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

Page 29 text:

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

Page 28 text:

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 ?

Page 30 text:

School? One of the numbers of the Class of ’iq. At the same time that we won the honors in the reading contest one of the members of our Class was awarded the prize for being the best essayist in the High School. Can the Class of ’»8 boast of like deeds? You have hoard how the Seniors boasted of their musical ability. They have forgotten to mention the fact that in our Literary contest of last year no Senior would compete with a Junior either in a vocol or instrumental solo. Hoes this show the musical ability of which the (’lass of ’18 boasts so much? We all agree that the ( lass of ’|8 is the best that has ever graduated from Nixon High School. No one will dispute that. Why? Because they are the firs! class to graduate from this school, but the Senior Star slowly sinks from view ami above the horizon can be seen the Junior constellation illuminating old N. T. H. S. with a glory which will far surpas that of the Class of 1918. RACHEL SUMMERS. VALEDICTORY Parents, teachers and classmates: 1 his gathering tonight is one of the last in which the class as a unit will he present. After pursuing practically the same course of training for the past four years we are now nearing the close of our scholastic career in the Nixon Township High School. 9 Wc are •‘Launched, hut not Anchored” and from this time on we must “paddle our own canoe, but during these years of friendship, we have been given opportunities which, because we have taken advantage of th.-m. tend to make that paddling much easier. During this time we have had the advantage of having a faculty who could not be surpassed. Last of all, we have had the advantage of having Mr. Johnson, our Principal. who has done all in his power to make this class a success. There is no doubt hut that lie has done so. and will still continue working lor our interests. At this time I take pleasure in expressing on behalf of the class, our sincere appreciation for tiic untiring efforts of our Principal and the members of the faculty. We believe that it is only through their endeavors that we have succeeded in filling the requirements made for ur as graduates of the Nixon Township High School. During this brief term our ambitions have been centered on our desire to raise the standard of our School and to better ourselves, so that we may be safely launched upon Life s sea. Our attitude, when we enter Life’s School, should he similar. Wc ought to have some interests larger than ourselves whereby we may help make the world better. » Our future career, whatever it may be. is'but a phase of the game of Luc as wc have learned to play it here in School except that we arc to put into practice the knowledge we have gained here. W • cannot all be President of the United States nor do wc all wish to he. Con- ?.nn«?l.y MC cann t.,a rca,izc ° r »• » in life. Hut to fail is to succeed if you fail i.ontstlj Honest failure require just as much or probably more effort than does true ward 1 s' in ' fa'lur‘ c°lnf ' have P ayed the game square we know that the re- ward is just as sweet in the end if we can honestly say “I tried. o ,.i, c AS th,S °?5 °f !h.e m?sl P ?»nt evenings of our school career, draws towards a close we arc saddened by the realization that never attain will we he re united in the sldn tuT s hCT a am £? w5 proudly say that wc are a student of the Nixon •f own- tlJu w SvviM e’00 i Ut 'aIS adS?M. ,s .,css.cned by a feeling of joy and determination that wi wil ever he a credit to this institution of which wc are now a part t w i Am nOW’ at prting. we must not forget ’hat the eyes of those whom we leave amhiif 7 cxPcc,antly looking for our success. It should therefore, classmates he our shin no. h° Pr ?,, otc.ourselves to such an extent, that the Nixon Township High School Alumni 1 SotPT ‘° rank 115 as ,hc firM class among the members of its thoTmiv u?.before closing let me present to you the words of George Herbert that lluv may help you in your struggle for success: “Pitch thy behavior low. thy project high. So shall tbous humble and magnanimous be i.ack not in spirit, who aimeth at the sky. Shoots higher much than lie who means a tn c llltf . A,ul .SO ,ct e h °nf “1 f,° his WlM as best he can. remembering that “not failure farewell31 m 18 CnmC' U ,lh thcsc Noughts, on behalf of the Class of 1918. I hid you all LOLA EMERY' ’18. “Monday comes too soon after Sunday night’’—Jake