Siskiyou Union High School - White and Gold Yearbook (Weed, CA)

Page 25 text:

FIRST PLACE ESSAY Those Who Make the 'Play a Success An audience watching actors in a new play sees only the final achievement resulting from long months of rehearsal and study. Those viewing the play do not realize that behind the scenes it is necessary to have competent writers and directors, experts in charge of costumes and make-up, stage technicians, and many other people, all of wh-om are influencing factors in the finished product. If we look upon our high school life as a long and very important four-act play in which we, as students, are the principal actors, we find a simi- lar situation. The general public sees in the student only the completion of many people's tasks. We are judged for what we are, but far too little at- tention is given to the principal, the faculty, and our fellow actors who are partially responsible for developing our characters and personalities. However, ev en though it is necessary for guiding hands to prepare the way, we students must be willing to work and to learn our parts. In this small way we shall be helping to make the play a success and we shall be benefiting our- selves by becoming better actors. There are certain principles which we must follow in order to play successfully the role in which we are cast. For example, an actor who learns only his specific lines and takes no interest in the complete meaning of the play will never be a true artist. In the same way, one who is inter- ested only in himself, and does not bother to learn about his fellow actors will miss out on much of the fun and education he might have had. lt is the same way with a student. There are always those who are labeled as bookworms and those who play the lone-wolf type. They may be shy or unhappy or perhaps they are iust not interested, nevertheless, they are missing some of the best moments in the play. There are some students who, of course, go to the other extreme. They sail through high school laughing and playing, but they learn very little and they too lose much of the valuable knowledge they could have gained. We see then that it is up to the student to strike a happy medium. When this is accomplished, the LITERARY SECTION theater which is high school will become a happier one for all involved. One way to become we ll adjusted in this theater is to find the part in which you will be most happy and successful. Very few professional actors are versatile enough to play every kind of part and play it well. lt is the same with the high school student. Most of us have different degrees of ability and separate traits of character which mark us for a certain type of part. For instance, there are always the students destined for stardom who shine out like bright stars in a clear sky. There are many others, clustered around them, who in themselves have excellent possibilities, and these second-leads will often iourney on to success. ln almost every play there will be character parts, and in the school there are usually students ready to fill this role. And what a dull and sorry story it would often be without them! There are actors who play bit parts in the theater and a great number of these are found in the school. Some of them are always reliable and ready to help, others are not so willing, but no play could do without them and certainly no school could. And occasionally we find that fortune smiles on these bit players in the theater and they rise to stardom. Just as some- times in high school the mediocre student is dis- covered, and a hidden talent is displayed and recognized. We may see then that in the school, as in the theater, it is the combined efforts of a group of people working together which enables the play to grow. Without faculty guidance the students could never be prepared for future travels. Without the students and their interest there would be no in- centive for the directors. When we reach the climax in the last act and we are preparing to go on to another play in the tremendous drama of life, we realize the debt of gratitude that we owe to all those who helped in the theater which we call school. HARRIET KOCH '55 Weed High School

Page 24 text:

AWARDS Space for The eight high schools has been ap- portioned again this year according to The size of the schools and The number of pages requested. Art for The frontispiece as well as all matter for the general literary section has been selected on merit by competent non-resident judges and The judges were instructed to appraise and rank The school sections solely for quality without rega rd to quantity. There have been several White and Gold Trophies since 1928. Yreka retired one Trophy in 1928 after having won it Three Times over a period of years. Mount Shasta High School won perma- nently The second Trophy in 1940, having won it The most Times in a ten-year period. Schools to win The annual awards of The Trophy during that period were: 1929 Yreka, 1930 Yreka, 1931 Mount Shasta, 1932 Weed, 1933 Mount Shasta, 1934 McCloud, 1935 Mount Shasta, 1936 Yreka, 19,37 McCloud, 1938 Yreka and McCloud Tied for first place, and in 1939 Mount Shasta, McCloud and Yreka Tied for first place. Mount Shasta won The Trophy per- manently in 1940. Competition Art of The Frontispiece ' Best Essay 4 , Second ' Best Short Story 4 x Second f Best Poem 4 a Second ' Best Local Section 4 c Second Divider Page Suggestion Cover Suggestion A trophy, which was presented in 1941, was To be perpetual until won three Times by one school. The first award of this Trophy was made To Yreka High School in 1941. The second award of this trophy was made To the McCloud High School in 1942. The award for 1943 was made To The Yreka High School. In 1944 The award of the trophy was made to the McCloud High School, and The perma- nent award of This trophy was made To the Mc- Cloud High School in 1945. The first award ofthe new Trophy, pictured on The preceding page, was won by Yreka in 1946. The second award of This trophy was made to McCloud High School in 1947. The Third award of The trophy was made to Mount Shasta High School in 1948 and Mount Shasta High School won it again in 1949. In 1950 the trophy was awarded To The Butte Valley High School. In 1951 The Trophy was awarded to Yreka High School and in 1952 To McCloud High School. Tulelake High School won The award in 1953. This year the trophy was awarded To Weed for The largest number of points out of 1OO distributed as follows: WINNERS Author Jerry Phillips Harriet ,Koch Janet Marchi Marilyn Calkins Bobbie Madron Viola Parkinson Diana Lark Na ncy Howa rth Barbara McMaster School Points Tulelake 10 Weed 15 Weed 51 Weed 15 FT. Jones 5 Weed 15 Tulelake 5 T- f McCloud 15 le ilTulelake 15 Mt. Shasta MT. Shasta LITERARY SECTION

