Lane Technical High School - Lane Tech Prep Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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Page 12 The Lane Tech Annual for June, 1935 Bill Harris was the same rough and ready Wise Guyn at home as he was in school. Though he claimed to know everything he really knew very little. When he returned home from school the first day he was greeted at the door by his mother. How do you like Lane, Billy?'l It's all right in a way, mom, but a feller gets lost in the place. Besides, I think there are too many kids going there. I heard one fellow say that Lane has no districts. Do you know what that means? Anybody in the city can enroll at Lane. North side .... West side .... from anywhere- Gee, you should have seen that auditorium today. Boy, was it packed. Besides the building on Division Street there are five other branches near the main branch. I just wonder when they will finish the New Lane at Western and Addisonf' t'Now, be patient, Bill. I'm sure that theyire trying to complete it as soon as possible. In that way they can do away with the crowded conditions that now exist. But tell me what else did you do to- day? Oh, we mostly walked around the whole building looking into different rooms. For instance there was one room which I liked pretty much. It was a large wood shop in the basement. They also have some wonderful machine shops that looked okay to me- Say, mom, do you remember Eric Johnson? The kid I used to pal around with? He is going to Lane, too. I'm in the same room with him. What else did you see?i' We saw the print shops where the school prints its own papers and magazines. They've also got a bakery where they bake their own bread and pastry. One funny thing about the basement is the small tracks which are laid on the floor, they look like they might be used for a miniature train. I guess that they really are used to carry material to the shops. And lockers .... Say, there must be a million of them. Theyire all around in every hall in the school. Let me see .... oh, yes, I think yould bet- ter fix up a lunch for me tomorrow morning. I'll get some coffee in their cafeteria? All right, son. Another thing, will you have to take up gymnasium work?,' Well, mom, I can either take gym or R. O- T. C. I haven't decided yet. Gym is better, though, I think. It won't be so bad. One good thing is the indoor track they have right in the gym. Harris also discussed his new educational venture with his father. However, though Mr. Harris made his boy attend school, he really did not take a great amount of interest in his son's future. The elder Harris felt that Bill could get along somehow with- out the pressure being applied. Mrs. Harris was the one who had really been responsible for the welfare of Billy. So ended the family get-together for that night. The next day proved to be a memorable one in the lives of the two freshmen. Eight o'clock began their first official day at high school. The appoint- ment fell through but they met in the division room. Then began the tedious job of filling out cards .... cards . - . . . and more cards. About noon the work was finished and again the early dismissal. The third day was spent in making out their program cards. This proved a little difficult. Hey, Eric, how are we to know what teachers to get? Look at all the ones We have to choose from. HYou wonlt have to choose. You are going to be given a program. There-the teacher is putting it on the board already. Letis see .... IB English- Algebra-Science .... I guess we better start copying it. Wood shop-, that ought to be good. Mechanical Drawing . . . Gym .... Looks like thatls all. Johnson was right. Finishing his board work the instructor began to give directions. 'KN ow, I have to divide the class into two groups. The first three rows will get the early shift. The rest will have to take the late shift unless you bring a note from home which states that you are working after schoolf' Hey, Eric, what does he mean,-late shift?l' You won't have to worry, Harris, we get the early shift from eight to two thirty. The late shift is from nine twenty-six to four o'clock. It is really the one you ought to get. Not for me. Who wants to stay in school till four olclock. It might be all right in the winter time or for fellows who want to sleep but I don't want it. By this time the class was finished with copying its program and was awaiting further orders. They were not long in coming. f'Remember, boys, you must go to study hall dur- ing your free periods. As for your lunch hour, you go according to the group that you belong to. Iyll put it on the board in the morning. That ended the school work for that day- On the morrow, however, the attendance of regular classes according to schedule was begun. Harris, as usual, tried to use his cleverness to the utmost. He decid- ed that telling a teacher that one did not know his way about the building, was a good excuse for com- ing tardy. This alibi did not work very well after a couple of days. After all, the teachers knew the fropes' and one lone freshie could not attempt to put something over on them. The first week was, as Harris said, Pretty soft. High school isn't so bad. All the lessons were easy. This fsoft' business wasn't to last forever, as the two chums soon found out. There were problems to be solved for math. Drawing plates had to be handed in on time. Science had to be finished. Book reports and homework for English. Bill and Eric were indeed thankful when they had gym. This was one place where written work was not called for.

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Page 14 The Lane Tech Annual for June, 1935 As if the regular bothersome school work was not enough, they also had to have several encounters with Kurt Otto, a member of their division room. Otto was a bully of huge proportions. He was con- tinually picking on the smaller boys of his class, he would think nothing of giving any of them a push down the stairs if they happened to be in front of him. When reprimanded for his actions by a teacher the bully would offer a series of well-plann- ed alibis and excuses. Both, Eric and Bill were a- mong his 'victims'. One day while working in the wood-shop, which, incidently was Harris's favorite subject, they notic- ed that Otto worked at the next bench- He better not try any of his funny stuff around here today. l'm just in the mood to hit someone over the head with this two-by-fourf' Don't get excited, Bill, he hasn't tried anything yet. You would do better if you would watch what you are doing. That piece of wood is getting mighty small. You know what the instructor told us. He said to shut off the band saw when we are not using it. f'Oh, all right, wait a minute. Keep your shirt on. I'm not finished yetf' While the pals were engaged in their conversation Otto left his bench to get some varnish. He was It was a large woodshop just passing Billy when ..... 'fHey, Bill, look out! In another instant Harris was sprawled all over the floor, downed by a football tackle. 'fWhat is the idea?,' he shouted. Now it was Eric's turn to speak although his talk was very shaky. Phew! Boy, was that close! What do you mean close? Otto, the clumsy ox, had somehow got his feet entangled in yours as he passed. Didnit you feel yourself falling toward that saw?l' Gee, that's right. Thanks a lot, fellerf' 'fOh, itjs okay. Funny that the big guy didn't even stop. He just ran by. It was all his fault, toof, HWhere did I put that chunk of wood, Eric? I'll fix him! f'Wait a second, Hercules. What you are about to do is the easiest way to get yourself into the disci- pline room. You would probably get about two weeks. You'd better forget it for a while. General Science was interesting The incident passed, but it was not soon for- gotten by either of the two. The freshmen consid- ered Otto as their worst enemy. To them, he was a discourteous, fresh, unkind bully. He proved him- self the most unpopular fellow in the division. Dis- cipline did not hinder or stop him from engaging in his favorite pastime, that of pestering the smaller members of his division group. No one liked him. His teachers took a dislike to his unfair methods of twhat he calledl fun. just before the Christmas vacation even Otto was momentarily forgotten. It had been a hard long grind for the two new boys. They awaited the brief rest with an eagerness that could not be overlooked. A week before Christmas the high school presented a scene of hustling boys bringing canned goods and food products to their respective division rooms. To Harris it was all a mystery- He sought out Johnson to get all of the 'dope'. Eric somehow al- ways managed to get f1rst hand information on all school happenings. UAH right, Billy, I'll explain it to you. It seems that Lane follows a very old custom. That of help- ing out the less fortunate students. The school has done it for many years. Every division room vol- unteers to fill a basket or two of food. Each boy donates what he can. The perishable food products are bought with money which is also supplied by the students and teachers. Only Lane students re- ceive the help. Still other boys give the use of their automobiles to deliver the baskets. In this Way the entire student body helps to make it a merry Chris- tmas for all. If you want, you can bring your dad's car. What do you say, Bill? We need someone to deliver the baskets in our division. Will you do it? Sure, I think it can be arranged. Dad will bring the car over for us?