Manchester High School - Somanhis Yearbook (Manchester, CT)

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30 SOMANHIS EVENTS JUNIOR RESPONSE Mr. President, Seniors, undergrad- uates and friends: A year ago the Class of 1928 accepted this trewel with the responsibilities of seniors. You made promises to carry on the activities of the school and these promises you have executed to a not- With your graduation, the under-classes lose a great friend and leader. Some of you have attained high scholastic honors in this school, others have won note-worthy places in inter- scholastic business contests, and many of your boys have led our teams to vic- tory in athletic contests. It has been your class athletes that have given Man- chester High School her state wide rep- utation this year. The success of the dramatic club, debating team, and So- manhis Events has been due, in a large way, to the efforts of the Seniors. able degree. Another year has passed since you be- came seniors, and it now becomes our turn to accept this trowel. This we do with pleasure, keeping ever in mind the record you have set in all school activ- ities. We will do our best to be indus- trious upper-classmen, worthy to be call- ed Seniors. We hope that we shall have a large honor roll and that our athletes will lead our teams to victory as yours have. If we can do what the Class of 1928 has done, we will accomplish some- thing of which we may really be proud. Mr. President, and members of the Class of 1928, in behalf of the Jun- ior Class, I bring to you our most hearty grectings. It is our hope that each of you will be successful in life and we trust that on your way to the top you will have few impediments and disap- pointments. Though your future will be much harder than your past, let that not discourage you, but let its difficulties be inspirations to: do your individual tasks well. Again we thank you for the inspiring example you have set before us and again we promise to do our best in car- rying on the responsibilities of Seniors. SALUTATORY We, tle class of 1928 extend a hearty welcome to you—superintendent and members of the school board, who are the executives of this fine school tem; principal and faculty, who have prepared us for our life’s work; parents, who have sacrificed continuously for our education; friends and relatives, who have been our well wishers during the past four years; and schoolmates, who have helped make our high school life a pleasant one. We are glad to have you here tonight to enjoy, we hope, the last ceremony in which we as Seniors may participate, and to witness the gradua- tion of the first class from Manchester High School. A high school is one of the most im- portant institutions of which a town can boast. This fact was realized about thirty-five years ago by three far sight- ed people and resulted in the establish- ment of the South Manchester High School. Those to whom we are indebt- ed for this wonderful institution are Mr. Charles S. Cheney, who served thirty- five years as a committeeman of the Ninth School District; Dr. O. B. Taylor, for nearly forty years Secretary of the School Board; and Mr. leroy Collins, for Sys- several years principal of the Ninth School District. The first high school consisted of three rooms in the old building that was also used for a grammar school. Mr. Verplanck, besides his duties as princi- pal, was one of the three teachers that made up the faculty. Before the first year had ended, Mr. Peterson was added to the teaching staff. He later served as principal for seven years, and was in- strumental in preparing many boys and girls for college. Fifty-five pupils were enrolled in the High School during the first year of its existence. In June, 1894, the first class, consisting of six pupils, five girls and a boy graduated from the High School. The boy was Reuben Gray and his resi- dence was where this building -now stands. During the next few years there was a rapid increase of pupils, necessitating a proportional increase of teachers. As a result of the increase of

