Rockford High School - RHS Yearbook (Rockford, IL)

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f22 THE R. H. S. ANNUAL The New High Schooli HE opening of the new building will mark an epoch in the history of Rockford High School. Not only will it furnish more room, which in itself will be a great benefit, but it will furnish a different kind of accommodation from any thing hitherto enjoyed. Conspicuous among the new features will be an auditorium capable of seating the entire school. It has been a good many years since the pupils have been able to get together as a school. This will make possible a weekly assembly at which matters of interest to the high school can be discussed. It will also enable the school to hear prominent speakers and musicians who come to Rockford whom we have been unable to secure on account of lack of a suitable room. Last year when Professor Tomlins was in Rockford, he very kindly offered to address the students, but it was obviously out of the question to ask him to give three addresses, and to keep part of the school waiting until he could go to each room. The fact of having an assembly of the entire school will do much to promote unity of feeling and school spirit. This room will also enable us to have contests in declamation and joint debates to which friends of the school may be invited, without the necessityof charging admission every time as we have had to do in the past. This will greatly assist the work in the department of Public Speaking. Another convenience which will be greatly appreciated by members of the school will be the lunch room. It will no longer be necessary to eat in rooms which must immediately afterward be used for recitations. No matter what care is exercised this latter cannot be satisfactory. Some crumbs and odors are sure to remain which are not desirable in a class room. The gymnasium, too, will be a great benefit. It will make possible a better management of athletics, both financially and in the quality of work. The problem of where to practice and where to train will no longer trouble us. These things may all seem to be minor phases of school life and subordinate to the main purpose of the School. No doubt that is true, but a school without student organizations and activities would be a poor place in this twentieth century. We hope that the additional facilities will improve the regular work of the school as well as the lines above indicated, and that we can do well what we are now doing under great difiiculties. There should be a general improvement all along the line of our work, our enjoyment of school life, and our pride in making R. H. S. the best within our power.

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THE R. H. S. ANNUAL 211 On the first fioor to the right ofthe entrance are the ofhces of the school board, the superintend- ent, and the principal. Here there is also a fire-proof vault for valuable books and records. To the left ofthe entrance is the emergency room, which will contain everything needed in case of an accident. This will, indeed, be a great convenience and a necessity which has long been wanting. Occu- pying much of the space in the first story is the assembly room. The seats on the first floor and in the gallery, placed on a slant, will accomodate, 1200 people. There is also a large stage, behind which are the dressing rooms. A lantern is also provided for. On the same fioor south of' the assembly hall are three recitation rooms. The second story is set apart for the sciences. Here wi e t e p ysics an c y p oom with the seats raised, one above the other. This is wired for a 'll b h h ' d hemistr de art- ments. Connected with these is a r lantern and will be used for demonstrations and lectures to the classes. The physiography rooms are on the same floor. Large classes can meet in them with convenience. The third story, containing the one room, was intended for the art department. It is thought, however, to be inconvenient and will, perhaps, be set aside for class meetings and rehearsals for plays. Among the special features is a fire escape. There is easy access to this from each story. The toilet rooms on every fioor are especially convenient. Telephones will be installed with connections to all the rooms. The heating of the building is well provided for by the fan system. By this the heat and cold are regulated automatically. Lockers for each student, in which he must keep his books and school property, will be placed in the halls. When the structure is completed, in the fall of' 1907, the Rockford High School can take care of ISOO students with less inconvenience than it can 800 now. This building will also meet the demands of Rockford's growing population for years to come. C. K. W. O7

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THE R. H. S. ANNUAL 231 Domestic Science HEN my Martha Ann wanted to go to high school in town after she'd finished in our distric, I held out aginst it purty still, till her Ma took 'er side, an' then I gin in. But along come February, she wants to take D'mestic Science. No sir, says I, you kin larn to cook to hum. Your Ma's the best cook in these parts. But her Ma, she wants it too, so Martha Ann started in. I knew she'd get a lot of crazy notions, I I H ' D h sure 'nuf' first think she hed to hev a cap, for all the world like one o' them nurse s, an more xln s t en her Ma ever had hed in all her cookin'. ,But the worst thing, the teacher made 'em try their stul'I' to hum till me an the boys told Marthy we guessed we'd hev to board out this Spring. But she J stood fer all our teasin' purty well and stuck to the cookin', so I allowed I'd drop in an' visit some day when I was in town. Well I came in a few days afore Easter, an' stopped to see the cookln school. 'I he l l k' ' gals was all a sittin' there copyin' somethin' from the board an'-my stars-they was a rea smart oo in outfit with them caps an' apurns. The teacher was real sociable, an' give me a cheer. The gals was a studyin' about aigs she told me, 'an I see a recipe on the board for aigs a la golden. Souncled jist about as I expected, I didn't expect much o' anythin' after thet name. W ll h l th ' o in' an' after FCCIIZIH, some they went to cookin'. On'-my stars-their e ,t egasgot lu c py tools want no bigger 'n Marthy's doll dishes. They was real cute, but so small I d1dn't see how they could.do nothin' with 'em, They, hed a hull cupboard full o fixins thet Marthy Ann said they hed to keep in spick and span order. The' was a rolling pin about as big as a sausage, an' knifes, an' spoons, an' down below by the bowls I see a double biler no bigger 'an a teacup. An the pie tin-twould only hold one fair sized bite. The gals was real handy with the things, tho, and the size didn t seem to bother em. They biled an aig some way with no fire under the hot water, then peeled it, an' put the white in ll some stuff like Ma makes fer cream potatoes. They put this on toast they made on their little do stoves the size o' one 0' lVIa's pancackes. Then they took the yelk o' the aig an put it in a concern somethin' like a seive with a thing to squash it thu-ricer, Marthy calls it--an', sir, didn't it come out in little strings an when it was put on the cream stufiiit looked all the worl' like goldenrod-it did, fer a fact. It was good, too, fer one o' the gals give me what she made. Well, when they got thru eatin' their own. aig an' tastin every one elses', they washed up the dishes an' cleaned up. I told Ma afterwards thet lVIarthy'd larn one thing handy at D'mestic Science-how to wash dishes. She never seems to have no time fer it to hum. But I ain't sayin' nothin against cookin' school ner teasin Marthy about it eny more. They larn lots o' things that come in handy when the min- ister comes to supper, tho they would'nt feed a gang o' thrashers on a hot day. 'o7.