Westerly High School - Westlyan Yearbook (Westerly, RI)

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12 « Till: KKMOIt YEAR HOOK CLASS HISTORY As two great minds never run in exactly the same channel, and as each and every historian naturally has a different angle on the same subject, it is difficult for even the most conscientious student to give an entirely fair and impartial record of events. Actuated, however, by an earnest desire for truth, I shall endeavor to unfold for you the history of the renowned and glorious class of 1930 as viewed by several different well-qualified members and observers. I have accordingly divided my history into five major divisions, each representing a group which has been either connected or closely associated with this, the class of 1930, the most famous class which has ever graduated from Westerly High School. The recorders are the following: First, the members of the class themselves, as Freshmen. Second, the seniors of 1927. Third, the class of 1930 as seniors. Fourth, the faculty. Fifth, the citizens of Westerly. Listen then to the observations of our illustrious group during that memorable year when we made our advent into this revered institution of learning. We arrived 162 strong, green, gay, and gullible, confident of our power to conquer every obstacle confronting us. Had we not been looked up to as the wisest and wittiest during the last year of our Elm Street career? Of course, the slightly superior glances of the upper classmen somewhat dampened our spirits but we knew they could not fail to appreciate us hen they really understood our worth. We must confess that the high school hall seemed very large and long, the rooms very far apart, and difficult to find. But with the kind help of Miss Mclntire and the other teachers, we were finally comfortably settled. Much to our astonishment, the upper classes of the school were rather slow in realizing our importance and took us in hand much as they would have done had we been tiny children, instead of ex-seniors. In spite of ourselves, we became gradually humbled and subdued. Just as we were beginning to grow accustomed to this new

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SENIOR HOARD 1929-1930 Business Manager Miss Dorothy Hansen WILLIAM LAWSON Faculty Advisor Alumni Editor Ruth Saunders Advertising Manager Willard Hoxsie Tattles Editor Mary Farago Asst. Advertising Mgr. Frank Acolina Literary Editor Gertrude Solomon School Notes Albert Green Editor-in-Chief JOHN TOBIN Exchange Editor Louise Cook Athletic Editor Nelson Thorpe Assistant Literary Editors Gertrude Melbourne Wenonah Smith Art Editors Lillian Matson Thomas Wright Subscription Manager Patsy Celestino

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Till: SKNIOR YK.Mt HOOK 13 humility, we were told that it would be necessary to elect class officers. The following were our choice: To this day, we have had no cause to be ashamed of our taste in choosing these leaders to represent our class. They have ever served us well. We attribute almost the entire success of the operetta “All At Sea,” presented by the senior class of 1927, to the following members of our distinguished group: Laura Thompson, Gloria Simmons, Gertrude Solomon, Mary Farago, Ruth Saunders, and Margaret Brindle, who, playful sprites that they were flitted about the stage in the most graceful dance imaginable. By the June of 1927, we had barely begun to realize that, after all, we were but children in the great family of Westerly High School. I almost hesitate to reveal to the public the point of view of my second group of observers, but my aim being truth, the absolute truth, and nothing but the truth, I feel compelled to do so. We had supposed that the senior class of 1927 regarded our remarkable group as prodigies of beauty, learning, and wisdom. But wait till I tell you. We soon discovered their feelings toward us by the following conversation which took place between Marjorie Chapman and Virginia Collins, and was accidently overheard by a hurt and astonished freshman: Said Miss Chapman, “Why is it that the freshmen always make such nonsensical remarks?” “Why, Marjorie, what gave you that opinion of them?” “Well, this morning I was studying in Room 3 where they were having history. As a group, they did not show much intelligence. The teacher told them that if they spent one half-hour on their history lesson every night, they would have no cause to be ashamed of themselves when called upon to recite. One especially brilliant freshman remarked, ‘I don’t agree with you. Last night I put my history book under my pillow and slept on it all night and yet I do not know my lesson.” Imagine a freshman thinking he could absorb his lesson by sleeping on his history book!” “I thoroughly agree with you, Marjorie, that the freshmen have a great deal to learn in order to acquire as much knowledge as we have already obtained. Do you suppose we ever could have made such blunders when we were freshmen? Yesterday, Miss McGovern called on one of the children in English IB to describe the log cabin in which Lincoln was born. The freshman, feeling confident that this was a very simple task, stood up and remarked that the log cabin in which Abraham Lincoln was born was made of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, John Tobin Everette Greene Adelaide Croci ex-1930 Gloria Simmons