Wapakoneta High School - Retrospect Yearbook (Wapakoneta, OH)

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ADVICE TO JUNIORS o o o By E. LESLIE NICHOLS. To the Junior:— 1908 is a year of extraordinary value, not only to the Seniors, but to the Juniors also. In the history it will be recorded as a year of advancement, a year of profit, and as a year of enlightment, all due to their walking in the light of that body of philosophers, of intellectual giants, of social luminaries, and of athletic stars, better known to the sordid world as the Senior Class of 1908. It is the duty as well as the pleasure of each Senior Class to raise the Juniors from barbarism to civilization; the larger the lower class and the more barbarous it is, the greater the praise due the Seniors. Hence by com- parison of statistics it has been determined that the class of 1908 has not only merited the greatest praise of any class heretofore, but fully deserves to have a statue of gold, placed on a pedestal, at the entrance of the New High School Building, and on it the following inscription: “In memory of that noble body of workers, who after infinite pains and trouble, succeeded in lifting the class of '09 from the darkest quarter of the jungle to a place second only to ’08. O ye Juniors: Should you ask me whence this glory, Whence these honors and this statue With its charms and grace of figure With its title scribed in gold, I should answer, I should tell you— by emulating our Superiors. Mark well, then Juniors, the words which fol- low : We know it is impossible for ordinary human beings to climb to the intellectual heights attained by the class of '08, yet we hope to place you at an elevation much higher than that which you now enjoy. It is for this char- itable purpose that we offer ourselves as a model. Behold us! Behold our beauty, physiques, our strength of mind and character! There is one golden rule to follow throughout your course, Juniors,— Love your teachers. Never in the history of any teacher in this metropolis has greater love been shown them than by the Seniors of ’08. Consider the teacher’s noble sacrifice, how, so to speak, they have become home-mission- aries, administering to the childish wants of the Junior! Constantly bear in mind that when they assign seventy-five lines in Latin, or four propositions in Geometry, or ten pages, including the problems in Physics, that they do it but for your benefit. Never, O never in the history of '08 were the Seniors guilty of complaining of the lessons to the teacher, (but, ah! how often has the teacher complained to us!). Follow in our wake, O Juniors; love, respect and obey your preceptors. Further, Juniors, we Seniors find that laziness is your greatest fault. O my dear children, reform! Change this indolence to industry. Heretofore you have done absolutely no studying. How do you expect your teachers to love you if you don’t study? No wonder you don’t know anything! How did we ever rise to the dignity of Seniors but through studying? Apply your- selves diligently to your lessons from 6 to 9 in the evening. Then at 9, (for children of your age) it is time to retire. Ten hours sleep ought to be enough. Then come to school in the morning in regular line: don’t be boisterous, don’t stamp your feet in the hallways, don’t whisper, as you have hitherto done, quietly resume your studies, and quietly become quiet. Never argue with your teacher. We have authentic reports that cer-

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THE CLASS OF 1908 O O O By EDITH HICK. As one who sits star-gazing and wonders what will he In the days that are before her, and the marvels she shall see, So I often ponder idly, thinking what will be the fate Of the nineteen happy members of the class of 1908. Though the spring breeze whispers softly, its message makes us start, For what it really tells us is that we soon must part; And the stars all twinkle sadly as they look down on us to-night, I wonder if they see in store a future very bright. I love to think it over now that all the years are gone; How each day our tasks grew harder, still we plodded on and on, bor we always had before us that some day we'd graduate, And now our dream will be fulfilled, in this year of 1908. Oh, well do we remember how we started out in tears, For we thought we had before us twelve such long, such weary years. But the first week soon was over and the first month soon passed too, And the days kept going faster, each one bringing something new. The years we thought so tiresome, one by one so quickly passed, Each one just a little shorter but more joyful than the last. For we learned to know each other, and to love each dear schoolmate, And to be so proud that we were of the class of 1908. And now we find that as the end draws nearer day by day We can’t help looking backward and wishing we could stay, For the school and all its pleasures, so dear to us have grown And all that lies before us is so hazy and unknown. But we must work for higher things, and always do our best, So that our record will be good when we’re put to any test; And always strive to emulate the High, the Good, the Great, So we will be an honor to the class of 1908.