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SOMANHIS EVENTS 29 IVY ORATION As these last days of our High School career are drawing to a close, we, the class of 1928, look back with fond memories upon the four happy years we have spent together in the halls of South Manchester High School. During this time we have learned to respect and cherish the wonderful opportunity which has been ours—the opportunity of be- ing a member of this school. It has been not only our privilege, but our pleasure to be able to join the different teams, clubs, and organizations of the school. During these four years we have seen a rapid improvement in all school activ- ities. We have seen our athletic teams —football, baseball, basketball, track, swimming and tennis—improve year by year until now we are able to look upon any of our teams with real pride and say, truthfully, that they equal the best teams of any other high school in the state. Our various clubs—the glee clubs, the debating club, the dramatic club, and our various language and literature clubs are truly to be regarded with pride and sat- isfaction. Other organizations, too, such as the band and the orchestra; are espec- ially a credit to the school and to those connected with them. Then there is our school paper “Somanhis Events,” a pub- lication of which we should be most proud, Best of all, perhaps, we have seen during the passing of each year a decid- ed increase in the Honor Roll. So we, the class of 1928, look back with no regrets upon our share in the successful achievements of S. M. H. S. We have filled to the best of our abilities the niche in school life left open for us, We have taken up the S. M. H. S. Ban- ner, and carried it on as far toward the goal of achievement as we could. Now we shall leave it for you to carry on fur- ther toward this goal. Freshmen: Our short = year of acquaintance with you has shown us that you have the right spirit. You have done excep tionally well in school activities. Your splendid scholastic re- cord surpasses any made by previous classes. You have organized new clubs and supported all sports. Carry on and you will surely make a success of your high school opportunities. Sophomores: We know that you have the makings of creditable upperclass- men. Your fine spirit has been shown by your accomplishments in all fields. Next year the honor of being called “upperclassmen” will be bestowed upon you. Continue as you have in the past, and you will have no fear of abusing this honor. Juniors: Next year you will became dignified and sagacious seniors. The school activities will be yours. The suc- cess of our teams, clubs, and organiza- tions will depend upon you, Support your school paper to the best of your abilities, and place it high in the ranks of high school papers. When you take up the reigns where the class of “28” leaves off, take them with vim and purpose, and put your heart and soul into the accomplishments of next year’s work, especially in the field of scholastic achievement. Develop a higher standard of scholarship than any class has ever set, for the scholastic ranking of our school next vear depends largely upon your class. Seniors: Today we are seniors in the halls of South Manchester High School, After our graduation we shall become freshmen in the school of life. Our paths will diverge. Some will take one road; some will take another of the numerous roads of life. But, no matter which road you take, always keep fresh in your mind the memories of the happy days of your high school experience. These memories will spur you on to do bigger and better things in whatever field you may choose. Friendly ties, which have been cultivated during the past four years may be broken, and new ones will be made, but always keep up the fine spirit which has carried the class of 1928 to scholastic success, so that when we become seniors in the school of life, we will be at the top of the ladder,

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SOMANHIS EVENTS 31 students, this fine High School building was erected. In the fall of 1904, the students began work in this building, using only four rooms on the second floor. At this time part of the building was used for a grammar schooi, but the whole building has been gradually tak- en over for the High School classes. In 1925, we spread out still further, taking over the Franklin Building for the fresh- man class with a special freshman fac- ulty. There were but two courses of study in the first curriculum: a college pre- paratory and a general course. In 1912, a commercial course consisting of sten- ography and typewriting was introduced and limited to juniors and seniors. The following year bookkeeping was added for the sophomores. In 1916, a co- operative high school trade school course was introduced and was primarily for those who wished to become efficient in some trade, such as carpentry, drafting, or study of silk. This course leads to a high school diploma, with a trade schooi diploma on the completion of 4 800 hours of shop work. In 1925, there was an- other addition to the curriculum, that of community civics. At the present time the course of studies contains all the sub- jects necessary to prepare for college, normal school, or business life. The graduates of this High School have been very successful in life. There have been, and are, successful business men, lawyers, doctors, college professors, teachers, ministers, and politicians among our alumni. We can boast of graduates from every prominent eastern college, and many of these graduates have obtained the highest possible hon- ors at the various colleges. A fact worth noting is the exceptionally high number of our almuni that have attended a nor- mal school and become teachers. We can further boast that many of our grad- uates took part in the World War, in which five made the supreme sacrifice. Most of the graduates of this school attribute their success to a great extent to the wonderful building in which they have studied, and the fine materials with which they have worked. The High School building was built, owned, and maintained by Cheney Brothers until the spring of 1928, when the property was purchased by the town and the name changed to Manchester High School. From the time the building was erect- ed until now, it has been in constant use. It has been used for years as an evening school. When the grammar school burn- ed, the building was used both as a grammar and a high school. ‘There was a session for grammar students in the morning, and one for high school stu- dents in the afternoon. It has been used for town meetings, entertainments, con- certs, lectures, dances and other func- tions of town interest. From these illus- trations you can readily see how import- ant and indispensable the high school has been to the community. Now the high school building and the institution therein belong to you, towns- people. Are you going to carry on the good work accomplished by Cheney Bro- thers the during last twenty-five years? I hope so! I have tried to show you what an important part a high school plays in the affairs of the community, and [I am certain that, if in the future every person has the interests of the school at heart, it is bound to progress as it has in the past. Ludwig Hansen ’28 VALEDICTORY With these exercises the members of the Class of ’28 bring to a close their active part in the work of Manchester High Hehool. Through the four years which we have spent here, we have come to realize the opportunities which it of- fers—opportunities which we cannot now fully appreciate. These have been four crowded happy years—years of work and play; years of sociability and comradship; years of loyalty and good sportsmanship. Many of the members of ’28 have been outstanding in extra- curriculum activities; all of us have giv- en some proof of our love and loyalty to Manchester High School. Now the time has come when we must turn over our power of leadership to oth- ers and go into the world to learn in the