Page 26 text:

FIRST PLACE STORY Into the Sky Winnie sat on the grass mat in front of her tepee. Gnarled, stubby fingers worked the reeds in and out as she wove her basket. Tell us a story, Grandmother. Come on, one like yesterday, two happy brown children skipped forward. Winnie's head turned toward the sound, a smile crossed her wrinkled face. Well, grandchildren, she started, what about the time the Great Spirit saved me? Yes, Grandmother. Yes, tell us, they chimed. Many moons ago, as a child, I- lost my sight. Many thought that I would die young, that l would have no strength, or be killed by some wood crea- ture. Yes, but instead of eyesight, I was given the gift of great hearing, she smiled, but soon a puz- zled look crossed her face. Listen, my children, do you not hear something? she whispered with her fingers at her lips. The husky boy rose to his feet, his young sister after him. No, Grandmother, he smiled after awhile. Maybe your hearing is not so good, he grinned at his sister. Yes, it is wea ker, but still strong, she frowned. Listen once more. The boy listened again and smiled, but before he could speak he saw horses almost upon the village. Riders, Grandmother, he gasped. The braves are returning to the village, she smiled. No, the leader rides a white horse, he said. Captain Riley! Quick, Little Eagle, warn the women and children fast. Run to shelter, she cried in a frightened tone. A You come, too, Grandmother, he urged. Never mind! do as l say, she pleaded. The children jumped to their feet. The warning was spread throughout the village. The women and children escaped, all except Winnie. She sat motionless on the mat, still working at her basket. The thundering beat of the horses' hoofs came closer. At last the noise ceased, all except the snorting of a horse. The crazy savages have left the confounded place, the leader began, as his white horse pawed the ground. They must have heard us coming, another replied. At this time one of the men spied Winnie on the mat. Well, what do you know? A big fat old squaw, he roared. Look again, the leader replied. She's blind. Yes, another said. Her eyes have no color, 'cept whites. Winnie's fingers shook, but she kept working on her basket. Must be deaf, too, one laughed. Let's show her some good ol' hospitality, Captain Riley suggested. Two men seized her roughly and took her to the center of the village. Winnie pleaded for mercy. Cut it, you squaw. I can't understand that kind of gab anyway, the captain snarled. He threw her to the ground. Now find something to burn this thing up with. Let's get this over, he shouted. How about these mats and baskets and stuff, captain? asked one of the men. Okay! that'll make good kindling, the captain replied in a gruff voice. Winnie pleaded again. Her reply was a rough kick in the face. She lay bleeding as the baskets and mats were piled over her. A match was struck and the flames roared. The men stood around, but the odor was too unpleasant and they left, the fire roaring in the background. Towards dusk, when nothing remained but the ashes of Winnie's body, the children and others returned. The search began for Winnie. Long after the last rays of the sun had fallen behind the mountains, they searched in vain. Finally discouraged, with tears in their eyes, Little Eagle and his sister sat on a-rock on the ground near the ashes. Do you s'pose the Great Spirit saved her again and took her away? he gazed toward the sky. l Uh-huh, replied his small sister, a tear rolling down her cheek. A cool breeze fanned the dying embers as the children watched the few remaining ashes drift into 'he SkY- MARILYN cALKiNs '55 Weed High School LITERARY SECTION