Ottawa Township High School - Senior Yearbook (Ottawa, IL)

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HE theme of this book is The Circus . To ancient Romans this word meant an arena, or oval t1'ack, where great crowds could see feats of horsemanship at the chariot races, could watch gladiators strike their opponents to the ground, and savage beasts tear Christian prisoners to bits. These exhibits trained the soldiers and tempered the citizenry for the life of that day. To us the word suggests a great tent, animals, freaks, music, noise, daring acts, and fun. The circus program runs the scale of human feelings. Frivolity is there, gruesomeness is displayed, skills of the highest order and feats of courage are exhibited. Some laugh, some scream, others refuse to look at the too- daring. So it is with life, some will laugh, some scream, others will run away when they see the task before them. To this extent life and school are like a circus. The analogy must not be carried too far. You cannot expect every- thing to be set in place for you, with seats and a midway just around each corner. You must become a performer and accept the responsibility for what is to come. The circus of life today finds man at another crossroad. One road leads to an undreamed era of comfort, achievement, and peace, the other to strife and destruction so characteristic of the Roman amusement. The school has endeavored to have you see today life in its realities, and to lift before you a vision of service and peace for all mankind. You must be willing to work for this achievement. You must know and act on truth and not be confused by the shrewd propaganda of the greedy and the selfish. Whether we have the democracy and free society we vision depends upon each individualis integrity and willingness to sacrifice and to share comforts with others. Your eagerness to make democracy work is important. Being a good citizen is not paying your admission at the entrance to the tent and taking in all you can see or get. You must give more than cash. You must give yourself. Horace Mann suggested that one should be ashamed to die until he has made a contribution to his com- munity and to humanity. I have faith that you will be good performers. H. D. ANDERSON. EJ

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-Judging from the sqeals that came from the auditorium during the showing of Hold That Ghost , those that lugged the required fifteen pounds of paper for the Civic Council's paper drive found their labor worth while. -Cries of f'I,m stuck! resounded from the band room during the TB testing. -Bucs lose to Streator and lose out on the tournament. MARCH -Phyllis Stevenson receives the DAR award. The junior class elects Lewis Olmstead, Duane Palmer, Bev Peterson, Dede God- frey, president, vice-president, secre- tary, and treasurer, respectively. -The musicians brought back fifteen firsts from the music contest in Streator. -OHS joins the speechmakers, sending Virginia Roose, Duane Palmer and Bob Lattimore off to the contests. -Everyone liked the piano player, includ- ing Nan Hutchings and Dot Trent, who interviewed Piero Pierotic and his ac- companist backstage after the perform- ance, and came away with a firm deter- mination to learn to play better bridge. -Of course, just about every girl who had a plaid dress in her wardrobe chose to wear it the day C. E. Jones lectured on girls wearing plaids. -Remember Bobbie Peck's wonderful Rhapsody in Blue at the orchestra- glee club concert? -Former Hi hwa men reun to rovide 7 music for the Art club's Spring dance, after which the Civic council provided a feed for the boys. -The Civic council members knocked off a day to wash walls. Oh, my achin' back! -Girls' in exhibit Something new gy - was added-fifty-one colorful United Nations fiags. APRIL -Don't let us fool you! -A wonderful time was had b all at the Y Senior party, complete with scavenger hunt and food, entertainment and danc- ing later, with even the senior boys taking part in the latter pastime. -Davy Atom Smasher Knutson was in- troduced to OHS-a performer extra- ordinaire! But didn't anyone tell him campaigning wasn't allowed? Other hidden talents were revealedf 'YJ by the black-faced Dick Zuege, Don Clemens, and Duane Palmer. OHS won the Intramural Track meet. -Housing the Milliken university choir and orchestra was no problem for some people, namely, Tom Gerding, and Howie Kosnick, who took a couple of the girls out to the first shelter house. -Staff of the ONE and ONLY '46 Senior announced-Reba Nelson is made the unhappy editor. -A gala affair was the first Military ball held since the war-it even had Eileen Chalus going around in circlesg she made a wrong turn after the ball was over, and went through the wrong door as a result. -And 13th. What was everyone doing at 4 A. M. at the Council convention in Peoria-not sleeping, that is! -Track season opens at Geneseo. -Participating in the VFW parade, the band was drowned out by a professional drum and bugle corps, but OHS fans clapped long and loud in a helpful effort to aid the band. -Picnics were the order of the week end commemorating Easter. Pitchnecks is what we really mean. -Rainmakers Willy and Rotter finally shook the balloons down at the Spring formal. -Who did the dastardly deed-scattered the locker contents all over the fioors in the girls' dressing rooms on GAA Playday? Some fun! MAY -Hang it and run! -More firsts and a smattering of seconds, thirds, and etcs., were brought back from the sectional music contests. The competition was really stiff. Band concert postponed indefinitely be- cause of the coal shortage. But, Mr. Hentrich, some of those boys and gals are used to being in the dark! All the girls on the Buc staH offered to interview Nutchuk, after seeing his picture. -Something new in assemblies was added -the Registration assembly. -It's an ill wind that blows the Idle-wild get it ? -Matters regulatory were forgotten at the Civic council picnic. -The lady behind us at the Military ex- hibit said, Aren't the little tots cute? We gals curbed our impulses to throw pennies, showing our appreciation of the performance. -Everyone was dreamy-eyed at the Jun- ior-Senior prom except Ernie, who had to clean up after. -No more essays, No more books, No more seniors' Wild-eyed looks. JUNE 3, 4, 5-Final exams-days of nightmares. Will that last needed credit be there at diploma time? 6-Two out of twenty dances were enjoyed by OHS couples during the scramble for autographs at the Exam Bust dance. 7-Everyone grabs his diploma and runs before the faculty changes its mind. The doors swing out-and it's So long, OHS .

