Medina High School - Medinian Yearbook (Medina, OH)

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12 Annual help with another innovation — the first eighth-grade commencement. I can tell yon we felt important. Commencement in a tent, special music, new gowns, and a play ! We dramatized Robert Browning’s Pied Piper of Hamelin, and for the occasion some lean rats, fat rats, and gray rats, who perished in the river; and, according to the legend, some of us were led by the Pied Piper through the door in the mountain, presumably never to return, but, like “ bad pennies,” you see “ we came back.” But our school life was not all joys. Our last year in the grades was suddenly broken by the loss of a class member who had been with ns for eight years — Gertrude McNeal, who was called from us to a better land. A turning-point in our history was reached when we entered High School. We had to decide on courses of study, whether our aim was college or business career, and learn to study alone without the constant study-recitation method we had become accustomed to in the grades. But new joys came with new duties; for class organization, class pins, class colors, and class parties were now our privilege and delight. In our Freshman year we indulged in many social gatherings. We had but little trouble securing chaperones, and thoroughly enjoyed the novelty of class gatherings. To help enjoy these good times came the following new members: Naoma Gault, our honor member; Murle Pelton, Lucile Blakeslee, Arbie Carlton, Leland Walton, Wayne Anderson, John Weber, Oscar Culler, William Rauscher, Ralph House, and Carl Lowe. No new members came to help us feel more important in our dignified, wise, Sopho- more year; but with the Junior year came Marion Gleason, Zelma Renz, Irwin Brought, Ralph Snedden, and Marion Garver. This year Robert Beech, Ceylon Woodruff, and McKinley Ewing came to swell our number to even thirty-six. I am aware that I have not been boastful about my class, but have recounted our doings with humility of spirit. But there is one thing I must “ brag ” about, namely, our splendid high-school base-ball team. The members of the team from the class of 1913 have helped to bring us this athletic distinction. Three cheers for those of our class who have helped to bring us this honor. The career of 1913 has been enlivened and saddened by the usual events of interest which make the history of the average high-school class. Last December the school and town were shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of one of our number, Dorothy White, who had been with us for ten years. Thus twice have our ranks been broken by death. These experiences are teaching us the lessons of life. It is our purpose as a class to make better citizens than we have made as students, so that future historians twelve years hence may write, if they choose, a brilliant history of our careers, actions, and fortunes. Time will tell. In conclusions let us say that our class relations have been pleasant, and that there has been but little friction between students and teachers. We do appreciate the efforts made in our behalf, and, no doubt, as the years go by, will value them more and more. The reputation of our class may be summed up in this closing sentence : Whatever Freshmen, Sophmores, or Juniors in the future may do, We have never cut classes, flunked, nor bluffed our way; We’re the best class over which to make ado — At least that is what our fond friends all say.

