Wakefield High School - Oracle Yearbook (Wakefield, MA)

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THE DEBATER Great benefits could be derived from a library set aside in some quiet corner of our high school. During study periods and spare moments it would be invaluable. Good reference books might be obtained from time to time, thereby enlarging the library. Current literature should also be purchased, ac many of our students are not familiar with the newer writers, and we cannot expect them to, under the present conditions. Our students who live in the outskirts of the town find it very inconve- nient to reach the town library. What an advantage a high school library would be to these people! Other high schools have libraries — why not Wakefield? At the Castle Square Theatre, March 14, 1916, a most admirable performance of Shakespeare ' s Henry IV — Part II — by the Harvard Delta Upsilon Fraternity was wit- nessed by a large number of students from our high school. Mr. F. A Wilmot, ' 10, gave a wonderfully pathetic portrayal of King Henry IV; Prince Henry of Wales lived again in the person of Mr. S .G. Hume, ' 13; and Mr. Carl B. Wetherell, ' 07, took the part of Sir John Falstaff greatly amusing all beholders. The interpretations of all the characters were good; the cos- tumes brilliant, the scenic and lighting ef- fects beautiful; and the music pleasing and appropriate. Two particularly impressive scenes are Scenes I and II in Acts III and IV. Both are laid in Westminster Palace, the first in a private room of the King and second in the Jerusalem chamber. The whole production was well staged, and highly to be commended. Those who come to school for pleasure should realize that the classroom is no place for it. If their pleasure can be secured without hindrance to other students, they might enjoy it. But this is not the case. It is reasonable to believe that if just one indulged in pleasure in a classroom, then the teacher and pupils must suffer the con- sequences, which result in as great a loss of time as the pleasure-seeker insists on. Every member of a class should consider the other fellow. Every pleasure-seeker should realize that the other fellow wants to work and study. We do not claim that there is this class of pupils in our school, but we know that there are some who belong to the inatten- tive class; those who could pay attention but who do not care to. Naturally their inattentiveness causes a loss of time to all, by making repetition necessary. This could be easily remedied. These of the inatten- tive class should consider others as well as themselves. Then there would be no inat- tentive class, and every student ' s time would be well and profitably spent. IN MEMORIAM Irene O ' Leary Died February 23, 1916 WHY NOT? If a female duke is a duchess, Would a female spook be a spuchess? And if a male goose is a gander. Then would a male moose be a mander? If water you freeze is frozen, Is the maiden you squeeze, then, squozen? If a thing you break is broken. Would a thing that you take be token? If the plural of child is children. Would the plural of wild be wildren? If a number of cows are cattle. Would a number of bows be battle? If a man who plays is a playwright. Would a man who makes hay be a hay- wright? If a person who fails is a failure. Would a person who quails be a quailure? If the apple you bite is bitten. Would the battle you fight be fitten? And if a young cat is a kitten. Then would a young rat be a ritten? If a person who spends is a spendthrift, Would a person who lends be a lendthrift? If drinking too much makes a drunkard. Would thinking too much make a thunkard? But why pile on the confusion? Still, I ' d like to ask in conclusion: If a chap from New York ' s a New Yorker, Would a fellow from Cork be a Corker? Ex.

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Read o ' er this, — And then to breakfast With what appetite you have — Shak. Henry VI. Happy Easter to the readers of The Debater ! We wish to thank the Kosmos Club for so kindly inviting the Sophomore and Senior Classes to two of their interesting lectures. Miss Ingram received many encouraging remarks from out-of-town English teachers on the practicability of our English as showTi in the recent debate on Prohibi- tion. This year, 1916, is the tercentenary anni- versary of William Shakespeare ' s death. We have devoted one page of our paper to articles concerning him, and have headed our departments with quotations from his most famous works. We feel, however, that this is little to do in acknowledgement of the genius of so great a man; and to demonstrate our higher appreciation for this famous bard we are planning a Shakes- pearean celebration which, we hope, will in- terest and benefit our fellow-students and friends. The Senior Class wish to extend their thanks to Miss Elizabeth Ingram and Mr. Charles Bolton who so kindly arranged a visit to the Boston Athenasum. The few who did take advantage of this privilege found it intensely interesting and instruc- tive. Mr. John Craig of the Castle Square Thea- tre has arranged a series of the most popu- lar Shakespearean plays to be given there beginning April 25. The first performance will be Romeo and Juliet. The second, As You Like It, will be on April 28. The third, Hamlet, will be given on May 2, and the last, The Taming of the Shrew, May 5. We hope our students will avail them- selves of this educational privilege. The Senior drama is an event which arouses great enthusiasm among the pupils and faculties of the different high schools of Massachusetts. It also affords an oppor- tunity for defraying the graduation ex- penses of the Seniors. Why should we not have one in the Wakefiela High School? With very little trouble or expense, the stage of the town hall might be temporarily altered for that occasion. Also, it is quite evident that there is excellent talent in our high school to make up a cast for such an event. Finally, there is no doubt but what the town hall could be filled with little diffi- culty. How about it, Seniors-to-be?

