Townsend Harris High School - Crimson Gold Yearbook (Flushing, NY)

Page 99 text:

IIIIGANIZATIGIN SECTIIIN The organizations centralize the interests of the school and show the attitude of the students toward school legislation as well as their leaders. But for these organizations, high school life would lack all interest among the student body. Tracing the pyramid of our social life, the Arista takes its place at the apex. In this or- ganization are found the leaders of the school, who are representative of that pinnacle of success to which every Harrisite aspires. Among the important groups are the Gen- eral Organization, the Stadium, and the Crim- son and Gold, the Iirst of which is the chief legislative body of the school, chosen by the students to effect the reforms which changing school conditions demand. The Stadium is published bi-monthly in order to bring to the students not only an account of school events, but also a means of direct com- munication. The Crimson and Gold, no longer a senior book, is now an outlet for the literary ambition of Harris as well as a review of the school activities for the past term. Clubs are a medium of informal discus- sion of the curricular subjects, and a stimulus of interest in what would ordinarily be dull studies. There are also service organizations which help greatly to keep order in Harris, although their members move unseen. Organizations are necessary to the com- plete unity of the school and a full realiza- tion of its spirit. page ninety-Eve

Page 98 text:

ADVICE FROM A SAPIENT SENIOR I With apologies to Coleridgej It is an ancient senior, And he's stopped by a proud T. D., '4By my unused book and blase look, Now wherefore stop'st thou me?', The classroom door is open wide, And I must now go ing The boys are met, the chairs upset, May'st hear the merry din. Hold thy peace and list to me, Quoth he in voice of ice, Shiver not so, for soon thou'lt know, To profit by my advice. You are so young, a comely lad, You seem to think you're right, If you will but forget my crime, Why, then l'll show you light. Our joys you have made miseriesg For ev'ry deed atone, Lest you may find yourself one day Alone here, all alone. So close your lids, and keep them closed, Though the balls like pulses beat, From this drear hall and very floor, I'll walk on swiftest feet. But ere I go, to you I tell, Since opposites donit mix, If you'd avoid the List of Doom, Stay out of politicsf, I fear thee, evil Senior dread! Be calm, thou lowly pest! 'Tis not for nothing that I tell Thee how to pass a test! He passeth best, who seeth best, All things, both great and small, From the tminute note passed under-foot To the writing on the wall. page ninety our

Page 100 text:

EXTRA-CURRICULA ACTIVITIES As President of the General Organization, I believe that there is no message I can con- vey of greater importance than the value of participation in the affairs conducted by the student body, apart from, but not alien to, the curriculum. As this portion of high school life is purely voluntary, it is most often disregarded. And never has a more dire mis- take been made, for the aim of all extra-cur- ricular activities is never foreign to classroom life, but rather complementary. Since Harris is a training camp for a fuller, more mature existence to come-a miniature battlefield-so our activities prophecy the problems we encounter in outer life. And, as preparation for this battle, I know of no better place than our clubs, where we learn to mingle with other human beings, to per- fect our personal philosophies, and to supple- ment our knowledge of the arts. School publications furnish splendid mod- els of intelligent and just business organiza- tions, while no better example of training can be offered than that of participating in de- bate, of learning to respect others, opinions, and to set forth our own intelligibly. I have never claimed that a student owes anything to the school. Instead, I have con- sistently demanded a more intelligent under- standing of the situation. It is my earnest belief that the student has one debt. It is to himself alone that he is responsible for the interest he takes in improving his own condi- tions, in learning to live his life in the best possible manner. The General Organization will have done its work, if it can call itself truly a general organization. President of the G. 0., Robert Van Santen