Richmond Hill High School - Archway / Dome Yearbook (Richmond Hill, NY)

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Lgccinsf Lifffce igoys -T-By PAULINE DUNlEFF- ' UMAN evolution from the infant stage to manhood is one of the marvels of nature, but l am sure that if the Lord realized all the trouble and bother entailed in growing-up he would have perfected some system of jumping across the hard spots . Let us analyze the social status of a member of the human race named Peter Pest. While wee, rosy-cheelced Peter is placidly gurgling in his cradle he is the object of profound feminine admira- tion. After having been called a veritable angel at least two million times, he is promptly forgotten and left in solitude to l4iclc his way into childhood. All by his little self Pete has raised himself from a mere minute individual of five, to a man of a half-dozen yearsz-and he's steadily aging. f'lere's where the trouble beginsl petrovitch Cas his friends playfully call himj has talcen it upon himself to utilize his last name. The spit-ball-throwing, gum-sticldng demons of young boyhood have at last laid their malicious hands on another victim. Playful Peter is now the cause of parental sighs and worried looks-all because he's a boy and happens to be growing up. Please donft misunderstand me. These idiosyncrasies are not monopolized by the masculine element. l'm not prejudiced against the stronger sex. ln fact l lov- well appreciate them when they've evolved into smooth date- making lads. The truth is that l was recently a chubby little rascal myself. l went through the mill of cheelc-pinching, flattering friends and relatives, and was ground into the inevitable pest. But girl victims of the chronic pest plague are never so strongly Hinpestedn as boys and they always man- age to udepestu themselves before they get that mischievous glint in the eye. To get baclc to our youthful hero, we find Peter Pest and a score of his earthly lilcenesses prancing about the sidewallcs in front of a gray wooden schoolhouse about three o'clocl4 one fine day. ln the distance are yours truly and a mutual friend walking home after the diurnal session at an insti- tute of higher learning. Yours Truly, always a pessimist, and recognizing that tell-tale Uglintn even from a distance, intimated to mutual friend that we cross the street Cthere was more sun on that sidel. But friend, always obstinate, and seeing no reason why a few prosaic urchins should warrant a deviation from the beaten path, further intimated that we continue on our way as usual. Before l even had time to prepare a slcetchy plan of war, the enemy was upon us. A whole company of Peter Pests gleefully charging, armed with spit-balls , pebbles, blue challc and blaclc-jaclcs Crulersj. Per- haps l shouldn't be so sensitive but little things like this bother me and l find it most difficult to lceep my Usang-froidn when confronted by a chaos of little ones . This is partially due to the fact that l have been singled out by fate to be the recipient of all blows that have the least inclination of coming Tl-llf SENICR DCME PageQQ

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MATT MASEM Soulh Sea Isle'

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my way. My cranium seems to have a mysterious magnetic attraction for rapidly travelling concoctions of paper and saliva, so delicately named Hspn-baHsH. hAyinnocent,C3ocLfeaHng vhage seemsto extend an unvvnb ten invitation to all facetious Peters to carry into execution their annoying powers. While friend and l are essaying to protect ourselves by verbally beating the little devils , a few scattered Peters manage to situate them- selves behind our persons for the express purpose of initiating a new method of tripping unsuspecting subjects. With infinite subtlety the Messrs. Peter transform our former natural vertical position to that of a pavement sitting mate. Suddenly beconnng bored vvnh theirsporg and because ofthelate hour, the Peterl4ins talce it upon themselves to Uvamooseu with ethereal rapidity, leaving us lying in a melange of torn loose-leaf notes, ancient test papers and vvind blovvn-haw. The little-boy-pest plague tends to vary with the seasons, becoming more acute hithe vvuwer Ume. 'The snovv,ice and brhk vveather put our htde friends in such merry frames of mind that they are constantly taking the op- porUJnHy to shovv their provvessin the art of countenance-rnwing vvHh snovv. Thousands offeHovv wJHerem hke myseH oHen reunn home vvnh dight cerebral concussnang the trade mark of vvhizzhwg snovvbalk. The Peters seem to feel that the white transparent flalces were sent specially to provide an easier means for a torture your neighbor policy. When the howling of winter winds is replaced by the lively murmur of spring breezes, and when the crisp hardness of terra firma yields to the squashy softness of a mixture of melted snow and ice, all youngsters of the Peter Pest species take unto themselves a mud complex. They're overjoyed to find that mudballs throw much better and sting more than snowballs. They congregate daily for target practice. The little Himpsn not only specialize in seasonal activity, but they also have cenain pet pranksthat have been perpetuated in the rank and Hle of hum-drum life. The Cherubs sticlc pins into door bells so that theyill ring 'HH doonwday H you dont gaHop dovvn uvo Highs ofstansto Hghtthe wrong. Perhaps the most annoying practise of all is when the naughty dearsn play war Cor cowboys if you preferj. At a time lilce that all attempts at dispensing with some homeworlc are declared null and void by the a - a - a - a - a - a sound of an index finger-thumb machine gun. The cowboy shoots the lndian but the latter refuses to lie down and die. An argument ensues, lasting for the major part of an afternoon. You finally get so interested in the proceedings that you abandon intellect and risl4 your dignity to view the Qtuauon Honia more convenientangle. fXHerlengthy and senous cognauon overthe problem of oblnerahng the little-boy-pest epidemic, l've come to the conclusion that a new law should be passed providing for the compulsory licensing, leashing and muz- zhng ofaH male chudren betvveen the ages of Hve and futeen. THE SElNllOl2 DOME PageQ3