Metropolitan Vocational High School - Metropolis Yearbook (New York, NY)

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TE P0 The family cloclc vihrated, screeching its unwelcome alarm. To John, who was imhedded in quilts, it seemed to loolc hideous, ironical. It was there for the sole purpose of thwarting his happiness, compelling him to leave hed. He just wouldn'tl Only ten minutes--so what? He always got there early anyway. Simply slip his head under the covers, that's all. Oh, that pillowl At night it never felt right. He couldn't even place his head in an agreeahle position, hut now regardless of where he lay, it felt so comforting. His face slid into the creases -those warm, inviting creases. He could no longer resist it. Caressingly. John Brest encircled the pillow with his arm and pulled it closer to his face, already lost in the white warmth. He turned and ruhhed his face until finally all mo- tion ceased. It was so good .... urlohn, John, c'mon, get up out of there. It's twenty after. C'mon, get up. Oh, huh-what? O.K. fm gettin' up. I'II he right in, Sue. Susan turned around. unconcerned, and carelessly shuffled out of the room, her loose slippers scraping and hanging a hollow sound on the cold Hoor of the house. Gee, it's cold, hut what's the use? You gotta get up anyway. Oh, what a rotten feeling! So tired. so cold. so miserahle and still ya gotta go to worlc. Oh, the cloclc. I gotta get out of here. lt's lateln Ain't got time. Sue. just coffee. With a muffin partially protruding from his mouth he whizzed into the hedroom and dashed hack, coat and hat on his arm. In a single gulp the steaming liuid had disappeared. Darn it, do you always have to malce coffee so hot? Vvell, so long, I gotta hurry. Sue. evidently accustomed to such hehavior, nodded and sighed, Will he ever change? -Late again, hafta hurry again, cold again-I dunno, will it ever change? Oh well, wh:-1t's the use? Ah, the suhway at last. The air from down there certainly feels warm. Gosh, there's the train. I hope I malce it. This is just lovely. I hafta change a dollar. I'll just malce it though. There, I'm in after all. Now I can relax for two stations. Relax? VVho's that horing in from the rear? Who put the suitcase on my foot? Who grahhed my hanger? Gosh, fm swaying at very precarious angles. I might topple over any minute. The swaying--to and fro, side to side, my stomach. Oh that coffee didn't agree with the muffin! Nauseous, miserahle, crowded, unhappy-will she stop polcing that feather into my mouth? Ah. the station. lt stopped! Temporary relief. Relief? The pressure is increasing. The feather is ticlcling. My lunch is on the fioor. More still coming! How can they he so inhuman? Started, can't hreathe, stomach aches, head hangs, sick, unhappy, tired .... The perpetual rolling soon hecame a dull pain that was almost unhearahle. Finally his station. In a moment he was in the midst of a pushing, scramhling crowd. All he could thinlc of was air, the cold, exhiiirating air. He could see light'-only a matter of minutes now. Ahhl the air at last-. G'morning Sam, how's she running? The Negro elevator operator, expres- sionless, pulled the cahle which jolted the car and started it on its slow, dreary

