Horace Mann High School - Horace Manual Yearbook (Gary, IN)

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COVERED WAGON TRAILS or THE FRESHMEN IN 1949 With a sigh of relief, the Freshmen halt their wagon trains and pitch camp. Now that the first part of their journey through high school has been completed and one year is over, they can pause momentarily and look over their first year. For the Freshmen the first trail has not been an easy one. They have found themselves am ¬ bushed by difficult decisions such as: “Shall I go to the football game, or should I go to the library for social studies? or “Couldn’t I hurry and get my algebra in the morning? I want to go to Social Club. Diana and Apollo, X and Y, Et Tu, Brute, and the lowly amoeba furnished hazards that must be surmounted if they were to reach the second stage of their journey. The wagons paused more than once for so¬ cial relaxation. Some of the boys found pleas¬ ure in feats of strength and worked hard on various freshman teams. Dances, parties, the gay Shamrock Serenade, were never-to-be-for- gotten milestones in the 1948-1949 journey. Somehow as the year wore on and second semester examinations loomed ahead, the freshmen began to feel as if they were no long¬ er in a strange land. True, a long and tortuous road lay ahead, but they had gained some wis¬ dom with which to combat new dangers. When, in the fall, the wagon cries of “catch up, “all set,” “stretch out. and “fall in,” ring out, the class of 1952 will be ready for its Sophomore trials. T ?ii-A-E fe M W3fc c as. , ffl K vxs ISSaWasst- a tf

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“Tres, decern, octo, duo, shift! Sound strange? Horace Mann foot¬ ball players are just making practi¬ cal use of their knowledge of Latin to call signals. Frequently, too, the daintiest sentences in Spanish can be detected floating across the baseball diamond while the boys are indulg¬ ing in conversational practice during rest periods. Most Americans realize that if we are to live happily in a world full of people with a variety of customs and ideas, we must learn to appreciate cultures that differ from our own. At Horace Mann the goodly number of pupils who study foreign languages find just such an opportunity in two flourishing language clubs. The S.P.Q.R. meaning “The Senate and the Roman People” and the Pan American League have been in exist¬ ence for a number of years. Through meetings, parties, con¬ ferences, and various social affairs members learn about the contribu¬ tions the Spanish and Roman people have made to our civilization. Their customs, laws, religion, and litera¬ ture form the basis for many live and informative programs. The annual city-wide Latin Club conference held this year at Roosevelt H igh School, for instance, was conducted by hold¬ ing a number of forums in which everyone took part. Roman history, culture, and ideas were discussed with special emphasis on how this ancient civilization has contributed to our own. Why, even the word forum is derived from Latin. The Latins have rigorous initia¬ tive rites before a student can be¬ Foreign Affairs come a “civis”, or citizen, in the club. Before every meeting is held, the “auspices” are taken. There is a min¬ ute of silence. If, however, no loud noise is heard during this time, the gods are considered favorable and the meeting proceeds. In the late fall the club, carrying out the motto, no doubt, When in Rome do as the Romans do, reverted to a very modern custom to raise money for its cultural adventures. For one week, members sold taffy apples. This business venture proved satisfactory to both the treasury and H.M. pupils. To learn more about the lives of the people who actually speak the language they are studying, the Pan American members were invited to attend a meeting of the Lew Wallace Spanish Club. Miss Mary Cheever, of the foreign language department at that school, showed entertaining movies of her recent trip to Latin America. The club also had a skating party in the fall, an annual event. (This was purely recreational, with no Spanish verbs conjugated while skating. . . .) Christmas parties were given by both organizations. The S.P.Q.R. de¬ parted from the Latin atmosphere for a purely social event with mod¬ ern American fun. The Pan-American League, how¬ ever, made several pinatas. These gaily decorated bags filled with sweets are suspended in mid air. Guests watch expectantly while some of their number, who are blind¬ folded, try to smash the pinata. Once someone succeeds, all scramble madly to snatch the candy which showers down. During the second semester the S.P.Q.R. entertained its Spanish neighbor. Invitations insisted every¬ one wear appropriate costumes. The gay sombreros and bright serapes seemed even more colorful against a background of stately flowing white Roman togas. To lend atmosphere to the occasion, songs were sung in Latin and Spanish. Both organizations have monthly meetings which combine programs and social relaxation with distinctly American refreshments. Both clubs, too, have various projects from time to time. The Pan-American League received a banner from the National Organization in recognition of the work it had done during the past few years. Latin Club officers, corresponding to officials of the Roman govern¬ ment, were: Pontifex Maximus, John Stiles; Quaestor, Judy Sorrells ; Aedile, Mary Ann Burke; and Cen¬ sor, Bill Lordan. Their club was sponsored by Miss Emma Peters. The Pan-American League officers for this year were: President, Betty Behn; Vice-President, Esther Hu¬ ber ; Secretary, Carolyn Call; and Treasurer, Joan Bray. Miss Helen Beck was the sponsor. Who knows . . . possibly learning about foreign traditions and customs might help to bring about the better understanding and tolerance which is so vitally needed among the na¬ tions of the world. ' me 12