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

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The Lane Tech Annual for June, 1935 Page 31 The next class after division was math. This subject was probably the most difficult for the maj- ority of the boys. Once in the room each student occupied his given seat and awaited the voice of the instructor. Tommy fell down heavily and wear- ily into his seat. He loosened his belt and began to look out of the window. He could see the street cars rattling along at a snail's pace. While engaged in this occupation of day-dreaming he kept an eye and an ear open for the instructions of the teacher. He dreamily sucked his pencil as he scrawled down whatever he chanced to hear. His face shone with a soldier's warfare manners. Studious concentration seemed to be a painful novelty if his face was to be relied upon to belie his regular thoughts. Drops of perspiration dropped from his tousled hair and his hands moistened the paper on which he wrote. The windows were wide open which permitted the heat and insects to come into the room without any sort of invitation. Condensation and concentration. Spring was in the air and it was beginning to tell on the students. The calm breeze seemed to affect everyone's feelings. Cook was suddenly aroused from his reverie by the bell. Then he realized that the period was not yet over. Having the second lunch there still was ten minutes of waiting. The time dragged so when lunch was so near and Tommy so hungry. Ticking slowly away, the clock on the wall was stared at continually. By this time Cook had become unconscious of the teacher's presence and was only going back to his dreaming. Hurry up, Tommy! Don't you want to eat? shouted Eric. He poked Tommy to get him moving or else he might still be dreaming. Billy then added, The perfect specimen of the sleeping beauty, eh, Cook?l' UAW, quit your ribbing. Can I help it if Ilve got spring fever? Lab was never a dull one. Okay, Tommy, all is forgiven. Do you know what? I've thought of a new slogan for lunch. 'Something about a longer lunch period, per- haps? You and your feedbag. But here is the slogan, 'tShove thy neighborll, just polite pushing, you know, so long as a fellow isn't crippled. 'tNice idea, Bill. The fellows around here don't need an alarm clock to tell them it is time for lunch. The semester progressed with the usual slow- moving days filled with activities which needed im- mediate attention. Basketball. . .track. . .baseball came and went. With each passing day Billy began to accomplish his purpose. The scholarship seemed a reality. Three more weeks and it would be his. Then the unexpected threw a wrench into Harris's well-planned and long-awaited day of realization. just about three weeks before the ending of the school year Harrisls car suffered a break down. He was obliged to ride the street cars to and from school. Billy, as always, tried to devise a method whereby he could save some of the money which Mrs. Harris supplied him to use as carefare. Bill let Johnson 'in' on the scheme. f'Here's my idea, Eric. Why not hitch-hike home. Many of the students do it. ln that way we can save a few pennies for a show. 'KI wouldn't try it, Bill. What's the use of risk- ing your neck for a measly seven cents. Nevertheless, Harris finally convinced his pal to accompany him on his first 'hitch'. It was one day about a quarter to three. After waiting to get a lift for several minutes Billy nudged his friend. HHere she comes, johnson. See that red truck? Watch my smoke. Hurry -up or we'll miss it. No, Bill, you better not take that one, it's going too fast. Come on, fraidy cat. Saying this, young Harris took hold of the up-

