Nixon Township High School - Nixonia Yearbook (Weldon, IL)

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quircd something of the sort to offset your deficiencies and childish attitude to keep the School in its high standard. Are you going to take advantage of these high motives, Class of ’iq? Are you going to accept this knowledge which the noble class of ’i8 has so tendered to you and which they have acquired through no little sacrifice of their own? It will remain to he seen next year. And it. closing, my dear schoolmates of the Class of ’iq, I would like to make one more charge. !f at any time, in the next year ou arc doubtful about some little projcci, if you are 'not quite certain about the next move, think of the Class of ’18. Recall to mind the wonderful manner in which they succeeded in every large undertaking, how unique every little detail was worked out; recall to mind their brilliant achievements along the lines of literary work, music, athlcticcs and general school work and that if you follow their footsteps, if you accept their plan of attack of the difficult problems which will confront you; then, I am sure. Class of ’iq. you w'ill leave behind you a name; a name that will go down in history; a name which people will say was excelled by only one class befoie, and that was the work-loving and self- ? I . (I % V I k • • « f % • • ( « • 4 ■ • . V 1 didn’t get that far. 1 guess I studied the wrong lesson. I didn't understand that part of the lesson. ! brought the wrong paper to class. I didn’t understand the assignment. I didn't have time to get over quite all of the lesson. I’ve lost my paper. I don’t recall. I don’t know'. I tranlated all hut that. Was that our lesson for today. sacrificing Class of ’18. CLARENCE KEEL ’i8. FAMOUS STALLS Why docs Willie like “Summers ?

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tlial you have a fine .-onccrtion of women. Your classmates have not been blessed with the knowledge you have displayed in your choice of a soulmate. Again, 1 say, you are to be complimented upon your taste which is so conspicuous among the other men of your class because of its absence. The other person, besides being are all around ladies’ man is a singer. His voice is of such a lccp, melodious and divine nature that when lie sings it is hard to discern whether it is tiie voice of a human or the braying of ar. animal nearby. Last v «eek he received a letter troni a prominent farmer who offered him as high as a dollar a day to call the hogs, horses, cows and chickens at feeding time. I do believe this is your chance; accept the position and I believe with actual experience which you would gain this summer, the next year you may come hack and pour such melodious notes as only befits a Senior. lias not this experiment proved successful in the class of ’l8. Look at our own Senioi who has spent all his holidays among those domestics and is now considered one of the best singers that ever left this school. And so 1 charge you, because of your membership in the Class of ’19 to look well to this piece of advice which has been handed to you. Take the position offered you and I am sure that if you apply yourself in the light manner, that you will attain that position in the musical world which I have already mentioned now belongs to a member of the Class of T8. But these young men are not the only ones who have not been blessed with the dignity that is so preminent in the Class of T8. You have several who still act as they did when Freshmen, but as it would be impossible for me to enumerate the many instances of unseemly conduct among you I shall state onfly a few of the worst as an example so the rest may profit by their mistakes There are two young ladies whom I believe everyone in the school has noticed, in fact, it would he impossible to enter the building without having these two creatures attract your eve. They conic as early as they are nermitted and take fifteen minutes for lunch, returning at 12:20. Why? To prance up and down the halls and stairways watching for an opportunity to talk with ♦lie young men wdio happen to arrive early. Next year you girls will be Seniors, perhaps. Are you going to continue in this undignified manner? Let us hope not. If you know’ not the hearing which becomes Senior girls, look at the girls of 18 Notice how they enter the assembly, how they walk about the balls and notice in particular the dignified manner in which they hold conversation with the young men of the School. Do not put jour feet upon the desk in front or 0 the side of von. Do not giggle at every little silly thing that occurs during the dav. ’Twtill he hard to do at first, hut try hard and by degrees you will assume that dignity so prominent among the girls of T8 and which has earned for them the name of being the most sensible class of girls that has ever left this School- 'Poo much cannot be said in praise of th Senior class of T8. for it was enlirelj' through their untiring efforts that thcNixon Township High School was placed on t • e accredited list of the University of lUinois. When the inspector came on the first dav of iast month his first request was to sec the Seniors. You all know the result. When be gazed unon those beaming and intelligent faces, he was speechless. But we could read in his face those words: “It is enough. I am satisfied.” Wi1! the representative of the lunior Class please come up here on the platform? And so. Juniors, it is with no small amount of pride and tenderness that I hand to von this gavel which represents to us all that is near and dear to our Alma Mater, and I charge you. Juniors, to maintain the lofty and serene position which our School has attained and which is here so fittingly represented. It is with you, entirely, whether or not this School will retain this position. And now friends of the Class of T9 I hope you have marked well these words of advice that I have gi en you this afternoon. I hope that you will profit by the many mistakes you have made this vear. Of course. I have named only a few of the greater errors, because it would be impossible to bring to mind the many unsurmisable defects which stood out so strong in your class this year. But by those which I have mentioned I sincerely hope you will profit. And when the time conies next year I believe you will have assumed that dignity, becoming to Seniors, which was nothing short of perfect Throughout the class of this year- Cultivate some literary ability in your class If you do not know how to start doing this, ask the several members of the Class of T8. who have starred on the lit-crarv platform during the past two or three years. The only literary work ever done in this School has been done, by the Class of TR Is it not enough to show their superiority along this line? Could you look to a better example? And so it is ('lass of T9. It would require much time to point out your deficiencies and it would require an equal amount of time to enumerate the good and worthy deeds of the Class of T8. which were necessary because of the fact that it re-

