Las Vegas High School - Roundup Yearbook (Las Vegas, NM)

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They were permitted to form an organization of their own, and elected t ffieers, all of who ' t ' uties well: as resid elected - leta vice presiden Carmen Gutierrez KSecretary,63eartice Gutierre ' and treasurer, -3, Y A, , new ' X T y aes. ' The freshmen became interested in strange new exercises called basketball, and football, also track and tennis, and attained a slight degree of prowess in each. They suffered much agony and despair during this period because of the social functions which they were required to attend to acquire poise and dignity. The male freshmen in particular found the dances torture, but the females enjoyed them greatly. In time, however, these functions became festive occasions for all. At the end of the year, a terrible disaster befell the freshmen. Many had their growth retarded a year by it and a few, permanently disabled, left the freshman class forever. This disaster was called ufinal exams, and ranks as one of the worst mas- sacres of all time. With the coming of the next September, they received a new name. Because of their skill in acquiring the customs of the school, they were renamed Sophomores, and the process was called by the native name upromotionf' The routine of the classroom was now familiar and they found studying easier than before. The talents discovered the previous year were developing rapidly, and the ex- ploring teachers found much to please them, but also much to astonish them. Rushing forward into the' vastnesses of the Sophomore mind, they found strange things. During this Sophomore year, a political party came into existence within the class organization. The .name given this new party was The Progressive Party. It was very successful, for all. of its candidates were elected to office. They were: Nash Garcia, president, Nancy Browning, vice president, Jeanette Montgomery, secretary, and Toby Maes, treasurer. In the third year, owing to an old educational custom, the sophomores became juniors, and promotion made their sense of importance increase out of all due propor- tion. Great, indeed, was their scorn for freshmen and sophomores. The Progressive Party again showed its strength, all its candidates were elected to office. They were: Nash Garcia, president, 'Nancy Browning, vice president, Jeanette Montgomery, secretary, and Leroy Newman, treasurer. ' And now we come to the fourth and greatest year in the history of the class. They became seniors in September. With the gaining of this title, they began to take them- selves more seriously than ever before. As the year drew to a close, they were positively dizzy with dignity. All this was looked upon with friendly amusement by the teacher-explorers, who regarded the result of their four years of hard labor with rightful pride. They had converted a band of ignorant, untamed, aborigines into intelligent, courteous citizens of their school, and had lost only the usual number in the process.

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AN OUTLINE of the HISTORY of the FAMOUS CLASS of 19 3 The purpose of this history is not to relate every step in the progress of a people, from their humble beginnings as freshmen, four years ago, to their arrival at the dizzy height they now occupy. On the contrary, in accordance with the modern ten- dencies in historical writing, the author aims to emphasize only those factors in our class development which appeal to us as most vital from the standpoint of today, and to explain prevailing conditions and institutions by showing how they came about. It will be noted there has been no attempt to sentimentalize or smooth over any awkward spots in this history, but to faithfully adhere to the truth. The work is divided into two parts: Discovery and Exploration, with an afterword in which some strictly personal opinions are hazarded. DISCOVERY The discovery of the class of 1953 was an accident. Four years ago, September, the faculty of Las Vegas High School were strolling aimlessly through the corridors, chatting about the just-ended vacation and wondering whether there would be any startling changes in their work during the coming year. Suddenly they caught a glimpse of something new and strange. ,lust inside the front door, huddled together in mute embarrassment and anxiety, were members of what became the illustrious class of 1953. To the casual eye, they seemed merely a group of ordinary boys and girls, well dressed, reasonably good-looking, and badly frightened. But to the trained eyes of these dauntless and experienced explorers, these strangers seemed distinct and widely separated individuals, each possessing aptitudes and talents, deficiencies and capabilities decidedly worth finding out. Gently attempting to dispel the fears of the newcomers, the faculty bade them enter and spent the next few weeks gaining their confidence and friendship. The discoverers of the class of 1953 will be celebrated in history for the gentleness and courtesy they ever displayed toward these strange beings they encountered in 19-41-9. EXPLORATION . The discovery was reported to the ruler of the high school, Principal John B. An- derson, who received the news of this remarkable acquisition to his territory with marked delight and few misgivings. He examined with interest the trophies presented by the strangers to their discoverers. Among these trophies were report cards bearing cabalistic signs supposed to denote the degree of mental alertness possessed by the owner and to show his possibilities as a future citizen of the country. Each of the discoverers became an explorer. The strangers were divided into small groups and assigned to the care of the different explorers. They were given a name. Freshmen,'7 and became a part of the life of the school. They were taught many new, strange customs and manners, and were required to learn difficult lessons. At first, they often wished they had never been found, but, before a year was over, they became thoroughly at home in their new surroundings. The most unpleasant thing about the freshman year was the contempt in which h h lf lon er eriod. How- they were held by those who had been residing in t e sc oo or a g p ever, understanding that this was a custom of the country, they ignored it.

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Organization of the senior class was noteworthy, the following officers being in charge: Nash Garcia, president, Robert Fellabaum, vice president, Bernice Ewing, secretary, and Betty Phillips, treasurer. It must also be noted that the senior class produced many lettermen in football, basketball, track, baseball and tennis. The class chose as its motto, Forward ever, backward never, its flower, the red rose, and its colors were turquoise on silver. At the expiration of the four years, the principal, who was now Mr. William C. Hurt, expressed himself as greatly pleased with the additions to his country and pronounced them all highly eligible for admission as citizens. By way of appropriate celebration, a strange ceremony, known as commencement, was held. Speeches were made, songs were sung, and scrolls called diplomas were given to the seniors. It has been suggested by our best friends and severest critics that the form of this history is ambiguous, if not misleading. They say it should have been written the way it really happened, the pupils discovered the school, explored its vast resources, and settled there for four years of hard work, after which they moved on to greater things. But we say it is our history and we wrote it to suit ourselves.