Rangeley High School - Tattler Yearbook (Rangeley, ME)

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The TATTLER CHANGES AT R. H. S. I wonder if R. l-l. S. has changed any since you were last here? Let's take a look around and find out. As you walk along past the gym, you can see the new modern metal backboards and the newly buffed floor. We know the bas- ketball fans will appreciate these improve- ments as much as the players, although everyone, of course, dreams of the time when Rangeley will have a new gym! During the war it was almost impossible to get a Manual Training teacher, but this year the Manual Arts course has been re- sumed under the direction of Mr. Hart. He has also reorganized Boy Scout Troop 179, and since this is a very worthwhile organiza- tion, we hope that its activities may continue to increase. The armed forces found during the war that men can retain more easily what they are being taught if they can see as well as hear the subject at hand. This practice has been put to use in modern high schools. For about one hour each week movies on science, history, physics, home economics, etc., are shown in the gymnasium. It isn't hard to imagine that Iulizzs Caesar and Macbeth are much more interesting when they can be heard in the interpreta- tions of such famous Shakespearian actors as Maurice Evans, and Judith Anderson, and even Orson Welles. The record albums of Izrlizzs C aesar, MacBeth,and The Merchant of Venice, purchased through the Dramatic Fund, can now make Shakespeare's charac- ters step out of the books and become real people. Our new victrola, procured through the same fund, makes listening to the record- ings all the more delightful. In the main room a few new basketball trophies gleam on the shelves, and it looks as though before too long we're going to have to add more shelves for our ever-increasing collection. Yes, the old place is changing, but never- theless it still has that same familiar atmos- phere when you come back to it. Editor in Chief. EDITORIAL We don't like to complain - but - P. T. fPhysical Training, or Physical Torture, as you wish,j isn't very interesting from the point of view of the girls. Every afternoon we drag our poor weary bodies to the sub- terranean torture chamber to receive our workout. This consists of shifting from one foot to the other until someone finally yells, Line up in a straight line. After a fashion we line up, but not in a straight line. Then, when at last everyone is facing one way, we march around the room several times. However, this proves too much for us and gradually one by one we give up and lie down by the roadside. Sometimes, though, we do manage to summon enough strength to carry a book on our heads across the room and back again. I believe this is to help our posture: good, l think, but you'd never know it. Somehow The World and How It Came About can't be balanced on one's head unless one assumes the position of a robin when he listens for worms! Occa- sionally someone does come suitably dressed, and endowed with enough energy to do the 'fbicycle a few times, but such happenings are so few and far between that these poor unfortunate souls have to be shown how to pedal all over again. Now please don't think that we're so lazy that we just don't like to exercise, we do- but only if we can exercise properly. What I'm trying to say is that the State insists that all of the high schools in Maine devote a cer- tain amount of time each week to the devel- opment of the physique of their students. The State means well but forgets that small schools like ours can't afford the trained in- structors and special equipment required to make only a few hours-five at the most- each week interesting. The money has to be spent on subjects of more importance. Before the war there was every afternoon from one o'clock to one-thirty-five a so- called activity period. During this period, the orchestra, the drama groups, or what- have-you practiced, while students not ac- tive in those organizations spent the thirty- five minutes studying-at least they had the opportunity for studying. The fact remains that something 'was accomplished during that time. Now, however, the thirty-five minutes have been extended to forty-five and transferred to the end of the P.M. ses- sion, and nothing is accomplished. No stu- dent can be expected to take even a half- hearted interest in a subject that he knows he

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The TATTLER gets no credit for, even after spending much time on it. By the end of this year we will have learned from this class absolutely noth- ing except perhaps that the gym floor humps in the middle and sags at the ends. I should make it plain at this point that I'm speaking strictly from the girls' point of view. The boys seem to enjoy their train- ing. Or at least they sound as if they were really exerting themselves. lt's improbable that anyone in the State legislature who has any authority to make provision for money for Maine schools will read this, but if he should, I do wish that he might take some of this to heart. I'm not kidding. If he doesn't believe this, he might come up any afternoon at three o'clock to watch us being put through our paces. lf by chance he should visit us on one of the very few days when several of us girls are trying at least to look ambitious, he would be bowled over by the hot air. It seems that fresh air is not good for you while you exercise! In as much as it is improbable that the State will do anything right away to remedy the situation, would we really be doing any serious harm by going back to the old sys- tem of our lovely thirty-five-minute activ- ity period ? Honestly, now, would we? BETTY RUSSELL '47 ON TEAMWORK Five men work to put one ball through a net, eleven men fight to carry one ball down a Held, or nine men work to hit one more home run. What's behind all this? The point is that it takes five men to make up a basketball team, eleven men for a football team, or nine men for a baseball team, not just one man or even two or three. Let's take a basketball team for instance. Each member of the team is an individual used to thinking and acting for himself. On the team his attitude changes. Here he can do only one-fifth of what he usually does. Every move he makes is governed by the actions of four other men. I-le has to know these four teammates and even be able to read their actions. The center must know the very instant the guard is going to pass him the ball, not because the guard tells him, but because they have played so much to- gether that they can almost read each other's thoughts. On a jump ball the man tapping the ball looks at one of his men, doesn t say a single word, yet the tap goes through to that man. Luck? No. That man knew exactly where he was supposed to be and waited until the right second to get there. What makes up a champion team, any- way? You have to- have good material to start with, a little ability, and the other eight-tenths-well, that is just hard work and practice. A basketball team is much better to watch if all five men are working to- gether, each as an integral part of one unit. Every man on the floor must be fully as good as any other in everything-passwork, shots, or recovery. Every -man must be working for the team, never for himself and his own glory. It's usually the team that has five good players that is the one you like to watch on the basketball court. This word, teamwork, can apply to any- thing that you do-not just to sports. Web- ster defines it as efHcient work done in har- mony by a group of persons for a common cause, no one seeking his own interests. In school, in life, anywhere-the important equation to remember is: individuals plus sound judgment and the ability to think clearly plus teamwork usually equals a win- ning team. MARGARET Iiusu '46 Editor in Chief. EDITORS' NIGHTMARE OR DEADLINE AHEAD!!! Does anyone ever stop to think that the Tattler they like to read fand criticizej so much is a terrific headache to some? The staff is selected in November and is wamed in January-if they're lucky! Some- time in February they convene to discuss what will go into this year's Tattler. Then everyone promptly forgets all about it! That is, everyone but the editors!! For weeks they plead, they beg, they grow grey hair- please won't someone do something! First the cartoons must be drawn and sent away together with the senior pictures 'weeks be- fore the Tattler can be sent to the printers. Oh-the printers-they must have details and more details. Correspondence piles up, tele- phone bills mount--and still we must have more information. Themes must be written,