Fairhaven High School - Huttlestonian Yearbook (Fairhaven, MA)

Page 28 text:

26 THE H UTTLESTO N1AN Mathematics SHALL WE HAVE A MATHEMATICS CLUB? E ARLY in November a meeting will be called for the purpose of discussing the advisability of organizing a mathematics club. Such a club might be honorary, membership being limited to pupils who are doing at least B work in mathematics. The purpose of the club would be two-fold: first, to organize students with a com¬ mon interest that they may meet as a social group, and second, to provide the opportunity for further acquaintance with mathematics both as a tool and a pastime. Regular meetings would be held with perhaps an occasional outside speaker on mathematical subjects. Are you interested ? If so, attend the meeting when it is called. Considerable interest was shown recently by members of the senior and junior mathematics classes in the following “mind teaser” brought to class by E. Knowlton: X= 1 X2=j X2=X X2—1 — X—1 XM = X-1 X-l X-l (X+1) (X—1) =X-1 X-l X-l X+1 = 1 1 + 1=1 2=1 Can you find out what is wrong with it ? Mr. Staples: “What is two times nothing?” Student (?) : “Two.”

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THE HUTTLESTONIAN 25 On the Wire B rrr - “Fairhaven High School.”— “Hold the line a moment and 1 will connect you with the head of the Commercial Department.” “Head of the Commercial Depart¬ ment speaking.”— “Yes, we run an employment bureau. 1 have a card for each pupil who has graduated from the department and en¬ deavor to keep the file up to date. Whenever a pupil changes his position 1 am notified, and change the card ac¬ cordingly; therefore I am always able to recommend to business men the type of assistants they desire.”— “No, I have no one out of a posi¬ tion at present. All of last year’s class have very good positions, I believe, and the salary you offer is too low. No one has gone out under $12.00 a week and almost everyone reecives more.”— “Yes, some of last year’s class are receiving $18.00 a week and the majority $15.00.”— “Yes, we have a system whereby all Seniors in the Commercial Course who have done excellent work may leave school in May and finish their course in an office.”— “Yes, we placed most of the class before they graduated last year. Certainly, 1 would be very glad to send you an excellent stenographer on May 1.”— “Yes, I should be pleased to place you on my list.”— “No, I regret I cannot put you first; there are several previous re¬ quests.”— “Very well, thank you. I am glad to be of service to the business men of Fairhaven and New Bedford.”

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27 THE HUTTLESTONIAN Hie Incredible Voyage T HE Channel swim is no longer the topic of the day; it is of the crossing of the Atlantic in a sailboat by Alain Gerbault that we wish to speak. This young sportsman in a cutter about twenty-eight feet long, of ten tons, has accomplished a feat never before realized in similar con¬ ditions. Leaving Cannes in the month of April he went to Gibraltar and from there started across the Atlantic. For one hundred and forty- two days he struggled against the ocean, the elements, hunger, thirst, the heat of the sun, even sickness, and also against the solitude. Alone upon his frail craft he was always headed toward the promised land which seemed to get farther away each day. He experienced all pain and suffering, with wonderful courage he withstood them. Three times he was the plaything of the storm. His boat was nearly wrecked. Doggedly he waited for the calm and then proceeded to make repairs. On the 142nd day of the journey he had lived 26 days in a raging storm where the waves buffeted his small cabin, demolishing new objects every day. A large part of the drinking water went bad during one of these days. The angry sea took overboard 180 litres out of 280 litres that he had taken with him. When he did not have any more drinking water he waited for the rain. He gathered it in receptacles in order to partly quench his thirst. A warm rain which poured down in torrents obliged him to strip all his clothing from his body in order to stand it. He contracted bronchitis with fever and for two days he was unconscious and de¬ lirious in his boat which was at the mercy of the waves. But he carried on. The 5th of September for the first time he saw a boat. He was then 190 miles east of the Nantucket lightship. The boat was a Greek tramp, the Byron. The captain offered to give the navigator a tow. Gerbault refused, accepting some provisions and fresh water. What can one think of the energy of this young man, fighting for 130 days, subject to great suffering, declining the offer and remaining alone be¬ tween the sky and the sea in spite of the fear of the next day, but with the will to triumph ? What a wonderful lesson in tenacity given to