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Annual 11 (Elaaa Sfiaturu RUTH BRADFORD WRIGHT. We are told by a well-known writer of history that the “ subject of history is man,” that “ history has to do with the careers of individuals;” also that history is “concerned with the actions and fortunes of man.” It is hard to realize that, notwithstanding our extreme youth, we have been making history of a kind for the past twelve years. This has to do only with our school career. Our mothers and teachers have worried over our actions, no doubt, but our fortunes are yet to be made. Perhaps the historian did not mean by the term “ fortune ” gold, but good environment and opportunities. These have surely been ours. Our town is an ideal one for a school system, and we have always been favored with good instructors and equipment. We have had three able superintendents — Judge J. R. Kennan, Mr. C. C. Carlton, and Mr. W. S. Edmund. Our class, while not the largest numerically, is surely one of the best ever sent out by a high-school faculty aided by the school board. We also have absorbed a great deal of wisdom, but not all, as preceding classes have depleted the supply somewhat, and, being naturally generous, we wanted to leave some for the Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen who need to learn so much yet. The least a truthful historian can say is that we have been quiet, diligent, obedient, and rule-abiding all these years. Our class was the first to have the privilege of enjoying an innovation, namely, a public kindergarten. Our town has long been “ progressive,” you see, for now, after twelve years, there are fewer than 200 cities in the whole United States with public kindergartens. Miss Ella Canavan began her career with a private kindergarten the year previous, which a few of us attended. When the father of one of this first class paid the tuition, Miss Ella told him it was the first money she had ever received which she had earned herself. Of our present number, Arthur French, Marcella Fisher, Marion Branch, Lucile Hunsberger, Helen Hobart, and myself were taught to use the kindergarten gifts, to sit in a circle, and sing “ Good Morning to You,” and “ Goodby, dear Teacher, Goodby to you.” Our good fortune continued in the first grade, for Miss Sarah Smith, the widely known primary supervisor, taught us to read by the famous Ward method, which, as most of you know, is a short but royal road to literature compared with the old ABC method. New members joined us in learning to read and spell, for Evelyn Thatcher, Helen Ganyard, and Sherman Maple were added to our roll. It is surprising how the class rolls change from year to year. We have always worked in large groups; but the members of different grades keep dropping out and new ones coming in. So while our total enrollment keeps about the same, yet compara- tively few of the Senior class which graduates to-day have been in these schools through the entire course. What is true of our class, I am told, is true of most others. In the second grade Julia Anderson, Helen Clark, and John Renz were added to our number; but there were no more additions until we were promoted from the primary building, when Fred Reiser entered the class in the fifth grade. In the seventh, Glenn Geisinger joined us, and in the eighth grade (the grade famous for discipline, good teaching, and application of pupils) Maude Whipple and Carloyne Simmons came to

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Annual 13 Qllasa of ’13 ARBIE CARLTON. This, the next to the largest that ever graduated, consists of thirty-six members, of which twenty are boys and sixteen are girls. Although we have not had the benefit of being under one superintendent for the four years, and although many changes in the teaching course have occurred, be assured that our class is up to the standard. During the four years we have been taught by seventeen different teachers, none of whom have been with us all four years. Miss Beach was the best acquainted with us, as she taught us for three years, and presided personally over us for two years. The girls average slightly younger than the boys, the average age being eighteen and one-third years. The baby of the class, McKinley Ewing, is sixteen; John Weber is our heavy-weight champion, weighing one hundred and eighty pounds, while our bantam weight is Marcella Fisher, weighing only ninety pounds. Our whole class weighs over two and a half tons, or, to be exact, 5C09 pounds. The average weight of the class is 139 1-6 pounds. The average weight of the girls is 127, and of the boys is 148. Sherman Maple comes nearest the average weight of the boys; Marion Branch and Helen Clark of the girls. We not only have the record for average weight, but also for height. The tallest member of the class is Wayne Anderson, who stands six feet and three inches high. The honor of being the shortest of the class is divided between Helen Clark and Naomi Gault, who are each five feet two inches tall. The tallest girl is Maude Whipple, who measures five feet nine inches. The average height of the girls is five feet five and one-half inches, Ruth Wright being the nearest to this average. The average height of the boys is five feet nine inches, and the boys nearest this average are Oscar Culler, Arthur French, Carl Lowe, and McKinley Ewing. Therefore yon can readily see, by the few statistics that I have given, that the class of 1913 is the champion in every thing. But the most brilliant characteristic of our class has not been spoken of — that is, its interest and support of athletics. We have been largely representative every year in football and baseball teams of the high school. Two of the members of the class have been on the baseball team for four years and two on the football team for four years. There are ten lettered men in the class. Every class team that ever played us went down to defeat. But it was of the reputation of the Senior Class base-ball team that 1 intended to speak. Seven out of the ten base-ball players who have represented M. H. S. this year are from the Senior Class. Therefore I speak of it as the Senior Team. Out of ten games played, we have won eight and lost two, one of which was a ten-inning game. So you can easily see that we have the right spirit and the goods to back it. Not only do we have the team but also the largest per cent of rooter, with Helen Hobart as our cheer-leader. Five of our boys will be chemists, two mechanical engineers, one an electrical engineer, two farmers, one an artist, one a physician, one an auto expert, one a teacher, one a dentist, one a base-ball player with the intention of entering the American League. One will study forestry, and one will study law with the intention of defending the suffragettes and their rights. No doubt he will have help from those who are undecided as to their career.