Franklin Roosevelt High School - Orbit Yearbook (Hyde Park, NY)

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C.R.BRIGGS • Teacher • Scholar • Sailor • Family Man • M Ithough his activities and interests tran- XI scend the walls of the school building, f I we know Mr. Rem Briggs best as an English teacher with a unique flair for bring- ing literature alive for his students. Per- haps his ability to stimulate an educational atmosphere in the classroom stems directly from the fact that few spend more time preparing for classes than Rem Briggs does, according to department chairper- son, Mr. Donald Bowden. Outside of the classroom, Briggs has made many other con- tributions to the English department during his thirteen years at Roosevelt. One of his most notable contributions is in the develop- ment of the advanced placement program in British literature. This year, more students than ever are taking advantage of this course. Mr. Briggs is a talented teacher because he himself is a scholar and an activist. His active pursuit of knowledge makes him a fascinating lecturer. He loves to debate according to Bowden, and this is evident in his classes where he encourages the discus- sion of disputable topics including the cen- sorship of Huckleberry Finn and the secret behind The Minister ' s Black Veil . Briggs is also very much an activist. Fellow English teacher, Roger Wells, said of Briggs, He dives into any situation or any responsibil- ity, and his antennae are out every- where. At Roosevelt, Briggs has been very much involved in the debate team, Fire Ice, and the Epigram. Outside of school, Briggs pursues a vari- ety of interests. He is quite an accomplished craftsman, and he has practically single-han- dedly restored his home and has turned it into an authentically reconstructed colonial farmhouse. Mr. Briggs also built his own ship out of oak planks. He then attempted to sail across the Atlantic in his ship, traveling as far as Iceland before the tremendous iceberg flow forced him to turn back. His interest in sailing lends a degree of enthusiasm to his teaching of Moby Dick, and Wells believes that this is because he probably identifies in some way with that whole adventure. Obviously, Rem Briggs is a unique individ- ual, and this is evinced by his notorious tie collection. Mr. Wells tells an interesting an- ecdote which took place last year. Mr. Briggs donated a box of his discarded ties to be used in costuming for Evita . Upon ex- amining the box ' s contents, business manag- er Brooke Horton noted to Briggs that some of his discarded ties were better than the ones he was wearing. After pondering this, Briggs agreed, and decided to reclaim sever- al of the neckties. Perhaps above all, Mr. Briggs is a family man, and he and his wife, Taylor, and their five children. Reeves, Emily, Nathan, Lydia, and Avery, form a tightknit family unit. For philosophical reasons, Mr. and Mrs. Briggs do not have a television in their home, and they encourage their children to read as an alternative form of entertainment. Briggs and his wife both enjoy reading themselves, and they often read the same books so that they can discuss them afterward. Mr. Briggs brings all of his experiences, talents, and enthusiasm to his job here, and he willingly and selflessly shares them with his students and fellow faculty members. It is because of this that we dedicate the 1987 ORBIT to Mr. Charles Rembert Briggs, as a symbol of thanks for his invaluable contribu- tion to our education. Mr. Bowden appropri- ately captures his spirit: A man who really fully addresses life - that ' s Rem Briggs. The chess board is the world, the pieces are the pKenomrnaoT dwell in Possibility ■ A fairer House than Prose ■ More numer- the universe... gus of Windows - Superior - for Doors. ■Thomas Henry Huxley .Emily Dickinson Books, the children of the brain. -Jonathan Swift TV

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Franklin Delano Roosevelt Contents • Seniors . • Juniors . • Sophomores • Freshmen 26 • Activities 144 70 • Sports 170 92 • Faculty 198 112 • Advertisements 236

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► Dedication And now I know that we must lift the sail And catch the winds of destiny Wherever they drive the boat. ■ Edgar Lee Masters Education is.. .hanging around until you ' ve caught on. ■Robert Frost Between the dark and the daylight, When the night is beginning to lower. Comes a pause in the day ' s occupations. That is known as the Children ' s Hour. ■ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 3 7V