Somerville High School - Radiator Yearbook (Somerville, MA)

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THE LONE SURVIVOR Nancy Donahue ’61 My life story has been a continuous strug- gle for survival. I am a very healthy, sturdy freckle. But alas! I am doomed. Since I be- gan, I have survived all the treatments that I have been subjected to on many and varied occasions. These treatments were supposed to kill or obliterate me. But I am still the same bright, scintillating freckle. I first made my appearance in this cruel world on a sparkling clear day at the beach. I materialized on the cheek of Lady Jane. The name I have changed to protect the in- nocent. She was a very beautiful woman with a fair complexion, marred only by some of my relatives and friends, who occupied very prominent places on her cheek. Of course, existing on a woman’s epidermis is much more hazardous than on a man’s skin. My life has been jeopardized since birth by vanishing creams and soaps. Certainly, inhabiting such a conspicuous place as the face is the reason for the many attempts at our lives. My twin was noticed with lugubrious threats, long before I was because he was of a prodigious size. Lady Jane screamed many vile epithets at us! My family and friends were called pig- ment stains!! We were pointed out as para- sites! Can I help it if I am a parasite? But life was not as black as I have painted it. We gained delight from our games and each other’s company. We often played “Ring Around the Nosey,” but at night only. When Lady Jane’s friends came to visit here, we renewed acquaintances with fellow freckles who lived cn visitors’ blocks. Unfortunately things took a turn for the worst. Lady Jane consulted dermatologists and other specialists concerning us. They used bleaches, paints, cover-ups, whitewashes, and everything imaginable. We were pricked, sprayed, lathered, and painted. All this was in an attempt to kill us or at least cover us up. And many of the weaker freckles were slain. But we tenacious freckles held onto our lives. Yet we were doomed. The experts thought of surgery and operated. I am the sole sur- vivor of that terrible torture. My relatives and friends are now long dead, “But sturdy and staunch” I stand. Since now only I mar Lady Jane’s beauti- ful complexion, she has redoubled her efforts. She looks everywhere for something with which to kill me. Now she has a miracle cream supposed to kill cr obliterate any unsightly moles and freckles. She has said she would apply it to me sometime today. The reason I decided to tell my life history is . . . Help! Help! the cream!!! I’m suf- focat—...!!! A FEARLESS EXPERIENCE Janice DiNoceo 64 One Saturday morning, my mother told me that she had made an appointment for me with the dentist. Hearing this I tried every way to make her break this appointment. But mother would not give in. So after lunch, father drove us to the dentist. When we ar- rived at his office, father let us off and mother and I went in. After hanging up mv coat I went over and sat with mother. I soon became impatient as my fear grew stronger. At the same time a slight chill ran through my spine. I tried reading, but it didn’t do much good. At this point I was ready to go home. When I was called upon to be next, I left my seat, still a little shaky. As I went into the doctor’s of- fice, he said, “Hi,” and told me to be seated. Looking around and seeing all the large in- struments, my fears became stronger than ever. The doctor washed his hands and checked my teeth carefully. When he had finished, he said that my teeth were in good condition and he said he would send me a card in six months for another check-up. Hearing this my heart returned to normal and I became quite steady again. I said good- by and thank you to the doctor and went out to mother, who was waiting for me. I told mother the good news about the condition of my teeth and we both headed for home. Twenty-seven

