Somerville High School - Radiator Yearbook (Somerville, MA)

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Can You Find Yourself in this Crowd? 1. Eileen DiCiaccio, Janet Resteghini, Karen Kelly, Morion Van Stccnsburg, Nancy Noble, Vivion Santos. 2. Mary Foppiano, Robert Tourosi, John Troniello, Gennoro DiSarcino, Phyllis Forget, Annemaric McWeeny. Absent when photograph wos taken: Charles Anderson, Albert Bowen, Constantine Cacos, Carmen Gailcy, Morgorct Haddock. Doesn’t there appear to be something wrong with the above picture? Isn’t this a scant number of NHS members considering the group of seniors we have at SHS ? Last year, thirty-nine seniors were mem- bers of the National Honor Society when they graduated. For the last few years the number has been declining. What is the rea- son for this? Do you qualify for National Honor? You very well could, you know. The requirements for this organization are well within the reach of every high school student. Each spring, members of the faculty offer the names of students of the junior class who might be considered for National Honor. Any teacher may nominate any student on the basis of the four qualifications of leadership, scholarship, character, and service. Good marks are not the only prerequisite. Service and cooperation are also required. If the student plans to attend college, be- ing a member of National Honor is one of the best references he or she can offer to a university. If, on the other hand, the student plans to enter the business world immediately following graduation, National Honor mem- bership should indicate to a person hiring him that he will be a truly valuable addition to the firm. As for leadership, a pupil should be active in the classroom; volunteering to recite, listening attentively while the teacher is talk- ing, and, in general, being a good addition to the class. Also, being active in one or more of the many clubs in school will be a good quali- fication to have. A pupil should have origi- nality in his ideas and reasonings and be the type of person the rest of a group listens to and respects. Character is a quality that makes people trust us, obey us, respect us, and most im- portant of all, imitate us. Character is as much a part of us as our name and we are known to others by it. Whether it is good or bad, it is our contribution to society. Service is that extra effort that makes your school an important part of your life. It is a cooperation that alone shows you are interested. It is not martyrdom or a thirst for publicity, but a true inner will to be of help Eight

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IN THE NAME OF SPORTS Leonard Flynn ’59 The sport of football is erroneously labeled “a game.” Football is no more of “a game” than any other sport where a person is driven to a frenzied pitch to win, to conquer, and to vanquish. What is this compelling force which drives a person to the limit of his physical abili- ties, to punish his body until every muscle aches and every nerve screams from tension? Is it all one moment of glory, or to be able to say, “I’m on the team”? But what glory is there in dirt, complete exhaustion, bruised muscles and aching bones? Match one team against another, and although they have never seen one another, they spontane- eously become deadly adversaries, each want- ing to defeat the other------each willing to pay any price for victory. Some people call it team spirit or the will to win, but it is really the desire to prove one- self. The players practice their “game” until the perspiration clouds their vision. Constant- ly driven by the thought of being a hero, any player would gladly give his last bit of strength to snatch victory from defeat. But, is the victory worth the price? Is it worth the aches and pains, the bruises, the bleeding, the hours of practice and the complete ex- haustion which follows a game? Sports are brutal groups of physical competitions in which all that is important is victory. There is no place for defeat in sports. It is suited for only the strong, who can endure its pun- ishment and pay its price. Sports are “games” only for fools. But, then, who am I to call one a fool when I would gladly give my strength, my blood, my sweat for “victory.” Seven

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in making the dance a success, or cheering the team to victory, for example. The ways of service are as varied and different as peo- ple themselves, and at Somerville High there are many opportunities to be useful and beneficial. As for scholarship, any student who is really interested in learning and who shows the simple courtesy cf paying attention in class, can have good scholarship. The matter is entirely up to him. Every pupil in the school should try to be- come a member of this distinguished organi- zation, and perhaps next year the picture of the group will take a full page. From this group of National Honor members chosen each year, the future educational, scientific, political, social and business leaders will emerge. TIME TO BE NEGATIVE On Monday, September 29, the Mantoux tuberculin test was given to ninety-six per cent of the entire high school student body. The purpose of the test was to determine whether or not their bodies contained any tuberculosis germs. The members of the faculty demonstrated their co-operation by also participating in the program. A small portion of clear fluid called tuber- culin is injected into each participant. Three days later the place on the arm where the test was made w s examined by a doctor or nurse who checked the patch for size, shape, and color, in order to ascertain whether the test was negative—meaning that there were no tuberculosis germs pres- ent in the body, or if it was positive — meaning that germs were present in the body, but not necessarily active. Then the person was x-rayed to find out whether the germs had, as yet, done any damage. Tuberculosis is not an inherited disease, as so many people think, but a contagious one that spreads from person to person and can strike at any age. Since 1955, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has carried on an extensive program of tuberculin testing in our schools Miss Sccnlon, Miss Conning, Jock Burgess, B'ob Murray in an effort to curb any growth in the spread of TB. By checking your health regularly you can do your part to wipe out this dread disease. GIVE THANKS Nancy Clark '60 At this Thanksgiving season, stop what- ever you are doing and meditate; carefully turn over in your mind all the joy, sadness of your daily life and, yes, count your bles- sings. Thank God for this time of peace and ask Him to let it stay that way. Thank God fc-r keeping you and your family healthy and safe. Thank Him for the food on your table and the clothes on your back. Thank Him for this splendid country of ours and the right to live freely in it. Thank Him, pray to Him, and show your thanks in some way, perhaps by buying a turkey with all the trimmings for a family less fortunate than yours. Do this and get the “generosity glow”, a glow that will spread through your whole being. THANKSGIVING Janet Resteghini 59 Thanksgiving awakes us one morning To the smell of baking mince pies To the look of the crisp Autumn sunshine And the laughter in children's eyes. Nine