Girard College - Corinthian Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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4 Looking Backward Our final speaker, Harvey Melson, gave an lucid interpretation of his ex¬ periences on his uncle’s farm. In last year’s annual Christmas play we were again well represented. Har¬ vey Melson portrayed the part of Baron Advich and Bradford G. Swonetz the role of The Devil. With the opening of the New Year, Edward Holmes gave Parting of the Ways, and Bradford G. Swonetz recited a poem entitled New Year’s Poem. Our class delivered twelve Sunday evening reports on the history, people, and geography of Palestine. These were given by Rexford E. Tompkins, Robert L. Morrison, Terrence McLaughlin, Elmer Bryan, Emmeth M. Land, Robert Q. Jones, Howard R. W. Shultz, David K. Burkhart, Robert E. Spatzer, Charles F. Gabel, William E. Solomon, and Matthew A. Spinelli in a praiseworthy manner. The climax to our stay at Girard has now come to us, and we must show our best. It has been agreed that David K. Burkhart, our Valedictorian, Rex¬ ford E. Tompkins, our Salutatorian, and Charles Godfrey, our Qass Speaker, shall make speeches at Commencement. Athletics I WONDER if our accomplishments are not most worthy in the esthetic fields? They are, but we didn’t exactly scintillate in sports. Ours have been athletics of a quality which one may be proud. The honors of quantity in this regard must go to others. We were first represented when Elmer Bryan and Robert Thomas won their letters in swimming and basketball respectively in the spring of 1931. Inciden¬ tally, they have both broken records since then. In the breast-stroke event, Bryan bettered the old record by a good two seconds. Robert Thomas, as a basketball player, recently broke not only the College record, but the interscholastic record for individual scoring in a single game when he registered 36 points against Ger¬ mantown Academy and shattered the existing record of 32. At the same time in the spring of 1931, William McLaughlin earned his numerals in gym, and Spatzer and Downey were awarded their numerals in swimming. In the baseball season of that year, Robert Thomas was the only classmate given a “G,” but J. Thomas, Downey, Wilson, Allen, and Carroll were all on the squad. Our sole representative on the track team was Joseph Bove, a sprinter. On the 1931 soccer team we placed two men: Robert Thomas and George Downey; but Land, Jones, Carroll, and Burkhart all received numerals. Then

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January, 1933 3 Voice and Pantomime E THAT speaks sows; he that hears reaps. The; beneficial results of this proverb, we believe, were evidenced by our work last year when the fruits of our efforts were shown in the many public appearances. From the time we entered Girard until our Senior-one year we heard the seniors giving speeches. We were reaping and they were sowing. When the Dramatic Club presented Dr. Jekyll and, Mr. Hyde, Peter Wambach did a good job as a little boy. He was our sole representative and we were proud of him. At Christmas time the Dramatic Club presented before the High School assembly Harry Kemp’s Don Juab’s Christmas Eve in which Bradford Swonetz portrayed the part of Alamandos. The play was admirably presented, and we were once again represented in Girard Dramatics. During our lower Senior semester our class; was represented by John Guarini, Elmer Bryan, Terrence McLaughlin, and Robert Q. Jones in a debate against the Junior-two class. It was well done, and we were proud of them for the manner in which they upheld the standards of our class. When Memorial Day appeared, John Guarini, the only Captain our class could claim at that time, delivered a poem, as part of the services. In last year’s annual group of spring plays we were again represented. You will never forget the excellent presentation of Justice Credulous by Harvey Mel- son in The Scheming Lieut want. A new standard of achievement was reached in this play. We must not forget to mention Howard Shultz who portrayed the part of an Indian and Jack Shiner that of a soldier in The Little Father of the Wilderness. With our determination to set higher standards we started our Friday morning speeches at the outset of our upper Senior term. There was a wide variety. Some of them were Edward Holmes and William Davis on The Citizen’s Military Training Camp, John Bullock on Johnny Weissmueller , Silvio Pastore on Experi¬ ences in a Bakery, David K. Burkhart on West Point, Norman R. Betz, on Working at w Unemployment Relief Station, Robert Q. Jones on The Ice Business, Matthew Spinelli on A Summer Experience, and Charles E. Kistler on Alexander Dumas. December brought the Annual Original Declamation Contest in which we were well represented by four contestants. An Appreciation of Art, Charles Godfrey’s declamation, received the second prize. This was an account of his ambitions. It was a natural topic characteristic of its writer. William McLaughlin won the third award with the declamation entitled The Career of Journalism. It was given with feeling and enthusiasm that made the speaker’s interest in his subject a certainty. . David K. Burkhart was our third contestant. His interpretation of Henry Ford as a man was excellently given.

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January , 1933 5 came greater success during the basketball season. We had three letter men in Captain Thomas, Land, and Burkhart. Hippie’s work merited numerals. At the same time, a couple of our classmates were helping the swimming team with its meets. Bryan and Spatzer were made letter men, while Davis, Tompkins, and Shiner received the insignia of their class. The nucleus of the teams of 1932 was formed with members of our class. Seven members of the baseball team were: Betz, Burkhart, Wilson, Server, R. Thomas, J. Thomas, and Allen who captained the team. In track, Bove, Melson, and Wedekemper were regulars, and Holmes won his numerals. Twelve of our men helped Girard through the undefeated soccer season of the past y ear. They were: Betz, Burkhart, Carroll, Downey, Foor, Jones, Kings- more, Land, Bove, Pastore, Server, and R. Thomas, the captain, with Kelly, the playing manager. Able reserves were found in Hippie, Spatzer, Schiavo, and Guarini. On this last year’s swimming team, managed by Specht, we had Shiner, Tompkins, and Captain Bryan. We regret to say that this book went to press before the basketball season closed, but our class helped the team greatly. Not counting basketball of this year, we had two three-letter men in Robert Thomas and Burkhart; but in all probability we shall have five three-letter winners when the basketball season is over, not to mention our many two-letter men. We haven’t broken many of the College records in athletics, but we have helped to win credit for dear old Girard. To the oncoming classes, we wish all the success possible in their athletic activities. D. K. B. Scripts and Scribes O UTSIDERS have a way of judging a school by the various publications it issues. Although oftentimes unfair and misleading the standard of a class is usually reflected in the quality of its literary and journalistic ma¬ terial. Being mindful of this, students are continually trying to produce some¬ thing just a little better than their predecessors have done. It is the pleasure of each class to do its part; we took up the work with such an idea in mind. The Girard Magazine was left with us as a splendid production equal to the magazine of most high schools. However, a really good periodical should be more than a current enjoyment. We wished to give the boys of the College something worthy of a place on their table of favorite books.