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JUNIORS' RESPONSE Seniors—In behalf of the Junior Class, I accept this gavel and along with it the well meant advice which you have so k.ndly given to us. Yes, as Hook at it 1 will admit that the Seniors have made one or two marke of achievement upon it but when the Class of 19 passes it on at the end of next year this gavel will be so covered with our achievements that we can never be rivaled by any past or coining Classes. YVc have listened attentively while you have tried to advise us as to how we should act. You have endeavored to show u» vliat few mistakes wc have made, yet they arc so small in comparison with the awful, monstrous and awesome blunders winch the Class of ’18 have committed, that this conclusion might be drawn: The mistakes of the Juniors are to those of the Seniors as the mole-hill is to the mountain. As to the entertainment you have mentioned wc admit that the Juniors secured the help of the Band, but was not the entertainment advertised as one to be given by Barclay’s Military Band and Junior Class? There was only one member in the play from outside the Junior Class and he was a Sophomore — not a Senior. This, entertainment w a an entire success and we wish to express our sincere sympathy for him whose heart bled for us and who needlessly shed such tears for us. litit what of the Senior’s entertainments? You talked and planned giving a Class play, hul had to give up the idea, and why Because of fewness of numbers, inability to act and a complete lack of that initiative necessary in all such thinks. This plan having altogether failed, you proceeded to try another one. but with scarcely any more success. You secured Mr. Kuoncn. a Frenchman, knowing a great deal about the present war, to come and give a lecture under the auspices of the Senior Class. What was the result? Because of poor management and deplorable advertisement it came vcrP ,u ar bcirg a complete failure for the Seniors. Just enough money was made to pay the expenses of the speaker and put something like a dollar and a half or two dollars into your treasury. Art not these brilliant achievements? Dors not this show- wonderful ability, great accomplishments and superior powers for management? Now. as to the scholastic ability of this class of 18. For instance let me give »ou 011c er striking example. One of the Seniors, w'ho has been barely slipping through school the past two years, is supposed to be endeavoring to make up work in whim he dunked last year. During the first semester this dignified Senior was very conspicious because of his frequent periods of absence from school and during the last semester he has caused a great amount of comment by his divine right to cut classes at his owm pleasure. But listen’ Almost on the'eve of commencement, this worthy Senior of whom I am speaking, was actually in the dark as to whether or not he would graduate. Does not this show wonderful scholastic ability combined with that dignity w hich is supposed to belong to Seniors? M | standard bearer, in bis remarkable speech delivered a few moments ago, said: - It was through our own untiring efforts that Nixon Township High School was placed on the r.ccredited list of the University of IP nois. Is this true? Where was the faculty during all this time the Seniors were putting forth such untiring efforts? Was not their teaching ability estimated? Where was the Board of Education? Where w'eie the other classes, and especially the Juniors? Did not the inspector visit the other classes. Was not the apparatus supplied taken into consideration? Presuming from the statement made, all these things were immaterial. YY’e all know better. The very statement itself is inconsistent on the face of it. c . 0 4 , l’t P(;r!,al,s : have already said enough about the short comings of the Class «»t 18 to enable every one here to clearly sec them as they are —- not as they would nave us believe. fl, , , 1 !c A lass ol boast of their athletic ability, of the number of their men on flu basket hall team. But where have they the rignt to boast and feel proud? The Juniors have lar surpassed the? rest of the school in athletics. I would like to ask who in this school has the good judgement necessary to ho manager of the basketball team; i)N 10 1,1 ,t,,IS schoc 1brains and ability it takes to he a captain of the ‘ I?,? COWrsC: Not on!y Jv s th,s Tl,nior bccn captain of the team for the past year, hut for the past two years. hat me n w ere voted honorary positions at the county basketball tournament? Not Seniors, but Juniors. One of the Junior players wa otcd forwaid on the second all star team and another one voted running guard on die second all star team. U this no, enough to make the Seniors, as well a everyone • »se. sit up and take notice of the Class of ’i0? everyone rtll„ ruS u°T t,K ■ tjrarv ah.i,ilv thc tdass °f 9, who can outshine our class? No ho has carried awav the prizes in evry reading contest wc have had i nthe High