Gardena High School - El Arador Yearbook (Gardena, CA)

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Sketches from Life Near Gardena High School BETWEEN CLASSES At the r-r-ring of the bell the classrooms give forth, with a rush, their myriads of jabbering, laughing boys and girls. There ' s a rush, and a roar, a clang of lock- ers, a slam of doors, and an incessant clamor like a Babylonic jargon, a chaos of sound and motion. The populace of the hall thins, and finally; at the r-r-ring of the self same bell comes a final rush, and slam of locker and door; then all is quiet ex- cept the occasional challenge, Where ' s your pass? — Asa Goodwin, S ' 27. THE LILY POOL In a sheltered spot, away from the eyes of passers-by a slender, graceful euca- lyptus rears its lofty head, a sentry watching over the sleeping sapphire at its feet. The placidness of the sapphire pool is ruffled by a flaxen-brown linnet flitting its wings to make its daily rain shower. Content with its bath it flutters undulat- ingly skyward to resume the weaving of its simple home in the highest branches of the stately eucalyptus. The pool is again quietly unruffled and meekly sleeping, unmindful of the sentry peeping into its azure depths like a narcissus. — Asa Goodwin, S ' 27. NIGHT SPREADS OVER THE VALLEY Many times have I watched the night come stealing over the valley, but never before have I noticed the many little details as I do now. The sun sinks slowly into the fleecy white clouds which envelop the Pacific. Long red rays slant in every direction. Spiral columns of gray smoke are seen coming from the factory stacks. One by one the lights appear in the houses. Suddenly street-lights appear. There is a flapping over my head and I look up to find a flock of geese hurrying to their home by the ocean. Glancing back at the valley I find I cannot see the lights so distinctly. What is it? Are my eyes blurred? No, a deep breath tells me that with night, comes fog, stealing silently over the valley, drowning it in a white sea to await the coming of morn. — Curtis Hall, S ' 28. The Purchase Prize Art Exhibit It has been the custom in high schools for the graduating classes to leave their Alma Mater a gift. Ten years ago at Gardena, the seniors began giving paint- ings to the school. This practice has continued until at present there are seventeen excellent pictures in our auditorium. This year, the classes of winter and summer ' 28 worked out a new plan in the purchasing of their pictures. This project was the Purchase Prize Art Exhibit which enabled the classes to buy two pictures. At the exhibit approximately one hundred California artists of note were asked to display one painting each. From the pictures exhibited, an art jury composed of seven artists and critics selected the ten best paintings. The Senior classes then chose the two they wanted for their gifts, and awarded two purchase prizes of four hundred and three hundred dollars respectively to the artists. — Elizabeth Williams, W ' 30. Page Eleven

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Thoughts You ask me to give you my thoughts ? That would be a difficult thing to do When they come to me a host of weird, unr eal, Tiny creatures, making themselves at home As though they expected always to stay, Crowding out the matter-of-fact Today, And painting wonderful dream pictures On the canvas of the mind — Dreams never meant to be real Filling the air with the fragrance Of a million rose petals; Playing with magic fingers On the harpstrings of the heart — The strains of a forgotten song . . . I live again in the dream picture, Never meant to be real — I hear again the melody of the forgotten song; I breathe in the fragrance Of the million rose petals, And go back from Today to the Beautiful Time . . . But another thought — quiet, alone — And I read the page of Yesterday ' s Sorrow . . . Give me again the Beautiful Time With its fragrance and beauty and song . . . Let me hold it to my heart for a moment; Then I will wrap it in dream fabric — And . . . forget . . . Margaret Yoder, S ' 28 Page Ten

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Customs of Foreign Lands EASTER IN RUSSIA Beautifully impressive are the Easter services in Russia, and especially so are the midnight services when the old cobblestone streets and adobe houses are deserted except in the neighborhood of the sacred buildings. Everyone has gone to the Church, which is decorated with branches, artificial flowers, and boughs of waxen fruits. Piles of Easter cakes and colored eggs are seen waiting for the blessing. Only such lamps are lighted as are absolutely necessary when the worshippers take their places in an orderly way. The priests appear in black robes, and everything is very gloomy. Just at the hour of midnight the sound of an exquisite bell is heard from the tower of Ivan Velike, followed by every bell in Moscow. As soon as the echo dies down, the priests appear in robes blazing with gold and precious stones, singing the Easter Hymn, Christ is Risen, and when the tones are heard, the altar and the build- ings are brilliantly lighted in a flare of color and blaze; in fact the whole city blazes into light. Everyone is happy, and everywhere the greeting, Christ hath risen, Yea, He hath risen, is heard. Lent is now over and Easter has begun. The families return to their homes to break the fast, and invite their friends with them. A large table is spread in the greatest room with meats, hard-boiled eggs, vegetables, and cakes of every kind. When the Russian Easter comes, whatever their political or religious opinions may be, the old table will be spread, the old greetings of friendliness and happiness will be exchanged. This day is loved by all, because they recall memories of child- hood, and because it furnishes a yearly opportunity to renew old friendships. —Emily Cost, S ' 28 THE ARMENIAN HOME In Armenia the majority of houses are built of natural stone with usually seven or eight rooms in them; one room serves as the dining and living room and is the largest in the house. On the walls are hung vividly colored rugs which the women of the house weave on a loom. Long benches line the walls with rugs draped over them. Each family has servants to help the men who work from April to October in the fields sowing grain. The rest of the year the snow keeps them at home. After the daily work is completed the whole family gathers in the dining room where they sit by the fireplace, the men smoking their pipes, the women knitting or sewing, talking of old times and telling stories. The Armenian Christmas comes after our New Years day. They celebrate the Christening of Christ instead of his birth as we do. Then the tables are spread with delicious Armenian pastry, raisins, nuts, and spiced meats. The older people do noth- ing but visit the homes of their neighbors, friends, and relatives; they exchange the greeting, Christ hath been Christened! taste of the food spread on the table and chat a few moments before going on. — Rose Avedesian Page Twelve