High School of Commerce - Caravel Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 66 text:

TEN PER CENT DAY Though the night is dark, And you've lost your spark And the dawn is dim and gray, Even better yet If it's cold and wet, It's a perfect Ten Per Cent Day. If you feel like a fool On your way to school, And you're late on top of it all, If you don't feel well And your teachers yell, Then your marks are ready to fall. The day was invented By a teacher, demented: Who thought held raise his pay, An eternal curse On his fattened purse, For inventing Ten Per Cent Day. We leave in June, And it's none too soon, Though we may feel a pang of doubt, But that painful pest, The Ten Per Cent Test Added pleasure to getting out. Carl A. Gottlieb 62

Page 65 text:

ADVICE TO THE NEWCOMER AT COMMERCE I have survived six terms of the educational process as it is presented to the students of Com- merce High School. I therefore feel qualified to give out warnings and advice. The following is a resume of what you can expect: The first thing you notice as you enter Commerce is its auditorium. This is probably because it's the first place you go into. You will then make your way to your ofiicial class Cif, that is, you are able to find the roomj. Here you will spend the next two days filling out cards and getting writerls cramp doing it. This is nothing--wait until you get to your classes. You do nothing but fill out Delaney cards. At this point it's highly unlikely that you'll com- plain about your primary program card. You don't know enough yet to complain. That will come later when you'll try desperately to see your grade advisor. But CHa! Ha! J you can't do that. You have to write notes to ask, politely, if possible, exactly why you were programmed for Clerical Practice when you're taking a straight academic course. Don't worry, the whole matter will be cleared up, after you've written nine 'notes and have already grasped the fundamentals of CP15. C By this time you've probably decided that you like Clerical Practice so much that you want to continue. Of course, you don't decide this until after you've been re-programmed for Bio. 15, thus pro- viding the grade advisors with a very legitimate reason to complain.D Incidentally, when you've got the whole affair settled and your set of program cards is all filled out, they'll discover that your English class is much too crowded, and will switch you to another period, which will necessitate changing the whole program and C more funj making out a new set of program cards. Some time during the fourth, fifth, or sixth periods you will be sent to the lower regions of the building. These regions are known as the cafeteria. A better name would be the Obstacle Course. Of course, the first day of each term is always the worst, but it's not too much worse than any other day. You stand at the end of a long line of pushing, shoving individuals, all of whom seem like those starved lions that were let loose at the Christians in the Roman arena. But, as the saying goes, You ain't seen nuthin' yetl . It has long been one of my firmest beliefs that we at Commerce have a great deal to contribute to the Marine Corps' basic training program. What better endurance training is there for a person than the three minute dash from the first floor of the old building to the girls' gym lockers on the sixth floor of the new building? It's marvelous for building lung-power Cif your heart doesn't give out firstb and running with a load of books is very good for develop- ing arm muscles. The books are also excellent in that they give you a good sense of balance. You can't hold on to the railings, and you have to balance the books so you won't drop them. Dropping them could prove disastrous, on a staircase full of students. Class change also has another virtue. It's good train- ing for hand-to-hand combat. The halls are bad enough, but to develop real endurance you must go Up on a Down', staircase. One of three things will happen to you-you will fight valiantly, but fall back exhausted, the onrushing students will trample you, either by accident or from anger, or youill make your way to the top but will have to be hospitalized. All things considered, the Marines are making a big mistake by training at Parris Island. They should send the recruits to Commerce. However, you shouldn't be down-hearted. If class changes don't kill you, Biology or Chemistry will. I remember well the day we dissected frogs in Bio. I don't find chloroform particularly exhilarating under any circumstances, but to work in a room full of frogs reeking with it was the last straw. I thought I'd get sick or faint any minute. 'I found later that I wasn't alone in these misgivings. Fortunately, this unhappy occurrence took place only once in Bio. Chem. was worse. We used to walk out of there staggering from too much poisonous chlorine gas, sneezing because of the sulphur, or itching from some spilled sulphuric acid. CSulphuric acid is also excellent for the purpose of burning holes in your clothes.D However, you'll survive it all-programs, lunches, the three-minute dash, and the sulphur and chloro- form. just when you're congratulating yourself that you've become inured to it all, mid-terms will sneak up on you. But nobody said anything about these in junior High, you'll wail. But it does no good- everyone take them fand the ten-percent-day examsj. You have one alternative-to fail Cughl. But cheer up! Remember? No classes during mid-terms. Eureka! When you aren't giving forth with the pearls of wisdom, you can do as you wish-play tennis Cunless your hand and wrist hurt too much from writer's crampb, or go to the movies Cunless you've acquired eye strainj. But only think of the fun you can have during Regents Week . . . that is, if you have no Regents. If you do-well, I'd rather not discuss the more unpleasant aspects of life. If you can get through high school unscathed, you can point to your diploma with pride. And per- haps you'll remember that it wasn't all complaints and three-hours-a-night homework assignments. Youlll remember the times you had before Christmas and Easter, when everyone felt good, and perhaps you'll recall a teacher or two whom you liked especially, and who helped you when you most needed help. But the things you'll never forget are the people you met, the friends you've made, the kids who made the school more than just an impersonal institution. Claudia Reagan

Page 67 text:

ang june Staff fied Co mas K 616, B UK TAFFS ABBIE CAKLEB CRAMER Wa 60119 MEYXE 35 90206 0521571 50? Q5 JANUARY STA