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

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FOREWORD FOR THE BIOLOGY CONTRIBUTIONS To me, biology is an important subject, not only in school, but also in our daily routine, as it deals with the most precious thing we possess-1ife. Complex studies, the perilous work of legions of men down through the centuries, and the gradual annihilation of disease form an appealing background. Many a Seth Low studerit has felt its magnetic inspiration for either a favorite hobe' or a life work. Every nook and corner in our laboratories is occupied with living and preserved specimens, most of which have been furnished by past or present pupils as an expression of' their active interest. This study has many branches, each with unlimited possibilities. The one which capti-i vates me most is microscopy, the study of those invisible beings, which have harassedeall. humanity. This phase is most outstanding in recent achievements. Leeuwenhok, the first. man ever to see microbes through the single lens, perfected a compound microscope. Follow- ing closely upon this invention, such men as Pasteur, Koch, and Reed blazed the trail for mod-e ern methods in the cure and prevention of infectious diseases. At present only a few of the more elusive microbes have evaded the ever watchful eyes of the bacteriologists. If we add to this highly specialized study of the unseen world about us, a knowledge of the structure and function of all living things, we have formed a strong enough background to appreciate in every sense of the word that biology is indeed the science of life. RICHARD LASSER jnicrogwpic Ratbelg LEEUHENHOEK mm: M AMOEBA mum OF THE moscopg A comic? Sagzilgsh ONE-cELLED FORM OF PRQTQIOR VORTICELLR ' ' ' :' A VERY NE m w '3, BREAD MOLD Tsumme FORM OF ' A COMMON IFORM 0F PROTOIOAN LIFE if 7 FUNGOUS PLHNT A MODERN MICROSCOPE SUCH AS IS USED m scuoma AND LRBORATORIES STYL CHONIA GOOD ILLUSTRATIONS ONE OF E m .' R OZQRNS THE HNE OF THE bTRUCTURE ' PFOLTHGELLA 1 OF PLANTS SPiRlLLA THE SPIRlLLUM m: or aacwzmn 7' H E S P E C T A T O R Page Thitrty-nine

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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

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l VIEW THE UNKNOWN WORLD During one of our biology club periods, two boys gave us instructions concerning the making of slides for a microscope. Having been promised a microscope when I reached the ninth grade, I urged my parents to purchase one for me when I reached home that day. My parents consented to my hav- ing a microscope, and when I received it, I set it up and read the directions very carefully. The specimen slide that I received with the microscope was a soft down feather of a bird. When I examined it under the microscope, I was unable to focus it correctly. I reread the direc- tions and discovered that I had for- gotten to adjust the mirror. When I had the specimen focused correctly, I observed the barbules which are inter- locking hooks of microscopic size, that hold the barbs together. With the microscope I received di- rections for making slides. I followed these directions, and my first attempt was with a piece of potato. I took the scrapings from the underside of a po- tato peel and placed them on a clean slide. With a dropper I put a drop of water on the potato and slowly low- ered a cover slide. I placed the slide under the microscope and I anticipated seeing the starch grains but instead I was able to see only something white. My failure did not discourage me and I decided to use the directions I had received in class for making slides. I cut a very thin piece of the underside of a begonia leaf and mounted it in petrolatum on a clean slide. On this, I put a slide cover and then placed it under the microscope. When I exam- ined the leaf, I was able to see the lower epidermis cells, the function of which is to prevent the loss of water, the stomates which regulate transpira- tion of water, and the guard cells which regulate the size of the stomates. I have examined many other things under the microscope and I find it a very fascin- ating study. The N. R. A. has given people more leisure time which they will be look- ing for something to occupy. They will lind it very interesting to try to become another Leeuwenhoek or see germs for the first time as Pasteur did. This sub- ject is not only for people who want to become scientists or biologists but also for people who want a refined, f as- cinating, and educational pastime. Gloria Spiegel O . 0 AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW On Tuesday, Decemebr fourth, two enterprising interviewers tried their luck with Dr. Reed of the Botanical Gardens. The question they asked was quite general, namelyewhat work was he doing. He replied that he was experimenting with the hereditary susceptibility and resistance of oats towards two different varieties of Page Forty smuts, a form of bacteria parasitic upon grains. In the middle part of the nineteenth century, Greger Mendel experimented with heredity in peas. He made some interesting experiments and discoveries, but his work was not recognized until recently. In our own time, Luther Burbank has applied the knowledge THE SPECTATOR