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HONOR SOCIETY Xve. time newly eiectect memtzers of ttie Honor Society do sotemniy pledge oursetues to maintain our tmigim sctioiarstiip, to preserve our good ctlaracter. and to continue our services to ttie end ttlat we stmuii teave ttmis sctiooi tnetter and finer ttman we at first found it. Ttmis oattm, wtmictm is tatcen tmy every memtmer ot time Honor Society, states tmrietty tmut neverttmetess comptetety. ttme tmasic purpose ot time Society. Untitce nmany ottmer similar organizations, tVtetropotitan's Honor Society seetcs tire weii-rounded student. Standards ot admission are not unusuatty tmigtm, tmut ttmey are unusuatty varied. Satisfactory sctmotarstmip is tundamentat, tgottm in stmop and academic wortcg com- menctatmte ctmaracter traits are essentiatg good tmeatttm and good attendance are re- quiredg and tinatty, a moderate amount ot service to ttme sctmoot community is needed. Vvtmite time Honor Society does not exctude time very tyrigtmt student or ttme very active student, students wittm eittmer ot ttmese traits atone, Witt not secure admission. No one tmas as muctm to do wittm admissions to time Honor Society as time in- dividual appticant. iVtemtmers ot time Society Witt tmctp ottmer students titt out apptications, taut ttmey tmave no voice in ltme etection ot nmemtaers. tVtemtJers ot time tacutty' give students ltmeir grades. ot course, taut tmave no direct connection wittm admission to time Honor Socety. Time student wtmo is eager to otatain memtoer- stmip in time Society, tmowever, tmas a great deat to do wittm time success ot tmis appti- cation. tt tme tmas met time requirements. no student or teactmer can prevent tmis etection. On time ottmer tmand, it time requirements tmave not tmeen met, no one in sctmoot or out can do tor tmim wtmat tme taited to do tor tmimsett. VVtmite time Honor Society devotes consideratate energy to time recruiting and etection of new memtners, its tnasic purpose is tnetter stmown in its many ettorts to tmetp matte our sctmoot a tmetter ptace in wtmictm to wortc and tive. Typicat ot' ttmis is its sponsorstmip of ttme Service Honor Rott. a tist ot time names ot att our students and teactmers wtmo tmave entered time armed services ot time United States. Ttme ptaque wtmictm now stands in time totmtiy ot time main tmuitding represents onty one aspect ot ttmis wortc. Letters are written to servicemen, and wtmen destiny catts, to ttieir next ot kin. Ttmrougtm time Honor Society, pictures ot some of our servicemen tlave been stmown at sctmoot assemtoties. Ttmere witt be more ot ttmese in ttme future. Time Honor Society is stitt young. and stitt growing. tts goat is not a re- stricted memtmerstmip of 50 or 60 students, tmut ot t,000, 2,000, even 5,000 students: its goat is to transtorm ttme Honor Society into an Honor Sctmoot.

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climb. Then he regarded Mr. Brest and answered merely with a forced smile. How- ever, John did not notice he was admiring the newly added Hart Workn on the gritty sides of the unpainted car. The pulleys winced and squeaked under the terrific strain. The hum of the motor was a constant buzz of irritation. The only con- soling sound was the movement through space--the continuous pulling of the cable. It seemed to John so steady and reassuring that he forgot his feelings and was brought back to earth only by the sudden stoppage of movement. Eight o'clock on the dot. Well, what's a few minutes after mean anyway? Just time to change and start work. uC'mon, John, get at the bench. They've started rolling in already. O.K., l'm coming. The work begani Dip it in the acid, out of the acid, in the acid, out of the acid, in, out, in, out. Loosen the spring, regulate the spring, tighten the spring. ln, out, loosen, regulate, tighten, loosen, regulate, tighten. Add more acid, add more water, add more water, add more acid .... The smell was starting. His head began to knock bringing that familiar feeling back once more. ln, out, banging: tighten, loosen, banging: loosen, tighten, banging. Minutes, hours, tools-minutes, hours, acid, sick-minutes, minutes, minutes. Time. dip it, time, screw it, time. Keep it steady, keep in time. Don't let it pile, no time, no time. Keep in rhythm, get the timing. Timing, timing'-time-time-time-1 Lunch, more work, more dipping, more screwing, more everything. The day, for John, dragged through a miserable existence. Two o'cIock, dipping, 3 o'clock, regulating, 4 o'clock tightening, 5 oyciock haiieiujahl Dressing, Changing, subway, riding, walking, steps, stairs, doors, opening, closing: home. 5 U 'Lo. Sue. l'll be right in. Eating was a mechanical operation for John. As soon as he had finished he felt as though a great burden had been removed from his mind. 'Tm gonna rest for a half hour before I go tonight. I don't care. Oh, John, must you go? It won't matter if you miss one night. You need a rest. No sir, the longer I go to school the less I work in that smelly rat-trap. I gotta make somethin' of myself yet. You can't imagine what it's like doing that kind of work every day. Sometimes I think fm going mad! If I didn't have the one thought of what I'II be doing when I finish school and leave this job, I don't think I could stand it. uvvell, John, lie down for a half hour. I'II wake you up in time.u No, thanks, I'Il just sit here and relax. Ir'Il be better that way. John's eyes closed and he sat in a relaxed position. Not one muscle of his body moved. All his tenseness had disappeared as his head fell back. The light from the room struck the upper part of his face, disclosing a serene, peaceful look shadowed by falling strands of his jet-black hair. JACK COHEN