Huntington Park High School - El Recuerdo Yearbook (Huntington Park, CA)

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cr TRAGEDY r f= r f==li= n=Ji=di= i= r=dr==Jf==ii=if==if==ipSmi JIHI1IUJH-H1I Itru ■ Althcugh the ' 30s held en era of depression and hard times, the people of Sparta knew that it wouldn ' t last long and made the best of it! During this decode, the campus had on entirely differ- ent look from that of today In front of Westovei Hall stood a fountain, the Administration building was o stately brick structure and HP also housed an Industrial Arts complex Then suddenly at 5:55 p.m. on Match 10, 1933, the walls of Sparta and the city of Huntington Park crumbled The Administration building, several bungalows and the beautiful fountain were destroyed, cancelling classes for many days. The shock and tragedy rendered by the earthquake were not soon forgotten, but despite the thought of knowing that their school lay in ruins, HP stu- dents resumed classes at South Gate High School, once port of HP Union High School. The fountain has since been replaced by a flowerbed, the Administration building has been rebuilt and the fac- ulty parking lot now covers the place where the Industrial Arts complex once stood. Movie theaters on Pacific Boulevard showed double feature films for an incredible 1 5 or 20 cents, along with a mug of ice cold Hires Root Beer for another nickel. Imagine, o Friday night out for less than a quarter! School dances, being inexpensive, were also a popu- lar pastime. From the Howdy Dance to the Senior Prom students danced on the new gymnasium floor doing steps like the Big Apple. The favorite postime during school hours was Hi- Day. Every Friday students roamed Stockton Court say- ing hi to everyone they passed, thus creating the warm atmosphere for which HP is still known. In 1937, students of HP received a special treat. An assembly was held in Westover Hall featuring a demon- stration of o new mechanical luxury, the television. The show consisted of a three foot television screen, this being the third largest screen in the world at the time. Fif- teen thousand dollars worth of equipment was used to explain the function and use of the TV. It was predicted that the television would be m wide use by the late ' 30s to the early ' 40s. Other happenings in and around campus included the bitter rivalry between the Spartans and the Compton Tar tors. It wasn ' t until the 40s that the Bell Eagles became the arch-enemies. In 1939 HP clenched its first City Championship title. And in 1936, Reeder Field was hon- ored to host the Ohio State football team as they prac- ticed for a game against USC. In track, Foy Draper was making headlines. He tied the World ' s High School Record for the 100 yard dosh, 9.6 seconds, and went on to qualify for the Olympics but that dream never came true — he was killed in World War II. Eccentric weather also plagued HP. In our usually mild winter, freezing temperatures, sleet and even snow touched the ground here at Sparta. Stranger still, in early spring Huntington Park set a national record high when the mercury topped 81 degrees before noon! Of all the long lived changes that were evident in the 30s, only one remains with us . . . enrollment at HP reached the 2,000 plus mark. This caused a bit of crowd- ing in HP ' s corridors but once again students at Sparta made the best of it while en|Oying the low prices, getting the good times out of the hard ond letting happiness guide them through the thirties. Pictures (clockwise from left}: 1 . Sparta ' s Gymnasts — 1938. 2. Masker ' s Club — 1930. This was the honor dramatics society They presented plays for the Student Body. 3. Aeronautics Club. Though limited to boys, it involved 40 aeronautically inclined students 3 of whom were licensed pilots. 4 Students holding class on the bleachers after the earthquake. 5. R. M. Westover, Boys ' Vice-Principal, as he appeared in 1934 Westover Hall is named after him 6. Foy Draper — HP ' s stor of track. 7. 1 934 Social Board which organized dances and ban- quets. 8. Junior Volleyball Team — 1931 Girls ' sports at that time were intrascholastic. 9. Yell and Song Lead- ers of 1938. 10. Yelt and Song leaders of 1934. Notice the drastic change in dress in |ust four years!!

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