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MR. H. D. ANDERSON The principal of the thing for four- teen years now has a BE from West- ern State Teachers' college at Ma- comb, and a bachelor of law and an ME from the University of Illinois. Outdoor camping is his favorite pas- time. A word to the wise should be sufficientg Mr. Anderson's pet peeve is to have an individual attempt to justify his wrong-doing by covering it up with another's. And just think of all such characters he must run up against in an average school day ! MR. CHARLES ALIKONIS Jay-Vee coach and biology teacher, Mr. Charles Alikonis comes from Johnston City, Illinois. Star in football, basketball, and track at Illinois Wesleyan, CJA taught at Sterling before coming to Ottawa High. He likes hunting and gar- dening 1he's got a big one, garden, that isj. He spends most of his spare time keeping track of Pat this sonl, who is always getting into mischief. MISS ANITA BALDWIN Miss Anita Baldwin, of Paris-Paris, Illinois, you dopes, not Paris, France -is a graduate of the University of Illinois, and one of the best known teachers of OHS. She enjoys music and gardening in her spare time, and the word guy and chewing gum are her pet peeves, This is just a word to the wise to those who have not yet taken civics or United States history. MR. R. P. BOHANNON Mr. R. P. Bohannon, more familiar- ly known to his fans as R. Parking- ton B.. teaches the budding scien- tists of OHS the Finer points of chemistry and physics. Mr. Bohan- non is of old Ottawa stock, but left the fair city to- attend Eureka col- lege, Illinois State Normal, Western Illinois State Teachers' college, Uni- versity of Illinois, and State Uuni- versiy of Iowa, earning his B.A. and M.S. Besides sponsoring the senior class, he likes to remodel houses and sing in the choir of the Baptist church. His favorite sub- ject is to relate his experiences while working at Seneca du Pont-as his students will vouch. MISS JOSEPHINE BRIGHENTI One of the oddest pet peeves in the school is that of the cafeteria mana- ger, who dislikes having people comb their hair in her kitchen. Miss Brighenti attended Central State Teachers' college at Stevens Point, Wisconsin, the University of Wis- consin, and the University of Chi- cago. coming out of all that with a BS degree. Before coming to OHS Miss Brighenti was at Billings hos- pital at the University of Chicago. Music, collecting wood carvings, and amateur photography are her hobbies. MR. MERLE BURKE Author and Teacher-that's Mr. Merle Burke, World history teacher at OHS. Every one in this institu- tion of learning is familiar with his new book, 'tLadde'r of History , writ- ten in collaboration with Upton Close. Along with teaching, Mr. Burke is secretary of the Rotary club. His hobby is photography. He earned his A.B. degree at Illinois Wesleyan. MISS DOROTHY CARPENTER All the way from her home town in Ashland, Ohio, comes Dorothy Car- penter to teach math at Ottawa High. Before coming here she taught at South Bend and at the Army program at Cornell university. Miss Carpenter received her B.A. from Ashland college in Ohio, and her M.A. from the University of Michi- gan. Her hobbies are spectator sports, collecting images of penguins and attending school activities. MISS MAURA CONLISK Miss Maura Conlisk, gym teacher at OHS, loves horseback riding and reading, but hates dirt and unclean- ness. So, remember, kiddies, wear clean gym socks. Having attended La Crosse State Teachers' college, University of California, and C0- lumbia Teachers' college, in New York city, she received her BS at Columbia. Even though Miss Con- lisk's hometown is in Kewanee, she doesn't want to spend her vacation there. She plans to attend Columbia if she can get a roomg otherwise she will take a trip somewhere. 10 MISS RUTH CORLEY Miss Ruth Corley, English teacher for two years at OHS, hails from Shelbyville, Illinois-southern Illi- nois, for you who didn't know- and finds people who are acting funny when they should be serious her most pronounced peeve. Sum- mer time she likes to be traveling in the West, and all time she likes to collect toy elephants and practice photography. She earned her B.A. in education at Eastern Illinois State Teachers' college at Charles- ton and her M.A. at Ohio university. MISS PHYLLIS DOTY Miss Phyllis!Doty takes the honors for the teacher having the most un- usual hobby-trying to get the an- nual out on time. Miss Doty gradu- ated from the University of Wiscon- sin's school of journalism in Janu- ary, 1944, and came to Ottawa the next fall. When she is not working on the Buccaneer she likes to putter around her apartment-she says the apartment suffers-read, and receive and send mail. Yes, spelled m-a-i-l. MISS EVELYN DURHAM A jack of all pastimes is Miss Dur- ham, who likes to swim, play golf, bowl in the winter, knit and sew, and play the piano. Miss D., who is a graduate of Illinois State Norm- al university and the University of Illinois, teaches salesmanship, busi- ness science and organization, physi- cal education, and has night classes in typing and shorthand. She's tall, slim, has reddish hair and an infec- tious grin, and wears her clothes Very well. MISS ESTELLA FAILING Miss Estella Failing, OHS teacher of stencgraphy I and II, typing II, claims Ottawa as her home town. She attended University of Wiscon- sin, University of Denver, Gregg college and White Water State Teachers' college. Her hobbies are riding and knitting. For her out- side activities she belongs to the Ottawa Boat club and a bridge club, and her summers are spent as the office manager of a dude ranch.