Seth Low Junior High School - Spectator Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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stuff knowledge into onels head, they want to develop the persons character, physically, socially and spiritually. As an example, a teacher here, once taught in a school of 400 pupils in the country, 260 were in primary school, 160 being in high school, all packed in one small school, how could anyone get as good an education in one of those schools as in one of our fine schools? But there are two advantages of a country school, the first being that since it is smaller more individual attention can be shown throughout the school, although in this school we try to overcome the fact that we have 7,000 pupils by pick- ing out the individual who needs help and suggesting that he join one of our clubs, that will help him. Secondly, the location. With all the beautiful scenery about-one, one cannot but help become a nature lover. Climbing orchards, feeding chickens, riding a horse through the country all help to build the persons body. But on the whole, the city schoolboy has a better time of it than the country boy. YAw gee? say many boys and girls, ffwhy do I have to leave Seth Low? Why canit there be a high school attached to it? I hate to leave, itill be so strange in my new high? Hereis why, as told by Dr. Mason. ffThe adjust- ment isn,t so terrible as pictured, for, didnlt you all change from grammar school to junior high? True, the first few days everything seemed strange, but after that did you mind it? Do you think of your old school anymore except on a few occasions? When you graduate from Seth Low to some other high, you continue, your work getting more diHicult as you go along, but still the same idea. Besides, in life you'must adjust yourselves many times, first when you go to grammar school, to junior high, to high school, to college, and perhaps to a special school for your profession. If you had no Changes up to the end of high school, you would have a terrible time when you left home for college. It has been tried in the cases of Seward, Franklin K. Lane and Walton that a junior high be followed by a senior high in the same building. It was a terrible failure, the junior high students saying, fI wish those big pests would get out, and the seniors saying II wish those little runts would get out; and the teachers were jealous of each other, and there was never any harmony. In all due fairness, the plan was not worked out as well as it could, for the buildings were small, old and had no facilities. Everything was too crowded, and no one was actually ready for this experiment. These unions have been broken up within the last few years, and considering all sides, I don,t think boys and girls are so badly off, and they must get used to adjustments? Lastly, many say, ffWhat am I supposed to do, in order to be an ideal high school student? I donit know what they want of me. I asked Dr. Mason and this is what he told me: cc1. You must be healthy. You cannot stay away from school every few days and expect to be clever, and you must be able to withstand cold, heat and rain, and snow, so that you can get your full benefit of school. 2. You must be intelligent, by that I mean you must understand information-wax to receive and marble to retain. That is, in- formation must penetrate your head as if it was wax, but must stay in as if it T H E S P E C T A T O R Page Thirty-seven

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Qua: Do you think that an appropriation can be obtained to complete building the Public Library at Grand Army Plaza and Eastern Parkway? Ans. : The library was started on elaborate and expensive plans. In recent years the City has been in such financial dilheulties that it is impossible to , finish the library. The appropriation necessary is estimated at $Io,ooo,ooo.oo. Ques.: What efforts are being made to eliminate the cess pools now existing? Ans.: Just as soon as we can get the money to construct sewers we will do it. As our interview was over we again shook hands with the Borough President and left his office. We walked silently down the steps of Borough Hall, each girl thoughtfully considering the preceding interview. Evelyn Lasky, RD2 Jessica Greenberg, RD2 O . O A REVEALING TALK WITH DR. 6. R. MASON NE sunny afternoon, I left the school and went to Abraham Lincoln High . School to interview Dr. Mason. I arrived and dashed up the long white staircase in front of the beautiful building. I was bewildered when I entered, for all about me were rooms with signs indicating various activities. I walked down a long corridor and finally saw a sign, tIPrincipalis OfHCC,,, and I walked in. After waiting a few minutes, during which I talked to the principals secretary, I went into Dr. Mason,s olhce. After speaking a few words to Dr. Mason, I started my interview. After having always seen that most of our famous inventors and scientists always came from some small town I naturally asked Dr. Mason if he thought . that the out of town schoolboy had as good or better education than a boy who had been educated in New York. Dr. Mason replied, ItNo, the city boy has many advantages that the country boy has not, from an educational standpoint. The schools are usually well built, they have room for sports, they have libraries, auditoriums as large as some theatres, drawing rooms and in Lincoln we have a swimming pool, with 4, 500 lockers, a rifle room, and in fact Lincoln cost $5,000,000 to build. The text books are excellent, clear and well written, so that the pupil may more readily understand his work. The teachers are well prepared, they must take examinations before they may become a training teacher, after that the teacher becomes a substitute for about one year and then finally becomes a teacher. They have new methods of teaching and know how to make pupils graSp the work. Formerly the person who was a teacher, was a failure in other fields of life, and eouldnit do anything else, and was laughed at and mocked as shown by Irving in his story about Ichabod Crane. Now a teacher is a respected person, and important in community life. The aims are better, for nowadays in our big schools they do not only want to 'Page Thirty-six T H E S P E C T A T 0 R

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was marble. Some pupils have it the opposite way, marble to receive and wax to retain. After hours and hours of drilling the pupil finally gets iti and after another hour, the information is lost again, for the wax was too soft to keep the information in the head. He must be hungry for knowledge and not only study because he has to, but do it because he really wants to progress. 3. He must have an excellent character. He can be the strongest, healthiest man, he can be the most intelligent and he can use these advantages to becom- ing an outlaw. By character, courage, consideration, handiness, and various other likewise things are meant. 4. He must use the school to its fullest ad- vantages. He must use the library, join clubs, join some athletic team, and do similar things. 5. He must be of service to the school, in the various ways such as watching exits, errand-boy in the ohice, post the bulletins, help the school paper, do tirst aid service, be usher at baseball or football games, cafeteria monitor, attendance monitor or help in the auditorium. These five points make an ideal high school student? After asking Dr. Mason several other questions, I thanked him and went on my way, happy that I had had such a successful interview. Donald Keene, RBI 0 . O MUSIC QUESTION BOX How Smart Are You? Who wrote the melody of ccMy I I. In what opera is the ttAnvil Cho- Country ,Tis of Theesi? rusi' sung? Who wrote the words of ciThe 12. Who wrote the tiMoonlight So- Star-Spangled Bannerd? natat? What are the two wood-wind 13. Who wrote the opera iiWilliam instruments that have no reeds? TelPi? What opera is the character Aida 14. Where is Carnegie Hall? in? 15. What range voice has Lawrence Who wrote the opera, itLohen- Tibbett? grint? 16. What is ctThe Lost Chordtt? . What is the highness or lowness 17. What instrument does Yehudi of tone called? Menuhim play? Name another Operetta by the 18. How would you conduct a waltz, writers of iiPinaforef, . . . Wlth an orchestra or band? Tr Wthh of Verdfs operas was it i i y named after its chief character, H , who is a hunchback? . ave you tuned in to the finest How long does it take to play the music you want to hearaevery tiMinute Waltzsa? Sunday nlght, at 8 to 9 otclock? N ame one famous song of Stephen Stations WEAF: WJZ: WABC- Fosteris? tAnswers on Page 4w Page Thi'rty-ez'ght T H E S P E C T A T 0 R