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Page 30 The Lane Tech Annual for June, 1935 tfThey look pretty snappyj' commented Harris. This should be a good game. Lakeview ought to be here any minute now. It's almost game time. Hardly had he spoken when the Lakeview team entered the gym. The crowd rose on its feet to get a look at the opposing team. The lanky center seem- ed to reach the basket with his six and a half foot frame. Some thought that Lane could hardly have a chance with Troutwine in the game. The whistle blew and the game was begun. Lake View easily got the tip-off and played the ball fast. On a quick deceptive play Lakeviewls center got the ball under the basket and sank it without any trouble. The first half went on rapidly with Lake- view in the lead by 17-9. Things looked bad for Lane, However, Knez of Lane started the third quarter with a bang by sinking a clean long shot. Then things began to happen. The crowd in the balcony was talking it up plenty. They demanded more baskets. The Lane offense was working beau- tifully. Lane's flashy forward, Danakas, scored two more baskets while Knez also chalked up another one. Lakeview was stopped for the moment and could not hold onto the ball to complete any success- ful plays. The end of the third quarter found Lane in the lead by 20-19. lt was a matter of only a few minutes and the game, so everybody thought, was in the bag. But the Lane defense could not stop the rampage of the Lakeview squad. The rival team was on a scor- ing spree and nothing could stop them. With a minute left to play both teams were tied at 26-26. The Lane Indians begged for another basket. Swan- berg, star forward of Lakeview, received the ball on a short pass and dribbled a bit to get in position for a shot. It was good. This put Lane behind. The tip-off and Duros was in the midst of a fast play which failed to produce anything. In the heat of the game T routwine fouled Knez who was allowed two free throws. There was tense expec- tation in the crowd. All eyes were glued on the bas- ket and on Knez. Slowly he studied the basket. Then he let the ball go. It was good. The next shot would mean a tie or the game. Out of the crowd came a whoop for victory. More cheers, more noise and the throw was lost. The game ended. The final score was 28-27 in favor of Lake View. Harris made an excellent report of the game for the Lane Daily. He was congratulated on his fine write-up by the editor. t'That was a fine article on the game, Harris. Keep it up and you will be an editor and a second Ring Lardnerf' Thanks, but say, Wasnlt that a heartbreaker that Lane lost and by only one point, toof' Harris's debut as a reporter on the Daily was met with envious eyes by his friends. Each of them complimented him individually. The day after the game the young reporter re- ported to his second period class. He was just in time. The class was reading 'fTale of Two Cities. Anderson, especially, was interested in the story. Like a good scholar, he poured over the contents of the book. He could recite quotations of Sidney Carton, the erstwhile lawyer in the story. Tommy sat in his seat in a khaki uniform. He was called and known as a private in the French Foreign Legion and except for the white garters he might have passed for one. To the freshmen he Was known as a Rotten Old Tin Can, that is, when he did not catch them in the act of addressing him so. The English teacher was sometimes led astray of the story and would begin discussing world topics. The class, of course, would try to keep this up. Eric, always the good sport, never passed up the oppor- tunity to continue the conversation until the bell rang. Boys will be - - girls Un the Mask and Shearsj Roll call in the new division was answered with a 'here' or an occassional 'present, sir'. The dis- tribution of Dailies followed. Then talk was dir- ected toward the approaching track meet with Crane. Anderson was reading a book but put it down when he heard of the track event. Both he and Billy were beginning to go places in track. Berths on the team had been vacated because of graduation. As the boys began to read the Daily it suddenly dawned upon them that the article on basketball was written by Harris, one of their div- ision room members. The boys were really proud to know someone on the staff who was making good. Harris was quite conscious of the feelings of his friends. Therefore he determined not to lower him- self in their eyes.

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Page 32 gThe Lane Tech Annual for June, 1935 raised tail-gate of the speeding vehicle. Eric was just about to follow suit when he stopped. The truck gave a sudden lurch and was off at top speed. Billy made an effort to keep his balance. It was too late. The tail-gate fell down with a bang. Harris fell to the street. There was a crack as Billy hit the pavement. Johnson ran up and looked into Billy's face which showed intense pain. As Eric lifted his pal from the street Billy gave a cry. Ouch! My arm! Be careful. Ow. ..I can't move itll' So he couldnt, for it was broken. Harrisls care- less folly netted him a broken arm. It was not un- til that evening that Bill realized how serious the break was. The use of his right arm was gone for the present. In fact, it was not until a week later that he was allowed to return to school. During this period he had plenty of time to think things over. gave high school another thought. Scholarship pin-not a chance to get it now-last quarter marks counted. He would be lucky if he would be able to return in time to make up the back work in order to pass into the 3B class with his buddies. The amount of work to be done gave Billy a shudder. It was nearly an impossibility. Yet he must do it. It is not necessary to state that Harris resolved right then and there to play safe from that day on. Recklessness, Billy found, did not pay. The return to his studies was a burden indeed for the Laneite. However, with the cooperation of the teachers and students he began to catch up on his work. It was a real day of rejoicing when Billy finally caught up. He was heartily congratulated by both faculty and fellow classmates for his brave light to pass with the others. Billy had never done so much homework in his life as he did during the last twelve days of that semester. When it was all fl How they did pound. Why hadn't he heeded his friend's advice? Harris asked himself many times over. A nice pickle he had gotten himself into. No chance of getting back to school for a week. A week's school work behind. When would he ever make it up. Johnson came over every day to inform him of the lessons they were doing. It did not do him much good, how ever, for he could not write. His services to the Tech Prep, Daily and Track team were lost for many days. Was it all worth it. Just to save a few cents? Harris could have kicked himself as he over Bill came through with flying colors. He did not receive the pin but he did manage to pass. When the last piece of work was handed in Har- ris gave a lecture to his friends about safety. 'fYes, siree, boys, I never appreciated the use of my arms and legs until now. You can bet your boots I'll never try hitching on cars from now on. I've had my lesson. If the car goes on the fritz again and I want to save carfare lim going to walk. The cheapest and best form of exercise. Boy, when I received my report card and saw that I passed in