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THE DESPERATE TRY Cordon Norman '63 Being only five feet, five inches tall, Don Norton thought his chances of making the basketball team were very slim. But he was determined he would make it. Having prac- ticed faithfully all summer, he was now ready. One Friday the news came from the loud- speaker that all candidates for the basketball team should report to the gym on Monday. Don made a note of it on his pad, and con- tinued with his studies. Monday arrived. He had just finished tie- ing his sneakers and trotted onto the gym floor. In the midst of comparatively gigantic boys was little Don. “Oh no!,” he thought to himself, “I’ll never make this team.” One of the taller boys turned to his friend and said, “That short boy over there hasn’t got a chance.” The coach, completely overlooking Don, picked some boys for a scrimmage. “O.K., I’ll see you all tomorrow,” said the coach. After a few days, the group was slowly de- creasing, but Don was still eligible. The coach had to cut one more boy from the squad. Although Don was trying his best, it looked hopeless. The final scrimmage before the last cut. This was it. Playing guard, Don was nervous. Because of this he dropped a pass which led to a basket for his opponents. He was sure now his chances were exhausted. Then, with a minute left, he plunged for a loose ball, recovered it, dribbled to the basket and made a beautiful lay-up, winning the game. Lining up for the final cut. the boys all prayed silently that they wouldn’t be the one cut. With sixteen uniforms in his hands, the coach approached the boys. One by one he passed them out, coming to Don, he handed him a uniform and said, “Congratulations. You played a fine game. It was now the night of the first game. As the players pranced upon the court, among them was Don Norton, who looked ten feet tall. JEWELS OF THE SEA Elizabeth Glines ’63 Collecting sea shells is now a nation-wide hobby. There are some 100,000 species to be found, not only those along the beaches, which are brought in by the tide, but in rivers and ponds. Their variety in shape, color and size is amazing. Many classes of shells occur in the animal kingdom, varying in size from minute organisms to large formations weighing 500 pounds. The outermost layer of a shell is a hard skin. The middle layer is the thickest. The innermost layer is thin and has a porcelain gloss. This part of the shell may gleam with a pearly luster, glow with a delicate pink, or glisten with peacock blues and greens. From this layer comes the mother-of-pearl used in buttons, jewelry, tool handles, and orna- ments. Here the true pearl is formed. Within the shell of a mollusk there is a soft body, a heart, stomach, liver and kidneys. Sea mollusks breathe through gills. They often have delicate senses and a keen sense of smell. Without dissecting these creatures, we can- not distinguish the male from the female. They can be very much like flowers, which are commonly male and female at the .same time. Flowers may also be all male or all fe- male. Mollusks may be made up of any of these strange arrangements. Certain shells are so beautiful that they are worn as jewelry by many people. Shells also travel from one country to another by means of scientists and museums who trade them. If we would just walk along the shores and pick up a few of these shells, we would come to realize all the other beautiful things God has put on this earth for our enjoyment. A most fascinating fact is that they are un- limited in quantity and without cost. Twenty-six

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DOWN WITH CLOSETS Ella Bergman ’64 Cleaning a closet, far from being a simple matter, can easily turn into something of a nightmare. First off, you are overwhelmed by the urge to remove the entire contents of the closet all at once. It suddenly becomes quite clear to you just how deep that closet really is. Previously you had never suspected that it went back four feet. First, you begin to remove the things one by one from the hooks on the wall. However, instead cf mak- ing a little pile on a bench in the hall, as you had anticipated, you find them overflowing into the living room. Next, you remove all the boots, rubbers, galoshes, and such from the closet floor. Then you place the movie projector on the living- room couch. Now it seems a fairly simple matter to remove the rest of the clothing hanging in the closet. You just throw them down on the—on—the—well, all right, you put them on the bed—but only for a few min- utes, of course. Look—there’s daddy’s overcoat right be- side the boys’ last year’s winter coats. And for goodness sake, isn’t that the blue tweed coat you lost over a year ago ? In removing the front layer of coats, it is painfully revealed to your startled eyes for the first time that there is a second layer. This is the one you had long since forgotten. In school you are taught that matter can be neither created nor destroyed. But you know, as well as every other closet-cleaner, that this is sheer nonsense. Matter gets cre- ated all the time. How else then did that silly bird cage get in there? You never had a bird, let alone a bird cage! Oh, that bird? The canary? The cue you gave away two years ago? Come to think of it, they did bring back the foolish cage when the bird died? But who in the world put it in the hall closet? Now let’s shut all the closet doors and keep them shut. Who would ever dream a closet could be such a nuisance! But what under the sun are you going to do with all those things that came out of it? FISHING AT THE CHARLES David Malozi ’63 Many fishermen frown at the thought of fishing in the Charles River because most fish caught there are not edible due to the oil content in the water. However, if the an- gler is a sport fisherman, he is in for good fishing. There are a few things that must be learned about fishing here before you can be very successful. Naturally you must know where to go, and have a good knowledge of the habits of the fish. When I fish at the Charles I always get a good catch, because I learned the above fun- damentals. I truthfully believe that I could take any sensible person to the river, and he could land some good-sized fish. I have gone only once this year and landed eleven fish, eight horned pout, good-sized ones at that. This early catch reveals a good sea- son in store for the angler. On one of my last trips in 1960. I caught a fifteen pound carp on a four pound test line. The battle lasted over fifteen minutes, and when I wearily landed the twenty-five inch giant I had quite a few wide-eyed spectators. Along with the fishing it is beautiful there with lots of green grass, water fountains and a refreshment stand nearby. I fish in a small lagoon, linked by two bridges. So, my money is on the Charles for fishing. Twenty-eight