Rome Free Academy - De O Wain Sta Yearbook (Rome, NY)

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THE 1915 SENIOR ANNUAL ures in the past. With glory before us and ruin behind, we trust that we shall pass through our next academic year with more flattering success. Our record may not be as high as 17 but it is pure and untarnished. To our superiors in age, besides being a great help in athletics, we were benefactors at the holiday season of the school year. For who had the good taste, and who could dec- orate as artistically as we? Last Christmas our class was called upon to use its skill. Early one morning some of the most prominent members were awakened by the call of the alarm clock. It would have been easier not to have heard the summons, but they knew that with them rested the artistic honor of the class. At 7 o'clock the select few were at the assembly hall making the walls again gay. Everywhere were masses of evergreen with red and white paper trimming. And the mistletoe with its pretty white berries was not missing from over the door until later when it ornamented many gay people. The older classmen repeatedly took advantage of the fair weed. “What wondrous life was that they led?” ““Why, the mistletoe hung above their heads!” The class of 18 has improved along other lines. When we arrived at the Academy we were considered very “‘fresh’”” by the Sophomores (indeed we were). At last the “‘freshness’’ passed away. We have done a bit better work than preced- ing Freshmen classes. Our conduct has been normal. ‘The names of the members have appeared on the detention lists less frequently than those of the upper classes. We are ably represented on the advisory board of the Academy and our representatives have upheld the honor of the class. Such has been our record. For our victories we desire no credit. Had we contented with abler opponents they might never have been achieved. As Freshmen we have been a success. As new duties devolve upon us we shall strive to meet them, that, when another year closes our historian may paint us in more glowing colors. et. Pe.

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THE 1915 SENIOR ANNUAL ™ a . Class History 1918 Officers President—ARTHUR C. LEVISON Vice President—Otto MUNSTER Secretary—-EMERALD SCULLY Treasurer—HaAROLD RATHBONE To write the history of a class becomes easy when it has developed its characteristics and shown forth its weakness or its strength. Then the historian can deal with facts and trace that individuality which distinguishes classes as well as men. He is not compelled to draw upon his imagination until, like Darwin, from unorganized matter he evolves a man. These general qualities, common to all Freshmen, are not wanting in °18, but it is of our specific characteristics and not of our general freshness that the world desires to hear. The historian of ’18 can not tell of years of triumph and academic honors nobly won. But as Freshmen we have some advantages. There is still an opportunity to gain reputation and redeem our past failures. In this respect we are the superiors of any class in the Academy. We may not be in all respects the kind of persons 1 7, °16 or 15 would have chosen for a Freshman class. We are much too clever and promising, but their opin- ion was not asked nor their wishes consulted. In athletics we have fully sustained our reputation (we had none), in base ball and foot ball we have material which will yet show its value. Although we did not succeed in winning the cup in the Inter-class Basket Ball League we surpassed the Seniors by far. In the Indoor Track Meet that closed the winter athletics we won a decisive victory over all three classes. Our hope is in the future; we will profit both by the successes and the fail- 27

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THE 1915 SENIOR ANNUAL Travels of Oscar and Percy TOLD BY OSCAR It was about three o'clock on one hot afternoon in August that Percy and I plodded wearily up the main street of the peaceful village of Bingville. We were tired and foot- sore and asked for the finest hotel so that we might be afforded the luxury of a cooling bath and a juicy beefsteak. A young fellow who looked for all the world like Percy’s brother, Reginald, but for the crazy quilt in the seat of his trousers, directed us to the Bingville Tavern. He told us to take the first turn to the left after we passed the town pump and we would come to it. The Bingville Tavern is a quaint little hotel situated on the side of a hill, but alas, it possesses no bath tubs. As we entered we were met by a short, fat, sleek looking landlord with a dark compiexion. Percy decided that he was a Frenchman but I objected as he looked too “COONEY.” He assured us of a good bed so we signed the ship papers and were shown a room. The room was light and airy and overlooked a deep,fierce looking ““GULLEY.” The beds were said to be as soft as down but we found out about that later. After we had removed several cubic feet of real estate in a small two by four basin we felt quite spry and Percy having powdered his nose to his taste, we decided to view the town. We had no sooner turned the first corner when we bumped right into an evil looking, greasy Italian carrying a huge “HARP” on his shoulders. We tossed him a few “NICHOLS” and asked him to render us an Italian hoe-down with variations. He said his name was “KIRCHER” and that he could not do it because he was “ALLE(i) N.” He seemed quite elated though and said he had met a “MASON” on the road who had given him five dollars. Leaving him we passed across a creek and through a meadow. We had gone about a hundred yards when we came upon a small boy about five 29