Sidney Lanier High School - Los Recuerdos Yearbook (San Antonio, TX)

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Orchestra Las Mejicanitas Band

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£1 77cf al On March 5, 1924, the first issue of El Nopal was published by students at Lanier, under the supervi- sion of Miss Mena Harrell. The paper was prepared by members of the Press Club which met once a week to get the paper ready for publication. Because the number of students in Lanier at that time was small the paper did not contain the wide variety of sports news and editorials that it does today. However as the school grew so did El Nopal. Among the many different articles featured by El Nopal today are campus news, school activities, con- tests for the students and above all its support of the school teams by urging students to attend all games. The main purpose for the publication of El Nopal is to bring about a closer relationship between the school and the home. In 1930, the sponsorship of E! Nopal was taken over by Miss Lucille McDermand, who is the present spon- sor. The name “El Nopal” was chosen by its organizer M iss Harrell with the approval of the school prin- cipal and the school faculty who said that the name fitted well because of the surroundings and the com- munity in which the school is located. “El Nopal” is published twice monthly and all students subscrib- ing for it pay 5c a semester. loyal ?( ue Collegiate The Royal Blue Collegiates Club as organized in 1932 upon the request of students who strongly felt the need of a social club in our school. The purpose in its organization is to teach its members good form in social activities and to keep them in practice by pro- viding such social activities as they will participate in after they leave school. The various activities of the club have been parties, picnics, and the annual dance for the benefit of the school. The principal aims of the club are to promote student cooperation in all school activities and in so doing create a spirit of good fellowship among the club members. Membership in the club is restricted to students of the high school division. The club colors are blue and silver. It is sponsored by Miss Jessie Shane. Jlcs 'Tleoado’ies One of the most colorful and popular organizations in Lanier was begun at the suggestion of Mr. R.H. Brewer, who encouraged talented boys able to singand play string instruments to form the singing group called “Los Trovadores” in 1935. Under the sponsorship of Mr. Ralph Cardenas the l oyH began rehearsing and learning the Mexican folk songs that have for generations been sung to the ac- companiment of string instruments. After a season of appearances at local civic clubs and school festivals, the demand for this variety of entertainment became so great that other groups also formed one group featuring the singing of a double male quartette, and then the Mexican Chorus of near one-hundred mixed voices also favoring the popular Mexican songs was formed by Prof. F. Hernandez. Thus we find the Lanier Trovadores not only in- troduced to San Antonio audiences a different type of entertainment but also in revealing the talent and quality of the heritage of our fore fathers served as an inspiration that gave birth toother such musical organizations in our city. £tcnif Club About the end of the year of 1934, Mr. William McChesney organized the Stamp Club. This club provides the students with other interests besides school work. The club meetings serve as social gatherings for club members in that they learn how to get along with each other, and also provide a common interest for all. The members are also taught Parliamentary pro- cedure in conducting a meeting. As to stamp collecting, the students find pleasure and enjoyment besides a great deal of valuable in- formation about people and their ways of life all over the world. Since people usually honor their national heroes, illustrate great inventions and contribute greatly in helping charitable cause through special issues of stamps, collecting stamps not only provides a student with diversion but helps him to explore a great source of information which may be useful to him in later life. Another novelty in the hobby of collecting stamps is the hope that someday one may run across a rare stamp which may net him a small fortune. Thus as you see the Stamp Club is unique and also a most important part of our extra-curricular pro- gram. {jmffLcnian Club The Symphonian Club was organized by a group of academic students the year that Sidney Lanier became a high school. The club was organized to provide interesting recreational and social activities for high school students. The name Symphonian was adopted from Sidney Lanier’s poem ‘‘The Sym- phony”. There are several pledges of the club which every good Symphonian must live up to: first, to make himself and his club useful to the school; sec- ond, to participate in and help promote all recog- nized student activities in Lanier; third, to help cul- tivate an appreciation for beautiful and worthwhile things. The club has for its motto, “A thing of beau- ty is a joy forever”. This year the Symphom'ans have started a bulletin named from Lanier’s poem “The Chattahoochee.” The Chattahoochee is full of chatter about who’s who among the Symphonians and about Symphonian activities.

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School Hi e Ti.H.q. In 1933, Miss Belle Wood- all established the Sidney Lanier Chapter of National Honor Society. The main purposes in establishing this society were to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to ren- der service, to promote worthy leadership, and to encourage the development of character in the students of our school. To be eligible for election to the National Honor So- ciety a student must be in the upper third of his class. He must have a sound char- acter, good scholarship, leadership abilities, a desire to serve his school in every thing possible and shall have spent at least one year in the Sidney Lanier High School. (yidnexj laniet ou estia The Sidney Lanier Orchestra was organized by M rs. Florence Cox, in September, 1923. The main purpose in its organization was to create an interest in music among the students and also to develop any musical talent which they might possess. As a member of the school orchestra a student is helped to developed an appreciation for good music The many activities of the orchestra include play- ing at school assemblies and presenting programs at other schools. At present the orchestra is composed of forty-six members and their hope is to maintain the highest standard possible. The present sponsor of the orchestra is Mr. W. Zimmer. gcLccl ftand The Sidney Lanier School Band was organized by Mr. Jean Sarli, who was succeeded by the present instructor Mr. Wm. Zimmer. The band was organized so that it could participate in outside activities such as athletic, Color Day and civic parades. This year the band acquired new uniforms designed along the military lines of West Point and designed in the school colors, white and blue. At present the band consists of thirty-five members and it is a hope of its instructor to increase to fifty. Occasionally members of the band get together and form a swing band which plays at school dances and programs. The many different activities in which the band has participated has helped greatly in making our school better known throughout the city. Some of the band members are also members of the R.O.T.C. drum and bugle corps. iTas Tilejicanilas The Dancing group of “Las Mejicanitas” was or- ganized by Mrs. Rosa Cardenas in 1933. The main purpose of this group is to present the colorful, typ- ical and original folk dances of the Mexican people. Las Mejicanitas performed before local civic clubs in school festivals, out-of-town programs conventions and programs of other city schools and in so doing they have made Lanier better known throughout this section of the state. Because of club rules and regulations,they cannot perform for any paid admission program, unless spon- sored by the school and for the benefit of the school in general. All costumes used by the girls are furnished by the school. Some are made by the Vocational Sewing De- part ment and some by the girls themselves. Beside designing all the dancing costumes, the sponsor, Mrs. Cardenas teaches the girls the large variety of dances which has made them popular. It is the hope of the school that this club will continue to exist for it reveals the talent and the heritage that is found among students of Mexican extraction. It also serves as inspiration to other or- ganizations and is a great credit to the school.