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tain young Juniors, imagining themselves better informed than their teachers, have dared to argue with, nay, even contradict them. O deluded young men! Why this impudence? Are you not aware that the teacher has it in her power to send you from the recitation room? Meditate over these words, O thoughtless ones. Hearken to the voice of your counsellor. I low modest and acquiescent are the Seniors! When the teacher issues her orders, who is the first to obey? The Seniors. When school is dismissed who is the first to get cut? The Seniors. When one of our teachers says “Let’s have quiet please,” who becomes the quietest? The Seniors. 1 repeat it sirs, the Seniors. Who is last? The Juniors. There is only one path to fame and that is the one trodden by the Seniors of ’08. Follow the leaders, children, and you will l.ve to become great men and famous women. When Mr. Pool knowingly asserts that “all straight lines are equal,” Mr. Haupert, that “Columbus dis- covered America in 1776, and Miss Conrath, that “Cicero was the greatest warrior ever existed,” don’t doubt them ; they know. And even if you do have some doubts go privately and consult Leslie Bowsher. Another line itr which you need advice sadly is athletics. Although the Seniors have this year carried off the laurels try to redeem yourselves next ear. Although you did lose four High School games of basket ball this year for the school, it will pardon you on the one condition that you do better next year. It is to be regretted that there were only three Senior players in the team this year. Yet,the school thanks them sincerely for the victories they obtained and only desire they impart their secrets and tricks of playing to the Juniors who it is to be hoped will be greatly benefited thereby. It is quite possible that you have conceived the idea that the Seniors have been indifferent and unmindful of your welfare. This conclusion is an erroneous one. All during the past year the eyes of the Seniors have been upon you, studying your weakness and shortcomings, and for this reason we are better enabled to guide your footsteps toward a brilliant future. Looking back over the past year in hasty review we are enabled to state un- hesitatingly that the greatest obstacle to your advancement is the lamentable absence of good order during school hours. This must be remedied if you desire to make even a near approach to the high standard achieved by the class of ’08. That you may more readily perceive the necessity of a radical improvement in your deportment, it may be well to cite the most flagrant breaches of discipline of which you have been guilty in the past: FIRST.—Whispering. Whispering only serves to arouse the sincere disgust of the Seniors who abhor anything that is unladylike or ungentle- manly. Further it greatly disturbs the studious Sophomores so profusely scattered about you. Cut it out Edwin, Leonard, Louis, Alma, Hazel, Helen. SECOND.—Rudeness. Juniors! How frequently do you so rudely burst into a laugh when one of your benighted classmates advances a ridicu- lous theory. Cease it Rena, Mildred, Emma, Leslie, William. THIRD.—Meddling in Laboratory. It is quite natural for Juniors to suppose that after having studied physics for a short while that they are inventive physicists. Under this delusion you go in the Laboratory during a period when you are supposed to be reciting, break everything, ruin the ma- chines, cause a fearful amount of noise and remain in there until the gong for dismissal sounds when you cause havoc in the whole school in your frantic endeavors to be out first. Cut it—Howard, Leonard, Robert, Roland, George. FOURTH.—And most important is Idleness. You sit in school, rest- ing your heads on your elbows, looking out of the windows, the boys thinking how nice it would be if “I could knock a home run next game,” the girls, “Will my green hat look good with my greener dress for tomorrow night’s dance?” Idleness is the most terrible piece of disobedience which the ingen- uity of the Juniors has devised. Idleness leads up to so many faults and eventually makes loafers of you. In fact many Juniors at the present time loaf up town, especially near the pool tables. The boys are crazy after pool