Southwestern High School - Prospector Yearbook (Detroit, MI)

Page 21 text:

The Presiden tis Address By JACK OKE Faculty Members, Classmates, and Friends: It seems strange to me that we should use the word Commencementil to designate the day on which we lay down for all time the school work we have carried for so many happy years. liCompletion would seem to be a much more appropriate term. But that would not follow the rules of life, for in this world everything that marks an end also marks a beginning. The end of one day is the commencement cf another. The end of one task marks the beginning of a new one. The tree blossoms, bears fruit, sheds its foliage, and then immediately begins preparation for another crop. So it is with our education. What we have learned at school, valuable as it is, is only the beginning. The end of our school work merely means the commencement of experiences that will test those principles which we have studied for so long. We realize that this day probably never would be possible without the help and encouragement which we have received from our parents, teachers, and friends. We hope to acknowledge and express our appreciation of the assistance we have received by going forth into the world and justifying the faith they have set in us. It is with regret that we leave Southwestern. The past four years have been happy ones. But there is no turning back. We must go forth and make room for more young men and women to be trained for their life's vocations. And so we go into a new world, full of appreciation for the background and education gained here at Southwestern. Odyssey of the Famous F icve Hundred By TOM HOGAN, BEATRICE HERMAN, J ACK MATHEWS, and EVELYN ORMISTON September, 1935, a crowd of carefree boys and girls embarked upon a four-year cruise. Was there anyone in that group who did not dream of a great future awaiting him? Each was soon to find, however, that the end toward which he was striving was not to be had for the asking, but that before the Island of Success could be reached, he must sojourn at least four years on the various Islands of Learning and encounter hard work and many pitfalls if he would attain his goal. The first port of call was the Verdant Isles, where we stayed one year. We freshmen certainly reflected the green of the island in everything that we did. We went to our record rooms in the morning before the bell rang and marched through the front doors like ulords of all we surveyed? Every day we carried all of our books to and from school, for we, in our simplicity, thought that an arrnful of books was the best way to advertise the fact that we were high school students. During that first year, we learned, much to our consternation, that such things as negative exponents existed in the realms of algebra. It seemed that we simply couldnit learn our Latin verbs. But when our teachers cordially invited us to come back every Tuesday, ninth and tenth hours, we soon realized that it was quite possible to memorize the conjugation of tiamo and Vaco . In June we sailed away from the Verdant Isles. After cruising peacefully and aimlessly for ten short weeks, we came to the Island of Adventure. Once more we settled down for a ten-month sojourn. Oh! How we had changed We had lost much of our assurance and did not feel one half as big and bold as we had a year ago. Some, who studied biology, became interested in flowers and insects. They explored their neighborsi gardens as well as their own. We traveled in English IV with those adventurous pioneers of long ago. Again, we took to the water, each on a raft of his own construction. Now, the Island of High Hopes was our destination. This year some of us started a new and fascinating subjectechemistry. We enjoyed the two hours a week spent in the laboratory, but those miserable atomic W8ightS, formulae, and reactions were perplexing! In this Island of High Hopes our dreams were often dashed to the ground as we struggled through the hard places in geometry. From a social standpoint, the year was rather uneventful. We left the Island of High Hopes in June; and after a short voyage, we came to the Land of Success. Here, however, we met an obstacle. Before we could reach the City of Success, a large peak, called the Mountain of Hearts Desire, had to be climbed. For five months we watched very carefully the class ahead of us, to see how they conducted themselves on their seemingly high pedestal. Just before we reached the summit of the mountain, we were called together as a class, and Virginia Pratt and George Ganos accepted the Pick and Spade from the January Class. At last we reached the mountain top and started down toward the City of Success. We chose for our guide Jack Oke, with Marjorie March as his assistant. Walter Germain and Tom Armstrong were elected secretary and treasurer respectively. We chose the class motto, tiThe future we have depends upon the foundation we lay . Coral and powder blue were selected for the class colors. The class gave three mixers. Our senior play, Donit Ever Grow Up, was a charming and witty comedy, led by an all-star cast. Page Nineteen

Page 20 text:

