Weaver High School - Portal Yearbook (Hartford, CT)

Page 33 text:

CLASS HISTORY OF 1924 Dramatis personae; Entire cast consists of one fanatical pro¬ fessor and his victim, namely, a very dumb student. Curtain rises disclosing a school room during the year of 1950. A smallish table to the left rear is staggering under the weight of a monstrous dictionary. Flowers are placed here and there. At the rear are two couches upon which tired, nerve-shat¬ tered students may recline. The whole aspect tends toward modernism. At the left of the stage is a teacher’s desk littered with paper, books, inkwells and demerit slips. In front of the desk and to the right of the stage stand half a dozen or more chairs. At the desk is seated the fanatical profes¬ sor, whom we take to be anywhere from thirty to seventy years old. Prof. Late again by two hours! Two hours by the clock! Outrageous! It is enough to tire anyone’s patience. When I ask her to remain after school I wish she would not hinder me so. Well, this must be stopped. Demerits will do it if nothing else will. It is not well to give demerits. It is very harmful to the mental attitude of the pupil. But in this case it must be done. It MUST BE DONE! These hard-boiled flappers! (Pupil is heard singing outside. After singing a few notes, she informs person out¬ side of teacher’s numerous failings.) Enter pupil. Pupil- Good afternoon. I’m not late, am I? Prof. Why—a—er—er—of course not. .A—at least, not perceptibly so. If it would not inconvenience you in any way, I think we might begin the history lesson. Would you care to sit down? (Pupil takes out picture book and sits down.) (Teacher hunts for history book and finds it in waste basket.) Prof. I’m very sorry to have kept you after school, but you really ought to have known your lesson. Now I will first ask you about the question upon which you failed this morning. Will you please tell me what the most important event of the year 1920 was? (Pupil does not hear.) Prof,—(Plaintively) Miss Calculate! What is the most important event of the year 1920? Pupil Bobbed-hair came in vogue. Prof.—Such stupidity! Must I repeat that that auspicious year marked the en¬ trance of that memorable class of 1924? Pupil—(Pupil snickers.) Oh yes. Prof,—(Reprovingly.) You might be at¬ tentive. Those were the days! Ah, I can remember when with grammar school dip¬ lomas safely guarded at home, we marched bravely up to those ominous doors, from all outward appearances, but trembling secretly within. For was not each one of us about to enter upon a new phase of our work, and was not each one of us about to have a part in making the history of the class of 1924? 1 can see us now as we marched through those ancient halls of H, P. H. S., not quite knowing whether to show our fear or pride. But then, that first day was ruined beyond recovery when we timidly knocked for the first time on a class door. (Pupil snickers.) Ah, I remember the uproar with which those seniors, those lordly seniors greeted us. On those seniors, those hulking, stuck- up brutes; how we ached to grind them beneath our feet—but our feet weren’t big enough. Soon we settled down into a steady routine of study. Pupil That’s a big joke! Prof.” That first “D” affected us a great deal more than an “F” in our later sophis¬ ticated years could ever hope to. And then one day, that first demerit descended like a thunder bolt from the clear sky; and upon our arrival home another thunderbolt des¬ cended and yet we were just a little proud. Pupil—I have an appointment; I must be prompt.

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I nnnitiiiitamnuniiK ■ jutmmniannicuuaimuwiusumuimiaumuuuisiuinmmanmiiDmaimimiiiisiniDUJiacniiiiuiitacnuuimniTiriuiiiDriiiirTiraanniunQiui i B unu.iuiuoniiiiRiE 3 CLASS BOOK OF NINETEEN TWENTY-FOUR I wmanKii—Miiin B UMiimuomuo accomplish at least three things. First, it must turn out young people trained for intelligent service. Secondly, it must pre¬ pare for that social and industrial intelli¬ gence the moral strength and rectitude neces¬ sary to good citizenship. Lastly, it must prepare such individuals as are capable and have the desire to obtain further training in some higher institution of learning. The facts alone are enough to prove that high schools are a national necessity and a public benefit; High school is the greatest business en¬ terprise of the age. The advances made along all lines have been stupendous. Not one part of the business has failed. Today more money is invested in public school property than it costs to run the federal government for one year. Every year each city constructs one or more school buildings. We can see clearly, by the constant and rapid advances, the interest and faith of the American people in secondary education. Within the past decade the increases in the value of property used for high school pur¬ poses and in current expenditures have been inconceivable. Never before have any people shown such willingness to tax themselves as our people are showing today, throughout the entire country. There seems to be universal agreement that our educational system shall be in fact one system with a clear vision that the American high school shall be cosmopolitan in character, offering within its organiza¬ tion opportunity for the satisfaction of divergent individual needs. The extension of high school opportunities by American towns and villages to all is one of the greatest achievements of the century. No other country has ever been able to boast of an educational system that is as good as ours. High school education is no longer a luxury but an intellectual equipment that is not limited to one class or creed. These are th« cherished ideals of democracy at its highest and best. The recognized relation that college-bred men and women bear to the promotion of social and industrial welfare needs no com¬ ment. The higher education of at least a part of the young people of every community is a social necessity. Trained leadership is essential, and the society of the future will in a large measure continue to -look to higher institutions of learning for these leaders. Since the high school is rapidly supplanting most other forms of secondary education, it is the place where many col¬ lege people must receive their preliminary training. The subjects taught in high schools are the tools of Higher Educational Institutions. The relation of these people to the industrial life of the community is also very evident. Here, again, the high school must be th e center from which most start. Since the high school is such a determin¬ ing factor in our system of education and in the development of national prosperity, the people should continue to foster its support as they have done. It is a winning proposition, and the people will always be repaid for the work that they do for educa¬ tion. Weaver High School is an example of one of America’s best high schools. In con¬ struction the building is unparalleled through¬ out New England. The school children of Hartford should realize this and strive to establish a record that will be “ s good as the school.

