ... Velmir Gurgevich ......—.... Julia Motto Louis Magrames DIRECTOR . ..- 1— : c. Miss Doris Moell Assistant Director ......—. Nell Burns Lighting - - Frank Guemple, Cushman Lineback Sound Effects .. Edward Oljace Properties . Don McLaren, Wanda Nowicki, Helen Cunningham Publicity . . Velmir Gurgevi.h, Jo Fernandez On May 24th, the Emerson Senior Class of “46” presented SNAFU. This new comedy was a great hit on Broadway and on road tour, and as soon as it was released for non-professional produc¬ tion, Miss Moell obtained it for our class play. This play is a warmly sympathetic and highly amusing treatment of the everlasting problem of healthy youth trying to grow up in spite of the misunderstandings that arise from the desire of parents and teachers to guide, and youth to pursue its way. It is the story of Ronald Stevens, a young lad who, by falsifying his age, got into the service, and made quite a military career for himself overseas, before his parents located him and notified the proper authorities about his correct age, (15 ). The play opens in the Stevens home in California where Ronald has just been sent after being discharged. “How could you do it, Mom?” he says, as he walks in the door, bitterly reproving his doting parents. “Imagine how I felt! I ivalk in one day, and colonel says ‘Your Mother wants you, Sergeant I” ’ Page Twenty

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DEBATING TEAM Resolved: that every able bodied male citizen of the United States should have one year full time compulsory military training before attaining the age of 24. This has been the big question to be solved by the debators since last October, but no final decision was ever reached. Last fall, the Auditorium Department again introduced a debate course for all good thinkers and students with a yen for argument. Some twenty students took advantage of this opportunity to match their wits in reasoning the pros and cons of the above question with the debators from eleven other schools in the Calumet Region. The formal debate season opened on Wednesday, October 10, with a meet at Crown Point and from then until January 30, practically every Wednesday found the debators expounding new theories and proof for their arguments. There are twelve schools in the Calumet Debate League, of which we were members, and each school played the role of host for one debate meet during the season. Our first season was a far cry from being perfect, but we were happy to win one fourth of our debates in the League. The most inspirational activity of the new year was a trip to Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, on February 7, to participate in their annual invitational meet. Jere Richards and Frank Guemple, affirmative team, and Ed Oljace and James Fox, negative team, represented Emerson. A grand week end of debate and fun was this experience in competition with high school debators from other cities in Illinois and Iowa. Debators also have their Sectional and State tournaments. The five Gary schools and Crown Point and Valparaiso comprise our sectionals. The tournament was held this year at Emerson on Feb¬ ruary 28. A complete “round robin” is debated, three rounds at each meet. Horace Mann copped all the honors to go on to State the end of March—Emerson’s goal for next season. Page Twenty-two