Rockford High School - RHS Yearbook (Rockford, IL)

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our toes turned out at an angle of forty-five degrees, and the Reader held firmly in the left band, we voiced such immortal sentiments as these: HBl'C11fhChl.llCl'C I1 man with soul so dead, XVho never to himself has said, 'This is my own, my native land? ' But we didn't study af! the time-of course not! Life is too short. Remembering that 'in union there is strength' the Class of '97 organized early in the fall, and chose as class colors blue and silver. But the first year, passed rapidly away and we were Freshies no longer, but full-fledged Sophomores. Perhaps you can imagine how high we rose in our own estimation, and how much we enjoyed H lording it, over the new comers, whom we were privileged to call Freshies. We were now within speaking distance of the jolly juniors and not so very far from the sedate seniors, and we learned the value of association with truly great persons. While Freshmen we chose as our class yell: 'Rahl 'Rahl 'Rahl Yell we must, Class of '97 will get through or-bust, After a year's experience, however, fearing lest some of our number might not get through, and be obliged to undergo the dread alternative of 'L busting, we decided to change our yell, and the present one was adopted. As Sophomores we pursue our studies with the same zeal which characterized us as Freshmen. We have learned that Ca:sar's chief occupation was looking out for supplies, and that the Gauls wept copiously at the slightest provocation. Failing to obtain any satisfaction from Caesar, we hereby make the following appeal to his trusty lieutenant: O Titus Labienus, our souls with anger thrill, To think how Caesar stations you forever on a hillg I hear the young men groaning, I see the maidens fair, With sighs and bitter moaning, Tearing their long, fair hair, XVhile up from school and college, Their cry comes loud and shrill, O, Titus Labienus, come down from off that hill! O, Titus Lnbienus, don'tle:1re us in the lurch, Defy old Cnius .Iulius C, come down from off the perch, 13

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...Class of ,Q7... BERT RICHARDSON, Pres. Bessie DAWSON, V,-Pres. h RUBY Wise, Sec. Bc Treas. COLORS: Blue and Silver. I I WO YEARS AGO we entered the R. H. S. We will not dwell upon our dreams of the honors that were to be ours, of the respect we should command, nor of the mysterious process by which we Freshman thou wast , , , , , , ' should rise from lowly Freshles to Senxors wise' with the superior Sophomore thou art, Junior thou Shalt be advantages afforded by this famous school. We soon learned the truth of the Hail! All Ham old saying, Pride goeth before a fall. Many were the humiliations we suffered at the hands of the Seniors, juniors and Sophomores, till we felt the full significance of the term, Only a Freshief' But such trials as these did not hinder our progress for a moment, nor quench our ardent thirst for knowledge. On the contrary, each new insult served but to tlre our ambition to show what we could do, Upheld by this stimulus we grappled heroically with the mighty problems of Wentxvortlfs School Algebra, courageously followed Caesar through the wilds of Omnis Gallia and by our great valor overcame the Helvetiansg we penetrated the mysteries of zoology, and talked learnedly concerning protoplasm, genus, species, and general characteristics, we investi- gated the fundamental principles of physical geography and became as eccentric as the earth's orbit, while trying to account for the tide in the affairs of men, and other current events. We conquered our natural timidity, and with 12

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Geometry has taught us that, In solving these dreadful originals. XVe know not where to begin, For there's nothing original in us, Except original sin. We have found physiology another interesting study, especially if one is fond of neatly carved cats and dogs, or wants any bones to pick. But perhaps the most delightful of all is botany. We have spent many happy hours in the Physics Room and elsewhere, sketching leaves, Howers and twigs, and I can assure you that most of the sketches resembled the flowers in at least one respect-they were fearfully and wonderfully made. But our trips to the woods in search of specimens were still more enjoyable, although our method of classification would probably have scandalized Asa Gray and other eminent botanists. Our worst foe is rhetoric, it is our Nemesisg on it should be engraved, All hope abandon, ye who enter here. for there are Columns to right of us, Periods to left of ns, Colons in front of us, Rhetorical wonders! Ours not to do and dic, Ours but to question, ' Wh-yf' And as the year goes by Get F for our blunders. During the winter months, in order to secure a needed rest and give the gray matter in our brains time to recuperate, we planned a sleigh-ride, which proved a great success. We are strong in our loyalty to the school and the names of many Sophomores are to be found on the roll of the Literary Society. The Boys of ,Q7 are well represented in the Debating Club and Athletic Associations, and although we girls have heretofore been excluded from both, in April the Athletic Association opened its doors to us, giving us for the paltry sum of twenty-five cents, full membership in that organization. Some evil-minded persons have been heard to remark that the financial deficiency of the Association was a strong argument in favor of our admittance, but we indignantly refute this accusation. We have, as a class, gained an enviable reputation by our diligence and attention to duty, and we can bring you 14-