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niiiniianim mmitiiiicaiinminioninHmuaui CLASS BOOR OF NINETEEN TWENTY-FOUR I MMUllUUtJUIHUtlUlt ■ lUlUIlll Prof.—No, prompting was unheard of in my day, but the way you up-to-date pupils waste time is simply atrocious. In my day we never fooled. During our sophomore year I can—well—er, I think it might be well for me to retract that statemient. Miss Calculate—Miss Calculate!—you will never pass the mid-year exam if you do not pay attention. As I was saying, I had better retract that statement. As I remember now there was a moderate amount of fooling. Of course we were no longer freshmen, we were very much mo re dignified, and further¬ more we had someone upon which to bestow our scornful gaze. Som.e of our braver members entered clubs. As true merit cannot long be suppressed, and as in our class this true merit was discovered, they predicted great things for us. As you see, those things have happened. Well, maybe you can continue? Pupil—Not as well as you. Prof.—(Angrily) Is there any good reason why you don’t know your lesson? Pupil—Yes, decidedly so. There was a sale of chocolate covered cherries at Alder¬ man’s yesterday. Prof.—Did—a—you say sail? Well, now! I remember how we sailed through our junior year. Why— Pupil-yOh, I remember that part of it! It’s in this book. Prof.—That’s a wonderful book. I was not the only one who was interested in our class. An editor of a well known newspaper edited that book for the purpose of pre¬ serving the marvelous records of our illus¬ trious class. What! Are you still looking? You will find it on page 213, second para¬ graph. Pupil—Oh, yes. (Reading) The junior class entered with more dignity and pomp than any of the other classes, for obvious reasons. The freshmen and sophomores were now juniors. Lo and behold! No longer did they look upon the lordly seniors with awe and wonder. THEY were juniors! In that memorable year came the inaugura¬ tion of the Choir Monitor system. This marked the beginning of better music and good discipline. Then the banking system was installed, teaching more than one person the meaning of thrift and economy. The Owlet, then consisting of a few pages, was enlarged to a miniature newspaper of nine pages. In the line of athletics, the interclass games started, showing spirit and ability. For the girls, the Interior Decorating club first made its appearance, teaching how, when and why it is best to furnish a home in good taste. (Aside) Now that is entirely superfluous. You can find completely furnished homes in every evening’s paper. (Reading) Then came new fashions in dress, to which the juniors as well as other unfortunates became attached, namely. King Tut patterns. There were brightly colored dresses, and the boys helped the fad along by wearing brilliant yellow ties spattered here and there with red. Other such pleasing combinations could be worn, but yellow and red seemed most popular. Another such display of fastidiousness was shown in the apparel of some boys who owned red and black checked flannel shirts. Nevertheless, the two could be worn together without being followed by some disastrous effect. (Pupil stops for breath.) Prof.—(Beaming) Excellent! Continue! Pupil—That year marked the downthrow of a friendly enemy. New Britain, at their own field. To the victor belong the spoils. On the whole, it was altogether a full and happy year. No longer were they con¬ sidered inferior by others (never by them¬ selves), but were considered superior (mostly by themselves). It can be safely said that the junior year was both a successful and enjoyable one. (Pupil closes book.) Ah— Prof.—There is only one thing that I can criticize in your recitation. You forgot to mention the “A” that I received in mechan¬ ical drawing. (Clock strikes four.) Pupil—Why, it’s four! I feel faint! I must have my Condensed Food pills. Prof.—Faint? You aren’t going to faint! Pupil—Such stupidity! (Enter boy with tray.)