South Side High School - Optimist Yearbook (Newark, NJ)

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THE OR T I M I S T ]W son of the Board: and Dr. Kennedy. The Optimist was selected as the title of the school paper from among the many names sug- gested ; these included: Scarab, Sou’wester, Cactus. Clarion, Excelsior, Southern Sun. The first number was issued in November. 1913. There was placed in the corridor a wooden receptacle resembling a letter-box, where the students could leave stories, articles or jokes submitter! for pub- lication in The Optimist. DtfOKL THE COSING Of THE MUTE 1AA TUS HILL WD TK£ tARB. STRIA ! 1AR U Ilif BOUNDARY BftVEI THl L ADS of m HACXINSVC CD THE RARITAN TRIBES wn|1() 0! THE LEW LI I . NAY 10 16«.« RtfRL-EJftATTTFS Of E-AKK D IUI 1 ITS MTU! REDMRE AS ■ FXIDT £ 5AMI B« WOW TO SEPARAT TBl TOO TOOK srTTUI ATS HESTltt .M „UUa5Y THE r«DCV s«UK AW. as HERE rtK XV AS VX M) CREEK AM) ■ls Hivrxct has HUffocmoivr da: . It was believed by Dr. Kennedy and the faculty that one of the reasons why so many pupils left high school during their first year was the sud- den change from the teaching methods of the Grammar to the High School. In the elementary schools the pupil had only one teacher for all sub- jects while in the secondary school he had six or seven, one for each subject, and none personally interested in him. Therefore the plan was inau- gurated of having every teacher of the freshman grade teach at least two subjects to the same pupils and act as adviser to the students under his care. It was also suggested by Dr. Kennedy that South Side add two years to the course and become a Junior College, but this idea was not adopted until 1918. In February 1914. one thousand dollars was appropriated for a library. Fach teacher sub- mitted a list of books on the subjects which he taught, and Dr. Kennedy made the final selection. The library was opened for use in March. 1915. and Miss Helen Wolfs was appointed librarian. The General Organization organized in March and held their first election on the seventeenth. South Side also acquired an athletic field on Hill- side Avenue during this month. A German comedy. “Jugcndfreunde, was given very successfully by the German Club on May 8. 1914, the first play to be given at South Side. The actors were coached by Dr. Giehl. head of the Department of German. The Dramatic Club presented their first play. “Trial by Jury,” by Gilbert and Sullivan, in 1914. Plays have been presented nearly every year after this. The Summer High School of the city was held at South Side during the vacation of 1915. In 1916. Newark celebrated her 250th Anniver- sary. South Side's activities included an exhibit of work done by the school children of the city, participation in a parade of school children, an athletic meet at Weequahic Park, and the placing of a tablet on Divident Hill in Weequahic Park. The Hill was originally used by the Indians as a dividing landmark between the tribes, and later the settlers of Newark and Elizabeth met there and declared it to be the official boundary, between the towns. The Department of Parks erected there a building in the form of a Greek temple. South Side raised money for a bronze tablet which related the history of the Hill, and on May 20. 1916. it was unveiled in the presence of students of Battin High School representing Elizabeth. In February 1917, the idea of Recognition Day was inaugurated. Each pupil received a pin rep- resenting the number of times he had been on the Honor Roll, and those who had been so hon- ored twenty-five times or more received their pins from Dr. Kennedy in the presence of the school. These pins were bronze, from 1 to 10. silver from 11 to 24. and gold for 25. South Side was very active during the war. which began on April 7. 1917. As the govern- ment had requested citizens to save food, many of the students had war gardens, and raised vege- tables enough to keep their tables supplied all summer. Every afternoon after school the girls sewed on garments for French women and chil- dren. As the government had ordered the dis- banding of all amateur radio stations, the Wire- less Club turned their attention to learning the c xlc and teaching it to others. During the First Liberty Loan Drive, South Side sold over $36,000 in Ixmds. On April 27. exercises were held in the Assem- bly urging the enlistment of students who had attained the required age. There were represen- tatives of each of the seven branches of the service—infantry, cavalry, artillery. Marine Corps. Navy. R. O. T. C., and aviation. South Side had six of her boys in active service, beside many in the agricultural army. During the term of September, 1917, there was a great deal of war activity. The Wireless Club members practised wig-wag and heliograph sig- naling: the girls knitted sweaters for Newark’s