Scituate High School - Chimes Yearbook (Scituate, MA)

Page 16 text:

11 THE CHIMES ITALY Angelo Foniri, ' 39 In all this controvers) about Fascism and Nazism, Italy as a nation lias been forgotten. But in a true sense Italy was the founder and the teacher of nations. During the time of Caesar, Italy had the largest Empire of the world. Roman civilization was spread almost throughout the whole of Western Europe. It was during the reign of Augustus Caesar that Roman civiliza- tion was at its greatest height. Many roads, which still exist today, build- ings and amphitheatres were built. The greatest and largest of these amphi- theatres was the Coliseum which covered nearly six acres, and seated 87,000 people. Many of the Romans lived in luxury, but there were also millions of slaves. Many of Italy ' s greatest painters and sculptors lived during this age. But this empire did not last very long because of constant wars with the neighboring peoples and barbaric tribes. Finally it was broken up altogether and we have Italy as it exists today. The little Republic of Florence, with a population of not more than a half million people, produced more great men in the nineteenth century than the whole of Europe put together. It boasted of its greatest sculptors and writers. In 1922 Italy came under the rule of a dictatorship. But, instead of gaining, the Italian civilization seems to have dropped behind that of other modern European nations. The people do not enjoy freedom of speech and writing as do the American people. They do not have the modern conveni- ences of other nations. There are many automobiles in the larger cities, but they are very rarely seen in the outlying smaller cities and towns. Very few people in the small towns own their own radios or telephones. Though there are quite a few universities and schools in large cities, the form of education in small towns is very poor. Small rooms which seat about twenty pupils are used as schools. Books, paper, pencils and other school supplies are bought by the pupils. Not very many of these pupils go beyond the fifth grade for their education. Most of them leave school to help their families with their farming, as almost all of these people live on what they make out of their farms. They do not have the modern conveniences that we have here; they have no bath-rooms, or water in their own homes. Usually there is only one light in the whole house. The bulb is attached to a long wire which they can carry from one room to another. Women and children walk miles to gel their water for household use. Taxes are very high and wages very low, so that many of the people barely get by. Laborers receive an average of about three dollars a day.

Page 15 text:

THE CHIMES 13 SEEING DOUBLE Fred Franzen, ' 40 Not a sound disturbed the quiet air around the prison on the island. To all the boys of the underworld and to those inside the prison, it was the Big House situated up the river. Every person in that prison was a bad character, except one, John Raymond Hoyton, who to the other pris- oners was known as Mark Keys and who was in there on the charge of stealing plans from the State House in California. He had been an actor in Hollywood and he had devised a plan of escape without detection. So on the three hundred and sixtieth day of his sufferings, he wrote a letter. It read as follows: Mark, You probably know the position that I am in, suffering for what you have done. The charge again me is only ten years, but if you do not comply with this letter, I will, at all expense, betray your identity and mine. If this were to come about, you would be held here, instead of me, for double the time, or twenty years. But I will favor you, as you have been good to me in the past up to now. All that I ask of you is that you come here disguised under the name of John Raymond Hoyton. The rest will be up to me. If you fail, God help you. Mark Keys The next few days went by so slowly that John almost burst out in ex- citement. He almost got called in by the warden, but he restrained himself. On the three hundred and sixty-fifth day of imprisonment, exactly one year from the time he had set foot in the prison, he was at the window, watching the visitors ' boat round the bend in the river and steam up to the prison dock. As every visitor got off the boat, he studied him. At last a queer-looking gentleman got off and gave his name as John Raymond Hoy- ton. When the real John Raymond Hoyton heard this, he smiled with satis- faction. Mark had not failed him. At five that afternoon the visitors filed out of the prison to the dock. The strange gentleman by the name of John Raymond Hoyton was among them. Back in the same cell and at the same window the real Mark Keys sat looking out with a dim expression on his face. As he watched the people and watched the boat steam around the bend, he wondered what it was going to be like, looking out through the bars for nine long years. He wished now that he had stayed in the movie business, acting as double for John Raymond Hoyton, one-time movie star of the world. Mr. Whitmore: Don ' t worry; this home work won ' t kill you. Sexton: I know, but I ' m not taking any chances.

Page 17 text:

THE CHIMES 15 In very recent years young school boys of eight years are started on military training, since Mussolini wants to have the largest standing army in the world. Though the present does not look very bright, with threatening wars and depression, we must not forget that Italy has contributed greatly to modern civilization, in giving us some of the greatest music composers, painters, sculptors, scientists, and writers. SCHOOL NOTES Marie Wilder, ' 38 This year there are several marked differences about the building. As the enrollment of the school has increased greatly in the past few years, many of the rooms have been changed. The music room is now a class room ; the old typing room, 205, and the commercial room, 203, have been combined into Room 203 for bookkeeping and commercial work. Room 207, which is now the typing room, is much larger, and provides better light and air than the room formerly used. Three separate lunch periods in the cafeteria are scheduled this year. Mr. Calkin now is the principal of the six junior and senior high school grades. Mr. Whitmore, who used to be principal of the junior high, is teaching chemistry and science in the High School. The new teachers to enter the school are Miss Walker, who teaches mathematics in Grades Seven and Eight and general science for Freshmen; Miss Giles, who teaches history, civics, and penmanship in Grades Seven and Eight; and Miss Rowell, who is substituting in the art department during Mrs. Ward ' s leave of absence. The first period on Wednesday mornings is usually used for assem- blies. The following are some of the programs we have enjoyed during the past year : September 17 — Constitution Day Program. October 20 — Talk on art by Dorothy George of the Vesper George School of Art. November 3 — Imitation of Bird Songs by Charles C. Gorst. November 9 — Play by seventh and eighth grades in commemoration of Horace Mann. November 10 — Armistice Day Assembly. November 17 — Pictures of the British Coronation. December 1— A Liquid Air Demonstration by Elliott James. December 15 — Sound Pictures from the White Brothers Milk Company. December 23 — John E. Hines in Dickens ' Christmas Carol. January 12 — Music Appreciation Hour by the Brockton Federal Music Project Band.