Members of the 12A Class KATHRYN MARIE ZELLER Wilson; Senior Color Committee; College. ADELINE ZIELKE Cory; Business College. GLADYS ZIMMERLY Hunter; Book Club; Business College. JOE ZMUDKA Hunter. STANLEY ZYLA Hunter; Intramural Basketball; Business College. EUGENE ALTHOFF JOSEPH MILLER ARTHUR WILKS WILLIAM BAKER ARTHUR ZIEMAN FREDERICK BUTLER, FRED FALKENBERG, HOWARD FAYTEK, HAROLD HODGSON, JOHN MOSES, JAMES ROBERTS, ANTHONY ROMBERGER, ROSS STANLEY, ANNE YAUCUONE, WILLIAM FOX. The Pick and Spade ON BEHALF OF the Senior Class, I feel it an honor, indeed, to present to you this spade, a symbol of Southwestern and its spirit. It has helped us gain a wealth of knowledge and a world of happiness. We pass it on to you in the hope that you, too, may cherish it and find it an inspiration to success. e-George Gamos. PROSPECTORS HAVE LONG regarded the spade as a symbol of all that would open a new and more abundant life to them. With this spade, I sincerely hope that we may delve for knowledge that will enable us to leave a record as splendid as yours. You, the graduating class, have established a noteworthy reputation in scholarship, cooperation, leadership, and extra-curricular activities. It is our sincere hope that we may add our colors with as much pardonable pride for our accomplishments as you and your predecessors have done. eReese Swift. YEARS AGO the sod was first broken on the site of Southwestern. The pick used on that momentous occa- sion has since stood for the high ideals that Southwestern advocates, such as the development of scholarship, leadership, and good citizenship among its students. I take pleasure in presenting to you this pick in the name of the class of June, 1939. It is our hope that it will inspire you to greater accomplishments when you, also, go out into the world. evwgmm Pratt. IN ACCORDANCE WITH TRADITION I, in behalf of the 12B class, accept this pick. The ideals which you, the Senior Class, have stood for and put into being are represented by your class colors tied to this pick. May incoming seniors for years to come live up to the standards you and the preceding graduating classes have set for us, and may we uphold our ideals with the same zest and courage. eKathem-ne Steele. Page Eighteen

Page 22 text:

The Valedictory By CHARLOTTE ROBBINS To me has fallen the signal honor of expressing farewell for the class of June, 1939. For four years we have zealously partaken of the advantages and facilities offered us by this institution. The corridors yet resound with the echo of our voices; the class- rooms still acknowledge our invisible presence. As a class we shall soon pass through these portals for the last time; yet a part of us will always be here. No one can sever our connection with Southwestern. Just as we have assimilated her individual spirit, she has built us into her walls. Four years ago, with the wistful hope of early youth, we entered this building; today we stand at the end of the trail. Weive worked hard and played hard, accepting Victories and smiling at defeats. Welve formed friendships and associations which even time can- not erase. As a class, we have distinguished ourselves in scholarship, athletics, and club activities. We are indeed indebted to those who have made possible this dayeto our parents, whose sacrifice and interest have been a continual source of encouragement, and to our teachers, who have so patiently and skillfully guided us through this formative period of our lives. In a few days we shall meet for the last time as a class. With each of you may I send my sincerest wish for your happiness and success. May your life be enriched by the friendships you have formed, and may you ever cherish the memories and ideals of Southwestern. So, until we meet again-farewell. The Salutatory By EVELYN MCCRAW The greatest honor ever bestowed on me was this one of being asked to welcome you on this our last gathering here before we leave to join that great fleet on the sea of life. Southwestern has been a harbor where we anchored for a few years to prepare ourselves for the journey ahead. The faculty, captains of our ships, have done so much to help us in this preparation. It is through their kind efforts that we have been able to enjoy club activities and sports. They will probably never realize just how deeply every one of us appreciates their interest, but the least I can do in behalf of the Senior Class is to thank them for everything. As we sail out of the harbor, we shall be on our own, the captains of our own ship, guiding them as we see fit. Some will follow almost the same course; many will go their own separate ways. A few will find it smooth sailing, while still others may encounter many storms, but it is my sincere hope that some day all of us shall reach the one port for which we set out. So I welcome you here today to enjoy every minute of it and make the most of it, for its memory and memories of all those happy days that have already passed will linger long after you have sailed out of the harbor and the shores and building itself have faded out of sight. Recollections By L01s LEONARD In our four years of high school life, In our second year we learned to feel Weive met both trial and fun. That we were a part of school, Whlch of these outweighs the other? Because we joined its clubs and teams, Let,s match them, one by one. And made honor marks our rule. As freshies we. were treated just As juniors, our number larger grew, As obgects of Jokes and pranks. Till it passed the five hundred mark! But didnit that prove to our young minds We felt so proud in third year high That seniors werenlt just cranks? That our tasks seemed like a lark. And now we must leave Southwestern! Many a trial welll meet. Letts continue going forward, And never admit defeat! Page Twenty