Hammond Central School - Spotlight Yearbook (Hammond, NY)

Page 9 text:

HAMMOND HIGH HAPPENINGS 9 WHAT’S RIGHT WITH OUR SCHOOL? Well, to begin with, the Sophomore Class is O. K. The basket ball teams are all right, although the girls seem to be a little backward. The boys have just fin- ished a fine season in which they made a splendid effort to “bring home the bacon.” Now to consider the teachers of the school. Mr. Northrop is a very pleasant principal unless you try to escape the little (3:45) session. Miss McClelland has a very admirable habit of coming to school early. Miss Charter is noted for her sincerity in trying to teach the Geography Class. Our worthy English teacher, Miss Brooks, assists in the Assembly programs by giving very amusing readings. The teachers all appear to be doing their best, in their struggle to enlighten the minds of the youth. The radio is the sunshine of the school as it bright- ens up our noon hours. When one considers the whole situation there seems to be everything right with Ham- mond High. —Robert Moncrief. “CLASS DISTINCTION” Whoever made the remark that a Freshman gets swell-headed? Why, he doesn’t even get a chance. How can a person get swell-headed who is hen-pecked and looked down upon by those smart Seniors? Last fall we were initiated. What fools those Sen- iors made of us Frosh! We were so embarassed when the rest of the pupils laughed at our expense! Oh, it was not love for the supposedly more intelligent Seniors that burned in our hearts that morning. Why must they

Page 8 text:

HAMMOND HIGH HAPPENINGS And be out of our parents’ way — That’s High School. Yet, though we may shirk and fool, And do our best to break each rule, At High School. Let someone criticize its worth, And we’ll drive him right off the earth. It’s Our School! OUR ASSEMBLYS I think that one of the most important days of the week is Friday. This is not wholly due to the fact that school closes at three-thirty, but it is linked with the fact that we have Assembly. We often think that speaking before an audience is comparatively easy. When we attempt it, however, for the first time we are very much frightened. Each per- son who speaks has special training on the intended sub- ject. In our Glee Club we have a special music teacher who helps us. Our boys’ sextette and our girls’ quartet have become entertaining through the combined efforts of the teachers. In speaking or singing before a group we gain a certain amount of poise and self-confidence which is essential to every entertainer. After we have spoken or sung before a group, we appreciate what others do. The Assemblys break up the routine of the week and are generally looked forward to with much pleasure. I believe that our Assemblys are valuable to the students and not a waste of time for, as the saying goes, “School does not only prepare you for life, but is life.” —Jean Stiles.

Page 10 text:

10 HAMMOND HIGH HAPPENINGS always pick on us little Freshmen ? The next event of the season was the Christmas din- ner. We all looked forward to that. Then, one day a notice was put up on the bulletin board. It read some- thing like this: “Freshmen girls are to serve the Christmas dinner. The Freshman boys will act as scavengers.” This was not quite as bad as being initiated but we didn't enjoy watching some one else eat all the jello. Some of us were kept busy carrying pie to the Seniors. We decided that they were the champion eaters of Ham- mond High School. Of course, our brains haven't developed very much yet. Why we're only babies (so the Seniors say). We toil away trying very hard to get honor marks for every quiz. We carry an armful of books home every night and study until our so-called empty heads begin to ache. A few weeks ago we, the Freshmen, got our revenge on the Seniors. We had them go before the Assembly, whisper, point to the clock, and pass notes. One of us said he thought it looked like a gathering of nuts! Long and loud laughed the Frosh! We were even. There are several kinds of nuts, but the fresh ones are always better than the older ones. Some day, I hope, we will be Seniors. Then we will remember how we felt when they initiated us and we will have pity on the Frosh of that year — may be. —Elsa Grant.