St Marys High School - Tower Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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. K 9 'fWllf5QfiQ2C-ai At last he can begin his work. First he is told he must select the assistant editors and the heads of the different departments. This he does with the joint ap- proval of the faculty and the rest of the class. Miss May B. Sketch is chosen art editorg she is a master for is it mistressl of the art of painting and thus the Art is an assured success. John S. Gallaunt, for no particular reason is made social editor, while Ken I. Punt, star athelete, accepts the position of sports editor. The class jester is made responsible for the appearance of the humor section of the book. The staff is completed by selecting one more person as head of the photos and snapshots committee. Any person with a fairly good camera will do. Now the editor and his staff are about ready to start work on the annual. If by chance you have been fortuhate enough to be present at the first meeting of an editor and his staff, you will know what a pleasing appearance they presented. Im- bued with youthful enthusiasm, earnestly striving to serve and ennoble their school, a gathering of this kind is certainly a beautiful scene, but at the same time a most tragic one. For five months later when these hopeful idealists have met and bowed before the grim reality of experience, tragedy stalks abroad. After several such meetings, the general structure of the annual is finally agreed upon. The art theme selected is to be either Gothic or Greek. The composition of the Class Prophecy, Calendar, Class Will, Foreword, Dedication and other arti- cles usually found in publications of this kind, are assigned, with the positive orders that they appear in the hands of the editors not later than lylarch first. Arrange- ments are made for the taking of photographs. All seems to be going well and the editor is more than pleased that things are progressing favorably. But dark, sinister clouds are hovering over him, while he with head bent over desk, fails to notice the leaden sky. After many days of anxious waiting, lylarch first dawns bright and windy., The innocent editor has been clearing out all extraneous matter from his desk that he may have sufficient room when the assignments pour in. But they don't pour. About March 15 he becomes uneasy as only about one eighth of the assignments have appeared. Something is certainly wrong, he reasons, he must act immediately. He begins by using persuasion, resorts to threats and, ends by using force. To aug- ment his troubles he must bear with such questions as, Was I supposed to bring that today? I didn't know that. Finally the supposed Gothic art theme appears in the role of strictly collegiate with a few Greek figures thrown in to relieve the monotony of affairs. J 2' 2- - - J' - - -- - f - s ' 91 AQNQJZQXY u r u. . '1 Qi U Page Eighty one

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' K f. X 7 Hula walk where ngela 7 ear Un 'Glreair Having survived the year as editor of La Torre with all my faculties un- impaired, it behooves me in the exuberance of my joy, to warn future editors of this publication, of the dangers that beset them, and thus help them to avoid many hours of mental anguish. The adage, Experience is the best teacher, is, in my case, a very appropriate one. In fact it is so opportune, that I am impelled by it to offer assistance to my successors, by relating a few of my recent experiences. About the middle of September, at a time when the whole senior class is as- sembled, the announcement is made in many schools, in a very nonchalent manner, that it is opportune that the Year Book editor be appointed for the current school year. Beware! all English students, it is at this time that the plans of the faculty are centering about some guideless member of the class. And does the class aid this unfortunate? It does not. Notwithstanding the fact that he has harmed no one, the members of the class declare unanimously that Will B. Overworked is to be editor. Oh! misguided youth, they think they are honoring poor Willie, and he blushes and stammers his thanks. Under the hypnotic influence of the appointment he is power- less to ward off the impending danger. What shall he do? By all means, if he has the courage, he will refuse the appointment. But does he? He does not, he can't. Leaving town or suffering a mental lapse often helps to meet this perplexing pre- dicament. But it is safe to say that in nine out of ten cases the victim will accept, and assume the duties of editor. In the long dead past, a faculty member suffering from softening of the heart, conceived the brilliant idea of ameliorating the editor's position by relieving him of all business details. This person originated the Business Manager. The class usually selects some person, who seven or eight years previous won a prize selling greeting cards. He is supposed to be a business man, and he is compelled to take care of all pecuniary matters. Among several duties of his, is one that has made more than one strong man shudder, he must see to the financing of the annual. In the face of this stupendous task, his genius becomes manifest, he conceives a bril- liant-an original idea, one that will banish any doubt as to there being sufficient funds for publishing the year book. He decides that the members of the class will sell advertising. After a six weeks campaign, extended six weeks from necessity, enough money is raised to insure the publication of the book. But all this time the editor has been worrying. Imagine an editor having to worry about money! It is most embarrassing and demoralizing. V . J, J 2' ZA ' A ' A A 2 .ff . ,UNK if PageEighty

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V X 9 ,A Q! AX- A fc 'Q IQ Thus bit by bit the editor compiles his book. Section after section he sends to the printer in order to have proofs made of them. It is amazing how people can in the space of a few days muddle up a month's work. These typographical errors culminate in the proof of the advertising section. A cut of a fire extinguisher be- longing to the Acme Chemical Co. finds its way into the copy of the advertisement of I. Buryem Co., Funeral Directors. The leading hotel of the city uses a cut of the lounge, which in the proof innocently invites us from a page which bears the in- scription Compliments of the Parent-Teacher Association. But like all temporal things, the printing of the year book comes to an end, and the copies are distributed. The editor's troubles are over. But no! Dainty, d'min- utive lldarilyn Prescott accosts him in the corridor to ask why in the group picture of First Year Girls, her eyes look so queeru. Poor editor, he isnit an optometrist. But the returns are not all in. I. B. Puftup, a substitute on the football team, in- sists that the photographs are all out of proportion, because he looks so small. These are but a few of the many criticisms heaped upon the editor's whirling, but innocent head. Now you ask, how can these difficulties be avoided? That indeed is a momentous question. After due thought this seems to be the only feasible plan. If so unfortunate as to become an editor, don't enlist the aid of anyone, Arrange all business details yourself, do all the writing yourself, make up your own dummies and do all proof reading. If you are capable of this Herculean task, go ahead. Then make arrangements to spend a year in a good sanitarium. The location is of little moment. Some time-tested tonic may restore that lost appetite. A good optician can pos- sible aid the failing vision, while a dependable physician may restore the shattered nerves. r You wish me to answer a few questions? Certainly I will, if I am able to do so. What repays the editor for his work? The knowledge that he has served his school. ' Was it really a difficult task? It was truly stupendous. Would I do it again? You bet I would! I was editing St. Ma:-y's Annual. J -GEORGE JOHNSON, 27 J 2' A2- -j ' - f -, Afws ,5B 'mic Page' Eiblktyetwo