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THE DEBATER AN UNEXPECTED STAR 71IHE cast of the annual Senior play, and the teacher who was coaching tion. them, were holding a consulta- In three days the play was scheduled to come off, and the day before, their leading actress, Dorothy McCall, had fallen while skating, and broken her leg. We can ' t postpone it. The hall is en- gaged three months ahead, besides we would have to pay for it anyway. The tickets are all sold nd the scenery hired. What shall we do? asked the business manager. Can ' t one of you girls take the part? We could find some one to fill your place, asked Miss Wright. Oh, we never could memorize all those lines in three days. Miss Wright! the girls wailed in chorus. Then, the only thing to do is to give the part to the girl who can memorize quickest. Whom do you suggest? asked Mac- Donald Smith. Louise Hathaway. An involuntary groan escaped the lips of all. But she can ' t act. Miss Wright. It would be great wouldn ' t it, to have our self-possessed heroine acted by timid, shrinking, afraid-of-her-shadow Louise! Don ' t remind us, Alice, of what we all know. It ' s bad enough to have to endure her in class, without having her spoil our play. Why did Dot try any fancy tricks at this late day, especially as she saw Lester sprain his ankle doing the same twirl? You know very well, Tom Payne, that you think Dot ' s fancy tricks are all right, when they don ' t make any trouble for you. Let Miss Wright ask Louise, as we might show how much we didn ' t want her, and then she would surely refuse. That is settled, then. We will rehearse at seven tonight, said Miss Wright as she dismissed them. Dorothy McCall disgustedly flung the popular novel, which she had been trying to read, on the bed beside her. I don ' t see why it had to happen to me. I never fell on the ice before. Of course I know that was a difficult twirl, but even if Lester did sprain his ankle trying it, there wasn ' t any reason why I should. Every- one feels it is my fault, although they have sent me flowers, books and candy. Only this mornig Alice said that of course they were sorry, but they did thinly I might have been more careful, mused Dorothy half- aloud. Just then she heard a timid knock on her door, and at her Come in, the most fiightened-looking girl imaginable entered the room. Oh, hello, Louise! she said in rather an icy tone. I just stopped on my way to the hall to show you my costume. Kow do you like it? Louise asked, slipping off her cape. You look well enough, indifferently. Oh, Dorothy, I ' m so scared I don ' t know what to do. If I should forget my lines, or get stage fright or something, I never could face the school again. I can ' t stand up straight now, my knees are so shaky, and how I am going to walk across the stage, I can ' t see, wailed Louise. Oh, you ' ll do all right, said Dorothy scornfully. Dear me, it ' s seven-twenty now, and I ' m due at the hall at half-past. I must run, and Louise dropped a timid kiss on Doro- thy ' s cheek as she hurried past. The mean thing, she needn ' t have come! I felt badly enough anyway, and Dorothy sobbed herself to sleep. Oh, Dot, it was simply great! I never would have believed it of Louise! Why, she didn ' t seem to notice that she had an audience at all! She acted just as if she were living the, part. She didn ' t forget a single thing, and she kept all of them busy acting up to her. Everyone said it was the best play that has ever been given here. My, it ' s one o ' clock this minute! I know you are sleepy, dear, but I couldn ' t wait un- til morning to tell you about it. Good night, and Dorothy ' s younger sister went to her own room. For a long time Dorothy lay thinking. I suppose I was mean to Louise, but I was disappointed. I worked harder on that play than I have on anything else I have ever tried to do. Oh, I had some fine ideas! I was going to do so well that everyone would say that I had a great future before me! But, after all, I ' m glad that Louise succeeded, perhaps I ' ve been praised and petted too much. It is her turn now, and she went to sleep, this time with a light heart. LUELLA CONKLING SIDNEY ' 18